Hey All! Nick and I decided to do a Christmas news letter this year. Here is a link to the letter. I hope that you enjoy, and have a very merry Christmas! (Ignore the box. I think it's trying to put the letter there....but it's failing miserably.)
2010 Christmas letter
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Happy Turkey Days
Happy Thanksgiving!
In honor of Thanksgiving, Nick and I are going to provide a list of things that we are thankful for.
In honor of Thanksgiving, Nick and I are going to provide a list of things that we are thankful for.
- Nick is greatful that we have two computers for me to use.
- I am greatful we both come from families that are relativly normal.
- We are greatful for each other.
- Nick is greatful that he can hide while I blog.
- I am greatful Nick can find places to hide, so I can get things done.
- We are greatful for "The Turkey Song". (Yes, this is the real reason behind the blog entry)
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Donations anyone?
Does anyone want to donate a watermelon? Said watermelon must be whole and intact to be a viable donation.
During the renovation, the construction company left a couple of hard hats. (Yes, this thought is related to the above question.) One of the professors here wants to wear one to his lab. He is curious how long it will take his students to ask if they should be wearing one. When they do, he is planning on saying "No, no. You'll be fine. Just do as I do, and you'll be fine." I think he should add, "If I yell 'duck' you DUCK!" (OK, this thought wasn't so related. But it's still a good one.)
Anyway, as much fun as this would be, I would rather strap them on the ends of a watermelon and drop it off the roof of the building. You know, as a favor to the construction company. To show them just how much bang they are getting for their buck.
So, does anyone have a watermelon that they don't want? It's for a good cause. It's tax deductible.* Tax deductions are good...especially when they involve a watermelon, two hard hats, and a four story building.
*I consider it a charitable donation. The US government might disagree. Mainly, that's why I'm not a tax attorney, accountant, or financial guru.
During the renovation, the construction company left a couple of hard hats. (Yes, this thought is related to the above question.) One of the professors here wants to wear one to his lab. He is curious how long it will take his students to ask if they should be wearing one. When they do, he is planning on saying "No, no. You'll be fine. Just do as I do, and you'll be fine." I think he should add, "If I yell 'duck' you DUCK!" (OK, this thought wasn't so related. But it's still a good one.)
Anyway, as much fun as this would be, I would rather strap them on the ends of a watermelon and drop it off the roof of the building. You know, as a favor to the construction company. To show them just how much bang they are getting for their buck.
So, does anyone have a watermelon that they don't want? It's for a good cause. It's tax deductible.* Tax deductions are good...especially when they involve a watermelon, two hard hats, and a four story building.
*I consider it a charitable donation. The US government might disagree. Mainly, that's why I'm not a tax attorney, accountant, or financial guru.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Seriously! You've got to be kidding me!
So, a while back I mentioned a patent that was featured in Chemical and Engineering News. If you don't remember, or were not reading then, it can be found here.
It has been funded, mass produced, and can be yours for a little less than $30. There's a whole web page devoted to the product. I have noticed, however, that many of the questions that I had went unanswered. (They probably never saw my post, but that is beside the point.)
Sure, they say it's comfortable, but how comfortable can it actually be? If, as a gas mask, the cup acts as a filter, how can it provide for adequate air flow as a bra? Does it have to be worn loose? It has been my experience that a loose bra is worse than no bra.
What about a hot and humid day. The true question that should be asked here is: on a hot, humid and generally icky-sticky day, would you really want to put your face where the girls were...when they weren't able to breathe?
I don't know about you, but I sweat. And on a day similar to the one describe above, I sweat a lot. My bra gets wet. How does this moisture affect the bra? Is it more effective, less effective or will it now suffocate me?
Kudos to Bodnar for thinking outside of the box, and congrats on her Ig Noble Award. But, there are a lot of questions that have to be answered before I will be willing to stake my life (or $30....that's a lot for a bra that won't fit) on it. And the FAQs provided by ebbra doesn't even come close to addressing the real issues.
It has been funded, mass produced, and can be yours for a little less than $30. There's a whole web page devoted to the product. I have noticed, however, that many of the questions that I had went unanswered. (They probably never saw my post, but that is beside the point.)
Sure, they say it's comfortable, but how comfortable can it actually be? If, as a gas mask, the cup acts as a filter, how can it provide for adequate air flow as a bra? Does it have to be worn loose? It has been my experience that a loose bra is worse than no bra.
What about a hot and humid day. The true question that should be asked here is: on a hot, humid and generally icky-sticky day, would you really want to put your face where the girls were...when they weren't able to breathe?
I don't know about you, but I sweat. And on a day similar to the one describe above, I sweat a lot. My bra gets wet. How does this moisture affect the bra? Is it more effective, less effective or will it now suffocate me?
Kudos to Bodnar for thinking outside of the box, and congrats on her Ig Noble Award. But, there are a lot of questions that have to be answered before I will be willing to stake my life (or $30....that's a lot for a bra that won't fit) on it. And the FAQs provided by ebbra doesn't even come close to addressing the real issues.
Monday, August 9, 2010
12 Steps--Step 10
Step 10: Continuing Inventory
Despite my most valiant efforts, I keep finding my self slipping. You will note, however, that this list is considerably shorter than the first one. Yea! Progress can be seen!
**My morbid sense of humor shows in #2. If you're offended by that kind of thing, please skip it.**
#1 Kearney has a building named "The Lighthouse Counseling Center." The name probably is a metaphor for being a beacon of light in a dark time, or some other well thought out word play. However, my first thought upon seeing this? "If I was a lighthouse in Kearney, I would need counseling too."
#2 My mom was giving a talk at my Grandmother's funeral about a month ago. We were all huddled around her looking for a particular scripture she wanted to use. All of us could remember hearing it, but none of us could find it. It turns out that the familiar form of the scripture wasn't in the King James version of the bible. But, I digress. After we found the scripture we started randomly flipping through books to find other quotes for her. Helpful of us, wasn't it? Well, I started perusing A Bit of a Pause for Mrs Claus by Schick-Jacobwitz, Schick-Pierce, and Drake. I came across a quote that I just had to share. "Her muscles were aching, her feet were so sore. This overworked housewife could take no more." It was very well received.
#3 A few months ago, the RS president gave me my visiting teaching assignment. It was in an envelope with a violin bow on it...to fit the metaphor she thought up. I am the bow, my companion is the violin, and our sisters are the strings. Separate we are incomplete, but together we make beautiful music. I thought it was a very nice metaphor; an apt description of the visiting teaching program. When we reached the end of the hall, I leaned into Nick and told him my second thoughts. "So, my companion and I are supposed to irritate our sisters until they squeal?" I think logic has made me a bad Mormon.
#4 The other night Nick was imputing receipts into the computer after our family vacation. He murmured something, so I did my part and asked what was wrong. The conversation went something like this:
"Nothing. I just can't seem to figure out why we are not out of money yet."
"Because we haven't spent it all?"
**Dirty look that could curdle milk, in about 3.5 seconds**
"Do I have to apologise for this on my blog?"
"YES!!"
#5 I recently finished reading a book on the mensa murders. I don't know if anyone will remember, but in the late 1980s a guy tried to kill an entire family because they wouldn't turn their radio down. Anyway, in the acknowledgments a lawyer was thanked for suppling legal advice and "wicked wit." My first thought was, "Why didn't any of that make it into the book? I like wicked wit."
Well, as you see, I still have some work to do. Hopefully I have come far enough along that my backslides are minimal to my overall progression. Ah well, only time will tell.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
It's not the air that's trying to kill you dear.
A while ago, and to select friends, I made mention that the Nebraskan air is tyring to kill me. I thought that, in the interest of fair reporting, I should mention that I went for allergy testing yesterday. Here's how I learned that my body has a death wish.
After listening to my symptoms, the woes/inadequacies of current/past medications, and making sure I was a good girl and abstained from antihistamines for the past 72 hours, I was tested for the more common indoor/outdoor allergens. If you don't know how this is done, I'll explain. A group of allergens are preloaded on to a tray. The tray is then pressed into your back. It both drops a bit of serum and creates a small scratch. Then you wait, for 15 minutes, while your body does what it does. In my case, that was react.
Apparently I am not allergic to mold, dogs, or the vast majority of trees. Out of 14 weeds they tested for, I am allergic to 11...including hemp. That explains why my necklace always makes me itch...I thought it was a texture thing. Out of the 11 grasses that they tested for, I am allergic to 10 of them. But don't worry. We can still have a nice, lush, green lawn of corn out front. In keeping with the total truth theme, I am allergic to three of the 17 trees that were tested for. And, as Nick likes to keep pointing out, I am a little bit cat allergic.
I first suspected that there would be many reactions when four minutes after the test was started my back felt like it was smoldering. Thankfully, just before it erupted into flames, the doctor came back and said, "It looks like you're in the right clinic."
Decisions so far? We're still getting a cat. And I was lied to. I've never, EVER, seen a mosquito bite that made a red spot bigger than a quarter and a bump the size of a penny. I looked like I was beat with a belt!
After listening to my symptoms, the woes/inadequacies of current/past medications, and making sure I was a good girl and abstained from antihistamines for the past 72 hours, I was tested for the more common indoor/outdoor allergens. If you don't know how this is done, I'll explain. A group of allergens are preloaded on to a tray. The tray is then pressed into your back. It both drops a bit of serum and creates a small scratch. Then you wait, for 15 minutes, while your body does what it does. In my case, that was react.
Apparently I am not allergic to mold, dogs, or the vast majority of trees. Out of 14 weeds they tested for, I am allergic to 11...including hemp. That explains why my necklace always makes me itch...I thought it was a texture thing. Out of the 11 grasses that they tested for, I am allergic to 10 of them. But don't worry. We can still have a nice, lush, green lawn of corn out front. In keeping with the total truth theme, I am allergic to three of the 17 trees that were tested for. And, as Nick likes to keep pointing out, I am a little bit cat allergic.
I first suspected that there would be many reactions when four minutes after the test was started my back felt like it was smoldering. Thankfully, just before it erupted into flames, the doctor came back and said, "It looks like you're in the right clinic."
Decisions so far? We're still getting a cat. And I was lied to. I've never, EVER, seen a mosquito bite that made a red spot bigger than a quarter and a bump the size of a penny. I looked like I was beat with a belt!
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Family Vacations!
Nick and I just got back from our first official family vacation.
Instead of putting the anticipated 4k miles on our car, we decided to rent a car. A Hyundai this time. It drove OK, but had huge blind spots in the back...kind of scary knowing how many short people would be around us. It was a grey/green color, which, according to the rental agreement, was beige. Anyway, I digress.
We spent a few days in Southern Idaho, for the Ellis family reunion. It was very enjoyable. I got to spend 6 hours outside, in a single day! Of course, I had to spend all but 4 hours of the next day hiding from all things green. We played a game of Ultimate organized by Nick's nephew. I seriously don't think he could have set up the teams any more in his favor. :) We raced plastic ducks, and blew one up with a firecracker. We raced pinewood derby cars, Lego cars, matchbox cars, high heels, and pretty much anything else that had wheels, or could have wheels added to it. And, of course, good food and company overflowed. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new family a little bit better; hopefully I didn't scared them too much.
After a few days, we jumped back into our 'beige' car and drove down to Southern Utah to visit my family. Life in St. George is very much different, and people are rarely found outside (for more than 15-20 minutes anyway) between the hours of 10 am to 5 pm. We managed to have some fun though. We went swimming at the Washington community center. We were finally able to pry my black powder gun from my Dad's hands. We found some odds and ends for the apartment (like an $80 art piece for only $16). And we can't forget the shooting. I am proud to admit that, despite the peer-pressure, I remain a 3.5" shell virgin. That, and a tomato makes a very satisfying shotgun target.
We then jumped back into the car, and spent the night in Salt Lake City. We had dinner with a friend and her new fiance. Nick was adamant about getting a hotel room with a Jacuzzi tub. He then proceeded to draw a romantic bubble bath. I was unconcerned at the first large squirt of dish soap. (That's right, my allergies have reduced me to dish soap!) Mildly amused at the second, and faintly alarmed at the third. Since there wasn't a fourth, I figured it was OK. Once the jets were turned on, the bubbles took over. It literally took us an hour to clean up. I feel sorry for anyone who draws a bath in that tub, and doesn't want bubbles. They won't get it for the next month or so!
Then we jumped back into the car and drove home. Now we are wishing we had a maid to unpack for us.
Instead of putting the anticipated 4k miles on our car, we decided to rent a car. A Hyundai this time. It drove OK, but had huge blind spots in the back...kind of scary knowing how many short people would be around us. It was a grey/green color, which, according to the rental agreement, was beige. Anyway, I digress.
We spent a few days in Southern Idaho, for the Ellis family reunion. It was very enjoyable. I got to spend 6 hours outside, in a single day! Of course, I had to spend all but 4 hours of the next day hiding from all things green. We played a game of Ultimate organized by Nick's nephew. I seriously don't think he could have set up the teams any more in his favor. :) We raced plastic ducks, and blew one up with a firecracker. We raced pinewood derby cars, Lego cars, matchbox cars, high heels, and pretty much anything else that had wheels, or could have wheels added to it. And, of course, good food and company overflowed. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new family a little bit better; hopefully I didn't scared them too much.
After a few days, we jumped back into our 'beige' car and drove down to Southern Utah to visit my family. Life in St. George is very much different, and people are rarely found outside (for more than 15-20 minutes anyway) between the hours of 10 am to 5 pm. We managed to have some fun though. We went swimming at the Washington community center. We were finally able to pry my black powder gun from my Dad's hands. We found some odds and ends for the apartment (like an $80 art piece for only $16). And we can't forget the shooting. I am proud to admit that, despite the peer-pressure, I remain a 3.5" shell virgin. That, and a tomato makes a very satisfying shotgun target.
We then jumped back into the car, and spent the night in Salt Lake City. We had dinner with a friend and her new fiance. Nick was adamant about getting a hotel room with a Jacuzzi tub. He then proceeded to draw a romantic bubble bath. I was unconcerned at the first large squirt of dish soap. (That's right, my allergies have reduced me to dish soap!) Mildly amused at the second, and faintly alarmed at the third. Since there wasn't a fourth, I figured it was OK. Once the jets were turned on, the bubbles took over. It literally took us an hour to clean up. I feel sorry for anyone who draws a bath in that tub, and doesn't want bubbles. They won't get it for the next month or so!
Then we jumped back into the car and drove home. Now we are wishing we had a maid to unpack for us.
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