I came back from vacation (my honeymoon) today, and I found I only had two phone messages, both of which were only hang-ups with no actual message. What I lacked in auditory messages, though, I more than made up for in e-mails. Specifically, I had way too many junk e-mails. I did the math and added up the numbers to find that I received 160 e-mails in the one week I was gone, while only 48 of those e-mails were of any actual importance to me (and I’m using importance as a broad term here).

I have to say that one of the best parts of my day is watching people and traffic through the front windows of our office. In fact, one of my favorite all-too regular occurrences is watching folks park along the opposite side of the street, right next to the “No Parking Any Time” sign. It makes me laugh every time.

I’m working at cleaning some old files off of my computer at work today. It’s been running slow, and I figure that the backlog of pictures and news stories from 2006 on through this week is probably a major contributor to these slow speeds.

And then, when I leave work today, I’m going to go home and do the exact same thing to my computer at home. I’m temporarily converting it into a photobooth for my sister’s wedding, and I’ll need to make sure there’s space on the computer to save all the pictures that will be taken.

Two members of my family have relatively important doctors appointments today, and another has one coming up later this week.

Neither are life-threatening, but sometimes it’s just hard to concentrate on work.

You remember that episode of “Seinfeld” during which George hires Jerry’s cabinet guy to turn his desk into a bed? I’m pretty tired today at work, and I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t already realized that there is enough extra space under by desk to make a very comfortable bed.

And the white noise created by my extremely loud and relatively outdated computer could lull me to sleep in seconds.

I’ve been out of the office for the past few days, because I’m attending the Minnesota Newspaper Association conference in Bloomington.

Normally, I’d relish any chance to be out and about and away from my desk. But this time around it seems like there are a lot of things I could be working on were I actually at the office.

No worries, though, because I’m learning a lot at the sessions during the conference. I only wish there were two of me, because I dread the work overload I’ll be facing when I head back to my computer on Monday.

Not much talking this week on the site. Does everyone but me have the week off? Am I the only one not enjoying a vacation – at least a vacation from the computer?

It’s still snowing this morning. I’d love to be out enjoying it – especially with the new cross country skis I got for Christmas – but I have to be behind the computer today.

At least it was a white Christmas!

This weekend is going to be a good one, and here’s why:

• I get to most of it with my girlfriend.
• I’m going to a gospel concert.
• I’m going to eat three great home-cooked meals.
• I’ll be done with my Christmas shopping.
• It’s just after 9 a.m. Friday, and I’m about to leave work – starting my weekend early.

Do you have big plans for the weekend?

I’m headed to my girlfriend’s office Christmas party this weekend, and I’m not sure how I feel about it.