I have continued to mod for the last few weeks. I have found it satisfying to be able to absorb myself into it, and distract myself from eating all the time. I have managed to drop 10 pounds, which I am very happy to say. But, there are still about 35 more to go. Overall, I have found that fasting is actually a reasonable thing for me, which is not something I would ever have thought. I was writing faithfully in my food diary until the last couple of weeks, when the amount I eat reduced dramatically. Keeping track was a ridiculous exercise at that point. Admittedly, this last weekend was a cheat weekend for sure, it didn't do a lot of damage, and I am pretty sure I can recover quickly. I am no longer afraid that I just can't do it, and that is something of a milestone.
The job is going well, and I am pretty sure this is going to be easy. I had the first week of meetings with clients last week, and that went totally smoothly. I feel like I am on top of the issues, and there are not piles of outstanding items like I am used to having. The weekly cadence of tasks are pretty light, too. However, I am having so much trouble getting the routine of the system down, mainly because Jim knows how to do it, but not explain it very well. I also feel like there is a lot of legacy steps that he follows, because the system is really only being used to a minimal degree. Items like travel and budgeted labor expectations are not being used to their fullest extents. I believe the forecast is really only viewed by Adam, and that is a something of a trouble spot. Jim should be using that as a Program Director to let Adam know what to expect, and to take mitigating steps across all the individual projects when things don't line up to expectations.
I also helped Mev make the hotel arrangements for iMobile, which is kinda sad that we don't have a travel admin any more. I understand the shortage, but this was a completely ill conceived way to potentially save money and positions. Anyway, it is clear that I will have some time to devote to other projects, so I think they are warming me up to take on some extra duties. This is important because I am going to be short hours on the next project because of bad budgeting.
Joel is now on Furlough, but that is expected to be very short-lived. However, we are not counting on that to be true. He is taking the moments to think about things he wanted to do, but never had the time to make it happen. He is wanting to do piano lessons, and I would love it for him if he would. That is the one thing I never did that I do feel I missed out on. He is working out what keyboard to get, and that will be the ultimate trigger for him, frankly. Meanwhile, my cello is sitting in the corner giving me the stink-eye. In all honesty, I had intended to use my time to get it going, and I made some pretty good progress when I was living alone down here. I have submerged myself in technology and science every time I had a moment ever since, and I am still glad I did. I am much more rounded in my IT skills because if it. But, that is not exactly a nifty party trick.
Aside from all that, I have been having trouble sleeping, which I am sure is because of all the instability. Between the job change, the new learning, and the dieting, my mind is a circus. My sex drive is pretty low, which is certainly concerning for Joel. I don't want him to ever feel like it is his fault, but I know he does. I need to get exercise and keep my head out of the laptop so much. Now that he has nothing to do, I worry that he will obsess over things and get our relationship twisted into a knot again, which I am glad to say, he has so far resisted. I love him dearly, and would can't stand the thought of making him unhappy.