Well, today went fairly smoothly. I made it to Tom's, grabbed the rocker, put it in the car, drove back here, put the rocker together and hid it in plain sight and got rid of all the evidence before Terri got back from work.
Turns out the reason my parent's didn't want me borrowing the truck today to haul the rocker over here is because my father got a new truck. 4-wheel drive, automatic, with a CD player. Nothing like jumping into the 90's. Someday they'll catch up with the rest of the world.
Anyway, not much else is going on. Only a couple hours til Christmas. I figure Terri will be asleep in an hour or so and I can put a bow on the rocker and go to bed. Hope everyone's holiday is what they're looking for.

Merry Christmas to me!!!! I finished up the one account that I really wanted to get done and thus it is a wonderful Merry Christmas for me!

Today was an easier day than most I guess. I managed to save the University another large chunk of money in penalties. It's a shame I can't tap into a percentage of that money. I'm working on one last account trying to "nice" the woman into helping out. I use what Terri calls my "radio" voice. It's very low and smooth and has a wonderful way of putting people at ease and getting them to bend to my will. So far, I've gotten her to agree that the problem is on their end and they should work very quickly to fix the problem and get back to us.
Last night we hung out with Glen and Amy and Cole as noted in yesterday's entry. I ended up hanging out til about 1:30 in the morning just talking about families and pregnancy and stuff. So, I wasn't exactly running at peak efficiency this morning, but a cup of coffee cleared that right up.
The rest of the day has been pretty dull. Tom, Joe, Dwight, Terri and I are going to get together this evening and putter around. We'll probably do dinner somewhere and then end up at our place trying to one up each other at some sort of trivially inclined game. Then comes my day off.
Except for the fact that I have to get up just as early in order to drive over to Tom's apartment to grab the pieces of Terri's gift, get it back to the house, put it together and hide it before Terri gets home from work. I'm so behind in all of the things that I need to get done for the holidays. And, that doesn't even begin to cover what needs to be done for the baby's arrival.
Oh well, a little more time to kill before I can head home for the holidays.

Did I happen to mention that working for the IRS is not something that I'd ever really enjoy doing? Tracking down this tax certification from 3 and 4 years ago is not only incredibly difficult, as some companies have merged, closed, etc., but it is also boring beyond all belief. What I can't figure out is that when there were three people working on it, I had to drop everything I was doing to help out, but today I'm the only one.
We went to the Penguins game Saturday night courtesy of Ray and Tara's most generous Christmas gift. They played a decent game, but lost 7-4. I haven't heard anything on the status of the goaltender Caron, but after listening to his Christmas message to the fans, I think he's secretly channeling Justin Wilson. In fact, I guar-an-tee it.
Joe flew in early Sunday morning and he and Dwight and I went out for brunch. I did finally round out the consensus that while 14 or 15 might be a good nickname, no one under a certain age will get it. And that kind of scared us because it will be hard to determine which Superbowl we're on, or more importantly, which Wrestlemania. (sniff, sniff...you smell that? that's sarcasm)
Not too much else is going on around here. We're headed over to Glen and Amy's tonight to hang out and play with Cole.

Oh, and I almost forgot... Look who I found. She's been at this longer than I have, but I guess we never crossed paths. I've also updated the sidebar so you can find her quicker and easier. Hi, Diane!

Well, it seems that things have finally started working again. I don't know if the problem was on my end or bloggers, but oh well. Let's see do I have any news? Um, yeah sort of.

Yesterday morning for the first time I saw my son.

And, the first thought that ran across my mind was the little green alien baby that was in the Mini Series "V" It was kind of spooky the way it looked like that. I wonder if that means everyone is correct and I am having an alien child.
Yesterday was my Grandmother's 83rd birthday and today is my brother's 23rd birthday. Since my brother is in North Dakota it's fairly difficult to celebrate with him. We went out to dinner last night with my parents and my grandmother to celebrate. After dinner Terri and I headed over to my old bosses house. She has two children a little girl and a little boy. They are both adorable. Terri got some maternity clothes which was great for me. It was like shopping without the money. We also got lots of tips and advice which is always good. I love seeing how other people deal with similar situations. Terri and I are like sponges when we get around people with children. I sometimes feel like we're studying for some sort of exam.
Tonight is the office Christmas party so that ought to be interesting. I'll probably have more on that on Monday. And, I didn't get my early present from the Pens, they lost to Carolina 2-1 last night. They did, however, get a point out of it since the loss was in overtime. I like Ron Francis a lot, I always have, but does he have to stick it to us each and every time? Cut us a break Ronnie, we have your name up in the arena as one of the all time greats. Anyway, Saturday's game should be a good one against Atlanta.

That didn't work. I wonder what the holdup is?

For some reason yesterday's post didn't publish, though it said publish successful. I wonder if I publish this will both show up?

Today was an interesting day at work. I had a project that I've been working on since August that was going to culminate in a class that was scheduled to happen tomorrow afternoon basically get cancelled right out from under me. It must be nice to sit in the seat of power. This class was a cooperative effort from several different departments and would have greatly improved communication and knowledge within our department, but alas it wasn't important enough. Bitter...oh, a tad.
Anyway, other than that there's not much going on. The Pens are on a two (count 'em two) game winning streak. And we're headed into Carolina on Thursday night. They were beginning to spiral downwards and just recently fired Paul Maurice their coach. He was the coach with the longest tenure in the NHL up until this week. So, hopefully we can capitalize on their downturn and pick up another 2 points and a third win in a row to come back home on Saturday for Mike Lange talking bobblehead night. I wonder how many things he actually says. Anyway, enough rambling. Sorry there was no post yesterday it's been (or was until today) a very busy week at work. Now that my entire schedule has been cleared in favor of one project, I have a little extra time which I'll probably sink into this blog.
Oh well such is life. Hopefully Tom will make it back to his apartment ok with Terri's Christmas Present (which of course, I won't divulge just in case she ever takes the time to actually read these pages, which she never does)

Standing in sub-zero temperatures in just a suit jacket watching Kathy's coffin be lowered into the ground I came to the realization that in the midst of God's master plan for life on earth, it is a cruel twist that has a parent bury a child. My Aunt could barely handle the funeral and didn't even attempt the gravesite. My Uncle was slightly more stoic, but only slightly. And once again, I had to put my pall bearer skills to the test. All in all, Friday wasn't the greatest day of the holiday season for me or my family. Kathy was 33. They read the following poem at the gravesite and I guess I feel compelled to share.

Do not stand at my grave and weep,
I am not there, I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autumn rain.
When you wake in the morning hush,
I am the swift, uplifting rush
of quiet birds in circling flight.
I am the soft starlight at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there, I do not sleep.
Do not stand at my grave and cry.
I am not there, I did not die!--Mary Frye (1932)

I don't mean to go on about this, but it hit me rather hard at a time when I was already reflecting on mortality and the fragility of the human life.

On Saturday we went with Glen, Amy, and Cole to Babies R Us. There is sooo much crap associated with a child we don't even have yet. I'm beginning to think that if there was a test to parenthood I'd flunk. There are car seats and boosters and travel systems and breast pumps and swings and cribs and changing tables and bassinets and portable changing mats and diapers and pull-ups and bottles and bibs and washcloths and clothes and strollers and high chairs and on and on and on. At least the Pens beat Columbus. Now let's roll over Buffalo and carry a winning streak into Carolina so that we can beat Atlanta on Saturday when I'll be sitting at the game enjoying it.
One last thing, watch this space in the next couple of days or so. I'll be starting my annual fundraising for the MS Walk, which, for me, has taken on a whole new meaning this year. So, I'll be hitting everyone up and generally begging for money.

Sorry I didn't blog yesterday. I was just floating through the day. In the morning before I climbed into the shower the phone rang. My mom was calling to tell me that sometime during the night my cousin Kathy had passed away. I'm still kind of sketchy on the details. All I know at the moment is that the funeral is tomorrow morning, so there probably won't be a post tomorrow due to travel, etc.
I've also found myself trying to figure out exactly what I'm feeling. Kathy was the oldest of 15 grandkids on my Dad's side of the family. I'm number 5 which puts Kathy pretty close to my age. She's had health problems due to MS and Diabetes and was even confined to a wheelchair because of the lack of feeling in her legs. I've just been sitting and thinking of stuff we did and stuff we'll never do. All I'm consistently aware of is the fact that I don't know what to think or how to feel. There is the part of me that feels guilty because I haven't made it a point to go and see her when I was up in that area visiting. Then, there's a part of me that's angry that I didn't go and see her. And, then there's the rambling part of me that seems to be coming through in this post.
Oh well, enough with the touchy-feely stuff. Eventually I'll have to work things out in my own head and life will go on for everyone else.

Wherever you are Kathy, I hope you're happy and healthy and stretching your legs out for a marathon. I'll miss you.

Not too much going on today. I did get to yell at a customer service rep for AT&T. Complaining to these people is one of the joys I take in having to pay bills. I love it when they screw up and I get to call and complain. I usually wait until I'm good and frustrated from something or someone else that I can't take it out on and then let the poor rep have it with both barrels. I know, I know, it's not their fault, but they represent the company so they have partial responsibility. I got my long distance bill (which for reasoning that escapes me at the moment is a completely separate service from my local bill). I made $9.30 in phone calls from August to November. My bill was $29.80. There were charges for minimum usage and connect fees and other random assorted crap. The woman from AT&T told me that I was a valued customer and that they didn't want to lose me. She asked if a free hour of long distance a month would help. I told her that even if she came to my house and dialed the phone for me I still wanted my service cancelled today. So, that was a good day.
Outside of that, not much else is happening. I got some good news in the respect that I can actually use some of the existing data for my class in a week or so. That means I won't have to create everything from scratch like I thought originally. So, that was a bonus. Maybe the Pens will even manage a win against Vancouver tonight.

Well the Pens managed to lose that game 4-3 and then get blown out by Calgary the next night 6-1. Hopefully they can salvage the last couple points on the road and limp home mostly intact. Not much else is going on around here. We're trying to get the Christmas cards done and sent. (Which reminds me...I need addresses for you and you.
We haven't put the tree up yet, but I'm sure that's on it's way. I need to finish up the last of the Christmas gift stuff. The upstairs looks like some sort of weird tornado hit it recently. There's an upheaval of furniture. Stuff that used to be in one room is now in another and a general displacement of crap.
We also found out that our friend Niki is pregnant. She's due in July. I'm going to be surrounded by kids. By this time next year, God willing, we'll have three more little ones to contend with in the general vicinity of our friends.
Anyway, not too much else tonight. Although if you get a chance give the new Battlestar Galactica a chance. I'm not completely sold on it (and I have yet to see anything resembling a daggit), but it wasn't bad and Edward James Olmos turned in a pretty good performance in the Lorne Greene part. There's a completely different dynamic from the old show. It makes me want to buy the box set to compare. A guy at work has it and was pointing out how much footage was reused from show to show. And although I'm called a purist in the pursuit of movie, tv, and music excellence I do look at those old shows in the context that they were meant. I reflect on the era produced and marvel at the technology of the time. That's why in addition to the re-done Star Wars movies, I also have copies of the originals. I remember watching Battlestar Galactica with my parents and wanting a daggit so badly and at the time not understanding why I couldn't have one. Now understand, the tv show ran from 78-79 and I was four going on five. I'm lucky I can remember watching the show.
Anyway, if you get a chance check it out. Like I said above, there are a lot of differences and I'm not sold on it, but it looks promising.

Make that 3-1 Pens.

Sorry it's been a few days. Thursday and Friday I got bogged down during the day and when I tried to blog last night the internet crashed on me and I just didn't feel like rebooting.
Now that that's out of the way on to what's been happening.
Thursday was a pretty typical day at work as was Friday. This whole week has been a low pressure situation since the supervisor for our side has been on vacation all week. I think she's also on vacation all next week as well. Friday at about 4:30 it began to snow and snow and snow. Friday was Terri's office Christmas party. Quite boring since there's about four hundred or so people milling about and I know maybe four or five including me.
Today was one of the dreaded Christmas shopping days. I hate Christmas shopping. There are 7 bazillion people and not one of them gives a damn about anyone else. I lost count of the number of people who cut me off, the number of idiots who make a right hand turn from the left hand lane, and just the general number of people who ticked me off. And this year because of Terri being pregnant we'll have to do this several more times than I'd like to since she can't walk around as much as in the past. We finished up some people today, but not everyone. Tomorrow, I hope to finish up the majority of the rest of the list so that I only have to pick up a few last minute items.
Anyway, the Pens are currently winning 2-1 against the Edmonton Oilers so hopefully they can hold on to that and build for tomorrow's game against Calgary.

I had another class this morning for the suggested track of discipline that my superiors at work suggested I follow. It was about the respectful workplace. I thought it was quite ironic that one of the women in a department in the same sector of the University that I'm in showed up 10 minutes late, left the presentation 3 times while it was going on, and bolted 15 minutes early. Very respectful in my eyes. I was also trying to reconcile everything that they were explaining to me with the various jobs that I've had throughout my professional career. At Lycos, when they announced we were going to have sexual harassment training, we immediately began to practice sexually harassing one another. When the HR woman told us this wasn't exactly the purpose of the training, we were smartasses. We asked what the training was for. She told us it was to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace. We then figured we only had a week to sexually harass one another before the training took place and we were no longer allowed. The HR woman gave up and went into her office. I don't think the policy applied to our group. I mean we had porn Mondays.
My current job has several women of advanced age (the saying of which probably violates the age discrimination act that they explained today) and they find it second nature to call everyone honey or dear. I think it's grandmotherly. The video we watched portrayed it as harassment. No one in my office thinks twice about asking me, one of the few males, to lift the heavy objects or put together shelves or mail bins. Again, the video portrays that as sexist. Guess the offices I've been in have broken quite a few policies along the way. Oh well.
Hopefully this evening, I'll get to spend a little money on the phone bill calling Matt to gloat about a Pens victory over the Flyers. They've tied the first two games they've played this season. So, maybe they'll do that again. In which case, it's still my turn to call.

Well, Terri had another baby checkup today. We got to hear the heartbeat again. Still doesn't sound quite human, but at least it hasn't decided to abandon us yet. I'm a little worried that these early appointments are taking about 3 minutes on the average. I guess it's still a little too early to do anything more. The ultrasound is a little over two weeks away. "We" haven't decided anything. However, "I" made a decision last week as to whether or not we were going to find out. And, the decision is...I'm not telling you yet. We'll see how the next couple of weeks play out. You may find out, you may not.
Enough with the baby talk. It's coming up way too fast. We're almost half-way through this thing already and there's so much stuff to do at the house. Not to mention the fact that Terri is more than ready to start house hunting. Being slightly more practical, I know we're not quite up to that stage, but try telling a pregnant woman that.
With my luck, I'll get everything in the current house configured for impending baby arrival and all the pieces will fall into place for a move and I'll have to start all over again. I did get the library mostly finished. I need to go through a ton of old magazines, newspapers, and catalogs, but other than that the structure is pretty much there. Know anyone that needs 7 or 8 years worth of Bride's Magazines?
Not much else is going on around here. The day is winding down and there isn't even any Pens hockey on tonight. At least I'll have a shortened work day tomorrow. I have a seminar to attend in the morning. Hopefully, I'll stay awake.

Wow, lots has happened since the last post. Let's see...
The Pens and the Flyers tied. Somehow the Rangers found a way to beat the Pens 4-1. The Hurricanes got an early Christmas gift by the refs and beat the Pens 4-3, and if I don't type fast enough we'll see how the Pens/Thrashers game turns out.
Enough hockey, I guess. Wednesday when I got home from work, our wedding album was waiting on the porch, freshly delivered by the UPS guy. This album is huge! The box said it weighed in at 18 pounds. The pictures are great though. The photographer's were worth the money paid.
Thursday we went out to dinner with my parents, grandmother, and uncles. Since they put my grandmother into assisted living, we've eaten Thanksgiving out since grandma feels bad that she can't host the dinner. Then Thursday evening we went to Terri's parent's house. One of the cousins that she had a big e-mail fight with was at dinner. It's interesting to see how people talk around one another.
Friday night, Tom, Terri, and I went down to a bar/restaurant near my parent's house to see a country band. One of the girls that I graduated high school with sings for the band. They were pretty good. The bassist does a great Willie Nelson for the duet, "Beer For My Horses" There was a lot of Shania Twain and not enough (She wants to sell my monkey!!!!!!!! For those outside of Pittsburgh, the Pens just scored making it 4-3 Pens and Mike Lange comes up with one of his spectacular goal calls. Hopefully they can hold on to the lead, unlike some other Pittsburgh team, but more on that later.)...where was I... oh yeah, not enough Jodee Messina or Martina McBride. The only song that I was disappointed in, was "When You Say Nothing At All." The female version was probably most notably done by Alison Krauss. It was fine, but it didn't have the emotion that Alison conveys. And Pittsburgh wins the game 4-3. Great job boys.
Anyway, it was a local bar (read: Redneck) and it was the first time that I had ever been inside. Besides beer, one of the things you expect in a bar is sports. Two televisions one playing Entertainment Tonight, the other Wheel of Fortune. We had to ask to get the Pens vs. Rangers game. I do realize that it's not very hard to go home again, but it's extremely difficult to fit in. I saw more than 10 people that I graduated high school with and that's just the usual patrons. There were a bunch of us there just to see Lindsy.
Anyway, enough about that. Saturday Mark and Robyn were headed to the Pitt vs. Miami game so Terri and I went up to babysit Jacob. Robyn's new kitchen looks great and Jacob was as cute as ever. The Pens game turned out bad as did the Pitt game. Mark and Robyn were home before the game was even over.
Sunday, Tom had club seat tickets to the Steelers vs. Bengals game. Now, I'm not a big football fan, hell, I'm not a football fan at all, but I never turn down rich people seats for sporting events. The game wasn't bad and the Steelers looked like they were actually going to pull it out. With 55 seconds to go they scored a touchdown and took the lead. The crowd was rocking. I turned to Tom and jokingly said, "If the Bengals run the kick-off back for a touchdown you'll be able to hear a pin drop in this place." I was kidding, but the Bengals weren't. They ran the kick-off back to the 50 yard line and then proceeded to not only get within field goal range to be able to tie it, but they threw a touchdown pass to win it with 13 seconds to go. Not a happy day for Steelers fans. I had lots of other comments on the fans at the field, but I'll just let them go. It boils down to hockey vs. football and with my normal blog readers, I won't win that fight no matter how right I am.
Anyway, that's enough rambling for now. More tomorrow I guess.