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Intro 1998 1999 2000 2001

Bit of a gap from the last entry. I've been hoping to get a copy of Macromedia's DreamWeaver 2 before having to do another page manually, but needed to have cash in hand to get it. The soccer club have promised to pay for part of it, but I still have to pay for it in the first instance. Anyway, it's ordered now, so by the end of the week I should have a copy of DW2 and also Fireworks 2, the matching graphics program. I was going to get PaintShop Pro, but Fireworks was about the same price, is matched to DW2 and, I think, has more capability. We'll see...

This week we finally took the plunge and bought a desk. I've had enough of using the monitor box for a monitor stand, the printer box for the printer stand, and the ironing board as a keyboard table. Hell, if I didn't get a desk I was at least going to get my own ironing board! (Yeah!) Anyway (back on planet reality), we found this desk in Staples. Room for the printer, system unit, storage for CDs, DVDs, disk, tapes and books and other odds and ends. (I've even got pictures of it. The only issue with it was that the monitor with speakers attached is too wide for the gap, but they fit perfectly under the shelf that the monitor sits on. Could have been designed for them. It's also allowed several things to acquire a proper place, so it helps tidy several things from their current homes. So, you've all looked at the photos, what do you think it cost? Would you be gob-smacked to find out it was only $150? Not bad at that price at all.

This past week saw Catriona's 9th birthday. A quiet affair as usual. Catriona wanted a pinata (there should be a ~ somewhere in that word, but I'm not sure where). This is a Mexican thing, and it's a sort of hollow cardboard animal (would the original have been some sort of plaster?). Anyway, you stuff it with candies and assorted treats, and the kids take turns to whack it until it breaks and then they all dive in to grab the candy. Oh, I forgot to mention that you're supposed to be blind-folded. Of course, Cathy didn't have anything to peg it to inside the house, so she was just holding the string. The kids were taking more lumps out of her than the pinata. Eventually it burst, the kids got some candy and everyone was happy.

Also for her birthday Catriona was given a whole collection of Beanie Babies (tm) by Cathy's mum. Then she wanted to go and buy some more, and Graham wanted some as well. We have a veritable chimps tea party of the blessed things now...

Another soccer meeting has come and passed, another evening gone. At least I'm making some progress on the web- site. Gary (the assistant coach) gave me the name and telephone of the ISP, Sterling, so I gave them a call. From there I was able to gain ftp access and download all the existing files. Rather than leave all the garbage available I just put up an 'in construction' sign, and removed all the incorrect contacts (Mt. Hood software). It'll do until I figure out what we want there.

Over the past couple of weeks we've thought more about a posible move to Chicago. We did some searching on the internet for houses over there and found one absolute cracker. A good size, almost new property, sitting in almost half an acre, with large rooms and a basement. The price was less than $200k, and you could at least double that around here. We're certainly going to look out in Tigard, Tualatin and West Linn, as I've decided (can't speak for Cathy) that I want to stay out this side, at least for the time- being. We're just getting settled and getting to know people, so I don't want to move again. I've spent the past 20 years moving from job to job, house to house, and I feel like settling in one place. I must be getting old.

Speaking of old, it's finally happened. I've got more than a few grey hairs on the noggin, but I was drying myself after coming out of the shower the other day and noticed a grey chest hair! Argh, panic! Bill Cosby has a good bit on greying hair in one of his books (I forget which), and the slow creep south of the greyness. I'm doomed, doomed... (Mr. Mainwairing)

That's enough for tonight, I'll try and catch up some more soon