Having a difficult time staying connected today. Still feel like I haven't slept enough, and I'm not sure why that is. Working hard to stay with a limb, and connected to the work at hand. Lot's of heroic work going in in my soon-to-be-former team.

Some fun last night: my wife was cleaning her desk at work and found some old pictures of when we were all young, thin and beautiful. A reasonably good picture I took of myself in B&W in my old apartment. Some very good memories. We called a few friends to share the discovery and talked with them for a while. Left a series of odd phone messages on another friend's machine. Let's see if she or her husband can figure out who it was.

Going with the flow this morning. Have to adjust my transition, as the new person will not be available for another 10 days, in order to cover another person who fell and broke her jaw. Oh well, such is life.

QuickFix for lunch and then back to work. Thinking about writing some things down, just to see what's possible, and perhaps stimulate more writing. Concepts and frameworks are there, but not the details.

I'm noticing a certain lightness today I haven't had in a while. Part of this probably stems from the notion that after this week, I won't have to be on call again for the foreseeable future. Even with the inevitable weight of budgets and personnel issues, this somehow makes the future look a little brighter.

OK, not a good way to end my time on call. Not one, but three separate servers had hardware failures. One of these holds a broadcast news application for on of the divisions, and one ofthe PP&C people couldn't understand why he was timing out and not getting the broadcast he was sending, and so he sent it again. 13 times. Naturally, I get the calls. Again, such is the life of an IT guy.

A good lump of planning done for my July trip to Pittsburgh. Still need to decide if I should come in for a couple days the previous week to meet with the new teams. I also need to shift my vacation around to accomodate this.

Long day, with many meetings, did everything possible to stay engaged, but there were moments where I was completely lost.

Volleyball after work - the first real activity I've had in months (besides digging holes). Only stayed for the first match (which we barely won) before heading out to Toad's Place to see RF performing Soundscapes. Got into New Haven in a reasonable mount of time and found parking not too far from the venue (parking in that area of NH is always an adventure). Again, reminding myself that I had ample time was helpful. Once the doors to the venue opened, got in and scoped the place out. Saw TR and VM and said hello. Realized afterwards that I had probably spent a little too much time and some of their energy, as they were working the Four Corners. Sat down with a Glenlivet and sent my apologies to both of them and goodwill to the room.

The performance was very good. I was more present to the first half of the show, but the second half spoke to me more than the first. Twice, I head the next note coming in the performance, and was very surprised. The first half of the show was clouded for me by a gentleman one row up and two seats over from me. He was well in his cups (he and his friend had at least 4 beers each by the time the show was underway. He spent most of the first set talking to his buddy and generally sucking the air out of the room. I spent the first set sending him good wishes. He confirmed his absence when, during the Q&A, he offered this burning-if-I-don't-get-the-answer-I'll-die question: "Do you use a GK pickup?". Fortunately for the second set, he and his buddy moved. Perhaps that's part of the reason the second set worked better for me. Of course they were replaced with two guys at the bar talking way too loudly for the space.

On the way out, I spotted NancyV along with MarcB and his wife, DevR and a friend. I haven't seen Nancy in a while, and it was good to catch up. She's back in CT, at least for a while, so I'll be sure to have MarkB add her to the NYGC mailing list. Went to Mamoun's for after-show falafel and and stuff. Good catching up with everyone. Wrote out a promise for Nancy to sign on a napkin, that she would take her guitar out of the case this week and tune the A string. Small steps...

Just bought a ticket to the Soundscapes show at Toad's. Looking forward to hearing these live again. It's been a few years.

Successful migration, with no real issues. I was slightly more present to the process this time, which helped immensely. Dinner out on the deck tonight, enjoying the time with my wife.

Looked over the bullettin board for the YGP and a few other things before bed. Watched the HVFG DVD that Alan did. We're making steps, slowly getting more comfortable with performance. I cringed in a few spots, but I think some of the larger issues we had to start with were related to not having monitors, so we would end up dragging tempos as we heard the backslap echo fro the venue. I'd classify the performance as honorable, even good in spots. The circulations still surprise me, in a good way. It is difficult for me to watch the performance dispassionately.

Leave at noon to go to the YGP meeting. A good time, and a fun meeting at that. Dinner was good, though it induced a serious coma in all of us. A quick run-through of the pieces we opted for and off to the open-mic.

The Peekskill Coffee House is a nice little place. The architecture of the late industrial age, high tin ceilings, wood flooring patched with coffee cans, stonework on the outside. It seems to be surviving in a relatively slack town economically. Good vibe in the venue, and good eats. I had a nice little hexagonal cake and a mate, which banished the coma. We went on third, after the host (good gravelly voice - did a good cover of I Am The Walrus - an "old Beatles tune", as if there have been any new ones, a Springteen tune and an original) and another YoungDude who did some Dave Matthews and an original tune, as well as a creepy little poem that I liked, but may not have been suited for the 9-year-old at the table next to us. YoungDude steadfastly refused to look at the audience, choosing instead to look somewhere 10 feet up the back wall. Not a judgement, mind you, just an observation.

There was a PA, but we couldn't use it, as nobody had brought cables. We got on with it, and did well. Some joy and enthusiasm in the performaers and the audience. We played perhaps one song too many for the night, but it was well received. Some nice comments, and one made to me about the Iron Rail, perhaps a Crafty reference, but I couldn't tell from the speaker (though he did have that earnest, bespectacled look about him). Home from there, after dropping Tim off at the train station (a good conversation about Sci-Fi on the way).

Left early for the airport so I could change and pick up lunch before I left, rather than eat airport food. Unfortunately, the place I had in my mind was not open until 4, so I was relegated to whatever was in the Pittsburgh Airmall. Made it to the airport early, which was good, as there were some pretty long lines for entry. I had only a half-an-hour once I got in (ample time), so I had McDonald's, which was the least evil I could do. talked during lunch with one of the TSA employees who was eating before going home. A good conversation, with some universal truths, one of which was that, all things being equal, what you project is what you recive with people. So, If you are angry or nasty to someone, that's pretty much what you'll get back. But if you are confronted with an angry or unhappy person, you can often defuse it by projecting goodwill.

Delayed coming through Philadelphia, as the plane was in the hangar getting some parts replaced. I have to say, that in my relatively short time traveling by air, Philadelphia is easily the most disgusting airport I have ever been in. that said, I still got to engage in one of my favorite pasttimes: watching people. Some entertaining characters in airports. Also got to finish the second of six novels in a series (Peter Hamilton's Reality Dysfunction. Good stuff.

Home almost 90 minutes late, but at least I'm home.

Good lunch with the other half of the team, learning about them, what they like, families, things like that. For me, some of the softer things which will help me guide how I work with them, and see what they value. All family men, two with all daughters (I don't envy them). One a train enthusiast (steam where possible, diesel if that's all there is), one that went recently to Disney with a large part of his extended family. Sharing my guitar work with them, family status. Getting a feel for work and what is coming. All good foundation work for when I can get fully in the swing of the teams. This group has a technology that I can get a feel for, the other is a bit more abstract to me, and will take some extra work.

Good talk with Mike. I've got a rough road ahead with the teams on certain levels, but the work will be valuable. I will be able to set a clear date for me to be completely divested of my work in the other team. Not to say I won't still be called on from time-to-time, but still, some closure there. Still attempting to complete some work tonight so that I won't be too strapped before I leave for the airport tomorrow. Next is food, and then bed.

Out late from work. Went to a retirement party for someone on the team, then back into work to finish some things. Good conversation with the folks there, hearing more about the team building evercises of the day for the UNIX team. Interesting stuff. Got back into work Called a friend I hadn't spoken to in almost a year. I've been meaning to call her for a while, and some e-mail exchanges led me to it. Her father had a stroke, and is fighting the frustration of not being 100% back to normal after 6 months. He's fighting depression amongst other things. My father gave in after a series of strokes, just couldn't handle it apparently. I think her father will be able handle it; he has more family around him than mine did.

Met up with one of the other team leads and his folks after their team building exercise. It was a low COPE course type of an event, and you could tell it clearly had the intended effect on them. Skipped eating dinner with them and retired early. I'm almost recovered, and one night ought to do it.

A run out to Home Despot to claim a last few bits for the raised bed and the pot out front that will replace the million year old half-barrel that doesn't drain properly any longer. Then to the maul to get my replacement contact lenses. Back to the house and finish the bed, put in the air conditioner in the bedroom, then in to a shower and pack for the trip to Pittsburgh. I felt flustered before I left, as I checked my flight information, and I was leaving an hour earlier than I thought. A pause, and telling myself I had ample time to do what was necessary before leaving. I ended up being ready 30 minutes early.

Hot, hot, hot outside. Made it to the hotel around 9:45, just missing oportunities for dinner. Good thing I had the sandwich with the grey roast beef in Philadelphia. Guitar case took a beating on the way in.

Great day. Hottest I can remember at Special O, but still a blast. Some new people, new athletes (the numbers have been shrinking over the years) and a lot of fun with the folks from UTRC. Home and on the PC for a while until it cooled off. Some work out in the yard later, mowing, watering, planting. Too much with todays heat, but still, necessary things completed.

The joy of new tools! I agreed to purchase the thicknessing planer and a second router for my woodworking ventures. The planer will help with my cabinet/door making plans and the second router is a bit lighter weight than the one I have fixed to the router table, and also has a plunge base. All good adds. The planer had a stand that wouldn't fit in the car, so I spent part of lunch dissassembling it and getting it into the car.

Listening to just about everything I have burned to my PC, in no particular order. Really fun listening to the mix.

The end of the work day was very odd. I got a call from a client to reverse an adjustment I had made to the access of a database. I made the change accordig to our standards, but he wanted it exactly as it was prior. I still don't undestand it, but I had one of my more vehement, angry reactions to this person. Some of it was the way he he spoke to me, some of it was my internal reaction, like "how dare you tell me how to do my job". It took a huge, and I mean HUGE, effort to keep from making a mistake and losing my self. I was shaking after the call, heart pounding, that's the amount of effort required.

I have this long-harbored suspicion that we all still have this animal sense in us that used to protect us, and caused us to react to threats. I just have this sense that some part of me reacts to a particular part of someone else. It's that sense that you immediately don't like or trust someone - that gut feel that someone is just not right. Like the dog in the movies that always seems to bark at the bad guy, it just knows. This was the strongest reaction I've had in nearly eight years, and was just over the phone! I can only imagine my reaction to this person face-to-face. Perhaps I'm just too far outside of his Monkeysphere. What was really odd was how strong this reaction was - I felt like my head would explode.

The rest of the day was pleasant, if a bit warm, after clearing up the application issues. I ended up going to meet my wife at the Tolland Agricultural Center for the Master Gardener's plant sale. Got to meet a woman in recovery from cancer surgery that I've only ever talked to on the phone. She thinks I should get a 900 number so she can call, and I can get paid for it. That makes me laugh. Saw another couple of friends of ours there, and got a great idea for my tomato bed from one. She's pertty ingenious, and I'm more than happy to borrow her ideas.

Cooked dinner on the grill tonight for my wife and a friend, K-, while they planed some things - flower boxes and the like. K- brought over a spinach/walnut salad with a really good avocado based dressing. Nice to just sit.

Evening spent upgrading a server. Lots happening with this server, so I need to be attentive. Pretty quick to do the upgrade, but the post-processes take a considerable amount of time. I should still be done by midnight, though.