This rather old woman who works in one of our bureaus has a bear with a button that reads "Good computers don't go down" sitting on top of her computer terminal. It is, of course, funny, but I get creeped out every time I think of the haggard old woman who has that sitting on top of her computer.

So early during tonight's shift, our pagination terminals go down. Which means pagination can't start yet, and that photos can't be cropped and moved, etc. So it put us behind early. Then a lot of other shit happened, and basically, I saved the day. So I rock.

But I should not be here, of course. Casey's sitting at home, maybe after having gone out to dinner with my parents, and how crazy is that? (question mark supposed to be there) -- she barely knows them, has been to my house now for a weekend and a couple of days, and here she is spending quality time with my parents. And not me.

But that's why this job sucks. That's why the bosses here suck -- they can't seem to get it through their heads that our department is permanently short-staffed, and we'd be better off hiring another sports copy editor or two instead of a lousy assistant or associate editor (who does half the work of any of us for twice the salary) for the department. Or better than replacing the editorial cartoonist who left us. I swear, this place is run by dumbasses. And I no longer care who knows I think that. So I sit here and toil away while she lays in my bed watching a tape of last night's MTV music awards or last week's R.E.M. appearance on Unplugged and Storytellers.

But it's been a great three days with her here -- like I really have a girlfriend rather than someone I talk to on the phone all the time and see once every few weeks. I can't wait until this is all permanent and not a temporary respite until an undetermined future date when she moves east for good. I've been able to see the future these past few days, and it is so good.

If my mind weren't swarming with high school football stories and fall sports previews, I'd be able to articulate my feelings a lot better right now. But as it is, I'm merely counting the minutes now until deadline (41 minutes to go) when I can bolt from this office and speed home to my baby.