The News Keeps Rolling In

Sarah had successful surgery, yesterday... which was a day after originally scheduled. Get this: the hospital put her under anesthesia without making sure she'd signed the consent form. Because she was out and drugged, she couldn't sign the form afterwards, either. So we went back for round two, yesterday, and finally had everything go smoothly. After feeling a bit weak and watching movies yesterday, she seemed in a great mood by this morning.

I've just never heard of anything like that happening.

I got into a small fender-bender on my way over to see Sarah and bring her things from the store, yesterday. The roads were pretty bad and it was snowing pretty hard - not good snowball precipitation, though, as we found out later. With all of that going on, yesterday ended up being pretty relaxing and fun. Sarah's cousins are great company and are really welcoming and fun.

And now I'm making up some hours at work. Oh joy of joys.

Fly Eagles Fly

Just watched the Eagles win their NFC Divisional Playoff game quite decisively. They look good going into their fourth consecutive conference championship game. I pause to think so, but I think this may be the year there is a Superbowl in the team's future. If only!

Celebrated Anne-Marie's (Sarah's cousin) with a chunk of Sarah's family, last night. It was lots of fun to have a delicious dinner and spend some time with them. The Pattersons just really are fun to be with and I love how much they make Sarah smile and feel better... always.

I'm pretty much recovered from this week's earlier news and ready to move on.

Hmm

That sounds about right. Though I was thinking maybe higher.

Tough

Got some news yesterday. That whole blurby block from a couple days ago that I said I'd decipher for you? There won't be any deciphering. But we're doing okay.

New Apple Stuff

Apple introduced the iPod Shuffle, iMac Mini, a new version of iLife and a new suite called iWork at the MacWorld San Francisco conference, yesterday.

Droooooool.

Lots of News

There is a lot of news to tell you. Sorry I haven't kept this up that much recently. I feel inspired to do a better job lately, so here goes...

The fall semester ended well. I came out with grades about where I expected and only one course really dragged me down. I anticipated that happening, too, so it's no big deal. I continue to have my better academic college years in the second half of this sherade, which seems counter to what I had expected. One more semester left and I'm trying to make the next one the time I finally put together that 4.0. There's no course I'm taking "just for fun" that can end up sucking. I signed up for everything out of necessity or personal desire. They all are supposed to be interesting and even a bit of fun. Spring looks positive.

I'm back to working for Graver Technologies, where I worked this past summer. I'll be working full-time throughout January and the first week of February. It's been fun to get back into working, though the pressure has been high this week. One of the software systems I developed over the summer for them debuts this month and it hit some snags. I'd been rushed to finish it all because of another project, so there's understanding, but that doesn't change the high demands associated with it all right now. It looks good and is holding up for the most part.

It looks as if I will be working for Bentley Systems come June. Bentley produces industrial-level CAD and project management software and it looks as if I'm being hired to their web division. The finalities of the job offer are being straightened out this week. I'm very excited about going to work for them and in a few different ways I'm excited about breaking from the student lifestyle. I'll still keep in some applications to grad school, but will likely take a term off and then think about beginning in the spring of 2006 part-time. Bentley is located in Exton, PA, so I have to spend a lot of time during this upcoming spring term figuring out my own relocation.

My holiday break was very hectic... to say the least. My plans changed when Sarah's mom passed away a few days before Christmas. I was with Sarah when we got the news and I stayed in Delaware for the first week when there was very much to arrange and put together. It did not taint our entire Christmas, but certainly put a damper on things. Sarah is doing very well and is proving over and over again that she is the strongest person I know. I wish there was more I could do for her, but she claims that just being with her has been wonderful. Hopefully I can find ways to help her more very soon.

For news that's much happier, you can decipher this code. I will decipher it for you when I am ready:

xx9CGHHJGALLJ07979ASNKHAD87SA6YUISH87Y68HBHJBHJ
HFA87SAF687Y23JKHH3G876876SAFDSAHUIH298768762HJK
SFDSGHF868698279709UFASDF4556464894489000110AF987
AGUSTFS6876879SFHHKHFA6YIPOYPRPQWRUWYTWQBJVA
HAGHF8S76582939870080A8Fexcited879863220NJSY7866SH3
FJGHKLIA6861JKHAFNBBA8707FAJJ9AF7698YHNNASI66S72

(Encrypted using brainTyper technology, whereby I think what I'm actually saying and just mash some keys, then arrange it all in a pretty box.)

That's all I can think of for now. Talk to you again, soon!