The Time Sink; Week of 20041220

Hey, we're into the home stretch! Yeah! ...and a 'short week' at that since I have Friday off (and Daniel already telling me that would be a great day to work on his machine upgrade!).

...but I have a feeling Friday I'll just be wanting some quiet rest; this week is often a very full one at work. ...and since I'm thinking a day or two off next week may be in order, I may be pushing myself a bit even if things slow up.

...and the strangest thing has happened this year: I probably won't be able to (or even need to) participate in Men's Shopping Day this Friday! Yeah, I think I'm done except for the wrapping (although I don't have a clue as to when I'll have time for that!

...and yep, I do recall I owe a tech post or two (the email one and one other). ...and yes, the post on the snails and the slide show on the ... well, yeah. Nothing new here: I'll have to play catchup as best I can.

No post? Well, kinda'... Cecil came by for dinner on his way down south, and Shelley and I and the boys spent a nice evening chatting with him and petting Katie (his dog).

'Twas Three Nights Before Christmas

(with apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

'Twas three nights before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, well, maybe Mom's mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of Lego games danced in their heads;
And mamma at her keyboard, and I at my desk,
Had just settled down for a long evenings post,

When out from the hard drive there arose such a clatter,
I sprang to the table to see what was the matter.
Away to the boxen I flew like a flash,
Fired up the monitor to see what had crashed.

The error on the screen of the new-purchased box,
Gave the story of dread to this near-Christmas pox,
There, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a dialog saying, "Install drivers here!",

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment, I needed St. NIC.
More rapid than eagles I searched through the hive,
For the box with the cable that stated "CAT Five";

"Twist, white-orange! twist, white-brown! now, brown and white-green!
twist, blue! twist white-blue! and, orange and green!
To the end of the cable! to the end by the wall!
Now crimp away! crimp away! crimp away all!"

As techies with children know only too well,
When you meet with an obstacle, you'd better be swell,
So into the hub, the cable end flew,
And the Leds lit up there, and on the NIC too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard that nice sound,
That new Me start up, of One Adam Twelve.
As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,
Out from the hallway, Mom came with a bound.

She was dressed all in flannel, from her head to her foot,
Awakened by sounds she knew not from what;
(A near miss we had as she came down the hall,
I guess I should place cable, more close to the wall).

But her eyes, how they twinkled! her smile was quite merry!
For she saw that the new box would work out quite cherry.
Her fine little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And games she passed over, just for me to load;

The start was with Riven, followed by Myst,
And now Typing Tutor, that couldn't be missed<g>;
She'd found Lego Knights, and sounds from the telly,
That start-up, that's special, with One Adam Twelveee.

WordPerfect was Suite; and the train game was cool,
But I worried and wondered, if the hard drive was full;
A quick check of space, and a defrag instead,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

I spoke not a word, but went straight to my work,
And filled all the hard drive with games and a perk,
And laying my finger aside of my nose,
And giving a nod, off to bed I did go;

I crawled into bed, to my wife gave a hug,
And pulled up those covers all snug as a bug.
But I felt myself <sigh>, ere I'm out like a light,

"HAPPY CHRISTMAS TO ALL, AND TO ALL A GOOD-NIGHT!"

Merry Christmas!

Dan Bowman, 12/22/2001

Wow... I'm not really sure exactly what to do! My work week is over and it's not Christmas Eve at 1500.

Yeah, for the first time in memory I'll actually have the day off. I won't have to blast home from work to get to church or to my sister's place; I'll actually be able to sleep in a bit and have a chance to wrap Shelley's presents sometime before 0100 Christmas morning...

Yepper, it's Christmas Eve and I'm not working! My firm changed over to "Federal Holidays" a few years back, and this is the first time we've had the Christmas/New Years combo hit on a Saturday. Coolness though: Shelley will be able to leave the boys with me and go take care of some errands without any time pressure, and I'll be able to spend some down time and maybe be able to relax a bit before the evening at church and then at my sister's place.

...but both boys have somehow come to the conclusion that my being off in some way makes me available to work on their projects. I'm not so sure how that part is going to work out <g>...

Yes, I did miss "Men's Shopping Day"! However, I have it on good authority from our Candlelight Service last night, that the tradition lives on!

So do some others: first it was "Big Wheels", pounding 'cap nuts' onto an axle with a ball peen hammer on the front porch at 0100; then it was bicycles, assembled in the garage amidst much colorful language, not all of it from the instructions; this year it's a drum set (full size), assembled from a single page of third generation photocopy (and some Net help) that just finished up at 0200...

I think I'll finish wrapping Shelley presents and try for a few hours sleep. ...and it will be only a 'few hours sleep' (see above under "drum set (full size)" <g>!

Whew! Am I glad that rollercoaster ride is over <g>! I'm so tired I could hardly remember the sequence I use to handle the switch back to the main page from the splash page over on the photo blog!

I guess I'd better gather whatever stamina and drive I have in reserve and go blade; this may be my only day I can as it seems we're scheduled for rain the entire upcoming week. ...and that's okay with me; I'm contemplating taking several days off and the rain would keep me inside and working on the projects I'd be taking the time off to do...

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke, "Technology and the Future"

The Time Sink

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