The cooler weather lately has encouraged the citrus on the patio to finally start looking ripe. I am hopeful we'll have fresh tangerines in December, but I'm not sure how much longer the Meyer lemons will take. I am tickled by how well they're doing outside after having them inside last winter (and no fruit to show for it). Vogon bought another ( Read more... )

While looking at the usual suspects of kids' digital cameras (nice idea, but generally they have abominably low resolution for the price), I found one that Laurel would love: a Hello Kitty 3.0 MP Digital Video Camera. I'm really feeling that Hello Kitty is everywhere now ( Read more... )

The Arrow of Light ceremony was quite nice, although it was significantly warmer than the weather forecasts going into last weekend had predicted (92°F/33°C, ouch) and Vogon got cranky because it ran half an hour late (we started late since a lot of folks showed up late). The arrows looked great, the food prep went well, and all three boys went on ( Read more... )

Our return trip to Dallas was uneventful -- the security screeners commented on Laurel's fabulous princess hat and let her wear it through the metal detector, the airline rearranged some seat assignments so two families that had children assigned to seats not adjacent to relatives were together (we weren't the only ones) and kiddo fell asleep for ( Read more... )

I had a pretty unpleasant weekend thanks to being double-teamed by the never-ending cold (which I've had since the week before Halloween) and the cold front that came through pissing off my sinuses ( Read more... )

Listening to Morning Edition today, I have been struck with acute object lust for a device recently approved by the FDA: the EarPopper. Available by prescription, it relieves negative ear pressure and helps fluid in the ears drain by blowing air up your nose ( Read more... )

I screwed up earlier tonight when Vogon took a nap and I forgot to wake him in time for Enterprise. In my defense, I was learning that Benadryl and Tavist taken too close together makes me light-headed and spacey, though I'm glad it worked after my usual nasal sprays barely made a dent in blasting the sinuses on the left side of my head into ( Read more... )

I really need to remember to keep an eye on the weather forecast. Had I been this past week, I would have seen the drop in forecasted highs between Wednesday and Thursday and correctly guessed a frontal boundary was coming through. Blindsided by my own inattention, I spent yesterday in a sinus haze and retching every time I changed position or ( Read more... )

PBS cut from their children's programming to inauguration coverage at 1000. Laurel promptly threw a fit ("Where's DRAGON TALES?! No, old man, SESAME STREET!") and required a time-out in her room until she calmed down. I am sure Robert O'Neil will be fine without knowing my public broadcasting-savvy four year old called him an old man ( Read more... )

After a couple days without keeping an eye on the weather report, I'm think there's some change in air pressure because I'm nauseous with only slight sinus pressure. Just hit the pepper spray. If that doesn't help in an hour, I'm taking a Tavist and a Dramamine, the latter of which will put me to sleep for awhile ( Read more... )