This month's PADNUG meeting is looking like it will be pretty darn good. Not only will it be Rory's last hurrah in the Portland area for a spell, but he will be assisted by the lovely and talented Chris Sells!

This should prove to be a great evening to introduce oneself to the wonders that are PADNUG. Not to mention that in Chris' absence, I will be bringing the boxes of swag to the party! You, too, could be a lucky winner of one of these beautiful gifts!

Another Portland Nerd Dinner has come and gone. Fortunately, this time I got pictures to savor the day a little longer.

Being the last PND that we will likely see Rory at for a while, it had a special meaning for all in attendance. Chris Sells brought a fabulous piece of artwork and allowed all to sign the back as a memento to Rory.

This PND seemed to go longer than usual. It may have been the fine cuisine, the excellent company, or the brawl that nearly started nearby, but something just kept the attendees enthralled with the meeting.

Rory, we’re going to miss you while you are gone. We just may need to get a cardboard cutout of you to stand in!

Well, it took me three weeks to get them posted, but our Christmas party pictures are now available in an album at http://photos.theclaussens.com.

I decided to try out the nGallery package to post the pix. It appears to be very straight-forward and has all of the features that I might currently require. Being able to 'bulk' upload the pictures turned out to be a real time saver.

Now I need to start creating albums of other life events!

This is now my third post on these things (first, second). In the first, I mention my interest in getting one of these; in the second, I take my Christmas present back to Fry's and wait for another try.

What do you know? Microsoft announces a likely related product at CES this week! I knew there was a reason it must not have worked out. Now, if I can build a Windows XP MCE machine and not have to buy one of those less customized versions out there.

Wow!! What incredible weather we've had this year. Portland is not used to getting more than a couple of light dustings of snow over the winter, but this year, we have full ice and snow storms going on.

Last week, we got the first snow. I think it was Tuesday night (December 30th). Jesann and I were watching a movie and realized that there was a couple of inches of snow on the ground. We shut off the movie, bundled up, and headed out into the night. It was amazing how much of the neighborhood was out after 10pm to enjoy the snow.

We trudged over to the nearby high school and couldn't resist the chance to build a snow person. Admittedly, Jesann did most of the work. Between her gloves and skill, she was much better suited to the task.

Next, New Year's Day came with a new batch of snow. I had to work in the morning, but when I arrived home, it was time for us to go out and enjoy. First, we went to the local Elmer's restaurant for a great breakfast. Then we began the shopping - we visited as many places as we could. Unfortunately, the local 'big' shopping center, Washington Square, shut down at 4pm - right after we arrived.

Finally, today has had snow, sleet, or freezing rain coming down almost constantly. As Rory points out, there are some real Snow Nerds out there... I know - we are they. Despite our lack of 'rig', we had to go out to enjoy it all once again.

More than likely, when we wake up tomorrow it will be raining and wet once again. This last week has been one to remember, though.