The Big Project at work is coming along and looks like it will succeed, which is good, since it was my idea and I'm doing the implementation. It's only the second thing at this level of complexity that I've ever tried. I've proposed large projects in the past, of course, but if I talked my way into them, they failed, because of some stuff I didn't have the experience or discipline to know:

• Before you propose the project for real, set your pride aside and ruthlessly assess whether it can be made to work at all.
• It's tempting to say "This is so complex, we have to just do it and see if it works." No good: identify small milestones and proofs-of-concept and prototypes that you can hit. Meaningful progress is important technologically and psychologically, both for you and for others in the organization who would prefer you spending your time on their projects instead.
• As an encouragement to milestones and prototypes, remember that you're not trying to do the least amount of work possible, nor are you necessarily trying to get things done as quickly as you theoretically might. It seems as though if you just buckled down and worked really really really hard for 3 weeks and then flipped the switch, it would work; but in that case, you will have worked too hard, and it probably won't work. Instead, take 5 weeks, produce visible milestones, and turn out a working product.

I'm heading out to the motherland of western Massachusetts for a few days in October, so that'll be nice to see the family and the trees and hills and such...I think I haven't been out since January of last year, what with one thing and another. There's some chance I'll have moved by then, since my lease ends October 31st and a couple of hopeful things have already cropped up: one apartment, with a garage facing the street such that it has an off-street parking spot, and one place that also has a garage but makes no promises about whether it's an apartment or duplex (I haven't checked yet).

Last weekend was our annual chill party up by Willits, which was lovely as always. Kat came along again, being my persistent and recurring companion. Marinated mushrooms, wild boar sausages, lots of sitting around reading a book: a solid good time.