Date: Tue, 19 Feb 2002 16:45:28 -0500
Subject: Weekend Update: February 11-18, 2002

I was out in 70+ degrees in San Diego, California last week,
but I paid for it by contracting bronchitis.   The plane trip
that I described in last week's update had me miserable and in
my hotel bed by Tuesday night, wondering how I was going to
withstand the cross-country trip the next day.

I was able to get in my two days of business, however, meeting with
a writer in my group, and writers from other groups who needed a
manager for a day.  I took my writer, his wife, and son (David,
Grace, and Dylon) to dinner Monday night to Ruth's Chris Steakhouse.
Grace has terminal cancer and is not expected to survive the year,
and has a prognosis that brings that expectation into a measurement
of scant months.  David and I talked about work, but we talked also
a lot about facing the next couple of months, and then beyond it.
On Tuesday, I took all the writers to lunch to a restaurant veranda
that overlooked a quiet lake.   Tough job, I know, but I'm the one
to do it.  (Seriously, it was a good business trip.)

The airlines were working as advertised on Wednesday, sailing through
blue skies all the way without delay.  I slumped in my seat, dozing as
much as possible and trying to minimize the coughs, despite the fact
that others were less able to control their own hackings.  Before long,
I was home and called my doctor on Thursday morning for my annual
bronchitis visit.  I saw him last March for the same malady.  He
prescribed a new antibiotic (5 days, once a day!).  I skipped work
and headed into the long weekend on the couch.  Well, almost.

Emily arranged to visit her sister Jessica at college for part of
the February school vacation we are enjoying this week.  She planned
to catch a ride from Eric Magnuson to the train station and make her
way to Quincy on her own, with luggage.  I was not sick enough to
allow my 16-year old to pass through Boston alone with luggage in
tow, so I drove her to ENC, picking Miranda up in exchange.

Miranda was in need of a car of her own to start the wonderful
world of wage-earning as a teacher.  (For the remainder of this
school year, she will fill in as a permanent substitute teacher
in Quincy.  She is building her resume and portfilio to be a
Special Education teacher with plans to seek employment in our
home area.)  Feeling tired but able on Saturday, Joy and I took
Miranda on a car hunting expedition; Miranda with spiral notebook
and pen at the ready. After comparing apples, oranges, and grapes,
we came home to discuss the pros and cons of what we checked out.
Miranda settled on a grape and we determined to return to a used-
car dealership on Monday for a test drive.

Now, alarms might go off for some of you with any used car dealership,
but to make matters more alarming, the gentleman with whom we were
conducting business was named Rocco Desciscio.  Oh, yeah!  Neverthless,
Miranda test drove a '98 purple-blue Dodge Neon; Mom and Dad went
along for the ride.  The car has only 15,500 miles on it with a
clean history record.  Mandy bought the car with the idea that she'll
drive it for a few years and then upgrade.  She signed her first big
contract, with Daddy co-signing.  It was actually a proud moment, like
her first recital or first day at school.  She'll be able to pick up
the car on Wednesday.  She has jury duty today (Tuesday) and won't be
back until then.

Meanwhile, Ol' Lazarus MAY get a short lease on life once more as
Rich Gonzalez makes it safe to drive a few more miles (new brakes
and tire).  Jessica will be pleased!  She has a unique soft spot
for that car.  (She and David went out for a nice Valentine's
dinner last Friday night.)

I finally felt well-enough on Monday to take Joy out to dinner
with Eric and Linda Magnuson; something we've done each year
around Valentine's day since we went to a Wendy's after a
church-organized debacle many years ago now (restaurant wait
staff called in sick leaving us waiting for hours).  I had
a steak that was nothing like I had on the previous Monday,
but then again, I was paying for it this time.

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