One Foot in Front of the Other

The secret to getting from point A to point B, especially when point B is really far away, is to take one step at a time. Running, meeting, marching, or strolling, this week holds a LOT of steps for me. I've already survived one day though, so I'm one step closer to a welcome weekend.


MONDAY:

Monday wasn't bad, but then never was expected to be more than the fourth challenging day. Early in the morning I picked up my t-shirt and number for tonight's big race. Because some people might be curious enough to look up my number and because I'm that paranoid, I won't share it. I will say though that I just looked at it and realized that it's EXACTLY twice the three-digit number on my parent's license plate that they always play in the lottery and occasionally win a bit with. Is that good luck or meaningless coincidence? Only time will tell.

In the morning I reviewed the final proofs of my last catalog. I had an afternoon meeting to present the cover of my next Science Fiction issue along with the first few spreads. As usual, everything was well-received and the meeting went smoothly. Before the day was over, I even found some Moose photos for the cover of a hunting catalog I also design. I usually defer to that editor's expertise as I know little about hunting, but he's away the next few days and so the task fell solely to me. Hopefully he'll like what I came up with. In any event, the day was productive and I managed to squeak in one final run on the treadmill before the real thing.


TUESDAY:

Today's the day, arguably the biggest day. In the morning I have to meet with my SF team to discuss the current issue I've designed. On average, with that club, I'm working on three issues at a time at various stages. Yesterday I dealt with one I was finishing and another I'm starting, and today I deal primarily with the one I'm in the middle of. This meeting is immediately followed by a photoshoot of the team for another upcoming project, and I'm also expecting to review and approve a sketch from an illustrator for one of my book jackets. The one bit of good news arrived on Monday when an afternoon staff meeting scheduled for Tuesday afternoon several months ago and postponed, was postponed once more. It means that after my meeting and my photoshoot, I'll have the rest of the afternoon to get my work done and even get out for lunch for a bit. At one point I had considered skipping lunch or eating at my desk, something I try never to do. It's important I get everything done swiftly and efficiently, because I can't stay late and I won't be at work on Wednesday. At 5 PM, I'll be shutting down my machine and donning my racing gear, and beginning the battle with traffic to reach Jones Beach in time for my race. Will I be ready? When I signed up for it, I weighed a disgusting 215 pounds. I've worked hard, and dieted(kind of), and I'm down to 192 as of my last weighing after Monday night's visit to the gym. I'm still overweight, and I don't look all that different, but I feel different. Wish me luck, and think of me when 7 PM rolls around. I'm going to turn off my mind and just go, and can use all the good thoughts and prayers I can get.


WEDNESDAY:

The good news is that I took a vacation day on Wednesday. The bad news is that I have to be in Hoboken by 8:30 AM to play an Italian procession that could last as long as 6 hours. The date is always the same for this particular feast, and it's particularly bad when it falls on a weekday. Not only do I have to get up extra early the day after I run a marathon, but my dad and I will be lugging instruments on trains packed with rush hour commuters. I just hope we can get home before the work day ends. Some years we have to wait around a while to get paid while the band leader meets with the organization. At least I'm not doing any driving though, and I'll be able to get some rest on the various trains.

While feasts on the weekend are normally better for my schedule, I've just learned that a friend is having a Christening for his first born precisely in the middle of a weekend gig I'm already booked for in a few weeks. I guess I'm lucky that all these different bands will hire me, but every now and then my obligations conflict with someplace else I'd rather be.


THURSDAY:

Being back in the office once more, I'll be able to stay off my feet after running a 3.5 mile race and playing in a six hour procession. Right off the bat I'll have to present the aforementioned Moose cover, and then the day will be dedicated to catching up on all the stuff I'd fallen behind with the day prior. Staying late would be the obvious fix, and since I'd be done training for the race I could even skip gym, but it's not an option. Yet another band has me booked to play in Brooklyn by 6 PM, and so my dad and another musician will be waiting for me at 5:30. By this point in the week I predict my brain will have completely shut down, and only subconscious musical queues will keep one foot in front of the other. I'll also sleep very well, though Italian songs and runners will haunt my dreams.


FRIDAY:

Call me lazy, call me an unmotivated sloth, but “Friday” is going to be the sweetest word in the English language by the time I reach it. In the Summer my company has a great program in which we can leave early on Fridays, as soon as our work is done. I have no idea how far the prior three days will have set me back by that point, but I have a feeling I'll reach a point where I just want to go home, and deal with it Monday. Weeks are funny like that. You put one foot in front of the other, and make it to the reward of a weekend, sometimes even an extended weekend, only to repeat the journey a few days later...