Chat & Greetings 2006

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Jan 1, 2006 12:21 am (#2698 of 2980)

Happy New Years to my forum family!

We are not old! Just tired of the old year and resting up for the new one

*toddles off to see where I parked my drink...*

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Lina - Jan 1, 2006 1:15 am (#2699 of 2980)

A very happy new year to everybody!

I won't wish you that all your wishes come true, because it might not always be safe (look at Kate and her wishes for snow... ). But I wish you peace, happiness and joy!

We have a friend with her son visiting us, we welcomed the new year in a nice chat (live, not on line ), I slept enough, and the New year has not come yet to all the parts of the world...

Cheers to everyone!

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Madam Pince - Jan 1, 2006 9:45 am (#2700 of 2980)

Happy New Year, everyone! A healthy, happy, and prosperous 2006 to all!

Belated Happy Birthday, Kate! I must've been in a fog -- I totally missed it! Hope you had a wonderful day! It sounds like your party was fun; isn't it great to get together with old friends you haven't seen for awhile? But I'm sorry to hear that you fell on the ice and got hurt -- that's no fun at all. Hope you feel better soon.

Tim, you're so right about that Narnia line about Eustace! It's a classic. I agree with you, I actually think Lewis is pretty funny. Puddleglum the Marsh-Wiggle cracks me up with his gloomy prognostications all the time. And outside of the Narnia books, I think The Screwtape Letters is great for dry humor. I'm currently re-reading it, and the little human observations are so funny, and tragic at the same time, if you know what I mean.

Mandy, I'm so glad you posted that on here about the Rose Bowl Parade! We've been frantically channel-switching trying to find it, and I finally said "Oh, I'll look it up on the computer," so, naturally, I had to check the Forum first! Now I don't have to go looking for Rose Bowl Parade info! You're right though, sad about it being tomorrow -- it's just not tradition. I suppose nothing gets in the way of the almighty NFL, though.

Boop, glad to hear you've had a nice little break / vacation! You deserve the rest! Dealing with all those kids that you do must really take it out of you! Hope you have a great 2006!

We had a fairly quiet New Year's Eve at home -- we stayed up to watch Dick Clark and drink a glass of (really bad) champagne, and then that was about it. We did have some steamed shrimp like Vlad had for dinner, though, so that was nice! Also, apparently it's a tradition here on the Eastern Shore to fire off blank shotgun shells to ring in the New Year, so Mr. Pince had to confirm our Redneck-ville status by participating -- Little Pince thought it was very cool and joined in by banging pots and pans. Today I think my Mom is going to take us out for brunch at this fancy-schmanzy Inn up the street, if Little Pince can behave himself during it. At least we're all feeling well enough to sit through without coughing too much, I hope!

****Joins rest of Forum in having no desire to see King Kong, and shudders at the thought of Peter Jackson directing a HP movie****

Marie E, you should try "Goo-Gone" for the Silly String stains. It takes off almost anything! You can get it at a hardware store or Wal-Mart probably, or if you watch TV closely you can probably get 2 gallons of it plus a free super-duper-eggplant-slicer for only $19.95, if you call in the next 20 minutes.

...the first books I read in English were the LotR ones. I really had trouble with the first one... --Elanor.[

Funny thing, Elanor, I had trouble with LotR in English, too. Never have gotten through them all. I tried valiantly for several years, then finally gave up.

Stephanie, if you have tiny shoulders, it's a pity you weren't growing up during the 1980's. Those shoulder pads did wonders for skinny shoulders! I probably have something in my closet that you could borrow, should you ever want to try them out.

****Is hoping to go see The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe tomorrow maybe, and glad to hear that it might be OK for littler ones!****

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Tazzygirl - Jan 1, 2006 11:26 am (#2701 of 2980)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! I stayed up to watch Dick Clark (even though the ball had already dropped New York Time), and I was kinda sad that the stroke that he had hit him so hard. When he talked it sounded like he was trying really hard. Oh, well. At least he managed to count down this year!

I think I am going to wait to see King Kong when it comes to video. Then I can lay down comfortably on a couch, and fall asleep if I feel the urge... . I think I am going to take my parents to see HP today, I have been trying to get them to see it since I came to California, and between the holidays and the surgery, haven't had a chance. The sad thing is that it is now playing at one theater in the area, and there are only two showtimes! So sad...

Hope everyone has a fantastic day/ night!

~Kristina

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septentrion - Jan 1, 2006 12:23 pm (#2702 of 2980)

Happy New Year everyone !

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Stephanie M. - Jan 1, 2006 12:41 pm (#2703 of 2980)

Happy New Year!!

LOL. My mom has some dresses that have built in shoulder pads in them. I should try them on just to see what I look like.

Last night I stayed up for the ball to drop. Then I listened to 2 MuggleCasts and then I read some more of a book. I wound up going to bed after 4 a.m. I should have posted this last night because my post would have said 1 a.m. I usually go to sleep (when I'm on vacation) around 2 to 2:30 a.m, but if I post on the Forum it won't seem as late. Oh well.

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Marie E. - Jan 1, 2006 12:56 pm (#2704 of 2980)

Viola, my HP Legos are never on the floor. Heehee.

Madame Pince, we use Goo Gone at work all the time. Why didn't I think of that?

We spent last night with a bunch of friends. Very fun! We played Texas Hold 'Em and listened to 80's music on satellite radio. We set off fireworks and poppers (plastic tubes where you pull a string and confetti comes shooting out). The hosts had bought crackers, not knowing they are for Christmas, I think. I got a funny joke in mine: What animal is gray, has a trunk, and a tail? A mouse going on holiday.

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Elanor - Jan 1, 2006 1:17 pm (#2705 of 2980)

Bonne année!

Happy new year everyone!!!

I've just come back from my brother's where we had a great party! The champagne was delicious and I thought very hard of you all at midnight!

May you all have a wonderful year!

Audrey

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I Am Used Vlad - Jan 1, 2006 1:26 pm (#2706 of 2980)

Happy New Year to all. If I am not mistaken, 2006 will be the first year since the forum began without a new HP book or movie. What, pray tell, are we going to talk about all year? M. Night Shyamalan does have a new movie coming out, which should keep us occupied in July.

Marie, a game of Hold 'Em for HP prizes would be a good idea for the CO Gathering.

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Marie E. - Jan 1, 2006 1:31 pm (#2707 of 2980)

That is an awesome idea, Sam!!

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Ydnam96 - Jan 1, 2006 1:42 pm (#2708 of 2980)

Well, I read an article that the Rose Parade is never held on Sundays. Not since like 1893 or something like that. Go figure. Anyway. It's okay because coverage here in LA starts at 6am and if it had been this morning I would have totally missed it. I slept until 11:30am! I'm not sure I have ever slept in that long before. It was wonderful

Kitty is sick. Poor guy. I was cleaning my carpet at 11:30 last night. Thank goodness for carpet cleaner.

I also have no desire to see King Kong. Not because of Peter Jackson (I love LOTR) but the story itself just does not interest me. I do on the other hand want to see Munich. I have heard wonderful things about it.

Anyway, have a wonderful New Year's Day everyone!

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I Am Used Vlad - Jan 1, 2006 1:56 pm (#2709 of 2980)

Thanks, Marie. Your brother will have the advantage since he probably hangs out in casinos all the time.

I think I'm going to finally see King Kong tonight.

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Netherlandic - Jan 1, 2006 1:59 pm (#2710 of 2980)

ah. Finally back after four months. Lovely to see you all again.

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Detail Seeker - Jan 1, 2006 2:01 pm (#2711 of 2980)

Welcome back, Netherlandic.

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Puck - Jan 1, 2006 2:08 pm (#2712 of 2980)

My 5 year old likes to help vacuum, but I am careful of that since the day he stopped and yelled he had hit a Playmobil piece. I pulled out all the dirt and dust and cat hair and finally found the precious toy at the bottom of the bag.

Need to get the house clean for the in-laws arriving tomorrow. I ran out this afternoon to get gifts for them, as Mr. Puck didn't do a very good job of it. We'll celebrate Christmas with them tomorrow. Snow-free charms, as we have people flying in both tomorrow and Tuesday, and the weather predictions aren't grand!

Happy first day of 2006.

Kathy

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Netherlandic - Jan 1, 2006 2:13 pm (#2713 of 2980)

Thanks, Detail Seeker.

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boop - Jan 1, 2006 2:41 pm (#2714 of 2980)

Welcome Back Netherlandic

Happy New Year

hugs always

boop

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Tazzygirl - Jan 1, 2006 3:25 pm (#2715 of 2980)

Welcome back Netherlandic!

It is really cold and rainy today. Parents have this thing about not turning on the heat. Have no idea why. Glad to be going to see HP again...

We took all the Christmas stuff down a little while ago- and this is probably the one time a year I really wish I could say Scourgify (I think that is it, for cleaning) and snap my fingers and everything gets put away. When my brother heard we were putting stuff away, he innocently said he would move my mom's car to the driveway so we could get the boxes out of the garage, and next thing we knew he was on his way to lunch with some of his friends. So we saved the vacuuming for him... Although I am pretty impressed- my parents usually have us take everything down the day after Christmas, so Jan. 1st is a HUGE step!!! lol

Lina- that is a great picture of Kate and her cake!

~Kristina

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timrew - Jan 1, 2006 5:28 pm (#2716 of 2980)

Madame Pince:- I had trouble with LOTR in English, too. Never have gotten through them all. I tried valiantly for several years, then finally gave up.

Persevere, Madame Pince! JRRT does, in fact, change the way he writes for a whole book, almost; and I think it's at this point that most people give up. It's the bit involving the battle before the gates of Minas Tirith, and then the bit where Faramir is recovering in hospital with Eowyn.

For some reason, JRRT slips into an almost archaic, chivalric English - I think he got carried away! For example, he has Eowyn, on the battlefield, cry to the Lord of the Nazgul, "Begone, foul dwimmerlake!"

Now, apart from looking up 'dwimmerlake' in my Shorter Oxford Dictionary, and then thinking, 'How would that translate into French?', I warn people in advance who are going to read LOTR for the first time, to persevere through this bit. It does come back to normal English eventually!

I mentioned this to my son, and he commented after, that if I hadn't warned him, he would have put the book down and never read it again. And I do think it's worth reading!

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Stephanie M. - Jan 1, 2006 5:59 pm (#2717 of 2980)

Welcome Back Netherlandic!!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 1, 2006 6:28 pm (#2718 of 2980)

Happy New Year everyone! Mr. Lupin is Lupin and I had a wonderful time eating Chinese and finishing The Sopranos Season 5. I hate going out on New Year's. I like to be snug at home.

We've been spending the day helping our son assemble his Lego Hogwarts (man, that Owlery was tough), and catching episodes from The Twilight Zone marathon on the SciFi Channel. Has anyone else caught this? Outside of the episodes themselves, it's great fun to play "God, who is that???" We've seen Jack Klugman (3 times), Elizabeth Montgomery (no, she didn't twitch her nose) with Charles Bronson, Burgess Meredith (twice), Martin Landau (before Space 1999 (does anyone remember that show?), Dick York (or was it Dick Sargent?), Agnes Moorhead (believe it or not they were all in different episodes), Jeanne Cooper (before The Young and the Restless), Billy Mumy, Claude Akins, Robert Duvall...well, it's endless really. I can't believe home many notable actors were on it.

I hope that for all of you who had an exciting time last night your recovery today has gone smoothly. The report from Mr. Lupin is Lupin is that church was practically empty this morning. Ooops.

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Springtime - Jan 1, 2006 6:42 pm (#2719 of 2980)

Happy New Year Everyone.

I had a great evening with friends

Hope everyone has a great year a head of them

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Madam Pince - Jan 1, 2006 6:48 pm (#2720 of 2980)

Tim, thanks for the encouragement about LotR. How's this: I will make a New Year's resolution that I will try again to read them before the end of 2006. Hey, I sat through Kill Bill, Vol. II the other day, I ought to be able to manage LotR.

Welcome back, netherlandic!

Had to tell you guys about the Harry Potter Quidditch game that I got for Christmas. It's actually pretty cool! I promised Little Pince that if he behaved himself at the fancy-schmanzy brunch, then we would set it up and play this afternoon, and he did, so we did. There are only two players, Harry and Draco, and no bludgers, but it's still pretty neat! The goals rotate around so it makes it harder to score, and that darn Snitch jumps out randomly when you're concentrating on your Quaffles and so nobody's ever caught it except once (I finally got enough of a lead that I quit "shooting" and just waited for the Snitch.) The only problem was that the scorekeeper shouts out "Gryffindor leads! 30 points!" or whatever, and I kept waiting for him to yell out the Slytherin score (which he never did) so I thought Draco was broken for a little while. Then I couldn't understand why the Gryffindor score would be 30 one time and then 20 the next time he yelled out. I finally figured out that it gives you the net score and only yells out the leading team. After we got that little wrinkle ironed out there were no worries. Little Pince wants to be Draco all the time so he can sneer "Scared, Potter?" It's so cute.

OK, so back to playing the game.....

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Puck - Jan 1, 2006 9:07 pm (#2721 of 2980)

Sounds fun, Madame P.! Isn't funny how little boys always want to be the "bad guy"?

Taking a quick break. I haven't even started cleaning the disaster of a kitchen, and it's 11pm here. Must get it clean before tomorrow. Got the baby's room clean to make room for the air-beds the relatives will be using. Bathroom is clean as well. I'll make Mr. Puck vacuum tomorrow, as it is his family coming. Once they're here they're dead helpful about dishes and such, so it will be a bit of a break.

Okay, off to face the mess!

Kathy

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 1, 2006 10:44 pm (#2722 of 2980)

Hi!

I'm back from my travels.

Christmas was a wonderfully hot breezy day with a nice refreshing storm thrown in. This year I asked for donations to enable me to buy a small chest freezer. As I am a casual worker, my income is erratic and I really want to be able to stock up when I have the money. Tomorrow I am going to buy it! (and pick up the doggies from the boarding kennels).

After spending 4 days with my Mother, I went to spend four days with a friend of mine from Uni and her family. On the Wednesday (28th?) we went shopping at Spotlight (mega big fabric and craft store) and I went a little crazy at the sight of all that lovely material. I did get 4 skirts and 4 shirts, 1 vest and 2 pairs of sleeping shorts made in 3 days (guess what we were doing on New Years Eve????). My friend did the sewing and I did all the cutting out.

I also saw GoF (2nd time), Narnia (slow, but good. Soundtrack is even better!) and King Kong. I agree with Mike that the movie could be cut by a good 30 mins, its just that we have different ideas over what should be cut.

It is currently 40 degrees (cel) with a relative humidity of 13% and I am feeling very hot, tired and sticky. Brisbane was very hot and humid. I had a hard time keeping my ears dry. The last thing I wanted was a moist ear and my hearing aid keeping the moisture in and giving me an ear infection. I really do appreciate the dry air we get here!

Glad to see everyone had a safe christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Off to hit the magic button!

Lizzy

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Troels Forchhammer - Jan 2, 2006 1:24 am (#2723 of 2980)

A bit belated in this thread, but still:
Harry New Year!
or
Godt Nytår!


Best wishes,
Troels

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The giant squid - Jan 2, 2006 3:07 am (#2724 of 2980)

I agree that Tolkein can be hard to slog through in parts...though I found the Silmarillion much more difficult than Lord of the Rings. Partly because of the piecemeal nature (it was compiled by Christopher Tolkein from his dad's notes) and partly because it's hard to follow some of the characters when they live for ages (literally).

Thanks, Marie. Your brother will have the advantage since he probably hangs out in casinos all the time.--I Am Used Vlad

On the contrary, my only exposure to Texas Hold 'Em is on Celebrity Poker Showdown. Most people who live in Vegas tend to stay away from the Strip and other casinos except to work...either that or they learn the true meaning of "broke". Besides, I don't get paid enough to play poker. The best I can do is the occasional nickel-slot.

Happy New Year, all. I see that everyone is still going to the movies during the winter break (we had over 3300 people tonight at work--about 3 times our usual Sunday crowd). Apparently this Friday (Jan. 6) we'll be getting Brokeback Mountain. I can hear the cranky old ladies complaining already...

--Mike

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 2, 2006 4:07 am (#2725 of 2980)

Mike:

It must be the weather that is sending everyone to the movies. While I've been in Brisbane, there has been a bit of a heatwave in over the whole eastern half of Australia (and some nasty bushfires).

It was 44.2 deg cel in Sydney yesterday (2nd highest maximum temp since 1939) and people have been flocking to see movies in the cool cinemas.

Can't say I blame them.

Lizzy

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Elanor - Jan 2, 2006 7:04 am (#2726 of 2980)

Timrew: "Now, apart from looking up 'dwimmerlake' in my Shorter Oxford Dictionary, and then thinking, 'How would that translate into French?',"
Er...Actually, the guy who translated "The Return of the King" must have had trouble with that one too because he just translated it by: "Va-t'en, immonde dwimmerlaik, seigneur de la charogne". I still have no idea what a "dwimmerlaik" is BTW ("lord of carrion" in Rohirrim language maybe? Or another way to call a disgusting nazgul names in the language of Rohan, but certainly not "sweetheart", that's certain!).

Anyway, madam Pince, I'll second Timrew: don't give up, it is really worth it! I nearly wore out my French-English dictionary on it (the "W" section was never the same afterwards) but it was a great experience.

Glad to see you again Lizzie! How funny weather is! It is 40°C where you live and here, 3 days ago, it was - 16°C (3°F) in the morning, with freezing rain in the afternoon. Today is just rainy and cold (2°C / 35°F).

Have a great night /day everybody!

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Good Evans - Jan 2, 2006 9:10 am (#2727 of 2980)

I'm a little late but just wanted to wish everyone a very happy new year. I must confess I went to bed new years eve about 11.30 - I was just beat, so I wished everyone a happy new year, hit the hay and then got up at 7 am to peel veggies for the turkey dinner we had with friends on Sunday - had a lovely New Years day and hope that all the forummers did too. Still got some packing to do, but I have tomorrow, so I may well get on to the chat room in a bit....

Julie

x

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Springtime - Jan 2, 2006 9:16 am (#2728 of 2980)

Happy New Year !!

Today will be spent taking down the decorations

Hope everyone has a great day

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Gina R Snape - Jan 2, 2006 9:54 am (#2729 of 2980)

Happy New Year, everyone!



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Finn BV - Jan 2, 2006 9:55 am (#2730 of 2980)

Sorry everybody, 144 posts and a very exhausted me (having not received a lot of sleep on New Year's Day) caused me to skip to the very end on this thread, so a very happy new year to all of you and cheering charms, happy birthdays, and everything else on their way from here!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 2, 2006 10:54 am (#2731 of 2980)

It is still pouring rain, and the wind has decided it wanted to blow... I don't think it let up at all since yesterday afternoon. Parents finally did turn the heater on! I guess they finally broke down because the theater we went to had the air conditioning on and we were sitting directly underneath it. (!?!?!?)

Glad to hear you are back Lizzie!

Hope everyone has a good day/ night!

~Kristina

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azi - Jan 2, 2006 11:22 am (#2732 of 2980)

Tim and Elanor - a Dwimmerlaik is a sort of haunting spirit, according to the superstitious people of Rohan. They included the Ringwraiths and the Men of Dunharrow etc. plus even the Elves of Lothlorien and the Ents! The advantages of having a Tolkien world dictionary...

Hope everyone has had a cool new year! I finished my trilogy of books at exactly midnight...interesting coincidence!

Need to start revising for January exams...grrr! I hate education at times. Not helping is the fact I'm becoming nocturnal, no sleep at night, can't wake up in day.

Welcome back Netherlandic!

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Madam Pince - Jan 2, 2006 11:52 am (#2733 of 2980)

Gina, who's that hugging Severus in your avatar??? Too cute!!! I love his expression!

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Gina R Snape - Jan 2, 2006 11:58 am (#2734 of 2980)

Thanks, Madam Pince. It's supposed to be a slytherin student, not one from canon specifically. Unfortunately, I can't remember the name of the artist, but I always love that drawing.

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Catherine  - Jan 2, 2006 12:24 pm (#2735 of 2980)

A belated Happy New Year to everyone.

We had unexpected company at the end of December; my in-laws decided to come pay an unannounced visit.

They gave my husband a gift that I could not wait to share with the Forum. They bought him a sweater that I assumed (half correctly) was wool.

The other half is....oppossum fur. **waves to Loopy Lupin and Lupin is Lupin**

Just when you think you've heard of everything...you realize that you can still be surprised.

Unfortunately.

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Ydnam96 - Jan 2, 2006 12:39 pm (#2736 of 2980)

Catherine, that's hysterical. Is it soft? Is it a nice sweater? I know, you should take a picture and post it so we all can see. I am so curious.

I'd have to agree with Tazzy about the weather here. It's crazy. Very reminiscent of the weather we had when I lived in Mississippi and we were having tropical storms. I'm kinda enjoying it

I'm ashamed to say that I woke up early to watch the Rose Parade but fell asleep during it. I'm sooo tired. It's my last day off work so I'm off to enjoy it (as much as possible).

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Netherlandic - Jan 2, 2006 1:08 pm (#2737 of 2980)

Thanks everyone. It is good to be back. And happy New Year as well. I have a lot of caching up to do. Over a thousand post on the Snape tread. Oops. (That one is my favorite).

Nice fireworks, Gina.

Opossum fur? Would I love to go to Australia and see al these funny animals for myself.

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Catherine  - Jan 2, 2006 1:34 pm (#2738 of 2980)
Edited Jan 2, 2006 4:06 pm

Netherlandic,

I've seen an oppossum (named Blossom) in my basement here in North Carolina. Trust me, seeing them up close does NOT flatter them!

I think Mr. Catherine's possum fur sweater needs to have a tragic accident. Or perhaps I should call animal control to come trap it.

What's funny and awful about this sweater is that I knew there was something "else" in it, and I asked Mr. Catherine, "What is that in the sweater? Rabbit?"

He quite truthfully replied, "No, it's not rabbit." He remembers quite well the "Blossom in the basement" trauma and did not wish to relive it every time he wears the sweater.

He wasn't happy when my mother -in-law told me it was possum fur "recycled because they have a big problem with oppossums in New Zealand, you know."

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Netherlandic - Jan 2, 2006 1:41 pm (#2739 of 2980)

Catherine, haha. What a story.

About tragic accidents; isn't there a pregnant cat or dog that needs to make a nest/bed/place of birth? A nice opossum fur would be warm and comfortable for kittens or puppies.

Or just trough it in the washing machine with something new in the colour of orange/red...

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 2, 2006 2:04 pm (#2740 of 2980)

The pesky little possums, in New Zealand, that are now donating their fur to sweaters originally are the native variety from Australia. We call them possums, but I would assume they are fairly close to the US variety.

Lizzy

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Gina R Snape - Jan 2, 2006 2:11 pm (#2741 of 2980)

Catherine, how do you know it's name is Blossom?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 2, 2006 2:29 pm (#2742 of 2980)

Because.....

There once was a possum named Blossom,
People 'round here thought she was quite awesome,
But Catherine demurred, shouting "Get rid of that cur!"
And that's when the Animal Control Officer saw some.

Any excuse to trot out that old ditty.

***Waves back vigorously to Catherine--I'm over here!!!***

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Springtime - Jan 2, 2006 3:32 pm (#2743 of 2980)

I have sort of reclaimed my house from the christmas decorations.

Tree is down. and decorations are put away for another year. Just need to do the clean up.

Have a great evening everyone.

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timrew - Jan 2, 2006 5:07 pm (#2744 of 2980)

Thanks for the definition of 'dwimmerlake', azi. Much appreciated!

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Catherine  - Jan 2, 2006 5:17 pm (#2745 of 2980)

Catherine, how do you know it's name is Blossom?—Gina

I call all oppossums "Blossom" after the apocryphal possum in the limerick by our own "Lupin is Lupin. Natch." The heroine of said poem is a much-maligned marsupial who sparked a veritable war between husband and wife, woman and county, dog and mistress.

Kim, thanks very much. I never thought I could EVER find possums so amusing again, but Mr. Catherine can attest that I was indeed "tickled to death" as we say in the South. Which is to say, I laughed a whole bunch, and loudly.

Perhaps I do like the ending to the story. Blossom as a sweater.

How fitting.

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Gina R Snape - Jan 2, 2006 5:44 pm (#2746 of 2980)

Cute, you two.

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Marie E. - Jan 2, 2006 5:50 pm (#2747 of 2980)

I went to see Pride and Prejudice today as an early birthday thing. I am still in "swoon" mode. I couldn't believe how moving the scene where Mr Bennett asks Lizzy about marrying Mr Darcy was. My friend Melissa actually cried, which made me cry, of course. Lovely, lovely.

I took the girls to Toys R Us to use Uncle Mikey's gift cards and then on to Barnes and Noble for my gift card. I love gift cards.

It's back to work tomorrow, bah! The girls don't go back to school until Jan. 10th.

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Stephanie M. - Jan 2, 2006 5:59 pm (#2748 of 2980)

Gina, I love your avatar!

We go back to school on Wednesday... one more day off. I miss my friends though, so it will be pretty good, until all of the stress and work pile up.

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kaykay1970 - Jan 2, 2006 6:08 pm (#2749 of 2980)

Hmmm......possum sweater? I live in Tennessee so I see possums quite often and can't imagine the appeal of a possum sweater. One night a few years back my chow was barking in the middle of the night. I thought there was a cat right outside the fence. I walked right up to it before I looked down and noticed it was in fact a possum "grinning" up at me with all it's little sharp teeth showing. Not a pretty sight at all!!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 2, 2006 6:29 pm (#2750 of 2980)

I think I will pass on the whole possum sweater... :shudder:

Ydnam96- Very reminiscent of the weather we had when I lived in Mississippi and we were having tropical storms. I'm kinda enjoying it.

When and where did you live in Mississippi? I lived in a little town called Picayune for about three years in the early 90's.

It is still pouring rain...

~Kristina

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boop - Jan 2, 2006 6:37 pm (#2751 of 2980)

Jan. 3rd HAPPY BIRTHDAY WISHES FOR MARIE!!!!! Have a wonderful day!!

My tree is down too!

hugs always

boop

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jose043 - Jan 2, 2006 7:06 pm (#2752 of 2980)

dizzy lizzy here in the West we have had the coolest start to summer since 1922, we didn't get over 23 deg cel. This week we may get into the low 30's if lucky. We have seen the horrible weather that you have been having on the east coast on the news. We hope that no fires are near you.

Josephine and Anne

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jose043 - Jan 2, 2006 7:09 pm (#2753 of 2980)

Gina R Snape

We love your aviator.

But Draco does make a good ferret in the movie.

Josephine and Anne

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Ydnam96 - Jan 2, 2006 7:10 pm (#2754 of 2980)

Kristina, I lived in a small town (Gautier) near Biloxi on the coast. My dad was in the Navy and his ship was being built down there at a ship yard. I think it was in '88. We moved there in June then moved to Los Alamitos, CA in December. So, we weren't there long, but long enough to experience a hurricane or two.

Happy Birthday a day early Marie!!!

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Springtime - Jan 2, 2006 7:37 pm (#2755 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Marie

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Madam Pince - Jan 2, 2006 7:48 pm (#2756 of 2980)

Catherine, that story is too funny! The only thing that could be better (worse?) would be a ferret/opossum sweater....

Just finished watching Secondhand Lions again for the fourth or fifth time. I love that movie!

Happy Birthday a day early to Marie E! Have a great day reading your stash from Barnes & Noble! What a perfect birthday -- get a box of leftover Christmas candy, settle down on the sofa, and let everyone else fend for themselves!

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kaykay1970 - Jan 2, 2006 8:28 pm (#2757 of 2980)

The whole possum conversation reminds me of Jeff Foxworthy. You know you’re a redneck when......

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Finn BV - Jan 2, 2006 8:38 pm (#2758 of 2980)

LOL Catherine. I can't say I'm too in on the inside opossum joke, but the sweater story was funny nonetheless.

Happy Birthday tomorrow to Marie.

Welcome back, Netherlandic. I didn't see you in my skipping of the posts while I was on vacation.

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Puck - Jan 2, 2006 9:17 pm (#2759 of 2980)

Wool and Possum fur? I imagine that would shrink in the dryer.

Tree and decorations down, and the living room looks much bigger!

Kids will likely get an extra day of vacation, as a storm is moving in as I type. In-laws are flying in from Colorado tomorrow, so I'm hoping they are not horribly delayed and land safely. They are traveling with children, which makes it even harder.

We open gifts with my hubby's parents today, and he (who does not read the books) got a Harry Potter Statue! I (who have read the series multiple times) got no HP gifts.  :mad: My son got these gross "dolls" from the movie "The Mummy" his uncle picked up at Universal. They are some kind of "undead", and they totally creep me out. They are currently staring at me from across the room. *shudder*. I'll be dreaming of inferi tonight!

Must get to bed. Likely won't be on-line much with weeks with everyone in town. Have a great week!

Kathy

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Stephanie M. - Jan 2, 2006 10:07 pm (#2760 of 2980)

Kathy, I hope you have pleasant dreams that don't involve inferi! (That part of HBP really creeped me out.) Maybe you should sleep with a night light.

We haven't taken our tree down yet. I want to though because I'm still on break and I know my mom will make me help take it down, and I will be more willing to do it if I don't have a lot of work to do.

Sleep tight everyone!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 2, 2006 10:30 pm (#2761 of 2980)

Ydnam96- I was lucky when I lived in Mississippi- we didn't really have anything serious, and when we did, we were always out of state! Picayune is about an hour or so away from Boloxi.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARIE!! Hope you have a fantastic day!

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Elanor - Jan 2, 2006 11:07 pm (#2762 of 2980)

Happy birthday Marie! I hope you'll have a wonderful day too!

Thanks for the info Azi! The funniest is that I have a Tolkien's universe dictionary and I didn't even think of searching that word!

Here, it is 7 am, it is still night outside, probably freezing too, and I am going to go back to work in some minutes. ***huge sigh*** As soon as the first day will be over, that will be easier I think! (I hope).

I wish you all a good night and a wonderful day, hoping things will go well, without too much stress, for those who go back to work on Tuesday as well!

Audrey

PS: loved the sweater story!

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 2, 2006 11:12 pm (#2763 of 2980)

We hope that no fires are near you - Josephine and Ann

The closest fire to me has been the big Pilliga Scrub fire near Narrabri. And I'm still a fair way from that. I have relatives living in the Gosford area so I've my fingers crossed. It's has been another scorcher (40 deg cel/104 far) today and the dogs are not impressed.

I spent most of today recovering from my very busy holiday and I'm hoping to get back into the sewing tomorrow.

Happy Birthday Marie!

Lizzy

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Troels Forchhammer - Jan 3, 2006 1:12 am (#2764 of 2980)

*Exclamation of disappointment*

There's been a discussion of The Lord of the Rings and I didn't get to join

I will then just quote what Graeme Thomas said about the subject in rec.arts.books.tolkien in 1996 (1996/04/04, Message-ID: llt;<3163E357.FF6@insignia.co.uk>)

   I looked this up some years ago. `Dwimor' means magic, illusory, or sorcerous. `Laik' is derived from the same word as `lich', meaning a wraith or animated dead body. Thus `dwimmerlaik' is a magic-using wraith, which quite adequately describes the Witch-King.



This is elaborated upon by ‘Natman’ in 2005 (11 Jan 2005, Message-ID: <41e3378d.30161429@netnews.comcast.net>)

   Dwimmerlaik means "sorcery-body" from the Old English "gedwimer" - sorcery. I don't know the *exact* derivation of "laik" but the Dutch word "lijk" (pronounced "like") and the OE word "lic" both mean body or corpse. I think what Eowyn is shooting for is sorcery-corpse. A colloquial English equivalent might be "zombie".



Given Tolkien's own professional work, it is hardly surprising that the Tolkien newsgroups are graced by a number of very knowledgeable linguists and philologists — in particular experts in Germannic languages.

Regards,
Troels

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The giant squid - Jan 3, 2006 2:01 am (#2765 of 2980)

It's after midnight now, so I can say: Happy Birthday, Marie! Expect a phone call tomorrow.

((hugs boop))

--Mike

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CatherineHermiona - Jan 3, 2006 4:51 am (#2766 of 2980)

Happy Birthday, Marie!!!!!!

It's after midnight now, so I can say: Happy Birthday, Marie! – Mike

My friend has tradition to wish happy birthday to her friends exactly in midnight.

Uh, three parties in one week, three days in a row. And on New Year's night I fell asleep at 3:30 a. m. and woke up "already" in 11 a. m. (well, it is 'already').

Oh, all I want for my birthday is premium membership! So many times I spent all ten posts before the end of the day.

I'm so happy because it snowed here, exactly on my birthday!

Imagine what I got for my birthday?! Action Man cartoon! I just said: "This is for you, Mihaela." You know, same as Ron told for his dress robes. I mean, what do I need Action Man for? And I saw that it was free sample. She gave me that to get rid of that.

We are going to Zagreb! In Thursday! I think we'll watch The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe there in my favorite cinema - Cinestar. But so far they have Cinestar only in Zagreb. And I hope we'll go to see GoF again as well, because Cinestar has all movies for very long time. They had Racing Stripes for over three months!

In Zagreb we'll also get belated Christmas presents and I'll get belated birthday presents.

Oh, I was jealous of you that your holidays started before my. But my school starts on 16th 1st.

Kate

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Lina - Jan 3, 2006 5:00 am (#2767 of 2980)

Marie!  

Catherine, I thought it was very cool - having opossum fur in the sweater - at least you know it is not wandering in your basement and it is not grinning at you . I was sure that they brought it knowing about the visit months ago...

Azi, interesting avatar!

I'm glad that you Australian members are not in danger of the fire. I hope it will be extinguished soon. Sending some cooling charms to you... Or should we just take some of your heat and move it to Elanor and take some of her cold and move it to Australia? Just hoping for the good news from all your relatives.

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The giant squid - Jan 3, 2006 5:52 am (#2768 of 2980)

Well, the credit card payment has finally cleared, so the squid swims again!

Actually, I'm just posting at 4:50 AM to annoy Finn.

--Mike

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Tazzygirl - Jan 3, 2006 5:53 am (#2769 of 2980)

It is 4:47 IN THE MORNING and I can't go back to sleep. The dog woke me up... grrrrr... so I thought I'd check the threads!

Hope the fires are stopped soon- we had a HUGE fire here in California about three years ago or so. Stretched from down by San Diego and ended all the way up here. The community college I went to (Moorpark College) before transferring to Hawaii was this close to being fried. If there wasn't a parking lot and a road between the fire and the buildings, it would have disappeared. We all ended up getting a week off of school for smoke problems in the classrooms. I'll send all our rain down to all the Aussies!

Good morning and good night everybody!

~Kristina

EDIT- WOAH! I am posting when Squid Mike is up!

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Marie E. - Jan 3, 2006 7:26 am (#2770 of 2980)

Thank you for the birthday wishes, everyone. We went out to dinner last night at PF Chang's and we'll do cake tonight with our friends. I have to go to work today, bah! There should be some sort of national law that you get your birthday off, with pay of course!

We're supposed to have a very blustery day here in Colorado Springs. They say the wind will be 30-45 mph with gusts up to 60. I told Shayla she should tie herself to deck if she goes out to play today.

I forgot to mention yesterday that I thought the actor who played Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice resembles my brother quite a bit. Especially with the ponytail he wore.

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haymoni - Jan 3, 2006 7:39 am (#2771 of 2980)

Happy New Year and Happy Birthday and Welcome Back and anything else I may have forgotten!

Back to work - another short week, which will be awful, I am sure!

Watched the ball drop with Ungrateful Son (Hubby fell asleep!). I wish Dick Clark all the best! Had my Asti Spumante and went immediately to bed.

Hubby and Ungrateful Son went to the Browns game on Sunday. Not that the game mattered or anything, but it was nice to go out with a win!

I'm thinking of all of you who may be caught in rain, mudslides, fires and mine shafts.

Watta way to start the year!

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Gina R Snape - Jan 3, 2006 7:41 am (#2772 of 2980)

Marie, let us hope your brother only resembles the actor in face, and not Mr. Wickham in character!

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Marie E. - Jan 3, 2006 7:42 am (#2773 of 2980)

LOL!

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Springtime - Jan 3, 2006 8:22 am (#2774 of 2980)

Good Morning everyone

Looks like it's going to be a quiet day around here.

The kids still have another week of school off.

Have a great Birthday Marie.

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Finn BV - Jan 3, 2006 8:39 am (#2775 of 2980)

Actually, I'm just posting at 4:50 AM to annoy Finn. –Mike

You know, I was actually awake at some godforsaken hour this morning, like 4 or something, and I thought of posting, but that would only get it to show up at 1 or something, which isn't anything that extreme.

But, please, Mike, I post at 4:50 forum time all the time when I'm at school, since I arrive there are 7:45 (EST) and the first thing I do is turn to the forum. So, really, you've failed to impress me at all.

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Good Evans - Jan 3, 2006 9:08 am (#2776 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Marie

Gina -I do love that avatar - brilliant!

Everyone have a great day, in 24 hours I will be arriving in Luxor!!!! jumping up and down with much excitement!!!!! catch you all when I get back, I will mosey in to chat room in a bit though if anyone wants to join me

Julie

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Snuffles - Jan 3, 2006 9:18 am (#2777 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Marie.

Good Evans, Lucky you! just looked at the weather for Luxor and its a lovely 28 degrees Celcius for the next few days, have fun!

I admit, there was over 150 posts to catch up on and I hit the magic button

So Happy Birthday, anniversary, etc that I have missed and healing charms to all those who need them!.

Julie

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Gina R Snape - Jan 3, 2006 9:23 am (#2778 of 2980)

Many of us hit that magic button, Snuffles.

I love magic.

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Jan 3, 2006 9:35 am (#2779 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Marie!

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Stephanie M. - Jan 3, 2006 10:06 am (#2780 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Marie!!!! I wish you many more happy and healthy years ahead of you!

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kaykay1970 - Jan 3, 2006 10:55 am (#2781 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Marie!

My great nephew is doing much better. They are releasing him from the hospital today.

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azi - Jan 3, 2006 11:50 am (#2782 of 2980)

Happy birthday Marie! Hope it's an ace day!

Tim and Elanor - no problem, glad to be of assistance! Anything to get out of revision, you know!

Troels - I'm sorry you almost couldn't join in the quick discussion! Your information was really interesting though! Plus you made it sound intelligent, something I never quite manage!

Lina - Thanks about the avatar! It was taken at a friend's birthday party a couple of weeks ago. We immediately agreed that the photo (in full size) was one of the best pictures ever. I think it's quite a sweet photo.

Good Evans - hope you have a brilliant time in Luxor!

Today I did nothing. Had to get up early to go supermarket shopping and spent the morning as a zombie because I'm slowly turning nocturnal.

Have a great day everybody!

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Steve Newton - Jan 3, 2006 11:52 am (#2783 of 2980)

Over the Christmas holiday, yes I had a week off, a strange thing happened. My wife started to sneeze. My son started tapping the top of her head with a finger. My wife didn't sneeze. Is this weird?

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Finn BV - Jan 3, 2006 12:07 pm (#2784 of 2980)

Have a great time Julie!

Steve, I will try this next time my mom is sneezing, which happens quite often, because of allergies, etc. I hope not to prove your son wrong.

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haymoni - Jan 3, 2006 12:52 pm (#2785 of 2980)

How hard did he tap????

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Catherine  - Jan 3, 2006 1:20 pm (#2786 of 2980)

How hard did he tap???? –Haymoni

Oh, dear. **giggles**

I guess if one "taps" hard enough, it will cure the sneezing, LOL.

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Steve Newton - Jan 3, 2006 1:28 pm (#2787 of 2980)

Lightly. Legitimate tapping.

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Stephanie M. - Jan 3, 2006 1:35 pm (#2788 of 2980)

If you poke/press yourself under your nose/above your top lip then it usually stops you from sneezing. It really depends how badly you have to sneeze.

That is very weird, Steve. I must try that trick too. I always sneeze.

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Finn BV - Jan 3, 2006 2:15 pm (#2789 of 2980)

Well, Steve, I see this has sparked a whole new enlightened discussion. You may want to ask the hosts if we can have a whole thread on this.

Hey, I just realized we're less than 200 posts away from our new Chat Thread, and, knowing us, that should take about an hour and two minutes to finish this one off. Let's go!

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Detail Seeker - Jan 3, 2006 2:47 pm (#2790 of 2980)

This chat thread seems to be one of the longer living ones, Finn, and the remaining 192 posts might be enough for another week on this thread.

If you are able to connect the anti-sneeze tapping phenomenon reasonably with HP-canon, then you may start that thread. From the sporting side, I am interested in seeing, how you will do it. But if we do not feel the connection to be reasonable, the Kippendo button will be handy.... (Hey, first time I use smileys! Am I gone mad ? )

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Finn BV - Jan 3, 2006 3:10 pm (#2791 of 2980)

Wow, you're right Detail Seeker, since August 31… come on guys, let's chat!

Anyway, I think that tapping one's head to stop sneezing has to do with the fact that Dumbledore, who is the giant squid, is the brother of Aberforth, who put a charm on a goat, which is the first word in goat cheese, and some people are allergic to cheese, and perhaps goat cheese, so maybe tapping one on the head will reveal if Dumbledore is the Giant Squid or not! I'm taking this over to the DIGS thread right now…

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Detail Seeker - Jan 3, 2006 3:14 pm (#2792 of 2980)

Now, that is a bold connection, Finn. From the backside though the breast into the eye, as it would be said in german. Congratulations !

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Finn BV - Jan 3, 2006 3:16 pm (#2793 of 2980)

Well, thanks Detail Seeker. I think I'm going to email TLC and MuggleNet and have them put this as "bold new discovery about DIGS."

Anyway, Steve, glad your wife's stopped sneezing, finally. It did us some good!

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Netherlandic - Jan 3, 2006 3:41 pm (#2794 of 2980)

Finn, I used to like goat cheese but now I am not so sure...!

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Finn BV - Jan 3, 2006 4:05 pm (#2795 of 2980)

I would like to offer my written apology to anybody who is mortally offended at my goat cheese put-downs (henceforth known as GCPDs), and should I spew forth (no pun intended ) another GCPD I shall… throw myself from the Astronomy Tower and not provide any foreshadowing clues in doing so.

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Netherlandic - Jan 3, 2006 4:37 pm (#2796 of 2980)

LOL! Finn, I wouldn't like to have your death on my conscience; it would split up my soul.

But I do think I will turn to brie instead.

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Stephanie M. - Jan 3, 2006 5:04 pm (#2797 of 2980)

Hey Netherlandic, if that would split up your soul, then you could make horcruxes!! (You don't really need to kill people to make horcruxes!! )

Finn, I think you are on to something! Keep up the good work!

School tomorrow....

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Chemyst - Jan 3, 2006 5:22 pm (#2798 of 2980)

I had some chocolates for Christmas where sweet sentiments were printed inside the wrapper. One said "Friendship is a gift in itself." I feel like that is a gift everyone who posts on this thread gives to everyone else everyday.
So, Thanks for the gifts everyone!

Happy Birthday Marie!

Madam Pince, did you ever get to see the Rose Parade on TV? We ended up watching Desfile de las Rosas on the Spanish station because NBC dumped out of the parade an hour early for the football game. I think I actually enjoyed it more that way, but I can't tell you why because it would involve making disparaging statements about Al Roker.   (For those outside the US, Roker was NBC's emcee.)

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Ydnam96 - Jan 3, 2006 6:02 pm (#2799 of 2980)

Thanks guys for making me laugh I needed it. Haha, squids and goat cheese and head tapping. This is what we should be talking about all the time!

First day back to work is done and it was painful. I'm gonna need to nap.

Kaykay, great news about your nephew! I'm so glad.

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Madam Pince - Jan 3, 2006 7:37 pm (#2800 of 2980)

Yes, Chemyst, we did watch the Rose Parade -- but I switched the channel over to HGTV because the cameras they were using had less rain-blur on the lenses than the national networks did. It was actually very good coverage, with a minimum of those pre-arranged "cutesy" remarks which drive me mad. It was a shame for those marching and for those in attendance that the weather was so yucky, but we thoroughly enjoyed watching it -- the rain wasn't so much of a distraction on TV. They showed the parade until 1:00pm Eastern, so I think that was about the longest coverage of any of the stations. I am just amazed at what those float decorators can do with floral / natural materials -- they were fantastic! And lots of horses -- I love horses in a parade!

I keep forgetting to tell you guys about the coolest gift Little Pince got for Christmas -- he got this dragon (a model, I suppose you'd call it?) apparently there's a whole set of them; it's called a McNaughton Dragon (never heard of whatever that's based on) and his is the "Komodo" version although it looks nothing like a real Komodo dragon. What it does look like is a very realistic-looking version of Harry's dragon from GoF! It really is quite neat!

***Is restraining self from having small Harry figurine run around the dragon and climb on Little Pince's plastic medieval castle trying to grab a Silly Putty egg...***

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Tazzygirl - Jan 3, 2006 9:26 pm (#2801 of 2980)

That was a very interesting conversation you all just had... goat cheese, head tapping... all right!

Off to drop my brother off at the airport. Feels like he just got here.

Finn- your avatar is beautiful!

Good night/ day everyone!

~Kristina

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Denise P. - Jan 3, 2006 10:05 pm (#2802 of 2980)

Aw, what a cute guinea pig! We love guinea pigs here.

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 3, 2006 10:50 pm (#2803 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Marie!!

Madame Pince I did see those dragons at the toy store. I wanted to get one form me.

In my house we have ended the drought! For the past 8 years we have not had pets here! Life has had too many traumas, deaths, births, etc. But this Christmas we gave my son 2 Betas, Inky and Bluey. The girls got a Chia pet (well, it does have to be watered!) It's a really small step but it ends the longest period I have ever gone with any pets, other than those omnipresent dust bunnies.

Wish us luck

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Tazzygirl - Jan 4, 2006 1:02 am (#2804 of 2980)

Thanks Denise!

Mrs. Sirius- Good Luck! I had a Beta fish that lasted me almost 8 years... I have had animals in my house for soooo long, I don't think I could live without them. Two dogs and two guinea pigs in California and four fish in Hawaii. We did go through a similar faze with all the animals dying (my hamsters when I was younger) that my mom couldn't take it anymore and we upgraded to longer living rodents. I was rather pathetic as when one hamster died, that very same day I would run out and buy a new one. Yup. I think pathetic!

~Kristina

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CatherineHermiona - Jan 4, 2006 3:28 am (#2805 of 2980)

Oh, funny conversation about tapping and giant squid and goat cheese. And horcruxes. Then DD could maybe make horcrux out of Flamel's death. Because DD destroyed Philosopher's stone and it's his fault and his soul should split.

Tazzy, that is really cute guinea pig. Only, it seems somehow... giant. But why not, we have giant squid, why not giant guinea pig?

Mrs. Sirius - Good luck with your new pets!

Friendship is a gift in itself. - Chemyst

I definitely, totally agree. I experienced it.

Kate

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The giant squid - Jan 4, 2006 3:42 am (#2806 of 2980)

I forgot to mention yesterday that I thought the actor who played Mr. Wickham in Pride and Prejudice resembles my brother quite a bit. Especially with the ponytail he wore.--Marie E.

Marie, let us hope your brother only resembles the actor in face, and not Mr. Wickham in character!--Gina R. Snape

Gosh you've almost got my interest piqued enough to actually watch P&P long enough to see who this fella is. Almost. Instead I'll just do a little happy dance that the thing goes away this weekend. I saw the last half hour and wanted to gouge my eyes out with a spoon...

Finn, I got a response from you, that's enough. I don't have the energy to impress anyone these days so I have to settle for grudging acceptance.

--Mike

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 4, 2006 6:45 am (#2807 of 2980)

Rented Bob Roberts last night; it had been years since I'd seen that movie. It would be impossible to discuss the movie without discussing politics so I'll just say it has proved to be quite prescient and leave it at that. The reason I bring it up though is because I totally forgot that Alan Rickman was in it. ***waves to Gina***

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Steve Newton - Jan 4, 2006 6:57 am (#2808 of 2980)

My son, tap tap, was very, tap tap, amused by your sneezing, tap tap, comments. I, tap tap, haven't, tap tap, had a chance, tap tap, to try out the, tap tap, procedure myself, tap tap.

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Catherine  - Jan 4, 2006 7:15 am (#2809 of 2980)

Tazzygirl, that is one cute guinea pig. I'm impressed by your account of an eight year-old beta fish; ours only lived three years, and I thought that was pretty good until I read your post. Denise, how goes things with your "piggies?"

Mike, I am inferring from your "gouging with a spoon" comment that you are not a Pride and Prejudice fan? **has girlie moment about P & P**

Have a great day, everyone.

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Marie E. - Jan 4, 2006 7:54 am (#2810 of 2980)

Poor Mike! The last half hour of P&P is "Tell me if you love me, dearest Elizabeth, etc, etc...". Is it really leaving theaters this weekend? Then I caught it just in time, eh? **joins Catherine in a girlie moment**

Yesterday morning I kept waiting for this horrific wind they had predicted. I was saying "Wind, what wi-" and then my hair blew off. Well, not literally, but holy cow! we got some wind. It really did gust up to 60mph. My poor Tahoe was nearly attacked by the largest tumbleweed I've seen. It must have been three feet tall. It was more like a tumblebush.

I did get my Harry Potter cake, chocolate of course. My darling husband gave me the GoF Gamecube game. My best friend gave me While You Were Sleeping, which I've been whining that I want. All in all, a good day.

I have allergies so maybe I should have someone try that tapping thing on my head. Or I could just sneeze and get it over with.

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Springtime - Jan 4, 2006 10:06 am (#2811 of 2980)

Good morning all!

It's raining here in southern Ontario. (looks to make sure it is Jan and not April) It was a sleep in very late day. Well off to go get coffee # 2

have a great day.

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azi - Jan 4, 2006 12:58 pm (#2812 of 2980)

Wow, I thought tumbleweed wasn't real! I assumed it was just a way to show quietness... That's so cool!

Went shopping today. Sales never have anything good, although I did get a groovy green cord jacket (at full price) and a nice top.

There seems to be a weather discussion starting here so I'll add that it's foggy outside for me.

That tapping thing did not stop my sneezing. I'm not getting enough warning before I sneeze to start! Then it makes me want to sneeze more...

Hope everyone has a lovely day!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 4, 2006 1:27 pm (#2813 of 2980)

I'll join Catherine and Marie in the girlie moment for P&P! I love that movie!! (I like the one with Colin Firth more though!)

Thanks Catherine!

Kate- She is a giant Guinea Pig!

Springtime- I think all the rain we had in Southern California has gone up to you!

~Kristina

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Elanor - Jan 4, 2006 1:42 pm (#2814 of 2980)

It was really fun to read all your posts!

Wonderful new avatars everyone!

Here night has fallen but it was another quite cold (-1°C/30°F this afternoon) and grey day and it should remain like this till this weekend, though we may see some snowflakes on Friday. How spring seems far away sometimes!

Hope everyone has a great night/day!

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Gina R Snape - Jan 4, 2006 2:23 pm (#2815 of 2980)

Loopy Lupin, the only reason I watched Bob Roberts was for Alan Rickman!

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Viola Intonada - Jan 4, 2006 7:41 pm (#2816 of 2980)

Happy "belated" Birthday, Marie!!!!

The kids and I started back to school today. I'm exhausted now. Christmas break went by entirely too fast. What happened to the good ole days when I remember actually getting bored during break?

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The giant squid - Jan 4, 2006 9:17 pm (#2817 of 2980)

Is it really leaving theaters this weekend?--Marie E.

Well, it's leaving ours, anyway. Your mileage may vary.

**toddles of picturing Marie with her hair blown off...**

--Mike

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Denise P. - Jan 4, 2006 9:37 pm (#2818 of 2980)

Catherine, all the piggies in the house are doing well. Luna and Petunia are both turning 2 this month, Cinnamon and Spice will be 2 in about May and Sirius and Regulus will be 2 in August. Sirius recently moved from a third story apartment (cage) to a second story apartment. We did a shuffle of cages and moved Sirius to the second floor of the Condiment (Cinnamon and Spice) cage. Regulus remains on the second floor of the Harry Potter cage (Luna and Petunia)

Devin, Rhys and I just spent 2 days filming down at Vanderbilt for a video about children who are diagnosed with cancer. It is for the patient and the parents. Devin worked a total of about 11 hours and the finished video will be less than 10 minutes long. There is a whole lot of waiting around and reshoots of the same thing over and over and over and over again. "These butterflies list the names of the sponsors. The names of people who donated to the hospital are on these butterflies." and every variation you can think of. Since it was shot over two days, we had several of the same shirt on hand, had to be sure that he didn't wear his watch (since he didn't yesterday) The big continuity question today was: did he have his shirt buttoned yesterday or not? Since I had nothing to do while filming went on, I got a Su Doku book and learned how to do those.

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 4, 2006 10:32 pm (#2819 of 2980)

Hey Denise did this give you a better appreciation for the kids in the cast of all the HP movies now?

I discovered the SuDoku recently too. I got a couple of books for Christmas and do the one in the newspaper. I am afraid that being home and stress out about the lack of clean house was making my brain too dull. I'm hoping SuDoku will save me.

Tazzy, I must confess to being confused. Those beautiful avatars of yours, I thought you lived in Hawaii and were in California only for a short time. So are you now mainland bound?

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Ydnam96 - Jan 4, 2006 11:26 pm (#2820 of 2980)

Denise, I think it's great that Devin gets to do that, despite the long hours

Well, this week had been drama filled at work and tomorrow we leave to take all the resident assistants on a retreat. Fun fun.

Have a great few days. I'll be back over the weekend.

Oh, PS: I'm a girl, a pretty girly girl, and I hate Pride and Prejudice. Just thought I'd through that out there

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 5, 2006 6:40 am (#2821 of 2980)

Loopy Lupin, the only reason I watched Bob Roberts was for Alan Rickman! -- Gina Snape

“Excuse me, I have to go pray”--Lukas Hart/Alan Rickman

Hehehehehehehehe. I doubled over the first time I heard that line.

Is there going to be a way we could see the video Denise? I love hunting for continuity errors.

I am feeling myself drawn to Sudoku, but am resisting so far.

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Springtime - Jan 5, 2006 8:37 am (#2822 of 2980)

Just a quick good morning to everyone!

Have a great day!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 5, 2006 9:43 am (#2823 of 2980)

Mrs. Sirius- I live in Hawaii, but am currently in California visiting family. I took a three week vacation for the holidays! Monday coming up is when I return to Hawaii.

Denise P.- I take it Cinnamon, Spice, Luna and Petunia, Regalus and Sirius are your guinea pigs? Piggies is a cute nickname. I call my two the Guinea Girls. Tazzy is getting old- she is about 5, and the other, Edith Cavy, is still a baby. I think she is almost 2.

I dragged my sister with me to go see Pride and Prejudice, and she wanted to die. Kept pretending like she was poking her eye out...kind of annoying really. But I did appreciate her coming with me!

Hope everyone has a great day/ night!

~Kristina

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Elfcat - Jan 5, 2006 11:19 am (#2824 of 2980)

Wow, this thread moves fast.

Thanks for offering to help, Elanor! First question: how does the punctuation work when people are talking in French text? Apparently what I think of as quotation marks do not exist.

Froid de canard? Now that's an expression I had never heard before...

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Elanor - Jan 5, 2006 12:24 pm (#2825 of 2980)

Froid de canard (duck's cold, meaning very cold) is unfortunately used daily here for several weeks now, along with another colloqualism: "ça caille!" (for "it's freezing"). It was snowing again this afternoon...

Quotation marks do exist in French, thought they don't look like the english " ", but like this: « » (hope they will appear correctly on the screen, I typed them in a French Word document and pasted them here) and "-" are used to show this is another person talking. Here is an example (an HP one of course!) with this dialogue between Molly and Arthur in the HBP but written with French punctuation:

«Yes,» came Mr Weasley's weary voice «But I would say that even if I were a Death Eater, dear. Ask the question!
- Oh, honestly...
- Molly!
- All right, all right...what is your dearest ambition?
- To find how aeroplanes stay up.»

So, in short the « » (quotation marks, "guillemets" in French) are opened when the dialogue begins and are closed only when it ends (or when the person who's talking don't talk anymore) and the "-" (do you call them dashes or hyphens? They are "tirets" in French) show when someone else starts talking. Does it help?

Have a great night/day everyone!

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azi - Jan 5, 2006 1:01 pm (#2826 of 2980)

The quotation marks are like you have in German, except the other way round. I thought it was a curious thing when I came across it. When I was taught German we used the same puncutation as you would in English and were never told it was different. Same with French, come to think of it.

Tazzy - your guinea pig is very cute! They're one animal I'm not scared of! A friend had one called Guinea when I was younger and I spent all my time feeding it dandelion leaves so it squeaked.

Haven't started revising yet! Not good, can't focus. Will trail into town tomorrow and sit in the library where the only distraction is mobile phones going off everywhere. My friends are, as usual, in exactly the same position as me. I could be revising now...I'm just discussing with one of said friends how we never learn to start work in plenty of time. Have just agreed that we won't learn until we mess up extremely bad and can't reverse it.

Hope everyone has a nice day!

*Goes to try make self work*

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CatherineHermiona - Jan 5, 2006 1:09 pm (#2827 of 2980)

We just came to Zagreb. We immediately opened presents (for my sisters for Christmas, for me for Christmas and birthday).

I got first three books of Narnia!!!!! Of course, in order they happened. So I got Magician's nephew (sorry if wrong spelled), The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe and The Horse and His Boy (sorry if wrong translated). And full Colin McRae Rally game.

Can anyone tell me how long is TLTWTW (movie)? We will probably go to see it tomorrow, but we need to know how long it is.

For Christmas we (all together) got steering wheel for PC. Now we can play the Colin McRae Rally that we got as well. And probably we can play multi-player GoF game.

(I'm still in the chat room. Kate)

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kaykay1970 - Jan 5, 2006 2:36 pm (#2828 of 2980)

Denise, did Devin mention that what the kids like best about the butterflies is that they can totally annoy their parents by stopping to spin every single one as they pass them?

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Detail Seeker - Jan 5, 2006 2:43 pm (#2829 of 2980)

Talking about Typography:
The main differences between german and english quotation marks are :
The opening marks´upper end is on the level of the base line of the characters, while the closing mark are on the same level as all english speaking people know them.
They are slanted so, that they seem to form a diagonal line through the text they enclose.

In contrary to the french custom, they enclose each speaker´s text - just like in English.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 5, 2006 4:15 pm (#2830 of 2980)

I was in my mom's classroom today, helping with her students, and the word of the day that she posted on the board was Lupine- to have characteristics of a wolf. I instantly thought of Lupin!

Azi- Thanks! As for the squeaking- mine do it every time I rustle a paper or plastic bag (they think it is food). I love the guinea pigs because they don't bite or anything.

I took German for three years, and never once was I told there were different quotation marks. Very interesting!

Kate- Sounds like you had a fun time in Zagreb! I forgot you were going there... As for the TLTWTW- it is 140 minutes (about 2 hours and twenty minutes.) Hope you all enjoy it!

That is a beautiful avatar, Lina!!

~Kristina

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boop - Jan 5, 2006 4:29 pm (#2831 of 2980)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PONINE!!!!! I hope you had a great day!!

My football team won the Orange Bowl, now just got to get the Steelers to win their game this weekend.

hugs always

boop

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Steve Newton - Jan 5, 2006 5:33 pm (#2832 of 2980)

GO LIONS!

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Finn BV - Jan 5, 2006 6:13 pm (#2833 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Ponine!

LOL Steve, I don't follow football (except for an occasional Bills score -- yay Buffalo, my birthplace), but Lions are our school team, so yay Lions!

Denise, how does it feel to be the mother of an actor? That's really cool, I hope the pay was decent.

Kate, glad you're having fun in Zagreb.

On grammar, may I add that Spanish only uses quotation marks, « and », for titles, songs, etc. Dialogue is set off by — in the beginning and end.

e.g. Finn said, "I saw The Sound of Music last night and I love the song 'Edelweiss.' " would be
—Vi La Sonida de Musica anoche y me encanta la canción «Edelweiss». —dijo Finn.

Good night all!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 5, 2006 6:16 pm (#2834 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Ponine!

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I Am Used Vlad - Jan 5, 2006 6:39 pm (#2835 of 2980)

The Sudoku puzzles in my local paper are generally easy, but I hear that some of the books have tough ones.

Cool, more French lessons. Elanor does come in handy. Just don't ask her to do anything about the exchange rate, Elfcat.

Finn, what is it with you and Julie Andrews?

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Denise P. - Jan 5, 2006 9:25 pm (#2836 of 2980)

Rattling a plastic bag or making a kissing noise will get all the guinea pigs here wheeking. One of our birds wolf whistles so I get the wheeeeek and then the bird going.

kaykay, we rarely go over by the butterflies since he generally is seen in the doctor's tower. If we get near the butterflies, then they all want to go down to the train on the next floor...which means we are there until each and every one of them makes the train do each thing. Those butterflies get noisy when you have 12 of them being twirled at one time ...each kid twirling 2!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 5, 2006 10:08 pm (#2837 of 2980)

Denise- Wheeeeeeeek sounds about right! I just call it a siren. When Taz was younger, she used to wheek when she heard me call her name or walk into the room. Talk about a greeting!

I'm getting sad... I leave to go back to Hawaii on Monday, which means all the legal stuff going on with my car gets back into full swing. yeay. Really not looking forward to it!!

Good night/ day everyone!

~Kristina

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CatherineHermiona - Jan 6, 2006 2:35 am (#2838 of 2980)

Happy birthday Ponine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thanks for the information about length of TLTWTW, Tazzy.

I'm learning languages from TV soap operas. I learned German from Dr. Stefan Frank and Powder Park. I learn also Spanish and Italian from soap operas. I learned a bit of Portuguese as well. But so far I didn't find French soap opera. But I do have French PS/SS (thanks, Elanor!).

I also have a poster of Narnia that I got with the books.

Actually, I find quotation marks the hardest in Croatian language. I don't know where to put comma and where not. I use "-" and "-" mostly because then I don't need to think about commas.

Kate

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Stephanie M. - Jan 6, 2006 5:17 am (#2839 of 2980)

Happy Birthday Ponine!

I will post more later except I have to get ready for school now.

Have a good day everyone!

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The giant squid - Jan 6, 2006 5:27 am (#2840 of 2980)

Happy Birthday, Ponine!

do you call them dashes or hyphens?—Elanor

While there are differences, for our purposes they're pretty much the same thing. The way you use them we would call them dashes, but if used to separate a compound word (such as semi-circle) it's a hyphen. If that doesn't make much sense, well...that's because English is a very confused language. I've been speaking it for 33 years & I still don't know how it all works.

--Mike

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Jan 6, 2006 5:31 am (#2841 of 2980)

Happy birthday Ponine!

Today is also the birthday of one of my grandsons.

Have a great day all!

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Lina - Jan 6, 2006 5:44 am (#2842 of 2980)

Happy birthday, Ponine! May you have a wonderful day! And Happy birthday to TBE's grandson!

Good luck with the pets, Mrs. Sirius! May your pet family grow up and be safe!

It is a holiday day here today, so we are spending the long weekend in Zagreb and there is still one more week of school holidays, I like it.

Although just reading this Forum means learning the foreign language for me, I love how much we can learn about different languages here...

Nice weekend to everybody!

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Springtime - Jan 6, 2006 8:07 am (#2843 of 2980)

Happy birthday Ponine!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I need to go and clean up and the start making cabbage rolls. I have company coming for the weekend. Have a great day everyone

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 6, 2006 8:56 am (#2844 of 2980)

Lina, what Holiday is it Zagreb?

Today we celebrate The Kings Day. My kids woke to find that the Kings did remember to bring their presents (despite behaviors). Maria was thrilled with her gifts, Anastasia cried because she wanted what her brother got and the youngest had no reaction! Alas.

Elanor, do you celebrate Three Kings in France? and kids receive gifts today? I was surprised to learn yesterday that Brazilians do not celebrate the 3 Kings.

Apparently only Spanish speaking cultures do. I thought all "Latin-language" based cultures did. (I used the English quotations and not the Spanish quotes here because I think it is a little clearer)

Happy Birthday Ponine, TBE's grandson and the other Happy Januarys.

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haymoni - Jan 6, 2006 9:09 am (#2845 of 2980)

The only thing I remember about 3 Kings was that we weren't supposed to take our Christmas decorations down until then.

I remember St. Nicholas Day - December 5? - putting out our shoes and finding candy in them.

But that's about it.

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Elanor - Jan 6, 2006 1:21 pm (#2846 of 2980)

Happy birthday Ponine!

Mrs Sirius: "Elanor, do you celebrate Three Kings in France?"
We do! Though we usually celebrate it on the Sunday after January 6th. The tradition is to eat a delicious cake, called the "galette des rois" ("the Kings' "galette" ") on that occasion. The galette is a round and flat biscuit, filled with frangipane (almond paste) and with 2 little figurines called "fèves" hidden in it: the king and the queen. If you find one in your piece of cake, you have to buy the next "galette" or bottle that is usually drinken with it (cider is perfect with it!). A great tradition!

Thanks for the details about the hyphens/dashes Mike! I was really wondering!

Vlad: "Cool, more French lessons. Just don't ask her to do anything about the exchange rate, Elfcat"
LOL! Don't worry, French grammar, history or alchemy, ask at will! But exchange rate, nah...

Haymoni: "I remember St. Nicholas Day - December 5?
Quite close! It is on December 6th! It is still very celebrated in regions like Alsace here and kids still receive little presents on that day because he traditionally is the protector of children (he is said to have saved some). Did you know "St Nicholas" actually gave the name "Santa Klaus"? I've always found it was a perfect date of birth for Hagrid.

Have a great day/night everybody!

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kaykay1970 - Jan 6, 2006 1:39 pm (#2847 of 2980)

The baby has gotten used to having everyone home for the holidays. When he awoke this morning he said "I want Daddy." I had to tell him Daddy is a work. Then he asked for each sibling in turn (all at school of course). Poor little guy! Then he says "Mommy's home, the baby's home."

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haymoni - Jan 6, 2006 1:50 pm (#2848 of 2980)

I'm the baby - gotta love me!

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Springtime - Jan 6, 2006 2:03 pm (#2849 of 2980)

aww KayKay that is cute story. I hope he will get use to everyone out during the day again. I am also the baby haymoni and I love saying "gotta love me" especially to hubby

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Lina - Jan 6, 2006 4:35 pm (#2850 of 2980)

Yes, Mrs. Sirius, "The 3 Kings" is a holiday in Croatia. But we work on the 2nd of January. As far as I know, Italian kids get presents on "The 3 Kings" day too. It is also a Christmas Eve for the Eastern Christians, so Happy Christmas to our members who celebrate it tomorrow!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 6, 2006 6:40 pm (#2851 of 2980)

Elanor-...with 2 little figurines called "fèves" hidden in it: the king and the queen. If you find one in your piece of cake, you have to buy the next "galette" or bottle that is usually drinken with it (cider is perfect with it!). A great tradition!

When I lived in Mississippi we celebrated Mardi Gras- which I guess comes from the Three Kings day because it is celebrated around the same time. I don't know the whole story behind Mardi Gras (I think it originated in France- New Orleans and the French Quarter- so I am assuming this!) And we had something along the lines of the "galette des rois". We called it King Cake. It looks like a giant doughnut (of a sort) that is filled with pudding or fruit, and topped with different colored sugar (usually green, purple and yellow). We also had a hidden baby in it, and whoever got the baby had to buy the next King Cake.

Kaykay- that is so cute! How old is he?

Denise P.- Your kids are so cute! I like your avatar!

~Kristina

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Chemyst - Jan 6, 2006 7:02 pm (#2852 of 2980)

The last of the Christmas stuff is packed up for another year, the kids are out for the evening, I have time to spare, and so I looked up the hyphen and dash in my son's typography book. I now know more than I'll ever need to, but briefly...

A hyphen - is usually used inside words to make compounds; a well-known fact. It can be used to separate words between syllables to make long words wrap around and fit at the end of a line. Hyphens are also used when you want to show a word being spelled out letter by letter.   s-p-e-l-l   And they are used to indicate stuttering speech.   b-but

An en dash – is a short dash that is used in place of the word "to" when indicating an interval or range. 3 to 5 is written as 3–5 or London to Paris as London–Paris. Some style books prefer it in place of the hyphen when showing contrast, such as a true–false question.

The hyphen and the en dash connect letters or words. In some styles and kinds of print, the hyphen and the en dash look the same.

An em dash — separates ideas or parts of a statement to show an abrupt change in, or termination of thought or speech. It can also be used in place of commas to set off a parenthetic remark for emphasis. It is twice as long as an en dash.

The book also went into a bunch of stuff about non-breaking hyphens, minus signs, and horizontal bars, but this is a chat thread, so I'll skip most of that. The only other salient point was that when you do not have an em dash in your "available character repertoire," you can substitute with two hyphens --

Different style manuals have different rules on some of the usage; some choice is left to personal preference. I find that when I use old-fashioned handwriting, I use a lot more dashes and squiggles to express the flow of words on the page than when I am limited to a keyboard.

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Madam Pince - Jan 6, 2006 7:07 pm (#2853 of 2980)

Ohhhh, kaykay, that was so cute! Poor little thing....

Happy Birthday, Ponine, and many, many more!

Phooey, Tazzy, I had forgotten all about your car problems -- so sorry that you have to start enduring that again! to that bad guy!!!

We just got back from a quick trip to Charlottesville for my mom to see her Dr. there for annual checkup. She has been having high blood pressure problems so he added some new medicines, so we hope that will do the trick. It was a good visit -- I got to see several of my old friends from when I used to live there (for only a few minutes, but still...) and I got to drive by my old house ***sniff, sniff*** which I still miss, but it was cool to see that the hardy begonias I planted there probably 15 years ago are still there! (I really really wanted to go up to the withered plants and pull the seed pods off and drop them around on the ground like you're supposed to do to help them re-seed, but I decided that maybe the current owner wouldn't appreciate it if he/she happened to glance out the window or something....)

Totally exhausted now after two days of 4 hours driving, so nighty-night!

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Finn BV - Jan 6, 2006 8:33 pm (#2854 of 2980)

Great avatar, Denise! But don't you have 8 kids? Is one missing?

Finn, what is it with you and Julie Andrews? –Vlad

Yay! Somebody picked up on it! Didn't you have a childhood obsession?

Later everybody.

Edit: Sorry, I had posted at 6:59 PM Forum time, and I came back to add something, and just as I remembered it turned 7:30 PM, and the server was mean and didn't let me edit just a minute past the time, so I deleted my post. Hope that's okay!

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Stephanie M. - Jan 6, 2006 9:53 pm (#2855 of 2980)

Wow! Lots of posts since this morning. I skimmed through them all because I'm very sleepy and my internet connection just got fixed.

I hope everyone had a great day! I don't have anything really to add to anything except I have also learned a lot about other languages and other parts of the world thanks to the Forum!

I had/have a childhood obsession with everything Winnie the Pooh, but that's very different from Finn's obsession with Julie Andrews.

Well, I'm off to bed. Good night everybody!

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Jan 6, 2006 10:25 pm (#2856 of 2980)

I had/have a childhood obsession with everything Winnie the Pooh, but that's very different from Finn's obsession with Julie Andrews.

Inquiring minds want to know...more...different?

...toddles back to St Mungo's...

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Stephanie M. - Jan 6, 2006 10:37 pm (#2857 of 2980)

Well, I have collected many Winnie the Pooh type things (I have a Winnie candle). (I've also had birthday cakes with Winnie on it.) So I'm sure Finn doesn't collect random Julie Andrew things (or birthday cakes with her on it).

So in that sense I guess it's different.

I guess I am finally off to bed.

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Amilia Smith - Jan 6, 2006 11:17 pm (#2858 of 2980)

When I was home over break, I found that my mother had gone on something of a Winnie the Pooh binge. She has had this wonderful idea that now that she has grandchildren (er . . . grandchild), she will create a library/menagerie. Stuffed animals to go with all the children's books. Velveteen rabbits, Frog and Toad, Jungle Book creatures, Curious George, we've got them all. And most importantly, Winnie the Pooh. She then carried the idea a little further, and decided to give Pooh books and animals to all the little kids in the nursery class she teaches at church. So, prior to giving them away, our house had become a refugee camp for escapees from the Hundred Acre Wood. We were overrun with Pooh, Piglet and Tigger. Also Eyeore and Rabbit, but to a lesser extent.

The funnest part of this exercise was choosing which books to give each kid. They each got a Disney storybook and an A. A. Milne book. And of course we read them all before wrapping them. :-) The Disney storybooks weren't so hot, but the original Milne tales are an absolute hoot.

Mills.

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Ydnam96 - Jan 6, 2006 11:24 pm (#2859 of 2980)

Well, that's a lot to read after a very long, yet short, retreat with my staff...

Happy Birthday Ponine!

You know, I think that Three Kings Day is the same thing as Epiphany. I learned about it in church but we never did anything in our family to celebrate it. I wonder why, it's a perfectly valid reason to celebrate. Maybe I should start observing it!

So while at the camp we went to I got to see llamas, goats, peacocks, chickens, pigs, ducks, hawks, and a Californian Bobcat. In fact I got close enough (he was in a cage but I was able to get him to come over and play near enough to me that I could just reach through with a few fingers) to pet him!!! His keeper said that he likes women and has never been a problem with them he just likes to play, but that he does not like men and that he will hiss and swat at them. It was soooo cool. He was absolutely beautiful. Scary, but beautiful. I also picked some sort of nettle plant, I didn't know it before obviously, but the second I even came close to coming in contact with this plant my hand started to sting and hurt. It's been about 11 hours and my palm still hurts and I still have 5 tiny little pin holes in my hand that hurt like a bugger. They really really hurt. I've washed them a million times, put lotion on them, ran them under really cold water. They were feeling slightly better but then I drove one of the vans back and I think that irritated it. All in all though the trip was enjoyable. My staff and I had a marshmallow war. You know, thrown forcefully at a close range those things can hurt!

As for childhood obsessions...I don't think I had any. I do now...Harry Potter, Alias, Lord of the Rings, Lost, and pajamas. I love a comfy pair of pajamas.

Well, I'm starting to get a headache so I'm gonna call it a night.

All my little college kiddies come back tomorrow because it's move in weekend! Yay.

Night (morning, mid-day) all!

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The giant squid - Jan 7, 2006 1:58 am (#2860 of 2980)

We were overrun with Pooh, Piglet and Tigger. Also Eyeore and Rabbit, but to a lesser extent.--Amilia Smith

Alas, Owl, Kanga and Roo always get short shrift...

Chemyst, thanks for the extra info on hyphens and dashes. I knew someone would come along and prove that I really don't know what I'm talking about most of the time.

--Mike

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Tazzygirl - Jan 7, 2006 2:02 am (#2861 of 2980)

I went and saw TLTWTW again tonight and noticed that Edmund wore a hearing aid. Did anyone else notice? The one spot that was super noticeable was when he was talking to the Witch for the first time (and got the Turkish Delight).

I guess I should go to sleep now... Good night and Good day!!

~Kristina

(Thanks, Madame Pince, for the , the guy definitely deserves it!!!)

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Honour - Jan 7, 2006 2:24 am (#2862 of 2980)

Just a quick Hi to everyone before I jump on the forum, hope everyone is well, and are all recovered from the Holiday break. Mr Honour and I are "Home Alone" for the week, my 3 children have gone on a wee vacation (their very first!) with my brother and sister-in-law, crazy people! - and to tell the truth Mr Honour and I are missing our babies terribly, but we have agreed to be strong ... Thank god for Lexicon!

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Ydnam96 - Jan 7, 2006 5:10 pm (#2863 of 2980)

Oh goodness...I haven't been able to get to the Forum all day. Looks like no one else could either!

So glad it's back.

Tazzy, I did not notice that! Hmmmm Makes me want to go see the movie again just to look for that.

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Madam Pince - Jan 7, 2006 6:50 pm (#2864 of 2980)

Poor Mandy, pelted with marshmallows....

I also confess to something of a minor Winnie-the-Pooh obsession. I think it started because my aunt thought I should like Pooh stuff when I was very little, so she had this very talented lady hand-make all the Pooh characters as stuffed animals (even Owl, Kanga, and Roo!) Kanga and Roo were especially cute as Kanga had a pocket for Roo to fit into. She gave me all the A.A. Milne books. I had a Pooh birthday party when I was six and we played Pin-the-Tail-on-Eeyore. I love the books even more now that I can be all adult and philosophical about them (The Tao of Pooh is great, by the way.) Little Pince's baby room was all done in Winnie-the-Pooh, and my old stuffed Pooh characters decorate the top shelf in there. And I currently have a fleecy Pooh robe, a Pooh-embroidered denim shirt, and I got an Eeyore sweatshirt for Christmas this year. So, yeah, I'd say that counts as a minor obsession, right?

OK, who's going to make the first U-No-Poo joke???? ***looks quizzically at timrew and Giant Squid Mike***

And why do so many British authors go by their initials? C.S. Lewis, A.A. Milne, J.R.R. Tolkien, J.K. Rowling, etc....etc.... There must be a reason....

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Ydnam96 - Jan 7, 2006 7:09 pm (#2865 of 2980)

Haha, I was the one who initiated the marshmallow throwing And I wasn't the one who got hurt, one of my RAs got pelted in the eye and it really hurt her. Who knew??

Haha, Madame Pince, my extra bedroom is my "what I missed in childhood room" it has a Pooh bedspread, all my stuffed animals, and my Harry Potter stuff so I think you're okay I wish I had a robe like that.

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Denise P. - Jan 7, 2006 7:29 pm (#2866 of 2980)

My kids all got marshmallow guns as a present. Devin brought them down to his filming so on breaks, the camera man, the sound guy and Devin ran around blowing marshmallows at one another. Slightly stale mini marshmallows work the best. At one point, Devin used Rhys as a human shield (and me) and Casey (sound guy) accidently shot Rhys. It didn't hurt him though, he just looked over to see what Casey was doing.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 7, 2006 9:55 pm (#2867 of 2980)

I almost had a meltdown this morning when I realized the Forum was down and I couldn't check the morning threads... Shows how much I depend on the forum, eh?

Marshmallow fights sound like fun! I've never heard of a marshmallow gun though...

I never was into Winnie the Pooh. Tigger was always my favorite, but I never collected or decorated my room in Pooh motif. When I went to Disneyland about 8 years ago, Tigger chased me in and out and around the main street. Since I am petrified of people in costumes (even Ronald McDonald), that episode really ended anything I had with Winnie the Pooh and his friends. The crowd that surrounded us were laughing, but I guess it would be funny seeing a 14 year old girl running and screaming hysterically away from a person in a costume...

Good night/ day everyone!

~Kristina

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 7, 2006 10:24 pm (#2868 of 2980)

Finn, what is it with you and Julie Andrews? –Vlad

Now, now. As you should well know, Vlad, Finn can't help it if the hills are alive with the sound of music.

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Stephanie M. - Jan 7, 2006 11:26 pm (#2869 of 2980)

I have Winnie the Pooh bed sheets with Piglet and Pooh on them and clouds and stuff. (I still sometimes sleep with them... now that I've mentioned that... I haven't had them on my bed in a while. **Looks in drawers to find Pooh sheets**) I also have every single Disney episode of Winnie the Pooh (I was born in 1992, so I was a Disney person. Not as much of an original Pooh person.) I also have all of the books. I used to have shoes with Pooh, Piglet, and tigger on them. I had a dress with Pooh on it, with a matching hat (that also went with the shoes). Mac Donalds had Happy Meals that had Winnie the Pooh stuffed key chains in them, and my family doesn't really eat Mac Donalds, but I made my mom buy Happy Meals just so I could have the entire collection. I'm sure I could go on about what I have, except I have to look and remember what I have and don't have.

Piglet was always my favorite because Piglet's pink and short. Plus Piglet is a cute pig and always does what other people do. When Piglet's BIG Movie came out, I saw it with one of my friends and we were the oldest people there besides that parents taking their 3 year olds. It was so funny! We had so much fun! Pooh was my second favorite.

I just got back from the last Bar Mitzvah for the people in my grade. And let's just say, I'm never going to wear 3 inch stilettos for a very long time. (With my shoes I'm only 5"3'. But I actually think I'm 5"1' and my doctor is just really wrong because when my mom measures me I'm taller. LOL)

TTFN ta ta for now!

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The giant squid - Jan 8, 2006 12:20 am (#2870 of 2980)

See, there are advantages to only posting late at might...I had no idea the boards were down! Saved myself some stress there.

Wow, Madame Pince, that's quite a bit of Pooh. Since you are so well versed, I'm sure you know what "ther" means. (For those who have only seen the Disney-fied version, his actual name is "Winnie ther Pooh". And according to Christopher Robin, "Everyone knows what 'ther' means.")

I'll leave the U-No-Poo joke to Tim...

I'd never thought about the monogram thing before, but you're right: a lot of British authors use(d) their initials. Weird.

--Mike

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Amilia Smith - Jan 8, 2006 2:05 am (#2871 of 2980)

I just dropped over $300 dollars buying textbooks. And I didn't even buy all of them -- am hoping to get a few from the library as needed.

And let's just say, I'm never going to wear 3 inch stilettos for a very long time.

Ah, man, Stephanie, what's the point of being short if you're not going to wear heals? I adore 3 inch stilettos, but I look like Monster Amazon Woman when I wear them. Which does not stop me, of course.

And I highly recommend picking up The House on Pooh Corner et al from your library. Like Mdm. Pince said, you'll enjoy them now more than you would have as a toddler. You'll get the jokes. And they are very clever.

Alas, Owl, Kanga and Roo always get short shrift...

Ain't that the truth. The stuffed Kangas are the cutest in the set, but they are the hardest to find and the most expensive to buy. If we run across one again, we're keeping it, not giving it away!

Mills.

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Lina - Jan 8, 2006 3:10 am (#2872 of 2980)

Mandy, here people use nettle to prevent or cure rheumatism. It seems that there is something good in the pain that it causes...

And I am joining the club of people who were not obsessed with the books in their childhood (I was with math, to be honest) but are making up for that now...

And yes, Mandy, 3 Kings is the same thing as Epiphany. The only custom that we have related to this day is taking the Christmas decorations off.

I had a friend who was very tall (even taller than me) and liked to wear heels. Once she came to visit me and my sister, who was still a kid, went to open the door. She came back announcing: - There is a giant at the door!

I'm just looking forward to go home!

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Madam Pince - Jan 8, 2006 7:02 am (#2873 of 2980)

LOL, Mike -- I was going to type "ther" in my post but I thought it might be read as a typo. Silly me! Of course we all know what "ther" means!

I love the Pooh-joke about "living under the name of Sanders" too -- it's such a typical "isn't that just what a youngster would think?" kind of thing. I remember when I was a little kid and they were building a wooden footbridge across the river at my babysitter's, and the workmen kept talking about "burying the dead man" at the edge of the river, and my cousin and I were absolutely enthralled and kept creeping up to the construction to try to see this phenomenon. Of course we had no idea that it referred to a big log or stone weight that was hooked to the bridge and then buried to serve as a sort of anchor for the bridge -- I'm clearly not an engineer so I'm kinda fuzzy on the details, but we kids thought "burying the dead man" was very thrilling.

Stephanie, you and I can be yin-yang, because you're a Disney-Pooh and I'm a Classic-Pooh! But I love the voices for Disney-Pooh.

* ***Really, really wants a marshmallow gun, and knows a little boy who would love one, too! **** That sounds like such fun, Denise! I'll bet the video shoot was very exciting. A long day, but exciting!

Lina, now that you say that about nettles, that sounds familiar to me too. Maybe it's sort of like acupuncture or something?

In my "office days" I used to wear heels constantly, doing lots of walking and running around airports all day, and never could understand why people complained about them -- they never bothered me at all. Now that I mostly wear tennis shoes, I can wear heels for a couple hours and they're killing me. I wore a pair of boots yesterday with just mid-size heels and I was very sorry by the end of the day...

Edit: Loopy Lupin, have you been back to Ch'ville lately? I was shocked to see that Aunt Sarah's Pancake House is gone and has been replaced by a Best Buy!! Oh the humanity.....

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 8, 2006 7:41 am (#2874 of 2980)

Edit: Loopy Lupin, have you been back to Ch'ville lately? I was shocked to see that Aunt Sarah's Pancake House is gone and has been replaced by a Best Buy!! Oh the humanity..... Madame Pince

Noooooo!!!! Well that's just disturbing. Next thing you know, the White Spot will be replaced by a Starbucks.

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Madam Pince - Jan 8, 2006 7:53 am (#2875 of 2980)

Perish the thought! No, the Spot was still there, but I did see a Starbucks sign on the side of that building on the Corner beside the Lucky Seven. I think maybe they've put a Starbucks on the side along Elliewood where the yogurt shop used to be? Next to the Biltmore Grille? I may be wrong, but I think there's one somewhere down there, unfortunately... And, did you ever have a Riverside burger? It's now a CVS Pharmacy.

Oh, I remembered another piece of Pooh paraphernalia I own -- a set of bookends depicting the scene where Pooh gets stuck in Rabbit's doorway. One bookend is the front of Pooh, and the other bookend is the backside of Pooh. It's too cute!

****Is now reading Winnie The Pooh to Little Pince, who just woke up. "Ouch!" "Did I miss?" "Well, you didn't exactly miss, but you missed the balloon!" ****

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Finn BV - Jan 8, 2006 8:51 am (#2876 of 2980)

Now, now. As you should well know, Vlad, Finn can't help it if the hills are alive with the sound of music. –Loopy

Thank you. I couldn't quite think of anything else to say here.

I love Pooh, and when I thought I had seen enough, I read The Tao of Pooh, too, which is hilariously funny for the first chapter or so, and then I got tired of it. But I was probably too young to actually appreciate the religious thoughts in the book, so I think if I read it now it would be good.

I missed the Lex yesterday! Glad it's back now! Yay!

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Catherine  - Jan 8, 2006 9:33 am (#2877 of 2980)

Thank you. I couldn't quite think of anything else to say here.—Finn

Loopy does have a way with words.

I missed the Lex yesterday! Glad it's back now! Yay! –Finn

Yay, indeed!

The one toy that Santa did not bring our family is a marshmallow gun. I now feel a little cheated. Hayley, though, is such a marshmallow lover that she would, stale or not, probably eat all her ammunition.

I have this image of marshmallows falling on the floor and the shih-tzus eating them. They'd be like a CSI team that destroys forensic evidence.

Watching a shih-tzu eat anything sticky or chewy is quite amusing. Hmmm...I wonder if there are any marshmallows in the pantry?

EDIT FOR RANDOM COMMENT: For some reason, I am reminded that I saw Peeps in the store at Christmas this year. I remember thinking that Peeps are just not for Easter anymore.

EDIT: "Peeps" are molded, sugared marshmallow candy, for those Forum members who have not encountered them before. It has come to my attention that there are various websites devoted to this particular treat.

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Puck - Jan 8, 2006 9:59 am (#2878 of 2980)

Catherine, we had pumpkin peeps for Halloween.

Our Epiphany was appropriately celebrated with our baby's baptism. Now we are celebrating all the relatives being back in their own states, and our house being relatively quiet.

My daughter was given the A.A. Milne collection for her 3rd birthday. She didn't seem quite ready to sit through a chapter book, so it's been shelved. I wrote my first term on the subject back many years ago. I, too, have the robe and various other items, including a tea kettle and a cookie jar that stays full as long as Pooh's hunny pots!

We have marshmello guns made from PVC piping by Mr. Puck's grandfather. I don't let them put marshmellos in, as I'm afraid they will accidently suck one in and choke. (I'm a bit neurotic about choking.)

Mr. Puck is not much taller than I, and has requested I not wear very high heels. I happily comply.

*wondering if Finn had a Mary Poppins-like babysitter as a child*

Kathy

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Marè - Jan 8, 2006 10:16 am (#2879 of 2980)

Aaaand... the discussion is back at peeps, again. Feels familiar!

Anyways, I got a nudge from Veronica to take a look at the latest at artdungeon. If you haven't done so, go take a look, it's impressive!

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Marie E. - Jan 8, 2006 10:30 am (#2880 of 2980)

The Lex chat discussions tend to be a bit circular, don't they? I do think that the Peeps discussions was brought on by the marshmallow gun discussion. My favorite Peeps site is Lord of the Peeps. Someone has taken bunny Peeps and used them to tell the story Fellowship of the Ring. Quite funny!

Speaking of obsessions, I went to see Pride and Prejudice again last night. It is now showing at our discount theater. I went with my best friend Amy, who cries at almost everything, so we were both boo-hooing anytime anyone in the movie teared up. Amy cried when Amidala died in Star Wars, for heavens sake! I love this movie, despite my sibling's "eye-gouging" opinions.

Our family is very big on all things Pooh. I think it may have started with our aunt and then trickled down to everyone else. My mom has given each of my girls a set of the books in hardcover. I have read "Now We Are Six" to each girl on her sixth birthday. It held special meaning for Lexie because she always says she never wants to grow up. Sadly, I think that also means she never wants to move out of my house. Oh, and Lexie's room was also done up in Pooh until she was four. Then it was all Dora the Explorer.

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Catherine  - Jan 8, 2006 11:16 am (#2881 of 2980)

Aaaand... the discussion is back at peeps, again. Feels familiar! –Marè

Oops-a-daisy. Did I do that?

I'm excited that we're going out to dinner for a surprise birthday for a friend. It doesn't hurt that it's in a tasty restaurant about 20 miles out of town, so it feels like we're really on a date. Cloth napkins and no crayons! W00T!

Perhaps that makes me giddy. Where's the cold compress when you need one? (Speaking of needing a cold compress, Mr. Catherine is strictly forbidden from wearing the possum fur sweater this evening. )

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Finn BV - Jan 8, 2006 11:18 am (#2882 of 2980)

wondering if Finn had a Mary Poppins-like babysitter as a child* --Puck

Nope, I'm a Sound of Music kid. But thankfully my babysitter wasn't studying to be a nun, either. Phew.

Loopy does have a way with words. –Catherine

I'm glad to know it's not only I who think that.

EDIT: Oh, and Lexie's room was also done up in Pooh until she was four. Then it was all Dora the Explorer. –Marie

Dora! My teacher! Yes, I finally had her for my two-month science elective which began last Wednesday. She's a little spacey but better than my last science teacher (who I return to in March). (*waves to Vlad*)

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Puck - Jan 8, 2006 12:45 pm (#2883 of 2980)

lol, Catherine. We went to dinner the other night while the grandparents were in town to babysit. I commented to hubby about how we didn't need to ask for crayons!

Saw "King Kong" after our dinner. I enjoyed it. Mr. Puck commented about there being alot of girly parts, but I spent enough time saying "Eew, gross! Eeeww!" to make up for it. All in all a great movie, though I was rooting for the monkey!

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Denise P. - Jan 8, 2006 12:50 pm (#2884 of 2980)

You can find directions for making a PVC marshmallow gun online. You can buy them on eBay to but really...I made 5 of them for under $10.

Puck, if you put the marshmallow at the end of the pipe rather than where you blow in, smaller kids won't inhale it and it will go further since they don't have the lung power to shoot it all the way through.

Mr. Denise called last night from Spain. He was supposed to be in already but delays have pushed his arrival time back several hours. I leave to go pick him up from work shortly. Yay! Since he will be passed out from jet lag, maybe I can sneak out to see GoF finally.

We did the insane thing of getting all 9 kids picture taken. What a nightmare....made worse by a 22 year old son who wanted to make an issue on several things which had me and the 24 year old daughter ready to choke him in public. Grrrr!!! The pictures did come out nice but it sure reminds me why we don't do it often. I am already dreading the family one that we will get done during the summer sometime.

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azi - Jan 8, 2006 1:03 pm (#2885 of 2980)

Just popping in to say hi! I'm back at uni and my revision is going slightly better. Not the best however.

Nothing wrong with Julie Andrews. Mary Poppins is one of my favourite films! Never actually seen Sound of Music.

Mmmm, peeps sound yummy.

My childhood obsession was Enid Blyton books, particuarly the Famous Five. I even wrote my own Famous Five story called 'Five Visit Kidnappers Gate' with the word 'station' spelt wrong many times!

Hope everyone has a great day!

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kaykay1970 - Jan 8, 2006 1:05 pm (#2886 of 2980)

Denise, where do you have your family portraits made? Wal-Mart photography only allows 6 people per photo, which makes it difficult for a family of 7.

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Madam Pince - Jan 8, 2006 1:14 pm (#2887 of 2980)

Yay on Mr. Denise coming home! Woo-hoo!

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Springtime - Jan 8, 2006 3:44 pm (#2888 of 2980)

Hi everyone have a great evening!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 8, 2006 5:12 pm (#2889 of 2980)

Catherine, the minute you mentioned stale marshmallows I thought, "I feel another Peeps discussion a-coming on" and lo! there it was.

I've been car-less for 2 weeks now, going on 3. Perhaps I'll follow Denise's lead and check out GoF tonight. Otherwise, I'll have nothing to sustain me while I'm stuck in the house for another week with no excuse not to reorganize the basement as I pack away the rest of Christmas.

We had dinner today at an inn immortalized in a poem by Longfellow:

The scroll reads, By the name of Howe."
And over this, no longer bright,
Though glimmering with a latent light,
Was hung the sword his grandsire bore
In the rebellious days of yore,
Down there at Concord in the fight. "

It's not every day I have a door opened for me by a man in breeches and a tricorn hat and my dinner served by a woman in a mobcap. Gosh, I sure do hope the pay is good.

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I Am Used Vlad - Jan 8, 2006 5:36 pm (#2890 of 2980)

Nope, I'm a Sound of Music kid. But thankfully my babysitter wasn't studying to be a nun, either. Phew.

So it's a Sound of Music thing. That's good. I've always liked that movie but have never cared for Mary Poppins.

Dora! My teacher! Yes, I finally had her for my two-month science elective which began last Wednesday. She's a little spacey but better than my last science teacher (who I return to in March). (*waves to Vlad*)

Finn, I like scatological humor as much as the next guy, but we're in mixed company here, so I won't make a Physics joke.

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Pigwidgeon - Jan 8, 2006 6:16 pm (#2891 of 2980)

That's wonderful, Denise, about Mr. Denise coming home! I'm glad for you

*sigh* I took my Harry Potter tree down today. My house looks sooo empty now without it. But...I kept out a pair of the glasses on the tree and the hat that tops it. I figure, the next HP event, I'll be stylin'! I hate "de-Christmasing," though, it is so depressing!

*goes to have a Butterbeer, and more caffeine-enhanced Coke!*

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Jan 8, 2006 6:21 pm (#2892 of 2980)

A family of 7? Remind me to catch up on posts...from several years back...

...toddles...remembering van for 16 is not an option...

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Madam Pince - Jan 8, 2006 7:14 pm (#2893 of 2980)

Hey, boop!! Congratulations on your Steelers win!!! Best of luck next week, too!

Pigwidgeon, I love your HP tree!

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Denise P. - Jan 8, 2006 7:27 pm (#2894 of 2980)

kaykay, this specific picture was taken at K-Mart (Olan Mills) and we also use Sears. We went today to get the one at Sears.

Mr. Denise is in the house! His flight was delayed several times so Rhys and I hung out for a few hours waiting for it to land. The kids have swarmed him and he is unable to move without numerous shadows.

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Puck - Jan 8, 2006 7:41 pm (#2895 of 2980)

The Steelers won? Weren't they playing the Patriots today? Bummer!

Lupin, is that restaurant at a big white Inn in Concord center? I believe I once had dinner there as well.

So glad Mr. Denise is home! Yeah! And good for you for getting a photo done of 9 kids! We did one of my kids and their Colorado cousins this week. Five kids between the ages of 3 months and 5 years. We did get one shot where you can see all the faces and no one is screaming. Cheers to Denise for going through this with almost twice as many kids!

Off for a quick thread read before bed. Tomorrow we get back to normal. Kids in School, holidays over, visitors gone. Ahhhh.....

Kathy

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kaykay1970 - Jan 8, 2006 7:58 pm (#2896 of 2980)

Denise, so happy for you that Mr. Denise is home. Thanks, I'll try Sears for our next family photo. I haven't had one done since the youngest was born because a lot of photographers will refuse such a large group. He'll be 3 in March so I really need to get one done!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 8, 2006 8:07 pm (#2897 of 2980)

Kathy, I think you're thinking of The Colonial Inn. It's in Concord center although it's grey (perhaps it used to be white?). We were at the Wayside Inn. But you know, once you're within 5 miles of Paul Revere's ride, mobcaps just start popping out of the woodwork.

Denise, glad to see Mr. Denise is home. Make for the movies while you can.

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Puck - Jan 8, 2006 8:19 pm (#2898 of 2980)

Yes, I'm pretty sure it was the colonial. I used to teach in Lincoln, but haven't been out that way in many years. I remember swimming in Walden pond after work in the summer. Such a lovely area, filled with history!

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Finn BV - Jan 8, 2006 8:35 pm (#2899 of 2980)

YAY MR. DENISE! WELCOME BACK!!

so I won't make a Physics joke. –Vlad

Well, you won't, but we can always revisit October 25 of the past year: Finn BV, "# Chat and Greeting Thread for Members" #1295, 25 Oct 2005 6:01 pm. (Surprisingly, that post is on this thread. Detail Seeker is right, we haven't been very chatty lately!

I went into the city today to see a movie at MoMA, and I passed the Ziegfeld (sp?) theater and thought of the HP premieres! Just a little Harry moment there!

Have a good… Monday?? Those two words don't go together. Have a good rest-of-Sunday while it lasts!

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Ydnam96 - Jan 8, 2006 8:59 pm (#2900 of 2980)

Glad to hear Mr. Denise is back home.

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 8, 2006 9:12 pm (#2901 of 2980)

Loopy does have a way with words. --- Catherine

Glad to see that my English major wasn't a total waste of time.

Yay Mr. Denise!

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Stephanie M. - Jan 8, 2006 9:32 pm (#2902 of 2980)

YAY!!! WELCOME BACK MR. DENISE!!!!

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Jan 8, 2006 10:15 pm (#2903 of 2980)

Welcome home! And Thank You!

YAY!!! WELCOME BACK MR. DENISE!!!!

Sometimes I wonder if they'd give such an enthusiastic farewell.

Again, thank you Mrs and Mr D!

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Madam Pince - Jan 8, 2006 10:16 pm (#2904 of 2980)

No, Puck, the Steelers beat the Bengals today. The Patriots won yesterday. And I can't believe how badly the Giants stunk the place up in their loss... amazing.

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 8, 2006 11:26 pm (#2905 of 2980)

Yeah Denise, hope you can sneak out to see GOF while Mr. D is home.

About Julie Andrews, if there is a production of the "Boyfriend" in your area, you should try to see it. Ms. Andrews is has directed a production and has it on the road. It was in our area this past summer and she stayed in our town. She is a very nice lady. She spent the summer next door to a friend and she was as gracious and classy as they come.

Today Jan 9, is Snape’s birthday, Capricorn, that explains a lot.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 8, 2006 11:42 pm (#2906 of 2980)

Welcome home Mr. Denise!!

School starts for me on Tuesday, which means I am supposed to be packing my suitcases right now for my flight back to Hawaii instead of being on the forum... Oh well.

Christmas Holidays are officially over for me! :so sad:

Hope everyone has a good week!

~Kristina

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Troels Forchhammer - Jan 9, 2006 2:28 am (#2907 of 2980)

Ninth of January — a day of ill omen!

In Denmark it started innocently with a routine systems service, which only happened to paralyze all credit-card transactions (except for those using the old carbon-paper-copy-of-the-card machines [we call them ‘flyswatters’ in Denmark]).

Perhaps I should just have stayed in the safety of my bed

Troels

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The giant squid - Jan 9, 2006 2:41 am (#2908 of 2980)

I love this movie, despite my sibling's "eye-gouging" opinions.--Marie E.

It could be that I only saw the very end, with whats-his-name taking a full 15 minutes to walk across a field, then having another long conversation with Keira Knightly. Imagine four men sitting in the theater screaming, "Get on with it!" I'll stick with Grandma's Boy...very funny, but not family friendly...

--Mike

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 9, 2006 6:04 am (#2909 of 2980)

Today Jan 9, is Snapes birthday, Capricorn, that explains a lot.---Mrs. Sirius

OMG! Today's my mother's birthday. Now that explains a lot.

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Eponine - Jan 9, 2006 7:16 am (#2910 of 2980)

Welcome home, Mr. Denise!

I finally got all our Christmas decorations down. I don't like de-Christmasing either, Pigwidgeon. Now I just have to carry all the boxes up to the attic. Or get Mr. Eponine to do it.

I hope everyone is having a great day!

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 9, 2006 7:30 am (#2911 of 2980)

Lupin, he he he, my mother's birthday is also January. I deleted that part of my message because I thought it would be mean. Thanks for freeing me to say "that DOES explain a lot!!!"

Amelia and Tazzy are you two anywhere near each other in Hawaii? It's a shame if you are not.

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Marie E. - Jan 9, 2006 7:53 am (#2912 of 2980)

WELCOME BACK, MR. DENISE!!!!!

Does he get to stay this time, or is he just on leave? *pictures Mr. Denise trying to get around the house with a child attached to each leg.*

We have almost all our decorations down. There is just one strand of icicle lights across our garage that someone else :cough Mr. E cough: needs to take care of. He did take down our light-up deer last night.

If anyone remembers, back in October my dear Mr. E was supposed to clean out the garage and build me a bookcase or else I was allowed to buy one. Well, the one I bought is now put together and standing proudly in our office. It makes such a difference from the piles and stacks of books. And what did Mr. E say? "That's a nice solid bookcase. You should go see if they have another one." Picture me with steam coming out of my ears like Harry in PoA.

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Springtime - Jan 9, 2006 8:04 am (#2913 of 2980)

Good Morning all

Hey the kids are back in school after being off for 2 weeks

Anyways spent the weekend watching HP movies 1, 2, & 3. Need to do laundry today Oh well have a great day.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 9, 2006 8:36 am (#2914 of 2980)

Lupin, he he he, my mother's birthday is also January. I deleted that part of my message because I thought it would be mean. Thanks for freeing me to say "that DOES explain a lot!!!"---Mrs. Sirius

For the record, my mother could not be less like Snape. ***she said, hauling herself out of self-dug hole***

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Puck - Jan 9, 2006 10:26 am (#2915 of 2980)

Marie, Mr. Puck has been talking about building a kitchen set for our daughter for years. Whenever I talked of buying one he emphatically said no, that he wanted to make it. She began asking for one this Christmas months in advance. One arrived courtesy of Sears, as in the end he decided it would be easier. I join you in the grumbling.

I think Mr. Denise will have at least 2 children per leg, and some on his arms as well.

Kathy

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haymoni - Jan 9, 2006 11:42 am (#2916 of 2980)

Hey all!

I'm here at work again. We actually have a 5-day work week. I don't think I can make it!!

Should be a quiet night at home tonight. Hubby will be working and Ungrateful Son does not have wrestling practice.

I will probably do laundry. My life is sooooo exciting! I wish Tonks would show me some of those householdy-type spells she mentioned.

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Amilia Smith - Jan 9, 2006 11:48 am (#2917 of 2980)

Amelia and Tazzy are you two anywhere near each other in Hawaii? It's a shame if you are not.

Yep! :-) We're both in Honolulu, not all that far from each other.

Classes start today for me. **sigh** Back to the grindstone.

Mills.

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Finn BV - Jan 9, 2006 3:33 pm (#2918 of 2980)

Mrs. Sirius, I envy your friend, and you, if you got to meet her. I heard about the production, originated in Chicago, I think. I hope it comes to New York!

*pictures Mr. Denise trying to get around the house with a child attached to each leg.* --Marie

*pictures Mr. Denise with 9 legs!! *

Monday… ah. Over. Yay.

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kaykay1970 - Jan 9, 2006 3:35 pm (#2919 of 2980)

Maybe Mr. Denise is the giant squid! Sorry, just joking of course! I couldn't resist.

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Finn BV - Jan 9, 2006 3:38 pm (#2920 of 2980)

Oh my gosh! That means Mr. Denise=Dumbledore!! Denise, have you been holding out on us??

I forgot, we celebrated 3 King's Night last night. I always remember it being the 6th, but my grandmother said the date was changed. Hmm… Anyway, don't know if anyone else does this, but we stick a penny, nickel, and dime into a cake/brownie/cookie (it was a cake last night), and try to cut the pieces so that each slice has a coin, and I got stuck with the penny!! Oh, well. I suppose that signifies gold in the three-word mantra that I can't remember.

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Catherine  - Jan 9, 2006 4:20 pm (#2921 of 2980)

Welcome home to Mr. Denise!

Kim, I agree that any employee who must wear a mobcap should be well-compensated. I personally think that I would look better in the tricorn.

Fortunately, I de-Christmased the house last week. I was hired last night at 5 p.m. to take over some English composition classes at our local university. Nothing like last minute preparation and terror.

The students who saw me today were displeased that I was not the original instructor. I made sure to give them a big assignment tonight. It's part of my plan to cull the herd. I'm hoping that that I can get the class size down if I'm mean enough during the drop/add period.

Perhaps I should wear a mobcap on Wednesday. That'll make 'em wonder.

Have a good night, everyone.

EDIT: Loopy Lupin has made my night with his Ralph "unpossible" avatar. Thanks.

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Julie Aronson - Jan 9, 2006 4:29 pm (#2922 of 2980)

Welcome home, Mr. Denise!!!

Mike, I was wondering about Grandma's Boy, so thanks for the commentary...

Kim, was the food good at said historical inn?

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boop - Jan 9, 2006 4:30 pm (#2923 of 2980)

Madam Pince, Thank you!!! It was a good game. When football is over I will go through withdraw.

Welcome Home Mr Denise!!!!

Kim, tell your mom Happy Birthday for me. I hope she has had a wonderful day.

hugs always

boop

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Madam Pince - Jan 9, 2006 4:31 pm (#2924 of 2980)

Catherine, you wicked, wicked girl! Cull the herd! **snort**

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kaykay1970 - Jan 9, 2006 8:54 pm (#2925 of 2980)

My niece went for a check-up at Vandy today. She is doing great! She has one more day with the home-bound teacher then she is back in school Wednesday.

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The giant squid - Jan 10, 2006 1:05 am (#2926 of 2980)

*pictures Mr. Denise trying to get around the house with a child attached to each leg.*--Marie E.

Finn beat me to it, but I too got an odd mental image of a man in military uniform with an extremely odd number of legs... Kaykay, Mr. Denise may be a giant squid but he's not THE Giant Squid.

Mike, I was wondering about Grandma's Boy, so thanks for the commentary... --Julie Aronson

You're quite welcome. It doesn't seem to be doing much business at our theater, but that may be because Brokeback Mountain is stealing all the press. I highly recommend it, but I can't stress enough that it is a hard "R" rating--grown-ups only, please.

**The giant squid does not condone or endorse drug use, profanity or pre-marital relations...but he does find it quite hilarious at times.**

--Mike

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Tazzygirl - Jan 10, 2006 1:35 am (#2927 of 2980)

Mrs. Sirius- Amelia and Tazzy are you two anywhere near each other in Hawaii? It's a shame if you are not.

We also go to the same school! Poor Mills! She starts today and I start tomorrow...

Mills- How many classes are you taking? I am only taking three. Finally somewhat of a break!

Hope everyone has a good night/ day!

~Kristina

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Lina - Jan 10, 2006 4:21 am (#2928 of 2980)

It is wonderful that Mr. Denise is home.

Puck, congratulations on the baptism of the baby. Very nicely chosen day.

Marie, I think you just should see if they have another one bookcase.

Happy Bairam to all that celebrate.
That reminds me that we went to see the Narnia movie and I liked it very much. After watching it, I decided to buy some Turkish delight to my kids, but we got invited to visit some Muslim friends tomorrow, so I guess we will have the opportunity to try it there. Actually, we have two kinds of Turkish delight here. One is made of roses and this one indeed tastes like perfume. But the other one is made with walnuts and I must say that I like this one.

It is great to hear the good news about your niece Kaykay.

Everybody, have a wonderful day!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 10, 2006 6:44 am (#2929 of 2980)

Julie, the food was great. However, I don't know if I'll ever be able to try their Jerusha Peach Mold, strictly for the 75+ crowd--it's half a peach covered in Jell-O with whipped cream dressing. I...well...I'm at a loss for words.

Catherine, your mobcap avatar (delightful by the way ) reminded me of a Far Side-like card a friend gave me for Thanksgiving. It shows a Pilgrim woman surrounded by Pilgrim men. Off to the side are two other Pilgrim women and one's saying to the other, "I could attract men, too, if I wore my bonnet pushed up so far you could see my whole forehead!" It's entitled "Pilgrim Jealousy".

Good luck with the herd.

As for Loopy's tagline, yesterday I heard a news reporter refer to something as making people "unhappier". Unhappier? ***dashes about for smelling salts***

Betty, thanks for the birthday wishes but I see you passed over Professor Snape. Poor man. He's so misunderstood.

Poor Mills! She starts today and I start tomorrow...---Tazzygirl

Unfortunately, the study/empathy factor decreases in direct proportion to the loveliness of the collegial setting. I'm afraid you and Mills are now in negative numbers.

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Springtime - Jan 10, 2006 6:56 am (#2930 of 2980)

Good Morning All

Well today will be spent doing book - keeping (lots of year ends to do ) mmmmmmmmm someday i will figure out how to put he real smiles in. (lol)

for all who are good back to school Good Luck

Have a great day.

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mike miller - Jan 10, 2006 7:25 am (#2931 of 2980)

Good Morning Everyone! I've been gone for some time, but work has finally eased enough for a quick stop into the Forum.

Welcome Home Mr. Denise! I was thinking more spider than squid myself.

Eponine - I love the avatar. By the way, you can always tell a witch because they're made of wood. The look on John Cleese's face as he screams "Burn Her" is forever etched in my mind. Come to think of it, his portrayal of the Minister of Silly Walks is quite clear also.

Well, I hope to check in more frequently now and I'll try to keep up with all of the comings and goings.

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Springtime - Jan 10, 2006 7:35 am (#2932 of 2980)

Welcome back Mike Miller I know what it's like to be away for a while. I've just came back into the picture a few weeks ago. And it's not easy catching up on all the going ons.

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 10, 2006 8:23 am (#2933 of 2980)

Yesterday I went to BJ's (a big box store where food comes in the MEGA size), they had a box set of the 6 available HP books. It was so tempting! I told my husband that we'll wait until we get all 7 and then we'll get the British editions since we already have several copies of all the books now.

Unfortunately, the study/empathy factor decreases in direct proportion to the loveliness of the collegial setting. I'm afraid you and Mills are now in negative numbers.

Oh, yeah! The ground was frozen here this morning, it'll be warm today (low 40's)and then we will have melting snow all over!

I am however enjoying life as I never have before. My kids are back at school, my husband is gone to work, I have not returned to work yet. I honestly don't know where to start, I feel at such a loss as to what next. I haven't been this free since junior high school vacations.

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 10, 2006 9:44 am (#2934 of 2980)

I'm glad everyone appreciates the return of Ralph.

It doesn't seem to be doing much business at our theater, but that may be because Brokeback Mountain is stealing all the press. I highly recommend it, but I can't stress enough that it is a hard "R" rating--grown-ups only, please. – Mike

Mike, are you referring to Grandma's rating? Or Brokeback Mountain's ?

Speaking of grown-ups, I can't stress enough that Sirius Radio is da bomb. I'll never listen to regular radio again.

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haymoni - Jan 10, 2006 10:00 am (#2935 of 2980)

Loopy - Were you a Howard Transfer or had you already joined the Cult of Sirius?

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Tazzygirl - Jan 10, 2006 10:41 am (#2936 of 2980)

Haymoni- I thought the same thing after Loopy's "Is da bomb!" statement. LOL.

Lupin is Lupin. Natch.- LOL!

Alright. I'm off to get ready for school. Have to catch the bus because yet again my car is having problems. grrrrrrr...

Hope everyone has a good day/ night!

~Kristina

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azi - Jan 10, 2006 10:58 am (#2937 of 2980)

Woohooo, one exam down, one to go! Ok, so I locked myself out of my room just before the exam, got the wobbly table as usual, hurt my back leaning too much when I was writing and know I got something wrong already, (I put 'Rhizoplethra dominica' instead of 'Rhizopertha dominica') it went ok.

'...Sirius Radio is da bomb.' - Loopy Lupin.

Sounding like my 13 year old cousin there! (j/k, although she does say stuff like that...)

Tazzy - your car seems to be terrible! Makes me glad I don't own one! Hope it starts behaving soon!

Great to hear your niece is doing well Kaykay!

I would dearly love to have another book case for my room at home. Books everywhere. Unfortunately there isn't space for one...

Hope everyone has a lovely day!

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 10, 2006 10:58 am (#2938 of 2980)

Actually, I got the equipment as a gift after I was very taken with a friend's car unit a couple months ago. I quickly became convinced that it was the best thing ever and posted that on this thread. I do confess, though, that I was prompted to remind everyone that Sirius is da bomb by Howard's debut yesterday and do confess that I was toying with the idea of getting this satellite just for Howard. However, without my friends giving me the gift, it probably would've been one of the many things that I'm always intending to "get around to doing."

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haymoni - Jan 10, 2006 11:10 am (#2939 of 2980)

Those are the best kinds of gifts! Things that you would never do or go to or buy for yourself!

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Springtime - Jan 10, 2006 12:14 pm (#2940 of 2980)

Tazzy I can understand your car problems my van is sitting in our drive way for the last week and half and will not start. Was going to be looked on last week-end but there was no time. Oh well maybe our friend will have time this week-end.

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Netherlandic - Jan 10, 2006 2:57 pm (#2941 of 2980)

Elenor, St. Nicolas day is indeed on the 6th of December, but is usually celebrated on the evening before, called St. Nicolas' night. It is not only celebrated in France, but throughout Belgium and the Netherlands and in some parts of Germany. St. Nicolas (or Sinterklaas, as he is usually called) even arrives officially and is greeted by the mayor. His arrival is even broadcasted live on television in both Belgium and the Netherlands. Shops are discouraged to have Christmas trees and stuff before the 6th/7th of December. The Royal Mail knows where to find Sinterklaas and makes sure children get a response to their letters.

PS. Does anyone know where the "was it Snape at Godric's Hollow that night" thread has gone? I can't find it.

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Detail Seeker - Jan 10, 2006 3:23 pm (#2942 of 2980)

Netherlandic, look in the Theories Group Section Folder. This thread is a permanent thread, that did not get a post for more than 30 days and thus went into the back row. But it is still there.

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Netherlandic - Jan 10, 2006 3:35 pm (#2943 of 2980)

A butterbeer for you, Detail Seeker. I will go there now.

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boop - Jan 10, 2006 3:49 pm (#2944 of 2980)

Welcome Back Mike Miller!!!

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Amilia Smith - Jan 10, 2006 3:49 pm (#2945 of 2980)

Tazzy, I am currently taking 5 classes. I had to beg my advisor to let me. Assuming I don't have a nervous breakdown, I want to graduate this summer semester. Start making money instead of spending it. Oh, yeah! Children's librarian, big money! :-)

Although, yes, the setting does make up for a lot of stress.

Great day at work today. My boss took me into the Rare Book room. I got to see all sort of really cool stuff. Like a couple of Edgar Allen Poe's personal copies of his first editions. He went through and edited them. Changed spellings, punctuations, rewrote lines, etc. Incidentally, Poe had great handwriting.

Off to class now.

Mills.

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azi - Jan 10, 2006 4:05 pm (#2946 of 2980)

Wow, Edgar Allen Poe? Cool, I really like that raven story of his...despite the fact I only ever watched it on The Simpsons...keep meaning to read it though...

Wish I was in Hawaii right now, rather than the dampness of Yorkshire.

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The giant squid - Jan 10, 2006 4:06 pm (#2947 of 2980)

Mike, are you referring to Grandma's rating? Or Brokeback Mountain's ?--Loopy Lupin

I was referring to Grandma, though Brokeback deserves its rating as well.

Welcome back, Mike Miller. I'd been wondering where the other Mike had gone...

--Mike

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Tazzygirl - Jan 10, 2006 5:14 pm (#2948 of 2980)

Springtime- Hope your car gets fixed soon!

A very tall cliff is looking really good right now for my car. Just forget to take it out of Neutral, get out of the car, and give it a slight push. Car Problem solved. I think I am going to try and sell it soon, and go the route of a car dealership. I don't know. All I want is to come back to Hawaii and not have immediate car problems.

Mills- Good Luck with the semester! I still have two more years of he College of Education program... Wow- you got to see the old old books. I think that is so neat.

~Kristina

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mike miller - Jan 10, 2006 7:18 pm (#2949 of 2980)

Hi Betty!! I hope all is well up in PA.

Thanks Squid Mike, it's nice to have been remembered by a few folks.

It's really a drag when work intervenes in life and you can't do all of the things you would like to do. I guess we have to do what we have to do, at least if you don't want to make sleeping "under the stars" a habit.

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Finn BV - Jan 10, 2006 7:45 pm (#2950 of 2980)

Welcome back mike miller!

I'm really tired everybody and still have to do my history homework, so I didn't really read through most of the last 20 posts or so! More tomorrow.

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Puck - Jan 10, 2006 7:49 pm (#2951 of 2980)

mrs. Sirius, so jealous of your time alone. Last year one of the best gifts I got was when Mr. Puck took the kids out shopping for my birthday. The gifts were nice, but the time alone was priceless!

Mike M., I just caught the Minister of Silly Walks a week ago! Had never seen it before. Quite funny!

Loopy, your avatar reminds me of my 4 year old niece sitting on my lap and announcing "I like picking my nose." I asked her to please not do that "now".

My hubby is enjoying his new satellite radio in his car. You remind me I need to choose some CD for him to load into my new MP3 player. A bonus Christmas gift, as Mr. Puck won it in a raffle.

Okay, I should go do my Yoga before bed, as I have already been slack in my resolution to exercise. However, as babe has been waking several time a night I am tempted to just

Oops! Sorry! must have dozed off...

Kathy

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Stephanie M. - Jan 10, 2006 7:55 pm (#2952 of 2980)

Welcome back Mike Miller!

I really want to see Brokeback Mountain! My sister was going to see it, but the two times she was going to go, something came up so I might see it with her.

I got back from my first swim meet of this season a few hours ago. I swam in 4 events. I swam the Butterfly in 200 Medley Relay, the 50 Butterfly individual, the 100 Free relay, and the 200 free relay. We cam in second for all of those events, but my other team members came in first for those events. I'm pretty sure we beat the other team. I know that the girls did, but I'm pretty sure the boys won too. We will find out the exact score of the meet tomorrow.

See/talk to you all tomorrow!

**Is very tired and in pain from swimming 4 big events.**

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Eponine - Jan 10, 2006 8:12 pm (#2953 of 2980)

Mills, I am extremely jealous of you right now. I'm such a geek over rare books, and any exposure to them turns me into a squealing idiot. And Poe? I'm just about to faint dead away with envy.

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Amilia Smith - Jan 11, 2006 12:41 am (#2954 of 2980)

I was extremely geeked out myself. Apparently anyone can look at the books, but you can't just browse the shelves. You have to ask for a specific title, and the librarian will bring it to you. And while the catalog record does say, "Poe’s private copy of Eureka ; extensive penciled text changes," who would know to look? Also, you can't tell from the catalog record just how cool The Sphere of Gentry (1661) really is. But I would go to your local university library's Special Collections department and ask what they have. They probably have all sorts of treasures hiding in the back rooms that no one ever asks for. Worth a try, anyway.

I just finished reading the new JKR interview. Tazzy, did you see? She came to Hawaii on vacation, And We Missed Her!!! Yes, I know she was trying to have a family vacation without everyone gaping at her. And I certainly support that idea. And it was probably the outer islands anyway, not Honolulu, if she was trying to go incognito. But still . . . So Close!!!

Mills.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 11, 2006 1:51 am (#2955 of 2980)

Mills- I missed it!!! I can't believe she was here! I'm thinking she went to Maui or Kaua'i. Everybody goes there! (I guess we Honolulu-ans aren't good enough) So sad!

On old books- I get excited when picking up a book printed in 1907, so being able to look at a 1660 book would just top the icing on my cake. Imagine what that particular book has gone through these hundreds of years... :shakes head:

~Kristina

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Chemyst - Jan 11, 2006 6:14 am (#2956 of 2980)

I've read all the posts of the last few days, but am at a bit of a loss as to where to jump in— Although I think I can eliminate Stephanie's pool. No, Vlad, that is not meant as scatological humor.

A line so well stated I must resort to copy & paste: Unfortunately, the study/empathy factor decreases in direct proportion to the loveliness of the collegial setting. I'm afraid you and Mills are now in negative numbers. — L=L Natch

Rare books and a potential JKR sighting too? Definitely negative numbers!

Good to see you back Mike Miller; I was beginning to wonder if you'd gone hunting and got lost in the woods.

Catherine, did you need to be congratulated on your new job as cowpoke? It is a good thing, right?

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Denise P. - Jan 11, 2006 7:08 am (#2957 of 2980)

Loopy, I am crushed...you deleted my email!Tears

Seriously, I sent you something non HP related so if you would please look at it, I can stop sobbing over my hurt feelings.

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Springtime - Jan 11, 2006 7:10 am (#2958 of 2980)

Good Morning all. Well last night was a horrible night sleep I was awake about 3 times during the night. *yawn*

Thanks Tazzy I hope my van get fixed soon also. this not be able to go anywhere during the day is nasty.

Anyways have a great day all.

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 11, 2006 7:43 am (#2959 of 2980)

I just finished reading the new JKR interview. Tazzy, did you see? She came to Hawaii on vacation, And We Missed Her!!! Yes, I know she was trying to have a family vacation without everyone gaping at her. And I certainly support that idea. And it was probably the outer islands anyway, not Honolulu, if she was trying to go incognito. But still . . . So Close!!![

Yes, she was here but did you read that she has finished a children's book, a fairy tale? and some short stories? I want to know when those are coming out and under what pseudonym

Hey Mike welcome back!

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azi - Jan 11, 2006 9:13 am (#2960 of 2980)

Have I said welcome back to Mike yet? I thought I had, but if not, I'm sorry and it's great to have you back!

Second exam went terrible. Fortunately it's only 60% of the module and 0.04% of my entire degree. My coursework should be good enough to pull the module up to a pass at least. For some reason I just got completely confused over what the questions wanted. Plus they used 'there' when it should have been 'their' - that really got me annoyed! Overall very bad exam. Glad it's over.

That JKR interview scared me. It was like, I dunno, weird. It's the sort of thing you get in women’s magazines, not the nice interviews I'm used to. I hate women's magazines with a passion.

Hope everyone has a better day than me!!!

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Ydnam96 - Jan 11, 2006 10:17 am (#2961 of 2980)

Azi, hope your day turns around

I did my first workout at Curves yesterday, it was actually kind of fun, but now my chest hurts. Right where that bone is in the middle of your chest. Mostly when I breathe in off to the right a little. I think it may have been from the work out. Either that or I'm having a prolonged heart attack at the age of 27, let's hope not!

Question for you all: I am seriously debating spending some money on the iPod Shuffle but I have some questions...do any of you have one? What is your opinion on it? Is it easy to get the CD's you already own onto the Shuffle? Do you think it was worth the money? Last year I bought a PDA because I thought I just needed it and spent way too much money and ended up not needing it...so I don't want to invest $100 in something I might not appreciate. If you have any opinions and would be willing to spare a few minutes please email me. Thanks

And, just curious, for the parents out there...do your children have iPods? Here at the college it seems everybody has one and they constantly have it on and in their ears. All the time, even while having conversations with people. It's astounding really. I would probably just use it while I'm doing work on my computer or working out.

Well I'm gonna try and jump into some threads for a while. Happy Wednesday.

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mike miller - Jan 11, 2006 10:25 am (#2962 of 2980)

Thanks for all the "Welcome Backs" (this includes you Azi); it's good that people even remember me much less wonder where I'd gone.

Chemyst - One of the nice things about hunting in suburban Maryland is you can't really get lost. If you walk 15 or 20 minutes in any direction, you'll come out somewhere you recognize. It seems to have been an "off year" with warm weather early, a very wet October and not as much time after that.

Congrats Stephanie M. on the swim meet results! I hope everything ends up the way you thought it would.

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Denise P. - Jan 11, 2006 10:53 am (#2963 of 2980)

IMO, you are paying more for the iPod name than what the player is worth. I got a nifty little mp3 player that holds about a billion songs, 4 GB, and it was not even half the price. Check epionons and other places online to get comparisons of various mp3 players.

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azi - Jan 11, 2006 11:14 am (#2964 of 2980)

Ydnam, I wouldn't get a iPod. Like Denise said, there are plenty of cheaper ones out there that store much more music. Although I don't have an iPod myself, my friends who have complain that they've had it less than a year and it's breaking - switches on by itself, runs out of battery quickly etc. I got mine for a third of the price of an iPod for the same amount of music capacity and haven't had any problems yet. An mp3 player is definitely worth the investment in my opinion, but an iPod possibly isn't.

Thanks for the better day wishes - talking to people in the chat room definitely cheered me up!

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 11, 2006 11:51 am (#2965 of 2980)

Loopy, I am crushed...you deleted my email! – Denise

Eeeeeek!!!! I certainly didn't mean to do that!!!! I must have not noticed the email address or not recognized it. I get so much spam that I am forever deleting much more than I read. (I only keep the darn AOL account because I like "hutzz" for a screen name since it refers to a Simpsons character.) Please accept my red-faced apologies and resend the mail. Put "Don't Delete Me You Moron--This is from Denise" in the subject line. That'll get my attention. In the meantime, maybe I can still retrieve it from the "recently deleted" file. Ooops.

Edit-- Ah, I see you've already resent the mail, without the "moron" part.

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VeronikaG - Jan 11, 2006 1:02 pm (#2966 of 2980)

I'm so green on the topic of mp3 players that I'm almost embarrassed. I know that they are used to store music files, but that's about it. I kind of want one, but it would be no use for me. My internet connection is so terribly slow that I can't download music. Nad I'm already fed up with the music on my CD's. And wasn't there something about copying your own CD's over to your player/your computer being made illegal?

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Catherine  - Jan 11, 2006 1:59 pm (#2967 of 2980)

Catherine, did you need to be congratulated on your new job as cowpoke? It is a good thing, right?—Chemyst

It is a good thing, thanks, Chemyst.

It was a difficult situation--a long-timer resigned over the weekend, and I was hired Sunday night. I teach four composition classes in a row to (mostly) freshmen. My preparation and delivery were not optimal on Monday, but I think today went much better.

The herd didn't get culled, sadly. In fact, my afternoon classes had several added students. I'm going to be spending a lot of time grading papers. EEK!

What's this about Loopy Lupin deleting Denise's email? ** hears the ominous background music ** I thought it was just my posts that he skimmed.

EDIT: As Chemyst referred to my new job as "cowpoke," I decided to "Google" cattle prods, just to see what they look like. Amazing, one can buy a basic model for under $60. Who knew?

Now, if they only made them to match my outfits....

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 11, 2006 2:23 pm (#2968 of 2980)

I suggest you start branding them, Catherine. That's bound to result in a few drops.

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 11, 2006 2:40 pm (#2969 of 2980)

What's this about Loopy Lupin deleting Denise's email? ** hears the ominous background music ** I thought it was just my posts that he skimmed. – Catherine

I resent that accusation!! How dare you!! So, anyway, what's new with you Catherine? How goes the job hunt?

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Tazzygirl - Jan 11, 2006 6:13 pm (#2970 of 2980)

Ydnam96- I have an iPod shuffle, and I really like it. As I am not a computer person, it was relatively easy to figure out how to download your CDs to your computer and then to the iPod. What I like even more is if you have a problem with the iPod, the staff at the Apple Stores are very helpful. (My dad messed his iPod up, not sure how, but the staff corrected it!) There are cheaper Mp3s out there, so I guess it just depends on really how much you want to spend...

Ok, off to class...

~Kristina

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Finn BV - Jan 11, 2006 7:29 pm (#2971 of 2980)

Eponine, I watched the Holy Grail the other day, and thought of you.

I don't have an iPod, and I don't really feel the need for one. Of course, if I was given one, I surely wouldn't throw it out the window, but I don't listen to music incessantly that I need to have such a convenience. I run a lot, as you all know, and I find that music distracts me, and will only make me run to the beat, which of course, if it's a slow song, ain't that good!! I basically only have time to listen to music at night, when the light's out and I'm done for the day.

Off to finish an article for my school newspaper that's due in half an hour! Ahhh!

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Stephanie M. - Jan 11, 2006 10:07 pm (#2972 of 2980)

I never used to listen to music incessantly, but then I got an iPod and I have started to listen to all different types of music. (Plus, Muggle and Potter Casts) I only really listen to my iPod when I'm traveling to and from school. Otherwise I'll just listen to music on my computer.

Whenever I swim, I get a really fast passed song, or I will speed up a song and sing it to myself in my head. But it only really works during work outs or long distance races. I don't have enough time to remember to get a song stuck in my head before I swim short distances. Maybe it will work better next year when I swim the 100 Fly.

I've never seen the Holy Grail... That is something that I would really like to see though.

Have a great night/morning everyone!

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Snuffles - Jan 12, 2006 1:56 am (#2973 of 2980)

I don't have an ipod so I can't comment. My friend does though and she loves it, although she doesn't do any exercise and travels everywhere by car so I'm not sure when she uses it, as the stereo is used in the house or the radio in the car!!

While travelling to work this morning in slow moving heavy traffic, I suddenly felt I was going to sneeze. I always seem to sneeze 3 or 4 times in a row and was worried the car in front would need to break and if I was in the middle of my sneeze fest I would bump into it. I pondered on whether to start tapping my head as recommended by Steve N but as everyone in the surrounding cars would see me and think I had a problem as I was smacking myself, I finally decided to sneeze and see what happens. Well I sneezed 3 times, no cars braked and I made it to work in one piece!! Phew!! at 7.55am, my brain isn't functioning well enough for such dilemmas.

We are celebrating my daughter’s 3rd birthday on Saturday. We are taking her ice skating which should be fun(!!). As neither her or my husband have been before, I think one of them is bound to come home with bruised knees. Personally I think Olivia would be the most brave out of the pair!!. With only 3 weeks gone since Christmas, and the house already bursting with her presents, I hope most of our family have taken the hint and got her vouchers so she can spend them when she needs something. I wouldn't bet on it though!

Hope everyone has a good Thursday.

Julie

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Good Evans - Jan 12, 2006 3:49 am (#2974 of 2980)

Hi all - Im back, had a great time, waved to Lina and Kate as we flew over Croatia (well it was a bit of a calculated guess but I am sure we were over the right country!!!)

Luxor was having a heat wave, up to 90 every day when it should have been about 74 - it was great and meant a lot of time in and around the pool. Celebrities spotted = 2 (Richard Geere and Simon Cowell) three bags taken - two returned to Gatwick!! hope to get the other one in a day or two when it turns up!!!!

anyway pleased to be back - will be in the chat room at some point this evening I suspect, got to go to a meeting for work this afternoon. I have read some of the chat thread but skipped to the end when ther was still 100 messages to read!!! happy days to all who celebrated!!

Whats all this cold weather about? freezing fog here this morning - yuck!!!

speak later

Julie

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Shamrock - Jan 12, 2006 3:54 am (#2975 of 2980)

Might be a bit late in replying to the Ipod query but I do find if you’re a lover of music you should definitely get one. I’ve a relatively good mp3 on my mobile (cell) phone but would prefer one with a bigger memory. With a daily 5 hour commute to and from work I find 40 songs not enough. And I also agree with getting a mp3 rather than an ipod.

I can’t wait for the new "Reader" to come out though (it will do to books what the Ipod has done for music)

Oh by the way I’m new here. Hello to all!!

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Lina - Jan 12, 2006 4:07 am (#2976 of 2980)

Well, I couldn't resist this: two Julies in a row...

Snuffles, happy birthday to Olivia! I'm sorry you didn't try the tapping thing, I was just wondering if it works when a person does it to herself/himself? Maybe you should have stopped one of the cars next to you and tell them: - Would you, please, tap me on my head?

Good Evans, nice to see you back! Looking forward to meet you in the evening!

Hello, Shamrock!

Talking about i-pods, we use our one a lot in the car, we just tune the radio to play the i-pod.

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Marie E. - Jan 12, 2006 6:29 am (#2977 of 2980)

Welcome back, Mike! I completely understand about life getting in the way of things. I've had meetings every day after work all week. It seems like I haven't slowed down since I woke up Monday morning.

Shayla's school choir sang at a Martin Luther King, Jr. event yesterday. I couldn't go but Mr. E attended. He said she did great, except for a little bit during "This Little Light of Mine" when everyone was clapping and swaying side to side. Shayla got offbeat and was the only one swaying in the opposite direction. It's going to air on a cable access channel this Saturday, but Mr. E wasn't sure what time.

I had asked Lexie's teacher about possible testing for ADD/ADHD, mostly because first grade is when all Shayla's troubles started and I wanted to be proactive about it this time. She said that she's noticed some things ("zoning out", talking to neighbors) but that she's able to stay on top of it all. Instead of testing, the teacher is just going to do a Child Study, which is basically just a note for Lexie's file saying "this is what I observed and this is what I did for it". I thought that was a good idea, just in case it got worse next year or something. I still have a lot of trouble with Lexie at her Girl Scout meetings (acting out, being silly, not sitting still), but I wonder if it has more to do with fact that her Mommy is the leader.

It's been warmish here and windy, but they're predicting snow for tonight. It was 61 F yesterday.

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Springtime - Jan 12, 2006 8:01 am (#2978 of 2980)

Good Morning!

happy birthday Olivia! have a great party on Sat.

Have a great day.

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Madam Pince - Jan 12, 2006 8:35 am (#2979 of 2980)

Welcome back, Mike Miller! ***waves furiously*** I was wondering where you'd got to! We've missed you! Mr. Pince had a slow year hunting this season, too; did OK, but not as well as some other years.

Tazzy, I'm sooo sorry to hear about your car woes again! Such a bummer. And Springtime too?! What a shame. Hope they all get fixed up soon.

Welcome, Shamrock! Hope you find lots of fun threads and theories and stuff!

***Wishes azi a better day today!!!***

# ***Is envious of Mills' antique book peek (Poe attended Loopy Lupin's and my alma mater, didja know?! Briefly, but still...) and is also envious of the Hawaii academic setting, Good Evans' recent holiday, Mrs. Sirius' time of peace and quiet, hmmmmmm.... what else?***

***Is still giggling at the idea of Mr P. with a kid or so attached to both arms and legs, and at Snuffles sitting in traffic patting herself on the head***

I'm with you, Finn, I don't listen to music all that much because for some reason I find it distracting. But I can have a TV on in the background with no problem whatsoever, which makes absolutely no sense. I guess it's all in what you grew up with. We lived in the mountains 'way out in the country and could only get two or three radio stations when I was a kid, so I wasn't very into music even then. And I am sooooo out of the loop when it comes to discussions about iPods, mp3 players, satellite radio, etc. I'm not even entirely sure what they do. We still played our Julie Andrews and Perry Como Christmas albums on LP records this year! Of course, if I'd had them on CD....

edit: Hey, got the last post! Is that a good thing or a bad thing? ***waves at Kip too***

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Kip Carter - Jan 12, 2006 8:36 am (#2980 of 2980)

I have closed out this thread. I will leave it here for an undetermined amount of time to give those who could possibly be interested in what has happened since this thread was created. Just think 2,980 posts in 135 days, way down from the previous 2,963 posts in 87 days; however that thread began June 6, 2005, and included the release period of Book Six, which should explain those figures. I hope everyone enjoyed having this thread available.

The new thread is #9 Chat and Greeting Thread for Members. Have fun and enjoy the Forums!

- Chat and Greeting Thread #9 (12 Jan 06 to 12 May 06)

Edited May 27, 2006 6:51 am

This thread is established for each of you so inclined to chat on the main discussion threads. With this thread, I hope that all chat-type posts will no longer disrupt the other threads.

This is the ninth thread provided for chat-type posts since September 25, 2003. The first -- Chat and Greeting Thread (25 Sep 03 to 26 Feb 04) had 2752 messages before it was closed out February 26, 2004. The second -- Chat and Greeting Thread (25 Feb 04 to 15 Jun 04) had 2912 messages before it was closed out June 15, 2004. The third -- Chat and Greeting Thread (15 Jun 04 to 2 Sep 04) had 2954 when closed out September 2, 2004. The fourth -- Chat and Greeting Thread (2 Sep 04 to 30 Nov 04) had 2977 when closed out November 30, 2004. The fifth -- Chat and Greeting Thread (1 Dec 04 to 14 Mar 05) had 2956 when closed down March 14, 2005. The sixth -- Chat and Greeting Thread (15 Mar 05 to 6 Jun 05) had 2981 when closed down June 6, 2005. The seventh -- Chat and Greeting Thread (6 Jun 05 to 31 Aug 05) had 2967 when closed down August 31, 2005. The eighth -- Chat and Greeting Thread (31 Aug 05 to 12 Jan 06) had 2980 when closed down January 12, 2006. Eventually the eighth thread will join the first seven threads in the = Archived Discussion Between Members Group Folder!

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Snuffles - Jan 12, 2006 8:45 am (#1 of 2983)

Nothing much to say, but "I got the first post, I got the first post!!"

Hooray!!

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azi - Jan 12, 2006 8:49 am (#2 of 2983)

Awww, I was planning on getting the first post but resisted...

Hope your daughter has a cool birthday Snuffles! (I think she looks so cute in your avatar as well, by the way!)

I feel much better today!

Had something else to say but have forgotten.

Have a great day everybody!

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mike miller - Jan 12, 2006 9:05 am (#3 of 2983)

Welcome Shamrock! Wow! what a killer commute you have. It makes me appreciate my 45 minute drive through the countryside.

Hey Madame Pince!! **waves furiously** How's everything on the Eastern Shore? I hope you had a wonderfull Holiday. I'm sure little Pince is completely taken in by Santa and all of the Holiday pomp and circumstance.

My Dumbledore wand arrived yesterday from Noble Collections (very nice). I already have Harry's wand and since Santa didn't put Dumbledore's in my stocking I had to take matters into my own hands. They have really expanded their wand assortment (Snape, Sirius, Draco and the Triwizard Champions) beyond our three heros.

It looks like I'll need to order Hermione's earlier than I thought. My daughter is turning 11 in six weeks. After seeing my new Dumbledore wand has made it quite clear that she wants Hermione's wand for her birthday. I already have a Hogwarts letter addressed to her to hide in the mailbox on her birthday, so I guess the wand can help round things out from a Potter perspective.

Off to check a couple of threads...

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haymoni - Jan 12, 2006 9:09 am (#4 of 2983)

Do these wand makers work with JKR on these?

Alivan's makes them and Noble - anybody else?

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Ydnam96 - Jan 12, 2006 9:39 am (#5 of 2983)

Thanks for all the info on the iPods. I'll have to go look around this weekend and see what I can find.

Is it only Thursday? Man, I'm tired. Can't wait for the weekend!

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haymoni - Jan 12, 2006 9:55 am (#6 of 2983)

Today has just been crazy. I thought it was going to be a really great day. We are having our quarterly luncheon - we are ordering Chinese - I am in my glory.

I am wearing my $80 outfit that I got for $8 (Reduced down to $33 and I had a $25 gift card - Merry Christmas to me!) and my suede boots that I got for $5 - yes, $5 - (Clearance rack last July). I was feeling pretty good this morning!

And then I started my car.

I have a chirping noise - it sounds like there are a bunch of crickets or birds or mice under the hood of my car. I took it to the dealer and I was going to rent a car for $15 so I could get to work.

The customer service rep took my license and insurance info to process everything, while I sat and watched "The Today Show" on their TV. He came back a few minutes later and informed me that my license had expired - back in August!!! (Must have been the shock from buying those boots.) Anyway, now he can't rent the car to me.

I had to call Hubby, who had to leave work on the first day of his new promotion - not good! On the way, the shop called and said that it would be $375 for a new cam sensor - parts & labor.

I am within the 6 month limit on my license, so I didn't have to take a test or anything, but it cost me $24 for the license.

Fortunately, the Chinese food will be arriving any minute.

Cam sensor and driver's license - $400

Extra MSG - priceless!

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CatherineHermiona - Jan 12, 2006 9:56 am (#7 of 2983)

I ate Turkish Delight... I hate Turkish Delight... My sister says it is like usual Jelly Bean. I say "Washed with soap."

I met only 5 Leos, all so different. Three of them are on this forum and other two are two Marijas in our class. Did you know Daniel Radcliff is also Leo? Born 23.7.1990.? My friend told me because she has birthday same day.

I personally like Capricorns the most. We have the most Capricorns in our class... five of them. Me (30.12.), Amy (10.1.), Ivan (11.1.), Matko (26.12.). I'm pretty sure there is one more... Oh, well...

Well, I got a phone call yesterday from Melanie. I was talking about her few months ago. She came from Germany this summer and stayed for few weeks in our school and then moved to Zagreb. In that few weeks we became really good friends and together with Miriam and Martina created a group called Die Super Omas. I haven't heard from her since she moved to Zagreb. I was so happy to hear from her! If only it was a bit earlier... I went to Zagreb this week.

I went to see TLTWTW in Zagreb. It was great. Eight of us went. We hardly found seats. Then I saw your cousin crying after the movie. I asked if it is because of the movie and she said "No, it's because I'm going home now and I won't see you anymore." We told her we have a dinner at home and that she is going too. But that is for short and she was right, we didn't see her after it.

Kate

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Elanor - Jan 12, 2006 10:06 am (#8 of 2983)

Hello everybody! I've been reading this thread those last days without finding the time to post something here. Well, I did chat a lot, but it was in the chatroom!

So, I'm just popping in to wish you all a great day! Glad to see some members back and welcome to the new ones too! **sending cheering charms to Haymoni and everyone else needing some as well!**

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mike miller - Jan 12, 2006 10:58 am (#9 of 2983)

Haymoni - What you just experienced is what we in sales call a "low base". It should be easy for things to "go up" from here. Please pass the moo shoo chicken and the lo mein.

The Noble Collection wands are authorized replicas that match the wands used in PoA and GoF. They also carry Lord of the Rings items as well as HP. Alivans are wizard wands with no direct link to Harry Potter. I have 2 Noble Collection wands now and I am thoroughly please. They're about $36 including shipping which is only 2 to 3 days. A limited number of replica wands (1,000 to 1,500) were given out at Japanese premiers for SS and CoS and they occasionally show up on eBay. Ron's wand is particularily interesting in that it's wrapped in Spell-o-tape.

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azi - Jan 12, 2006 11:04 am (#10 of 2983)

Wow, I love LOTR items! I have a character portfolio art thing with really lovely pictures and a film cell and lots more! Methinks I'm heading over to the site!

Haymoni - I hope your day gets a lot better (and quickly!)!

I remembered what I couldn't remember earlier - welcome Shamrock! I love your name! Hope you enjoy the forum!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 12, 2006 11:14 am (#11 of 2983)

Welcome to all the new members!

Haymoni- Sorry about your car problems (I guess that makes it three people on here who are having car problems- me, you, and Springtime). I just passed $330 to my mechanic for the brakes, and then on Monday I get to spend another couple hundred for new tires and getting the control arms done... grrrr... I think after that, my car will be somewhat problem free. :crosses fingers:

Welcome back Good Evans! You sound like you had a fun time! (Still really jealous!)

Have to go to school now...

Hope everyone has a good day/ night!

~Kristina

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haymoni - Jan 12, 2006 11:19 am (#12 of 2983)

I just had my General Tao's Chicken - I had to save the rice for tomorrow - it was all good!

My fortune was completely wrong by saying that I was conservative and practical and even our game of saying "in bed" afterwards didn't help, but the MSG is making me feel much better!

Thanks all!

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Madam Pince - Jan 12, 2006 11:44 am (#13 of 2983)

Ack! What is it about Forum members' cars lately??? I'm afraid to go out and start mine now!

For what it's worth, I have the Noble Collection version of Hermione's wand, and it is excellent! It arrived in such a cool box, just exactly like the ones in Ollivander's from the first movie. The only time (that I'm aware of, anyway) that you can see Hermione's wand very well is in the scene in PoA where she is threatening Draco on the hillside above Hagrid's cabin just before Buckbeak's "execution" -- there's a good close-up of the wand at Draco's throat, and it looks exactly like the one I got from Noble's. So anyway, I second Mike's recommendation -- they're great!

I thought Dan Radcliffe's birthday was the same as Harry's -- July 31st? Maybe not...

#***Is not even going to ask what Haymoni's correct fortune would've been if playing the "game."***

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Finn BV - Jan 12, 2006 2:18 pm (#14 of 2983)

Come on guys, we've been bad chatters lately! CHAT!

Welcome Shamrock and all other new members!

Happy Birthday to Olivia!

Welcome back Julie, glad you had a good time in Luxor, and Lina and Kate, from Zagreb!

Sorry about everyone's car woes. I'm with Madam P -- going out to check the hoods of our cars.

It's Thursday! Hooray! I thought that yesterday was Tuesday, so I'm really happy because I'm a day behind myself!

I was going to say something else but I can't think of it.... hmm. Later all!

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haymoni - Jan 12, 2006 2:24 pm (#15 of 2983)

I hope some of our newbies feel comfortable enough to join in on the chatting.

Quite a few of you have posted on the "Tell about yourself" thread.

We aren't allowed to respond to your posts on THAT thread, so come on over and jump right in!

I'm thinking of Mike Myers' Coffee Talk character on Saturday Night Live - "I'll give you a topic...talk amongst yourselves!"

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Catherine - Jan 12, 2006 2:33 pm (#16 of 2983)

I'm thinking of Mike Myers' Coffee Talk character on Saturday Night Live - "I'll give you a topic...talk amongst yourselves!" –Haymoni

I'm getting a little verklempt just thinking about it.

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Denise P. - Jan 12, 2006 2:36 pm (#17 of 2983)

A Chix Stick contains neither chicken nor a stick....discuss.

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Finn BV - Jan 12, 2006 3:00 pm (#18 of 2983)

If I knew what Chix Stix were, I'd heartily jump right in. However, I can say I'd eat it since it doesn't have chicken! And I'm a vegetarian. Discuss.

PS I suppose the new members should feel this thread is less daunting at first, considering we've just "started over" to 0 posts… but we're already up to 18 in 6.5 hours! Hmm…

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Denise P. - Jan 12, 2006 3:18 pm (#19 of 2983)

Whoops....I had it wrong...It was Chick-O-Stick. It is a candy that is crunchy peanut butter and toasted coconut. No chicken or sticks in it at all. I always liked this candy.

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boop - Jan 12, 2006 3:22 pm (#20 of 2983)

Welcome all new members!!

Haymoni, sorry about your bad luck today.

Mike, I bet your wands are really nice. I just have one question to ask. Do your wands really work? I have a wand from Alivans and it doesn't work.

Hi Everybody!!!

hugs always

boop

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The giant squid - Jan 12, 2006 3:26 pm (#21 of 2983)

I don't think there's any crocodile in a Chocodile either...it's jsut a chocolate-covered Twinkie. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Snuffles, I have a feeling Olivia will be just fine on her first ice-skating trip. After all, young kids don't have as far to fall.

((hugs boop))

--Mike

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Stephanie M. - Jan 12, 2006 3:36 pm (#22 of 2983)

Welcome to all of the new members!

I've never heard of Chick O Stick. It sounds pretty yummy. I've also never heard of Chocodile, and I hope there is no crocodiles in the chocolate!

Finn, I also thought that yesterday was Tuesday! During lunch one of my friends said, "So I'm going home with you tomorrow, right?" and I said, "No, you are coming home with me on Friday, not tomorrow." Then she responded by saying, "Um, Steph, tomorrow is Friday." Then I proceeded to be really happy that it was Thursday instead of Wednesday.

So yay! One more day of school until the weekend!

Happy Thursday everyone!

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azi - Jan 12, 2006 3:40 pm (#23 of 2983)

Woohoo, lots of posts already!

I too am a vegetarian, but I couldn't eat said Chick O' Sticks because I'm allergic to peanuts.

What are twinkies?

I'm really fancying ice skating now...

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 12, 2006 3:55 pm (#24 of 2983)

Madam Pince, perhaps you were confusing Daniel Radcliffe with JKR? JKR and Harry have the same birthday.

I'm not sure I sympathize with those having car problems or should shout out, "I got that beat. I got that beat."   ***looks around for other Jaws fans***   My car was the victim of a hit and run the week before Christmas.   ***tear***   Next week will be its fourth week away from home. I kid you not. I've had to do my grocery shopping with my husband's Wrangler. Just try fitting a week's worth of groceries for a family of 4 in that thing. Try, I tell ya!

Somebody on this forum, I'll try not to name names (DENISE), got me hooked on Qwyzzle. I've been stuck on Level 28 for 24 hours. Where's a nice, relaxing game of Sudoku when you need it?

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Detail Seeker - Jan 12, 2006 4:37 pm (#25 of 2983)

Oh, Julie (Good Evans) - egyptian airports/airlines really seem to be luggage sinks. Three years ago, they sent my luggage quite far around the world. When flying to Egypt, the plane was just 23 hours late in taking off, so Egypt and flying there is quite an interesting memory....

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B]Ydnam96[/B] - Jan 12, 2006 5:05 pm (#26 of 2983)

Ohhh...stressful day at work. Ever have one of those days where you would like to just go hit a co-worker (sorry if this is not family friendly, I am not condoning violence)? Today was one of those for me.

But, after work I went out and bought an iPod Shuffle with all the corresponding gadgets for it. Now I'm going to work out. Then I get to try and figure all the iPod stuff out.

At least my car is doing okay (gosh, I shouldn't have said that. eeeeek). I'm sorry for those of you who have car problems. I know how horrible that makes me feel. Hopefuly they get resolved quickly and cheaply.

Off to burn off some stress.

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Viola Intonada - Jan 12, 2006 5:35 pm (#27 of 2983)

Oooo, I love Chick-O-Sticks, but they are very hard to find. I just might have to track a few done. hmmmm....

Marie, don't worry about your daughter acting out at Girl Scouts. My daughter does the same thing. I've been reassurred by all of her teachers that she is very well behaved in school. This year (my third year of being troop leader) she is finally starting to settle down and not act out during meetings. Almost every troop leader I know has the same problem with their daughters, so don't worry.

All of my car repair woes happened right before Thanksgiving. So (knock on wood) it should be fine for a while.....

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Tazzygirl - Jan 12, 2006 6:06 pm (#28 of 2983)

Happy Birthday to Olivia! I meant to post that this morning, but I forgot. sorry!

I have not had my car for a year yet and it is already costing me twice what it is worth... I'm taking it as a learning experience.

L is L. Natch- I'm sorry about your car dilemma! My dad has a Wrangler also and I know exactly what you are talking about! Hope you get your car back soon!

~Kristina

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Madam Pince - Jan 12, 2006 7:48 pm (#29 of 2983)

***Obediently discusses Chick-O-Sticks***

Hmmmmm....never heard of them. But they sound similar to a candy called Chicken Bones, which our third-grade teacher used to give us for doing something outstanding in school, and which I had totally forgotten about until I saw them recently in a catalog called "Vermont Country Store", which carries lots of old-timey things you'd have thought were extinct but apparently aren't. Then I had one of those moments: "Chicken Bones!!! Oh my gosh, Chicken Bones!!! I remember those! I loved those!"

Any Lost fans out there? Sooooo.... what was that black smoky stuff??? And is Eko cool or what? I really like his character! And... somehow I have this sinking feeling that the person typing "Dad?" isn't really Walt... Ooooo, it's just so addictive!

Ummm... yeah, I knew JKR's birthday was July 31st, but for some odd reason I thought Dan Radcliffe's was too, but I am definitely wrong. Maybe what stuck in my brain was just that it was neat that he was close to Harry's birthday or something.... who knows. There's certainly enough odd stuff stuck up there in my brain that it's no wonder I get mixed up! I'm amazed that I can remember my own birthday sometimes. Once I sent my Aunt Irene a birthday card in June, because I looked at my June calendar and saw my Aunt June's birthday noted, and the way I wrote "Ju" in June looked remarkably like the way I write the "Ire" in Irene. Aunt Irene was quite pleasantly surprised to receive those early birthday greetings, since her birthday is actually in January. (Which reminds me -- I need to send her a card......)

See what I mean???

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I Am Used Vlad - Jan 12, 2006 8:14 pm (#30 of 2983)

Congrats, Snuffles, for being the first poster on this thread. I'm one of the lucky nine, also. I want to be the first to do it twice, but it seems I've missed another chance.

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Finn BV - Jan 12, 2006 8:15 pm (#31 of 2983)

LOL – Madam Pince, you told us the Irene/June story before!

Congrats on the iPod, Mandy.

I don't watch TV, but does anybody watch Beauty and the Geek on WB? My math teacher's friend is on it – Tyson, the asian guy who does Rubik's Cube. My math teacher's also a Cuber, as they say, so it was really cool. I watched the show tonight and saw this guy who I indirectly know, on TV! It was a fun moment! Good night everybody!

Edit: Vlad, I am another lucky one. Yay us!

Edit again: Kip, you know you have to update the link and the post count for the most recent chat thread, right? Just reminding…

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haymoni - Jan 12, 2006 8:28 pm (#32 of 2983)

Ah the horrid day is almost over.

My car is home and all is right with the world.

Now I have to get up tomorrow and do it all over again.

I think we are all messed up on our days because we've had short weeks with the holidays. Now we are back to our regular routines and we can't figure out what day it is.

I for one am very, very glad tomorrow is Friday. Mostly because it is also Pay Day.

Egad! I just realized that it is Friday the 13th! My lucky day!

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kaykay1970 - Jan 12, 2006 10:10 pm (#33 of 2983)

Finn-During a season of Survivor my sister made me cheer for a particular contestant because he was the principle at her childrens' school. I didn't know him at all but it was just more fun to watch knowing that my sister did. Oh yeah and a girl from my town recorded a single with Kenny Rogers! I guess that's pretty neat. Her Mom is my 8 year old daughter's teacher. I am ashamed to admit that I have never even heard the song.

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 12, 2006 10:14 pm (#34 of 2983)

Horrid car story? Well, I'm glad 2005 is over. One day not too long ago, I awoke on the bad side of luck. I was chaperoning the 2nd grade field trip for my the kids. I was horribly distracted by other events, and was in a rush to get back home. Backing out of the parking spot at the school, I hit a light pole. It made a hideous noise and left huge black tar marks and lots of denting. Ughh.

The rest of the day was just as bad. On the way home from the supermarket, I decided that the day was just so incredibly horrible, absolutely no good, that something radically different had to be at the end, so I bought a lottery ticket, which I usually never buy. Leaving that store I was backing out of the parking spot and, you guessed it, bang I hit the light pole!!!!

Never heard of Chick-o-Stick

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Denise P. - Jan 12, 2006 10:22 pm (#35 of 2983)

Gretchen, from the first Survivor, is the local morning DJ on the radio station I listen to. The Survivor season in the Pearl Islands had Ryan Shoulders. His mom was my Ryan's second grade teacher.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 12, 2006 11:38 pm (#36 of 2983)

I've heard of Chic-o-stick, but have never tasted them. They look kind of gross. But if I do see one now, I might just give it a try!

My 2005 car troubles all started right after I totaled my first car (was not my fault!), which in turn made me lead me to my current car... (I think I told you all this several weeks or months ago. hmmmmm...) Anyways...

Madame Pince- I am a HUGE Lost fan- partly because it is filmed on the other side of my island, partly because I saw two of the characters outside a movie theater (Dominic Monaghan and Evangeline Lily), partly because they almost filmed a scene for next season at my house and partly because you get really addicted to it. I recorded Wednesday's show, but haven't been able to watch it yet, but when I do, We can have a lengthy conversation in white print so as not to spoil it for those who are several episodes behind!

I am soooo tired! I've recovered from my surgery really well, but I am not supposed to be doing a lot of strenuous stuff or lifting for about two more weeks. Ever since I have arrived back in Hawaii, it has been none stop running about and watching the kiddies. It is definitely taking a toll on me!

Hope everyone has a good night/ day!

~Kristina

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Solitaire - Jan 13, 2006 12:04 am (#37 of 2983)

A few weeks ago, I saw chick-o-sticks with the other hard candy at the Dollar Store down the road. If you really like 'em, you might check it out. Perhaps all Dollar Stores carry them.

Solitaire

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Madam Poppy - Jan 13, 2006 12:20 am (#38 of 2983) Reply
Edited by Jan 12, 2006 11:24 pm

Tazzygirl, when you watch The latest episode of Lost, be sure and use "slo-mo" on the "monster" . Hidden things become visible!

Hello again. It's been awhile since I've popped in. I am scheduled to have another surgery on my left shoulder on Jan. 30th. The shoulder has "frozen". It has been a long year since my work injury on March 3rd, 2005. I've had lots of pain, lots and lots of physical therapy, and way too much of being on "light duty", (which means standing at the door and greeting customers) Ten more days of light duty! After this corrective surgery and recovery time, I will look for another job.
I received a SanDisk MP3 player for Christmas and am trying to figure out how to transfer my CD Potter books to the 512MB SD disks. My son was down from Alaska and added some new programs to my computer that might help. If anyone has any advice, I'd appreciate the help. Thanks, Poppy

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Essidji - Jan 13, 2006 4:33 am (#39 of 2983)

HAPPY (belated) NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!

No, I am not forgetting you, I just got the feeling days are getting shorter and shorter at this time...

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The giant squid - Jan 13, 2006 4:39 am (#40 of 2983)

What are twinkies?—azi

Go to www.twinkies.com for the full explanation. Basically, they're an angel food-like cake with a cream filling. They are greasy, sugary, totally devoid of any nutrition whatsoever, and scrumptiously good. Twinkies are also supposed to half extremely long shelf-lives, to the point where some joke that they have actually a "half-life" Strangely, Chocodiles are not listed on the website though Hostess' many other products are.

--Mike

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Shamrock - Jan 13, 2006 5:15 am (#41 of 2983)

Morning all. Sorry to hear about everyone’s car trouble/ bad days. I don’t know how to drive yet hence I don’t own a car to have the trouble. But I’m glad to say my 2006 new years resolution was to get some lessons (mind you it was also the 2005 and 2004 resolution but this year is going to be the year. My day is going pretty well, got all the little jobs out of the way before 11:30am (not so bad at all). And it’s half over too - woohoo.

Just to keep with yesterday’s discussion - Never heard of chick-o-sticks before and I tried twinkie once when I was holidaying in Florida (yuck yuck yuck)

Well I’m going to try and catch up on some the threads (it’s going to take me ages to read them all) so have a good one everyone (hopefully you'll have a car trouble free Friday the 13th)

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Lina - Jan 13, 2006 6:05 am (#42 of 2983)

Finn BV: LOL – Madam Pince, you told us the Irene/June story before!
That would show that you are becoming quite an old member, but not old enough to enjoy listening to the same story over and over again...

I think that the subject of Twinkies has also been brought up on this thread some time ago, but, as you see, it seems to be necessary to discuss it more. There are always new members who haven't been on the site yet...

Haymony, I hope your period of the bad luck is over. And my sympathy to all the members with car problems. Sending some "Reparo" charms hoping that the things will be settled soon. Unfortunately, I haven't heard of the "Consider the bills payed" charm yet. I have a semiclever semiautomatic car. I have to turn it on, and it turns off at the time it finds appropriate. Sometimes it happens when the parking is done, that is the time when the car is clever. (this I probably mentioned before too...)

Hello, Madam Poppy, nice to see you around! Some healing charms your way, hoping that the things will get much better after the surgery. And a very good luck in finding the new job!

I spent all this week feeling (read: hoping) that it is Friday. But finally, it is Friday today!

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Marie E. - Jan 13, 2006 6:38 am (#43 of 2983)

Best wishes on a quick recovery, Madam Poppy! We've missed you.

My husband LOVES Chick-o-Sticks. They are very hard to find this far west. When we're driving to Virginia we usually start to see them regularly around Indiana or Kentucky. The taste reminds me of a Butterfinger candy bar without the chocolate.

I am having a kindergarten information meeting for the preschool parents next week. There are several families who have been asking me about our program. I have the feeling I should appreciate my small class (seven students) while I have it. It seems so early to be thinking about next school year. I heard the school district just to the north of us changed their kindergarten cut-off date to October 1. That seems so late to me, especially since school starts in the middle of August around here. I personally think it should be changed to September 1, and not just because that the starting date for Hogwarts.

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mike miller - Jan 13, 2006 6:58 am (#44 of 2983)

Betty - Neither of my wands seem to work either, I've tried them at work and at home to no avail. I'm not sure if there is an issue with the wand or the user. After all I'm not a fully qualified wizard and since Ollivander has gone into hiding there no real way to have the wand checked. LOL ;-)

Squid Mike - I grew up on Twinkies! My lunch box always had one twinkie inside. The "Crocodile" version is new; but, I've heard of the old standby deep fried twinkie and it's cousin deep fried Snicker bar (usually found at county and state fairs).

Madame Pince - I'm so hooked on Lost, it's the only network show I watch aside from sports. They almost "lost" me last season because they were going too slow. I'll have to tape next week’s episode so I can use the "slo mo" option if we see it again.

Madam Poppy - Good to hear from you again and I hope your surgery goes well. Having had my knee rebuilt, I can relate to PT. It only took me about 2 visits to realize that you take your pain medication about 30 minutes before PT.

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Denise P. - Jan 13, 2006 7:06 am (#45 of 2983)

I will put a link in my profile to a Lost website that has screen captures of the monster. I have my small moment of fame since I am the "SWLS user sent in this translation and note" Just scroll down a bit to see the screen captures and translation of a scene.

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Springtime - Jan 13, 2006 7:39 am (#46 of 2983)

good morning everyone! Wow alot of posts to read this morning. I am not new . . . mind you some of you may think so. I am just an old member coming back. I have not been posting regular since the summer. I have been busy with other stuff. But I do see alot of new names and I would like to welcome any one who has joined since Aug. I hope to get to know of the new people just like I know boop, snuffles and a few others.

BTW Snuffles D Kitty says hi, and hopes to meet up with you in chat room soon. Kitty is my daughter who is also a member of this site but has been busy with school.

Happy Birthday Olivia

Hey Friday the 13th!!! Have a great day

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haymoni - Jan 13, 2006 7:59 am (#47 of 2983)

Marie - some of the schools around me changed their cut-off dates to August 1. Your child must be 5 before August 1 in order to go to kindergarten.

They say kindergarten isn't what it used to be and children aren't prepared - especially those who haven't been to some sort of pre-school class. I believe those that changed also had all day kindergarten.

Parents can appeal, as every child is different, but there were a few surprised parents this year who thought their little ones were set.

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Solitaire - Jan 13, 2006 8:02 am (#48 of 2983)

Marie, the next time I go to the Dollar Store, if see Chick-o-sticks, I will grab some for you! LOL

Well, we are on a three-hour fog delay, just like last Friday. I do not mind, especially ... but I hate to have to stay late on Friday. Last week, the drive home on Friday night was so scary! I should have left immediately after the buses pulled out, but I tried to get some grading and lesson planning done. Within about 20 minutes, I could not see my car 50 feet away in the parking lot!

I quickly threw everything into my cart, raced to my car, and headed home. I could only see about one divider line in front of my car. Visibility was about 10 feet--which, for driving, might as well be zero. It reminded me of what it would be like to walk with a paper bag over my head, so I could only see about one step in front of me. It took me at least an hour to get home, as opposed to the 15 minutes it usually takes in the evenings.

Hm ... perhaps I'd better work on lesson plans instead of posting on the forum!

Solitaire

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azi - Jan 13, 2006 8:42 am (#49 of 2983)

Ahhh, Friday 13th. It is also my Grandma's birthday! I think she's 86 this year.

Hope everyone's car troubles will disappear like magic!

Thanks for the info. on twinkies Mike!

I went shopping today. Bought a calandar (alas, no LOTR ones left) and some pencils made out of recycled plastic cups (got very excited with those...)

Horrible weather, cold and gloomy along with starting to go dark around 2pm. Not nice.

Hope everyone has a lovely Friday!

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haymoni - Jan 13, 2006 9:15 am (#50 of 2983)

I meant to say this earlier, but I looked at the scans of JKR in the Tatler article.

She looks beautiful!!

I mean, she was always attractive, but I wanna be airbrushed like that!!!

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Ydnam96 - Jan 13, 2006 10:53 am (#51 of 2983)

Thanks Denise for posting that link, I'm gonna check that out. I taped Lost but when I try to pause and look at the smoke slowly it just gets fuzzy. I don't have cable or anything, just broadcast tv and an antenna so the quality of my tv isn't so great.

Oh, pencils made out of recycled cups? That's kind of cool. Are they green? (Don't know why they would be but that is the mental picture I have).

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azi - Jan 13, 2006 11:03 am (#52 of 2983)

The pencils come in all sorts of colours, including green, but the only ones in the shop today were pink and blue.

Argh, I can't stop hiccoughing!

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haymoni - Jan 13, 2006 11:06 am (#53 of 2983)

Boo!

Did that work???

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azi - Jan 13, 2006 11:08 am (#54 of 2983)

Unfortunately not, but thanks for trying!

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Madam Pince - Jan 13, 2006 11:24 am (#55 of 2983)

LOL – Madam Pince, you told us the Irene/June story before!

See? I told you I was losing my mind! That's at least the second story that I've told you guys more than once. Well, they say one of the benefits of losing your memory is that you're constantly meeting new friends, and you can now re-read your old Agatha Christie books.

Another benefit is always meeting new friends!

Boop, my Hermione wand is very cool, but unfortunately it doesn't work either.

***Is very sorry about not recording Lost because I didn't see anything hidden in the monster!!! Arrrgh!!! Heading over to Denise's profile right now....***

Thanks for the heads up about Lost, Madam Poppy! And I hope your shoulder gets better soon -- I used to work in a PT clinic, and I know frozen shoulder is not fun - painful and often slow recovery. (I've probably said this before but the therapist told me a shoulder injury is the worst one you can get, which makes sense when you think about it because the shoulder joint moves in many more different ways that any of your other joints.) Anyway, hope you get better soon, and as Mike said -- there's better living through chemistry!

***Off to send Aunt Irene a card, and wishes to azi's grandma for good measure...***

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Marè - Jan 13, 2006 12:00 pm (#56 of 2983)

And you can now re-read your old Agatha Christie books.[

Didn't we discuss that already too? It's okay, you can't discuss Agatha Christie's enough! My money is on the old Indian veteran colonel as the baddie!

Welcome back Essidji and Madam Poppy!

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Madam Pince - Jan 13, 2006 12:51 pm (#57 of 2983)

OK, I checked out the Lost site, Denise (and thanks so much - now I'm addicted to that site and have that much more to clog my brain! Ha!) and I seriously cannot believe that I missed all that stuff in the monster! Wow! That was amazing! And it is so way cool that Denise can translate Arabic -- especially muttered whispered Arabic!

***Joins Shamrock in thinking that Twinkies are yuck-yuck-yuck***

There was something else I was going to say, but I forgot what it was...

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Tazzygirl - Jan 13, 2006 12:51 pm (#58 of 2983)

Madame Poppy- Never heard of chick-o-sticks before and I tried twinkie once when I was holidaying in Florida (yuck yuck yuck).

What?? You don't like Twinkies??? How could you say that? They are the most addictingly nastiest stuff ever made!

Thanks for the Lost information! I can't wait to watch it! I think I will watch it tonight. I'll check Denise's website afterwards!!

Thanks for the car charms Lina! And the little dancing smiley for Friday is exactly how I feel!!!

Have a good day/ night everyone!!

~Kristina

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Denise P. - Jan 13, 2006 3:23 pm (#59 of 2983)

Hee Denise can't translate it but Mr. Denise can thanks to the miracle of Tivo.

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boop - Jan 13, 2006 3:27 pm (#60 of 2983)

Nice to see you Essidji and Poppy.

Mike and Madam Pince I guess we need to find a way to get to Hogwarts. That way we can learn how to use our wands. )

Have a nice weekend everyone.

hugs always

boop

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The giant squid - Jan 13, 2006 4:48 pm (#61 of 2983)

Aha...sounds like Mr. Denise got home just in time. Since i wasn't taping the episode I'm glad you had that link. Very cool, and very interesting...

--Mike

((hugs boop))

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haymoni - Jan 13, 2006 7:23 pm (#62 of 2983)

boop - you sound (read???) great. All is going well???

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 13, 2006 7:35 pm (#63 of 2983)

Hi all!

The second season of Lost hasn't started here yet. I've only just managed to get the first season of Lost on DVD. So far all the advertising is pointing to a late February start of both Lost and Desperate Housewives .

I've been away this week, average temperature=40 deg cel (104 deg farenheit) and the air-conditioning at the motel broke down twice so I changed rooms twice in 4 days. I also suffered a mild case of heat stress and dehydration. I was trying so hard to drink enough liquids and stay cool. I obviously didn't do enough . And at that temperature there really isn't all that much you can do. At least after February it starts cooling down slightly.

I got a work car the week before Christmas and the Air-con in it was fantastic, at one stage I drove for about 30mins aimslessly around town just to stay in the nice cool car. It just wasn't my week at all!

Here's something funny for you. The town I do my remote area workload in relies on artesian water. The water comes out of the ground hot (approx 35-40 deg cel). So in summer the managers of the motel turn the hot water heaters off and allow the atersian water to cool off in the hot water tanks. As a result a "cold shower" can be obtained from the hot water tap (and even then it is on the hot side of lukwarm!).

There! now I can go read through some threads and do some washing!

Lizzy

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Finn BV - Jan 13, 2006 7:37 pm (#64 of 2983)

Hope everyone has a great weekend! We have Martin Luther King, Jr. Day off Monday, so extra-long for me! Yippee!

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haymoni - Jan 13, 2006 7:45 pm (#65 of 2983)

Me too, Finn! Lazy government worker that I am!

Of course the kids will be home so it's not EXACTLY a day off...

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Tazzygirl - Jan 13, 2006 7:59 pm (#66 of 2983)

I get Monday off too, but since I don't have school anyways on Mondays, and I don't really have job, I pretty much have every Monday off. It kind of takes the whole holiday feeling away...

Wow Lizzy- 104 degrees huh? I thought it was miserable here! It is currently raining, temperature is 75 degrees Fahrenheit, with humidity at about 95% (feels like it!). Not fun. It is sticky and yucky and all you want to really do is sleep.

~Kristina

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Finn BV - Jan 13, 2006 8:12 pm (#67 of 2983)

Come on Tazzy, you have to plan classes for Monday, since every single holiday in the entire world falls on a Monday! That way you can really get a day off!

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Stephanie M. - Jan 13, 2006 9:00 pm (#68 of 2983)

Have a good 3-day weekend to all who have one! And have a happy weekend to everyone who has to work in Monday!

(My mom doesn't get off, but she took today off and Monday off, so she has a mini vacation. She didn't take off during the Holidays because her office was too busy with some people leaving to go away.)

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Amilia Smith - Jan 13, 2006 9:56 pm (#69 of 2983)

Yeah, it is raining here. Makes it fun to ride the bike home loaded up with groceries. Fortunately, thanks to this lovely forum, I can tell myself that at least it is not 104 degrees. And I haven't got a car to break down.

I have Monday off too. And the professor who teaches both my Tuesday and Wednesday classes is going to the American Library Association's midwinter conference, so I don't have class again till Thursday. :-)

I went to my Books and Media for Young Adults class for the first time last night. Guess what our assigned reading for Feb 16 is? And guess who I chose to do my Author Talk on? Couldn't believe she was still available by the time it was my turn to pick.

Mills.

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Madam Pince - Jan 13, 2006 10:12 pm (#70 of 2983)

I can tell myself that at least it is not 104 degrees. And I haven't got a car to break down. --Mills

Good for you, Mills! Now that is what I call "positive thinking!" You are bound to have good health all of your life due to low stress levels! ***High-fives on getting great assignments in Books and Media for Young Adults!!***

A little coffeeshop near here opened up recently, and our paper just did a feature article on it. Apparently they plan to have kiddie readings on Tuesdays and Thursdays just after lunch, for the kidlets to enjoy a story while Mom/Dad enjoys a cup of coffee, which just sounds so excellent. And further, they also plan to start an evening session one day a week of reading and discussing our favorite author and topic! Woo-hoo! How cool is that? Hope I can get away for some sessions!

Hope everyone has a great weekend, whether holiday-long or normal-sized! And here's some Temperate Weather Charms! ***///''''***/// (Betcha didn't know that's what a charm looked like...)

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 13, 2006 10:50 pm (#71 of 2983)

Oh, what a Friday 13th this was! My seven year old daughter informed my husband first thing this morning,

"you and mommy are the tooth fairy, I put my tooth under my pillow without telling you and she didn't take it)!!

waa. Before my son got dressed, he checked his fish from long-ago-Christmas, it was dead. What - - - -was that 2 weeks? My friend 's mother's funeral was scheduled for today which was sad enough. This little lady (4'11") was just so full of life. Happily, it was a nice celebration of her life.

Finn, you say yipee, I say waa waa. I was thinking of taking the kids to Westchester for a visit, maybe I'll drop my kids on you for a short visit. he he he

Welcome Essidji and Poppy. Ohhh surgery.. good luck.

Is it the rainy season in Hawaii already? It's pouring here and supposed to keep up all day tomorrow, this following a day when we had thick dense fog all day.

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Madam Pince - Jan 13, 2006 10:54 pm (#72 of 2983)

So sorry you had such a bad day, Mrs. Sirius! Waaaaa indeed. At least you can console yourself that your daughter is a very clever little girl!

I am wondering about this thick dense fog... it seemed to be almost everywhere in Forum-Land today/yesterday, no matter where in the world you were! (We had it here too.) I'm hoping no Dementors are breeding!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 14, 2006 2:34 am (#73 of 2983)

Mrs. Sirius- Winter is always rainy season in Hawaii. January through about March is the worst time to come because of all the rain. Cools things off though!

Oooooh! I just finished watching Lost and it was very interesting... I think I will check out Denise's website now... Next week's episode sounds exciting!!

Good night/ day!

~Kristina

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Lina - Jan 14, 2006 2:39 am (#74 of 2983)

Congratulations Mills on the reading assignment! That's great!

Congratulations Madam Pince on the coffee shop, that's great too!

Sorry about the fish and any other inconvenience, Mrs. Sirius. But it is nice to know you have a clever girl there!

Shamrock! (I came here before Azi )

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Tazzygirl - Jan 14, 2006 2:55 am (#75 of 2983)

Happy Birthday, Shamrock!

~Kristina

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CatherineHermiona - Jan 14, 2006 5:39 am (#76 of 2983)

Happy birthday, Shamrock! And welcome!

Kate

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Springtime - Jan 14, 2006 6:49 am (#77 of 2983)

have a great day everyone

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 14, 2006 7:10 am (#78 of 2983)

Yes M Pince, it did have the air of -dementors- yesterday.

That human scale coffee shop is what we need more of, reduce our mega sizing.

Even in rainy season, Tazzy, oh  to be in Hawaii!

Happy birthday Shamrock.

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Good Evans - Jan 14, 2006 7:49 am (#79 of 2983)

Happy birthday Shamrock and welcome to the forum. Haymoni I hope friday the 13th was better than thursday the 12th

Pleased to report that missing bag turned up on thursday evening, so it probably only went to Manchester or Birmingham, they were the only two other international flights that evening.  We have all our gifts and my cooking spices (1.5 kg of various spices bought for extremely good price - very pleased with haggleing technique).

Denise - thanks for that "Lost site" - having missed the last two episodes I am a bit floundering and hope to catch a rerun on Sunday

have a lovely weekend everyone, I will get on the chat room soon, promise!

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Ydnam96 - Jan 14, 2006 10:18 am (#80 of 2983)

Happy Birthday Shamrock!

Tazzy, I can't tell you how jealous of that picture I am It would be amazing to be able to visit where they tape. And the whole story about them looking at your house is amazing as well. Question: Was anybody able to see those pictures in the smoke on their tv? I realize it would have to be in slow motion or paused but I was just wondering...sometimes you know people can play such tricks with their computers and I hesitate to take things at face value on the internet unless they can be confirmed by someone I trust. Not that this is a big life altering thing, but still

I'm a big Alias fan as well and I went in to Downtown LA a few months ago and I kept going "oh, they taped here for this or that scene in Alias! How cool". Wouldn't be amazing to be around when they happened to be shooting? Wow.

Well the Dementor Mist has made it to Azusa. It's super foggy out today. But that's okay it has been really dry outside lately so this will bring the humidity level up.

It's nice to hear from you Dizzy Lizzy!

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Puck - Jan 14, 2006 10:52 am (#81 of 2983)

HOORAY! HOORAY! I CAN POST AGAIN!

I bit of trouble with my WX status had me on "read only" status this week!

Problem solved. Thanks, Kip!

I had been thinking of Finn, as "Will and Grace" was a "Sound of Music" episode. I found it amusing though Mr. Puck who has never seen the movie -shame and horror - missed most of the jokes.

Thanks for the Lost Link, Denise! We had already deleted the episode when I read Poppy's post, so it was helpful. I didn't realize how many little details I've been missing!

Healing charms, happy birthdays, and welcomes all around!

Kathy smiling for being so happy to be here again!

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boop - Jan 14, 2006 11:17 am (#82 of 2983)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY SHAMROCK!!! Have a wonderful day!!!

haymoni, I am feeling fine. My meds are lowered and my moods have been great.

It is sheeting, and snowing here.

Good to see you can post again Kathy.

hugs always

boop

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azi - Jan 14, 2006 12:07 pm (#83 of 2983)

Happy birthday Shamrock!!!

In my defence, I was house hunting since 10.30am and only just got back now (19.05pm) so I couldn't get online to say the birthday wishes first! Am absolutely shattered as we walked everywhere.

Am brain dead so can't think of what else to say...

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Tazzygirl - Jan 14, 2006 12:46 pm (#84 of 2983)

Ydnam96- posting in white so others who have not seen the second season of Lost yet don't get any spoilers- I did see the images in the smoke. I replayed it about ten times trying to figure out who the people were and the building and stuff. There were alot of images!! What do you think Michael read in the last line of the discussion with 'Walt' on the computer? Right before Jack walked in to talk to him. Either I missed it, or they kind of gave you a hint of what the next episode was on. hmmmmm...

I am so proud of myself. I recruited my best friend and her family to watch Lost, and they are all now addicted to it!

Thanks, Denise, for the website!

Hope everyone has a good day/ night!

~Kristina

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Catherine - Jan 14, 2006 12:54 pm (#85 of 2983)

I'm feeling lost and dumb.

I checked out Qwyzzle (it seems to come so highly recommended) but I can't get the game to load. I've searched the forums, but no one else seems to have this problem. I've tried different browsers, but still no success.

Sigh. Perhaps it's just as well. It's not like I need another obsession right now.

Hope everyone is well. We may be getting some snow tonight, although it's been too warm for it to accumulate (it was 70+ degrees yesterday).

Hope the US folks who get Monday off enjoy their holiday.

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Marie E. - Jan 14, 2006 2:12 pm (#86 of 2983)

I just got back from Sonic. I am addicted to their strawberry shakes. Mmmmmm.

It's ridiculously warm here, nearly 70, but overcast. My Colorado Moms group had a playgroup at a playground. One of the other mom's kept commenting on how pretty I looked today. It makes me wonder what I usually look like at our coffee meetups.  the meetups are usually after work, so pretty bad probably.

Glad to hear you're feeling good, Betty. You're often in my thoughts.

We're having our company holiday party tonight. Better late than never I guess.

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Puck - Jan 14, 2006 2:35 pm (#87 of 2983)

Marie, I remember going to work at the preschool in a dress one day when I had a dinner to go to straight after. One of the kids commented "Wow! You look nice today." I wondered how bad I must usually look for a 4 year old boy to notice!

Did you find any good houses, Azi?

Kathy

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Ydnam96 - Jan 14, 2006 3:00 pm (#88 of 2983)

Tazzy, Thanks I'm glad someone could see them on the tv. Can you imagine how long it takes the writers to write one episode of the show? There's so much in them. The following is in white for those of you who do not want to be spoiled: I think it was going to say that Walt wants Michael to come get him. However, I don't think it's really Walt. I think it's a trick...

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azi - Jan 14, 2006 3:02 pm (#89 of 2983)

Unfortunately not. One was terrible so we struck that off the list straight off (dirty, cramped, door looked about to fall off etc.). We were stood outside saying we didn't even want to go in! One had lovely large rooms and was really light, but the kitchen and lounge were not so nice (cooker looked as though it was about to fall apart and half the cupboards didn't open!). The third was the best, but it was way too small for 5 people - just two in the kitchen make a traffic jam! Plus the rooms were less than half the size than what I'm used to so I felt very claustrophobic.

Of course, I realise concessions have to be made when living in a student house. I'm just hoping something much better comes along.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 14, 2006 3:42 pm (#90 of 2983)

Ydnam96: continued Lost discussion- I think the "Walt" is a trick too. If you watch the commercial for next week's episode, Michael looks like he is going a little crazy. Maybe he might turn into one of the others? I had recorded the episode on my DVR thing, so I was able to do the slow motion back and forth to really check out what the images were. Pretty neat!

Wow, it is almost 1 in the afternoon here, and it is only 78 degrees Farhenheit! Definitely a cool day today!

~Kristina

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Denise P. - Jan 14, 2006 4:54 pm (#91 of 2983)

I am a confirmed Lost fan. Regarding something from the last ep...

Begin highlight here to see a potential spoiler--->I don't think it is Walt either. Before Jack came around, you could see the screen say "You need to co-" <--- end highlight here

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Madam Pince - Jan 14, 2006 5:09 pm (#92 of 2983)

I thought you could see "You need to com-", but it was probably my brain filling in what I thought the next letter would be. I don't have Tivo nor did I record it (what was I thinking???) so couldn't swear by it.

Happy Birthday, Shamrock! Or what's left of it.... Hope you had a great day!

That is such a cool picture Tazzy! You can definitely recognize the beach!

Hope you have fun at your holiday party tonight, Marie! Hey, a party is a party, no matter when! I had to laugh about the "You look pretty today" (so what's wrong with me normally???) because I always do that too! Isn't it funny?

Little Pince asked me this afternoon "Mommy, what's a soul?" So I had a little bit of a hard time with that, and I used the word "spirit" in part of the definition, and so naturally the next question is "What's a spirit?" and then we went on to "What's a personality?" He does this to me all the time. I am so bad at abstract concepts! It's like playing the board game "Taboo" -- you can't use another abstract concept to explain the first abstract concept! Ha!

Very windy here today! It sounds like the roof is going to take off. It rained earlier, so basically a blah day. I think we'll finish it off by making sugar cookies and playing Harry Potter Quidditch until bedtime!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 14, 2006 5:28 pm (#93 of 2983)

Denise and Madame Pince- In Lost: I saw the same thing. 'You need to co...' HEY! What if Michael is just imagining it? Because when Jack came around, the screen was blank. or could the Others be watching them, and when Jack came in, erased what they were writing? hmmm...

My two year old cousin is going through the "Why?" stage...  It gets so advanced that you end up cutting across everything and saying "Because I said so." Then she shakes her head and says "oh. Ok!" and walks off. I can't wait for her to get out of it! lol

~Kristina

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haymoni - Jan 14, 2006 7:42 pm (#94 of 2983)

boop - glad to hear it!

Madam P - I always answered those questions with "It's the thing that makes you you." May not be religiously or politically correct, but it did the trick!

It is cold again in Ohio. Pooh! I rather liked the 50 degree January weather.

I just watched both versions of "The Parent Trap" on Hallmark. I just love that movie - both versions. Of course, the bottle of Asti left over from New Year's helped quite a bit.

Hubby took the kids to his mom's - she was having a plumbing situation and tomorrow Ungrateful Son has wrestling which is actually closer to her house than ours, so I am free to be completely, totally irresponsible - as long as I stay in the house!

I ate fake Chinese, drank my Asti and watched Haley and Lindsay.

Quite a good evening!

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Puck - Jan 14, 2006 9:19 pm (#95 of 2983)

Fake Chinese? What, did you eat plastic food for dinner?

Tazzy, enjoy the "Why" stage! My sweet, bubbly 2 year old is now a 3 year old Diva. Getting dressed is a daily battle. She thinks any clothes that actually touch her body are "tight" and complains she can't breathe. If anyone has a spell that will make her clothes magically hover around her please pass it along!

Too bad about the houses, Azi. Unless you have an unlimited budget (wouldn't THAT be nice), there is always some compromise.

I agree with above thoughts about "Lost".

Well, I should off to bed! Babe will likely wake up soon, want to get some sleep before then.

Kathy

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 14, 2006 10:44 pm (#96 of 2983)

I had the most extraordinary thing happen today. I got a phone call from some I met 25 YEARS ago in London.     I sent out Christmas cards to just about everyone in my address book. His parents are still at this address in Denmark and forwarded it. He looked us up in the Internet. Wow!

azi, good luck apartment hunting. Hey boop, I hope you stay well.

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Lina - Jan 15, 2006 1:09 am (#97 of 2983)

Tazzy, I like your avatar too.

I use to do the thing "Because I said so." with my kids often. Now, few days ago, Mihaela (6 yr) came saying "Mum, you will have to do this and grandma is going to do that!" We asked her "Why?" and she said "Because I said so."  My advice: just be careful with the explanations!

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haymoni - Jan 15, 2006 7:09 am (#98 of 2983)

Puck - it may have well been plastic - it was a can of that LaChoy stuff. Definitely fake Chinese!

It is 9:00 am - this is major "sleeping in" to me - with the pets and the kids, I rarely make it past 6:30, even on the weekends.

What to do? What to do? A whole Sunday is before me.

I should vacuum the bedrooms, do some laundry, go grocery shopping and defrost something for dinner when the troops come home, but...

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Madam Pince - Jan 15, 2006 9:06 am (#99 of 2983)

Thanks for the tip, haymoni! That's a great suggestion! I can never think of these things when I need them!

Your "fake Chinese" story brings back memories -- when I was growing up, we lived way out in the sticks and there was no such thing as a Chinese restaurant, so any we ever had was LaChoy out of a can. When I went away to college, I couldn't understand why my dorm-mates were so excited to go out and get Chinese food. I just thought "Yuck! That stuff is awful! Who wants that?"

My mother used to always tell me "Because I said so," and I absolutely hated that answer! I wanted a WHY answer. So I swore to myself that if I ever had kids, I would never use "Because I said so." So far I haven't, but I have really had to bite my tongue and have often regretted my vow! I'm sure it will only get worse. Ha!

Puck, mine doesn't mind the fit of his clothes, but I get constant complaints that "This tag itches!" He never noticed them until his Dad said something like "Doesn't that tag itch you?" because HE is always complaining about HIS tags, so now of course I have to clip out of little clothes as well as big ones. Which is aggravating because of re-selling kiddy clothes, etc. Oh well!

So terribly windy here again today! We decided to have a little "camp out" last night and sleep downstairs, just in case, because of all the huge tall trees around our house and the recent rain which might have loosened the roots. We saw lots of homes on the news which had trees through their roofs, and we didn't want to take the chance of being upstairs. The power went out briefly, too, which I always find kind of exciting (what a great excuse to get out the mini-book-light and just read!) but it came back on pretty fast.

Boop, hope your Steelers do well today! ***fingers crossed*** Can't believe the Patriots took the beating they did last night! My Redskins are out too -- I didn't expect them to go far anyway, so it's all good.

***Waves to all new Forum members*** Hey, Kip will be so pleased he's not the only elder statesman anymore, David! We have a couple other horse enthusiasts here, too, so hope you will feel right at home!

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Puck - Jan 15, 2006 9:56 am (#100 of 2983)

The one phrase that is coming back to haunt me is "Do things your own special way." As s toddler my son was always getting frustrated if he couldn't set up his toys to look exactly like the picture on the box. Wanting to encourage creativity and imagination, I continually suggested he do things his own way. Now, if someone tries to correct on math, letters, etc... he claims he's going to do it his "own special way." He doesn't seem to understand that somethings only work if we all use the same method! This came up at a meeting with his teacher. Well, at least he IS more creative with his building toys nowadays.

Never had "LaChoy" from a can. But now I'm thinking of sending hubby out to get Chinese food for dinner tonight.

Would love to sleep until 9am! Actually, I tend to opt to get up extra early just to have some quiet time to myself. It's makes such a nice start to the day. Hope to get back to this once baby is sleeping through the night.

Waiting to hear what Haymoni decided to do with her "free" day.

Kathy[/color]

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Denise P. - Jan 15, 2006 10:12 am (#101 of 2983)

Color me the scum mom because when my older kids ask "Why?" after I have answered a question, I usually just smile and say I am the mom and as such, I am not required to justify my answer to them. This is normally employed with Rockhead Son who will conveniently forget he just clocked his brother on the head 2 seconds before he asks if he can go on the computer and then will deny it ever happened if I point that out as the reason for my answer.

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Puck - Jan 15, 2006 10:54 am (#102 of 2983)

I often end conversations with, "I've given my answer and I'm done talking about it." I can only listen to so much begging and haggling.

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VeronikaG - Jan 15, 2006 11:04 am (#103 of 2983)

Good luck with you surgery, madame Poppy! Healing charm: ~*~*~*~*~*~GetBetter~*~*~*~*~*~

Thanks for the link, Denise. Now I have something to explore tomorrow at school, where pictures don't take half an hour to load. I hate dial up...

Our TV has died!! Now we can finally get a wide screen one! It has had a long sick bed, and we've been waiting for it to refuse to turn on. Oh... there it turned on.. oh well.

About LOST; count me as a fan. I really believe that they are all on the island as a part of some experiment. There are too many coincidences there for them to really be coincidences, methinks. They were meant to survive the initial crash, but then meant having to fight for their survival. I think the monster is another experiment, some sort of genetic modification gone wrong. Off course I believed that this was my own theory... but then somebody else have also come up with the same.

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haymoni - Jan 15, 2006 11:15 am (#104 of 2983)

Puck - I wish I had something exciting to tell you, but I stuck to my list and I've done everything except go to the grocery store.

I did watch Ralph Fiennes on Bravo this morning. I think he said about 2 words on playing Voldy. And the clip they showed stopped right before he actually touched Harry "I...can...touch...you...now!"

Madam P - Hubby has complained about tags in his shirts for years. He always said they should make tagless shirts. When he heard the commercial for Hanes tagless shirts, he whipped his head around and said, "Hey!!! They got that from me!!!!"

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Ydnam96 - Jan 15, 2006 11:25 am (#105 of 2983)

Denise, I don't think that's a bad thing, I think that your answer sounds perfect. I also like the "I'm the mother. I'm not talking about this anymore" answer. It probably works until the children are teens. Then I think it doesn't matter what you say

mmmm...Double Stuffed Oreos for breakfast. Can't beat that!

Off to do absolutely nothing all day long! (I hope)

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 15, 2006 11:52 am (#106 of 2983)

Thanks Denise for me Simpsons calendar!!! Come to think of it, someone usually gives me a Simpsons calendar over Christmas, but not this year so I was definitely in need. Yay!

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Chemyst - Jan 15, 2006 12:02 pm (#107 of 2983)

I have never pulled the "Because I said so!" because it sounds like I'm squabbling with them. But I think the "Because I'm the Mommy," explanation is necessary for survival whenever the munchkin interrogator is not interested in acquisition of information but is actually employing a stalling technique.

Thanks for the SW Lost link Denise. I'm not an avid fan, but I was able to pass that link along and come off like a hero to some others – not that kind of others – who are.

...and going way back- Finn, I did see Ty on a couple minutes of Beauty and the Geek while I was waiting for Crumbs to start; and what a disappointment that was! Geek was funnier.

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Good Evans - Jan 15, 2006 1:14 pm (#108 of 2983)

I managed to catch up with "Lost" tonight, we are at the end of the first series here in the UK and have to wait to the spring for the next series. In the meantime we have desperate housewives back for series two from next week, so I guess I will survive.

have a great Sunday evening everyone

Julie X

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azi - Jan 15, 2006 1:39 pm (#109 of 2983)

This is the point at which I wish I had a TV at uni - I can't watch Desperate Housewives!

Getting up at 9am is way too early - 12 noon is more appropriate!

Am stuck on evil maths homework. Even 2 A-level maths students can't solve 2 of the equations. The way we think it's supposed to be solved we can't do and we tried with an automatic calculator on the web...which produced random numbers of no use, instead of whole numbers which in theory should exist...argh!

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Madam Pince - Jan 15, 2006 2:29 pm (#110 of 2983)

***Administers CPR to Boop who is undoubtedly passed out on her living room floor***

Wow! What an exciting game just ended, boop! Congrats to your Steelers! They really deserved it, but Indianapolis sure did make it interesting there at the last, didn't they? I don't know who I feel sorrier for, Jerome Bettis or the kicker from the Colts... I guess the kicker, because Bettis got redeemed...

Denise and Puck, your "Why?" answers are both superb! That's the reason you've got your "Advanced Mommy" licenses, I would guess! Thanks for the tips, I will utilize them both!

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boop - Jan 15, 2006 2:37 pm (#111 of 2983)

Madam Pince, thanks for the added luck with the Steelers. I am so so excited for the Steeler's. It was a really good football game, but Steeler's played a little better for the WIN!!!!!!!!!!! 1 game down 2 more to go!!!!

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Eponine - Jan 15, 2006 2:41 pm (#112 of 2983)

Mr. Eponine is a huge Steelers fan, so he was quite excited by the game. Now we're watching the Carolina Panthers. I'm almost footballed out for the day.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 15, 2006 4:41 pm (#113 of 2983)

**Does happy dance** I have my apartment and the entire upstairs house completely to myself for a week!!!! No kids running around. I can finally focus on school, and recooperate from lifting the kids too much (doctor's orders from the surgery- no lifting for another three weeks, and this last week was the first of those three.). So my plans for this week is school, and being lazy. My aunt and uncle took the kids to Disneyland in California for a week, so I am happy! Bummer side is that I know that this week will go by super fast, no matter what I do... .

Azi- I like your avatar! Very neat!

Very interesting ways to curb the "Why?" stage. Unfortunately, I cannot pull the Mommy role, but I could change it around to "Because I am Auntie Rae, that's why!" or something along those lines.

Note- 'Auntie' and 'Uncle' in Hawaii are forms of respect to elders. Even though I am cousins with the two year old and nine month old, they call me "Auntie Rae". Rae is my middle name, and since my aunt and uncle use my middle name as a nickname, the kids picked it up. Now, if you ask them where 'Auntie Kristina' is, they would have no idea who that was!

I just know you all wanted to learn that interesting tidbit, so now I will go! lol...

Hope everyone is having a good day/ night!

~Kristina

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boop - Jan 15, 2006 4:56 pm (#114 of 2983)

Mr. Eponine is watching the same football game as me. Glad to hear he is a Steeler's fan as well. When football is over I will be lost.

Kristina, Glad to hear you are going to have peace and quiet for a week. Just listen to what the doctor told you. Hey thanks for sharing that tidbit about your cousins, that was cute.

hugs always

boop

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Catherine - Jan 15, 2006 5:32 pm (#115 of 2983)

I will admit to looking down my nose and raising an eyebrow (or two) when "stalling" techniques (excellent description, Chemyst) are employed by "munchkin interrogators" (another good one, thanks again, Chemyst).

My question that I ask will probably get me in the Bad Mommy Hall of Fame, but I tend to ask, "What part confuses you?"

For some reason, I am reminded of the "Rumpole of the Bailey" show. "She who must be obeyed" wouldn't be such a bad moniker, would it?  

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Denise P. - Jan 15, 2006 5:36 pm (#116 of 2983)

Heh Catherine, I personally use "What part of “no” didn't you understand?"

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 15, 2006 7:19 pm (#117 of 2983)

Once, perhaps twice, the words, "I'm not like the other mommies...when I say 'No' I mean it," passed through my lips. Actually, I believe I said that once to each child, in the early years, and I've never had to repeat it or much else, since.

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Finn BV - Jan 15, 2006 7:50 pm (#118 of 2983)

Mills, how many books, or which HP, is due? Good luck, I'm sure you have some grasp of the basic plot.

Betcha didn't know that's what a charm looked like... --Madam Pince

I feel enlightened, Madam P...

Finn, you say yipee, I say waa waa. I was thinking of taking the kids to Westchester for a visit, maybe I'll drop my kids on you for a short visit. he he he --Mrs. Sirius

That would be interesting. "Mom, Dad, this is… Mrs. Sirius." Well, I'll be home all day! Also, if it's not too late (probably is since it's two days after but oh well), tell you daughter that you yourself have to inform the tooth fairy by secret methods of communication that she's lost her tooth, otherwise she won't come… LOL, I didn't find out until I was 10, which was sad.

Happy Birthday, Shamrock! (A bit late I suppose… )

Welcome back Kathy! I had been thinking of Finn, as "Will and Grace" was a "Sound of Music" episode. I found it amusing though Mr. Puck who has never seen the movie -shame and horror - missed most of the jokes. Ooh, ooh, ooh, what were the jokes, or is there a link to them somewhere out there?? And tell Mr. Puck that he needs to go hide in a corner for a week. **cross**

azi, your avatar does look a lot like Diagon Alley! Good luck finding a house!

Catherine, if it makes you feel any better, I just Googled Qwyzzle and couldn't get it to load, using the Mac browser Safari.

Finn, I did see Ty on a couple minutes of Beauty and the Geek while I was waiting for Crumbs to start; and what a disappointment that was! Geek was funnier. –Chemyst

Yay! I thought he was by far the best, and his partner actually knew something, compared to the rest of the people, who didn't know the person who ran against George Bush in the last presidential election (even with his photo) or that there were different types of screwdrivers…

My question that I ask will probably get me in the Bad Mommy Hall of Fame, but I tend to ask, "What part confuses you?" --Catherine

Hehehe. Got to remember that one for a couple of years down the road…

Today was really windy, even though Friday I could have gone in shorts! What is up with this strange weather?

Oh, and the Golden Globes are on tomorrow, which is annoying. Why couldn't they hold them tonight, then I could stay up late and not worry about being tired for school tomorrow (holiday). Instead they're on Monday night () and I guess I'll just stay up and be tired for school… Yes, I stay for the whole thing. I'm into these things!

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Viola Intonada - Jan 15, 2006 8:21 pm (#119 of 2983)

I have been heard to say, on many occasions, "What part of NO did you not understand?" Since my kids love to beg and haggle, I give them three "no's" then they are out. If I say "no" three times in a row, I'm not going to change my mind. My youngest is the worst at asking again and again. She was also the one that accepted nothing less than a Ph.D. dissertation to the answer of her "why?" questions.

I have to report that in Cleveland we have not had any fog (that I have noticed). Friday the 13th was quiet the interesting day. We took the Preschool on a field trip to see a play. Our seats were in the front row of the balcony. I about had a heart attack. I spent the 20 minutes before the play started telling kids to sit in their seats and to not look over the balcony. They enjoyed the play, though.

Saturday was even more interesting. I woke up (at about 9am) to two fire trucks parked next to our backyard (we live on a corner). The telephone pole in our neighbor's backyard was on fire. (top part, above the transformer) The firemen watched it for about 30 minutes, then left. They hadn't brought along anything to fight an electrical fire.    The electric company sent a man out who watched it burn for a while, then roped off the area under the pole. We had to leave for a girl scout outing. When we got back 3 hours later, the pole had burned through, fell off (two wires were attached to the top) and we had lost our electricity. It was the coldest day we have had in a while (It had snowed during the night and there was a lot of ice). We had a nice relaxing day in front of the fire reading and what-not, sent out for pizza. Around 6pm the electric company came back with two trucks. They sat there for a couple of hours, ended up they only brought along electric drills (!)  and they had to send someone out to get battery powered ones. At 9pm we finally got our power back. What a day.

Today has been fairly calm and uneventful.

I hope everyone has a great Monday!!

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Puck - Jan 15, 2006 8:51 pm (#120 of 2983)

Viola, you did have an interesting day!

Finn, I figure Mr. Puck is destined to sit through many musicals, as our 3 year old is destined for the stage! The jokes were a concession stand guy named Ralph who turned them in to security, etc...

I occasionally throw out the phrase "What are you, new?" This is for a child who thinks they can eat cookies for breakfast or other such nonsense.

Tazzy, I also have a cousin who thinks of me more like an aunt. There's over 30 years between us, and she's younger than 2 of my kids, so she just feels more like a niece.

Haymoni, I was thinking of bubble bath, tea, and a good book. Alas, I probably would have opted for housework with no one underfoot as well.... (Last time I was left alone -like a year ago- I washed floors.)

Well, at least someone around here has a football team who's winning...

Happy Monday!

kathy

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Amilia Smith - Jan 15, 2006 11:19 pm (#121 of 2983)

Wow! That really was quite the day, Viola. Very funny how nobody knew what to do about the situation, and just watched the pole burn. Glad you and your neighbors are OK.

mmmm...Double Stuffed Oreos for breakfast. Can't beat that!
This is for a child who thinks they can eat cookies for breakfast or other such nonsense.

OK, I admit it. I frequently eat cookies and milk for breakfast. Every time I do, I hear the jingle for a breakfast cereal that was popular when I was a kid play in my head. You can't have cookies for breakfast, but you can have Cookie Crisp! [To clarify: the jingle was popular when I was younger. Apparently the cereal is still around and doing well.]

Mills, how many books, or which HP, is due?

Finn, the assignment for that week is to read HBP and write a 2-3 pg essay on why it "fits the criteria for an example of young adult literature." I also give my Author talk on the same day. A "15 minute presentation which includes information on the author's life and style and three of his/her books." Themes the author goes back to over and over again, that sort of thing. Shouldn't be a problem! :-)

Tazzy, that bit about Aunties and Uncles is one of the things I really like about Hawaii. It is very cool when your storytelling prof refers to herself as Auntie Nyla.

Mills.

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Snuffles - Jan 16, 2006 1:55 am (#122 of 2983)

Hello everyone!

I just love all this talk about Lost. I have to read all the 'invisible text'! as Julie (Good Evans) has said, the first series has just finished here. I have taped the last episode as I was unable to watch but I can't wait for the next. I love reading what you have all written, I can tease my work collegue that I know more than she does!!

Tazzy, I love your avatar, sooooooo cool!

Azi, are you studying in York? I love the Shambles area.

Olivia's birthday on Saturday was great, she managed 40 minutes on the ice before getting bored, which was longer than I thought and by the end I had let go of her (although she had no idea!!) and she shuffled around by herself. There is a kiddies session on Wednesday afternoons so I have promised her I will take her again.

On the 'Why and No' topic, I have to admit using 'because I said so' on a few occasions. I have started to say that because she is 3, she is now a big girl and that big girls do as they are told!! 72 hours down the line and all is well so far............

Hope everyone has a great Monday.

Julie

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Tazzygirl - Jan 16, 2006 2:17 am (#123 of 2983)

Thanks for all the comments on the avatar!

Mills- that is interesting that your teacher wants to be called Auntie. All mine say "Call me Professor so-and-so" or "Call me by my first name." I think it would be weird to call a teacher "Auntie". I like the whole respect behind being called Auntie though!

I am twenty years older than my cousin, so it does kind of seem logical.

Good night/ day everyone!

~Kristina

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The giant squid - Jan 16, 2006 2:17 am (#124 of 2983)

I believe my mother's final response to the "Why?" question was, "Because I'm your mother and I said so!" Kind of a combination of the two, though it still left me unsatisfied most of the time.

I'm so happy for those of you just reaching the end of season (series) one of Lost--you have so much good stuff ahead of you!

The Squid household was very happy at the end of the Steelers game as well (Mrs. Squid is a fan), though there was a LOT of yelling at the screen when Polomalu's interception was overturned... I hope they can go all the way, since my Vikings managed to choke once again...

--Mike

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Amilia Smith - Jan 16, 2006 2:31 am (#125 of 2983)

Tazzy: Well, it helped that Auntie Nyla is a retired children's librarian and a professional storyteller. I can't see myself calling any of my other profs Auntie . . .

Mills.

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Shamrock - Jan 16, 2006 4:25 am (#126 of 2983)

Hi everyone

Its Monday again and the start of another busy week!!

Thank you so much for the Birthday wishes. Have to say I had a lovely day. Started with a nice lie on in the morning till after 11am (which for a mother of a 2 year old is very rare) Was woken up to a yummy full irish breakfast and prezzies and cards. I was told by the other half to put my feet up for the day and wasn’t allowed do a thing around the house. Mind you I had to finish off the washing (laundry) and do all the ironing yesterday but still it was only a fraction of the house work. Sunday was spent entertaining the family which was nice.

The second series of Lost hasn’t started over here yet so I haven’t highlighted the spoilers (I’m been very good). Desperate House Wifes started 2 weeks ago - is hoping it will get better!!

The "Why" questions haven’t started yet for me either but I’m keeping the tips for when there needed

Well best get back to work, have a good one!!

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azi - Jan 16, 2006 6:53 am (#127 of 2983)

Glad to hear you had a nice birthday Shamrock!

Thank you for the compliments on my avatar! Snuffles, I am studying in York and absolutely love the city, especially the Shambles and the city walls.

I can't remember what my mother said to me when I was younger. I remember her getting so fed up of me and my brother (when I was about 13 )that she locked us out the house for a couple of hours. We knocked on the door until we infuriated her so much she let us back in.

All my lecturers say to call them by their first name. It's a friendly department I must say!

Cookie Crisp cereal...I tried it in cereal bar form (which is what I eat in the mornings) and it wasn't so nice. I thought they would actually be real mini cookies, not rice cookies with chocolate in.

Have a great day everybody!

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Marie E. - Jan 16, 2006 7:36 am (#128 of 2983)

It's great that the Steelers won this weekend. Too bad they're going lose next weekend, though. *evil laughter from the Broncos fan*

My holiday party was a lot of fun. About 40 people showed up from the five centers we have here in town. The 18 year old boy I work with in the afternoons brought a gun that shoots suction-cup darts. He and I spent about half an hour running around the room shooting each other. There's a reason why I teach kindergarten, apparently.

I try very hard not to use "because I said so" but it's hard. I think both of my girls have their suspicions about the Tooth Fairy, as she is often a day or so late on payments.

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I Am Used Vlad - Jan 16, 2006 7:41 am (#129 of 2983)

though there was a LOT of yelling at the screen when Polomalu's interception was overturned... Mike

There was a lot of yelling around here, also. I though instant replay was supposed to correct bad calls. The Steelers should have no problem with Denver, IMO.

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Eponine - Jan 16, 2006 7:46 am (#130 of 2983)

though there was a LOT of yelling at the screen when Polomalu's interception was overturned...Mike[

Yes, Mr. Eponine was most decidedly not happy about that call. There was much yelling and cursing of the refs. But it was okay in the end.

I hope everyone is having a great day!

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kaykay1970 - Jan 16, 2006 8:47 am (#131 of 2983)

My husband did the sweetest thing yesterday. My parents took 8mm. movie reels of us when we were growing up. Dad had them transferred to VHS years ago. My husband took the VHS and burned a DVD from it. Somehow it feels as though technology took a huge step backward "silent movies on DVD." For some reason I can't get the thing to play on my DVD player although it works fine in the Playstation 2.

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Chemyst - Jan 16, 2006 8:50 am (#132 of 2983)

I believe my mother's final response to the "Why?" question was, "Because I'm your mother and I said so!" Kind of a combination of the two, though it still left me unsatisfied most of the time. – Mike

I think you are big enough now that I can safely tell you this little secret without damaging your ego: Your satisfaction wasn't the point. It wasn't about you. It is that moms sometimes need to remind themselves that they are the authority figure.

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 16, 2006 9:20 am (#133 of 2983)

Happy MLK Day everyone!!

I agree with Finn. I'm not a big Golden Globes guy, but Monday's stink for airing them. Awards shows are such a Sunday night kinda deal.

Denise and all you Lost-philes. Is there any hope, whatsoever, that I could start watching this show now and not be, well, hopelessly lost?

I don't have kids, but I've caught myself saying, many times, "because I said so" to nieces and nephews. It is kinda neat to wield absolute power from time to time.

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Ydnam96 - Jan 16, 2006 9:39 am (#134 of 2983)

Loopy, I think it is possible. But I would recommend that you check out ABC's website and read through the show summaries from last season or rent the DVDs of last season. You could jump right in and catch on, but as the show is so full of little clues and bits it would probably be good for you to be aware of who everyone is and all that. I mean, if you watch last season it's only 22 hours Just take one weekend and you can watch them all! I did that to catch up on Alias (only I had to watch three seasons because I was a real late-comer). JMO

Do we have any members in Finland? I would love to hear their opinion on the Conan O'Brien/Election stuff that is going on (for those of you who do not know what I mean, go to Entertainment at CNN.com). It sounds very interesting.

So, today I'm taking a friend hiking. She has never been able to accomplish hiking this particular trail (It's a mile and a half with a thousand foot elevation gain). I'm not gonna lie. I've made it 3 of the 4 times I've gone but it's a killer and I want to die by the time I'm a third of the way up. So we will be going very very slowly. It's so beautiful at the top though. Maybe we'll get Subway when we are done, or Quiznos. Mmmmmmmm.

I must join the no Golden Globes on Monday group. It's silly. Just goes to show you that these Hollywood types don't have "real" jobs

Okay off to catch a few more minutes of sleep before going hiking.

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Madam Pince - Jan 16, 2006 9:56 am (#135 of 2983)

***Pats Squid Mike on the shoulder consolingly re: the Vikings.***

Yeah, Mr. Pince was pretty bummed out about that one too. Oh well. Although neither of "our" teams were in that Steelers-Colts game yesterday, I still did plenty of yelling at the screen! What was up with that interception call?! Methinks some referee may be out of a job as of this morning. I just love a good sporting contest - no matter what it is! (Reminds me of an old B. Kliban cartoon -- "Go, go, go, Saskatchewan, or Ontario, or whoever the *&!# you are!!!!")

Snuffles, I just have to say it again -- Olivia is an adorable little child! Hope she had a great birthday! My, she is really growing up, isn't she?

Viola, what a funny story about your electrical pole! I can't believe everyone just stood around and watched it burn!

Loopy, what a shame you just missed one of the "catch-up" episodes of Lost! I think it aired last week right before the new episode. They showed an hour-long "clip" show that briefly introduced all the characters and plotlines, although of course a lot of the fun clues had to be left out due to time constraints. (Hmmmm.... sounds like a HP movie....) I don't know if you could find it somewhere on someone's Tivo or something maybe? I think it was called "Lost-Revelations" or something like that? But Mandy is right -- ABC's website has remarkably detailed summaries of each episode, so you can get caught up that way with an investment of a couple hours probably. It really is worth the watch, IMO.

Shamrock, I hate to tell you, but Desperate Housewives isn't improving much as it goes along (just my humble opinion.) I think the first season was fantastic, but the second season just doesn't have as much oomph to it. And Susan is just annoying. But let's keep our fingers crossed!

kaykay, that sounds like such a sweet gift! Mr. Pince's family did a similar thing last year and it is so cool to be able to see all the grandparents and great-grandparents that I never had a chance to meet! Unfortunately my side of the family never had an 8mm so we don't have any video at all. I do have one cassette tape of a Thanksgiving dinner with my Dad's voice on it that I wouldn't take a million dollars for. Those kinds of things are just so precious!

Marie, have you ever played with one of those wooden guns that shoots rubber bands? Of course, you could probably put your eye out with one of them, but man, they're fun! (I think I'm getting "points" on my Mommy license even as I type....)

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 16, 2006 10:19 am (#136 of 2983)

Shamrock, I hate to tell you, but Desperate Housewives isn't improving much as it goes along (just my humble opinion.) -- Madam Pince

I have to say I agree with this as much as I hate say it. Once I get interested in a plot line, it gets completely dropped for quite a while. (I mean, there was a dead body found in the neighborhood relatively recently and everyone seems to have forgotten.) By the time they get picked back up, I'm less interested.

Thanks for the suggestions for Lost. Maybe I'll just read a summary or something although the DVD's are just sitting there in Hollywood Video staring at me.

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Denise P. - Jan 16, 2006 10:45 am (#137 of 2983)

See, if you had asked LAST week, I could have sent you the clip show since I had it on Tivo. It has been deleted though.

Yes, you can still catch up. For all that we have been watching it for a season and a half, only 49 days have passed since the crash took place. The ABC site is good. If you would rather read a more entertaining summary, I highly recommend Television Without Pity. I love the snark and sarcasm in their recaps. Psst....don't delete the email I am about to send you.

Wozer Loopy, the mail was speedy if you got it on Saturday. I mailed it on Wednesday or Thursday. I am so glad you can use it, I could not. Hmmm...does this fall under YKYRTHPLFTMW....you just immediately think of a Forum member who would appreciate something you can't use?

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Catherine - Jan 16, 2006 12:21 pm (#138 of 2983)

Darn it. This discussion on Lost is sucking me in...

I've spent this weekend getting "my" office at work in order. It was filthy, and has a wall that is painted the most awful teal color with blue poster stickems all over it, which looks and feels like chewing gum.

I share this office with instructors who teach at night, and during the last week, no one else seemed to care about the state of the room, so I took over. I couldn't imagine actually having students visit me in that room in its former state.

I spent two hours scrubbing (saying "Filth" to myself like Mad-Eye Moody) yesterday. The filing cabinet actually changed color, as did my desk and the telephone. Even scrubbing the room down didn't change the odor in the room (imagine moldy leaves, rust, stale popcorn, and dust). Normally, I'm very sensitive to fragrances, but I invested in some air fresheners after Hayley walked into the office yesterday and said, "You're right, Mommy. This place does really stink."

The big excitement was getting the antique bookplates I bought in Charlottesville **waves to Loopy Lupin and Madame Pince ** back from the framer and hanging them in my office. Hopefully, the nighttime inhabitants won't mind that I rearranged the office. I thought about asking them first, but then I remembered my dad's saying: "Better to beg forgiveness than ask permission."

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Madam Poppy - Jan 16, 2006 12:23 pm (#139 of 2983) Reply
Edited by Jan 16, 2006 11:24 am

KayKay, your DVD player has to be able to play copies. Some machines will only play originals. We bought a GoVideo machine that has a VHS and a DVD player in it. I have most of our VHS tapes transferred to DVD now. I have taken our old VHS tapes to Hollywood video and gotten credit to rent new releases.
My grandaughter Lily had her first tooth pop through yesterday. Isn't 6 months a little early? She's also starting to crawl.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 16, 2006 12:30 pm (#140 of 2983)

For those of you who missed last week's Lost, this Wednesday coming up, ABC is showing last Wednesday's at 7 pm Hawaiian time (so check local listings!) and then right after it is the newest episode!

In white- So whoever missed the smoke images can check it out! and for those who have, can see it again!!

Mills- that explains the Auntie! I was wondering what that was all about!

Catherine- it is not so bad getting sucked into Lost! You have to have some other obsession other than Harry Potter! It balances things out!!

Have a good day/ night everyone!

~Kristina

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Catherine - Jan 16, 2006 12:41 pm (#141 of 2983)

My grandaughter Lily had her first tooth pop through yesterday. Isn't 6 months a little early? She's also starting to crawl. --Madame Poppy

I believe six months is the average age for a first tooth to erupt. Of course, my children were always really early or late with teething. Claire cut a tooth at 4 months, and Hayley didn't get her first tooth until 11 months. Congratulations to Miss Lily on her mobility. That will keep everyone busy.

You have to have some other obsession other than Harry Potter! It balances things out!!—Tazzygirl

That makes sense in an addictive sort of way.

EDIT: W00T! My dishwasher (broken before Christmas and incompletely fixed last week is finally getting fixed today. I've missed it so much.

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mike miller - Jan 16, 2006 2:43 pm (#142 of 2983)

Catherine - I can relate to the dishwasher problem. Ours seemed to wash fine but there was water in the bottom after every cycle. It took the repair guy about 2 minutes to fix it. There was a clog in air line the under that cap thing on top of the sink. I've been using those Cascade "Action Pacs" with Dawn inside and the clog was the undissovled outer packet. The guy told me that most dishwashers don't heat the water like the old ones (also we pick "energy saver" switches) because they now have plastic linings. The trick now is to run the hot water in the sink just before starting the dishwasher, that way it fills with hotter water instead of the cold water from inside the pipes. He said that it also affects how well the soap works since most are designed to work best in water above 120 degrees F.

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Denise P. - Jan 16, 2006 2:49 pm (#143 of 2983)

Regarding DVD copies...it depends on your machine. Some machines will only play DVD+R/DVD+RW or DVD-R/DVD-RW while some machines play both. Most of our DVD players in our house play the - version, the one in the bedroom will play only + ones. Of course, all of them will play commercially made DVDs.

6 months is about average for teeth to pop through. Mr. Rhys is 5 months old and his first tooth could be felt yesterday. It is just the ridges of his tooth but he has a tooth and is not afraid to use it! I can't see the tooth on the right side, not even under his gum. I could see the left one for a few days before it popped through.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 16, 2006 2:57 pm (#144 of 2983)

Denise and all you Lost-philes. Is there any hope, whatsoever, that I could start watching this show now and not be, well, hopelessly lost?---Denise P.

Loopy, I think a very wise person told you to invest in Netflix over the winter months. I did, and my husband and I spent this weekend getting through the first half of Season 1 of Lost. I hope to finish the season next weekend and start catching reruns of Season 2 in the Spring.

I got my car back from the auto body shop today. Yippee! Three weeks is entirely too long to be without a car. I am so happy. And, to top it all off, it looks BEEE-YUUUUUU-Ti-Ful.

My daughter is selling Girl Scout cookies for the first time this year. Her troop gets $0.60 for every $4.00 box they sell. Is it just me, or does this feel like a scam?

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Denise P. - Jan 16, 2006 3:05 pm (#145 of 2983)

That is about right. Ready for the wonderful breakdown? This is what our Council gave out as the how the cookie crumbles this year.

.55 per box goes to Troop
.05 goes to Troop if money and paperwork is turned in on time
.05 to Troop if 90% of registered girls participate and sell a minimum of 140 boxes each
.03 of shop credit if minimum of 150 boxes for 90% of registered girls
.01 to Service Unit
.84 Bakery costs
.16 patches and awards
1.81 Girl Scout Programs


So when all is said and done, Kaitlyn's Troop will get .60 per box. We have a few girls who really work hard to sell cookies and some that just sell 5 boxes. Even with booth sales, we won't come close to 140 boxes per girl but we had 100% participate.

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kaykay1970 - Jan 16, 2006 3:11 pm (#146 of 2983)

I really didn't want this to go any further than the chat room but.... I solved my DVD playback problems. I took Colorblind Son's word for it that my DVD player would not play my DVD. Apparently he had connected the AV cables improperly (yellow to white,white to yellow.) Problem solved!!

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Lina - Jan 16, 2006 3:56 pm (#147 of 2983)

Happy MLK day!

I'm glad you had a nice birthday, Shamrock!

Viola, your day sounds like a good screenplay! It could be fun it wasn't happening for real and in the neighborhood...

Well, of course, the "Because I said so" phrase is important only when kids have to be obedient, not when they ask for explanations. My grandmother had a habit, when I would ask something that she didn't know how to explain, she would tell me that I am too young to make such questions. That is something that I decided never to tell my kids.

Cool avatar indeed, Azi.

Tazzy, we have that Aunt and Uncle expressions for elder people here too. Actually, students mostly call me aunt Lina, I prefer it much better than Mrs. Paula. We use here the plural of you to show respect, so it is OK to call people by their first name if you use the plural. But I actually don't like the first name practice that would be the same as using singular here, I always speak in plural with the students even if it annoys them.

Madam Poppy, my daughters got their first teeth in a range from 4 and a half months to 9 months, so I guess it is not too early...

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Finn BV - Jan 16, 2006 4:00 pm (#148 of 2983)

Yippee! The Red Carpet is starting! Later everybody! Hope we all had a good holiday, for those who had it.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 16, 2006 6:09 pm (#149 of 2983)

My nine month old cousin has 7 teeth, all of which came in during my three week stay with my parents. The good thing too is that he is not one of those fussy babies that cry and run fevers during the teething process. I think he has another one coming in right now too...

~Kristina

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Stephanie M. - Jan 16, 2006 7:03 pm (#150 of 2983)

I just read through 37 posts, so I wish everyone the best in everything! And good luck to all!

Happy MLK Day!

**Back to watching the Golden Globes!**

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Puck - Jan 16, 2006 7:39 pm (#151 of 2983)

My oldest got his first tooth at 6 months, the next was 5 months. My baby turned 4 months yesterday and just today I can see white under her gums. (She's been chewing on her fist and drooling like mad!)

I think 6 months is young for crawling. Thinking that my little could be mobile in a couple more months is scary! She hasn't managed to roll over yet, so hopefully she won't crawl too soon.

Went to visit my Mom today. Since she lives 1 1/2 hours away and works weekends, we only get to visit on school holidays. My kids have tomorrow off as well, since it's a staff day for the teachers. It was a nice visit and I'm excited because we're trying to planning a trip to Disney with my brother’s family for the fall. (So, we would then have 6 kids between us, ages 8, 6, 5, 4, 3 and 1).

Okay, time to do my Yoga and go to bed. I have decided I need to lay off the cookies and start exercising to get rid of the last of my baby weight before spring arrives so I can fit into my warm weather clothes!

kathy

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Marie E. - Jan 16, 2006 7:43 pm (#152 of 2983)

Shayla was early on crawling/walking and late on teeth and Lexie was just the opposite. Shayla crawled at six months, walked at 11 months, but didn't get her first tooth until 11 1/2 months. Lexie got her first tooth at six months but didn't even roll over until 7 months. She walked just before she was 14 months.

I had to work late so I missed the red carpet. I am also an awards show junkie so I better head over to the TV.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 16, 2006 7:58 pm (#153 of 2983)

Dude, what's with Gwyneth Paltrow and the accent?

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Puck - Jan 16, 2006 8:08 pm (#154 of 2983)

Didn't notice the accent, but was wondering if she's expecting? If not, she should have picked a different dress.

(Still haven't started my exercise for the evening.)

How amazing is Anthony Hopkins?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 16, 2006 8:09 pm (#155 of 2983)

Yes, she's expecting.

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Chemyst - Jan 16, 2006 8:27 pm (#156 of 2983)

140 boxes of GS cookies!  


How many freezerfuls is that? Does anyone really have THAT many gullible relatives who will buy that much?
Using numbers from the girl scout website, if you are talking boxes of thin mints, that is 179,200 calories...
Now, 3500 calories make about one pound of weight. That means each box has the potential to add over a third of a pound and any girl who sells her quota will be responsible for creating 51.2 pounds of flesh upon consumption.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 16, 2006 8:31 pm (#157 of 2983)

Damn, there goes my pie crust.

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Denise P. - Jan 16, 2006 8:35 pm (#158 of 2983)

You forget, I live in a military town that has the men deployed. Wives are snapping them up to ship to Iraq. We just finished pre-orders. Two girls had initial orders over 150 boxes.

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haymoni - Jan 16, 2006 8:38 pm (#159 of 2983)

That's why you take the order sheets to work! Loads of gullible people there.

I actually ordered some cookies from a girl in a wheelchair that came to my door with her mom and a friend. I haven't paid anything but I wonder where my cookies are. Mmmm...Samoas....

You all are a chatty bunch this weekend!

Being from Cleveland, I hate that the Steelers won. Worse yet will be when they lose to the Broncos. We'll have to see.

Back to work tomorrow. Ugh.

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I Am Used Vlad - Jan 16, 2006 8:39 pm (#160 of 2983)

I have not seen Brokeback Mountain, but I do think that directing Hulk should eliminate you from contention for any award for the rest of your life.

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Mrs. Sirius - Jan 16, 2006 10:49 pm (#161 of 2983)

My granddaughter Lily had her first tooth pop through yesterday. Isn't 6 months a little early? She's also starting to crawl.

Poppy so nice to see you again, I saw someone mention you earlier and scrolled back several pages but just couldn't find your post. Nice to see you. Congratz and your prodigy grandchild.

My kids were late with the teeth and walking, but boy, did they talk!

You forget, I live in a military town that has the men deployed. Wives are snapping them up to ship to Iraq.

ohhhhh, Thin Mints in Iraq. I had such a hard time finding things to send to my friend in Iraq. Once you are looking at the ingredients label everything seem full of highly perishable meltable ingredients.

Edit: I have lost my avatar. Does that mean my membership is up? The 16th seems to be my anniversay date with everything Lex, I officially joined 4 years ago on that date, now it seems to be my avatar anniversay too. (It's my mother's birthday, so I remeber)

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Tazzygirl - Jan 16, 2006 11:19 pm (#162 of 2983)

**sits back and reflects on how many girl scout cookies I sold in my youth...and consumed...**

I haven't seen any girls selling cookies here!! I absolutely love the thin mints!

I am also a huge fan of watching the awards shows- but I have not started to watch the Golden Globes yet. It started here at 7, but I decided to record it, so then I can fast forward through the commercials and awards I don't really care about. So- three hours cut down to an hour. heeheehee Isn't technology fabulous?

:does happy dance: My car is FINALLY fixed of all problems!! I just got it back from the mechanic today, and all is well... :crosses fingers: Now if I can just get my $225 dollars back from the court for the parking tickets the previous owner raked up, I will be an extremely happy camper!

Off to do some homework now... Good night/ day everyone!!

~Kristina

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The giant squid - Jan 17, 2006 2:51 am (#163 of 2983)

Well, everyone already helped kaykay with her DVD issue (and it turned out to not be an issue after all), but I want the record to show that I was willing to offer a suggestion...

My grandmother had a habit, when I would ask something that she didn't know how to explain, she would tell me that I am too young to make such questions.—Lina

That reminds me of another favorite "answer" of my mother's: "I'll tell you when you're 18." The trick was that by the time we turned 18 we'd already learned the answers to most of the questions (and forgotten the others).

Marie: oh, you poor deluded thing...thinking the Broncos could actually win. Silly girl. Go play with your suction cups and leave the big kids to their games.

Loopy, you could start watching Lost now and not be too far behind. When they bring up something we saw earlier they usually refer to it pretty well, you just wouldn't be pointing at the TV going "Ooh! Ooh! That's the !" before they actually reveal it. To get the full effect I'd recommend watching at least season 1, though. It'd be like watching GoF without having read the book--you get the idea, but there are little things you're missing out on.

I have not seen Brokeback Mountain, but I do think that directing Hulk should eliminate you from contention for any award for the rest of your life.--I Am Used Vlad

LOL!

--Mike

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 17, 2006 6:44 am (#164 of 2983)

Yippee! The Red Carpet is starting! Later everybody! Hope we all had a good holiday, for those who had it. – Finn

Well, everyone knows the Red Carpet is the best part!

I have not seen Brokeback Mountain, but I do think that directing Hulk should eliminate you from contention for any award for the rest of your life.--I Am Used Vlad

Now, now, it is not as though Ang Lee directed The Village or something. *** raises hands in triumph at ability to disparage The Village in all circumstances***

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haymoni - Jan 17, 2006 6:54 am (#165 of 2983)

Change in plans - both kids were up all night coughing, so I'm home today.

Why is it that my children are always sick after a visit to my mother-in-law's????

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Catherine - Jan 17, 2006 7:10 am (#166 of 2983)

Why is it that my children are always sick after a visit to my mother-in-law's???? –Haymoni

**clamps lips together to avoid saying incriminating statements**

Now, now, it is not as though Ang Lee directed The Village or something. *** raises hands in triumph at ability to disparage The Village in all circumstances*** --Loopy Lupin

**makes effort to suppress laughter**

Loopy Lupin has a gift for polite disparagement.

That means each box has the potential to add over a third of a pound and any girl who sells her quota will be responsible for creating 51.2 pounds of flesh upon consumption. –Chemyst

EEK! It's almost enough to make me swear off the thin mints and the coconut delites.

What I want to know about Girl Scout cookies is this--am I just being nostalgic, or did there used to be more cookies in a box? The boxes seem smaller, too.

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azi - Jan 17, 2006 8:26 am (#167 of 2983)

We don't have cookie selling where I live. At Scouts/Explorers (which I attended as Guides was the most horrible girly torture I've ever experienced...'Eeew, we can't play Rounders, we might get our brand new £80 trainers dirty...'). Generally we have Gala Day in June, Bonfire Night in November, odd jumble days and Christmas bag packing to raise our money. All are great fun.

I'm not really into award things. They seem kind of pointless.

Still feeling sick after eating too much pineapple yesterday. Stomach doesn't like me eating. No idea how the pineaple made me ill, I'm just assuming causation as the eating of it correlated with my feeling ill.

Have a lovely day everyone!

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Ydnam96 - Jan 17, 2006 8:42 am (#168 of 2983)

Azi, pinapple is a very acidic fruit. That is probably the cause. **This statement is made without any medical or fruit training what-so-ever and should not be taken as a diagnosis of any real medical or fruit related complaints**

I watched part of the red carpet and the first award and decided I had seen enough decolletage (Why even wear a dress, really? It is getting quite ridiculous.) for the evening and changed the tv to 7th Heaven.

Ooooooffff...time to go to work.

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azi - Jan 17, 2006 8:46 am (#169 of 2983)

Ydnam, I had no idea that pineapple was acidic! Ah well. It never seems particularly acidic, like oranges or lemons do, you know. Thanks for telling me!

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Stephanie M. - Jan 17, 2006 9:51 am (#170 of 2983)

Tazzy, I'm glad all of your cars problems are fixed!!

I am allergic to pineapple. I don't mind the taste, but I can't eat it.

I saw the Red Carpet too (I don't remember if I posted that I was watching it or not). Everyone looked pretty good.

I'm home sick today, I have been fighting a cold since Friday night, but it kept getting worse so I decided that it would be best if I stayed home. Plus, I only got 3 hours for sleep from coughing and blowing my nose.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 17, 2006 11:34 am (#171 of 2983)

I am still watching the golden globes. I fell asleep while watching Anthony(?) get the Cecil B. Demille award. But what I can say right now is that- 1. What was Drew Barrymore wearing?!?!?! It looked awful! and 2. Sounded like Gwynith Paltrow was trying to get an Irish accent or something along those lines, and I didn't know she was expecting! Congratulations to her.

Colin Firth got to announce something- made my day! I love Colin. I wish I could meet him. His role in Pride and Prejudice was wonderful. :swoon:

oh- and Jonathan Rhys Meyers has the coolest accent ever...

Ok, now its off to school I go!

Thanks Stephanie!

~Kristina

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 17, 2006 12:54 pm (#172 of 2983)

Ydnam, I had no idea that pineapple was acidic! Ah well. It never seems particularly acidic, like oranges or lemons do, you know. Thanks for telling me! – azi

???????? What kind of pineapples have you been eating?

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azi - Jan 17, 2006 1:23 pm (#173 of 2983)

Erm, pineapples from a tin? Hey, all I know is that it made me ill, not anything else!

I am so excited! I finally got a railcard, which means I get 1/3 off most train journeys! Am planning to go to Edinburgh this term, and hopefully lots of other places too! Plus, today, I walked over 5 miles (into town and back again, continuing with my bus boycott...) and my muscles haven't collapsed yet! S'all good!

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Chemyst - Jan 17, 2006 2:07 pm (#174 of 2983)

Pineapple from a tin– hmm... usually the good/bad (depending upon perspective) part of fresh pineapple is destroyed when it is canned. Fresh pineapple has enzymes that dissolve proteins. Fresh pineapple juice can be used as a meat tenderizer. It is also one of the "natural herbal" ways to treat bruises. (But I've never tried it.) And there is a cool science experiment for kids where you put a chunk of fresh pineapple on gelatin and watch it start to liquify/digest the jello.

Another cool thing is to squeeze the volatile oils in orange rinds into a candle flame. There is a Chinese restaurant near us that always serves orange slices at the end of the meal. In the evenings they have candles on the tables. Miss Manners would not have been amused.

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Viola Intonada - Jan 17, 2006 2:51 pm (#175 of 2983)

I love the things I learn on the Lexicon!!!!

Ahh, Girl Scout cookies! I managed to trick, I mean pass along the honor to someone else to be the cookie Mom this year. $4.00 a box!!! Wow, we are still at $3.00 a box. And yes, the boxes are smaller and have fewer cookies than they did many, many years ago. We average selling about 120 boxes in our household. Unfortunately for my children, there are two of them and we have to split the sales.

Today, my mother-in-law sent me several brochures for the Purdue Women's Basketball Camp. My daughter attended last summer and is in one of the pictures in the brochure! She is very excited.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 17, 2006 3:39 pm (#176 of 2983)

Another cool thing is to squeeze the volatile oils in orange rinds into a candle flame.---Chemyst

Hmmm, this sounds like all kinds of dangerous, illegal fun. ***hears my mother saying, "It's only fun till someone loses an eye!"*** I'd like to try this but there have been two 3-alarm fires in two days in my smallish town and if my house goes up in flames I think I'll end up as a 'person of interest'.

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Puck - Jan 17, 2006 3:45 pm (#177 of 2983)

I ordered a few boxes of cookies from a neighbor. Waiting for others to come to my door. The first year I was here there Mom didn't let them sell to me, as they had hit me up for a variety of school fundraisers already. I complained about how I was waiting for cookies, so now they come to me right away. (Choosing not to think about the calories.)

I love fresh pineapple. We were told to drink pineapple juice before getting wisedom teeth removed, as it helps your blood to clot, thus reducing bleeding.

Feel better, Stephanie!

Glad to hear that the car problems are getting better!

Oh, so I went back to teaching my prescool dance class, and there is this adorable little boy and his name is Finn! Fun how the littlest things can remind you of the forum...

Kathy

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Madam Pince - Jan 17, 2006 4:38 pm (#178 of 2983)

I thought one of the best things about visiting Hawaii was all the fresh pineapple that you got to eat. It was soooo much better than pineapple in a can, and I think pineapple in a can is pretty good! But I never knew it could do all those cool things! Viola is right -- the things you can learn here on the Forum are endless.

Woo-hoo, Catherine, on getting your office all cleaned and decorated and the dishwasher fixed! (Thanks for the dishwasher tips, too, Mike Miller ***see above about learning cool things on the Forum!***) And Woo-hoo to Tazzy on getting your car fixed!

I can't remember when Little Pince got his first tooth -- I think I've blocked it out. I hardly ever get all emotional about stuff, and I am never hormonal, but the day his first tooth came in, I cried and cried and cried. Mr. Pince was totally at a loss as to what he should do for me. I was wailing "But his little toothless baby-grin was just so cute!" Somehow I think it must've been hormones.

Today I recalled another saying of Mom's that I heard way too often when I was growing up -- who else remembers: "As long as you're living in my house, we do it this way. When you get your own house, you can do as you please." Oooooo, that used to make me so !!!! But today when Little Pince was questioning why I was doing something, I told him that it was because this is my house, and my Mommy had told me that I could do whatever I wanted in my own house. (The fact that my Mom was sitting right there laughing at me just added to the fun...)

Squid Mike, I have a question -- and you're the only person I know who's sort of in the movie industry. Why would a fairly big-name actor be uncredited in a movie role? I've never understood why that would happen. I know that Thurl Ravenscroft didn't get credit for doing the song in "The Grinch" but I think I've read that that was a mistake. Things like Bruce Willis in a fairly large role in Paul Newman's Nobody's Fool, though? And Henry Winkler in Scream? Why do actors do that? Is it a SAG / union thing or something?

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haymoni - Jan 17, 2006 4:43 pm (#179 of 2983)

I always figured it was a ego thing.

You should KNOW who Bruce Willis is - you should KNOW Fonzie when you see him.

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boop - Jan 17, 2006 5:47 pm (#180 of 2983)

Good Evening everyone. I hope everyone had a great day.

Speaking of the Steeler's game. At least the NFL admitted that they made an error on Troy Polamalu. I wonder if that referee is going to be fined for it?. At least it didn't cost the Steeler's the game. I believe the Steelers will win their game on Sunday.

I totally agree fresh pineapple is the best. Yummy . . . . can taste it now.

hugs always

boop

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 17, 2006 6:34 pm (#181 of 2983)

I decided to clean up my house this morning, did a vaccumm and dusted. A clean house certainly lifted my spirits. I woke up this morning feeling sick of all this heat and generally being Miss Grumpy.

It is amazing the things you can learn on this forum! I'm not a huge fan of fresh fruit, but canned fruit, especially pears and pineapple are a favourite with me.

I'm currently sitting here awash in red $ signs, and exhausted from all the work to turn them back into black $ signs. I have got a few extra workloads in Feb. and March this year and that will be great. I tried to get some casual work, and I can't get any as my main job is so erratic, I can't even guarantee any free time to do extra work in.

I can't remember if my Mum had any of those pithy sayings while my siblings and I were younger. I do know she would tell us that it was her house and therefore she made the rules. As long as we lived in her house we were to follow them and in turn she would respect our rules etc, when she came to visit our houses. Fair enough.

I didn't pay much attention to the awards, except for the fact no Aussies won individual awards this year (for the first time since 2000).

Off to get some lunch and a nice cup of tea...

Lizzy

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Eponine - Jan 17, 2006 6:37 pm (#182 of 2983)

You're all making me crave fresh pineapple now. Yummmm...

When I was little, we had a den/study in our basement that had a pipe running across the ceiling. She didn't want us hanging on it, so she told me that if I touched it the house would explode. I was at least 13 before I realized she was lying to me.

I hope you're all having a great day!

ETA: According to Ryan Seacrest (sp?) I'm not a self-respecting American because I didn't audition for American Idol when it was extremely near my home town. But I did give a guy at the library the waiver form from the internet.

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Finn BV - Jan 17, 2006 7:43 pm (#183 of 2983)

I have not seen Brokeback Mountain, but I do think that directing Hulk should eliminate you from contention for any award for the rest of your life. –Vlad

LOL! Come on Vlad, did you see Crouching Tiger and Hidden Dragon? He also did Emma Thompson's Sense and Sensibility! Obviously Hulk was a mistake, though I haven't and don't plan on seeing it!

Best wishes for your car (and you), Tazzy!

Well, everyone knows the Red Carpet is the best part! –Loopy

Piffle, this year. There were a few things that were going on that I wouldn't quite want to repeat on this forum! Isaac… and the woman next to Ryan Seacrest's comments… okay then, moving right along…

Drew had a serious case of bad wardrobe picker thingy… yeah. That was weird. Didn't notice Gwyneth's accent, though I can't say I would have had any grounds to compare it to.

I don't like pineapples. Sorry.

Oh, so I went back to teaching my preschool dance class, and there is this adorable little boy and his name is Finn! –Kathy

Well, you see now, I can be aged 50, 13, and 4 all at one time! And you'll all believe me!

Madam P – I would guess that they weren't famous when the movie came out? Though I don't know the films in question, so I can't say.

Have a great week! Tomorrow's Wednesday, which is great, because I thought today was Monday! Whoever invented the days of the week was smart, but the true genius was the person who invented mixing up the days of the week!

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Tazzygirl - Jan 17, 2006 7:52 pm (#184 of 2983)

My parents said "This is our house, so you will abide by our rules." bit all the way up until I moved out at 19. The sad thing is that even though I have not lived at home for a little over two years, I still go by their rules and I don't stay out late at night. I could technically pull the whole "Well, I am 21 now, so what rules you have, I don't have to listen to anymore!" But I keep my mouth shut as they are funding my college life!

Eponine--When I was little, we had a den/study in our basement that had a pipe running across the ceiling. She didn't want us hanging on it, so she told me that if I touched it the house would explode. I was at least 13 before I realized she was lying to me.  

If my mom told that to me, I would have insisted that we move out of the house! Hey, at least it worked! LOL!!

Sad to say- I haven't had fresh pineapple here yet. At all. I only get the canned stuff, because it lasts longer.

Fun Fact- Did you know there are about 50 different types of Pineapple? There is one type that comes from Australia and it is red. (I learned this courtesy of Dole Pineapple Plantation.) Weird, yeah?

~Kristina

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Puck - Jan 17, 2006 8:31 pm (#185 of 2983)

Ooooh, a pineapple tasting party! I actually pulled out a can and put some on my pizza, Azi had me thinking about it so much. Fresh doesn't stick around here when I do get it. My daughter and I can polish one off pretty quickly!

Well, Finn, if that was you in class today, I must say I figured you better at following directions.

Now I must really do my exercises. I attempted to last night, but it was the strangest thing. I put in the DVD, and the picture on my TV flipped upside down. Kid you not! After that, even the regular stations were flipped. I know it's Yoga, but I still can't manage to do the whole thing standing on my head!

Night!

Kathy

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Madam Pince - Jan 17, 2006 8:59 pm (#186 of 2983)

Yummmmm.... Hawaiian pizza! Ham and pineapple! I would never have thought to try it myself, but I was with someone who did once, and now it's my favorite! Yummy!

Finn, in both those examples they were famous before they did the pictures. But that was a good thought!

I'm just now watching Love Actually again for the umpteenth time. It occurs to me that Daniel Radcliffe could take "sad emotion" acting lessons from both Liam Neeson and/or Emma Thompson. At the beginning, when the music starts to play at his wife's funeral, Liam's shattered facial expression is absolutely gut-wrenching. And then Emma when she's standing there alone in her bedroom after opening the CD Christmas present from icky old Alan Rickman... well, it's just heartbreaking. And neither of them said a word, they said it all with their faces. Great movie, that one -- great cast, too.

(Edit before Gina can hex me: Of course Alan Rickman is not icky. It's just that his character in that particular movie made some rather, ah, unfortunate choices... weak, weak, weak, weak..... and that Jezebel might make a fine Bellatrix, now that I think of it...)

Edit again: ***waves to Deb*** and giggles at her Mom's sayings. Those all sound familiar, too! Also reminded me of: "I want such-and-such...." Reply: "Well, you're old enough that your wants won't hurt you!"

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DJ Evans - Jan 17, 2006 9:07 pm (#187 of 2983)

Evening/Day all -- hope it is a good one for everyone! I know it's been quite a while since I last posted on this thread. Sorry about that. But I have tried to keep up with things.

Hmmm, I'd have to say that my Mom had two favorite sayings that I heard so many times they are forever engraved into my brain now. Both of them were related to whenever I had the "I wants" -- which was quite often for me it appears. One was "Every Tom, Dick & Harry wants out of jail too" and the other "People in ***insert a certain HOT location here*** want ice water too". Luckily I have refrain from uttering them to any of my nieces/nephews. Oh & every so often, when I would throw in "Well, Tommy is doing it!" or "But Tommy's Mom is letting him", good ol' Mom would come back with "If Tommy jumped off of the Empire State Building would you have to too?" or "I'm not Tommy's Mom, I'm your Mom & I say NO".

Red Carpet: I have to admit I was kinda shock at some of the questions that was coming out of that guy Isaac's mouth too. What was he on or is he always that "out there"? I did see some very pretty dresses though. I'm glad to see some of the designers are leaning more toward the classy style of formals instead of those clown outfits that they were producing a couple of years ago. Like the swan dress? Does anyone remember that one?

Love Girl Scout cookies. Sad to say though we don't have a local chapter out here in the sticks. So no cookies for us since we've moved up here. The chocolate mints, the peanut butter & the carmel/chocolate/coconut ones (can't remember what they are called now) are our favorites. I can almost taste them now. ummmmm, yummy

Goodnight all, Deb

****waves to everybody****


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Tazzygirl - Jan 17, 2006 9:51 pm (#188 of 2983)

Hi DJ Evans! Like the swan dress? Does anyone remember that one? I try not to think about it!!!

Madam Pince- I love “Love Actually!” All of the characters did a wonderful job. I think I like Colin Firth's story the best (and not just because he is my favorite actor!)- the whole language barrier/conversation was so cute! And when Emma and Liam have their moments of breakdown- I have to admit I never manage to get through those scenes with dry eyes. For those of you who have not seen Love Actually-it is NOT a kid movie!

~Kristina

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Lina - Jan 17, 2006 11:51 pm (#189 of 2983)

***waving to DJ Evans***

You just reminded me: when I or my sister would want something, my mum usually answered - I want to go to Mars. I didn't understand that until I had my own kids and now I use the same expression...

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Amilia Smith - Jan 18, 2006 12:04 am (#190 of 2983)

Kristina: Have you read Bridget Jones's Diary? I haven't seen the movies, but the books are hilarious. Bridget and her friends are all obsessed with Colin Firth. Whenever one of them is having a bad day, they all get together and watch that part in Pride and Prejudice where Mr. Darcy jumps in the lake over and over again.

On a related note: how big are smoothies in England? Because Bridget goes through a phase where that is all she will eat. And she is going through like 30 a day. Which means that either she is exaggerating in her diary, or smoothies are a good deal smaller in the UK than they are in the US. I honestly cannot see anyone going through more than 3, maybe 4 in a day. And that is if they eat nothing else.

Oh, yes, pineapples. Love fresh pineapples. I am not usually much of a fruit person; given the choice between a green salad and a fruit salad (or a fruit anything and a veggie anything) I will always go with the veggies. But fresh pineapple is the exception to the rule.

Speaking of which: what are you thinking, Kristina???!!! Fresh pineapple is one of the very few things that is actually cheaper here than on the mainland. Take advantage of it! ;-)

Stephanie, I hope your cold is feeling better. I've had a bit of a cough and scratchy throat myself. ***read: Mills has been popping Halls and downing water like there is no tomorrow***

Mills.

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The giant squid - Jan 18, 2006 12:59 am (#191 of 2983)

I watched part of the red carpet and the first award and decided I had seen enough decolletage--Ydnam96

Jay Leno just had a hilarious joke on the Tonight Show: "Did you see Mariah Carey's dress? She's still got the Golden Globes, but she's about 5 years away from the SAG Awards."

Tazzy, how can you live in Hawaii & not eat fresh pineapple?? Isn't that against the law or something?

Squid Mike, I have a question(...)--Madame Pince[

The only thing I can come up with is that it's a personal favor sort of thing, like they're working for free or an extremely reduced fee, and if they're properly credited then they have to be paid their full asking price. Sort of a SAG/Agent thing. Of course I could be way off, but that's the most likely thing I can come up with.

--Mike

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Shamrock - Jan 18, 2006 3:42 am (#192 of 2983)

I’m feeling really stupid right now - canned fruit of course!! I got a smoothie maker for christmas off the future In-laws (which I loved by the way - have been wanting one since we bought the house) and am using it quite often but only making the same kind over and over because of the fact the fresh fruit season aint here at the moment. But I never thought of using canned fruit (makes mental shopping list note) Although the smoothie maker is getting great use for making alcholic drinkies too - oh yummy yummy!!! Oh and just to answer your smoothie question Mills over here in Ireland there big - well if a 500ml drink is big to you - (I deffo couldn’t go through 30 a day)

I love the film "Love Actually" I remember when it came out in the cinemas the other half refused point blank to bring me (a chick flick is a no no for him) but when I rented it out he loved it ( 1 point to me ha ha) I love the wedding scene

I didn’t stay up to watch the Golden Globes the other night and unfortunately the repeat was on during Desperate House Wives last night (which is very boring this season for those of you that don’t have it yet). And I also didn’t know Gwennie was pregnant either. OMG have you seen Angelina lately her bump is huge (will in todays paper it is)

My mother always answered the "I wants" with "Wanting and Getting are 2 completely different things" or "you can want all you like". She also used the "if so and so jumped off a building would you" but she usually used "put their hand in a fire" (what do I look stupid!!)- oh the joys of childhood.

Anyways hope you all have a good one today Jo

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Stephanie M. - Jan 18, 2006 5:12 am (#193 of 2983)

Whoever invented the days of the week was smart, but the true genius was the person who invented mixing up the days of the week!—Finn

Can I quote you for all eternity?

I have more to say, except I just looked at the time and if I don't get ready for school, I'll miss my bus!

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azi - Jan 18, 2006 5:50 am (#194 of 2983)

I love most fresh fruit and vegetables, although my green vegetable consumption is not high (cabbage, sprouts, broccoli...bleugh!). Fresh pineapple is good, if only you can be bothered with cutting the fruit up!

Hmm, Smoothies in the UK...I personally love them and they've grown in popularity over the last couple of years. I generally buy them in a 250ml bottle as a treat because they are expensive, but I think it's now possible to get them in 1 litre sizes.

Once I was against all chick flicks. Now they are actually quite fun! I love the Bridget Jones films, but Love Actually I didn't like so much. I completely got lost in the plot with no idea what was going on. If I was concentrating maybe I would have understood it. Seem to remember some good acting though.

Have a great day everyone!

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Julie Aronson - Jan 18, 2006 6:40 am (#195 of 2983)

Love Actually is a wonderful movie--it gets better every time I watch it! I always fall apart at the airport scene in the end where all the random people are so happy to see each other.

I also have the capability to eat astonishing quantities of fresh pineapple. I've become a big fan of the organic Costa Rican golden ones. YUMMMMMY!!!!!

Julie

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Madam Pince - Jan 18, 2006 8:26 am (#196 of 2983)

Azi, your avatar does look quite like Diagon Alley! Well spotted!

Thanks for the help, Squid Mike, about my movie-credit question. That makes perfect sense. (Speaking of good movies, the Nobody's Fool in question is also excellent. I think there's another movie by the same name which I cannot speak for, but the Paul Newman one is very good. The older you are, the more you will appreciate it, though, I would think, since it's sort of about not realizing your life's dreams, etc.)

***Is giggling at Jay Leno / Mariah Carey joke*** I've never been much for the awards shows, although I do admit to peeking to see the fashion highs and lows the next day. (I love a good ballgown.) But the sheer number of awards shows just seems to diminish the whole impact for me or something. It just feels like a Mutual Admiration Society. I'm waiting for them to have a big glamorous awards evening for "Teachers of the Year" or "Firefighters of the Year" or something like that. Why can't ordinary people who do a fantastic job with their career get an awards show? And the whole "gift bag" thing seems kind of pointless -- do celebrities who make millions of dollars really need a free gift certificate for $1000 worth of cosmetic surgery? Seems like they could be put to better use being donated to patients at a Burn Center or something, especially since those same celebrities are often touted as supporting humanitarian aid, etc. But I am digressing into a rant, so.... Don't get me wrong. I love movies, and actors deserve to be paid and receive recognition just like the next guy. And what do I know -- maybe the people DO donate their gift bags the next day and it just doesn't get publicized.

Mills, I read the first Bridget Jones book but haven't read any others. You really ought to see the movies, too, because it's cute that they use Colin Firth to play Mark Darcy. I just saw the second movie for the first time a couple weeks ago, and it is pretty funny, too.

Rainy and blah here today. Would be an excellent day to put away all the Christmas stuff back in the closet under the stairs. (Yes, we have a closet under the stairs! Not big enough for a bed for Harry, though, certainly.) I took the decorations down weeks ago, but they've been in a pile beside the closet for a while because, frankly, it's a pain in the tuckus to pull all the boxes and everything out and re-pack and try to put them in order of upcoming holiday so that the box you need next will be most accessible, etc. Yuck. But, it must be done....Sigh....

Yesterday I made spinach dip and a pecan pie -- I'm fulfilling the cravings I get at holiday time, which I did not get to do at the proper time because of everyone being sick. Incidentally, that spinach dip is a good way to get in some green veggies that are so hard to eat, azi!

Hope everyone has a great day!

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Madam Pince - Jan 18, 2006 9:05 am (#197 of 2983)

Sorry for the double-post, but my edit time ran out, and I thought this would be nice for a blah rainy day (if it happens to be blah and rainy where you are too.) ***Now wants both the DVD and soundtrack -- excellent songs!***

Random memorable Love Actually scenes to brighten the day of those who've seen it:

There's more than one lobster in the Nativity Scene? "Yeah. Duhhhh!! "

You'll love Harriet. She's the *sexy* one.

The "awwwwww...." flashcards scene with Keira Knightly and the adorable guy who worships her (whose name I don't know.) Doesn't it make you just melt?

Ummmm....would we call her chubby?

Watch out for the eels.

The deep-voiced carol-singing security guard.

Could we be quite quick? "You said you wanted it gift-wrapped -- 'tis but the work of a moment..."



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azi - Jan 18, 2006 10:20 am (#198 of 2983)

Thank you for the compliment on my avatar Madam Pince!

I actually love spinach. It's just the other green vegetables that are evil! Mmmm spinach lasagne...lovely!

***making mental note to watch Love Actually properly***

I may be about to sort my house for next year. The third we saw that I didn't particularly like last time I saw again today and it looked much nicer! Which just goes to show that second viewings are a must! Plus, the landlords said we could have a dryer if we wanted and we can paint rooms so long as they aren't terrible colours like black. I'll be painting the bathroom if we get the house, there's no doubt about that! We're agreed that we're going to try for it. Is it bad that I already have plans as to how everything will look? I've got a whole garden patio in my head!


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mike miller - Jan 18, 2006 10:52 am (#199 of 2983)

Since we seem to be talking about food (one of my most favorite subjects), I'll have to chime in. I love pineapple along with most fruits, I even eat the skins of Kiwi fruit. The grocery store where I go for lunch because of their salad bar, usually has a good assortment of fruit as well. Oranges, pineapple, strawberries, peaches and watermelon are my staples (3 or 4 times a week) and lately they've had blueberries too! We always have an assortment of "fruit cups" on hand as snacks for my daughter (I'm partial to the mandarin oranges). Veggies are good too, except everything in the squash family, and do we consider mushrooms a veggie or is FUNGUS( it's own food group?)

I hope to play some volleyball later tonight. The local rec center has "drop in" intermediate to advanced volleyball on Wednesday nights. I haven't played in almost 2 years due to problems with my shoulder so I really hope everything holds together. I miss playing. I'm rapidly approaching the age where I can play in the senior division (starts at age 50) and I'm looking forward to that alot. One of the guys I used to play with went to the world senior Olympics 3 times; and, received a 2 week all-expense paid trip to Europe to play exhibition matches with other seniors. He told me the only draw back was some of the other players were really good because they had played in the regular Olympics when they were younger!!

Off to check a couple of threads... have a great afternoon!

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Puck - Jan 18, 2006 11:13 am (#200 of 2983)

Just got a good soaking leaving the grocery store. It was cloudy when I went in, but pouring on the way out. One of the managers caught me on the way out and tossed a raincoat over the baby carrier, so she stayed dry, at least. I had already changed on kid, because our boy slipped on some ice on the way to the bus and fell in a puddle. Missed the bus, so Dad drove him.

I'm pathetic at volleyball! I have fun so long as I can play with people who are not the least bit competetive.

Yuck! I bought what I thought was chocolate milk at the store. It tasted weird, and when I looked closely at the label it says "drink" instead of milk, and the first ingredient is water! Basically I bought a gallon of YooHoo. Eeeewwww!

BTW, I sometimes buy smoothie drinks in the yogurt section. They're only about 6 or 8 oz., thought I still don't think I could manage 30 of them.

Kathy

*makes note to watch “Love Actually" *

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Eponine - Jan 18, 2006 11:15 am (#201 of 2983)

The "awwwwww...." flashcards scene with Keira Knightly and the adorable guy who worships her (whose name I don't know.) Doesn't it make you just melt? - Madam Pince

That was one of the only parts I remembered from the trailer, and when I finally got around to watching the movie a few months ago, I was very confused when the movie opened with *spoiler?*Keira Knightly getting married to some other guy.

Did any of you watch American Idol last night? It shouldn't surprise me by now, but some of the people who think they can sing still shock me.

Have a great day!

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Amilia Smith - Jan 18, 2006 11:53 am (#202 of 2983)

Thanks, Shamrock and Azi for answering my question. Hmmm . . . according to Google Converter, 500 ml ~ 16 oz; 250 ml ~ 8 oz. This makes Bridget's smoothie count slightly more believable. Here, at Jamba Juice, 16 oz is the small . . . which I never buy. If I am going to spend that much on a smoothie, it is going to be at least 22 oz (~650 ml)!

You really ought to see the movies, too, because it's cute that they use Colin Firth to play Mark Darcy.

Oh, that is too funny. OK, you're right. I need to see that movie.

Stupid computer question: Is there any way to retrieve an IM chat I had with my brother last night? I was going to save it, but forgot. :-(

Mills.

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kaykay1970 - Jan 18, 2006 12:00 pm (#203 of 2983)

Well, my crew has been to the doctor this morning and we have the flu. Just when we finally got to see some snow too. Of course it really wasn't a good snow anyway and has already melted.

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Good Evans - Jan 18, 2006 12:43 pm (#204 of 2983)

Oh you must see Bridget Jones the movies Mills, they are brilliant - but I prefer the books which are classic.

And as for Love Actually, my fave is the bit when Martine McCutcheon is introduced to Hugh Grant (cant repeat - this is a family website) but it is delivered soo funnily.

I also love the Andrew Lincoln and Keira Knightly "carol singers" scene.

Desperate Housewives is back tonight - hooray - seen some trailers and really looking forward to the Bree and Mother in law scenes.

have a great night everyone

Julie X

Edit : cross posted with kaykay, sorry to hear you all have the flu, cheering and healing charms to you and yours

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 18, 2006 2:02 pm (#205 of 2983)

Hello on this lovely cool rainy morning!!!!!

Going on yesterdays housework spree, I also cleaned up my desk in the afternoon and cleaned up a 2ft high pile of paperwork, bills etc. I'm embarrassed to say I found a bill that I had not yet paid for - 2 months old - so I promptly rang them and cried poor. They were happy to wait a month to be paid (surprise!). I also cleaned the computer up, the rest of my study and started on my kitchen. It is such a dreary day outside, I think I'll clean out my filing cabinet today .

I've not seen Love, Actually, but I have seen it at Woollies (supermarket) and have thought about buying it.

We had a lovely stormy evening last night. I got 22mm of rain and a wet squishy backyard. That has put a stop to my plans to mow the lawn today. Instead I shall have to go and by another pre-paid internet card before the current one runs out.

Cheering charms and Get-well-soon charms to all those who need them.

I'm going to stay right away from the smoothie chat as it is obvious what I think a smoothie is; is nowhere near what you are all talking about.

Mills- For saving IM chats there is generally a preference that allows you to archive chats automatically. I only use Yahoo, but I'm sure the other IM clients would also have this function. I don't use this function, so I can't tell you if it works. I also don't know of any way to retrieve the chat after you've closed out.

Mike - That is also what I heard/read about relatively famous actors not being credited in movies. It avoids problems with their union.

Azi-Good luck on the house hunting. I hope you get the house.

Have a wonderful day everyone!

Lizzy

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Stephanie M. - Jan 18, 2006 2:34 pm (#206 of 2983)

Azi, good luck on the search for a house!

I'm also not the biggest green vegetable person, but I love broccoli... and lettuce, but would you consider that a green vegetable? It is a vegetable... and it's green.

Dizzy lizzy, sounds like you had a pretty productive cleaning day! Which reminds me, I have to clean my room.

It's so windy here! We had no power in school today, so it was pretty interesting. It was also raining off and on.

I saw Love Actually with my sister and my grandparents. It was pretty interesting. I didn't really like the movie, and neither did my sister, but now I really want to see it again.

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Jan 18, 2006 2:40 pm (#207 of 2983)

The first time I saw Love Actually it was still playing in the theaters. I never thought I was an exceptionally fast reader, but I guess I was reading faster than anyone else that night because during the subtitled portions I started to laugh a couple of beats ahead of everyone else. Over and over and over again. Ooops.

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Tazzygirl - Jan 18, 2006 2:51 pm (#208 of 2983)

Mills- Kristina: Have you read Bridget Jones's Diary? I haven't seen the movies, but the books are hilarious. Bridget and her friends are all obsessed with Colin Firth. Whenever one of them is having a bad day, they all get together and watch that part in Pride and Prejudice where Mr. Darcy jumps in the lake over and over again.

I worship Bridget Jones’ Diary (the movie). I haven't read the books yet- usually when I watch a movie, I don't read the book after. But if I read the book first, then I will watch the movie. It's weird. Anyways- Bridget Jones and Pride and Prejudice are in my top five favorite movie list. You really should watch it! I didn't really like the second Bridget Jones movie. It seemed kind of pointless...

Mills- Speaking of which: what are you thinking, Kristina???!!! Fresh pineapple is one of the very few things that is actually cheaper here than on the mainland. Take advantage of it! ;-)

Squid Mike- Tazzy, how can you live in Hawaii & not eat fresh pineapple?? Isn't that against the law or something?

I know... I know... Shame on me!! I think it is because it is readily available here all the time, I just don't think about it. I love pineapple (with Cottage Cheese YUM!!), so I buy the canned stuff to make it last longer. Plus, cutting a pineapple up is a little bit of a pain!! (Looks around for the pineapple police.)

Madam Pince- All the scenes you listed for Love Actually are funny! I didn't like the whole Colin guy (not Firth) coming to the U.S. to find a girl though. My second favorite is the "Watch out for the eels." scene with Colin Firth and Arelia (?). It was just sooo cute!

~Kristina

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Finn BV - Jan 18, 2006 3:47 pm (#209 of 2983)

Well, Finn, if that was you in class today, I must say I figured you better at following directions. –Kathy

I grew into directions after I turned 6.

Hi DJ Evans! What was he on or is he always that "out there"? Isaac Mizrahi is gay (I hope that's acceptable to say here -- if it's true I would guess it's right), or, according to the annoying woman next to Ryan Seacrest, "happy." She bugged me so much. I know, Björk's swan dress was a mistake, but her music is really good! Listen to it!

Did you see Mariah Carey's dress? She's still got the Golden Globes, but she's about 5 years away from the SAG Awards. --Squid Mike

*trying not to laugh because it's inappropriate*

Chick flicks… hehe, obviously not for me, but can I say that I actually enjoyed the Legally Blondes? Weren't we talking about this in October or something? Okay, I won't venture back, but I like Reese Witherspoon a lot, and she and my Spanish teacher last year are long-lost twins. (They have to be. They look exactly alike.)

Is there anyway to retrieve an IM chat I had with my brother last night? –Mills

As far as I know, no. Sorry!

Feel better, kaykay!

Yeah, so we had no power in school today (there was a generator for one of the buildings, the science one, but the rest of the Middle School just had to hope that the natural light would be enough – which was hard, since it was dark too), and it was windy and rainy, but really warm!

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The giant squid - Jan 18, 2006 3:52 pm (#210 of 2983) Reply

Love Actually is probably my favorite British export of the last few years (HP notwithstanding). Every clip mentioned over the last few posts made me chuckle. I want to add the not-family-friendly scenes with Martin Freeman as the stand-in. I'll reserve my opinions of Reese Witherspoon & the Legally Blonde in deference to Finn's youth and impressionable state.

dizzy lizzy, I've found bills that way, too. In my case, I just paid it late fee & all--I figure it's my own darn fault for not keeping things in order (I'm usually very meticulous about bills). of course, when you receive the bill on the 12th and the "late fee" takes effect on the 15th, a few phone calls are in order...

--Mike



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boop - Jan 18, 2006 3:53 pm (#211 of 2983)

Eponine, I watched American Idol last night. It is amazing the people who think they can sing. I thought Simon was pretty mean to some of the kids.

Kaykay, Sorry to hear your family is dealing with the flu. Sending get well charms your way.

hugs always

boop

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azi - Jan 18, 2006 4:13 pm (#212 of 2983)

Hope you and your family get better soon Kaykay!

Legally Blonde was funny up to the point the joke wore thin. Even I can't laugh at blondes for that long, especially with a silly plot line.

Ack bills. That is something I'm not looking forward to having to pay!

You know, Stephanie and Finn, if my old school didn't have power we'd get a day off! Why didn't you?

I agree with Tazzy, cutting pineapple is a pain! Tinned is soo much easier. Anyone like pineapple-upside-down pudding?

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Amilia Smith - Jan 18, 2006 4:23 pm (#213 of 2983)

Thanks all for the IM info. That's kind of what I figured, that there was no way to retrieve it. I'm just kicking myself today. I have to do an informal survey about library usage, and was getting my brother's answers last night, intending to copy-paste his answers into WordPerfect. But then we got to chatting about other things, and I ended up just turning off the computer and going to bed, totally spacing the survey. Ah, well.

I also enjoyed the first Legally Blonde, but not so much the sequel. Love Actually is still on my Need to Watch list.

Mills.

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 18, 2006 4:23 pm (#214 of 2983)

Anyone like pineapple-upside-down pudding? – azi

Oooh azi, now you've got me! I love it! I don't make it too often, it is too much for one person! Add to that and make a list; Mars bar slice, Chocolate Coconut slice, Caramel slice, Chocolate pudding and so on...

Lizzy

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Tazzygirl - Jan 18, 2006 4:33 pm (#215 of 2983)

I love pineapple upside down pudding! I haven't made it in forever... mentally thinking of ingredients

Hope you and your family feel better soon, Kaykay!

Eponine- I watched American Idol too. Wow. I feel bad for the kids whose parents thought they were fantastic singers and in actuality were the worst. ex. The kid whose mom and grandma were so excited and the mom said he makes her cry everytime he sings. I thought, after he sang, that she cried because it was that bad. WOW. Oh, and the girl that had a horrible suntan and makeup. **shudder** I only watch American Idol through the try outs. I think that is more entertaining than the actual competition.

~Kristina

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Madam Pince - Jan 18, 2006 4:43 pm (#216 of 2983)

Kaykay, I'm sorry about your family having the flu! That is soooo not fun. Hope everyone feels better soon!

I didn't realize so many people hadn't seen Love Actually! Hope I didn't spoil it for anyone with the random scenes but rather whetted an appetite to see it! (Good Evans, the intro scene with Hugh Grant was great, too! As you say, not real "family friendly," but so funny!) There are several scenes that aren't really intended for younger viewers, so proceed with caution... (Speaking of which, I'd love to have been in the theatre with Stephanie and her grandparents to see Grandma and Grandpa's faces during the movie-filming scenes! **giggle**)

Is pineapple upside-down pudding the same thing as pineapple upside-down cake? (I'm thinking about "pudding" being a British term for generic desserts, rather than the specific creamy-type dessert it is here in the U.S.? Or is that totally off?) Either way, sounds good.

I meant to say this earlier about canned fruit -- it does have its uses. Say... at the end of a long day of daiquiri-making when all the fresh fruit in the house is gone (including apples.) Did you know you could make a canned fruit cocktail daiquiri? Now granted, this was at the end of the party, as I said....

Mike Miller, have fun playing volleyball! Just be careful and stretch out good first! Picking up a tennis racquet and trying to impress me with his blazing serve when he hadn't done one in years was how Mr. Pince ended up in rotator cuff surgery...

***Hopes that the next time Dizzy Lizzy cleans house that she finds cash money lying around instead of bills!*** I found $20 when I did laundry the other day and it feels like you won the lottery!

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Catherine - Jan 18, 2006 5:53 pm (#217 of 2983)

I know, Björk's swan dress was a mistake, but her music is really good! Listen to it!—Finn

I confess that I had to GOOGLE Björk's dress because I couldn't remember it. Finn, I'm amazed at your capacity to remember bad celebrity fashion! Your post refreshed my memory, though, and it looks like I need to ask Loopy Lupin for the cold compress. That dress is an OUCH.

Madame Pince, I think you lucked out when you cleaned, finding the $20. I heard a horrible story about a middle schooler's mom who pulled her son's jeans out of the laundry and realized that she had washed and dried his new iPod. Double ouch!

Chemyst, your science experiments sound like fun. I especially like the Miss Manners unapproved orange slices/candle suggestion. Teaching in middle school has made me realize how much fun fire can be.

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mike miller - Jan 18, 2006 5:56 pm (#218 of 2983)

Madame Pince - Thanks for the reminder about stretching, although I'm usually pretty good about stretching. I have to spend extra time on my shoulder if I don't want to end up back in PT (physical torture, I mean physical therapy). Unfortunately, I'm fighting a nasty headache I picked up work (go figure) so I think I'll shoot for next week.

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Finn BV - Jan 18, 2006 6:17 pm (#219 of 2983)

You know, Stephanie and Finn, if my old school didn't have power we'd get a day off! Why didn't you? –azi

Well, first off all, it didn't go off until about 8:10 or so, which is after people have basically arrived. Also, there are generators, natural light, and too much stuff going on (such as a group of eighth graders leaving for a week school trip... called Dorr, might as well explain it soon since I'm going Feb 1 and Steph's going March... 6? I think) for them to just "cancel" like that. Our school is amazing, they can fix anything, get anything to work... it's mind-boggling.

Oh, Catherine. Really. I have all of Björk's albums, and I am not a pop music or pop culture person – she is alternative, anyway – but we think her music is really great, original, sometimes easy-listening, other times jumpy. If you like Radiohead, you'll like her.

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Springtime - Jan 18, 2006 7:31 pm (#220 of 2983)

Well there was no school today for my kids (icy roads from freezing rain)

Anyways have a great day

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Puck - Jan 18, 2006 8:08 pm (#221 of 2983)

I, too, will have to Google that dress. I have no clue.

Feel better, Kaykay!

Mike M., sorry you had to miss volleyball. You seemed to really ne looking forward to it.

I occasionally find money in pockets of jackets I hadn't wore since the previous season. In the laundry I've had a variety of puzzle pieces, Barbie shoes, etc... The worst is tissues, as they shred and get on everything!

I thought they had to let students go home with no electricity, since that means no heat. Bbbbrrrr. Well, I guess the temps in the northeast were mild today.

Lizzy, feel free to come clean my house when you finish with yours! I'd love to start sewing again, but have to clean the pile of stuff piled on my sewing table before I begin any projects.

Kathy

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 18, 2006 10:59 pm (#222 of 2983)

Well I'm 3/4 finished with the filing cabinet. I realised I really didn't need the electricity bills from 3 years ago! I have 2 filing cabinets, one is for work and one is mine. You can actually see the tops of both of them and I have filled half a 240litre capacity recycling bin full of paper I don't need.

I figured since I am on an enforced break, my next workload not being until 6th February, I decided now would be a good time to give everything a good clean out. Besides the work keeps me busy and sane...

Just before Christmas I gave away two garbage bags full of old clothes to the Salvos. So I'm starting to feel much happier about my unorganised house. I've just been busy and dis-organised and plain out apathetic for the past 2 years. It's amazing what a visit to celebrate my birthday next week by my Dad does in activating the cleaning bug!!!!!

Easiest way to start is one room (or draw or box) at a time and make 3 piles; one of things to keep, one of things to look at again in 6 months, and one of things to discard (rubbish, recycling or charity or garage sale). The catch is that the pile you want to look at in 6 months time needs to be looked at at the 6 month mark and then these items can only go in one of the other two piles.

Hope everyone is having a wonderful day/evening!

Lizzy

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Shamrock - Jan 19, 2006 2:43 am (#223 of 2983)

I love getting them cleaning buzzes. You feel so "cleansed" after them. I’m the exact same, lizzy, with the "look at in 6 months pile" except my trick is to put the clothes in a bag and if I have not touched it for 6 months it goes straight to the charity shop with out another look. The one thing I find so hard to get rid of is my shoes though. I did a "I haven’t worn them in so long so I’m getting rid of them" charity bag and OMG did I regret it - in fact I still am after 12 months. Oh and keeping with the money theme, during last years "spring clean" I found my good "going out" winters coat which had been hanging in the wardrobe for about 6 months and there was 53 euros left in the pocket. I obviously had had a great night.

Anyways, best get back to work Have a good one and chat to you soon

Jo

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The giant squid - Jan 19, 2006 3:32 am (#224 of 2983)

Say what you will about Bjork's music, I have trouble listening to anyone whose name sounds like the result of gastric distress.

Hugh Grant's intro scene in Love Actually may not be "family friendly", but it's not as bad as the first fifteen minutes of Four Weddings and a Funeral--only one word, spoken repeatedly, that most definitely is not to be used in mixed company. One of my favorite scenes in a movie (and directed by Mike Newell, come to think of it).

--Mike

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azi - Jan 19, 2006 4:27 am (#225 of 2983)

Pineapple-upside-down pudding is pineapple and cherry at the bottom of a dish with a normal victoria sponge on top of it. If I'm remembering rightly...I can see the picture of it in the recipe book!

Mmmm, currently eating caramel shortcake!

Oooo, 53 Euros. I could buy so many things with that!

I should really go do some work!

Have a lovely day!

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boop - Jan 19, 2006 4:50 am (#226 of 2983)

Everyone have a great Thursday!!!

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Finn BV - Jan 19, 2006 6:02 am (#227 of 2983)

Say what you will about Bjork's music, I have trouble listening to anyone whose name sounds like the result of gastric distress. –Mike

You are so intolerable. Give it a chance. It's really great.

Have a great day to everyone except Squid Mike.

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mike miller - Jan 19, 2006 6:12 am (#228 of 2983)

Hey Shamrock - what a great find! Did you go searching through other items looking for "lost treasure"?

Does anyone else who watched “Lost” last night wonder why nobody said; who are you people? I have my theories. I really enjoy the show but sometimes they really draw things out. It seems like the writers didn't expect to have a hit on their hands and now they're trying to "milk it" for as many seasons as possible. One last thing, Jack is going about things in all of the wrong ways, JM2KW.

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haymoni - Jan 19, 2006 6:16 am (#229 of 2983)

How did you miss The Swan Dress????

It's trotted out as the prime example of bad fashion.

But considering that Bjork who wore it, why is everyone surprised?

Happy Thursday all! The end is in sight!

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Puck - Jan 19, 2006 6:34 am (#230 of 2983)

Now I remember that dress! Guess I had blocked the image from my mind! (I just did the google thing.)

Lizzy, do have that show "Clean Sweep" in Australia?

Occasionally I get a cleaning buzz, but it competes with crying baby and the older two destroying the rooms I'm not cleaning. End of the day one spot is clean, the rest is a disaster!

Time to bring my girl to school!

Kathy

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Marie E. - Jan 19, 2006 6:42 am (#231 of 2983)

Arrrrgh! I keep forgetting to TiVo Lost! I watched it last year, but have gotten behind recently. I may have to read those summaries on the website.

I am also a fan of Love Actually. I am always wishing there was a PG version so I could watch it with Shayla. I have let her watch it from Hugh Grant knocking on doors to find Natalie onward. I'm considering taking her to see Pride and Prejudice, mostly because I'd like to see it again myself.

Shayla got her report card for second quarter yesterday and I was absolutely floored. All A's except for one B in Social Studies! After last year's horrible reports, this one almost made me cry. I told her we'd go out to dinner on Friday and she could pick the place. Where does she choose? Chik-Fil-A.   Lexie should be bringing home her report card today or tomorrow.

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katrira - Jan 19, 2006 7:16 am (#232 of 2983)

I don't know if anybody her is into collecting dolls, but the Robert Tonner Doll Company now has a Harry Potter Collection. At this point they have Harry in both his school robe & his Yule Ball robes. Hedwig is designed but not available yet. Hermione & Ron in both school & Yule Ball robes will be available some time this year. The dolls are designed after Daniel, Emma & Rupert and go from good to okay (IMO) in capturing the actors and Hermione at the Yule Ball is very well done. I couldn't find any mention of the dolls on the Forum, but if this is old news, I apologize. I'd love to get them, but I think my husband would have a heart attack. "Books are one thing but dolls?!" Have a great day & happy reading!

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Shamrock - Jan 19, 2006 8:09 am (#233 of 2983)

I did see the dolls (it was only a matter of time before they out) I haven’t seen the yule ball ones though. IMO I think Rupert’s hair looks so funny. Sorry if that sounds bad.

My day has been a very long one and I’m getting a really bad cold - prays its nothing more than that. Only one hour left in work and then home time though.

Lost hasn’t started over here yet but is it true there’s some thing about another plane crashing (I’ve been really good and not read any of the spoilers) I just hope my question isn’t one though. I haven’t figured out how to do the invisible type yet.

That pineapple upsidedown cake thingy sounds yummy - must get the other half to make one.

Well done to Shayla on the report card

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Puck - Jan 19, 2006 8:25 am (#234 of 2983)

Hooray for Shayla!

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Snuffles - Jan 19, 2006 8:42 am (#235 of 2983)

Gosh, it's hard work keeping up with this thread!!

Mmmmm, pineapple! though I have to agree with Azi, i prefer to eat the tinned as I cannot be doing with hacking my hands to pieces on the fresh!!! I may attempt upside down cake at the weekend, you have all got me thinking about it!

Congrats to Shayla on the report card.

On the HP dolls front, I daren't mention those. After going to see GoF at cinema, I said to my niece that I may ask for one of the HP cardboard cut out things they have. She laughed as she thought I was joking! Anyway, they wouldn't let me have one and when i mentioned it to hubby he looked at me as though I needed to be put in a strait jacket right away!

Hope everyone has a good day/night.

Julie

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 19, 2006 9:36 am (#236 of 2983)

How did you miss The Swan Dress???? -- haymoni

I think it's kind of cool. What's even more cool is the video of Bjork (excuse me) punching out the photographer.

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Finn BV - Jan 19, 2006 10:30 am (#237 of 2983)

Loopy, I'm not sure how to interpret that comment.

I was looking in your profile and took that grammar thingy. I am proud to say I join you as position of grammar god.

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Jan 19, 2006 10:56 am (#238 of 2983)

Oh my! I took the test also and came out as a GRAMMER GOD! Who'd have thunk it?

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Springtime - Jan 19, 2006 11:13 am (#239 of 2983)

I agree, snuffles, it is very hard to keep up. I check on it after 24 hours and there were over 100 posts

Anyways have a great day everyone

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Loopy Lupin - Jan 19, 2006 11:30 am (#240 of 2983)

Loopy, I'm not sure how to interpret that comment. – Finn

I just meant the video is a cool bit of celebritizilla on her part. There, that should be more clear.

I was looking in your profile ..... Finn

Hey!! No peeking!!!!

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haymoni - Jan 19, 2006 11:40 am (#241 of 2983)

I peeked too!!

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Esther Rose - Jan 19, 2006 12:00 pm (#242 of 2983)

Alas, I do not possess the Grammar Goddessness Gene. I'm only a Master. But I got to look at Ralph Macchio in Karate Kid, so I'll take it!

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Julie Aronson - Jan 19, 2006 1:51 pm (#243 of 2983)

WooHoo!!! I'm a Grammar God, too!

Hugh Grant seems to be in many of my favorite movies. I'd like to see him in a Harry Potter movie. Maybe as Ludo Bagman? Hugh is great at those dissipated, pathetic, wasted types!

Another memorable Love Actually scene: near the end, when Bill Nighy (the rock star) shows up at his manager's house and is accused of being "*** as a meatball" after spending a few minutes with Elton John. That cracks me right up, no matter how many times I see it!

Julie

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dizzy lizzy - Jan 19, 2006 2:11 pm (#244 of 2983)

Hey all!

I'm not even game enough to take the grammar test! As Finn and others will tell you...I couldn't even spell grammer (oops grammar right!)

Lizzy, do have that show "Clean Sweep" in Australia?   No but they did have a lame little show on called something like "How clean is your house?" It was hosted by 2 British ladies and they went and cleaned up messy houses in the US. I watched it once and found it so lame in its execution I ignored the rest of the episodes.

Congratulations Shayla on your report card!

Thanks for showing me that swan dress on your avatar Loopy...Now I don't have to google for it.

Still cleaning, but now in the middle of defrosting the dogs breakfast (it's 8am here) as I forgot to take it out of the freezer. It is just a rice and oatmeal mix with pureed veggies, so it has been fairly easy to defrost.

Lizzy

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Denise P. - Jan 19, 2006 2:29 pm (#245 of 2983)

I got a new cell phone today. I have spent entirely too much time in downloading my graphics and ring tones again. My phone is now correctly ringing Hedwig's Theme, I have the Imperial March (Star Wars) back for the school and still have to get Secret Agent Man as my Mr. Denise ring tone. Here is my wallpaper.



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Loopy Lupin - Jan 19, 2006 2:41 pm (#246 of 2983)

Query Denise. Do Nicholas, Ryan, Kaitlyn, and Devin go to the same school at the same time by any chance? And will it be the case that those four are unleashed upon a highschool--- I mean, "attending" a highschool together? And, how many teenagers will you have, at most, at any one time? Finally, do you need my cold compress?

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Denise P. - Jan 19, 2006 3:16 pm (#247 of 2983)

Nicholas and Ryan go to middle school (6th and 7th grade) while Devin, Kaity and Iain are at the elementary school still. Nicholas will have graduated (knock on wood) before Devin and Kaitlyn get up into high school. Ryan, Devin and Kaitlyn will be in High School at the same time. 12th grade for Ryan, 9th grade for Devin and Kaitlyn.

The only time all 4 of them were in the same school in elementary school. K, 1, 3 and 4. Devin was held back after being hospitalized for a good portion of the year so now he and Kaitlyn are in the same grade. I have ALL schools on the Imperial March LOL There will be a time when I will have kids in elementary, middle and high school at the same time. Thank goodness they stagger open house nights now.

Now, as for ages and teens....When Kaitlyn turns 13, Devin will be 14, Ryan will be almost 16, Nicholas almost 17. I already worry for Kaity when she begins to date because
A)  over protective brothers
B)   brothers’ friends who may suddenly find her cute much to the dismay of said brothers
C)  boys afraid to even speak to her because of the large amount of testosterone in the house (poor girls have 5 brothers living in the house!)

I don't need a cold compress, I need something much stronger but not forum friendly


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Catherine - Jan 19, 2006 3:56 pm (#248 of 2983)

LOL, Denise.

Poor Kaitlyn may need a cold compress in a few years, if she doesn't already. I almost need a cold compress just thinking about it.

You should host your own "Dear Denise" advice column for boys. By the time Rhys graduates, you'll have the equivalent of several Ph.ds in male child psychology.

EDIT: I'm trying to figure out exactly why my post in is "Denise purple." LOL, I just noticed that.

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Madam Pince - Jan 19, 2006 5:29 pm (#249 of 2983)

Too funny, Denise! "The Imperial March" ominous music for the schools calling! I guess that's because the school hardly ever calls just to say "Hey! Just wanted to tell you everything's going great!", right?

I've been meaning to tell you, too, that your avatar is so adorable! They are all just precious! Mr. Rhys looks like a barrel of laughs!

Mike Miller, I think I "caught" your headache. I woke up this morning with a splitting migraine, one of the worst I've had in years. Took a Zomig and hours later it was better, but I've felt wonky all day. Ugh.

Lost last night was pretty cool, but I have to agree with you -- why didn't anybody say "And just who the heck ARE you?"!!! At least (spoiler?)Locke asked "How do you know our names?" No answer, though, was there? I agree about Jack, too, he's getting a bit "out there," and I was so annoyed at Kate for not listening and going out on her own and causing them to lose half their arsenal. I continue to think Locke is the only one with any sense. And I love that Hurley is crushing! Tee hee! I did tape it because Mr. Pince couldn't watch, so I'll get to watch it again. "USA Today" said they were re-airing last week's episode right before this new one, but in our area they didn't, unfortunately, so no chance to re-check the smoke.

I remembered the Bjork swan dress. It always put me in mind of those awful fur stole/cape things that were popular back in the 30's and 40's, the ones that still have the little critters' heads and feet attached. My elderly aunt had one of those that she very proudly kept promising me would someday be mine, and I'm sure she thought that I was counting the days. I tried to be polite, but I was thinking "Are you kidding me!!!"

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Chemyst - Jan 19, 2006 5:47 pm (#250 of 2983)

Thanks for showing me that swan dress on your avatar Loopy...Now I don't have to google for it. – Lizzy
Aw, but don't you want the full effect? And it needed some web-toed stilettos.

Congratulations on setting your graphics and ring tones, Denise. I've been procrastinating on that since October.

Sorry, but the soapbox is luring me— Going back to when we were discussing kids and questions...   I don't remember anyone giving a serious "how to" answer. In the home educators seminars, they teach that kids ought to be given only a partial answer that will leave them curious and lead them to ask yet another question. (I KNOW! That sounds rather self-defeating, doesn't it?) Or, you can answer their question with another leading question that helps them reason out the answer for themselves. In either case, the objective is to foster a child's love of learning and discovery so that they do their own thinking rather than having answers spoon-fed to them.
...so now you know. It is not a very practical course of action when you are running late, but when time permits, it is a goal to aim for. alights from soapbox...