I've been holed up here all day but I don't have cabin fever. I love it at my place. It's night time. Outside it's drizzling. I've been building new boxes to put on the net, reading, studying and writing today. The evening news is on the tube. I feel like making a pot of coffee. I keep getting a box on my screen that says my outbox in Microsoft Mail is damaged. My outbox is empty! I got some interesting email from Elizabeth Gipps, an old friend today. And that's part of my world tonight.

I can't believe I'm actually doing this - I usually steer clear of such threads :). But then this has not been a typical day! I baked muffins for the first time in my life (my mother is slightly obsessive about anyone cooking in her kitchen, but she's w orking at the moment) and they were a success. Hey I'm doing better than the Bennet girls - they couldn't cook. I also just got rudely interrupted from my spring-browsing by a door-to-door salesman wanting to give me a voucher for 20 free meals - only I'd have to pay $30 for it! I blame Neil Finn for it all. Huh? I hear you say. Mr Finn was lead vocalist for Crowded House - my all-time favourite band who announced they were breaking up in June. Their final charity concert on the steps of the Sydney Opera House was televised he re on Sunday, and I'm am currently slowly working my way through a grieving process involving contimuous playing of all my Crowded House CDs - maybe that's why the salesman looked happy to depart. Top that people!

Tough to top. The only rule in this topic is that are no rules and that you can talk about anything and everything. Total free form.

During my one excursion outside, I acquired a stud finder and 16 yards of unbleached muslin. Prize for the most creative use of these wares.

Hope you find that stud. I'm kicked back watching the music awards on Fox. And I'm scanning in some ancient family photos of my Norwegian relatives in Minnesota. I'm building sort of a family album web page for my folks and family at Christmas. It's my life story too. Dishwalla's playing on the tube.

Moody Blues boxed set CD is playing (the poetry is a bit surreal), and I just finished making up an algebra exam to give to my students tomorrow. I have not had time to browse here since Saturday evening, and I must say that I have missed all of you. I skipped (church) choir rehearsal to relax this evening, so I suppose I feel a bit guilty. Saman, congrats on the muffins. It has been an absolute age since I used my kitchen stoves to do anything other than heat soup or cook frozen dinners! As soon as the semester is over, I will go to San Diego for a week over Christmas -- mom and one brother's family out there. I plan to take the S&S video to share w/ mom.

Moody Blues. Santana was just on the music awards getting the Century Billboard award. Only George Harrison and three others have ever won this award. Still scanning pictures and working on some website proposals. I've got 4 computers hooked up to a switchbox here and I'm flipping from one to another. Bastrop Internet Services is working on building up the new server, I popped another 20mb of memory in it last night and Scott's putting NT 4.0 on it. I don't know if it's back on line yet. Their website is http://www.bastrop.net Tomorrow, Matt is going to build up a new primary server to replace http://access.spring.com which bit the dust. I got a 2mb hard drive to replace the 1 gigger that went down. The rains have past. It's quiet out in Cedar Creek, like it always is. I wonder what Amy's doing tonight.

Amy slept for a change -- but awoke at 4 am

Good morning Amy, it's 6 am here and you've already been up for two hours, are you ever bright eyed and bushy tailed today! I'm going in to Austin today to take care of lots of business and things that are piling up. I've got to get that contract going with Texaltel (see projects) and get that machine to Matt (to replace the server that crashed) and a bunch of friends are meeting at pub on 6th street tonight. We had some interesting comments in one of the NetMeeting topics yesterday (not the one that's linked to here) and you may want to check them out in the 'apps' conference. Did you know that if you hit the 'enter' key twice that you will get a menu here if you're in a shell? But only about half the menus work so far. I'm writing shell scripts to do a whole bunch of things. Is anyone here good at writing shell scripts?

Even though I won't be online for the next 8 hours. I left my microphone aimed at my radio. So you may be able to hear me talking to other folks if you connect to me on NetMeeting.

Here are some of the pictures I scanned: http://www.spring.com/~terry/albumjpg/ And me as a baby: http://www.spring.com/~terry/albumjpg/terry2.JPG

I have to start making Christmas cookies and wrapping presents. I would like to get most of this done while my "the little angels" are in school. I will be very busy during the morning hours. Every year I say I will not go crazy but every YEAR we do. Oh w ell, "tis the seasons to be joLly, fa,la,la,la,la,la,la" * *** ***** ******* ********* *********** *** ***

1 "Merry Christmas" 232 "Happy New Year" 34443 4555544 566666665 67777777776 7888888888887 101

I guess half a tree is better then none. HO! HO!

HO!

I have to make it down to see the tree of lights in Zilker Park. See my comments in the food conference about my wonderful dinner tonight.

I'm having a hard time finding any holiday spirit this year. I usually enjoy gift giving and all the events but Novemeber has worn me out. Someone remind me what's it like to have a life outside of work. Donna, could you pls send a little of your xmas spirit my way? I'm in grave need. Mich

Sure Mich, no, problem it will be a "surprise"

D'Arcy or Pemberley shape cookies anyone ? Donna, you already got some gifts ? Got to get them before the usual 24-hour-prior-to-Xmas-day. And it is a major plus to have kids, they really put you in the spirit don't they. Almost no choice but to feel it. My trick for the past years, particularly when all I had was a job and friends at the other corner of the earth, was to give time to needy causes (filling baskets of food. Nothing like seeing a two/three year old receiving is only plush teddy. Even if my situation as quite change, I remained faithfull to this commitment and it makes me feel great. Sending you my warmest wishes of joy and happiness, mich.

Not a good day today. Two girls in my homeroom were making fun of my friend Tara because she is skinny and short. They called her a Balemic Monkey (I dan't know if thats spellled right). They spread nasty rumors about her for absolutly no reason. They threw her books in the garbage, STOLE a few of her belongings, and on top of all that they threw away her BIBLE!! I am sooooooo pissed off right now. We also lost our game by ONE piont. It was a good game. I am not going to get any sleep tonite becaus John has invited 4 friends to sleep over. They are all loud and abnoxious (forgive spelling).

Cat, hope you were able to give Tara some support and comfort. At a time like that one really needs one's friends. Insecure young people can be so hard on one another. (And some of them never do grow out of it and become Caroline Bingleys!)

They should have a class in grade school/high school to teach people how to to love each other

But Donna, I believe that this is what parents are for?

Cheryl sometimes that is not enough.

People can just be so nasty to each other it disgusting! Tara was hysterical all day yesterday! I feel so bad as if I've done something awful. I feel so helpless! I want to comfort her but I can't. She is too upset. Things like this have been going on since fifth grade with her! I thought people in their last year of high school would at least be mature enough not to do that sort of thing. I hope she can forgive them. I hope I can forgive them. It is times like this to where the only way I can f rgive is when I look back and remember what Jesus did for me. Even though we laughed at Him, spat on Him, beat Him, and even killed the Messiah, the son of God, He asked His Father to forgive us all. He could have just jumped off that cross and destroye d all mankind with the snap of a finger but He didn't. He did not want to die but He loved us all so much. He wanted us to be with Him in paradise when we leave our earthly bodies. We do not deserve His love, but He gives it willingly. For those who a e offended by this message I am sorry for invading your beliefs.

People can just be so nasty to each other it disgusting! Tara was hysterical all day yesterday! I feel so bad as if I've done something awful. I feel so helpless! I want to comfort her but I can't. She is too upset. Things like this have been going on since fifth grade with her! I thought people in their last year of high school would at least be mature enough not to do that sort of thing. I hope she can forgive them. I hope I can forgive them. It is times like this to where the only way I can f rgive is when I look back and remember what Jesus did for me. Even though we laughed at Him, spat on Him, beat Him, and even killed the Messiah, the son of God, He asked His Father to forgive us all. He could have just jumped off that cross and destroye d all mankind with the snap of a finger but He didn't. He did not want to die but He loved us all so much. He wanted us to be with Him in paradise when we leave our earthly bodies. We do not deserve His love, but He gives it willingly. For those who a e offended by this message I am sorry for invading your beliefs.

I thought I hit that button once. Sorry.

I spent the night waiting in a hospital emergency room....the victim is home and doing well, but meanwhile, I now feel like I am the one who need a doctor's care..... in an unrelated incident, I hit someone's car (black ice...nothing I could do)....my son 's snake is loose in the basement (Indiana Jones and I have similar feelings about vipers;I am contemplating a move to the Hilton)....I have to turn out a shepherd costume for my son by Monday or the PTA gestapo will come after me......On Sunday, I must s epherd a bunch of cub scouts carolling at a nursing home; only threats of bodily harm will get them to behave like angels(Hope the elderly won't notice the 'Batman smells' version of Jingle Bells).....my house looks like a sewer....by way of holiday decor ating,I'm thinking of stringing lights on the pumpkins that have frozen to the front porch......and friends keep wondering why I spit at the TV every time an ad for the Martha Stewart Christmas special comes on. Sorry to ramble, but just wanted to let you know it has been a typical week in the House of Grace. Ho, Ho, Ho! P.S. Amy, if you really want to find that stud, I would advise AGAINST using all 16 yards of the muslin....try working with 2 or 3 yards to make some low-cut little number that will hammer home the right message....be sure to wear that WonderBra (or if y ou don't have one, duct tape works the same kind of Wonders) ;-)

] I hit someone's car (black ice...nothing I could do)... ___ Oh Grace. How awful for you. Do treat yourself to the Hilton. Why not? And popcorn and champaign and P&P tomorrow. Can I come over?

Oh dear, Grace! Who is the "victim" and of what, if the black ice was an unrelated incident? ANd what variety of snake is loose? Fear not - in general, many snakes make very good pets and many others are of an extremely shy and retiring character and u nlikely to do anything to anyone unless provoked. When in junior high I was one of a group of kids who "volunteered" at the museum, and among our duties were, every two weeks, if there were no live mice available with which to feed the snakes, to force-f ed them hamburger, which they would not eat on their own, preferring their food alive. So two of us took on each snake, one holding the mouth open and the other poking the hamburger inside - then we had to hold its mouth shut till it swallowed the bite. The experience really stripped the poor snakes of all dignity and ability to inspire fear. Joan, too

Joan, the victim of last night's hospital escapade was my husband....he had gone to a Detroit Pistons game and was done in by a hot dog.....a piece lodged in his esophagus.......only with an ambulance, drugs, and a surgeon now behind us,and the victim fee ling much better, can I even dream of talking about the whole thing. (My husband was at the game with friends, one of whom is a thoracic surgeon and the other, a pediatrician. I'm left to wonder where they were during this whole thing!) My husband is a man of few words but because of this incident, those few are down to NONE, and he has to lecture on Monday. My son assures me that the snake missing from his collection is a milk snake...but I think this is a conspiracy to paint images of some benign creature hiding down there rather than a horrible lurking monster. (I am the only person on the block with cans of carnivorous snake food and freeze-dried crickets in her refrigerator - Woe to the guest innocently looking for a midnight snack.) Be assured that we are all now doing well.....and the HIlton says they do offer special rates for extended stays. Grace

Re: 59:31 - what a nasty and scary experience. One would have thought that in the company he was in, he'd have been in good hands! My husband is a man of few words but because of this incident, those few are down to NONE, and he has to lecture on Monday." Hopefully the swelling will have gone down at least somewhat by then. And if not, tell him to borrow a PowerBook, feed it a SimpleText textfile and let MacInTalk read it for him. [grin] I am the only person on the block with cans of carnivorous snake food and freeze-dried crickets in her refrigerator For a year or two I had siamese fighting fish, and was the only one on my block with live brine shrimp tubifex worms in my refrigerator. Equally disgusting- especially the tubifex worms! Joan, too

You beat me to it with the muslin, Grace. I'm glad you and your husband are okay.

About beating you to it with the muslin, Hilary.......I couldn't help myself; Amy gave us an opening that was 'sew' inviting. (By the way,I threw in the duct tape just to please you.) If I had been smart, I would have gotten Amy to whip up my shepherd costume with the extra yardage and send it by overnight mail. The family survived a difficult week....I was just beginning to feel optimistic about life again.....and then I went to that party last night at the home of a Martha Stewart clone...... which was enough to plunge this hapless homemaker into endless depres sion! So begins another week.

I'm off to work this morning. I had a nice weekend. We had very pleasant weather here in Austin. I started topic 82 in hopes that some of you will email folks that are interested in the Spring. If you find someone to your liking in topic 82, please email them and let them know they are most welcome here on the Spring. This would be most appreciated. I finished tape one of P&P and am part way in to tape two. I'm savoring the experience of seeing these tapes!

Who is Martha Stewart? Should I know? Thanks for the virtual ducktape! I should really use some round here - three of our 11 ducklings have died, probably at the beak of our drake. What we will do when we go away is a problem. Saw Jackson Browne and Bonnie Raitt last night. JB was enjoyable, ultra smooth, BR was WONDERFUL, great voice, fantastic blues slide electric guitar, and one raunchy lady.

Martha is the US doyenne of elegant entertaining. 'She' is an empire...does TV specials, has books by the dozen, her own magazine -Martha Stewart Living, and a catalog of upscale merchandise. People either adore her, or, as in my case, live to make fun o f her. Diane White, a columnist at the Boston Globe, has for years kept up an anti-Martha campaign. Martha parody books are a hot item for Christmas around here. Jackson Browne AND Bonnie Raitt? Wow.

quote for the day "Boring Women Have Immaculate Homes" (from my fridge magnet)

Hil, my nearly dead nap page has a Jackson Brown song as its theme song: http://www.bluemarble.net/~amyloo/wno.html

Donna, tell your story about meeting Hornsby in the music conference, and I will tell about Mellencamp? Did we not tell each other we met them while pregnant?

Amy, do you mean the music conference here at spring? I haven't got beyond here yet. 'Running on Empty' is a great song, BTW. Sorry it is applicable to your nap page, though. Or are you happy its run its course? Just musing that its 16 years since John Lennon died. I still get sad about it. 'And so this is Chrismas, and what have you done, Another year over, a new one just begun'.... And Joni's still ricochetting around in my head: Its coming on Christmas They're cutting down trees They're putting up reindeer And singing songs of joy and peace. I wish I had a river I could skate away on....

] Just musing that its 16 years since John Lennon died. ___ I happened to be in New York just after the murder and went to the Park for the vigil. I will never for get it.

I love those old Joni Mitchell songs!!

Hilary, I am so glad that Martha Stewart has not poisoned Australia yet. If she stages a coup and completely takes over here (she decorated the White House last year on her Christma she knows her way around), Grace, Anna and the rest of us may have to co me and hide out at your place. Jane

Jane - I am in Australia :)

... at a safe distance from Martha Stewart.

I am no where near even the fringe of the nieghborhood of Christmas Cheer. I have baked no cookies, I have sent no cards, I have bought no presents, I have not decorated my house (I did decorate my piano studio for my students, but that's all.) I am up to my eyeballs in Christmas in everything I do but none of it has affected me. This is the busiest time for musicians, everyone wants special Christmas programs- I have 9 more events in addition to my regularly packed schedule in the next two weeks. I a so busy "Making Christmas Bright" for everyone else that I have none left for myself. An occupational hazard, I know, and in the past I've always been able to rise above it, but not this year. The only day I can even see a few open hours to shop is Dec . 23, and I get the heebie jeebies just thinking about entering a mall two days before Christmas! Santa, help me!

Anna, I realized after I posted my message that I was only guessing that you were within reach of Martha's clutches. That gives the rest of us another potential refulge! Cheryl, I am in a similar boat, not as busy so less of an excuse for failure to make cookies, decorate, shop. My husband is out of town this week so I am with our 2-year old--I tried to go shopping but had to chase her around, and ended up spending a few hours at the mall buying only stuff for her. But here's a shopping tip that I found out about on the Austen-L, and bought for my aunt. Blockbuster has, for $29.99, Persuasion and Sense and Sensibility packaged together. The problem is, it is probably better present for you than for anyone you know! Jane P.S. Music is such a great part of Christmas---at least you can enjoy your work!

It