Subject: Weekend Update: March 2-6, 2001
Date: Wed, 07 Mar 2001 12:17:04 -0500

One shovelful at a time.  Pepperell and the greater Merrimack Valley
got the most snow from the storm that has been in our national news.
However, the forecasters disappointed us, again, because while
significant, the storm could not live up to the hype.  We recorded a
mere 18-20" in our yard. Brenda Atkins sent a gleeful note from
Florida telling us how nice things were in her neck of the flatlands.

Where we live, we were just beginning to see a little of that matted
yellow grass in a small patch over where our septic tank is.  I
determined to take it slow yesterday because of all the reports of
young people (my age) having heart attacks from shoveling.  My other
shovels were under-utilized but I was nonetheless grateful for any
help I got from Andrew and Emily.  Rich Gonzalez showed up later in
the day to lend a back to the driveway effort. Joy was unable to help
but shoveled a load of guilt on herself to make up for it.

Speaking of Joy, her doctor and she have come to an understanding
recently that will have Joy in the hospital for three days and after
that a six week recovery period, commencing on April 2.  No Easter
Cantata for Joy.  We sincerely hope this will be the final chapter in
a saga that began over 5 years ago.  Despite her recent affliction,
she stained about a mile and a half of wood for the spa room.  This is
partially because she wanted so many windows, so the trim for each
window times four plus the baseboards... you get the picture.  She at
least cracked the windows for ventilation. (I told you that she was
the smart one.) We hope to finish the interior of the room by the end
of the month; it may be ambitious because I have travel plans
upcoming.

The contagen in the Metcalfe domicile is also on the wane as more of
us come back online with the living.  I can no longer do a decent
Barry White impression; some say it was never decent anyway.  Emily
missed two days of school last week and three days this week (snow
days this week). Andrew has met his appointed paper route round
through rain, snow, sleet, and hail.  The College girls were
disappointed by the slushy mesh that Quincy got when they might have
gotten stranded in snow-bound Mayberry.  When not shoveling, we would
add a log to the fire and play games and watch a movie or two -
something to make a New England winter a bit more cozy and even a bit
enjoyable.  Take that, all you people south of the Mason-Dixon line!
;-)

Spring would be nice, though.  :-(

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