Anderson/Hatgidakis/Nelson/Metcalf: Newsletter

Newsletter

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Past Newsletters:
2000: AUG-SEP OCT-NOV DEC
2001: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2002: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2003: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2004: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2005: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2006: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2007: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2008: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2009: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2010: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2011: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2012: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2013: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2014: JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
2015: JAN

Emily
12/24/20
Merry Christmas Eve! I've loved checking out the advent calendar all month! :)


Karen
12/16/20
Two great pictures today.
Karen
12/3/20
Love today's advent picture!
Karen
12/1/20
Yay, Advent calendar. Always look forward to it.

Grandma
10/30/20

Happy Birthday John and Happy Halloween.
Enjoy Anna's visit!
Gary
9/8/20
Thanks for the birthday wishes! Yeah, 48 degrees when I got up this morning. And what, two days ago it was like 99? So here we go -- next four months are the best time of the year!
Donna
9/8/20

Happy Birthday! Cold morning, nice to have the day off!
Karen
9/8/20

Happy Birthday Gary
Karen
8/27/20
I read a couple of news reports on the shooting in Lincoln, Gary, no mention of your assistance, you should correct them.

Yes, well, I have just sold the movie rights, and I will let my full heroic story be told there. --Gary


Gary
8/26/20
After a Zoom session for work this morning, I called mom to see if she wanted to do one of our afternoon drives. She was a little iffy on that because of the heat, but she did mention she was having a few technology problems: 1) Hulu was suddenly asking her to re-register, and 2) she was unable to add a rotisserie chicken to her online grocery order. I told her I would be right over, thinking I could fix those problems and be back by 1 pm.

As I passed 33rd and Vine, a few minutes past noon, I saw police lights up ahead and I was motioned off into the residential area south of Vine. Police presence was suddenly heavy and increasing as I drove. There was a police car or a sheriff's SUV at every intersection. Each had an officer standing outside, and each would give me that "go-go-go-go!" hurry-up motion as I approached. I turned in random directions at every corner and really didn't know how to get out of this as I saw many cop cars on every street I looked down.

On one street--say, 35th and S, though I really don't know as I was a little lost--I saw two guys in conversation standing on the sidewalk. I stopped, rolled down my window and asked what was happening. "Dude just got shot, bro!" one of them said. And at just that moment, a guy burst out of the bushes between two houses on my right and ran full-tilt right in front of my car and disappeared into the houses on my left. And a second or two later, two cops also running full-tilt followed him.

A little discombobulated, I drove off in kind of the opposite direction and eventually got clear of the area. When I arrived at mom's, news reports were just beginning to come in.

The police were urging people in the area to shelter-in-place, so I stayed at mom's until the all-clear was given.

Of course, I can't take all the credit for capturing the suspect; I have to give a mention to our local law enforcement. And how was your afternoon?


Karen
8/24/20
I liked the front page today. Gary, is your computer up and running now? Today is my first day back at school. Enrollment is up slightly, so many new procedures this year. It will be another interesting year.

Yes, computer is back to normal. They brought it back after they got it running on Friday, and the guy may be coming over today to install the upgrades (RAM, video card). Looking forward to it! --Gary


Gary
8/19/20
You early risers this morning may have noticed that yesterday's page was still in place. That's because I have been having computer trouble the past two days, and my computer is now in the shop. It will probably be there for the next couple of days, so any changes to this website during that time will be iffy. I managed to change it today by coming in to my office -- only my 3rd time since March, I think -- because with no computer I couldn't work from home. For this inconvenience, I am rewarding myself by having the shop upgrade my computer: new video card and doubling the RAM. Looking forward to that!

There is a little activity on campus, but not much. Normally the place would be buzzing with returning students, returning faculty, etc. My whole building right now is empty and dark, except for me. I heard that one or two other people from my office may be coming in today, but we have promised to keep our distances. I found in my jam-packed mailbox this morning three high-quality face masks (two in Husker red, the other in black with a red "N"), a plastic face-shield like this one (but without all the text), a package of alcohol wipes, a little container of hand sanitizer ("iced pear scent") with a lanyard to hook to your keychain or belt, and a Starbucks gift card -- all courtesy of the University. Very nice!


Karen
6/25/20
Yes, Irish Coffees, that was it.

I looked for a picture of the Cliff House back then, but just couldn't find any. The windows were always big to take advantage of the view, but these windows are much bigger. I have been there once since the remodel, and I have to say I prefer the older darker interior. More cozy, at a place where it is almost always chilly outside! --Gary


Karen
6/25/20
No silverware at the Marrakech, that I remember. It was a good meal. Another meal I remember was eating at your house for breakfast. Mini cantaloupe with fresh strawberries, the only cantaloupe I ever liked.

We also had Long Island iced teas at some bar or restaurant. I think it was by the pier.

I don't remember that exactly, but I may need a reminder. Are you thinking of the Cliff House where we had Irish coffees? We sat in the corner closest to the windows looking out over the Pacific? See this picture -- the inside of the place has been remodeled since then, but you may remember the view. It was darker inside then with big solid wooden tables and soft chairs. We sat in the corner where the white pillar now is. --Gary


Donna
6/25/20
The Marrakech was another great restaurant. But the best was a chocolate croissant and fresh orange juice at Fisherman's Wharf!

We got the croissants from a pushcart or a sidewalk cafe on Pier 39 at Fisherman's Wharf, because I remember eating outside...right? It might have been Boudin's, or some other place that is no longer there. And yes, it was great! And speaking of the Marrakech, there's a scene in Hitchcock's The Man Who Knew Too Much where Jimmy Stewart and Doris Day eat in a Moroccan restaurant that always reminds me of our meal there--except for the later murders of course. (More photos of the Marrakech.) --Gary


Karen
6/25/20
I remember well going to Chinatown with you. That restaurant was wonderful. Didn't they bring out trays of food and you took what you wanted, and they charged by the empty plates? That was a fun trip, so glad we went.

At the Far East you ordered from a menu. (I think I probably had walnut shrimp, as that was a long-time favorite of mine back then--and still is!) The place where you are charged by empty plates was the Hang Ah Tearoom, an awesome place at the end of a little alley in Chinatown. The Far East and the Hang Ah are two of my favorite places on earth! --Gary


Grandma
5/19/20

Happy Birthday Brent!
Gary
5/18/20
Episode 8!

Karen
5/12/20
Yesterday was a scary day. After several weeks of not feeling well Brent needed an ER visit. He had seen his doctor twice, but still no relief. I took him to the hospital. It was busy with people not wearing masks or any social distancing. Once Brent was checked in, I was asked to leave. Fortunately Brent thought to take his phone. So I sat in the school parking lot across the street and waited anxiously for his call. He was severely dehydrated and had an infection. Doctor treated him for that and Brent was able to call me several times to keep me posted. Seven hours later he was discharged. I couldn't even go in to pick him up. I had to wait outside the doors for him. He did have a Covid test. I'm sure its routine, he didn't get the results, but I'm assuming it was negative. He wasn't told to quarantine. Today he is feeling much better. Now we wait to see if we were infected.
Gary
5/11/20
Episode 7!

Also, for more laughs check out these Office bloopers.


Karen
5/8/20
I am watching a PBS show, The Queen at War, very timely as you wrote your note. Another day staying home.
Gary
5/8/20
On this anniversary of V-E Day, I have a note for Mom: You told the story of hearing about the surrender of Germany while watching a movie in the State Theater on O Street, and being part of the crowd that poured out into the streets of Lincoln. Crowds were in the streets at the same time in almost every city in America and Europe (outside of Germany, of course). I just read that in London, a young Princess Elizabeth (later Queen) and her sister sneaked out of Buckingham Palace and joined the celebration in the streets. She later described it as "one of the most memorable nights of my life."
Gary
5/6/20
New recipe today! Thanks, Karen!
Gary
5/4/20
Episode 6!

Karen
5/4/20
Gary, good to hear you may be back to work in a few weeks. I went to work this morning, and will be returning for Wednesday and Thursday. We have a plant sale fundraiser this week, so I am helping with that. Boe is coming tomorrow to hang out with Erika and me. My menu for our cool, rainy night: Cheesy garlic bread with soup and a fresh strawberry cake.

Menu sounds good, especially fresh strawberries. I keep forgetting it's spring out there! :-) --Gary


Gary
5/1/20
UN-L staff, faculty, and students just received an email from the Chancellor saying that the physical closure of the campus will continue through the end of this month. (Some exceptions will be made here and there for people who really need to get back into their offices briefly for some reason.) The University task force will monitor the overall situation and will either continue the closure or announce a new policy on June 1. They have already said that in-person classes will resume in the fall. That's the latest from UN-L.
Gary
4/28/20
Episode 5!

Karen
4/27/20
Marsha, are you back to work today? What are you doing there?
Marsha
4/26/20
Karen, your soups sound amazing. Sorry to hear Sioux City has so many cases... is it centered in the meat packing industry? I'm going back to work on Monday. Same company but different department.
Karen
4/25/20
Gary, one of Brent's second cousins is an infectious disease doctor out of UNMC. He is working a lot with Covid19. Lunch is smelling pretty good, and I'm hungry after all the cleaning this morning. Time to eat and watch a movie.
Karen
4/25/20
This is the 2nd day for Sioux City as the top hot spot for Coronavirus in the nation. Yea us!! All of this time at home is doing some good. I've throughly cleaned the house, painted the back entry, and now I've moved on to the basement. Wiped down shelves, mopped floors and tossed out two big garbage cans full of junk. Lots more to go through but it's a big start. Today I made a pot of ham and bean soup, potato and ham soup, cornbread and chocolate chip cookies.

Wow, lunch sounds good! Here in Lincoln the Chancellor sent out an email telling us all he is confident that face-to-face classes will resume this fall -- only four months away. He has created a COVID-19 task force working with UNMC, and they have really been on top of things. They are certainly doing a better job than the U.S. government, who just yesterday was suggesting people drink bleach. Yes, that colossal fool in the White House actually said that -- and so far, at least three people who followed his advice have gone to emergency rooms with severe chemical burns to the throat. --Gary


Donna
4/24/20
Can't stop laughing at the kid falling off the boat seat. Coronavirus and my plans--so funny! I love Face Palm Fridays.
Gary
4/20/20
Episode 4!


Karen
4/17/20
Our governor just announced that we will not return to school for the rest of the school year.
Grandma
4/16/20

Happy Birthday Boe!! I can't believe you are 5!! If you come over you could make a snowman today. Have a happy day!
Karen
4/16/20

Happy birthday to Boe! Emily and Boe came this morning with donuts to celebrate. His Ryan World party is tomorrow night. Is Lincoln predicted to get snow? I just saw a news report on that.

It is snowing right now (2 pm) but mostly melting on the ground. But supposed to continue for several hours. --Gary


Gary
4/13/20
Episode 3!


Karen
4/12/20
Our Easter feast.
Karen
4/12/20

Happy birthday Mom
Donna
4/12/20

Happy birthday Mom!
Gary
4/10/20
Hey Tiger King fans! There's a bonus episode coming to Netflix on Sunday, just in time for Grandma's birthday. Happy birthday, Mom! :-)
Karen
4/9/20
Gary, will be able to continue to work from home? I was told Monday that the school board voted to continue to pay me until May 28, whether we go back or not. So, I wont have to go on unemployment.

Yes, my office is adjusting to work from home. We had a fairly good, though cumbersome, system worked out to keep things going. But a lot of our work, especially on my side, depends on paper -- edited manuscripts, etc. So as long as we could use our offices to drop off and pick up, our system worked. But now we can't do that. We haven't yet got a system in place that will work without pick-ups and drop-offs. We had Zoom meeting yesterday and hammered out some details, but there are still some unknowns. But yes, I am still doing my job and getting paid -- so far. --Gary


Gary
4/8/20
Here's the latest from the University: Today it was announced that after close of business Friday (the 10th), the University will be closed to all employees except those whose physical presence is necessary. Meaning after Friday our key-cards will no longer open the building doors. They said the peak level in this area is now expected to be late April or early May. So far there has been no case of infection in faculty, staff, or students.
Gary
4/7/20
Two recipes added to the recipe page today, for those of you who can get hold of some yeast: Pecan and Red Onion Bread, and Onion Dill bread.
Karen
4/7/20
I went to school yesterday. I was putting things away for the year. Really don't imagine we will return. Not returning to school until I hear from principal, out of things to do. Donna, I've heard that everyone is baking bread during quarantine so there is a shortage of yeast. I got a new jar of yeast last week, only 3 jars left. I was also needing Dawn, none on shelf, got a store brand and I don't like it.

The University just announced that summer classes will also be remote. So no students back on the campus until fall, if then. --Gary


Donna
4/6/20
Gary, can you add a link or have SGN weekly on the front page? Loved week two. And if you find your old bread machine recipes could you add them to the recipe page? Remembering the dill and cottage cheese bread, red onion bread...

Just placed my order for Hy-Vee pick up and they were out of Dawn dish soap and yeast. Went to Amazon and they were out of Dawn too. Unless you want a huge amount. I blame COVID-19 and Pinterest.

Recommend Netflix documentary Tricky Dick and the Man in Black.

I will either put it on the front page, or put a link to it here on the newsletter. For example, here is SGN Week 2, and it's amazing! Also, bread recipe book is buried somewhere. I will look for it. --Gary


Karen
4/3/20
I went to the store looking for hand sanitizer, I didn't find any, but came across this towel, seemed appropriate.
Karen
4/3/20
Icy, cold and a little snowy this morning. Yesterday I delivered homework bags for two of the kindergartners (twins). Their parents didn't want to take them out, so odd to drop off things on the porch, ring the doorbell and leave. They did wave at me from the window.

Erika woke up this morning thinking she might have pink eye. Called dr office and is now waiting to have a teleconference with the doctor rather than going to the office. I just heard this morning that one of our nephews on the Nelson side was diagnosed with covid19. He lives in Omaha, doing ok.


Karen
4/2/20
Some pictures from our parades.
Karen
4/2/20
Tiger King is so bizarre, you can't believe half of it is true. So much going on. I'll need to watch it again to catch what I miss when I blinked.
Gary
4/1/20
Karen and Erika--parade is a cool idea. Tune in to the web page on Monday, which is Day 1 of "Quarantine Week," for another parade.

Karen, I resisted for a while but finally watched Tiger King on Netflix. Wow. It's like the car crash you can't look away from. What a story!


Karen
4/1/20
Tonight my school had a parade. Teachers and aides all lined up, spaced 6 feet apart, and then the parents drove around. Everyone had signs, it was so great to see the kids. It was a good time. Erika also had a parade for her school. Hers was the reverse and the teachers drove through the neighborhood.
Karen
3/30/20
Brent had a regular, routine doctor appointment today. His doctors office is in one of the hospitals. Only one entrance was open. Security guard let him in, then a nurse took his temperature and checked his throat. He passed so she put a sticker on him, so he could go in. He walked down the hall to the doctor's office, and had to do the whole thing over again.
Karen
3/30/20
Yup, start on May 5. Jack didn't think courts would be having juries by then..... we'll see.

Nice to have a lawyer on call! :-) --Gary


Karen
3/30/20
And, I got a jury duty summons today.

You've got to be kidding! I never thought about juries. They surely have some different system in place...? --Gary


Karen
3/30/20
Starting my 3rd week off. I had a meeting at school this morning. We are off until April 30th now. I am officially laid off as of the 15th of April. However, the financial department is working on keeping us hourly employees on as we have been. So I'm waiting a few days to see if I file for unemployment. Principal felt so bad telling us, but we all knew it was coming. Beautiful weather today, after a stormy rainy weekend.
Marsha
3/29/20
Hello fellow confined folks..... I have a couple of tv recommendations, first is a three part historical piece on George Washington on the History channel, very well done. Second is The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon Home Edition..... Jimmy hosts the Tonite Show from his quirky Long Island farm house being filmed by his wife Nancy. The scene stealers are his two adorable little girls Winnie and Frankie who are responsible for graphics and music. I look forward to it every day!

Here's the Tonight Show: At Home Edition YouTube page. Clips and complete shows! --Gary


Karen
3/27/20
Another rainy day. Went to school this morning, I was the only one there. Not much more that can be done. I made a box of fun for Boe. Lots of things to hopefully keep him busy. Erika and I dropped the box off. Then we started to watch Tiger King on Netflix, wow that is one strange show.

I am just now finishing off a re-watch of The Office. First seven seasons: awesome. Final two seasons: bleh. --Gary


Karen
3/25/20
Got a very nice surprise from Sam and Mark. A pretty container of tulip bulbs. It will be fun to watch them grow while we are home. Thanks again.
Karen
3/25/20
I am staying home today. Brent came home yesterday, not feeling well. He was sure it was just his usual stomach trouble. But it concerned me enough that I decided to self quarantine for a few days. He is back to his normal now, but we are all in for a few days.
Gary
3/25/20
Had our first remote meeting this morning. Ten of us tuned in at 10 (via Zoom) and it worked very smoothly after we worked out a few bugs. Picture your iPad screen divided up into Brady-Bunch squares with video and audio. We could see everyone and hear everyone. Had a good meeting, and nobody left home!
Karen
3/24/20
I went into to school for a few hours the last two days. More cleaning. Emily dropped Boe off for a few hours while she went to her school. Nice enough that Boe could ride his motorcycle on the driveway. Lots of people out walking today. Quick trip to get a few groceries. Not much else going on here.
Karen
3/24/20

Happy Birthday Donna!
Marsha
3/23/20
Put up my new bird feeder right off the sun porch on Saturday. Today a cardinal pair and a bunch of finches have found it. Snow on the grass this morning and rainy today. Hey Boe, you inspired me to have pajama day too! Just finished 500 steps. Aiming for 5000 today cuz I'm afraid I can't go out to walk :-(
Emily
3/23/20
Boe's school is having Virtual Spirit Week! Today is pajama day!
Karen
3/22/20
The Beauvais came over for lunch. Lasgana, homemade French bread, Caesar salad and my special brownies. Boe has been entertaining us all afternoon.
Marsha
3/22/20
I went to my local grocery store this morning during the old people hours. Found just about everything I needed. Quiet day with tv but I am doing lots of indoor walking. :-)
Karen
3/22/20
And we have our first positive covid19 test in our county.
Gary
3/21/20
Security guards and daffodils. Truly these are strange times.
Karen
3/21/20
Back from our errands. Streets are much less busy. Walgreens drive through, clerk had gloves on. Bomgaars, same as always. Then a quick stop at Hyvee, Emily went there this morning and said security guard was in the toilet paper section. Brent wanted to see that, but the toilet paper and the guard were both gone. They were passing out a bunch of fresh daffodils to each customer on the way out.
Donna
3/21/20
Hi, no huge change for me since I already worked from home, but since the rest of the company is WFH, my go-to thought it would be fun if her group would Zoom meet once a week. Calling it come as you are, in pjs, no makeup, and just chat about stuff. :-) Fortunately I don't have a camera on my computer.

Just made banana bread, and picked some forsythia stems, about ready to bloom. Really nice weather today.

Emily, I heard Boe said 'why does everyone keep saying Corona?' So cute.


Karen
3/21/20
You know maybe I should start a delivery business..... have the time now. Brent and I are about to head out in the world. A stop at Walgreens and Bomgaars. I'll have a full report later.
Karen
3/21/20
Gary, I cannot deliver. The city manager told all city employees that they cannot travel more than 100 miles without clearing it with their supervisor. Also said family can not travel and if you have a visitor of more than 100 miles. Sorry, maybe I could meet you in Omaha.

I'm kind of in for the day. Do you sell on Amazon? --Gary


Karen
3/21/20
What's on the menu for everyone today?

I'm making blts and some leftover chicken and noodles, dessert will be mini chocolate chip cookie ice cream sundaes.

One question: Do you deliver? --Gary


Emily
3/21/20
School has been closed since Monday and Boe and I have been home all week. Boe is enjoying homeschool and especially likes doing his math. His teachers have been sending videos of their story time and Bible lessons for them to watch as well as extra work to practice with each day.

All week the school district Erika and I work for has been debating whether or not to pay us for the closure..... They voted yes on Friday so starting Monday or Tuesday we go back to school and help the principals get ready for students to return in April.

Jack has been going into his office to wrap up everything he can before the courts start shutting down and his clients stop being able to pay their bills.... He is moving his work home this weekend and will do everything he can online and over the phone for the next few weeks.


Marsha
3/20/20
I've been at work all week but schools, restaurants, the Mall of America and bars are closed. Only essential business are open, so we closed our doors at work today for two weeks (hopefully). Not paid leave but I'm hoping for a few hours per day of work and some pto hours. Minnesota is to stay in place and go out only for essentials and to walk the dog. John has canceled all dr appointment and the term hunker down is heard often. Happy birthday Anna!!!! Stay well everyone!
Gary
3/20/20
I was in my office for a full day Tuesday, but have been home ever since. Starting Monday, the entire campus will be working from home (except for the obvious jobs that can't be done from home). I can access my office computer and our database from my home computer, and we will use Zoom (an app like Facetime but for groups) for meetings. And that's what work looks like for the foreseeable future. As long as grocery deliveries continue and Netflix stays on, I am set. And speaking of Netflix, I am re-watching The Office.
Karen
3/20/20
Late Sunday night I was informed that schools were closing for at least 4 weeks. I talked with my principal the following day, after a board meeting I was told I would be paid for those 4 weeks, but they expect that I go in a few hours and help out. Went to school two mornings this week. Teachers are scrambling to get work packets for the kids. I helped with that, and cleaned. Used soooooo many Clorox wipes. I planned to go back to school today, but 1 1/2 inches of rain, followed by 4 inches of snow kept me home. Brent is still expected to go in, the city never closes. The city hall locks their doors and people need appointment to be let in. Been staying in as much as I can. A quick trip to Walgreens and Hyvee has been it. Watching way too much news. Also watching Land Girls on Netflix.
Karen
3/20/20
Hi all. Let's start to communicate through the web page again. We can keep each other updated on our lives during this time. Look forward to hearing from everyone.
Gary
2/11/20
Hey, I have to send out an apology to Paul regarding the Oscars. He sent in his picks last week, but for some mysterious reason his email was intercepted by the University spam filter and I didn't see it until this morning when I went through the intercepted messages. I have no idea why this happened when all the others made it through. Next year I think I will set up the form so that responses are sent to my gmail account and not through UN-L. Paul's final score was 5 correct picks, and like the rest of us (except Sam!) did not pick the winning picture. Thanks for playing, Paul, and sorry about the glitch!
Marsha
2/10/20
Congratulations Gary! It was a tough game to play this year. I love that we all are still playing the game. Proudly display that trophy! Great work by Boe!
Gary
2/10/20
Fun race this year. Especially for me because I won! (Did not expect that.) A score of 17 picks put me in first place, followed by Samantha with 14, and Marsha with 12. John scored 11, Donna and Mark scored 10, and Lori 9. Boe, Emily, Grandma, and Jason scored 7, and Karen and Lindsey scored 6. Amanda and Anna scored 4, Jack 3 and Erika 2. Boe not only won the 17-and-under category (yeah, he was the only in that category, but still!), but he also outscored his dad, grandma, and aunt, and tied with his mom. Not bad, kid! Mention must be made of Sam who was the only one who picked Best Picture (Parasite) and John who picked Best Director (Bong Joon Ho). No need for the tie-breakers this year, but for the record three winners read their speech from notes, one winner commented on the weight of the trophy, and the average NYC/LA temperature was 37. (It was cold and rainy in LA which brought the average down.) Thanks for playing, everybody. See you next year!
Gary
2/7/20
Okay, the picks are in and the scoresheet is ready! Click here to download, then tune in 7 pm Sunday night. Good luck, y'all!
Gary
2/6/20
Who's in now? I'll tell you who's in now! Lori, Mark, and Samantha are in the mix with Anna, Donna, Grandma, Jack, John, Marsha, Lindsey, Boe, Emily, Amanda, Erika, Karen, and Gary. Big crowd, but there is room for more if you go here. Today is the final day to get your picks in. I will be posting the scoresheet tomorrow. Let's go!
Gary
2/5/20
Getting in under the wire, Anna, Donna, and Grandma have joined Jack, John, Marsha, Lindsey, Boe, Emily, Amanda, Erika, Karen, and Gary in the Oscar contest. If you are not one of those people named, please get your picks to me today. I need some time to organize the picks and work up the scoring sheet. And this is already a busy weekend for me as I have a colonoscopy scheduled for Friday. The fun never stops! Making your Oscar picks is at least as much fun as a colonoscopy, so go here and start clicking!
Mark
2/4/20
Hey Gary! Samantha and I are brewing up our latest batch of Oscar predictions and will get back to you ASAP. We're watching 1917 tonight just to "make sure" if you know what I mean! Hello to everyone on the newsletter! Woot!

Excellent! Good luck to you both, except Mark. --Gary


Gary
2/4/20
With less than a week to go before the big event, Grandma is already at work -- as she does every year -- duplicating the Governor's Ball menu, down to the last gold-dusted truffle and vegan cupcake. Wolfgang Puck has over 300 chefs working on this in Hollywood, but Grandma is somehow able to do the whole thing herself. Today I think she is making the Spiced Gougeres with Black Truffle Dust (which you can make ahead). The chocolate buffet will take up quite a bit of room this year, but hey -- you gotta have one. So the shellfish ice bar may get moved to the deck under a tent. Grandma asks you to note on the following menu that GF=Gluten Free, NF=Nut Free, and DF=Dairy Free. I don't know how she keeps it all straight!
Passed Hors d'Oeuvres
Spicy Tuna Tartare, Sesame Miso Cone (NF)
Mini Burgers, Aged Cheddar, Remoulade (NF)
Smoked Salmon Oscar Matzo (NF)
Assorted Pizza (some Vegetarian, Some Vegan, NF)
Korean Steak Tartare on Puffed Rice (NF)
Lobster Corn Dog (NF)
Sweet Pea Falafel with Hummus and Za'atar (NF, Vegetarian)
Spiced Gougeres with Black Truffle Dust
Taro Root Taco with Shrimp, Mango, Avocado, and Chipotle Aioli (NF, GF)

Savory Bites
Homemade Pretzels, Pimento Cheese (Vegetarian, NF)
5 Year Aged Gouda (Vegetarian, GF, NF)
Parmesan Reggiano (Vegetarian, GF, NF)
Gold Dusted Truffled Popcorn
Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Cayenne, Sea Salt and Brown Sugar (GF)
Fleur de Sel Breadsticks (NF, DF)
Spago Style Lavosh (NF, DF)

Poke, Sushi & Shellfish Station
Made to order on custom ice bar

Passed Small Plates--Served Hot
Baked Potato with Caviar (GF, NF)
Chicken Pot Pie, Black Truffles (NF)
Sunchoke Soup with Black Truffle (Vegetarian)
Baked Macaroni and Cheese (NF)
Gnocchetti with Braised Mushrooms and Cashew Cream (Vegan, GF)
Moroccan Spiced Wagyu Short Rib
Semolina Puree, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Parmesan Funnel Cake and Citrus Charmoula
Parsnip Agnolotti, Black Winter Truffles (Vegetarian, NF)
Dover Sole, Girasole Puree, Spaghetti Squash and Herb Vinaigrette

Passed Small Plates--Served Cold
Baby Beets with Goat Cheese Yogurt, Savory Granola, Citrus and Bitter Greens (Vegetarian)
Chopped Salad with Popped Sorghum, Shaved Carrots, Feta, Croutons, Dijon-Champagne Vinaigrette (Vegetarian, GF, NF)
Hearts of Palm, Watercress, Grapefruit, Jalapeno-Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette (Vegan, GF)

Dessert Action Stations
Made to order...
Lava Cakes (melting Sphere with flavor anglaise)
Gelato and Sorbet with Waffle Cones
Gelato (Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee, Salted Caramel Popcorn, Dulce de leche)
Sorbet (Mango, Raspberry/Acai)
Vanilla Waffle, Red Velvet
Takoyaki Cake Balls
Raspberry Lychee

Chocolate Buffet
Caramel Cappuccino Oscar Lollipops (GF, NF)
Chocolate Chips Cookies (NF)
Assorted Mini Cookies
Coconut Macaroons (NF)
Chewy Cranberry Meringues (Pink Color) (GF, NF)
Macaron (Truffle, Strawberry, Pistachio, Chocolate, Coffee) (GF)
Oreo Cookie S'more Dome
Raspberry Panna Cotta, Lemon Sable
Dry Passionfruit Marshmallow Rocher
Bubble Banana/Strawberry Cheesecake Lollipop Freeze-dried Strawberry (NF)
Dark Chocolate Brownie (NF)
Mocha Tiramisu in Verrines (GF, NF)
Large Barks for Breaking Station (white, milk and dark--some movie candies)
Marjolaine
Carrot Jalapeno Pate De Fruit (GF, NF)
Milk Chocolate Ring Dings
Mini Eclair Gianduja Mousse
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
Caramel Banofee Pie
Krispy Pops (lemonade, cherry pop rock, cookies and cream)
Florentine Cookies
Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich (V, GF)
Coconut Vegan Cupcake (V, GF)
Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies (V, GF)
Artisanal Chocolate Bonbons, Movie Theater Flavors:
Sour Patch Kids
York Peppermint
Red Hots
Goobers
Butterscotch

Passed Small Plates-Sweet
Tropical Gateau (coconut, mango, passion fruit)
Black Currant Pavlova (violet meringue, citrus ganache)
Elderflower Champagne Parfait with Raspberry Espuma (champagne pairing)
Mini Yuzu Bars (NF)

Gary
2/4/20
Okay, Jack and John are now in the mix with Marsha, Lindsey, Boe, Emily, Amanda, Erika, Karen, and Gary. One of them will take home the trophy and the generous cash award (should one be given). If you want in, you must get in today or tomorrow! Make it happen!
Gary
2/3/20
Marsha, Lindsey, Boe, Emily, and Amanda have joined Erika, Karen, and Gary in this year's Oscar race. If your name wasn't listed there, you are not in the game! You should fix that immediately by going here. Do it in the next three days!
Gary
1/31/20
And the Oscar winner this year is.... Erika! Or possibly Karen! Or maybe Gary! It will definitely be one of those three, so far anyway. Because they are the only people in the game. If you want to win, you gotta get in the game yourself. Good luck!
Mom
1/17/20

Happy Birthday Marsha!!
Marsha
8/26/19
Great comparison of the Roman Colosseum to UN's stadium! Thanks.

Glad you liked it! --Gary


Emily
3/6/19
The Oscar hasn't been in Sioux City for awhile, I thought it had stayed in Lincoln :p

Sorry I didn't follow through on this. The Oscar has been located! It was on display at Grandma's house, on loan from the previous winner. Last night it was presented to Teghan. Her acceptance speech was nine minutes long, but she never mentioned me once. Hmph. Anyway, Boe has an excellent chance of bringing the trophy to Sioux City next year! --Gary


Amanda
3/5/19
Who has Oscar these days? Wondering when the handoff to either Donna or Teghan will be!

I have kind of lost track. The winners last year were Sam and Boe, and I think Sam allowed the trophy to stay at Gma's to skip the boxing and shipping. So it might be at Grandma's, or it might be in Sioux City, or it might be in Texas. I will check around. Apologies to Teghan for this confusion! --Gary


Gary
2/25/19
A great race this year! Paul and Lori were in the lead for the first eight envelopes. Lori pulled ahead and was in the lead all by herself for the next four envelopes. Then on the 13th category (Short Film Animated) Donna and Samantha caught up for a 3-way tie. Gary, Paul, and Teghan were fighting it out for a close second place position, but were never able to catch up after that. Samantha took the lead for herself with the 15th envelope (Documentary Short) and stayed there for the next five categories, with Donna catching up for a tie a couple of times. At the end of 23 envelopes, with only one category to go, Donna and Sam were tied. Gary, John, Lori, Paul, and Teghan were all tied for second place, but at this point there was no way any of them could come in first. The 24th and final envelope named the longshot Green Book as Best Picture, and gave Donna the win. At the end it was Donna in first place, Samantha in second, and Gary, John, Lori, Paul, and Teghan all tied for third. Boe dominated in the 17-and-under group, and he won in that division with 5 correct picks. Congratulations to Donna and Boe on one of our best races ever.

The tiebreakers weren't needed this year, but for the record there were 8 winners who referred to written notes; there were 5 groups of 5 or more accepting a single award; and the showtime temperature in NYC was 46 and 60 in LA for an average of 53. For the first year ever there was no host; and as I watched I wondered why do we need one? Didn't miss that at all. Most people thought the best moments were Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga singing "Shallow," Rami Malek's winning speech, Lady Gaga's winning speech, and Queen performing "Bohemian Rhapsody" to open the show. (Amazing fact: Lady Gaga took her name from a Queen song, "Radio Gaga.") Thanks to everyone for playing. See you next year!

UPDATE: I just learned that this was Teghan's final year in the 17-and-under division, and not last year as I mistakenly thought. So Teghan actually shares the award with Donna this year. Apologies to Teghan and Boe for my error. Teghan's impressive score this year totally qualifies her for the over-17 division; and I will predict that Boe will easily win his division next year!


Gary
2/23/19
Amanda, Mark, Samantha, Donna, Lindsey, and Jason have joined Anna, Boe, Emily, Erika, Gary, Grandma, Jack, John, Karen, Lori, Marsha, and Paul in what may be our biggest Oscar race ever. I haven't checked the files but I think this is a record. Donna has issued a challenge to "Oscarinsider," so there's a side race to keep your eye on. A few stragglers are still out there, so any ballots will be counted if they arrive before, say, 4 pm today. After that I need to put it all together and send out the results. Good luck to everyone, except of course Mark, and enjoy the Oscars!
Gary
2/21/19
Who's in? Anna, Boe, Emily, Erika, Gary, Grandma, Jack, John, Karen, Lori, Marsha, and Paul. Who's out? You are. How to get in? Go here. Gotta have those ballots in today or tomorrow!

With the Oscars only three days away, Grandma -- as she does every year -- is hard at work recreating the entire menu of the Academy Award nominees Governors Ball. In spite of the snow, delivery trucks are rolling up with crates of watercress, persimmons, and truffles. I know today she will be putting gold dust on the miniature chocolate Oscars, and preparing the unagi glaze for the sea urchins. But of course a lot of this has to be prepared on the day, so Sunday will be busy!

Amuse Bouche
Crostini of Compressed Watermelon with Citrus Feta Cheese
Crab Deviled Eggs
Avocado Tostadas with Crunch Cabbage and Chipotle Glaze
Crostini with New York Steak, Classic Chimichurri
Spicy Ranch Popcorn
Housemade Potato Chips

Hors d'Oeuvres
Wild Mushroom Potsticker, Black Truffle Ponzu
Miyazaki Wagyu Beef Tartare on Tapioca Crisp, Togarashi
Mini Taro Root Taco with Miso Glazed Eggplant and Smoked Soy Mushrooms
Heirloom Carrot "Tartare," Pickled Mustard Seed, Horseradish, Sunchoke Bark
Smoked Salmon Oscars Matzo
Miniature Miyazaki Wagyu Burger, Sharp Cheddar, Remoulade
Wolfgang Puck Signature Pizzas
Spicy Tuna Tartare In Sesame Miso Cones
Alaskan King Crab, Crispy Rice Cake, Avocado, Aji Amario-Yuzu Ponzu
Opal Apple "Summer Roll," Cucumber, Shiso, Pomegranate Pearl

Raw Bar
Spicy Tuna Rolls
California Rolls
Vegetable Rolls
Made To Order Nigiri
Scallop Ceviche, Black Garlic, Satsuma Tangerine Miso, Micro Herbs
Sea Urchin with Eggless Custard, Dashi, Unagi Glaze, Finger Lime
Albacore Tataki, Sweet Onions, Ginger, Momiji Chili, Ponzu
Oysters
Snow Crab Claws
King Crab Legs
Lobster
Shrimp

Passed Small Plates--Served Cold
Caramelized Cauliflower
Golden Raisin, Lime, Labneh, Pinenut, Shiso-Za'atar
Frozen Golden Beets, Almond Custard, Meyer Lemon, Ice Lettuce
Snap Peas, Asian Pear, Pomelo Salad, Cacik Cheese, Mint, Walnut
Compressed Persimmon, Cinco Jotas Jamon Iberico, Burrata, Wild Arugula

Passed Small Plates--Served Hot
Sunchoke and Fennel Soup, Chips, Truffle Gremolata
Potato and Caviar 2.0
Black Truffle Chicken Pot Pie
Winter Truffle Baked Cavatappi and Cheese
Pea Agnolotti, Black Truffle, Peas Shoot, Parmesan Reggiano Brittle
Miyazaki Wagyu Beef Ny, Carrot Vichy, Spigarello, Yuzu Kotcho Ponzu
Loup De Mer, Cal�ot Onions, Artichokes, Fennel, Romesco Salsa, Espelette
Nashville Hot Fried Quail, House Made Pickles, Red Velvet Waffle
Torchio Pasta, Arugula, Tomato, Caper Berries, Aleppo Pepper, Black Olive Oil, Basil Flower
Austrian Ricotta Dumpling, Watercress-Pea Pesto, Lemon Brown Butter

Desserts

Individual and Plated Sweets
24 Karat Dusted Valrhona Illanka Chocolate Oscars
Ombre Chocolate Dipped Strawberries
Pillow Cake with Coconut Mango and Passion Fruit
Coconut - Chocolate Bar
Yuzu Religieuse
Passion Fruit Cookie with Chocolate Chunks
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Triple Chocolate Chip Cookies
Milk Chocolate and Caramelized Pecan Cookies
Strawberry Cookies
Hazelnut and Almond Brownies
Espresso Macaron
Matcha Cherry Macaron
Hibiscus Orange Pate De Fruit
Piper Heidsieck Golden Champagne Strawberry Push Pop
Mini Wolfgang Puck Dark Chocolate Bars

Small Plates
Black Forest "Cherry"
Butterscotch Verrine with Dark Chocolate Nest
Tropical Pavlova with Macerated Jackfruit and Dragon Fruit
Strawberry Ginger Cheesecake with Jasmine Gelee

Lollipops
Passion Fruit Cheesecake
Praline Almond Chocolate
Chocolate Oscars with Strawberry Valrhona Chocolate

Chocolate Bonbons
Chai Latte
Thai Tea with Young Coconut
Honey Jasmine
Earl Grey Tea Biscuit
Espresso Triple Shot
Praline Roasted Coffee Bean

Dessert Action Stations
Air Bread "Sea Urchin" with Passion Fruit Caviar
Affogato with Housemade Ice Creams and Stumptown Nitro Cold-Brew

Vegan Sweets, Gluten Free
Hawaiian Superfood Spheres
Red Velvet Whoopie Pies
Cashew Vanilla Tiramisu
Tropical Halo-Halo
Sunflower Raspberry Macaron
Chocolate and Sea Salt Cookies

Gary
2/20/19
With two days to go, Boe, Emily, Erika, Gary, Jack, John, Karen, and Paul welcome Grandma and Lori to the Oscar party. If you did not see your name in that sentence, you need to go here and make things happen! I have to have those ballots by Friday so I can put the results together. I know some of us are enjoying a snow day today so you have plenty of time. :-)
Gary
2/19/19
Ok, now we're rolling! Erika, Boe, and Jack have joined Emily, John, Karen, Gary, and "Paul aka Oscarinsider" in the Oscar race. One of them will win, and you won't! Unless, that is, you enter yourself. Go here and click away. Gotta be in by Friday!

Also, Boe threw down some smack in the Comments section. He wrote: "12345T 889qqwercz." He said it, I didn't!


Gary
2/18/19
Hey everybody. Sorry for the delay with changing the front page today, and for acknowledging your Oscar ballots. I had a major computer crash over the weekend, and I am still not back up and running. Repair guy will be fixing it tomorrow. My email was not affected, but just in case I missed something I have so far received Oscar ballots from Emily, John, Karen, Gary, and "Paul aka Oscarinsider." If you sent me a ballot and you are not one of those five people, please try it again. And all the rest of you need to go here!
Karen
12/27/18
Gary, I love the modern nativity picture, too funny. Rain all day yesterday, now we have sleet, wind and snow. Good day to stay in, luckily we all have this week off.

Same here, weatherwise, though I think ours is over where yours is still ongoing for a while. Those of us who get to stay home this week are lucky! :-) --Gary


Marsha
12/19/18
Gary....we have been enjoying the Christmas Home Page again this year! Thanks so much......

Glad you like it. Only 6 more days to go! --Gary


Karen
12/1/18
Always look forward to the advent calendar, thanks Gary.

My pleasure. I like putting it together. Most years I put it together early, like in the fall or even summer, which means when December 1 rolls around the pages are new even to me. Merry Christmas, everybody! --Gary


Marsha
10/5/18
What a nice story on the Cool site about the arctic fox. I really enjoyed it!
Karen
9/21/18
Nice picture today!

Yup, I will be using that one for away games. :-) --Gary


Karen
4/25/18
Ewww, Gary, that front page today was so awful! Couldn't get the image out of my head.

Sorry, but it had to be done. For the sake of history. :-) --Gary


Karen
3/6/18

Congratulations to Samantha and Boe. We have our 4th snow of the year. Sunday night I woke up to thunder and steady rain. Melted almost all of the snow. The rain changed to snow midmorning and kept snowing all day. Went out this morning to shovel, soon realized I needed the snow blower. We have about 4 to 6 inches and lots of drifting. So another day home and now 2 days to make up later.

Just light snow here with a bit of ice on the roads, but even so people are coming in with tales of seeing accidents on their way in. One called just now to say she is stuck in traffic that just isn't moving, so there must be an accident up ahead. I made it in safe and sound, warm and dry, in my new car as of this weekend. Dorothy got a new vehicle recently, and Paul brokered the deal for me to take her old one. Thanks to Paul and Dorothy! --Gary


Gary
3/5/18
Last night's Oscar race was another nail-biter, coming down to a tie on the last envelope and being decided -- again! -- by the tie-breaker. It was a four-way neck-and-neck race between Donna, Gary, Mark, and Sam for the first seven or eight categories, then a three-way race for the next seven or eight as Mark faded a bit. On the 17th ballot, Sam went into the lead and stayed there til the final envelope. Sam's miss and Donna's hit on Best picture allowed Donna to tie, giving them each a very impressive score of 20 correct picks out of 24. The temperature that night was 37 in NYC and 57 in LA, for an average of 47. Sam predicted 48, Donna predicted 50, so the whole Oscar race came down to the difference of two degrees. Next year maybe we should skip all the difficult Oscar choices and just predict the temperatures! :-)

In the PG-17 division, Boe dominated. And not only because he was the only one in the category; his score of ten correct picks was enough to beat eight of the adults, including his mom and his aunt and tying with his grandma! Boe is clearly the power player in Sioux City.

Thanks to everybody for playing this year!


Gary
3/2/18
Okay, the votes are in! With Jack getting in under the wire we have a total of 16 players this year -- pretty big crowd. If each player would chip in a thousand dollars, the winner would walk off with a cool 16 grand. Maybe next year!

I emailed everyone with the scoresheet attached; but in case you didn't get it, you can download it here.

Have fun, everybody!


Gary
3/2/18
The line on the red carpet is getting longer. Celebrities now include:

Anna, Boe, Donna, Emily, Erika, Gary, Grandma, Jason, John, Karen, Lindsey, Mark, Marsha, Samantha, and Tristen.

If you know someone -- or are someone -- who isn't on that list, get busy! It costs nothing to enter, and there may be a valuable prize going to the winner. Yes, there may be.


Gary
2/28/18
Who's in the Oscar club so far?

Anna, Donna, Emily, Erika, Gary, Grandma, Jason, John, Karen, Lindsey, and Tristen.

If you are not in the club, you won't win on Sunday night. So join up!


Gary
2/23/18
"And the Oscar goes to...." Anna or Erika or Gary or Jason or John or Karen or Lindsey. Because they are the only ones entered so far. Don't let one of these losers win! Be a winner!
Gary
2/19/18
Grandma has a big job ahead of her when -- as she does every year -- she recreates the menu served at the Governor's Ball after the Oscars. Wolfgang Puck needs over 300 chefs to produce this menu, yet Grandma somehow does it all solo. She has already cleared her computer room to set up the sushi and shellfish ice bar. It's a huge menu this year, but I plan to sample everything. I'm especially looking forward to the lobster corndogs and the gnochetti with braised mushrooms and cashew cream. Yum!

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres
Spicy Tuna Tartare, Sesame Miso Cone
Mini Burgers, Aged Cheddar, Remoulade
Smoked Salmon Oscar Matzo
Assorted Pizza
Korean Steak Tartare on Puffed Rice
Lobster Corn Dog
Sweet Pea Falafel with Hummus and Za'atar
Spiced Gougeres with Black Truffle Dust
Taro Root Taco with Shrimp, Mango, Avocado, and Chipotle Aioli

Savory Bites
Homemade Pretzels, Pimento Cheese
5 Year Aged Gouda
Parmesan Reggiano
Gold Dusted Truffled Popcorn
Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Cayenne, Sea Salt and Brown Sugar
Fleur de Sel Breadsticks
Spago Style Lavosh

Poke, Sushi & Shellfish Station
Made to order on custom ice bar

Passed Small Plates--Served Hot
Baked Potato with Caviar
Chicken Pot Pie, Black Truffles
Sunchoke Soup with Black Truffle (Vegetarian)
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Gnocchetti with Braised Mushrooms and Cashew Cream
Moroccan Spiced Wagyu Short Rib
Semolina Puree, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, Parmesan Funnel Cake and Citrus Charmoula
Parsnip Agnolotti, Black Winter Truffles
Dover Sole, Girasole Puree, Spaghetti Squash and Herb Vinaigrette

Passed Small Plates--Served Cold
Baby Beets with Goat Cheese Yogurt, Savory Granola, Citrus and Bitter Greens
Chopped Salad with Popped Sorghum, Shaved Carrots, Feta, Croutons, Dijon-Champagne Vinaigrette
Hearts of Palm, Watercress, Grapefruit, Jalapeno-Meyer Lemon Vinaigrette

Dessert Action Stations
(Made to order...)
Lava Cakes (melting Sphere with flavor anglaise)
Gelato and Sorbet with Waffle Cones
Gelato (Vanilla, Chocolate, Coffee, Salted Caramel Popcorn, Dulce de leche)
Sorbet (Mango, Raspberry/Acai)
Vanilla waffle, Red Velvet
Takoyaki Cake Balls
Raspberry Lychee

Individual and Plated Sweets

Chocolate Buffet
Caramel Cappuccino Oscar Lollipops
Chocolate Chips Cookies
Assorted Mini Cookies
Coconut Macaroons
Chewy Cranberry Meringues (Pink Color)
Macaron (Truffle, Strawberry, Pistachio, Chocolate, Coffee)
Oreo Cookie S'more Dome
Raspberry Panna Cotta, Lemon Sable
Dry Passionfruit Marshmallow Rocher
Bubble Banana/Strawberry Cheesecake Lollipop Freeze-dried Strawberry
Dark Chocolate Brownie
Mocha Tiramisu in Verrines
Large Barks for Breaking Station (white, milk and dark--some movie candies)
Artisanal Chocolate Bonbons, Movie Theater Flavors
Sour patch kids
York Peppermint
Red Hots
Goobers
Butterscotch
Marjolaine
Carrot Jalapeno Pate De Fruit
Milk Chocolate Ring Dings
Mini Eclair Gianduja Mousse
Chocolate Peanut Butter Tart
Caramel Banofee Pie
Krispy Pops (lemonade, cherry pop rock, cookies and cream)
Florentine Cookies
Chocolate Chips Cookie Sandwich
Coconut Vegan Cupcake
Double Chocolate Cherry Cookies

Passed Small Plates--Sweet
Tropical Gateau (coconut, mango, passion fruit)
Black Currant Pavlova (violet meringue, citrus ganache)
Elderflower Champagne Parfait with Raspberry Espuma (champagne pairing)
Mini Yuzu Bars

Karen
2/19/18

No school for us today. Thick layer of ice covering everything this morning. Brent already had the day off for Presidents Day. So we are all off for a day home.

We got just enough ice to make the sidewalks dangerous. Roads here are fine, assuming you are able to open your car doors (which I managed after several minutes) and get your windows scraped (several more minutes). But nothing canceled here. Enjoy your snow day! --Gary


Gary
2/15/18
Believe it or not, it's that time again. Tax time! That, and also Oscar time! The 90th Academy Awards are only three Sundays away -- March 4. That gives you a leisurely two weeks to make your Oscar choices. Lots of difficult choices this year, so it's anybody's game. Good luck to everyone, except Mark.
Anna
1/29/18
Hey all! Yesterday Jordan and I made the move down to southern Illinois! We are in Johnston City, not too far from Carbondale. It's already double what the temps are in Minneapolis. Lots of unpacking and getting settled then job searching! The town I'm in has a nice Lincoln feel to it. Happy to have the 10 hour drive done!!
Karen
1/23/18

We have a second snow day. Cancelled school again last night. Brent is back at the office. We dug out as best we could yesterday. I am guessing we got about 15 inches.

Maybe two inches here, on top of a layer of crunchy ice. Schools and everything all open today. Except for the snowplows, apparently: every street I drove on this morning, including the main streets, were rutted and snowpacked. Does this town even do snow removal? Anyway, enjoy your snow days, Sioux City and Minneapolis! --Gary


Marsha
1/23/18

13 inches of snow in Minneapolis.... haven't had such a big storm for a long time. Lucky to leave work early.... schools closed today.

The storm down here officially became a blizzard around noon yesterday, and UN-L waited until then to declare that classes would be cancelled--after 3 pm. Stupid! --Gary


Karen
1/21/18

Snow day for us tomorrow. Schools are closed. City Hall isn't closing, but advised employees to stay home. Rain quickly turned to sleet, but no snow yet.

Not a flake here, no closures to speak of, still above freezing. --Gary


Karen
1/21/18

We are in a blizzard warning from Sunday night until Tuesday morning. Expected to get from 7 to 14 inches of snow. So far not a flake, but it is getting colder. We are all hoping (expecting) a snow day tomorrow. Have the cupboard well stocked, cars all tucked in, snowblower should be ready and lots of wood for the fireplace. Anything for Lincoln or Minneapolis?

We are supposedly just on the edge of the storm, and are expecting freezing rain with 1-5 inches of snow possible after that. Enjoy your snow-day! I doubt if the University will declare a snow-day, but I think I will call one for myself. :-) --Gary


John
1/18/18

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!
Glenn
1/18/18

Happy Birthday Granny. You are now 455 dog years old and lookin' great!
Marsha
1/8/18
Love the musical cheese reference! So funny.
Karen
12/24/17

Merry Christmas. Thanks for the mystery advent answer, I couldn't figure it out. Having a nice Christmas eve. Emily, Jack and Boe are here. Made soups and mini Reubens. Brent sisters are making a spur of the moment trip to see us. Everyone is playing Exploding Kittens. Boe and I are watching a movie, hoping for a nap before Santa comes.
Gary
12/24/17

Dang, forgot to update the front page today. Current as of now (noon). Sorry about that. By the way, for those wondering what the pattern is to the advent pictures: It's alphabetical -- angel (A), bell (B), candle (C), etc. Merry Christmas eve, everybody!
Karen
12/21/17
So much fun at school the last few days. Last week was long and stressful. We all needed a change. We had a fun-filled afternoon yesterday and a birthday party for Jesus. Today we started off with karaoke Christmas songs. Lots of nice gifts from coworkers and kids. Out two hours early today and off for the next 12 days. Light snow coming down, Christmas spirit is here. Oh Gary I've been meaning to tell you how much I am enjoying the advent calendar.

Thanks. There is a hidden pattern to the advent pictures. Anyone figured it out yet? :-) --Gary

Oh I hadn't noticed, now I will have to go back to figure it out.


Gma
12/15/17

Happy Birthday Linz!
Amanda
12/8/17
What a fun story Marsha! I bet gma loved putting that gift together! Much like her gifts of meals, every single detail included. :)
Marsha
12/5/17
When I was about 6 or 7 I totally loved Barbie dolls. For Christmas I had a rectangular box under the tree about the size of a ream of typing paper or so. When I unwrapped it, to my delight I found a carrying case for Barbie. Sooo cool! Then I opened the case and to my amazement I found it was packed with Barbie outfits. Soooooo cool! It couldn't get any better! Then I opened the little closet doors and they were filled with Barbie accessories... shoes, bags, jewelry. Best childhood gift Ever. Thanks for all of your amazing sewing Mom!!!!
Donna
12/5/17

Very Gary Christmas!
Gma
11/16/17

Happy birthday, Emily!
Karen
10/27/17
I like the crawl today, pretty accurate. I had yesterday and today off. Loaded up on Halloween candy, should have enough for 500 kids, we'll see if it lasts two hours. Cold and windy here and maybe even some snow flakes.
Boe
10/13/17
Dear Great Grandma, thanks so much for the Halloween card! I just love it! It came just as Mommy and I were heading to Target so I picked out a toy bus from Cars to get with the $5!
Gary, I was so happy to hear that you liked your card too! I love to make anything that involves paint or markers! :) Love, Boe
Amanda
9/8/17

Happy Birthday Gary! Living legend... Ha!

Am too! :-) (Thanks!) --Gary


Gary
9/6/17
Hey, if the recipes on today's page zipped by too fast for you, I have written them all down and added them to the recipes page. Bon appetit!
John, Marsha & Glenn
8/25/17

Happy Birthday Mark!!!
Dad, Mom & Glenn
8/18/17

Happy Birthday Zach!!
Mom
6/13/17

Happy Birthday, Paul!!
Marsha
6/6/17
The piece for D-Day is great.... thanks so much for doing this one. A co-worker is going to France next week and plans to go to Normandy. I think next year is the 75th anniversary.

Thanks. D-Day is always a big deal to me. I remember watching a TV program back in 1964 with Walter Cronkite and General (and former President) Eisenhower walking the beaches and landing zones. (And here it is! Just found it, and can't wait to watch it again!) Eisenhower was in his headquarters in England on D-Day; Cronkite came ashore at Normandy a few days after June 6, as a reporter. By the way, next year is the 74th anniversary, not the 75th, but it should still be an amazing time. --Gary


Mom
5/31/17

Happy Birthday, Karen!!
Marsha & John
4/12/17

Happy Birthday Mom!!
Karen
4/11/17

Happy Birthday Mom
Mom
3/23/17

Happy Birthday, Donna!!
G'ma
3/21/17

Happy Birthday, Anna!!
Dad & Mom
3/20/17

Happy Birthday, AnnaBanana!!
Emily
2/27/17
The Oscar excitement was a bit much for Boe, he was asleep by 8 and missed most of the show.... But, he is so excited to take home the Oscar again this year and hopes to make it a tradition :p Thanks again for putting it all together Gary!

My pleasure! Boe made some great picks and even beat some of the grown-ups. :-) --Gary


Gary
2/27/17
Congratulations to Samantha and Boe for their Oscar victories! It was a fun race with a very weird ending. My score sheet shows Samantha in 1st place with 16 correct picks, Jack and John in 2nd with 15, Mark in 3rd with 13, and Tristen in 4th with 11. If I made an error (which is possible, just ask Warren Beatty) please correct me. Also, John and Sam are to be congratulated for picking 5 of the top 6 awards. Well done!

If this is okay with the winners, the trophy (currently in Lincoln) will go to Sam first. She can get it to Boe in 6 months (September), and Boe can keep it for a year as he will certainly be the winner in his category next time. :-) Sound good?

Thanks to everyone who played along this year. Y'all make it fun!


Emily
2/26/17
Happy Oscar Day! We are prepping our snacks and ballots today and getting ready to watch tonight. Boe is planning to take home the Oscar again this year :p

Happy Oscar Day to you! Boe has a very good chance this year. Have fun tonight! --Gary


Gary
2/24/17
Snow pics from Sioux City this morning. Thanks, Karen!
Karen
2/24/17
Snow day for us today. Have over 8 inches and it is to keep snowing all day with strong winds. Planning to stay inside for a couple of days.

Looks like it mostly missed us. Less than an inch on the ground, though the streets and sidewalks look slick (from my window). We had a brief and weird thunder-hailstorm last night around 8. I thought I heard someone knocking on my back door -- opened it to thunder, lightning, and pea-sized hail blasting into the room. Whew! --Gary


Karen
2/23/17
Record high temps in the 70s last two days. Tomorrow we have a blizzard warning, up to 16 inches predicted. Thinking I will have a long weekend, hoping for a snow day.

Yow! They have upped our prediction to 2-4 inches. --Gary


Gary
2/22/17
Those of you who are not among the 1,500 people invited to dine at the Governor's Ball might want to drop by Grandma's on Oscar night, where -- as she does every year -- she will be preparing all the same dishes that Wolfgang Puck (along with 300 chefs and 600 waiters) will be serving. If you come early you can help sprinkle the gold dust on the truffle popcorn!

Savoury Snacks
Classics:
Oscar shaped cracker with smoked salmon
Black truffle chicken pot pie
Hot baked potatoes with caviar
Baked macaroni and cheese
New Dishes
Moroccan spiced Wagyu short rib with parmesan funnel cake
Taro root tacos with shrimp, mango, avocado and chipotle aioli
Gnocchetti with mushrooms and cashew cream
Lobster corn dogs
Gold-dusted truffle popcorn and homemade pretzels
Carrot juice infused pasta

Salads
Bitter Greens
Baby beet salad with goat cheese yogurt
Granola and citrus

Desserts
Gelato and sorbet
Movie Theatre Flavor Chocolate Bonbons: Goobers, Sour Patch Kids
Oreo cookie s'more
Vanilla and red velvet waffles
Lava cakes
Takoyaki cake balls
Caramel cappuccino Oscar lollipops


Gary
2/21/17
Thanks to Boe, Emily, John, Karen, Mark, Marsha, and Sam for getting their Oscar choices in over the weekend. Once again, I'm sorry for the hurry-up. Get your votes in by Friday if you want to play along this year!
Gary
2/17/17
Hey everybody, the Oscar ballot is up! My apologies for the late late start this year. I really dropped the ball. I had the flu for a couple of weeks recently and I let everything sort of slide. So I was in a meeting this morning and was sort of daydreaming "Gee, aren't the Oscars coming up sometime soon?" and did a big double-take when I discovered it's a week from Sunday! So I'm sorry you won't have much time to get your ballots in. I will need your votes by next Friday in order to get the results all tabulated. Good luck to everyone, except anyone who may beat my score.
Mom
1/17/17

Happy Birthday, Marsha!!
Karen
1/16/17
No school or work for us today. Brent has the day off for MLK. I got a call from the principal at 4:30 this morning that school was closed. Not much is opened today. Good day to stay inside.

Same here. Lots of businesses closed. School is off for MLK, but if not for that I'm sure would be closed. Sidewalks and side streets really icy! --Gary


John & Marsha
12/31/16

Happy New Year to All!!
G'ma
12/28/16

Happy Birthday, Teghan!!
Marsha & John
12/27/16

Happy Birthday Teghan!!
John & Marsha
12/24/16

May the gift of this Christmas to all be one of Love, Hope and Courage in the midst of all the struggles and difficulties that are put before us.
G'ma
12/14/16

Happy Birthday, Linz!!
Marsha & John
12/14/16

Happy Birthday Lindsey!!
Emily
12/12/16
Thanks for the Christmas card, Gary! We always look forward to getting yours! :p

Thanks. Kind of an obscure subject this year, but I hope it made at least a few people laugh. Thanks to you for the awesome Boe-card! :-) --Gary


John & Marsha
12/3/16

Happy Birthday Jack!!
Karen
12/1/16
Yeaaaa... advent calendar

It's that time! Hope y'all like it. --Gary


Karen
11/18/16

uggg winter has arrived.... about two inches of heavy wet slushy snow.

I think you guys win the lottery this year -- first winter storm -- coming in ahead of the usual winners like Minnesota, Maine, and Colorado. Congratulations! :-) --Gary


John & Marsha
11/15/16

Happy Birthday Emily!!
Anna
11/15/16
Hi Guys!
Thanks so much for a fun weekend! Jordan and I had a great time, I wish we could have hung out for an extra day or two. Grandma, I can't wait to show my Mom the pictures of your new floor and rug!
G'ma
11/15/16

Happy Birthday, Emily!!
Amanda
11/14/16
Grandma- it will just be me for dinner tomorrow! Ryan's in Baton Rouge, Tristen is subbing for another teacher and Teghan has something going on at school! I have to pick her up at 7, but I'll come after work and stay til 6:45 or so!
Karen
11/9/16
I went to bed long before results were in. I am in a bit of shock. It will be a long four years.

I stayed up, and am still up. Couldn't sleep. So I drove around for awhile, then came in to my office -- been here since about 4:30. Hopefully it is only four years. With the House, and Senate, and Supreme Court, and the FBI in his pocket, the Cheeto can pretty much stay as long as he likes. This guy is going to make us long for the good old days of George Bush, let alone Obama. Yeeg. --Gary


Karen
10/31/16
Had enough candy for 400 kids this year. It was gone in 1 1/2 hours. Weather was perfect. Boe had a fun time collecting his candy.
G'ma
10/31/16

Happy Birthday, John!


and Happy Halloween!!


G'ma
10/11/16

Happy Birthday, Ryan!!
John & Marsha
10/11/16

Happy Birthday Ryan!!
Emily, Jack, Boe
9/8/16

Happy Birthday Gary!!!
Mom
9/7/16

Happy Birthday, Gary!!
John & Marsha
9/7/16

Happy Birthday Gary!!!
G'ma
9/1/16

Happy Birthday. Sam!!
Dad & Mom
9/1/16

Happy Birthday Samantha!!
Marsha & John
8/31/16

Happy Birthday Livy!!
G'ma
8/31/16

Happy Birthday, Livy!!
Erika
8/27/16
Hi everyone, I hope everyone is doing well! I have a bit of a request. I'm planning ahead and working on some Christmas presents. I need some family pictures. I have found a couple, but I'm sure there's a lot more that I haven't been able to find. I would especially love some older, black and white pictures that have Grandpa, Grandma, and/or the 5 kids in them, but like I said, any and all family pictures would be great! If you have any you would like to send my way you can email them to me at ekn001@morningside.edu. Also, if you don't want to go through the hassle of scanning them you can send them to me through the mail. They won't be harmed at all and I'll mail them back to you as soon as I can! Thanks everyone! It will also be fun to look at some pictures I'm sure I've never seen before!
G'Ma
8/26/16

Happy Birthday, Mark!!
John, Marsha & Glenn
8/26/16

Happy Birthday Mark!!!
Marsha
8/24/16
Gary....the cloud picture today is amazing! Thanks...

I agree, a great shot. --Gary


Dad, Mom & Glenn
8/17/16

Happy Birthday Zach!!!
G'ma
8/17/16

Happy Birthday, Zach!!
Emily
8/12/16
Thanks for having us in Lincoln today, we had a great time! Boe was exhausted from such a fun time, he went to bed straight after dinner! P.S. The wine and chocolate are delicious, thanks again ;)

We all had an excellent time. It was great to see you all. Thanks for making the drive down! --Gary


G'ma
7/29/16

Happy Birthday, Sean!
John & Marsha
7/29/16

Happy Birthday Sean!!
Emily
7/22/16
Boe got his first haircut yesterday!
Marsha
6/20/16
Yikes....that shed took a beating! Stupid wind..... Boy. The Nelsons and Livi and Brett sure have had some rough encounters with weather and home.
Karen
6/19/16
Here are a few pictures from our storm. Brent worked hard today and got the shed cut up and ready for the dump. He is taking tomorrow off to finish it up.
John & Marsha
6/13/16

Happy Birthday Paul!!
Mom
6/13/16

Happy Birthday, Paul!!
Karen
6/3/16
Gary, do you plan to return to Dunkin Doughnut? How funny! Had a great birthday, enjoyed the whole day. Off of work for a week now. My summer job starts today. Almost time for Boe to come over. Emily is working for four weeks at summer school. Erika's summer job officially starts Monday, she is working at a summer program with third grade kids.

Yeah, I'll be back. I do like their stuff, especially their hot chocolate. Enjoy your week off, and a belated Happy Birthday! --Gary


Marsha & John
5/31/16

Happy Birthday Karen!!
G'ma
5/31/16

Happy Birthday, Karen!!
G'ma
5/25/16

Happy Birthday, Lori!!
John & Marsha
5/25/16

Happy Birthday Lori!!
G'ma
5/18/16

Happy Birthday, Brent!!
John & Marsha
5/18/16

Happy Birthday Brent!!
G'ma
5/13/16

Happy Birthday, Amanda!!
Marsha & John
5/13/16

Happy Birthday Amanda!!
Marsha & John
4/28/16

Happy Birthday Erika!!
Grandma
4/28/16

Happy Birthday, Erika!!
Emily
4/17/16
Thanks for the birthday wishes to Boe! He had a fun first 1st birthday with Jack's parents yesterday! He hasn't been a big fan of cake, even though I made him a special banana/applesauce, whipped cream and puffs cake! But, he did love his brisket and pork lunch at Famous Dave's! We'll be heading to see my parents and Erika this afternoon for more birthday fun (and Boe's favorite meal: pulled pork and mac&cheese!). Maybe he will enjoy his cake today :p

Thanks for the great photos! I can't believe he's already a BBQ fan -- you will have to get him a smoker for Christmas! --Gary


G'ma Jo
4/15/16

Happy First Birthday, Boe!!
John & Marsha
4/15/16

Happy Birthday Boe!!
G'ma
4/13/16

Happy Birthday Tristen!!
Marsha & John
4/13/16

Happy Birthday Tristen!!
Emily, Jack, and Boe
4/12/16

Happy Birthday Grandma!
Brent, Karen and Erika
4/11/16

Happy Birthday Grandma
John & Marsha
4/11/16

Happy Birthday Mom!!
Gary
4/1/16
Hey, look outside, it's raining, snowing, and hailing!
April Fool!

...No, wait, it really is doing all that, in Lincoln, anyway...


Karen
4/1/16
Ewes, what a frightening way to start the day, webpage is scary today.
Fun day at work today. Whole school is going to the new childrens museum. I get to drive three kindergarteners. Tomorrow we are going to Jersey Boys, Brent's sisters are joining us. It's a late Christmas get together.
Emily, Jack, and Boe
3/27/16
Happy Easter!! Thanks everyone for having us yesterday, we all had a great time! :)

And thanks to you and Jack and Boe for making the drive down. Karen, Brent, and Erika, and Marsha, Sam, and Anna, it was big fun having you all here. Thanks to everybody for making the trip. It was great! --Gary


Karen
3/24/16
History seems to have repeated itself. Always heard about the blizzard that hit when Donna was born. Yesterday was a raw cold rainy day. About 7 it poured with thunder, lightning, hail, sleet and strong winds. It soon turned to all snow. Got over 12 inches! I couldn't even push the front door open this morning. Erika, Emily and I are all off for spring break, so at least we don't have to go out. Imagine school would have cancelled anyway. Travel is not advised, so I may have to rethink my travel plans. Marsha, glad you went yesterday, today would have been much worse.
Karen and Brent
3/24/16

Happy Birthday Donna
Mom & Dad
3/21/16

Happy Birthday Anna!!
G'ma
3/21/16

Happy Birthday, Anna!!
Emily, Jack, and Boe
3/21/16

Happy Birthday Anna!!
G'ma
3/17/16
Thanks for the video, Mark! Next best thing to being there. Looks like it was a fun day. I think Boe was pleased to be an Oscar winner! What a charmer! Is it possible he will be a year old next month? Looking forward to seeing you all next week.
Karen
3/17/16
Mark, thanks for the video, enjoyed watching it. Good luck on the remodel. Are you doing the work? We will miss seeing you in Lincoln.
Mark
3/16/16
I finally put together our wedding video from last October and published it on YouTube. Here�s the link.

I�m also attaching some super fun photos taken by Emily of Jack and Boe enjoying their newfound status of Oscar winners. As you may have heard, Samantha is flying into Lincoln next week while our bathrooms are being renovated. It�s not spring unless your bathroom is getting torn apart, right?

Thanks, Mark, for the great video and thanks to Emily for the excellent photos! --Gary


Karen
3/3/16
Bathroom is almost done. Should finish everything tomorrow. The electrician put the vanity light on upside down, so that needs to be fixed. Otherwise it is finished! Been a rough 2 1/2 weeks, so we are ready.
John
2/29/16
What a topsy-turvy, wacked out roller coaster ride this last twenty-four hours has been. First, since our printer isn't connected and Marsha had already left work by the time the sheets were posted I did all the calculations in my head. I was sure when I went to bed Jack and Mark had tied (by the way, who won the tie breakers between Jack and Mark? Just askin' out of curiosity. Not lookin' to stir up any trouble. Well, maybe a little.) Anyway, was I ever surprised this morning to find out I was sharing the top prize with Mark. I thought I must have slipped a sprocket and counted incorrectly. Well, the celebration had hardly begun when it was confirmed that Jack and Mark were the official winners just as I thought and to my chagrin. I'm glad I at least had a good doctor's visit today. Congrats to Mark, Jack and especially Boe. And mucho thanks Gary for as Mark said, 'all the effort of making the Oscars truly a family event.'

Marsha wants to know if Steve Harvey was involved in any way with the announcement of the winners. She said I reminded her of Miss Columbia.


Karen
2/29/16
Major changes in bathroom today. The leak has stopped, we need a $25.00 part on the dishwasher. Should be fixed by end of week. Tub and shower are both operational. Sink and vanity are in and working. Tub doors were installed, can shower tomorrow. I just took a nice long, much needed, bath. Tomorrow the electricians come to put in lights and exhaust fan. Then just a few finishing touches and painting. Almost there... oh, congratulations to Jack also.
Emily, Jack, and Boe
2/29/16
Woohoooo! We are so excited to have the Oscar for awhile! Boe fell asleep 20 minutes into his first Oscars, the excitement was just too much! :p

Congratulations on the first Beauvais Oscar win! --Gary


Mark
2/29/16
Hey Gary! Great show last night and as always thank you for all the effort of making the Oscars truly a family event. I'm attaching a copy of my result sheet. I think you may have counted John when you meant to count Jack for the Sound Editing category. I noticed Jack and I selected all the same picks so a tie between us was expected. Your thoughts? We are thinking about displaying the trophy at Grandma's place since it hasn't been there in a while. Not that we're getting tired of it!

Yup, on my sheet I mistakenly gave one pick to John that should have gone to Jack. I ran the whole process again this morning and came up with your results: A tie for the win with Jack and Mark at 17, a three-way tie for second with Gary, John, and Sam at 16, and a tie for third with Donna and Marsha at 12. Thanks for the double-check, Mark, and congratulations to you and Jack on the win! So the trophy will spend six months in Sioux City in honor of winners Jack and Boe, and six months as a travelling exhibit at Gma's? Sounds good! --Gary


Karen
2/29/16
Congratulations to Boe, Mark and John. I am home today. We discovered a leak in the basement this weekend. Seemed to be coming from the kitchen and not the bathroom. It concerned us enough that we wanted to be here to talk with the plumber (who was scheduled to be here anyway). Construction crew here right at 8, they took a look at the leak and thought it was the dishwasher. Soooo in addition to three construction crew guys, an electrician, a plumber we will also have an appliance repairman here.

Hanging the medicine cabinet and setting the vanity today, plumber will hopefully hook up the tub and sink this afternoon. We are getting close to taking a bath again.


Gary
2/29/16
The 2016 Oscars are history, and the winners are Boe and John... or Mark...? Boe clearly toddlered to victory with 5 correct picks (beating his mom, his great-grandma, and his aunt), but the victory is not so clear cut on the non-toddler side. Both John and Mark made 17 correct picks out of 24 (a respectable 71 percent), and they both picked the same answer for tiebreaker #2. So it comes down to tiebreaker #1: John picked 11:00 as the show's ending time, and Mark 11:07 -- and by my clock the show ended between 11:03 and 11:04.

So unless I made a mistake in my vote tally, or if John or Mark want to make a case in their favor, it looks like a tie to me. John and Mark, are you willing to split custody of the trophy (3 months each), and then turn it over to Boe for 6 months?

It was a fun evening with several surprises. Best picture surprised everyone except Marsha. Congratulations on that great pick! Marsha was the only one to pick Best Song, too. Supporting Actor surprised everyone, when Mark Rylance won over Stallone. And Visual Effects surprised everyone when Star Wars didn't win.

So, a tie between John and Mark at 17; a three-way tie for second with Gary, Jack, and Samantha at 16; and a tie for third between Donna and Marsha with 12.

Congrats to the winners, and thanks to everyone for playing. Next year: three tie-breakers....


Gary
2/26/16
Oscar sheets have been sent out, so check your email. At least one person in your group should have received it. If you didn't get it, let me know and I'll make sure you do. Have fun everybody! And as always, no wagering.
Karen
2/25/16
We are back home! Walls are almost done, just need to finish shelf in shower, and grout. Plumber was here when I got home and installed the new toilet. So still no shower or sink, but we do have a floor, and a toilet. We have reclaimed the living room and kitchen...
Karen
2/25/16
Remodel continues... this will be our third night at the hotel. Floor is done and almost have the walls finished. Hoping to get the plumber back tomorrow so we can have a toilet again. Then we can come home. Going well so far, just slower than I like. The house is a disaster! Dinning room and kitchen full of materials and equipment. Living room has a tile cutter in it. I am telling myself it's ok, it's ok... time to pack another bag and head to hotel. We do have a very nice hotel. Boe came over (with his parents) for a swim last night. Water was a bit too chilly for Boe's liking.
Gary
2/25/16
The race is on! Competitors now include Boe, Donna, Emily, Gary, Grandma, Jack, John, Karen, Mark, Marsha, and Samantha. With Sam declaring, "The Oscar will continue to stay in The Shields Family!"

If your name is not listed above, you have to get your ballots in today or early tomorrow (Thursday or early Friday). I will then put the results on the form and email the form to everyone. Can't win if you don't play!

Also, for the past day or so I have had internet trouble at home. Even though everything checks out, my computer is not connecting. So any updates I do to the website will be during office hours only, until I get that fixed.


Gary
2/23/16
Normally by this time I would have posted the menu for the post-Oscars Governor's Ball -- see, for example, my post of February 19, 2015. But this year I have not been able to find the entire menu anywhere. I've turned up several articles about the Governor's Ball (like this one), but not the menu. Which is too bad, because Grandma always prepares the entire menu for the Oscar party at her house, right down to the last dab of caviar. But this year I guess we will have to go with popcorn, cheetos, and junior mints. Dang!
Gary
2/23/16
Okay, the Oscar race just got a lot harder with some heavyweight contenders adding their ballots over the weekend. Competitors now include Boe, Donna, Emily, Gary, Grandma, Jack, John, Karen, and Marsha. If your name isn't listed there, no way you can win! So go here.
Gary
2/22/16
Hey, who wants their very own Oscar trophy? (Aside from these people.) Well, so far the only ones who have a chance at it are Boe, Emily, Gary, John, Karen, and Marsha. The rest of you will find yourselves quietly weeping one week from today, wishing you had taken just a few minutes to fill out your Oscar ballots. It's sad, really.
Karen
2/19/16
We have a bathtub! Still no door... Brent put a tarp over the doorway last night. His quote "that piece of duct tape is the latch."
Karen
2/18/16
Oh boy, bathroom remodel has begun. They came this morning and took out EVERYTHING, except the toilet and light bulb. The toilet has a note on it to be careful because it is set temporary... that I am OK with. The door off... ummmm...
Gary
2/18/16
What do Boe, Emily, and Karen have in common? ...Well, lots of things, actually. But one more thing is that they are all in the 2016 Oscar race. If you want to play along, you have one week to get your picks made. So make those picks!
Gary
2/10/16
The 2016 Oscar race has begun! Our first and only contestant so far is newcomer Boe Beauvais of Sioux City, who sent in a strong-looking ballot with the note, "I can't wait for my first Oscars!" Good luck to Boe, and anyone else who joins in. Except Mark.
Gary
2/8/16
Happy Chinese New Year, everybody! I recommend the Sesame Shrimp.

With apologies for the delay, may I present the 2016 Oscar ballot! Good luck to everybody, except of course Mark.


Karen
2/3/16

The storm seems to be over. We ended up getting 15 inches! Went out early this morning to snow blow. Had some drifts over two feet. Brent is off to the office. Erika and I get another snow day. Now time for another cup of coffee and start a fire.
Marsha
2/2/16

Yeah, we have a nice snowstorm going on here too. We should wind up with several inches. My boss sent me home about 1:30 ( I love my boss). I made some beef mushroom barley soup and some red lobster cheese biscuits and I think we will watch Grandfathered and The Grinder, both are hilarious. Enjoy the snow day. Hope it melts soon!
Karen
2/2/16

Brent went out once with the snow blower. We are all about to go and clear off the truck and Erika's car and snow blow again. Still snowing.....
Karen
2/2/16

11 inches and still snowing......

(at 2:30 pm) Yow. I think ours is done. Don't shovel that stuff, get a snowblower! --Gary


Karen
2/2/16

We are all home today. Snow is piling up, maybe three inches so far. Jim Cantore is reporting from Sioux City, not a good sign.

Looks to me like the worst of it is over, here anyway; Sioux City, according to the map, has a lot more snow on the way... --Gary


Gary
2/2/16

Snow day! Not a flake on the ground at this early morning hour, but the whole town seems to have shut down in advance -- even the University, where snow days are as rare as lettuce at a barbecue. Enjoy your snow day, everybody!

P.S. I just noticed -- at the bottom of this page -- that we also had a snow day one year ago today. Weird!


Karen
2/1/16
Snow is on its way. We are in a blizzard warning for tomorrow, up to 12 inches expected. Thinking we may get the day off tomorrow. Is Lincoln or Minneapolis in the path of the storm?

They say the storm will hit tonight, with heaviest snow tomorrow. Six to twelve inches, depending on who you listen to. Could be a snow day here tomorrow! --Gary


Emily, Jack, and Boe
1/18/16

Happy Birthday Marsha! :)
Marsha and John
1/18/16

Feel better Boe! You too Emily!
John
1/18/16

Happy Birthday LW!!
Karen
1/18/16

Happy Birthday Marsha
Emily
1/17/16
Thanks! Boe and I are both finally starting to feel better. I've just had a bad cold and no voice all week. But, poor Boe has had a rough time! First he came down with pink eye on Friday, then ended up at Urgent Care on Sunday with a 102 temp, croup, and an ear infection! :( He goes back to the doctor tomorrow for his 9 month check up and we are anxious to see just how big he's gotten! He is close to 20 pounds and over 30 inches tall!! He is well above average in height and we're thinking he is going to be a pretty tall kid! He still isn't sure what to think of his swim lessons... he loves to splash and play with the toys and other kids, but doesn't like to share toys or work on the skills his teachers try to show him. He isn't driving just yet ;) but is loving rides in his new trike!
P.S. We're looking forward to the Oscars!! I always have fun with them and am glad you go to so much work to put it together, Gary! Boe will most definitely be entering the race this year too! :p
Emily
1/16/16
Boe is 9 months old! He loves to move! He crawls, climbs, stands, and tries to walk all day long! He is clapping, waving, and finally saying Mama. He is using a sippy cup and has started swim lessons!

I heard he (and you) haven't been feeling well lately. Feel better soon, both of you! ...swim lessons?? Is he driving yet? :-) --Gary


Mark
1/14/16

Happy New Years everyone! Looks like the Oscar race is on! Have you checked out the nominees this morning? I wonder when Gary will get the 2015 Oscars results page online? :-) Love y'all! -Mark

Yeah, about last year's results: Apologies all around, especially to Mark, the winner. During the Oscars, I keep a detailed play-by-play scoresheet that I use later to write up the results. Except this time, after the show, I misplaced it. At first I kept thinking it would turn up, but it didn't; and then I figured I could reconstruct the whole thing by going back to the ballots everyone sent in. But I kept putting that off, too, because that's kind of a big job -- and no one ever reads that page anyway, right? And besides, I've got like a whole year before the next Oscars, right? And then suddenly this morning, here are the nominations. Bottom line, I really need a personal assistant to handle this stuff for me. I'll get something up there soon! :-) Meanwhile, here are this year's nominations! --Gary


John & Marsha
12/31/15

Happy New Year!!
John & Marsha
12/28/15

Happy Birthday Teghan!!
John & Marsha
12/24/15

Merry Christmas To All
John & Marsha
12/20/15
Congrats to Lindsey on your graduation! Way to go!!!! Love you
John & Marsha
12/14/15

Happy Birthday Lindsey!!
G'Ma
12/14/15

Happy Birthday, Linz!!
G'Ma
12/2/15

Happy Birthday, Jack!!
John & Marsha
12/2/15

Happy Birthday Jack!!
Marsha & John
11/26/15

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!!
Donna
11/17/15
Emily, what a cute picture of Boe, he's getting so big.

Happy birthday. The cake you made looked so good. Maybe you can add the recipe to our page.
G'ma
11/16/15

Happy Birthday, Emily!!
John & Marsha
11/16/15

Happy Birthday Emily!!
Emily
11/15/15
Boe is 7 months old! He is growing so fast! He weighs 17 pounds and is 28 inches tall! He can sit on his own and loves to say Dada! He is working on getting his 2 bottom teeth and is SO close to crawling!
Nelsons
10/31/15

Happy Birthday John
G'ma
10/30/15

Happy Birthday, John!!!
Marsha, Anna, Zachary and Glenn
10/29/15

Happy birthday John!
Amanda
10/25/15
Ryan will be in attendance Tuesday night!
G'ma
10/22/15
Congratulations Mark and Sam!!
Mark
10/22/15
Hey All! We pulled off the wedding coup of the year by getting married on the steps of the real Back to the Future Clock Tower set (currently dressed for shooting the Marvel TV show Agent Carter) on the Universal Studios backlot yesterday. We're still catching our breath. We even received congratulations from the Bob Gale and Robert Zemeckis who cowrote and directed the Back to the Future films. Good times! More news later. We are traveling the next few days with a fan group called WereGoingBack and then onward to DisneyLand next week. Take care everyone!

So...this means you already got married on November 12, 1955...? Not clear how this works. But congratulations! :-) --Gary


Amanda
10/21/15
Look who we ran into in LA last night, the newlyweds! Congratulations Mark & Sam!!!
Amanda
10/17/15
Made it to Los Angeles today and had a great time! Got way closer than most people do to the Hollywood sign, mostly by driving up streets marked "locals only" and "no Hollywood sign access" because we knew that was one of the better ways to see it! We went to Hollywood Blvd to find some stars (Teghan has a lot of pictures of them, just none with her!) and Rodeo Drive. Then we headed over to Santa Monica Pier and rode the Ferris wheel. We saw a guy fishing off the pier catch a baby leopard shark. Then we went further south and ate at Hermosa Beach right at sunset. Throughout the whole day we saw lots of stuff we'd seen on TV or heard of, like the Kat Von D tattoo parlor, the Kardashians store DASH and the Hotel Roosevelt, or even just neighborhoods and street names like El Camino Real and Sunset Blvd. We saw so many unreal cars, Bentleys, Lamborghinis, Rolls Royces and everyone seems to have a Porsche. We'll be back Tuesday night for the Clippers Golden State game, so hoping to drive down Sunset Blvd at night.

Photos here. Thanks, Amanda! Have fun, you guys! --Gary


Mark
10/16/15
Just thought I would drop a picture off of Sam's wedding band. We literally received it on the last possible day before we head out to California. We're getting married at a Back to the Future fan celebration that will be going on from October 21st, 2015 (a.k.a. Back to the Future Day) until Sunday night. We'll then put in three days at DisneyLand with a quick pitstop at the famed and mysterious Magic Castle in Hollywood. Apparently only other magicians and their closest friends are allowed entry and we happen to have one of those in common. Anyway, just thought I'd drop everyone reading the newsletter a hello before we depart on Monday. We'll start planning on hosting receptions in Lincoln and another in Houston post-haste so stay tuned!
Emily
10/16/15
Happy half birthday Boe! He is 6 months old today! He is 27 inches tall and 16.5 pounds (59th percentile)! He is making lots of new sounds and loves to jabber! He is rolling, scooting and trying to crawl!
Karen
10/15/15
Sooooo, we have a stray cat hanging around the house. Being the cat lovers we are we have been feeding it for the past week. Tonight Brent put a can of food on the porch. He looked out the window a few minutes later to see if the cat found it. Instead of the cat there was an (a?) opossum eating. Creeped us out, tried to scare it off the porch. Waited five minutes to make sure it was gone, only to see a raccoon eating out of the bird feeder..... the cat is now on his own and the bird feeder will be left empty!

I have a four day week end. Went shopping most of today. Just about finished my Christmas shopping, a personal best for me. Back pain is mostly gone. Went to doctor last week for a check up.... apparently blood pressure should be less than 170/100.... So I have to double my meds and just got another prescription today.

Gary, I watched a movie to recommend for the next movie night with mom... Still Mine... think you might enjoy it.

Thanks for the movie tip, and the story from the Wild Kingdom. Good to hear your back is feeling better! --Gary


Gary
10/12/15
Amanda, I checked with G'ma and she said 5:30 is fine. (Donna also is on board for this.) So we'll see you Tuesday night!
Amanda
10/12/15
Actually, we could still come, but if we moved it to 5:30? Donna, Gary? Would that work? And Ryan would be with us!
G'ma
10/12/15

Happy Birthday, Ryan!!
Amanda
10/12/15
Grandma- I hate to cancel last minute but we just found out Teghan has a concert tomorrow night so we won't make it to dinner! She has to be to the school at 6:20. And remember we won't be there next week either.
John & Marsha
10/12/15

Happy Birthday Ryan!!
Marsha and John
10/6/15
Enjoyed seeing Punch Pizza on the homepage. Best pizza ever!

I had it years ago, and I've had pizza in Rome in the meantime, and yet I still think about Punch Pizza... --Gary


Emily
9/22/15
Boe turned 5 months old last week! He had grown so much from his 1 month picture!

That bear is definitely getting smaller. --Gary


Nelsons
9/7/15

Happy Birthday Gary
John & Marsha
9/7/15

Happy Birthday Gary!!
Mom
9/7/15

Happy Birthday, Gary!!
Karen
9/3/15
I love that you have a family cat on the front page today. Hot hot and hot here again today. It's been pretty miserable at school. Poor Emily doesn't have ac in her school. Its been a rough week, she is hoping for an early today.

No AC?? OMG! That would be a deal-breaker for me. I heard a front will come through on Sunday -- rain and cooler temps. Hope so! --Gary


G'ma
9/1/15

Happy Birthday, Sam!!
Dad & Mom
9/1/15

Happy Birthday Samantha!!
Marsha & John
8/31/15

Happy Birthday Livy!!
G'ma
8/31/15

Happy Birthday, Livy!!
G'ma
8/27/15

Happy Birthday, Mark!!
John & Marsha
8/27/15

Happy Birthday Mark!!
Emily
8/24/15
Boe started daycare today! And, I had my first day back to work! Boe had a great day, we think he is going to like his daycare days! :)

Wow, for his first day, his chalkboard work is really good! --Gary


G'ma
8/17/15

Happy Birthday, Zach!!
Mom, Dad & Glenn!!!
8/17/15

Happy Birthday Zach!!
Emily
8/16/15
Thanks for having us in Lincoln yesterday, we had a great time!! We got home around 7 and Boe was wide awake from sleeping in the car so we ate delicous Trader Joe's sweet potato chips and the chocolate ganache bacon bar while watching Pitch Perfect 2 (I thought it was great!). Boe is already missing the porch swing (and hanging out with Great Grandma!) We can't wait to visit again! :)
Gary
8/16/15
Hey, thanks to the Nelson/Beauvais contingent for coming down to Lincoln yesterday. It was great to see you all, and we all had an excellent time. Next time, Emily, remember to pack extra shirts for Jack!
Gary
8/13/15
Good morning, everybody. Just wanted to share three cool new things to be on the lookout for.

One, a planned life-size replica of Minas Tirith, the large city in The Lord of the Rings, to be built in southern England. It will be a fully-functioning community where people can live.

Two, Colbert's Late Show starts September 8. The sign went up yesterday.

And three, a must-see movie about 50's screenwriter and author Dalton Trumbo. Can't wait for this one.


Amanda
8/10/15
Grandma, No Tristen tomorrow, but Ryan will be there! (& don't alter any menus for him!!)
Nelsons
8/5/15
Happy Anniversary Marsha and John
Emily
7/29/15
Boe was baptized in Columbus on Sunday!
G'Ma
7/29/15

Happy Birthday, Sean!!
John & Marsha
7/29/15

Happy Birthday Sean!!
Amanda
7/27/15
Grandma, Ryan is in town, so all 4 of us will be there tomorrow, plus Sean should be too, he�s working in town this week!
Amanda
7/20/15
Gma, Donna, Gary... Anyone want eggs? My mom gave me 2 dozen 5 of which were harvested (?) by Tristen and Teghan, I can bring them tomorrow!

None for me, but thanks! --Gary


Emily
7/17/15
To celebrate Boe's 3 month birthday we had family and 3 month pictures taken over the weekend. Boe refused to smile in every single picture!! :p
Gary
7/16/15
Emily, I don't want to alarm you, but that bear seems to be shrinking...
Marsha and John
7/16/15
Boe looks adorable! Thanks for the pictures.
Emily
7/16/15
Boe is 3 months old today!
Karen
7/8/15
Ummmm, I got Bernie Sanders.....

Me too! I will support whichever Dem can beat whichever Pub they wind up with. At the moment, according to the polls, that person is Hillary -- easily. But stayed tuned! --Gary


Gary
7/8/15
So, which candidate -- Democrat or Republican -- has stands on the issues that are closest to yours? Take the ISideWith quiz. Pretty interesting!
Amanda
7/6/15
Grandma, Ryan won't be there Tuesday, so cook all the eggs & white sauce you'd like!
Emily
7/4/15
Happy 4th of July!
Gary
6/29/15
I just heard that the #1 best-selling DVD on Amazon right now is ... Gone With the Wind. Why? Because all the conservative loonies out there are afraid the movie will be banned. I know, right?

Attention Conservative Loonies: Nobody is taking anything away from you. All that happened is, the leaders of a few of your states decided to not fly the Confederate flag over your state capitols because, you know, treason and racism. You can still fly the flag of treason and racism in your yards, on your pickups, on your caps and jean-jackets, on your moonshine stills, your gun-racks, and your hound-dogs.

Personally, I find the Confederate flag very handy: It helps identify the racist morons from a distance. "Oh, there's one!" What a week! :-)


Karen
6/20/15
We had a good time. Glad it all worked out. Good drive home, no shortcuts.....
Gary
6/20/15
Karen, Brent, Emily, and Jack (and Boe) -- Thanks for making the long drive down on this hot day and giving us a chance to see Boe in person. He's a winner! We all had an excellent time, and hope you did too. (Thanks for the popcorn, too -- yum!)
Emily
6/19/15
Boe is so excited to visit Lincoln tomorrow, he had to wear his Husker's onesie for the first time! We are hoping to be on the road by 830 tomorrow and at Grandma's by 1130, can't wait to see everyone who can make it!

Great photo! See you all tomorrow. --Gary


Emily
6/18/15
Boe turned 2 months old on Tuesday! He now weighs 11.5 pounds and is 22 inches tall! He can't wait to visit Lincoln on Saturday!

Emily, excellent circle-drawing around that 2! --Gary


Emily
6/13/15
Yes, next Saturday, June 20, one week from today!
Emily
6/13/15
Hey Lincoln! If it's not too short notice we thought we would come visit on Saturday, the 20th. Would anyone be available? We are excited for Boe to meet all of you!

I'll be here! (Speaking for myself.) Sounds good! Just to be clear, you were talking July before, but the 20th is next Saturday, June 20. Didn't want anyone showing up a month late. :-) --Gary


G'Ma
6/12/15

Happy Birthday, Paul!!
John & Marsha
6/12/15

Happy Birthday Paul!!
G'Ma
6/11/15
Really sorry to hear about Gale Muller. Knew he had been sick for a long time, way too young.

Yeah. My office here has some overlap with Gallup and several people here knew him too, so this news is touching a lot of people. --Gary


G'Ma
6/11/15
Love to see how Boe is growing! Beginning to fill out his cute little clothes. I think any time at all would be great to see you. No plans to do much from my house! SaltDogs house looked pretty empty, but was a pretty night to be there. Thanks for the recipes, Marsha! Aim to try the Snickers one very soon. Enjoy all the pictures.
Emily
6/10/15
Boe will be 8 weeks old tomorrow! He loves being outside and going for walks. He is fascinated by ceiling fans and could stare at them all day! He is getting a lot heavier when we carry him. We are looking forward to seeing just how much he's grown at his 2 month check up tomorrow. We're not looking forward to his first round of shots tomorrow, wish us luck!

We would like to visit Lincoln sometime in July, after the 4th. Are there any weekends that would or wouldn't work for everyone?


Karen
6/10/15
What a fun night you both had. Great pictures.

It was great -- a classic summer experience. --Gary


Gary
6/10/15
My work group rented a box at last night's Salt Dogs game (which Winnipeg won, 8-6) and Teghan went along with me. We had a great time. The air-conditioned box felt great for the first few innings -- it was 95 out -- but as the sun got lower it got nice and cool in the seats outside. Along with the box we got a wad of Dog Dollars (for concessions) so we had plenty of ball-park food. Pictures here!
Gary
6/8/15
Two new recipes up today, courtesy of Marsha. Thanks! And apologies for the delay in posting them. My email last week kind of got away from me.
G'Ma
6/1/15

Happy Birthday, Karen!!
John & Marsha
6/1/15

Happy Birthday Karen!!
Gary
5/31/15
After a pretty mild winter (compared to the rest of the country), and a pretty nice spring (other than a flood here and there), it looks like Nebraska is in for a pretty nice summer -- with temperatures "much below average" according to the Weather Channel.

Click here for the full article, or get the gist from this image:


Marsha
5/27/15
Funniest front page ever!
Gary
5/26/15
Sam's new TX address has been updated to the secret Contact page. Thanks, Sam!
G'Ma
5/26/15
Six, it is!
Amanda
5/26/15
We're back to 6pm Tuesday dinners, right?

Think so! I'll make sure G'ma sees this. --Gary


John & Marsha
5/25/15

Happy Birthday Lori!!
G'Ma
5/25/15

Happy Birthday, Lori!!
Gary
5/22/15
Here are a few shots from Tristen's graduation party. It was an excellent get-together, and everybody had a great time. I'm sorry I didn't get a picture of the food, which was an amazing breakfast buffet: eggs, bacon, potatoes, pancakes, the works!

Thanks to Amanda and Ryan for all the work they put into it. Have a great long weekend, everybody!


Emily
5/21/15
Boe is 5 weeks old today! He has had a busy first month but is doing great! He has already traveled to Omaha twice! (For a wedding and a graduation) And has gone on his first overnight trip! (To Okoboji for another wedding) This weekend we will be going to Columbus for Jack's sister's graduation. We are hoping to bring Boe to Lincoln as soon as our schedules slow down! Boe is getting so much bigger! He doesn't fit into newborn outfits anymore and weighs close to 9 pounds!

Great pictures. Thanks! --Gary


Karen
5/21/15
Two new additions to the first grade classroom. Every year the teacher hatches chickens. This year she also hatched two ducks. Then she thought they need some water to swim....... Tomorrow is their last day at school. The kids love it. Usually have one or two kids sitting by the pool reading to them.

Thanks for the pictures! --Gary


G'Ma
5/18/15

Happy Birthday, Grandpa Brent!!
John and Marsha
5/18/15

Happy Birthday Brent!!
Gary
5/15/15
Wow, just got dark as night here a few minutes ago (9:50 am), followed by a brief hailstorm, then it rained, and then the rain stopped and it got very still. Storm has already pretty much passed as I typed this, but it was an interesting fifteen minutes!
Marsha and John
5/14/15

Happy Birthday, Amanda!!!
G'Ma
5/14/15

Happy Birthday, Amanda!!
John & Marsha
5/10/15
Happy Mother's Day Mom and a Happy Mother's Day to all our other Mothers!!!
Donna
5/8/15
Not sure how much rain I got, but my watering can, about 10-12 inches tall, was full of water. Fortunately, my basement is dry and I'm happy I got the new roof on before (not during) the rain this week. Sharon sent me pictures yesterday, they got hit hard. No one on her block could leave yesterday. The two girls on the canoes are her neighbors and they were giving people rides in and out. And these canoe girls were on the news. :-) Haven't heard how they're doing yet today.

Thanks for the pictures. I saw those girls on the news this morning. I hope they have put the kayaks in drydock as I also saw this morning the sewage treatment plant is two feet over flood stage and raw sewage is going directly into Salt Creek... --Gary


Karen
5/7/15
So how bad was the Lincoln storm? Seeing lots of stories about it here. Everyone staying dry?

There were a couple of wild hours where the sirens were wailing and nobody knew (including the weather guys) if there were tornadoes on the ground or not. But after that it was just a night of thunderstorms and lots of rain. Two people at work were out the next day because their basements flooded, and they spent the day frantically moving stuff and dealing with water. We did set a record in Lincoln for the most rain in one day -- at least 5.5 inches, with some parts of town getting as much as 7.5. --Gary


Donna
5/5/15
Hi Emily, great pictures! I would love #16 in a 4X6 please.
Cute baby announcement too. :)
Emily
5/5/15
Boe's newborn pictures! Password is beauvais. We ordered a CD with digital copies of all of the pictures so we can make our own prints if anyone has any requests. He has already grown so much since these were taken a little over 2 weeks ago!
Karen
4/29/15
Erika is spending her birthday in Chicago. I took her to the airport at 4:30 this morning (yes I will be in bed early). She helped her professor with a research paper, they were asked to present it at a conference in Chicago. So she got a free airplane ticket and four nights at the Palmer House Hotel. This afternoon she went to the Millennium Park and shopping at Michigan Avenue.

Awesome! Good for you, Erika! --Gary


Marsha & John
4/28/15

Happy Birthday, Erika!!
G'Ma
4/28/15

Happy Birthday, Erika!!
G'ma
4/24/15
Really liked the pictures of Boe! Glad he is doing well. Sounds like he must be a big eater, gained a lot his first week!
Donna
4/23/15
Great pictures Emily! A week old already. Glad he's doing better. Can't wait to meet him. :)
Emily
4/23/15
Boe is 1 week old today! He had an excellent doctor's appointment and is doing so much better! He now weighs 6 pounds 13 ounces! He was down to just 6 pounds when he was admitted to the hospital on Sunday! We're hoping he can visit Lincoln sometime soon!
Emily & Jack
4/21/15
Thanks for the congratulations! We are so happy to finally have Boe here! He has had a very eventful first 5 days of life! We left the hospital Friday evening and by Saturday afternoon noticed he wasn't acting right. We took him to Urgent Care on Sunday and were immediately referred to ER! After a few blood tests the ER doctor said she was very glad we came in because Boe was jaundiced and had extremely high bilirubin levels. So we were admitted to pediatrics and Boe spent 24 hours under lots of Billi lights with an IV. Thankfully he improved enough to go home yesterday afternoon. He's doing better now, but still has some higher than usual bilirubin levels that will have to be monitored for awhile but hopefully no more hospital stays!

Some pictures from Boe's first days!


G'ma
4/16/15
Congratulations, Emily and Jack!! Welcome Little Boe!
Karen
4/16/15
Boe Gerald Beauvais, born about 7:30 this morning. 6 lbs 8 oz. 20 inches.

Congratulations! First boy in, what, decades...? --Gary


G'Ma
4/14/15

Happy Birthday, Tristen!!
Marsha & John
4/13/15

Happy Birthday Tristen!!
Karen and Brent
4/12/15

Happy birthday Mom
Marsha & John
4/10/15

Happy Birthday Mom!!
Karen
4/2/15
Gary, it's back to English today, I was hoping it was time to learn Latin. Had a great time in Lincoln Saturday. Had a good drive home, the new car was fun to drive. Anna, how are you doing? I've been enjoying my week off. Today it's out to lunch with Brent, then a stop by the jewelry store. Noticed my diamond was missing from my engagement ring yesterday. Looked ALL over for it, but couldn't find it, so we'll see about replacing it.
Gary
4/1/15
Big thanks to Marsha, Anna, and Sam for visiting. Especially Anna, who did so under extreme circumstances. Hope you're fully recovered by now, Anna! It was great fun having you all here. Also great to see Karen, Emily, and Erika on Saturday. Thanks, everybody!
Karen and Brent
3/24/15

Happy birthday Donna
Mom
3/23/15

Happy Birthday, Donna!!
G'ma
3/20/15

Happy Birthday, Anna!!
Dad & Mom
3/20/15

Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!
Karen
3/13/15
Gorgeous weather today 70s and sunny spring may be here. Got out of school at 1 today for a teacher in service. Ran all of my errands and should have the rest of the weekend free.

Brent and I did some shopping this week and we bought a new car. I am now driving a bright red 2014 Mazda 3. May need to go for a drive this weekend :)


Mark
3/4/15
The Samantha Countdown has commenced. She'll be in Lincoln for 8 days starting March 23rd. Prepare yourselves!
Gary
2/26/15
Attention, computer users: There is a really evil computer virus making the rounds called Cryptowall or sometimes Cryptolocker. The virus enters your machine through an email attachment. Once in, it will encrypt certain files -- say, all your photos or all your documents -- making them unusable, and then displays a screen informing you that you can get your files back if you pay a ransom. And if you don't pay within certain time limits, the ransom keeps going up. It literally takes your computer as hostage. The virus has been traced to criminals in Russia.

It hit Grandma's computer a few weeks ago, and believe me, it is very difficult to get rid of. It attacked her photos. While I was able to restore a lot of them, some -- especially photos that were in email attachments -- may be gone for good. I'm still working on getting her computer back to normal. We did not pay the ransom.

So be very careful about email attachments. If you don't have virus protection on your computer, you should get get it; and if you already have it, make sure it's up to date. You can get Microsoft's virus protection for free: it's called Security Essentials.

Here's an article about a town in New Hampshire that got hit by this virus last year after it entered an unprotected computer in the police department. Scary!


Karen
2/24/15
Teghan, cats are always the winners :)

Well, on today's page Teghan gave the nod to both dogs, not the cats! --Gary


John & Marsha
2/23/15
Congrats Mark on your excellent win. We had a great time at the Oscar party last night. The taco bar was delish! Let's do it again next year. Yes! No doubt! Michael Keaton was robbed along with Boyhood.

Holy Cow!! How rude of us not to congratulate Teghan on her big win. Way to go and there appears to possibly be a dynasty forming with you and Tristen. Yikes!!!


Amanda
2/23/15
Tuesday night dinner conflict for tomorrow! Teghan has basketball at 6, so why don't you guys just eat at 6 and we'll come by after for a leftover or two! (No Tristen, she'll be at dance!)
Mark
2/23/15
Hey Gary. We had a Hatgidakis family get-together at our downtown Minneapolis apartment last night and had great fun following along with the ballot. You�re a worthy adversary to be sure, although Grandma definitely had me on the run there. Personally I feel that Michael Keaton totally deserved best actor. That�s my only major disagreement with the Academy�s choices. Good times! Samantha is flying into Lincoln in a few weeks and will bring the trophy along for Teghan so stay tuned!

Thanks, but by my tally there were at least five other adversaries more worthy than me last night. :-) I agree with you on Keaton, and I agreed with you on several other categories -- like Best Picture. Birdman was an amazing film, but I thought the Academy would side with Boyhood, so that's how I voted. Mistake... Thanks to everybody for playing along again this year! --Gary


Gary
2/22/15
Hats off to Mark and Teghan on their Oscar victory! I'll post the complete results tomorrow, so watch this space.
Gary
2/21/15
Erika has joined the competition (thanks, Erika!), and I am told all four Metcalfs will be sending in their votes this evening -- from the car while they're on the way to the Nebraska State Cheer and Dance Competition in Grand Island. (Thanks, guys!) So I will be emailing the ballots Sunday morning. Again, good luck to everybody, especially me.
Gary
2/20/15
Okay, we're about 2-and-a-half days from Oscar time. There are still some out there who have expressed an interest in playing but who haven't sent in their choices yet. We can only wait another day or so, so please jump in!

In the meantime, I will post the results of the voting so far. Looks like an interesting race -- good luck, everybody!


Gary
2/19/15
Well, Grandma has been stocking up on smoked salmon and black truffles, so you know it's Oscar time. As you all know by now, she prepares the same menu that Wolfgang Puck does for the post-Oscar Governor's Ball -- just so we have something to snack on while we watch. Looks pretty good this year! When I was over there a few days ago, she was making Earl Grey ice cream for the Mexican brownies, and cutting the 24K gold flakes for the parsnip soup. MMM-mmm!

The Oscar scoresheets will be going out by email tomorrow (Friday). We're still waiting on a few stragglers, and hopefully they will get their choices made by then. I will also post the complete scoresheet here tomorrow.

Here's the menu! (Most dishes have pictures -- click on them to view.)

Tray Passed Hors D'Oeuvres
Spicy Tuna Tartare, Sesame Miso Cone, Pickled Ginger, Bonito Flakes
Mini American Wagyu Burgers, Aged Cheddar, Remoulade
Smoked Salmon Oscar Matzo
Assorted Pizzas
Lobster "BLT" with Bacon, Tomato, Chive Aioli, and Brioche
Aged Cheddar Grilled Cheese with Roasted Tomato
Smoked Hominy Toasts, Avocado, Salsa Verde
Crispy Artichokes, Citrus-Chili Gremolata
Beet Latkes, Pastrami Duck, Apple Mustard
Parsnip Chips, Caponata, Capers

Cocktail Bites
Homemade Pretzels, Pimento Cheese
Five-Year Aged Gouda and Parmigiano-Reggiano
Deviled Eggs with Spiced Crab
Roasted Nuts with Rosemary, Cayenne, Sea Salt, and Brown Sugar
Breadsticks and Seeded Lavash

Passed Small Plates -- Served Hot
Baked Potato with Caviar
Chicken Pot Pie, Black Truffles
Parsnip Soup with White Chocolate, Pears, Rosemary, and 24k Gold
Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Crispy Potato Galette with Smoked Salmon and Caviar
Wagyu Shortrib, Hay-Smoked Kabocha Squash Puree
Celery Root Agnolotti, Black Winter Truffles
Dover Sole, Fennel, Chili, Orange Miso Vinaigrette

Passed Small Plates -- Served Chilled
Lobster Salad with Artichokes, Asparagus, Fava Beans, Baby Beets, and Citrus Vinaigrette
Chinois Chicken Salad
Chilled Sweet Pea Soup with Black Truffles

Chocolates and Sweets
Coffee Oscar Lollipops
Peanut Butter Strawberry Jelly Lollipop
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Chocolate Mint Truffles
Strawberry Marshmallow Rocher
Vanilla Caramel
Nougat Gianduja
WP Artisanal Chocolate Truffles and Bon Bons
Truffle Coconut Macaron
Violet Creme Brulee, Blackcurrant Jelly
Passion Fruit Pate de Fruits
Milk Chocolate Panna Cotta, Raspberry, Cherry
Bittersweet Chocolate Cupcake, Marshmallow Frosting
Assorted Chocolate Barks and Bars
White Chocolate Cream, Wild Strawberry Push Pops
Hollywood Chocolate Mousse, Citrus Creme Brulee
Assorted Mini Cookies
Dark Chocolate Brownie

Small Plate Sweets
Mexican Spiced Chocolate Brownie, Earl Grey Ice Cream, Cocoa Crumbs
Apple Millefeuille with Brown Butter Sauce and Apple Cider Jelly
Tiny Vanilla Bean and Hot Fudge Sundae


John & Marsha
2/17/15
You may email our copies. We can take care of printing them without any problem. Thanks again for all that you continue to do to keep our Oscar Night alive and kickin'.

Thanks much; my pleasure! --Gary


Karen
2/17/15
Gary we can print out copies for us, no need to mail ours (Emily and Jacks too).

Thanks. That will ease things, and give people a few extra days to vote. --Gary


Gary
2/16/15
I have no idea what's going on, but the Oscar form is working again, as of 6 pm. I did nothing to it. So anyway, if you haven't voted yet, please try it again.

With these last-minute problems delaying our last-minute voters, I don't think I'll be able to get the score sheets in the mail in time. Do most of us have access to a printer? If so, I could simply email the ballot to y'all and you could print them off as desired. Would that work for everybody?


Gary
2/16/15
I am learning this morning that the Oscar form, which was working fine last week, is no longer working -- at least for those using a PC. It does seem to be working okay if you use an iPad, or a smartphone, or a Mac. If you haven't yet sent in your ballot and if you have access to any of those devices, try them instead.

Or, if you want to call me today -- either my cell or office phone -- you can read your choices to me and I'll fill out your ballot on my end.

Sorry about this! The webhost I use seems to keep changing the rules about how forms (like our Oscar ballot) work. My apologies!


Gary
2/16/15
Anna, Jack, and Marsha have suited up for the Oscar race. If you are still hanging back, you have today only to jump in! I'm mailing out the scoresheets first thing tomorrow. Good luck to everybody, especially me.
Gary
2/14/15
Emily, Mark, and Samantha are now officially in the Oscar pool. If you're not, come on in! Twenty-six clicks and you're done!
Gary
2/13/15
Down to the wire! Please take a few minutes this weekend to make your Oscar picks. If you don't, that means either Gary, John, or Karen will get the coveted trophy. Okay, so you didn't win the big $500 million lottery -- you still have a chance to win this!
Gary
2/10/15
At long last, the Oscar ballot is up! Deepest apologies for the delay on my part, a delay which means we have only 1 week to get our votes in. I will need to tabulate the results next Tuesday, the 17th in order to get the scoresheets in the mail. (This would not be an issue if everyone would just move to Lincoln -- then we could all have several more days to vote.)

So start thinking and start clicking. And please inform anyone who might not check this page. Except Mark. Do not tell Mark.


Amanda
2/10/15
And by the way. We'll be there at 5:30 tonight!
Amanda
2/6/15
Grandma, Ryan will be with us this week for dinner, and then the following Tuesday, the 17th, none of us will be there as Teghan has a basketball game at 7:10 and Tristen has two basketball games to perform at! See you on the 10th!
Karen
2/5/15
Soup recipe looks yummy. May have to give it a try.

Gary I tried to call you Sunday, rang and rang then I remembered it was your old landline number. How much snow did Lincoln get? Another snow day? We ended up 7-8 inches on Sunday, had a two hour late start on Monday. Maybe another inch yesterday. Roads are beginning to clear off, now its cold, temp of -10 this morning. Fun night last night. Brent has been sick last two days, thought it might be the flu. I got home from school yesterday, he wasn't good, couldn't take a deep breath and was very shaky. I said lets go to dr or er. He agreed to go to Urgent care. We went straight there, got right in and I waited, and waited and waited. One and half hours later the nurse came out and said I should come with her. I thought oh great what now. Turns out it wasn�t the flu, wasn�t pneumonia, wasn't a heart attack (they ran tests for all of those). He was dehydrated and needed an iv. They were trying to start it when I came in the room. Three nurses, 10 needle stabs and 30 minutes later we said enough. Talked with the doctor and agreed to go straight to er to get fluids. So off we went got to the hospital and a parking lot was overflowing. Lots of sick people in er. Doctor talked to Brent, said you are welcome to wait, but know it will be at least two hours and by that time you will most likely catch the flu from the other patients. So he promised to drink gallons of water and take it easy and we headed home. Well see what happens today....

We got around the same amount of snow, in two storms separated by a day or two. And it's -6 this morning, but we're supposed to be up in the 40s for several days starting tomorrow. Feel better, Brent -- drink up! --Gary


Gary
2/3/15
Those of you waiting for the Oscar ballot, please be patient. I've been busy and haven't gotten around to making it yet. Will do soon!

If you like, you could while away the time by trying my new soup. I wanted runzas for the Superbowl but didn't want to make them and didn't want to go to the drive-thru. So I made the runza experience into a soup, which was not bad. Recipe here!


Gary
2/2/15
Sorry about the Superbowl, Marsha -- I know you were rooting for the Seahawks. If it helps, the Patriots didn't really win it; the Seahawks lost it with that bizarre pass call on the last play of the game. The Patriots were outplayed, I thought, and they won it on a fluke. Good game, though, and a great halftime.
Karen
2/1/15
Sioux City has a two hour late start tomorrow. Emily and I will get to sleep in. I am up til midnight tonight, have to pick up Erika at work. Roads were not so great when it was time for her to go in, so Brent dropped her off. Hope the snow plows are out.... Enjoy your day

Drive safe! Wish everybody had a snow day tomorrow, but I don't wish the snow on you. --Gary


Gary
2/1/15
Woo-hoo! Just now (8:50 pm) got a text from the University saying all classes are cancelled and all offices closed tomorrow. Snow day! :-)
Amanda
2/1/15
LPS called school already, wowza! Teghan went sledding at Holmes lake with a couple friends and Ryan went with and said he's never felt wind and snow hitting his face like it did at the top of the dam. And that's saying a lot for a guy who used to work on a flightline in Alaska!

Congrats on the snow-day, Teghan, and all you other LPSers! --Gary