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As you know, you always work twice as hard fo...
November 30, 2001 by Sue in Wielesek
As you know, you always work twice as hard for the two weeks before a two week vacation and twice as hard for the two weeks after a two week vacation, so it's a net loss of two weeks. Regardless, Dick and I are getting excited about the trip to Africa. After dithering around, we got the word from Cousin Brian that driving in Zimbabwe is fine, so we're just going to rent a car and travel by car. Maybe we'll get Thomas Mapfumo, the musician in the Zimbabwean revolution who is well known for his Chimurenga, or revolutionary music, to write us a letter of introduction, as he now lives in Eugene. Ah, we're now importing aging revolutionaries to good old Blujean, the town you can call by its first name.
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I took Sam swimming the other night and we we...
November 30, 2001 by Adam in Sam
I took Sam swimming the other night and we were changing in the locker room. He was quite impressed with the urinals and asked, "Why do people sometimes pee on the wall?"
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Life keeps chugging along
November 28, 2001 by Adam in Family
Life keeps chugging along. I still feel a bit cruddy - I'm currently blaming the flu shot I got yesterday. The caffeine and pain killers sure help a lot.
There's been more work at our house lately. The remote for the fireplace is working. I've got to get a new shower head, as my current one is completly plugged with goop that came out of the pipes when they were installing the new heating system. Also, Darren's working on a few projects too. Nothing major, but all things we've been wanting to do for awhile.
Sam woke up at 6:30 this morning. I had to explain to him why I needed to go to work, as he wanted to play Star Wars Legos with me. Sniff.
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Brain getting fuzzy
November 27, 2001 by Adam in Adam
Brain getting fuzzy . . . too much work.
I had my flu shot today, and felt terrible within a couple hours. Fortunately, pain killers worked just fine and I'm doing okay but tired now.
Evidently there are a ton of people at our house, working on various issues. Hopefully the downstairs shower will work, the faucet won't leak, the fireplace can be controlled remotely, and a sturdy fence will be built around the stairs to the basement. It's amazing how much work an older house takes.
I'm happy with my new computer these days. I'm still waiting for the modem drivers, but it's pretty cool even when not connected to the Internet. Very snappy, quick to boot, and games play like a dream. Ah, Nerdvana.
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Well, we finally got the fireplace and hot wa...
November 26, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Well, we finally got the fireplace and hot water heater installed. The fireplace is great, even nicer than I was hoping it would be. This weekend, Jamie's family kept hanging out at our house, with the fireplace adding the extra "umph" to entice them away from their home. It heats fairly well, too. Last night, we came in from the rain and asked, "Sam, could you build a fire?" With a click it was on, much different than when I was a kid.
 Well, Sam turns three today. Though it's official today, he had a bunch of birthday parties over the weekend. Jamie's uncle got him a gun with flashing lights, annoying noises, and built-in vibrations. Sam loved it, though I think we may accidentally hide it away for awhile.
I got Sam some cool toys too, which he finally got to open: a remote control truck and Star Wars Legos. The Legos have gotten quite the usage, having pieces lost and refound multiple times already. Now I've got to come up with something clever for Christmas coming. Oh well, even more Star Wars Legos can't go wrong . . .
I think everyone was pretty beat by the end of the weekend. Sam was exhausted and grumpy Sunday night. Jamie and I had some quiet alone time before bed, then slept like the dead all night. Today Jamie's teaching preschool and celebrating a little birthday party for Sam while she's there. Hopefully tonight can be quiet and ordinary.
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Well, I took the final plunge - I crossed the...
November 26, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Projects
Well, I took the final plunge - I crossed the L1 bridges and overclocked my CPU. I had problems with multipliers over 12.5 working properly, so I ended up with a 1.67 Ghz machine. I bumped up the GeForce clock and memory speed as well. I ended up with a 3D mark of 4789 at 1024 x 768 with 2x AA.
Finally, I swapped out the noisy CPU fan with one of the quiet ones. The computer is much quieter. Plus, the temperature now runs at 45 degrees, even when stressed.
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Well, the CPU overheating woes are now in the...
November 23, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 Well, the CPU overheating woes are now in the past. The hole looks great, and we've put the Papst fan in the side of the case, right above the CPU. Even when stressed, the temperature hovers in the low 40 degrees Centigrade. Very cool. If I'm brave, I may attempt overclocking, though it would probably take a couple uninterrupted hours. Might happen sometime after the banister, before Christmas. The only downside with the new fan is that it's louder. Not sure if anything can be done about that.
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Yesterday was a time of celebration - way to ...
November 23, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was a time of celebration - way to much food to eat and Sam's toys to play with. One of the extra bonus things with having Sam's birthday on Thanksgiving is that he'll never be bored while the adults sit around and talk. He and Destin played with the race track Jenny got him for the entire time. When we got home, all Sam wanted to do was play with the remote control car. I'm sure that will be the first thing he wants to do this morning when he wakes up.
Everyone seemed in good spirits. I got Seraph and Robbie's computer fully functional, for which I am thankful. My allergies didn't kick in either, for which I am very thankful.
I think Jamie's family may be arriving to watch football, though I'm never really sure what their plans are. Sam will be excited when Josh arrives. I'm still working on the banister, which is slow going. Also, we should have a functioning fireplace by the end of the day.
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Yes, no news is good newss
November 23, 2001 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Yes, no news is good newss. I'm with a new family I love.
I knocked off early to prepare thanksgiving for my family and Daniso's family, my programme assistant who invited herself over, but as she's my third mother, it was all good. Miles and I made two turkeys, rediculous amounts of mashed potatoes and squash and salad and Daniso even made apple pie, which was nice even though I've never even tasted anything like it before. Just Miles and I cooked the whole thing (cept the pie) and we cooked until 7:30, and then we ate until 10:30. My papa prayed so nice he said afterward he thought I was going to cry. I was going to- I was damn tired by that time, and setswana prayers always get me right there, you know? I wish you could have seen it. I love you all and your love came through, and I'm most thankful.
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Happy Thanksgiving!!! We finally have our co...
November 23, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
 Happy Thanksgiving!!! We finally have our computer hooked up at home, thanks to the diligence of Adam. I hope this means we'll be posting more often.
I had my birthday on the 10th, which started with a surprise brunch and a day of shopping! A real luxury these days. Everyone was over this afternoon for treats and turkey, including Charles and Judy, who flew in from Iowa today! We also had a mini birthday for Sam (the big three), who promptly went and spent the evening in the corner playing with his new race track.
Our family room was semi-completed for Turkey Day-allergy free for at least one day! We still have a good bit of finishing, but the pressure has eased a bit.
We're finally healthly again. Isa's crawling, standing some, waving (occasionally), eating anything, dancing all the time, and generally being cheerful.
We went and saw Harry Potter. It was really good, but Robbie informed me that there were some parts that were different from the book! I think he and Jenny are going to plan a trip to see it again.
Now we've got Robbie's birthday next weekend, so be prepared for a call from me putting on something at the last minute!
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Things are moving along fairly well with the ...
November 22, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Projects
Things are moving along fairly well with the Lego computer. It turns out that overheating is an issue. The main problem is getting the CPU heat out of the case. When I put on a heftier fan and popped off the case, it ran at a cool 40ish degrees Centigrade. With the cover on, running a CPU-intensive game, it runs up to the mid 60's. Not good. So, the solution is to cut a hole in the back of the case next to the CPU and add a fan. Hopefully that will keep the temperature way down. I've disassembled it and I'm hoping I can take it to my dad's shop sometime today.
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Happy Thanksgiving to all! I stayed home fro...
November 22, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Happy Thanksgiving to all! I stayed home from work yesterday, still sniffly from a cold. Sam got some Star Wars action figures from Angie, which he played with non-stop. I got some more banister sanding in, which will hopefully be ready for staining soon. We also went to John's birthday party, a friend of Sam's.
Today we're off to Seraph and Robbie's house for holiday cheer. Looking forward to lots of eating and socializing with adults. Most of my conversations these days begin with "Tell me a Star Wars story . . ." (coming from Sam)
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Oooh, turkey time is coming
November 20, 2001 by Sue in Wielesek
Oooh, turkey time is coming. In our office meeting this morning, Reta told Seraph and me about an 86 pound turkey which someone had raised. This led to all sorts of humor.
Dick and I are getting very excited about our trip to Africa. Sunshine. Sunshine!
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Yet another illness sweeps through the Miller...
November 20, 2001 by Adam in Adam
Yet another illness sweeps through the Miller family. Jamie and I met this morning in the kitchen, fighting over the Advil bottle and mumbling words like "must have pain killers." I made it to work, though only coffee and my sense of loyalty to PeaceHealth is keeping me here. Well, actually it's mostly the coffee.
Five day weekend coming up. Should be fun. Hoping to pick up Wolfenstein today for some computer gaming madness. I also want to work on the banister, though maybe "want" is too strong a word. It'll be good when it's all done.
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I've been slowing down with my Diablo 2 gamin...
November 19, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I've been slowing down with my Diablo 2 gaming as of late. I slipped in a little Max Payne in there. Fun game, especially the "bullet time" concept, though a tad on the short side.
The next game on my list is Return to Castle Wolfenstein. It comes out in the next couple days, and I'll probably buy a copy if I can get my hands on one. The graphics look amazing, probably the first game to somewhat challenge my new system. The flamethrower itself is jaw-dropping and fun to use.
After that, there's a long lull until the February-March timeframe, when lots of good games come out. I may satiate myself with Wizardry 8, a classic RPG. I'm a sucker for developing characters and exploring a new world.
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Another quiet weekend has come and gone
November 19, 2001 by Adam in Family
Another quiet weekend has come and gone. I spent most of my time watching Sam while Jamie did things around the house. She got quite a bit done: painting the hallway, putting up shelves, and the constant house cleaning. I spent my time building Legos and listening to Star Wars music over and over again.
Sam and I are showing signs of a cold, mostly sniffles and sore throats. I no longer judge the Winter season by the length of the day, but rather how often our family gets sick.
Today is already my "Thursday", as I'm taking off Wednesday to Sunday. Looking forward to Thanksgiving with everyone, as well as Sam's birthday. Gotta wrap up all my secret presents.
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I have been watching the progress on our new ...
November 17, 2001 by Jamie in Jamie
I have been watching the progress on our new fireplace insert and Rennai Continuum hot water system (the newest thing in ecological/economical water heating) one step away from solar heating! It has been two full days of construction, and now we have to wait for inspections. Frustrating, but I guess I'd rather have our gas lines properly installed than done fast...
I'm looking forward to the holiday season. Thanksgiving at Seraph and Robbie's "New" house, Sam's birthday, Mom and Jim coming for the big game, followed by our annual holiday cocktail party and our first Christmas in the new house. Lots of opportunity for celebration and enjoying family...in small doses, so as to keep myself relaxed and happy :-)
I haven't started anyone's socks yet, but I'm determined to figure it out soon. Just need some bad weather where I can't go outside even if I want to...plus a few more board meetings, at which I always make a lot of knitting progress.
I made a scrapbook for Angie's wedding, and was very happy with the result. It is a lot of fun, and just the right mixture of practicality/linear organization/creativity for my personality. I'd be happy to help others, or work on projects for a small babysitting fee :-)
Have a happy and healthy holiday season. I love and appreciate all my family and friends, which I hope you all know.
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Sam took a bath upstairs in the jet-equipped ...
November 17, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Sam took a bath upstairs in the jet-equipped bathtub. A small amount of soap and a few minutes with the jets froths up a huge amount of bubbles. Sam was quickly buried in a white foam.
The gas isn't done yet. Evidently the inspector is coming out Monday, the gas is turned on Tuesday, and the final work is done Wednesday or Friday. Jamie's not super happy about the progress, but at least it wasn't 30 days as originally thought.
No exciting plans for the weekend. I'm looking forward to Jamie and Sam waking up so that I can make a big breakfast and drink a bunch of coffee. Not much beats breakfast on the weekend.
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A couple days ago, Sadie sent me a bunch of p...
November 15, 2001 by Adam in Family
A couple days ago, Sadie sent me a bunch of pictures from Africa. I scanned them in and added them to the photo album as well putting little thumbnails on her news page.
I also spoke with Jamie this morning. It sounds like the workers are there, getting ready to install all the gas components. Hopefully I won't return home to a smoking crater.
My new computer is coming along. I fixed the annoying whine of my hard drive - it turns out it was a software problem strangely enough. Once I get the DSL modem drivers, my evil plan will be complete.
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I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week
November 14, 2001 by Adam in Family
I can't believe that Thanksgiving is next week. I'm taking off Wednesday onward, so I'll have lots of time to work on the banister. It's also Sam's three-year birthday party coming up next Sunday. Simply amazing that my little baby is now running around holding complex conversations.
Jamie's getting excited and nervous about the big gas conversion that begins tomorrow. I wonder if I'll be able to take a shower Friday morning. Hmm.
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I decided that yesterday's headaches weren't ...
November 14, 2001 by Adam in Adam
I decided that yesterday's headaches weren't coffee related. Jamie's been a bit sick, and I felt pretty miserable. After a good night's sleep and lots of painkillers, I felt much better. This morning I'm back to my well-caffinated self.
I had a dream about Frank. In it, it turns out his death was just a big mix-up. We were sitting in the back of a high school classroom together, waiting for it to begin. I remember him making some strange reference to an old song.
I nailed down my weird computer noise to the hard drive. I need to check it out more thoroughly, but I may need to go through another painful return process. Blah.
Also, good Buffy last night. Although it's sad to see Willow start losing it all on her path to the dark side, it also makes for good storytelling. One of my favorite episodes involves the evil vampire-Willow showing up in Sunnydale.
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A couple nights ago, Sam woke up in the middl...
November 14, 2001 by Adam in Sam
A couple nights ago, Sam woke up in the middle of the night saying, "Mom, turn off Pajama Sam." Evidently he was having a dream about Pajama Sam, except there were monsters with one big eye. I suppose it's better than the dream where Darth Maul came into the house and was watching everyone while they slept.
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I was pretending to be a robot and Sam was co...
November 14, 2001 by Adam in Sam
I was pretending to be a robot and Sam was controlling me with an old computer joystick.
Dad: "Who do you like more, the real dad or the robot dad?"
Sam: "The robot dad, because he does whatever I want him to do."
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A bit of an exciting morning for Too Much Cof...
November 13, 2001 by Adam in Adam
A bit of an exciting morning for Too Much Coffee Man today. I woke up with a bit of a sore jaw, probably clenching it during the night, and decided to not drink coffee today. Well, I did it, but I had to take something for the headaches that soon followed. Sigh. Perhaps tomorrow I'll return to the Dark Side.
I'm trying to put down the final touches on my new computer. The sound card arrives today. I also have a couple nagging issues that I'd like to resolve soon. The biggest is that that my DSL modem doesn't have XP drivers yet, though they may be released soon. The other is a high-pitched noise that I haven't been able to track down yet. Sigh.
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Jamie made a pair of mittens for Sam
November 11, 2001 by Adam in Family
 Jamie made a pair of mittens for Sam. They went really quickly and were made out of the same material as the sweater she made for him. Very cute looking.
Jamie got a lot of work done around the house while Ray was over. They cleaned out the garage, made a dump run, and did some gardening. I think Ray is planning to fill our yard with assorted plants as he did in the old house. It's been great to have him be so helpful, as I've been neglecting yardwork to focus on things inside the house.
The city put gas to our house much sooner than we thought, so it looks like we're going to have the fireplace insert and hot water heater installed this Thursday. Very exciting, as the baseboard heat is starting to drive us all nuts.
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Well, the components are together
November 11, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 Well, the components are together. I had to file out the corners of the hole so the CD-ROM drive didn't stick. The hardware seems to work beautifully. I think my chances of overclocking it are excellent too - it posted at 1.7 Ghz without any problems. I'm still being careful of overheating. So far, it's fairly quiet too. Not silent, but with the case on, it's hard to hear. There's a video card fan that's a bit loud, and the hard drive is audible during certain operations.
The biggest excitement is with Windows XP. The internal DSL modem doesn't have drivers that work with XP, so I'm currently stuck with an Internet connection on my old computer. Internet connection sharing isn't working either, though I did manage to get a normal network connection between the two computers. I'll probably have to get an external broadband router/connection sharing device. I haven't done much research yet, so it may be another week or so until things are perfect. I couldn't get Max Payne to run either, though it may be because neither the game or the operating system has any patches on it.
I'll keep everyone updated. Even Seraph was curious about it.
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I went over to Seraph's birthday party this m...
November 10, 2001 by Adam in Family
 I went over to Seraph's birthday party this morning. Great food, but had to leave sooner than I wanted. Cat allergies. Isabell is getting big and smiley, and Jordan is almost as big as she is. Everyone seemed in good spirits and Seraph's old friend Raven was there as well.
I'm in the process of brining my new computer online. It's a bit of an undertaking, and I may end up having my Internet connection down for awhile while I beat it into submission. Wish me luck.
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A week of sunshine before winter really sets in
November 08, 2001 by Sue in Wielesek
A week of sunshine before winter really sets in. I had fun going to the Family Law Conference over at the coast with Robbie and Seraph, and of course Isa, who just charmed the sox off all and sundry. I'm here to report that all grandkids are incredibly cute these days. Baby Jordan wakes up occasionally, smiles, eats and goes back to sleep. He has probably already reached enlightenment.
I'm at the office, and Dick is here planting bulbs, changing the burned out lights, and fixing the plumbing. Once he's armed with his trusty Leatherman, he's definitely hell on wheels when it comes to repairs and refurbishings.
Good thoughts to all, Sue
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I'm slowly getting the shipping problems sort...
November 08, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Projects
I'm slowly getting the shipping problems sorted out for my new computer parts. The correct motherboard should arrive tomorrow, but they screwed up on the sound card and didn't ship it until today. If all goes well, I should be able to begin assembly of the Fossil computer tomorrow.
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I haven't posted forever with good and not-so...
November 07, 2001 by Seraph in Cortez
I haven't posted forever with good and not-so-good excuses. We still haven't done the final hook up of the internet onto our computer-mostly lazieness on our part. Also we have hardly been home this last mont. There was our anniversary trip to the coast, a quick trip to Ashland and a Law Conference at the coast. This week Isa and I got hit pretty hard with colds. Robbie has held out so far, but I think his will is starting to crumble. Mostly we've been getting into bed around 6:30pm and not doing much of anything else.
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I think I can honestly say that virtually not...
November 07, 2001 by Adam in Family
 I think I can honestly say that virtually nothing has happened the last few days. Basically, I got up, went to a very busy work, then returned home to watch Sam while Jamie went off to do something. Today and tomorrow appear more of the same, so I sense much playing with Star Wars Legos in my future.
Sam and I watched the musical Buffy episode last night. In the voice of the comic store owner in The Simpsons, "Best episode ever." I think it's the wackiness factor that keeps bringing me back to that show.
Josh and Jamie's dad arrive Friday morning. Promises to be a fun-filled family weekend.
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I figured out how to get Sam to do math
November 06, 2001 by Adam in Sam
I figured out how to get Sam to do math. I asked him, "If there were 4 tie fighters and the Millenium Falcon blew up two, how many tie fighters would be left?"
Sam (after thinking a bit): "Two."
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I haven't posted in my personal area in a lon...
November 05, 2001 by Adam in Adam
I haven't posted in my personal area in a long time. I've caught up with work for the first time in a few weeks. Frank's position is still open, so I'm handling all the development and Internet content management at the same time. Crazy. Fortunately, I've also started the evil habit of drinking cafT mochas every morning. Coffee makes me smarter than I really am.
Family life is busy and fun at the same time. It's been hard to find time for Jamie and I to visit, and this week is no exception. I think she has something happening every day of the week, with her dad coming down next weekend. Sam and I spend virtually all our time together playing something related to Star Wars. I may just have to take him to the movie when it comes out next year. Though he's never sat through an entire movie, this may be the exception.
I'm hoping our major internal house renovations will be finished up by Christmas. I spent a little time sanding the banister this weekend. Lots of paint to carefully remove before it can be stained and put in place. I'd also like to do some garding next year. One of my first tasks will be to get blueberry bushes in the back yard. I miss our old house and all the things we put in over the years, and the blueberries were high on my list.
I'm looking forward to the holidays. Thanksgiving and Sam's birthday are coming up in a few weeks. I've got some presents already picked out for him. I'm getting the obvious present - Star Wars Legos. He keeps trying to build Star Wars characters out of miscellaneous parts, which only sort of works. He currently has to build Darth Maul light sabres out of Lego antennas. Never quite looks right.
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On Saturday, Sam and I went hiking around Hen...
November 04, 2001 by Adam in Family
 On Saturday, Sam and I went hiking around Hendrick's Park. I spent the entire time retelling Star Wars and Lord of the Rings. At the top, we pretended to throw a ring into Mount Doom. All great fun.
My great computer assembly gets to wait another week or so, as they shipped the wrong part. I spent an hour or so this morning sanding away at the banister. It's going to take a long time until it's ready for staining. Hopefully, I'll finish it by Christmas.
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Sam wanted my attention so he called, "come d...
November 03, 2001 by Adam in Sam
Sam wanted my attention so he called, "come down here, old man!" "Old man?" I asked. "Yeah, because you and mom are old."
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Unfortunately, they sent the wrong motherboard
November 03, 2001 by Adam in Adam's Projects
Unfortunately, they sent the wrong motherboard. I called and got it straightened out. Hopefully all the parts should arrive by the 12th. Frustrating, but there's not really a big rush to get it all together. The sound card was back ordered too, so they'll probably both arrive at about the same time. Sigh.
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We had quite the exciting night last night
November 01, 2001 by Adam in Family
 We had quite the exciting night last night. Sam dressed up in his dinosaur costume (which matched Destin's) and we did some brief trick-or-treating. We made it to my dad's house, the neighbor's house across the street, then collapsed at home. Sam was pretty wiped out, though excited about the prospect of candy. After Jamie snatched a bite, Sam decided that she'd turned bad and proceeded to hide his candy.
 We had a ton of trick-or-treaters come to our door. I think we were a "good house", as Jamie's dad supplied a ton of vending machine candy for us to give out. We were passing out large sized Butterfingers and more. Seraph, Robbie, Jenny, and their crew all came over too. Jordan, Destin, and Sam all had dinosaur costumes on, while Isabell was a princess. Ah, the good ol' days when gender stereotypes seemed pure and innocent.
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