The End of April

I'm just back from a four-day, three-night tradeshow trip to San Jose. It's been a busy and productive week for the Typhoon. It's a good time to do a recap of the week:

1. M has been a primary focus this week, as she finishes up preparations for the SOBT Annual School Performance. Wednesday and Thursday were technical rehearsals on the Newark Theater stage; today is dress rehearsal mid-day, followed by a standby role for tonight's performance. Then, her scheduled performance on Saturday afternoon. She attended school in the morning only on Wednesday and Thursday, not at all today.

2. R stepped up during my absence to be a bigger help. He took the 'man of the house' role seriously and was a great assistant to his mom. After a quick false start, that is. We all false start from time to time so that's nothing really. Well done, young man!

3. C has not only managed a very busy schedule on her own, but she also had the house clean and orderly when I got home from my trip. I fully expected that things would be a little disarrayed, just because the schedule has been SOOO over-packed this week. It was an unexpected pleasure for me to come home to a clean and orderly house; it is a triumph for C, who ran such a well-oiled team in my absence; it is a tip of the hat in thanks to two children who pitched in to make the whole thing work so well.

4. N's business trip was extremely productive, and chock-full of time well spent on work and industry issues. Industry Roundtable MC duties; a video panel interview; Guest Editor spot for PCB007; show floor duties; meetings/meals with press representatives; customer/testimonial meetings; strategic planning & whiteboarding with fellow collaborators in other companies... It was a busy, busy time. I got just a little sliver of personal time on Monday night. Otherwise, I pulled about nine hours total out of the following three days for sleep and down-time.

5. Our friends in SE, on Stark Street, who were expecting their baby any day? Yeah. A healthy little baby girl. Perfect.

The boys get to do a boy scout campout this weekend, in addition to all the other stuff. We'll only be a few miles south of home, in Champoeg, so its convenient. We can camp, AND get back in to town to see Meredith's show.

Grandma G, Grandma MA, a couple family friends, and the whole nuclear family will be on hand to watch M's performance. Photos will be taken. Some will undoubtedly be posted to the blog.