Despite the fact that I’m completely overbooked right now, I seem to want more to do. I am suddenly interested in everything, and I still feel the need to document everything I do or say or read or think. I’m not getting around to doing that, but I’m feeling almost a manic sort of drive about it. What the fuck?

I took Friday off so I could have a four-day weekend, but it’s not for having much fun. Well, first, Thursday afternoon I worked on Freelance Project 1 and sent it off to the client. Then I picked up some of the crazy gourmet donuts Chris loves, because it was his birthday, and we had a friend over and played cards.

Friday I got up early and went for a run/walk (mostly a run, but I’m still babying my hamstring). Then I spent the day working on Freelance Project 2 and getting some dumb house chores done.

Today, I finished up Freelance Project 2 in the morning and then spent the afternoon reading an information architecture book for class. I managed to get a few minutes to start reading the new David Mitchell novel, which I’m supposed to have finished by Thursday’s book club meeting. It’s already brilliant. I love him so much.

But, alas, I had to leave the novel in order to go outside, since it was only 90 degrees today. Chris and I went to Town Lake for the first time in more than month.

We ran more than half of it, but then I got weirdly dizzy and kind of incoherent for a few minutes. It freaked us both out . . . is it just something like a sinus infection? I’ve gotten dizzy from those before. I don’t know. My right hand went numb at about the same time, and I was a bit confused and couldn’t say words right for a minute. But then it cleared up and I even ran some more and felt fine. But now I’m freaking myself out. It would have to be a holiday weekend when this happens. I guess I’ll go see a doctor next week and see if I’m having a stroke or some fucking shit like that. Gah.

Tomorrow and Monday will involve a lot of work on Freelance Project 3, which is massive. Chris and I are working on that one together, and it’s going to keep us busy for a few months.

Sorry this isn’t interesting. I’m tired. And possibly dying or some shit.

There is too damn much going on in my life right this minute.

But until shit just gets too insane to breathe, I’m still trying to go outside occasionally. Last week I managed to ride 51 miles on my bike. That’s not a huge amount for people who ride a lot, but it’s a medium-high amount for me. I got to ride to and from work once (godDAMN it’s hot out) and go on a ride with a friend and a ride with Chris. All good.

Yesterday Chris and I rode at the Veloway, and on our fourth lap, suddenly there was a giant rattlesnake on the path. Eeeek! We steered around it and then slowed down for a closer (but not too close) look. I wish I’d had a camera with me. It was a big fucker.

I did have a camera this afternoon when I got home from work and this was right at eye level by my front door. I am not ashamed to admit that I jumped sideways a little when I first saw it. Then I bravely came back to document the moment.

Okay, I’m over my fear of taking a class and back to being excited. I got my books today, and they look to be an intriguing mix of totally dorky and amazingly cool.

Work has been a bit overwhelming again, but mostly in good ways. We’ve been needing some better internal communications for . . . ever. And I’ve had plans to turn the intranet into something more than a place to enter travel expenses. So these past few weeks I’ve been redesigning it a bit, and I just wrote an internal newsletter. The director of the center demanded “make it funny,” and that was some pressure, but I added a few fart jokes, and I think that will satisfy him.

Novel progress stalled for a few days while I retreated into listening to comedian podcasts and playing Zuma. Sometimes, the heart wants what the heart wants.

I just got back from a ride with my friend Angie. We are mostly law-abiding, but at one point we came to a stop sign at the corner of a street that’s a dead end in both directions and has very close to zero traffic. We slowed and looked around and then went through it. . . . And an old guy started trotting across his lawn, yelling, “That was a stop sign! You are supposed to STOP!”

“Sorry!” I called.

“That applies to bicycles, too!” He was still coming!

I yelled back, “Yes, sir!” and we rode on and left him waving his arms at us from the sidewalk.

Did he expect us to stop so he could yell at us? Scofflaw I may be, but I am no fool.

For the rest of our ride, Angie and I carefully braked fully at every single stop sign, but at one point I admitted, “I’m not really watching for cars. I’m looking out for old guys.”

Speaking of biking, Chris spent the evening doing some research at the UT Latin American library. He parked his car off campus, because parking on campus is impossible, and he rode his bike to the library. He just called to say he’s leaving the library on his bike, and I pointed out that IT IS FUCKING DARK OUTSIDE. I am pretty sure that the only light he has on that bike is a tiny blinking tail light. So now I’m going to go fret in the living room until he gets home safely. Then I’m going to wave my arms and yell like an angry old guy.