Return from the Center of the Earth

Well, I'm topside again and darn glad to be here. My brief time spent with the fine men of the SSN 725, USS Helena was a great experience, but I wouldn't want to live there! Because of security not allowing me to have a camera onboard there will be no pictures of this trip.

So in other big news, Calla goes for her first show this weekend! (Sept 24 and 25, 2005). Here you can see a picture of her googling the competition.



Yes, she's quite focused for this upcoming battle!












She has her game face on,















and she's not taking any prisoners!
















Here is a picture of me showing her how to pose for the judges:

















Gepetto, our second cat, is one of Calla's Biggest Fans!.


















So anyway, other big news to share is that one of Lilah's friends and coworkers, Scarlett, has gotten engaged! Here's the rock(S) -- yes he proposed to her at Wingdome... but he did get her THREE rings! Darn Video Game software Programmers and their bazallions of dollars...






Well, my beautiful, and may I say Genius of a Wife is getting ready to take the next of her Actuarial exams. I was scheduled to take my Fundamentals of Engineering at the end of next month, but seeing as the study materials that I ordered through work JUST came in today and that I'm a big scaredy cat, I'm electing to take it in April after a winter's worth of studying. Not the Missus, though. Her test is November 9, 2005 and is a 2 hour exam all on interest theory. (Note, for the vast array of actuaries who frequent this blog I'm sure you already know about the change in testing structures, but for everyone else, the old system of tests (which wasn't THAT old) has changed again and what would have been a four hour test on Interest theory, Micro and Macro Economics(es) and Corporate Finance, is now structured to test just the one subject; however, wherein the old system didn't include continuing education the new system requires that you complete courses before you take tests.)

Anyway, she's a genius, as previously mentioned, but she's also very... how shall I say this nicely... put off by people who insist that she will pass before she's even taken the test. So if you pass her at the water cooler, tell her good luck, but don't tell her it's a sure thing... it's kinda like saying "break a leg" instead of "good luck" to a stage performer, I think. I just kiss her and try to keep out of trouble:


Yup, that's my life in Blog. More again later!