Today’s Business: 2011-02-12
Today’s Activities
- Shower. DONE.
- Cat duty. DONE.
Log
08:30 AM: I’m up, and keywording more posts throughout my blogs. However, it will likely be some months before the benefits of this action (i.e. more site traffic) are realized, as Google doesn’t re index each piece very often.
10:30 AM: Completed this week’s system backups (details here) and am now upgrading all blogs from WordPress 3.0.4 to WordPress 3.0.5.
10:45 AM: All blogs have been upgraded to WordPress 3.0.5.
11:40 AM: Posted the Weekly Backups: 2011-02-05 piece.
11:45 AM: Posted the Weekly Backups: 2011-02-12 piece.
12:05 PM: Left another message with the water heater plumber. Hopefully, they’ll call me back early next week so we can get this billing issue resolved.
01:00 PM: Baked some Jiffy corn muffins this afternoon. They turned out very well, but just a little well-done. Our oven must run on the hot side of 400, and I only left the first batch in for 17 minutes, and the second for 15. Still a bit dark and crispy on the outsides. But I don’t make these often though I’m sure they’ll be better the next time around, if I remember what I did this time. Yum!
02:45 PM: Nap time. Back later.
04:00 I’m up again.
05:00 PM: Leaving for the party that sister Mary Ann is hosting for sister Jojo. Today’s Jojo’s birthday and all of us are going to celebrate in Boalsburg tonight. Back later.
05:40 PM: Arrived at sister Mary Ann’s. Looks like they didn’t fare any better with the snow than we did up home but their driveways and sidewalks were mostly clear and dry.
06:00 PM: All my sisters came to this party, both of sister Christine’s boys attended, all of Jojo’s kids, and of course, all of sister Mary Ann’s children were there. All the husbands visited as well to celebrate, and [Emmy] accompanied me. Nice to have someone to go places with and talk to when there.
07:00 PM: They served salad, pizza, chips, salsa, apples and caramel apple dip (made by sister Diane), peanut butter fudge (also by sister Diane), M & M’s, and candy corn.
09:45 PM: Lots of pictures taken as we sang Happy Birthday to sister Jojo and she blew out her candles. She seemed to enjoy herself immensely.
10:00 PM: For much of the night, the adults among us sat around in the chairs and on the carpeted floors in front of Mary Ann’s modern-style wood burning fireplace that serves as the central entertainment piece in her living room. I was surprised that the flames it produced were so intense yet seemed to produce so little heat; due to the glass heat shield no doubt. The chamber was also encased in stone, which hinted to me that it was certainly capable of producing lots of heating. So I wondered why it wasn’t. At first with next to no warmth, I figured it to be either a gas or electric or perhaps even a completely fake fireplace, as those tend to offer more aesthetic stimulation than actual heating; especially the fake ones. But upon seeing brother-in-law Tom add more wood that produced an amazing shower of upward, chimney-bound sparks as well as the hot coals that rolled around in the bottom as he moved the load around, I realized that what we were enjoying was indeed a authentic roaring wood fireplace; albeit a cooler one. Still though, I enjoyed sitting near it with [Emmy], particularly when, near the end of the night, Mary Ann couldn’t fully close the doors on it. So we got to feel its full full heat force. Nice.
10:05 PM: From some wood-based heat sources you can get lots of heat but not be able to see the fire inside, while others you can see the fire very well but feel little heat. Mary Ann’s fireplace was of the latter format. 
Not a complaint, mind you. Just an observation.
10:15 PM; Everyone is now saying good bye to each other as we’re getting ready to head back up the road to Altoona. Sister Jojo is profusely thanking all for such a nice birthday party; one that showcased the finer sides of family life and fellowship among family members. Sister Christine is driving [Emmy] and I home.
10:50 PM: We’re back home. I’m bushed. But that’s just because we ate so many carbs I think.
11:00 PM: Off to bed. More tomorrow.
Received Mail and Shipments
- A second bill from the company that installed our new water heater last fall. Apparently, they’ve ignored my certified letter sent to them then, in whichI disputed some of these charges.
- Notice of insurance coverage for Mom’s hospital bed and commode chair.
- Misc. bank papers.
- Coupons from Martin’s grocery store.
- Dental bill for Mom.
- 13 get-well cards for Mom.