I love how this article sums up Aztec characteristics:

a warlike and religious people who built monumental works and are credited with inventing chocolate

Nifty article, about even older ruins found in Mexico City. This could push the age of the city back to 1100 or 1200.

I need to sit down and read up about Aztecs, Incans, and the Maya. I know I have a bunch of stuff mixed up in my head, and a bunch of holes besides that.

Jessica, hopefully you'll be better for the turnover of the year.

a warlike and religious people who built monumental works and are credited with inventing chocolate

I can forgive a LOT of war for the people who invented chocolate.

(Because The Boy has a serious jones for chocolate -- far beyond any I've seen in anyone else, for real -- he was inundated with chocolate for Christmas. My dad bought The Boy a very large box of Godiva. I'm starting to think he likes The Boy better than he likes me....

Anyway, we have so much chocolate in our house right now, it's almost comical. I feel like I'm living with Willy Wonka.)

I'm trying to think of stuff I can do when I have a miserable cold, and really, there's not much out there when your head hurts, your ears hurt, your eyes hurt, and your throat hurts. Good think I'm sleeping 20 hours a day, or I'd be getting cabin fever.

{{Jessica shrift allothersickos}} sorry about the uck.

Kat, if you get a second I'd love your mushroom barley soup recipe. I made some for Christmas and everyone loved it, but I was dissatisfied.

I'm going to see Sweeney Todd tonight. Can't wait. I haven't seen a movie since last summer. Went to a couple up north. Such a small town that my sister would bring her dog with her to the movie theater. The boys are going with us. Sneaky way of exposing them to Sondheim. Don't tell.

Yuck, shrift. Sleep is good for what ails you, though....

your secret is safe with us, Laura.

I got all verklempt reading about the stealth hotel giftage by JZ to Tom. That stuff is always just so awesome.

TomW has been playing Super Mario Galaxy for the past hour and a half, heh.

Cashmere, I'm SO sorry about your uncle. My thoughts are with you and your dad.

I should call my own dad today, see how he's dealing with a similar situation.

What I meant was that Dulles may be farther geographically, but it will take less time to get to Falls Church than from National and the route will be far less complicated. but, hey, I just live here.

Vortex, that's often true, but the only times I've really gotten stuck in traffic in recent years have been trying to get to points inside the Beltway from points west such as Dulles. I prefer National because I find the airport easier to get around and I can catch the Metro to a point closer to home.

For someone unfamiliar with the area who has to drive, Dulles might be easier. Of course, day of the week, time of day, road work, accidents, exact location (are we talking City of Falls Church or the Falls Church part of Fairfax County?), etc. all factor.

Kat,you need to give me your cauliflower soup recipe. And my mom needs to give me her coleslaw recipe. And La Posta, theirs. And I need to figure out if I can make beans in my crockpot.

Maybe that will inspire me to eat better. Today, I've mixed cabbage in with a noodle bowl, and that's all I've eaten today.

Canyon de Chelly is pronounced Canyon de-SHAY.

Mogollon is mugee-YOWN.

This announcement brought to you by a bad radio announcer. Oy.

Anybody have a better knowledge of photography history than I can google? I found a box of glass negatives in my grandparents' stuff. Based on where I found it, I can narrow it's origin to Europe, probably Vienna, definitely before WWII. It's glass negatives, about three by four inches. (Next thing I'm going to do is try scanning them with white paper behind them, then use photoshop or something to switch the black/white colors, to see if the photos themselves give any clues. Of the people in my family who I know were living there then, I think there are only two or three that I can recognize from a photo.)

t edit: OK, I got better google search terms. 1850-1920 for glass negatives, it seems. Judging from the clothes I can see in these, I'd guess the later end of that period.