Well, my ride to work should be here momentarily, so if you don't hear from me for the next week, that's probably a good thing as the place we're going has no net access, aside from the fishing kind!
Have a great week, everyone! I'll try not to have too much fun on the way too and from the island. I'm just happy that the lighthouse at Meldrum Bay is open this year.
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Friday, September 04, 2009
Earning Their Keep
I put the kids to work making supper this morning. Garrett is becoming a dab hand with a blade and Kara is in training for middle management as we speak.
Kara: The Leggening
We've got more pictures of Kara's leg after she stood still too long in a bad neighbourhood and let the gangs tag her cast. She's also got a blindingly bright new pink shell on her leg and received a Kara Package (thanks mom!) from her Grandma Wager yesterday. Woo!
Check out the slideshow!
Check out the slideshow!
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Happy Birthday Dave!
My widdle bwutha is 31 today! Go get your birthday kicks in now before it's too late!
Saturday, August 29, 2009
Kara Fall Down, Go Boom!
So Kara fell down some steps at the park in Georgetown while at the babysitter's yesterday. Her leg was bruised up and she was favouring it somewhat last night from all accounts, but she was otherwise her usual crazy self. This morning, she was in tears if she put the slightest bit of weight on it and wouldn't even take a few steps across the room. Suffice it to say, it's a good thing we hauled her down to the hospital.
Spot the fracture!
She's fine now and aside from a few attempts to pull the cast off, she's in good spirits. She didn't really like it when we took the X-rays but she's a trooper. It's going to be tough keeping her off her foot though. She keeps trying to walk around despite the pain.
Anyway, we're loading up on a bunch of Disney cartoons for her to watch and hopefully that will distract her for a while.
Spot the fracture!
She's fine now and aside from a few attempts to pull the cast off, she's in good spirits. She didn't really like it when we took the X-rays but she's a trooper. It's going to be tough keeping her off her foot though. She keeps trying to walk around despite the pain.
Anyway, we're loading up on a bunch of Disney cartoons for her to watch and hopefully that will distract her for a while.
Friday, August 28, 2009
Hey! Look Over There!
It has been an interesting time here in Acton with regards to strange sightings. I was pulling into my parking lot today and lo and behold, what's behind me but a horse. A big horse. All brown and horsey-like. Thankfully there was a person on top of the horse to direct it away from my car and back to the track next to us, but still. Not every day you have a horse in your parking lot.
And speaking of things not seen every day, I was driving through Acton yesterday and I spotted a strange car coming around the bend by Shoppers. I had to do a double-take, but yes, Virginia, that WAS the Google Earth Street View Camera Car!
I thought there had been some controversy about privacy or some such nonsense. Now I might find myself on Google Earth in the near future!
This isn't the car that I saw yesterday, but it looked exactly like it.
And speaking of things not seen every day, I was driving through Acton yesterday and I spotted a strange car coming around the bend by Shoppers. I had to do a double-take, but yes, Virginia, that WAS the Google Earth Street View Camera Car!
I thought there had been some controversy about privacy or some such nonsense. Now I might find myself on Google Earth in the near future!
This isn't the car that I saw yesterday, but it looked exactly like it.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Awkward Question Time!
I tell ya, Garrett has been on a roll lately with his questions. He's also obsessed with learning about the human body which leads to some questions that are either profound or... delicate...
For instance, the theme of many of today's question were along the lines of this gem:
"Daddy, how do people make people?"
"Um... it's a long and involved process. I'll explain more when you're older."
He was kind of sad that he couldn't "see how the blood gets put onto the bones when you're being made". I explained that you couldn't see that part of the construction process because the babies are in their mommy's tummy. Then he wanted to know how babies get out of tummies. I think he's convinced that you're either pooped out or somehow pop out of your mother's belly button. You have to push hard because "babies have lots of bones inside them." Anything that lies under your skin is what is piquing that kid's curiosity of late.
Of course, he also has to try to deconstruct something as simple as Super Mario Bros. He really, REALLY wanted a straight answer about what was in the holes that Mario falls into. He wouldn't accept that you just die when you fall in the hole. SOMETHING is down there killing Mario and Luigi when they fall down. Now I want to know too!
For instance, the theme of many of today's question were along the lines of this gem:
"Daddy, how do people make people?"
"Um... it's a long and involved process. I'll explain more when you're older."
He was kind of sad that he couldn't "see how the blood gets put onto the bones when you're being made". I explained that you couldn't see that part of the construction process because the babies are in their mommy's tummy. Then he wanted to know how babies get out of tummies. I think he's convinced that you're either pooped out or somehow pop out of your mother's belly button. You have to push hard because "babies have lots of bones inside them." Anything that lies under your skin is what is piquing that kid's curiosity of late.
Of course, he also has to try to deconstruct something as simple as Super Mario Bros. He really, REALLY wanted a straight answer about what was in the holes that Mario falls into. He wouldn't accept that you just die when you fall in the hole. SOMETHING is down there killing Mario and Luigi when they fall down. Now I want to know too!
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Beartato!
If you're not following Nedroid comics, you need to. Why?
New Harrison story arc!
Poor guy. At least it's not as creepy as Beartato's journey into space... yet!
New Harrison story arc!
Poor guy. At least it's not as creepy as Beartato's journey into space... yet!
Friday, August 21, 2009
Libation Theology 101
I swear, today was a day when I needed to hit the LCBO something fierce. I spent more of my day dealing with stuff that was work related than I did during the 12+ hours I spent there yesterday... and it was my day off today. At least, it stressed me out for a lot longer than anything yesterday did :)
Thankfully it seems to all be resolved, but between minimal sleep this past week, an abundance of overly energetic kids and various things both work and condo board related coming crashing down around me, I'm frazzled tonight.
At least the kids were very well behaved today, unlike Wednesday's shenanigans. Rambunctious, sure, but not the demon-spawn that they were the other day. That said, I'm not taking them to Angel's Diner in Georgetown for a while. It's not their fault, it's just too pricey for the amount and quality of food, esp. compared to the very affordable and kid-centric meal we had at Smitty's a few weeks ago.
Anyway, the kids are in bed and I'm sitting down for once. Good thing I have some chilled coolers in the freezer, waiting for me to partake in them tonight!
Thankfully it seems to all be resolved, but between minimal sleep this past week, an abundance of overly energetic kids and various things both work and condo board related coming crashing down around me, I'm frazzled tonight.
At least the kids were very well behaved today, unlike Wednesday's shenanigans. Rambunctious, sure, but not the demon-spawn that they were the other day. That said, I'm not taking them to Angel's Diner in Georgetown for a while. It's not their fault, it's just too pricey for the amount and quality of food, esp. compared to the very affordable and kid-centric meal we had at Smitty's a few weeks ago.
Anyway, the kids are in bed and I'm sitting down for once. Good thing I have some chilled coolers in the freezer, waiting for me to partake in them tonight!
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Junior Scientist Garrett!
Garrett went down to the lab at Erindale today to participate in a study re: children and singing. He seemed to enjoy it and he even received a cool little certificate that proclaims to the world that he is a JUNIOR SCIENTIST!
And then the day got progressively worse from then on.
We swung by the mall to pick up the candy treats he had earned over the past couple of weeks for his responsibility chart (which is working, though it's no magic bullet). While we were there, we popped into the EB and I found a copy of Nintendogs for $15, which is about half the price of every other copy of the game I've ever seen. I had been looking for the game for Garrett to give him something that wasn't Mario or a variation thereof... and that wouldn't require a LOT of reading. So there I was, being the nice daddy and purchasing the game when I turn around at the sound of a loud THUMP.
Garrett had picked up Kara, spun her around and dropped her on her head. Sadly, that was probably the best behaved he was for the rest of the day. The trip to Bulk Barn consisted of him grabbing any loose munchies left on the top of the bins, he managed to flip his sister a second time while at soccer tonight and it was only through sheer force of will on my part (and Julie giving ME a time out) that he doesn't have a room with nothing in it but a bed and a pillow.
It was just a long, long day... for all of us. We ended the day on a positive note, with a brief Nintendogs session to help pick a puppy and teach it to sit. That was also where I felt Garrett got a taste of what I'd been through all day.
"Daddy, my puppy doesn't listen to me at alllllllllll."
"NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE!"
Let's just hope that we all get a good night's sleep tonight and wake up happy and grinning like fools tomorrow.
And then the day got progressively worse from then on.
We swung by the mall to pick up the candy treats he had earned over the past couple of weeks for his responsibility chart (which is working, though it's no magic bullet). While we were there, we popped into the EB and I found a copy of Nintendogs for $15, which is about half the price of every other copy of the game I've ever seen. I had been looking for the game for Garrett to give him something that wasn't Mario or a variation thereof... and that wouldn't require a LOT of reading. So there I was, being the nice daddy and purchasing the game when I turn around at the sound of a loud THUMP.
Garrett had picked up Kara, spun her around and dropped her on her head. Sadly, that was probably the best behaved he was for the rest of the day. The trip to Bulk Barn consisted of him grabbing any loose munchies left on the top of the bins, he managed to flip his sister a second time while at soccer tonight and it was only through sheer force of will on my part (and Julie giving ME a time out) that he doesn't have a room with nothing in it but a bed and a pillow.
It was just a long, long day... for all of us. We ended the day on a positive note, with a brief Nintendogs session to help pick a puppy and teach it to sit. That was also where I felt Garrett got a taste of what I'd been through all day.
"Daddy, my puppy doesn't listen to me at alllllllllll."
"NOW YOU KNOW WHAT IT FEELS LIKE!"
Let's just hope that we all get a good night's sleep tonight and wake up happy and grinning like fools tomorrow.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Cineplex Air Conditioning!
There's nothing like a heat wave to give me the perfect excuse to go see a bunch of movies. In a weekend unprecedented since the arrival of the kids, I managed to see 3 movies since Friday night.
G.I. Joe was surprisingly good. I went in with very low expectations and it surpassed them all by a large margin. I also loved how they didn't resort to shakey-cam and quick cuts every 5 seconds during the big fights. It's one of the first action movies in years to let me actually see what is going on during a big fight scene. And the chase through Paris was awesome.
Ponyo was adorable and both of the kids loved it. Kara even sat through the whole thing with minimal squirming. The most astounding thing is that Julie came along and at least seemed to tolerate, if not enjoy the movie. I'll get her hooked on anime yet!
Last, but certainly not least, was District 9. I can't say much about it because it's better to be experienced than spoiled, but it more than lives up to the hype and was completely different from what I expected going in. And remember, smiles are less expensive than bullets, so don't shoot aliens.
Now to get ready to head back to work for my second overnight 12-hour in a row. It wouldn't be that bad except I have to go back to work tomorrow evening too... I hate it when I end up doing almost an entire week's worth of shifts in the first two days of the week... and have to keep going back for the rest of the week.
G.I. Joe was surprisingly good. I went in with very low expectations and it surpassed them all by a large margin. I also loved how they didn't resort to shakey-cam and quick cuts every 5 seconds during the big fights. It's one of the first action movies in years to let me actually see what is going on during a big fight scene. And the chase through Paris was awesome.
Ponyo was adorable and both of the kids loved it. Kara even sat through the whole thing with minimal squirming. The most astounding thing is that Julie came along and at least seemed to tolerate, if not enjoy the movie. I'll get her hooked on anime yet!
Last, but certainly not least, was District 9. I can't say much about it because it's better to be experienced than spoiled, but it more than lives up to the hype and was completely different from what I expected going in. And remember, smiles are less expensive than bullets, so don't shoot aliens.
Now to get ready to head back to work for my second overnight 12-hour in a row. It wouldn't be that bad except I have to go back to work tomorrow evening too... I hate it when I end up doing almost an entire week's worth of shifts in the first two days of the week... and have to keep going back for the rest of the week.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Spot The Spider
I love this slideshow feature on Picasa's web albums. I wish I'd known about it earlier.
Here is a slideshow of a bunch of pictures from our trip to Wings Of Paradise butterfly conservatory near Cambridge yesterday. The kids really enjoyed the day and Garrett's new pet tarantula goes with him everywhere. The only downside of the day? Finding out the hard way that Mongolian Grill in Cambridge is closed down :(
Here is a slideshow of a bunch of pictures from our trip to Wings Of Paradise butterfly conservatory near Cambridge yesterday. The kids really enjoyed the day and Garrett's new pet tarantula goes with him everywhere. The only downside of the day? Finding out the hard way that Mongolian Grill in Cambridge is closed down :(
Monday, August 10, 2009
Contrarian.kara
So today was a delightful day with the kids. By which I mean, Kara basically refused to eat all day, did the exact opposite of almost everything I asked her to do and also destroyed another one of her books after a good week of abiding by the terms of her parole (from the library).
Garrett wasn't as bad, though he did end up falling off the top of the playset in the backyard and moaned and groaned until a fudgecicle cured him of his ills. At least he had a legitimate reason to be in a funk.
We also went to the fire hall for our yearly visit and I got to be Sparky The Fire Dog. Of course, I had to do this on the HOTTEST DAY OF THE SUMMER. Even with the A/C blasting in the hall, I was dripping with sweat by the time I took the suit off. The lenses of the mask were fogged up by the time I got to the front of the room and I couldn't see a thing the entire time. Woo.
I'd blame Kara's mood on her traumatic experience with Sparky (she was supposedly shaking with fright the entire time... though a giant dog coupled with the fact that her dad was nowhere to be seen could explain a lot) except she'd already been deep into negative territory on the attitude bar graph before we even made it to the fire hall.
At least I get to go to work tomorrow! It's so hot here I've spent the evening hunkered down in the basement playing the PS2!
Garrett wasn't as bad, though he did end up falling off the top of the playset in the backyard and moaned and groaned until a fudgecicle cured him of his ills. At least he had a legitimate reason to be in a funk.
We also went to the fire hall for our yearly visit and I got to be Sparky The Fire Dog. Of course, I had to do this on the HOTTEST DAY OF THE SUMMER. Even with the A/C blasting in the hall, I was dripping with sweat by the time I took the suit off. The lenses of the mask were fogged up by the time I got to the front of the room and I couldn't see a thing the entire time. Woo.
I'd blame Kara's mood on her traumatic experience with Sparky (she was supposedly shaking with fright the entire time... though a giant dog coupled with the fact that her dad was nowhere to be seen could explain a lot) except she'd already been deep into negative territory on the attitude bar graph before we even made it to the fire hall.
At least I get to go to work tomorrow! It's so hot here I've spent the evening hunkered down in the basement playing the PS2!
Saturday, August 08, 2009
Talkin' To The Prez
For those who care, I ended up digging through my old e-mails and found the contact info for the old president of Getgames.ca. I fired off an e-mail on Wednesday or so and figured I'd never hear anything... so imagine my surprise when I actually got a response from the guy!
I'm going to see if he can make some real assurances that I won't be charged for these missing games AND that I won't have to go through the kind of 'Dog The Bounty Hunter' shenanigans to track these people down again if I have a simple question. If he can sufficiently mollify me, I might resubscribe again... I'll keep you posted... all 2 of you who care :)
I'm going to see if he can make some real assurances that I won't be charged for these missing games AND that I won't have to go through the kind of 'Dog The Bounty Hunter' shenanigans to track these people down again if I have a simple question. If he can sufficiently mollify me, I might resubscribe again... I'll keep you posted... all 2 of you who care :)
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Sayonara, Getgames.ca!
I cancelled my subscription to my online game rental guys. I checked to see what else they sent me since I hadn't recieved anything from them besides Black a few weeks ago. They hadn't sent me anything else. I'm paying for 2 games at a time and it has been at least 2 weeks that I've only had one.
This was the final straw with these clowns. I have been with them for about 4-5 years since they first started the service and the service has gone from incredibly prompt to completely absent over the past year or so. I used to get e-mails back within minutes from the president himself. Now I get nothing at all except a monthly charge on my credit card.
Well, enough's enough. I canceled my subscription this morning. They claim I have 4-5 games out, despite the fact that I'd already dealt with them about the games that went missing on the way back to them, either through Canada Post's errors or their own. I'm not paying for them, that's for sure, and so help me if they attempt to charge my credit card for the missing games.
I'll be keeping an eye on this and if there are any further charges from them, I'm dropping the Better Business Bureau on them. I wonder if I can call Visa and get them to make sure that no further charges go out to these guys.
The sad thing is that I would have been happy to stick with the service if they had just replied to even one of the many e-mails I've sent them over the past year or so since the management changed. The utter lack of communication is what sealed the deal.
I'm interested in trying out Gameaccess.ca at some point in the future. I've heard decent things about them and they have a system where you can buy the games you rent for a much reduced price, which is something I've wished that Getgames would have implemented. Sigh.
This was the final straw with these clowns. I have been with them for about 4-5 years since they first started the service and the service has gone from incredibly prompt to completely absent over the past year or so. I used to get e-mails back within minutes from the president himself. Now I get nothing at all except a monthly charge on my credit card.
Well, enough's enough. I canceled my subscription this morning. They claim I have 4-5 games out, despite the fact that I'd already dealt with them about the games that went missing on the way back to them, either through Canada Post's errors or their own. I'm not paying for them, that's for sure, and so help me if they attempt to charge my credit card for the missing games.
I'll be keeping an eye on this and if there are any further charges from them, I'm dropping the Better Business Bureau on them. I wonder if I can call Visa and get them to make sure that no further charges go out to these guys.
The sad thing is that I would have been happy to stick with the service if they had just replied to even one of the many e-mails I've sent them over the past year or so since the management changed. The utter lack of communication is what sealed the deal.
I'm interested in trying out Gameaccess.ca at some point in the future. I've heard decent things about them and they have a system where you can buy the games you rent for a much reduced price, which is something I've wished that Getgames would have implemented. Sigh.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Best Rick-Roll Ever
I will confess that I liked "Never Gonna Give You Up" by Rick Astley back in the day and so I am probably on of 5 people who don't mind getting rick-rolled. That said, this mash-up between Rick Astley and Nirvana is really, really good. I don't tend to like many mash-ups because they just don't work, but this one does.
Enjoy!
Enjoy!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Cottage Pictures!
Here's a slideshow of the greatest hits of our trip up to the cottage. Hopefully it works!
And here's a little video of Dave catching the monster fish o' Shadow Lake.
And here's a little video of Dave catching the monster fish o' Shadow Lake.
We're Back!
We got back from the cottage last night. Good times were had by all, except Kara, who actually did have a good time except for the hours between 7-10pm, when she basically had to be wrestled into submission each night.
The weather wasn't awesome but we were able to spend a lot of time outside and got lots of fishing, swimming and exploring in between the rainstorms.
I've got lots of pictures and I'll probably upload them later tonight. I'm just miffed that Dave ended up catching the giant 5-6 pound large-mouth bass that should have been MINE. At least it had the sense to flop back into the lake when Dave tried to give it a kiss...
Now I have to get back to work on cleaning out the corridor between the main hallway and the laundry room. I dropped a hard drive on my foot but I shall persevere!
The weather wasn't awesome but we were able to spend a lot of time outside and got lots of fishing, swimming and exploring in between the rainstorms.
I've got lots of pictures and I'll probably upload them later tonight. I'm just miffed that Dave ended up catching the giant 5-6 pound large-mouth bass that should have been MINE. At least it had the sense to flop back into the lake when Dave tried to give it a kiss...
Now I have to get back to work on cleaning out the corridor between the main hallway and the laundry room. I dropped a hard drive on my foot but I shall persevere!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
I'm ONNNNN VACATION!
As of about 45 minutes ago, I am officially on vacation. We're heading off to the cottage later in the week and probably to Sarnia next week. Woo!
I'm going to enjoy not thinking about work for almost 2 weeks. I'll probably miss it by then.
I'm going to enjoy not thinking about work for almost 2 weeks. I'll probably miss it by then.
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Taking Responsibility
A month or two before Garrett's 5th birthday, I started to think about what we could do to help him realize that there is more to life than just playing with toys. Namely, we wanted him to start taking some more responsibility for his actions and for doing his share around here.
We've been slow in implementing anything concrete, though we've had a pretty successful week in policing his DS usage. So it was quite serendipitous that we happened across an educational toy store on the way home from church and there it was.
The Responsibility Chart
Suffice it to say, Day One has been quite impressive. Garrett had his toys put away, his teeth brushed and his bed made in less time than it took for Kara to destroy 4 books... which isn't much time these days. We're coming up with a reward scheme for him and hope that this will help Garrett step up to the plate, responsibility-wise.
I'll let you know how things are going in a week when the novelty wears off.
We've been slow in implementing anything concrete, though we've had a pretty successful week in policing his DS usage. So it was quite serendipitous that we happened across an educational toy store on the way home from church and there it was.
The Responsibility Chart
Suffice it to say, Day One has been quite impressive. Garrett had his toys put away, his teeth brushed and his bed made in less time than it took for Kara to destroy 4 books... which isn't much time these days. We're coming up with a reward scheme for him and hope that this will help Garrett step up to the plate, responsibility-wise.
I'll let you know how things are going in a week when the novelty wears off.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Older Is Not Always Better
Do not eat old gum.
That is the moral of this story.
We went out to the Trunk Sale this morning and Garrett bought a couple of packs of Ghostbusters 2 trading cards that were still sealed with sticks of gum inside. I had a look at the date on the back saw that these cards (and the gum) were made in 1989.
Suffice it to say, I took the gum away from Garrett before he could scarf it down. Then I thought to myself, "As a connoisseur of old, stale candy, the opportunity to sample a 20 year old stick of gum comes but once!"
So I nibbled off a corner of one of the sticks and promptly spat it out. It tasted of pain and disease and sorrow. I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth for another 20 minutes or so and it took the combined efforts of a double-shot macciato and cinnamon bun from the local coffee shop to get rid of the foul, powder taste of death.
Don't eat 20 year old gum. I did this for you!
That is the moral of this story.
We went out to the Trunk Sale this morning and Garrett bought a couple of packs of Ghostbusters 2 trading cards that were still sealed with sticks of gum inside. I had a look at the date on the back saw that these cards (and the gum) were made in 1989.
Suffice it to say, I took the gum away from Garrett before he could scarf it down. Then I thought to myself, "As a connoisseur of old, stale candy, the opportunity to sample a 20 year old stick of gum comes but once!"
So I nibbled off a corner of one of the sticks and promptly spat it out. It tasted of pain and disease and sorrow. I couldn't get the taste out of my mouth for another 20 minutes or so and it took the combined efforts of a double-shot macciato and cinnamon bun from the local coffee shop to get rid of the foul, powder taste of death.
Don't eat 20 year old gum. I did this for you!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
This Is A Complete Work Of Fiction
Sorry for the delay in posts/updates lately. I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off... and then I went to work and things got busy!
Anyway, I saw this comic and couldn't help but laugh. This NEVER happens around our place.
Anyway, I saw this comic and couldn't help but laugh. This NEVER happens around our place.
Friday, July 10, 2009
White Rock & Roll
I wanted to post this before I pass out from sheer exhaustion brought on by the crappiest day ever.. literally... I mean, it just doesn't stop! Where does that much poo come from?!
Anyway, on a more positive note, I spent a lot of this afternoon driving the kids around because, well, they were asleep, and that is a blessed state for kids to be in on the tail end of an afternoon.
So I was driving around the highways and biways of Halton Hills and ended up at the White Rock Ostrich Farm over near Rockwood. I have always meant to go there with the kids and hey, it was open and I was there with kids, so in we went.
Once the kids got over the confusion of realizing that they weren't at the park, they trundled over to the hay wagon and off we went on our own little private tour of the farm. Both of the kids were fascinated by the birds and Kara was always waving bye-bye to them when drove out of sight.
The high point of the tour was feeding time with the 'teenagers', who were all about a year old. Garrett had a giant cup full of dried corn, which is supposed to be like candy for the birds. Now we were pulled up right alongside the fence and if nothing else, I learned that ostrich necks are LONG. Garrett had a hoot feeding them and Kara thought it was hilarious unless one of them got that gleam in its eye and started making a move near her, at which case she made sure I was between her and the incoming beak.
We even got to see some little ostrich chicks. According to the farmer, this summer hasn't been very good for breeding as the changes in temperature are throwing off the eggs. That said, I'm sure they're having lots of giant omelettes!
Both of the kids got a feather, though we had to confiscate Kara's because she keeps sticking it up her nose. The lady was even nice enough to let us go on the tour without paying up front, as they only took cash and I just had plastic. I zipped into town afterwards and got the money to pay her, so we're all squared away, but it's nice to know there are people who still trust other people around these parts.
So yeah. If you're looking for something to do and have a half hour or so to kill, take the kids down and feed the ostriches. It'll blow their minds.
Anyway, on a more positive note, I spent a lot of this afternoon driving the kids around because, well, they were asleep, and that is a blessed state for kids to be in on the tail end of an afternoon.
So I was driving around the highways and biways of Halton Hills and ended up at the White Rock Ostrich Farm over near Rockwood. I have always meant to go there with the kids and hey, it was open and I was there with kids, so in we went.
Once the kids got over the confusion of realizing that they weren't at the park, they trundled over to the hay wagon and off we went on our own little private tour of the farm. Both of the kids were fascinated by the birds and Kara was always waving bye-bye to them when drove out of sight.
The high point of the tour was feeding time with the 'teenagers', who were all about a year old. Garrett had a giant cup full of dried corn, which is supposed to be like candy for the birds. Now we were pulled up right alongside the fence and if nothing else, I learned that ostrich necks are LONG. Garrett had a hoot feeding them and Kara thought it was hilarious unless one of them got that gleam in its eye and started making a move near her, at which case she made sure I was between her and the incoming beak.
We even got to see some little ostrich chicks. According to the farmer, this summer hasn't been very good for breeding as the changes in temperature are throwing off the eggs. That said, I'm sure they're having lots of giant omelettes!
Both of the kids got a feather, though we had to confiscate Kara's because she keeps sticking it up her nose. The lady was even nice enough to let us go on the tour without paying up front, as they only took cash and I just had plastic. I zipped into town afterwards and got the money to pay her, so we're all squared away, but it's nice to know there are people who still trust other people around these parts.
So yeah. If you're looking for something to do and have a half hour or so to kill, take the kids down and feed the ostriches. It'll blow their minds.
Playing A Few Brown Notes
So today has been a pretty crappy day, literally, both for the parents and the kids around here.
I went upstairs pretty late last night, as I got too much sleep the night before and was wide awake at 1:30. I decided to poke my head in to see if Kara was ok, as I could smell something stinky when I came upstairs.
Let's just say this. Imagine Kara, all sweet and innocent, curled up on her side fast asleep. Now add to this serene setting a lack of pants or diaper and what was essentially a shotgun blast of poo extending from her butt, across the sheets and against the back wall of her room. Amazingly, there wasn't much on Kara proper, but it took a combined effort to sterilize the room and Julie & I were up waaaaay too late.
This morning Kara managed to go through about 4 diapers in less than 10 minutes due to her constant eruptions. Things seem to be settled now, but I'm exhausted and still getting over the tail end of this cold, which has migrated to my chest. I'm just waiting for her to conk out now. Oh please, let her conk out...
I will say that I had to fight the urge to take a picture of her last night to keep in my First Date Photo Album Of Shame. Or to put up at her wedding.
I went upstairs pretty late last night, as I got too much sleep the night before and was wide awake at 1:30. I decided to poke my head in to see if Kara was ok, as I could smell something stinky when I came upstairs.
Let's just say this. Imagine Kara, all sweet and innocent, curled up on her side fast asleep. Now add to this serene setting a lack of pants or diaper and what was essentially a shotgun blast of poo extending from her butt, across the sheets and against the back wall of her room. Amazingly, there wasn't much on Kara proper, but it took a combined effort to sterilize the room and Julie & I were up waaaaay too late.
This morning Kara managed to go through about 4 diapers in less than 10 minutes due to her constant eruptions. Things seem to be settled now, but I'm exhausted and still getting over the tail end of this cold, which has migrated to my chest. I'm just waiting for her to conk out now. Oh please, let her conk out...
I will say that I had to fight the urge to take a picture of her last night to keep in my First Date Photo Album Of Shame. Or to put up at her wedding.
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Look Around You!
I think I might have singlehandedly set Garrett's education back several years this afternoon.
We were doing a bit of reading together after he came home and he asked me why I wasn't feeling good. I told him that I got the germs from him and his sister last week. Of course, Garrett wants to see what a germ looks like, so I trundle him down to the computer and look around.
A quick search turned up what I thought was a reputable series of educational short films from the 1970s. They held up ok until the "Germs originated in Germany" line. Then they just got silly.
We ended up watching one about ghosts and one about water, which is probably my favourite so far. I think I'm going to spend the night in bed with the laptop, 'learning'.
But I pity Garrett if he tries to apply what he learned about ant igloos out in the real world.
We were doing a bit of reading together after he came home and he asked me why I wasn't feeling good. I told him that I got the germs from him and his sister last week. Of course, Garrett wants to see what a germ looks like, so I trundle him down to the computer and look around.
A quick search turned up what I thought was a reputable series of educational short films from the 1970s. They held up ok until the "Germs originated in Germany" line. Then they just got silly.
We ended up watching one about ghosts and one about water, which is probably my favourite so far. I think I'm going to spend the night in bed with the laptop, 'learning'.
But I pity Garrett if he tries to apply what he learned about ant igloos out in the real world.
Feel Sorry For Brock Day
Remember how the kids were feeling under the weather last week? Well, it looks like I picked up their lovely cold. I spent the day at work yesterday bumbling about like Mr. Bean and blowing my nose until we ran out of Kleenex. So I'm off today and as soon as the kids get off to VBS and the babysitter, I'm curling up on the couch and drinking lots of soup. As Julie said yesterday, she knows I'm really sick when I sound awful but still stumble into work regardless.
Maybe I'm a one-man pity parade, but my tale of woe sure made this guy depressed.
Maybe I'm a one-man pity parade, but my tale of woe sure made this guy depressed.
Saturday, July 04, 2009
Serenity Now...
Hey! Everything is working! Nothing has broken, thrown-up or crank-called around me in at least an hour or two. Hooray! I got some food and drink in me, so it's all good. I even beat Plants Vs. Zombies. Yippee.
I'm frightened to turn on the 360 though. I'm sure it'll red-ring or something nasty will ooze out of it or SOMETHING!
Speaking of oozing, I found it mildly amusing that the narrator of the "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" shows that Julie was watching over the last day or two is a man. Of course, I now also have a long list of words I don't want to hear again, in whole or in part, for quite some time. I mean, really? Jon Stewart can't swear at 11pm but I have to hear about all the gooshy bits of a home delivery all day long? Sheesh.
I'm frightened to turn on the 360 though. I'm sure it'll red-ring or something nasty will ooze out of it or SOMETHING!
Speaking of oozing, I found it mildly amusing that the narrator of the "I Didn't Know I Was Pregnant" shows that Julie was watching over the last day or two is a man. Of course, I now also have a long list of words I don't want to hear again, in whole or in part, for quite some time. I mean, really? Jon Stewart can't swear at 11pm but I have to hear about all the gooshy bits of a home delivery all day long? Sheesh.
Stupid Keyboard
Ok. I don't know what the heck is going on now. I am using the wireless keyboard to type this as my good ol' G15 doesn't seem to want to actually work when I plug it into any of the USB ports on my rig.
I have a sneaky suspicion that there's some kind of crimp in the cable. It was working just fine on the laptop but hmm...
Well how do you like that? I did get the G15 working just now, but I have NO idea what made it turn on.
Have I mentioned that I am really, REALLY starting to hate this PC?
I have a sneaky suspicion that there's some kind of crimp in the cable. It was working just fine on the laptop but hmm...
Well how do you like that? I did get the G15 working just now, but I have NO idea what made it turn on.
Have I mentioned that I am really, REALLY starting to hate this PC?
WTF Man! I Mean, C'Mon!
Boy, can an evening ever go downhill fast around here.
I spent about 4 hours or so outside painting our fence. Not a bad use of a lovely summer day, if I do say so myself, plus I got a big part of my summer project out of the way.
So I come inside to find Garrett complaining about a headache and generally feeling sick, so there go our plans for the drive-in movie tonight. No biggie. We've had a busy day and the movie wasn't starting until quite late.
Now Kara is in a bit of a 'I don't like to wear clothes or diapers' kind of mood lately, so I had to clean up some pee on the basement floor when she decided to engage in her usual after dinner exhibition. This isn't the bad part. No, this is perfectly fine and relatively normal for us so I didn't pay it any mind.
So the kids have their baths and we come downstairs to fire up Ice Age on DVD for a consolation movie. Here's where the evening goes ker-plooie.
Firstly, Garrett pukes. All over the chair. Then he pukes again, only a little to the left (and perilously close to me). Then he pukes AGAIN on the way to the sink.
Good times.
So we get everything cleaned up and Garrett has stopped erupting and the movie is starting, so I settle down in my chair to toss a Tweet up or update the blog. That's when the phone rings.
I could hear some laughing in the background and figured it might be one of Garrett's friends calling, since it definately wasn't work. Nope. Instead I get some teenage-sounding girl on the phone.
Me: "Hello"
Her: "Hiiiiiii...."
Me: "Um, who is this?"
Her: "Don't you know who I am? It's your lover!"
Me: "Uh... No." (click)
Julie walks into the room right then and laughed when I told her about the call. Then the phone rings again.
Me: "Yes?"
Her: "Hey, it's me, your secret lover."
Me: "If you call me again, I'm calling the police." (click)
So that was wierd. I was tempted to *69 the call, but Julie said it costs $20 (or maybe 25 cents) so I figured I'd wait until my secret lover called back and THEN I'd drop the hammer... So far, no call backs.
Now all of this is happening in something like a 10 minute span, I'm hot, I'm tired, I'm hungry and all I can smell is bile and puke stink. Garrett's busy trying not to throw up and Kara has FINALLY gone to bed.
I decide to chronicle these odd happenings on ye olde blog and pull out the keyboard tray to start typing this very post up. That's when I notice that nothing is happening when I type. Nada, zero, zilch.
My keyboard is dead.
I mean, c'mon man. WTF!?!
I would be fine with any of these things happening on their own, but stacked up back-to-back like this and on an empty stomach? No way.
So I fight with the computer, plugging the keyboard into a bunch of different USB plugs to no avail. Thankfully I had the laptop and after some futzing about with this thing, I did get the keyboard working again. Now to try plugging it back into the desktop to see if it was just a matter of a crimped cord or something fundamentally wrong with the PC. I'm about ready to toss that hunk of junk into a lake as it is, so we'll see. At least I know that the keyboard still works...
Pardon the bitching and moaning. Like I was telling Julie, if this is the worst I have to deal with in a day, I'll thank my lucky stars and be happy I don't live in Darfur or the other side of Acton. It's just annoying!
I spent about 4 hours or so outside painting our fence. Not a bad use of a lovely summer day, if I do say so myself, plus I got a big part of my summer project out of the way.
So I come inside to find Garrett complaining about a headache and generally feeling sick, so there go our plans for the drive-in movie tonight. No biggie. We've had a busy day and the movie wasn't starting until quite late.
Now Kara is in a bit of a 'I don't like to wear clothes or diapers' kind of mood lately, so I had to clean up some pee on the basement floor when she decided to engage in her usual after dinner exhibition. This isn't the bad part. No, this is perfectly fine and relatively normal for us so I didn't pay it any mind.
So the kids have their baths and we come downstairs to fire up Ice Age on DVD for a consolation movie. Here's where the evening goes ker-plooie.
Firstly, Garrett pukes. All over the chair. Then he pukes again, only a little to the left (and perilously close to me). Then he pukes AGAIN on the way to the sink.
Good times.
So we get everything cleaned up and Garrett has stopped erupting and the movie is starting, so I settle down in my chair to toss a Tweet up or update the blog. That's when the phone rings.
I could hear some laughing in the background and figured it might be one of Garrett's friends calling, since it definately wasn't work. Nope. Instead I get some teenage-sounding girl on the phone.
Me: "Hello"
Her: "Hiiiiiii...."
Me: "Um, who is this?"
Her: "Don't you know who I am? It's your lover!"
Me: "Uh... No." (click)
Julie walks into the room right then and laughed when I told her about the call. Then the phone rings again.
Me: "Yes?"
Her: "Hey, it's me, your secret lover."
Me: "If you call me again, I'm calling the police." (click)
So that was wierd. I was tempted to *69 the call, but Julie said it costs $20 (or maybe 25 cents) so I figured I'd wait until my secret lover called back and THEN I'd drop the hammer... So far, no call backs.
Now all of this is happening in something like a 10 minute span, I'm hot, I'm tired, I'm hungry and all I can smell is bile and puke stink. Garrett's busy trying not to throw up and Kara has FINALLY gone to bed.
I decide to chronicle these odd happenings on ye olde blog and pull out the keyboard tray to start typing this very post up. That's when I notice that nothing is happening when I type. Nada, zero, zilch.
My keyboard is dead.
I mean, c'mon man. WTF!?!
I would be fine with any of these things happening on their own, but stacked up back-to-back like this and on an empty stomach? No way.
So I fight with the computer, plugging the keyboard into a bunch of different USB plugs to no avail. Thankfully I had the laptop and after some futzing about with this thing, I did get the keyboard working again. Now to try plugging it back into the desktop to see if it was just a matter of a crimped cord or something fundamentally wrong with the PC. I'm about ready to toss that hunk of junk into a lake as it is, so we'll see. At least I know that the keyboard still works...
Pardon the bitching and moaning. Like I was telling Julie, if this is the worst I have to deal with in a day, I'll thank my lucky stars and be happy I don't live in Darfur or the other side of Acton. It's just annoying!
Sunny Days...
For such a beautiful day, it's pretty chilly outside, esp. for the first week of July.
I LOVE IT! It's like a warm summer day in Thunder Bay!
We spent the morning hitting the farmer's market in Georgetown and doing a bit of shopping and library browsing and then came home for lunch. I think I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon cutting the grass and painting my back fence.
Unfortunately, it seems that Garrett might be coming down with whatever was bugging Kara earlier in the week. He was complaining that his stomach hurt and barely touched his lunch and now he's curled up on the couch. Of course, he keeps insisting we invite his friend over to play... And we had hoped to go to the drive-in tonight to watch Ice Age 3 and Night At The Museum 2. Oh well. We'll see how things progress.
I LOVE IT! It's like a warm summer day in Thunder Bay!
We spent the morning hitting the farmer's market in Georgetown and doing a bit of shopping and library browsing and then came home for lunch. I think I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon cutting the grass and painting my back fence.
Unfortunately, it seems that Garrett might be coming down with whatever was bugging Kara earlier in the week. He was complaining that his stomach hurt and barely touched his lunch and now he's curled up on the couch. Of course, he keeps insisting we invite his friend over to play... And we had hoped to go to the drive-in tonight to watch Ice Age 3 and Night At The Museum 2. Oh well. We'll see how things progress.
Wednesday, July 01, 2009
No Fireworks For Us
While we did have a pretty busy Canada Day, what with a parade, face painting, ice cream and general carousing, it looks as though we'll be missing fireworks for the first time in memory.
The weather has been miserable at best around these parts and Garrett's mood was matching the sky near 7pm. If the weather were decent, I'd let him sleep for a bit and then we'd all wake up and go to the park to see the display, but as it stands, he was grouchy and tired and we'd all be grouchy and tired come 10pm or so when the fireworks go off.
Oh well. I'll just squinch my eyes really tightly and see if I can see some fireworks the old fashioned way!
The weather has been miserable at best around these parts and Garrett's mood was matching the sky near 7pm. If the weather were decent, I'd let him sleep for a bit and then we'd all wake up and go to the park to see the display, but as it stands, he was grouchy and tired and we'd all be grouchy and tired come 10pm or so when the fireworks go off.
Oh well. I'll just squinch my eyes really tightly and see if I can see some fireworks the old fashioned way!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
LG Stands For Lookin' Good
Well, my car's "Service Engine Soon" light turned off after I tightened the gas cap, so that was my sign from above that it was ok to finally replace the hunk of junk monitor that was gradually blinding me.
We checked around at the local shop but their prices were far too high. So it was off to Futureshop we go! I ended up with this beauty, an LG 22" Widescreen LCD.
It fits perfectly in the cubby on the computer desk. It wasn't too rough on the wallet either. I got an open-box model for $50 less than the normal price and aside from a fingerprint on the frame of the monitor, it is in pristine condition. My eyes haven't quite adjusted to the fact that the screen is so big and doesn't look like it's smeared in vaseline. If only I could actually run games on my computer and take advantage of the real estate!
Of course, while I was busy setting up the new monitor and cleaning out the 6 inches of dust that had accumulated behind it, Garrett and Kara amused themselves with a selection of our finest markers. Sigh.
We checked around at the local shop but their prices were far too high. So it was off to Futureshop we go! I ended up with this beauty, an LG 22" Widescreen LCD.
It fits perfectly in the cubby on the computer desk. It wasn't too rough on the wallet either. I got an open-box model for $50 less than the normal price and aside from a fingerprint on the frame of the monitor, it is in pristine condition. My eyes haven't quite adjusted to the fact that the screen is so big and doesn't look like it's smeared in vaseline. If only I could actually run games on my computer and take advantage of the real estate!
Of course, while I was busy setting up the new monitor and cleaning out the 6 inches of dust that had accumulated behind it, Garrett and Kara amused themselves with a selection of our finest markers. Sigh.
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| From June 2009 |
No Sleep? NO PROBLEM!
You'd think I'd handle a night of no sleep rather well, given all of the overnight shifts I've pulled lately. There's something significantly different about a planned night with no sleep and one where your daughter, for some strange and unknown reason, decides that she wants nothing more than to cry in her room until you bring her to bed with you, where she proceeds to kick you and your wife in the ribs from 3-4am onwards.
I even tried bringing her downstairs at around 5:45am to watch a Western, which should have lulled any self-respecting 2 year old to sleep. Nope. She got even more excited and full of energy.
I'm starting to see a bit of weariness creep in though. As soon as Garrett is off to his day camp, we're coming home and she's going to sleep... and so am I!
I even tried bringing her downstairs at around 5:45am to watch a Western, which should have lulled any self-respecting 2 year old to sleep. Nope. She got even more excited and full of energy.
I'm starting to see a bit of weariness creep in though. As soon as Garrett is off to his day camp, we're coming home and she's going to sleep... and so am I!
Sunday, June 28, 2009
No Gaming Weekend
This has been a very odd weekend for me. Aside from one or two short matches against Garrett with Super Mario on the DS, I haven't played any videogames since Friday evening. Of course, we had Garrett's birthday party yesterday and I essentially spent the entire day at work today, but yeah.
I'm going to go rectify this situation right now.
I guess I did finish reading Scar Night (cool book, by the way) and got to take one of the guys out to see Transformers 2 tonight, so it's not like I had an incredibly rough weekend. The kids got into the sidewalk chalk today and found out exactly what kind of gooey, colourful paste it makes when exposed to puddles... fun times.
By the way, Transformers 2 was exactly the kind of movie I wanted, nay, needed. It's absolutely mindless but it's what I had hoped the first movie would have been: lots and lots of robots punching, shooting and blowing each other up.
I'm going to go rectify this situation right now.
I guess I did finish reading Scar Night (cool book, by the way) and got to take one of the guys out to see Transformers 2 tonight, so it's not like I had an incredibly rough weekend. The kids got into the sidewalk chalk today and found out exactly what kind of gooey, colourful paste it makes when exposed to puddles... fun times.
By the way, Transformers 2 was exactly the kind of movie I wanted, nay, needed. It's absolutely mindless but it's what I had hoped the first movie would have been: lots and lots of robots punching, shooting and blowing each other up.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Why Is The Pig Purple?
We went out to the splash pad in Rockwood today, which was an exercise in futility. The kids were hell bent to get there and couldn't stop talking about it on the way to the park but the second we actually got set up next to the water fountains, they both wussed out. Garrett did get a little wet but whenever the water started to spray, he would run off of the pad.
Kara, on the other hand, was in tears any time I put her under the water, so she just spent the day on the playground. Oh well. We'll try it again later in the summer and see if they can grow to love it.
The real point of this post was to state just how awesome the pizza is at Purple Pig Pizzaria in Rockwood. I'd heard good things about it but it was probably some of the best pizza I've had from a local shop. Now I want to order an actual pizza from there!
Kara, on the other hand, was in tears any time I put her under the water, so she just spent the day on the playground. Oh well. We'll try it again later in the summer and see if they can grow to love it.
The real point of this post was to state just how awesome the pizza is at Purple Pig Pizzaria in Rockwood. I'd heard good things about it but it was probably some of the best pizza I've had from a local shop. Now I want to order an actual pizza from there!
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Happy! Happy! Joy! Joy!
Let's just say this:
Getting a DS for your 5th birthday is one way to totally brighten your day. Of course, now he doesn't want to put the thing down, EVER. And I probably should have held off on getting Pokémon until his reading skills were a bit better, but if nothing else, maybe this will kick start him into trying to read more since he is quite insistent on playing it as opposed to Mario right now.
Here's a video of the great unveiling.
Getting a DS for your 5th birthday is one way to totally brighten your day. Of course, now he doesn't want to put the thing down, EVER. And I probably should have held off on getting Pokémon until his reading skills were a bit better, but if nothing else, maybe this will kick start him into trying to read more since he is quite insistent on playing it as opposed to Mario right now.
Here's a video of the great unveiling.
Will He Survive To Five?
Garrett's birthday is today! He'll turn 5... if he makes it to 9pmish.
We've had an incredibly busy week or so and this has taken a toll on Garrett's ability not to be an complete punk. It hasn't helped that I'm working evenings this week, which are usually tough at the best of times.
All of this has culminated in Garrett's coup de grace tonight. For some reason known only to himself, Garrett decided that he'd wash his own hair. In the toilet. After he'd used it. Before he flushed it.
Yeah, that's about as gross as it sounds.
At this stage, Julie wants me to return his present, cancel the father-son breakfast I have planned for tomorrow morning and call all of his friends to say that the party is off. I'm of half a mind to agree with her, but I'll see how he is in the morning. The nice thing is that I'll be off for a week after this weekend and we'll be able to have some fun in the sun and shake all of our cares away... or something along those lines. I just want him and Julie to make it past tomorrow without one of them ending up in a mental institution!
We've had an incredibly busy week or so and this has taken a toll on Garrett's ability not to be an complete punk. It hasn't helped that I'm working evenings this week, which are usually tough at the best of times.
All of this has culminated in Garrett's coup de grace tonight. For some reason known only to himself, Garrett decided that he'd wash his own hair. In the toilet. After he'd used it. Before he flushed it.
Yeah, that's about as gross as it sounds.
At this stage, Julie wants me to return his present, cancel the father-son breakfast I have planned for tomorrow morning and call all of his friends to say that the party is off. I'm of half a mind to agree with her, but I'll see how he is in the morning. The nice thing is that I'll be off for a week after this weekend and we'll be able to have some fun in the sun and shake all of our cares away... or something along those lines. I just want him and Julie to make it past tomorrow without one of them ending up in a mental institution!
Monday, June 22, 2009
I Warned You!
Whatever you do, whatever you have planned, whatever curiousity might overtake you...
Don't Circle The Cat.
It's EVIL!
Don't Circle The Cat.
It's EVIL!
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Happy Father's Day Everyone!
I hope everyone called their dads and wished them well today.
We had a crazy busy weekend (which was a perfect cap to a crazy busy week) but once I made my piece with the fact that I wouldn't be lounging about the house all weekend, I had a pretty good time with all of the travels.
We went to Yorkdale Mall last night and had dinner at the Rainforest Café. The food wasn't worth the exorbitant amount they charged for it, though it wasn't awful. The kids loved the restaurant though, so that was worth the indigestion :)
And FYI, if you're a fan of Ghostbusters, go try the game out. I picked up the 360 version last night and have really enjoyed what I've played. Then again, I am someone who made his own proton-pack, trap, PKE meter and uniform for Hallowe'en back when I was 9-10 years old, so I'm a little biased.
We had a crazy busy weekend (which was a perfect cap to a crazy busy week) but once I made my piece with the fact that I wouldn't be lounging about the house all weekend, I had a pretty good time with all of the travels.
We went to Yorkdale Mall last night and had dinner at the Rainforest Café. The food wasn't worth the exorbitant amount they charged for it, though it wasn't awful. The kids loved the restaurant though, so that was worth the indigestion :)
And FYI, if you're a fan of Ghostbusters, go try the game out. I picked up the 360 version last night and have really enjoyed what I've played. Then again, I am someone who made his own proton-pack, trap, PKE meter and uniform for Hallowe'en back when I was 9-10 years old, so I'm a little biased.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Hey, I Know You!
Julie had the strangest encounter at our condo corp's AGM tonight. During the coffee break, we were waiting in line and as Julie got her snacks and was walking back, this guy patted her on the back and said, "Hey, I didn't know you were here!"
Julie had NO idea who this guy was or who he thought she was, so she said, "Do I know you?"
To which most people would say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm [BLANK]. Aren't you [BLANK]?"
But this guy just said, "I'm over in Phase 3! I've seen you around. How are you doing?"
Julie just looked at me and I couldn't help but shrug and say, "I think he means the third parking lot."
She ended up walking back to her chair and the guy turned to me and said, "I don't think she remembers me."
I just smiled and nodded and later congratulated Julie on making a new friend with the creepy guy from Phase 3. I'll keep you posted if she starts receiving flowers from a secret admirer :)
Weirdo...
Julie had NO idea who this guy was or who he thought she was, so she said, "Do I know you?"
To which most people would say, "Oh, I'm sorry, I'm [BLANK]. Aren't you [BLANK]?"
But this guy just said, "I'm over in Phase 3! I've seen you around. How are you doing?"
Julie just looked at me and I couldn't help but shrug and say, "I think he means the third parking lot."
She ended up walking back to her chair and the guy turned to me and said, "I don't think she remembers me."
I just smiled and nodded and later congratulated Julie on making a new friend with the creepy guy from Phase 3. I'll keep you posted if she starts receiving flowers from a secret admirer :)
Weirdo...
Monitor Gremlins Strike Again!
This is sort of strange. I got home from work this afternoon and went to check my e-mail. Something wasn't quite right though... It took me a few minutes to ascertain what it was and that's when I realized that the sides of the e-mail were scrolling off the side of the monitor despite the window being maximized.
I checked to make sure the resolution was my usual and it was fine. I did some fiddling and things look sort of back to normal but there's still something a bit off. The sides of the screen are both super clear and sort of squished while the middle is normal sized and somewhat blurry.
Oh well. I've been sizing up new monitors lately and could really stand to get rid of this CRT beast and finally jump on the LCD bandwagon (it's sad that my TV is more advanced than my monitor) but I'm not sure whether to go big or go home.
I checked to make sure the resolution was my usual and it was fine. I did some fiddling and things look sort of back to normal but there's still something a bit off. The sides of the screen are both super clear and sort of squished while the middle is normal sized and somewhat blurry.
Oh well. I've been sizing up new monitors lately and could really stand to get rid of this CRT beast and finally jump on the LCD bandwagon (it's sad that my TV is more advanced than my monitor) but I'm not sure whether to go big or go home.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
You Will Buy Me More Videogames...
By the power of hypnosis, you will do what I ask!
Stupid DarkRoastedBlend and their pile of awesome pictures.
Also, I cannot relate to this XKCD comic in the slightest...
Stupid DarkRoastedBlend and their pile of awesome pictures.
Also, I cannot relate to this XKCD comic in the slightest...
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Diamond Jubilee
We had an absolutely delightful afternoon and evening at my grandparents' 60th anniversary celebration. There was much good food and fellowship to be had both with the older set and amongst the younglings, though it was a good thing the weather was nice so I could take the boys out to the park during the speeches! And while I realize none of us are getting any younger, it was both touching and sad to hear their 90 year old friend tell them to appreciate every moment they have together because, well, there's not much time left and he can attest to what it feels like to lose the love of your life.
Sniff...
Anyway, the only downside to this day is the fact that the kids decided that sleep is for wimps and rather than being sound asleep when we rolled into Acton around 9:15 or so, they are both still up. Kara in particular is throwing a hissy fit... which is why I'm down here typing this instead of feeding into her negative attention seeking behaviours (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).
At least Garrett went down pretty easily, though I'm sure they're both going to be absolutely miserable to be near tomorrow!
Sniff...
Anyway, the only downside to this day is the fact that the kids decided that sleep is for wimps and rather than being sound asleep when we rolled into Acton around 9:15 or so, they are both still up. Kara in particular is throwing a hissy fit... which is why I'm down here typing this instead of feeding into her negative attention seeking behaviours (that's my story and I'm sticking to it).
At least Garrett went down pretty easily, though I'm sure they're both going to be absolutely miserable to be near tomorrow!
Friday, June 12, 2009
Now That's The Kind Of Reception I Need To Pick Up
This is a pretty cool little video/report of a surprise wedding reception. Yes, reception.
Check it out.
(See, not everything I post is about videogames or how my kids smell like nuclear waste.)
Check it out.
(See, not everything I post is about videogames or how my kids smell like nuclear waste.)
How Do They Do That?
Kara's currently involved in an ongoing struggle to knock herself out. I got home from work as the kids were just starting their bath and no less than 5 minutes later, she'd managed to trip over Garrett's legs and womp her face on the side of the tub. It wasn't anything major, though that ended the bath pretty fast.
A while later, she'd been put to bed and Garrett & I were just sitting on my bed playing Plants Vs. Zombies on the laptop when I heard a crash-thump-scream from Kara's room. I ran in there and her crib was empty. I looked around for the source of the crying and there she was standing wedged between the crib and the wall, bawling her head off. Why she'd decide to try scaling the back of the crib is beyond me. Again, she just required a little cuddle and was tucked in safe and sound and hasn't made any major escape attempts lately, but man...
The funny thing is that as I was trying to shush her the second time, I noticed that she smelled like maple syrup from her french toast this morning. Crazy, sticky kid...
A while later, she'd been put to bed and Garrett & I were just sitting on my bed playing Plants Vs. Zombies on the laptop when I heard a crash-thump-scream from Kara's room. I ran in there and her crib was empty. I looked around for the source of the crying and there she was standing wedged between the crib and the wall, bawling her head off. Why she'd decide to try scaling the back of the crib is beyond me. Again, she just required a little cuddle and was tucked in safe and sound and hasn't made any major escape attempts lately, but man...
The funny thing is that as I was trying to shush her the second time, I noticed that she smelled like maple syrup from her french toast this morning. Crazy, sticky kid...
A Winner Is Her!
Julie filled out a ballot last week on a whim while she was out shopping or something. Imagine her surprise when she got a call letting her know she won a 22-piece BBQ set at Home Hardware! It's actually a nice set, though 8 of the 22 pieces are corn-cob pokers.
I'll have to take the whole kit for a spin this weekend.
I'll have to take the whole kit for a spin this weekend.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Last Guardian
So last week was E3, the biggest trade show/news thingamie for the year in gaming. It was nice and all and there were enough interesting announcements to stimulate conversations on the boards, but what was easily the standout of the show (despite being leaked beforehand) was the trailer for The Last Guardian. In case you need any more justification for the "games as art" argument, go watch that trailer... then play Ico and Shadow Of The Colossus (the first two games of a very loose 'trilogy' of which The Last Guardian is the third) and tell me that it doesn't make you go 'aw'.
And as Penny Arcade so amply points out, we already know how it's going to end. Sniff.
And as Penny Arcade so amply points out, we already know how it's going to end. Sniff.
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Hopping On The Tweet Wagon
I was thinking about this while dropping the kids off at the babysitter this morning and decided that, while I still want to avoid Facebook, something like Twitter is actually a useful tool. I've started a Twitter feed (see the sidebar) and I figure it will be a good spot to turf the little ideas/thoughts/ephemera that fly through my head but that don't quite warrant a full blog post.
Don't expect me to update it all the time, but it will help keep some noise out of the main posts hereabouts.
Don't expect me to update it all the time, but it will help keep some noise out of the main posts hereabouts.
Yum Yum Yum
This is just an public service announcement to declare that the Superstore in Georgetown has one of the best chocolate croissants I've ever eaten. And it was only $0.99. Yum.
I was over there to pick up the cooking school schedule and decided to buy fixin's for my lunch. I love being able to spend less than $4 and have a delicious croissant for breakfast and everything I need for a sandwich at lunch time. Yum yum yum...
I was over there to pick up the cooking school schedule and decided to buy fixin's for my lunch. I love being able to spend less than $4 and have a delicious croissant for breakfast and everything I need for a sandwich at lunch time. Yum yum yum...
Tuesday, June 09, 2009
Poke The Mon
I apologize for the dearth of posts of late, but I've been busy with overnight shifts and catching up on my sleep has taken a bit more of a priority than blither-blather.
That said, we did have a fun afternoon around these parts yesterday after I arose from my post-Night Awake slumber. On Saturday morning, Garrett was somehow able to finagle me into buying a Pokémon Mold Maker thingamie at a garage sale. With the relatively dismal weather yesterday, we set up shop on the kitchen table and spent most of yesterday afternoon making little floppy plastic figurines that Kara proceeded to demolish much faster than we could make them.
It's a pretty neat little system though. It's like a non-edible version of an EZ Bake oven. Now that we have a better grasp on how to make the figures, we'll try to make something that isn't just a big glob of green goop in the shape of a Pokémon.
That said, we did have a fun afternoon around these parts yesterday after I arose from my post-Night Awake slumber. On Saturday morning, Garrett was somehow able to finagle me into buying a Pokémon Mold Maker thingamie at a garage sale. With the relatively dismal weather yesterday, we set up shop on the kitchen table and spent most of yesterday afternoon making little floppy plastic figurines that Kara proceeded to demolish much faster than we could make them.
It's a pretty neat little system though. It's like a non-edible version of an EZ Bake oven. Now that we have a better grasp on how to make the figures, we'll try to make something that isn't just a big glob of green goop in the shape of a Pokémon.
Thursday, June 04, 2009
Possessed Choir Boys? Wha?!
This video is making the rounds, but it's definately worth watching. I never realized that song had so many ninja and zombie references.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
I Got It!
Today was the day I signed the piece of paper to retroactively become the new program coordinator at the house as of last Sunday. In other words, I got the job!
Of course, with every job come perks and one of the perks of this job was the one cent per hour pay cut! Yes, I actually am losing money on this promotion! Now, that said, I have room for advancement now whereas I'd basically gone as high as I could go in the old position, so it's all good. I just had to laugh when I noticed that I was actually going to be down $20 for the year after getting this job.
Go figure.
Of course, with every job come perks and one of the perks of this job was the one cent per hour pay cut! Yes, I actually am losing money on this promotion! Now, that said, I have room for advancement now whereas I'd basically gone as high as I could go in the old position, so it's all good. I just had to laugh when I noticed that I was actually going to be down $20 for the year after getting this job.
Go figure.
Keep The Zombies Off Our Lawn
So in yet another page out of the most awesomest parenting book ever, I've started playing Plants Vs. Zombies with Garrett before bed. I can teach him about botany AND necromancy at the same time as well as proper lawn maintenance techniques and proper defensive maneuvers.
I'm the best dad EVER!
I'm the best dad EVER!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
I Deserve A Badge
The adventure we went through to see Up today almost rivaled the actual adventure portrayed in the movie. We went to two theatres and the first was sold out for the 3D show. I made sure to prepay for the tickets for the 5pm show yet between the near glacial pace of the concessions and the fact that no human being should try to see a Pixar movie on opening weekend... well... We were barely able to find two seats together. Good times.
Awesome movie though. One of the best and most heartrending love stories I've seen in film and it was told in the first 10-15 minutes and barely a word was spoken. The rest was just gravy. I thought it more than made up for how disappointed I was with the second half of Wall-E last year.
After the show, we went over to Marble Slab Creamery. Great ice cream but it's insanely expensive! Definately something we will do for a treat.
Awesome movie though. One of the best and most heartrending love stories I've seen in film and it was told in the first 10-15 minutes and barely a word was spoken. The rest was just gravy. I thought it more than made up for how disappointed I was with the second half of Wall-E last year.
After the show, we went over to Marble Slab Creamery. Great ice cream but it's insanely expensive! Definately something we will do for a treat.
Let's All Go To The Movies...
Well, I survived my double yesterday. I went in at 3pm and came home at 7am today. Yawn.
The nice thing about overnights is that you can watch a bunch of movies when everyone is sleeping. I watched Casablanca from start to finish for the very first time and saw a very surreal collection of CGI shorts which I couldn't stop watching.
We had been planning to go see UP in 3D in Guelph for a few weeks and once I woke up, we loaded up the family, picked up some friends and headed off to the theatre.
Unfortunately, I forgot that you really shouldn't try to see a Pixar movie, especially their first 3D one, on opening weekend. By the time we made it to the theatre, the show was sold out and we had a teary Garrett to console on the way back to the car. Kara was pretty happy to have been to the movie theatre, even if she didn't actually see a movie.
All was not lost though. We've purchased tickets online for the 5pm show in Milton and are going to head out soon. I must set a record for most number of movies watched in one day!
The nice thing about overnights is that you can watch a bunch of movies when everyone is sleeping. I watched Casablanca from start to finish for the very first time and saw a very surreal collection of CGI shorts which I couldn't stop watching.
We had been planning to go see UP in 3D in Guelph for a few weeks and once I woke up, we loaded up the family, picked up some friends and headed off to the theatre.
Unfortunately, I forgot that you really shouldn't try to see a Pixar movie, especially their first 3D one, on opening weekend. By the time we made it to the theatre, the show was sold out and we had a teary Garrett to console on the way back to the car. Kara was pretty happy to have been to the movie theatre, even if she didn't actually see a movie.
All was not lost though. We've purchased tickets online for the 5pm show in Milton and are going to head out soon. I must set a record for most number of movies watched in one day!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Easy Peasie
I had my second interview today. Actually, it was, in the words of my manager, more of a conversation whereby he could introduce me to the new Area Manager and go over some other questions and so forth.
It was a great hour or so discussion about the program, the position and me. It's always kind of nice to have someone else talk up your good points to their boss.
For all intents and purposes, the position is going to be mine. My manager said that he just needs to have a few more discussions and then sign the right forms and badda-boom. I should be invested into my new role in a week or so. Woo!
Of course, things aren't finalized... YET. But from the tone of the conversation and the fact that I was the only person to get a second interview, it's looking pretty good.
Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and prayers over the past few weeks/months. I'll keep everyone posted when it's official, one way or another!
It was a great hour or so discussion about the program, the position and me. It's always kind of nice to have someone else talk up your good points to their boss.
For all intents and purposes, the position is going to be mine. My manager said that he just needs to have a few more discussions and then sign the right forms and badda-boom. I should be invested into my new role in a week or so. Woo!
Of course, things aren't finalized... YET. But from the tone of the conversation and the fact that I was the only person to get a second interview, it's looking pretty good.
Thanks to everyone for the well-wishes and prayers over the past few weeks/months. I'll keep everyone posted when it's official, one way or another!
Monday, May 25, 2009
Sunday, May 24, 2009
What A Miserable Day
No, it's nothing to do with the last post. I've just been sick as a dog all day today. I was actually feeling pretty good yesterday for almost the whole day, nothing like the shuddering wreck that I was on Friday.
Then I made the mistake of saying, "Boy, I feel a lot better than I did yesterday."
I swear, not 10 minutes after I said that, my legs got sore, I started coughing and my sinuses got clogged. I'd hoped that getting a good night's sleep would help but I woke up feeling even worse than last night. It didn't help the kids were in our room shortly after 6am. I don't think I've ever been as surly and cranky as I was this morning though.
And as a side note, don't take a Benedryl if you're not 100% sure you've got allergies. I think a lot of my utter fatigue today was as a result of taking one of those deadly pink pills this morning. I spent most of the afternoon just listening to podcasts on my iPod and shivering under a blanket until about 5pm when my appetite came back (with a vengeance) and I got this sudden burst of energy, which I think is when the Benedryl wore off.
Anyway, I'm feeling a bit better and I'm going to go try to help with the kids, as they both seem to have taken 'bad kid' pills this weekend and are driving us nuts.
Then I made the mistake of saying, "Boy, I feel a lot better than I did yesterday."
I swear, not 10 minutes after I said that, my legs got sore, I started coughing and my sinuses got clogged. I'd hoped that getting a good night's sleep would help but I woke up feeling even worse than last night. It didn't help the kids were in our room shortly after 6am. I don't think I've ever been as surly and cranky as I was this morning though.
And as a side note, don't take a Benedryl if you're not 100% sure you've got allergies. I think a lot of my utter fatigue today was as a result of taking one of those deadly pink pills this morning. I spent most of the afternoon just listening to podcasts on my iPod and shivering under a blanket until about 5pm when my appetite came back (with a vengeance) and I got this sudden burst of energy, which I think is when the Benedryl wore off.
Anyway, I'm feeling a bit better and I'm going to go try to help with the kids, as they both seem to have taken 'bad kid' pills this weekend and are driving us nuts.
Happy Anniversary... I Think...
Every year I almost forget and every year I get reminded of the exact date, but I can never remember exactly which day is my parents' anniversary. I even wrote it on a calendar last year so I wouldn't forget... except that I think the calendar got lost in all of the cleaning, renovating and various other turfing that has gone on over the past 8-9 months.
So if I'm right, and today is the day, happy anniversary Mom & Dad! If not, consider this either an early or a belated congratulations.
So if I'm right, and today is the day, happy anniversary Mom & Dad! If not, consider this either an early or a belated congratulations.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Computer, Desk or Both?
I'm glad that I didn't run out and buy a new computer just yet. I was perusing the latest issue of Popular Mechanics tonight and came across this lovely computer desk.
I demand Luke and Dan get together and build me this forthwith!
I demand Luke and Dan get together and build me this forthwith!
I Feel Like A Punching Bag
Yesterday was looooong. So long. I didn't end up getting home until 7pm or so.
On the upside, I went out and rented Punch Out for the Wii, which is a great return to a series that I adored in my heyday. The only issue is that I tried using the motion controls (and Wii Balance Board) to play it last night and the last thing I needed at 9pm or so was to start flailing my arms around and juke and dodge a flurry of blows from a bunch of cartoony boxers.
I'm so sore and tired today... I hope I'm just tired and not SICK and tired.
On the upside, I went out and rented Punch Out for the Wii, which is a great return to a series that I adored in my heyday. The only issue is that I tried using the motion controls (and Wii Balance Board) to play it last night and the last thing I needed at 9pm or so was to start flailing my arms around and juke and dodge a flurry of blows from a bunch of cartoony boxers.
I'm so sore and tired today... I hope I'm just tired and not SICK and tired.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
And You Thought I Forgot...
For those keeping score at home, my new interview date is next Tuesday at noon. Yay!
Now I just need to survive tomorrow, which looks to be the day from hell. ANY day that starts with me having to be at work at 5:30am is a day from hell, even if I were to subsequently win the lottery and/or shoot rainbows out of my teeth.
Now I just need to survive tomorrow, which looks to be the day from hell. ANY day that starts with me having to be at work at 5:30am is a day from hell, even if I were to subsequently win the lottery and/or shoot rainbows out of my teeth.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Star Trek, Nothing But Star Trek!
If you're a fan of all things Trek, go see Star Trek.
If you're sick and tired of all things Trek, go see Star Trek.
If you don't know what a Jeffries Tube is or how a nacelle works, go see Star Trek.
It was a great movie that really takes what was a tired franchise and gives it a kick in the pants that lets it go in all sorts of directions while still paying homage to what has come before. And there are all sorts of pretty explosions.
There are quibbles if you're the quibbling type and I think that if you're currently reading this in your uniform while taking a break from chairing the meeting of the commanders of your local Starfleet outpost, well, you might not enjoy it as much. That said, the majority of the 'flaws' are nit-picky at best.
The only truly annoying thing about the movie are the lens flares. Holy smokes, it's like J. J. Abrams bought a crate of lens flares and had to use them all up by the end of the film or they'd pull his funding. It's not that they're distracting, but... well, they're everywhere.
If you're sick and tired of all things Trek, go see Star Trek.
If you don't know what a Jeffries Tube is or how a nacelle works, go see Star Trek.
It was a great movie that really takes what was a tired franchise and gives it a kick in the pants that lets it go in all sorts of directions while still paying homage to what has come before. And there are all sorts of pretty explosions.
There are quibbles if you're the quibbling type and I think that if you're currently reading this in your uniform while taking a break from chairing the meeting of the commanders of your local Starfleet outpost, well, you might not enjoy it as much. That said, the majority of the 'flaws' are nit-picky at best.
The only truly annoying thing about the movie are the lens flares. Holy smokes, it's like J. J. Abrams bought a crate of lens flares and had to use them all up by the end of the film or they'd pull his funding. It's not that they're distracting, but... well, they're everywhere.
Busting Out The Short Leash
So I came downstairs this morning at around 8:20 or so to find the front door wide open and nary a kid in sight. Now, they had been there moments before and Garrett had been yammering something about going to the bus stop, but he knows better than to just head on out the door by himself.
Or so I thought.
Moments later, I was heading out the door and down the sidewalk in bare feet and waaaay down the sidewalk I could see Kara in her PJ's and bright pink rubber boots. She was almost at the park where the school bus picks up Garrett. Suffice it to say, Garrett and Kara were corralled and marched straight back to the house, whereupon riot acts were read and consequences were handed out. Garrett lost TV for the day (and so did Kara, sort of) and he knows exactly why walking out of the front door with no Mommy or Daddy is verboten.
He didn't really like it this evening when I came back from getting the car from the shop (Did I mention I needed to get the brakes done today too? Yeah...) to find him watching a movie. Off went the TV and on went the tears. Oh well.
So yeah. Kids. What can you do? Kara and I did have fun playing outside most of the morning (we even took the new kite out for a spin, only to have the city start mowing the soccer field we were at) and we all had fun in our back yard this evening after supper.
Now to go to bed. I'm tired.
Or so I thought.
Moments later, I was heading out the door and down the sidewalk in bare feet and waaaay down the sidewalk I could see Kara in her PJ's and bright pink rubber boots. She was almost at the park where the school bus picks up Garrett. Suffice it to say, Garrett and Kara were corralled and marched straight back to the house, whereupon riot acts were read and consequences were handed out. Garrett lost TV for the day (and so did Kara, sort of) and he knows exactly why walking out of the front door with no Mommy or Daddy is verboten.
He didn't really like it this evening when I came back from getting the car from the shop (Did I mention I needed to get the brakes done today too? Yeah...) to find him watching a movie. Off went the TV and on went the tears. Oh well.
So yeah. Kids. What can you do? Kara and I did have fun playing outside most of the morning (we even took the new kite out for a spin, only to have the city start mowing the soccer field we were at) and we all had fun in our back yard this evening after supper.
Now to go to bed. I'm tired.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Best May 24 Monday Ever
I wouldn't say it's the best May 24 weekend ever, as I was working evenings this weekend (and it has been a LONG time since I did an evening shift on the weekend) and when I wasn't working, Julie was putting me to work. That said, it looks like Monday will be a great day, both weatherwise and otherwise.
This morning, after church, we stopped at WalMart and picked up the patio set we had our eye on while we were out on Friday. I think it took me less time to load it in the car, drive it home and assemble it than it did for the moron at the store to find it for us. The best (or worst) thing was that he took a good 10-15 minutes to find the set in the back warehouse and then came back to ask us if we wanted it. Sigh. At least it didn't take him as long to go back and actually bring it out.
As for Monday, I'm going out to see Star Trek in the afternoon while Julie takes the kids to visit her family in Kitchener. AND there are new episodes of Phineas & Ferb airing tomorrow. You have no idea how happy that makes me, if only to have something new in the mix.
This morning, after church, we stopped at WalMart and picked up the patio set we had our eye on while we were out on Friday. I think it took me less time to load it in the car, drive it home and assemble it than it did for the moron at the store to find it for us. The best (or worst) thing was that he took a good 10-15 minutes to find the set in the back warehouse and then came back to ask us if we wanted it. Sigh. At least it didn't take him as long to go back and actually bring it out.
As for Monday, I'm going out to see Star Trek in the afternoon while Julie takes the kids to visit her family in Kitchener. AND there are new episodes of Phineas & Ferb airing tomorrow. You have no idea how happy that makes me, if only to have something new in the mix.
Duck, Duck, Duck
GEESE!
As much as I have grown to loathe Canada Geese over the last decade (stupid poop machines that they are), I have to admit that seeing 4 adults escorting the goslings through the parking lot yesterday was incredibly cute.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Lil Gangsta
When did Garrett get so... Garretty?
Of course, this is still the same kid who was just heard running around upstairs yelling, "I'M THE BOY WONDER WOMAN!", so he hasn't grown up as much as he seems.
Of course, this is still the same kid who was just heard running around upstairs yelling, "I'M THE BOY WONDER WOMAN!", so he hasn't grown up as much as he seems.
When Mommy's Home, Work Gets Done
Julie took the day off work today and that meant I had to actually be productive with my time instead of frittering it away saving the galaxy.
According to Julie, Kara wanted to go shopping with Daddy today, so we all piled into the car and headed down to Milton. We actually got a lot of stuff that will make this summer a much more enjoyable summer.
First off, we have barely been able to use our backyard for the past 4 years due to our idiotic neighbours cutting down the lovely shade tree that used to keep our yard cool during the hot days of July and August. Since the house faces East/West, the backyard gets the brunt of the sun during the day and it gets pretty toasty on those warmer days in the summer.
So may I present a contrast between before:
and after:
That gazebo will really help keep our yard cool. We're going to get a new patio set soon as most of our plastic chairs are broken and the table has seen better days.
We also picked up a bug zapper so that we can actually enjoy the backyard. They tried to sell us on some souped-up citronella candles but I insisted on the thing that will let me hear them go ka-pop.
So yeah, it was a good, productive day off and on top of all that, we also got a new push mower, so I can cut the yard without spending 3/4s of my time fighting with the rusted, dull blades.
According to Julie, Kara wanted to go shopping with Daddy today, so we all piled into the car and headed down to Milton. We actually got a lot of stuff that will make this summer a much more enjoyable summer.
First off, we have barely been able to use our backyard for the past 4 years due to our idiotic neighbours cutting down the lovely shade tree that used to keep our yard cool during the hot days of July and August. Since the house faces East/West, the backyard gets the brunt of the sun during the day and it gets pretty toasty on those warmer days in the summer.
So may I present a contrast between before:
and after:
That gazebo will really help keep our yard cool. We're going to get a new patio set soon as most of our plastic chairs are broken and the table has seen better days.
We also picked up a bug zapper so that we can actually enjoy the backyard. They tried to sell us on some souped-up citronella candles but I insisted on the thing that will let me hear them go ka-pop.
So yeah, it was a good, productive day off and on top of all that, we also got a new push mower, so I can cut the yard without spending 3/4s of my time fighting with the rusted, dull blades.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Ambiguous Titles!
I wish I could wrap my head around exactly what this movie is about. I guess I'll have to wait until it comes out next week on DVD.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Happy Mother's Day!
It's Mother's Day, so that means *I* got up at 7am to corral the kids instead of burying my head in my pillow for as long as humanly possible. I hope Julie appreciates the sacrifice!
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially mine!
Please give to the Wager Entertainment Fund
So that kids don't have to pretend to play videogames on the fireplace.
Happy Mother's Day to all the moms out there, especially mine!
Please give to the Wager Entertainment Fund
So that kids don't have to pretend to play videogames on the fireplace.
Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Good News Everyone!
Hey all. Sorry for the late update but I have been stuck doing all sorts of crazy shifts this week and am plum tuckered out.
I heard today that I'm going for the second interview with the area manager next week (yay) so assuming all goes well, we'll know how things are going to play out by the end of the month.
Yay!
Oh, and I heard that one of the other guys who got interviewed this week spent half of the interview saying, "I don't want the job! Give it to Brock!"
That has to help :)
I heard today that I'm going for the second interview with the area manager next week (yay) so assuming all goes well, we'll know how things are going to play out by the end of the month.
Yay!
Oh, and I heard that one of the other guys who got interviewed this week spent half of the interview saying, "I don't want the job! Give it to Brock!"
That has to help :)
Sunday, May 03, 2009
GOOGLE IT!
Still no word back from the interview. I'll keep everyone posted.
In the meantime...
Julie just asked me if cooking a tomato-based casserole at the same time as an apple pie would make them taste like each other. I said I didn't know so she asked me to google it. And then she got rather demanding about my googling it!
I didn't really get an answer when I did, but I DID find this recipe at the top of the results.
In the meantime...
Julie just asked me if cooking a tomato-based casserole at the same time as an apple pie would make them taste like each other. I said I didn't know so she asked me to google it. And then she got rather demanding about my googling it!
I didn't really get an answer when I did, but I DID find this recipe at the top of the results.
Friday, May 01, 2009
Thwup Thwup Thwup
Well, the interview has come and gone and now the waiting game starts. I think it went rather well, though I did kind of trip over the first question. Thankfully I got my brain back into gear and hopefully didn't say anything incredibly idiotic for the rest of the hour...
Speaking of delusional thinking, check out today's Wondermark. It's brilliant.
Speaking of delusional thinking, check out today's Wondermark. It's brilliant.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Prayer Time! Excellent!
Well, I've debated posting this for some time but I think it couldn't hurt and I'm just nervous enough to feel that a little extra help is warranted.
I'm going for an interview for a Program Coordinator position at the house I work at tomorrow and while I think I'm the only applicant for the job and that my track record speaks for itself, I'm still nervous about the interview. I'm not so much worried about not knowing the answers as I am about saying something spectacularly stupid, which tends to be my fall-back position when I'm grasping for an answer.
Any prayers, happy thoughts or bribes to my manager would be appreciated. I'll keep everyone posted as the crisis, er, interview unfolds.
If I'm lucky, I might get swine flu and get the job posthumously.
I'm going for an interview for a Program Coordinator position at the house I work at tomorrow and while I think I'm the only applicant for the job and that my track record speaks for itself, I'm still nervous about the interview. I'm not so much worried about not knowing the answers as I am about saying something spectacularly stupid, which tends to be my fall-back position when I'm grasping for an answer.
Any prayers, happy thoughts or bribes to my manager would be appreciated. I'll keep everyone posted as the crisis, er, interview unfolds.
If I'm lucky, I might get swine flu and get the job posthumously.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Say Goodbye To Free Time
Just to warn you, what you may be about to download is highly addictive.
One of my favourite time-killer games of the past year or two has been Fairway Solitaire. I paid $10 for it a while back and have more than got my money out of it, but now the company that makes it is giving it away for free.
It's a fantastic combination of solitaire on the computer and golf. And it's free.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
One of my favourite time-killer games of the past year or two has been Fairway Solitaire. I paid $10 for it a while back and have more than got my money out of it, but now the company that makes it is giving it away for free.
It's a fantastic combination of solitaire on the computer and golf. And it's free.
Don't say I didn't warn you.
Happy Birthday Grant!
My littlest little brother is 29 today! Yeesh. I'm feeling old when my baby brother is pushing 30.
Hopefully he doesn't do something silly like blow up an orbital satellite or anything to celebrate. He can do that you know. Using only HIS MIND!
Hopefully he doesn't do something silly like blow up an orbital satellite or anything to celebrate. He can do that you know. Using only HIS MIND!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Thanks, Neighbour
I got home around 11:15 tonight and ran the last bag of garbage out to the curb. As I was coming back, one of my neighbours (and fellow board member) was coming down the parking lot and as I passed him he said, "Oh, thanks Brock. I saw you going out there and figured I'd wait to see how it went."
"How it went? What do you mean?"
"Oh, there was a skunk out behind your house a few minutes ago. I just wanted to make sure you didn't run into it out at the garbage pad."
Thanks, buddy. You couldn't have mentioned this BEFORE I wandered out to Pepe LePew's all-you-can-eat buffet? Sigh.
"How it went? What do you mean?"
"Oh, there was a skunk out behind your house a few minutes ago. I just wanted to make sure you didn't run into it out at the garbage pad."
Thanks, buddy. You couldn't have mentioned this BEFORE I wandered out to Pepe LePew's all-you-can-eat buffet? Sigh.
Lego From Heaven
Garrett has recently become obsessed with playing with my Star Wars Lego sets that have been gathering dust on top of my dresser for years. He's been bitten by the Lego bug something fierce and is constantly building and rebuilding little spaceships and Death Stars and various other interstellar gizmos.
Ah, it warms the heart.
I had to laugh when I took a peek in the 'journals' that were sent home from school today. He had three. One of them just said, "Star Wars" with a picture of... droids, I think? I'm not sure what they were. The other two were different pictures but both said the same thing. "Toys were falling out of the sky."
If only it were that easy... and cheap...
Ah, it warms the heart.
I had to laugh when I took a peek in the 'journals' that were sent home from school today. He had three. One of them just said, "Star Wars" with a picture of... droids, I think? I'm not sure what they were. The other two were different pictures but both said the same thing. "Toys were falling out of the sky."
If only it were that easy... and cheap...
She's Fabulous!
Kara got a lot of new outfits for her birthday. Behold, the fashion show OF DOOM!
I've got some funny stories about Kara and her burgeoning vocabulary, but those will deserve an entire post later in the week.
I've got some funny stories about Kara and her burgeoning vocabulary, but those will deserve an entire post later in the week.
Wooooords!
The sad thing is that I know a few people who like to do this whenever I read. Can they not appreciate the printed word?
Speaking of which, I'm reading Stephen King's newest collection of short stories (Just After Sunset) and it's GREAT.
Speaking of which, I'm reading Stephen King's newest collection of short stories (Just After Sunset) and it's GREAT.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Joys Of Parenting
Have I embedded some kind of sleeper behaviour code in my kids? You'll just have to wait until they hit high school to find out!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Guess Who's 2!
Yup. It's Kara's second birthday today! Woo! To celebrate, we went to the doctor for her two-year check-up. Then we napped. Fun times.
We had a birthday cake in Corunna when we were down over Easter, so here's what we consumed.
We also got Kara her first hair-cut last Monday, so she looks a lot less shaggy now that she's two years old.
And this is just a silly picture of the kids that shall haunt them on their wedding days.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Can He Cut It? Yes He Can!
Check out this video of a modern-day samurai cutting things in half. He cuts a BB in mid-air on the draw at around the 4 minute mark. Crazy stuff.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Weekend Update
Sorry for not updating for a few days. I've been enjoying the fact that my PC actually works again :)
So, what's new this week? It was my mom's birthday yesterday (Happy Belated Birthday, Mom!), I had to work the overnight shift at a house I don't usually work at last night (zzz) and Garrett & I hit the park for a few hours this afternoon and threw around a lightweight glider/kite thingy.
Kara's been fighting this spring cold thing that has her throwing up once every couple of days but otherwise being fine (aside from some sniffles).
I watched Marley & Me last night. Like most of the uber-cynics that I know who saw it, I was tearing up during the last 10-15 minutes. And I don't even like dogs!
And that's about it for the major updates around these parts. I've also been bitten by the 'gotta get a DSi' bug, but I've managed to stave off terminal infection this weekend, helped along greatly by a large dose of 'don't even think about it' from Julie...
So, what's new this week? It was my mom's birthday yesterday (Happy Belated Birthday, Mom!), I had to work the overnight shift at a house I don't usually work at last night (zzz) and Garrett & I hit the park for a few hours this afternoon and threw around a lightweight glider/kite thingy.
Kara's been fighting this spring cold thing that has her throwing up once every couple of days but otherwise being fine (aside from some sniffles).
I watched Marley & Me last night. Like most of the uber-cynics that I know who saw it, I was tearing up during the last 10-15 minutes. And I don't even like dogs!
And that's about it for the major updates around these parts. I've also been bitten by the 'gotta get a DSi' bug, but I've managed to stave off terminal infection this weekend, helped along greatly by a large dose of 'don't even think about it' from Julie...
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
IT'S ALIVE!
Well, after much delay, I finally got my desktop rig back up and running.
And surprise! The problem was exactly what I thought it was. Once I got into Safe Mode, it was just a matter of uninstalling the video drivers and reinstalling some new ones et voila! Everything is tickety boo.
Note to self: Never update video drivers via the MS Update website. Something like this happens all the time.
Sigh.
At least I got all of my pictures backed up this time. If it dies now, I can cremate it without shedding much of a tear.
And surprise! The problem was exactly what I thought it was. Once I got into Safe Mode, it was just a matter of uninstalling the video drivers and reinstalling some new ones et voila! Everything is tickety boo.
Note to self: Never update video drivers via the MS Update website. Something like this happens all the time.
Sigh.
At least I got all of my pictures backed up this time. If it dies now, I can cremate it without shedding much of a tear.
Monday, April 13, 2009
Would You Prefer Ivory Or Dove?
Of course, yesterday was also the opportunity for Garrett to show off the lovely curse words he'd picked up in the playground when he was in the nursery at church.
This lovely, conservatively dressed woman and her children came in and I told Garrett to close the door (as he was trying to escape). He said (in a not so quiet voice), "No, you have to say, 'Close the f-ing door!'"... only he filled in the F... Suffice it to say, a mouth came THIS close to being washed out. Supposedly he learned that gem on the playground at school...
It didn't help that he prattled on about waterfalls of blood and dead Pokemon for the whole time that the lady was there with her kids. I think we're going to be asked not to go back next time we're in town. Sigh.
He's a good kid but I think he spends too much time with his father for his own good :P
This lovely, conservatively dressed woman and her children came in and I told Garrett to close the door (as he was trying to escape). He said (in a not so quiet voice), "No, you have to say, 'Close the f-ing door!'"... only he filled in the F... Suffice it to say, a mouth came THIS close to being washed out. Supposedly he learned that gem on the playground at school...
It didn't help that he prattled on about waterfalls of blood and dead Pokemon for the whole time that the lady was there with her kids. I think we're going to be asked not to go back next time we're in town. Sigh.
He's a good kid but I think he spends too much time with his father for his own good :P
Happy Easter Monday!
For those lucky few who have today off (and didn't have to use a vacation day to do so), I salute you!
We had a great visit in the Greater Sarnia Area this weekend. It was kind of a whirlwind trip though, as we headed down on Friday morning and got back late last night.
The kids did the Easter In The Park thing on Saturday morning, which would have been fun if there handn't been about 3/4's of the population of Sarnia there with absolutely no rhyme or reason to what was supposed to happen. The kids seemed to enjoy the chaos though and we bumped into our friends while we were in the animal farm, so it's all good. I also inadvertantly butted in front of a line that was not small in order to put Garrett in the little lawn-tractor train ride. I didn't see the giant line that stretched back to the gates. I just saw teeming hordes milling about and an empty seat in the train car, so in Garrett went. Nobody said anything or raised a fuss, so there.
We also squeezed in a game of 5-Pin Bowling (aka The One True Pin) with my parents and the kids on Saturday. Garrett, in his usual bombast, declared, "Bowling is my favourite thing in the whole wide word. I've never been bowling."
Sunday was the usual Easter service and Easter luncheon thing with Julie's giant family. We didn't get home until late last night but the kids went right to bed and we didn't have a lot to unpack from the trip, so it was nice. I did blow out my brain reading 300 pages of the latest Pratchett Discworld book yesterday afternoon in order to give it to Julie's brother before he headed home. I don't think I've power-read a book like that in a good year or so.
Now if only I hadn't left my iPod connector cable at the Grace's...
We had a great visit in the Greater Sarnia Area this weekend. It was kind of a whirlwind trip though, as we headed down on Friday morning and got back late last night.
The kids did the Easter In The Park thing on Saturday morning, which would have been fun if there handn't been about 3/4's of the population of Sarnia there with absolutely no rhyme or reason to what was supposed to happen. The kids seemed to enjoy the chaos though and we bumped into our friends while we were in the animal farm, so it's all good. I also inadvertantly butted in front of a line that was not small in order to put Garrett in the little lawn-tractor train ride. I didn't see the giant line that stretched back to the gates. I just saw teeming hordes milling about and an empty seat in the train car, so in Garrett went. Nobody said anything or raised a fuss, so there.
We also squeezed in a game of 5-Pin Bowling (aka The One True Pin) with my parents and the kids on Saturday. Garrett, in his usual bombast, declared, "Bowling is my favourite thing in the whole wide word. I've never been bowling."
Sunday was the usual Easter service and Easter luncheon thing with Julie's giant family. We didn't get home until late last night but the kids went right to bed and we didn't have a lot to unpack from the trip, so it was nice. I did blow out my brain reading 300 pages of the latest Pratchett Discworld book yesterday afternoon in order to give it to Julie's brother before he headed home. I don't think I've power-read a book like that in a good year or so.
Now if only I hadn't left my iPod connector cable at the Grace's...
Friday, April 10, 2009
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Send Your Pennies Here aka Charon Share Alike
Tim had a post on his blog tonight about what you get when you google your name. It had been a little while since I last indulged in this narcissistic activity, so I gave it a whirl.
The first page was just the usual things, like links to this here blog and a few other things I do related to writing about comics and videogames around the web. And for some reason, the Touring Poker Tour of Poker standings from 2005 were getting flagged after my one dismal showing.
Not much else aside from the odd UFC or Pokemon slash fiction story about other, much more famous Brocks.
Then I stumbled upon this story on the second page of results.
"Travelling back and forth across the Richmond River at Ballina 160 times a day like a latter-day Huck Finn does not drive Brock Wager around the bend."
Seems my alter-ego is a 62 (now 63) year old ferry drover down Australia way. Seems like a good chap from what I've read.
Now if only I could find the multi-millionaire who is approximately my age, weight and build and who wouldn't mind playing a hilarious prank on everyone...
The first page was just the usual things, like links to this here blog and a few other things I do related to writing about comics and videogames around the web. And for some reason, the Touring Poker Tour of Poker standings from 2005 were getting flagged after my one dismal showing.
Not much else aside from the odd UFC or Pokemon slash fiction story about other, much more famous Brocks.
Then I stumbled upon this story on the second page of results.
"Travelling back and forth across the Richmond River at Ballina 160 times a day like a latter-day Huck Finn does not drive Brock Wager around the bend."
Seems my alter-ego is a 62 (now 63) year old ferry drover down Australia way. Seems like a good chap from what I've read.
Now if only I could find the multi-millionaire who is approximately my age, weight and build and who wouldn't mind playing a hilarious prank on everyone...
Return Of The Dreaded Allergies
Garrett's go-to line when he doesn't like something is to say that he's allergic to it.
Tonight he declared, while going through the candy he got from the sitter after their Easter Egg hunt, that he is allergic to chocolate.
Now that's an allergy I can get behind! So if you feel like giving Garrett chocolate, please send it my way so I can make sure it's the kind he's not allergic to (he's especially allergic to dark chocolate and chocolate filled with caramel).
In other news, Kara's newest word in her vocabulary is, of course, chocolate.
Tonight he declared, while going through the candy he got from the sitter after their Easter Egg hunt, that he is allergic to chocolate.
Now that's an allergy I can get behind! So if you feel like giving Garrett chocolate, please send it my way so I can make sure it's the kind he's not allergic to (he's especially allergic to dark chocolate and chocolate filled with caramel).
In other news, Kara's newest word in her vocabulary is, of course, chocolate.
Stand Down From Condition Brown!
Just to let everyone know...
Kara is doing fine and is back to her own bossy self!
What a difference a week makes.
On the downside, my computer is still down but I haven't really bothered to try to fix it this week. I think I'll chat with a few people over the weekend and next week, when I'm working evenings, I'll take some time during the days to see if I can get it either up and running or at least salvage my pictures!
Kara is doing fine and is back to her own bossy self!
What a difference a week makes.
On the downside, my computer is still down but I haven't really bothered to try to fix it this week. I think I'll chat with a few people over the weekend and next week, when I'm working evenings, I'll take some time during the days to see if I can get it either up and running or at least salvage my pictures!
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Bad Kids Pt. 2
So I'm in bed this morning, shaking the cobwebs from my groggy head when I hear Garrett tell Julie that the kid from yesterday's tale actually DOES have Garrett's big toy.
"He snuck it out. I didn't want him to. I cried."
Yeah, right. Little scam artist...
Looks like I get to have a little heart to heart with the punk from around the corner today.
"He snuck it out. I didn't want him to. I cried."
Yeah, right. Little scam artist...
Looks like I get to have a little heart to heart with the punk from around the corner today.
Monday, April 06, 2009
Falling In With A Bad Crowd
Garrett has been obsessed with Bakugan of late. They're this generation's Yu-Gi-Oh, which were the generation before that's Pokemon.
Suffice it to say, Garrett wants to dress up as a Bakugan for Halloween, get every Bakugan toy known to man for Christmas and has started to barter his Bakugan collection with the kids around the neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, this has led to Garrett becoming the disciple of one of the bigger kids who live behind us, to the point where he follows him everywhere and would probably give away his whole toy collection if the kid asked him for it.
He had already traded a small Bakugan toy the other week and that was fine with me as they were of equal value. Yesterday the big kid tried to scam Garrett by trading a small Bakugan for Garrett's BIG Bakugan (which costs about $12 to the $3 that the little one cost us) which was when we put the brakes on things. He still managed to walk out of our yard with MY mini AT-AT, but I got that back tonight.
The kid came over to visit with Garrett tonight and there was much talk about trading and so forth, but I put the kibosh on that. Of course, as I'm tucking Garrett into bed, I caught him hiding something behind his back and lo and behold, it's the small Bakugan that Garrett has been coveting for a few days.
Riot acts were read, promises were made and I shall be having a chat with this kid tomorrow and so help me if he swiped one of Garrett's toys after being told specifically not to...
Kids, I tell ya. Kids...
Suffice it to say, Garrett wants to dress up as a Bakugan for Halloween, get every Bakugan toy known to man for Christmas and has started to barter his Bakugan collection with the kids around the neighbourhood.
Unfortunately, this has led to Garrett becoming the disciple of one of the bigger kids who live behind us, to the point where he follows him everywhere and would probably give away his whole toy collection if the kid asked him for it.
He had already traded a small Bakugan toy the other week and that was fine with me as they were of equal value. Yesterday the big kid tried to scam Garrett by trading a small Bakugan for Garrett's BIG Bakugan (which costs about $12 to the $3 that the little one cost us) which was when we put the brakes on things. He still managed to walk out of our yard with MY mini AT-AT, but I got that back tonight.
The kid came over to visit with Garrett tonight and there was much talk about trading and so forth, but I put the kibosh on that. Of course, as I'm tucking Garrett into bed, I caught him hiding something behind his back and lo and behold, it's the small Bakugan that Garrett has been coveting for a few days.
Riot acts were read, promises were made and I shall be having a chat with this kid tomorrow and so help me if he swiped one of Garrett's toys after being told specifically not to...
Kids, I tell ya. Kids...
Friday, April 03, 2009
Beware The Sharks
Thanks to a chance encounter at a meeting I was at earlier this week, we were able to finally find a good home for the pool table. One of the managers of another home is also a pastor at a church down Hamilton way and their youth group took us up on our offer of the table. As of about 2pm today, our storage unit is officially empty (and we even got a deposit back!) and we can now start the long, slow process of unpacking my 40 boxes of books and other crap!
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Live CDs, Please
I've been directed to try a boot with a Linux Live CD. The thing is, I've never used something like this. I know a lot of you out there DO know a thing or two about Linux and booting off a USB or Boot CD. A little help would be most appreciated. I need something I can use to access my old HDD and pull the pictures off of it.
I think that a reformat is in order once I get those pictures off the drive...
I think that a reformat is in order once I get those pictures off the drive...
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
And To Top It All Off...
So let's see. I was feeling under the weather again today. Kara was essentially a fountain of vomit. I got to experience the soothing surroundings of the Georgetown ER waiting room for the secong time in a week AND I guess Garrett was also rather puketastic this evening.
And to top off all of this fun, my desktop PC is borked. I decided (for no real apparent reason) to do a Windows update today after many, many months of NOT doing a Windows update.
After all was said and done, I restarted the system and now, whenever I try to load up my profile (or Julie's), the computer basically tries to load things up (I can even delete a file or two or try to load up MSConfig) before it resets the resolution to 640x480 and then reboots the whole shooting match.
So on top of all this other stuff, I've been trying to do some mental troubleshooting in my head while killing the last 5 hours in the ER. Sigh. If the fixes I think I need to do will work, I should be ok. That said, I have been thinking of upgrading and I can always just slave the drive to the new machine...
At least the lappy will get some use for the next little bit until the desktop gets fixed.
And to top off all of this fun, my desktop PC is borked. I decided (for no real apparent reason) to do a Windows update today after many, many months of NOT doing a Windows update.
After all was said and done, I restarted the system and now, whenever I try to load up my profile (or Julie's), the computer basically tries to load things up (I can even delete a file or two or try to load up MSConfig) before it resets the resolution to 640x480 and then reboots the whole shooting match.
So on top of all this other stuff, I've been trying to do some mental troubleshooting in my head while killing the last 5 hours in the ER. Sigh. If the fixes I think I need to do will work, I should be ok. That said, I have been thinking of upgrading and I can always just slave the drive to the new machine...
At least the lappy will get some use for the next little bit until the desktop gets fixed.
Joose... JOOOOOSE!
After a day of not getting anything to stay in Kara for longer than 5-10 minutes and her looking just wretched, I decided to take her to the Georgetown emerg just before 4 this afternoon.
5 hours later... I just got home. Kara was given a pedialyte regimen every 10 minutes to see if things would stay down. I did get drenched once and she threw up the first time they gave her some... Zoloft? Zolon? Cubic Zirconium? I had the nurse and doctor tell me the name of the med a good 3-4 times and I can't for the life of me recall what it was...
Anyway, the first time they tried to give it to her, it came right back up but she was fine with the Pedialyte after that. We didn't get in to see the doctor again until 8pm and she took the med at that point and was fine for the next hour, with larger doses of Pedialyte. I ended up just leaving since the line at triage was pretty long at that point and I wanted to get home and change out of my pukey clothes.
So yeah. That's how I spent the afternoon. It was a struggle to keep Kara from trying to pull the bottle out of the diaper bag the whole evening, but it kept us busy. She also insisted on sleeping in the middle of the ER waiting room floor for some reason, but people were pretty good about stepping around her.
I'm so tired...
5 hours later... I just got home. Kara was given a pedialyte regimen every 10 minutes to see if things would stay down. I did get drenched once and she threw up the first time they gave her some... Zoloft? Zolon? Cubic Zirconium? I had the nurse and doctor tell me the name of the med a good 3-4 times and I can't for the life of me recall what it was...
Anyway, the first time they tried to give it to her, it came right back up but she was fine with the Pedialyte after that. We didn't get in to see the doctor again until 8pm and she took the med at that point and was fine for the next hour, with larger doses of Pedialyte. I ended up just leaving since the line at triage was pretty long at that point and I wanted to get home and change out of my pukey clothes.
So yeah. That's how I spent the afternoon. It was a struggle to keep Kara from trying to pull the bottle out of the diaper bag the whole evening, but it kept us busy. She also insisted on sleeping in the middle of the ER waiting room floor for some reason, but people were pretty good about stepping around her.
I'm so tired...
A Less Bile Filled April Fool's Post
So Kara's still doing her Bellagio Fountain impression, but that won't stop me from checking around the net to see what kind of cool pranks are being pulled. Here are a few that I've found that are pretty funny.
Alpine Legend (the sad thing is that I'd probably play and enjoy this...)
Gmail Autopilot App (also check out CADIE, Google's new AI. Her homepage is awesome.)
Alpine Legend (the sad thing is that I'd probably play and enjoy this...)
Gmail Autopilot App (also check out CADIE, Google's new AI. Her homepage is awesome.)
How does Gmail mirror my communication style?
The more Gmail messages Autopilot can sample, the better. With fewer than 100 messages, there may not be enough data to calibrate Autopilot effectively. You can adjust tone, typo propensity, and preferred punctuation from the Autopilot tab under Settings.
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