Sesame Ringtones

OK. I don't have a cell phone. Even if I did, I have to admit that the idea of paying for ringtones seems like a pointless splurge. However, I just found Sesame Street ringtones on the Sesame Workshop site, and I have to say, if I had a cell phone, I'd be mighty tempted.

For $2, you can download an array of wallpaper, with some nice options for Sesame Geeks, including Aliens Discovering the Telephone. As for ringtones ($2-$2.50), you can buy favorites like Ladybugs' Picnic, Pinball Count, or Doin' the Pigeon. What a pity Telephone Rock isn't avaiable! . . . or the Aliens Discovering the Telephone, for that matter.

Hope you don't mind me pasing this along. I find it quite funny.

Saying goodbye (again)

This is it. Really, honestly, and truly. This is my last week with Olivia. Her parents have found a house, they have jobs, and they're looking for pre-school for Olivia in Edinburgh, Scottland. They have a house just down the street from Edinburgh Castle. Olivia can't wait to meet the princess there. (I'm afraid she might be disappointed when she arrives at the ticket office.) The movers come next Monday. They leave Tuesday. No backing out this time.

Unlike last spring, Olivia understands what is about to happen this time. She knows she's going far away, and she knows I'm not coming. She's nervous about the move. She's nervous about school. I don't blame her, but I know she'll be fine. Both her parents and myself have talked her through the whole process. She knows what's going on.

I've told her that I'm moving, too, and she's very happy to hear that when I do, I'll be close to my mom and dad, and I'll get my cat back. She just made me a spiffy painting of John, myself, and Hunny, which is supposed to be outside our new house. John's wearing purple. I'm wearing a red dress. That might not seem like a big deal, but only princes get purple clothes in Olivia's drawings, and only Olivia and princesses get red dresses. She made sure to tell me that the color was important. In a odd-ball way, the painting is a real honor.

Anyway, our last day together is Monday. Next Thursday I have guests coming from England, the daughter of an old co-worker and one of her friends. They'll be crashing here for a few days, which will be a nice diversion. Then I'm on my own again. I have plenty to do. I need to start looking for an apartment in Rochester, find a moving company for our stuff, and figure out how to transfer our bank accounts. I also have a few more trips to plan. We want to go to Barcelona and Paris, and possibly one or two more short trips. One will be to Edinburgh. We've already been invited for a long weekend. Olivia has already announced we can have her room.

Howdy Howdy

Can you hear the crickets? It's been so quiet.

Maybe everyone's asleep. I'll type softly.


Hope you all are well.

All Recipes

I was wondering if you guys know about allrecipes.com. I've been using it for awhile now to find new stuff, and I love it. Whenever I get into a rut, or want to make something I don't have a recipe for, I just bop over and click away. It great fun.

A little Danish trivia for you guys: We have popcorn and peanut butter over here. One can even get Betty Crocker cake mixes, if one knows where to look and is willing to pay $4. What we don't have is unsweetened baking cocoa squares (I've found a work around for that), condensed milk (although I've heard you can buy it at a bazaar outside of town where the immigrants shop- I haven't found it), chocolate chips (Thanks, Heather for the HUGE supply awhile back! Now I use smashed cocolate bars, and it's so yummy! ), and pretzels (besides the sticks)

. . . oh, yes, and condensed cream of mushroom soup. . . .one more: Jello! There is absolutely NO Jello in Denmark, which I find hysterical. (I brought some home from Christmas, and I'm trying to decide who to freak out with this not-quite-real-food -product. It's funny what can freak people out.)

I find those odd things not to have, but that's the way it goes. We do quite well without.

I was in a Tops market over Christmas, and it was like entering a dream: I was drooling over the veggies! The fruit even smelled like fruit! I was running around like a nit-wit . . . there were so many things for under $5! If I'd gone to Wegman's I might have passed out.

I've been thinking lately that the prices I remembered were figments of my imagination. I have a new appreciation for the awe the refugees used to feel when I took them grocery shopping for the first time. It took me two hours to food shop yesterday, and the stores were out of several things, so I need to go out again today, to a store farther away. I can't imagine how anyone manages here with kids.

Rose Bowl

UT Tower #1 18
Originally uploaded by mgenovese.

I went out the night after UT beat USC in the Rose Bowl to take some pictures on campus since the tower was being lit. Turns out me and about half of Austin had the same idea; there was no shortage of cameras or flashbulbs that night.

Anyway, here's a couple pictures I took. Austin is just starting to settle down from winning the game. Football is big down here (if you ever watched King of the Hill, you'd understand.) So, it's a big deal to win the National Championship. And even though I'm not a huge sports fan, I have to admit the game was a nail-biter all the way 'til the very end.

It's (almost) Official

Howdy! John just got an offer for a two-year post-doc at the U of R, starting next August. Unless something else spectacular materializes, it looks like we're coming back to Rochester.

I am mostly excited. It will be good to back in familiar territory. It will also be much easier for us to move our things to Buffalo than elsewhere. Post-docs don't get moving costs. The pay will get us farther in Rochester than in other cities, too. Post-docs don't get paid that well, considering their education. All in all, Rochester makes a lot of sence.

And it doesn't hurt that we'll have friends there!

Three Kings (aka Lucas, Connor & Aidan)

Christmas in the Wilber household this year was nothing less than chaotic. Thankfully I had physically recovered enough to be up and around and out and about for the holidays. Christmas morning was a lot of fun. I've always loved Christmas morning, especially as a kid, but I think I enjoy Christmas more as a mom! The boys were both wonderfully excited as they opened their gifts which made us wonderfully excited as well. Connor especially enjoyed the paper tearing - regardless of the name on the gift tag. The boy's big gift this year was a "jumping thing" which may be more of a present to me during the depths of the Rochester winter. (You can check out this "jumping thing" here) Anyway, after our own Christmas we headed to Buffalo to my parent's house for the big family gathering. By the end of the day the boys were both tired of opening presents from my parents and left the last couple to us. Of course the full sized air hockey table they received from my brother and sister was a bit more appealing at that point. I believe my sister was quoted as saying "any home with 3 boys needs an air hockey table." Good thing we created a playroom in the basement. Good thing my dad has a pickup truck that could transport it! My brother and dad even build new, smaller legs for it so it is the perfect height for the boys. Matt took the week between Christmas and New Years off which was really nice. We didn't do a whole lot but it was definately nice to have the extra help around. Aidan is back to his 3 hour feeding schedule. He had a growth spurt last week and wanted to eat every 2 hours so we began to supplement with formula. (I can only take so much) Well the house is finally quiet now; even daddy is asleep on the couch. Aidan will be ready to eat soon and then I'll head to bed for a couple hours of sleep before we do it all again. Here's wishing you all a peaceful and complete night sleep!

Stranger on Hunny House

HI! First off, sorry we missed everyone in Rochester. There just wasn't time. I was thinking about you all as we blasted by on the thruway. (Also, I waved to Nate and Karen when we flew over Portland. Didja see me?)

Also, for Matt G, our airport transfer on the way to the States went really smoothly. No adventures at all. However, on the way home our flight left Syracuse late, and John and I were left running to the gate in Logan (Boston). It was really close- they actually re-opened the gate to get us in. We ran to security stripping off jackets, sweaters, backpacks, belts and shoes. I'm surprised that didn't worry security enough to yank us out of line. I actually ran from security to the boarding gate holding everything and running in my un-laced boots (darn lace-ups). (Usually I don't wear anything that triggers the metal detectors when I fly, but I needed my winter boots, and the only belt I brought had a metal buckle.)

My reason for posting is in regard to the photo cube. Has anyone let someone new in? Or is this person linked to someone's Fliker account? I don't mind if anyone did, I just want to know. There are odd photos popping up in our cube, and I wanted to check before I try to "fix" the scripting.

New Years Day in Austin

New Years Day 16
Originally uploaded by mgenovese.

Just posted some pics of our New Years Day at the park not too far from our house. It was low-key and laid back, which is just how I like my New Years porridge.

Hope you all are doing well.