Subject: Weekend Update: October 15-17
Date:    Tue 10/19/99  8:05am

Joy and Andrew met me at work on Friday afternoon so that I wouldn't
have to traipse back to Pepperell before heading to Pennsylvania.  It
didn't really matter where you were going last weekend in the
Northeast; it was the leaf-peepers holiday and everyone was on the
road.  The colorful landscapes and vistas were the redeeming part of
our journey on I-84; a longer trip and less pleasant highway for us
since my father-in-law retired and moved to Greentown, PA.  Our
troubles were rewarded with reunion, however.

Meanwhile, back home, we left Emily and Jessica to fend for
themselves.  On Saturday morning at 5:30 AM, they headed toward the
church to catch the cavalcade to the Festival of Life competition.
Jessica had her first experience with the Law when she was stopped by
a Dunstable Constable.  Jessie was well within the speed limit, but
made the mistake of making eye contact with the policeman and probably
looked as if she was guilty of something.  The cop wanted to make sure
she and her sister were not joy-riding and had to swallow a story
about them headed to church at 5:30 on an early Saturday morning.  I
complicated matters for her by having the car's registration in my
wallet.  Jessica persuaded the officer that she and Emily were not
desperadoes but in fact who they said they were, and he let them go on
their way.

Now, the reason we went to Pennsylvania was to go to New Jersey to a
surprise 40th birthday party for our friend Brenda (Briggs) Atkins.
Her husband, Tom, surprised her with tickets (for the family) to her
family in Oak Ridge, NJ from Florida. (Got all that?)  We were merely
icing on the proverbial brithday cake.  It was great fun to visit with
the Briggs clan, catching up with Bill, Rick, and Jean, and their
various family members, some of whom we haven't seen in 17 years.
Our card said that what Brenda needed on her 40th birthday was TLC
(ten less candles).  Albeit too brief, we had a wonderful time.

On Sunday, my niece Charity joined us for breakfast before church and
we had not a few laughs just being together with family.  I-84 seemed
tougher going on the way home, despite the fact that we made better
time; leaving is always more difficult than arriving.

Two pieces of news: First a correction: my neice, Jennifer informs me
that she is living in Quincy so more than one Metcalfe remains in
Quincy. (Sorry, Jen!)  Second: I have been promoted to manage one of
the documentation groups at my company; broadening my horizons.

Have a great week!

Mark
Cadence Design Systems, Inc.   ^`.                 o   Sometimes you eat;
270 Billerica  ^_  Road MS04   \  \              o  o  sometimes you get
Chelmsford, MA \ \             {   \             o     eaten.
          02184 {  \           /     `~~~--__
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   .|\.                           /   /            / /  Mark Metcalfe
                                 '._.'           _/_/   Tel: (978) 446-6451
                                                ';|\    Fax: (978) 262-6363