We've been forked!

 

Do you remember how, over the summer, I mentioned how bored the kids are around here? Well, this is the new trend... practical jokes. Tonight, we were forked.

Honestly, I find it funny. No harm done, right? I might just leave it until New Year's Eve... although maybe that isn't what they were looking for. Is it as much fun, if the person you are pranking thinks it's funny? Isn't it more funny if everyone freaks out and runs around screaming, like chickens with their heads cut off???

The view from the Top

 

Here's a buena vista for y'all -- a beautiful view from our hike today.

The hike was very peaceful, extremely quiet -- especially with no kids along! No birds to be heard, either; I guess they've flown away for the winter. Mostly all you could hear was our feet crunching through snow and gravel.

The only really embarassing part was that at the ONLY POINT during the whole trail where we saw another person -- obviously the kind of guy who was out in the woods for the peace and quiet and to get away from the real world -- and wouldn't you know it, but my cell phone rings? The kids wanted to know where we were and what time we'd be home. I felt so rude. I can just imagine what that guy was thinking.

AT hike

 

Frank and I went on a short hike along the Appalachian Trail today. Here we are pretty near our furthest point -- we stopped for lunch and then turned around a few minutes later. It was a short hike, because we started late in the day, but it was quite nice. I REALLY need the exercise!

Christmas Holiday

It's been a very nice holiday so far. I'm busy trying to jam in everything possible on the week I have off. Looking at January and February, with so few days off, it looks very bleak.

I love my new job - I've been there 6 months now -- but I do really miss being home. Even more so, I miss being home alone. Even this break is not quite the same because the whole family is here with me.

Nothing I can do but make the best of it.

So I've been sleeping late and renting movies on pay-per-view late at night, listening to a lot of music, and stuff like that. Yesterday, Frank and I went to a winery. We've decided to try to make wine a hobby. Unfortunately, it's not a cheap hobby, so I'm not sure that will really work. Sure, the wine tasting was free at the winery. But we ended up buying four bottles of wine. I can't keep doing that.

And we are joining the health club together. I've been a member since August, but now we're adding him and the kids to the membership.

And today we are supposed to be going on a hike.

Ahh, togetherness.

Have a very Merry Christmas!

glitter-graphics.com

I hope everyone is ready, because the holidays are officially here!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

 

I just took this picture last night, really to send to Mrs. T., but then I decided to post it for all of you. This will from hereon be known as the official Christmas picture for 2007. However, you won't be getting one in a card. I do plan on sending out cards -- but no, I haven't done them yet. Oh, I STARTED them, but actually MAILING anything is a completely different story.

Anonymity. (Did I spell that correctly?)

I am not very anonymous on this blog. Everyone who reads it pretty much knows who I am. After all, it's "Keep in Touch..." -- it's supposed to be for my friends and family, not for pointed remarks or sarcasm or gossip or things of that nature. It's open to be read by people who I know or people who I don't know, and I want it to be an honorable place.

I was reading NJ Online about the Hockey fight the boys were in. That is a bulletin board about woodbridge, and about things going on in Woodbridge. It is supposedly completely anonymous. HOWEVER. I did NOT ever post there.

I have this bad feeling that people might think that because I blog, I'm liable to blog on that site. I must say, I believe that if I posted on that bulletin board, it would be a bad thing. Maybe not bad for everyone, but bad for me. So this is my statement right here. I don't have a problem with posting about things. And I believe in free speech. But I don't necessarily it's productive to have ANONYMOUS free speech, because it tends to devolve into name calling and shit slinging.

If I ever post on that board, I will be completely identifiable.

Life

Quote of the week
"To the question of your life you are the answer, and to the problems of your life you are the solution." – Unknown

This is the quote of the week on a blog by Netizen 101, also known as Vincent. His blog can be found atTHIS WONDER-FUL LIFE
and I really think that you all should take a look. I'm always wondering about the meaning of life, and so is he. He's very thoughtful and interesting to read. His recent post is about happiness; read down through some of his older posts as well, and you'll find some very philosophical ideas. So go visit him and say Hi from me!

Sunday Evenings

It's hard to get motivated on a Sunday Evening. So instead of doing any of the thousand things I should be doing, I'm sitting here playing on the computer. I surfed all over, from Free Rice to Post Secret to everyone's blogs. I don't even feel all that motivated to post on my own blog. I'm sitting around in a rather hazy contentment, having had a lovely holiday party to attend last night, and then another party (for a cousin's first birthday) in the afternoon today. And the time keeps flowing away from me, and I'm sure I'll be sorry I haven't done more with my weekend than I did. But it's COLD upstairs where the laundry is, and I don't feel like it!

AFter

 

The leaves are gone in one fell swoop!

The Before Picture

 

Yesterday's wind storm was mighty ferocious. All of the pretty leaves blew away in one blast of air. This is the before picture. I took it Sunday. (I still haven't taken the after picture, but I'll post it later.)

Getting Ready

 

Today was supposed to be a busy day... I was supposed to give a speech this morning, and then I was supposed to have a few members of my family over for dinner.

But the snow kinda stopped both of those things from happening today. It isn't overly snowy, but there was the threat of ice and sleet. So the Make A Wish meeting was cancelled and Mom decided not to risk the trip from the Poconos.

So that leaves me with a pretty free day. I'm having fun getting ready for Christmas. How 'bout you?