Monthly Archives: December 2005

by Nelia

Happy Birthday Christina

I wish i knew if you were awake. You should be awake on new years eve at 11:00, but what if you are sleeping????

I have thought all day that i would call you just as soon as… And then tonight a friend called at about 6 i think and kept me on the phone till almost now… and i did not think of calling all that time. (bad bad bad mama)(in-law, i suppose)

Of course i could call not, and if you were not pregnant, i probably would. I cannot imagine anyone going to sleep before midnight tonight. But what if you had a bad day and this is the first rest you have gotten.

So…. Happy Birthday Christina. I hope the day was wonderful and that Chris took you out to eat and that you felt like eating and that you like your presents.

A little confetti here. Happy Birthday.

(Do you read this more than e-mail?)

by chris

Christmas Pictures

I’m a bit late (but still in the year 2005, really!), but here’s some pictures for your enjoyment.

They are located, temporarily, here

A zipped version of all the pictures can be downloaded with this link

And, of course, there are other pictures available here

by chris

Computers Annoy Me

I came home and logged on to my computer. I had left it running over the holidays so I could still access my files from afar. (much <3 to remote desktop and unchanging IP addresses)

All was good. I plugged in the camera to transfer files… and it wouldn’t do a thing. Ok, fine. Reboot the machine with the camera plugged in. That should do it.

Nothing. Computer hangs on startup. Chris is annoyed. I hit the reset button.

The computer powers off.

I hit the power button.

The computer does nothing.

I do some basic troubleshooting. Nothing helps. I try to manually short-circuit the power switch. Nothing. Nada. The fans don’t even start up.

As of Monday, I have no desktop. To figure it out I have no choice but to take it apart and test pieces individually. I pray that something (like dust) didn’t short circuit something.

sometimes, Computers Annoy Me

by Nelia

New Years Resolution

I am serious about this. I am tired of starting projects and not finishing them. That is my main resolution, to finish the projects i have started and to do the things i have promised.
I am making a list:
1. Emily’s blanket
2. C&C wedding sampler
3. My family (the Whites) photos and papers
4. Ramona’s mending
5. Christina’s satin pillowcase and jammy bottoms.
6. Dress my mice
7. Lorna’s birth sampler

The list is growing.

by Nelia

Last Weight Watchers meeting of 2005

Well, I am still losing… not much, but considering the time of the year and the fact that i am making cookies, any loss is better than i expect.

The meeting next week has been canceled, so there are 2 weeks till my next weigh-in. I do have a goal for the new year; I am 2 pounds away from it. I think I can eat Christmas dinner and Christmas goodies and still take off 2 pounds in 2 weeks.

I discovered a mistake in my “pounds lost” last week. They had me losing, as i recall, about 3 pounds more than i have – an accumulation of small mistakes when they subtracted. If i had not found the error i would think i had reached the new year goal already.

The holidays have been hard with the Thanksgiving goodies, the fast food and eating out when shopping or too darn busy, the Christmas baking, and the fewer trips to the Y, but I still feel pretty good about it. Probably this is the first time i will have made it thru the holidays with any weight loss at all.

by chris

Sekrit Santa

I am an active member in the community that has grown around one the websites I frequent, that website being ArsTechnica. Two of the members started up a Sekrit Santa program for any member willing/wanting to participate. (People: 267 States/Prov.: 63 Countries: 13 )

Well, this is the gift I recieved. (and this is the post I made on the ars forum)

Friday: there was a notice that I missed a package at home. It was at the apt office.
Saturday: WTF? The office closes an hour earlier now?
Sunday: The office … not even open. I want my gift, darnit!
Monday: My wife picks up the package… right about the time that I get sent into the field by my boss… to Jasper, Texas. What fun!
Tuesday…Wednesday…
Thursday: I’m home! The gift, it is here!

It is.. a Toblerone of Doom?!?

unopened

I slowly begin to open it..

unopened

SWeeT!

Polarity board game

Fully unrolled

unrolled the board game

And a close-up of the pieces you have to carefully ‘lean’ against each other. Behold teh power of Magnetism!

magnet leaning against another

Thank you Sekrit Santa!

Note: pictures are a re-enactment. I found the camera, and batteries for the camera, on Sunday. Also, the people at the office did tell my wife they thought it was a massive tolberone.

by Ramona

peppermint cookies

Well, this certainly isn’t a traditional one. But I just found it, and I thought it was good.

We have a cookie exchange at work; everyone who wants to participate brings in at least 4 dozen home baked cookies, and then we all circle around the table, taking equal numbers of all the different offerings, so you end up with about 4 dozen or so of a home baked cookie assortment.

So, this year, for various reasons, I have a bag of peppermint candies that I’m looking to get rid of. So I went online and looked for something using peppermint. Found this one, baked it, liked it, thought I’d share.

It is a very basic (very easy and fast to make) shortbread cookie; the peppermint is subtle but present. It freezes well, and the flavor settles nicely over time. As a shortbread, it does absorb other flavors; as a peppermint, it does spread its own flavor – so keep it apart from other cookies.

When cooking, it does not get brown. It says to cook for 8 to 10 minutes; I was cooking for about 15 .. and no brown, but also no burn. So it’s pretty forgiving. It also says it will make about 48 cookies … not quite for me, at least at the size I was making and the number of tastes Someone Else was taking. It was closer to 36. But who’s counting?

Anyway, here it is …. (it is from cooks.com, by the way)

HOLIDAY PEPPERMINT COOKIES

1 c. butter, softened
3/4 c. sugar
1 egg
3 c. all purpose flour
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 c. crushed candy canes or peppermint candies
5 tsp. warm water
3/4 c. confectioners sugar

Heat oven to 350 degrees. In medium bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add egg and beat until blended. Stir in flour and salt, then the crushed candy. Add red food coloring to dough if desired. Roll 1 tablespoon of dough into ball. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake cookies 8 to 10 minutes until firm. Cool on sheet for 1 minute. Transfer to wire rack to finish cooling. Mix water and confectioner’s sugar together to form icing. Dip top of each cooled cookie in icing (sprinkle with additional crushed candy, if desired) and allow to dry. Yields approximately 48 cookies.

by christina

Christmas Eve Gifts

Oak-lie dok-i-lee
Nelia is fretting over the prospect that we aren’t going to do Christmas eve gifts.

So…number 1, none of us are going to be together for Christmas eve…
number 2, traditions are something too. and seeing that Sean’s family is all pissed and foregoing tradition, I am kind of poo poo on Christmas this year. it is a bummer.

Chris, Kevin, and I were talking last night…and we decided to take the bull by the horns….and just do it.
We still need to draw names….Ramona?
and agree on a “theme” … Ramona has suggested celebrating obscure holidays (which would totally be fun)… Kevin suggested something (useful) from the autoparts store (we thought Luke would love it 😉 )

So let’s get on the ball folks! Yeah it’s last minute…but get those creative juices flowing!

by Ramona

Grail update

Just keeping everyone updated…

Had my first visit with the homeopathic nutritionist today. It was something. The shift in attitude, if nothing else … I’ve gone from no options to a thousand options.

There are a whole confusing host of supplements and amino acids and vitamens and special diets .. I am reading, trying to think critically, realistically, and also hopefully.

Stitches come out Friday. We’re all looking forward to that.

And I’m settling into this new reality. Grailing seems so healthy, so active and alert and so much himself, that at times it is hard to focus myself on this new reality. It is so tempting to simply ignore the diagnosis in the face of his reassuring normalacy. But I want to revel in his current health, not use it as an excuse to avoid a posible unpleasant future.

So. There you go.

Of course, you’ll all be posted every time Grailing sneezes, for the rest of both our natural lives … 🙂