“To me it is a tremendous waste of time. It’s far better to watch Tom and Jerry instead.” - Iraqi citizen when asked about the televised trial of Saddam Hussein

I remember watching Private Eyes when I was a kid, we rented it from a little video store that edited out all the language and nudity from rated R movies, not that Private Eyes had any. We watched a lot of the Apple Dumpling Gang too, and don’t forget Andy Griffith.

This is to say Mr. Knotts was an important part of my childhood. He was the first funny man I traced from movie to movie to television. Even in his more recent ventures like Pleasantville (grossly underrated) and endless Herbie animated entries stayed true to his blissfully unaware version of comedy.

We’ll miss you Don.

So I’ve had a pretty good week.? I won’t go into all the details here as some of it’s personal and some of it I’m just not ready to go out on a limb and talk about publically, but I will give my two (count ‘em two) loyal subscribers a taste of my good week.

While my week at work started out pretty rough it seems to be ending on a pretty good note.? Things started off with some bad news coming across the email.? Another supervisor and myself approached the issue the same way, but only I was called out for our approach.

After seeking advise from various sources I decided to respond via email.? It wasn’t that I was called out but rather the public nature of the reproach.? I explained my point of view, accepted responsibility for my actions and patiently waited for a reply.? When it came it only escalated my anger.

I didn’t really take any action until the next morning when I went and spoke to the sender of the email.? After a brief conversation we saw each other’s point of view and apologized for our part in the situation.? When I returned to my desk there was an email apologizing for the incident that was sent to everyone who’d seen the original exchange.

Yesterday afternoon we had the first of what will be a weekly meeting with my operations manager.? I voluteered for a couple of tasks that no one else wanted to do and my willingness to help out was quickly noted by my boss.

I’ll briefly speak of another issue quickly.? I’ve been horribly single for quite some time, and though I can’t say things have completely changed, I have met someone I am quite excited about.

So good things are happening.

Someone with much more time, money and legos than me made this really nifty Lego Church.? Very cool.

My good friend Mel sent me two (count ‘em two!) Keep Austin Weird bumper stickers. One was applied to the Saturn while the other is proudly displayed on my fridge until I get a new car. The mailman bent them, but in fairness I did have the screen door locked when he tried to deliver them. (I have a mail slot in the door.)

I’m spending the greater part of this week in a training session for work. I find it odd that in a effort to teach me how to lead my team, some nine months after I started doing it, I’m removed from them for three days.

We’re meeting in what seems to have once been a suite at a hotel room in Knoxville. The room is freezing in the back and absolutely sweltering in the front, the chairs uncomfortable and the subject matter horribly dull. I spent the afternoon playing with the pipe cleaners they’d supplied to keep our hands busy.

All in all it’s a horrible way to spend the week, but the good news is I got coach of the month. Too bad I’m not at work to enjoy it.