Friday Coffee Klatch!!

[lhall]

Good Morning Klatchers & Lurkers. Today's coffee is Barnie's Sunrise Blend.

Today is the usual with visiting Ginger's school, Harry's, Publix, and laundry, but tomorrow is totally free!!! YEAH!!! I'd like to start going to church again, but that's all we have planned for Sunday.

I'm conspiring with DH's two best friends. He turns 40 next month, and he's been wanting to go to Ruth's Chris Steakhbouse for a while. I've made reservations, and his friends are going to join us to celebrate his birthday. All he knows is that the two of use have plans.

I was happy when school started. For one thing my house isn't a total disaster every day, and Ginger and Mariel spent a lot of time fighting.

Leigh

[SueK]

Good morning Leigh!

Did your school just start back this week? Sounds like your DH will have a nice 40th bday. I had some surprises up my sleeve when Jerry turned 40 two years ago, but this year's my turn....

This morning I go to the chiro, and then tonight we have a sitter and are going out. I have no idea what we'll do, or where we'll go, I just know we'll be child free for the evening. We've been using 16 year old twins up the street, and they've worked out great so far. Plus they told us to only pay them as if it were just one person instead of two. Can't beat that!

Tomorrow not much planned except watching the football game. GO Steelers!

Well, Sam is getting up from her nap and I need to get us ready to head to my appt. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

[stefania4]

Good morning! I have a 4-day weekend. On the to-do list:

a) Dear friend is being released from inpatient detox (alcohol) today after completing her 3-week program. I babysat her little girl last night and we made a "Welcome Home, Mommy!" poster - I'll stop by and say hello.

b) I feel like making sweets; I saw a recipe for chocolate/dried cherry cookies that I think I'll give a try.

c) We finally have the $ for a new refrigerator; our current one (it came with the house) drives us nuts with that shelf that always falls out! I'm still glad I threw it into the negotiations for the house since it was one less check we had to write when we wrote so many other checks, but now it's time to get a real fridge!

d) Cleaning, cleaning, cleaning...

e) Maybe a little shopping!

Have a great day & weekend, everyone!

[Escher]

lhall Mmmmm...Ruth's Chris...steak sizzling in butter...is there anything better?

SueK Child free for the evening? Make the most of it!

stefania4 chocolate and cherry is my favorite sweet combo...

Anyhow, my SO is very busy this time of year, but finally, for the first time in weeks, we'll have an evening off. My Mother-in-law is swinging by to take care of the munchkins, and we are headed to the local cantina for Key-lime shooters and Pina Coladas until we are silly.... A very good time is expected....

This weekend I'll be by myself with the kids again. But that's ok. They are getting to the point where my efforts to teach them words is starting to pay off....

[lindrusso]

What???? Only 3 posts by 9 a.m.???

I don't usually participate in the Friday klatch, but we're off from school today, so why not?

I am taking the boys to a local "arcade" to give them a reward for their very, very hard work on science projects the last week or so. Last night was the fair and now we were really done. It was a bit stressful for me (not for them) because we were down to the last minute with parts of it, but it was a very valuable experience for them both.

Tonight it's out to dinner to a local Italian restaurant - Chuck's boss gives him a gift certificate every year. We'll take the kids too - it's not the special kind of place that Chuck and I would get a babysitter for, but it's tasty.

Other than that, I just need to fit in my 30-minute workout for the day.

This weekend is mellow - exercise, cleaning, completing my online Paint Shop Pro classes for the week, etc.

Stephanie - Let us know how the cookies come out and please post a recipe if they are good - I was just thinking yesterday that I need to try a new recipe or two.

Have a great weekend everyone.

Alysha

[Gracie]

Good morning!

Leigh - a free Saturday! Yay! I had one last Saturday. We had terrible weather with a ton of snow so I was able to just stay in the kitchen and cook. It really got me through the week since I wasn't home for dinner Tues, Wed and Thurs! I am looking forward to a more quiet week.

Sue - we'll be watching football too, but it's Go Patriots for us! Erin's best friends are twins and they babysit together too. However they usually get paid as two people so you are very lucky.

Stephania - good luck to your friend. New fridges are so clean and fresh it'll be well worth it.

Escher - how old are your kids? They're boys, right? I was always amused by that time when kids still can't talk yet understand everything you tell them. It's funny to give them a complicated command like Go to the kitchen and bring me the red apple and they do it yet they can't talk themselves.

Erin is here in work with me today. They have a 4-day weekend and she has a science project due Tuesday. However our computer is dead and has been on-and-off dead for the last week, ever since we installed a new CD burner drive. I think the drive's not quite compatible with Windows 98. It says the drive is compatible with Win 98 SE and I'm not sure if there's a difference. Our IS director has been phenomenal in getting it to work, then I'll bring it home and it'll work for a day or two and then flip out again. If it is a compatibility issue, I'll just have him wipe the hard drive, install Win 2000 and then I'll put my programs back on over the weekend. There's a few things I would want to get off it before we do that though, if possible.

Loren

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Gracie
I think the drive's not quite compatible with Windows 98. It says the drive is compatible with Win 98 SE and I'm not sure if there's a difference.

As far as I know, there is a difference between the two and anything with "SE" will not work with '98. We have run into problems trying to find networking cards that are compatible with Windows '98 on our old computer (which we gave to the boys). Chuck is reluctant to upgrade to a newer version of Windows on that computer because he says he's heard people have lots of problems trying to do that.

He did successfully install a CD-burner on that computer, though. It's called "I/O Magic". The problem with this burner is that the software INSIDE is NOT compatible with Windows '98!!! So, you have the burner which is compatible, but the software isn't. But he contacted the company (they were very responsive) and they sent him something (or directed him to a sight with a free download or whatever) that would work and we haven't had any problems since.

Good luck, Loren. Computers are great when the work, but oh-so-frustrating when the don't!

Alysha

[Escher]

Originally posted by Gracie
Escher - how old are your kids? They're boys, right? I was always amused by that time when kids still can't talk yet understand everything you tell them. It's funny to give them a complicated command like Go to the kitchen and bring me the red apple and they do it yet they can't talk themselves.

Yeppers. Twin boys, 16 months. And very, very cuddly.

[Robyn1007]

Hi All,

I only have a minute to pop in and say hi. Leigh, have a nice time at Ruth's Chris, I've only been once but it was amazing!

Sue, Alysha and Escher enjoy your nights out.

Stefania, mmmm chocolate!

Loren, sorry to hear your computer is still dead.

I started a 2nd job this week to start saving to be able to move but am still feeling under the weather so its difficult to motivate to go. Its laid back and some of the shifts I get to work with one of my best friends so it could be a lot worse.

Gotta run, hi to everyone who follows.

Robyn

[Gracie]

Originally posted by lindrusso


As far as I know, there is a difference between the two and anything with "SE" will not work with '98. We have run into problems trying to find networking cards that are compatible with Windows '98 on our old computer (which we gave to the boys). Chuck is reluctant to upgrade to a newer version of Windows on that computer because he says he's heard people have lots of problems trying to do that.

He did successfully install a CD-burner on that computer, though. It's called "I/O Magic". The problem with this burner is that the software INSIDE is NOT compatible with Windows '98!!! So, you have the burner which is compatible, but the software isn't. But he contacted the company (they were very responsive) and they sent him something (or directed him to a sight with a free download or whatever) that would work and we haven't had any problems since.

Good luck, Loren. Computers are great when the work, but oh-so-frustrating when the don't!

Alysha

Thanks Alysha. Here at work we have the Win 98 SE operating System so an upgrade is possible. Also possible is getting a new burner and returning the one we bought. We bought a Sony but the I/O Magic is there, too. We don't care if the burning software isn't compatible because we already have 2 different programs that we use to burn CDs. I'll wait on our IS director's thoughts. He should be in soon.

I never got the hang of Paint Shop Pro. It just wasn't that intuitive. I have 7.0 and never use it. How much was your online class?

Leigh - we have a new Ruth's Chris in Boston but we haven't been yet. It's supposed to be terribly expensive and that's saying a lot for Boston!

Phil (the IS guy) is here now. He's awesome. Hopefully we'll get this resolved one way or another today. Cross your fingers for me.

Loren

[Canice]

Wow, where's the klatch?

Say, Leigh, ever run into AB at Harry's?
Sue, so is it the 4-0 for you this year then? I hit it a couple of months ago, it was fine. DBF was out of town that day and I told him not to worry, I was going to do a mega-shopping trip to Whole Foods to stock up my pantry and freezer and put it on his credit card! Pretty funny when people would say "You wanted groceries for your 40th birthday??"

Tomorrow I'm going over to Oakland to have coffee with friends and meet their "new" baby (sheesh, I think he's past two by now) and on Sunday I'm working. A friend of mine, and former boss from life in advertising, has opened a wonderful foodie shop a couple of blocks from me and has asked me to work there while I look for a job or line up my next freelance gig. It's pretty cool - great prepared foods, fantastic pantry items, wine, cheese, high-end utensils, etc. --and a five minute walk to work!

DBF was supposed to leave for Paris and London this morning but had to cancel, poor guy, so he's going away for just the weekend instead. Portland or Seattle, I don't recall which -- but whatever, that Thai shrimp soup will be on my table tonight! Can't believe he dislikes coconut milk....

[hrk]

Good morning all- slow Klatch this morning.

Well we have a very quiet weekend this weekend. We had out pre-op this morning for Logan and everything checked out. So Tuesday morning we are set for tubes in both ears. The pediatrician said Logans ears are still full of fluid so the last round of antibiotics didn't even work so that at least reassured me that we made the right decision to go with tubes, but it is still scary that Logan will be under anesthesia for 30 minutes.
So since the only thing that can prevent the surgery at this point is sickness, Logan will be in the house for three days. But since the weather is supposed to turn nasty that might not be a bad thing.

Loren- I am sorry to hear you are having computer problems- don't they seem to come at the worst time.

Escher, Sue, and Alysha- Enjoy dinner, with or without the kids.

Hi to everyone else.
Heather

[lindrusso]

Originally posted by Gracie
I never got the hang of Paint Shop Pro. It just wasn't that intuitive. I have 7.0 and never use it. How much was your online class?

It's not intuitive at all! I can usually find my way around a program fairly well (Word, Publisher, etc.) but could not begin to use this one. The online course is $74. I am a bit disappointed that it doesn't seem to be covering more, but at least I'm getting the basics. I wish they offered an intermediate level course. Still, for $74 and the convenience of learning at home and on my own schedule - still worth it. I will be taking Excel next. I want to hone a bunch of computer skills so that I'm ready to apply for a fulltime job when the boys are old enough.

Heather - It is a bit scary, but well worth it! It's over very, very quickly, I don't think it even took them a 1/2 hour! My youngest had tubes put in twice - once at 3 years old and once a year later. He needs to go back in to get one of them removed (it fell out but got lodged inside the ear somewhere) and I keep putting if off. Since the tubes have fallen out, he has had several colds and no ear infections! Woohoo! I think we are finally over all that. Try not to worry too much!

Alysha

[lhall]

Canice,
No, we haven't managed to catch AB at Harry's, but not for a lack of looking. We shop at the one in Marietta. They are building a new Whole Foods in Buckhead. That's dangerous for me because I'll drive past it twice every 6 weeks (it's on my way to get my hair done).

Sue,
No school started back last week.

Loren & Escher,
There are 3 Ruth's Chris in Atlanta. I've read reviews that are either great or terrible. We've never been, but I checked out the menu online. Prices for entrees range from $18.00 to $68.00. Although the $68 is a 40oz porterhouse for two. Most are in the $30.00 range.

Heather,
30 minutes of anesthesia just for tubes? Mariel had two sets & Ginger had one. For Mariel's first set the took some adenoids too so that was 45 minutes, but just tubes was 10 minutes from the time the girls were taken from us to the time we got them back. It was super quick. Just a little gas and they popped the tubes in. Mine also had fluid that stayed in the ears. It made a big difference in walking, speech, and hearing after we had the tubes done. They also got fewer ear infecions.


Leigh

[Gracie]

Originally posted by lindrusso


It's not intuitive at all! I can usually find my way around a program fairly well (Word, Publisher, etc.) but could not begin to use this one.

That's exactly it! I can find my way around programs well also but this one really had me stumped. I think I'd rather get Photoshop or Photoshop Elements.

Heather - good luck with Logan's ear tubes. Luckily Erin never needed them. But if they had been around when I was a kid I probably would have had them. I had a ton of ear issues. When I swam, I had to wear hunks of lambswool smeared with vaseline in each ear and a bathing cap over top. No one wore bathing caps. I was totally mortified. Plus they were the old fashioned kind with the chin strap, and sometimes with those lovely colored rubber flowers.

Canice - your interim job sounds perfect. No stress, just fun. What do you do freelance? That shrimp soup is wonderful. I ate it all week for lunch.

Well, drum roll, my computer's fixed!! again. Let's hope it works for longer than 24 hours this time. It wouldn't even boot up when Phil first turned it on and it was looking very bleak. He disconnected everything except the hard drive (including the video card, the sound card, everything) and it still wouldn't boot up. So he cleaned all the lint out (there was a ton of it in there after 5 years) with the spray air and a vacuum and took one of the memory cards out. Then it worked. So we put everything back together one thing at a time and it continuted to work. He said sometimes static builds up on the components and can cause it to short out. Whatever the reason, logical or not, it's working as of right now. Oh and BTW I already had Win 98 SE I just didn't know it so there's no reason to think that the drive (the hardware part) isn't compatible. We never installed the software that came with it.
Yayyyy for now!!!

Loren

[hrk]

Loren- Glad to hear the computer is fixed. Isn't amazing that computers were originally sold as something to make our lives easier.
Thanks to everyone about the reassurances with the tubes. Leigh- 30 minutes is the maximum they told us to expect. BUt from what everyone has told me it won't be nearly that long. I think part of it is because the doctor operates ouot of childrens hospital rather than an outpatient clinic.

By the way, for parents whose kids had tubes, did youo just do the cotton with vaseline in the ears or did you ahve ear plugs made?
Heather

[lhall]

Loren,
YEAH on getting your computer fixed.

Canice,
That sounds like a fun interim job, sorry I missed that earlier.

Vent/Rant:
Oh, my SIL called.

They want to have my neice's birthday party at the Children's Museum downtown (i.e. no free parking), but they can't afford to pay for anyone else. So, we'd have to shell admission ($11.00 each) plus parking and a gift. They did the same thing for my nephew's party last year, except he went to Six Flags and it would have been more expensive. Gee, if you can't afford to spend much on a party have it at home, or find a place that's affordable. We won't be going to this party either, and in the future if my girls ask for a girl only party then I won't tell them they have to invite their boy cousins. Either that, or I'll charge them admission! GRRRR

Leigh

[lhall]

Originally posted by hrk


By the way, for parents whose kids had tubes, did youo just do the cotton with vaseline in the ears or did you ahve ear plugs made?
Heather

Heather,
we had some ear plugs we purchased for Ginger, but they weren't custom made. For Mariel we didn't worry about it. We had to see an different ENT (the first one was great, but she moved her office). The second ENT said as long as they weren't more than 1 foot under water it wasn't a problem.

Leigh

[tbb113]

Good morning! Tried to post earlier but was having issues (couldn't find server, etc). Lets hope that it works this time.

Loren: Glad that your computer is working. I'm thinking I have a virus at home...need to work at cleaning it this weekend. I don't think I'm going to go shopping at TNF before I leave. Sorry

Not much planned this weekend. Want to rent Napolean Dynamite (Alex doesn't want to see it, but I do and Michael and his friend do), hopefully it will be in stock. Saturday, I'll run errands and act as Alex's chaufferer for his first Bar Mitzvah. Services at 10:30, kiddush lunch to follow. Dinner at 6:30, pick-up at 11pm. Michael wants to see The Life Aquatic, I told him we could go either Saturday night while Alex is at the Bar Mitzvah or on Sunday or Monday. Has anybody seen this? Is it appropriate for two 15 year olds?

Need to start cleaning out my desk/workstation. Next Friday is my last day

[Canice]

The job is pretty fun...for now. I try to sell everyone hazelnut oil!
I freelance pretty much in advertising still but would love this year to be different, start something new. It's so hard. On the other hand, I've joined Slow Food/SF and am going to a volunteers' meeting next week! They're doing an event at the Ferry Plaza farmers' market for Valentine's Day, and that might be fun to help with...and you never know who you might meet.

[hrk]

Originally posted by tbb113
Saturday, I'll run errands and act as Alex's chaufferer for his first Bar Mitzvah. Services at 10:30, kiddush lunch to follow. Dinner at 6:30, pick-up at 11pm.

Tyra- When I was 12/13 I was in a private school with 20 of 25 kids being Jewish. You really couldn't get away with not inviting the whole class, so my parents shlepped me to a different party almost every weekend for close to six months. Boy was that an expensive and busy year.

[tbb113]

Heather: The temple I belong to is very big on social-action. The 7th grade forms a charitable foundation, selects a theme (this year its human rights and health) and then the parents/child donate $234.00 to the fund (18 * 13 kids) in leiu of giving each other gifts at their b'nai mitzvah. They also request that you invite all of the kids in your weekday class to your party (approx 20 kids). I don't have a problem with the donation, but I think it takes chutzpah to require you to invite kids that you don't know/like/etc to a party where I'm footing the bill. When Michael was in 7th grade they had just implemented the 'invite policy' and bad parents that we were...most of us didn't do it. But this time around it looks like most parents are following the rules Alex has been invited to 3 so far (he chose not to go to one) so he has one this Saturday and one in two weeks. If we lived in the same school district as the temple it wouldn't be so bad, but we don't. Therefore, the kids in Hebrew School aren't the kids he would invite anyways.

Leigh: I saw the post about your SIL. UNBELIEVABLE

[Canice]

How are you doing with the impending "last day" Tyra? Layoffs are hard and I don't know if it's harder or easier when you have so much notice....

Yea, I meant to say, Leigh, that is really bad - it's nervy and it's totally the wrong message about birthdays and celebrating IMO.

[tbb113]

Since its only me, the morale at the company is fine (in contrast to a few years ago when due to the merger it was entire departments). At this point, I just want to be gone. Its soooo stupid to have me come in, sit and surf the web, etc. Just pay me out and let me go home My VP just came by to say good bye since he won't be in the office next week. I'm really fortunate that both he and my immediate manager offered to be references. Need to ask one or two other people in the company as well so I have people that can talk about how I interact with the 'non-techie' end of the world.

[Gracie]

Leigh - I am just amazed that people would host a birthday party and not pay for the guests. The price/person always limited either how many girls she could have or where she could have it. Did you always make them invite their boy cousins to a girls party? The poor boys!!

Tyra - it's just as well that you're not going to the store this weekend. With these computer issues I am going to need to only spend money on "necessary" extras until I've saved up enough for a new computer. We will keep this old one going for music downloading so it's not just the computer, it's another desk, chair, wireless networking piece and electrician to install a modern-day (i.e. not 2-pronged) electrical outlet upstairs where the old computer will go. The former owners of our house had the entire downstairs rewired to a 200 amp service but neglected to do the upstairs. it couldn't possibly have cost that much more once the electrician was in the house doing the rest of it. I was trying to follow the b'nai mitzvah party/donation. So Alex has to invite the kids in his Hebrew class (whom he doesn't really knowas well as his regular friends and you have to pay the donation for everyone? Wow. It does seem a waste to have you come to work and not do anything. Have you gotten any new job leads?

Canice - what is Slow Food?

Loren

[tbb113]

Loren: Normally when you go to a Bar/Bat Mitzvah, you would give a gift to the child. Many people give cash, and lots of time in multiples of $18.00 (since it means life in Hebrew). The temple figures that in the course of the year, your child would attend approximately 13 bar/bat mitzvahs. So, instead of giving the bar/bat mitzvah child the cash (or any gift), we donate (fully tax deductable...assuming you itemize your taxes ) the money to the 7th grade fund. The kids then during Sunday School (from now to April) determine what charities/foundations they think they want to fund, actively solicit grant applications, and finally decide how to divvy up the money (usually to 3 - 5 organizations). They also accept other donations to the fund ... they will have between $15,000 and $20,000 (or more) to give away. They have been doing it for 5 years (I think) and its a great learning experience for them. They also participate in 4 social action programs within the community (creating a block for the AIDS quilt, working at a food bank, visiting a nursing home and feeding the homeless at Glide Memorial Church in SF.

What a pain about the wiring in your house. Hopefully it won't be as expensive as you think.

[lhall]

Originally posted by Gracie
Leigh - Did you always make them invite their boy cousins to a girls party? The poor boys!!

We did at home parties for Ginger thru age 4, and Mariel thru age 3. They were family only until the girls were 3 as well. We have tried to restrain the girlie stuff so the boys don't feel left out, but our nephew hasn't been the only boy invited before. I also get boy stuff for their goodybags. It hasn't really been an issue for us. This year Ginger had a gymnastics party, last year a pool party, the year before a party at a bookstore. Mariel's had a pool party since last year was her first one outside the house.

Tyra,
I kind of felt that way about work shortly before I left as well. The worst part about going into work was watching my male supervisor do less & less every day, complain about the workload, and know he would get one of the highest raises every year. The boss who determiend the raises was/is female.

Leigh

[Gracie]

Oh - so the year that your child is having his/her Bar/t Mitzvah is the year that you donate the 18x13 dollars to the fund?

It's not you, it's me. I am not comprehending well today!! Thank goodness it's Friday because it's been a very long week!!

Loren

[Canice]

This from the Slow Food USA website (It originated in Italy): "Recognizing that the enjoyment of wholesome food is essential to the pursuit of happiness, Slow Food U.S.A. is an educational organization dedicated to promoting stewardship of the land and ecologically sound food production; reviving the kitchen and the table as the centers of pleasure, culture, and community; invigorating and proliferating regional, seasonal culinary traditions; creating a collaborative, ecologically-oriented, and virtuous globalization; and living a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life."

If you're interested, here's an article from USA Today

[tbb113]

Yep, you got it I forgot to mention that the class (parent and child) votes if they want to participate in the 7th grade fund. They need 80% yes before they go for it. I don't think its ever failed (since the parents vote as well). Also, since you write the check to the temple (and they break it into 4 monthly payments) if you didn't contribute or contributed less, in theory, no one would know. They also encourage people to see if their companies would do matching funds and/or to ask other people to donate to the fund instead of giving gifts. A final way they raise money is during a silent auction of items donated by the 7th grade class during the Purim Carnival (which is put on by the parents and kids in confirmation class - 10th graders). Alex is donating 2 dozen Oreo Chunk Cookies
Since Michael is a 10th grader, I'm working on the food committee. Fortunately, its more buy/solicit food donations than doing the actual cooking. Typical food is bagels, hot dogs, candy, chips, soda, etc.