Wow - dead in here today! I know Houston has no phonelines and stuff as I was talking to someone who had a daughter in Houston online earlier (StP - it might have been your mom ) but what's everyone else's excuse?!!?!

I'm trying to find some good halloween music and it is proving to be rather... interesting... so if anyone has any good ideas then...

Monster Mash.

I think I'm showing my age!

No you're not!! It was the first one I got cause it was the only one I knew!!!

I'm coming up with some randoms now like twilight zone and things like that - mixed in with some aptly titled songs... Bloc Party - Hunting For Witches for example I love that song!

If you can find it (Ebay perhaps?), the best spooky music soundtrack by far is Disney's Haunted Mansion soundtrack. Here's a random link. My parents bought this for a Halloween party when I was a kid, and it creeped me out for years. Try hitting some flea markets or old record shops and you're bound to find it. Finding a record player to play it on is an exercise left to the reader.

Haha!! Will defo have to look it up!! I have some really obscure things now, some good things, new things, old things, cheesy things... and I want to share but I can't because I want it to be a surprise!!

Plus right now only Gillian is coming to the party anyway so at this rate we'll be boogying around the living room together with Jeremy plying us with alcohol...

Actually - that sounds pretty good!!!

I might spam the guest and potentials with an e-mail asking for music requests as well

Well in that case count me in!



Ah, if only California weren't on the opposite coast....

So StP I hope you are not without power and the storm wasn't too bad in your area.

On our front, Scott got the job. He starts Monday. I'm really, really happy that we're both going to be working. This whole time so far has been not like normal life. I mean, don't get me wrong. It's been awesome to just hang out together! But I do believe part of adjusting is going to work and having your normal routine and I definitely want to get there. So this is great.

Oh and Aly, I think playing Thriller and the Rocky Horror soundtrack would both be fitting.

congratulations to scotts job!
our guests left early this morning. we had to take them to the airport at 4 am.
this was the most exhausting week EVER.
the one girl was the worst guest EVER.

man.....

missed you guys!

I'll make breakfast for eric now, he was awesome the whole week, even though he wanted to kill that one girl.

Agnes!!! At least you are free now and I am sure the stories will keep us entertained for weeks!!! Here's to freedom!! WOohoo!!

Jeremy is home poorly so I ought to go see if he is ok

Hugs to everyone!!!

...wondering about StP. I expect her power is out

I hope they're all ok.




Did I send my email? I get confoozled about these things.

It doesn't say that you have replied yet I am guessing you forgot - of course I never know if these things get sent to spam folders either!!!

I know that power/phone lines etc. were out in Houston when I spoke to someone online whose daughter was living there so I am guessing that StP is making good use of those candles and bug spray!!!

I hope she's ok! I guess they're either finding the bug spray survival kit amusing right now or StP is saying 'I told you we should have got timtams!' I hope power comes back soon.

I am confused about not replying. I really thought I had but it's possible I didn't. Anyway I'll resolve it right away!

I was talking to a friend of mine from the UK who refers to me as 'the yorkie' since he is 'the jock'. Anyway, after he greeted me he said 'it's not for girls!' and now all I can think about is Yorkie bars and I'm practically salivating at the thought of one. I miss british choccie

Awwww - yorkies are sooo good as well - Trader Joes does pound bars of Belgian milk choc for $3.49 and it is soooo good

If it is any help, I can't even see that I sent you an invite... Lemme try sending it to you again - how very weird! Might explain why if you replied that it isn't showing!!

Ok so I can't even find your e-mail address!!

I was going to say "Houston, we have a problem" but thought it wouldn't be appropriate

Oh! And we bought some of the decorations and things today so it's all good!!! Am really excited now and want to decorate the house already but figured people might think I'm a bit weird!

So I thought I´d survive the drive to Palm Springs but Scott said it might take much longer cuz the highways we have to use are usually busy so might be about a 7 hour drive....dunno about that Would have to keep stopping and walking so then could take even longer than that.

I think STP is definately without power. At least from what I saw on the news the area got hit pretty badly although it´s not as bad as other areas. We just have to keep waiting and praying.

I've been thinking about StP all weekend! I do hope her experience with Hurrican Ike is limited to power outage and no real damage. It looks like it hit Houston harder that anticipated, so I am worried for her and Dave. I'm just saying some prayers for them and look forward to hearing from her. Sooner rather than later, thankyouverymuch!

Hi All, I can't help to put your fears at ease about StP, but my husbands grandmother is living in Houston, and though they have lost power, everthing else is fine. I hope the it's the same for StP

I'm pretty certain it's all ok there considering the situation - she said she was on the west side of Houston which wasn't meant to be hit so hard so I am guessing it is just power but yeah - I hope damage is minimal as well. What a lot to deal with just after moving - and just after getting all her things as well I hope everything is ok

Aww Marta - I really really hope you can make it but I understand if you can't - I am guessing it would be even less likely that you make it for New Years Eve as well!!! But we will have another party after you have the baby then you can bring him along so we can all meet him as well Yippee!!!

Woohoo!! Babbles is coming to the party!!!! Yippee!!!

hello all; I'm alive, and still have all of my limbs
and most of my sanity

thank you so much for everyone's well wishes and thoughts... you were correct; while quite bad enough for a hurricane n00b like myself - the house shaking and the huge amounts of noise going on for hours and HOURS while everything in sight gets ripped apart before your eyes is not the funnest thing ever - we really got off quite lightly... our damage was:

- two fences down in the backyard (but only a few panels thereof, unlike the guy next door who lost most of his on all three sides and just had two little corners left )
- LOADS of branches down from trees - we may lose one backyard tree which I love, so that's sad, but we'll see if we can save it ...and two huge dead branches came down off the half-dead tree in the front yard - Dave and I cut off two other dead branches on Friday afternoon, just before the storm hit, and I'm SO glad we did - but they fell toward the driveway, and not the house
we got that tree cut down yesterday, for $125; we were going to have it cut down anyway, and quotes I got about a month ago were for $350, so we got a hurricane discount
- a shutter down off the front window (amazingly, it didn't break anything on its way down )
- water forced in under the front door between the slab and the flooring, which is swelling up all the laminate - it was new only a year ago, and will probably be wrecked, so that's a shame, but could be worse
- same water got as far as the carpet in the lounge room, which is starting to smell a bit, but we're airing the room as much as we can, so may be able to save it
- water forced OVER the windows in the lounge room, but clever me inspected in time and put cloths on all the sills so no water got onto the carpets
- 10 or so shingles blown off the roof
- a VERY VERY scared little birdie (who flapped and fluttered and hung up in the top of his cage for hours, while the storm was going on; I could see his little heart beating and was scared he'd die of fright... but we brought him down and hung him in his place as soon as the worst of the winds were past, and he was back to normal and playing with his toys again in less than half an hour little bugger )

we were without power for around two days, which doesn't sound like a lot (and isn't, compared to what some people on the coast are facing) but Saturday and Saturday night were really hot and humid, and it was pretty nasty in the house... plus I was worried about losing all the stuff from the fridge and freezer (though in the end we took it round to a friend's so it's all fine ), and without internet until this morning... and now I'm catching up with the dozens of emails asking how we are
which is very lovely
and ironically, now that we have power, and we so desperately wanted the aircon on on Saturday, we have had it off all day, and the windows open, because it's been cool and lovely and I think autumn might be here at last

anyway, that's my little bit of news! I took some photos and will post them some time, but Dave took my camera to his parents' to take photos of their broken window for the landlord, so I can't get to them right now

thanks again for everyone's care and concern; you're all lovely

Welcome back sis, glad all is well!

Yay! I am soooo happy you are all OK. Given the pics on TV, I was quite worried for you! I'm glad the damage isn't too bad.

Thank you for remembering that your VJ family was worried about you and for giving us such a detailed update.

Good luck with the clean-up!

Glad to hear you're ok Stp.

Glad you ok stp. The pics I have been seeing look awful.

I had the fright of my life earlier today when I heard the tornado sirens go off then my mother in law pointed out that the twice a month testing (1pm on the 1st and 15th) started up again today for the fall tornado season.

Thanks for the update StP, I must admit, despite the timtam jokes, I was worried about you. So, I am really glad all was ok, apart from the damage to your house

I can't wait until Autumn sets in either. The leaves are turning here, but it is still very hot.

Yay!! StP is alive and so is the birdie!! I am sooooo happy!! Yippee!!!

Sounds like you got away quite lightly which is great! Obviously not everything is intact but like you say, it could be a lot worse. I heard some estimates that certain places would be without power for weeks...

As for autumn... ohh that would be lovely - it is cooling off here a bit now and most days it doesn't even hit 100f so that is a slight improvement... Can't comment on the trees changing colour though... I think Palm trees only come in green

it's lovely here. Temp is perfect (around 80-85F). Humidity has subsided. Trees look great. AHHHH BLISS!!!!

And here in Buffalo the leaves are already starting to fly! Its been lovely, high 60s in the day and low 50s at night. I can sleep again! I couldn't live somewhere that didn't have a "real" autumn.

On an unrelated note, my wonderful husband sent me a beautiful bouquet of flowers today to recognize that it was 4 years ago today that we met.

Aww julez that is really sweet I am jealous of everyone having the turning leaves now... it's still distinctly summer here until the end of the month and if palm leaves start flying around I would start to get worried cause they are kinda big

I have my biometrics today and I am really excited - I just looked up Bath and Bodyworks in Riverside because I got a voucher for there and looked up directions to the USCIS and it is right around the corner. Bath and Bodyworks is in a gigantic mall with loads of stores and restaurants so we are going to use a little money from our savings and make a day of it - Sanrio and Hot Topic here I come!!

I would say good luck with biometrics but it's not really something you need luck with. Enjoy your day out Aly.

Have fun at the biometrics, Aly!! The good news is that they usually only take a few minutes, so that will leave you with plenty of time to go shopping!! I love Bath & Body, but am still miffed that the only way I can get my favorite fragrance (White Tea & Ginger) is online. I hate paying for shipping!

Hahah - I'll try to make sure my fingerprints match the previous 25 prints they have taken from me


Yuck - that really sucks but works both ways though - There are some cool things in Ikea that we can only get by going to a store and the nearest one is out by LA

Just have to hope the queue isn't too long - maybe we'll try going in earlier than the appointment time which is 2pm...

How's our resident English Muffin? I see you lurking!!

Rae, how did Scott like his first day of work?

Awww, Julez, how sweet of Griff.

I love fall too. It was almost 90 here on Sunday but today woke up to 63 degrees. I love it. I can't wait till the leaves start to change color here. I want to go apple picking with Scott. We did it once on our anniversary and it was lovely.

It went great! He found out they're going to put him on full time, with benefits, so I am super super happy. I currently pay over $600/mo for our health insurance b/c I'm self-employed which just BLOWS! So that is an obvious plus. But I hope & think he's going to really like it there. Plus he gets a 50% discount so I'm gonna get some Patagonia gear this year.

Of course, commuting is another thing. This morning we rode the subway in together and there was the normal rush-hour traffic, but then a whole classful of screaming kids going on a field trip decided our car was the one to ride in.

Course, the whole idea that we can commute in together is novelty right now.

Wow, rae, that is so great! He really found himself a good gig! And something that he likes, too, which makes it all even better!!

Re: commuting together. We only have one car right now so Griff drives me to work fairly often, though not as much since we moved out in to suburbia. I love when he does drive me to work, though. Its nice to have some alone time just chatting about whatever. Not a problem for you guys since you don't have kids, but its nice all the same!

I have become a bit of a lurker of late, too much stress in my life!!

I have the movers coming on Thursday to take all my stuff to Charlotte so I'm busy sorting everything out. I don't leave until Saturday and it's going to be a bit weird in the house for a couple of days. I'll have a bed, a radio, my laptop and that's about it - no couch or TV!

I will have my internet connection though so that is ok and Scott will be keeping me company after work - he's bringing Scrabble with him.

I could have left Thursday or Friday but I think I'd rather drive that kind of distance at the weekend when the roads are quieter. I didn't fancy hitting NYC at rush hour on a Friday.

That's all my news for now.

how did you manage to give twenty-FIVE? did you just do one hand once?

Agnes, I'm waiting to hear stories about the guests from hell! c'mon, you know they don't come in here, so you can let rip

Aw, Gillian, *hugs* Thanks for the update! I hope it all goes well with the move and the drive. You'll have to find w wifi connection along the way and post here with your progress!

Good point StP about Aly's fingerprints! That is a conundrum!!

I don't do long drives so I'm staying overnight in hotels in PA and VA and I made sure that my hotels had internet connections.

I will keep you all updated on my travels.

Does Griff have a job now too? I don´t remember reading anything about that

Glad you are ok STP

Out of a sudden it´s pretty cold and rainy here...hope it clears out soon cuz the weather before was really lovely and that´s what we would prefer for the wedding next week Leaves are still green but the leaves in vineyards are slowly starting to turn yellow and other nice colours

Congratulations on your anniversary Julez!!

Gillian, I look forward to reading about your adventures in NC. I'm sure there are mixed feelings right now but I'm also sure you'll find happiness along the way

Thanks Babbles (sorry, but you'll always be Babbles to me).

No, at the moment Griff is still enjoying his retirement, although its definitely wearing thin. He would like to get some sort of job, just so he could meet other people. I mean, I'm great and all, but he needs other people too!



Thanks babbles! You'll always be babbles to me too!

*rolls eyes @ Gillian and Julez*

It's ok, I don't mind. I just fancied a change plus I was really suffering from the heat here that day.

Well at least you have company in the evening - I am glad you and Scott are getting on well again


Nope! Each hand once - I have 7 fingers on one hand and 18 on the other

And I wanna hear about the guests from hell as well

We just got a baby rescue kitten - a little tom who is three months old and adorable. Daisy is now very p*ssed off at me and has gone out again even though she was out all day and I feel terrible. I hope she is ok

Yeah, it really is awesome. Before he came here I think one of the biggest worries was what he was going to do for work. Understandably, he didn't want to end up at a place he wasn't going to enjoy. So this is really great.

I'm sure the no-kids commute is nice. I wouldn't have thought of it that way, not having any!


awwwww, I want to see pictures of the kitten!!! Daisy will get over it.

Hi guys!!

Gillian, it sounds much more positive between Scott and you!!!

STP: Glad you made it safely through the hurricane!!!

@ Jeremy: I AM SO JEALOUS!!!! i would LOVE to have a kitten.......
it took me forever to give them my fingerprints, I somehow couldn't relax my fingers an roll them accordingly..

about the guests......
well, they went through 2 rolls of toiletpaper a day, ate nothing but lettuce, drank 12 cups of coffee a day, were too weak to do sightseeing because they didn't eat. they spent 4h in the bathroom each day.
Saturday we went sightseeing with the girl i grew up with, and that was really nice. the other girl had to stay at home because she was too weak. they didn't really look at anything but shoppingmalls. ohwell, there isn't much out here anyway

I'll try and get some piccies tomorrow - Daisy has come back in and tried to attack the bathroom door after miaowing at it but she came and sat on the laptop for a bit with her tail flicking before sitting next to the back of the sofa and then wanting to go out again. We have to leave the kitten in the bathroom for a few days so he establishes his territory there and make sure that we spend time with him when Daisy isn't around so she doesn't get jealous. Then we have to gradually introduce each to the other's scent before leaving the door open and letting them explore each other. Apparently it is normal for there to be a little animosity at first I just feel a bit mean taking the kitty away from his little brothers and sisters and locking him away in a bathroom. He has a litter tray, food, water, toys and a cushion along with a damp towel as there is no air con in there.

Of course, once the pics are up we will welcome name suggestions Agnes - you can meet him if you come to the Halloween party but if you can't make that then maybe you can make it to the New Year's Eve one

Haha why do they only eat lettuce? They come from a farm where they havent been introduced to other food?

Aly, I think you are very kind I think I´d introduce them the first day and see what happens

Yeah Babbles will always be Babbles

Marta - they kinda did - you can read the fiasco so far in the UK off topic thread - Daisy is still grumpy and the little guy is still not happy being in the bathroom but I don't want to let him run rampage all over the house yet. And he peed on the bathroom mat

I think I need to go take a shower and give him some company while Daisy is out, poor thing