Special

While I am thanking everyone for a great Christmas, I would especially like to thank Diane for hosting, helping us when we were out of power and for making Christmas for Tawnya and three of her kids great!

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Winter, not winner

Well, we have power and heat again. It was still a might chilly at 60 F when we entered. After some time and more lights shining (heating) it was a nicer near-70 F. Yea!

To Diane,

What a bad weekend!

Well, at 6:19 a.m. Tom and Lois lost power and therefore heat. Since there was no power, getting news on when it would return was non-existent. At around 10 something, the LAN phone line went out. Therefore there were only cellphones that worked. Not only at night were we in the dark, but for information too.

While it appears lovely, it is a thick layer of ice that is dangerous on which to walk and drive. So too is it that made the limbs too heavy, which fell off trees and snapped phone and power lines.
Our poor neighbor got a pounding, obviously. I was going to walk over and help, but during the time that I could have, three limbs fell. I might have been hurt or killed. I changed my mind about pulling limbs while they were still falling.
This other neighbor lost the top half of the tree here. Oh, man!
Diane was nice enough to put us up for the night, which went to two, perhaps three. Joe was with us and so the many of us stayed with Diane and Jim. While there Diane found Lilly chasing something. This opossum crawled up on the grill for safety. It later crawled away.

Jeff sent this photo of a Glenbrook flag, destroyed by the weather.
In all over 100,000 people lost power in Allen County alone.

Ho Ho, uh oh

It's that time of year again when Grandpa Claus gets gifts for everyone including and especially his favorite -- animal crackers. Look for yours today!

Saturday for a Sunday

I helped out the Tom and Lois' church by helping them put out chairs. It went quickly, but there wasn't a planogram to figure out all of it. In the end, we winged it!

Vindow

a new window

There came a tapping. A rapping on my window, nothing more.+
Diane had a drafty or windy window. She bought a window, but had yet to get it installed. Time was awastin' so she contracted it to a small company. These two guys, John and Keith installed it and ensured it was neat and correct. It was instantly warmer in the room. Yea for Jessica!


+ paraphrased from Edgar Allen Poe, of course.

Bethy Shocks the spunky

"I DID IT!! AFTER 6 YEARS I GOT HIM!!!! It was only a little startle, not a big jump but it counts! He was weak I took advantage of it! THAT WAS SO AWESOME!!!!"

Lilly proves she was mis-named

Lilly, or as I called her Chewy, has warranted stricter measures to limit her mobility.

1: Lilly got banished from the blue room with the Christmas tree. She brought to her mommy well-chewed precious and unique ornaments.

2. Lilly is required to be on a leash outside. She had been getting into Thanksgiving trash -- getting her sick. When that was gone, she ran out to the busy road chasing something.

Now, hardly Lilly of the Valley, she is Lilly of the Limitations (or the Leash). She is still puppy and full of energy. She also still likes to chew, especially hands regardless of the toys surrounding her.

Lump of coal in her stocking I'm afraid. Maybe next year she'll opt to be better behaved.

almost 5 feet and tough

"thanks beth. you are the terminator."
-- co-worker commenting on Bethy stopping nuisance running applications


Beth will not stop ever, until the background processes are terminated.

happy note

I got to see and obviously photograph this ...
Simone gets baptized. She is the-love-of-my-life-Tawnya's elder daughter.
2008 and God is still great!

21

The was cut, not too cautiously.
I bet you wish you had more "death by chocolate" cake.
Yeah! Thank you hugs.

Well, Jenny now 21 and gets all the priviledges therein. Since she's not really a drinker ... not much advantage.

Jenny had a quiet little birthday celebration where we tried some wine with lasagna. Lilly helped lots with pulling paper from wrapped gifts, off the table to be shredded. Grandpa didn't go, he was ill.

Happy Birthday Jenny!

notes from a somber trip

dark setting sun

I looked at this and thought of a wink.

We traveled to Jack's showing and funeral. I won't labor the painful loss though I could easily.
It was really nice to see people there. I will highlight the funny little things.

We got to the hotel late that night and the girls wanted tea. After we went to the restaurant nearby, Debbie couldn't, for the life of her figure out the coffee maker. She didn't pour it in the right area. Really, we were all loopy, sickened with sorrow and tired. It was still funny that Debbie, coffee-hound that she is, couldn't figure it out.

I had the misfortune of odd circumstances. Diane was to sleep with the girls, but ... that didn't happen. She didn't go to sleep in Joe's room either. She bunked in with me, no worries, save one. I am a very light sleeper. Diane snores uncontrollably. I had no options. I slept in the car and a restless and cold night it was.

After the funeral there was a delay ... a drained battery. Thankfully cables and capability -- voila, it started. Susan lost her ride and frantically called to ride with Dad and I. We were happy to have her. We were following Don back for it was easy to get lost. Susan, in Brooklyn baroque spoke of jolly ol' England and her first 4 months there. She broke her leg and the flat was burglarized while they were away. Of the years she lived in Brooklyn, not once was she burglarized.

Barney sucked up to most people who had that special charm, love ... food. He grabbed anything Barney height and made it his.

Debbie, still tired, couldn't figure out the parking brake at night. So goofy.
Sorry Diane, this one is for you ... Diane kept us up to date with play by play action, including the obvious. Debbie was in tears with laughter with, "Hello, Mr. Obvious? Long time listener, first time caller." "OK. We're turning around here."

Diane lost her cellphone.

Joe spilt caramel coffee in the van -- ew! At the same time Beth nearly gagged with the smell of a cigar-smoker in the parking lot.

We agreed not to take the same long-butt route we did. In the end we shaved off 40 minutes, but there is no "quick" way.

We got back home with few breaks in Ohio with three voices calling, "potty!"

I will bear the name, "Neo" with my black trenchcoat. I'm no Keanu, thank you.