Random Access

Friday – 13 April 2012
Yes, it’s Friday the 13th… or what’s left of it. I hope that everyone fared well and avoided whatever evils confronted them.  (Or, if you were the evil, that your will was done.)

SaraRules!, Team DiVa and I spent the better part of the day on the road. We’re in Yuma, Arizona. We’re here because SaraRules!’ grandfather passed away last week:

He had been ill and we were hoping to make it here before that happened – so that he could meet the girls – but he went very quickly. So, we’re here visiting her grandmother for a few days.

I have to say that for being barely over 7 months old, the girls were FANTASTIC on the trip.

So far this trip, milestones include (but aren’t limited to):

• The girls visiting three new states
• Their first time in a casino
• Their first visit to Las Vegas
• Their first time meeting their Great-Grammy Dee.

They got a little irritable for the last few hours, alternating between joy and whining (not quite full-on crying); we attribute a good portion of that to altering their sleep schedules and trying to nap in their car seats. But, all-in-all, they’re good travelers.  (Of course, we’ll see how they fare on the return trip… just to make sure.)

It’s been a long day and the girls are (finally) asleep. And I’m looking forward to some not-still-in-the-car rest this evening.

Namaste.

Wednesday – 11 April 2012
Midweek, once more, is upon us.

Last night, because of their Uncle Logan’s birthday, Team DiVa stayed up a little past their normal dinner and bedtimes.

Vanessa (l) and Diana

They did nap a little on the way home; after a bite to eat, bottles and pre-bed wash-ups, they were still calm enough for a quick bedtime story. (Or, maybe they were just punchy.) But, they were out pretty quickly once they were in bed.

After they were down, SaraRules! and I split a piece of birthday cake (Raspberry Marzipan) and watched a little NCIS before calling it a night.

Stray Toasters

• Just a note to say that SaraRules! wins the Best Wife Ever Award. And Human of the Day. Again. This morning, I was so scatterbrained that I forgot my trusty travel mug o’ coffee. I realized this as I was at work, getting out of the car.

  She called me a few minutes later, letting me know that she was bringing it to me on her way to work.

• Long-lost Titanic S.O.S. is on view for the first time
• By way of my friend, Jeff: zxcvbn: realistic password strength estimation
• Commodore 64 pioneer Jack Tramiel lived Silicon Valley’s story
• Seat Assignment: Lavatory Self-Portraits in the Flemish Style
• For SaraRules!: Largest Rube Goldberg Machine: Purdue team set new world record (2012)
• TSA Waste

Namaste.

Tuesday – 10 April 2012
Another day in the valley. And it’s a rather nice day, at that. A bit breezy and few high clouds, but nothing horrible.

And, today is also my brother-in-law, Logan’s birthday:

Last night, SaraRules! had a Justice League meeting. My father-in-law came over to help me get Team DiVa ready for bed and to do some duct work in the basement. Both jobs were successful. When SaraRules! got home, we relaxed and watched a bit of House Crashers and Yard Crashers to wind out the evening.

Stray Toasters

• Even as Violent Crime Falls, Killing of Officers Rises
• Microsoft quietly buys Netscape browser technology
• Seeking Robots to Go Where First Responders Can’t
• For Galadriel:
  
• LEGO CUUSOO
• Raising the Floor on Pay
• It’s the End of the World as We Know It, and It’s a Small, Small World

Namaste.

Sunday – 2012-04-08
Diana and Vanessa in their new Easter dresses, just back from their first Mass:

Diana (l) and Vanessa

Sunday – 08 April 2012
We hope that everyone has a safe, happy and peaceful Easter!

Friday – 06 April 2012
It’s not only my “on” Friday, but today is also Good Friday and, as of sunset, the beginning of Passover.

I also awoke to this:

Very funny, Mother Nature.  Ha. Ha.

Last night, I got home and received confirmation on something that I thought I noticed Wednesday night: Vanessa is cutting a tooth. The most unusual part of this: She’s made no overtures of being in pain or irritable. I can only hope that Diana will be as even-tempered about teething.

After the little ladies were down for the night, SaraRules! and I had dinner and finished off Season Three of Mad Men. I was surprised by a lot of the things that happened over the last few episodes, especially when  [REDACTED]. After Mad Men, I played a little Call of Duty with friends. I had a couple of mediocre games and one great game. I should have logged off after the great game, but wound up getting talked into staying for “just one more.” And it was not a good game. Feh.

Stray Toasters

• Overthinking and Your Child-Like Mind
• How to Wear the Spring 2012 Trends Now
• Reading Is Fundimental Is Fun
• The Tragic Consquences of Mixing Love and Video Games
• LEGO Heavy Weapons
  *adds to The Covet List*
• The Secret Science of Memorable Quotes

That’s good for now.

Namaste.

Thursday – 05 April 2012
Another Thursday in the valley. Hopefully, this one will maintain the NBN tradition; it’s doing pretty well, so far.

This week’s been pretty decent. Busy, but decent. SaraRules! and Team DiVa are doing well.

Diana, Sara and Vanessa

Vanessa

Diana

Last night was Pasta and Movie Date Night. It was SaraRules!’ turn to pick a flick; she chose to start catching up on Mad Men. I was good with that, considering that we’re a season-and-a-half behind. We watched three episodes and are only two away from only being one season behind. (Hey, we’ll take the small victories where and when we can.)

I didn’t play MW3 last night, opting to read some of yesterday’s new comics. As part of the haul, I also downloaded Marvel Comics’ Avengers vs. X-Men: Infinite #1 – available only as a digital comic – which serves as a prelude to the Avengers vs. X-Men miniseries, which also started yesterday (technically, it came out on Tuesday, but let’s not quibble). If this is a possible look at “the future of comics,” as it claims, I have to give it thumbs-up for presentation. Well played, Mark Waid and Stuart Immonen.

Stray Toasters

• Many Colors of Prejudice Are Revealed in ‘Dark Girls’
• By way of SaraRules!: Robot with Human Skeleton Steps Toward Artificial Intelligence
• Nike’s new NFL uniforms built for speed, comfort
• The Nike Elite 51 Uniform
• 
• College Student Pieces His Way to LEGO Mastery
• Untangling a Border Could Leave a Mess for Some
• By way of one of my brothers-in-law: Quietest place on Earth mutes all sounds, messes with your head
• Yet another babysitting concern:
  
• Chrysler’s new SRT Viper bares its fangs
• Jeffrey Brown Imagines a More Fatherly Sith Lord in ‘Darth Vader and Son’
• Apple, Priceline and Google race to hit $1000-a-share mark

That’s good for now.

Namaste.

Monday – 02 April 2012
I find it amusing that yesterday, Mother Nature played a rather cruel joke on us: It snowed. That’s right, after 80-degree Fahrenheit temperatures on Saturday, there was snow. Nothing stuck in the valley, but there are some traces on the mountains. And we’re supposed to be back in the 70s by the end of the week. “April Fools,” indeed.

Aside from that, the past weekend was good. Friday, I spent the day with the girls of Team DiVa.

Diana (l) and Vanessa

We spent the morning at home, but made a trip to Red Butte Garden in the afternoon. (We were going to go to the zoo, but SaraRules! suggested that we wait until Sunday and go as a family. As you might guess from the first paragraph, that didn’t happen.)

Saturday, I had judged another “Infinity Gauntlet” HeroClix event for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection. We had a good turn-out: fourteen (14) players. Since the games were set at 300 points per player, the matches went quickly. In more than a few cases, matches were over in less than ten minutes. After the tournament, it was back home to hang out with SaraRules! and the girls.

Yesterday, we braved Mother Nature’s sense of humor and went to Millcreek Cafe for breakfast. Later came errand-running and around-the-house chores. Then, dinner with the in-laws. Then, back home to put a very tired Team DiVa to bed. We capped off the night watching a little TV and having snacks — I had a Butterfinger-encrusted caramel apple from C.K. Cummings.

Today… well, it’s been a busy Monday. Things didn’t slow down until lunchtime. (Oddly enough, no monkeys were involved.) Sidenote: SaraRules! made beef barley soup yesterday, which was part of today’s lunch. It was pretty damned fantastic, I have to say.

Hopefully, the rest of the day – and evening – will be fairly low-key.

Stray Toasters
None today; maybe next time.

Namaste.

Thursday – 29 March 2012
It’s another Thursday in the valley. So far, it’s held up to NBN scrutiny.  Hopefully, that will continue.
(UPDATE: It did.)

Last night, SaraRules! and I watched…

…for our Date Night movie; I’ve seen it before (we own the DVD), but she hadn’t. She liked it, despite a couple of uncanny valley issues.

Stray Toasters

• Tonight, SaraRules! performs with the Utah Symphony! Again!
• By way of @wbalradio:
  

  On this date in 1996, the Baltimore #Ravens came into being when the team was officially given the name.

• Just Say No to the ‘Cinnamon Challenge’
• GM, WellStar Develop LEGO® based Visual Management Tool
• Medvedev blasts Romney for ‘number-one foe’ remark
• Hopefully, I won’t have to worry about something like this with babysitters…
  
• Looks as though Bachmann Trains has finally released their E-Z Streets line.
• The Line, It Is Drawn #83 – Comic Book What If…?’s
• In Court, Sharp Questions on Health Care Law’s Mandate
• Shelby unveiling 950-horsepower, street-legal Mustang
• Shelby doctors pictures of Shelby 1000 lifting off ground
• Maryland’s Batman Looks Like a Real Hero

Quote of the Day
This nugget of joy comes by way of my sister-in-law, Chelsea, and my nephew, Caden:

Caden: Mom, what’s that?
Me: It’s a water tower.
Caden: Oh. . .Where’s the othere one’s?
Me: What other one’s?
Caden: The milk tower and the juice tower.

The utter brilliance and genius of the three-year-old mind.

Namaste.

Just when you thought it was safe to watch videos on the Interwebs…

…

…

…

…here comes another episode of Adventure Babies Action Theatre!  That’s right: More of Team DiVa, assailing your senses with abundant cuteness!

This video was taken Saturday afternoon, after the girls participated in their second 5k race.

Team DiVa in: Adventure Babies Action Theatre 5 – Bouncing with Bubbles!
[FMP]http://echopulse.net/nrobert/Adventure%20Babies%20Action%20Theatre%205%20-%20Bouncing%20with%20Bubbles.m4v[/FMP]
Right-click or ctrl-click this link to download

Stay tuned for more adventures with Team DiVa!

Sunday – 25 March 2012
This has been a very busy – and productive – weekend. So much so that I could use another weekend to recover from it.

Saturday, SaraRules!, Team DiVa and I did the Running of the Leopards 5k:

(Though you can’t tell through their jackets and blankets, the twins wore leopard print, to commemorate the occasion.) Pre-race, we met up with some of my coworkers and took group shots and general chat. Before the gun, we moved to the rear of the pack — no need to obstruct the faster racers with the stroller, after all.

We finished the race at:

 594    Robert Neal  11756  48:15.9 
 595    Sara Neal    11755  48:16.7

…so, all in all, not bad for a moderate stroll.

Post-race

Saturday afternoon, we treated ourselves to lunch at Pawit’s Royale Thai. As usual, it was quite good. After getting the girls home and down for naps, SaraRules! took off for some well-deserved kid-free time.

Today, we got up and strolled over to Rich’s Bagels for breakfast. Next came some errand-running and then: fence-building. Okay, more accurately, “gate-building,” but you get the gist. Steve, my father-in-law, came over to help us replace our old (and not really “there”) gate:

Old and busted:

Post-wind damage (looking into the back yard)

View from the back yard, looking towards the front yard

What was left of the gate after I took it down

New hotness:

Steve (with miter saw), getting ready to cut like a D.J.

The new gate!

I had never been really happy with the old gate. It was 8-feet wide and not well supported. And, as I discovered today: It wasn’t really a gate, per se. The previous owners had simply taken a pre-fab 8′ section of fencing, put some hinges on it and let it fly. How do I know this? Because I saw the exact same fencing at Home Depot during a trip there this afternoon.

*facepalm*

The new gate has two 4-foot wide doors and is MUCH more stable than its predecessor. I’d like to thank Steve for coming out and helping with the planning and construction. (And for NOT putting a nail through his thumb this time!)

After the gate construction was done, it was time to think about getting dinner ready. We were having SaraRules!’ parents over for dinner this week. At their request, we grilled burgers. (Hey, it’s not like it takes a lot of arm-twisting to get me to fire up the grill…) We also had grilled vegetables and chips to round out the meal. And it was good. Steve and Bonne also helped get the little ladies ready for bed before they headed home for the evening.

And now, all I want to do is crash on the couch and veg for a couple of hours.

In fact, I think I’m going to do that… right… now.

Namaste.

Friday – 23 March 2012
It’s my working Friday. ‘Nuff said.

Last night, after Team DiVa went to bed – and after dinner – I headed to the mall to do a little shopping. I went with four (4) objectives:

1. Get a screen shield for my iPad
2. Have the battery in one of my watches replaced
3. Pick up a new pair of jeans
4. Get shaving cream, if the new Lush store was open.

I was able to accomplish the first three. The Lush at this location hadn’t opened yet, which I found a little odd as they opened the store at City Creek Center yesterday. I would have figured that they’d do the whole “Two birds, one stone” thing. Apparently not. Feh.

Speaking of Team DiVa, here’s a picture of them from a few days ago:

Vanessa (l) and Diana

Since this picture was taken, they’ve been making a lot of improvement in their sitting. Some assistance is still needed, but they are getting better at sitting up on their own. (Although it doesn’t show in this picture, Vanessa is actually quite adept at sitting up. But sometimes, you just gotta get your lean on, I guess…) Diana, I should note, still sees sitting up as a necessary evil on the way to standing and will make an attempt to stand – usually by just straightening her legs – almost every time you get her into a seated position. It makes for a lot of “make sure you have a good grip on her” moments.

Stray Toasters

• U.S. Inches Toward Goal of Energy Independence
• Spread Reckoning: U.S. Suburbs Face Twin Perils of Climate Change and Peak Oil [Excerpt]
• 1/3 Scale TIE Fighter Up For Sale on Craigslist
• 
• Orbiter Autopsies: What NASA will learn from dissecting Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavour
• You still have a little time to become a backer of Love and Capes creator Thom Zahler’s Kickstarter project.
• Lover of Trains, Lover of People
• This made me laugh:

• Taking on Police Tactic, Critics Hit Racial Divide

Tonight: Possibly coffee… and maybe some MW3 or DCUO.
Tomorrow: The Running of the Leopards 5k!

Namaste.

Thursday – 22 March 2012
Today has been a good day. Any day that kicks off with wife and kid cuddles can’t be bad. And, of course, it’s another No Bad News Thursday, so that didn’t hurt, either.

…and it’s William Shatner’s birthday.

Last night, SaraRules! and I watched The Muppets for our date night movie. It was a lot of fun. It was reminiscent of both The Muppet Show and The Muppet Movie… and with a dash of Muppets Tonight. I give it a big ol’ thumbs-up with an okay.

Stray Toasters

• Million Hoodie March for Trayvon Martin under way in NYC
• Straight out of the “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot…?!” file: Chuck Winder, Idaho Lawmaker, Suggests Women Use Rape As Excuse For Abortions
• Your Money: The Comeback Chronicles
• Hilarious memoirs from the HR Department: Chapter 15 of “Let’s Pretend This Never Happened”
• The 7 Worst Smartphone Injustices and How to Fight Them

Namaste.

Wednesday – 21 March 12
Midweek is upon us once again. Today is apparently supposed to return warm(er) weather to the Land Behind the Zion Curtain. This would be a “good” thing, in my book… even if we are only two days into Spring.

Team DiVa are doing well. We’ve been working on their independent sitting; they are progressing well. We have also tried introducing them to Gerber Graduates Puffs. Vanessa seems okay with them, but Diana is not a fan. At least, not yet. But, she makes the most adorable “What is THIS?!” face while chewing and just before she spits it out.

Stray Toasters

• In vitro babies denied U.S. citizenship
• War Rocket Ajax #105: ‘Princeless’ Writer Jeremy Whitley On Making a Better Fairy Tale
• One more sleep ’til Lush opens. Selah.
• 
• Your brain, your food and obesity
• Artist Treats San Francisco Beach Like an Enormous Etch-A-Sketch
• Monkeys!
• Fooling facial recognition surveillance cameras with cunning and crocheting
• The Search for Amelia Earhart Resumes with Help from Hilary Clinton
• Clue In Old Photo Leads To New Search For Amelia Earhart’s Plane
• 
  
• Minimalist LEGO Sculpture Ads Capture Cartoon Favorites
• Can wooden skyscrapers transform concrete jungles?
• Dark Energy and the Joy of Being Wrong
• Original Einstein manuscripts posted online

Namaste.

Monday – 19 March 2012
Another work week begins and this one has brought snow flurries with it.

The past few days have been good. And a bit busy. Highlights included:

• Taking Adventure Babies: Team DiVa to Sugar House Park for a walk on Friday. We parked near the duck pond, so they watched the birds before we started our walk.
  Diana (rear) and Vanessa, watching the ducks and pigeons
• Green Lantern/St. Patrick’s Day
• Judging a HeroClix tournament for Dr. Volt’s Comic Connection.
• FINALLY watching the first episode of Green Lantern: The Animated Series
• Attending Utah Opera’s The Elixir of Love with SaraRules!
• Corned beef and cabbage!
• The season finale of The Walking Dead.

Stray Toasters

• Esperanza Spalding: Jazz as “Radio Music”
• Monkeys.  It is Monday, after all.
• The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect – book and Smithsonian exhibition
• Listen to a sane debate about nuclear energy
• 
• The Art of Sho Murase
  Check out the “Heroines” link.
• The Mad Men Index

Namaste.