Here's Tuesday!

So, it's Tuesday, once again. I'm creeping toward the time when Eero and Burt with finally be here. And I'm hoping today is a little less of a complete disaster area then yesterday was. Burt told me not to worry about food, but I think I'm still going to pick some stuff up for him, just 'cuz I lived with Kim too long to be able to have guests in my house, and not try and feed them! :)

Told Eero to bring cool weather clothes, need to email Burt, and tell him the same. It's nice during the day (80s down in Aurora), but it's usually in the 40s when I leave for work, and the temp starts dropping at my house by about 7pm. Some days it's colder than others, but, fair warning and all! Damion and I were talking this weekend, we think winter will hit early this year. Kim, we'll probably get snow within the next month!

Took 285 in this morning, because I-70 has been awful. Got to work a little early, rather than almost late, the way it's been for the last several days. So, much better.

Still don't want to do anything.

I Hate Mondays

So, once again, it's Monday. My least favorite day of the week. Honest. Didn't sleep well last night, woke up with a raging headache. The drive to work was awful. Got to work to discover that, instead of being back to full strength as we were supposed to be, Kassie's out. So I've got 3.5 screens of payroll events, keyed 35 new hires this morning, have a training session this morning, supposed to have a training session this afternoon. I give.

The Clouds are Raining on My Friday

It started raining about 3:30 this morning. I know, because I woke up enough to close my completely open windows, so I wouldn't end up with a wet room. The few other times I woke up, before I actually got up, it was raining. Wasn't sure when I got up, but by the time I hit the bathroom to put my eyeballs in, it was pouring. It ran all the way to work, which got me to work with about 5 minutes to spare.

It's dark, it's wet, I'm cold and finally dried off from walking in, and all I want to do is go back to bed. Heating pad is on my knees. I'm convinced the desire to sleep during bad weather is a natural instinct to keep all of us stupid people from catching our death of cold and bad weather when it's nasty out. Seriously. We should all be allowed rain days, when we can retreat to our beds/dens/caves, and sleep in the warmth of all the covers. Curling up to watch a movie, or read a book is perfectly admissable. Just no going to work, or anything else that requires getting out of bed early.

Thursday...

Okay, I've only been on the higher dose of Plaquenil for two days, I know. But it doesn't seem to be working, and that makes me unhappy. I want it to work, damn it! I don't want to be on any of the big guns, lupus medicine-wise. The big guns work, but they tend to be really bad for you. Chemo drugs are never gentle on your system, and most of the major lupus meds are chemo drugs. I survived methotrexate once before, but that doesn't mean I really want to do it again. However, if that's what it takes to end this flare, then I guess I'll get through it.

Anyway, in non-whiny Serena-land, it's Thursday. I've survived thus far, this week. Kind of wondering, struggling out of bed on Monday, and fighting to keep my head above water the last three days. But I did. Payday is tomorrow. Eero and Brt will be out in about a week. I have the house to myself this weekend. Well, me and the cat. Looking forward to that. I believe the Closing Ceremonies for the Olympics are on this weekend, so I'll probably watch that.

Anybody else have any fun and exciting plans for the weekend?

Hangin' By a Thread...

It's Wednesday. I've made it this far. I think I can make it the rest of the week, but it's a bit dicey at the moment. I got to work this morning to discover a very large crane being unloaded in front of the building. Now, for safety's sake, they had traffic cones around the entrance, so to get in, I had to walk around. In addition, one of the building managers stood outside with a camera, and snapped pictures. Not comforting!

Today is another busy payroll day. Actually have more payrolls scheduled today than I had yesterday, because of the people who couldn't be bothered to call me back yesterday. I've talked to several DMs (sales folks). Got most of a set up done, to realize I didn't have all the info I needed for one employee. Yah me.

Damion is out camping for two weeks. He left yesterday morning, and apparently took the dog. And I don't even know when the last time was that John was home. I don't even care. I had the house to myself last night, and I loved it! Quiet, no arguing, no loud movies while I'm trying to sleep. Just me and the cat. Who's noisy enough of all of them put together. But I can bribe her with food.

Tuesday Rolls On...

Okay, since I know people get crabby when they don't know, I'm flaring. I gave up and called my rheumie yesterday. Got an appointment for this morning. Which amazed the heck out of me! It's almost impossible to get in quickly to see a rheumatologist. Another case of demand far exceeding supply. Anyway, got in, for a 7:45am appointment. Wasn't going into work 'til 9 anyway, so it worked out well. Actually signed in at 7:30, they took me right back, and the doctor was in within a few minutes. He agrees I'm in flare, and is going to try increased my plaquenil. However, he said if I don't see improvement in a week, to call, and we'll try something else.

So, here I sit, with a lovely lupus rash on my face, achy needs and joints, and just generally feeling tired and crabby. I did go to bed last night at 7:45pm, and slept 'til the alarm went off at 6:11am. Made me a lot less groggy this morning. Not sure if I'll go to bed so early tonight, but it's a distinct possibility. I don't know. We'll see.

So, now you all know what's going on. I apologize for not posting early today, but today has sucked. We're short one person, and the other person here had to leave at 3. And it's the end of the month. Hopefully tomorrow will be better.

Buried Under an Avalanche of Paper...

I got back from California last night. Had a terrific time. Thoroughly enjoyed spending time with my aunt and uncle. Got to see Derek, who we found out won't be shipping out to Iraq until September 23. That was a relief. We're all hoping they keep pushing it back, and he just doesn't go. I got to meet Erin, my 13-yr old cousin, for the first time. She was a lot of fun. Saw my grandmother and aunt, whom I haven't seen for 18-20 yrs. Grammy gave me an apron that had been my great-grandmother's. That was really special.

Ate a lot of seafood, played in the ocean, when beachcombing for neat rocks and cool shells. Went wine tasting. Watched Uncle Don, Nathan and Kim throw axes, and then Don, Nathan, Kim and Da play darts. Met my new cousin-in-law, Derek's wife Anna. Got to see Aunt Stacey's neice, whom I declared fast friendship and cousin status when we were both in first grade. We both laughed about it; Stacey didn't remember, but both of us did. It was cool.

Didn't sleep much, which means I'm draggin' today. In addition, the lupus wasn't quashed by the short pred burst, and the pain meds make me sleepy, but don't stop the pain. So, I have an appointment tomorrow, at 7:45am to see my rheumie. I was going in to work late anyway, so I'll just get up normal time, and go to the doctor instead.

Pictures will be put up when I get them from Nathan and Kim. Damion loaned me the camera, told me where to find the power cord to charge it, and didn't give me a memory stick. Blah! Nathan and Kim got good pictures, so I'll just use theirs.

Can't wait to go back to visit.

Randomness Attacks Again!

So, I was just thinking, "I should watch 'The Princess Bride'." Haven't seen it in too long. Kim, I know you'll heartily concur, but then, where 'The Princess Bride' is concerned, you always do! I feel the need to watch Mandy Pattinkin astutely observe, "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means." Want to see Cary Elwes, dressed in black. Listen to Billy Crystal expound on the merits of a MLT.

As I type this, the numerous lovely and delightful quotes from the movie percolate through my brain.

"To the pain."

"It'd take a miracle!"

"Anybody want a peanut?"

Ah, the genius of 'The Princess Bride'.

http://www.moviesounds.com/prbride.html

Check this site out for 'The Princess Bride' quotes as nature intended!

One Day to Go!

So I have one day to go 'til vacation. I need to get everything done today that I would usually do tomorrow and Friday. No big deal, I think I have 3 set ups to do. Won't take too long. I packed last night. Well, as much as I could with another day to go at that point. Some of my toiletries had to wait 'til this morning, but I think I've got everything in. And thanks to Dan and Eero for taking time out to play CoH with me last night, so I had one last game session before I leave. I appreciate it!

The link is the one place I know we're going; Kim saw it, and really wanted to go, so we're going on Friday. Then to Morro Bay for lunch.

Called the hotel I'm staying at tonight, and they don't have an airport shuttle. So, I'm going to need to line up a cab or something to get to the airport tomorrow morning. Blah! 'Course, that's probably why I'm paying $41 for the hotel, instead of the more usual $60 or $70. I'll figure something out.

Don't think I'll have access to the web while I'm gone, so I probably won't update 'til Sunday or Monday. If I get access, I'll try and update with what I'm doing. I'm taking the digital camera, so I'm hoping to have pictures up quickly for everyone to see.

Hope everyone has a great Wednesday.

Tuesday the Busy

Okay, so short post just to let everyone one know it's very busy here today. It's a high volume payroll day, we're approaching the end of the month of Sales, and one of our three reps is out today. Her mum's having knee replacement surgery. I hope to plow through most of what I have to get done today, and be able to post more later, but we'll see.

Monday, Monday...

Welcome to another Wild and Wooly Monday! For those of you just joining us, another weekend is over and done, too short, could have been sweeter, but dearly missed. After a fairly productive weekend, it's time to plow into the work week, roll up your sleeves, and get something done. Notice, I'm not specifying what exactly should be done, just something. This morning, I mailed the postcard R.S.V.P. for Will and Sara's wedding. Having therefore done the aforementioned something, I find myself with an understandable lack of desire to do anything else.

Having said that, I have 3 companies to set up for the next two days, and another two to set up before I go to California. That's providing they don't give me more in the next few days. It is a non-semi week (involving everyone who processes only on the 15 or 30, or the 1 or 15), which means it will be reasonably quiet this week.

I work Monday through Wednesday this week, then I'll escape to sunny southern California. I'm looking forward to it. Still trying to figure out a way to get a USMC t-shirt, since I don't think my Navy t-shirt will go over so well, as my cousin is in the Marines. We'll see.

Look!

Found a picture to use for my profile. Well, unless I decide to go with the kittens picture. Or until I find something else. I happen to think it's very cute. Since it's my blog, I put it up. Is it me? Hell no! First, I don't happen to possess any recent pictures of me. Second, I haven't undergone such a radical change in appearance that I need to warn anyone. Third, I'm not keen on having my picture taken.

I'll probably have a picture of me from California when I get back. Since I'm taking one of Damion's digital cameras, I'm sure I'm going to have tons of pictures for everyone to ogle. I'll be in sunny California for the first time since 1995. Hadn't realized it had been quite that long. Ah well!

Plane Time...

Okay, so I've taken an astonishing number of plane trips this year, or will have, by the time we run full into 2005. In February, I flew to Colorado with my mum, to help my grandparents. That launched the Great Westward Migration of 2004, in April, which was unfortunately accomplished via truck. Last month, I flew to Chicago for the weekend, to see Marty, meet Ginny and see the new condo. Also got to Judy, which always makes me happy! Next week, I'm flying to San Luis Obispo, for what was supposed to be my cousin's wedding. That's not happening, because of his upcoming deployment to Iraq. However, they did elope last weekend, so they did get married. Guess we'll just have a huge party when he gets back from Iraq.

This list of the flights I've taken/will be taken was inspired by having just purchased my tickets to fly to Chicago for Will and Sara's wedding. I've got 'em, which means I'm going! YAH! I'll get to see my friends from Chicago, Will and Sara, Dan and Kim. It's looking like a grand time! I'm excited already, and it's a month away!

See, I love travelling. I'd love a job where I travelled frequently. Hopping on planes, going to new places, revisiting old places. Makes me happy! One of my cousins works for an engineering firm. He travels all over the world. Makes me jealous, I tell you! He visited a few weeks ago, and talked about being in Russia for business, and just taking a few extra days to sightsee before leaving. I told him if he ever needs a travel assistant, call me!

So, plane tickets are purchased. Just waiting to see if we have any coupons for car rental, and then I'll make that reservation too. Need to work out who's making the hotel reservation, but we'll get that done too. YAH! More travel!

Blast and Damn!

So, I wake up this morning at 5:15, because the jerks who are laying the cable, or whatever the hell they're doing, starting going up the side road. 5:15. Who begins construction work, in the middle of a residential area, at 5:15 in the morning?! I'll tell you who: The sadistic bastards in the public works department. By the time I got out of bed at 6:10, there were so many cars and trucks parked outside, it looked like a party. Complete with a large dump truck with the hood up, apparently with some sort of mechanical issue. I'll give them an issue! Ridiculous.

Anyway, I've made it to Thursday. Wasn't sure I would. Does make it easier that I was home on Monday, 'though I wouldn't exactly call it a day off. Pain meds are helping, but they don't kill the pain completely, they just sort of dull it, so I can ignore it. Such is life. Thank God for the heating pad I have at work. I sit at my desk, trying desperately to care about what I'm doing, and failing miserably, and keep the heating pad radiating on my knees.

I did go outside last night, and watched the meteor showers for a bit. I saw a couple of quick ones, and one really neat, long one, that I watched slowly streak across the sky. It was moving way too fast for a plane. I went out, and laid in the hammock, and stared up at the stars. Haven't done that nearly enough. It was very peaceful.

I apologize for the disjointed posts. Rather hard to get the brain to function coherently in the morning, and the Vicodin only makes it more interesting.

It's Always Something, It Seems...

So, I'm driving home last night, happily anticipating the pain meds that await me at the pharmacy. Traffic's not bad. And my phone rings. It's my aunt. "Don't take I-70 home, there's a fire at the Little Bear (a bar in Evergreen). Mom and Dad (my grandparents) called me, and asked me to tell you, since I have your number on speed dial (in her cell phone). Take C-470 and 285 home."

There's a pause as I absorb this information.

"Um, I have to go home on I-70, because I have a prescription waiting at King Sooper's."

"Oh. Well, why don't you pick it up, and then you can wait at Mom and Dad's. I'll call you when it's done, because I can hear the sirens (she's just up the hill from downtown, where the fire was). I'll let Mom and Dad know you're on your way."

"Um, ok..."

So I call my mom, and bitch. My knees hurt, the prednisone has me feeling out of sorts, and I am NOT in the mood to go to my grandparents. I love them dearly, but when I'm not feeling well, they want to coddle me, and I was NOT in the mood for it. No patience. None. All gone. As I'm talking to my mom, my call waiting beeps. Now, I hate call waiting. Don't use it. And I can see it's my grandmother. So I keep talking 'til the mountain cuts me off. Check my voicemail. It's my grandmother, telling me that if I don't need the prescription 'til morning, she could walk over and pick it up for me, and I could get it in the morning. No way. I wanted it last night, so I could sleep in something resembling comfort. Blah!

I call Mom back to tell her, we laugh about it, and my phone beeps again. Another call. I never get this many calls on the way home! It's Nathan, wanting to know what game he needs to buy so he can play Counter Strike. I don't get to talk to him enough. I stop at King Sooper's, where I discover a lovely, 30-day supply of generic Vicodin waiting for me. Bliss! Also got pancake mix and eggs, because I had maple syrup, the real stuff, at home, and wanted pancakes.

I drive over to Safeway, which has the cheapest gas in town, and because of this, the freshest. They have the tanks filled every day because of the volume of gas they sell. Kind of amazing when you realize how small Evergreen is. Started toward downtown, where the fire was, and had to slow down a little more than usual, but I wasn't trying to turn into downtown, so no problems. They had the street blocked off, the fire engines were all there, but by the time I went through, there wasn't even any hanging smoke or anything.

Got home, made dinner, and took a Vicodin. Let the dog in, because it looked like it was going to storm. I always feel really guilty leaving him outside when it's raining. He was a dog house, but I can't do it. Went downstairs, and played City of Heroes with Eero. Enjoyed the significant decrease in pain.

When it was bedtime, I happily crawled into bed, and relaxed. Enjoyed pain dulled enough it was just background chatter, and slept the best I have in a really, really long time! Slept all the way through the night. Don't even remember the last time that happened.

This morning I waited until I got to work to take my meds. Good thing, because I'm already feeling a little loopy. So it should be an interesting day. Depending upon how busy it is, I may write more later. We'll see.

Hope I've amused everyone with my incoherent ramblings. I'm just with it to realize I'm probably going to look back at this and groan later. :)

Pain Meds...

...Are a beautiful thing. Or will be when I get them. I called the doctor this morning, and said, "Thank you for the prednisone, I need pain meds. Please!" Fistfuls of ibuprofen aren't good for you, and they weren't doing anything anyway. Today's blog(s) might be the last coherent one(s) for a bit. :) We'll see.

So, yesterday, I spent the day doing nothing. Well, I sat on the heating pad. Walked outside to meet my grandparents, who brought my pred to me. Very sweet, and very much appreciated. I was a little scared to drive, with my knees and hips acting up so much. No cruise. Today is a little better, but it's early yet. Usually gets bad in later on, so we'll see.

Have I mentioned that I really, really hate being in flare? I don't like it. I know, I've been really, really lucky to be in remission for 2 or 3 years. And I know I'm lucky to have a mild case of lupus. Never been hospitalized. But I still don't want to be in flare. I'm trying to be grateful for the period of remission I had, and the fact the doctor immediately started treatment to try and stop this thing in its tracks. I'm still having a temper tantrum.

Work's been great. My boss asked me today what exactly was going on. She said, " said your hips hurt, and I wondered, 'Well, did she go horseback riding or have a really good weekend?'" I laughed and responded, "Well, I wish I could tell you it was something interesting like, I met the whole band, and we had a really great time, but it's just a flare." We both had a good laugh over it.

So today I'm sitting here, legs up on my recycle bin, heating pad on my knees. Took the pred this morning, with 8 ibuprofen. Probably hold off on it when it wears off, so I can take the good pain med Dr. Westerman prescribed when I get home. Trying to catch up on work, and not finding myself terribly motivated.

Do have a job interview in the next few days. They're supposed to call me with a time that's easy for me to meet with them after work. I'm looking forward to it. It would be an entry management position with a marketing firm. We'll see. I'll keep you posted.

And Eero, for your edification, I'm wearing the R4CK3D shirt today, 'though I had to explain it to Damion, and he just didn't get the "All Men Are Fanboys" shirt. Ah well.

Anyone who wants to move to Colorado, we're almost certainly going to have an opening at the house. John, the roommate I'm not keen on, is likely (hopefully!) moving out soon. He's not sure why he ever moved away from Denver. Hell, we're not sure why he ever moved away from Denver. And we think he's about to lose his job. Damion's already said that if he loses his job, he's out. Apparently John has a new girlfriend, and is spending a lot of time over there. All I know is that I haven't seen him in several weeks, and am not feeling any lack because of it! So, if anyone wants to move, we have space in a beautiful mountain retreat. :)

Bothersomeness...

Well, here it is Monday, and I apologize for not posting sooner. You see, I'm not at work at the moment. I'm at home, once again sitting on a heating pad and swearing. Yesterday, my right knee decided, for reasons know only to itself, to beginning aching. Really aching. No big deal, happens pretty frequently. I went on with my day. About two hours later, however, both hips and my left knee decided to join in. All in the interest of keeping my right knee from feeling lonely, or maybe because they felt left out. I don't know. It was bad enough yesterday, even after 1600 mg of ibuprofen (8 pills, if anyone's interested), and heating pads, that I was almost in tears. Blah.

Because I drive a stick shift, and have an hour and fifteen minute commute, each way, I called in today. Then called my doctor. He called back (I like this guy!), and is putting me on a quick prednisone taper. No biggie, I hope. Also hope this stops it, since my ribs have gotten really tender too. If not, I'll call him, and he'll try something else. I'll keep you posted, I promise.

Called my prescription card info into the pharmacy, so when the doctor calls in the prescription, it'll apply. My grandmother is going to pick it up for me, and bring it out, so I don't have to drive. Very nice, I'm thankful. Don't want to drive at the moment.

Tomorrow I'll be back at work. Don't want to, but I do need to get paid, and don't want to use all my sick time. So I'm sure I'll see everyone online tomorrow.

Confessions of an Office Cube Denizen

Well, I survived. Wasn't at all sure I would. I outlasted idiot phone calls, moronic payrolls and general annoyance. I'm even going to survive having the post I just wrote wiped out. Tremendously irritating when Ctrl+b sometimes triggers bold, sometimes pops up bookmark editing and sometimes resets your post. Ah, well, it's Friday, and I get to leave a half an hour early today, to burn overtime from Monday. Yah!

I look very much forward to basking in inactivity this weekend. May drive to Boulder for a book signing, but I'm not sure. The signing starts at 2pm. I'd like to get there a little early, and it's a 45 min - 1 hour drive. So it'll depend upon what time I wake up tomorrow.

Hope everyone has a restful, but fun, weekend. Not sure if I'll post this weekend, or on Monday. Likely I'll send another one out this afternoon.

Aggravating Idiots

Apparently, the day is just not allowed to go completely smoothly. In the laws of the Universe, it seems one idiot a day is the minimum. I know idiots need to pay bills and feed their idiot-lets too, but must they contaminate my day? Honestly! It is usual, in the course of human existance, to run into people who lack the common sense to close their mouths when looking up at overflying birds, to go inside during tornadoes and severe weather, and to realize that eating McDonald's every day will make you expand as quickly as national debt. However, I wish I could add a filter to remove such persons from my daily existance. I think I've hit my idiot quotient for this lifetime. I wish to abstain from such persons, and their antics, for the rest of my time here.

The specifics of this particular idiot won't mean much, unless you currently, or have previously, worked at ADP. Suffice it to say, I'm not quite sure how this particular individual continues breathing. It's obvious there's not enough brain stem present for this to be an autonomic function. However, I get to leave in about an hour. This, combined with a planned stop at Barnes and Noble on the way home, will carry me through this crisis.

Starting the Long, Slow Slide into the Weekend...

I've survived to Thursday. Quite an accomplishment, I feel, especially considering how Monday started the week. I only survived due to an emergency ice cream prescription, ordered by Dr. Dad. Since then, it's been a slide down toward 2 days of sleeping in. Of having nothing concrete planned.

I can't wait.

In a week, I'm going to a movie dinner theater with friends from work. Don't know we'll watch, but I understand the food is good. In 2 weeks, I take two days off, and fly to California, for what would have been Derek's wedding. Still haven't heard if we'll get to see him or not. I hope so.

Two weeks after I get back from California, Eero comes to visit. YAH! I get to show him non-European mountains, the dog, produce another adoring human for Tora-chan, and take him to good restaurants in the area. Burt might come too, but I'm not positive. Guess we'll see.

Today will be interesting. Don't have any set-ups to do today, don't have that many payrolls to do today, so should be quiet. I hope.

Weather looked like it was moving in when I left the house. Rather chilly, with some decent wind gusts. Cloudy, and it'll move toward the city, so we'll see. Yup, looks dark out. We had a thunderstorm last night, that woke me up around 12:45, enough to realize there was lightning, and the vague impression of thunder, before I rolled over, and woke up to the alarm at 6:11.

At least there's only one more day 'til Friday, and freedom.

Wasting Away in Cube Land...

Here I sit, at 3:15, waiting for Time to inch ponderously forward.

I think it's stuck. Time, that is. It doesn't seem to be moving much. I've read all the web comics I keep up with. Checked the ones that didn't update. Read CNN. Several times. Looked at the weather, and the radar, multiple times, to make sure "The Big One" isn't headed this way. It's not. I've read and responded to email. I'm running out of things to do. Oh, and I've done my work for today!

If the rest of the week keeps up like this, I'm going to have to bring a book, or knitting, or something in to do, or I'm going to go nuts! After awhile, I just don't want to surf the web, or read the same stories on CNN again. Things don't change that quickly. I know, I've checked.

Right on queue, it's clouding up outside. Don't know if I'll actually get rain on the way home, but it's getting to be odd if I don't drive home under cloudy skies. Does make it a little cooler, which is nice. I do appreciate that. Aurora is on the eastern side of Denver, across the city from the mountains, and any cool breezes that might wend their way down out of the heights. This makes Aurora very warm. Hot, even. Since my poor car sits outside all day on blazing hot, black asphalt, it makes for a very uncomfortable few moments when I first sit in my car. Luckily, the air conditioning kicks in quickly, so I don't sweat for too long. Otherwise, I'd have to try driving home with my head hanging out the window. The police don't like that so much, I've heard.

Oy! Still 45 minutes to go. It'd definitely a Wednesday. The days are dragging slowly into that downhill slide into the weekend, which can't possibly get here fast enough for me. This is my first weekend without anything planned, that I know of. I'm looking forward to it.

Another Day in the Backlot of Paradise

Plans are shaping up nicely for my trip to Chicago in September, for Will and Sara's wedding. I'll probably get my plane tickets today, and hotel ideas are in the works. I'm looking forward to it, because not only do I get to see all my friends from Chicago, most of whom I haven't seen since March, but I'll get to see Dan and Kim, whom I haven't seen since I moved. Yah!

In 2 weeks I'll go to California for what was supposed to be my first wedding of the summer. My cousin, Derek, whom I haven't seen since his first birthday, was supposed to be getting married. He's in the Marines, and has received firm confirmation that he's shipping out to Iraq on August 22. So, no wedding. He couldn't get the time off for it. He did ask for time to come up and see everyone, but we haven't heard yet whether or not that leave has been granted. If it's not, I hope we at least get to drive down to San Diego and see him, while we're there.

I have really mixed feelings about him going. We're not close; he's lived in California his whole life, and I've lived all over. But he's still my baby cousin. In fact, he's the only one of my cousins on that side of the family that I've met. Of my dad's siblings, his dad, my uncle, is the one I'm closest to, and like the most. I'm proud of my cousin, in a weird, distant way. And scared to death. That's not in a distant way. It's suddenly a much more personal war, when someone you know is in harm's way. Makes it more difficult when that person is someone I picture as either the tiny newborn I held when I was in second or third grade, or as the happy, giggly one-year old, at his birthday party a year later. That person isn't nearly old enough to be driving, let alone heading off to a bloody conflict that's already claimed a lot of people.

So Dad, Nathan, Kim and I will fly out in August. We'll get to see Don and Stace, Kim for the first time. She'll also get to meet Grammy and Aunt Beth. I haven't seen them since the last time we were in Fresno. I was in junior high school, I think. I'm looking forward to it.

A Little Later, and Even More Mindless Drivel

Well, it's now more than halfway through the day. The air came back on, much to relief of all of us who wile about our days in our little cubes. As a complete aboutface from yesterday, it's not very busy. Having said that, I spent all morning on one order. The sales person who sold the order has some of the worst handwriting I've ever seen. Honestly. I remember penmanship being sort of a big thing in elementary school. Apparently, that was an abberation, and not the norm. Damn shame. I mean, the purpose of learning to write is to be able to express ideas and information in a format others can share and comprehend. His writing? Trust me, there's very little in the way of sharing ideas, and even less in the way of comprehension.

I am on track to leave at 4:30 today, that being my personal time of escape for the day. This makes me happy. Usually, the later I leave, the worse traffic gets. Since I drive an hour and fifteen minutes each way, anything I can do to shave time off makes me happy. And because days here seem to last into Eternity, the closer 4:30 gets, the harder it is to concentrate on anything. Which is why Murphy generally dictates a nasty call at 4:22.

So, I'm sitting at my desk, eating Lemonheads. I love those things! They started stocking them in the vending machine at work last week, and I've made sure I have them on my desk ever since. Want to make sure they get the idea that Lemonheads are a good thing to have in the machine. They make almost any day better.

Pointless Drivel from My Dead Brain

So here I sit, on Tuesday morning. Traffic wasn't bad this morning; that's always a relief. The very large, very loud pieces of heavy machinery that woke me up yesterday promptly at six a.m. thankfully moved location, and presumably tormented someone else this morning at six.

It's forecast to be another warm, dry day in Denver, 'though we'll probably get rain just as I'm driving home. Which means rain on the road. It always amazes me that people who are able to drive 70+ on the way to work in the morning completely forget about the existance of the gas pedal as soon as rain falls. Not a downpour; I understand slowing down for that. I'm talking about a few scattered drops, here and there, not even enough to really darken the pavement.

As I sit here, in my Dilbert-esque cube, pondering the soul-deep truth of the movie Office Space, and how my life resembles it, the air kicks off. Again. Yesterday afternoon, about 3, the time in the afternoon where Time slows, and actually begins moving backward, away from 4:30, and temporary freedom, it died. All air movement in the office stopped. A rush as everyone reached to turn fans on. The air coughed, sputtered, groaned, and died again. About 15 minutes later, again they try the paddles of life, and again the life-giving current fails to revive our beloved air conditioner. It never did work again yesterday, not the way it should.

So again I'm faced with the prospect of being trapped in an office with no air movement, and nothing to cool the air, save fans. But fans only slowly stir the solid warmth that is the air of the office. I'm hoping they get it fixed, but this is the second time this summer it's happened. We're 0 and 2 on air conditioners so far.