16 Sep 06 – Family Update

Thank goodness this work week is over!  It was very busy!  On Monday, I have to lead a Test Readiness Review (TRR) for a software upgrade to one of the systems I manage.  It should be fairly simple….a TRR simply assures that the product is ready for test by verifying that all requirements to be verified are traceable from the requirements documents through the test procedures.  It also ensures all test documentation and facilities are in place and dry run testing is complete with no significant issues.  After that meeting on Monday, I will be in a 3-day orientation course to the Agency…..should be “exciting”!  I think I may have to take up coffee drinking!  Hopefully it will serve as a good overview of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency.  I found out this week that I will be attending a Conference in Las Vegas in early November.  It should be a good time.  We will be staying at the Riviera…..I need to start setting aside my Blackjack funds now! 

Karen has been busy opening boxes in the basement in a desperate search for her sewing machine!  I am sure it is here somewhere, but we have gotten to all of the obvious boxes, and are now searching boxes of garage/shed/storage items.  Most likely, the movers stuck it in a box from the garage (anywhere they could find space).  I plan to attack the garage this afternoon…..hopefully all the black widow spiders have died or run away!  Did I mention I hate moving (at least the process of packing/unpacking)?  Other than that, Karen has been going in to school on occassion to enjoy lunch with the kids and working around the house to keep up with the continuous onslaught of laundry, dishes, school lunches, grocery shopping, etc etc etc! 

Ben had a great week at school.  He really likes his teacher.  He actually has 4 teachers throughout any given day teaching various subjects.  He has made a few friends and is starting to fit in.  He still loves to come home at the end of the day and get on the computer and shoot up some bad guys.  Last weekend we tried to go to a local Nascar race at Old Dominion Speedway, which is about 2 miles from the house.  They have late models, grand stocks, mini stocks and others that race almost weekly on the short track.  Unfortunately, they weren’t racing last weekend, so we went and saw Talladega Nights instead.  The movie was funny, in a very dumb sort of way.  We may go to the races tonight if the weather holds up!

Delaney had a great week at school as well.  She is still struggling to find some good friends like her friend Jennifer in Florida.  However, she did make one friend named Jillian who is due to come over for a play date today.  She is very excited!  Last night, at Delaney’s request, we all went to the Freedom Aquatic and Fitness Center.  It is about 4 miles from the house and is an awesome place!  The Aquatic Center has one of the largest indoor “natatoriums” in Northern Virginia. It features a 50-meter competition pool, a 4′ deep warm-water leisure pool with play features (whirlpool, waterslide, water drops), beach entry, and a whirlpool spa (for us old fogeys).  It is a great place, and we all really enjoy it!  Karen and the kids were in the water from about 5-8PM……I joined them after I got home from work at about 7PM.  It was fun….but we have been unable to get Karen to go down the water slide! 

We have no big plans for the weekend.  Ben wants me to install the latest version of America’s Army which was released yesterday…..however, I am still downloading it (it is a 2.5GB download and everyone is trying to download it all at once).  We may go to the races tonight.  I have to work on the garage today to see if I can find Karen’s sewing machine.  Karen is going to spend some time visiting with Jillian’s mom while the kids are playing.   Anyways…I am off to conquer the garage.