“Gladden us with holy joys, almighty God, and make us rejoice with devout thanksgiving, for the the Ascension of Christ your Son is our exaltation, and where the Head has gone before in glory, the Body is called to follow in Hope.”

from the Collect of the Mass of Ascension Thursday

Those words, “where the Head (Jesus) has gone before in glory, the Body (that’s us) is called to follow in Hope,” inspired me yesterday. That along with Jesus’ commission to spread the Good News, not just keep it to ourselves. It also builds the anticipation that Pentecost is near at hand.

It was a chaotic morning on Ascension Thursday. Our local pastor offered Masses Wednesday at 5:30pm and Thursday at 5:30pm. Instead I got up and drove up to Manchster for their morning Mass. That was a full-on, Sunday Mass-level type of Mass, not your usual weekday half hour type. Lots of singing, the choir, etc.

I knew I’d be about half an hour later to work than usual, but figured it was an exception, not the rule. After Mass I hop in my car, and enjoy the sunny, cool Spring morning driving with the top-down as I head to Boxborough. Once I arrived I stopped by our kitchen because Thursdays are Bagel Days and I toast myself one. When I get back to my desk, I pull the laptop out of my bag and start to dock it for the day. Except… it won’t dock. I snap out of it and realize. Oh no. This is my personal ThinkPad, not the one my office issued me for work. I try to think if there’s any work around. Prior to lockdown I also had a tower PC, but no longer. My new, beefy compute server is now located in San Diego and is only accessible remotely … via my laptop… which is at home.

::sigh:: I finish my bagel, pack my bags, and head back home. I’ve now spent about 2 1/2 hours driving while not reading one email, fixing a bug, implementing a new feature, or optimizing some function. Aside from the Mass, what a waste! It shows the fog I must’ve been in before I’d head out for the day.

Summer

With weekends like we had last weekend, one can’t help but think of summer. It was around 90°F both Saturday and Sunday. I consider it too much, too soon.

I’m very happy that Timothy is back home from college, safe and sound. He got to see some family while making the long trip back, making stops in Kenosha, WI, and Noblesville, IN. I’m proud that he had a 4.0 average this year. It’s tuition money very well invested. I suspect it’s almost too much for him to go from full throttle studies to summer vacation.

Repairs and Upgrades

Last weekend I noticed that my clothes were taking an awful long time to dry during my routine washing. I went outside to double check the vent, but I’m usual pretty good about making sure it’s clear of lint. I noticed though that the air just felt like a fan. Essentially the dryer was acting like it’s on an Air Fluff cycle. I placed a call with my appliance repair guy and thankfully he came Monday evening. The coils that electrically open the the gas line had failed. Luckily it’s $10-20 for a pair and the repair was done in 15-20 minutes.

I also had a company come by to look at my garage doors for replacement. It’s been almost six months since the roof was replaced which required my gutters be removed. The doors I currently have are particle board and showing decay along the bottom. My plan is to have insulated metal doors replace them. If the quote is okay, it should be ready in a month or so.

I also have a call with a contractor to replace the front steps. They also are having issues with the water that drips on them from the roof. I plan to replace them with granite blocks. A few neighbors have gone that route and its popular here in the Granite State. I think it’s a nice look.

Wrap Up

There’s more to say, but I have to stop writing and get ready for Friday morning Mass. There are so many times I feel inspired to write, but then put it off. I need to stop procrastinating like that. It was more of a daily habit in the days before Michelle’s cancer. I had a decent streamlined flow and it’s not any more complicated with this setup.