The Family

Figured we should have a place to write down Christmas plans…

There was some debate over how the opening of Christmas presents was going to work and that the rest of the family was split on how to do it.  So we got the last ‘vote’.  We figure that the best policy is to only bring the presents you have to.  No need to bring presents that are just going to get packed right back to the car/plane/sailboat/etc.  Just makes extra work and it takes up space that’s going to be at a premium.

I’ve also heard some questions on what we’re planning on the day of.  So far as I’m aware, ya’ll are coming in around 12:00 or so.  Do come with an appetite.  We expect to have our Christmas Meal ready around 1:00 or so.  This is coming from Christina’s side of the family, so here’s how it generally works:   Food is all preped and dropped in a central serving area, everyone walks through, fills plates, and finds a place to sit.  Eating, light conversation, and comments on the proof of the eggnog usually follow.  (well, ok, we’ll probably leave that last one off at our place; Christina’s not a fan of eggnog).  We’re probably not going to attempt to put down formal plates or anything.  (a) We don’t have that much table (b) we’d run out of glasses quick (c) I want to fully use the dishwasher for cleanup.  We’ll have wine around, feel free to bring any you particularly enjoy.

After the meal we’ll congregate in the living room and start filling trashbags with torn paper and such.  Well, whatever paper Aleah’s not running off to add to her coloring paper stockpile.  I will add that I don’t plan on the present opening part of the evening lasting very long.  (by virtue of having smaller piles or by virutue of opening them quickly; more likely a combination)

Anyway, that’s the plans we’ve got.

On Saturday we all got up early, ate a quick breakfast, and headed up north for the River City Aquatics year end sale.  We’re after one thing:  Clean Up Crew.

We got there a few minutes after 10:00 and found everything was in  full swing.  The BBQ out front was decimated (the owners had sent someone off for more) and there was already a line fifteen people deep at the register.  We fought our way to the back of the store to the tanks with snails, crabs, and assorted shrimp.  After waiting for twenty minutes or so one of the workers was able to get back there to help us (and about four other people) get our chance at the livestock.

Our goal was to pick up two animals:  crabs and snails.  Each one has the same price: 1.99 each up to 10,  .99 each for 20.  So, buying 20 is the same price as buying 10.  We’re going for a full restock here, so we picked up 20 crabs and 20 snails.  We also picked up 5 more nassaius snails (little guys that do a lot to mix up the bottom of a tank).  There was another cleaner that caught our eye:  the peppermint shrimp.   One of the hardiest shrimps, which is a great thing for our tank.  We nearly lost out on him as the people ahead of us put in an order of “All the peppermint shrimp you have”.  The worker that filled that order didn’t dig around in the tank enough:  he missed one!  I don’t blame him though; our shrimp must have just molted or something, the striking red color associated with this shrimp is nearly invisible.  A bit of food will help that out.

Anyway, we made our way through the line, talked tank with a few people, and made our way out front.  We found the restock of the BBQ had happened, so I made up a quick plate that we ate before leaving.  The trip home was quick and we started to acclimate the new arrives to our tank.  (open their bags, insert drip line for a few hours to slowly normalize the pH/salinity/etc levels )  After a quick water change, everyone was added to the tank.  I always enjoy adding new hermit crabs to a tank; they are very enthusiastic about spreading out and exploring everything in sight.

So, up to that point, everything was going peachy.  Then, a bit after supper, The Bug struck.  I’m not sure if it was something I picked up at the fish store, something form the food, something from work… whatever it was, my body didn’t like it.  I went from ‘feeling funny’ around 10:30 to ‘feeling bad’ around 11:30 to “I’ll just stay here in the bathroom…” from 12:00 to 4:00.  I was able to go to bed because I didn’t have anything left to expel.

Sunday was spent in bed (for the most part) drinking water.  I ate a light (rice, beans, chicken) dinner.   Mostly I was fighting dehydration.  And fighting the upset stomach after expelling the entire contents.  Rebuilding the gut flora is not unlike building up a fishtank: put in certain addatives to help, avoid these lest you lose all progress, and keep tabs on it all the time.  Fun times.

Anyway, I’m better now.  The tank is looking good too.

I do a little (stress ‘little’) side work for a historical group that Christina’s mom used to be very active in.  (active as in, ‘was once president of’).  Anyway, I do web updates to their website, make a few reports about web traffic, and a few other simple things.  Not bad work.

Well, a long while back I made a preview/beta version of their website available on 4101.  I did it so they could take a look at some changes that, at the time, were going to be sorta major.  It served the purpose well and life was good.  I left the site there as an older backup and in case I wanted to use it again.

Flip forward a few months and I found out something both funny and sad at the same time.  If you search for the name of the historical group in google, you get the 4101 beta site as the first link.  The real website is second.  I discovered this when my bandwidth started to jump from the beta site.  (as in from 40mb a month to 400mb+) .  I’ve updated the beta site to match the real site, and will continue to do so in the future.

Anyway, I thought it was funny.  I imagine that if people from the group find out they will be less than amused.

A while back our fishtank overheated.  When Christina checked the tank around noon and found the temp was up at 98 degrees; the normal temp is closer to 78.  Anyway, we’re getting to the point of restocking the tank.  The first addition was a few new rocks from a friend’s tank that are covered in soft coral.  Unfortunately, they have yet to really start showing themselves.  So pics aren’t really that interesting.

However, today we bought a new fish.  The green mandarin goby:

Next week we’re going to hit up the year end sale. (30% 0ff nearly all stock, and a few specials like a 90 gallon tank for $200 <= super price)  We’ll be after some snails, some crabs, and maybe a shrimp.

Last year there seemed to be a big push to say happy holidays instead of merry Christmas. It annoyed me. (It also annoys me that the school Halloween carnival must now be called Fall Festival.) Last year i protested “happy holidays” by going thru my collection of good-intention Christmas cards and freecycling all the ones that said happy holidays.

I just now received a link to a song on youtube, “It’s Called Christmas”. I listened to it. Naturally it’s protesting our adopting the politically correct “happy holidays,” rather than greeting each other with, “Merry Christmas.” It’s very catchy. It makes the point that the holiday is about the birth of Christ… i could not help thinking about Winter Solstice and wondering if the “pagans” were singing, “It’s Called Winter Solstice” when we Christianized their holiday and made it about the birth of Christ.

I guess i am a little more tolerant of “happy holidays” now, though for me it will always be Christmas.