This week marks six months since I left IBM. As with most anniversaries, it feels like both a short time and a long time. How have I changed? Well, certainly the pace of work has slowed considerably. My work days are shorter, allowing me to be home by 5PM most days. I've had to reacquaint myself with hands-on skills, both technical and writing, and am almost ready to call myself competent. Last week I participated in a project where I really knew my stuff and it felt good.

And what of the rest of my day? It appears that I've become more insular. Sure, this journal has allowed me to stay in touch with family and close friends. Son Adam observed that he didn't have many questions to ask me on the phone because the weblog has provided the news already. But my focus is on life at home (or the camp). Caring for our parents is something new and has been a good adventure, even with the challenges of changing roles. At the end of the day, though, I'm eager to get home and stay home. The time will come when I and we get out to see more people, but not now, not yet.

Hurricane Karl forgot to ask directions and may be in Iceland by early next week.

Sandra's mother's doctor had a scheduling problem yesterday, including an operation on a patient with a brain aneurysm. As a result, he wasn't able to perform the back operation. She waited the day, not permitted to eat. All revved up and no place to go. Finally, about 4PM they spoke with the doctor and rescheduled the operation for next Tuesday.

Sandra will return to work today and plan to take next week off.

Today marks the end of summer. In spite of the warm waters in the south breeding a ferocious hurricane season, it's been cool here in New England. We needed the air conditioner for just a few evenings in May. Hurricane Karl is drifting northward, a menace to none but ships at sea.

Yesterday was the fourth anniversary of my mother's death. We observed it in quiet moments, as we do every day.

Today is the first day of Sandra's mother's journey to recovery. She'll have her operation this afternoon. She will be in the hospital for a few days and then a rehabilitation hospital for a few more before coming home. The surgeon expects a full recovery with no limitations.

Sandra is taking the rest of the week off from work and will be at the hospital most of the time. She's bringing a quilt that she's sewing for our next grandchild, due in November. There's a couch in the waiting area when her father can rest during the visits. I'll come home after work, tend to the dogs, and then go the hospital in the evening.

This journal was off the air for most of yesterday. Our internet service provider keeps its servers in Baltimore. Yesterday morning, a big fire knocked out power for a large area, including the building where the servers are housed. The systems came back on the air in the evening and all appears to be in good order.

We had a rainy weekend and stayed home from the camp. On Saturday morning, a thunderstorm rumbled through, scaring the dog. He came upstairs and slept under the bed.

My father is doing better. He was able to do his own shopping last week, although he had to stop and rest several times. We visited with him on Sunday and made sure that he had a good supply of firewood.

The Red Sox have fallen into a September swoon with their pitching becoming seriously unreliable. They should make it to the playoffs, but won't last long playing like this.

Oh, yes, work. This is a journal about work. Yesterday all of my project plans were approved with just some minor requests for schedule clarifications. The next major deadline is not until November, but there's plenty of work between now and then.