Would you buy a used document from this man?

It's common to have reorganizations at the start of a new fiscal year, a chance fix what isn't working or so fine-tune things that are working pretty well. For us, it was the latter. We learned that our group has moved out of engineering and now reports into the sales organization. (Technically, it's part of professional services, which is part of sales.) Overall, I think that it will be a good move, giving us more flexibility in dealing directly with the issues that a particular customer is facing. It's also a bit disorienting. This is the first time in my high-tech career that I have not worked in an engineering organization.

In the short term, nothing changes. I have another trip coming up. In the words of David Bromberg, "Another cup of sour coffee, one more piece of cardboard pie."

I took yesterday afternoon off so that we could tend to some business at our lawyer's. Afterwards, we visited with my father. He was in a somber mood. One of his hearing aids had to be sent to the factory, so he wasn't able to hear the conversation well. A good friend of his, and the only friend his age, is in hospice care and won't last long. Living a long time is good, but it comes with the risk that you may outlive all of your friends.

Sandra and I drove in to the camp at dusk. There was some ice on the hill, but one of the four wheels always managed to find purchase and keep us moving. We let Marley out and he ran beside, in back, and in front of us the rest of the way. The lake is solidly frozen, but there were puddles on top of the ice. There were lights on at two camps across the cove. We were tempted to walk over and visit, but it was getting late.

Studies show again that cell phone use doesn't cause brain damage, but I'm not sure about the reverse. This looks like a torture device for your cell phone, but it's worse. It lets you convert images and sound on your phone into presentations. Not only are you in sales, but you're an übergeek to boot.

Next month is Marley's 10th birthday. Maybe he'd like one of these.