_Adelle is not yet 11 months old, but seems to act much older! Last night Karen was at the church setting up for a church activity and I was watching Adelle. Since Adelle was quietly playing by herself, I switched on the television. Seldom do I get to watch the TV these days and I usually watch PBS documentaries or Jeopardy when I do. Adelle decided that she wanted to monopolize my attention and set out on a mission to get it. First, she headed for my guitar hidden by several pillows. After replacing them and sticking our coffee table in front as a blockade from her, she headed directly for an electrical extension chord we have hidden under another pillow (she hasn’t played with it in months). So, after dragging her away from it ~10 consecutive times, I shut the television off and rolled around on the carpet with her. She was much happier then and didn’t get into trouble after that. It’s amazing that a child at <1 year old would know exactly how to capture a parent’s attention (good or bad).

   

_Up until a few years ago, I had never eaten pumpkin pie. I had shunned it every time it was offered because there was some other dessert more enticing and/or because I had never tried it and really didn’t care to. The mushy texture didn’t really appeal to me. However, I finally gave it a try a few years ago and found it to be quite edible. Since then, I have worked hard to acquire the taste by eating it most times that it was offered or by making pumpkin pies myself and improving upon the recipe.

From eating many slices over the past few years, I’ve found the best combination to be a warm slice with a very generous helping of whipped cream slathered over the slice. While eating the pie, I’ve found it quite important that the whipped cream is kept close so that additional topping can be added as necessary. What I love most is the feel of the warm pumpkin pie and the coolness of the whipped cream in my mouth at the same time. It’s very similar to eating freshly baked cookies that have been dunked in cold milk. Mmmmmm…yummy! That about sums up my Thanksgiving…warm pumpkin pie with cool whipped cream…just one of the many things I am grateful for.   

_ I sit in a sea of cubicles like most engineers in the corporate world.

Only managers are allowed to have speaker phones and most managers have an actual office with a door to maintain privacy and so that speaker phone conversations don’t interrupt other employees. A manager (not my manager) sits over the cubicle wall from me and he LOVES to use his speaker phone. He may actually use the speaker phone more than the handset…I’ll have to keep a log and report back later. Needless to say, his conversations can be very disruptive at times.

Another coworker (over the opposite cubicle wall from the manager) buys products for the whole division. Here’s a diagram:

manager | me | coworker

The distance from the manager to the coworker is ~20 feet. He just called the coworker using his speaker phone while talking loudly instead of walking the ~20 feet to have a face to face conversation. It is debatable which would be less disruptive: using the speaker phone or shouting over the top of the cubicle wall. You decide. This would make a good dilbert!

_As of November 14, 2007 at 9:30PM, I have officially completed all requirements for my Master of Systems Engineering degree. I have only 76 days, 13 hours, and 49 minutes left until I am completely finished with my Master of Business Administration degree. There is a light at the end of the tunnel!

I know that I have complained a LOT about school to each one of you during the past 952 days and I apologize for that, but you all know just how painful school can be and this has been a VERY painful experience. I now have a 20 day respite and then I start my final class on December 5th and finish on January 30, 2008. This means you will only have to put up with my complaining about school for another 56 school days.

Rich.
The Systems Engineering Master