Tracey heads back to work this morning while the rest of us continue our Christmas vacation.
Noah got a new karate Gi (karategi or uniform) so Tracey spent quite a while transferring his patches to the new one. He also got some new hunting clothes and a sizeable sum of cash. He is getting old enough we don’t really know what to get him and we were afraid to get a gift card with the latest gift card scams in the news. Although cash isn’t a very sentimental gift, it is always welcome.
Aaron and Ben got new computers so I spent most of the day going from 1 to the other getting files transferred from the old computers to the new ones. They also got a few smaller items, but we basically blew our entire Christmas budget on new computers and flat screen monitors. This will be the last computer we buy for them —— just as the one we bought for Noah’s 16th birthday was his last. We were going to make Aaron and Ben wait until their 16th birthdays as well, but their computers are already so behind the times they can’t run most of the current games. From here on out they are all on their own when it comes to faster, better, cooler, whatever computers.
Tracey got a new Palm PDA with WiFi and a 4 GB hard drive on it. She had actually started using it a while ago but it was supposed to be her Christmas present. I just didn’t see any sense in not letting her use it as she started her new job. I know it will be real handy for keeping dates, phone numbers and everything else at her fingertips. Organization and information can make the difference in getting her new job done.
I got a new Roomba —— a robot vacuum cleaner. I didn’t get a chance to try it out yet because it is supposed to charge for sixteen hours on the first charge. I think that is probably overkill, but I went along. I should get a chance to turn it loose in the kitchen today.
Brother Alan and Nephew Tom came over for a while but I really didn’t get a chance to visit because I was working on Ben’s computer. Alan had brought one of Tom’s Christmas presents to our house to (hide) store for him. It was a full size truck tool box that fits across the bed of a truck. I’m sure Tom was happy to get that.
We took a few pictures of the boys and Jake with their new presents. I hope to get to those before the New Year and I will share them with you as I go.
Most important of all — more important than the gifts or the money — we all spent Christmas together in good health and happy spirits. Everybody stuffed themselves full of Christmas dinner and all was well!
MjL 26 Dec 2006, 6:15 a.m.
Oh my, I can’t even pronounce much less understand Tracey’s gift!
I used my digital camera yesterday, but I’m really missing my old camera! I’m just not sure about this digital stuff. I think I would rather point, shoot, develop and be surprised at the pictures I took. Oh well, I’ll keep trying. Of course, everyone made fun of me because I preferred the “dinosaur days”.
Just how well do those robotic vacuums work? Let me know.
The rest of the house is still all snuggled in bed! We were all very happy, healthy, and content with our xmas yesterday. It went by quickly, but it was time well spent. Jackie and Dick are on their way back to TN this morning. Holly and family were supposed to go back yesterday. Sure hope they made it safely! Have a wonderful “day after”.
P.S. Thanks for sharing another great picture!
Tammy 26 Dec 2006, 9:27 a.m.
Hi Tammy, A Palm PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) is simply an electronic gadget to store information on. Palm is the name of the company that made Tracey’s and is also the name of the OS (Operating System). WiFi is an acronym for a wireless local network which can be used to connect to the Internet to view web pages or to send and receive email. Pretty fancy little gadget!
If you keep using the camera and get used to the computer software to view and work with the pictures on your computer —— you will get better. You can then go to photo print places like Walgreen’s and only print the few pictures you really like. Or you can put them on your computer as a screensaver like we do and see them every day. Just keep working with it and you will get used to it. Remember —— it costs nothing to take A LOT OF PICTURES —— so do!
Our guys are all snoozing too. We even picked up an extra overnight guest. Noah brought his buddy Tony over last evening to watch a DVD and help eat pumpkin pie.
MjL 26 Dec 2006, 9:38 a.m.
Thanks for the “Geek explanation”....that was a quote from your cousin, Dave and not me!
Well, I have all but one out of bed now. Andy set his alarm to get up at 9:30, but shut it off and went back to sleep. He won the “rotten egg” award today for the last one in bed.
Ashley is making plans for which dvd she wants to watch first, second, etc.
I’ll keep trying that camera.....UGH!
Tammy 26 Dec 2006, 12:17 p.m.
That’s “Techno Geek” if you don’t mind!
I’m not sure when our guys stumbled out but I think even they were out of bed before Andy —— Way To Go!
MjL 26 Dec 2006, 1:17 p.m.
So, did you let Roomba go today? Does he/she deliver drinks and food?
Jackie called about 15 mins. ago saying they’d made it home. Guess they ran into some sleet in the mts. and some snow laying in the median. I don’t know why they left IL then?!
Tammy 26 Dec 2006, 9:59 p.m.
Yes —— Rosie the Red Roomba did a great job cleaning the kitchen floor. Jake didn’t care much for her but I think I’m really going to like her. Tracey named her Rosie after the Jetson’s robot maid and because she is a rose red color.
I’m glad Jackie and Dick made it home safe and sound. We will have to get them on the Blog some day!
I just finished messing with Ben’s computer for the last hour or so. He was trying to install a game and we concluded it was a scratched disc. We finally got it working but I couldn’t tell you how we did it. Sometimes computers are just magic! Actually I think it was a combination of badly written software installation and scratched disc we finally polished enough to make work. Anyway —— life is good in the world of computer games for tonight so I am going to bed. I expect I will be back up at 4:45 a.m. to see Tracey off to work so I will need a nap tomorrow for sure.
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