CORALINE!!!!

If you haven't read this book, read it! It's pretty great. Read it before the movie drops in February and you'll be among the cool "in-the-know" crowd.

random pics for saturday

i've been meaning to pass this shirt on to Marjorie, but i keep forgetting to send it. good times.




a nice picture of my bad to the bone 2.0 swapped colt. more good times



here is a picture of the back of our now sided garage. in the colt picture you can see it wasn't done yet. it is done now.



that is all for now. we did some family photos recently that i will post, but we haven't decided which ones we are posting and which ones we might mail out. anyway. have a good weekend.

-ryan

Something for Friday

NY Times thinks that the financial crisis has not yet hit home. . .

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/garden/20math.html?_r=1&hp

(Sorry, the hyperlink function isn't working.)

Richard

pwned for the Holidays

Happy Thanksgiving wieners!


Remember to play it safe.

Holiday Advice from Jack Handey

If you're at a Thanksgiving dinner, but you don't like the stuffing or the cranberry sauce or anything else, just pretend like you're eating it, but instead, put it all in your lap and form it into a big mushy ball. Then, later, when you're out back having cigars with the boys, let out a big fake cough and throw the ball to the ground. Then say, 'Boy, these are good cigars!'"

Countdown to Thanksgiving

Well, I spoke with Betsey at 6:00 and she and Richard and Nora are on the road to North Carolina.  Ed and I leave tomorrow at 3:30, and Karl and Emily will head out after Karl finishes his shift at 11:00 pm.  With all of us on the road like that, we hope you will keep us all in your prayers, and that we can navigate through the expected snow safely.

Betsey is not around to post a blog, and I don't know if Edward and Meridth can continue to shore us up with their fun and interesting posts, three days in a row.  But since there is no news here in Indiana, we are going to turn to Stacey and Teressa in Illinois to fill us all in with their new news.  How is Baby Lexi?  How is Kyle adjusting to having a little sister?  I hope he won't be a big brother tease like his great-uncle Ed. (poor Liz!)  What about Jack and Justin?  How are their school years going?  What is new with them?  Is Tom still working with the construction business in a slump?  We have questions?

Miss you all!

Claudia

Blue Collar versus White Collar

Can you believe it?  We're sitting here, working on an apple pie, and we hear Rachel Maddow talking about the new CitiBank bailout!  They have been given a second bailout of twenty billion dollars, and loan guarantees of 300 billion by our wonderful government, no questions asked.  No testifying before a Senate committee of angry, sarcastic white men, no ridicule, no plan required for restructure, no cheap shot about airline transportation arrangements or CEO pay!  

And what does CitiBank do with our taxpayer dollars?  They pay 400 million dollars for naming rights to the brand new New York Mets stadium.  Where is the public outrage!?!  What a double standard.  Betsey, how can we legally express our displeasure at the highest level of government!

On a brief aside, the asshole Senator from Alabama who grilled and ridiculed the Big 3 and the UAW at hearings approved state perks to the tune of  $175,000 to Mercedes-Benz per employee to locate a SUV manufacturing plant to the state.  And he has the temerity to chasten the UAW for receiving supplemental unemployment benefits during layoffs.  We are furious, and feel greatly let down by Obama's critical remarks in light of the Senate decision!

Ed and Claudia

International Lionel Richie Day

How will you celebrate this year?

Last day of a four-day-weekend

So on the 11th Meridth and I went hiking. Cool, huh?


So this is about half a mile into the hike and the camera is facing North. Note the big rock with the arrow above it. It is a reference point. What does it refer to you ask?


Well here is the arrow again. Look how much smaller the lump of rock we were by has become. Are you impressed with our bipedal fortitude?

Last reference. It was a gorgeous day to be out. Warm and breezy by the ocean. Sadly RADAR couldn't come with. There aren't a lot of dog-friendly trails in the CA State Park system. Still California is awesome. Except for the fires of course. The trail we were going to hike were closed from the fires down here last summer. Boo.

Here's a rough outline of our course. The red arrow is the parking lot. The orange arrow is, in fact, the spot we pointed to earlier. The lump of terrain? Yeah. The mustard yellow spot is where we turned back inland. And green was where we turned left and started back for red. It was about eight and a half miles all told and we knocked it out in about four and a half hours. Lots of fun. Well worth the unsightly tummy-sweat.


Meridth found some things to love too.

Ya Gotta Love Google Earth

I tell you, I am so grateful to Brandon for teaching us about Google Earth.  I can still remember him showing us all that cool stuff in the hotel room in Salt Lake City when we were there for Betsey and Richard's wedding.  What a fun place to go!  

The missionaries were here for supper this evening, and while we were waiting for stuff to bake, Ed googled-earthed their hometowns, and focused in on their houses so we could see where they lived.  One elder was from Heber City, and the other elder was from Holliday (SLC suburb).  Anyway, we were talking about your missions, and Ed wanted to show them how cool Austria was (since he was able to travel with me to pick Edward up in Vienna).  He google-earthed St Johann im Pongau, Austria, and we got to see some of the greatest views of the little town where Rusty spent 9 months of his life.  It was incredible.  I'm sorry that I have no link included in this post, but I think you have to load Google Earth into your computer first.  Maybe not--I don't really know.  Anyway, now I am going to have to go look up Betsey's mission addresses so I can go see the fun places where we went, when Margie and I went to pick her up in Dublin.

Anyway, you know how crazy I am for maps, and Google Earth is like having a live map.  Dad spent the next hour after the elders left, looking at places in West Virginia, following rivers, checking out homes, and traveling down some of their beautiful, winding, twisty roads.  I, of course, had already gone back to grading papers.  -sigh-

We love you, and are thinking of you all.

Claudia and Ed

TWILIGHT

I went to see this at midnight on Thursday, with low expectations- the movie is never as good as the book right? I'll keep my opinions to myself b/c I don't know who all has seen it yet, but let me know what you think if you've seen it!

shun the non believers

chloe thinks this is hilarious.

brought to you by ashley.

xoxo

Friday Wrap-Up

Okay, tonight I'm tired and don't have much to contribute to the interweb, but we must post!  We are going strong here and have a little over a week left.  Keep up the excellent posts everyone!  I'm very proud of us.  

Tonight, Richard and I are going to watch the Office and 30 Rock on the internet and then go to bed.  We are having a low-key evening in.  What about you?  What did you do to celebrate the start of the weekend?

My Sister's getting married!

...so I did her announcements
Apparently my new brother-in-law is a James Bond fan too! I wonder what the stats are for male fans versus female fans? ;)

The Proposed Big Three Bailout

Mitt Romney on the Detroit Bailout...

Thoughts? I mean we've all got a stake in this one.

Also: something to think about.

If This doesn't make you Happy...I don't know what will.

This little song has been in my head all day long.  I love the video.  

I can't find the Justin Timberlake spoof of this video that was on SNL this week, but it is hilarious!  That is why I found the B-town video in the first place.  I love Youtube.  Nora does too.  We like to watch Sesame Street clips in the afternoon.  

A recommendation and a query...

The query: did the Utah Gimbel's bow out of the gift exchange this year? If that's the case (and absolutely nothing but love for Ryan and Casey) what's the status of things? Who to whom? What to where? When?

Has anyone here seen the great 1949 movie The Third Man with Orson Wells? It's the best!



The zither tune in the soundtrack is dynamite.

We don't mean to do it...

I got home from work today and checked my cupboards for something to eat.  I thought I was all out of granola bars, but sure enough, there was the box.  I opened it up... empty.  This is my own stuff!  I left the empty box in the cupboard... for myself... so next time you reach into the cupboard and pick up an empty box, think twice before punching the jokster who left it in there.  We don't mean to do it.

A New Follower

Welcome cousin Mike Sumner to Gimbel-land.  

Wayne and his family do a wonderful family newsletter that some of you have seen.  Mike's been the manager of that huge project, and I suggested to him that they start a family blog like we have.  This has been such a fun way for us to stay in touch, to gather information and share views and opinions, and I thought he might enjoy seeing what we do.  Mike, be sure and put us in touch with your family blog so we can add it to our list of favorites!

We LOVE our Utah family, and glad there is a way for us to all be closer.  By the way, be sure to congratulate Mike and Jeralyn on the arrival of their new little son!

Another Reason Decatur is Famous!

Last night the Bellmont Braves won their first ever regional championship football game against Yorktown (near Muncie).  Now they will be playing here next Friday night for semi-state against Northwood (not sure where they're from).  Can you believe they've gotten this far.  This is really a great team of kids, and it's really exciting for the town.  They were featured on the front page section of the FW Journal Gazette, or you can go to the DDD website for more info.

Cheeseballs is over for another year.  YAY!

GUESS WHO IS A LAWYER?!?!?

RICHARD JOHN HAWKINS!

We just found out that Richard passed the NY bar.

Team Hawkins has just breathed a collective sigh of relief.

Three Cheers for Richard!

so dad, you gonna see the new Bond tomorrow?

joke

Letting Betsey Rest a Day

Since I have the day off today, I though I would give Betsey a break, so she wouldn't have to post.  I know she wants to be sure we post a new blog every day this month, and yesterday gave us a few of her random Monday thoughts, so I decide that I will give you a few random Tuesday thoughts.

1.  Whenever I talk to parents about their kids (as I did 3 times during this past week), I remember you all as being really good kids.  Other than the twisted spoon incident, I don't remember being a really "yelling" kind of mom.  When people say stuff to us about what a good job we did raising you guys, Dad and I have always remarked that you came to us from heaven that way, and that we don't think it's anything in particular we did.  Help me remember--were you good kids or did I have to holler at you a lot?

2.  Keith Olbermann gave a scathing editorial last night about those who voted in Proposition 8 in California, berating those happiness hoarders for not allowing others to have a little of the joy we experience by being married.  He didn't mention the LDS Church by name, but had little respect for those who believe so strongly in the tradition of marriage as being between one man and one woman that they wouldn't allow for law changes that aren't any different from the changes that even as recently as 1967 wouldn't allow for inter-racial marriage.  I know that we are each allowed to make, and are responsible for our own individual choices, but his vehemence left me feeling bad about my own stance.  What are your thoughts?

3.  Yesterday on NPR, they were talking about how General Motors was going to run out of money by January or February if the government doesn't intercede.  That got your dad to thinking about our own situation.  We recently received our monthly investment report from the broker in Chicago, and in the month of October we lost something like $45,000.  Ed did the math and found out that it was around $1500 a day.  At that rate, our money in that particular account will run out in 164 days.  Do you think we can get some of that $700,000,000,000 bailout money?

4.  Last of all, it's comin' on Christmas.... they're cuttin' down trees .......  and I want to know what you all would like for Christmas this year.  If I'm going to buy you presents, I want to make sure I get you what you would like to have.  You can cut pictures out of magazines if you have to.  If Ed and I end up having to surprise you, you might be really surprised.

I love you all!

Claudia

Monday Monday...A Random Assortment of Thoughts Part II

One would think that at the start of a new week, I would have all sorts of interesting things to blog about.  Unfortunately this is not true.  We are just going to list some potentially interesting information from Team Hawkins in the Cleve'.

1.  Nora's favorite book is officially this book.  She sat on Richard's lap this evening while he read it twice!  Nora rarely makes it through three pages of a book before leaving our laps.  

2.  Grandma Carol Lee just left this morning.  It was a nice visit.  We are now gearing up for Thanksgiving.  I can't wait!

3.  Did you know that I am taking a ceramics class?  Every Thursday night for two hours.  It has been a lot of fun.  The class is about working on the wheel.  I think that I will probably sign up for the class again.  It is really casual, like an open studio with a little instruction in the beginning.  I love the Cleve'.

4.  Nora is getting very good at her wave, blowing kisses, a high-five, and pointing at lights.  We are going to start working on her animal sounds.  She can roar like a lion and quack like a duck.  She isn't great at those, so we need to work on them.

5.  Finally, I really love Coke Zero and Cherry Coke Zero.  They are two of my favorite things in the world.  

Bath Time for RADAR!

Today we had a nice long walk downtown with RADAR but about halfway through it started raining! Well, the mud and dirt just caked on a dog this low-to-the-ground so we had to fight back.



What a punk!

Post for everyone else

The Hickory Ridge Lookout Tower was built in 1936 to protect the Hoosier National Forest from wildfires.

Here is the long, winding road to the tower.  It took FOREVER to get there... okay like 20 minutes.
The leaves were many very pretty colors
It was a good time to go


It was very scary walking up the stairs... I think I started to hyperventilate.  I didn't think Emily was going to make it up, but she joined me after I was already up there.  Apparently I was shaking the tower too much.

The tower is 110 feet tall and has 123 steps.

This is way too long and way too many pictures for this tower, but it was fun!!

Post for Dad

Emily and I went to this tower that was formally used to view wild fires.  We took Malibu with us.  We thought Dad would like some pictures of his grandchild.

The Number One, Crazy, Whacked-Out Decaturite

I have to tell you this news, that you won't even believe!  Remember that crazy old coot (well, maybe not so old since he is about our age), Ron Townsend, who own Townsend Tires out by the high school?  He is protesting Barack Obama's election by flying his American flag upside down, which is an international symbol of distress, and a request for immediate assistance!   What a complete jerk!

He claims it is to protest Obama's support for abortion, which kills millions of innocent babies every year.  He puts pictures up in his business that show the rotting bodies of aborted fetuses found in the trash outside abortion clinics.

I don't know why he doesn't say anything about the six years, from 2000 to 2006, when the Republicans had control of all three branches of the government, yet conveniently failed to pass any legislation, or do anything about it at all, except to trot the issue out for the 2004 election, to make sure they remained in power.

Do I sound bitter?  

I dislike abortion, and wish the demand for it didn't exist.  I love all five of my children, and cannot ever imagine a life without their joyful and happy presence.  But I am truly appalled by Townsend's over-the-top response to Obama's election.  According to the Journal-Gazette this morning, our Decatur mayor, John Schultz called him on it, and asked him to cease and desist--that it would bring shame and dishonor to our little town if the scandal made the national media.

I don't have the link to the papers, but you can look at the DDD website for November 7th or the FW JG for today's (front page) coverage.

Claudia

My No 1 job as First Lady is to be First Mom

Richard just sent me this article, written by Michelle Obama.  

My favorite quote: "My first priority will be to ensure they [children Malia and Sasha] stay grounded and healthy, with normal childhoods - including homework, chores, dance and soccer."

I think that Michelle Obama is so awesome that she will probably be a rad mom and also fight for the causes that she thinks are important, like helping working families, especially families in the military (that is you Edward and Meridth!).

I'm still riding high from Tuesday's victory.  

Come What May and Love it

I just read this talk from the LDS General Conference and I just LOVE IT!  I decided that this is going to be my new mantra, "Come What May and Love it."  I know that we all don't subscribe to the philosophies of the LDS church, but I personally think that this is a great little phrase and captures how I want to think of the daily, mundane, sometimes difficult tasks of life.  

Hooray!!!

I just feel giddy!

Is Obama going to Win Indiana?

Seriously, he's up with 95% of the polls reporting.  I'm going to bed.  Can you believe that Barack Obama is the President of the United States?  I'm so proud!  

The Goodguys win one!

Of course you all already know...but yay!

I'm on duty tonight so I've got to watch everything. Keen.

Edward

Things I hate about John McCain...

....when he does this.

Yikes. You ever see him do it really fast? There's some footage with him and Schwarzenegger. Weird.

A Keith Olbermann Quote

Okay, I just heard this on Keith Olbermann.  He said, "Sarah Palin is about to find out what a community organizer does.  Obama has organized the voters and is working to send her back to her community."  I laughed out loud!  He is so clever!  By the way, did anyone catch Ben Affleck's impersonation of him on Saturday Night Live?  It was great stuff.  And hey, what did you think of the fake French President's prank phone call to Sarah Palin?  I'll tell you, you couldn't make this stuff up, could you?

If I never hear John McCain's voice ever again, it will be too soon.  I am so sick of all his lies.  I firmly believe he will have to account for all the lies he has knowingly told during this campaign, just to try and win!

I also heard that George W. Bush is planning on undoing a whole bunch of regulations that make the workplace safer, protect the environment, and/or keep watch over a variety of businesses, including big oil as his last act to mess up this country.  This is just so typical of his entire reign for the last eight years--stick it to the citizen, and protect the multi-millionaires.  This guy cannot be out of office quick enough!

Alright, alright, enough ranting!

Love you all,  Claudia

Monday Monday...A Random Assortment of Thoughts

Nora woke up this morning with the worst case of diaper rash, so she is a little sad today.  Every time we change her diaper she screams and tries to crawl away.  It is so sad.  I think that I have used a half a tube of diaper cream since this morning.  Poor Baby Nora.

I've taken down our Halloween decorations.  There weren't many decorations, but they are now all sitting in a little pile in our kitchen.  I'm going to go to the basement and put them away and then dig out the Christmas decorations!  YIPPPEEE!  I promise to not decorate until after Thanksgiving, but I just want to get them out to inventory and enjoy thinking about putting them up.  

It is unseasonably warm right now, but it is overcast and looks like it is going to rain any minute. 

Nora and I ran some errands this afternoon including a trip to the dry cleaner, recycling, post office and library.  She got mistaken for a boy twice during the trip.  She had a purple sweater, a light blue onesie, and striped pants on.  I don't mind or anything, but I thought the outfit was at least a little feminine.  

Betsey out.

Karl and Emily Visit Cleveland

Karl and Emily came to Cleveland this weekend to take in the sights and enjoy all the Cleve' has to offer.  Sadly, we spent most of Saturday looking for an open restaurant downtown.  Come on Cleve', you gotta be open!  Emily and Karl were very patient, even while Emily was wasting away to nothing.  

Karl and Emily brought baby Nora some adorable IU gear.  She looks so sweet in her little IU sweatshirt.  She was so happy to spend time with her Aunt Emily and Uncle Karl.  

My favorite part of the weekend was getting cupcakes at our favorite bakery.  Yeah, the lady there knows us.  I'm not ashamed.  Richard really wants to be her friend.  And not just for the cupcakes.  She is adorable.  This bakery is delicious and honestly, worth a trip to Cleveland.  

I'll post pictures tomorrow.  Gotta extend out these posts so that we make our goal of posting everyday this month!  Two days in and we are on a roll!

Only a month late!

Teressa was so great to send me these pictures a month ago, and here I finally am--sending them out to you all.  Can you believe Lexi is already a month old?  We will have to go to Chicago over Christmas to visit!  Sorry to be such a procrastinator!   Claudia

Gimbel Christmas Swap

Have we decided who is going to give to who in the Gimbel Family Christmas Gift Exchange this year? I don't think so!

Let's review from last year...

Ryan gives to Brandon
Casey gives to Richard
Margie gives to Betsey
Brandon gives to Emily
Betsey gives to Meridth
Richard gives to Margie
Edward gives to Karl
Meridth gives to Casey
Karl gives to Ryan
Emily gives to Edward

Now, I think that what we should do is just rotate the people up. Like this...

Ryan gives to Richard
Casey gives to Betsey
Margie gives to Emily
Brandon gives to Meridth
Betsey gives to Margie
Richard gives to Karl
Edward gives to Casey
Meridth gives to Ryan
Karl gives to Edward
Emily gives to Brandon

Unless anyone wants to just do "couple" gifts. For example, Edward and Meridth give to Margie and Brandon (just an example). Anyway, what do you think?

P.S. Claudia told me something that she wants for Christmas, it is big, so if you kids want to go in on it with me, let's chat!