WAY OVERDUE

Wow, am I lazy? Well, yes and no. Between work at the office, being on the road frequently and problems with my previous computer(s), posts have been sparse.

Well, today marks a new one. As you can see to the left, Gabriel has grown considerably since Halloween and now talks on his toy phone and the real phone. Well, he'll respond to me over the phone. He'll say Dada, "Nene" or meow (Nino), Uh-oh!, Mama, or Bebe (baby) when he hears me ask "where's ...?".

And as you can see below, he's a very quick study!



NEW COMPUTERS

My 4-year-old work computer recently decided to quit working and our 5-year-old home computer has been disfunctional on and off for quite a while. So both were recently replaced with HP Pavilion machines.

My new work computer is an HP Pavilion a1330n.

The new home computer is an HP Pavilion a1230n. The main difference is the home computer has a slightly smaller hard drive, slightly slower processor and I had to buy and install the DVD-ROM drive myself.

Otherwise, both are fantastic machines.

And speaking of updates, our neighborhood finally has DSL service and I'm scheduled for service set-up on March 17. One week and counting! I also ordered a wireless router so that I can work in other rooms with the laptop much easier. Wow.. Hillsboro in the 21st Century is shaping up nicely.

RECENT GOINGS ON

A lot has been happening with family and friends, so I'll just bullet-point in the interest of time...
-Grampa Dave recently visited Gabriel for nearly a week this past week. Much dining out and playing was enjoyed, even though Grampa got wore out.

-Gabriel is taking swimming lessons again. He has one more week in Forest Grove and then he can take lessons in April in Hillsboro now that the swim center has reopened. No more racquetball?!

-Uncle Tom is glad to no longer be with the trust law firm and has recently gotten a different position elsewhere.

-Grandma Judy has been invited to sing with the praise group and the traditional choir at Trinity Lutheran Church in Hillsboro. We've been visiting there the past few weekends.

-Me-ma is continuing to have a good recovery after her lower spinal surgery in Las Vegas. The surgeons repaired nerve damage in her lower spine that was causing several different problems for her lately. She's in the middle of physical rehab and has a good prognosis.

-Gramma Reid (my gramma) has recently moved to a nursing home for a while following a rough patch with her health. Things seem to be getting better for her, though.

-We were saddened to learn that family friend Shirley Anders recently passed away from complications due to the flu. Shirley was a cancer survivor well into her 70s, so the news was surprising but not shocking. She recently relocated to Klamath Falls from Medford. She will be missed. She had a remarkable life, a pioneer of sorts as a woman in rural southwest Oregon. She was one of the first female log truck drivers in Oregon, she was one of the first women to bid on timber sales in Oregon, and she ran a fishing guide service on the Rogue River in Curry County for several years with her late husband. All this in a petite little package - a stiff wind could have blown her over. She was one of the nicest, sweetest and with-it senior ladies I've had the pleasure of knowing.

-A door is closed and a window opens: Margaux Johnson recently turned one year old. Happy birthday!