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Photograph of Robert Bruce Thompson Barbara Fritchman Thompson Diary

Week of 22 January 2007

Latest Update: Sunday, 28 January 2007 3:30 p.m.


Monday, 22 January 2007

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I did not finish the ceiling yesterday. When I finished up the second gallon of paint it was around 2:30. I still had at least two hours of painting left but had just about run out of gas. No sense in opening that new can and starting because I knew I would not be able to finish. Instead I called quits, took a shower and started watching the first of 15 episodes of Bleak House we recorded on Masterpiece Theater last year. There is no way I can show up for work on Monday being totally exhausted as physically demanding as it is. With Drew still on vacation I knew I would have deliveries today.

Bob took a nap while I was watching the first two hour episode which was not over by the time he got back up for dinner. He joined me in watching the remainder of that episode along with the next three hours worth by bedtime.

I almost finished the J.A. Jance at lunch today but ran out of time with about 30 or so pages left, just when it was getting really good.

We had almost an inch of rain by this morning but, thankfully, no frozen stuff. The temperatures today were to reach the mid-50's and sunny but I don't think it made it out of the 40's.

Gym on the way home. More Bleak House tonight. Last night we recorded a new version of Jane Eyre, part 1. Tonight the only TV show I watch on networks, Studio 60, returns with new episodes.

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Tuesday, 23 January 2007

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No update



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Wednesday, 24 January 2007

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Drew and I were off site at the warehouse today for a trial run with the new spreadsheet format for reviewing boxes and files for destruction. It worked like a charm. All told between the two of we went through approximately 250 boxes in seven hours. We only have 1000 more to go. With Steve on vacation the rest of the week Drew and I are back in the shop until next week. I picked Bob up after work for a quick trip to the library, dinner at the Chinese restaurant, and grocery store run.

We finished watching Bleak House last night. It was pretty good. I am now reading a D. R. Meredith mystery. Her character, Megan Clark works as a librarian in a small town in Texas and the member of a local mystery reading group. I read the first three books in the series a number of years ago. Then the author fell ill for several years before resuming writing again. Megan's friend Ryan, who plays Watson to her Holmes, stumble across the bones of what appears to be that of a young woman. While exhuming the bones Megan discovers the bones of another person beneath the first body. From the opening chapter in the book we know who both of the victims are. Megan and Ryan now set out to discover who they are and why they were buried in the same place.

The first three books in this series were okay. Meredith is not as good a writer as many others in the cozy genre but I like her character and her books. In this book she attempts to tie the history a local Indian tribe to the current day murder. She spends way too much on the history of the second corpse. This the second to most recent book in the series. I will finish this one, it is very short. Hopefully the most recent one went back to the style of the first three.

Stephanie just call to see if I wanted to walk. I told her I was too tired after a day on cement floors lifting 25 pound boxes. She wanted to walk anyway so she took Malcolm along. He can go the whole route and will enjoy the exercise. He has been very cranked up the last couple of days so perhaps this will help to tired him out.

Bob and I have new episodes of Veronica Mars to watch. I shall give Duncan some attention to make up for the fact he was not allowed to go.

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Thursday, 25 January 2007

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Drew and I hit the ground running at work this morning. Several fires needed to be put out by 9am. By 9:30 things were pretty much under control but remained hectic right up until lunch time.

The saga of my eye glass frames continues. Several days ago the screw holding the right lens in popped out while I was running on the treadmill at the gym. Fortunately the lens fell between my feet and went off the back end of the treadmill onto the carpet. Thus ended my workout. I grabbed my old glasses from my purse stashing the others in the case. Bob took the screw from the broken frames I kept for parts and put my good back together. This morning, again in the middle of a firestorm, the left lens screw popped out. I had to stop what I was doing, haul out my old glassed and use the other screw to repair the frames again.

Since the lens were installed in the other pair I have not been able to see very well. They are the same frame but a different color. The frame I had that broke we back ordered. I did not mind the gray instead of the brown so I told them I would keep those. But, I was back and forth to the eye glass place several times complaining of not being able to read at mid-range and up close. After this second screw popped out I called them at lunch to see if they would go ahead and order the brown ones. Turns out they never canceled the back order for my brown frames which had come in. I left work at 4 to go by and have them switch my lenses to the new pair. Sure enough, these work perfect, just like my olds ones.

They may be same frame but my just did not seem to line up right in the gray frame. With progressive bi-focal the lineup has to be perfect in both eyes. It will make for a long day tomorrow because I will have to work through lunch to make up for leaving early today. On the plus side I arrived at the gym half an hour earlier this evening which put me getting home a little earlier.

Cold is the word. The winds picked up this afternoon at 15 to 20 mph gusts. Tonight they are to go even higher with temperatures in the 20's.



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Friday, 26 January 2007

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Stephanie and I braved the cold temperatures and windy conditions to walk last night. It was actually not bad. We walked the dogs around the block before continuing on our own. I was wearing a short sleeve t-shirt and my L.L. Bean coat along with a fleece hat and a fairly heavy pair of sweat pants. It was breezy all the time but high winds came and went. I was plenty warm especially once we got going on our second half of the walk. Once we drop the dogs off we have a two block walk on the flat before we turn the corner up a very steep hill that goes a good half mile or more. Once we started climbing that I warmed up very quickly.

I am not sure I have talked about cooking on my new George Foreman Frances and Al gave us for Christmas. This is a new, improved, and extra large Foreman from the small white original one I have had since they first came out.

For one thing they have improved on the design. The juices from the old one ran down through a grove in the bottom plate making it hard to keep clean. In the new model the juices run straight off the bottom plate onto the tray. Also, the newer surface cleans better. The one I have also has a temperature control lever on the top. I have cooked steaks, chops, and burgers so far, all of which turned out great. While I still enjoy real grill cooking the Foreman makes much less mess than pan frying and is just as easy to clean up.

Thankfully it is Friday. It has been a long week capped off by a long day. Let's go relax and watch some more Veronica Mars.



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Saturday, 27 January 2007

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Bob got up with dogs around 8. I slept in until 8:30. With last weeks painting marathon I skipped the weekly house cleaning. First order of business this morning was vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning bathrooms. I also washed a couple of loads of laundry, my special stuff and the sheets.

Next up, bath day for the dogs. With the temperatures today to be near sixty and sunny I decided I better give them their winter bath. After lunch we took them for a walk down the street stopping to talk with Kim. I guess we were out there at least half an hour which gave the dogs time to almost get completely dry. I will have to brush them out this afternoon.

Other than some work at my desk I plan to relax the rest of the day. Rain, colder weather, and wind are in the forecast for tomorrow. I can get the last bit of that ceiling painted in the afternoon.



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Sunday, 28 January 2007

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The weather gods missed the forecast by a long shot for today. Oh well, I slept in even later this morning so I guess I needed the rest and sleep. When I got up at 9:15 the temperature was 54 degrees with sunny skies and no wind. It did not rain over night as predicted either. Dad and I could have played golf but, as I said, I needed the rest even more. I puttered around the kitchen until time to get dressed for a visit and lunch with mom and dad.

I started working on the ceiling around 1: 30 or so. I not only finished the big room but did the little hallway as well. It only took about an hour and a half.

Since noon the winds have picked up and the temperatures have dropped to the low 40's. It was very warm last night. Since I spend all afternoon relaxing Stephanie and I walked last night. Bob and I watched several more episodes of Veronica before I went to bed to finish reading the D. R. Meredith. I will let you know tomorrow what I picked up next. I think I'll go out and watch some of the golf tournament.


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