Work is just getting more and more surreal. Today I am installing Oracle on a random Unix machine. This is not as straightforward as one might hope, but it all seems to be installing, so I cross my fingers and wait.

The weekend was ... wearing. Fun, definitely, but just so /tiring/. Friday we did a bunch of running around (picking up my new computer! and getting cat food), then had dinner with Eric. After dinner Jim and Eric helped me get my room clean enough that the computer could be set up. By the time Eric went home I had a partially clean room with my IKEA table set up, and the computer on the table zooming merrily away. I was also exhausted, it being 1am, so I quickly gave in to sleep rather than staying up all night playing Dungeonkeeper at truly insane speeds.

Saturday I got up at noon to do a release for work, and then called my dad & stepmom to thank them for the computer, which somehow along the way turned from 'We'll buy you half the computer and you can pay for the other half' to 'Happy Hannukah, dear'. After talking to them for a bit I called my mom to talk to her about my plans to visit next week. Then it was somehow 3pm, and I had to go shower & get dressed, as Jim and I were supposed to be in the city by 6ish to see a 7pm showing of the new Star Trek movie with Paul and 'the person who Paul is regularly dating but is not to be called a boyfriend', named Bill. The movie actually failed to suck, to my great amazement, and Bill is a nice guy. Afterwards we walked down to Max's and had dessert; I had the chocolate fantasy torte, which was good but not what I was actually hungry for. I ended up stealing lots of Jim's vanilla bean ice cream.

Sunday we got up, flailed a little, and eventually made it to downtown Palo Alto with Harold. The CD store across from Borders was having a '20% off used CDs' sale, so I splurged. Purchases included:

• Three Rush albums, Counterparts, Roll the Bones, and 2112. I know the first two are new albums and thus no good, but I haven't actually heard them (beyond my experience of the Counterparts tour), so...
• 23am by Robert Miles, whose Dreamland I like very much.
• Talking Heads, Fear of Music, solely because it was produced by Eno. I have no shame.
• An old Genesis album, The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway from the days when they still had Peter Gabriel.
• A Hawkwind album, Indepdent Days Volumes 1 & 2, which is a 'Best Of" their early 80's work, released a few years ago. I don't actually know if I like Hawkwind, but Chris likes them, and so far I've enjoyed all the music he's pointed me to.
• u.f.orb, because I like "Fluffy Little Clouds" and thus expect to like the rest of their stuff.

I have the sneaking suspicion I've forgotten something, but I'm not sure what it is. Anyway, after CDs we went to Bob and Bob's, where I bought myself a Hannukeah (note utter uncertainty as to spelling) and some candles. The store was packed with last minute Hannukah shoppers (it started last night), which was actually rather amusing. Lots of cute kids. I picked up a Hebrew dictionary for myself as well.

After all the shopping we fled Palo Alto, and Jim&I did the usual going to Berkeley thing. I had an interesting time of it in group, with lots of strong emotions flying around inside and really nice responses from everyone there. It was the first time I'd been in two weeks (Thanksgiving, and then Rachel's gingerbread party), and the last time I'll be there in December due to my going-to-Oklahoma schedule. I'm a bit peevish that I'm only getting to go once this month, since I feel like good stuff was happening last night.

That was my weekend. It was good. I love seeing Paul -- for someone who hates everyone he's one of the most fun people I know.