notinKansasanymore

Jardy: Thanks very much! It really is a neat area. I think that the hummingbird exhibit is undergoing some sort of renovation right now; there was not as much space, and weren't as many birds. Something about a bird illness awhile back. But they'll have it back up pretty soon. Or, maybe all of the hummingbirds voted for Kerry, as I did, and now they're just bummed out! ;)-->

Well, gorsh. You folks are bein' real sweet about the picture thing. Thanks! It's back to work, after children's museums, the Desert Museum, fellowship with Rocky + Simon + Karmic, hiking at Baboquivari Peak with the children and at Aravaipa Canyon with just Mr. niKa, and reading many chapters aloud from Treasure Island. The Rubber Chicken is back on the computer monitor, all systems are functioning, and this ship is leaving planetary docking systems. Engage hyperdrive, Chewie!

Ooooooh! I seeeeeeee it! You guys are so handsome!

I can't seem to see the picture; there's just a big circle/slash/don't/enter thingy there. I'm glad that I read it in the original! Going to Texas this weekend, to close down my Mom's house. Meeting the siblings to have a work weekend. Taking the handcart, the empty van for hauling stuff, and lots of Kleenex. love, niKa

Okay, so what we have here is a Poltergeist, a marriage, and the flu. There's a joke in there somewhere, but I'm not witty enough to come up with it. But I could never tell a joke, anyway. *********************** It was nice to be on vacation, and it's nice to be back home. It was great to see the three of you. Exie, I hope that you feel better soon! I'm waving a bottle of Pedialyte in a Northerly direction, in your honor.

Oh, the pain. The horribly painful pain. Our star quarterback couldn't throw without an interception, our star running back couldn't run anywhere without getting squished, and our sure-footed heroes couldn't cut any turns in the whole first half without ending up on their tushes. Ooooh, the heartache. There's always next year! But the pain of the day was significantly diminished, because earlier in the afternoon, Mr. niKa and I had the joy of meeting Simon, Rocky, and KarmicDebt for lunch. We hadn't seen one another for more years than I can remember. If I could remember, I'd be embarrassed to say! They are lovely, and beautiful, and witty. It was great to see you guys, and I hope to repeat the experience the next time we're in Arizona. love, niKa

Be strong, Fellowshipper; just be strong. You'll get through it. At least you don't have to ask anybody else to loan you a pickup truck! Do you have to move very far? :)--> love you, niKa

Strength, my brother, Strength. You've got your needs and wants parallel, and heck, you've even got your own pickup truck. How far are you moving?

would Mah Peeeple who are in The Great State of Arizona pleeese send me a private topic? I have something to tell you.

Oh, yeah. Too much of me has risen, and ambled on over to the bathroom scale; I made two batches of Stollen this Christmas, and homemade rolls! Time to get back in gear. Fellowshipper, are you moved? Happy Two Days After Christmas, everyone!

Excie: Oh, HIM! Weeeelllll, Very Merry to him. Somehow "good ol' boy" doesn't quite ring a bell there, but you have to understand that in Texas and Oklahoma, that is a specifically defined term, and a designated set into which I'm kind of glad that SmokedItWithTheBeatles doesn't fall. Happy Christmas to you, Excie, and your family as well. Simon, keep on truckin', Old Milwaukee style, dude. TommyTuttles, what a year you've had. I hope that next year is not quite as eventful, and that you can get down to the business of enjoying your new abode. I'm sad that you lost so many this year, and two funerals in one month is just plain hard. Fellowshipper, good luck with your packin' and haulin' this week. Dreams come in all sorts of packages, and I'm glad that you have the opportunity to go for yours. TommyStrange, wherever you are, I hope that the snacks are better than average, and that the chairs have been strung. If not, let me know; I still have some leftover fishing line somewhere. Rocky, (and I know you're out there, dude) here's a Happy Holly coming your way. Miss you. Lurkers: can this please be your last Christmas when somebody else decides where you celebrate it? Potential New Year's Resolution: "get out of this cult, and prove to myself that I can make it on my own." Pawtucket, if you read this, thanks for letting us have the opportunity to have the weirdest, coolest thread at the cafe. It means a lot, and it's healing. Merry Christmas, everybody! :)-->:)-->

Love right back at whoever it is. Assuming that it's somebody that I ever ran laps with, or did kitchen duty with, or moved for the forty-umpth time in a Blizzard with, or hitch-hiked to wherever-they-were-sending-us-THAT-time with. By the way, what's "nollaig shona duit!"? -->

Moving on Christmas? Da-aaang, Fellowpacker, you must be as busy as a buck-toothed beaver in the Sequoyah National Forest. Good luck with that stuff. Merry Christmas!

I'm thinking that all of the kids are about out of school for Christmas, and many Greasespotters are headed off to see family. Either that, or they're all out witnessing. Hellooooooooooooo?

I like and respect John, and I always have. In all the years that I've known him, he has been an honest, courteous, spiritually-minded gentleman. He is so delightfully human, too; when he messes up, he deals with the situation according to the best that he knows, honestly. I just can't say that for all the people that I've met in my life. I mean, nobody's perfect. But John Lynn really tries to live his life according to what he knows of God and the Bible. He has kept on doing this, faithfully, for decades. I'm sure that the description above would also fit many other folks who come to the Greasespot Cafe. I like coming here because I get the feeling that most folks here are still on that kind of journey together, despite now being so far apart. love, niKa

Much learning makes us mad, and much grading makes me bleary. Thanks for asking, Excie - I've been off doing open houses for the old niKapad. All the kids like shouting down the laundry chute,and all the moms wish there wasn't one. No, the basement doesn't leak. Yes, I have a Green Card right here . . . no, wait, that was something else that I was selling, once. The house is finally all fixed, and it looks darn good. Mr. niKa has worked very hard. This was the first weekend that we've officially shown it to anyone, and we had a pretty decent turnout. Hope for me that it sells soon, but high is more important than soon. Soon, and high, both, would be wonderful. So, what's everybody else been up to? Have you been sleeping, or awake? Good, or bad? Santa Clause is coming to town, I hear.

I just discovered this thread. We did something similar for my husband's cousin's nephew, or something like that, but it wasn't called Flat Stanley. Pleaseplease let him come and visit me, too! My children would really love it!

Yeeeeeeeouw. We had three more students hospitalized for alcohol poisoning this week. I think that they're mad at the school for making the new booze rules, and they're rebelling their way right into the emergency room. Difference is, we've had soooo much alcohol awareness training since losing a Freshman this year, that now their friends know more about how to recognize the symptoms of alcohol poisoning, and they're being carted off to the hospital. It's Waaaaaaaay Embarrasing to have one's parents get a middle-of-the-night phone call from the police or the hospital, but that's better than having them get a call from the morgue. Oh, to be young again! :P--> ****not****

Hi-die Ho, Cowpokes! It's almost Finals week; this means that I have about a billion essays that were handed in during the past couple of days, and everyone wants them back before tomorrow. Somebody tell me when it's over!

Okay, this is from my six-year-old. Why are all the other numbers afraid of Seven? --> Because Seven Ate Nine! :P-->

Oh, TommyPrinceofTuttles, I have just read the Red Thread and learned the news. (((((((((((tomtuttle))))))))))))) Wow, what a Mom she must have been, to have raised you. As you go about your conversations and your conversions, I'll be conversin' with Heaven about you,and your family. Tough times, but as IgotSaved has spoken, time helps. (But he's probably right about a trip to Vegas not being all that bad an idea, either.) I raise my glass to you, Sir. God bless you and your whole family, and God rest your Mom. much love, niKa

There is now red wine splattered all over my computer screen, and I can't breathe for laughing so hard. Oh, man. Now I've had a thought that made me sit up in my chair and think. You know how dangerous that is. The thought that I thunk was: if Don Brunelle were still with us, he'd have been one heck of a hoot on this Greasespot cafe. You mah peeple would've made him proud tonight! We need a reunion.

Milk with Shiner Bock!

Paw, I'm very sorry for your loss. That was a beautiful letter; your Dad must have been quite a man, and a wonderful father. I lost my Dad about fourteen months ago, and did not get there in time to say goodbye. I'm so very glad that you got to be with your Dad, for a "parting well made." I will keep you and your family in my prayers. love, niKa

I'm not sure that you guys are really discussing the Septa . . the Septa . . . well, okay, maybe the Dead Sea Scrolls. ;)-->