Earning My Keep.

I just received last Tuesday's NY Times, with all the gory details of the wind and rain storm that hit your area (I think) earlier last week. So please break the cycle and let me know if you managed to escape any major damage.

On a personal update basis I have been really fighting this major depression. I have been wandering around in a limited emotional engagement mode. I just have very little reason to take care of myself. I even have been showering only once a week. Good thing it has been nice and cold.

I have been doing a bunch of programming on the computer in the library area. I think I may have mentioned they have a whole security install going on it. It only has Word and Excel and on the initial install they locked the user out of even being able to change the date and time. And the system date is set to sometime in 2002.

They have started a new call out procedure that I will elaborate on soon, but for now I am working on build a database program using Excel. That is efficient. They had removed the open file from the File menu, and the icon was missing from the toolbar too. How the hell are we supposed to keep the various lists of inmates participating in the various programs from week to week if I can not open a previous file?

Since the bane of Microsoft is the multitude of paths one can take to complete a task, in this case it pays off. I was able to execute the toolbar customize dialog and add the open file icon back on to the toolbar.

On the really dumb and stupid game playing front, I was called down to the Mess hall on Friday and told by one of the officers there it was time for me to earn my keep. While it is true I have been getting the grand total of $13.00 a week for not showing up, my new job description is "Table Tops". We have four man stainless steel tables, and I get to wash them as one group leaves and another comes in to eat.

I managed to catch the Food Service manager and asked him if this meant I was never going to be programming again. He said this was just a way to get me back in the building as it were and get the staff to see me working. Like the terrific programming they use all day long is not enough of a sign. So anyhow I am now seeing how long this manual labor will last.

Still no major revelations from my brother and basically the only mail so far this year was your one letter, okay one pre-letter, one main letter, and lots of notes and letters from Abby.

Please let me know about the storm soon. Thanks.