Date: Mon, 1 Apr 2002 13:39:05 -0500
Subject: Weekend Update: March 27-31, 2002


Joy, myself, and the young-uns went to a Maundy Thursday
service at the church.  Jessica, David Young, and Brooke
Pate arrived home for the Easter holiday weekend later that
evening. Miranda came home the next day to complete the set.
I took an abbreviated day on Friday to start the weekend,
first to see a chiropractor, and then attend to some chores
around the yard.

I had been experiencing intermittent lower back pain,
especially located above my right pelvis, later identified
as the gludius medius muscle (above the maximus and in
front of the minimus).  I wanted to address the pain before
it became a bigger issue but my medical physician didn't seem
interested in looking at the problem. So, I sent out a
broadcast email to the office in Chelmsford and got numerous
referrals from co-workers on a recommended bone crusher in
Nashua.  My medical plan covers it, and I was ready to risk it.

My family thoroughly enjoyed the paperwork that I had to fill
out before my appointment, which was scheduled for late morning
on Friday.  How many servings of vegetables did I eat in a day? (0)
Fruit? (0) How many eggs do I eat in a week? (14) How many ounces
of soda do I drink each day? (40) Diet soda? ("yuk") Are you=20
pregnant? ("Not that I'm aware of.")  They were equally amused
by the activities component of the paperwork.

I got to the office in the nick of time to be ushered in to
meet Dr. Brian.  He introduced me to Dr. Tiffany who was there
to observe and learn.  After he drove an elbow deep into my
muscle tissue and followed up with some snap, crackle, and pop,
I reported back to my family that I was massaged by this guy
while this girl named "Tiffany" watched. (More uproarious laughter.)
Regardless, I had a bit more confidence with this chiropractor
than my experience with another one some twenty years ago.
Dr. Brian sent me home with some stretching instructions and
a prescription of drinking lots of water.  Since there was still
36 hours left to Lent, I "relented" and drank water instead of
soda for the rest of the day.

The Spring weather was cooperating on Friday and I was able to
ignite the second burn pile of the season, getting rid of the
apple branches that my father-in-law shaved from the trees, and
a few that I pruned from other trees on the grounds.  The college
kids scoured the property, picking up sticks and other things
that would burn.  Later, I will till the ashes into the corn bed,
adding their nutrients to the soil.

Saturday was spent at a relatively slow pace.  Most of the kids
spent the larger portion of the morning in bed. Joy and I did
some morning shopping to prepare for our cruise which sails this
coming Saturday. We stopped in at the Gonzalez' where Joy was
kidnapped by the girls. Miranda went off to a friend's wedding
shower. I went for a walk with Joy to limber up Brian's bruising.
Food was prepared for Sunday.  When we retired, we reminded the
kids that breakfast on Easter Sunday morning was at the church
requiring an earlier-than-usual departure time.

We postponed the traditional hunt for chocolate Easter eggs in
the barn until after Sunday services.  We told Brooke and David
that the first one to find an egg had to cluck like a chicken.
(We figured it was close enough to April Fool's Day to lay that
one on them.)  Yes, none of my kids are "children" anymore, but
being childlike is part of the fun in our home.

The kids got their turn to hide colored plastic easter eggs
outside around the yard for Rich and Wendy's brood.  (Rich
brought the eggs over before lunch.)  It is somewhat musical
to hear children laugh with delight over something as simple
as candy in a plastic egg.  The children shared their bounty
once all the eggs had been collected.  We took some photos
(coming to the Pictures list).

We drove three cars back to the Sunday evening service.  Mandy
and Brooke, and Jessie and David headed back to Quincy from the
church.  I took Emily and Andrew (and Joy) home by way of 7-11
for a 40-ounce Coke Slurpee (our first in over 6 weeks!). =20
Mmmmmm MMMMMmmmm!  It tastes as good as I remember.  ;-9

Mark

P.S.  You get a reprieve over the next couple of weeks.  While
I am told that they have email on board the cruise ship, I will
not be bringing my Weekend Update list (sorry).

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