I have to relate this. As many of you know, I work for RBC Financial Group (aka Royal Bank) and a few years ago they sold off their Merchant Processing business. This area, which is my working area, was merged with Bank of Montreal's (BMO's) Merchant business to form Moneris Solutions. Now I work for Moneris and get paid by RBC, which is all good and irrelevant to my story.

Ahem.

Over a year ago, Moneris started looking at ways to improve their overall backoffice function, which is the function I work with. So for the last two days and the next 8, I am going to all-day meetings with Moneris and one of the finalist vendors, who have a software package to do the things we cannot do today (15-year old technology. You know how it is.)

Why am I telling you this?

I have NEVER been so tired at night. Sitting in these meetings listening to others, trying not to be the one to pass out as well as absorb as much as possible so as not to look like an idiot asking a question that was answered two days ago during a mental vacation. I know my wife (the psychiatric nurse) works MUCH harder than I do, I'm shocked that, after the first two days, I am as exhausted as she is. Wild, no?

If you haven't done so yet, go visit Austin (www.transplantedtexan.blogspot.com) and read his take on recent events in Israel. I can add nothing more other than my prayers for that strife-torn part of the world.

Later.