The last few weeks have been really hard on me. I was working on a very big, high-profile project at work which was essentially the first one I was in the driver’s seat for, so I was under a lot of stress to deliver under a very tight deadline. Our business had a personal relationship with the client but this was our first step into a business relationship with them, which was very stressful. Two weeks ago I let the stress get to me a bit too much and I had stress-related sickness (headaches, stomachaches, lightheadedness, etc) so I worked from home for a few days. After client delivery my body just gave out and I got a nasty flu that turned into a cold with a wretched cough. I’ve been nursing this the last few days, and it’s been really hard. We had visitors from out of town recently, including friends from Wisconsin (Jeff/Erin/Rene) and Jon, who came for the weekend from San Francisco. I tried very hard not to let people down by still going out and doing things despite my illness, but in some cases it was too much to handle. I missed a coworker’s wedding, a boat outing, and had to cancel plans to see movies with Jules because I wasn’t feeling up to it. I really hate disappointing people but my body is screaming at me to stop. I really need some time off though. ;_;

All of this culminates in the upcoming weekend. Friday through Monday will be jam-packed with activities because both PAX (Penny Arcade Expo) and Bumbershoot (Music and Arts Festival) are occurring simultaneously, and through a bit of poor planning on our part we ended up buying 3-day passes for both festivals. I am worried that I will be coughing and miserable throughout, and if this past week was any indication, that it will be totally wet outside (Bumbershoot is outdoors.) We are going to be so incredibly exhausted! We are trying to work out a schedule for ourselves so we can decide when and where we need to be in a particular place. Luckily PAX starts on Friday and Bumbershoot ends on Monday so there are two days that have no conflicts, but on Saturday and Sunday we will have to decide which venue gets priority. Seattle Center and the Washington Trade and Convention Center are only like 10 blocks away from each other so it will be no trouble getting a bus or walking back and forth but we have to get the timing right. At the very least it will be a fun experience, even if it’s totally exhausting. We’re doing it for good reason; we love music and video games!

Jules and I have spent a bit too much money this last month so we have to start to be a bit more conservative. We both built brand new computers in anticipation of Diablo III’s upcoming release, both got iPhones, and a bunch of other little things lately (herb garden, a bunch of shoes for Jules, recycling equipment and other “green” things like a water-conserving showerhead and LED night lights.) We are tossing around the idea of going to England for Christmas to visit his family and have a honeymoon. We definitely have enough in savings for that but it would be nice to have money put aside specifically for the trip. It feels very weird having a positive balance in the bank account with no credit card debt and still be able to afford nice things. Jules and I are still trying to find the right ratio of spending to saving which is appropriate for our lifestyle. Honestly, I am much more concerned about this than he is because he has a much more casual attitude towards money (ie, if we can afford it, why not spend it on nice things we can enjoy rather than squandering it all away for another time.) I worry about the longterm a lot more. Even so, I have serious doubts we’ll ever be able to afford to buy a place in Seattle proper. It’s too dang expensive. C’mon bubble, burst already!