clamav and spamassassin seem to be doing very well. muchos gracias to ian for creating these woody packages and for telling me about them! i woke up earlier than i expected today, considering i went to bed around 2. i’m excited – i’ve got lots of things to do. Eriko just had some of her teeth pulled.. gulp.. she’ll have headgear (i think) the next time i see her and i continue to be amazed at what a lucky guy i am.

my computer is in the living room as i watch jurassic park. i partially cleaned the toilet.. ;P i just installed ian’s backported spamassassin stuff.. and i’m nervous. so this is more than just a diary entry, its a mail test. =)

I’m a changed man now; I will do things when I want to – get things done right the first time, keep good notes, follow up on tasks. I’m on my way. I went swimming on Tuesday and it was awesome. I coughed and sputtered and took frequent rests but I swam crawl-stroke laps. My form was crap and my breathing irregular but I swam crawl-stroke laps. I went out for dinner yesterday evening and ate too much. I could have saved some food but I decided to just finish everything on my plate – including the coleslaw! I’ve been pleasantly surprised with how much Eriko is talking to me these days; I’m not sure how long it will hold up but I can hope for a while. I’m really enjoying it. This morning I woke up a little after 8 (8:15), fired up the puter and checked for some email from her. I wanted to write her then but I was feeling timid, I think. Next time (tomorrow?) I will. She wrote me about 8:30 to say good night although I didn’t receive it until I got to work about 9:20. It took me a while to get ready this morning because I made myself a hamburger for lunch. I ate two slices of ham and half a cup of yogurt for breakfast. It was yummy and contained roughly the same amount of carbs and protein with a little more emphasis on the protein. Similiar to zone but with my mom’s emphasis on lower carbs in the picture.

I’m feeling pretty good. There is lots to do at work but I don’t feel nearly as overwhelmed. I know I’m going to have to come in everyday and put in a good solid effort but I welcome the challenge. I know that I’m rusty and I have lots to learn from people but it will help keep my mind open and my heart humble. Eriko told me she was very moved by my parent’s letter to her and I was also moved by what she told me her mother wrote about me. With Bailey calmly licking her paw to my left, I feel very grateful tonight.

My vacation went by so quickly I can barely believe it. My room is as I left it, a stye. Bailey is happy to see me, as I am her. Soon, I will go to work.

Eriko arrived safely in Nagoya – and now we have to wait until December to see each other again. I heard a cool quote from Roger de Bussy-Rabutin : “Absence is to love as wind is to fire; It extinguishes the small and kindles the great.” The weather is overcast in Anchorage today but I can see sun breaks down in the city. Melissa and Kevin want to go hiking but I don’t. I need to figure out the best way to pay for Eriko’s plane ticket, relax, and read my book.