Chapter 6 – The Price for Remembering
This is one of the greatest chapters of the book. We learn a lot about Kvothe but not enough to know everything. A great tease of sorts. On top of this, we learn how well Kvothe can strong-arm someone by simply looking at them. We clearly see that Kvothe has lived a full life so far and is worthy of attention. Chronicler, the man that will be writing about him, also has a reputation of sorts as the premiere storyteller in the land. Watching them bandy words about like swords was fun.
Chronicler is on his way to meet an Earl but eventually gives in to Kvothe’s demands and requirements. While Kvothe was reluctant to tell his story, he exacted a price from Chronicler by telling him it would take three days to tell his story. Take note of this as this is directly related to this book is the first in a trilogy. Thus, this is the first “day” of the story. Yes, a few days have passed before, but this is the first day of storytelling.
--Read more about the detailed analysis here--
Licensed to teach English and History in the state of Virginia. Full time #housespouse. I'm just trying to live a happy life. I read, I run, I write, and I do other goofy stuff.
Tuesday, September 11, 2007
Monday, September 10, 2007
Weekend Report
Friday night was nothing exciting. At least nothing that I remember. I must be getting old.
Saturday morning I went over to Dad's to take a look at what goodies he brought back from his trip to Nebraska. Turns out he likely more than doubled the collection of family history we have. That was the good news. The bad news? There's even more that he left on the farm.
From there, Yvonne and I took Elizabeth to see Cinderella at the Riverside. They do a children's show on Saturdays and it was okay. A boxed lunch is okay for kids, but I was really hoping for more. And the performance was fine, just long. And not really my type of show. But Elizabeth had a good time and was conducting the music and trying to dance at times. Factor in the meltdown before leaving home (she didn't want anyone to take her picture) and the meltdown leaving the show (she wanted Cinderella to sign "Elizabeth" NOT "Cinderella") and it was about even on the fun scale.
After that was dinner and a movie. The Last Mimzy was bizarre. Very bizarre. Like, more than THX-1138.
Sunday was shopping with Yvonne and William. He did pretty good but lets you know when he's hungry or messy. We're kind of in a routine, but nothing too set in stone. But I did get to take a good 2 hour nap. Couldn't get the Steeler game, but we won 34-7 over the Browns.
Anyways, that's about it. And in the spirit of Paul (but in reverse), what did you do this weekend?
Saturday morning I went over to Dad's to take a look at what goodies he brought back from his trip to Nebraska. Turns out he likely more than doubled the collection of family history we have. That was the good news. The bad news? There's even more that he left on the farm.
From there, Yvonne and I took Elizabeth to see Cinderella at the Riverside. They do a children's show on Saturdays and it was okay. A boxed lunch is okay for kids, but I was really hoping for more. And the performance was fine, just long. And not really my type of show. But Elizabeth had a good time and was conducting the music and trying to dance at times. Factor in the meltdown before leaving home (she didn't want anyone to take her picture) and the meltdown leaving the show (she wanted Cinderella to sign "Elizabeth" NOT "Cinderella") and it was about even on the fun scale.
Then I cut the grass (big surprise there). But it needed it and I wanted to cut it short in anticipation of the coming rains.
After that was dinner and a movie. The Last Mimzy was bizarre. Very bizarre. Like, more than THX-1138.
Sunday was shopping with Yvonne and William. He did pretty good but lets you know when he's hungry or messy. We're kind of in a routine, but nothing too set in stone. But I did get to take a good 2 hour nap. Couldn't get the Steeler game, but we won 34-7 over the Browns.
Anyways, that's about it. And in the spirit of Paul (but in reverse), what did you do this weekend?
Friday, September 07, 2007
Kvothe - Chapter 5
Chapter 5 – Notes
Kvothe returns to the inn with the injured and unconscious Chronicler. Bast is upset that Kvothe went alone but is kind enough to help Kvothe stitch his wounds. Another short chapter, something you the reader should get used to.
--Read more about the detailed analysis here--
Kvothe returns to the inn with the injured and unconscious Chronicler. Bast is upset that Kvothe went alone but is kind enough to help Kvothe stitch his wounds. Another short chapter, something you the reader should get used to.
--Read more about the detailed analysis here--
Sleepy, so sleepy
With the exception of last night, I think I've had on average 3 hours of sleep a night. Not good for this old man.
And last night? I crashed on the couch around 9, went to bed around 9:30, and woke up at 6 this morning. But I'm still tired. I think I even fell asleep in the shower.
My goal for this weekend? To sleep more than 4 hours straight.
Maybe I'll go for a long drive...........
And last night? I crashed on the couch around 9, went to bed around 9:30, and woke up at 6 this morning. But I'm still tired. I think I even fell asleep in the shower.
My goal for this weekend? To sleep more than 4 hours straight.
Maybe I'll go for a long drive...........
Thursday, September 06, 2007
Norwegian to English translator needed
Please contact me (tk42one@gmail.com) if you can translate handwritten letters from Norwegian (Norsk) into English.
Or you can go to this album and pick something to translate on your own. All I ask is you send me the translated text so I can give you credit!
Or you can go to this album and pick something to translate on your own. All I ask is you send me the translated text so I can give you credit!
Kvothe - Chapter 3 and Chapter 4
Chapter 3 – Wood and Word
Here we see Kvothe (aka Kote) receive his long awaited plank of wood he uses to mount a sword called Folly. We also see a bit more of Kvothe’s side-kick Bast. Both are interrupted by a large party that arrives at the inn looking for lodging and refreshment. A party of travelers. Included in this party is a young man who seems to know Kvothe’s true identity. But alas, he’s a little intoxicated. And with the help of some subterfuge by Kvothe and Bast, the young man and everyone else are fooled into thinking Kvothe is Kote, a simple innkeeper.
But more interesting than this is that we see Kvothe’s ability to concoct a lie so detailed yet so simple, he can convey it to Bast in just a few words. And with a bit of foretelling, we see Kvothe buy a pair of smithy gloves and apron.
Chapter 4 – Halfway to Newarre
We come back to the Chronicler as he’s walking along alone at night. He approachs a fire and discovers Kvothe baiting his trap for the scrael. He defeats them, but Chronicler takes a beating and doesn’t help much.
--Read more about the detailed analysis here--
Here we see Kvothe (aka Kote) receive his long awaited plank of wood he uses to mount a sword called Folly. We also see a bit more of Kvothe’s side-kick Bast. Both are interrupted by a large party that arrives at the inn looking for lodging and refreshment. A party of travelers. Included in this party is a young man who seems to know Kvothe’s true identity. But alas, he’s a little intoxicated. And with the help of some subterfuge by Kvothe and Bast, the young man and everyone else are fooled into thinking Kvothe is Kote, a simple innkeeper.
But more interesting than this is that we see Kvothe’s ability to concoct a lie so detailed yet so simple, he can convey it to Bast in just a few words. And with a bit of foretelling, we see Kvothe buy a pair of smithy gloves and apron.
Chapter 4 – Halfway to Newarre
We come back to the Chronicler as he’s walking along alone at night. He approachs a fire and discovers Kvothe baiting his trap for the scrael. He defeats them, but Chronicler takes a beating and doesn’t help much.
--Read more about the detailed analysis here--
Birthdays - Yuck
I was a big fan of birthdays as a kid. When I turned seven, I still remember the chocolate chip cookie my Dad got with white and chocolate icing on it. It was so big we couldn't finish it. So we put it in the freezer in the garage. Where I repeatedly snuck to in order to take a bite before or after school. I think I also got a shirt with a big number 7 on it.
I know I got other neat and cool gifts, but for some reason that one sticks out.
And I remember my 18th birthday. Mostly because it was two days after I started dating Yvonne. I think the greatest gift she gave me then was the fact that she stuck around long enough to hold my hand (and no, she wasn't drunk). And there was my 21st birthday I was surprised by my Mom and Dad when I was in college. That was pretty neat (but I'm still not big on surprises).
But my birthdays have long since run together. There was even a period of a few years where I would have to stop and do the math to figure out how old I was. Is it 27 or 28? Well, thirty hit last year and I was not excited. Which means 31 is less than a month away and I'm still not excited. Hell, I'm more excited about the afore mentioned anniversary of dating Yvonne (it'll be 13 years on October 1st).
The idea of getting gifts at my age is, well, fun and sad at the same time. I love free stuff. But I hate asking for it.
Maybe this year I'll ask for $500,000 dollars. Yes, that's 5 zeroes after the 5. What would I do with it? Buy the family farm to ensure it would continue to stay in the family (123 years so far). But I would donate the house to the local museum or something so they can help me store and research family history, Nebraska history, pioneer history, and everything else under the sun that applies to the area.
I guess that's why I don't get big presents anymore. I tend to give them away.
Maybe I'll just ask for a Lowe's gift card instead.
I know I got other neat and cool gifts, but for some reason that one sticks out.
And I remember my 18th birthday. Mostly because it was two days after I started dating Yvonne. I think the greatest gift she gave me then was the fact that she stuck around long enough to hold my hand (and no, she wasn't drunk). And there was my 21st birthday I was surprised by my Mom and Dad when I was in college. That was pretty neat (but I'm still not big on surprises).
But my birthdays have long since run together. There was even a period of a few years where I would have to stop and do the math to figure out how old I was. Is it 27 or 28? Well, thirty hit last year and I was not excited. Which means 31 is less than a month away and I'm still not excited. Hell, I'm more excited about the afore mentioned anniversary of dating Yvonne (it'll be 13 years on October 1st).
The idea of getting gifts at my age is, well, fun and sad at the same time. I love free stuff. But I hate asking for it.
Maybe this year I'll ask for $500,000 dollars. Yes, that's 5 zeroes after the 5. What would I do with it? Buy the family farm to ensure it would continue to stay in the family (123 years so far). But I would donate the house to the local museum or something so they can help me store and research family history, Nebraska history, pioneer history, and everything else under the sun that applies to the area.
I guess that's why I don't get big presents anymore. I tend to give them away.
Maybe I'll just ask for a Lowe's gift card instead.
Wednesday, September 05, 2007
Kvothe - Prologue, Chapter 1, and Chapter 2
Prologue – A Silence of Three Parts
I tried to read this to my wife one day as she waited on the hospital bed. She didn’t like it. And I can see how most would not as it’s a bit deep on the metaphorical scale
Chapter 1 – A Place for Demons
We are introduced to the main character Kote, the innkeeper of the Waystone Inn located in a small town. Right away we can sense a stereotypical fantasy element in the inn. The innkeeper is serving food and drink while the locals tell tall tales. In the middle of one of these another local arrives having just survived an attack by a creature called a scrael. Scrael are apparently a stone-like spider large enough to kill a man and his horse but mysterious enough to be killed by iron. Even the disposal of the body affords a special pit and a fire.
We are also introduced to Kote’s servant/lackey/sidekick/assistant, Bast. I’m sure his role will play out more in future books, but for now, he’s simply as mysterious as Kote with few answers forthcoming.
Chapter 2 – A Beautiful Day
There is a short interlude of sorts from the Waystone Inn as we meet the Chronicler. He is being robbed by some highwaymen but his cunning is amazing as he hides his coin in his shoe, clothing, loaf of bread, and his ink jar.
--Read more about the detailed analysis here--
I tried to read this to my wife one day as she waited on the hospital bed. She didn’t like it. And I can see how most would not as it’s a bit deep on the metaphorical scale
Chapter 1 – A Place for Demons
We are introduced to the main character Kote, the innkeeper of the Waystone Inn located in a small town. Right away we can sense a stereotypical fantasy element in the inn. The innkeeper is serving food and drink while the locals tell tall tales. In the middle of one of these another local arrives having just survived an attack by a creature called a scrael. Scrael are apparently a stone-like spider large enough to kill a man and his horse but mysterious enough to be killed by iron. Even the disposal of the body affords a special pit and a fire.
We are also introduced to Kote’s servant/lackey/sidekick/assistant, Bast. I’m sure his role will play out more in future books, but for now, he’s simply as mysterious as Kote with few answers forthcoming.
Chapter 2 – A Beautiful Day
There is a short interlude of sorts from the Waystone Inn as we meet the Chronicler. He is being robbed by some highwaymen but his cunning is amazing as he hides his coin in his shoe, clothing, loaf of bread, and his ink jar.
--Read more about the detailed analysis here--
Back in the saddle - after a fashion
I'm back at work today and will be the rest of the week. So please bear with me while I get things caught up and get back into the habit of blogging. Yes, I know you want more pictures, they're coming. Give me a day or two and I'll have them up.
In the meantime, I'll be posting more analysis momentarily.
In the meantime, I'll be posting more analysis momentarily.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
William Charles Richard
Please welcome our newest addition to the family.
William Charles Richard
William Charles Richard
Born: August 28, 2007 at 1644 (that’s 4:44 pm EST)
Weight: 8 pounds, 9 ounces
Measurements: 20 inches long, 33 cm head, 33.5 cm chest
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown or blue (still hard to tell)
We arrived at the hospital late Monday night as Yvonne was having some labor pains on a regular basis. They were busy with a number of other expectant mothers and we were lucky enough to get a regular birthing room as Yvonne was “most likely to deliver.” Our first round with the anesthesiologist was not good as he said she couldn’t have an epidural. Thankfully our doctor intervened and she got the green light for the “good stuff.” Our nurses were very nice and after several hours of waiting, we finally got the word that things were ready to happen. Labor was very short and actually had to be delayed a bit as we waited for the doctor (he had to be paged “STAT”).
Baby William arrived safe and sound and in time for Yvonne to get through delivery before dinner (she had already missed 3 or 4 meals already). After dinner, we were moved from the birthing room to the regular rooms. We spent the night and did our best to sleep while the nurses came in to check on Yvonne.
Yesterday Elizabeth came to visit and was pretty excited to finally see her baby brother. She has done a great job in helping us change, feed, and take care of him. I’m sure in the coming days and years, she’ll be a good big sister.
Today we spent most of the day waiting for William to get circumcised (for all you expectant fathers out there, I do not recommend even looking in that general direction until it has healed; it’s scary enough to give you nightmares). Once the procedure was done, we were released to come home. We picked up Elizabeth, pizza for dinner, and spent the night getting settled in.
Thanks for reading and good night!
Monday, August 27, 2007
Kvothe - Cover Art, Dedication, Acknowledgements, and the Map
The Name Of The Wind
By Patrick Rothfuss
A detailed analysis by Neil Richard
© 2007 TK42ONE.com Productions
Cover Art
The cover art by Donato is available in two options; the old stone man or the bare-chested teenage boy. While a devout straight man, I was somehow drawn to the bare-chested young man. Something about his eyes and the way he looked out from the cover made me want to buy the book (which is initially what got me hooked on this novel). The old stone man can be seen in the background, but even on the cover without the young man, it’s a little too boring for my tastes.
After reading the book and looking at the cover again, you will want to pay special attention to the lute and the book in his hands.
Dedication, Acknowledgements, and the Map
The book is dedicated to Patrick’s parents. Nothing entirely special but perfectly suited for a man who often sounds like a kid at heart.
The acknowledgements are distinct in that one leads into the other. He ends most with a “I never would have” statement that draws the reader into the next paragraph. A subtle clue to the writer’s ability.
The map is the most disappointing portion of the book. As you read along, you’ll notice that nearly all of the small towns mentioned are not on the map. For those geographically-oriented readers like myself, this is an important setback.
By Patrick Rothfuss
A detailed analysis by Neil Richard
© 2007 TK42ONE.com Productions
Cover Art
The cover art by Donato is available in two options; the old stone man or the bare-chested teenage boy. While a devout straight man, I was somehow drawn to the bare-chested young man. Something about his eyes and the way he looked out from the cover made me want to buy the book (which is initially what got me hooked on this novel). The old stone man can be seen in the background, but even on the cover without the young man, it’s a little too boring for my tastes.
After reading the book and looking at the cover again, you will want to pay special attention to the lute and the book in his hands.
Dedication, Acknowledgements, and the Map
The book is dedicated to Patrick’s parents. Nothing entirely special but perfectly suited for a man who often sounds like a kid at heart.
The acknowledgements are distinct in that one leads into the other. He ends most with a “I never would have” statement that draws the reader into the next paragraph. A subtle clue to the writer’s ability.
The map is the most disappointing portion of the book. As you read along, you’ll notice that nearly all of the small towns mentioned are not on the map. For those geographically-oriented readers like myself, this is an important setback.
F Dash Dash Dash
First, no baby yet - so don't ask.
Second, kudos if you get the reference to the Title of today's post. One of the best movies ever!
Third, on with today's discussion. How was your weekend? Do anything exciting? Saturday was spent mostly inside for us. It was 100 degrees (plus another 10 or so due to humidity) and I had no desire to go outside to cut the grass. Plus it was so humid it didn't really dry out from the morning dew.
But we did some laundry and various chores. Yvonne took her sewing machine to get repaired. Not sure how much she'll sew on it, but as long as she stays away from sewing buttons on my underwear, I'm cool.
Hmmm, oh, that's right. We also recovered a bit Saturday from our trip (this makes three) tot he hospital. Yvonne had some blurry vision and more contractions. She called the doc, the doc said come in, so we came in. The lab work came back fine, just a little low on potassium. I couldn't help but laugh when the nurse said to eat bananas and leafy green vegetables. That's like getting me to eat raw oysters. Yuck.
Sunday was another lazy day. We went to town to buy new towels (our old ones were getting a bit funky). We got maroon last time so opted for mustard this time. No sea foam - YEAH!
And I picked up another toy. Which brings me back to the title of the post. The 16GB A-DATA USB drive I got from Newegg sucked. It sucked worse than a hoover vacuum. I tried three machines and it wasn't recognized (some stupid Code 10 error in the Device Manager). So, I returned it today to Newegg for a refund.
And my new toy costs the same amount of money (even factoring in the restocking few of the other one) and give me a lot more real estate to work with. I'm now sporting a 120GB Seagate Free Agent drive. It's already been formatted, I've moved my data, and it runs great. Two big downsides to this drive are it's size and cabling. It's roughly the size of a wallet, so it's certainly bigger than my little thumb drive. And the cable it came with is a USB-Y cable, one side for power, the other for power and data. BUT - it works with just a regular cable. So voila! I only have to worry about size now.
See lady's, smaller is better!
And on that note, I'm off to smooth out my Kvothe post for today. Oh, and I'll work on getting some new photos and video of Elizabeth up too.
Second, kudos if you get the reference to the Title of today's post. One of the best movies ever!
Third, on with today's discussion. How was your weekend? Do anything exciting? Saturday was spent mostly inside for us. It was 100 degrees (plus another 10 or so due to humidity) and I had no desire to go outside to cut the grass. Plus it was so humid it didn't really dry out from the morning dew.
But we did some laundry and various chores. Yvonne took her sewing machine to get repaired. Not sure how much she'll sew on it, but as long as she stays away from sewing buttons on my underwear, I'm cool.
Hmmm, oh, that's right. We also recovered a bit Saturday from our trip (this makes three) tot he hospital. Yvonne had some blurry vision and more contractions. She called the doc, the doc said come in, so we came in. The lab work came back fine, just a little low on potassium. I couldn't help but laugh when the nurse said to eat bananas and leafy green vegetables. That's like getting me to eat raw oysters. Yuck.
Sunday was another lazy day. We went to town to buy new towels (our old ones were getting a bit funky). We got maroon last time so opted for mustard this time. No sea foam - YEAH!
And I picked up another toy. Which brings me back to the title of the post. The 16GB A-DATA USB drive I got from Newegg sucked. It sucked worse than a hoover vacuum. I tried three machines and it wasn't recognized (some stupid Code 10 error in the Device Manager). So, I returned it today to Newegg for a refund.
And my new toy costs the same amount of money (even factoring in the restocking few of the other one) and give me a lot more real estate to work with. I'm now sporting a 120GB Seagate Free Agent drive. It's already been formatted, I've moved my data, and it runs great. Two big downsides to this drive are it's size and cabling. It's roughly the size of a wallet, so it's certainly bigger than my little thumb drive. And the cable it came with is a USB-Y cable, one side for power, the other for power and data. BUT - it works with just a regular cable. So voila! I only have to worry about size now.
See lady's, smaller is better!
And on that note, I'm off to smooth out my Kvothe post for today. Oh, and I'll work on getting some new photos and video of Elizabeth up too.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Late breaking news
No----No baby yet-----keep your pants on folks
The late breaking news? Well, the guy that was going to translate my Norwegian letters pretty much gave me the brush off saying he could only read about half of the sample letter. Well crap. That doesn't help.
But the real news I wanted to report was I have been ...............
without ....................
(dare I say it) ...........................
a soda since (drum roll please) ........................................................................
Tuesday afternoon.
I feel like such a junkie. But a junkie that's really trying to eat healthy.
The late breaking news? Well, the guy that was going to translate my Norwegian letters pretty much gave me the brush off saying he could only read about half of the sample letter. Well crap. That doesn't help.
But the real news I wanted to report was I have been ...............
without ....................
(dare I say it) ...........................
a soda since (drum roll please) ........................................................................
Tuesday afternoon.
I feel like such a junkie. But a junkie that's really trying to eat healthy.
1 toy down, 1 to go
My first toy arrived yesterday. And the damn thing doesn't work. One would think all USB devices are created equal, but alas, it cannot be read by three different machines (two WIN XP, one Vista).
With my play time foiled, my next toy is due to arrive today. I can only hope for a better reaction.
And no, no baby yet. Believe me, that will be newsworthy enough to announce.
And while I sit idly and wait for feedback on War Wagon and for translations of the Norwegian family letters, I've started yet another project: a detailed analysis of The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Figured I'd get nitty gritty while doing my re-read. Does anyone have suggestions on how I should format this? So far I've just been keeping notes in a Word document. Should I be posting spoilers out here for the world to read or should I do something different? Suggestions welcome.
And I just finished Season 2 of Deadwood, which means I'll watch some of the special features then crack open Season 3. I'm so excited!
And here's a little blast from the past, Elizabeth showing her team colors:
With my play time foiled, my next toy is due to arrive today. I can only hope for a better reaction.
And no, no baby yet. Believe me, that will be newsworthy enough to announce.
And while I sit idly and wait for feedback on War Wagon and for translations of the Norwegian family letters, I've started yet another project: a detailed analysis of The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Figured I'd get nitty gritty while doing my re-read. Does anyone have suggestions on how I should format this? So far I've just been keeping notes in a Word document. Should I be posting spoilers out here for the world to read or should I do something different? Suggestions welcome.
And I just finished Season 2 of Deadwood, which means I'll watch some of the special features then crack open Season 3. I'm so excited!
And here's a little blast from the past, Elizabeth showing her team colors:
 |
| From Early October |
Thursday, August 23, 2007
And speaking of Kvothe
Just as I was thinking (and writing) about Patrick Rothfuss' The Name Of The Wind, what do I see? Lo and behold, the cover for book 2.
No baby yet
No change in status yet, but I'm still waiting for Yvonne to call in the next half hour or so after she's done at the doctor's this morning. I know she's ready to have the baby, but I think she'll have to wait a few more days. Not that I want her to wait, but that's just my guess.
As for me, well, I'm still a bit fuzzy headed from my Sudafed, but I'm well enough today to come to work and spread my germs. The only way to truly cure yourself of any illness is to pass it to someone else.
In other news, I put down Scott Lynch's The Lies Of Locke Lamora to re-read The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Locke was okay and I haven't entirely given up on it, but it just wasn't progressing as fast as I'd like. Not as slow as A Game Of Thrones, but slow enough to make me want to stop reading. So I'm back to reading about Kvothe. And I'm likely setting another new record with this book as I'm re-reading it so soon after I've finished reading it. I don't re-read often, but this book speaks to me (and not just because I'm taking Sudafed either).
Well, still no word from Yvonne, so I'm going to close this post and go back to catching up on work and eagerly awaiting my two toys that still haven't arrived yet - dammit, I want them NOW!
As for me, well, I'm still a bit fuzzy headed from my Sudafed, but I'm well enough today to come to work and spread my germs. The only way to truly cure yourself of any illness is to pass it to someone else.
In other news, I put down Scott Lynch's The Lies Of Locke Lamora to re-read The Name Of The Wind by Patrick Rothfuss. Locke was okay and I haven't entirely given up on it, but it just wasn't progressing as fast as I'd like. Not as slow as A Game Of Thrones, but slow enough to make me want to stop reading. So I'm back to reading about Kvothe. And I'm likely setting another new record with this book as I'm re-reading it so soon after I've finished reading it. I don't re-read often, but this book speaks to me (and not just because I'm taking Sudafed either).
Well, still no word from Yvonne, so I'm going to close this post and go back to catching up on work and eagerly awaiting my two toys that still haven't arrived yet - dammit, I want them NOW!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Thunderin' Thumper
* Please pardon my Sudafed induced daze. I seem to have developed a sniffle yesterday that has developed into a night of only being able to breath through my mouth. Yuck.
I'm back to my crazy post titles. Just don't ask where this one came from because I simply don't remember. Something I thought about posting about last night and, well, that particular thought has escaped me. Probably when I blew my nose.
We had some heavy storms last night. Bad enough to take out the satellite TV. Not that there was anything worth watching, but it figures it would go out right when Chef Gordon Ramsey guest stars on Top Gear. And when I tried to watch Deadwood on DVD, it crapped out too. Nuts.
I'm eagerly awaiting two new toys. The first is my new jump drive (aka USB drive, thumb drive, flash drive, etc.). I had been thinking about replacing my 2GB one when Yvonne got a new 4GB one. Well, that made me start shopping. So I found a nice 8GB one that had solid reviews for a decent price and bookmarked it for later. My bonus came and I decided to splurge for the even better priced 16GB model. It's due to arrive this week. And I'll suffer the color when I have all my family history at hand when I do research.
My other toy is something I've been looking to replace for years. I bought a nice Spyderco Delica ClipIt so long ago, I don't even remember when I bought it. Might have been in college. Maybe before then (I'm sure Yvonne will remember though). Well, years of use and abuse has put several nicks and chips in the blade as well as dulled the serrated edge. So, after a long search of about 30 minutes, I found the perfect replacement. Meet the Spyderco Rescue 79.
Not only does it have the rounded tip to prevent inadvertent stabbing, it also has a serrated blade with a section that is non-serrated. But it gets better. The grip has a whistle. Something that can be used in an emergency or survival situation. AND (it gets even better with this), the grip also has a retractable window punch. This means I don't need to search high and low for a easily portable punch that can be used to break windows (something like this device does).
So, those are the new toys arriving soon. Beyond that, I still need to make some sort of tie-down for the drainage pipes we're running from our gutters. Henry has a tendency to get his chain wrapped around the one in the back and it's a pain to get him untangled.
Monday, August 20, 2007
Weekend Report
So, my good friend (should it be "e-friend" since I've never met him in person?) Paul likes to ask his readers what their weekend plans are. Well, I like to tell my readers what I did over the weekend. Maybe if I ask instead of tell, I'll get more responses? A question for me to ponder while I type....
Saturday was, well, Saturday. Yvonne went to her class (part two of the Access class we went to the week before) in the morning. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and I went to swim class, something I endorse but don't enjoy participating in. Something about looking like a young gorilla makes me a bit self-conscious. Yes, young gorilla. I may be going grey, but I'm not that hairy.
After swim class we came home and I cleaned Yvonne's van. Full vacuum, dust, and window cleaning. Plus a wash (but no dry). After that, I took a nap. Yes, I was tired, but from lack of sleep, not from washing the van. Elizabeth was nice enough to color, play with her puzzles, and generally do a good job and not burning down the house. Glad she hasn't learned too many of my bad habits.
Oh, almost forgot. She locked me out of the house too. She's known how to lock the glass/screen door but for some reason decided to do it while I was getting the paper and trashcan. Luckily she let me in. And she got a talking to about it.
After Yvonne got home, I cut our grass. I pulled a few weeds, but nothing major. And technically, I guess it was crabgrass, not weeds. After that, I went to Dad's house to cut his grass. Amazing what bizarre memories come to the surface when you're cutting a yard you haven't cut on a regular basis since high school.
I came home, showered, and we went to the local pizza place to pick up a dinner.
Sunday was a little more laid back. Elizabeth was nice enough to wake up and join us in bed (like it isn't crowded enough). She went back to sleep for a bit then developed a case of antsy pants. So we sent her off to the latest and greatest Sunday morning indulgence (which we've used twice now) ------ Noggin. I hate using the TV as a babysitter, but it's so damn convenient.
We got up a little while later and had waffles before going to town to shop. And that was about it for the weekend. Everything else that occurred wasn't really worth mentioning (do you really want to know about washing clothes or doing dishes?).
So, those are the highlights of my weekend. What did you do?
Saturday was, well, Saturday. Yvonne went to her class (part two of the Access class we went to the week before) in the morning. Meanwhile, Elizabeth and I went to swim class, something I endorse but don't enjoy participating in. Something about looking like a young gorilla makes me a bit self-conscious. Yes, young gorilla. I may be going grey, but I'm not that hairy.
After swim class we came home and I cleaned Yvonne's van. Full vacuum, dust, and window cleaning. Plus a wash (but no dry). After that, I took a nap. Yes, I was tired, but from lack of sleep, not from washing the van. Elizabeth was nice enough to color, play with her puzzles, and generally do a good job and not burning down the house. Glad she hasn't learned too many of my bad habits.
Oh, almost forgot. She locked me out of the house too. She's known how to lock the glass/screen door but for some reason decided to do it while I was getting the paper and trashcan. Luckily she let me in. And she got a talking to about it.
After Yvonne got home, I cut our grass. I pulled a few weeds, but nothing major. And technically, I guess it was crabgrass, not weeds. After that, I went to Dad's house to cut his grass. Amazing what bizarre memories come to the surface when you're cutting a yard you haven't cut on a regular basis since high school.
I came home, showered, and we went to the local pizza place to pick up a dinner.
Sunday was a little more laid back. Elizabeth was nice enough to wake up and join us in bed (like it isn't crowded enough). She went back to sleep for a bit then developed a case of antsy pants. So we sent her off to the latest and greatest Sunday morning indulgence (which we've used twice now) ------ Noggin. I hate using the TV as a babysitter, but it's so damn convenient.
We got up a little while later and had waffles before going to town to shop. And that was about it for the weekend. Everything else that occurred wasn't really worth mentioning (do you really want to know about washing clothes or doing dishes?).
So, those are the highlights of my weekend. What did you do?
Friday, August 17, 2007
I'm a star!
Well, this ranks right up there with my not quite staring role on the Snakes On A Plane DVD!
Thanks Paul!
Thursday, August 16, 2007
Get those stitches ready
Because your side is going to need them.
I've taken the liberty of proving, yet again, that I'm a spaz. But in today's post, you'll see how it's been a condition I've carried since high school.
I've taken the liberty of proving, yet again, that I'm a spaz. But in today's post, you'll see how it's been a condition I've carried since high school.
* for those having trouble reading the poem, here's a transcription:
Oh, Christmas tree,
oh Christmas tree
watch out for the bumble bee.
But don't worry,
he landed on my knee.
And then he stung me.
It hurt so bad I had to pee.
That's when I saw the bee stinging the flea.
That made me very happy.
'Cuz i don't like fleas.
And they don't like me.
But not to worry. In college I got help. I learned that I'm not the only spaz out there. Though she was not as bad as I was, she was pretty close. Her name was Yvonne Rivera.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Huh? What?
I'm in a daze at the moment. You know when you eat a meal and your body decides to send some much needed energy to your stomach to digest things you start to slip into a post-lunch coma of sorts?
Well, that's where I am at the moment, doing my best not to turn into a narcoleptic.
And along that vein of thought, I'll be keeping myself awake by putting you to sleep with the boring events of my life. No, no. No need for a sleeping pill. And please don't read this while you're driving.
And you might want to put a pillow between you and the keyboard in case things go drastically wrong.
Reading
A Game of Thrones by "Rail Road" Martin - I haven't touched this one in ages. I've just about given up.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - Trying to make my way through this one, but I've got limited amounts of interest at the moment.
Writing
War Wagon - Still stuck on hold as I gather steam slowly to return to the writing habit I've lost. I'm awaiting feedback from a professional editor on my first 15 pages as well as feedback from Epheros on the same 15 pages (no rush, whenever you're done with your reviews).
Unnamed 1 - I have an interesting idea around a container ship on the ocean. Simply an idea now.
Unnamed 2 - I have another interesting idea about a modern pirate ship. Same as above, simply an idea.
Listening
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - Almost done with this one. Kind of depressing, but a decent account of how things were in Nebraska in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Harry Potter #1 - Waiting on deck.
Watching
Survivorman - If it weren't for Les Stroud, I would not know half what I do about survival. Here's to hoping I never have to use it.
Hell's Kitchen - Just finished but I'm curious to see how Ramsey's Americanized version of Kitchen Nightmares will do. His BBC version is pretty good.
Monk - Monk isn't my idol, he's just what I could become under the wrong (or right) circumstances.
Psyche - The funniest show on TV right now.
Deadwood - My guilty pleasure. Plus I need to catch up so I can get into Season 3.
M*A*S*H and Friends - These are during dinner or dish time.
Eating
A bunch of chili for lunch. That's why I'm sleepy and full of hot air.
Sleeping
Clearly not enough if I'm tired. It sounds odd, but I'm hoping to get more sleep once the baby arrives. At least then I know I can get a decent night of sleep every other day.
Upcoming
More family history (hopefully from Dad's Nebraska trip)
A final edit on my video for work (only 4 months late)
A new USB drive (2 GB just isn't big enough)
A new knife (a chipped blade isn't pretty)
New sunglasses (it's been a few years and I'm due)
A final grade in my class (I know what it is, it just isn't "official" yet)
More writing.....well, maybe now I'm getting in the dreams section of life
And let's not forget the new baby (which I still think will come before the end of the month)
Asleep yet? No? Well congratulations.
Well, that's where I am at the moment, doing my best not to turn into a narcoleptic.
And along that vein of thought, I'll be keeping myself awake by putting you to sleep with the boring events of my life. No, no. No need for a sleeping pill. And please don't read this while you're driving.
And you might want to put a pillow between you and the keyboard in case things go drastically wrong.
Reading
A Game of Thrones by "Rail Road" Martin - I haven't touched this one in ages. I've just about given up.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch - Trying to make my way through this one, but I've got limited amounts of interest at the moment.
Writing
War Wagon - Still stuck on hold as I gather steam slowly to return to the writing habit I've lost. I'm awaiting feedback from a professional editor on my first 15 pages as well as feedback from Epheros on the same 15 pages (no rush, whenever you're done with your reviews).
Unnamed 1 - I have an interesting idea around a container ship on the ocean. Simply an idea now.
Unnamed 2 - I have another interesting idea about a modern pirate ship. Same as above, simply an idea.
Listening
O Pioneers! by Willa Cather - Almost done with this one. Kind of depressing, but a decent account of how things were in Nebraska in the late 1800s and early 1900s.
Harry Potter #1 - Waiting on deck.
Watching
Survivorman - If it weren't for Les Stroud, I would not know half what I do about survival. Here's to hoping I never have to use it.
Hell's Kitchen - Just finished but I'm curious to see how Ramsey's Americanized version of Kitchen Nightmares will do. His BBC version is pretty good.
Monk - Monk isn't my idol, he's just what I could become under the wrong (or right) circumstances.
Psyche - The funniest show on TV right now.
Deadwood - My guilty pleasure. Plus I need to catch up so I can get into Season 3.
M*A*S*H and Friends - These are during dinner or dish time.
Eating
A bunch of chili for lunch. That's why I'm sleepy and full of hot air.
Sleeping
Clearly not enough if I'm tired. It sounds odd, but I'm hoping to get more sleep once the baby arrives. At least then I know I can get a decent night of sleep every other day.
Upcoming
More family history (hopefully from Dad's Nebraska trip)
A final edit on my video for work (only 4 months late)
A new USB drive (2 GB just isn't big enough)
A new knife (a chipped blade isn't pretty)
New sunglasses (it's been a few years and I'm due)
A final grade in my class (I know what it is, it just isn't "official" yet)
More writing.....well, maybe now I'm getting in the dreams section of life
And let's not forget the new baby (which I still think will come before the end of the month)
Asleep yet? No? Well congratulations.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
A little Meme in the morning
So, my cousin's wife Melissa tagged me with this little Meme.
4 things about me you may not have known:
1. I was named after my great aunt and uncle (Neil from my uncle, Lee from my aunt)
2. I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive
3. It takes me at least 30 minutes to fall asleep
4. I learned to drive in a Suburban on I-10 in the middle of Texas
4 Jobs I've Had:
1. Shipping Clerk (two different places)
2. Baker's Assistant
3. Security Guard
4. Lifeguard (three different places)
4 Movies I can watch over and over again:
1. Star Wars (obvious, isn't it?)
2. The Great Escape
3. Goonies
4. Back to the Future
4 Favorite TV shows:
1. CSI (all of them)
2. Psyche
3. Deadwood
4. M*A*S*H
4 Favorite Hobbies:
1. Reading and collecting books
2. Attempting to write
3. Genealogy
4. Ephemera
4 Places I have lived:
1. Shelby, NC
2. Salt Lake City, UT
3. Bellevue, WA
4. Edinboro, PA
4 Favorite Foods:
1. Cheeseburgers
2. Steak (on the grill)
3. King Crab legs
4. Pasta
4 Places I would rather be right now:
1. At home in bed
2. Half Moon Bay, Antigua
3. Anywhere in Europe
4. In Arizona
4 Websites I check daily:
1. Gmail
2. Google Reader (which lets me check hundreds of other sites in one place)
3. Vintage Mustang Forums
4. My credit union
4 People I tag:
1. Epheros (if he isn't too busy to crawl out from under his rock)
2. Mom (because she's one of the few people that will read this)
3. Paul A. (because he might draw a comic about it)
4. Anyone that wants to be my friend (or enemy)
4 things about me you may not have known:
1. I was named after my great aunt and uncle (Neil from my uncle, Lee from my aunt)
2. I'm a bit obsessive-compulsive
3. It takes me at least 30 minutes to fall asleep
4. I learned to drive in a Suburban on I-10 in the middle of Texas
4 Jobs I've Had:
1. Shipping Clerk (two different places)
2. Baker's Assistant
3. Security Guard
4. Lifeguard (three different places)
4 Movies I can watch over and over again:
1. Star Wars (obvious, isn't it?)
2. The Great Escape
3. Goonies
4. Back to the Future
4 Favorite TV shows:
1. CSI (all of them)
2. Psyche
3. Deadwood
4. M*A*S*H
4 Favorite Hobbies:
1. Reading and collecting books
2. Attempting to write
3. Genealogy
4. Ephemera
4 Places I have lived:
1. Shelby, NC
2. Salt Lake City, UT
3. Bellevue, WA
4. Edinboro, PA
4 Favorite Foods:
1. Cheeseburgers
2. Steak (on the grill)
3. King Crab legs
4. Pasta
4 Places I would rather be right now:
1. At home in bed
2. Half Moon Bay, Antigua
3. Anywhere in Europe
4. In Arizona
4 Websites I check daily:
1. Gmail
2. Google Reader (which lets me check hundreds of other sites in one place)
3. Vintage Mustang Forums
4. My credit union
4 People I tag:
1. Epheros (if he isn't too busy to crawl out from under his rock)
2. Mom (because she's one of the few people that will read this)
3. Paul A. (because he might draw a comic about it)
4. Anyone that wants to be my friend (or enemy)
Monday, August 13, 2007
A patron of the arts
Yvonne and I have been going to the local dinner theater for some time now and have had many a good evening on the town. Well, afternoon actually since somebody gets sleepy after dinner.
Anyway, yesterday was A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. It was fairly funny, but not anywhere near the hilarity of Nunsense. But a good 2nd or 3rd place over all the shows we've seen. And I could clearly see Larry Gelbart's hand in this as there was a very M*A*S*H-like flavor at times to the comedy. And did you know he wrote And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself?
Anyway, the play was good, the food was decent (should have skipped the teriyaki steak for the salmon), I even ate some asparagus, but the coughing lady behind us had to go. She sounded like a 2-pack-a-day smoker with lung cancer and emphysema that had a touch of bronchitis.
Saturday, I cut Dad's grass while he's on vacation. It brought back some odd memories of cutting that yard as a kid. I even used the same damn John Deere mower. It moved slower than I remember, but I think my legs got a bit longer since middle school. In the morning, Yvonne and I went to an Access I class. Very basic, which is what I needed, but I learned that I'll never be using Access unless I have to. I can work much faster and cleaner in Excel.
And Friday I took off to get my eyes checked. Yvonne is a bit upset because she's only slightly better than 20/20 where I'm a perfect 20/10. She doesn't like to loose. We spent the rest of the day (Friday) shopping before going home where I cut (and trimmed) our grass.
So, that was eyes, shopping, and grass for Friday; class and grass on Saturday; laundry and a play Sunday. Long weekend.
But good.
This coming week I hope to finish O'Pioneers! by Willa Cather (on audio CD) so I can start my Harry Potter marathon. Then I have more Deadwood to watch (almost done with all the extras on Season 1). And I'm sure something else will come up along the way.
Anyway, yesterday was A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Forum. It was fairly funny, but not anywhere near the hilarity of Nunsense. But a good 2nd or 3rd place over all the shows we've seen. And I could clearly see Larry Gelbart's hand in this as there was a very M*A*S*H-like flavor at times to the comedy. And did you know he wrote And Starring Pancho Villa As Himself?
Anyway, the play was good, the food was decent (should have skipped the teriyaki steak for the salmon), I even ate some asparagus, but the coughing lady behind us had to go. She sounded like a 2-pack-a-day smoker with lung cancer and emphysema that had a touch of bronchitis.
Saturday, I cut Dad's grass while he's on vacation. It brought back some odd memories of cutting that yard as a kid. I even used the same damn John Deere mower. It moved slower than I remember, but I think my legs got a bit longer since middle school. In the morning, Yvonne and I went to an Access I class. Very basic, which is what I needed, but I learned that I'll never be using Access unless I have to. I can work much faster and cleaner in Excel.
And Friday I took off to get my eyes checked. Yvonne is a bit upset because she's only slightly better than 20/20 where I'm a perfect 20/10. She doesn't like to loose. We spent the rest of the day (Friday) shopping before going home where I cut (and trimmed) our grass.
So, that was eyes, shopping, and grass for Friday; class and grass on Saturday; laundry and a play Sunday. Long weekend.
But good.
This coming week I hope to finish O'Pioneers! by Willa Cather (on audio CD) so I can start my Harry Potter marathon. Then I have more Deadwood to watch (almost done with all the extras on Season 1). And I'm sure something else will come up along the way.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
A Challenge-edited-
So, my cousin's wife Melissa, issued a challenge on her blog a few days back asking for anyone that found this particular blog (or post) to post a message.
But I want to take it a bit further.
So here's my challenge:
Simply post your name and where you are (geographically, not emotionally or mentally......unless you really want to).
I'll start.
My name is Neil and I'm either -edited-
But I want to take it a bit further.
So here's my challenge:
Simply post your name and where you are (geographically, not emotionally or mentally......unless you really want to).
I'll start.
My name is Neil and I'm either -edited-
Tuesday, August 07, 2007
7 Things You Need To Know About Barbers
As inspired by Paul's comic yesterday, here are “7 Things You Need To Know About Barbers.”
First, never say your haircut looks bad when they ask. After all, they are holding scissors or some other sharp object that can easily be thrust into your jugular.
Second, if a barber asks what guard number you prefer, he (or she) is NOT a barber in the truest sense of the word. A real barber will know what to use when you ask for a “long crew” or a “flat top.” Most even know what you mean when you ask for “handlebars” or “fenders.”
Third, I hate to be sexist, but I’ve never met a female barber. I’ve met some that pretended fairly well, but they wouldn’t know the difference between a straight razor and a Gillette Mach 3.
Fourth, a straight razor across the back of your neck is right behind sex and chocolate as one of the best feelings you’ll ever experience. Assuming of course that the individual using it is qualified. Otherwise you’re better off with that damn Gillette.
Fifth, a good barber will know when to speak and when to shut the hell up. My old barber would make some small talk but knew when to keep his trap shut. If I didn’t speak, neither did he. My current barber speaks too much. And it’s because of his open mouth policy that I’ve learned he’s rather bigoted and possible racist. And to top it off, he’s a Republican. Maybe I should cut my own hair.
Sixth, to even out the “sharp object” ratio, I simply carry my gun when I get my hair cut. Now I can say he missed a spot without fearing for my blood spilling on the floor.
Seventh, a good barber will provide you porn and coffee. Not being a coffee drinker, only half of this is important to me. But what’s odder still, my old barber (who has been cutting my hair and my father’s for 20+ years) must still see me as a child because he only gives his copies of Playboy to my Dad.
And the scary part about all this? I came up with these 7 things off the top of my head. Maybe I should do some work today, no?
First, never say your haircut looks bad when they ask. After all, they are holding scissors or some other sharp object that can easily be thrust into your jugular.
Second, if a barber asks what guard number you prefer, he (or she) is NOT a barber in the truest sense of the word. A real barber will know what to use when you ask for a “long crew” or a “flat top.” Most even know what you mean when you ask for “handlebars” or “fenders.”
Third, I hate to be sexist, but I’ve never met a female barber. I’ve met some that pretended fairly well, but they wouldn’t know the difference between a straight razor and a Gillette Mach 3.
Fourth, a straight razor across the back of your neck is right behind sex and chocolate as one of the best feelings you’ll ever experience. Assuming of course that the individual using it is qualified. Otherwise you’re better off with that damn Gillette.
Fifth, a good barber will know when to speak and when to shut the hell up. My old barber would make some small talk but knew when to keep his trap shut. If I didn’t speak, neither did he. My current barber speaks too much. And it’s because of his open mouth policy that I’ve learned he’s rather bigoted and possible racist. And to top it off, he’s a Republican. Maybe I should cut my own hair.
Sixth, to even out the “sharp object” ratio, I simply carry my gun when I get my hair cut. Now I can say he missed a spot without fearing for my blood spilling on the floor.
Seventh, a good barber will provide you porn and coffee. Not being a coffee drinker, only half of this is important to me. But what’s odder still, my old barber (who has been cutting my hair and my father’s for 20+ years) must still see me as a child because he only gives his copies of Playboy to my Dad.
And the scary part about all this? I came up with these 7 things off the top of my head. Maybe I should do some work today, no?
Monday, August 06, 2007
A letter from Yvonne
Hello all--
We have gotten several calls and emails about the Fisher Price Toy Recall. I have checked out the site with pictures of all the toys and all the information. Elizabeth does have several of the toys listed, however her toys were not purchased in the time window given by Fisher Price (May 1, 2007 - August 2007). The items she has were purchased prior to those dates. She is safe and so are her toys. She does not currently need any "replacement" toys.
On another note, we have been teaching her how to do some typing by color coding the keyboard for her. She seems to be doing well and really enjoys IMing people. We have been using the desktop computer in the baby's room more this summer even though the camera is not hooked up to it she is still having a blast typing. So if you don't have Windows Live Messenger yet, now is a great time to get it. It is free and Elizabeth would love to IM you. She knows how to look to see if people are signed on and how to tell if they are typing to her.
She is learning her phone number and can almost always tell it to you. We are still working on it everyday. She can tell you the name of her street, but not our house number. She is learning to recognize and name her letters as well as how to make them using sign language. She is able to tell you her full name (and will correct you if you call her something else - as many of you know last summer she called her self Bizzy - she became very upset at one of her friends who called her this yesterday at the pool. She told him my name is Elizabeth Leona Richard. The little guy just turned 2 in June and didn't really know what to make of her comment.) She is also able to tell you the baby's full name and will correct people if they try to shorten it. We are also practicing counting and 1:1 correspondence daily. I have been tutoring a girl going to kindergarten and a girl going to 2nd grade and I think she does better than they do on some of the tasks (like counting). She has great recall of stories we read and just stuff in general. But she loves reading and that makes both mom and dad happy.
She has also been very interested in the two hummingbird feeders we have put up on the porch. She likes to watch them and can't seem to understand why they fight over the food. Honestly it is pretty neat to see them out there. We often get about 12 -15 birds buzzing around at a time. Prior to putting the feeders up, I had no idea how feisty they little birds can be, but now I have learned they are like little dogs -- and will fight it out and make themselves known no matter how big the opposition is. (They continue to fight with the finches that have made a nest in one of my hanging baskets). Neil has put some video of the birds on his web page if you are interested.
Well that is about all for now. Have a great weekend.
Yvonne
We have gotten several calls and emails about the Fisher Price Toy Recall. I have checked out the site with pictures of all the toys and all the information. Elizabeth does have several of the toys listed, however her toys were not purchased in the time window given by Fisher Price (May 1, 2007 - August 2007). The items she has were purchased prior to those dates. She is safe and so are her toys. She does not currently need any "replacement" toys.
On another note, we have been teaching her how to do some typing by color coding the keyboard for her. She seems to be doing well and really enjoys IMing people. We have been using the desktop computer in the baby's room more this summer even though the camera is not hooked up to it she is still having a blast typing. So if you don't have Windows Live Messenger yet, now is a great time to get it. It is free and Elizabeth would love to IM you. She knows how to look to see if people are signed on and how to tell if they are typing to her.
She is learning her phone number and can almost always tell it to you. We are still working on it everyday. She can tell you the name of her street, but not our house number. She is learning to recognize and name her letters as well as how to make them using sign language. She is able to tell you her full name (and will correct you if you call her something else - as many of you know last summer she called her self Bizzy - she became very upset at one of her friends who called her this yesterday at the pool. She told him my name is Elizabeth Leona Richard. The little guy just turned 2 in June and didn't really know what to make of her comment.) She is also able to tell you the baby's full name and will correct people if they try to shorten it. We are also practicing counting and 1:1 correspondence daily. I have been tutoring a girl going to kindergarten and a girl going to 2nd grade and I think she does better than they do on some of the tasks (like counting). She has great recall of stories we read and just stuff in general. But she loves reading and that makes both mom and dad happy.
She has also been very interested in the two hummingbird feeders we have put up on the porch. She likes to watch them and can't seem to understand why they fight over the food. Honestly it is pretty neat to see them out there. We often get about 12 -15 birds buzzing around at a time. Prior to putting the feeders up, I had no idea how feisty they little birds can be, but now I have learned they are like little dogs -- and will fight it out and make themselves known no matter how big the opposition is. (They continue to fight with the finches that have made a nest in one of my hanging baskets). Neil has put some video of the birds on his web page if you are interested.
Well that is about all for now. Have a great weekend.
Yvonne
Thursday, August 02, 2007
A little Mustang Paparazzi
Saw this car awhile back and snapped a picture with the camera phone. Totally forgot I had it.
Doing a jig-edited-
So, the minor news first, so it won't be overshadowed by the big news.
First, I've sent a file to a grad student at the University of Wisconsin to be translated. The letter is one of many that I've obtained that are in Norwegian. I have a friend, Kai, in Norway, but don't want to impose on him too much. So, with a little help from the grad student, I hope to have most if not all of the letters translated. Here's one of the envelopes:
Second, I've sent the first 15 pages of my story off to a published author (Jeff VanderMeer) for an edit and critique. This is likely my biggest news and the scariest moment for me right now. Not many people know I've been writing anything, let alone a story. We'll see what happens. And apologies to Epheros, as he's been my right-hand man in writing this story (I'll be sending you more to read when you finish what you have).
-edited-
First, I've sent a file to a grad student at the University of Wisconsin to be translated. The letter is one of many that I've obtained that are in Norwegian. I have a friend, Kai, in Norway, but don't want to impose on him too much. So, with a little help from the grad student, I hope to have most if not all of the letters translated. Here's one of the envelopes:
 |
| From The Richard E... |
Second, I've sent the first 15 pages of my story off to a published author (Jeff VanderMeer) for an edit and critique. This is likely my biggest news and the scariest moment for me right now. Not many people know I've been writing anything, let alone a story. We'll see what happens. And apologies to Epheros, as he's been my right-hand man in writing this story (I'll be sending you more to read when you finish what you have).
-edited-
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
What makes you different?
So I've been scrounging around recently in an attempt to gather family history items. I have been fortunate enough to get a large collection from my aunt in Nebraska as well as a large amount of photos from my uncle in Arizona (one of them). My dad is on his way to Nebraska for a family reunion (his mother's branch) so I can only hope to get more info.
Genealogy is one of those hobbies I dabble in when I get time. To date, with the help of many, many others, I've amassed a family tree that has 29,000 individuals spanning back to 1331.
Let that sink in for a second.
1331. That's before the Black Death in Europe. That's before the Ming Dynasty in China. That's before Chaucer's Canterbury Tales.
Frightening and curious all at once.
So, needless to say, I enjoy it. And so far, I've enjoyed the letters and documents I've been able to find (and scan) dating back to 1863 (with most in the 1900-1930 range). Well, this morning I came across one about me.
One that clearly explains why I'm a bit "different" than others. Read this excerpt and tell me what you think.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Status Update
So, where are we now? Hopefully out of the woods. But to get out, I'll need to lead you on a long path from topic to topic, so bear with me. Or skip ahead. Whatever tickles your pickle.
School
I've finally finished all of my assignments for my last week of class (Managerial Communications). I still have another week of posting and responding to do, but the writing is done and turned in. The professor was, well, a bag of hot air. I could get more information form a pile of shit in the street than from this guy. But my fellow students were great and I learned a lot from them. I'll be sitting out the next couple of months due to the pending baby and lack of money and will start again in October.
Weddings
Well, really only one wedding, but anyways. A good friend of ours gets married this weekend. We both want to go, but neither of us feel comfortable being that far from the doctor if the baby decides to come early. So, we're sitting tight and playing it safe. And with Yvonne having contractions everyday, I'd rather play it safe. So sorry, Hutz and Molly, we'll be thinking about you. Guess I have to start calling you Dave now. Or should I call both of you Hutz?
Work
Well, some things don't change. That's good.
Reading
I finished S. M. Stirling's Dies the Fire and promptly took up the next in the series, The Protector's War. Way, way too much Wiccan in it for me, but seeing as one of the main characters is Wiccan, I slog through it. So far The Protector's War has started slow, but there's new characters coming in from Britain, so it should be interesting. After I finish this, I don't know what's next, guess I should look into that. I've also been listening to the Essential Lewis and Clark in the car. Not too bad as it keeps to the interesting parts of their journals, like York getting frostbite on his, well, that "certain male anatomy." I'll listen to Captain Blood next courtesy of LibriVox.
Writing
Ha. No update here. Haven't written a lick in a long time, but I have resolved my issue of where to go next with War Wagon. Epheros, the Chinese invade. That's all I'm saying until I write more. Hopefully soon. And I came up with another idea for a story. Not sure how long it would be, but it's interesting enough to make me curious how everything would work. Think Waterworld meets BioDome. But without the humor.
Survivorman
Les Stroud is back on TV tonight with Shark Week (I'll be skipping that one) and back with new episodes of Survivorman next week. He's the real deal folks, not the faker like Bear Grylls with his conjured bear attacks. I hate to badmouth the guy, but Les humps his own camera gear while Bear has someone else do it for him.
Watching
I've been re-visiting Deadwood lately. I picked up Season 3 on DVD and felt I needed to go back to the beginning to make sure I caught everything. It's been my lunch-time addiction of late. At home, I've been revisiting Firefly. Just a hands-down great show. Dad also picked up a few new movies (Shooter - not so hot, Davy Crockett - decent Disney, and the entire series of Daniel Boone - haven't seen it yet). As for "regular" programming, it's been Hell's Kitchen on Mondays with Monk and Psych on Fridays. Not too much worth my time at the moment.
Waiting
Dad's away shortly to Nebraska for a family reunion and to visit the family farm. I'm eagerly awaiting the goodies he should be bringing back as well as new information for the family tree.
Well, that's about it for now. Catch you all later.
School
I've finally finished all of my assignments for my last week of class (Managerial Communications). I still have another week of posting and responding to do, but the writing is done and turned in. The professor was, well, a bag of hot air. I could get more information form a pile of shit in the street than from this guy. But my fellow students were great and I learned a lot from them. I'll be sitting out the next couple of months due to the pending baby and lack of money and will start again in October.
Weddings
Well, really only one wedding, but anyways. A good friend of ours gets married this weekend. We both want to go, but neither of us feel comfortable being that far from the doctor if the baby decides to come early. So, we're sitting tight and playing it safe. And with Yvonne having contractions everyday, I'd rather play it safe. So sorry, Hutz and Molly, we'll be thinking about you. Guess I have to start calling you Dave now. Or should I call both of you Hutz?
Work
Well, some things don't change. That's good.
Reading
I finished S. M. Stirling's Dies the Fire and promptly took up the next in the series, The Protector's War. Way, way too much Wiccan in it for me, but seeing as one of the main characters is Wiccan, I slog through it. So far The Protector's War has started slow, but there's new characters coming in from Britain, so it should be interesting. After I finish this, I don't know what's next, guess I should look into that. I've also been listening to the Essential Lewis and Clark in the car. Not too bad as it keeps to the interesting parts of their journals, like York getting frostbite on his, well, that "certain male anatomy." I'll listen to Captain Blood next courtesy of LibriVox.
Writing
Ha. No update here. Haven't written a lick in a long time, but I have resolved my issue of where to go next with War Wagon. Epheros, the Chinese invade. That's all I'm saying until I write more. Hopefully soon. And I came up with another idea for a story. Not sure how long it would be, but it's interesting enough to make me curious how everything would work. Think Waterworld meets BioDome. But without the humor.
Survivorman
Les Stroud is back on TV tonight with Shark Week (I'll be skipping that one) and back with new episodes of Survivorman next week. He's the real deal folks, not the faker like Bear Grylls with his conjured bear attacks. I hate to badmouth the guy, but Les humps his own camera gear while Bear has someone else do it for him.
Watching
I've been re-visiting Deadwood lately. I picked up Season 3 on DVD and felt I needed to go back to the beginning to make sure I caught everything. It's been my lunch-time addiction of late. At home, I've been revisiting Firefly. Just a hands-down great show. Dad also picked up a few new movies (Shooter - not so hot, Davy Crockett - decent Disney, and the entire series of Daniel Boone - haven't seen it yet). As for "regular" programming, it's been Hell's Kitchen on Mondays with Monk and Psych on Fridays. Not too much worth my time at the moment.
Waiting
Dad's away shortly to Nebraska for a family reunion and to visit the family farm. I'm eagerly awaiting the goodies he should be bringing back as well as new information for the family tree.
Well, that's about it for now. Catch you all later.
Friday, July 27, 2007
Videos and Photos
So I've uploaded three new videos, two of Elizabeth, one of the killer hummingbirds. Here's one of Elizabeth counting to ten. Not too shabby for a three year old.
Then we have a slew of new photos. Nearly all from Yvonne's camera as I don't download that one very much. I think my favorite is this one.
And in other news, I've stumbled upon my cousin's family blog (why didn't you tell me they had one mom?). Anyway, it's nice to get caught up, even if it is virtually.
And that's about it for now. The weekend is quickly approaching. And what's in store for Neil this weekend? First goal is to fix the plumbing from the water supply under the sink to the backside of the ice maker in the freezer. What should have been a fairly simple fix last night turned into a "we need to remove all the dishes under the sink, pull out the copper, drill the holes larger, snake through the new braided hose, remove the dishwasher, run hose behind dishwasher, turn everything on and hope it works" kind of project. After that's done (hopefully by Saturday afternoon) I'll be able to do some work outside. I might even feel ambitious enough to wash the cars. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will rain. I also have three major papers due for class Sunday. Hope to have those in on time. Then there's the standard chores that always need to be done.
No rest for the wicked, right?
Hope you have a great weekend!
Oh, almost forgot. For those few out there that have even heard of Kurt R. A. Giambastiani (author of the Fallen Cloud Saga), he's doing well and is looking to get back to writing this fall.
Then we have a slew of new photos. Nearly all from Yvonne's camera as I don't download that one very much. I think my favorite is this one.
And in other news, I've stumbled upon my cousin's family blog (why didn't you tell me they had one mom?). Anyway, it's nice to get caught up, even if it is virtually.
And that's about it for now. The weekend is quickly approaching. And what's in store for Neil this weekend? First goal is to fix the plumbing from the water supply under the sink to the backside of the ice maker in the freezer. What should have been a fairly simple fix last night turned into a "we need to remove all the dishes under the sink, pull out the copper, drill the holes larger, snake through the new braided hose, remove the dishwasher, run hose behind dishwasher, turn everything on and hope it works" kind of project. After that's done (hopefully by Saturday afternoon) I'll be able to do some work outside. I might even feel ambitious enough to wash the cars. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will rain. I also have three major papers due for class Sunday. Hope to have those in on time. Then there's the standard chores that always need to be done.
No rest for the wicked, right?
Hope you have a great weekend!
Oh, almost forgot. For those few out there that have even heard of Kurt R. A. Giambastiani (author of the Fallen Cloud Saga), he's doing well and is looking to get back to writing this fall.
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Almost there, almost there.....
So I'm almost done with S. M. Stirling's Dies the Fire. It's actually a continuation of his older Island in the sea of Time series. I wasn't impressed with Conquistador, but Dies the Fire is decent. Good enough I want to read the next book in line.
On the flip side, I'm still struggling through GRRM's A Game of Thrones. Everyone keeps telling me it's an awesome book (and series), but I'm still struggling. I just got to the point where Ned get's a dagger shoved into his chin. Well, I guess what they say is true, when Martin gets tired of a character, he kills them.
No estimated start date for the Deathly Hallows. I want to pull a marathon and start from the begining. But I did download Captain Blood on audio so we'll see how that floats.
On the flip side, I'm still struggling through GRRM's A Game of Thrones. Everyone keeps telling me it's an awesome book (and series), but I'm still struggling. I just got to the point where Ned get's a dagger shoved into his chin. Well, I guess what they say is true, when Martin gets tired of a character, he kills them.
No estimated start date for the Deathly Hallows. I want to pull a marathon and start from the begining. But I did download Captain Blood on audio so we'll see how that floats.
Monday, July 23, 2007
Harry who?
That potter kid sure has taken the world by storm. Over 8 million copies sold in a single day? That's crazy talk.
Sure, I started reading about harry back when books 3 and 4 came out. I was even lucky enough to work in a bookstore when 4 (that's the Goblet of Fire) made its debut at midnight. And I've enjoyed reading the series since then. I find it hard to knock any book or series that gives kids (and a nation) a reason to read.
Sure, I started reading about harry back when books 3 and 4 came out. I was even lucky enough to work in a bookstore when 4 (that's the Goblet of Fire) made its debut at midnight. And I've enjoyed reading the series since then. I find it hard to knock any book or series that gives kids (and a nation) a reason to read.
But I'm actually more inclined to re-read The Name of the Wind before I take a crack at the Deathly Hallows. What?! you might exclaim. Well, it's like this. Potter is, well, a kid's book. Kvothe is, well, a kid, but so much more.
Friday, July 20, 2007
Random Ramblings on Friday Night-edited-
I read today that Google reported their second quarter profits of $3.86 Billion, up 58% over last year's second quarter. Woof!
And, via -edited-, Google wants to or is buying the 700 Mhz bandwidth. I'm guessing they'll be looking to become their own service provider in the cell phone market.
Then we have Microsoft apply for patents to use some sort of search technology or ad technology to search your hard drive and develop ads based on the content. I can't say if they are going to produce the ads or block them. Guess we'll see.
I can't wait for somebody to rip a copy of the latest Die Hard movie online so I can see it. I keep hearing about Pirate Cove from -edited-, but I have no desire to actually download the movie. I know, I know, watching a pirated movie and downloading one are the same.
My college roommate, Dave, let me borrow one of his audio books, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Well, I hate to stop half-way through, but I couldn't finish it. I don't know how to explain it, but it was just, not right for me. So, I'll look at listening to Harry Potter or one of the classics that can be found for free on LibriVox.
And, I have made progress with War Wagon. Not in writing more, but in getting past my writer's block. I actually have something to write about now, but no time to do it in. Sure, I could write instead of blog, but then what would you read? A newspaper?
Well, blogging is distracting me from Psyche. I'm off!
And, via -edited-, Google wants to or is buying the 700 Mhz bandwidth. I'm guessing they'll be looking to become their own service provider in the cell phone market.
Then we have Microsoft apply for patents to use some sort of search technology or ad technology to search your hard drive and develop ads based on the content. I can't say if they are going to produce the ads or block them. Guess we'll see.
I can't wait for somebody to rip a copy of the latest Die Hard movie online so I can see it. I keep hearing about Pirate Cove from -edited-, but I have no desire to actually download the movie. I know, I know, watching a pirated movie and downloading one are the same.
My college roommate, Dave, let me borrow one of his audio books, Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Well, I hate to stop half-way through, but I couldn't finish it. I don't know how to explain it, but it was just, not right for me. So, I'll look at listening to Harry Potter or one of the classics that can be found for free on LibriVox.
And, I have made progress with War Wagon. Not in writing more, but in getting past my writer's block. I actually have something to write about now, but no time to do it in. Sure, I could write instead of blog, but then what would you read? A newspaper?
Well, blogging is distracting me from Psyche. I'm off!
Monday, July 16, 2007
A big update of sorts
Baltimore
Yvonne, Elizabeth, and I went to Baltimore last week to spend a day walking around the Inner Harbor and visiting the National Aquarium. Overall, it was a decent trip. The Aquarium was so-so with the dolphins being the most exciting thing there. After that we walked around the Inner Harbor a bit. Most exciting thing there for me was the USS Constellation (a really old sailing ship). The most disappointing thing there was that the canons on the piers were plastic, not cast iron. Check out the pictures here.
Seven Years Ago
So, seven years ago, Yvonne and I got married (seven years this past Saturday to be precise). We've been dating since October of 1994 and were engaged a couple of years before we married in 2000. It seems like forever, but at the same time, it's like yesterday. There are days where I get so caught up in going to work and doing chores and trying to relax that I sadly don't pay enough attention to the lovely woman next to me. She's become my best friend, my wife, and the mother of my children all rolled up into one. I've lost myself many times just staring into her eyes. But enough of the mushy stuff.
Shenandoah
We went to see Shenandoah yesterday at the Riverside. A decent play, but too depressing for an anniversary celebration. I love Jimmy Stewart, but I doubt I'll buy this movie.
Flipping for Trash
Now, for the funny stuff. Yesterday I took out the trash and ended up looking like this.
Not to worry, I didn't end up in the trash can. But I came close. As I sometimes do, I took out the trash in my bare feet yesterday morning. I leaned over the railing on the porch to open the trash can (it sits on the ground, about 4 feet below the bottom of the porch). Well, I must have shrunk since the last time I did this because I lost my balance and flipped over the railing. In the instant of falling I happened to notice the nice brown wood and nails as my head passed by. I couldn't tell you how I landed or what I landed on, but I did knock the trash can over. After putting the bag in the can and coming back inside, things went like this:
Elizabeth said "You fell down Daddy."
I said "Yes, Daddy fell down."
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, Daddy's okay."
Elizabeth said "It's okay Daddy, I fall down sometimes too."
"Okay honey, Daddy needs to sit down for a second."
"Do you want me to read you a story?"
"Sure Elizabeth."
So she started to read me a Dora story. Halfway through, she stopped and said "Daddy, you need to use the steps."
"Yes, Daddy will use the steps. Mommy's done with her shower so why don't you go tell her Daddy fell down."
Needless to say, if we had security cameras, I would have been on TV with a chance at winning some money. But sadly, all I got was a beat-up face, some scratches on my arms, a sore elbow, and a sore gut from laughing at myself.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Les Stroud and Survivorman News
This just in from Les Stroud:
- Season 2 starts August 10th on Discovery (October 2nd on OLN).
- Les is hosting all of Shark Week on Discovery (July 24th through August 4th).
- Les is swimming with the sharks in a one-hour special (July 31st at 9 pm EST on Discovery).
- Read about Les' latest adventure in Labrador Canada on his blog.
That is all.
Thursday, July 05, 2007
Where oh where have you been?
Busy.
No seriously, I've been busy. And a little lazy. And a little stressed out. And, well, here's a partial list of what I've been doing lately.
- Attending school - I'm now in my second week of my Masters program at the University of Phoenix
- Scanning - I've been scanning letters, documents, legal papers, photos, tons of family history stuff
- Writing - and all of it is for school, haven't had any time to even think about War Wagon
- New baby - there's been lots of prep work getting the spare bedroom rearranged, well I guess it's the baby's new room now, furniture, clothes, etc.
- Work - while the rest of my peers are enjoying the week off, I've been busy at work trying to catch up on things
And I'm too tired to list anything else. Mom went to Salt Lake for a couple of weeks (she's back now). Yvonne and Elizabeth went to Pittsburgh this week (due back in a couple of days). Ugh. And I forgot all about the reading I need to do for class.
Life never is easy.
So I've been busy, just like I said before. believe me now?
No seriously, I've been busy. And a little lazy. And a little stressed out. And, well, here's a partial list of what I've been doing lately.
- Attending school - I'm now in my second week of my Masters program at the University of Phoenix
- Scanning - I've been scanning letters, documents, legal papers, photos, tons of family history stuff
- Writing - and all of it is for school, haven't had any time to even think about War Wagon
- New baby - there's been lots of prep work getting the spare bedroom rearranged, well I guess it's the baby's new room now, furniture, clothes, etc.
- Work - while the rest of my peers are enjoying the week off, I've been busy at work trying to catch up on things
And I'm too tired to list anything else. Mom went to Salt Lake for a couple of weeks (she's back now). Yvonne and Elizabeth went to Pittsburgh this week (due back in a couple of days). Ugh. And I forgot all about the reading I need to do for class.
Life never is easy.
So I've been busy, just like I said before. believe me now?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Well that was an interesting commute
Saw two near accidents unfold right before my eyes. The first was an 18-wheeler approaching a red light. He just kept driving and driving and driving. He must have finally woke up because he locked up his tires and left a good 20 feet of tread behind him and he stopped well over the stop bar. All I could see was him plowing through the cars coming across the road, fortunately they realized his error and waited for him to stop before driving in front of him.
Take two was a mere mile and two stoplights away. There were six lanes in our direction. Two lanes turned left, two went straight, and two turned right. She was in front of me turning left in the extreme left lane. Well, she went through the light like she was going to drive straight across the road into oncoming traffic (at least they had a red light). She realized that wouldn't work and cut a hard left turn while the rest of us that were turning in our proper lanes slowed to watch the spectacle.
Woof. And I thought my day started weird when I woke up before 0600 and was wide awake. Can you tell I'm married and a father? I can survive on little to no sleep.
Take two was a mere mile and two stoplights away. There were six lanes in our direction. Two lanes turned left, two went straight, and two turned right. She was in front of me turning left in the extreme left lane. Well, she went through the light like she was going to drive straight across the road into oncoming traffic (at least they had a red light). She realized that wouldn't work and cut a hard left turn while the rest of us that were turning in our proper lanes slowed to watch the spectacle.
Woof. And I thought my day started weird when I woke up before 0600 and was wide awake. Can you tell I'm married and a father? I can survive on little to no sleep.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Family
Well, I could go on quite a bender with that topic. "Family" conjures up quite a few emotions with people. And in light of that, I'll keep this post short with the comment that I have my grandmother's report cards from 4th and 8th grade sitting next to me (circa the 1920s and 30s). And I'll post a picture of her youngest son, my Dad's brother. He was nice enough to come down to visit us twice while on travel over the past few weeks.
And Dad was actually a bit more pleasant than he looks. Guess that's where I get my preferences for being behind the camera from.
And Dad was actually a bit more pleasant than he looks. Guess that's where I get my preferences for being behind the camera from.
Monday, June 18, 2007
What's this I see?
So I was reading Patrick's blog today and what do I see in the background of his publicity shot? A drawing. No, it's a map. A map for The Name of the Wind!
Woohoo!
Pardon me while I geek out a bit.
Source
Woohoo!Pardon me while I geek out a bit.
Source
Friday, June 15, 2007
Feel free to Kvothe me
A few weeks back I was browsing the local brick and mortar bookstore when I spied an interesting cover in the Fantasy section. I'm likely the world's biggest sucker for covers as that's how I often choose/buy books. I started reading R. A. Salvatore because of the Crystal Shard cover I saw on the back of a GI Joe comic. I loved the Hardy Boys covers. I avoided George R. R. Martin's series because the cover was just too plain.
Back to the story. I spied this interesting cover. The book was called The Name of the Wind. I didn't pay much attention to the title or the author's name, just the artwork. Something about it drew me in.
I spotted the cover again on a return trip two weeks ago. Again I was drawn to it. Over and over in my head, I kept asking myself "should I really spend $20 some odd dollars on a hardback book from an unknown author when I'm trying to cut back on my spending and my book collecting?" Over and over in my head. To buy or not to buy.
Finally I decided to buy it. I picked it up. I saw the alternate cover (the plain one) behind it. Well that's cheesy I thought. I put it back.
But that damn read-haired guy on the cover holding the lute kept pulling me back. I didn't even notice he was showing his chest. I just saw the hair. And the eyes. The eyes kept looking at me, daring me to buy this book.
I gave in. I bought it. My wife thought I was acting strange (stranger than I usually act). I got home, and put it in the honored spot on my nightstand that holds the "Book I Shall Read Tonight." It lay there quietly as I went about the rest of my day.
As night approached, I began to think about my upcoming read. A new adventure. I was hoping I wouldn't waste my money. Or my time. 600+ pages is a lot to read. The first page should have clued me in. A silence of three parts. I love the number 3. It's my lucky number. I was born on the third. As I turned to the next page, I caught a glimpse of the title page. Whoa, this book is only day one? Hmmm, now I'm even more interested.
So I read. I laughed. I groaned. I pondered. I cheered.
But I read. And I continued to read until I finished last night.
In the span of two weeks, I finished a 600+ page book. I stayed up until at 12:30 each night reading. I forced myself to keep the book at home for fear I would read at work and accomplish nothing. I spent every free moment yearning to read more. Television had become boring.
I felt like I was 12 again and reading The Crystal Shard into the wee hours of the morning by smothering my reading light with my pillow so my father would think I'm asleep. I was nearly giddy with joy at times. I had in my hands one of the best written stories I have read in ages. Years. Maybe decades.
If I haven't lost you so far, then please continue. I'll try to be more objective in my review.
Patrick Rothfuss is the new kid on the block, hangin' tough with some heavy hitters. Kvothe (pronounced quothe) is the center of the story. Posing as an inn-keeper, he lays out his life's story to the Chronicler (a journeyman scribe or historian of sorts). His story takes you from a childhood in a traveling troupe, through the death of his parents, to University where he learns magic (of a sort). He falls in love, gains friends, and makes enemies.
At times it feels like Harry Potter with a "normal" boy forced into a different life. But it goes beyond that. Potter is so full of magic and tangents that, despite being set on "Earth," it's a very "fantastic" story. Not so with the Four Corners. It is so ordinary, it's like Star Wars. Things look and feel used. Lived in. Real. Kvothe's world is so ordinary, it's noticeable. But it doesn't take away from the flow, in fact, it helps it along.
There are hints, references, even mentions of other-worldly things that bring you back to the fantasy world here and there. And Kvothe's killing of the draccas (essentially a dragon, but I prefer the lizard-chicken) is surely not ordinary. Nor his studying to be an arcanist.
Of the entire book, only the last few pages were a bit of a let-down. The ending wasn't very strong and the allusion to the future didn't quite make a great impression on me. But I know more is coming, and that does more than enough to get me hooked.
On a side note, Patrick Rothfuss is a certainly odd character. From reading his interviews, he's a charmer, a genius, and a comic. He's like that weird guy that sits in the cube next to you. He may have some strange things to add to the conversation, but he's just an ordinary guy. And he has great tastes in shirts.
Back to the story. I spied this interesting cover. The book was called The Name of the Wind. I didn't pay much attention to the title or the author's name, just the artwork. Something about it drew me in.
I spotted the cover again on a return trip two weeks ago. Again I was drawn to it. Over and over in my head, I kept asking myself "should I really spend $20 some odd dollars on a hardback book from an unknown author when I'm trying to cut back on my spending and my book collecting?" Over and over in my head. To buy or not to buy.
Finally I decided to buy it. I picked it up. I saw the alternate cover (the plain one) behind it. Well that's cheesy I thought. I put it back.
But that damn read-haired guy on the cover holding the lute kept pulling me back. I didn't even notice he was showing his chest. I just saw the hair. And the eyes. The eyes kept looking at me, daring me to buy this book.
I gave in. I bought it. My wife thought I was acting strange (stranger than I usually act). I got home, and put it in the honored spot on my nightstand that holds the "Book I Shall Read Tonight." It lay there quietly as I went about the rest of my day.
As night approached, I began to think about my upcoming read. A new adventure. I was hoping I wouldn't waste my money. Or my time. 600+ pages is a lot to read. The first page should have clued me in. A silence of three parts. I love the number 3. It's my lucky number. I was born on the third. As I turned to the next page, I caught a glimpse of the title page. Whoa, this book is only day one? Hmmm, now I'm even more interested.
So I read. I laughed. I groaned. I pondered. I cheered.
But I read. And I continued to read until I finished last night.
In the span of two weeks, I finished a 600+ page book. I stayed up until at 12:30 each night reading. I forced myself to keep the book at home for fear I would read at work and accomplish nothing. I spent every free moment yearning to read more. Television had become boring.
I felt like I was 12 again and reading The Crystal Shard into the wee hours of the morning by smothering my reading light with my pillow so my father would think I'm asleep. I was nearly giddy with joy at times. I had in my hands one of the best written stories I have read in ages. Years. Maybe decades.
If I haven't lost you so far, then please continue. I'll try to be more objective in my review.
Patrick Rothfuss is the new kid on the block, hangin' tough with some heavy hitters. Kvothe (pronounced quothe) is the center of the story. Posing as an inn-keeper, he lays out his life's story to the Chronicler (a journeyman scribe or historian of sorts). His story takes you from a childhood in a traveling troupe, through the death of his parents, to University where he learns magic (of a sort). He falls in love, gains friends, and makes enemies.
At times it feels like Harry Potter with a "normal" boy forced into a different life. But it goes beyond that. Potter is so full of magic and tangents that, despite being set on "Earth," it's a very "fantastic" story. Not so with the Four Corners. It is so ordinary, it's like Star Wars. Things look and feel used. Lived in. Real. Kvothe's world is so ordinary, it's noticeable. But it doesn't take away from the flow, in fact, it helps it along.
There are hints, references, even mentions of other-worldly things that bring you back to the fantasy world here and there. And Kvothe's killing of the draccas (essentially a dragon, but I prefer the lizard-chicken) is surely not ordinary. Nor his studying to be an arcanist.
Of the entire book, only the last few pages were a bit of a let-down. The ending wasn't very strong and the allusion to the future didn't quite make a great impression on me. But I know more is coming, and that does more than enough to get me hooked.
On a side note, Patrick Rothfuss is a certainly odd character. From reading his interviews, he's a charmer, a genius, and a comic. He's like that weird guy that sits in the cube next to you. He may have some strange things to add to the conversation, but he's just an ordinary guy. And he has great tastes in shirts.
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
The Gutters and The Gutted
So, we have new gutters up on the house. Nice, long, seamless, white, gleaming, and a huge 6 inches. I'd say get your mind out of the gutter, but hey, that's what I'm talking about!
Same size as the shed's, these are the only way to go. The crummy 5 inch gutters just couldn't satisfy me. I added some corrugated drainage pipe (4 inch) to the ends of two of them and found out rather quickly that 50 feet just isn't enough. So I'll need to get about 25 more feet to make it all square. Maybe another 50.
Anyway, here's a good look at the new stuff.
And then we have Elizabeth's room gutted, cleaned, and partially re-assembled. Yvonne will be picking up all (or at least most) of the new furniture today from Value City, so we'll see how that looks tonight (and no, she won't be unloading it, I will be doing that).
Elizabeth likes her new drapes and we've even gotten her to sleep not only in her "big girl underwear" but to also sleep without the little rails on her toddler bed. Seems to be doing great so far.
Monday, June 11, 2007
To draw or not to draw
For those regular readers (haha, yeah, right, like I have any of those!), you may want to skip to the next paragraph. I have a concealed weapons permit in the state of Virginia and Pennsylvania. I carry nearly every day and almost anytime I leave the house. Even going to the gas station, I carry. I feel safer, I feel I keep my family safer, and I feel I have the right to do it.
So setting that stage, let's talk about our ride home last night, at say 11:30 or so. We pull up to a stop light as the first car in line in the left lane. To our right is a big 18 wheeler. He honks and hops out of his cab. Now, at 11:30 on a Sunday night isn't always the best time to hop out of your car and approach the guy next to you. Fortunately there was no traffic.
As Yvonne rolled the window down (is it still called "rolling down the window" when you have power windows?), I put my hand on my gun and un-snapped my strap. It's not terribly easy to draw when you're the driver, wearing a seat belt, and wearing your holster. I wanted to be prepared.
The good news is, that's as far as I had to go. He just needed to know how to get to a particular industrial center a short drive down the road. He could probably barely read English as his spoken English was very broken. We gave him the directions and went on our way.
In other news, buried at the bottom of this post, is my progress on The Name Of The Wind. If you haven't read it yet, please do so. I love it. Nearing on the end, but not quite there. I also got some great video of Elizabeth asking "where's Quiznos?" I think Yvonne eats there a little too much as the guy making sandwiches knew her order. And that's about it for now. It's 10:17 and I have to go back to work tomorrow.
And I still want to read more of The Name Of The Wind.
So setting that stage, let's talk about our ride home last night, at say 11:30 or so. We pull up to a stop light as the first car in line in the left lane. To our right is a big 18 wheeler. He honks and hops out of his cab. Now, at 11:30 on a Sunday night isn't always the best time to hop out of your car and approach the guy next to you. Fortunately there was no traffic.
As Yvonne rolled the window down (is it still called "rolling down the window" when you have power windows?), I put my hand on my gun and un-snapped my strap. It's not terribly easy to draw when you're the driver, wearing a seat belt, and wearing your holster. I wanted to be prepared.
The good news is, that's as far as I had to go. He just needed to know how to get to a particular industrial center a short drive down the road. He could probably barely read English as his spoken English was very broken. We gave him the directions and went on our way.
In other news, buried at the bottom of this post, is my progress on The Name Of The Wind. If you haven't read it yet, please do so. I love it. Nearing on the end, but not quite there. I also got some great video of Elizabeth asking "where's Quiznos?" I think Yvonne eats there a little too much as the guy making sandwiches knew her order. And that's about it for now. It's 10:17 and I have to go back to work tomorrow.
And I still want to read more of The Name Of The Wind.
Meconium Happens
The title pretty much says it all.
Sunday was an ordinary day in King George. Yvonne, Elizabeth, and I drove into town to run some errands. We walked around downtown to look for the items in the Itty Bitty City Scavenger Hunt. No such luck there, so we did our thing and came home.
I dropped Yvonne and Elizabeth off for Aiden's birthday party (he's a friend of the family and turned two). I came home and did some chores, talked to Dad, and waited for the
come pick me up" call.
Shortly after 6:00, I got the call. And that's when things started to go sour.
On my way over, events transpired that were, well, rather unexpected. Elizabeth decided to ride one of those little Cozy Coupe cars down the driveway, across the road, and down the neighbor's driveway. Exciting as that sounds, it's worse.
The driveway is rather steep. Both are. And after looking at the scene today, so was the little front yard she drove down. And the retaining wall she hit was not very tall, but it stopped her from going down an even steeper ravine. She was fine. Even laughing at the fun ride she just took.
But it's worse than that.
Yvonne did the motherly thing and took off after Elizabeth. And promptly fell in the middle of the road.
On her stomach.
And she's 28 weeks pregnant.
Now, before you start freaking out too much, everything turned out fine. So no frantic phone calls or emails, please.
Now for the details of the rest of the night and today. As I got there to pick everyone up (no more than a few minutes after the speedy trip down the road), I realized this Sunday wouldn't be an ordinary one. We got Yvonne patched up (she scraped her arm and knee) and on the road home. She called the doctor, they told her to come in to get checked out to make sure things were fine, and we headed home to put Henry in his house and pick a few things up. We dropped Elizabeth off at the Inzana's house (Aiden's parents) and went to town. Dad took care of Henry and went home, Elizabeth stayed over night, and we stayed a few hours at the hospital.
We finally got out of there around 11:00 pm, but it was very calming to hear the baby's heart-beat and to see such nice people willing to take care of you at 11 at night on a Sunday. The nurse, Jean, was professional but still showed enough heart to care about you. She's also the source of the post's title, we had a good laugh over her little button that said "Meconium Happens."
Anyway, everything turned out okay last night, so we came home and went to bed. I had a hard time sleeping from being so wired, but was able to catch-up a little today with a nap. Today, we went by the Orthopedic doctor to make sure Yvonne's shoulder was okay. She had some difficulty moving her arm around today but with some care, she should recover in a few days.
So, Meconium Happens. Make sure you take the time to do the right thing and tell those important people around you that you care for them.
As to the rest of last night's adventure, well, you'll need to read the next post about the first time I nearly drew my gun...............
Sunday was an ordinary day in King George. Yvonne, Elizabeth, and I drove into town to run some errands. We walked around downtown to look for the items in the Itty Bitty City Scavenger Hunt. No such luck there, so we did our thing and came home.
I dropped Yvonne and Elizabeth off for Aiden's birthday party (he's a friend of the family and turned two). I came home and did some chores, talked to Dad, and waited for the
come pick me up" call.
Shortly after 6:00, I got the call. And that's when things started to go sour.
On my way over, events transpired that were, well, rather unexpected. Elizabeth decided to ride one of those little Cozy Coupe cars down the driveway, across the road, and down the neighbor's driveway. Exciting as that sounds, it's worse.
The driveway is rather steep. Both are. And after looking at the scene today, so was the little front yard she drove down. And the retaining wall she hit was not very tall, but it stopped her from going down an even steeper ravine. She was fine. Even laughing at the fun ride she just took.
But it's worse than that.
Yvonne did the motherly thing and took off after Elizabeth. And promptly fell in the middle of the road.
On her stomach.
And she's 28 weeks pregnant.
Now, before you start freaking out too much, everything turned out fine. So no frantic phone calls or emails, please.
Now for the details of the rest of the night and today. As I got there to pick everyone up (no more than a few minutes after the speedy trip down the road), I realized this Sunday wouldn't be an ordinary one. We got Yvonne patched up (she scraped her arm and knee) and on the road home. She called the doctor, they told her to come in to get checked out to make sure things were fine, and we headed home to put Henry in his house and pick a few things up. We dropped Elizabeth off at the Inzana's house (Aiden's parents) and went to town. Dad took care of Henry and went home, Elizabeth stayed over night, and we stayed a few hours at the hospital.
We finally got out of there around 11:00 pm, but it was very calming to hear the baby's heart-beat and to see such nice people willing to take care of you at 11 at night on a Sunday. The nurse, Jean, was professional but still showed enough heart to care about you. She's also the source of the post's title, we had a good laugh over her little button that said "Meconium Happens."
Anyway, everything turned out okay last night, so we came home and went to bed. I had a hard time sleeping from being so wired, but was able to catch-up a little today with a nap. Today, we went by the Orthopedic doctor to make sure Yvonne's shoulder was okay. She had some difficulty moving her arm around today but with some care, she should recover in a few days.
So, Meconium Happens. Make sure you take the time to do the right thing and tell those important people around you that you care for them.
As to the rest of last night's adventure, well, you'll need to read the next post about the first time I nearly drew my gun...............
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
Another Large Photo Update
Starting with our Annual Memorial Day Picnic, we have the family...
And the Edinboro University crew....
And finally, we have the box of old family photos and letters from my Aunt Mary. It's a treasure trove of history and information.
Then a birds-eye view of the nearly finished roof...
And the finished roof...
And the new layout in the spare bedroom (where the baby will be sleeping)...
And finally, we have the box of old family photos and letters from my Aunt Mary. It's a treasure trove of history and information.
Oh, and the last little present...my new laptop.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Lots of stuff
I'm so lost at the moment, I don't know what's new and what isn't. My new laptop did arrive today. Came amazingly fast considering it shipped from Shanghai, China late last week. We'll see how Vista works as well as all the new apps.
In other news, Elizabeth is moving along surprisingly well at being a "big" little girl. She's almost to the point of sleeping in underwear at night. And she's doing great at telling you when she needs to go to the bathroom. Not to mention telling you when she wants something period.
Yvonne and I steam-cleaned the spare bedroom this weekend. That will be the baby's new room (sheesh, almost gave away the sex of the baby there). We had to downgrade to a smaller desk (which I think I will like better since I hardly used the damned thing anyway). We also took down the full size bed and put up the crib (still not sure what that means if someone wants to come visit - guess we'll cross that bridge when we get there). The old desk (quite large and heavy) went to the street and was promptly snatched up in a few hours. Amazing what a large FREE sign will do.
We went shopping Saturday evening and picked up a few items. Nothing too exciting there other than a new book. I've seriously been cutting back on buying books and DVDs for awhile now but just couldn't turn this one down. I'm a sucker for neat covers and this one just struck me as a book that needed to be read.
So, yesterday I finished the Star Wars book I was reading and delved into the new one. Pretty good so far. And he's a new author, so I have to support the underdog.
And, the big news of last week, the roof is finished. Mike didn't do the baffling, but no big deal. It wasn't a high priority anyway. And he did fix the sewer and bathroom vents so it's all good in my book.
And that was pretty much my week(end). I'll post some photos of the roof and new room layout when I get some time.
Friday, June 01, 2007
Heroes returns
Well, the show is over for now, but we can still keep ourselves busy with the comics, right?
Here's a peek at the latest.
Here's a peek at the latest.
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