So, how much work have I done since my arrival in Santa Ana a little over 24 hours ago?

Zero.

As in, nada, nothing, zilch. I cannot believe that my company paid to fly me over 900 miles so I could sit on my ass in a conference room with a bunch of other guys who are also doing nothing. I understand that a lot of consulting is “hurry up and wait,” but this is insane. There was absolutely no reason that I needed to be here this week, except that it makes the project leader feel reassured to know that we’re all here & ready to work. Even though there’s nothing to do yet. Bah, this sucks.

On the upside, the hotel is really nice. Free breakfast, and free happy hour in the evenings. Good way to save up that per diem that I’m getting for meals every day – screw dinner, I can just have a couple of drinks on an empty stomach and fall asleep. Call it the liquid diet plan. I’ll have enough extra cash saved up for my tattoo in no time.

There’s a Pearl Jam song that I can’t seem to stop listening to lately. It’s an old one, I think it’s called “Indifference,” it was either on Vs. or Vitalogy. I put the CD in yesterday when I was driving to the airport, and again when I got in the rental car at LAX. (I felt very rebellious, listening to my Seattle music in L.A.) There’s this one line at the beginning of the song that really gets me:

“I will stand, arms outstretched,
pretend I’m free to roam.
I will make my way
through one more day in hell.”

I’m pretty sure it’s a reference to a relationship, but it sums up fairly accurately how I feel about this whole California project.

I miss my cat. Prepare yourselves for more whining as time goes on.