Rather than cut off the bottom of the tree to make it fit in our living room Xenia figured it would be easier to cut off the top.
First she tried the bolt cutters but she wouldn’t let me put any of those pictures up even though (perhaps because) I thought they were quite amusing.
[Shrug] The result is satisfactory.
I don’t need to modify much. Just a little. I already eat lots of cashews and granola. I just need to up the foods high in Omega-3 fatty acids. Here are the detail:
Like many aspects of health, our sex drive is affected by what we put into our bodies. Certain foods affect the body in different ways. Depending on what you consume, wining and dining a date can induce more sleep than romance.
…
To really get your blood going, consider circulation-enhancing dishes. Food that’s high in Omega-3 fatty acids such as mackerel, salmon and wild salmon are best. “Omega-3 makes your nervous system function better,” says Dr. Barbara Bartlik, assistant professor of psychiatry and sex therapist with the Human Sexuality Program at Weill Cornell Medical Center. “Sex is really about circuitry.”
…
Improved circulation results in greater erectile response. To accomplish that, go for food rich in L-Arginine, such as granola, oatmeal, peanuts, cashews, walnuts, dairy, green vegetables, root vegetables, garlic, ginseng, soybeans, chickpeas and seeds. Studies show that L-Arginine is helpful for improving sexual function in men.
Friday and Saturday Xenia and Meghan competed at the State of Idaho drama competion. In the humorous ensemble catagory, with 168 entrants, they came in NUMBER 1. Yes. The number one entrant in that category for the ENTIRE STATE OF IDAHO.
Their other entry, The Duel also went to state made it into the finals (top ten) but did not place.
Here is the video I took of that a few weeks ago at the district competition of the one that won–“Open To Interpretation”:
[The video is a messed up in the middle for a minute or so. I’ll try and recapture the video next weekend and fix it up.]
Xenia has her own Live Journal posting on the results here. There are some pictures there too.
Barb and I are very, very proud of her.
Phil points out that about half of last year’s 10th graders in Washington State failed the math test they are currently required to pass in order to graduate. (Barely) Governor Gregiore wants to fix that–by lowering the standard.
This reminds me of a quote from a Heinlein book:
Anyone who cannot cope with mathematics is not fully human. At best he is a tolerable subhuman who has learned to wear shoes, bathe, and not make messes in the house.
The character Lazarus Long in the Robert Heinlein book Time Enough for Love
I’m with Heinlein on this.
Of course I’m going to get the evil stare of death from Xenia the next time I see her. She uses this cartoon as wallpaper on her computer:
Xenia’s mother and I, her father, met each other in algebra class and both frequently got perfect scores on the tests. We took four year of math in high school and both did very well. How can she claim to our child and not like math? [heavy sigh]
Phil has better stories than I do about getting home after work last night. I had to take numerous detours from my planned route because of all the backups. Even though it was 00:45 after watching another four episodes of Enterprise with James’ at his apartment there were cars backed up for miles in some locations. I managed to look far enough ahead to detour around them and didn’t actually have to stop for the traffic.
It was 01:15 when I arrived in my neighborhood and there were people on the street directing traffic down a little hill. I have the best snow and ice tires Les Schwab sells without getting studs and didn’t really have any problems. There were places where I expect my 10 MPH stopping distances would have been 50 yards (downhill on a glaze of ice) but I could stop, I could go forward, and I could steer.
There were lots of cars abandoned along the streets and there were “interesting” vehicle tracks in places vehicles had no business going. I’m in the middle of a conference call from work right now (my input isn’t needed right now) but soon I’m going to grab some food and cooking utensils (the cafeterias at work are closed) and head off to work. I’m hoping to get some good pictures.
Xenia wants to be a photographer. She is doing some of her first “real” work now with senior portraits. Here is a set of pictures of Jessa. I really like this one:
Today she took pictures of Martin but I haven’t seen them yet.
We went to my brother’s place for Thanksgiving Day. They had a record number of people there–33. We brought seven of them in our van. In addition to Barb, me, and our three kids, James, Kim, and Xenia there was Xenia’s friend Sara and Kim’s fiancee Caleb. Here are some pictures. If I am in the picture Xenia took the picture (even the one with both of us in it). Otherwise I took the picture:
Kim and Caleb
Barb and me.
Xenia and me.
Amy. My brother’s daughter who is the same age as Kim.
Lisa. My brother’s daughter who is the same age as Xenia.
My Aunt Betty and one of her grandkids.
There is a new gun store in Moscow and so I went to check them out on Saturday after having lunch with Barb (who had to work). Prices were typical, selection was better than I expected for such a small store. The guy behind the counter said business was pretty good. There had been some talk about the election results and people were thinking about what sort of defensive buying they might do if the anti-gun bigots in congress start looking like they might get their way. But so far everyone is mostly just talking and saving up but not actually buying in response to “black Tuesday”. Most people figure they will have a couple months, perhaps as much as six months, to buy full capacity magazines and ugly black rifles.
As he was closed on Sunday I did my National Ammo Day purchase on Saturday. I purchased 2000 primers (all that he had in that size) for reloading my STI Eagle with .40 S&W fodder for more Action Pistol (IPSC) and steel matches. I have so many bullets, empty cases, and powder that I just couldn’t justify buying any loaded ammo. I now probably have enough primers to reload all my pistol components.
As I said in a post last week our daughter Xenia and her friend Meghan won first place at district drama competition with both of their entries. Here is The Duel, written and performed by Xenia and Meghan on November 11, 2006 at Orofino High School (when Barb and I were going to school there this particular room was where Mr. Johnson’s taught U.S. History):
See also Xenia’s post about the competition.
There was a car fire the night before I arrived in Reno for the Gun Bloggers Rendezvous in October. As I wasn’t there at the time I disavow any involvement with it.
On the way home from the Seattle area last night I arrived slightly before the police did, but not before several other witnesses, to this car fire on Highway 26:
I also did not have anything to do with this fire. My chemistry set is safely locked up in the Taj Mahal.
The GPS coordinates were 46o 47′ 36″ N 118o 49′ 19″W. The car was west bound on Highway 26 about 50 yards east of the junction with Lind-Hatton Road. I arrived about 21:35. I left about 15 minutes later by which time there were at least three police cars and a fire truck there. East bound traffic was diverted on Lind-Hatton Road to Highway 395. To the best of my knowledge no one was hurt.
Heavy sigh…. I can’t say that I’m happy about it. Sort of sad and nervous about it. But DAMN, they are beautiful as well as smart and talented.
Update: The picture in the wedding dresses had to come down. Some people were not supposed to see that one. This picture was taken the same day just a couple hours earlier.
After an eight hour commute home Friday night, arriving at 00:30 Saturday morning I got up and was off to Orofino before 07:00. I was supposed to be in Orofino by 08:00. I cut close to ten minutes off the usual travel time and arrived a few minutes after 08:00. I arrived only shortly after Xenia and Meghan so everything was cool. I took the pictures you see here. My favorite is the following where Xenia started levitating after the announcement that she and Meghan placed first in both drama categories (ensemble pantomime and ensemble humorous) they entered in. It’s off to State competition for them now.
Oh, I almost forgot. This is the second year in a row they won first place at the District competition in both categories they entered. They are very, very good.
Putting makeup on her is like putting makeup on a super model.
LaffeeTaffee @ xyzmail.com (email address disguised to prevent spam)
November 12, 2006
Macy’s in the Spokane Valley Mall
[While doing a “makeover” on our daughter Kim.–Joe]
Via Tam: While Europe Slept: How Radical Islam is Destroying the West from Within. Audible doesn’t have it yet so it’s going to have to wait. My backlog of dead tree format books is rather large.
I’m about halfway through Atlas Shrugged on my iPod Nano. With all the driving I have to do this weekend, plus the slow going over Snoqualmie Pass (I’m ready with good snow tires, tire chains, food, water, heavy coat, extra socks, work boots, extra gas, tarp, gloves, etc.) will probably mean I nearly finish it this weekend. I’m so pleased to “read” this book again. Thanks James for the birthday present.
Next on my Audible books list is Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!
I said that I was at a pistol match last Sunday. Here are some pictures from that match. Yeah, I know it’s really painful for people with dial-up. I have 3 MBPS downloads and I think you should too.
Adam’s STI .40 S&W is in full recoil with a piece of brass just a few inches from the gun.
Don’s .45 is in full recoil with his nickel plated brass in the air above the ejection port.
Don is playing Peek-a-Boo with his .45. Yes, that is a piece of nickel plated brass in front of his head.
Mike is winning the stage (and the match) Both Sides Now #1.
This last stage is the one that I was so pleased with my results on. An average of under five seconds to draw and shoot each of the six brown targets. Mike had slightly better time and was more accurate than me.
After 30 years of being married I think I can safely say that Neal Bootz is pretty close to right. Except maybe about the food part.
I did a little bit of pistol practice last week. Then I did quite a bit of dry firing Saturday evening before going to the IPSC match on Sunday. I came in fifth overall out of 17 entries. The practice helped. In particular on the last stage I shot (Both Sides Now #1) I could feel things working correctly. I still hit, just barely, a no-shoot target but I felt myself enter into “the zone”. The conscious mind was merely an observer as the eyes, hands, and fingers aligned the sights and pulled the trigger. From 35 feet away I drew and fired six rounds into six targets while leaning around the edge of a barricaded in, on the average, under five seconds. It felt really good for a change. I should practice more.
Thanks to The Smallest Minority for the pointer.
Mandatory viewing for daughter Xenia (her fiancé is in the army and probably will be going to Iraq next spring).
Barb and I visited the exhibit at the Pacific Science Center. Very interesting. It wasn’t overwhelming or awesome. It was more like somber reverence. To actually be looking at documents that were written over 2100 years ago put me in a very somber mood.
From what I could tell there weren’t any big revelations in the documents. A lot of them were copies of known works of the existing Bible. Others were rules for “purification” and other standards of behavior for a particular Jewish sect.
It was worth my time and money to see them since it was only a 30 minute drive and $20.00 to get in the door. Knowing what I know now I probably wouldn’t travel a 1000 miles and pay hundreds of dollars to see them. But then I’m an atheist and don’t consider the documents to be the word of god(s) either.
Update: I forgot to mention the indignity of attending. There was a big sign just before you went in the building but after you had paid for your ticket that said no firearms or knives. It even said mandatory search of bags. I had to find a locker across the way to put my knives and my handgun in. There was no search of my person and I’m pretty sure there were no metal detectors so I probably could have defied the sign and gotten away with it.
But what was the reason? Did they think someone was going to go off the deep end and shoot a 2100 year old scrap of parchment? Oh, I forgot, they don’t need a reason.
