Pictures of our visit with Ralph and the kids!!

As promised...

Click here for pictures and a video. When you get to the Picasa site, just click on "Slideshow" near the top at the left. Then click on the right-pointing arrow under the first picture to see full-size pictures, plus a full-sound video with all of us (including Jett banging on the air filter!) Yes, I took the video ::bows::

We had a great time, giving late Christmas presents to Ralph and the kids (the iTunes cards were a big hit), playing with Jett (who can walk now--and get into all kinds of things), and going to the Silver Diner (a favorite of both families--they have one near their home). Brian, Sheila and I also went to the playground, where I got dizzy on the self-propelled merry-go-round and I found out they're both Fullmetal Alchemist fans!

My numbers...

Thanks to Tom, I just learned that I have my own numbers!!

Hey, how can you have an infinitely countable set? Isn't that an oxymoron? Tom? Dr. Amy?

Latest news

My older younger brother came to visit today with the kids. Awesome from beginning to end--even with Jett screeching. Yes, there will be pictures in my next post. And possibly a video.

Hey, sibling unit with offspring, OK if I put the vid of you and the kids on Youtube? Not like anyone besides family is likely to see it except for Mark and maybe one of the teens from my anime club who's a Youtube friend of mine (she makes great anime music videos)

Also, I'm on Facebook, finally.

Went to dance class (tango & salsa) tonight--and spotted a flyer for Scottish Folk Dancing on Tuesday nights! (I can hear Stasa squealing with happiness from three time zones away!) I work every other Tuesday but it's a drop-in class each week.

Protecting families

You might know some of these families that need our support. Not money or a job or a green card, just the right to be a family. Some have kids, some don't. They're firefighters, librarians, professors, and store clerks.


"Fidelity": Don't Divorce... from Courage Campaign on Vimeo.

They're not asking to be married in your church; just in a court so they can pick up their kids when they're sick at school and visit their spouse in the ICU if, heaven forbid, they end up in there.

I'm not asking you to sign the petition, or even watch the entire video. Just to reflect a moment about what "marriage" means to you, and what it would mean to them.

Still unpacking and getting settled

Ken has been going through his boxes and boxes (and boxes...) of books, sorting out the ones that should be thrown out, the ones he wants, and the ones that can be donated. After I bring boxes to work tomorrow, we will have donated 5 boxes to my new library system's book sale. Our bookcases (and we have a lot) are very nearly full. I unpacked most of the rest of my books and organized them, and we have about 1 shelf left--one low shelf suitable for paperbacks.

This afternoon we took 2 library books back to my old library system. I could let my own new branch send them to Annapolis, but I know from patrons' experience that interlibrary returns can go astray. Besides, it was a chance to chat with some old colleagues (Poor Ken was lost sometimes amidst the library-ese and talk of internal politics). Ken wanted to go to Hana, our favorite Japanese restaurant, and since it was library-closing time, I said, "Why don't I call Mathew and see if he wants to meet us?" He usually works Sundays at a library near Hana. We dropped in at "his" branch and yes, he was there. The poor guy was in charge and had had a rough day, so Japanese food with friends was most welcome. The three of us had a great time and utterly delicious food.

And when we got home and loaded the donation books in the car...the night was so clear we could see *stars*. We can't usually, as close to Washington DC as we are.