Happy Valentine's Day! To celebrate, here's a poem I wrote a few years back for D:
Sometimes I find it hard to think
of what I want to say
to add to this card
that I got for you
on this St. Valentine's Day.
Sometimes words flow like a river
running across the plain,
other times they trickle and drip,
like the drip-drop of water
down a drain.
I start to write something
and then scratch it out
only to start fresh and new
But one thing I don't want
to scratch out (or start over)
is the love that I hold for you.
But know that regardless of
the number of lines
I scrawl upon a card
the feelings I have for you won't change
except to maybe grow large.
Know that you are the reason I'm here
You brighten my world my life
If I had it all over to do from the start
there's only one person I'd want as my wife
it's the person who's reading this line right now
The person who lives in my heart.
Of course, the last two lines don't mean the same reading them here as they did on the card, but you get the drift. To celebrate the day, I picked up dinner from Charlie Chiangs on the way home and D and I enjoyed that after the kids ate their dinner.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Day 357 - 02/13/2008
Another day, another dollar. Well, $19 actually, but that doesn't matter. It's another sale. Since releasing iTriTracker, I've pulled in almost $500. Sure, it's nowhere near enough to retire on, but it's $500 I didn't have before.
Some might say that I spent that much in time while developing it. I would say that that's partially correct, except for the fact that I don't get paid for sitting around the house watching tv or playing with the kids or doing yard work or...well, you get the idea. Time is money, 'tis true, but only if someone is willing to pay you for your time. If you don't have a patron (or a grant from the feds), your free time is just that: free. There's a cost to you, but it's not in the form of positive cash flow.
But you know what I really like about this endeavor? It's the concept that I now don't have to do anything for the money coming in, the work has been done and now I just get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor. (Well, that's not entirely true, I do have to send the registration information, but that's minute compared to the time I put into developing iTriTracker and Melon.)
Let's see if I can't make it 3-for-3 and get a sale tomorrow as well. Now wouldn't that be the cat's meow!
Some might say that I spent that much in time while developing it. I would say that that's partially correct, except for the fact that I don't get paid for sitting around the house watching tv or playing with the kids or doing yard work or...well, you get the idea. Time is money, 'tis true, but only if someone is willing to pay you for your time. If you don't have a patron (or a grant from the feds), your free time is just that: free. There's a cost to you, but it's not in the form of positive cash flow.
But you know what I really like about this endeavor? It's the concept that I now don't have to do anything for the money coming in, the work has been done and now I just get to sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor. (Well, that's not entirely true, I do have to send the registration information, but that's minute compared to the time I put into developing iTriTracker and Melon.)
Let's see if I can't make it 3-for-3 and get a sale tomorrow as well. Now wouldn't that be the cat's meow!
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Day 356 - 02/12/2008
I woke up this morning to a sale. That continues the streak of one sale per month since going live 2.5 years ago. That might not sound like much (and trust me, it really isn't), but it's a nice ego boost to see that someone is paying me for something I created with that Melon between my ears. Let's hope that streak continues.
We had CCR this afternoon. Bales was going for four in a row but it wasn't in the cards (I think he was the first one pulled, IIRC). I've been on the bubble the last two times and was relieved to see my card pulled fourth (out of six players). Frank and Thuc were left on the bubble this month and, after 30+ free lunches, Thuc finally had to shell out for lunch. I really don't care who ends up paying, as long as it's not me. It just makes lunch taste that much better!
I was supposed to go to David's tonight, but with the ice storm, we canceled until next Tuesday. That works better for me anyway since it gives me more time to stretch my left hand when trying to cross five frets up near the top of the neck. Down the neck by the body, where the frets are pretty close together, I can bridge the gap pretty easily, but up near the bridge? Forget it. Actually, I can get it for a little bit, but after about a minute or so of playing, my hand starts hurting. I just have to keep telling myself that one day it will happen and all the practice I've put in will pay off.
So, instead of going to David's house, the kids and I played a Charlie Brown Valentine's Day game that Lori dropped for for N's party on Thursday at school. It's way convoluted for the kindergarteners though, so I don't think D will be bringing it in.
After the kids got to bed (which was late as we were in the basement looking through pictures for the Wall of Shame for the party on Saturday night), D and I watched Terminator: SCC on Tivo. We both get a kick out of the cyborg sent to protect Sarah and John; the other characters we could do without. It was good seeing David Silver [David Austin Green of 90210 fame] back on the small screen. I wonder where the rest of the 90120 gang are? Hanging out at the Peach Pit?
Before hitting the sack, I browsed the music for my party and tagged those songs I wanted to hear. I was able to cull the list from 8 days to 14 hours, as well as remove any duplicates. D will need to go through them again to add/remove any songs she wants played, but for now, I think we're pretty much set.
We had CCR this afternoon. Bales was going for four in a row but it wasn't in the cards (I think he was the first one pulled, IIRC). I've been on the bubble the last two times and was relieved to see my card pulled fourth (out of six players). Frank and Thuc were left on the bubble this month and, after 30+ free lunches, Thuc finally had to shell out for lunch. I really don't care who ends up paying, as long as it's not me. It just makes lunch taste that much better!
I was supposed to go to David's tonight, but with the ice storm, we canceled until next Tuesday. That works better for me anyway since it gives me more time to stretch my left hand when trying to cross five frets up near the top of the neck. Down the neck by the body, where the frets are pretty close together, I can bridge the gap pretty easily, but up near the bridge? Forget it. Actually, I can get it for a little bit, but after about a minute or so of playing, my hand starts hurting. I just have to keep telling myself that one day it will happen and all the practice I've put in will pay off.
So, instead of going to David's house, the kids and I played a Charlie Brown Valentine's Day game that Lori dropped for for N's party on Thursday at school. It's way convoluted for the kindergarteners though, so I don't think D will be bringing it in.
After the kids got to bed (which was late as we were in the basement looking through pictures for the Wall of Shame for the party on Saturday night), D and I watched Terminator: SCC on Tivo. We both get a kick out of the cyborg sent to protect Sarah and John; the other characters we could do without. It was good seeing David Silver [David Austin Green of 90210 fame] back on the small screen. I wonder where the rest of the 90120 gang are? Hanging out at the Peach Pit?
Before hitting the sack, I browsed the music for my party and tagged those songs I wanted to hear. I was able to cull the list from 8 days to 14 hours, as well as remove any duplicates. D will need to go through them again to add/remove any songs she wants played, but for now, I think we're pretty much set.
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Day 355 - 02/11/2008
Can it be? Only 11 days left? I can't wait. As I've said on numerous occasions, these posts, while a good exercise in writing (and hopefully reading), are a chore. I keep putting off posting on a daily basis and then write a few days posts at once. While it fulfills the letter of the contract, that's not what I had intended.
I mentioned to M that mornings have become pleasurable and that I appreciate the change in her morning attitude. Part of it is due to her wanting to get to school early to get a tall chair (not a "high" chair, mind you -- those are for babies), but I think part of it is also her maturity level. Of course, there's still a way to on that front, but every little improvement helps. Of course, changing my attitude has helped as well, so maybe we're feeding off each other.
I hit the gym after work today and am still enjoying the resistance strap workout I've been doing since the beginning of the year. I need to get into the gym when Tammy's there to have my measurements taken again to see what's changed since January 4th (when my yearly baseline was taken). I'm sure the body fat percentage has decreased, but my weight has pretty much stayed the same (well, maybe it's dropped a little bit). Regardless, I'm seeing an increase in arm size, as well as an increase in core strength. Today, for instance, I upped the reps for all the exercises to 20 (vs. 15 in the previous weeks) -- even on the push ups I do at the very end!
No book reading tonight as M was late getting her clarinet practice done and she got to bed late. Oh well, we're in no rush...or should I say they don't seem to be in any rush!
I mentioned to M that mornings have become pleasurable and that I appreciate the change in her morning attitude. Part of it is due to her wanting to get to school early to get a tall chair (not a "high" chair, mind you -- those are for babies), but I think part of it is also her maturity level. Of course, there's still a way to on that front, but every little improvement helps. Of course, changing my attitude has helped as well, so maybe we're feeding off each other.
I hit the gym after work today and am still enjoying the resistance strap workout I've been doing since the beginning of the year. I need to get into the gym when Tammy's there to have my measurements taken again to see what's changed since January 4th (when my yearly baseline was taken). I'm sure the body fat percentage has decreased, but my weight has pretty much stayed the same (well, maybe it's dropped a little bit). Regardless, I'm seeing an increase in arm size, as well as an increase in core strength. Today, for instance, I upped the reps for all the exercises to 20 (vs. 15 in the previous weeks) -- even on the push ups I do at the very end!
No book reading tonight as M was late getting her clarinet practice done and she got to bed late. Oh well, we're in no rush...or should I say they don't seem to be in any rush!
Monday, February 11, 2008
Day 354 - 02/10/2008
After a late night Saturday night, we slept in and enjoyed a lazy morning, not getting to Mass until 1230p. I could've foregone Mass until 530p, but didn't feel like having a short day. (For some reason, when I go to 530p Mass, it feels like the day just gets away from you and it's done before you know it.)
On Sundays I typically cook the dinner meal and today was no different. I was thinking about what to cook before going to church and settled on the pork barbecue in the freezer (cooking it in the slow cooker), but discovered too late that it needed to be thawed before cooking it. Oh well, strike that off the list. The next idea was Taco Pie (which I haven't made in years), but that was struck from the list as well when D suggested we make the remaining crab cakes. I added some orzo w/ Parmesan cheese, a green salad and some broccoli and dinner was done. It was a hit by both of us (although N did try the broccoli, he didn't do so without fussing).
Since it's been a while since I read to the kids, I read another chapter of Treasure Island to them. We're finally getting to the point where they're outfitting the ship and Long John Silver has entered the storyline. M and N don't realize he's a bad guy...yet. Hopefully the story will pick up in the next few chapters as this landlubber business is getting stale.
On Sundays I typically cook the dinner meal and today was no different. I was thinking about what to cook before going to church and settled on the pork barbecue in the freezer (cooking it in the slow cooker), but discovered too late that it needed to be thawed before cooking it. Oh well, strike that off the list. The next idea was Taco Pie (which I haven't made in years), but that was struck from the list as well when D suggested we make the remaining crab cakes. I added some orzo w/ Parmesan cheese, a green salad and some broccoli and dinner was done. It was a hit by both of us (although N did try the broccoli, he didn't do so without fussing).
Since it's been a while since I read to the kids, I read another chapter of Treasure Island to them. We're finally getting to the point where they're outfitting the ship and Long John Silver has entered the storyline. M and N don't realize he's a bad guy...yet. Hopefully the story will pick up in the next few chapters as this landlubber business is getting stale.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Day 353 - 02/09/2008
What a busy day. M started swimming this morning so I N and I hit the road for a boatload of errands. I had promised him we'd head to the train stores to see what we can find. He's been itching for a train set (HO scale type train set) ever since he's been old enough to understand what they were and I think this is the year D and I get him one. Of course, he changes his mind with regard to what he wants on a somewhat weekly basis, so even if we got him what he wants, he'd probably want something else next month.
Anyway, that was stop numbers one and two. Fortunately, the second train store is located in the same shopping center as the uniform store, so we were able to kill two birds with one parking spot (and believe me, the parking lot at Fair City Mall is a pain in the asssssss to negotiate and find a spot...it is always full up like a tick).
Afterwards, we headed up 29 to the Merrifield Post Office, stopping for lunch at Tippy's Tacos. I haven't eaten there in I don't know how many years. I wasn't in the mood for a taco (like I usually got), but the salsa (hot sauce, really) hadn't changed a bit. N ate a cheese quesadilla and had a smallCoke Coca-Cola (his correction, not mine). From there we hit the post office to drop off Super Bad and then hit Unique in hopes of scoring a costume for next weekend's party.
Unique is just that: a thrift store in an old Marlo (?) warehouse. It's got tons of used stuff and is dirt cheap. I didn't find what I was hoping to find, but I was able to put something together with what I did find. On the way home from there, we stopped by another thrift store where I finished my costume.
Since it's supposed to turn nasty tomorrow, I went out for a run (~4 miles) and felt good. I was surprised I didn't have any knee issues after Thursday's run. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come!
After bowling we hit the post-bowl party for a bit before heading home to relieve the babysitters. Had they not been in 6th and 7th grade, we would've stayed out a bit later, but seeing as they're just a few years older than M, we decided to make it an early evening.
I wasn't as success
Anyway, that was stop numbers one and two. Fortunately, the second train store is located in the same shopping center as the uniform store, so we were able to kill two birds with one parking spot (and believe me, the parking lot at Fair City Mall is a pain in the asssssss to negotiate and find a spot...it is always full up like a tick).
Afterwards, we headed up 29 to the Merrifield Post Office, stopping for lunch at Tippy's Tacos. I haven't eaten there in I don't know how many years. I wasn't in the mood for a taco (like I usually got), but the salsa (hot sauce, really) hadn't changed a bit. N ate a cheese quesadilla and had a small
Unique is just that: a thrift store in an old Marlo (?) warehouse. It's got tons of used stuff and is dirt cheap. I didn't find what I was hoping to find, but I was able to put something together with what I did find. On the way home from there, we stopped by another thrift store where I finished my costume.
Since it's supposed to turn nasty tomorrow, I went out for a run (~4 miles) and felt good. I was surprised I didn't have any knee issues after Thursday's run. Hopefully this is a sign of things to come!
After bowling we hit the post-bowl party for a bit before heading home to relieve the babysitters. Had they not been in 6th and 7th grade, we would've stayed out a bit later, but seeing as they're just a few years older than M, we decided to make it an early evening.
I wasn't as success
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Day 352 - 02/08/2008
Happy Birthday, David Schneider!
David was a friend of mine in 2nd and 3rd grade in Germany. I don't know why I remember his birthday (maybe because it's a February birthday like mine?), but I do. Every year, without fail, I think of him and wonder what became of him.
D and I watched Super Bad last night. I wouldn't say it was (super bad), but it definitely wasn't super good. I could've done without all the f-bombs being dropped. There were a few funny moments and a few laugh-out-loud moments, but, for the most part, it just seemed the producers were going for the over-the-top raunch award. (Does that mean I'm old now?)
David was a friend of mine in 2nd and 3rd grade in Germany. I don't know why I remember his birthday (maybe because it's a February birthday like mine?), but I do. Every year, without fail, I think of him and wonder what became of him.
D and I watched Super Bad last night. I wouldn't say it was (super bad), but it definitely wasn't super good. I could've done without all the f-bombs being dropped. There were a few funny moments and a few laugh-out-loud moments, but, for the most part, it just seemed the producers were going for the over-the-top raunch award. (Does that mean I'm old now?)
Friday, February 8, 2008
Day 351 - 02/07/2008
Two weeks until my birthday. Two weeks until I've been posting for a year.
I've decided not to continue the daily ritual of posting (since I don't always post every day and it turns into a semi-weekly event of catching up for the past few days or so) and have decided on something similar: I will post pictures of the world around me on a somewhat regular basis. I don't know whether it will be everyday or just when it strikes my fancy (I'm hoping it's every day), but we'll see what happens.
I think it'd be much easier to do since I can take a picture with my camera and post it directly to the blog. (Well, I think I'll be able to do that, I'll have to try it out and see.)
Regardless, don't look for my daily ramblings to continue. The light at the end of the tunnel is near.
I've decided not to continue the daily ritual of posting (since I don't always post every day and it turns into a semi-weekly event of catching up for the past few days or so) and have decided on something similar: I will post pictures of the world around me on a somewhat regular basis. I don't know whether it will be everyday or just when it strikes my fancy (I'm hoping it's every day), but we'll see what happens.
I think it'd be much easier to do since I can take a picture with my camera and post it directly to the blog. (Well, I think I'll be able to do that, I'll have to try it out and see.)
Regardless, don't look for my daily ramblings to continue. The light at the end of the tunnel is near.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Day 350 - 02/06/2008
It's Ash Wednesday: The first day of Lent, as well as one of the days of fasting during the Lenten season (Good Friday is the other). Not only are we to fast, but we're also not supposed to eat meat.
So, with that in mind, we had a code review at work today and, as usual, we had pizza. Mike was to have ordered a variety of pies, but ended up getting two kinds: meat lovers and cheese. I guess you can guess which one I ate from, eh?
Speaking of Lent, this year I've decided to forego the yearly ritual of giving up booze and give up ice cream instead. While some of you might think that's not an even trade off, but I only drink a couple times over the course of the week, whereas I typically enjoy a bowl of ice cream 4-5 times a week (and that's down from 7+ times per week since the doc started monitoring my cholesterol). I've also committed to attending Mass at least 2x per week. In the past I've attended on Wednesday, but will probably do it on Thursdays this year just to mix it up.
So, with that in mind, we had a code review at work today and, as usual, we had pizza. Mike was to have ordered a variety of pies, but ended up getting two kinds: meat lovers and cheese. I guess you can guess which one I ate from, eh?
Speaking of Lent, this year I've decided to forego the yearly ritual of giving up booze and give up ice cream instead. While some of you might think that's not an even trade off, but I only drink a couple times over the course of the week, whereas I typically enjoy a bowl of ice cream 4-5 times a week (and that's down from 7+ times per week since the doc started monitoring my cholesterol). I've also committed to attending Mass at least 2x per week. In the past I've attended on Wednesday, but will probably do it on Thursdays this year just to mix it up.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Day 348 - 02/04/2008
Mundane Monday:
Chicken tortilla soup for lunch;
Hit the gym after work;
Picked up M and Claire from art on the way home;
Played guitar after dinner of leftover white chili;
Read Treasure Island and put the kids to bed;
Took out the trash; and
Watched Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Chicken tortilla soup for lunch;
Hit the gym after work;
Picked up M and Claire from art on the way home;
Played guitar after dinner of leftover white chili;
Read Treasure Island and put the kids to bed;
Took out the trash; and
Watched Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Day 347 - 02/03/2008
I took advantage of this unseasonal weather by going for a bike ride to Giant by way of Shirley Gate Road (about 10 miles out of the way). This was on purpose. Actually, it was a pretty good ride as the weather wasn't too cool at speed and traffic wasn't too bad (on those roads where I eschewed the "bike" path for the roads anyway). All in all, I was in the saddle for about 18 miles for about 90 minutes. That wasn't all riding, though, as I stopped a few times to pick up roadkill (a crescent wrench and a pint glass) and to take a couple pictures of a bust of a horse.
I'm really not sure what the point of this is. It's just a hunk of stone (marble?) sitting on the side of the road in front of an apartment building. I guess it's supposed to be some kind of art, but I don't get it. It's not like Fair Oaks is (or was) a hotbed of thoroughbred horse farming or anything.
After I got home from my ride, I made some white chili for theSuper Bowl Big Game party we attended tonight down the street. It turned out quite good and everyone seemed to enjoy it. Here's the recipe in case you'd like to make it yourself:
1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast (or thigh), cubed
1 white onion, diced
1 can cannellini/navy beans (14 - 16 oz), drained (reserve the liquid)
1 can diced chilies (4 oz.), drained (reserve the liquid)
1 can corn (14 - 16 oz), drained
2 c. chicken stock
1 tbsp oregeno
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp McCormick California Blend Garlic Powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
Brown chicken in olive oil, remove to plate until later. Add diced onions to olive oil and cook 2-3 minutes. Add beans, corn, chilies, stock, spices and chicken and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes or so. If it's too thick add some of the reserved liquid.
I've made this with cubed tofu instead of the chicken and although it was pretty good, wasn't as nearly as good as it is w/ the chicken. Another option would be to add shrimp.
As for the game itself, I thought it was alright, but as I told the folks I was watching the game with, had it been a Sunday afternoon game in October, I would've turned off the set and done something else. It just wasn't exciting enough for me. Oh well, there's always next year.
I'm really not sure what the point of this is. It's just a hunk of stone (marble?) sitting on the side of the road in front of an apartment building. I guess it's supposed to be some kind of art, but I don't get it. It's not like Fair Oaks is (or was) a hotbed of thoroughbred horse farming or anything.After I got home from my ride, I made some white chili for the
1 lb boneless/skinless chicken breast (or thigh), cubed
1 white onion, diced
1 can cannellini/navy beans (14 - 16 oz), drained (reserve the liquid)
1 can diced chilies (4 oz.), drained (reserve the liquid)
1 can corn (14 - 16 oz), drained
2 c. chicken stock
1 tbsp oregeno
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp McCormick California Blend Garlic Powder
1 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
Brown chicken in olive oil, remove to plate until later. Add diced onions to olive oil and cook 2-3 minutes. Add beans, corn, chilies, stock, spices and chicken and simmer for 20 - 25 minutes or so. If it's too thick add some of the reserved liquid.
I've made this with cubed tofu instead of the chicken and although it was pretty good, wasn't as nearly as good as it is w/ the chicken. Another option would be to add shrimp.
As for the game itself, I thought it was alright, but as I told the folks I was watching the game with, had it been a Sunday afternoon game in October, I would've turned off the set and done something else. It just wasn't exciting enough for me. Oh well, there's always next year.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
Day 346 - 02/02/2008
N and I were up and out of the house bright and early for a birthday party at Pump It Up. Usually we drop them off, but after what happened last time he was there, I stuck around the whole time. I was only planning on staying for half an hour or so, but got caught up talking with another dad and the next thing you know the party was nearing it's end.
After the party, I did some handyman stuff around the house that's been needing to get done (well, that I've been wanting to get done). I ran a wire from the office to the basement so we could watch TV in the back basement (it's connected to the aerial antenna in the attic). As part of this, I also built a shelf for the TV to sit on (it's a small 13" unit -- nothing too large or anything). D's been wanting me to hook it up for a while so she could watch it while she's on the treadmill. I also hooked up the center channel speaker to the stereo in the family room.
After dinner of Popeye's chicken (the official chicken of the Washington Redskins) that was only a hit with me (D doesn't like Popeye's and M and N don't like eating chicken with bones in it) and after we got the kids ready for bed, D and I settled down to watch the remake of Hairspray.
If you've seen the original, do yourself a favor and skip this one. If you haven't seen the original, do yourself a favor and skip this one and see that one instead. Not that it was (too) bad, but it was too long and there were too many songs. It failed to deliver as a musical. Maybe if there were fewer songs and more dialog it would've hit the mark, but. . .
After the movie, D went upstairs to bed and I went to the basement to play guitar until the wee hours of the morning.
After the party, I did some handyman stuff around the house that's been needing to get done (well, that I've been wanting to get done). I ran a wire from the office to the basement so we could watch TV in the back basement (it's connected to the aerial antenna in the attic). As part of this, I also built a shelf for the TV to sit on (it's a small 13" unit -- nothing too large or anything). D's been wanting me to hook it up for a while so she could watch it while she's on the treadmill. I also hooked up the center channel speaker to the stereo in the family room.
After dinner of Popeye's chicken (the official chicken of the Washington Redskins) that was only a hit with me (D doesn't like Popeye's and M and N don't like eating chicken with bones in it) and after we got the kids ready for bed, D and I settled down to watch the remake of Hairspray.
If you've seen the original, do yourself a favor and skip this one. If you haven't seen the original, do yourself a favor and skip this one and see that one instead. Not that it was (too) bad, but it was too long and there were too many songs. It failed to deliver as a musical. Maybe if there were fewer songs and more dialog it would've hit the mark, but. . .
After the movie, D went upstairs to bed and I went to the basement to play guitar until the wee hours of the morning.
Saturday, February 2, 2008
Day 345 - 02/01/2008
The kids had a two hour delay this morning due to. . .rain. Yes, you read that right. . .due to rain. (In all fairness, though, it was a little cold as well, so maybe they didn't want the kids to be cold and wet in the classroom.)
Whatever. Back in my day we had to go to school when it was cold and rainy.
And the teachers left the windows open so we could all catch chills and risk death by pneumonia.
Not really, but you get the point.
What was funny was that some folks didn't even think to check to see if school was delayed -- including one of our neighbors. She took her kids to school and found it closed. She turned back around and on her way home saw everyone leaving the local high school as well. That'll teach her not to check the closings the next time it's cold and rainy.
Tonight D and I watched last night's episode of Lost. I was quite happy to see it back on and am hoping the writer's strike will be resolved so we can have 16 episodes (vs. 8). Afterwards, I headed over the WaPo to read the Lost Dueling Analysis that appears after every episode. One thing I noticed was that no one thought it was Hurley's eye that was looking out the cabin window. Everyone thought it was Locke's.
I wasn't able to finish reading the analysis, though, as it was bedtime. Maybe tomorrow.
Whatever. Back in my day we had to go to school when it was cold and rainy.
And the teachers left the windows open so we could all catch chills and risk death by pneumonia.
Not really, but you get the point.
What was funny was that some folks didn't even think to check to see if school was delayed -- including one of our neighbors. She took her kids to school and found it closed. She turned back around and on her way home saw everyone leaving the local high school as well. That'll teach her not to check the closings the next time it's cold and rainy.
Tonight D and I watched last night's episode of Lost. I was quite happy to see it back on and am hoping the writer's strike will be resolved so we can have 16 episodes (vs. 8). Afterwards, I headed over the WaPo to read the Lost Dueling Analysis that appears after every episode. One thing I noticed was that no one thought it was Hurley's eye that was looking out the cabin window. Everyone thought it was Locke's.
I wasn't able to finish reading the analysis, though, as it was bedtime. Maybe tomorrow.
Friday, February 1, 2008
Day 344 - 01/31/2008
LOST is back!
But I missed it; I went and saw the Caps beat the Habs instead. That's alright, it was Tivo'd!
A few of us from work got together for the game and boy, was it a good one. After meeting up at Fado for a few Guinnesses (or 19), we walked down to the Verizon Center, picked up our tickets at will call and made our way to our seats. They weren't at the top of the arena, but they weren't bad, either. Actually, I'd wager that there's not a bad seat in the upper concourse as no matter where you're sitting, you've got a birds-eye view of the action, allowing you to see plays develop and foresee where they puck will probably be played. That's one thing you can't say sitting on the glass in the lower bowl, that's for sure (although you are closer to the action).
I got back home about 1045p and hit the sack. Although I jokingly told Mike I'd be in late tomorrow (late as in Monday), I was tired and ready to end the day.
But I missed it; I went and saw the Caps beat the Habs instead. That's alright, it was Tivo'd!
A few of us from work got together for the game and boy, was it a good one. After meeting up at Fado for a few Guinnesses (or 19), we walked down to the Verizon Center, picked up our tickets at will call and made our way to our seats. They weren't at the top of the arena, but they weren't bad, either. Actually, I'd wager that there's not a bad seat in the upper concourse as no matter where you're sitting, you've got a birds-eye view of the action, allowing you to see plays develop and foresee where they puck will probably be played. That's one thing you can't say sitting on the glass in the lower bowl, that's for sure (although you are closer to the action).
I got back home about 1045p and hit the sack. Although I jokingly told Mike I'd be in late tomorrow (late as in Monday), I was tired and ready to end the day.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
Day 343 - 01/30/2008
I really need to learn when to let things go vs. trying to win all the battles all the time. It would really make my life a lot easier.
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Day 342 - 01/28/2008
I hit the gym this afternoon and picked M and Claire up from art class.
After we got home and grabbed a bite to eat, we watched the rest of "James and the Giant Peach" (which we started last night). It was alright overall, but I don't like the way Tim Burton changed the story from the book (especially with regard to Aunt's Sponge and Spiker).
The kids seemed to enjoy it, though, so I guess it was a successful movie night.
After we got home and grabbed a bite to eat, we watched the rest of "James and the Giant Peach" (which we started last night). It was alright overall, but I don't like the way Tim Burton changed the story from the book (especially with regard to Aunt's Sponge and Spiker).
The kids seemed to enjoy it, though, so I guess it was a successful movie night.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Day 341 - 01/27/2008
I spent the day in the kitchen...for the most part.
I made some pasta with N while D and M were at Mass (I went at 1045a and they went to 1230p; N wasn't feeling up to snuff, so he got a pass). He enjoyed rolling it out and mixing the eggs in with the flour. After M got home, she and I went to the store for ingredients for the sauce. I had some mushrooms in the fridge, as well as some spinach and ricotta cheese, so I figured I'd make a couple of fillings to be used in raviolis.
M had other ideas, however, so she made some spaghetti with 1/6 of the dough. As usual, it took longer than I thought and the next thing you know, we're sitting down for dinner at 6p.
The mushroom pesto was excellent and, after adding some cream to it, it really mellowed out. Unfortunately, the garlic was overwhelming in the pesto, so I kept that to a minimum.
For dessert we had tiramisu (store-bought, not home made). It was the perfect ending to a great dinner.
I made some pasta with N while D and M were at Mass (I went at 1045a and they went to 1230p; N wasn't feeling up to snuff, so he got a pass). He enjoyed rolling it out and mixing the eggs in with the flour. After M got home, she and I went to the store for ingredients for the sauce. I had some mushrooms in the fridge, as well as some spinach and ricotta cheese, so I figured I'd make a couple of fillings to be used in raviolis.
M had other ideas, however, so she made some spaghetti with 1/6 of the dough. As usual, it took longer than I thought and the next thing you know, we're sitting down for dinner at 6p.
The mushroom pesto was excellent and, after adding some cream to it, it really mellowed out. Unfortunately, the garlic was overwhelming in the pesto, so I kept that to a minimum.
For dessert we had tiramisu (store-bought, not home made). It was the perfect ending to a great dinner.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Day 340 - 01/26/2008
After putting it off and putting it off, I finally went over to fix mom's computer. Her video card had gone bad and when I tried installing it last weekend, I ran into other issues. I didn't have the time last weekend, so I told her I'd be back. I called over this morning and arranged to come over and then head to the art store to select a new mat for the Jiminy Cricket cell. N came along for the ride (and to play with Sarah) as M had a couple of birthday parties lined up this afternoon/evening.
Not wanting to go back again, I really wanted to get this working before I left so I went straight to work. I was able to get past the initial error regarding the corrupt iosys directory, but whenever I tried to install the drivers for the card, I'd hit a brick wall. After 2-3 hours of working, I was finally able to get the drivers installed after extracting them from the directory that ATI's setup program created (but that Win98 indicated wasn't a Windows application). Although a couple of hours behind schedule (I planned on being done by noon-ish), we headed out to the art store -- but only after I kicked off the disk defrag process. (I really wanted it to be optimized before I left for the day).
After some discussion, we finally agreed on a new set of mats for the cell. The previous ones were cream and really didn't do much for the piece. They pretty much stopped your eyes from focusing on the picture and kept them on the mats. No good. We went with the same frame and a set of sage and black mats (the sage is the primary mat, the black one will serve as the border between the cell and the sage). I'm sure it will look much better than it did before.
After we got back from the store, I fixed the DVD player so they could watch DVDs in the bedroom. It was pretty simple as the cables had been connected to the output vs. the input. Once I switched them (and figured out which buttons needed to be pushed) it worked and N and I were done. I was rewarded for everything I did with a nice bird book. It was quite unexpected, yet also appreciated. I'm sure I'll spend quite a bit of time pouring over the book as I try to increase my knowledge of our fine feathered friends.
Not wanting to go back again, I really wanted to get this working before I left so I went straight to work. I was able to get past the initial error regarding the corrupt iosys directory, but whenever I tried to install the drivers for the card, I'd hit a brick wall. After 2-3 hours of working, I was finally able to get the drivers installed after extracting them from the directory that ATI's setup program created (but that Win98 indicated wasn't a Windows application). Although a couple of hours behind schedule (I planned on being done by noon-ish), we headed out to the art store -- but only after I kicked off the disk defrag process. (I really wanted it to be optimized before I left for the day).
After some discussion, we finally agreed on a new set of mats for the cell. The previous ones were cream and really didn't do much for the piece. They pretty much stopped your eyes from focusing on the picture and kept them on the mats. No good. We went with the same frame and a set of sage and black mats (the sage is the primary mat, the black one will serve as the border between the cell and the sage). I'm sure it will look much better than it did before.
After we got back from the store, I fixed the DVD player so they could watch DVDs in the bedroom. It was pretty simple as the cables had been connected to the output vs. the input. Once I switched them (and figured out which buttons needed to be pushed) it worked and N and I were done. I was rewarded for everything I did with a nice bird book. It was quite unexpected, yet also appreciated. I'm sure I'll spend quite a bit of time pouring over the book as I try to increase my knowledge of our fine feathered friends.
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Day 339 - 01/25/2008
I worked from home today to be around the house when the satellite guy showed up. We're switching our box in the family room for a HD receiver/DVR, which requires a different dish up on the roof. I'm also having him run an outlet to the office so I can Tivo shows in there without having to worry about whether the kids will stumble upon them (e.g., The Sopranos). Everything went fine until I set up the box in the office. For some reason, the second tuner's no longer working. I'm going to have to call DirecTV and have them ship out a replacement. Oh well, I guess we'll be down to two Tivo boxes and two DVRs.
After he left, I put the office back together and continued working on the migration. I made great headway this morning and am looking to (one day) have this tar baby behind me. While the migration was running, I started adding new features to Melon. Two of the features were suggested by a user (allowing the font to be changed on the lists and support for 64 million colors vs. the 32 or so that are available via Delphi) and the third feature (linking files) I came up with on my own. There's a couple minor items I need to get working (e.g., drag and drop), but once that's done, Melon will be out the door and I'll start focusing on iTriTracker.
We went out and got the car before D picked up the kids from carpool. Hopefully it'll be good to go for the next year or so. Even though we've spent a big chunk of money over the past few months on car work, we're still ahead of the game vs. having to shell out a monthly payment. While I'd love to get a new car, I don't relish the monthly payments that come with them.
D and some of her friends went out to dinner and a movie tonight, as well as went to visit a friend who just had a baby, so the kids and I were left to fend for ourselves. This we much easier than I thought it would be since as soon as D left, the kids went down to the Craigs' house to play. I followed them shortly thereafter and we ended up ordering pizzas and eating over there. Burke, Ted and I hung out in the kitchen eating, drinking and shooting the breeze while the kids played in the basement.
We ended up leaving later than I had intended, but the kids were having fun and since it wasn't a school night, I wasn't too concerned. After putting them to bed, I did some more work on the migration and Melon and watched a couple of episodes of The Sopranos before hitting the sack around 1130p. Surprisingly enough, I didn't even watch any TV on the new receiver as I didn't want to bother the kids (especially after N's TV watching escapades the other night).
After he left, I put the office back together and continued working on the migration. I made great headway this morning and am looking to (one day) have this tar baby behind me. While the migration was running, I started adding new features to Melon. Two of the features were suggested by a user (allowing the font to be changed on the lists and support for 64 million colors vs. the 32 or so that are available via Delphi) and the third feature (linking files) I came up with on my own. There's a couple minor items I need to get working (e.g., drag and drop), but once that's done, Melon will be out the door and I'll start focusing on iTriTracker.
We went out and got the car before D picked up the kids from carpool. Hopefully it'll be good to go for the next year or so. Even though we've spent a big chunk of money over the past few months on car work, we're still ahead of the game vs. having to shell out a monthly payment. While I'd love to get a new car, I don't relish the monthly payments that come with them.
D and some of her friends went out to dinner and a movie tonight, as well as went to visit a friend who just had a baby, so the kids and I were left to fend for ourselves. This we much easier than I thought it would be since as soon as D left, the kids went down to the Craigs' house to play. I followed them shortly thereafter and we ended up ordering pizzas and eating over there. Burke, Ted and I hung out in the kitchen eating, drinking and shooting the breeze while the kids played in the basement.
We ended up leaving later than I had intended, but the kids were having fun and since it wasn't a school night, I wasn't too concerned. After putting them to bed, I did some more work on the migration and Melon and watched a couple of episodes of The Sopranos before hitting the sack around 1130p. Surprisingly enough, I didn't even watch any TV on the new receiver as I didn't want to bother the kids (especially after N's TV watching escapades the other night).
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