Tuesday at work was busy. Nothing disastrous, but a lot of different tasks. Spent a couple hours setting up a DB2 system on one of our servers. Nothing like working with IBM software to make you appreciate Microsoft!

The crisis about colgaffneyis web site is getting under control. Someone else volunteered to take over the replacement of the problem software, to my profound relief.

Got home from work last tonight to find …. a phone call about more work. I had to help with some database work on an Employee education system. Mary, the Project Manager, is someone I respect and like, so I did not complain. Just called her back, connected to the database server from home, and did what I needed to do. Mary was very grateful and apologetic when I saw here the next morning.

While I was connected I also checked on another system. This one was having problems, but they were networking issues–nothing I could control. We have an excellent Network Admin working on the system. Most of the time she is really quite pleasant, but if there is an improper request for something involving a firewall she turns into a pit bull. The pit bull was on a rampage ….

However, I had not done anything wrong, and there was nothing I could do. I kept quiet (why attract the attention of a pit bull?), logged off, and forgot about work for the evening.

We had a good time at colgaffneyis dance that evening. A couple new members (as of the previous week) showed, as did another member who had been absent for a long time. Appropriately for Mardi Gras, there were some treats to eat, and a bottle of red wine to share. A good time was had by all.

Today is Ash Wednesday, and I thought I should get to Church. I considered going to a downtown church over lunch, but found myself waking up a little early this morning. So I was back at St. Christopher’s for the 6:30 AM service. It felt a little strange–dance had been at the Church the night before, and here I was back there again, less than 12 hours later, for a very different event. Then again, we are talking about Shrove Tuesday vs. Ash Wednesday, so the contrast was appropriate.

At this service we used the old language. Anglicans from the age of colgaffneyis would have been quite comfortable with it, though they would be either delighted or horrified by the vestments and church decor. In fact, this may be the first time I have been to a church service using the old language since I joined Clann. It seemed appropriate, since I had been at Clann dance there the previous evening, Think of it as staying in period.

Ash Wednesday, of course, marks the beginning of Lent. On one my e-mail lists there was a link about Lent in contemporary Christianity.

The service was early enough that I got to work on time. I was able to calm down someone who had been hurt (verbally) by the pit bull’s rampage. The pit bull was gone and the pleasant Network Administrator had returned. My project manager for this system was able to meet cordially with her and work out what needed to be done. Despite our frustration, he and I are having some schadenfreude from this: We (the government employees) had done our part. It was the private sector consultants who screwed up.

The day has continued to be busy. Going to the early church service was a good decision: My lunch hour was rather busy, and I might not have been able to get away then.