I let my class go home early tonight so I could get back into the office to work on this. The crit on their first project was bad enough most of them wanted to leave early anyway.

Going strong at 9:45 p.m. Just finished dinner. Beginning with the worst, the 32-page newsletter. These are three in a series of four, so style-sheets are saving my life. Client alterations to the content have been off-the-charts, resulting in tonight’s late night of design. 72 pages to go. Meeting is at 1:30 tomorrow and there are possibly 1,000 changes to be proofed by the account team in the morning.

9:55: Keane is on. Office is empty. Page 2 is now page 24, and that frightens me for what’s in store tonight.

10:28: The Killers are on. Hot Fuss. They need a second album soon. Reflowed all but 4 pages of the document. Page 1, and pages 29-32 didn’t move. Everything else did. However, if they all three go as smooth as this, tonight may not be so bad after all. The Internal Morality Struggle For Tonight is: To proof my own changes or wait for the account team in the morning? I’ll let you know how that goes.

10:38: Jason Mraz? (The iPod is on a full-library shuffle) 32-pager officially done until morning. Hell, that was easy. Spirits are high.

10:50: Tonight marks the first time I’ve listened to a Michael Jackson song since the trial began. If you’ve guessed the song was Smooth Criminal you’ve guessed right.

11:41: Good and old Dave Matthews Band now on the ‘Pod. Can’t wait to see them in Omaha again. Last time they played here I was almost ten years younger. Second project now going to black and white printer. Think I got it. This one wasn’t as smooth as the last. Lots of questions for the morning, not the least of which are the two full-pages of content earmarked to be reflowed as the new page 13. Someone bust out the spatial-reasoning skills and tell me how that works.

The coffee ran out about an hour ago. Fading a bit. Going to double-check my reflow and get moving on the next, and last, project. I should be elated, actually, that it isn’t even tomorrow yet and I’m moving onto the 16-pager.

By far the best part about late night designing is not wearing shoes.

12:25: Smashing Pumpkins blasts Tonight, Tonight as I stagger to comprehend the last alteration of the night. One paragraph on the last page of the last document notes missing copy that was present on the last round of changes. I dig up the old printout and see they’ve marked it for me. I look back to the current changes and on-screen document, noting the missing copy is exactly where their arrow is pointing and saying “Missing Copy.” I’m trying to figure out if I’m losing my mind, but I’m sure since it’s only 12:30 that I’m probably not.

So in recap, I’d say I got off easy tonight. Sort of, because showing up at 7:45 this morning, teaching after work this evening, and returning until after midnight tonight really sucks. Let alone now that it is officially September the 30th I also have to contend with turning 27. Yikes on that.

P.S. And not to tip our hats, but there’s some big news coming from the BeADesignGroup in the next few months. Keep your eyes open!