Scrappin' without Scraps

Keeping Up to Date

Not something I have been good at recently.  Just a bit busy at the moment but we did spend some time this weekend do some electronic updating.  The family website www.simonoff.com go a makeover and much needed update. Steve created a new website for Stephanie at www.stephaniesimonoff.com and her resume and photos were updated on IMDb.  At least with an unusual last name it is easy to find her!

There was an article about her in the Union Leader today with lots of photos.  They did a really nice job of mixing the photos from the movie"Shelley" and newer ones.  Unfortunately it was only in the print version of today's paper which ensured that I, of course, bought several copies.  LOL

Cross Country Race

DD#2 is on the cross country team this fall and actually seems to really enjoy racing.  She's not all that fast but she has a good time and it is certainly good excercise.

Race photos from today:

As for how she did...well....today was not a stellar race.  She pulled a hamstring muscle last week but she did beat one girl so she didn't come in last!  Go Steph!   

Busy Weekend!

I can't believe how busy we  were this weekend.  You would think that with just one kid at home, things would be slower.  Uh - no!

The NH Invention Convention was on Saturday and Stephanie and her her friend were chosen to represent the school so off we went bright and early. Their invention was a Paint Your Emotions Digital Frame - which basically a frame with buttons for various emotions and you could choose a photo to represent the emotion.  DH had provided the programming so it ran on a pc so it easy to set up.  And for their hard work the girls won  three ribbons - Best in Grade, Original and Unique and Special Needs.  They felt that the frame might help people who were non-verbal or unable to express emotion verbally to let others know how they were feeling. Pretty cool!

Then we rushed home and she went off to help her Girl Scout troop prepare dinner which they served to the parents that night.  They did a wonderful job and it was nice to meet all the parents. We had a little quiz about our spouses - it was amazing how many didn't know their spouse's favorite color - and played trivial pursuit with the husbands against the wives which the guys won. Then the girls cleaned up, we went home and they slept over.

Today Stephanie's dance team had a competition locally - thank goodness we didn't have to travel for it. She is one exhausted kid!  Happy, but exhausted!

Google's April Fools joke

Got a gmail account?  Then you can go and check the April Fools joke from Google yourself.

Here's the opening screen:

Now for some sample responses: 

Lastly Google's explaination of thier new CADIE technology

Good one Google!!

Willette Wonka

Actually I think it will be WilmaWonka but the excitement remains.  After a very long drawn out audition process for the school's drama club play, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, the results were announced.  Just in time to miss the first rehearsal due to snow but never-mind - DD and a boy will split the lead role of Willy Wonka!  She's beyond excited - what a thrill!

Lucky Neighbor

This is from the ice storm that left us without power for 9 days.  Wasn't my neighbor lucky?  I think it is amazing - there is not a scratch on either house!  Now the wire fence - well, that's a different story.  Once they pull that tree off they may be able to straighten it out but that is better than a broken window!

 

 

Finally done - the Globe Theatre

If I were a paper scrapper I would probably been able to help my DD better but alsa...digital was not of much help when it came time to build a model of The Globe Theatre.  But she is done and here it is...

 

First the dining room which in my house should be called the project room.  It may take a village to raise a child but that village better have a large room for school projects.

TA -DAH!!!

 

Closeup.  Note the authenic thatched roof - lol. 

Too Much Stuff Going On

Fall is always a busy time of year for me but this year it has been more so than usual I'm afraid.  The result has been zero time for blogging that's for sure! So now for a bit of catch up -

Everyone is back in school and we have all survived the first month.  I think I have the schedules set and so far I haven't forgotten too many things.  Teen #1 is spending her first semester in Madrid Spain and seems to be loving it.  She got off to a bit of a rocky start - no Internet, no phone and in her family the mother does not speak English.  She spent the first month in a Spanish intensive course so now she seems more comfortable.  Plus she now has Internet at her house so we can Skype her.  And she just set up a blog Te Echo De Menos  so she can post updates.  Okay maybe reading about her escapades at the disco was a wee bit scary - I am her mother after all - but at least I am reading about it after-wards so it went all right. 

Teen #2 is in 8th grade and decided  to try Cross Country this fall.  Her first meet was last week and she came in 28th out of 43.  Not bad for a first try!  She really loves it which surprises me since she had never shown any interest in sports before. Who knew?  It is a great work out and two days a week she goes from practice to dance.  She is taking pointe, tap and jazz and is on the competition team too.  There is no fat on those legs!

I'm in the midst of running a 5 week college course which meets every day.  I love teaching it and this is the second year I have run it so at least all the powerpoints were done last year which is really helpful.  I did have to develop some new labs this year but they have gone remarkable well and I only have two more to run this week.  I suppose I should knock on wood.

I got a chance to catch up a bit today here though I haven't done any scrapping in ages. Since it poured here all day I did a bunch of cooking - apple sauce, apple squares and challah! Recipes to follow... 

Rocks and More Rocks

    Ruggles Mine, an old feldspar and mica mine, is located in Grafton NH and believe it or not they let you bring a hammer and bucket and pound away on the rocks to your heart's content.  Not being rock hounds it was mostly interesting to check out the caves and see the big chunks of layered mica.

It really is a very unique place for NH. 

But I think the best part was the speed sign on the way out....how did they ever come up with 12??

Trails, Treks and Love

Sometimes our trails, treks and love go the same way and sometimes they go different paths. Lest you think that I am about to announce an impending divorce, let me assure you that I am not...but I digress...

For the longest time DH has wanted to climb Mt Washington.  At 6288 feet, it is the highest of the White Mountains, fitting it's first presidential namesake and the undisputed first president of the Presidential Range.  It also the home of the worst weather in the world - snow has fallen on the rocky peak every month of the year.  And our family can attest to that as we once got caught in a freak rain storm coming off one of the spurs of Mt Washington, DH hiking down with a dislocated pinky because I could not relocate it, ending our hike wet and muddy in an ER. We were never in danger but Mt Washington does have a bit of a body count at 130 deaths. But I digress again....

A day hike up Mt Washington requires good stamina and good weather and every year since the fateful dislocated pinky trip DH has talked about climibing Mt Washington.  But it seems he is always foiled by the weather, kids, injuries or a combination of the above.  On Friday we were up in that area - coincidence? fate? - and found the trail-head for the Ammonoosuc Trail which is one of the options for climbing Mt Washington.  At 9 miles it is a bit longer than some of the other options but it is more sheltered and although steep, doesn't require rock climbing skills. Plus there is the Lake in the Clouds hut there should disaster strike. Not that you shouldn't be prepared - the Applachian Mountain Club suggests bringing a change of clothes, warm pants if you are hking in shorts, and at least two meals worth of food. And to be prepared to abandon your plans should the world's worst weather strike.

After that brief look at the trail-head, DH spent a good part of Friday reading trail guides and trying to assess if we were up to the climb.The weather prediction was for clear weather, not too hot and the girls were heading back down to home for a youth group sleepover.  The only problem was me - though I have been hiking since I was a teen, I am much slower than DH and, thanks to a desk job, not nearly in as good shape as he.  Add to that a knee issue which slows me mostly out fear it will give out, and it was clear that this was one time when our treks should diverge.

Off DH went at 5:30 am on Saturdayto drive to the trail head which is 90 minutes away.  I stayed behind, got the girls going and got a call from the pay phone on top of Mt Washington that he had made it.  He stayed for a bit to rest and I drove up to the trail-head, managing to grab the last semi-legal parking space. 

 I hiked to Gem Pool which is about 90 minutes up the trail.  Lovely green spot with a beautiful waterfall emptying into a sizable pool. 

 

While I was waiting to join him there, I saw the two tree branches below which were twisted to form one.  A perfect analogy.

  
 

Congrats to DH!