Ashby Contacts Santa

I guess I've been living in a hole for a few years, but apparently Santa has a ham station, a live web cam, and talks to kids on the HF bands. A few people had mentioned that he would be on, and I've been watching for him. Tim called today and said he'd been spotted on the DX Watch, and I promptly called Dad for affirmation that we could hear Santa. Dad called back a few minutes later with Santa booming in, told me he was powering up the amp - and I responded that we were on our way.

Ashby (KJ4EGJ) and I finished up getting ready, and went over to contact Santa. She threw her call out, and Santa picked her up first thing - although he put her on standby to talk to another little girl first. She waited patiently, while watching Santa on his webcam and then he asked for her.

She had a very interesting conversation with Santa, including such topics as Purple and Yellow striped salmon, sucking the heads of mudbugs (crawdads), the new "Santa Diet" - mentioning that Santa would rather fruit than cookies, and naming all the reindeer. After a good 10 minutes, Santa wished Ashby a Merry Christmas and went for a late lunch break.

I'm really glad she got in to speak with him... she may be "too old" for that next year.

Thanks to W6S (WO6T) - Santa Claus.

Hi Hi Hi Cake??

Well... I think this was supposed to be a Christmas cake?? A Santa cake?? A "Ho Ho Ho" cake?? But those little skinny O's made me think this cupcake cake was designed to cater to Hams instead... Hi Hi Hi

Seen this on Cake Wrecks... Absolutely HILARIOUS blog.

A Wonderful Christmas *Gift* & Letter to Santa

Tim and I have been wishing and hoping for our very own HF rig for ... well.. since we got the bug. Things are starting to look up on the matter. I'm going this evening to get a 756Pro to try out. The nice OM is offering us a wonderful deal on this radio, and wants me to try it out a few days before I commit.

I, personally, can already tell you that I'm dead set on that radio. I know the man, he's a good guy, and he wouldn't offer anything that wasn't up to his standards... which happen to be very high. I'm not going to post the price, his name, or any information, but let's just say, it's a steal.

I've also got my heart set on a Lenovo IdeaPad... a netbook to run all the digital modes on. I don't know if I'll get it *really, I highly doubt it* but a girl can dream can't she!?!?

So... if we do purchase the radio... I'll have to further my Christmas List. So...

Santa, I hope you are doing well. I've been a very good girl this year, or at least I've tried to be. I would like to have the following, if you can find it in your bag:

~~ 100+ feet of 450 ohm Ladder Line
~~ 50+ feet of LMR400 UltraFlex (or the equivalent)
~~ Some wire for a couple dipoles
~~ A couple baluns -- or a good idea on how to build one that isn't too horribly hideous
~~ Some PL-259 connectors... if we don't already have some lying around
~~ Some insulators -- not necessary, just nice
~~ 2 Ice Lightning Arrestors
~~ 1 Cable (I don't even know what kind) to run the TigerTronics
~~ That Netbook previously mentioned
~~ A wireless fullsize keyboard & mouse - for typing *the netbook has wonderful portability, but I may need a full size keyboard so I don't "fat finger" everything I type*
~~ The nice Mission-Style desk and hutch I seen at Target :)
~~ And lastly -- If you could pull my daddy out the bag and have him teach me how to SUCCESSFULLY *and DON'T laugh!!* wire my speaker... Because, in all of this, you have to be bad at something. :)

In Response...

In Response to this post by XOM: 2008 Skywarn Recognition Day...

All I got was a rock... er, uh... one: WX4MRX.