Just a Little Stress - I mentioned that my current multi-tasking commitments have been stressing me out a little more than usual. I'm still feeling that extreme stress, and I still don't know what my solution will be.

Both Monday and Tuesday at work, I was just buried in data. I only have three days left in my job this week, and I want to be a good steward with my responsibilities, to hand over the data in a good fashion. It's tearing me up a little, not having a job lined up yet, and spending my days buried in my last few days of work. But I can't just burn a bridge. You never know who's going to be the referral you need next. I worry. Fortunately, I wrapped up a ton of really good data today, and tomorrow morning I should be able to send the report updates everyone's been hoping for.

Monday after work I normally go walking with Meala. But the air compressor in her car air conditioner blew up, and rather than just repair the damage, the money that would cost would be better for a down-payment on a new car. So she came over with a loaner car from the dealer, and we had a nice quiet moment over salmon and tomatoes and challah from Saturday night. Then I pieced together the last sleeve on the lining of her new doublet (for Saturday), and we figured out which fabric she could use for the outer layer.

Then Jon Thomme and I drove over to Tonwen's and Medb's house, for "apprentice night" dinner and projects. Medb is taking Jon Thomme as an apprentice, he lives on the same street as me (just down a block), and of course Tonwen & Medb live together. So carpooling is wonderful. *grin*

The ladies made a wonderful burrito spread for dinner, with some really sweet and fresh ears of corn, and then we worked on different projects. I'm still trying to get some hems and repairs done on two outfits for Scott by Saturday, so I just curled up on the couch for hand-sewing. (Of course, after I finish this journal entry, I'll be continuing some more sewing tonight.)

I think the drive home was my favorite part last night, just chatting about apprenticeship goals and peerage philosophies and things. Of course, I got so wrapped up in the conversation I actually missed my first freeway connection, but we still got home safely.

As for goals and assignments, I have a poetry assignment to complete for the Crown poems due by the end of the week, and since I'm going to already be in composition mode, I need to finish my piece for my personal Bard-of-Caid challenge with the three words -- hands, scion, and honor. Then, depending on whether I can land a job in the next several days determines how many days I'm able to attend our large camping event (GWW) next week. The goal is to perform this new piece some time at GWW, which means I really ought to check in with some of the bards of the kingdom to see if the stage over in merchants will be open this event, too. Lots of performing challenges to get through! When it's all said and done, I'll have some pieces to show/share with Tonwen by the end of the month, for our next "apprentices' dinner" night.

Of course, I still have lots of personal costuming to complete before Coronation, and I'll have to schedule some weekly time to make certain it all gets done.

On to this evening, Meala got her new car, then came over to show it off. It's really lovely! (yippee) We stopped for some dinner first, then came back to my place to finish more of her doublet. She got all the jacket pieces cut out of the plaid wool/silk blend to match the skirt. We both pieced together the old skirt hem into large enough pieces to cut out the sleeves. I worked on edging the jacket pieces while she cut out the sleeves. The sleeves came out accidentally both right-sleeves, so I un-pieced the sleeve, reversed the piecework hems, and now we had both sleeves done correctly. I set in the sleeves, then pinned the sleeve hems and the closure hems correctly so she can finish the outfit at home this week. She also got all the inner armor layers cut out, so it looks like we got it all done far enough to be done by the weekend.

What bums me the most though, is not having enough time to go walking every (or every other) day to keep up with our exercising group. Everyone else seems to manage to squeeze in a few more miles every day, and I haven't yet. *sigh*

Tomorrow is a hair appt, lots of data reports to send from work, and fighter practice at the end of the night. Ideally I'll get to do some walking at practice, and some hand-work on my sewing.

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Today's Blessing That I'm Thankful For: Jon Thomme. It's such a joy to get to know you and your family in the barony, and a privledge to start getting to do focused arts and research with you, too. You're quite an inspiration.