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Welcome!
Congratulations! You have found the Habershons.com family website, started in December 2001. All Habershons and non-Habershons are welcome to wander around. Stick a pin in the Guest Map; leave a message in the Message Book; and if you're a Habershon, please let us know you were here so we can list you in our Branch Office. And if you are looking for stuff on Bikram Yoga or Mini Coopers, click on the pictures in the left-hand column.
We also encourage you to register. This takes less than a minute and will allow you to view and leave comments, chat in the chat box at left, and look at the photograph albums. And if you're logged in you'll never see this annoying message again.
Thank you for coming by!
Catherine Athearn (née Habershon)
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Anyone hooked on the Olympics? I watched all day yesterday and have rectangular eyes.
Britain had a bumper weekend. Notable was their first gymnastics medal in 80 years -- a bronze for Louis Smith in the pommel horse!
By the way, is "medal" a verb over there in England? It is here in America.
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| Monday, August 18, 2008 |
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 Happy
birthday,
Jamie!
Where are you these days?
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| Wednesday, August 13, 2008 |
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We actually went out of town for a change this weekend. Two whole nights! We left work early on Friday afternoon, packed John's mum and friend Michael in the back of Cyril, and drove more or less in a circle, from Houston to Gruene (rhymes with Green), Seguin (rhymes with The Bean), Boerne (rhymes with Bernie), Fredericksburg to Johnson City and back to Houston (rhymes with Newton, more or less).
The purpose of the trip was to visit some wineries. Yes, Habs, there are wineries in Texas, and plenty along that route. We tasted at Dry Comal Creek (second visit to that one), Flat Creek (where we also had lunch and live music from Leo Rondeau, and Texas Hills. On a previous trip we'd visited Driftwood and Mandola Estate. So now we've done five. Five down and 45 to go? I need to make a count.
My favourite Texas wine remains the French Colombard from Dry Comal Creek. White, and very dry. This time I bought a whole case!
A good weekend, good company, good live music, and good food. The only blot on the trip was that our favourite restaurant in Gruene, Janie's Table, was closed (as in shut down). I'd been looking forward to their sweet potato fries all week.
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| Tuesday, August 12, 2008 |
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Dunkin' Donuts (fattening) is planning to open 107 new stores in Houston.
Whole Foods Market (good for you) is suspending new openings.
I hope the one planned near our house isn't one of them.
On the other hand, I haven't been into a Whole Foods in over a year. Not since prices started soaring. Hey, things must be bad. We've even switched to Bounty Select-A-Size in our house.
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| Thursday, August 07, 2008 |
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Oh, what a joke! Joel Osteen's wife is being sued by a flight attendant after an incident on a Continental Airlines flight a couple of years ago. You can read about it here. The part that makes me laugh is this:
According to court documents, Brown claims that she suffers from anxiety and hemorrhoids because of the incident and said her faith was affected. She is also suing Osteen for medical expenses for counseling.
Hemorrhoids?
Sometimes I'm glad I'm not rich and famous.
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| Wednesday, August 06, 2008 |
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 John finally started clearing everything up this weekend. The cage was folded and returned to its box. The litter scattered around his office was vacuumed up, all surfaces cleaned and everything polished. He tipped several items out of his backpack, announcing that these are all the items you need to catch three stray kittens living under a house. Clockwise: One pair of sturdy gardening gloves; a tube of antibiotic ointment; a gauze pad (euchh!); a box of Band Aids; a bottle of iodine; and, last but not least, a book to read while sitting on the steps outside the house waiting for the kittens to appear.
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| Monday, August 04, 2008 |
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Well, look at that! There's a hurricane on its way to Houston.
This one was sudden. We usually get a week's warning.
Tuesday morning August 5th update: Well, Edouard never got beyond tropical storm status. 15 people made it to my 6 a.m. yoga class. It's raining heavily in Houston now. Rather than brave Wendy on the high seas I'm working at home today.
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| Monday, August 04, 2008 |
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| Heat |
Posted by cat - 210 Reads |
Good morning, Habershons and loyal reader. Hope everyone is having (will have) a good Sunday. It reached 100 degrees here in Houston yesterday. They say it will be higher today. I am off to teach a yoga class now, where it will be 105 degrees.
How are everyone's electric bills? Ours soared to $361.79 last month. That's rather high, seeing as we live in a 1,000 sq.ft. apartment.
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| Sunday, August 03, 2008 |
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Raj Bhavsar has made the U.S. Olympics Gymnastics Team.
BEIJING – Houston gymnast Raj Bhavsar, who persevered through good times and bad by striving first to remake himself as a man of Olympic character, is now an Olympian in full.
Bhavsar, 27, of Houston was named today to replace 2004 Olympic all-around gold medalist Paul Hamm on the USA Gymnastics men’s 2008 Olympic team. Hamm withdrew after acknowledging he could not recover from a broken hand and a strained rotator cuff in time to compete next month in Beijing. Not only is he from Houston, but he also practices Bikram Yoga at my studio!
Check him out on the rings.
Someone to root for!
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| Friday, August 01, 2008 |
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 The last two kittens have gone. A family in Pearland picked them up yesterday. We were sad to see them go, but relieved. They'd become a lot less scared since we took them in. The tabby sat in John's lap most of the week, assisting him with sales calls. Yesterday I grabbed the mother from under John's mum's house and took her to SNAP to get her spayed. The last thing we need is another litter of kittens. The tenants living in her upstairs apartment are looking after her while she recovers.
Life is now back to normal and our cats are no longer hissing.
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| Friday, August 01, 2008 |
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John's mum returned to Houston on Monday. As the three remaining kittens had not yet been adopted we took drastic measures. John managed to grab them from under her house yesterday morning and took them to the Houston Wellness Clinic where they had checkups and tests and defleaing and deworming, etc., etc. He then brought them . . . yes . . . home. Here we go again. This time we have them in a large cage. Note the webcam on the right of the page. They are very scared. Just imagine, in one day they were taken away from their mother, went for their first drive, had needles stuck in them, and were brought to a strange house with two strange cats, one of which is not at all happy with the situation.
I placed some online ads in Craig's List and the Chronicle and the Greensheet. Amazingly enough, two sisters responded to the Greensheet ad and came by this morning. They took the ginger one for their father whose 19-year-old Siamese has just died. So we now have two left. Both girls. John is getting attached to the grey one and is talking about keeping her. Not good. Our apartment is too small for three cats.
So, once again I ask . . . kittens anyone?
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| Friday, July 25, 2008 |
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 Almost a Habershons.com scoop. Nick proposed to Martha in the Scottish Highlands over the weekend. "Despite the rain and the prospect of becoming a fully paid up member of the Habershon clan, she did say yes."
Congratulations, Martha and Nick! And to make up for the fact that I found out about this on Facebook, you will have to furnish Habershons.com with some exclusive engagement pictures.
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| Monday, July 21, 2008 |
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| 29 |
Posted by cat - 181 Reads |
Happy birthday, Ed!
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| Friday, July 18, 2008 |
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Such a simple, yet perfect song. The melody. The lyrics. The guitar. The rhythms. The voice. I must have played it 200 times since downloading it. Neil Diamond is brilliant.
Wish I'd written it.
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| Monday, July 14, 2008 |
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Would any of you Habs like to host a webcam on Habershons.com? John's server can easily handle the uploads (about once every two minutes).
All you would need is the following:
1. A broadband connection
2. A computer that can always be left on (if it runs Windows XP or Vista he can tell you exactly how to set up the software).
3. A window with any kind of view at all within about 25 feet of your computer.
4. A webcam (duh)
Here are some other (geeky) things that John says you might want to keep in mind. I'm quoting him now:
I don't think this would work very well with a laptop computer -- they generate a lot of heat in a small space and l would not recommend leaving it on all the time. Leaving a desktop computer on all the time will not hurt it. However, it will consume more electricity this way. An average PC is likely to consume 60-90 watts when idle (with the monitor off or in sleep mode).
Running the webcam all the time will use up some of your CPU resources. I can tell you how to minimize this as much as possible. If you have a fairly new computer (less than 2-3 years old, therefore it will have a reasonably fast CPU) this won't be a problem. If you have a dual- or quad-core CPU it definitely won't be a problem. On my new quad-core machine in my office, one of the four cores runs at about 5% all the time because of the single webcam I run off it. On the much slower and out-of-date single-core PC that's in the bedroom (hooked up to a flat panel TV to allow access to the house digital media server over the network), the one CPU core runs constantly at about 20%. On my office PC, I don't even notice the load, even while doing something CPU-intensive such as playing a newer game. On the bedroom PC, it still plays hi-def video over the network, plays music, surfs the web, etc. without any problem -- but the webcam would cause a noticeable slowdown if you were playing a 3-D game, doing video editing, or something else similarly CPU-intensive.
So there you go. The offer's out there. Just think! Between us we could all keep an eye on the burglars.
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| Thursday, July 10, 2008 |
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. . . Happy birthdays, Nick and Jim!
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| Thursday, July 10, 2008 |
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A year after his bike was stolen, John now has a new one. It's a little different. The tyres are narrower, the gear numbers are on the handlebars, and it has MUDGUARDS! He was leery of looking dorky with mudguards, but the price was too good to pass up. Anyway, it's almost paid for itself already in petrol savings. We run most of our errands on bicycles now -- grocery shopping, cat sitting, etc. And the shed stays locked.
The picture was taken on our weekend trail route around Buffalo Bayou near downtown.
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| Wednesday, July 09, 2008 |
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What an amazing Wimbledon final yesterday. I figure it started at 8 a.m. and finished at 3:15 p.m. Houston time, including the rain delays. After that, the Astros got into a marathon against the Braves, losing in the 17th inning.
I could have been watching television all day, and am glad I didn't. Too much to do around here.
UPDATE: Clare writes that she and Al were fortunate enough in the lottery to get Centre Court seats for the Womens Final. Here's her view of Serena and Venus Williams battling it out.
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| Monday, July 07, 2008 |
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 On January 21st, 2007 I made it through my first Bikram class without drinking water. Since then I've made it through every class (except for the teacher training, where that never happened) without drinking. But I've always kept my water bottle by my mat, just in case. It was much too difficult to leave it outside the room.
This morning I was running late and took the 10 o'clock class instead of the 8 o'clock. It must have thrown my routine off, because after the Eagle pose I realized that I'd left my water bottle outside on the shelf with my shoes and carkeys. My first instinct was to run out and grab it, but I kept still and decided to go through the class without it. Piece o' cake. After the first momentary panic I never gave it another thought.
So perhaps this is the next phase of my yoga practice. Bikram Yoga without water! Just me and my mat. Nice and unencumbered.
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| Saturday, July 05, 2008 |
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You heard it here. This is John's and my next car. It's due to arrive around 2010. It's called a Volt, and it runs for 40 miles on battery power. Depending on our finances then, we'll either have to trade in Cyril or we'll just be a three-car household.
Trade in Wendy? Not an option.
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| Saturday, July 05, 2008 |
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Yes. We're watching it. Are any other Habs watching it? John and I are hooked. I'm not going to print the name of the show here, but if you're watching it you'll know what it is.
So . . . we're off for a bike ride now. Then an hour later we'll be coming . . .
. . .
home.
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| Friday, July 04, 2008 |
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 Paul sends a link from a time I'd rather forget but will bravely post here. It's from the Times August 17, 1974 archives. Amazing that they actually go back that far. Anyway, you need to be registered to read it. If you can't be bothered to register, the article details the peak of my chess career. I played in the British women's championship in Clacton that year and scored one and a half points. One point was a walkover (my opponent was taken ill) and the half point was for a draw.
A Mrs. Hartston won the whole thing. I played her on the first day and remember her well. Talk about jumping in at the deep end. She squashed me like a bug.
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| Friday, July 04, 2008 |
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Paul writes that Nick and Clare's Uncle Pete . . . "Christine's little brother ... (b. 3rd September 1966) got married the other day. Two pictures attached. One of Nick and Clare. The other features groom, his mother, bride. The couple live in Bristol and already have two children, Xavier and Nathaniel, the blond ones front right. The other two children belong to guests. It was a civil ceremony at Christmas Hall, Bildeston, Suffolk, which they hired for the long weekend Friday-Monday."
Congratulations to the bride and groom. Am I correct in thinking that the groom is also Nick's boss?
This way to the pictures.
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| Friday, July 04, 2008 |
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John's mother is in Copenhagen for the summer. One of her cats developed a thyroid problem before she left and had radiation treatment. So John's been taking care of him and checking up on him every day. Meanwhile, under her house, a feral cat gave birth to four kittens. So John started feeding them, too. We've been trying to find homes for them. The tenants upstairs say they'll adopt the mother. So if any Houstonians are reading this, please let us know if you know anyone who'd like a kitten. Click on the picture for more details. We found a home for the orange-striped one.
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| Friday, July 04, 2008 |
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So what have we been up to? Why has Habershons.com been so quiet? No excuses really. I haven't been away; in fact, my longest time off work in two years has been three days camping in Okhaloma (not counting the Bikram Teacher Training in Hawaii). I continue to teach yoga and love it (102 classes so far). That is balanced nicely by my day job which is currently running at 25 to 30 hours per week. Things have slowed down there a whole lot over the last six months. Inflation has hit pretty hard here, too. John and I are always thrilled to get out of Kroger (our local supermarket) for less than $50. We are eating out much less, though, and enjoying grilling outside every night. Charcoal donations welcome.
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| Friday, July 04, 2008 |
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It's been a while since the last post on Habershons.com. Since then, petrol has gone up even more. Wendy's octane (she only drinks the best . . . so far) has been as high as $4.27 a gallon. Anyway, if you go back and read the comments you can check out David's latest car story.
And according to those comments, it looks as if Charlie's about to graduate. How time flies. Congratulations, Charlie! Please send pictures.
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| Friday, July 04, 2008 |
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 A Happy Independence Day to all Americans!
It felt a little strange this morning going into the yoga room to teach a class. There I was with this English accent about to put 41 Americans through 90 minutes of torture on July 4th. I think that telling them I was a naturalized citizen helped to clear the air.
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| Friday, July 04, 2008 |
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 Clare sent some exclusive pictures to Habershons.com several weeks ago, with the following note:
A golfing Hab day out in Portsmouth was enjoyed by all last Sunday. Beautiful weather and 5 keen golfers - David, Libby, Dad, Nick and Al - oh and an unofficial photographer - see attached photos! A special thankyou to David and Libby for inviting us down and for providing us with some well deserved high tea afterwards (delicious Libby!)
Sorry for the delay here, Clare. Click on this magnificent picture of Nick to go to the album and see the rest of the pictures. Remember to log in first.
At the time of writing, Clare was also worrying about her school that had just had an Ofsted inspection. I am pleased to report that the results are in. It received "Outstanding" in every category. As there will be no more inspections for at least two years, it looks as if she will be gainfully employed for a while.
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| Friday, July 04, 2008 |
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Habs, how are you managing with petrol prices? Are you still driving cars? I've just been looking at this chart on the BBC website. It appears that you're paying £1.14 per litre. So if £1 = $1.98 and 3.785 litres = 1 US gallon that comes out to . . .
1.14 x 1.98 x 3.785 = $8.54 per gallon!
WHEW! We're paying $3.85 here and howling.
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| Tuesday, May 27, 2008 |
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We got home from the annual float/camping trip last night. Once again, it was a lot of fun. Some from previous years weren't there, and there were some first-timers. In order of appearance: John, me, Kevin, Callie, Cory, Linda, Tom (and dog, Sonny), Alex, Camille, Frank, and Louise. We had about an hour of rain on Saturday morning; otherwise the temperatures were perfect (in the 80s) and there was enough of a breeze to keep the mosquitoes away.
We kayaked the Illinois River on Thursday and Friday, and took two rafts on Saturday -- 6, 12 and 6 miles respectively. Some people drank an awful lot of beer, some just normal amounts, and some none at all. Cory and Linda brought a vineyard with them (Kevin's words) and so some people drank an awful lot of wine in the evenings. Along with that there was good food -- steaks, hotdogs, and as usual, Frank and Louise's brilliant potato salad and . . . (drum roll) . . . ASPARAGUS!
John and I bought a new sleeping bag for this trip. The other was too sweaty. It was perfect. All four nights I slept like a baby from the moment my head hit the pillow and didn't wake up until the birds started singing. Incidentally, our airbed is still going strong.
I think that this trip will always be known as the year of the snake. On Thursday evening, as we sat around the campfire talking, John put his wine "glass" down on the grass between the chairs. It wouldn't balance upright at one point. He looked down, and what should be there but a huge snake coiled from head to toe. As he yelled "snake!" everyone sobered up, some jumping on chairs and tables. It slithered into our nice pile of logs. As several of us were just not comfortable sitting there in the dark next to a snake, the decision was made to locate it and kill it. The verdict is still out as to whether it was poisonous. We think it could have been a copperhead. Anyway, it was located and given a few thumps on the head and then cast into the fire. Some of us feel guilty about the whole thing, but I know I would have found it difficult sleeping at night not knowing when it would reappear.
The journey from Houston to Tahlequah was dampened by a speeding ticket. 86 mph in a 70 mph zone. The total fine comes to $255. OUCH! $100 of that is for the privilege of paying the Buffalo County Court to keep it off my record. Extortion? It was the first time we hadn't taken the Valentine. We took the GPS instead. Decided there'd be too many wires all over the place. Big mistake.
And talking of the GPS, as we left the campground yesterday we turned it on, entered "Home," and let it pick the route. And what a beautiful route it was! Took us down all sorts of different roads, some unsurfaced, but definitely worth it. There were farms all over the place selling fruits and vegetables. Wendy was already stuffed to the gills with camping gear, but we managed to find some room for a little more.
We have pictures, but there's other stuff to do right now -- as in soaking all the dead bugs off Wendy and doing laundry and trying to get my toenails clean and getting ready for the upcoming week. Only four days, fortunately. Stay tuned.
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| Monday, May 26, 2008 |
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| News Archive |
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- Tuesday, May 20
- Tahlequah time (0)
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- Saturday, May 17
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- Wednesday, May 14
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- Monday, May 12
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- Friday, May 09
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- Friday, May 02
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- Wednesday, April 23
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- Sunday, April 20
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- Friday, April 18
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- Sunday, April 13
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- Saturday, April 12
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- Thursday, April 10
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- Tuesday, April 08
- They finished! (1)
- Monday, April 07
- Wendy3 -- no longer perfect (0)
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- Close to Barbados (0)
- Teacher Training in Acapulco (0)
- Sunday, April 06
- April weather (1)
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