And in other family news: Morgan learned to sing "What a Wonderful World" in kindergarten a few weeks ago. It's very cute to watch her sing it, especially as that's one of my favorite songs. But today, both the girls have a slight head cold, and they both woke up with a touch of larangytis. This afternoon, Morgan was singing What a Wonderful World with the little frog in her throat. She sounded like Louis Armstrong on helium.
Yay Frosti family. Well not the head cold, but the rest.
Looking forward to reading the story, but now I'm getting ready for the Wake/VT football game. I haven't been to a college football game in 4 years. Plus Wake is much better this year and VT is much worse, according to those who follow such things.
After a long day of mowing, trimming (both weed whacking and hedge trimming), leaf blowing and vacuuming, I'm beat. Vikings are currently leading 21-14, though it would be 35-7 if it weren't for a few of their miscues. I've gotta be to work at 6:00 am. I'm gonna have a beer.
On the other hand, I do know why I'm tired. I went to spin class yesterday for the first time in a while (like 5 months!). It felt good yesterday, but I'm feeling it today.
Spent the weekend up at my Grandma's place helping her winnow down a lifetime worth of possessions to the essentials she needs and has room for in an apartment. Not an easy task. We spent the time making Grandma try on shoes and clothes. The vote was Grandma's, but if she hesitated before saying "keep" or "giveaway" it defaulted to "giveaway." Untold bags of clothes went to the Salvation Army. She had 31 pairs of shoes, for heaven's sake. My aunt and uncle were up from California helping, and so was my brother and my parents. We actually had a great time. Every night there was a crackling fire in the fireplace (burning decades worth of tax statements, returned checks and other documents kept long after they could possibly be needed).
Saturday afternoon we had lunch at Greystone restauraunt on Otter Tail lake. All of Grandma's sisters were there, and that was the first time I'd seen them together in a long time. Uncle Billy, who gave me a favorite Union 76 ride-on truck when I was about 2, and his kids. A bunch of other relatives I didn't know. And I even found out that the waitress at the restauraunt was a distant relative. On the way back home from lunch we drove past the old farm where Grandma grew up. It's a tiny house I remember visiting. And when I remember visiting, they had already added on, doubling the size of the kitchen and adding an indoor bathroom. Back in the day, it was a two story house with one room upstairs and one room down. One of my great uncles saved #10 cans, cut off the tops and bottoms and flattened out the sides. Once he had an approximately 12"x8" sheet of tin, he used it as siding. The entire house is sided from #10 cans. Amazing how much has changed.
Sunday we went to Grandma's church, Maine Presbyterian. It's about a mile from the old farm. This is an old congregation. My brother and I, at age 31 and 35 respectively, were the youngest people in the place. I would guess that our combined ages totalling 66 was probably younger than three quarters of the place. During the service, one of the choir members collapsed. I didn't see it happen, but Mom said she went down like a ton of bricks. They laid her out on the pew, and she talked and seemed fairly coherent. But, just to be safe they called the ambulance. I helped carry her out of the sanctuary into the entryway to wait for the ambulance.Â
Sunday afternoon we had pizza and my second cousin Richard sang some songs and played guitar. I don't have any memories of him as a kid, but he was quite a character. My aunt Linda told the story of back in 1970 when she got a phone call at midnight from Richard. "Linda, it's Richard. You've got to come get me." "Where are you?" "I'm at the bus station in downtown L.A. I'm AWOL." "OK, that's a rough part of town. I drive a blue Riviera. Watch for me, and be ready to jump in, because I'm not stopping." Apparantly, Richard asked his drill instructor for permission to leave base and celebrate his birthday. Not getting permission didn't deter him any.
It was strange to think that I'll never stay in that house again. And I wonder if in 50 years or so, somebody will be going through my house telling me I've gotta throw out that shirt because it makes me look like an old man, and there's no way I'll ever be able to fit all those spring jackets into my new closet (I'm already in over my head when it comes to spring jackets, I can't imagine what another 50 years will do). As I lay in bed on Saturday, I tried to think of what things I would want to keep from this house. Other than the pictures of family and friends, none of it seems important.
I wonder if in 50 years there will be a place to move into. I know what you mean about never staying in a house again - my folks moved out of the house I grew up in while I was down in the Southwest. I don't remember the last time I stayed there... but I have lots of memories of the house.
When my grandmother's house burned recently, there was a bit of this same wistfulness.
Other than the pictures of family and friends, none of it seems important.
In Bogota, or really anywhere overseas, you have to know that if the political climate changed rapidly, you could be asked to walk out of your home knowing it will be looted before you get back. I chose not to take things of sentimental value with me, and those were mostly photos. Everything else can be replaced.
P and I operate completely differently. I collect beads and fabric, but mostly think we have way way way too much crap. If it were up to me the house would be spartanly furnished and decorated. Everything would have both pleasing form but exceptional function.
He's a stuff guy. If there's stuff, he wants it. If every wall isn't dressed or hung, it's incomplete. If there's a new wizbang gizmo, he wants it. Even if he's already got a perfectly functioning but not as cool model.
I want to visit the library, he wants to visit the bookstore.
We compromise on the used bookstore. And end up with way too many bookshelves. Sigh.
I'm a stuff guy too. But I'm also a cheapskate. So I spend most of my time window shopping, but not a lot of time upgrading and replacing. Not for lack of want though. And don't even get me started on bookshelves. Oy.
Stuff I took from Grandma's house. In no particular order:
A rack of old 45s: I have no record player, and most of them are scratched and cracked. Why? Every time we visited Grandma the first thing we did was ran to the record player, put on a 45 (Mule Skinner Blues was always the first one) and ran around the living room. This went on for hours.
Two refrigerator magnets: They're little "fried egg" magnets. Each one is made of a bottle cap as a frying pan with a piece of twisted wire for the handle. They're painted orange. And in each, there's two drops of white paint, each with a drop of yellow in the center. The overall effect is they look like two sunny side up eggs in a frying pan. Why? I think they're cute.
Wall picture: A picture of the old Nelson farm. My great-grandma Minnie's maiden name was Nelson, and it's a picture of their old farm from when she was a child. This one is slightly ripped, but it's framed. There's a copy of it in the geaneology books we found that should have more info about it, but I haven't read them yet.
Tang pitcher: Similar to this but with a flip top lid instead of the one that seals. Why? After running about listening to music, we needed to refuel. The meal of choice at Grandma's was Froot Loops and Tang.
Bird wall hanging: Hard to describe. It's a little wire "tree" that has six colorful birds hanging from it. It's small, about 4 inches square. The birds are only about 3/4" long. Why? My kids like it.
Loon whirlygig: It's a small plastic loon with propeller wings that spin when the wind blows. The whole thing is about 6 inches long, and has a metal spike that you shove into the ground to support it. Why? Because my Grandma liked it.
[Edited 4 times. Most recently by on Oct 27, 2004 at 10:33am.]
Reminder, lunar eclipse tonight! Last chance until 2007.
 The eclipse begins at shortly after 8 p.m. ET (5 PT), but the first hour or so won't be noticeable as the Moon becomes lightly shaded by Earth's outer shadow, called the penumbra. Things get real interesting at 9:14 p.m. ET (6:14 PT, when the Moon begins sliding into Earth's full shadow, or umbra.
A dark and growing scallop will then gradually envelop Earth's only natural satellite. Once in total shadow at 10:23 p.m. ET (7:23 PT), the Moon might turn a shade of deep red that frightened the ancients. No two eclipses are alike, however, and astronomers can't say for sure what color to expect, if any.
Yup, called a "harvest moon" - if you're into that sort of thing, lots of folks are planning to meditate/pray/think good thoughts at 8:30... what with the state of the world these days, the upcoming election, etc., I think the world could use as many of us as possible joining in wishes for peace & plenty.
I plan to look up at the sky once I get out of class. Then I plan to look at the sky once I get home from class. I expect that it will be overcast both times, and I won't be able to see squat. Then, I plan to go inside and have a beer.
Hasn't stopped me yet though. :)
What a good soldier.
OK, time to brag. Mrs Frosti had her first short story published. For those interested, it's here:
http://www.kenomazine.com/
Look in the September 2004 issue, the story is titled "Hearing Margaret."
And in other family news: Morgan learned to sing "What a Wonderful World" in kindergarten a few weeks ago. It's very cute to watch her sing it, especially as that's one of my favorite songs. But today, both the girls have a slight head cold, and they both woke up with a touch of larangytis. This afternoon, Morgan was singing What a Wonderful World with the little frog in her throat. She sounded like Louis Armstrong on helium.
Yay Frosti family. Well not the head cold, but the rest.
Looking forward to reading the story, but now I'm getting ready for the Wake/VT football game. I haven't been to a college football game in 4 years. Plus Wake is much better this year and VT is much worse, according to those who follow such things.
I'm looking forward to it.
Have fun! But not toooooo much fun. Try to stay out of jail and the emergency room. :)
Well Wake lost but it was exciting. Glad I went.
No cops or hookers were involved.
You forgot to mention Hooters.
That was Friday.
You still forgot to mention it. Or take pictures.
Not shut out. That is all, Sparky.
After a long day of mowing, trimming (both weed whacking and hedge trimming), leaf blowing and vacuuming, I'm beat. Vikings are currently leading 21-14, though it would be 35-7 if it weren't for a few of their miscues. I've gotta be to work at 6:00 am. I'm gonna have a beer.
I'm glad I'm back at work....
that weekend stuff wears me out.
Amen, brother.
On the plus side, I did get to operate 4 different gas powered machines in the yard this weekend. A personal best!
Much handyman manliness, Frosti. :) Got the jungle all tamed, eh?
Here's a fun thing: Buffy is for Kerry/Edwards. (well at least Joss Whedon is)http://www.highstakes2004.com/
Yep, all tamed. Except on the neighbors' side where the trees are hanging over their fence. Fuggem.
You Are Scary
You even scare scary people sometimes!
How scary are you?
Already took it - not scary at all.Â
<sigh>Â
Aw man, access denied.
That's kinda scary. Heh.
Everyone loves me. Isn't that sweet?
You Are Scary
You even scare scary people sometimes!
How scary are you?
I must admit, I'm not surprised - or very scared. :)Â
You're not by chance a Scorpio, are ya' amie?
August 22, on the Leo/Virgo cusp.
I'm not sure why I'm scary!
On the other hand, I do know why I'm tired. I went to spin class yesterday for the first time in a while (like 5 months!). It felt good yesterday, but I'm feeling it today.
With less than a nickel for each time I've said that I could buy an island and retire to the Carribean.
Yeah, but you're usually referring to hangovers. ;-)
Or sex. :p
Or both.
When I've been an esp good girl.
Gotta time that window of opportunity just right.
You been talking with P?
He says it closes really fast, too.
From sexy to sloppy in only 3 drinks? ;-)
If they're drinks 6-9, yeah.
<edit> And yes i know that's four drinks but 7-9 wouldn't be a sex reference.
[Edited by on Oct 22, 2004 at 10:41am.]
Too drunk to count?
Heh.
Spent the weekend up at my Grandma's place helping her winnow down a lifetime worth of possessions to the essentials she needs and has room for in an apartment. Not an easy task. We spent the time making Grandma try on shoes and clothes. The vote was Grandma's, but if she hesitated before saying "keep" or "giveaway" it defaulted to "giveaway." Untold bags of clothes went to the Salvation Army. She had 31 pairs of shoes, for heaven's sake. My aunt and uncle were up from California helping, and so was my brother and my parents. We actually had a great time. Every night there was a crackling fire in the fireplace (burning decades worth of tax statements, returned checks and other documents kept long after they could possibly be needed).
Saturday afternoon we had lunch at Greystone restauraunt on Otter Tail lake. All of Grandma's sisters were there, and that was the first time I'd seen them together in a long time. Uncle Billy, who gave me a favorite Union 76 ride-on truck when I was about 2, and his kids. A bunch of other relatives I didn't know. And I even found out that the waitress at the restauraunt was a distant relative. On the way back home from lunch we drove past the old farm where Grandma grew up. It's a tiny house I remember visiting. And when I remember visiting, they had already added on, doubling the size of the kitchen and adding an indoor bathroom. Back in the day, it was a two story house with one room upstairs and one room down. One of my great uncles saved #10 cans, cut off the tops and bottoms and flattened out the sides. Once he had an approximately 12"x8" sheet of tin, he used it as siding. The entire house is sided from #10 cans. Amazing how much has changed.
Sunday we went to Grandma's church, Maine Presbyterian. It's about a mile from the old farm. This is an old congregation. My brother and I, at age 31 and 35 respectively, were the youngest people in the place. I would guess that our combined ages totalling 66 was probably younger than three quarters of the place. During the service, one of the choir members collapsed. I didn't see it happen, but Mom said she went down like a ton of bricks. They laid her out on the pew, and she talked and seemed fairly coherent. But, just to be safe they called the ambulance. I helped carry her out of the sanctuary into the entryway to wait for the ambulance.Â
Sunday afternoon we had pizza and my second cousin Richard sang some songs and played guitar. I don't have any memories of him as a kid, but he was quite a character. My aunt Linda told the story of back in 1970 when she got a phone call at midnight from Richard. "Linda, it's Richard. You've got to come get me." "Where are you?" "I'm at the bus station in downtown L.A. I'm AWOL." "OK, that's a rough part of town. I drive a blue Riviera. Watch for me, and be ready to jump in, because I'm not stopping." Apparantly, Richard asked his drill instructor for permission to leave base and celebrate his birthday. Not getting permission didn't deter him any.
It was strange to think that I'll never stay in that house again. And I wonder if in 50 years or so, somebody will be going through my house telling me I've gotta throw out that shirt because it makes me look like an old man, and there's no way I'll ever be able to fit all those spring jackets into my new closet (I'm already in over my head when it comes to spring jackets, I can't imagine what another 50 years will do). As I lay in bed on Saturday, I tried to think of what things I would want to keep from this house. Other than the pictures of family and friends, none of it seems important.
Great post, dude.Â
I wonder if in 50 years there will be a place to move into. I know what you mean about never staying in a house again - my folks moved out of the house I grew up in while I was down in the Southwest. I don't remember the last time I stayed there... but I have lots of memories of the house.
When my grandmother's house burned recently, there was a bit of this same wistfulness.
In Bogota, or really anywhere overseas, you have to know that if the political climate changed rapidly, you could be asked to walk out of your home knowing it will be looted before you get back. I chose not to take things of sentimental value with me, and those were mostly photos. Everything else can be replaced.
Yeah, I know everything can be replaced. It was more of a realization that a lot of that stuff wouldn't need to be replaced.
Aha.
P and I operate completely differently. I collect beads and fabric, but mostly think we have way way way too much crap. If it were up to me the house would be spartanly furnished and decorated. Everything would have both pleasing form but exceptional function.
He's a stuff guy. If there's stuff, he wants it. If every wall isn't dressed or hung, it's incomplete. If there's a new wizbang gizmo, he wants it. Even if he's already got a perfectly functioning but not as cool model.
I want to visit the library, he wants to visit the bookstore.
We compromise on the used bookstore. And end up with way too many bookshelves. Sigh.
Weird, message disappeared.
I'm a stuff guy too. But I'm also a cheapskate. So I spend most of my time window shopping, but not a lot of time upgrading and replacing. Not for lack of want though. And don't even get me started on bookshelves. Oy.
 Other than the pictures of family and friends, none of it seems important.
Heh. There's a whole 'nother subject.
Stuff I took from Grandma's house. In no particular order:
A rack of old 45s: I have no record player, and most of them are scratched and cracked. Why? Every time we visited Grandma the first thing we did was ran to the record player, put on a 45 (Mule Skinner Blues was always the first one) and ran around the living room. This went on for hours.
Two refrigerator magnets: They're little "fried egg" magnets. Each one is made of a bottle cap as a frying pan with a piece of twisted wire for the handle. They're painted orange. And in each, there's two drops of white paint, each with a drop of yellow in the center. The overall effect is they look like two sunny side up eggs in a frying pan. Why? I think they're cute.
Wall picture: A picture of the old Nelson farm. My great-grandma Minnie's maiden name was Nelson, and it's a picture of their old farm from when she was a child. This one is slightly ripped, but it's framed. There's a copy of it in the geaneology books we found that should have more info about it, but I haven't read them yet.
Tang pitcher: Similar to this
but with a flip top lid instead of the one that seals. Why? After running about listening to music, we needed to refuel. The meal of choice at Grandma's was Froot Loops and Tang.
Bird wall hanging: Hard to describe. It's a little wire "tree" that has six colorful birds hanging from it. It's small, about 4 inches square. The birds are only about 3/4" long. Why? My kids like it.
Loon whirlygig: It's a small plastic loon with propeller wings that spin when the wind blows. The whole thing is about 6 inches long, and has a metal spike that you shove into the ground to support it. Why? Because my Grandma liked it.
[Edited 4 times. Most recently by on Oct 27, 2004 at 10:33am.]
Reminder, lunar eclipse tonight! Last chance until 2007.
 The eclipse begins at shortly after 8 p.m. ET (5 PT), but the first hour or so won't be noticeable as the Moon becomes lightly shaded by Earth's outer shadow, called the penumbra. Things get real interesting at 9:14 p.m. ET (6:14 PT, when the Moon begins sliding into Earth's full shadow, or umbra.
A dark and growing scallop will then gradually envelop Earth's only natural satellite. Once in total shadow at 10:23 p.m. ET (7:23 PT), the Moon might turn a shade of deep red that frightened the ancients. No two eclipses are alike, however, and astronomers can't say for sure what color to expect, if any.
Yup, called a "harvest moon" - if you're into that sort of thing, lots of folks are planning to meditate/pray/think good thoughts at 8:30... what with the state of the world these days, the upcoming election, etc., I think the world could use as many of us as possible joining in wishes for peace & plenty.
I plan to look up at the sky once I get out of class. Then I plan to look at the sky once I get home from class. I expect that it will be overcast both times, and I won't be able to see squat. Then, I plan to go inside and have a beer.
Test is over, sky is cloudy, I'm having a beer.
Yeah, I didn't see it either - my eyelids kept getting in the way.Â
I have no beer and no whisky in the house. It's a sad sad sad thing.
No liquor stores where you're living? Dry county? :)