I'm going to be very busy next week while the ex is in town :D


Edit: whoops. Just realized what that sounded like. I MEAN, I'll be very busy with work and other commitments so I won't have to see/hear/deal with him very much. -facepalm- Things often sound much better in my head than when I get them down on paper

Hopefully "commitments", as in, too busy with someone else.

Oh hai, bitter new divorcee here....;) Just when I thought I couldn't be any grumpier. Heh.

I have just ordered this for Mrs. Dallas' birthday next Friday.

(Now I just need to come up with something for my Secret Santa gift....)

Cicero... YUP!! Ted and friends out in LaVergne. I will be FAR too busy to spend any time with the ass... I mean, ex.

Steve... Lucky Mrs. Dallas!!

SD, besides practicing dis-arms, what do you use the AS guns for?

DUDE, HLJ, have you never run around the woods like an Army Ranger sniping your friends with an airsoft pistol or rifle?? Oh, honey, you need to come out my way for some FUN!! (and hot chocolate and HUGE steaks after!)

I've done that with paint ball guns. How do you know if someone's been hit with the airsoft pellets?

-evil grin- They yelp and grab the body part you hit. Airsoft pellets freakin STING!

This week's first official Daisy girl scout meeting went very well, I think. Two other moms and I are co-leading a brand new troop of 11 six year old girls. The girls all got along very very well. My daughter already has made a couple new friends, and I like both the co-leaders well enough that I should have a lot of fun over the next year too. A lot of preparation has gone into this and I am glad the ball is finally rolling.

I'm leaving early today to have my first parent-teacher conference. My daughter's first report card was good, and I was especially happy to see that her math skills all got highest marks. Art was the other high spot. I'm looking forward to seeing how she's doing, and what we can do to keep her moving in the right direction.

I took tomorrow off to spend the morning with my daughter, who has the day off of school, then I am heading out of town to my friend's place to hang out with her, then do my cross-country run Sat. I finally got in touch with the Tri Club member who I've gotten to know and like, who is also doing LHF, and we have planned to meet up to make sure each of us finishes, or at least makes it to a paramedic if needed.

Sunday is my daughter's birthday party, that should be a lot of fun, and Monday she is bringing treats to school because that is her actual birthday.

Next week is a short week due to the holiday, I'm only working Mon and 1/2 day Tues. I am looking forward to sitting around for the rest of it and doing freaking NOTHING for a few days but drinking Bailey's and hot chocolate and kicking my families ass at the Wii. Maybe doing a bit of Christmas shopping for good measure. My SS gift isn't gonna buy itself.

Nothing particular--but her favorite video arcade game of all time is a "police training" setup with an electronic pistol where you have to shoot your way through different tests. And she's said on several occasions that she like the idea of target shooting. I'm not clear whether she's actually ever tried it or not, but I figured a low power Airsoft gun and a couple targets down in the basement would make for some good winter entertainment.

I hear / see Mrs. Dallas in her best Will Smith voice: "But it was a good shot, right?" [/MIB]

Evidently flowers do not make Labrat happy any more.

I gots me a new camera!

Actually, I got one last week, but it sucked. Kodak C813, for the record. First big mark against it: I didn't notice on the model in the store, it has no viewfinder. You have no choice but to aim your shot based on the live tracking in the window. This is unacceptable to me because 1.) my hands are unsteady when held out in front of me like that, and 2.) those constantly-running video windows suck up batteries like a freaking Dyson with cyclone action.

But I hate being that guy (gal), who hassles the store with a return because they were too stupid to pick the right item in the first place. So I was going to persevere. Then I took some pictures with it, and the color quality was horrific. Seriously, I'm not a visual person at all, and these looked like shit. I played around with all sorts of settings, and there was no fixing it. There was an inherently digital look to all the colors, like you could see the clusters of RGB pixels trying to blend into whatever real-life color it was trying to mimic.

So I returned the crap camera and got a more expensive one. Turns out all but two models have no viewfinder. What is up with that? One model was this weird off-brand, and the other was a Canon PowerShot--i.e., the newer version of my old camera. Which I loved, but, you know, it did just break on me. But what the hell, I got it anyway.

Oh hey guys, mum says thanks for your well wishes :)

I think it gave her a buzz to think a bunch of people she's never met were concerned for her.

I'm happy because by this time next week, Dazza will be home again although by this time next week, he'll probably be sleeping. lol

Powershots are nice. You can feel good about that.

Huh. I hate mine. You probably got the one with the good lense though. Mine is the A510 and I don't like it at all.

We're getting a new camera for Christmas.

I think it's going to be this one.

Blimey! I wouldn't know what to do with that!
I got a new camera second hand before I lost my job. I love it. It's pink. That'll do for me.

Got an email from my ex-boss suggesting I might still get payment tomorrow, if not Monday. This is better than I hoped. Fingers crossed.

I've got the D70 and I really like it. That D90 has a lot of cool features.

I'm trying to decide if I want to bring the D70 or the Canon Powershot SD950 when I go to Mexico. I'll probably end up bringing both.

We just have a happy snaps one at the moment which is good for ordinary stuff, but there is some beautiful scenery around here which has motivated me to want to take some decent shots and maybe think about selling them at local markets for tourists etc. I want something that'll take landscape shots as well as macro type stuff too and that one looks like it should do the job.

NB: Dazza will be able to write it off on his tax also, so that's a bonus and means the actual expense is less.

My power shot makes your all y'all's cameras cry and run into the bathroom to wipe all its raccoon eye looking makeup off its cheap ass lens having face.

And you're not talking about your camera, are you?

That's right. And you don't even want to know about my money shot.:eek:

...we don't? -is now rabidly curious-

I HAS A HUMONGOUS HAPPEE!!! Turns out the kidlet is NOT leaving for Hawaii for a while yet... the Other has no $$ -wicked laughter-

*grins* good stuff trease

Well, it's what he gets for spending close to a thousand dollars to get his dress blues and get them tailored and get the chevrons sewed on and get the ribbons and medals that he's supposed to get on it and get the cover and bloodstripes and buttons and so on and so forth, let ALONE spending sixty bucks for tickets to the Marine Corps Ball this year and buying a car and insuring it and so on and so forth. We see what his priorities are here...

Edit: wow, I'm really not doing so good with the communication these days. The above statement was written ENTIRELY tongue in cheek; I understand how his finances can be in a jumble, and the whole Ball thing is mandatory for his shop this year so it's not like the uniform was debatable....

Apparently people who didn't grow up using them on cameras tend not to like them.

Get over it, grandpa!

In strong sunlight, an optical viewfinder is very helpful. Also, the camera is much more stable when you look through a viewfinder than when you hold it out in front of you. The resulting pictures are more crisp.

I knew glatt would know. I would take my photo advice from glatt.:)

Then my advice is we need more photos of Cicero.

I agree! Which is why I don't understand why so many people apparently don't like them.

Ditto. I refuse to buy a cam with no viewfinder. Hell, it's just recently Ted's convinced me to upgrade from a 35mm SLR to a digital camera. -sighs-

A viewfinder - especially when taking pics on a bright day or when its dark is essential is a must have.

I just saw one of my favorite quotes in the cookies:

As you know, death is my bread and danger my butter. No, danger is my bread and death is my butter. No, danger is my, death is, no, no wait, sorry, death and danger are my various breads and various butters.
- Woody Allen, _What's Up, Tiger Lily?_

I'm done! Fall quarter at OSUlite is ovah!

:celebrat:

WTG Bri.

By the way, I was SURE you would get my usertitle. It's a location thing. I thought of it because on one of the TVs here today I saw a new BHA commercial and remembered the ones from my childhood, and of course we changed it to "bald-headed astronaut."

Oh, i get it, honey! I was about to change mine to Better Home Appliances (and toby says hi, too! Right, Toby!)

Arf!

Hold out for a DSLR. A) if you're that attached to your 35mm SLR, you're just going to hate a point & shoot. B) If you pick the same brand as your existing camera you may be able to take advantage of existing lenses (and possibly flash) you own.

GO BUCKEYES!

KICK SOME WOLVERINE BUTT!

^ what she said! GO BUCKS!

TG they're all coming down to you, I'm sick of the buggers clogging up my freeway exit when I try to take Thor to Hockey. Once you've dealt with them, can you keep them for a bit? say 6 months?

I found out today I'm finally getting to meet the daughter of one of my oldest friends at Christmas. Last time I saw her she was a very big bump in her Mummy's tummy (not literally, she was in the womb). And Mummy - bless her - was quite happy to drive, so my wastrel friend and I could get drunk together. Well she was 8.5 months pregnant, but it was sweet of her to offer all the same.

So A is almost 3 and this is the first chance I've had to see her in this time, although I've had lots of photos. He's home for Christmas, and regardless what happens I will be here too. In sadder news, I found out his brother's wife died this year. His brother is now a 32 year old widower with 3 children under 12. That's horrendous. I'll tell my Mum and she'll pray for them, it's the best I can do.

In other slightly sad news, I never really let my hopes of coming over to America die. But while travel-dreaming this evening I found out American hotels were really not as cheap as I had anticipated, knocking the possibility further out of the ballpark. Of course they're designed for couples at a minimum, and mostly for families. $100 a night between four AND all getting breakfast is an amazing deal. Not so hot for a singleton. Prejudice! Maybe I'll just head for the nearest bar where a fat arse and an English accent will impress, and get someone to take me home for the night. Fat chicks get laid more often, I read that somewhere really trustworthy.

Mum & Dad back tomorrow. Quick whisk round with a hoover, mop, cloth, duster, etc etc. It's fine as it is, but I want to make a really good impression. It's time for The Talk.

1) you could get together with the widower

2) motels are nicer than they sound and way cheaper than $100/night. where in the hell are you looking for $100/night hotels, anyway? Central Manhattan? I can almost get a night in a hotel with a waterpark for a family of 5 for that right now.....

1) Nuh-uh!

2) I was looking in Philadelphia. And that's the point - a family of five can stay in them, but it's no cheaper for a single person to occupy the room. Oh and American's mean something very different by Bed & Breakfast (usually the cheapest of all options in the UK apart from hostelling).

yes, b&B is posh.

cheapest deals are mostly to be had on the spot, not by prebooking. for $50 i can get a nice basic motel room pretty much any where except center of major cities (but right next to commuter lines into major cities). For $30 I can get a dodgy basic motel room. for a family of 5 or just for 1. I've never paid $100 for a room, except when we went to the waterpark hotel. Where the waterpark was included.

Sigh. Well if I stay at the airport hotel I can average about $50 a night. Which is cheap of course. Just seems a rip off that a whole bed is going spare AND I could include up to another 2 people for only $20.

It's only dreaming still, but I like to occupy my time this way :)

I'm seeing $50 on expedia for philly hotels, and you usually get them for less if you just turn up -except on holidays.

then invite a homeless person to share it with you :)

;) Barely Homeless count?

This semester, I've been interning at a high school for two periods a day, once a week. Today was my last day there. Despite our limited time together, the students gave me hugs and "We'll miss you!"s as I bade them goodbye. Many of them expressed the hope that I'd be back teaching at their high school, soon, or that at the very least I'd come to visit. My host teacher e-mailed me tonight to tell me that he thought I did very well, that the students asked about me on days that I wasn't there, and that he thought I should be very proud of myself.
I am! Earning the respect and affection of a bunch of 10th graders is probably one of the highlights of my year.

Being the "hot" teachers aid probably didn't hurt either.:cool:

A lot of people in different parts of my volunteer world spontaneously thanked me for what i do today. not just thanked me, but took the time to specify what they like about what i do. aaaaw.

And I got a marquis-style sandwich board to play with at the kids' school :D Maybe i'll put "Teh Cellar" on it and post a pic. maybe :lol:

Today is mr. sweetwater's birthday - time to go bake a cake!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Sweetwater!!

Happy Birfday Mr S !

Well done Chocolatl, that's brilliant. You sound like a natural. Though you can instill knowledge and train in technique, a good teacher is born not made.


@ Monster: nice:)

Diz is fine.
Back from the vet.
"A touch of" conjunctivitis, no temperature or breathing problems.

Although he does have a heart murmer, according to this vet.
"Has he seen a vet before?" he asked.
Three and a half year old pedigree cat - what do you think?
He said that perhaps it was just due to stress (WHAT?) but to keep an eye on it (HOW?)
I said, "I know a couple of people who've been diagnosed with a health murmer recently."
"Cats?"
"No, people."

Anyway I am happy Diz is fine.
But kicking myself for rushing him in.
And feel fleeced - he's been given a course of antibiotics for a viral infection, "To make sure he doesn't pick anything else up in the mean time."
Funny, that's what GPs fight against doing. Antibiotics are not sweeties to be given out willy nilly.

Okay, it's actually spending £80.17 in under 10 minutes that I'm grumpy about. Grrrrrrrrr. Eighty pounds!!!!!!
Shocking.