Author: Kevin Lawver

So, I guess you’ve noticed that I haven’t updated in a while. I had last week off, and just didn’t feel like touching the computer for anything more than checking my mail for emergencies. Here’s an update of what’s been going on:

• Monday and Tuesday: Sick. I’m still trying to kick my fantastic sinus infection.
• Wednesday, 11/23: Jen, Mom, Steve and I took Max to see Monsters, Inc.. It was his first movie theater experience and Jen wanted to do it right. We got him a hot dog, popcorn and he shared our sodas. I was nervous about the whole thing, bringing a wild two-year-old into a dark theater just sounded like trouble to me. Boy, was I wrong! Max ate it up! He got so into the movie that he barely touched his food unless we put it in his hands. He was GREAT! He sat in his little booster seat wearing the sunglasses he stole from Steve, and just taking it all in. He got a little squirmy towards the end, but he just moved to Mom’s lap, then Jen’s, then back to the booster seat, and that was the end of the squirming. He was so adorable, I wish I had pictures.After the movie, I went over to Mom’s to do some baking. We made shoo-fly pie that didn’t turn out so hot (you know, there’s a direction component to recipes, and NOT just the ingredients? Good goin’, Kev). Then, we made an Annie/Kevin original. It was basically an Apple Brown Betty, but we made super-Crumblies for the top (the real win of the whole experience) and added cranberries (too many… tart city!! It was much better the second day after the apples had a chance to fight the tartness).
• Thanksgiving: You know how I was going to help cook and all that jazz? Didn’t happen. I was still a little under-the-weather. I did manage to make the world’s best batch of mashed potatoes though.
• The Weekend: We got TiVo!! (we actually got it Wednesday, but spent the weekend playing with it). It’s not as cool as I thought it would be, but it’s very very nice. I can now record Letterman and Conan every night, the Daily Show, Cowboy Bebop – you know, the shows you’d stay up and watch if you were still in school and could sleep in?. Lots of fun.

There you have it… my fantastic week away from work. Now, it’s back to the grindstone…

I’m fighting a wicked sinus infection. Jen and Max are at church, and I’m sitting here with the laptop, wrapped up in my blanket, watching Meet the Press and reading my favorite blogs.

I’ve been thinking recently about why personal journals and blogs fascinate me. For me, it’s the chance to get a glimpse into lives of people I’d never meet otherwise. Whether it’s a freelance translator in France, a college librarian in Texas, a single web designer in Minneapolis or any of the other dozen and a half blogs I check out on a mostly daily basis, I enjoy seeing the pieces of their lives they share through their sites. Most of them are much better writers than I am, and have no problem sharing their feelings on the topics they discuss.

These people are strangers. They’re strangers who in a lot of cases I consider friends, even though we’ve never met or done more than exchange a couple e-mails. It’s another strange witness to the power and mystery of interpersonal interaction on the internet.

I’m going to go make some hot chocolate and lay down. I can’t stop coughing, and I think my face is going to pop.

I’m off all next week and then two days the week after. It’s one of the perks (I guess) of being overworked: lots of unused vacation time. I had 160 hours of time I had to use before the end of the year, so I’m doing my best to use it. Updates will be lighter (maybe) next week, as I gear up for TurkeyDay!

I’m going to try to be involved in most of the cooking this year, just to get comfortable working with a turkey. I helped last year, but I wasn’t real comfortable. This year is the year to get into it and really make it work. Yeah! Turkey!!

Can you tell Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday? It’s better than Christmas, Easter, Halloween, Arbor Day – all of ’em. I’m not even sure why. I just love it.