Posts

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The Seat of Government

Took a trip to our nation’s capital. We stayed with friends that recently moved there (from Paris). Real good timing for the kids, having just studied MLK and Amelia Earhardt (went to Smithsonian), and given the fact that they are aware of the current elections

On Saturday we took a short hike along the Potomac.  Sunday we went to DC

(It seems if you click on an image you get a medium sized shot, click again for full-size.  Must be a new feature of the blog.  I uploaded a “gallery” and it’s behaving a bit differently.)

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New Software Release

WordPress, the underlying blogging software that provides the basis for this blog, has introduced a new version of their software which I’ve installed today. At first you should see no change because the new features are all behind the scene administrative changes that should only be visible to Gary and I – with one major exception.

That one exception will be that, when you go to make a post, you will see an entirely new panel. Hopefully, the new changes won’t be that significant. I would expect that most of you will be able to figure out how to make a post without too much trouble. If you are confused about something, send me an email and I’ll give you a hand.

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Grandpa’s Got His Hands Full!

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Reid looks more and more like Blake every day.  Blake is very tall for his age…for 17 months he towers over two year olds! But Reid is on track to surpass that! I think Dawn will have two very big boys, and very big grocery bills! 

I took Blake to a family music class at the local Gymboree yesterday. He wanted nothing to do with the class. Of the ten children (six of them were reserved oriental children), Blake was the only one who would not sit still, play the instruments nor sing the songs. He did participate in chasing bubbles around the room. I think it was even in beat to the music being played.  

So, afterwards we went to the gym class. I lost control during the “Hello” song. I guess he felt he suffered through enough music for one day. Once we had free play he went crazy…jumping on the trampoline, dunking all the balls (about 25) in the 3 ft. basketball hoop, running through tunnels and climbing up and down the slides (yes, he didn’t use the steps, he climbed back up the slide).

At the end of class the instructor came and spoke to me and suggested Blake be enrolled in a Park District sport, that he really wasn’t suited for Gymboree. Can a 17 month old really be expelled from Gymboree???  

Guess Grandpa and Grandmar both have their hands full (not to mention Mommy & Daddy)!

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Eric’s Tennis Experience

So Eric decided he was going to try out for the tennis team at high school this year.  Tryouts were scheduled for last Saturday evening.  At about noon, a friend of his from school called to ask him if he wanted to play that afternoon as a “tune-up” before the tryout.  He asked me if I could take him there for a 2:00 appointment at a tennis club in Lincolnshire, about 30 minutes from our house.  So I said OK.

We arrived shortly before 2:00, but his friend never showed.  At about 2:15, we left the tennis club and headed home.  Just as we pulled out of the parking lot, we saw about 4 or 5 police cars on the side of the road headed the other direction.  Didn’t really think much about it.

That night when we picked up Eric from the tryout, he asked, “Remember those police cars we saw this afternoon after leaving the tennis club?”  We said, “yeah, why?”  He said that’s why Isaac couldn’t make it.  They were running late, so rather than driving, they flew their airplane and landed it on the golf course across the street from the tennis club and the police arrested them.

Mary Ann and I told him that we doubt that very much, and we think his friend is making up excuses.  We started to wonder just what kind of kid this was, because we had never met him.

This afternoon, I came across the following story in the news.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-golf-course-landing-storymar04,0,5960746.story

It ends up the kid seems OK, but I’m not so sure of the father!

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GS2 has arrived!

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Reid (no middle name yet), was born about 6:30 this evening! 8lbs. 8oz., 21in. long.  Both Mom and baby are fine. Dawn says he might be a red-head…the name kinda fits. Hope Charlotte doesn’t mind sharing her birthday!

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GS2 is on his way…

Grandson #2, that is. Dawn has been in labor for 8 1/2 hours. We’re hoping Charlotte will have a cousin with whom to share her birthday (otherwise he will be a leap year baby)! I’ll keep all posted.

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My Birthday Presents

Sort of a 2-step process. First thing I decided early on to get was an AppleTV.

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I really have very little use for this, but I wanted it anyway. It allows me to rent or buy movies over the internet, including HD movies. (Only 720p, tho, and I was originally gonna wait for it to be upgraded to 1080.) Works really well, particularly since I have the bandwidth thru my FIOS service. Also holds all family photos and shows them in HD, an upgrade over the Tivo SD that I used to use for this. Plus, it holds my music. Also an upgrade, as I used to get occasional stalls when streaming music wirelessly from my computers.

Second step took some time to decide, but after getting the AppleTV, I made the decision pretty quickly. We have a Netflix account, which serves us quite well. The kids watch a lot of movies. But invariably, it seemed, any grown-up movie we’d get would be sent back unwatched. Lis and I just never seem to find the time. (Either I go to bed too early, or the kids go to bed too late.) So I tested a program called Handbrake (available on PC, too) that would rip DVDs directly for use by the AppleTV. One click, and you’re done. Only problem, on my 5 yr old laptop it took 20 hrs.

So I bought a new computer. The Mac Mini.

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My main, 8 yr old computer is dying, making horrible noises, freezing, quitting apps, etc. And I really didn’t feel like trying to fix it. Plus I had recently moved it down to the desk in my bedroom, connected to a small LCD. The Mini will fit the desk much better than the old tower does.

So thanks again guys.

AppleTV: $300

MacMini: $680

Giants winning the Super Bowl: ……..well, you know.