Merry Christmas Eve

Hi ho hi ho...off to Christmas celebrating we go!

Warp Speed

My how the time has been flying!  One second we are ringing in 2009 and now it is December 6th.  Time has truly flown by.  I blame it on work.  These days, it is a good problem to have, but none the less, this year more than others, has been a blur.

Some good news on Wezul's job front, he was placed on a "long-term" project.  That is good news for him.  Since leaving the Raleigh office to go back to his Cary office, his work load has not been steady.  He would basically have to ask for work every day or so.  I'm not sure how long this project will last, but he knows he has it for awhile.  This project will eventually lead to him working in C-ton again instead of having to drive into Cary.  :(  I am losing my commuter buddy.  :(  I was really hoping he would go back to the Raleigh office.  I really enjoyed our weekly lunch outing.  Things are definitely looking better for him, but we still have a few obstacles to overcome on his job front.  But at least they are nothing that we can't survive.

Thanksgiving was a treat.  The eldest looney from the M side of the family snuck into town to surprise the M parental unit.  It worked well...They were shocked.

We are just getting ready for the holidays and spending time with family and friends.  I am just hoping I can maintain some semblance of sanity over the next few months...until I can take a two week vacation sometime this winter...stay home...and catch up on all the stuff I have no time to do these days.

A little late ... But Chuckie's Arrival

We still haven't had a chance to finish Chuckie; however, he has made progress

and his first outing.  Unfortunately, we didn't get many pics of his first night out and about; however, he did get a lot of claps and ooos and aaaahhhs as he made his presence known.

SUCCESS!!!

Stats and Chuckie

I thought I would change the post up a little this time, and start with something just a tad bit different.  This lovely picture happens to be one of those moments in my life that I hope I don't live to regret.  Well...regret...is a strong word, since I believe it is a waste of time to regret anything in one's life.  That isn't to say I haven't made mistakes, we all do, look at my hubby, he asked me to marry him.  I am sure there are days he is going "Doh!".  Anyways, my "career" is at a crossroads.  I was converted to a permanent position over a year ago.  However, that came at a small price.  The powers that be want me to be a Database Admin and Decoding nut for our Science Center when our Database Queen decides to retire.  I am hoping this doesn't happen for another 30 years.  Apparently, I have a unique perspective when it comes to the data we collect and maintain.  I make sure it is right, and I have the ability to pick up software, and I know my way around a pc - all this according to the same powers that be.  The downside is, as all the computer geeks know, it isn't necessarily an easy job; however, it is a different kind of thinking than I am used to.  I am a scientist.  That is scary to write.  This requires a different kind of processing...one that intrigues me the most.  It is searching for an answer to a question that doesn't necessarily have an answer.  Over the past year, I have been struggling with this new role.  On one hand, it is flattering that they have this belief in me that at some point in the future they are willing to let me control this beast; however, on the other hand, I have to wonder, am I not a good enough scientist?  How much control do I truly have over my own destiny.  After a lot of soul searching, I made the decision why can't I have the best of both worlds.  I have decided to learn ArcGIS on my own, I am currently taking a QA/QC course in TX, and in May I will be taking a statistics course.  How will this help?!?  In my mind, these will give me the tools I will need to move into a more analytical role in water quality.  Right now, I collect the data and I figure out the logistics of getting the most representative data I can.  With these new and "refresher" courses, I can become the interpreter of the data...which I can do when they chain me to the desk and no longer allow me to go float on the boat.

I know...I am long winded tonight...but that is what you get when I am stuck in a hotel room by myself procrastinating because my head is hurting from all the statistics of my current course and the big class of stats in May...but without further adieu...CHUCKIE...

He is looking good...he has his drawer slides installed.  We still need to add another coat of stain to the top row of storages areas.  Otherwise, his top has been fitted.  :)  He is looking good!

Chuckie looks like a tailgating champ...he gets along well with
B-E-E-R!!  This is definitely a relationship that is all too important to the Wezul Equation of Tailgating...

Houston...Chuckie the Chuck Box is standing

After a week of being unable to work on Chuckie due to Wezul's sore back and not feeling well...we got some work on it Saturday.  That is right, Chuckie grew some legs on Saturday.

I got stuck with taking pictures, holding and lifting....no building...and I wasn't keen on the entire sanding that was occurring last night.  It was a lot more powerful than the one I am used too...it was more like a sand blaster...plus...it makes a bigger mess.

Now I am MIA due to work and Wezul is working on it himself.  :(  This doesn't make me too happy.  Wezul PROMISES me though he is staining and painting the box without me :( that I can help to make all the inside drawers.

Hopefully, I will get to have a little more fun in putting the finishing touches on Chuckie!