It's after 5pm. My screen runs. It saves data, and retrieves it again correctly. It deletes data only when told to do so. Once I deal with delimiters, quotes, and dates I'm done. Somehow, though, I don't think I'm going to meet my estimate, which was 'finished by end of the day'. Clearly Rachel was correct in her advice to double all estimates. How very Star Trek.

Grass Valley this weekend! Fireworks, and good food, and babies (Al seems to be in favour of me holding Katie a lot), and lots of down time. And Mage. I'm looking forward to Mage; I haven't played since January. I hope I can get into character. I hope Earl and Jim don't end up miserable because of being around each other. I hope I don't end up miserable. I hope I can stay awake while driving tonight, although I guess if I start to fall asleep I'll just make Jim drive.

Earl has appeared; I picked him up at the airport around 4 (which was unfortunate as his plane was in at 3 -- but I badly misjudged traffic time. Seems to be a theme, today.), and then brought him to Tango, from whence he immediately headed off to browse bookstores. But he's back now, with books, and sitting in Rachel's chair reading & drinking a Sprite. Any moment now Chrisber will show up & swoop Earl off to Temple Square, where they will rendezvous with Marith and start making their own way to Grass Valley. If I am sane I will go home as soon as Chrisber picks Earl up, even though there's a faint urge to sit here coding until dawn. Jim would probably come find me, though; we're supposed to leave for GV around 8ish, and I still haven't packed.

Chrisber is here! I have hacked at my code until I'm satisfied, with Chrisber & Earl talking over my head and occasionally making snide and/or flattering comments. My favourite was Chrisber peering at my xemacs window and saying, 'Wow, it's in colours.' I feel like a real programmer.

Time to zoom.