It's Spring (really !) in the Willamette Valley

The camellias are starting to bloom out
Skunk cabbage heads are up in the creekbeds,
Bulbs are sprouting through
Grass has turned true green
Buds are showing on the trees

Nothing on the lilacs yet... They know better.
We sometimes get a cold spell in February

@ Lamplighter: skunk, grass and bud...I hear ya bro. I hear ya.

I did not wake up to find my balls submerged in magma.

Hell...if that does not make me thrilled to death...I don't know what could. (not that I have ever woken up to that before...but If i did I have no doubt that i would be REALLY UNHAPPY.)

I was gonna say nothing is making me happy today, then I read froth's post and decided I am happy about the lack of magma anywhere near my balls, so yeah, life is good.

how about smegma?

Lack of smegma is an everyday condition for which I (and others) are grateful.

yeah...I'm happy about the lack of that too:D

Congrats SG and plthijinx! Fantastic news.

Saw someone wearing a t-shirt the other day which said "I love SG".

Oh but Aussies have such good taste!
That's made me even happier, thanks Case.

I'm happy because I have my start date, and my start date is Monday.
So I had my last day with 2a today, and my last with Class 2 on Friday.
Better get baking some goodbye cakes - I'll really miss them. I've only just got their names sorted as well...

That's wonderful! I hope the little boy you're assigned to grows to love you as quickly as the other children have. :)

How exciting for you Sundae!

My mom is going through a stressful time at the moment, and yesterday I sent her some flowers. She sent me a picture of them today and told me how that made her day and brightened her spirits. I am happy I had the opportunity to make her happy, if only for a little while.

It was sunny and in the 80's yesterday. Spring is just around the corner.

Highs of 40s - 50's sunny and beautiful for several days.

We will get some of the usual rain soon but it will be in the 50's. I hope we get an early spring.

About the same here today as well. Pretty big swing, 30 degrees. I agree, I hope we get an early spring as well. Temps are usually pretty moderate around here by the end of the month, in the 60's and 70's.

When I was in elementary school, I remember February being spring like, mostly. The weather pattern changed bringing ice and a smattering of snow unexpectedly and late into Feb and March, after the trees started budding.

Farmers Almanac says the same. I can't tell for your region since it doesn't include temps. Having 60 degree weather early seems nice.

I finally set up my new tv! I've been putting it off, because to do so meant removing my old telly and hoiking it upstairs out the way (not just laziness, have had bad elbow and shoulder - basically right arm is currently fucked), but then a couple of days ago the old one died completely.

Well, i got by watching BBC i-Player for a couple of ays, but tonight there's loads of good tv on, so I decided to just grit my teeth and get the fucker sorted out.

So: I now have my shiny new LED tv all set up and ready for tonight's entertainment. First off a new horror drama on ITV (though may go for Louis Theroux in the Jewish settlements instead, choices choices). Followed by 10 O'Clock Live with my tv heroes Mitchell, Brooker and Carr.

Any minue now my Chinese takeaway will arrive, just in time to eat in front of the tv :)

I'm having: spring rolls and won ton soup for starters, followed by beef chop suey and egg fried rice, and ending with banana fritters in syrup.

Dani - good night to choose to set it up, I approve.
Have negotiated with the 'rents that they watch Not Going Out rather than Sky+ it, meaning I can Sky+ 10 o'Clock Live and start watching it when they go to bed (usually just after the news headline). I'll be watching it live by the third advert break :)

I'm happy that I made some cake pops.
A little messy, but my first successful attempt. The first time was a disaster as I used too much frosting to bind the last lot - greasy and unstable - AND overheated the chocolate - went into a glutinous lump mess. So I learned from that, and I'll learn from this set as well. I hope that by the May Fayre I'll have a product to sell that will blow people's socks off. It's either these or Semtex Pops anyway.

Wow, they look frikkin awesome!

Is it Ice Cream?

Nooo. Cake pops.

Cake and frosting balls, firmed up in the fridge, then melted chocolate over the top, plus sprinkles and chopped up Matchmakers to act as Flakes.

I guess I will have to look that up. I don't know what that is.

Going on a Best Buy mini Shopping spree:):)!!!!!!!

Ohhh they're match makers! I was going to ask where you'd found the ikkle flakes :P

Lunch.

Time to get in touch with my inner carnivore.

All you can eat meat. They keep coming around putting more meat on your plate until you tell them "Please, god, make it stop." I'm not kidding. Any restaurant that dispenses dental floss in the washroom is *serious* about meat. Leaving now. Wish me luck.

Dana, it sounds like you are going to have a great night.I love Chinese food.

Sundae, those look so gourmet. I can just see you selling in your own little shop.

Good luck Big V.

This thread is making me hungry! :p:

i would love those for dessert!! or anytime really....

some of you know that i'm an avid online poker player. today i was in a freeroll tournament on pokerstars.net to try and win a seat to big show game. kinda like winning a seat to the world series of poker...anyway enough of that....here was the first hand i had today in the tourney. wound up 7th out of 35 but this hand made my day.....i'm in the upper left seat.

Tonight we made meatloaf, not something I crave, but something I have wanted to have for a while. 2/3rds Buffalo meat, 1/3 beef. Should be good. Looking forward to it.

address??

:lol:


Today I am happy because my last 2 classes were cancelled due to freezing rain, and so after my autism observation (for a different class) I got to lounge around with the boyfriend all day and be lazy. And now i'm about to go to the bar to catch up with a friend!

Are we allowed to mention cake again?

Yesterday, I walked out the front gate of where I'm staying (in Jakarta) and saw a person on a motorcycle wearing the aforementioned "I love SG" t-shirt. I was all set to (and in fact was in the process of) taking my camera out of my bag to grab a photo when the mini-traffic jam finished and he got away before I could record the moment. Bugger!

SG, Need any help to stop what you've just created going off?

Yes Casi - now that I have successfully transported some more goodies to school, I have put the smooshed-cake-experience behind me. The cake pops were much admired, even after people had eaten them (to me they look better than they taste) so I judge them a success and am very happy.

Would it be too weird to make myself an I love SG t-shirt?
For days when I'm not feeling it as Cherry?
Yes. I think it would.

But it you manage to get a picture I am going to print it out and put it on my door :)

Got a gift and card from the children in Class 2.
Not from Class 2a because I only work with them when their teacher is away, so I've never really worked with her.
But all 60 said goodbye and that they'd miss me and thanks for the chocs (got a treat size collection bag).
And some of my children I really connected to with came up for hugs and personal goodbyes.

Got my work schedule as well - 09.00 - 12.00 every day, then 12.30-13.30.
My code name for the boy I will be working with is Tiger. On here I mean. Because he has an orange coat :)
Going to read up on autism over the weekend - his statement focuses on social and behavioural issues, but apparently the autism symptoms are quite clear to those in the know. Walking on tiptoes for example?

Of course I know we have an expert here who can help me.

So is Tiger at a different school? Will you not see clasess 2 and 2a again?

No, he's at the same school - I will see them. But I had the same heartfelt goodbyes last July from the first class I worked with. I mean I will miss some of the characters too, but I don't quite have the drama of a 6-7 year old :)

The card and gift were arranged by the teacher and TA as an acknowledgement that I have given up my free time and worked unpaid. I'd have been there every day if it hadn't been for the conditions of my benefits, I can honestly say it was my pleasure.

As I have posted about before, I have been without a car for almost 2 years now when my incredibly worthless, very ex-boyfriend decided to get drunk to the gills and take my car for a spin. He ended up spinning it completely off the road and crashing it beyond repair. I have been unable to afford another car and have been bumming rides off friends every since.

Well!

Saturday I got a letter in the mail from my bank about the interest my IRA earned in 2010. Huh? I don't have an IRA. But actually I really do. It has been sitting forlornly from 1985 :eek: to now, collecting interest and completely forgotten by me.

The bank never had my correct address until a couple of months ago when I opened up a small savings account there. I and the IRA have now been re-united, and it will give me the money I need to buy myself a car. I won't have to depend on some squirelly friend from the past to pay me back the money he owes. I can just go out and buy the vehicle I need without the help of anyone else.

YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY! YAY!

:driving::joylove: :driving::joylove: :driving::joylove:

My uncle has been struggling with increasingly worse Parkinson's, to the point that he is almost unable to feed himself. An old roommate of his has moved back in with him, which does benefit both of them, but moreso my uncle, and we are all grateful.

But it turns out this roommate has done much more. He saw some TV program about a treatment for Parkinson's that is being done in Germany and a few other places in Europe, but is not approved yet here. It is a targeted brain surgery where they cut a few specific connections (between the hemipheres? I don't know,) and in 70% of patients the Parkinson's symptoms are instantly gone, never to return. The other 30% see no change, for better or worse.

The roommate was hard at work figuring out the costs to take my uncle to Europe to get the procedure done (his latest figure was a mere $12,000, which seems just ridiculously low to me, but apparently even tourists get government-covered healthcare over there) when it was brought to his attention that there is an experiemental study going on right now, in Houston, attempting to get the procedure approved in the US. He jumped on it, again taking care of everything, and now my uncle has a screening appointment this Thursday. They say it is very likely he will qualify, as they are primarily looking for youngish people with severe symptoms who are otherwise in good health, so they can continue to monitor them for the next 5-10 years looking for adverse effects of the surgery.

The idea that this might suddenly disappear from my uncle's life is sort of mind-boggling. We're very hopeful.

Oh my - that is SO great to hear. I hope all works out well for him.

Excellent news Sam and Uncle Clod :)

The boys just came home from Hector's hockey game and I learned he got a shutout with a gazillion shots on him :D I'm sorry I missed it, though (at a swim meet with Hebe)

Very cool Clod!

...and congrats to the boy, monster.

Dear Clodfobble,

Please do keep us informed as to the progress of your uncle's exciting adventure. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for him.

Yours,

Sam that is the sort of amazing thing that happens to me sometimes.
To the extent one of my cow orkers used to believe money just fell in my lap when I needed it. Of course it didn't - she forgot to take into account the times I literally had to ask strangers for money to use the toilet (20p in railways stations then - up to 40p now!)

Clod - wow, that sounds like a big step. Then again I assume it's early onset? Grandad has Parkinsons but he's 89 next week. No surgery for him. In fact he is going downhill fast. He has long periods of confusion now, calling up Mum at 06.30 thinking it is 18.30 and he hasn't had any tea. His Dr is trying to ascribe it to changes in medication, Mum thinks it's the beginning of the end. She is contacting nursing homes. I think she's right to do so.

Sorry, this is the happy thread. Good luck to your Uncle, Clod. Fantastic news, Sam.

And tomorrow I have my first real day with the cub.
Plan is Animal Snap to start the session. Then a worksheet (from the Speech Therapist). I found out on Thursday that he only started speaking when he was four. Then the either/or game to finish. And I sit on the carpet with him for group activities to keep him focussed. I also bought a little game called Nano, wich is a keyring version of the old Simon game. I might not use it, but I thought the lights and the need to follow a pattern might appeal to him.

I'm looking forward to it anyway.

Oh - Clod - check out my thread in Cities and Travel. You did respond regarding the recent posts about Joel Osteen, but a couple of posts back I was asking for Houston advice. Anything you can suggest would be much appreciated.

ok hai! wait what? houston? joel osteen? been less than 10 feet from the man and his wife at a restaurant back when my mom was alive. he was the next table over. good man. means well.

my houston advice is this:
houston museum of natural science
houston zoo which is a walk away from the museums
and for great entertainment (even though i'm a metal head i still appreciate culture) the houston ballet
but i do prefer the houston orchestra
now if you want more lemme know. i can turn you onto the bar band scene as well.

:D

I saw it, but sadly, I'm not at all familiar with entertainment/touristy options in the city. I drive there every other weekend, but then I turn right around and drive back. I think the museums are supposed to be good, but I couldn't even tell you what they are.

<----jumping up and down waving hand in air...look at post #6403 (errr two posts up)

I'm home. That makes me happy.

Got to work Friday morning at 730. Left the office Saturday night at 7 pm. Back in the office Sunday at 3 pm. Home today at 430 pm, including a three hour break for home duties. I'm tired. But hey, I get next Friday off gratis. Eight hours free for the forty plus I put in over the weekend... wait. whut?

that sounds like a raw deal there bro! so the 8 hours gratis friday will be spent...4 hours sleeping and 4 hours home duties? then the other 16 at work? :rolleyes::p:

Today I found the cause and fixed a particularly stealthy bug in our product. I never get tired of that feeling.

Nailed the bugger. Makes me feel like a detective. :D

The box of fine chocolates I ordered came. :D Trying my hardest not to finish the box in a day. Too damn expensive to eat them all so quickly. :p:

I Dont know WHY This is Soo Damn FUNNY to me ( Other than I could use a Laugh )

Camels are usually funny.
Tickling is usually funny.
How could tickling a camel not be funny?

Mrs. Z's homemade cinnamon rolls. Yum.

I hope you let it go outside, rather than literally nailing it. Like in The Wicker Man.

Today I saw Tiger's Speech Therapist with him. She asked me to conduct a session and she would watch and evaluate. AARGH! I observed her at our previous - and only - session and have only been working with him one-to-one for a week! I had come woefully unprepared, assuming I would be observing again. She looked a little narked as I scurried back to the classroom to get my things. But it's very likely that was in my head.

The cub behaved very well, was focused and generally behaved as he does when we work together (and certainly NOT like he did that morning, when our session ended in tears as he could hear his classmates singing his favourite songs in the classroom - I had to let him go back). She said she was very happy with his progress, our rapport and she said :blush: I have an instinctive gift of matching my language to his level of learning :blush:

In a game we played, there was a choice of singing a song; she'd suggested I leave that option out - as with another to tell a joke - because she thought he wouldn't be capable. However I know from the classroom that they sing at least four songs a day, and he enjoys it, so he did choose it as an option, although he half sung/ half whispered it along with me (whereas he sings out when we are together). She wasn't impressed at my ability to get him to sing, but very pleased that I had noticed his preferences and adapted accordingly.

Of course she picked up on some things to change/ improve, but I left feeling very positive and that I'm doing a good job.

Also our teacher was assessed this morning and was given a level of Outstanding, for which she thanked us all. The other Tas and I weren't being assessed specifically, but we were delivering her lesson plans and obviously reflected on her. I was playing skittles as part of Numeracy - teaching the children basic tally work, counting on, the concept of totals and addition, and the beginnings of recognising how tables are laid out. Tiger was part of my group and worked beautifully. This was before the song-trouble.

Oh and Grandad is being looked after far better, was in a chair this afternoon, has been fed the last two lunchtimes (Mum is there for teatime) and things are looking up. He is still slightly confused, confiding to Mum that he wasn't on a real hospital ward, but on a filmset. we think this might be because things have changed so much at Stoke since he was last in hospital - looking after Nanny 12 hours a day before she came home to die. One of his suspicions is that there are no flowers (hygeine) and no-one visits (they do, but only after 15.00, whereas Nanny was on a terminal ward so visits were pretty much round the clock).

There are no flowers for "hygeine" reasons? WTF?

Same reason they confiscated the flannels (remember those?) and towels Mum left to wash and dry him.
There have been so many deaths of vulnerable patients from SARS et al, there is little deemed extraneous left on wards. I would expect even cards are suspect these days.

Flowers are also banned for allergy's sake.