A handful of observations:

1. This autumn in Michigan has been absolutely delightful.  Lots of sun, reasonably warm weather.  The colors are just beginning to turn — lovely.
2. It’s been about two weeks since I’ve moved.  I’m sleeping better, but it’s a bit strange, as if I’m living in a hotel.
3. We finally deployed the Performance Analysis and Improvement Plan that my department assembled.  Lots of work, but it’s a cutting-edge solution to managing the front-end revenue cycle for acute-care hospitals.  We’ve developed a complex, benchmarked metrics package, deviations from which will trigger an automatic Six Sigma rapid-cycle performance-improvement project.  Most of our metrics will be interpreted using statistical process capability tools, which haven’t yet been well-deployed in the financial sector of the healthcare industry.  Very cool.  Probably a publishing opportunity after we get some experience with this plan under our belts. 
4. For an absolutely delightful take on sailing around the world without a clue, read the Bumfuzzle blog.  The site — in great detail — tells the story of Pat and Ali, a young Chicago couple who decided to sell it all and see the world (after a single sailing lesson!) from a catamaran.  It’s quite endearing, and the stories are well told.  They sailed for about four years; now, they’re driving the world in a VW bus.
5. I’m tentatively planning to take scuba training over Thanksgiving weekend.  That will get me all but the four “field dives” (too cold in Michigan winters) for open-water diving certification.  Might take advantage of a great Key Largo diving package in January, though.  Goal is to get divemaster certification by the end of 2008. 
6. Project 810 update … I’ve got a great idea for a seminar series that I want to pitch to a few business contacts.  This is good.  And I continue to do a lot of reading of books and magazines and Web forums about sailing in principle.  Progress is good so far.  It’ll feel a bit more real when I do the scuba training later this month, I think. 
7. Earlier this week, my bank credited me the $580 from the Spirit Airlines fiasco.  However, for reasons that make absolutely no sense to me, yesterday I was assessed $175 in non-sufficient-funds fees for … not overdrafting.  Yes, you got that right.  $175 in NSF charges simply because my “available” balance fell south of the border while a transfer between accounts was pending, even though my ledger balance was always well into the green.  Try as I might, I can’t grasp the math of this, even after talking to a telephone service representative.  Although, I must admit, I was reduced to cursing at her when she tried to be helpful in offering me “overdraft protection.”  My response:  “Why do I need overdraft protection when I never f&^#*(% overdrafted!!!”  Ugh.  One step forward, one step backward.  Jason is cranky.
8. One side effect from the domicile relocation:  I’m much more regular in going to the dojo and the gym.  Five days per week.  Not bad.  At this rate, I’ll work off the Las Vegas buffet weight by Christmas, hahaha.
9. I’ve actually been able to get a little bit of writing done.  Woo hoo!