Emily
12/31/05
Sounds like everyone has been having a good break, but I agree it always goes by way too fast!
Does anyone have any fun New Year's Eve plans for tonight? We are just doing the usual. We got a bunch of movies a few days ago and will be getting the food going soon. Mom, Dad, and I now have all had pretty nasty colds, so we haven't been doing too much.
Erika and I were wondering if anything had been done concerning next year's Christmas list. I know its early, but we were thinking it was usually decided by now in the past. Erika and I would love to put it together this year if no one else is willing.
Hope everyone has a happy new year!!

I haven't heard anything about a 2006 Christmas list yet. Why don't you and Erika go ahead and put one together? As soon as you have it finished, send it to me and I'll post it. Only 359 days til Christmas! :-) --Gary

The movie was great! After you guys picked up Tristen and Teghan at the theater, Livy and I went to 1) Petco, 2) Best Buy, and 3) Barnes and Noble. Then to Grandma's where (after Lindsey arrived a few minutes later) we watched the 4th quarter of last night's game (which we had Tivo'd). Wow! It was amazing all over again. Fun day! :-) Oh yeah, King Kong on Sunday sounds good. At the Grand the showtimes are 12:05 and 1:15. --Gary

I'll be there! --Gary

Feel better, everybody! --Gary

I wanted you to know that the packages have arrived and in perfect condition. Wow the generosity is overwhelming it was just wonderful Thank You! I will email some pictures soon with us by some of the goodies. We will all be busy answering these wonderful letters and sending thank you notes. Words cant describe what you all have done, but I can tell you this you put some big smiles on plenty of folks faces. Thank You and Merry Christmas to everyone and God Bless Dan

Merry Christmas, ho ho ho! Just like Rudolph. Umm. Clowns that hurt their selves & bite. Ummm. Trees don't fight & trees like kids, people, dads & the computer food. And trees like kids, moms, dads, people and trash cans, yup. Daddy has a saxophone in the umm... what is this called again? Mom? A case for saxophone stuff for my dad when he was born. Umm.... People click food, yeah that's funny. And people click CD's. Zoe just click her kitty litter. And zoe clicked her tail. Umm... You just clicked your coffee. Umm... Charlie Browns Christmas cookies. We will see you on your birthday, think they will have corn again? --Love, Tristen Bailey Metcalf

Aarrgggh, you guys! Donna said the same thing. If it's all about endings, I'll save you some time today: In "The Ringer," Johnny Knoxville not only learns that Special Olympians are special people -- he learns a little something about himself, too. There ya go! Also, I can save you two possible trips: In San Francisco, there's this big bridge; and in Rome, there's this big Colosseum-dealie. :-) --Gary

And speaking of which: Karen, Emily, and Erika -- how did you like King Kong??

Sounds like you are having a fun day in Sioux City. Nice day here too.

Karen, Emily, and Erika: The Ringer does sound like a funny movie, but it will look just as good on DVD. Since you're going to the big screen, you should see a big-screen movie -- by which I mean King Kong! You'll thank me! :-) It's at the Promenade Cinema 14 on Fourth Street (between Jennings and Virginia), showtimes at 1:00, 2:00, 3:15, 4:30, 6:45, 7:30, 8:00, and 9:45.

Hey Karen, who was the woman that used to come to our grade school Christmas pageants with her hair in a beehive (Marge Simpson style) and decorated with Christmas balls? Do you remember that? I don't know what got me thinking about that this morning. We sure weren't concerned about being politically correct then. We only sang Christmas songs and it was always a Christmas pageant never a winter festival.

Marsha, do you remember that Santa alligator ornament you gave me last year? I have it sitting on a shelf next to a miniature Christmas tree. It looks so cute. It's one of my favorite Christmas decorations.

How are Erika and Brent feeling?

It's a painting by Grandma Moses called "Christmas Eve," so you may have seen it elsewhere before. She's one of my favorite artists. --Gary

Feel better, Erika! --Gary

Oh, and Karen's-- expect a box from UPS on Tuesday. I shipped it on Thursday and just tracked it so it's on its way.

Karen, you should also be getting a box from Lincoln on Tuesday, and the Hatgidakis household can expect one on Wednesday. --Gary

This week seems like it's taking forever! I'm looking forward to getting my driver's license Thursday and then the next day we head to Texas! Can't wait to see you guys!

Amanda, that job sounded perfect, too bad you didn't get it. But it wasn't meant to be. Just means there's something better (in Lincoln) out there.

So does that make you lean more toward coming up for Christmas? ;-)
I hate to send your presents with Paul's this weekend if you'll be here.

I'd say you had a really great year. Any year that includes a trip to London has to be exceptional.

Steve got his staples out Friday. He goes Thursday to his oncologist & could get chemo started very quickly. I got another job denial. One that I wanted, too. I found out yesterday I did not get a position with the Attorney General's office. I am officially frustrated. I can't wait for 2005 to be over. I want to say it was a sucky year, BUT I did go to LONDON & I did graduate! So, what the heck!

Yay, Tristen!! --Gary

I just checked that site, I really like my picture--much better than the original.

Don't think so. I ran across it myself just the other day. --Gary

For those who haven't seen it, it's today's cool site. Very handy. --Gary

Karen and Erika, thanks for mentioning the advent calendar. I had fun putting it together. I wanted to do a "Christmas in America" thing, so that's what ties them all together. What interested me most was the historical menus and historical recipes, which means you'll be seeing several of those. Wait til you see the huge spread George and Martha served for Christmas at Mount Vernon; I hope they had lots of guests and that it wasn't just the two of them....

They say we only got an inch but it's got to be closer to 4 inches. I haven't been feeling well so I decided to drive rather than take the bus in case I couldn't handle a full day. I kept hearing how bad the roads were but I thought how bad could they be? I even left later to let the traffic die down and let the roads clear. I didn't have any trouble to speak of--the roads weren't too bad, but there were so many accidents along the sides of the interstate I lost count.
It took an hour and a half to get here and they just sent out an email saying the buses will be leaving early. Dang it.

Amanda, how is Tristen feeling? Does she have strep?

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Hey, a few days ago on this page Donna referred to some new pictures of Tristen and Teghan. The pics are on the Metcalf "Picture Trail" page, and the email that Amanda sent did not show up in my email at home (where I was Monday and Tuesday -- vacation days), but did show up in my email here at work. Weird. Meaning I didn't know what she was referring to then, but do now. For anyone else who missed the link, here it is.

Remember Pearl Harbor!

Well, the Metcalfs did their good deed for this Christmas holiday & I gotta tell you, it feels great. I spearheaded the project of "Girl Scout Troops Support the Troops" here in Iowa Park. I instructed the other troops on what to collect & how & what to make & when to deliver it to me, etc. Then last night we packaged it up & it headed out in the mail today. We sent out 3 18x18x18 boxes full of food, candy, games, cd's, holiday decorations, pen pal letters, Girl Scout signed & laminated Happy Holidays banner, pens, pencils, paper & folders (school supplies are for the Bedouin Iraqi children who don't have a lot) and lots of other stuff! Our troops spent $50 on shipping and a local business owner footed the rest of the bill. I'm not sure how much it was, or the weight of the boxes, but I hope to find out. I also don't know if it will make it to Iraq in one peice, or by Christmas, but we sure hope so! The boxes seemed so flimsy as I was saying good-bye to them. I wished then that I would have done more to ensure their safe delivery. I can just see one ripping in half somehow & falling off the barge (which is how we expect they are shipped). Anyhow, it is truly the most altruistic thing I have ever done. Thanks to everyone who made a contribution!!!!

Glad to hear Steve is doing well.

Karen, how is Brent?

Tristen is home sick today. Sore throat. She is asleep in bed.

We got all our Christmas stuff up this weekend. I need to wrap some presents so they can get out of my closets. We have NO storage space here, so they get piled into already full closets. Since I'd like to reach my shoes eventually I need to get them out of there!

Yeah, the Living Room Cam is alive now and then. Once I saw some people in the next room, and another time the whole camera angle had shifted to show a blazing fireplace and someone in an easy chair with a drink. Feel better, Tristen! --Gary

Are you sure your dad has opposable thumbs?? I don't think he does. And hey, congratulations on the origami beagle! That's hard to do! --Gary

Glad you're all back safe and sound. Now take it easy and enjoy the snow! :-) --Gary

We ended up getting about another 4 inches of snow. Emily and Erika would have had to shovel, dig out the truck and drive on icy roads to get to school. So I called them in sick again. Just back from their schools with homework. When I got Emily's the lady said "boy, I never saw anybody get this much before." So they are both working hard to catch up. I will stay home tomorrow and rest up. We will all go back on Saturday, and stay in a hotel until Brent is ready to come home. Hope that catches everyone up on our lives, I am tired! Going to Wendys for supper, the kids have homework and I will go to bed early!!!

Yay, another snow day (or just as good as)! --Gary