*grin* LOL

And we got new phones too! (Free with 2 year credit and web order credit! Yay!)

Phone and address flocked here, as always

Also... the 15 icon limit is funny. Almost all I have access to are CoH and Daina. LOL.

Secular or otherwise, I love this holiday. *smile* I hope it finds you all well and happy.

Oh! And there was a little snafu at the post office... fortunately a small town one (so easily fixed and handled)... our PO Box number changed. Corrected one here, for those interested.

We've arrived in Quilcene, as of Wednesday the 16th. It rained both days we were loading the trailer for the trip, then pretty much the whole way north.

Dad insisted on skipping the Siskyous (no problem... pain in the patoot this time of year), but then didn't want to cut back over to I-5, so we ended up taking the 101 all the way home... this added 2 days to the planned trip. Because of the extra time, he didn't want to stop... at all. He seemed to forget that we have a little one that MUST travel in a car seat... and needs to eat and be burped and changed and have some time to stretch a little. Poor thing was pretty miserable.

But! We got here. We're all adjusting to four adults in the house. The kitties are still consigned to mom's workshop/shed (heated) until we can get the "hand tied Tibetan llama wool" rug rolled up and stored away (currently in the middle of our room, partially covered by heavy furniture).

The trip back south (to San Diego and Arizona) is temporarily delayed because the truck decided to break down on the way to the storage unit on Thursday. They're still trying to figure out what's wrong with it. We'll make the trip at some point... have to see Great Grandpa McFadden after all, but we don't know when yet.

Mom is thrilled to have me, Scott, and Daina here. Dad is being grumpy (he's getting worse as he ages), but he dotes on Daina and is enjoying my cooking. LOL.

We managed to get our router hooked up, along with one computer, but Mom and Dad's sattelite internet has some pretty strict usage guidelines and is S-L-O-W. So CoH is limited to off hours and short time frames, various load heavy websites will be visited sparingly (I'm looking at you Ms. Contantly Refreshing Itself iVillage). IMs are out until we figure out how our use is impacting the bottom line, plus with the limited use, we're not constantly at the computer. But we still check our email at least once a day, so feel free to contact us that way. (Me: baisleac (at) gmail (dot) com; Scott: scott.kesilis (at) gmail (dot) com; Daina: daina.kesilis (at) gmail (dot) com)

And now... I must be off. Wish us luck... and Have a Happy New Year, y'all. :D

ganked from rachet



And this one totally cracked me up...

ganked from rachet

Five Favorite Songs:
1. In Excelsis Deo
2. My Favorite Things
3. Let it Snow
4. Winter Wonderland
5. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas

Five Favorite Christmas Treats:
1. Gingerbread
2. Spritz cookies
3. English Toffee
4. Fudge!
5. Buckeyes (the peanut butter balls)

Five Favorite Christmas Ornaments:
(I haven't seen my ornaments in a long time so this will be hard)
1. The ceramic house that goes over a bulb so the light shines through the windows
2. The cobalt blue ball with a handpainted Tigger on it
3. My "angel" topper (That's actually really cheap and from Big Lots, but it's pretty and I like it)
4. The little "paint yourself" ceramic stocking and teddy bear that I got from my friend Jeannie in H.S.
5. The nutcracker windchime

Five Favorite Christmas Movies:
1. Desk Set
2. Love Actually
3. Diehard
4. Miracle on 34th Street (original)
5. White Christmas

Five Least Favorite Christmas Shows/Songs:
(interesting)
1. It's a Wonderful Life (just UGH!)
2. A Christmas Story
3. Baby, It's Cold Outside (Date Rape, not my kind of holiday song)
4. Auld Lang Syne
5. Ernest Saves Christmas

Five Favorite TV Christmas Moments:
1. (I was trying to think of how to describe this and then noticed that Rachet had it as #3. Whee!) The West Wing: Toby spends days trying to get a funeral for a homeless vet who died while wearing a coat Toby had given to the VOA. It ends with Toby, Mrs. Landingham and the homeless guy's brother going to Arlington with a color guard and flag draped coffin while the rest of the cast is shown in the main hall listening to The Little Drummer Boy being sung by a boy's choir.

2. Umm... that's all folks.

Past 5 days
Saturday (12/5): Sunny
Sunday (12/6): Sunny
Monday (12/7): Rainy
Tuesday (12/8): Sunny
Wednesday (12/9): Sunny

Forecast:
Thursday (12/10): Partly sunny, chance of rain in the afternoon
Friday (12/11): Rainy
Saturday (12/12): Rainy
Sunday (12/13): Chance of rain in the morning, partly sunny
Monday (12/14): Partly sunny

( Come on... guess! )

Urgh.

Main Entry: res·o·lu·tion
Pronunciation: \ˌre-zə-ˈlü-shən\
Function: noun
1 : the act or process of resolving: as a : the act of analyzing a complex notion into simpler ones b : the act of answering : solving c : the act of determining d : the passing of a voice part from a dissonant to a consonant tone or the progression of a chord from dissonance to consonance e : the separating of a chemical compound or mixture into its constituents f (1) : the division of a prosodic element into its component parts

Main Entry: goal
Pronunciation: \ˈgōl, chiefly Northern especially in 1b & 3a also ˈgül\
Function: noun
2 : the end toward which effort is directed : aim


10 Goals for 2010

1) Buy each of us at least one frivolous item from our personal wish lists
2) Read 25 new (to me) books
3) EP enough to get Daina through her first year on BM
4) Get passport cards so we can visit Canada... and return. (Vancouver, I've missed thee)
5) See VA Doctors about my knees
6) Incorporate more meatless meals into our diet
7) Buy local organic when we can afford to
8) Start FLYing again
9) Start "The Artist's Way" path again
10) Buy Tupperware brand tupperware to store staples (flour, sugar, corn starch, etc)

I've had to look this up several times in the last few weeks; always forgetting which year and whether it was November or December when I posted it so...

For my own reference: Gingerbread Recipe

This afternoon is "Thanksgiving" with the other half of Scott's family.

So this morning... Pack or Nap?

Poll #1491497 Decisions, decisions
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 9

Pack or Nap?

TICKY!!!

I'm making country potatoes with bell peppers for "brunch" this morning. Having my hands full, I tell Scott, "I need more butter."

He, obligingly, gets me the butter but comments, "This sounds like a line in a slash fic,":

"I cannae take no more! I need more butter, Captain!"


So... all you ST:ToS/Reboot writers... get to work. LOL.

Bisquick Pizza dough: Recipe's online. There are a couple of 'em.
+
Two small cans of tomato sauce (4 for $1 @ Ralph's) with a little basil, oregano, garlic salt, and garlic powder.
+
Mozzarella (splurge of the week)
+
Frozen Asian veggie mix ($0.88 per 12 oz package @ Ralph's)
+
Leftover goat cheese crumbles

=

Yummy yummy homemade pizza for under $3.00


*OM nom noms again*

I ran out of my French Vanilla coffee creamer. *very long sad face*

Then I found this!

French Vanilla Coffee Creamer

1 can sweetened condensed milk (also available in low fat)
1 1/2 cups nonfat milk
1 tablespoon vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a glass container. It is best stored in glass mason jar. Remember to shake before pouring, as the condensed milk will settle to the bottom. This will keep for 2 weeks in the refrigerator.


I have sweetened condensed milk! I have 2% milk! I have vanilla!

I have creamer in my coffee. Om nom nom.

With being unemployed since April and no prospects for work down here, Dad's going to come down and help us move in with them (temporarily) after Thanksgiving. A bank account with $0.39 in it just won't pay rent.

I've had a half day, and a 1.5 day temp job since Paid Family Leave ran out in early October. The only interview I've had was for a company in Lynnwood, WA and I'm sure he went with a local candidate.

I've wanted to move back to the Northwest, but not under these circumstances. *sigh*

...and a couple new iVillage sigs from "photo shoot" pics.

( Pics! )

We can't afford a professional photo shoot for Daina, but since I have a handy hand with the camera we decided to just do one at home.

It was quite fun... choosing backdrops, outfits, props, and making sure the lighting was good (which took a couple of days as we were using natural light coming in the sliding glass door plus various lamps), etc... although we did give up on taming her hair. LOL.

( And the pics )

I think the best part is that no editing had to be done.

That's a headline currently on Google News.

It's so sad that my first thought was, "Why in hell would Melissa Etheridge challenge Aaron Burr? And more importantly, how!?"

LOL.

"US Rep. Bob Etheridge will not challenge Sen. Richard Burr next year" was the actual bit.

This fills me with so much glee!

The World Is Just Awesome : Discovery Channel

Posted using ShareThis

She just sent us the coolest thing ever! LOL.

When we spent an afternoon at Scott's Aunt's place, we spent the afternoon decorating sugar skulls. Finally have piccies ready to post...

( pics back here )

And I'm doing a lot better at this goal:



than this one:

Daina rolled from back to front a week ago...

...and from front to back just last night. She was looking out the window at DH's Aunt's place; DH turned her to her tummy saying "you need some tummy time". Daina just flipped back over like it was nothing.

You could practically hear the "No, I don't. Hmph." LOL. And she went back to looking at the trees and street lights.

I may be poor.

I may be homesick.

I may be jobless.

But I'm also sitting here reading LJ and sipping a glass of $3 wine, while in the background a screaming post-bath goodness baby is being swaddled by the hubby.

Life is just too hard. LOL.

p.s. I read this to Scott and he says I must use this icon as his reply.

Some of you may have gotten this by email. Daina needed an email address to have an Amazon wishlist, so I thought it would be funny to have "her send out the link to everyone. LOL.

( Scott got a webcam for his birthday )

I'm in southern California and seasons beyond "Hot", "Hotter" and "OMG I'm dying it's so Hot" just don't exist.

But I know it's Autumn and I want cool weather, colorful leaves, rainy days, fireplaces that aren't just decorative, short skirt & high boot outfits with sweaters.

My A/C is still going and people laugh when I say that 70 degrees (F) is NOT cold.

I miss home... so very very much.

seen on metaquotes

We often call Daina "Bug", because when she's swaddled with a cap on, she looks like a little GloWorm...

( Read more... )

She's discovered her hands... and looks like she's tripping or something. LOL. One of the few times I wish I had a way to record video.

We just got back from Daina's 2 month doctor visit (at 2m1w... thank you, MediCal). She's right at the 50th percentile for weight for age, but in the 90th for length.

11lbs 4oz and 24 inches. She obviously got everyone but mama's genes in the height department. *is total runt*

She also took her DTaP shot like a total champ, took an ounce from her EBM bottle at the Doc's office and is currently being a happy, kicky, wavy baby on the floor next to me.

Yay!

...didn't feel like having her picture taken. But it made a great icon. LOL.

We just got turned on to a great program by one of Scott's aunts. It's called The Treasure Box and is a way to get a box of frozen groceries at a HUGE discount.

You pay for a box (or 2 or 3 or 4) at the beginning of the month and pick it/them up at the end of the month. We picked up our September box on Saturday and it was awesome.

The big thing is... you pay $30 per box, but get around $75-100 worth of food! October, for example:

2 lbs. Beef Burgers
2 lbs. Chicken Patties
3 - 3.5 lbs. Whole Chicken
2 lbs. Breaded Fish Sticks
2 lbs. Turkey and Pork Breakfast Sausage Links
1 lb. Ground Turkey
2 lb package Cheese Ravioli
4 each Burritos
4 each 3 Cheese Roasted Vegetable Wrap
1 lb. package California Blend Frozen Vegetables
2 lb. package Baby Whole Carrots
2 lb. package Natural Style French Fries
2 lb. package Pinto Beans
1 each Lemon Meringue Pie

September's was similar and included unlisted items like rice and ketchup too.

There are NO income requirements to meet, you just order your boxes online and pick up at your location of choice. It's awesome!