Yesterday my son went on a field trip to the University of Richmond and then to the Virginia State Fair. What was the highlight of the trip? Bull riding at the State Fair. More specifically, he rode the mechanical bull. Twice even. He said that they were having some sort of contest, if you stayed on for 8 seconds you win $200. I mentioned that I couldn't see them allowing him to ride without a consenting adult. He said he had to sign a few forms. Seriously? I still haven't asked he teachers about it though. He said he was on both times for just over 7.9 seconds. That I do believe.
This morning he was complaining about his chest hurting. You think?
I was too tired to care. Something woke me up after about 3 hours of sleep and I couldn't go back. The only hour of sleep I got after that was the hour the alarm went off before I got up. I was so tired that I went running and everything was on inside out. I didn't notice until I took it off to get a shower. I bent over to smell something in a cup and then wandered about for five minutes trying to find where the smell was coming from before figuring out something from the cup was on my nose. I thought I pulled out my black suit today, but it was the navy blue one. Fortunately the shirt and tie almost matched because I wasn't changing it.
It wasn't shaping up to be a good day. It turned out fine though...at least at 9pm EDT it is fine.
I made this concoction tonight. It was AMAZINGLY delicious. Chicken ala popeye. My only begotten son went back for seconds. Many thanks go to Big Little Wolf for mentioning it in the comments. You really can do it all in one pan if you don't do the potatoes.
Edited to add:
You HAVE to do the potatoes though. It is worth cleaning the extra pan.
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
It's just dinner...
And no it isn't a dating site...or a site at all...it's just my dinner tonight.
It was inspired by dinner last night at the Mexican place after the spider-tunnel-cache. I got a spinach enchilada and they made sure the spinach was thoroughly cooked. I am assuming to ensure the was no chance of any bacteria surviving...and I can tell you it did not. It wasn't bad at all, just really well done.
I got to thinking this morning that I could do that just a little bit better. I had refried beans and spinach tortillas in the house. I went to the store and got a couple of bags of spinach and a Mexican cheese combo bag (among a number of other items).
I heated up the refried beans in the microwave and heated a pan with some oil. I put in the spinach with a lot of garlic and some bits of an orange. My neighbor calls it kinky spinach, and it is really good. When the spinach was done I put it in a bowl and dumped a bunch of cheese on top. I spread out the beans on the tortilla, heaped the spinach/cheese on top, and rolled it up burrito style. It was delicious.
I knew Brandon wasn't going to eat it, so I got some catfish while I was at the store. I rolled it around in some corn meal, put in a little more oil in the pan, and fried the fish about five minutes on each side. I always add some salt on each side of the fish, but not pepper this time. It was marinated in some cajun seasoning already. I cooked some corn for him too.
Not too bad for dinner overall. We have lots of fish left over.
It was inspired by dinner last night at the Mexican place after the spider-tunnel-cache. I got a spinach enchilada and they made sure the spinach was thoroughly cooked. I am assuming to ensure the was no chance of any bacteria surviving...and I can tell you it did not. It wasn't bad at all, just really well done.
I got to thinking this morning that I could do that just a little bit better. I had refried beans and spinach tortillas in the house. I went to the store and got a couple of bags of spinach and a Mexican cheese combo bag (among a number of other items).
I heated up the refried beans in the microwave and heated a pan with some oil. I put in the spinach with a lot of garlic and some bits of an orange. My neighbor calls it kinky spinach, and it is really good. When the spinach was done I put it in a bowl and dumped a bunch of cheese on top. I spread out the beans on the tortilla, heaped the spinach/cheese on top, and rolled it up burrito style. It was delicious.
I knew Brandon wasn't going to eat it, so I got some catfish while I was at the store. I rolled it around in some corn meal, put in a little more oil in the pan, and fried the fish about five minutes on each side. I always add some salt on each side of the fish, but not pepper this time. It was marinated in some cajun seasoning already. I cooked some corn for him too.
Not too bad for dinner overall. We have lots of fish left over.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Another Sunday Geocache...hidden by a friend...
Julie, the professional Geocacher, hid a cache out in Chesapeake not too long ago. Since I saw her Saturday at a little league game, she asked if we had gotten out to find her cache. We haven't, but we haven't been out that way. Sunday I had to pick up my son from his Grandparents and we were going right by there. No excuse, we had to go find it.
It was getting near sunset when I picked up my son. He was in his pajamas. Didn't matter, we were still going. I had brought my head lamps just in case we ran out of light, and it was a good thing because I needed them anyway. I have a good friend, Candace, that lives 2 minutes from there so I called to see if she would like to come out with us. She said yes and met us there.
There is a nice park just inside the neighborhood there and naturally I assumed the cache was there. Walking in, the first thing we noticed was the very large spiders making their webs for their evening of bug catching. I tried to get some pictures on my phone. They are below. There was a nice pond with a big waterfall. It is a very picturesque spot, even with the giant man eating spiders around. The cache was not here though. I looked at the cache description and it became apparent that we had to go out to the main road.
When we rounded the corner we saw a policeman investigating our vehicles. We were parked in front of some no trespassing signs, but we weren't trespassing. There were no "No Parking" signs. The policeman was very nice and knew about geocaching. We talked for a few minutes and he said we would be fine for now, but next time we should consider parking somewhere back up the road.
We walked over near the spot and we found a very cool tunnel that looked like it was used for flooding. It was dry and no chance of flash floods at that moment so we figured we were safe. It was there we saw the garden spider, and that was funny because I was just talking about one I nearly backed into in Oklahoma that was 3 times the size of the one we were looking at now. I investigated all round the tunnel opening, but the cache was not there. It was a sort of micro cache and only had a log in it. I was going to have to go in.
So I did. It was a really clean tunnel. While I was looking for clues to the spot I saw some sparkles here and there down the tunnel. I thought those might be from the cache. NOPE. Believe it or not. those things were spider eyes! I am not kidding. Like animals eyes at night, those things light up. That was crazy strange. I did find the cache quickly though, being arachnid-ly motivated.
It was getting near sunset when I picked up my son. He was in his pajamas. Didn't matter, we were still going. I had brought my head lamps just in case we ran out of light, and it was a good thing because I needed them anyway. I have a good friend, Candace, that lives 2 minutes from there so I called to see if she would like to come out with us. She said yes and met us there.
There is a nice park just inside the neighborhood there and naturally I assumed the cache was there. Walking in, the first thing we noticed was the very large spiders making their webs for their evening of bug catching. I tried to get some pictures on my phone. They are below. There was a nice pond with a big waterfall. It is a very picturesque spot, even with the giant man eating spiders around. The cache was not here though. I looked at the cache description and it became apparent that we had to go out to the main road.
When we rounded the corner we saw a policeman investigating our vehicles. We were parked in front of some no trespassing signs, but we weren't trespassing. There were no "No Parking" signs. The policeman was very nice and knew about geocaching. We talked for a few minutes and he said we would be fine for now, but next time we should consider parking somewhere back up the road.
We walked over near the spot and we found a very cool tunnel that looked like it was used for flooding. It was dry and no chance of flash floods at that moment so we figured we were safe. It was there we saw the garden spider, and that was funny because I was just talking about one I nearly backed into in Oklahoma that was 3 times the size of the one we were looking at now. I investigated all round the tunnel opening, but the cache was not there. It was a sort of micro cache and only had a log in it. I was going to have to go in.
So I did. It was a really clean tunnel. While I was looking for clues to the spot I saw some sparkles here and there down the tunnel. I thought those might be from the cache. NOPE. Believe it or not. those things were spider eyes! I am not kidding. Like animals eyes at night, those things light up. That was crazy strange. I did find the cache quickly though, being arachnid-ly motivated.
Friday, September 25, 2009
This time and that time and that other time....
I have a little bit of me time...my son is on his way to his mom's for the weekend. I am still getting over a cold I had this week and tonight I am feeding it Thai. Specifically Chicken Pad Thai, though I forget to tell them extra spicy. I am tired and confused and just realized I have practically eaten the whole thing with the wrong end of the chopsticks. The great thing about chopsticks is that it really doesn't matter.
Last week SGG's children were with their dad and she had to work most of Saturday. My son and I did a few things around the house, but we went out and did some geocaching too. I got him a kayak over the summer and he got to take it out for the first time on Sunday. We did some geocaches that you can only get to by boat. We got to see and watch some awesome Osprey's flying, fishing, and feeding. Sunday evening we recruited SGG for some more geocaches. We even met a man with an atomically hyperactive dog and crazy bird. One of the caches was really cool as it was suspended in the air versus hidden in the bushes.
Pictures are Here, slideshow below!
This week was basically spent succumbing to a head cold and trying to get through the week with it. I hope tonight is the last bit of NyQuil I need to take.
VT vs Miami annual party is tomorrow at Jim's place. Should be a lot of fun. That is the only football game I see during any season...and only because of the company. It usually gives me a chance to sharpen my wit as Jim, a hurricane fan, and myself try to trade barbs back and forth. It hasn't been as active the past few years as it was in the beginning. I have a great practical joke to play on him, been saving it for years, but I never do the planning to put it into action.
Last week SGG's children were with their dad and she had to work most of Saturday. My son and I did a few things around the house, but we went out and did some geocaching too. I got him a kayak over the summer and he got to take it out for the first time on Sunday. We did some geocaches that you can only get to by boat. We got to see and watch some awesome Osprey's flying, fishing, and feeding. Sunday evening we recruited SGG for some more geocaches. We even met a man with an atomically hyperactive dog and crazy bird. One of the caches was really cool as it was suspended in the air versus hidden in the bushes.
Pictures are Here, slideshow below!
This week was basically spent succumbing to a head cold and trying to get through the week with it. I hope tonight is the last bit of NyQuil I need to take.
VT vs Miami annual party is tomorrow at Jim's place. Should be a lot of fun. That is the only football game I see during any season...and only because of the company. It usually gives me a chance to sharpen my wit as Jim, a hurricane fan, and myself try to trade barbs back and forth. It hasn't been as active the past few years as it was in the beginning. I have a great practical joke to play on him, been saving it for years, but I never do the planning to put it into action.
Sunday, September 13, 2009
School and other things...
My son's first week of school went really well. I feel like there was more homework for me than for him....Oh wait, there was! Lots of forms to fill out.
At the end of the week I went out to Lake Rawlings for some scuba diving. It was supposed to be different, but some last minute changes dictated that I go by myself and come back the next morning. The drive out was slow and I didn't get there until 9:30pm. I was hoping for a night dive, and what a night, but I couldn't find my group. I asked around to everyone that was still up, but no one knew who I was talking about. Hampton Roads Scuba at meetup.com was who I was supposed to find.
After scouring the campers for my dive group, and getting offers from some to join them Saturday, I setup my tent and had a few moments to just stare at the stars. I was in awe. One of my tweets "So I am laying next to my tent looking at an absolutely black sky where the Milky Way seems as brilliant as daylight. I am by myself." I was really wishing SGG would have been there to see it and share it with me. I almost brought my big camera and tripod for just this reason, but decided I had enough stuff.
The night was very cool and almost cold. However in my sleeping bag I was quite snug, and fell asleep watching Southpark on my iPod. :-) I can have a vice you know.
The morning was quite cool, but I quickly fixed some coffee and some grits. I finally found my group and I did get to go on one dive. I was a bit out of sorts during the dive because I haven't dove in over a year and I was trying to take pictures at the same time. It was great though!
I hurried back home after the dive because SGG had all three boys and was helping cater a company picnic that happened to be a company I used to work for. I walked around the picnic for a bit talking to people I used work with. It was a great time as well.
Sunday will be organizing and geocaching I think. I'm looking for another weekend to go diving and take the boys for some snorkel, snuba (snorkel scuba), and camping at Lake Rawlings.
The pictures below are not of me, but pictures I took of the people I was diving with. The camera was fogging up at points and not many pictures came out right. There is even a video mixed in there!
Pictures
Slideshow
At the end of the week I went out to Lake Rawlings for some scuba diving. It was supposed to be different, but some last minute changes dictated that I go by myself and come back the next morning. The drive out was slow and I didn't get there until 9:30pm. I was hoping for a night dive, and what a night, but I couldn't find my group. I asked around to everyone that was still up, but no one knew who I was talking about. Hampton Roads Scuba at meetup.com was who I was supposed to find.
After scouring the campers for my dive group, and getting offers from some to join them Saturday, I setup my tent and had a few moments to just stare at the stars. I was in awe. One of my tweets "So I am laying next to my tent looking at an absolutely black sky where the Milky Way seems as brilliant as daylight. I am by myself." I was really wishing SGG would have been there to see it and share it with me. I almost brought my big camera and tripod for just this reason, but decided I had enough stuff.
The night was very cool and almost cold. However in my sleeping bag I was quite snug, and fell asleep watching Southpark on my iPod. :-) I can have a vice you know.
The morning was quite cool, but I quickly fixed some coffee and some grits. I finally found my group and I did get to go on one dive. I was a bit out of sorts during the dive because I haven't dove in over a year and I was trying to take pictures at the same time. It was great though!
I hurried back home after the dive because SGG had all three boys and was helping cater a company picnic that happened to be a company I used to work for. I walked around the picnic for a bit talking to people I used work with. It was a great time as well.
Sunday will be organizing and geocaching I think. I'm looking for another weekend to go diving and take the boys for some snorkel, snuba (snorkel scuba), and camping at Lake Rawlings.
The pictures below are not of me, but pictures I took of the people I was diving with. The camera was fogging up at points and not many pictures came out right. There is even a video mixed in there!
Pictures
Slideshow
 |
| From 2009.09.12 Lake Rawlings |
Monday, September 07, 2009
Summer (Paradise) lost?
Nope.
It has been a long summer for me. It seemed to crawl by. This is a great thing for the time I got to spend with SGG. Work was the negative side of that coin. About the time that summer was over, some changes finally came that have turned my job around. I just wish they would have come sooner.
My son is home now. He is re-acclimating to the rules and structure of my home, and that has gone well so far. We spent the afternoon today re-organizing the garage and taking unneeded items to a local thrift store. The return weekend wasn't all work though. Saturday we spent at Busch Gardens! :-) We rode all the roller coasters, much to my son's delight. Sunday we did some geocaches and there is one in particular that still eludes our capture. We are working on it and we have enlisted the aid of professional geocacher "tinglii". We should have that particular quarry in our grasp by the end of the week.
Overall the summer was a balance between rest, work, and play, all within reasonable limits.
I joined twitter tonight...because the Anti-Virus company I prefer is running an interesting contest. You can find me @crazycompdad...I think. It is new to me and I have been mainly ignoring twitter because I have far too much to do. Facebook is reconnecting me with some of my family in SC that I haven't seen in forever. Tonight several of them were having a southern fish fry with grits and tomatoes. If you haven't had it, you should at least try it.
I have been able to extend the streak of malaise that has seemed to plague me over the past couple of months. I have was diagnosed with Poison Ivy a couple of weeks ago. The doctor gave me a cream that has really helped. I also managed to get a bit of a raspberry on my leg while sliding in softball two weeks ago. I don't know which one itches more.
SGG is mildly fascinated and morbidly curious about what ailment, skin seems to be the theme, I will have fallen prey to by the next time she sees me. My new cologne seems to be bug spray.
I had one dive scheduled for this summer, the U-85 off of NC, but Hurricane Bill scratched that. I do plan to do some diving this weekend though...more on that later.
My son starts school tomorrow and my strict schedule is back in place. Early risings, work, workout, dinner, and a little time with SGG in the evenings (usually on the phone), and a few minutes for me, then rewind and replay. We have some nice camping, hiking, and other plans for the fall. We'll see what pans out.
It has been a long summer for me. It seemed to crawl by. This is a great thing for the time I got to spend with SGG. Work was the negative side of that coin. About the time that summer was over, some changes finally came that have turned my job around. I just wish they would have come sooner.
My son is home now. He is re-acclimating to the rules and structure of my home, and that has gone well so far. We spent the afternoon today re-organizing the garage and taking unneeded items to a local thrift store. The return weekend wasn't all work though. Saturday we spent at Busch Gardens! :-) We rode all the roller coasters, much to my son's delight. Sunday we did some geocaches and there is one in particular that still eludes our capture. We are working on it and we have enlisted the aid of professional geocacher "tinglii". We should have that particular quarry in our grasp by the end of the week.
Overall the summer was a balance between rest, work, and play, all within reasonable limits.
I joined twitter tonight...because the Anti-Virus company I prefer is running an interesting contest. You can find me @crazycompdad...I think. It is new to me and I have been mainly ignoring twitter because I have far too much to do. Facebook is reconnecting me with some of my family in SC that I haven't seen in forever. Tonight several of them were having a southern fish fry with grits and tomatoes. If you haven't had it, you should at least try it.
I have been able to extend the streak of malaise that has seemed to plague me over the past couple of months. I have was diagnosed with Poison Ivy a couple of weeks ago. The doctor gave me a cream that has really helped. I also managed to get a bit of a raspberry on my leg while sliding in softball two weeks ago. I don't know which one itches more.
SGG is mildly fascinated and morbidly curious about what ailment, skin seems to be the theme, I will have fallen prey to by the next time she sees me. My new cologne seems to be bug spray.
I had one dive scheduled for this summer, the U-85 off of NC, but Hurricane Bill scratched that. I do plan to do some diving this weekend though...more on that later.
My son starts school tomorrow and my strict schedule is back in place. Early risings, work, workout, dinner, and a little time with SGG in the evenings (usually on the phone), and a few minutes for me, then rewind and replay. We have some nice camping, hiking, and other plans for the fall. We'll see what pans out.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Sherando Lake
SGG and I took a trip to Sherando Lake this weekend. It is a small lake nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Some say it is Virginia's best kept secret and I am inclined to agree. It is probably the cleanest and best kept campground I have ever been to.
Just driving through the mountains is a treat. Sherando Lake is not that far off the beaten path either. You can swim, bike, canoe, kayak, and hike around the lake and the surrounding mountains. The day time temperatures can still be hot, but there is not nearly as much humidity as there is in the lower part of the state. The temperature dropped to 60 degrees the night we were there. The stars were so clear you could see the Milky Way.
SGG and I went to camp and to hike. We did an extended hike around the lake when we got there and then did about a 10 mile loop through (and over) the mountains and crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway on Sunday.
We bought some hiking poles before we went. They really made an incredible difference for us. We could have made it without them, but the potential for injury would have been much greater and we definitely would have been a lot more sore. The poles offer so much more support and stress relief whether you are going up, down, or over flat terrain. We saw a lot of it all. :-)
At one point on Sunday we encountered some unexpected rain. We were about 3/4 of the way through our hike and the rain was a very welcome experience.
There are tons of short, day long, and multi-day excursions in the Blue Ridge Mountains...I highly recommend them!!
The pictures from the trip are below!
Pictures
Slideshow
Just driving through the mountains is a treat. Sherando Lake is not that far off the beaten path either. You can swim, bike, canoe, kayak, and hike around the lake and the surrounding mountains. The day time temperatures can still be hot, but there is not nearly as much humidity as there is in the lower part of the state. The temperature dropped to 60 degrees the night we were there. The stars were so clear you could see the Milky Way.
SGG and I went to camp and to hike. We did an extended hike around the lake when we got there and then did about a 10 mile loop through (and over) the mountains and crossing the Blue Ridge Parkway on Sunday.
We bought some hiking poles before we went. They really made an incredible difference for us. We could have made it without them, but the potential for injury would have been much greater and we definitely would have been a lot more sore. The poles offer so much more support and stress relief whether you are going up, down, or over flat terrain. We saw a lot of it all. :-)
At one point on Sunday we encountered some unexpected rain. We were about 3/4 of the way through our hike and the rain was a very welcome experience.
There are tons of short, day long, and multi-day excursions in the Blue Ridge Mountains...I highly recommend them!!
The pictures from the trip are below!
Pictures
Slideshow
Monday, August 10, 2009
At recess in the ring...
It has been hot the last few days. Not unusual for August here. Tonight we won our beach volleyball playoff games and thus must play again next week. We actually have a chance at winning the tournament. :-)
SGG and her two boys were out there tonight, but I think they really wanted to be home rather than at the beach.
Two blocks away, I could hear a band playing. They were called "Mike Proffitt Band".
After volleyball, SGG took her boys home and I went up to 31st street to listen to a band called "Borderline Crazy". One of the few bands I have heard around here with a female singer.
I sat on the wall around the little grassy area. It was warm from being in the sun all day. The air was almost stifling, hot and humid. I was watching a few boys play with a soccer ball, and the occasional parent that would join them. I watched some people play Frisbee. Some people danced. Some kids did gymnastics...funny, I didn't see any parents give that a shot.
On their break in between sets they would play music from an ipod or something. One of the songs was Elton John's "Tiny Dancer". As this song played, there were were several little girls running about dancing, doing ballerina twirls and leaps. What popped into my head was this line from a poem we analyzed in 8th grade, "Because I could not stop for death" by Emily Dickinson. The line was "At recess in the ring". These children were just in the moment, blissfully unaware of future or stress, truly at recess in the ring or circle of life. For a moment I got to share that feeling...and then reality returned.
SGG couldn't be there, but I was texting her lines from the songs that they played. They played Paramore's "Misery Business" and that was my cue to leave.
If you are so busy that you cannot stop for anything...even death...try to take a moment, a recess, and dance with a child or a partner in your home, in the park, at a concert, or on a street corner (Like The Exception).
SGG and her two boys were out there tonight, but I think they really wanted to be home rather than at the beach.
Two blocks away, I could hear a band playing. They were called "Mike Proffitt Band".
After volleyball, SGG took her boys home and I went up to 31st street to listen to a band called "Borderline Crazy". One of the few bands I have heard around here with a female singer.
I sat on the wall around the little grassy area. It was warm from being in the sun all day. The air was almost stifling, hot and humid. I was watching a few boys play with a soccer ball, and the occasional parent that would join them. I watched some people play Frisbee. Some people danced. Some kids did gymnastics...funny, I didn't see any parents give that a shot.
On their break in between sets they would play music from an ipod or something. One of the songs was Elton John's "Tiny Dancer". As this song played, there were were several little girls running about dancing, doing ballerina twirls and leaps. What popped into my head was this line from a poem we analyzed in 8th grade, "Because I could not stop for death" by Emily Dickinson. The line was "At recess in the ring". These children were just in the moment, blissfully unaware of future or stress, truly at recess in the ring or circle of life. For a moment I got to share that feeling...and then reality returned.
SGG couldn't be there, but I was texting her lines from the songs that they played. They played Paramore's "Misery Business" and that was my cue to leave.
If you are so busy that you cannot stop for anything...even death...try to take a moment, a recess, and dance with a child or a partner in your home, in the park, at a concert, or on a street corner (Like The Exception).
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
Google Voice...
I really like to explore new things, figure out how they work, and figure out what can be done with them that maybe they were not meant to be used for. It is that weird curiosity that makes me good at my job.
I love to play with new operating systems, new tools, new gadgets, and basically anything shiny, especially if it has a lasers or LEDs built into it.
Amazon knows this about me. I think I finally bought enough stuff from them to really profile me. I was looking for a 4in1 pen/stylus/laser pointer/led light two weeks ago. I didn't find what I wanted initially, but when I went back the next day they had one waiting for me and at a price I couldn't say no to. Being every so evilly helpful, they said that people that bought the pen also bought two other 532nm green presentation lasers with visible beams suitable for astronomical presentations. REALLY? Again, at a price I couldn't say no to. So now I have some cool toys. Even SGG thinks they are cool...unless she was just being nice. At night, the green lasers will light up a whole room. It is like putting a green dot with a green spotlight where ever I want and how ever far away I want it. I LIKE IT.
However, the cool item this week is Google Voice. You have to politely ask for an invitation. You will need a google account. They may send you an invitation. They will ask you to pick a number in your area and a few other questions.
What does it do? Well, I can give this number out to schools, doctors, and other people that need to get a hold of me. When the number is called, Google will ring each and connect to whichever picks up first. If they do not pick up, Google will take a message, transcribe it, text it to my cell and my email address. I can listen to it, read it, etc. I can even forward phones to it so that people that need me can get me most anywhere.
Why is this important? It isn't so much. I really don't need to be more connected. However, I would be convenient for when I need people to reach me to be able to get a call and have them just dial one number. For instance, I cannot take my cell phone in to where I work. I can configure Google Voice to call my work number. Still not earth shaking but interesting and convenient. By getting the voice mail transcribed, I can then read the voice mail instead of having to listen to it.
I just got it and am going to work with it for a bit. I'll let you know if I come up with any other useful uses for it, but the combination right now is enough to keep me using it for a while.
I am not a big fan of letting Google control more of my information, but like Amazon, they know me. :-)
I love to play with new operating systems, new tools, new gadgets, and basically anything shiny, especially if it has a lasers or LEDs built into it.
Amazon knows this about me. I think I finally bought enough stuff from them to really profile me. I was looking for a 4in1 pen/stylus/laser pointer/led light two weeks ago. I didn't find what I wanted initially, but when I went back the next day they had one waiting for me and at a price I couldn't say no to. Being every so evilly helpful, they said that people that bought the pen also bought two other 532nm green presentation lasers with visible beams suitable for astronomical presentations. REALLY? Again, at a price I couldn't say no to. So now I have some cool toys. Even SGG thinks they are cool...unless she was just being nice. At night, the green lasers will light up a whole room. It is like putting a green dot with a green spotlight where ever I want and how ever far away I want it. I LIKE IT.
However, the cool item this week is Google Voice. You have to politely ask for an invitation. You will need a google account. They may send you an invitation. They will ask you to pick a number in your area and a few other questions.
What does it do? Well, I can give this number out to schools, doctors, and other people that need to get a hold of me. When the number is called, Google will ring each and connect to whichever picks up first. If they do not pick up, Google will take a message, transcribe it, text it to my cell and my email address. I can listen to it, read it, etc. I can even forward phones to it so that people that need me can get me most anywhere.
Why is this important? It isn't so much. I really don't need to be more connected. However, I would be convenient for when I need people to reach me to be able to get a call and have them just dial one number. For instance, I cannot take my cell phone in to where I work. I can configure Google Voice to call my work number. Still not earth shaking but interesting and convenient. By getting the voice mail transcribed, I can then read the voice mail instead of having to listen to it.
I just got it and am going to work with it for a bit. I'll let you know if I come up with any other useful uses for it, but the combination right now is enough to keep me using it for a while.
I am not a big fan of letting Google control more of my information, but like Amazon, they know me. :-)
Friday, July 31, 2009
15 minutes of bliss...
Now, this is a PG rated blog so those that are overly sensual are not going get what you think you are....
Work has been difficult lately, being out of action with a false case of chicken pox, and other summer activities I haven't been exercising (or eating) the way I really want to. Some activities make up for it, like surfing for 2 and half hours until my arms and legs are raw and nearly bleeding from rubbing against the board, but not fully.
This morning I woke up early, stretched (which hurts now that I'm over 40), did some ab and back exercises, and then went for a run. I put my shuffle on under my shirt, started up a network security podcast, and began a slow jog through the early morning heat and humidity of southeastern VA.
Bliss.
It just felt amazing. Just 15 minutes, about a mile and a half. I needed it. I had been craving it for a while. No aches or pains, just a slow comfortable jog sweating bullets early in the morning. I won't say it is the best way to start the day...PG remember...but it certainly is a great way to start.
--
"Until you forget what you think you know and what you think is possible, you will never know what is truly attainable."
Work has been difficult lately, being out of action with a false case of chicken pox, and other summer activities I haven't been exercising (or eating) the way I really want to. Some activities make up for it, like surfing for 2 and half hours until my arms and legs are raw and nearly bleeding from rubbing against the board, but not fully.
This morning I woke up early, stretched (which hurts now that I'm over 40), did some ab and back exercises, and then went for a run. I put my shuffle on under my shirt, started up a network security podcast, and began a slow jog through the early morning heat and humidity of southeastern VA.
Bliss.
It just felt amazing. Just 15 minutes, about a mile and a half. I needed it. I had been craving it for a while. No aches or pains, just a slow comfortable jog sweating bullets early in the morning. I won't say it is the best way to start the day...PG remember...but it certainly is a great way to start.
--
"Until you forget what you think you know and what you think is possible, you will never know what is truly attainable."
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