Mirallel

I have a new laptop wrested from the wilds of the internets, an IBM ThinkPad T42, and I think I’m in love. It’s lightweight, doesn’t get super hot after being on for hours, has a big screen, and is completely customizable. After months of increased randomness and lack of admin rights on my previous computer, I am so pleased to be free on my own machine. My pictures, my music, my programs. It’s magic!

I am exceedingly grateful to have had my work laptop for these last years, but I was ready to move on. Thanks to my Dad who pointed out how I could afford to do so!

As a child I always thought earmuffs were silly. Of course that could be related to the fact that the pair my family owned were shaped like kitten faces, complete with ears. Why would anyone want something that kept only part of their head warm? I knew better. My much-superior hood engulfed my head, leaving no part exposed to the cold. But then I grew up, got a job, and started caring about how my hair looked after it came out of said hood. The same all-encompassing factor meant that no strand of hair was left unscathed. Hoods transfer an enormous amount of static electricity, meaning that taming the gnarled hair is made even more difficult.

 Enter the earmuffs.

I got them on a whim at Kohls. After all, they went with my scarf! And they were fuzzy! (No they do not look like cats.) I wore them for the first time last month and I must say, my hood never kept my ears so warm. A little-known fact seems to be that if your ears are warm, you are warm. So much so that the rest of my head does not notice its lack of covering. It’s a snap to take on and off, and I can even do so repeatedly without messing up my ‘do. Long live earmuffs!

A slam-packed weekend of fun and excitement looms ahead of me, or I suppose I should say several considering the next one is Christmas! Tomorrow night I get to hang out with my splendid sister, go to a movie, and wrap presents. Saturday it’s off to Lincoln for Christmas with our good friends the Cassidays. Yay Muppet Christmas Carol! Then on Sunday I have my Bible study Christmas party, and somewhere in between I need to finish my baking, get a few more presents, and distribute sundry goodies. Should be fun! At least I am doing better this year than last year in that I am not sick. And the weather is doing better than last year, though I do like white Christmases. We are mostly sticking around Omaha except for a brief jaunt out to North Platte. We didn’t get to go last year, so it will be nice to renew that tradition this year. Does anyone have travel plans for the holidays? If so, I wish you safe journeys!

So it’s that time of year again - baking, shopping, and planning are proceeding acceptably. The only thing that isn’t is the decorating. We are being outdone by our neighbors and that’s not likely to change until the weekend. Oh well. I do love seeing everyone’s lights. I hate the dark of winter and the lights make it so much cheerier.

The weekends are filling up fast, with parties and concerts and visiting. It’s lovely to be able to see so much family around the holidays, but it can also be overwhelming, at least for me. I am thankful to have so much of my family still with me. There is word that my brother might come home from Korea for a few days over the holidays, which would be fantastic. I haven’t seen him since last Christmas and I feel out of touch.

Here’s wishing everyone a wonderful December! Don’t forget to enjoy the truly beautiful songs of the season (but keep Rockin’, Reindeer, and other such atrocities away from me, please!).

So I know it’s been ages since I updated this, but I wanted to let people know the exciting news: Kiah has a job! After months of applying for everything high and low, Kiah got a job with a family-run store called Stella’s Specialty Shop. Or it might be Shoppe, I really don’t know. In any case, they sell a wide variety of items, such as knives, swords, figurines, and wall decor. He gets to interact a lot with customers as a salesman/cashier, and he thinks he will really enjoy working there. Today he has a baptism by fire by working a 10-hr training day. The people who own the business seem to like him and I think he will do really well there.

I am still working my temp job at Kiewit, and they have extended the position through the end of March. I have heard recently from Enercon that they are looking to bring me back still, but I don’t know the timing on that. Today I get to be lazy at home while Kiah slaves away. I am hoping to go work out, as Kiah and I have both resolved to get in shape this year. I even used Christmas money to buy a workout machine, as I can’t convince myself to go to the gym when it is bitterly cold out. Which it actually isn’t that much today. I can’t believe how fast the snow is melting. I can even see the grass in places.

Extended family members seem to be doing well. Our parents are healthy, which is a bit of a switch from last year, or even last month, so that is good. Zach is in Korea for another year and Steph is in college. It is so good to have her in Omaha and to get to see her on a regular basis, as she is awesome.

Hope everyone is doing well in their various endeavors! Please leave a comment to exclaim on the sheer bizarreness of me having posted.

This last Wednesday while Kiah was on spring break, we went south to Platte River State Park to spend the day together. It was too early in the year for the paddle boats and horseback rides to be open, but there were plenty of trails to explore. We started off climbing the observation tower. It’s a lot sturdier than the one at Mahoney but I think it’s about the same height. We enjoyed the view while being buffeted by the wind. We got to see a train pass by along the shore of the river, ducking in and out of the hills. Then we descended to our car and drove to a lovely picnic area overlooking the river. With full tummies, we ventured out to explore the trails. The way we wanted to go was too muddy, so instead we passed down by the river, crossed a stream, and then clambered up a steep hill to a nice vantage point. By the time we wished to circle back we were on the wrong side of the stream. We kept pressing on, looking for a crossing, which we finally found. However, there were no trails that lead from where we were to where we wanted to be. We cut cross-country, gamely dodging branches, ducking trees, and jumping over gullies. I have a new respect for animals that can manage to wiggle their way through the dense underbrush. When we arrived back at our car, we drove to the other half of the park where the cabins and lake were located. We fed corn to very assertive geese and enjoyed watching a duck dive under the water for food. The weather was perfect the whole time, sunny and cool, and due to the time of year, we practically had the park to ourselves. We hope to go back again soon.