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Happy Halloween! Although we didn't have many...
October 31, 2009 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Happy Halloween! Although we didn't have many trick-or-treaters, we still carved a jack-o-lantern. Yes, it is the death star.
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I took the kids to the park today to ride bikes
October 31, 2009 by Adam in Sam
 I took the kids to the park today to ride bikes. It was pretty muddy and Sam in particular enjoyed riding through huge mud puddles. Emma was the safety officer and repeatedly pulled him off the ground.
When he returned home, he showered, put on clean clothes, and made himself pizza. He reported that it felt like he lived a life of luxury.
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Yar! It be another sweet Mocha Friday, not t...
October 30, 2009 by Adam in Family
 Yar! It be another sweet Mocha Friday, not to mention dressing like a pirate at work today. Emma put on her witch costume for school, so we had to pose for the camera.
The week has generally gone well. Sam had one day where he was a little sick and stayed home. Jamie took a day trip to Portland yesterday, with Josh entertaining the kids after school, much to their delight. I spent last night helping Sam with math and Emma with spelling. For bedtime I started reading Emma Harry Potter, and afterwards Sam and I played with the Dragon Age toolset building sunken ruins.
I need to sit down and spend some quality time with my loan application, but with luck there will soon be another big gob of cash put into our savings account. Once that's combined with the stocks cash-out, I think Jamie should have everything she needs to start looking for a house. I know she's nervous about moving out and worrying about a job. Mostly I'm trying to get everything in place for when she's ready.
Game night with Sadie was cut short due to sleep needed for our East Coast relatives. We might reschedule for this weekend. I was excited to hear that she and Greg would be coming to town towards the end of December.
As for the next few days, it turns out I have one more dance class tonight. Tomorrow I'm taking the kids Trick or Treating. Sometime I need to go to the library and maybe work on the compost tumbler. When I went over to dad and Jenny's on Wednesday, he helped cut a hole in the side. The rest is up to me.
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Happy almost Halloween! Greg and I are going ...
October 30, 2009 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Happy almost Halloween! Greg and I are going to the symphony and a big sweaty dance party held by one of the coolest MPPers at a Cambridge VFW hall. It should be fun.
There are occasionally fall ladybug infestations in Massachusetts, and here is one of the speckled friends that was hanging around Heller this morning.
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The week continues to zip along, already half...
October 28, 2009 by Adam in Family
The week continues to zip along, already half over.
Sam was home sick yesterday, with a touch of a cold and headache. Fortunately it wasn't particularly bad and he headed in today.
I ran into Jamie in the lobby this morning, waiting for her job interview, so I stopped and wished her luck. She's applying for a teaching position with PeaceHealth Laboratories in the building where I work. It's a good professional job that she's perfectly qualified for, so I think there's a reasonable chance of her getting it.
Having my ex-wife work in my same building sounds like good material for a sitcom, but I honestly hope she gets the job and it's unlikely we'd cross paths anyway. I had a good friend work in my same building for a year before we managed to see each other.
Jamie's off to Portland tomorrow. I've got Emma's costume ready for Friday's school party. Now I just need to make sure I have all the appropriate clothes, props, and tattoos for my pirate costume. I'll take any excuse to talk like a pirate for the day.
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We had a busy but fun weekend
October 26, 2009 by Sue in Wielesek
We had a busy but fun weekend. On Saturday, which was a beautiful day, Dez and one of his buds came over and moved huge rocks down to where I want a low rock wall so that I
can sort of terrace the front yard, and make the upper level flat. The Ducks stomped the Huskies, which made me happy. The Huskie fans were all real mean when our team was bad years ago.
Sunday Bob and I cleaned, and then Josh, Adam and the kids were here for dinner at 6, and Aric at 8, after basketball practice.
Today it's raining, the kind of rain when you know there won't be another week of sunshine. I was lying on the bed, feeling sort of morose and thinking that I'd lost my husband, my pickup and my dog, and then I realize it sounded like a C&W song, and I'd better just get in gear.
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I made an H1N1 pumpkin at the pumpkin carving...
October 25, 2009 by Adam in Adam's Projects
I made an H1N1 pumpkin at the pumpkin carving party last night. Unfortunately the squirrels thought the "pumpkin innards vomit" was pretty tasty and immediately took an interest to it.
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It's Sunday morning, the kids are fed, the ki...
October 25, 2009 by Adam in Family
 It's Sunday morning, the kids are fed, the kitchen clean, laundry going, and the kids are playing with Legos. I managed to make hash browns and pancakes, along with a morning mocha. My wonderful kids assisted and generally stayed out of trouble. I think my favorite moment was finishing cleaning the kitchen and walking out to discover Sam and Emma brushing their teeth just as I'd asked them to. Ah, the joys of older children.
Friday night was my final swing dance class. I finally got the hang of the thing, doing inside turns and tuck turns without thinking about it much. Now I just need to practice more, or get a dance partner taller than Emma. Josh watched the kids while I was out, as Jamie went to the coast. They had such a good time that they demanded he return today.
Yesterday was a whirlwind of activity. After a crêpe-filled breakfast, we had my friend Joanna arrive with her husband and two kids in tow. Her husband is a glassblower, so the kids both got nifty glass flowers. The kids cheerfully played in the basement, then cheerfully played with playdough in the kitchen, and finally cheerfully drank tea and ate goodies.
Next I took Emma off to Isabella's birthday party. Initially she was hesitant to go, but perked right up once she arrived. Isabella's mom Heather was a whirlwind of frantic activity, managing to get the kids doing balloon-carrying races, dress-up, piñata whacking, cake, and present opening. Emma returned home with more presents than she arrived with.
We had some down time after that and then headed out a final time to pumpkin carving at Jason and Bridget's house. All sorts of old friends were there, including BJ and her family. The kids had a pretty good time and ate a surprising amount of food. Again, they returned with prizes and collapsed at home after a quick bath.
Josh is on his way over and the plan is to take it easy today. I've got assorted domestic chores to do and hopefully can find a few moments to simply enjoy life in between all the things that must be done. Playing in my garden sounds like a fine idea.
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Generic Heading
October 24, 2009 by Sue in Wielesek
Where's Emma?
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Merry Christmas
October 23, 2009 by Robbie in Cortez
Merry Christmas...wait it's only October and we already had our first snowfall. We woke up on Wednesday morning covered with about 3" of snow. Now, in Oregon this would be a major shut down of the cities, and children would be jumping for joy. For us, this is an itsy, bitsy, minor problem. It was truly beautiful to see the snow falling and the trees covered in powdered sugar. All of us stared out our windows, with one of us uttering a "Wow!" or "Look over there!" "Isn't it beautiful!" There is still snow around and especially on the slopes. If you drive ten minutes to Penasco, there is no trace of snow.
I've been busy with homework, and occasionally I feel like that dream where there is a major test and you forgot to study for it. I have a class where the professor is out sick, and the dean took over. There is a reason why she's the dean and not a professor! Most of the time I feel lost on where to post things on the site and find out later that it was suppose to be posted on another page. I can't find anything on the site and I'm always asking where to find things. Luckily, the other students will answer my questions, and then the dean will answer them after the fact. Other than that, I'm doing well on the work!
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Mocha Friday already, though I'm still patien...
October 23, 2009 by Adam in Family
 Mocha Friday already, though I'm still patiently waiting until I head into work. Somehow oatmeal with raisins doesn't quite compare.
The week seems to have gone so fast. Jamie's off to the beach this weekend, Josh is coming over for pizza and Mythbusters, and it's my last dance class tonight. Saturday is filled to the gills with play dates, birthday parties, and pumpkin carving. Sunday is more of a laid back day for us, just hanging out with the kids. Maybe I can sneak a library run in there somewhere.
Life's been going relatively well. The dividing of assets has started in earnest, with two really big checks arriving from the sale of our stocks. The money's from some gifts that my grandparents gave us when my grandfather was dying. It probably wasn't their intent to help us divorce well later in life, but without it I probably couldn't have kept the house. So thanks, Dorothy and Franklin.
The mortgage refinance is next. I basically have to gather up paperwork and make it happen. After that, the bulk of our assets should be ready for dividing. All that remains is adjusting our retirement funds, which can only happen after we get legally separated or divorced. I suspect we'll do a final calculation with the accountant to come up with a number, and then hold off until we're formally divorced to make it happen.
The next big thing is talking to the kids when Jamie starts looking for a new house. I've been generally okay emotionally for a couple weeks now, and I know the kids haven't had the same time to adjust to things. It could be a little rough, especially when Jamie finally gets a new place.
Even though there's a lot of hard things going on, the kids and I continue to have fun, Jamie and I seem to be working well together, and I'm optimistic for the future. Especially the café mocha in my future. I can taste it now.
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Game night Apples to Apples wins:
Responsibl...
October 23, 2009 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Game night Apples to Apples wins:
Responsible: grave robbers
Hopeless: Cindy Crawford
Elitist: carnival workers
Graceful: chickens
Distinguished: Helen Keller
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My last organic gardening class was last nigh...
October 22, 2009 by Adam in Adam's Projects
My last organic gardening class was last night, and I'm full of inspiration to start a backyard garden. It turns out that Pasta Plus has endless cheap 55-gallon drums from their pesto making operations. Since they were used for olive oil, they're considered "food grade" and can be turned into a compost tumbler. I picked one up and am going to see if I can get my dad's help to turn it into something useful.
I may end up trying to get some wood for raised beds, though I may not start filling them with soil until I talk to a water guy. I think I want a faucet smack dab in the middle and pick up a timer to attach soaker hoses to. That seems the most sensible low-cost option.
It's fun to think about.
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Oh, Seraph, that's wonderful! I'm very proud
October 22, 2009 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Oh, Seraph, that's wonderful! I'm very proud. Let Isa know that she'll make a great professor! As I have come to realize from leading weekly undergrad discussions, good teaching is all in the theatrical flair.
I am very, very slowly recovering from October. Regaining lost sleep is tricky.
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The owners were here working on our internet ...
October 22, 2009 by Seraph in Cortez
The owners were here working on our internet yesterday, so we may be able to wade through the hundred e-mails or so soon!
Their also going to change our phones so that it will be easier for us to call you - yeah!!
I really just wanted to post a quick note for Sadie. Today was career day at Isa's school, and she went as you! She is telling everyone she is a grad student/teacher and a Mass university. I have a really cute pic I'll post when I can.
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Well, I must be better, because I'm going to ...
October 22, 2009 by Sue in Wielesek
Well, I must be better, because I'm going to committee meetings again. I should never agreed to be Membership Chair for the League of Women Voters, with two other Boards of Directors and a couple of sub-committees to attend to.
Everybody in the League is as old as me, or older, and one of the discussion topics today was having a professional photographer take pictures of the Board. The photographer
will also take individual photos at $35 a pop, and everyone agreed it would be a great opportunity to have an Obit photo
taken. These gals are a hoot. Since the best photo I have is me sitting in bed with a little garbage can on my head, perhaps this photo would be an improvement.
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Hmmm, Lohring
October 21, 2009 by Sue in Wielesek
Hmmm, Lohring. Does it work in the water, too?
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Since that last picture was a little boring, ...
October 21, 2009 by Lohring in Lohring
 Since that last picture was a little boring, here's the boat in action. Testing starts in early Spring.
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I think I'm finally done with midterms
October 20, 2009 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
I think I'm finally done with midterms. Everyone in the program is so tired they can barely function and everyone has the flu, but teachers have finally been fed... just like zombies, they won't stop until they have your brain, in paper form.
Off to bed.
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It's Monday night, Emma's in the bath, and Sa...
October 20, 2009 by Adam in Family
It's Monday night, Emma's in the bath, and Sam's helping her with her spelling homework. Tonight when I came home, Emma dropped to her knees, exclaimed "All hail Daddy!" and began worshiping. I have great kids.
Sunday wasn't quite as busy as the day before. Jamie had the kids in the morning after breakfast, so I went food shopping, stopped at the library, and did some miscellaneous chores. Jamie returned with Emma and went back to M's house until late afternoon. Emma and I had a wonderful time working in the garden. I did a little bit of work towards the new garden plan, but there are still endless projects to work on.
This morning Jamie and I went to the counselor and later to the accountant. There were no huge surprises. The monthly amount I'm paying Jamie initially is higher than expected, but as part of the initial division I'm getting a little more savings than expected. The first couple years will end up being pretty tight, but hopefully we can get through it. It's still a little tricky with the assumptions of job and salary and when she'll move out, so adjustments are to be expected. As for me, the next step is to sell our stocks and work on getting the house refinanced. Relatively soon, there should be a big chunk of change for Jamie to work with.
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Yayoe performed at Uketoberfest this weekend ...
October 19, 2009 by Adam in Yayoe
Yayoe performed at Uketoberfest this weekend and asked that I share this video of her performance.
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I've started resurrecting the odd project the...
October 18, 2009 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 I've started resurrecting the odd project these days. As it's looking like I'll be staying in the house, my interest in gardening is blooming (pun intended). Mostly it's at the level of graph paper and scribbles, but I moved the dirt pile left over from the shed to make the beginnings of a flower bed.
I've also been canning like mad, doing applesauce and apple butter this weekend. I'm sure it's deeply symbolic, stocking up for a long, cold winter before Spring finally comes. Fortunately it's both symbolic and tasty.
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What a day! After breakfast, the kids and I ...
October 17, 2009 by Adam in Family
What a day! After breakfast, the kids and I dug into the Halloween decoration box. Soon we had dangling skeletons and jars of odd potions scattered around the house. I'm going as a pirate to work on Halloween. Since bringing the flintlock rifle could possibly result in my dismissal, I opted for one of Sam's foam swords. We had a broken one, which I repaired, spray painted, and added some leather to. The kids thought it immediately awesome. Sam wasn't keen on going to the pumpkin patch, so Emma and I headed out to Thistledown Farms. The rain was monumental and we wisely opted to take the horse-drawn carriage out to the pumpkin patch. I think it took as long to wash off the mud as it did to pick the pumpkins, but we both had a memorable time. Upon coming home, Sam was off at a friend's birthday party so Emma and I diligently worked at apple sauce production. It was a tremendous amount of work and we ended up with only five large jars as the output. Perhaps next time I'll use industrial vats to get the right economy of scale. Now Josh is over, trying to kill the children with foam swords. I promised him zombie-themed games, so we'll probably head up to play Give Me The Brain or Zombie Fluxx. Life's good.
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We are still here! Sorry I haven't posted in ...
October 16, 2009 by Robbie in Cortez
We are still here! Sorry I haven't posted in a while. Our lives are crazy at the moment, since we just moved to our new place at the base of Sipapu Ski Area. The last of aspens are loosing their leaves and bare limbs are weaving their arms into the sky. I have been busy with my online classes and I don't know if I can fit a job in there! Seraph is quite busy with laundry and checking in guests in the evening. Isabell has to wake up early in the morning to catch the bus. The first time the bus picked her up, Seraph and I waved as she left, it had a great country feel to it. To contact us call 1800-587-2240 ext 211 or ask for the night office. It's best to call us after 4:30 when Seraph can answer the phone.
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I just downed my Mocha Friday beverage and I ...
October 16, 2009 by Adam in Family
 I just downed my Mocha Friday beverage and I feel the liquid optimism coursing through my veins. Life continues to be both hard and wonderful. Occasionally things between Jamie and I are awkward, but we're also working well together to take care of the kids and get through the business of getting separated and divorced. I've spent the last few days trying to figure out all the mortgage issues and trying to understand what all the fees mean. Monday we have another counseling session and meet with our CPA to go over finances.
Emma was going to go up to Portland to visit her grandma, but Judy hurt her back and so we've postponed the trip. I'd planned a boys-only Saturday night with Sam and Josh playing zombie games. I'm trying to think of ways to work Emma into some of that without getting her too freaked out before bed time. Give Me the Brain is a funny card game that Emma would probably enjoy. Left 4 Dead, not so much.
As usual, I looked through Eugene Weekly, trying to come up with things to do. I think I'll take Emma to a farm to get apples and pumpkins, one for applesauce and another for carving. I like the idea of Halloween projects, from picture frames with moving images to apothecary jars filled with strange things. In years past, they've loved doing that. Between the two of them, they've started a perfume making business, mixing strange things about the house in hopes of making their fortune. Maybe some of those odd tinctures can be put into cleverly labeled jars.
I had my second to last organic gardening class on Wednesday, which is endlessly inspiring. I'm feeling the urge to make cedar raised beds and a compost tumbler. My dance class is tonight, and I'm hoping my ankle will cooperate. Both finish at the end of the month, so I'll need to find other things to do with my Wednesday and Friday nights. Perhaps I'll just keep that time open and work on house projects or visit with people as desired. It's been good for me to stay busy, but I'm also noticing I don't have a lot of free time.
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Sue, Sambuccol is the thing for the flu
October 15, 2009 by Betsy in Betsy
Sue, Sambuccol is the thing for the flu. Its Elderberry Extract and cuts viral infections down like a Nerf gun wielded by Emma! Love, Bets
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I hurt my ankle pretty badly on Monday, getti...
October 15, 2009 by Adam in Adam
 I hurt my ankle pretty badly on Monday, getting out of an office chair. It was really painful, but I iced it and could generally walk around on it. Things seem to have improved over the last couple days and I no longer favor one foot over the other. I still don't have the range of motion I normally have, but it's on the mend.
Today I used a stair stepper for 20 minutes and then ran for 2 miles without any problems. Afterward in the locker room, I looked at my ankle and was amazed at how badly it had bruised. There's a line above and below the ankle, probably roughly corresponding to attachment points for ligaments. It wasn't my favorite way to learn about human anatomy.
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Darn, I've got the flu
October 14, 2009 by Sue in Wielesek
Darn, I've got the flu. And this a most social week! Adam, please consider this a Regrets. Back to sleep.
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Mike just bought Dry Martini IV, a 1974, 35 f...
October 14, 2009 by Lohring in Lohring
 Mike just bought Dry Martini IV, a 1974, 35 foot Cigarette once owned by
Carlo Bonomi. Carlo won the Cowes Torquay race in England with earlier version of the
boat in 1974. Mike drove in the shorter Cowes Poule race this year during a
visit to his family and won. Next year is the 50th anniversary of the 225
mile Cowes Torquay race and Mike decided it was a once in a lifetime chance.
I'm going as the navigator, and an English racer will be the throttle man.
Currently Mike has the engines out and completely disassembled. He is also
going through the drives and all the rest of the boat as well. It's in
great shape considering its age. The original paint is still nearly
perfect.
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Emma and I made applesauce tonight, using equ...
October 14, 2009 by Adam in Family
 Emma and I made applesauce tonight, using equipment borrowed from a friend at work. It generally worked out pretty well, and the kids seemed enthusiastic enough about the taste that I may make up a bigger batch this weekend.
I had a bit of a fall Monday at work. I was getting out of an office chair and my leg fell asleep. Moments later I put my weight on it, rolled my ankle, and fell down hard on my butt. My coworkers were great, getting me an ice pack and endless sympathy. I managed to get to the gym both days, but no running for awhile. Sitting has been uncomfortable today, bothering me more than my ankle. Hopefully I'll be mended enough for my Friday dance class.
Jamie and I continue to work together to take care of all the things we're supposed to be doing. She's looking hard for work, which she reports as not being frustrating yet. I've been working to fill out paperwork for both my mortgage broker and the CPA.
Neither has been done yet, as Jamie and I briefly went over finances, I ran a new network cable to Sam's computer, and then I had the kids full time. I conked out when putting Emma to bed, woke up enough to eat cereal, and now I'm going to crawl under the covers myself.
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Woops! Turns out that the UKEtoberfest ticket...
October 12, 2009 by Yayoe in Yayoe
Woops! Turns out that the UKEtoberfest ticket price for students and children are $5...not free as originally reported! Sorry about that. Adults tickets are $15.
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I'm STILL housecleaning
October 12, 2009 by Sue in Wielesek
I'm STILL housecleaning. Lots of leftover dust and grime from the summer and remodeling. But all my geraniums (would that be gerania in Latin? I've been watching a video course called The Story of Human Language from The Teaching Company - wonderful teacher, John McWhorter; he showed up last spring on Bill Moyer's program on PBS)oh, and back to the geraniums - they're all happily inside, potted in smaller pots, a bit easier to move, clusted around the entry hall window.
This afternoon Dez and one of his friends were over for a couple of hours, working with me on cleaning the shed. We packed what's left of my camping gear after years of "Mom Can I Borrow", plus Bob's, up in the loft. It was generally a big project; they moved the last big tool box out to the shed from where it had summered in the kitchen.
I continue to try to get rid of stuff. Sadie, I'm sending on that little wood box Myron made for your great grandma Sadie. I think I'll see if Adam will take the picture of the Jones house which used to be in my office. Also, Jenny agreed to take the Triffid in the antique crock in the living room. It's grown so much it must be eating the flies and spiders which usually arrive this time of year.It's really hard to shove this stuff off on Jenny. Jenny, being adopted means you still have to take junk from your mother.
But today, she greeted me with an evil glint in her eye when I took the boys home and announced she had stuff to give me, a coat and jacket for Mikeoleto, Richard's little boy. Most welcome; they're living hand to mouth. If you know anyone who needs
outdoor or indoor work done, let me know. (Bob is upstairs swearing vigorously at his computer. He must be feeling better!)
Of course, I just got done buying a lovely little antique dresser, painted dark brown, for $50. He was asking $40, but I negotiated hard. (Eugene Springfield seems full of people down on their luck these days. A carpenter whose business went to hell in a handbasket, leaving them unable to finish remodeling a 1903 house; beautiful wide board flooring. I also bought a couple of the doors he'd replaced.)It's the same as the dresser up in Bob's room, and once refinished, will be nice in the new apartment downstairs.
We really are enjoying Josh; he's been eating with us in the evening since I haven't cleaned out enough space for him to store food. He always says thank you, and frequently tells me that dinner is good. Of course, it's tough to find food a growing boy likes.
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The weekend is coming to a close, Emma's asle...
October 12, 2009 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is coming to a close, Emma's asleep and Sam's reading a Batman reference book.
This morning we had crepes and Jamie and I went over finances. Everything is extremely preliminary, but I think we can just barely afford paying two mortgages, utilities, food, and all the other necessities of life (including TV and Internet) for the near future. True, we won't have any savings to speak of and things like vacations are postponed, but at least we won't be starving with our children in burlap clothes. Jamie and I have been working well together on these sort of issues, which makes me hopeful that we'll continue to be good co-parents in the years ahead.
Emma decided to cut a couple holes in a sheet for a traditional ghost costume. We'll see if this supplants the black cat she's been for the last few years.
I went off for a hair cut and grocery shopping, and then Jamie went off to Corvallis to meet with Carrie. The kids were playing really well together in the back yard, hunting for bugs, burning things with a magnifying glass, and generally enjoying being kids. I weeded like a maniac, filling our yard debris bin with all manner of invasive plants. I hopefully made some sketches of the back yard, trying to figure out where to put raised beds and plant flowers.
Afterward, Emma and I made a library run and then practiced more bike riding at the park. As evening rolled around, the kids had quiet time and I whipped up some dinner while they did battle in the basement with foam swords. Next came chores and home work. Emma did great with her spelling words, mostly thanks to Sam who practiced with her the day before.
Now the house is quiet and work starts tomorrow. I'm not sure if I want to do something frivolous or curl up in bed with the Good Divorce book. Ah, decisions.
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Sam declared that he could tell that he was g...
October 12, 2009 by Adam in Sam
Sam declared that he could tell that he was growing up. Fascinated, I asked him to elaborate. For starters, he wasn't interested in playing pretend any more, which made it harder to have fun. I've also noticed that privacy has become important and baths are a solitary affair. When pressing him further, he just said "everything's changed" and left it at that.
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We had quite the busy day today
October 11, 2009 by Adam in Family
We had quite the busy day today. It's nine o'clock and already I'm tuckered out.
Jamie made pancakes for us this morning and headed off to the gym. I dragged out the ping pong table and we played until it was time to go to Rewild. It's a "back to nature" group and they had an assortment of activities going on. Sam caught swords (bamboo Kendo ones), tied ropes, and tried to start a fire using friction. Emma and I tried acorn flour pancakes which I thought were pretty good.
After that we headed home and Sam went off to a Percy Jackson themed birthday party at Zack's house. Emma and I made sourdough bread and hamburger buns, measured the backyard in preparation for garden planning (semi-homework for my Wednesday class), and then went to Saturday Market to pick up produce. Emma is a treat to hang out with, and we ate noodles and picked up all manner of tasty vegetables.
We returned home, got Sam, and started getting ready for dinner. Dave, Kirsten, and Josh arrived and mightily entertained the kids while I got everything ready. Dave graciously made the hamburgers as I think it's been over twenty years since I cooked meat.
We ate outside on the patio, and the food turned out well. After dinner we hung up an old sheet and Dave set up the LCD projector and laptop. From the kitchen, you could look out the window and it looked like the Canadian Rockies were right outside the window. In reality, it was just the wallpaper from Dave's laptop.
We watched Pixar movies to everyone's amusement, and then I got Emma into a quick bath and bed. Emma was amazed by the stars as it's been awhile since she's been outside in the dark. Now it's late and I'm feeling pretty worn out. Time for bed soon.
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It's another sweet Mocha Friday and the antic...
October 09, 2009 by Adam in Family
 It's another sweet Mocha Friday and the anticipation of that delicious elixir is palpable. Only a half an hour to go. As soon as I came home, I was on kid duty, though it wasn't particularly difficult. Sam played his new Batman game and I helped Emma draw scientific illustrations of imaginary animals. After dinner we had game night with Sadie and Greg. The kids both love playing charades, which is an easy choice when we haven't prepared much. As we were winding down for bed, I pointed out that Emma had her first list of spelling words to practice. That seemed to invigorate both of the kids and soon Sam was helping with her homework as she took a bath. It was one of those awesome parent moments when I was proud of both of them simultaneously. For those of you hoping to lurk about my house and plot my demise, the robot should be currently active. I upgraded the netbook to Windows 7 and the whole setup is a little twitchy, but it generally seems to work.
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Just a quick note to tell you that my aging "...
October 09, 2009 by Yayoe in Yayoe
Just a quick note to tell you that my aging "girl" band AKA The Refreshments will be singing 2-3 songs at the UKEtoberfest concert on Saturday night, October 17 at 7:30.The concert will feature very talented uke musicians who know their way around the uke keyboard. We're just filler. Wish us luck. I've been a big ball of sweat worrying about it..
Tickets are $15, students and children are free.
We'll also be singing at the next Aloha Friday at Hodgepodge, 6pm, on Friday, November 6th. The food is good and it's free!
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Bob's not feeling great
October 09, 2009 by Sue in Wielesek
Bob's not feeling great. We both have sore throats, but he seems to have a bad cold. We're enjoying having Josh here. He's quiet, but has a nice sense of humor. I'm still house cleaning. Each year, I swear it's the last time.
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The kids had Jog-a-Thon today at school, rais...
October 08, 2009 by Adam in Family
The kids had Jog-a-Thon today at school, raising money for their art and music programs. I ended up running with Emma, or at least alternating running and limping. I think she drank a bit too much water and ended up with a side ache towards the end. Still, she ran more than two miles and felt pretty good at the end. I saw Sam briefly as he zipped about, giving him a macho fist bump before I left. The school took some pictures, which you can see here.
Jamie and I went over our assorted "to do" lists this morning. Next step is to get our house appraised and contact a CPA to go over how to best divide up all our assets. I also asked Jamie to make a list of all our furniture and mark which ones she wanted. There are still plenty of unknowns, and there aren't any firm timelines, but I think we're doing all the things we're supposed to be doing.
 
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Very quick not to say hello, and we are alive
October 08, 2009 by Seraph in Cortez
Very quick not to say hello, and we are alive. We don't have internet right now - the router (?) for the wifi is down. We've gotten mostly moved into the new house up at Sipapu (pic to come), and it's nice to be able to get so much stuff out of storage.
Today is Hunni's birthday (she's down here), so we're hoping to do a little something special : )
Love to all!
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My first gardening class was pretty fun
October 08, 2009 by Adam in Adam
My first gardening class was pretty fun. Getting to LCC was somewhat nostalgic, as the old route came back to me after all those years. The instructor took us out to a student garden and proceeded to point out all the different things you can eat, munching on petals and leaves as we went. I was handed some Calendula seeds, which I stuffed into a folded up piece of paper.
Needless to say, I'm now quite excited about doing some gardening. It sounds like I'll need to talk to an irrigation person as the sprinklers in the back yard are turned off. Next week is garden planning, so I'm not going to actually break any ground yet. The instructor was big on fava beans for a cover crop, so that may be something I grow over the winter.
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Betsy very nicely packaged up all her kids' N...
October 08, 2009 by Adam in Betsy
 Betsy very nicely packaged up all her kids' Nerf and disc firing toys. Emma eagerly opened up the box and was thrilled to see the contents. We're having some issues getting the new darts fit into the old weapons, so some modifications may be in order. We managed to tape a little toilet paper around an old dart and that did the trick too. That approach does have a high possibility for messiness, however.
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Well, today is Wednesday, the first of Jamie'...
October 07, 2009 by Adam in Adam
 Well, today is Wednesday, the first of Jamie's "mom days" with the kids. After looking at all the things that I could possibly doing, from Lindy Hop classes to sitting in my basement and catching up on my t.v. shows, I opted for an organic gardening class over at LCC. I'm hoping that I can look into building some raised beds and getting a garden started in the back yard. It's also only until the end of the month, so it wasn't a big commitment.
I haven't been to LCC for over twenty years, so I nervously printed out a map. I'm going to swing by home before I go, as I didn't bring both lunch and dinner with me to work. When I left, I wasn't even sure what I was doing tonight. I'm also hoping I can visit my dad, who teaches at a dental clinic there.
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We had a productive counseling session this m...
October 06, 2009 by Adam in Adam
We had a productive counseling session this morning. I had one issue that was bothering me, and Jamie graciously has taken steps to alleviate my nervousness. She's also agreed that I'll stay in the house. Some issues are financial, but others are so that the kids have added stability in their lives. I very much appreciate her willingness to do so.
We've also taken steps to set up "mom time" and "dad time". Jamie's taking the kids on Wednesday, Friday for my class, and Sunday morning.
So, we're making progress.
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The weekend is drawing to a close (though t...
October 05, 2009 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is drawing to a close (though the thought makes Sam very unhappy). This morning Jamie made crepes and then took the kids swimming and to lunch. I had a leisurely trip to the library, returning with countless goodies for the kids and gardening books for me. I did some laundry, made lunch, worked on getting the robot functional, and then the kids descended on me once again. Jamie helped M buy remodeling stuff, Emma watched a movie, and Sam and I played Left 4 Dead. Fighting off zombie hordes creates a very special father-son bond. Our neighbors brought over pumpkin pie, which we promptly ate. Next we headed to the Asian kite festival to make kites and enjoy the music. The kids had a great time running around and listening to the drums. Emma hit the 14 second mark riding alone. Since then, we've been taking it easy. Dinner will be soon, and then the typical bedtime routine. Just the way I like it.
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It was a pretty low-key day with the kids today
October 04, 2009 by Adam in Family
 It was a pretty low-key day with the kids today. Jamie made breakfast this morning, then went to the gym and later to M's for the rest of the day. Sam was feeling a little draggy, possibly due to an impending cold. We played cards and puttered around until close to noon, then Emma and I went to the park for a picnic and bike riding. She hit a new record of twelve seconds solo riding.
Upon our return, Sam was wanting to play on the computer with me, so it was quiet time for Emma while the two of us had some bonding time. Afterward, the kids played with walkie-talkies and ran about the house while I did some cleaning in the basement.
As the afternoon wore on, I took the kids outside for some sun. They decided to script their own fight scenes, then act them out for me. Evidently this one kick of Emma's was so powerful, it caused purple bolts of energy to shoot from Sam's head. Well, at least that's what showed up on the camera.
We then went to Yayoe's for dinner. It's always nostalgic for me to go to that house. I don't know how many countless meals I've had with the old clock ticking away. After that it was baths and bedtime snacks and stories. Emma's getting quite good at reading, and cheerfully read a Doctor Seuss book to me without hardly a mistake.
My ballroom dancing class went relatively well. It was two other couples, myself, and the two instructors. I got a fair bit of individual attention from the woman instructor, which was nice. It was a very different style than my college class, but I think I'm picking it up quickly. I'm still trying to figure out if this is something I want to turn into a regular hobby.
We'll see what tomorrow brings. If the weather holds, I'd like to take them to the Asian kite festival at the nearby park.
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I guess my spirits have lifted enough to post...
October 03, 2009 by Sue in Wielesek
I guess my spirits have lifted enough to post in a slightly less morose vein. Bob and our worker guy did a wonderful job of repairing the garage roof, replacing termite ridden beams, and patching and painting the wall. Richard has also cut off branches on our tree, and some branches for the neighbor, giving us much more light. Richhard has had several job requests, from Hanni, from Deb, and from the neighbor. His wife and son arrived from California today, following apartment hunting, etc. Jenny is kindly donating some furniture to help them set up housekeeping. I'm having breakfast with Adam and Jamie next week to help them compile a list of things they need to think about and decide.
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Adam and I moved game night to Wednesday this...
October 02, 2009 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Adam and I moved game night to Wednesday this week so Greg and I could celebrate his birthday. We have a dinner with his family tonight and friends on Saturday, so this was our romantic evening in. We reheated leftover tomatillo tortilla soup, made creme brulee, and watched The Great Escape (I usually request movies with at least one female character, but this was a birthday exception. He almost made me watch Das Boot). One of the funny, wonderful things about Greg's family's birthday traditions is that birthday boys (Greg has two brothers) get to eat an entire apple pie, generally replacing a week of breakfasts. He was magnanimous enough to share this morning, and there really is nothing like an apple pie with cinnamon sprinkled lattes to start a fall Friday.
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It's another sweet Mocha Friday, not to menti...
October 02, 2009 by Adam in Family
 It's another sweet Mocha Friday, not to mention Pizza and Mythbusters Friday and Swing Dance Lesson Friday. It's my first class tonight, something I haven't done in twenty years. We'll see if I remember any of the moves. Everyone was pretty tired last night. Emma in particular seemed to be having a hard time of it. After her bath, she threw a huge fit. Jamie and I have been trying to get to the point where either parent could get her to bed, but Emma wasn't cooperating very well. After Jamie read bedtime stories, I got called in to settle her down. Maybe we'll try getting Emma to sleep together, and get her to the point when either of us can get her to sleep. To top it off, Emma had a dream that vampires killed Sam, so we went downstairs this morning to ensure he was still alive. Still, Emma is also adjusting relatively well to school. She's doing great with her reading and writing, amazing me with her ability to read an entire book to me. She's starting to make friends at school and I think her recesses aren't as lonely as when school first started. Sam, of course, is a trooper when it comes to school. He's got the routine down and has a good group of friends. Last night he was saying how he and his friends had memorized the lyrics to The Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny. He's quite good at getting through tough times with his good sense of humor. I'm feeling strangely optimistic today, perhaps because the future is seeming more clear. Even though change is coming, it's not as scary as it once seemed. Jamie is very organized and loves the kids, so she'll make a good co-parent even if we live in different houses. The thought of having time without the kids started getting me excited about the thought of house projects, setting up a garden, and maybe joining a local hiking group. We'll see where my interests fall. In terms of the weekend, it looks a little dreary weather-wise. We're having dinner with Yayoe this Saturday and there's a kite flying celebration on Sunday. I'd love to get Emma riding her bike, though it may end up as a mud derby. Maybe we can hang out, watch movies, and make bread and soup. Of course, according to Emma's weather report, we could be seeing sun, rain, and snow, perhaps at the same time:
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I had an individual counseling session yesterday
October 01, 2009 by Adam in Adam
I had an individual counseling session yesterday. I'd been feeling a lot of sadness and regret, so I ended up talking to the counselor, hoping to get an outside opinion as to whether I should give up. In the end, the counselor pointed out that it takes two to want to be married, so I'm getting to the point where I'm accepting the situation.
Jamie and I have had some cordial conversations lately, which is positive. It's looking like we agree on a fair number of things, such as keeping the kids together and having houses close to each other. I'm even pretty sure we'll be able to divide up the things in our house without too much stress. The hard part remains the kids.
For the last few years, I've spent a lot of time with them in the evenings and on the weekends, so it's a scary thought thinking that might not be the case any more. I know that being around their mom is good for them, and I'll need time to figure out what my new life is supposed to be. Hopefully we can come up with something that works for everyone.
I'm still not doing great. I've got feelings of hurt and blame and anger swirling around - I wouldn't be human if I didn't. I'm going to keep that all out of this very public forum, though. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask.
My goal is that Jamie and I can get to a place of mutual respect and maybe even friendship some day. As I pointed out yesterday, it's like we're still married and have a lifetime of birthday parties, Christmases, and BBQs to attend. Being polite is a good starting point, but my hope is that we can enjoy each others company in the many years ahead.
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