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Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary Week of 15 March 2004 Latest Update: Sunday, 21 March 2004 11:08 |
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Monday, 15 March 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| This are in full swing here at the Thompson Techno Grotto.
Bob is on book deadline, I have three consulting projects going plus my
full time job at the firm, the dogs need attention, the housework, the
yard work, etc, etc. We are going to be setting a torrid pace over the
next couple of months for sure. Things are just about as hectic at work as
they are at home.
I got home today at 3:30, changed clothes, and immediately headed for the kitchen to do hand hold shots for Bob. Between helping him I checked my e-mail and did a quick search using his PC on my project. We did book pictures while I fixed dinner up until we sat down to eat. After quickly walking the dogs I headed off to the gym for Body Pump. Back home, we are in the middle of more hand pictures while I get this post up, do a final mail check, and then will play some ball with the dogs. Speaking of dogs, I read the next-to-the-latest Susan Conant dog mystery, The Dogfather. Holly Winter, full time freelance writer for several dog magazines and part time show dog/trainer, finds herself dog trainer for Mobster Enzio's Elkhound puppy. In the meantime her former boyfriend/vet, who married in haste to another woman after giving up on Holly, is now getting divorced. Holly and Steve are trying to get back together through the training of his new puppy, an offspring of her Malamute and a champion female that belongs to her best friend. Holly finds herself mixed up in the murder of one of Enzio's men and keeps getting caught in embarrassing situations when his Mob guys follow her to a local dog show. Conant's recent books are not as good as her earlier ones. Her humor is lacking and her plots are getting more and more contrived. It was good weekend, two-day reading but definitely not up to her usual standards. Her new book is just coming out, which I will try. Maybe she is back to her old form. Cool temperatures and rain this morning then it warmed up, followed by more rain tonight and tomorrow. [Top] |
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Tuesday, 16 March 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| More of the same. I did take time out this afternoon as
soon as I got home to play with the dogs. We went down to Mimi's and let
Emma get some play time in with my guys for maybe twenty minutes or so.
Mimi and I visited and I held Shane for a little while.
Between dinner and leaving for the gym Bob shot some the last few pictures, hopefully, that he will need for this system. I am reading number nine in the Janet Evanovich, Stephanie Plum series. I am finishing up getting caught up just in time for ten, which is due out soon. Think I will call it a day. We worked last night until 9.
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Wednesday, 17 March 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| No update
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Thursday, 18 March 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
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Yep, you guessed it. Ran out of time yesterday. As soon as I got home I started working until time for us to leave for the library, dinner, and our FAS meeting. By the time we got home, paid some attention to the dogs and walked them again, it was time for bed. I did manage to get in about an hour of reading before lights out. Things are hectic at work. I am so glad tomorrow is Friday. Bob finished building his second machine yesterday and shipped off his chapter today. When I got home this afternoon he took me in his office to have a "listen". He powered it up and it sounded like a damn airplane was landing in the room. Not surprising considering the large fan in that sucker. It is the new server, so I guess he will try to quiet it down before he puts it in his office. [Top] |
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Friday, 19 March 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| No update.
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Saturday, 20 March 2004 [Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| No update.
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[Last Week] [Monday] [Tuesday] [Wednesday] [Thursday] [Friday] [Saturday] [Sunday] [Next Week] |
| Back from a little short R & R trip up to the Fancy Gap
Lodge. We had almost perfect conditions Friday night for viewing the
skies. After eating our shared dinner, everyone brings something to
contribute, we dressed for a good night of being out under the stars.
Steve Childers and his 15 year old son Sean, did a repeat of last years Messier Marathon. A very remarkable feat for a teenager to stay up and attempt to observe 110 objects from dusk to dawn with no sleep and very few breaks. They ended up getting 109 but they both have seen the one object they did not get on a previous occasion. I did my seven object marathon. I only needed seven Messier objects to complete my 110. With Bob's help navigating the charts and skies, I worked from 8pm to 1 am getting my list completed with only one short break. Bob and I did get a chance to bag a couple of objects from our binocular deep sky list. Paul and Bonnie were also up. Bonnie got several new objects and Paul worked on things he wanted to see. Bonnie went to bed first at 2am. Paul, Bob, and I followed at 3am. I sort of slept off and on until I heard Steve come in at dawn to let us know how they did. Paul, Bonnie, Bob and I were all up by 8:15 eating breakfast, tiding up the place, and then sitting around rehashing the previous nights successful observing session. Bonnie left to home around 11 and Paul's wife Mary arrived about 1. We basically spent the day sitting around reading and watching NCAA basketball games. Wake Forest, who owns the lodge we use and where Paul and Steve teach were playing. Also, Duke, where Paul and Mary attended post graduate school were playing as was some other teams they were interested in watching. It was kind of fun to just sit around and talk and watch the games. Very relaxing. Everyone basically fixed their own food when they got hungry. I went to after the last game, UNC and Texas about 10:50. Steve and Sean arose around 1pm and came back to Winston in the afternoon. This morning we packed up, cleaned, and headed back home. It only takes an hour. After getting the car unloaded and giving the dogs some attention I down loaded my mail. Bob and I were very saddened to learn while we were away our good friends the Bilbrey's had to have their beloved Sally put to sleep. I know their pain. As soon as I read the e-mails I gave them a call then shed a few tears for Sally in her memory but, like Kerry, I know she is in a better place.
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