My fellow commuters are wackos. Early this morning we had less than an inch (~2cm) of snow. My commute this morning took an hour and a half (dunno what that is in metric), three times the usual. As I sat in the thick traffic, I watched those who weren't driving in the breakdown lane putting on great displays of lurching lane changes. It's December. It snows in New England in December. You wouldn't think that it would be a surprise.

The New York Times > Arts > Television > Moyers Leaves a Public Affairs Pulpit With Sermons to Spare. A voice that the folks in this corner will miss a lot.

The two agency calls turned out to be duplicates, both discussing the same job. Even so, it's a good sign when agencies are calling people, particularly when they're calling me.

There is no better celebration of bad writing than The Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest. Of course, we don't want to omit the celebrities. A book report by Britney Spears is up for auction. (The link may go away after the auction is complete.) I know that I've written badly in the past (including the not too distant past) and have been spared greater public embarrassment only by my relative anonymity and the grace of good editors.

The next two weeks at work will be busy, made all the more so by holiday gatherings that jump into the middle of the day. We don't have Christmas parties as such, not the kinds portrayed on TV. No drinking, at least none that I see, and no wild antics. The big parties are a thing of the past, victims of budget cuts and liability laws. Anyway, there are a couple of luncheons, one in the office and another at a local Chinese restaurant. Most people will be eager to get back to their offices to wrap up their projects.

We ordered the meats for our Christmas gathering from a local market. Last night our next-door neighbor, who works at the market, called to make sure that our order was right because it was different from what we ordered last year.

The longer-range weather forecasts (five to seven days out) have improved dramatically over the last few years. It wasn't that long ago that a three-day forecast was a big deal. Last night, however, some of the local TV meteorologists were getting all breathless at the prospect of a nor'easter on Sunday night into Monday. This morning, the National Weather Service is hedging.

Yesterday two employment agencies contacted me with information about a couple of management positions. That, along with the telephone interview that I had yesterday afternoon, indicates that the market is changing. It's a long way from initial contact to the point where I have to think seriously about changing jobs, but it's very interesting to consider the possibilities.

Family concerns and my own energy levels are still considerations as I ponder a new job, much the same way that they were in late summer when two other job opportunities came by. Any new, permanent management job is going to require a lot from me and lot from my family. See, there I go thinking seriously about stuff already when I said that it's a long way away. I'll keep answering the phone calls and emails and find out what's next.

Did I mention that I received a report from my doctor on a couple of lab tests. I'm normal. How often do I hear that?

Forbes.com:: "Imaginary Companions Can Be Child's Fast Friends "

I didn't have an imaginary friend as a child, but have often imagined friends who weren't.

I didn't crash someone else's system yesterday. I have been setting up a couple of systems in the lab, a project that's taken many more days than I'd planned. (This is the same lab where I didn't spill coffee last week.) The computer systems in the lab are set on shelves in tall racks, perhaps 10 systems on each rack. I haven't spent a lot of time in computer labs during the past few years. Systems are much smaller and much more powerful. The systems look a lot alike, so it would be easy to mess up someone else's. I didn't, though, and finished the day with the setup that I wanted.

The house is busy this morning. Mike and his crew of workers arrived early, wearing their Christmas hats, to finish plastering the ceiling and replacing the mantel over our fireplace. Yesterday they replaced several doors. The room looks great. We'll set up dining tables in that room for our Christmas gathering.

Adam and Woody arrived safely at the Island last night. They stopped for dinner at a new restaurant in Cardigan. It's surprising that a town of 200 year-round people can support two restaurants, two gas stations, and a post office.

Adam and Woody left for the Island shortly after five o'clock. They should make it in 11 hours, plus or minus. There's a web cam that shows cars crossing the Confederation Bridge from New Brunswick to PEI. (The picture bounces somewhat because the camera is sitting high on light pole that sways a bit in the wind.) Once, when Sandra was on her way to see her folks, I caught sight of her on the bridge.

The classical station in Boston is starting to put more Christmas music into its rotation. They're playing a couple an hour now. By Christmas Eve, that's all they'll play. Some of pop stations have been playing all Christmas music since the weekend before Thanksgiving.

The Rockettes are playing in Boston this season. The local PBS station reviewer commented that the dancers performed to "bland arrangements of tunes unworthy of the elevator."

Job prospects are picking up. I've sent resumes to four places in the last few days. I'll have a phone interview today or tomorrow.

So Pedro is going to the Mets. Well, it's not surprising. He wanted the respect that a long-term contract would demonstrate. We'll miss him. He's been the best pitcher in town since Roger Clemens. Theo Epstein is a smart guy, however, and can put a good team on the field.

My mother received a tax bill from the Massachusetts Department of Revenue for a non-trivial amount of money. The bill was for her income during the year after she died.

From the old Beatles tune, Taxman:

Now my advice for those who die
Declare the pennies on your eyes

I'm hoping that a phone call to the DOR will clear this up. (He says, naïvely.)

We went to the camp yesterday to finish the winter preparations. During a recent windstorm, a large birch branch fell against the outhouse, but there was no real damage. Dunno how it managed to avoid hitting the power line coming into the camp.

Inside, the mice had been hard at work. Several things had been knocked off of the shelves. Somehow, they opened a metal container of pepperkaker and ate their fill. They haven't figured out how to open the breadbox yet. Ah, well. It's their woods, too. With this year's acorn shortage, I figure that the squirrels are eating the mice's food, causing the mice to be more aggressive in the hunt for theirs.

You will be comforted to know that at least one company that ships Finnish breads to the US conforms to the FDA's bioterrorism regulations. I am looking for a place that sells the heavy Finnish rye that we used to call reikaleipa. The places that we've found so far sell a lighter, Swedish-type rye.

The funeral service for my friend's mother was held at the local funeral home. Every seat was taken and several people were standing, a gathering of family, townspeople, co-workers, church members, and other friends. The stories of her positive energy were plentiful. She and her husband loved to travel. She carried a light bulb on her travels, observing that hotel rooms only had 40 watt bulbs, not bright enough for a game of Scrabble, which she also carried. After the service, we gathered at the church for lunch and a chance to talk.

Last night Sandra and I went out to dinner with her parents. After dinner we drove around to look at the Christmas lights. You know that the spirit of Jesus has descended up us when you see an 8-foot (245cm) Homer Simpson dressed as Santa Claus.

In the past three days I've received several leads for permanent jobs. The most of the leads came in notes from friends. With these leads comes the renewed questions about my on-going work. What kinds of work do I like and do well? How much time am I willing to give over to work? (It was quite a treat when I was no longer coming home so late that Marley would bark at me when I came in the door. Now he barely looks up because he's at Sandra's parents' apartment, waiting for leftovers.) Even though I have pondering to do, I'll send copies of my resume and cover letters today.

Adam and Woody are making a quick trip to PEI to take care of a few things before winter really locks up the place. They'll probably take Woody's new Blazer instead of this: http://www.bikeforest.com/cb/couchintro.html.