Teachers

I thought a couple of teachers that I know might be interested in this. A free DVD every school year for as long as you teach from izzit.org. The DVDs are for teachers, grades 4-12. All they ask in return is for you to submit a simple online video feedback form once you have used the DVD. I did not sign anyone up for this one because it requires the feedback and that would be up to you if you want to do it.

Win free books for a year sweepstakes.

Wednesday Update

Yeah, it may get up to 50 today. I will be happy to see some of the dirty snow go away. I actually started to see the sidewalk leading to the patio through the snow yesterday. I haven't seen that for a few months!

Last night we felt like pizza and Chloe was actually here to eat with us. So, we ordered Domino's pizza. It wasn't bad, although the bread sticks are whimpy. Ross showed up a little while after we were done eating, so Doug sat down with Ross while he had some pizza too. We watched Idol. It was on for two hours because they are now down to the top 12. They sang Beatles songs. Some were very good, others were awful. It's hard to say who will go home. I hope not David, he just had a bad night I think.

Mao is currently crashed in the corner on the floor. He is so adorable right now.

Tuesday Update

I don't have much to update about. Thomas is getting excited about his NSTA trip to Minneapolis. He has also convinced the group to give the three Seniors an Ipod for a graduation gift this year. Way to go Thomas! He has really done a lot of work for the group over the last four years. So he really does deserve it.

On Sunday night we watched Trilogy of Terror with Wanda. What a classic! You have to love the Zuni doll. And to balance out the night we also watched Enchanted. What a feel good Disney movie.

Even though I don't look forward to a summer of mowing the yard, I do wish all of this snow would melt. I want to get into the garage again. I think we need to start planning what we will put in the garden this year. I love the squash and tomatoes. Peppers are great when they do well. I think we are tired of cucumbers and pickling. Maybe I will plant green beans this year.

Saturday Update

Yesterday was a good day. I got a $0.45 raise at work and will receive retro pay from the first of the year on my next check. Not a lot, but hey, it will help pay for the raising cost of gas. I don't like this $3.09 I am seeing at the pump!

Chloe is already up and out the door this morning. She has to go to Cedar Falls and spend the day with Jim's family. Not exactly her favorite people, but she says she is doing it for her mom.

Ross' father had an accident yesterday. A large equipment tire exploded and broke his femor bone in his leg. He had surgery and Chloe says he is doing well. He has a pin in the leg. The skin on his right hand was also torn back. He is very lucky because many times when a tire explodes the person is usually either killed or blinded.

My dad called yesterday and said his sister Mary Ellen is in St Luke's hospital. It sounds like she is forgetting to take her insulin because of her alzheimer's. Once she gets out of the hospital, my cousin Julie is having her put in a nursing home in Mechanicsville and eventually in Mt Vernon where Julie lives. It's kind of creepy how my aunt is now looking almost exactly like my grandmother did at her age.

Two of Diedre's plants have safely made the trip from our house to her apartment in Waterloo. I hope they are happy there. Tear :(

Wednesday Update

Not much to write about today. I went back to work yesterday after my 4 day weekend. It wasn't too busy, so I was able to catch up some of my work. Last night they were showing a basketball game on channel 8, so Idol was delayed. It started too late for me to be able to watch it all. I guess I will just have to catch up tonight when they show the voting results.

We think we have an ugly kitchen, actually, two ugly kitchens. So, we are going to enter our kitchen in the AR-JAY Center 'Ugly Kitchen' contest. We could win a kitchen package valued at over $10,000. We just have to take them a picture of our kitchen and register. That would sure help with our remodel plans. Wish us luck.

Monday Update

I am certainly glad I did not have to go to work today. I went out this morning to shovel the walk and take the trash out. The wind is blowing like we are in the Arctic. Cold!!!!!!

The fish chowda was very yummy yesterday. My Warm Winter Lemon Cake was also very good. Diedre if you want this one, it is the recipe in the back of the Food & Family. Last night we were setting around talking with Wanda (everyone else had left) and we kept seeing cop cars with lights flashing going in both directions on 15th. Doug decided to go outside to get a better look. He just stepped out the door and then made a funny little noise and came right back in. He said, " There's a possum on the porch!" I guess the possum saw Doug and he turned around and left. Chloe says his name will be Blossom the Possum. She thinks possums are cute, I think they are ugly. I do know they are very vicious. Now we have raccoons sleeping in our trees and possums on the porch. What next?

Stay warm everyone and have a wonderful day.

Bionic Turtle

Eric Gay / AP
Jeff George, the curator at the nonprofit Sea Turtle Inc. holds Allison, a three-year-old Atlantic Green sea turtle, at Sea Turtle, Inc., in South Padre Island, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. Allison lost three of her flippers to a predator attack and is being evaluated for experimental prosthesis for a rear flipper. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Allison, a three-year-old Atlantic Green sea turtle, swims in a holding tank at Sea Turtle, Inc., in South Padre Island, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. The turtle was missing three flippers when tourists found her two years ago and took her to Sea Turtle Inc., a turtle hospital started by a local woman 31 years ago to treat and return injured sea turtles to the wild. Her caregivers and a group of volunteers hope to make her what's believed to be the first sea turtle fitted with a prosthetic flipper. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)

Jeff George the curator at the nonprofit Sea Turtle Inc., holds Allison, a three-year-old Atlantic Green sea turtle, at Sea Turtle, Inc., in South Padre Island, Texas, Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2008. When tourists found the green sea turtle two years ago she was bloody and missing three of her flippers. A group of veterinary and medical professionals _ including an assistant professor at the world-renowned University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the UT Dental Branch in Houston _ have volunteered to help fit a prosthetic flipper to her left rear side. 11:33 p.m. ET, 2/27/08

Saturday Update

Not much going on this weekend. I am glad I have a four day weekend. I don't go back to work until Wednesday. I don't have much planned, I just need to take a few days off here and there so I use up my vacation time. I can no longer roll it over to the next year. Last night we watched "Jeremiah Johnson". It's a good movie. I will probably watch several movies in the next few days. Maybe I will go to the fabric store to see if I can find fabric to make Chloe's PJ bottoms. Wanda's birthday is Wednesday, so I need to get her a gift.

It is supposed to be a little warm over the next few days. I really hope some of this snow melts. I love snow, but after awhile you get tired of shoveling. I don't have much else to say. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!!

Happy Leap Day!!!!!!!

Wednesday Update

They delivered our new mattress yesterday. I wasn't sure how I felt about the firmness. Today I woke up with my back feeling better than it has in years, I guess I like the firm bed after all. Not much else is going on. Thomas told me has completed a few more applications to schools. I'm sure he won't have a problem finding a job once he graduates. The hardest part will probably be choosing which job offer he wants. It sounds like Chloe is lining up a new job for when she starts at UNI. I'm not sure where it is, I will have to get more details from her.

That is all. Have a wonderful day.

Congratulations Diedre. I am very happy for you. You not only got a raise, but you also don't have to worry about where you will be working each day for the next 4-6 weeks. I think you are headed for very great opportunities.

Monday Update

Supper was very good last night. Pork & Noodles and Chicken & Noodles. Not exactly soup as they were thick, but very, very yummy. The Dreamsicle cake was a real hit. Wanda and Diedre both asked for the recipe. And Diedre wasn't even here to try it. As usual Johnny's cheese cake was superb. Matt and Rachel even showed up, which was a nice suprise.

We watched the Oscars after supper. That was not too exciting. It was funny watching Wanda get upset when Doug started talking about todays weather. She said "No, I'm tired." I think she is tired of shoveling snow. I think we are all a bit tired of this weather.

Sunday Update

Yesterday was a good day. Ilse was not feeling well and not up to going out, so we decided to eat out anyway. Doug and I went to Buffalo Wild Wings. I had never eaten there, although he has. We both had the Buffalo Ranch Chicken sandwich. I ordered potato wedges with chili and cheese and he ordered onion rings, with boneless wings to go. I think those were for a midnight snack.

After eating we went to Lebeba Mattress Factory and picked out a new mattress for our bed. It has a 15 year warranty, so should just about out last us. They will be delivering it on Tuesday. Thomas' bed in the basement will get our old mattress and the old droopy one will be going. His bed is also getting a new frame, which Doug so cleverly had thrown into the deal at no charge.

I had a good grocery shopping day as well. I had free coupons for 15 bottles of water from Hy-Vee, a free box of Nabisco 100 calorie candy bites and Fareway had frozen rolled pie crust, 2 boxes for $1.00. The boxes had a $1.00 off coupon if you bought 2 boxes. So they were free also. Now I think Doug will make me an apple pie sometime soon. Yummy!!!

That is all, I have a Dreamsicle Cake to bake this morning.

Saturday Update

Yesterday was a long day at work. We had two people missing, that means non-stop phone calls. I had to stay late to find time to work on the PO's. We have been getting a lot of them in lately and with someone always missing at work there is hardly any down time to process them. It gets frustrating at times.

Last night we watched The Mighty Boosh Live. It is so random and crazy, at times you wonder why you are laughing, but you just can't help it. I wish they would come to the US with the show. We would travel to go see them.

Not much going on here today. We will probably try to get Ilse and my Dad to go out for lunch to finally celebrate Ilse's birthday. Not sure where we will go. Other than that I have no plans. Well that is all I have for now. Have a wonderful weekend!

Friday Update

On Wednesday morning Puck reached a milestone, 111,111 miles. That same day driving home the water pump broke. Puck is all fixed now and I am happy to have my wheels back.

Thomas had his last day at Denver Schools yesterday and will have a week before starting at Waverly. At least he will not have to travel as far now and if the weather ever gets nice enough, he will be able to walk to school.

As you can tell by this update, I don't have much to say. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough this weekend so we can finally take Ilse out for her birthday.

Tuesday Update

I am glad that Thomas and Diedre made it back to Waterloo and Waverly. Their trip was delayed by a semi that had jack-knifed on I-380. It sounds like it was quite a drive. Lots of ice and Thomas counted 54 cars in the ditch. One car lost control right in front of him as he was pulling off the highway to Waverly. I never trust those SUV drivers. It looks like quite a few schools are still closed today, including Denver and Kirkwood.

Monday Update

I hope the roads are cleared enough for Thomas and Diedre to have a safe trip back to Waterloo/Waverly this morning. Thomas also has to travel to Denver this morning. At least Denver has a two hour delay. The Waterloo schools have no delay for Diedre. Chloe and Ross can sleep in, Kirkwood is canceled.

New update Denver and Waterloo are now closed. This makes me feel better.

Saturday Update

It turned out the bag I made for Thomas' TomTom is too big. Doug is going to keep this bag and I am going to redesign the pattern for a smaller bag. I hope it turns out.

Last night Thomas went to Outback with Diedre and her parents. This evening Thomas is taking Diedre out for her birthday which was yesterday. They are going to Vino's of course. On Sunday Diedre is going to come here to visit for awhile. And of course we will be making her favorite, French Onion Soup.

Yesterday was a good day off. I shopped for Diedre's B-day gift, ran some errands and baked mint brownies. In the evening we watched 'Little Big Man', finished watching a silly movie that Doug had started watching called 'Hot Rod' and then watched 'Ocean's 13'. Needless to say by 1:00 I was very tired and of course I had dozed off several times during 'Ocean's 13', so I really only watched part of it and was confused part of the time.

I'm not sure what I will do today. I will need to go to the grocery store some time today. Other than that, it will probably be laundry and house cleaning. Okay, this is getting very boring, so that is all.