Guess what? I have a new car!
But I forgot to take a picture, so this little description of the most important points will have to suffice for now:
'95 Honda Civic, white, 114,000 miles, power windows and a CD player (provided by previous owner).
Can you believe all that? A '95, so extremely new! Less than 15 years old, unlike the '89 Toyota - which latter is practically as old as I am. Only 114,000 miles... wow, I can't remember driving a vehicle under 200,000. Power windows can be really annoying since I am always rolling my window down and forgetting to put it up till after I've turned the car off, but oh well, just have to train myself. And the CD player! There' s a radio with it, which is nice too. But having a CD player is just too wonderful.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
What happens when you're on your own for the week
Because Stacey left for a week of vacation in Florida, all this happened...
Sunday afternoon I had to amuse myself, started reading a book in a papasan chair after lunch, fell asleep and woke up with a headache and a stomachache thirty minutes before I had to leave for evening church.
Unfortunately, after waking up that night with the same persistent headache, I had nothing but Tylenol PM left and could not find anything else Stacey might have. So I took a Tylenol PM at 3 a.m., with the alarm set for 5 a.m. My word. (Excuse the strong language.) I have never in my life had so much difficulty waking up, or staying awake, or keeping my balance in the morning. Clearly, much as we take aspirin to prevent heart disease, we should take Tylenol PM to give our wake-up hormones a good workout.
Thursday our landlord had the place inspected for termites. No termites, but it looks like they will spray for ants, which means we have to say goodbye to our favorite clean-up crew that comes faithfully out around the kitchen trash every day.
Friday morning, sometime distinctly after 5:36 AM, I stopped to listen to the screen door rattle, then something that sounded like wind blowing hard but quietly. It was odd and almost gave me chills. Did I leave the screen door open last night, I wondered, knowing of course that I hadn't.
At work one of my neighbors stopped by to say Good morning and asked, "Did you feel the earthquake?"
Well no, that was after 5:36... it must have just been a tremor or aftershock. Still, how exciting!
So you see all the terrible and exciting things that happen when you're left to yourself for a week. My, I am so glad to have Stacey back!
Sunday afternoon I had to amuse myself, started reading a book in a papasan chair after lunch, fell asleep and woke up with a headache and a stomachache thirty minutes before I had to leave for evening church.
Unfortunately, after waking up that night with the same persistent headache, I had nothing but Tylenol PM left and could not find anything else Stacey might have. So I took a Tylenol PM at 3 a.m., with the alarm set for 5 a.m. My word. (Excuse the strong language.) I have never in my life had so much difficulty waking up, or staying awake, or keeping my balance in the morning. Clearly, much as we take aspirin to prevent heart disease, we should take Tylenol PM to give our wake-up hormones a good workout.
Thursday our landlord had the place inspected for termites. No termites, but it looks like they will spray for ants, which means we have to say goodbye to our favorite clean-up crew that comes faithfully out around the kitchen trash every day.
Friday morning, sometime distinctly after 5:36 AM, I stopped to listen to the screen door rattle, then something that sounded like wind blowing hard but quietly. It was odd and almost gave me chills. Did I leave the screen door open last night, I wondered, knowing of course that I hadn't.
At work one of my neighbors stopped by to say Good morning and asked, "Did you feel the earthquake?"
Well no, that was after 5:36... it must have just been a tremor or aftershock. Still, how exciting!
So you see all the terrible and exciting things that happen when you're left to yourself for a week. My, I am so glad to have Stacey back!
Saturday, April 12, 2008
There we were...
... on the deck of the ship.
I was looking over the edge into the water, it was night -
Something like a nuclear firework cracked deep beneath us underwater and vibrated everything - we all staggered, jumped back from the edge and braced - after 3 seconds - somehow I was still looking over the edge - the water parted! and an enormous missile shot up and out, shaking everything with its passing... arced away... exploded enormously and red in the night sky.
I was looking over the edge into the water, it was night -
Something like a nuclear firework cracked deep beneath us underwater and vibrated everything - we all staggered, jumped back from the edge and braced - after 3 seconds - somehow I was still looking over the edge - the water parted! and an enormous missile shot up and out, shaking everything with its passing... arced away... exploded enormously and red in the night sky.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Much later...
Trevor, I missed your birthday. Happy 6th birthday!
Too bad, I was getting so used to telling everyone you are five-and-a-half. Somehow six seems a lot older.
If I come home to visit and you help make the bread, can you count up to five by yourself when we poke the loaves? I'm sure you can, from what Mommy has told us of your addition skills. You used to say "1, 2, 3, 7, 11"... or something like that.
Now be a good boy and learn to say your Rs this year!
Too bad, I was getting so used to telling everyone you are five-and-a-half. Somehow six seems a lot older.
If I come home to visit and you help make the bread, can you count up to five by yourself when we poke the loaves? I'm sure you can, from what Mommy has told us of your addition skills. You used to say "1, 2, 3, 7, 11"... or something like that.
Now be a good boy and learn to say your Rs this year!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Thursday afternoon
Wow! What a miracle! This post is being written at 4:51 p.m. on a Thursday afternoon. This was made possible by the Indiana county courthouse closing at 4:30 p.m. Since this is the same time as I finish work, I had to leave at 4 p.m. today just to get across town in time to squeeze in the half-page Indiana voter registration form. Somehow I got behind several slow vehicles (read: 5 mph below the speed limit) and in the way of several police cars (read: 3), but still made it. Whew. The polling notification should arrive in plenty of time for Indiana's relatively late May primary.
And so, here I am stuck at the library, one and a half hours before Chinese lessons begin, with nothing but Internet, thousands of books and my latest Chinese notes. Help. I think I'm going to die of boredom!
And so, here I am stuck at the library, one and a half hours before Chinese lessons begin, with nothing but Internet, thousands of books and my latest Chinese notes. Help. I think I'm going to die of boredom!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Ironic = Frustrating or Very Hilarious
Imagine this: You rent a nice little apartment but don't have Internet there.
One day, you discover you can get a wireless signal and even the password. You try everything you can think of with your wireless card, but cannot get on.
You just might need some updates for your wireless card.
Someone gives you the download information for these updates, and you go visit a friend who has Internet to download them.
At first you cannot get on your friend's Internet like usual. It takes you quite a while to figure out what you did to it earlier while trying to get on the other network, but finally, --- well, before you figure it out, it turns out that just wiping out and resetting fixes everything.
You get back to your place and happily mess around with installing the new updates. Unfortunately, they don't seem to work.
You pass this information on to your technical expert, who emails you a link for a new download. However, you are not at your own computer, so...
...You go back to visit your friend with the Internet again, in order to get the new download. Unfortunately, whatever you did to your wireless card while installing the new updates that did not work for it at your place apparently have made it not work anywhere.
You are definitely stuck between a big rock and a very hard place, because to try to get On at your place, you have to get On somewhere else to get important new stuff, but you can't get On somewhere else because you're trying to get On at your place. Not to mention that you never know, when you leave one place, what the On status at the other place will be.
How can life be so ironic and so funny!
One day, you discover you can get a wireless signal and even the password. You try everything you can think of with your wireless card, but cannot get on.
You just might need some updates for your wireless card.
Someone gives you the download information for these updates, and you go visit a friend who has Internet to download them.
At first you cannot get on your friend's Internet like usual. It takes you quite a while to figure out what you did to it earlier while trying to get on the other network, but finally, --- well, before you figure it out, it turns out that just wiping out and resetting fixes everything.
You get back to your place and happily mess around with installing the new updates. Unfortunately, they don't seem to work.
You pass this information on to your technical expert, who emails you a link for a new download. However, you are not at your own computer, so...
...You go back to visit your friend with the Internet again, in order to get the new download. Unfortunately, whatever you did to your wireless card while installing the new updates that did not work for it at your place apparently have made it not work anywhere.
You are definitely stuck between a big rock and a very hard place, because to try to get On at your place, you have to get On somewhere else to get important new stuff, but you can't get On somewhere else because you're trying to get On at your place. Not to mention that you never know, when you leave one place, what the On status at the other place will be.
How can life be so ironic and so funny!
Saturday, March 01, 2008
Manual: How to Set Up Sunday School Chairs
I’m afraid this is only going to touch on the surface of a deep topic. We won’t even get as far as the technical details of chair type and placement today… just hit on a few theoretical points. Let’s see how much I can get out of one scanty semester’s worth of sociology, which I don’t plan to use at all, and the motto, “Most things can be reduced to geometry if you try hard enough.”
Your situation is a Sunday School class, pre-lesson. Said Sunday School class does not have an extremely high population value, but it is not extremely low either. (I.e. more than just you and your leader.) Your desired result for the combination of situation and population value is a room of happily talking people. How do you arrange this via the chair setup?
Your first thought is a circle of chairs. Just remember that 6 or 7 people (who know each other tolerably well) is the maximum number for a cohesive group. Any more than that, and your ratio of happy talking value to population value plummets. (Unless you are blessed with a high extrovert per head value) You will get either silence or a few scattered hushed chats.
Arrange the chairs in rows and you may not have everyone talking to everyone all the time, but you will have several free conversations going on, which easily provides you with a room of happily talking people. Since these conversations are not entirely isolated, every once in a while, you will attain the ultimate triumph – some topic will leak out of a group into the rest of the room and pull everyone into a conversation.
It’s all about geometry. And the moral of this geometry lesson is: Lines trump circles!
Your situation is a Sunday School class, pre-lesson. Said Sunday School class does not have an extremely high population value, but it is not extremely low either. (I.e. more than just you and your leader.) Your desired result for the combination of situation and population value is a room of happily talking people. How do you arrange this via the chair setup?
Your first thought is a circle of chairs. Just remember that 6 or 7 people (who know each other tolerably well) is the maximum number for a cohesive group. Any more than that, and your ratio of happy talking value to population value plummets. (Unless you are blessed with a high extrovert per head value) You will get either silence or a few scattered hushed chats.
Arrange the chairs in rows and you may not have everyone talking to everyone all the time, but you will have several free conversations going on, which easily provides you with a room of happily talking people. Since these conversations are not entirely isolated, every once in a while, you will attain the ultimate triumph – some topic will leak out of a group into the rest of the room and pull everyone into a conversation.
It’s all about geometry. And the moral of this geometry lesson is: Lines trump circles!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
The end of winter
Pre-spring is here!
It has been 40 degrees for two days. That should qualify, right?
It has been 40 degrees for two days. That should qualify, right?
Friday, February 15, 2008
Why you should eat Coriander Seeds
I suppose this is true of any seeds used as spices, but coriander seeds are perfect because they are little and round and hard, and so, when you eat something with coriander seeds in it --
You will be chewing along on a delicious mouthful, and suddenly your teeth will hit on a seed and pop it open, and all the flavor that was locked in the seed even through cooking will make a little
!burst! into your mouth.
So you should eat them because they are so much fun to eat.
You will be chewing along on a delicious mouthful, and suddenly your teeth will hit on a seed and pop it open, and all the flavor that was locked in the seed even through cooking will make a little
!burst! into your mouth.
So you should eat them because they are so much fun to eat.
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Question for you
While happily reading along in Chinese history today, I read of someone described as an "individualist, cynic..." etc.
Do individualists tend to be cynical, or do cynics tend to be individualists, or both?
I don't want anyone to get mad at me (which should prove I'm not either of those), so let me hurry to say this question doesn't imply anything negative about either cynicism or individualism. The world and indeed my own family is much richer with both traits! It just seems that those blessed with one seem blessed with the other.
What do you think?
Do individualists tend to be cynical, or do cynics tend to be individualists, or both?
I don't want anyone to get mad at me (which should prove I'm not either of those), so let me hurry to say this question doesn't imply anything negative about either cynicism or individualism. The world and indeed my own family is much richer with both traits! It just seems that those blessed with one seem blessed with the other.
What do you think?
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Indiana Anniversary
As of 8 January 2008, I have lived in Indiana for one year. Do you believe that? I'm not sure I do.
Well, Indiana will have to put up with me through April. I shouldn't have any trouble putting up with Indiana, especially with its weather, which is so much fun because it changes every single day.
Enjoy these last two days of January, and don't forget that we will be getting a whole extra day in February!! Start planning your February 29 parties now.
Well, Indiana will have to put up with me through April. I shouldn't have any trouble putting up with Indiana, especially with its weather, which is so much fun because it changes every single day.
Enjoy these last two days of January, and don't forget that we will be getting a whole extra day in February!! Start planning your February 29 parties now.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Thursday morning's adventure
Thursday morning I got up at 5:00 as always, had my lunch all packed and was ready to walk out the door right at 6:50.
Then I realized my keys weren't lying on the floor by my purse. In fact, they weren't in my purse either. In fact, they weren't in my coat pocket or yesterday's pants pocket or dumped on the closet floor or left on top of the microwave... they weren't anywhere!
I was getting worried for about five minutes of perplexed searching, till I remembered that spare car key I had had made (after locking myself out of the car the second time). Well, that was all right, then, as long as I could get to work! Just had to leave the door unlocked and hope Stacey was around or at least not out of the country when I got home. After that, it was just funny. Funny imagining what I would have done without any keys whatsoever, and funny imagining what I was going to do... laughing kept me warm all the way to work.
I was walking into the building when I noticed that my coat was hitting the leg rather more firmly than usual. Whoops... yep... there actually was a little hole in one coat pocket corner, and they had slipped all the way to the lining.
That was funny too, only not so funny as it would have been to not find them at all. Oh well.
Then I realized my keys weren't lying on the floor by my purse. In fact, they weren't in my purse either. In fact, they weren't in my coat pocket or yesterday's pants pocket or dumped on the closet floor or left on top of the microwave... they weren't anywhere!
I was getting worried for about five minutes of perplexed searching, till I remembered that spare car key I had had made (after locking myself out of the car the second time). Well, that was all right, then, as long as I could get to work! Just had to leave the door unlocked and hope Stacey was around or at least not out of the country when I got home. After that, it was just funny. Funny imagining what I would have done without any keys whatsoever, and funny imagining what I was going to do... laughing kept me warm all the way to work.
I was walking into the building when I noticed that my coat was hitting the leg rather more firmly than usual. Whoops... yep... there actually was a little hole in one coat pocket corner, and they had slipped all the way to the lining.
That was funny too, only not so funny as it would have been to not find them at all. Oh well.
2008 Presidential Elections - in Europe
That is, President of the European Council. And there must be a vice-president-type post along with it. Because, according to this Le Monde article from Thursday, French president Nicolas Sarkozy possibly has the brilliant idea of a Blair-Sarkozy ticket for these top seats of European power.
Unfortunately, not everyone is completely enchanted by this idea, one being former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing, who "didn't refrain from speaking all the evil he thought of it".
What evil? "The future president must be in sync with the majority of his own country, and belong to a country that respects all the European rules." The second clearly not something that the U.K. can overcome, seeing as they "practice the 'opting out' " regarding said rules - to use the journalist's expression (and yes, that's "l'opting out" in French. Doesn't that just hurt?).
But of course, the real evil is what Edouard Balladur (former Prime Minister of France) told Le Monde - credibility. Because, as Edouard Balladur (former Prime Minister of France) reminds us, the president of the European Council must have an attachment to the independence of Europe - and how, how, "how would Mr. Blair be credible to incarnate this ambition when, in the disastrous Irak affair, he always held zealously to the U.S. side?"
No, he's right, of course. A President of the European Council who sides with the U.S. is impossible. It would kind of defeat the whole point of the European Union.
Unfortunately, not everyone is completely enchanted by this idea, one being former French president Valery Giscard d'Estaing, who "didn't refrain from speaking all the evil he thought of it".
What evil? "The future president must be in sync with the majority of his own country, and belong to a country that respects all the European rules." The second clearly not something that the U.K. can overcome, seeing as they "practice the 'opting out' " regarding said rules - to use the journalist's expression (and yes, that's "l'opting out" in French. Doesn't that just hurt?).
But of course, the real evil is what Edouard Balladur (former Prime Minister of France) told Le Monde - credibility. Because, as Edouard Balladur (former Prime Minister of France) reminds us, the president of the European Council must have an attachment to the independence of Europe - and how, how, "how would Mr. Blair be credible to incarnate this ambition when, in the disastrous Irak affair, he always held zealously to the U.S. side?"
No, he's right, of course. A President of the European Council who sides with the U.S. is impossible. It would kind of defeat the whole point of the European Union.
Saturday, January 12, 2008
Here we go in 2008
Life continues!
I guess I will give up those detailed updates I used to try.
2008 began like a a year should -- lots of snow to drive through between Iowa and Indiana. The trip was so interesting that I never got around to turning on the radio. Just like the trip out to Iowa, except that time I was having too much fun singing Christmas songs in the car.
I returned to an almost snowed-in apartment. So the first task was to clear out around the car's parking spot and the entrance to the drive, which had, of course, been liberally helped out our friendly neighborhood snowplow.
The next week, the weather decided to warm up, drastically. That is, it reached 64 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a 50-year record, and melted all the heaps and heaps of snow we had received, plus rained several days. So we have just had the worst flooding anyone has seen for a long time. Fortunately, Stacey and I don't have a basement. We did enjoy watching Center Lake lap up onto the parking lots as we drove by this morning.
Not much else exciting has been happening...
Stacey and I have not even set off the smoke alarm once this year, yet. We did make a whole crockpot-full of taco soup and have eaten every bite (practically) and it only took us a week.
Last night we had Kendra and Stacey's friend over and watched two movies in a row! Meet the Robinsons and Sahara. Our favorite line had to be from the second movie: the right-hand good guy hurling his rifle down and yelling, "I'm so tired of getting shot at!" Poor guy, I think he was really upset.
Chinese is getting more fascinating by the week. I think I can't resist studying it outside of class much longer, especially with the CDs Mommy got me for Christmas.
Well, that will have to do for this week. Time to run home and get ready for company!
I guess I will give up those detailed updates I used to try.
2008 began like a a year should -- lots of snow to drive through between Iowa and Indiana. The trip was so interesting that I never got around to turning on the radio. Just like the trip out to Iowa, except that time I was having too much fun singing Christmas songs in the car.
I returned to an almost snowed-in apartment. So the first task was to clear out around the car's parking spot and the entrance to the drive, which had, of course, been liberally helped out our friendly neighborhood snowplow.
The next week, the weather decided to warm up, drastically. That is, it reached 64 degrees Fahrenheit, which is a 50-year record, and melted all the heaps and heaps of snow we had received, plus rained several days. So we have just had the worst flooding anyone has seen for a long time. Fortunately, Stacey and I don't have a basement. We did enjoy watching Center Lake lap up onto the parking lots as we drove by this morning.
Not much else exciting has been happening...
Stacey and I have not even set off the smoke alarm once this year, yet. We did make a whole crockpot-full of taco soup and have eaten every bite (practically) and it only took us a week.
Last night we had Kendra and Stacey's friend over and watched two movies in a row! Meet the Robinsons and Sahara. Our favorite line had to be from the second movie: the right-hand good guy hurling his rifle down and yelling, "I'm so tired of getting shot at!" Poor guy, I think he was really upset.
Chinese is getting more fascinating by the week. I think I can't resist studying it outside of class much longer, especially with the CDs Mommy got me for Christmas.
Well, that will have to do for this week. Time to run home and get ready for company!
Saturday, January 05, 2008
So fascinating, so slightly pointless
Is there anything more entertaining than sitting around and listening to media members sit around and speculate over the possible election outcomes that they, in their vast political experience and foresight, kindly deign to provide us?
And you sit here and wonder, "Friends in the media! By December, most of your year of 2008 will be rendered obsolete. Doesn't that hurt?"
And you sit here and wonder, "Friends in the media! By December, most of your year of 2008 will be rendered obsolete. Doesn't that hurt?"
The latest in dentistry logos
Crocodile.
This is an important question. "Is this a suitable emblem for a service which wishes to emphasise trust and hygiene?"
This is an important question. "Is this a suitable emblem for a service which wishes to emphasise trust and hygiene?"
Christmas vacation report
In this lull of real life between the first caucus and the first primary...
Christmas vacation was a tremendous blessing. My kind employer and supervisor offered and encouraged me to take off the three days after Christmas. So I did, which made for over a week at home with my beloved family. That's the most I've seen them since last Christmas! (since the June Hoyt reunion was barely a week)
As mentioned before -- The drive home turned out to be an exciting race against oncoming freezing rain, which I won by 10:30 a.m. (Iowa time) and a good 4-hour margin. Then there was a nice short weekend with Ardith.
Driving from Cedar Rapids to the homestead was very interesting, with that good old Iowa wind blowing lots of snow -- one second whiting everything out, the next second clearing a panoramic landscape.
We had so much fun!
Christmas Eve was hunting up presents.
Christmas was, of course, kids counting down the minutes till presents... and testing out all three games Ardith gave the family, all day long... and watching a new Veggie Tales and then, of course, our new Christmas tradition of Narnia... oh, and there was a delicious dinner in there somewhere.
Wednesday was a shopping run for Mommy and Carolyn, which was fortunately extended with a $100 Goodwill gift certificate! Those that stayed home played more games. It was such a treat to make bread again (and pies, twice, though the crusts turned out abominably), and worked in the garage -- that is, Daddy did.
Thursday was Applesauce Day #2. Making applesauce is actually pretty involved:
1 - picking apples out of the boxes in the addition
2 - washing all the apples (with the smallest trickle of water possible that still has both hot and cold in it)
3 - halving apples
4 - coring apples
5 - slicing apples
6 - filling saucepans with apples
7 - cooking apples
8 - mashing apples in - that thing
9 - sugaring applesauce
10 - cooling applesauce
11 - filling containers with applesauce
12 - storing containers in freezer
Most of this is done on foot, so yep, it wears the old leg and foot muscles out, mostly from sheer inactivity. Ardith pitched in till she left for her home in the afternoon.
Friday - what did we do on Friday? I think the kids persuaded me to make that the Age of Empires MultiPlayer game day. Derek, Melinda, Carolyn, Ethan and myself, and it was a lot of fun, although I forgot to get out of the Stone Age (or some age) till the others realized I was getting wiped out in every skirmish. I think we finished on Saturday... that is, Carolyn, Ethan and I defeated Derek and Melinda.
Saturday was Mommy's and Kendra's night out, so I got to cook supper - spaghetti. All you need for good spaghetti sauce is tomato sauce (and meat) and some good spices to experiment with.
Sunday most of us made it to church.
Sunday afternoon we went sledding down the neighboring icy driveway! First we were just skidding down on boots... then we found out the sleds worked... then we hooked the two sleds together and went down five at once... then we tried four on one sled and made it down about 3 times, once with no wipeouts or injuries!
Monday night most of us kids made it back to church for the New Year's Eve party.
And New Year's Day was the day to drive to Indiana!
(...continued in a following post...)
Christmas vacation was a tremendous blessing. My kind employer and supervisor offered and encouraged me to take off the three days after Christmas. So I did, which made for over a week at home with my beloved family. That's the most I've seen them since last Christmas! (since the June Hoyt reunion was barely a week)
As mentioned before -- The drive home turned out to be an exciting race against oncoming freezing rain, which I won by 10:30 a.m. (Iowa time) and a good 4-hour margin. Then there was a nice short weekend with Ardith.
Driving from Cedar Rapids to the homestead was very interesting, with that good old Iowa wind blowing lots of snow -- one second whiting everything out, the next second clearing a panoramic landscape.
We had so much fun!
Christmas Eve was hunting up presents.
Christmas was, of course, kids counting down the minutes till presents... and testing out all three games Ardith gave the family, all day long... and watching a new Veggie Tales and then, of course, our new Christmas tradition of Narnia... oh, and there was a delicious dinner in there somewhere.
Wednesday was a shopping run for Mommy and Carolyn, which was fortunately extended with a $100 Goodwill gift certificate! Those that stayed home played more games. It was such a treat to make bread again (and pies, twice, though the crusts turned out abominably), and worked in the garage -- that is, Daddy did.
Thursday was Applesauce Day #2. Making applesauce is actually pretty involved:
1 - picking apples out of the boxes in the addition
2 - washing all the apples (with the smallest trickle of water possible that still has both hot and cold in it)
3 - halving apples
4 - coring apples
5 - slicing apples
6 - filling saucepans with apples
7 - cooking apples
8 - mashing apples in - that thing
9 - sugaring applesauce
10 - cooling applesauce
11 - filling containers with applesauce
12 - storing containers in freezer
Most of this is done on foot, so yep, it wears the old leg and foot muscles out, mostly from sheer inactivity. Ardith pitched in till she left for her home in the afternoon.
Friday - what did we do on Friday? I think the kids persuaded me to make that the Age of Empires MultiPlayer game day. Derek, Melinda, Carolyn, Ethan and myself, and it was a lot of fun, although I forgot to get out of the Stone Age (or some age) till the others realized I was getting wiped out in every skirmish. I think we finished on Saturday... that is, Carolyn, Ethan and I defeated Derek and Melinda.
Saturday was Mommy's and Kendra's night out, so I got to cook supper - spaghetti. All you need for good spaghetti sauce is tomato sauce (and meat) and some good spices to experiment with.
Sunday most of us made it to church.
Sunday afternoon we went sledding down the neighboring icy driveway! First we were just skidding down on boots... then we found out the sleds worked... then we hooked the two sleds together and went down five at once... then we tried four on one sled and made it down about 3 times, once with no wipeouts or injuries!
Monday night most of us kids made it back to church for the New Year's Eve party.
And New Year's Day was the day to drive to Indiana!
(...continued in a following post...)
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Today!
Do you know what today is?
It is a great day for any American who calls Iowa home, because --
1 - It is the very beginning of the U.S. presidential elections!
2 - It is the day that Iowa gets a showing at the top of BBC's home page, all day!
So we all, Iowans or not, wait eagerly to find out who breaks out of the gate first.
It is a great day for any American who calls Iowa home, because --
1 - It is the very beginning of the U.S. presidential elections!
2 - It is the day that Iowa gets a showing at the top of BBC's home page, all day!
So we all, Iowans or not, wait eagerly to find out who breaks out of the gate first.
Monday, December 31, 2007
The Very Last Birthday in the Year
Happy birthday to Jason! - who left the 'teens forever on 30 December.
(The following photos and message have not been approved by Jason.)
Photos -
[There has been a technical error. There are no official photos of Jason.]
[Override: The previous technical error is no longer valid.]
Jason's birthday, from Mommy's blog.
Words of polite commentary...
"What an unmitigated piece of junk!"
"I don't call that 'sprawling suburbs'. I call that an irresolute housing development."
...and words to eat later...
"Ardith prides herself on thinking she can cook."
Next to Daddy, Jason has probably put in the most work on the house. He's even now out in the garage, spending part of his Christmas break at helping Daddy to put up the wood sheeting that will finally permit complete and total garage insolation! What a milestone that will be.
(The following photos and message have not been approved by Jason.)
Photos -
[There has been a technical error. There are no official photos of Jason.]
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Jason's birthday, from Mommy's blog.
Words of polite commentary...
"What an unmitigated piece of junk!"
"I don't call that 'sprawling suburbs'. I call that an irresolute housing development."
...and words to eat later...
"Ardith prides herself on thinking she can cook."
Next to Daddy, Jason has probably put in the most work on the house. He's even now out in the garage, spending part of his Christmas break at helping Daddy to put up the wood sheeting that will finally permit complete and total garage insolation! What a milestone that will be.
Ethan's birthday!
Happy birthday to Ethan, who turned 11 on 17 December!
Photos -
Mommy has pictures of Ethan's birthday here.
Ethan has such a talent for fantastic faces! Just look at this and this.
Words of encouragement...
Melinda: "Nolan! This is a big day! You lost your first tooth! Now go look in the mirror."
Ethan: "You'll see a lot of blood."
Ethan (to Carolyn, the horse lover): "What can horses do? They could make you lose your lives, even!"
...enlightenment...
Ethan: "I know what I was born for! To be loud!"
...and wisdom...
Ethan (describing the laundry he carted down the stairs): "It was 2 feet by 2 feet, compacted-"
Kendra: "Really."
Ethan: "-like 500 clothes in 1 square foot!"
...and wheedling...
Ethan: "Carolyn, Melinda and I want to do something with you."
Carolyn: "What is it?"
Ethan: "It's a cree-tlimb -- a tree-climbing contest."
Carolyn: "How about we just climb trees for fun?"
Sharon (nailing in the garage roof above them): "You know, Ethan, that might result in..."
Ethan: "What, Sharon?"
Sharon: "Never mind. I changed my mind."
Ethan: "Come on, Sharon, what did you say?"
Sharon: "I didn't say it, so I don't have to finish it."
Ethan: "Come on, Sharon! Say it!"
Sharon (laughing helplessly): "Ethan!"
Ethan: "Come on, Sharon! Ple-e-e-ease?!?"
Sharon: "Ethan, do you know how tired it makes me to laugh on an empty stomach?"
Ethan: "Sharon, p-l-e-e-e-ea-s-e?! Please?"
Carolyn: "Ethan, stop acting like a baby."
But of course he wasn't, he was just being his cheerfully and loquaciously persistent self.
Photos -
Mommy has pictures of Ethan's birthday here.
Ethan has such a talent for fantastic faces! Just look at this and this.
Words of encouragement...
Melinda: "Nolan! This is a big day! You lost your first tooth! Now go look in the mirror."
Ethan: "You'll see a lot of blood."
Ethan (to Carolyn, the horse lover): "What can horses do? They could make you lose your lives, even!"
...enlightenment...
Ethan: "I know what I was born for! To be loud!"
...and wisdom...
Ethan (describing the laundry he carted down the stairs): "It was 2 feet by 2 feet, compacted-"
Kendra: "Really."
Ethan: "-like 500 clothes in 1 square foot!"
...and wheedling...
Ethan: "Carolyn, Melinda and I want to do something with you."
Carolyn: "What is it?"
Ethan: "It's a cree-tlimb -- a tree-climbing contest."
Carolyn: "How about we just climb trees for fun?"
Sharon (nailing in the garage roof above them): "You know, Ethan, that might result in..."
Ethan: "What, Sharon?"
Sharon: "Never mind. I changed my mind."
Ethan: "Come on, Sharon, what did you say?"
Sharon: "I didn't say it, so I don't have to finish it."
Ethan: "Come on, Sharon! Say it!"
Sharon (laughing helplessly): "Ethan!"
Ethan: "Come on, Sharon! Ple-e-e-ease?!?"
Sharon: "Ethan, do you know how tired it makes me to laugh on an empty stomach?"
Ethan: "Sharon, p-l-e-e-e-ea-s-e?! Please?"
Carolyn: "Ethan, stop acting like a baby."
But of course he wasn't, he was just being his cheerfully and loquaciously persistent self.
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