Well, I finally finished Morrowind last night

May 31, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, I finally finished Morrowind last night. Once I got toward the end, it wrapped up fairly quickly. The odd thing was that there was a basic "thanks, but feel free to keep playing" message. There's still a bunch of places to go and things to do. I could join one of the Great Houses, become head of the Fighter's guild, or any of a number of things. Still, I think I'm better off getting ready for Neverwinter Nights. I've got lots of stuff to do still.



For a four day week, it's been a little on th...

May 31, 2002 by Adam in Adam

For a four day week, it's been a little on the long side. I think it's my cold/allergy that I've had for a few days now, coupled with Sam being equally wacky. Fortunately the cafe mocha + Advil + Afrin is a winning combination.

Some new computer parts should be arriving shortly. Hopefully I can get it up and running soon afterwards. I'd like to resurrect tinboy.com, which is a distinct possibility. Could be fun.



It's been an age and a half since we last pos...

May 31, 2002 by Seraph in Cortez

It's been an age and a half since we last posted! Life has been chaotic, but good. At work we've been fighting off a computer virus that won't go away! Mom's computer finally crashed out today, and I think I'll have to call in the hired guns tomorrow. Sigh...
At home we've been enjoying as much outside time as possible. Although we got Harry Potter on DVD, and had to have a movie night on Tuesday.
Other than that we had a busy Memorial Day weekend. Robbie and I went to the memorial service for my friend from highschool, Conan, on Saturday. Sunday evening was Raven and Cheikh's wedding (beautiful, but I cried like a fool!). On Monday we piled into the car and went down to Wild Life Safari. I haven't been there in about 15+ years, so that was cool. Isa loved the zebras and giraffes, but the ostrich yapping at our car freeked her out. She then proceeded to sleep through the lions, tigers and bears (oh my)!



I am testing the new BEACH CALENDAR

May 29, 2002 by Judy in Hanes

I am testing the new BEACH CALENDAR. We want the family to be able to use the beach house as much as possible. This is a way that everyone can look to see if the place is "reserved". If already reserved, another family group may be able to come down too -- but that requires contacting the family that has it scheduled first. If no one has it scheduled, just e-mail Judy/Jim using the e-mail provided by the adamandjamie.com page or use jimhanes1@excite.com. This is cool -- just like WorldMark theClub.



Jamie's been complaining that the Lego comput...

May 29, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Projects

Jamie's been complaining that the Lego computer is being annoyingly slow these days. Since it's only a 266Mhz system, it's certainly understandable. So, I decided to bite the bullet and get a new system.

I thought a lot about getting a laptop, which would be nice for travelling with Sam. Watching movies or the like would be really handy. Instead, I opted for the $200 Duron barebones system. I'll throw in a new hard drive, and possibly put in the DVD drive from the black computer. That way it'll match the new black case I picked up. If I really want to haul it along, I can get a power inverter to plug into the lighter. If I'm brave.



Although it's been awhile, I'm going to try t...

May 29, 2002 by Adam in Emma

Although it's been awhile, I'm going to try to post a little something here from time to time. Like most big life-changes, some things take awhile to get used to. We still talk about the idea of a new baby. I think Jamie's slowly getting ready again, after a hard winter when nothing seemed to go right.

We made tie-dye shirts over the weekend. Everyone got one, and we took a couple of Sam's old onesies for the new baby. I did one, with blue and yellow stripes, and Jamie did another, with red and yellow spots. Great fun.



Jordan is still a big baby, though slowly get...

May 29, 2002 by Adam in Jenny

Jordan is still a big baby, though slowly getting back into the normal range. He's basically the happiest baby ever, quiet and smiling most of the time. He's started crawling around and getting into things, so Jenny's moved all the toys out of reach.

Destin seems to be basically the same kid every time I see him. He's doing better with playing with Sam. Last time the two got together, Sam was the wild one and Destin was pretty calm in comparison. Still, they were both leaping around in the front yard playing with light sabers, so it was hard to tell.



Well, not to get anyone's hopes up, but the c...

May 29, 2002 by Adam in Sam

Well, not to get anyone's hopes up, but the cortisone cream seems to be doing it's magic. The hole is wide enough so that he's not shooting a high-pressure stream randomly around the toilet. Jamie's pretty happy about that part.

Of course, this is part of my ongoing attempt to embarrass Sam when he's older. So all you future girlfriends, hope you enjoyed reading this particular posting!



Sam was in a terrible mood yesterday

May 29, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam was in a terrible mood yesterday. He spent much of the day crying and driving Jamie a bit wacky. I had ordered a couple new Legos (Spiderman and Harry Potter) from amazon.com, with strict instructions to Jamie that they should only be opened in case of emergency. Well, they were opened right away, which helped some. Towards the end of the day, I suggested Tylenol. Well, that seemed to do the trick, and he returned back to our loving boy again.

I think it was viral, as I started to get bad headaches towards the end of the day. They started getting pretty bad, to the point where I wanted to just lay on the floor and cry. I've still got a bit of it this morning, hidden behind my Advil and cafe mocha.



We tried to have a fairly quiet day at home today

May 28, 2002 by Adam in Family

We tried to have a fairly quiet day at home today. Sam was a little on edge, probably because of the changes in schedule over the last couple days. I think he's settled down by now, hopefully in part from the hours of Legos I played with him today.

We went off the the rose gardens for awhile, which were in full bloom. Sam had a good time climbing the rocks and running about. After dinner, we headed outside again, with Sam in his stroller. It was drizzling a bit when we left, so we rolled up the rain covering for Sam. After ten minutes, it was pouring down, and we quickly became soaked through. By the time we came home, our only recourse was to strip naked and dry our hair with towels. Great fun.



Jamie returned home safe and sound yesterday

May 27, 2002 by Adam in Family

Jamie returned home safe and sound yesterday. Evidently the beach house is great and she had a good time. We'll have to do a family trip out there some day.

Sam woke up early yesterday, and our big even was seeing the new Star Wars movie together. Sam loved it, of course, and sat through the whole thing except for a quick bathroom break near the end. I thought the movie was reasonably good. Excellent special effects, some slow parts in the middle, and a few cases of marginal acting. But hey, it's a Star Wars movie. What else could I expect?



Sam and I waved goodbye to Jamie as she heade...

May 25, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sam and I waved goodbye to Jamie as she headed off to the coast. We went back to playing with Legos, then called Sadie to organize a hike. We stopped off at Humble Bagel for supplies, then headed out to the arboretum for a long walk. Several bagels and a bear claw later, we returned home and descended to the nerd cave. For the last hour or so, we've been happily playing on the computer and fiddling with Legos. Having Sadie over is wonderful, and Sam is enamored with her.



As the end of the workday draws near, I'm loo...

May 24, 2002 by Adam in Family

As the end of the workday draws near, I'm looking forward to spending most of the weekend just Sam and myself. Jamie leaves for the beach 9 am tomorrow and returning Sunday afternoon. I'm hoping we can hike about with Sadie tomorrow, and go see Star Wars on Sunday. It's been a long time since Jamie's gone off leaving Sam with me. She's been nervously making sure I remember to do everything right. It's kinda cute.



Well, I called Dr

May 24, 2002 by Adam in Sam

Well, I called Dr. Mehlhaff yesterday and explained how we'd like to try a topical cortisone cream. I had put in a question via PeaceHealth's Ask-an-Expert system (a program I designed). It turns out that his partner answered the question, recommending Mycolog and saying that it's probably a good course of action. Dr. Mehlhaff sounded skeptical when I spoke with him, since he'd never used this treatment before. The cynical part of me wonders if it has anything to do with the fact that he doesn't get compensated for just prescribing drugs. Anyway, I should be able to pick up the prescription today. Hopefully it'll take care of Sam's ongoing issues.



SADIE'S 21st BIRTHDAY LIST: (in order of mos...

May 24, 2002 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

SADIE'S 21st BIRTHDAY LIST:
(in order of most essential to least essential)

1. Drinks on the fam
2. car tape player
3. jump rope
4. hiking stove
5. coolant and car oil

That is all.



Sadie watched Sam while Jamie and I went out ...

May 23, 2002 by Adam in Family

Sadie watched Sam while Jamie and I went out last night. It was good to get away, if only for a bit. A pint of Black Butte Porter and a rant about work was all it took to put me in a much mellower mood.

Sam accidentally discovered a hidden cache where Jamie had stashed a Lego toy for Sam. It was given long ago, and I think she was saving it for emergency. Needless to say, he was very excited and I helped him put it together. I remember the days when a toy costing a few dollars would bring sheer bliss to me for hours. Now it takes computer equipment in the hundreds of dollar range to get the same effect. Fortunately, weekend breakfasts with my family tops even that.



Morrowind is deep, really deep

May 21, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Morrowind is deep, really deep. I've been going on the lengthy main quest, and the end is not in sight. I've basically stopped most of my guild quests as well, and only periodically go exploring. I figured out how to make big sums of money, found a Daedric shield, and enchanted it to give me +56 strength. The natural maximum is 100, and I'm running around with a strength of 173. It makes carrying things pretty convenient.

I'm also playing around with the toolset for Neverwinter Nights. It's a beta, so it's not complete, but I've started work on some of the modules I've been planning. Should be fun.



We've just returned from an amazingly filling...

May 20, 2002 by Adam in Family

We've just returned from an amazingly filling Easter dinner. Seraph's potato chocolate cake was to die for, as usual. There were an amazing number of kids running about. We ended up leaving a bit early, as Sam was starting to get a bit tired (not to mention myself).

Jamie and I actually got to go out to a cultural event last night. I picked up tickets to Who's Afraid of Virgina Woolfe, which was quite good. Of course, we did end up heading home after the second act, as it was past ten, we were exhausted, and we didn't want to loose the good graces of our babysitters.

The folk festival was this weekend as well. Today, Sam dressed himself as a superhero and we all went down to campus to hear the music. Sam really enjoyed dancing. And by dancing, I mean running around me in circles then falling over.

All things considering, it was a good weekend. Jamie and I actually had a little time to visit, which was nice. Sam was generally in a good mood and was more funny than usual.



We all gathered at the photo place last night...

May 16, 2002 by Adam in Family

We all gathered at the photo place last night, with four generations of people and all the extended family for a single picture. I'll hopefully get a copy of it soon - it's practically a family tree in itself. Poor Sam was a bit distraught yesterday. The day itself was exciting, with preschool, visitors, and a surprise trip to the doctor. We tried to get everyone home at a reasonable time, and Sam promptly crashed out.

I've been feeling a bit blah the last few days, so I gave into my coffee habit. On the plus side, I continue to use my stair stepper in the mornings, in addition to my lunchtime exercise. That certainly helps work off life's various frustrations. I'm looking forward to the weekend, which can't come soon enough.



We took Sam into the doctor yesterday

May 16, 2002 by Adam in Sam

We took Sam into the doctor yesterday. He had a little blood come out of his penis after he peed the other day. It looks like it was just a little cut or something, rather than more serious problems with his kidneys or something. It did, however, bring up the issue of his condition with the small opening in his foreskin.

I ran across a really good article, which talks about the use of cortisone cream to treat the issue. So far, no doctor has mentioned this treatment to me, and it sounds like the best choice. I'm trying hard to avoid circumcision, as general anesthetic has risks, and the post-operative issues seem uncomfortable at best.



A friend of mine at work, Ben Amacher, had hi...

May 16, 2002 by Adam in Adam

A friend of mine at work, Ben Amacher, had his baby yesterday. He was over here at lunch, right after his wife had an epidural, and the baby came out a couple hours after that. Well, the interesting part is that he has tickets to Star Wars this morning. And, well, he's going.

Not for any movie in the world could I imagine leaving my wife right after she gave birth. It's interesting how different other marriages are. The phrase, "my wife would kill me" kept coming up during the discussions around the office.



I was driving Sam to the park yesterday, when...

May 15, 2002 by Adam in Sam

I was driving Sam to the park yesterday, when a van ran a red light in front of us. Fortunately, the Subaru has great brakes and everyone was fine. Sam and I did launch into discussion about seatbelts and how important they were. After a few quiet moments from Sam, he asked me if I was going to die. I had to explain that I was always careful, and I probably wouldn't die until I was very old.

Later at dinner, I was telling the story to Jamie. Sam interrupted and said, "I don't want you to die. Because who would drive me around?" So, evidently we're seen as transportation to Sam.



I've been having too much fun with Morrowind ...

May 14, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I've been having too much fun with Morrowind lately. I'm actually becoming quite powerful, maxing out a few skills and slowly working on my minor and miscellaneous ones. The only skill I regret not taking as a major one is Enchanting. I've discovered that it's clearly the best one around.

This morning, I cleaned out a Dremora shrine, picking up some great magical items in the process. It was pretty easy, and I even went back to another area that had given me great trouble earlier. I've basically become badder than bad bad Leroy Brown. Perhaps this quote from Shaft will help get my message across:

They say this cat Shaft is a bad mother
SHUT YOUR MOUTH!
I'm talkin' 'bout Shaft.
THEN WE CAN DIG IT!



Mother's Day was fun

May 14, 2002 by Adam in Family

Mother's Day was fun. Sam and I headed over to my mom's house, where everyone proceeded to descend for brunch. I mostly kept an eye on the boy, who has become adept at escaping. Sam and Dez spent a considerable amount of time playing with snails, then we said our goodbyes and headed home.

I think Monday was a little hard for Sam. He went to preschool late after sleeping in, but cried for much of it. Jamie stayed to keep an eye on him, and he perked up after coming back home. Jamie was off to a meeting last night, so Sam and I played and I tucked him into bed. Another day in the life of our household.



Well, I think I inadvertently caught a glimps...

May 13, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, I think I inadvertently caught a glimpse at the end of the game. Sam came down to visit, and he really wanted me to see what was in the middle of the volcano in the center of the island. Well, after much difficulty and many levitation spells, we made it to the top, only to find a strange city among the magma and steam. Sneaking inside, we ran across who I think was the main bad guy. We almost killed him, but I'm not really quite powerful enough.

The game continues to be lots of fun. I'm going back to a save game before our little exploration. I want to do some of the guild quests and perhaps join one of the three big Houses. The fun of this game is definately getting there.



Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there

May 12, 2002 by Adam in Family

Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers out there. We had a great Saturday, watching Sam ride his bike by the river, then later going to dinner at my dad and Yayoe's house. It was great to see Sadie again. I've got to remember to take some pictures of her today.

In a couple hours, we're off to brunch at my mom's house. Jamie's present to herself is some quiet time this Sunday, but she'll be there in spirit. She baked a ton of cinnamon rolls and made a present for my mom. What a woman.



Another exciting week day, and another present

May 10, 2002 by Adam in Family

Another exciting week day, and another present. I discovered a gift in the refrigerator as I went to get my morning cereal. It turned out to be a Hawaiian shirt, expanding my repertoire for Hawaiian shirt day to two items. Ironically, it's the same print as another person on my team. I'm sure there's much hilarity to be gotten from that concidence.

We're heading over to my dad's for dinner. My grandmother is there, and it'll be nice to see her. I think we're trying to get everyone together for Sunday brunch as well. Hopefully we can get everything coordinated.



Well, I'm leaving on a jet plane tomarrow aft...

May 09, 2002 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Well, I'm leaving on a jet plane tomarrow afternoon, and plan to get into Portland in the late evening. I sure hope someone is going to pick me up...
I had an interview with the Chapel this morning- Hoping to be their big intern next year, although I think it's somewhat competative. I still have a twenty or more page paper to write, which I plan to finish next week. No worries. Can't wait to see yous all.
kisses,
Sadie



I'm chugging along at Morrowind

May 09, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I'm chugging along at Morrowind. My character is slowly getting up in levels, which means I can now get into places where the creatures really kick my butt. Having good armor helps a lot, but when there are a bunch of Bone Lords wacking at you, there's not much you can do. I may try an invisibility potion and sneak through, unfortunately it only lasts for 30 seconds or so. Basically, I'm having way too much fun exploring and trying to puzzle my way through these situations. Great game.



The week moves along

May 09, 2002 by Adam in Family

The week moves along. Thursday seems to have come quickly. The secret presents from Jamie continue to roll in. This morning it was a Starbucks' gift card on my keyboard.

Sam's been in a bit of a wacky mood the last couple days. No preschool yesterday. When I asked why, he replied in a distressed voice, "because I love mom!" Hopefully he'll settle down by the weekend.



I keep adding goodies to the Fossil computer

May 08, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Projects

I keep adding goodies to the Fossil computer. First it was a TV tuner card and now it's an extra hard drive. I recorded Frontier House to watch later, only to find that it took up 3 GB per 2-hour episode. Whew! Now I've got huge volumes of space to record things on. Very handy.



Hi, Grandpa gets in Saturday night at 9:00 pm...

May 08, 2002 by Sue in Wielesek

Hi, Grandpa gets in Saturday night at 9:00 pm, and Sadie gets in Friday night at 9:10. What I want for Mothers Day is for everyone to go on the Million Mom March with us at 2:30 on Sunday. Maybe a pot luck afterward - or Sunday morning potluck brunch? What do you think, Hanni and Yayoe?

I went to Portland today to see the oral surgeon about my jaws. It seems to be more complicated than I thought, but I
don't think I have gobs of choice in the matter. I'll probably schedule the surgery after we move. It sounds as though it takes a while to get over.



I'm beginning to suspect a conspiracy

May 07, 2002 by Adam in Family

I'm beginning to suspect a conspiracy. After finding a present yesterday on my computer chair, another showed up on my desk at work. I discovered some pretty yellow daisies along with a card from Jamie. There's something about surprise presents that put a smile on my face.

The week continues to roll along. Work is fairly busy, and Sam is a wild boy. Our latest activity is to wrestle, typically utilizing a towel to capture Sam and let him wriggle free. He's become quite the wriggler.



I picked up Morrowind Friday, swinging by on ...

May 06, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Games

I picked up Morrowind Friday, swinging by on a lunch date with Jamie. It's a huge game, very immersive. I haven't started along the main quest at all, but instead joined the mage and fighter guild, and have been doing quests for them. The island is huge, with endless little side quests and dungeons. I've been having a great time just cruising around the wilderness in search of adventure. My main character is around level 8 now. I need her to practice magic some more so that I can advance in the mages guild. So, off to a room to cast "Summon Boots" over and over some more.



It was a great weekend

May 06, 2002 by Adam in Family

It was a great weekend. I got to play my new computer game in the morning, then upstairs for a hearty breakfast with the rest of the family. We mostly puttered around. Sam was feeling sniffly, so we spent most of the time inside. I got to apply my master's degree in science, fixing the motor of our lawn mower. Well, it was probably my basic electronics class in Junior High that was most of it, but it's all the same.

Sunday was a momentous day for Sam. I took him to see the Spiderman movie, and he sat through the whole thing. It was a first for him, having not made it through Chicken Run, Osmosis Jones, or Harry Potter. For Spiderman, though, he pulled through. I was amazed to find out that we'd been at the theater for over two hours. Amazing.

Jamie left me a little present on my chair this morning. New 501 jeans. I can't wait to get home and try them on. For some men, the way to their heart is through their stomach. For me, it's the pants.



This has been a strange week for us (or rathe...

May 03, 2002 by Seraph in Cortez

This has been a strange week for us (or rather me). I've been exhausted and grumpy, but the sunny weather today is helping greatly!
Robbie and I have been watching The Frountier House on PBS (check it out, they're running it again on Sunday), and have had "homesteading" on the brain. I guess it's that history major blood in our veins.
The weekend looks promising. Cinco de Mayo and Fiesta Latino is this weekend, it would be great to see everyone there again!



Well, I plugged in the flat panel display to ...

May 03, 2002 by Adam in Adam's Projects

Well, I plugged in the flat panel display to the upstairs Lego computer. It makes it look far cooler, especially with the wireless keyboard and mouse. The all-black look is fairly cool. Still, it's hooked up to a Pentium II 266, which is not exactly the zippiest computer around.

I may end up having to do a computer reshuffle at some point. The next obvious choice is to move the None More Black computer upstairs, making it Jamie's computer. The Fossil computer would be my main computer. The catch is that I use the None More Black computer all the time, for Internet stuff, as well as a second game when playing with Sam. Well, for now, things stay where they are . . .



It's a beautiful Friday, and I'm mocha'ed up

May 03, 2002 by Adam in Adam

It's a beautiful Friday, and I'm mocha'ed up. Since I did 25 minutes of stair stepping at 5:30 am, I don't feel guilty about the scone I munched down with my coffee. Tonight's a chick movie night for Jamie and whatever womenfolk she finds, so Sam and I plan on playing Morrowind (if we can get it) and hanging out in the nerd cave.

I'm slowly getting all the anniversary plans together. It's not really a secret this year, as I took Jamie's advice and we're heading to Seattle. Judy's coming along to babysit, which is wonderful. Should be fun for everyone.



One of those days I spent in trial, with the ...

May 02, 2002 by Sue in Wielesek

One of those days I spent in trial, with the classic Mom stayed home and took care of kids while Dad got his journeyman's liscense - he now makes 4400 per month and she makes 400 per month. The reason this issue is so hard is that the judge spent 10 minutes apologizing to the Dad before making him pay $500 in spousal support - giving him an income of 3700 per month and her, 900 per month. Why would I ever suggest to a client that he or she stay home and take care of the kids, even though I personally think it is so good for kids to have a stay home parent, when it may mean poverty for him or her if the marriage ends? This attorney stuff is still a pain.

Love from the cranky mom-



The other day, we were giving a bath, and jok...

May 01, 2002 by Adam in Sam

The other day, we were giving a bath, and joking around with Sam. Jamie was asking Sam if he loved her. Sam, being quite silly, was saying things like "Yes No". Jamie joked back saying, "Well, if you don't love me, I might as well go away!" Sam responded, "You can't go. We need you to make the new baby!"

So, evidently Sam's pretty clear on the whole cycle of life thing already. Though perhaps we've been a bit negligent on the whole "Women's liberation" thing.



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