Me: coding fast, hard, and heavy for techops & security. Realizing that I now de facto answer to three dragon*con directors. Amused I got myself into this mess.Jeff: still in San Francisco. What was supposed to be a three-day trip morphed to a Sunday-Friday trip, culminating in today's flight home … and today's phone call telling me he must be back out there on Monday for next week, with about a 50-50 shot of having to be out there for a third week.

Recently overheard by the dust bunnies in the computer room:

So here's your update, or your scorecard, or whatever.

I have pneumonia. Jeff has bronchitis. The hacking and wheezing is a sight to behold, but the good news is that nobody's going to the hospital—hooray! My white cell count has dropped from 18,000 to 15,000, which still isn't good, but it's an improvement and indicates I'm responding to antibiotics. Jeff's currently stands at 16,000. (Normal? 4,500-10,000 per microliter)

We are sad and pathetic, but we are sad and pathetic together, and that's what counts.

This weekend I was teased, and rightfully so, about the similarity between knitting and software design. There was, as Brian explained, a vast gulf of difference between something that was 'done' and something that was truly finished and out the door. In software design, 'done' means you've finished coding, and 'finished' means you've done everything that comes after: debugging and testing. In knitting, 'done' means you've finished the knitting, and 'finished' means you have completed all cleanup details, like weaving in your ends and attaching trim.

This way is as appropriate as any to make the introduction:

Part One: Women

There's a rule. Don't go to Yarn Expressions on one of their variable-percentage sale days. (Draw a ticket to determine your discount. Most people get 20% off, a few people get more, one person gets 75% off.) Sure, the flyers are lovely, and the possibility of drawing one of the lucky tickets is enticing, but the actual experience of trying to make a purchase at the store on sale day can only be described as craptastic.