Wednesday, December 26, 2007

MusicPlayer Forums: OT: Led Zeppelin Setlist

MusicPlayer Forums: OT: Led Zeppelin Setlist:
Heard it on NPR this morning:

Been A Really, Really, Really Long Time Since I Rock 'n Rolled
Goin' to California At 40 M.P.H. In the Passing Lane
Whole Lotta Lipitor

And the big encore -

Stairlift to Heaven

Sunday, December 23, 2007

We've completed our Disney trip and it was a blast. Emily and Alex were far more adventurous than in the past and got to experience new things. Claire sure enjoyed meeting The Mouse at Chef Mickey's, too. And the Oompah band at Biergarten was a hoot! Amanda fell and hurt her knee on Friday, which was (and is) a downer, but we got her an electric scooter on Saturday so we could still enjoy Magic Kingdom one more time. We were traveling with the Lathams, who are staying until Christmas, and it has been a good experience. Vacationing with another family (one not related to you) is good for bonding.

Check out our pictures on Webshots (see the sidebar).

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

'Nuff Said

We're at Disney MGM Studios (soom to be Disney Hollywood Studios) and Alex loves Star Tours. We have ridden a lot of great rides today, stuff I've not seen for many years.

Friday, November 23, 2007

We're at the Alabama Shakespeare Festival to see a production of J. M. Barrie's Peter Pan. The house is packed with young and old alike (perhaps some a bit too young, we'll see). This is a present from MM to us all- well, not Claire, who is home with a sitter. (Maybe next time, Claire.)

Thursday, November 22, 2007

Happy Thanksgiving

and we mean it.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Poll Shows Colbert Gets 2.3 Percent Of Democratic Vote - News Story - WMAQ | Chicago

Poll Shows Colbert Gets 2.3 Percent Of Democratic Vote - News Story - WMAQ Chicago

During his abbreviated run for President, Stephen Colbert was able to get more than 2% of the vote in opinion polls. Unfortunately, his candidacy was cut short, as his application to be on the South Carolina ballot was rejected by the S.C. Democratic Party. (boo)

Could you imagine a Presidential debate with Stephen Colbert on the panel? That would be a hoot!

Thursday, November 01, 2007

YouTube - Why Dogs Hate Halloween

YouTube - Why Dogs Hate Halloween
... and why they sometimes bite us Humans, too.

Wednesday, October 31, 2007

Happy Halloween!


Halloween 2007

Tuesday, October 30, 2007

A Beautiful Morning

This is the view from the window near my cube. It is a chilly morning (around 40 degrees) and there is fog around the Chattahoochee. Very nice.

Saturday, October 27, 2007

Saturday yielded Eagle Fest at Mt. Paran. We got to see friends while the kids played games and rode the rides. Emily and Emily Lorenz (pictured) had a mishap and had to be bandaged. As Emily L. said, "Ooouuww!" (FYI: the are fake wounds which cost about $1.50 :)

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Emily and the Horse

We are still at the Corn Maze and Emily got her first pony ride. She thought it was awesome (as all little girls do).

We're outside Canton, GA, at Cagle's Dairy Farm doimg the corn maze. We were going to go to Resaca but it was an hour away versus the less than twenty minutes to this one. the maze is 10 acres- that's more than enough maze for our kids!
(FYI: Alex is not crying in the picture)

Sunday, September 30, 2007

Amanda and I went to Medieval Times to celebrate or 11 year wedding anniversary and took the kids with us (they ate free during the month of September). A good time was had by all! If you've not experienced it, it is worthwhile- two hours of continuous entertainment, plus some tasty but messy food (they make you eat with your hands).

Monday, September 03, 2007

FW: Happy Labor Day!

As always, we're at the pool, having a great time. We hope you are, too!

Monday, August 27, 2007

She Loves to Swim and it Shows

Claire turned 21 months old yesterday. Can you believe that she is already a fish? She has virtually no fear in the water and doesn't mind getting water in her face. And she looks cute, too!

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Emily took her yellow belt test today. We won't know for sure if she passed until Monday, but we're all very proud of her and are sure she'll be yellow next week!

Emily Yellow Belt Test

Thursday, August 02, 2007

AND A ROLLER-COASTER!

What a monumental day! Emily finally tried a roller coaster (albeit a mini one) and she loved it! On to the the... barnstormers and tea cups?

Tilted and Whirled

Make that eight!

One Last Hurrah

Today it's Em's turn to take a friend to American Adventures. Sammie and Emily are having lots of fun together. Just like Alex did last week, Emily decided to try the Tilt-a-Whirl - and loved it! She and Sammie are riding it for the third time right now.

Saturday, July 28, 2007

Another Disneyphile

I believe you can tell from the picture that Claire enjoys her Mickey. And Minnie. And Pluto. She wants to take them everywhere right now. I guess we'll have to be sure and see M&M&P the next time we go to Disney World!

Friday, June 29, 2007

Howdy, Pardner!

Emily sends a big Hey out to all you prairie dogs.

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

Emily earned her white belt in Tae Kwon Do. Ever since Alex decided to stop last year, Emily has been telling us that she'd like to try it. And from what I hear, she loves it!


Monday, June 18, 2007

Alex lost his first tooth

Yes, today Alex became a man. Well, he's at least less of a baby, as the first of his baby teeth has come out. boy, they grow up so fast...

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

Land of the Rising Sun

Our company is consolidating employees on the upper floors of our building. I was moved from a third floor "corner cube" facing the parking deck to a tenth floor window cube facing the woods with a pole- a so-called "obstructed viewbicle". It would be better if the pole weren't there; but then the morning sun would probably give me a tan.

Tuesday, May 29, 2007

We're back from vacation, but the fond memories remain. We had loads of fun and a good amount of rest on Jekyll Island. I can't recommend it enough, especially if you have the chance to go with an expert like June McCash. We learned a lot and enjoyed family time to boot. Go! Soon!

From Vacation

Sunday, May 27, 2007

Jekyll Island

We're spending the weekend at Jekyll Island with Amanda's mom, her Uncle Richard, and her Aunt June. June (McCash) is an expert on the history of the island, having written several books on the subject; we are fortunate to be able to learn so much about the building and people here. Yesterday we went to the ocean and the kids had loads of fun. It is quite different from Ft. Walton Beach, with fewer people around. You can really enjoy it. This morning we went to brunch at the Jekyll Island Club, which was delicious. It is hard to imagine the amount of power and money that once dined in that room. Later today we will probably return to the ocean or go to the sea turtle hospital.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Alex Graduates

Today is Kindergarten Graduation Day at Mt. Paran. Alex is having lots of fun at the after party. It's at Acworth Beach. Can you believe we have a beach?

Tuesday, May 22, 2007

Georgia is on Fire

I don't know if the picture does it justice, but there is a thin veil of smoke hanging over Atlanta today. South Georgia is on fire, and the winds have brought a reminder to us. And it's not just fog_ no, you can *smell* it in the air.

Sunday, May 13, 2007

Happy Mother's Day

We're at American Adventures celebrating a mom and her kids. Claire can't participate much but she and I are amusing ourselves. Just think, all you moms- you, too, could be riding bumper cars with your offspring!

Again, Happy Mother's Day!

Friday, April 27, 2007

Today is Alex's class trip to Turner Field. What an experience! The whole class is loving it! After this we're eating at the Varsity Jr. Grease will be had by all!

Thursday, April 26, 2007

Hybrid Cars And Fuzzy Math - washingtonpost.com

Hybrid Cars And Fuzzy Math - washingtonpost.com

Finally, a clear rebuttal to the "Hummers are more environmentally friendly than Priuses" garbage. It was so obvious in the original article that they made glaring errors, yet so many people took it at face value. Come on- they said the energy cost per mile over 100K miles was over three dollars- yet the cost of the car is only $25K and the cost of the gas for that 100K miles is less than $8K. So who's paying the rest of that $300,000?

Sunday, April 22, 2007

Alex, Emily, and I are off to a banner start, enjoying the rides at AmerAdvent. Planes, Trains, and Teacups- no automobiles, but the obligatory slide, of course. Come join us!

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Alex's birthday was yesterday (at Monkey Joe's), and today we are at Burger King for his birthday dinner. Can you believe these kids are growing up? I can...

Saturday, April 07, 2007

Lego my Wii - Joystiq

Lego my Wii - Joystiq

Seems that some people would rather play with Legos rather than play with their Wii. I don't think I know these people.

Be sure to peruse the image library by following any of the links in the article. Browse around via Next/Previous to see some great shots of the Lego Wii.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Radioactive Boy Scout | Technology | DISCOVER Magazine

A Michigan kid achieves fame - and fusion- in his basement.

My favorite quote:

“These kids are studying much more useful physics than what the country is spending billions on... They’re not going down the mainstream path to oblivion.”

Lego Sofa - Gizmodo


If this doesn't take the cake (or at least allow you to build one out of Legos). It's amazing what people will buy.

But I know one five year old (almost six!) that would love to have this in his room. :)

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

No Fluff Just Stuff Podcast

No Fluff Just Stuff Podcast

NFJS is a developer symposium (mostly Java) that roams the country educating developers. They've hosted the best seminars I've attended. They now have a podcast where they talk to the very smart people who present at NFJS and give a sample (or sometimes a whole seminar) of the kinds of stuff developers need to hear.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Lego MMO Revealed - Kotaku

Lego MMO Revealed - Kotaku

Sweet! "Lego Universe"! If done properly, this could be an amazing experience, ready to waste the childhoods of most American children!

Saturday, February 17, 2007

It's Emily's Birthday!


Emily had some friends over last night to celebrate turning eight. Boy can little girls get loud and shrill! They were up having fun very late- I believe the "earlybirds" went to sleep around 11:30, but Emily and Sammie (just over Emily's right shoulder) didn't go to sleep until after 1:30 AM! As a party favor, we took this picture and printed it on T-shirts, with all the girls signing the back. Needless to say, they all had loads of fun!


From Emilys Sleepover

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Wii!

That's what we're saying about our new Nintendo. It's tons of fun! Workouts with Wii Sports and action with Zelda: Twilight Princess, plus news, weather, internet- there's nothing like streaming TV off the web to your, er, TV. But seriously, it's a lot of fun and is quite a different gameplay. Stop by and play a while!


Sunday, January 21, 2007

Claire Walks!

Claire started taking two or three steps at a time, then a few more, and now she's able to walk six feet or more at a time. It's only a matter of time before she's running full tilt. She already loves to climb on (or over) things- she's even managed to climb into the bathtub.

Oh, and she stacks our shoes on the back of the couch. I don't know what that's all about...

Friday, January 19, 2007

"CBS viewers, especially those who are always suspecting the network of tilting left, may have been jolted by the recorded announcement played during the closing credits of 'Armed & Famous,' the show that preceded the president's speech on the network. Said an announcer: ' 'Criminal Minds' is next, here on CBS.'"

Despite which way you lean, that's funny!

Tom Shales - A Few Choice Words, Including 'Mistakes' - washingtonpost.com

Thursday, January 04, 2007

East Cobber

Well, it's official. Claire is "Baby of the Year" for East Cobber magazine! Our "little angel" has been quite the blessing to our family, and now is her chance to make others happy. During her reign as BOTY she will strive for world peace and an end to asparagus at dinner.