The First Day Of The Rest Of Our Life

Twenty-three years ago I woke up feeling a little anxious. I met with my best friends Bill, Steve, and Kyle and my brother, John. We gathered at The Kettle restaurant for a hearty breakfast. I ate well, if I remember correctly, despite my stomach starting to do flip-flops. The levity of my friends and family, along with some juvenile behavior like spoon hanging (I wish I knew where that picture was), helped with the nerves.

After breakfast we went back to the hotel and got all fancied up. We gathered in the parking lot and as we waited Steve showed us a trick to keep our shirts straight - reach into your pockets and tug down on the bottom of your shirt from the inside. We then tested how it looked with a group photograph.

As you can see, my good friends were keeping my anxiety in check.

Once my parents joined us we headed to the event. The drive was short but the butterflies were getting more restless. At the venue we had our pictures taken - me alone, me with brother, me with Bill, Steve and John, me with parents, me with parents and brother, etc. The sheer tedium of this settled the butterflies.

Once we were done with pictures we waited. Well, all except for Kyle who was helping to seat friends and family. The waiting was the worst part. That's when the nerves took hold. It didn't help that my "friends" were having a jolly time watching the nerves build and were encouraging them by telling me that the person I was there to meet was wearing an inappropriately-colored dress. Despite the dress having been described to me previously by other parties, they said it so much I started to worry that something had changed.

Eventually, it was time to take our places. Bill, Steve, John and I stood at the front of the room. As the music played a beautiful woman entered from the back. Everyone stood to greet and honor her. Thankfully, she was wearing a flowing white dress with a slightly pink hue to it (and not the blazing red dress my friends had teased about). Her father walked her to the front of the church where he passed responsibility and entrusted me with her care.

For twenty-three years I have loved and cared for my beautiful wife, Shelly. We've overcome obstacles and tested our vows but together we are strong. I love her more and more every day. Happy anniversary, sweetie. I love you.

September Morn

It is cool and crisp outside. My bare feet touch the cold wood of the deck. The air is still so there is no bite but I wrap my arms around myself for a modicum of warmth anyway. The Autumn air is refreshing as I inhale and it rushes upward into my nostrils.

There is a broad, thin layer of clouds reflecting the first rays of the sun in a pale vermilion, the full moon still visible in the Western sky. Light wisps of fog congregate at the Northwest area of the pond. The water is still. A lone, dark-colored egret stands regally at the center while a large flock of geese begin to awaken at the Southeast edge. The occasional honk carrying through the scene like a morning yawn.

I stand for a few more moments, drinking in the peace that nature has brought to my doorstep. I have not begun to shiver yet but it is only a matter of time. I take another deep breath to fill my spirit and I smile as I turn to go inside.

Great Day

I spent the day in Tulsa with a couple of friends from high school, one of whom I haven't seen in 20 years or so. At times it felt just like it was 20 years ago... except that we were talking about spouses, children and which body parts hurt.

We talked a lot about what was at the time and what has happened in the mean time. We reminded each other of things we'd forgotten and we told each other secrets we'd kept to ourselves. And we told each other, "I love you."

On my way home, for the first time in my life*, I saw a "shooting star." I saw a point of light come into view and thought it was an airplane (it was that bright). I realized it was moving too fast then saw it fizzle out as quickly as it had appeared. It was a beautiful ending to a wonderful day.

----------------------------------

* I have watched meteor showers before but it just isn't the same thing.

Lows And Highs

Today has been... geez, I just don't know where to start. "Start at the begining." Yeah, but I gotta decide where the beginning is. I guess the beginning is two weeks ago... maybe it was... oh, hell, it was a Wednesday (December 23, to be exact).

I had been given a couple of projects from my boss just before we left for our break. One project was to move the web site from a Windows-based server running Joomla 1.0 to a Linux server running Joomla 1.5. Apparently he had already tried to migrate the site automatically and it didn't go well. Project two was to get a new issue tracking system up and running.

I actually welcomed project #1. Our web site had grown through multiple masters and was, frankly, a mess on the back end. We had sections that should have been categories and categories that should have been articles and just a massive jumble of crap. This would be my chance to redefine how the categories would be laid out and how items would fit into those categories.

Boss wanted project 1 done by Feb first. It wouldn't be so bad but they made a change between 1.0 and 1.5 on how they handle images and, well, it's a lot of work for me.

Project #2 is fairly easy to get in place but it requires different thought processes than our current system. The boss asked me where we were on it just before the break and I said 2 weeks to answer some questions, 1 week to show it to the troops and then we go online.

I think I gave project #2 an unrealistic timeline... but it's not my fault.

We came back from our break on Monday. I tried to concentrate on my special projects, I really did. I had to deal with a network outage, a corruption of the new issue tracking system that caused us to start over with it (not a huge deal but still a setback), a couple of viruses (I really HATE HATE HATE scareware!), a security/privacy issue that required me to re-image all of our lab computers (pretty much an all-day event), and all of your basic day-to-day "my computer is broken" and "my printer won't work" issues. And the students aren't even back yet.

I got blocked by something every day this week. I barely had time to think about the projects. Needless to say, I was a little stressed by quitting time.

Now for the high.

I have a friend I knew in high school that I haven't talked to or heard from in twenty years. A mutual friend convinced her to come back to Oklahoma and visit for a few days. I have been looking forward to seeing her and we agreed to call each other tonight to figure out where we were going to meet.

I ended up calling our mutual friend and she put my lost friend on the phone. M said one word. Just one word. And all of my stress just melted away. I can't wait to actually see her tomorrow.

Tea For Two

I really enjoy hot tea. It is a flavorful, hot drink that is not weighed down like hot chocolate or a latte. Tea also tastes wonderful when you're sick with sinus pressure and a cough, like I have been for the past two days.

My favorite experience with tea has to be when we were on a cruise. I don't recall if it was our first cruise, a 4-day cruise to the Bahamas, or our second cruise, a seven day to the Caymans, Jamaica and Mexico. Anyway, they were having a "high tea" or a "captains tea" and I decided to take some time to check it out.

I believe the event was held in the library or someplace similar. I recall there being a lot of wood in the room. There weren't a lot of people, maybe 20 or 30, so it was a rather cozy gathering. I'm pretty sure it was designed to be a get-to-know-you event.

I took a seat, not knowing what to expect, and waited for things to start. The part I really remember and the part that, to me, made it special was the presentation of the teas. A steward of some sort came by with a large, flat, wooden box. The lid was hinged and as he came near the table, he stopped and opened the lid. Inside the box was just about every kind of tea Bigelow makes and it was like he was presenting it just to me. I felt "wealthy" for a moment as if the butler were presenting me with a choice of any of the many teas in my stores.

I selected a tea, I believe it was Earl Grey, and the steward moved on. When I had finished, I rejoined my wife having taken a moment for myself to relax and enjoy a hot cup of tea with some "friends."

A Letter

Dear Santa,

I know that every year I send you a list of wonderfully expensive gizmos, gadgets and blinking black boxes but I want you to know that I do understand what Christmas is about. Christmas is not about what you get but about what you give. I'm not talking about the material things that you give to friends and family. What I'm talking about is the part of you that you give to others.

Some people give of themselves by volunteering to serve dinner to the less fortunate. Some people donate gifts or money to The Salvation Army or Toys for Tots in the hope that everyone will have at least one gift to open on Christmas morning. Some people show up for a family dinner and hold their tongue so they don't argue with the relative they don't get along with the other 364 days a year. Some people go to church and pray for opportunities to serve God and their fellow man.

This holiday is a celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. It is also a celebration of the gift he gave to all of us... His life. I refuse to forget that.

For some reason, to me, this Christmas is even more about giving and sacrifices. I don't feel the stress and worry and hustle and bustle of the season. All I feel is the love. The love of family. The love of friends. The love of every living soul on this planet. And the love of God.

So, Santa, I'd like you to do me a favor. As you and your reindeer fly around the world this Christmas Eve and you deliver gifts to all the boys and girls, put a little love under the tree from me. As it turns out, I have plenty to go around... just like Jesus did.

Thanks,
Uncle Bubby

How Not To Spend Your Last Day At Work

(Other possible title: How To Not Spend Your Last Day At Work)

I went to work yesterday like it was any other day. I drove by myself instead of carpooling because I was planning on going down to Dallas for the First Saturday Sale with a friend after work.

On my way in I started feeling, let's call it intestinal pressure, and pulled off at a gas station at about 7:30am. I was feeling a bit lightheaded as I sometimes will when that occurs but even though not much happened, the pressure and drowsiness subsided.

By the time I got to work 30 minutes later, the pressure was back so that was my first order of business. Again, not much happened but the lightheadedness did not completely subside. I returned to my desk, logged in to my workstation, launched my applications and started to work. I felt a little short of breath but proceeded to send an email to one of my customers. I started to get a feeling at the bottom of my throat that I still wouldn't describe as chest pain but more like a lump in my throat. By the time I finished the email, I knew I just didn't feel right and told my team lead I was heading to see the nurse (the company has an on-site occupational health nurse). The nurse wasn't there. It was just before 9am and she doesn't come in until 10am on Fridays.

The sign on the door said to call security if necessary so I just headed for the security station at the front door. I explained how I was feeling and the guard asked if I wanted her to call an ambulance. Well, NO, I didn't want an ambulance. I was just a little short of breath. I didn't think I was quite at the stage of needing an ambulance. She ended up notifying the emergency response team (employees throughout the building with first-aid or first-responder training are encouraged to volunteer for the ERT). I hoped they might take my pulse, check my blood pressure, and get an assessment of whether I really needed an ambulance. Nope. Apparently it doesn't work that way.

I told the two ERT members who responded what was going on. They asked me a few questions like did I have asthma, has this ever happened before, etc. Then one of them suggested calling an ambulance so they could do the assesment I was trying to get in the first place. I agreed.

As I waited, I gave the ERT some more information for their report and the pressure eased off quite a bit. I almost felt normal when a group of what I assume was fire/rescue personnel arrived. They weren't part of the ambulance crew but they were all dressed in navy blue T-shirts with their names and ranks on them (EMTs don't have ranks, do they?). The first one through the door took a look at me and immediately said, "Hey guy, you look kinda pale. Do you usually look like that?"

The rational part of my brain said, "I'm Italian. Pale is not a word I would use to describe my normal complexion." The irrational part of my mind said, "Crap. This isn't going to end well." My voice said nothing.

The F/R crew proceeded to ask some of the same general questions as the ERT: What's your name, describe how you're feeling, etc. Before it got too deep, I saw a gurney rolling in surrounded by three individuals in crisp, white security uniform style shirts. Seeing the gurney, the irrational part of my brain again said, "Crap. This isn't going to end well."

The EMTs immediately asked what hospital I wanted to be transported to. "I don't know, but I'm not quite ready to say let's go yet," was my response. After a few basic questions regarding the situation, I was asked to lie down on the gurney so they could hook me up to a portable ECG hanging on the side of it and make it easier to get my vitals and assess the situation. I'm all about making things easier on people who are trying to help me so I acquiessed. Before they even finished hooking me up, they buckled a belt around my waist. The irrational part of my brain observed this and said, "Yep. I'm on the right track."

I wasn't on the gurney very long before I started feeling lightheaded again and felt short of breath. The EMTs gave me a couple of chewable baby aspirin then suggested a shot of nitro. "Oh please don't. I've taken that before* and it gave me an instant migraine. I would rather not if we don't have to." One of the EMTs spewed his disclaimer about refusing this particular treatment and we went on.

A few blinks of the ECG, a few more questions and a few vital signs later, they asked about hospital preference again. The rational part of my brain said, "If they're asking that again after making a basic assessment, it's probably a good idea to go." The irrational part of my brain said, "I don't feel so good." I had no idea what to tell them since I don't live in Oklahoma City but our facility happens to be less than 10 minutes away from one of the bigger hospitals that also happens to have a heart hospital and chest pain diagnosis center as part of it. Off we went.

As we waited in the ambulance (for what, I don't know) I started feeling more and more out of touch. They asked me some more questions, like my date of birth, that I really had to think about to answer and I answered them slowly as if I weren't entirely sure I was giving them the correct information. Finally, we were off. No sirens, no rush, just on our way. The ride wasn't so bad for about 30 seconds when we hit the first speed bump. We took it slowly but it made me superfluously uncomfortable. It was for this reason that when they again suggested the nitro, I agreed. I would try anything for relief. At the very least, I figured the migraine would take my mind off the other discomforts. As it turns out, the nitro did provide relief but not a headache. Before we got to the hospital, I got a second shot of nitro, a little more relief and still no headache. The rational part of my mind told the irrational part of my mind, "What do you know, it appears you were on the right track."

I spent about an hour (maybe two, I'm not entirely sure) in the ER getting my blood drawn and getting a chest X-Ray while hooked up to an ECG/respiration/Oxygen/BP monitor. By this time, my mother-in-law, wife and a family friend were there. I was extremely appreciative of their company.

When the initial blood work came back okay, I relaxed a little bit. The doctor came in and told me he wanted to take another blood sample in an hour or two then would schedule a nuclear stress test (where they inject you with a radioactive agent, take pictures of the heart, torture you on a treadmill for about 10 minutes, shoot you up with some more radioactive goo, then take another picture of the heart). Luckily, I was in one of about two or three hospitals in the state where I could have that done the same day. If everything turned out okay, he felt they could have me home that evening to sleep in my own bed.

At that point, they moved me into the Medical Decision Unit. This is a unit attached to the ER where they can put patients that are stable and do not yet indicate admission to await test results while clearing the true emergency rooms for incoming patients. Pretty cool idea, I thought.

Jumping ahead, the second set of blood work came back normal and we learned just before 6pm that the stress test indicated normal heart function. By this time, I was back to myself and feeling pretty good. It had been a long day but I was leaving with answers. Not complete answers, but answers.

So, what happened? That remains to be determined. I will be following up with my family physician to see where he wants to take it. The strong money, however, is on an anxiety attack possibly complicated by gastro-intestinal issues.

So my last day at work had a pretty dark cloud hanging over it but it actually produced several silver linings:

• I know my heart is functioning normally
• The nuclear scan did not indicate blockage significant enough for concern (I have no idea if it indicated no blockage at all, I just got told it was normal)
• I learned that I have a LOT of people who care about me
• I was working with one of the best teams and for one of the best companies I have ever worked with. No, make that THE best.
• I was good at what I was doing
  
• I am and was well respected
• I will be missed
• I have a job if I ever need one - all I have to do is call one of about half a dozen people (or more)
• I move forward with more confidence and a greater appreciation for things I often take for granted

Just for the record, I opted not to go to Dallas.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

*A couple of years ago, I has having some bad problems with reflux. The doc prescribed some nitro pills because they can relax the esophagus. I tried it once and it took less than a minute to give me a migraine like I have never experienced.

I Was Late For Work, But I Don’t Care

I was on my way to work as normal this morning. I was heading to where my carpool buddy lives. I was almost to his house when I saw what looked like a cat in the middle of the road. I was saddened as I assumed it was a victim of traffic flow and shocked when it looked up at me with a look of absolute fear as I passed it down the middle of my car.

Well, I stopped immediately. This was a little kitten. It looked barely old enough to be out on its own. Ten weeks max and that may be a high estimate. I performed what had to be two illegal U-Turns and pulled up right next to the petrified kitten, blocking her from potential injury by oncoming traffic, and put on my hazards.

Well, I thought she was petrified. As soon as I opened the door to get her, she took shelter under the car. I looked, changed positions, looked again, and looked a third time. I couldn’t see her and thought maybe she had scampered off into the grass. By this time, there was a car behind me so I got back into the car.

Just in case, I pulled ahead v e r y s l o w l y and angled off to the side when I knew she would be clear. Sure enough, there she was, still hunkered down in the middle of the road. The car behind me saw her and did the same thing I did when I first spotted her. She was still unharmed.
Before the light turned green and the semi truck started to pull forward, I ran out and scooped her up. I checked her very quickly when I got her back in the car and there didn’t appear to be a scratch on her. On her own, she crawled up and rested on my left shoulder as I drove to my buddy’s house.

We leave for work at 6:30 in the morning. The animal shelter is not open at that time. The only thing we could think of to do was to drive 20 minutes back to my house, place her in one of my spare cat crates and ask my wife (very nicely) to take her over to the animal shelter for us.

From what I could see, the kitten was unscathed by the experience. She wasn’t even terribly shaken once I got her out of harm’s way. The wife said she was very quiet and ate a little bit before she took her to the shelter. I would have kept her but we have enough difficulty getting my 19-year-old cat and my 2-year-old cat not to fight. Plus we simply cannot afford to adopt another cat and take on the immunization costs, declawing, etc. As cute and docile as she is, I am sure someone will give her a good home.

I saved a life today. What have you done?

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!!

Remember a couple of days ago when I told you I had received some genealogical information from a distant cousin via my father? Remember that I told you my Family Tree Maker file had disappeared?

I FOUND THE FILE!!!

Now, thanks to about 30 minutes worth of tinkering, I have 100 people in my database. And I have plenty more to add.

Thank you, Matt Cross, wherever you are. I shall be sending your information back to you a little more fleshed out.

Oh yeah! Doin' the Snoopy dance!

Busy Weekend

Yesterday morning, we put the Mother-In-Law on a plane back to Oklahoma. She flew in late Thursday night for a visit. She had planned to come in Late August or early September but Toby Keith convinced her otherwise.

MIL is a huge Toby Keith fan. The problem is, even though he's from Oklahoma, he doesn't play there too often and he sells out quick when he does. With that in mind, MIL had told the wife, I'd say it was about a year ago, to keep an eye out for one of his concerts in the region. The wife had been checking Dallas, Kansas City and Oklahoma venues but nothing.

Then, as many of you know, we moved to Boise in April. As luck would have it, we heard an advertisement about six weeks ago that none other than Toby Keith would be playing here July 29. We told MIL and she said, "Buy the tickets and book me a flight."

We had a good time hanging out on Friday. We sat around and talked most of the morning then went to see Evan Almighty (a good afternoon diversion - Steve Carrel is wonderful). On Saturday, I took MIL with me to some garage sales. She got a chance to see some of the local landscape and she enjoys garage sales, too. I think she picked up three or four paperbacks while we were out and about. I had to go to work Saturday night so she and the wife hung out together.

[SIDE NOTE: While I was at work, a lady brought in the DVD she had rented to return it. I told her to simply drop it in the return slot at the end of the counter. She then advised me that she had "wound it back." "What?" "It's a new DVD player. I wound the movie back for you... at least as far as the previews." I thanked her and kept my chuckles to myself - at least until she left.]

Sunday morning we spent chatting again then to the concert that evening. The concert was a blast. Although I don't know many of the songs by Toby Keith, I do enjoy his style of C&W and had a great time discovering many of the songs he's recorded since "Shoulda Been A Cowboy." There were lots of bangs and confetti canons and pyrotechnics and a good ol' rowdy time. It was LOUD, too. With the hearing difficulties I'm already starting to experience I was glad the venue had earplugs available. I had one in my left ear the entire time and kept loosening or removing the one in my right ear. It was loud enough that I could hear fine either way.

On Monday, I decided to let the ladies have a day to themselves. After everyone slept until noon, the gals went off to the fabric store and to have their hair done. The big problem was that they selected Wal-Mart as their salon of choice and, rather than a permanent, the wife ended up with a simple trim... long wait, long story, she wasn't happy. She called me while as I was arriving downtown to tell me they were going to go see Hairspray. After my stargazing trip, I met them at K-Mart (another disaster - why is it that nobody ever seems to understand how to handle a traveler's check? And why is it that retail cashiers can't seem to pick up an intercom and call for a manager-or at least someone more experienced-if they don't understand how to deal with something?) for a little bit of shopping and then we had dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.

Tuesday morning, I brought MIL to the airport at ~6am for her 7:30 flight... then came back home to bed. It's been a long weekend but it was good to get a little taste of home. I get along well with MIL and I think it did some good for her daughter to spend a little time with her as well.

A Little Taste Of Home

We were heading out yesterday morning to grab some breakfast, then take in a full day of garage sales. As we approached a stoplight near the house, I glanced at the back of an SUV in front of us and recognized the logo in the back window:


In all sorts of excitement, I honked the horn then desperately tried to remember what our hand signal was. My mind raced past the "hook 'em horns" and "gig 'em aggies" but I couldn't remember what ours was.

As the light changed, I let the SUV get in front of me enough so the driver could see my front plate, which has the same symbol on it. I suddenly remembered what our hand signal was as the driver threw his arm out the window in the finger pistol of "Go Pokes!" I returned the salute with a HUGE smile on my face. It was only then that I noticed he also had Oklahoma plates on his vehicle.

It made my day. I sincerely hope I run into him again some time soon.

How Do You Take An Attitude Shower?

I was checking out the blog of another Joe Fusco when I came across a link to an article entitled Happiness is a Moral Obligation by Dennis Prager. Prager has some wonderful points about happiness and the effects unhappiness has on people. The part that Fusco quoted and that drew me to the article was as follows:

"We should regard bad moods as we do offensive body odor. Just as we shower each day so as not to inflict our body odors on others, so we should monitor our bad moods so as not to inflict them on others. We shower partly for ourselves and partly out of obligation to others. The same should hold true vis a vis moods; and just as we avoid those who do not do something about their body odor we should avoid whenever possible those who do nothing about their bad moods."

Interresting. I will endeavor to do this but the question becomes, how to take an attitude shower? How do we wash away our bad mood? I'm going to work on this. I will find an answer - At least, one that works for me - and I will let you know. If you have an answer that works for you, please leave a comment.

Tinker Toy Christmas

As Christmas draws to a close and I prepare myself to return to work in the morning, I look back and reflect on this holiday season.

It was difficult for me to get into the holiday spirit.  Despite the appearance of Egg Nog in the grocery store, despite the decorations, despite the Christmas carols, despite the ubiquitous sound of bells and the sight of red buckets outside stores, despite the B.C. Clark Jingle, I just wasn't feeling it.  I honestly tried but it just wasn't happening.  I could easily blame it on the "war on Christmas" as I did experience very few "Merry Christmas" moments but the truth is I've been a bit numb lately.

I'm not sure if it's my job or not but that's what I've been blaming it on.  Something has shifted inside my head and I'm about ten degrees out of phase with life.  I see it going on around me and I experience it but the sensory perception is lacking some crucial piece that puts everything in perspective and makes the picture whole.  It even affected my Christmas wish list.  This is the one and only Christmas that my list hasn't been impressively long and has included things I actually had a chance of getting. (part of the reason for that was that I have all the big ticket items I've been asking for over the past few years - digital SLR, nice MP3 player, new computer, etc.)

Anyway, early Friday morning we traveled to Kansas City to see my family.  We arrived late morning and my nephews showed up late afternoon.  I had a good time chatting with them and giving them a hard time.  For some reason, I turn into a twelve-year-old when I'm around them.  It's probably because I want to recapture some of the youthful innocence and irresponsibility they represent... but I digress.

On Saturday morning, we opened our gifts.  Most everything I received was on my list and there were a few surprises that I was happy to receive but I was disappointed.  My oldest nephew got a laptop that he spent most of the day setting up and personalizing.  Another nephew got a Nintendo DS that he played with in between X-Box sessions (the X-Box belongs to his brother and was not a gift from this Christmas).  Even the youngest nephew got a robot that he played with most of the day while his battery-powered Razor scooter was charging.  It wasn't that I was disappointed in my gifts, I just didn't have anything to tinker with.  I mean, even the TV required some setup.

We said our goodbyes and headed to Oklahoma City to meet with my wife's family on Sunday.  Another Nintendo DS and two MP3 players were involved at this gathering.  I received a couple of items from my list plus a really cool lighted holy family figure that is quite angelic in shape.  I was grateful to receive them but, again, disappointed to not have anything to tinker with since I've outgrown playing with the boxes my gifts came in.

Today, Christmas day, everything changed.

After spending the night at her mother's house, we all went to the house of a family friend for Christmas dinner.  We had a nice meal of ham, carrots, sweet potatoes, rolls and pumpkin pie and settled down to play cards.  The game of choice with this crowd is Pinochle.  I like to join in when I have a chance because it's a fun game and I usually get a lot of help - at least when the game first starts.  I usually only play once a year and have to be reminded of the gameplay process and rules.  The fellowship and friendly competition brought me more happiness than any of the gifts I had received.

But wait, that's not all.

We had saved our gifts to each other for when we got home this evening.  I decided to open the small box first.  I unwrapped a 2006 Hallmark Keepsake ornament of the Starship Enterprise.  This was the original NCC-1701 - "No bloody A, B, C or D"  The original Enterprise started their Star Trek series and I have almost all of the ship ornaments, including the shuttlecraft Galileo, except the very first one.  I knew it was out of reach because the first time I learned of its existence it was for sale at a flea market for a price of $300.00.  When I saw this, my heart leapt for joy.  It was, essentially, a reprint but I didn't care.  This was the vessel that started it all.  This was the ship I had grown up watching every Sunday morning in reruns with which I developed my knack for naming the episode within ten seconds of seeing any part of the show.  I am a Trekkie through and through.  I shall cherish this gift for many years to come - even if it's not something I can fiddle with.