Thanksgiving II

This past weekend was the American Thanksgiving. Most people around here think it's funny when I refer to "American Thanksgiving", but when there are two different Thanksgivings, one needs to be specific.

At my workplace, we are given both the Thursday and Friday off, so I had 4 days off in a row, which was really nice. Shannon flew in to spend just under a week with us, which was also really nice. It's become a bit of a tradition for us to go "over-the-border" shopping on the long weekend (longer for Shannon than for myself), which typically means Buffalo and Niagara Falls. Lucky for me, Shannon thought it would be good to come all the way to Denver this time. Needless to say, there was much turning over of credit cards and green money, but it was (as far as I can tell) all worth it.

On Thursday, since there were a few families in our life group (from Cornerstone) who weren't travelling out of the area for the holiday, we decided to pool our resources and have a potluck Thanksgiving dinner. I have to say, the American Thanksgiving was much tastier than the Canadian version a month and a half ago, at least for myself and Kai.

Shannon left yesterday morning. Kai misses her. When Keith picked me up from the park and ride last night after work, Kai said he wanted to pick up Shannon, too... And he keeps asking where she is, and where her luggage is... and where she is...

Actual first snow

Last night it finally snowed at our house. There wasn't much - and it's mostly gone from home now, but there is some up here at work. I'm looking out my office window right now, and I've got the most incredible view of a pink and dark blue sky, a bright near-full moon, and dusk falling over the city. I'm going to miss this view when I have to move to the new lab.

I just spent over an hour looking for a piece of my inlet that I swear must have vaporized. I was cleaning the inlet, which means that the entire thing is in pieces - not including o-rings and screws there are about 15 separate pieces. (Including them, it would be closer to 125 pieces.) One of those pieces is a short Teflon tube with tiny holes in a circle around it, and it's GONE. I can't find it anywhere... I checked the garbage, the drains, and I've been crawling around on my lab floor (ick) looking under everything. I've even started looking in places where it certainly couldn't be. Very frustrating. I'm guessing we're going to have to have a new one made.

Rant

I just wanted to take a minute to talk about one of my biggest pet peeves: people who try to give up their right of way. They may THINK they're being really friendly, but most of the time giving up your right of way results in momentary chaos from which no one benefits. Over the last month, I've had (well-meaning?) people try to give me their rights of way to me as a driver, a cyclist and a pedestrian. How often did it work well? Never.

People have worked very hard to establish rules and rights of ways for our roads. When someone decides that they will be nice, and give the *other* person the right of way, what typically happens is a form of a stand-off: You go - no, you go - No really, you have right of way, you're supposed to go - No, I insist - Really? - Yes. I insist - Oh, well. if you insist, then... - Well, if you're not going to go I'll just go... - Okay I'll go... hey! I thought you were letting me go! - Well you didn't go - Well you didn't wait long enough, I had to make sure - But you took too long - But I was about to....

and so on. CHAOS.

Meanwhile, someone who had right of way and took it properly is already halfway to wherever they are going.

That's all. I'll get off my soapbox now.

my other brothers birthday

today is my brother tylers birthday, he is 32. unlike christians birthday i don't remember when tyler was born, we are too close in age for me to remember that far back in time.

one thing i do remember from those very early years is running through gramma o'sullivans house like a couple of little rips. i remember playing in the yard, in the snow and once we even had a sand eating contest in the backyard.

i don't think you could find better little brothers than the ones that have blessed my life.

and so on this day wherever you are, raise a glass to my first little brother and let him know that he is loved.