Geek Family Christmas

I had a lovely Christmas with family this year, the biggest Christmas I've had in quite some time. southernselkie and her new husband hosted on Christmas Eve morning (which is what happens when there are two children with divorced parents). Our gathering included my sister and brother-in-law, his four year old daughter, his mother and stepmother, our mother and father, _storyteller_, his sister, two pugs and two cats. Quite a crowd -- and everyone got along great!

There was a brunch potluck, piles of presents, and lots of good cheer. Then the winds came up, and the guests all scattered.

Later that afternoon, _storyteller_, my daughter, his sister, and I played "Dread Pirate" (my daughter's gift to Storyteller) -- which I took great satisfaction in winning! -- and we stayed up until midnight to open our Christmas morning gifts.

One of my gifts to Storyteller was the Ghost in the Shell series "Stand Alone Complex." I had never seen any part of the series before, but was quickly hooked. We ended up watching the first 12 or 13 episodes on Christmas Day, while my daughter and his sister played "Zoo Tycoon 2: Marine Mania" which was probably my daughter's favorite gift.

Midway through the Ghost in the Shell episodes, we decided that we needed to get out of my dark basement and flickering screens and get some fresh air. The Daughter still had her upstairs Christmas Feast, so Storyteller and his sister and I went to Gasworks Park (where I felt the energy of the sundial for the first time), then found the Fremont Troll (which I had never seen before, despite living in Seattle for more than 15 years!), and then drove out to Golden Gardens.

I made waffles for dinner, then we watched more "Ghost in the Shell." A couple of hours later, our eyes were starting to cross, so we got out the game "Munchkin" (Storyteller's gift to my daughter) and played that. For those of you not familiar with roleplaying game culture, a "munchkin" is a player who tries to be as powerful as possible, without regard to game balance or the rules. "Munchkin" the game is silly fun, during which you are as likely to battle lawyers or mall rats (big rats carrying weapons) as dragons or trolls, and which curses can make you lose a level or put a chicken on your head. I had a lot of fun.

This morning I go back to work, but the celebration isn't over. Today is my dad's birthday, so we're all heading out to my parents' house this evening for dinner, dessert, and more presents. My daughter's birthday is Friday evening. And I don't have a birthday present for her yet, I just realized. . .

That's the quick update. There are refelctions as well, but they will have to wait until a little later.

Pump Pump Pump

The rains have returned, my drain is backed up. . . and while the pump is working, it seems to want to wait for more water to build up before it stays on for a while, compared to the first time I used it.

It didn't help that I had managed to loosen the hose last week, when I was going to put it away, and had to fight with it for several minutes tonight -- as the water continued to creep up toward my threshold -- before the seals were tight enough to allow a strong draw.

It seems to be working now, but I'm far from relaxed. Which upsets me.
I didn't want to have to worry about this ever, ever again.

The Ex, however, stays up much later than I do, and he has promised to keep an eye on things as long as he's up. If it keeps the water out for the next hour or so, it should be all right for the rest of the night.