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Dec. 25th, 2003 03:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
elizillaLast night Michael and I went out to my parent's house in Chelsea and did the Christmas celebration thing with them. Everyone was on their best behavior, and we got through it without any explosions or tantrums. My brother showed us his paintings, which are surprisingly good. I knew he was a good musician but I was suprised to learn that he can also paint. We had dinner and opened presents, and I watched a bit of my brother's Betty Seveert video. Betty Seveert is a band from Amsterdam, and my brother is their biggest fan.
The things I chose for my mother weren't very good, I'm afraid. I got her a book she already had, a wireless card for her laptop that she doesn't need because she's getting a new laptop that has wireless already, and a cordless gyroscopic mouse that she was confused by. I found some sugar free cordial cherries for my dad, and I also got him a few books and a CD. My brother tends to complain bitterly about new stuff, so I gave him two CDs from my own collection, things that I thought he might like, and some cash. I received some nice gear wrenches, some books, and new floor mats for my truck. Michael received a new tea kettle, a Civil War board game, and the extended DVD of the second Lord of the Rings movie.
I helped my mother hook up the new mouse. It's cool. It can be moved in the air, no mousing surface needed. So you wave it at the screen and the mouse pointer moves. We got it working and she was able to operate it but I don't know if she'll ever get comfortable with it. She has a trackball she likes.
My father already had a cordless mouse for his laptop. He mentioned that it had stopped working when he replaced the batteries, and hasn't worked since. I showed him the small buttons on the transmitter and the mouse, that you push to teach them to talk to each other. This did the trick.
Then Michael taught my parents to play Settlers of Cataan. They found it confusing at first but after a while it clicked and they started to get into it. My dad won.
This morning Michael and I slept in. I was thinking we would go for dim sum like we have the past several years, but instead Michael decided to make eggs and bacon for breakfast. He kept trying to persuade Mac the cat to eat some eggs but all Mac wanted was the bacon.
My friends Jack and Lori are having a fun Christmas. I got an email from Jack with this link showing Lori's reaction to the gift he got for her. Sweet!
The things I chose for my mother weren't very good, I'm afraid. I got her a book she already had, a wireless card for her laptop that she doesn't need because she's getting a new laptop that has wireless already, and a cordless gyroscopic mouse that she was confused by. I found some sugar free cordial cherries for my dad, and I also got him a few books and a CD. My brother tends to complain bitterly about new stuff, so I gave him two CDs from my own collection, things that I thought he might like, and some cash. I received some nice gear wrenches, some books, and new floor mats for my truck. Michael received a new tea kettle, a Civil War board game, and the extended DVD of the second Lord of the Rings movie.
I helped my mother hook up the new mouse. It's cool. It can be moved in the air, no mousing surface needed. So you wave it at the screen and the mouse pointer moves. We got it working and she was able to operate it but I don't know if she'll ever get comfortable with it. She has a trackball she likes.
My father already had a cordless mouse for his laptop. He mentioned that it had stopped working when he replaced the batteries, and hasn't worked since. I showed him the small buttons on the transmitter and the mouse, that you push to teach them to talk to each other. This did the trick.
Then Michael taught my parents to play Settlers of Cataan. They found it confusing at first but after a while it clicked and they started to get into it. My dad won.
This morning Michael and I slept in. I was thinking we would go for dim sum like we have the past several years, but instead Michael decided to make eggs and bacon for breakfast. He kept trying to persuade Mac the cat to eat some eggs but all Mac wanted was the bacon.
My friends Jack and Lori are having a fun Christmas. I got an email from Jack with this link showing Lori's reaction to the gift he got for her. Sweet!
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Date: 2003-12-26 01:47 am (UTC)I bought myself a wireless keyboard and mouse set for my laptop, and looked at one of those gyroscopic mouses. I wasn't sure how easy it would be to use, so I stuck with optical. Something to experiment with one of these days...
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Date: 2003-12-26 04:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2003-12-26 04:20 pm (UTC)I wonder if the drama my brother is acting out, where he has a temper tantrum about everything people give him, is actually a power grab?
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Date: 2003-12-26 05:46 pm (UTC)BeFriend me, please!