Overall, an ok day

The surgeon arrived with the resident in tow. They did poke and probe Mary's incision where it continues to do a little weeping. The surgeon explained that there was a knot in the suture material that was probably the reason for the inflammation. The radiation is interfering with the healing process. And, yes, the suture materials is supposed to dissolve but because of the knot, it didn't perform as planned. Absolutely not a big deal.

Overall, the surgeon was very pleased with Mary's condition and recovery from the rather high risk liver trisegmentectomy. He was also pleased with her rather healthy appearance in spite of three weeks of radiation.

Mary was very tired when she got home, so she fixed a quick lunch and laid down. She told me she slept until 4:30 or so. Dinner was Willow Street takeout of a fusili, chicken, artichoke pasta and a Gorgonzola, walnut, spinach salad.

On a totally different note, its is the end of July 2009. Or, 40 years from the first day I reported to work at Fairchild Semiconductor in Mountain View as a freshly minted mechanical engineer. I wrote a couple of weeks ago about the Moon-Landing, Graduation, Going-Away Party my folks threw for me. Well, that was followed by my first day at work as an engineer which was the last week of July in 1969.

I had driven my two year old '67 Mustang from St. Paul to Mountain View, packed with some clothes, books and odds and end. The trip started with my Mother emerging from the house on my departure morning with a suitcase--because she was going to ride cross country with me! Shall I say I was more than surprised and very upset! This was my breakaway and my mother was NOT coming with me. Mom was the reason I was not allowed to "go away to college," and I had been looking forward to starting my career somewhere other than St Paul. The San Francisco bay area seemed far enough away, and was most likely encouraged in my mind by the wonderful stories Mom and Dad told about their years in California before WWII. My sister, for example, was born in the LA area before they moved back to St Paul. Of course, 1969, Haight-Ashbury, Mama's and Papa's California Dreamin' and all of the Beach Boy albums definitely helped too!

The day I arrived at Fairchild, the HR manager welcomed me to the company and then called my new home department--to find out the hiring manager had left the company the prior Friday. That was ok, because Fairchild had offered me two positions, one in the Mark area and the other in the Mask area and the respective managers were Bye and Fry. It turned out I had confused managers and departments and signed up for the desired department (Mask) but it was the manager I really didn't want to work for. The replacement manager was a great guy and a real mentor so it worked out wonderfully.

I also learned the manager who left was a good guy too and I had misread him, easy to do when you are a new college grad. The part I regret missing were the meetings held by the departed manager, who was probably an ancient 50 or so, held frequently, all afternoon poolside at his home during the warm weather. Ah, the California lifestyle! These intense, mentally exhausting, planning meetings were coupled with his much younger, gorgeous, blond, German (second) wife serving as hostess serving snacks and drinks. My co-workers told me wistfully of the experience--as the weather went from the warmth of spring to the heat of summer she changed from a European topless suit to a traditional Munchen English Garden swimsuit. You know the kind...the same kind you don't see on centerfolds in certain adult magazines...

40 years...