Thursday already

November 30, 2006 by Adam in Family

Thursday already. How the week has flown by.

I think my nasty illness is on the wane. With luck, Emma and Jamie will blissfully miss this one as it's been a rather unpleasant last couple days. Plus it was in the middle of my big go-live, so I forced myself to go into work, popping Advil like candy.

One of Jamie's Christmas presents arrived the other day - the Roomba from iRobot. Unfortunately Amazon shipped it in the original box, so the surprise was ruined. Jamie's a bit skeptical about a robot vaccuum cleaner, but the kids already adore it and I haven't even turned it on. Sam kept asking if it would do his homework and Emma thought it would make a fine robot friend. I kept joking about a "Destroy All Humans" button and made various robot impersonations. That alone was worth the cost.

My mom came over to watch the kids last night, leaving Jamie and I to watch a bit of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip. We didn't quite manage to watch the whole 40 minutes as dinner and visitors kept interrupting. Still, it was sort of fun to go through a box of Jamie's things from high school that Dave and Kirsten brought over.

Eventually we wound down and Emma tried on some new PJs, looking very Christmasy.



What a day

November 29, 2006 by Adam in Adam

What a day.

I was deathly ill last night, with a headache that simply wouldn't stop. I went to bed at eight, woke up at two to get more Advil, and slept until six. Then I dragged myself to work late, riding my bike on icy roads to work.

We went live with a major system yesterday, so the entire day was filled with fixes and change requests. I ate lunch in front of my desk and didn't make it to the gym.

I think the insanity is slowing down, with only a handful of big issues left to go. I was incredibly productive, whipping out web pages and interface changes left and right. Now I'm tired and just want to go home to my family.



At least I don't have to remind my husband to...

November 28, 2006 by Jamie in Jamie

At least I don't have to remind my husband to change his underwear, ah for small blessings.
I have had very little time to think about gifts this year...thus my appreciation for the "name draw" system. I love to get people just the right thing. So, for those unlucky souls who were not drawn by me, I can only say "Warmest Wishes of the Season" and better luck next year!
I am looking forward to:
* Gourmet tree trimming extravaganza at Pat and Karlann's house
* Sending Sam and Emma out to pick just the right Christmas tree at Gramma Sue's farm
* My family's annual trek to Gramma Judy's house for the Christmas Party and (the first annual) Holiday Wee-atricals
* Ringing in the Nuevo Ano south of the border at Brant and Wendy's Baja wedding



I woke up this morning, thinking it would be ...

November 28, 2006 by Adam in Family

I woke up this morning, thinking it would be chilly but not too bad. I went to greet the kids as they woke up and realized that there was snow on the ground. I think it's mostly above freezing, but I may wait a bit until trying to go to work this morning. It wouldn't do for me to slip and break my neck the day of the big go-live.

The week is moving along. Sam's on the mend after being a bit sick for the last couple days. I fed him his first meal in 24 hours, asking him what he wanted. It turns out that "breakfast for dinner" was his choice, and we had waffles, sausages, and eggs. Not my choice to settle nausea, but he eagerly ate it all.

Update: I made it to work, safe and sound. Now to face the fury of this morning's go-live.



I've been enjoying to occasional snow flurry ...

November 28, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez

I've been enjoying to occasional snow flurry outside my work window today. There really isn't enough to cause much of a stir, but I know people will be driving stupidly on the freeway tonight!
We had such a good time with everyone in Eugene this weekend! It was really nice to sit and talk to everyone, and catch up with all of the kids too. I head out Thursday morning - and I encourage all of you to drop Robbie a line and make sure he and Isa are remembering to eat and change their underwear. Also, that they haven't been sucked into the Nintendo system!



There was a bit of excitement this morning

November 26, 2006 by Adam in Family

There was a bit of excitement this morning. Fire engines raced up the hill and the kids and I followed them up. The studio behind John Larson's house had evidently caught fire, though I don't know much more than that. There were three or four engines and a couple smaller vehicles. No ambulances, though, which is hopefully a good sign.

Sam is back from a night at John's house. He got sick this morning, probably from all the excitement, sleeping on a hard floor, and eating weird food. He's back again and we're trying really hard to take it easy today. Jamie's promised to try out the Wii, which I've got to get on video tape. Should be amusing.



We're all about the Wii these days

November 26, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Games

We're all about the Wii these days. I got it for Sam's birthday, with Seraph's help waiting in line until Midnight when they first appeared. It came with Wii Sports, which is surprisingly good, and I got Zelda: Twilight Princess as well.

Wii Sports is great fun, really showing off the capabilities of the new controller. I regularly break a sweat playing boxing, which really gets the heart pumping. It'll be interesting to see if there are other games coming out which are similarly exercise inducing.

The new Zelda game is Sam's favorite. The difficulty level is perfect for him and it makes for great reading practice. There is no voice acting, so he has to read everything. Fortunately he's able to, unlike the last Zelda game when he was a little too young. Without really planning, the new Wii is both educational and good for his health. Weird.

I also made a hysterical movie showing the kids playing Wii boxing. It's quite amusing.



Sam and I went for a long hike yesterday, lea...

November 26, 2006 by Adam in Sam

Sam and I went for a long hike yesterday, leaving the girls at home while we menfolk went into the deep, dark forest. One of our favorite spots is the "crazy paths" at Hendrick's park. When he was little, we'd love to go exploring off the beaten trail. These days I usually have Emma, which makes such adventures too difficult.

Yesterday, though, we went trudged through the rain to cross Fern Forest and reach Goat Farm. We had to come up with epic place names along the way. Eventually we turned back, much to Sam's sadness.

He turns eight tomorrow. Sam's grown into a great kid, someone I can easily be proud of. He's honest and smart and funny. If we're stuck together for another decade, he's a good person to be around.



Sam's birthday is officially tomorrow, but he...

November 26, 2006 by Adam in Family

Sam's birthday is officially tomorrow, but he's already opened all his presents and he's currently off at his second birthday party. He and his friend John are combining parties since they're a week apart, so he's sleeping over until tomorrow.

This morning we went over to my mom's house to celebrate with my side of the family. There was tons of goodies and the cousins had fun playing with each other. I chatted with my respective siblings and parents, having a wonderful time. Far too many cinnamon rolls were eaten.

The kids and I played for the rest of the day. Somehow I spent nearly an hour tying Sam up and he'd see if he could free himself. I suspect it will come back to haunt him in therapy. Later Emma and I made up knot-related magic tricks and worked on birthday cards for John and Natalie.

The house is quiet at the moment, which was blissfully wonderful. I snuck upstairs to play with the Wii, boxing away and working up a serious sweat. It's strange thinking that a video game can be such a workout.



Sam got some brain teasers for his birthday a...

November 25, 2006 by Adam in Emma

Sam got some brain teasers for his birthday and Jamie was quizzing him.

Jamie: What's the verb in this sentence? "Our babysitter often beats us."

Emma (interrupting): "Grandma Sue!"

Emma also wrote her name out completely tonight, something I'd never seen her do before. The A was a little tilted, but it was quite readable with a bit of squinting.



Sam got his present that Seraph stood in line...

November 24, 2006 by Adam in Family

Sam got his present that Seraph stood in line for hours to get. It's a Wii, which is a new video game system. He and Emma had a great time playing with it yesterday. Before bed he kept talking about it, reading the manual for his new Zelda game, and will likely want to play it when he gets up.

It was also Thanksgiving yesterday, chalk full of family all around. It was especially nice to hang out with my sisters and parents over two hours of food and beverage filled conversation. The big news was that Seraph bought a new house, a fairly big one that folks can come and visit her at. My dad continues to pursue his electric boat hobby, having driven down to LA last week to watch people set battery packs on fire. Good times.



Sam's reading has gotten incredibly good lately

November 23, 2006 by Adam in Sam

Sam's reading has gotten incredibly good lately. Evidently at school he's reading Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. His eyes popped out when he saw how many pages it was. I guess only he and another kid have gotten to it. Now to get his math skills up to the super genius level and we can watch his massive noggin pulsate as he moves things around with the power of his brain.



Happy Thanksgiving to all! I just finished a...

November 23, 2006 by Adam in Adam

Happy Thanksgiving to all! I just finished a caffeine-fueled spending frenzy at amazon.com. I think I'm getting what Jamie wants, though I took a few liberties here and there. Emma also should be getting a somewhat unusual treat. Regardless, it was fun for me to convert those hours of hard work on my latest project into presents for my family.

Work's been almost pleasant lately as I try frantically to wrap things up for my big Level One project. Monday is go-live day for me. There's always little issues here and there that I'm sure will come up, but it's almost fun playing firefighter and fixing things as they explode.



It's a Mocha Wednesday today, in honor of the...

November 22, 2006 by Adam in Family

It's a Mocha Wednesday today, in honor of the approaching Thanksgiving festivities. Tomorrow will be a nutty day, but it'll likely be a fun nutty day, filled with family and conversation.

The Oregon drizzle continues, though it wasn't quite the deluge of yesterday. Riding to work in this stuff is almost fun, and the weather goes well with a cup of tea by the fire. I guess you have to learn to love it if you live here.

The week is moving along nicely. I didn't get kicked out of bed by Emma last night, so it looks like we're making progress again. Last night everyone was in a bit of a bad mood, though there were some bright moments. Sam and I had fun pushing Emma back and forth in my office chair, playing an impromptu ping-pong game where the goal was to avoid the walls. Emma would help by pushing off with her feet. Good times.



I swam to work today, which is kinda fun

November 21, 2006 by Adam in Family

I swam to work today, which is kinda fun. The rain was pouring down so hard that Jamie got out of bed to check the drain on the back stairwell. It has this bad habit of getting plugged with leaves and flooding our basement.

I'm horribly excited for this Thanksgiving holiday. Four days away from work seem blissful, the calm before the storm of a rather significant go-live here at work. Plus I want to just hang out with the family and play (especially with Sam's birthday presents).

I was remarking to Jamie last night that I hadn't slept in the guest bed for awhile. Sure enough, I awoke around midnight as Emma literally kicked me out of bed. Her tiny feet can sure pack a wallop.



Seraph has officially won the Cool Sister of ...

November 19, 2006 by Adam in Family

Seraph has officially won the Cool Sister of the Year award. She's currently waiting in line to buy Sam's birthday present. She's in third place and is waiting until midnight to make the purchase. Robbie brought dinner and she's fortified herself with crossword puzzles and the camaraderie of nerds. When I told Sam how cool Seraph was (without revealing what it was), he got an excited grin and kept trying to guess. I told him to be quiet and appreciate the moment.

That was a nice end to a pretty good day. Jamie spent some time with friends while I took the kids to the library and Humble Bagel as usual. It was nice to get back into the routine and I'm sure Emma appreciated the massive cookie she wheedled out of me. Towards the afternoon Jamie and Sam went on a really long walk while Emma and I took it easy.

Nothing much else is going on. We're having a new person over for dinner tomorrow, a friend of Emma's and her mom. Thanksgiving is slowly coming together, and I'm trying to get my bread-making responsibilities organized. Good times.



I've pretty much only been playing NWN2, and ...

November 17, 2006 by Adam in Adam's Games

I've pretty much only been playing NWN2, and barely the official campaign at that. Mostly it's all about working on Dark Waters, from dusk until dawn. I think it's officially at hobby status at this point.

Sam's interest in The Movies has waned and he's started getting into making NWN2 levels just like his dad. Unfortunately the toolset is extremely complicated, so he's asking for help a lot. On the plus side, he's doing really well for a seven year-old. Many adults are having a hard time with the toolset.

I like to think it's an educational sort of thing, developing math, reading, and artistic skills. Last night he was implementing a dialog for a character he put on the map. It went something like this:

NPC: "Hi."
PC: "Where are we?"
NPC: "Where are we?"
PC: "Bye."

Such sweet words, spoken by a budding master.



Mocha Friday

November 17, 2006 by Adam in Family

Mocha Friday. Work is a bit slow at the moment, when it really shouldn't be. I have a ton of things to do, but I'm waiting for folks to make decisions before I go live with my big project in a bit over a week. I should just enjoy the moment while I can.

I got a taste of Jamie's life when I took care of Emma briefly at four this morning. She's been feeling sick and had an upset stomach. I carried her downstairs, gave her a cracker and some water, and sat by the fire for a little until it was time to go back to bed.

Unfortunately Emma's illness is coming out in some rather impish and evil ways. Yesterday Emma unraveled the scarf that Jamie's been knitting for the last couple weeks. She was extremely unhappy about that particular turn of events. She's also been more whiny than usual, which isn't much fun.

Sam, of course, is doing great. He hasn't been sick hardly at all this Winter. School is going well and he busies himself with various projects. It looks like he's going to do a combined birthday/sleepover with his friend John. They're a week apart in birthdays and he's excited to celebrate with his friend. He'll probably have family birthdays as well. I'm thinking I can take the kids over to my mom's house on Thanksgiving and do a mini party then. Maybe I should talk to her about it first, though.

I'm hoping we have a quiet weekend ahead of us. Things have been a bit busier than usual and I'd like to just take it easy. Jamie's got that pie to make, after all, and I'd like to sip tea and watch the rain come down.



My co-leader Carly called me today about some...

November 16, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

My co-leader Carly called me today about something she wanted my input on. Apparently, she decided to take all of our anti-oppression workshops to heart and give a discount mattress company a piece of her mind. Oh, how I do love an ally who's not afraid to take on a giant. Mattress Giant, that is.


Her letter to Goliath:
In shopping for a new mattress, I came across Mattress Giant's His and Her Side Mattresses. While I do not identify as a homosexual, I feel alienated by any company that assumes the only couples that share beds consist of one male and one female. I refuse to give my money to any company with such blatantly anti-queer products.

There is much more inclusive nomenclature that can be used to describe this product. May I suggest "Dual Firmness Mattresses" or "Choice Comfort Level Mattresses". By using inclusive terms when describing your products, you create an environment where everyone feels welcome.

I hope you choose to rename your product; in the meantime I will maintain my boycott of Mattress Giant. Thank you for your consideration in this matter.


Today, we fight for mattresses free of homophobia; tomorrow... THE WORLD!



The week continues to chug along

November 15, 2006 by Adam in Family

The week continues to chug along. I stayed home a little late and snuck upstairs to give Emma a hug before I went to work. It was very nice.

Nothing terribly exciting has been going on, which is nice for a change. Sam's entire school went to the McDonald theater to watch Cars as they raised a lot of money in their fundraiser. Emma brought home a little crown with a pink feather. Jamie's taken up knitting again and offered to make a "blapple berry pie" this weekend (blueberry and apple).

Everyone's started to get excited for the upcoming Thanksgiving festivities. With Seraph's help, I think I have the means to give Sam the Best Birthday Ever™. Shucks, I'm nearly as excited as he'll be.



We had a wonderful time in Eugene over the we...

November 15, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez

We had a wonderful time in Eugene over the weekend. Thanks to everyone for making it so special!
I sadly caught a touch of Robbie and Isa's cold, so I headed home early on Monday and slept most of it off.
Our lives feel chaotic and unorganized these days between trip planning, house hunting, colds, and all the usual day-to-day activities. I'm really hoping that by year end we will be a bit more settled.



It's been interesting being the bedtime paren...

November 12, 2006 by Adam in Emma

It's been interesting being the bedtime parent these last couple nights. Usually Jamie handles getting the kids to sleep as well as any midde-of-the-night stuff that might happen. Now that we're at Jim and Judy's house without Emma, I get to play that role.

Sam's a cinch, happily reading until I remind him it's time to sleep. Emma, on the other hand, requires someone to be next to her until she conks out. The last two nights she's explained how she wants mom in a sing-song voice, that she's beautiful and nice and has great hair. Still, she's gone to bed pretty easily.

Sleeping through the night is another story. Friday night she was handed to me by Judy, after Emma woke her and Sam both up. In the morning I showed her how she could walk down a short hall to where I was sleeping, which she did just fine last night. Then it's a matter of defending myself against three year-old kicks throughout the night. A pillow sufficed just fine.



Early this morning we got ready and headed ou...

November 12, 2006 by Adam in Family

Early this morning we got ready and headed out the door to OMSI. Even at 9:30 there was a line to get in, so we patiently waited twenty minutes or so before getting our tickets and heading in. The Star Wars Exhibit was sold out until noon, which ended up being perfect timing. We ran around with hordes of other kids. Sam was great with Emma, cheerfully exploring the Science Playground by her side.

We stopped by the cafe, where Sam had the best hot dog ever. We wandered upstairs and went into the Star Wars exhibit. After all that build-up, it was a bit of a let-down. The costumes and models were the best part, in my opinion. Emma was overwhelmed by the noise and we ended up going through pretty quick. They were both terribly excited to be greeted by a stormtrooper on the way out. We got a picture of him with the kids, much to their excitement.

In the end, we'd spent over three hours at OMSI, a new record. Emma slept on the way back and we've been taking it easy all afternoon. We're currently watching Monster House, which Emma is a little nervous about watching. Still, it's somewhat amusing and they just introduced the girl character. We'll see how it goes.



Well, we made it to Portland safe and sound

November 10, 2006 by Adam in Family

Well, we made it to Portland safe and sound. The morning started at 4:30 in the morning for me. Time to get up, I guess. I puttered around on my computer and was later greeted by Emma, who demanded I return to bed to have a family snuggle.

Once that was out of the way, we leisurely got ready to go. I picked up some goodies at Metropol, some books at the library, and packed the car. Then a secretly ecstatic Jamie wished us well as we left her to three days of blissful solitude. The drive up was dreary and wet, but the kids weren't too bad.

When we arrived, Judy had left a dress-up box for Emma and a Lego set for Sam. Sam ignored the Legos and went straight for the exercise ball. Emma, of course, couldn't resist the call of pink dresses and magical wands. Now to just wait a couple more hours for the grandparents to arrive.



First, happy birthday, Seraph! I hope you eat...

November 10, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

First, happy birthday, Seraph! I hope you eat raspberries and clotted cream and drink perfectly-heated tea!

Last Tuesday, Deval Patrick, my governor-elect, said something that really rang true to me about the conference that I'm organizing, which begins in six hours! He said:

Now I ask you to look around. Look around, especially those of you who have never been a part of a campaign. Every kind of person is here. You come from every corner of the Commonwealth. You come from great wealth and no wealth. You walk and you use wheelchairs. Democrats and Independents and Republicans are here. You are liberal and moderate and conservative.

You see in common how broken our civic life and how fractured our communities are. You see in common that the poor are in terrible shape and the middle class are one month away from being poor. And you know that government by gimmick and sound bite isn’t working. You know that we deserve better and we are better than that. And for a chance at a better and more hopeful future, you built bridges some of you never thought could be built across all kinds of differences -- and then you crossed them.

This guy is representing me! Me! And he cares about people! What a crazy, crazy concept. It's been a really good week.



It's a Mocha Thursday for me as I'm out of wo...

November 09, 2006 by Adam in Family

It's a Mocha Thursday for me as I'm out of work tomorrow, taking the kids to Portland. It looks like we're going to miss Seraph, Robbie, and Isa, passing them on the freeway as we switch places. A big happy birthday to Seraph as I don't think we'll connect.

Last night was Jamie and my date night, though sadly she was feeling sick. I ended up taking the kids out to dinner at the Glenwood, bringing my mom along. The kids were relatively good, though both got a little crazy with the foil-wrapped pats of butter. Sam was licking them and Emma used her bread as a delivery mechanism to get the butter into her mouth.

It's been a wet and dreary week. As I rode home, I noted that I was riding my bike downstream as well as downhill. I was pleasantly surprised by the elections, and hope the country is moving back on track again. The stock market sure seems to be rallying.

I'm looking forward to the weekend, taking the kids up to Portland. I think Emma is big enough so that I can get her to bed without Jamie. Sam's a seasoned traveler at this point. OMSI should make for a fun Saturday morning, especially as the Star Wars exhibit is running.



We've all been quiet as the elections have co...

November 09, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez

We've all been quiet as the elections have come and gone. This is probably because of the strict warnings about language from Adam during the 2004 elections. Anyway, a little yeah! from this camp. It's nice to be on the winning side sometimes, and to know that not all of the liberals of the world have sunk into their armchairs of complacency.
We can't wait to see you all this weekend!



We had a little incident with Emma last night...

November 08, 2006 by Adam in Emma

We had a little incident with Emma last night, one that is telling of her character. She was playing in the play room with Sam last night, swinging around a purse full of coins. Sure enough, she accidentally wacked Sam in the nose, who immediately announced "My nose is going to bleed." I took the purse away with a firm "Emma!" and led Sam over the linoleum so he could drip blood in an easy-to-clean area.

Emma, meanwhile, had run to a corner to hide, crying uncontrollably. Eventually Jamie coaxed her out and Emma immediately said she was sorry to Sam. We had to lift up Sam's bloody shirt so she could give him a hug.

On another note, I couldn't find my pager this morning. A sleepy Emma wandered downstairs and I scooped her up for a good-morning hug. Eventually Jamie came down and I told her I couldn't find my pager. "Oh," Emma said, "it's behind the basket." Sure enough, she was fiddling with it earlier and had moved it there. Yet again, she apologized without prompting.

It made up for the countless "I hate you's" and general complaining when putting her to bed last night.



I swam to work today

November 07, 2006 by Adam in Adam

I swam to work today. A few of the streets I bike down were completely covered in water, to the point where I couldn't see the curbs. I hopped up on the sidewalk and creatively crossed streets. Fortunately it was warm and I have good rain gear. Somewhere along the way I actually had fun.

Work has been going from rather pleasant, to completely insane, and then back again. I suppose it keeps me on my toes. It looks like we're hiring a new person soon, which hopefully will help spread the workload around.



I picked up the Borne Identity from the libra...

November 06, 2006 by Adam in Sam

I picked up the Borne Identity from the library, a great spy thriller that came out a few years back. It was fun sitting on the couch next to him, realizing that we share the special bond of mysteries and car chases.

I warned him of an upcoming scene that potentially involved kissing. He said it wasn't that big a deal. I suppose it's part of the whole spy experience, along with the car chases and such.



Emma's had a rough time of it lately

November 06, 2006 by Adam in Emma

Emma's had a rough time of it lately. She gets really tired at night and starts crying about bad dreams and asking repeatedly if tomorrow is a school day (she's rarely excited about school).

A couple nights ago, she started her crying routine and I started talking about dreamcatchers, made by native Americans to catch the bad dreams. Soon she was adamant that we had to go to find the native Americans and get one for herself. Jamie suggested a drawing, which I did my best to render and then tape to her wall.

Last night we made a real one out of a plastic lid and yarn. Despite the less than authentic material, it looked pretty good and Emma seemed quite happy about it. Ah, the things I do as a father.



Hello all! It looks like we'll be able to ma...

November 06, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez

Hello all! It looks like we'll be able to make it down for the weekend. We should be getting in Friday evening and staying through Sunday afternoon. I hope we get to see you all!



Generic Heading

November 06, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Here are our quilt squares so far:



Janet and I have taken up quilting to while a...

November 05, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Janet and I have taken up quilting to while away the cold Williamstown winter. I'll continue to update you on it's progress, but so far, we have embroidered patches that include:
A whale
A herd of elephants
Sheep jumping over the moon
A pomegranate (see photo)
A set of molars
A giraffe and porcupine
Trees in a boat
A landscape of arctic penguins
A pumpkin
And I'm working on a pocket right now.



It's Sunday morning, with rain drizzling down

November 05, 2006 by Adam in Family

It's Sunday morning, with rain drizzling down. It feels like Oregon weather once again. Our basement even flooded on Friday when the back stairwell plugged up. Poor Jamie was stuck dealing with that, along with a little girl who decided to draw on everything with a pen (fortunately washable).

A big congratulations to Seraph, who sounds like she's moving up in the world of international fashion. I'm looking forward to the day when she has her own line of clothes.

Yesterday was pretty quiet in the Miller-Mellor household. Sam and Emma played together really well, pretending to be at school. Eventually we took a "field trip" to the library and Humble Bagel, which was fun for everyone. The afternoon was mostly spent hanging out at the house, with a brief time playing outside with Emma. She happily got far too muddy and sandy.

As for today, I think Jamie's taking Sam to Flushed Away. Emma and I might do some shopping at Valley River or just putter around outside. I'm getting a little stir crazy being inside all the time, so getting out for only a bit sounds nice.



Well, I'm not "having a baby" like Sadie, but...

November 05, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez

Well, I'm not "having a baby" like Sadie, but I do have some news. I was offered a really great job with Fred Meyer's last Thursday. Starting November 20th I'll be the Product Merchandiser of childrens clothing. Because of this I'll be heading of the China and Hong Kong on November 29th for 9 days. It's a bit overwelling yet exciting!
We are also looking at houses to buy. Right now we're struggeling between two different places. Look forward to more news in the near future!



Mocha Friday

November 03, 2006 by Adam in Family

Mocha Friday. I don't have a lot of time to post today. I'm jumping into interviews in a few minutes. Emma's sick and it looks like Jamie will be soon too. Sam and I are doing okay so far.

I'm hoping to do our normal swimming, library, Humble Bagel ritual starting tonight. Last weekend we were out and next weekend it looks like we'll be in Portland. Gotta do my little routines when I can.

Jamie was very sweet the other day, picking up a new shirt for me after I complained about my wardrobe during our date night. I'm wearing it right now, in fact. It's quite warm and comfortable.



In the spirit of happy things, I wanted you a...

November 03, 2006 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

In the spirit of happy things, I wanted you all to know that I am about to have a baby!

I know, I wasn't showing very much, but I'm due in seven days! Twelve midwives (community advisors), seventeen doulas (student facilitators), and seventy six student supporters will be there! I'm naming her the Berkshire Institute for Student Activism, or Bisa (bEEsa), for short. I'd like to thank all the special people who have helped me eat for two since July, when the magic began.

And it will be a magical, magical beginning to a lifelong collaboration between Williams, MCLA, Simon's Rock, Berkshire Community College, Southern Vermont College, and this crazy place we call Home. As they say, it takes a village. Or in this case, an entire county.

Please don't ask me about Bisa's deadbeat dad, Bennington College. This is a time for rejoicing, not wallowing in other people's short-sightedness. Bennington will come around, once he sees Bisa's shiny little red face of hope.

Don't worry, I'll send you all graphic photos of the whole process in a week or two!

In the meantime, here is a picture of what remained of my Halloween costume after a long night of haunting Sheep Hill. two black eyes and some whistful memories of weeping children. An imprisoned witch, after hours.



Congratulations to Josh and Jody! Happy bela...

November 01, 2006 by Seraph in Cortez

Congratulations to Josh and Jody! Happy belated birthday to Betsy, and a Happy day-after-Halloween to all!
We hosted a block party last night. It was a great way for the kids to run off some of the sugar high, and for the adults to warm themselves by the fire (we had two outdoor blazes going). As it was the coldest night of the year so far many trick-or-treaters also stopped along the way to warm up!
Life is busy here. We've been looking at a house in the St. John's area, so our futures may actually include a real guest room for visitors :) Adam, let us know when you're going to be up here. We'd love to see you and the kids!



Halloween has come and gone

November 01, 2006 by Adam in Family

Halloween has come and gone. The kids were pretty excited all day long. At dinner, they talked about what everyone dressed like at school. Afterwards, they donned their costumes and we walked to the neighbors' houses, returning with good loot. Until bedtime, they'd rush up every time someone came to the door, excited to see what people were dressed like. Sam in particular was leaping about and passing out candy. It was pretty busy, and we ended up running out of our stash of sugary treats.

I'm off to breakfast with mom this morning, braving the cold and frost to make my way to the Glenwood on campus. I'll probably fortify myself with far too many cups of coffee once I get there.

Work goes well these days, with things going fairly smoothly for my big project. There's always endless little details to work on, but testing should start today and hopefully there won't be too many change requests.



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