Sorry blog for ignoring you for nearly two months.  I can't say that life has
been all the exciting in those pair of months.  The holidays have come and
went and with it all the hustle and bustle of meeting, greeting, shopping, and
eating.  I spent my free time over the weekends and holidays working with the
firewood again.  I think my parents are set for firewood for at least another
year or 2 now.  We got almost a foot of snow last week, so my weekend firewood
gatherings are done till we get a thaw.  So instead of going home to the farm,
I spend the weekend here at work.  Go figure, I don't have a life.  

Everyone important in my life is well and good coming into the new year. 
Speaking of New Years, I spent the eve at home and in bed by 9pm with a
fantastic sinus cold that I'm still suffering with over a week later.  Looking
back, shotgun deer season was a success as both Dad and I got ourselves a pair
of doe.  Damn deer are as thick as rats now in the Iowa timbers.  We did our
best to thin the herds, but I'm afraid the population is getting overly large
around here.

I still haven't changed jobs yet here at work.  I'm still the software lead
and still taking all the abuse.  Still have to put up with the old timer
programmer that sucks down my funding and produces little else but carbon
dioxide.  No power to change the way things are, got to deal with cards I'm
dealt with this team.  At least my other programmer is kicking ass and taking
names.  Only wish I could clone him, I'd be set.  Just had our department
"state of the union" meeting on Friday.  Which, as I had anticipated,
contained our new re-org announcement.  Early next week, I'll find out if I'll
be on another team, or if I'll have new people to wrangle.  My intuition tells
me that myself and my team won't be changing, but there is a chance I could be
drafted into another team.  I'm desired for 3 out of the 5 teams in the
department, so we'll see where fate takes me.

I got 2 new year's resolutions, one of which is a carry-over from last year. 
I don't give up on them if I don't make them in the year I make the
resolution.  'll look ahead in the year and see my 15 year class reunion is
coming up.  We'll see if more than half the class (30 people) show up this
year.  I'm curious how a few of my 'mates are coming that I can't track down
any more.    I also get to celebrate my 10th year anniversary of my graduation
from college.  Fortunately, a group of us got together earlier last year to
catch up.  

Well blog, maybe I'll make a 3rd resolution and try to be a bit more active
with you.  I may just take the risk and make it even more personal as I doubt
any one else besides myself looks at these entries any longer.  And, I resolve
to retire the running "shoutout" liner as well.  So at least I'll make
resolution this year.  }8)