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I sit in a steamy office so full of popcorn, ...
May 31, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
I sit in a steamy office so full of popcorn, canned soup, and ramen that guests must perch in the doorway and I must leap over a plastic bag of non-perishable surplus from the dorm collection drive. It will eventually arrive at the Williamstown Food Pantry. I walk to work on most days, so these things can pile up.
My 25th birthday plans are becoming more grandiose by the day. I'm having a BBQ in our back yard with an outdoor screening of Donald Duck in Mathmagicland (1959)on 16mm. Yay!
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Emma has been a bit of a pill lately, ever si...
May 31, 2006 by Adam in Family
Emma has been a bit of a pill lately, ever since she turned three. At times, she can be incredibly charming and polite. She amazed and astounded the dental staff yesterday, following directions and speaking in complete sentences. At other times, she can be quite impish. I left her alone for a moment and she ran over to steal Sam's toothpaste and start licking it. Bedtime has turned into a challenge as well, as we've returned to the days of fighting sleep tooth and nail.
Other than that, our week has been relatively uneventful. Jamie made a tasty stuffed pepper dinner last night. Sam and I watched a bit more of The Day After Tomorrow, which is scientifically questionable but a fun disaster movie. The kids and I played a bunch in the basement, including the "Master Thief" play pretend game. There was much tying up and stealing of jewels.
Update: Emma gave me a call this morning, all by herself. She managed to push "speed dial" and my number without any help from Jamie. Soon she was talking about how she wanted to eat the birthday muffins that Alma brought and had me listen to her talking toy tea set until Jamie intervened.
Evidently Emma's will has become even stronger than normal. She decided she's done with diapers and is currently wearing underwear. I can tell it's going to be a fun year ahead of us.
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Ah, time for a monthly Sam roundup
May 30, 2006 by Adam in Sam
Ah, time for a monthly Sam roundup.
Sam played at the park with Gavin yesterday. Already he has a fair number of boys at school that he plays with once or twice a week. He's evidently fairly popular at school and has to rotate the kids he plays with.
Soccer has ended and we haven't signed up for T-ball or anything soon. Swimming lessons start in a month or so, which both kids really like. In the fall, I'm sure we'll do soccer again.
Sam's scholastic skills have improved by leaps and bounds since the beginning of the year. His reading is far better and he does a pretty good job reading by himself. The other day I caught him volunarily reading to Emma, who thinks its a great treat. His new game, Animal Crossing, has a ton of reading, but he can play by himself now.
All-in-all, Sam's doing really well. He's funny, smart, and usually kind and polite.
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I'm outside on our patio, the weather on this...
May 29, 2006 by Adam in Family
 I'm outside on our patio, the weather on this Memorial Day turning gorgeous after a week of rain. We celebrated Emma's birthday on Saturday, with tons of family around. Sunday we went out to eat at Ambrosia, with the kids dressing up and behaving rather politely. Today I got to make breakfast for everyone, with tea and eggs and english muffins. The rest of the day was spent playing outside, enjoying the sun.
There have been a few memorable moments along the way. Emma was watching Fantasia, the old one with the dinosaurs being wiped out by a comet. "Darn it! You're dead," she exclaimed.
Jamie and I worked on the front door, varnishing and painting trip. Already the next house project is shaping up, tearing out our rotting trellaces and bannisters from the front yard and putting in something new.
Sadly, tomorrow I'm back to work. Due to some delays and shuffling of people, I think my workload will slowly become saner. I think I only have two application changes going live when I get in.
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It's a beautiful Memorial Day and I'm sitting...
May 29, 2006 by Meg in Lytton
It's a beautiful Memorial Day and I'm sitting on the patio by the pool, with a church carillon playing a hymn in the background and the birds singing their own hymns. The breeze is gentle and cool and the peonies, in various shades of pink, are in full bloom, resting their heads on the patio because of their sheer weight.
We had a warm and gratifying weekend-as close to perfect as they come. Last Friday, Dick, Julie (done early in the day because of no Organic Chemistry lab that day at her intense summer course at Bryn Mawr College), Mikayla and I rushed to finish last minute photo board glueing and packing to pick up Sue and Seraph at the airport. Callie took the train from Philadelphia and met Sue and Seraph while we picked up salads and sandwiches for dinner for us all.
Then we bustled westward in 2 cars to Boiling Springs, PA to pick up Callie's boyfriend Will. He started walking the Appalachian trail from Georgia in March. He made incredible time so he was able to join us for Dad's Memorial service. We spent the night in Donegal, just off the turnpike. At 9 Saturday AM,we met Betsy, her boyfriend Bob, and her sons Will and Patrick at the one restaurant in Normalville. We were delighted to find Otto Scherer, an old sailing buddy of Dad's, already there with his wife Carol. They had come from Washington, D.C. After breakfast,we all went straight up to the church for the Memorial service at 11.
Margie Gilfillan, my brother's widow, came from Pittsburgh and spoke beautifully about how Dad had been so kind to her and her brothers, including shooting off rockets with her brothers on weekends. Andy Horniak, Dad's good friend, sailing buddy and the inheriter of Trillied, came and spoke lovingly about sailing and arguing about everything from sailing to physics to astronomy with Dad. Dad's sister Lil's daughter Ann came from Illinois, as did Lil's son Allen and his lovely wife Jeannie, who drove up from Washington, D.C. And, very wonderfully, Meade Gougeon, Dad's dear friend, the designer and builder of Trillied and the inventor of West Epoxy (which Dad used on everything!), drove from Bay City, Michigan-- and spoke wonderfully about the first time he met Bill and Edna at a sailing regatta on Long Island. The minister did a wonderful job and adapted the service to our requests. Margie, Betsy, my daughter Julie, Andy, Meade, Sue and I and a man from Normalville spoke warmly, kindly and with heart-felt feelings. I hope I can do as much, and do as much good, as Dad did in the world...
Afterward, we had a sumptious repast prepared by the ladies of the church, then an impromptu burial of Dad's ashes, with nearly all in attendance, on the hill overlooking the broad, blue, misty valley. THe closest friends, tho from the farthest away, spend the afternoon down at the house talking. Mead and Ann and the Scherers had to continue their journeys during the afternoon but Andy and Margie were able to stay to dinner before heading home. Our crew returned to Donegal but left Seraph to spend the night at the house in Normalville with Betsy's family.
Sunday, we all had breakfast in Donegal before Betsy's group headed back to Ohio. We took Will back to Boiling Springs, were delayed by a Memorial Day parade but had a delicious lunch in a grassy park by the Yellow Breeches creek. He was anxious to be off toward Reading, PA, where Callie will pick hime up next weekend to bring him back to Phila for his birthday weekend.
Now we're home, left with pictures to refile and organize, some of Dad's books that Betsy gave us and warm memories. I hope I can continue Dad's tradition of fully and intelligently diving into the task at hand, continued curiosity and interest in new things and new learning, and generosity and steadfastness in my endeavors. The World was definitely a better place for his time spent here....
All my love,
Meg
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Mom and I are back at Meg and Dick's
May 29, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
Mom and I are back at Meg and Dick's. We had a nice time in Normalville, catching up with old family and friends, who all pass on their love to the Ory-gun clan. Grandpa's memorial was lovely, and the church folks took grand care of us. After we went down to the house and Betsy fed us all, and everyone swaped old sailing stories.
I spent the night down at the house (which still feels and smells the same as it always has) and woke up at the crack of dawn to singing birds and far off roosters. It was beautiful, and made me feel quite nostalgic.
I spoke to Isa and Robbie, who had a lot of fun at Emma's birthday party, and soaking up Oregon rain! I'll probably try to send them back down again next weekend, as I get overwhelmed by final projects. At least the quarters almost over!
Anyway, Mom and I head home tomorrow morning and it's back to the daily grind. Love to all!
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It's Emma's birthday
May 28, 2006 by Adam in Emma
 It's Emma's birthday. She turned three today and had a grand mermaid-themed party. All sorts of people came over, including Isabell and her friend Natalie. Emma had a wonderful time eating cake, opening presents, and hanging out with friends and family.
Uncle Dave and I got into the spirit of things. Dave performed tests on the temperature-sensitive mermaid, dunking her in cold and hot water to see the color changes. I put the "expands in water" mermaid into a glass jar, filled it up, and labeled it "Mermaid Experiment".
After all was said and done, Emma was pretty tuckered out. I drove her around in the car later in the afternoon until she fell fast asleep.
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Mocha Friday! I'm at work on this wet, drear...
May 26, 2006 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday! I'm at work on this wet, dreary day, caffeine and chocolate happily percolating in my belly. Even better, a three-day weekend stretches before me, with Emma's three-year birthday tomorrow. Should be fun.
Emma and I went off to the library last night, which is evidently a big hangout for Goth-like folks, with colored hair and piercings. Emma was talking about going up to the second floor so she could look out the window to see the "bad guys". I laughed and explained that some people just look different.
I watched the season finale of Lost last night, and felt obligated to Google about for like-minded obsessed fans. My favorite was Lostpedia, which is well-organized and contains all sorts of interesting speculations.
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Sue, I'v tried to reach you by phone
May 25, 2006 by Betsy in Betsy
Sue, I'v tried to reach you by phone. Did you get the program and information regarding the music to make up a program for the service. If you need me to I can make it up today but need to know ASAP.
Love, Bets
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Well, I generated a big long message which go...
May 25, 2006 by Sue in Wielesek
Well, I generated a big long message which got lost in internet space, so I'll try again.
I had fun babysitting the kids last week. Emma is a little rip, no matter how cute she is. Jamie has a big planter with water and water plants, and apparently some tadpoles from the various tadpole rescue excurisions. Emma kept stiring the water with a trowel. When I chided her, she looked at me, deadpan, and said, "My mother told me to do that." As the afternoon progressed, it appeared that there were a number of other scampy things her mother told her to do.
Sadie, I read the Lathe of Heaven first while I was going to law school in Portland. It was so wonderful because I could identify so many of the places. I think I told you that the Lathe of Heaven was the Eugene Reading in the Rain selection
a couple years ago, and they showed the original movie, made for OPB and much more true to the book. (The shiny remake didn't have the Alien Turtles, central to the story, in my humble opinion) Ursula Le Guin came to sign her new book, and I asked why no turtles. She too was obviously not happy about the omission.
Congratulations to Anna, and our symphony played Shostakovitch last Thursday. It always seems as though he could see, and reflect in his music, all the terror and upheaval to come during the 20th century.
Seraph and I leave for Philadelphia very early Friday morning, and will be back on Monday. The mountains at home are always beautiful this time of year. Much love to all.
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The week is half over
May 24, 2006 by Adam in Family
The week is half over. I'm feeling a bit slow today, though perhaps it's because of the dreary weather we've had since the weekend. It looks like Emma's mermaid-themed party this Saturday will have plenty of water.
It's hard to say what all we've been up to these last few days. Most afternoons I spend with Emma, who needs the most supervision. Yesterday we wandered around outside looking for bugs and flowers. Sam would periodically come over to me and have me go through this elaborate maze that he'd drawn.
We had my dad and Yayoe over for dinner on Monday, hearing all the stories about China and Japan. They both came back with bad coughs from the pollution. It made me worry about Kai and her new baby over there.
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Anna just joined the Symphony Parnasis, a com...
May 23, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Anna just joined the Symphony Parnasis, a community orchestra in San Fransisco! She's playing Shostakovich's 5th again, and while she's played it three times before, the orchestra is both spectacularly good and everyone is spectacularly friendly. So it looks like she's really integrating into the San Fransisco community.
Everything is absolute madness with Where Am I?! leader training this week, but in an exciting way. Keeps me on my toes.
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Another weekend, come and gone
May 22, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Another weekend, come and gone. Friday night brought back swimming, now with pretty murals on the bottom. Saturday morning Jamie and I stained the front door and then Emma and I had a jolly time at the library. The rest of the day was pretty quiet, with Jamie having dinner with a friend and the kids and I having movie night.
Sunday we all went to Mount Pisgah where we got rained on, but had a wonderful time. The smells of the forest alone made the trip worthwhile. We then went to Humble Bagel, ending up with two bouncing children and Emma demanding sugary fuel for her sweet tooth. Eventually we wandered back home to take it easy for the rest of the day.
In the evening the Musgroves came over and we entertained them the old fashioned way - a flash flood and hail the size of dimes! It seemed an inch of rain fell in five minutes. Our back stairwell quickly flooded to six inches deep, the drain not able to handle the volume. We were running around with towels and hoses while the kids enjoyed the spectacle. Eventually we dried off and sent our guests home. Next time we promised a wild fire or perhaps a plague of locusts.
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Seraph, you must see Thank You for Smoking, w...
May 21, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Seraph, you must see Thank You for Smoking, which is the most smart and hilarious film I've seen all year, and involves the main character kidnapped and covered in nicotine patches. But that's not even close to the funniest part of the film.
I am re-reading The Lathe of Heaven by Ursala K. LeGuin, which is so phenomenally good and uncanny in its forecasts that I would also require all to read (or re-read!) it. On pg. 49 in the Avon paperback version, there's a mention of the president's "happy faculty for fouling a quotation." I wanted to laugh out loud in the coffee shop. And bits about Afghanistan and global warming that make me shudder.
I'm off to Northampton to have lunch with friends that are there for their 2nd reunion. Oh, how time flies.
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I'm about to head off for class, and thought ...
May 20, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
I'm about to head off for class, and thought I'd make a quick post. Robbie, Isa, and Hanni headed off to Silverton this morning to go to the annual pet parade and farmers market. It actually looks like the rain will clear for them. This afternoon we have a birthday party for one of Isa's classmates. Then Robbie and I are taking the advantage of having a grandmother here and going to see The DeVinci Code. Ebert gave it a decent review, so I have high hopes.
Mom and Bob were up yesterday, and joined Hanni in going out to dinner with us. We found a little Italian resteraunt in the Mississippi district where Isa actually enjoyed food that wasn't fried or processed! It's a keeper.
I left the house early this morning to spend four hours at Starbucks working on homework and nursing a latte. This is the second weekend I've done this, and the coffee shop folks are quite nice about it. If only they had cushions on their chairs...
This will be a rather short week for me, as Mom and I leave early Friday for PA. I got a converter for the laptop, so I will be able to do school work on the plane and in the car. Hanni asked me this morning (it was from a news program survey), what would be harder to give up the computer or the coffee. I think I've decided that I could give up the computer if it were not required for school/work, as I could easily get back in the habit of writing letters (remember when we used to do that sort of thing?) I could only give up the coffee if I had two weeks off to go through a 12-step recovery program. When will they invent the caffine patch? That would be better the hard drugs. But then again, us students would look rather funny with patches covering our bodies!
Alright, enough endless babble. Love to all.
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Emma's in this funny place between a toddler ...
May 19, 2006 by Adam in Emma
 Emma's in this funny place between a toddler and a little kid. She still needs diapers. On occasion, she'll throw tantrums, like when the person putting her to bed was me and not Jamie. On the other hand, she's very articulate, sweet, and increasingly capable of doing basic things. She can take off her clothes, and often get dressed (except for the inside-out issue, like last weekend). She can put on most of her non-lace shoes. She'll happily brush her own teeth.
Of course, all these things usually require supervision or correction, though it's important to realize that it's time invested in Emma's eventual self-sufficiency. She's getting there.
In terms of play time, she's all over the board. She and Sam often play exciting "princess Emma" games. This usually involves orc attacks and the like. Last night Emma decided her doll had various broken limbs and we spent a half hour constructing casts of one sort or another.
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It's Mocha Friday, though I'm still an hour a...
May 19, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It's Mocha Friday, though I'm still an hour away from work and the delicious frothy substance.
It's been a good week, all-in-all. The weather has been great, sunny and warm. It's done everyone good to be outside and play around. The kids in particular are having a great time.
Last night we all went outside and I broke out assorted water activities. I started with some hose squirting, turned on the sprinklers, and then dragged the wading pool out of storage. The kids were pretty excited, with Sam getting goggles for everyone just in case.
Wednesday night Jamie took me to the rose gardens for a picinic. It was amazing to see the roses in bloom already. Plus we had a great time looking through some furniture magazine and making fun of how horrible the things were. Trust me on the garden gnome bench.
As for this weekend, I'm looking forward to swimming tonight after several weeks of being closed for construction. Jamie is having dinner with friends tomorrow night and we're having guests for dinner Sunday night. Boy is our social calendar full. There's also a house project waiting for us, staining the front door. Busy, busy.
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Wednesday already
May 17, 2006 by Adam in Family
Wednesday already. Weird.
It's been crazy hot all week. I've been sleeping commando-style since our upstairs is baking. We were all out in minimal clothes, traipsing about in our backyard late last night since it was so darn warm.
I think Emma and I caught the same bug. We've both been having headaches and tummy trouble. I'm hoping I'm on the mend, as this one has been merely annoying.
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Yes, yes, happy birthday to Anna!
I have ...
May 16, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Yes, yes, happy birthday to Anna!
I have my Americorps VISTA leader interview on Thursday, forcing me to re-read all of this apologetic service-learning theory. Is there a more self-deprecating discipline than "service-learning?"
Everyone else in the world believes that service is infallible. But the bleeding heart academics that actually do service-learning flog themselves for promoting oppressive power dynamics between the campus and community. Sigh. I, of course, love it.
We're having a late May downpour this week. It keeps the caterpillar population from getting too cocky.
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Incidentally, are we all preparing for the in...
May 16, 2006 by Sue in Wielesek
Incidentally, are we all preparing for the invasion of Mexico? (I think I need to go home and drink a cold Pacifico.)
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I also wanted to wish Anna a happy birthday, ...
May 16, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
I also wanted to wish Anna a happy birthday, and Yayoe a belated birthday. So many great people came into the world this month! Love from us here in PDX.
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Happy birthday to Anna! What an amazing young...
May 16, 2006 by Sue in Wielesek
Happy birthday to Anna! What an amazing young woman - helped build a school in Africa, played in Carnegie Hall, and an engineer in San Francisco...Like the old Russian song, We wish you many years...
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Monday already, here at work with things pili...
May 15, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Monday already, here at work with things piling up left and right. Fortunately my boss and cubicle neighbor are out most of this week, so I'm hoping that minimizes the amount of work that gets to me.
Sunday and Mother's Day went well. I took the kids around the little shops near Jim and Judy's house. We visited with the parrots and koi at True Value hardware, stopped by a pizza place, and picked up a new game for Sam to earn stars towards. The drive back went well, with Sam watching a movie and Emma sleeping the whole way back.
The evening was a bit busy, with unpacking and Jamie going out to dinner with a friend. The kids and I went over to my mom's for a lovely dessert and visit. It's amazing how much trouble the two of them can get into, even when supervised by two adults mere five feet away. Eventually everyone returned home, the kids got to bed late, and I collapsed to sleep.
This morning it's amazingly warm and sunny again. I rode to work with no jacket or gloves. Summer seems just around the corner.
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Happy Mother's Day to all the women out there...
May 14, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
Happy Mother's Day to all the women out there - technical mother's or not, who have led, shaped, or mentored others in their lives!
We are off to church in a few minutes. They have decided to celebrate Mother's Day by way of it's original meaning, ie a day of peace. Gotta love those Presbyterians.
This afternoon I'm modeling for a friends bridal photo shoot. It's been a long time since I've been a blushing bride!
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It's been beautiful all day, with blue skies ...
May 13, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It's been beautiful all day, with blue skies and warm weather. Emma had problems getting to bed, but otherwise everyone's been fine. Come morning, we had breakfast, played at a nearby park, and generally lazed about.
For lunch, Jamie, the kids, and I all went up to Piddock mansion. It was amazing inside, especially the shower that sprayed in all directions. Emma decided we should live there.
Afterwards, we brought out picinic things out only to find Isabell running up to greet us. She and Robbie had come up to visit, even though all we did was leave messages to each other all day. After a nice long visit, we returned home and have lazed about yet again.
In an hour or so, Jamie and I hope to go out to dinner. I could get spoiled with all this child care.
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Hi, and much love to all
May 13, 2006 by Sue in Wielesek
Hi, and much love to all. Reta and I came back to the office this Friday evening to finish up some billing work. She has been a princess in helping me get loose ends wrapped up. I had a lovely letter from Anna in San Francisco, sending lots of hugs and letting me know that she had sent a contribution to the League of Women Voters and the Great Lakes Museum in dad's memory. I also
have a tooth which needs a root canal, but which, thanks to the miracle of modern anti-biotics, is not oozing goobery stuff into my blood stream. Sadie and I have been trying to have a decent phone conversation for a week, about thirty seconds at a time. Maybe this weekend. I talked to Jenny, who is feeling much better. This is an absolutely beautiful evening. I need to get this cataract surgery pretty soon.
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We made it to Portland, after a lovely day ha...
May 13, 2006 by Adam in Family
 We made it to Portland, after a lovely day hanging out with Jamie. I took Sam to school and later we both took Emma to her school, leaving us with several decadent hours to pretend we were childless. After going out for lunch and puttering about, I dropped off Jamie at home and picked up Emma from her school.
She was a little tired, but we went to the library and picked up new books and videos. After a quick side trip to get Jamie and load up the car, we got Sam from school and hit the road. Emma fell asleep, Sam watched Independence Day on the new laptop, and two hours later we rolled into town.
Now our kids are being entertained by Jim, Judy is fixing dinner, and all is good in the world.
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One of the things that isn't widely known is ...
May 12, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Games
One of the things that isn't widely known is that if Emma had been a boy, we would have called her Max. This is in honor of Sam and Max, a great cartoon and game from ages past.
Well, it looks like they're bringing them back. Their website is fairly cool and in honor of the game, I decided to make a comic about my two lovely children - Sam and Max style.
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Mere minutes ago, the power company turned th...
May 11, 2006 by Adam in Family
Mere minutes ago, the power company turned the power back on to our house. There was some weird notice about "de-energizing" from EWEB yesterday. Evenidently that meant they wanted to cut our power for most of the day.
When I wandered home, there was still no power. Emma and I went outside to look at bugs and check on the tadpoles in our porch pond. Afterwards we played on the piano, with me recovering enough repressed memories to play Old MacDonald without too many errors.
Still, when 4:10 rolled around and the power came on, we ran around the house yelling "Power! Power!" and promptly sat down at our respective computers. We Millers could never survive the collapse of civilization. Unless maybe I could rig up an espresso machine to work off a windmill, in which case anything is possible.
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Well, it's technically Thursday, but I'm decl...
May 11, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Well, it's technically Thursday, but I'm declaring it an honorary Mocha Friday since we'll be going to Portland tomorrow. Of course, I still have to shower and ride into work, but that's the price I pay.
Emma was really tired when I got home last night. She immediately conked out in my lap and napped for too long, staying up late last night. Sam happily played Animal Crossing, trying to work off the mortgage on his imaginary house. There's a tremendous amount of reading, so he's getting lots of practice and having fun. Mostly he goes around shaking trees in hopes of having interesting things fall out of them, though he got stung by a bee once and his eye got swollen.
Kirsten came over for a small birthday party last night. Emma and Jamie made the cake, with Emma doing the decorations. My mom came over too, which was nice, and the kids played with everyone for a long while.
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I got my swag from the Bioware writing contes...
May 10, 2006 by Adam in Adam
 I got my swag from the Bioware writing contest yesterday. It's fairly cool. I'm drinking tea from my Bioware mug and just popped in the Jade Empire soundtrack. I admittedly didn't put in my Jade Empire t-shirt or Bioware wool hat. That might be a bit too much, even for me.
There's some electronic goodies arriving soon, various games that I'm hoping I have time to play. We'll see how it goes.
Work has been frantic these last couple weeks, with me feeling I haven't quite recovered from my last business trip. I'm working on so many big projects that things are falling through the cracks. They don't pay me the big bucks for doing things that are simple, I suppose.
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The week is moving along
May 10, 2006 by Adam in Family
 The week is moving along. No exciting news, really, but I thought I'd give my usual daily update on the minutia of what I'm up to.
Sam's been the social butterfly as of late. Monday afternoon he had Jake over to play. Yesterday he had Zach over. With Jake, they mostly did cartoons. With Zach, they did Star Wars Legos non-stop.
I had fun watching Emma at soccer practice last night. She's an impish girl, pushing her boundaries. She was ripping up the label from a water bottle as we drove back home. After the third time telling her to stop, I told her if she wanted dessert that night. "Will you take away my privileges?" she asked in a sad voice. She was so darn cute, it was hard to be upset with her. That convinced her to stop her ripping and Sam cleaned up after her mess, as he often will.
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The end of the semester is upon us! Oh, how I...
May 09, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 The end of the semester is upon us! Oh, how I weep at the leaving of my favorite seniors, the stress of spring trainings, and the joy of having the entire campus covered in Eastern Tent caterpillars, or scum from heaven, as they are commonly known on campus. Students have begun to chalk caterpillar epitaphs across the walkways, and overheard popped-collar conversations have been replaced with hateful caterpillar diatribes. I was talking to the president last night, and even he, the year-round tie and v-neck sweater wearing king of prep, was undone by their presence. I've never seen the campus so uncomposed, screaming like little boys as they duck from the spindly caterpillar masses parachuting from the trees. It's a little satisfying, actually...
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Sam worked terribly hard yesterday, taking ou...
May 08, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Sam worked terribly hard yesterday, taking out the garbage, planting tomatoes, and earning enough stars to get Animal Crossing. It's an interesting game, one that is completely non-violent (other than fishing, maybe). Basically you get dropped off in a town, buy a house, and end up working off your mortgage doing odd little tasks. Already I've planted flowers around the shop and written a letter to a customer.
It involves a fair bit of reading, which Sam is willing to do a fair amount so far. He's slow, but much more able than the beginning of the year. My secret plan is to have him practice reading when he thinks he's playing a game.
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It was rather dreary on Sunday, so today's pi...
May 08, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It was rather dreary on Sunday, so today's picture is actually from the day before.
Sunday was good, though I was exhausted at the end like usual. We had a hearty breakfast and went off to Jerry's to pick up tomatoes and wood stain for the new front door. We came back by way of the Metropol Bakery and Baskin-Robbins, so everyone's goodie needs were satisfied.
In the afternoon, Jamie went off to Pink Martini, which she reported was good. Sam volunteered to work in exchange for stars, which he eventually earned enough to "buy" the game Animal Crossing. Emma watched a Barbie movie and really should have gone to sleep, but instead became increasingly wacky. I fed them dinner and had a little quiet time once Jamie returned.
It should be a short work week ahead of us, with a Portland trip this Friday. Jamie's shooting for a relaxing time, though we may try for one or two of the uniquely Portland activities. Visiting the Pittock mansion is on our list. I might try an OMSI or zoo trip too, depending on how I'm feeling.
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Congratulations to Seraph on getting the job
May 07, 2006 by Adam in Family
 Congratulations to Seraph on getting the job. We know you're good enough, smart enough, and doggone it, people like you. As for Sadie, well, you're becoming an anti-role-model for our kids. "Get that out of your mouth or your tongue will swell up just like Aunt Sadie's did!"
My favorite part of the week came and went. Saturday morning Jamie made pancakes and I made my usual espresso. The kids ate huge amounts of food, which probably means they're both having growth spurts. Afterwards, I took the kids to the library and then Humble Bagel. We returned home with a bunch of new books, movies, and computer games, as well as bellies full of bagely goodness.
Sam had a soccer game in the afternoon, which was attended by Grampa Ray, his new girlfriend Ella, and my mom. Sam played really well, scoring several goals and rarely falling down. Emma made a new friend with one of the soccer boy's older sisters, chasing bubbles and playing catch.
Eventually we returned home where I cleaned up the kids and we all had dinner. My mom had other plans, but Dave and Kirsten joined us. Emma had a wonderful time with Ella, working on her Barbie coloring book. Sam and I took turns reading a fairly advanced book. All-in-all, it was a fine evening.
As for today, I think everyone's going to see Pink Martini at the Hult Center except me. I'll have to think of something interesting to do with the kids while I've got 'em. There's assorted house projects calling to us too. We'll see how much we can manage.
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More good news
May 05, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
More good news. Raven just called, and they had a little boy last night!
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Thought I'd let everyone know that I got the ...
May 05, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
Thought I'd let everyone know that I got the internship at Fred Meyer! It was apparently a rather nail bitting decision, as they had a strong list on candidates. The only difficult part may be that they are wanting me to start in the next few weeks. Not sure yet how I'll pull it off yet, but I will. Love to all.
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Last night was the Campus Life Awards, a mome...
May 05, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Last night was the Campus Life Awards, a moment at the end of the semester when us staff get to say nice speeches about the most active, committed, and all-around lovely students on campus. I brought home a huge bouquet from the chocolate covered strawberry and truffle table. While splitting the mound of exotic flowers into manageable arrangements for our tiny apartment, I decided to chew on the tip of a succulent palm. Note to our loyal readers: DO NOT CHEW ON UNKNOWN PLANTS, even if they come from a flower shop. I spent the rest of the night with a mouthful of ice, weeping at my stupidity and attending to my swollen tongue, mouth, and throat. It's the people like me that make life interesting for ER staff.
And congrats to Seraph!
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The wireless router arrived last night, so I ...
May 05, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Projects
The wireless router arrived last night, so I of course had to immediately set up and configure the network. I currently have two routers and one hub, all being used for various functions. I need to move the wireless access point to the main floor, as that's where the laptop will mostly live.
Jamie was pretty excited about the laptop and wants to build a little place in the corner of the kitchen to keep it. We may end up transferring things off her old computer and on to the laptop, leaving me to figure out what to do with the Fossil computer. Maybe it will become Emma's computer, running assorted Barbie games for the remainder of its days.
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It's another Mocha Friday, though it's admitt...
May 05, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It's another Mocha Friday, though it's admittedly early in the morning and I'm still at home. In another hour and a half, though, that Mocha will be mine!
We had a good time taking Sam to soccer practice last night. There's a little creek next to the field, full of tadpoles and critters. Emma and I brought along a plastic container and net to catch a few. When we got there, the creek had dried to a few brown puddles, surrounded by boys devoted to saving them. Our little container was full of squirming little tadpoles in a few minutes. Later we dumped them all into our porch pond. We'll see if the critters make it.
I arrived home to a new door to our house. Like all home improvements, I grumbled about the price, and then became amazed at how great it is. I now have complete faith in Jamie's sense of taste. We still need to stain it, but otherwise it looks great.
I did some research for this Bend trip we're taking next month, looking for fun things to do. There's the lava tube caves, the high desert museum, horseback riding, and a brunch/train ride combination that involves a train robbery in the middle. I don't normally think of Bend as a vacation getaway, but I'm starting to get excited about the possibilities.
As for this weekend, I'm still not sure what's going on. Jamie's dad and his new girlfriend are coming down to watch Pink Martini with Jamie on Sunday. I'll probably take the kids on our usual library and bagel run in the morning. As long as we get some relaxation along the way, I'm good to go.
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For better or worse, I think Sam is going to ...
May 05, 2006 by Adam in Sam
 For better or worse, I think Sam is going to turn out to be a lot like me.
Last night he decided to make his own collectable card game, so he made over twenty playing cards with pictures of creatures, along with speed and armor rankings. Later that night, Sam had the whole family playing the game, which ended up being a lot like War. Jamie won, which had her more excited than she'd probably admit.
Sam has gotten more confident with soccer, I think. It used to be that he'd regularly fall down after every kick. It still happens on occasion, but more often he'll run right into the action and try to get that ball away.
School goes well. His reading and spelling continue to improve vastly over the beginning of the year. The challenge is finding books for him to read that he's really interested in. The problem at the moment is that his vocabulary is far more advanced than his reading skills. Books that he'd enjoy take too long to read. Fortunately he reads out of habit these days, and does tons of drawings with various labels on things. I'm sure he'll get to be a proficient reader soon enough.
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Hi all,
Another late night entry when I shou...
May 05, 2006 by Meg in Lytton
Hi all,
Another late night entry when I should really be authorizing prescription refills....
The wedding in Normal was delightful! I arrived at Midway at 9:30PM Friday. I finished seeing patients at 3 PM, then was fairly panicked by the # of phone calls, knew I had to be home by 5:30 to leave for the airport and I hadn't packed yet! Happily, Dick got me to the gate on time and Sue met me at the other end. My heart sunk briefly when she said we were staying in Normal that night, as I was pretty exhausted, but we zipped out of Chicago and had little traffic for the 2 1/2 hr drive.
Saturday was rainy and I woke early, on East Coast time, worked on my New England Journal of Medicine exam until Sue and I went to Bed Bath and Beyond to buy wedding presents.
We called Ann to learn that they needed help to implement "plan C" (wedding and reception inside) because of the weather and wind. We happened to run into cousin Alan and his wife Jeannie at Wendy's as we were driving to the wedding and had lunch together. Small world department!!
The wedding was warm and intimate, fusion American and Indian/Hindu, followed by Indian food in the quickly-converted garage. As Ann and I exhaustedly sprawled on the sofa later, we had a great review of fusion vs nuclear vs other power sources by a young physicist guest, Kevin. A good time was had by all. Deepti, her artistic sister and her French boyfriend, and their parents were all lovely. There is a 3rd wedding planned for this couple in India in the fall. That one will be for 500 or so guests!
The wind was howling off the plains Sunday AM and I knew travel would be problematic. We could scarcely close the hotel door against the wind. I was impressed by the rich blackish Illinois soil (seabed iron ore and limestone) as we drove to Chicago.
The plane was delayed 4 hrs in Chicago but everyone was in good spirits and applauded and cheered any time a plane was able to board and take off. The giggly male Southwest ticket agent kept us all in a cheery mood.
Dick picked me up and I was able to finish my exam in time for the mail Monday AM. Over the weekend, the hot water tank started to leak. We came home Monday PM to 4 inches of warm water on the basement floor. Not too much damage. We now have a new hot water heater and we vacuumed, mopped and waxed the basement floor! All's well that ends well!
Dad's urn arrived yesterday, looks very nice. I'm going to pack his clothes in suitcases this weekend so we'll have room for graduation guests.I'll bring them to the memorial service to distribute.
Meg
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Whew! I feel so much better about that pedicu...
May 04, 2006 by Jamie in Jamie
Whew! I feel so much better about that pedicure I got yesterday!
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There was a funny little "Mom Salary Calculat...
May 04, 2006 by Adam in Jamie
There was a funny little "Mom Salary Calculator" up on the web, basically pointing out how much money stay-at-home moms would make if we paid them for their various tasks.
You can see how Jamie made out here, or simply take a gander at the final product:
I've given up on divorcing Jamie and getting a trophy wife. It's just too darn expensive.
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I picked up Mom at the airport this afternoon...
May 04, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez
I picked up Mom at the airport this afternoon, and after a picnic lunch, we sent her on her way home. Right now Robbie, Isa, and the neighbor kids are playing tag outside while we wait for Hanni to arrive. She is watching Isa tomorrow, as the friend she usually stays with on Tuesday and Thursdays is out of town.
I'm working away at school, thank goodness there are only a few weeks left!
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It's funny how yesterday was crazy busy, but ...
May 03, 2006 by Adam in Family
 It's funny how yesterday was crazy busy, but still satisfying in an odd sort of way. I actually enjoyed work for the first time in awhile. I think it was because I got so much done, as well as begging and receiving help for some upcoming massive projects.
Over the evening, Jamie and I practically threw the kids back and forth. Our Tuesdays and Thursdays are pretty much booked solid. When I get home, Jamie goes to the gym. Next the kids and I go to Sam's soccer practice. Then it's home, dinner, bath, and finally bedtime. Whew.
Emma and I had a good time at Sam's soccer game. We listened to music in the car, played on the playground, and watched a bigger girl catch tadpoles in a stream. Emma was watching intently and said "Look! It's an aquatic insect!" She's finally turning three at the end of the month, which is sort of a relief. How many two-year-olds can use the phrase "aquatic insect" appropriately in a sentence?
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PS You can't access the Boing Boing blog fro...
May 03, 2006 by Lohring in Lohring
PS You can't access the Boing Boing blog from China.
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Hey
May 03, 2006 by Yayoe in Yayoe
Hey...we're in Shanghai...what an amazing place. I think we in the good old USA have been sold a bad bill of goods about China...it's not what we were lead to believe. This is an unbelievable country that focuses on capitalistic socialism..and yea, the government owns the land but it makes sense...there is so much wealth and prosperity in this country that it would knock your socks off....
And now for the answer to the last quiz: The answer to both questions is CHINA and JAPAN!....Japan is an American style society filled with exceptionally polite people running numerous small to large businesses. However it has an excellent socialized medicine and retirement, system great public transporation and high high prices for everything....China on the other hand has recently surpassed the US in the amount of foreign investment and is using this investment to rebuild the country. As noted though the government as its finger in everything in terms of ownership including our excellent tour company. The people are exceptionally energetic, interesting, beautiful and hard working. The air and water quality is horrific...Lohring has a bad respiratory cough and most of the folks on our group have a bad sore throat, etc. Other that the water and air sucking this is an amazing place. Can you believe this vast country houses 1.3 billion people..a large city holds about 30 million people and a small city has about 3 million...and that's considered small. Sheesh! This does not look like Pearl Bucks' third world country. It looks more like Rodeo Drive in LA and NY city!! So enough for now...we'll be back on Saturday after being gone for 3 weeks. Needless to say we'll be brain dead and jet lagged but happy to be home again. Lohring said he has 600 photos (yawn) and he's eager to force them on you...
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Hey
May 03, 2006 by Yayoe in Yayoe
Hey...we're in Shanghai...what an amazing place. I think we in the good old USA have been sold a bad bill of goods about China...it's not what we were lead to believe. This is an unbelievable country that focuses on capitalistic socialism..and yea, the government owns the land but it makes sense...there is so much wealth and prosperity in this country that it would knock your socks off....
And now for the answer to the last quiz: The answer to both questions is CHINA and JAPAN!....Japan is an American style society filled with exceptionally polite people running numerous small to large businesses. However it has an excellent socialized medicine and retirement, system great public transporation and high high prices for everything....China on the other hand has recently surpassed the US in the amount of foreign investment and is using this investment to rebuild the country. As noted though the government as its finger in everything in terms of ownership including our excellent tour company. The people are exceptionally energetic, interesting, beautiful and hard working. The air and water quality is horrific...Lohring has a bad respiratory cough and most of the folks on our group have a bad sore throat, etc. Other that the water and air sucking this is an amazing place. Can you believe this vast country houses 1.3 billion people..a large city holds about 30 million people and a small city has about 3 million...and that's considered small. Sheesh! This does not look like Pearl Bucks' third world country. It looks more like Rodeo Drive in LA and NY city!! So enough for now...we'll be back on Saturday after being gone for 3 weeks. Needless to say we'll be brain dead and jet lagged but happy to be home again. Lohring said he has 600 photos (yawn) and he's eager to force them on you...
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I finished my third cup of tea this morning a...
May 02, 2006 by Adam in Adam
 I finished my third cup of tea this morning and have been in frantic "catch up" mode all morning. The e-mails have been blazing by, followed by a flurry of coding and a terse response. The items on my "to do" list of e-mails dwindled down to three. I still have several major projects to juggle, but I feel much better that the endless little things are better under control.
Yesterday was rather wacky. I came home to visit with Jamie and ended up under the sink being dripped on by leaky pipes. Ah, the joys of marriage.
I'm constantly amazed at the wacky gadgets that people come up with. My latest favorite is the "teddy gun", which fires a parachute equipped teddy bear. Supposedly it's big at weddings, but I'd have fun taking it to our next team meeting.
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This Sunday, Janet convinced me to attend a t...
May 02, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 This Sunday, Janet convinced me to attend a two and a half hour yoga workshop with her, titled "Sowing Seeds in the Souls Deep Soil." I suppose the title "Ripping your Muscles Apart and Making You Like It" was already taken. Anyway, I can move again, but continue to grimice when attempting to sit. I didn't think my ribs could hurt this much from "expanding opportunity in my heart." But it was pretty cool to feel the bones in my spine loosen beyond logical understanding when I pretended to be a sunflower. Yeah.
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Happy May Day! The mid-west is green and lush...
May 02, 2006 by Sue in Wielesek
Happy May Day! The mid-west is green and lush, even those it's also wet and stormy. This is just a very quick note to let you all know that Meg and I had fun at the wedding, and
I'm here at Anita and John's. We went to Anita's Garden Club meeting, and had a program by a speaker from the University of Illinois about growing and using herbs and spices. I have been enjoying my great nieces and great nephews enormously. Lots of time holding Baby Leah! Love to all, om
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What a weekend
May 01, 2006 by Adam in Family
 What a weekend. Friday night was spent with the kids at the park, tossing a Foxtail about while the swimming pool we normally go to gets refinished. Saturday was a whirlwind as well, with a pretty exciting trip to the library which included a wild bird exhibit and Ecuadorian music.
Sunday morning, we hauled the kids' bikes up to the reservoir. Emma did very well with her training wheels. I think Sam was frustrated that it didn't go quite as quickly. Soon enough he wanted to go off to collect bottlecaps and poke in the dirt.
 I watched the kids for the rest of the day, playing at home for a long while and then taking them to an extremely late soccer game. Sam played really well, scoring goals and such, as well as just really pushing himself. He did return home with a bruise from a head-on collision with another kid. And so the sports injuries begin.
I have to run off to work in a few minutes, hopefully catching up from my time off last week. There's a couple "big deal" things I'm working on, as well as the usual endless little things that always appear. Busy, busy.
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