Subject: Weekend Update: July 4-8, 2001
Date: Mon, 09 Jul 2001 13:55:43 -0400
From: Mark Metcalfe <metcalfe>
Organization: Cadence Design Systems, Inc.

Do they have a fourth of July in Britain and Australia?  Of course
they do!  What do you think they put between the third and the fifth?

The Fourth of July has been a day for the extended Metcalfe family
to gather and this year we had all from the clan but Jennifer and
Melissa.  It is bound to happen with children becoming adults and
choices
they have to make.  Still, we had a good reunion and included my Dad's
cousin Bruce and wife Betty from Michigan, and my brother John's
brother-in-law's family (Gerhardt Steinlechner), and Johnny's girlfriend
to bring the family outing up to 30.  The Manor was is fine shape thanks
to the metered weather we've been having in New England and the efforts
of all the Manor custodians.

My brother Russell (III) asked me to cut his hair.  I only know one
basic cut: put an attachment on the shaver and buzz it off.  Actually,
I have learned a bit more about crew cuts than that, but I agreed to
remove my brother's hair to get an indication of what I might look like
if my church raises enough money for Missions to cut my hair that close.
(General Assembly put the "fundrazor" into suspended animation so I'm
long-haired for another month at least.)  Russell's son, Russell IV
liked
his dad's haircut so much, he was next in line.  Then my brother Steve's
son Jimmy, then John's son Joe, and then my own son, Andrew!  (I gave
Michael
Magnuson a buzz cut on Saturday, too!)  Several mothers were really
worried and threatened me with bodily harm if I messed up their son's
head!  It seems I passed the muster.  At least I have the skills to
become a prison barber if high tech ever tanks hard.

Jessica's friend, David Young, has come for a visit, arriving by plane
on
Friday night.  Jessica went to meet him at the airport and phoned that
his
plane would arrive about an hour late.  I am not surprised by airline
delays
so I wasn't concerned.  They got home later than we thought that they
should
have but I figured the plane was delayed further.  Unfortunately, they
instead
got lost on the way home, taking 495 North instead of South.  To make
matters
worse, Jessie got off an an exit in Andover to get her bearings and turn
around.  It was then that she had a minor accident with Ol' Lazarus
while
attempting to turn left into a restaurant parking lot.  It seems the
person
in the car behind her was impatient with her cautionary driving and
intended
to speed around her. She caught his fender with the front corner of her
car.
It barely broke the turn signal lens and Ol' Lazarus is the least of my
concerns
(although I hope it runs well for the girls for a while longer). It was
an
eventful way to start off David's visit.

Pepperell held its Independence Day festivities on Saturday (July 7).
For
me, it meant a full day with my family on the 4th and a full day with
friends
on the 7th!  Rich and Wendy's family joined us at Railroad Square to
watch the Pepperell parade march by, complete with farm tractors and
Shriner's
minicars.  The kids especially liked the candy that was tossed from the
floats.

Back at the ranch, I was able to find some time to be a float in my own
pool
parade before a bunch of us gathered for the fireworks display later in
the
evening.  This year, the following families gathered at the town field:
Chronopolous', (Tim & Linda) Youngs, Metcalfes, Magnuson, Gonzalez'.  It
was
fun to spread the blankets and stake out an area for us.  The smallest
children
were startled at first but soon joined in enjoying the spectacle in the
sky.

The rain and drizzle fizzled the participation at the Manor for Summer
Sundays.
I took advantage of the time to crash with a very rewarding Nazarene
Nap. I
can't remember when I've had such a good nap. I think I'll have more of
them!
In the evening after church, a bunch of us went over the Pape's to
celebrate
their independence with the new addition they've added to their house!
They
gave me the honor (for the third time) of blessing their home.  (I hope
they
don't move to Timbuktu, although I do like to travel.)

I settled on a digital camera and took a chance of ordering it online.
We'll
see if my apprehension about ordering online is justified or not, but if
things
go well, I may have saved quite a bit of money.  I've ordered online
before, but
was only risking tens of dollars when I did.  If I get bit for the whole
thing,
it was easy money.  On one of my business trips, I elected to get bumped
to a
later flight earning $400 in travel coupons.  I cashed those in on my
last
business trip so the money was burning a hole in my pocket anyway.
Perhaps
you'll get photos in the updates!  Oh no!!!!  ;-)

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