All Ready....

Early risers! I hope the excitement lasts! They were READY long before 8 o'clock.... Will this work tomorrow morning, and the morning after? That would be nice! Less stress on mommy. Bud is headed to second grade... I think I can deal with that.... But does Tanara seem old enough to go to Kindergarten????? Hey, all of you would be SO proud of me! I DID NOT CRY!!







Such serious kids. They really look ready to learn.









By the way, they are both very proud of their backpacks. Dora and Batman, what a great pair.

I will be picking them up from the bus stop a little after 3.... No more quiet house. I am sure that I will have more pictures to add after that. And I will let John Tylor and Tanara recount their first day for you. :)

T'was the Night Before School

T'was the night before School and all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
The backpacks were hung by the front door with care
In antisipation of seeing their school friends there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of school books danced in their heads;
And mamma in her nightie, and I in my briefs,
Had just settled down for a long autumn's nap,

When out in the hall there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.
Away toward the living room I flew like a flash,
Throwing on my bathrobe and tying the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new fallen dew
Gave the luster of mid-day to our living room
When what to my wondering eyes should appear
Two tiny children getting on their school gear....

School starts tomorrow for the kids! They are SO excited!!

Dan, yet another message from your spouse

She-who-must-be-heard says that she is still dilligently trying to contact you via the most recent phone #. SWMBH says that sometimes she has actually gotten through to the apartment, she THINKS, but there are still some technical difficulties, like hang-ups, but that she THINKS at least one phone message was left.
And here is the message:
SWMBH will call every hour on the DSN line until she is, indeed SWHBH*.

That's all for now,
signed,
Katrina's secretary.


*she-who-has-been-heard, duh ;)

Dan, check your email:

Emily must be tired of me airing her dirty* laundry on the blog, because she asked me to send you an email.
(*just a guess. Not sure laundry facilities are available,)

Don't worry, curious folks. It was boring.

Too bad. I could use a nice juicy story right about now. It's been so calm around here. Hardly anything going on.

Clarity for Message left on my machine....

..... I talked with Emily..... twice in one day!!!!!!!
She has heard rumors that they might be sending people to Pensecola, but, she said she is not even going to look into it until Tim goes home. (Probably a smart move since his flight leaves from there, a good jaunt away from Pensecola - that could be a pain.) She also said that she is not actually leaving unless she absolutely has to. Her plan is to stay right there until Dan gets there, then go from there. Basically, she is willing to live in the warehouse as long as neccessary as long as she will not have to be separated from her husband again. Understand that one 100%. She is heading to Kittiwake for church today, so she will be able to see first hand how his guitars have made out.

message left on my machine

Emily called while we were picnicking (what a weird word to spell).
She said that she has been trying and trying to call Dan, but even when she uses up piles of minutes on a phone card she still can't get through. Something about calling internationally is a problem. She has also tried the DSN line (interesting that Erin's post mentions this new phone line) but - no go. So, she says Dan can just keep trying and if worse comes to worse they can communicate through the blog. Just remember kids, less than 2 weeks now.
Also, her parting line on the message says she might go to Pensacola? Why? Is Dan coming in there? She didn't leave details.

CBC Information

We got this from John's chief. It came from the CO down at the base to the CO up here at John's base. I am including the information that seems pertinent to our knowledge of the conditions down there.

Admirals/Chief: I sent a very short message sitrep yesterday evening and will send another more detailed message updayte later this evening. In the interim I wanted to give you all a quick unofficial update on what's happening and send you a few photos since we got limited email connectivity was restored earlier this morning through a DSN phone circuit (thanks to the CNRSE IT folks and EDS). Phone connectivity continues to be problematic - DSN has been reliable but local off base service and long distance is not functional.

Facility Status: We've got Seabees clearing our roads from trees and power poles/lines to make it safe to drive throughout the base. I believe we'll have most of that done today. Assessment teams are working throughout the base to better determine the extent of the damages. We have significant damages that will likely total in the tens of millions of dollars. SOUTHDIV already has gotten CONCAP leadership on board here (thanks CAPT Raines!) and they will be working on the following priorities: power distribution and generation, damage assessment, temporary roofs and lastly debris removal. Mississippi Power is bringing in 4000 people to work the distribution system problems throughout the area. They don't know how long it will take to get power restored but they think it's months. Based on that I asked CAPT Walden this morning to work with NAVFAC to have MUSE units delivered here and we just got word that two 750KW units are on their way and will be here tomorrow (thanks Paul!). We're working alternative power generation/distribution plans now and are planning for a long term temporary solution...

Quality of Life: We have ~ 1277 # ofo people in shelters. Our galley is serving meals as of lunchtime today using paper plates, etc. We've opened the galley to everyone. The Commissary suffered major damamge and will not be operational for many months. NEX doesn't appear to be seriously damaged and we are hoping to open it later this week. There is some family housing damage but our preliminary tour indicates most homes are livable. Showers are being erected in three locations across the base and porta potties placed strategically around housing to allow housing residents to return to their homes later today. We're also establishing laundrys. Because the community has no sewer capacity right now (estimated to be repaired in about a week) we need to not push sewage to them, so we will secure water to family housing and they will use our shower/laundry facilities that outlet to leach fields we are constructing. Once we have the MUSE generators up and running tomorrow we will be able to reopen our barracks. We are working on establishing a disaster assistance center (Legal claims, USAA, Navy & Marine Corps Relief, Red Cross, FFSC counseling, etc) and our goal is to have it open in one of our warehouses beginning tomorrow. NAVHOSP Pensacola is also looking at sending us additional medical staff and medicinals...

Lastly, I want to let you all know that while I have not yet been out to see everything (I plan to do some checks later today) that based on the eyewitness reports I have so far that the Gulf Coast has been hit secerely and the devastation is catastrophic. For those of us familiar with the area, to try to paint a picture of what has happened - most facilities south of the railroad tracks from Bay St. Louis through Biloxi have been destroyed.

Saturday am update

Emily tried to call Erin and Denise this am but got one of those strange messages. She was able to get through to me.
She did try to get Dan but her phone said that she couldn't call internationally. She must have already had his phone #? (because I didn't give it to her)(or, Dan must have left it on his messages). Yes, she got several messages from Dan, though she still hasn't spoken with him post hurricane.
About per diem pay: She is trying to get to the right guy to figure out about this. Evidently getting to the right guy is quite difficult. She is really hoping to just stay put in the warehouse or whatever (on base) until Dan gets there in a week and a half. Part of that time will be spent hanging out with Tim until he gets on his plane (I hope) on Tuesday.
She wasn't in the waiting for base housing line. She was in the Navy Relief Fund line. She got a couple hundred $, a grant, to help her through the coming days. She continues to live and eat on base. The base wasn't too hard hit. There are downed trees, roof damage, windows out, and still no electric or water. But, comparitively light damage. They have generators and hot food and (group) showers. Tim really loves those group showers.
She went down closer to her apartment. Last year's apartment, against odds, still stands. Most of that complex is gone though.
























This year's apartment-to-be is no longer standing, but some of the complex is still there. No rhyme nor reason I guess to what made it and what didn't. I pulled these photos off an apartment site so they are supposed to be the apartments in Pass Christian but who knows.
Her church, and the pastor's house, only got 1.5' of water in them - which was a surprise. But, Dan's guitars were in the water so they didn't make it.
At night time about 2000 helpers, people from across the nation, sleep in the warehouses. During the day they go out and help. Amazing America. Each night, during the briefing, an announcement is made for a prayer service. Each night more attend.
Also during the briefing mention was made of the possibility of an on base school. I'm not sure who all it would serve. You might recall that public schools aren't expected to start for several months. Emily wrote somewhere that she could teach and gave a 1 line resume (wonder what it said!). That might be the ministry that she needs to be involved with this fall. Who knows but God.
Anyway, Dan, I think she really wants to wait for you there. She promises that she is not getting into dangerous places and is safe at the base for now. She really wants to talk with you but I guess we have to wait until all the stars align (or all the towers align)(or something).
Tim says:
The cat is being nice. It's so weird.
He saved a 400 page book to read but finally he succombed and read it. He really wishes he had more books.
He pulled a sandy chair out of the gulf. He is using it and everyone is jealous.
Group showers: still bad.
Hasn't found a fit-in-his-backpack souvenir yet.

That's all I can remember right now. Hopefully she will be able to get through to Dan! and the rest of you before too long.

Message to Emily

If anyone talks to Emily, Dan wants her to call.
His apartment phone # is: 0-115-399-8314. He has a message machine for when he isn't there.
Basically, the question is: Was Emily able to find on base housing? If not, Dan wants her to consider going somewhere else until it is ready. He feels like the base is the only safe place to be right now. She could move to NY or GA or whatever. If she wants to do this (or is willing to), Dan would live in the barracks. Additionally, he wants to apply for separation pay pronto (today).
Well, nothing like airing their private decisions. Please tell her if you are the lucky one she contacts. And don't forget the info about Tim's flight.
Talk among yourselves.

Message from Emily, from Wednesday

Emily's cell phone is sure hit and miss. I tried to call her shortly after we had talked, to tell her Tim's flight plan, and couldn't get through. Oh, well. If anyone does talk to her before I do, you could pass along the info that Tim does have a confirmed flight on September 6, next Tuesday. If you happen to have this page handy, more specific details are:
Delta 1132 leave @7:05am Gulfport
arrive @ Atlanta 9:19am
Delta 1646 leave @10:21am Atlanta
arrive @ Buffalo 12:20am

as a special bonus I am going to try to arrange an orthodontist appointment for Tim while we are in Buffalo so that we don't have to miss any more school to do one later. But you don't have to mention that.

Now on to E's messages:
Indeed, the best (and surprising to me)news was that the storage unit and cars survived. Emily and Tim were allowed off base Wednesday, though they couldn't go far due to the road conditions. Her car was unscathed, though others in the parking lot weren't. For Dan's info, she said that the "bee" on the Grinder in the lot fell on some of the cars, smashing them. Whatever that means. Then they went to the storage unit. The one next to hers had suffered some damage, perhaps by looters or perhaps the owner, but hers, again, all fine. Then they took a little trip towards Pass Christian. They got somewhat close but a "burly" fireman blocked the way. He became teary when he said, "you don't want to go down there." I understand that the national guard is now preventing passage. Emily wonders if she will get her apartment deposit back. I wonder if maintenence will be able to finish getting it ready for today. Ha. I guess not.
She said that galley food is better than MRE's, and the newly functional showers were really appreciated, and that they now have some TV coverage. She says the base is fine, though I read after the conversation that it had sustained damage and had to be evacuated. Someone doesn't have all the facts or something. Maybe they mean the housing?
Dan's car's damage evidently was caused by an camper awning pole. Can't you just see it flying through the air? The small rear passenger window was broken, as well as a dent in that area. I believe she is not complaining about this damage!
The Walmart they lived near is now a cement slab.
The base expects to have electricity in 7-10 days. The surrounding towns expect to have electricity in 2-3 months. Wow. Schools there will not be starting till November or December.
As I was talking with her she was standing in line to sign up for base housing. She had been in line for "hours" and expected to continue to be standing and waiting. I wonder how that worked out.

Day of Prayer (feel free to extend the time frame)

NEW ORLEANS (BP)--The horrendous destruction left by Hurricane Katrina worsened Aug. 31 as floodwaters continued to rise in New Orleans, prompting Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco to order a complete evacuation of the city and to ask for a statewide day of prayer.

"As we face the devastation wrought by Katrina, as we search for those in need, as we comfort those in pain and as we begin the long task of rebuilding, we turn to God for strength, hope and comfort,” Blanco said in a statement.

“I am asking that all of Louisiana take some time Wednesday to pray,” she added. “Pray for the victims and the rescuers. Please pray that God give us all the physical and spiritual strength to work through this crisis and rebuild.

“Please pray for patience for those anxiously waiting to hear from family members or to get word about their homes. Pray for the safety of our hard-working rescuers and those they are bringing to safety.

“I know, by praying together on Wednesday, that we can pull together and draw strength we need -- strength that only God can give us. In my prayers, I will also thank God for the strong and resilient people of this state and how they are working to meet this challenge,

"Prayer would be the best thing to calm our spirits and thank our Lord that we are survivors,” Blanco said.

Dan, phone Emily

I spoke with Em at 6:15 pm New York time. She said to call, as cell service seems to be cooperating.

She further directs (being Emily) to hang up after 2-3 rings so as not to use the minutes for a message. She says to dial again nearly right away, in case it takes her a minute to get to the phone. Try the ring 2-3 times hang up routine a couple of times. You probably know why she has devised this method to save your minutes or money or something :)

I have a longer post of her updates but I want to make dinner first - but she thinks you (Dan) will read this so I said I would post it post haste (I kill myself, hahaha).

Right now she is waiting in the "sign up for base house" line. She has been standing there "for hours". So, she should be able to get to her phone easily.



edited to add:
well, I tried to call her back to tell her Tim's flight info and the cell service is not cooperating again. bummer.
If anyone happens to talk with her, Tim's flight (Delta) is Tuesday September 6 (hmm, could have sworn the operator said Tuesday the fifth - I really need to recheck that I guess)
7:05am Gulfport
to Atlanta
to Buffalo, arrive in Buffalo @12:20pm or so (still haven't received confirmation email for flight #'s)

WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I know that I know that I KNOW that God hears us and that He had His hand on Emily and Tim and on Dan and Emily's stuff. I KNOW IT! Their stuff in the storage shed is UNTOUCHED and her car is UNTOUCHED and his car has only suffered a cracked window and a dent in the roof. I KNOW that God had His hand on them. In the midst of catostrophic loss and devestation, they are safe, healthy and have not lost their possessions. There are SO many people who have not fared as well, who have lost all their possessions and lost their loved ones. God is good!

Dan might know where this stuff is --

but I don't. Sounds like I missed a really great vacation spot. Bummer.
(ps, Dan, E is fine. Really.)

Posted on Tue, Aug. 30, 2005

Katrina's fury irrevocably changed Mississippi Coast

By Scott Dodd

Knight Ridder Newspapers

BILOXI, Miss. - The Mississippi Coast changed forever Monday.

Gone are the signature landmarks, moneymaking casinos, pricey beach houses, ramshackle apartments and the bridges that link South Mississippi together. Katrina stole or smashed them all.

In their place, a mess of sand and debris coated everything - left by the hurricane's surging seawater that sometimes topped 30 feet.

So much simply disappeared, leaving nothing but concrete slabs. And with the coastline reshaped by Katrina's winds and waves, so much may never be recovered.

"It took 15 years to build," said Hayes Bolton, looking over the concrete slab that was once his well-known Aaron's Lighthouse Pawn shop on Beach Boulevard in Biloxi, "and now it's down the toilet."

Damage assessment teams came back with the same message over and over: It would be easier to list what still stood, rather than everything that had been damaged or destroyed.

Still, a catalog - even a partial one, as any list of so much damage must be - starts to give a picture of how much the Coast suffered, and the overwhelming task that faces the people of South Mississippi as they struggle to clean up and rebuild.

First, though, an important survivor: the 600-year-old Friendship Oak, symbol of Long Beach, made it through.

It lost only one branch and a bunch of leaves, and now stands as a symbol of the community's determination to recover from Katrina, as well.

Also standing: The Biloxi Lighthouse, and the signature guitar of the Hard Rock Cafe Casino, said to be the world's largest. The new casino itself, scheduled to open in September, was half gutted.

Now, some of what's gone:

-The Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge and Bay St. Louis Bridge, two of the community's main connectors. Along much of the spans, only pylons remain.

-The historic Grass Lawn building in Gulfport, a reception hall that dates back to the 1830s. Only its foundation survived.

-Much of downtown Moss Point. Twenty feet of water flooded most of the city. Police and power crews still couldn't get in late Tuesday to assess the full damage.

-The Coliseum Pier across from the Mississippi Coast Coliseum. Pelicans lined its remains.

-The Mississippi State Port at Gulfport. It lost its lifting facilities and cranes, and the waves deposited cargo containers as far as a block north of U.S. 90.

- The Isle of Capri casino barge. There was no sign of it.

-Beauvoir, the Jefferson Davis home in Biloxi. The bottom floor of the library and the home itself were gutted. A Confederate flag, though, still draped over the arm of Davis' statue in the library.

-Fun Time USA in Gulfport. The bumper boats, pool and go-cart track were the only things left.

-The President Casino barge in Biloxi, now sitting on a nearby hotel.

-Pass Christian Harbor and the community's entire beachfront.

-Grand Casino Pier, also in Biloxi. Its two barges broken in half. One plowed across the yacht club north of U.S. 90. The other landed in the middle of the highway.

-The Treasure Bay Pirate Ship casino barge in Biloxi. It was grounded on the beach, with the bottom half blown out.

-The old Harrison County Courthouse building, which now houses other county offices. The roof was sitting on nearby railroad tracks.

-The Palace Casino barge in Biloxi, sunk in place.

-The Armed Forces Retirement Home water tower. It collapsed as waves surged beneath it.

-Several blocks of stores and restaurants along U.S. 90 in Biloxi between Rodenberg Avenue and Treasure Bay casino.

-Sharkshead Souvenir City, a Biloxi landmark. The pink shell that topped it sat in the yard of a home more than half a mile away.

-U.S. 90 through Long Beach. Chunks remained, like the aftermath of an earthquake.

-The stately homes and apartment complexes that lined the shore of Long Beach. The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Coast campus was pretty much the only structure still standing.

-The Edgewater Village strip shopping center in Biloxi. Buildings were gutted.

-The popular El Maguey Mexican restaurant in Gulfport, managed by Mercedes Carranza, a local landmark himself.

-Six blocks of Market Street through Pascagoula.

-The Diamondhead yacht club, and the roof of the Diamondhead Country Club, as well as the community's business district, including the supermarket. More than half of the community's huge pine trees also snapped in two.

-Alberti's Italian Restaurant on the Biloxi strip.

-The steeple of historic Hansboro Presbyterian Church.

-Luckie's Furniture and Appliance store on Pass Road. It was washed out, the walls gone, but the roof was still standing.

- Waters Edge III apartments in Biloxi.

- The restaurants

-The old neon McDonald's sign on Pass Road.

Dodd reports for the Charlotte Observer.

Gulfport Hurricane Blog

click

another blog:
South Mississippi Hurricane Blog

and the local paper:
Sun Herald - South Mississippi Newspaper


and this about I-10, the road Tim and Emily would need to take to get to the airport:
"Interstate 10 impassable

The Biloxi River is flowing over the bridge on Interstate 10, to what one observer guessed was perhaps 6 feet. There are also reports of containers from the Fayard moving company littering in the interstate just east of the I-10/U.S. 49 junction in Gulfport."

so, I'm guessing no airline reservations will be made today.

Here I thought she was screening her calls

but, THIS may explain why I haven't gotten through to Emily this evening:

'Miles of the town are underwater'

Posted 5:06 p.m. ET
CNN's Gary Tuchman, Biloxi, Mississippi

Gulfport is basically, at this time, closed off from the rest of the world. There's no cellular service, there's no phone service. There's really no way to communicate from there. That's why we had to leave Gulfport and take a drive. It was quite a trying 18-mile drive from Biloxi. It was like going in a covered wagon. Interstate 10, heading east from Gulfport to Biloxi, is covered with more refuse than you can ever imagine you've ever seen before. There are stoves, there are refrigerators, there are basketballs, there are sinks, there are toys, I mean, literally, the kitchen sink.

In this town of Gulfport ... miles of the town are underwater.

It's very devastating.

and from earlier, same guy I quoted above and in an earlier post:
'Dismantling of a beautiful town'

Posted 11:03 a.m. ET
CNN's Gary Tuchman, Gulfport, Mississippi

We are watching the dismantling of a beautiful town.

We have been told by authorities there is now over 10 feet of water on the road next to the beach. When we were there, we saw boats sailing up and down the streets. We're told there are now at least four or five boats here on the main street here in Gulfport.

Literally, projectiles are coming in our direction. It feels like we've got to dodge artillery. I want to give you a look at what happened to our vehicle. Five minutes ago a piece of wood crashed into our vehicle -- crashed into the window and put a hole in our window.

this MIGHT work:
movie


I just heard on the 11:00pm news that 50 people have been confirmed dead in Harrison County. That's where Gulfport is, and I think Pass Christian too. That is WAY high - I think more than anywhere else. Wonder what happened.

This just in @1:30 pm our time

Dan put more insurance on the car last night --

Dan heard that after Camille all the deployed guys got sent home, so he wants to get on that list.

Emily thinks that the portapotties between the hummers would make a great picture.

Cots are 7" apart in their shelter (the warehouse). 700 people are there, "enjoying" the MREs. Tim reportedly nearly puked after realizing how similar to cat food the food tasted. Really.

Cat got a tranquilizer from the pastor.

Gulfport news

Wind whips through Gulfport, Mississippi, where a boat washed onto Highway 80.

(CNN)"To the east, Katrina was hammering Biloxi, Gulfport and other communities along Mississippi's Gulf of Mexico beaches, where CNN correspondent Gary Tuchman reported from Gulfport that the storm was "dismantling" the area.
"There is intense damage," Tuchman said. "We are watching the dismantling of a beautiful town.". . . . "We are watching these building deteriorate and break down before our eyes," Tuchman said. "Because the water is so deep, boats are floating up the street. There is extensive damage here. This is essentially right now like hell on earth."
Authorities in Gulfport told CNN that 10 feet of water cover downtown streets. "

editorial opinion: Have a feeling that the Tuchman has underestimated hell, though I understand that he is saying it is *very* bad.

(Yahoo news)""This is a devastating hit — we've got boats that have gone into buildings," Gulfport, Miss., Fire Chief Pat Sullivan said as he maneuvered around downed trees in the city. "What you're looking at is Camille II." "

"Killer Katrina" (or, what's a nice name like this doing on a Category 5 Hurricane?)

"With powerful and strengthening Hurricane Katrina headed straight for his city, the mayor of New Orleans today ordered the mandatory evacuation of residents. The Category 5 storm has maximum sustained winds near 175 mph and has already been blamed for nine deaths in South Florida. Looking ahead, Max Mayfield of the National Hurricane Center said: "It has the potential for a large loss of life.""*
""There will be extensive to potentially catastrophic damage to many structures ... and inland," he said. "We'll have a lot of trees that are going to come down, perhaps millions of trees. But the first threat is going to be the storm surge. You must get away from the coast now."
By 8:30 a.m. ET (Sunday), the first bands of rain were falling over southeastern Louisiana.
CNN meteorologist Brad Huffines said the Katrina would come ashore "sometime between 5 a.m. and 8 a.m." Monday.
"The news doesn't get good, unfortunately," he said. "These rain showers will slow down the evacuation process, and that means you need to hit the road quickly, very quickly.""

"Governors of both Louisiana and Mississippi declared emergencies Friday in anticipation of the strengthening storm.
Robert Latham, director of the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency, said the state was recommending evacuations along the coast "and even several counties inland." Mandatory evacuations could follow later, he said.
Category 5 is the highest category on the Saffir-Simpson scale of hurricane intensity. Only three Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since records were kept. Those were the Labor Day hurricane of 1935, 1969's Hurricane Camille and Hurricane Andrew, which devastated the Miami area in 1992. Andrew remains the costliest U.S. hurricane on record, with $26.5 billion in losses.
Camille came ashore in Mississippi and killed 256 people."

"Katrina is forecast to turn to the northwest later this morning, then toward the north tonight. Well ahead of the center there will be very high surf crashing ashore in the northern Gulf starting Sunday night. You'll need to use extreme caution or JUST NOT GO IN THE WATER AT ALL along all of the northern Gulf beaches from Louisiana to western Florida due to this increased surf. Extreme damaging winds, high, life threatening storm surge, and deadly flooding rains with possible tornadoes are expected at landfall. "
(certain words capitalized by me, the mother, as a message to Tim, the dope, who (it has been reported to me) wants to go swimming in the Gulf.)

*all quotes taken from cnn or weather.com

and now, a few words from our sponsor, Emily -
•Emily's cat will never be the same (which the sponsor's mother thinks might be good) after it listens to the howling wind in the pastor's mother's garage. It is not allowed to go along with Emily and Tim.

•Emily and Tim are going to evacuate to the Navy Base in Gulfport. No civilians allowed, so I don't know who Emily is planning on coercing to get Tim into the warehouses with her and the other evacuees. (for those of you not in the know, Tim drove down to MS with E last Monday to help her move into an apartment. He was supposed to fly home tomorrow. cue hysterical laughter)

•Emily expects to call this evening (Sunday) one last time. However, the citizens are encouraged to not use their cell phones excessively, to "clear the airwaves" for other emergency communications.

•Emily expects the (electric) power to cease and desist during the night tonight.

•Emily expects the storm to last 4-12 hours. She is likely to be out of communication during this time.

•Emily expects that Tim will not cry about missing his first days of school.

This* just can't be good

*(click)
"People along the Gulf Coast got some very unwelcome news just before the weekend -- Hurricane Katrina appears headed their way and may be a destructive monster by the time it arrives. Governors of Louisiana and Mississippi declared states of emergency Friday. Damages from Katrina are estimated at between $600 million and $2 billion. "
and
"Friday, August 26, 2005; Posted: 10:00 p.m. EDT (02:00 GMT)

HOLLYWOOD, Florida (CNN) -- Hurricane Katrina will make a "big shift" to the west on its way across the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to reach dangerous Category 4 intensity before making landfall Monday afternoon in Mississippi or Louisiana, the National Hurricane Center said Friday." (both CNN quotes)

anyone want to place a bet whether Tim will be on his plane coming home from New Orleans on Monday? Right about the time the hurricane is due in LA?
and anyone want to bet Dan will be thinking about renter's insurance again?

edited to add: I nuked the defective "animated" image. So there.

I have discovered something...

I don't have the power, I don't even have a clue
I don't know all the answers, I don't even know a few
And if I were really honest and the truth were known of me
It may sound a little funny, this is what my prayer would be

I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on You
I don't know what to do, but my eyes are on You
Eyes...

My eyes are on You, Lord
I don't have the power, I don't have all the anwers
But my eyes are on You, Lord
I know victo - victory is Yours, I know victo - victory is Yours
So my eyes are on You

My eyes are on You
I lift my eyes toward the heavens and tune my ear to Your command
Help me boast of my condition, Lord
You're the God and I'm the man, You're the God and I'm the man
I lift my eyes toward the heavens and tune my ear to Your command
Help me boast of my condition, Lord
You're the God and I'm the man

You, oh Lord are God
You, oh Lord are God over this city, oh God
You, oh Lord are God, You, Lord
Mighty Warrior, Mighty warrior, Victorious One
Come help us boast in our condition, Lord
We wait on You, Lord
Mighty angels, mighty angels go before us

You're the God, oh Lord,You're the Almighty God
You're the awesome, powerful militant Lord
Victory is Yours, oh Lord, Victory is Yours, oh Lord, Victory is Yours, oh Lord
Victory is Yours, oh Lord, Victory is Yours, oh Lord, Victory is Yours, oh Lord
You are God, oh God, You are Lord, oh Lord, You are King, oh King
You are King

Rejoicing, rejoicing, rejoicing, victory is the Lords
Rejoicing, rejoicing, rejoicing, victory is the Lord's
Rejoicing, rejoicing, rejoicing, victory is the Lord's
Dancing and singing, dancing and singing, dancing and singing
Victory is yours oh Lord, victory, victory is Yours
Yes, oh Lord, yes oh Lord
Dancing and singing, victory is Yours
Victory!

All of heaven rejoices, all of heaven rejoices, all of heaven rejoices

~Jason Upton

And that discovery is this: If you answer that call from God to truly chase after Him and step out and do what He has called you to do, you will get bombarded on every angle. For a few weeks, I have had all I can do to sleep. That can make coping with little kids tough. John has been physically hurt in the last couple weeks and that makes his job at the airport tough and drumming at church hard, too. I didn't give it too much thought, but knew that we werw being attacked. This morning we discovered that we had been NAILED in our finances. I knew that we were going to be attacked because we have taken a stand and said, enough with the complacency, it is time to obey and have started praying every morning and really chasing God and trying to follow His call. I never thought that an attack would come on the finances. I called John in tears and told him of the very substantial mistake in our account and his response was, "have you been praying?" Uh, yeah, pleading all day is probably more like it. He clarified - have I been praying daily. Oh, yes. Well, from now on, we need to be praying over our finances. We are being attacked. Oh yeah, never thought Satan would go THERE. Bad underestimation on my part as well as very bad on my part for the mistake to begin with. If we are hurt financially, it is that much harder for us to step out and minister. Money is not everything - not even close, but some of the things we feel called to do require money, so of course we will be attacked there. Even after I talked with John a few more times, and continued praying, I just wanted to crawl under a rock and never come out. I felt so devestated. Beaten. Stupid. The song on the top of this blog came on, and at the beginning of it, I just cried and cried. Oh God, can you hear me? I DON'T know what to do, I felt frustrated, cornered, stuck. But my eyes are on You. Help me, Oh God. I poured out my heart and sang that song. Then halfway through, the music changes, and rather than, oh help, it is, yes, YOU ARE GOD! YOU ARE VICTORIOUS!! The numbers in my checkbook did not miraculously change, but my outlook did. I can withstand this, and My God is more powerful than this!! Rather than weeping, I am praising. I know I must be on the right track. Satan wouldn't bother with little old me if I was no threat. And my God is big enough to handle this. He has promised to take care of me, anyway. If my problems are His problems, than this is His problem. (The bank sees it as my problem, but I know that my God is in control, so I won't fret. It will work out.)
I discovered that the more you pray and the deeper you go, the harder you will be hit. But, the more time you spend on your knees and the closer you get to God, the more prepared you are for those attacks. I have learned where my victory is. I am learning to put my armor on every morning. John (yep, mine!) spoke on this a couple Sundays ago - whew!! It was the day after he took a day off from praying. His outlook was, it's Saturday, no biggie. That was the day that his brand new motorcycle fell over and he yanked his shoulder out trying to stop it. Satan doesn't take Saturdays off. He did not get up that morning and pray protection over our family and himself. He didn't put on his armor. Perhaps sounding a bit like a Frank Peretti book? Maybe, but I know that it is true...
The belt of truth, so I will live a life of integrety, speak the truth and be able to listen to the truth and discern what is true and false. The breastplate of righteousness - it protects my heart, and represents the walk that I want to have. The shoes of the preparation of the gospel of peace. I want to walk in peace, and by standing on the gospel and on the promises God has given me, I have peace, no matter what may be accosting me. The shield of faith - as long as my faith is in God, nothing the enemy shoots at me can kill me. The helmet of salvation - I protect my mind, which is probably my weakest point. Satan can do so much to me and defeat me so easily when I listen to him and believe the lies he whispers in my ear. But with the helmet, I protect my mind. And the sword of the Spirit - so important! All the other pieces are defensive pieces, but the sword is my one offensive piece. With God's Word, I can do so much warfare! Just by speaking His Word and standing on it, I can defeat the enemy! Bring it, I'm ready....
Finally, my bretheren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the the wiles of the devil. For we do not westle against flesh and flood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of this darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication fro all the saints. Ephesians 6: 10 - 19

gummie bears, dark chocolate, and dilly bread

The time has come.

The time is now.

Just go. Go. Go!

I don't care how.
Emily J. Waasdorp,

will you

please go now!

The time had come.

SO ...

Emily WENT!

~the late, great, dr. seuss

The car is packed, and (quite miraculously) the only things I couldn't fit were my long-coveted dutch oven and dan's little cd player that he got from lil B. a couple of christmases ago. Hmm, guess someone's just going to have to come visit. Anywho, Tim and I are leaving New York at 3:00 a.m. tomorrow. I will be setting about three different alarm clocks. If we can actually get ahold of our atlanta cousin, we'll be stopping in there for a night, and continuing on in the morning. If not, we'll take a more direct route, and I'll be able to show my not-so-little brother some of my favorite gas stations in Ohio. The title of this post refers to what is in my "trip treats" cooler. Later I will be adding iced tea, grape juice, apples, and perhaps some yogurt. Cheese would be nice too...

If we skip atlanta, this is sort of what our route will look like:


prayers for safety and ease of apartment renting/unpacking would be appreciated! Tim's going to stay for a week, and fly back next Mon. SUPPOSEDLY, dan will be leaving the island around the second week of September. We'll see.

~mira

My boy Tim is famous, the internet around

While perusing one of my "kids" (from last year's preschool class) dad's photo gallery, I found Tim. (was wondering where he was...)
Last year I (with my mother etc.) had a yard sale on the front lawn of the schoolhouse. Not much was sold, but everyone wanted a schoolhouse tour or a backyard tour. I did the inside ones and Tim did the backyard ones. This is the forementioned phoenix who I was all ready to let Nate take to the cabin to bother those neighbors (actually, to be fox bait). Now that he is a chicken model he might have a brief reprieve.

We bought a car

off ebay. Nate thought the process was quite exciting.

Volkswagen: Jetta GLS 2000 VW Jetta TDI - Turbo Diesel - GLS
Miles: 142903
Doors: 4 doors
Transmission: Manual
Year: 2000
Warranty: No
Title: Clear
Exterior: Blue
Interior: Tan
Condition: Used
Inspection: Inspected
Engine: 4 CYLINDER 1.9 LITER DIESEL

Standard Equipment:
CASSETTE
POWER WINDOWS
CRUISE CONTROL
POWER STEERING
AIR CONDITIONING
ABS
AM/FM RADIO
GLS TDI
2 WHEEL DRIVE
DUAL AIR BAGS
4 CYLINDER 1.9 LITER DIESEL

Optional Equipment:
POWER DOOR LOCKS
MOONROOF

The guy is not much of a speller but he IS a believer. At least that's what his website says. The car is down by Philadelphia. We'll probably go down early next week to pick it up. Here's hoping and praying we don't get skunked. I rather doubt that we'll be disappointed.

A free* morning

I went over to the garden this morning. I knew that based on the calendar I should have SOMETHING ready to harvest. Hmmm, no corn or tomatoes. Bummer.
I picked a ton of basil, lots of parsley, some dill, catnip, peppermint, marjoram, sage, and oregano. Cilantro didn't look so great so I trimmed it a bit and we'll see if it recovers. A week ago I moved the surviving stevia home so that I could watch it better. I wasn't entirely sure that the one thing was catnip but seeing Nickel licking the bag convinced me. I dried the dill, catnip, mint, and sage.
I ground up the marjoram, oregano, parsley, and basil as a pre-pesto mix. I have some more of this pre-pesto type mixture with just basil and cilantro. At some point I will add parmesean cheese, olive oil, maybe butter, nuts (usually walnuts as pinenuts are costly), and garlic to the base. Yum.
Tonight we'll probably have broccoli soup. I froze 2 large bowls of broc (post cleaning and cutting and blanching) and saved one for soup. I'll probably make a cream soup with onions and cheese and some dried potato stuff (one of the only legitimate things you can do with that stuff, if you have it on hand, besides putting it in "potato" bread).
Tomorrow I'll cube the summer squash/zukes, top with spaghetti sauce, top with mozz cheese, top with pizza toppings and bake. This always is eaten with favorable comment.
And that is the end of a psuedo domestic post.




*free? I tend to pay for free time - start a bunch of projects that I have to finish when I'm not so free. Got to love the cake of good intentions, where I regularly bite off more than I can chew.

interesting

gtmo trials





45 days

120 down 60 to go*

*approximately 60, who knows when I am actually getting out of here. Although the first company of reliefs manned up out of Gulfport last week, so they are on the way. Our reliefs (Bravo company's that is, the company that I am in) should be leaving for Washington sometime soon. Turns out there is light at the end of the tunnel. There isn't much else to report on that I can talk about, just a few frustrating days at work. Oh well, stories galore when I get back, can't wait. See ya.

still here

Well, the hurricane missed us. Those pictures of the cliff are good though. That's a pretty high cliff and the sea spray came up over the top when the waves hit the cliff. That was pretty cool. As my senior chief says "it's all fun and games until one of those [waves] comes over the cliff." Anyway we all fared well and nothing was seriously damaged where I am. Hopefully I can say the same for my car in a couple of days.

So --

How's the weather?
Strong winds and surf buffeted the U.S. detention camp for terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay, on the island's eastern end, where a guard tower was washed into the sea. There were no reports of casualties."
.........
The U.S. detention camp at Guantanamo escaped the brunt of the storm. Heaving surf tore away a lifeguard tower at Windmill Beach and winds destroyed a bus shelter. A few power lines and tree branches were knocked down and there was minor flooding.

American troops fixed metal shutters over the steel mesh windows of some prison cells overlooking the sea at Camp Delta, which is just 150 yards from the ocean.


and from the Navy these excerpts:
Waves crash against the southern coastline of Naval Station Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, just east of the base lighthouse. Hurricane Dennis passed the station, between 1 and 2 p.m. Thursday, July 7, sustained winds were recorded at 35 knots, gusting to 47. At that point, the eye of the storm was 87 nautical miles southwest of the station. Seas at the mouth of the bay were cresting at 10 feet, and were 12-14 feet offshore. The base suffered minimal damage and there were no injuries.

Oh Danny Boy

I know that you have been fretting about what to get me as a souvenir from Cuba (or from the Navy in general). Luckily, I have been fretting about this also and I now have the answer to your problem.
A chair. Not just any chair, a Navy chair. While at the less than local Burger King (a year ago, and besides, I didn't inhale), I noted a very striking aluminum chair. I have been looking around for something similar and believe I found not a duplicate but even better, the inspiration for the BK chair. It is an Emeco aluminum chair, Navy version (really, not making this stuff up). They utilize a 77 step process, a WWII design and they're made in Hanover PA.
I looked on ebay where they are scarce and costly, and new where they are way costly so I'm afraid you'll have to check around the base/ships/subs/officer homes/thrift shops/whatever. Feel free to pick up the matching child's chair and stool if it is convenient.

failed attempt number three

bad news, my leave got denied, so I guess I'll see you in September...Anyway, I am going to have to ask someone about the logic behind whose leave was approved and whose was not because other people who took leave didn't leave the island, so apparently they had nothing important to take leave for =/

grr.

Not ugly!

Hubetti (okay, I just came up with a name, this might not be the real name) is totally cute. Not ugly. Ignore Emily.
Yes, Hubie literally sits on the chick. The chick prefers this usually - warmth and protection? If you are raising them without a hen they are supposed to be at about 95° during the early days. Hubie must be doing a good job because the chick poops. Yes, that's how you know if you have a healthy chick.
The other place the chick likes to be is on Hubie's back. This amuses me.

Headline News: Spoiled Rotten Thinks-She-Is-A-Human Chicken Adopts Egg

Is there hope for an only chick with a doting mother? Time will tell.
This last one is the chick hiding under Hubie. In case it looks like some sort of puzzle.

This is a phoenix father (the little squirt) and an auracauna mother ("easter egg" chicken). I imported a gorgeous (and quite full of himself) rooster a week and a half ago, thinking I'd never get a chick from the phoenix. I think this egg gestated about 6 weeks (twice as long as it is supposed to take).

Time magazine article

Dan, how accurate is this article on Gitmo?

The Dumpster, A Reprise

2 gift bags, frisbee, canned air, mini "toasting" cups, paper reinforcers, happy birthday hats and candles, potpourri, marble (?) bracelet

fan, alarm clock, pet sawdust, binder, clip, wide tape, batteries

plastic ware, revere teapot (new), pyrex, foil baking sheets (new-a bunch), coffee filters, farberware steamer, insulated cup

5 new in box tubes of toothpaste, brand new vitamins, etc.

towels, sheets, mattress pad, wash cloths, dishcloths, bath mat sets

size 12 adidas (not great), size 15 new balance (great), new socks, fancy purse

And that's not counting clothes that the kids are wearing, fancy shampoo they can't keep their hands off of, and all the stuff Emily brought home.
(yes I wash it and no it's not all going to stay here. The size 15 sneaks are spoken for, thanks to Little Brenda. Wonder if Pat knows which of his past co-workers I'm referring to)

Reprise

Reprise: a recurrence, renewal, or resumption of an action

Hold that thought.

(BTW, anyone else think the "i" was supposed to be a "long" "i"?)

I am getting good at this letter business...

MOM- what do you think?

(our address here)

Customer Service Supervisor: Steve
LocalNet
287 Commerce Dr.
Amherst, NY 14228

Dear Supervisor:

I am writing to formally cancel my LocalNet subscription that was requested and subsequently canceled on 30 May 2005. This is also my formal request for complete reimbursement for monies paid.

My mother, Brenda XXXXXXXX, has been a loyal subscriber to LocalNet for the past three years. She has recommended your company to many families in our area. When my grandmother, Carol XXXXXXXX, became interested in using the internet, your company was the best candidate. My mother called your company to set up the connection, and I made arrangements to pay with my Visa debit card. Before the transaction was complete, we both attempted to confirm with the customer service representative (Jenna) that the dial-up number would be a local number, and she informed us that this was the case. We were informed that the installation disk would be sent in the mail, and we could begin using our internet connection after we had registered. We were also told that we could cancel our subscription at any time.

When my mother went home, she connected to LocalNet to verify all of the information we had received, and discovered that it would NOT be a local call for my grandmother to connect to the internet. Within an hour of the initial transaction, she and I both tried to call and cancel the subscription, and were informed that we could send our request to the billing department, and they would do a “credit review” to determine whether or not we should be reimbursed, and that part of that fee was non-refundable. This surprised me, because we had not made use of the internet service yet, and would be unable to do so until the cd was received in the mail later in the week. I had assumed that if one of the terms of the agreement that is in all of your advertisements (a local number) could not be met that the agreement would be void. Also, I was informed that the money had already been taken out of my account, and therefore was nonrefundable. My bank was closed on Memorial Day, and they informed me that at the time this letter was written, the money still had not been taken out of my account, so that previous statement made by two of your representatives, Nathan and Monica, was incorrect. I was informed by your representatives that I would not receive any communication regarding this matter unless I sought it out, and because your phone conversations are not recorded, your representative could not confirm that I had been given misinformation.

I am confident that your billing department will work to give me and my family complete satisfaction in resolving this issue, including a full reimbursement of monies paid. We have been fully satisfied with your company thus far, and it would be a disappointment if we now had to retract both our recommendation of your company and my mother’s subscription. I look forward to your quick attention in this matter.

Sincerely,

Emily XXXXXXXX Brenda XXXXXXXX

A book series I am enjoying

(critical to have books when you're ignoring important stuff)
The first one in the series is A Penny for Your Thoughts by Mindy Starns Clark. It is Christian ("inspirational") fiction with some love and mystery. It can be borrowed from the Houghton Church Library, if you can't get it from your own local inter-loan library.

Chit Chat

Anyone else finding themselves randomly throwing the word "chit" into polite conversations?

actual sample chit


actual google image hit for chit, purely for entertainment

Merriam-Webster:

Main Entry: #1 chit
Pronunciation: chit(go to the site and listen to the pronounciation. Listen multiple times. Zach: don't do this at school. Tim: you either. Denise: go for it. It will do you good. Mom: don't worry, I would never do this.)
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English chitte kitten, cub
1 : CHILD
2 : a pert young woman (hmm, see Lil'Brenda's entry on the M family blog, if you dare)

Main Entry: #2 chit
Function: noun
Etymology: Hindi citthI
1 : a short letter or note; especially : a signed voucher of a small debt (as for food)
2 : a small slip of paper with writing on it (I begin to see the problem)

PS: Dan, this one's for you.

And the verdict is....

Apparently, the Navy, in all their infinite wisdom, lost my leave chit. Since I arrived in Cuba I have worked for three different chains-of-command. I think I turned in the leave chit with the first chain and through all the moves and policy changes chit was left behind. So.... I was instructed by my chief to write another request for a later date and it would be "their business" (the upper chain of command i.e. master chiefs and my company commander) and "their prerogative to deny it," but he would afford me the opportunity to take leave. All that to say I am going to try for the 26th of June through the 9th of July. Gotta love the Navy.


edited to add:

This would symbolize the navy, not Dan. Just to be clear.

So?

We got lift-off, or shall we send the dingy?

Thank you, Danny.

I watched the flag pass by one day,
It fluttered in the breeze.
A young Marine saluted it,
And then he stood at ease.

I looked at him in uniform
So young, so tall, so proud,
With hair cut square and eyes alert
He'd stand out in any crowd.

I thought how many men like him
Had fallen through the years.
How many died on foreign soil,
How many mothers' tears?

How many pilots' planes shot down?
How many died at sea
How many foxholes were soldiers' graves?
No, freedom isn't free.

I heard the sound of Taps one night,
When everything was still,
I listened to the bugler play
And felt a sudden chill.

I wondered just how many times
That Taps had meant "Amen,"
When a flag had draped a coffin
Of a brother or a friend.

I thought of all the children,
Of the mothers and the wives,
Of fathers, sons and husbands
With interrupted lives.

I thought about a graveyard
At the bottom of the sea
Of unmarked graves in Arlington.
No, freedom isn't free.

ooh, and speaking of babies...

I got to hold a three week old yesterday :-D :-D The Nafziger's (they run Wilderness Adventures at the college, I worked with them a few summers ago) brought home little Eli (I think?) a couple of weeks ago and were back at work 5 days later. Talk about committment. I thought maybe this would help my baby cravings, but, as they say, snacking does not prevent the binge, it only prolongs it for a bit. I will definitely be volunteering to babysit on a regular basis. What a cutie...sigh... :)

dinner with the president, or, how I found Carolyn's backpack

There are several benefits to growing up near a small college town (along with several downfalls, but we won't get into that just now). Said benefits increase greatly when your grandmother's best friend happens to be the college president's wife. Yesterday, I was invited to a "small, informal" dinner to be held tonight and hosted by Mrs. Chamberlain in her wonderful home. Knowing her reputation for being a wonderful cook (she'd better be, she borrows Grandma's recipes often enough!), I accepted, of course.
Dinner was served in the main dining room on fine china (we're talking red tablecloth, candles, and two forks). The menue consisted of swiss steak, noodles, mixed vegetables, mashed potatoes, gravy, nut muffins with two jellies, and angel food cake with mango dressing (Grandma's contribution). Dinner topics included aids, genetics, Solzhenitsyn, international hostels, UK recipes vs. American recipes, and my cat. I heard words like locus, "son of a gun," wellingtons, and ecclesiology. I think I managed to not only keep my elbows off of the table, but to use my napkin properly and not say anything to embarrass my grandmother. All this in one "small, informal" meal? Applause and admiration are perfectly acceptable at this point.

I bowed out of the games portion of the evening, choosing instead to walk home in a vain attempt to burn a few excess calories. On the way, I saw a "Free" table in someone's front yard, so I stopped and browsed through the Reader's Digests, played with the doodle board, and sniffed the candy canes before picked a few pieces of clothing out to try on later. I decided to leave the table behind. By the time I got to the campus center, I knew it was time to bid adieu to the coffee I'd consumed mere minutes earlier, so I took a quick detour.

Something caught my eye as I exited the ladies room, and I noticed a bright pink back pack lying under the drinking fountain. Vaguely recalling that my sister had lost her backpack at some point in the recent past, I ventured a peek into the front pocket, and found a folded piece of paper with the inscription (written in pencil): "To: Carolyn, from: Devin." Now, being the protective and nosy big sister that I am, I couldn't let this opportunity to snoop pass me by. Don't worry, Carolyn, I won't tell anyone the password. And you can have your back pack back if you come and visit me.

**
This story was brought to you by the number 4 and the word "chocolate."

Dear Mom:

Please reconsider my existence. I promise to be an interesting kid, with good taste.

Love,
Brenda Latte

Peanut Butter Revisited

I am in the process of changing computers. It is a bummer. So far I have 3 browsers on my desktop: Netscape (my old fave), Safari, and Firefox. (IE was immediately dumped with neither ceremony nor gravestone). While perusing different new home pages and clocking the time to get to pages (on a slow dial-up connection, we're talking minutes rather than seconds), interesting tidbits of Important News flash by (in a mind numbingly slow sort of way).
I was delighted to see an blurb about PB:

Lose Weight on the Peanut Butter Diet

Eat 4 to 6 tablespoons of peanut butter every day. You'll lose weight and you won't be hungry. Yeah, yeah, peanut butter is loaded with calories. But it's also packed with monounsaturated fats, which Men's Health magazine calls the original death-defying potion. In fact, the magazine goes so far as to say we should all be on the Skippy Diet to reduce the risk of heart disease AND to lose weight.
Researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital concluded that people who consumed foods that were high in monounsaturated fats, including olive oil, avocados, and peanut butter, were more likely to lose weight and keep it off than people following a more regimented, lower-fat diet. These amazing claims were backed up by researchers at Purdue University. It's really pretty simple: Peanut butter is filling. BUT. Limit your Jif Diet to no more than 6 tablespoons of the gooey stuff a day.
In case you need justification to go on the peanut butter diet, how about justifying a healthy heart? Peanut butter may just lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. Reuters reports that Italian researchers have concluded that women who consume less vitamin E may be at a far greater risk of heart disease and stroke. Vitamin E seems to protect against plaque build-up or arteriosclerosis at the carotid bifurcation, the Y-shaped branch in the arteries of the neck. And peanut butter is packed with vitamin E--along with canned salmon with the bones, canned tuna fish, olive oil, almonds, and sunflower seeds.

There was more stuff about vitamen E but to summarize take 2 of the little vitamin E softgels (total 800 IU) (less if you're keeping up with your PB) to live forever.

I could go for a Peanut Butter cookie.

The Mystery Source

Ok, I tracked down Bernie, who is Michelle's husband. Now, Michelle, if you remember is the friend of my sister-in-law Sarah. Sarah is the one who called John to make sure we knew we were expecting Brenda Latte. (Better check the tag board if that one lost you.) Everyone still following me so far? It is about to get more complicated.

Back to Bernie. I called him and asked him who told him all of this very interesting and surprising information at Alstom. The answer: Chuck Stever.

"WHO IS CHUCK STEVER???" Bernie laughed. He is the guy that drives a big truck and drives a four wheeler up here.

Now I really have a complex. "Do I look pregnant?! Wait, don't answer that." Bernie laughed some more. He wondered if he would be able to go into work the next day and harass this guy for passing on such insane information. He also gave me the price we are apparently trying to get out of this three wheeler. $1,600. Heck, I'll sell it. Only problem would be that John might get kinda upset with me if I did that. I guess I will skip that. The thought crossed my mind that this Chuck guy had some pretty detailed information for being so very wrong.

John comes home, and right on his tail is his cousin Bruce, AKA Chub.(From here on he will be referred to as Chub, so don't get lost now.) I went outside to greet my happy-to-be-expecting hubby, and said, (and I quote), "Chuck Stever." He gave me a strange look, so I repeat myself, then added "it was him! You know, Chuck, four wheeler dude" (and yes, I know what "dude"means and at this point in time had no problem using it to describe this guy.) "He is the one with the mouth!"

"Really...?" came John's reply, along with another strange look. I suppose he was probably thinking the same thing I had. Why on earth would this guy say stuff like that?! "Go smoke another one , buddy" had been one of my statements. He must be on something to come up with this stuff.

By now, Chub was getting curious as to what all this was about, so he dared to venture out and ask what in the world was going on. So John started the story, and within about 45 seconds, Chub was laughing saying, "It's true! It's all true!" Now, I thought maybe the news had found its way to him, too, and we were confirming it or something, but then he composed himself and told his side of the story.

He has a cousin named Johnny who owns a 350x and has a wife (yeah, so far so good.) This wife is pregnant and Johnny is really selling this beloved 350x for money for this little baby. (That is where it became apparent he must be talking about his other cousin. To me anyway.) So, Chub, being the wonderful cousin that he is, and knowing all of Arkport and Fremont and half of Hornell, decided to spread the word. Well, all of Arkport and Fremont and half of Hornell know the Guthrie's and know that we are related. Let your imaginations run wild. All of these people did. Chub remarked, "I guess I should have said 'Johnny Smith' instead of just 'Johnny'." Hmm, ya think?! So, needless to say, Chub has much explaining to do. You say "Johnny" and "350x" in the same sentence anywhere around here, and people automatically think of my husband. Smooth move.

So, I feel a little better. Maybe I don't look slightly pregnant after all. But, I have to admit, I was really looking forward to those parties and cards. If you already have one planned, we don't necessarily have to cancel...

Just two kids

We went to the zoo on April 25 and had a great time - and froze. Thankfully Spring seems to be here today. The kids enjoyed all of the animals and thought that it was especially fun when they got to howl with the wolves and "pet" the seals. Pictured with us are Lilac and Genny C. Apparently one of those elephants just turned 25 on Saturday. No clue which one.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION!!

Ok, so Johnny calls me today and tells me that he just got off the phone with his sister. I am thinking, yeah, that is nice, so....... Then next sentence is where it got good.

"Sarah told me that she was talking with a friend of hers and that friend mentioned the fact that you are pregnant (referring to me, Erin) and I (referring to John) am trying to sell my three wheeler to support the baby." Insert hysterical laughter here.

Erin: "I'm pregnant?!"

John: "Apparently so. Congratulations, honey, but just to let you know, I am NOT selling my three wheeler to support this kid. You will just have to have it at home. I will find a bucket of hot water, a pair of sissors and a shoe string. Good luck with that."

Now, just to keep everyone up to date here, I AM NOT PREGNANT. Yes, I am sure. Very sure.

Now, after John and I laughed our goodbyes and congratulated each other once more, I decided to call Sarah. I was after all curious as to where this rumor originated from. Sarah got a phone call from Michelle who asked, why didn't you tell me your sister-in-law is pregnant?? Sarah told her that was the first she had heard about it. So how did Michelle here this? Michelle's husband Bernie was approached by someone at work (Alstom) and given the happy news, so he, of course, phoned his wife and asked her why she didn't tell him rather than having him find out about it at work? We have yet to find out who the mystery source is at Alstom. Everyone who was involved was very surprised and wondered why they didn't actually hear the news from John and I, but my thing is, I had to hear it from someone else, and this is MY pretend baby.

And on that note, since I am apparently joyously expecting this pretend baby, do I get all those fun showers and parties that accompany a baby? Maybe instead of baby things, everyone could just bring cards with money in them. :) Sounds like a plan to me. I should get SOMETHING out of this deal. I am, after all, the one that has to carry and care for this pretend baby.

They made us touch each other

and we have yet to forgive them.

saturday night in houghton

we missed the underclassmen move-out day, but the seniors are leaving TODAY, which means mom and I will be here.

maybe we'll make a photojournal. or not. some things should be kept secret. Me hiding from former classmates behind a dumpster while mom openly scrounges for unopened food containers is one of them.

edited to add: yeah, so that scenario described above was supposed to be "worst-case, doesn't ever happen" scenario. And guess what? it happened. Tim said the guy, who was in several of my freshman level classes, was staring at me the whole way to his apartment. OH, the irony.

Let's all look for Dan in the background*

60 Minutes
CBS May 1, 7:00pm EST
Series/Talk

A former Army translator talks about the interrogation process used at Guantanamo Bay; archaeologists find bones of what appears to be a previously unknown species of human; actress Goldie Hawn.

Original Airdate: May 1, 2005.

*and knit during the other segments. Or something.


edited to add:
Let me be the first to say: "Let's not and say we didn't." Just didn't want anyone break their tongue with such a snappy comeback.