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Seraph had her baby shower today
December 31, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Seraph had her baby shower today. Quite the crew, including myself (they let in the menfolk). Jamie finally gave Seraph the jacket and hat that she'd spent hours knitting away. It was quite well received.
There were also gobs of baby shower games. I can see why only women are traditionally allowed. In "Baby Bingo", were were supposed to write down the gifts that Seraph might get. Since there were 24 squares, it was hard to come up with enough, so I started making things up. Needless to say, Baby Cortez didn't get a gun and I didn't win.
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This picture was taken by Sam, which explains...
December 30, 2000 by Adam in Adam
 This picture was taken by Sam, which explains the weird angle. He's pretty good at taking the picture (with help), removing the memory card, and putting it in the reader. Techno Kid extraordinaire.
Time for a bit of reflection on the year. Lots of cool science news, good computer games, and fun with the family. Most of my personal life revolved around Sam. His appearance made such a big difference to my family and myself that I'm still figuring things out. He's pretty amazing and I've really enjoyed spending time with him this vacation.
I really picked up with the computer case modification fun. I don't see that stopping any time soon. This year was the year of no television, as I didn't have time for anything except Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
There's lots of things to think about for the year ahead. We're tentatively thinking about a new house and eventually a new kid. I'm sure my gaming and computer hobbies will continue, especially as my interest in Neverwinter Nights grows. Lots of good movies too, such as The Lord of the Rings.
Great fun and Happy New Year to all of you!
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Well, No One Lives Forever is no more
December 30, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Well, No One Lives Forever is no more. The ending wrapped up pretty quickly, though the game was interesting all the way through. I miss it, a little, which is a sign of a good game.
Next up is a game that I started playing while up in Portland: Escape from Monkey Island. So far, it's pretty good, though not quite as funny as the last one. The 3D part of the game is a little hard to work with at first. Still, it's good ol' Guybrush and his crazy hijinks. Even Sam's been running around saying "Escape from Monkey Island!"
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Well, I'm working on another computer project
December 29, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 Well, I'm working on another computer project. For Christmas, I was going to take my dad's old computer and fix it up for Jenny and Darren. Unfortunately, I ordered the wrong type of video card. The AGP Geforce2 MX wouldn't fit in my dad's old computer (PCI only).
So, instead of letting a good video card go to waste, having the Lego computer languish in disrepair, and taking advantage of the really low computer prices, I decided to buy a new Duron 700 processor, motherboard, case, and memory for Jenny's new computer.
I'll end up with a decent computer for the new Lego case, Jenny will end up with a pretty spiffy computer, and I'm going to actually use all the miscellaneous computer hardware I have floating around.
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Well, we're lazily approaching the new year
December 29, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're lazily approaching the new year. We've had a touch of some illness, though it seems to be hitting me the most. I've had pretty bad headaches the last few days, taking lots of pain killers. It may also have something to do with the fact that I've been trying not to drink coffee for awhile. I gave in this morning, though, and feel just great. To quote Airplane, "I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue."
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Ah, the holidays
December 27, 2000 by Sue in Wielesek
Ah, the holidays. Emphasize a different word in that phrase and it means something different each time. It is very nice to see all the kids and their families looking so well! Christmas Eve to church with Sadie, Hunni, Seraph and Robbie, with Seraph looking particularly glowing and Robbie particularly manly and stalwart. On Christmas morning, Sadie and Seraph, Dick and I all made a Martha Stewart breakfast, then a flurry of gift unwrapping. Dez and I headed down to the playground for awhile, as it was a beautiful sunny day. We liberated a stick and a bunch of chestnuts, which we lobbed at the slide, with a satisfying ping. A good time was had by all!
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Here I am, deeply apologizing to Adam for for...
December 27, 2000 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Here I am, deeply apologizing to Adam for forgetting my password and not posting, yet promising my Morrissettes I would. Bad, bad Sadie.
Ahh, life is euphoric... a home of my own with the most loving family in the world, choosing headlights and malaria medication for Botswana and possibly South Africa, and chilling with none other than Luke Newton (and other wonderful Eugene friends). It puts friday afternoon teas and white privilege teach-ins to shame. My project de jour is painting a border of maps around the coming baby's nursery, and with a semester break from art, its a refreshing and relaxing adventure. But then in Eugene, how could anything not be refreshing and relaxing?
So, if anyone knows anything about sunscreen, bug repellant, or how to fit seven months of stuff into one awesome backpacking backpack, PLEASE e-mail me with recommendations.
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Another exciting post-Christmas day
December 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Another exciting post-Christmas day. We had Sadie, my mom, and Dick over for dinner and more presents to open. Jamie fixed up a great meal, with lots of atmosphere to boot. The most memorable gift was a massage chair, which Sam immediately decided was his personal rocket ship. Sam got lots of goodies too - books, Legos, story blocks, and much more. I think this is the last of the gift exchanges. We hit a new record this year at five, including a minor work one.
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Merry Christmas! We're back in town, to a cl...
December 25, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Merry Christmas! We're back in town, to a clean house and happy dog. Soon, we head off to my dad's house for more merriment and presents. Lots of unpacking to do still.
Sam and I went over to OMSI while we were in Portland. He thought it was great, even though this is his second trip. He loved the various ball games, as well as the space capsule. In this picture, he's playing with the Brio boats.
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It's Christmas Eve and we're still up in Portland
December 24, 2000 by Adam in Family
 It's Christmas Eve and we're still up in Portland. Our days have been pretty wonderful, with Jim and Judy watching Sam most of the day. Jamie's been knitting up a frenzy and I've been doing the things I never get a chance to do. I finished watching all 6 hours of the Dune special. I read 2 1/2 books. I even got pretty far into Escape from Monkey Island.
Today, we eat ourselves silly starting at 2 PM, then open presents later in the day. Should be gobs of fun - hope to see all you Eugene people Christmas day!
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We're in Portland, so everyone's sleep routin...
December 23, 2000 by Adam in Sam
We're in Portland, so everyone's sleep routine is a bit off. Last night, we were trying to get Sam to go to sleep. Jamie finally put Sam in the guest bedroom with me and went back to her bed. I tried telling stories to Sam and singing songs. Finally Sam just said, "I want to go to mom's bed. Mom's pretty cool."
Well, I couldn't resist that. I picked him up and dropped him into bed with his mom, where he slept soundly until morning.
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Tuesday was our last day of work! Mine until ...
December 23, 2000 by Seraph in Cortez
 Tuesday was our last day of work! Mine until AB (after baby), and Robbie's until Jan 3rd. Were very happy! Our house finally looks as though the holidays have arrived. We still have no outside lights up, but the inside feels nice and cozy. I'm slowly catching up on about three months of house cleaning, so I feel sain again. Life is also good because Sadie's home. I was in need of a lot of gushing! I had a doctors apt this morning, and they have declared that this is the most boring and normal pregnancy ever (just fine with me). The only pain in our house this week has been in the foot department. Robbie broke his toe, and then in sympathy(I guess) I brused mine up pretty bad. O-well. Looking forward to the holidays, and the mad rush for last minute gifts. See you all at the mall!
BTW: Our churches Christmas show is Sunday at 7pm (yes, we got suckered into it), it should be fun!
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Well, we're up in Portland
December 22, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're up in Portland. It's wonderful having Jim and Judy to dote over Sam while we relax away. I've been playing Escape from Monkey Island, which Jason gave to me today. They came over to visit. Sam probably enjoyed their presence the most, as they had him laughing hysterically at their antics. Tomorrow we might visit OMSI or just putter around. Great fun!
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Yesterday was my last day at work for awhile
December 21, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was my last day at work for awhile. We all went over to dinner so that Sadie could see us all before Christmas. It was a bit of a mad house, taking an hour before we were seated and served. Still, it was great to see Sadie and see her in person. Sam was especially attached to her, wanting to sit on her lap and visit.
Today, I'm off to Portland with Sam and Jamie. We're going to open our Christmas presents this morning (mostly because Jamie can't wait), visit with Jason and Colin, then hop in the car. Merry Christmas to everyone!
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Sam's been getting into the Christmas spirit ...
December 20, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Sam's been getting into the Christmas spirit these days. Just like during Halloween, he could spot a pumpkin a mile away, he can now pick out Santa in a crowd.
Sam's going to have quite the haul of toys after this Christmas. I bought him practically everything that I enjoyed when I was a kid - Legos, train set parts, and even Tinker Toys. Hey, at least I'll get to play with cool toys when I watch him.
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We went over to the boys' house last night, a...
December 19, 2000 by Adam in Family
 We went over to the boys' house last night, as Ray had come down to pass out gifts and cheer. Sam was pretty excited, and even I got some good loot. I'm at work for a few more days, then we're off to Portland on Thursday. An exciting Christmas awaits!
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Another day with just Sam and I
December 17, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Another day with just Sam and I. We had a hearty breakfast of waffles and bacon, then headed off to the grocery store for vittles. This afternoon, we stopped by Grandma Sue's house to help decorate their tree. Now we're back at home, playing in Sam's giant tent (it practically fills the entire playroom). Ah, the joys of being two.
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Well, Jamie's off to Portland for the weekend...
December 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jamie's off to Portland for the weekend and Sam and I are by ourselves. Well, we haven't really been by ourselves. We had breakfast with Seraph, Robbie, mom and Dick. Seraph is looking very pregant - her last day at work is this Tuesday. Robbie broke his toe (ouch), but is doing relatively well with it. Mom and Dick finally have their house back to themselves after having Baba as a guest for several weeks.
Dave and Josh should be over shortly. The excitement never stops here at the Miller household.
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It's fun reading about my new extended family...
December 15, 2000 by Carolyn in Carolyn & Alex Cortez
It's fun reading about my new extended family that I inherited through Alex and Robbie.
Alex and I are so looking forward to our second Grandaughter. Our little Ellie is two now and so much fun. Alex likes this whole idea of being "Grandpa" now even though he was resisting the title at first.Funny how little girls learn so fast to charm the men!
We hope you all have a great holiday together and we will see you in January to meet the new wee one.
Love, Carolyn and Alex
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Well, Jenny called to let us know that there'...
December 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jenny called to let us know that there's a new baby on the way. Congratulations Jenny! ETA is sometime in August.
Sam is evidently quite into rockets. Today in the car, Sam said "let me tell you about rockets." He then proceeded to explain how they'd blast off, the parachute would come out, it would splash into the ocean and the boat would get it. All things that I've told him, but having him actually remember it all was fairly amazing.
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Well, Jenny called today to drop the ball
December 14, 2000 by Adam in Jenny
 Well, Jenny called today to drop the ball. There's a new baby on the way! We're guessing at an August kid. So, by next Christmas, we'll have four grandkids running around!
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I've been forced to see this "Zombie College"...
December 12, 2000 by Jamie in Adam
I've been forced to see this "Zombie College", and I must warn those of you that have any class, or a hint of taste, that it may not be the laugh-fest that has been alluded to. Remember that Adam does work in a cubicle, with most of the remainder of his time spent babysitting a toddler. Consider the source :-)
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OK, I have been duly chastized via e-mail tha...
December 12, 2000 by Jamie in Jamie
OK, I have been duly chastized via e-mail that I haven't been "givin' it up" enough on my web page. That being the case, I waited for Sam to fall asleep, snuck downstairs for some tea and poundcake and will now reveal my inner soul to all who care to know :-)
I've been most busy with a lingering illness that has bounced between annoying cold-like and debilitating flu-ish. I believe I am over this bout, and hope with all my heart not to relapse again. The atmosphere of a home with two sick parents and a cranky two-year-old is not pretty. Especially with all the projects I am working on this month: Getting a new church for Tiny Tots up and running by January 3, designing a flier and soliciting a donating print shop for our preschool play, and generally keeping up on the basic necessities of life. I thought I heard something about us having an election this year? I'm not sure. Anyway, I haven't even been able to read the book for my book club this month...or start a new knitting project. I wonder if I've forgotten how?
I'll be spending a much needed weekend alone at Mom's house, having a tea party and in no way thinking about the laundry that will undoubtedly be piling up at a frightening rate at my own house. I will have a shower EVERY DAY (possibly TWO...how decadent!) and actually chew my food at mealtimes. Season's Greetings to you all...and if your Christmas cards are late...c'est la vie!
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I've been sick, sick, sick
December 12, 2000 by Adam in Family
 I've been sick, sick, sick. I took so many cough drops today that I started overdosing on menthol. Still went to work, trying to keep my backlog down and my PTO up.
I'm rushing around like a maniac trying to get ready for Christmas. I'm doing my typical "make all my presents myself" routine. Probably no soap or jam this year, but expect something else hand made. Might be a little late, though. Jamie's going to be gone this weekend, so I'm watching Sam by myself for 48 hours straight. Woo hoo!
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Well, it's official
December 10, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 Well, it's official. I got my case up on a real web site. I even got a piece of fan mail. Take a look!
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Sam and Jamie took me out to lunch today
December 09, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and Jamie took me out to lunch today. Sam's smiles are becoming somewhat staged these days, as is evident by this photo. I'm sniffly today - the cold that went from Sam to Jamie finally made it to me. Not as bad as the last one, I'll probably survive.
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Last Christmas, Darrel bought Sam a bear that...
December 09, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Last Christmas, Darrel bought Sam a bear that teaches numbers. The bear asks "can you find 1?" and Sam's supposed to push the button labeled one. He actually started to pick up some of the numbers. The bad part was the the bear talks in a southern accent, so Sam was starting to say things like "where's wuun?" Perhaps it's time to put it away for now. Some knowledge isn't worth the price.
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Seraph got a new ultrasound a week ago (my sc...
December 08, 2000 by Adam in Cortez
 Seraph got a new ultrasound a week ago (my scanner died, so it took awhile to post). In case you can't tell, this is the baby's head in profile. Just check out that well-defined nose!
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Well, my dad's computer is finally together
December 07, 2000 by Adam in Lohring
Well, my dad's computer is finally together. He hasn't called begging for help in several days now, so I think it's all good to go. He wins the prize for being the first member of the family to break the 1 Ghz barrier. Even my overclocked Pentium III never made it over 825 Mhz. Kudos to dad.
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What Adam neglected to note was my cell phone...
December 07, 2000 by Jamie in Family
 What Adam neglected to note was my cell phone NUMBER. It is 541-954-2616. (Don't give this to any telemarketers!!!)
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Well, Sam seems to enjoy having his tummy zer...
December 07, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Sam seems to enjoy having his tummy zerbited. I got him laughing really hard for awhile. Jamie and Sam have both been sick, though I think Jamie was hit pretty hard today. I'm feeling okay now, and I think Sam's on the mend.
The funny story of the week involves the present I got for Jamie. There was a great deal on a Nokia cell phone. After all the coupons and rebates, they'd give us $50 back. Well, after all of 12 hours after buying it, I fessed up and she found out what I got. Silly me.
We got it today, though, and it's pretty cool. Very small. Good sound quality. Great fun.
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Dave, Josh, Sam, Jamie, and I all trekked out...
December 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Dave, Josh, Sam, Jamie, and I all trekked out to my mom's farm to pick up a Christmas tree. We had fun navigating through the horse manure and electric fences to get the perfect tree. It's a small one, but since we're still a fairly new family, our extent of ornaments is small.
Sam's really getting into Christmas this year. He helped decorate the tree and has been asking lots of questions. His skills at identifying Santas and snow men have increased dramatically.
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Well, I'm still playing No One Lives Forever
December 03, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Well, I'm still playing No One Lives Forever. It's fun, though I've found that I've been doing other things besides gaming these days. The game itself is somewhat linear, though varied and with great cut-scenes. I just finished a diving mission, complete with harpoon guns and sharks. Quite amusing.
I'm also plugging away at some modules for Neverwinter Nights. I've put a series of pages together to describe them. Not sure if I'll ever get the time to build them all once the game comes out, but it's fun to think about it.
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Sam, Jamie, and I all visited Dr
December 02, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam, Jamie, and I all visited Dr. Jimmy, Sam's pediatrician. He was amazed at Sam's verbal skills, which are up there with 4-year-olds. He's also gained a bunch of weight and is in the 50th percentile (up from 25% or so). He's also a bit tall for his age, around the 70th percentile. My guess is that he'll be tall and skinny like his dad.
This morning, we helped move all the toys from Tiny Tots, the kids play center cooperative that we belong to. It's was quite exciting, with six vehicles packed with toys moving along in a caravan. To top it off, we set off the alarm at my mom's office, where we were storing them all. Fortunately, I knew the code and they hadn't changed it in four years. Unfortunately, I didn't get to it fast enough and I got to visit with a police officer that decided to see what we were up to.
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Happy Birthday to Robbie
December 02, 2000 by Seraph in Cortez
 Happy Birthday to Robbie...well yesterday. Robbie went to work early because the elementry kids had the day off. He did get to go bowling with the kids, and I brought in a birthday cake so they could celebrate. I had my last ultra sound and baby girl ryn is a week ahead of schedule weighing in at 5.5 lbs! The doctor estimates that she'll be around 8 lbs at birth. We have some new photos for Adam to scan in, so hopefully we'll get those posted. Robbie and I went out for his birthday and relaxed and ate yummy food (what else are birthdays for?). We're trying to stay motivated and get things done, though the temptation to veg out is winning over!
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Here is a Christmas spirit picture from my ...
December 01, 2000 by Lohring in Lohring
Here is a Christmas spirit picture from my sister, Danica
(click for a bigger version)
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Sam and Jamie visited me at work today
December 01, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and Jamie visited me at work today. He had a great time visiting with my coworkers and it gave Jamie and I some breathing room. The only touch-and-go part was when he discovered the tub of peanuts in my drawer. The first few were fun, but then he started scooping them in his mouth by the fistfull. Soon he announced that he had too much in his mouth and it quickly came out. Sigh - the tee shirt says it all.
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