Blogging is Hard—As I Try to Fix the Latest Bug with Live Writer vs Blogspot

Wow—January is almost done. Last post was December-I’m now monthly I guess. Sadly.
One of the problems with my blog recently is my external hard drive. Because of the crazy world of Microsoft 10, my Simpletech Hard Drive with all my pictures on it doesn’t get read on the first try. It might be the 10th or 12th or 20th try before it gets read. I have been on all the effing help sites, done all the suggested fixes, and sometimes it works but mostly doesn’t. So to download the pictures to the hard drive, THEN try to blog using said pictures can be a long frustrating drama. I keep saying I’m going to do it more often then after 15 minutes of struggle I sort of give in. Oh well.
I am almost done with this quarter at school. Next quarter I am taking two classes so I might be very absent. Of course, the two I plan to take together have more books than almost all my courses put together. That was a happy moment. The only thing that will be worse will be if there is group work. I HATE group work. After this quarter, I have one class left—then I am taking the fall off and will hopefully complete a practicum winter quarter. Woot woot.
I was able to do an enterprise wide presentation about Palliative care with a coworker. That was stressful. BUT, will look good on the resume. Thinking that maybe it’s getting a little late for me to worry about resumes.
For New Years Eve, since that happened since the last blog, we celebrated in Minneapolis at Insight Brewing with the gang!

Dylan, Ilan, Cody and Ben. High School Reunion.

Maral was there too.
There was lots of food and delicious beers. We stayed less than a mile away so after the ball dropped we went down the street to our hotel. It was really really fun and one of the best New Years Eves in recent history.

Minneapolis on New Years Eve

Hello 2017!

We were supposed to brunch with Maral and Cody but due to technical difficulties and them not getting to their hotel till after three, we instead came back home and started New Years at 5 West
HELLO 2017! That’s what I’m talkin’ about.

Cody came down to visit and opened his presents--
Russel Wilson fandom.
Dave got him the VR glasses--

And we enjoyed the visit.
We had some great and exciting football games and we were on a winning high until we weren’t
January 14th the Seahawks lost to Atlanta…..
But not for the lack of fan wear on our parts

Happy was a little bummed…

At least it wasn’t an embarrassing blow out like the Packers and Atlanta the following week.

Yeah, I saw that coming. So the Superbowl is around the corner. I am teaching a Mystery Quilt that day for a few hours. It should be fun.
We got new carpet in the bedrooms and moved all our crap in the living room which motivated me to throw out a ton of crap-including 5 bags of clothing.

Of course, I have a recent problem of replacing them—Filly Flair is not my friend…at….all.
But the clothes are soft and comfy….
We have updated the kitchen with a new fridge (do NOT ever in life buy a Samsung fridge….), new countertops, new cracked sink with fixtures, and soon new floors.
Here’s the preliminary pics--


It’s hard to tell in pictures but it looks so much better and updated than before. All that’s left are the floors—oh, and to replace the cracked sink. We ordered from All Modern and the first sink was cracked. So then we reordered and had it sent to the Silestone place as they requested. Three weeks later they came to install and sink #2 was cracked. In the same place. Gawd. So they put it in but will have to replace it when sink #3 comes. I’m used to bad things happening when it comes to remodels so it doesn’t surprise me. Our contractor LOVES me. But I love him so it’s all good.
This month is Stitches West so in a few weeks I’ll be off to the Pacific NW and Cali.
The following month we go to SoCal and run in Encinitas and enjoy the sun and ocean.
Don’t walk though, it will take you all day…Although might be faster than driving.
Then we wait it out till July when Blane and Melanie are getting married. At least I think that’s the plan.
September is Ireland—Laura and I have got our tickets and we are ready to go. And it’s only February. I think she’s going to Italy pretty soon. She’s a total world traveler. Much more than me.
I am also signing up for another Ragnar at the end of September in Michigan. Oh why not. At least I can drive there and Tiff is in.
Ragnar, 2015


She’s not getting out of this one. I think we can drive from Rochester so it’s going to be road trippin!
November is Tulsa and December is Texas. Jeepers. It sounds busy but I think it will be so.much.fun. Besides, 2018 Mayo is rolling out Epic so we can’t leave from March till May. So I have to do double duty before, and maybe after.
It’s been snowy and grey out but today—today is a sunny day.
Look at that blue sky!
I tried to look at some blue sky at Mayo but we have a bit of a crow issue. As my coworker said—It’s partly crowy out.
Eww. That is what you think it is.
Train has a new song out called Play that Song. I can’t embed it and I can’t copy it but I can add it as a post so I'll do that next...hopefully.  I tried really hard to get it to work. I hate Live Writer and Blog Spot. I need to figure out my own page because this won’t even let me publish and I am now on hour 2 of trying to make it work.
Which is why I don’t blog as much…….
Anyway, enjoy the toe tap.
Puddy did.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Well, Christmas has past and it really was a fine Christmas, if I can judge by the amount of beer and food consumed.

Dave got an early Christmas present in a new phone and VR glasses--

The first time I wore them for a while it made me a wee bit nauseated. They gave Laura a headache. I guess it’s either a guy thing or something you have to get used to…..I have yet to find something that’s really fun to play or watch.

We prepared for a white Christmas.

PreChristmas , after it was up for a week,  we put the ornaments on the tree and decorated the house a bit---

The cat hut got some Christmas love

And no Christmas is complete without Thing One

I’m not sure I’d decorate in such a manner but Dave loves a tree. And once you’ve committed to a tree then you may as well go for it all.

We also put up some new lighting which we do love-a lot

Sort of dark but it’s a new light fixture, really.

Old fixture with lights shining in our face

New ambient lighting

I think people are going to have to come see the ambiance in person to appreciate the changes.

Blane and Melanie showed up on Christmas Morning. They outran the storms and made it just in time before the the hiway closed.

Blane got some sweet Seattle gear.

 

Save our Sonics……

Melanie hid for the picture—she also has some Hawks gear on. Too bad Seattle couldn’t win the game on Saturday……

Dave and I did a practice selfie

He has shorts on. I’m wearing the rest of the layers he should be wearing. AND I’m also wearing a Sonics Sweatshirt.

The cats enjoyed their day relaxing and getting jacked up on catnip

Puddy showed the world why we can’t have nice things. She was pretty stoked about snapping the antlers off our stocking holder

Damn I’m good.

After a day of nonstop eating (well, Blane and Melanie had a bit of a nap since they’d been up driving since about 4 AM) we had a huge dinner and the required Christmas portrait. And in our usual fashion, it was NOT a one take session.

Not quite…..

No, no, and all the nopes

And the winner is…..

Again, I’m laughing way too hard but after this no one would sit anymore.

So—Hope the holidays was everything everyone wanted it to be.

 

On to 2017.

November-no wait—December

What the heck happened to November?? I’m sure it was here for at least a month.

I finished up another class, and have now started Finance. The good thing about this class is the assignments are spreadsheets. Yes, math I can do. Papers? Not so much. I am struggling with motivation to keep going, that’s for sure. But after this only three classes left. I met with my potential preceptor for my final practicum. I think it will start next November. That should give me some time to think about things. We discussed potential projects. The good thing about Mayo is they do encourage this kind of thing. But ugh. There’s a 45 page instruction manual. That says it all.

I went to Oklahoma right before Thanksgiving to run my second annual Route 66 half marathon in Tulsa with my good friend Machelle. It wasn’t quite as cold as last year, not as much wind, and lots of sun. I took an insane amount of ibuprofen so my knee didn’t hurt at all. I stopped and went to the bathroom at mile 5—the diuretic effect of coffee. I don’t usually do that but it sure gave me a boost of energy! I finished in 2:06 and for not training much it was a great finish for me.  I always have such a wonderful time at Machelle’s. She has a cute house in the country, quite and peaceful and lots of stars.

The day before we went to the expo and had pre race hydration

Getting ready to start in the car…

and our new friend photobombing us at the start line.

Bad selfie at the finish line!

Yay I’m done!

After the race we took a drive to see her little lake house. It’s also very cute and for sale. She doesn’t use it much anymore so she’s fixed it all up and it would be happier with more company.

Oklahoma is still in the fall colors-here’s the view from her house-

The drive was beautiful

 

 

I seem to have lost my little camera so these are all from my phone. Dang it. I know it’s somewhere here…Waiting for it to show up in the most obvious place.

I got home the next day (the drive is long, but sunny and I listened to a book on CD)

Blane came down for Thanksgiving. His birthday was the 17th and I was hoping his present would show up-since I had ordered it over a month before. But no—it came the day after he left….

I’ll wrap them for Christmas I guess.

I’m doing a 4 part Christmas (idea from a coworker, or someone…)

One thing you want

One thing you need

One thing to wear

One thing to read

For the most part. It makes it a little easier I guess. I would like to add one thing to drink, but maybe not appropriate.

Yesterday was my day off so I did homework and I broke the sliding glass door lock

Who knew I could sheer the steel off the mechanism. At least it’s the deck door so it’s unlikely anyone will shimmy up the post to gain entry. I did put the bar up in the door frame-just in case.

So, tonight is Lorie Line Christmas Concert.  It’s an annual tradition but  very early this year. Next Thursday is Snap Judgement Live in the cities. I can’t wait to see that as it’s one of my favorite podcasts.

Maybe my camera will show up for that event. My fitbit came back so maybe there’s hope…..

 

The cat responsible for my breaking the lock….

Finally, Happy and Jack…an uneasy truce.