Christmas Eve Morning, Duty Calls

After finishing the work project late last night, creating a database of slot machine attributes (serial number, game theme, software information, that sort of thing, for every game in the state), Heather and I went to sleep around 3:00 a.m. We woke up at 7:00, so that Heather can start packing and other things (filling bird feeders, doing the last of the baking, wrapping a few more presents), and I need to get to work again. I still have two work projects that I MUST finish before I am allowed to take time off. I am hopeful that the work will be done by noon. I should be done today, thank goodness. These 5:30 a.m. - 11 p.m. work days are getting tiresome. It will be worth it to be able to relax with Heather and Gabriel for a couple of days this week, so if that is the price I pay, so be it. I am even turning off my cell phone! I have only turned off my cell once in the last seven years, when we were married and went to Jamaica, so this is an exciting and novel idea, no cell phone calls from work for two days. Cool!

I can hear Heather upstairs, already getting things together so that we can leave this afternoon. We have been compiling a list of things to bring with us for the Christmas celebration at Mom and Dad's tomorrow. The list is longer this year than usual, for reasons that will become obvious in the next few days of blogging.

We are spending Christmas Eve with my sister, Deb, and her husband, and their two children. The kids are still at the age where the night before Christmas and Christmas morning have that special magic. It is especially fun to spend this time with them, even more than at other times of year. I heard from my sister that the kids are excited to see Gabriel, and he loves being around other kids, too.

I need to start on my work, so that I can finish and start to enjoy the Christmas atmosphere that is filled with building anticipation, and waiting for me. I've got Sirius satellite radio to work by, and chocolate cake for breakfast (oh yeah!), and I am ready to work (Yuck!) But it's Christmas, so I will get through the work just fine. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and may God bless you!

A working vacation

Until I post again, here is a picture of Gabriel, clowning around with a drum. He looks like an astronaut... astronut, maybe.

I finished the big project that stands between myself and my vacation later this weekend. Of course, it is 1:42 a.m. and here I am, in the middle of the weekend and I am still working. I wonder if the other people in my office are sitting at their computers working right now.

I have two more projects that I have to finish before I will be allowed to take time off, but thankfully, I should be able to finish those projects in about three hours on Christmas Eve morning. I have to get some sleep first, but I think that I can see the light at the end of the tunnel... or else I am just so tired that I am hallucinating. I'm going to bed. Later, dud.

Gabriel's Mr. Potato Head Impression

Gabriel's Nana and Papa gave him a bunch of Mr. Potato Head toys when we celebrated Christmas with them way back in the first week of November. He thinks it is pretty funny to run around the house wearing the glasses from Mr. Potato Head's noggin, er, his potato, (I guess?) The glasses are just a bit too small for Gabriel to wear, but he tries anyway. Gabriel is a nut. Ask his Mommy, if you don't believe me. By the way, Gabriel will be two years old soon. Wow! The time really flies!

Three Days Until Christmas

Wow! It is only three days until Christmas. I still have a few projects to finish before I can take vacation. The boss told me that I have to finish all of these jobs before I will be able to have time off. Sure, I am off work on Christmas, but I can't actually take any vacation until I finish all of this work. So, I have been working from 5:30 a.m. until 11:00 p.m. five days a week, sometimes more, for the last few weeks. I probably have another ten hours of work to do yet, and I hope to finish that by noon on Christmas Eve. I did get another project today, which stinks, but I think I can finish that in a couple of additional hours between tonight and throughout Christmas Eve day. I will have four days of approved vacation, and I can't wait. I will turn off my work cell for the first time in seven years. I figure I can keep my phone powered down for two days before the office will start calling me at home, so I think I will spend two days of my vacation with the cell turned off, and the other two with it powered up and taking calls again. I am willing to do that if it means I can just relax at home for a day or two. All I can say, once I am allowed to power off my cell phone, is "Thank God!" and "Merry Christmas!"

The rest of the week

I am scheduled to be off work for the rest of the week. This is because of having oral surgery in the morning. I could just say that I am going to a dental office to have a number of different procedures done, but being that the entire process is supposed to take 6 1/2 to 7 hours to complete, calling it surgery sounds accurate, since there will be an incision and bloodletting (so to speak), with a laser, a dentist, and an oral surgeon thrown in for good measure.

We have to leave at 4 a.m. to get to the appointment on time. I was approved for this time off, but today, I found out that there is a project that was given high priority. Now, I do get Wednesday and Thursday off, but this project has to be complete by Friday. Given that I will probably be asleep most of Wednesday and Thursday, I was given the privilege of having the weekend to complete this new, urgent project, which, for me only, must be completed by Monday morning. It does beg the question, what is approved time off good for, if my approved time off is always withdrawn a day before I actually take a discretionary day off?

On the bright side, at least I have job security.

Today is Friday for me

Today is my Friday. I know, it is also my Tuesday, according to the calendar. I will be off work for a few days, for oral surgery and recovery. Mostly, the recovery means I might actually get some of my projects done around home, but more likely, I will sleep a lot more than usual for a few days. I am looking forward to not taking painkillers anymore! I am a bit leery about not taking anything after 8 tonight, as it is tough to get through an 8-hour period without at least taking some sort of pain reliever. This is going to be a spendy little enterprise, but on the bright side, I will not be paying a lot of taxes this year. I know, you pay less taxes, but the same money goes to a dental surgeon instead. Out of one pocket or the other, the money just goes and goes...

Today, I am installing two progressive signs a few hours from home. Both will be Wheel of Fortune signs, but one will be for a quarter progressive, and the other for a dollar system. It should be a piece of cake. With luck, I will be home early, but that remains to be seen. You just never know what complications may arise, especially with issues of having adequate power circuits. The sign company has various qualities of technicians, just like any other company. If I get experienced techs today, it will be easy. If these are greenhorns, well, I will work a lot more. Either way is fine. I am used to it. I guess I will venture out into the cold now... yippee, joy, rapture, blah blah blah...

The Nativity Story

Friday afternoon, Gabriel, Heather, and I went to a matinee movie. I worked earlier than normal that day, so I was done working early, as well. As made clear by the title of this blog entry, the movie we went to see was The Nativity Story. The subject is plainly obvious, of course, by the title. It was a very good movie. I enjoyed it, as did Heather. This was, incidentally, Gabriel's third movie. He was well-behaved through most of the movie, largely due to the fact that he hasn't been feeling well for a few days. He sat on his Mom's lap most of the movie, as he tends to get snuggly (is that REALLY a word?) when he isn't feeling well. During the last fifteen minutes, Gabriel and I walked the periphery of the theater, and he checked out the theater lighting on the floor (the lights that mark the way, so you don't fall on your caboose when you are interrupting the movie to go buy popcorn and carbonated sugar water). We didn't interrupt the movie, either, incidentally, as we stayed at the back of the theater, and kept quiet. The one thing that Gabriel and I did discover while examining the theater floor lighting is that Gabriel finds it fascinating that the lights shine right through his little fingertips.

Anyway, regarding the movie... Nobody knows exactly how the Nativity Story really happened. Still, the movie is presented along the traditional lines of what took place, as written in the Bible (though the Gospels offer varying details while telling the story of Jesus' Earthly birth). It does explore the relationship between Mary and Joseph, and the idea that theirs was an arranged marriage, as was typical of the time. Everyone but the Roman soldiers were very "Jewish", and it is very likely that is accurate, too. I don't know if it is historically accurate in all the details, but it was really a well-made representation of the Biblical story of Jesus' birth. The actors did a fine job, and included several who have been nominated for Academy Awards in the past. The scenery in the story was breath-taking, and was filmed in Morocco, the same location where the Passion of the Christ was made. In any case, Heather and I both give the story an enthusiastic thumbs up. Any movie with a wholesome message that is suitable for families with small children is a good thing. Hopefully, if enough people check out the movie, more movie makers will be encouraged to create movies with a family-values oriented message and positive content. This movie will be completely, totally, and in all ways artistically ignored by the Academy, though it may be considered for the musical score or technical direction, but it hasn't got a chance in any other category. Why? It is about Jesus Christ. Let's be honest here about Jesus: In Hollywood, He hasn't got a prayer.

Oh, by the way, the soundtrack was as breath-taking as the scenery. Excellent movie, good for families, good for you.