Irritated, Confused...
Okay...
First, I would like to say that I am irritated beyond belief with these websites that somehow figure out how to get comments onto my website. Online Texas Holdem? Online Casino? Grr!!! Agh!! Not only that, but they've started putting "viable" comments. And today, I found one that was sexist! And I have no one to STRANGLE!!! So not fair. So, needless to say, I'm irritated.
But I also told you I was confused. Let me explain. Or maybe I should wait until a later blog and explain why I've been silent for a while?
See. I'm confused.
Anyway. The beginning. Mark's father had a heart attack recently, so we went home. We were there for two weeks, and it was a really wonderful visit. Fortunately, Mark's father is doing very well. They were able to remove the blockages, he has no paralysis, and had no open heart surgery. All good. As many of our relatives are still in Ohio, we were able to see a good number of them. Basically, all except my siblings. Even Mendon, the only one still residing in Ohio. [okay, that sounds like we saw Mendon, but we didn't] Sorry, dude. Other than that, it was a really good visit. We got to see almost all of our nieces and nephews (so cute!!!). One of the girls, when she saw me, came running out of her house saying "Aunt Mara!" Well melt my heart! We also spent a few days visiting friends who live near relatives, and that was awesome, too.
So, we were there for two weeks. Well, see, we were planning on taking a vacation in November. Visit everyone, see people at Thanksgiving.... Now, keep in mind, these past two weeks do not count as our vacation [major perk of working here!!] And actually, because of several sources of financial assistance, the cost of the trip was relatively little. So, in essence, we can afford to return.
But we were only planning on taking one return visit to the States before we return permanently in the spring of 2006. And, now, to return 2 months after we were last there seems a bit silly. Wouldn't it make more sense to go back sometime next year - say August of next year? Then people could feel like they were actually getting to see us on a fairly regular basis. [add to this that my parents are visiting in January...]
On the other hand, people were really looking forward to our visit.
Would it be wrong for us to still take a vacation in November, but to, oh I don't know, Spain, instead? Or China? Or Kenya?
Now that that's out there, I'll post some of the pictures of our visit to Ohio soon.
Comments
Yeah, well, . . .I guess so.
Seriously, Go, Have Fun! (China?)
I can't wait until I come. Daddy is making noises like he might be coming after all. I still need to renew my passport. I have to enter it in my Palm so I don't forget.
Posted by: Maman | September 15, 2004 10:24 PM
I'm tired, I'm exhausted. I have a paper to write and I don't feel remotely motivated. Mara, I wish I could say that I'd be happy for you to go to China or something like that but, well, if you read my last blog you'd call me a big fat liar and you'd be right. so, all that i can do is offer that you might want to not ask anyone. I'd love to see you and, as of now, have no idea how I'm going to get to Haifa or when I'll see you next when I figure this out I'll let you know.
I love you.
Posted by: Mendon | September 16, 2004 03:31 AM
I'm not about to comment on the decision that you've in front of you... but, if you come back in August, I'd advise that you come Before Mendon leaves for school unless you want to return to the states for a second cardiac emergency... (his).
Posted by: Kristen | September 16, 2004 08:08 PM
PHBBBBTTTTTTT! :p'
Posted by: Mendon | September 16, 2004 08:22 PM
hmm....Next August I will be busy being a new teacher(hopefully). I think Thanksgiving is the best time to come, or xmas time, regardless of what year(2004 or 2005...or 2006...is that really when you're coming home! yikes...that is like still two years from now!)
Posted by: Rae | September 17, 2004 04:53 AM
Rae, think Jan-March 2006. Not December 2006!! :-)
And thank you, Kristen, I'll keep that in mind! :-)
Posted by: Mara | September 17, 2004 09:26 AM
Ya know, Mara, I share your frustration! (When Mara and Mark were home, Mara showed me how to go to the parent somethingoranother and check for new entries.) Now that is the most efficient way to look for new comments and good things from you all. Only the date will be updated and there will be NOTHING there! Very disappointing. I suspect, no, hope, that Nathan will be able to but some sort of a block or filter up to keep those incidious creeps out of our blog! Once he resurfaces. Anyone heard from him lately? (Nae, I miss you.)
Posted by: Maman | September 17, 2004 04:52 PM
whoa, there's a parent directory? why didn't i know about this? someone tell me how to get to it and how to post danio's blog as a permanent link on my site
Posted by: Mendon | September 17, 2004 08:41 PM
Parent directory:
http://www.dornbrook.com/Blogs/
Don't know about putting links on. Danio has a blog?
Posted by: Maman | September 17, 2004 09:58 PM
Hi, guys. Been struggling lately. Not doing so well on my own. Sorry I've been away for so long.
You can post links on your blog by first allowing HTML in your posts (and comments) on your blog. This is done in the weblog configuration page.
Then, use the HTML HREF tag to create the link; Google has a number of HTML primers and a search on HTML and HREF will pop up five or six useful sites.
Posted by: Nathan Dornbrook | September 18, 2004 04:44 AM
Okay, the Texas Holdem/Online Poker bastard is banned from the blogs.
There was a different guy who was about to start harassing Rachael and he's banned, too.
If someone is spamming your site, let me know and I'll ban them. I expect to see a lot more of this type of activity over the coming months. It's automated engines that find and post to blogs repeatedly to raise the Google rank of their website.
I'm thinking about ways to mitigate this type of irritating behaviour, with an eye towards avoiding cumbersome technical controls.
Posted by: Nathan Dornbrook | September 18, 2004 02:16 PM
Yea! Go, Nae! You rock. I love you. It is good to hear your voice back on our blog-system. I send my love. I made an awesome (at least I think so) lentil veggie curry stew. Crockpot. I do like the crockpot, but it does take a bit of time to prepare all the ingredients. But it was yummy. I thought of you. All of you. And how much Daddy and I have changed our diet since you all lived here. Considering what we eat now, we might live forever!
Posted by: Maman | September 19, 2004 03:04 AM
My mother said "You rock." She's so cool.
[by the way, that's sincerity, not sarcarsm]
Posted by: Mara | September 19, 2004 10:14 AM
I thought it was maybe Rae, pretending to be Maman, the same way that she used to pretend to be Papa. "Open up. This is Daddy." She said this outside my door in the deepest voice she could - but she was eight years old, so it wasn't very convincing!
I can't remember what it was about, but I do remember I let her in, because it was so funny that we just started laughing and then we were both laughing and then it was just better to be laughing together at the same thing in the same place.
Posted by: Nathan Dornbrook | September 19, 2004 05:59 PM
Sorry, Nae, that was me, and I was about 5. You and Mommy were having a private talk, and I wanted in, so in my best, deepest 5-year old voice, I said "Open up. This is Daddy."
Posted by: Mara | September 19, 2004 06:32 PM
Dear Nae,
We have to talk about curry. Remember how your condo reeeeked of curry for months after you bought it? Well, likewise my house reeeks of curry. And I only used it once! I really like the dish I made, but I'm not quite as thrilled about coming home to the smell of curry every day. I know it has only been 48 hours, but if fish or broccoli odors lasted that long, well, we would be calling fumigators or buying one of those smelly plug-in fan thingies. And it isn't in the duct work either, just the air! And the windows are open! Help!
Posted by: Nannie | September 21, 2004 05:03 AM