The Town Square II

[Lady Arwen]

I'm glad you were finally able to have Christmas together, Gazer. It sounds like this winter has, so far, been a long one for you all.

BBQ sounds really good, ram. That's one thing that Europe doesn't excel at--weirdly enough, the best BBQ sauce comes from the dominoes-esque pizza place (which also has the best sweet-and-sour sauce). I quit following football quite a while ago, except for Gaelic Football, which I had been mildly interested in, until I learned how to play it, and became quickly convinced that it was the sport I always wanted to play as a child, but was never able to. I usually wait for the Superbowl ads to filter on to Facebook, and then watch from there. I also just realized that my birthday falls on Superbowl Sunday again this year. Bother. Then again, I'd kind of forgotten about my birthday until I just looked up the date for the Superbowl.

There is a conference at my church this week, as well as rush for my fraternity. I'm hoping I can pick up a little during rush (rush is when prospective new members get to check out the fraternity, and current members can decide if they want to vouch for/take under their wing a prospective new member. New members have to have a current member vouching for them), but I also usually use this time to redecorate my Sunday school classroom, since the building is unlocked and people are around, but no one is actually using my classroom. I haven't decided how much I want to change it, yet, but I think I would like to buy some new toy sets--or, at least, "new" in the sense that they're new to the classroom. I only wish I could buy completely new toys for my room. I haven't decided on a theme for my classroom yet, but I'm thinking about sticking with the same sort of idea as I put up last year, since the kids seem to like the pom-poms hanging from the ceiling. I dunno. I guess I get bored of the room more than the kids do, since they get a new room every year and I'm always teaching in the same one.

[johobbit]

Hey ho, all ye Square Onions!

So, what's happened since I have been last in here? Goodness, that was last August. 15th to be exact. Far Too Long! Since then we have made our move an hour & 1/4 away from our old home and are loving it here in Oxford County. Mind you, who couldn't enjoy a place with the name "Oxford" in it?

It's such fun getting to know a brand new area. We are living rurally now, but close to a town (pop. of 38,000), which is surrounded by farmlands and pastoral countryside. The village/hamlet where we are is only 5 minutes away from the edge of town, but you'd never know it. It's so picturesque with farms and silos dotting the countryside, and the lowing of cows periodically.

We are getting to know our neighbours and are still searching for a church family <- that takes time! And we can have campfires in our backyard again, yayayayayayay!

This area gets more snow than our old area, so here is one happy hobbit. We don't miss the busy GTA (Greater Toronto Area) at all! (Although thankfully our old home was in a lovely, quiet, very treed part of town—quite a haven, it was.)

Anyway, I'm rambling, but what I think is needed in the Square now is some steaming mugs of hot apple cider. Ready?

[Tiana]

*Pokes head in*

Mortereve y'all!!!! Been way to long since I've been here. Let us see........(Love how I just sounded like Gollum)......Three years actually. Looks like things have not changed to terribly much as far as peeps go. I still see some old familiar faces.

Big hugs to you Johobbit. It has been far to long. Very happy about your new residence. Sounds quite lovely if you ask me. As far as weather goes here in the good ol state of Texas...well, it's boring. Cold, hot, cold, sunny, raining, hot, cold, but never snow. It's central Texas so what can I say.

*Goes back to lurking*

[ceppault]

Good mortereve, Tiana!

As said before. People come. People go. That is Ditto Town Square.

You are always welcome here. One of the old time residents of Ditto Town I have know ongoing quite a few years. Remember well your first visits.

Scenery does not change to darn much between Arizona and Texas, to be sure.

*sits with Gorse, who offers a cup of tea to Tiana*

[Tiana]

Thank you for the tea Gorse. *Sips on tea* Tea is my drink of choice.

Well, thank you for making me welcome back. Hopefully I can keep coming back regularly, but as you already know schedule is CRAZY busy. Thinking back on some of the posts that went down here between me, Ata, you, ETJ, Johobbit, Stargazer, Kingskid, Lindir, and others. We had some wonderful times.

I would think that west Texas and Arizona are similar, but would think central Texas and AZ would be a little different. I am uneducated on the subject though.

[ceppault]

*Gorse smiles, "You are most welcome, sweet lady."*

Indeed, Tiana. Crazy schedules and time consumed coming and going makes one weary. Town Square has never ceased being a place of calm for me. Met so many great friends here, some as you mentioned. Many I know how to find away from Ditto Town, but yet not quite the same as being here.

I need to find Master Oliver, speaking of old timers.

Perhaps in the future you shall get to travel a bit, Tiana.

[ValiantArcher]

TIANA!!! So good to see you!! How've you been doing?

cep, so good to see you too! How're things going?

I'm keeping quite busy; just started a new job full time this month and am trying to settle into a new apartment. The weather has been pretty nice here recently---warm, though it has cooled back down again. But it rained all today, which is good. As long as it doesn't get back into whole-days-in-a-row-with-subzero-temperatures, I'll be pretty happy for a while.

[ceppault]

cep ... How're things going?

Staying busy, like yourself. Still working life as a medic. I am blessed.

Likewise, good to hear you are doing well.

[Tiana]

Hello ValiantArcher!! It is good to be here. I've been doing well. Super busy. Going to college part time for an Avionic Mechanical Science degree, working full time as a pastry chef in a Belgium bakery, in the process of applying for a full time night position in a hospital, and just living life up. My life is so full of wonderful things going on at this moment. I also need to move here in the next few months. That is all dependent on if I get this job at the Hospital though.

When I'm rich and famous Uncle Ceppault I'll travel. Chief told me that plastic surgery is a lucrative business. I don't think I want to do that though if the economy takes a dump. And dealing with all those rich snobby peeps. Not my cup of tea. So I'll have to find another way to become rich.

[johobbit]

Tiana? Tiana!!! What a wonderful surprise!

Thinking back on some of the posts that went down here between me, Ata, you, ETJ, Johobbit, Stargazer, Kingskid, Lindir, and others. We had some wonderful times.

Indeed! Such warm, fuzzy, great memories of the old Town Square. Just popped on the old forum now to be nostalgic. Remember NarniaNut95? He suddenly disappeared, if I recall, after being such a solid 'Square Onion' for years, and we miss him! And lysander, PrinceCor (and Vern!), Faun Fan. Among others. But NN95 was the one with whom we had hilarity about The Cookies We Do Not Name, yes? Ahhh, fun days!

Here is just one of the hundreds of examples of conversations there in the Square. Looks like this one got into talking about old, classic TV shows.

Going to college part time for an Avionic Mechanical Science degree, working full time as a pastry chef in a Belgium bakery ...

Sounds busy! And good. Pastry chef? Oh yum! And your degree sounds fascinating. When do you project you might be finished? Keep us posted on the hospital job! So-o-o-o good to see you!!! Btw, I still have that gorgeous shawl your mom so kindly knit, which often reminds me of you and Ata.

And cep! *waves cheerily to Gorse, as well*

Town Square has never ceased being a place of calm for me.

This is very true. Very special.

Valia! Some huge changes for you with your full-time job, as well as moving in to your own apartment. Thinking of you so much ...

We had a pretty major snowstorm overnight and the town is basically shut down, which is not really unusual even for this snowbelt area. I spent over 2 hours shoveling this morning. A number of people in our village have motorized whatevers to help them plow their driveways, but we haven't gone that route yet. We both enjoy manual shoveling, plus it's good exercise (as long as one lifts that snow properly ). My husband tried to go one way to work this morning, but the drifts were so huge that he had to turn around and try another route. He got into his workplace safely in the end. I had something interesting planned in town today, but it has been postponed because of the bad road conditions. All schools are cancelled, as well. It's definitely winter in Oxford County, Ontario!

[Lady Arwen]

Wow, sounds like everyone is getting the wet weather but us. Feel free to send the snow and rain our way--California's snow pack is at minimal, and we're barely maintaining average rainfall. If we don't get a good amount of water in some form soon, we're going to be in for another drought this summer and fall.

Incidentally, that cider looks quite yummy, Jo.

I just turned in my paperwork to walk at graduation this spring. This will be the first time I've actually been in a graduation ceremony, and quite frankly, I'm not sure what to think of it. I must admit that part of the reason I went ahead with it is because I accidentally found out that I'm vying with one other person (who is, incidentally, one of my closest friends at this uni) for highest GPA. So either way, however it pans out, we'll be graduating together. Then she heads off to law school...boo.

I ended up not redecorating my classroom this year, but I think that's ok, as I'm not bored with it yet, and the kids in it will graduate out in a few months. So in the end, it becomes more of a thing to keep me from being bored than the kids from being bored, I think.

Valia, are you liking your new apartment?

[stargazer]

Great to see you again, Tiana! You're welcome any time.

We could use some of that snow too. Right now the ski resorts can still make snow, but we've had so little that (unless things change soon) there will be drought concerns come spring.

Tried to spot Comet Lovejoy again Friday with friends. We had to contend with city lights, Moonlight, and rapidly moving clouds. The clouds eventually won. We're going to give it another go after the moon passes full and is out of the evening sky.

Enjoyed a Super Bowl party with friends yesterday. Some of the commercials were mildly amusing and the game was pretty entertaining. It's all about getting together with others for fun. One of their teenage daughters was most interested by the Katy Perry halftime show.

[ramagut]

It's all about getting together with others for fun.

That's so true. I never watched a Super Bowl until I moved to WV. Now I watch it every year. And it's only because of the party! This year was especially fun, getting to spend it with a friend who I haven't seen in while. She is a riot and we had so much fun rooting for the Seahawks. We are not football fans, so we randomly picked a team to cheer for. It was an absolute blast! Plus, the hosts made some smoked pulled pork and smoked wings. Soooooo yummy!

[johobbit]

Hope you get your needed precipitation, Wren. And how exciting about your graduation!

We're going to give it another go after the moon passes full and is out of the evening sky.

Indeed. I tried last night—it was a very clear, cold evening—but that nearly full moon washed out so much of the sky. Very pretty—with Venus in the west and Jupiter and the glorious Moon rising in the east—but no chance at spotting Lovejoy until the Moon wanes a good deal.

Plus, the hosts made some smoked pulled pork and smoked wings. Soooooo yummy!

Mmmm, fooooooood! Our TV is not operable (except to watch DVDs), so we watched Apollo 13, which is one of my 'favouritest' movies. And, oooh, that soundtrack!

More snow coming our way tonight. Winter has finally hit ... about 2 months later than it started last year. The countryside here is so pristine with all that sparkling snow.

[ValiantArcher]

Wow, how exciting, Tiana! Do keep us posted, and I hope things go smoothly for you!

Thanks, Jo. You all still enjoying the snow?

Woohoo, congrats, Wren, on your impending graduation!
My apartment is okay. When I actually have time and energy to furnish it, I think that shall help, as well as taking care of a few other things.

We've been in drought weather too but we got some snow (and ice) this past week, and look to get some more. I got to experience driving on it all on new roads on the way to work; I left early and thankfully there wasn't much traffic, and everyone went 25 mph all the way. I just hope things stay clear, especially with the possibility of more precipitation coming.

[Lady Arwen]

Thanks, Valia!

Unfurnished/undecorated apartments can be the worst. Do you have any ideas in mind, or have you been too busy to really sit down and figure out what you want? I usually find that, despite my good intentions, my color schemes/themes tend to vary based on what is readily available and cheap that season. Of course, this may be due to not really staying too long in any place, either....

Yikes about the weather! Thankfully, I have never had to drive with ice.

The beginning of this week is a mess for me. I'm doing a film project at a morgue tomorrow evening, which will be hugely fun, but my prosthetics have not finished casting yet. Fingers crossed they work the way they are supposed to! I won't have time to test them before the event, and I probably won't have them assembled until late tonight. Then, the next evening my fraternity is putting on a murder mystery dinner, and basically none of them have ever done a large event before, since most of the people that did it last year have graduated. Baby steps, I guess--as long as you consider a trial by fire a baby step. Still, we're having fun, and if we pull it off well, it'll be a nice feather in our cap for later in the semester.

I'm currently, well, I will be, once the beginning of this week is past, looking for a show to pitch for the fall. Part of me wants to do a four short plays format and do a horror/thriller theme, but another part of me wants to do a legitimate full production. And then there is another, much more reasonable part of me that says I'm crazy and should not be taking on any extra responsibilities at all.