Another Person's Watched Pot

Time. It is the most powerful force in the game. Over this last week, I have had little of it. I've been in a class to become certified on the state level as an instructor. I had my presentation today and I'm rather worn out. It is a good class. I'm not fond of public speaking or being on stage. However, I'm comfortable with doing it and my presentations tend to go well. I do the smart thing and stick to subjects that I like. I was amused that I was able to tolerate watching and listening to myself during the review with the instructor much better then normal. After watching ten hours of myself talking and sitting on camera from the summit meetings, I have finally developed a tolerance for both my voice and appearance.

I still think I sound funny.

But, I am tired. I have been 'off duty' to some extent this weekend. I've focused on eve mails and keeping up with what is going on. I'm not going on fleets. It is eight in the evening and I'm ready to pass out. In one of my other monitors I am slowly, ever so slowly, stocking Bosena.

I've been building a dreadnought for someone. One of my predictions about the changes in Phoebe has started happen. Where a ship is matters as much as its cost. It was that one would go out and buy a ship for fifty million less and jump it home. With jump changes it could give you days of fatigue and take a day or two to get a ship home from its purchase point. That time vs cost is a very real factor now and suddenly people want home grown dreadnoughts and carriers.

But, time. Dreadnoughts and carriers don't just make themselves. Without a production line running that is spitting out finished hulls at a steady rate, it is roughly a two week turn around to get that ship build and out the door. Now, when people are asking me if I build these ships I say, "Kinda."

I build things very casually because I enjoy it. With my other obligations, I cannot commit to people's needs. I've started getting inquires about building ships and how 'soon'. "Two weeks once I have the pieces, or so," is my response. "Oh," is what I often hear.

Yuppers. It is not an instant process. I learned back when I made boosters that when you produce a product people expect to receive the product when they ask for it. That a run of boosters will take around four days is a, "Oh". If I did this for my main income I'd keep a steady flood of product out but because I do not, people slam into the wall of time.

I leave the decision up to them. I am very pleased with what I can do in the game. But, what I cannot do is be everything everyone wants at every moment. If they want to wait a few weeks, I'll happily make it happen. If they want it now, I tell them what I believe their best options are. I've managed to start shedding the feeling that not being able to accomplish anyone's wanted the moment they want it is somehow a flaw on my part as a supplier.

Tomorrow is my last day of class. Then work on Saturday. Sunday, I shall try to restock my hangars, get Chella her implants, and start the week off. I'll crack the dreadnought out of the oven and debate spending the ISK to start the build on my own Archon.

I also managed not to burn the house down yesterday.