Okay, I think I'll write Mouse an email to let her know we got to Houghton Lake safely and maybe she'll reply so I know everything's okay at home:

    From: Anne Courtois 
    Date: May 14, 2004 12:16:59 PM EDT
    To: Mousey 
    Subject: cars, etc.

    We forgot to move the van & honda back into the driveway. Will you make sure
    that they are both in the driveway? Sometime today is fine.

    Also, will you move them out before noon on Sunday so we can back the jeep
    and trailer all the way in when we get back?

    Be careful.

    I love you,
    Virtual Mom

Hmmm, no response. Try again:

    From:  Anne Courtois
    Date: May 15, 2004 9:15:52 AM EDT
    To: Mousey
    Subject: yo mouse!

    are you there?

Finally:

    From: Mousey
    Date: May 15, 2004 12:49:55 PM EDT
    To: Anne Courtois
    Subject: Re: yo mouse!

    meh

"meh" means that:

1. Mouse doesn't particularly like my use of "yo" or my reckless approach to grammar/slang in general but that's a whole nother blog, I guess ;-)
2. Mouse really doesn't see much need for me to contact her at all but that is life on Carbeck and it would take about a pentology to write that story and I know y'all have definitely got better things to do!

Anyway, I am just a little bit stymied for a moment. I figure everything is prob'ly okay but "meh"? Sheesh! But then -- *bling* -- you've got mail! And I get by with a little help from my friends:

    From: Jim Finlayson
    Subject: technology
    Date: May 15, 2004 3:17:30 PM EDT
    To: Anne Courtois

    so Val and Mouse are busy TALKING over the internet on their computers

    Val just got her ibook today and is testing it out

    From: Karen Finlayson
    Subject: News-News-News!
    Date: May 15, 2004 3:53:08 PM EDT
    To: Anne Finlayson-Courtois, Fran Finlayson

    Val got her computer!!  And iChat is a cool way to talk (not just IM, but
    TALK)

    I'll let her fill in the details. . .

    :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D  :-D

And then, upon, thanking the GB Fins for the vicariously obtained news, I receive a leeetle bit more information:

    From: Jim Finlayson
    Subject: Re: technology
    Date: May 15, 2004 4:51:33 PM EDT
    To: Anne Courtois

    [edited] I didn't hear any "boyz" in the background.

Which actually doesn't surprise me a bit because I don't think there are any boyz who have passed the Mouse "test" yet >:->> (please don't hit me!)