Othello-the game

Have you ever heard of Othello-the game? Not the Shakespeare Play. Not the town in Eastern Washington.  THE GAME. I love that game! The slogan is 'A minute to learn, a lifetime to master.' As a child, I was convinced that my dad had mastered the game. He ALWAYS won! ALWAYS. Below is a dramatization of a game played with my dad as a child. I would be lucky to have 7 chips my color on the board. He kicked my trash. EVERY. TIME.

3 years ago I had a cell phone that had Othello on it. I played it way too much and actually learned a few tricks by watching the computer play and beat me. I got kind of good at it and was winning on the easy and medium levels fairly often. This weekend I taught Matthew how to play the game. He's really smart at spacial logic and this game is right up his alley. After we played 5 or 6 games he asked my dad if he wanted to play. It turns out Matthew is better than I thought. For the first time in HISTORY my dad was not beat, but TIED in a game of Othello--by a child! 11 years old to exact. I was so excited I called a couple of my brothers to tell them. I couldn't believe it! My dad REALLY couldn't believe it!  Of course my logic was that since I am the one who taught Matthew, I must be good enough to play my Dad too, and at least tie. OK, so I hoped for 15 tiles at the end of the game. He was a little down trodden so he set the board up as the picture below. NOT a dramatization.

 I fixed it and the game went as follows...See the pictures.

Holy Smokes! I can't believe I have more tiles than he does! 

I'm still doing it! I just might be able to have 15 tiles by the end of the game after all.

BLASTED! I spoke too soon. But wait! What's that I see in the top left CORNER? A black chip! WOAH! How did I get a corner? I've never gotten a corner playing dad in My. Whole. Life.

Oh my word! This game is getting better all the time. Yes, it's true, Dad has the other corner, BUT at this point in the game, I am guaranteed at least 20 (TWENTY!) pieces. Could it be possible that I might win? Inconceivable!

HOLY SMOKES! I'VE DONE IT! I BEAT MY DAD!!! (Don't tell him, but I'm not sure how I did it.)

The poor guy is perplexed!

Here is the board with all the white ones removed so show my awesomness even better. 2 days later I still can't believe I won this game.

Do you remember on Toy Story 2 at the beginning when Rex is playing the Zurg video game? Then when all the toys are at the apartment trying to get Woody to come home and Zurg shows up? Rex fights Zurg and ends up winning? At the end of the movie they are playing the video game again and Rex declines playing because he's already beaten Zurg?  I feel like I never have to play Othello again as long as I live. I've beaten Zurg. I love you DAD!

100 years old

Today 10-09-2010 would have been my Grandpa Anderson's 100th birthday. Sadly, I never met him.

That's right people, even the kitchen sink!

I'm all packed for another trip to my dad's for the weekend. I think I've packed more stuff for this weekend than I did the last time we drove halfway across the country to see my parents--three summers ago! In honor of my excessive packing for only two people, Nicole and me, I have taken a picture for your viewing pleasure.  Yes ladies and gentlemen, the monstrosity to the left of our loot is indeed...a kitchen sink.

While we aren't actually loading the kitchen sink into the car, how often do you even have a kitchen sink 'laying around' to add to the photo? My point exactly.

It is indeed a very nice sink and it will be installed into our actual kitchen in the near future.

Some of the items included in our luggaage

Kitchenaid mixer (RED!)

sewing maching

chicken, cream cheese and chocolate sauce

clothing

cookbooks (4)

a bolt of fabric. (Is there another spelling for bolt?)

batteries, camaras (2), jewelry and......

NICOLE'S TEMPLE RECOMMEND!! She's going to do baptisms for the dead for the first time on Saturday!  HOORAY! I'm so excited that I'm making her a new dress tomorrow.

You may be thinking...Dedra, there must be a good reason to be taking all this stuff to your dad's....I hope. You are CORRECT! There's an excellent reason. GINA IS IN TOWN!! HOORAY! I'm cutting all my hair off! So, stay tuned for MANY pictures, hopefully a couple of glorious videos and maybe a swim in the sound too...you never can tell when Gina comes to town what we'll be doing...BUT I'M EXCITED!



Sometimes Netflix has it ALL wrong!

Here are a few of the recommendations I have received from Netflix recently...

Because I liked Kung Fu Panda, I might enjoy Iron Man.
Because I liked 27 Dresses, I might enjoy Percy Jackson: Lightning Theif
Because I liked When in Rome, I might like Diary of a Wimpy Kid. (I didn't)
Because I liked a Vegi Tale Movie (Which we never even rented) I might like The Prince and Me.

They aren't even from the same genres!
Sometimes Netflix gets it right as well...

Because I liked (LOVED!!) Pride and Prejudice (A&E) I might enjoy Young Victoria. (I DID !)
I'd give you more examples, but I don't very often take their advice.

Note to self on the Vegi Tale thing...Tell Gina to stop rating movies she watches instantly on my Netflix account.

French Bread Bowls

They tasted delicious, but because they were touching, after I separated them the bowl on the sides weren't completely hard and they didn't work. I'll try again with 3 to a pan.

Sign of Fall...

WARNING to my friend Trishelle, below are nasty pictures that you will NOT like.


I LOVE Autumn. It's my favorite FAVORITE season. (I typed holiday and had to delete it.) I love the trees changing colors, the brisk air and all the holidays that seem to follow so closely behind the beginning of this season. One thing I don't love is that migration of spiders from outside--where they belong and inside where they are disgusting. I'm not terrified of spiders like my friend Trishelle, but I don't like having them in my home.

For instance, check out this little monster that was on my wall yesterday just as Nicole was leaving for band. He looks big in the photo, but he was huge! Easily the size of a silver dollar. He's moved on to spider heaven now, thanks to me and my broom. I've got skills.

Weekend Update...and a random photo too

Our family spent the weekend in Bremerton at my dad's house. He met us in Bellevue on Friday so we could attend the temple together. On a side note, WHAT A BLESSING it is to see my dad inside the walls of the temple! For so many years, he was absent. I'm so thankful! Before we headed home from the temple, we ate dinner at a little ma/pa restaraunt across the parking lot from Deseret Book.

Saturday and Sunday we watched all sessions of General Conference at the Bremerton Stake Center, minus the Priesthood Session. The guys drove up to Chimacum (as opposed to Chinook--what I noted in my last post) to attend that session with Ryan and eat ice cream afterwards.

Here are some of my favorites from conference:

Favorite Talk: I can never narrow it down here are my top 2--that tied for first place.

*Elder Larry R Lawrence 3rd talk, 5th session

*President Thomas S Monson 4th talk, RS General Meeting

Favorite Quote: At this point, some of you may be thinking, that's all fine and good, but what does it have to do with flying an airplane. Well, let me tell you... President Deiter F Uchtdorf

Favorite Song:

Both of them performed by the MTC Choir at the Priesthood Session.

*Hark All Ye Nations

*Called To Serve

There is something special in the voices of all missionaries that are just beginning their missions. They are beautiful.

I also loved Home, preformed by the family choir during the 2nd session. A LOT.

Favorite Moment:

Looking at both Nicole and Matthew listening to conference and taking notes. Sometimes they were drawing a picture or doodling, but I read the notes they took and they are good. It makes my heart smile.

After the 5th session of conference we went to the cemetery my mom is burried in. While we were there the kids took the time to find 'Grandpa Graves' ' grave also. He is not their grandpa, but he is their cousins' grandpa and he took them in too when we visited and told them to call him Grandpa. They like that they can visit both him and their grandma at the same cemetery. He was also a great example to me during my teenage years and I loved him very much. I miss him and my mom. A lot.

Next we went to Wendi and Larry's house and ate homemade french bread. It was delish.

We got home last night at 9:15 and we were all asleep by 9:30. It was a fun, spiritual and uplifting weekend. I love it.

This Weekend

Here is a picture of the Seattle Temple I took on Friday night. I like it. When Ken and I go to the temple we bring Nicole and Matthew with us to wait in the waiting room. They get about 2 hours to feel a special spirit you can only feel from the temple. While Ken and I were there on Friday, they took my camara and went outside for a photo shoot. Among the blury sideways pictures and the ones taken of the inside of one of my child's mouth (who shall remain nameless) this picture was present. One of the kids put their scriptures in her lap and took the photo. I LOVE IT.

I put this puzzle together last night while the guys were at the priesthood session of conference. They decided to drive up to my brother's ward in Chinook. So I had an extra hour to work on it, after I took my nap. I really LOVE this guy.
I also love this guy. He said he didn't mind if I posted this picture, but he was concerned about the caption I might tag to it. Taking the whole photo into consideration...my dad acting--'special' and my brother behind him not really knowing what's going on, I'm taking suggestions for possible captions to add to this picture. I'll start with a comment that he would say to us often, maybe not with this expression, but according to my teenage mind fits the question...

Say WHAT?

Brains!!! Need more brains!!!--Kate

Did anyone else go to the store yesterday between sessions or after 2nd session and feel like they were breaking the sabbath?

Our guest came back for another visit...

This time he took a nap on our back porch-in the middle of the day.

Plans for the weekend

Tonight we are going here. Tomorrow and Sunday we get to listen to and receive counsel from:

Because we LOVE Him.

I'm SO EXCITED!!