O' Tanenbaum or Faux Tanenbaum

When I lived in an apartment I bought a fake tree. It wasn't anything special, but it was a Christmas tree. We used it the first year that we were in the house, but my wife never really liked it. So for the past couple of years my wife and I have gone out and bought a real tree. With our real tree we got all of the benefits - fresh pine smell - and all of the penalties - needles, watering. It's never really been a lot of work. But this year might be a bit different. Oliver is still at the stage where everything goes in his mouth, which in this case may include pine needles. On the other hand, when we had bats the fake tree got covered with guano. So if we were going to get a fake tree, we'd have to buy a new one. And is it better to put a real pine needle in your mouth or a fake one?

So we are left with a decision - O' Tanenbaum or faux tanenbaum?

Oliver in the front yard

Here's a picture my wife took of Oliver in the front yard. The sneakers behind him are hers. I really like this one as it brings out the color in his eyes really well.

Dinner time

This is a picture that we took of Oliver when he first tried to feed himself carrots.

Oliver's first hockey game

We took this picture after Oliver's first hockey game. We did ask if we could get on the ice, but the usher just snorted his disdain. Maybe next time...

Halloween Costumes

I've already written about how cute Oliver was at Halloween. Now see for yourself:

Thanksgiving weekend

On Thanksgiving, we left the house for a long weekend of family togetherness. We drove up to see my wife's family, which is much larger than my family. We have almost a dozen nieces and nephews running underfoot when we all get together. In this instance it was good since it meant that there was always someone there to watch Oliver.

We were assigned "Squash" for dinner. We brought acorn squash and butternut squash that we were going to prepare in the microwave according to the directions in Mommy Made. But if you were to read the directions, you'd notice that the squash in the recipe is a medium squash. I skipped reading that part and brought a monster five-pound squash. It took a lot longer than I'd planned and some of it didn't cook as well as I would have liked, but it turned out OK.

Dinner went well. Oliver had squash and some turkey. He ate some, wore some, and had a good time. After dinner, we played Settlers with her siblings until it was Oliver's bed time. Then we packed him up in the car and drove to Chicago. Travelling with him while he wants to be asleep is so much easier than travelling with him when he wants to be mobile. We made it up to Chicago with one stop for gas and diaper changing. My parents were waiting up for us, but Oliver went right to bed.

The next couple of days had us hanging out with my folks, letting Oliver run around their condo. We didn't end up going outside much, but that was fine for my wife and I as we just wanted to veg out and read. Much of the day was governed by making sure that Oliver got his naps in. We spent some time with my parents and retired early.

Saturday I helped my parents get together the dinner. My dad has always been in charge of Thanksgiving dinner as far back as I can remember it. In fact it was my father cooking Thanksgiving dinners that showed me that men could cook too. Since I miss out on cooking Thanksgiving, I make up for it for my birthday in February.

Before dinner we got to see Oliver and his cousin playing. One day they'll play with each other. In the mean time they just play near each other. This year they were playing Keep Away with Oliver's walker.

It was a good time.

Last night

This morning my wife poked at me. "Hey! Wake up!"
"Hmmm... (yawn)... What?"
"I think Oliver slept through the night last night. I don't remember waking up after 11:30."
"!!!!!"

It's too bad that I was not awake enough to do the Happy Dance. Hopefully this bodes well for the next few nights at least. But I'm fairly sure that we'll be trying to recreate it as dutifully as a fan-atic puts on the same unwashed smelly clothes, sits in the same spot, consuming the same foods, and saying the same things in order to properly cheer the home team on to victory.

If nothing else it was a change from the past few months. And a welcome one.

When your parents get older

One day when I was very young, I asked my mother how old she was. She told me that she was 99 years old. I'm sure she thought she was being funny. It came as perhaps a bit of a shock a couple of days later when she ran into another mother who told her how cute I was. Ninety-nine years old! I can remember when I was just getting to the point where I'd be taller than my mother. I'd try and rest my elbow on her shoulder, even when the angle was uncomfortable. To get even she'd let it rest there a second and then try and tickle me. My father says that we always seemed to think of her as the Iron Lady. My father has always been a little less sturdy. He was born with Spina Bifida and had had surgery to correct it when he was younger. I think he's actually the one of the oldest living people with Spina Bifida. He's worn a back brace forever and has been using a cane for a number of years.

My parents have been the bed rock of my existance. They have been there to support me in all of my various and sundry endeavors. I can't remembering any sporting events, plays, or awards ceremonies that I was part of that they didn't attend. They've been together all that time which seeme unbelievable considering the number of people I know whose parents are on their second and third marriages. They've been consistent and loving. I only hope that I can be half as good of a parent to Oliver and company as they have been to me.

But now they are getting older. And they are getting to the point where they won't be able to care for themselves. My father doesn't walk without his cane. His balance isn't what it used to be. A couple of weeks ago he fell down and had to be helped up by my mother. My mother has been in terrible pain from something in her back. A couple of days ago she fell down and had to be helped to her feet by a stranger. She's going to have a surgery soon to correct her back problem. She is seriously considering getting a hotel room for the period while she is recovering so she won't have to go up and down the stairs. She's looking at questions like "How do I get back up the stairs after my surgery in the first place?" They've reserved a spot in a retirement home that will be built across the street from where we used to live. I'm glad that they made the decision on their own and I hope it all works out for them.

I just keep telling myself that as much as I don't like seeing them getting infirm that it beats the alternative.

Christmas Year One

Last year was actually Oliver's first Christmas. He probably won't remember it, but we drove up to my wife's mother's home. I held him in my arms for most of the day to the consternation of his aunts who wanted to play with the new baby. We didn't do much in the area of an exchange of presents - we had just given each other the best gift ever and Oliver had as much stuff as he could need.

This year is shaping up to be a bit different. We'll be seeing both families during the Christmas season. I'm fairly sure that my wife and I will be exchanging gifts. And this year we'll be giving Oliver stuff to open. Since I doubt that he'll read my blog, I'll give you the skinny.

Oliver will certainly be getting some new clothes. What kinds of clothes, I don't know. I will certainly be looking at his clothes to determine how easy they will be to put on him. I'm thinking colored t-shirts and maybe a new jersey or three (But not New Jersey - really who'd want that?).

Some of our friends have Little People, which look like something that both Dad and Oliver want. Oliver will be getting a bunch of different size balls to play with. I'll be looking for a walker along the lines of a grocery cart. He'll be walking soon, but it will be useful in the short term and for eventual child number two.

Planning the first birthday

So in a couple of weeks, Oliver is going to have his first birthday. My wife and I haven't made a lot of plans for it yet. But there are a lot of things to plan.

Food is the biggest thing. After all with birthdays come birthday cake. It would be a shame for Oliver not to be able to eat his birthday cake. But at this point, Oliver hasn't had eggs, wheat, or refined sugar - all crucial elements in the standard birthday cake. So we need to find a way to make a cake out of things that he has eaten for far - oats, bananas, sweet potatoes, fruit... My wife is heading up the research committee.

The people to invite is another item. At this point, we're keeping the list to family. Considering that Oliver is the youngest of thirteen grandchildren, my wife has four siblings, and my parents, brother, and girlfriend are heading down, our house may be packed enough as it is.

The last thing that needs to be considered is what to do about presents. Since Oliver has a December birthday I would like to do something different than the usual wrapped gifts. Two weeks after his birthday he'll do the whole unwrapping presents thing. Maybe we could buy him stocks or bonds. Or ask people to contribute to his college fund. Or we could turn the whole birthday thing around and have him give gifts to people either party-goers or some charity. Or ask for only clothes for his birthday and fun stuff for Christmas. I don't know what I want to do, I just want to do something different.

Now when he's older, I'd like for him to follow in his father's tradition of throwing an off-season party. I'm Thanksgiving. Maybe he'll be Halloween...

What I want for Christmas

When I was a kid, I could come up with pages and pages of stuff that I wanted for Christmas. Granted I was helped by the Sears Wishbook, so I could write down all of the stuff that I wanted in order that my parents could order it from Sears. I doubt it happened, but don't you think it was awfully considerate of me? By the end of the Christmas season that book would be so dog-eared that it was unfit for anyone else to look at.

One year I was going to go on a trip to Hawaii after Christmas with my father. And while I was skulking around the house looking for something to do I came across my already wrapped Christmas presents. I shook them and took my guesses. But one of them I just knew was Ultima IV, a computer RPG that I had been dying to get. So I unwrapped it carefully. And looked at it. And came back and did it the next day. And the next. Until I sat down and wrote my parents a letter in which I carefully laid out all of my reasons that I should be able to open my Christmas presents before Christmas or at least this one because I already knew what it was. My parents refused my request so as to not reward my deviousness. I think that they were a little bit proud of the letter, though.

This year however, I'm having a bit of trouble coming up with things that I want for Christmas. Sure, there are things that I want. I'm a Magic player and a Dungeon Master. There are always things that I don't have that I'd like. But asking for them for Christmas feels weird. For one thing I generally would spend more on a single purchase on my own than someone would spend for me. So I look at my gift and don't feel the same rush of appreciation that I'd feel for a similar purchase in another area. The other is that no one in my family (likes/appreciates/supports/is proud of) the fact that these are my hobbies. So in some ways it is easier to ask for things outside of my hobbies.

My other two interests are books and movies. I just bought the latest of the Wheel of Time series and the Song of Fire and Ice. So I'd need to ask whoever was going to buy me books to get me started on some new series - a risky proposition. DVDs are becoming standard gift giving fare like the ubiquitous Father's Day tie. But then it becomes harder to say that thought was put into the gift.

I think what I've decided is that I want things for me, things for me to do with my wife, and things for me to do with my son. Things for me fall into the categories of books, movies, and clothes. Things for me to do with my wife might include games that the two of us can play. I'm sort of at a loss for things that I can do with my son.

Ok, so now everyone knows what to get me for Christmas. And just in time for "Black Friday". Remember when colored days were a bad thing?

Sleeping through the night

No, Oliver is not sleeping through the night. We put him down somewhere between 7:00-8:00 and by 8:00-10:00 he is asleep. That will last until midnight or so when he will wake up for a hopefully quick snack. 3:00am is another snack time or diaper changing. 5:00-6:00 is the morning nurse before my wife goes into work for the day. Then father and son sack out until Oliver wakes Daddy up near 7:00. The routine varies with illness and teething but in general hasn't changed in 11+ months.

My wife has been a trooper. Since we are still breastfeeding, every time he wants a snack, she is up. Whenever his diaper is changed, he gets upset and nurses back down. So basically whenever he's up, she is. When I can I try and do my part. I'll carry him downstairs and walk around for a while rocking him back to sleep. I do better with midnight waking than nap time. Sometimes I'm successful - usually when he's really tired. Sometimes I'm not successful and then the Trooper is called to duty. Again.

We keep talking about having another, but I really don't think that that will happen until the Trooper is able to go off duty for a while.

Nap time

I think I'm a good parent. I feed my child good food. I make sure that he is dressed appropriately. I watch over him and do my best to keep him from dangerous situations and rescue him from the ones that I missed. I play with him and console him. I talk to him and sing to him. I'm doing all of the things that I ought to be doing to be a good parent. And then nap time comes.

I don't know why it is, but in his 11 months of life, I've never quite managed to find a way to get him to go to sleep. Each time I manage it, I feel like Tom Hanks in Castaway ("I have made fire!"). But then the next time the sparks won't catch and I'll end up with a fuss baby. Rocking, bouncing, patting, holding, laying - each works once or twice and then not again. About the only thing that I'm certain will put him to sleep is a ride in the car. But I have to be pretty desperate to pile him in the car for a ride around the neighborhood until he drifts off. Sometimes just to spite me, Fate makes the transfer from car to crib fail and I'm left with a fussy baby who thinks that he's already taken a nap. Since we made the commitment to the family bed, we've avoided using cry it out strategies. But there are times when we have a fussy baby and sleep-deprived parents that the temptation is there. So far avoided but there all the same.

The part that makes us really frustrated is that the day care people never seem to have any trouble getting him to go down for a nap. Some day I may have to stake out his day care room to learn their secrets. In the mean time I'll just have to try and figure it out on my own. But if you see me driving around your neighborhood near nap time, you know that Oliver's outsmarted me again.

Selling the car

While we were dating but before we had bought the house, my wife decided that she wanted to get a new car. She had been driving what could charitably be called a beater, and she wanted a fun car. She ended up buying a 1998 VW Cabrio. It was a fun car. We went on numerous wine country trips and picnics with that car. But when we had Oliver we knew that its time was coming to an end. The most convenient way to get Oliver in and out of the car was to slide him through the window Dukes of Hazzard style. That works okay when you have an infant - even if it does look somewhat strange. It works less well the bigger and heavier he gets.

Over the summer during the first rush of "You pay what we pay" sales, my wife had FINALLY narrowed her choices down to the Pontiac Vibe and the Mazda 3. But then she couldn't find exactly what she wanted, so we ended up not buying either. In August, a friend of a friend bailed us out when he let us take over his lease on his Passat (thanks Karl!). It wasn't exactly what we wanted, but by the end of the three year lease we'll have a better feeling for how big our family will end up being.

So we had a '98 Cabrio for sale. After briefly entertaining the thought of being a three car family ("Insurance is how much?!?!?!?!?"), we decided to put it up for sale. We were full of grand plans of advertising, putting up flyers on Wash U's campus, and getting it sold quickly. Instead, we just put it up on Cars.com for $6500. Initially we got a lot of responses, but few added up to any real action.

It wasn't until September that we actually got someone to come out and look at the car. That guy was really car savvy and checked it out as thoroughly as possible. He crawled under the car. He popped the hood and poked around in the engine. He checked the brakes. I think he liked it, but he ended up not buying it.

September turned into October. October turned into November. November brought a pricing reduction to $6100. Then we got a call from someone interested in buying the car. They offered $5400. We said that that was in the ball park and invited them out for a test drive. It turned out that they weren't as car savvy. They popped the hood but didn't do much more than listen to how the engine sounded. No crawling, no checking the brakes. But they decided to buy it from us for $5500. Yay!!!!

There were a couple of problems with the whole transaction that other people might learn from this experience. First, I gave them crappy directions to get to our house for the test drive. Second, we didn't have the title with us when they came by, so that had to take a second trip out to see us. Third, when the car savvy guy test drove the car, he must have broken the glove box lid which we fixed before we handed the car over - just before we handed the car over, so the exchange was not smooth. I ended up waiting around for ten minutes or so with the buyers before the car arrived. Fourth, we did not specify how we wanted to be paid before the sale was to have taken place. We ended up getting paid in cash, but if they had given us a personal check that bounced or something we'd have had no recourse.

But it's sold. Yay!!!!!

Oliver at work

I took Oliver to work with me today. As I walked to my cube I got a couple of comments about child labor laws and how young these new consultants are. Since my arms were full of child and bags, I dropped Oliver off with a co-worker while I went to my cube and I dropped off my work bag and the diaper bag. That was enough to almost set Oliver off crying, but when I came and picked him up he was all shy smiles.

For the next hour or so, Oliver and I held court in my cube as everyone in the department came by to see the baby. Most of my co-workers are in their forties with the baby days behind them, so everyone was real excited to see him. He didn't get to demonstrate his new walking skills, but he did get to do some crawling and playing on the floor. I had forgotten to bring in toys, so he had to content himself with playing with empty water bottles and keys. I don't think he minded a bit.

He started to get a little grumpy towards nap time, so we went for a walk to the cafeteria. I looked for something that he could eat, but the only thing that looked like something he could eat was a banana. After snack time, we strolled around for a bit, but he wasn't feeling sleepy. Finally Mom arrived before he could get really crabby and Oliver went home.

It's always nice when you are able to bring your baby into work. For one thing, everyone has been hearing you crow about how cute he is. When you bring him in, the shoe is on the other foot and you get to hear about how cute he is. On the other hand, the department ends up doing negative work while he's there as everyone gets a little distracted and wants to play with the new guy.

Having trouble staying on the diet

About two months ago my wife and I started doing the South Beach Diet again. Since we started, I've dropped about fifteen to twenty pounds. I am comfortably wearing 34s instead of squeezing into 36s. A number of people have asked me if I lost weight. With all of this positive reinforcement, you'd think it would be easier to stay of the diet. But for some reason it doesn't seem to be.

As always it starts with the small cheats. A diet soda instead of water. A few extra chocolate chips in my ricotta faux-cream dessert. A beer with dinner. A piece of sugar free candy. Corn in the mixed vegetables. A couple of pieces of sugar free candy. Potatoes with dinner. A glass of wine. A couple of pieces of candy. A thin slice of cake. Chinese takeout. Several glasses of wine. A couple of slices of cake.

And the thing is that I know that I'm not doing what I should. But I do it anyway. Because it's easy. Because it feels good. Just because.

Weekend update

No, I can't promise this will be funny either.

Friday night we hosted a surprise birthday party for Andi at our house. Mission accomplished: She was surprised. I was duly surprised when it turned out that enough food and drink had been bought for the party. Usually I buy enough so that every person present can have 2-3 beers, 2-3 mixed drinks, 2-3 sodas, and stuff themselves silly while having a good time and not lining up in front of the bathroom. I'll have to remember this for December and February.

Saturday was a lazy day. It was a nice day out. I got the backyard leaves raked for the first of many times this year as the big tree in our yard is stubbornly holding on to the rest. I walked to a book store to pick up the new George R. R. Martin book. And then we read and napped and ordered in Chinese food.

Sunday Oliver decided that it was time for him to start walking with his walker. It's really cute. It looks like he's walking behind a grocery cart. Later that night we went to an Energizer sponsored night at the Magic House. Oliver got to do some playing about and we got out pictures taken with the Van Der Graff generator.

50 Things that you may not know about me

1. I like to eat and drink, but lack the ability to discern the really good from the average.
2. I like to cook.
3. I think I'm a good cook, but see #1.
4. I once made a meal for friends that was entirely yellow.
5. I'll try just about anything once.
6. I've never dressed in drag.
7. Before having had a child, I thought that I'd like to have 12.
8. I haven't quite given up that thought.
9. I used to be a social liberal - fiscal conservative.
10. I've grown out of the fiscal conservative.
11. St. Louis stills feels down right Southern to me.
12. Other than a trips to Houston and Orlando, I've never been south of Memphis.
13. I'm worse at home improvements than my wife.
14. When we paint I get the roller and she does the edges.
15. I'd like to say that I'm detail-oriented, but that would be a flat-out lie.
16. I had originally gone to college to become a high school science and math teacher.
17. I still wonder if that wouldn't be a good next career.
18. I once ran a five minute mile in gym class because I wanted to lap people in the fitness test.
19. When I'm talking to myself I frequently say, "I'm so tired."
20. I wonder if that isn't a sign of depression.
21. I'm a definite type B.
22. I'm a very visual person.
23. I like making lists and scratching off what I've accomplished.
24. I keep all of the cans and bottles of soda at my cube and then recycle them all at once.
25. I carry a bag back and forth with me to work that doesn't usually carry anything that I need for the day.
26. I keep forgetting that I want to take pictures.
27. My definition of clean is "A place for everything and everything in its place."
28. I don't see dust.
29. I don't close cabinet doors or drawers.
30. I don't make my bed often - after all it's just going to get unmade again.
31. I don't remember my dreams.
32. I used to/do believe that if I imagine something bad happen then it won't happen.
33. I try and tell my wife I love her by doing the little things around the house.
34. I would like to be a masseuse for my third career.
35. I've run three marathons.
36. If my wife ever divorces me, I want to run across the country like Forestt Gump.
37. I was home sick the day that the Challenger Explosion happened. If you weren't, you didn't miss anything.
38. I'm loud with people I know and quiet with people I don't.
39. I'm a Dungeon Master.
40. I play once a week with a group of friends.
41. I've been playing with the same group for about five years.
42. I'm a Magic player.
43. I bought so many cards that all of my friends quit playing rather than try and keep with me.
44. My best friend who isn't legally bound to me lives in New York.
45. I don't grow facial hair well - my goatee never quite connects.
46. I love watching old 80s movies and seeing all of the future stars as bit players.
47. I have an addictive personality. I purposefully limit my addictions.
48. I like wearing oversize clothing.
49. I don't understand dress shoes. They are uncomfortable and noisy. Give me a pair of sneakers any day.
50. I'm not a good loser, but with enough practice I may become one one day.

Names and Faces

I have a great mind for faces. One time I was in Schnucks and I ran into a guy that I had gone to high school with back in Evanston. After figuring out where we had known each other from we had a nice conversation. At my high school reunion I recognized everyone there ("It was just as if everyone had swelled." - Grosse Pointe Blank). However, I did forget a good chunk of people's names. Boy, did that endear me to the crowd...

Flash forward to the past Saturday. A friend of mine had a destination wedding complete with post-wedding reception in St. Louis. My wife and I dropped Oliver off with Paul and Sarahlynn (where he turned out to be a plague bearer... errr.... sorry about that) so that we could go to the reception. While we were at the reception I ran into a woman that I had known at Wash U. We had been ... close ... during my freshman year, but then we drifted apart. I don't think I'd seen her more than a couple of times since we parted. She greeted me by name. And I completely blanked on her name.

So we had that awkward conversation that people who have been close have when they run into each other again. It seems that she knew the bride and I knew the groom. I marvelled at her abrupt career switch from doctoral focus to law degree. She gushed over how cute Oliver is (from the only pictures I keep with me - on my phone). And then we drifted off to different parts of the party.

It was really weird running into her again. It's like when you are at the grocery store and run into a coworker. You know them, just not in this setting or with this group of people. It was really embarassing for both of us that I could not remember her name. I think it made the ensuing conversation even more awkward.

So I'll add this to my published list of flaws (my wife keeps the unpublished ones) - I'm great with faces, terrible with names.

Can't give them away

So last Sunday I found myself sick as a dog at 4:30 with two tickets to the Blues-Wings game. I was clearly not going and my wife and son would have stayed with me. But we literally could not give them away. We called friends. We checked with neighbors. But no one would take them off of our hands. For a Blues vs. Red Wings game. Has the state of the Blues sunk so low as to not even interested dedicated hockey nuts?

My wife ended up going to the game with my brother-in-law while I slept and visited with the porcelain gods. I'm not sure who had more fun...

Sick week

Friday night we got off to a good start when Oliver tossed his cookies all over the bed. While I was taking the sheets downstairs, he did it again. And we were off and running. Saturday started off well. We ran some errands, went to a friend's wedding reception, and hung out with Paul and Sarahlynn, who babysat Oliver while we were away. Apparently nothing untoward happened all day until my wife tried to nurse Oliver down to sleep at their place in preparation for a good game of Settlers when he did it again. Needless to say after that it became a short night.

Sunday morning I wasn't feeling well after breakfast when I left to drop a wedding gift off at bride and groom's home (of the previous night's reception). Let's just say that breakfast and I didn't make it home from that trip. The rest of Sunday was a bit of blur of encounters with my pillow and the toilet as nothing would stay home. I even missed a Blues-Wings game because of this. On the plus side Oliver looked like he was doing better short of a little diahrea. Of course, wouldn't you know, that's when my wife took ill.

I called in sick on Monday because I wanted to make sure that I got over this bug. I ended up on baby duty all day because my sick wife had to work all day, despite really not feeling like it. I'll just fess up now and say that I wouldn't have been so dutiful. That there was a production problem to solve probably assisted, but I still might have just called in sick. Monday night I was feeling better but since Oliver was still squirting number two, he wasn't going back to day care. I went in for a few hours that turned into five hours when problem of my own arose.

Today, I got to tend to Oliver all day. In some ways it was good, but in other ways it could have been better. Napping, for instance, could have made it better. But with two squirts prior to bed time, it looks like I'll get to try again tomorrow. And I'll definitely be working on the napping.

Working on somone else's project

We have a big development effort that is due at the end of the week. There are still 34 outstanding errors. And so I've been tasked to help the other programmer with this project. But it is very difficult for me to make any headway when the requirements are still changing and the documentation is 1) bad and 2) 2-4 months old.

If there was at least some level of documentation or comments in the program, I might be able to help. But there isn't. The names for the functions aren't even very descriptive. NWCCalculation is okay, but NWCCalculation1, NWCCalculation2, and NWCCalculation3 which are all various versions of the same calculation with varying parameters and methods of calculation tend to obscure any gains that may have been made with the first function name.

Then there are the series of functions labelled foo and fooForNewProcess. You'd think that all foo functions would be obsoleted, but no - that would be too coherent. Some foo functions are still in use and some fooForNewProcess functions are being used by the new process.

If the other programmer was super dedicated and always around then I'd be able to ask questions and find out answers from apparently the only one who knows the answers. But she tends to take long (~2 hour) lunches, will be away from her desk for long stretches chatting with friends, and go for non-smoking breaks to stroll around the parking lot. Yesterday, I told her straight up that it was not as important to me that this project were to be successful, that while I was happy to help it isn't my project. I think that made something of an impression, but I still had to go find her today when she had been chatting with a friend for a half hour.

We'll just see what the end of the week brings.

Ack! Update

If I keep this up, I'll lose all two of my readers. Sorry, guys...

Last week we was a relatively busy one at work. I was assigned a tedious, time consuming job and managed to nearly bungle it. In addition, I was assigned to assist one of my co-workers with a project that needs to be finished by Friday and still has 30+ open issues. This weekend was a good one where we got some stuff done. My wife got our entertainment center nearly finished on Saturday. Then Saturday night we went to a friend's Halloween party and had a good time. On Sunday I got a minor fever and audibled out of leaving the house. It didn't do me any good as I didn't end up going to bed any earlier, but I got some meals cooked for Oliver and didn't spread my germs around. Yesterday I took Oliver trick-or-treating and soaked up the compliments and the rain.

I'll post some pictures later.