Back in Black

I suppose it's time to post something here, a task that's getting hard to complete with any frequency (yeah, like once every month or so). 

In brief it goes like this: back from a stellar vacation in Cali where I spent way more time in the water than on a bike and that was just fine, doing some very cool and prompt work for Andrew in order to help the cause, gearing up to devote a year to writing at least two screenplays, picking up a new online teaching gig to test the waters there, and, oh, also continuing the responsibilities of family and the usual job. 

I'm feeling way behind balls right now, but the work I'm doing is a big loin rush. As the cliche goes, I'm stretching myself in some new directions that are pushing the fun and cool factors. So, to all my blogger friends out there ramping up the fitness for what's left of road or the beginning of cross, well done and hammer on. I'm looking forward to hitting a number of cross races this season, but I'll likely be in my usual position of way off the back. If there's one thing I've learned as a newbie cross racer it's that someone like me needs to devote a healthy chunk of time to training in order to see some results, and that sort of dedication just ain't fitting into the life program right now. 

(Random observation: didn't have one insect bite during a month stay in the warm, dry climate of Cali. Right now I'm itching myself to the fucking bone from what must be approaching a dozen violations of my person.)

So on the program today is an attempt to transfer my two online courses from the "test site" to the "production site" for the start of online classes next week. See my college, in its infinite wisdom, switched course management systems over the summer from what everyone in the universe uses (Blackboard) to a new startup system (D2L). As you might imagine, the transition has produced a bug or two. So I have managed to successfully move my courses from Blackboard to test D2L, and now I will attempt to reach my hand into the hat and pull the real deal out for all to see. 

Add into the mix housesitting a black lab puppy. The little fucker is cute as a button, but she divides her day into good (sleeping) and bad (chewing, pissing, crapping). 

If you have a compassionate bone in your body, wish me luck.