tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36845662011-04-21T21:09:35.849-04:00all your compliments and your cutting remarks are captured here in the quotation markselainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.comBlogger7181100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-54646609719957551292008-08-05T17:13:00.000-04:002008-08-05T17:17:01.403-04:00

400+: # of shots on the camera's 2 memory cards when we got back to vt (which are actually now on the computer, YAY!)3: # of hours sleep i got last night101.9: alix's temperature this morning (hence, the 2nd stat)102.6: alix's temperature this afternoon2: # of days before we go to maine for amber's wedding5: # of days before we host a british soccer camp coach for a week.infinity: amount of crap

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-82787558403212023312008-07-11T11:25:00.001-04:002008-07-11T11:25:52.913-04:00

we're the kids in america YEAH!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-86508194391743515972008-07-04T10:47:00.000-04:002008-07-04T10:49:26.673-04:00

i've really been into the old rap and hip hop these days and stumbled across this on you tubeanyone know where i can get a copy of "mama said knock you out" from MTV unplugged?happy fourth!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-59449868337571414632008-07-02T09:47:00.001-04:002008-07-02T13:13:07.833-04:00

two things from mightygirl:photobombingsorry i missed your partyother stuff i've loved and/or stumbled upon recently:passive aggressive notesalice's birth storycandy bar cross section identification quiz (i got 16 out of 20!)and if you like quirky indie movie musicals, i strongly suggest you see romance and cigarettes. the cast is kickin' and it totally rocks (as in GOOD, not as in HEAVY METAL)

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-60768058923439391652008-06-03T21:24:00.000-04:002008-06-03T21:26:27.956-04:00

go obama!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-74579485558106901742008-06-02T10:13:00.000-04:002008-06-02T10:14:57.177-04:00

been going a little crazy with home/life stuff, looking for a new position, getting a new position, wrapping up my old job and starting the new one. and trying to make time for my knitting so i can finish a few projects and actually start wearing them!so yeah, still here. more when time and brain power permit. maybe even a few pictures to boot!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-64801941809063572152008-05-02T13:06:00.000-04:002008-05-02T13:08:22.447-04:00

I triple dog dare you to read this post at state of grace and not come out on the other end singing a popular 1977 tune by a certain trio of brothers.go ahead, i'll wait.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-16678032304402152862008-05-01T12:48:00.000-04:002008-05-01T12:51:22.251-04:00

yes, i am still alive.i have been crazy busy with guests, job search, kid activities and such. i hope to return to more regular posting soon. in the meantime, enjoy the monster of venice:

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-35268287603730831992008-03-13T08:46:00.000-04:002008-03-13T08:47:10.465-04:00

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-27405611359892198802008-02-29T19:28:00.000-05:002008-02-29T19:33:46.021-05:00

my girls are HOOKED on charlie and lola.so much so, that while i am downstairs scrolling the interweb, i can hear them upstairs (at the most opposite end of the house) yelling "BOO!" at one of the favorite episodes.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-44995586211533548912008-02-11T08:53:00.000-05:002008-02-11T08:56:48.779-05:00

i am an aunt on my side of the family as of ~7:30 california time last night. HUZZAH!mom, dad and audrey linea are all doing fine. i'm told she has dark curly hair and am anxiously awaiting pictures!now, i just need to find a good fare to the bay area so i can hold the little gummi bear in my arms...

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-48959848194494775372008-02-10T19:54:00.000-05:002008-02-10T19:57:28.541-05:00

i got a message a little earlier that my sister's water broke this morning and she's now in the hospital waiting for my niece to make her debut!i'm sleeping with the phone on my pillow tonight so i don't miss the call. it's SOOOO hard to be 3000+ miles away at a time like this. sigh.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-89789690323153758412008-02-02T21:56:00.000-05:002008-12-10T21:46:36.543-05:00

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-36544642060137619412008-02-02T21:52:00.000-05:002008-02-02T21:55:44.092-05:00

the time has come the walrus saidto talk of many thingsof shoes, of ships, of sealing waxof cabbages, and kingsof why the sea is boiling hotand whether pigs have wings! i had to memorize this poem in the 5th (?) grade and this is the only part i can still remember. i think it is pretty wonderful.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-14923427593797632662008-01-25T12:16:00.000-05:002008-01-25T12:24:03.053-05:00

i just checked out the new shutter sisters blog, as well as quite a few websites for the sistas that contribute to the site.this has totally inspired me. i NEED to get back in the photography groove. i can't knit right now (thumb is a leettle tender still), so taking pics would be a great creative outlet. hmmmm...might be time to go buy another external hard drive, just for pictures...so anyway,

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-76061557740000973482008-01-11T10:27:00.000-05:002008-01-11T10:30:39.888-05:00

i am so dealing with the man cold right now and have been for a week.it's taking every fiber of my being not to kick him out of bed and tell him to get on with life, for god's sake.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-72740816651216284822008-01-06T22:21:00.000-05:002008-01-06T22:40:19.815-05:00

so. i was slicing a TON of onions for dinner for 16 the day after boxing day. eery time i got to the end of the onion, i'd think to myself, i gotta be really careful. brian keeps these knives really sharp. and you knwo they are SO sharp, you don't even feel it when you slice off the end of your thumb slicing the very last piece of onion!so, i looked at my thumb, to make sure what i thought

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-46309476168432497562008-01-03T09:57:00.000-05:002008-01-03T09:59:16.411-05:00

thumb shortening story to come! altho, i do not have cool gross pictures to accompany the narrative like stitchymcyarnpants...

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-11998287389557559482008-01-03T09:54:00.000-05:002008-01-03T09:56:55.966-05:00

from alix, yesterday at daycare pickup:"mommy, can you imagine how tall i am?"

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-31286651175176878082007-12-31T13:51:00.000-05:002007-12-31T13:56:19.947-05:00

2007 comes to an end. i'm can't say i'm sorry to see it go...this year has definitely its ups (going to kosovo and vancouver, family and friends visiting, finding out i will be an aunt) and some unfortunate downs (poor mental health, chopping off the end of my thumb 2 nights ago, raging sciatica).i'm looking forward to 2008 and an improved outlook on everything! cheers!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-72153328408920416442007-12-08T15:09:00.000-05:002007-12-08T15:11:41.505-05:00

some genius actually read my mind and put my thoughts into video...(from dooce originally)

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-73489248889518434102007-12-03T12:21:00.000-05:002007-12-03T12:23:30.635-05:00

the first winter storm of the season is here! ~3-4 inches last night, 3-7 due during the day today and 1 or 2 more tonight. YEEHA!and how am i spending my snow day? moving crap out of the family room to go through it and getting ready to move furniture around to make better use of the space (it's the guest room/office/play room). it wasn't my idea to do this today, but brian gets antsy when

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-38698002256581103842007-11-30T15:19:00.000-05:002007-11-30T15:20:40.386-05:00

HUZZAH!even tho i missed a few days, i'm glad i did it. it kinda gets me back in the groove. let's see how long that lasts!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-65252415277184443422007-11-29T15:53:00.000-05:002007-11-29T16:05:52.708-05:00

"my daughter exists on air and white food"kelly, last night during a discussion about children's eating habits at a mom's night out.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-36802231210852454322007-11-28T15:44:00.000-05:002007-11-28T15:49:52.966-05:00

i was going to try and embed a video, but you tube's embedding is pissing me off right now. i can't copy the entire line to embed and i can't do a partial copy to get the last bit of the line.grrrr.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-23302502191351826942007-11-27T08:42:00.000-05:002007-11-27T08:44:25.217-05:00

three strikes and you're out.i've discovered if i don't post when i'm thinking about it, it doesn't happen. so maybe that will be my lesson here.so, how is everyone? any one got any good jokes?i'm buried in work today, so that's all you get!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-87356266895967543042007-11-25T11:54:00.000-05:002008-12-10T21:46:36.971-05:00

making swedish pancakes with daddypileated woodpecker siting in the backyard...(shot through a window and screen, and therefore blurry)

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-86890291166994883542007-11-24T16:46:00.000-05:002007-11-24T16:48:16.972-05:00

i got TWO big chunks of time today to myself. it's a wonder what that (and a nice long bath with the new vanity fair and a glass of wine and candles) will do! i feel like a new woman!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-86825197747043855472007-11-23T19:47:00.000-05:002007-11-23T19:51:03.048-05:00

i can't believe there are still two more days left in this lllloooonnnngggg weekend.i would give my left eyeball for not having to negotiate a truce between a 5 year old and a three year old for every little thing, not having to get after them about eating something, anything healthy BEFORE they get dessert, not having a small body following me around because they must be within 2 feet of my

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-56446791560542407952007-11-22T21:12:00.000-05:002007-11-22T21:19:53.598-05:00

hosted my third thanksgiving day in a row this year, but only for 8 people. 2 years ago, the first time i hosted it was 25! i hope NOT to be hosting next year. the rundown for this year is as follows:the turkey was juicy, everything else was completely and totally delicious.good wine was flowing.had dessert at a friend's house.in honor of her husband (who left us a few years ago), i brought

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-61112150773799113632007-11-21T09:02:00.000-05:002007-11-21T09:06:37.789-05:00

i missed another day. oh well.yesterday was totally topsy turvy. we had about 3 inches of snow in the morning and NOBODY was prepared for it. the drive to daycare, approx 3 miles, which usually takes 15-20 minutes took ONE HOUR AND FIFTEEN MINUTES. and then when i finally arrived at work about an hour and a half late, i could not get into the groove. no wonder i forgot to post. i wish i

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-4452440214133422552007-11-19T21:37:00.000-05:002007-11-19T21:40:32.656-05:00

i am totally suffering from too much exposure to kids. i don't think i've had two feet clearance from a child since yesterday morning, except for sleeping.GAHHHHHH!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-26331324832999518452007-11-18T18:08:00.000-05:002007-11-18T18:13:37.802-05:00

after thinking about doing this for about 6 months, i pulled the trigger and ordered some mini cards from moo. i like the library of stock photos they had, but i took the (very) little free time (read: no kids in 4 ft safety zone around me) today to upload some of my photos from the last year to make my cards.now i'm in the market for stationary. anyone know of a place i can get personalized

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-10701670300979816902007-11-17T15:23:00.000-05:002007-11-17T15:25:49.790-05:00

i did a little christmas shopping at our little local bookstore and bought "i am america and so can you!" for brian (shhh...don't tell!). i've flipped through it and it is hilarious.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-69808544293293509982007-11-16T15:35:00.000-05:002007-11-16T15:42:27.141-05:00

because i got nothing else right now except these random bits...snow today! just a little bit but that's much better than last year when the girls were wearing rain boots well into januaryTMI: why oh why did i get scented tampons? i didn't realize until it was too late (box ripped open to put in feminie product drawer in the bathroom at home) and just thinking about using them is kinda grossing

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-46998564953575182822007-11-15T15:13:00.000-05:002007-11-15T15:20:10.788-05:00

saw this about Jimmy Kimmel on comedy central and it totally cracked me up:On what he'd do as People Magazine's Sexiest Man Alive:"I would call Brad Pitt just to laugh at him, hang up and continue laughing like a maniac."I'd never wear a shirt. Not to the bank. Not to the mailbox."I'd make back hair the new fashion 'do.'"I would decoupage the walls of my house with thousands of my 'Sexiest'

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-66008377155747418472007-11-14T18:44:00.000-05:002007-11-14T18:52:40.647-05:00

i LOVED this post about a guy who debates his wife on which is the better movie: sixteen candles or pretty in pink.altho he claims that pretty in pink is a girl's movie i gotta tell you, sixteen candles has been in my top ten movies since the first time i saw it."heh heh heh...score. a direct hit""last night my brother paid a dollar to see your panties""the donger needs rest!"

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-52810019749804945202007-11-13T07:43:00.000-05:002007-11-13T07:45:13.446-05:00

there is a lot of it in my body and in my head. more than i thought humanly possibly. so this post is brief.the end.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-9626253380706724412007-11-12T08:50:00.000-05:002007-11-12T08:54:26.241-05:00

i missed a day. i had a post created a few days ago, i just needed to publish it.i blame the giant wad of snot that is currently taking up space in my head where my brain usually lives.oh well, i will keep going anyway.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-51510777723212148702007-11-10T10:19:00.000-05:002008-12-10T21:46:37.248-05:00

I cannot take credit for this one-brian shot this amazing imageVancouver aquarium, Vancouver, BC

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-69792851712898882782007-11-09T13:12:00.000-05:002007-11-09T13:21:14.658-05:00

i don't pay much attention to paris hilton. or try not to, because sometimes it's hard to avoid here when you're a gossip hound like me.in any case, i am LOVING this report about her lawsuit against hallmark cards for using her image and "catchphrase", brought to you courtesy of mamapop:"Yesterday Hallmark filed a motion to dismiss the lawsuit. And they filed that motion AWESOMELY:"Hilton has

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-27295819812547993792007-11-08T09:41:00.000-05:002008-12-10T21:46:37.423-05:00

if i could have pitched a tent and spent the night in this shop, i would have.Neils Yard Dairy, London, England

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-43256516827333526782007-11-07T15:05:00.000-05:002007-11-07T15:08:34.771-05:00

so i'm in the car with the girls yesterday and we're talking about when it might snow because it's been so freakin' cold lately (okay, i didn't use that exact wording with them, but you know what i mean).i suggest that we have a little family contest and we all guess what day we will get the first snow that sticks.and alix says, "ummmm...i'm going to guess...5 minutes ago!"

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-75080559957661465832007-11-06T11:05:00.000-05:002007-11-06T11:13:03.198-05:00

brought to my attention (and a lot of other folks) by mighty girl, i now present the song that has been running through my brain for about a week now:this is SO going on my new years eve dance mix for this year...enjoy!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-7310198916198311242007-11-05T20:25:00.000-05:002008-12-10T21:46:37.704-05:00

Prishtina, Kosovo

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-68728795585731582412007-11-04T15:14:00.000-05:002007-11-04T15:17:34.589-05:00

yesterday went better than expected. other than rory not falling asleep until 11 (or 10 if you adjust for standard time), it was a nice day: i don't have pinkeye, brian felt better than expected and the play was very good.today-the girls and i went for a hike with some friends, had lunch with said friends and are now working our way through halloween candy. in a technique new to us this year, i

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-78926633006456481832007-11-03T09:48:00.000-04:002007-11-03T09:53:18.678-04:00

here's the rundown for today:1 slightly cranky and somewhat sick daddy/husband1 mother/wife with a suspected case of pinkeye2 slightly tired and cranky kids1 high school production of 'little women' over an hour drive away2 bags of halloween candy to be consumed by tomorrow or everything is gone1 weather forecast with rain showers in ithmmm...goodtimes

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-31915809464271894532007-11-02T08:44:00.000-04:002007-11-02T08:49:25.001-04:00

halloween with small kids is fun. it's never been a holiday that i get worked up about, but i do muster some enthusiasm for the girls. last year, i got a witch's hat and cape to wear for the next 10 years.the local hotel/inn does a community party for the kids and this year rory was running here and there connecting with her kindergarten friends. alix pretty much just hung out underneath my

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-8308329988728701292007-11-01T13:22:00.000-04:002007-11-01T13:25:57.222-04:00

welcome to nablopomo. here is where i try to redeem myself from being a blog posting loser lately. last year i missed 2 days (i think-too lazy to look through the archives) and i am determined to to better this year.while you wait for my next scinitalating post, please enjoy this little short:

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-16370367997108808292007-09-19T09:54:00.000-04:002007-09-19T10:02:10.335-04:00

howdy-been working my butt off here. we're putting on a conference for ~300 health professionals thurs and friday (altho we're told it could be up to 500. YIKES!) here in prishtina, so there is lots to do.i've done a little sight seeing on our many errands around the city and it is just amazing. i've never been to a place like this before-only visited more modern metopolitan places in europe,

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-64785808932727314672007-09-13T10:45:00.000-04:002007-09-13T10:49:07.518-04:00

doing some last minute packing and organizing, then it's off to take rory to after K daycare and on to the bus stop to go to the airport.i had a very hard time saying good by to alix this morning, i'm sure saying good by to rory and brian will be no differenti'm really looking forward to this trip, since i will be seeing a part of the world i might not otherwise see, but haysus maria, i'm already

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-66506104258155678702007-09-06T15:28:00.000-04:002007-09-06T15:31:59.023-04:00

so i see this headline at sfgate: 'American Girls' Suicide Rates Spike'and the first thing that pops into my mind is 'how do dolls commit suicide?'

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-14591834788489939862007-09-06T09:18:00.000-04:002007-09-06T09:25:06.110-04:00

so i leave for kosovo in a week and i am going frickin' nuts. trying to get everything ready workwise and homewise is making me CRAZY!i will likely be existing for the next 7 days on carefully concocted doses of caffeine and sugar to keep me going during the waking/trying to be productive hours and wine to quiet my mind enough for sleep late at night.GAH!but here is a quick update...rory loves

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-67453870943446922352007-08-24T15:04:00.000-04:002007-08-24T15:08:59.755-04:00

i'm going to prishtina, kosovo for work in 20 days.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-51299067652385227122007-08-16T09:44:00.000-04:002007-08-16T09:48:26.764-04:00

from jodie foster, speaking about her kids:"Every once in a while I'll have one of those days when I've fed the fish, cleaned 10 poops from the patio, taken the cat to the vet, sewn my son's stupid karate stars on until my fingers bleed and made sure that he has everything, and he wakes up and goes, 'Oh, what's for breakfast?' He doesn't know, and why should he? Right? But there's absolutely no

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-22200048761894894822007-08-01T10:56:00.000-04:002007-08-01T11:08:19.705-04:00

sorry-work has been crazy and life has been having its usual ups and downs for me. i've been composing posts in my head, but they don't seem to be making the transition down my arms to the keyboard. hope to do better soon. for now, you get a list:we're finally having some nice, not too humid, not too thunder-y weather. the kind that makes me want to roll down the car windows and blast my disco/

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-48413418219787077482007-06-23T11:50:00.000-04:002007-06-23T11:51:17.797-04:00

we've discovered the secret to curbing whining in a five year old...

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-89205198681782434122007-06-22T11:39:00.000-04:002007-06-22T11:45:59.468-04:00

so behind. so little time. so little brain power.i have been suffering from a mother of a cold recently which popped up after the month of parties and visitors. i am only now starting to feel like my energy is ramping up to "normal".i've got lots to tell, and lots of pictures, and will post at some point, but i won't say when it will happen because i get myself in trouble when i promise things

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-64076441860888390152007-06-08T09:42:00.000-04:002007-06-08T09:48:04.808-04:00

i'm reaching the end of the busy month of, well, just lots of stuff going on.saturday, i'm throwing (with help from other folks) a 50th birthday party dinner for my sister-in-law. sunday, i'm throwing (with help from other folks), a going away party for our neighbors who are moving back to england in about a week.and last night, the neighborhood moms took the wife/mom who is going back to england

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-80946178647554755232007-06-05T11:23:00.000-04:002007-06-05T11:30:54.761-04:00

...but in a good way!!way too busy to do a proper post so you get bullets:work is kicking my booty this week, 2 deadlines on thursday.next weekend will be the 4th weekend in a row that we have something planned for both days, and in which i am either periphally or deeply involved in planning said events.i got my camera last thursday and i am in love with it. i've been carting it everywhere and

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-50234863090943231812007-05-29T13:14:00.000-04:002007-05-29T15:00:30.680-04:00

my neice graduated magna cum laude from smith college a couple of weekends ago. i graduated from a large (~6K students) state school. graduating from a small east coast college is a completely different experience. really different. gloria steinem was the keynote speaker. she totally rocks.we celebrated my birthday yesterday by having a nice dinner/bbq with a few families from the neighborhood

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-52521888696141675562007-05-16T14:48:00.000-04:002007-05-16T14:50:09.158-04:00

a huge moose just walked by our building.so. cool.better! bigger! more informative! update coming sometime soon, probably next week after the niece graduates and the in-laws go home.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-50386071524469336582007-04-26T09:20:00.000-04:002007-04-26T09:28:23.144-04:00

good: spring is FINALLY here-we had a glorious weekend with lots of outside time. i even got to go running twice (good thing, since i signed up to do a 10K in a few weeks!)bad: still have some chance of frost so i can't plant anything yet. and cleaning up the yard after winter is very hard work. i'm still sore from raking up sticks, leaves and old grass in the front yard and i'm not even halfway

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-31928653784372637772007-04-19T13:22:00.000-04:002007-04-19T13:26:19.301-04:00

while researching what MB* stands for in the medical world, one of the options in the online acronym dictionary was "metric buttload". i think i will have to incoporate that into my lexicon.*actual definition as it applied to my situation: Medici´nae Baccalau´reus (Bachelor of Medicine).

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-82373073560006584252007-04-16T15:19:00.000-04:002007-04-17T15:04:04.342-04:00

since i have a 5 year old and a (nearly) 3 year old, i try very hard not to swear at home. not that i swore much to begin with, but with the obvious parroting issues surrounding what parents say and what small children repeat, i'm sure you understand.when i find something with a lot of swear words in it, i tend to giggle like a sixth grader at every "four letter" word. so that's why i find this

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-6444684258959923242007-04-13T09:57:00.000-04:002007-04-17T15:04:49.304-04:00

whatever you do, don't listen to the storycorps podcast at work. unless your heart is made of stone, it will turn you into a blubbering mass of goo.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-32838644224150166912007-03-31T09:26:00.000-04:002007-03-31T09:33:04.822-04:00

we've got some physicians visiting from eastern europe for work, plus i've been going through my own mental ups and downs (increase my meds please!), so i've been swamped, both mentally and physically.but knitting is going well...i've got my mojo back and i'm excited about it again. it's helping with the mental issues, when i can actually find time to knit...usually 5 minutes here...10 minutes

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-71041928312057127052007-03-15T10:58:00.000-04:002007-03-15T11:04:57.116-04:00

with all the talk about the police, reuniting for the grammys and touring, i got swept up in music nostaglia. i've spent the past couple of weeksk loading a couple of cds a night onto itunes and now have all my police, REM, elvis costello and cranberries cds on my ipod.god, was that music great or what?

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-38670266827210928572007-03-09T14:54:00.000-05:002007-03-15T11:05:35.259-04:00

we started watching babel the other night. it's a long movie (2 1/2+ hours i think) and we watched about 45 minutes of it. it is amazingly well acted, it is beautifully shot and has an incredible story so far. but it is kinda depressing. in fact, i'm almost thinking about not finishing it, despite its nomination for best picture. do any of my 6 readers have anything to add to make me want to

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-89822476637436121752007-03-08T11:27:00.000-05:002007-03-15T11:07:54.620-04:00

in the last month or so, a person very close to me has had a health scare, culminating in a recent biopsy that proved that everything was benign. throughout this whole experience, i've maintained a positive attitude. i wasn't going to get upset or spend mental energy worrying about the worst case scenario outcome, just take the information as it came in and work with it once i have it. it

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-81051760320168062742007-03-06T12:03:00.000-05:002007-03-15T11:09:11.682-04:00

last week was a bear. it's the last of the february blahs i think, but it spilled over into a crappy overloaded work week, crankiness and lethargy in general.this is one of the few things that made me smile last week. i TRIPLE dog dare you to watch this and not smile, tap your feet, or sing the song for the rest of the day.this is one of my personal favorites since i'm an big REM fan. i

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-23234578727742108622007-02-25T22:10:00.000-05:002007-03-15T11:09:45.323-04:00

so i finished rory's socks. i finished a fun scarf for myself. i'm mostly done with alix's socks. but i've tried to start TWO different sock patterns with some really great yarns for myself with no luck-ripped both of them out. they just weren't doing it for me. it's probably a sign that i should finish alix's socks fist, THEN start on something for myself. but what?if i work fast, alix's

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-20237492986328458202007-02-16T19:16:00.000-05:002008-12-10T21:46:38.064-05:00

have you seen the latest craze in toys? it doesn 't require batteries, just an endless supply of annies.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-85423800643958585712007-02-16T09:11:00.000-05:002007-02-16T09:17:44.698-05:00

i love indexed. as a former (and now way, way lapsed) youth minister in the episcopal church, this one brought tears to my eyes (laughter, not sadness) (as if that needs to be clarified)ETA: ooo! ooo! i just discovered they have t-shirts!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-24554753729019815532007-02-14T07:30:00.000-05:002007-02-14T07:33:13.424-05:00

daycare is closed, work is closed, and we're hunkering down for a big snowstorm today. while it's far from being the long winter, it's still fun to have an unexpected day at home! i'm thinking pancakes, cookies, snowball fights, snow angels, a fire in the fireplace and lots and lots of knitting. oh, and cleaning up the family/play/guest room for my sister's arrival this weekend

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-54796568469694838512007-02-09T08:42:00.000-05:002007-02-09T11:03:23.745-05:00

we're now fully entrenched in winter with sub-zero temps even! but the ultra dry air that comes with the winter is playing its annual trick on my nose-making it so dry inside that no amount of saline solution makes it feel better. and it's painful to touch, even on the outside. sigh. this is one of my least favorite things about northeast winters so far.i'm in a funk. behind in everything and the

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-32407209358747897582007-02-02T13:57:00.000-05:002007-02-02T14:08:51.380-05:00

i carry your heart with me ee cummingsi carry your heart with me (i carry it inmy heart) i am never without it (anywherei go you go,my dear; and whatever is doneby only me is your doing, my darling)i fearno fate (for you are my fate,my sweet)i wantno world (for beautiful you are my world,my true)and it's you are whatever a moon has always meantand whatever a sun will always sing is youhere is the

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-24077273630118498562007-01-25T09:02:00.000-05:002007-01-25T09:13:54.652-05:00

things i love right now:zappos.com-when i couldn't get my clogs at farmway on monday, i ordered them that afternoon from zappos. they came the NEXT DAY people. and no charge for shipping. if that doesn't rock, i don't know what does.smartwool socks-we're in a cold snap right now and my smartwool socks are keeping my piggies nice and warm. and they look great with my new clogs. AND i've got

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1169514495303617572007-01-22T19:55:00.000-05:002007-01-25T09:14:50.457-05:00

post skiing, no shower, in the middle of financial work for brian's business by the light of the imac.today we went to one of our favorite places to spend money, farmway. i was hoping to buy some new black clogs with christmas money, but, alas, they did not have my size (so i bought them online because i don't want to wait until farmway got them in). i did buy a ton of smart wool socks (which are

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1168971699383253622007-01-16T13:19:00.000-05:002007-01-16T13:21:52.173-05:00

oh, for the days of nablopomo. when i posted almost every day.i've had a million little ideas for this here blog flaoting around in my head and now i'm dizzy with them. hope to get them out of there soon-it's making me a little sick to my stomach.as for the resolutions, been riding my bike on a trainer inside when i don't get a chance to run, eating a little less and i finished rory's socks!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1167708031471092282007-01-01T22:09:00.000-05:002007-01-01T22:22:22.910-05:00

1. knit from what i've got, try not to buy more. 2. get regular exercise (already got this one going).3. pick a problem area of the house to concentrate on cleaning up, weeding out and organizing each month. (hey, rome wasn't built in a day, especially by a working wife/mother of two)4. return to better eating habits: not so much quantity, a little of the bad-for-you stuff, lots of the good-for

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1166708122458015112006-12-21T08:33:00.000-05:002006-12-21T08:35:23.830-05:00

what up mother nature?the west coast is getting slammed with rain and, more importantly, snow. we have...nothing. we had a little snow a week or so ago, but other than that, not much else. and guess what's predicted for saturday? RAIN.and "they" say that global warming doesn't exist...

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1166535047082233782006-12-19T08:27:00.000-05:002006-12-23T16:01:51.836-05:00

our next door neighbor was just diagnosed with early stage breast cancer. the prognosis is good.a good friend and co-workers partner is in the hospital with congestive heart failure, and his prognosis is good as well.another co-worker's daughter (in her late 20s) has been diagnosed with stage three melanoma in her lymph nodes. i don't think i need to tell you that her prognosis is not very

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1165802821465807252006-12-10T21:02:00.000-05:002006-12-10T21:08:59.046-05:00

earlier today, i noticed that the hot water wasn't that hot. so i went down to the basement and reset the furnace. and did it again a few hours later. and again a few hours after that. then brian went a knocked on our oil tank and it sound OH SO HOLLOW. so apparently, our oil gauge is broke and we're out of oil. we'll get a refill tomorrow and should be fine-it's only supposed to be around

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1165625585906112762006-12-08T19:52:00.000-05:002006-12-08T19:53:21.660-05:00

i am actually considering getting a dress me elmo for my 2 1/2 year old even tho she only knows elmo from her diapers.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1165524357013594992006-12-07T15:41:00.000-05:002006-12-07T15:47:27.253-05:00

daddy: (trying to fill up some quiet space) so, who will you girls vote for in the next presidential election?r and a: (with enthusiasm) MOMMY!daddy: i saw that one coming. okay...who will be vice president?r and a: (with enthusiasm) DADDY!daddy: okay, if mommy is president and daddy is vice president, what will you girls be?alix: me a pink dragon!rory: a cherub. it's kind of like a baby

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1165457311395946852006-12-06T21:04:00.000-05:002006-12-06T21:08:32.276-05:00

i was all set to settle in with the fifth season of six feet under and try to start a pair of socks (again, see below) for my sister-in-law for christmas and i find i've misplaced a needle. normally, that wouldn't be a tragedy, but i'm trying these socks with two circulars, and one just won't cut it. i decided a few days ago that i would try to get at least one sock done before christmas for

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1165438356528061602006-12-06T15:50:00.000-05:002006-12-06T15:52:38.970-05:00

i am soo putting this on my wish list.and check out this recipe from it-i am DYING to try it. i am all about the sweet/salty combos right now.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164939013324377112006-11-30T21:08:00.000-05:002006-11-30T21:10:55.380-05:00

tonight was one of those nights when i had a billion things to do and the girls would NOT go to sleep. they were both soooo tired, but kept coming up with excuses to get out of bed and shout something at me down the stairs. my newest tactic is to keep telling them i'll be up as soon as i finish XXX, but they need to be in bed for me to start the clock, as it were. tonight i only had to do it

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164835410574622522006-11-29T16:08:00.000-05:002006-11-29T16:24:34.856-05:00

yes, i did place an yarn order. now begins the game of trying to get home before brian to sneak it into the house. shhhh...don't tell. and let me tell you that usps tracking numbers are useless.i went to a new yarn store in the area today-what a disappointment! i was hoping for some cool stuff that i can only find on the internet, what i got was not much of anything, and what was there wasn't

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164729296117833132006-11-28T10:47:00.000-05:002006-11-28T10:54:56.226-05:00

i am dangerously close to ordering some yarn from this cool new yarn site, one planet yarn and fiber. they've got some great stuff and reasonable prices PLUS they just sent me a discount code. DANGER DANGER WILL ROBINSON! i'm supposed to be working from my stash at the moment, but i ask you, how can i pass up 900 yards of lace weight merino for only $16?in other knitting news, i'm at the heel

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164724498406101822006-11-28T09:32:00.000-05:002006-11-28T09:34:58.893-05:00

we've had one little bit of snow earlier in the month, but mostly rain. and rain is predicted for later this week around these parts. at this point, i WANT the snow-it always makes everything so pretty-november is a fairly brown month outside. the ground is definitely frozen, so it should stick when it finally comes, but who knows when it will come...

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164670047470245382006-11-27T18:27:00.000-05:002006-11-27T18:28:11.346-05:00

brian is being a TOTAL computer hog lately. not usually something he will do but here it is nearly 6:30 pm and this is the first itme i've been allowed on the computer today. i was going to try and get some work done today but i don't know if i have it in me at this point. i'm *this close* to popping a video in this baby and grabbing my knitting.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164570329933698402006-11-26T14:41:00.000-05:002006-11-26T14:45:30.243-05:00

i forgot AGAIN! well, actually, i remembered at about 1 am this morning that i forgot to post yesterday. oh well. at least i'm remembering that i'm forgetting.posting (almost) every day has made me think about it a lot more-i don't have to make some beautiful witty lengthy piece. a line or two or a picture will do.plus the problem is that brian has been a computer hog lately. we downloaded

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164413411614385022006-11-24T19:08:00.000-05:002006-11-24T19:10:12.470-05:00

brian's out with rory at a hockey game, alix and i are having fun with the computer and about to go upstairs to watch cinderella. hope you're having a fun night too!

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164294848167334082006-11-23T10:12:00.000-05:002006-11-23T10:14:08.390-05:00

i am thankful for my life, and my family, through good times and bad.enjoy your day, whether or not it's a holiday for you and be thankful.

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164225848508079762006-11-22T14:59:00.000-05:002006-11-22T15:04:09.083-05:00

the responses i get after telling people that we bought a minivan have pretty much fallen into 2 categories:those that say "you didn't seem like minivan kind of people"andthose that say "yeah, i resisted for a long time too and now i don't know how i got along without it"the minivan is surprisingly manuverable and when i went to get groceries today, it was sheer joy to be able to press a button

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1164117164462543942006-11-21T08:48:00.000-05:002006-11-21T08:52:44.810-05:00

forgot to post yesterday. mondays used to be a day for catch up and now they are a day for chaos. i have to say, i've been doing much better with the posting every day than i thought i would!we drank the kool-aid and bought a minivan yesterday. we are now the proud owners of a dark grey green 2003 honda odyssey. the kids are BESIDE themselves. pictures to comeon top of that, i was trying to

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1163988835731389622006-11-19T21:10:00.000-05:002006-11-19T21:13:56.066-05:00

burgundy region, france, sept 2007

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3684566.post-1163901009269936782006-11-18T20:46:00.000-05:002006-11-18T20:50:24.706-05:00

self portrait (pre-blackeye), ligny-le-chatel, france. sept 2007

elainepillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13296171939768635689noreply@blogger.com0