Christmas Day fell on a Monday again so I chose to work, earn the extra scratch but negotiated the 26th off, it would be a pseudo-short week. Besides, we lived in an apartment that was a mere several blocks away.
I knew it would be slow because the only customers we spoke to on Western holidays were those with contracts. In 2000, the Xserve was another two years away and Mac OS X’s debut was slated for Spring 2001, this made the odds of a priority one emergency pretty slim. To pass the hours, I lugged in a couple of my new 3E D&D books to finish converting Castle Amber for the campaign I was running on Wednesday evenings.
My phone rang once before lunch time. I figured it would be either a wrong number, a real contract-based customer or somebody trying to get free support. It was the first possibility: an autodialer playing a recording of Ed Asner. What was he saying? Something about trying to reform the Electoral College (something I’m in favor of abolishing anyway, it’s Alexander Hamilton’s final gesture to put the club on the steering wheel of democracy). Being a holiday, I let it play out figuring a human being may come on the line. Nope. The device called in again and my co-worker Jacob picked it up.
When my shift ended at 5 PM, Somara and I met at our apartment. She probably visited her family in Georgetown while I was working. We exchanged gifts, etc. I have no recollection about what was involved. I think I gave her a multi-disc DVD player but it was weeks earlier or later. I’m confident Somara got me something I enjoyed.
Boxing Day was a kick-back day. We used some movie passes I received from Kenny’s Coffee Company to see Dracula 2000 starring an unknown Gerard Butler as the titular vampire.
Not much else to this time. Work, eating, sleeping, reading and watching cable.
There is one thing while writing that came up. I was still pondering whether or not I wanted to be the lead genius at Apple’s upcoming retail store in Chicago. It was going to be on Michigan Avenue, a very pricey shopping district the locals call the Magnificient Mile. It was tempting. I could focus on what I really wanted to do with Macs, fixing them in person instead of doing it via the phone. Communication is vital to getting to a rapid solution. However, I couldn’t tell Somara. The stores were a secret despite all the rumors. I just implied the possibility of a transfer and floated a half-dozen major cities to keep her in the dark. Chicago received a very negative response. This was pushing me toward declining the offer.
New Year’s Eve is a bigger mystery. We probably spent it at home. I think I would’ve remembered a party or gathering with our friends.
It was a relaxing period though. Had I known how crazy 2001 was going to be (having a house built, Grandma passing away, a scary from Phoenix and the 9/11 attacks), I might’ve pressed for an additional day or two off from work.