i really don't like talking about my work because it's not very exciting but since it's such a big part of my life these days, it's unavoidable. long story short, i thought the deadline was tomorrow when it was in fact today, and i wasn't "allowed" to leave until it was finished even though i had evening plans already. amanda, her last day in boston, waited for me patiently while i negotiated the final pieces for a late wednesday night delivery. we were going to go out and grab some dinner but decided to order a pizza instead. actually, i was originally going to made ravioli with vodka sauce, and i even bought all the ingredients, until amanda reminded me she's a vegetarian now, so i nixed that idea. when i wasn't in my room/office coding and communicating with the client, i was out in the living room chatting with amanda and watching some television. my work day wasn't officially over until almost 11pm. by then amanda was already curled up in a blanket on the sofa, falling asleep. i felt bad that my work and my personal life had to collide like that, yet when it was all over, i felt the adrenalin rush of a post-delivery high. as painful as last-minute deadline work can be, it's also very exciting, like every minute counts, and it gets you very wired. amanda was supposed to bring her friend from chile, but she left him at her mother's place; too bad, because i'd gone online and done some chilean research to prepare (so i'd appear to be more worldly). before she left (for an 11 hour drive back down to washington dc), amanda showed me her new tattoo. located on her upper arm, i thought i was about to be treated to a post-holiday peepshow when she started to unbutton her blouse, but she ended up showing me her new ink without going topless: a work-in-progress oriental cherry tree design.

my mushroom growing kit arrived today, essentially just a perforated plastic bag filled with pasteurized straw colonized by mushroom mycelium. i opened the box and there was the strong aroma of mushrooms, this thick earthy smell. it also came with a humidity tent, which is just a plastic tube i fit over the bag of mushrooms, supported by a wireframe formed by metal coat hangers that i made myself. to activate the mushrooms, i sprayed the bag with water (rainwater is best, no tap water though, too much chlorine). according to the instructions, i should start seeing bumps (primordia) in about two weeks emerging from the holes in the bag.

and before i forget, because it's so weird that i don't even believe it myself, i have to tell you what happened to me this morning. i heard a loud banging on my front door and i quickly ran to answer it, thinking it's the UPS man. turns out it this old lady, and before i could even ask her what she wanted, she blurted out, "i have something for you...free!...free!" and shoved a paperback bible into my hands. "um...thanks," i replied, thinking maybe she wanted a donation, but she turned right around and left, pushing her grocery cart. was she a homeless woman giving out free bibles that she's found while dumpster diving? how did she even know i was home? or maybe she was just randomly knocking on doors, giving out bibles? it wasn't even some cheap abridged bible, this was a thick volume, with a retail value of $13. ironically, just the other day i was thinking about how i don't have a copy of the bible in my house. i guess my prayers have been answered. does anybody want a free bible?