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| Week One: |
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Although 2006 has started with all of
our snow being melted away, you know more is coming before Spring
gets here. Back in Feb of 2001, I posted some Calvin and Hobbes
cartoons with snowmen. Recently, Jim found some more cartoons and
I've added them to the collection.
Calvin and Hobbes sn*wmen |
Later this year (in April), I hope to
introduce you to a new friend. See, that's when my friend Tara (from
Expert Auto) is due to have her second child - a little girl. 
Tara and Jason have already decided on a name for their little
daughter - Ella Marie Shanklin.
Here's an early picture of Austin's sister, still in the womb. 
(Isn't it amazing that they can get pictures like this now?!?!) |
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I almost hate to mention this; but
it's been an ongoing problem for about a month now and has gotten a
little worse. Since sometime before Christmas, my back has been a
little bit achy. Recently it started hurting a lot more (for
no apparent reason), to the point that I've actually had to stay at
home a couple of days because of the pain, not only in walking; but
in just sitting or lying around. I don't know exactly what I did to
make my back hurt (although, one night when I was sick, I made it
worse while throwing up!   ). I hate mentioning it since it's not
like other times when I've been so very sick; but it has been bad
enough to keep me in my house and I'd thought I'd keep you all
informed (I sure hope this isn't a problem just because my 44th
birthday is just around the corner.  At least, it's not
pneumonia!  ) |
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Week Two: |
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| I have an early Summer announcement! We're going to be having a special contest this year
at the pool. The object is to build a raft, using 2 liter bottles
(20-oz and other sizes can also be used), and get from one side of Jim's pool to the other. |
| Maybe you'll remember back in August 2004 when Jim and I went to Cleveland to see the
RedBull Flugtag (flew-tog). In that contest, people built "flying machines" and sailed off the end of a dock to see whose craft would go the farthest. Our contest is loosely based on this idea. We've decided to call our contest "Pooltag"
(pool-tog). |
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I did some research on the net but didn't find much about building rafts with pop bottles. I did find someone that worked out the math to show that it would take 50 2-liter bottles to float 100 lbs. The only other info I found were these pictures,
where a guy made a raft from 120 bottles and paddled across a pond.
(Obviously, he and his friends tried a similar idea, since the
pictures show several odd rafts in their "contest".) |
- The rules of the contest are simple:
- build a raft-type float
using 2-liter pop bottles
(or other
plastic pop bottles)
- must be human-powered
- the goal is to go across
the pool on the float
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| Similar to Flugtag though,
we also would like all the participants to come in a costume and
present a small skit (with or without music) before launching. The
judges will decide on originality, best boat, best show, worst float,
etc. (as you can see not ALL of the details have been worked out
quite yet; but I do have about 6 months to get this all together.
) Since it'll be a Summer pool party, we're also planning on a
hot dog cookout with prizes afterwards |
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You're probably wondering
just what sort of floats, costumes and skits we're hoping to have,
here are a few of our preliminary ideas: |
| I have an idea for just a small
round "island" with a palm tree, made from 20-oz. bottles,
that I can paddle across the pool |
With a cape and mask, Jim
envisions himself as the "Phantom of the Opera" rowing his
boat with Christine across the "lake", under the Opera House |
John is planning on some sort
of pirate ship, if he can figure out how to put a cannon
onboard
ROFL |
a catamaran
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With a sheet for a toga and
some makeup, DO can play Cleopatra, as her slave boys
(probably the grandkids ) push her royal barge across the
"Nile" |
Wonder if a "yellow submarine" will be possible?
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If you have ideas (or
plans) that you'd like to tell us about, we'll be happy to hear it.
Use the email link above my calendar on the left and tell us all
about YOUR idea!  |
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| We haven't set a date yet
(that depends on whether this Summer is warm enough, and on the
weather! No contest if it's stormy); but we're hoping to have PoolTag close to Jim's birthday at the end of July. Stay tuned for more details as we get closer to Summer.
And don't worry if you're not in the area when we hold PoolTag, you'll still be able to join in the fun as you watch the simulcast from PoolCam as the event unfolds. Of course, we'll post plenty of pictures and video clips afterwards on my website. |
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Week Three: |
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| Since not much has been happening, and an email
newsletter inspired me, I went searching and put together a page listing
all the computers that I've had through the years. Take a moment to
look at them if you interested and then click BACK to come back to
read the rest of January. (I'm making a permanent link to this info
under my biography section.) |
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Week Four: |
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Nothing much happening in Ohio this week.
It's still been kind of nice for a January. We've had a couple days
of cold; but those were between periods of pretty mild weather -
even warm since it got up to 50 one day!
The only cool thing that has happened is that Kayle got a new
hairdo! Isn't she adorable?? And she's so grown-up looking now. Boy!
Do kids ever grow up fast! |
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Here's another note from someone else.
Tara and Austin went to see the "Incredibles on Ice" show and
obviously had a great time as you can tell from their silly picture.  |
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Finally, a story about me, well, kind
of. Jim and I put together another 3D puzzle. This was a castle
that someone gave to DO. There were some flags and 2 small pieces
missing (but it wasn't noticeable after we completed the puzzle).
The doggies looked on as I struggled, without instructions, to put
the pieces together.
(By the way, my back is back to being much
better again. Thank Goodness! ) |
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Not only did I take the nice overhead
shot above, but also this cool view through the front gates. |
Slowly, we're starting our own little
city
on my living room coffee table. |
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I knew that we couldn't get all the way through
January without some sort of major news from me. Too bad that it's
bad news though. Back after my bouts of pneumonia, when I went to
work for Waikem's, I worked as part-time only because I was under
the impression that I could only earn so much money a year to keep
my Social Security and therefore keep my medical benefits. I got a
letter from Social Security and now know that I was very sadly
mistaken.  It's not based on a yearly amount, but a monthly
amount! Now, years later, Social Security has sent me a listing of
all the months that I exceeded their limits. That means that for
those months, they should not have paid me. So from late 2001 until
2003, they have "over paid" me $6,282, which is now due and payable
by check within 30 days! Of course, if I can't pay (and I'm so poor
[less that $8000 this year] that that sure isn't going to happen anytime soon!), then
they will simply keep my monthly checks until the balance is paid
back. That means that from this coming April until next February, I
won't be receiving ANY income.
You're probably asking yourself the same question that I did - what
am I going to do? Well, I'm not really certain yet. I'm just glad
that I have a little over a month to figure something out. First,
I'm going to have to appeal and see if I can get them to take only
partial payments each month, so that I receive something. After that
I'm not sure; but I'll be sure to let you know what happens though! |
| I'm not the only one having a rough
time right now. As you can see from this picture, Jim has a "bite"
of a problem right now too. My boyz were having a fight the other
night and Jim tried to break it up. Too bad, he got caught in the
middle of the snarling and growling. And he got bit! |
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(Of course, with all the stress and worry that I've been under and then having my dogs bit Jim, the virus in my finger has chosen to act up again. This time it's at the base of my finger instead of the palm. It looks as bad as last time, so I won't bore you any pictures this time. I just hate that each outbreak really makes me irritable too.  Jim says I'm not taking it out on him, and I really try not to snap too much.  ) |
| After finishing up the 3D
puzzles of the Empire State Building and a castle, I pulled out a
couple old 3D puzzles and we put those together too. |
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Now my little village has not only
a castle and a couple of sky scrapers;
but also a Bavarian Manor
and Notre Dame. |
| MouseOver Special |
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But smoking did pay off a
little bit for me this past week. For quite a while, I've been
saving the UPC seals from my cigarette packs, because my brand
usually has a catalog offering prizes for redeeming the seals. I
turned in quite a few seals before Christmas hoping to receive some
items; but most of my items were on backorder. They finally arrived
over the past week in several packages through UPS and the US Mail.
