My son, who has been having a hard time in school lately, brought home a 100% on his math test!

Yay...I know how that feels Juni. :) Good for him.

:eek: What? Your training Chinese in weaponry? What if he's a terrorist?

My son actually helped me put up the pagan tree! YAY! :santa:

The older I get, the more I'm convinced that some of the highest highs come from nailing some skill.

I take lessons from a professional jazz bassist in Chicago city on Saturday mornings. Every lesson has some new insight. It's a natural upper.

This guy that reminds me of glatt is hitting on me. That makes me happy. But it's also dumb because I'm not going to do anything about it. Maybe I'm not an old hag ay? :)

He's hawt. It's just too bad, and highly unfortunate that I am completely batshit crazy right now. :)

All the more reason to go for it!

Cicero, I am not supposed to tell you this, but the Men's Club pamphlet advises us that all women are completely batshit crazy all the time. He (PseudoGlatt) should know what to expect. So what's the problem?

I just got back from my first SCA event last night and had an absolute BLAST!! The Arts and Sciences competition was fun; Ted and his dance partner won a prize!! YAY TED! The feast was a huge success; Saint Nicholas showed up and passed out chocolate coins to the "good" little boys and girls (yes, I got candy), and the food was delicious. The masked ball after was SOOO much fun! Plus, of course, I was present at court (which was where Her Majesty was handing out prizes for the A&S competition) and my little girl got a gift from their lordships the Baron and Baroness of Iron Mountain (Birmingham area), which was where the event was held. All in all, a WONDERFUL time was had by all! Came home exhausted, unloaded the van, took showers, and we all crashed. Next event: A day trip to Nashville in January. W00t! :-)

A 2 year AHA grant was awarded to one of the labs that I work for/in. It's a very small one, but critical to the continuity of the current research we are doing, and most importantly helps cover my salary :)

Now, if the NIH would only come through for us...

I opened a Christmas card and found a check written out to me for $100. Wheee! But it's not the money - it's the fact that it was thrown into a box with other junk and forgotten. The check is dated 12/17/02. I'm pretty sure we could have used it then. Bet it drove my mother nutz when we didn't cash it. :bonk:

I'm supposed to have internet by tonight! Maybe I'll see you guys here again. :)

I just fixed my daughter's cell phone. ME. Yeah, ME.

Got a repair estimate for $117 to replace the LCD screen. I went to eBay and bought one for $4 plus $10 shipping.

And I put it in all by myself!

Whoo-hoo!

Awesome!

probably not as much as you not saying thank you ;)

Wouldn't she have mentioned it if she realized you didn't cash it?

Mine would have, the first bank statement she got.

$573 money order from the future ex for child support he failed to send a few months ago. And he sent it without me nagging him about it. YAY!!!

Am I a soccer dork? yup. (although technically this isn't soccer, it is futsal) I got this in my email this morning and it put a smile on my face. Awesome freaking shot.

Yeah, it was a great shot. I love how the keeper is just standing there looking at it.

I'm confused. I thought the goal was to get it into the net, not hit that girl. And the girl is celebrating getting bonked? :3_eyes:

So fast and unexpected that the keeper didn't even move. pretty sweet scissors kick.

I think it would have hurt! :)

Thanks for the 'splanation.

That was pretty awesome. But that doesn't mean you aren't a dork. :)

1) I found my ball. I bought a new trackball mouse for home and was bringing my old one in here to work because I hate regular mice. I got it here 2 weeks ago and couldn't find the ball. I figured it had somehow rolled out into the street or something. This morning I saw it hiding by my computer tower. I love my mouse now!

2) 6 1/2 more working days then we are shut down for an entire week.

3) I tried the hummus on the salad bar and it's really good. Must bring pita bread tomorrow.

The walk-through of the house we're buying went well. Met the current owners; really cool people. The gentleman reminded me (almost painfully) of my father. They took really good care of the place and are eager to pass on all the details of its upkeep to us -- a very good sign! They're moving up to MA to be closer to their daughter and her kids.

Closing is tomorrow. Here comes the 8-million-signature hand cramp. :D

Ohh good luck!

Yeah!!! Have fun and good luck!

Congrats - no uh, wrist exercises tonight.

It's cool and rainy today.

That helps with the little furnace inside you, right?

It snowed here a bit last night, so was able to introduce both the kidlet and the dog to snow! Kidlet couldn't understand why the snowflakes in her hand disappeared before she could eat them, and eventually was so disappointed by this TRAVESTY that I had to take her inside before she had a meltdown (-snicker-). The dog was HILARIOUS. She's a sixty pound hairball shepherd/collie bitzer, and she ran through the door like she always does to go outside... then tried to slam on the brakes when she realized the ground was FREAKING WHITE. This caused her to slip and slide on her butt across the back patio until she fell off the edge and hit the ground with an audible WHUMPF. She picked herself up off the ground, shook herself off, and stood for about two minutes staring up at the sky watching the snow fall. This was about the time Kidlet started to fuss about not being able to eat the white stuff, so I didn't get to see the rest of the dog's reaction, but it was still FUNNY!!

It snowed at my step-kids' house in Southeast Texas. Apparently they even shut down school. The pictures were cool...I liked seeing palms with snow on them.

Now, here...it has to be 3 ft of snow before school gets canceled.

Big fluffy flakes out my window right now, but nothing that should accumulate.

UPS, Fedex and the mail carrier lady are bringing me lots of boxes. Yay, Christmas gifts, and no crazy shoppers at the store! Yay, eBay!

Where are mine? You must have received mine?
Well I know my SS will arrive in the next 10 days, but damnit - every post brings at least 5 cards for my parents and I'm tired of it!

Sorry, it's the happy thread.
I'm still happy because what I sent was received and appreciated.
I'm easily pleased that way.

Sorry, SG. If I had your address.... ;)

Which reminds me, I have to send something out to a couple people and I've been dragging my butt on it. Well, not literally. I mean I'm behind. Or maybe I'm just an ass.

Hm...

But these are boxes full of nifty things for other people, not for me!

It's the weekend, and I am actually going to venture forth from my place like a real social human and go to the Christmas party of the IT department of my old job! It will be soooooo much fun. :)

Pete sewed an insulated window cover for the picture window at night. It was 10°F here this morning and 67°F in the house from last nights fire.:cool:

At various times I have improvised double glazing by taping bubble-wrap to the inside of the window. It's good insulation, lets light through, and slightly blurs it for privacy. A bit tacky, though.

Bubble wrap is really effective. You can get it sandwiched in foil as well if you really want to block heat loss.

Pete used Warm Window

The Christmas tree is finally up, the kids are beating up on eachother (leaving me alone), the house is clean, the windows are open, and it's a beautiful day.

New user title.

Glatt: "Ready for the coming depression"

Have fun! Though I have to say, most people I know would rather chew their own arm off than go to an IT department party. Maybe it's just me.

Well, you've moved, haven't you? How do I know where to send the card to ;) ?

Yep, I had to ask the same question last week.

Sundae Girl :)

Took pil to the vets yesterday morning and that swallowed another £50. I have to take him back in a week, so if he needs more treatment that'll probably swallow up what little remaining leeway there is in my finances.

More importantly, Pilau has to rest for a week: no walks = dog bouncing off the walls by midweek. The vet was reassuring inasmuch as he isn't leaning towards anything sinister just yet. There are a couple of possible concerns flagged up but they're unlikely.

So, I was feeling a little bit low. And then a little package arrived with a tiny card and teensy sundae inside! As soon as I dig my camera out I'll take a pic. Totally cheered me up. Out the blue and unexpected, it was the best timed package ever lol.

God, I actually feel a bit Christmassy now! ty Cherry:)

The temperature has risen to -6°F from -8°F (-22 C). It's good to be inside on a day like today.

And the sunshine is an added bonus.

For the past 3 or 4 months we've been doing a "family video night" on Saturday. This is not only to do something together as a familiy, when we all have very hectic schedules, but also to expose the kids to some movies that aren't just the usual kiddie junk.

Last night we played A Christmas Story, which nobody in the family had seen besides me. The kids actually enjoyed it.

(Annoying: The VD picked up some scratches or something that caused some jerkiness midway through.)

Jelly tops from Home Icecream. The best iceblocks in the world!

My sister has been visiting with momwolf and I over the weekend. She spent last week in Philadelphia at some training down at the Wharton School and flew back today.

One of the big things in wolf family Christmas program is that there shall be fudge. MomWolf makes pounds of the stuff.

SisWolf's office is aware of the fudge, and demanded that it be brought back rather than waiting for it to be mailed.

So I drop SisWolf off at the airporch this morning.

She called to tell us about her adventure.

Apparently she managed to do all of those preboarding things, checking in and all, and was going through security.

TSA Drone: Miss, you need to step off to the side.

SisWolf (who has never been selected for additional screening): Why?

TSA Drone: Miss, there appear to be several pounds of irregularly shaped slabs wrapped in foil in your carry-on.

SisWolf: What? Oh. That's fudge.

TSA Drone: It's What?

SisWolf: Fudge. Chocolate, Milk Chocolate Walnut, Butterscotch, and Maple Walnut.

TSA Drone opened her bag and inspected it, finding foil wrapped bricks as described, each with a little tag indicating flavor. He did not open any of the packets.

I hope everyone feels safer.

Not as safe as I'd feel with a good fudge recipe....

Hey, that fudge could have been heroin. could have been! That's what I tell them when I'm trying to sneak some high-grade black tar thru anyway.

Good news Dana. It sounds like your pootch is on the mend.? I am very curious about the sundae.


Not when your patio door is frozen shut HLJ. Not like it added to the warmth factor.


I can't believe they didn't look wolf. I just can't. lol @ I hope everyone feels safer.

TSA stories - there could be an entire thread devoted to them! One time my spouse was stopped & his luggage searched because they noticed something weird in there. They popped open the lid and found a half dozen of those wands they use to check people. That got them curious, but his company built them and he was on his way to a trade show. He managed to get his business card into their hands before leaving.
No peanut butter fudge?

At least it's not frozen open. I've had that happen, due to ice build up in the tracks.

So if we pack fudge around the plastic explosive, roll that in aluminum foil, and label it with the fudge's flavor, the TSA people will let it go right on board?

I mean, I'm not a fudge packer myself, but...

:drummer:

Well I was thinking hashish looks more like fudge, but I'm glad they'll take your word for it. :headshake

Mr. Show:

I treated myself to a couple of things from The American Food Store in Milton Keynes today with the money Grandad gave me for Christmas.

Mum and Dad wanted to go to the shopping centre and market, so I tagged along. I had forgotten the store was there to be honest, so it was a lovely surprise to see it.

I spent ages laughing at the hot sauce names, and then Mum came in (they were in a shop across the way) and laughed along with me. Then when we left, told Dad all about them and made him laugh as well.

It's great when just looking at thnigs can make three people happy!

Anyway, I bought myself some Aunt Jemima ready-to-bake cornbread, some Ass Kickin Hot mustard (I restrained myself from buying the peanuts - I would eat them all in one sitting which is NOT HEALTHY) and a Payday candy bar.

Nom, nom, Merkin nom.

Apart from that, just the little things. Being up and showered and breakfasted and unhungover. Spending the day with my parents. Looking forward to dinner tonight. You know.