December 24th, 2003
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Net cafe code and seasonal mirth
In an attempt to leave work at a decent hour so Mikiko and I can go to Millenario tonight, I went to bed at 2 (damn Donkey Konga) and after half and hour of coding in my sleep left the house for work around 7. However, I neglected to ensure that my office keys were among my possessions so I got about two hours of non-productivity to blow before someone else comes to the office.
Not to be discouraged, I put down 500 yen for some time at a net cafe and starting coding notepad style, so I can test my memory of the game’s class structure and mail myself the efforts before opening. We’ll see how many “Replace in files” commands I have to issue when I get in. For the meantime I’m working hard to break even on the terminal’s hourly rate via free cups of milk tea. Unfortunately this means a lot of trips to the can.
Even though my chair is too short and carpel-tunnel is whispering in my ear, I get some cheap Victor headphones and Christmas music net radio. A lot of Tchaikovsky mixed in with the R&B and Bing. Nice. Reminds me of the Robinsons…my Mom’s #1 homemaker connection family when I was in grade school.
The girls did the ballet thing, and we always saw them in the Frederick Regional troupe’s annual showing of the Nutcracker. Man I loved going to that. It happened every year at the Weinberg Center, Frederick’s venerable performing arts center (which I later would frequent on the other side of the stage). The old velour seats, the tarnished molding along the vaulted ceiling, the stale candy on sale in the lobby at intermission (the quality of Lance brand)… the sleepy warmth of a dark theatre and stage lit by 1970s pan pots. How each piece of music segued into another, leaving me torn between enjoying the current dance and longing for the next. The mystique of “coffee”, the fanfare of “marzipan”, the sheer beauty and grace of “snowflakes”. It’s funny how something I used to loathe as an impatient child grew up with me in penny-loafers, blossoming into an experience I would go to all lengths to attend with deep reverence.
Ack, I want to write so much more…but need to code…
Good King Wenceslas…first chair trumpet…all the MSS christmas shows…
Oh come Emmanuel…loved going to school Mass for Christmas songs during Advent. Gauging what sorts of holiday things are coming up by pink and purple candles…
