Jokelly

That sounds like my family. My family has lived in PA since the Revolution and they're mostly Irish. But it's hard to trace back to Ireland because we're not exactly sure where in Ireland they're from. Ships didn't exactly keep impecable records and everyone in my family named their children the same thing so we have a ton of Williams, Henrys, Roberts, and Thomases in the family. We're pretty confident that they family was originally from Scotland and got kicked out and fled to Ireland. My mom was really into it. She visited state archives, researched libraries, and visited too many cemetaries to count. It's really facinating once you get into it. You learn much more history. I've learned more about the Revolution and land grants and land patents and colonial territories since getting into from my mom. What's really facinating was learning my family's land was bought from the local Indian tribe in the 1700s. It's facinating to know know that major battles the French and Indian war were fought in the area and my family, who owned a whiskey distillery, was involved in the Whiskey Rebellion, the first military squirmish in the new country post-Revolution. Let's just say that the locals were not on the government's side. My mom was funny. She's passed away, but when she was living she was against Ancestry.com and some other pay genealogy sites because they charge for information that is free if you do the legwork and research it. She was against charging for information that should be open to all. She would only go to free sites that allowed open exchange of information.

Last Friday I posted about a getting 10"-12" of snow, well...multiply that by three and that's what we got. Western PA got socked and 30+ inches of snow. It's the fourth worst snow storm in history, but many are saying the worst because of the damage. I haven't been living at home since last Saturday. We lost power last Friday (2/5) and just got it back last night...a week later. There are still 18,000 people with no power. I live with my dad out in the country only about a mile from town, but it's on top of a huge hill ravine-like hill. We couldn't get out and my dad takes oxygen and was running out. We had three different groups trying to rescue us. The local snow plow couldn't make it, the state snow truck broke down and even 911 couldn't make it up the hill. My uncle works for the fire company and the state wouldn't let anyone up our hill because of all the trucks getting stuck. Finally, around 5pm on Saturday they opened it up and my dad's girfriend's son was able to make it up in the four-wheel drive truck, but he almost got stuck, too. We've been staying at her house for the week. Our water is frozen and another storm scheduled for Monday say we're staying through Monday. My sister and her family live a mile up the road from us and they just moved back in to their house last night. There were two worst things about the snow. First, it was so heavy that trees are down everywhere. Our car was trapped by two trees and we have them down all over the property. When snow wasn't pulling down lines the trees were. It was like hearing constant gunshots because of trees breaking in the woods Friday and Saturday. We had in the Pittsburgh area over 300,000 people households without power. Everybody either was staying with someone else because their power was out or having someone stay at their house because they had power. Schools closed all week and some are already closed for Monday. The second worst thing was we had another storm Wednesday that piled another 10 or more inches on us on top of the two feet from Saturday. Everyone is depressed because the roads are horrible, some still don't have power from last week, and there is nowhere to park because of all the snow. The National Guard is around helping getting to people and plowing, but the forcast calls for more snow on Monday, maybe...depending on the track of the storm, and no increase in temperature to melt snow we have now. Everyone is also scared of a quick warm up, which will cause flooding, something that is common in western PA with all the rivers and tributaries. Tomorrow's my birthday. We're going to try to go out to dinner, but first we have to call around because some businesses aren't back running yet. It's just depressing. I'm ready for Spring to be here. Maybe by then I'll be living back home again.

"Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful..." We're getting pounded in PA. We're supposed to get 10"-12" by tomorrow. I work in a preschool/daycare and we closed early and the area school district closed early. It's coming down in large flakes steadily. I did slide in a few places going home from work, so the roads are not good right now. We knew we were getting it, but it rained first so we didn't think we were going to get as much as they were forcasting. Looks like we're going to get more. I'm not going anywhere this weekend. I have bread, milk, and food so I don't need to leave. I did have to go to the store today non-storm related and it was a mad house! Now, we get snow regularly in PA, it's not an unusual thing, but everyone always flocks to the store for bread and milk when the word snow is mentioned. The local gas station even ran out of gas. We'll see tomorrow when I wake up how much Mother Nature actually decided dump on us.

I was really looking forward to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, especially after they said it was going to be a more faithful representation of the book. But I ended up hating it. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was one of my favorite books from childhood. I can't tell you the amount of times I've read it, but Johnny just didn't capture Willy Wonka in that one. All I kept thinking about was a twisted Michael Jackson impersonator. I remember a version of Alice and Wonderland from the mid 80s that was a mini-series with all kinds of movie and tv stars in it. A few years ago, I bought it on dvd but then my neice took it and I've never seen it again. I didn't even get to watch it. I remembered it because it was taped off of tv and we played that tape repeatedly. I'll have to ask her if she still has it. A few years ago, I watched the Disney version for the first time. Let's just say I'm glad I never got to see it as child because I would have had nightmares for years afterward. It's kind of freaky. But the the story is anyway. I also remember studying it in high school. I vaguely remembering that that book and Gulliver's Travels were written as criticisms against the British government.

Hap Palmer is still around. One of my professors in Grad school turned me on to him. His stuff isn't as well known now, but you can still buy some of his stuff on cd. The Wiggles have taken over the preschool set now.

I have this saw, too. It's good for thicker pieces of wood that need straight cuts. Usually, I use my Exacto knife saw, still my favorite tool, but occassionally I pull the table saw out and use it. Now what I really love is my Dremel router table.

I thought of some more. I used to sing the song Debbie Reynolds sings from Charlotte's Web about Mother Earth and Father Time to my neice and nephew. It's such a sweet and soft song. I love Debbie Reynolds's voice on it. The other is "Hushabye Mountain" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. d*** Van Dyke sings it to his children I think when they're captured but it could be another scene. It's been a long time since I've seen that movie. Now that I think about it, that movie had a lot of good songs in it.

There is a CD from Martha Stewart's company called "Martha Stewart baby: Sleepytime." I love this CD. It's one of my favorite and not even just for lullabies. It's a collection of songs from various artists like Alison Krauss singing "Baby Mine" from Dumbo. It's just fantastic. So soothing and relaxing. I also like her Quiet Time compilation CD. I am a preschool teacher and we play classical music to get them to sleep. Sometimes it makes me want to lay down and take a nap, also. "You Are My Sunshine" is a great song, but I've always found it rather depressing. Am I the only one who thinks this? Maybe I just have a weird outlook. My dad's girlfriend said that she always sang this to her grandaughter and I told her that I found it depressing and she said, "No, it's such a happy song." I recited the whole song (because I can't sing). She said "Well, I just sang the chorus." That said, I do love this song. A great version is on the "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack.

Wow, you're progressing fast! I like what you're doing. It gives it a different feel to the house, but you can still see the original in it. I just stare at mine everday as I get dressed. I keep thinking it's going to be my next project if I ever get back into the groove of building. It's beginning to give me discontented looks as I pass it everyday.

I'm another fan of the Micromark magnetic jig. It was my first real tool, besides my x-acto knife and x-acto saw & miter box. I love it and it's worth the money if you're building anything furniture related, like others have said. I'd get that before any other miniature or kit. If you absolutely can't swing it, then the lego idea sounds good, too. I've heard others have success with this method.

We're snowbound today. We didn't get the five inches forcasted, but we got enough to cancel all the area schools and keep the salt trucks on the road. There is forcasted 1"-3" additional inches today. I'm not going anywhere for anything today. The one day I could sleep in and I've been up since early this morning. I might go and take a nap. The only other thing I have to do is cleaning, which needs desperately done, and putting away the Christmas tree, but a nap seems more important right now.

Our water froze up last week. Luckily, it warmed up, went to about 35F, and unfroze the next day so we keep it at a slow trickle. We haven't seem temperatures above freezing since. Well, tonight they're forcasting 3"-5" of snow tonight with 1"-3" more tomorrow. I've lost count of the amount of snow we've gotten this month. It's perpetually snowing it seems.

Okay, I'm going to get stoned for this, but I hope the temperature stays cold for a little bit longer. Why? I'm sick of Lake-Effect snow! Everyday it's the same forcast of a few inches overnight. We're stuck in the Groundhog Day cycle where everyday's forcast is the same exact as the day before. They keep giving reports on the news about how much more Lake Erie needs to freeze to stop the Lake-Effect snow. It took me 20 minutes to go to work this morning when usually it takes 5 minutes. And tomorrow they forcast more snow during the day.

My dad's girlfriend wants to get it. I'll borrow it when she does. I don't buy music often, but when I do I go obsessive and listen to just it repeatedly. I listened to the Alison Krauss/Robert Plant cd for a year before moving on to something else. I do listen to other things, but when I find something I love my repeat button gets worn out. My new obession is the Glee sountrack. I'm in total obessive love with this show. The soundtrack and DVD are the only things getting me through until it returns in April.

Okay, I woke up this morning and there was about 4-5 inches of new snow on the road. Normally, a few inches wouldn't be a huge problem, but it's so cold that nothing's melting. Add in the Southwestern PA hilly geography and you've got snow days. I was really shocked this morning when I woke up. I heard that schools were delaying, but it was for the wind chill. First day back to work after the New Year and I had to call off. What a way to begin the year.