Subject: Weekend Update: July 6-10
Date:    Mon 7/12/99  8:15am 

I last left you wondering about my van, since Miranda called me last
week at 4:44 AM because it conked out on her at work.  When I arrived
at the UPS parking lot, I checked all the fluids first off (down one
quart of oil was all).  Then I dared to turn the ignition key, not
knowing what to expect.  By her account, it sounded to me like we lost
the transmission or engine.  But the van started right up.  We
switched vehicles and I had the Magnuson's follow me home that
afternoon - all without consequence to the car, although we did add to
the road kill population that day.  (I don't know if I killed or
wounded the varmint that dashed beneath my van, but I looked in my
rear-view mirror quick enough to see the Magnusons make sure the
critter didn't suffer.)  Eeeyew!

We cleaned the battery terminal posts (one had corrosion) and have had
no van trouble since.  Perhaps Miranda hallucinated - after all, she
had a nasty sore throat.  We took her to the doctor to check her for
strep throat.  That test came back negative.  But by Thursday things
got worse and worse so we took her back to do blood work which told us
that she had infectious mononucleosis; the Kissing disease!

The doctors wanted to wait out the weekend, betting on something else,
but Joy insisted on getting the blood work done Thursday morning based
on Debbie Xayachack's Wednesday evening diagnosis of Miranda's
symptoms.  How did Debbie know?  She happened to be reading a
Missionary book very recently in which a teen had developed "mono" and
the symptoms were the same.  Truth is stranger than fiction.

With a spleen check on Friday, the doctor said it was a mild case and
that she would be out of work at least another week when they would
examine her again.  "Mono" is bad news for us because it knocks out
Miranda's earning power for school.  We are currently exploring the
potential impacts of this event - which likely occured by sharing
drinks and not kissing, as far as we know.

On a lighter note, Joy and I attended the wedding and reception for
David and Heather Scalera.  The Bride was beautiful and the two of
them were married despite being unable to get the "unity candle" to
light.  At the reception, Renee Pape entertained our table with a wet
finger on crystal goblets, before chug-a-lugging the sparkling apple
cider and breaking the stemware without so much as a "moseltoff" (sp).
It is a good thing there wasn't any alcohol at our table, is all I
have to say.  Everything (but us) was elegant and sumptious, but other
than David and Heather, we had the most fun!

Next week, I'm off to camp again as a counselor.  Perhaps I forgot
what I went through before I re-enlisted.  (Last year, a kid fell out
of the top bunk and gashed his head open on the very first night after
midnight!!  Where were the Magnusons when I needed them then?) I hope
to be healthy this year from the start and enjoy the experience -
without bunk beds!!  And this year, no body-slamming on talent night
either - my poor old neck muscles ached for a week after that.

Enjoying (most) of the summer, and hope you are too,

Mark
        __________          Mark Metcalfe
     .- __   / -- -\        Cadence Design Systems, Inc.
    / <___> ___  | |\-      270 Billerica Road MS04
 .^| _---_ /   \ =   / \    Chelmsford, MA 01824
 |o |  =  / o | |   ||  |   Phone: (978) 446-6451
 =0=======0==|  |----|  |=  Fax:   (978) 446-6351
  \_\_/    \_\_/   \_\_/    metcalfe@cadence.com