OK, the little interlude of self-pity is over. Everyone's entitled to a little self-pity once in a while, even if they have a steady government job not subject to the merciless axe of the Grim HR Reaper. Buddha was right: to live is to suffer. Why not gripe a bit when the pain flares up?

Despite some weirdness in my personal life, I am pleased to report that my transition to self-employment and be-my-own-bosshood proceeds apace. My plan is working for me because I am working my plan. Touch wood. I feel so lucky to have found the motivation to act on ideas that I know are good, even though the motivation came about primarily through intense anxiety arising out of the hand injury and its death crimp on my ability to do anything. My back was against the wall, and that turned out to be a good thing because it forced me to fight harder than usual. Now I just want to keep kicking ass until I can hire a few more ass kickers to help me kick even bigger ass.

Ass kissers need not apply; had quite enough of them back in the "good" old employed days, thank you very much.

Who knows, someday -- together -- we might just kick an ass as big as my head, if such a thing exists.

It is true that the greatest blessings often come disguised as curses and vice versa. I don't know who first said that, probably some Biblical sage. It's so true.