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Last day of April
April 30, 2003 by Adam in Family
Last day of April. That means that baby time is approaching quickly, changing our lives forever. I'm stuck in all day training sessions at work. Basically everyone gets together to talk about what they do and how great they are. There have been a few highlights and interesting pieces of information. Still, I feel bad knowing that work is piling up - I was checking e-mail at 5:30 this morning. Fortunately most of the people that give me work are at this meeting too.
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Jamie had an OB visit yesterday, the first wi...
April 30, 2003 by Adam in Emma
Jamie had an OB visit yesterday, the first without me (I have this two-day work training thing). Emma's head is pointed in the right direction and Jamie's dialated to 1 1/2 cm. Jamie tells me that means that her body is getting ready for the big day, but that nothing's imminent. I'll miss watching Jamie's tummy writhe around in strange shapes, though I think she doesn't feel quite the same about it.
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Anna was just given a great internship in Ben...
April 29, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Anna was just given a great internship in Benin with an appropriate technology organization (http://www.enterpriseworks.org/) through USAID. She'd be going for two months, which is very very exciting.
All is well here.
Much love!
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A quick note - Easter was fun, with the usual...
April 29, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
A quick note - Easter was fun, with the usual suspects, plus Dave Muchmore, who hadn't been at Easter for a year or so. Seraph had things amazingly under control, and we actually were ready in time to have a cocktail hour. The kids were cute as usual. I think Dick is feeling a little better; he's eaten more today than in quite awhile. Much love to all.
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And she fixed it
April 28, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
And she fixed it.
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My Landscape Studies power point presentation...
April 28, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
My Landscape Studies power point presentation is stuck on a zip disk and I was so salty that Anna is sitting here trying to fix it. Ah, these tech wiz kids. But I just reserved a lecture hall to show Bend it Like Beckham for my house, so things aren't totally out of control.
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I got into bed last night and told Robbie tha...
April 28, 2003 by Seraph in Cortez
I got into bed last night and told Robbie that my feet were numb. As much as I love Easter I remember why we only do this once a year!
It was great fun to see everyone, to talk and drink to much. Thanks to Adam, Jenny and Robbie for corraling the kids and trying to keep them entertained. I, on the other hand cannot get the smell of onion off of my hands!
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I'm beat
April 28, 2003 by Adam in Family
I'm beat. It's the end of a long weekend of hiking and family events. Jamie's in the process of tucking Sam to bed and I may just sneak down for a nap myself.
This Sunday seemed long, but nothing particularly exciting happened. We had our usual hearty breakfast, played a bit, then headed to my mom's to assemble an impromptu tent for the Easter celebration later that night. The afternoon was spent trying to entertain Sam in various ways. Around 4:30, we packed up, headed to a packed Easter celebration, then came home to collapse. Work tomorrow seems almost relaxing.
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The water filter improves turbidity (a
April 28, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
The water filter improves turbidity (a.k.a. makes more turbid)and pH! It leaks too!
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We had a great Saturday, though somewhat exha...
April 27, 2003 by Adam in Family
 We had a great Saturday, though somewhat exhausting. It was sunny for the first time in days, so Sam and I decided to hike Mount Pisgah. It was quite the experience, with blustering winds and steep trails, but we managed to make it to the top. Sam made me use my "crazy old man" voice, where I had to make our trip sound like an exciting adventure out of the Lord of the Rings.
When we got home, I collapsed while Sam seemed to be going strong. Jamie took him to Red Robin to meet with Grandpa Ray and Uncle Darrel. Sam got a Nike running outfit from the experience, which he put on, wore to bed, and continues to wear this morning.
Today is the big Easter dinner at my mom and Dick's house. We're heading over early to set up a gazebo and say hello. Jamie wanted to walk over the hill with us, in a burst of energy atypical of her usual very pregnant self.
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The week is slowly ending
April 24, 2003 by Adam in Family
The week is slowly ending. It has been long and dreary, with lots of things at work keeping me busy. Jamie arrived at work today with a bagel and flower for me, as work has been fairly stressful as of late. Fortunately, the major issues with the weekend upgrade are over and I've taken care of my most pressing projects.
Life at home has been fairly uneventful. We're just counting the days until Emma arrives. It looks like there will be a big Russian Orthodox Easter gathering at my mom's house this weekend. Also, it seems as if Jamie's mom will be taking Sam and Josh over a weekend in mid-May. The theory is that Jamie would have the baby then, but I'm thinking that Emma may be on her own schedule.
I tweaked the web server a bit, in hopes of minimizing the issues with not being able to connect. We'll see how it goes.
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Well we are back to spring! We had a frost l...
April 24, 2003 by Betsy in Betsy
Well we are back to spring! We had a frost last night, after being in the 80's two weeks ago. Fickle Mid West weather.
We had a nice Easter. Will and I attended Sunrise services while Patrick slept off his cold. Will did a great job as an usher. Greeting people at the door, handing out the bulletin, he was a little shaky with the collection plate and kept crossing back and forth between the aisles, but he didn't fall going up the steps to the altar with the collection plate in his hands!! It was a nice day so even though I had a migraine the kids amused themselves and enjoyed the day.
Well I am at work so I had better get back to it. Hugs to all, Much love, P and the boys
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I'm preparing my sociology of the arts presen...
April 24, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
I'm preparing my sociology of the arts presentation on 'patronage systems in Russian art' for this afternoon. I just thought up that title.
The water filter, far from filtering our dirty soapy greasy smelly water, is leaking all over the machine shop floor as I type. I'll fix it this afternoon.
So life is humming away and pulling me along.
Love to you.
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Work is still crazy busy
April 24, 2003 by Adam in Adam
Work is still crazy busy. I'm getting most of the upgrade-related issues taken care of, but unfortunately no one got the memo that I was busy, and work keeps pouring in. I'm hoping that I'll at least get caught up today. I have a mini-emergency downtime this morning to fix a search problem.
Sam asked me at dinner what problems I was having and I replied in a long sentence using complicated words. He paused for a little and started saying, "But what does . . ." Jamie cut in and replied, "Dad fixed broken computers today."
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A friend of mine lent me Unreal 2, which Sam ...
April 24, 2003 by Adam in Adam's Games
A friend of mine lent me Unreal 2, which Sam and I have been playing after work. It's a very pretty game, though the gameplay is fairly mundane - walk through the linear level and kill the bad guy at the end. There are some fun scripted events (e.g. a cool elevator scene). It's also supposed to be very short (I'd guess I'm halfway through at the moment).
I'm still doing my Neverwinter Nights project, which takes huge amounts of time. I got an offer from a Japanese player to translate it. I'm still amazed at how international the e-mail I receive has become.
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Dick's illness has been an object lesson in a...
April 24, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Dick's illness has been an object lesson in appreciating each day as it comes. Life is its own drama, with as many subplots as any Russian novel. Dr. Tran, Dick's treating physician, is a young man about the same age as Adam, and since I think Tran is Vietnamese, I can't help but be taken back to the Vienam War, when I sat, nursing Adam and watching scenes from the War on the tv. I know that he has a wife and three kids, and I can't help but wonder at his life's story, or perhaps more correctly, his parents' story.
As Seraph said in her posting, they got the tube safely into Dick, which gives us hope of a few more weeks. We came home to find a gift of Angie and Matt's good soup on the front stoop, with a sweet note. We could not be more lucky. Some people throw their bread on the water and get it back. We've thrown out a few crumbs, and get back the whole darn Williams bakery! Today I had lunch with Jamie and Sam, and a funny phone call from Jenny telling me I could always come over and have a glass of wine and a good snivel, as well as dinner with Robbie and Seraph on Linda Honn's pesto lasagna. Love to all, and thanks for the bread.
Love, om/Sue
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Well, I just got off the phone with Mom, and ...
April 23, 2003 by Seraph in Cortez
Well, I just got off the phone with Mom, and Dick's procedure went great. His doctor said everything is still functioning well, and he'll keep kicking for a while yet!
They should be heading home shortly.
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It has been far to long since we last posted
April 23, 2003 by Seraph in Cortez
It has been far to long since we last posted. As I plan on printing out this entire life history for Isabell when she turns 18 I needed to keep things updated!
We had a wonderful Easter weekend. Isa had a lot of fun with her ocusins at Dad and Yayoe's Multi-national-holiday party, and Sunday was filled with more candy and festivities. We had three different Easter Egg hunts, one at home, one a church and one a Hanni's house. Needless to say, Isa had added this to her list of really great holidays for presents and candy!
Dick and I drove Sadie to Portland yesterday. Although we got back into town around 2:00 p.m. I was so exhausted I just couldn't bring myself to go back to work. It did occure to me that I had this great oppertunity as people at work assumed I was still out of town, and Robbie and Isa didn't know I had returned, and I could have gone and done something extravagant like enjoy a quiet luch or get my hair cut. Instead I went home and by 3:00 convinced Isa to take a nap, and I promptly followed suit. I didn't wake up until 5:30 p.m. when Isa came to snuggle. I don't think I've napped like that in ages! Does the body well I guess.
We're no gearing up for Russian Easter next weekend. It sounds like Mom is inviting quite a crowd.
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Work is sadly piling up these days
April 23, 2003 by Adam in Adam
Work is sadly piling up these days. After my weekend server upgrade, my coworkers demanded that I take a break. I mostly stayed away, only going in for a couple hours. I just have a hard time sitting idly by when there is work to do and things breaking.
It was nice puttering around at home and getting to visit with Jamie a bit. I came home from work around two and played with him until nearly his bedtime. Lots of time playing pretend, fiddling on the computer, and running about in the park. Now I'm beat. I need a vacation for my vacation.
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Woe is us - Dick and Seraph took Sadie to the...
April 22, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Woe is us - Dick and Seraph took Sadie to the Portland Airport this morning, while I stayed behind and tried hard to get caught up with office stuff. I have a worker guy over here at the office pulling weeds and planting daffodils
along the fence. It's cool and overcast, but no rain.
John and Anita are coming out in about two weeks; it will be nice to have the company. Maybe John can help Dick get the "Coffee Table in a State of Becoming" project glued together.
We had a wonderful last week with family - our Spring Fling at Lohring's and Yayoe's on Saturday was very nice, and we went to Adam and Jamie's for high tea on Sunday. Just had a phone call from Cousin Mary Steane asking after Dick.
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It's been quite the busy weekend so far, as s...
April 20, 2003 by Adam in Family
 It's been quite the busy weekend so far, as suspected. Yesterday morning began with our typical hearty breakfast, then I was up on the roof sprinkling moss killer. Jamie and Sam dutifully watched from safety, ready to call 911 or laugh at my antics, whichever seemed appropriate. Next was Easter eggs, which we got very creative with. I think I'll demand that Jamie prepare more next time around, as the measly three that we each get just seems too little. I suppose she's trying to minimize the number we'll have to eat later, but it's the spirit of the thing.
After a short snack and a trip to the park with Sam, we headed over to my dad and Yayoe's house for a big family gathering. The food was excellent and everyone seemed to have a good time chatting it up. By the time we made it home, exhaustion had struck and I retreated to a bath and read Discover magazine. The evening was fairly low-key, playing with Sam a little, finishing the laundry, and getting ready for the server upgrade.
Today should be a bit quieter, hopefully. The server upgrade seems to be working just fine so far. We're hosting a tea party this afternoon, in part to get rid of all the eggs. I expect mass quantities of egg salad sandwiches.
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Sadie's home! Sadie's home! She arrived safe ...
April 19, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Sadie's home! Sadie's home! She arrived safe and sound on Tuesday evening, and unfortunately the week has flown by. It
has been a wonderful time of catch-up. She made broccolli
(sorry, too many of one letter, not enough of another) soup, nourishing our souls and our stomachs, last night, and
Robbie, Seraph and Isa came for dinner. They stayed and we watched Maid in Manhattan, a perfect bit of after dinner froth. Dick is tired, but cheerful. Sadie, Dick and I played Hearts and Gin this afternoon. We're trying to get him to impart his poker secrets, far more important than figuring out whether I use the gas or the gas/oil mix in the chainsaw. Marsha stopped by to visit, and promised Steve would come down this week. We float on a sea of love.
om
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It's a Mocha Friday here at work
April 18, 2003 by Adam in Family
It's a Mocha Friday here at work. I'm hoping it's not too nutty today, as the weekend promises to be quite busy. Saturday is the combined Easter/Christmas/Hanukah gathering at my dad and Yayoe's house. Later that night I start the server upgrade and finish up Sunday morning. With luck, it will go smoothly and only require a couple hours of hands-on work altogether.
Sadie came over last night, which was wonderful. I do miss that girl. It's amazing that she's about to graduate from college, as I still remember her as a kid, wandering down to my bedroom to wish me goodnight.
Jamie is exceedingly pregnant these days. I spent a long while last night just feeling all the kicks and bumps that Emma makes throughout the day. Poor Jamie has a hard time sleeping with all the rumblings and tumblings in her belly.
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Sam called me at work yesterday afternoon, te...
April 17, 2003 by Adam in Sam
Sam called me at work yesterday afternoon, telling me to come home at once.
"Where's mom?" I asked.
"Upstairs sleeping."
"And you've just been playing by yourself?"
"No. I've been going in and waking up mom. That's entertaining."
Needless to say, I came home. Jamie was no longer asleep, but she promptly went back to bed when I arrived.
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Spring has finally come to Columbus, Ohio!!! ...
April 16, 2003 by Betsy in Betsy
Spring has finally come to Columbus, Ohio!!! Of course it has to come as summer then go to Spring. I haven't posted lately because there really hasn't been much great to say. I still go back and forth with the farm. I have a 1300 lb, brood cow down and probably it will not make it, but at the same time the Hereford had her calf and it is just as cute as can be. Win some, lose some. At least I don't have to pay taxes, can't pay anything if you don't make anything. I used to think that some day I would see a profit. Now I just figure you farm because you enjoy the torture.
The boys are wonderful. Patrick has so much to do for homework it boggles the mind. He recently completed a 38 page poetry book that had 15 original poems he had written and illustrated. In addition he had to choose 12 poems by other authors, type them up and illustrate and explain them. He chose some good ones; Tiger, Tiger, Stopping at a woods on a snowy night, Fog, etc...
Will is slugging his way through his confirmation events. Last weekend they toured a synagouge and had class. This week he is an usher at sunrise services and then the kids serve a breakfast afterwards and then regular church. Next week he is to serve and clean up after the community dinner (which is part of our outreach mission). There is usually a good crowd. Mostly older people, pretty poor folks from down in the hills and sometimes people who are travelling on the freeway. I think he'll enjoy it but he is limited to certain things physically. I told him I was going to pull a chair up to the sink and make him do dishes!
All is well otherwise. Stay happy, Love. P and the boys.
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The week has slowly meandered along
April 15, 2003 by Adam in Family
The week has slowly meandered along. Work has quieted down a bit. Hopefully it's not the calm before the storm, as I have a server upgrade and many family events this weekend.
Emma's room is looking fairly finished. Jamie and Sam packed a hospital bag. I've still got to gather up all my various cameras and such as my role of official documenter. Jamie also assured me that she would be spending as much time in the hospital as they'd let her, while Sam and I went home. I think last time I wanted to go home early, as the hospital noise kept me up all night. Still, I figure I should bring along a toothbrush just in case.
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I was just wandering around the art building ...
April 15, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
I was just wandering around the art building looking at senior art exhibits. They're terrible. Firstly, no one can be that grumpy all the time. Secondly, art is not soley for the alienated and shouldn't soley be for alientating audiences. And thirdly, although I understand and respect depressing art, being depressed while making art doesn't make it good. Thank heavens I'm going home this afternoon and will not have to see bloody sculptures and dresses made of latex gloves for a whole week.
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Another beautiful spring day - alternately gr...
April 15, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Another beautiful spring day - alternately gray and sunny.
Yayoe is working to put together a dinner next weekend - our usual Jewish-Methodist-Unitarian-Russian Orthodox-Atheist religious get together. Maybe we've reached a critical mass, and could just start our own. I vote for the first commandment to be "There are no good wars" and the second one to be, "Before any argument, people all need to cook dinner and eat together."
Love to all, om/sue PS - I want a vanity plate which says, "Sue M". Ah, lawyers, and a bad lot we are.
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Sam's started to get into reading and writing...
April 14, 2003 by Adam in Sam
Sam's started to get into reading and writing these last few weeks. He spelled out "CAT" on the chalkboard the other day. Also, when playing Neverwinter Nights together, he had his character say "HLO" to me. While not spelled out perfectly, I was amazed that he could: 1) figure out how to send a message in the game, 2) figure out how to spell HELLO reasonably well, and 3) find all the keys on the keyboard. It's pretty neat watching him grow up.
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This morning I was sitting in engineering whi...
April 14, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
This morning I was sitting in engineering while professor Riley promoted the dept. to two prospective students. She was talking about trying to hire someone to redevelop the curriculum of the course and link it to a real community, raising her eyebrows and encouraging the class to take up her offer. Of course, these are engineers, off to Ford for summer internships and not interested in silly little appropriate technology. So I said, "I'd love to do this work". And she said (in the middle of class), "I'd love for you to do this work, and you could stay at home and fly to colorado with me to meet the engineers without borders people." And I said, "Super." And she did a happy dance. And so I am now gainfully employed for the summer. Isn't that exciting.
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Dick's breathing has been slighly more "labor...
April 13, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Dick's breathing has been slighly more "labored" for two or three weeks. Add to that a cold he caught, and the result has been uneasy sleep. He got up in the middle of the night and came down to watch TV. Sadie is coming home Tuesday night.
We did have a nice visit with the fam, or most of them, yesterday morning. Seraph and Jenny wanted to know how to make Dick's Better Spaghetti Sauce and Seraph, who long ago developed a Relationship with Dick's split pea soup, wanted that recipe as well. We did have fun. Anita and John sent presents back with Dick - books and puzzles - and the kids were enthralled.
One funny thing happened to remind me how much I admire the kids' concern for one another. I had a worried call from Jamie, saying she'd tried to reach both Seraph and Jenny, couldn't get them on the phone, and called to make sure we were okay. About ten minutes later, I had a worried call from Jenny, just back from the store, worried about why Adam
and Jamie's phone number were on her caller ID, and was the baby coming early.
I think I will ask Yayoe to go over the options for care. By the end of thmis week at work, I will have most of my current trials taken care of.
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Jamie pulled me away from the latest Harry Po...
April 13, 2003 by Adam in Emma
Jamie pulled me away from the latest Harry Potter movie to assign new tasks for Emma's room. I put up a shelf, some coat hooks at kid level, and a Beatrix Potter measuring scale. Sam had to try it out, of course, and we found he's grown immensely since we last had it out - 4 inches shy of 4 feet. Jamie says he's a head taller than the other kids in his class.
Jamie's pretty done with the pregnancy thing. She slept on the couch for part of last night, as the bed was becoming uncomfortable. I keep telling her she has a few more weeks yet, as her belly button hasn't quite popped out to show she's done.
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A wonderful weekend began this morning
April 13, 2003 by Adam in Family
 A wonderful weekend began this morning. I wandered upstairs to crawl into bed with Sam and Jamie. Poor Sam's had a sniffly nose today, though it hasn't dampened his spirits much. Jamie made a hearty breakfast while Sam and I constructed lightsabres and had exciting battles in the living room until it was time to eat.
Later on, Sam and I went over to mom and Dick's while Jamie did some shopping. Seraph, Robbie, and Jenny arrived with kids in tow, so it was quite the meeting of cousins. Other than a little refereeing, they all got along fairly well. Mom and Dick seemed in good spirits and I got to be useful by fixing a printer. After loading us up with cookies and cranberry bread, we treked across the hill to return home.
Jamie had picked up the latest Harry Potter DVD as I requested, so we watched the whole thing, Sam glued to the television. Next was a lengthy game of tag outdoors during a break in the rain, dinner, and now we find ourselves towards the end of the day. Sam's being good and playing Legos by himself as I type.
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We are all going to see Bend it Like Beckham ...
April 12, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
We are all going to see Bend it Like Beckham at the Bijou when I get home, no matter how stiff the chairs are, no matter that every seat in the house is a bad seat.
http://www.bijou-cinemas.com/schedule.html
I absolutely can't wait to come home.
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It's rainbow season in the Willamette Valley
April 11, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
 It's rainbow season in the Willamette Valley. For some reason the weather patterns this time in the spring result in the production of rainbows and spectacular sun/rain shows. This evening, the sky was gray but the setting sun broke through and illuminated the hills across the valley; they glowed. This is a season when every tree and shrub is lush - like the rain forest around Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.
I had my last real trial for quite awhile. I'm looking forward to keeping the office quiet and spending time with Dick. And gardening - Grandma Jones used to come in from a day of gardening and tell me that gardening was good for everyone, because it seemed as though our troubles just went right down into the dirt. Smart lady.
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I've been listening to a song at work, Bohemi...
April 10, 2003 by Adam in Adam
I've been listening to a song at work, Bohemian Like You. For some reason, it brings back nostalgic feelings from my college years, though I wasn't quite as carefree as the singer in that song. Jamie and I ran into a woman at a toystore over the weekend. She had been one of the regulars in a little group that would get together to play Hearts and listen to Marc Allen. Now we both have kids and have moved on.
The past is a funny thing when looked at across the distance of years. I sometimes miss the freedom to basically do anything and go anywhere. Yet it's easy to forget that I really didn't have any place to go or things to do that were terribly important.
Having Sam and soon Emma is bringing up memories of those times, thinking of how they'll face the same challenges as I did and hoping I can help ease the passage through the decades.
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For the beginning of a work week, things have...
April 09, 2003 by Adam in Family
For the beginning of a work week, things have actually gone along quite well. Sam and Jamie both seem to be in a good mood, perhaps because the weather has been nice and they've been playing outside more. Jamie got a new pajama top that Sam adores, and has forced her to wear for the last three days. He's also become enamored with the way she looks with a ponytail, so he'll wake up and get a rubber band for her. Last night, he wanted to make sure I put on cool looking shorts. I think we have the makings of a fashion designer.
Last night Jamie made a lovely dinner and I actually had the energy to play Sam's pretend games. We threw up his play tent (the best $10 I've ever spent) and had various catastrophes strike while we went camping. Then there was a battle and I got a robot hand, which somehow had a life of its own. In Dr. Strangelove fashion, it would try to wrestle or tickle Sam while the rest of my body frantically tried to stop it. Ah, the joys of four-year-old games.
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Took this afternoon off work to finish up hou...
April 09, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Took this afternoon off work to finish up housework; got help from a worker guy from Centro Latino - good guy who mowed the grass and did some moving stuff around. The weather was beautiful - probably 65 or so and sunny.
I picked Dick up at 7:00 - good trip back, and he had obviously had a good time. He's worried that his mom couldn't hear him well enough, even with her hearing aids,
to really understand.
The war news is terrible. They showed a clip of a 12 year old boy whose house was bombed by American planes, killing his pregnant mother, his father and his brother. We liberated both his arms, as well.
I tried reading The Agonist on Adam's site, but I'm going to have to ask Adam how Blogs work. I think Bush is like anyone who doesn't have much depth of vision, and can focus only on what they already know about, which in his case is oil. If there is a world wide boycott of American products, our economy is even more toasted.
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I had massive amounts of things to do at work...
April 08, 2003 by Adam in Adam
I had massive amounts of things to do at work today, so I snuck in a mid-week Mocha. I've been slowly getting things done, writing endless code. I no longer have to really think much as I program - I just think of what I need to do and my fingers type the words I need. Odd.
The weather is slowly coming around to Spring, which I greatly appreciate. While walking to work this morning, I stopped for a moment, listening to the birds and watching the clouds go by. It's a rare thing for me to simply appreciate the world around me. To many projects and responsibilities.
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Sam recently watched Jumanji and expressed an...
April 08, 2003 by Adam in Sam
Sam recently watched Jumanji and expressed an interest in Kirsten Dunst, who played the girl in the movie. He evidently said that he "likes" her and that he had a dream about her later. I think he prefers the girl version, as she's in Spiderman, though she's not as interesting to him there.
Sam's been pretty fun to be around these days. He's started playing by himself more, often with various figures that he has (knights, pirates, or Legos). We also have been trying out Emma's new carseat, putting Sam's doll (also called Emma) in it to try it out.
Sam had his knights out, but the game evidently wasn't interesting enough. He began to unbuckle Emma, calling out "the monster awakens." There was then a huge battle between his doll and the knights, until they appeased the beast with a giant bottle.
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It was a crazy but fun filled weekend
April 08, 2003 by Seraph in Cortez
 It was a crazy but fun filled weekend. We went up to Portland on Sat. night to a comedy club with Raven, Cheikh and aome of their friends. We drove back at 6am Sun. to make it to church and get Isa.
This week is looking like a busy one. I'm at the office at 7:30 a.m. and still can't get out from under the pile of things to do! According to our schedule things should slow down in May -- I hope!
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The weather was wonderful Sunday and Jim and ...
April 07, 2003 by Adam in Family
The weather was wonderful Sunday and Jim and Judy came down from Portland to wisk Sam away for a fun-filled day. He rode his bike, played with Josh and Dave, then ended up going to see Spirited Away, returning quite late.
Jamie and I tried to have a day on the town together. We had lunch at 5th Street Market, lounged about the library, and went to the ballet. It was actually better than I thought - very elegant choreography. Unfortunately Jamie started to get very uncomfortable sitting still, so we left at the intermission.
It was strange being alone in the house without the boy. I read a bit and puttered around, not quite sure what to do with myself. When he returned, our home descended into the typical chaos as Sam chatted and whirled about.
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Ah the joys of real estate and agriculture! ...
April 06, 2003 by Betsy in Betsy
Ah the joys of real estate and agriculture! Patrick is playing with a friend this afternoon, Will is at a confirmation class and I am trying to avoid pulling the last of the tax stuff together. I am usually so organized but we moved our office in December and everything that I had sorted into neat little piles got dumped into boxes and piled in the corner of my new office. So the search continues with daily surprises.
After 78 degrees on Thursday, we had snow at the farm last night. It was Mike's weekend with the boys but since he had them for a week and really wanted to watch the final four basketball tournament in peace with his girlfriend, they came back after work on Saturday. We headed home to the farm and after bedding down, feeding and putting a tarp over the new vet pen (where the Hereford VW Bus- she hasn't had that calf yet!!) is residing as her maternity ward. After that it was late and dark and we decided to throw caution to the wind and drive into town to Red Lobster (the only thing that resembles seafood in the country) and get oysters for Patrick, shrimp for Will and lobster tail for me. We picked up milk, headed home and topped it off with a soft serve ice cream from the beer/wine drive thru. I'm sure the people from church probably look askance at me when they see me come out of there but it is good ice cream and it's worth it to hear Will say, "Ice Cream, Umm, Umm in the Tum!" Love to all- P.
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For a dreary Saturday, it wasn't too bad
April 06, 2003 by Adam in Family
 For a dreary Saturday, it wasn't too bad. After three cups of coffee, I got a tremendous amount of things done in the morning, packaging up the taxes and putting in new shelves for Jamie. Sam and I played Star Wars yet again, then I tried to get him outside for a hike. For some reason, he seemed tired and whiny, so we ended up renting movies instead. Jamie seemed to enjoy her day "off", resting up and reading a bit.
It's technically 8 am, though our sleepy brains are still saying it's the pre-daylight savings 7 am. We tried to get Sam to bed early last night, but only managed to shift it about a half hour.
I don't think we have a good plan for the day. I really want to get the boy outside and work out some of his pent up energy. We'll see how it goes.
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Adam and Jamie fed me a good dinner last nigh...
April 06, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Adam and Jamie fed me a good dinner last night - Jamie's ought-to-be-world-famous corn chowder. Sam was entertaining, as always, and I tried in turn to entertain him with tales of what little terrors his Dad and Auntie Jenny were when they were two and three. I did the Six Bars of Soap in the Toilet story and the Tang in the Bathwater tale. I think I'll work up gradually to the Great American Poop Story.
I did my stint at Legal Aid Senior Services this morning.
I'm planning to have a cleaning person come in once a week, at least for awhile, so of course I spent the rest of the day cleaning house. Seraph and Robbie brought Isa over about four, with a car seat, along with a pizza. After dinner, she and I rented a movie - people with kids should all have pickups, cause kids can view the world in great style. We saw Erin, who stopped for a hug and a quick visit. Talked to Dick; they had a good birthday with Derek. Love to all, om
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Last night I had a lovely dinner with Jennife...
April 05, 2003 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Last night I had a lovely dinner with Jennifer Walters, who is my shrink and spiritual mentor, if people with ambiguous feelings toward the Lord can have such things. Then Anna, megs, and more drove to Greenfield and danced to bluegrass 'till our pits sweat and our feet swelled. It was most exactily what I needed. Noah, Anna's brother is here now, and keeps potentially stressful weekends much lighter out of necessity to keep him entertained. Hope all is well with all ya'll, and that there is not too much smoking and drinking (mochas) without me.
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I've been playing a little Splinter Cell
April 05, 2003 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I've been playing a little Splinter Cell. Not much, as my Neverwinter Nights obsession continues strong. Sam and I were playing this morning and we ran across this office basketball hoop, complete with little foam basketballs. Well, we couldn't resist and we spent many a happy moment with our tough secret agent shooting baskets.
Mostly, though, I keep working on my Neverwinter Nights projects. It's pretty time consuming, but the results are quite nice. I still get daily e-mails about how much people appreciate the games. Plus it's still fun to make them. Of course, with the baby on the way, who knows if I'll be able to keep up the pace.
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It's a mocha Friday and all seems good somehow
April 04, 2003 by Adam in Family
It's a mocha Friday and all seems good somehow. Dinner with Jamie was pleasant - an entire hour of adult conversation without interruptions. I'm hoping to get boring things done this weekend. The taxes need to be mailed out, moss removal should be spread on the roof, and so on. I'm looking forward to dinner with my mom tonight. Jamie's mom and Jim are coming down Sunday to play with Sam and let us go to the ballet. So classy.
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Bad dogs, and the women who love them
April 04, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Bad dogs, and the women who love them. I drew the short straw, and at the end of the day, heaved the dog into the front seat of the pickup, while Reta and Seraph giggled hysterically. Just as I was leaving the parking lot, I saw a man walking a dog and asked him if he recognized the pup. He ran over to a telephone pole and returned with a flyer for a lost dog - named Sadie. I called on the cell, and by the time I got home, the owner had called.
Talked to Anita and Dick; they are having a good visit. I talked with Sadie, too (not the dog). And I promise, no more whining - poor Adam and Jamie invited me to dinner tomorrow night because I sounded so pathetic.
I decided it was time for a bit of backbone starch. Additionally, I reminded myself of one of my favorite sections in John Brown's Body, about an old lady named Lucinda Matlock. I think I remember that she says, at the end of her life, "Oh, ye degenerate sons and daughters. It takes life to love life." It would be hard to think how our lives could have been better. Hugs to all, and thanks for caring. om
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We currently have a dog hanging out with us
April 03, 2003 by Seraph in Cortez
We currently have a dog hanging out with us. The office took in a black lab (aprox 6 mo. old) that was running aroung in the street by the office. We put up some signs, called and left information with the human society and walked around the neighborhood asking -- no luck.
She's actually a very sweet pup and has been completely content lounging by our desks getting scratches and eating crackers.
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It's balmy and 70 degrees today
April 03, 2003 by Betsy in Betsy
It's balmy and 70 degrees today. Got a lovely note from Meg last night with pics of Callie and Mikayla. Could I get graduation dates, just in case I could get away for 24 hours?
Sounds like everyone is perking along there. She said they drove down to Fla. for their vacation. She was a bit shocked by the conservative South.
I was up every hour on the hour last night checking on a brood cow ready to give birth. Still no sign this morning, so the vet is going to stop by and check on her mid-day. I expect she'll decide to get on with it about midnight tonight! This will be her first and she is the size of a Volkswagon bug, so I imagine its going to be a tough one. Pulled one out a week ago with chains and come alongs!
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Dick arrived in Chicago safe and sound late t...
April 03, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Dick arrived in Chicago safe and sound late this afternoon. I hope he has a good visit.
I practiced being a sole femme this evening - three cigarettes and two glasses of wine before Wendy's take-out salad, then house cleaning like crazy. Maybe I'll get the hang of it a little better tomorrow evening.
My dreams have been intense enough to remember, unusual for me - most reflecting my worries and ambiguous feelings. My first dreams were complex, and usually about having to solve some leadership problem. One was clearly about whether
I should take my anti-depressants each day, and presumably function better, or whether I should be able to feel sad (in the dream I couldn't find a clean glass or clean water to take my pill). Ah, La Vida Es Suena.
Peaceful dreams, and many thanks.
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It's been fairly quiet the last few days
April 02, 2003 by Adam in Family
It's been fairly quiet the last few days. Jamie arranged for a babysitter for Sam tonight, so we'll actually get to go out on a date. It seems as if it's been a long time since Jamie and I had some quiet moments to ourself. Should be nice.
We had another OB visit yesterday. Emma's doing fine. Our doctor thought she was currently breach, but then she followed it up by saying that there was a study that showed that doctors were wrong about it a third of the time. It's not really a big deal unless she decides not to turn around for the actual birth part.
Josh is back in town, which makes Sam immensely happy. When I arrived from work, Jamie was taking a bath and he and Sam were pretending to be spies. It's a good thing Josh is so patient.
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The garage door is fixed
April 02, 2003 by Judy in Hanes
The garage door is fixed. Last weekend was WONDERFUL. We should have gone ahead with the "Cousins' Weekend" but I was fearful of rain and bad weather. This would have probably been one of the best weekends of the season.
Also got the new white wooden blinds up in the living room and kitchen. Makes a big difference in the ambience.
Our friends and work mate of Jim's Danny & Sherry and their 2 children are using the "cabin" over Palm Sunday in April
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We had a nice weekend
April 01, 2003 by Seraph in Cortez
We had a nice weekend. Hanni watched Isa on Sat. night, leaving Robbie and I the fun task of yard work. We started to make a dent.
We happily went to bed at 8:30 p.m. and slept until 7:30 a.m.
Raven and Cheikh have invited us up to a comedy club in Portland next weekend. It would be really fun, but I'm not sure we could aquire babysitting again. It would also be strang to be out among our childless couple friends. We always have to remind ourselves not to spend the whole time talking about our kid!
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We were having dinner the other day, talking ...
April 01, 2003 by Adam in Sam
We were having dinner the other day, talking along as we ususally do and Sam said, "Dad, are you being sarcastic?" Cracked me up.
Last night, we were playing an older game of mine called Rune, which involves much fighting. Sam asked, "Is this game for children?" I responded that it wasn't and he said, "But I'm a children." I then acted surprised and announced that we should stop playing immediately. He then backtracked and told me that he was really big enough. Funny kid.
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Ha, so much for plumbing
April 01, 2003 by Sue in Wielesek
Ha, so much for plumbing. I did learn how to change a washer
(who says lawyers can't find honest work), but it still leaks slightly under the sink. Dick appears unperturbed, and says we just need to retighten it. I did try to find some lowrider pants to fit my new career.
Dick will leave for Chicago on Wednesday morning from Eugene, and return on Tuesday the 8th. We have had sweet messages from his old grad school friends, in spite of Dick's determination not to bother anyone.
I still don't quite get what "hits" means, but I think it means other people are reading the site. If so, please send us good thoughts, and as Meggie my Quaker sister says, "Hold us in the light."
Love to all, old mom.
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