Wait, wrong, I've got one small blood blister on my right pointer. Plexiglass is now one of my least favorite materials to work with. After lots of experimenting, I found my good old crosscut handsaw (Craftsman of course, a present from my maternal grandparents decades ago) worked well, I was able to make progress, it didn't bind (like a hacksaw blade) and the cracks were rare enough. My hand drill worked okay, it's not one of the ones with an offset crank handle, but rather one with a geared wheel with a knob, turning a beveled gear on the shaft. The problem would be when the knob was at the bottom, in that position pulling on it was interfering with keeping the bit against the plexiglass, and eventually my finger tip got caught between the gears. Ouchies!

But the window is up, even after yelling at my girls (they thought that when I was struggling on too short of a ladder with a heavy window above my head I also wanted to play peekaboo while they giggled like maniacs).

Since my wife and I didn't get our regular alone time this weekend, I was also able to brew up some spiced holiday ale, it should be ready by the first weekend of December. We didn't get our alone time because the girls wanted to stay home Sunday, and next week thirteen year old will take a swim class on Sunday. Irish_girl did come by for her first visit in months, Mrs. Ha had a good visit with her while I struggled with plexiglass. Later, Mrs. Ha and thirteen year old went off to Old Navy (we had some good coupons) while I mixed up the spiced ale (which has been fermenting nicely).

Thanks to a bowhunting co-worker, I had some venison for breakfast one morning, yummy.

I've mentioned Mrs. Ha's Richard Gere thing, she said maybe it was Looking for Mr. Goodbar that she was thinking of. Unfortunately, our library system did not have this on DVD, so away to the interweb I went and found a copy, which was watched Saturday night. Wow, long, bleak and depressing, they don't make movies like this anymore. Basically, Theresa, a messed up Irish Catholic young woman becomes a teacher to the deaf during the day, and looks for rough trade during the night in New York City, finally ending up with more than she can handle. I suppose it's a good portrait of singles bars in the 70's, though I was born five years too late to verify that. It would be great on a double feature with Taxi Driver. Recommended for fans of the ladder theory, fans of horrifying movies about women with sexual dysfuntions, and people wanting to see a young Richard Gere in a jockstrap.

Providentially, I found the paperback version of Looking for Mr. Goodbar and also read it. The book goes into a lot more detail about Theresa's relationships with Tony and James compared to the movie, but also less about the relationship with her father.

In other book news, I finished From Bauhaus to Our House, a very thin Tom Wolfe book about how terrible modern architecture is. I bought this months ago, at a garage sale around the block held by a gay couple. I like some Tom Wolfe a lot (The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test, The Pumphouse game), and find other Wolfe very readable (The Right Stuff, Bonfire of the Vanities), yet this one was a trial, I guess I don't like modern architecture, and don't care to read about it (yes, I never finished the Fountainhead either). I didn't find it hilarious either, I guess you need some strong feelings about modernism to find it funny.

To save money on our health insurance, we had to take online health assessments, requiring two new logins each, and it the forms were stupid (ie, no options for someone taking antidepressants daily, didn't like - in telephone numbers, stupid, stupid stupid). At least we're saving $600 next year. I'm not sure how an online health assessment is going to serve us better than the doctors. therapists and technicians we already see frequently.

Somehow we ordered an extra ten boxes of Girl Scout cookies. Someone added a co-worker twice, I'm not sure who's writing it is, maybe it was a mistake by thirteen year old, maybe she wasn't paying attentio. I think we'll give some to the nursing home staff, and maybe give some out as presents. We've also had complaints that the boxes are smaller this year, they're holding the line on the $3.50 price tag, so the portiosn shrink.

Mmmm, portions.

I'm hoping to only physically visit work once next week I'm taking Monday and Wednesday off, since eight year old has the whole week off, and Mrs. Ha works Monday, Wednesday and Friday (but not the Friday after Thanksgiving). So I'm scrambling to get everything squared away, despite colleagues suffering from mathematical illiteracy (I'd rant more, but it should be done in person). I expect there will be conference calls, too. I'm really looking forward to time off, I really need it.