Southwest Virginia is sinking into a lake of mud, or maybe that’s just my yard. It’s odd how ground which is usually too rocky to dig in, is now too soft to walk on. I haven’t tried it, but I bet it’s still too rocky to dig. This weather is depressing.

I realize every parent for the last several thousand years has had the same complaint, but here it is anyway. I need more sleep! I seem to be running about six hours of sleep behind all the time. I’ve been tired for so long I can’t remember what normal is.

The other day I actually got eight uninterrupted hours of sleep. First time in a year or two. I’m so sleep deprived I was still exhausted when I woke up. If I hurry and log off, maybe I can get a nap in before bed.

My daughter was hospitalized last week. Turns out it was fever induced convulsions. I don’t know how it was for her, she’s too young to talk about it, but it was heart stoppingly traumatic for her parents. Especially my wife. She was home alone with the daughter when the whole thing started. The daughter’s been home a couple of days now, but my nerves are still fried. No wonder my father’s hair was gray by the time I was old enough to notice, it wasn’t age, just stress.

We have a generation of people in need of a help desk. I’ve spent most of the last seven years training graphic designers and editors for a publishing company. The biggest problem I had was not the software (they learned it), or the hardware (they knew it), or even the timeclock (they either showed up or didn’t), but the complete lack of problem solving ability. I have a very clear understanding of the expression “couldn’t pour piss out of a shoe if the instructions were written on the bottom”.

I’m not saying I’m the greatest teacher, but I’m pretty good. I’ve taught computer skills to everyone from the skilled person who needs a touch up to the computer illiterate. The one thing I can’t see how to do is teach someone with no problem solving skills how to solve problems. Is it genetic? Are they missing the Problem Solving gene? The answers sometimes are so obvious it isn’t even funny. You walk them through it, here’s how to solve this problem; Step A, Step B, view results, decide on solution C. The light dawns, they do solution C. Two minutes later you get “how do I solve this problem?” Step A… you suggest. “Then what?” OK maybe they didn’t get it. You walk them through it, here’s how to solve this problem; Step A, Step B, view results, decide on solution C. The light dawns, they do solution C. Two minutes later…

There appears to be something missing. Curiosity? The desire to know something? I can’t understand how some of these people get through a day. I can picture some of them at home, I need to eat, but the refrigerator is closed. How do I get the food out again? Food… Door closed… Food… Door closed… I think this world isn’t going to end with a whimper or a bang, but slowly starve to death in front of the frig.

I’m currently training for a new position. Everything seems to be going well, but the other night I got a call from my boss. I don’t know what she meant, but she just screamed “open the frig” and hung up.

The Clinton gun ban died in September, October saw me rejoining the fully employed, and this month Bush was re-elected. Three things I would have laid good odds on not happening. Maybe people will stop muttering about Bush stealing Florida now… probably not.

I’m looking forward to this coming year. The job is going very well, and everything at home seems to be going smoothly too. Can’t ask for much more than that.

It looks like Senator Kerry is conceding gracefully. I didn’t see that coming. I expected him to go down kicking and screaming like Mr. Gore. I have to say, I’m pleasantly surprised. Since he’s staying in the senate, he has the opportunity to help in closing the division in our country. I would be surprised if he did, but after his concession, who knows. I’m looking forward to seeing how this plays out.