I’ve been off work for the past 10 days, and I tried my best not to touch my computer during that time. It didn’t entirely work, but apart from responding to some personal email and watching a few movies, I didn’t do much else. I do have a vague recollection of spending an entire night in this cycle: pager goes off, call operator, logon to computers at work, go back to bed, sleep 15 minutes, rinse, repeat. Total sleep: 2 hours. Today I’m back at work and get to deal with the fallout from that night. Hurray.

A few comments then on the past few weeks:

• There are four classifications of animals, not three as was previously taught in school. There are Herbivores, Carnivores, Omnivores, and the new class: Megavores. My son Noah (age 5) is part of the last class, and also the founder thereof.
• Mikaela (age 3) has inheritted the Bouwman’s skill in renaming common household items, and our bathroom scale has become the “pound clock”.
• After moving a piano for my brother-in-law eight months ago, we told him he’d have to stay there for at least two years before we’d move it again. Either he didn’t hear us or we’re suckers, but we moved that piano again on Saturday. This time it’s 5 years.

And finally, Happy New Year!