The past four days ...

Thursday and Friday I had training in the city. It was a training from the company called CPI. As they state on their Web site, "Computer Packages is the oldest company (over 40 years) providing Intellectual Property Management Systems and Patent Annuity Payment Services." So to maintain deadlines and run reports on Onyx's patent portfolio I use CPI's docketing database. Onyx also uses CPI to pay our patent annuity maintenance payments--you have to pay a yearly fee to maintain your patents.

There's a little background some of what I do. I went to this same training about two years ago. But I was pretty new at the job and we had Version 1 of the system. About a year and a half ago we upgraded, and now we have Version 6. So yea, a lot of changes.

I met some interesting people. Saw someone I know who does the same thing I do at another company. She and I see each other at trainings, our bosses are married to each other and we use the same consultant. I also met someone who works at Clorox. I was intrigued to find out all the companies Clorox owns, such as Fresh Step, Glad, Tilex, KC Masterpiece, etc. She was so sweet and brought me a Clorox gel pen on Day 2.

CPI treats you well. They provide breakfast both days, lunch and dinner on Day 1. And a happy hour.

Friday evening I hit my yoga class. I haven't been to the Friday evening class in months. After yoga I met Alicia and Sue for dinner to celebrate Sue's birthday. We had a good time, as always.

Saturday I spent my usual two hours at the gym. Did a little house cleaning and straightening up of our spare room and laundry. Jacob came over and he and Curt brewed some beer. So Saturday was loungy, yet productive.

Today we headed to Alicia and Darren's for good eats, beer and football. It was a good time. A & D just moved into a new place in San Rafael. They have this huge TV mounted to the wall and a pretty sweet surround sound system. It was a good time. And the football was exciting. The commercials were eh. But there were some funny ones. But there were also a lot of lame ones. I heart Betty White hardcore, Doritos, E*Trade, Bud Light. Some decent entertaining commercials--just not a lot of them.

Oh, and the past two years I have gotten sick the first week of February ... so far so good. (I rarely do get sick. I get a cold about once a year and it hits me pretty good. Bleh!) Wish me luck on staying cootie free.