Alright, so, anyone out there geocaching with a mac? I have windows on my work laptop (a macbook pro) but would really rather work in mac because I am a snob.
I got Dave the Magellan Triton 300 for christmas, and it just seems really not intuitive. Blurgh.
Also, I have some kind of headcold or something, and Dave let me sleep in (knowing I went to bed feverish and crappy) and I woke up and was like "god, it must be almost nine, I HAVE to get up…" and it was…… . . . 10:49. I haven’t slept that late in YEARS. Whoa. Head still feels all full, too. yuck.
On an even lighter note, we had a little afterparty on Saturday, where Dave and his coworker Matt got to recreate one of their favorite scenes from Nat’l Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation. Matt bought the mugs, they each bought their outfits, and we provided the boozy eggnog. It was quite fun.
Christmas this year was fairly low-key, but great regardless. After last years really stressful/tragic holiday (kate’s trip being halved by the Denver blizzard, our cousin being killed on christmas eve) it was nice to just relax.
My parents loved their gifts, Ingrid loved hers, Dave loved the GPS idea (I think) and he really loved Guitar Hero, which my parents bought for him. We ate, drank, and were merry.
My gifts were fine — I got the macro filter I’ve wanted for a long time (and now have decided I REALLY need the 55-200mm VR lens to really max the filter, heh) and we got a membership to the children’s museum, and the only dud (which was kind of a Big Dud) was a Seal-A-Meal from my parents. In the context of everyone else getting Awesome! Fun! Gifts! … getting a meal sealer was sort of a bummer. It’s going back. (I mean, I know some people love them, but it’s big, I don’t have a chest freezer, I don’t buy in bulk, and saran wrap works just fine for me when it comes to my sealing of meals needs.) And, plus, hello! My folks are photogs, they know exactly what I have for a camera, and that is such a good base to build from… a new toy for that would have been much preferred over the Seal a Meal.
But, that’s not important. We had dinner here, and it was seriously, hand to god, 3/5 sponsored by the internet. The bread and veggie recipes came from Jeanne, and the potatoes were inspired by Kate F. (I didn’t even know you COULD add heavy cream to potatoes, until I read her mother’s recipe that is about 20% potatoes, and 80% dairy richness! )I added the leftover cream from the spinach & squash gratin recipe to the potatoes, and whipped them in the kitchenaid. Everyone loved it, so that’s a good thing.
My MIL came over, and it was nice to have her here, and for Ingrid to see all of her grandparents at once — I think she really loved it, too. She was just spinning with energy the whole night, cheerful as ever.
Today was back to work for me, lame, while Dave and Ing hung out at home. And now she has crusty eyes so it’s about 50/50 if she goes tomorrow I found leftover antibiotic eyedrops from pinkeye this winter, that aren’t expired or anything, so I’ve hit her with those for now. Poor bug.
Group Power is still making me happy, but the Get Fit (step) class that I’m trying this semester is NOT. It’s mostly me being one step (or more) behind everyone else, trying desperately NOT TO TRIP. There is no fun. The one positive is that it’s made it clear the effect the GP is having on my fitness level — the weight section of get fit is totally pussy compared to GP. So, my next step is to …..
Brave The Machines.
That’s right.
My Y has this program for its members, called "Personalized Exercise Program – PEP!" and it’s advertised ALL OVER their materials as such. So, I called today and said "yes, I’d like to talk to someone about the PEP program?" and the staffer I got was like "What? the WHAT program?" so I said "Pep? Personlized Exercise program?" And the dude goes "OHHHHH, PEE EEE PEE, okay…" and goes on to give me some info. WTF?? Why would you abbreviate it to a one-syllable word and not USE IT? It’s not like it forms a bad word or something…. and really, no one ELSE has ever made the grievous error of saying PEP instead of Pee Eee Pee? Whatev.
Anyway, I picked up the paper after group power tonight, and am going to fill it in and take it back, and try to get in next week if I can, since group classes are on break, and I’d like to beat the rush of resolutioners. It’s stupid, as I’ve discussed with Jeanne, if the elliptical machine was a new photo editing tool, I’d have mastered it by now, but the technology of a fitness machine has me petrified. Ugh. I just don’t want to screw stuff up! (I sound like every old person, ever.)
Related, I have now moved from annual haircut by whoever at airport mall salon to having A Stylist. She did such a good job a few months ago, that I’ve decided to get my hair cut every two months, so I went in tonight. In addition to Totally Getting My Hair, she’s wicked fun to talk to, which all made sense at the end when it came up that she’s been hanging out with Andy. Ahhh. Small world.
Its not so much a resolution, but I just hope that in a year, I’m feeling more confident about my outward being than I do, currently. My insides are great — good brain, good heart — its the outer realm that fucks me over so much, and I am feeling like I’m moving towards improving that, one step at a time. For instance, an epiphany I had when i was feeling guilt about going to these fitness classes while Ingrid is awake, is that I would feel much less guilty if it were an academic class… but a class to improve my physical health is just as important as one to improve my brain.
It’s a tighter christmas than in years past, where, honestly, everyone that’s getting a gift is just getting one, and I’m definitely more excited about giving than getting this year.
My sister and I got my mom an ipod touch, and I just know her mind is going to be BLOWN by the concept of checking her email from an ipod, since she thinks the shuffle is the Coolest Thing Ever. For my dad, we got him the used PS2 and games (and I packaged it up with a big note that says “REDUCE REUSE RECYCLE RECOVER”) and for Ingrid, the table and chairs, which she will LOVE, and cardboard blocks, some play doh and a babydoll. Dave is getting a shirt. And almost only that, except I decided to pull the trigger on the geocaching thing — an activity I think we’d all really enjoy, and I was going to get him one for father’s day (a GPS receiver) but didn’t, and then his birthday, eh, it felt too late in the year, so I was thinking this father’s day, but then, that’s June. So, I got it now. We can learn how to use it, and be ready for when those first spring days hit, and everyone is jonesing to get outside in the melty fresh air. I spent more than i wanted (and really, not that much) but I’ll be addressing it to all of us, form Santa, since it really is a fam gift. For my sister, I got her an ipod kit (she is getting an 80gb classic from my folks) with an FM transmitter and chargers (and tucked in the gift receipt, just in case.)
Anyway, I am truly most excited for everyone else. My mom and Ingrid, mostly. My mom has been dropping hints about wanting a bigger ipod (she got the shuffle as a gift this summer, and wants more space and to be able to see ‘pics of ingrid’ and says it ALL THE TIME and how my dad never picked up on that, i have no idea) and she doesn’t even know that they CAN view YouTube videos and check her email and all of that… and Ingrid is so mesmerized by the tree, and the stockings — hell, she jkeeps going over and looking IN the stockings! — and she loves loves loves kid-sized furniture. I can just see her now, coming down and saying “WOW!” and scrambling to sit at a kid-sized table. So fun.
Either way, it will be a good day. I can’t believe it’s in a WEEK.
We have two new windows! This is HUGE. HUGE! We’ve been whining about windows since we bought this house in 2004, and every time we came close to getting some, something else took precedence. We got these for our anniversary gift to each other.
SO great. We lost some glass area, but we gained CLEAN! CLEAR! WINDOWS! That slide! and tilt open! I washed them (inside) today, and the only reason I didn’t do the outside is because we’re in the midst of a Nor’easter.
We also pulled out Dave’s indoor/outdoor wireless thermometer, and have been running tests all evening. The thermometer has a base that is a thermometer, and displays the readout from it, and a secondary thermometer than you place wherever. So, with the receiving therm in the window of Ingrid’s room, and the wireless one in the window of the guest room (same place in house, same wall, same size room) Ingrid’s room was TEN DEGREES WARMER. TEN! Hot damn. We then tried it onthe floor and got the same temps, but also remembered that the heat vent in the guest room was pointing at the thermometer, and Ingrid’s vent is behind her door, up near the ceiling.
Either way. Whoa! Oh, and Ingrid got the first windows because she doesn’t sleep with a blanket, so we wanted her to be warmest first, even though it’s the second to least used rooms in the house. Our next set are going to the pair on the front of the house, in the living room, through which cold air just seeps through. I can feel it right now, even. Brr. But, yay! windows!
The last several years, we’ve had the crappy metal 5 dollar tree stand, and during an end-of-season sale last year, I picked up a new tree stand, that has a tall, deep reservoir and a broad, stable base. Awesome!
Except, as in years past, you still can’t see the water line clearly when you’re filling it. Or, I can’t anyway — it’s a dark green base, and obviously in the shade of the tree itself, and I’m always sure I’m going to flood the thing.
Til this year!
I put one of Ingrid’s smallest rubber duckies (she has a ton, no idea why) into the reservoir, and when I’m filling it, that bright yellow thing just floats right on up, and I can tell when to stop.
Also? My kid loves the swiffer — another internet friend mentioned the genius idea of making it kid-size by taking out center connecting rods, so i did, and Ingrid is crazy excited to have the swiffer be just right in size for her.
It’s snowing! Everything is cancelled but my work, which is being clsoed at noon, so there’s at least that. It’s not a big deal, as I live SO close to work & daycare, and I’m sure Ing is having a great day. My coworkers are not in, but no one else is, either (hello, snow!) so here I am, drinking coffee and listening to podcasts, uh, working, I mean.
Christmas shopping!
Dave: I think we’re going to invest in two more windows, but he also just asked me to update my wishlist, so maybe not? Which then sort of screws me, since I don’t know what I’d get him other than windows. He’s been mentioning being interested in an iPod, too, lately, but probably more like a classic. And with that, I don’t know if my iBook could handle every one of his swedish death metal bands being stored on it, so I sort of have this long range vision of eventually setting him up with his own iMac and getting him an iPod then. Long range, though.
Ingrid: Is easy. Cardboard blocks from Lillian Vernon, which I think she’ll actually like quite a bit, since yesterday she spent a crazy amount of time stacking the canned goods from my grocery shopping — and big cans, too, like the 28oz canned tomatoes and stuff! I was really kind of impressed, I didn’t realize she was into stacking like that, so the cardboard blocks will be fun. She’s also getting a table and chairs (IKEA!) and I picked an easel up for her at IKEA too, but I’m not sure if I should hang on to that a while longer, yet.
My sister and I are getting my mom an iPod touch — she has been wanting a real ipod for a while (she has a shuffle, but I kind of hate the shuffle concept in general, and always have — you need to be able to SEE what you HAVE, imo) and she’s always, always asking to check her email. At my house, in the airport, at other people’s homes, etc. So, now she can. The other pro is that that gives us a good thing to buy for going forward, that isn’t STUFF. iTunes giftcards or an Audible subscription or something — she’ll like it, and it’s shit I don’t have to sort through when they die. Woot. She’s done.
My dad, we are going to get him a PS2 game or two, and the promise of loaning Dave’s PS2 for his recovery period*. He had fun playing on the XBOX in Texas, so it might make the bedrest go by quicker. That, and the Planet Earth DVDs. Smartwool socks, which will be his favorite.
SIL (from the IL draw): GC to Joann, and I think a sub to Quilter’s Newsletter magazine — she’s recently gotten way into quilting, and back when I liked doing things with sharp pointy objects, that was a great mag, and generally comes highly recommended.
Niece’s BF (from the IL draw, Dave’s designee): Auto tool set thing? This is all Dave, but I’m just writing it down to keep track. (Some tool kit thingie that they guys at work all got and loved.)
MIL — some paper and ink for her camera printer (which was her bday gift from us) and… no idea.
Scroll down for some vid of Ingrid test driving her snow gear.
*I don’t think I’ve mentioned this, but my dad is having his leg broken and reset and his ankle fused in February — he had a horrible break, skiing, when he was 19 or so, and it healed horribly, and is now incredibly painful. It’s the lower part of his leg, and the tibia and fibula bones now basically look like the letter K. Not cool. Anyway, the surgery/ies will have him on complete bedrest for 2 weeks and modified for 6 more, and he’s needed it for years, but hasn’t been able to figure out the best two months to Not Walk — as it is, he’s missing the best skiing month to have this done and hopefully be healed before commencement season.
