Views from the Winter Porch

It’s winter here and today it’s REALLY winter. The wind is howling, snow is blowing and it’s cold. This winter is one of the toughest we have had yet, though I am sitting in a nice, warm home in my shirtsleeves as I type this. I can’t help but reflect on my ancestors out in this weather with nothing but wool clothing and a drafty cabin to keep them warm. A fire is only good for so much heat and in those days a lot went up the flue. No wonder the harvest had to be good, they would have died without it (and they did).

I have camped in this type of weather in Colorado and remember that almost all of our time was spent gathering fuel for the fire, preparing meals, cleaning up after meals and then sleeping. There was some time for fun, but only 10% or so. That was with Goretex, down insulated sleeping bags and high tech tents. I was never really wet that time and enjoyed battling the elements and winning. Another time, it was more difficult. A word of advice, if you are in the snow, don’t just wear jeans. If you wear jeans, don’t get them wet. If you get them wet, DON’T take them off and leave them outside your sleeping bag at night. I cannot describe to you the exquisite pain of putting on frozen, rough jeans in the morning. Suffice it to say that it is one of the few times in my life I have screamed in pain. Lesson well learned......

Mom just got back from the Temple and as she walked out of the warm building and into this weather she thought, “Wow, this is like going from the Celestial Kingdom to the Telestial!” ‘Nuf said...

Views from the Porch January 2008

As you can see, I am having fun with this new blogging toy. Three posts in one day... Whew!

Occasionally I do a series of pictures from my porch. This may seem unusual but I have a GREAT view from my porch, one that I rarely get tired of. Sure, there are other houses with big, blank walls everywhere, but if you look near or far, the pictures are stunning at times.

This time I chose to look near. As a kid, I loved icicles and loved to watch them form. I was always amazed at how they melted and grew at the same time. Stalactites and Stalagmites carry a similar fascination, but I just don’t have the patience or time to watch them form. Icicles are different, transient and beautiful if you catch them on the right day.

We had a storm that dumped about 14“ of snow in our front yard on Monday, so today we have icicles! If you look close, you can see them forming and dripping at the same time. Mayflies, icicles and humans, it’s their brief lives that fascinate us.

They also just came and towed the Mercedes, who knows when it will be back.

Grandparents and the MacBook

After many years of being tech support for my family, I decided to try a new tack. Grandpa Dave asked me about a computer. Of course, being a Mac head, I recommended a Mac. I made the switch almost 2 years ago and I still love my Mac. No security headaches, no spyware, viruses or anything. The only glitches I have had is with Parallels and BootCamp on the Windows side.

So, yesterday after a nice lunch at Mimi’s off we went to BestBuy, CompUSA and ultimately the Apple store where we bought a shiny new MacBook (white). They opted for a year of one on one training (a bargain at $99) where they can come in weekly for one year for one hour one on one sessions. I am hoping that they stick with it and complete the course, they will learn a lot and make my job easier. :-)

Last night I set it up for them and all went well except for wireless issues not related to the Mac. The many intervening walls in their house weakened the signal. So, after about an hour of fussing with things and an extended phone call with my brother in law who is a DSL installer we got it to work where they wanted it to, albeit with lower signal strength than I would like.

I installed NeoOffice for the Mac, a great freeware program for word processing, presentations and spreadsheets. I also installed some games because Nana is addicted to Mahjongg and Solitaire. All was working when I left late last night so we shall see how they adapt to the Mac. I am curious because simplicity and ease of use are hallmarks of Apple. This will be an acid test for Leopard. If they can use it productively and quickly, I will be eternally grateful to the guys who designed it. I am worried about that wireless connection, though......

Luxury Cars

Are luxury cars really worth it? I own a Mercedes ML 350 and as much as we love the ride, the comfort and that certain “germanic” quality, we hate the maintenance. Case in point, Mom spent the day and evening with Nana and Grandpa, they went to lunch and I helped them buy a new MacBook (more on this later). After several hours, she got back in her car and when she tried to turn the wheel, it wouldn’t, not easily anyway. She did manage to muscle it home with power steering by Armstrong and then told me as I was on my way home that there was something wrong with the steering. “Crap!” I thought and when I came home I was greeted with a puddle of power steering fluid and steering that would not work. Hopefully, it’s just a cracked hose, but with Mercedes, it will be $2000 for a new power steering pump. So far, here is what has happened to this vehicle since 2004:

- New brakes front and back twice (80,000 miles on the car)
- Internal fiber network breakdown (fixed under warranty)
- Three sets of tires
- One accident (not our fault, but necessitated several trips to the repair shop)
- Air conditioning breakdown (fixed under warranty)
- Heated seat failure (fixed under warranty)
- About $1000 per year on regular maintenance

Well, you get the idea. This is just what I remember. I could go back through the records, but that would be a waste of time. On average, we spend $2000 per year or more on maintenance. Over 4 years, that would have almost paid off this car or been a down payment on a decent used vehicle.

So, my conclusion? This Mercedes has not been worth it. I should have bought an Acura or Lexus, at least they have good reliability track records, but then Mercedes has that reputation, doesn’t it?

ps. The tow truck is on it’s way <<sigh>>

Testing New Software

I am testing a new piece of software called MacJournal. As I write blog entries, I find that I am concerned that all this family history will be lost to posterity. So, looking for ways to keep it in both places. We will see how it works.

For VBug

This is for my granddaughter, who loves this song.....

Woodpecker in Snow

Birds have always been harbingers of good things for Mom and I. When we lived in Denver there were many hard times. Looking back, I wonder how we survived the months without work, no money, no food in some cases and no safety net whatsoever. During those times, flocks of birds always seemed to come and settle in our yard for a day or two just before something good happened. Jobs would pop up out of nowhere or we would get a bit of extra cash or someone would be extra kind to us after the birds landed in our yard.

Getting older does have it's benefits but age does not come with health benefits. I have gotten a string of annoying news lately regarding my health and as a result, have been worrying about it. Nothing really serious, but enough to make me look at my mortality and how much time I actually have. It has been something to pray about. So here come our friends again to reassure us.

Several weeks ago, I heard a banging on our porch, as I went to investigate, I saw a bird fly away. Thinking it was a one time annoyance, brushed it off. A couple of weeks later, I went out on the porch again and noticed something on the ceiling and thinking it was a wasp nest or something, was going to pull it down. However, it wasn't a wasp nest, it was a woodpecker. A woodpecker seeking shelter from our winter weather. It has been there ever since. Looking it up, it appears to be a gila woodpecker, common to the Southwest US. It also looks like a Flicker or Northern Flicker, but hard to say. It's female, since there is no color around the head and neck.

I really don't mind it living there, it's a harbinger of good, so it can stay as long as it wants. Since it has been there, work has improved, I am exercising and it looks like I am going back to my beloved Japan at least one more time, for a month. We will see if this little brown bird is truly the harbinger of something special, it's special seeing her there every day.

Ramblin'

Words and feelings are difficult beasts to wrangle. Most writers say that stories tell themselves and that hey get lost in what they write. Those times of focus and clarity, knowing just what to say and how to say it are rare and precious. A lifetime of feelings, all jumbled and burdened with experience can only be approached like the Gordian Knot, with a sword. In this case, the word does become the sword.

**sigh**

I am over thinking this as usual.

Let's just say the mountain gets steeper the longer you climb. Different rocks, different trees, different streams to cross; but the slope is always there. It is always climbable, with a little help. I hope I can continue to help my family climb higher than I am able.

Not what I intended to say, but hey, it's just a ramble on a blog.

Happy New Year!

2007 is over and while it has been interesting, 2008 appears to be even more so with 3 new grandsons coming. We have baby A, baby B and Baby C. Babies A and B are twins and C is the 6th generation of eldest son of eldest son, etc. I am really happy that our name will be carried on by my eldest, it is something that is important to me.

Twins, that will be a revelation and a handful. My brother had twins and they were terrors. Stole a car at age 4. Good kids now, but really rambunctious then. We will see how this set turns out. Mostly I just want them healthy.

Well, it's late (or early) so I am off.

Happy New Year everyone (all 6 of you who read)

Dad

Driving to London

.........London Bridge that is.

Mom and I just spent 17 total hours and 1112 miles since yesterday at 2:20pm going back and forth to Arizona for a special event. We have done this a few times to various places, the longest being to Phoenix and back when we were first married (most seem to be to Arizona, dunno why). I have a question for the Department of Transportaion, "Why is there no freeway from Vegas to Phoenix? Say, down US93/95? I mean I saw people passing on a two lane last night that scared even me and made Mom say, "Oh!" and grab the handle above the door. She would then call into question that persons ability to form a cogent thought, forcefully.

People are getting more nuts on the road. I like to drive and have worked to become better at it, though Mom thinks my mind wanders when I am checking the speedometer or changing the the temperature in the car. I do admit on long trips I fiddle with my iPod too much to get it to send songs to my radio.

Note to all car manufacturers, iPod docks should be standard equipment! Pay Apple the royalties and be done!

By the way, the London Bridge was interesting, if not actually what I thought it might be. Most of us think of the Tower Bridge as the London Bridge, but that is far from the truth. London Bridge is old and therefore pretty simple. Just a low bridge over the Colorado River with some stonework at either end. We should have walked it, but I had to be back to teach a special lesson on Family History on Sunday and so we left. Might come back, though. It was very nice.



Some guy came up to me and tried to sell me a timeshare in the hotel. It was weird because he had no teeth and was not dressed as a salesperson. Just started asking me questions. Made my skin crawl.

My eyes are burning, and I am tired so will sign off for now. Hopefully I will start writing here more. It's a goal of mine next year to post here and on our family history wiki. Maybe post the same thing in both places or maybe a story based on the other writing, I don't know. I just want to make it interesting. Both my children and my wife are better writers than me, so I need the practice just to keep up.

Dad

Chile Party

We did have one team party in Chile at a restaurant/showplace called Bali Hai. This is due to the culture of the Rapanui from Easter Island which is a part of Chile. We had a great time dancing to the national music of Chile and with the Rapanui dancers (who looked a lot like Tahitian dancers)


The first part of the video is from Vina Del Mar looking at Valparaiso across the bay. Very pretty and a nice creme brulee' at the restaurant I am sitting in. I still haven't gotten the video to do well on my camera. Next time I will take a real camera and real video.

The Sculpture of Chile

It seems that in Chile they have a penchant for odd sculpture made out of concrete. In front of every building in the office park where I work a couple of times a year there are these odd chunks of concrete and metal with one water feature thrown in. One was pretty cool, it looks like a businessman with his briefcase and umbrella braving the elements. "Neither wind nor rain nor snow nor dark of night will keep him from his money!"

Others bring to mind an early version of a wheel (sizing is a little off), some alien trees growing, a child's toy or missing automotive part and my favorite, in front of our building, sandbags made out of concrete draped over a pole. Like I said, odd....

Chile itself is great, like No. California used to be but with more Spanish spoken. Now there is a lot of Spanish still in California, but there is a lot of Hindi and Chinese as well. Not so in Chile. Driving in Chile is also an experience. Like a perpetual game of chicken. You poke your nose in and see who wins. There are many cars with various injuries, usually to the front fenders, due to these automotive jousts. I managed 2 weeks without incident except for having to relearn driving a stick with a bad clutch (the clutch smelled a little the first day due to burning).

The ocean is about 90 minutes away or about 150 km. Beautiful bay and nice clean beaches. Water is cold though because of the Humboldt Current from Antarctica. I ate at a little hotel overlooking the water. It was wonderful and the creme brulee' was awesome.

Food in Chile is very fresh with lots of fruits and vegatables. I liked eating there very much. Seafood is the best meat with sea bass at the top. They do like their butter with fish, though. Most everything is poached in butter.

It's a long trip there but I look forward to going back in a couple of months. Then I won't go for a long stretch, gotta play with the grandkids!

Back From Chile

Chile was very nice. It's a lot like the East Bay area or even Napa Valley area of Northern California. Santiago is about 150 km or an hour and a half by car from the ocean. I spent two weeks there and like it a lot. I got back this morning and have had about 3 hours of sleep in the last 24 so I will post more, maybe tomorrow with some pictures.

The Quiz

My son has challenged me to write here. I realize that I don't very often. Being busy as I am and less inclined to spend more time online than I have to contributes to my lack of posting. So, for now, here is the quiz. I will respond to the tag in another post.

you are deeppink #FF1493

Your dominant hues are red and magenta. You love doing your own thing and going on your own adventures, but there are close friends you know you just can't leave behind. You can influence others on days when you're patient, but most times you just want to go out, have fun, and do your own thing. Your saturation level is high - you get into life and have a strong personality. Everyone you meet will either love you or hate you - either way, your goal is to get them to change the world with you. You are very hard working and don't have much patience for people without your initiative. Your outlook on life is very bright. You are sunny and optimistic about life and others find it very encouraging, but remember to tone it down if you sense irritation.

the spacefem.com html color quiz

I must say, that even though this is a girly color, I do love reds, pinks and mostly purples and magentas.

Alien Engineering

This really speaks for itself. Since I am surrounded by engineers and have been all my life, this speaks to me in profound ways. It hearkens to my childhood when I was regaled with high intensity plasma barriers, multipart insulation and fluid dynamics. Those were the days!

Fun and Games on the Road

Generally, when I am on the road it's a boring routine. Drive to the airport, park, check in, stand in security line, feel violated if they check my bag, wait in a noisy airport with the press of humanity, fly in a noisy and cramped plane, land and get bag, get rental car, drive to hotel, try to sleep, go to work the next day and work 12-14 hours per day for 2-3 days and do it in reverse order to get home.

While some trips are cool like to Singapore, Monte Carlo, London, Tokyo, New York, Gaithersburg, etc., most are to places like Racine, Manitowoc (Wisconsin), Sidney (Nebraska) and other garden spots. Business travel is not like it used to be and is getting worse. Now that I have reached 1 million miles with Delta, I don't feel the need to get miles as much.

Once in a while, though, we do have some fun. Even in Racine. One of the guys on the implementation team bought what he thought was a dead fox in China. Actually it was a dead fox but made into a stole. He really didn't know what it was until I put it on this week and showed them how the mouth is the catch for the foot so it will stay around your neck.

Everyone was totally grossed out saying they didn't understand how I could do that. It smelled a little musty, but not bad. I could have used it outside, it was VERY cold (snowing) for April 3rd. In any case, we all got a good laugh out of it.

In any case, Mr. Fox from Racine, via China wishes all of you a Happy Easter! He is going after the bunny but the Peeps are safe. They are no good unless they are really stale anyway. Couple of months....

Dad

(Wow, I REALLY need to lose that 30 pounds!!! No Peeps for me)

43 Things

So, today I am in lovely Racine, WI at a customer. They make many consumer products that you may use every day, Pledge, Ziploc, Oust, Suave, etc. Nice people, though it's difficult at times to get them to do what you need so your job can get done. All customers are the same in different ways.

Since this blog is such a vast wasteland, I thought I would at least make the attempt to put another post out here. It's odd, I don't write because I don't think people would be interested. Maybe because I lack the vision to see what is interesting in my life. So, let's find some things.

There is a web site out there called 43Things.com which is somewhat interesting. Basically you list 43 things you would like to do and then I guess you check them off. I didn't spend a lot of time there, but the concept was interesting. So, here is at least a partial list of my 43 things.

Visit Africa
Visit South America
(I need both continents and then I will have 6 out of 7. Antarctica is a longshot)
Take all my grandchildren fishing at least once (preferrably on a nice boat)
Be a cool Grandpa
Take Debi back to Japan so she can see her birthplace and do it before all the Japanese is gone.
Live for 6 months in England doing genealogy
Get a degree in Art/Photography
Get photo/article published by a major magazine
Finally get my websites so they are almost self-sustaining
Lose 30 pounds before I am 60
Lose 30 pounds before I am 59
Lose 30 pounds before I am 58
Lose 30 pounds before I am 57 (you get the idea)
Finally finish my home theater and actually watch a movie in it.
Play Tevye in any production
Do a standup comedy routine in some dive club and get heckled.
Nail the heckler!!!!!
Retire with more than enough money to live comfortably

That's a pretty good start, I guess. Let's see how I do over time. As I accomplish them, I will chronicle them here. Maybe I can even get Mom to participate....

I Passed!!

So, all studying avoidance aside, I was able to focus and pass my PMP (Project Management Professional) certification exam last Thursday. The most amazing thing is, that while I was sitting there waiting for the computer to give me my results, I had no idea whether or not I passed. The test is very "open ended." That is, there are many right answers, you have to choose the "most correct" of all of them. Sometimes a single word in the question will change which one is most correct.

The test takes 4 hours and has 200 questions in it. I finished in 3 1/2 hours and scored 79%. This is significant because, on the old test, you had to score 75%. This one only required 61%. So, no matter what, I would have passed.

I haven't studied this hard since learning Japanese. It was about as difficult it seems. That's probably because I am getting older now and things enter the brain a bit slower.......

It points up the fact to me that you must keep learning and active if you want to enjoy life, though. This was very satisfying and makes me want to learn more, but without so much pressure. Maybe I will learn to write PHP after all.....

Grandpa Dreams

Fishing Memories

I haven't been fishing in well over a year. I am sad for that because it is one of my favorite activities. Part of the problem is that it takes so much time to get there and back and I really want to spend time with Mom on Saturdays. It seems that our weekends are more booked than our weekdays, with family and church commitments taking a lot of time. Well, maybe next year if my Butterfly comes to visit, I will take her fishing. Ever since I was small, I have said, "When I am a Grandpa, I will take my grandchildren fishing!" Fishing with my grandparents was one of the highlights of my childhood. I loved my Grandma Ions' salty talk, my Grandpa Parker's patient way of helping me tie knots and bait hooks. He always had little jokes he would tell me and private conversations, while my Grandma Parker was commenting on everything from the number of rocks to the attitude of the other people fishing around us. All of these things created a flavor in my mind that I relish to this day. I want Butterfly to have the same experiences. It's my dream she and all my grandchildren will look forward to fishing with Grandpa.

Mud and Motorcyles

Fishing is one of my zen activities. Driving and reading scifi or fantasy is the other. Fishing is a safe haven unless you mange to hook yourself or there are annoying people on loud ATVs roaring around. Speaking of which, I was up at the Lake once and there were two kids on motorcycles roaring around. One had a pretty weak motor and he could just barely keep up. The other more powerful bike went off an old log in a little jump, landed in some mud, lost control a little, and then turned around to watch the other do his jump. Well, the little putt-putt came off the log and did an endo into the mudhole covering it's rider with mud from head to toe. It was obviously satisfying to his riding partner, who laughed hysterically over the fall. It was more satisfying to me because they got what they deserved. I raised my Diet Coke to them and toasted the maneuver, "Here's mud in your eye!"

That's my dream. Every annoying person who disturbs my zen time should get face planted in the mud.

Studying and it's Avoidance

The mere fact that I am writing this says that I am avoiding my study time for the certification exam a week from Thursday. I have already postponed it once and really don't want to do so again, so I had better get on the stick.

I have been updating the Hull website of late and I think I may have the process down. I managed to wipe some of the content others had posted, but we will get that restored and hopefully that will never happen again.

Both websites have received major facelifts over the past 2 months which is part of the reason I never post here. If I have time, I work over on those sites. I have even considered moving my blog over there, but I don't think I will just yet. Blogger (nee Google) allows for easy customizations and it's not as simple with RapidWeaver, though I can do more with that. Photo Galleries and such are easier with RW and I can even do them in Flash (that's the fancy moving menu stuff you see on some pages). Flash requires Dreamweaver, which I refuse to buy, so RapidWeaver does the trick. I just let others write the Flash code and then I use it.

We had a nice Stake Conference yesterday and I sang in the choir after Mom guilted me into it. She stayed home sick for both the Saturday night and Sunday sessions. I was glad she did, it was quite good, even though I did nod off on Sunday morning. Not an unusual occurance for me anyway............

So, now it's back to Project Management Professional certification study. Ah, well.....