Subject: Weekend Update: May 4-7
Date:    Mon 5/8/00  9:58am

Jet lag doesn't hit me going west because I can stay up an extra three
hours especially when things are exciting and new.  But coming back
east makes getting up in the morning particularly difficult.  So, last
Thursday, I put in a short day after a late morning to tidy up my
email and get some papers printed for review at home the next day.  I
spent much of Friday poring over some of the work my group has done
scrawling suggestions and corrections all over their texts.  For once,
(because I am usually less distracted at work than home), work at home
had a benefit of focus instead of a stream of interruptions behind my
desk.  I wonder if I can get good at it.

On Friday evening, the church teen group participated in a Progressive
Supper; an event that has the group going to a different house for
each course of a protracted meal.  Each house also sponsored an
international theme.  For our part, Joy had been part of the plans for
weeks and kept it secret from Jessica and Emily (until they saw the
Italian cookie wafers on the day of the dinner).  I knew about it,
too, but she kept secret the part that I was enjoined to serve the
meal of spaghetti and meatballs, along with Linda and Eric Magnuson.
We donned fancy duds and bow ties and set up the barn to accommodate
the 30 teens that arrived for their sit-down meal.  We poured their
drinks and then served their meal and the teens were most impressed
that they were actually being served instead of helping themselves.
It was great fun (if a bit warm) and the teens really enjoyed it.
Thanks to Melissa Andrew for organizing such a complicated event.

Yardwork dominated the rest of the weekend as we strive to bring the
Manor up to its BYOM Summer State.  (BYOM (bring your own meal)
Summers are open every Sunday afternoon after church for friends to
bring their picnic (or grill) lunch and enjoy the pool and other fun
or relaxing things at the Manor.  We'll open up for business soon!)

We finally got the leaf compost pile in order - phew!  I had everyone
pitch in to get it done; many hands and light work, you know.  The
pool cover is off and the water is cold and green.  Joy anticiaptes a
week before the pool looks clear for swimming - and probably another
three weeks before it is warm enough for swimming!  The hydrangeas
have enough leaf out to begin its annual pruning, too; a task that I
rather enjoy, although I'd prefer to leave the cleanup to someone
else.  Water plants (for the pond) won't be out until next week, and
we have seven yards of bark mulch that we have to order and spread.
Sometime in between tasks we want to paint the fence around the pool,
too.  I think I may have to take a vacation day or two to get all this
done!

The second string was called in to lead the music yesterday (that's
me).  (Points to those of you who know the song from where the phrase
"every duty charms me with delight" comes.)  Anyway, I was glad that I
wore a tie.  Pastor said that Big Mark (Hamlin) wasn't there so "Long
Hair Mark" was filling in.  I thought that was a whole lot better than
Big Mark and Wide Mark.

The weather in New England is wacky; up near 90F degrees yesterday and
today.  It was just a couple of weeks ago that we had flurries.  It
keeps things interesting here.

This Friday (5/12), Joy and I celebrate our twenty-first wedding
anniversary.  We're old enough to go drinking now... if we wanted to.
Have a great week, folks.
   _  __________=__
   \\@([____]_____()  == Mark Metcalfe =======> metcalfe@cadence.com ==>
  _/\|-[____]         Cadence Design Systems, Inc.             ,
 /     /(( )          270 Billerica Road                       \_0__, ..
/____|'----'          Chelmsford, MA 01824                       M
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