This is only a test

Testing the phone post!
( 1 image )

(EDIT: I'll have to discover the magic words to get LJ to not have the LJ cut appear on the pic, but i want to be able to do photo posts from my upcoming trip. Live photoblogging!)

And They're Off!

Got the word from HR that Big Ed's bereavement will be approved. I was happy that I stepped in because his supervisor didn't understand that it was an issue. It was a precedent setting move for the company. The company gives domestic partner benefits, and has done so for as long as I've been working there, but no one has asked HR about taking the spousal bereavement benefit (5 days) for the death of a partner. Since they were able to check Big Ed's benefits records, it was easy to prove. Still, this is Texas, and it's a young company, but with several other gay associates, you'd think they'd have this policy already worked out.

Well, it is now.

I told Big Ed and he was happy for that. Still, he sounded bad, and I stayed on the line a while being a good and sympathetic listener. He's with his and Mike's families now, so hopefully everything will be alright, but soon he'll have to deal with the condo lease and other things. As Mike was a florist and interior designer who did a lot of freelance jobs, I don't think he had any insurance to speak of. I told Big Ed that he could call me, even while I'm on vacation.

Now, vacation has started. I left my new boss with a list of all the things that he needs to do while I'm gone, but I found a big flaw in a new project yesterday that I'm sure will be waiting for me when I get back. Otherwise I left without any real worries and I won't be thinking about those guys for several days.

I'm now in Dallas where Chris and I will fly out of DFW tomorrow morning - at 6:45 am. Way to damned early, why did I buy tickets for that early? My suitcase is packed to the gills and is probably going to prevent me from bringing back much in the way of souvenirs, which is fine, really. I will try to keep those to a minimum and just take pictures. There's way to much junk in the world, anyway.

So we'll be landing in San Jose at 10:00am tomorrow morning and the fun will begin. As long as the spirit of Cingular is with me, I'll try to throw a photo or two to the blog. We'll have Chris' laptop, so we'll be occasionally in touch, but for now, it's off to sleep so we can get up in time for this damned early flight!