January 2, 2002
Dear Everyone:
Well, here we are at the start of a New Year. Last year, I was a “Systems Support Specialist” working for “Information Management Services”. This year, I am an “Information Management Analyst” (again, I think), working for “Global Records Policy, Standards & Process Consulting”. Actually, the “Global Consulting” (for short) group is still in the process of being pulled together.
In the meantime, I’m doing what I’ve been doing since last May, working on converting to the (formerly) “Another Company” records management system; and, since August, the Move/Add/Change (MAC) system. Just before going on vacation for the holidays, I actually imported both the room data and the people data for the main "Martinez" complex.
"Martinez" is particularly tricky because, although it’s treated as one property, it really has somewhere in the neighborhood (no pun intended) of about 100 separate buildings. So, if someone has a room number of 50-1226, that means they’re in room 1226 in building 50. Also, different buildings have different numbers of floors, which are typically identified by the second digit of the room number, except when it’s the third digit. So it took a couple of days of deciphering the room data before I could try and match it up with the people data.
With that out of the way, I was free to enjoy the holidays. Mother and “Marshall” both arrived on Sunday, the 23rd, and both stayed until Saturday, the 29th. “Jeannie” only had to work one day that week, so we were able to do lots of things, including the traditional Christmas Eve Dinner at a Chinese restaurant, in Orinda Village.
And “Alice” (who got my name in the drawing) sent me a wonderful Leatherman all-in-one tool to replace the Swiss Army Knife that I inadvertently had to donate to airline security when I forgot to take it out of my purse on a “Hobby” trip. (I liked the Infernal Revenue Service, too; even though it didn’t arrive until the Friday after Christmas.)
“Marshall” had already signed Mother up for “wine-of-the-month”, which I suspect is making her very popular at Mary’s Woods. I forget what “Jeannie” got. And, although I got my new tree erected, I never got around to decorating it. I was at “Jeannie”’s most of the week.
After everyone returned to their respective homes, “Jeannie” and I went to see Kate & Leopold. Kate (Meg Ryan with a very strange Raggedy Ann style of haircut) is a highly successful businesswoman, living in Manhattan. Leopold (Hugh Jackman) is a Victorian era Duke whose uncle insists that he marry a rich American heiress to save the family. Leopold accidentally falls through a portal in time, thanks to Kate’s ex-boyfriend, Stuart.
So now Leopold is this fish out of water, but a very charming one. He also seems to find, with very little difficulty, well-made clothes that fit him, even though he’s staying in Stuart’s apartment and they are not the same size at all. Leopold is also an amateur inventor, which Dukes are not supposed to be, so he catches on to modern technology rather well.
Everybody ends up happily by the end. Completely charming.
Since I also had Monday off, I went back to the theater and saw Ocean’s Eleven. Everybody does not end up happily in this one. This is a remake of the Frank Sinatra / Rat Pack film of 1960. Apart from the title and the basic premise of robbing a casino, that’s all that’s left of the original. This one has many pretty people and a convoluted plot that’s harder to follow than an old episode of TV’s Mission: Impossible. Stick with Kate and Company.
It looks like I’m off to “Hobby” next week, leaving on Sunday and returning on Wednesday, be the good Lord willing and the creek don’t rise. Speaking of which, we’ve been getting quite a lot of rain lately.
Love, as always,
Pete
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