Snow and ice lead to horrible drive to dentist this AM to fix a broken tooth from which proceed to coat store for gift certificate for Mom to work where I recuperate and discover the nature of pain as Novocaine wears off while eating a sandwich on one side of my mouth then off to a meeting at a remote site which taxes my patience to a meeting with a manager that I actually enjoyed to a series of phone calls some of which I enjoyed to getting ready to sneak out early to do even more Christmas shopping tonight and I hope the Tylenol kicks in before I get to the dreaded mall where I must buy the children’s clothes I am only slightly less qualified to buy than I am my mother in law’s present.

Sometimes, I wish I had pursued my first love and become a mercenary. The routine is boring, but at least the hours are regular.