Nothing big, just a few updates:
The solar power system has STILL not been turned on. We have been waiting for just a month now since the installation was complete. Every month that goes by costs me between $100 and $200 in electricity costs. Most of the time has been waiting for the local power company, SRP, to make the final connection to their grid. It will take them less than an hour to do so, but they don’t seem in any hurry. I guess they don’t want to buy power from me.
After winning through the first round of the singing contest in Taiwan, Devon decided to sing a Chinese song in the second round and then forgot the words. So that’s over. But he has since started doing a short daily TV spot on the local news where he teaches some topical English expressions. Here’s a short clip someone took with their camera phone. Because he has to record a segment every day for the next 6 months, he will not be able to come home for the holidays, but we hope to see him in Taiwan in February.
Gisele likes her new Hyundai just fine, but it has been raining lately so she has left it parked in the garage and driven her old Accord. We wouldn’t want the new car to get wet. And we wouldn’t want to park it at the gym because someone’s car was broken into there once. And we wouldn’t want to drive it after dark because, well, just because something might happen. I wonder if she’ll ever let Derek take over the Accord. 😉
Derek’s finishing final exams this week before the winter break. He’s been working hard, with a heavy course load. He hopes to complete his BS in Math next summer. Then, who knows?
Apollo hasn’t had any seizures since we started him on Phenobarbitol 3 or 4 months ago, when he had 3 in one day. We’re hopeful that this will keep it under control.
My shoulder continues to get stronger. I have full range of motion, and nearly normal strength. I can only play basketball every other day, however, or it gets sore and inflamed. That’s probably just as well for the rest of my body…
And that’s all I can think of for this update.
3 responses so far ↓
1 Don // Dec 14, 2011 at 2:03 pm
I’m glad she’s keeping the Hyundai out of the rain. Every time ours gets wet we have to spend the next week drying it out. What a pain. 😉
I was hoping you would have a report on your solar but I guess we’ll have to keep waiting. Hope they get it hooked up soon.
2 Donna // Dec 14, 2011 at 3:18 pm
You know, I’ve heard those Hyundai’s shrink if they get wet. Incidentally, the night I picked up my new Accord from the dealer, it was raining. One minute it was shiny and pretty in the showroom garage, and the next, covered with rain drops. Now, a year and a half later, I don’t cry so much if it’s raining. In fact, I got my first ding this summer. (At least it made it a lot longer than my first Accord… remember, Daryl??)
Anyway, this was a good update.
3 Heather // Dec 15, 2011 at 12:28 pm
Good update…almost like a Christmas letter! 🙂