As stated in my last entry, I had breakfast with three lovely young woman on Sunday morning -- and, yes, it was a nice way to start the day. We ate in the Capital Hill neighborhood and then ran a couple of errands. Then, I went to work, lucky me.

I spent all Sunday at work and pretty much finished everything that I was working on, but while working with one of the other guys I learned that the stuff I had saved to work on with him would probably take a day on its own. Wheee! So, I did what I could Sunday and resigned myself to working on Monday (Labor Day), too. So, I've been here pretty much all day Monday, except for a quick dinner with Chris -- whom I haven't seen for a week. I'm bummed I haven't been able to spend more time with him while he's been here, but this deadline really has been a nuisance. Soon I will be able to have fun again. I swear.

Every morning I do my routine, part of which is pulling back the shower curtain to see if there are any insects in the tub before I take my glasses off and jump in (see, I'm blind without my glasses, so it doesn't do much good to check the tub once I'm in because I don't wear my glasses while I shower). I don't know if checking for bugs is unusual, but I've noticed that there are a lot of crawling critters in the area (including my apartment) and I have little interest in sharing my shower with them. Anyway, this morning I pulled back the curtain and saw a scurrying spider that had a body that was easily one-half and inch long and one-quarter an inch wide with legs that extended out about an inch in every direction.

You, like me, probably aren't the biggest fan of spiders in your house. Sure, they prey on insects and they do good things and yadda, yadda, yadda, but y'know what? Don't do it in my living space! Evolve a brain and figure out that you should stay out of my space! You give me the creeps and I'll crush you. Unfortunately, this spider was right at the small end of what qualifies, in my mind, as a living thing. If it were slightly smaller I'd have had no difficulty grabbing my shampoo bottle and crushing it with no remorse whatsoever -- but this stupid spider was large enough that if I'd done that I would have felt bad because it met my size requirements for being a living thing that mattered. I don't know if anyone else has this "you must be at least this large to be considered a living thing" rule, but I'm pretty sure it's common.

Actually, this last week I've been perfecting my fruit-fly-killing skills because, after months and months of throwing my banana peels in my garbage (which I empty regularly) I noticed that I had an infestation of fruit flies.

They do not meet my size requirements to be considered living things.

Swat. Swat. Swat. But, I have to say, those little suckers are quick. I get up in the morning, or come home at night, walk into the kitchen and disturb their little universe so they take to the air. I have to wonder what my neighbors must think as I clap at the flies and I smack the walls and ceiling as they move around the room. It must sound like a heck of a fight. It's a wonder I haven't had a domestic disturbance call made on me. Maybe if I screamed at the flies while I slapped them around?

Tomorrow starts my first day as the Director of Game Design. I hope it goes well. I'll certainly ease into things, but I know that I'll run things differently than Jim. I mean, obviously, I'm a different person than he is, so there will be those differences, but I think he's been so busy with so much for so long, that there are things that have gone undone or been ignored that really need addressing. And there's lots more that we can be contributing. I dunno, it'll be interesting to see how I handle this and how everyone else handles it. I don't plan on ruling with an iron glove, but nor do I plan on not saying things that need to be said. I'll just be constructive about it. I don't see the point of being a jerk.

Next subject: I finished watching Gattaca last night. I'd forgotten a lot about that movie, but I really like it. I'd completely forgotten Tony Shalhoub's part.

Okay, I'm done. I really need a day off. I think the only time I've had off since I returned from vacation was last Sunday when I went to the company picnic. I'm looking forward to the party the women from Sunday's breakfast are having this weekend. Really looking forward to it.

Oh, I forgot to mention; I scooped the spider up in some Tupperware and released him in the bushes on the other side of my apartment complex. He didn't even say thank you. Bastard.