Christmas was good. We stayed at Kevin and Diana's house in Batavia instead of at Mom and Dad's. It was a good change from the usual routine and Kevin and I never once fought. In fact last night I dreamed we were buying a house with him and we were all going to live together. That would be interesting!

We met Savannah, Leanne's baby. She is very sweet. Leanne invited us to her home in Kingston, Illinois for pizza one evening. It was a nice evening. We played Andrew's new "The Farming Game" with Diane and Carol. Then Ruth wanted to go home with her son, Danny and all hell broke loose. He felt he was being ignored and he ended up calling us "a bunch of Dumbshits". Clare was upset that we didn't remind him that there were children present. It put a sour end to our otherwise nice time.

I didn't get to see my Aunt Ginny much, being so far away from Elgin. There always seems to be things that get in the way of visiting with her. I wish she would come and visit sometime. Just her. I imagine she is a little "gun shy" of visiting after her last trip out here. I was a primo bitch. No excuses.

Thanksgiving in the Steel City

We spent our Thanksgiving weekend in Pittsburgh. Dean and I lived there for four years in the early 1980's and have lots of good memories of the town. Since Dean's friend, Mike, has a sister in Pittsburgh who always "has" Thanksgiving, we decided to tag along with him and his family. Actually, we were invited for the past few years, and finally accepted this time.

Clare and Andrew had never really been there. We had visited the outskirts on the way to Illinois a few times when we stopped and went to Kennywood (to tire the children out).

We started off at Mike's sister's house in Squirrel Hill. Ginny and Harold have twin daughters, Rachel and Laurel, both in their first year of college. Rachel is a violinist and Laurel is an aspiring film maker. Harold plays English Horn for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra and Ginny is Production Art Coordinator for PPG in their self-named building.

Also at dinner were Mike, Maria and their two boys, Harold's parents, a neighbor and Kris, a friend of Rachel and Laurel. Kris was on the cover of Pittsburgh Magazine in September. All in all, it was a pleasant evening. It is always a little awkward when dining with strangers, but the Smoliars are a friendly and unassuming bunch and we are good friends with Mike and Maria.

Checking into the hotel was interesting. The valet, Clarence, was in a foul mood and yelled at Dean for driving around a car. I asked him what his problem was, and he informed me he was in a bad mood because it was Thanksgiving and he was working and someone had scraped a car up by driving around it. I tried to be nice, but he was not in the mood. I ended up complaining about him and the lack of a second Sponge Bob toy set in our room. I wonder what will come of it, if anything.

On Friday we went to the Phipps conservatory and the Carnegie Museum. Then we went to the Elbow Room for lunch in our old neighborhood and drove around our old haunts. Clare kept saying, "Mom and Dad are traveling down Memory Lane again."

Driving past our old apartment was a low point. The house is in disrepair, with brown stains down the middle of the front of the house. The College Inn is shut down, so it is possible something is up with the family. Gus's was also shut down, suddenly, as told to us by our waiter. He thinks someone in the family died.

Saturday we went to the Strip District, a neighborhood where we used to do our shopping. I heard it had changed, but was pleasantly surprised to still see the Pennsylvania Macaroni Company in business. We had a hearty and delicious breakfast at DeLuca's where signs boast of "Pittsburgh's Best Breakfast". We bought about 3 lb of cheese and twice as much pasta. Andrew found some Steeler's gear.

Then we headed back to Squirrel Hill and to the Frick Art Center. We had hoped to go into the house, but it was booked through the evening. Mrs. Frick was still alive when we lived in Pittsburgh, so this was not an option then.

Then we went to Homewood Cemetfry and drove around the grounds. On a nicer day we would have gotten out and walked, but it was very cold. After the drive drove home to Bethesda.

We will definitely go back to Pittsburgh someday soon, most likely in the summer so we can go to Kennywood and the new Sandcastle attraction.

Don't Throw Jesus Away!

When I was young, my grandmother gave me a framed print of Jesus. I think it hung in my bedroom for a while, and I have kept it since then, even though my faith has wanned a bit. I gave it to my daughter who had it hanging on her bed for a while, then it ended up on the floor of her room with everhthing else.

We have been working on organizing her room and came across Jesus. My daughter, for some reason, decided to take the print of Jesus downstairs, and dropped it on the dinning room floor. Since this was from the 1950's it was not made of plastic, but glass. The glass shattered and left large jagged pieces in the frame. I tried to remove the pieces over the trash can in the kitchen. My daughter came in and cried, "Mom! Don't throw Jesus away!" I assured her that I was just making Jesus safe for her to carry around. She recalled the time it fell from her wall and hit her on the head and was glad that the glass didn't break then.

My husband came in and wondered why I was throwing Jesus away. I explained the situation to him and he said that now was the time I discover the thousands of dollars my grandmother had hidden under the print. (He is a fan of the television series, Beyond Belief).

My son, walking through the kitchen was attracted to the glass shards in the waste basket, but also had a comment, "Mom, don't throw Jesus away."

I wondered if it would have been better had I just thrown Jesus away and gone about my business. My answer came seconds later in the form of a splinter of glass in the index finger of my left hand...Yep, I should have thrown Jesus away.

Outbid!

Once again I have been outbid for the book A Candle in her Room on eBay. I read this book several times as a young girl and had forgotten the name, but the plot stayed with me. It is about an evil doll named Dido that haunts three generations of girls in one family. I finally found out the name because I was searching for information about the singer "Dido". I found a web page that described the book, and realized it was the one I had been looking for.

I think I have tried to bid on this book 5 times now and each time I am outbid. I really don't want to spend more than $20 on it, including shipping, but it looks like I am going to have to if I really want to own it. Actually if I could just find it in a library I could just read it and be happy. It might not be the same any more, I mean it might not effect me the same way as it did as a child.

What bothers me about the bidders on eBay is that I am wondering if they want the book for personal reasons or because they know they might be able to sell it for a lot more. Not that it makes a difference, but it seems so mercenary if that is the case.

This weekend we had a pleasant time visiting with Dean's sister's son, Chris and his wife, Sheri, who drove up to Bethesda from Gainesville, Florida on Saturday. Unfortunately they could only stay Saturday night and had to leave at 4 on Sunday as they had plans to meet up with friends in Charlottesville, Virginia. Chris is applying to medical schools and today he has an interview with UVA in Charlottesville which is about two hours from our house.

Since Chris and Sheri live in Florida, they don't get a chance to see the Autumn colors that we take for granted in the northern states. We planned on driving to Sugarloaf Mountain and hiking. Clare must have had too much Halloween candy because she complained of a stomach ache. I was forced to remain home with her, while Dean and Andrew went with our visitors. They came back all tired out, so I think they had a good time.

Was supposed to go to a reception for the volunteers of the Library of Congress today at 2:00 but since Dean is out of town, I felt uncomfortable not being here when the kids got home. I hope they get a lot of people there, not that my absence will be noticed.

Worked on the plans for the web design club I am leading at Pyle on Wednesday afternoons. I am creating a web page so students who don't come each week can keep up. Having fun doing it too. I hope the club is a success. I miss working with students.

I am about to continue on my never ending quest for organization around the house. Working on the attic today. Have been lax in the past two days about housework.

Today was Columbus Day (Observed). It was also visiting day in Montgomery County Public Schools. Dean spent the first hour and a half or so with Clare at Pyle. I went to Andrew's Social Studies (or was it Science?) class where the students were building structures out of drinking straws and paperclips. Andrew's group had the tallest structure (the objective for the class). I felt a lot better about his (very young) teacher after seeing her in action.

The plan was that I would go to Bradley Hills and Dean would go to Pyle, but Dean showed up at Bradley Hills at math time and encouraged me to go to Pyle because it would make Clare happy. I did and it turns out that Dean was right. Clare was happy that I showed up. I got to observe her in art (she seemed lonely and sad) and in math where she seemed to be distracted.

It has been a while once again. One of these days I will do this on a regular basis, but not quite yet.

It looks like Blogger has provided us freeloaders with new tools. I will have to check that out too.

Lately I have been encouraged to write from a number of sources, even my own husband. I guess I should follow the advice so as not to die without having tried.

I have proof. I began Blogging before the trend was well known. I began this one over a year ago, but have not added to it much. I read Blogs of other people and am so impressed with the writing of young adults. And here I am, a frustrated writer, hiding in this spot that no one sees.

A lot has happened in this year. Things I can write about and things I should not write about. Spent three weeks in England and Scotland this year.

The sky is cloudy and earlier the leaves were twirling around as if they were caught up in a whirlwind.

Saw Bernstein and the IJBC on Tuesday. It was a fantastic show. When I got to the Iota Club and Cafe I heard my name called. It was Natalie and Chris from the DB eskimo list. Then Bernstein came in with the band. I got a little hug and a kiss on the top of my head. Nat helped me pose Rupert with the band. The one of Bernstein was the best.

The show was great and the band was happy. I forgot to pay my bill at the bar, but will try to make it up sometime. I called the bar and they called back but didn't return my second call. I feel bad, but not bad enough to drive there after work.

Things on the homefront - my brother's ex wife got evicted from her house. Mom says she trashed it pretty bad. How can someone forget to pay the bills? She claims she didn't know what happened. Dean's niece is still with the guy her father and uncle dislike. They threaten that if she marries him he will go down the aisle with broken bones because they will get to him first. She won't be at Christmas this year, as she is going to his family somewhere in a tacky state. I met him and didn't like him much, but she is an adult now and should be allowed to make her own decisions.

I have been dealing with male egos so much lately I want to join a convent. From work things to friends to home life. Why can't men admit that they are not perfect and get on with it?

I do not accept rejection well. In any form. Even perceived rejection sends me into depression. Maybe that is why I don't really pursue writing except where no one will really see it.

Clare had fun on her camping trip. Andrew had a good time with ViJay.

I had several dreams last night. Could not sleep that well for some reason. Went to bed late, then awoke with every noise and each time Dean turned over. Slept too late then.

I have basically stopped drinking. We did go out for dinner on Saturday and I had two small glasses of red wine, but that has been it for over a week. I miss it less than I thought I would. Part of my decision is because of Dad. I see what alcohol has done to him. And it is partly due to knowing that I get more done without having wine when I get home from work. Strangely, I feel headachy and just as "hung over" when I get up in the morning after no wine as I did when I was drinking. Maybe it will go away after a while.

Dad. I really don't think I have come to terms with that. I guess, out of sight, out of mind. I also think that I don't know how to process a lot these days. I am glad, in a way, that I taught myself how to push things out of my mind. Trouble is, when they come back in my mind, it is like the first time. I mean, like the whole situation hits me in the gut every morning when I wake up. I wake up having forgotten what occured, then seconds or even minutes go by before I remember.

Dean doesn't seem at all worried. But he is like that often. Except he does worry over things that I don't worry about, like the kids' grades and abilities. From potty training to reading to math, Dean has agonized over Clare. Not me. I guess my expectations were always more realistic.

Friday. Clare is off on a camping trip. The FBI has warned of more terrorist attack in the next few days. Will the commute home be as bad this week as last? I am really not being very productive today.

ViJay spends the night tonight. His mom is worried he will want to go home in the middle of the night. I am afraid I will want him to go home early in the evening. Andrew is delighted though.

Next Thursday I will have an article published online. Kinda cool. I can't see that it is all that good, but two people say it is. I guess I could believe them.

Joan IMed me today. Seems she lost her babysitter. Asked me if I liked my job.

Damn. Just had a few paragraphs down and made the mistake of multi-tasking. Clicked on a link and lost my words.

Doesn't matter. It was all about 911, and since I won't forget it soon, no loss.

Sandy is sending Alexa back to Chile with Arieh. She says that Alexa is scared. I said that she was lucky to have that option, to send her child out of harm's way. She said that she, herself, was scared. I said that so were many of us, but we didn't talk about it as much.

Beth drew all over the Dan Bern poster I gave her. Ears, funny hat and moustache. It pissed me off.

Things piss me off a lot these days. Easily too.

My father has dementia. I looked it up. There are several forms of it, one of which is Alzhimers. It could be from the alcohol, I suppose. He was on Librium for a while, now he is on Paxil. I need to talk to the neurologist about his condition. Mom doesn't always listen well enough for my taste. I may have different questions. Some of the things he has done recently are:

• took a bite out of Ginny's bar-b-que, put it back on her plate, all with a sneaky grin. After she switched sandwiches with him, he left the table, taking his sandwich and throwing it away


• walked upstairs to the kitchen asking my mother where her daughter was (that would be me). When she said I was in Maryland, he asked what I was doing there. When he was told I lived there, he said that I wasted my money on the razor. I didn't buy him a razor.


• He used to be full of things to tell me when I called. Now he doesn't say much. Just a few words, and then silence. I have to do all the talking.

I have some fun things coming up, work wise. Fun but scary. First I am going to a usability conference in DC for three days. Neilsen/Norman group. Caliber is picking up the hefty tab. Then in November I present at the annual Headstart Technology conference. I will be discussing web site design and accessibility issues. I will be presenting the same topic to David Peal's ETL class at GW the weekend before the conference.

Oh, Beth got me to write an article for Federal Computer Week Online about PDF and accessilibity. She said it was good, but anyone who would deface a Dan Bern poster is not to be trusted.

On the subject of Dan Bern...his new CD came out yesterday. I was supposed to take posters around to record stores and stuff like that...I have been lax in my duties. He will be in the area a few times this fall. I am planning seeing him 4 times. Seems he may be getting some air play too. We are supposed to call radio stations and request his music. That I can do.

Ok, better get back to work.

July 8th. Amazing. If I was teaching I would be depressed thinking that the summer was rushing by. But I am not a teacher. Anymore.

We had an interesting 4th of July. We cleaned house. Now the downstairs office is tidy. We went to the fireworks on the mall. Except the only fireworks we saw was rain. We were all soaked to our underwear and cold. We decided to leave the mall about 30 minutes before the fireworks started. Andrew was pretty upset.

Last night we saw the fireworks in Alexandria. Much warmer, dryer and lower key. We ate at Generous George's Positive Pizza and Pasta Place. Yum.

Thought I would upkeep this more. I plan on sending the url to some friends and family if I do keep it up to date.

Work is hectic lately. I had to quit some volunteer stuff I was doing. My biggest problem is that I have a hard time saying no. And I want to be involved with lots of things. However there is not enough time in a day to do it all.

Talked to Mom yesterday. Told her I forgave her for not being specific about the facts of life when I was a kid. (I asked her a specific question and she wouldn't answer it.) See, Clare asked me the same question at Joan's the other night. I couldn't answer, and ended up giving her the same answer, sort of, that my mom did...that we would buy her a book. I always thought I would be ready to answer that question. Won't get more specific here. Mom and I had a good laugh over the situation.

Dean is painting Clare's room. Pink. She wants pink. That would have bothered me a few years ago, but hey, she likes pink.

It is appropriate that I begin this blog on the day section 508 was to have come into effect.

Last night I finally met Sophie. She was 6 weeks old to the day. I have decided that my favorite smell is new baby.

Went to a meeting in DC today about creating accessible PDF files using Adobe's newest Acrobat product. I am not sure I learned a whole lot, will have to check it out at work.

After the workshop I was walking back to the metro and saw a lot of activity over by the DC Courthouse. I wondered what was up, but figured I would see it on the news. Then a black truck left the courthouse with reporters running after it. Later I learned that it was the parents of Shaundra Levy leaving the DC police headquarters after talking to them. Saw that exact scene on the news tonight.

For the past several months I have been learning about website accessibility. Today I began reading (and understanding) usability issues.

Tonight is Book group. Didn't read the book. But it is at Debra's and I don't want to miss it. Dean and the kids are on their way home from camping.