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Last Thursday I went to a client's house to look at his computer. I was there for about 20 minutes, in very close quarters inside the small room where it's kept. I wasn't wearing a mask and didn't use any hand sanitizer, even though I touched his keyboard and mouse. I sold the computer to him about 10 years ago so we agreed on a new desktop and I left.

Sunday morning he called me and said he and his wife both tested positive for Covid. This threw a huge monkey wrench into my week (this past week) b/c another mechanic at the shop where I work was under quarantine and I was supposed to work all week.

So on Monday morning I went to one of those free testing centers my county health department was conducting. It was a drive-through type affair, and took about 30 seconds. They gave me a piece of paper w/ an ID number and instructions for logging into a Website to get my results. The first paragraph on the letter reads:

Per CDC guidlines, those individuals who have symptoms of COVID-19 at the time of testing are to enter quarantine until your test results are returned. Per CDC guidlines, those individuals who do not have symptoms of COVID-19 at time of testing are not required to go into quarantine waiting on test results.

I was exhibiting no symptoms, so I worked all week. I was in-and-out of dozens of customer vehicles, and in very close quarters w/ my co-workers. If I was infected, you would think the potential of spreading it to many other people was very high.

Every night when I got home I went to the Website to get my results but each time it said, "Your test is being transported to our facility," or some such nonsense. It was supposed to take 4 days maximum so this morning I called the health department to find out what was up. The guy I talked to said they've had so many complaints about the Website not functioning correctly he's considering taking the instructions for logging in and getting results off the paper they distribute. He said it's just easier to have people call in.

My results were negative, I'm not infected. But for something that's supposed to be so important to prevent spreading that we have to shut down major parts of the economy and put scores of people on the unemployment line, plus all the mask wearing nonsense and everyone smells like they took a shower in hand sanitizer, you'd think they'd have a more straightforward procedure for getting results back to the public, and in a much more timely fashion. Lots of people are asymptomatic and I could have been one of them, and the number of people I came into contact w/ this week is uncountable.

For 20 minutes I was in the same room as someone who's infected, took no precautions, touched everything they've touched, and somehow I didn't contract the virus. This whole thing is just screwy.

My youngest daughter and I just spent the weekend hiking and camping in Dolly Sods, a U.S. Wilderness Area in the Monongahela National Forest. It rained for the better part of our outing but we made the best of it.

The trails are muddy, rocky and irregular. Hiking was challenging w/ a heavy pack but once you get somewhere you can drop your gear and set up camp it wasn't so bad. For the most part the elevation changes were not that extreme.

When we got together last week to compare our pack lists she was surprised at two of my items, duct tape and super glue. She said she's not bringing either.

But I'm glad I did. When it's been raining and all the wood is wet duct tape is very helpful in getting a campfire started. And when the sole of my hiking boot decided to come apart, a bit of super glue fixed me right up. It's packed in my first aid kit, for sealing a large cut that might require stitches. However, hiking several miles over rough terrain w/ your boot coming apart would suck for air.

The wisdom of being a Dad, on display in the Allegheny Mountains.

I guess...

[root]# nslookup 83.122.180.221
221.180.122.83.in-addr.arpa    name = too.stupid.to.configure.reverse.dns.

Authoritative answers can be found from:
122.83.in-addr.arpa    nameserver = ns1.auth.onlyns.net.
122.83.in-addr.arpa    nameserver = ns2.auth.onlyns.net.
122.83.in-addr.arpa    nameserver = ns.ripe.net.
ns.ripe.net    internet address = 193.0.9.6
ns1.auth.onlyns.net    internet address = 195.143.189.205
ns2.auth.onlyns.net    internet address = 81.92.172.201

Dear Dad,

I had another dream about you last night. It's hard to believe you've been gone more than 10 years. Although the dreams you're in occur less frequently, I'm still glad when it happens. Sad too, but a happy sadness, if there is such a thing.

I was coming down the stairs, and you were coming up. We met in the middle, you had your back to the banister and my back was against the wall. You were so close, I could see the wrinkles in your forehead, the knowledge in your soft, hazel eyes, and when you talked, I saw your uneven teeth. You pointed at the top of the steps and asked, "When you go to Charlotte, can you take those two boxes and the duffel bag with you?"

Your breath enveloped me in that familiar scent of yours, a memorable mixture of Kent Golden Lights and Lectric Shave. For a moment I stood there, looking at you, unable to answer, because I knew from my past lucid dreams that when I start talking, I realize it's just a dream. And then it ends too quickly. I wanted to bury my face in your shirt while you hugged me, but instead I blurted out, "Can't you be here, now?"

There was no sorrow in your wise face when you responded, "I can't be here, but I'll be around."

As always, I woke up sobbing, desperately wanting it to be real, but knowing it was just a dream. It's ok, though, because my dreams are the best it can be now and I wouldn't trade them for anything.

I miss you Dad, and this one is for you.

Love, Paul

I just finished reading John Steinbeck's East of Eden and it is, by far, the best book I've ever read.

Better than the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov. Better than To Kill a Mockingbird. Better than Piers Anthony's Battle Circle. Better even than Steinbeck's other acclaimed works like The Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men.

I bought East of Eden along w/ two other books from Books a Million a couple of weeks ago. Lately I've been getting into reading the classics, books I wasn't assigned to read in high school and never got around to reading since. Sometimes, when perusing the aisles at BAM, it's difficult to pick out good classics from among all the new literature that overflows the shelves. So I usually take my time, sometimes up to an hour, when selecting something to add to my library.

The other two books I picked up were The Pearl (also by Steinbeck) and Erich Maria Remarque's All Quiet on the Western Front. When I went to visit relatives for a few days over New Year's I took these two, b/c they're much shorter than the 600 page tome Eden. I wasn't sure how much time I'd have available to spend reading while visiting and figured these two would be enough.

I devoured The Pearl in one night, and got about 2/3 of the way through All Quiet before heading back home on New Year's Day. And right now I'm glad I took those two instead of Eden b/c I fear I may have done nothing else but read during my entire visit.

The past three nights I've stayed up very late reading it, so much that I had a headache when I went to sleep. Tonight I needed Visine my eyes were so sore. I just couldn't put it down.

I think what moved me the most was not so much the story itself, but the argument some of the characters had regarding the Bible story of Cain and Able, and how the revelation they had applied to their lives. The applicable verse is:

If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

The two words 'thou shalt' from the King James version constitute a promise that Cain would conquer sin. But the passage from the American Standard Bible translates it as:

Do thou rule over him.

This translation represents an order, not a promise. But the Chinese servant arguing in Eden is bothered by this. He enlists the help of Chinese scholars to learn Hebrew and the word 'timshel' is interpreted by them as meaning 'Thou mayest.' The servant posits it may be the most important word in the whole world, and explains:

"...Any writing which has influenced the thinking and the lives of innumerable people is important. Now, there are many millions in their sects and churches who feel the order, 'Do thou,' and throw their weight into obedience. And there are millions more who feel predestination in 'Thou shalt.' Nothing they may do can interfere with what will be. But 'Thou mayest'! Why, that makes a man great, that gives him stature with the gods, for in his weakness and his filth and his murder of his brother he has still the great choice. He can choose his course and fight it through and win."

If you live believing 'thou mayest' then surely if you improve yourself, you will be forgiven. For some time now, I've felt that I accomplished everything I set out to do in life. I own my house and a nice piece of property, am debt free, my kids will be upstanding and productive members of society, and they'll have a nice inheritance when I'm gone. If I die tomorrow I'll die happy and without fear, knowing these truths. Is there another chapter in my life I haven't started living yet, and do I need a new set of goals?

It isn't often I'm moved to the core by a piece of literature. Steinbeck somehow makes prose read like poetry. Maybe my life can be read like that too.

More analysis:

• East of Eden Analysis
• East of Eden: Timshel, Man's Choice Between Good and Evil
• Essay on Timshel in Steinbeck's East of Eden
• Timshel - Bible Investigation

My girlfriend and I had to break up last week. Which really sucks, since we were together almost 2 years and had discussed marriage from time-to-time. Her kids don't like me and the constant battles between them and her desire to continue seeing me was causing too much stress for her. She said she will miss me but gave me the "square peg in a round hole" line of reasoning. It's somewhat true, since I'm a think with my head engineer and she's a live by your heart artist. I always looked at it as we're the yin to each other's yang, each of us providing situational balance to the other by offering a different way of thinking about something.

But as I've been turning this over in my head the past week I've started thinking maybe she's right.

You see, my kids were raised to be polite and respectful to adults. They'll never use foul language in my or their mother's presence. They were taught basic life lessons, like saying "thank you" and "I'm sorry." They know everyone deserves a second chance. They take responsibility for their actions and are not afraid to admit they were wrong. They were taught to forgive and forget. They're strong, independent and self-sufficient. They understand you can't live beyond your means and if you want something you work for it. They know that failure happens from time-to-time but it's never the only option. They realize that excellence is its own reward. They know the difference between a hand up and a handout. They're not picky eaters, can cook for themselves and have excellent diets. They'll get married before they have their own kids, and will be ready to support that family themselves when the time comes. They know they haven't got and probably won't have everything they want but they'll never waste time bemoaning their station. They have no fear and posses the confidence it takes to conquer any challenge life throws at them.

As for myself, I was raised by a U.S. Marine and am an engineer. I've approached almost everything in life from a practical, conservative and frugal line of reasoning. It's why by the age of 50 my mortgage was paid off and I had no debt.

However, through her I came to realize that not every problem can be solved by intellectual reasoning alone. Sometimes you have to think with your heart and put yourself in the other person's situation. Empathy, patience and understanding are required when considering the abuse others may have been unwittingly subjected to through no fault of their own, without dismissing their feelings out of hand. Most people, especially teenagers, can't handle abrupt attempts at correcting selfish, destructive behavior. Everyone needs to heal on their own time; there's no clock on the process. We are a square peg in a round hole because I'm willing to consider these things and think with my heart, even while my head screams it will lead to chaos later.

Love requires giving all of yourself to someone and expecting nothing in return. In this I have failed, but I'll never stop trying to get it right.

Yesterday was my birthday, and since I work every day, I am usually busy when members of my family call to wish me "happy birthday" and chat for a bit. For many years I've always sent their calls to voicemail, then texted them later saying I'd be available to chat after dark-thirty. (BTW this is a term I use all the time, and they know it means "a few minutes after sunset" and not the same as 0-dark-thirty).

However, for some reason yesterday morning I decided that, if I happened to be near my phone when one of them called, I'd answer. So when I was pulling into the gas station and my brother called, I answered, and we talked while I was filling my tank.

Later in the day I discovered my wallet was missing. The last place I used it was when I fueled up. It seems that, while fumbling w/ my phone and pumping gas, I got distracted and drove off w/ the wallet on top of my car. Surveillance footage from the gas station confirmed this happened. Who knows where it fell off. If someone found it it hasn't made its way back to me yet.

No good deed goes unpunished, I suppose...

The past couple of days my phone and email have been blowing up w/ irate customers saying they suddenly can't connect to their shared folders anymore. After some investigation, it turns out KB4480970 security patch is breaking networking on Windows 7 machines. There's a good thread on reddit that suggests a registry hack or simply uninstalling the patch as a workaround.

Makes me wonder if Microsoft's Windows update QA is either seriously slacking, or if it's accidentally on-purpose to convince Windows 7 users to upgrade to Windows 10. Grrr.

A few years back a friend of mine was trying to kick a pill habit and asked me to go to Narcotics Anonymous meetings with her. If you've never been to an NA or AA meeting, it's basically recovering addicts talking about their lives, the mistakes they've made and encouraging newcomers to stay on the straight-and-narrow. Lots of times you'll hear people talk about their "special purpose" in life and how getting sober helped them realize what their special purpose was.

I've been sober for 15 years so whenever I go out with friends I usually drive. After the hockey game Friday night my friend wanted to hit a couple of bars so I said, "Sure." While we were leaving the last bar a woman we didn't know left at the same time as us. I didn't take much notice where she went or what she was driving. My friend lives just across town and usually I'd stay on Route 40 but for some reason I headed toward Interstate 70, not really knowing why I was going that way. As I approached the highway there was a Ford F-150 in front of us with its left turn blinker on which seemed weird because the on-ramp was much further down the road. The next thing I see is the truck turning left, headed the wrong way on the off-ramp from I-70. I immediately laid on the horn, and thankfully the truck stopped. It backed up and I rolled down my window. As the truck's window came down I recognized the driver as the woman who left the bar the same time we did.

"Are you OK?" I asked.

"I'm fine," she replied. "What's wrong?"

"You're turning onto the off-ramp, that's the wrong way," I said. "Are you headed east or west?"

"East," she replied.

"I'm going east," I said. "Follow me."

She followed me and we both got on the interstate headed in the right direction. She didn't seem inebriated, just confused. Luckily we avoided certain catastrophe. I contemplated calling the cops but didn't; I was still a little shocked at what had almost happened.

My special purpose is to make sure my friends get home safe. Lord only knows why I turned toward the interstate Friday night instead of heading straight out Route 40, but afterward it really seemed like it may have been divine intervention.

Hells yeah. Anybody beat that w/ their daily driver?