Virginia Tech Architecture Camp

On Sunday afternoon this week I dropped off my son for a week of Architecture fun at Virginia Tech.  We parked and walked all over the campus before his check in.  I had gone to VT for a year and I shared SOME stories with him.  It was a beautiful day for walking around too.

We got him checked into his dorm.  I made him make his bed and put up his clothes and stuff.  He knew how to get in and out of the dorm, use the dining facilities and stuff already.  I'm very proud of him.  He is definitely maturing and definitely getting better at taking care of himself.

He was supposed to call me Sunday after his orientation and then again around 8pm so that I would know he was ok and had everything he needed for the week.  He said "Dad, even if I don't, you are 5 hours away."  I told him that I have amazing powers of Internet.  He didn't call that night until midnight and since the phones purposefully all sit where we can't hear them, I didn't get the call.  He did text me though and said "Dad, sorry I didn't call.  I just got caught up.  There are so many interesting people here."

Here are some pictures from the campus....

Updates on various things....

So, the longest day of the year has come and now gone.  Another school year has come and gone too, so here is an update on kids and other things....

Brandon, the eldest, did very well this year living with his mom and step-dad in NC. His grades were good and he was involved in sports and other extracurricular activities.  It was the result we were hoping for when he went down there last summer and it paid off extremely well.  He also turned 16 this year and has his learner's permit.  He'll get his license in January most likely.  He'll be inheriting the 2001 Ford Escape I have. This summer I'm teaching him how to drive and how to maintain the vehicle.  This week we replaced the brake booster and one of the front calipers.  I think we need to replace the other caliper too.  He did very well getting all that done.  He starts an Architecture Camp at Virginia Tech this week.  Hopefully he does well!  He is very excited about it.

Michael has been living in Long Island, and he just finished school today.  He says he did well.  He has been playing football and basketball up there and continuing in orchestra.  He seems to really like it there and by all appearances is doing well too.

John, the youngest, made straight A's in all of his classes and played baseball in the fall and spring.  He stopped taking piano lessons this year, but still plays here at the house and is first chair with the cello in orchestra.

I've been traveling some for work and just recently spent 2 weeks in Japan.  That will probably need its own post, but I'll briefly say that I loved every minute I spent in Japan.  I also spent 2.5 weeks in Hawaii for work, and got to experience an earthquake and amazing food in San Diego in December.

SGG started working again, and the projects she is working on will take her to the pacific northwest later this summer.  I hope to be able to fly out and meet her there!

So things have been going well.  We get out to do hiking in the mountains quite a bit, but we have so many chores that we don't get to do a lot of other things we want.

One big item coming up is that I have to fly to NYC in a couple of weeks to pick up my Google Glass.  This is one thing I am very excited about.  I put up a post in February on Google+ for the ifIhadglass Google Explorers project and found out I was selected in March.  One aspect of this that I am excited about is the hands free photography and videography.  When I am taking pictures of something, I never feel in the moment.  I feel like I am focused on getting a good picture or video and not what it going on.  I hope that glass can help me to be more in the moment and less focused on the pictures/video.  I know that documenting things like changing out the brakes, working with software, and many other things will be much easier knowing I don't have to be holding or controlling something.  I will definitely post a bit about my experience with it here.

I keep talking with SGG about blogging more.  I'm just not sure what to write.  I'll keep working on it though!