Sometimes, I'm frustrated with IE too!

Please, someone tell me that they know how to solve the Internet Explorer Shutting Down On Me Every Stinking Day At The Worst Time And For No Apparent Reason problem.

The error message is this: "Internet Explorer has encountered a problem (the same one you've been having for most of the last year of awful computing) and needs to close (for the third time today). We are sorry for the (absurd and inexcusable) inconvenience (but are thankful that you have no other good options except for that fringe browser hilariously named by combining the words 'monkey' and 'godzilla')."

Parentheticals added (to little effect) by me.

The obligatory Christian worldview angle on this request is that you will help me to stop thinking wicked thoughts about a certain software giant located in Washington state.

(from Allen Thornburgh at The Point.)

I don't even have to raise my voice anymore

Happy B'day, Laura!!!

As a baby, Laura expressed pure unadulterated joy with this wide mouth smile. . . which was later perfected into The Rectangle.

Government Warning

DO NOT SWALLOW CHEWING GUM

Bedtime Pachelbel

By By Little Girl!

We will miss you!

We have a little guest. . .

I can't think of a better way to spend a week of vacation. . . For more daily details than anyone could be interested in(unless you were the mama!), check out The LMC Report.

(Just in case anyone is prone to worry about the size of the little people, be assured Carolyn does not play with them except under direct supervision!)

Ringxiety?

Your cell phone rings. You go to answer it, but there's no one there. Curiously, there's no missed call, either. You realize after a moment that you mistook a bird chirping for your cell p­hone's ring. What's weird is that this isn't the first time this has happened to you. You're probably not insane -- instead, you are suffering from what's come to be called ringxiety.

Read more. . .

Granddad's new friend

Granddad has found a dog, this Pembroke Welsh Corgi named Sally. She is 4 months old and her previous owner was starting to travel a lot.Granddad says she has a really sweet nature and is adapting well to her new home.

Celebrating the B'day

All of us were in one place for a few hours, so we grabbed the chance to take a quick family picture (thanks, Irvings!) We were just barely able to pull this off, as it took less than 2 minutes. There was no more Carolyn Patience left to grab a tripod and try a true Everyone Shot. LMC was very interested in the cake. She knew exactly what that was! The Obligatory "Blowy Face" And yes, she did get to try some cake.

Happy B'day, EB!!!

And this year's winners are. . .

The 2008 Banished Words List has been released from Lake Superior State University. Here are my favorites:

• AUTHOR/AUTHORED - In one of former TV commentator Edwin Newman's books, he wonders if it would be correct to say that someone 'paintered' a picture?
• POST 9/11 - 'Our post-9/11 world,' is used now, and probably used more, than AD, BC, or Y2K, time references. You'd think the United States didn't have jet fighters, nuclear bombs, and secret agents, let alone electricity, 'pre-9/11
• "BLANK IS THE NEW BLANK" - In spite of statements to the contrary, 'Cold is (NOT) the new hot,' nor is '70 the new 50.' The idea behind such comparisons was originally good, but we've all watched them spiral out of reasonable uses into ludicrous ones and it's now time to banish them from use
• BACK IN THE DAY- Outrageous mis- and overuse, mostly by teenagers, e.g., 'This random guy, singing this random song . . .. It was so random.' Grrrrr."
• RANDOM - Outrageous mis- and overuse, mostly by teenagers, e.g., 'This random guy, singing this random song . . .. It was so random.' Grrrrr."
• DECIMATE - 'Decimate' has been turned upside down. It means 'to destroy one tenth,' but people are using it to mean 'to destroy nine tenths
• EMOTIONAL - Reporters, short on vocabulary, often describe a scene as 'emotional.' Well sure, but which emotion? For a radio reporter to gravely announce, 'There was an emotional send off to Joe Blow' tells me nothing, other than the reporter perceived that the participants acted in an emotional way.
• POP - On every single one of the 45,000 decorating shows on cable TV (of which I watch many) there is at LEAST one obligatory use of a phrase such as ... 'the addition of the red really makes it POP.' You know when it's coming ... you mouth it along with the decorator

We had a little snow yesterday. . .

It was a heavy, wet snow and not easy to clear from the sidewalks. But not too tough for Marathon Man! Ethel loved being outside, ran everywhere, even tried to leap through the snow some. Lucy was content to take care of business and hightail it inside.

2007 Review

JANUARY -
Ice Sculptures in Rochester Hills FEBRUARY -
Chicago Trip MARCH -
Carolyn is introduced to Texas APRIL-
The garden begins to bloom MAY-
Laura's Graduation JUNE-
Carolyn's First Birthday JULY-
Five Days in Maine AUGUST-
Mac Band Reunion and Girls' Weekend SEPTEMBER-
Life is good. . . OCTOBER-
Chicago Marathon! NOVEMBER-
All Five Home for Thanksgiving DECEMBER-
Merry Christmas!