Once again it's been a long day but most of it wasn't spent the way I wanted to.

Last Friday due to a misunderstanding for which I am only partially but understandably responsible something which is close to completion and which really needs to be finished was not. I did the work but since I used the wrong version of the program I used, the work was wasted.

I don't even know why two versions were installed on my computer. They guy who did it said "Oh, I put on version x+1 as well as version x of program, but don't use version x=1 of production. Just try it out a little." What would that suggest to you? To me that suggested it had some bugs to iron out but is basically functional. What it actually meant is whatever file you open with this version will be totally useless for any purpose once you save it.

I'd had a problem with the useful version and the guy who supports it (the same one who'd installed both) was on vacation, so not knowing any better, I tried out version x+1 which seemed to work fine. It was only after I'd spent the whole afternoon working on my airport that I discovered my situation when I tried to convert the saved binary file into our proprietary ASCII format at about five twenty pm. After flailing around and grasping at straws for a while somebody who heard me asking somebody else about it said "Oh, yeah- you can't do that." As I struggled to keep from pulling out my hair, I decided that I'd take some time to come in next week since it was already after six and I wouldn't getting home till seven if I left right then.

This morning I slept in later than I meant to and after finally dragging my carcass out of bed, getting a shower and dressed, and feeding our menagerie I went to the hospital to visit Ruth and Gideon about eleven am. I didn't stay long, though, because I wanted to get to work and get back as quickly as possible. I figured it would only take an hour or so and thought I could be back by two. I kissed Ruth and Gideon and headed out.

I didn't make it back by two, though. I got there at about a quarter after five. Isaiah had been with Ruth most of the day and he was going stir crazy. A four year old boy can only be still for so long at a time and he was starting to get on Ruth's nerves. My mom was there and had been watching him, but he was still having a hard time being perfect. I was frazzled and worn out from fighting my way through not only doing a few hours work in one hour, but also fixing things I hadn't realized were broken and then fixing all the other things fixing the first thing had broken and then driving home through regular work day traffic on a vacation day.

He was being pretty good under the circumstances, but Ruth and I were both on edge and our patience was wearing thin. Isaiah and I decided to go and get Subway for supper and bring it back to watch the copy of Finding Nemo the baby had gotten him with Ruth and Gideon in the hotel room.

On the way to get our supper Isaiah told me about the bank robbery he'd read about in the "kid's and imaginary friend's newspaper". It happened on thirty-fifth avenue street and they got all the money in the bank- ten dollars.

The remainder of the day (evening, actually) was spent exactly as I wanted to spend it- with my wife and sons. I'm not generally a "baby person", but there is nothing that quite compares to holding your own newborn child especially with another child standing close by with a beatific smile beaming down at the youngest one.

Isaiah wanted to come home with me tonight so about a quarter after nine we had a prayer and kissed Mommy and the baby and headed home. I told him when we got home it would be bed time and he asked if he could sleep in Mommy's spot in bed with me. That sounded like a fine idea to me and so after only one false start when I picked out a pair of pajamas that was too small, I got him ready for bed and tucked him into bed next to me. I told him that I'd read the Bible to him and say our prayer, but then I was going to go downstairs for a few minutes and be back up. He was tired enough that he didn't care about that and was probably sawing logs before the computer finished booting.

Now I think it's time for me to join him. I can't sleep in tomorrow- I have to drop him off at preschool and I'd like to get up early enough to not only have breakfast at the hospital cafeteria (something he's been wanting to do for some reason) before that, but also spend some time tidying up the place.