The renovation of the Answerfone building has been going on since last spring. I love the building and when it was for sale, Mike and I were attracted to the price. An office building with an upstairs apartment for $170,000 is unheard of in Salt Lake. Whatever problems it might have had must have been phenomenal.

They were.

We grieved when it sold, but not for long. Soon we watched as the new owner started work. Major foundation shoring was first on the bill. That alone was more than Mike and I could have done on our own. We would have been stymied at the first step. We thanked our lucky stars that we were too poor to buy it and watched as the renovation crept along.

Months later, it’s still waiting for the final touches. Someone is living in the upstairs apartment, though. Rumor around the neighborhood is that it’s a former band member of Train. Drops of Jupiter runs through my mind every time I walk past.

The previous five entries were written on my Treo using a Flicker application that lets me automatically post to my weblog and upload pictures taken with my cameraphone. This is the first entry written on my computer for weeks. I feel like I should have a lot to say because I haven’t written for so long, but I really just feel a little bit empty. I’m not sad. I’m not stressed. I’m not overworked. I’m just empty of words.

I have been playing Animal Crossing religiously since the beginning of October. Two full months of almost constant video game play. I played for nearly 15 hours on Saturday during the Flea Market. I had tons of things saved to sell to my little animal friends and they kept coming. I would fill the room and they would buy everything. Who knew they had that much money? I feel a little guilty about selling them so much junk, but they seemed so happy with it all. Some of it ended up in the recycle bin. I grabbed it, put it in my house and a different animal friend bought it again. I think Mike is going to take away my Nintendo if I ever play that long again.

I have taken more pictures of my animal friends than I have of anything else for the last two months. We even went to Las Vegas and I took more pictures of Animal Crossing events than anything in Nevada. How can I help but take pictures? They are always doing something amusing. After all of these hours playing, I still get surprised. I love it when they fight. I love it when they are nice to each other. I especially love it when the grumpy males tease the normal females. It just makes me feel all warm inside.

“This winter has been murder on my lips.” I rummage in the drawer for some Burt’s Bees lip balm.

“Yeah, it has been dry.”

“Soothing Cooling Refreshing,” I read aloud off the tube and then add my own, “Söling.”

“What?”

“This says it’s söling. I just made up that word. It’s a cross between soothing and cooling.”

“Söling?”

“Yeah, with an umlat.”

“Not cöthing?”

“No that would be sick and wrong!”

“Hi…”

“You know what, Laura. I’m so glad you called because I totally spaced it and I haven’t even left yet. Are you there?”

“I’m just waiting in the parking lot.”

“I can be there in ten minutes, is that okay?”

“Sure, see you soon.”

Don’t know when it will be available in the states, but here is a trailer for the Animal Crossing animated movie. I wonder what it will be like…

When I saw this video, it made me feel like I was a normal Animal Crossing enthusiast because I don’t have a full-color illustrated diary and a video on YouTube to prove it. Then I realized that I recognized almost all the scenes that were portrayed, even though there is no explanation of each page. Not only that, I was the one searching on YouTube for Animal Crossing videos. Then I felt like a freak again…

Since I’m being a freak, here is a piano medley of the Animal Crossing tunes…

Here is a tour of someone’s Animal Crossing town. This person has been playing for so long that they have collected all the snow furniture and mush furniture. They also have a wide variety of rare pieces that are only available during promotional times. Cool…

Last year, when everyone was up in arms about Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays, Ben Stein wrote this article.

• Ben’s House – Stuff Ben Wrote

I love the final thought of this article:

“Where did the idea come from that we should worship Nick and Jessica and we aren’t allowed to worship God as we understand Him?”

As an atheist, Christmas doesn’t bother me at all. The nativity scenes and the menorahs are all wonderful lights to help cheer us during this dark season.

Via: Urban Legends Reference Pages: Politics (Ben Stein)

Seven long months to wait until the next Harry Potter movie. Here are some clips from YouTube to tide you over…

July 13th… If only I had a new Harry Potter book to tide me over. J.K., where is the next book?

When I looked outside this morning, I had the bile of panic rise in my throat. It was only a few inches on the ground, but it was the first REAL storm of the season. People die on the Salt Lake freeways because every year one moron forgets how to drive in these conditions.

I used to overcompensate by watching the local weather like a hawk and awaking early when it looked like a storm. Then I could leave thirty minutes early and drive on an abandoned freeway. Someone else would die, but I would be at work when they did.

This morning, however, the snow took me by surprise. I hadn’t watched the news last night. Not only did I not wake up early, I had slept in. The vision of struggling on the freeway in the snow flashed in my mind and the panic swelled. It took me ten full seconds before I remembered that I work at home .

Someone probably died on the freeway this morning and I can’t imagine how their family is grieving. All I know is that it wasn’t me.

Last year, the Christmas lights house was turned into a Bud Light commercial. This year, lets see if the owner of this house can cash in.

The music that they chose is not as Christmasy as I would like it. It’s a little too serious for a light show, I think. Still, that’s a whole lot of work.

This article talks about Ebeneezer Scrooge’s symptoms. Researchers have concluded that he had Lewy body dementia (LBD).

• Bah, humbug: Scrooge had brain disease | Arts & Books | The Australian

Hate to break it to you, kids… Scrooge was IMAGINARY! He was never a real person and Dickens didn’t observe a disease, he was writing fiction.

Next thing they’re going to tell me that Alice in Wonderland was actually a disease too…

• Alice in Wonderland syndrome – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I love this photo. “Art has never been made while thinking of art.”

Via: Wooster Collective: Found While Cleaning Out Our Inbox #3 (Thought For The Day)

Update 02-06-07: I just noticed that the letters shown spell the word “heart.” It makes me love this photograph even more.

All my little animal friends are excited for the New Year’s Eve Countdown. I don’t have the heart to tell them that I’m spending the holiday in the REAL world…

I’ve never heard of this idea, but what a great tradition. On New Year’s Eve, we forget all the bad memories of the year. I wish there was a delete button I could press and make it permanent. Of course, I was so lucky this year. I can’t think of a bad memory to forget. What god do I thank for that blessing?