Home Improvement!Hey, you know those home improvement classes that always look ultra fun? I actually just signed up for two of them! I'm so proud of myself! I'm taking a class aimed at women in how to use power tools. Why? Why not! I think that's a great first step toward a general feeling of helpless intimidation with home maintenance, repair, and ( Read more... )

I'm trying a cooking experiment today: making refried beans in the crock pot. "I don't know the outcome or the wisdom of this thinking," as John Dunbar says in "Dances With Wolves." I LOVE refried beans, and people tell me they're relatively simple to make yourself, and certainly inexpensive. If you make them traditionally, there is a lot of ( Read more... )

I'm on vacation until Tuesday after New Year's. All year long I look forward to this blissful week of doing nothing. We don't go out of town. Family and friends may come to us -- in fact, we hosted a group of 10 on Christmas Eve this year, which was an absolute delight! The week between Christmas and New Year's is for relaxing at home, playing ( Read more... )

Keeping Busy
Yesterday I told Ian that I was making a bona fide Cry For HelpTM, that I need his ideas for keeping me productively busy... busily productive?... during this limbo time until we figure out what we're doing and move onto the next chapter in our lives. Ian was awesome, and responded immediately with some ideas which we jotted down on ( Read more... )

Today BioWare announced another planet that Ian has worked on for Star Wars: The Old Republic -- Belsavis ( Read more... )

At 1:45 am this morning, Ian finally finished the last puzzle and bit of meaningful content in Assassin's Creed II. I think he's still got some trophies to acquire (whatever Xbox calls them), but largely we "got no more use for dis guy." That was a good four days!

We're still at it, however, Consoleathon continues into Day 5, now moving to the PS3 ( Read more... )

Assassin's Creed-a-Thon has continued for three straight days -- three strange days, as the song says. (And why isn't that song in my collection, I ask you?) For three days, Ian and I have done little but bask in the coziness of our living room while he's played Assassin's Creed II on the Xbox. I watch him play, since this game really is that ( Read more... )

WATER FELL FROM THE SKY!Recently, I mentioned that Austin is in a terrible drought, and this past week the city put us in Stage 2 water restrictions. Then, literally out of the blue, we got two rainstorms this week. That was nearly more rain in 48 hours than I think I've seen all summer. It was overcast when I woke this morning, too, and perhaps ( Read more... )

This has been an oddly busy day, comparatively. Started off with ease with the usual bi-weekly chiropractor visit, which was sorely - and I do mean sorely - needed. Then back home to finish cleaning the kitchen, make the bed, and do the usual daily chores -- including applying for jobs. Saw one of particular interest, we'll see what happens ( Read more... )

Just got the word that I did not get the job for which I interviewed last week; looks like I won't have to wait three weeks to find out after all! Just as well -- it was passable, but not a perfect fit. And I know this is weird, but of the downsides of that job was that the parking lot underneath their building was very narrow and spooky. I know I' ( Read more... )