Thursday, December 31, 2009

Happy New Year from P&P!

It's New Year's Eve for us in the US and we're set to celebrate with kids tonight. We've got sparklers and noisy (but legal) fireworks, sparkling grape juice and plenty of snacks. I've been trying to talk Cal into the fun of watching Star Wars while we wait for midnight. I took him to see Alvin & The Chipmunks The Squeakquel today so maybe I can guilt him into it. I may not be successful. Duncan has always worked better with the guilt trip.

Whatever you do tonight, be safe and have fun.

Tamara

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Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Year's Ending

Well, 2009 is nearly over and we're about to enter the last year of the first decade of the 21st century. I can't say I'm sorry to see the back of 2009. Not a year I particularly want to remember fondly.

I'm sorry I haven't really got much to say tonight. I haven't really done much these past few days. Nothing of interest. Sorted out some photos of the boys and that's about it. Haven't gone anywhere. Not been banned from any supermarkets or restaurants. Not broken anything, set fire to anything, or got locked in anywhere. In fact this past week I've been almost a normal person. I'll have to do something about that. Can't have me becoming sensible...

Sorry to have been a bit quiet. I'll try to be more fun next week. I'm bound to do something silly on New Year's Eve. Bound to.

Until then, if anybody wants to see what Reisen & Harley looked like, I've put a couple of pics up here. My Boys.

So, Happy New Year folks, goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

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Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Overwhelmed

That's pretty much the only word for it. Completely overwhelmed by the messages of condolence on the loss of my Reisen. I've had over 50 emails. Thank you all. I will reply to each and every one of you but it's going to take me a while. Thank you. Your support and sympathy was very much appreciated.

The recurring UTIs were worrying the vet so he asked me to take Reisen in for some X-rays and an exploratory check-up. The X-rays showed exactly why he'd been having problems. There was a bloody great tumour in the way. The vet said it was inoperable and yes, it was malignant. He said Reisen had about a month to six weeks. And he would get progressively worse during that month. And be in increasing pain. And that the kindest thing to do would be simply to not let him wake from the anaesthesia but increase it and let him pass peacefully in his sleep.

So I said yes. And I lost another good friend.

At least he's back with Harley now. He did miss him so. And somewhere they're together, young again and free from aches and pains. And chasing each other round a great big field of soft green grass. And I'll see them again someday. But right now, oh God, I miss him.

Ze

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Monday, December 28, 2009

Short Week

The work week begins with a splash. Short day and then a few hours walking around with the family downtown enjoying the last of the holiday moments before Tamara's mom leaves on Wednesday. My week will consist of a full day tomorrow and Thursday, hence not too bad. Here is hoping everyone's week is splendid.

Enjoy your updates!

Elisa

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Sunday, December 27, 2009

Sunday

Have at it.

Tamara

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Saturday, December 26, 2009

A Best Friend Lost

Ze's wonderful golden retriever Reisen was put to sleep today. Hence send those good thoughts to Ze as her life and heart have a large hole that's going to need some mending.

Elisa

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Friday, December 25, 2009

Sleep soon?

We had a good day. Right about now, however, Cal's tired is catching up with him. Mine too. But the day is almost over and we can soon get some much needed sleep.

Here's hoping your day was peaceful and full of the happiness of the season.

Tamara

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Thursday, December 24, 2009

The Eve

I waited all year for this night as a child. Back then we used to go to my grandparents' house, eat dinner and then rip open packages from them and other relatives. I loved this night even more than the actual Christmas Day as my grandparents were absolute heroes in my life. I loved every minute with them and still miss them to this day. I'm sure as an adult I would have formed a different opinion of them (and them of me), but from a child's heart they were perfect.

As an adult I now enjoy the slowness of this day with Christmas just around the corner. I only worked a half day with tomorrow off to look forward to. Time with those I love is always appreciated.

Being an atheist means I get to enjoy this crazy holiday for nothing but fun. The tree, lights, food, presents and time with my created family. What more could actually be asked for? See there is a Santa...I do believe.

Where ever you are and whatever you believe...enjoy.

Elisa

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Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Alive

Reisen seems a bit better today. Still had a disturbed night though. Finally gave up trying to sleep at around 6am. He seemed brighter so I took him for a walk. He was eager to go out. We wandered down to Countess Wear, right on the edge of the city. Yes that is how it's spelt. The weir was built in 1285 by the then Countess of Devon and named for her and they couldn't spell back then. She did it to deliberately block the River Exe so that ships couldn't get into the city any longer but would be forced to unload on her dock at Topsham (and so pay duty to her). The plan worked quite well until one of the Courtney family (who are still the Earls of Devon) upset King Henry VIII in the early 1500s and lost the right to the land the weir was built on. The City Council took the opportunity (in 1563) to bypass the river by building a canal parallel to it.

There's a huge swing bridge over both the river and the canal these days. And a lovely walk along the banks into the countryside. I took him there. I could tell he still wasn't 100% because he made no attempt to leap into the river. (I was ready to stop him, just in case). He's a retriever, when he's well he's incapable of passing dirty or muddy water without submerging himself in it.

It was close to 8am and the sun was just coming up - which it does from the direction along the estuary and up the river at this time of year. There was a heavy hoar-frost still on the ground, (it was somewhere around minus 3c) leaving it white and crisp and sparkling. The trees were bare of leaves and stood bleak and dark. The river looked grey and half frozen, as did the canal. The ducks were sitting in melancholy silence, on the ice, not yet fully awake. The sun was big and red and clear in the way it is in winter, its warmth just making the frost turn to mist along the ground. There wasn't another soul in sight.

It was heart-breakingly beautiful. Stark and bleak and silent and breath-taking.

I wished I'd had a camera. I wished I hadn't been stupid enough to go out without my mobile. I felt so very glad to be alive. And so very grateful for that moment.

So here's wishing that you are all lucky enough to feel glad to be alive right now. And I hope that Father Christmas, or Santa Claus (no they're not the same), or Father Frost, or The Christ Child, or Sinterklaas, or St Nicholas or whoever your local figure is, brings you good stuff for Christmas (or Epiphany if you're Spanish, Greek, or other Orthodox).

Merry Christmas, goodnight, and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

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Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Nearly Christmas

But I may have to cancel it for lack of funds. Just as well I've already got most stuff done. Reisen seems to be determined to bankrupt me again. Not only has his UTI not cleared up but it's spread to his prostate. He's proper poorly. Had to take him back to the vet. More jabs, more pills and another £60+ bill. Why do these things never happen when you can afford it?? Especially since my job digging up trees finished today and I won't be back at work until 4th Jan so I won't have an income for a couple of weeks. Ah well, he's worth it though.

I was playing music while I worked. The boss asked me to stop. Said I might upset the customers. I was playing my Christmas joke cd. The one with Chipmunks Roasting on an Open Fire on it. And Walking Round in Women's Underwear. And Yellow Snow. So I guess I could see his point. *g* He put on a cd of Aled Jones singing Christmas carols, (and his famous Walking in the Air song) Sickly sweet but probably a better choice.

Lots to read tonight so I'll let you get on with it. Don't forget to let the writers know if you enjoy what you read.

Ze

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Monday, December 21, 2009

A Necessary Evil (in the US at least)

Lazy day today because my car is in the shop. Last night I couldn't get the headlights to come on so we drove home using the brights. I pulled into the mechanic's this morning and what do you think happened? Yep. The damn headlights came on. Still waiting to hear if they've found anything wrong. I have a feeling I'll be picking up my car and taking it in later when the problem occurs again.

Tamara

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Sunday, December 20, 2009

Holiday Fun

I suggest skipping malls during the mid-afternoon holiday season. I was stupid and tried that on Saturday afternoon. That was definitely a mistake that will not be repeated (at least this year).

Today we enjoyed Peter Pan at the Seattle Children's Theatre and then a dinner of Chinese food. Tonight we are laying low as tomorrow is a work day for me, however only a half day as I plan on having fun with the family downtown during the afternoon.

Enough of my rambling, enjoy your late update.

Elisa

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Saturday, December 19, 2009

Sleepy

I've caught Duncan's cold. Fortunately I don't seem to have quite as bad a case as he did. But I'm pretty congested and now I just want to go to sleep. I'll stay awake though. I want to sleep tonight. Plus we're heading to see Avatar in IMAX 3-d. I reckon that'll keep me awake.

Y'all enjoy the updates. You've got a lot to read tonight.

Tamara

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Friday, December 18, 2009

Solution for Misplaced Address Books

Oh, Ze...here is a recommendation for your lost address book issue. Take it away, Maria.
I found the perfect solution to eliminating the need to have the paper address book physically handy when needing an address. The cell/mobile phone. Almost everyone has one.

For each entry, the phones have a place for landline, work, mobile 1, mobile 2 AND email address. I put physical addresses in the place allocated for the email address, abbreviating when necessary, and leaving out the city/state since I know where they live. There is enough room for all the #'s (home, apartment, zip code).

For the paranoid in some of us, you can put the numbers in code in case you lose the phone and now someone has the addresses of your friends. Though, with the phone number, all you have to do is google the number (at least here in the states), and if it's not unlisted, google kindly gives you name and address associated with that phone number.

You can put the the numbers in 'code,' you just have to remember the 'code' . (Here's an example by using the #2 and the '.' when necessary. Example: the true address is 7329 Guerrera Street. Add 2 to each number, and if the individual # then equals two digits, use the '.' to separate that # from the other(s) - and this is what you input (for 7329): 954.11 - now when you need the address, subtract '2' from each #, and you get 7329. Easy peazy. (true #: 10938 = 32.11.5.10)

That is it. It has worked for me perfectly for years.

I hope this helps.

Maria


Thanks, Maria, for the reply! Enjoy the update!

Elisa

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Thursday, December 17, 2009

Ramble from Marilee

Marilee is here to update us on how her holiday preparations are going....
Well, I have heard it said that cooking can be expensive. That is true, but I can tell you for certain sure baking is!

My brother is a good cook. He is great with soups, casseroles, stews...salads are very good.

I bake....cakes, breads, cookies and so on.

With this being Christmas, I am busy and I am broke!

I have made fudge, made macaroons, have 'no bakes', peanut butter and sugar cookies to make.......several dozens at a time. The sugar cookies will be decorated during sunday's football games. Santa is more likely to have a helmet than his usual hat.

This cookie baking thing started out as just family, then a few friends were added, then co-workers, then to business folks....and this stuff is because of my brother, sister and brother-in-law.

Oh well, as long as everyone gets a little something and it makes them happy.

I hope everyone will have a good Christmas and a very safe and Happy New Year!

Marilee


This is the first year I haven't done Cookiefest. I decided everyone at work could benefit just as much from me taking two large containers of cookies in for everyone to share. It was a lot less work for me and they were as pleased to eat them as they were when everyone got individual bags of four different types of cookies.

Y'all take a little time to let Marilee know how your holiday eats preparations are going and thank her for rambling.

Tamara

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Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Festivals and Christmas Cards.

Friday is Ras as-Sana. The Islamic New Year. It will be 1431 AH. Wishing a good year to our Muslim readers..

And Monday is the winter solstice so, to our Pagan readers, Good Solstice.

The Ides of December misfortune is still at work. My address book has gone missing. It's here in the house - somewhere. I know it is. I had it last week to do some of my Christmas cards (principally the overseas ones), so I know it's around. I need to do the rest of my cards because last posting day is fast approaching. Can I find the damn' thing?? Of course not. I've searched everywhere. Even in the loft (where I haven't been since getting the boxes of Christmas decorations down at the end of November). It's hiding away somewhere, watching me hunt for it, chuckling to itself all the while. Inanimate objects do that you know. It's part of their plot to drive humans insane, so they can take over the world.

It's a right royal pain because I can't remember all the addresses in it. I've remembered a good few, so those cards went off today, but there are about six addresses I'm totally blank over. One of those addresses is that of a couple of really good mates whose house I've actually visited. You'd think I'd remember an address I've been to, wouldn't you?? Now I'm going to have to humbly apologise and beg them to tell me where they live. They'll probably demand payment. Abject surrender maybe. Or they'll make me say nice things about the Welsh. Things that don't have to do with rude comments about sheep or languages with too few vowels. Or maybe they'll be really, really sweet and really, really generous and not make me do anything too bad. **smiles winningly**. Pretty please??

And I'll probably find that useless bloody address book on Boxing day. It's just as well I love Christmas or I'd be bah-humbuging by now otherwise.

Ah well. It's all part of life's rich tapestry or some such rubbish. See you next week. Have a good one. Goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

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Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Beware the Ides of December.

Forget about the Ides of March. The Ides of March are harmless. (Unless your name's Julius Caesar). It's the Ides of December that's a killer.

Reisen's got (another) UTI. That was a trip to the vet, an anti-inflammatory injection and a course of antibiotics. Another sixty quid. Right before Christmas. Just what I needed. Mind you, I don't suppose Reisen's very happy about it either. I'll be sleeping downstairs tonight, on the sofa, so I can let him out easily, without having him bark and wake everybody up. The trouble is he needs to pee about every ninety seconds at the moment. This means I'm not getting a lot of sleep tonight.

Then there's work. The job I was working on ended and we were due to start a new one. But we've had so much rain lately (a whole year's worth in a month) that half the site is flooded and the rest is too wet to break ground. But then - what idiot ignored the fact that the site is called Brook Meadow in the village of Sidford. There's a reason these places get names like that!! We can't start the job until the new year. So this week (and for the first two days of next week) I've got temporary work on a tree farm - digging up Christmas trees for customers. I'll be so glad when Christmas arrives.

Finally there's the never-ending saga of my laptop. I got the free second-hand one. It's almost as old as my old one. It's as big and as heavy and it's a brand I've never heard of. The main problem is it doesn't have any card slots. So I couldn't install my wireless card. I had to decide whether to go for the easy option of putting my hard-drive into this one and resigning myself to not having wireless or the difficult one of removing the power supply (and motherboard because they're linked) from this one and replacing the (dead) one in my old laptop.

Guess which one I picked.

Yep. You guessed it. It took me a week, and a lot of swearing, before I finally admitted that I haven't a bloody clue what I'm doing and yelled for help. According to my next-door-neighbour, her brother-in-law "does computer stuff". He turned out to be a technician. He shook his head a lot. And made a lot of tutting noises. But he sorted in. And he only charged me a six-pack of Guinness. So I now have my old laptop with a new power supply. And as soon as I've charged the battery up - and I get five minutes to myself without having to let Reisen in and out with monotonous regularity - I can catch up on my email, update my blog - and sort out my story.

I think I'll wait until the Ides is over, though.

Ze

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Monday, December 14, 2009

Goodbye Monday!

One down four to go! The weekend flew by, however, sadly Monday did not. A long 5.5 hour training session tomorrow should eat up most of the day. I'm hoping it flies by with not too many fires to put out while I'm gone.

Enjoy your update.

Elisa

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Sunday, December 13, 2009

Burn, Baby, Burn!

Yippee! We've got a fire going. Yes, the burn ban is over (for now). We had a few snow flurries today but nothing major. It warmed up a bit and we saw blue skies and sun...lovely. It's still cold enough for a fire though and that puppy has been cranking out heat since about 1.

Enjoy 'em!

Tamara

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Saturday, December 12, 2009

Cold

Yeah, you're sick of hearing about the burn ban in our city...well, me too. I'm ready to let my fireplace rip. Until then, I'm cold! Yes, my whining is done.

We did a lot of chores this morning then went off to see Planet 51. It was okay but not one we'll buy. Tonight I'll get the tree up (hopefully with some help from the kiddos). Tomorrow holds haircuts and cookies for us.

Y'all stay warm and enjoy your updates!

Elisa

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Friday, December 11, 2009

Just Another Fun-filled Friday

The burn ban is still on and I still miss the fireplace. Other than that, life is humming along quite normally here. I'm minus E for this update because she's hanging out at work waiting for an event at little e's school. Friday evening traffic wasn't worth the trip home and back to Capitol Hill.

Mike is in Spokane for work. He made it over the pass without any snow stopping him. I was very glad of that.

Cal is scheduled to spend the night with me today. In addition to his days during the week (with his brother) he's here every other Friday. Since Mike is out of town I'm going to oppress Duncan and make him sleep over here tonight. This is because I only half trust that he'll get off Xbox Live at a decent time. Friday is his school is over and I can stay up late gorging myself on Xbox Live time. I did promise him a good breakfast Saturday for his trouble.

Whatever you're doing this evening/day, stay safe and enjoy these darn updates.

Tamara

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Thursday, December 10, 2009

Brrrrr....

The weather here in Seattle has turned mighty cold. We're actually breaking records right now for night time lows. I will say that while it's cold it's nothing like Oklahoma cold. This is entirely due to the lack of wind. An Oklahoma winter is quite often windy, which makes those chilly temps even chillier. While I miss the Oklahoma wind I'm not crazy enough to miss it right now. I'll take my nippy minus the tear through your coat, bone biting chill of wind.

I am, however, missing our fireplace. The air quality hasn't been good because of the lack of wind and that's put us in a burn ban. I understand the need for it but I really miss the heat that puppy gives off. Maybe Saturday we'll see a break in the weather and the fireplace can come roaring back to life.

In the meantime, if it's cold where you are, stay warm. If it's hot, stay cool. And, as always, enjoy these updates.

Tamara

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Wednesday, December 09, 2009

Sematics

Couple of messages. First - reader who goes by the user name Des Ervin - thanks for your mail. Tried to respond but can't, mailer reply is Recipient address rejected: User unknown in local recipient table. Wanted to ask if we can use your mail as a ramble. Second. Phair. I know I still owe you a reply. Can't respond at the mo - my email being PITA - will as soon as I can. Lastly a good mate of mine - Nell Stark - and her partner have just been interviewed by After Ellen about a new book they've written. Worth a look. (Interview and book).

Next. Hanukkah starts this coming weekend so before I forget - Happy Hanukkah to our Jewish readers.

Right. Messages over, we now return you to normal programming. Not that I identify with the word normal in any way, shape or form, you understand. Normal is bland. Boring even. Normal is in fact anything but. Normal isn't even (mostly) usual. Normal doesn't mean straight. It doesn't mean not suffering from illness or disability. Normal is the word people use when they mean themselves and "not the other". The other being anything different, not the same, not them, and consequently scary.

Normal is the word that allows bigotry or discrimination to exist. Because the default for normal is white, Christian, middle-class, heterosexual male. Women, people of colour, other faiths, other sexualities, other gender-identities, people with disabilities of any kind, these are all "the other". But these others outnumber all those in the default group, which scares the living daylights out of them. And when something scares you the easiest ways to deal with it are by denying it scares you, or denying it exists, or admitting it exists but declaring that it's wrong to do so, and then by setting the various others against each other. Divide and conquer. Works every time.

I'm generalising here - I do that a lot *g*. Individuals may not feel this way, in fact they may even be appalled by the idea, (and I know lots of good folk who don't), but groups as a lump seldom even think it through let alone question it. And groups who don't question don't think - not thinking allows bigotry to flourish.

And I had absolutely no intention of heading down this road - I was planning on chatting about my new (second-hand) laptop (which isn't - yet - working). But when I typed the word normal my brain just headed off in this direction. Most probably because of this and this and this and this.

All of which scare me. We've come a long way in my lifetime but oh Lord not nearly far enough.

And on that depressing note. *g* Enjoy your updates, goodnight and may your God/s go with you.

Ze

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Tuesday, December 08, 2009

She's Behind You.

This update's title is a reference to Panto. Pantomime that is. That's where I went this evening. To a Panto (Mother Goose). Pantomime is a long and honoured theatrical tradition in The UK. (And in some countries that used to belong to us once, in the bad old days when we were nasty and had Empires & things. Kiwis and Aussies will be well familiar with it).

I don't think America has Panto. In fact - if the reactions of a fair number of the attendees at Xena Conventions (who appear to believe that Michael Hurst invented Window Twankey) is anything to go by - Americans just don't get Panto at all. To be honest, I'm not surprised. If I hadn't grown up with it I probably wouldn't get it either. To an outsider the whole thing must look completely doolally. But we love it.

Especially those of us who are just big kids (like me). Right now I have a sore throat from yelling "She's behind you" and "Oh no you aren't" and "Oh yes he did". Singing (very off key) a song about smiling and not letting the sun set on an argument. And laughing at some dodgy jokes about politicians, bankers, marriage, and a couple of other (rival) towns in my county. Not to mention telling the "other side" of the audience (in chorus with the rest of "my side") to mind their own business (on the instructions of Mother Goose).

All in all I had a great time.

Ze

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