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Sunday, January 04, 2009

First Post of the New Year

Wow. It's been a few days, hasn't it? December always plays with my timing, but there's nothing like work 3/holiday/work 1/weekend/repeat to make one's internal clock go wacky. But it's a new year, and time to get back on track!
By the way, it's almost a full three days into the new year, and frankly, it doesn't seem much different than 2008...
Had a bit of a Dad scare on NYE. I called my parents around 10PM to wish them a happy new year, knowing that they don't bother staying up until midnight. There's no answer. I'm a bit panicked, but maybe they really had plans. So I call S2 to see if she knew. There's no answer. Now I'm imagining a family gathering at the hospital. I call S3. There's no answer. Until after the 5th ring. She's sorta tipsy. To shorten the story--my parents were in the bathroom, where my mother was taking care of Dad's legs (the entries into the femoral arteries haven't been healing right). Water was running, and they didn't hear the phone. So all was OK. But I was sure I was going to be ringing in the new year in the waiting room...
Did something I've never done before at work on Friday. I popped onto gchat with a young lady and decided to give the video chat a try. She had the little camera icon, and I've got it installed on the work computer, so we gave it a shot. I'm hooked. And smitten. The young lady in question is from England. After we both oohed and ahhed at the technology, I let her do some talking. She speaks the Queen's English quite properly, and I'm sitting there with a goofy-assed smile the entire time. She was charming and lovely, and if I didn't have phones ringing and co-workers and bosses walking by the whole time, I could have stayed there for a couple of hours. Alas, that wasn't to be. I don't know how often I can get away with video chatting from work, but I'll be looking for any opportunity to do it now!
I was channel surfing on Friday, I believe, and came across the Cartoon Network's Looney Tunes Marathon. I was in heaven. These were the classics from the late 50s and 60s. When they were at their finest. AND THEY WEREN'T EDITED IN THE LEAST!!! When the coyote or the bull (from the bullfight) were shot with a gun or blown up in an explosion, it wasn't hacked out of the cartoon (in order to not promote violence in our youth...). I miss the days when cartoons could be cartoons. When ethnic stereotypes were "ok". When sticking a finger in the barrel of a rifle meant you'd probably get covered in black, but you could still make a witty comeback. When falling off a cliff meant you'd land in a heap of dust at the bottom. At what point did "they" decide that all of that was bad for you?? Can you imagine what they'd do with the Three Stooges???
Finally, it's time for some thank-yous that didn't happen before the end of the year.
  • First off, to everyone who participated in the three themes that ended the year. Almost everyone joined in, which makes it more fun for the community. Not that those of you who didn't weren't appreciated (wow! another triple negative!), but I think we were all excited to see what the others could come up with!
  • Secondly, and this is for the full year--thanks to all of the Mystery Guests. For as busy as I get on Wednesdays putting it all together, that's one thing that slips through the cracks. Every one of you have contributed great shots, and I think that very few of you ever gets recognized before getting revealed. For some, that's quite an achievement, based on their "normal" style. I hope you've all reveled in the great comments that come through each week for the MG!
  • Next, to one particular HNTer who posted over at the OHNT. Her NY resolution for 2008 was to submit something every week of the year. As mentioned over there (you all saw it, right?), this was the first NY resolution that she's ever kept. Even submitting pictures when she was sick or on vacation! Thank you from me and all the rest of us for your dedication to it!
  • Finally, I was once again remiss in sending out Christmas cards this year. It's not going to happen. So to those who sent Christmas and/or NY wishes by text, thank you! To those I got an ecard from (I think that was just from the New England area...), thank you! Loved the pics of the kids! To the crazy lady from Missouri who constantly sent me some "off-color" forwards throughout Christmas, hope you had a good holiday (it wasn't so bad, was it?). And to those who sent me real Christmas cards--from Colorado (what a good looking family!), from the Dallas area (miss you too!), from Calgary (we MUST get that trip worked out!), from North Pole (really! North Pole!), from the Vegas area (thanks for the "extra" gift!), from western TN (I miss our chats!) and from deep in the sticks of MT (we don't have as much snow!)--thank you ALL for your cards!! And to the one who sent me an actual gift--you have no idea how cool that is! Yours will be coming, but nowhere near as cool...

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