• Party on, Mari. Party on, Doug.

    We just got back from Mari’s birthday party, and I’m pleased to say that a good time was had by all. Lil’ couldn’t make it on account of migraine, darn-it-all, but Geoffrey put in an appearance (and graciously gave two non-driving folk a ride home!), Lyse was there for the duration, and a bunch of Mari’s other friends (including Leopoldo, who I’ve met before, but I never managed to put two-and-two together until now to realize that I’ve been to his website a few times) were there as well. We ate meatloaf, as threatened promised, though we only had two loafs to choose from because the third made a mad dash for freedom. We snacked, we enjoyed desserts, and we played games. All in all, it was a rousing good time.

    Happy Birthday, Mari! I hope you had a fun evening with your friends.

  • Today, family. Tomorrow, friends.

    This evening Dawn and I went out to dinner with Sis and her hubby. We went to Koji, which is where you go when you want sushi. I chickened out and had teriyaki steak, but nobody really held it against me. We had a good time, I’d say, and the food was quite good.

    Afterward I stopped by the hotel room where Granddad and his wife are staying while in town to see Sis. He’s looking and sounding old and tired, I’m afraid. It’s a bit disconcerting to see that someone you’ve known your whole life is now trailing an oxygen tube hither and yon. Ah well.

    Tomorrow we’re heading out for Mari’s birthday shindig, which should serve as a lively cap to a busy and fun vacation time!

  • Little Judy

    The best part of my workday involved something utterly unrelated to work: Sis and her hubby brought little baby Judy to the office. So, I had the privilege of leading them hither and yon to visit some of the people who’d remember Sis from her stint at the front desk position, years ago. Everyone oooh’d and aaah’d over the cute baby, which made several individuals’ dreary workday considerably brighter.

    Cool, eh?

    The second-best part of my workday, by the way, was getting to upgrade the RAM in this webserver at long last. Here’s hoping the new stick doesn’t cause any troubles. Cross your fingers, friends.

  • Snow Job

    The weatherfolk have been predicting snow around these parts for a couple of days now, and tonight the white stuff is supposed to be due. After we were done watching a DVD, Dawn and I watched a few minutes of “storm team” coverage by a couple different local news affiliates. Oh, are they ever desperate for a news story to justify their continued existence!

    So what’s the gist of the coverage at this hour? “Well, nothing’s happening yet, but if anything does, our city services will be prepared for it, and so should you be!”

    There’s not a flake, or drop of precipitation at all, to be seen or felt. That won’t stop them from milking the “impending snowfall” for all it’s worth. Me? I’d just as soon forgo the winter wonderland for another week or three, thanks…

  • I want a new t-shirt.

    I want a shirt that reads, “I survived the audits.”

    Actually, it went fairly well if you set aside the fact that our process documentation procedures need more work and we exposed a glaring (if somewhat hypothetical) security weakness with one of our most important computer systems. (Yeah, ouch.) I talked myself hoarse, laid bare every flaw and touted every strength of the infrastructure I’ve built, and learned a few things. I’ve had worse days, I suppose.

    I’m still totally worn out, though. Good thing I have tomorrow off…

  • Dolphins Rock

    Via the collision detection blog, I submit for your entertainment and education the following two links that describe new things we’re learning about dolphins.

    Why? Because it’s cool, that’s why. Silly human.

    Dolphin Games
    Dolphin Tool Use