Friday, December 31, 2010
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sunday, December 26, 2010
Following our 1st annual Christmas Awareness Dinner, we passed around a questionnaire to help our guests self reflect on Christmas. The form was created by the wonderful organizedchristmas.com (Wonderful, not crazy).
Here are the results of Christmas:
*Brackets denote editorial commentary
1.
a. What worked this holiday season?
Tim-Dad: Most everything
Cyndy-Mom: Everything
Donnie: Honey, have nothing to say I had a wonderful time +
Tim: Nothing!
Kate: Family time was great.
Elliot: Scribble Scribble
Noah: Christmas meat.
Paul: Chinese food, Edamame Salad, Chruch
Cyndy: I think most everything worked.
Peter: Good Food, family together-ness.
b. What changes did you make to create simpler, less stressful celebrations?
Tim-Dad: A transporter machine like on Star Trek. None
Cyndy-Mom: Nothing
Tim: Lock dad in a cage. [?]
Kate: It was nice to spend time with Paul and Cyndy during dinner prep.
Elliot: Scribble
Noah: Eat Christmas meat in pajamas.
Cameron: Wake up earlier.
Cyndy: Paul made me do more cooking.
Peter: Sleeping cots for naps. [I must have missed that]
2. What was the worst aspect of preparing for the holidays this year? How can you avoid the problem in the future?
Tim-Dad: Thinking of gifts to get. STOP Thinking.
Cyndy-Mom: Watching the weather – can't do anything about the weather.
Donnie: Must do cards sooner. Will not schedule dental work on Dec. 23rd.
Tim: Driving to NY. Kidnap Cyndy, lock her in cage.
Kate: Filling out this form with Elliot has been a challenge.
Elliot: Scribble SCRIBBLE
Noah: Waiting for the car coming back from the body shop. Christmas shopping in a Chevy Cobalt. Avoid Deer.
Paul: Meat over cooked, no dry firewood.
Cameron: Getting a Christmas tree. Get it from another place.
Cyndy: Grocery shopping. Pay attention!
Peter: Traveling too far waiting for UPS and FedEx deliveries.
3. Were you satisfied with your family's level of giving and/or spiritual observances? How could next year's holidays more closely reflect your family's values?
Tim-Dad: Yes
Cyndy-Mom: Yes
Donnie: My family is wonderful.
Tim: Nope. Beating each other with sticks.
Elliot: Scribble Scribble Scribble Scribble.
Kate: Thank you Paul and Cyndy for the thoughtful gifts and patience with our little rascals.
Noah: Raw pork chops... end of comments
Paul: Yes
Cameron: Yes
Cyndy: Yes. I don't know.
Peter: Attend Church together.
4. How well did your household function this year? Were you calm and cozy, or stressed and strung out? What improvements could be made for next year?
Tim-Dad: Very good. Yes.
Cyndy-Mom: Best year ever for family fun. Yes calm and cozy.
Donnie: Fine
Tim: Terrible. We were all calm and cozy, except dad. Lock Dad in cage.
Elliot: Scribble Scribble Scribble Scribble Scribble.
Noah: They were all calm and cozy. I was stressed and strung out because of them.
Paul: Toilet was messed up.
Cameron: OK. I was crazy and excited. I could be calm.
Cyndy: Functioned well. Calm. Cozy. More eggnog? Cornelia very strung out, needs more catnip?
Peter: Calm, cozy, and warm. Bonus Heat
5. Honesty Time: how did your holidays go? Did you experience the magic, expectancy, the sparkle of the season? If not, what changes could you make to recapture the joy of the next season?
Tim-Dad: Very good, Very good.
Cyndy-Mom: Wonderful. Yes.
Donnie: Lots of criticism from Noah. Will let him watch PeeWee anyway.
Tim: Please lock dad in cage! I experienced Super Duper magic. Jesus told me “Your [sic] awesome.” Lock dad in cage, hit with stick.
Kate: Lots of magic, lots of family. Thank you for having us.
Elliot: Scribble Scribble Scribble Scribble
Noah: They are not over yet. Revisit this question in mid January. What? What? [Are you saying Joel could still ruin Christmas, after Christmas?]
Paul: Too much sparkle.
Cameron: Ok. Yes.
Cyndy: Sparkle... always need more sparkle. More Kate Spade, less yelling about asking for Kate Spade from Paul.
Peter: Start with dentist toothache. Skip dentist false teeth.
Yay Christmas! Cornelia before it all went wrong.
Tim with Cyndy's weirdo camera lens.
Mother talking of her fabulous lunch at Colonie Manor. She's almost ready to move in.
Noah.
Peter absorbing the powerful healing powers of the crystal at the center of Mt. Shasta.
Preparing to probe the Christmas Meat.
Cyndy with her new plate.
Dominic the Donkey hour with Tim.
Cornelia after peace and order had been restored.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
For my masters thesis I am doing a series of field and laboratory experiments on local weeds. Over the break I started a germination experiment that measures germination over time at several different temperatures. These are some pictures of the seeds and seedlings. The photo above is one of the more successful pertri dishes. The photo below is the dish where I put the germinated seedlings once they are counted.
As of yesterday, there has been 80% germination in the top performing petri dish. So I am off to the lab to see if it will be higher today....
Rachel
