Ginger Rubble

I don’t recall ever seeing a gingerbread house so thoroughly eaten. Growing up, we usually threw the rest of the house away when January came around. That was largely because we weren't supposed to eat it until we got close to Christmas. Tamara and I have no such rule.

This year, we’re only half way through December and the first gingerbread house that Tamara and I ever built together is reduced to rubble. I finally reduced it from being proudly displayed on a long fancy Christmas serving platter to huddling under a candy tree on a little dessert plate.

Egg à la noche

Some of us have a tendency to get hungry at bedtime. I’m not one of those, but last night I did need a snack. Tamara suggested I eat some boiled eggs because they have protein which helps stave off the hunger longer and they needed to be eaten before they got old.

Eggs weren’t so appealing just straight from the shell the way I usually eat them, so I cut them up and ground some salt and pepper onto them. They were really good that way.

He’s a Historian (FTW!)

This was my first weekend in my new job as the 944th Fighter Wing Historian. This is a huge step up for me. I went from not even having my own desk as a Ground Radio Journeyman to now having 2 desks, 3 chairs, 2 computers, 1 fridge, my own printer, a table, a bunch of cabinets and shelves, a window, and a door in my very own office.

In the picture above you can see most of the aforementioned items. You can also see me. I’m smiling because Sergeant Fine, who was taking my picture, said something funny, but also because I’m happy in my new position.There is a big wall clock strategically placed right above my monitor in case I get so engrossed in writing chronologies that I forget the time. The file folders in the foreground hold source documents for the histories that I’m going to write from Y2K to the present. They’re placed strategically on top of empty blue bins to keep the floods from damaging my documents. My office has been flooded twice in the past. Next to my shoulder is the new Blender Bottle that Tamara gave me for my birthday. It’s a happy orange color. That’s about all there is of interest in that picture.

Happy Birthday to Me!

Look what a good job Tamara did on my birthday. When I got home she had these presents laid out on the table for me (and an ice cream cake). She found the perfect card for a Jack Turner whose birthday is on Talk like a Pirate Day. I really felt like it was my birthday, even though the actual day is on the 19th. After cake, we went to dinner and a concert, where Tamara won an autographed guitar for us! It was a great day.

The Queen

I finally found out why men play chess and most women don’t. Tamara told me that when she’s playing chess, she’s not so concerned about the next move. She’s more worried about how the queen feels standing so close to the bishop, and is she sure that the knight will protect her in her time of need?

Tamara did such a great job planning our menu and preparing our meals for our anniversary camping trip. Pictured are turkey burgers, crook necked squash, zuchinni, onions, eggplant, and carrots.

Ravens

We're no bird experts, but we're pretty sure these huge birds are ravens. The tent doesn't give good perpective, but look at the bird by the chair. They must be almost 2 feet tall. They were very noisy sometimes, so much that I threw a boot at them from the tent one morning, but it was fun to see them trying to scavenge in our camp. They knew from long exposure to humans that leftovers are likely to be in the firepit.