Must-see TV premieres! Oooh! I can’t talk, it’s almost 8!

I stole this next bit from the “site news” section, since I know nobody reads that…

It is now possible to send an instant message to my cell phone (limited to 107 characters by the hardware) from the “contact” page. I can’t send one back to you yet, until Verizon gets the flash update kit for my phone distributed to their Seattle reps. But I can call you back, or at least have a good chuckle in response to your scathing wit.

A note: I made it very easy to turn off in case it gets abused… I mean you, Tyson!

I’m taking a weekend away (in Missoula) from job-search stress, and as such I spent a wacked-out evening with Ann, Pat and Jessica. I expect you to call me, Pat! And happy birthday a few days early, Ann!

Also this weekend I had dinner with my Grandma Frances (Friday), and my Grandma Polly and Grandpa Allen (Saturday). It was great to see them, as it’s been awhile, and they’re all three really fun, energetic people that I always enjoy visiting with. The only person I didn’t get to see this weekend was Danielle - I missed her by a week - which was a bummer. Hopefully I’ll be able to visit her sometime soon; if not, there’s always Thanksgiving!

I’ll be back in Seattle by Sunday night; after this summer the drive is becoming pretty familiar. I’m also giving the Max a good workout - it’ll hit 31k miles before the weekend is up. Augh!

Still plugging away on the whole job search thing. I’m getting pretty used to this unemployment gig; not quite sure how it will be to go back to work. ;-) Josh and I spent the afternoon on Alki beach, finishing with a spendid dinner of fresh salmon fillets, pasta and a bottle of chianti in an outdoor Italian cafe, 10 steps from the sand. The food was excellent, the sunset gorgeous and the sea breeze very refreshing. I highly recommend it.

In the words of the Beatles, “I get by with a little help from my friends.” That’s been my mantra this summer and I want all my friends and family to know how much I appreciate their generousity. One of these days I will get a job and I will have all of them - all of YOU - to thank for getting me there. I still have some leads and I’m broadening my horizons beyond IT work, as that market seems so stagnant right now. In the meantime, summer in Seattle is beautiful, even without any money to spend!

A day full of of frightening news and inspiring stories. It’s difficult to believe that the video footage is real; the Pentagon ablaze and the WTC towers gone, totally and completely gone. The residents of PA, DC and NYC are truly our nation’s heroes as they stand up for us all against this threat. We’re all here behind you, NYC, 270 million of us! Keep the faith!