I have had quite a day! Does anybody want to hear about it? It includes a funeral, a stolen purse, $1. charge on a credit card, meeting a new neighbor & standing in a puddle of gasoline, Stevie driving on 35W for the first time, and almost hitting a garbage can as the police looked on. Does this sound intriguing? I might post more tomorrow. Have a great day! Love, Nancy

The Before Pictures
My parents are having a little work done on the house and wanted me to post these lovely "before" pictures:





Stay tuned for the "after" pictures!
Ingrid

How do I find the banner and coat of arms? Is it part of the blog? Mark

Hey Tom, just think, if you marry Jessica Rose Amos, she won't have to get all new monograms on her clothing and accessories! That is so exciting.. Just kidding.. no pressure. :)

Thank you Joel for Paul's head, it has now been added to the banner at the top of the page.

Norris, nice castle.. always have to one up us don't you!! :) hehe..

Maria and I went to see two movies last night, almost a little much if you ask me. We saw two pretty good movies, Tuck Everlasting and The Emperor's Club. They were both enjoyable, but by the end of the 4 hours, i was ready to stand and stretch... ugh..

I'll add those links for you Teresa.

Reports from abroad (I asked Norris if we could repost his reports of his English travels; actually he never replied so I'm assuming it is okay...)

Saturday 1/11/2003
Today, I went to Windsor, Windsor Castle, Harrods, Campden Market, and walked around a lot. It was fun. At the changing of the guard at Windsor, there was a full marching band. They played the Indiana Jones theme and Darth Vader's march, among other John Williams selections.

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Friday 1/10/2003
Today at breakfast, I met a woman from San Diego. She is a teacher there. Anyway, we spent the day touring together as we had the same itenirary...and Emily refuses to spend any money to see things. We went to the tower of London, St. Paul's Cathedral, British Museum, Tate Modern, Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and Westminster Abbey. We are now ending our day at the Internet Cafe. We did so much walking and stair climbing, not to mention the stairs at St. Paul's. We did go all the way to the top. We both really wanted to ride the London Eye, but it is closed for it's annual repairs. Too bad.

Won't be mistaken for an outhouse...

For some reason, during finals week at the U, Norris decided to use his spare time to build a little "gingerbread house," except without the gingerbread. He devoted most of the free space in his rooms to creating this little thing:

Confessions

Okay, there is a certain special lady who I am now officially dating. Here name is Jessica Rose Amos and is a wonderful person. I've known her for about 2 and a half years and there has always been some kind of interest... anyway, this last semester we were keeping in touch (snail mail - how boring I know) and over Christmas break we made it official. We starting reading the Chronicles of Narnia books out loud together and only got has far as part way through the Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe.

Well, I'm back in Chicago now and she is not. . . I'll get a picture up as soon as I can...

Tom

I enjoyed the Longfellow photo tour and captions, Peter. We still get our chow mein from Dragon City and Don's Leather Cleaning used to be the Bridgeman's where I had my first job. I believe the former Embers is the one where Aunt Gloria died in the parking lot.

Regarding websites to link to, mine is www.mosaicmom.com You could also provide a link to www.immunize.org and www.vaccineinformation.org; both are sites that Janelle and I work on. Maybe you could divide the links by "personal," "work-related," "faves," etc., if you get too many. Just a thought...

I found this website with kind of a quirky photo essay of the Longfellow neighborhood, where grandpa used to live. I found it pretty entertaining Check it out:

Longfellow Exposed!

Does this look like me? Its kinda scary, I think it does look like me.. weird. And he's even named Peter: My evil twin?

Untitled | Peter | in the bathroom

Just a quick note to everyone - if you want me to include a link to your homepage/blog/favorite site in the links section on the right hand side of our blog, just let me know. Send me the url of the linked to site, and what you want the link to be called. Thanks! Have a great weekend!

Link to the family flippy pic per Joel's request

Family Flippy

Thanks Joel for the Peterson Coat of Arms. I've added it to the sidebar along with a short description.

What is the news about Tom and his girlfriend that Maria alluded to? I want to know! Are you out there, Tom?

Norris left for London/EuroDisney/Oxford on Wednesday night. He told us not to expect much e-mail as he wasn't going to be wasting his time hanging out at the cybercafe as we did. We did hear that he had a good flight--had a chatty, friendly English seatmate of Indian origin who was returning from visiting his girlfriend in Apple Valley. Right now he is staying at the same B&B we did. He wrote: "The vicarage is nice, although I am on the 3rd floor, which is the 4th in American terms. It is a nice hike to make phone calls. Especially if you are like me and leave behind the change in your room. Then you leave behind your phone numbers the next hike." Sounds like the time he was trying to leave your apartment, Mae, to catch his plane!

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Here's a Peterson Coat of arms, in case we want to represent both of the "first disciples" Andrew and Peter (as well as the Anderson and Petersons):

Good to see Mark here! Sorry we didn't get to see Tom on Sunday..... but Is there a train to Cuba?

I just signed on for the first time. Like JohnI am in recovery from leg(varicous vein )surgery . I have been able to work every day which is a good thing with only one week left in the semester. Tomorrow Tom leaves for Chicago (and Cuba and who knows where) on the 8:00 train. It has been good to have him home.

Click Here for today's picture of the day "Tom Eating". It's another flippy pic!

The pic is 126k for those of you with slower connections. :)

Liv,
the animated gif flippy picture was a really big file (like 300-400k) and with people trying to download this site with a 56k connection, it took quite a while sometimes. I put up a new picture that isn't quite as big in file size.. I may put another flippy pic up at some point when we have new pics, and maybe i can get it to be a smaller size so our 56k family can download it faster..:)

Mae,

there is no easy (read: free AND legal) way to upgrade from Windows ME to XP without buying a XP upgrade. It will cost money. Sorry, Pete

Picture of the day for yesterday:

Happy Birthday Stevie! You are really getting up there, you old fart. I cant believe how much you have changed since I first met Pete almost two years ago. Girls are going to start knocking on your door pretty soon. It's fun for me to have a younger sibling. Since I am the youngest in my family, it's something I've never had until now. Now I get to tease! Lucky Stevie.

Anyways, I got a phone call from my doctor today and she said that all of my test results came back normal. But that I still may have hypoglycemia. I dont quite understand it, but I do have all the symptoms, so who knows. It's good that everything looks good though.

So I just heard the news about Tom and his new "friend." I wont spill the juice...that's Toms job. But I do have one request. Can you post a picture of this famous gal? Your relationship sounds great with her and I am so excited for you. She is really lucky to be dating you and the fact that her middle name is Rose....I like her already.

Hope everyone's week is going well.

Here's the picture of the day...



This is a grave out at snelling national cemetary. I took it while at a burial ceremony for Maria's uncle. Does anyone know how we can find grandma and grandpa's graves out there? We'd like to visit them.

I'm making tunafish casserole.

Happy Birthday Elvis.. I mean Stevie!!

I sound like that mechanic AND Happy Birthday Stephen

You know, not that it matters, but that guy sounds a lot like me, every time I go to General Nanosystems I could spend a couple of grand (by the way, its located over by your house Joel). I bought all my computer components there, although I got my CD burner somewhere else. They always seem to have good prices. On the subject of CD burner problems, do you have any suggestions? My CD burner at work, will not work I've already tried the reinstalling the drivers bit.... I'm desperate!

On a celebratory note, everyone be sure to wish Stevie a happy birthday! That's right it is Stevie's birthday today and its his sweet sixteen. Ok, maybe he wouldn't want me to phrase it that way, but it is. Soooooooo.... Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear Stevie, Happy Birthday to you.

Why I think Computers are probably NOT a fad...

This morning I was paying for some work at our service station and the mechanic noticed my "Windows 98" travel mug. A computer discussion ensued.

"I was working on my brother's Windows ME machine last night.. man, I really hate that that operating system!"

Comparing notes, we found both of us had upgraded systems from Windows ME to XP and agreed that it was a big improvement. From there the conversation went on to the problems I've had with a CD burner. He counseled reinstalling the drivers.

When I mentioned my plans to replace the CD burner entirely, he said "Oh, you should go to General NanoSystems - they're great. I could spend $1000 ever time I go there, 'cause I like building my own systems..."

This is from Lynda (I have to say this because I didn't bother to sign up in time.) I just wanted to let you know that John's knee surgery was successful. He seems quite chipper and in very little pain right now and should be back to work on Friday. He can walk around without crutches and will get stitches removed in 10 days.
I also wanted to express my sympathy to Teresa for having to face the ordeal of a work-related trip to the French Alps. Since I am a good person, I am offering to make the dreadful trip with you, Teresa. Just let me know if I can help. On a non-sarcastic note, Maria, I hope that your medical problem will soon be taken care of successfully. Happy Thursday and hope to hear from all of you soon. Andersons Rule! Lynda

Everytime I get on here there is a million more things to read, and for the sounds of it, I think I get on here more often than most. I think this is such a great idea for everyone to keep in touch. I think an Anderson family trip would be tons of fun and Teresa, your idea of the cabins sounds like a total blast.

My doctors appointment went well yesterday, but it lasted for four hours! They had to take tons of blood tests and also a blood glucose test which takes an hour just for the sugar to get into your system. I was not happy to hear that they were going to take blood, because I absolutely cant stand it. I would rather have someone prick my finger a million times. I think maybe my phobia started when I was in the hospital with food poisoning. I was seven years old and they took blood from me so much that I think it just freaked me out later on in life. Anyways, I am going to find out the results this Friday.

Last night Pete and I went out to dinner at Outback Steakhouse with a bunch of my friends from college. We all wanted to get together before people start going back to school. We had a great time and later on went over to someones house to play catch phrase. What a fun game! While we were gone we were going to tape the first episode of the new show "Joe Millionare," but we didnt have a tape in the VCR to tape it on. We had it all ready to go, but didnt have the tape. I was bummed, but we'll have to make it a point to see it next week.

Well, happy Tuesday everyone!

Wow, there is so much activity here that one can read something new several times a day! (unlike a certain mcarl blog I could mention) I am impressed that Lynda wrote... after staying at their house several times, I know how she has to crawl on the floor to plug the computer in when some addicted house guest wants to check e-mail! Glad to hear that John's surgery went well and hope that Maria is able to get some help with a good diagnosis soon.

I have also felt we should try to schedule an Anderson vacation some summer. I have suggested renting cabins in a state park somewhere central--our family has had a wonderful experience with both a Kentucky park and an Arkansas one. The Arkansas park ("Devil's Den") is about a 12 hour drive from both MN and GA and even closer to IN... only Mae would have a little farther to go. It has beautiful old CCC-built cabins (with AC), a pool, and a store (just like Big Pines!).

After suffering from jet lag after the London jaunt, I was hoping that my February work-related trip to the French Alps would be canceled, but no such luck. I just received additional travel information and the good news is the organizers will arrange to have people picked up by taxi at the Geneva airport and driven 45 miles to the conference center in Annecy (I thought I'd have to find my way there by train). The bad news is: 1) I hate even short taxi rides, and 2) the ride is through the Alps, and 3) I get car sick.

Joel, I really like that poster that you got at St. Paul's, there's just something about it that makes it so dynamic. The darkness in the background pierced by his presence in the foreground.

A big Anderson Family tour to some unknown point would be fun Lynda! I think we should get right on that now! It sounds like you had a great time in New York, I keep telling Maria how I'd like to go there at some point pretty soon and see Mae while we're there. Who knows, maybe we'll do a long weekend there soon, and Mae can show us the sites. :)

Just an update about Maria, she went to the doctor's office to find out if she's hypoglycemic yesterday, and they decided they need to run some more tests. She'll be going back in next week for those results, however, they have already told her that they think she's probably got hypoglycemic. All of her symptoms point to that. So we'll find out for sure next week. Good Tuesday to all..

Hello Andersons everywhere. I just now read through the blog from beginning to end. I don't often make it over to the computer (try to avoid it, actually) but now I will have more incentive to check in. What a great idea! Thanks, Peter. I went back to work today and my newfound sense of wellbeing and physical fitness, developed over the last 2 school-free weeks, immediately disappeared and I am back to my usual stressed mode. Oh well, it will be spring break before we know it! I wanted to thank Liv and family for the great London trip postings. I think we should plan a bigger family tour next time. Mae and Ingrid and I had a fun time in New York. I was very impressed with how well the subway system works and with Mae's big city savvy. She sure knows how to get around in the Big Apple. We had several interesting meals (Tibetan, Chinese, Italian, and Classic American Diner) No, we didn't go to the Seinfeld diner but to the one half a block up from there. Ingrid and I enjoyed a great "3 hour tour" of lower Manhattan by bus. We sat on top and were freezing but we saw a lot of great sights without walking. My favorite part was visiting the Cloisters museum. We approached it in the true Pilgrim style by walking up a steep, icy path to reach the "monastery" at the top. The museum exhibit is excellent and the building itself very authentic, mostly because it is made up of actual Medieval buildings dismantled in Europe and shipped over for reconstruction. I hope the Europeans were ok with that. We also lucked into a concert by a very well known (by me anyway) and excellent early music group called Piffaro. They specialize in early wind instruments (you can check out their website if interested). We also went to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for a whirlwind but very rewarding breeze through. Mae and I were determined to find a Bruegel and we did! Anyway, I think I am going on too long. Tomorrow I take John in for his knee surgery so wish him luck. I will let you know the outcome. Hope to hear from all of you soon by way of the Anderblog. Lynda

Souvenir from St. Paul's
Liv and I climbed the 530 steps to the top of the dome of St. Paul's while in London - great view. If/when I scan in the picture of us up there, I'll post it here. My souvenir from the Cathedral was a poster (hanging in my cube now) of Holman Hunt's "Light of the World" painting. . I'd heard about it in the Alpha series some years ago, and liked it - the picture has an interesting history, being one of three versions Hunt did. This was the largest, last, and some think least successful. After completion it toured the world!

Hello,

Here's a photo of Dad on a non-snowy Atlanta winter day on his new recumbent bicycle:



Good luck at the doctor, Maria! Nice to hear from you,
Ingrid

Hi all,

Peter just showed me how to become a member on here. I have been reading everyone's adventures, but haven't known how to enter in my own. Well tomorrow I am going to the doctor to see if I am hypoglycemic. I am anxious to find out.

As most of you know, I am working as a closing processor now at Edina Realty Title in Apple Valley. I have been there for about a month and I just love it! I have been missing a lot of work lately though with all of the deaths in my family lately. My uncle Jerry died a month ago of cancer and a few days before New Years my other uncle Bob died of cancer also. The same day of his funeral, my brother David had to put his 15 year old Golden Retriever Buddy to sleep. But despite all the sadness, we all know they are in heaven and pain free!

My parents are in the midst of selling their house that they've lived in for 11 years. We are sad, but know that the house is too big for just the two of them. Please pray for them and their decision.

Take care ya'll,
Maria

P.S. I loved your photo you Georgia Anderson's. What a laugh!

We had the Anderson Family Christmas and Stevie's birthday tonight, sorry the Georgia Andersons couldn't be there! Here are a couple of pics from the night.


Stevie blowing out 16 candles


Norris and Stevie showing off their new scarves


The family opens presents

Merry Christmas and a happy new year!

Favorite sights/sites in London:
One thing I was very interested in seeing in London was the Babbage calculating engines at the London Museum of Science. Charles Babbage designed this computer in the 19th century, but (despite long effort and personal, as well as government, investment) it never was built. The museum finally built one a few years ago, and I'd read a very interesting book about this. Not only that, they had more great early computers - both of which were on display in London:

• Here I am besides a portion of Babbage's Computer!
  
  
• I wrote an article for HolQeD (the journal of the Klingon Language Institute) about Klingon Computers, and I based it on these real computers:
  • Napiers Bones - an early computer for doing multiplication
    
  • And Pascal's adding machine, one of the very first automatic computers!!