Christmas Past

Seasons Greetings!!! I am really looking forward to taking a ton of photos Sunday morning. And I will be sure to post some good ones for everyone to see, okay? Here is Ella in front ot our tree last year. Boy, her hair was so long! And here she is again. I can never get enough of looking at her. She's so absolutely great! Does every parent feel this way about their kid(s).
We are really looking forward to our trip to IC. And to having the whole week off! I doubt we get anything done around the house... It will really be like a vacation. Hey, if any of you are looking for some great holiday music, Babblemur has a choice recommendation.

A Report to the General

Uh, oops, was I supposed to be losing weight? I forgot. Maybe it was my womanly monthlies that took over my consumption, but I had a huge plate of Chinese food last night. I have not gone to a meeting because E has been working with me this week and she just does not do to well when she gets hustled around all day long. So I guess it's time to re-group, again, but after the holiday. How are YOU doing, dear General?

Cable

Perhaps I should re-consider getting cable... This is pretty f*cking halarious. (Crank up the volume for this jammin' rap)

Holiday Cheer

Ella has been enjoying the tree and other holiday decorations. She likes to play Santa by filling up all the stockings with her toys and then we all pretend it's Christmas morning. She could play that game all day long, but we get a little tired of the repetitiveness.

This year Ella was in charge of decorating the tree. She loved it so much that she takes things off of the tree every now and again so that she can re-decorate it. Last year my friend LA and I bought all the trimmings. We selected PLASTIC items just for this purpose. There may be a year when Ella can handle breakable things, but I am so glad we opted for the durable variety right now.

Oh, and did you notice that she has Hot Chocolate all over her face in all of these pictures? Boy, she loves Hot Chocolate. I make it at home with super good pure cocoa powder that my old boss at Educare gave me. Just add a little sugar and organic milk and voila! Perfection...

Post Party Post

Here's some bevies. Not very impressive, but some people brought beers too. You would think that a party at our house would have a super swank bar showing... I guess we are not high-class swingers after all. But, we sure can eat!!!
These are the yummy roasted veggies I prepared.
Ooh, goat cheese and black olive croustades. Delightful!
Warm and cheesy Fun-Do
Super Good Bruschette

It's not every day that everything I make turns out delicious, so I am super proud of this achievement. And all my food was gone super fast, so I think the guests liked it, too. Other people brought other yummy things, but I if I posted one of theirs then I would have to post them all, and I didn't want to do that. I will say that Michelle's spinach and mushroom enchiladas were super super tasty. And were even better for my breakfast on Saturday!

Creativity Abounds

Last night, as I was reading Ella a bedtime story, Ella asked "who makes books?" I told her that all different kinds of people make books and that she can make one, too. Well, she woke up this morning calling out "Mamma, mamma, I am ready to make my book!" She told me the story and I wrote it out then she colored her pictures and I tried my best to bind the pages. I think it turned out pretty good. When I get home tonight I am going to scan the book into the old computer and try to post her book on my blog. She asked for help on some parts of the pics, but I only drew what she told me, I promise.

Have Yourself a Horrid Little Christmas

Check out these "Enemies of Christmas"...
http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/thespiritofhalloweenatchristmas
I think it is rather funny, but I am sure I would not want try and explain such displays to Ella.

It's Party Time!

Hey, anyone who wants to come over tonight is more than welcome... Our little shin-dig starts at 6 and will last until we kick people out, so, 6:30. Just kidding! It'll wrap up around 9. I know people wont care that I did not get the house cleaned up, but I care. I am just telling myself not to let it ruin my night. I decided to make four vegetarian hors d'ourves: fondue; bruschetta; black olive & goat cheese croustades; and roasted veggies. If the food sucks I shall be crushed. I wonder how many people will show up? We invited a lot of folks. I think this is the first time we have ever had a "real" party. All the other times people have come over they were relatives or such close friends they may as well be related. The people coming tonight are all new friends and/or Green Party members. And the Clio's, who are really quite wonderful.
I really wish all of our I.C. & Pella friends could come too. And our special friends who live far far away. But you guys will just have to read my blog this weekend to see how things turned out. Maybe I'll post some pics.
Have a great weekend!

Before the weekend

It's Thursday and I have a million things on my mind, and on my "to do" list, but procrastinating seems to be all I can accomplish.
Due to bureaucratic mumbo jumbo, my job cannot be posted yet. I am thankful because I don't have to worry about it over the holidays, but I really do think that this time of year was the best possible timing. I guess we can try again in the spring. Or, the next time I get a letter from the state about a job opening I can request an interview. But I really and truly like my job. It's a good fit. And my boss is super. I am sure I will write something more if any thing changes, but for now the "job file" is closed. Things remain the same.
It's snowing again. It's snowing at my folks house, too. I put up a little weather sticker for them. I am usually curious about how things are with them. But I think our weather stickers are out of sinc. The last time I looked at it I was one minute in the future... Or they were in the past.
I am going to make some yummy food tonight for our party tomorrow. I have been snacking today, too. I think I have a serious case of PMS because I am craving sweet things.
Gotta go...

Wednesday

"Today
Snow. 4 to 5 inches of accumulation expected. Blustery...with blowing and drifting snow. Highs in the lower 30s. Southeast wind 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 100 percent.
» ZIP Code Detail
Tonight
Snow during the evening...then light snow...drizzle or freezing drizzle likely after midnight. An additional 2 to 3 inches of accumulation expected...bringing totals to 6 to 8 inches. Blustery... with blowing and drifting snow. Lows in the upper 20s. Southeast wind 15 to 25 mph shifting to the south at 10 to 20 mph after midnight. Chance of precipitation 100 percent."
Now doesn't that seem like a beautiful forecast? I think it is appropriate for my mood...
As many of you know, I have a pretty good job at the U, and would like to keep it. It's kind of hard to get a foot in the door there, so I had to take a position as LTE (limited term employment), in hopes to get permanent status later. Well, my boss is resigning as Director at the end of spring semester so we decided to gamble and put my job up for permanent status. Being a state agency, this means that anyone who is currently permanent and has seniority may apply and get the position. Because it must be posted for 5 days my boss figured this was the best time to do so. It's the middle of winter, Christmas break is next week, and people have other things on their minds. And it's only 20 hours a week with some evenings and a comparatively low salary to most U jobs. So our big hope is that no one will apply. Then I get to have my job as a permanent position and all the rights of other Unionized Government Employees. If things don't go my way then I will be unemployed on January 3. It's risky and I am a bit nervous, but if I don't go for it now then I run a greater risk of losing my job with a new director at the end of spring semester when people are more likely to want a job change. So roll the dice because we're taking a gamble. And Ron and I could always sell the house and move into a shack, right?

Report to the General

I was unable to make my meeting today because E had to have a physical. I will try to make it tomorrow. In the mean time, here is something for you to look at!

Ella's last birthday, January 11, 2005. Pink clothes, pink cake, pink eye! Long and luxurious hair... I really do not miss that dumpy old rental house.

Idle Mind

We don't know what we are doing for the holidays. G-Peg had to have a little heart surgery last week. She seems to be recovering well and is back at her apartment. Ron is a little less stressed. Ella is becoming such a girl. Almost all the little baby has grown out of her and I am amazed and a little sad. She'll be four in four weeks. As with most folks, I am taking stock of all the year's changes. And I am trying my hardest not to get the Holiday Blues. I did not get all the things done this weekend that I hoped I would, but progress was made.
I overindulged in food, and am trying not to be too mean to myself about it. Why oh why is it so hard (mentally & physically) to be my correct weight? And why do I feel the need to blog about it? I have been told that sharing all this info with friends and family creates a supportive community for me to reach my goals. It's also a little embarrassing. Oh well. A little humility never killed a person, right?
I have been missing my friends. Perhaps it's the season that makes me lonely for conversation and company. I wish I could see Jenny, but she has disappeared into the North Woods of Minnesota. LA is far away, too. And all those people I miss in Seattle are Very Far Away. I am dwelling on this and should probably get my butt in gear and do something productive this morning. Like get the cat littler and cat food, go to the bank, and get ready for work. Idleness is not my pal.

TGIF

I am really looking forward to this weekend. Maybe because I know we are going to get some things done around the house, we don't have any major plans (unless GPeg needs something), and my daughter is finished with the virus she's had all week that made her throw up a lot. I want to go grocery shoping tonight so that we don't HAVE to go anywhere. I wish our house were a little warmer, but if we all just snuggle up together we'll be toasty. We are having a small party next Friday so Ron and I are going to get some cleaning and organizing done this weekend. I am looking forward to the party and think I'll make fondue or something. This entry is definately not my best, but I am feeling scattered today. Maybe Ella will let me sleep in tomorrow morning then bring me breakfast in bed?

Report to the General

Good news, Ma'am: Minus 5.4 this week. My total de Cline is 15. I got a gold star from the nice lady today...

Baubau's Little Buddy

Baubau has made a special new friend! I know it's a little hard to see through the window plastic, but his new little friend is a squirrel! And boy does that squirrel like to tease Mr. B by sitting outside and shaking his fluffy tail right in front of Baubau's nose! What Fun!
Baubau just thinks about chasing and eating him.

Wisconsin Cold Causes Children to Climb Walls

Ella and her, buddy Janetta, had a fun evening together. They started off the night by climbing the walls!

Then we all settled into some arts and crafts. Magic Noodles.

Here is Janetta's Little Hula Dancer. Isn't it cute?!

We are looking forward to Janetta coming over again next week. She and Ella have tons of fun. They particularly enjoy "Dance Party Time". They crank up some rocking tunes then run and dance and play. It wears us all out! I think we'll have pizza, too.

Report to the General

General De Cline: I gained 2.2 pounds. That is the last time I hang out in the kitchen with you scarfing yummy leftovers! No More, I say!!! At least until Christmas... Can't wait to see you again. (Man, it was fun to eat all that food)

Thank Goodness

Thanksgiving is over, whew!
I know I ate too much, just like everyone else, but I did not eat as much as I would have if it weren't for WW. I have not had a chance to get on a scale since I got home, but have to weigh in Wednesday anyway... I plan on following every rule until then. And I am going to be so darn well behaved that by Christmas I plan to be 10 ponds lighter. I can do it, I can do it! Ella had a really good time. She played with Henry, her cousins, all the second and third cousins, and her grandparents. She FINALLY got to go fishing with Grandpa Al. She has been calling him about twice a week for the last two months asking him to take her.

We had a safe trip and are very thankful to be home. I hope all of you had a great Holiday, too.

Report to the General

Alas, I am up .6. I think I just need to re-commit. Hunker down, get some new battle gear? Or perhaps this is what happens after two months. A minor set back and an opportunity to set new goals. Yes, I'll look on the bright side: I got to eat chex mix, Thai food, drink beer, and sit on my ass, and it only cost me .6 pounds! Now I shall get back on the old wagon and be diligent for another two months, at which time I can go out and enjoy MORE Thai food, beer, etc...

Loser

I am a little afraid of tomorrow. What a naughty week I had! Beer on Friday, Chex Mix on Sunday, Oh No! Maybe if I am very very good today it wont be so bad...

The Weather or Brrrr Again

Thanks to a few helpful hints from my Good Friend Michael I now have a weather sticker on my page! Yeah! Everyone can know exactly how cold it is in Oshkosh! And if you click on the sticker it will take you to The Weather Underground for more detailed information. How lovely.
We got some super sweet "school" photos of Ella and I am in the process of getting some frames for them to send out to the Grandparents. I need to find a three picture white frame for Grandma Esther and Grandpa Ron, a black three picture frame for Grandma Andy and Grandpa Al, G-Peg has hers all ready, I need a tasteful frame for Grandma Beth's picture, and I need a frame for mine, uh I mean Ours. Hopefully I can get them all in one store and pack them up to ship before December. I just hate last minute rushing around. After these pictures are framed and sent I am done with Christmas shopping. I may pick up something special for G-Peg, but Ron and I got each other windows for Christmas and Ella has more toys than she knows what to do with. I think we may have her fill one box with toys she no longer needs and she can donate them to a shelter or something. We did a clothes and book purge last month for a Hurricane Katrina family that moved here. So it's time for the toys. I wonder if that Family wants the toys, too. We should give them a call and see how they are doing.
Anyhoo, I am looking forward to next week. It will be good to see our family and friends again. Jenny and her gang will be back from Minnesota to pack all their belongings for the move. I'll miss having them in IC, but know they will be a happier clan in the wild. Ron and I have been looking more at tracts of land to purchase near Minnesota. It's a dream, but a fun one.

Report to the General

Minus 0.8, Ma'am. (I guess two nights of pizza is naughty)

Girrrl Party

Ella and Clio had a Girl Party...

They played dress up!

They told Funny Jokes!

They had a bath in the Big Tub!

And then they were so sleepy!

What wonderful girls.

Stripper

No, I have not become one, I have just been practicing. Stripping wall paper is so overrated! I think I should just move. I worked on the from stairs yesterday and gave up in frustration. There is just one too many layers and I don't have the endurance. I am very seriously thinking about the bead board paneling we used on the back stairs. It's pricey and I would need some help, but it is definitely easier and really looks good when finished. I either need to get my dad up here or borrow Dale for a weekend. And what am I going to do about that ceiling? Help! I know I need to put up new drywall. I bet I could get Dale... Hmmm. Maybe all the Levelwinds, since they seem to be in a state of flux at the moment.

Stitch -n- Bitch

I am really looking forward to next semester. We, The Women's Center, are going to host a knitting group for an hour once a week! Hurrah! I got out my needles and yard, along with my book that teaches kids to knit, and spent about 4 hours knitting 8 rows of 50. So slow, yet very rewarding. I have always wanted to be proficient at knitting and am hoping that this group will give me some skills. If I lived in Minne I could join the International Craft Conspiracy but I am much too far away. Maybe I should send them pics of Ella's Halloween costume? I think that is such a cool group of women.
I talked to LA yesterday and got all excited about painting my dining room again. Maybe I should just skip worrying about finishing those stairways and start in on the job? I don't think Ron would be too hip on that idea, but I think I could get it all done in a week, depending on the wallpaper situation. I really think stripping it is the right thing to do. I could make cushions for the bench seat! I could put some wonderful art work of Ella's on the walls! I have big dreams for that space. I wonder when my parents are going to visit again... If I could get Mom to hang out with E and Dad to help me do the job correctly... There I go again, off in dream land, imagining a perfect world.

Sleepless Nights Don't End

Ella had a bit of a tummy ache last night. She was up crying off and on all night long. Poor little thing! She seems pretty perky this morning, but I am keeping her with me today just in case she has some kind of virus. I don't want to get all those other kiddies sick.
I feel like I have a million things to do, but I just don't want to do any of them. We got a letter from the window people today and they will have the manufacturing done by the 21st, and install, I hope, before December. It was super windy yesterday and even with all the plastic on the windows this place was drafty and cold. Maybe it will prove to be impossible to get it "tight". But I'll keep trying. I know we have to get the attic insulated, but when? And how do we transport the rolls of insulation? What a pain in the ass. I wish I knew more about things, or was more capable of getting things done. Blah, I am just not in the best of moods today.
I want friends to come visit, or to go see them. I think I need a vacation that is all fun and no hassles. How does one plan such a thing?

New PJs

Ella got some extra cozy new pajamas this weekend in preparation for a chilly winter.
She REALLY, REALLY, REALLY likes them!
If anyone wants to contribute to her clothing fund it would be appreciated. She seems to be having quite a growth spurt these days.

A Report to the General

General de Cline:
Minus 3.4 and counting, Ma'am.

Forgot to post these!

I wanted to post these for Halloween, but time slipped by...

Here is Ella with the first pumpkin we carved. She picked out the pattern then traced it on to the squash. I did the cutting. She thought the goof was cold and slimy. And this is with candle in the dark. Oooh, Aahhh.

Friday

It's finally Friday! What a busy week. At times I thought of interesting things to write about here, but then lost the thoughts by the time I sat down at the computer... Sorry to leave you all with nothing from me. It's funny, I used to think no one read this, but if I forget or get too busy to write I get some funny phone calls "hey, why haven't you posted?". My only response is a shrug. Of course, the caller can't see my shrug, but it is a shrug nonetheless.
Points of interest:
I had a brief moment on Tuesday where LA was on-line at the same time as me! We shared about two sentences of IM and it was divine!
My parents are back from Florida with minimal damage. My Uncles and Aunts did not get off so lucky, but no one was injured. So it is good news.
Ella has been in the mood to push her boundaries. She's also been flexing her debating muscles. It is interesting to witness all the good and challenging personality traits of a wee person I love so much.
I still like my job. I like my boss. I am pretty content with things in general. Except the people who run this country...
I am thinking of giving my family a "challenge" game on Saturday. I want them to be more aware of just how much I clean up after them so I was thinking of having them pick up and throw away the little bits of garbage they see in the house and around the yard. If you see it, throw it away right away! Just one day of mess awareness, kind of like a Hardy family Earth day. I'll have to think of a prize... Any suggestions? Yesterday I was walking along with Ron and I was thinking about cleaning. Ron said something along the lines of 'You could be thinking about all kinds of other things, like the environment...' Well, our home is the environment, right? I think Ella will be better able to learn about nature conservation, clean air & water, and not littering if we practice what we preach in our home and yard.

A Report to the General

Dear General de Cline,
Tooper Hardy here with a WW Report: -1.2 and counting Ma'am.

It's November

I am sorry to disappoint the masses who read this, but I did not get any new pictures of Ella last night. We were just too busy trick or treating. We went to G-Pegs first, then headed off to Clio's. She lives near Washington street, which has the best trick or treating in town. The whole street was filled with people! This is one of those neighborhoods that gets all decked out for the holiday. Tons of decorations, people handing out the candy in scary costumes... Totally in the Halloween spirit. One house said they got enough candy for 800 and they ran out before 7pm. (The begging hours are from 5-7 in Oshkosh)
Ella was so pooped out that she fell asleep in the car on the way home, and it was not even 7:30.

Happy Halloween!

I am taking Ella out to beg for candy tonight. It should be fun and I really hope it does not rain. I also hope she is going to be warm enough. I promise to post some pictures soon!
Happy Birthday Michael!

I Woke Up Thinking About Taxes

After I woke up at 5am I started thinking about taxes. Specifically home improvement write-offs. I did some web surfing, but did not get any "real" answers to my question. Can we write off our new furnace, roof repairs, and new windows? It cost us about $8k. Anyone have some good news for me? Sal? Ron?
I spent the night with vivid dreams. Strange encounters with people from the past who haunt me often. Maybe I am just trying to find a resolution to things. I also have terrible dreams about dangers to my daughter. Those are the dreams that propel me out of bed and on to house work to clear my head. Or, in today's instance, I started thinking about taxes. If the world were a more peaceful place would I still have these dreams?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RON!!!!

I love you!

The Wisdom of Older Sisters

I am officially thanking Sally for her WW words of wisdom. Thanks to her suggestions of bagged frozen vegetables and (ugh) whiskey with diet coke I lost five pounds this week.

Wonder Woman Ready To Save The Day

Here is Ella in the Wonder Woman costume I made. We are getting ready for the Home Coming Parade and it is a chilly rainy day. Too Bad for us. She is very eager to be in it, though, and has a nice big bag of candy to give to all the people.

Don't Rain On My Parade!

Here is Ella and Ron at the Parade. Did I mention that the theme this year is Super Heros? I must say that after the grandeur of the Tulip Time Parade in Pella this was a VERY poor showing... But all the students had fun making and parading their stuff. I was surprised at how few people showed up to watch... Maybe the weather kept them away.


Ella is waiting to start her march!



And Here she is with Daddy










And with her good friend Henry




And passing out candy.


She had a ton of fun! Too bad it was so rainy. But Ella managed to bring a little sunshine to the whole event!

Halloween Past...

This is "BatGirl", Halloween 2003

And this is "Pretty Witch", Halloween 2004
This witch costume is actually a silver dress on bottom with a shear black over dress. And it looks much more impressive in person. It has a black velvet cape with matching velvet candy bag.



Here is Ella in the "Super Girl" costume I made in 2002. She liked it so much that she wore it for two more years just for fun times (this pic from 2004). It was getting so tattered that I finally put it away for safe keeping. I can't find a picture of her in it from 2002, but she was a cute little super baby. The cape has a gold cord trim that held it kind of stiffly so that when she crawled it seemed to flow behind her.
This Halloween is "Wonder Woman". I think it's the best costume I have made and I hope to get some great pictures of her in it. If the weather is good this weekend she is going to be in the UWO Homecoming parade, which has a Super Hero theme! How Great!

The Dining Room Revisited

Okay, so I thought I had found the perfect color for the dining room, Dusted Carrot, but now I am leaning back towards brown. I was at a friends house last weekend and they used this fun faux finish sandy type of paint in one of their rooms. I think I might try to prime a small section where the wallpaper has a seem, then paint it with this textured paint and see if I can avoid stripping the whole room. An easy way out? I hope so!!!
If they don't have the sandy finish in a color I really like (brown?) then I might opt for something like this. I am sure pictures will follow... If I ever get it done.

Wilma

My parents left Iowa this morning to fly into the path of a hurricane. I understand why, they want to go get their R.V. and boat out of the danger zone in Florida, but I am a little worried. Their plan is to get to Okeechobee by 1:30 or so today and drive out immediately. They are just going to head north then wait to see what happens to their usual winter camping grounds. When the mud and debris settles they are going to figure out where to leave their Fun Stuff and then fly back home. I am certain they will be safe, because that's the way it has to be. And hopefully hurricane Steven does not ruin their house while they are gone.

Frozen Vegetables

After talking with my sister about WW, I have decided to use her "ease and convenience" method of buying bags of frozen vegetables. I like fresh, but she told me how she just nukes a serving of veggies for a quick breakfast. So I shall try it this week. I was down a measly .6 pounds this week, but am still thankful that I lost it instead of the reverse.

Slow Down

When we asked Ella what she wantd to put on her war protest sign, she replied "Slow Down". She's so darn cute.

Funky Christmas

How about this little number for under the Christmas Tree? You can chat away in true Pimped-Out style! Call up your honky pals, your bitches, and your homies for a house partay! I wonder if ring tones are provided by Bootsie Collins? It's sure to be a hit with the wee ones. Ron, http://www.babblemur.blogspot.com has some other nice gift choices from the Fleet Farm catalog. I think Ella is going to have a Merry old time this holiday season.

*Note: None of these toys will actually be purchased for our child.

Fabulous!

Yes, I am fabulous! I am a Star!

I'll sign autographs for you, but please, hands off the feather boa.

Super Princess Power

Sailor Venus and the Tiara Terror

Autumn has Fallen

Sunday was a super nice fall day. We did some house cleaning and then some yard work. Ella wanted to have a "camp fire" so we fired up the pit and got out the mini "shmarshmallows":

Here is our girl roasting away...

"A little help from Daddy"

"Is it Golden?"

"Mmmmmmm"

I admit that mini marshmallows are a bit small for cooking on the fire, but she got to roast about 30 or so. If they had been the big ones she would only have been allowed a couple. So the experience lasted a lot longer, and we had a ton of fun playing.

Friday, chilly chilly Friday

It is cold. A package came to work and the delivery guy was wearing a full face stocking cap. It's that cold.
I managed to get our web site all prettied up and current. I just need to get my picture and also one for Angela, a student worker. My picture is going to be an odd thing for me. I really don't want it posted on the web.... Why do we have to do this, anyway? I am going to browse all the other campus sites to see if the have pictures up. If they don't then I am going to exercise my right to say "No Way". Besides, I just got a short haircut and I am not used to it yet. It's short. I asked Ella if she liked it and she said "You don't need to wear that black thing (my scrunchie) anymore!" I wore it all the time at home to keep my hair in a bun... Now I just use a cute little hair clip on one side. It's way to short to even put up! Maybe it will lower my weight at my weigh in next week? I am not sure if I really like my hair this short. Maybe it will look better after I lose 10 pounds? Or 30 pounds? We'll just have to wait and see.
I am the only person at work today. Two people have come in, the delivery guy and a visitor for Liz. No one has called. I just sat here all afternoon working in silence. I think next Friday I am going to bring in some CD's or something and borrow the boom box from the Lactation Room. Too much silence is unnerving.
I am glad I brought my mittens. It's going to be a cold walk to the car.

In the Mood for Reminiscing

Ron has a certain fondness for David Bowie...
When we lived in Pella, and Ella was about 4 months old, we decided to get cable for the T.V. Our cable company was expectedly slow... They installed the line, but due to our house being a half a mile from the pole it took them an extremely long time to come out to bury the cable. We had a riding mower because that's really a necessity for 2 acres. Whenever we mowed we had to disengage the blades to go over the T.V. cable sitting on top of the lawn. After about a month it seemed commonplace.
Well, it was announced that Mr. David Bowie was going to give an "On Request" live performance, so Ron was completely jazzed to see him live, acoustic mostly, with viewer and audience call ins to request songs. I decided to mow that morning...
As per my usual blunder rate I ran over the cable without disengaging the blades... No cable... Although Ron was very (and I mean extremely) frustrated, he managed not to yell at me. That man has the patience of a saint. It just so happened that it was a Saturday and we had to call the 24 hour emergency cable hot line for service. They claimed they would be out within 6 hours to fix the cable line and bury it. I tried to put on my happiest face, as well as apologizing profusely, and assured Ron they said they would be there 2 whole hours before the concert so we had nothing to fear.
They never came.
We luckily had some co-axle cable and Ron went down to the service pole. He took the T.V. down, too. We got out some lawn chairs, blankets, and a cooler for bevies, then watched David sing from the very front of our ample yard. It was the best concert I have ever been to. Ella sat on my lap and nursed away to sleep to the dulcet voice of Ziggy.... Under the stars... An emergency save for me that it turned out to be so wonderful of an evening!
After the concert we called the cable company again. We had more assurances the the line would be fixed, at no cost to us due to their failure to bury it for over a month, but they still did not come. I think they finally showed up two weeks later. And they gave us one month off our bill for the inconvenience.

Less!

Although I still have not heard the good word from Minneapolis I did get other pleasant news today. I lost 1.4 pounds. Oh how nice. I should ask the lady at the next meeting to look through my books and tell me what I am doing wrong. I swear I have followed every darn rule! Why only 1.4? I was seriously hoping for 3 pounds. I guess I need to focus more and keep going....

Birthin Babies

Our most excellent friends in Minneapolis are giving birth! We have been waiting for Esther to come out and yesterday I read LA's post that her labor had begun. How very exciting!!!! It reminded me of all our anticipation before Ella was born. I am still waiting to hear about the successful birth... And I hope LA is doing well.
I am going to my WW meeting this morning. I hope I did well, too.

I miss Seattle

Ron and Amy

Gasworks Park 1998

Ahhh, Seattle. I do miss it every single day. Those of you who live there must know how great that place is. Don't ever forget it. Go out and visit a landmark for me, or have breakfast at the breakfast club (Eggs California are my favorite). Stop by the Wedgewood Ale House and get a pint of something yummy and if Heather made Roasted Garlic soup you have to get a bowl. It's fall harvest time so run on down to the Market and get some good produce. Or just stop at Great Harvest and get a loaf of Cracked Pepper Parmesan bread. There are so many wonderful things I miss about Seattle. It's hard to believe I've been gone for almost 4 years! If we ever have enough money for a vacation I am going there. We'll probably have to get a cheap ass motel room up on Aurora Ave, but we'll come someday. You know, Ivars has that restaurant on the N end of the lake. From 4 to 6 they have a great happy hour menu. It's like two fish tacos for $3, or something like that. And it's a great view.

Dispossessed

I read Dispossessed by LeGuin this week. There is something about the book that keeps rattling around in my head. Has anyone else read it? I borrowed it from the Super Great and Divine Miss Fish, in Iowa City. And I will send it back after Ron has a chance to read it. We tend to read books in shifts, otherwise Ella feels she is not getting enough attention. On our way home Sunday Ron read the book aloud while I was driving. Ella wanted to "borrow" the book and pretended that she was reading it. Well, she "borrowed" it for the rest of the day and refused to let us have it back. Very amusing when we took a driving break to stroll around Mt Horub and Ella had the thing tucked under her arm and her umbrella on her shoulder. I wish I had my camera out. We ignored the behavior and eventually she forgot about it. It was pretty funny, though, to listen to her read it out loud in the back seat. She makes up pretty good stories! Even if the book is upside down.

Daddy Love

Eleanor has been focusing on her Daddy for the past few days. Seems like he's won the golden ticket! I kind of like it because I get to sit down and read a book while his participation is requested to play all the games. It is really quite cute. I know it will only last a day or two, that is usually the course for this behavior, but I do savor it. I just love my little family. Last night it was a pleasant evening so Ron took Ella for a walk. They had a good time and saw a raccoon (and kept their distance!). Ella was so excited.
My new job is going well. One of my duties is to manage the web site, but I do not have access to it yet. It's a bummer because all of our fall events need to be posted before they happen! I am hoping that academic computing can set me up before the end of the week. Here is a link to the site. I know, I know, it's out dated. Give me a little time! There are some nice pics of the space if anyone wants to see where I work. And the old Program Assistant is in there instead of me. I promise to get it done ASAP.
http://www.uwosh.edu/womenscenter/
As for the dining room: I was favoring a pumpkin color before asking for input and I think I am still interested in it. I went to the paint store last month and brought home a bunch of samples, but none of the colors were the same as the one in my imagination. Maybe this weekend I will get out some of Ella's paints and try to create the color that is swimming around in my head. Then I can take my sample to the paint store and find a match. I just get so bogged down when I am there. And the lighting is so different then at home. There has got to be a better way to chose paint.

The "same" game

I went to my meeting and paid my $11 to get on a scale that reported I weigh exactly the same. I am glad I did not gain pounds over trip to Iowa, as I has feared I would. So onward ho! This week I shall avoid the beers and focus on something else. Like romantic relations with my husband? That usually takes my mind off of beer!

Sweet and Sour

Here is what we gave my dad for his birthday. A picture frame with two photos that we titled "Sweet and Sour". The photos were arranged with "sweet" on top:

I think he liked it.

Ella has such a fun time playing dress up and she always puts on little dance shows for us. I am thinking of starting her in a dance class or gymnastics or something. Maybe if we could afford it, that is... The money is too tight right now and I have a feeling that our heating bills are going to be outta control this winter. I also think she would like music lessons. But that is for another day.

I am heading out in a few minutes to my second WW meeting. I really don't know how I did and am curious to see if my beer consumption this weekend has sunk all my efforts from the week as a whole. I am sure it did. I will post again upon my return home. I just wish I didn't have to pay $11 to go stand on a scale.... But the thing about WW that I feel "works" for so many people is the accountability. I am more likely to follow the rules when I know I have to check in with the group. So until I really get the hang of this thing I will show up there every Tuesday and hope I made some progress.

Oh geez... I moved those pictures around on my page and now I have TWO of each. Does anyone know how to delete a picture from blogger? This is the second time this has happened and the last time I just decided to scrap the whole entry. Bullocks!

Another Monday

We had a pretty good weekend. My dad had his birthday and Ella had fun helping to decorate the cake. Her friend Henry came to grandpas party, too, and the two of them ran around and played all day long. It was amazing that there were ZERO confrontations. Just good times. We also spent time chilling with Jenny and Dale. I had too much beer and felt yucky most of Sunday morning. It reminded me of my age and that it's probably not such a great idea to party like a twenty one year old ever again. But all in all it was a fun trip. My parents house is kind of non-traditional and not very child friendly, but fun to explore. I am hoping that our next visit wont involve a mud swamp where the driveway is supposed to be. I only took one picture the whole weekend and it was right as we were packing up to leave. I keep trying to post it but for some reason blogger does not want me to. So that's it for today. Happy Birthday Dad! Your the best.

Dining Room

My next big project for the house is going to be the Dining Room! I need some advice, though, because I can't decide on a color for the walls. I want something bold, but not too dark, and no faux finishes unless it's a texture thing. And no "Country Chic". Here is a panorama of the room. It is pretty big, 11'x14', but is so overpowered by the awful "blue with pink flowers" wallpaper! It has very pretty woodwork along with a built in window seat and hutch w/mirror that Ella likes to use as her "special" work space.

So any one who has ideas of how to bring out the beauty of this room please comment! If I use your suggestions you will win a free weekend at Chez Hardy! This includes room and board plus fine company! No room service, BYOB.

(All the clutter and the rocking chair are only in the room because of my disorganization. They are not intended as permanent fixtures. Any suggestions on how to remove the offending wall paper are welcome)