I got moving a little early today so I could talk to Scott, my boss, before my regularly scheduled start of business hours. We’ve been trying to discuss open tickets for some time now but something always comes up. Today was no different and all it did was push back the time I was out of the shower and dressed.

This morning was a little hectic with a number of phone calls and new support issues coming up while I was trying to get up to date on existing projects. I planned to meet with Scott and Brian (Gibson, from whom we bought this house) around 11:00, but I was on the phone so much I didn’t end up leaving the house until a few minutes after that. It was only after I got to Bear Rock Cafe and didn’t see them that I found out they were actually at the Port City Java that Scott used to go to more often.

Fortunately, that was only a mile or two away, but unfortunately I kept running into obstacles getting there. The first was someone with a bumper sticker proclaiming them as a grandparent who was creeping along in the parking lot in front of me and was never sure where they wanted to turn, or how slowly they wanted to commit to turning when they did. After finally getting around that I discovered that the parking lot exit to Independance was blocked off due to construction or road work or something of the such, so I had to go all the way around to the other side of the mall and make a not-so-legal U-ey and go through the neighborhood behind the Independence Mall. (The other option was to make a left onto Oleander then a left onto Independence, which I didn’t think was a good idea so close to lunchtime.)

In the neighborhood I fell in behind a van with yet another bumper sticker decrying grandparental status. This one was the proud grandparent of, I believe, a West Virginia University grad. They crept through the neighborhood then crept up to the stoplight which, had they not crept so, I would have caught on a green turn. As it was I had to wait through a light cycle, of course.

I met with Scott and Brian for a bit, the biggest thing accomplished being a discussion with Brian on how best to communicate with several of his design resources. After a bit I left the two of them to discuss other things and met Amanda for lunch at Rolly Poly. She was going to eat without me, but my meeting took much less time than I’d figured it would. While we were ordering Amanda noticed a new girl from the office (whose name eludes me at the moment) so she ate with us then I headed back on home.

It should be noted that on top of everything else Amanda’s going through with work, taking on an extra load and whatnot, the internet was down for them today, so that didn’t help her much.

Back at home, I let Bruce inside (he didn’t come in when I left and I didn’t have the time to chase him down and make him come in) and got to work with a couple more support issues. I think I caught up a little today, or at least I took some steps in consolidating everything I need to do. I think I left things off with a good foot for starting tomorrow.

Amanda got home and did read through this week’s Bible study chapter while I went to do my relaxation. I don’t think she fully understands how difficult it is to relax the way I’m trying to, which of course sounds anathema to the intended goal. Maybe I’ll have her try it with me sometime. Today, since she was in the office with the study book, I did it on the bed. It was a little more difficult this evening, but once again I happened to open my eyes exactly fifteen minutes after starting, which was my intended timeline.

We got dinner from Zaxby’s, which I haven’t done since a road trip in South Carolina while working the sales job I had. The chicken fingers were as good as I remembered. We ate them outside the coffee shop we were meeting the group at, although the coffee shop itself was closed. Ben and Jessica Lambeth were already there and had ordered from the Chinese place, so we all ate together outside. Rob Peterson and Kristen Barriner showed up shortly after and had Chinese as well. Not sure what happened to Paul and Kim Ayars, but they never showed or answered their phones and we left them a message.

Since Market Street was noisy and there wasn’t really any room for us to sit together comfortably in the place we were, we all headed just down the road to the Carvel ice cream place for discussion and dessert. I think the night went pretty well. The chapter was about friendship and we had some pretty open talks about relationships in our lives. I think since we all decided to rededicate ourselves to making these small group meetings worth something they’ve definitely gotten better.

Amanda and I watched the last new episode of CSI on the DVR (which oddly was on after the season finale, or at least that’s how it was ordered on our DVR menu). She went to bed and I did this. I worked last night on getting some pictures done from Jon and Denise Green’s wedding, and that’s what I intend to do presently.

In the news, an Indonesian earthquake killed thousands and left tend of thousands homeless on Saturday. My prayers go out to all those affected.

There was also mention today of a three armed Chinese baby. A baby was born in China with three arms; one right and two left. Apparently the two left ones don’t work properly, but I say that if neither one will work right whether you remove one or not, keep the extra one. When I was buying ice cream for me and Amanda today, was wishing I had an extra arm to get the money.

A former Marine cook was chased by three or four people who were attempting to rob him today (I think in Atlanta). He ran, they gave chase and cornered him. They had a shotgun and I think a knife, he had a pocket knife. He ended up killing one (a seventeen-year-old girl) and seriously injuring another while armed with a pocket knife. I think he came away with a bruised chest and a cut finger or thumb (from his own knife, I heard). Surprisingly (I say that because of how ridiculous the law can be these days), no legal action is being pursued against him for killing and injuring his attackers, and to that I say good!