Mia and I were talking about people that used to be in our ward here in Boston "back when we were single."
Of course, what my cute wife meant was before we had kids.
Thursday, August 30, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
Heat wave
Boston is coming out of a heatwave that sent the temperatures into the high 90's with upwards of 90% humidity. Needless to say, it was pretty miserable. We have the A/C running quite a bit more than normal and it's been nearly unbearable going outside to do anything.
Fortunately, that seems to have broken. Maybe this means we are settling into a more pleasant temperature for September. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Fortunately, that seems to have broken. Maybe this means we are settling into a more pleasant temperature for September. I guess we'll have to wait and see.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Itsy Bitsy Spider
Ethan and I dancing to one of his favorite songs.
Warning: Partial male nudity (you might see me without a shirt)
Warning: Partial male nudity (you might see me without a shirt)
Hubris
So, now that blogging is fashionable, I like to scroll down the archives list of the blogs I read or discover to see how long they've been at it.
It is a secret source of pride for me when I see that I've been blogging longer than some of the sources that are now considered 'established' in the blogosphere.
Granted, I'm still living in anonymity but that is by choice.
It is a secret source of pride for me when I see that I've been blogging longer than some of the sources that are now considered 'established' in the blogosphere.
Granted, I'm still living in anonymity but that is by choice.
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
Monday, August 20, 2007
Protagonist
I've been getting through my summer reading list. So far I've gotten through Pebble in the Sky by Asimov, and part of book of short stories by Arthur C. Clarke.
Currently, I'm reading Conan by Robert Howard. Interestingly enough, it's a book of short stories as well. And even more interesting, the stories are pretty well written.
As I have discovered, Conan is not Schwarzenegger. He is intelligent but his barbaric nature limits his understanding of the machinations of civilized men. His adventures are not just page after page of blood and conquest. One of the stories I just read was more of a detective tale with only one scene of fighting towards the end.
And, as a writer on pre-emptive sabbatical, it's a very interesting character study. Conan is a protagonist. He is not a hero like we would think of hero's in books today. The most striking example is that he often starts his stories as a thief going after some prize. In pursuing these treasures, he shows no concern for the lives of his opponents. So often in modern tales the hero is the one that values all human life (usually in direct opposition to the villain) even those who are actively trying to kill him/her. In my opinion, this is an outgrowth of modern humanism (good) set in an Darwinian world (without a god or afterlife, bad) that values preservation of individual life over all other virtues.
But, I'm getting sidetracked. In the Conan stories, he's interested in his own preservation. When someone crosses him, he immediately fights to save himself. But, he's also willing to put himself in harms way when he gives his word or someone is depending on him. He's not cruel, just has a very clear sense of self-preservation.
If any of you are interested in the more technical parts of literature, I recommend reading Conan as an interesting way to study characters. And, if you aren't, Howard is a good storyteller.
Currently, I'm reading Conan by Robert Howard. Interestingly enough, it's a book of short stories as well. And even more interesting, the stories are pretty well written.
As I have discovered, Conan is not Schwarzenegger. He is intelligent but his barbaric nature limits his understanding of the machinations of civilized men. His adventures are not just page after page of blood and conquest. One of the stories I just read was more of a detective tale with only one scene of fighting towards the end.
And, as a writer on pre-emptive sabbatical, it's a very interesting character study. Conan is a protagonist. He is not a hero like we would think of hero's in books today. The most striking example is that he often starts his stories as a thief going after some prize. In pursuing these treasures, he shows no concern for the lives of his opponents. So often in modern tales the hero is the one that values all human life (usually in direct opposition to the villain) even those who are actively trying to kill him/her. In my opinion, this is an outgrowth of modern humanism (good) set in an Darwinian world (without a god or afterlife, bad) that values preservation of individual life over all other virtues.
But, I'm getting sidetracked. In the Conan stories, he's interested in his own preservation. When someone crosses him, he immediately fights to save himself. But, he's also willing to put himself in harms way when he gives his word or someone is depending on him. He's not cruel, just has a very clear sense of self-preservation.
If any of you are interested in the more technical parts of literature, I recommend reading Conan as an interesting way to study characters. And, if you aren't, Howard is a good storyteller.
Thursday, August 16, 2007
He remembers
This is for my dad to commented that Ethan wouldn't remember their visit. I had to get something from the office this morning and Ethan ran over with me (but was stopped by the gate).
He looked in and said, "This is where Grandpa sleeps."
He sure is a smart kid. And he loves the attention he gets from all his grandparents.
He looked in and said, "This is where Grandpa sleeps."
He sure is a smart kid. And he loves the attention he gets from all his grandparents.
More iPod TV
So, I came across a new product for iPods that is designed to connect you up to your TV or stereo. No more hacking your iPod.
SendStation AV Connector
SendStation AV Connector
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Genre
After reading a very interesting response to a debate I've not been following by one of my favorite author's Ursela LeGuin, I went over to a blog that a friend of mine recommended (his old mission comp. writes there).
When I was astounded (or flabbergasted really) by the revelation that Mormon literature has become a mature enough genre that it can start branching out. So, you don't just have to write a cheesy fictionalized account of some unnamed Nephite hero, now you can write about a scripture-quoting cyber-villain being chased through virtual reality in a sci-fi novel with an "optimistic Mormon twist."
It's amazing to see how far we've come.
When I was astounded (or flabbergasted really) by the revelation that Mormon literature has become a mature enough genre that it can start branching out. So, you don't just have to write a cheesy fictionalized account of some unnamed Nephite hero, now you can write about a scripture-quoting cyber-villain being chased through virtual reality in a sci-fi novel with an "optimistic Mormon twist."
It's amazing to see how far we've come.
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
My parents strike again
We had a really fun week with my parents while they were out here. They got to spend lots of time with Ethan, which meant Mia and I got lots of time to be alone. A situation that everyone, including Ethan, was happy with.
The Grandparents took him to the Aquarium, Children's Science Museum, parks, the mall, pretty much anywhere they were going he went along. Ethan had a great time with them. My dad thinks that he's not going to remember their trip (in the long term probably true) but he does have a good memory now for these sorts of things.
In fact, his favorite little game to play lately is to go around saying "Tut, tut. Looks like rain."
Mia and I had chances to go out to movies (Simpsons) and dinner and just relax. We slept in everyday, and no I won't tell you what time we woke up each morning. We needed the time and were grateful to my parents for letting us have it.
But... there is a dark side to my parents visiting. Every time they visit (and I think it really is every time they've come together) something goes terribly, terribly wrong with one of our cars. We wouldn't mind if we had to change a tire or a headlight.
Sadly, this is not the case.
The year Ethan was born my alternator died and I couldn't move my car off the street the night before a big snowstorm that was deemed a snow emergency and got my car towed. I had to have it re-towed over to a shop to get my alternator replaced.
Another year, we had to replace all the brakes and rotors on one of our cars. Fortunately we caught it before they failed like when I was driving an old Ford and my brake line snapped while I was driving on the Mass Pike. (Or more specifically, while I was swerving to avoid someone that had cut me off and then stopped suddenly. Fortunately, I didn't crash.)
This time one of our cars had been making a loud growling noises, which we assumed was just some sort of muffler failure. We should have known better. When I took the car into the shop they informed me that the exhaust system needed an overhaul. The catalytic converter had to be replaced, the connection back to the muffler was broken, basically a lot of work. Oh, and a new front axle to boot.
Now, I know that we really can't blame my parents. That's just not logical... unless... there is a rumor that my dad might be a covert operative. Maybe he practices disabling enemy vehicles on our cars to make sure that his techniques work. But I'm sure that's a crazy theory.
Well, whatever happens, we are glad that they come see us, even if it is just for Ethan ;)
The Grandparents took him to the Aquarium, Children's Science Museum, parks, the mall, pretty much anywhere they were going he went along. Ethan had a great time with them. My dad thinks that he's not going to remember their trip (in the long term probably true) but he does have a good memory now for these sorts of things.
In fact, his favorite little game to play lately is to go around saying "Tut, tut. Looks like rain."
Mia and I had chances to go out to movies (Simpsons) and dinner and just relax. We slept in everyday, and no I won't tell you what time we woke up each morning. We needed the time and were grateful to my parents for letting us have it.
But... there is a dark side to my parents visiting. Every time they visit (and I think it really is every time they've come together) something goes terribly, terribly wrong with one of our cars. We wouldn't mind if we had to change a tire or a headlight.
Sadly, this is not the case.
The year Ethan was born my alternator died and I couldn't move my car off the street the night before a big snowstorm that was deemed a snow emergency and got my car towed. I had to have it re-towed over to a shop to get my alternator replaced.
Another year, we had to replace all the brakes and rotors on one of our cars. Fortunately we caught it before they failed like when I was driving an old Ford and my brake line snapped while I was driving on the Mass Pike. (Or more specifically, while I was swerving to avoid someone that had cut me off and then stopped suddenly. Fortunately, I didn't crash.)
This time one of our cars had been making a loud growling noises, which we assumed was just some sort of muffler failure. We should have known better. When I took the car into the shop they informed me that the exhaust system needed an overhaul. The catalytic converter had to be replaced, the connection back to the muffler was broken, basically a lot of work. Oh, and a new front axle to boot.
Now, I know that we really can't blame my parents. That's just not logical... unless... there is a rumor that my dad might be a covert operative. Maybe he practices disabling enemy vehicles on our cars to make sure that his techniques work. But I'm sure that's a crazy theory.
Well, whatever happens, we are glad that they come see us, even if it is just for Ethan ;)
Thursday, August 02, 2007
No Regrets
I haven't posted in nearly two weeks and I have no regrets about that. Let me tell you why.
Mia and I were on vacation for the first week and I've been getting settled back into life in the second. The vacation was great, we went up to Montreal on a train out of Albany. The train ride took about 2 hours longer than expected but that gave me plenty of time to read Harry Potter. In fact, I nearly finished it on the train.
I enjoyed this book, it made up for Book 6 by finally providing the context it needed to be a complete story. And, as I've said in the past, JK Rowling is a good storyteller. Her actual writing might not be the best in Western civilization but she knows how to captivate her reader with the story. I can rarely read that much of a book in one sitting but the Harry Potter books make the hours just disappear.
Once we got to the city, Mia and I began our relaxation. That was the point of the vacation so we didn't mind taking it slow. Our first day we went to the Biodome and Botanical Gardens. We knew that we would be walking around so we took our time through the exhibits. The same in the gardens.
One of the interesting parts of the garden was the Chinese area. We saw some lotus flowers but only saw one that was open enough to see how the seedpod fit inside the flower. After walking through the main gardens, we went to the smelling garden. This was an interesting part of the garden. There were guides to show you which flowers to touch, smell, and even some that you could taste. Most of the tasting plants were of the kind that you could rub the leaves to get some of the oils on your fingers.
The next day we decided to go down to Old Montreal. Since it was so close to our hotel we also walked there. This also meant we took plenty of breaks to make sure Mia didn't get too tired. The old city was fun to explore. We went down to the water and walked through the old city houses. Mia also wanted to look at the art galleries, of which there were plenty... with prices that include 1 too many zeros for us to purchase anything.
Fortunately, we did find a man selling his photography on the street and we were very impressed by it. He takes photographs right after snowstorms so that the ground disappears. (His development method also contributes to this effect.) And that leaves striking back and white photographs of the main subjects.
So we bought some.
In fact, we bought a picture of two lotus blossom stems after the petals had fallen off the flower and all that was left were the pods. There were two stems next to each other, just like Mia and I in Montreal :) I'm very happy with the picture. We've been very pleased with our decision to look for local art each place we go on vacation. They serve as wonderful reminders of our trip and give us something unique to show people.
The train ride home also took longer than posted (but this time not longer than expected). We arrived in time for the dinner after the wedding rehearsal. Ethan saw us and then kept playing with Bryson.
I had to go over and ask him to give me a hug. After that he was ready to hang around me. I was happy to see him again though, so I didn't mind.
The wedding the next day went well. Everything happened just like it was supposed to.... almost. The pillow that Ethan was supposed to carry with the rings wasn't found in time (but fortunately he wasn't going to carry the real rings) so he just walked holding my hand as I carried the ring-bearer teddy bear. Ethan got a bit wiggly during the ceremony but he made it and did well during the reception afterwards too.
By the time we finally got home, it had been 6 full days. We were all glad to be back in our own house. Ethan had been having a hard time when he got really tired at nights and kept asking us to go home the 2 days after Mia and I returned from Montreal.
This week has meant some housework in preparation for my parents coming next week.
Mia and I were on vacation for the first week and I've been getting settled back into life in the second. The vacation was great, we went up to Montreal on a train out of Albany. The train ride took about 2 hours longer than expected but that gave me plenty of time to read Harry Potter. In fact, I nearly finished it on the train.
I enjoyed this book, it made up for Book 6 by finally providing the context it needed to be a complete story. And, as I've said in the past, JK Rowling is a good storyteller. Her actual writing might not be the best in Western civilization but she knows how to captivate her reader with the story. I can rarely read that much of a book in one sitting but the Harry Potter books make the hours just disappear.
Once we got to the city, Mia and I began our relaxation. That was the point of the vacation so we didn't mind taking it slow. Our first day we went to the Biodome and Botanical Gardens. We knew that we would be walking around so we took our time through the exhibits. The same in the gardens.
One of the interesting parts of the garden was the Chinese area. We saw some lotus flowers but only saw one that was open enough to see how the seedpod fit inside the flower. After walking through the main gardens, we went to the smelling garden. This was an interesting part of the garden. There were guides to show you which flowers to touch, smell, and even some that you could taste. Most of the tasting plants were of the kind that you could rub the leaves to get some of the oils on your fingers.
The next day we decided to go down to Old Montreal. Since it was so close to our hotel we also walked there. This also meant we took plenty of breaks to make sure Mia didn't get too tired. The old city was fun to explore. We went down to the water and walked through the old city houses. Mia also wanted to look at the art galleries, of which there were plenty... with prices that include 1 too many zeros for us to purchase anything.
Fortunately, we did find a man selling his photography on the street and we were very impressed by it. He takes photographs right after snowstorms so that the ground disappears. (His development method also contributes to this effect.) And that leaves striking back and white photographs of the main subjects.
So we bought some.
In fact, we bought a picture of two lotus blossom stems after the petals had fallen off the flower and all that was left were the pods. There were two stems next to each other, just like Mia and I in Montreal :) I'm very happy with the picture. We've been very pleased with our decision to look for local art each place we go on vacation. They serve as wonderful reminders of our trip and give us something unique to show people.
The train ride home also took longer than posted (but this time not longer than expected). We arrived in time for the dinner after the wedding rehearsal. Ethan saw us and then kept playing with Bryson.
I had to go over and ask him to give me a hug. After that he was ready to hang around me. I was happy to see him again though, so I didn't mind.
The wedding the next day went well. Everything happened just like it was supposed to.... almost. The pillow that Ethan was supposed to carry with the rings wasn't found in time (but fortunately he wasn't going to carry the real rings) so he just walked holding my hand as I carried the ring-bearer teddy bear. Ethan got a bit wiggly during the ceremony but he made it and did well during the reception afterwards too.
By the time we finally got home, it had been 6 full days. We were all glad to be back in our own house. Ethan had been having a hard time when he got really tired at nights and kept asking us to go home the 2 days after Mia and I returned from Montreal.
This week has meant some housework in preparation for my parents coming next week.
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