morrowlife

Here’s a plasticky-looking lady in the Victorian Christmas Farmhouse, getting ready for Christmas. Picture courtesy of the exclusive Treo-cam. Part of my famous Statue series.

Great day! Loyal Readers Numbers Three and Fifteen arrived mid-day. We’ve been enjoying the day. Games are being played, computers are being worked on, shopping was done, wrapping is happening (and there’s more to come), great food was eaten, cookies were baked, home teachers visited, Loyal Reader Number Twenty-Four spent much of the day, and . . . let’s see . . . lots of other fun things happened. Oh, and I worked for a few hours. But we won’t count that.

So my first official day off was a great one.

We’ve decided where to go on Christmas Eve. We’re checking out the Hiller Aviation Museum. LRN3 has been requesting it for a few years now. Loyal Reader Number Five preferred the Asian Art Museum, but we think Loyal Reader Number Twelve might not do as well there this year. Maybe next year.

We went to the wacky light house last night. It was as lighted-up as last year, but it was cold, windy, and raining. There weren’t many people there, there was no Santa, and there was no hot chocolate. On the positive side, there was plenty of nearby parking. We took a quick look, got back in the car, and went home for our own hot chocolate. I’m glad we went, but the weather was not very favorable.

Good news! My recently-ordered Christmas present arrived in the mail today. Bad news! LRN15’s gift that was ordered before mine and for which quick delivery was paid still hasn’t arrived. As I mentioned to her, I guess I’ve been good this year and she hasn’t. Do better next time, LRN15.

Nothing else to write about tonight. Film festival tomorrow, which will be duly reported on. More Great Art will be shot over the next few days. See you tomorrow.

Here’s an exclusive fuzzy Treo-cam view of the Victorian Christmas Farmhouse.

Work’s over for the year! I put in a good, solid four hours today and returned home exhausted. I go back on January fifth, although I do have to attend a couple of telecons on Monday. Sigh.

We checked out the new Bass Pro Shop near our place this evening. It’s been open for a couple of months, but we never found the time to go until now. It’s pretty much what you would a expect – a big store with a lot of outdoorsy stuff. And relatively high prices. It’ll be a great place to go when we need to find obscure spare parts. Plus, they have a giant fish tank. And camouflage recliners. For sale. We actually bought one, but now we can’t find it.

We did buy a couple of light bulbs for Loyal Reader Number One’s flashlight. They cost three dollars. Obscure spare parts.

Today’s toilet news: The space station is a little short on privacy for their new privy. I say go ahead and start using it anyway. Everybody can just close their eyes.

At least the space toilet isn’t smoking. Yet.

Loyal Readers Number Three and Fifteen should be in the Bay Area tonight. They’re spending a couple of days with Loyal Readers Numbers Five, Six, and Twelve. We’re looking forward to seeing them out here in Lardville Real Soon Now.

Weekend plans include cookie baking, wacky light house visiting, possible oil changing, and planning projects for the rest of the holiday. Reports on Monday.

And that’s it for tonight. Have a great weekend, and I’ll see you Monday.

Here’s the blacksmith at the Victorian Farm. I love blacksmith shops. We mentioned to this guy that his shop must be a nice place to be on a cold winter day. He said it’s not too bad in the summer either, other than right by the fire. Picture courtesy of the famous Treo-cam. Part of my famous Machinery series.

One more day of work. Must . . . survive . . . one . . . more . . . day. Today’s luncheon was okay – potluck is never my favorite, but there were a few good things.

Loyal Reader Number One finally got home this morning. They canceled his flight last night due to the lack of a pilot. Apparently, the snow in Las Vegas pretty much closed the airport and his pilot never made it to Salt Lake. He called his uncle at about midnight and spent the night at their house. He got out on this morning’s 10:00 flight. Welcome home, LRN1! At least you weren’t on Flybe Airlines.

I briefly considered buying myself this additional gift for Christmas. I’m afraid it might make the Loyal Pets see me as meat, though. So I’ll probably skip it.

No controversy, no toilet news, no food attack news. Maybe tomorrow.

No more for tonight. It was Thursday Meeting Night, and it’s late. See you tomorrow.

Here’s Loyal Reader Number Two at the controls of a Mercury space capsule. Not too much room in there. Picture taken at the Chabot Science Center. Part of my famous Machinery series.

I am so ready to be done with work for the year and start wassailing and chestnut-roasting and tinsel-draping and caroling and figgy-pudding-eating and all that.

But it’s not to be. Not quite yet. Two more days.

The week’s second luncheon went well. We went to one of those fondue restaurants (link note: the good reviews all look suspiciously written by the restaurant owners, don’t they?) in downtown Sunnyvale. The food was pretty good – I enjoyed my self-seared ahi tuna – and the service was . . . ummm . . . ordinary. Certainly not excellent. But I’ve had worse. Not too often, though.

Anyway. The cooking part of the meal was interesting. Appetizers were dipped in a pot of cheesy creamy sauce. Dessert was dipped in a pot of dark chocolatey pepperminty creamy sauce. But the meat was cooked on individual hot rocky slabs. Everybody seemed satisfied when it was over and nobody was rushed to the hospital with third-degree burns, so it appears to have been a success. And the program appears to have paid for it all.

Would I go back to that restaurant? I wouldn’t avoid it, certainly, and it was interesting and different. But there are a whole lot of other places I would definitely choose first. It was just kind of . . . bland.

Not much else new today. I attempted to cash my annual Prudential dividend check after lunch. Some years ago, they changed from a mutual insurance company to a publicly-held corporation. They gave me three shares of stock. Every year, I get a hefty dividend check – this year’s was $1.74. I cash it and buy a sandwich or a car or something. I presented this year’s check to my friendly teller this afternoon and it was returned to me uncashed. It seems they post-dated it to December 19. Sigh. A whole nother trip to the bank for a measly buck seventy four.

Haven’t decided how to spend the money this year. Loyal Reader suggestions are welcome. And will be treated with the respect they deserve.

We’re off to the Oakland airport tonight for Loyal Reader Number One’s arrival! Everbody’s looking forward to it. Safe travels, LRN1!

See you tomorrow.

Here’s Lake Chabot through the trees. Part of my famous Camping series.

Not much to write about today. Work was . . . pretty much as usual. Lots of meetings, little other work. But I enjoyed it. I did go to my first of three luncheons scheduled for this week. The others are tomorrow and Thursday. It was a nice South American restaurant, but the prices were outrageous. I think it was probably my most expensive lunch, other than the one where I had to get a new bumper for my car. I doubt that one will ever be topped. At least I hope not.

I’m delighted to report that somebody has finally publicized my exercise plan. I have a feeling I’ll be in fine form tonight.

In more worrisome news, Steve is staying away from MacWorld. Is he sick? Or just sick of it? Only my Loyal Readers know for sure.

Don’t feel like writing any more tonight. See you tomorrow.