Date: Mon, 29 Apr 2002 19:05:38 -0400
Subject: Weekend Update: 

Last Thursday was "Take Your Daughter to Work" day and
normally, I am opposed to the discrimination and division
such a day causes.  However, Emily was very behind on her
homework and puppy-dog-eyed an excuse to play hooky.  "As
long as it is for playing hooky," I said, "because I don't
believe in this politically correct thigamajig.

She was only too happy to accompany me to work that morning
and she dutifully sat quietly in my office catching up on her
homework.  Her brother Andrew was none-too-pleased about the
whole thing because he went to school that day.  I assured
him that his day would come, and wouldn't you know that next
year, the correctly political powers are succumbing to pressure
and changing the day to "Take your Child to Work" day (if you're
a mother, I'll warrant).  I don't think Emmy had to write a
report but if she did, it might read something like this:

  "My dad checked his email, then went to some meetings, then
  came back and checked more email.  We bought fried rice for
  lunch and ate it in his office while he checked his email
  and other things on his computer.  Then he went to some more
  meetings.  It seems like a pretty cushy job, if you ask me."

Such is what might be observed, especially since the difficult
period of my job was earlier this year, and like most things,
my job has its phases.

On Saturday morning the phone rang. Rich Gonzalez wanted to know if
I'd like to come over for eggs and bacon.  Seeing as I was just
about to make that very same breakfast, I greedily accepted and
toted Joy and Miranda along with me.  They were having a party
at their house.  The Pape's spent the night and Kristen Hunt brought
her children over to play that morning, so the place was buzzing.
Somehow, age became the topic of conversation and Kristen asked
how old I was.  "Forty-two" I said.  "Wow, that's not as old as
I thought you were!" To which Renee quickly asked, "How old did
you think he was?!"  We have to remind many people who are less
than 5 years our junior that we got married young and became
parents young.  At least, we hope our kids are the clues to make
people think we're older than we are.

Joy and I couldn't stay long, dashing off to another children's
musical rehearsal. The tempo increases from here to Father's Day.
Afterward, Joy orchestrated the tilling of the garden boxes,
directing me to one box after another.  Our neighbor was burning
yard trash, for the final weekend of the season, so I trotted some
residual prunings over and tossed them on his fire.  Andrew busied
himself with friends on a school video project in the barn.

That evening, we went to the Magnuson's for dinner.  Two meals in one
day that Joy didn't have to cook.  Everyone got their blood pressure
taken by Linda after dinner.  Mine was high, relative to the skinny
people, but not as high as Grammy Linton's that evening. I blame
Linda's meatballs!

On Sunday after church, Miranda returned to ENC, Emily went to Liz's,
and we sent Andrew home alone with Rich and Wendy.  Joy and I went out
to lunch with Jan and Meredith and Joy got out of cooking yet again! 
In fact, she was looking forward to my going to California this week so
that she wouldn't have to cook much at all this week either!  Ha!  My
father-in-law is coming to stay with us this week and spend time until
Miranda's graduation on May 11 (so she'll have to cook some meals,
now).  (Sorry, Joy.)

Mark

P.S. Tomorrow (4/30) marks the fifth anniversary of 
my mother-in-law's passing.

+---_-----------+ 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