Lift Up Your Hearts!

It's not quite Heather's birthday, but it looked like a good, (relatively) quiet day to celebrate, so that's what we did.  It started out normally, with Jonathan knocking on my door right at 7:00, and Noah following not long after.  Soon the day took an unexpected twist, however, when we went downstairs and discovered that Jon was not just up, but hadn't been to bed at all last night, thanks to a particularly problematic server crisis.  We kept expecting him to take a nap, but he never did, for after he solved the server problem, several customers wanted his attention for one thing or another.

What made the situation particularly interesting was that during our early-morning time together, Jonathan, Noah, and I had been talking about the difference between doctors and nurses, and that led to a discussion of how difficult it is to do a good job when you don't have enough time to do it right, which led to the example of a certain plumber taking on more jobs than he could handle and therefore getting a reputation for being unreliable, because he promised more than he could deliver.

From there we talked about the importance of both (1) doing good work (getting the plumbing job right) and (2) being a good worker (showing up when you say you will), and about how a self-employed worker's greatest asset is his reputation.  So I gave as an example Lime Daley, which is not the cheapest web host around, but is prized for delivering on its promises—unlike some, who count on you not really needing the capacity they've supposedly sold you—as well as for its prompt and friendly customer service.  Even Lime Daley, I said, will occasionally have a day when customers A, B, C, D, E, and F all need attention at the same time and therefore can't get the normal prompt responses.  In such a case, having a good reputation means that most customers respond well to an apology and an explanation—because they know it's a rare occurrence.  I saw that in my school days, too:  students who were known to be diligent were given more grace over an aberrant missed assignment than those with a reputation as slackers.

I don't really believe that my making up a story about six customers all needing Jon's attention at the same time actually caused it to happen—but if it did, I apologize.

We didn't actually stay home all day, as we had errands to run to the post office, the bank, the town offices, and the library.  This doesn't count as stressful, however, because we didn't drive to any of them:  they were all within easy walking distance, and the weather was very pleasant:  clear, cool, and sunny, a perfect October day. 

That reminds me of another library story.  On Thursday, Jonathan suddenly jumped up, announced, "I need to get to the library now!" and disappeared.  He returned a few minutes later with a copy of The Return of the King.  The library here is closed on Wednesdays, and that sometimes makes Jonathan as antsy as a drug addict whose supply has been temporarily cut off.

It was also a good day for communication:  our most successful Skype session yet with all the Daley and Stücklin cousins together.  Despite the chaos, the kids really enjoyed seeing each other and interacting as best they could under the circumstances.  In addition, Noah discovered Instant Messaging with Dad-o, and they spent a good long time in several sessions talking back and forth.

Heather's special dinner was one of my favorites, too:  Siamese Chicken Curry with Broccoli and Peanuts.  (My apologies, Heather.  Looking at the original recipe I see that I recalled incorrectly that the type of peanuts called for was honey-roasted.  But I still think they're the best.)  She had to make most of it herself, not atypical for a mother.  But at least she didn't have to bake her own cake.

After dinner Heather opened her presents—and Noah even had one for me:  a homemade, hand-woven potholder, my favorite kind.  I appreciated both the potholder and the implicit acknowledgement that if it weren't for Grandma, Mommy wouldn't be celebrating her birthday.

Finally, we enjoyed our extra-fudgy Ghiradelli brownie "cake."  Heather wanted it served warm, so we blatantly ignored the instructions to let the brownies cool completely.  Note for the future:  Be sure to let them cool, if not completely, at least long enough that the candles don't melt.