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I'm in mid-term cleaning mode and I've spent ...
December 31, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez
I'm in mid-term cleaning mode and I've spent the last 13 hours cleaning our house, and I'm not yet done!
I head back to Eugene tomorrow morning so Robbie and Hanni can have their night at the opera. Isa and I are planning on spending the evening watching movies, playing Barbies, and eating Taco Bell! We will probably pass out at 11:00p.m., only watching the New Years festivities for half of the world. I suppose I'm getting older when all of that sounds rather fun.
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It's Mocha Wednesday for me
December 29, 2004 by Adam in Family
 It's Mocha Wednesday for me. Well, actually the entire week has been filled with Mochas due to a Starbuck's gift certificate, but today is my last day at work this week.
Emma had a hard time sleeping last night. I woke up around one o'clock to hear her say "Mom. Milky. Tissue." It's funny how she just spouts off words when she's half-asleep. They were up when I left this morning. I peeked in through the window at Jamie and Emma in front of the t.v., still waking up.
I have lots of plans for my four day weekend. I'd love to go to the library, take a hike, see Sadie, and of course hang out with my family.
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Emma's really fun to talk to these days
December 27, 2004 by Adam in Emma
Emma's really fun to talk to these days. She's making sentences left and right, producing such classics as "cheese triangle". She also said her first "love you" yesterday, which was fun to hear.
I was also lucky to get a phone call from her, though conversations are a little tricky. It had a lot of "um" and "okay"'s. One of her new Christmas toys was a pretend cell phone that she's enjoyed quite a bit.
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Well, Christmas has come and gone
December 26, 2004 by Adam in Family
 Well, Christmas has come and gone. It was a little more exciting than normal, with everyone sick and Jamie visiting the ER in the morning. I think Emma's not feeling well now as she had a hard time going to sleep last night.
The trip back from Portland went smoothly and we unpacked all our goodies in short order. Within thirty minutes of arriving, two of our neighbors had given us Christmas cookies. I think we picked a good neighborhood.
Christmas at my mom's was the usual gathering of kids running about and adults trying to chat above the din. Jamie and Emma stayed home to rest while Sam and I jumped right in. The food was good and Sam ate a vast quantity of ham, something of a rarity in our household. Everyone loved the presents. I was particularly fond of my naked mole rat, which Sam insisted on sleeping with last night. We left a little early due to my upset stomach. I'm hoping some tea will settle it this morning.
I think today we're going to hang about the house and try to unwind. There's endless movies to watch and presents to play with. I need a short vacation to recover from my Christmas vacation. Tomorrow it's back to work for a few days at least.
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I finally finished up my vampire game
December 26, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I finally finished up my vampire game. The ending was okay - not as satisfying as I would have liked, actually. The last few levels were very combat heavy which was not the game's strong point in my opinion. Still, it's one of the better RPGs of the year and I loved some of the characters and earlier missions. The haunted house and Janette are worth the price of admission.
While I might pick up another game for myself, I'll probably stick to my Dragon Age project for a time. I've been neglecting it and I've endless dialog to write and plans to make.
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Jamie got a special Christmas treat this morning
December 25, 2004 by Adam in Jamie
Jamie got a special Christmas treat this morning. Her ears had been bothering her for a few days now, but they finally reached the point where she couldn't Advil them away. She ended up going into one of the local Portland hospitals, hanging out in the ER this Christmas morning. Fortunately the wait wasn't too bad and she got in to see someone pretty quickly. A hour or two later she returned home with antibiotics and stuff for her lungs. Merry Christmas sweetie.
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It's Christmas Eve and we just finished up th...
December 25, 2004 by Adam in Family
 It's Christmas Eve and we just finished up the holiday festivities at Jamie's parents' house. The kids got lots of books, clothes, and assorted toys. I ended up with coffee and a gift certificate to a computer store. It seems they know me well.
Sam had a good time with his cousin Jackson, who's about Emma's age. He alternatively followed and was chased by Sam, which they both seemed to enjoy quite a bit.
I've had a touch of an upset stomach the last couple days, a fitting end to the colds that I've been having. Hopefully this is the absolute last illness of the season. At least it's helping me avoid stuffing myself with all the cookies and other goodies that are laying around everywhere.
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Sadie and I brought Isa and Dez back to Eugen...
December 23, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek
Sadie and I brought Isa and Dez back to Eugene, Dez strumming on Sadie's old banjo and singing "Fee, Fie, Fiddly-i-o" all the way to Eugene; they both need a pretty consistent director, but were as good as gold. We sang all the songs from Sadie's radio show. After a maddening number of phone calls, since Doc Scott is out for the week,I found someone at Scott's office who didn't have to do an MRI before giving me anti-biotics. I took my first batch, and am already feeling as though I might live.
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We made it to Portland safe and sound
December 23, 2004 by Adam in Family
 We made it to Portland safe and sound. We opened presents in the morning, a mini-Christmas of just my family. Sam got tons of Legos and the new Spiderman movie. Emma got some Pooh toys and a magnetic building thingie. Jamie ended up with a pencil sharpener, a new Trivial Pursuit, and three cashmere sweaters. I got a piece of paper with the promise that Jamie would redo my office, especially the computer desk that's wobbly and improving the storage overall.
Sam watched his new movie on the way up and put together his Star Wars Lego set when we arrived. We played non-stop with the thing while Emma hung out with Judy. Today is another quiet day. We'll try to get out of the house a little more and perhaps Sam and I can watch the extended version of Return of the King. It's over four hours long so it may be something we finish later.
Tomorrow is the big family gathering, then it's back to town. Busy, busy.
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Well, it's Mocha Tuesday for me today
December 21, 2004 by Adam in Family
Well, it's Mocha Tuesday for me today. I was woken up at five in the morning and handed an extremely awake toddler. Emma was still up three hours later when I finally managed to leave the house and stagger in to work. Now I'm waiting for the hours to tick by so that I can join my family for a little holiday rest.
Sam and I had a good time last night reinacting various battles from Lord of the Rings. I think we're going to have to get nerf swords or something as we keep managing to whack each other by accident. Fortunately no one's put an eye out yet, though not for lack of trying.
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Work today was fairly blah, sniffling my way ...
December 21, 2004 by Adam in Adam
Work today was fairly blah, sniffling my way through the day as I filled up my garbage can with tissue. Fortunately the tissue paper and tea are free, as I needed a lot of it today. One more day of work and then five blissful days of vacation.
Sam and I were rough-housing last night and I managed to get Sam's elbow stuck in my eye. It knocked out my contact and felt pretty lousy, but fortunately nothing popped.
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Darn, I hate the dark season
December 20, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek
Darn, I hate the dark season. Thanks to the kids communicating directly or indirectly that I was acting pretty drifty, I've cut out my anti-depressants except for a mild one at bedtime. (The doc I saw for sleep problems told me to try Trazadone at night, and I think I got overmedicated.) I can't ever figure out whether, without mother's little helper, I'm seeing life though the gloomy glasses of depression, or whether real life is as bad as it appears. Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to spending time with Dez as we head to Portland bright and early tomorrow. I thought we'd stop in Salem for cocoa. I had so much fun last term taking Dez to his art class and then to swimming lessons.
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I abandon these blankets of snow and -2 degre...
December 20, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
I abandon these blankets of snow and -2 degree weather at 3:00 am tomorrow morning, thanks to a generous co-worker. I still have today to take care of work things, but email will stalk me wherever I go. It's still nice to like my job.
Oh, hey, I have a front page article in the Williams College newspaper about what I do! The quotes make me sound like a chipper charity provider instead of a driven agent of social change, but you can't win 'em all.
I can't wait to see my Eugenean loves. All of my high school friends are decending on mum's house for brunch on the 26th, before heading to a bar for our five-year high school reunion. Akward situational comedy, here I come!
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Emma had a dream last night, according to Jamie
December 20, 2004 by Adam in Emma
 Emma had a dream last night, according to Jamie. When she woke up, she said "Mom, dream." She then proceeded to tell what the dream was about - "Earring. Josh. Dave." At least that's the theory.
Emma's vocabular continues to amaze. Sam was running around saying "awesome", presumably picked up at school. After thinking about it for awhile, she piped in with her own "awesome". She also says "Yes" very distinctly, quite a bit different than the "ya" of previous months.
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The weekend is coming to a close
December 20, 2004 by Adam in Family
 The weekend is coming to a close. Jamie had a good time hob nobbing with the elite of Eugene last night, telling all about the three fountains, swimming pool, huge kitchen, and big screen televisions. I only hope she's happy living in our home now that she's seen what she's missing.
It was another day playing with kids and managing my cold. I ran out to do some Christmas shopping early in the morning, only to find the store completely empty. I've been wanting to get Jamie something special and it was nice to actually think up a gift that I'm happy about.
Jamie spent some time with Angie, going for a long walk and enjoying the brief blue sky. Angie also charmed Emma and brought excellently wrapped presents for all. Emma wanted to just keep on opening presents after this first Christmas present she opened herself.
It looks like we have a couple more days of work before I have my little vacation. I'm very much looking forward to it.
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The cold has hit in full force
December 19, 2004 by Adam in Family
 The cold has hit in full force. I've been sniffling and snorfeling all day, along with the kids who seem equally goopy. Mostly I played with kids doing art projects, running around in the basement, or watching shows. Emma slept forever around noon and Sam and I watched part of the second Lord of the Rings movie.
Jamie's been getting ready for a Christmas party with her friend Sharon. She went over to Victoria's house this morning to try on clothes and ended up buying some knee-high boots with high heels to finish the outfit. It's pretty rare that she gets all gussied up, so it was fairly amusing to see her put it all together. I made her pose in front of the Christmas tree before she headed out.
Fortunately Dave and Kirsten are helping me watch the kids tonight. Fresh bodies are great for both the kids and I.
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Hello all! I'm posting from work where we ar...
December 18, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez
Hello all! I'm posting from work where we are finishing up a physical inventory of the store. We are also celbrating the graduation of one of our co-workers. Wierd to think that some day this part of life will pass!
We head down to Eugene tomorrow to pick up Isa and see the Nutcracker. I'm hoping it's one of those high point experiances!
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So
December 18, 2004 by Jamie in Wielesek
So. what would it cost me me to file as "emotionally and financially bankrupt for '04"? My immortal soul may not be out of the question ;-)
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I just posted a box of cookies to Anna
December 17, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek
I just posted a box of cookies to Anna. I fear they won't reach her before she leaves for home, and, given the noise they made sliding around in the box, she will return to find a box of stale crumbs waiting for her. I'm trying to finish up last minute things at the office. People need to be divorced by December 31 to be able to file their income taxes as individuals, rather than as married, filing separately. Much love to all, wherever you may be, and warmth and lights.
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I spent a fair amount of time at 5:30 this mo...
December 17, 2004 by Adam in Family
I spent a fair amount of time at 5:30 this morning trying to track down where a mysterious beep was coming from. It turns out that the fire alarm in the basement that's hooked into the main power also has a backup battery. It was thoughtfully letting me know that it was out of power. I think there's some law of physics stating that fire alarm batteries only die in the middle of the night.
It's mocha Friday, that blissful brew sitting next to my on my desk. My cold is still sniffling away, more annoying than painful. Christmas is sneaking right up on me and I still have a few things to take care of.
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I've got another cold, sadly enough
December 16, 2004 by Adam in Adam
I've got another cold, sadly enough. Winter seems to be the season for all the viruses that get passed around. Fortunately this one seems quite mild in comparison, though Jamie's been apparently hit hardest by it.
It's icy cold outside, making me want to bundle up and eat lots of gooey Christmas food. I successfully avoided the cinnamon rolls in the break room this morning. When I went home for lunch, Emma fed me a huge salad. It was fun but very messy.
I'm looking forward to taking some time off for Christmas. It looks like we're visiting Jamie's parents some of next week which hopefully means a little relaxation as the grandparents play with the kids. Maybe I can coax a dinner out on the town with Jamie, which would indeed be a treat.
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A note of clarification: Anna finally wieghed...
December 15, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
A note of clarification: Anna finally wieghed herself, and only lost ten pounds, though on a petit little thing like her, it's hard not to notice. But she greatfully got the flowers from mom; she claims that they are the first flowers that she has ever recieved (what kind of girlfriend am I, right?).
I finally saw The Incredibles with my friend Tenaya and laughed my bum off.
Work is great, juggling a bunch of different projects and happy as a clam. This afternoon I had a rousing discussion over lunch with the international grad students at the Center for Development Economics about when governments can institute the Islamic law of cutting off a thief's hand. Most participants in the discussion said yes to hand cutting once soci-economic equality was reached in the country. God bless the future economic leaders of the world.
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I stayed home from work today so that Jamie c...
December 15, 2004 by Adam in Emma
 I stayed home from work today so that Jamie could teach at Sam's preschool. Emma and I got to hang out together just by ourselves, which is pretty rare these days. We decided to go for a walk to the park, where Emma stared at another little girl and went on the swing.
She also ate a ton of spaghetti noodles while I wrapped Christmas presents. Unfortunately she's now getting pretty cranky because she was up for four hours last night. Hopefully Jamie will be home soon to put her to sleep.
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I'm home from work today
December 15, 2004 by Adam in Family
 I'm home from work today. Jamie wanted me to watch Emma while she went to school and taught a lesson on dreidels at Sam's kindergarden. Ironically, I've also come down with a bit of a cold, though it seems pretty mild in comparison to what I had before.
Emma was up for four hours last night. Jamie had the first couple hours and I had the next. Emma was wide awake so we played with toys and read books while I struggled not to fall asleep.
I also picked up a new pair of glasses, my first in a decade. They're pretty tiny and make me look far too intellectual. I suppose they'll do if something goes wrong with my contacts.
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I continue to play my little vampire game
December 15, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I continue to play my little vampire game. I hit another annoying bug, preventing me from taking a minor side quest. Still, it's one of the better roleplaying games I've played in a long while so I'm excusing a fair bit of problems.
I just made it to Chinatown, which I can't wait to explore. Supposedly there are some mysterious vampire-like beings from the far east that have taken up residence. I suspect there will be some ass kicking and bubblegum blowing required . . . and I'm all out of bubblegum.
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Well, it's nice to have Robbie and Isabell ho...
December 15, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez
Well, it's nice to have Robbie and Isabell home, although I don't feel like I've gotten to see them much. Actually, I did get to hang out with Isa a little this morning, as we decided to keep her home due to a nasty cough.
Robbie is doing amazing things with all his kids at school. I doubt the parents will ever let him leave after this weeks activities that include homemade snowglobes and had print felt ornaments!
I have my fourth of five finals tonight. So far so good as I've passed the almost to the end mark. Only one last6 project to put together by 8am tomorrow! All will be good so long as the coffe keeps flowing!
We're starting to put together our holiday plans, wich may include having Destin to stay for a few days. I must say I'm rather looking forward to the idea of a house full of kids!
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Hi, I do exist
December 13, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek
Hi, I do exist. This last weekend was fun, going out to the farm on Saturday to get a tree and greens. My tenants, a friend of Sadie, and her boyfriend, seem very happy there;
life in the country is hard, cold and wet in the winter, and they have coped well.
On Saturday, I went to the aging Democrat party (where I fit right in), with a real date; well, sort of a real date - my friend Carol's ex-boyfriend, who asked me, via postcard. "Carol and I busted up and I need a date." He was, in spite of the non-romantic request, a great party date - filled my drink, and let me flirt with all the guys. It was fun!
On Sunday, Jenny, Darren and the boys came over to make wreaths and help set up the tree. They overlapped with Isa being here, and the kids had a great time playing together.
I talked to Sadie, who was visiting Anna. She says Anna has
lost about 20 pounds. I'm sending flowers today from the family, and an e-mail urging her to eat and sleep.
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Robbie and Isabell came to spent the weekend ...
December 13, 2004 by Hanni in Hanni
Robbie and Isabell came to spent the weekend in Eugene. Seraph had to stay home to work on her finals project.I had cooked a wonderful beef stew in the crockpot and made some garlic bread, which lasted us all through the weekend, as I had counted on Seraph coming to help us eat it. Saturday morning we spent shopping for Robbies' school project. Then headed out to the tree farm where we met Sue and Adam for our usual tree cutting. The rain had actually stopped for us, so we had a wonderful time searching for our perfect tree. Isabell at first was intimidated by all the mushrooms around the trees,thinking they were evil spirits, Adam and Robbie encouraged that thought in her, mean guys! But she soon got over it and had fun squashing them with her feet. On our way home we stopped by our favorite little restaurant and had hot chocholate and the best hamburger I had in a long time. Now we had enough energie again to unload our trees when we got home and even had time to set up my tree. Isabell was in heaven helping to decorate. She also set up a little tree in "her" room on her table, Which she decided to take home with her. It was a very fullfilling weekend, thanks to little Isabell.
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Emma's been really enjoying Christmas
December 13, 2004 by Adam in Emma
 Emma's been really enjoying Christmas. She oohs and aahs at the lights and tries hard to fiddle with the tree ornaments. We had one accident where she managed to pull down and step on a glass ball, fortunately avoiding any injury to herself. Everything breakable was promptly moved up another foot.
Jamie also related an interesting story about Emma from a week or so ago. I had Sam at my mom's house and Jamie was home with Emma. Suddenly she got a call from 911, asking if there was a problem. She replied that there wasn't, then called me to make sure everything was okay. After eliminating other possibilities, it sounds like Emma must have called 911 while playing with the phone. Yet another thing we should probably move up a couple more feet off the floor.
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Sunday is winding down
December 13, 2004 by Adam in Family
 Sunday is winding down. It was a bit too exciting in some ways - Sam got another bad nose bleed and everyone was feeling sick. We're getting more serious about Sam, setting up a humidifier and applying petroleum jelly. Hopefully his dry nose will improve soon.
Jamie's dad arrived early and we quickly put up the decorations. He also brought down a few early Christmas presents, mostly decorations for the season. Dave, Kirsten, and Josh also came over and hung out for most of the day. If we weren't feeling generally cruddy it would have been one of the better days of late. Still, I suppose we make due with what we've got.
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Saturday has come and gone
December 12, 2004 by Adam in Family
 Saturday has come and gone. Sam got a particularly messy nosebleed, which took some cleaning up. We had planned to all go out to get a Christmas tree with my mom, Robbie, Hanni, and Isabell, but it ended up just being me. After carefully selecting a couple trees that would fit on top of the car, I cut them down and strapped them on. It was fun to just go out to the farm for awhile. It's quite beautiful in a soggy forest sort of way.
The afternoon was mostly spent watching kids in the basement. I worked on putting together my mom's new laptop - installing patches and such. Jamie went to pick up Thai food, which everyone really enjoyed. Everyone finally got to bed and seems to be sleeping fairly well. It's nearly eight o'clock this morning and they're still not up.
Jamie's dad is coming over this morning to help trim the tree. Hopefully we can take it easy for the rest of the day. Everyone still seems to be a bit sick, so some rest could do us good.
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Well, I just crawled in from a long day worki...
December 12, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez
Well, I just crawled in from a long day working at school. I don't think I've seen Sat. Night Live since I was in highschool!
This was a crazy day for me. I headed out to school at 8:30 this morning. Unfortunatly, a block away from school, I realized that I had forgotten a crucial part of my project. By the time I took the train home and back again, I finally got started at 10:30a.m. At 10:30 p.m. I crawled out of the school, not yet finished (though close!) with the same project! I lurked around downtown searching for a place to get a burger and a beer. Unfortunatly a Sat night in the city usually requires a cover and stringint ID check. I did finally find something that did not require either of the above, and was able to get some dinner before catching the last train home. (NOTE: to all my family who will panic that I was a lone female out late at night, I just want to point out that weekends in a large city are actually SAFER then all those times I'd walk home at night from downtown Eugene to Whitiker.)
I'd better turn in now. I need to head out again early in the morning!
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Sam was playing in the basement with his frie...
December 11, 2004 by Adam in Sam
 Sam was playing in the basement with his friend John while I was upstairs with Jamie and Emma. I heard some noises and went downstairs with Emma only to find Sam surrounded by blood spatters and a bloody face. So there I was, holding Emma and pressing a paper towel against Sam's nose. Jamie came down and immediately went to clean the carpet in the basement while I waited for the bleeding to stop. Eventually the carpet got relatively clean and we mopped up the puddles of blood.
It looks like he just got a bloody nose, probably from his cold but perhaps from playing with John. Sam's now sitting quietly and watching a movie, seeming much better now.
After all that butcher's work I can only laugh at the things they don't tell you you'll do as a parent.
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Emma can essentially talk
December 11, 2004 by Adam in Emma
Emma can essentially talk. She sometimes puts two words or more together, but even then can still get her point across. I've lost track of all the words she knows, which is a pretty impressive list. She can even say "elephant", which is her word for a Dr. Seuss computer game that has an elephant in it.
She's got a few more teeth to come in and then we're done with this whole business. She's been trying out her new molars on nuts and granola and they seem to work well enough.
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I started getting pretty sick towards the end...
December 11, 2004 by Adam in Family
 I started getting pretty sick towards the end of work yesterday, feverish and upset stomach. I rode home and entertained kids while Jamie picked up John for the sleepover. Fortunately I never seemed to get too bad and was able to help at least a little with watching the kids.
The two boys had a great time, spending virtually all the time hanging out in the basement and playing. Later on they watched Mulan and ate Sam's dessert of choice, doughnuts.
We have a tentative plan to get a Christmas tree with my mom, Seraph, Robbie, and Hanni this afternoon. It will likely prove an adventure.
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In my vampire game I picked up what's known a...
December 11, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games
 In my vampire game I picked up what's known as a "ghoul" - basically a normal human who drank my blood and then follows me around to do my bidding. So far she's given me some valuable items and money. The big surprise came when I returned to my lair only to discover that she's brought home some stranger for me to snack on. So thoughtful.
I ran into my first bug as well, an elevator that stopped working. I went ahead and used the noclip command to fly up to where the elevator was stuck and bring it down. I also decided to install the unofficial patch that someone made for the game. Supposedly it fixes some of the most serious bugs until the game can be officially patched.
Still, I'm having a lot of fun with the game. I've been sent on all sorts of interesting missions. I just got back from a museum, for example, and I wanted to stop and look at each of the exhibits which had animals posed in interesting ways.
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Mocha Friday once again rolls around
December 10, 2004 by Adam in Family
Mocha Friday once again rolls around. I've been a little out of sorts lately. I was really tired last night, slept in pretty late, and was a little snappy this morning. Hopefully I'm not getting what Sam had. He threw up a couple days ago, but has since made a full recovery and even went to school yesterday.
We all went over to see Dave's place, the first time for me since Brant moved out. It looks quite different without the dogs shedding hair everywhere. The kids had a great time playing with Dave and Kirsten, as well as Josh's old toys. The fireplace was cranking out so much heat that I almost fell asleep.
Jamie's tasked me with the job of organizing a Christmas tree cutting expedition, something I've so far been failing miserably at. Hopefully I can get in touch with my mom today and go out tomorrow to bring us back a tree. We also have John coming over for a sleepover with Sam and Jamie's Dad coming over to decorate the theoretical tree on Sunday morning. I can feel the holiday madness already creeping up on me.
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It's good to hear that Destin is already a co...
December 09, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
It's good to hear that Destin is already a community leader at 8!
I'm working on a collaborative project between a local charter school and the public school's English language learner offices to create a 'Welcome to the Berkshires' video for new residents. The charter school kids will spend a day at Williams, taking tours and watching mini-classes, student performances, and athletic practices. It's part of the non-credit winter study course I'm developing that- eek- is starting in three weeks, two of which I will spend in Eugene.
The preparation for reflection sessions and community work is exhilarating, because the students will (finally!) have time to understand their membership in a broader community. I'm hopeful that the program will be a pilot for a bigger and better program next year, that the reflection we do will become integrated into the rest of our work, and that the program will foster student leaders that are sensitized to community organizing and social justice.
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hello to all, i found i had a moment to post
December 08, 2004 by Jenny in Jenny
 hello to all, i found i had a moment to post. Well over the weekend destin was in the springfield christmas parade and got to hand out candy along with all the other boyscouts. He had a great time and saw lots of people he knew, he was kind of mad at me for not going. Angela and i were on a five hour bus tour with 50 other people, for wine tasting at different vinyards, we did have a good day thought and learned lots about wine, and got to taste alot of different kinds of wine. Well jordan has finnally started to use the potty a little bit, but he enjoys most putting toliet paper in the toliet, flussing it down and saying goodbye. Well the big news for this weekend is that jordan has his big christmas concert at his school, should be cute. For all that want to attend it is this friday 12-10-04 at 6:30 to 8:00 with snacks to follow. Well hope everyone is doing well looking forward to seeing everyone at christmas. Seraph and robbie if you are here all weekend and want to get together to play i have the kids all weekend give a call.
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http://www
December 08, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2652831
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Well, the windows were installed yesterday
December 08, 2004 by Adam in Family
Well, the windows were installed yesterday. It turns out that every single one had a manufacturing problem, so we'll be waiting for replacement windows. Still, Jamie reported that it was exceptionally quiet last night as the windows seem to block out much more noise. I suppose that's one measure of success.
Poor Sam was quite sick yesterday. He spent a lot of time watching television and sitting quietly. I did get him into a long hot bath, chatting about pirates and how I got each of the scars on my body. Hoepfully he's feeling better today after a good night's sleep.
It's hard to believe it's Wednesday already. I think we're going to go cut a Christmas tree this weekend and perhaps organize the last of the presents.
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Hello all! I'm taking a few minute break bet...
December 08, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez
 Hello all! I'm taking a few minute break between classes to post.
I'm plugging away at my final projects, but I'm making very little headway, even though I've completed four already!
Robbie and Isa have been wonderful - clearing out for hours on end so that I can study. They went downtown and did a lot of "Christmas in the city" things over the weekend, and we caught the Zoo Lights at the zoo. All quite fun!
We're hoping to make a trip to Eugene this weekend to get a tree and our decorations, although my attendance will depend on the amount of work that needs to get done.
At this point we (me!) miss our family and our old house and fireplace. Tis' the season!
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It sounds like both Jamie and Sam are sick today
December 07, 2004 by Adam in Family
It sounds like both Jamie and Sam are sick today. Sam is proud of himself for being able to accurately diagnose his "feeling bad" as having a headache. It's nice when you can get that level of detail from a kid. With Emma, she just cries and we go through our list of things that might be wrong.
I ended up getting to work late this morning as Jamie handed me Emma, who was up far earlier than she should be. We're also getting new windows put in today. I'm somewhat nostalgic for the old upstairs windows, so Jamie's promised we can use them to make cabinets or some such thing.
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I'm still having fun playing my little vampir...
December 07, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I'm still having fun playing my little vampire game. There's something special about being a creature of the night, summoning my supernatural strength, fighting demons, not to mention seducing women and feeding on their blood. Good times.
Mostly I've been impressed by the roleplaying opportunities. I like being able to lead my character down good or evil paths, ally myself with different people, and choose the tone I take in my dealings with the other undead in the city. I just got to LA tonight. So far the buildings are taller and the women tastier. Mmm.
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My winter study project is going beautifully!...
December 06, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
My winter study project is going beautifully! The world is conspiring in my favor! And it's snowing.
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Jamie had a funny thing happen to her today
December 05, 2004 by Adam in Family
 Jamie had a funny thing happen to her today. She and Angie were going for a walk, talking about all the bad people in the world. Ironically, she looked down and found a wallet stuffed with cash. Soon enough they found a driver's license, discovered the address was a block away, and returned the wallet. When Jamie was explaining the story, she said that it was a good thing she was a good person. "Besides, " she added smirkingly, "Angie was with me."
We've had a pretty good day so far. I took Sam and Emma to the park where Sam drove his remote control car around. Emma had fun swinging, then discovered a puddle to get extra muddy in. Soon enough she was too cold and we returned home to throw her in the bath.
I think we'll be letting the rest of the day wind down with kid entertaining and some sweet and sour meatballs that Jamie plans on cooking up. Tomorrow, alas, it's back to work.
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It was a good, uneventful day, filled with od...
December 05, 2004 by Adam in Family
It was a good, uneventful day, filled with odd little moments. Emma dumped a huge amount of water on me when she was taking a bath. Sam didn't get enough exercise today, so we danced around the basement before bedtime. We did a family run to the store, returning with far too many Christmas presents. All-in-all, it was a good day with lots of laughter.
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Well, I played a little more this morning and...
December 04, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Well, I played a little more this morning and so far I've been quite impressed. There's a certain atmosphere for these sort of games that they nailed perfectly. Troika, the company who made it, also does a great job with dialog and presenting a variety of options to solve problems. Plus they've added a lot of nice extras, such as being able to dance in a local club. It has nothing to do with the main plot, but there's something cool about dancing with a bunch of vampire wannabees.
I should mention that I had a horrible time installing the game. Every time I put the second CD in to install the game, it would crash XP. I finally gave up and installed it on my second computer, then copied all the files over. Worked like a charm but I have no idea how normal people handle these sort of wacky computer problems.
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I got Vampire: Bloodlines yesterday
December 04, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I got Vampire: Bloodlines yesterday. The premise is that you're a vampire, thrown into the vampire intrigues and politics of seedy Santa Monica. So far it's pretty fun, though I admit to being a sucker for stat screens and experience points. The one thing I've heard is that the game has some major bugs, though I haven't seen any yet.
Some of the graphics are pretty amazing and they did a great job with the general ambiance. When I first arrived in LA, I just hung out in my apartment looking out the window, listening to the radio, and watching television. Some of the radio dialog was pretty hysterical, reminding me of the Grand Theft Auto car radio moments.
At the moment, the family's still asleep, I have a cup of Chai tea sitting next to me, and hopefully a good hour or two to satiate my bloodlust.
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Jamie got Sam a little toy kitten as a belate...
December 03, 2004 by Adam in Sam
Jamie got Sam a little toy kitten as a belated birthday present. It "wakes up" when you pet it, opens its eyes and purrs. Sam has taken quite the liking to it, announcing to Jamie last night, "I don't want to play any violent games with my kitty. I only want to play loving games with it." It's nice to see that Sam has a softer side - usually it's all action and excitement for him.
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Hanni got back from Iowa safe and sound on Mo...
December 03, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez
Hanni got back from Iowa safe and sound on Monday night, and stayed through today. Isa has been sick and she stayed over so Isa could have a few days off school to recoup.
I'm baring down for finals right now. I spent a few hours after work doing a project that has the potential of being very cool, so long as I haven't bitten of more then I can chew!
Robbie had a nice birthday. He had cupcakes with his kids at school, and then his supervisor and the office manager surprised him with some cake. This was a year of movies for gifts, and we are currently watching Hidalgo.
Isa wants me to say to all of you: "I love you, na na na na!"
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Happy birthday to the love of my life (Robbie...
December 02, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez
Happy birthday to the love of my life (Robbie)!
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I can't believe October is over, and who know...
December 01, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek
I can't believe October is over, and who knows what happened to November. I had such a good time of Thanksgiving
with everyone. The four older grandkids have pretty much worked out all the kinks in their relationships with each other, and have fun playing together. I give Emma about three months before she can hold her own in any group. I'm
making plans to visit Dad over the New Years weekend, and am also trying to make sure as many of the kids and grandkids as possible can visit with Dad over spring break.
It would be good for all us asthmatics to have a "sun snack"
as they call it in Europe. Many hugs!
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December already
December 01, 2004 by Adam in Family
December already. I watched Emma for a bit this morning as Jamie took a shower. As I put on my coat and bike gear, Emma frowned and said "Work" in a sad little voice. It's nice to be loved.
I had the kids for a little bit during the day yesterday as Jamie had a short break and took a walk. They were lots of fun. Sam had on his new sweatshirt, the hood pulled down over his head to make him look vaguely like a Jawa or the Grim Reaper. Emma was chatting it up with everyone, dancing to the music in the business school's coffee place.
Work seems quiet for a change. I'm working on "nice to do" things at work, enjoying the peace before everyone arrives at 8 o'clock.
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