The Family

Ok to share random things? One of those comics that I read and thought.. yep, that’s about right.

Source: www.sinfest.net

I like our Family Site!!!  I know that we are living closer together and seeing each other more often so there isn’t much news that we need to share here, but I liked our site and I hate seeing it sitting idle for months on end.  I liked that is was a record of sorts of the important events in our lives, and even some of the less important ones that were interesting at the time.

Eleanor has taken her first steps.  That should be here.

Luke and I were house hunting.  Of course it was all for naught, but I could have posted about that.  I could have posted that Carrie visited several months ago.  I could even have posted that Ramona visited a few weeks ago.   It might be interesting if Ramona and I both shared about that visit – 2 perspectives.

What is new in your life Chris?  I know Aleah was in some sort of Karate thing recently.  You could post that school is out and what grades the kids are going to next year.

We could all post something!  And we should do it.  Or one of these days Chris is going to decide that the family blog has outlived its purpose and take it offline.  Then what would I use as a home page????

We made these decisions in person, phone conversations, and email, but, for the record, we are drawing names this year and the names are:
Luke has Chris
Nelia has Joseph
Joseph has Christina
Ramona has Nelia
Chris has Luke
Christina has Ramona
and everybody has the kids

This is for the “real” gift, not the eve gift. Agreed price point is more or less $50. It feels funny setting a price. I think if you can afford less or more or if what you reeeeaaly want to give is less or more, you should not feel like you have to keep it at $50, but it gives us all a starting point. (just my opinion)

I guess we’ll see how it goes this year and decide if we want to continue this way.

In case anyone came here and found the site down – I’m switching hosting providers.

As I was pulling down a full backup of everything, the old provider got very unstable – I don’t know I managed to trip some “user downloading too much” or some “unusual account activity” switch, but something broke in the middle of my backup.

So if anything is missing or unusual, I’m quite sorry.

I have high hopes for the new host though; only been with them for a week or so now without complaint.  We’ll see if it keeps up the smooth sailing!

Just a quick note of something that’s making me feel good today (and, will continue to feel good I’m sure)

Checking my Student Loan and seeing: STATUS : Paid in Full

I haven’t been able to reach everyone, and goodness knows for the next two weeks I’m not going to know where I am or what I’m doing – so here’s the timeline.

In various stages this week, we finish our packing – then the nice men come and finish it for us (they might be packing a lot of stuff we just didn’t get to) – and then the even nicer men come and load almost everything on a truck and take it away. In short, by Friday we will be sleeping on an air mattress and eating takeout off paper plates. Healthy!

Next week is where it gets interesting.

Monday we pick up the truck, Joseph loads it with everything we didn’t trust with the movers, and hopefully then we drive out.

We plan to be in New Braunfels by Thursday. We’d better be; that’s when we’re closing on the house. Assuming we don’t collapse under the paperwork.

We then sit in a hotel for a tremendously long time. The current homeowners need some time to get their logistics in order and get moved out, so we don’t actually take possession till early the following week. At which time it’s back to the air mattress and paper plates, and some seriously traumatized kitties.

I do not know when we will get our stuff back. It should be some time that week – Wednesday has been tossed about as a popular option, but that’s by no means certain. However, we should most likely have everything by the weekend. I think.

Therefore – if anyone would like to render unpacking assistance, or see the new house in a state of original disarray, June 7 would be a good day.

If all goes as planned, we will have a nice large yard and perhaps some empty boxes for entertainment, and one or maybe even two possible places to sit down.

Sounds like tremendous fun, yes? 🙂

We have had two years of gloom & doom – preparing for the apocalypse and the end of the (Maya) year/calendar.

So, this year, it’s time for some light.

That’s the theme – light.

You can interpret it literally, figuratively, metaphorically – as long as it fits. Give a feather pen because it is lightweight, give a book to spread the light of knowledge, give a light bulb to give light.

Price limits are flexible, but under $15 is the target.

And here are the names:
From -> To
Chris -> Nelia
Christina -> Joseph
Joseph -> Luke
Ramona -> Chris
Luke -> Ramona
Nelia -> Christina

I have bad news and good news.

First, the bad.

Annwynn is nearly 18. He’s been getting slower and skinnier and more decrepit for many years, and last weekend he had a very bad weekend – the kind of very bad where you realize it’s time to let go.

His appointment is next Tuesday, the 20th. We’re having the vet come to the house, and are trying to arrange things so it’s as calm and soothing for him as possible. And in the meantime, we’re trying to make sure his last week is full of all his favorite things. His favorite foods (basil pesto, blue cheese, and peanut butter), evening sniffs outside, precedence in all chairs and laps and soft places, sleeping under the covers – anything he wants.

And I’m trying to really focus on the present for this precious last week.

Now the good news.

We didn’t plan it this way, but it’s good that it worked out the way it did. A kitten showed up at work. They managed to trap her, and she was taken in by a local adoption agency. However, I sent my name with her, and was just accepted as a foster home for her. I picked her up yesterday.

She’s about 3 months old, is still skittish, but settling into things nicely. Mileva and Lyra are offended and indignant; Annwynn has noticed but I don’t know if he remembers. We got a picture last night of Little Bit laying on top of Annwynn. We got several photos, actually; it was a while before he noticed.

Having her makes this week a whole lot less maudlin. And she’s going to be excellent therapy for next week.

So, Chris …

It’s 15 weeks into the year … how is the book reading going?

I’m about to finish up Blue Mars – I had Red Mars in the top 10 list; Blue Mars is the last book in that trilogy. I’m reading it partially because it made the list. And now that I’m nearly done, I fully stand by Joseph’s recommendation 🙂

Next I have a few more Dresden books … I’ve read through Turn Coat; Joseph’s read through Ghost Story. Trying to wait till Cold Days is out in paperback.

But what have you read? Are you still on track? Have you read anything that you’d recommend?