Remembering the right philosophy

Train-ing slowly through the Maritimes on a lazy sunny Friday afternoon, leading to inevitable reflections on the second half of the year, and career. A week in from the resume and cover letter flurry, and just one response thus far (in the negative) from maybe the weakest of the 4. Slightly ominous, perhaps. But not all that devastating. Funny how thoughts can change a bit once you get into actually looking at things like the job postings in more detail. There is a concern about not becoming a document monkey working uncontrollable hours at another's whim, given the alternatives.

Some good, surprising meetings this week in terms of bonus and development opportunities make the status quo a bit more attractive than previously thought. Foolish in some ways to throw that completely away if you can avoid it. And so is there a potential KIMEP compromise in the works?

The more that idea turns over in the mind, the more appealing it looks. So we wait on a finicky government's approval of a new llb and notice again around the end of March. But it's the "Why Not" philosophy, and you have to wonder if things are just not lining up hilariously in this line for that reason. And the possibilities of either returning or making a publishing foray toward the Ph.D leave you in an open-ended spot.

Still some time to sort thoughts out - 60 days for other interviews to come through, and to see about SD (who, it is worth recalling, will be around next year as well). Time too for Cyprus and some frank conversations under the Northern Lights and a restoration on the Thames as always.. Time will show what is to come. And it has not let you down yet.

"Thro' Each Nerve the Rapture Dart..."

Happy 252nd, my old friend, as we mark another year. This is always one of those days that sparks thoughts and images of the road. This one's no different, after an excellent Haggis lunch at the Loose Cannon. There is something about that Talisker that is so majestic and smile-inducing and nostalgic. A year and a half on from Skye, it is nice to have paid the bills such that a new chapter is almost at hand to permit further roaming about the globe as required.

Funny as well how this date coincided last year with some post-Odyssey fundraiser ridiculousness from nowhere, and now this time around there seems to be another random potential option worth exploring. Whether anything arises remains to be seen, but it was certainly pleasing to receive the email Monday all the same. Must get in the right frame of mind for it.

Where have the hours of this day actually gone? Need to keep up the Rabbie Burns poetry review (the quote in the title from By Allan Stream), and perhaps give Grandmom and Dad a call before venturing out. I suppose popping by Stayner's is in order later, but not before a trip out on the "ocean" via ferry. With a wee half-pint in hand? Can the Teacher's be found? Depends on the closing time, it seems. And I'm not crossing the pedway until the end of the Blackpool and Ipswitch Town efforts!

C'mon you underdogs. Worthy victors for a Burns day, surely.

POSTSCRIPT: Damn, so the inevitable unfolds, and the powerhouses prevail. What can you do? I have some Glenfiddich and Highland 12, but not feeling the trip out in the cold nor solo for another round of Haggis. Just another moment pushing on toward the edges. Fair enough. I'll sip the remainder of the Scotch with a reading of Doctor Hornbook and Tam up by the statue instead. That seems as fitting. Looking back, that served you well in '09, and so hopefully again...

Almaty or Sonipat?

Another slow weekend, but perhaps a productive one given the hilarious nature of the emails and attachments sent off to the Far East today. A back-up plan if there ever was one, although the more this ridiculousness is turned over in the mind, the more it actually appeals and makes some uncommon sense long-term. The differences between the two approaches in the recent cover letters (academic v. practice) amusing to say the least, but what is interesting is that neither are really untrue. The different ways your life may go, and all that.

There are now 6 separate potential entry points for the second half of 2011 - 6 unknown individuals (and hopefully groups of individuals) who will take the time to glance at scraps of paper with your name on them and possibly direct the potential future. A fishing expedition if ever there was one to be sure, powered by that incomparable invention of the world wide web. I just hope the hook is baited well enough to reach the next level. The lecturing option may be a stretch too far due to the absence of a doctorate or publications (fascinating to see tonight the adverts for Fiji, Henan, Bahamas, Egypt, and Nigeria with such extensive requirements). But who can say? The ideal is just to have a few hopes/options outstanding by the time you land in Cyprus, so the Mediterranean can again serve as a backdrop to consider the momentous questions.

All so wondrous strange. I'll admit that the hilarity of announcing such an unconventional move forms a large part of the appeal of today's missives. And it doesn't really matter to what end, or to what purpose. The end is in the ability to move, and to experience the "new".

And so to wrap up on that theme, a link to a decent article worth preserving - "The Point is beside the Point." I like the reflections on the "glorious contingency" that is human life, and Darwin's "ennobled" connection backward in time. An argument very nicely put, I think.

The Unbearable Madness of Cover Letters

So the first forays into the market have been electronically sent directly on. After waiting two days in vain for either of the recruitment places to respond, another search revealed the actual firms and so just as well, it would seem. Now if the past is any guide, your luck should mean that marks the beginning of the end of it, as two is already above the usual application quota. But it has been a number of years since the drafting of such banal jargon that it may not be as simple as that. The drafting of the cover letter particularly amusing, but what can you do but follow the process and await the verdict? The goal at this stage is really to land one in-person meeting while in London, I think. From there...

The clock ticks on, and another work day of DSM and the like complete. Most productive in the sense that these forms got finalized thanks to the faulty click of the confusing website submission. All of which is fine, except maybe that needlessly ridiculous typo of the name in the covering email! Oh my. Let's see what flows from such madness.

Cyceland

And thus another February trip to Europe is booked.

Departure on the 14th echoing the classic trek with BNS of 2002 (can it have been 9 full years?), with the promise of witnessing live the best football on the planet, scheduled visits to European islands on opposite ends of the continent, and the possibility of key interviews. It seems a turning point of a trip, now that the new year has arrived with its openings. Nothing to suggest any changes to the timeline that jumped out as an epiphany on the ocean-front wanderings last weekend. Just keep the momentum moving forward.

An additional thought to note for this Sunday, as you contemplate another run on the treadmill and the difficulties in getting focused to do the work in front of you. On Politics and Boredom, by Sam Rocha: "What is boredom but loneliness, alienation, lovelessness, and the desire for something to occupy the time in a way that puts those stark realities at a distance?" As one of the commentators noted, yep this post is true. Amazing how so many strangers can share your exact same thoughts, at times.

So, May 27 of 2011?

Looking back, it seems it was as far back as mid-June 2008 when the plan for the glorious extended summer of 2009 crystallized, and the eventual date of departure was first plucked out of the distant calendar. Now a week into the new year - and having pondered things back and forth awhile, through to today's further staring at the ocean and consideration of timetables for future proceedings and the like - I think we may have the inklings of another date of dates. May 27.

I like the symmetry of the number, (although extending one week to June 3 would be fine as well, I suppose). I like the potential for both a February London trip to lay the ground work, a potential early April conference in Banff, and perhaps a week in the Cuban sun to reflect, as was done in Tulum.

And most of all, I like honouring the legacy of June 5, and leaving the opportunity open for a gem of a Krapp's tape for the 32nd, rather than sitting around waiting for August. Surely the room can be sublet into a new year, and even if not...

Must get to the gym before it closes, but I like how this inspiration has emerged, abruptly and surely. I can see it standing the test of time. Looking forward (that cursed expression) to seeing how it plays out.