PRESSURE!

Today's theme is "pressure". That seems to be the common thread of my life this day, and even the tune running through my head at the moment is Bill Joel's song that carries both the title and "feel" of "Pressure". There is, first of all, the pressure of catching up with the 12 days lost (and actually productively used for other purposes) in my delayed return to Belfast. I start teaching on Tuesday, and there are web sites and class notes to post, as well as the first lecture to prepare.... PRESSURE! There was then the mundane pressure of making mundane choices... Example: One of the nice things about Saturdays is that there are no appointments or workday deadlines to meet, but then there are the decisions of whether and how to 'waste' one's time (which actually means, how to enjoy one's 'day off'). Today's mundane choice was between coffee at Roast or a vegetarian omelet at Renoirs -- PRESSURE! (The dilemma’s resolved as I walked out the door by a text message from Ciarán suggesting we meet for coffee, which turned me in the direction of the omelet....) The pressure built as I realized that my not-so-trusty PDA was inoperable (put too much PRESSURE on the screen) and I needed to deal with that problematic toy once again... PRESSURE! More pressure in trying to deal with the repair authorization web site of PalmOne.... and no technical support in the UK on Saturday -- the pressure builds as I realize the this time the unit is finished for good, and I need to replace it with another one.... Spending more money is always a pressurized experience for me.... PRESSURE! This is all followed by catch-the-bus pressure, get-to-the-store pressure, remember-to-do-the-course-website pressure, and on and on.... PRESSURES! And then comes the email message from Domonic: Subject: "Accountability Bloke" Message: "Ya know it is hard to procrastinate if you aren't going to keep this thing current. I may actually have to work today." PRESSURE The phone rings – it’s Randi calling from the US. First thing she wants to know is why I haven't posted anything on my blog today! PRESSURE Sometimes you just have to give in, and so I am writing this blog on the pressures of writing this blog....