Q & A

We're now able to catch up with the elusive Mr. Swan...ah, there he is! Mr. Swan! Mr. Swan! Could we have a word? Oh, you do have a minute? Excellent, let's roll tape on this and get a few statements for the record.

• Can you tell us where you've been for over a month?
  

  Well, naturally, I've had a number of commitments to attend to, not the least of which being my work. After all, they're kind enough to look the other way as I blog my little heart out - the least I can do is actually accomplish that which they hired me to do.



• Mr. Swan, that's extremely boring. Can't you do better?
  

  Sure. I've been training with Iron Chef Masahara Morimoto, who has been instructing me in the finer arts of sushi. And Japanese food. And blowfish dissection.
  
  Ok, so he actually took me to McDonalds a couple of times, but the art he can create with a McNugget and a sharp plastic blade is truly breathtaking!



• So, what's in your bag these days?
  

  I'm so glad you asked. I've recently gotten addicted to this Flickr meme, and I've been recently taking stock of what I'm carrying around these days. Here's a good list:

  
  
  1. Sony Clie TJ-37
     
  2. Clie data cable w/power & data dongle
     
  3. Leatherman Wave
     
  4. Notepad portfolio w/random papers stuffed in there
     
  5. Gym clothes I was going to use when I went there yesterday, before work got crazy. Again.
     
  6. Scrabble® Keychain (yeah, I'm a nerd. Deal.)
     
  7. Vinyl/rubber change holder (it's not a purse)
     
  8. Contact drops
     
  9. Oral-B Brush-ups (thanks, mother-in-law!)
     
  10. Archos Gmini 220 MP3 player w/included mediocre earbuds
      
  11. Gmini data cable & power brick
      
  12. CD wallet (I'm ripping them to the player at work)
      
  13. Unidentifiable bills, papers, and other things I was supposed to do something with.
      



• Mr. Swan, you mentioned visiting the gym, is that a new development?
  

  Why yes, it is. Since I last posted to this lovely blog, I've joined and now work out 3 days a week at a gym. I've actually had a trainer for these past few weeks, and my last training session is tomorrow. Going to the gym has been good, but also an extremely steep learning and accustomization curve. I'm not in terrible shape, but put me on that stair mill for half an hour, and I might belive I'm having a heart attack. Weights are good too, but when you can't straighten your arm completely afterwards for a day or so, it's kinda uncomfortable. I asked my trainer the fateful question: "It goes away after a couple weeks when you're used to working out again, doesn't it?" "No, not really. I'm in pain all the time. But it's a GOOD pain." Heh.



• Mr. Swan, after such a long hiatus from blogging, what are your plans for this corner of cyberspace?
  

  First, I'm making a commitment to myself to blog more often. It's a valuable exercise in writing, a powerful outlet for the mind, and a great jump-start for those creative juices. Blogging doesn't have to begin with a careful meme in mind, it can just be a foolish idea for an interview metaphor that ends up taking way more time in your day than you thought it would. Rest assured people, I shall still attempt to make you laugh, think, wonder about my mental health, and jump to far corners of the internet I have visited.

Thank you so much for your time, Mr. Swan.