Subject: Weekend Update: November 16-21 Date: Mon 11/22/99 8:54am I spent most of last week in Portland, Oregon, or in transit to or from that place out west. I had two layovers, or four legs to my journey, which took me over every known relative of mine (with the possible exception of the snow-birding Bos's in Florida), making stops in Chicago and Dallas/Fort Worth. The flights were fine and uneventful. I don't know about some of the flight attendants, though. Some of them seem to have been around since prop planes. On the business end of things, it was a very successful trip. I met some wonderful new friends and set some really good things in motion. On the perks-side of things, my rental car was upgraded, my hotel room was upgraded, and I had an upgrade to first class for the flights home. Too bad such things are wasted on me - except the upgrade to the Ford Windstar wagon which came in very handy to carpool to restaurants with a group of west coast people - and the extra room in first class. I didn't need a bigger hotel room nor did I care for the high-falootin food they serve in first class. I had a little time to get lost in Oregon on Thursday evening, and to shop a little for my wife's birthday. Business and health got in the way so she got no cake, no card, and no present on her birthday. (We did go to dinner.) Try as I might, I still came home empty handed; I was exhausted and couldn't shop another minute! But I did have an idea and took her out on Saturday to select something to her liking. You'll have to ask her what it was she settled on. Getting home on Friday evening was a trip in itself. The driver of the "Limo", (not the kind you use for weddings), was late in picking me up because he had another fare coming in shortly thereafter. Well, the other fare's plane was delayed and he decided to try and scoot me to Chelmsford and get back to Logan for the other fare. Now, how would you respond if your driver asked you, "Do you mind speed?" I was anxious to get home so I said, "no." And off we went. Unfortunately, he got a call telling him that he was losing his other fare which put him in a very foul mood at better than 75 mph. My father-in-law arrived for a visit on Friday. Thanksgiving has snuck up on us and the relatives will come in soon. Miranda comes home on Tuesday, Faith and John on Wednesday, and Hope and Tom and Charity on Thursday... I think. Christmas decorating is just around the corner. We have been asked if we were hosting a Christmas party this year and the answer is yes. Thursday, December 23 beginning at 7pm. That should be the final day of work for many people and we'd like to begin your holiday time off with a celebration. So mark your calendar. Mark ____________________________________ _____ |, Mark Metcalfe (978) 446-6451 \ \ A \__ _____ |\_0__, Cadence Design Systems, Inc. \___\ A \/_______\___\_____________ | M metcalfe@cadence.com / < /_/ ..................... `-. |_.|\._______________________________/ `-----------,----,--------------' _/____/