Subject: Weekend Update: Feb 2-5
Date: Tue, 06 Feb 2001 14:17:57 -0500

Last week was the transition from January term to Spring term
at Eastern Nazarene College.  Wouldn't it be nice if we all
got transferred to Spring about now?  In northern Massachusetts,
we got about 18" in Mayberry (Pepperell) yesterday.  Those
crocuses will have to wait another couple of months before
they ever see the light of day.

The transition meant that Jessica got to come home for the
better part of the week.  Miranda came home on the weekend
with a couple of her college friends.

We found out that our car wasn't dead after all... sort of.
I got it to start and didn't know how so I took it to the
mechanic who said that the ignition was loose and to just
push the key in father when turning.  Then he told me that
the head gasket was blown; which means it is as good as dead.
I'll find out how far I can drive it before it REALLY dies.
In the meantime, I need to step up my efforts to find a new car.

So Joy and I went car shopping on Saturday morning, looking
at Toyota Camry, Celica GTS, and Mitsubishi Eclipse.  I talked
to the Mitsubishi guy about a price but you might guess that
it didn't come down far enough for me.  I have to do more
homework on the matter and see if I can get him down a bit
farther.

We didn't have time to dicker because Joy needed to be back in
Pepperell to witness the signing of someone's will.  That's all
I know about it.  While she was out, I got out my pruners and
loppers and loped through foot-deep snow to trim the grape vines
and apple trees.  They get pruned in the dead of winter and with
snow on the horizon, I wanted to get out and do it before I'd
have to wade out to the garden.

Work pressure consumed much of the weekend for me, but the
activity around the house kept it's flurrying pace.  We
deposited the college girls back on campus Sunday evening,
and back to home and routine afterward.

On Monday, we all got out to shovel at 6-inch intervals
trying to keep the work as light as possible.  I parked
the van out near the street so all I needed to do was shovel
the street gunk to get out this morning, leaving the
final accumulation to Joy and the younguns.  I hope it is
done when I get home tonight.

Mark
--
+---_-----------+ Mark Metcalfe, metcalfe@cadence.com
| c a d e n c e | Cadence Design Systems, Inc.    Phone: (978) 446-6451
+---------------+ PCB Systems Division, Technical Communications Manager