Nov. 19:

[Ansku reads the paragraph that starts with 'The Box']

I guess the last 'dating related' thing I did was the speed dating thing a couple of weeks ago... since then... nothing. Now that it's no longer a 'dating blog', I can REALLY ramble (since no one's reading anyway... heh heh).

Life got even stranger this week. First, there was the dictate (at work) that we do everything possible, and necessary to kill ourselves to make a ship date. For those of you familiar with agile software development, that goes against the whole principle - you're supposed to commit to what you can produce in a short time frame, and deploy workable software. BUT... In this case, it's more like 'waterfall' where we come up with a plan, and a ship date, and throw everything-but-the-kitchen-sink at the project until we drag our exhausted carcasses to the finish line, get a 'free day off' as special payment, and numbly stagger onward toward the next project. THAT'S what we've been asked to do.

So plans to take a week off in December, and visit relatives in the deep south are right out the window. Now instead of only losing 50 hours of vacation time at the end of the year, I'll lose over 80 hours. joy. Fortunately (?) I can carry 40 hours of paid-time-off into the next year. yay.

Today was even stranger... I left the employ of Amazon.com over 18 months ago... and I still don't understand exactly why... in any case... I got a phone call out of the blue today on my trusty cell phone - the number has been my only number since the mid 1990's, so many people have it - from an employee I hired at Amazon. She let me know that I had a box of 'stuff' that got left at Amazon, and that I should arrange to pick it up. She had no idea I now work 3 blocks away from Amazon, but I explained things, and arranged to meet her at lunch and pick it up.

The Box... it included many magazines, and science fiction collectibles - like a theatrical 'program' from the Battlestar Galactica Movie (1978), and all the Star Trek Poster Magazines from the same time period. There was also a smaller box within that contained old photographs dating from the early 1980's through to 1992 or so. These were VERY interesting to see again, as I thought they were all LOST long ago. Among the pictures were a set of photos sent to me from a very dear friend from Finland - while we were dating once upon a time... Those photos were of her family, their summer cottage on a lake, her brother holding up a large pike, her mother's mother... her... father's mother... wow... I realize that with the health, and stamina of the Finns that the grandmother's are possibly still living, but if they're NOT... these pictures could be precious keepsakes. And here they are in a 'found box'... left at 705 Fifth Ave S... over a year and a half ago.

But... how to locate her. Hmmmm... I tried for years to locate her, but with no success. And I'm not sure I really want to make contact again after all these years... with all that's gone on... marriage... PowerPoint... riches... losses... divorce... starting over... etc.

It makes me want to take a long sauna.... now THAT sounds like a great way to spend an evening!