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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 19, 2014 20:08:18 GMT -6
Okay, I'll add symbols to the titles. That should fix it.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 19, 2014 20:24:27 GMT -6
I think you're good to go from now on. Feel free to alert me to other glitches. I live for them. NOT!
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Post by stepper on Dec 20, 2014 19:50:05 GMT -6
So, that's the execise you did to lose the weight? Kinda extreme ain't it?
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 20, 2014 20:54:25 GMT -6
Yeppers. I hold nothing back when it comes to "going all out."
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Post by stepper on Dec 20, 2014 21:04:23 GMT -6
I don't think I could keep up with you. It takes some serious dedication and will power. I have neither.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 22, 2014 9:34:22 GMT -6
An overnight would be nice for a couple of reasons, one being we'd stay with my brother, and I haven't seen him since this summer. It's a little more than three hours to his house though, and then more than an hour into Detroit from there. Planning a road trip in Michigan during winter is an iffy thing, and if it snows enough that driving conditions are hazardous, we'd probably end up not risking the trip; the tickets are non-refundable
Bill the Cat! It just hit me that the card cats resembled Bill the Cat, but I can't remember who Bill the Cat was except that he was a comic strip character. I wonder if the card company made a Spanish version; instead of "Meowy Christmas", it'd say "Fleas Navidad".
I think the couple's name thing is very strange, but I don't mind made-up words for things like fashion, trends, music, generations, and the like. I don't think they're supposed to be cute; I think they're just words to describe something new. Language evolves (and sometimes it seems as if it devolves). Words like jazz, flapper, bobby-socker, hippie, baby-boomer, Gen X, Gen Y or Millennials, hip-hop, emo, goth, and a million others weren't really words until someone coined them to describe something new. The military does it, technology does it, and every other industry has its own set of words that crop up when a discovery is made, or something new is invented.
Glad you got that symbol thing fixed, Joxie...it seemed like it was giving you a headache.
I got kind of behind (more behind that I was, and farther behind then I typically am this close to Christmas, if that is at all possible) since I lost a few days being sick. Lots to do today.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 22, 2014 18:24:34 GMT -6
I'm just glad it was something I could figure out and fix on my own. I'm sure Lesa gets tired of me bugging her to come here and fix something for me. Sadly, I have not yet figured out why Stepper can no longer use the 'Quote' button, or how to fix the problem.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 23, 2014 9:43:07 GMT -6
I'm just glad it was something I could figure out and fix on my own. I'm sure Lesa gets tired of me bugging her to come here and fix something for me. Sadly, I have not yet figured out why Stepper can no longer use the 'Quote' button, or how to fix the problem.
Stepper can't use the quote button? I wonder if mine works? (I always just type it out manually.) edit: Yep, mine works. Sent the girls to the drugstore yesterday to get photos printed that I took of them for Hubs' dad and stepmom (one hundred or so photos I took, and only a handful of them in which they weren't laughing, making weird faces at each other or at me, or didn't look like they were going to kill each other). Got the grocery shopping done for Christmas dinner...except for the ham; the grocery was out of ham! The honey-baked kind anyway. Pfft. A trip back to the store because they're supposed to get another shipment in, a few loaves of blackberry bread to make for a friend who's stopping by tonight (bringing a container of homemade cookies!!!), and a few more presents to wrap is what's on tap for today. It's closing in.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 23, 2014 10:02:03 GMT -6
I just called.
The hams are in! The hams are in!
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 23, 2014 18:24:57 GMT -6
Glad everything is working out for a great Christmas. It won't be long now and the rush will be over. (Is anyone ever in a rush to clean up?)
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Post by stepper on Dec 23, 2014 21:09:02 GMT -6
Yes. I was in the Base Exchange today - they have the remnants of unsold candy and sundry items, and a nice brand new row of Valentine Candy - all stacked up in pretty heart shaped boxes and ready to go. The quote problem – I believe it’s about an unsupported older version of IE more than anything else. If I use Chrome the quote feature works okay. I prefer IE but with my outdated system I can’t update it anymore. Newer versions of IE are not supported by my OS. We’re having ham too. I bought one before T-Day thinking we’d have it over the weekend. Evidently I wasn’t thinking clearly ‘cause it promptly went into the freezer and just came back out yesterday. Christmas dinner is not nearly so involved as T-Day – at least not as long as we’re having ham instead of another turkey. Mom always did turkey for both – and the older I get the more impressed I am with her. Wish I could tell her, or had been smart enough to do so much more often when it was possible. I bought Steppet several scratch-offs and finished wrapping while she was napping earlier. I’m done with all the prep. I remember that ‘toon, and I wouldn’t want a card with him on it. I’m sure some people think he’s funny – I just don’t happen to be one of them.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 24, 2014 9:59:14 GMT -6
We usually either have turkey or ham for Christmas - I've got a turkey in the freezer that I'd planned on roasting, but LX and Hubs requested honey-baked ham, and BP didn't have a preference, so we're going with ham this year. I'll do the turkey some other wintry weekend.
The card wasn't Bill the Cat (which I realized came from the Bloom County cartoon - I loved that strip!)...the card cats were just drawn as mangy as Bill. Nothing says Christmas cheer like a heap of mangy cats??? I wonder if stores don't carry as many cards as in the past because not many people send them anymore.
I don't see the Whoosh logo turned what-I'm-guessing might be a chocolate chip cookie? that Joxie was oh-so-subtly hinting about in the other thread. I click on logo, and it takes me to Whoosh's home page. I'm guessing this is probably a similar thing having to do with my browser? I use Firefox.
I got everything done yesterday that I wanted to get done...which is kind of amazing to me, since my front door had been replaced with a revolving one, it seemed. Lots of LX's friends home for the holidays, popped in. It was fun to see everyone again...and thankfully, they kept their fingers out of my blackberry bread batter!
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Post by stepper on Dec 24, 2014 15:40:38 GMT -6
That's entirely possible. With e-mail and e-cards, I'm sure the sale of snail mail cards has taken a hit.
Congrats on that! I had one Christmas where someone - not me - was still trying to wrap presents Christmas evening. It's nice being able to sit back and relax huh! But then the 30 second break is over and something else comes up.
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Post by katina2nd on Dec 24, 2014 17:26:50 GMT -6
Ten hours into Christmas down here, time to wish one and all the very Merriest of Christmases, hope it was all you wished for and then some.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 24, 2014 20:58:52 GMT -6
Phalon: You do know I don't have Lesa's skills, right? I've done nothing to the logo, nothing what-so-ever. After making comments on it over and over it did occur to me that maybe I should do something . . . even if only to have the box of chocolates pop up when you click on the logo . . . but I procrastinated on the idea and did nothing. I did giggle now and again, wondering if anyone was 'tampering' with the logo to find out what I may have done. It's all imaginary . . . only in my head . . . even if not in yours.
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Post by stepper on Dec 24, 2014 21:38:16 GMT -6
Merry Merry right back at 'cha Kat! 2.5 hours here - I thought you were ahead of us Kat. But then, sometimes I get confused by complicated things. Shoe laces for instance, they're always such a problem. I prefer slip-ons. And boots. Mail delivery confuses some people too. I mail things tracked so I can get a warm fuzzy knowing things were delivered on time and okay. On the 16th I mailed several packages - priority mail - two day delivery. It/they should have been delivered Friday, but that didn't happen. A few were delivered Saturday, most were delivered Monday. There's one exception. It was delivered today - left on someone's porch. I say 'someone' because the on-line tracking site clearly says that it was delivered to a city several miles south of where I sent it. I can hardly wait to find out what's happened. Unfortunately since it was delivered this afternoon, it'll be well after Christmas before I find out what has really happened.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 7, 2015 7:10:31 GMT -6
Haven't started. It's probably time.
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Post by stepper on Dec 7, 2015 18:56:34 GMT -6
We're not done, but we're well into having most of it wrapped. I ran into complications; for instance a person for whom I always purchased a carton of Marlboro's quit due to a heart attack. He's VERY difficult when it comes to finding something I think is acceptable and I have very little time as everything has to be mailed. He's not the only one this year - several of the things I've considered have fallen though for one reason or another. Every year I get SIL a Precious Moments Christmas egg - one of the fancy ones - but this year it's not going to work. The lady who makes them won't be here in time - she'll be at least a week too late. I'll figure something out, but I'm not happy with how things are going.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 8, 2015 7:45:57 GMT -6
I'm sorry things aren't going how you wish; I know how much you enjoy finding the perfect gifts for people. Regarding the Egg Lady - can you call or e-mail her, and order something via those options? I think you might have mentioned that she's sells them at the PX, yes (maybe you call it a BX(?), I think; PX is the Army's version) - whatever it's called there, I bet they'd have her contact information. Does she have a website, Facebook, or one of those Esty pages Joxie mentions?
I did start my shopping yesterday by walking to the record store downtown...yes the record store. BP loves that place, and has wanted a turntable for quite a while now - a couple of years, I think. I thought I'd get her a record store gift certificate, then have to drive to Best Buy in Holland for a turntable, or order one on-line. The owner of the shop had turntables though, although they were all in weird colors - pink, green, orange, or plaid - that I knew BP wouldn't want. He offered to order a black one for me, as well as the new One Direction album on vinyl which she wanted also - they'll both be in be in by Friday. So I got a gift certificate, the turntable, and the album...and I got to shop local and support a small business owner who opened shop because it was his dream. A win/win in my book.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 9, 2015 7:57:59 GMT -6
I bought cards yesterday...which is further along than I got last year, when I didn't even buy any because I couldn't find one I liked.
Whether I get them written, addressed, and mailed is another story.
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Post by stepper on Dec 9, 2015 21:27:18 GMT -6
I called her later that night. She and her husband have Bells Palsy and decided to pass on her business for a while. I guess they don't want to be seen. However, when I called she said she was hoping that I would as I have a couple eggs that I wanted and they didn't know if I was still interested. (I see them every year in the BX.) I told her I still want the eggs - she's working on the Snoopy's for me. (PX = Post Exchange, Army; BX = Base Exchange, Air Force).
When I got home from work, Steppet had five boxes waiting so I hurried over to the Post Office and mailed them out. There's more to go, but it's a good start. The cards are gone too, except for a couple. I usually send out birthday cards in the Christmas box since there are so many birthdays in January but with all the help it didn't happen, so I have a few cards to get sent yet. (One brother is only interested in golf games so he gets a card for each occasion with a check covering a round of golf at his favorite course.)
Vinyl records are increasing in popularity again. Some people believe the sound is richer, and I have recordings that aren't available digitally. There are seven vinyl stores around here - they wouldn't exist if there wasn't a market. Not that it matters at all but I approve. I'm sure she'll like it.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 11, 2015 7:38:26 GMT -6
Sounds like you've made quite a bit of progress!
Not so much here; I took a couple steps forward, and one back.
Got LX's boyfriend's gift under the tree - one of those not too personal, but personal enough to let him know we care about him type things. Sort of new relationship gifts are always hard - you don't want to go too big, but not too impersonal either. I decided on a big cookie tin filled with all his favorite candies - Starbursts, Reese's peanut butter cups, and Toostie Pops. LX thinks it's sweet, so I guess I hit the mark.
For her, I ordered on-line the complete series of a T.V. show she likes; it's the only thing she wanted when I asked for a list. We're also getting her a phone, which she absolutely needs because hers is pretty much shot; she has to take out the battery constantly to reset it, and it barely holds a charge anymore. I want her to pick it out though, so we'll wait until after Christmas while she's home on break. Thinking about running to Goodwill to get a token toy phone to wrap for under the tree.
Hubs, at least, gave me a list this year...or rather circled things in the home improvement/hardware store flyer he'd like, so I have some ideas. That's more than he's ever done, so yay!
The nursery's husband and wife owner/boss team - they are always some of the most difficult on my list. I decided this year make a donation to the Humane Society in their honor; they are huge animal lovers, and they both feel the humane society here does an excellent job...and I know the organization is in desperate need of funding. That decided, I haven't done it yet, and shoot! I was at the Humane Society yesterday, and totally forgot!
I should really make a list of what I need to do.
That is my step backward. The record store guy called yesterday with "good news and bad news". The good news is the turntable is in; the bad news is he can't get the One Direction LP before Christmas....it's sold out everywhere (I checked on every on-line site I could think of that would sell albums; they're all back-ordered too, until toward the end of January). He said there are only two vinyl manufacturing plants in the U.S.; the rest of them closed in the 90s. Though vinyl is making a comeback (Who knew? I could shoot myself for getting rid of our vast album collection!!!), records are printed in limited numbers in comparison to CDs. Still, when I was at the store, I was really surprised at the number of old albums that have been re-released or released for the first time on vinyl.
BP can use the gift certificate for the One Direction album at a later date (though I have LX scanning her college town for it), and I'll get her Red Hot Chili Peppers' Californication for Christmas; I know she's been wanting that album also. Think I'm going to get her speakers for the turntable too - the sound quality of built-in ones wasn't that great when I listened at the store. She can use the speakers for her phone too - or plug her phone into the turntable for that matter. The turntable even has USB ports. Way more versatile than the turntables from our day, when you had to have a whole stereo system to get quality sound.
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Post by stepper on Dec 11, 2015 15:39:08 GMT -6
Even more...I mailed out the last 4 boxes today - even the close (and faster) one's are gone. Still not completely done - I have a couple special Christmas and Birthday cards to mail out yet, and then there are two guys at work who really couldn't care less either way, and Steppet who just informed me that I already have three things for her. She's been into those mail order catalogs again, but it ruins the surprise that way. This is probably the earliest that I've been this far along in many years. My big stuff is gone, the cards will go in a larger envelope and then they're gone too, and the busy mailing days don't start until next week. No standing in lines. Thoughtful, and probably appropriate. You want to know he's welcome as long as that's the case. On the other hand, you could have hubs clean his shotgun next time he shows up - just to let him know that there's one around. That'll be fun - like saying someone is getting a car and giving them a toy Corvette. That's an excellent choice. I went years using head phones because they were affordable and had better quality until I could afford a decent set of speakers. Based on my income they were expensive but worth it. I still have them and they still sound great. I've added a set of Bose as fill too. To be honest, I've lost frequency range so even better/more expensive speakers would be wasted on me now. Anyway, wishing you good luck in your shopping while I keep trying to figure something out about your History.
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Post by Phalon on Dec 11, 2015 23:45:04 GMT -6
Got my brother's birthday card mailed today, with a copy of a photo he wanted of himself, Hubs, and Mike together! (Exclamation point because I actually got it mailed before his birthday! Which is Monday. Eye-roll.)
ARGH! That is Hubs all the way, only he doesn't wait for Christmas to use whatever "I've" given him! I told him again today, he is absolutely NOT to buy himself anything he even hinted already that he might want, and if he wants something he is to hint very blatantly that he wants it.
OMG, Dad did that to me. I thought from the size of the box it was a set of car keys (oh, how naive 16-year olds can be!). He even got the color of the matchbox Corvette right - yellow. There was no full-sized working model to go with it though!
I swung by the Humane Society and got that done today. More more thing done!
We might have some help in that area. I went to pick up the turntable today, and record shop guy was apologetic about not being able to get the One Direction album in time for Christmas, but he did have the new Adele, and Justin Beiber ones. "No thanks; she's doesn't like that stuff", I said, "She's more into a mix of old school classic rock, and alternative stuff like Sublime (he got all excited about that; apparently he loves Sublime), and...ah, ha!!! This what I was looking for!!!" I pulled out "Californication" - the double LP limited edition. He wondered how One Direction fit into her tastes, and I explained how she grew up with them as they grew up, and aside from the pop-sounding singles off the last two albums - and especially this last one, if you didn't know you were listening to One Direction, you'd swear you were listening to classic rock...Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, etc. Once I mentioned Roxy Music, the guy was absolutely geeked - he has to hear the CD, and BP and her friend, if they're around while the shop is opened tomorrow, are going down with the CD for him to play in the store. Of course, the girls are geeked too, always eager for a convert. Hopefully, once he hears "History", constantly listening to as much old school stuff as he does, he might be able to place it, and put us out of our misery.
I did have some luck today, thanks, while I was waiting for the record shop to open, (I didn't realize he opened an hour later on Fridays because he stays open later). I had about an hour and a half to kill, and rather than walk home, and then back to town, I decided to browse some of the shops - I had in mind ornaments I always get for the girls every Christmas. I got sidetracked from ornament looking by a book - OMG, I HAD to get this for LX: "When Parents Text; So Much Said, So Little Understood". I spent the better part of a half-hour laughing out loud in the store; so much of the book is like the text conversations she and I have, which, of course, are bizarre to her (and are quite normal as far as I'm concerned); found a journal for BP too. Then I found the perfect ornaments - Victorian-style glass hearts with gold metal ribbing (for lack of a more appropriate word). They have a clasp, and open, and are large enough to hold all kinds of small trinkets; my idea was to write them a little note to slip inside along with maybe a trinket of some sort, and keep adding to them each year. Up at the counter there was a basket with tiny metal snowflakes - perfect to go with a note that says something like "You girls are like my snowflakes - alike in many ways, but both of you individually unique. Love, Mom"
Yes, I am a dork.
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Post by stepper on Dec 12, 2015 14:30:08 GMT -6
Congratulations! And on time too! It wouldn't surprise me if it got there on time. Some of the packages I mailed on the 9th were delivered on the 11th and you're mailing a card. Speaking of which, Steppet put the Christmas and Birthday cards heading for the same place in larger envelopes and they got mailed this morning. I feel for the Post Office people - the line to mail stuff was out side the door, and next week will only get worse. Anyway, we're done mailing things. Oh man! Don't hate that! You're happy that you've found "the" gift and whamo - there on the floor of the living room is an empty box. And it's not the one in the bag you just brought in. And then one Christmas eve I went shopping just so I'd have something that Steppet hadn't figured out. That's one of those things that only sounds funny - but really it's not. Getting things done is like a sigh of satisfaction, but mental instead of physical, it just feels good. Maybe so - I wrote to a secret helper and I'm hoping for a surprise. I keep thinking I'm gonna go "Aw man!" when we get the answer 'cause I should have figured it out. That sounds great. Did LX relent about taking her ornaments to school with her or have they pretty much remained where they belong? At the rate you're going, you're going to need a bigger tree!
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Post by Phalon on Dec 12, 2015 19:46:11 GMT -6
I think you're misunderstanding the idea behind the ornaments, or I'm not explaining it right, or I'm misunderstanding you. It is my intent that they take them when leave home - I want them to take the ornaments; they belong with them, wherever they go, and not here at home. Remember your and Steppette's first tree together? I remember ours; we were living together, but not yet married, and didn't have much money. We splurged on 3 boxes of ornaments, a box of glass icicles, and an angel for the top (all of which we still have, and still put on the tree every year), got home all excited and decorated the tree. Stood back to admire it...and it looked bare. It didn't matter to us, of course, but when we got married a year later, a friend gave us as a wedding gift a box of ceramic Christmas ornaments she made - even though we got married in August (we still have those too!). I thought it was a cool idea. Young people starting out generally don't have a lot of money, and there isn't always room in a budget for things as "frivolous" as Christmas ornaments.
So when the girls were born, I started buying them an ornament every year so they'd at least have a good start for their first tree on their own. Of course, because I'm a sap, the ornaments can't just be any old ornament, and I end up putting probably way too much thought and effort into searching for the perfect ones each year.
But no, she hasn't taken them yet; they are on the tree here. I thought she and her roommates might put up a tree this year because they're in an apartment and not the dorm, but they're still all coming home for nearly a month, and opted not to bother with an apartment tree.
Just taking a quick break from the throes of wrapping - BP's gone for the night, and want to get as much done as I can while she's not here. At the computer because shoot! That party I'm going to tomorrow? I had intended to order a literary subscription for a friend of mine. I know for sure she's going to be there - she's the hostess!!!
Lists, yes. I should make them.
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Post by stepper on Dec 12, 2015 21:06:45 GMT -6
Or I wasn't clear enough. I was talking about your comment that LX wanted to take her ornaments to college with her but was going to bring them back for Christmas.
You were talking ornaments again and I made the connection but didn't explain my question. I think there was a question about her taking the ornaments just for Christmas at college when she was coming home again, and how much luggage this was going to involve.
Anyway, I got that the ornaments are theirs and are supposed to go with them when it's appropriate. I was just thinking they're a little more important than sweatshirts and should go when the girls move out on their own, but so long as Christmas is "home" then the ornaments should maybe be there too.
My grandmother was born 19 Dec 1895. The year she was born someone from the family gave her a hand blown glass swan. (They were all in the glass business so it's not surprising.) Before she died, she gave her swan to mom. In January of the year mom died (1991) she sent me the swan. Scared the heck out of me. That swan had been on a Christmas tree every year since my grandmother was born, and mom made me promise,repeatedly, I'd keep it up the tradition. This is the 120th year the swan's been on a tree. It still has the original wire hook too, but the feathers disappeared some time ago. I get that some ornaments have traditional importance behind them and think you had a great idea when you started yours. I just hope they appreciate what it means, or can mean.
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Post by stepper on Dec 13, 2015 12:20:30 GMT -6
Before I forget, I noticed that you've changed into your Christmas garb. It's much, much, better than that breastless, meatless leg, picture of a turkey's butt as seen from the @ss end that you use for Thanksgiving.
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Post by Mini Mia on Dec 13, 2015 19:19:12 GMT -6
Hey! And she did it all by herself. Never even crossed my mind.
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Post by stepper on Dec 14, 2015 18:28:38 GMT -6
She's growing up, taking on new tasks. Pretty soon she'll be running her own site!
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