Stardate 60020.8
Rachel dropped out of advanced math. She sort of gets it, but twenty minutes one day a week just is not enough. She does have the basic idea of how to solve for x.
Patrick is upset after he got on the scale the other day. Thomas saw him, and of course did likewise. Thomas is 2 lbs lighter than Patrick. This does not make Patrick happy. He takes after me in that respect; I was always light. In college I weighed somewhere between 135 and 140 lbs. He constantly sneaks candy, so I am surprised he does not gain a lot of weight.
End of Entry
Thursday, February 08, 2007
Monday, February 05, 2007
SAINTS WIN SUPERBOWL!
Stardate 60020.5
The Colts won, I know, and the Saints were knocked out two weeks ago. That's one I was glad I was not there. The rain looked bad. It was a good game, and I was rooting for the Colts.
Playing Barbarian Invasion again. I am the Romans now. It's a strategy game, so you get to build things like walls and buildings. You get confirmation when the building is complete. I like the one for aqueducts; it simply says 'What did the Romans ever do for us?' The Romans are the only ones in the game who can build them.
Currently reading: "The Last Kingdom" by Bernard Cornwall.
Weight: 210 lbs
End of Entry
The Colts won, I know, and the Saints were knocked out two weeks ago. That's one I was glad I was not there. The rain looked bad. It was a good game, and I was rooting for the Colts.
Playing Barbarian Invasion again. I am the Romans now. It's a strategy game, so you get to build things like walls and buildings. You get confirmation when the building is complete. I like the one for aqueducts; it simply says 'What did the Romans ever do for us?' The Romans are the only ones in the game who can build them.
Currently reading: "The Last Kingdom" by Bernard Cornwall.
Weight: 210 lbs
End of Entry
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Books
Stardate 60020.1
Erica is reading 'The Winter King' by Bernard Cornwall. It looks interesting, so I might pick it up at the library. I've read almost all of his 'Richard Sharpe' series (although I have yet to watch the BBC movie that I have), and I really liked them. It's a little ironic that we do a Jeopardy game at work, and the final jeopardy question a week ago was about Aurthur. I didn't get it. The clue had references to a story written in 600 AD, and Monty Python starts in 932 AD, so I over-analyzed and missed. The Battle of Baden Hill is on Barbarian Invasion, and it took place in 399 AD, so I had plenty of information to get it right.
End of Entry
Erica is reading 'The Winter King' by Bernard Cornwall. It looks interesting, so I might pick it up at the library. I've read almost all of his 'Richard Sharpe' series (although I have yet to watch the BBC movie that I have), and I really liked them. It's a little ironic that we do a Jeopardy game at work, and the final jeopardy question a week ago was about Aurthur. I didn't get it. The clue had references to a story written in 600 AD, and Monty Python starts in 932 AD, so I over-analyzed and missed. The Battle of Baden Hill is on Barbarian Invasion, and it took place in 399 AD, so I had plenty of information to get it right.
End of Entry
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Smog
Stardate 60013.0
Weather usually does not bother me. Yeah, I don't like getting caught in a cold rain, but a good coat and hat will help. The smog does bother me. What sort of clothing does one wear to guard against the brown air? I heard the story that the Indians called this the Valley of the Smokes. When we got to 12th street for Patrick's 7 AM game Saturday, you could not see the edge of the road on either side. It's a good thing I'd been there more than a dozen times and knew the landmarks well. That was just fog, but I can look up at the mountains and see the brown against the white of the snow. Patrick had been confined indoors as much as possible because he has had asthma symptoms in the past. Thomas and Rachel are staying in as well.
Basically there's been a lot of TV watching and video game playing. Rachel got Karaoke: American Idol for the PS/2. Paula Abdul evidently did not lend her name to it, because the judges are Randy, Simon, and Laura. The songs are kind of fun, although I keep confusing 'Do I Make You Proud' with Weird Al's 'Do I Creep You Out'.
We did get out to the Pinewood Derby. It was held in the gym this year instead of the cafeteria which made for a lot more room. Patrick's car passed inspection pretty easily, but I spent a good 30 minutes and two drills trying to get Thomas's car light enough. It was 2 tenths of an ounce over. This is the first time I've ever seen a car overweight without any extras. Both cars were slow. One of these years I need to research how to make the cars go better. The same person wins fastest car every year, and he says he did a lot of research.
End of Entry
Weather usually does not bother me. Yeah, I don't like getting caught in a cold rain, but a good coat and hat will help. The smog does bother me. What sort of clothing does one wear to guard against the brown air? I heard the story that the Indians called this the Valley of the Smokes. When we got to 12th street for Patrick's 7 AM game Saturday, you could not see the edge of the road on either side. It's a good thing I'd been there more than a dozen times and knew the landmarks well. That was just fog, but I can look up at the mountains and see the brown against the white of the snow. Patrick had been confined indoors as much as possible because he has had asthma symptoms in the past. Thomas and Rachel are staying in as well.
Basically there's been a lot of TV watching and video game playing. Rachel got Karaoke: American Idol for the PS/2. Paula Abdul evidently did not lend her name to it, because the judges are Randy, Simon, and Laura. The songs are kind of fun, although I keep confusing 'Do I Make You Proud' with Weird Al's 'Do I Creep You Out'.
We did get out to the Pinewood Derby. It was held in the gym this year instead of the cafeteria which made for a lot more room. Patrick's car passed inspection pretty easily, but I spent a good 30 minutes and two drills trying to get Thomas's car light enough. It was 2 tenths of an ounce over. This is the first time I've ever seen a car overweight without any extras. Both cars were slow. One of these years I need to research how to make the cars go better. The same person wins fastest car every year, and he says he did a lot of research.
End of Entry
Sunday, January 28, 2007
Orthodontist
Stardate 60012.8
Visiting the dentist with Rachel, he found an impacted tooth. It’s growing
in about 45 degrees under her other teeth. I think it’s pretty cool that he
noticed. You can only see it in an X-ray. He just saw a baby tooth were she
should have lost it, and decided to check further. Off to an orthodontist.
That was a little less impressive. It seemed to me to be more of a show off
of what could be done. I get what needs to be done, but I could have used
less of the show off.
So she will need braces. She was not excited about the prospect, but the
technology has changed. They showed us braces that have a wire which tries to pull itself back into into shape, and forces the teeth into place in the process. It's supposed to be less painful. I am not sure if this is true or not.
End of Entry
Visiting the dentist with Rachel, he found an impacted tooth. It’s growing
in about 45 degrees under her other teeth. I think it’s pretty cool that he
noticed. You can only see it in an X-ray. He just saw a baby tooth were she
should have lost it, and decided to check further. Off to an orthodontist.
That was a little less impressive. It seemed to me to be more of a show off
of what could be done. I get what needs to be done, but I could have used
less of the show off.
So she will need braces. She was not excited about the prospect, but the
technology has changed. They showed us braces that have a wire which tries to pull itself back into into shape, and forces the teeth into place in the process. It's supposed to be less painful. I am not sure if this is true or not.
End of Entry
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Scouts
Stardate 60012.4
The Pack meeting went well. The tigers had a skit to do, and they did it well. The theme this month was 'Poles Apart'. April asked me to come up with an idea for the skit, but I could not come up with anything to fit. They dressed up in various costumes and gave facts for each of the Earth's poles. Thomas got to dress in an explorers jacket and my 'Tennessee Tim' hat. I need to get a picture of him in this. The boys were nervous and therefore very quiet reading the parts.
We also had the Pinewood Derby cars weighed for Patrick and Thomas. Patrick did his like a roller coaster car, and cut a lot of wood off of it. The cars need to be as close to 5 oz. without going over as possible. Patrick's was maybe 2 oz. I was surprised by Thomas's car. We cut it to look like a race car, but with the wheels it weighs 5.2 oz. Leaving off the wheels will slow it down too much. So we have some sanding to do.
End Of Entry
The Pack meeting went well. The tigers had a skit to do, and they did it well. The theme this month was 'Poles Apart'. April asked me to come up with an idea for the skit, but I could not come up with anything to fit. They dressed up in various costumes and gave facts for each of the Earth's poles. Thomas got to dress in an explorers jacket and my 'Tennessee Tim' hat. I need to get a picture of him in this. The boys were nervous and therefore very quiet reading the parts.
We also had the Pinewood Derby cars weighed for Patrick and Thomas. Patrick did his like a roller coaster car, and cut a lot of wood off of it. The cars need to be as close to 5 oz. without going over as possible. Patrick's was maybe 2 oz. I was surprised by Thomas's car. We cut it to look like a race car, but with the wheels it weighs 5.2 oz. Leaving off the wheels will slow it down too much. So we have some sanding to do.
End Of Entry
Thursday, January 11, 2007
Various and Sundry
Stardate 60011.2
Saturday was soccer practice for Patrick. The coach kept going as long as we had the field, or about two and a half hours. I was recruited as the keeper for one team during the scrimmage. Patrick scored three goals on me, which made him very happy, and the coach thought it was funny. I did get the last laugh because Patrick's team lost and had to do 25 push ups.
Most of the snow has been skidding around us and dumping on Denver. We did get some last week and some more today. It was enough to go sledding on Sunday, and I hope we get enough to go again next Sunday. I have to admit that I love not having to commute to Salt Lake now.
The Cub Scouts met for the first time this year on Tuesday. They had a power sander and bandsaw there to cut the designs for the derby cars. Patrick is making a roller coaster car, and Thomas is making a basic racer. There was a good crowd there, so it took a while. It did not help that the bandsaw kept getting locked up.
My weight on Monday was 207.5 lbs.
End of Entry
Saturday was soccer practice for Patrick. The coach kept going as long as we had the field, or about two and a half hours. I was recruited as the keeper for one team during the scrimmage. Patrick scored three goals on me, which made him very happy, and the coach thought it was funny. I did get the last laugh because Patrick's team lost and had to do 25 push ups.
Most of the snow has been skidding around us and dumping on Denver. We did get some last week and some more today. It was enough to go sledding on Sunday, and I hope we get enough to go again next Sunday. I have to admit that I love not having to commute to Salt Lake now.
The Cub Scouts met for the first time this year on Tuesday. They had a power sander and bandsaw there to cut the designs for the derby cars. Patrick is making a roller coaster car, and Thomas is making a basic racer. There was a good crowd there, so it took a while. It did not help that the bandsaw kept getting locked up.
My weight on Monday was 207.5 lbs.
End of Entry
Thursday, January 04, 2007
DVR Catchup
Stardate 60010.7
We spent the last couple of days catching up on the DVR recordings. Because of the holidays, there were no new shows for it to record. It actually got to recording some Decisive Battles, it was so far down the list of stuff. Usually that gets bumped by higher priority items. It was a former Star Trek actors run on 'Without A Trace'. John DeLancie was on one show, and the last was a double treat. Conner Trinneer and Marina Sirtis. What was amusing is that while I caught John and Conner in the opening credits, I was looking somewhere else, and it was April who spotted Marina's name.
My weight was 212 lbs on January 1. Got to get that done.
End of Entry
We spent the last couple of days catching up on the DVR recordings. Because of the holidays, there were no new shows for it to record. It actually got to recording some Decisive Battles, it was so far down the list of stuff. Usually that gets bumped by higher priority items. It was a former Star Trek actors run on 'Without A Trace'. John DeLancie was on one show, and the last was a double treat. Conner Trinneer and Marina Sirtis. What was amusing is that while I caught John and Conner in the opening credits, I was looking somewhere else, and it was April who spotted Marina's name.
My weight was 212 lbs on January 1. Got to get that done.
End of Entry
Saturday, December 30, 2006
Some odds and ends
Stardate 60123.0
Just catching up on some things. Rachel had a slumber party for her
birthday; although it was on the 22nd instead of the 21st. April was in
charge of that, as I was taking my dad out to dinner for HIS birthday. We
managed to get the boys to stay with friends of theirs. The party therefore
went well.
Rachel’s actual birthday was overshadowed by school and Patrick having a
double-header in soccer. We managed to go to Cracker Barrel before he
needed to head up to Ogden. Rachel was thrilled to be delivering treats to
school on her ‘real’ birthday. To this point, she has always been out of
school by this time. April had planned on those candy-cane bagel
look-alikes, but someone else beat us to it. She was still happy to be able
to do something on the day.
There were two soccer games on Thursday, one Saturday morning, and one on
Tuesday night. The team has won them all. Patrick scored the winning goal
from defense Saturday, running up to kick back one from the other teams’
defense and keeping it to score with. That was with 40 seconds left in the
game. If there had been 43 seconds, the other team would have tied the
game; they were so intent on getting another goal. There are two new
players, Geordi (not sure if that’s how his name is spelled) started
Saturday and Carlos started Tuesday. Good players, but what impresses me is
they get a good passing game going with the whole team.
Christmas Eve we went to the Ogden city lights. I think we need to find another place to go, because the kids kept telling us they saw all of this last year. I hear Roy has an impressive set.
End of Entry
Just catching up on some things. Rachel had a slumber party for her
birthday; although it was on the 22nd instead of the 21st. April was in
charge of that, as I was taking my dad out to dinner for HIS birthday. We
managed to get the boys to stay with friends of theirs. The party therefore
went well.
Rachel’s actual birthday was overshadowed by school and Patrick having a
double-header in soccer. We managed to go to Cracker Barrel before he
needed to head up to Ogden. Rachel was thrilled to be delivering treats to
school on her ‘real’ birthday. To this point, she has always been out of
school by this time. April had planned on those candy-cane bagel
look-alikes, but someone else beat us to it. She was still happy to be able
to do something on the day.
There were two soccer games on Thursday, one Saturday morning, and one on
Tuesday night. The team has won them all. Patrick scored the winning goal
from defense Saturday, running up to kick back one from the other teams’
defense and keeping it to score with. That was with 40 seconds left in the
game. If there had been 43 seconds, the other team would have tied the
game; they were so intent on getting another goal. There are two new
players, Geordi (not sure if that’s how his name is spelled) started
Saturday and Carlos started Tuesday. Good players, but what impresses me is
they get a good passing game going with the whole team.
Christmas Eve we went to the Ogden city lights. I think we need to find another place to go, because the kids kept telling us they saw all of this last year. I hear Roy has an impressive set.
End of Entry
Wednesday, December 27, 2006
Christmas 2006
Stardate 60122.7
Christmas 2006 was one of the better ones in recent years. We told the kids they could not open or touch any presents until 6:30 AM. They laughed about it, and kept coming up with 'what-if' scenarios, but they listened. Patrick came bounding into our room at exactly 6:30, but it's much better than 3. Apparently he had been awake since 2. I remember doing the same thing as a kid, and looking at the clock every 10 to 15 minutes.
Then there is the 'put the stuff together' phase. I kind of get upset in this one because the kids want everything done immediately, and each construction takes time. Patrick is getting good at construction, and likes to spend the time doing that. He was tired from being up all night, though, and started to get frustrated. Thomas got a huge Black Pearl ship from Pirates of The Caribbean, and he tried to assemble it, but could not. After I got it together, he took delight in making Thomas mad by taking in apart again.
End Of Entry
Christmas 2006 was one of the better ones in recent years. We told the kids they could not open or touch any presents until 6:30 AM. They laughed about it, and kept coming up with 'what-if' scenarios, but they listened. Patrick came bounding into our room at exactly 6:30, but it's much better than 3. Apparently he had been awake since 2. I remember doing the same thing as a kid, and looking at the clock every 10 to 15 minutes.
Then there is the 'put the stuff together' phase. I kind of get upset in this one because the kids want everything done immediately, and each construction takes time. Patrick is getting good at construction, and likes to spend the time doing that. He was tired from being up all night, though, and started to get frustrated. Thomas got a huge Black Pearl ship from Pirates of The Caribbean, and he tried to assemble it, but could not. After I got it together, he took delight in making Thomas mad by taking in apart again.
End Of Entry
Monday, December 18, 2006
Long division is easy
Stardate 60121.8
Long division is easy, according to Rachel. That's what she told use tonight. We started her in an advanced math class, with complex fractions, decimals, and basic algebra. She objected at first, but we made here try it. It was a struggle for the first week, but she has the hang of it now. It took a bit of a refresher for me as well. I didn't remember how to add or multiply fractions. I had to look it up on the web. Now when she goes to do her normal math homework, it's easy. Gee, maybe mom and dad were right...
End of Entry.
Long division is easy, according to Rachel. That's what she told use tonight. We started her in an advanced math class, with complex fractions, decimals, and basic algebra. She objected at first, but we made here try it. It was a struggle for the first week, but she has the hang of it now. It took a bit of a refresher for me as well. I didn't remember how to add or multiply fractions. I had to look it up on the web. Now when she goes to do her normal math homework, it's easy. Gee, maybe mom and dad were right...
End of Entry.
Saturday, December 16, 2006
Journey to Bethlehem
Stardate 60121.6
Patrick had a busy Saturday. There was a 7:45 AM soccer game, which they lost. They don’t seem to be playing as aggressively as they were in the beginning. I think they are getting tired again. There was also a game at 8 PM on Thursday, with much the same results. After the game, he went to Salt Lake for two birthday parties, one at Laser Quest, and the other at Chuck E. Cheeses in Sandy. The Laser Quest place was pretty cool, better than most places I have been to.
Sunday we went to Journey to Bethlehem at the Baptist Church off highway 193 in Layton. I was expecting something you just walked through on your own, but it was a full fledged play. You are guided through sets inside and outside the church as part of a ‘family’ traveling to Bethlehem. There are people Hebrew and Roman costumes. Everyone going through is given a passport with a period name, and they must show it to various Roman authorities. It was snowing pretty good by the time we went, but that did not detract from the fun.
End Of Entry
Patrick had a busy Saturday. There was a 7:45 AM soccer game, which they lost. They don’t seem to be playing as aggressively as they were in the beginning. I think they are getting tired again. There was also a game at 8 PM on Thursday, with much the same results. After the game, he went to Salt Lake for two birthday parties, one at Laser Quest, and the other at Chuck E. Cheeses in Sandy. The Laser Quest place was pretty cool, better than most places I have been to.
Sunday we went to Journey to Bethlehem at the Baptist Church off highway 193 in Layton. I was expecting something you just walked through on your own, but it was a full fledged play. You are guided through sets inside and outside the church as part of a ‘family’ traveling to Bethlehem. There are people Hebrew and Roman costumes. Everyone going through is given a passport with a period name, and they must show it to various Roman authorities. It was snowing pretty good by the time we went, but that did not detract from the fun.
End Of Entry
Tuesday, December 05, 2006
Stole this from John who stole it from Carl...
1.WHAT CURSE WORD DO YOU USE THE MOST?
Shoot.
2. DO YOU OWN AN IPOD?
Yes.
3. WHAT PERSON ON YOUR FLIST DO YOU TALK TO THE MOST?
N/A
4. WHAT TIME IS Y0UR ALARM CLOCK SET TO?
5 AM. I can usually get out of bed by 20 to 6.
5. DO YOU STILL REMEMBER THE FIRST PERSON YOU KISSED?
No.
6. DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE ON 9/11/01?
I had just dropped Rachel off at school, and April called on the cell to tell me a plane had hit the WTC.
7. WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE THE PICTURE OR BE IN THE PICTURE?
Take the picture.
8. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
"Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause"
9. DO ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS HAVE CHILDREN?
Yes.
10. HAS ANYONE EVER CALLED YOU LAZY?
Yes.
11. DO YOU EVER TAKE MEDICATION TO HELP YOU FALL ASLEEP?
Rarely, since I then have a hard time getting up.
12. WHAT CD IS CURRENTLY IN YOUR CD PLAYER?
Spamalot.
13. DO YOU PREFER REGULAR OR CHOCOLATE MILK?
Chocolate.
14. HAS ANYONE TOLD YOU A SECRET THIS WEEK?
Yes.
15. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD STARBUCKS?
About three weeks ago.
16. CAN YOU WHISTLE?
Yes.
17. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Take the Fifth on that one.
18. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO?
Learning about my new job, coaching, Christmas, summer, vacations, not commuting, getting some certifications, ...
19. DID YOU WATCH CARTOONS AS A CHILD?
Yes, still do.
20. DO YOU OWN ANY BAND T-SHIRTS?
No.
Shoot.
2. DO YOU OWN AN IPOD?
Yes.
3. WHAT PERSON ON YOUR FLIST DO YOU TALK TO THE MOST?
N/A
4. WHAT TIME IS Y0UR ALARM CLOCK SET TO?
5 AM. I can usually get out of bed by 20 to 6.
5. DO YOU STILL REMEMBER THE FIRST PERSON YOU KISSED?
No.
6. DO YOU REMEMBER WHERE YOU WERE ON 9/11/01?
I had just dropped Rachel off at school, and April called on the cell to tell me a plane had hit the WTC.
7. WOULD YOU RATHER TAKE THE PICTURE OR BE IN THE PICTURE?
Take the picture.
8. WHAT WAS THE LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
"Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause"
9. DO ANY OF YOUR FRIENDS HAVE CHILDREN?
Yes.
10. HAS ANYONE EVER CALLED YOU LAZY?
Yes.
11. DO YOU EVER TAKE MEDICATION TO HELP YOU FALL ASLEEP?
Rarely, since I then have a hard time getting up.
12. WHAT CD IS CURRENTLY IN YOUR CD PLAYER?
Spamalot.
13. DO YOU PREFER REGULAR OR CHOCOLATE MILK?
Chocolate.
14. HAS ANYONE TOLD YOU A SECRET THIS WEEK?
Yes.
15. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU HAD STARBUCKS?
About three weeks ago.
16. CAN YOU WHISTLE?
Yes.
17. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT THE OPPOSITE SEX?
Take the Fifth on that one.
18. WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FORWARD TO?
Learning about my new job, coaching, Christmas, summer, vacations, not commuting, getting some certifications, ...
19. DID YOU WATCH CARTOONS AS A CHILD?
Yes, still do.
20. DO YOU OWN ANY BAND T-SHIRTS?
No.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
May the Force be with you and yours
Stardate 60112.9
Thanksgiving was good. We got together to eat, after a mix up with my dad driving out here when I told him I would pick him up. We did the turkey in the grill this year. It turned out very well. This also left the oven free for other things. Patrick was insistent that we have pumpkin pie, so the night before he, Thomas, and Rachel helped me make two. Thomas was also sure that one of the traditions was to watch football, because 'that's what you do on Thanksgiving'.
The next day we started putting up Christmas decorations. I had a lot of trouble with the outside lights. For the life of me, I can't figure out why sections decide to just not light. Even after checking all the bulbs, it still didn't work. On top of that, they were multicolor icicle lights. I searched a number of stores, but could not find replacements. It was not until Sunday that April found a KMart ad for some. It actually looks good this year.
Saturday Thomas ran down the stairs to check his stocking by the fireplace. Apparently he was under the impression it would get filled after he hung it up. We explained that it only got filled on Christmas Eve. He was ok with that. Patrick had two games that day. The first they won 4-2. The highlights of that game was the other teams coach yelling that her team needed to listen to her, and not our coach. I also saw Patrick's friend Trey step in front of another player as he and Patrick were chasing after the ball. It was a nice pick play. The second game was 14-2. The highlights were that most of the team scored some goals. Patrick scored 3; one kicked in from mid-air over the keepers head. Trey and Josh A. both scored 1. Another highlight was the keeper kicking it away up in the air. Patrick caught it on his knee after one bounce, and juggled it for a while before popping to a teammate. The other team was at a loss to what to do.
April had the cubmaster bring me up front at the end of the Cub Scout pack meeting, and he lead the pack in singing Happy Birthday to me. That was very touching.
My new job is good. I have not done much yet, other than grin as the inclement weather snarled traffic in south Davis and Salt Lake City.
End of Entry
Thanksgiving was good. We got together to eat, after a mix up with my dad driving out here when I told him I would pick him up. We did the turkey in the grill this year. It turned out very well. This also left the oven free for other things. Patrick was insistent that we have pumpkin pie, so the night before he, Thomas, and Rachel helped me make two. Thomas was also sure that one of the traditions was to watch football, because 'that's what you do on Thanksgiving'.
The next day we started putting up Christmas decorations. I had a lot of trouble with the outside lights. For the life of me, I can't figure out why sections decide to just not light. Even after checking all the bulbs, it still didn't work. On top of that, they were multicolor icicle lights. I searched a number of stores, but could not find replacements. It was not until Sunday that April found a KMart ad for some. It actually looks good this year.
Saturday Thomas ran down the stairs to check his stocking by the fireplace. Apparently he was under the impression it would get filled after he hung it up. We explained that it only got filled on Christmas Eve. He was ok with that. Patrick had two games that day. The first they won 4-2. The highlights of that game was the other teams coach yelling that her team needed to listen to her, and not our coach. I also saw Patrick's friend Trey step in front of another player as he and Patrick were chasing after the ball. It was a nice pick play. The second game was 14-2. The highlights were that most of the team scored some goals. Patrick scored 3; one kicked in from mid-air over the keepers head. Trey and Josh A. both scored 1. Another highlight was the keeper kicking it away up in the air. Patrick caught it on his knee after one bounce, and juggled it for a while before popping to a teammate. The other team was at a loss to what to do.
April had the cubmaster bring me up front at the end of the Cub Scout pack meeting, and he lead the pack in singing Happy Birthday to me. That was very touching.
My new job is good. I have not done much yet, other than grin as the inclement weather snarled traffic in south Davis and Salt Lake City.
End of Entry
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
Pronounced
Stardate 60112.2
Did anyone go stand in line to to buy a Wii (pronounced 'We')? I'm curious about the user manual (pronounced 'man-u-L'). Everywhere I read about the gaming console, it's always accompanied by a helpful pronounciation. Is this also in the usage for the Wii (pronounced 'Whee')? There was a piece on NPR, where they spelled AND pronounced it, that said Nintendo was going after the casual gamers with this console. I don't think I fit into the 'hard-core' gamer category, so I must be, by process of elimination, a casual gamer. I don't know if there is a no-gamer category, but since I do play console and computer games, I don't fit that one either. Yet I don't feel like buying one (pronounced '1'). I can't get past the need to tell me over and over how to pronounce the name. Why not spell it 'We' (pronounced 'Wii') and get it over with?
If an exclamation point is added, is it then pronounced Wii! (pronounced 'Wheeeeee!')?
End of Entry
Did anyone go stand in line to to buy a Wii (pronounced 'We')? I'm curious about the user manual (pronounced 'man-u-L'). Everywhere I read about the gaming console, it's always accompanied by a helpful pronounciation. Is this also in the usage for the Wii (pronounced 'Whee')? There was a piece on NPR, where they spelled AND pronounced it, that said Nintendo was going after the casual gamers with this console. I don't think I fit into the 'hard-core' gamer category, so I must be, by process of elimination, a casual gamer. I don't know if there is a no-gamer category, but since I do play console and computer games, I don't fit that one either. Yet I don't feel like buying one (pronounced '1'). I can't get past the need to tell me over and over how to pronounce the name. Why not spell it 'We' (pronounced 'Wii') and get it over with?
If an exclamation point is added, is it then pronounced Wii! (pronounced 'Wheeeeee!')?
End of Entry
Monday, November 20, 2006
Oracle Developer Tools for Visual Studio
Stardate 60112.0
I found this, and decided to download and install it. The first download was 24Mb, and when I ran it, it complained that VS 2003 was not installed (I have VS 2005). Back to the Oracle site, and I found the version for 2005 bundled with a bunch of other stuff. 283Mb all told. It took 2 hours to download, and about 5 minutes to install. I launched VS 2005, and tried to access the Oracle Explorer from the menu. It came back with 'Package Load Failure, do you want to disable loading this in the future?'. Silly me, I clicked yet. Searching on the net, I found a site describing the problem and solution. An install bug puts the .NET 1.1 assembly in for the .NET 2.0, so VS doesn't understand it. Running the command
gacutil /l Oracle.DataAccess
from the Visual Studio command prompt, and shore 'enuf:
Microsoft (R) .NET Global Assembly Cache Utility. Version 2.0.50727.42
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
The Global Assembly Cache contains the following assemblies:
Oracle.DataAccess, Version=2.102.2.20, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89b483f
429c47342, processorArchitecture=x86
Oracle.DataAccess, Version=1.102.2.20, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89b483f
429c47342
Number of items = 2
two versions installed. Ok, run
gacutil /u Oracle.DataAccess
and both are removed. Search the hard disk for Oracle.DataAccess.dll, and find the 2.102.2.20 version. Use
gacutil /i (Oracle Home)/Oracle.DataAccess.dll, and it installs the proper one.
Launch VS 2005 again, but the problem now is I told it to skip loading the Oracle Explorer package. Run devenv /ResetSkipPkgs and it at least opens a window with Oracle Explorer. However, I can't connect to a database. I tried copying the TNSNAMES.ORA to the new, but no go. Ok, time to do this the old-fashioned way, and use the Net Configuration Utility that comes with Oracle. It seems to create the same TNSNAMES.ORA, but at least now I can connect.
End of Entry
I found this, and decided to download and install it. The first download was 24Mb, and when I ran it, it complained that VS 2003 was not installed (I have VS 2005). Back to the Oracle site, and I found the version for 2005 bundled with a bunch of other stuff. 283Mb all told. It took 2 hours to download, and about 5 minutes to install. I launched VS 2005, and tried to access the Oracle Explorer from the menu. It came back with 'Package Load Failure, do you want to disable loading this in the future?'. Silly me, I clicked yet. Searching on the net, I found a site describing the problem and solution. An install bug puts the .NET 1.1 assembly in for the .NET 2.0, so VS doesn't understand it. Running the command
gacutil /l Oracle.DataAccess
from the Visual Studio command prompt, and shore 'enuf:
Microsoft (R) .NET Global Assembly Cache Utility. Version 2.0.50727.42
Copyright (c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
The Global Assembly Cache contains the following assemblies:
Oracle.DataAccess, Version=2.102.2.20, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89b483f
429c47342, processorArchitecture=x86
Oracle.DataAccess, Version=1.102.2.20, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=89b483f
429c47342
Number of items = 2
two versions installed. Ok, run
gacutil /u Oracle.DataAccess
and both are removed. Search the hard disk for Oracle.DataAccess.dll, and find the 2.102.2.20 version. Use
gacutil /i (Oracle Home)/Oracle.DataAccess.dll, and it installs the proper one.
Launch VS 2005 again, but the problem now is I told it to skip loading the Oracle Explorer package. Run devenv /ResetSkipPkgs and it at least opens a window with Oracle Explorer. However, I can't connect to a database. I tried copying the TNSNAMES.ORA to the new
End of Entry
Sunday, November 19, 2006
Soccer
Stardate 60111.9
Patrick is on a soccer team, put together by the PE coach at school. Two games a week, Thursday night at Ultimate Indoor in West Haven and Saturday morning at 12th Street, plus practices. He is enjoying it though. April went the game Saturday morning, and was surprised by how good he has become. The team is losing (one win against a girls team because there are not enough teams, the rest losses). I see a number of good players besides him, and a few underutilized ones. The team as a whole does ok. I disagree with the coaches letting the defenders go all the way down the field. But I will let it go and assume he knows what he is doing.
The games at Utimate seem rigged against us. One game I swear we got a penalty every time a kid on the other team fell down, but nothing when one of ours did. Well, like I said, he is having fun, so I don't care.
End of Entry
Patrick is on a soccer team, put together by the PE coach at school. Two games a week, Thursday night at Ultimate Indoor in West Haven and Saturday morning at 12th Street, plus practices. He is enjoying it though. April went the game Saturday morning, and was surprised by how good he has become. The team is losing (one win against a girls team because there are not enough teams, the rest losses). I see a number of good players besides him, and a few underutilized ones. The team as a whole does ok. I disagree with the coaches letting the defenders go all the way down the field. But I will let it go and assume he knows what he is doing.
The games at Utimate seem rigged against us. One game I swear we got a penalty every time a kid on the other team fell down, but nothing when one of ours did. Well, like I said, he is having fun, so I don't care.
End of Entry
Thursday, November 16, 2006
New Job
Stardate 60111.6
The secret is generally out, so I can talk about it here. On November 27, I start working at Flying J corporate in Ogden. After almost a year of searching, I finally found something else. My big mistake before was getting complacent. I just assumed that my skills would be useful, but I found out otherwise. It took a long time to get going on new languages, and employers are always looking at past experience. Lesson learned. I will keep learning and looking at the job market.
The commute will be much better. The office is 2 minutes from where I drop the kids off at school. The dress code is more strict, and I will need to wear ties and dress shirts.
End of Entry
The secret is generally out, so I can talk about it here. On November 27, I start working at Flying J corporate in Ogden. After almost a year of searching, I finally found something else. My big mistake before was getting complacent. I just assumed that my skills would be useful, but I found out otherwise. It took a long time to get going on new languages, and employers are always looking at past experience. Lesson learned. I will keep learning and looking at the job market.
The commute will be much better. The office is 2 minutes from where I drop the kids off at school. The dress code is more strict, and I will need to wear ties and dress shirts.
End of Entry
Monday, November 13, 2006
Long time between
Stardate 60111.3
Another long time between posts. There is a lot to catch up on. Halloween went well. Rachel was a little disappointed with a friend she went trick-or-treating with. She was more interested in visiting than getting candy. Patrick did not want to hang with his brother and sister, so we pawned him off on a friend. Thomas made out like a bandit. He went with Rachel's friends' brother. They get along very well. Rachel was a corpse bride, Patrick was a death, and Thomas was an Indian. This was the first year I did not carve a jack-o-lantern for myself. By the time I finished with Thomas and Patrick's, my hand hurt to bad to do another one. Rachel did hers all by herself. It turned out pretty good, considering she chose a complex design.
Well, got to run. More to come...
End of Entry
Another long time between posts. There is a lot to catch up on. Halloween went well. Rachel was a little disappointed with a friend she went trick-or-treating with. She was more interested in visiting than getting candy. Patrick did not want to hang with his brother and sister, so we pawned him off on a friend. Thomas made out like a bandit. He went with Rachel's friends' brother. They get along very well. Rachel was a corpse bride, Patrick was a death, and Thomas was an Indian. This was the first year I did not carve a jack-o-lantern for myself. By the time I finished with Thomas and Patrick's, my hand hurt to bad to do another one. Rachel did hers all by herself. It turned out pretty good, considering she chose a complex design.
Well, got to run. More to come...
End of Entry
Friday, November 03, 2006
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