Back again!

Thanksgiving was as usual, Beth and I had a bit of a blue funk (spending too much time concentrating on what we were doing on computers) but we realised it wasn't healthy!

Christmas was busy. I was helping at work because they were getting ready for a major shake-up in the industry and I helped out by training over 60 staff in a 6 week period and had them helping with testing the systems. I received an online gift voucher that went a long way to buying a digital camera (Canon PowerShot A410, dirt cheap anyway but cheaper with the present). Lovely. I also received a bucketfull of tools, a tool belt and a rather nice leather coat.

Speaking of work, I've gone from training to documentation and have written two versions of the new work intranet site. My boss was so happy he actually danced a little jig. I never thought directors of companies showed such emotion!

Valentine's was lovely. Dinner at Sambuca's the weekend before, and flowers and cards on the day for Beth. We started watching Casablanca on DVD but it was getting late, so we're going to finish it tonight.

Oh, and the house?



Got a basement! We got a basement!

Listen : Bigger Boys & Stolen Sweethearts - Arctic Monkeys ... Metal Heart - Garbage ... Alma Matters - Morrissey.

Two months. I haven't posted in two months.

I'll post a full Xmas / New Year / Valentines summary in a day or two, maybe a week's time. I just wanted to be the first person in America to publish this equation. I calculated it some time ago, and I'll also publish it in a Usenet newsgroup (searchable in Google).

Seabrook's Break Even equation = 16p + d

where p = the cost of the monthly premium, and

where d = the deductible amount set by the company.

Did I do anything life-altering in the last week?

Does being a US Citizen count?

Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon was cold, but over a thousand people became Americans and I was one of them. Now I get the opportunity to vote in the next election. About time, too.

But I want to spend a bit more time saying hello to John, my brother. He called and told me he has Hodgkin's Lymphoma, early stages with other complications. We're thinking of you, John.

Listen: I Pity The Poor Immigrant - Bob Dylan ... He's My Brother - Hollies.

Turkey Day is nearly upon us. Any excuse for a few days of nothing but food and snoozing. Got to love it.

Being English by birth, there's a lot of America I didn't know until I came over here. New York smells of roasted nuts at the end of October. 'Heyna' and 'pank' are real words in Pennsylvania. I even know what a suicide squeeze is in baseball (it's like knowing where the slips are in cricket, or what the offside rule is in association football). It's a good job I know this stuff about America because in just over two weeks I'm going to be one.

Swearing-in ceremony is on the 9th of December. I get to keep my British citizenship, so that's two passports and two countries I get a pension from when I retire (I worked for close to 15 years in the UK).

I hope England and the US don't get drawn in the same group in the World Cup...

Listen : Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor - Arctic Monkeys ... Only - Nine Inch Nails.

Guess where I'm posting this blog entry from.

No. I mean it. Go on. Guess.

Normally I would be on the Mac, connected through a modem to the net. Not today. Now I'm in the front room, with a laptop on my legs, talking with Beth about the Breeder's Cup. Any questions she has about where a certain commentator comes from or who will be riding which horse... Google, baby. All thanks to the DSL connection we have now. We installed it yesterday. Finally a part of the broadband community, and it feels good.

It has been a good few weeks for me, for us. Our House (the website I started to show how we're coming along with building a house from scratch) should have a good entry in the next few days: they're ready to dig the foundations. I was promoted at work. Two weeks ago we went to a concert of John Williams music too, which got me in the mood before Revenge Of The Sith comes out on DVD.

It's a good feeling when things are nice in life. Just thought I'd share the joy.

Listen : Duel Of The Fates - John Williams (conductor) ... Computer Love - Kraftwerk