8th Layer Archive

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December 02, 2001

Back up and running

If you tried to come here and timed out - my sincerest apologies. The site was again unavailable...the second time in such a short span. I (once again) wrote to the ISP that's hosting our sites (mine and Tracy's) and they claim that the site responsible for both crashes has been shut down "definitively"... We shall soon see if that improves their reliability.

My family went shopping yesterday for my Christmas presents... I'm eyeballing this very large box that has appeared under the tree and I have this urge to grab it and shake it. I know that isn't going to tell me what's inside. I've never been able to deduce the contents by shaking... It's not going to make Christmas come any faster. It's not going to enable me to play with or use what's inside if I know what it is... But it's there. And that's what you're supposed to do with something that's there... Last year there were these small boxes. They were very heavy. When you shook them, there was no noise and the weight moved in a strange way. I had no idea what the heck it was... Turned out to be bread mix for the bread maker that Tracy had bought for me. Tracy always gets me the best presents. Things I should want but don't even know I want until it's right in front of me. Then I wonder how I could have ever done without it before that time. Sometimes I think she knows me better than I know myself.

One time she asked me to take the car to work so she could borrow my truck. I knew it had something to do with a present... Holy shit! What the hell is she getting that she needs the truck to get it home? So I come home from work and there's nothing in the back of the truck. Geez, did she lift something heavy all by herself? [Note: Tracy has random strength. A box of books is too heavy for her to lift - I must lift it for her. A green armoire that she REALLY wants is not too heavy for her to get out of the back of the truck (by herself) and place strategically in the living room... ] So I walk in the door and there's no large object... We have dinner and we're watching tv - when she says she wants to give me my present... and I have to put some shoes on. Put some shoes on? She leads me out to the truck and opens the door. And I see - inside the truck - a large, colorful, spiral ribbon...attached to my new cd/radio.... I was so surprised. I didn't even know I wanted or needed it. But she knew. She figured with my long drive to work (took 1 1/2 hrs to get there) that I needed to listen to some music on the way. She's so awesome...

And on the other side... I'm developing security protocols to get presents wrapped and under the tree without her knowing about it. This is not an easy task. I was doing pretty good. I had about a 50% rate going... Until yesterday. The three of us went to the mall and I went to grab a few gifts while Tracy got her hair done. I headed to Borders and Spencer went to play in the kids section while I hunted for presents. I found three really great books that I know she'll love and use. I already know she'll look in the bag. So I have it wrapped at the store. There! I won. Three presents under her nose and she doesn't know what they are... I went home and put them under the tree. She eyed me suspiciously. The house was a bit messy at the time and she was helping me clean. She picked up a bag...looked at the receipt..... *sigh* She won. She read the titles on the Borders receipt..... Luckily I haven't picked up her "big present" yet... I'll do it while she's sleeping. It'll be wrapped before I get to the house. The receipt will be locked in a vault. And I'm buying it last so that she doesn't get it out of me that I bought her a ....

Posted by BlueWolf on December 2, 2001 04:36 PM