minify

minify-to understate or reduce the size or importance of something.

This is one of those words that makes absolute sense from its sound, but one that I have never used, and I don't know if I've ever heard it used. I would like to minify my belly.

Melanie update

Luckily my household has escaped Kalena's stomach flu. I have noticed how Jennifer likes to get everyone together when her children have some nasty bug. I hope Kalena is feeling better and no one else gets it.

I just got done doing a little late winter cleaning of the flower beds in this beautiful sunny weather. I have finally got down to cutting out all the dead vegetation from last year and was happy to find all sorts of new growth starting to poke through the surface. It seems like the plants are getting busy very early this year. My roses, lilacs and evergreen clematis are all budding out. The black eyed susans and mums are sprouting new growth. It was fairly windy last night(60mph gusts) but I slept through it. The power went off again last night but was on this morning.

I spent most of last week at a really boring conference (NWHA- northwest hydroelectric association). Normally when I go to conferences it is a bunch of biologist that are fairly causal in their dress (jeans and a fleece). But when I get to the NWHA conference it is a bunch of lawyer/manager types dressed in suits and ties. I was a tad bit underdressed the first day in my jeans and sneakers that I wore. I got out my new wool blazer for day two and felt rather stylish. My boss was somewhat surprised when he saw me and said "wow, I like your hair". He normally sees the ponytail I wear when working on top of the wind swept dams. The curly blond hair kind of shocked him I think.

What else... I put a deer block out in the field. It looks like a salt block but consists of compressed grains. I have seen fresh deer poop and the block has been nibbled on so I think it is a success. I love to watch the deer and squirrels and birds. I got 100% on my GIS midterm. This seems like the easiest class I have ever taken. I don't know if that is because it really is or because I have been out in the real world and just compared to work it seems easy.

Hope everyone is getting outside and enjoying this beautiful weather.

Dean family update

Kalena seems to have slowed down her vomiting- and only woke up once last night.  I did not go to work yesterday- because I was throwing up the night before.  I did however make it to my last basketball game- to watch my girls play their worst game of the season.  If I’m not up hollering at them- they just seem to fall apart.  I’m praying that no one else in the family gets this stomach flu- I noticed that Susie (the teacher who works next to me- and came to the birthday party) is gone today.  Her e-mail says she’s feeling really dizzy and weak.  I don’t remember what I updated you all on- the broken toe is healing- but I’m still wearing flip-flops.  Did I mention I’m glad its Friday!  What a week.  Luckily students are all taking a test today- and sixth period forensics is going to look for raccoon bones while the weather is so nice.   Well that’s a little of what is going on at my household.  Have a wonderful weekend!  Tim and Traci- let me know how your spa turns out- you are getting the other model that we considered- I think its filtration would have been better.  Spring is the best time to use it- with a cool breeze on your face. 

laconic

laconic (lu Kon nik)-Using or marked by the use of few words; terse or concise. I will keep this post laconic.

Review:
ab initio:from the beginning
banderole:a forked flag or banner
calumny:maliciously false slander
doff:to remove, take off, or discard
effloresce:to bloom or blossom
flummery:meaningless words, esp. flattering
garrulous:chatty
histrionic:with excessive drama, overreactive
immure:to confine as if by walls:jail
jerry build: constructed cheaply or shoddily
keen:a wail or cry, esp. for the dead

Weight Loss Part II

Okay,

So I finally got an accurate measurement with my new and improved Tanita body fat scale that only set me back -- well, I won't say because some people would see just how fanatic I am -- and it said that I weighed in at 179.6 lbs and had a 17.7% body fat. It also told me my %water, % muscle mass, MBR or how much I can eat and still maintain my weight, visceral fat (i.e. the stuff around your belly), and metabolic age, but I'm just bragging now. Anyway, when I entered the figures into Mel's BF spreadsheet I told it I wanted to lose 10 lbs of fat and gain 5 lbs of muscle. This would put my final weght at 175 and my BF at 12%. Game on!!!

keen

keen 2 (kn)
n.
A loud, wailing lament for the dead.
intr.v. keened, keen·ing, keens
To wail in lamentation, especially for the dead.

I found this word in a Dean Koontz book, in the form of keening.

As I walked in the valley of Blood Gulch, I could hear the keening in the distance–Someone had backed over Sgt Cpap in the warthog!

Mom/Jan talking

My home computer is like a big iceberg, frozen that is. So, I finally remembered to take the blog address to work and have caught up on the news.

Dad is gone to Traci's to work on THE PROJECT and I don't expect him back anytime soon unless she gets frustrated and kicks him out.

Life as usual otherwise. Grandma went with me to Lebanon last night so I could go to the car wash. The car was getting embarassingly dirty and I couldn't will myself to go out and wash it myself. Mina reinitiated it with her dirty paw prints right after I got home (nice warm engine, you know).

I want a new car -- Rav 4-- and Dad is stalling. Mine no longer has a working radio, working clock or working side view mirror adjusters. Maybe while he is gone I could go shopping.

Gotta get back to work.

Jennifer talking

Updates:  well I’ve been home for two days playing trains and coloring.  Kalena has been unable to hold anything solid (or formula for that matter) down.  Brian has Wednesdays off so I will return to the real world tomorrow.  Its been beautiful at home- and the whole family had a chance to go in the hot tub yesterday…even with the sick littlest one. 

Grandma Sharp- I found the letter wedged between the car seat and passenger door- ripped a little- so I put it in a new envelope, with the correct address, and it should be arriving within the next day or two.  For some reason our postlady did not take it the first day I put the flag up- it was just stuck in with the newly arrived mail.  Something seems very odd about the forces working against mail reaching you.

I broke my toe a few hours ago- this isn’t the usual one though…so wearing some slip-on shoes to go to my meeting.  What a start to a week!

Gabriel seems to have recovered from the hair cut from hell.  Nicholas is his usual calm and steady self…although he told me he hates playing the recorder and plans to just get an F in it.  Hmmm.  So I guess I need to buy a couple recorders this weekend- and we’ll start our own family band when he returns.  I love to torture them. 

I’ve been playing a little X-box with the boys- trying to reconnect with them…and I think I’m actually improving.  In order for me to “win” I just have to beat my number of kills on both of them- so I’ve had five as my max. 

I will let Brian update you himself.  But as usual he is sleep deprived.

Emma is now a big three year old- and becoming quite the mommy’s girl- she let daddy know that when he came home today from work.  I took her to practice with me yesterday and she said she wants to play basketball.  So there is hope that one child will play.  Well I’ve got 40 e-mails to get through.  Take care one and all. Love. Jenn