Well, folks, here it is: the brand spankin' new shaverfamily.org. I was just too impatient to hold off any longer on putting everything up, even though I'll be paying tomorrow for staying up too late tonight. Anyway, be sure to let me know what you think. (Note: some of our wedding pictures are currently unavailable, but I should have them reformatted in a couple of days.)

written by Katherine at 11:38 PM | link | 0 comments

Public service announcement: The new layout for shaverfamily.org is coming. It will either be up by Thursday morning of this week or by about the middle of next week. It's turned into more of a major overhaul than I thought it would be - there were a lot of things that needed straightening out here and there. Please take this opportunity to upgrade to version 6.x of your favorite browser... Internet Explorer, Netscape, or Opera. I'm begging you. And I promise you'll thank me once you're used to it.

Thank you and have a great day.

written by Katherine at 12:21 AM | link | 0 comments

I had no idea Barbie was into dog agility.

written by Katherine at 12:13 PM | link | 0 comments

We had a really productive weekend, although I've had some trouble recounting to others exactly what it was we did over the weekend that was so productive. Let's see... Friday night I met with my first ever website client (Henry's breeder), and that went really well. It was also interesting (and heartwarming) to see how Henry responded to her voice. I guess those early weeks are really imprinted on his brain... he knows who has taken care of him.

We took Hannah to the vet on Saturday morning for routine vaccinations and had a very educational discussion with the doctor about titers and the possibility of overvaccinating a dog. I really like Quail Corners and would recommend them to anyone. Their fees are a bit higher, but every time I've been there, I've learned something. I also have confidence that they take my pets seriously and would help us catch any diseases or conditions early on.

Saturday afternoon we walked up to the Asian Market just around the corner and bought ingredients for the Pad Thai recipe we made that night. It was our first recipe from our new Moosewood cookbook and it turned out quite well, despite the fact that we intentionally left out the snow peas (we couldn't find 'em and didn't feel like trying every store in town). Chris didn't even seem to mind the fact that there was tofu involved! Maybe I'll post a picture of the dish later on. Later that night we watched the John Cusack film High Fidelity on DVD on our computer. We don't have a DVD player, but we do have the DVD drive, so we decided to give it a whirl. It wasn't too bad, actually, although the monitor isn't really big enough. But it was a change of pace and a pretty good movie... all in all a nice way to spend a Saturday night. Sunday was pretty routine... church, football, grocery shopping, tasks around the house... a good weekend overall.

written by Katherine at 4:27 PM | link | 0 comments

Former Enron exec commits suicide.

written by Katherine at 12:12 PM | link | 0 comments

Mmmmm... sweet potato souffle is the quintessential comfort food. I'm so glad I brought some with me to work today.

written by Katherine at 12:09 PM | link | 0 comments

I am hyper. I had a really good time at RR rehearsal last night. Even though I was there for just over four hours, it was anything but draining... it was refreshing and energizing. It feels so good to use 100% of my concentration on something. I actually love feeling terrified at the difficulty of a piece and then being able to improve somewhere each time we play it. I don't know why, but it's such a rush for me. Of course, my current hyper state is probably also partly due to the open can of Mello Yello sitting on my desk, but whatever...

written by Katherine at 10:09 AM | link | 0 comments

Well, the redesign of this site is a little slower in coming than I had originally thought. Everything's cool with the main portions of the site, but what's holding me up is the wedding section. I'm trying to give it a new look all of its own, and I haven't had enough time to play with it to get it just the way I want it. Maybe I will be able to find some time this weekend, although time is a precious, precious commodity right now.

Some good things have happened lately in terms of my interests in web design and digital photography. I am going to be designing a site for Henry's breeder... we are meeting tomorrow night to talk over ideas. She also has a friend whose site needs to be updated, and I might end up doing that work as well! Last night I went over to the retirement community where RRs rehearse and store stuff to take pictures of RR merchandise. These will eventually end up on the RR website, which I get to work on because I am the communications committee chairperson. This also means I will be in charge of the print newsletter... fun stuff.

written by Katherine at 12:28 PM | link | 0 comments

shaverfamily.org... the one to have when you can't have just one. (This was a referral to our page, but I'm not sure how far into the search results the person had to go to get here... for some reason that info didn't show up in the referral link.)

written by Katherine at 7:32 AM | link | 0 comments

I just got up (at 6:20 am) and it's raining. Say what you want, but I don't do exercise in the rain. This is not an excuse... I was all ready to get going... even went to bed at 10:30 last night... I just don't go out in the rain. Especially not in January when it's still dark out. Ugh.

written by Katherine at 6:28 AM | link | 0 comments

I just added a new commenting system to the blog, courtesy of YACCS. Hopefully this will only be an interim solution until I can learn PHP, but I think I'm ready to have comments again... we'll see how it goes. Talk amongst yourselves!

written by Katherine at 11:52 AM | link | 0 comments

Even though Jefferson was kind enough to try to wake me up about a half hour before I really wanted to get up, I didn't get up in time to walk this morning... so, I think I'll do it tonight after dinner. And then I really will get in bed by 10 pm. You wait and see.

Our trip to Roanoke was really relaxing. I think I am finally understanding how nice it can be to get away from the daily routine and the pressures of all the things that "must" be done. It's great to be able to sit around and do absolutely nothing and not feel guilty about it. Now I just have to figure out how to have occasional days like that at home. Anyway, on Saturday we were snowed in, so we built a fire in the fireplace, played games, and watched TV and movies. One of the games we played was Scotland Yard, a game I loved as a kid. One of the players is a crook - Mr. X - and the remaining players are detectives who must catch Mr. X by landing on the same spot on the board, which is drawn to look like a subway map of London. My dad was Mr. X, and even though the rest of us started out in the opposite corner of the board from where he was, we were able to close in on him and nab him in the end.

In addition to relaxing, we got a lot done while we were in Roanoke, too. We set some things in motion on getting our new-used car by contacting Hart Motor Company. Hart is where I bought my current car, and we feel like we can trust them - an important thing for those of us who feel completely clueless about car-buying. The guy who sold me the Corsica way back when still sends Christmas cards to us each year... handmade on his computer, complete with pictures of his grandkids. I'm not sure why, but this impresses us, and he seems about as honest as a used-car salesman can get. Anyway, we let him know what we're looking for in a minivan, and he is supposed to get back in touch when he has something to show us. Hopefully, in the next month or two, we'll be taking our first long-distance trip with plenty of room to spare in our vehicle.

written by Katherine at 10:14 AM | link | 0 comments

We're home, but I gotta go to bed... gonna try to get up early in the morning and exercise. I'm already getting to bed an hour and a half later than I meant to... fortunately, I slept quite a bit this weekend so it'll all even out in the end.

written by Katherine at 11:18 PM | link | 0 comments

I did not want to get out of bed this morning. I didn't get home until nearly midnight, because we had a board meeting after rehearsal last night. I don't think I have ever participated in a board meeting when I was so sleepy. I learned all sorts of fascinating facts and figures, though, so I think it was worth it. I just wish I felt more awake now.

Busy weekend coming up. Tonight we're heading up to Roanoke - taking advantage of the three day weekend to visit my parents. It'll be nice not to have to leave on Sunday.

written by Katherine at 9:12 AM | link | 0 comments

I've started working on a redesign of shaverfamily.org. It will be a pretty major change. But - here's the kicker - you won't get to see everything I'm working on if you aren't using the latest version of your favorite browser. So far, everything looks good in Internet Explorer 6, Netscape 6, and Opera 6. The text of the site will be readable and everything will work properly in older browsers, but as far as appearance goes, it will look worse than it does now. I'm actually designing it this way for a reason - I'm trying out a philosophical stance. The idea is that designing for bad browsers doesn't move the field of web design along, and that we should be designing for standards instead. I can't promise I'll be 100% compliant with standards when I'm done with the redesign (gee whiz, I'm self-taught and I have a whole 'nother full time job), but I think it sounds like a good goal to strive for. If you'd like, you can read one of the articles that inspired me to do this. Anyway, consider yourself warned... you have probably another week or two to download that new browser. :)

written by Katherine at 12:22 AM | link | 0 comments

For the rest of my life, I will probably think of the three years I spent in Pennsylvania during graduate school as something of a void, a black hole, a dark time. The fear I felt as I sat alone in my apartment those first couple of weeks gradually turned into a struggle to remain true to who I was while at the same time accomplishing the goals that I had set for myself. The struggle only got harder, never easier, until finally over Thanksgiving of 2000, I decided I didn't want or need a Ph.D. The freedom I felt as a result of my decision was incredible, and because my goals had changed, I was finally able to nurture the parts of myself that I was afraid of losing. As I think about it now, approximately one year later, I realize that one of the things I was afraid of losing was my creativity. Over the last couple of days I've been doing some thinking about how I've been spending my time these last few months since moving away from Pennsylvania. It feels like something inside of me is telling me to create, to express myself. As a result, our hard drive and photo albums are filling up with digital images and prints. I almost always have a song running through my head - sometimes I go to bed with one song and wake up with another. A small section of my brain seems to constantly produce new ideas, things to try, things to learn. At the risk of sounding cliché, I feel as though a whole dimension of myself has come alive again. But possibly the most important result of this is that it's caused me to take a second look at myself. I never thought of myself as a "creative" person, but I may have to reconsider. Creativity is often equated with talent, and I'm not sure I feel comfortable claiming talent, but I think the last few months have shown me that I have to claim creativity.

written by Katherine at 2:17 PM | link | 0 comments

Finally... new pictures in the snowstorm and Christmas albums.

written by Katherine at 8:47 PM | link | 0 comments

Since moving to Raleigh, Chris and I have seen a white SUV limousine around town several times. We've always wanted to snap a picture of it, but we never have the camera with us at the right time, so the above link will have to do. My apologies in advance to anyone who has purposely chosen one of these monstrous things for your "special occasion," but really, doesn't this go completely against the idea of a limo? They are supposed to be elegant, not tacky. An SUV limousine is just beyond the bounds of good taste. I'll say it now: if any of my family members climb into one of these to accompany me to my grave, they can count on being haunted.

written by Katherine at 9:44 AM | link | 0 comments

How'd it get to be Monday already? We had a pretty good weekend, but I could have used about 3 more days. We're pretty sure that when Henry was at the vet, all he got was an injection of sugar, and then they sent him home... there was no groggy, doped-up Henry to be seen... only the crazy one with the tail going 90 mph as he dragged me out of the vet's office. It's been tough to keep him from running and jumping, and we'll definitely be glad when Wednesday evening rolls around and he can resume his normal activity.

written by Katherine at 8:48 AM | link | 0 comments

Got a call from the vet a little bit ago... Henry's doing just fine. In the words of the vet assistant: "He's alert, he's wagging his tail, and he wants to get out of here!"

written by Katherine at 12:43 PM | link | 0 comments

It's going to be a busy next 24 hours or so. Tonight is RR rehearsal from 7-10:30. Tomorrow morning I'm dropping Henry off at the vet at 7:30 for his snip-snip (he's getting neutered). I'll leave work about 4 pm and go home and round up Jefferson and take him with me to the vet. He has an appointment at 5 for a couple of routine shots, and then I'll collect a groggy, doped-up Henry and we'll all three head home. I've got several things I need to accomplish this weekend, relating to a certain M.S. at a certain institution north of the Mason-Dixon line, but hopefully there will be some time for a little rest and relaxation too. It's been tough getting back in the swing of things this week after vacation and then snow. Anyway, back to Henry's surgery... I got a little apprehensive before Hannah was spayed, and I feel the same way now about Henry. Partly it's the idea of him being under anesthesia, even for a routine procedure such as this. The rest of it, though, has to do with the knowledge that we're making a permanent change that can't be reversed - ever. With Hannah, this turned out to be a blessing - we still joke about the "new you" in reference to her personality. She calmed down quite a bit and her mood swings - yes, dogs can have mood swings - were completely gone. But I have no quarrels with Henry's personality as it is now, except that he, as a living creature in the world, somehow manages to make the noise of about 50 living creatures. (And I don't mean barking... there's some whining, but mostly it's the other noises... the heavy breathing and the banging around in the crate. He's just loud.) Last time I checked, hormones and being loud were pretty unrelated. So, the point is, I don't want my sweet, gentle, if-you're-gonna-do-it-do-it-with-gusto boy to change. Unless he gets sweeter and more gentle. His gusto is about right. Okay, I'm babbling, but you get the idea. Expect an update tomorrow night on how he does.

written by Katherine at 4:11 PM | link | 0 comments

For all of you out there (all 2 of you) who were waiting with baited breath for the news: you're reading the words of a Raleigh Ringer! Yep, I got in. I was actually at handbell rehearsal at church when I got the word. We were in the middle of playing through a new piece when I heard a cell phone ring. Was it mine? I pulled it out of my pocket and sure enough, it was. I put my bells down and headed down the hall and got the good news from Dave Harris, the director of RR. I'd spent the last two days convincing myself that I wasn't going to get in, so it came as a really great surprise. I think this will be a year that I will never forget. In June, I'll finally get to go to California. We'll have concerts in San Diego and Santa Monica and will play at Sunday worship services at the Crystal Cathedral. We'll have a free day in the Bay Area and then head on up to Portland, OR for a bell festival. Hey, maybe while I'm in Portland I can head on over to the 24 Hour Church of Elvis (this link's not working at the moment, but I'm hoping it will come back online soon... you really should take a look at this site). Besides the summer tour, though, I know that I will grow musically in ways I probably have never imagined. So it's gonna be a great year. And for those of you in Southwest VA, mark your calendars for April 7... the Raleigh Ringers are giving a concert in Lynchburg. I'll pass on more details as soon as I know them.

written by Katherine at 10:09 AM | link | 0 comments

The other night I had a dream in which Chris and I were fighting in a war. Instead of it being scary, it was really quite fun (this dream was obviously not reality-based). The experience of having the dream was like watching an action movie. The war was taking place in Britain, and it could be described as one of these three: a British civil war, the American Revolution taking place on British soil, or a war between Britain and another country all together. At any rate, our part in it was adventurous and action-packed. We were fighting alongside Tony Blair, who was on the same side in the war as we were (I'm not sure I want to think about what this means if Chris and I were on the side of the British during the American Revolution). We dodged grenades, ran through castles, hid in forests, and were in the know with regards to lots of top secret information. Of course, as I write this, a U. S. military plane has crashed in Pakistan, and I am reminded that war is not a fun action movie.

written by Katherine at 3:16 PM | link | 0 comments

There is nothing harder than waiting for the results of a decision and trying to occupy your mind with other things until it comes. At least I don't have to wait much longer.

written by Katherine at 2:47 PM | link | 0 comments

The star of Penn State's men's basketball team last year is going pro.

written by Katherine at 9:15 AM | link | 0 comments

I'm back from the audition, and I am worn out. But at the same time, I'm kind of wound, so I'm trying to unwind by writing. The audition was really a lot of fun. I had been told that it would be, but I didn't really see how putting myself in a position to get rejected could be fun at all. But now, this is how I see it: no matter what happens, at least I had a good 4-5 hours of using the creative side of my brain and doing something challenging, surrounded by other people who were all doing the same thing and seemingly enjoying it. I really have no idea whether I'll get in or not. I did my best, and I'm mostly satisfied, with the exception of a couple of minor things I wish I had done better. Either way, life goes on, and if I don't get in it doesn't mean that my own individual level of talent has been reduced. Now, that said, I REALLY hope I get in.

written by Katherine at 11:35 PM | link | 0 comments

Well, I'm finally back at work after what seems like a year-long vacation. I took lots more pictures of the snow, and I hope to add them to the snowstorm album soon. It was really nice to have some down time at home with Chris and the pets. I learned what a joy Henry can be when I'm not stressed out and running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I remembered what it was like to stay at home most of the day with Hannah, and to be able to enjoy the small things like giving her a scratch on the head when she's half asleep in her chair. Jefferson even seemed to be in rare form... he's been sleeping on the bed with us the last few nights, which is something he doesn't usually do. Did you know that a cat can, in fact, hog the bed? :) Anyway, we were able to get a lot done around the house... last night we took the Christmas tree down and packed away all of the ornaments and other decorations. It wasn't nearly as bad of a task as I expected it to be... all in all, I would say Christmas went quite well this year, mainly due to cooperation on the part of our pets. We got lots of other tasks taken care of... new tires for Chris's car, shopping for boring old household stuff (you know, kleenex and shampoo and bars of soap), putting pictures (prints) in albums, among other things. I feel like I'm prepared for day-to-day life again. Tonight is my Raleigh Ringers audition... 6 pm... wish me luck. I wonder how long it will be until we know whether we got in or not. I'm sure I will practically be holding my breath until I hear something. My cousin Steve ended up in the hospital the night before our uncle's funeral with appendicitis. Fortunately, everything went okay with his surgery, and he is back at home. It seems like our family is getting hit from all sides... it almost makes you wonder what will happen next. On the other hand, my parents had a safe trip to and from Georgia, and it sounds like a lot of people turned out for the funeral in spite of the weather.

written by Katherine at 12:59 PM | link | 0 comments

Since I'm housebound, I decided to post some pictures of what's keeping me here: the snowstorm of January 2002.

written by Katherine at 9:37 PM | link | 0 comments

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to miss my uncle's funeral. My audition was canceled, but the snow hasn't done quite what they thought it would do. It was supposed to stop about 6-8 hours ago, but it's still snowing now, at 8:30 pm, and we're up to 11 inches or so. Chris and I ventured out in the car around 5 or 5:30 to see for ourselves what the roads were like. They were covered... there were very few spots where the tires actually met pavement. Even on the beltline, the conditions were bad and there were a lot of accidents. I guess this storm was worse than I expected it to be. I keep forgetting I don't live in Pennsylvania any more, where these things are not so much of an issue. Anyway, I feel bad about not being able to be there - I hope my family knows that my thoughts and prayers will be with them tonight, tomorrow, and in the difficult weeks ahead.

written by Katherine at 8:28 PM | link | 0 comments

After they bought up all the bread and milk, they headed for the car dealerships for some 4WD.

written by Katherine at 8:02 PM | link | 0 comments

People in the South go a little nutty when it snows. Since we were out of town until late yesterday afternoon, we didn't have much in the way of groceries in the house, so Chris stopped by the store on his way home from work. He's called several times on the cell phone since then, and he's not home yet (and it's finally started to snow). At the first store he went to, the bread shelf held maybe 5 bags of bagels, and there was only egg nog and buttermilk in the dairy case. It turned out to be the same at the next grocery store, but then we remembered soy milk. He's getting a couple of cartons... we can hoard soy milk just like everyone else can hoard their dairy milk. And he's buying some yeast so I can make bread. So there. I thumb my nose at all of you who hogged up the bread and milk. It's only 6-8 inches, people.

written by Katherine at 8:11 PM | link | 0 comments

Crazy day so far. It seems like all of a sudden I am making big decisions in a matter of hours. I'm trying to figure out how to squeeze in my Raleigh Ringers audition on Thursday night and then get to Georgia on Friday, all in the midst of a lovely little winter storm. What happened to that tropical weather we were having a few weeks ago?

written by Katherine at 1:20 PM | link | 0 comments

I found out that my Uncle Herbert passed away tonight. He was in his 80s, I believe. Our thoughts are with the rest of the family, and I will be going on down to Georgia on Thursday or Friday.

written by Katherine at 12:35 AM | link | 0 comments

Quick update:

• We're home from our holiday travels. The trip went well and we enjoyed seeing everyone, although we are glad to be back home.



• One of my best Christmas presents came from Chris: a 32 MB card for the digital camera. Now I can take 73 pictures in SHQ mode without changing the card - quite an improvement from 18. I'll try to add to the Christmas photo album soon.



• Happy New Year to all!

More in a minute...

written by Katherine at 10:33 PM | link | 0 comments