A tough semester

Why have there been no posts on Zeitahdata: the blog since July 22 2007?
I am sure there are multitudes out there in cyberspace wondering this very thing.

Well, my mom had a saying: "If you can't say anything good, don't say anything at all."
Of course as a young whippersnapper, I'd retort that what she really meant is
"If you can't say anything well, don't say anything at all," but I digress.

Having had an extremely difficult semester, fraught with huge computer server problems, an external review of the IT department, dozens of large, crucial projects to put together and a fairly well developed depression, there was no time during the last half year when I felt I could say anything good, much less say it well.

But things are better: the review resulted in the college looking more realistically at budget, staffing and performance expectations, some of those large projects are in process and will show fruit soon, I've been playing soccer more or less regularly, and things as a whole are looking up.

The next post will be on a topic unrelated to the Zeitah dig: some thoughts on mobile technology, which I wrote in response to a request by the editors of the college's student newspaper.

But this post, believe it or not, actually has something to do with Zeitah. I have been informed by Ron that future plans for Zeitah will involve alternating years of study season, dig season, study season, dig season... and that during the study seasons my services will not be required.

I have mixed feelings about this. If you have read previous blogs, you know that I derive a great deal of pleasure from all that I have been able to learn and to accomplish as part of the Zeitah excavation team. However, this last season was undeniably utterly exhausting. I wish Ron and whomever will participate in the study season all of the very best, and I look forward to the 2009 season being much more positive than the 2007.