Kevin's Watch

You know, anywhere else, if I shared my genuine excitement at getting a game for five year old boys, the response would be a mixture of, 'What?' and 'That's just silly."

You guys are

Sorus and Jenn, I hope time goes real
S L O W
for the next two days.

On-thread... birds are nesting in the roofs of our townhouses. Next door has cut off access to the bird babies, (they've been woken up at 5am for months, so I don't blame them), but now the parents are trying to go via the roof over my bedroom. I have two cats. The symphony that greeted me after 3 hours sleep this morning:

Baby Bird: Squawk.
Parent Bird: Squawk Squawk.
Baby Bird: Squawk Squawk Squawk Squawk!
Parent Bird: Squawk jump Squawk jump Squawk.
Cat 1: Impersonate bird.
Cat 2: Jump on Shaun's head.
Baby Bird: Squawk.
Parent Bird: Squawk Squawk.
Baby Bird: Squawk Squawk Squawk Squawk!
Parent Bird: Squawk jump Squawk jump Squawk.
Cat 1: Run through venetian blinds, impersonating bird.
Cat 2: Jump on Shaun's stomach.

Repeat for chorus and remaining verses.

Shaun, that's because the watchers are confident enough in themselves to appreciate the silly stuff in life and think it cool rather than compensate for insecurity by looking down on others to make themselves feel important. We have embraced our inner nerd/geek/dork and appreciate that in our fellow watchers, that is what is at the core of the success of this community, at least for most of us.

Cheers to the sentiment of make this weekend last LONG and be MEANINGFUL and RESTFUL. AKA S L O W...

Unfortunately but also fortunately I am going to be busy most of the weekend which is not so restful but I have fun activities planned which is stress releaseful. (Yes, I just made up a new word, sue me) I'm going to hang out with Julie and Terry and David and Ethan tomorrow and take some Christmas pics for Terry, David and Ethan's Christmas cards as well as make my infamous beef stroganoff. David's dad is midwest and sent them a huge box of expensive steaks for the holidays and so it will be my first time making strog with steak. When Julie heard the plan she invited herself into my Terry/Jenn time but hey, they are my girls so I feel the more the merrier. Terry and I agreed to have our one on one time soon instead. Then Sunday I am invited to my friend Harry's for his b'day celebration. I'm on the fence about going. I'll probably go but early and leave early. Not sure an Irish b'day celebration late night on Sunday will help me be rested for my work shift on Monday morning.

My knee is hurts with an ache-y burning type feeling. Since it did this last year around the same time of year, I'm starting to suspect it's the change of seasons that's affecting it.

Could be, MsMary. Is it the one you had surgery on? (You did have surgery on your knee, right? And not some other body part? It wouldn't be the first time that I've misremembered something like that. )

Oh yeah! So Magickmaker and I got the tree yesterday. We didn't do the Paula Bunyan thing this year, but we did go to a local business that has its own tree farm -- so in theory, our tree wasn't cut in October in North Carolina and trucked here to dry out for the past six weeks. This year, I've put the tree across the room from the radiator, instead of two feet away, so hopefully it won't turn into a brittle fire hazard by New Year's like last year's did. I was shocked at how nice a tree it is -- no huge, gaping bare spots, and it fits perfectly in the corner of the living room.


Once we'd picked out the tree, Magickmaker offered to guard it while I went in search of the nice man who runs the lot about how to get it bagged up and to the car. He hooked his thumb in the direction of one of his employees and said, "Well, if you speak Spanish..." "Un poco," I said, and off we went. We had a little conversation about how pretty the tree is, and wished each other "Feliz Navidad."

Shaun das Schaf wrote:We had our office Christmas party the other night.

I though you down-underers celebrated christmas in July?

LOVELY tree ali!!

wayfriend wrote:

Shaun das Schaf wrote:We had our office Christmas party the other night.

I though you down-underers celebrated christmas in July?

No, that's Easter. And Christmas actually starts in September but it goes for four months. (Gives everyone enough time to catch koalas to put on top of our trees.)

Not only is that a gorgeous tree Ali, but you've done a VERY nice job decorating it.

Mary, if it's an arthritic type of pain, I swear by emu oil, if you can get it there; as do many arthritically-afflicted friends.

Shaun das Schaf wrote:

wayfriend wrote:

Shaun das Schaf wrote:We had our office Christmas party the other night.

I though you down-underers celebrated christmas in July?

No, that's Easter. And Christmas actually starts in September but it goes for four months. (Gives everyone enough time to catch koalas to put on top of our trees.)

No wonder they look so grumpy.

Shaun das Schaf wrote:Not only is that a gorgeous tree Ali, but you've done a VERY nice job decorating it.

Thanks! We had to decorate yesterday because my book club met here for our annual Yule "bardic circle" today. We had a good time, and now they've all gone home.

aliantha wrote:No wonder they look so grumpy.

They're not grumpy, they're stoned!

And ok, I'll bite, what's a 'bardic circle'?

Shaun das Schaf wrote:

aliantha wrote:No wonder they look so grumpy.

They're not grumpy, they're stoned!

They'd have to be, to put up with a tree up their butts every December!

Shaun das Schaf wrote:And ok, I'll bite, what's a 'bardic circle'?

A bard sings or plays music or tells a story, right?. So people in a "bardic circle" take turns presenting something to the rest of the group. This year, I forced them to listen to Jethro Tull's "Ring Out Solstice Bells".

I never knew you had a mean streak, Ali....

Just got back from my friend Harry's housewarming/b'day party. It was fun and I went to the dollar store and in the tradition of my gift giving history with Harry I bought some tacky religious stuff and decorated his place with it. He is now the proud owner of several religious candles burning about his place and a mother mary night light which is battery operated, which now resides on the pile of change on his dresser over looking his bed. Luckily Harry's new girlfriend Jenny has a great sense of humor and likes me so she was actually pleased with my additions to Harry's decor. They are still just dating so no co habitating but I have noticed an increase in the kitchen ware that Harry is now sporting. Looks like she took him on a major IKEA run. GO Jenny!

aliantha wrote:Could be, MsMary. Is it the one you had surgery on? (You did have surgery on your knee, right? And not some other body part? It wouldn't be the first time that I've misremembered something like that. )

Yup, that's the knee.


Oh, and nice tree!

Thanks for the tree-related compliments, you guys.

Back to work today, oh goody gumdrops... Just gotta get through this week and part of next week, tho, and then I'm off 'til after New Year's. Thanks to our clients' early-year-end deadlines, most of the bills are done for the month. That means the only craziness ahead will be the annual last-minute scramble to order holiday gifts for our cllients...

Nice tree, Ali.

I thought about putting up a tree for the first time in years. I was at Home Depot and saw a couple carrying out one. I'd go artificial, but the big problem is where to store the thing the other 11 months of the year.

aliantha wrote:

Shaun das Schaf wrote:

aliantha wrote:No wonder they look so grumpy.

They're not grumpy, they're stoned!

They'd have to be, to put up with a tree up their butts every December!

No! You have to tell it this way! [aussie] One July Santa was having a really bad Christmas. Bad headache; the sleigh wouldn't start; the reindeer wouldn't obey; Mrs. Claus kept calling while he was working; he had a hole in his boot; he was way behind schedule; etc. When he got to Sydney, an overly friendly koala carrying a decorated Christmas tree kept bothering Santa to ask where to put the tree. In exasperation, the koala cried, "Just tell me where to stick it!!" And that's why in Australia they have koalas on top of Christmas trees. [/aussie]

....so....tired.....must..go...home and lie down....

Wore ya out, did we, DotD?

wayfriend wrote:

aliantha wrote:

Shaun das Schaf wrote: They're not grumpy, they're stoned!

They'd have to be, to put up with a tree up their butts every December!

No! You have to tell it this way! [aussie] One July Santa was having a really bad Christmas. Bad headache; the sleigh wouldn't start; the reindeer wouldn't obey; Mrs. Claus kept calling while he was working; he had a hole in his boot; he was way behind schedule; etc. When he got to Sydney, an overly friendly koala carrying a decorated Christmas tree kept bothering Santa to ask where to put the tree. In exasperation, the koala cried, "Just tell me where to stick it!!" And that's why in Australia they have koalas on top of Christmas trees. [/aussie]

Have I mentioned lately how much I love you guys?

Jenn, re my mean streak:

Tired. Tired of the horrible Christmas music soundtrack. I can't seem to get "Santa's gone surfing" out of my head.

deer of the dawn wrote:


....so....tired.....must..go...home and lie down....

I resemble that remark!

Spoiler

I had one of those kinds of patients that totally wear you out. Not happy with anything and had to pussyfoot around and explain stuff multiple times in an attempt to avoid offending. I felt wrung out by the time I was done!

Thank goodness I have three days off in a row coming up!

Cameraman Jenn wrote:Tired. Tired of the horrible Christmas music soundtrack. I can't seem to get "Santa's gone surfing" out of my head.

Two. More. Weeks. Of. Listening. To. That. Crap. Shoot me now.

And I am up to my eyeballs in legal paperwork again and trying to figure out if it is mandatory for me to attend a long-distance court date which would mean taking time off work and travel that I can't afford. Yay life.