I Can't Decide

Which is more exciting?

The latest in food technology

A singing Bruce Campbell wanna-be

Life in America has improved slighty.

Speaking of Bruce Campbell, further proof of his awesomeness:
My Name Is Bruce
Bubba Nosferatu

Finally!

It finally snowed here in Staunton today! Actual, stick to the ground, brush off my car, white precipitation. I was excited to see it. I have never gone so long without seeing it. Even when I went up to NY for Christmas, Dunkirk had a dry spell. Now that I've got it out of my system, I can look forward to Spring.

I'm still not used to winters here. Growing up, a foot of snow is nothing, especially when you have to drive. The roads are almost always well paved and people in cars know how to handle it. Here, we get a couple inches and I dread going outside. The abundance of hills makes driving on a thin layer of snow more exciting than I care for, and that doesn't even take into account the people on the road here who think they can still drive at normal speed without their lights on. If it snowed here consistantly maybe I'd get used to it, but in the 2 winters I've spent here I haven't had much chance to adapt. I hope I can get used to downhill sliding and uphill skidding without having to worry about the safety of my pregnant wife or, come next year, infant child.

For now I'll stay home, drink tea, and enjoy the football games.

Too much time on my hands...

Your Movie Buff Quotient: 70%

You are a total movie buff. Classics, blockbusters, indie favorites... you've seen most of them. Your friends know to come to you whenever they need a few good DVD rental suggestions.

Are You a Movie Buff?

Caffe Vanilla Frappuccino

Smooth and sweet, you fit in to almost any crowd. No one would suspect you of being a coffee tweaker!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

You Are Homer Simpson

You're just an ordinary, all-American working Joe... With a special fondness for pork rinds and donuts. You will be remembered for: your little "isms" and philosophies on life Your life philosophy: "Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It's what separates us from the animals ... except the weasel."

The Simpsons Personality Test

You Are Animal

A complete lunatic, you're operating on 100% animal instincts. You thrive on uncontrolled energy, and you're downright scary. But you sure can beat a good drum. "Kill! Kill!"

The Muppet Personality Test

Heaven Help This Poor Child

Some parents dress their kids in pretty dresses or little suits. I want to dress my child up in this gear. Anyone looking for baby shower items or gifts of pure love need look no further.

Catching Up: More Baby Photos

On the 28th of last month, we traveled up once again to UVa for another Ultrasound. We were hoping that would cooperate this time and give the lab technician the pictures she needed, especially the lower spine, which baby kept hidden from us the first time around. We got some good shots, but not the lower spine. Baby was positioned right on Meredith's bladder. In fact, the baby looked like it was relaxing in a bean bag chair! It had it's legs crossed, one hand behind its head with the other across its chest. It's taking after me already! Despite missing a clear shot of the lower spine, the doctor said that there was nothing wrong with the kid and no concerns of spina bifida. Baby is good and healthy and we are looking at roughly 3 1/2 months before the long awaited debut. Anyway, we got more pictures:

Here's a view of the baby looking right at us. We call this one the "creepy skeletal alien face". Still, it's cool to see the eyes, nose and mouth.





The lab technician was nice enough to label some parts on this picture.






Here's another side view. I told you this kid looked like it was relaxing!






Baby showing off its flexibility by putting its foot to its nose.

Catching Up: Christmas in Dunkirk

For Christmas, Meredith and I traveled up north to visit my family. We had 2 free airline tickets to use up, so we flew from Charlottesville to Buffalo, with a short stop in NYC in between. It was a great time filled with numerous surprises. Surprise #1: my Uncle Paul, Aunt Jan, and cousins (including my Goddaughter Gail) drove in for a short overnight visit. It was good to see them and I especially enjoyed Uncle Paul treating the adults to dinner at the Kettle and Keg, a local pub/restaurant that serves great food. Surprise #2: I recieved a call from my good friend Vallon. I have not heard Val's voice in years, and to have him call was completely unexpected. We spent a good amount of time catching up and I resolved yet again to maintain better contact with him and all friends in fact. Surprise #3: My Uncle Al and Aunt Linda stopped by, and I was notified that my cousin Tracy had her second child the week before, Peyton. All is well and Tracy is sending Meredith some maternity clothes.

Other than that, the week in Dunkirk was an enjoyable one. I stopped in at NCCS and visited with my former colleagues, all the while enjoying the utter look of surprise many of my former students gave me upon my return. My sisters went on a Christmas cookie baking binge (over 200 cookies easy) and I had my fill of cut-outs, peanut butter cup, and Italian chocolate cookies.

As an added bonus, my brother Andy, his girfriend Traci, and her young son Cade drove to Florida to se Traci's parents. Meredith and I drove home with them, and they spent the night with us before continuing onward. They'll be stopping by again on their way back up.

An excellent Christmas, with only one tiny disappointment - no snow, aside from some wet snow briefly on the drive back to VA. So far this year I have been denied any significant snowfall. There's still plenty of time at least, and I hope to enjoy a little bit of the white stuff soon.

Happy New Year!

A joyful 2007 to all those out there that peruse my little blog. Things have been a might hectic lately, so there's lots to catch up on blog-wise. Look for a number of updates over the next day or so.