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Intro 1998 1999 2000 2001

The really big news this week is really mega! I had a call on Friday from Pam Hatch, my future manager at Oracle. She was calling to let me know that she'd just heard that my visa application had been approved. Yippee! That was really the only stumbling block in the way of my transfer to Oracle. Now all that can stop me is a big Mack truck! (Perhaps I shouldn't tempt fate...)

Today (Sunday) we went and got our Christmas tree, and it's sitting in the living room, all glowing and, well, green. I'll take a picture of it in due course, but for the moment I've loaned the camera out to someone.

I'm still in two minds about selling it and getting a new and better one. Whilst it's a pretty good camera, and superbly compact, I'm beginning to hanker after one that has better resolution and probably a zoom as well. However, these cost around $700, so I'd have to sell my existing one first. I'm in no rush, and will wait until next year I think. Of course, by that time digital cameras will be sooo much better and cheaper anyway...

Talking about new toys, when I was in Fry's last week I spotted one of the new, portable DVD players. I'd seen a brief advert for it in a magazine, but this was the first time I'd seen one in the metal, so to speak. About personal CD player sized, with a flip up lid containing the screen. Sorta notebook computer style. There was someone playing with it, so I could only look over their shoulder. The picuture was smallish, perhaps 6 or so inches wide, but looked very clear. The price tag? $1395 to you, buster. Given that normal DVD players were $599 last year and they're now available at $299, next year they should be down to about $800.

Still on the subject of DVDs, I was reading in another magazine that approx. 646,000 DVD disks were sold in 1997. In 1998, so far, it's 8.2 million. I think DVD has arrived. We've got 14 movies, of various kinds, and we'll be adding to that over the Christmas period, I'm sure. Fry's (I just _love_ that store!) has a teriffic selection of DVDs and more are being released every week.

Work is heading into that twilight, panic mode quite often found in projects that aren't terribly well organized. I was even into work yesterday to get some stuff done, and I can see more of that happening over the remaining few weeks before January 1. Still, I suppose the extra cash will come in handy.

The kids are all just looking forward to Christmas, although they get their report cards tomorrow. That should be interesting! Cathy got one of those books from the library that tests your kid's IQ. According to the book an IQ of around 49 is about average for a 10-year old; Colin scored 79, so we're both a bit dubious about the whole thing.

Cathy's just been organizing for the Christmas festivities - i.e. sorting out for the goodies I need to take to work! There's a pot-luck Christmas dinner on Wednesday, along with a White Elephant gift exchange game. They've also organized a rota for goodies to be brought in each Monday and Friday, and my turn is Christmas Eve. (Ok, it's not a Friday, but it's the last day of the week!) I'll probably get Cathy to make some more peanut butter balls, which always go down well there, and I'll buy a couple of trays of cookies.

Well, that's enough for this week. I'll catch you all next week.