Dan and Ainsley have kindly invited me and my mom & her husband out to Colorado Springs next month to see a baseball game & play twister. I had been leery about asking for a day off, particularly knowing how busy we are & how Kate won't be back from maternity leave for another month, but last week's events at work kicked me in the rear & so I now have Monday 8/11 off. It'll be a short two day trip but I may go back again over either Thanksgiving or the holidays.

During June, most of my colleagues had performance reviews. I didn't have one as (I assume) I work for so many people that I fell through the cracks. It doesn't matter, as it soon became apparent that the reviews and the raises were not connected. Most people were not at all pleased with their "raise," especially as (poor timing) corporate announced the week before that health care costs are rising effective Aug 1. As a result, many, if not most, are actually taking home less in their packet than they were a year ago when we won the new contract and switched companies.

My health care costs are going up 80%. Guess I should go see the doctor and get my money's worth.
4:22:00 AM

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I watched most of The Golden Bowl this afternoon, another Merchant-Ivory production in the same vein as A Room With a View and Remains of the Day. This one starred Uma Thurman, Kate Beckinsale (from Pearl Harbor), Nick Nolte, Angelica Huston and mmm Jeremy Northam. Very well done, though a bit predictable--with some gorgeous stately homes as a backdrop. I may even go out and get the Henry James novel it's based on.
4:14:00 AM

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You know, it's sometime easier to do something yourself than have someone else do it. I hadn't realized until this past year that I am such a control freak in that way, especially at work. There is a consultant coming in tomorrow to take some of the weight off my shoulders for the mac refresh project, so that I can concentrate on my other two jobs. Unfortunately, in order for him to know what to do, I had to go in to work yesterday for six hours to draft a 20-page process manual for him. I'm glad that it's done, and it's a fairly good document if I do say so myself (my mom could deploy these Macs now, if she wanted). Half the weekend was shot, though.

I slept in late today and then spent most of the rest of it indoors, as we are having another sweltering heat wave -- 110 heat index today, more of the same tomorrow and Tuesday.

I did figure out how to digitize my old audio cassette tape collection, though, and have started on that project with a view to throwing even MORE stuff away before the move. Also tossed about ten years of old invoices, receipts, etc. that I must have moved five time & must have thought useful at some point.
4:06:00 AM

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Traveler: Timothy G______ Flight: from Washington, DC (DCA-Ronald Reagan National) to Colorado Springs, CO (COS) Depart: 10-Aug-02 at 6:55 AM Arrive: 10-Aug-02 at 9:50 AM Depart: Washington DC (DCA), 10-Aug-02 at 6:55 AM Terminal B Arrive: Cincinnati (CVG), 10-Aug-02 at 8:20 AM Terminal 3 Flight: Delta 441 Aircraft: MDC MD80 Meal Service: n/a Duration: 1hr 25mn Distance: 399 mi (642 km) Economy/Coach Class Depart: Cincinnati (CVG), 10-Aug-02 at 9:00 AM Terminal 3 Arrive: Colorado Springs (COS), 10-Aug-02 at 9:50 AM Flight: Delta 785 Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 Meal Service: n/a Duration: 2hr 50mn Distance: 1076 mi (1732 km) Economy/Coach Class Flight: from Colorado Springs, CO (COS) to Washington, DC (DCA-Ronald Reagan National) Depart: 12-Aug-02 at 1:25 PM Arrive: 12-Aug-02 at 8:41 PM Depart: Colorado Springs (COS), 12-Aug-02 at 1:25 PM Arrive: Cincinnati (CVG), 12-Aug-02 at 6:01 PM Terminal 3 Flight: Delta 755 Aircraft: Boeing 727-200 Meal Service: n/a Duration: 2hr 36mn Distance: 1076 mi (1732 km) Economy/Coach Class Depart: Cincinnati (CVG), 12-Aug-02 at 7:10 PM Terminal 3 Arrive: Washington DC (DCA), 12-Aug-02 at 8:41 PM Terminal B Flight: Delta 1104 Aircraft: Boeing 737-800 Meal Service: n/a Duration: 1hr 31mn Distance: 399 mi (642 km) Economy/Coach Class

4:01:00 AM