And here I thought the early bird always got the worm. Somehow, I don't think it's worms he's after on our back deck . . .

I'm working on a new furniture rescue project.

This time it's my great-grandmother Whitmer's sewing rocker. It's a very small, simple oak rocking chair with a rush seat. The seat, after so many years, was falling apart. After an internet search on caning, I found this site which had a kit. I also borrowed The Caner's Handbook from the library, which has turned out to be an excellent resource. So far, it seems like a very easy project. Caning sounds difficult, but it really doesn't seem to be. My main problem? The kit didn't come with enough tacks. I need to find more.

Ultimate Definition of the Day: Defenestrate

Albino Blacksheep / Flash / The Llama Song.
My cousin tortured me with this earlier today. Now, it's your turn. mwa hahahahahaha!

I almost, sort of, nearly have internet access in the basement. We attempted to run a Cat 6 cable upstairs, using old audio/video cables as leads. Unfortunately we ran into a snag on the first floor that proved impossible to overcome. So, Plan B is to run the wires outside and up the side of the building, following the cable wires.

I STILL wish someone would just test the wireless router to see if it reaches the basement. Just how long would it take, anyway?

From time to time I'm reminded of why I'm the editor at work. Gilbert called me yesterday to let me know he had finished editing and all I needed to do was drop it to tape. Hehe. yeah. Fortunately I decided to take a look at it before I did so. Misspelled graphics, misplaced transitions, a long segment of the interviewers staring at each other saying nothing, and a bizarre graphic/transition combo that I couldn't figure out. I fixed the worst of it and refrained myself from major cuts. It's not my project, I shouldn't take it over.

Abston Church of Christ. And here I thought they were supposed to build the church on rock . . . I don't recall seeing clear Legos before. I want some!

To complete the Lego-mania, here's a web site I thought I had lost - Lego Castles!

Another braceface in the family!

My sister just called to tell me about her latest dental appointment, this time with the results of her orthodontic impressions. Apparently she's got a very bad bite, and naturally they were having small fits about her needing oral surgery. She gave them small fits right back against the surgery. So, she's getting Damon brackets in March. It's a newer technology, and a bit nicer, since she won't have those horrible metal bands that go around the back teeth, and supposedly they take less time to work.

With all of our dental problems lately, whenever we get together we start comparing. The funniest example of this was us standing in the middle of JoAnns, and her husband is standing as far away as possible with a resigned, embarassed, and 'trying not to laugh' expression on his face, all rolled into one.

World of Pirates

Found this game the other day. At first glance, I thought, oooh, Pirates! As in Sid Meier's C64 game that I played for hours as a child. The thought of playing against other people added to my interest, so I thought I'd try it out.

First, it's not an american game, and there's a lot of people on it speaking german, which is rather interesting. Second, the game is BIG. You spend a lot of time sailing. 2 hours playing the game is equal to about 1 day, according to the FAQ. There's no treasure maps yet, and so far it's taken me a few days to finally figure out that I shouldn't have taken the cruise around the Caribbean, (my only cruise there) but stayed in the corner I started in and learned to fight, fence, etc. I'm correcting this now, but it's quite a challenge.
They offer 10 free gaming hours, after that it's a one time fee of around 20 euros. I'm not sure if I'll buy it yet, it's very time consuming and the full screen game function is annoying.

Yes. I know. I have a pirate fetish.

Happy New Year!

They say, that at this time of the year, one should reflect on the past year and make resolutions for the future. Of course, the ones who say that seem to also believe that one should go out and get stinking drunk . . . So . . .

2004 was a total loss for me. It started out losing my aunt as a work associate (and getting a gremlin-like replacement). Then things went downhill from there. I lost teeth, a ton of weight, my Sunbird, the last of my friends (Save a couple of Realm ones) and so on.
Here, at the very, very beginning of 2005, I am faced with the prospect of dealing with gum loss, surgery, and the complete, utter, total loss of interest and enjoyment of my job. I thought that a few days off would help, would give me a break and a fresh start. Just the thought of going back makes my throat close up, my eyes tear, and my insides churn, with my brain screaming "Please, God, NO!"

With all this at the front of my mind, my main goal for 2005 is to find a new job. One where I won't have to decide between paying bills or buying birthday gifts. One where I won't have to sell items on eBay just to cover what my insurance won't. One where I get to see, talk to, and interact with people. (I'm beginning to forget what those are.) One with new challenges, and consistent work. One where I would find standards and expectations that I am required to meet. Yeah.

So here's to 2005. Pray that it won't be worse than 2004.