Shaken Not Stirred

Well, if I'd known what an outpouring of concern in the form of an overflowing email inbox I'd get after an earthquake, I'd have ordered one long ago. Well, not really. While this one was nothing compared to the great 921 quake, ever since "the big one" even the slightest tremor sends me into a tizzy. Of course, while our Christmas tree swayed crazily from side to side in the living room, I was crouching under the nearest support beam. Jayden took his cue from me and came scurrying over to hide, grimace, and shriek with me, while Josh planted himself directly in the center of the living room, arms outstretched surfing the seismic waves. "Cool Mom! Earthquake! Wow!" Hang Ten Dude while Mom goes into cardiac arrest.

Actually, as my dad said, "Sounds like it wasn't that bad unless you were one of the two dead people they pulled out of the rubble of their home down south." Some truth to that, I suppose. There were many fires and some building damage in Pingtung and Hengchun. I read that there was a great deal of internet and cellular phone service trouble as a result of damage to the undersea cables off the coast of Taiwan. Wish I could say that's the reason I haven't posted in so long.... I have to say I didn't get much sleep Tuesday night though. Just as I was finally dozing off around midnight there was another aftershock.

And so my least favorite holiday has finally passed. Yes, I've been writing about how much I love Mid-Autumn Festival, Thanksgiving, and Halloween, but boy am I glad Christmas - big, fat, overinflated Christmas - is over. Jason got me a ridiculous assortment of techie gadgets. I got a cell phone, an external hard drive (if anyone can tell me what exactly this does, or more importantly, why I need one, please post a comment ASAP), a new TWO GIGA flash drive (I do know what that is but I'm still not sure how much a GIGA actually is - again, anyone with any relevant information there), and a wireless presentation mouse. For all of my groovy powerpoint presentations. He totally technologically outdid himself.

I got myself into a holiday frenzy, of course. I taught the Christmas Carolling part of the Language Center Christmas Party. I hosted a Christmas Party for Rudy's entire 6th grade class. If you're ever in a position to consider doing such a think yourself, just one word of advice - "don't" I baked about a million cookies. I went to Josh's school to help the other clueless volunteer moms help his class make little ding-ding tinsel bells to go around their miniature wrists for their Christmas performance.

Anyway, Christmas Day itself went pretty well. The boys were happy with their presents (How long until they figure out used books are a really lame gift on my part?). Rudy got some Game Boy games. Josh got this pirate treasure box thing he wanted and Jayden got a bike. I real little mini bike. He's so incredibly pleased with it. And, it has had an unexpected benefit for me, as well. In the form of, "Take your brother downstairs to the courtyard and let him ride his bike around for a while....Yes, you have to.....No, don't let anything happen to him."

Our computer got a virus - well, both computers - apparantly from my flash drive. I've been a bit too loose, it seems, sticking my flash in just any old USB that will have me....but as soon as I can access those pictures of Jason dressed up like Santa, you'll see them here.