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One of my favorite comics has a recurring cha...
June 29, 2001 by Adam in Adam
 One of my favorite comics has a recurring character named Adam. Today's strip is about him and his issues with caffeine. Ironically, I also decided to cut back on coffee a few months ago (though I did have a mocha this morning). Read all about it right here.
Completely removing coffee from my life hasn't really happened yet. I'm not sure if it's something I want to pursue, though I typically just drink tea most work days. Who knows, coffee may actually protect against Parkinson's disease?
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Today is our last stay at home day! I'm hopi...
June 29, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
 Today is our last stay at home day! I'm hoping to fill it with all the mundaine things I know I'll be missing by next week--dishes, laundry, walks and baths! I am still experiancing that working mom/ child in day care nervousness. Will she cry all day? Will I cry all day? Will she be abducted by aliens on the playground? Sigh...the worries of a parent!
zzzaaaaaamnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn----added by Isa
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We signed all the papers yesterday to sell ou...
June 29, 2001 by Adam in Family
 We signed all the papers yesterday to sell our house. Today, both the buying and the selling of the houses should be complete. We still have a judgement against our property, but we're insured and the seller has put their money in escrow in case they don't settle soon. Sam was very good and played with some cool binoculars the whole time.
I also start my vacation tomorrow. I'm looking forward to it quite a bit, as I haven't had much time off since Christmas. Lots of yardwork and house repair awaits!
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I walked into the house last night and Sam sa...
June 28, 2001 by Adam in Sam
 I walked into the house last night and Sam said, "you startled me dad." Where did he learn the word startled? Very funny coming out of a two-year-old's mouth.
Sam's been interested in dreams lately. We talk about how he can use his special powers in his dreams so they won't be scary any more. This morning, I asked him if he had good dreams. "No, just bad ones." I asked if he used his special powers. "Yeah, I flew away from the creatures."
Star Wars is also clearly made it's mark on Sam's persona. I've spent endless hours dueling with lightsabres with Sam (typically using pillows and paintbrushes). His Lego people have become Luke, Leia, and Darth Vader. The swimming pool has become a space ship. Great fun.
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Well, the house closes tonight, so we're goin...
June 28, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Well, the house closes tonight, so we're going to pop open a bottle of champagne to celebrate. In a couple hours, we're also signing the papers finalizing the sale of our old home. We finally got our real number back last night. To everyone who's been trying to call, our standard phone number now works.
Now that the oven's in place, the plumbing's fixed, and the phone's transferred over, I'm starting to feel much better. Hopefully my Internet connection will be set up tonight or tomorrow, completing the critical utility move.
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The allergies are pretty bad these days
June 26, 2001 by Adam in Family
The allergies are pretty bad these days. I've had a sinus headache basically non-stop for the last 24 hours. Well, supposedly allergy season ends in a couple weeks, which will be nice.
Our house closes Thursday. It turns out that it will automatically close if nobody does anything. Jamie's delivering a huge check to the escrow company today, so it appears all is on track. We'll probably close on our house on that day too.
I'll also be taking some time off soon, which I'm looking forward to. Next week is all relaxation and house repair time. I'm eager to start in on the garden, as it's a bit overgrown these days. Last night I was playing Star Wars with Sam (again) and tying him up with all the various vines that have taken over parts of the backyard. I managed to keep him amused and pull weeds at the same time.
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I've been quite the manly man at our new house
June 25, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Projects
I've been quite the manly man at our new house. I got to do some minor electrical work to put in our new stove (mmm . . . cooked food). Replacing the dryer vent was also exciting, as it involved moving cabinets and walls and putting in new ducting. Tonight it's a wax seal for the upstairs toilet and putting in a new seal for a leaky faucet.
One of these days, I'd like to do some computer projects too. The room is set up with both computers. I'm also going through a process of setting up the network again. I'm moving to a card-based modem, so I've got to do the Internet Connection Sharing thing that Microsoft provides. Hopefully it won't be too much of a hassle. I ran into some IRQ conflicts with my current network card, so I may have more juggling to do.
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If it weren't for Throne of Bhaal, I'd be hat...
June 25, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Games
If it weren't for Throne of Bhaal, I'd be hating my lack of Internet access at home even more. It's a fun little game. I'm about halfway through, having virtually finished the Watcher's Tower quest. I'm at the point where I could finish it easily, but I'm waiting to see if I can do the hard ending after I've got a few more levels under my belt.
The story is gripping, and is making a nice end to the Baldur's Gate trilogy. Highly recommended.
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I hate moving
June 25, 2001 by Adam in Adam
I hate moving. Really, really hate it.
Last week, I was hating not having a stove and eating cereal and microwaved food all the time. This week, it's the terrible hassle getting DSL moved to my new house. In theory, it's all turned on. The catch is that The Pond turned off what was previously set up and their tech guys won't do anything until I fill out a form on the web. Gah! They ignored the e-mail I sent them a couple weeks ago asking if there was something I was supposed to do, now I have to wait a couple days just to process the order.
Sigh. I'll stop ranting for now. When everything's over and we actually legally own the house, I'll be a happier man.
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We had a great weekend playing with as little...
June 25, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
We had a great weekend playing with as little work as possible! Hanni came over and we went to Saturday market, went to tea, ran errands, did a little yard work and saw a movie! We love family!! This is my last week home with Isa before I head back to work. I'm both excited (especially since it will probably require a shopping trip to buy new clothes) and nervous. It will probably be good for both of us, but I may be a mess for a week or so.
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We shipped Sam off to grandma Sue's Saturday ...
June 25, 2001 by Adam in Family
 We shipped Sam off to grandma Sue's Saturday morning so Jamie and I could have a romantic interlude to . . . install the stove and dryer vent! The best thing was getting the stove finally in place, as our kitchen was a mess without it. We also did some more minor repairs and lots of cleaning and arranging. We still have some more things stored at a friends house, but we're getting settled.
Of course, we don't actually own the house yet. All that should be taken care of this Thursday when we sign the final papers.
Sam was a bit of a handful this weekend, in his own sweet way. He's gotten really into Star Wars and light sabres. We spent a lot of time pretending we were different Star Wars characters, reinacting scenes using MegaBlocks, Legos, or just paintbrushes for light sabres. I've lost count of the number of times I've said, "Luke, I am your father!"
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We've had a fun week of playing and painting!...
June 22, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
We've had a fun week of playing and painting!Isabell's room is still unfinished, but I'm bound and determined to have baby Banks' room done! We hid inside today--out of the sun. I'm hoping it cools off a bit tonight, so we can eat outside. Hanni is coming over this weekend, and hopefully I can get a little farther with the yard stuff!
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Well, we ordered Sadie's tickets for Botswana...
June 21, 2001 by Sue in Wielesek
Well, we ordered Sadie's tickets for Botswana this morning. I guess that means she's really going. A beautiful first day of summer here! Love to all, om
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Since my DSL is evidently out until Monday, I...
June 21, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Since my DSL is evidently out until Monday, I picked up the expansion to Baldur's Gate. Although I'm just barely into it, it's quite good. My main character, Samuel, is quite fun to play. All my characters are very high level, so the challenges and places we run across tend to be different and interesting.
I started off in my abyssal stronghold, with Saravok, whom I've killed twice now, asking to join me. He's pretty powerful, though I decided I wanted all my party members to be good. So, Mazzi the halfling paladin is sticking around. We've now entered a city under seige, trying to find our way into the castle to confront the mad Bhaalspawn leader. Great fun!
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We continue to slog along at our new house
June 21, 2001 by Adam in Family
We continue to slog along at our new house. Still no DSL, so I've been freaking out a bit without my Internet connection. Darren came over and put up the microwave, which was handy. Jim's driving down from Portland just to install the stove (to replace the one that didn't work). I guess I didn't realize that he was going to drive all the way to do that - we'll have to do something extra nice for him.
We had the sprinkler guy out to fix our sprinkler system. Amazingly, it only cost $35. The plumbing, however, is going to be very expensive. In order to fix the illegal, leaking basement plumbing they had to drill holes in the concrete, install pumps, and get an electrician to get power to the side of the garage.
So, we're going through a number of moving pains. Sure hope we really close on the house next week.
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A fairly good day yesterday
June 19, 2001 by Adam in Family
 A fairly good day yesterday. Judy and Scott (and their kids Johanna and Madeline) invited us over for dinner last night. That pretty much filled our evening, with Sam conking out soon after coming home.
I'm still figuring out all the details of the new house. I took a shower in the main floor bathroom today. I think I like it better than the one in the basement, as the shower head doesn't spray at neck level.
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Well, we moved
June 18, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Well, we moved. I was amazed at how quickly it went. In about four hours, we had taken everything from our old house and put it in our new house. I was amazed at how hard my family worked and all the support we recieved. Thank you all!
We've had two nights in the new house now. It's a little weird trying to figure out where everything is and what does and doesn't work. I have the critical "nerd cave" in place - the basement bedroom with the computers and Legos. Sam seems to be doing well, enjoying exploring the various rooms. Jamie's tired, but excited. I think that this will be a wonderful house for our family for years to come.
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Happy Fathers Day to all the new fathers, fat...
June 18, 2001 by Sue in Wielesek
Happy Fathers Day to all the new fathers, fathers to be, fathers, stepfathers, and grandfathers out there!
We spent yesterday and part of today helping Adam, Jamie and Sam getting moved and settled. With six of Jamie's family and and nine from Adam's, and with Jamie's organizational skills, by 5 pm things were moved in and the furniture was in place and the beds made.
Their new neighbors seem nice; there is a couple across the steet with two little boys, one about Sam's age - and a mom, or maybe a dad, who makes a mean Tollhouse cookie - that injection of chocolate was particularly welcome.
Jenny is finally starting to look pregnant - she is taking it a little bit easier after the hospital scare (see Adam's
page). Sadie is working hard on her research - she has a job this summer doing research for one of her professors- sort of dry work, I think. We're all so grateful to have her home. And Seraph and Robbie are certainly continuing to be parents extrordinaire - Isa Ryn is a cute little kid.
Well, it's bed time. This physical labor stuff is for the young!
Love to all, Dick and Sue
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Happy Father's Day! Robbie ran off with Darr...
June 17, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
Happy Father's Day! Robbie ran off with Darren this morning to play golf. I hope they have a chance to unwind a bit, but that's not vary likely when you're trying to get that darn ball into that little hole in the ground!
The last few days have been very exciting. Thursday night Sadie watched Isa while we went to the retirement party of one of Robbie's co-workers. Friday night was Dad's surprise retirement party. We ducked out early (as new parents tend to do), and I had to smile at the woman who sighed at us and said "I'm glad my kids are grown!" Yesterday we helped Adam, Jamie and Sam move into their new house. Isa had a blast visiting with everyone. So much so that she went to bed at 5:30pm! Today we're just kicking back while the dad's play.
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My dad's surprise retirement party was last night
June 16, 2001 by Adam in Family
 My dad's surprise retirement party was last night. It was at John Larson's house, just a couple blocks up from our new house. Great fun - lots of people and food (especially food).
Today is the big moving day. I'm going to become less connected, so I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update. DSL should be back on by next weekend. In just a few hours, we'll have a huge truck in our driveway and many big, strong people putting our belongings in it. Woo hoo!
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We went back to sign papers
June 16, 2001 by Adam in Family
 We went back to sign papers. The bottom line is that we move tomorrow and close on the 28th. There's a very small chance that the sellers back out, but that's highly unlikely at this point. Looking good so far - we expect you all at our house bright and early tomorrow morning.
Victoria, our realtor, was very nice. She helped watch Sam during the signing and even assisted in unpacking our refrigerator.
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Well, after a vaguely Melrose Place style mee...
June 15, 2001 by Adam in Family
Well, after a vaguely Melrose Place style meeting, it appears that we're definitely moving tomorrow. We won't own the house, and will close on the 28th. To guarantee that the owner will really close, he's promised $750 in moving expenses should he choose not to go through with the deal.
I'm a little nervous, but I think it will all work out.
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The excitement continues
June 15, 2001 by Adam in Family
The excitement continues. We're meeting today at noon with a variety of people to go over a proposal to get us moved in before we sell the house. I'm nervous, and would greatly prefer to move when it's clear that we're the owner. Still, it sounds like the judgements should be cleared up soon. The seller wants to put the amount of money owed in escrow in hopes of cutting a better deal with the lawyer involved. Kind of lame, in my opinion, as it causes undue stress for us.
It would be a big hassle if we didn't move, so we may move anyway. I'll just need to feel confident that it's fairly well assured that we'll actually be the owners within a week or so. I'm very thankful that mom will be at this meeting. Always nice to have a lawyer in the family.
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Well, bad news on the home front
June 15, 2001 by Adam in Family
Well, bad news on the home front. We haven't closed on the new house and it's looking like we may not do it by this weekend. That doesn't mean we won't move, necessarily. There's a potential of taking preposession of the house and having the moving plans go ahead.
Still, I'm nervous about taking this approach, as there are assorted hassles and risks. We'll keep everyone posted. There's a meeting tomorrow at noon to try to figure all of this out.
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Every once in awhile, I realize I'm different...
June 13, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Every once in awhile, I realize I'm different than most people.
I switched servers on Everquest so that my friend Tedd could powerlevel Jim and I's characters. Well, my druid hit level 14, but his skills were still pretty low. I could just perform the task over and over until they went up, but I decided that was too boring.
Being the Lego fanatic that I am, I built a little button pusher. Last night, I took my character into a room, set up my hot key, and had it cast a spell over and over. Worked like a charm!
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Just a quick update on the Saturday move
June 12, 2001 by Adam in Family
Just a quick update on the Saturday move. We get the U-Haul at 9:00 am, so the plan is to be back at our house packing by 9:20 or so. Everyone who's coming to help can show up around that time to help pitch in. Many thanks to all!
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Jamie and Sam arrived last night
June 12, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Jamie and Sam arrived last night. I left for home a bit early as they'd locked themselves out. Jamie also gave me my Father's Day present a bit early - matching Hawaiian shirts for Sam and I. Little did she know that every Thursday at work is informally Hawaiian Shirt Day. Now I'll be well prepared.
Having Sam home has definitely broken the silence that surrounded this house. We played with Legos and watched Star Wars for several hours last night. Lots of fun.
Jamie's pulling some last minute fixes to make sure we can officially close this Friday. Since the previous owners have various judgements against them, we've asked them to put $30,000 in an account and work it out with the escrow company. Should be close, but we're going to move on Saturday come Hell or high water.
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Well, I spent the weekend with Jamie and Sam ...
June 11, 2001 by Adam in Adam
Well, I spent the weekend with Jamie and Sam off in Portland. The first day I packed like a maniac, being amazed and the number of boxes I labeled "Knick Knacks." The second day was spent playing Everquest and having a friend power level my character up to 14 in a few hours.
It's strange that it was the last weekend in our house. Lots of things happened there for the first time. We're still eager to move and have our family settle in.
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Sadie's birthday was yesterday, so we all des...
June 10, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Sadie's birthday was yesterday, so we all descended on my mom's house for a birthday brunch. I had been up since 4:30 packing, so I was starving. Also, I had forgotten my present (but fortunately hadn't packed it away), so Sadie came by afterwards. It was nice visiting with her, which I rarely have a chance to these days.
I'm almost done with all the assorted packing. Amazingly, I think I'm going to run out of boxes. Many of the remaining items are things that we'll need for the next few days. I'll probably take off parts of next Friday for the last minute packing things.
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Happy Birthday to Sadie!! Great fun was had ...
June 10, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
 Happy Birthday to Sadie!! Great fun was had by all at Mom and Dick's this morning. There was a yummy birthday brunch for Sadie, with plenty of tame gifts and less then perfect waffels! Sadie and I made one of her famouse sorbet bombes for tomarrows dessert aution. You can all come by and bid if you'd like--after church (11ish).
This afternoon we lazed around, and Isa went for a nap at 4:30pm that turned into bedtime! Hopefully that means we can snuggel up and actually watch and entire movie.
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Jenny gave us a bit of a scare yesterday
June 08, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Jenny gave us a bit of a scare yesterday. She started having stomach pain, so she was rushed off to the hospital. Everyone thought it was appendicitis, and were getting ready to operate. Fortunately, the pain went away while she spent the night at the hospital and she's feeling much better now. The baby looks fine on the ultrasound and all the assorted blood work looks okay. Jenny may have a CT scan to be sure, but that's about it. So, we're all thinking good thoughts about her. It appears that everything's going to be okay.
A busy weekend is ahead for us. Jamie and Sam head off tonight. Sadie's having a birthday brunch tomorrow. I've got endless packing and preparation. Great fun!
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Jamie was giving me a report on the things Sa...
June 08, 2001 by Adam in Sam
Jamie was giving me a report on the things Sam's been able to do these days. Jamie couldn't find Sam for a little while her back was turned. He had picked up a huge basket and somehow taken it upstairs. Sam is also able to open the refrigerator, take out a juice box, put the straw in the hole up top, and drink away. "He's turning into a person," she said.
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We all went to University park last night for...
June 08, 2001 by Adam in Family
 We all went to University park last night for a picinic with Sam's preschool folks. Sam was just exhausted when 7:30 rolled around and we barely made it to bed where he collapsed.
Today Jamie and Sam go to Portland, leaving a household of things to pack. Fortunately, Jamie's been doing a little bit every day, so I don't think it will be too bad.
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I've been having creative distress lately
June 07, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
 I've been having creative distress lately. The need to do anything hands one or crafty...but no time or oppertunity! Today I re-potted a plant and made a small blanket for Isa's bed(out of an old curtin). But I can only do things that take ten minutes or a babysitter! Our yard has been finished-down to the last tubber-on paper that is! O- the joys of having a four month old! (Those of you with older kiddos please don't comment. I like to pretent that it will get easier!)
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We figured out why Sam was being so difficult...
June 06, 2001 by Adam in Family
We figured out why Sam was being so difficult the last few days. He was eating dinner when he stopped and spit out his food. His teeth were hurting, and sure enough, he had some new molars coming in.
Sam also had a bad dream last night. Sam was fighting a creature with a long tongue. According to him, it was the snake from Mulan. I suppose media really does affect children. Sigh.
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It finallllllly happend!! Lohring is a retire...
June 05, 2001 by Yayoe in Yayoe
It finallllllly happend!! Lohring is a retired, "old guy" effective June 1st but he still has work to do at his old office. He's thrilled at the opportunity to be a man of leisure and adventure. Today he is working with his partner Bill making more boats. They have a back log of 15 orders!
The big retirement party is on Friday, June 15th at 7 p.m. The details have been discussed already. I'm thrilled to have Lohring at home despite my threats to lock the door until 5 p.m. at which time he is allowed to enter the house.
My new goal for his retirement is to get him to remove his shoes in the house and attend Jazzersize 5 times a week.good luck huh.
In anticipation of our "new life" together, we tried to plan a short anniversary trip north. (Can you believe we've been married 14 years and we're still speaking!) To celebrate have to wait over a month in order to find a mutually agreeable time that works for both of us!....Lohring now keeps his calendar in his pocket so he can keep track of all the fun stuff he has to do. If you want to play with him he will have to fit you in!
Life is good, exciting, fun and busy. Contrary to the old images of retired folks...we arent's sitting around watching TV (except for the stock market report) and eating pork rinds. Later...
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Well, Sam finally turned into a two-year-old
June 05, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Well, Sam finally turned into a two-year-old. The last few days he's been over the top. His favorite game appears to be pretending that his Lego people are Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker, fighting with light sabers. He's also seemed especially cranky and tired. About the only thing that calms him down are stories about his imaginary friends Tommy and Tess. Ah, the joys of parenthood.
The big move is chugging along. All our belongings are slowly being boxed up. I'm working on getting utilities moved over. The DSL situation was especially exciting, as it involved a temporary phone line being set up at the new place. It will be 485-7214 for our first few days at the new house.
Thanks to everyone who volunteered their time helping us move on Saturday. As Jamie pointed out, family is who's obligated to help you when you move.
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Robbie played hookie today and we took Isa to...
June 05, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
Robbie played hookie today and we took Isa to the coast for the first time. We went up to Heceta Head lighthouse and to Lovejoy's for tea. A fun time was had by all. If any one from EEI is reading this, Robbie really is lying on the floor quite ill!
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Almost a month later, and I've only gone up f...
June 04, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Almost a month later, and I've only gone up five levels. Well, I haven't been playing too seriously, just every few nights and weekend mornings. Still fun. Level 14 was a nice one, with the first big spells becoming available. My friend Jim has been very generous, with my druid equipped with some very nice equipment. I probably shouldn't have some of them until level 40 or so, but I'm enjoying the gifts of others.
This winter they're coming out with an expansion to the game that should beef up the graphics. The graphics are merely okay, as they were done a couple years ago. Still, a fun game.
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It's raining outside and Robbie's making choc...
June 03, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
It's raining outside and Robbie's making chocolate chip cookies. It feels a lot like spring, not summer! This baking project is a big step for Robbie. The last time he made cookies he confused the Teaspoon and the Tablespoon...well lets say it wasn't Tollhouse! This afternoon our youth group is taking in cans we've collected for care packages for the church mission project. Next weekend we're holding a dessert action to raise money for camp scholarships. Thanks mom for your contribution, everyone was thrilled!
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Well, we locked our interest rate today - 6
June 02, 2001 by Adam in Family
Well, we locked our interest rate today - 6.875%. Not incredibly low, but it started creeping up again. At least it's under the magic 7%, which was what I was hoping for.
We're also getting a moving day scheduled. It looks like next weekend, I'm packing everything in boxes while Sam and Jamie frolic in Portland. Saturday the 16th is the great moving day. A hearty thanks to everyone who wants to join us. Jim's going to bring his refrigerator and piano dolly, and everything in the house should be packed, so I think it should go pretty quick. Woo hoo!
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Sam told Jamie that he wanted his own house
June 01, 2001 by Adam in Sam
Sam told Jamie that he wanted his own house. When Jamie asked what he would do in it, he replied "Play and vacuum."
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