Three random facts:

[Cuilanië]

I've been away from the forums due to the cold, mostly... -30ºC plus windchill is just too damn cold to be outside in the evening.

The apartment paint job is not progressing. Too much procrastination...

And I still have some shopping to do.

[gwensmom]

I was feeling guilty about not being able to give a little something to my cousins and aunts, but thanks to Vons they are all getting the aforementioned ginger snaps. And I only spent $10.00.Cooking is the way to go. I made a huge pot of soup and put it in spaghetti sauce jars I'd been saving all year and got 8 gifts out of it. The ingredients cost $11.50.

The roads here are now icy and it will not get above freezing until Sunday! I don't think we are supposed to have any more precipitation after tonight, so maybe we won't get killed driving to Gwensdad's parents house in the boonies.

I have gained weight since Gwen finished school. I'm just here all day and I eat because I am bored. and because the food is there.

[gwensmom]

Tomorrow I am making sweet potato casserole and pumpkin pie.

Also finish knitting one last mouse and then felt all three mice, dry them, stuff them and wrap them up for three different kitties.

Gwensdad just designed a table that will be perfect for our kitchen. Sometimes he has these flashes of brilliance that just floor me. He was pretty excited that I liked it.

[hammerquill]

I am sitting at the desk of my grandfather, in the den surrounded by his books. I noticed that when I'm here I refer to him in the present tense, even though he died when I was too young to know him, or he me. As in "I wonder if he has that book..."

Everyone says I'm very much like him in temperament, and certainly in intellectual interests.

He survived the Japanese POW camp in part by learning to smoke to keep from feeling too hungry, but he died at 66 from lung cancer.

So... Mpurr? I'm rooting for you. In fact, if the cravings are ever driving you nuts, get on here and pm me crabby notes, and I'll send you encouragement back. Though of course the Fight Club thread might be sufficient.

[hammerquill]

I spent most of the day doing nothing.

It was way cool.

I should try it more often.

[Zhenechka]

Now that my cousin is getting sent to Iraq my mother is finally seeing what a dipwad GW Bush is.

It always surprises me how many people lack imagination. If it can happen to them, it can happen to you. I'll be sending out-of-harm's-way vibes to your cousin.

1. We got 20 centimetres of snow last night. It is awesome.

2. I shovelled a path from our front door to the sidewalk, from the mailbox to the sidewalk (Now bring me something nice, Mr. Postman!), and the sidewalk out front. Snow is not so awesome when you're shovelling it.

3. I am going to go finish grocery shopping for the weekend in about ten minutes. No Frills should be empty since most of the old people are probably snowed in.

[nymphette]

Well, I took my son to the doctor's this morning. His lymph nodes are swollen. It's not an ear or throat infection, and his pediatrician seemed overly concerned, which is scaring the shit out of me. She prescribed him antibiotics, told me to keep him home from school and to call and the EYE/EAR/NOSE specialist tomorrow if the swelling doesnt go down. I'm supposed to take him back to her next tuesday.


I'm flippping out and thinking childhood lymphoma, or some other such evil diease as that.


I can't do a thing but sit around and obssess.
sending you and your son very good healing vibes lilac!!! it's so scary when the doctor seems concerned- they don't often show anything when they talk to us about our kids that it freaks us out when they do!!! keep us updated when you find anythng out.... (worry freak here...)

oh, i have nothing to say.......

okay???????????

[nymphette]

They were making quilted jackets out of sweatshirts on Simply Quilts this morning. I ought to try one for Gwen.

On Carol Duval this woman made a really cool dreidel-shaped gift box.
i knew there was a reason why i wanted to get TV!!!!! <sigh>

chris thinks we can afford it.... <_< uh huh... even an extra 30 bucks a month for the basicest basic is unaffordable lately!!!

the car and the van wouldn't start today... chris was two hours late for work because he hwad to wait for his brother to drive out fromt he city to pick him up and take him.... the door handle on the van snapped off because it's like -45 this morning.... :( the van eventually started, sort of... the linkage is frozen and the gas pedal is stuck halfway down and it is revving at over 3000 RPM's... so unless we wanna seize the engine, we can't use the van till eveyrthng thaws.... :( and the part is going to cost us almost 100 bucks... plus an hour of labor............ this after the $1000 of work on the van last month....... no wonder we aren't going to have a christmas this year.... :angry:

[nymphette]

although, i should not whine about it- because of harrison's RX's, we racke dup 30000 shopper's points since september, so i got a $75 shopping spree there last night... so i bought some stocking stuffers for the kids....

and my shopper's card is close to the 30000 too.... do we need diapers???? any more rx's to be fille di can put on MY card????

then i could do some christmas shopping....

[hammerquill]

I forgot what I was going to say...

It's raining here. Maybe a flurry or two of snow around Christmas Eve, but probably no more than that.

There are strange scroonching noises going on in the background: vegetables are being ground up for our traditional Christmastime soup.

[Zhenechka]

The snow turned to rain turned to freezing rain. It's supposed to turn into snow again this afternoon and then we're supposed to get winds gusting up to 70 km per hour. This'll be fun.

I'm meeting friends for dinner tonight. Do hiking boots go with dress pants?

I've done my grocery shopping and now I want a nap.

[gwensmom]

I am so upset I do not know what to do. One of Gwen's friends from school was is the obituaries this morning. Gwen has been going to school with this girl for years.

She got a virus and started having seizures and I think an aneurism burst in her brain. The funeral was going to be today but the roads are so bad they are postponing it until tomorrow.

I cannot begin to imagine how her poor mother must feel. I am going to give my sweet Gwen a lot of extra hugs and kisses today while I still can.

[nymphette]

I am so upset I do not know what to do. One of Gwen's friends from school was is the obituaries this morning. Gwen has been going to school with this girl for years.

She got a virus and started having seizures and I think an aneurism burst in her brain. The funeral was going to be today but the roads are so bad they are postponing it until tomorrow.

I cannot begin to imagine how her poor mother must feel. I am going to give my sweet Gwen a lot of extra hugs and kisses today while I still can.
:'( that is so sad sarah... it's scary that something like a virus can cause such a horrible thing- and we just never know who or when it'll happen to....

i gotta hug my boys now.... it really makes you think about things... and puts everything else into perspective... :(

i feel so terrible for her momma... i just can't imagine!!!!.... :(

[gwensmom]

and we just never know who or when it'll happen to....
No kidding :(

[Lilac]

Well, my uncle showed up last night around 9:00, a day ealier than expected. Of course, the house was a mess. And you know, I just don't give a flying F*ck anymore.


My son's lymph nodes are still swollen. I called the eye/ear/nose specialist this morning, but of course, they're off for the holidays. I told the answering service woman that his pediatrician told me to call and gave her his symptons. She told me she'd pass this information along to the doctors. So far, I havent had a return call from them, which I'm taking to be good news... because if they thought it was something serious, they would have gotten in touch with me, right?


Thanks everyone for all the good vibes for my son.:wub:

[Lilac]

Oh, my heart is going out to the woman (from Gwensmom's post) who lost her child.


Reading that brought tears to my eyes.


Yes, I'm going to give my son extra hugs, too. Although, since finding that lump, I've been pretty much smothering him with them anyhow.

[Zhenechka]

:yell:

:yell:

:yell:

I'm sorry, I don't have the wits about me to react eloquently to any of the bad news I've read today.

[Astabeth]

Yuck. Nothing like reading someone else's problems to put your own in perspective.


On the good side, I get to play Nness a little 'cause school doesn't start back until Jan 13!

I saw a couple of snowflakes. Too bad that's all.

[nymphette]

I saw a couple of snowflakes. Too bad that's all.
BLECH!!!!! i WISH that was all!!! come on up here and experience a sask winter.... you'll wish for a non-white winter every time!!!! :O

the car still wont' start- it's making a clicking noise.. batttery's dead i guess now.... :( but the van started easily and doesn't SEEM to be revving that high.... and it would SOUND like it was revving high, right???? wish me luck.... :(

[ebandit]

Did I see and Astabeth??>??? How strange and exotic. Missed ya! Enjoy the time off from school.

Gwensmom: I can really sympathize with the family of that child. And with your horror at the loss. Hugs and prayers to you and Gwen.

We were supposed to see some light snow but none yet. In the deep south snow is an ethereal thing. We only see it MAYBE once a year....and usually it doesn't stay for even a day. However, having spent a couple of winters (very snowy ones) in Ohio, I prefer to have things just as they are....a few flakes to ooh and ahhh over and then gone!

[Astabeth]

That's funny - I remember white winters in Ohio from when I was little and now I'm in Alabama...

Lorelei has gotten my bra out of the laundry and is standing in front of the TV wearing one cup on her head like a hat.

I need to go find the camera.

[nymphette]

i have made five dozen buns today and still have a couple more to go....

volunteered myself for bun duty for two separate functions.... <_<

s'alright... i'm home anyhow, nothing much else to do, right???

[lemur]

OOh I want to see the bra-hat picture. That would be so cute. Oh and Lorelei is such a beautiful name.

I also think I read somewhere that Astabeth can do naalbinding..? I think Naalbinding is so cool-it is one of the oldest textile processes known to man. I have tried to teach myself and after years am finally getting the hang of it-sort of.

[Astabeth]

She pulled it off before I could get the camera.

I do naalbinding - I like it because it's easy to carry around - I can do it while walking, even.

Worst experience with naalbinding - I made socks out of wool I spun on the drop spindle - spun, plied, made socks, and fulled them until they fit - got a perfect A&S score - then my grandmother washed one in the washing machine and I can't get it on my foot anymore :mad: .

[lemur]

I hate it when all the hard work we do creating ends up being for naught! Congratulations on the perfect score though

Not nearly as traumatic, my grandma washed a pair of pants I had that were made out of rayon once-they fell apart.

The worst thing about that is that then you feel bad for being angry because they were just trying to do something nice. (Well I do)

[thunderstorm_19]

i am sending mental hugs to lilac, gwensmom and anyone else who needs them.

we got what, 10 inches of snow last night. it sure looks purdy. but only when you're indoors.

at least it isn't minus 30 something like it was on sunday.

[thunderstorm_19]

i have made chicken stock this morning... will be used for soup.

i just had friends here, and laura had a lip balm that smelled of tea tree and patchouli. now i can't stop smelling patchouli. it's growing on me, kinda, but i'm not a fan of patchouli really.

i still have to put icing on the gingerbreads, and make 3 more christmas crackers.

[lemur]

Satan is outside. I must wrap Dad's muskrat hat while she is out there so she will no longer be tempted to drag it around.

I don't have to go outside for anything, so I am staying nice and warm in the house.

It's like -30 here today-but there's always windchill

[Helquin]

What a hoot: at first I couldn't quite place Astabeth's avatar, then I realized how many bleary-eyed mornings I stared at just that pattern on the bathroom floor. :lol:

Jeez, just how many bathrooms in the Western world have that floor? :huh:

Snowbound (or, more precisely, icebound) and wishing I had thought to have some sort of festive liquor on the premises. Hot buttered rum sounds like almost enough fun to merit turning on the stove.

My mother is on a mission: wreck the corporate-consumer Christmas juggernaut! :lol:

I told her she's a day late & a dollar short. :mellow: That parade already marched.

[ebandit]

Wow...I just learned something....I now know what naalbinding is thanks to http://www.stringpage.com/naal/naal.html

Wish I were with Helquin and some hot buttered rum...or may some Irish Cream!!!

It has turned cold here today...but will be colder for two days then start to warm considerably.

[Astabeth]

The avatar's my kitchen floor - the bathroom is 50's teal and pink :eek:

I didn't get to go for my walk today so I put on crappy music and danced around.

MMM - Irish Cream. Good recipe: whip two cups of whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Mix in 1/2 cup hershey's syrup and 1/4 cup Bailey's or Kahlua or other type liqueur. Freeze at least four hours, cut with a knife and serve. Yumm! (Not responsible for errors in my memory but I think that's how the recipe went). My new favorite food.

[goldenlocket]

I'm sick

I feel like some one is beating me up and i'm gonna die

I wish my boyfriend was here to pamper my sickness away. Then i could have something to cuddle and sleep on that would kiss my sickly face.

[tanagee]

I am one of those idiots who were out shopping today.

I was out in search of this (http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/stores/detail/-/toys/B000095S68/qid%3D1103853002/sr%3D11-1/ref%3Dsr%5F11%5F1/002-9564879-9326456) for Megan for Christmas. I saw it at a Best Buy out in Chino when I went to pick up the wine I bought, and Megan about lost her mind.

Since I couldn't find it anywhere local and it is out of stock online, we are getting it for her birthday in 3 months.

[tanagee]

It is beyond her age level, but I think it would be fun merely for the fact she can pretend she's on the computer while I am.

I bought myself 3 shirts while I was out. I almost bought a new pair of white flip-flops but they were a tad too tight.

I went to Bath & Body Works and as a concequence my hands smell hideous.

[velma]

I hope goldenlocket feels better soon

I have 2 more things to buy to feed the Christmas Monster

I hope everyone has a great holiday

[ebandit]

I didn't have Irish cream or rum...so I settled for hot chocolate with Kahlua in it.

It warmed the cockles of my heart! LOL

I also discovered some Amaretto in my cupboard that I had forgotten having.

[Zhenechka]

We're back from dinner with friends at the Frech restaurant.

My bavette was rare but it could have been bloodier.

Ptichka had a yummy disgestif called "Gratte-Cul," which translates to "Scratch Ass."

[hammerquill]

Oof. http://www.davidmbowman.com/aircastle/images/smiles/Sadhug.gif gwensmom.

With any luck, Lilac, your uncle will catch a worse case of whatever your son has.

This thing expired my session and therefore ate my post. AGAIN. :yell:

I'm getting offline now. It's late.

[luciente]

hi everyone

i don't have any facts.

i got a gift tonight. some cutie asian stamps.

[Helquin]

No further chemistry is possibly on the surfaces of Venus and Mars.

I learned that my body is a "portable sea" -- it lets a bunch of eukaryotes & mitachondria travel around the planet while they stay cozy in "comfortable hypoxia and soothing hypercapnia" that mimic the environment of the primeval ocean.

Looks like the tour bus will be icebound for another day.

Ho ho ho!

[hammerquill]

My presents are all wrapped, though I may need to put ribbons on a few of them.

I still have a bunch of meticulous work to do on the part of my grandmother's present that I'm helping on.

My uncle, as usual, is out doing his actual Christmas shopping.

[nymphette]

i remember when i was young (and rich) and had lots of spare time, that i would wrap gifts with fabric and satin ribbon/pinecones/silk flowers, etc using my glue gun....

and even a few years ago, making my own wrappingpaper with brown kraft paper and stamps/gel pens/glitter glue.....

i think (THINK) i popped one of those cheesy bows on most of them.... and hopefully a to/from tag....

:P

[Cuilanië]

Aww, Sarah. That's really scary. :(

I procrastinated this morning and was rewarded with a visit from the mailman - with my new credit card. Talk about reinforcement...

I could not sign up for EarthLink, though. Their website is still giving me a hard time and weird errors. :angry:

... Gotta go. Merry Christmas, see y'all sometime after the madness is over!! :lol:

[nymphette]

our car needs a new water pump... and a leak in something spraying coolant fixed... plus (PLUS) all the front end work stil.....

i refuse to think about it... it can rot in the driveway....

unless i go into labor while chris is at work... then i HOPE it'll make it into the city!!! :O ;)

[nymphette]

it's freaking cold in this computer room!!!!

chris has julian in the city for the afternoon and harrison is sleeping....

thought i'd sit and veg out at the computer, but.... when *I* am cold, you know it's DAMN cold!!! it's around 1 or 2 degrees in here.... and the heater isn't helping... there's something to be said for insulation i guess.... next on the home improvement list maybe........

[lemur]

It is also cold in this computer room. Crappy aluminium frame windows which don't seem to want to freeze over this year are the culprits over here. Maybe it is just that Saskatchewan winters always take a turn for the worse on Christmas break.
But I should be making fig pillows anyway. The oven will help.
I love our gas oven.

[luciente]

last night i was riding an electric scooter around the outer regions of hell, right? well, it was walmart, but you get my drift.

i knocked a short stack of shoeboxes off a shelf trying to keep from being hemmed in my the hellspawn. so, this tiny boy, who was maybe four or five said, i'll help you. and he did. he carefully picked up each one and set it on the shelf, facing the same direction.

i said, thank you very much. and he was very pleased and proud and he smiled. it was good.

[Cellissimo]

It's almost three pm over here, and I'm still in a sleepy, tired stupor. This means I haven't gotten anything done!

Here's my to do list: make soup, bake scones, finish up the marble magnets, make record bowls, finish up the minibooks, make a heat pack for mom, some lavender sachets, and coin purses.

I don't have to go to work for eleven days, which is wonderful. I'll have to spend some of that time getting ready for school, but that's ok. My boyfriend will be gone for six days, which makes me sad.

Bonus: Happy Holidays, everyone!

[Zhenechka]

I'm peeved about something that shouldn't be bothering me.

I should be finishing up those ATCs.

I wonder when Ptichka is going to get home.

[lemur]

I finished wrapping presents. It is the one Christmas thing that I absolutely love to do. I wrap everyone's. One year I even wrappped my own!

We are having a small Christmas tomorrrow and big Ukrainian Christmas when my brothers come home.

Somehow I was designated as the person to cook dinner. I've never done that before, and the big deal in our house is the food. Maybe it's because it is just going to be three of us anyway.

[Helquin]

Apparently weather is a lot worse around here than I thought. :huh: I haven't turned on the Hell House TV in over a week, so I had no idea that all of that ruckus in the wee hours of Thursday morning was an actual blizzard.

My aunt's family is huddled around a gas grill in their kitchen, trying to keep pipes from bursting until electrical power is restored (probably sometime tomorrow), and the narrow road to their remote house is a sheet of ice.

They have to carry water from a creek so that they can flush their toilet. My mom & I agree that it was a good choice to get the heck out of the sticks to live in town.

[gwensmom]

Merry Christmas everybody!

We just got back from Christmas dinner #1 with my family. I got tons of Gift certificates including cards from Michaels, Hancock Fabrics and a yarn store.

Everything we gave went over really well. The recipients of my knitted scarves liked them a lot.

My cousin and his wife announced that they are pregnant and this is very nice. This cousin is the son of my uncle who just died. The icky thing is that he is shipping out to Iraq in Jan, but he said they are now letting soldiers come home for the births of their children.

[gwensmom]

We had no sitter for two nights in a row due to the weather and last night was my night to be on duty. Gwen did not let me sleep much at all. But that big-ass chair sure was comfy!

Fortunately we have a sitter tonight. We have to go to another Christmas dinner tomorrow and I have not wrapped any of those gifts yet.

It is suppposed to get above freezing tomorrow and melt all this ice. I am glad because I have been cooped up in the house far too long.

[zanna]

hello my wonderful dears.

just wanted to to wish you all many neat presents and yummy dinners for tomorrow.

:)

[ebandit]

I got some nice presents yesterday. MY sweetie gave me : Star Wars Trilogy DVD box set (widescreen ed.) The Elton John Dream Ticket DVD set and a nice indoor/outdoor thermometer.

The Thermometer lets you see the minimummaximum temperatures since it was set. (you can clear it with one button push) So I can tell how cold it got last night...BRRRR...I am sure some of you had colder but it got to 25 degrees F here. (we had colder nights this week)

I watched some of the Elton John set last nite...man! It is awesome.

[luciente]

i dropped a frozen ham on my big toe. the toenail came off and my toe bled all over the place. i was hysterical AND i had to pee. i guess it's ok now. it's jerry rigged with duct tape and some stuff.

i got a rammstein dvd. sweet. also, audioslave cd.

i reckon i'll be making cookies while sitting at the dining room table.

[gwensmom]

Best wishes for a quick recovery for Theresa's toe!

Now that Christmas is over I have a mile long list of "things to do once Christmas is over". It keeps getting longer too!:o

I am the giftmaster! Once again I have upheld my reputation for getting/making everyone something they really like.

[gwensmom]

I will be writing Christmas cards tomorrow. That and cleaning out Gwen's chest of drawers. The summer clothes are still in there!

I am also hatching a plan to make some $$ for Gwen's expenses.

We have so many leftovers that I will not have to cook or buy much food for at least a week. We had to freeze some of it.

[hammerquill]

My mother has often told the story: when she was little, she and her sister always got a doll for Christmas, because, as their mother always told them, when she was little the one thing she wanted was a doll, and she always got a sweater or other useful thing, and never got that doll.

After waiting, oh, eighty-odd years, she got her doll.

It only took about five years of searching, planning, and work, mostly by my mother and aunt.

[hammerquill]

My aunt found it (just the right one - not at all easy), my mother had it professionally repaired, and with espionage work done by my aunt and uncle, got photos of my grandmother's wedding dress, which she then sewed at doll scale.

I helped by designing and shaping the tiara framework and stringing the tiny fake pearls on wire for it, but my mother did almost all the work, finishing about nine p.m. Christmas Eve.

The doll and her dress are beautiful. And my grandmother's reaction was worth it all.

[gwensmom]

That is so sweet! Your grandmother is lucky to have such nice relatives that are talented enough to pull this off. That doll is lovely.

The nasty ice that fell last Thursday is finally melting! Everyone is so sick of it and wants to get out of the house.

I am psyching myself up to be in super clean-out decluttering organizing do-all-the-stuff-I-have-been-putting off mode. Today I will take stock of what needs to be done, make a list and dive right in. Gwensdad will be so happy!

[gwensmom]

I am wondering if Theresa's toe is better.

LaRRissa should have her digital cameral by now and I want to see some pics of the commune.

I hope Lilac made it through the weekend without losing it.:unsure:

[zanna]

i think i'm going to go try and fight the mall crowd today to see if i can swap out the chuck taylors my boyfriend got me for a different color.

i keep wanting to play on my new laptop, but it kinda freaks me out to touch it cause it's so pretty and fancy.

at least now when i go home i can still feel connected to the world.

[thunderstorm_19]

i made soup on christmas eve, which we had some of for lunch xmas day... very good.

mum and i went for a (brief) walk this morning.

i wonder what to do this afternoon...

[Cellissimo]

My boyfriend gave me a beautiful, beautiful kimono. I feel so pretty when I wear it. I wish he could have seen my reaction when I opened it. But, he's in Kansas City right now. I miss him.

My parents reacted favorably to most of my handmade gifts, especially t-h0p f5ythhhhhhhhhhhhhh (<-- the cat just had to walk all over the keyboard) where was I? Oh, yes. My parents liked the jar of soup and homemade bread. My dad actually liked the eye pillow and he loved the door snake. Thank goodness! Most of the time they don't react that happily to my homemade stuff.

I am very, very happy to finally have some "me" time. I need to catch up on several Nervousness projects this week.

Bonus: I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas (if you celebrated it yesterday)!

[luciente]

my toe. is owie. but i reckon it's getting better. i wore slippers to bar review class today.

so, it has begun. i worked on torts today. i'm going to take a nap and work on some other stuff.

yes, the doll sounds so nice.

sarah, all that declutterizing is inspirational!

[Zhenechka]

We had a white Christmas, which made my wife, who is from Manitoba, ecstatic.

My brother is still trying to get me to move out to Enumclaw, WA.

I received an embroidery book and all the stuff to make an embroidered pillow. Yeehaw!

[Lilac]

Well, I made it through the holiday weekend. I'm exhausted and ready for bed, BIGTIME...but I just had to get come here and see how everyone else's holiday went. Sorry to hear about Theresa's toe! Owiieeeee! Glad to hear that Sarah was yet again the Giftmaster...and jealous of eBandit's Star Wars box set!

My uncle and I "reconnected" and I actually had a rather good Christmas. My house has been full of people, I havent had a moment to myself....but you know what...I'm still SANE!!!!

I AM glad it's all over, though.

[gwensmom]

My uncle and I "reconnected" and I actually had a rather good Christmas. My house has been full of people, I havent had a moment to myself....but you know what...I'm still SANE!!!!
:yay: Yay for good news! Lilac, honey, I worried about you the whole weekend but I'm glad it was not necessary.

I only have to be on duty until 2:30 tomorrow because a daytime sitter is coming!

My poor mother has been cooped up in her house with her sick and hard-to-manage mother for 4 days and is nearly insane. She called me 4 times today and I talked to her a long time trying to entertain her.

[velma]

I just found out about the terrible devastation in and around Sri Lanka. I'm talking about the earthquake which produced the tsunami that has killed, so far, nearly 12,000 people. Many more are still missing and thousands are without homes. It's difficult to comprehend a tragedy of that magnitude. The images are unspeakably sad. I just sat and cried--especially over one image of a mother leaning over the bodies of her two daughters and crying inconsolably. Words are inadequate to express the grief and loss...

Even mentioning that I had a nice time yesterday with my family feels wrong...

[Zhenechka]

We have friends who were flying to Sri Lanka to visit family.

They were supposed to arrive around the time the tsunami hit.

We're worried.

And yeah, it makes the embroidery kit less special.

[Larrissa]

stuff happened, lots of stuff. four days without computer access. merry christmas. a sweet boy. visiting. feeling i drifted away. have a camera, pictures maybe this week. i should be asleep.

7:11 >> 9:11 >> 9:51 >> 10:14 .... 11:00. the bus system here sucks.

mmm scrumbles.

^_^

[namelessgirl]

my cell phone feels dirty.

we now have three people and three cats in this two bedroom apartment. my landlord thinks there is one person and one cat.

car troubles and oversleeping prevented breakfast this morning and now my tummy is rumbling something fierce.

[Lorrell]

1. :confused: I'm not sure I'm in the right place.

2. 2005 is coming so I guess all the CHANGE is appropriate.

3. I understand the rotation of the earth has been changed a little.

[tanagee]

:angry: :yell: :yell: Get your money out of Bank of America right now!!!:yell::mad:


They are evil, impersonal and uncaring about their customers.

That is all.

[kittymao]

i had a strange christmas.

Thursday night I set out for sacramento on I5 at Santa Nella. Just after Westley, we shredded the fan belt and the car went phlbt. So-we called the only folks we knew to call at 1am- Up in sacramento. We wound up spending the night on the side of the road in the ElKo. Fortunately it was an easy problem and once the belt went on we were hightailin' it to Christmas Eve festivities.

Now, my BF's family tradition is to open presents at Midnight- the threshold of the eve and the Christmas Day. But the guy who picked us up left the house at 8 pm to pick up his wife, who he was going to apologize to for dicthing her for christmas- he was going to bring her back. So he left, and presents were opened. except presents to or from him and his lady. So... strangely, I opened no presents. And he didn't return until 8 the following evening.

So- christmas was weird.

[sarahkate]

~ I feel sad for the thousands of people killed in the earthquake/tsunamis. And just think, each one of those 22,000+ killed has family/friends/aquaintances and even strangers grieving over them right now. :(

I hate to change the subject, but I also hate to be sad, so moving on...

~ I thought of Velma when I passed through Worcester on my way to and from my Aunt's house in the Lowell, Massachusetts area. I thought how odd it would be if she happened to be riding along in a car right next to me on the highway.

~ Just when I was thinking "ahhh... at least Christmas is over," I realized that I still have to celebrate Christmas two more times. Tomorrow night we are having a belated Xmas dinner at my boyfriend's family's house and this coming weekend I will be having Christmas with my dad. Oy! Well, despite the stress of present buying/making it's nice to spend time with my family.

[gwensmom]

What did those evil bankers to do you Tanna? :(

JennyFactory is uber awesome. she sent Gwen a huge elmo doll and a dance mix cd just because. I just about cried when I opened it.

I also got a box from dunglas which was his part of a "small holiday gift" exchange. I sent his kitties some knitted catnip mice and he sent my doggie some home made dog treats which are apparantly delicious. I gave the dog two and he ate them and then started following me around trying to get some more!

I have said it before and I'm sure I will say it again, but :
I love this place and all of you super duper awesome people!:wub:

[nymphette]

i'm glad everyone had a good christmas!!!!

and that everyone was too busy to sit at their computers and put me further behind on 3RF!!! :P

it's too darn cold in here to play... :( i have the little heater going and it keeps on setting off the smoke detector....<_< so i guess i'll be gone soon then.... wah!!!

[nymphette]

christmas was pretty good this year, considering the past few weeks of hell!! :O the kids were pretty excited and harrison is an old pro at opening gifts now, so he'll be ready for his birthday....

which it didnt' dawn on me until yesterday that it is in 2 weeks!!! i am SO NOT READY for a birthday!!! or a BIRTH!!!! :O

the baby dropped on christmas day.... i realized it while we were eating christmas dinner, i looked down and she was waaaaay down in my lap, instead of shoving up on my ribs!!! soon, i hope... i dont' wanna wait till the 11th for my scheduled section....

[kittymao]

I just got my presnt from my parents- I had accurately predicted they'd send me Hickory Farms products. I had no idea my mother would rememeber I liked pears and sent me a box of the most DELICIOUS pears I'd ever eaten! Rock.

Uhm. I'm still in my PJ's but have been more prductive than I recall being in some time. I feel pretty good about that.

My neck is farking sore. any good solutions short of chopping off my head?

[nymphette]

harrison's broviac broke on christmas day too.... i was flushing/hep locking his lines and saw a drop of blood on his leg and thought 'weird...' i wiped it off and then thought 'where the HELL did THAT come from?????????'

i checked his line and sure enough, it was cracked open right above the lumen splitter... above all the clamps..... so of course i freaked out first.... <_< yeah, i wanna be spending christmas day travelling to saskatoon, or worse, edmonton, to have to have it removed and replaced.... :angry: called harrison's ped, who OF COURSE was not the on-call that day.... <sigh> we taped it up, crimped over on itself, a couple of times and had to meet a surgeon the next morning at a differnt-than-our-usual-hospital.... and i hated every second of it and him!!!!!!!!

long story short (you do NOT wanna hear about the incompetence there... sigh) we can HOPEFULLY make an appt tomorrow to get it removed HOPEFULLY on wednesday... as for getting one put in, well, this is just a surgeon... not a ped surgeon... so we will be going to saskatoon or edmonton to get a new one put in..... why codlnt' this have happened in 2months from now when he's down to every 2 weeks bloodwork and they would be taking it out anyhow???!!?!??!!!!!!???? sigh...

ah well... what can you do, right??? you should see the clamp this braindead doctor gave us to close his line.. it's about 1/2 inch x 1/2 inch x 1 inch tall, metal, three layers, with a big screw..... poor little baby.... he'll be bruised all over his chest before this is done... can you imagine sleeping with a freaking woodworking clamp taped to your chest????? :(

[nymphette]

My neck is farking sore. any good solutions short of chopping off my head?
heat up a sockful of rice.... and sit and relax with it over your neck........

speaking of which, sarah, did i tell you again how thankful i am for my rice bag and cover you sent me???? :D oh, handy!!!!!!

i need chocolate!!!

[nymphette]

we had our big family get together at my aunts last night....

i finally met her husband's son... they have been telling me for ten years or so that we would have made a good match... :) he was totally my 'type' when i was younger- long black hair, musician, vegetarian, and the sexiest new zealand accent... :P

but now i'm married... and barefoot and pregnant.... and yes, my toes are cold in this computer room!!! :rofl:

[nymphette]

when i told chris about him after he said 'yeah, i can see him being your type back then'....

i said 'back then???" :O

i almost got a shot to the ribs.... but he forgave me.... :)

[DreamWryter]

I am so flippin' bored at work it's unreal. They should pay me to take a vacation when no one else is here. Grump.

Today I'm getting a digital camera after 9 months of begging and pleading and hoping!

Been pondering a move back to the east coast. Oregon doesn't have egg rolls -or- fried okra. It's blasphemy I tell you. Rhode Island sounds nice, or West Virgina.

[gwensmom]

Gwen has been very quiet today and I think she might be getting sick.

There is no ballet class this week because the university closed the building:'(

I want to go see Sideways tonight but the roads are still not completely clear.

[Zhenechka]

So far only one Canadian has been confirmed dead in Sri Lanka because of the tsunami, which makes me hopeful that my friends' flight was re-directed.

Hopefully, we'll find out in a couple of days from a parent.

I just ate too many sausage rolls.

[chunkymonkey]

I dunno what to say.
just felt like posting.
:cool:

[Cellissimo]

I don't have that much to say either, but I'm enjoying the lack of schedule that I have today. Been carving stamps like made: carved a total of four stamps! Now I can finish up some Nness projects.

Tonight I'm going to work on my boyfriend's Xmas present. And a few handmade books. I'm on a creative roll!

It has been raining here and raining some more, which has made me less inclined to venture out.

[tanagee]

What did those evil bankers to do you Tanna? :(
My FIL loaned us $4000, to pay our mortgage and the Amex bill for the business, until we get the $4K owed to us from a customer. He got a check from his credit union that was made out to him and he endorsed it over to my hubby. He has done this numerous times and we have had no problems.

However, this time they returned the check...AFTER I paid the bills online. And Evil-Bank Of America is basically saying too bad, if the payments come in you will be overdrawn.:( I have threatened to change banks in the past, but this time I am doing it!! Only sucky thing is I JUST re-ordered checks Friday. :(

Hopefully the guy will pay us tomorrow and everything will be OK, if not my mommy said she'd front us the cash until we get paid form the jerk.

We are leaving for Chicago on Wednesday so I am ultra stressed.

[gwensmom]

Well that sucks and I'm telling Gwensdad because I think he has stock in that bank. They bought out a bank that bought out a bank that bought out a mortgage company where he used to work. A pox on the BoA!

Next time I dye my hair I'm mixing in more red.

I called our insurance agency with a question about our auto coverage and found out that we accidently let our homeowner's expire in August :o . I'm hoping that nothing happens to the house before I can get over there on Wednesday and sign another policy.

[gwensmom]

We are out of tortilla chips. That's not good because they are a must with soup and soup is a must in this cold weather.

I cleaned out a whole corner of the junk room today! The clear spot in the middle of the room is bigger than ever.

I signed up for the "Never Made an Art Doll?" lmao and have been freaking out thinking about what the hell I am going to do.

[velma]

sarahkate, too bad we couldn't have hooked up on your journey through scenic Worcester!

i can't stop thinking about all those people lost in the tsunami. it makes me sad and makes me appreciate the people in my life even more than i already did.

and i appreciate everyone here, too!

[Lorrell]

1. I need to drink more water.

2. I went to the movies with J and saw "The Aviator" on Christmas day.

3. It has saddened me to think about what's going on in Sri Lanka and I'm hoping and praying a friend of mine in Malaysia is OK.

[Astabeth]

I really miss it here.

If I can get the stuff finished for the gift swaps New Year's Eve / Day, then I can do some nness stuff.

I can't sign up for anything until I have it finished because I have to KNOW I will get it done before school starts.

[Astabeth]

I wonder if there would be enough people interested to do a ceramic LMAO.

Either a vase / mug or maybe an art piece or even ceramic beads.

I got Art Clay Silver for Christmas - I can't wait to play with it but it will probably be at least a week before I can.

[Lilac]

I'm still exhausted from the holiday festivities. I feel as if I need to sleep for two straight days to recover!


My boss came in a little bit ago and asked if I'd go out to Columbus Thursday to see to a few things. He ASKED. I'm amazed. I've never been asked something like this - always TOLD. I'm toying with the idea of refusing, just because it seems to me that I have the option of refusing.


And...that's about it. Can't think of a third fact offhand.

[kittymao]

I don't really have anything to post about. When I come in here and read this thread I always feel obligated to leave a post behind.

Well... I could note that I do have things to do. Many things. But it's only ten, and I really don't start doing any busy work until 11.

Maybe I shoud just go have breakfast. Oo. Pears.

[velma]

I just ate all the crunchy kernels out of a bag of kettle corn.

Urp.

I'm feeling quite lazy today.

[Cellissimo]

I've been truely enjoying some quiet "me" time lately. I haven't had unscheduled time like this in years! Finally, I'm able to focus on what I really want to do.

I haven't been sleeping too well lately so I've been taking melatonin almost every night. This morning, at 3 am, I woke up with a severe stomach ache, which kept me awake and uncomfortable for over two hours. I hope it's not an ulcer from the stress I've been feeling.

I've been feeling overwhelmed and saddened by the tragedy in southeast Asia. Since I'm not buying my books this quarter, I will donate that money. It's not much, but it's the best I can do...

[tanagee]

Some friends gave me a Hershey's S'more Maker (http://www.lnt.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1890042)for Christmas. I don't even like S'mores and even if I did I wouldn't have such a jonzing for them that I would NEED to make some right there in my kitchen. :rolleyes:

I took it back to the store and they gave me a store credit, but due to the crabbiness of the Megan I didn't find something else I want.

My only concern now is if they want to come over for S'mores. :p

Bonus:
I googled "smore" and would you believe there are more than one brand of S'more maker??

[kittymao]

tell them you gave it to the local homeless shelter or something- I dunno. seriously- that's a weird gift. *shakes head*

I just ordered one of them nifty peg knitting looms- a set so I can make scarves AND hats! I'm so excited to get it. It will take like... at least a week though but hey! I can make scarves!
well.
when I get it.

Uhm. And I've wasted too much time online. I should... clean or something. Or eat. Bah. What a boring life.

[tanagee]

I need to get one of those peg knitters.

I could start now on making scarves for people next Xmas. :p

The thing about the s'more thing is that the chick who gave it to me does that Pampered Chef (http://http://www.pamperedchef.com/index.jsp?localeString=en_us)stuff and she knows I was coveting the apple peeler/corer (http://www.pamperedchef.com/our_products/catalog/product.jsp?productId=229&categoryCode=CE), why didn't she give me one of those.

[Zhenechka]

You didn't get the apple corer/peeler because it didn't cost enough. It's not about YOU! Didn't you get the memo? :lol:

I only have four objects on my to do list.

It's looking empty but I'm not interested in anything that's being offered at the moment.

Maybe I'll need to host my own object soon...

[kittymao]

i like it when my to-do list is empty. It means I can go splurge and fill it with things to do! Yep. I'm a major dork/list whore.

Like- my whole day has been listed for me, and I'm even going so far as to FIND things to do that aren't on the list so I can keep busy! I mean, Doing Laundry wasn't on the list, but I DID IT ANYWAY! and I paid bills too. Gee- what's my to-do list going to be tomorrow!?

ah. I feel so listfully fulfilled.
And... now I'm going to add dork as a resume skill. yesiree.

edit:*smacks self*
see, I'm listing again.

[lemur]

It really annoys me when people buy stuff they don't need-and I have to find a place for it -and I just managed to get rid of the last load of crap, and twice the amount comes in. And I can't drive so other people need to take the garbage to the garbage bin-and they won't do it, so we have piles of it laying around.
I hate grilling machines and the people who don't clean them.

There's got to be three in there.

Yes I am somevhat irritable today.:mad:

[gwensmom]

My mother refuses to learn to use the internet or get internet access until after she is finished taking care of my grandmother. (i.e. until after grandmother dies. I don't balme her b/c grandma is difficult to say the least). so in the meantime she calls me and comes over with all this stuff to look up/order/ research.

Right now I am printing out 26 pages of information on medicare discount prescription cards. Earlier today we ordered some gardeners hand cream, a catalog from a place that sells kids stuff, and got phone numbers for several other businesses.
It's ok. I would do almost anything for my mommy.:wub:

[Lilac]

I'm irritable and grumpy, too.

It's only 7 O'clock, but I think I'm going to pack it in for the evening and go to bed.

Kevin is an ass...or at least I'm anticipating him to be an ass in the next couple days. We'll see....

[gwensmom]

I have just completed 11 straight hours of taking care of Gwen and am about 75% brain dead.

But tomorrow I get to leave the house and take care of some things that need doing now so I can have peace of mind.

The mail this week has been awesome so far. I got a Readymade magazine today. There was an article about a "Craft Gym" in SF where you can go after work and learn new crafts and use their sewing machines and other equipment you can't afford. Sounds way better than working out!

[kittymao]

so... uhm. Lemur.
Want a grill?

I made me some coffee and added some of my spiffy chai milk and I'm so HAPPY! bleah! And caffeinated. Good, cause in two hours I go to work. What else is there for me to do on my list!?

and... uhm. yea.

[Zhenechka]

I haven't added anything to my to do list.

But some guy just got eaten by sharks in my naval novel.

Don't feel bad for him, though. He was a spy.

[Zhenechka]

I'm really quite upset that I saw Master and Commander before reading all of these Patrick O'Brian books because I keep picture Russell Crowe as a read these books.

I think that Russell Crowe is gross. Did you see his pudgy hands in Gladiator? *shudder*

Ptichka's going back to work tomorrow, which means that I'm going to head back to the library.

[Helquin]

I got my globe for Christmas and I am in love with it. I think they should be displayed in churches & government buildings, to keep things in perspective.

I'm slowly pulling myself out of the sludge of "holiday blues" but it's tougher this time around. Every step forward seems to land squarely in a pile of dog poop.

And I really like these shoes.

[Lilac]

Yep. Kevin pretty much lived up to the anticipated ass-ness.

The ass was being an ass because I didnt want to go to a New Year's party full of other asses.

I have a thing about asses. I don't like them.

[goldenlocket]

I saw Lemony Snickets a Series of Unfortunate Events today. Realized the girl was from ghost ship and she has HUGE LIPS.

Bought chinese food and had a little picnic with the boyfriend with said chinese food in the back of his car

Boyfriend has gone to Rhode Island for 2-3 days and I feel really lonely and wish i hadn't taken that 4 hour nap. Then i could have talked to him longer and probably wouldn't feel like crapperooooo.

[zanna]

well i'm up and i'm packing.

me and dave are heading to new orleans for a week to visit his family today.

(hopefully) many thrift stores and geocaches lie ahead.

[sarahkate]

~ Hello Sister Zanna! Hope you have fun in New Orleans! I have always wanted to go there and one of these days I will.

~ My boyfriend's family gave me a new desk chair for Christmas! Yay! Now I can rest my buns on something more comfortable than the icky wooden kitchen chair I have been using for years now.

~ I just ate an extraordinary amount of Goldfish crackers. Ugh.

[Zhenechka]

I'm going to go to the library today. It should be empty.

It was rough waking up at a reasonable hour today after all that sleeping in,

I like to sleep in, I wish that I could do it for more than a couple of days after Christmas.

[namelessgirl]

~At work and it's freezing today. Wonder if we'll be allowed to order drinks at the staff meeting today. My coworkers push me towards alcoholism.

~I'm supposed to be working on the website but my fingers are too cold to code HTML. Typing on the forums, however, appears to be going off without a hitch. :devilish:

~Tonight I have to finish two LMAOs and pack up some stuff to mail the hubby. Also, knitting galore!

[thunderstorm_19]

we apparently have a viewing at 2 this pm... grrrrrrrrh


the highest bid on one of the tips and tricks copies so far is $16.25!!

i have to clean up.

[Astabeth]

Yay! I wish I had $$ to bid on them - they look very cool.

Lorelei is running around yelling "whee! Whee!"

I got a book on Centering in pottery, poetry, and life. If it's half of what the overwritten introduction promises, reading it will be a life changing experience.

[kamoke]

Thicker than water

swim lessons?


...blue?

[kittymao]

damn, my to do list just went and started racking up on me at FIVE in the morning. I was gonna get started with all sorts of stuff, but hey, ya know. I crashed out.

The question is- what order to do it in? I have one that requires me to catch the bus- something I haven't needed to do since moving and I don't know the fares or junctions or anything.
Sounds like an adventure.

and the other is... laundry, requiring me to stay home for at least two hours while it does its thing.
Sounds like I'm going out first.

[sarahkate]

~ I am feeling very creative today which leaves me feeling antsy because I'm at work and there aren't many creative things to be done here. I do have a bag of beads & wire with me though. Maybe I will make some bracelets as I wait for 5:30 to roll around.

~ Today is the first time in many, many moons that I have signed up for an LMAO. I joined two today!!! :o One is an altered metal-themed Barbie doll. I have never done anything like this before so I'm hoping I don't flub it all up.

~ I missed The Amazing Race last night. I checked the CBS website to see which team was sent home, but they haven't updated it yet. I'm so curious. I so hope it was the annoying entrepreneur couple, though that's not likely.

[Larrissa]

i must make these:
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter04/images/vtsBEAUTY.jpg

i must not be hard on myself.
i must be sure im making proper decisions.
i must be sure to spend my day off work wisely.

[Lilac]

Oh my god - those are super cute!

and so is the "model"....at least her legs!;)


How's the belly-button painting coming along down there at the commune?

[velma]

I'm frustrated at my inability to write any fiction.

Glad to see Kamoke in the forums again!

Ummm....kettle corn! :huh:

[kittymao]

oh.
my
god!
those socks rock.
I covet them.
in red and black of course.

almost ready to go. yaay.
bf says to take a carrot, in case I have to bribe a mule.

blaa!
odd
sentence
structure
rocks so much.
turns everything
into

poetry.

[Larrissa]

its almost like haiku. though thats much more structured.

i should really finish the other knitting projects before starting such awesome socks.

i have to clean my room before doing anything up there, and that will lead to getting distracted by making stuff.

the commune could have a break in it, but its still undecided. i shall know when his visit is over, january 17th. hes from phoenix and im going to teach him how to knit.

[velma]

bf says to take a carrot, in case I have to bribe a mule.

and what might you be doing with a mule??

--I'm getting hungry.
--Eric still hasn't taken his shower; it's almost 2 p.m. and I want to go spend my Michael's gift certificate! (He gave it to me, the sweetie!)
--898foiwur3ehjkugfpoeioqyoi;ui32986620980926$^$*&*()(*

[gwensmom]

I went out to run errands this morning and when I got back Gwen was screaming and Gwensdad was home because they terminated his contract a month early.

I am trying to remain positive. Gwensdad had been tweaking his resume and planning to look elsewhere anyway.

This means that Gwensdad now gets to do all the child care and I get to go to work longer hours. this arrangement is physically easier for me but disastrous for our bank accounts. Oh well, it's happened before and we didn't die.

LaRRissa did you get a new non-taco job?

[Lorrell]

1. Yesterday I took J. to "Fantasy of Flight" and I still have two tickets to go again.

2. Being in the B-17, made me realize all the more how awful and ugly war is, the B-24 was pretty scary, but I liked the Spitfire.

3. In the flight simulator I shot down the enemy but only by accident not because I'm good.:lol:

[Helquin]

Kentucky.

Solutions.

Hunger.

Ack!

[Zhenechka]

I hope that Kentucky refers to alcohol.

I've edited most of my latest grant application, which only needs to be five pages but it needs to be translated into Russian. :mellow:

I got a postcard from my friend studying in the Czech Republic.

I wonder if I remembered to put away the tofu.

[Cellissimo]

I've been trying to convince my bf to go with me to the Czech Republic...

I've been seriously thinking about quitting my job and just working on art-related work for awhile. I'd be pretty broke though, since my job is helping me put myself through grad school. But having all this free time has been a blessing.

I've also been seriously thinking about traveling again. Serious travel, not the touristy crap. I like immersing myself into a culture. The Czech Republic, France, or Istanbul sound good right about now.

My boyfriend is coming back TODAY!!! I'm so excited to see him - we're going to have dinner tonight. Yay! Maybe I can convince him to stop by the yarn store so that he can pick out the yarn for the hat I'm going to knit for him...

[Larrissa]

ive been working at walgreens, as a photo lab person.

the other boy is really hurt.

i rearranged my room, its still must be cleaned.

[nymphette]

yesterday i had to tote the boys into the city at 7 am to get chris to work and harrison to his bloodwork appt, with homecare, for 8 am...


i realized that i had forgotten to get my own bloodwork done for my prenatal appt later that day....

the van door still isn't fixed, so here's me, 9 months pregnant, climbing over two car seats through the back, or over the stuck right up to the front passenger seat to get into the driver's seat...

which would have been okay if i had only 1 or two stops to make..........

[chunkymonkey]

interview at 10 am tomorrow morning
got up at 12:30 today
will work it out

[nymphette]

when we got to homecare at 8:10, i told the receptionists who he was and spelled our last name... four times.. and she STILL looked him up under surname HARRISON... four times.... finally she left to 'ask someone' and the other lady found it as soon as she typed in 'larter'....

they said 'oh, you'll have to be with the coordinator, she does the IV stuff..' and i said 'well, his broviac broke on christmas day, so it can't be used.. the blood draw has to be done from a vein'.... 'oh.. okay...'

so a half hour later, in a waiting room with nine chairs and 4 flyers, and nothing to entertain 2 children... we FINALLY get in... she says 'i'm sorry for the wait, i had to get everything ready for flushing his line'.... and i blinked and said 'his line is broken. i TOLD your receptionists that, i specifically said that it was cracked and unusable and you'd have to draw froma vein! did they NOT tell you that?' 'um, no.... we can only do bloodwork froma line here, we dont' have the needles to do a venous draw'... and i said 'you mean we just sat here for over a half an hour becuse your receptionists didn't tell you, after i TOLD THEM, that it HAD to be a venous draw because the CLC was broken????!!!!!!' she says 'you'll have to go to the gamma lab across the street...' i said 'uh, his tacro is due in ten minutes and the blood work has to be done before that... you want me to drive over there and wait in the hopes that they can fit us in before he has to have his medicine???' she says 'oh, i'll call and tell them they need to do it stat'... which in regina means 'when-they-get-around-to-it'....

i was so pissed off that i punched a metal door on my way out, swearing the whole time. not a good example for my boys. what a fucking waste of almost an HOUR of my morning, like i have NOTHING to do but sit around and wait for them to waste my time.

[nymphette]

at least i could get MY bloodwork done at the gamma lab... though it would have been nice to not have to sit around for an hour and wait........

the i had to go downtown because (thankfully) harrison's pediatrician could fit him in... he's had diarrhea for over two days by that point and wasn't eating well and was tired, with bags under his eyes... poor baby.... that and i wanted to talk to dr. R about the crappy other dr. about the broviac appt on sunday....

good news though- dr. r says that he thinks there is a repair kit you can fix the broviac with!!! so if so, no trip to s'toon or edmonton!!! he was checking with the pasqua hospital to see if they had one and a dr. in radiology (though i am not sure why!?!?) at the general to see about fixing it... he said hopefully they'd have things going tomorrow... -today-

[nymphette]

then was my prenatal appt and my obgyn sent me for more bloodwork because she thinks i may have late onset gestational diabetes... so good thing i let them bruise up my arm earlier in the day.... sigh... at the ultrasound a week before this appt, the baby was weighing in just a shade under 9 POUNDS!!!! holy crap....

i said to her 'julian was 8 4 1/2, harrison was 9 3 1/2- this one will be 10 2 1/2???' she said 'i'm glad we're doing a c-section'.... YOU are glad??? hm...

by the time i got the boys into the van and ready to go home, i broke down crying.. i sat and cried in the parking lot for 20 minutes before i could drive home.... what a suck i am.....

[goldenlocket]

i spent 3 hours on the phone today the moment i woke up.

i should get started on my portfolio piece before it's too late.

i need to send postcards back to people which means i have to create them because i'm strickly hand made when it comes to mail art. People who send me cards as mail art just makes me really ticked, especially when it's a card and not a POSTCARD, there is a difference.

[nymphette]

so then i get home and dr. r has left a message on my machine saying they need us at the general before 4 to check out the broviac and see if it can be patched, then they can maybe patch it tomorrow....

which left me exactly an hour to recuperate and repack the kids in the van and get back into the city.... :(

and then we had to wait until 6 for chris to get off work.. did i mention the water pump is gone in the car??? so we've been doing exactly what we bought the second vehicle to avoid doing for over a week... it's in today getting fixed...... sigh

[nymphette]

then i went for my bloodwork after we picked chris up.... and had to stop and pick up some water for the cooler... we didn't get home until 8 o'clock!!!!!

today the hospital calle dme at 8 saying they had the patch kit and it could be done between 10 and 11 if we could make it in.....

so harrison is as good as new... what the first incompetent doctor didn't do on sunday is check the line to see WHICH lumen was leaking and broken... we still had hte use of the smaller port- which coul dhav ebeen used on tuesday for his bloodwork, saving us the extra hassles in the morning.... but he didn't check... and we didn't know that before the splitter, it was still TWO lines, and no one line which was split... make sense??? yeah... i'd like to lodge a complaint about that doctor.... he was useless as hell.....

but i'm too tired and will likely just let it go... again... so he's free to dick around other families... instead of doing his job properly.... ARGH!!!

[nymphette]

and when i got home yesterday after everything, i had some wonderful mail!!!!!!!!! which made my day all the better!!!! (though didn't help my back and sciatica and hips from climbing in and out of the van all day and toting two kids in and out!! :O )

thanks TANAGEE!!!!!!! the baby bundle is PERFECT- i couldn't decide if i should buy a snowsuit for baby, since she'll be in a carseat bundled with blankets anyhow.... so i've been waffling about it... it's the perfect thing to use instead of hassling with a snowsuit or worrying about whether a blanket is enough!!! :yay: and the little outfits are soo sweet!!! and jumper and shirt are awesome- they have lyrics from 'imagine' on them, i wonder if hte animals are the john lennon artwork ones from the baby line!!!

tana made my 100% shitty day into a perfectly wonderful evening!!! er... night.... evening was gone by the time we got home and i got the mail...

whoa will i have pictures to take of this baby to be posted here!!! i think the outfits gwensmom sent will fit this baby right out of the womb- she'll be at least thte size of a 3 month old by the time she gets here!!! :O

[Zhenechka]

Holy incompetence! I'm glad that everything worked out in the end, Nymphette.

Go to the Czech Republic! GO NOW!

Our friends visiting Sri Lanka are fine. They landed after the tsunami hit and the family that they were going to visit is also fine.

We're back to eating non-Western food tonight, which is a good think because all those meat-and-two-veg meals were starting to get to me.

I should be working on my research proposal.

[nymphette]

[QUOTE=Zhenechka]Holy incompetence! I'm glad that everything worked out in the end, Nymphette.

QUOTE]

me too and that is what counts... but it does help to sit and bitch about it a bit... :P which is, really, what i do best....

bitch, not sit... this is the longest i've sat in DAYS!! :P

and i gotta go watch julian's magic school bus episode from the library with him... its all about spiders, he KNOWS i'm phobic but thinks it's okay because they aren't real.... and i dont' wanna instill any kind of fear of arachnids into him...... if i did THAT, who would kill the spiders for me????!!!>>> :O

[sarahkate]

~ Aww! Robyn! I feel so bad that you have to spend so much of your life dealing with moronic people working in doctors offices & hospitals. It's scary to hear how unprofessional and unintelligent some of these people are. :( I'm glad Harrison is all patched up though!

~ I miss my little Zzeezz the BedBug avatar. I think I have him saved on my computer at home, or at least I hope I do!

~ I'm feeling all Martha Stewart-ish now that I have been thinking about New Year's Eve. I think we might invite a friend over and have drinks. I want to try making some pomegranate margaritas and maybe some cranberry ones too, and maybe a bunch of snacky food like potato skins and baked pita chips with dip. Oooh fun.

[Lilac]

It's so nice here at the office when everyone has gone home. It's like my own private world.

But I have to leave now, because the boss will be coming out of his office soon, and I don't really want to deal one on one with him right now.

So, off I go to fight rush hour traffic and then home to the house of chaos.

[Helquin]

I hope that Kentucky refers to alcohol.
:lol: I should be so lucky!

Actually, I was on my way out the door to Kentucky when I typed that.

Instead, I decided to make life interesting.

It's a secret.

Insanity: why fight it?

Walgreen's photo lab has to be better than Taco Bell.

[kittymao]

yesyes. Imagine the -photos-. *snark*

It has been a busy day for me. But a good one. I got stuff done that I needed to do. So that was cool. But now the BF expects dinner to be ready when he gets home- I'm so not willing to slave over a stove right now. Can we just get pizza?

Oh, and the carrot was to bribe the donkey to go in case I got stuck in San Martin. I think. Rudy didn't explain himself- I'm assuming.

[Lorrell]

Now they want my book, "Howard Hughes: the Untold Story" *sigh* and of course I don't want to part with it, especially since I saw "The Aviator" on Christmas Day and I still have the tickets to FOF

I NEED to practice saying, "No" and polite refusal as elegantly as possible.

I have to be ready for "Phantom of the Opera" on Sunday so I don't think I'll be getting to ripped on New Years Eve. That whole drinking thing and the subsequent hangover is something I would rather not put myself though...I've lost track of it all as it is, the days, the years, the minutes....

[Zhenechka]

I'm changing my signature from "Distant is my path, futile is my calling" (that's the Czech bit) to "Making the muse my bitch since 2005."

Because, I'm gonna finish my dissertation this year, dammit!

Even if I have to become an alcoholic to do so.

[thunderstorm_19]

i just watched 'supersize me'.


i'm really grossed out.

found a great bunch of 'ends' at a yarn store today.

[Zhenechka]

I'm up!

I should be out.

Instead, I'm sitting here thinking about going in.

[Larrissa]

he has the plane tickets, rental car and hotel lined up. my god! i cant believe this is going to actually occur .... :D

i feel all squishy internally

my cat Thomas just made whining noises at me

[Astabeth]

Larrissa is brave...

I want to see Supersize me...and Word Wars...and Scrabylon.

I have to go upstairs to fill the sippy cup - which means now undoing or crawling over TWO baby gates since Miss Priss made it all the way up the stairs in no time last night. She went from having no interest in the stairs to ZOOM, up to the top. Ack.

[velma]

It takes approximately 12 hours for food to completely digest.

The longest living cells in the body are brain cells which can live an entire lifetime. (So take good care of them!)

The temperature can be determined by counting the number of cricket chirps in fourteen seconds and adding 40.

[kittymao]

yesterday's business didn't end with that post- we did wind up getting pizza, and I went and got a much needed pair of glasses. I knew i needed them, but I didn't know it was THIS BAD. it's so strange to see TEXTURES on things! My brain is on visual overload and I love it!

uhm, i get to go in to work early instead of late- this means that I'll get out early, but it also means I have two hours less to do chores. Which means- yes, I should probably not touch the computer today. ha.

hmm, cereal. or a pear. I wat it all! I am so hungry!

[gwensmom]

My supervisor isn't here so I am working unsupervised:o. It took me half the morning to clear out all the boxes, mail and other clutter that has accumulated in the last two weeks.

I saw Sideways last night. It wasn't as good as I had expected.

My cousin's new wife is having a birthday next week. She loves to read, so I gave her a "gift certificate" to the "pre-owned book of the month club". This means that I will send her a used book every month for a year.

[gwensmom]

A pox on those medical incompetants that keep plaguing Nymphette!

I can't wait to see pics of that baby girl!

Is the c-section scheduled or will you get it when she starts coming?

[nymphette]

A pox on those medical incompetants that keep plaguing Nymphette!

I can't wait to see pics of that baby girl!

Is the c-section scheduled or will you get it when she starts coming?
a pox would be too good for them!!!! :O

i'm scheduled for the 11th... but have been having a lot of contractions the past two days... probably stress related- i am letting everything get to me that i shouldn't and more than get to me that should be getting to me......

chris and i are fighting again and he hasn't been around for the past 3 nights to help me, for one reason or another... and i haven't slept since sunday night, basically... :( and now we are expecting 5-10 cm of snow in the next 24 hours, over and above what we've gotten the past 14 hours or so... and the highway from regina to here is visibility zero and travel not recommended.... so he won't be home tonight at all...

which is okay by me i guess... he can just come and pick up some of his shit and stay there forever as far as that's concerned....

[nymphette]

i've been having more and more labor signs and had contractions, though not hard ones or very regular, since supper last night... and they show no signs of stopping- which is fine as long as they dont' show signs of getting harder or closer together....

because i'm not going to be able to get anywhere today... that van has the shittiest tires and i got stuck in the tim's drive thru getting coffee yesterday- i'd never get it out of the driveway today, let alone into the city to the hospital......

will the RCMP come and save a lady who can not give birth at home??? good question... let's hope we don't need to find out!!! :O i'll just stay away from spicy food and anythingelse that might encourage it!!!!:P

[nymphette]

My cousin's new wife is having a birthday next week. She loves to read, so I gave her a "gift certificate" to the "pre-owned book of the month club". This means that I will send her a used book every month for a year.
that sounds like a good idea!!! i wonder if we should start up a club here????

not that i have a lot of time to be reading... or finding books to send out....

but it IS a good idea!!!

[nymphette]

what's with all the google spiders???!!??!!

there's like fiv eof them, on the first page of users list.... who knows how many on the next ones, i'm too lazy and cold to check!!!

and i have to go play julian's lego board game with him.... i promised.... :P

[Lorrell]

If you eat collards, black eyed peas and hog on New Years Day you will have good luck in 2005

I did this last year and atribute the survival of my household during three hurricanes to heeding directions above.

I hope 2005 is an improvement but it probably won't be cause Mother Nature is PISSED OFF in a big way with the homo saps.;)

[Zhenechka]

I'm cutting my work day short because I forgot to pick up a bottle of small c champagne for tomorrow.

There are seven bottles of the one I want out at Yonge and Eglinton. Wish me luck.

Ptichka is going to the art supply store for me. I think that she might have planned this. :mellow:

[Lorrell]

I'm making a spinach lasagna and "the Swede' requests I put some Italian sausage in it.

I think I'll get a bottle or two of Asti Spumante..I need sweetness and I find Champagne gives me a pain in the head and I don't get much of a kick from it.

Not many things give me a kick anymore, not even the horse.

[nymphette]

the highways are closed....

and tomorrow chris is supposed to help his brother at UPS... so he can get done early so he can go drinking... what else is there in his pathetic life??? (his brother's, not chris's...) so he'll i'm sure be 'stuck' in the city tomorrow too...

although i guess it's one thing more than chris has, right??? ha ha...

the boys haven't seen him since.... oh, monday.... but i'm at the point that it mightbe good training for them, if it's in their future to NOT see him....

pregnancy hormones/??? or just called-for-and-justified-pissiness??? hm...

[nymphette]

my contractions are between 7-12 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds to a minute.... and not getting stronger, so that's okay...

hopefully though, it means i won't have to wait until the 11th to have this baby!!!

she's going to have to wait till i can get into the hospital though!!! :O

[nymphette]

i think i'll get the kids settled in front of the TV (cuz i am a bad momma and am resorting to the tv-babysitter so i can get 5 minutes to myself for the first time all week!!!) and have a nice warm bath....

and see hwat happens with the cx from there!!!

i know it isn't labor though, true labor i mean.... i shouldn't have told my momma though!!! i'm sure she's going to have kittens worrying about me stuck out here with cx and no way into the city!!! ;) moms... sheesh....

[kittymao]

nob hill has a post office. I used it today- unfortunately no international mailings, but that's okay cause the int. package isn't too urgent.

are new glasses supposed to make you feel sick to your stomach? I'm feeling a little ill right now, and I don't know if it's the glasses or bad food or crummy sleep or WHAT.

no worries though, I'm sure a fabulous pear can fix that. I hope. :p

[DreamWryter]

are new glasses supposed to make you feel sick to your stomach? I'm feeling a little ill right now, and I don't know if it's the glasses or bad food or crummy sleep or WHAT.
If they're a different perscription than your last pair then yup. You eyes need time to adjust. Especially since it's how your mind views the world and now you're mind is getting hit with this whole new perspective, in result, triggers dizziness, nausea (sp?) and all that fun stuff.

[nymphette]

i just remembered something about when i went into labor with harrison- i had had a lot of back pain for a few days before, that was actually back labor!!! how could i have forgotten that!?!?!????!!! and me with my out of control back pain and sciatica starting on monday!!! :O

i just re-read the birth story i wrote about harrison... i had to stop when i got to his second day and he crashed... :( pregnancy hormones, i just started to bawl like i was going through it all again....

everyone, please send us good vibes that this baby is going to be healthy!!!!! girl, boy, 10 pounds, 8 pounds, red hair, brown, i don't care!!!! i just can NOT go through this with another baby, i NEED for this baby to be okay...

[kittymao]

i got antsy, and posted in my profile a realtively blah picture of me in my new glasses. Not to say that the glasses are blah. I feel like I look blah. whch is fine. I don't want to look cute.

I should go get in the shower.

And- I've never had glasses before so this is a MAJOR visual shocker. thanks for the info. I was told that It'd be illegal for me to drive with out these things (good thing I don't) and I have to start wearing them constantly.

[Zhenechka]

Good vibes heading your way, Nymphette.

Now that we've semi-adopted our neighbor's kitty, I can't come home and jsut check my e-mail. Now I need to pet her and play with her so that she'll leave me alone. I'm thinking that I'm going to make a bad parent.

My other neighbor has people over. I've never heard that much noise coming from his apartment. He's nice but now I know that he's funny too.

I scored the last bottle of small-c champagne. I aced out some stiletto-boot-wearing yuppie wench for it. You should've seen the look I got. I'm sure that she's just jealous of my lime green sneaks. :lol:

[luciente]

i think my toe needed stitches on the bottom. oh well. who cares about the scar. i'm not a toe model.

one more day of coming to bfe for this class. tomorrow i can get a ride from the missus.

i wonder if i would make more books if i had a book awl or if i just think so.

[bluecrayon]

4 more days and then it's back where I started except I'm thinking it will not be where it ends...

I will end and begin a year with him ...

Leaving with more than what I came with; including words, paintings, rocks, sticks, postcards, magnets, teeshirts that smell like him, books about time, and my memory.

[Lilac]

Having Grandma live with me is a lot tougher than I thought it would be. It's too late to do anything about it now, though. I can't very well send her back to her apartment without invoking the hatred of every member of my family.

I'm a bit, um...peeved that I was pushed into this arrangement in the first place.

It seems that, ever since she's come here to live, she's been my sole responsiblity. There has been no offer of help from my father, step-mom or sisters. Nobody offering to take her to her doctor's appointments or hair appointments. No one offering to drive into town to pick up her prescriptions. I have to arrange for these things myself, and it seems to me that whenever I call a member of my family to do something for Grandma, they seem "put - out", as if I have no right to ask for their assistance. Or maybe I'm just blowing this all out of proportion. I don't know.


*I do love this woman, but she can be a real trip! :lol:

[Lilac]

Oooooooh! I see that today is Cuiliane's birthday!

And tomorrow is Zhenechka's!



HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GIRLS!!!!!!!!

[gwensmom]

Ok, now we see why everyone was so keen on grandma living with you. Of course they don't want her back in her apartment or they would have to take care of her. You just keep calling them and telling them that grandma needs x, y and z and they can choose which one they want to take care of. If they don't cooperate, tell them that unless they help you, she's going back to the apartment. DO NOT let them off the hook!

My mother thought she was going to retire to FL where my sister is because I have my hands too full to take care of her when she is old. I told her that she had better stay here if she wanted any care.

Nymphette! Tell that baby to chill out and wait until the roads are clear to make her entrance. I have been very anxious to see her, but I can wait if she can!

[velma]

Lilac, you have my sympathies. I swear I will gas myself before I become anything like a burden to anyone.

Kittymao, your new glasses are cool--they look just like mine! :)

Nymphette, I'm sending good baby thoughts your way. Having a baby is so exciting--although labor sure as hell is no fun!

[Lilac]

Oh, I'm such a wuss when it comes to standing up to my family, Sarah! In this case, though - I'm going to HAVE to. I just cannot work, take care of this place, my son...and her. Okay, so yeah, I can take care of her in normal aspects of life, you know...getting dinner, doing her laundry...stuff like that. I mean, she does watch my son when I'm at work. It's not like she's useless to me. (And I do love her!) But I start stressing when she begins her nagging... And I start stressing when I have to rearrange my work schedule around her appointments. THAT is not right!

I'm feeling better about this just being able to rant.


Yep. Dad is going to have to pitch in A LOT more. He's not going to like it...and frankly I am a little scared to tell him this, since I just convinced him to keep my horses through the winter....but it's either his help or Prozac.

[gwensmom]

Get his help AND the prozac. You have so much on your plate that something has to give!

I am going to have to go some more rounds with the state to get some assistance for Gwen. I don't think I have the energy to do it. But I have to, so I guess I will.

I wish the prize patrol would knock on my door with a $10 million check right now. I wouldn't even care that I am in my pajamas and look like hell.

[Zhenechka]

Heh. My actual birthdate was a casualty of the forum transfer. I've got to wait until October to be a year older. Damn.

I'm hoping that the debauchery tomorrow will be so extreme that come Saturday, I won't want to eat or drink anything bad for me for a long while.

These holidays have been hell, eating wise.

[Lilac]

Well, I hope that prize patrol finds you, Sarah!

I think of you quite often when I'm feeling overwhelmed; I wonder how you hold up on a day to day basis with all you have on YOUR plate! You are one tough lady!

You deserve that prize patrol knock!!!

[Lorrell]

My living room is trying to kill me.

You might actually be able to find a space on the couch now, as well as walk around the table.

I was told today that I could look younger if I would just make a few minor changes like color my hair and I wanted to say, "Well maybe if I put on some Pampers, I could really go back!"

[Lilac]

There's a tack sitting on my computer desk and I can't keep it out of my mouth.

I need chocolate or some other such yumminess to take the place of the tack.

Because it would be a real shame if I swallowed this thing!

[Lorrell]

It's New Year's Eve and I woke up early and fell in love with my Christmas Tree in it's glittery golden glow.

I think it's a delayed reaction due to the fact I had to spend so much time going here and there to other peoples homes and such, looking at there trees, that I didn't have time to really enjoy and acknowledge the beauty of my own tree until I woke up this morning.

I think I will leave it up a little longer this year/next year

[Zhenechka]

The neighbor's cat is being, for lack of a better word, a spazz at the moment and it's driving me bonkers.

I'm going grocery shopping at 8am today. Hopefully, I'll once again beat all of the old Italians to the grocery store.

It's still really dark here. Like, I-can'-believe-it's-seven-thirty dark.

[gwensmom]

Lorrell, Gwen will lend you some of her pampers if you are really bent on looking younger. Will you need some wipes as well?

I hope Nymphette posts soon. I thought about her first thing this morning and hoped the baby didn't try to come yet!

Feta cheese is really good.

[Lorrell]

Well, I was being sarcastic there, but I don't understand the phenomena of women who want to "Look Younger" What the hell is wrong with looking "as you are" If you don't feel good about yourself on the inside all the exterior design on the outside is for naught. And the thought on Hair Dye gives me a headache! Where do you think all those chemicals go....into your body that's where. Look at Jackie Kennedy....ever wonder how she got that deadly Lymphoma? Her hairdresser knows for sure all right!


I know someone who could use a wipe this morning since he turned himself into an ass last night:lol: (nobody on nervousness, but someone in my vicinity)


I wonder what sort of trouble I can get into before dark.

[an-su]

It is 7pm20 here. I'm listening to Berlin Philarmonic's new year concert live on the tv, while browsing on nness...

In an hour or so I'll be bringing their food to our dogs, and they'll be jumping like mads go get it :)

In 2 or 3 hours I'll be trying to call my boyfriend in Paris, since after that I imagine the lines will be overwhelmed..

[namelessgirl]

~I might see if I can get off work early today. I need to get some things mailed for the boy.

~Really need to start packing lunch. Tired of eating crackers.

~This music is driving me insane.

[velma]

omigod i can't believe i'm shovelling more kettle corn into my face

i can't believe any of the dipshit "megaplexes" around here aren't showing "Kinsey" or "A Very Long Engagement". the philistines!

i'm feeling very antsy today. i need to get out and do something different.

[Lilac]

None of the cineplexes around here...welll...the ONE cineplex that is not over a half hour away...isnt showing those movie, either. And it's not even showing Life Aquatic...which I want to see really badly!

So...I have resigned myself to the fact that I'll be going to that damn New Years Eve party that Kevin wants to go to.

I'd much rather spend the evening at home...not even watching the ball drop...not even thinking about it being new years eve at all....just spending the evening as if it were any other evening. No...actually - it would be nice to go out and have a nice dinner, rent a movie and have a really nice wine.

But nooooo...I have to go to a yuppy party. Piss!

[velma]

You have my deepest sympathies. I loathe yuppie parties; I went to a Christmas one. Luckily, I was able to chew & screw, taking Eric with me.

I have to buy a birthday present for my sister-in-law, who has the misfortune of having her birthday on New Year's Day.

Sometimes I feel like sticking my head out the door and yelling like the teen I used to be "I HATE EVERYTHING!"

[gwensmom]

Ack, a yuppie party :(. Maybe you can amuse yourself by taking note of all the ridiculous things you see and hear so you can tell us about it tomorrow. Either that or just get really drunk.

Velma, go ahead and yell. Then eat some more kettle corn. You'll feel better.

Wow I am surprised by the lack of movie theaters up there where y'all live. Memphis is no cultural film mecca but we do have two movie houses that show indie films and countless others that show the usual stuff. We even have an indie film festival and a filmmakers cooperative.

[gwensmom]

I wonder what Eve and Reed are doing for her birthday- heh heh

Still no Nymphette? I hope she is not laboring on her kitchen floor while the snowplows are trying to get through to her!

I am at work and have run out of things to do. Or at least things I feel like doing.

[Cellissimo]

I just made a batch of ginger scones. They taste wonderful, but they are not healthy. The recipe called for two and half sticks of butter!

Despite all the free time I've had this week, I'm still behind on my Nness projects. That's a bummer.

I've been looking through various charities to make a donation to the tsunami victims.

[tanagee]

I am in chicago and there is no snow!! :(

we were having thunderstorms when i left la and last night there were thunderstorms.

nymphette, you are so welcome for the bunting. my in-laws here in chicago gave me it when I was pg w/ the megan but it never got cold enough to warrant putting it on her. and i do believe the animal drawings are john lennon's artwork, i knew you'd appreciate it. and i hope everything is okay in the birthin of that sweet baby.

[Lorrell]

I went for a ride to Polk City with J and his buddies in the muscle Camero and have returned alive with wine and roses. The way people are driving is enough to make me stay off the highway tonight.

Some kettle corn would be nice, but the kettle corn gypsies left after the craft fair three weeks ago.

I'm soaking my black eyed peas for some "Hopping John" (Good Luck I will ne