Chat & Greetings 2004 - Page 9 (2025)

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Lady Arabella Thu Nov 20, 2014 5:05 pm

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Denise P. - Nov 17, 2004 5:55 am (#2701 of 2977)

Yep, I got your email...just have not had a chance to reply.

Betty, thanks for the birthday wishes....but....my birthday is not in November (and I am not saying when it is). Mr. Denise has a birthday in November though.

Off to the dentist this morning. Child #5 is having 2 baby teeth pulled in an effort to encourage some other teeth to move forward to where they should be. He is still going to need braces but this will hopefully do some of the work on its own.

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Loopy Lupin - Nov 17, 2004 6:37 am (#2702 of 2977)

Hello everyone. **waves to Kim and Catherine**

I, too, hope everyone is gearing up for Thanksgiving. I just bought GOF on tape for my upcoming drive. (My nephew commandeered OoP some time ago.) I know this has been discussed elsewhere, but I'm getting a kick out of "Voldemor" which is how, for some reason, Jim Dale pronounced Voldemort until OoP. I keep saying "t" every time he says it.

Happy Wednesday.

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mollis - Nov 17, 2004 8:27 am (#2703 of 2977)

Okay, have a bit of bad news I need to share since my earlier excitement caused me to spill the beans a bit too early. My first pregnancy has ended in a miscarriage. I had to have a D&C yesterday. I am doing fine. I've had a couple of weeks to deal with the emotional aspects of this. And now I am dealing with the physical aspect of it. I know you all will wish me a speedy recovery and good luck with future efforts and I appreciate it all so very much, but I don't really want to fill up this thread with my sad news. If you wish you may e-mail me. This is a great group of people and I enjoy being able to escape to Harry's world while I am here. Thank you again for all of your support!

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septentrion - Nov 17, 2004 8:31 am (#2704 of 2977)

well, it seems Jim Dale is right according to the Lexicon : pronunciation guide, and JKR herself in an interview. BTW what does "to get the kick out of" mean ?

cross-posted with mollis: you're right, I can feel your pain but I have no word for it. You'll be in my prayers.

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Loopy Lupin - Nov 17, 2004 9:50 am (#2705 of 2977)

So, sorry to hear about that, mollis. I send you all my best wishes.

Septentrion-- "get a kick out of" is an idiom. It just means that I'm getting a small laugh out of hearing it pronounced that way.

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Daioma Dumbledore Nov 17, 2004 4:13 pm (#2706 of 2977)

Loopy Lupin, Septentrion is right, Voldemort is to be pronounced without the T, it is French. Apparently Firenze was also pronounced incorrectly in the movies (not sure about the tapes as I haven't heard them), it is Italian, the word for Florence, and is meant to be pronounced with a hard E.

Hope you are all well today

mollis, all I will say is you are in all our prayers xx

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dizzy lizzy - Nov 17, 2004 4:21 pm (#2707 of 2977)

Hi all! its a wonderful day outside very hot already. But its very quiet on the forum these past two days. I know how gina feels now!

Diaoma - say hi to elvis for me and mollis, you are in my prayers also.

Many grins to all (one day I will learn smilies!!!!)

Lizzy

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Accio Sirius Nov 17, 2004 4:46 pm (#2708 of 2977)

Betty--another Steeler fan!!! And a great forum mom too! Glad to see you back in action.

Crazy day. But managed to get a lot done, include donating some blood. My arm is a little sore, as I donated in a blood mobile and someone bumped my arm with the needle in it while walking down the aisle! Zoinks! It still aches a bit, so I'm going to read more than write.

mollis, I'm sending you a private e-mail, but know you are in my thoughts.

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Catherine - Nov 17, 2004 5:11 pm (#2709 of 2977)

Accio Sirius! Good for you for donating blood. **waves proudly**

It's been a frantic day. I did Humane Society mailings **ICK** for a few hours, and I really hope that some of these folks are infused by the Christmas spirit and decide to donate. I hate feeling like I'm shaking the collecting tin under their noses, but golly, the Pitt County Humane Society needs money.

We had Book Club this morning, and well, the fur was flying. The novel in question is by a "local" author, and was his first novel, written many years ago. Clyde Edgerton writes a pretty good portrait of life in Eastern NC thirty years ago, and our group was NOT a happy one. Gender, racial, and regional issues popped up, and I had some funny flashbacks to the Forum, where we don't talk about those things. I thought I was going to have to get a firehose out and spray people into submission. Also, I imagined a descending Kippendo where things just got X-ed out. A memory charm might still be in order.

And people wonder why I'm on the Forum so much?

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scully jonesNov 17, 2004 5:44 pm (#2710 of 2977)

People are working on the house right now, and it's very loud. I'm all alone right now, and a strange man came through unexpectedly. I have no clue how they got in, but they're doing duct-work. Now they're all coming in using the restroom. I hope Brandon gets home soon, these dudes are weird.

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haymoni - Nov 17, 2004 6:17 pm (#2711 of 2977)

Hey all!

I've been laying low after the crushing defeat of my Brownies. Although I must say, I am proud of the Steelers' quarterback - he went to college in Ohio - Miami U. "The Cradle of Coaches". The young man has done very well.

I'm still coughing up a storm. Called the doctor today for more horsepills. Maybe I'll be better by Thanksgiving.

Can't wait for the POA DVD to come out. I know what I will be doing all weekend long.

Betty - great to see you back. I'm from the east side of Cleveland, but I live near Kent now.

mollis- I'm thinking of you.

Scully - no one is weirder than a contractor - I can say that 'cause I'm married to one.

and, Catherine, I agree - I'd rather be on the Forum also!

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Daioma Dumbledore Nov 17, 2004 8:57 pm (#2712 of 2977)

Lizzy, Elvis says g'day!

Accio Sirius, well done to you for giving blood, I used to, but I had a cancer scare a while ago (two actually) and I wasn't able to donate for a while, but you've prompted me to realise I can do it again now.

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Julia. - Nov 17, 2004 9:24 pm (#2713 of 2977)

Good evening everyone. I had a really good evening tonight. Dinner in the dining hall was very yummy, and there was Israeli dancing at hillel! It was so cool! I loved learning how to do all these cool dances, now I can impress everyone at a party.

Sarah, I hope Brandon gets home soon as well. I'm sure he can deal with the weird guys.

Haymoni, feel better soon. I'm still looking into pepper-up potion for you.

Accio Sirius, good for you for giving blood! And Diaoma, good for you for going to do it again.

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septentrion - Nov 18, 2004 1:03 am (#2714 of 2977)

Thanks Loopy for your explanation !

have a great day everyone !

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Leprechaun Jack! - Nov 18, 2004 2:50 am (#2715 of 2977)

Well I finally moved into the house. My first night was on Sunday. I have to keep repeating to myself that I wanted to be a home owner. So far I've had to replace the stove, 2 GFCI outlets and re install the washer and dryer that the crack team of installation idiots from SEARS screwed up. I had to use 3 coats of primer to cover the hot pink and burgundy paint in the master bedroom. And to top it off the heater for my water bed broke.

Don't get me wrong I'm happy to have it, I just didn't think I'd have all these problems in the first week.

Congratulations and Happy Birthdays to all I've missed. My Internet isn't up yet, so I can only get to the Lexicon and the Forum when I'm at the Sleep Lab.

There is an old Irish saying (maybe Fawkes can find it in the Gaelic for me) that loosely translates to " If it weren't for hard luck I have no luck at all"

See everyone in a couple of days.

Jack

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Daioma Dumbledore Nov 18, 2004 4:10 am (#2716 of 2977)

Jack, my in-laws always say to me "pianno pianno vol un tano" (I'm sure that's not how it's spelt but it's how it sounds ) and it means something like, slowly slowly & you'll go far. They always say it when we want something right away. I guess it kind of fits for you, slowly slowly you set up your house but once it's done you'll have a beautiful home

Julia, you're evening sounds great! I love it when I learn new dances, it's one of the many reasons I love now being part of an Italian family, they know how to dance at a FIESTA!

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Julie Aronson - Nov 18, 2004 4:57 am (#2717 of 2977)

Haymoni,

Where near Kent? I live in Fairlawn (West Akron)

Julie

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Catherine - Nov 18, 2004 5:33 am (#2718 of 2977)

Good Morning. Happy Thursday.

Jack, gee, you didn't want to live with the hot pink paint? Hope things come together for you soon.

I'm a little upset this morning. Our new athletic director, Terry Holland, just fired our university's head football coach, who is a very nice man and who did have two abysmal seasons, but I don't think they gave him enough time to turn things around. This means that the assistant coaches lose their jobs too, and I am friends with a wife of an assistant coach. While there is probably never a good time to lose one's job, I think finding out the week before Thanksgiving really stinks, especially with Christmas just around the corner.

Off to do mom stuff. Have a good day, everyone.

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VeronikaG - Nov 18, 2004 6:34 am (#2719 of 2977)

Jack, you still have a water bed? I thought people had gotten too lazy to bother with those. My cousin and her crook of a hubby threw theirs out when they realized they had to change the water now and then.

I love an early weekend! My group has decided to call it a week as our youngest member turns 21 to day, and plans to have a party that will leave him indisposed tomorrow, and another member has to go to another town (her and mine home town) to work on a project. So Veronika happy now.

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kabloink!- Nov 18, 2004 6:57 am (#2720 of 2977)

Long weekends are great. I have one every week, as I only have classes Monday through Thursday, but now I have a job, and work the rest of the weekend. Oh well, such is life.

I used to have a waterbed when I was little, but I traded it for my brother's regular bed after a few years when I couldn't sleep because of the motion sickness.

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haymoni - Nov 18, 2004 8:03 am (#2721 of 2977)

Jack - Hot Pink & Burgundy??? Did you buy the house from Gilderoy??? I think "Hee Haw" had a similar quote - "If it weren't for bad luck, I'd have no luck at all."

Julie - I'm actually in Streetsboro, just north of Kent. We're practically neighbors!!!

It's almost Friday. It's almost Friday. It's almost Friday. It's almost Friday...

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Accio Sirius Nov 18, 2004 8:25 am (#2722 of 2977)

Catherine, Don't feel bad asking for help for such a worthy cause! I think it is so great what you are doing! Kudos to you!

As for donating blood, it was actually my fellow forum members who reminded me about this civic duty. I used to do it regularly when the Red Cross would come to my office building, but since I had the kids and have been working from home, I never could find the time. Other than a slightly sore arm, it does feel good. And I was specifically told by the nurse not to exercise today (like I need an excuse), so I promptly went and got a scone and latte instead! : ) Happy Thursday. Hubbie's away, so it's take out tonight!

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Eponine- Nov 18, 2004 9:51 am (#2723 of 2977)

Hello, all! I hope everyone is having a great day. I am getting to go see my friend who just had the baby sooner than I thought! I'm flying to Nashville this weekend to spend some time with her. I am very excited about this, but I don't know what to bring her for the baby. Since they are moving out of the country, I don't want to get anything big, and she says she has everything she needs. So what would be a good small gift to take to her?

Giving blood...I haven't done that in a while. I used to give quite regularly, but it's always been kind of hard for me since I apparently have tiny veins.

Have a great day!

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haymoni - Nov 18, 2004 10:25 am (#2724 of 2977)

I would get her a sick baby kit - children's Motrin or those infant Tylenol drops, a thermometer, a syringe-type medicine dropper. Baby Shampoo is always welcome. Some Motrin, Alka-Seltzer and Nyquil for Mom and Dad wouldn't hurt either.

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kabloink!- Nov 18, 2004 11:24 am (#2725 of 2977)

Eponine, I would strongly recommend onesies, most of my friends and relatives are having babies, and they all swear by them. I would also recommend if you buy clothing, to not bother with 0-6 month sizes...they grow too fast. For all the baby showers I go to, I buy 6-9months, so they a few for the future-or present if the baby is anything like my Godson or his brother.

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John Bumbledore- Nov 18, 2004 11:57 am (#2726 of 2977)

Smiles, voting, time zones, seasons, and blood donation.

Sorry to re-hash some of these items from over 10 days ago. Seems like hundreds of posts since then... And sorry for the long post, too!

Smiles:
Dizzy Lizzy, using the world crossing smiles is easy with the "quick-edit formatting" you just type a colon ':' and the name of the smile in lower case then another colon. So if the smilie is named "name" then it would be :name: (but of course I had to use a fictional name) Now as to what the smiles look like and what their names are. . . some forum member put together a nice, simple compilation on the practice thread. -- Practice Area for New Techniques #533 - Bumbledore Oct 20, 2004 04:27 pm

Voting:
Thank you to Dizzy Lizzy and Daioma Dumbledore for the "Voting handbook for non-Australians." I find some of those processes/rules to be more fair than our system here in the states. I always advise against electronic & on-line voting because that system has not yet provided an audit system for re-counts and verification. I'm from the State of North Carolina which will likely have another state-wide election because of some 4,500 lost electronic votes in one county. With voting methods you gave one example, "absentee voting (where you can vote at a polling place not in your electoral district)" that is not permitted in the US (or at least most states have laws that exclude them from official counts.) I find the Australian concept to be more enlightened and fair than the US concept. I'm now thinking about emigrating to Australia! Alas that would take me much farther away from my family and in-laws than I am now at a time when my wife and I are seeking to move closer. (currently some 700 miles away from them).

Time zones:
I personally haven't paid much attention to the time of post, just the dates. That maybe because I have been in a career that has had global interactions on a regular basis as part of the minute by minute responsibilities. I understand that the WorldCrossing computers/servers (the provider of this fine, free forum service used by the Harry Potter Lexicon) are in the Pacific time zone, and that that is 8 hours after GMT and I think Australia is either 9 or 10 hours ahead of GMT so a post at 5:43 AM would be 1:43 PM in London but 10:43 PM in the out-back or 11:43 PM in Sidney. And that I find is wonderful!

So. . . Lizzy or Daioma, can you tell me how well my tomorrow is going to turn out? LOL

Seasons:
Also to those down-under (hmm, am I down-under to Lizzy and Daioma? and which compass direction do you put at the top of your maps?) I though *oh! wow!* when I read Daioma (I think) mention summer weather 32 degrees centigrade (or celcius?) as I sit at my computer at work wearing a nice warm sweater. I think 32 C is about 96 F (or would it be closer to 62 F) but either is better than the frosty weather I had earlier this week.

Blood Donation:
A thank you and congratulations to a Accio Sirius for being a donor/hero. I try to be a regular donor and last gave blood on Nov. 4 (so I can even get one more in before the end of the year ) But you have my sympathies on the pain, I once had the phlebotomist hit a nerve and ouch it burned like fire, but I went back again in regular cycle. Maybe it is another thing, a good thing, to which one can get addicted?
- - - I was wondering how many countries practice blood donation or if anyone is from a country or culture that prohibits it.

Bumbledore.

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Julie Aronson - Nov 18, 2004 1:38 pm (#2727 of 2977)

I like to knit and crochet, so my baby gifts tend to be afghans

Haymoni:

We should plan an NEohio forum get-together when you're back out from under the weather!

Julie

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I Am Used Vlad - Nov 18, 2004 1:50 pm (#2728 of 2977)

I gave blood when I was in high school and I got light-headed, my vision blurred, and I felt like I was going to pass out. I've been reluctant to do it since, although I did give once in college when I was broke and starving and they were giving free pizza to the donors. I belong to an organization that has an annual blood drive; perhaps this year I'll give, and see if I feel OK.

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Daioma Dumbledore Nov 18, 2004 6:09 pm (#2729 of 2977)

Bumbledore, wow what a post!

First off, I agree that some of our voting ideas are good ones, but I like that you guys get to choose to vote, that said I would, but I'd like to have a choice.

Australia is a wonderful country to live! But maybe I'm a little bit biased And it's only a plane flight away! It only takes between about 12 & 20 or so hours to get here!

Judging by how my day's going, you should have a great day today when you get to it, the weathers not too bad, not as hot as the other day but a mild 23-24 degrees I think today, oh, and I think 32 degrees Cel, is around 92. Only because years ago when I was in Hawaii I was told Hawaii had never gotten over 100 degrees and they couldn't believe we'd just left Melbourne where at that time it was around 105-110 everyday (bit of a heat wave!)

Well now my post is turning into an epic so I'll sign off for now, chat to you all in a bit Have a great day!

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Marie E. - Nov 18, 2004 7:36 pm (#2730 of 2977)

My seven year old daughter Shayla fell down at daycare Tuesday and sprained her ankle. I feel like the world's worst mom because I blew her injury off at first. See, Shayla is a bit of a drama queen and cries about teeny injuries. I didn't even believe this one was serious until the next morning when she still could put any weight on it. We got it x-rayed just to be sure, but her doctor said it was just a "soft-tissue injury". I rented some crutches for her and she's getting around pretty good.

We woke up to snow this morning but it was gone by noon. We're supposed to be getting some decent snowfall this weekend.

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Daioma Dumbledore Nov 18, 2004 7:48 pm (#2731 of 2977)

Marie, when we were little my dad used to say "you're not really hurt unless you’re bleeding!" (typical Aussie tuff guy, but wonderful) he'd say this to stop us whining about the smallest little things, and it was fine until my eldest brother fell & hurt his arm, but no blood, dad told him he was fine but the next day when he admitted to being in agony dad took him to the doctors to discover he had a broken arm! We didn't hear much about not being hurt unless you're bleeding after that! So don't feel too bad, we all turned out alright

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kabloink!- Nov 18, 2004 9:27 pm (#2732 of 2977)

You have snow!!?? You have SNOW!!!??? I'm so jealous...its been in the 50's here all week-no fun so close to Thanksgiving, least not for me.

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Padfoot - Nov 18, 2004 10:37 pm (#2733 of 2977)

You got snow Marie? It never made it past Monument hill then because I didn't see a single flake. It is pretty chilly here though, in the 30s. Brrr....

I can hardly believe that it is a week until Thanksgiving. Where did the year go? I better start looking through my recipes soon. I am going to join Mike's procrastinator club, really I am. I just misplaced my application and my pen ran out of ink and my ferret ate it.

I am getting excited about PoA coming out too. But that seems like a long time to wait. Tuesday is so far away. Fawkes did you say you are getting it by this weekend? *grumble grumble* No fair!

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dizzy lizzy - Nov 18, 2004 11:01 pm (#2734 of 2977)

Bumbledore I think your post is wunnerful! I gave up with time zones. I worked out that I post when there not many on the forum. Given that it can take up to half an hour to collect thoughts, word them and proofread them at least three times means I get very little cross posting and you guys get to read a coherent post.

I'll try your smilie link tomorrow.

I finally got the net put on at home. Things are not going very well at work, we have a major personality clash and I don't like the way my stress level is going through the roof. So I cleaned my work computer up as best as I could and set it all up at home.

My hair should be grey by now and my head dizzy. But no they're not!!

Shock horror I'll go and have tea with the nieclings and nephew (guaranteed to get dizzy)...

Enjoy your weekend every one.

Lizzy

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Penny Lane. - Nov 19, 2004 12:12 am (#2735 of 2977)

*laughs at the people with snow*

We've had beautiful weather here in Michigan. I've been wearing capris and flip flops. I like it, because I know that no matter how late the snow starts, it's always here for WAY too long.

I'm sorry to hear about your computer trouble, dizzy lizzie. *smacks technology* that should make it better.

I am SO excited for the long weekend from school. I'm exhausted, I'm tired of my classes, and I jsut want the semester to be over. At least thanksgiving weekend will give me hope that soon the classes that my "advisor" told me I needed (I didn't ) will be over, and I can actually get on with my major!

Happy Friday everyone!

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Marè - Nov 19, 2004 2:09 am (#2736 of 2977)

Fawkes if you go to london, take a look here: http://london.walks.com/

It is a company that organises guided theme walks. They have yet to make a Harry Potter one, but they have Charles Dickens theme walks, Jack the ripper walks (apparently with THE Jack the Ripper expert.)Pub walks (for the architectural value off course) etc etc.
Anyway they are said to bring you through some lovely places, that are a bit harder to find on your own.
I'm afraid I can't tell you from personal experience whether they are fun, because last time I was in London, it was with my mother, and we planned to do this on our day of arrival, on Friday evening. But when we entered the hotel room and she saw her bed, that was as far as she went.
But I do have the tip from a friend of mine who is one of those persons that travels everywhere, always ends up in the exact right places and never ever looks slightly like a tourist doing so... She loved them so much, she did four walks.
I read through all the list, and I still should have a paper with my favourites written down so I can do them next time when I'm in London!

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Loopy Lupin - Nov 19, 2004 7:06 am (#2737 of 2977)

Hi all. Thank God Friday's here. It's been a long week.

By the way, here ends the cast avatars for the Simpsons. There are others, but I don't have pictures for them. So, here are the others:

Marcia Wallace-- Edna Krabappel

Russi Taylor-- Martin, Uter, Sherri/Terri, Lewis & Wendel

Tress MacNeille-- Jimbo, Brandine, Agnes Skinner.

Maggie Roswell-- Maude Flanders, Helen Lovejoy, Miss Hoover, Milhouse's Mom, Princess Kashmir, Mary Bailey.

Doris Grau-- Lunchlady Doris and Lurleen Lumpkin.

And, of course, the late, great Phil Hartman. You may remember him from such voices as Lionel Hutz and Troy McClure.

Have a good weekend everybody!

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Madame Librarian- Nov 19, 2004 7:08 am (#2738 of 2977)

Hi, everyone! I know I'm not usually a regular on the "chat" thread, but I do peek at it now and then.

Just want to let everyone know that my husband and I are off the Australia this afternoon!! I am so frazzled--I am not a relaxed traveler. Even though I am excited about seeing a fantastic place and even attending a wedding in Melbourne (my best friend's son is marrying an Aussie gal/shiela), I am not good with airplanes, airports, packing, leaving the house and all that. So to say that I am a wreck right now is an understatement.

I'll not be posting for about 3 weeks (unless we find time to stop in a net café) and I'll miss my HP "fix," but it seems to be a relatively calm time here on the Forum. The JKR site is quiet right now, not a ton of press releases coming out with HP news, and the discussions on many threads are a tad slow.

For you folks in the US, have a wonderful Thanksgiving--be safe and happy. Everyone else--be safe and happy, too. (BTW--we are having T-giving dinner in Melbourne at a dinner hosted by my friend and her family at a restaurant called The Aquarium. They will serve turkey, but I'm opting for the salmon.)

I'll pop in here one or two more times today, but the cab is coming for us around 3pm (CST). Aaaack...what did I forget!!

Ciao. Barb

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Ladybug220 - Nov 19, 2004 7:37 am (#2739 of 2977)

Barb - have a blast!!

Mare - thanks for that website. My friend and I are trying to go to the UK sometime next year so I put that in my folder of websites for planning.

Yea, it's Friday! I hope that everyone has a great day!

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Julia. - Nov 19, 2004 8:05 am (#2740 of 2977)

Wow Barb, Australia! Have an excellent time.

Fawkes and Ladybug, you should totally do that walks thing Mare suggested. When I was in London my family and I did the Shakespeare one and had an amazing time on it.

Yay, break starts today! Just one more class to sit through and then I'm done!! *dances* I'm off for home this afternoon and off to Florida on Saturday. We're seeing some family down there, and I'm greatful for the plane ride, it'll give me a chance to do some reading.

Well, see you all later!

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Ladybug220 - Nov 19, 2004 8:42 am (#2741 of 2977)
Edited by Nov 19, 2004 7:42 am

The last time I was in the UK, I did a ghost walk of York. It was great and I highly recommend it for anyone who likes to get spooked. My friend turned my hand white because she was scared most of the time and she had to sleep with the TV on that night. I was able to sleep just fine with all of the lights and the TV off. I still tease her about that.

Julia - have a great time in Florida

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The giant squid - Nov 19, 2004 10:09 am (#2742 of 2977)

Pub walks . . . .

Of course, if done right they end up as pub crawls

Loopy, I don't know how much help this might be, but Tress MacNeille played Lucy in "Wierd Al" Yankovic's video "Ricky". If you can get your hands on a copy and grab a screenshot, voila, instant avatar. I'd do it, but it's too much like work...

I'll refrain from commenting on my sister's cruelty in not listening to her poor injured daughter...

--Mike

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septentrion - Nov 19, 2004 11:02 am (#2743 of 2977)

The week-end has at least come ! Plus our boss allowed us to leave work earlier and be sure I didn't miss the opportunity. That permission came after a nice meal at restaurant, so we weren't in a right state for working after that

I'm going to see a play tonight about women's condition. It's organised by Amnesty International, I hope to have a great time.

Everyone has a good week-end !

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mike miller - Nov 19, 2004 11:04 am (#2744 of 2977)

Jack - Welcome to the world of home ownership. All of the work pays off when you fill out your tax returns! We've been in our house for almost 13 years now, just so you know, the painting never really stops. 

Eponine - Travel safe. I echo the ideas from Kabloink; onesies (can never have enough) and clothes for next summer.

Barb (Madame Librarian) - I have only one word for you - Enjoy!

On the blood donation topic, I have what are called "roller veins". They roll around when you try to stick them. I get stuck at least 2 to 3 times whenever they need blood.

My Chicago trip went well, the Cajun food was outstanding. Now I have to deal with 5 days of work to do in only 2 with deadlines for today. I can hardly wait until this day is done! Accio Weekend!

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Loopy Lupin - Nov 19, 2004 12:20 pm (#2745 of 2977)

Pssst. Mike, thanks for the avatar suggestion. But, in all honesty, I'm ending this run because I'm bored with the cast members. I want to get back to characters and quotes. That's just between me and you though; don't tell anyone I said that.

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boop- Nov 19, 2004 12:43 pm (#2746 of 2977)

Everyone have safe and fun weekend. I only have 3 more half days of work then I am off until Nov. 30, when I go back to work. For anyone traveling this weekend enjoy yourself. I have my grandchildren tonight, we are going to have pizza. Then we are going to see a movie either Sat or Sun. It should be a fun weekend with my family. I haven't felt this good around the holiday's in about 4 years. This should be a fun holiday season for me. I don't have much money to spend on gifts, but spending time with friends and family is really what is important. Well enough of me going on about how good I feel now. Take care everyone and do something fun this weekend.

HUGS ALWAYS

Betty(boop)

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Phoenix song - Nov 19, 2004 1:05 pm (#2747 of 2977)

Hello everybody! I've been AWOL for what seems like the longest time, and just wanted to let everybody know that I've missed you all and send you all my best! Congratulations on all of the births, birthdays, anniversaries, and new moves! Good luck to all of the travelers out there.

mollis, I send you my best wishes for your encouragement and support. Congratulations that your husband is back Denise! Glad to have him back before Thanksgiving, I know.

As I've said before, I've been taking care of my dad who's ill with cancer. I've been gone because he was having problems, but he's better now. We have hope that he'll be fine through the holidays.

The best thing happened to me the other day! (A little thing, I know, but it made me feel happy!) I was in the local Wal-Mart with the three kids and my dad in a wheel chair. (Absolute horror of a trip, I can assure you!) We asked an associate for help, and he was wearing all 4 PoA buttons on his vest. I told him that I was a big Harry Potter fan, and that I liked his buttons. Well, he must have felt sorry for me for having to force my way through this crowded store with my ragtag group of a family, and he just took a button right off of his work vest and gave it to me! I was just so thrilled! And who says that you can't get good service these days?

Well, I must be off. Have a great day everybody!
Barbie

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Acceber - Nov 19, 2004 1:25 pm (#2748 of 2977)

A special hello to Becca who experienced, like me, the strange first snow in Massachusetts. Wasn't it pretty?--Kim, about 50 posts ago.

Yes, it was extremely pretty, but hard to shovel and not enough for sledding . I hear tell we're getting more snow soon, just in time for Thanksgiving!

Marie-Your Shayla sounds a lot like my younger sister, who's 10 and one of the biggest (OK, the biggest) over-reacters I've ever met. She'll cry the same amount whether she's broken her arm (which she has done twice) or gotten a paper cut. It really bugs me sometimes.

Marè-London Walks; I've done those! Last summer, during my first ever trip to Europe, my mum and I went on one. I think it was the Historic Greenwich one, but I'm not sure. Anyway, it was during the heat wave, so it was sweltering hot and unbearable. I remember feeling so dehydrated...

Welcome back Barbie! We missed you!

Off to read a week's worth of posts. Happy Friday!

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haymoni - Nov 19, 2004 5:52 pm (#2749 of 2977)

Hey all!

Happy Weekend!

Seems like we are all in a pretty good frame of mind tonight.

Maybe it's 'cause some of us already have the POA DVD.

I am patiently waiting for next week.

Wonder what I'll be doing all Thanksgiving weekend????

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dizzy lizzy - Nov 19, 2004 6:48 pm (#2750 of 2977)

Firstly can I please thank Dumbledore for the Smilie link - I can go practise now. I tried to print the table out, only I realised I had no black ink or no colour Ink. So my very poor artistic skills were needed to write/draw them out.

Back to also to dumbldore's comment over whether Diaoma or I could tell the US based forumers how tomorrow is. Let me point out a saying I am fond of.

"I (or anyone's name) am so far ahead of myself (or thereselves) I am already in tomorrow". I always interpret this to be a compliment.

This is often referred to me when I think too far ahead at work and solve a problem that hasn't even come up yet.

When I look at all the posts on how JKR has designed the WW and the books, I often think Jo is not just in tomorrow but about 18 months ahead!

Lizzy

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Thu Nov 20, 2014 5:07 pm

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Penny Lane. - Nov 19, 2004 6:57 pm (#2751 of 2977)

And who says that you can't get good service these days?

At Walmart? I do! I went in there once with some friends... now, we may dress a bit like my avatar crossed with "no doubt", but we aren't criminals. Apparently the staff at Walmart thought we were though, as an associate followed us out to the parking lot, wrote down my license plate number, and phone the police. 3-4 hours later, I am pulled over. First of all, the police had the description of 4 females, and there were only 2 in the car, Second of all, they insisted on searching my car, which I gladly let them, as we didn't steal anything. Third: they didn't find anything (of course) so they wrote me a ticket for something minor and took my friend to jail for driving without a license (she was driving because my license was suspended - I didn't know she didn't have a license). They wouldn't release her until all four of us went down to the station to "answer some routine questions". During all this, Walmart kept insisting that we stole underwear, makeup and videos. They even claimed to have a tape, which was non-existent. We were told never to shop at any Walmart again, and that our names would be in the computer. All this because they didn't like the way we dressed. I tell everyone I meet to avoid Walmart.

For Thanksgiving, I will just be glad for the 5 day weekend from school. I'm so sick of being here, and I just want it to be over with. I keep telling myself that next semester will be better, and I think it will.

Anyway, back to "Turkey Day" While I'm not a big meat eater, apparently my aunt and uncle have decided to do away with the traditional turkey dinner, instead they are going to cook their pet goose... If my parents wouldn't kill me, I wouldn't even go. It just seems so wrong to me, that anyone in this day and age could kill something that they see everyday and then eat it. Especially a goose that chases kids around the yard. *shudders*

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Richard Reid- Nov 19, 2004 8:02 pm (#2752 of 2977)

Just to say hello everyone. Had a week of tests at University, but it's finally over. Hope everyone is keeping well.

Richard

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kabloink!- Nov 19, 2004 8:48 pm (#2753 of 2977)

We have a raccoon breaking into our basement by digging through the insulation around our heat ducts and eating all of our bulk-stock of Ramen, as well as causing standard coon mischief and messing up our basement...I wouldn't mind eating him for thanksgiving.

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Nov 19, 2004 10:32 pm (#2754 of 2977)

"I wouldn't mind eating him for thanksgiving." Hmm, unless don't have a lot to be thankful for and you have a good supply of antacids I wouldn't suggest that. They are a very greasy meat, and a whole new taste for the tastebuds. Take it from one who knows. :-)

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From Venus- Nov 19, 2004 11:29 pm (#2755 of 2977)

Hello, everyone. A while back I asked if some of you would share your minesweeper scores with me. My fastest on the beginner level is 26, but I can't even finish the intermediate level without blowing up first.

As you all know, Jo says she can complete the expert level in 99 seconds. That's averaging a bomb a second. I find that extremely impressive.

A few of you answered, but I hoped there would be more. Is there anyone who is as good as Jo or better? I'm just curious, especially because I am so lousy at it myself.

P.S. Raccoon for Thanksgiving? Sounds ghastly! Sounds like something you'd find in Hagrid's larder.

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Leprechaun Jack! - Nov 20, 2004 1:24 am (#2756 of 2977)

Catherine- Jack, gee, you didn't want to live with the hot pink paint?

The Hot pink wasn't the problem, it was the burgundy I couldn't stand. HAHA

VeronikaG- Jack, you still have a water bed? I thought people had gotten too lazy to bother with those... threw theirs out when they realized they had to change the water now and then.

I've had a California King full flotation Water bed for over 20 years now, I don't think I could sleep on any thing else. As far as changing the water, every 6 months I put waterbed conditioner in and add water. Every 2 years I drain and refill the bed.(well thats a lie I didn't change the water for 4 years before this move).

haymoni- Jack - Hot Pink & Burgundy??? Did you buy the house from Gilderoy???

Unfortunately not I believe the previous owners were part troll and goblin. If Gilderoy had owned it there would have been many CLEAN shiny surfaces for him to see himself, sadly this was not the case.

mike miller- Jack - Welcome to the world of home ownership.

I'm sure it will get better, right now I'm a bit overwhelmed with everything that needs to be done.

Well that the update. My biggest problem at the moment is the fact I have no Internet access at home. So I'm only able to get to the Forum on Wed, Fri, and Sat nights.

Jack

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The giant squid - Nov 20, 2004 1:34 am (#2757 of 2977)

Betty, for your movie outing this weekend I'd suggest National Treasure. It's a fun little romp with a sarcastic humor to it that I really enjoyed, Also, it's PG so all the kids can go (that may or may not be a good thing )

Penny, if I were you I'd seriously consider filing a complaint against the management of that Wal-Mart. That was not standard practice (at least, it wasn't when I worked for them) and you have grounds for a harassment suit. I don't know how many stores are in your area, but if you have the option, check out a couple other Wal-Marts before condemning the chain. It's the people running the place that are at fault, not the company.

From Venus: My best time on Minesweeper for beginner level is 2 seconds. I have no idea how I did that & have never been able to do it again. Conversely, my best time on intermediate is only 86 seconds, and I've never even tried expert.

Jack: I think your goblins had lived in our house before yours. The colors were all right, but it took us a couple of months to get the place cleaned up enough to live in. It's not that there were piles of dirt on the floor or anything, it just seemed like no one had bothered to dust or vacuum for a year or so. Not fun for someone allergic to house dust...

--Mike

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Leprechaun Jack! - Nov 20, 2004 1:46 am (#2758 of 2977)

Mike-It's not that there were piles of dirt on the floor or anything, it just seemed like no one had bothered to dust or vacuum for a year or so.

I'll tell ya' what, that sounds like them... They were the nicest people but terrible house keepers. I just took the air conditioner out of the kitchen window. (AC in the Kitchen window?) and found about 3 inches (no lie) of gunk on the window sill, must have been a combination of dust and grease.

Now, being a man and working two jobs I'm not the best at keeping house myself... but there is a point where you have to draw a line in the sand (or dust) and say... Ok it time to take out the windex and a chisel.

Jack

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The giant squid - Nov 20, 2004 1:52 am (#2759 of 2977)

Even when I was a bachelor, there came a time when I'd look around and say, "Even I can't live like this." I'd spend the next day or two on a cleaning spree.

I also remember that back in the old days an outgoing tenant had to clean the place before they left. Whatever happened to that? To me that's just common courtesy (which seems less and less common every day).

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Leprechaun Jack! - Nov 20, 2004 2:22 am (#2760 of 2977)

You know Mike any combination of words that start with common:

common courtesy, common sense, common knowledge, common decency.

Are no longer common, they are, Unfortunately, very uncommon. The contract stated that the house had to be "Broom Cleaned" and that was exactly what was done... a broom was dragged over the floor and that was all. And I believe they used the wrong side of the broom

Jack

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Eponine- Nov 20, 2004 5:09 am (#2761 of 2977)

From Venus, my best time on Expert level minesweeper is 168 seconds. I have never even come close to Jo's time. On beginner it's 11 seconds and on intermediate it's 53 seconds.

Well, I'm off to Nashville today. I hope everyone has a great day!

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Denise S.- Nov 20, 2004 5:15 am (#2762 of 2977)

I once pulled off 8 or 9 seconds for beginner's level; I think that for an insane score like 99 for expert level, it has to be one of those fluke games you get where you click a square and BOOM! eighty percent of the board is cleared.

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Denise P. - Nov 20, 2004 6:53 am (#2763 of 2977)

Eponine, face NW and wave to me when you are in Nashville. My daughter is actually going to be in Nashville today with her Brownie troop, at a science museum. She will look like herself, not like her hippie picture

My best times for Minesweeper are:
- Beginner 11 seconds (my son, Nicholas, has 7 seconds.. pure luck!)
- Intermediate 61 seconds
-Expert 249 seconds (I have only actually beat it a handful of times)

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Denise S.- Nov 20, 2004 7:21 am (#2764 of 2977)

Heh. I've tried Expert level a number of times and usually die within 50 seconds. I haven't had enough patience to last long enough to actually beat it.

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kabloink!- Nov 20, 2004 8:15 am (#2765 of 2977)

I have never been very good at minesweeper, without of course, changing the beginner's game to custom...anyway. We are truly planning on having Turkey and ham for Thanksgiving dinner, but I'm just really angry about this racoon. We had to bring my cat's litter box out of the basement and put it in our kitchen so that we could keep the coon out of the kitchen.

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Loopy Lupin - Nov 20, 2004 9:58 am (#2766 of 2977)

Denise, I notice that someone in the hippie picture looks awfully clean-shaven.

That's a great job on your daughter's hippie costume. (The glasses are the best touch.) She looks like one of the hippie students in "Billy Jack."

Have a good weekend everyone. Go Hoos!

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Penny Lane. - Nov 20, 2004 10:45 am (#2767 of 2977)

Thanks for the advice Mike. I would have done that, but I chose simply to move out of the city where the problems arouse. The city was also at fault, as they harrassed us, and made sure to stop me EVERY time they saw my car on the road. I don't like the Walmart handled the situation, but clearly it wasn't just their fault. When I asked the police "If they thought we stole something, why didn't they stop us at the door? They could have searched us and this would all be over by now." I was told that it was company policy to "persecute shoplifters to the full extent of the law". Also they kept saying there was this elusive tape. Anyway, I'll check to see if my statute of limitations hasn't passed, and I'll probably complain to someone.

Jack - as someone whose parents recently moved out of a large house with that same contract, I can tell you that it's not always that simple. The real estate agent didn't tell us the date of the closing until the week of, the landlord at our new home kept changing the date of move-in, and when it came down to it, we had to move on the day of closing. We were still "broom cleaning" when the new owners showed up. They told us not to worry about it, but of course they probably complained. They probably complained about the fact that my bedroom was this lovely orange shade too, but if they can afford the house, they should be able to afford the paint.

MInesweeper... I played at my parent’s house last week - they have a windows computer. I wasn't very good, nor did i find to be very addictive. I played a few games then went back to "The Sims". Which I absolutely love and adore. I made a little sim me, and a little sim vince vaughn and they have a lovely home in the suburbs. I can't wait to get home for Thanksgiving so I can play some more.

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Padfoot - Nov 20, 2004 1:21 pm (#2768 of 2977)
Edited by Nov 20, 2004 12:21 pm

Yikes Kassie, I wouldn't want to go back to Walmart either if that happened to me. Although I do need to go there today to get some grocery shopping done.

Well there is finally snow in Denver! Not a whole lot, maybe an inch or two. It is still snowing though. As long as it clears up by Thursday I am fine with that. I am going to Colorado Springs to have Thanksgiving with some friends. I do not want to drive all the way down there with snowy/icy conditions.

I am so excited it's almost Tuesday! I have already scouted out the nearest Best Buy by my work so at lunch time I can zip over there and pick up PoA.

Oh I thought it was time I brought back an old favorite avatar of mine.

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MickeyCee3948- Nov 20, 2004 2:53 pm (#2769 of 2977)

WOW, It is so quiet on the forum today. I guess all of the English members are busy going over there DVD sets today. I have to wait a few more days. I AM SOooooo JEALOUS. Happy Viewing everybody.

Mikie

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dizzy lizzy - Nov 20, 2004 3:26 pm (#2770 of 2977)

I am in tears and so jealous of everyone who has already got POA. I have to wait until the 1st of December!!!!.

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Richard Reid- Nov 20, 2004 3:32 pm (#2771 of 2977)

Out of protest, I am refusing to buy it. I thought it was a shocking attempt on a great book. However, I won't bore you all out with that. Enjoy the film.

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Denise S.- Nov 20, 2004 4:50 pm (#2772 of 2977)

*high fives Richard Reid* (tho' I found it a great improvement over films 1 and 2)

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Richard Reid- Nov 20, 2004 5:02 pm (#2773 of 2977)

Thanks. Finally, someone who agrees with me. None of them have been great - but, I found PoA nothing less than insulting.

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Marie E. - Nov 20, 2004 5:55 pm (#2774 of 2977)

Colorado Springs! *bats eyes at Padfoot* If you swung by my house, you could meet She-Who-Hasn't-Read-The-Books. She's coming out here for the holiday. I do think the snow is supposed to stop tomorrow. We have about two inches here, maybe more further north. It's been cold as heck though. Brrrr!

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haymoni - Nov 20, 2004 6:01 pm (#2775 of 2977)

Where is everyone??? Come out, come out - where ever you are!

It is a damp evening here in Ohio - can't actually say it is cold but I thought it would be a perfect night to sit and comment here on the Forum.

Perhaps the rest of you lead more exciting lives than I do.

Alas, earwax!

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dizzy lizzy - Nov 20, 2004 6:15 pm (#2776 of 2977)

All I can say haymoni, its a damp and cool sunday morning where I live. Ah perhaps I'd better rephrase that - it's now lunch time! where did all that time go? down the net???

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MickeyCee3948- Nov 20, 2004 7:03 pm (#2777 of 2977)

haymoni and dizzy lizzy it is just plain wet down in south Louisiana with 100% humidity. Think I hate the humidity more than the rain.

Mikie

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kabloink!- Nov 20, 2004 8:28 pm (#2778 of 2977)

Yeah, I agree with the 2 POA protesters...though I did prefer 1 and 2. I think I have to buy it though, otherwise my hubby will be angry. He'll be angry either way, as he has to watch me screaming at the screen at we watch it...

I'm so jealous of those of you who have snow!! We're supposed to get snow/rain showers on Wednesday and flurries on Thursday.

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Richard Reid- Nov 20, 2004 8:52 pm (#2779 of 2977)

Oh no. Stand strong. Refuse to buy it. Let WB know that you are fed up of lack-luster HP movies.

Wow - I sound like a Religious preacher.

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haymoni - Nov 20, 2004 8:58 pm (#2780 of 2977)

Oh, Richard - come join us! Buy the DVD and pick it apart piece by piece like the rest of us!

I know you're in school, but sort out your priorities! Post away on the "Geeky Movie Details" thread!

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Richard Reid- Nov 20, 2004 9:12 pm (#2781 of 2977)
Edited by Nov 20, 2004 8:13 pm

Never. University or not, I'm still refusing to buy it. If by some slim chance I ever have the opportunity to see the DVDs, it will not be the film I shall be watching - but the Extra bits.

I left the cinema far too outraged when I first saw it, to be able to cope with such annoyance yet again.

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Julia. - Nov 20, 2004 9:13 pm (#2782 of 2977)

Good evening everyone. Unfortunately I can't take forever to post, I'm at a hotel and these people are already charging me 75 cents, and If I go on for more than an hour they charge me something like 10 cents a minute.

I'm in Florida at the moment. We celebrated my grandma's 80th birthday tonight, even though her birthday was in September. We wanted to do this earlier, but this was the first time we could all get down here. It was great seeing my mom's side of the family again, it's been way too long since we've gotten together. Tomorrow we're going to Levenger to buy stuff with other people's initials. Should be fun.

Mike/Jack/Penny, I sort of know what you mean about gross things in the house when you move in. When my parents bought my house (this was a few months after they got married, and I was still about 4 years away from being born) they bought it from 2 guys who loved to cook and hated to clean. Every year on Passover when it's time to clean the stove, I have to sit there and listen to my dad tell me about how horrible it was having to clean it when they first moved in.

Ah well, must be off now. Not sure when I'll get back on, but be sure to post a lot in my absence!

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Eponine- Nov 20, 2004 10:09 pm (#2783 of 2977)

Well, I'm now in Chattanooga! Yay for home towns! I got to go see my friend today. It was so bizarre seeing her with her baby, saying things like, "Do you want mommy to feed you now?" I can't believe she's a mommy! She's the first one of my college friends to have a baby too. Plus, she had the baby two weeks ago, and I think she's already back to her 100 pounds. She definitely does not look like she just had a baby.

Anyway, I hope everyone is having a great day wherever they are.

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Elanor - Nov 21, 2004 12:42 am (#2784 of 2977)

Hello everybody! It is Sunday morning here too and here too it is a damp, cold and grey one. Fortunately, all I will have to do today is "to put my feet under the table" as we say here, that is to say to have a family lunch where we will eat far too much!

Have a great day Julia!

Eponine, I know what you mean: when one of my friends had a baby first, I felt it was so bizarre too!

Have a great day everyone!

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The giant squid - Nov 21, 2004 3:14 am (#2785 of 2977)

be sure to post a lot in my absence!—Julia

Well, if you insist...

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septentrion - Nov 21, 2004 4:57 am (#2786 of 2977)

Hello everyone !

My Sunday wasn't damp, at least not until now. We even had some sun this morning but now the sky is turning grey.

I'm waiting for the DVD too, still 11 days to wait but I bet time will fly so quickly I'll find myself watching it witout realising. I thought the movie was better than the first two. I don't consider it as a masterpiece but like a reading of the story, an interpretation. Well, I'll stop on that topic or I'll be told to move to the movie thread...

Did anyone have trouble to log on the forum today ? I had to try several times before it recognised me.

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boop- Nov 21, 2004 6:14 am (#2787 of 2977)

Good Morning Everyone!!!! The sun is out here in PA.YAY!!!! We had rain all day yesterday, so it is nice to see the sun.

I will buy the dvd too. I want to really watch the movie. I went to see it twice, but couldn't keep my eyes open. I heard all about it from everyone who went with me. The best part was being with forum family at the theater!!!

I hope everyone has a great day. It is only 4 days to turkey day!!!!!

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haymoni - Nov 21, 2004 7:27 am (#2788 of 2977)

Good Morning All!!!

Hubby has left for the Browns game with one of his buddies. I still have the crud so I'm not taking any chances.

I'm glad you have sun, boop, but as weather moves from west to east, get ready for more grey!

I think this will be a good soup day - maybe tomato with grilled cheese - Mmmm!

I've been going through the circulars this morning to see who has the best price for POA - looks like they are all about $15.99. K-mart is offering a deal on the game for $19.99.

Maybe one of the stores will make a mistake and start selling the DVD early!

Enjoy Sunday all - for those of us in the US, next week is a short week. How To Cram 5 Days of Work In Only 3 Days!!!

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Denise P. - Nov 21, 2004 7:59 am (#2789 of 2977)

It is gray and icky looking outside today. I am going up the ladder into the attic to get down the box of early holiday decorations. We put up stockings, decorate the mantle and stairwell the evening of Thanksgiving. We also have some traditional things we do starting the sunday after Thanksgiving. Over the weekend, the outside decorations go up.

Wheee! PoA on Tuesday!!

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kabloink!- Nov 21, 2004 8:33 am (#2790 of 2977)

It ia gray and icky here, too. I am sitting here, trying desperately to concentrate long enough to write at least 12 pages of my rough draft by noon, but I keep getting distracted. After today, though, I'm home free of homework for the week! Maybe we'll start with some decorating this weekend, too. We don't get the tree til my birthday, though. Its the perfect timing for a real tree-2 weeks before Christmas.

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Phoenix song - Nov 21, 2004 9:17 am (#2791 of 2977)

Hello everybody! I hope that your Sunday is wonderful, and for our Aussie members, I hope that it WAS wonderful. I'm in southern Louisiana, and we were absolutely drenched with rain yesterday. I wish that I could share some of our rain with our drier states, because we've had much more than our fair share this year.

When logging on today, I saw the top banner for Amazon and something caught my eye, it was a book of Dick and Jane so I checked it out. I learned to read using Dick and Jane books, and I've used them to help my kids learn to read as well. I thought that there was possibly a new one out, and clicked on it. To my amusement, I found that it was a parody of the original Dick and Jane books. If anybody wants a chuckle, they should take a look. It's Dick, Jane and Sally all grown up. I think it's something like Dick and Jane learn Yiddish.

By the way, my 7 year old son told me this morning that he had a dream where he was Harry Potter and was going looking outside for the Thanksgiving turkey. He needed his invisibility cloak and couldn't find it, and then discovered that Ron had lost it. You know that you're a Harry Potter fan when you've infected your children with the fever!

Have a good day!
Barbie

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Denise S.- Nov 21, 2004 9:35 am (#2792 of 2977)

Kim/Kabloink (apologies if I messed your real name up), a real Christmas tree is one of my favorite things about Christmas; there are few things that remind me of Christmastime more than the smell of a pine tree. From 1993-1999 we lived overseas, though, and had to use a fake, scentless tree; 1999 we were in an apartment and used a potted ca. 2-yr. old pine tree on a coffee table as a tree before returning to natural piney goodness in 2000. It was cool to finally have a real tree, but I felt really horrible about killing the tree just to get a month's use out of it. I was happy to have our faithful fake tree out again the next year.

Yep, I am a tree-hugger. The things that happen when you aren't looking...

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Richard Reid- Nov 21, 2004 9:52 am (#2793 of 2977)

Out of all the things that remind me of Christmas, putting up the Christmas tree is the one thing I enjoy the most. We usually put it up on the 14th of December - my Birthday. Myself, my Mum and Dad do it together every year. What's more, every year, my Dad gets annoyed and angry that the Christmas Tree lights are all in a mess, and all tangled up.

Therefore, my mother and I spend the next two hours getting them back to normal - then my dad is back to his happy mood. I have to say that I enjoy putting up the Christmas tree more than Christmas Day - well, at least equally as much. It's a great chance to do things with the family.

However, this year I will be at University over my Birthday, so I will miss it. Big disappointment for me, but I guess there are other things to look forward to on your 18th Birthday - well, over here there are.

Richard

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kabloink!- Nov 21, 2004 10:38 am (#2794 of 2977)

Hehe. I have only had a real Christmas tree the last 2 years. My mom is allergic to them, so growing up, I always had a fake tree-my mom and dad now have one with lights already attached. My husband has always had real trees, however, so since we've moved in together, we've had real trees. I love them, except for having to vaccuum up the pine needle when you take them down.

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Penny Lane. - Nov 21, 2004 11:44 am (#2795 of 2977)

Denise S. - I also feel bad about killing trees. So bad, in fact, when I was a youth that I went on a hunger strike until my parents bought a fake one. It was good for them though, they recommend them to everyone they meet now.

I always hated the week after christmas when all the dead trees are dragged out to the curb. It's just so sad.

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DJ Evans - Nov 21, 2004 1:40 pm (#2796 of 2977)

From reading everyone's posts it sounds like nearly everybody is experiencing about the same type of weather as I am. Though its not really raining -- there is a "mist" of rain happening! And like most of you, it is the color of gray outside. If you didn't know what the temperature was outside, you would swear it should be cold and snowing!!

I do wish it was a prettier day, as it is my Mom's 85th birthday today!!! YEA, MOM -- Happy Birthday!!! Back on Mother's Day, one of my sisters had gotten (& planted) a yellow rose bush for Mom -- as yellow roses are her favorite flower. Anyhoo, I went out this morning and lo & behold there is a yellow rose bloomed out on her rose bush!!!! I just thought that was so cool!!!! Needless to say I cut it and put it in a small vase for her to enjoy inside while it is so yucky looking outside!!!

Oh yes, I'm definitely getting excited about PoA coming out in DVD this coming Tuesday, even if I wasn't that big of a fan of it myself. Hey, I can't miss up my current collection of HP DVD movies can I? hee hee Most likely I will watch the "extra's" more so than the actual movie -- especially Jo's interview!!!

Christmas!! Oh I've always had this perfect Christmas pictured in my mind and maybe one of these years it will come about. I seriously doubt it -- but a girl can dream can't they? I would so love to have a nice size log cabin -- one that would fit all of my family in -- up in the mountains and it would have one of those HUGE fireplaces in it. Then after lunch on Christmas Eve we would go out and and hunt for the "perfect" tree and bring it back to the cabin. Have hot chocolate (with marshmallows) ready to warm us all back up and sit around the big old kitchen table & make our decorations for the tree. And I would love for it to start snowing around 4:00 that afternoon and keep on snowing till early Christmas morning. Ever since I was a little girl I've always had that perfect Christmas pictured in my mind.

Hope everyone has a great weekend and an extremely great upcoming week!!!!

Later, Deb

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boop- Nov 21, 2004 2:12 pm (#2797 of 2977)

Deb- Happy Birthday to your mom!!!!!

YAY MY STREELER"S won their game!!!!!!!!!!!

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The giant squid - Nov 21, 2004 2:16 pm (#2798 of 2977)

I think this is ironic--everyone's under a gloomy raincloud except Betty! Take it as an omen, Betty--things are looking bright ahead. :hug:

We have a fake Christmas tree. Not for any environmental reasons, just because it's a lot less work to maintain plastic than pine. And, as kabloink said, you don't have to clean up needles afterward.

--Mike

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Accio Sirius Nov 21, 2004 3:03 pm (#2799 of 2977)

How about those Steelers!! That has made my day. I can't think about Christmas just yet. I want to enjoy Thanksgiving. We are going spend it with a friend of my mother-in-law. Word is she has an incredible house and is a consummate hostess. And while I am happy that I don't have to cook, I have been relegated to bring the pickle tray. In my family, that was given only to those so lame that they couldn't handle the rolls! As for trees, we always get a real one, preferably a fraizer, since they are usually tall and thin (and fit in the small spot we have for the tree) and hold ornaments very well. But the inevitable fight over putting up the Christmas lights is second only to packing the car for family vacation.

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Padfoot - Nov 21, 2004 8:03 pm (#2800 of 2977)

I always look forward to Christmas decorating. My mom hates it, so I usually get to do her house plus mine. Yea! I have decorated the tree since I was in jr. high. A couple of years ago my parents decided to get a fake tree. But I still get the real ones. I just love them. I do hate that there are Christmas commercials and music being played already. I like it when it is special. And special means waiting until AFTER Thanksgiving. Not before Halloween. (Yes I saw Christmas displays up in stores then)

Richard I don't know how you can avoid buying the PoA dvd. I am going crazy just waiting for Tuesday to get here.

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

December Posts

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:23 pm

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Fifth Chat & Greeting Thread
Kip Carter - Dec 1, 2004 1:57 am
Edited Jan 12, 2006 2:51 am

I have established this thread for each of you so inclined to chat on the main discussion threads. With this thread, I hope that all chat-type posts will no longer disrupt the other threads.

The reason behind this move is we are averaging over 250 new posts per day on this Forum which is over 7,500 posts monthly. A huge number of these posts are adding nothing to the discussion threads except additional messages to be read. When a new person comes to this forum, they are faced with over 33,625 posts (as of this post and it is growing), which is mind-boggling. And when you get to some of these threads, much of what is there is not adding anything to the discussion.

As I was setting up this thread to replace the old thread (originated September 2, 2004 - only 90 days ago!), I compared the numbers between the two opening comments. The posts have dropped; however this thread continues at a fast pace.

This is the fifth thread provided for chat-type posts since September 25, 2003. The first Chat and Greeting Thread (25 Sep 03 to 26 Feb 04) had 2752 messages before it was closed out February 26, 2004. The second Chat and Greeting Thread (25 Feb 04 to 15 Jun 04) had 2912 messages before it was closed out June 15, 2004. The third Chat and Greeting Thread (15 Jun 04 to 2 Sep 04) had 2954 when closed out September 2, 2004. The fourth Chat and Greeting Thread (2 Sep 04 to 30 Nov 04) had 2977 when closed out November 30, 2004. Eventually the fourth thread will join the first three threads in the folder =+=+= Archived Threads: Since Reorganization =+=+= OR possibly not!

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 1, 2004 5:24 am (#1 of 2956)

Woo-hoo I'm number 1

Thats a first. Well right now I'm having net working problems. Went out and bought a router and still only one computer works at a time. It's very frustrating the whole point of a network is so that more than one computer can access the Internet and work at the same time.

Oh well time to get ready for work.

Jack

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Fawkes Forever - Dec 1, 2004 5:43 am (#2 of 2956)

And I'm second... woohooo!

Hi Guys *waves*
Haven't been around in a while as I've been off sick with a nasty chest infection! So I'm back at work today... still feeling very sorry for myself & have a tonne to catch up on... never mind all those unread posts.... will make a start on the 292 posts on the old chat thread.

The plus side is that I was able to get watching my new PoA DVD repeatedly! But unfortunately wasn't near a computer to post my mad ravings on it! So must check out the chat on that! Methinks I'll be busy the rest of today... well... with work & that you know *shifty sideways look*

Happy Belated Thanksgiving to all our American Buddies and Happy belated St Andrews Day for our Scottish Buddies!

Ta Ta For Now

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 1, 2004 6:47 am (#3 of 2956)

Hi everyone. So sorry to hear about everything Catherine. You know I wish you all the best.

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mollis - Dec 1, 2004 8:12 am (#4 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 1, 2004 7:23 am

Good Morning all! I was a little worried about everyone when I saw only 3 posts on the chat thread - then I noticed we'd moved to a new one. So, I'm having another coffee.

It's bitter cold here this morning. I'm wishing for the nice warm Aussie temps right about now. At least we have sunshine today. During the entire month of November we had only 6 full days of sunshine.

Well, I don't have much else to add. Everyone have a great day - and to any procrastinating college student who should be studying right now - Get back to the books!!! And best of luck on your exams!!!

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From Venus - Dec 1, 2004 9:09 am (#5 of 2956)

Good Morning all!

I started doing Christmas cards last night and then this morning I saw the Christmas decorations on Jo's web site and now I'm officially in the Christmas spirit! All I need is some snow. Won't get it today though, it's not quite cold enough here. The sun is shining, though, and that's a good thing since we haven't seen it here for a while. So long, in fact, that at first I thought it was a UFO!

Hope all of you who are ailing will be feeling better soon. It stinks being sick this time of year (or any time actually). My heart goes out to you.

P.S. Mollis, where did you get your smilies? I love them!

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The giant squid - Dec 1, 2004 9:32 am (#6 of 2956)

First, some Cheering Charms & healing vibes for Fawkes Forever & Catherine! Hope things turn around for you both soon!

From Venus, I had to laugh at your "St. Patrick's Day tree" comment. There were a few times growing up that the tree stayed up so long our mom threatened to make it an Easter tree.

Mike Miller: I had the same reaction as you the first time I cracked open my computer case-- "Is that it?" Now I'm building them from scratch. It's tougher than you'd think, mainly from having to explain to the sales clerk why you don't need the biggest, fastest, most expensive CPU/graphics card/sound card/[insert component here]. I have a hard enough time dealing with the fact that my current system has almost as much RAM as my first one had in hard memory!

Looks like my theory was right re: decreased Chat Thread lifespans. At this rate this one will be full by the end of January.

--Mike

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mollis - Dec 1, 2004 9:37 am (#7 of 2956)

From Venus - If you right-click on the smile and click properties, it will give you the address. I collect smilies address into a word document and then just copy and paste into my post. I'm glad you like them!

This one is my favorite:

And yes, I hope all who are ailing feel better soon!

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Fawkes Forever - Dec 1, 2004 9:54 am (#8 of 2956)

Thanks for all the cheering charms guys... nipping off home now.. *trying to avoid my boss whilst crawling out the door*

See ya all tomorrow

EDIT : Thanks for the link to the walking tours in London Mare.... I go tomorrow week... so hopefully I'll be all better then... but I'm still going regardless

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From Venus - Dec 1, 2004 10:03 am (#9 of 2956)

Thanks for the smilie info, Mollis, I didn't know you could do that! (Shows you how much I know about computers; NOTHING!!

But thanks to all of you, I'm learning!

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Phoenix song - Dec 1, 2004 11:00 am (#10 of 2956)

Dizzy Lizzy: Thank you for the information on the sign language VS oral education/lip reading debate for deaf people. (On the Previous chat thread!) I'm glad that you didn't mind me asking. I know that there are so many different routes to go for a hearing impaired person now, like cochlear implants, speech therapy, sign language, lip reading, hearing aids, etc. It's a shame that there couldn't have been a universal sign language created. Wouldn't it be nice if people from different nations that spoke sign language could have had an advantage over their hearing counterparts in being able to speak a universal language?

I think that I should have my hearing checked out. I find that there are times that I have difficulty understanding when there are more than one person speaking. It's like the background noise sometimes gets in the way of the central discussion. I have also used the closed caption on my TV when there is something that I'm not quite getting. It takes a little getting used to, but it's a pretty neat innovation just the same.

To Catherine and Fawkes Forever and all of our members who aren't feeling well: I send my absolute best wishes for a speedy recovery. Have some chicken soup, some Honey Dukes Best Chocolate and stay in bed with the PoA DVD if possible. That should help some!! We have a lot of sickness going around here as well. I'm in Southern Louisiana, and the weather can't decide whether it wants to be 80 degrees or 45 degrees. (And the rain is never ending!) The constant changes are keeping us all ill.

Have a great day everybody! I need to go and be productive!
Barbie

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mollis - Dec 1, 2004 11:01 am (#11 of 2956)

My Pleasure, From Venus! The only reason I know anything about HTML is because of the kind folks right here. Hang out for awhile on the How do you? thread here: Denise P. "-- How do you ....... ?" 8/31/03 5:52pm and you'll learn all you ever wanted to know and more!

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Julia. - Dec 1, 2004 12:33 pm (#12 of 2956)

Feel better soon Fawkes! Have an excellent time in London, and be sure to go to Kings Cross and bump into random walls looking for platform 9 3/4!

Grrrrrr, off to deal with the endless pile of work that just seems to keep getting bigger.

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John Bumbledore - Dec 1, 2004 2:01 pm (#13 of 2956)

Greeting Cards, Being Organized, and Minesweeper.

Speaking of Christmas cards, I couldn't believe it when I pulled a brightly colored envelope out of my box last Saturday. "Starting already?" I thought. Well it was from my sister and she is so very organized, that made sense. I took it in the house and rummaged around our kitchen counter, then to the living room to search there for the letter opener (could just tear it, but I like to keep the Christmas envelopes to check for changed addresses). On to a third room then back to the kitchen still hunting down the letter opener (obviously I am not as organized as my sister.) Then I look up, DOH! There it is; right where it belongs in the pencil holder. Well, my sister may not be as organized as I thought, it was a Thanksgiving Day card. Maybe I do have more in common with Deb then I thought.

From Venus, I didn't see that many volunteer their minesweeper scores. Did you tally them for high, low, or averages? I have another hint to help play more games faster with using the F2 function key to start a new game. I keep my finger on that key and when BOOM! I quickly restart... well, maybe it doesn't make it much quicker, but after twenty games in a row you've about save a minute of time over clicking the smile/oh/frown button.

-- Bumbledore B^D

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Chemyst - Dec 1, 2004 6:09 pm (#14 of 2956)

Well, if Jo has decorated her website, I guess it's not too early to update my avatar for the holidays.

Venus, I wasn't ignoring you; I did see your minesweeper question. It's just that I never play it anymore. Back in '99 I was given some Solitaire games as a gift, and I stopped playing Minesweeper then. Since I got DSL, even those are neglected.

Bumbledore, do you know of any good places that explain the function keys? The only one I ever use is F4 with Alt to close ads the popup blocker misses.

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 1, 2004 6:10 pm (#15 of 2956)

G'Day everyone!

I just had to share my dream with you, Last night I dreamt that HBP would be released on July 19th! I don't remember the other details of my dream other than someone asking me if I'd preordered my copy and I said but the release date hadn't been revealed yet and they pointed out a big banner in the book shop & I remember thinking, oooo I can't wait to get onto the forum, everyone's going to be so excited! But, then I woke up & it wasn't true! But maybe...... it wasn't really JUST a dream!

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scully jones - Dec 1, 2004 7:36 pm (#16 of 2956)

That's interesting, Daioma... Maybe it's the seer blood coming through? The book coming out on Brandon's birthday would be interesting, wouldn't it?

I met some family over thanksgiving weekend. Met my brother's daughter, got a couple pictures that I must find a way to get onto the computer. Found out several intersting things about my family that I didn't know. Brandon got an ear-full of war stories from my Grandfather (he was a major in the Green Beret during several wars).

Mayhap I'll have more pictures on our site soon, I'll let you all know when.

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Julia. - Dec 1, 2004 7:48 pm (#17 of 2956)

Oh, that's great Sarah. I'm so glad you had a good trip, and that Brandon enjoyed himself too. Can't wait for your new pics, your last batch was great, I loved the ones of you and Gunar.

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SarcasticGinny - Dec 1, 2004 8:44 pm (#18 of 2956)

Oooh, pinky, you gave me a great idea-my car is new and it actually already has a plug in it! Heated seats, how exciting! Thanks! Now to dig up the heating pad.

I'm in heaven, my beloved Illini basketball just beat the first place team. I can't stop bouncing and grinning. It's like I had ten cheering charms! Hope everyone who's sick is getting better...I recommend echinnacea (sp?) and zinc in combo with a multivitamin, which I think helps you shake diseases faster. What else can you do?

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From Venus - Dec 1, 2004 8:46 pm (#19 of 2956)

No, Bumbledore, I didn't get too many volunteered scores for minesweeper, at least not enough to get a good average worked out. All that it really told me is that no one who has reported has gotten even close to Jo's expert level score of 99. And...that there are a lot of people who just don't play it. Anyways, I'm going to keep trying. I can now actually finish the intermediate level with a score consistently below 275, which really isn't very good. I haven't been able to make even a dent in the expert level.

Mollis, thank you, I have tried the How do you...? thread and I love it. You're right, it's a great place to learn stuff about computers; I'm constantly amazed at how much all these people know! I'm going to have to get myself a t-shirt that says "Everything I know about computers I learned on the Harry Potter Lexicon Forum!" I have only been using a computer for about 4 years. My sister had moved to Rome, Italy, for a semester, and it was the only way I was going to be able to keep in touch with her. My son, then in high school, had to teach me, from scratch, how to send e-mails. It was a riot. I didn't even know how to use the mouse! He would say, "Click on that." And I would say, "How?" I couldn't seem to make the little arrow thing go where I wanted it to. And it would go off the screen and I wouldn't know where it went or how to get it back. My son fell off his chair, he was laughing so hard. He finally turned on the solitaire game and made me play for about an hour til I got the hang of it. He never gets tired of telling people that story. I think kids nowadays are born knowing how to work these things. I'm truly starting to feel my age. But, you really can teach an old dog new tricks, you just have to give her time to learn them! (And go over, and over, and over...)

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Denise P. - Dec 1, 2004 9:06 pm (#20 of 2956)

I have played Minesweeper off and on since early 2002. I have only gotten through expert a handful of times. I am currently trying to beat intermediate in under 60 seconds. I am just in awe that JKR can do expert in 99 seconds!

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DJ Evans - Dec 1, 2004 9:14 pm (#21 of 2956)

Oh Venus thanks for the chuckle of the day there. I'm not laughing at you by any means but WITH you. I too know how it is about being new to computers. Though I had worked with them a bit (& I mean a teeny tiny bit) at work "years" ago, I got my first computer about 4 years ago too!!! And boy am I glad I did -- I love it and so wished I had taken it in school back in the dark ages and could have had a career in computers. I would really love to do graphic work. Though I was first so scared of them, I just got down and played with it. I figured if a 5 year old could get on them and do things then by George a grown woman of 40+ years "should" be able to do something with it. And now I can't live without one.

Hope everyone who was under the weather is doing better today? If not then I say go get you a 6 pack/a fifth or whatever (if you are a minor then you do know I'm talking about a 6 pack of Dr. Pepper or a fifth of a liter of Root Beer, right? ) and enjoy!!!! Seriously, I hope you are all feeling better and will be back to your ol' self very soon!!!!

Hip Hip Hurray We actually had a day without any rain AND the sun came out. It nearly blinded all of us, as it had been so long since we had seen it. Now it is just cold brrrrrr cold. In some areas we even have a freeze warning for tonight.

Take care everyone and have a great evening/night/day/afternoon!!! Waves BIG time to the greatest people around!!!

Later, Deb

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Mrs. Sirius - Dec 1, 2004 9:39 pm (#22 of 2956)

Hey everyone welcome to the holiday season. JK site is duded up, so is The Leaky Cauldron. Is that our Acceber (Rebecca) that won the POA sweepstake prize? Congratulations!!

And happy birthday, anniversary, congratulations etc. to all those I've missed. I can't post much and I've been locked out of chat but it's nice to see all the new faces and the old crowd still about.

Edit: Wow! I missed it, this is yet another new Chat thread! How we do chat.

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 1, 2004 11:43 pm (#23 of 2956)

That's OK Phoenix Song. My Mum has two sayings in life:

Firstly: If you don't want to know the answer, then don't ask the question!

Secondly: There are no such things as silly questions...just silly answers!

Besides, I'd rather people asked questions for without questioning, how do we make sense of the world around us. Its such a beautiful world out there if we only took the time to look. And for someone who's medical history rivals OoP for size I've definitely learn't that lesson .

Hi Diaoma, how's the heat down there. We got a cool change last night but that didn't last long . Mike have you got a specific date in January yet??

Cheers to all on a lovely day

Lizzy

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septentrion - Dec 2, 2004 1:16 am (#24 of 2956)

Hi all !

I followed with interest the conversation about sign languages. It's amazing to see the ease people can use them. But I doubt if a universal sign language could be made-up. They're dependent on the language spoken in their country. I'll try to make myself clear (which is something to say) : English and Arabic, for instance, are different, the sentences are built differently. I don't know if it'd be that obvious to create a sign language you could use for those both languages, and therefore for all languages.

About games : I'm not a minesweeper gamer, I'm addicted to mah-jong and free cell. I've tried minesweeper but couldn't stay more than one try

Catherine, I hope your family will get better soon.

Fawkes : welcome back. Enjoy your trip to London !

Off to work now !

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 2, 2004 2:20 am (#25 of 2956)

Just to throw a spanner in the works: sign languages have their own grammar etc and are constructed differently from the spoken language of the relevant country. That is; a sentence spoken in English and Auslan (Australian sign language) will be constructed completely differently.

Spoken language has three dimensions (pitch speed and volume) sign language has four dimensions (speed and vertical ,horizontal and width depth(for want of a better word) that is; up and down, side to side and front to back (pretend you have a rectangular box in front of and you use all of it). Its late for me and I can't word it well, so I hope you understand.

It is fascinating because up until I was taught this difference, I thought sign language was a crutch in a way of using the language when you couldn't speak it. A little bit rich coming from a deaf person .

Now I just sit and stare and take it all in when watching people sign the gracefulness of it...oh!...

I'm not a minesweeper person either, I like my variations of patience and good old fashioned books instead. And counting down the days to HBP and trying to convince the family to read Harry Potter. No luck there yet!

Lizzy

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Marè - Dec 2, 2004 2:57 am (#26 of 2956)

I have the same thing, In café's and canteens I have a problem hearing the person next to me because of all the background chatter.
I always blame it on my excessive use of the walkman in my teen years.
I usually solve it by turning one of my ears in the direction of the sound I want to actually hear, or trying to pay attention to their lips. But the last solution doesn't work too well.

I can't do sign language, but I do know how to sign a deaf alphabet. A deaf family friend thought me. I sign very slow though, because I really never have to use it. I tried to teach it to a friend in highschool, our attempt was to use it to talk during lessons without making noise.
Teacher was not pleased...

Everything I know about computers I learned on the Harry Potter Lexicon Forum!

Snort! Ok; people are looking strangely at me now, laughing at the computer...
Don't forget you can put it on your resume. "basic html skills"
looks impressive!

And I had an unexpected day off yesterday, the bus drivers were on strike, so I couldn't get to work...

Fawkes! there are you are! I was wondering where you went to, good to see you back, I hope your feeling well when you go to London. London in christmas decorations, sounds like fun. I'm almost jealous, except I'm heading for Paris in 2 weeks, so I guess I can't complain

Off to do some serious stuff now, good luck to all the people with exams!

Just think: it's almost vacation! (I'm going home! Use of the oven! A fridge! A bathroom where I don't have to wonder if the person next to me is going to put his head over the wall! )

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septentrion - Dec 2, 2004 3:20 am (#27 of 2956)

Use of the oven! A fridge! A bathroom where I don't have to wonder if the person next to me is going to put his head over the wall! )

where do you live right now Marè ? Are you in one of that old student cities/dormitories ? Hope you'll have a great time in Paris. The Christmas lights on Champs-Elysées are so ...grandioses (great). If you want to stop in northern France on your way home, you're most welcome !

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Marè - Dec 2, 2004 4:07 am (#28 of 2956)

Are you in one of that old student cities/dormitories . . . .

Yes, cité de université. I shouldn't complain, because the rent is so low. But I like to cook and really miss having a good and fully equipped kitchen.

I would love to come by, but my train tickets are already booked and I'm travelling back with two friends who'm I'll meet in Paris.
And lights on the Champs de Elysee have been put on my to do list!

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 2, 2004 4:14 am (#29 of 2956)

Helloooo poppets! (use Mrs Doubtfire voice!)

Hope you are all wonderful, as you may guess I'm in a very good mood, I've just finished paying our wages and bills for our business & after spending the last month stressing over all our bills, repayments & everything do to with buying our third truck, it all seems to be back on track Woohoo! I didn't realise quite how much it was stressing me out until tonight when I finally saw that things where getting better and breathed a huge sigh of relief

Hiddy ho Lizzy! I'm glad you've still got the warm weather because it's faded a bit down here, although it's warming up again for the week-end and next week I think, but we didn't get it bad as you guys, I wish, I LOVE the hot weather! I can't wait for my holidays to hopefully head down to the beach for a few days, Ben's parents own a beach house and it's only a very short walk from their place to the water so I'm looking forward to lounging in the sun with a good book (would love it if it was HBP! ) and then going for a swim, lying in the sun, going for a swim.... well you get the picture

On the sign language discussion, I too know the auslan alphabet, I also know how to say toilet & a word that can't be said here which I learnt from the movie "Mr Hollands Opus"

Well this has turned into quite a long post so I'll sign off for now. Talk to you all soon

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Julie Aronson - Dec 2, 2004 4:16 am (#30 of 2956)

FWIW, my best score right now on expert Minesweeper is 204. I had one in the 170s, but my hard drive crashed and I lost it.

Julie

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septentrion - Dec 2, 2004 5:42 am (#31 of 2956)

So we'll meet another time, Marè !

I went to the store during my lunch time and I think I saw one of Trevor's friend : a bright green frog was having a stroll on the cash register's desk. A security guard decide to keep it for himself but a lot of fuss has been done ! The cashiers were nearly ROFL, everybody around were looking what was that ado about. That poor beast must have travelled with some fruit and must be so scared!

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Julia. - Dec 2, 2004 6:57 am (#32 of 2956)

Oh, "Mr. Holland's Opus," I remember that movie! We use it to make fun of my dad. He thinks he looks like Brad Pit , the rest of us think he looks like Richard Dryfus.

I don't play minesweeper at all. I'm terrible at it and even so I don't have time for it. When I do have time, I'm much more of a Solitare girl.

This conversation about Sign Language is fascinating. I know absolutely nothing about it, and it's always a pleasure to learn some thing new.

If you are a minor then you do know I'm talking about a 6 pack of Dr. Pepper or a fifth of a liter of Root Beer, right?--Deb
Just as long as we keep the Root Beer away from Brandon, it sounds like a good idea to me!

Have an excellent day/evening/night everyone!

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Eponine - Dec 2, 2004 8:42 am (#33 of 2956)

Hello, all. I hope everyone is having a great day wherever you are. I am on the recovery side of a nasty cold, so I'm starting to feel better, but not quite yet.

The university I graduated from is one of about 20 or so (I think) in the US that offers a 4 year sign language program. I had several friends who signed fluently, and it fascinated me to no end to watch them. I know some basics things, but not enough to carry on a conversation for longer than a minute. I wish I had taken some of those classes, but I never could fit them into my schedule.

Have a great day!

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Phoenix song - Dec 2, 2004 8:52 am (#34 of 2956)

I agree with everyone who's said that all that they've learned about computers they've learned on the forum. I'm ashamed to say that when I first joined the forum a few months ago I didn't even know how to do a simple copy/paste. It's so great that now I've learned all of these functions, like italics, underlining, bold, and even some simple smilies! One day I may even tackle colors and fonts! All simple stuff for most people. But I must admit that I was born in the awkward in-between generation. (Too young to have learned it in school, and to old to get by without learning it in the "real world".) We didn't have computers in my school until I was nearing graduation, so I didn't really come face-to-monitor with a computer until college. So I'm grateful to our Forum for my basic computer education!

We had a cool front come through yesterday, and I'm hoping that it sticks around for a while. I just hate to use the AC in December! Of course, it's better than using the AC and heater in the same day!

Well, I hope that everybody has a good day/evening!
Barbie

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From Venus - Dec 2, 2004 9:20 am (#35 of 2956)

Good Morning (relative, I know, but I have to start somewhere...I'm still on my first cup of coffee, so it must be morning.)

OK...Here's a run down of the information I have received so far on our minesweeper scores...

With a total of 17 people reporting (19 counting Jo and Denise P.'s son) I have determined the following:

Expert: 1st place- Jo, with 99-- 2nd place- Eponine, with 168-- 3rd place- Julie Aronson, with 204-- Average score- 256.9

Intermediate: 1st place- Eponine, with 53-- 2nd place- Denise P., with 61-- 3rd place- Giant Squid, with 86-- Average score- 113.2

Beginner: 1st place- Giant Squid, with 2(!!)-- 2nd place (tie)- Denise P.'s son Nicholas and Bumbledore, both with 7-- 3rd place (tie)- Eponine and Denise P., both with 11-- Average score- 11

Also of some interest: 7 people reported that they don't play it. 4 people reported that they can't finish the expert level without blowing up.

Conclusion: Jo rules, we drool!

BTW: Do I have anything better to do than to research our minesweeper scores? YES!!! But this was much more fun!

Have a great day everyone! Talk to you later.

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Catherine - Dec 2, 2004 10:59 am (#36 of 2956)

ACK!

I take some time away from the Forum, and you all have a whole new chat thread started! I've done my best to catch up, and I hope I wasn't too depressing about the last two weeks. I've been so grumpy that my husband was practically insisting that I check the Forum because he thought it would put me in a better mood. Finally, Mr. Catherine has sorted out his priorities!

Today has been blissfully migraine-free, and I am so thankful. Speaking of which, I really have missed everyone since the Thanksgiving holiday here.

**waves to Loopy and Chemyst for their Cheering charms**

Must be off to catch up on threads. See you in the threads, I hope.

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Julie Aronson - Dec 2, 2004 12:17 pm (#37 of 2956)

From Venus:

Thank you for the informative tabulation! However, based on the data presented, I have to correct your math--sorry! The actual averages are as follows:

Expert: 157, Intermediate: 66.7, Beginner: 6.7

I'm not sure how you got your figures, but I totaled the three scores presented from each group and divided by three. If you incorporated other info, then I apologize in advance.

Have a butterbeer on me, regardless!!!

Julie

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DJ Evans - Dec 2, 2004 12:30 pm (#38 of 2956)

Julia: Just as long as we keep the Root Beer away from Brandon, it sounds like a good idea to me!

hee hee I wonder if poor ol' Brandon will ever "not" be associated with Root Beer?

Yea another day of sunshine!!!! I think we're supposed to have a couple of more before the clouds move back in. But last night we did have a heavy frost (& I mean heavy), so much so that it looked like it had snowed. But what was so neat was when the sun came up and it hit all of the frost accumulated on the bare tree branches!!! Oh man, what a sight to behold -- it was just gorgeous, what with the wind blowing slightly & giving the trees that "twinkling" light appearance. Awww heck, that deserves

Hey has anybody seen the movie Christmas with the Kranks yet? I was just wondering if it was as cute as the previews show. Thought I might go see it next week on $2 movie night. I was planning on seeing Polar Express, but I've heard some say it wasn't all that good? Shame cause I was really looking forward to seeing that one too.

Later, Deb

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scully jones - Dec 2, 2004 12:50 pm (#39 of 2956)

I think Brandon likes being associated with Root Beer. He grins like a maniac every time he sees the logo!

I learned basic HTML once when I was bored, from HTML Goodies. They said to take it slow and learn a little bit at a time, but I just plummeted through the entire thing in one day. That's where my old website came from. Everything on it was made by hand, basically. But, since all I do with websites is post pictures, I've found photosite to be a whole lot easier. As least now, as someone mentioned I can use that in my resume!

I learned to do basic ASL a few years back, but I was taking it with a bunch of kids, so all we learned was food, animals, and number signs. I could do the alphabet very very fast, though. I may need more practice to get back up to speed.

I put up more pictures on my site, get to it through my profile page... There's more in Family and Friends and the new chapter Arizona. Our camera died on us so we didn't get a whole lot of good pictures... My uncle Eric says he'll send me some that he took, though. My aunt Kim is also copying a bunch of very very old photos for me that I should receive in a week or two.

I managed to find pictures of (they had no clue who it was but I was able to deduce it from half-visible writing on the back of the photos) my Grandmother's REAL mother. She was adopted, so having this new name and pictures is a big breakthrough. I even found one picture of me that looked exactly like she did as a child.

Yes well, enough of my ranting, Brandon should be back with FOOD soon!

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Julia. - Dec 2, 2004 3:31 pm (#40 of 2956)

Yay sarah! Loved the pictures.

Something very dangerous happened today. Someone let me loose in a bookstore with money at my disposal. I bought Hanukkah cards, Kwanzaa cards, America, the Book, a First American edition of GoF, and a UConn t-shirt for my friend. Very dangerous indeed. I should not be left alone in a bookstore ever again.

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Eponine - Dec 2, 2004 4:24 pm (#41 of 2956)

Julia, I completely understand. Although with me it's much safer now because the two bookstores that are the most dangerous for me are back home in Chattanooga. They are both fabulous used bookstores where you can get good copies of books for less than a dollar. Of course you can spend quite a bit more for even better copies, but why do that when can buy more books for the same price?

My brother has America, the Book. I looked through it when I was home, and it's hysterical. I hope you enjoy it.

Stay away from bookstores!

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Penny Lane. - Dec 2, 2004 4:25 pm (#42 of 2956)

D.J. Evans said:

My mom took some of her residents to see "the polar express" at the IMAX in town (she's a recreation therapist at a long term care facility). She said it was excellent, and everyone really enjoyed it. I, on the other hand, don't particularly want to see it, as I never really liked the book or the original cartoon. I've just never been able to get into the whole "santa" thing.

Oooh -funny santa story - I was 3 or 4, and I asked/told my mother that there was no way santa could get in our chimney if he was as fat as everyone said he was. Me being me, I deduced that meant that mommy was lying to me, and that santa might either be fictional or she just didn't have her story right. So she actually paid this guy to be santa and come in through the porch... Well, she didn't take into account the fact that my father was a police officer, and that I would probably freak out at someone breaking into our house. After I realized it was santa, I was less teary eyed, and supposedly very cute.

Well, that was longer than I intended. I've been very verbose recently... OH, and "Christmas with the Kranks" is based on a book called "Skipping Christmas" which was a bestseller.

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haymoni - Dec 2, 2004 4:35 pm (#43 of 2956)

Hi all - it's been a while.

They have blocked all entertainment sites at work so the only time I can check the Forum is when I am at home. I'm sure that none of you are surprised that all of the sports sites were left alone.

How can I possibly answer the movie trivia questions that seem to pop up at work without access to The Internet Movie Data Base??? It simply isn't fair, but if I complain then they'll know what I've been doing at work all day!

Smog the Diabetic Cat seems to be perking up. We're giving him a specially-blended, long-lasting insulin twice a week. He's doing much better.

The critics are trashing "Christmas with the Kranks". Is it that bad?

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Eponine - Dec 2, 2004 4:53 pm (#44 of 2956)

I've got a good Santa story. Well, it's my husband's actually, but he doesn't post here, so I'm going to tell it. When he was in kindergarten, the teacher wanted them all to write letters to Santa for Christmas. He flat out refused because he knew Santa wasn't real. They ended up sending for his older sister to come and try to talk him into it, but he still wouldn't do it. Other kids were crying, but my husband stubborn as he is refused to give in and write a letter to a non-existent person.

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Catherine - Dec 2, 2004 7:35 pm (#45 of 2956)

They ended up sending for his older sister to come and try to talk him into it, but he still wouldn't do it. Other kids were crying, but my husband stubborn as he is refused to give in and write a letter to a non-existent person. –Eponine

Whaddya mean? I know that Santa is real. **waves to Santa**

Sheesh. Just because you grow up and stuff doesn't mean you have to leave Ol' Santa behind.

Santa, if you have time, and are reading this thread, I really, really want a Time-turner to get all my work and worrying done.

If you are really powerful this year, and full of magic, I would wish for world peace and the end of world hunger, but I know you can't do it all by yourself, so I guess I'll wish for that, too, small as I am.

Daisy and Phoebe reminded me to ask to remember the creatures at the shelter, so I will ask Santa for that, too.

I just know that Santa will be there.

EDIT:

I neglected to mention how much I enjoy Loopy Lupin's avatar. Ralph, and his inane comments, are my very favorite, and I love it.

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Pinky - Dec 2, 2004 8:47 pm (#46 of 2956)

I think I remember seeing Hettie Hoffleboffer post earlier on this thread, so this is a question for her. Hettie, are you aware of the changes on the FanFiction Forum? I've posted about them on that Forum, and I tried to e-mail you. I would love to have confirmation that you are aware of the changes over there. You can e-mail me at pinkylexiconfan@yahoo.com .

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From Venus - Dec 2, 2004 9:50 pm (#47 of 2956)

Julie Aronson:

My computations for the minesweeper averages were taken from all the scores that were posted, not just the top 3. That's why they don't seem to add up to you. I did not list all the scores, just the 1st, 2nd and 3rd places. I didn't want to bore anyone with too many numbers.

BTW...Please keep reporting your minesweeper scores, I'd love to do an update soon. Doesn't anyone feel challenged to try and match Jo's score?

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From Venus - Dec 2, 2004 10:01 pm (#48 of 2956)

P.S. (to Julie Aronson)...Thanks for the butterbeer. That hit the spot!

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The giant squid - Dec 3, 2004 5:33 am (#49 of 2956)

Beginner: 1st place- Giant Squid, with 2(!!)--From Venus

Thank you, thank you... I'd like to thank the little people--Prof. Flitwick, Dobby, Winky... I still maintain that that score was an utter fluke, never to be reproduced

I don't have any cute Santa stories from when I was younger (though I'm sure my sister will rat me out on something). I do remember that our family would always go to the Christmas Eve church service to give "Santa" time to deliver the presents. Strangely enough, my dad never went to church with us...

--Mike

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Julie Aronson - Dec 3, 2004 6:11 am (#50 of 2956)

From Venus:

I thought there was a chance of that--hence the disclaimers in my criticism! Thanks for not being mad at me...

FYI, my other best scores are: Beg-14, Int-60.

Not great, but not terrible!

Have a great day!

Julie

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:27 pm

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Ozymandias - Dec 3, 2004 6:23 am (#51 of 2956)

Hello everyone!

I've been insanely busy with school these past few months, and still am, but I just thought I'd pop in to say hello. I hope you all are well, and, with any luck, I'll be back to posting regularly next semester.

Cheers, Ozy

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 3, 2004 6:48 am (#52 of 2956)

Thanks for the avatar comment Catherine. Ralph is a wellspring of chuckles.

Yay! It's Frideeee. Hope everyone has a good weekend.

Best wishes to Catherine. ***walks off humming some old country song**

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mike miller - Dec 3, 2004 7:18 am (#53 of 2956)

TGIF!!! This has been one of the most difficult weeks of the year.

Glad to see so many of our friends (Fawkes, Sarah, Ozy & Haymoni) making it back to the Forum. Has anyone heard from Flame?

GS Mike - About computers, I've always been lucky enough to have people around who know what they're doing. I know it not as simple as it looks, but at least a couple of the improvements I've been thinking about are within my grasp.

I'm glad to hear that many of us are feeling better. I'm still getting rid of the remanents of my own chest cold. I think that the combination of travelling and stress have weakened my immune system.

Sarah (Scully) and Brandon - Glad to hear that you had a good Thanksgiving Holiday. Yes, Brandon will forever be linked to Root Beer. At times I think it was all part of a grand plan of his.

I will be out of the office nearly all of next week. I will be attending a 3-day meeting for work. I guess if you have to take a business trip in December, Miami (South Beach) Florida is as good as any. The hotel does have high-speed so I hope not to "drop off the edge of the planet" for the week.

Everyone - Have a great weekend!

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Julia. - Dec 3, 2004 8:05 am (#54 of 2956)

Mike, you certainly travel a lot. One of the perks of whatever it is you do I guess. And, yes, in December I'd say a business trip to Miami is much better than a business trip to South Dakota.

Ozy! Welcome back! I've missed my West Wing updates. Hope school's going ok for you, things are certianly busy around here. Good luck on your finals.

Well, off to check the threads, the class, then to West Hartford for Shabbos. See you all Saturday evening!

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kabloink! - Dec 3, 2004 10:41 am (#55 of 2956)

Okay, wow, I'm gone for like a day, and I have about 50 posts to read! Anyway, I've seen Christmas with the Kranks, and while it was entertaining (moreso than Monday Night Football, at least), I wouldn't recommend spending the money for a full-priced movie ticket on it. A discounted on could be worth it, though. If you want a good Christmas movie with TIm Allen, I recommend sticking to THe Santa Clause...or however its spelled...Just a note, I NEVER listen to critics. I typically do not have the same taste in movies as they do, and thus find their opinion useless. Oh! yeah! Skipping Christmas is by John Grisham...just supplementing Penny's post.

Okay off to do research!

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Phoenix song - Dec 3, 2004 11:09 am (#56 of 2956)

Mike: Thank you, thank you... I'd like to thank the little people--Prof. Flitwick, Dobby, Winky... I still maintain that that score was an utter fluke, never to be reproduced."

Mike, thanks for that chuckle...I hope that I receive an award one day so that I can also thank the "little people". Since Umbridge is so short, would she qualify as a "little person" as well? Oh well, who'd thank HER?

I've never played Minesweeper. But you guys have got me wanting to! Although I promised myself that I would STAY AWAY from all computer games, as I have a highly obsessive streak about such things. (Which you'd never guess with regards to my moderate stance with Harry Potter. ) I use to be totally hooked on Tetris, and my husband got me to try Spider Solitaire, and I decided for several months that I preferred to play Spider Solitaire over sleeping at night. I finally forced myself to break the habit by quitting cold turkey, and completely removed the game from the PC to keep my computer's arrow from sliding over to the short-cut on the desk top (all by itself, I assure you!) Anyway, I think that I'd best stay away from Minesweeper, though it's tempting...

Catherine, I'm so glad that you're doing better. I KNOW that those migraines are tough. Mine have gotten much more manageable lately, and I'm so grateful for that. I love your wish list for Santa. I second your choices. A time-turner, world peace and end of hunger, loving homes for all in shelters (animal and human), that sounds wonderful. Could I be more selfish though and add that I'd like book 6 really soon?

Have a great day everybody!
Barbie

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John Bumbledore - Dec 3, 2004 1:29 pm (#57 of 2956)

Tutoring From Venus, I posted a little help for your font face test.

Chemyst asked, "do you know of any good places that explain the function keys?" Windows help menu search on "shortcut keys" you should get a list like what I posted here . . . Windows 2000 keyboard shortcuts

-- B^D

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Acceber - Dec 3, 2004 6:10 pm (#58 of 2956)

First off, a huge Welcome Back to Lauren, Caput, Catherine, and Haymoni!

Is that our Acceber (Rebecca) that won the POA sweepstake prize? Congratulations!!-Mrs. Sirius (Maritza). No, that wasn't me; I didn't enter. I didn't even know it existed until you mentioned it .

Someone let me loose in a bookstore with money at my disposal.-Julia. LOL. This coming from the same person who bought a hardcover version of The Complete Works of Shakespeare just because it cost $20 and lugged it around Boston for a few hours. I would not like to have seen that happening.

I'm back from my little school trip to New Hampshire, which I posted about on the last chat thread. (We do seem to run through them.) It wasn't fun, but it wasn't horrible. It would have been a better experience for all if it hadn't been raining the first day, freezing cold the second, and snowing the third. And yes, we were outside most of the time.

My mum is taking me Chanukah shopping tomorrow for presents for my family. The only place where I would have to go into one store is a bookstore. I'm bringing limited funds.

I'm going to catch up on the threads. Maybe I'll try and complete the Intermediate level of Mindsweeper. I don't think I've ever done it; my best time on Beginner is 27 seconds. Don't laugh!

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kabloink! - Dec 3, 2004 7:28 pm (#59 of 2956)

Hehe...try the bookstore thing when you work at one! I actually worked on the book floor at a Waldenbooks last year, and this year I work at the cafe in our local Barnes and Noble! Tis fun with discounts!

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From Venus - Dec 3, 2004 7:39 pm (#60 of 2956)

Thank you, thank you, Bumbledore for your help with my font faces. You people blow me away with everything that you know about this stuff. I'm soooo far behind. But I find the learning fun. I sit at home most of the time because I care for an invalid 84 yr. old woman (my mother-in-law) and I get bored with housework after a while. (You know what they say...A mind is a terrible thing to waste...on housework!!) So now that I have a computer, I'm never bored!

So, anyways, thanks again to all of you knowledgeable people who help out all of us unknowledgeable people. Your generosity is refreshing.

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Pinky - Dec 3, 2004 8:56 pm (#61 of 2956)

Gina, your post on the Future of WX thread sent me searching desperately for the oxymoron I was sure was hidden in it... EDIT: Carina, we couldn't live without your killer rabbit!

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Gina R Snape - Dec 3, 2004 9:01 pm (#62 of 2956)

Heh, heh. You know, that never even occurred to me Pinky!

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septentrion - Dec 4, 2004 2:23 am (#63 of 2956)

Everyone have a good week-end !

So THIS is the day my computer will pay a visit to the repair man. I don't know how long it'll stay there. I'll pop here from work, but not as regularly as I'd like to. Luckily I got my PoA DVD yesterday !

Happy Chanukkah for everyone concerned !

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 4, 2004 6:21 am (#64 of 2956)

I am having a bad morning. I awoke in the middle of the night shivering and discovered my furnace quit working. It's only a few years old, too.

I'm just happy it is not January or February. It gets really cold then.

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Accio Sirius - Dec 4, 2004 8:07 am (#65 of 2956)

Catherine, I was wondering where you have been. I hope things have gotten better. It's uncanny the parallels in our lives. Our three year old just got released from the hospital yesterday afternoon (too many issues and too depressing to discuss here) after a week-long stay. I am just overjoyed to have him home again. He can rest comfortably and I can sneak up to the computer and think something non-medical for at least a little while. As for migraines, I never go far without my Immatrex. All I can say is, thank goodness for Harry Potter and the forum to keep me sane. (Although I'm pretty sure my husband thinks it's a symptom of some other form of madness! ) I wish I had PoA on DVD, but I'm waiting patiently for the holidays! Here's to good health and happy weekend to everyone.

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Denise S. - Dec 4, 2004 8:54 am (#66 of 2956)

Karla Labanda, if you see this, I'm in Japan too (year abroad). ...Not that I can think of anything else to say, but I'm closer to you than most people here, so a hearty wave to you!

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The giant squid - Dec 4, 2004 9:25 am (#67 of 2956)

Phoenix Song, I can only say that MInesweeper is less compelling than Spider Solitaire for one reason: the "loser" games come much more quickly and frequently. It's a lot easier to get frustrated & quit when you've lost 12 games in the span of a minute!

Vlad, that happened to me once as well. Of course, in my case, it was January, and I was living in North Dakota, and we were in an apartment building with rather unresponsive landlords... :rolleyes: Thankfully, the repairman was prompt and we were back to a livable temperature before frostbite set in.

The two places my wife never wants me to set foot in with money: bookstores and DVD/electronics stores. I can spend hours just shopping in those places (yes, some men do shop).

--Mike

EDIT: enjoying my week of "premium status"...I'm A Star!!

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Gina R Snape - Dec 4, 2004 9:31 am (#68 of 2956)

For your amusement (since this didn't quite fit into any thread...)

http://www.robertscottart.com/Potter/PotterPotterMovie.html

Careful--the song will stay in your brain for hours!

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From Venus - Dec 4, 2004 10:13 am (#69 of 2956)

Thanks, Gina R Snape, for the laugh. And yes, you're right, the song is stuck quite tight!

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mike miller - Dec 4, 2004 10:17 am (#70 of 2956)

I hope everyone is having a great weekend. We started ours off last night by attending a local production of the Nutcracker. It was very well done with a couple of the littlest performers stealing the show.

My wife is off Christmas shopping this morning leaving me with the household chores (cleaning the kitchen and doing laundry, etc.). I've taken advantage of the time make my second batch of venison jerky of the season. My grandfather had it down pat and this is the first year that I've tried to make jerky. The first batch turned out so good that when I got a deer, jerky was definitely part of the plan.

I plan to do the outside decorating for the Holidays this afternoon, trying to take advantage of a little warming. It's basically normal temps this weekend, but with the mid-20's F in the morning I'd rather wait until the afternoon.

Vlad - Sorry to hear about the furnace. That happened to us a couple of years ago. We basically went from the living room with the fire burning to the bedroom under extra layers of quilts and blankets until we could get things fixed.

Enjoy the rest of the weekend everyone!

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 4, 2004 10:42 am (#71 of 2956)

Squid and mike, my old furnace set off the carbon monoxide detector when it was about 10 F and windy. The guy from the gas company had me open all the doors and windows until the CO level dropped to a non-dangerous level. It got cold pretty fast, not that I was doing any complaining that night. Furnaces must have it in for me.

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kabloink! - Dec 4, 2004 10:50 am (#72 of 2956)

My neighbors are moving! I am so sad. We just moved here in May, and they have been so nice to us, not to mention that their kids are wonderful. We live in a two story side-by-side duplex, its the best place we've lived in yet, not to mention with the best neighbors! I guess they bought a house in October, and its just now ready for them to move in. I came home from dropping my husband off at work and saw a "For Rent" sign on their side of the lawn! I'm so sad, and anxious about who we get to share our duplex with. I hope they're about our age, or if they're older, that they're cool.

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haymoni - Dec 4, 2004 11:23 am (#73 of 2956)

Hi guys - Happy Saturday! Ungrateful Son's team won their basketball game this morning, so all is well at our house.

Mike - how many deer did you get? Didn't you say that in Maryland you could shoot up to 12 this year in an effort to control the population? Do you know if anyone actually got that many??? Did it help the food banks and shelters?

Migraine People - here in Cleveland there is a plastic surgeon who noticed that many of his patients who had face lifts commented that their migraines had gone away after their surgeries He thought it odd that so many patients had the same experience and he started to research why. Apparently when they do a face lift, they have to cut some nerve by the forehead - in cutting this nerve, they cut the migraine "circuit" and the patients stop having migraines. The only reason I know about this is that one of our TV news anchors did a whole series on it because his wife had terrible migraines - like 10-15 a month or something - she had the surgery and she has been fine. I don't recall the name of the doctor, but I'm guessing you can do an internet search and find out about it.

kabloink - good neighbors are hard to find! Congrats to yours though on buying a house. Hope it all works out well for you.

See you all out on the threads!

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mike miller - Dec 4, 2004 11:33 am (#74 of 2956)

Haymoni - I've only got one deer so far this year; but, my hunting partner has one also and since we share that's one deer for each freezer. There is still one more week of modern firearm season, then 2 weeks of primative firearm (muzzleloader) and then back to the bow until the end of January. I think one more by either one of us will mean the next will go to feed the homeless. I truly hope I will be able to make the donation, just before Christmas would be great timing.

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kabloink! - Dec 4, 2004 11:49 am (#75 of 2956)

I have just discovered the best thing ever for a mood-lifter. I was feeling pretty bummed, what with exams and papers, work, housekeeping, etc. SO, when I set about working on washing some dishes, I decided to put on one of my favorite seasonal cd's-Christmas With the Rat Pack. Its great! I'm bouncing all over the place now.

haymoni-congrats to your son's basketball team!

Happy Day to everyone!!!

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Padfoot - Dec 4, 2004 1:58 pm (#76 of 2956)

Hi everyone! Hope you all are having a nice weekend. I must confess to using the mark as read button as I have been away too long to catch up. I did see that Lauren and Erin made an appearance. *waves* Good to see you both.

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 4, 2004 2:58 pm (#77 of 2956)

Hi every one! I am really a happy little chikkie this morning! It started raining at about 4am this morning. Why am I so pleased?? Well most of South Eastern Australia, has been in drought for the past 3 or 4 years and any rain we get is a bonus. We've had a few good falls now and it will help those on the land (including my Dad to avoid hand watering and hand feeding stock and let mother nature do her job). Plus I get lovely 20 deg cel. temps and my lawn watered. Far better than the 38 deg cel. we were getting earlier on!!!

Also on the plus side, my dogs hate the rain, so they go in the garage and sulk. This means they don't try and talk to every dog that walks past and I get a quiet morning.

I had a wonderful day yesterday. I went to my niece's Christmas competition for her Physical Culture classes. I don't know if you have them where you are all living, but very it is very similar to Jazz Ballet. My niece did wonderful and came 2nd in her year and this year has really improved. It was a lovely calm afternoon with my sister and her kids and given that we don't always get on well, it was a nice afternoon to cherish.

For those of you who haven't hit Sunday yet, have a wonderful day!

Lizzy

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 4, 2004 4:40 pm (#78 of 2956)

Gina that was the bestest. I was bopping along for a while then I had to stop. I was scaring the cat.

Jack

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 4, 2004 5:15 pm (#79 of 2956)

What a cool song Gina, thanks for the link!

Lizzy

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Eponine - Dec 4, 2004 7:16 pm (#80 of 2956)

Gina, thanks for the link. It does get stuck in your head!

I've been seeing this commercial all night for a movie coming on tomorrow night. It seems to be an Indiana Jones type made for TV movie, but it's called The Librarian: Quest for the Spear. I don't know about you, but any action movie about a librarian makes me want to watch. Seems like a lot of fun.

I hope everyone here has a great day!

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Ozymandias - Dec 4, 2004 7:58 pm (#81 of 2956)

*waves to Julia, Mike Miller & Cynde*

*waves to everyone else, too*

It's amazing how quickly I get re-addicted to coming here after my several-month-long hiatus. I loved the song, Gina, thanks for making my evening happy.

Julia, I've been missing West Wing too. My Wednesday night professor suddenly decided to start taking attendance...not that I would ever cut class to watch a TV show. Nope, never.

Christmas panic is setting in solidly now, along with finals panic. I'm going insane! I even titled my grocery list "panic" instead of "shopping."

Happy Saturday, one and all!

EDIT: Ah-Potter Potter Potter Potter Potter Potter Potter Potter Potter Potter Potter Potter Weasley Weasley! Yep, thoroughly stuck.

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Julia. - Dec 4, 2004 10:26 pm (#82 of 2956)

Good evening all. I just got back from my Shabbos in West Hartford. Had a lovely time, Rabbi's kids were cute as ever. There were actually lots of little kids there this weekend, all of whom were cute and hugable. It was rather refreshing to have a conversation about something as simple as 'is your sweater soft? What about Etay's?'

After Shabbos ended we went to play lazer tag. They needed a code name for everyone, I told them to put me in as Hermione. The woman spelled it Hermini. Silly muggles.

Hope everyone has a good evening!

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Elanor - Dec 5, 2004 12:53 am (#83 of 2956)

I just pop in to say hello and wish you all a great weekend! It is sunday morning here and I'm sad to say I have work to do (I have to prepare my class for tomorrow...) but I couldn't help checking the forum before starting it!

julie: I wanted to tell you that I don't forget you: I went to the library yesterday but the book about Carême has not come back yet. I will check again next week!

Have a marvellous Sunday everyone!

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 5, 2004 3:30 am (#84 of 2956)

Good morning everyone! Today is my birthday and I'm going to have a nice quiet one (I hope!). It has started out that way, considering its 4:30 am and everyone else is still asleep around here. :-)

I am off to take care of my horse, then spending most of the day watching my Harry Potter movies!

All my best wishes to my fellow forum members and hope you all have as good a day as I am planning to have!

Pam

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Ozymandias - Dec 5, 2004 4:10 am (#85 of 2956)

Happy Birthday Pam!

Enjoy your Potter-filled day!

I have a favor to ask of you all. I'm working on a story for my Craft of Fiction class, and I'm really unsure about the ending. I've posted it on my website, but I don’t want to post it here because I'm not sure if it's forum-appropriate (nothing really offensive, it's PG-13 but I figured better safe than sorry). If anyone would be willing to read it and give comments, I'd really appreciate the help.

In other news, I'm going to spend all of tomorrow watching Mythbusters and trying to make a Sherlock Holmes costume for my textiles final. The catch: I'm making it out of the pages of a Holmes book.

And I'm sure none of this information is the least bit interesting to anyone, so I'll stop typing it.

~Erin

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Chemyst - Dec 5, 2004 5:29 am (#86 of 2956)

Mike M, you make good jerky? Congratulations are in order! I once heard a chef from a cooking show say that it was one of the trickiest things to make correctly without turning too leathery. Anyway, to be "entertaining and educational," the chef told about the history of jerky. Ever since, it's hard for me to think of jerky without thinking of how much bad food the pioneers must have endured along the old wagontrain trails.

Kabloink –bouncing soap bubbles to Ratty Christmas music... Yes, I can see that; those exams and papers have surely pushed you too far when doing dishes lifts your mood! Either that, or you've had a splash of creative genius because you've avoided the calories & expense of the "normal" mood lifters, chocolate & shopping.

Happy Birthday, TBE.

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Julia. - Dec 5, 2004 9:30 am (#87 of 2956)

Happy Brithday TBE!!!!! Have a butterbeer on me. *hands TBE butterbeer* Hope you have a great day and an amazing year.

Hope everyone has a good day. I'm off to check the threads/eat breakfast/decide whether or not to give WX $12 of my money.

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Eponine - Dec 5, 2004 12:16 pm (#88 of 2956)

Happy Birthday TBE! Have some chocolate frogs and a butterbeer! Have they given you a weekend pass from St. Mungos?

Gina, I loved the link, but now the song will not get out of my head! I'm blaming you, if that's all right. I've been singing the song all morning. My husband isn't helping either because just when I've gotten it out of my head, he starts singing it. Oh well, if you have to have a song stuck in your head, it might as well be Harry Potter.

I hope everyone is having a great day!

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Elanor - Dec 5, 2004 12:20 pm (#89 of 2956)

Happy birthday TBE! Bon anniversaire! Have a butterbeer, it's my round! Cheers! A ta santé!

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Phoenix song - Dec 5, 2004 2:13 pm (#90 of 2956)

Happy Birthday Pam! I hope that you have a great one! Enjoy the movies, rest, and have some butterbeers and chocolate frogs on us! Try not to get too bogged down in the yard taking care of your horse, because if you're like me then your place is awfully wet.

Chemyst, I like your Christmas avatar. Very festive! I need to get cracking on decorating. It doesn't look like I'll get the yard decorations up this year, though. I have water standing everywhere and don't think that it'd be such a good idea to lay extension cords down in it.

I wish that my speakers were working so that I could hear that song that everyone is raving about. I don't know WHAT happened to them, either. They're relatively new and just stopped working suddenly. My first inclination is just to toss them out the front door, but I don't think that would fix them, so I'll just complain instead.

Well, I hope that everybody has a good day. Good luck to all the students as they embark on their "revision" for exams!
Barbie

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 5, 2004 3:43 pm (#91 of 2956)

I am at home this week. One of my hearing aid moulds split in half (no idea how???) and the other has loose tubing and is away getting repairs. I don't like being in public places or work without my ears so I just took the week off. I turned the volume up way loud to see the tune Gina linked us to and to re watch PoA last night - with subtitles.

I think I need to do this more often, Take my ears out and enjoy a quiet day.

Hope everyone has a lovely day and Happy Birthday Pam.

Lizzie

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Flame Alligator - Dec 5, 2004 4:37 pm (#92 of 2956)

Hi, Just popped in to let you all know I am still around. I have mainly been lurking. I just didn't have anything to post.

Mike Miller, thanks for asking about me.

Fawkes, I am glad to see you back. *big wave*

Goedeavond

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Julia. - Dec 5, 2004 5:37 pm (#93 of 2956)

Thanks for the link Gina. You might want to check this out as well...Click here please.

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Gina R Snape - Dec 5, 2004 7:02 pm (#94 of 2956)

Hey, Julia. Yes, I know about the badger series. Equally as brain-consuming. I'm glad everyone suffered enjoyed the link.

dizzy lizzy, your hearing impairment might be a distinct benefit in this case...

I had a lovely day today. Some Potter friends came over and we ate a million calories worth of british sweets and drinks, watched PoA, and did a little Alan swooning while watching and counting the number of HP actors who have roles in Sense & Sensibility.

Potter Potter Potter Potter Weasley Weasley. . .

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 5, 2004 7:10 pm (#95 of 2956)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TBE...

Jack

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Gina R Snape - Dec 5, 2004 7:15 pm (#96 of 2956)

Who?

Oh, but Happy Birthday Hagrid!

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 5, 2004 7:30 pm (#97 of 2956)

Hi everyone. Hope you had a good weekend. Hey, Julia, thanks again for the Shabbos prayers. I was a big hit this weekend visiting my niece/nephews.

Edit-- Oh looky, I've got a star.

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Julia. - Dec 5, 2004 7:45 pm (#98 of 2956)

What? It's Hagrid's birthday? Well then happy birthday to our favoirte half giant.

You're quite welcome Loopy. Which one was it? Hamotzi, the bread one?

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 5, 2004 7:53 pm (#99 of 2956)

Yup. I'm going down for another visit this coming weekend and will be taking part in Hannakah on Saturday. Mmmmm. Potato pancakes.

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Solitaire - Dec 5, 2004 8:29 pm (#100 of 2956)

I was looking for something earlier today and saw a post by Wandless Wizard. I got to thinking ... I haven't seen him or her (clueless here) for a long time. Hey, Wandless ... are you still alive and kicking? Also, it has been a while since I've seen Kim, the first person I "met" here at the forum. I hope you are still around!

I don't check this discussion too often, but perhaps I'd better start looking at it once in a while! I see Twinkling Blue Eyes has a birthday! Greetings and Felicitations, TBE! I hope it was lovely!

Solitaire

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:29 pm

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 5, 2004 8:32 pm (#101 of 2956)

Happy birthday, TBE.

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 5, 2004 9:42 pm (#102 of 2956)

Thank you all for the well wishes! I had a wunnerful day! Watched my movies, did "real life stuff" just when I had to. Was an extraordinary day! I think it was from all your good thoughts, thank you!

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Karla Labanda - Dec 6, 2004 12:03 am (#103 of 2956)

Denise S.

Hello, tell me where are you, I'm living in Fukuoka now. I'l be here during a year and a half, now I'm studying Japanese.

B.T.W. Happy Birthday T.B.E.

Karla

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The giant squid - Dec 6, 2004 2:58 am (#104 of 2956)

Happy Birfday, TBE. I wanted to hold off a bit so you didn't get overwhelmed, but everyone just kept up with the good wishes.

Barbie, re your speakers: I'm not entirely sure how, but you might want to check your sound card (assuming yours is separate rather than built in to the motherboard like mine). A bad power supply may also be the culprit--my cousin found out the hard way that sound cards/speakers are at or near the bottom of the power priority list. He'd upgraded his video card & the resulting power draw was too much for his old PS, causing his speakers to stop...speaking. Once he bought a slightly more powerful power supply, everything was fine.

All that longwindedness to say that it might not be the speakers that are at fault. Just wanted to give you a couple of options before you spend money on new speakers you didn't need.

--Mike
not a professional, just an amateur who's had a few too many things go wrong already...

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mike miller - Dec 6, 2004 5:02 am (#105 of 2956)

TBE - Happy Belated Birthday! Sounds like you had a wonderful day.

Chemyst - It appears that jerky is a bit tricky. My friend did the marinade for the first batch and I did the second. We obviously used different amounts of the same spices. The second batch is more smokey and less spicy, still good, just different. I cut mine a little thicker than most to avoid the "leathery" result.

Flame - Glad to see you pop in. Hope all is well.

My flight to Miami doesn't leave until 2:45pm EDT, so I'll work from home this morning. This will give me a chance to spend a few minutes with my daughter Lauren before she goes to school. It's always hard to leave for several days knowing you can only talk on the phone to the ones you love. Well, off to get something done, what I don't know. I'll just let my email inbox set the pace for this morning.

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Julie Aronson - Dec 6, 2004 6:07 am (#106 of 2956)

Happy b-day TBE!

Elanor:

I would never think you forgot me, but repeated thanks for your help!

Julie

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septentrion - Dec 6, 2004 6:47 am (#107 of 2956)

happy belated birthday Pam !

glad to see you around Flame !

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John Bumbledore - Dec 6, 2004 7:48 am (#108 of 2956)

Gina, uh, thanks alot for the "ear worm" (potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, Weasley, Weasley) digging in all nice, comfy and warm. I will never get dislodged... but then I hear our local radio station playing 30 days of Christmas music... back to better alternative (potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, potter, Weasley, Weasley)

-- Bumbledore B^D

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Phoenix song - Dec 6, 2004 9:21 am (#109 of 2956)

Mike (giant squid): Thanks for the tip. I know that we're in need of a graphics upgrade, so possibly we're in need of a sound one as well. I wouldn't know how to check a power supply. Do you mean like checking to make sure that there isn't a short in the cord, or something more internal in the tower? I'd honestly like to chuck out the whole system and start anew, but, alas, 'tis not possible right now. I believe that we're about to send it back to the friend who originally put the computer together for us several years ago and see if he can tweak it with a minimum of costs. Hopefully that can be accomplished!

I use to make beef jerky at home years ago, until my dehydrator cracked (made of plastic, of course). The whole family really enjoyed it. Homemade jerky is so much better than what you buy in the stores!

Wouldn't it be nice if we could change these "blasted" stars into little lightning bolts?

I hope that everybody has a great day!
Barbie

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Gina R Snape - Dec 6, 2004 9:31 am (#110 of 2956)

Yeah, y'know Bumbledore... I'd actually finally gotten it out of my head until you posted that again!!! Aaarrrrgghhh!!!!

Might make an interesting hex though, eh? Kinda like Julie's pebble-in-the-shoe hex.

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Marè - Dec 6, 2004 10:18 am (#111 of 2956)

Gina, that is one disturbing Santa!

I think I'd rather have a visit from Phoenix Song’s carebear...

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Gina R Snape - Dec 6, 2004 10:39 am (#112 of 2956)

Heh, heh. To each his own!

Say, does anyone know where I can find some HP ecards?

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Marè - Dec 6, 2004 11:03 am (#113 of 2956)

On the HP movie site maybe?

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 6, 2004 11:06 am (#114 of 2956)

Ok, I'll confess that I totally missed something here. What's up with the stars?

EDIT-- Oh, I see. Unless I cough up some dough by December 12, 2004, then I will no longer be premium, but merely unleaded.

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VeronikaG - Dec 6, 2004 12:52 pm (#115 of 2956)

Hello all. I'm still here I've been sick with the flu for a week and endured one of my exams already. And most of the time I've been in bed or on a couch. Sitting in front of a computer screen would be torture.

I hope everybody feels fine now that Christmas is coming around the corner.

If this shows up as purple, I have gained basic html skills too. If not I need to debug the code.

Edit: it's blue

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megfox - Dec 6, 2004 1:07 pm (#116 of 2956)

Hey gang! Hope everyone's doing well. Popping in to say hello and stop neglecting my moderating duties, now that my wrist and fingers are better and I can type with relative speed again.

So a few things...I know some of these are from a while ago, but I'm slow these days...

My personal best for beginner Minesweeper is 7 seconds. We used to race each other on my old computer at home, and every once in a while, someone would erase the scores. I remember being very mad at my brother, because I could never get to 7 again. I have completed the Expert once, and I was around 500 or so, and I know that I got around an 80 once on Advanced. Usually, I am around a 150 for advanced. But now I play Snood more often (ha! try all the time!), because my Mac doesn't have MInesweeper.

Also, julie's avatar made me have to share with you all. A parent has started a petition to ban "Catcher in the Rye" at school. One of the freshman teachers teaches the book, and this parent is trying to get her fired over it (although she's the head football coach's wife, so I don't think it'll happen anyway!) The funny part is, since the local paper ran a story about it, I have had at least 10 kids ask me about the book, and have seen several kids (not Freshmen) reading it. So much for that idea! I can't believe that people still try to get that book banned! This parent also wants to ban "On the Road", btw.

One last thing - I had forgotten the whole thing about Brandon and rootbeer. I have been drinking rootbeer like crazy for the past few weeks. Its the only weird thing that I crave (no cravings for pickle and banana sandwiches yet) - should I be worried about the baby? I hear Brandon can be somewhat evil when he's "on the rootbeer'. Will my baby grow up to be like that?

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Pinky - Dec 6, 2004 1:18 pm (#117 of 2956)

Meg, it's awesome to hear from you again. I hope you've been drinking appropriate amounts of skelegrow. I also recommend that you not allow your precious baby near any rootbeer until he/she is 18. That should prevent any evilness from taking early root.

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Ladybug220 - Dec 6, 2004 1:29 pm (#118 of 2956)

Meg - nice to see you back. When is the baby supposed to arrive?

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megfox - Dec 6, 2004 1:35 pm (#119 of 2956)

March 20 (or possibly 23 - they keep changing their minds). One of my friends is hoping for the Ides of March (March 15th), the other is betting on April Fool's (April1st). Either way, I think that the rootbeer habit is the least of my worries!

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Julie Aronson - Dec 6, 2004 1:55 pm (#120 of 2956)

Meg,

Thanks for commenting on my avatar--I got it from the Lexicon! Our local Borders has a Banned Books Week promotion and I think it's a great idea.

I also read "Catcher in the Rye" and "On the Road" at a relatively young age. I think it's essential for children and teens to be able to read as much as they can of what's out there, since as a whole, we are becoming appallingly culturally illiterate.

I hope there's a larger group supporting the teacher than there is against her!

Julie

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Gina R Snape - Dec 6, 2004 1:56 pm (#121 of 2956)

My brother's birthday is the Ides of March! It was a good day for him to be born.

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Ladybug220 - Dec 6, 2004 2:00 pm (#122 of 2956)

my friend's son was born on the ides of March - it's a good day!

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Eponine - Dec 6, 2004 3:36 pm (#123 of 2956)

Today I accidentally saw one of my Christmas presents. My husband and I were helping my mother-in-law move some mattresses (from the bed under which she hides her presents apparently) and I saw something with my name on a big yellow sticky note. I left the room pretty quickly and pretended I didn't see anything, so I don't think she realized it. Now I have to act all surprised on Christmas. On the plus side, it was something I wanted.

We also cut down a tree today from their yard. It was dying and leaning dangerously close to the house. I got to use the chainsaw once, but it's rather unwieldy, so I let my husband do all the cutting.

I hope everyone has a great day today!

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Phoenix song - Dec 6, 2004 4:21 pm (#124 of 2956)

Gina, that is one disturbing Santa!

I think I'd rather have a visit from Phoenix songs carebear...:Marè

I'm glad that you like him, Marè. He'll be making visits to all of the forumers between now and Christmas morning.

Meg, I can't believe that there are some parents that are still hung up on "banning books"! It's such an Umbridge thing to do and it ALWAYS backfires! I know that when I was in school there was some parents that were wanting to ban Of Mice and Men. All it made us want to do is to read the book to find out what all of the fuss was about! I have some suggestions for parents that disagree with their school's reading lists...
1. Sit down reasonably with your child after you have read the book yourself and explain to them the parts of the book that are in conflict with your points-of-views and value system. Then trust them enough to allow them to read the book and decide for themselves how they feel about what they've experienced. OR...
2. Teach your children at home, thereby ensuring that they do not have to read in school the materials that you find offensive or conflicting. I personally teach my kids at home, and although it is definitely not for every parent, I find that I never have conflict with the kids' teachers. (LOL)
Well, let me hop down off of my rather large soap box. I hope that I haven't upset or offended anyone. But book banning always gets me fired up. My nephew attends a school where HP is "preached" against, and where discussion of it isn't allowed. I find censorship to be appalling and it undermines the ability of a person to decide what's best for themselves.

Well, I must go! I hope that everybody has a good night!
Barbie

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kabloink! - Dec 6, 2004 4:43 pm (#125 of 2956)

I think your advice is very sound advice, Phoenix song. Banning books gets me all mad. A town near where I used to live actually banned the Harry Potter books-last I knew they were still banned! My parents always let me read and/or watch pretty much whatever I wanted, and they've never complained about how I turned out, least not to my face! On account of this, I have always had a hard time understanding the whole concept.

Anyway, Happy Birthday to everyone that I might have missed!

Gina, LOVE the avatar. I may not personally be a huge Snape fan, but I do love ALan RIckman!

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Pinky - Dec 6, 2004 5:36 pm (#126 of 2956)

Thanks Eponine, now every time I see you post, I'm going to get that song stuck in my head again!

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Julia. - Dec 6, 2004 6:41 pm (#127 of 2956)

Has anyone seem Jim lately? It's been snowing here for the past few hours, and I think Jim is up to his old habits of doing snow dances. Oh well. It'll probably snow enough to make traveling difficult but not enough to cancel classes tomorrow.

Woo-Hoo! Power outages! Power's been going out all over campus throughout the day. Didn't hit my dorm until about 7:40 when the whole campus went out. Even Gampel had no power, which is a problem because the Huskies have a game tonight. It was interesting, my neighbor and I studied math by flashlight in the hallway. That was fun. Power's back on now. Time to do work. TTFN!

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Penny Lane. - Dec 6, 2004 7:00 pm (#128 of 2956)

Wow, you guys have snow already? Crazy.

Gina - Ilove the avatar! While I'm not all that crazy about Snape, you know I enjoy a good Alan Rickman night.

Let's see - banning books... A school district in my hometown had a HUGE controversy for many months over this. It was back around the time when Goblet of Fire came out, I believe. Anyway, I think it was overturned, as I haven't heard much else about it. A few months later a church in a town nearby had a book/cd/random thing burning. Yes, in the year 2004, people still liike to burn objects they don't like. The number one item? Harry Potter. They also burned all the versions of teh bible they didn't like and a large amount of pop culture CD's. Even things that most people wouldn't find offensive, such as Alanis Morrisette, and Hanson. Seriously. I figure it's their peragative, as they made sure to tell us that everything was legally purchase or donated for the bonfire.

Only 8 more days of this. 8 more days.

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From Venus - Dec 6, 2004 7:35 pm (#129 of 2956)

Penny Lane, did they also burn copies of The Wizard of Oz or Mary Poppins? Because those stories have people using magic and witchcraft too. The area that I live in also has groups of people that preach against the HP books. It is soooo ridiculous. And the thing is, I doubt if anyone has actually read them, to see that there is nothing to fear. If a child is brought up right, I don't think there will be a problem with telling the difference between reality and make-believe.

On another note, we had a bittersweet day yesterday. We are losing our pastor to another parish after 12 years. We have grown to love him and will miss him terribly. We had him over for dinner yesterday and had a wonderful day reminiscing and looking forward to the future. He read the book, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, by Dr. Suess, to us and the kids (he is a very good reader, does all the voices and everything) and it was a moment to remember! All in all a great day!

BTW-Unlike a lot of other pastors of other churches in our area, he is NOT against the HP books, but is actually a great fan. He listens to them on tape in his car because his ministry to 2 churches creates a lot of time in transit between the two.

Oh, and I almost forgot (heh, no such luck)POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER POTTER WEASLEY WEASLEY...

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Eponine - Dec 6, 2004 7:49 pm (#130 of 2956)

*Grins wickedly* I figured if I couldn't get it out of my head, I'd just pass on the love to everyone here.

On banning books...that annoys me like nothing else. I can understand being concerned about what your children are reading, but wouldn't the best thing to do would be to read it yourself first? Then you could make a decision based on actual experience instead of someone else's words. The college I went to was a rather conservative southern school, and my best friend and I got into quite a few discussions about the paganness that is Harry Potter. We finally started asking them if they'd read it, after they looked at us like we'd just suggested eating bubotuber pus (not that they'd know what it is), we'd tell them we weren't going to argue the merits of the book with someone who had no idea what they were about. Silly muggles.

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Penny Lane. - Dec 6, 2004 8:19 pm (#131 of 2956)

Oh I forgot to tell everyone that I've declared tomorrow, December 7th "Vince Vaughn Appreciation Day" in honor of the release of "DodgeBall".

I once asked a friend of mine to read the books before he told me that they were evil. He told me that he didn't need to read them to see they were evil, because all witchcraft was evil. So, I guess there just isn't any reasoning - especially since he's a HUGE Lord of the Rings fan. *shrugs*

What is this song that everyone is talking about?

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Julia. - Dec 6, 2004 8:25 pm (#132 of 2956)

It's here Penny.

http://www.robertscottart.com/Potter/PotterPotterMovie.html

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Chemyst - Dec 6, 2004 8:37 pm (#133 of 2956)

What a coincidence, Barbie, I find that I never have conflict with the kids' teachers either! And the PTA meetings are always great. We just completed “A Christmas Carol,” which lends itself to discussion on the afterlife. Even though the book does not have 'adult' themes or bad language, explaining the "bad people drag chains when they die" metaphor is one that I prefer not to trust to the government.

As for book banning, there is no good place to draw the line. Some of the worst and most offensive stuff is found in the Sesame Street and Teletubbies genre where "cooperation" is exalted and exulted over "integrity." (A theme that is currently being battled out on the Marietta thread.)

Cool avatar, Eponine.

For any international poster who is unfamiliar with the term PTA, it stands for Parent Teacher Association. Many schools have monthly meetings. In my case, this is stated very tongue-in-cheek since we home school.

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From Venus - Dec 6, 2004 8:37 pm (#134 of 2956)

Oh, yes Penny Lane (heh heh heh) you MUST get in on the fun (heh heh heh, potter potter potter potter, heh heh heh)

BTW...I've been meaning to tell you, my youngest granddaughter's name is Penny Lane. My son has been a Beatles fan since he was about 2 years old.

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Phoenix song - Dec 6, 2004 9:58 pm (#135 of 2956)

Chemyst: I knew that you, at least, would get my little joke about homeschool mothers getting along so well with their children's teachers! I have to admit that my children have a teacher that truly understands what motivates them to learn. (HE! HE!)

I have also come across many people who can preach for hours about the evil of HP, but then recommend reading books like The Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, and The Wizard of Oz. Why is magic and fantasy okay in some areas but not okay in others? I have actually asked people before if they have even attempted to read these books for themselves, or if they've just allowed someone else to decide for them what is appropriate and not appropriate. (That usually puts some perspective on the situation.)

Have a great evening everybody!
Barbie

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 6, 2004 10:44 pm (#136 of 2956)

I have found like others have, that asking a person who is against HP (or any other science fiction/fantasy book) if they have read it usually brings the answer: no, but I know all about its evilness anyway!.

I have a very unique solution, I turn my hearing aids off and tell them to go read the book and come back and debate it with me when they've read it. As I can't hear them, they can't continue to debate it can they. They go away and they very rarely come back and debate the relevant issues!

Works every time. I fail to see why I need to give my valuable air (ear) time to those who can't research their topic of debate/critisism/bookbanning etc.

Lizzy

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Padfoot - Dec 6, 2004 10:48 pm (#137 of 2956)

Hi everyone! Wow, I see a few faces I haven't seen in a while. Good to see you Ozy, Flame, Karla and Meg.

From Venus- Sounds like you are raising your son with great music taste. As a Beatles fan, I highly approve.

Happy belated birthday TBE!

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Elanor - Dec 6, 2004 11:15 pm (#138 of 2956)

Good morning (night or afternoon) everybody!

All your discussion about banned books and difficulties teachers have at school with parents about books they think are not appropriate really flabbergasted me! Here, it happens that some parents complain but the teacher has the last word about what he is teaching. This is what the official texts call the "pedagogical freedom" of the teacher. BTW, I don't think there are banned books here, at least not literary ones, and I'm really happy about it. The idea is that, if you don't like a book, then you don't read it and that's all. If someone would prevent me from using HP when I'm teaching, I will give him a piece of my mind! Non, mais...

Speaking of teaching, I'd better go to work!

Have a great Tuesday everybody!

PS: Lizzy, I love your solution...

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Phoenix song - Dec 7, 2004 1:13 am (#139 of 2956)

Lizzy: I think that you've found a positive use (or non-use as the case may be) for your hearing aid. I agree with you, it's not worth dedicating your hearing time debating with a person that doesn't even know the truth about the subject that they're debating.

A favorite expression of mine comes to mind on this topic: "I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person." I think that if a person is going to debate/argue a topic, then they should inform themselves first. If you're going to debate about the appropriateness of Harry Potter, then you should read it first. I get so upset when people argue with me about the books and quote to me things that they've heard was written in them. As you can imagine, they're usually way off base and things that have not even come close to being written in the books.

Elanor, I agree that teachers should have the right to teach what they feel is appropriate to their students. I'm not saying that parents don't have the right to discuss their concerns with the teacher, but they would be going too far to put pressure upon the governing bodies to "ban" a book. Believe me, it has happened here. Nothing official, mind you...the book just seems to disappear off of the library shelves and off of the teachers' syllabus. Although at the private school where my nephew attends it's a different story, there are outright "standards" that are put into place with regard to the books that are taught and even the personal items that may be brought into the school.

Barbie

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Marè - Dec 7, 2004 3:04 am (#140 of 2956)

no cravings for pickle and banana sandwiches yet

And what exactly is wrong with a good sandwich with banana and cookies???

And Elanor, I'm with you, the whole "ban the books" discussion has me almost falling of my chair. Flabbergasted indeed, LOL.
I don't think it would be possible to ban books at our schools, I don't think it would be allowed actually to do that...
I think that if a parent tried to do it, it would be politely suggested to get their child to a different school.

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kabloink! - Dec 7, 2004 4:12 am (#141 of 2956)

Penny, I believe in Zeeland the HP books are still banned. At least they were when I took American Lit 1 not this past summer, but the summer before. My prof. was from Zeeland and continually mocked the Puritan-esque attitude of the town. It was fun.

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Marè - Dec 7, 2004 4:27 am (#142 of 2956)

I know Zeeland, as in one of the provinces of my country (the watery one, hence the name...). I know New Zealand, which is where a lot of Zeelanders immigrated too (hence the name... )
But now I'm curious what Zeeland you're talking about Kabloink? Where is it?

(And Penny, will you change you avatar for Vince Vaughn appreciation day, it's easier to appreciate that way!)

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kabloink! - Dec 7, 2004 4:57 am (#143 of 2956)

It is in Michigan, near Grand Rapids.

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mike miller - Dec 7, 2004 5:08 am (#144 of 2956)

I refuse to engage in a battle of wits with an unarmed person. - Phoenix Song

Well said Barbie. I'll have to remember that one.

For all of those suffering with the cold of a coming winter, it will be sunny and 82 degrees F here in South Florida. My 3-day meeting got off to a wonderful start last evening with an outdoor reception, temps in the mid-70's. The hotel is outstanding and they have high-speed. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to check, but I'll try to keep up. Off to check email before the days event get underway. Have a great day everyone!

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Elanor - Dec 7, 2004 11:01 am (#145 of 2956)

Oh Mike, here it was a gray day and about 0°C all day long, your Florida sun sounds wonderful from here!

About books banned, I think that if parents would try to make a book banned it would be just as Marè said, someone would tell them politely that their children can go to another school if they don't agree with the syllabus. But parents are welcome if they want to discuss about the books that are studied in class and the teacher will explain them why he chose that particular book. If they still disagree, it is likely that the parents will call the school inspector who will say that the teacher is free to decide for his class but, as someone in the high places will tell them, usually parents will stop at that moment, or put their children in another school.

Anyway, the law is on the teacher's side. I think that the Ministry of Education assume that if you have been persevering enough to pass the competitive entry examination (which is very difficult to pass) and survived the dull and boring years at the teacher training college, then you have proved you can do what is the best for your class.

And I know what I would tell to people telling me that HP is not appropriate: that these books are full of classical and mythological references (at this point I would allude to the mythology with questions like "the study of the characters' names is very interesting, the mythology bound to Minerva or Remus for example, but I'm sure you know everything about it, don't you?") and that the modern interpretation of those myths is amazing. The "coup de grace" would be to make a parallel with other famous writers' work in that way, as if it was obvious, as for Giraudoux's "Ondine" for example, because the huge majority of them wouldn't know what I'm talking about and wouldn't let me know they don't. He, he, he...

It could work! A pity the kids I teach are too young for reading HP in class, I would have loved to do that once. But it is likely that I will teach older kids sometimes, so there is hope! LOL!

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John Bumbledore - Dec 7, 2004 11:27 am (#146 of 2956)

Merely unleaded?

Loopy Lupin, sorry, but I think the general concensus would be that you are fully leaded.. Erm, or would that be mercurial like the mad hatter? LOL

-- Bumbledore B^D

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Marie E. - Dec 7, 2004 12:57 pm (#147 of 2956)

My brother-in-law has a collection of banned books. I thought it was funny that I've already read most of them.

I've been away for about a week. I've got another virus or something. It's been barely a month since I had a sinus infection so I wasn't prepared to be sick again so soon. Despite my illness, I was in a parade on Saturday. I stayed in bed all day until 4pm just so I could have the strength to go. I was never in marching band or anything so this is my first parade as a participant. It was so fun!

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Julia. - Dec 7, 2004 3:17 pm (#148 of 2956)

Well, I just lit my electric menorah in my dorm room. Happy Hanukkah to everyone in forum land.

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Marye Lupin - Dec 7, 2004 4:34 pm (#149 of 2956)

I've never really had an experience with people who think that Harry Potter is "evil" (or really any type of book banning). I went to private french schools overseas up through 9th grade then in 10th grade I moved to the DC area. My high school was very liberal and fairly rich (even though it was public) and almost everybody's parents were lawyers or worked for the government and I feel like even trying to ban a book would have turned into a huge political outrage. My college isn't really that different. A much more common problem at my high school was that a lot of people looked down at you for reading HP cause it's a "kid's book". I did an IB math project on a Harry Potter vs. Lord of the Rings survey and it was surprising how many people rolled their eyes when I told them I was doing a project on Harry Potter.

My french school friends were worse. On the bright side though many of them had actually tried to read it before dismissing it as "bad literature". One friend even read all five of them in order to "give them a fair chance" and told me that even though the story was "decent" it was "very badly written" and made her angry cause she wanted to go through and edit it.

Ironically it isn't as bad at college. A lot of people will still roll their eyes at my obsession and the fact that I have the books prominently displayed on my window, but they will admit that they do enjoy the books. Some people just need to lighten up a little.

(btw: I just spent ten minutes straight watching that "potter potter potter" video even though I have a huge paper to write-- that thing is absolutely hypnotizing!)

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Gina R Snape - Dec 7, 2004 4:48 pm (#150 of 2956)

I've never experienced being around people who think Harry Potter is evil, either. But I can tell you for sure that if someone told me a book was 'banned' I'd be the first to run out and find a way to read it!

On the other hand, I was one of those people who had the "Ugh, Harry Potter is too popular" bug and didn't wind up reading a HP book until after the first movie came out. Now I feel oddly like I'm in the minority as a Harry Potter fan/reader!

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:50 pm

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 7, 2004 5:41 pm (#151 of 2956)

I have the opposite with my sister. She and her children have watched all three movies on DVD's. But nothing I can say or do will encourage her to read the books. She has a policy of not reading books that have been made into movies and won't watch movies based on books she has read.

As a result no matter how many times she asks about book 4 & 5, I won't tell her anything!

I am definitely in the minority in my family Gina, but I have friends who are just as big a fans of HP as I am. They have no net connection, otherwise they'd be on the forum too!

Lizzy

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Phoenix song - Dec 7, 2004 5:51 pm (#152 of 2956)

As a result no matter how many times she asks about book 4 & 5, I won't tell her anything!
Good for you Lizzy! If she's going to be so stubborn about it then make her wait for the movies to find out what's happening next. Maybe she'll get so curious that she'll...um...modify her stance? (Most people won't admit to being wrong, but will admit that they've modified their stance somewhat.)

I wish that I could hear the Potter song! Blasted speakers!! I ought to pitch Hagrid's rock cakes at 'em!

Gina: "Now I feel oddly like I'm in the minority as a Harry Potter fan/reader!"
I know what you mean. The only place that I find people who are fans of Harry Potter because of the books and not the movies are on this forum! Lucky for me that you guys are just as "wild about Harry" as I am!

Have a good evening everybody!
Barbie

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 7, 2004 5:54 pm (#153 of 2956)

Glad to see you back Barbie! Hope all you members had a great day! I really need a stop-rain charm here! Any ideas?

Pam

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Phoenix song - Dec 7, 2004 6:13 pm (#154 of 2956)

Pam, it's good to be back! Things have been crazy with my dad's illness, and I haven't had much time lately to chat. I hope that things are going good with you and yours! How are the grandbabies?

I know what you mean about the rain. I have definitely had enough! And I know that both of our animals have had enough as well. Your poor horse must be tired of the mud and muck! I have to admit that my labrador likes to jump through the mud puddles, though. And then, of course, she wants me to pet her...Yuck! And I would really appreciate it if the weather could cool off just a bit as well. It's a shame to see steam rising off of your mud puddles in December. (Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit.... but just a little bit!)

Barbie

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Solitaire - Dec 7, 2004 8:02 pm (#155 of 2956)

For Hermy-Own ... yes, you were correct! I made a big boo-boo on Marietta's thread. Is my face red ... ... or maybe pink. I did mean there should be no nastiness on any thread. I see her thread is now closed, anyway, so that's that. See you on the others.

Soli

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 7, 2004 8:27 pm (#156 of 2956)

My poor horse is tired of standing in a nice dry stall looking out the window watching it rain. I don't blame him. I want to get out and ride too, but not going in a sea of mud! :-)

Edit: The grands are fine and growing. The rest of us hanging in there. :-)

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 7, 2004 8:27 pm (#157 of 2956)

Phoenix Song I agree with you... All I want for Christmas is the HBP. But I would settle for a release date though!!

Lizzy

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 7, 2004 8:39 pm (#158 of 2956)

Hi Everyone!!

Hope you are all wonderful! I haven't posted in a few days, but I've been quietly keeping an eye on you all.

On the banned book discussion, I'm not sure if we do have any here, but I'd be hunting them down if we did! I'd definitely want to know what all the fuss was about. That's how I got into Harry Potter, I'd heard so much about it in the news (good & bad) and from friends that I thought "I've gotta have a look at this!"

Tell me, are books such as Hannibal & American Psycho banned? Because I find them far more disturbing than anything that's been mentioned so far, I'm not saying I want them banned, each to their own reading choices I say, but they where very violent & quite terrifying I found (again, I read them to see what the fuss was about & with both books I had to put them away for a day or so as they freaked me out so much)

Anyway, that's my two knuts. I think I'm going to go off and research this a little to see if we do have any banned books.... interesting

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Denise P. - Dec 7, 2004 8:44 pm (#159 of 2956)

Nope, they are not banned. Individual schools or even communities may try to ban books but really, there are no legally banned books as far as I am aware.

A few years ago, a school district near me was sued by a group who wanted to ban Cinderella. Why? It taught children to believe in magic rather than be self reliant. The lawsuit failed.

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Phoenix song - Dec 7, 2004 9:03 pm (#160 of 2956)

A few years ago, a school district near me was sued by a group who wanted to ban Cinderella. Why? It taught children to believe in magic rather than be self reliant.-Denise P.

Denise, you bring up another good point that I've heard. There are some groups that want to stop the reading of fairy tales like Cinderella because it "hinders" the mental/emotional growth of young girls because the princesses are always waiting for their "prince to come." It reminds me of the lady that told Catherine that she should have encouraged her daughter to be something else for Halloween that promoted more "girl power." Gee, some people just need to buy a clue.

Daioma: Due to our (America's) bill of rights, I don't think that it would be possible to actually legally ban a book. That term is really used when a school district, church, governing body or community decides that the book/CD/movie or whatever is immoral and violates their own personal code of ethics. They then often try to gather up as much of the offending material as possible and burn it in a huge, public bonfire. As somebody, Penny Lane I believe, pointed out earlier, this is really silly. Often the items that are being burned are being bought specifically to be burned, which is only contributing to the sales of the offending merchandise.

Have a good evening/morning everyone!
Barbie

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Saralinda Again - Dec 7, 2004 9:34 pm (#161 of 2956)

Well the US has banned books before. My father -- a huge James Joyce fan -- remembered until his dying day (1981) the excitement that shot through him the day it became legal for him to buy "Ulysses" in the States. I think that was in the mid-to-late 1930s.

And Denise/Barbie: I read online that one of the new curricula being used in -- California? -- includes a horrendous fairy tale for small girls. Briefly summarized, a prince is tasked with killing a dragon. The princess advises him to use poison. He does so, and successfully slays the dragon, but he can never forget that the princess helped him, so he refuses to marry her. Instead, he seeks out a humble village girl with no knowledge of poisons, because men do not like to be around women who know more than they do or who tell them what to do.

Apparently this is also supposed to fit in with the Biblical warning that women must not teach men. (Sigh)

And, alas -- I'm an old broad, remember -- this triggers terrible memories in me of my own childhood, and being told by well-meaning teachers that it would profit me to learn to keep silent, because no boy would ever want me if I insisted on being clever.

Oh, dear -- I hadn't intended to rattle on so! I am so glad that I found not one, but two men who delighted in having a woman capable of sparring with them on an intellectual level (and occasionally winning). Let's not let them turn back the clock!!!

Saralinda/Kayte

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shepherdess - Dec 7, 2004 9:46 pm (#162 of 2956)

Saralinda/Kayte! It's so good to have you back; you left a mark on this forum that can't be forgotten. You touched many people with your wit and wisdom. I hope things are going better for you.

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Saralinda Again - Dec 7, 2004 10:17 pm (#163 of 2956)

And let me tell you, I missed this forum!!! I"m working goofy hours now, and I have three grandbabies under the age of four to help watch, but I'm making an effort to get here (and try to catch up!) every day.

Saralinda/Kayte

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Marè - Dec 8, 2004 2:48 am (#164 of 2956)

Hugs Saralinda.
So good to see(?) you again!

And can we please smack that prince on the head... Stupid!

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The giant squid - Dec 8, 2004 4:48 am (#165 of 2956)

I've never understood the mindset behind book banning/censorship. What makes them think they know what's best for me? And, as Barbie mentioned, their methods generally end up doing the exact opposite than what they intended (driving up sales and interest in the books).

Speaking of Barbie (waves), what I meant by "checking your power supply" was just to make sure that it was powerful enough for all your stuff. If you're really as computer-illiterate as you say that'll be tough, but the friend that put it together for you might be able to figure it out. I've pretty much exhausted my "expert" knowledge, but hopefully you can get your speakers working soon (potter potter potter potter potter potter potter potter weasley weasley).

--Mike

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 8, 2004 5:54 am (#166 of 2956)

Saralinda Again- Welcome back.

As for banning books I've never understood the whole concept. Like Hermione said in OOP "the best way to get someone to read something is to tell them that they can't" Not the exact quote I don't have my books on me.

My personality demands that I immediately go out and do/read/buy whatever I'm told I'm not allowed to do for unjustified reasons.

Jack

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Chemyst - Dec 8, 2004 5:59 am (#167 of 2956)

Book Banning! This has been in the news -- The principal at Stevens Creek School near San Francisco has banned the "Declaration of Independence" because it refers to "Nature and Nature's God." George Washington's journal, John Adams' diary, Samuel Adams' "The Rights of the Colonists," and William Penn's "The Frame of Government of Pennsylvania" were also on her censored list. (A lawsuit was filed in US District court last month.) It is a pretty sad thing when an educator won't let fifth grade students read one of our nation's founding documents!
PS Jack, are you reading the Declaration Of Independence now?

The policy of the local school district where we live is that the departments (all the English teachers in a school would be the English department, or all the K-3rd teachers would be the Primaries department) would agree on the booklists for their subject or grade. That way no individual teacher can be singled out. If a parent objects to some content, the teacher has to provide an alternative that is of equal credit; they can't just fail the kid for refusing to do the assignment. It seems to work pretty well since everyone knows what the rules are.

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Julia. - Dec 8, 2004 8:05 am (#168 of 2956)

You're kidding Chemyst, they banned the Declaration of Independence because it refers to Nature's G-d?! That's insane, as is the whole concept of book banning. Thank G-d my parents always let me read whatever I wanted, and trusted their child rearing skills enough to figure I would know the difference between reality and fiction. As Jack and Hermione pointed out, the one way to make sure everyone reads it is telling them they can't. The phrase 'these people need to sort out their priorities' just isn't quite enough for people who insist on banning books. These people actually really scare me. People who insist that they are so positivly right in assuming that they, and only they, know what's best not only for themselves, but everyone else really do scare me. On that note I'm going to get my Shakespeare on now. Happy Hanukkah and have a great day everyone.

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Fawkes Forever - Dec 8, 2004 8:43 am (#169 of 2956)

Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate.

Been mostly lurking the past few days.... trying to get some work done before I go to London.. tomorrow... I'm quite excited now... so much so, any pretence of work has gone out the window!

Flame good to see you're still about! Saralinda Welcome back!

See ya all later

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Phoenix song - Dec 8, 2004 8:51 am (#170 of 2956)

Fawkes Forever: I hope that work (and the dementors) don't get in the way of your excitement! The excitement and anticipation before a trip is often the greatest part. Have lots of fun for me!

I'm excited about today as well. It's not raining (at least for right now!) And that's a miracle, to say the least. Like TBE said, we're tired of the rain and the mud. (And I'm sure that Rusty is wanting to go for a run!) The worst news is that I think it's going to pour again tomorrow. It's hard to believe that there are parts of the country that are needing rain when we have so much!

Everybody keep their fingers crossed for me. We're trying to refinance our home for a lower rate to get the notes down. I'm really hoping that I'll get some news today. It's been an absolute nightmare! The hoops that you're required to jump through for a mortgage these days!! It's almost as hard as buying the house to begin with, but at least I don't have to move.

Have a great day everybody!
Barbie

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mollis - Dec 8, 2004 9:35 am (#171 of 2956)

Okay, time for some bragging. I am a proud new auntie as of about 4:30am yesterday morning! And I must say this is the cutest little guy ever! I do use the term "little" pretty loosely. He is 7lbs 5 oz and 21 inches long! He has huge hands and feet too. So, if he was a puppy, we'd be sure of his being very large when he grows up. I got to spend the day at the hospital with them yesterday - so I have satisfied the baby fix for awhile. Okay, bragging over for now...

Fawkes - Good luck on your trip. I hope you have loads of fun!

Phoenix song - Good luck with your mortgage. I will keep my fingers crossed for you. My husband recently joined a mortgage company. I never realized how much time was spent getting all those documents together!

And welcome back to all who have been lurking or missing (especially you Flame!). Be sure to stop in and say hi from time to time, just so we know you are still around! Happy Wednesday!

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Elanor - Dec 8, 2004 9:50 am (#172 of 2956)

Congratulations Mollis! Does this cutest little guy ever has a name yet? I hope you will show us some pictures!

It is a very special day here too, at least in my region. Each 8th of December, it is Illuminations' day: at 6 p.m., people put some little candles in coloured glasses and put them outside, on their windowsills, outside stairs or balconies. It is very pretty. It is a very old tradition, from the Middle-Ages, since a terrible plague that affected a lot of people in the city of Lyon. The people of that time didn't know what to do to stop it, so they made the vow to light candles each year for evermore if the Virgin made the plague stop, and it stopped! Afterwards, it was decided that all the diocese of Lyon would do that each year.

This feast has lost its religious connotation as centuries passed but it is still a very cute tradition and it is the real beginning of the Christmas period for us.

Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate too!

Fawkes, I hope you will have a great time in London!

Good luck Phoenix Song, with the house and the rain too!

Here it is just gray and cold (no more than 0°C all day long) but it is the perfect weather for the illuminations! Which reminds me that it is nearly 6 p.m., so I'm going to light my candles!

Have a great Wednesday everybody!

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Fawkes Forever - Dec 8, 2004 10:00 am (#173 of 2956)

Congrats Mollis *big grins* & Good Luck Barbie *crossing fingers & toes & tries to wave to Elanor at the same time*

Thanks Guys.... I'll do my best to enjoy myself... might get a few photos of the Harry Potter Christmas lights on Oxford St to share with you when I get back...

Until then... bye!

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Gina R Snape - Dec 8, 2004 11:32 am (#174 of 2956)

Congratulations Mollis!

And Happy Chanukkah to all.

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mollis - Dec 8, 2004 12:11 pm (#175 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 8, 2004 11:27 am

Oh yes! I forgot. His name is William Charles (after his father/my brother Charles William). I'll see if I can shrink a pic to fit in my avatar. I haven't changed it since I started here - I suppose this is as good a reason as any!

Edit:It worked! I had to shrink it pretty small to get in under 10k, but it's not too bad!

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Julia. - Dec 8, 2004 1:12 pm (#176 of 2956)

Awwwwwwww Mollis, he's adorable! Mazel tov to you and your family. You can all have butterbeer on me. *pulls out butterbeer and passes it around to Mollis' family*

Love your new avatar Bumbledore, and yes, you did start at the correct end.

Well, I have a sociology exam tomorrow, perhaps I should go study for that. TTFN!

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Ladybug220 - Dec 8, 2004 1:25 pm (#177 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 8, 2004 12:27 pm

Mollis, what a cutie!!! Aunthood is great - I highly recommend it. I don't have a nephew but I have 2 incredibly adorable nieces and like a good aunt, i have had their pictures as my avatar on several occasions. I am really looking forward to Christmas since I will be with them and can watch them open up presents Christmas morning.

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Gina R Snape - Dec 8, 2004 2:10 pm (#178 of 2956)

HEY!!!!!!

Whose idea was it to have the Marauders throwing snowballs at my poor Severus on the Lexicon website?

Very cute.

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 8, 2004 2:25 pm (#179 of 2956)

Gina, I was playing Scrabble recently and had Q,U,I,I,T,C, and H in my trough, or whatever it is you call the thing that holds your letters(I know people who call it a pew), and was reminded of the Scabble incident you had awhile ago. Unfortunately, DD was nowhere to be found on the board.

I did play "flint" during the game, however.

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Gina R Snape - Dec 8, 2004 2:38 pm (#180 of 2956)

Heh. I have a scrabble date for this Saturday night, and the guy is a HP fan too. So I might even get the chance to use a HP word in a game this time!

Quiitc...soooo close!

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Phoenix song - Dec 8, 2004 4:13 pm (#181 of 2956)

Congratulations Mollis on aunthood! He's truly beautiful! It's so wonderful to have a new member in the family, isn't it?

Thank you to everyone with their fingers crossed for me. It's nerve racking all of the documents, paper work, notarizations, etc that have to be completed to get refinanced. And I don't even know yet if we've been approved!! I wouldn't be surprised if I got a call asking us to hop around counter-clockwise on one foot!

The rain has stopped for today, but is supposed to return to us tomorrow. I'm not one to mind the actual rain, but I am so sick of the mud! The ground is so saturated that when you step on it, even lightly, it splashes mud up all the way to your knees. It's easy at these times to remember that the New Orleans area was once actually swamp land. (Good thing that the appraisal on our house and land for this refinancing was done before all of the rain, right?)

Happy Hanukkah to all of those who observe it! I've learned more about the Jewish religion since joining the forum than I ever imagined that I would. Julia, thanks for all of the times that you've explained these things on the forum. I don't know if I've ever told you before, but I do enjoy learning more about different religions and nationalities.

Elanor, thanks also for explaining about Illuminations Day. I had never heard of that one, but it sounds so pretty.

Have a good evening everybody!
Barbie

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scully jones - Dec 8, 2004 4:37 pm (#182 of 2956)

I've decided to change my avatar... so I'll be back in a few minutes with a new cute one!

Happy Hanukkah! I downloaded a menorah for the sims2, but they have all the candles lit. Maybe I'll put it in my Sim's house later...

Scully was sick for a while, but she's okay now. She's missing a LOT of teeth from her years with my mom. She only has three big ones left. She doesn't seem to have any problems chewing hard food, but she does need to go to the dentist.

Brandon set a driver's license date for me. I don't think I'll be ready by the 27th, especially since we never go practice. I'll try my best when we do practice, and hopefully I'll be able to learn the dimensions of the truck in time.

Talk to you all again soon!

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Julia. - Dec 8, 2004 5:48 pm (#183 of 2956)

You're quite welcome Barbie. I love talking about Jewish stuff.

Sarah, yay for Sims menorah. Can it go along with me in my Gryffindor uniform? Good luck on your driving test.

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 8, 2004 6:10 pm (#184 of 2956)

Hi Everyone! Hope you are all well, Mollis you're nephew is just beautiful & I'm positive he will bring so much joy & laughter to your family you'll wonder what it was ever like before without him around (I adore all my nephews & nieces in case you didn't guess!! )

I just have to share with you how much of a horrible tormentor my boyfriend Ben is!!! Yesterday (Wednesday) was our 2 year anniversary, we've been talking of getting engaged for quite a while & I've been seeing strange sums of money disappear from our bank account for a while, which at first when I asked Ben about he told me just to ignore it & when I pestered him further he admitted he was paying off something "special"! Now I know it is my engagement ring (did some snooping!) And last night we went out to our favorite restaurant for dinner, it was beautiful & romantic and Ben sat there & stared into my eyes & said the most beautiful romantic things you could ever imagine & then took his hand from the table & looked like he was reaching into his pocket......... he then proceeded to scratch his leg & just smile at me!!!! That was it!!! Nothing!!!!! My little heart was in my throat, I'm sitting there thinking this is it! And Nothing!!! He then informs me that there was no way he was doing it then because it was too obvious & he wanted it to be a huge surprise, so now I just have to wait!!!! It's killing me!!!!! I'll keep you posted.

That's enough from me know! Off to take a deep breathe after that little rant!

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kabloink! - Dec 8, 2004 8:37 pm (#185 of 2956)

Mollis, Congratulations on aunthood. I, personally, have been an aunt since I was four years old, and since my wedding this past Valentine's Day, I officially have 12 nieces and nephews. Its great.

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Julia. - Dec 8, 2004 10:25 pm (#186 of 2956)

LOL Daioma! Sounds like your boyfriend is a horrible tease. Don't worry though, he'll find the perfect time to ask you and when he does, it'll knock your socks off! Keep us posted, I'm all curious now!

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From Venus - Dec 8, 2004 11:16 pm (#187 of 2956)

First of all I want to say a heartfelt Happy Hanukkah to all! It is a wonderful celebration. I love it!

Second of all I'd like to extend blessings and congratulations to Mollis and the new baby person, a beautiful child. Aren't babies glorious?

And lastly, I would like to share with you my dentist story for today; I had made appointments for myself, my mentally handicapped 28 year old daughter, and my 84 year old wheelchair-ridden mother-in-law. I also had to bring my 4 year old granddaughter (her name is Penny Lane). She is an extremely curious and active child (in other words, into everything ) and so I had to keep her with me the whole time. When it was my turn for my cleaning, I brought her in the room with me and sat her on the corner chair with a bag full of stuff I thought would keep her busy through the whole visit. Ha! Within minutes, she was on my lap, looking in my mouth, asking, "what's this?" and "what's that?" and "why is she doing this?" and "what's that for?" and, well you get the idea. And the poor dental hygenist is trying very hard to keep her cool as she politely suggests, "Sweetie, if you just move your head so I can see what I'm doing I can get your grandma done and then she can TAKE YOU HOME!!!!!". Between Penny Lane and I and my mother-in-law, who only speaks an old Italian dialect that no one could ever really understand even before she went senile, and my daughter, who has to visit with everyone, even the other patients in their chairs in other rooms with various apparatus in their mouths. I'm sure we weren't missed much when we left.

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Penny Lane. - Dec 8, 2004 11:37 pm (#188 of 2956)

Oh my Venus, that sounded like quite the trip..I don't think I could get too upset with a child who has such a cool name though. :-) (yeah, I know my smilies are slightly pathetic) I want to name my future children something cool, but i will probably get stuck with a boring last name.

Daioma: It sounds like your boyfriend is a tease or jokester. I think I would be very entertained by something like that - you better keep us posted! Engagements are SO exciting. So are weddings, and bridal showers, and shopping... OOOh I'm excited already. I've been getting bridal magazines on and off since i was 8 - I used to sneak to the supermarket accross the street and buy one "for my older sister" if they asked, and I would just look athe dresses and cakes and flowers for hours.. Then of course I hit that phase where I was never goign to get married and blablabla "teen angst". Anyway, so sometimes I pick one up and dream about it.. You are SO lucky.

Congradulations to Mollis on the new baby in her family too.

I really do ramble on, don't i? Happy Hannukah to all who celebrate!

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septentrion - Dec 9, 2004 3:29 am (#189 of 2956)

I just pop in before to catch with my pet threads. Congrats for new babies, happy Hannukkah for people concerned.

Everyone have a great day !

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 9, 2004 4:17 am (#190 of 2956)

Happy raining Thursday morning everyone! Well, it raining and Thursday am here! ;-) I actually don't mind the rain this am, except for having to go to the barn in it, because yesterday I received all 5 HP books on audio CD! Guess what's been coming out of my speakers ever since? Happy Hanukkah, Merry Christmas, Season’s Greetings, Happy Holidays! You get my drift...

On a slightly different note, I need some ideas. On the POA special features CD. Everything works fine except the DVD-ROM features, ie: the Hogwarts Timeline and Magical Trading Cards. When I click on the map, Whooping Willow, I get message "Insert this disc into your DVD-ROM drive on your computer to experience the Hogwarts Timeline, Magical Trading Cards, and Web Interactivity". I have tried it in every DVD-ROM drive, burner, CD-ROM drive on all 5 computers, get the same message. Is it just a bad disc, or something else? If it's a bad disc who do I scream at?

Congratulations on all the new family members and future Potties!

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The giant squid - Dec 9, 2004 4:36 am (#191 of 2956)

TBE, I had the same thing happen to me. Now I need to remember what I did to fix it...

I think all I did was open the DVD Player program, then insert the disc (I usually let it autoplay). More likely I did my usual "fix"--I pulled the disc out, looked at it, put it back in & it worked. It's a gift.

--Mike

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boop - Dec 9, 2004 4:44 am (#192 of 2956)

Happy Birthday to Lindsey!!!! Have a wonderful day.

Molli- Congratulations on your new beautiful nephew.

Happy Hanukkan!!!

Good luck to all studying for finals. I am keeping my fingers,toes, and eyes crossed for you all.

Everyone have a Wonderful Day!!!!

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The giant squid - Dec 9, 2004 4:45 am (#193 of 2956)

Betty! Good to see you. :hug:

Oh, and Happy Hanukkah to all non-Gentiles out there (forgot that in my last post)!

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 9, 2004 5:04 am (#194 of 2956)

Julie & Penny Lane, I'm glad Ben gave you a giggle! Luckily I know Ben's sense of humor very well & had a chuckle while telling him exactly what I thought of his little trick!

Penny, I completely understand what you’re saying, I've dreamt of getting married for so long, and gone through some awful boyfriends in my search for mr right, and then one day while I was working he just walked into my café! The bit that I'm looking forward to the most is having babies, Ben & I are both so excited about starting our family, we're both really family orientated and think it would just be sensational to have our own. And as I keep reminding him, my biological clock is ticking! I'm only 5& a half months away from turning the big 30!!!

We'll that's enough of my mushy stuff for now, I'll keep you posted, and don't worry I'll definitely let you know when he pops the question, you'll probably hear me screaming YES YES YES YES all the way from Australia!

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mike miller - Dec 9, 2004 5:07 am (#195 of 2956)

Mollis - Congratulation on the new addition to the family. Being and Aunt (or Uncle) is loads of fun.

Betty - Always glad to see you avatar!

Happy Hanukkah to all who celebrate!

Well, today is my last day in beautiful South Florida. It has been a very stressful few days with meetings and presentations. I have one last prfesentation to make this morning and then it's my flight home. Last night we went to dinner at a famous local landmark, Joes's Stone Crab. It's been around for over 80 years. The food was great, the 4 guys I went with had crabs and I had a steak. Only one thing, dinner, dessert and a couple of beers for 5 people came to over $330 with tip!

Have a great day everyone!

EDIT: I crossed posted with Daioma. Keep close watch on Ben. When I gave my wife of over 16 years her engagement ring it was hidden at the bottom of a glass of champagne!

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septentrion - Dec 9, 2004 5:54 am (#196 of 2956)

All that conversation about engagement gives me a romantic mood. When I think it's me who told to my not yet husband : let's just get married ! We were on the door step, I was just leaving his student room and I couldn't stand anymore to have my own room 2 kilometers from him. Speak of a romantic way of asking for wedding !

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Julia. - Dec 9, 2004 6:49 am (#197 of 2956)

Evil warm weather having people. Kindly stop rubbing it in our faces Mike. You know full well that in a few days you'll be back in Baltimore freezing your bum off!

Well, I'm off to check the threads followed by doing math followed by taking a sociology exam then a Haunkkah party. Have a good day everyone!

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From Venus - Dec 9, 2004 9:46 am (#198 of 2956)

Good Thursday morning to all. It's raining here, also, and I wish it would get colder and turn to snow, but not everyone here would agree with me. The roads get bad when it snows, and being a rural area, they don't get them cleaned off very quickly, and so most everything just comes to a standstill. But, hey, I like just standing still once in a while!

We're all going out to our favorite Mexican restaurant tonight to celebrate my nephew's 22nd birthday. It will be lots of fun and the best thing is, I DON'T HAVE TO COOK TONIGHT!!!!

Have fun at your Hanukkah party tonight, Julia. I was always jealous of my Jewish friends when I was a kid because Hanukkah seemed to last so much longer than Christmas. Now I like to celebrate both, makes the holidays jollier! We should do lots of celebrating, our Father in heaven gave us lots to celebrate about!

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Eponine - Dec 9, 2004 10:25 am (#199 of 2956)

Well, I finally got our Christmas tree up. I was putting my really cool victorian tinsel on my tree when I realized that one of my strings of lights had gone out. Which were, of course, the first thing I put on. So instead of taking everything off, I just found another string of lights and stuffed it inside the branches and around the ornaments so I wouldn't have a big empty spot with no lights. Of course, my Harry Potter ornament is in the very front of the tree where everyone can see it. I love Christmas decorations. I have such fun with them. My new favorite thing this year is my horribly tacky small aluminum tree. It's just awful, and I love it to pieces. My husband thinks I'm nuts, but that's okay.

My sister showed my niece and nephew the "Potter, Potter, Potter..." song, and now they sing it constantly. Ruby thinks it's so funny. They sang it for me on the phone the other night, but they always say "snake" instead of "Snape". It's cute.

Well, I hope everyone here is having a great day.

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 9, 2004 12:17 pm (#200 of 2956)

Well all that rain you guys have been talking about, turned up here last night with a vengence.

It started at 8.30pm last night and its still going now at 6.30 in the morning (post time-6.30am Friday) and we've had 100mm!!!! I am so shocked!! I live in an area classed as semi arid and our average yearly rainfall is only about 200-250mm. And as of this morning we've had 160mm in the past week. (I don't know how to convert metric mm into inches, so I thought if I gave you an indication of the proportion of yearly rainfall you'd see why I'm so shocked).

The town I live on is a very slight rise above quite a large floodplain. I'd say no-one's going anywhere for a while!!!

Cheers to everybody, Happy Hannukkah and have a wonderful Friday.

Lizzie

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:54 pm

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John Bumbledore - Dec 9, 2004 2:27 pm (#201 of 2956)

Hello all, sorry to be in a rush.

I ran out of time and wanted to say hello, before I check my regular haunts. Speaking of which, it is looking a lot like the forbidden forest around here just now. Cold, foggy and dark. (That's in North Carolina, USA.)

-- Bumbledore -- B^D

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Accio Sirius - Dec 9, 2004 3:02 pm (#202 of 2956)

Happy Thursday everyone. The weather here in the north eastern US is just awful.

Happy Hanukah to everyone. I have family coming for Christmas Eve and have decided to make the brisket and latkes for then. Call it Christmakah ala The O.C.

Here's to a weather charm!

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Phoenix song - Dec 9, 2004 5:34 pm (#203 of 2956)

Accio: I just love the picture of the Marauders! Awesome!

Lizzy: I'm sorry that you guys experienced such a deluge of water yesterday. It must be odd if you live in a dry area to suddenly get so much water. We're beyond saturation level here and we had another major storm come through this morning. It's ridiculous, really.

Our weather men are promising cooler weather tomorrow. Yeah, right, like we're going to have a chance to turn off the Air conditioners before February!

What a shame that our gloomy weather seems to be spreading... I suppose that we "must just let a smile be our umbrella". Okay, I'm just being sarcastic, because I'm not actually that optimistic of a person...grumble, grumble.... complain, complain.

But if anybody actually does know how to perform a simple but effective weather charm....

Have a good night everyone! I'm going to veg out in front of the TV and watch ER tonight (hope it's a good one!)

Barbie

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Accio Sirius - Dec 9, 2004 5:59 pm (#204 of 2956)

Thanks Barbie, but the credit goes to Padfoot for turning me on to this artwork. I picture Lupin a little differently, but otherwise, it is as close as I've ever found to my mind's image of the Marauders. Too bad she didn't include Snape in the background. I would like to see her rendition of him.

I'm too zonked for TV tonight, but that's what I love (and I do mean love) about my TiVo!! Is anyone else hooked on Lost? I really enjoy that and Veronica Mars as far as the new crop of shows.

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 9, 2004 10:19 pm (#205 of 2956)

The reason I am called dizzy lizzy is I get my maths mixed up...Numbers and time zones confuse me quicker than any confundus(sp?) charm!!! More to the point numbers don't mean all that much to me.

Our average annual rainfall is 550mm not 250mm. But nonetheless, if you include last night’s rain added to todays and the rain we've had every day for the past week; it all adds up to approx 200mm. All roads out of town are covered with water and both the rivers that run through town are on minor flood alert.

All the more excuse for me to play with my computer and think up some answers to some of these threads.

lotsa smiles to all

Lizzy

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kabloink! - Dec 9, 2004 10:45 pm (#206 of 2956)

PS,

It was like that here in Michigan last May. We had severe thunderstorms and tornados for about a week and a half straight. We were hoping that it would help the water level in the Great Lakes, which has been low for like the last ten years. It ended up being a rather mild summer, though, that was about all the major rain we got...

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The giant squid - Dec 10, 2004 5:52 am (#207 of 2956)

Is anyone else hooked on Lost?

Absolutely! I originally watched the pilot because of Dominic Monaghan (big fan of the LotR films), but I keep coming back because I've finally found a TV show where I don't know what's going to happen after the next commercial break. Originality on TV is so rare...

--Mike

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Pinky - Dec 10, 2004 6:07 am (#208 of 2956)

Hmmmm, 10mm in 1cm, right? And there are 2.54cm to 1 inch. So you've gotten approximately 7.9 inches of rain. Your average rainfall is 21.7 inches.

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 10, 2004 6:55 am (#209 of 2956)

Count me in as a Lost fan. The problem for me is it's on Wed night and that’s the time I'm working in the sleep lab. So I record it and watch it at 9:00am when I get home from work

Jack

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From Venus - Dec 10, 2004 7:47 am (#210 of 2956)

Good Friday Morning everyone. Our rain here in southern Indiana has stopped, but is very overcast and foggy outside. The weather is still way too warm for any snow, but I'm still hoping...

I have a lot to do today, housework and laundry, etc., etc...It never ends and if I spend just one day goofing off then it piles up to where I don't think I'll ever get done. I am such a procrastinator, and I SO don't want to get behind for Christmas this year, it makes me so crazy at crunch time!

So have a great day everyone. Hope your Fridays go well and your weekends are terrific!

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Julia. - Dec 10, 2004 8:05 am (#211 of 2956)

It's FRIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIDAY! Oh yes, last day of classes! I have to go see my professor for office hours, then head off to my last 2 classes of the semester!

Lost, eh? Is that the show where the people got stuck on an island after a plane crash and the only ones who survived were hot?

Shabbos starts very early this week (and by early I mean 4:00, which is amazingly early, infact, the earliest it starts all year), so I don't think I'll be back on until tomorrow evening. So on that note, I hope everyone has an excellent day today, and tomorrow as well.

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Flame Alligator - Dec 10, 2004 8:37 am (#212 of 2956)

What network/channel, whatever is Lost on? Unpredictable...... I want to see it.

Hi everybody! I am just glad it's Friday. I had that rare bird yesterday..... all male yoga class. So...... we worked VERY HARD. Lots of flowing plank/chatarunga/ (yoga push ups) ha ha ha

Mike Miller, and anyone else, Here is a the Kundalini Warm up I do for every class. Anybody can do it. Kundalini means you repeat a set of postures in a flowing movement for a number of repetitions before going to the next posture. This is called the Five Rites. My young students call it the Kundalini Flow. http://www.shapeshift.net/5tibetans/

This should help get rid of those pesky pounds that come with all the holiday treats.

Have a great day everybody!

Doei

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Gina R Snape - Dec 10, 2004 8:53 am (#213 of 2956)

Happy Friday, everyone.

I don't know about you all, but's it's been a little bit of a rough week for me. Sooooo glad the weekend is near.

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Penny Lane. - Dec 10, 2004 9:20 am (#214 of 2956)

Oh, I agree Gina. I am SO glad it's friday. I have my French final today, in about 2 hours. After this, I just have Monday and Tuesday exams, then I can head home for CHRISTMAS!!!! Yay for lavish gifts from mummy and daddy, and the whole eating food that not college food, ooh and of course so I don't sound crazy spoiled, I'm excited and greatful just to not be in this stupid dorm anymore.

So, what tops everyone's christmas list this year - Since I know most people want stuff like world peace, and health and prosperity, I'm really looking for the material things. I want a Dance Dance Revolution Dance pad for my PS2 with the foam inserts, and I want Law and Order SVU on DVD. And some really good sushi.

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Julie Aronson - Dec 10, 2004 9:36 am (#215 of 2956)

Flame:

Those poses look fascinating--I recognized the Camel, the Staff, and Upward and Downward Dog. I will definitely give them a try! How many repetitions do you recommend, anyway?

All:

I just learned a new euphemism for procrastination: background processing.

I like it!!!

Julie

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Flame Alligator - Dec 10, 2004 9:51 am (#216 of 2956)

Julie, start with 3 to 10 reps. When you feel like it, add reps till you can do 21 of each rite. 21 no more. Also, pay attention to the chin tucks (neck movements). The theory is the neck movements stimulate your thyroid gland and balance out appetite and body weight.

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 10, 2004 10:19 am (#217 of 2956)

Hi everyone. I'll be going to a Hannakah party on Saturday. So, Happy Holidays to all.

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Julie Aronson - Dec 10, 2004 10:28 am (#218 of 2956)

Thanks, Flame! I'll definitely get started with this.

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mike miller - Dec 10, 2004 10:40 am (#219 of 2956)

Julia - You were spot on with the weather upon my return, cold and wet. Believe me, travelling to supposed exotic places for business is not all it's cracked up to be. In 3 days in Miami's South Beach, I never once made it to the pool much less the beach. You end up spending all of the daylight hours sitting on uncomfortable chairs in rooms that are freezing cold.

Flame - I thought you might be lurking out there. Thanks for the asanas. I'm going to get started right away! All of the stress right now is driving myself and my peers crazy. One of the women I work with had her back go out while at our meeting this week. Totally stress induced. She had to borrow an electric muscle stimulator to get her lower back muscles to ease up. One more week and I can relax; 2 weeks of vacation for the Holidays.

Enjoy the weekend everyone!

P.S. Has anyone else seen the Eric Clapton Special being aired on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) as part of their current fund drive? OUTSTANDING! Check you local listings!

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Marie E. - Dec 10, 2004 12:46 pm (#220 of 2956)

We are having the most bizarre weather here. Last week it was freezing and today it is 55! It will be a wonder if I ever start feeling better.

I try to watch Lost but it's on at the same time I put my kids to bed and I can never find a blank tape to record it on. I think I've only seen two episodes, but they were pretty good.

For those of you who have read the Unfortunate Events series, my daughter Shayla noticed my resemblance to Mr. Poe: with this latest virus I am always coughing before I speak.

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Accio Sirius - Dec 10, 2004 12:50 pm (#221 of 2956)

Flame, I believe ABC will start airing Lost from the beginning next Wednesday. So it's not too late to get hooked. Julia, there are some decidedly unhot people stuck on the island and although the plot sounds kind of contrived, the character development is great. Would you agree Mike? Gina, hope the weekend and next week go better for you. I'm hoping Catherine is okay. I know she's been having some tough times. Here's sending a health charm Catherine's way!

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Peskipinski - Dec 10, 2004 1:27 pm (#222 of 2956)

Re Lost: The plot is contrived. I've been able to follow it from just watching the commercials. But the acting is good, and, let's face it, there's not much worthwhile stuff on TV anyway. So watch Lost (even though I haven't been the last few weeks)!

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Penny Lane. - Dec 10, 2004 1:29 pm (#223 of 2956)

Today was the bestest day! Not only did I Ace my french final (I think, knock on wood), but I made very insightful comments today in my Abnormal psych lab (last class), and I came back to my room to Christmas cards and cookies!

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Elanor - Dec 10, 2004 1:51 pm (#224 of 2956)

Bravo Penny! Toutes mes félicitations! (congratulations!) Okay, I stop here, you certainly had enough French for today...

I just wanted to say hello, wish you all a great weekend and send cheering charms to the ones who need them!

It is so good to be on Friday evening with the weekend to come. It will be a very busy one for me since there will be my brother's engagement party on Sunday.

Another good news, my "Return of the King" special edition DVD (with the 48 minutes more of film) should arrive in my mailbox tomorrow! I will have to take it easy with the champagne if I want to watch it in the evening... Unless I keep a glass of it for watching the movie, that's an idea! I can't wait to see the confrontation between Gandalf and Sarumane that was shamefully cut in the first version of the movie. And I hope there will be the Houses of healing too!

I presume that the special edition has already been released in the USA: have someone already watched it? When I went to the cinema and saw it, the first thing I thought was "Okay, the trailer was good, when will the movie be released now?"...

Have a great weekend everybody!

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Round Pink Spider - Dec 10, 2004 2:34 pm (#225 of 2956)

Happy Friday, Everyone!

I haven't posted on this thread for ages...But I felt like taking a moment to visit. OK, to tell you the truth, I'm running away from cleaning; I've been busy writing for most of the week, the house is a mess, and I'm knee deep in unfolded laundry.

It's cloudy, cool and damp here in Minnesota, and as I look really carefully I see there's a little bit of snow in the air, but the grass is still green. This is so weird for Minnesota, we should be several inches deep in snow right now...

I am soooo fried. I think it's time for a soda and some Christmas tunes before the baby wakes up. Good luck on your finals, all you students! :-D

P.S. Sorry to hear you're so wet there, Phoenix Song. We got well rained on (RAIN!!! not SNOW!!!) yesterday. Seems to be going around.

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John Bumbledore - Dec 10, 2004 3:16 pm (#226 of 2956)

Happy Friday Everyone!

Just popped in before going home. I wanted to light my next candle too. *grins at Julia.* You may have an electric one, but mine is digital and made by my own hands.

-- Bumbledore -- B^D

P.S. Julia, (or any one else who may know) should I only put the candles in when they are to be lit? That would make more sense with the "place them in right to left, then light them left to right" instructions. Hmm, I think I need to rebuild my menorah.

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Acceber - Dec 10, 2004 3:41 pm (#227 of 2956)

Julia, (or any one else who may know) should I only put the candles in when they are to be lit-Bumbledore. Yes, the way we do it is to put one new candle in per night. Your graphic menorah is very cool.

Happy Belated Birthday Twinkling Blue Eyes!

And Belated Congratulations to Mollis on aunthood!

I don't think they've banned any books in my city's schools, although they're slightly fanatical about equality in the elementary and middle schools. For example, when a game such as basketball is being played in P.E., they don't keep score. My parents hate this; they say it doesn't prepare you for the real world. I wholeheartedly agree and can't wait for next year when I don't have to deal with it anymore.

I'm in a great mood today because yesterday I found out I got the part I wanted in my school's play! We're doing Into the Woods, which is a musical by Steven Sondheim. The vast majority of the parts have to sing (which I can't do for my life) and I tried out for the only part that doesn't have a singing role. I'm playing the part of a cow, Milky White, from Jack and the Beanstalk. The only downside is I'm on all fours for the whole play, and wood floors and kneecaps don't mix. Play practice has been really fun so far; the whole thing is going to be a great experience.

Enough ranting. I'm off to post more and then to a Chanukah party at family friends'. All of the children are younger than me, so I'm bringing GoF to keep me entertained. Tata!

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Amilia Smith - Dec 10, 2004 4:39 pm (#228 of 2956)

Congrats Accebar. I love Into the Woods. My brother's high school just put that on. The way they did Milky White was to have the actress walking around pulling the cow's hind quarters. I'm not explaining that very well. Sorry. But the point is, maybe they can think of a way that you don't have to be on your hands and knees for that long.

Mills.

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Eponine - Dec 10, 2004 5:08 pm (#229 of 2956)

Congratulations, Acceber. I hope you find a way to keep your kneecaps from hurting too badly.

I know that some of us may still have Potter, Potter, Potter on the brain, so I thought I'd share a new song that's stuck in my head now.

http://movies.yahoo.com/movies/feature/charlieandthechocolatefactoryqt1.html

I'm quite excited about this movie. I'm just curious whether it's a true remake or based on the book. I've heard that it's not a musical this time, which is just fine with me. I love the original, but I ALWAYS fast forward through "Cheer up, Charlie".

Hope everyone is having a great day!

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Penny Lane. - Dec 10, 2004 5:34 pm (#230 of 2956)

Oh me too! I actually read the book before I saw the movie (mum said that Oompa Lumpas were creepy and refused to rent it - this was back before kids movie rentals were free) Anyway, so the first time I saw the movie I was SO disappointed. Later in life (like last year) I started to see how it really was a great movie. Now it's one of my favorite. It's just the perfect mixture of cheesy, scary, and funny. I think that Tim Burton will do a great job on making the movie. I hear it's supposed to be based on the book.

Anyway, so I have a feeling that a lot of people might go in expecting something more like thee 1971 version, and either be very creeped out when it's like the book (which, to be fair was good, but not exactly all about the fuzzy bunnys) or they will be upset thinking that a great movie was ruined. Ah well. It happens all the time.

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Accio Sirius - Dec 10, 2004 6:15 pm (#231 of 2956)

Funny you guys should mention Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. I just saw a clip for the new movie on TV and it does look creepy. Granted, that's just a first reaction, but I have been excited about the idea of Johnny Depp in the lead role. I guess I had the warm fuzzies in mind, as so often happens with Mr. Depp, but he looks really creepy, with kind of a waxy face and teeth like the Phantom of the Opera. That being said, I think it should be interesting.

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Gina R Snape - Dec 10, 2004 6:46 pm (#232 of 2956)

Bumbledore: Just popped in before going home. I wanted to light my next candle too. *grins at Julia.* You may have an electric one, but mine is digital and made by my own hands.

Oh yeah?! Well mine is made of candle-snakes and Severus is lighting it for me!

I love Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. It is a creepy movie and I find it brilliant for that!

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Eponine - Dec 10, 2004 8:02 pm (#233 of 2956)

I adore Roald Dahl. That man was one twisted individual. Some of his short stories are truly heebie-jeebie inducing. "Skin" will make your skin crawl. "Lamb to the Slaughter" is just deliciously wrong. I remember seeing a collection of his short stories in the children's section of a book store once and being rather appalled at that because his short stories are most definitely NOT suitable for small children. Anyway, great stuff. You should read it sometime.

Oh, Accio Sirius, you reminded me of another movie that I cannot wait to see. Phantom of the Opera. I was obsessed with that musical when I was in high school. I just hope it's going to be done justice. Good book too.

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Prefect Marcus - Dec 10, 2004 8:13 pm (#234 of 2956)

Gina, I absolutely love your avatar. I think it is your best one yet.

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Gina R Snape - Dec 10, 2004 8:15 pm (#235 of 2956)

Aaawww, thanks Prefect Marcus!

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Penny Lane. - Dec 10, 2004 9:12 pm (#236 of 2956)

I remember reading a collection of short stories when i was younger entitled something along the lines of "The tale of Henry Sugar and many other tales" (not exactly, but hey, I was 11, tops!) The story I remember best was about a man with a gambling problem who trained himself to see through cards. There was also one called "the swan" but I don't remember much else about it. Hmm

*toddles off to Amazon.com*

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Eponine - Dec 10, 2004 9:22 pm (#237 of 2956)

The Wonderful Story Of Henry Sugar and Six More. I have that book, and I will concede that those short stories are suitable for children. Actually, now that I think about it, a lot of his shorter stories are written for children. The Enormous Crocodile and The Fantastic Mr. Fox are two that come to mind. They have both been published as stand-alone books even though they are short enough to be classified as short stories. However, if you ever come across something that is specifically labeled as a collection of his short stories, they are probably not written with an audience of children in mind. I also recently discovered an adult novel he wrote called My Uncle Oswald. Quite an interesting read.

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kabloink! - Dec 10, 2004 11:20 pm (#238 of 2956)

I am so excited about Phantom of the Opera! I was also obsessed with it in high school, fancying myself as a Christine...when I am so obviously an alto, who is almost tone deaf. It was fun, anyway. I have been to IMDb, and it looks as though Rita Skeeter will be Madame Giry and Minnie Driver is playing Carlotta. I am SOOO geeked!

Anyway, it has been my birthday for about 1 hour and 18 mintues here is the Eastern TIme zone, and I am now 22 years old. I'm going to crash now, however, as my free birthday alcoholic beverage is kicking in, and I have a doctor's appointment at 10am.

Happy Saturday Everyone!!!

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Accio Sirius - Dec 11, 2004 6:57 am (#239 of 2956)

Kabloink, Happy Birthday! ***passes butterbeer all around***

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 11, 2004 7:32 am (#240 of 2956)

Happy Birthday Kabloink!

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 11, 2004 7:53 am (#241 of 2956)

Happy Birthday Kabloink

Jack

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From Venus - Dec 11, 2004 8:54 am (#242 of 2956)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU...HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR KABLOINK...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TOOOOOOO YOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!!

And Good Saturday Morning to all. I will be very busy today. I have a lot of housework (when don't I ?) and then I play the music for church tonight, so we're all going to go and then we're going to our favorite restaurant for dinner. (I have a $10 off coupon for my birthday, which is in a few days.)

It's still rainy but it's growing colder. It could snow...I'm keeping my fingers crossed....

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Gina R Snape - Dec 11, 2004 10:34 am (#243 of 2956)

Happy birthday, Kabloink!

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Flame Alligator - Dec 11, 2004 10:37 am (#244 of 2956)

Julie Aronson, and anyone else interested. There was one little thing left out on the page on the Five Rites. Breathe through your nose the entire time...... mouth closed.

Hi Everbody. Happy Birthday, Congrats to whomever it's appropriate.

Have a lovely Saturday.

Doei

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septentrion - Dec 11, 2004 11:43 am (#245 of 2956)

Happy birthday Kabloink !

I have at least got my computer back just to find out all those new stuff on Jo's site. Waouh !

Elanor, I think I remember the extended version of the return of the king is due for the 10th dec in the US too. I'd like to buy the 3 movies in extended version but without the bonuses so I'll wait just in case...

Everyone has a great week-end !

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Chemyst - Dec 11, 2004 12:02 pm (#246 of 2956)

It's a gloomy day here, wet with straggly-leaved trees that are far better suited for November. I ought to be working on Christmas stuff, but....
...there isn't much point in going shopping for another three days–

This is from Amazon.com:
Return of the King Extended Edition will be released on December 14, 2004.

There are currently 6 global region codes that identify specific DVDs that are compatible with the players typically sold in that region. The majority of all current titles play in only one specific region unless otherwise noted. Most of the DVDs sold by Amazon.com are encoded for Region 1 (U.S. and Canada) only and may not work on DVD players in other countries. Listed below are the six regions.

1. U.S., U.S. Territories, Canada, and Bermuda
2. Japan, Europe, South Africa, and the Middle East, including Egypt
3. Southeast Asia, East Asia, including Hong Kong
4. Australia, New Zealand, Pacific Islands, Mexico, Central America, South America, and the Caribbean
5. Former Soviet Union, Indian subcontinent, Africa, North Korea, and Mongolia
6. China

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Penny Lane. - Dec 11, 2004 12:14 pm (#247 of 2956)

Hi everyone! Happy Saturday, etc. I know I've been awfully chatty here recently, but no one is ever in the chat room, and now that my French class is over, I feel so free. it's amazing how much time one class can take. I still have a ton of statistics to do for my final presentation/exam on Tuesday, but I'm in such a good mood that I just don't want to ruin that with math.

Also, I wanted to say Happy Birthday Kabloink! (If I had ANY idea where people were getting those cute smilies from, I'd put one up)

And... I need to tell everyone that we have a real - gosh I can't say Martha Stewart anymore can I? - um... a really good baker on our forum. Boop sent me some sugar cookies for the holidays, and I swear - these are the best sugar cookies ever. And I do mean ever. I've never in my life like sugar cookies, but I ate the whole bag in less then 24 hours. *grins*

I'm off to buy "Henry Sugar" from Amazon.

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boop - Dec 11, 2004 1:26 pm (#248 of 2956)

Happy Birthday Kabloink, have a wonderful day!!!

Penny, thank you so much, glad you enjoyed the sugar cookies.

Everyone have a great weekend!

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Phoenix song - Dec 11, 2004 2:10 pm (#249 of 2956)

Happy Birthday Kabloink! I hope that it's a good one!

I'm pleased to report that the Minister of Weather must have gotten his pay raise (at last!) The rain has stopped and the ground is doing it's best to begin the drying out process. YEAH!!

I've just gotten back from Christmas shopping. What an adventure! (Sarcasm evident in every word...) But I'm so pleased that it's over!

I hope that you all have a great day! Talk to you later!

Barbie

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haymoni - Dec 11, 2004 4:40 pm (#250 of 2956)

Happy B-day, Kabloink!

Marcus! *In Movie Molly's voice* - "Where HAVE you been???"

Hope everyone is doing well this evening. It is Saturday again and Hubby is working. Kids are eating and I am typing.

Which one of us was having the gas oven frights??? Mine went on the fritz last night. The burners burn and the broiler broils, but the oven won't heat up on "Bake".

Of course, Hubby has invited friends over to watch football tomorrow, so I have to come up with a menu of foods that can be microwaved, crock-potted, electric-skilleted or just plain boiled.

What's really killing me is that the repair person can't come out until Tuesday - of course they can't tell you when on Tuesday, so I don't know what I'll do about work - and it will cost $119 just for the call. I hate being dependent on technology. I called the 1-800 number to see if there was a way I could light it by hand (you know, like how you can light the burners when your electric is out) but I was told it was too dangerous. Guess I'll stick to crock-potting.

I'm not done with my Christmas shopping, I can't bake any cookies now and I haven't sent out one Christmas card. I think I'd better watch a version of "A Christmas Carol" or I might just Scrooge out!

Hope everyone has a good Sunday. I can't even say "Go Browns!" I'm just praying that everyone stays healthy!

Take care all!

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 1:58 pm

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Julia. - Dec 11, 2004 5:44 pm (#251 of 2956)

Haymoni, it was Lindsey who was having trouble with her gas stove. Something about settings things on fire in the little drawer in the oven. By the way, happy belated birthday to our dear Lindsey.

HAPPY BRITHDAY KABLOINK!!!! Have a butterbeer on me *hands Kablionk butterbeer* Hope you have a great day and an amazing year.

Gina, I love your menorah. I want you to know that I have two menorahs! I have my electric one in my dorm, and a real one at Hillel. The one at Hillel I made out of newspaper, duct tape and aluminium foil. It used tea lights, which some people thought was silly, but I thought was smart because they're safer than normal candles.

Well, I'm off to check the threads then study for the two finals I have on Monday. Have a good evening everyone.

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 11, 2004 7:54 pm (#252 of 2956)

Happy birthday, Kabloink.

Good luck on your finals, Julia.

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 11, 2004 10:13 pm (#253 of 2956)

Happy birthday Kabloink.

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Marie E. - Dec 11, 2004 10:42 pm (#254 of 2956)

Happy Birthday, Kabloink!

Wouldn't you figure that the day we choose to do all our Christmas shopping is the warmest day of the season? It got up to 62 here today, completely unheard of. We got most of our shopping done so it wasn't a total waste.

My kids are in a Christmas program at church tomorrow and both are threatening to boycott. Both of them are uncomfortable standing in front of crowds (I know Mike, hard to believe) and these sort of events are difficult. I'll let you know how they behave. Last year Lexie got bored and sprawled out on the steps as if she were going to sleep. I guess it's better than picking her nose.

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 11, 2004 11:11 pm (#255 of 2956)

Oh My! "I guess it's better than picking her nose." Normal children are so refreshing!

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boop - Dec 12, 2004 6:41 am (#256 of 2956)

Happy Birthday Catherine, Have a wonderful day !!!!!!!

Julia good luck on your finals.

Have a great Sunday everyone!!!

Waves at Sam, I miss talking to you.

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septentrion - Dec 12, 2004 7:35 am (#257 of 2956)

Happy birthday Catherine !

My sunday is very calm, mostly because the chill keeps us at home. We haven't seen the sun for more than a week and it's very depressing. Well, I feel better thanks to this forum.

Everyone have a great sunday !

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Julia. - Dec 12, 2004 9:11 am (#258 of 2956)

Since I'm no longer allowed an avatar, I'm just going to post this pic at the beginning of all my posts. Silly I know, but it's the best I got. *waves at Betty* Thanks for the good luck wishes. I've got two exams tomorrow, so lots of studying today.

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Eponine - Dec 12, 2004 5:50 pm (#259 of 2956)

Late Happy Birthday to Kabloink!

Happy Birthday Catherine!

I just wanted to brag that I've gotten a new high score on expert minesweeper. My score is now 157 seconds. Nowhere near JKR's time, but I'm proud of myself anyway.

I hope everyone is having a great day today.

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 12, 2004 6:44 pm (#260 of 2956)

G'day Everyone! Hope you have all had wonderful week-ends, mine was very very full but very enjoyable, although I didn't get one minute to do any of my Christmas shopping & I've still got so much to do! Looks like I'll be doing some serious late night shopping this week to try and finish it.

Hope you all great, and sending to cheering charms to those of you that aren't

Happy Birthday to Kabloink & Catherine!!

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kabloink! - Dec 12, 2004 7:25 pm (#261 of 2956)

Hi everyone, I’m finally back at my computer after birthday madness. Thanks to everyone for the birthday wishes, and happy birthday to anyone else celebrating this week-I think this is the best time of year to have a birthday. Its not close enough to Christmas for everyone to be frazzled and stressed, but close enough that everything is sooo festive!

Anyway, my parents came over and not only took my husband and I out to the Olive Garden for dinner, but also Christmas shopping today! They know we're poor, so they help out when they can.

Okay, off to check threads and go to bed-shopping with the 'rents is much more exhausting than I remember!

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The giant squid - Dec 13, 2004 2:50 am (#262 of 2956)

Happy birthday, kabloink! and Catherine. Having a birthday near Christmas can have its drawbacks, especially with family or friends who live across the country. You get a lot of "birthday/Christmas" presents. At least, that's the excuse I give my sister.

By the way, happy belated birthday to our dear Lindsey.

Hey, where has our favorite Sherbie been lately? Hope her birthday was good (I've been having some rather foul luck lately, so she should be good).

re Lost: This week they're repeating the "first two hours" (read: the pilot). I'm not sure if they'll run the whole show in order after that, but I hope they do--I missed a couple episodes. This show's almost as bad as "24"--miss one episode & you're lost (no pun intended) for half the next one.

Marie, I'm surprised you haven't figured it out...they're not shy, they're just annoyed that they aren't the center of attention the whole time.

And yes, Chemyst was right. The Return of the King Extended Edition doesn't come out here in the US until Tuesday. I am quite jealous of our French friends who get it a couple days early...

--Mike

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septentrion - Dec 13, 2004 4:16 am (#263 of 2956)

Giant Squid : And yes, Chemyst was right. The Return of the King Extended Edition doesn't come out here in the US until Tuesday. I am quite jealous of our French friends who get it a couple days early...

but we had PoA only Dec 2nd...

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 13, 2004 6:46 am (#264 of 2956)

Happy Monday everyone, if there can be such a thing.

EDIT-- Now, that's more like it. I must have an avatar!

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mollis - Dec 13, 2004 7:06 am (#265 of 2956)

Just popping on to say hello! It's going to be a crazy week, so I probably won't have much time for posting. Happy Birthday to all who are deserving! It is really cold here today. Makes me wish it were snowing!

And yea! I can't wait to see the good ROTK scenes that ended up on the cutting room floor! Unfortunately, they never filmed my favorite...

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mike miller - Dec 13, 2004 7:08 am (#266 of 2956)

Happy belated Birthday to Kabloink, Catherine and Lindsey! Sorry for being late, it's a bit crazy lately but you all don't want to hear about that.

I picked up the extended version of Fellowship of the Ring this weekend. I hope Santa brings the extended version of Return of the King. I already have the Two Towers version so I'm looking forward to a complete set and a LOTR movie marathon.

Speaking of movie marathons, a co-worker stopped by this morning to tell me he had finally sat down to an HP marathon and watched all 3 movies this weekend. Another convert!

Have a great week everyone!

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Marè - Dec 13, 2004 7:10 am (#267 of 2956)

Unfortunately, they never filmed my favorite...

Which is?

I'm hoping for more Merry/Pippin and Rohan stuff. But something tells me the chances of lots of added scenes about those two subjects aren't so high...

The DVD is laying on the table at home.. except, I'm not there... one more week!

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Julia. - Dec 13, 2004 7:26 am (#268 of 2956)

Good morning everyone. Hope everyone is having as pleasant of a day is as possible on a Monday. I'm sure not. I was woken up a bit early by my neighbors being excessively loud. I have a maths final in about an hour and a Brit Lit final this afternoon. I'm off for some last minute studying. Wish me luck!

Oh, Mike, HP movie marathon! W00t! I'm totally doing that this weekend, as a celebration of the end of finals

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Ladybug220 - Dec 13, 2004 7:43 am (#269 of 2956)

Good luck on your finals Julia!

Woohoo! My ROTK extended edition is on its way via UPS. It should be here tomorrow or at the latest on Weds. I forsee an evening of Aragorn in my future....

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kabloink! - Dec 13, 2004 10:26 am (#270 of 2956)

Well all, I'm in the library getting ready to crack down for about 7 hours of paper writing/studying, but had to get my forum fill first! Julia-I totally understand celebrating finals! This weekend insterad of doing a Hp or LoTR marathon, we're going down to Scott Airforce Base near St Louis to visit my brother-in-law and his family. We're very excited, as they have an 18-month-old son! I can't wait for it to all be over!!!!!!

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Elanor - Dec 13, 2004 10:27 am (#271 of 2956)

Hello everybody! Happy birthdays!

I finally received "The return of the king" and it is beautiful, really. There is a drawing of the Grey heavens inside that is quite magnificent. I haven't seen it already since yesterday was my brother's engagement party and I was far too tired in the evening to watch it without fearing to fall asleep in front of it. But I have studied the names of the chapters carefully, especially the ones mentioned as new or with additional shots. As I don't know if you want to know them or not, I put the new stuff in white ink:

AS=additional shots, NS= new scene (the translation of the names of the chapters is mine):

1- The discovery of the Ring AS
3- The road to Isengard AS
4- The voice of Sarumane NS
5- The come back to Edoras AS
7- Eowyn's dream NS
8- The Palantir AS
11- Minas Tirith AS
12- The decline of Gondor NS
13- The crossing of the Fallen King NS
14- The calm before the storm AS
16- Sam's warning NS
18- Osgiliath invaded AS
20- Theoden's decision AS
21- osgiliath's fall AS
22- "The student of no wizard" NS
25- Peregrin, Guard of the tower NS
28- Faramir's sacrifice AS
29- Mobilization in Dunharrow AS
31- Aragorn in the Path of the dead AS
33- Dimholt, the Haunted Mountain NS
35- The paths of the Dead AS
36- The siege of Gondor AS
37- Umbar's pirats NS
39- Merry's courage NS
41- The graves of the Stewards As
45- The Witch-king NS
47- Denethor's pyre AS
48- The battle of the Pelennor's fields As
53- victory in Minas Tirith AS
56- The houses of healing NS
57- Pippin searching for Merry AS
58- Cirith Ungol tower As
59- The last debate As
60- Aragorn controls the palantir NS
61- The White Lady and the Captain NS
62- The Orcs' company NS
63- The land of shadows AS
64- The Mouth of Sauron NS
68- The Mount Doom AS

There are 78 chapters, so it seems to be nothing new after the fall of Sauron, which I regret because I would have loved to see the return of the Hobbits in the Shire and their last fight with Saruman. But these new chapters are really promising! I hope it will help you to wait till Wednesday! Sorry for the length!

PS: good luck Julia!

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Chemyst - Dec 13, 2004 10:41 am (#272 of 2956)

O Thanks, Elanor. At least there is a little mention of the houses of healing. I'd heard so many rumors that I wasn't inclined to believe any of them. 'Wish there were a little more of Eowyn's story.

I've been wondering about Sherbie too– every time a commercial for the Lemony Snicket movie airs the lemon association clicks in, that and her series of unfortunate events.
Belated birthday wishes to Total Hatred.

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VeronikaG - Dec 13, 2004 11:40 am (#273 of 2956)

Happy birthday to Kabloink, Catherine and Lindsay!

I did my second final today, so I'm half way to Christmas. Today it was network management. I was worried about that one.

Hmmm, those Yoga poses looks interesting. Thanks for the link, Flame. Maybe I finally find something that can cure my neck/shoulder-trouble

Is it possible to get the collection of all three LotR films yet? I want the three of them, I don't need a five DVD version of one film.

By the way, it's not just the scene where they throw the bad guys out of the Shire that has been cut away. The first film could have been at least twice as long had they stuck to the book completely.

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The giant squid - Dec 13, 2004 1:29 pm (#274 of 2956)

Veronika, according to amazon.com, the LotR Trilogy pack (extended edition) ships on Dec. 14th in the US (same day as Return of the King). There is also a listing for the theatrical version (meaning no added scenes) in both fullscreen & widescreen but that doesn't ship until after Dec. 24. Sold out maybe? Anyway, check your local video retailer, I'm sure they'll either have it or know when they can get it.

kabloink!, I did a double take when you mentioned your road trip; have fun visiting the birthplace of the Giant Squid! Yup, I was born on Scott Air Force Base, raised...lots of different places.

I hadn't made the Lemony Snicket-Sherbie Lemon connection before, but I know I will now. You're right, she did seem to be living a "series of unfortunate events", didn't she?

--Mike

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Penny Lane. - Dec 13, 2004 2:16 pm (#275 of 2956)

Happy Birthday to anyone that I missed!

I also took my second exam today, in Abnormal Psych. I think I could have done much better, he tricked us at the last minutes. The entire course all of our exams have consisted of 55 multiple choice questions. For the final, which was not cumulative, it was simply a final test, he decided to change it to 30 questions of multiple choice, and short essay where we diagnose a subject, based on the case study. I don't think I did very well on the essay, I couldn't remember what a "theoretical model" was. Ah well

Just one test left, and it's my semi-tough one. Statistics 360. I've kept a high grade in the class so far, but we've only had the midterm and one assignment. Tomorrows exam will be held from 1:30-4:30, I'm expected to present my findings from our semester project, turn in the take home part of the exam - which is all proofs - and take a short exam there. *whimpers*

I just can't wait for this semester to be over so I can go home and do laundry.

As for LoTR, RoK - I saw it in the theatre, once. I enjoyed it and I liked it better the the other one I saw. I think I saw TTT. I don't think I'll be buying the DVD though, I tried to watch FoR on DVD and I could not stay awake.

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mollis - Dec 13, 2004 3:06 pm (#276 of 2956)

My favorite scene from ROTK was the Scourging of the Shire (I think that was the name of the chapter). Basically the culmination of the books and the point of the journey the hobbits have taken. It was never even filmed because PJ didn't like that scene.

And yes, our poor Sherbie. I sure hope that one of her unfortunate events didn't cause any permanent damage! If you're still around Sherbie - please pop in and let us know you are doing alright!

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Julia. - Dec 13, 2004 4:42 pm (#277 of 2956)

Ummmmm, LOTR. I should get my hands on that soon, it sounds like something I'd love. I loved the movie versions, perhaps I'll see about getting the extended versions.

Thanks for all the luck wishes guys! I'm pretty sure I did well on my two exams today. My British Literature exam was pretty hard though, my professor hit us with leadership and human nature while I was off studying religion and politics. Oh well, I still think I did ok. Time now for a little break before I do some more work on my paper and study for my next two exams.

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Phoenix song - Dec 13, 2004 5:33 pm (#278 of 2956)

Happy Birthday to everyone celebrating one, (and even to those members that are having a birthday but are not celebrating it!) And good luck to all of our student members. I'm sure that you'll all ACE the examinations, as we know that we're all a group of big First Raters!

Mike (The Giant Squid) when my husband returned from his work trip, he checked out our speaker situation. Turns out that it was a good thing that I didn't throw the speakers out of the house as I'd wanted to. I had to move the tower not too long ago, and I returned all of the plugs to their properly labeled/diagramed places. What I didn't realize is that the plug-in place for the speakers isn't where the speaker symbol is located. It's next to it, and how was I supposed to know that?? So, I'm happy to report that the speakers are working fine now, and I'm now another forum member that is progressing through the day with the song "Potter, Potter, Potter, Potter, Potter, Potter, Potter, Potter, Potter, Potter, Potter, Weasley, Weasley" running throughout my head. Thanks for your help and suggestions. I'm going to get the hang of this computer stuff yet!

I hope that everyone has a great day/evening!

Barbie

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Caput Draconis - Dec 13, 2004 7:35 pm (#279 of 2956)

After the banned books discussion I was happy to walk (or fight my way) into a book shop today and find 'Catcher in the Rye' not only for sale but with a highly recommended tag, and a little speech from a staff member about how everyone should read it immediately. Yay.

Dare I ask if anyone watched Survivor? Twas very exciting...

Study hard, my learn-ed friends! (learned, pepi, it's pronounced learned)... I got my final (completely final) results yesterday, so I'm all done, ready for summer and um, the rest of my life. Good luck!

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The giant squid - Dec 13, 2004 7:58 pm (#280 of 2956)

D'oh! I completely forgot to ask if you had checked the plugs, Barbie. :embarrassed: My computer is the same way--what looks like a "speaker" is actually for something else. Glad you were able to get everything up & running without having to replace/upgrade anything!

Good Luck to everyone stuck in Finals Heck (PG forum ). I can still remember those dark times in the distant past...bleh.

--Mike

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Julia. - Dec 13, 2004 9:53 pm (#281 of 2956)

What, really Caput? You're graduating?! That's awesome! Mazel tov!

Yay! What a productive day I had today. Two finals out of the way, and my paper is done! Thank G-d for a final's free day tomorrow. I can spend the day reviewing Shakespeare and learning the stuff I should have learned in film but didn't.

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Sherbie Lemon - Dec 13, 2004 11:06 pm (#282 of 2956)

Wow! A lot has changed since I've been here! I've hated being away for so long, but an increase in both my school and work load have not allowed me much time for fun. Thank goodness things have eased up a bit (for now) so I should be able to at least lurk once in a while. I'm still not sure if I'll have enough leisure time to necessitate a full membership; I guess I'll just play it by ear for a while!

Mostly I wanted to say: Happy Birthday! to everyone I've missed. And give a hearty Congratulations! to all those who need/deserve congratulating.

Now I'm off to catch up a bit on the threads.

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Caput Draconis - Dec 13, 2004 11:35 pm (#283 of 2956)

Hiya Sherbie! You've been missed.

Julia, I am indeed, thanks for your excitement! You take film? I did a bunch of film units over my degree, I feel your pain. It was good fun when I wasn't being tested on it, of course. Good luck again!

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Penny Lane. - Dec 13, 2004 11:47 pm (#284 of 2956)

Hi Sherbie - it's nice to see you back.

Congrats Caput on graduation. You take film? That's so cool. I wish I had time in my scheulde to take an elective or two, but alas, film is just a hobbie with me. I'm already over booked for the next year.

I'd just like to say that its definitely finals week here in Michigan. I just got back from the store, and apparently half the campus had the same idea as me - go pick up junk food at 2 a.m. So I'm here munching on ice cream and candy bars in sub freezing temperatures - I figure it's normal, right?

I really miss my avatar.

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Sherbie Lemon - Dec 13, 2004 11:57 pm (#285 of 2956)

Lol, you all are too much! Sorry for my double post, but I had to comment.

Believe it or not, my first post in over 2 months (!) (the one before Caput's) was made before I read the recent conversations on here (shame on me, I know!). I was just beside myself with glee about coming out of HP deprivation and could not contain myself another minute. After going back a bit to learn of recent developments, I discovered that my timing was pretty darn good for once.

No series of unfortunate events has befallen me, unless you count my windows sweating a bunch in the cold weather which caused some mildew to develop on my windowsills. My foreman came by the other day (and this time I was expecting him ) and agreed to extend the warranty another year. So overall things turned out very well!

I was simply away because I made myself go away. I really needed to focus on school and work for the last 2 or so months and didn't allow myself too many distractions. As this forum is usually the biggest (and most fun) of all my distractions, I forbade myself from using it, not even to lurk!

Thankfully, I'm on holiday break and will certainly be around for at least the next 3 weeks.

I've missed you all and waited for the day when I could rejoin the HP world for what seems like an eternity. It's good to be back! Thank you for the welcome, Caput and Penny!

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Caput Draconis - Dec 13, 2004 11:58 pm (#286 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 13, 2004 11:00 pm

I majored in media production, so for me taking film was less an elective than a helpful dose of theory for the practical stuff. It was still heaps of fun trying to like, figure out what that big black thing in '2001' is, and assorted other geeky moments. I was even considering doing an honours year, still might, eventually.

I see a rainbow when I look at your name Penny, if it makes you feel any better. Then again, I still see your old 'C' as well, sometimes...

Yay for 2am candy!!

Edited for cross posting with Sherbie. *hugs*

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septentrion - Dec 14, 2004 8:31 am (#287 of 2956)

It seems a lot of people are stuck in exams these days. That's the time of my studies I don't regret at all. Good luck for all ! And congrats Caput for graduating !

Julia, I find your idea of posting a picture in your posts very clever. That's an interesting idea for those of our members who are not allowed an avatar anymore.

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Julie Aronson - Dec 14, 2004 8:56 am (#288 of 2956)

I am not stuck in exams, but I am this very minute taking a break from writing my last paper before I graduate. I'll turn it in this afternoon and then I'm free! Wahoo!

Of course I'll start law school in the fall (hopefully) but this will do until then!

Julie

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Julia. - Dec 14, 2004 9:47 am (#289 of 2956)

Good morning everyone. It's 11:30 and I only woke up about 10 minutes ago. Yay for not having any finals today. Caput, you did your degree in media productions? That's pretty cool. Sounds like your film classes were a lot interesting than mine was. It could have been a fascinating class, but my professor handled it all wrong. I don't even bother turning up any more.

Julie, yay for graduating! Mazel tov! Hope your last paper turns out well.

Sept. I'm glad you like my idea of posting a pic. It just sort of occurred to me to do it, although I still want my avatar back. Well, off to check the threads and kill some time before I start studying.

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kabloink! - Dec 14, 2004 10:55 am (#290 of 2956)

HI all. I'm in the library, again, checking all of my goodies here before I'm off to start studying and writing. COngrats to Caput and Julie for graduating! Assuming I pass this semester and next, that'll be me in May-I cannot wait!

Caput-media productions? THats sounds like a great deal of fun to me. I love that kind of thing, but did not have the guts to try for anything like that when deciding my degree program. Instead, I'm a history major. Like that's much good anyway, right?

Okay, sorry if I'm ranting, I just cannot wait til its all over and I'm truckin on down to see my nephew!

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Julie Aronson - Dec 14, 2004 11:35 am (#291 of 2956)

Hello!

Thanks for the congrats! Here I am again, 100 words away from the end of my paper and I had to goof off just a little more.

Good for you, Caput--it's a long road, eh?

Julie

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mollis - Dec 14, 2004 11:44 am (#292 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 14, 2004 10:44 am

Welcome back Sherbie! I am thrilled to find that you have not been done in by any unfortunate events!

Has anyone else noticed that as soon as we call out someone who has been missing awhile, they appear as if by magic?!?

Good luck to all studying hard for finals! And good luck to those of you not studying hard too!

Has anybody else not started their Christmas shopping at all yet? I am taking the day of on Thursday to attack it, but I'm getting nervous at how close I'm cutting it. Oh well. Maybe I'll get lucky and get it all done in 1 day!

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 14, 2004 11:54 am (#293 of 2956)

learned, pepi, it's pronounced learned-- Caput Draconis

Hehe. Good one.

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Penny Lane. - Dec 14, 2004 12:21 pm (#294 of 2956)

Wow, Caput, it always amazes me when people still remember the "c". Granted, I still use in in email and all.. Congrats Julie, Good Luck in Law School. I hope to be there myself in ... too much math... I graduate next winter, so fall of '06? Does that sound correct? Right now, though the thought of any more school makes me want to curl up on my couch and think "teen movie fest" - with "Buffy"!

Exams are over. My 3 hour stats exam actually took less than 45 minutes. I think I love my teacher. Ooh, and she showed us her "Rubix cube" skills, she solved it in under a minute. It was amazing/crazy.

Mollis - I too have not yet started Christmas Shopping. This is not, however a new thing for me. Every year I get a little closer to Christmas, and every year I say that I will start earlier Next year. I think last year was the worst though, when I actually waited until the day AFTER Christmas to get presents for everyone. I just told everyone at the partys I went to that "I was in just such a terrible rush as I was leaving, bla bla bla.. I have a gift for you at home, and I'm so sorry I forgot it." Last year also was the first year I tried "Re-Gifting" which is actually (while not a good habit) very practical for someone on limited income. I didn't regift anything besides gift cards, as I would feel rude giving away someone's personalized gift.

Does anyone know how to check and see how close we are to our 10 post a day limit?

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mike miller - Dec 14, 2004 12:23 pm (#295 of 2956)

Welcome back Sherbie!

Congrats to all who are about to graduate! Try to take some time to savor your accomplishment. The only academic regret I have is not being able to attend either of my graduation ceremonies.

Good luck to those who still have final exams. I stand by my earlier comments; just relax, the answers are in your mind. Your task is to find a way to let them out.

Well, back to the salt mine!

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Julie Aronson - Dec 14, 2004 12:55 pm (#296 of 2956)

Mike,

As a point of fact, I, at 36, will be proudly striding across a stage full of 21-23 year olds. I don't care. It took me forever! I'm even making my family and my boyfriend sit through the ceremony. HA!

Penny,

Have you taken the LSAT yet? If not, get the practice books NOW and start working on those EVIL logic games--success at them can make your whole score--I made one incorrect assumption and it cost me 5 answers. I don't even want to think about it....Fortunately I did OK everywhere else, or I'd've had to take that bugger again! YIKES!!!

Julie

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Ladybug220 - Dec 14, 2004 1:01 pm (#297 of 2956)

Julie - you should be proud! It takes work to earn a degree! When my brother graduate from college, there was a woman who was graduating at the age of 71. She had left college to raise her family and she came back because she wanted to finish school. She received a standing ovation from everyone there.

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mike miller - Dec 14, 2004 2:29 pm (#298 of 2956)

Julie - I think that's great! You worked hard to get there and it's time you got your moment in the spotlight.

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The giant squid - Dec 14, 2004 2:30 pm (#299 of 2956)

Speak of the Lemon... Welcome back, Lindsay! It's good to hear your absence was entirely of your own doing, and not due to the machinations of dark fate (okay, I've been reading too much lately...). Sounds like things are finally starting to calm down for you; we told ya that there was a settling-in period with a new house, but after that thing's would be OK.

--Mike

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Julie Aronson - Dec 14, 2004 2:46 pm (#300 of 2956)

**blushes**

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 2:10 pm

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Accio Sirius - Dec 14, 2004 5:49 pm (#301 of 2956)

I'm amused to learn that my hubbie has an upcoming business meeting with a board member of British company. His name is (and I'm not joking) Lord Snape. Too funny.

Welcome back Sherbie. Glad things are looking better.

It is weird to see all the avatar-less posts! I fear change.

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Pinky - Dec 14, 2004 7:09 pm (#302 of 2956)

Penny, I do not believe there is a way to check how many posts you have made. Either you keep track of it yourself, or you just keep posting until you can't do it anymore.

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Julia. - Dec 14, 2004 7:42 pm (#303 of 2956)

Accio S., are you serious?! Lord Snape? That's awesome! That totally deserves a w00t! I'm with you though, about the avatar-less posts. I miss seeing the forum all lit up and colorful and pretty.

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Caput Draconis - Dec 14, 2004 10:02 pm (#304 of 2956)

Lord Snape? LORD SNAPE? Whoa. That is totally awesome.

Thanks for all the congrats, kids. I was just saying to Gina, it's a weird culture-clash thing because graduation doesn't seem to be that big a deal here, people are just like 'oh, you have a degree, good for you'. So yay to you all.

Julia, it sucks that your teacher wasn't into it - I was the opposite, had the Best. Professor. Ever. He was Canadian. kabloink!, it was fun, I figured if I was doing it for three years it'd want to be. History is important! We arts students must stand up for our degrees. Julie, a big, big YAY to you!

Loopy! I was thinking of you when I wrote that, y'know. Wow...that sounds kinda stalkerish...but I can't help but crave your Simpsons approval. *hugs Lionel*

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Phoenix song - Dec 14, 2004 10:04 pm (#305 of 2956)

Penny, this is just a suggestion, but if you think that you are close to your daily limit of posts you could run a "search" using your name and count how many posts have today's date. I think that might work.

I think that I'd be afraid of any meeting that involved a Lord Snape. I'd be waiting with every breath for him to interrupt with an imperious and deafening "SILENCE!"

Sherbie, it's good to have you back. I'd wondered where you'd gotten off to! I'm in awe of your self-control in being able to successfully place your responsibilities over the forum for so long. It's good to have you back.

Julia, I also miss everybody's avatars. Is your picture supposed to be Lily and James? Because the guy is EXACTLY the way that I had always imagined Sirius to look, so when I see the pict I have a fleeting wonder of who the girl is with him. I don't know about everyone else, but I was disappointed that the actor that portrayed Sirius wasn't more of what I'd imagined him to be.

I hope that everybody has a good evening!

Barbie

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Julia. - Dec 14, 2004 10:05 pm (#306 of 2956)

Hey guys. Sorry for the double post, but I just had a very nerdy moment and I had to share it with you all because I know you'll appreciate it. I'm watching 'West Wing,' one of my favorite shows. The president and Donna were on the phone with one of Donna's old teachers. You know, 'The Teacher' the one you love to death and will still have over to your house for dinner 20 years after you graduated? Anyway, the president asked the teacher when she taught Beowulf if she taught it in the original Middle English or if she used a translation. I yelled at my tv 'Beowulf was written in Old English, not Middle English! DUH!' I thought you guys might get a little kick out of that.

By the way, has any one seen or heard from Kim lately?

EDIT: Cross posted with Barbie. I'm glad you asked about the pic. It's actually Harry and Ginny, post Hogwarts. It's by Lisa Rourke, who is my favorite HP artist. You didn't like Gary Oldman for Sirius? I loved him, I thought I hit him dead on, but that's a discussion for another thread.

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 14, 2004 11:47 pm (#307 of 2956)

Yes I miss my Lucy looking out at me every time I check my posts. You know it was getting to the point where I could identify posts just by the avatar.

I would dearly love to buy the membership, but my CC and paypal won't talk to each other. Something to do with a non-US card and unable to verify it. I could join paypal but why do I need to?? I don't need anything else off the net except for the joy of talking to you guys about everything and anything on a Series we all adore.

Good luck and good wishes to all those on the exam/last minute paper trail. And also to those brave enough to go shopping for those elusive presents.

Enjoy your Wednesday, everybody...

Lizzy

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Julie Aronson - Dec 14, 2004 11:53 pm (#308 of 2956)

Julia,

I've shouted at the TV for just that sort of thing more times than I'm willing to admit. Mazel Tov for actually realizing the mistake!!!

Julie

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Penny Lane. - Dec 15, 2004 1:16 am (#309 of 2956)

Wow Phoenix Song, I didn't even think about that. I was also wondering if it's 10 posts per day starting at 12 a.m. Pacific time, or if they were using someother time zone. Not that it's really THAT much of an issue. As it is, I feel like I'm usually the only one who's posting in the early morning/late night time.

I've been back in my parents’ home for about 8 hours and I'm ready to leave. I know I'm supposed to be grateful and thankful and stuff, especially since it's Christmas, but is it too much to ask for my mother to NOT move all my stuff around everytime I leave? And if she does, it would make it a whole lot better if she would just admit to it, instead of denying it. It's not like the tooth fairy broke in and moved the bookcase from one wall to another. ALso, if it WAS the tooth fairy, she could have done it without taking all the books out and then reshelving them non alphabetically and occasionally with the pages bent.

Okay. Sorry about the rant. *breath*. I'm glad to see my kittys again, and I am glad to have a break from school.

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Marè - Dec 15, 2004 2:02 am (#310 of 2956)

Lizzy, have you considered a cheque? Your banc should be able to conjure one up that could go international. I know it's an option with WX. (But if you want more info than that, I suggest contacting Kip... I'm not very good with money business, I only pay attention to it when I end up with 6 euro's and one and a half week to live of that. to quote Loesje: At the end of my money, I always have some month left.

And Penny, I still see the C, and the rainbow, if that helps.

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The giant squid - Dec 15, 2004 3:13 am (#311 of 2956)

Penny, I think it's 10 posts in a 24-hour period. So if you post at, say, 12:16am PST on the 15th your 11th post can't happen until 12:16am on the 16th.

Of course, I could be completely wrong; it's been known to happen. Luckily for the bystanders there was no permanent damage...

--Mike

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Pinky - Dec 15, 2004 6:01 am (#312 of 2956)

Almost, Mike. It is a 24 hour period, but NOT from when you make your first post. It runs from 12 midnight to 12 midnight PST. So conceivably, you could make 10 posts late in the evening before midnight PST, and then make 10 more posts right after midnight PST, and actually end up posting 20 times within a couple hours, Of course, then you couldn't post until after midnight again.

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kabloink! - Dec 15, 2004 6:09 am (#313 of 2956)

Morning all. Why oh why do I instist upon hurting myself? Lo and behold it is 8am on the morning that my first paper is due at 5pm (all 25 pages of it-minimum) and I have 8 pages done. I have another paper due tomorrow at nine am that I still have to get to the library and research-in a section of he library that closes at 5pm.

It'll all be over tomorrow afternoon, I suppose.

Happy Wednesday to everyone!

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Marè - Dec 15, 2004 6:16 am (#314 of 2956)

Kim, you sound awfully like me. I have a report to finish and I enthusiastically mailed my supervisor "that its almost done, and there in a minute" in an effort to force myself to work. Needless to say I still need to do heeps about it...

I'm crossing my fingers for you!

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Ozymandias - Dec 15, 2004 6:26 am (#315 of 2956)

Hello everybody! I hope everyone with finals is doing well. I only have one left, since all of my papers were due last week. Don't worry, though. I procrastinated them as much as possible-I think I wrote one about an hour before it was due!

Penny, I'm with you about the parental anxiety. I don't mind when my family messes with my things while I'm gone. I don't live there anymore, so I'm already starting to feel more like a guest when I go to stay. But what I find really difficult is the fact that my parents try a bit too hard to make me feel at home. I understand why they're doing it; I'm the first child to move away. But that doesn't make it any less frustrating when I want to relax during my holiday and my mom always wants to do something!

No, I'm being unfair. My parents are fantastic. But a little part of me can't help but dread the five weeks I'll be in their house for Christmas.

Julia, I know the West Wing you mean! I thought that was such a sweet moment. I'm glad I didn't catch the Beowulf thing; it would have ruined it. But way to go in correcting the president! He's such an insufferable know-it-all!

And now, it's 5:30 in the morning, and I have nothing to do and I can't sleep. I had an allergy attack this...no wait, yesterday morning cleaning out the yarn closet at school. Took medicine, and I woke up an hour ago. All my roommates are asleep, so I can't make any noise. Hmm...I think I will take my oreos and my bottle of cranberry juice into the bath, and read Harry Potter until someone wakes up.

Have a good day, everybody!

EDIT: I miss the avatars too. Julia, I looked at that link, and her art is absolutely incredible. I'm not wild about her depiction of the Potters (by which I mean they don't quite match the image I had in my mind...neither does movie Harry, but that's another story) but the Weasleys are absolutely perfect! I might be splurging on a premium membership after the holidays. Maybe I will ask her if I can use her "canon Neville" picture as my avatar.

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 15, 2004 6:41 am (#316 of 2956)

Good luck Kabloink. I can sympathize with painting yourself into a corner like that as I did it all too often too myself.

Caput-- Awww. It's nice to be thought of. That quote (as well as your tag line) do indeed have my approval on both the humor and obscurity scale.

I haven't heard from Kim either Julia. Nor have a I heard from Catherine in a while. So, "hellos" to both Kim and Catherine. Hope all is going well.

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Sherbie Lemon - Dec 15, 2004 8:32 am (#317 of 2956)

Thanks for all the welcomes, everyone!

With my recent good-for-me (average-for-most ) string of luck, I got a little concerned that Mike may have been experiencing terrible calamities outside his control. I'm glad to see that that is not the case, or if it is, he hides it well.

I guess I'm not the only one who went AWOL. I hope Kim and Catherine are simply too busy holiday shopping to be on the forum much and everything is well with them.

Thanks, Phoenix Song. It was very hard to practice that much self control at first, but after 3 weeks or so I got so busy I wondered how I ever had time to post in the first place! Still, it's good to be back.

I miss my avatar as well, Julia. Maybe I'll take a page out of your book and incorporate it into my post...

I'm so glad to hear of all the graduations on here, and I want you all to know that I'm not the least bit jealous. Congratulations again!

Good luck to everyone holiday shopping. I went yesterday thinking, "Oh, it's Tuesday morning, no one will be out." Needless to say, that was not the case. I practically got into a fist fight with a woman who was standing behind me in line. Ah, it is so nice to see the Christmas spirit all around! But to be fair, malls crammed with last minute shoppers fighting over the last singing bass is not a place that induces a holiday mood. I suppose I should have been more patient with the Umbridge clone behind me...or I should have clocked her with the car speakers I was holding.

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septentrion - Dec 15, 2004 8:36 am (#318 of 2956)

It was very hard to practice that much self control at first, but after 3 weeks or so I got so busy I wondered how I ever had time to post in the first place!

Three weeks before you don't feel the need for the forum ! It's as difficult as to stop smoking !

I've just noticed it's been a year I've been posting on this forum. This is my forum anniversary !

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Sherbie Lemon - Dec 15, 2004 8:39 am (#319 of 2956)

Well then, Happy Anniversary Septentrion!

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Elanor - Dec 15, 2004 9:13 am (#320 of 2956)

Happy anniversary Septentrion! And congratulations for the ones who graduate!

Julie, I know what it is to restart studies and be older than the other students. I completely changed of work 4 years ago when I passed the competitive entry examination for becoming a teacher (I was working in historic buildings before!) and I know how hard it is to work and study at the same time. But we were 3 or 4 teacher-students who were older than the others so it was easier and I think we appreciated the end of that school year even better than the other students! BTW, I went to the library today and the book hasn't been returned already. They are going to send a note to the one who borrowed it.

I hope everybody has a great Wednesday! Mine was very nice: I decorated my Christmas tree, made some Christmas shopping and I am going to have a "Return of the King" evening. There are two more days of work before the holidays to start but I am already in holidays in my mind! **Jingle bells, jingle bells...**

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Julia. - Dec 15, 2004 9:43 am (#321 of 2956)

Ohhhhh, Elanor, yay for Christmas tree decorations! That was the one thing I always remember being jealous of my friends for when I was little. They all got to have pretty trees in their living rooms and I got nothing! And they got to decorate their houses with pretty lights and I didn't even get to put the menorah in the window!

Sept, happy forum anniversary! Have a butterbeer on me *hands Sept butterbeer*

Well, I'm off to eat lunch, then study for and take my Shakespeare exam. *waves at forum* See you all later!

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Ydnam96 - Dec 15, 2004 9:44 am (#322 of 2956)

Elanor, I love your new avatar~! Very festive.

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Fawkes Forever - Dec 15, 2004 9:58 am (#323 of 2956)

Good luck on the finals guys. Congrats to the new aunties.

I had a fab time in London.... so much so I want to move there now.... I really felt at home there... probably as all the Red Telephone boxes in the touristy areas reminded me of being a kid again.... We used to have those phone boxes up until the mid 80's believe it or not!

In a bit of a mood at the moment, as PayPal won't except my credit card for WS Premier Membership... and I miss having an avatar... was planning a new one for christmas... oh well!

Happy Anniverslexiconforumy Sept (made up word by the way folks!) *chugs down some Butterbeer*

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Flame Alligator - Dec 15, 2004 10:02 am (#324 of 2956)

Hi everybody! Did I neglect to read something? What is the deal with the missing avatars?

I am only half finished with Christmas shopping. My friend re-gifts all the time. Especially, tools, appliances and such. We both have the strange habit of buying clothes and never wearing them. So we give them as presents. I even have a portable DVD player I have never opened. Don't ask why. Just a quirk of mine. Anyway, I am giving it as a gift. I love getting her "sort of re-gifts". So far she has given me a juicer, dehydrator and a coffee press (I use it for tea ). Not to mention leather jackets, pants etc. When I was cleaning out my house this month, she went through the boxes of sweaters I had stacked to give to DAV (Disabled Veterans) and said, "I'll take these three sweaters for early Christmas presents." Oooo I love recycling in whatever form.

OK...... enough of my chatter.

Have a swell Wednesday.

doei

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Eponine - Dec 15, 2004 1:43 pm (#325 of 2956)

Hello, everyone! I hope all is well.

Today, I tripped over my toes leaving my in laws' house and fell down in their driveway. I now see the humor in my husband finding my lying face down on the concrete, but earlier today...not so much. I am fine though, just a little scratched up. How is it possible to trip over nothing? I do that sometimes, and I don't understand how I trip when there's nothing there!

Anyway, we still have quite a bit of Christmas shopping to do. It seems to get harder and harder each year to buy things for people. Maybe people just want less things as they get older.

I miss everyone's avatar as well. Julia, I like your idea of just inserting a picture in every post. Quite sneaky. I learned all about Hanakah the other day, and I thought about you. Well, you and the Holiday Armadillo episode of Friends.

I hope everyone is having a pleasant day wherever you are.

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The giant squid - Dec 15, 2004 1:45 pm (#326 of 2956)

Flame, check out the thread entitled "Our Future With World Crossing" up at the top of the page. Your avatar-related question will be answered, and then some.

Almost, Mike.

Thanks for the clarification, Pinky. Good thing there weren't any innocent bystanders. After I posted that, I realized it couldn't work that way anyway--where do you put the "start" point? There's got to be an arbitrary beginning somewhere.

Sherbie, things actually have been rather crazy in SquidWorld--which is why I wasn't too worried about your absence. Most of it's the usual stuff--doctor, dentist, winter colds, Christmas presents for a thousand relatives--it just all hit at once. The big thing lately, though, is that my mother-in-law had a nasty fall and busted her ankle pretty bad. After the surgery the doctor said that if she manages to not put any weight on it for two months(!) she might be able to walk normally. Needless to say, we've been quite anal about making sure she keeps her butt planted on that couch while we run & get her stuff. It's getting tougher...she's already getting stir-crazy, and it's only been a week or two. By the end of February she'll be gnawing her way through the wall.

--Mike

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 15, 2004 2:12 pm (#327 of 2956)

I hope everything works out for your mother-in-law, Squid. My brother broke his ankle in March, and he is still having problems with it. He basically can't walk on uneven ground and limps noticeably on flat surfaces.

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Sherbie Lemon - Dec 15, 2004 2:23 pm (#328 of 2956)

Mike - If she doesn't go through the walls, she may start on her own foot, much like a fox in a trap. I'm sorry she's hurt but glad to hear most everything is not crazy in a terrible way, but simply in the noraml way for people like us! At least we never have to worry about boredom!

Septentrion, I just realized that we both have anniversaries today! When I posted earlier, I had forgotten that today is my third wedding anniversary. Thank goodness he left a card this morning to remind me! With it so close to my birthday and Christmas, we don't really celebrate our anniversary. Our first one was a big deal but now it's lucky if we both remember long enough to say, Happy Anniversary. I think that means the honeymoon's over.

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kabloink! - Dec 15, 2004 2:24 pm (#329 of 2956)

Eponine, don't worry, I suffer from the same disorder. Typically when I trip over nothing, though, I end up not being able to walk for a week, as it involves twisting my right foot when I fall. It’s always quite embarrassing. I call into work...I can't work, I uh hurt my foot...how did you hurt your foot? Ummm, I tripped over my own two feet...and of course they can't really excuse me because I never go to the doctor for it, thanks to a lack of insurance. Oh well, such is life. Cheer up about it, though-In October I fell on the pavement in front of a friend's house (this one actually had a reason-not an appropriate forum one, though) and I think I'm going to have a scar on my elbow for life. Good times.

Hey everyone-I finished my first paper!!!! Hoorah. Now only 1-15 page paper and one exam tomorrow afternoon before I'm done for the year! Yay!

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Pinky - Dec 15, 2004 3:24 pm (#330 of 2956)

I am in awe. Didn't you say that as of this morning you only had 8 pages of a 25 page paper that was due by tonight? And you finished it? Where were you when I was going through school?

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Elanor - Dec 15, 2004 4:32 pm (#331 of 2956)

I'm happy for you Kabloink! It is such a relief when you have given all the work you had to do and feel free to enjoy the holidays at last. My best wishes to all the students that are finishing their work too!

Fawkes, it was good to hear from you! How were the Christmas decorations? Have you taken some pictures? I'm happy that you had fun there!

Ydnam96, thanks about my avatar! I just love this little angel. It is an 11th century capital of the abbey that is just across the street I live in. It doesn't show its age, does it? I always thought he looked so young and cheerful, not bad when you are nearly a thousand years old! I guess I will look less dashing when I will be its age... BTW, a big thank you to Solitaire who turned this picture in this lovely avatar!

BTW, I've finally seen it! I've just watched "The Return of the King", extended edition, and it was really great (thought I didn't like very much the trick they used at the beginning about Sarumane). I won't say anymore about it before you will have seen it but this edition is really better than the theatre version, maybe still just a little too short...

Okay, as it is 0.30 a.m., Thursday morning here, I'd better go to bed because the kids won't be tired in class tomorrow morning, that is certain! Have a great day/night/morning everybody!

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boop - Dec 15, 2004 6:24 pm (#332 of 2956)

Septentrion- Happy Lexicon Forum Anniversary

Lindsey- Welcome back you were missed. BTW Happy Anniversary

I am having a rough time with the holiday season. I was given some coping skills from my psychologist. I have this problem every year at this time. I am just going to use the skills and try and keep busy. It is just so stressful time for me. I can not wait for the season to be over. Well enough about me. Hope everyone is having a fun holiday season.

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 15, 2004 6:55 pm (#333 of 2956)

G'day Everyone!

I haven't posted for a couple of days, I've been a bit crazy busy with work, and Christmas shopping, and everything else that goes with the Christmas season! Have had a few Christmas parties already and am having another one this week-end at my mum's house which will be great. We always have a party with my mums brother & his family the Sunday before Christmas, and this year my mum's half brother & his wife and kids will be joining us too, it's been a long time since we've seen them (like 6 years!!!) so it will be great to see them again.

I've almost completed my Christmas shopping at long last, I've only got 1 nephew & 1 niece to go & mine and Ben's parents! YAY!! Then all I have to do is put together 2 Christmas hampers that we are sending to the companies our trucks work for (both family owned & run & they are lovely people), and then I'm done!!!! Gotta be happy with that!

Eponine & Kabloink, I too suffer from the Klutz Syndrome, as I like to call it, I am constantly covered with bruises which I have no idea how I got as I'm always bumping into things & tripping over my own feet (strangely I only do the tripping thing when I'm wearing flat shoes, never in high heels!) so I completely understand you both, it's nice to see there are others like me, my family now just laugh at me!

Well once again, this has become quite a long post, hope it finds you all well, and those that aren't, take care & I'm sending cheering charms (de-stressing one for you boop!) your way.

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Ydnam96 - Dec 15, 2004 7:59 pm (#334 of 2956)

Elanor, that is cool about the capital! We do not have things that old here in US...I'm jealous!

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kabloink! - Dec 15, 2004 9:16 pm (#335 of 2956)

I don't know where I was when you were in school Pinky, but I think my fingers are arthritic at this point. Mind you, the paper I wrote was not good, nor was it quite the required length (23 pgs instead of 25), but it was due at 5pm. Now I have a paper on 1960's feminism to keep me company tonight, but it is only a fifteen pager, and my prof has very specific guidelines as to what goes into the paper. Not to mention that she's not too worried about our rhetoric, simply that we analyze and compare certain things. THis and one exam tomorrow afternoon, and itll all be over!!!

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Marie E. - Dec 15, 2004 11:13 pm (#336 of 2956)

I have met Squid/Mike's mother-in-law and I can't imagine her sitting still for two minutes, much less two months! Poor thing, I hope she's feeling better.

I was able to pound out long papers for school in record time and this was without a PC with grammar check. When I go back to school, I'll be just cranking them out. Hopefully. I've been considering going back to school next year for my graduate degree. I've been out of school for almost ten years so it's a little scary to think about.

Betty, I hope you're doing alright. I know a lot of people who have a hard time during the holidays and I know it isn't easy. Take it easy and remember we're thinking of you.

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scully jones - Dec 15, 2004 11:22 pm (#337 of 2956)

I had an English Placement test today, I'm pretty sure I did well. It was awkward taking a thirty, a thirty-five and a forty minute test of which I spent only five of each actually answering questions. I finish, then I read my book. Is that so wrong?

Good luck shopping everyone! I haven't bought one thing yet! I haven't even sent out christmas cards! I'm worried it just won't end up happening this year.

My scully is very happy, rubbing all over me... Did I ever mention she's afraid of ceiling fans? If one even so much as twitches, she runs out of the room. She's constantly glaring up at them, sometimes startled just to notice they're still there. Odd kitty I have.

Good luck and Happy Happy Holidays everyone!

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Julia. - Dec 16, 2004 5:25 am (#338 of 2956)

It's 7am. Why am I awake at 7 am? I don't know, it's too early to ask silly questions like that. Oh wait, I have a final at 8.

Anyway, Kim, I must say I am very impressed with your ability to crank out papers like that. And I thought I was good in high school with my amazing ability to turn out five pages in six hours. clearly you have me beat in the speed paper writing cagegory.

Betty, you'll be just fine over the holidays. Just remember that we'll be thinking about you and find stuff to do to keep busy.

Sarah! *hugs Sarah* I'm so glad to hear that your English placement test went well. You'll have to let us know how you did when the results come in, the we can officially welcome you to the ranks. Scully is affraid of ceiling fans? Sorry, but I just can't stop myself from laughing at that one. That's not an odd kitty you have there, it's a deranged one. But that's ok, deranged kitties are fun.

Well, I must be off to take this insane 8 am final. I shall see you all when I am free.

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Julie Aronson - Dec 16, 2004 6:15 am (#339 of 2956)

Marie:

You'll be fine--I waited seven years before I tried college again, and I was finally ready to do what I had to do. My only difficulty was accepting the fact that now I was older than some of the professors!

As far as last-minute papers go, I find that I need the inspiring nature of pressure. I had some of my assignments for this past semester for a month or more and I still started them just before they were due. I REALLY need to get over that!!

Julie

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John Bumbledore - Dec 16, 2004 9:16 am (#340 of 2956)

John Bumbledore
*Tripping on a flat surface.*

Eponine, I have heard a friend, in jest, call this "low stride syndrome." When a person does not lift his toe enough to clear the ground as he swing his trailing leg forward (with knee slightly bent and hip slightly raised.) Well, I never studied kiense.. kinesa... (the study of the body in motion), so that is just my visual observation. The complexity of motion, muscles, and balance in the simple act of walking is amazing to think about (note: do not focus on this while you try to walk because that is a sure to get anyone confused and lying face down on the ground! .)

Well, in my opinion, If this happens more than once in a blue moon, then I would suggest you mention it to your doctor. I say this because I know of at least one ailment that affects a person’s ability to lift their toes in order to walk properly. But if it isn't a daily event or isn't occurring in spells, then it is just that "low stride syndrome" that we all have experienced. In fact, I had a pair of shoes that were notorious to (to me at least) for causing me to suffer from low stride syndrome. I must have tossed them in the trash when I realized those were the only pair of shoes that I had this trouble with.

Flame, Julia, et al. I also miss my avatar, so I (Thought I had) found a way to revive it! (Alas! Earwax! ) Here is the code I used:
img src="http://wc6.worldcrossing.com/webx?altPic@@11f2dba9@52" Title="John Bumbledore" align=left

(Note: This worked in my profile as you will see if you click on my name. The code after the "webx?" will depend on your own user name. You can find it by using the "Change password or preferences" link in the teal bar. Then when you see your old avatar image that you last up loaded to world crossing, use a right mouse click on the image and select properties from the popup menu. Finally, copy the address and use it in the "http: yadda yadda quoted URL address" part of the HTML tag I show above. The options I used were "Title" and "Align." Title shows the text in quotes when you point at the image, and align lets the text get wrapped around on the sides of the image. Unhappy to Not have my Avatar back! )

<)B^D= (John) Bumbledore

Ack! **Edits** (in side brackets): it did NOT work! My Avatar did not appear as it did in my test! Oh bother! Alas! Earwax!

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From Venus - Dec 16, 2004 10:21 am (#341 of 2956)

Hi! I haven't posted since Dec.11 and I'm so far behind, that I can't catch up right now, since I have a very exuberant 4 yr. old right beside me chatting up a storm. But I just wanted to stop and say "hello" and that TODAY IS MY BIRTHDAY!!! I'm 52 today. YIKES! Time flies when you're having fun.

My husband was going to have the day off and we were going to go get our Christmas shopping started, (yes, I said started ) but he got called in anyways, this morning, so good-bye to those plans. I guess I'll just pass out a lot of checks on Christmas, let them all go bargain hunting at the malls after the holidays. Sounds like a plan.

So, everyone have a good day, I know I will. It's not every day a gal gets to turn 52. (YIKES! again). When I have a more quiet moment (or hour or two) I'll catch up on all I've missed. I've noticed at least one new minesweeper score...HAPPY THURSDAY EVERYONE!

EDIT No more avatars, hmmm? I guess I might send in some money after all, it looks a little dull this way....

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Denise P. - Dec 16, 2004 12:04 pm (#342 of 2956)

Just a quick FYI...the chat room is WORKING again on the main Forum here. Yippie!!!

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VeronikaG - Dec 16, 2004 12:10 pm (#343 of 2956)

I'm just sneaking in a post before I have to unplug. Dial up is so much fun.

Happy birthday From Venus! May your next 52 years be very enjoyable!

I have my last final this term tomorrow and I feel like crying, screaming, and banging my head against the wall. It's Interface Design. Terrible. At least my whole class is taking this one, so there will be lots of people suffering along with me.

Have a good Thursday afternoon.

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septentrion - Dec 16, 2004 12:51 pm (#344 of 2956)

Happy anniversary Sherbie ! And happy birthday From Venus !

I think I suffer from the low stride syndrome too. I even found myself lay down two month’s ago. It happened in the street but by luck it was in the evening and the darkness protected me from being ridiculous. Yet the worse are the bruises. I always have one somewhere, especially on the knees : as I'm rather short, I have to put my seat forth in my car in order to drive and I often hit the board under the wheel when I slow down.

Everyone have a good day (especially those who have exams)/night.

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kabloink! - Dec 16, 2004 1:05 pm (#345 of 2956)

Happy Anniversary Sherbie and Happy anniversary of your Birthday to From Venus!

Well, I just took my last final for the semester, but I still have to write my last paper. I was so burned out last night that I simply emailed my prof. and asked if I could have an extension or just take the incomplete. She said yes! SO, while my official grade will be an 'i' I will not be insane and the paper is not due til Monday at 5pm. Granted, I am still going out of town this weekend, so I still have to do most of the work tonight, but tis okay.

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Accio Sirius - Dec 16, 2004 1:58 pm (#346 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 16, 2004 12:59 pm

Happy Birthday Venus!

Is low stride syndrome the same as stub toe syndrome? If there is any kind of solid wood platform or leg hidden underneath furniture or fixtures, I will invariably stub a toe on it. This promptly brings tears of laughter from other family members. I can't tell you how many broken toes I've had--and they are very painful. And it's not like you get a lot of sympathy or can wear a big cast or anything. I guess I could wear shoes around the house.....

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 16, 2004 2:17 pm (#347 of 2956)

For those who even noticed I was missing --I'm back! For a little while anyway. I see there are too many posts to even attempt to catch up on so I will do the sane thing and "Mark As Read".

I hope everyone is doing well. I see I have to pony up in order to get back my beloved Lupin avatar--well, believe you me, the check's in the mail.

Greetings to all, especially some of my particular friends (you know who you are, I'll be contacting you via MSN later).

Boy, I've missed this place.

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Ladybug220 - Dec 16, 2004 2:21 pm (#348 of 2956)

Kim is back, Sherbie is back, Marcus is back, but where is Catherine?

Happy Birthday to all who have or had birthdays this month.

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The giant squid - Dec 16, 2004 2:43 pm (#349 of 2956)

It's the busiest time of year, so naturally everyone comes running to the Forum for a little sanity.

From Venus, I find that gift cards come in very handy this time of year. They're small, easy to wrap/ship, and let the recipient get whatever they want. If my wife weren't in charge of gifts, everyone would get gift cards/gift certificates from me.

The mother in law is doing better. Now that she's past the crest of the pain (first the break itself and then the surgery to repair it) she's calming down a bit. We're taking her to see the Blue Man Group tomorrow night; it was originally going to be her birthday present (her b-day's on the 20th) but now it's a "get me out of the house!" present. I don't know why I enjoy watching men in blue greasepaint whacking PVC pipe with sticks...but I do.

--Mike

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 16, 2004 3:22 pm (#350 of 2956)

<-----(points at avatar.) Glad to see him back. That PayPal is fast.

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 2:13 pm

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Denise P. - Dec 16, 2004 3:40 pm (#351 of 2956)

I missed you Kim!

Oh good grief! We just got a call from the hospital where Devin is seen, a lady who works in the Development office. Devin had filmed a walk-through of various hospital features (the pharmacy, the chapel, the Flying Pig etc) that is shown to new patients and played on a loop on hospital TV. In the pharmacy and in the downstairs lobby, there are train sets. It was decided it would be cute if Devin watched the train and said "I wish I had a train like that at home." Well, people have seen that and there was an underground movement to get my children a train for Christmas Bwahahahahahaha! They called to make sure it was okay to get it and then we are going to arrange how to get it here. I have NO idea where this silly train will go! She sounded so excited, I didn't have the heart to tell her that it was a scripted line.

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 16, 2004 8:50 pm (#352 of 2956)

Happy birthday From Venus.

And with all the Holiday hub bub that's happening from now till the end of the year I just want to wish everyone the happiest of holidays, whichever holiday you celebrate.

Jack

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Julia. - Dec 16, 2004 9:08 pm (#353 of 2956)

HAPPY BRITHDAY FROM VENUS!! I know it's late, but have a butterbeer on me. *hands From Venus butterbeer* Hope you had a great day.

Man it's late-ish. I finished my finals this morning and I'm home now. Happy to be with my family, sad to be back on dial up. My lap-top is with Jim the computer guy, so at the moment I'm on the ancient desk top.

Welcome back Kim! We missed you around here!

Other Kim, yay for extension on your paper! Good luck getting it done before you leave for your weekend trip. (Sorry about calling you Other Kim, but I'm not sure how else to distinguish between the two Kims.)

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 16, 2004 11:10 pm (#354 of 2956)

Yes it looks as though the finals and the papers are nearly over and the holidays begin!!

Enjoy your break everyone

Lizzy

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 16, 2004 11:59 pm (#355 of 2956)

All I can say is thank g-d it's nearly the holidays!!! I've had (am still having) one of those days today where I just should never have gotten out of bed! My work printer decided to spit the dummy this morning for the 3rd time this week (getting the new one in the new year), and my computer decided to wanted to work exceptionally slowly, and occasionally shut itself down, then my sister-in-law whom I dislike greatly came in and pretended to be all nice in front of my brother, then I found out I have to spend Christmas day with people I don't really like, then one of our trucks got a puncture which turned out to be a bit more and cost more money, then to top it off I've just spent the best part of the last hour on hold to the blasted tax office to have a 5 minute inquiry answered!!!!

I apologize for the rant but I just needed to get it all out, thanks for listening (reading)

Hope all you people with papers & finals still to complete do wonderfully well! I'm sure you will! Have a wonderful week-end all!!!!!!!

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The giant squid - Dec 17, 2004 2:26 am (#356 of 2956)

Sorry, I have to chuckle: all the posts of "Happy Birthday From Venus" had me thinking, "How did so many Forumers get to Venus, and how do they have internet access there?"

Daioma, I feel your pain. It sounds like your day was much like mine have been lately--not any big thing going wrong, just a lot of little ones. (I think I may have said that already; if so I apologize for repeating myself. Just another little thing going wrong ) Case in point: I woke up at 8am this morning (Thursday) because the house painters were supposed to come by then. They finally showed up at 10. I went to work at 5PM, got home at 1am. The painters are supposed to be back tomorrow at 8am again. If I assume they'll be late again, they'll be here at 8 sharp; if I get up at 8, they'll show up around noon. Plus we have plans for tomorrow night that can't be cancelled, so I'm going to be quite lethargic come Saturday...

--Mike

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VeronikaG - Dec 17, 2004 6:24 am (#357 of 2956)

It's Christmas holiday. Yay!

I have nothing more to say, so I'll go help my friend pack out of her dorm instead. Have a very nice Friday all!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 17, 2004 8:29 am (#358 of 2956)

Wow! I didn't realize there had been a mass exodus. Has it been this quiet for long? *hears pin drop*

Thanks for the welcome Julia. Any chance you could make an IKEA run for me?

Hey Denise, I keep looking for you on MSN. How's Greg adjusting to home life? Or better yet, how are you adjusting to having Greg back in your home?

Well, Santa needs to start wrapping...

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 17, 2004 8:39 am (#359 of 2956)

Hello everyone. Happy weekend. Tonight is the office xmas party, and I have my lampshade ready. (Somehow, the best xmas party stories involve me.)

Anyway, good to see you back Kim. As a quick aside, Kim, I did look over The Last Supper painting on the Internet. (I've finally gotten around to reading "The Da Vinci Code" which, even though I'm not finished just yet, I highly recommend.) What is funny is that I noticed right away the "issue" you wanted me to see, but didn't even realize that it was an "issue" until last night. (Sorry if that message is cryptic everyone, but I don't want to risk spoiling anything for anyone.)

Cheers. ***sends "Best Wishes" charms to Catherine**

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From Venus - Dec 17, 2004 9:13 am (#360 of 2956)

Hello everyone, and thank you for all the birthday cheer. I've just one more butterbeer to go, give me a sec......................O.K.(*BURP*)Oh, pardon me!

I want to extend good luck/congratulations to all in the school thing. My son is frantically immersed also, I'm almost glad he's not living here, his stress is catching....it wears me out.

Lastly, I want to say that my heart goes out to all of you who are feeling snowed-under right now. I am one of those people who feel that way this time of year, and I totally commiserate with you. I am so in awe of people who get it all done a week early, and can totally relax during the festivities. I become frantic and sleep deprived. Every year I try to do differently, but it always ends up the same. This year I've decided to not let it bum me out, I'll just do what I can and not worry about the rest. I'll let you know if it works. Anyways, I'll keep you all in my prayers and thoughts, I'm hoping the next week is wonderful for everyone!

P.S. Sorry this post is so long. Just wanted to mention, I'm sending my dues via snail mail, so I'll be getting back my planet, eventually. LOL, Giant Squid, I see what you mean. Well, the weather is lovely here on Venus, this time of year. I should get all the forumsters who are visiting to look me up...

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Julia. - Dec 17, 2004 10:55 am (#361 of 2956)

Good afternoon all. I love being on vacation. I went to bed at 1 last night and woke up at noon. I have no more exams to worry about, nothing to worry me at all. Yay.

Diaoma, I'm sorry to hear you're having a bad day. Don't worry though, tomorrow will be better!

Mike, can't your wife wake up and meet the painters? Why does it have to be you?

Kim, I will not make an IKEA run for you! I am not going to brave the 91/95 intersect, especially not at this time of year. I may be insane, but I am not that crazy.

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mike miller - Dec 17, 2004 11:14 am (#362 of 2956)

Flame - Glad to see another supporting the DAV! They have been one of my selected charities for several years now. Since I did not serve in the military, I feel I owe something to those who did, especially those having to deal with a disability as a result.

Betty - Hang on through the Holidays. If things start to get you down, think of all your Forum friends.

Happy Forum Anniversary Sherbie!

Happy Birthday (only a little late) Venus!

Denise - It only goes to show that Santa is REAL!

Loopy - I agree on the Dan Brown books. I'm currently reading Deception Point, the last of the 4 I think he has out. Angels & Demon and Digital Fortress are very good as well.

On the recommendation front, I highly recommend The Five People You Meet in Heaven movie. It was broadcast on ABC a couple of weeks ago and I understand they are showing it on ABC Family. Check your local listings, it's extremely well done.

I have not been on the Forum at all this week. I've been trying to get all of my work done so I can enjoy a 2 week vacation for the Holidays. Alas Earwax, it looks like I will have to finish up from home on Monday. The work load of late has kept me from getting into the proper Holiday spirit.

Thanks to last night, the spirit has finally caught up with me. Our church puts on a Christmas program called the "Living Christmas Tree". This is the 20th year for the program, open to the public with no charge. You just need to request tickets in advance. Imagine a large scaffold about 100 feet tall, covered with greenery, lights and decorations to look like a giant Christmas tree and the entire choir (10 rows of people) up on the tree like ornaments. The star on top of the tree is 10 feet tall with over 2,600 lights! The total program lasted nearly 2 hours with the bell choir, jazz band, men's vocal quartet and lots of Christmas carols. It was Wonderful!

Have a great weekend everyone!

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Elanor - Dec 17, 2004 1:01 pm (#363 of 2956)

Happy holidays everyone! Mine have just begun too and I'm so happy about that because this year we have a whole week of holidays for preparing Christmas and it will be great!

The weather was really weird today with a huge storm in the north of France that the forecast had not seen coming with such a strength. There were gale force winds, between 100 and 150 km/hour in Normandie and the North region where Septentrion lives. Marè, who lives in Britain, must have had some strong winds too. 4 people died near Paris because trees felt on their cars and there is serious damage since a lot of people still have no electricity for now. But things should calm down during the night.

Where I live, more in the south, there was a lot of wind and rain but it is nothing compared to the north of the country. I hope everything is okay for you Sept and Marè! Give us some news soon!

I wish everybody a great weekend with a lot of Christmas joys: Mike, your Christmas program sounds to have been wonderful indeed!

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septentrion - Dec 17, 2004 1:21 pm (#364 of 2956)

There has been a storm today ? I didn't notice ! It' been raining hippogriffs all day and the wind is blowing hard but nothing to compare with a storm. ***peering through the window to check if everything's normal : yes it is, except for the street lights which are off but it often happens in winter because the Christmas illuminations require too much power.*** Well I happen to live not less than 200 km from the sea, maybe that's what save us from the storm. I'd be more concerned with Marè. Marè, are you OK ?

We had a Christmas lunch in restaurant today, I still feel as heavy as if I'd had eaten some of Hagrid's cookies. I'm having some days off next week, I really need them.

Everyone have a good day/night and holiday ! My thoughts for those who had a tough day and to those who feel bad at the end of year.

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Elanor - Dec 17, 2004 1:57 pm (#365 of 2956)

Hello Septentrion! I'm so happy to hear you're Okay! The news said that trains had stopped for hours in the North (till Lille) but the worst of it was certainly near the Pas-de-Calais where the strongest winds were. I hope Marè is okay too!

We didn't have a Christmas lunch at work this year but we had to have a teacher's meeting yesterday after school and the principal suggested that we did it at the pub. That was what I call a meeting for once! LOL! We tasted the "Christmas beer" instead of talking about the school plannings and it was far less boring than it is usually...

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septentrion - Dec 17, 2004 2:32 pm (#366 of 2956)

Well, I've searched for news on internet and indeed, serious damages have been done. Here the wind is getting stronger but it's still normal winter weather.

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Acceber - Dec 17, 2004 2:57 pm (#367 of 2956)

A huge Happy Birthday to From Venus, Happy Belated Birthday to Kabloink Kim, Happy Anniversary Sherbie, Happy Forum Anniversary Sep, and Welcome Back Lupin Kim and Sherbie! (Whew.)

We don't get out of school until next Thursday . Four more days and *counts on fingers* 25 hours and 15 minutes left until break! I have two tests on Thursday, one in Science and one in Latin. Yay! *sarcasm*

I miss my avatar. I'm going to have to change my second line of info now, hmmmm....

Thanks to all who wished me well on the play. I had to miss rehearsal yesterday, stupid eye doctor and stupid eye drops.

I think that's all. Happy Friday! Use your weekend wisely.

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John Bumbledore - Dec 17, 2004 3:12 pm (#368 of 2956)

Hello all, just wanted to pop in and say hello.

Hello and happy birthday, anniversary, Congratulation, and etc. to all to whom these apply.

yesterday I got locked out after just three posts in a 48 hour period. Anyone else have that trouble? It maybe because I bumble my post and have to edit several times... Alas.

I am off to the thread for "The Order of the Phoenix" to post a correction, seems I was misquoted or misunderstood. Easy enough considering what I just mentions above...

<)B^D= (John) Bumbledore

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 17, 2004 3:34 pm (#369 of 2956)

Tonight is the office xmas party, and I have my lampshade ready. (Somehow, the best xmas party stories involve me.)--Loopy Lupin

Oh, to have an Invisibility Cloak and passing grade on my Apparation test! I'd give more than a few Galleons to see Loopy's office party antics.

So, you won't make and IKEA run for me, huh, Julia? Well, that can mean only one thing---still waiting on your license?

Becca, I see you're taking liberties with my name. Well, we'll just see about that!

*peers about for Catherine* Where is that girl?

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Chemyst - Dec 17, 2004 3:37 pm (#370 of 2956)

–Oh my goodness! My brain finally kicked in! The <)B^D= is a sideways bumbledore in half-moon glasses & an equal sign beard! How cute creative.

Kim said it first: Hey Denise, I keep looking for you on MSN. How's Greg adjusting to home life? Or better yet, how are you adjusting to having Greg back in your home?

Yes, yes. we'd all be interested in answers to those questions so please don't limit replies to MSN.

IKEA sounds nice, but the store that is supposed to be closest to us has been listed as "coming soon" for too long to have ever been "soon."

Well wishes for birthdays, anniversaries, holiday travels & school breaks all 'round.

With the kids home and friends visiting, our driveway looks like a parking lot. The traffic jams have come to me!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 17, 2004 3:44 pm (#371 of 2956)

Why, hello Chemyst! Nice to see you again. And what's this "Kim said it first" bit? I've been gone and Greg's been home for over a month and you're only now grilling Denise? *looks horrified* What's been going on here???

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Chemyst - Dec 17, 2004 3:48 pm (#372 of 2956)

– Sorry.

Did you catch the line about my brain just now kicking in?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 17, 2004 3:49 pm (#373 of 2956)

LOL

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VeronikaG - Dec 17, 2004 4:15 pm (#374 of 2956)

Now that all my finals are over, and vacation has begun, I'm going to tell you a little story of what happened during the test today. Do you remember how we earlier this year discussed the good manners of pulling your pants up to where they belong? Well, it seems the guy sitting in front of me today missed out on that discussion. He wore his pants half way down his butt, and I wasn't the only one who noticed it. It looked so horrible I didn't know if I should laugh or not. He even had a huge old zit on the middle of where his pants should be! Luckily he left as soon as it was allowed.

OK, that was another wacky story from Veronikaland. To my defense, it's the first night of my holidays, and I've been awake for 20 hours. Nighty night.

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 17, 2004 6:26 pm (#375 of 2956)

Hey gals and guys! Hope all is well with everyone. Congratulations to all that it applies to. Happy Birthday to my fellow Sagittarius fourm members. To those who have been absent for awhile it is good to see you back.

I was wondering if any members have bought robes from Alivan's? If so I'd appreciate any feedback as to how you liked them, fit, quality, etc. Feel free to email me.

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Eponine - Dec 17, 2004 9:52 pm (#376 of 2956)

Hello, all. I hope everyone is having a nice holiday season if it applies.

Today I undecorated my tree, and then redecorated my tree. Why? Because the lights decided to go out. 4 strings of them. So I had to take off all the ornaments, unwrap the lights from every single branch on that tree, get new lights to put up, rewrap not quite every branch on that tree with lights, and put all the ornaments back on. Thankfully, my mother in law helped with undecorating so it was much easier than it could have been. All that movement certainly caused a lot of needles to fall though. That's why I'd prefer a fake, pre-lit tree, but my husband really likes real ones.

Anyway, I get to go home for a few days before Christmas, and then we're coming back here for Christmas day. We're actually having Christmas Eve at our house, and this will be the first time we've done anything like this so I'm quite apprehensive about it. I just hope my tree lights don't go out again! If they did, I'd just leave them up.

I got a call today from a place I interviewed with a couple of weeks ago. They're supposed to call me back on Monday and let me know if I got the job. I hate job searching. Hopefully, my search will soon be over. I've been looking for a job for many months now, and I'm getting quite tired of it.

Well, I wish happiness to all!

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SarcasticGinny - Dec 18, 2004 6:33 am (#377 of 2956)

Hi there all. Loopy Lupin, hopefully you'll share your office party stories with us!

My best to anyone still wrestling with finals and/or running around like crazy trying to give their family a nice Christmas.

I'm actually almost done. I need to get something for my sister and another something little for my brother, one friend, and one "special guy" then I'm finished....and comes the gift wrapping. But my brother, sister, and I basically hole ourselves in the basement and wrap gifts for hours, so it's kind of fun.

My only holdiay worry is gaining weight...there is so much good food around!!

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septentrion - Dec 18, 2004 7:07 am (#378 of 2956)

Hi everyone ! Hope your Saturday's going well.

I heard that Jeunet's movie a very long engagement was showing in the US since yesterday. It's a really good movie, very moving, about a girl who can't believe that her fiancé died in the trenches (it's WW1). So she goes and looks for him. The girl is played by Audrey Tautou (Amélie Poulain). What's weird with that movie is a French court refused to consider it a French movie because it's a Warner Bros one, even though the director, the actors, the location and the language are French. On the other side, Roman Polanski's “Pianist” has been considered a French movie because a French society was involved in it, although it was filmed abroad, in English with non-French people. Sometimes I don't understand what's the logic of things.

Everyone have a great week-end !

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Ladybug220 - Dec 18, 2004 10:41 am (#379 of 2956)

Help! I need ideas for my mom's Christmas present - Bath and Body works type stuff it out and I don't have a clue what to give her.

I hope that everyone else's Christmas shopping is going well.

Sept - I saw the preview for that movie and it looks good. I may see if my mom would like to see it.

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Phoenix song - Dec 18, 2004 11:38 am (#380 of 2956)

Ladybug: Moms are notoriously hard to shop for... I'd break the bank to get her a gift that I think that she deserves, because she's a really great mom and my best friend. And most moms are really good about being "happy" with whatever they've gotten, even if it's something that they don't like. So what do you do? I gave my mom a gift certificate from L.L. Bean this year. They have really good quality stuff. I gave it to her already, and it's been fun watching her pour through the catalogs to pick what she wants. Much more calming than scouring through the stores at this time of year.

Veronika: About that guy with his pants too low and the huge zit showing...EEKS! That must have been really awful for you! I'd have been grossed out. It reminded me of when Ron's wand backfired in Charms, hit Professor Flitwick and produced a large, throbbing, green boil in the middle of his forehead.

Sarcastic Ginny: I'm not worried about gaining weight at this time of the year. Sadly, I have already added a few pounds to my already plump self. I'm just dreading attempting to get it all off with the yearly "I'm going to do it this year" resolution that I'll surely make and then break. Oh well...

Eponine: I prefer the fake trees as well. The "closet" environmentalist in me just can't stomach cutting a tree for a few weeks’ worth of enjoyment. I've had a strand or two of lights go out post-decoration as well. It's horrible, I know. My advice though if they go out again is to just have a back up set and just place them on the best you can up underneath the decorations. You'll probably be the only one to notice that it's not a "perfect" Christmas tree. Everyone else will be just enjoying the overall affect and won't see your "correction". Good luck on being the hostess. I am hostess every year to the whole family. It can be a rough experience, but that's probably because my family is so WILD. Best wishes on your hosting duties!!

Today is my 11th anniversary, and it's the first year that my husband hasn't been home for it. He started driving cross country this year, and he couldn't be home this weekend if he wanted to be home for Christmas. It's not fair, but what are you gonna do? It's more important that he's home for Christmas by far.

Well, I hope that everybody has a good day today! Keep up the positive wishes that we'll have a release date as a Christmas present!

Barbie

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septentrion - Dec 18, 2004 12:09 pm (#381 of 2956)

Ladybug, I'm awfully at a loss about what to advise you as a gift for your mother. Perhaps it's because I find it difficult with my own mother ? According to what she likes, you have classics : perfume, clothes, books, DVD's, or why not take her to a spectacle ?

Barbie, happy anniversary !

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Marie E. - Dec 18, 2004 12:09 pm (#382 of 2956)

I just sent off my paypal payment, so hopefully I'll have my picture back soon. I actually miss my little Harry Potter picture.

I hope everyone is staying sane and happy. I had a day of stress and the blahs last week and it was hard to kick. I scared my boss a little because she's never seen me like that. It all started when I decided to get my pokey children up fifteen minutes earlier Monday morning. Rather than helping them get ready earlier, I was five minutes late to work. This made me so mad and frustrated. It really took me a whole day to get out of my funk. I am back to my normal self, thank goodness.

I heard yesterday that my most favorite 80's band, Duran Duran, will be performing in Denver on March 16th. I almost wrecked my car I was so excited! I need to find someone to go with me since when I told Mr. E he got a panicky look on his face.

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The giant squid - Dec 18, 2004 3:12 pm (#383 of 2956)

I need to find someone to go with me since when I told Mr. E he got a panicky look on his face.

LOL! I can totally picture that... Ever since I heard the Duran Duran reformed, I've been waiting for you to have a fangirl moment.

Julia(.), the reason the wife couldn't be here for the painters is that she has to be at work by 8, which means she has to leave by 7:30 (ah, the joys of living in a big city...). It's a moot point anyway, since the first day they were using a pressure washer to clean the house & the next two days they used a power sprayer to paint. I couldn't have slept in if I wanted to. But they're done now, the house looks great, and I get to sleep in tomorrow! All is well.

Ladybug: you could always go with the classic standby--earrings. A mom can never have too many pairs of earrings.

--Mike

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haymoni - Dec 18, 2004 3:43 pm (#384 of 2956)

Hi all - time for my Saturday night catch-up on all things HP.

Denise - take the train and run!

boop - cut yourself some slack. The holidays ARE stressful. Except for kids, of course! Hang in there. It will be President's Day before you know it!

Ladybug - if your mom lives close by, you could give her a ticket to an event with the promise that you will have the other ticket and will take her to dinner that night. It doesn't have to be a MAJOR event. It could just be a movie ticket.

Hubby is working. Ungrateful Son is trying to snowboard on the few snowpiles that remain. Daughter is watching "Olive the Other Reindeer" on Cartoon Network.

I believe that tomorrow is the day that ABC Family is showing SS. "There's no place like Hogwarts for Christmas" is what the commercials have been saying. I was wondering what HP had to do with Christmas. Yes, I'll be watching.

I still have things to buy. Maybe I'll do it tomorrow. Maybe.

Take Care all, see you on the threads!

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scully jones - Dec 18, 2004 5:32 pm (#385 of 2956)

WE GOT A KITTY!!! Guess what we named her? She's a Torbie- Tabby with Tortoiseshell markings... So affectionate, already wants to make friends with Gunar...

Guess what we named her! It's a name related to the Harry Potter books... Whoever guesses gets a Purr!

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Phoenix song - Dec 18, 2004 5:35 pm (#386 of 2956)

Scully: I'd guess that you would have named her Minerva or McGonagall, especially with her shell markings. Do I get a purr?

Barbie

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Ydnam96 - Dec 18, 2004 6:12 pm (#387 of 2956)

Scully! She is absolutely beautiful.

My guess is Ginny.

So jealous of your kitty. I have been apart from my cat since July, but I will get to have him back in January and I can't wait.

She really is a very cute kitty. How old is she? Where did you get her from?

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Eponine - Dec 18, 2004 8:57 pm (#388 of 2956)

Scully, what a pretty kitty. I am going to guess Lily, but only because Minerva and Ginny have been guessed already.

Today, my husband and I went to a wedding. They're a slightly older couple. She has a daughter who's my age who walked her down the aisle and gave her away. It was very sweet.

I met a girl at the wedding who has lived in Brazil most of her life. I got to talk to her about the cities down there. It really calmed a lot of my concerns about one of my good friends who just had a baby moving down there next month. Now I just have to worry about her being so far from her mother who is basically her best friend.

Well, I hope everyone is having a great day wherever they are!

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Julia. - Dec 18, 2004 9:47 pm (#389 of 2956)

Oh Sarah, she's beautiful! She's a Tabby, eh? I know it's already been guessed, but I vote for Ginny.

Ladybug, moms are very hard to shop for. Um, I would think of what she likes, and then get her a gift certificate so she can get exactly what she wants.

Sept, Elanor and Mare, I'm glad to hear that you've survived the storm and that there hasn't been any serious damage.

Kim, yes I'm still working on my license. But even if I had it, I wouldn't be stupid enough to battle that sort of traffic this time of year.

Well, I'm off to check the threads and get some root beer (yes, I'm thinking of Brandon as I'm getting root beer).

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From Venus - Dec 18, 2004 9:58 pm (#390 of 2956)

Scully, I guess I will have to guess Crookshanks as your new kitten's name, even though she doesn't look like one. She's very pretty. I have 3 cats, myself, and I love them all.

We put up our trees today, they look beautiful. Tomorrow I'll try to get the rest of the decorations up. And clean the house. And try to squeeze in some shopping, which I still haven't started. I'll never get it all done!

I had my grandson here with me all week, and he just went home about an hour ago. Everything seems so quiet.......I miss him already.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

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Gina R Snape - Dec 18, 2004 10:11 pm (#391 of 2956)

Beautiful kitty, Sarah. Only I hope you know the name Nymphadora is already taken with my kitty. I'm gonna guess Hermione!

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Amilia Smith - Dec 18, 2004 10:31 pm (#392 of 2956)

Love the new avatar, Gina. You always find the funniest pictures. Out of curiosity, who is that hugging Snape?

Mills.

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VeronikaG - Dec 19, 2004 7:03 am (#393 of 2956)

I think I have tried every font color available on WX, and I still can't find that lovely violet From Venus is using. I also can't get Lucinda handwriting as font no matter how hard I try, and I still only know four smilies. And that is one of them.

I'm guessing the kittens name is Tonks. Do you still have Scully, or has something sad happened to her, and me being to messy in the head to get it? And how old is that new cat? It doesn't look like a very small kitten, more like it's a couple of months old.

Advice for Betty to get through the holidays: Whatever you do, just don't force yourself to believe you're happy if you’re not. Christmas has a special mood to it, with it being the darkest time of the year, and everything being so pretty, it can sometimes make people sad. I have noticed it myself. It's the darkness that can get to me. We have 18 hours of night and 6 hour of day in December in the part of Norway where I live, and that is the longest period of daylight you can hope for in this country. I say you should try to do the things that normally makes you happy, even if it's just watching TV or hanging out at Lex. While you do the necessary amount of work, try not to think about the fact that you are working. If you manage to keep your thoughts on something happier, like thinking out new HP theories it can actually keep stress level down.

A guy I know is crazy! He really like computer programming, so now he has decided he's going to spend the holidays actually making the system described in our interface design final. He tries to recruit me and my friends to the team, and he knows so well I can't program. Everyone has their own fun.

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Chemyst - Dec 19, 2004 7:09 am (#394 of 2956)

Yes, moms can be hard to shop for, BUT IT'S ALL YOU KIDS' FAULT!!!
~ just teasing

The problem is that all this managing of young children has forced us to become too gosh-darn practical; not so much is romantic anymore. Give us a little - but practical - escape. That is why Haymoni's gift of tickets is a good suggestion - you can tell she has been mommyized. It's important to not go overboard by making it too escapist though. That could backfire on you. For example, I'd get more enjoyment from having a cleaning service clean my house than I would having a coupon for a day spa– what good is a massage & mud pack if I just come home to a place that has been even further trashed while I was away?? And putting things back in order will ruin my nails! But give me a clean house & I'll have the time to get to all those projects I' been wanting to do but was too tired to start. Yes!
Another thing you can do is just talk to your mother awhile without asking for anything. If you talk long enough, about her, not about you, (& without keeping her from something else on the "to do" list, of course,) I'm sure she'll drop some good hints.

Veronika, try sapphire or magenta.

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VeronikaG - Dec 19, 2004 8:40 am (#395 of 2956)

Sapphire is the exact color! Thank you!

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Ydnam96 - Dec 19, 2004 9:15 am (#396 of 2956)

Gina, that avatar is hilarious! I love it. I'm assuming that is you in the picture right?

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Gina R Snape - Dec 19, 2004 9:49 am (#397 of 2956)

Thanks, guys. No, it's a cartoon someone drew. The girl is a slytherin student giving Snape a hug before going away for the Christmas break. The link is under my name, if you'd like to see the whole thing.

Well, I had my dinner party last night and...ever get that feeling you may never eat again? That's how I feel. I always have a habit of providing more food than what's needed. But my guests and I also managed to eat more than we ought to! Soup, salad, hors d'ouvres, main course, dessert, wine, tea. . . BAM!

I will have to soak my trousers in an expansion solution (if Severus will give me one) to make them fit after last night...

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 19, 2004 9:55 am (#398 of 2956)

I hope everyone's had a nice weekend. I also hope that I didn't create any great expectations about my office party, which was a rather subdued affair. Yes, it is true that the best stories involve me-- like the time they were taking too long to bring my firewhisky and I went behind the bar and got it myself. Friday was actually rather subdued affair at a Shula's steakhouse around here. (Shula is the former Miami Dolphins head coach who has opened a number of upscale eponymous steakhouses.) I got stuck at a table with a lawyer who is also a State delegate, so I decided to grill him on some of his views to entertain myself. Unfortunately, I was unsuccessful in lobbying for a reduction in cigarette taxes and the legalization of, among other things, gambling. Oh well, I'll try again next year. Also, I must say I was unimpressed with Shula's overall. The steak was good, but they screwed up the Lobster tails (mushy) and the woman next to be was presented with a football posing as a piece of fish.

I did manage to get some xmas shopping done the rest of the weekend. My parents will soon be the proud owners of a "George Foreman Lean, Mean, Fat-Reducing, Grilling Machine."

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Julia. - Dec 19, 2004 11:28 am (#399 of 2956)

Good afternoon everyone. I hope everyone is having a pleasant day trying to get all their stuff done before Jim's snow dances take effect and we get piles tonight.

Chymest, what for you need someone to clean the house? I thought cleaning was the best present a child could give his/her mum! When I was little my mum would come home on her b-day to find I had vacuumed the living room. She was always happy about that.

Gina, love your new avatar. Very funny, as usual. I'm glad to hear your dinner party went well. Can I come to the next one?

I just talked to Brandon. I know the cat's name and you don't. *puts hands to ears and wiggles fingers while sticking tounge out*

My Christmas shopping is mostly done, but I still have a few people on my list to shop for. Ten Thousand Villages, here I come in the snow. Well, I'm off, see you on the threads!

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septentrion - Dec 19, 2004 11:54 am (#400 of 2956)

Seems some people have snow...It's so beautiful when you're inside and watch the quiet white landscape

Gina, I love your avatar too. Your party dinner sounds like traditional dinners we have in my family for weddings, communions... : soup, hot hors d'oeuvre, cold hors d'oeuvre, meat, some ice cream with alcohol (the "trou normand"), cold meat with salad, cheese, cake, pies, coffee...gladly that tradition is getting lost, nobody's stomach can bear so much food !

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 2:30 pm

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Doris Crockford - Dec 19, 2004 2:23 pm (#401 of 2956)

Hello, everyone! School's done for two weeks (though it's not really a vacation with all the homework I have to do- about 5 labs from Chemistry, along with the pile of stuff from all my other subjects. You can't see my desktop any more.), and I just got back from a weekend camping trip. We slept indoors, though, so some of you may not truly consider it camping (I have some friends who only consider camping sleeping in tents). We basically had the whole camp to ourselves, as the only other group staying there did not go outside the whole weekend (that we saw, anyway- it was really odd, especially since they were from Georgia so you'd think they would want to go out into the snow). So we made a ton of trails while we were hiking and cross-country skiing. A bit of advice for you all: don't go down big hills on cross-country skiis near trees and wooden tent platforms.

I'm really looking forward until tonight, when I finally get to sleep in. During school, I have swimming 3 mornings a week and music one morning, so I get up between 6 and 6:30am four mornings a week. Then two days a week, I'm at school until 4:30. It doesn't leave me much Forum time, but I'm back now. For awhile, anyway.

I'm about half done my Christmas shopping, which I'm really happy about as I'm really uncreative when buying presents. Soon I get to start wrapping them, which I really love doing (weird, I know).

Gina, eating too much is part of the fun when I'm at huge family or church get-togethers. Love the avatar, too, by the way.

Talk to you all later!

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Gina R Snape - Dec 19, 2004 2:37 pm (#402 of 2956)

Septentrion, I did set up my dinner party as a several course affair in the tradition you describe. And in fact, the roasted garlic soup I made was a very traditionally french construct.

Doris, I couldn't agree with you more. What's the point of having a wintery season of holidays and get-togethers and wearing layers upon layers of clothing if you can't enjoy a feast as well!

For the record, I know a number of people who enjoy wrapping presents more than buying them. My cat Fabergé is particularly fond of chewing the ribbons, but that's another story...

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Elanor - Dec 19, 2004 2:45 pm (#403 of 2956)

Hello everyone! I hope you had a good weekend and beginning of holidays, though I think we will really realise that they have began on tomorrow morning: no alarm clock sounding at 6.20 on tomorrow morning will mark the real beginning of them for me!

Gina, I love your avatar too!

Septentrion, you are right about those family dinners, mine are nearly the same as yours without the soup but with liqueur after the coffee (here we say a "pousse café", a "push the coffee")! The family tradition, since we have an angler in the family is to have one fish he caught for special dinners. For Christmas, we will have a pike he caught as first course: it is not very big (3 kg, 75 cm long) but will be perfect! But poor little him if he failed fishing one year, he will hear about it all dinner long...

Have a great Sunday everyone, wherever you are!

Audrey

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Chemyst - Dec 19, 2004 5:34 pm (#404 of 2956)

Gina, I'm so glad you mentioned we could see all of your avatar cartoon. ( Christmas Holiday Hug---found at http://www.houseofplaid.com/comic2.html ) Such a sweet ending... *sigh* Highlight for punchline: Snape blushes and cracks a small smile - no words.

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From Venus - Dec 19, 2004 6:13 pm (#405 of 2956)

Veronika, as Chemyst suggested, the color you're looking for is sapphire. I also use navy and magenta. The three go well with my avatar, which is no longer visible, but will be back again whenever my owl gets through with my check.

Now, as for the smilies, if you go to the how to...thread and type in smilies in the search function, you should be able to find out how to get loads more.

I still don't have my shopping done, but I do have a list. This is good. Isn't it? I'm so bad, every year I do the same thing; I procrastinate until it's too late to get it all done in a reasonable fashion and I have to run around like a lunatic. I always tell myself it will be different next year, but it never is. I'm hopeless.

Hope everyone's week is happy and safe. TTFN

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 19, 2004 6:28 pm (#406 of 2956)

Well, I finally strung the tree up with lights. What a pain. I'm telling you, when I find the Druid who thought up this idea we're gonna have us a little sitdown.

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haymoni - Dec 19, 2004 7:01 pm (#407 of 2956)

Gina - roasted garlic soup - there was a restaurant in Cleveland called Sammy's that made an incredible garlic soup. I'm sure yours was delicious.

Lupin - thank goodness we inherited a pre-lit tree!

From Venus - you are my kind of shopper. I actually wrapped some gifts tonight. I have some gift cards to buy and then I'm all done until after Christmas. Hubby's family gets together at New Year's, so I take advantage of the after-Christmas sales. My mother-in-law got tired of trying to coordinate with the in-laws' Christmas traditions. We get together New Year's Eve at her house, spend the night and the kids wake up on New Year's Day to Christmas #2.

SS is on its second showing on ABC Family channel. Don't bother. It's the hacked up version.

See you all out and about!

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 19, 2004 7:10 pm (#408 of 2956)

Gina- you are quite right I would much rather wrap then shop. I fancy myself a right wrapping king. However, I would rather stick hot rusty needles in my eyes then spend 10 minutes shopping for a gift. BTW roasted garlic and potato soup is my all time fav.

scully jones- I'll also guess Ginny. What a sweety !!!

Lupin is Lupin. Natch.- ..."when I find the Druid who thought up this idea we're gonna have us a little sitdown." I don't mind the decorating of the tree or house myself. I have an Ella Fitzgerald jazz Christmas CD that I put on and go crazy but like I said before ... hot rusty needles rather then shop.

Jack

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scully jones - Dec 19, 2004 7:11 pm (#409 of 2956)

Hee Hee.. No one guessed, no purrs for you! It's J.K. Rowling, Jo for short. She was born on Mother's day, so she's a little bigger, but all the little kitties hadn't been spayed yet.

Scully is fine, she's still old and grumpy and hissy, but she'll settle down in a week or so. Gunar loves Jo so much! Jo'll rub up against him and purrrrrr...

I like the name Tonks, though Jo's already stuck. Talk at you all later!

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From Venus - Dec 19, 2004 7:27 pm (#410 of 2956)

LOL...Jo!! Now why didn't I think of that? You're pretty sneaky, Scully Jones, pulling that one on us.

By the way, did you say that you're old cat will settle down in a week or so? You're lucky. When I brought my two little boy cats home, my old girl, Pyro, started grouching and growling and hissing, and hasn't stopped yet. And that was 4 years ago!!!

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haymoni - Dec 19, 2004 7:28 pm (#411 of 2956)

Scully - Just don't call her "Joanie"!

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Julia. - Dec 19, 2004 10:06 pm (#412 of 2956)

Ow, my back hurts. I spent a great portion of the day bent over wrapping all my presents. I'm nearly done with everything, just two more presents to buy, a few more to wrap, and then a bunch more to ship. Darn that some of you live so far away from me!

Sarah, Jo is an excellent name for the kitty, I'm glad she's taken a liking to it. Pretty sneaky making us guess that though. I want you to know, Brandon didn't tell me what it was, I guessed. I also got your message and responded to you on YIM.

Well, off to check the threads.

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Caput Draconis - Dec 19, 2004 10:26 pm (#413 of 2956)

On office parties, I would just like the world to know that I won a bottle of red for my part in a stirring duet performance of Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' at my recent work gathering. Ha.

My cat's name is Snickers, btw. She's a tabby too. Gray. Furry. Currently sleeping.

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The giant squid - Dec 20, 2004 1:45 am (#414 of 2956)

[...]they were from Georgia so you'd think they would want to go out into the snow

Doris, from what I remember of Georgians (the US ones, not the Eastern European ones), they barely understand the concept of snow, much less want to wander around in it.

Kim/Jack: It may just be Sunday School propaganda, but i was taught that the tradition of lights on the tree came from Martin Luther (as in Lutheran protestantism). The tale goes that he was so impressed by the way the moonlight shone on a snow-covered tree that he went back home & placed candles on the tree in his house to show his family. I don't know if there's any truth to that (or even if I got it right--it's been a few years) but it makes for a nice story.

Darn that some of you live so far away from me!--Julia.

Gee, and I didn't get you anything...

--Mike

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septentrion - Dec 20, 2004 2:49 am (#415 of 2956)

Hi all !

Elanor, actually I didn't speak of drinks for big family dinners but it's as impressive as the courses : apéritif, white wine with soup and hors-d'oeuvres, red wine with meat and cheese, champagne with cake and liqueur after coffee. So very often, you see the men driving the car when they arrive for the feast and the women driving the car after the feast

Mike, you'll find plenty of information about the origin of the Christmas tree on google, with the key-words "christmas tree history". Here is a link found with that method. I didn't know the lights in tree came from Luther.

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 20, 2004 5:27 am (#416 of 2956)

Mike - Truth or not it does make a very nice story.

Jack

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kabloink! - Dec 20, 2004 5:59 am (#417 of 2956)

Well, Hi everyone. Just got back to Lansing, Michigan from Scott Air Force base about an hour ago. So sleepy...

Between wrapping presents for my brother in law and his family, and going to the laundromat so that we had clean laundry to take with us, I got absolutely nothing done on my paper. SO, I have to write it now, with no sleep, before I have to be to work today at noon. I love my life. Anyway.

Julie, feel free to call me whatever. Some of my friends call me Kimmi, if that would help to sort things out a bit. You have to spell it right, though. That's what I always told people in high school, they could call me Kimmi if they could spell it the way that I do. Most of them still don't, but what can ya do?

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 20, 2004 6:47 am (#418 of 2956)

As long as you don't call me Kimmi.

The only people allowed to call me Kimmy (that's the way I spell it) are the ones who are allowed to hug me. Enough said.

I'm going out today to finish/start my shopping. Wish me luck.

It's snowing! Yippee! :::wonders if Becca is getting snow too:::

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Denise P. - Dec 20, 2004 8:02 am (#419 of 2956)

I heard the same Martin Luther story about the lights in a Christmas tree.

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Doris Crockford - Dec 20, 2004 8:40 am (#420 of 2956)

Kim, that's funny. My friend Kate is the same way. She almost murdered our substitute English teacher last year when he called her 'Katie'. Good luck finishing your shopping!

Gina, you should be happy that Faberge only likes chewing the ribbons. My cousins' cats (both of them) liked to chew on the wires of the Christmas tree lights. Thank goodness they've stopped doing that!

In History last year, we learned about the candles on the Christmas tree story. That always seemed rather dangerous to me- real candles on a tree sounds like a recipe for a burnt tree.

Can any of you French-speaking members recommend a novel (or a really good author) for me to read for French class? It has to be a novel, so it should be fairly long, but I'm looking for something fairly simple, if possible, since my French is not that great.

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septentrion - Dec 20, 2004 9:26 am (#421 of 2956)

Doris, I sent you an email.

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Elanor - Dec 20, 2004 9:41 am (#422 of 2956)

Hello everyone! I hope you're having a great Monday shopping, wrapping and preparing Christmas!

Doris, the first novel simple, beautiful and poetic that come to my mind is "Le petit Prince" by Antoine de St Exupéry (and it is not very long, though it is still a novel). I would also recommend Marcel Pagnol's books, especially "La gloire de mon père", the souvenirs of Marcel Pagnol's childhood in Provence at the beginning of the 20th century: it is beautiful, moving and funny.

Septentrion, I know what you mean about wines, though our guests have found a solution for a long time now: they walk to my Mom's house for Christmas dinner, women in my family like good wine too... LOL!

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Phoenix song - Dec 20, 2004 9:56 am (#423 of 2956)

Caput Draconis: "My cat's name is Snickers, btw."

My dog's named Snickers. She's a chocolate labrador, hence my children's little attempt at a joke. A friend of the family promised her to the kids, and she was named before her birth. The trouble for me lies in the fact that she turned out to be this gorgeous, pure black color instead of the chocolate brown of her mother. I begged them to let me change her name to Fang or Snuffles, but it was a "no-go" for them. It's a shame because she's turned out to be much larger than a traditional lab, and she's just as large and harmless as Fang..it would have been the perfect name for her. Oh well.

I hope that everyone is trying to enjoy their holidays despite the hustle and bustle. Try not to get so involved in all of the "action" that you lose the "reaction" of the season. (Translation: take some time to smell the holly!)

Barbie

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Ladybug220 - Dec 20, 2004 10:18 am (#424 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 20, 2004 9:19 am

Squid Mike, I am Lutheran and I never knew that, so thanks for sharing!

Well, I am still on the quest for my mother's christmas present. I am going to a dept store after work today to look for some earrings or other jewelry for her. Since I am travelling to San Diego for Christmas, I need something that is easily portable for and for my mom since my parents are travelling in from Georgia. Thanks for all of the suggestions!

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Doris Crockford - Dec 20, 2004 10:41 am (#425 of 2956)

Septentrion, I did not get your email. Did you send it to sarah_z_21@hotmail.com?

Elanor, thank you so much for the suggestions. I've already read Le Petit Prince at school (and I loved it), but I'll see if I can find a Marcel Pagnol book.

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Julia. - Dec 20, 2004 11:07 am (#426 of 2956)

Don't worry Kim, I will never call you Kimmy.

Jim, (micha fan) if you're reading this I have a major beef with you! I am convinced that Jim has been doing snow dances again, and as a result of this I have 5-6 inches of snow outside my house! That snow's not going to shovel itself Jim! Schools were closed today and getting around is kind of difficult. I was going to finish my Christmas shopping today, but I think I'll do it tomorrow.

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septentrion - Dec 20, 2004 12:49 pm (#427 of 2956)

Doris, I made a mistake in your web address, now it's fixed (or I hope so).

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 20, 2004 12:53 pm (#428 of 2956)

Now that's a way to get the best of both worlds Julia! After all, Christmas is the time of year when all religions of the world come together to go shopping.

So, anyway....Hey Kimmy! You seen Cate around lately? (Hehehe)***ducks****

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Accio Sirius - Dec 20, 2004 2:17 pm (#429 of 2956)

Gina, the dinner party sounded great--but also like a lot of work. I admire your effort. People don't do big parties like that often around here. We are supposed to be hosting Christmas Eve at our house, but my three year old has to go in for an endoscopy on Dec. 23 of all days. The nurse who called for the pre-op interview said they may want to keep him in the hospital overnight. I am all for erring on the side of caution and want the best medical care for my sweet little guy, but I cannot tell you how bummed I am at the prospect of being in the hospital over Christmas! I'll be accepting all good luck charms to stop that from happening!

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Detail Seeker - Dec 20, 2004 2:37 pm (#430 of 2956)

Accio Sirius, I just performed some good luck- and illness-banishing-charms. I hope, they work.

Julia, do you really think 12 -15 cm of snow a quantity worth mentioning ? I could do with twice the amount, so send your surplus. Jim congrats on being such a good snow conjuror.

Happy winter solstice to everybody !

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Elanor - Dec 20, 2004 2:40 pm (#431 of 2956)

The door has opened again on Jo's site! Certainly something to do with the solstice.

Edit: Accio Sirius, I hadn't read your message before posting because I was so excited to tell you all the good news, but I am praying for you and your little kid. I hope everything will go well!

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 20, 2004 3:35 pm (#432 of 2956)

Accio Sirius: Good luck and I hope all will be well for Christmas.

Merry Christmas everyone and a wonderful holiday to all.

Lizzy

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Marè - Dec 20, 2004 3:39 pm (#433 of 2956)

Pfff, I'm here, I'm here! I checked into St mungo's first before having to wade through all these posts.

I hope I don't forget anything so here goes:
Belated happy birthday to from Venus, I should have some updated minesweeper scores somewhere but I can't find them right now (still have to unpack, lazy me)
Accio sirius: lot's of good luck charms coming your way!

I didn't really have any problem with the storm, I went to travel from Brittany to Paris on friday, and the storm only caused an hour delay to my train, which is really nothing compared to the four hours delay that I got because I missed the train I had tickets for because the busses didn't go!!!
Seriously, just, no busses.... second time in three weeks, in a fairly big city. I don't know why, but if it's to make us appreciate it more when they do drive.... it's-not-working-for-me (through gnawed teeth)

But I had a good weekend in Paris and on the way back we had some transportation luck for a chance. Me and my two friends spend all our last money on three bottles of water and two sandwiches just before we went to journey back. Fifteen minutes before the thalys would leave one of them wanted to go the toilet.
Just after she was gone, we found out that the big screen information was wrong and our train was about to leave in four minutes. Needless to say that was a stressing moment. But the friend returned at the exactly that moment, because the toilet costed a euro, and between the three of us we only had 17 cents left... We made the train just in time...

For all of your Da Vinci code fans: I saw the Saint Sulpice, the obelisk, the pyramid inverse and the Mona Lisa (bit hard to see, but between all the flashes from eager tourists photocamera's you can actually catch a glimpse of the painting...) couldn't find the Madonna on the rocks though, it isn't opposite to the mona Lisa.
I read angels and Demons (how many times can a person survive a sudden death?),cracking the Da vinci code, and the third Dan Brown is waiting for me next to me cup of coco. but it has to wait, because apparantly Ihave to check out Jo's site first (the author, not Sarahs cat...)

For the next two weeks I'm at home in the Netherlands again (it's cold here... no snow yet though) so I'll be spiking my parents phone bill to make sure I'm updated on all things Potter...

Bon Soir!

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 20, 2004 4:15 pm (#434 of 2956)

Um, I think everyone should go to JKR's site or to the thread here dealing with the site. I would say more, but I'm dizzy and all-a-dither. I am, of course, speaking about the door thingy.

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Elanor - Dec 20, 2004 4:36 pm (#435 of 2956)

I know what you mean Loopy! It is half past midnight and I am still here, with a huge and stupid grin on my face, laughing all alone. I am so happy! How could I sleep? Honestly!

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 20, 2004 4:38 pm (#436 of 2956)

Thanks for the heads' up Loopy. I shall say no more.

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boop - Dec 20, 2004 5:08 pm (#437 of 2956)

Hello Everyone! We have two birthdays:

I am used Vlad(Sam) and Zelmia(kim) Happy Birthday too you both!!! Have a great Day.

Hello Everyone thanks for the well wishes and advice. I am having good and bad days, but the new year will be here soon. Hope everyone is having a great week getting ready for the big day.

Julia, I will let Jim know you got the snow he ordered for you. He told me that he was doing the snow dance just for you.

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Gina R Snape - Dec 20, 2004 5:32 pm (#438 of 2956)

Yes, I am supposed to be revising for a final exam on Wednesday. But after visiting JKR's site and figuring out all the riddles and reading the message, I am all energised and unfocused!!!!

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Marie E. - Dec 20, 2004 7:07 pm (#439 of 2956)

I know what you mean, Gina. I am completely twitterpated.

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 20, 2004 7:20 pm (#440 of 2956)

I second that comment Marie.E , completely twitterpated!!

On the Kim/Kimmi/Kimmy front, I completely understand ladies, my name is Amber, you can all me Am or Amber but NEVER call me Ambi!!!! My dad calls me it & has done since I was small & I keep telling him I hate it but it still slips out & when he met my now step mother she started to call me it also & I had to sit her down and tell her in no uncertain terms never to use that name, & I only allow dad to get away with because he's my dad & I'm his little girl. It sounds like Bambi for crying out loud!!

Well enough of that little rant.

Accio Sirius, my cheering charms are on their way!!

Enjoy celebrating Jo's wonderful news everyone, oh yeah, and Christmas or whatever your family celebrates! Only 4 more sleeps til I get a wonderful seafood feast!! YUM!!!! And maybe Ben will put a tiny little box under the tree with something small & sparkley in it!!!

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 20, 2004 8:02 pm (#441 of 2956)

Oh my! One of my twins daughters is named Amber. And guess what I call her?

...toddles off in spasms of giggles...need a butterbeer... :-)

PS: She hates it too, that's why I do it... mothers can have fun too!

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Mrs. Sirius - Dec 20, 2004 9:43 pm (#442 of 2956)

I guess you've all heard, but it's so exciting I had to share it with you. Tomorrow we'll have bigger smiles and it won't have anything to do with finishing shopping. Happy Holidays!

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Julia. - Dec 20, 2004 10:21 pm (#443 of 2956)

Indeer Mrs. S.! Although a fellow forumer actually phoned me this evening to tell me the glorious news *waves at Samantha* Ernie, my computer, only just let me on to see for myself. To say I'm excited is the understatement of the century.
*toodles off to St. Mungos for a jumping-stopping potion*

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 20, 2004 11:30 pm (#444 of 2956)

Oh what a wonderful morning...oh what a wonderful day...(and I can't carry a tune)

I had a wonderful morning and a wonderful day. I couldn't get onto here (HPL-forum) last night (glitches??), so I was so glad I thought to check this site out at work this morning.

That excellent news kinda wrote the rest of the day off all by itself, I didn't even have to try.

Big smiles to everyone

Lizzy

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 20, 2004 11:35 pm (#445 of 2956)

TBE, as I said my dad is the only one to get away with it, only because he is my dad & in his eyes I'll always be his little girl (even though I'm almost 30!), my mum even still slips up and calls me floss! (her nickname for me since I was tiny, which is better than one of my brothers, he still to this day calls me 'Orrible!!)

I hope that Americans aren't as bad when it comes to nicknames as Australians, because I've had to suffer a few because my name is Amber ie: fosters (beer), fluid, traffic light, red, green, orange & fossil! (I must admit I thought fossil was quite clever)

Anyway I'll be off for a little while, chat to you all soon, hopefully we'll have something very exciting to talk about!!!

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The giant squid - Dec 21, 2004 12:40 am (#446 of 2956)

Twitterpated? That's certainly one way to put it.

On nicknames, For some reason it becomes more difficult each year to get people to not call me "Mikey". I blame Life cereal. I may steal Kim's "only people allowed to hug me" rule...although that may just bring on a bout of unsolicited hugs.

Betty, good to see you. Hope you're keeping your head up during these crazy holidays.

Speaking of Betty's post, Happy Birthday, Vlad & Zelmia!

--Mike

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Elanor - Dec 21, 2004 12:50 am (#447 of 2956)

Happy birthday Vlad and Zelmia! What a great birthday present you will have today!

It is Tuesday morning here in Europe and I can't wait to hear the big news from Bloomsbury! I have checked their site this morning, and there is nothing new yet... When I got to bed I was smiling and when I woke up this morning, I was still smiling (don't worry, I have no cheek cramp, though it might happen before tonight...).

About nicknames, people don't try to make one with Audrey (sometimes Aud') but it is very rare. But they often pronounce it "é" (as in "café") at the end when I like it pronounced "è" (as in "bay").

This day is very cold here (about - 7°C this morning) and temperatures should not reach 0°C during the day, but it will be a sunny one. And the sun has already come in our hearts, hasn't it?

Have a great night/day wherever you are!

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septentrion - Dec 21, 2004 1:11 am (#448 of 2956)

Wouhou ! Great day for great news ! Sam and Kim, I think Jo have given you the best birthday present !

Elanor, you can also check The leaky cauldron, they will have the release date as soon it's announced.

So Marè, you're back home ! Have a great holidays within your family. I'm about to read the Da Vinci Code but it seems the clues about the "terrible secret" are just "fantasy". Anyway it sounds like a good book, I now will make an opinion by myself. Plus it's good for tourism Will you come back to Brest in January ?

Accio Sirius, I guess it's no fun to spend Christmas at hospital with one's child but if your child feels really better after that, it's worth it. Have a merrier Christmas as possible (sounds like I mess my English) and may your child be healtht enough for you to have a great Christmas party.

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Caput Draconis - Dec 21, 2004 1:21 am (#449 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 21, 2004 12:43 am

Barbie, that's super exciting about your dog! Haha. People tend to mock my cat's name, I'm glad she has a fellow Snickers out there in the animal world. Our first cat was KitKat, for obvious reasons, so we just continued the chocolate theme. I always liked Twix, myself. Is Twix universal? I think it is actually, I vaguely remember a Seinfeld episode.

*runs off to check whatever it is that has everyone all excited*

EDIT: Just to say YAY!! Booo to riddles, but YAY to results! teehee. *runs to celebratory twix*

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septentrion - Dec 21, 2004 1:26 am (#450 of 2956)

We have "twix" in France. *think of chocolate.... I feel so excited I could need some to calm down a little*

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 3:01 pm

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septentrion - Dec 21, 2004 5:11 am (#451 of 2956)

HBP on the 16th of July, check bloomsbury's website

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 21, 2004 5:47 am (#452 of 2956)

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Jack

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Marie E. - Dec 21, 2004 6:20 am (#453 of 2956)

I can only say "ditto" to Jack's sentiment. And I was so sure it was going to be June...oh well!!!! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

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Julia. - Dec 21, 2004 7:04 am (#454 of 2956)

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!

July 15, 7:00 PM. Barns and Noble North Haven. Who's with me?!

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Ladybug220 - Dec 21, 2004 7:10 am (#455 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 21, 2004 6:10 am

Catherine, Eponine, and all of the other NC forum members, I have one question: Where are we meeting July 15 so that we can get our books?

edit: of course, we are not limited to NC forum members for this one - whoever wants to meet us is welcome!

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Pinky - Dec 21, 2004 7:14 am (#456 of 2956)

Elanor, your post made me laugh. I'm afraid what you said simply does not manage to cross the great divide of pronunciation. But they often pronounce it "é" (as in "café") at the end when I like it pronounced "è" (as in "bay"). Well, I hate to inform you, but I pronounce "cafe" and "bay" with the exact same vowel sound. My dear husband (who is fluent in French), informs me that there really is a difference in sound, but I don't hear it!

I will one-up you folk who don't like your nicknames - I can't stand it when people misspell my name. And that means they need to use the correct shape of letter as well. My name starts with "A" - the pointy kind of "A" like this type face uses, not the kind of "A" that has a rounded top. If they spell it with the rounded "A", I will usually tell them they have misspelled my name. *blush*

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Chemyst - Dec 21, 2004 7:20 am (#457 of 2956)

That's a with an A, she said pointedly.

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Julie Aronson - Dec 21, 2004 7:41 am (#458 of 2956)

Congratulations and healing thoughts to all of the appropriate recipients!

July 15th, anywhere near Akron?

Julie

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Pinky - Dec 21, 2004 7:50 am (#459 of 2956)

Thanks, Chemyst - I couldn't have said it better!

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Ladybug220 - Dec 21, 2004 7:53 am (#460 of 2956)

Septentrion - check your email. I sent you the screen capture. Let me know if you have any problems with it.

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Fawkes Forever - Dec 21, 2004 8:20 am (#461 of 2956)

Boing... happy happy bouncing along... weeeee... thats the reward I get for being so busy at work... methinks the dementors don't realise it's christmas *mutter mutter stupid mutter mutter*

That news really cheered me up... now back to work (stopping by Amazon first of course)... oh well.. least I'm grinning now I have my new Patronus.. roll on the 16th of July

Happy Birthdays, anniversarys & all the rest... weeeee I'm excited now!

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septentrion - Dec 21, 2004 8:26 am (#462 of 2956)

Ladybug, I've replied you, I've got no problem with your attachment.

I'm still jumping and laughing and crying and grinning stupidly and having a hard time to restrain myself not to dance in the streets...

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Ladybug220 - Dec 21, 2004 8:48 am (#463 of 2956)

Good! I am glad that you didn't have any problems

I have been sending out emails and talking to all of my Potter friends. One of my coworkers has not read all of the books; so my assignment to her was that she had to finish GOF and OOP over the Christmas break and report to me by the middle of January. She has been waiting until the just before the movies come out to read the book. Since I will be dragging her to Barnes and Noble on July 15, I think she needs to read 4 and 5 before we go.

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Eponine - Dec 21, 2004 8:49 am (#464 of 2956)

Oh my goodness! I have been without computer access for the last few days, and I get on this morning and almost have a heart attack! I'm just going to echo everyone's sentiments with WHOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Ladybug, I would love to meet up somewhere to get the book. You're just about 15 minutes down the road from me anyway. Any other NC members come too! We can have loads of fun.

Going way back to the name thing. My name is Rebekah (which of course no one can spell properly). It's okay to call me Beka, but don't EVER call me Becky. I had college professors who had known me since I was 5 who called me that. Why, I don't know because I have never in my life gone by that. Besides, my papers always clearly said Rebekah, yet they still found the need to call me Becky. Ick! (I have nothing against the name if anyone here is called Becky, I just don't want to be called that)

Okay, I'm off to wrap Christmas presents! I hope everyone is having a great day. Has anyone started a countdown to the book release yet? Only 7 months left!

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kabloink! - Dec 21, 2004 8:56 am (#465 of 2956)

Any Michigan members up for getting together to get books? I live in Lansing, so I could be anywhere in the southern half of the state for the day.

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Elanor - Dec 21, 2004 10:06 am (#466 of 2956)

Hello again! Since I have heard the big news this midday, I am so happy that I keep grinning. When I was walking outside this afternoon, I realise that people had to think I was crazy to grin like that but I couldn't help it! I wanted to tell everybody the great news though most of the people I would talk too wouldn't have a clue about what I'm talking about! Those muggles...

LOL Pinky! Since I read your post, I am trying to think to an English word that could have the sound (e) in it but I can't find one. (e) is a "nasal" sound, very different from the è of "fair". Anyway, that is great that you don't use the (e) in English, at last in this language, nobody will butcher my name, though you might pronounce the "ey" of Audrey : "i", as in "journey"? But that's okay with the "i", as long as it is not (e)... LOL!

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mike miller - Dec 21, 2004 11:27 am (#467 of 2956)

I've been off the Forum for a few days trying to get all of my work done so I can enjoy some time off for the Holidays and 104 posts on this thread and MAJOR developments on JKR's website when I finally get back. Hooray for the HBP release date! I still think we will get something every 5 to 7 months; new book, new movie, DVD release, etc.

Happy belated birthday to all who I have missed! I hope all of our student friends enjoy their break from classes and tests and papers!

I finally finished all of my Christmas shopping. We're planning to head to Myrtle Beach, SC on Thursday. However, my wife is already giving indications that she may not be ready to leave early that morning. I try to leave early so we can get past the DC beltway and miss the morning rush hour.

Well I'm off to get the wrapping done and then back to catch up the postings!

EDIT - My Mom surprised me last week. She has been knitting for as long as I can remember. Not only did she send my wife and I a beautiful Holiday afghan (candy canes, snowmen, Christmas trees, etc.) but a Gryffindor scarf from PoA. I now have one from the first 2 films and the latest! Aren't Moms wonderful, especially if they can knit!

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DJ Evans - Dec 21, 2004 11:48 am (#468 of 2956)

Hello Everyone!!!

Just wanted to thank everyone for the grin that is currently on my face right now. I mean if anyone who reads the past "oh say 200+" and does not get a huge grin on their face -- because it SO reminds them of the first chapter of PS/SS where all of the wizards/witches are walking around town with such huge grins on their faces -- then something is wrong with them!!!!

Later, Deb

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 21, 2004 12:44 pm (#469 of 2956)

Thanks for remembering my birthday, boop. Elanor, you were correct, I could not have asked for a better present than the one I got from JKR.

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Julia. - Dec 21, 2004 2:18 pm (#470 of 2956)

I'm with you all. I've grinning like an idiot all day. People have thought I'm nuts, but they think that anyway. I'm just so happy we finally know, and I have a whole bunch of people to share it with Yay for the forum!

Happy birthday Samrod!! *hands Samrod butterbeer* Hope you have a great day and an awesome year.

Pst, Jo, if you're reading this, my birthday is September 8th. Elanor's birthday is that day too. We would really like it if something nice and Potterish were to happen on that day.

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Prefect Marcus - Dec 21, 2004 2:34 pm (#471 of 2956)

Gina,

I love your new avatar. I've always said there was a definite compassionate side to Pansy. The cartoonist obviously agrees. :-)

Marcus

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 21, 2004 2:38 pm (#472 of 2956)

I know what you mean, Gina. I am completely twitterpated. -- Marie E.

If "twitterpated" is not an actual word, it should be as it accurately describes me at the moment. Honestly, I was hoping for something more like January 16 , but I suppose it takes a while to print up a gabillion copies of a book. Does anyone know if we can preorder yet?

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Elanor - Dec 21, 2004 2:41 pm (#473 of 2956)

Definitely Julia! LOL! Let's see, hmm... Next 8th of September will be about 2 months before the GoF movie release. I think the GoF trailer would suit perfectly as our birthday present, what do you think?

EDIT: hi Loopy! yes, I think you can pre-order it on the amazon.com and .uk sites and on Barnes and Noble's site.

I have checked the amazon.fr site, but I can't preorder it there for the moment. I give them till tomorrow evening before sending them a howler about that. Honestly!

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Gina R Snape - Dec 21, 2004 2:51 pm (#474 of 2956)

Thanks, Prefect Marcus!

So, is there anyone living in London who would like to put me and a friend up (not Severus) for a few nights in mid-July? We could kip on a couch...just want to be able to queue up for the book and visit London, and the friend I usually stay with won't be around.

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 21, 2004 3:29 pm (#475 of 2956)

Twitterpated is a brilliant word! describes everything perfectly!!!

Lizzy

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kabloink! - Dec 21, 2004 7:28 pm (#476 of 2956)

Hey everyone! My first full day of vacation from school and the release date of Harry Potter-hurray!!!! Anyhoo, off to wrap presents.

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Pinky - Dec 21, 2004 7:40 pm (#477 of 2956)

Elanor: though you might pronounce the "ey" of Audrey : as in "journey"? That is correct. It's really kind of fun to find out what sounds do not cross languages - but that's part of what makes learning a language difficult!

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 21, 2004 8:59 pm (#478 of 2956)

I'm another one that needs to scream out a big WOOOOOOOOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

I'm so happy about the release date!! I'm off to pre-order it this afternoon. And I'm so glad I've got all of you to cheer with cause no-one around here quite understands my excitement, so thanks guys!!

I'd better go do some work, I'll be back again in a little bit!!

NOW ALL TOGETHER......... WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

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Julia. - Dec 21, 2004 9:14 pm (#479 of 2956)

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

I'm not going to preorder the book. I want the experience of waiting in line with other Potter fans. It was amazing for OoP, and I can't wait for HBP. Hey, perhaps I'll head into New York for the event! Anyone wanna let me crash?

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Marie E. - Dec 21, 2004 11:03 pm (#480 of 2956)

I preordered at Barnes and Noble and still waited in line at midnight. It was very fun. I'm waiting to see if any of my local HP friends want to go to Denver for the release or stay here in Colorado Springs. A trip to Denver to get the book at midnight means we'll probably have to stay there for the night. I've already got my daughters excited about dressing up and everything.

I didn't make up twitterpated or anything, you know. It's from the movie Bambi. It does describe my emotions aptly, though, and it is a brilliant word.

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Denise P. - Dec 21, 2004 11:22 pm (#481 of 2956)

I called my local store, they had no list so we started one...with me #1 on the list! I also am going to preorder it so that I don't have to wait impatiently for my husband to read it and I don't have to rush so he can read it. Of course, I also hate loaning him my books anyway...he just doesn't treat them the way I do and I hate getting a new book back looking like it was read by a tribe of gorillas.

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Ydnam96 - Dec 21, 2004 11:24 pm (#482 of 2956)

Hey Scully, in all of this hullabullo we didn't learn the name of your kitty! I'm still curious. Please come back and tell us

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Denise S. - Dec 22, 2004 12:25 am (#483 of 2956)

On one hand, I want to jump up and shout WOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOO!!! with the rest of them, but then there`s still a huge part of me that wishes it could`ve been released on the 31st of July instead. I mean, who`s going to be here in Tokyo to stand in line with me??? Will the bookstores be populated by anyone besides lots of little kids? Will there be any places having a party? I was really looking forward to a pre-sale book store fest, too.

Book 7. I`ll be camping out in front of the store for Book 7 a year ahead of time, `cuz there`s no way I`m missing that one!

Still, at least it`s only 7 months left to wait!!!

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 22, 2004 12:52 am (#484 of 2956)

One more day of work before my holidays! I'm then off until 4th January. I caught up with my Mum last weekend, had Chrissy dinner MarkI at my place with the sister, hubby and kids. Next day we all went to see an adaptation of "A Christmas Carol". It was excellent and the 6 year old understood the story, because we'd told it to her the previous night.

For those who remember my previous post around thanksgiving moaning how I had two frozen chooks (chickens) in my freezer and never having cooked them before...I did it!!! They cooked up real nice and were delicious even the brother-in-law (chef) complimented me.

I'm just as dizzy at cooking as I am at maths, grammer and time zones so I must have done something right! No wonder I'm dizzy lizzy.

Next week it's Chrissy dinner MarkII at my Dad's place on Tuesday night. Not to mention Chrissy dinner MarkIII on Christmas day Lunch at my best friends place.

I love getting together with everyone and enjoying their company and taking the time to cement the bonds of friendship and family closer together (A very big challenge considering it all went pear shaped earlier this year!!).

Many grins to all, Happy Birthday to all those with birthdays and happy holidays to all.

Lizzy

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septentrion - Dec 22, 2004 1:19 am (#485 of 2956)

Hi everyone ! I still feel like jumping and woooooooooooo-ing ! While I was in town yesterday, I wanted too to stop everyone and tell them the great news. Yet I manage to tell it to my favorite librarian.

Elanor, HBP is now available for pre-order on amazon.fr. Yet I'll wait till I'm sure I can order the american edition. As for your name, I'm afraid to be one of those who butcher it : I say "Audré" and not "Audrè". This last one sounds weird, and all the "Audrey" I know pronounce it "Audré".

Everyone have a good day !

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The giant squid - Dec 22, 2004 5:45 am (#486 of 2956)

Ydnam, Scully did tell us her new kitty's name a few pages back. I won't spoil it for you, but it's the same name as someone who just gave us all some very good news...

I didn't make up twitterpated or anything, you know. It's from the movie Bambi.--Marie E.

THANK YOU! I've been flogging my brain for the last day & a half trying to remember where that came from. I knew I'd heard it before, and I knew you couldn't possibly have thought it up yourself.

Oh, and sister darling? I don't know if you watch the TV show "Las Vegas", but you might want to tape the Jan. 3rd episode. A certain recently-reunited 80's band that we were talking about a few posts ago will be making an appearance. Heck of a birthday present, huh?

--Mike

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mollis - Dec 22, 2004 7:09 am (#487 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 22, 2004 6:16 am

Thought that I'd pip up to whole-heartedly agree with you all. I had an awful time trying to get work done yesterday. Being that twitterpated really effects one's brain!

And yes, you can pre-order at Amazon and Barnes and Noble - where you also may want to check out the #1 bestseller. It is very humorous to me that a book that hasn't even been published yet can sell more copies than any other book. Merry Christmas to the on-line bookstores too!

Oh, and don't forget - if you are ordering from Amazon - go the the Lexicon and click on their banner-ad. Then you get to support the Lex while indulging in your fix!

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Julie Aronson - Dec 22, 2004 8:06 am (#488 of 2956)

I am now pre-ordered at my local Borders. Anyone who wants to meet me in Fairlawn, OH on July 15, let me know!

Julie

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 22, 2004 8:55 am (#489 of 2956)

I must say "Wuh Hoo" one more time. Yay!

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Elanor - Dec 22, 2004 10:09 am (#490 of 2956)

Me too Loopy... And I am glad to be here sharing this marvelous news and feeling with you all: the people-who-know! The people who know what fantastic present Jo gave us and really understand what it means to us, know why our hearts are so light suddendly and in the best of Christmas moods!

Septentrion, I have seen that on amazon.fr and I will order it soon, maybe even on Christmas day, to make myself a perfect present... I want the British version of it and I think it is the one they are preordering since the original price is in pounds. BTW, I'm so happy that I will let you call me "Audré" if you want, that just show you how pleased I am... LOL!

Julie, I have good news for you! At last, I was able to borrow the book about Carême, will you believe that? I have just starting to skim through it searching for quotes and I have not found yet but I hope I will find it soon!

Have a great day everyone!

EDIT: Septentrion, I have checked both amazon.co.uk and amazon.com and I am sure it is the British version of the book that is to preorder on amazon.fr because the publisher is Bloomsbury and the "reference number" is not the american one. Did they propose the 2 versions of it when OotP was released?

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septentrion - Dec 22, 2004 10:44 am (#491 of 2956)

Yes, Elanor, Amazon.fr sells the American hardcover edition of all HP books. Yet I'm still waiting for the paperback version of OotP being available (wonder if I won't order it on amazon.com). I find the American editions prettier than the English ones, I prefer the font used in it, and I like Mary GrandPré artwork very much. But of course I own the English edition because of the differences in language...

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Ydnam96 - Dec 22, 2004 10:44 am (#492 of 2956)

Ahh, I missed it! That's a wonderful name for such a cute kitty

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Julia. - Dec 22, 2004 11:03 am (#493 of 2956)
Edited by Pinky Dec 22, 2004 3:14 pm

I too must jump in with another WOOOO-HOOOO! I'm still just completely over the moon about this. I also love that I don't have to explain myself to you guys! I don't have to tell you how excited I am because you already know!

*bumbles off to St. Mungos while rambeling about muggles*

Sorry, Julia - I tried to edit your thread to turn off the pretty pink color that was leaking into my post, but I am quite HTML deficient, and couldn't find the "off" switch. So nothing was actually edited in your post. Well, except that this note got added. *sheepish grin* ~Pinky

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Pinky - Dec 22, 2004 4:11 pm (#494 of 2956)

Hey Miss Denise-S-didn't-even-want-to-know-the-name-of-book-4-when-that-was-released, how come you're not so sensitive this time? I remember we had to really watch the spoiler information when we were in threads frequented by you! *grin*

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Gina R Snape - Dec 22, 2004 6:34 pm (#495 of 2956)

Oh yeah. Julia, your colour is leaking onto the rest of the page! Let's see if this fixes it. btw, if I'm here in NYC come July, you are more than welcome to crash at my place.

Well, WOOOOOHOOOOOOO. I have finished coursework for the semester! First two classes in my doctoral program are officially under my belt!

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Julie Aronson - Dec 22, 2004 6:49 pm (#496 of 2956)

Thanks, Audrey!! Now that I'm done with school for a little while I have some time to needlepoint. I hope the book yields fruit...

Thanks, and by the way,

WAHOOO!!! 7/16/2005 !!!!!!

OK. I just had to get that out of my system. I should be OK now.

Julie

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John Bumbledore - Dec 22, 2004 7:10 pm (#497 of 2956)
Edited by Pinky Dec 22, 2004 7:13 pm

Oh my! Pinky is a host with edit powers?

What is our forum coming to?

<)B^D= (John) Bumbledore.

P.S. Why am I so happy to know that I have to wait another seven months? Woo Hoo!

P.P.S Hello every body! Happy days! Happy days!

Bwahahaha! I am, I am! *looks furtively around for Kip and slinks back off into the shadows* ~Pinky

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Ladybug220 - Dec 22, 2004 8:12 pm (#498 of 2956)

Hi! Just let me say YAAAAHOOOOO! I can't wait for July 15, 2005 at 11:59 pm.

I am leaving at 'oh-gosh-early' in the morning - I have to be at the airport at 5 am for my 6:15 flight. At least I will get to the West coast at 11 am and have the rest of the day to do stuff. So....

I want to wish a very Merry Christmas to everyone that celebrates it. For those that don't, I hope you have a wonderful winter break and Happy New Year to all.

Amy

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Julia. - Dec 22, 2004 8:23 pm (#499 of 2956)

Merlin's Beard, my pretty purple was leaking! I'm sorry, I'll turn it off this time. Usually I never bother, because it's supposed to automatically turn off, but I'll do it myself.

WOOOOOO-HOOOOOO again! 205 days, 0 hours, 37 minutes, 15 seconds to go! Thanks for the offer Gina, I might have to take you up on that...

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Gina R Snape - Dec 22, 2004 8:24 pm (#500 of 2956)

Did you post twice just so you could be post 500?

EDIT: Oh! I guess I'll be post 500 then...

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 3:03 pm

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Julia. - Dec 22, 2004 8:28 pm (#501 of 2956)

No, I edited and it posted it twice. I deleted the unedited one.

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Mrs. Sirius - Dec 22, 2004 10:45 pm (#502 of 2956)

Julia, I'm there! (Actually we pre-order the Bloomsbury edition, but I can't wait until it arrives by mail, so I'm there at midnight for the Scholastic edition)

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Ydnam96 - Dec 22, 2004 10:58 pm (#503 of 2956)

Oh, I'm going away for a few days. To my parent's house for the holidays. I will sorely miss my HP time.

Does anyone here watch Alias? Cause I just started watching the first season, and wow. I'm in shock.

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Phoenix song - Dec 22, 2004 11:03 pm (#504 of 2956)

Hello everybody! I've been swamped with holiday work and haven't been able to chat in a few days. I see that everybody is just as excited as I am. I agree with the earlier post that said that we true fans are like the wizards and witches that were walking around at the beginning of book 1 smiling, celebrating and patiently overlooking all of the "muggles" that were mystified at our happiness. "Oh, that's okay that you've nearly crashed your car into mine on this heavily-congested-with-holiday-shoppers-highway...for nothing could upset me this happy, happy day!"

Is there anybody that knows how Catherine is doing? I haven't seen her post in a while and want to make sure that she's feeling better.

Have a very Merry Christmas everybody if I'm not able to check back in again before then. I need to go do last minute shopping tomorrow (YUCK!) Speaking of that, I did see a very funny sign in front of a little shop yesterday. It said "We'll be open until 8pm on Christmas Eve for all of you who have procrastinated.... DUMB WAITERS $24.00." Since this is a tiny little gift shop, I highly doubt that they actually SELL dumb waiters in there. I wonder if I'm the only one that rode by that shop and GOT the joke...

Barbie

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Denise P. - Dec 22, 2004 11:16 pm (#505 of 2956)

Me! Me! I watch Alias!! I have all three seasons on DVD and can't wait until Season 4 starts in the US...less than 2 weeks now.

If you think Season 1 was a shocker, wait until Season 2 rolls around.

We have been getting ice all day. Greg just went out with a ruler, we have 7" in the front, 6" on the back deck. Since our temps will stay arctic, looks like we will have a rare white holiday!

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Ydnam96 - Dec 22, 2004 11:22 pm (#506 of 2956)

Oh no I can't handle more than this. I'm on the the episode where Will got kidnapped by Sarc (whom I think works for Syds mom) and I really need to go to bed. BUt I just want to finish the series. But will take all night and I have to get up in the AM. IT's killing me! How can people watch these from week to week? The suspense would kill me.

Well have a great week, I'll try and peak in from time to time.

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The giant squid - Dec 23, 2004 12:40 am (#507 of 2956)

Bwahahaha! I am, I am! *looks furtively around for Kip and slinks back off into the shadows* ~Pinky

I don't know what got into Pinky earlier, but she's clearly drunk with power! I think we should let it go, though..everyone's a bit worked up over the good news.

--Mike

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Elanor - Dec 23, 2004 1:18 am (#508 of 2956)

Hello everybody! Good night/morning/afternoon wherever you are!

Here, it is already Thursday morning and the final countdown till Christmas has begun, with its succession of "Oh my, I forgot to buy Aunt Hortense a present!" or "When am I supposed to defrost the pike?"... But I'm such in a good Christmas mood since Jo's fantastic news that these little troubles will be nothing at all! Icing on the cake, we had a little snow yesterday evening, though today rain has replaced it, but it was lovely!

Julie, I have finished the book and, unfortunately, the saying isn't in it but I have found other ones from the same Carême that are funny:

- "Le paradis est un lieu où l'on peut dîner pendant l'éternité sans risque d'indigestion." (Heaven is a place where one can have dinner eternally without risking indigestion).

- "Le potage est l'agent provocateur d'un bon dîner." (Soup is the agent provocator of a good dinner.)

- "Les Beaux-Arts sont au nombre de cinq: la peinture, la sculpture, la poésie, la musique, l'architecture laquelle a pour branche principale la pâtisserie." (There are five fine arts: painting, sculpture, poetry, music, architecture whose principal branch is cake-making.)

And (and I love that one):

- "Celui qui n'aime pas septembre ne mérite pas de bien manger" (The one who doesn't like September doesn't deserve good food.) It is because September is the richer month of the year for cooks, at least at Carême's time because food were not preserved for a long time then.

I'm sorry the one you wanted wasn't in it, I can just give you my translation of it again: "Nourrir ses amis, il n'y a rien de plus noble." I hope it helps!

Have a great day everybody!

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Denise S. - Dec 23, 2004 1:38 am (#509 of 2956)

Pinky: Hey Miss Denise-S-didn't-even-want-to-know-the-name-of-book-4-when-that-was-released, how come you're not so sensitive this time? I remember we had to really watch the spoiler information when we were in threads frequented by you! *grin*

That was book 5, I'll have you know! Because even back when there weren't as many people here as there are now, it was way too neurotic, and when I go read old posts from the pre-OotP era, it's kind of pretty embarrassing that I refused to even look at the cover. (Did I really not want to know the name? I don't remember that. The cover, yeah, but I thought I was fine with the name...) I mean, come on, it was so crazy I had a bad name even among the St. Mungoe's Inmates.

Plus, after hanging out around the JKR website, I've picked up far too many "spoilers" to try to stay out of the HBP influence.

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Julie Aronson - Dec 23, 2004 3:48 am (#510 of 2956)

Audrey, thanks for your help anyway! Is there some kind of French-language "Bartlett's Familiar Quotations" or "Oxford Dictionary of Quotations" ? I can get to OED online from my university link, but to my knowledge, we only have access to English-language resources.

Have a fabulous Christmas or winter holiday or whatever works for everyone out there!

Julie

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septentrion - Dec 23, 2004 3:58 am (#511 of 2956)

Julie, try this link, you may find some interesting stuff there. That site (www.lexilogos.com) is a real treasure about languages. You can find there links to hundreds dictionary in a great number of languages, and about other stuff (slang, philosophy...). The site is in french but you should use it without too much trouble.

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hawkeyetkdchick - Dec 23, 2004 8:24 am (#512 of 2956)

Hi guys! I don't normally post on this thread, but I have to complain to someone, so bear with me (and skip this message if you don't feel like hearing me complain). I got up at 2:30am and drove 2 hours to get to the Des Moines airport (I have plane tickets to take to Florida-where it's much warmer, and where my family is gathering for Christmas). I get to the airport at 5am only to stand in line for 1.5 hours to find out that my flight has been cancelled! The earliest they could get me to Florida would be tomorrow (Friday) evening, and i would have to leave Sunday morning, so I would have had only 1 day in Florida. I decided to save my $350 for the tickets and come back home (another 2 hour drive), getting home just as the sun was coming up. So now I'm home in -20 degrees Fahrenheit weather, and I won't be with my family for Christmas. Maybe I'll read some Harry Potter... after I take a nap. Anyway, thanks for letting me complain, I feel a bunch better now I hope everyone has a happy holiday/winter break/whatever!

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 23, 2004 10:11 am (#513 of 2956)

Sorry to hear about that hawkeye. Crucio curses to the airlines!

Happy Holidays again everyone. I got a surprise bonus at work today, so I'm, again, twitterpated. Yay!

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Denise P. - Dec 23, 2004 10:34 am (#514 of 2956)

Good grief, we are trapped in the house! LOL We had so much sleet and ice and wind that there is a drift in front of the garage. We can open the garage but can't back out since the drift would put our van up too high and scrape the door. Husband is out trying to get it cleared but it is like a rock. We got no paper this morning, I doubt we will get mail either. It is also blinding white out there, you can't see where the walkway is, where the driveway is or the street.

Twitterpated is the term the Owl uses to describe what happens in the spring when the boys start to notice the girls. I have always found it to be a convenient word to mean many things

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Julia. - Dec 23, 2004 10:44 am (#515 of 2956)

You seem to be quite twitterpated this week Loopy! Hehehe, well I guess that between your bonus and JKR's most wonderful Christmas gift, you have good reason to be!

Hawkeye, I'm sorry to hear about your travel issues. I'm with Loopy here, *CRUCIO AIRLINES!*

This morning was the third morning in a row that I've been woken up by my cell phone. Tuesday Samantha, yesterday my rabbi, and today my high school biology teacher. From now on I'm just turning my cell phone off at night.

See you on the threads!

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Penny Lane. - Dec 23, 2004 11:07 am (#516 of 2956)

Wow. I've missed quite a bit here. I have some bad news to report from my parents’ home, and I didn't want to bring everyone down since ya'll are so happy about the new book and all - but I suppose I should explain my absence. It turns out that my father who had a heart valve put in 15 years ago, is now experiencing Chronic Heart Failure. He had 3 heart attacks in the past few months, which no one told me about while I was away at school. Anyway, he's home now, and is scheduled for some open-heart surgery after the holiday. I'm very worried.

P.S. I watch Alias too, but I didn't really like most of season 3. Season 2 is really good though...

Does anyone here watch House? It's a medical show on Fox and I think it's new.. but I like what I've seen of it. Anyway, I'm glad to be back

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Denise P. - Dec 23, 2004 11:11 am (#517 of 2956)

Penny, I am sorry to hear about your dad. I hope the surgery helps him out.

Season 3 of Alias....YUCK!

I loooove House! A friend of mine was a test audience for it over the summer and I had been waiting for it. It normally airs at the same time as Lost so I TiVo Lost and then tape House. Even Greg started to watch it with me. He likes it too.

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Julia. - Dec 23, 2004 11:16 am (#518 of 2956)

Oh, Penny I'm so sorry to hear about your dad. I hope everything will work out, and I'll keep you and your family in my prayers.

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hawkeyetkdchick - Dec 23, 2004 11:30 am (#519 of 2956)

Penny-

Sorry to hear about your dad! I hope his surgery is ok. I have known a couple of family friends that went through heart surgery, and they are doing pretty good now. Hopefully it will make your dad all better!

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John Bumbledore - Dec 23, 2004 12:20 pm (#520 of 2956)

Penny,

Sorry to hear about your dad's trouble. I'll send prayers for your dad, you and your family. I'll send some strengthening potion too.

Hawkeye,

Travel frustrations are, are, frustrating! And I send my sympathies for not being able to be with family for the holiday. *Felix Felicis* (meaning a cheering charm) is on the wing and heading your way.

My wife, children and I were also not able to visit family this season. But it is worse to have plans that are disrupted by someone or something else. *CRUCIO AIRLINE*

<)B^D= (John) Bumbledore.

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Caput Draconis - Dec 23, 2004 5:37 pm (#521 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 23, 2004 4:37 pm

*hugs Penny*

Obsession #473 in my life is the wonderful world of Alias. Seriously, no-one liked Season 3? I'll admit that green goo business with Sloane was a bit lame...I really want to know Jack's deal though. Season 2 is the greatest television in the history of the world. Enjoy, Ydnam! Love those Bristows.

I just spent the morning cutting up stuff to decorate random puddings. And it's a thousand degrees, and a Santa in a fire engine just went up my street. *dreams of mythological cold white substances*

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Pinky - Dec 23, 2004 6:26 pm (#522 of 2956)

Yes, Mike, I was feeling a bit twitterpated, as normally I would never do a thing like that! *grin* Denise S, I meant book 5 - see above about feeling twitterpated! Hugs to Penny and her family.

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Tomoé - Dec 23, 2004 6:42 pm (#523 of 2956)

Just a word to say I'm off for Christmas, I could be away for a week or two.

Plus, I became auntie today for the first time, a little girl, 7lbs 10oz, my 5 years younger brother beat me to it. He's 20, just like James Potter.

I hope your father will be all right Penny.

Merry Christmas, Nice Holidays and Happy New Year to you all!!!

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 23, 2004 7:35 pm (#524 of 2956)

A hug for penny on her troubles and a hug (and a butterbeer) for Tomoe on her good news...

Lizzy

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Julia. - Dec 23, 2004 7:54 pm (#525 of 2956)

Wow Tomoe, mazel tov on becoming an auntie! Have a butterbeer on me. By the way, what's her name?

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haymoni - Dec 23, 2004 8:04 pm (#526 of 2956)

Hi everyone! It was fun to get emails from co-workers on the release date! Apparently everyone at work is aware of my obsession.

Julie - I am going to be in Hudson for the release. I missed the one for OotP because I had to take a certification test the next day. I won't miss it this year!

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. Please be safe.

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Marie E. - Dec 23, 2004 8:07 pm (#527 o 2956)

My sister also had her holiday plans altered by the storm in the midwest. (Sorry, giant squid, if you haven't heard this.) She and her husband were driving from Kansas City, MO to Fort Walton Beach, FL to spend Christmas with her husband's sister. They made it as far as Vienna, Illinois. She called me to check the weather forecasts online. I said, "Vienna, let me see, 10 to 18 inches of snow accumulations, near blizzard conditions. Hmmm, I think you should stop." When I checked the rest of her route, all I saw was the lovely ice and sleet that Denise P. mentioned. They decided, after spending 6 hours in a gas station, to turn around. They are now in St. Louis with a friend of theirs.

Here in Colorado Springs we have about five inches of snow on the ground and below zero temps. I am not used to the cold weather anymore and I'm whining like a baby. It's -19 with the wind chill!

Penny, big hugs to you and your family.

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Acceber - Dec 23, 2004 8:32 pm (#528 of 2956)

*wonders if Becca is getting snow too*-Lupin Kim. We got a light dusting of snow, which has disappeared thanks to the torrential downpour of rain earlier today.

My name is Rebekah (which of course no one can spell properly). It's okay to call me Beka, but don't EVER call me Becky.-Eponine.

Wow! My name is Rebecca (which people always spell with two Bs or one C or both). Many people on here call me Becca, but you die if you call me Becky.

Hugs to you and yours Penny.

Congrats Tomoe! To echo Julia, what's her name?

I already posted this on the JKR site thread, but it deserves repeating. I'm at camp on July 16th. Only some people there read Harry, and not as obsessively as any of us (duh). I plan to pre-order it to my camp so I can read it while I'm there. *walks away gritting teeth at injustice of JKR's date decision*

SCHOOL'S OUT UNTIL 2005!!!!!!! I am insanely happy .

My sister's sitting next to me watching me type. She's breathing on me and leaning into my arm, which can be quite uncomfortable, but is still affectionate. She says she's insanely happy about school being out as well.

Off to read more threads. Good night to Americans, good morning to Europeans and good afternoon to Aussies.

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boop - Dec 23, 2004 9:17 pm (#529 of 2956)

Hugs to you Penny, sorry about your dad. My prayers are with you and your family.

Hawkeye- sorry to hear you can not spend Christmas with your family. *CRUCIO AIRLINE*

Tomoe- enjoy your Christmas and New Years. Congratulation on becoming an aunt.

The weather here is Central Pa is cold and windy, with no snow.

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 23, 2004 9:45 pm (#530 of 2956)

Penny- I'm sure all will go well, you and your family are in my prayers.

Tomoe- Congrats

And a big Hello to Boop

Jack

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 23, 2004 11:38 pm (#531 of 2956)

Out of curiosity, the major storms that have disrupted some of the travel plans of our forum members/familes (Marie E. et al); made it onto my online paper (The Sydney Morning Herald) at around 1.30 this afternoon our time and its now 5.30pm. I felt a bit smug because for the second time this week, I knew something before the paper did .

Hugs to all who have had their holidays disrupted.

Lizzy

Edit: I must learn how to spell "because" and "forum"...and proof-read.

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Marie E. - Dec 24, 2004 12:31 am (#532 of 2956)

I was just about to go to bed when I noticed something odd. It is actually getting warmer, even though it's late at night. The temperature is up to 0 F already. They're saying on Weatherbug that it will hit 35 today and 50 for Christmas Day. Colorado weather is just weird.

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septentrion - Dec 24, 2004 12:55 am (#533 of 2956)

Hello everyone !

Penny, I'm sorry for your father, I send you some Christmas spirit through Floo powder.

Tomoé, congrats for being an auntie.

I have a really great Christmas this year : Tuesday, Jo gave us the best present ever, yesterday, I taped the 1st part of "HP and me" which was airing on a belgian channel (it hasn't aired in France yet) and I tape the rest today, I received the new U2 album (it's really wonderful) and this morning, my husband told me he was going to prepare me a Christmas dinner. This was really a great surprise because usually, he doesn't feel concerned much by Christmas. I wish everyone have a great week-end, whether you celebrate Christmas or not.

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Elanor - Dec 24, 2004 12:59 am (#534 of 2956)

It is already Christmas Eve here and I wanted to wish you all a very happy Christmas, wherever you are. I hope this day will bring some hope and comfort to the ones who suffer or are grief-stricken.

Christmas has always been a family feast for me and this forum has become another family for me. You will all be in my thoughts and prayers tonight.

Merry Christmas everybody, un très joyeux Noël à tous!

Audrey

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 24, 2004 2:46 am (#535 of 2956)

Merry Christmas all where ever you may be! Penny, you and your family are in our prayers. Tomoe, congrats on the new Potter fan! Great big hugs for Betty! Hope all is well with everyone else.

Major hugs to Catherine whereever you are!

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The giant squid - Dec 24, 2004 2:48 am (#536 of 2956)

Sorry, giant squid, if you haven't heard this--Marie E.

If it weren't for the Forum, I'd never know what's happening to the rest of my family...

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Julie Aronson - Dec 24, 2004 3:40 am (#537 of 2956)

Audrey,

Thanks again for trying. I think I probably will use your translation.

Sept,

Thanks for the cool link! There's a lot out there!

All,

Best wishes and happy holidays!

Julie

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Penny Lane. - Dec 24, 2004 3:53 am (#538 of 2956)

Thanks for all the Well Wishes and Christmas Spirit. The surgery won't be until next week sometime, most likely, so we can actually have a halfway normal Christmas... Sort of.

Happy Christmas Eve to everyone!

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Elanor - Dec 24, 2004 5:29 am (#539 of 2956)

You're welcome Julie! I wish I had found the real quote for you. I wish you a marvelous Christmas.

Penny, you and your family are in our prayers.

A very happy Christmas to all of you!

Audrey

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Caput Draconis - Dec 24, 2004 5:45 am (#540 of 2956)

Hey...it's Christmas!

I'm headed west to see my family (yes away from the beach, sigh). I won't be about when Christmas rolls around for the rest of y'all, so I just wanted to wish everyone a happy day, and thank you all for being the best gosh darn forum family ever. *bighugs to everyone* Hey, Christmas day also marks my 2 year forum anniversary, how exciting! Ha. *hugs everyone again*

Much love! - Lauren

Au.Idol fans, I hope you all just heard Anthony belt out The Prayer at Carols...very dramatic, it was...

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 24, 2004 6:01 am (#541 of 2956)

Penny, please remember, the spirit of Christmas is within you, where-ever the day may find you. And remember we are with you and yours.

Merry Christmas all!

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MickeyCee3948 - Dec 24, 2004 6:38 am (#542 of 2956)

I wanted to wish all of my fellow Harry Potter addicts a very safe and happy Christmas Holiday. May all your worries dissolve, your fears take flight and your sorrows be minimized.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL FROM THE HEART OF ACADIANA!!!

Mikie

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boop - Dec 24, 2004 7:31 am (#543 of 2956)

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!!!

Jack- Hello and big hugs

TBE- thanks for the big hugs

I am spending tonight with my family and spending my day with my other Family the forum. I wish everyone a happy and safe Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. BIG HUGS TO EVERYONE!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to PK Chopper(Lance) with wish for a great day.

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Ladybug220 - Dec 24, 2004 9:08 am (#544 of 2956)
Edited by Dec 24, 2004 8:12 am

Hi everyone! Penny - you and your family are in my prayers

*begin rant* I have a travel story to add to all of the others. I flew from NC to San Diego yesterday. My first flight left 45 minutes late but I still had time to meet my connecting flight. Then the people in St Louis decided that those of us going to San Diego did not need our luggage! I arrived at 11:00 and my luggage did not arrive until 11 pm. I also spent over 3 hours on hold (collectively) to try to talk to someone but they were rather busy it seems. Supposedly my luggage will be delivered between 10 and 3 but we shall see. rant over

I hope that everyone else is having a good holiday.

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Phoenix song - Dec 24, 2004 9:27 am (#545 of 2956)

Penny, I know that it's rough to have your dad so sick, especially at this time of year. My dad has cancer and we never expected him to make it this long. As thrilled as we are that he's made it to Christmas, it's still hard to have Christmas and see him so ill.

I'm sure that your dad is going to be fine, though. They are doing some awesome things in heart surgeries now days, and we will just pray full time for a complete recovery and strength for you and your family. I know that it's difficult, but please try to enjoy the right now and not worry about the future. (I'm a world class worrier, so I should talk!) But Dr. Phil always says that worrying is a lot like rocking in a rocking chair... it gives you something to do, but it doesn't get you anywhere. I'll also be sending you and yours some extra strength cheering charms. Merry Christmas!

I hope that everyone else has a great Holiday as well. Betty, enjoy your day and take a few extra hugs from me as well...*hug* *hug*.

Be safe out there!
Barbie

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Ydnam96 - Dec 24, 2004 10:02 am (#546 of 2956)

Prayers to Penny and I heard Riddikulus is not doing well either (from over on the JK website thread) so prayers for him as well!

I flew from LA to DC yesterday. Bleh, but at least I got there. There were lots of people stranded because of the winter storms.

I'm off to try and find season 2 on DVD (hoping I can rent it somewhere, cause well I can't afford to buy it) Happy Christmas Eve.

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Dumbledore - Dec 24, 2004 11:19 am (#547 of 2956)

Merry Christmas Eve, everybody!

Once again I have been lurking forum status. I really never get a chance to go on these days.

Penny, I feel awful for you about your father. Take comfort in knowing that all of our thoughts here at the forum are with you!!

Have a great holiday, everybody!!

-Lauren

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Doris Crockford - Dec 24, 2004 12:46 pm (#548 of 2956)

I hope that everyone is feeling better and happier soon. Penny, my English teacher had basically the same problem last year, and she's fine now. I hope your dad gets better quickly.

I'm really getting into the Christmas spirit, since I finished shopping yesterday when I went to the mall with a friend of mine. There were actually not that many people, since we had a huge snow/ice storm (the one the rest of you suffered through), so it was fun. Now I'm listening to 'My Christmas List' by Simple Plan over and over again, and my cousins are coming over for Chinese food, then we'll go to church. Since I probably won't come back online until Boxing Day, Merry Christmas to everyone!

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SarcasticGinny - Dec 24, 2004 1:31 pm (#549 of 2956)

A Merry, Merry Christmas to all of you! Peace, happiness, and HBP in 2005! :-)

<3 Emily

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Julia. - Dec 24, 2004 2:07 pm (#550 of 2956)

Wow. New record for me today. I went to sleep at 3:00 am, which is normal for me on vacation. The record is that I woke up at 3:00 in the afternoon! I've never woken up that late before! Well, I have about 10 minutes before Shabbos starts, so I will very quickly wish every one who celebrates a very merry Christmas. I'll see you all tomorrow evening.

This post is avatar-free because my computer isn't being nice and won't let me into my photobucket site. So just pretend that my pretty pic of Harry and Ginny drawn by the brilliant Lisa Rourke is in the beginning of this post.

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 3:04 pm

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 24, 2004 6:34 pm (#551 of 2956)

Enjoy being able to sleep like that while you can Julia. I used to do that at your age all the time. Now, I can only dream about it, figuratively speaking.

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Denise P. - Dec 24, 2004 7:25 pm (#552 of 2956)

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Marie E. - Dec 24, 2004 8:36 pm (#553 of 2956)

I threatened that I would use this picture once I got my scanner figured out. This picture was taken in 1972. I am almost three years old and the giant squid is almost one year old. Isn't he adorable?

Happy Holidays to all of my "forum family" (and to the one member who actually is family).

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 24, 2004 10:21 pm (#554 of 2956)

Merry Christmas to all the American Forumers

And

Happy Christmas to everyone on the other side of the pond.

Jack

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Sir Tornado - Dec 25, 2004 4:42 am (#555 of 2956)

Merry Christmas everyone!

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TwinklingBlueEyes - Dec 25, 2004 4:53 am (#556 of 2956)

Merry Christmas everyone!

...toddles off to start cooking...

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septentrion - Dec 25, 2004 4:55 am (#557 of 2956)

Merry Christmas everyone !

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Eponine - Dec 25, 2004 5:16 am (#558 of 2956)

Merry Christmas!

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boop - Dec 25, 2004 7:11 am (#559 of 2956)

Merry Christmas Everyone. Have a great day!!!!

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Marè - Dec 25, 2004 7:17 am (#560 of 2956)

Happy Christmas every-one!

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 25, 2004 8:03 am (#561 of 2956)

Happy Christmas to all!

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Denise P. - Dec 25, 2004 8:23 am (#562 of 2956)

Merry Christmas All! The kiddies are in a gift wrapped induced coma (not really but they are playing with things) after the unwrapping frenzy...

Hope that everyone has a great day!

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Weeny Owl - Dec 25, 2004 8:53 am (#563 of 2956)

Happy holidays, everyone!

I wish each and every one of you the best for yourself, your families, and your friends in 2005.

**waving to Catherine and missing her**

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Gina R Snape - Dec 25, 2004 9:07 am (#564 of 2956)

Happy Christmas everyone!

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KWeldon - Dec 24, 2004 10:22 pm (#565 of 2956)

Another Texan checking in for roll call.

And, to tell everyone that IT IS SNOWING HERE IN HOUSTON!!!!!!

For those unaware, that happens about once every decade or two. We actually have accumulation on the ground and are having snowball fights. Southern Texas is the only area in all of the country getting snow this Christmas Eve....!!!!

Merry Christmas, and my thoughts are also with Riddikulus.

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Steve Newton - Dec 25, 2004 5:21 am (#566 of 2956)

I know this is off topic but I can't find anywhere else to post it.

Many thanks to everyone for all of the intelligent conversation, debate, and humor that you have given to me.

Merry Christmas to all.

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Grindylow - Dec 25, 2004 2:09 am (#567 of 2956)

Lucky you KWeldon...I am glad you have a white Christmas this year! As for us in Tennessee, the ice is still hanging around but we are good.

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vball man - Dec 25, 2004 5:44 am (#568 of 2956)

Merry Christmas, everyone !

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Nicole Bloom - Dec 25, 2004 8:03 am (#569 of 2956)

I live in Ontario Canada and my GOSH is there snow, enough for snow forts, not just snow balls! Merry Christmas to everyone, I hope for nothing but the best for you and yours.

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Madame Pomfrey - Dec 25, 2004 8:18 am (#570 of 2956)

Lucky you KWeldon! No snow here in Lockhart,Tx. Happy Christmas everybody.

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Gina R Snape - Dec 25, 2004 9:23 am (#571 of 2956)

Steve, and everyone else, there is a chat thread for all your chat-type posts called Chat and Greeting Thread for Members. There are loads of Christmas greetings happening over there today...

Kip Carter, "-- Chat and Greeting Thread for Members" #, 1 Dec 2004 12:57 am

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Gina R Snape - Dec 25, 2004 10:01 am (#572 of 2956)

LOL. Ok, clearly somebody moved the last few posts over to this thread. I didn't post there is a chat thread ON the chat thread! I posted it on the JKR Official Site thread. It seems a lot of people have been using the JKR thread like a chat thread and so I wanted to let them know about here.

Happy holidays again, everyone! Hope you enjoy my yule log. The only thing it's missing is a cauldron.

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Kip Carter - Dec 25, 2004 10:06 am (#573 of 2956)

Note: I edited this post to provide the necessary information concerning the move of the seven posts to this thread.

Yes, Gina, I moved seven (7) messages from the JK Rowling Official Site to this thread. I would appreciate everyone keeping the chat-type of post on this thread versus messing up the other threads.

The seven messages moved begin with KWeldon post #565 originally made at 9:22pm December 24th and continue in order to Gina R Snape's post #571 originally produced at 8:23am December 25th.

Sorry if I sound like a Scrooge; however I do not appreciate the threads covering specific subjects being turned into chat threads. I realize that it is Christmas, I want everyone to enjoy today, including me and others who do not care to have all threads to be considered as chat threads.

I thank you! And a Merry Christmas to all!

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mike miller - Dec 25, 2004 10:46 am (#574 of 2956)

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I hope everyone can enjoy at day of rest, eat "planned-overs" and generally take it easy. We may take in a movie this afternoon. The balance of my wife's family will come down tomorrow. I think it's a common practice to split the Holidays between families when they don't live in the same town. My family, unfortunately, lives on the other side of the continent.

Prayers to all in need this Holiday season!

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Gina R Snape - Dec 25, 2004 11:43 am (#575 of 2956)

Hey, Kip. I don't think you are being a scrooge, and quite frankly I appreciate your having moved the posts. Though I am not a moderator, I felt the urge to steer people over here (as you saw...). The JKR thread seems particularly prone to chatter, for some reason.

Well, I'm off to partake in festivities. See you all another day!

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Eponine - Dec 25, 2004 11:46 am (#576 of 2956)

Merry Christmas everyone!

I just wanted to say I have the best husband in the world. He got me Josh Groban tickets for Christmas knowing full well I have such a girly crush on him. Just a month and a half until an evening full of lots of girly sighs.

I hope everyone is getting everything they wanted for Christmas. Have a great day!

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Penny Lane. - Dec 25, 2004 12:01 pm (#577 of 2956)

Merry Christmas!!!

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 25, 2004 12:16 pm (#578 of 2956)

Merry Christmas, everyone.

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Flame Alligator - Dec 25, 2004 12:24 pm (#579 of 2956)

Merry Christmas!!!! *hugs*

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Elanor - Dec 25, 2004 12:25 pm (#580 of 2956)

Merry Christmas everybody!

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Leprechaun Jack! - Dec 25, 2004 5:46 pm (#581 of 2956)

WooHoo I got the Harry Potter 3 Movie DVD set from Santa

Jack

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Her-melanie - Dec 25, 2004 1:49 pm (#582 of 2956)

Merry Christmas everyone!!! If you can believe it, it is SNOWING HERE IN NEW ORLEANS!!!! The best Christmas gift I could ask for, apart from new Potter info. I have never seen snow before, so I am thrilled! Have a very Harry Christmas, everyone!

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Ydnam96 - Dec 25, 2004 6:43 pm (#583 of 2956)

It's not snowing in Virginia, but it's darn cold!

Happy Christmas everyone!

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Mrs. Sirius - Dec 25, 2004 8:00 pm (#584 of 2956)

Oh Gina, the Yule Log, thank you. Memories of New York. I live out in the country and have a fireplace, but nothing takes the place of that Yule log! Feliz Navidad-Merry Christmas.

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Julia. - Dec 25, 2004 8:55 pm (#585 of 2956)

Perhaps someone can explain to me the concept of the yule log. I never quite understood that. Am I supposed to warm my hands by the television?

Hope everyone had a nice Christmas. My family and I saw "Sideways" and then had Chinese food for dinner. Now I'm relaxing with "The Sound of Music."

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Gina R Snape - Dec 25, 2004 9:06 pm (#586 of 2956)

Oh, I loved that movie! I WILL NOT DRINK MERLOT!!! Heeeeeee.

Here in NYC, we don't have the pleasure of fireplaces. There's just something surreal yet cosy all at the same time about having the yule log on the tv with holiday music playing. Christmas in NYC just isn't the same without it!

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The giant squid - Dec 25, 2004 9:42 pm (#587 of 2956)

I threatened that I would use this picture once I got my scanner figured out.--Marie E.

Gosh, I was a cute kid. Who knew?

Happy Holidays to all! Especially "Ebenezer" Carter.

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septentrion - Dec 26, 2004 9:49 am (#588 of 2956)

Hi all ! I hope everyone have had a nice week-end. Mine was good. I've just offered myself a gift : I've ordered the LoTR extended edition, the 3 of them. That strong euro is a bargain to order abroad. Come to think of it, it seems a lot of people here think the dollar will raise again soon and therefore buy a lot of them. The "bureaux de change" in Paris have to buy Dollars to the banks because so many people buy Dollars.

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Flame Alligator - Dec 26, 2004 10:15 am (#589 of 2956)

Septentrion, Thanks for that news on the dollar. I sure hope so as I want to travel to Europe again this summer.

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septentrion - Dec 26, 2004 10:46 am (#590 of 2956)

Flame, as far as the dollar doesn't raise before I receive my order, I'd be glad for you ! BTW nice to see you around.

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Phoenix song - Dec 26, 2004 11:42 am (#591 of 2956)

Her-melanie: "If you can believe it, it is SNOWING HERE IN NEW ORLEANS!!!!"

Hey! I didn't know that we were practically neighbors! I live on the North Shore, do you live in New Orleans or just nearby?

Yes, the snow was amazing, the first time that we've gotten snow locally in all of recorded history (over 150 years) on Christmas day. And only the second time in my lifetime for snow. {Although, we mostly got sleet where I live.} It's caused some interesting problems because we're not equipped to drive in icy conditions. I'm not even equipped to walk in icy conditions! I slipped on some ice coming out of my house and busted my "pride". OUCH!!

I hope that everyone has had a great holiday!

Barbie

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 26, 2004 11:46 am (#592 of 2956)

I was thinking the same thing as Flame. In a couple of months I am going to be visiting a relative of mine who is in Europe for the winter, and I'm hoping the dollar makes a recovery before then. (Get your DVDs quickly, septentrion)

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boop - Dec 26, 2004 5:36 pm (#593 of 2956)

That is great everyone is getting snow. I don't have any snow in the here in the middle of Pennsylvania. I don't care if we don't have any snow this year at all.

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I have off all this week. I will be thinking of everyone who has to go back to work.

Hugs Always

Betty

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kabloink! - Dec 26, 2004 8:48 pm (#594 of 2956)

Belated Merry Christmas to everyone!!!

Sorry I wasn’t around the last couple of days, but tons of stuff has been going on with Christmas and everything.

Penny, I hope your dad feels better soon. Given the miracle they worked for my grandmother back in the very early 90's, I'm sure your dad will come out fine. In any case, my thoughts are with you.

I actually received some sad new myself on Christmas Eve. On Thursday night, my good friend's dad was killed in a car accident. His funeral was today, but as they live in New Jersey, and I in Michigan, I was not able to be there for her. We sent her flowers though, and I've talked to her a couple of times. Okay, sorry to be depressing. Here's a bit of happiness. My parents got me Andruil, from Lord of the RIngs, and I got my husband Sting. Not only that, but my parents got my husband a laptop of his own, so we're going to tear apart the desks we have in our den and turn it into a Lord of the RIngs/other swords room. So exciting!

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Julia. - Dec 26, 2004 9:55 pm (#595 of 2956)

Oh, Kim, I'm sorry to hear about your friend's dad. I'm sorry you can't be in NJ to comfort her, but I'm sure she appreciiates what you're doing from afar.

Betty! *runs up to Betty and bear hugs her* Enjoy your week off, you certianly deserve it!

Barbie, Her-melanie, and everyone else in the South who has snow, good luck getting used to the icy conditions. For those of you who are not so skilled in the art of walking in the ice and snow, I offer the following advice. If you can, walk on the snow rather than the ice, you'll get better traction. Walk slowly if you think you're going to fall. Sage advice from someone who all through high school walked a mile every afternoon in the snow ice November-March.

It's been snowing here in Southern Connecticut for a few hours. I feel horrible for a friend of mine. He lived in Connecitcut for the first 26 years of his life. He moved out to California in August to escape the cold. Now the poor guy gets to come back for a visit to loads of ice and snow.

Off to the threads!

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Julia. - Dec 26, 2004 10:50 pm (#596 of 2956)

Sorry about the double post, but it's too late to edit my last one. I'm sure you all know about the earthquake that happened today. Some of our forum members, namely Sir Tornado and Myr-tle, as well as ZinQ over on the Revelation forum may have been effected by it. We've not heard from all three of them all day, and everyone on the Rev is worried about them. Thought you'd all like to know.

In all the worrying I forgot to wish a Happy Kwanzaa to everyone who celebrates.

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The giant squid - Dec 27, 2004 3:01 am (#597 of 2956)

In all the worrying I forgot to wish a Happy Kwanzaa to everyone who celebrates.

Oops, so did I. I'll just steal a bit from Virgin Mobile & wish everyone a Happy Chrismahanukwanzakah.

Betty! *shoves Julia out of the way & gives Betty a bear hug of his own* Enjoy your week off. I myself just got off work at the theater...the last three days have been rather hectic (to make a huge understatement). Tonight we did almost 5 times our usual attendance, and that was the slowest of the three. It could have been worse, though; at least there wasn't another Lord of the Rings movie this year.

--Mike

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septentrion - Dec 27, 2004 3:52 am (#598 of 2956)

Kim I'm sorry for your Dad's friend.

about the earthquake, we also have members from whom we haven't heard of for a long time who live in the area, although I don't know if they live right where things happened : Devika and Draco All The Way. I hope they're well as well.

My darn car needs to be repaired. Again. I feel like buying a new one in 2005, it's been too often in the garage this year and it begins to cost a lot.

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From Venus - Dec 27, 2004 10:01 am (#599 of 2956)

HO HO HO BOY, what a Christmas! I've been singing for snow for Christmas, and guess what? WE GOT 24 INCHES!!!!! EVERYTHING was canceled, we couldn't go anywhere, no church, no caroling, I never finished my shopping, IT WAS GREAT!!! We'll be remembering this one for a long, LONG time. AND, getting the release date for HBP made it perfect, I couldn't have asked for a better Christmas present!!

I hope all of you had a great Christmas. I've got about 500 or 600 posts to catch up on now, so I'll be going. Got to start getting the house ready for New Year's Eve. Bye for now.

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Acceber - Dec 27, 2004 10:42 am (#600 of 2956)

I don't really have anything to say except WE HAVE LOTS OF SNOW!!! It snowed all of yesterday and last night. I don't know exactly how many inches, but enough so that my grandparents' car was stuck in the snow and we had to push them out . I've never pushed a car before.

~*sends Cheering Charms Kim's way* I'm thinking of you.

~*pushes Mike and Julia over to the side and hugs Betty* Nice to see you posting.

I second Julia on the snow advice. Also, slide your feet when walking on ice. You're less likely to fall

My mum, sister and I cleaned out part of our attic just now. My old stuffed dog is sitting happily on my lap, rescued from the depths of a plastic garbage bag. I love housecleaning; it can be so nostalgic.

I'm Post #600! w00t w00t!

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 3:05 pm

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mike miller - Dec 27, 2004 12:57 pm (#601 of 2956)

I'll wait my turn to give Betty a hug! I don't think you can get too many hugs.

Hoping all is well with our Forum Family members in India and areas impacted by the earthquake and tsumani's.

We'll be heading home tomorrow after spending the past few days with family in Myrtle Beach. I always look forward to a 10 hour drive.

I hope everyone has a great week!

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 27, 2004 1:08 pm (#602 of 2956)

And here I am sitting in 30+ deg cel. heat with the airconditioner going. Honestly, I would love to go to a nice snowy place at least once and just enjoy it (that is looking at it)...

Today is the day I start travelling. I am going to my Dad and stepmothers today for 2-3 days to catch up with them. My two big dogs go to the vets for boarding and the littlest comes with me.

My thoughts/prayers/hugs are with those forum members either living or working in the devastated areas of Asia.

Have a wonderful new year everyone if I don't log on before then.

Lizzy

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boop - Dec 27, 2004 2:41 pm (#603 of 2956)

Hey you don't have to push and shove. I have no problem giving out hugs. Mike you will have to wait your turn. Julia, Mike, Becca, and Mike in this order for hugs please. Mike M. you’re right never get enough hugs.

I am thinking of our forum members who might have been affected by the earthquake, you’re in my prayers.

Where are Tim and Blast? I miss them.

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Chemyst - Dec 27, 2004 5:04 pm (#604 of 2956)

I have a theory about the cause of all this snowfall – it is all caused by political correctness!!! I kid you not. For the past two weeks all the radio stations have been playing weather music instead of traditional carols. Let it Snow, White Christmas, Frosty the Snowman, Sleigh Ride, etc. What you play is what you get. It is all this weather music going out across the airwaves that has caused some atmospheric disturbance! (And I'm a tad disturbed by it myself!)
(Anyway, I've read worse theories on this forum.)

Me too on the Hugs to Betty Line, or as they say in HP, queue.

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Pinky - Dec 27, 2004 8:00 pm (#605 of 2956)

It could have been worse, though; at least there wasn't another Lord of the Rings movie this year.

What a horrible thing to say, Mike! They should have gone straight to "The Hobbit." When we finished watching the extended "Return of the King", there was a real sense of sadness that it was all over. Just kidding- I'm sure it was awful having to work the theater when those movies were playing! Hope you got lots of overtime!

I can't even imagine the devastation in southeast Asia right now. I wish in a way that I could hop on a plane and go over there to help out.

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boop - Dec 27, 2004 8:03 pm (#606 of 2956)

*Waves to Pinky*

*Hugs Chemyst back*

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Julia. - Dec 27, 2004 8:35 pm (#607 of 2956)

HA HA! I get the first hug from Betty!! *huggy huggy*

Weather.com tells me that outside my house it's 16 degrees Farenhight, but it feels like 4. So, what is the only natural thing to do? Eat ice cream! Ummmm, ice cream sandwich ice cream is yummy.

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draco all the way - Dec 27, 2004 10:58 pm (#608 of 2956)

I'M BACK!

It's the holidays! I can't post much but rest assured I have been lurking!

But back to my black and sombre mood. I live in India, right next to the beach. I saw it happen! Massive waves crashed on the shores and all these little fishermen huts got totally washed away!

Lots of people wake up early in the morning to go to the beach to jog. They have their yoga classes and aerobics classes on the beach and since it was a sunday there were so many people there. People play gully cricket and go to the shore temples by the busload. The beaches here are always busy and so, the damage was that much worse.

I can still see the rescue helicopters above me and down on the street there are a lot of homeless people. The blue cross vans and the WWF are here to remove the stray animals.

We were planning to go somewhere inland but in the end we just stayed. It’s very sad, but thankfully and incredibly no one I know is hurt or missing. But my maid's house no longer exists, so that's pretty bad. I could go on and on, because I'm so close to what's happening, but I'll stop for now.

Thanks to everyone for thinking of us. I'm REALLY glad it's the holidays and I'm even more glad to be back!

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Julia. - Dec 27, 2004 11:06 pm (#609 of 2956)

Thank G-d! Draco ATW, I'm so thrilled to hear from you. I'm very happy and relieved that you're safe. We also heard from Sir Tornado who is also safe. And welcome back!

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The giant squid - Dec 28, 2004 1:09 am (#610 of 2956)

Good to know you're okay, DracoATW. I can't imagine what it must be like to be right there on the scene.

Pinky, you're right--as a fan, I would love another LotR-related movie! As a theater employee, I relish the time off. And yes, I did get overtime--when New Line did their "Trilogy Tuesday" event showing all three LotR movies back-to-back-to-back was the last day I was on hourly wage. The very next day I went on salary.

--Mike

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septentrion - Dec 28, 2004 2:07 am (#611 of 2956)

Draco ATW, you're safe ! We were wondering. however, I understand your mood.

I've been wondering where's Tim too.

Everyone have a great day !

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Elanor - Dec 28, 2004 2:13 am (#612 of 2956)

I'm very happy that our members who were involved in that tragedy are safe! I send you my thoughts and prayers in those difficult times.

Here, we have been put in "weather alert" for snow and ice on the roads that may happen today and, as I'm writing, snow starts to fall. But it seems so insignificant compared to the tragedy in Asia that I don't think people will dare to complain about it!

Mike, that "trilogy Tuesday" must have been something! Imagine when "The Hobbit" will be released if they do the same thing : "The Hobbit" plus the 3 LOTR extended editions films!

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Grindylow - Dec 28, 2004 5:48 am (#613 of 2956)

Ainsley Black...my Christmas was good...what about yours? I have to admit, I am glad it is over. Christmas can be very tiring!!!

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Ainsley Black - Dec 28, 2004 6:00 am (#614 of 2956)

yeah it was good thank you. Mia (my little girl had a fab time) the first time she's understood that Christmas isn't an extension of her birthday! lol

I know what you mean by it being over, but i FINALLY got some smellies. I must be the only person who NEVER gets smellies at christmas!

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Grindylow - Dec 28, 2004 6:20 am (#615 of 2956)

Smellies? Lotions and stuff?

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VeronikaG - Dec 28, 2004 6:20 am (#616 of 2956)

Hi everyone. I'm still home for Christmas, basically not doing much.

Good to see Draco ATW back! Has anybody heard from Devika? I think she lives in the countryside, but I can't say for sure.

And where is Tim??

With everything that has happened I hope our members are OK, and that the rest of the holidays will be better. It's a bit soon to wish you happy new year yet.

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Ainsley Black - Dec 28, 2004 6:24 am (#617 of 2956)

Yeah smellies are things like bubble bath and so on.

Well, I'm off in a bit to take Mia out on her new Scooter, watch out world she's a BAD driver!!!!

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boop - Dec 28, 2004 8:13 am (#618 of 2956)

Draco All The Way, glad to see you’re safe. I think I can speak for all forum members. Just know the forum members are here for you, and anyone else that needs our support.

*waves to Mike*

TIM where are you??? Fawkes where are you, we miss you.

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Gina R Snape - Dec 28, 2004 9:14 am (#619 of 2956)

Draco ATW, what a story. I'm glad you are okay.

I've been watching the footage on CNN and local news. They are mostly showing Sri Lanka for some reason, and someone captured some scenes on home video. One CNN newsman was there with his family and told how his 5 year old son was mesmerised by the wave, and he had to run right up and grab his son and then run as fast as he could to get away as it touched down upon the shore. :phew:

How high was this wave? That I did not get to see. Your description of the activities on the beach sounded so lovely. It made the surprise tsunami that much more tragic.

Sorry if no one else wants to hear about this.

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septentrion - Dec 28, 2004 9:19 am (#620 of 2956)

I reckon the wave was several meters high, yet I didn't watch news, so all I know I heard on radio. My neighbour's son was to go to the Maldives Sunday, he was about to take the plane when he heard about the catastrophe thus he decided to stay. That's real luck !

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kabloink! - Dec 28, 2004 9:40 am (#621 of 2956)

Thanks to everyone for your cheering charms. I haven't heard from my friend since Christmas, but I think she is hanging in there. She has a very large family and from what she had said, they were all there with her.

Wow. I don't have cable anymore (sadness, but helpful on the part of motivation and budget) so I had no idea what had happened in Asia. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone. I'm glad to hear from those members who are safe and hope to hear soon from those we have not yet heard from.

Also, when walking on ice and snow, here's my theory. Always assume its slippery, and always be prepared to slip and fall, that way you're more likely to catch yourself. I realized the other day that whenever I walk on ice, my thigh muscles, the ones I use whenever I get a chance to ice skate, are always tensed and ready to go. I don't know if that helps, but I hope so!

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From Venus - Dec 28, 2004 11:15 am (#622 of 2956)

Someone mentioned the name a few posts ago and I can't remember who, but I've been wondering about Ridikkulous(sp?) myself. I'm kind of worried and I wonder if anyone knows what's going on?

Also, my heart goes out to all of you who have been affected somehow by the earthquake. The world seems so much smaller with a computer in my grasp. My prayers go out to all my brothers and sisters.

On a lighter note, my beautiful snow is all melting already, but I guess that means that I can now go to the grocery store. So, it's all good.

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timrew - Dec 28, 2004 12:06 pm (#623 of 2956)

To all who were wondering where I am, I'm back! I hope you all had a great Christmas, and I wish you all a Happy New Year (at least to all of you to whom this applies - to the rest, Joy and Best Wishes to you all!)

Sorry for being away for so long, I've been away for Christmas, and I've just spent a couple of weeks catching up on messages - I still have hundreds to go!

Nice to be back!

Tim

ps. If anyone knows how to get rid of this star, let me know. I feel like the class knowitall!

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John Bumbledore - Dec 28, 2004 1:43 pm (#624 of 2956)
Edited by Denise P. Dec 28, 2004 1:49 pm

A late *Merry Christmas* "card?" to you all. So why shouldn't my on-line family be treated just as my regular family. Late her and late there.

Happy Kwanza to all who celebrate.

I wish you all may have a happy new year! *Ah! early for that! yea!*

timrew, you can find that in your "change password or preferences" link in the teal bars (top or bottom) of the forum page.

Sympathies, cheering carms, and strengthening potions to all members in, near or with friends and family in southeast Asia, earth quake and Tsunami hit areas.

Boop, middle PA? I have a nice Penn DOT animated gif (image) I will see about posting. *hmm? where did I put that?* I'm much worse of a pack rat with digital media than with paper and stuff. Edit: Ah, there it is. It also reminds me of an snow shovelling story "an old chestnut" of an email chain letter that has been around for so long... but not here.

I'm in the *new snow belt* of North Carolina. A little town called Zebulon for any Tar Heal forum members. Must of got about six inches on Sunday, Dec. 26. and it was still covering the grass (and icy clumps on the roads) this morning when I came to work. Funny, but just 40 miles west of home and the ground is clear and dry. So as I said, the *new snow belt* of NC.

Being a PA transplant (oh, that is the postal abbreviation for Pennsylvania, USA for our world-ly members ) from near the "North Coast" of America, I can agree with Julia and the rest about the ice. No one drive or walks on ice unless one has steal cleated track drives (like bulldozers) or at least tire chains and cleats strapped to ones boots.

Oh, it has been to long since I last posted, I can tell by the length of this post. Sorry, best stop now.

<)B^D= (John) Bumbledore.

P.S. Don't know why I couldn't size that snow plowing gif down a bit... hmm? Missed the edit window. Deleting and reposting? Yes, I think I'll try that.

It worked!

Edit I made the picture a bit smaller to lessen the bandwidth that we are using. Denise P.

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boop - Dec 28, 2004 3:10 pm (#625 of 2956)

YAY Tim is back!!!!!* Runs over and give Tim a Big Hug*

John, thanks for the Penn DOT truck. Thought once you moved to NC, you see less snow then in Pennsylvania. Enjoy the snow. I really don't miss shoveling the snow.

Jim has been doing snow dances, but he just keeps getting the snow instead. I know we will get it, and probably lots when it comes, but a girl can dream can't she?.....

Hugs Always

Boop

Have a great evening everyone.

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Marè - Dec 28, 2004 3:28 pm (#626 of 2956)

We had one day of snow today. In the morning all was white and pretty and then it started to rain and the day ended grey and slippery...

Draco all the way, so glad to have you back. I hope all will be well, and I'm very relieved to hear all your friends and family are all right. Be sure to drop a line in this thread once in a while.

Someone mentioned the name a few posts ago and I can't remember who, but I've been wondering about Ridikkulous(sp?) myself. I'm kind of worried and I wonder if anyone knows what's going on?

He has dropped on some occassions that he was seriously sick. It is possible that he visits at some point again, it is also possible that he won't be able to do so again.

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Detail Seeker - Dec 28, 2004 3:41 pm (#627 of 2956)

Tim: To get rid of your star, go to the "Change password or preferences" page, to be called from the teal bar. There is an option to hide it. Just mark it.

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 28, 2004 3:46 pm (#628 of 2956)

Merry Christmas & Everything Else to all of you! I've been busting to get on here but have been so busy since Christmas, I've been dying to tell you all what I got for Christmas from Ben... It's very sparkly and fits on my finger!! YES YES YES He proposed and of course I said yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Spent all of Christmas day smiling and crying & giggling anytime someone called me Ben's fiancé!!!!

The cheeky thing had had my ring sitting under the tree for nearly a week & he had asked my parents’ permission to marry me about three weeks ago, so they've all been keeping secrets from me, I'm the happiest I've ever been!

I have to go do some work now, but I'll be back! (I just can't stop grinning!!

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Eponine - Dec 28, 2004 4:01 pm (#629 of 2956)

Congratulations, Daioma! I'm so happy for you. I'm sure that was your favorite Christmas present.

Last night my husband had a LAN party at our house. There were 8 fully grown men in our garage with their computers hooked up together playing games until 3:00 in the morning. Thankfully, they weren't that loud.

Anyway, I hope everyone is doing well and recovering from the holidays (if applicable).

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timrew - Dec 28, 2004 4:32 pm (#630 of 2956)

Thank you Bumbledore and Detail Seeker. And hugs to you too, boop!

Quick edit. It worked! Thanks once again!

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draco all the way - Dec 28, 2004 8:48 pm (#631 of 2956)

What's with the star?

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Julia. - Dec 28, 2004 8:52 pm (#632 of 2956)

Welcome back Tim! Lovely to see you posting again.

Mazel Tov Daioma! I'm so happy for you! This is definitely an occasion for a party! *pulls out butterbeer and passes it around* I'm thrilled to death for you, this is the best news I've heard all day!

199 days, 0 hours, 10 minutes, and 9 seconds until HBP!!!!

Oh, by the way, Happy Birthday to Maggie Smith. Just for the occasion, I shall post my favorite picture of our dear professor.

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hawkeyetkdchick - Dec 28, 2004 9:13 pm (#633 of 2956)

Late Merry Christmas to everyone! I haven't been on the forums for awhile, but better late than never, I suppose. Thanks for all the cheering charms and the crucio's sent to the airlines, it really cheered me up!

Marie E.- I've just been going through posts and on your post #527, you said you had relatives driving from KC to Ft. Walton Beach for the holidays. That is such a coincidence! My parents were driving there, too (from KC to Ft. Walton Beach)! That is actually where my plane was heading that got cancelled. Small world, huh?

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Marie E. - Dec 28, 2004 10:08 pm (#634 of 2956)

Wow, that is a coincidence! Spooky almost. My sister lives outside KC and her sister-in-law lives near Ft. Walton Beach. Small world indeed!

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 28, 2004 11:27 pm (#635 of 2956)

Thanks Julia!!! That was such a lovely message, and thanks for the butterbeer!

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The giant squid - Dec 28, 2004 11:39 pm (#636 of 2956)

Welcome back, Tim. Things haven't been the same without you (there have been far fewer puns, for one thing).

Many congrats, Daioma. I actually did the same thing--wrapped the ring & proposed when she opened it. I definitely got points for creativity.

I've been feeling a little left out with all the weather talk lately. It turns out we finally got our share here in Vegas--it rained today. Yup, earthquakes, blizzards, icestorms, and what do we get? A light-to-moderate rainshower. How pathetic...

--Mike

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From Venus - Dec 28, 2004 11:55 pm (#637 of 2956)

Congratulations to Daioma. Good luck to you and your young man. Have you set a date?

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septentrion - Dec 29, 2004 1:24 am (#638 of 2956)

Ah Daioma, I bet HBP release date is out of competition when you receive the proposal of your life ! Congrats to both of you, Ben and his fiancée !

Draco ATW, to understand what about the "star story", check the archived threads below : "our future with worldcrossing".

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Julie Aronson - Dec 29, 2004 2:17 am (#639 of 2956)

Congrats and best of luck, Daioma!

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boop - Dec 29, 2004 6:06 am (#640 of 2956)

Congratulation Daioma and Ben!!!!!! Please be sure to let us know when your date is set. That was such a sweet way to ask you to marry Ben.

Waves to Mike

Everyone have a great day!!!!

Hugs Always

Boop

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 29, 2004 6:49 am (#641 of 2956)

Yay! Tim's back! All hail the King of Spew!

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mike miller - Dec 29, 2004 7:52 am (#642 of 2956)

Glad to see that most of our Forum family in Asia has reported in. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all who are in the middle of what appears to be the worst natural disaster in recent memory.

Glad to see you back Tim! It's just not the same without the occasional SPEW moment.

Betty - Is it just me or are you having a good time being off from work for a few days?

We made the trip home yesterday without incident, 10 hours in the car is my limit. We did see some of the impact of the ice storms in North Carolina, broken and down trees due to the weight of the ice. It looks like I will doing a little work while "out of the office" this week. I checked my email and there are a couple of "fires" that require my timely attention before they escalate into "infernos".

I hope everyone enjoys and has a safe New Year's celebration!

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Accio Sirius - Dec 29, 2004 11:27 am (#643 of 2956)

Draco ATW, I'm so glad you and your family are okay. I am just so saddened by the tragedy. If you hear of or can think of anything more specific to do to help, let me know. I feel so useless. It does put everything into perspective.

Hope everyone had a nice holiday. I appreciate all of the healing charms sent our way. My three year old did end up spending a night in the hospital needing a blood transfusion, but we did get him home by Christmas Eve! We have loads of doctors’ appointments the next few weeks, but anything is better than another stay in the hospital!

Marie--love the new avatar! You both are just adorable.

Penny and Phoenix Song, I'll send some of the left over healing charms your way. My thoughts are with you two.

Congrats Tome on becoming an Auntie! It's a fun job.

Tim, glad to see you back. I'm due for a spew--speaking of which: I miss Catherine and hope all is well with her.

Denise P.: I just got an advance copy of the first two episodes of the new season of Alias. I haven't had a chance to watch them but they are yours if you want them.

I did get the Harry Potter 6-pack DVD for Christmas, which is great, although it is full screen. Anyone have a widescreen set they want to trade? Mine is opened, but only POA has been watched once if you can believe it.

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John Bumbledore - Dec 29, 2004 12:39 pm (#644 of 2956)

why do they call it full screen and wide screen?

Wouldn't it be better understood as cinema screen and TV screen?

jm2k. . .

(John) Bumbledore

P.S. I wonder how long I'll keep the tree? Hmmm.

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boop - Dec 29, 2004 2:25 pm (#645 of 2956)

Mike, Yes I am enjoying my time off work.

Catherine, We miss you, hope everything is going ok.

*waves to Loopy*

Hugs Always

Boop

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Julia. - Dec 29, 2004 2:41 pm (#646 of 2956)

No way Accio Sirius! I love my wide screen versions! I have SS in full screen, and I'd really rather have it in wide screen.

Well, I'm off to movie night soon. Oh yes, my best friends from high school and I are locking ourselves in a room with movies and each other. I can't wait! Have a good evening everyone!

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The giant squid - Dec 29, 2004 3:45 pm (#647 of 2956)

why do they call it full screen and wide screen?

Wouldn't it be better understood as cinema screen and TV screen?—Bumbledore

Those names were coined specifically for video (i.e. TV) formatting, so "full screen" means it takes up your full screen, whereas "widescreen" has the black bars everyone rails about. Granted, now that widescreen TVs are more common "full screen" doesn't quite work anymore... I'm sure they'll come up with yet another term for it eventually. Also, regarding "cinema screen"--there are actually a couple of different formats of cinema screens. If you check the specs on your DVD case by where it says "widescreen format" there'll be some numbers (usually 1.85:1 or 2.39:1). This is the ratio (agh! maths! ) of the screen (or screen image) width to height. A "full screen" image is 1.33:1, for comparison.

This has been brought to you by your friendly neighborhood movie geek...always ready with a spot of useless trivia!

--Mike

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 29, 2004 4:52 pm (#648 of 2956)

Thank-you to everybody for your well wishes, I still can't get the smile off my face, which is the way it should be I think!

We haven't set a date or anything yet but we are thinking it won't be for about 12 months, we need to buy a house first plus to book reception centres here you normally need to book about 12 months in advance especially since we want to get married in summer. But we are going to have an engagement party of some sort in about March, I'm waiting for my sister to return home from her travels. Although we decided to have just something smallish with just our close family & best friends and I stopped writing the list when it got up around 80!!!!!!!! And that's just our immediate family and uncles & aunties & a couple of our cousins, I guess that's what you get when you have such a big family, g-d help me when it comes to writing the wedding invite list!!!! But I just can't wait!!!

Giant Squid, you & Ben most certainly get points for your proposal methods, I was COMPLETELY surprised!

Can someone pinch me! I can't believe I'm getting married!!!!!!!!

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Accio Sirius - Dec 29, 2004 5:34 pm (#649 of 2956)

Welcome everybody. It is so nice to see new people on the forum! And it is so fun when you discover this site and find people just as obsessed as you are! See you on the threads.

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Accio Sirius - Dec 29, 2004 7:13 pm (#650 of 2956)

Okay. Guess that got moved! Daioma, can't believe I missed the news on the first go around! Congratulations!

Lady Arabella: Prefect; Posts : 2568
Join date : 2011-02-22
Location : Silicon Valley, CA

Lady Arabella Fri Nov 21, 2014 3:07 pm

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Tomoé - Dec 30, 2004 6:17 am (#651 of 2956)

Thanks everyone for the congratulations. My niece’s name is finally chosen, it's Eve Richard. And I have no doubt she'll become a Harry Potter fan, her mom is quite found of the series. Her father, on the other hand, never read more than a couple of chapters a book (as I said on the jkrowling.com thread), but that will serve him just right, his girlfriend will be reading on is birthday. ^_~

Septentrion, you succeed to take Harry Poter and me, lucky you. I would ask you a copy, but I know your video cassette won't fit in my VCR. -_-

Phoenix Song -> I'm not even equipped to walk in icy conditions!

Julia, I'm happy to learn I'm not the only freak one who eat ice cream when it's cold. ^_^

I'm glad to see you're all right Draco, I hope your maid will get a new home soon.

Congratulation Daioma (yes, you are getting married ^_~)!

I get a unexpected present at Christmas, my best cousin's boyfriend gave me and Mireime a playstation 2 game (Metal Gear Solid 3 if someone wonder). We knew him for only a few months and the present is very expensive, about US$65, and he only ask us to lent him the game and our PS2 console. And we didn't even bought him a present ...

Let's say I feel a bit cheap.

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Loopy Lupin - Dec 30, 2004 6:29 am (#652 of 2956)

Granted, now that widescreen TVs are more common "full screen" doesn't quite work anymore... – Mike

I'll say. My parents have a widescreen tv now and when we watch old tapes in full screen format, it looks very weird.

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septentrion - Dec 30, 2004 7:03 am (#653 of 2956)

In France we don't have "full screen" or "wide screen" DVD, the copies are sold in only one format, the "wide screen" format. And when you're not American, the first time you see those two expressions, you really wonder what they mean because they sound to be the same thing.

Accio Sirius, I hope your child will recover as soon as possible and be able to forget about hospitals.

Tomoé, I'd gladly have done a copy of the documentary for you, even if my old VCR and my old tape don't produce a nice image. It seems standardisation (right word ?) of things in the world isn't right : we should have the same standards for DVD, TVs etc and not so much standardisation for other things such as clothing.

That catastrophe in Asia has risen a huge solidarity amongst the French. The charity organisations say they hardly ever saw so many donators, they even managed to crash down the server of one of them because to many people wanted to give money by internet in the same time ! Sometimes you're proud to be human.

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Tomoé - Dec 30, 2004 7:28 am (#654 of 2956)

If I remeber well, the differences between the American and European stadard come from the differences between nuber of frame by minute, so they have to reedit the cassette/DVD to fit the other standard.

Hopefully, the computer DVD player allow us to bypass the problem.

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draco all the way - Dec 30, 2004 8:43 am (#655 of 2956)

Daioma, I don't know you. But I would imagine that getting engaged is very thrilling. CONGRATULATIONS!

The response has been overwhelming over here. I agree with Septentrion. Sometimes you feel proud to be human. Everyone here is very willing to help. We've already given money, clothes and shelter. Aid helicopters keep flying overhead to the Maldives and the Andamans.

Today was a bit scary. They told everyone within a 2km radius of the sea to evacuate. I live like 200 metres from the sea so we had to leave. It was a mad rush. We packed up our documents, passports, money, and things of sentimental value and got in our car and rushed away. People kept telephoning us, telling us to come to their house. Finally, 30 minutes later we were back. No waves, no tsunami, no nothing. Just a big fat false alarm. But after sunday, better safe than sorry-right?

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septentrion - Dec 30, 2004 8:58 am (#656 of 2956)

I've heard of that false alarm Draco ATW. I heard some scientists say on radio today that the replicas shouldn't go to India because they wouldn't be as strong as the initial earthquake and India is far from the epicenter. Sumatra is more likely to fear replicas.

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Elanor - Dec 30, 2004 9:04 am (#657 of 2956)

Hi! I've heard that too Septentrion (and agree with all you saud before BTW)!

Draco ATW, I can only imagine how scary it was to have to leave like that! We're thinking to you a lot!

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kabloink! - Dec 30, 2004 9:18 am (#658 of 2956)

Daioma! I missed congratulating you earlier! Well, Congratulations, then! I just got married last Valentine's day, so if you have any questions about the insanity and craziness....

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VeronikaG - Dec 30, 2004 10:24 am (#659 of 2956)

Congratulations Daioma!!

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Julia. - Dec 30, 2004 1:28 pm (#660 of 2956)

Congrats again Daioma! Getting engaged is quite exciting, and definitely worth being congratulated a second time.

It's about 3:20 in the afternoon and I got home about 40 minutes ago. Movie night last night was amazing. All my best friends from high school came, and we had an absolute blast. We watched Zardoz (the worst movie ever made, hands down. We laughed the entire time, and it wasn't supposed to be funny.), Napoliean Dynamite (I suddenly feel like much less of a looser), and PoA. Awesome time, although I am very excited to spend tonight in my own bed. My back will thank my quite a bit in the morning.

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Prefect Marcus - Dec 30, 2004 1:31 pm (#661 of 2956)

The American television standard is currently NTSC. It has based on 60 frames a second. The European standard is based on 50 frames a second. There are other differences, such as number lines per frame, and the ratio between visible and non-visible lines. Essentially they are completely incompatible.

Analog methods of recording suffer from the same problem. This is why a VHS cassette purchased in England will not play on an American VCR.

DVDs are a different story. The program is stored digitally. The output is created by computer. So one DVD could be used for both PAL and NTSC.

I said 'could' because the industry has decided to make things difficult. The world is divided into zones. Each DVD has a zone number embedded in it. If a manufacturer wishes a license to manufacture a DVD player, he must agree to making his player read one and only one zone. There are multi-zonal players out there, but they are severely restricted. Currently the only way an average person can watch multiple zones is for them to run Linux on their computer and have a DVD reader on the computer. Since the zonal limitation is strictly in software, and since Linux is open source, there are plenty of programs designed to get around it.

BTW, the American standard NTSC is being phased out in favor of a HDTV one. In a year or two, all old tvs will be obsolete. I believe Europe is also doing the same.

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Accio Sirius - Dec 30, 2004 1:34 pm (#662 of 2956)

So, from what I'm hearing so far, nobody's going to trade a full screen for a widescreen version of POA, right?

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Penny Lane. - Dec 30, 2004 1:53 pm (#663 of 2956)

If I had one, I would.

I don't really like pan & scan, but as I have a small tv, and won't be able to afford an HDTV - probably ever - full screen DVD's just work better. I like widescreen DVD's too, but not on my TV.

Congrats Daioma!

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dizzy lizzy - Dec 30, 2004 2:49 pm (#664 of 2956)

Congrats Daioma! Thats wonderful news and a very nice Christmas present.

Lizzy

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Lupin is Lupin. Natch. - Dec 30, 2004 3:20 pm (#665 of 2956)

BTW, the American standard NTSC is being phased out in favor of a HDTV one. In a year or two, all old tvs will be obsolete. I believe Europe is also doing the same.---Prefect Marcus

Marcus, does that mean the tv I got for a wedding gift lo 13+ years ago will be considered an antique and subsequently worth something?

I'm very attached to my "obsolete" tv. Not for me these showy HDTV's. Mine, with its faux wood grain finish, has character.

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Daioma Dumbledore - Dec 30, 2004 3:48 pm (#666 of 2956)

Draco ATW, just wanted to let you know that you and all around you are very much in our thoughts, take care

Thanks again to everyone for their best wishes. Kabloink I will let you know when I need someone to share the craziness with! But for now I'm just sitting back and enjoying the "I'm engaged" thing for a moment before it all turns into "I'm planning a wedding" madness!

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Eponine - Dec 30, 2004 4:58 pm (#667 of 2956)

Hello, All. I hope everyone is having a great day today. I have had a lovely day all to myself. My husband went out of town to UNC's bowl game in Charlotte, so I got to spend the whole day with just me. I must say that I love after Christmas sales on Christmas decorations. 75% off...whee!

My husband's family has a yearly Christmas party with a couple other families that rotates to a different house every year. It was supposed to be tonight at my in-laws, but most everyone is sick so it's been cancelled.

Daioma, definitely try to enjoy the engaged thing for a while. I think I went crazy planning my wedding. Just get yourself a good planner to keep all your lists in and such. Keep us updated on the date and your plans.

Have a great day!

I have PoA on in the background, and it's at the part where that Gryffindor kid who came out of nowhere is talking about catching smoke with your bare hands. That line cracks me up.

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Marie E. - Dec 30, 2004 5:22 pm (#668 of 2956)

We are planning a New Year's Eve party and my house is a complete disaster! *breathes in a paper bag* There, I feel better. Good thing I have tomorrow off from work.

Daioma, congratulations! My proposal was sort of anti-climatic so I'm a bit jealous.

And from a few posts back, I'm always up for ice cream no matter what the temperature outside.

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Amilia Smith - Dec 30, 2004 5:29 pm (#669 of 2956)

I have a theory that goes like this: for hundreds of years, people were only able to eat ice cream when the temperature was cold outside and ice was available. Therefore, whenever it is cold outside, we are genetically predispositioned to want ice cream. :-)

I have tickets to TransSiberian Orchestra tonight!!!

Mills.

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librarian314 - Dec 30, 2004 7:10 pm (#670 of 2956)

Hey all!

I'm working on one of my craft projects and need some help.

I'm working on a comforter cover with the theme of Lupin, sort of a comforter's comforter. :-) Anyways, I've got things that comfort him (his friends, chocolate, books, etc.) but I'm stuck on those he's comforted. My design has room for eight specific people. So far I've got Arthur, Molly, Ron, Harry, Hermione, Sirius, and Neville. I was going to include the Unnamed Werewolf from Mungo's but don't have enough info on him to do him justice.

Any suggestions? I'm looking for a specific instance of the comforting behavior or one that can be reasonably implied. (Lupin visits Arthur in the hospital, which is a form of comfort; he was very supportive of Neville during the boggart lesson, that sort of thing.) I'm looking for a male (to keep the symmetry I've designed) but if there are two different ladies that I've over looked, I'd be willing to swap Ron and the unnamed one for them.

Thanks muchly!

# *michelle the librarian**

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Julia. - Dec 30, 2004 8:03 pm (#671 of 2956)

Hmmmm, tough one Michelle. I'll have to think about it a bit and see what I can come up with.

Don't worry Marie, your party will go fine. Just keep that paper bag around incase you need it. I'll send you some butterbeer. By the way, your proposal was sort of anti-clamatic? Am I out of line to ask for some details here?

Grrr, it's freezing here. Perhaps I shouldn't sit so close to the window...

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Ydnam96 - Dec 30, 2004 8:50 pm (#672 of 2956)

Hmm...It seems like Lupin comforted Ginny at some point during the whole incident with Arthur but I don't remember...

So tomorrow I'm flying from DC to LA with my kitty. It's gonna be a really long day. I'm not looking forward to it and I already feel sorry for my cat and the other passengers on the plane. I'm hoping that we get through security okay. I have to take him out of his carrier but not lose him...that will be fun. He's fiesty. I really hope the flight is not full so that he won't be bothering that many people with his meowing. I'm so happy to have him back though. Have a great New Year's Eve everyone!

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Celestina W. - Dec 30, 2004 9:31 pm (#673 of 2956)

Hello all! I'm thinking a few of you will remember me...I haven't been around since September, but I thought I'd just stop and say "Hi". So let's see, last you heard from me, I had just started Oklahoma! It went wonderfully, it was so much fun, and I'll treasure that experience for a long time. I've been very busy with school, particularly AP English, but I'm learning so much and I love that class. My senior year is going by way too fast. I'm spending a lot of time thinking about college. Assuming I get accepted and the scholarships/financial aid package work out favorably, I'll being going to St. Olaf in Northfield, MN. It's a private, Lutheran, liberal arts school -- maybe some of you have heard of it. I know I want to major in English, and I'm thinking I may want to be a high school English teacher. That's my life at the moment. I was very glad to hear the news about HBP, even though July seems like forever away. Hope you all had a great Christmas, and Happy New Year! Oh, and congrats, Daioma. My thoughts are with Draco and everyone else affected by the tsunami. Don't expect to hear from me frequently, but I'll be dropping in again sometime.

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Penny Lane. - Dec 30, 2004 10:29 pm (#674 of 2956)

HI Celestina! I remember you... Also, I've heard of St. Olaf's. It's actually a well-respected school, even if it's the "bottom" of many jokes on "the Golden Girls" (My grandma used to watch it, and I remember they saying St. Olaf's alot) Good luck on getting that coveted financial aid!

I agree that July seems SO far away..

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schoff - Dec 31, 2004 12:18 am (#675 of 2956)

I don't come to the chat thread very often, but I thought some people might be interested in some of the technical stuff I found about the tsunami. I hope no one minds:

Magnitude 9.0 - OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA

The quake occurred at the boundary between the Indian (left) and Burma (right) plates. The Indian plate is being subducted (see the bottom picture) underneath the Burma plate. Notice that not far away, the Australian plate is also involved. Burma is a minor plate--the others are not. This is a very geologically active boundary, since it involves so many plates. Much like the West Coast of the United States (Juan de Fuca, North American, and Pacific plates).

You will note how shallow (yellow color) the quake was, and how close to land it occurred. A 9.0 quake near the surface does not equal good things. Tsunamis can travel about 20-30 mph near land (and can cover the Pacific Ocean in less than a day). Considering how close Indonesia was to the quake, they never stood a chance. That area of the world is also one of the heaviest populated--another contribution to the large death toll.

The tsunami was nearly completely contained in the Indian Ocean (NOTE: this is a time-lapse animation--be sure to check the time code when the first wave hits Indonesia and Sri Lanka). If you have Adobe Acrobat, you can view the satellite images of just how far the water went inland here. This page also contains a wave animation demonstration.

It does not help that there had been multitudes of quakes of 4.5 and higher prior to Dec. 26th (30 day map), [foreshocks] and they are still experiencing a ton more, [aftershocks] all in nearly the same place--although there is no current tsunami warning in effect.

NOAA's Tsunami Web Page.

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septentrion - Dec 31, 2004 2:21 am (#676 of 2956)

To go along with the TV format conversation, I should add that France has its own standard, it must be SECAM if Europe has PAL...About DVD player, you can "dezone" yours (I don't know if you say "dezone" in English) to allow it to read DVD from the entire world, you just have to know the right code. For people interested, here is a page (in French) where you can find most of these codes : link. Just scroll down a little, click on the letter which corresponds to the initial of your DVD player brand ("P" if you own a Philips) and search for your model. About HDTV, I don't think they're going to make the current TVs obsolete, it's just you won't have the image as it should be with a HDTV television. BTW it's coming rather slowly in France.

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Tomoé - Dec 31, 2004 2:56 am (#677 of 2956)

Thanks for the reminder Marcus, do you know the difference between the new HDTV standard and NTSF.

Penny Lane, both Harry Potter full screen and wide screen are pan & scan version, because they are filmed in Super35 format, most of the movies are, nowadays. Super35 have a ratio of 1.85:1 while wide screen ratio is 2.39:1 and full screen is 1.33:1. It allow to keep a tv version closer to the theatrical version.

Thanks for the info schoff.

Michelle, the only one I can see on 4:00 am is Petunia, to whom Lupin write a comforting letter to tell her Harry was alright and that she had nothing to worry about until next summer. I have no other woman to suggest though.

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The giant squid - Dec 31, 2004 4:10 am (#678 of 2956)

So, from what I'm hearing so far, nobody's going to trade a full screen for a widescreen version of POA, right?

Actually, due to my wife's insistence on fullscreen movies, I don't have widescreen either. The deal is that once we get a widescreen TV, we can get widescreen DVDs. Note that this only applies to "her" movies; my LotR Extended Editions are in full widescreen glory.

Tomoe, You're not quite right about Super35... "Widescreen" is both 1.85:1 and 2.39:1. It just depends on what kind of lens is used to film the image. A 1.85 (also known as "flat") film is shot with a normal lens and then cropped to the right ratio. Technically, if they went full frame with these they could just undo the cropping, but they don't. 2.39:1 films (called "Cinemascope" or "scope") are usually shot with an Anamorphic lens, which uses the whole image, but distorts it to fit into a standard 35mm film frame. When shown on screen it is projected through another anamorphic lens which "undistorts" it.

Super35 is a kind of combination of the two. What happens is the film is shot through a normal lens, then cropped to a 2.39:1 ratio. Then, in the lab, the image is artificially distorted to fill the 35mm frame. It is projected through an anamorphic lens and looks pretty much like any other scope film on screen. For more info you can go here: http://www.film-tech.com/ubb/f1/t006790.html Be aware, however, that the posters on the Film-Tech boards don't follow the same standards we do; the young and/or easily offended should probably not click the link.

Marie, your party will be just fine. The thing you need to remember is to give the girls a lot of cough syrup and then lock them in their bedrooms. They'll be no problem whatsoever.

--Mike

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boop - Dec 31, 2004 11:11 am (#679 of 2956)

Happy New Year's Eve

Waves to Celestina, I also remember you. Good luck with the rest of your senior year.

Schoff, thanks for the information. It was very interesting.

Everyone have a safe and Happy New Year's Eve.

hugs always

Boop

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haymoni - Dec 31, 2004 11:40 am (#680 of 2956)

Mike - I recall my parents giving us a bit of red wine with 7-Up to drink during our 5 course Italian dinners at my grandmother's house every Sunday. Same effect. My mother always claimed that we were the first to create Wine Coolers and that we should have made a fortune!

I realize that for a good portion of the world it will NOT be a "Happy New Year", but I hope that everyone on this Forum has a safe, wonderful holiday.

Talk to you next year!

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Julia. - Dec 31, 2004 12:13 pm (#681 of 2956)

Good afternoon all.

*waves to Celestina* I remember you!!! Glad to hear the play went well. Good luck with the rest of your Senior year and in college as well. You are quite lucky to have a school set and ready to go this early in the year, saves a lot of trouble down the line.

Well, since Shabbos starts in a few hours I won't be on my computer, thus, I will wish you a happy new year now. HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!! Party at my place! *passes out butterbeer* You're all invited, but someone has to kiss me at midnight!

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Gina R Snape - Dec 31, 2004 12:50 pm (#682 of 2956)

schoff, thank you so much for putting all those links together. I found it extremely fascinating. I have read that this earthquake knocked the planet over a degree or two from its rotation. That's how significant this was. Draco ATW has truly witnessed a once-in-a-lifetime tragic event that was an awesome display of nature. I find myself fascinated by the magnitude of it, overwhelmed by the tragedy of it, and a little bit anxious for what other short and long-term repercussions it might mean for the people and the planet.

I hope everyone has a joyful and fulfilling New Year.

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Marie E. - Dec 31, 2004 1:09 pm (#683 of 2956)

I tried to put up a new Christmas picture before the holiday season was completely over, but I couldn't get it down to the right size. Maybe I'll have it ready in time for next year. It was from 1975 and included our little sister, She-Who-Has-Not-Read-The-Books, aka Bekki. If I get it down to size maybe I'll post it tomorrow, just for fun.

Well, our house is clean, relatively, and all that's left is cooking. We have actually bought chafing dishes for the event, which seems very grownup to me. We're encouraging people to bring their children so I don't think cough syrup or homemade wine coolers will help settle mine down.

Does anyone have a New Year's resolution? Mine is to try to exercise more. If I wanted to go for an easy one, I could say "I promise to read Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince".

Edit: Woo-hoo! I did it! So our ages in this picture are 5 1/2, 3 1/2, and three or four months.

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Sir Tornado - Dec 31, 2004 1:27 pm (#684 of 2956)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
No celebrations

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Accio Sirius - Dec 31, 2004 1:59 pm (#685 of 2956)

Happy New Year of the Half-Blood Prince. Definitely something to look forward to. I hope the new year brings more hope, health and peace than the last one! See you all on the other side!

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Mrs. Sirius - Dec 31, 2004 2:34 pm (#686 of 2956)

schoff, thank you for putting this all together. I have been scouring my atlases and almanacs to try and imagine the scope of this this for several days. It's hard to realize the magnitude of this from just watching videos and looking at maps.

Listening to a science show on the radio today the scientist said that yes, the quake was monumental on the human scale, but the effect on earths tilt, in terms of the size of the earth, was tiny.

Happy New year everybody.

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Sir Tornado - Dec 31, 2004 2:39 pm (#687 of 2956)

I think that the Earth's rotation speed increased and the day became shorter by fractions of a second because of the Earthquake. Otherwise, the Earth just moves on...

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Tomoé - Dec 31, 2004 2:41 pm (#688 of 2956)

Thanks for correcting my error ratio Mike. The main idea of my last post is still true: I see further up and down with my fullscreen version of CoS while I see further right and left with my widescreen version.

And I forgot to say in my last post that I remember Celestina, she was saying we probably didn't remember her in September too. ^_~

Who's Santa on your christmas picture, Marie?

Happy New Year everyone!

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Eponine - Dec 31, 2004 3:21 pm (#689 of 2956)

Happy New Year, everyone!

Today I reserved my copy of Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince. If anyone in the Durham/Chapel Hill or surrounding areas would like to meet up at the Barnes and Noble at Southpoint, that's where I'll be.

We went to see Phantom of the Opera today. It was really hard not to sing along with every song, but I did restrain myself. It's quite a visual film. There's just so much there. I enjoyed it a lot.

I'm also ticked off at my computer. When we got back from the theatre, my computer had decided to remove all my bookmarks. So, I had to try to remember all my favorite websites. It's a little annoying.

Anyway, I hope everyone has a great New Years!

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Flame Alligator - Dec 31, 2004 3:23 pm (#690 of 2956)

I don't know if I will be on line later. So I am saying: Happy New Year!!

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Marè - Dec 31, 2004 4:21 pm (#691 of 2956)

We just shot our last fireworks, I went inside to dump my phone (no network anyway...) and saw my uncle’s computer...so:

Happy new year to all!

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Round Pink Spider - Dec 31, 2004 4:27 pm (#692 of 2956)

Hi, Eponine! I just saw the movie of Phantom also -- I love the music; so haunting... I had seen the play off-Broadway in Minneapolis a few years ago, and preferred the movie. It was possible to understand all the words, and they gave some back story that made it possible to feel a little sorry for the Phantom, something missing from the play.

Oh, how I wish I could meet you for the book that night! *sigh* I'll have to settle for picking mine up at our local Barnes and Noble... But my husband has promised to take off work on July 16th, so that my daughter and I can stay up and read all night, then sleep in while he takes care of the baby. (Do I have a great husband, or what?!?) Of course, I'll undoubtedly start reading HBP out loud to the family on the evening of the 16th, so he'll get something for his pains...

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Eponine - Dec 31, 2004 4:34 pm (#693 of 2956)

RPS, I enjoyed the Phantom's back story as well. It's been years since I've read the book, but I'm going to re-read it sometime soon. I saw the play in Toronto on my senior trip in high school. The book is great though. You should give it a try sometime.

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I Am Used Vlad - Dec 31, 2004 5:20 pm (#694 of 2956)

Happy New Year, everyone.

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Joyce - Dec 31, 2004 6:53 pm (#695 of 2956)

I want to wish everyone a very Harry New Year, and I think it will be a magical one for all of us.

I hope all your wishes and dreams come true.

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Doris Crockford - Dec 31, 2004 10:08 pm (#696 of 2956)

Happy New Year, everyone!

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boop - Dec 31, 2004 10:16 pm (#697 of 2956)

Happy 2005 New Year

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MickeyCee3948 - Dec 31, 2004 10:27 pm (#698 of 2956)

Happy New Year everybody. I love the Lexicon and every single member out there.

Mikie

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