The sun was out today, briefly, but I saw it! This rain has been incredible, for days on end. My rain barrels are both full to the brim, which is rare for so early in the season. My lawn is tall, tall, tall, which isn't really so rare but is a real drag, since I haven't got my mower going yet and it's too wet to mow anyway. I'm hoping to get it going tomorrow and actually maybe even mow tomorrow night.

Today is my last real day of work for a while. Tomorrow I go to the annual meeting of our umbrella network, where the people are nice and it's always a nice gathering. I'm off Friday, Monday is Memorial Day, and I'm off on Tuesday. YAHOO! THere's much to be done at home, much, much cleaning. The sun is supposed to shine on Friday and Saturday, which will be a treat, and Jenica is coming as well. We'll get the boat house set and hopefully will stay in camp. Don't know if anyone else is coming, haven't heard anything.

Yesterday was the trip to Albany to meet with union lawyer and judge to see if we had to negotiate with management regarding the payroll issue of leap year and an "extra" pay period. Well, no, as a matter of fact, the judge said we don't have to negotiate with them. But, he said, we'd be wise to reach some sort of compromise or they can just yank a paycheck from us and we would have to grieve it (and we know I'm getting good at grieving) and might not win so we'd lose the money anyway, it would just take longer to resolve. The victory was sweet but short-lived. But it was sweet, oh so sweet, to have the judge say we were right. So we talked and talked with the CSEA attorney and payroll specialist, both telling us our cause was basically a lost one, and finally I came up with what I thought was an ok compromise, one I thought I could sell to the members. We proposed it to management (via attorneys, of course we never meet face to face about these things). They said they'd let us know today. It's 4:15 and there's been no word, of course. I suppose no news is good in that it's not a rejection of our proposal.

Meeting all day with automated libraries--exhausting but very productive. It was a good group and they were animated and full of good ideas and enthusiasm from 9 until 2:45. I was impressed. I led the 9-12 portion, the automation consultant led the afternoon.

And now I head home, rest and play with the dogs for 45 minutes, then have dinner with Ken. Tomorrow night is the book group, discussing East of Eden. Another group of animated and interesting people. Then I'm free and clear of people until Sunday, when it's time to visit with Linda and Erdvilas, who will be here from Michigan for a week or so.