The Time Sink

Here we go! Yeah, this is just about the shortest work week series we have (this week and next)! Today will be filled with tying up loose ends and getting ready for being off for a day or two. No, we work tomorrow (and the crews work Christmas), but I usually take off the day after since Christmas is often a travel day for us. ...and a three hour trip back in either rain or fog just doesn't make me want to jump out of bed and hurry into the office on a few hours sleep. Then again, that's what's happening this morning <g>...

...and a brief update for those of you following the Great Migration: everything is packed! Yep, there are a couple of boxes yet to move out, but that's it for the mundane stuff. ...and the server is down from the closet and on a moveable desk. ...and the other machines have a temporary home on another desk. ...which just leaves some connectivity issues to be dealt with!

Just kickin' it today... We're doing something we've never done since Shelley and I've been married: we're spending tonight as a family. ...the nuclear version, not the extended version. Scheduling issues, general busyness, and a little illness here and there is putting us together this evening.

Usually we jam around like maniacs, just trying to tie up loose ends. ...and then maybe church if there's time before we have to be at my sister's. ...and then blasting home trying to get the boys to sleep so we can do the presents thing when they finally go to sleep. Relaxing? Well, when we slow down for a few (like at my sister's); but we're usually way tired Christmas morning. ...and that's a travel day!

Events this year have allowed us to just look inward for a moment and realize that what Shelley and I want most is to just not have to be anywhere or meet a schedule. The way the school and work schedules have played out the last two weeks have just left us drained. So Shelley is cooking the same meal she would if we were going to my sister's. ...and we'll eat it when it's done. ...and when we are done eating, we're going to take a ride out and look at houses lit up for Christmas. ...and then we're heading home and starting the boys to bed close to their normal times. Oh, I'm not even thinking that will work; but Shelley and I can set out the presents and retire while the guys pop up and down all night...

We slept! We slept! We slept! Yesssssss! For the first time in memory, Shelley and I slept through the night on Christmas Eve! Wooohooo!

Yeah. ...and that set the tone for the day! For once we hadn't been up and down all night dealing with kidlets wanting to unwrap presents every odd (and even) numbered hour past 0000, so we were able to get out of bed, make coffee as Grandma's presents were unwrapped, and sit down with the guys while they (and we) opened gifts. Nice and relaxing. ...and I only had maybe three things that I had to put together! ...and No Decals!

Breakfast, showers and 100 miles later and we were at Shelley's brothers for the day. That went very well. ...but we stayed a bit longer than normal and didn't get home until nearly 2200. ...but that was okay too, because We slept!

As has become a sometimes needed tradition around here, I took yesterday off from work. Usually that's due to simple exhaustion from being up on Christmas Eve coupled with the drive to Shelley's brother's place and back. ...and the drive usually involving either rain or fog.

This year we lucked out: we slept through the night and caught only light fog both coming and going. ...but I still kept the day off since we needed to meet our new physician. Oh, yes, health care in America with the changing of the plans every few years. It'll work out okay, but we wanted to get a jump on things before the switchover on January 1st.

...and then I spent the balance of the day and into the evening removing pretty much everything by the computers from the library. ...and breaking down furniture. ...and starting the rewire job I'll need to finialize plans on this weekend. Still, from this point on, the painters should be able to come in any time and do that room. Hmmm... Maybe I'd better get on that track lighting first...

Plan "A" for Saturday, as laid out Friday evening:

• Replace problematic X-10 controller in kids' room
• Move speakers and file cabinet to storage (before the rain hits)
• Wire cat 5 to garage
• Fix shed door (off track from who knows what)

Plan "B", as determined by Things Being Worse when I woke up:

• Check in at the local Doc-in-the-Box at 1240
• Make it into a room at 1620 (they were busy) (two naps, 100 pages of SciFi novel)
• Have M.D. confirm self-diagnosis of bronchitis, sinusitis, ear problem and laryngitis
• Have power fail to building at Rx is being written

Yeah, better; thanks for asking. It's obvious something is working, but I'm not sure which med or combo it is. I do know that it was everything I could do to make it into the attic and pass some boxes down to the kids for Shelley to use to repack Christmas stuff...