Mocha Friday

June 29, 2018 by Adam in Family

It's been a good second half of the week.  Work is winding things down before our release.  We had another reorg announced, basically moving things back to where they were, more or less.  I'm just excited to work more directly with Cory again, who is incredibly smart and funny.

Bob's having his second and final surgery today - everyone thinks it should go well.  Sam heads off Saturday morning, likely off the grid for a couple weeks.  Emma and Jamie have been at the coast, returning Saturday afternoon.  We pick up Seraph, Robbie, and Isa from the airport later that day, with dad getting the rest of the crew from Portland.

Joanna and I tried out our new kayaks yesterday afternoon.  Apparently I've never taken Joanna to the mill race, though I've hauled the kids on endless trips.  Other than the snake slithering through the water, Joanna seemed to have a good time and impressed me by holding the front of both boats while I picked up the other end and we carried them around.  I look forward to a longer trip soon.

After that we picked up Benny from the last day of their Spark Academy.  I think they enjoyed both weeks.  They showed off their home made Operation game, which involved a custom USB controller, a sound generator program, and a cardboard, tinfoil, and playdough.  It was pretty cool.

Guillaume came over with another Blue Apron box for dinner - those will end soon once mom returns.  He played a bunch of VR games, likely the last before he returns to France.  Sam and I played Carly and the Reaper Man until he headed off into the night, already looking a little tired.

Family Reunion at T - 4 Days

June 27, 2018 by Adam in Family

We're slowly getting organized for the family reunion.  Joanna and I sat down and came up with a list of dinners.  The plan is to turn that into a shopping list which my lovely wife offered to turn into food for the trip.

I'm still slightly sad and grumpy that Sam will likely miss the reunion.  We had a good night last night, chatting about programming and playing video games with Guillaume.  I think his moving out in September is looming in his mind.  He heads off to parts unknown tomorrow, likely returning in three weeks or so.

Benny's enjoying their camp, creating a custom USB game/music input with playdough and human beings.  Duncan works really hard to stay in his PJs and play video games.  Emma's having some quiet days with her mom.  I've been reading a bunch lately.  Workers installed a new heat pump head in the basement.  All is generally well.

Hot Summer Weekend

June 25, 2018 by Adam in Family

It was pretty warm all weekend - we mostly stayed inside with the occasional yardwork done earlier in the day.  Joanna hired Sebastion from across the street to dig up roots, I think to spare me the hassle.  Unfortunately I had to intervene with a chainsaw after a pipe was broken.  Our garden is producing rasberries and peas quite nicely.  It feels good to slowly take care of these things.

We went to Pisgah Saturday morning, grabbing Guillaume along for the trip.  It was beautiful out there, with more frogs than I've ever seen in the pond.  Benny kept wandering ahead.  Emma looked at everything with her new binoculars.  Joanna enjoyed the tunnel of sticks that leads to a little exhibit tucked in the wetlands.

Emma's going back to her mom's house today, likely for the rest of the week before hanging out with everyone at the family vaction.  Sam's vanishing Tuesday, likely for a few weeks.  I'm having a bit of a hard time with him missing the reunion - trying to be philosophical about it but not quite managing.  Benny's back to their science/art/engineering camp this week.  Duncan's playing computer games non-stop, which is probably his version of heaven.

The whole family played various computer games over the weekend - more jackbox and a fun insult simulator.  Emma and I both played Fallout 4, trying to get to the new DLC I purchased.  I played Carly and the Reaperman with both Sam and Duncan - a fun VR coop game where one person controls a little person and the other is a giant skeleton who builds bridges for them.

It's strange to think the house will quiet down soon.  I do look forward to hanging out with my lovely wife.

Mocha Friday

June 22, 2018 by Adam in Family

I somehow missed posting about my anniversary outing on Wednesday.  Joanna and I bought each other kayaks, ate sushi, and then had our feet rubbed at Footwise.  It was very pleasant.

Duncan has been playing video games until his eyes bleed most days.  Occasionally a friend comes over so they can play video games together.  Joanna makes him go for walks or read a book when the dazed look gets too much.

Emma's been mostly in her room and drawing or playing with her tablet, continuing the adolescent traditions.  She's been lifting weights with me at lunch, which she's gotten in to.  Occasionally she'll visit me out in the shed.

Benny's at a class where she sits in front of a computer most of the day.  She's been learning Blender and making a 3D Monkey Man.  I'm not sure it'll ever be printed out - she returned with a wagon to show off last night.

Sam's been house sitting for Jamie, playing EU4, and watching Stephen Universe.  He let me know that his plan is to go off into the woods for a couple weeks, which sadly means he'll miss much of the family reunion and his DMV test.  He seems to be in itching-to-break-free mode, with plans forming to move out in September.

Work's been all about bug fixing.  At times I feel somewhat amazed that people ever thought something worked, because it clearly never did.  I've also been cleaning up messes that other team's make, trying to be understanding.  I figure if I don't screw up at least once per week, I'm not working hard enough.

Joanna's getting a ton of house projects done these days.  I hung up some blinds yesterday so our bedroom is reasonably dark in the morning.  A new heat pump head goes into the basement soon.  The scratched up bathtub is getting repaired and we'll finally stop using a rubber ball to plug the drain.  I guess that means we've hit the big times.

Happy Father's Day

June 18, 2018 by Adam in Family

It's a stormy summer night after a hot couple days.  I was a little out of breath the day after giving blood on Friday, but still managed to spread a bunch of mulch and do some gardening. Joanna and I are slowly whipping the yard into shape.

Saturday morning we headed out to the library, dropping Guillaume and Joanna off at Saturday market.  Duncan, Benny, and I picked up books at the library, then met up and I gave Guillaume a tour of our library.  I made pizza and picked up Sam, followed by some old Mythbusters.

Father's Day was pretty lazy after a typical breakfast.  Emma and I played some of our old NWN modules and a card game.  Benny, who'd been waiting for a friend to come over to have a water balloon war, made due with Duncan and Joanna.  They all came in for dinner very wet.  Sam came over, along with Guillaume.  There was a tasty dinner, presents, and playing new Jackbox games.  There was a dating app for monsters game that ended up with some really inappropriate and funny text messages.

The first week of summer starts tomorrow.  Duncan and Emma don't really have plans, but Benny's off to camp for most of the day.  I have bugs to fix for our application, which is strangely fun.  Hopefully we adjust to the change.

Neverwinter Nights

June 16, 2018 by Adam in Adam's Games

Emma asked if I wanted to play Neverwinter Nights last night, so I broke out the old campaign I wrote for it a couple decades ago.  The graphics were very much rooted in the late 90's - full of sharp edges and flat colors - but the writing is good.  I did notice the one bug where the waitress follows the player out of the bar and wanders around with you, which wasn't my intent.  Emma seemed pretty enthusiastic, though we stopped before things got too exciting.  Hopefully we can pick it up again and play the campaign over the summer.

Last Day of School Mocha Friday

June 15, 2018 by Adam in Family

It's the last day of school.  Benny is playing outdoor games, with Joanna lending a hand.  Emma and I went out to Hideaway Bakery to help her study for her Biology class.  Sam's watching Jamie's house still.  Duncan informs me that he's not accomplishing much of anything these final days of school, other than a presentation in health he's giving today.

The transition to summer is always a little bumpy.  There's been a fair amount of scrambling to take care of things, plus we've got assorted odds and ends like getting Benny a functioning phone and getting new water faucets added to the balcony and patio.  Next week Benny starts camp.  Emma's coming up with a plan - I want to get her a one pass which gives her a bus pass and access to pools and such.  Duncan's plan is to play video games until his eyes pop out.

We're hearing good news from Bob - he's at home with Meg and Dick after being discharged from the VA.  Apparently he didn't need any physical therapy.  The plan is one more small procedure on the 29th and then he can come home.

I'm mostly not working today.  I've got a "day of caring" thing going on, giving blood in a half hour and listening to an all team meeting at Glen's house.  Joanna's got an event tonight, so I'll be entertaining whoever is around.  I got a new VR game - Budget Cuts - but the allure of Skyrim VR is strong.  Hopefully this weekend I can get some more yard work sorted out.  I'm also hoping to get kids settled into the summer routine a little more.

Mid Week Already

June 13, 2018 by Adam in Family

It's the end of the school year, with the usual scramble to the end.  Sam's house sitting at Jamie's, so there's been a fair amount of back-and-forth.  Emma's been picking and choosing where to stay - I think they had a good time making dinner together and watching Steven Universe last night.  Tonight she's studying biology with me.

Joanna's feeling a little overwhelmed with getting everything ready before the kids leave for Kevin's.  It looks like Benny's getting braces, so that process is starting.  I got a new phone over the weekend, and the plan was to give my old phone to Benny, but something went horribly wrong with my old phone.  I'm going to see if I can flash a new operating system on the phone, otherwise we'll give up and buy a refurb.

Guillaume is looking increasingly cheerful as the school year winds down.  He won't miss the teaching, but I think he really enjoyed the kids.  He's looking forward to seeing his family again - his brother has a pencil and paper roleplaying game waiting for his arrival.

We keep hearing good news about Bob, who was discharged from the hospital to go to the VA for physical therapy.  The VA decided he didn't need any, so he's discharged again.  The plan is to go in for a final minor procedure at the end of the month and then hopefully he's good to go.

It's date night tonight.  The plan is to get a quick bite and then check out some kayaks for mutual anniversary presents.  I'm pretty sure six years is the watercraft anniversary.

I've been slowly getting used to my new phone.  My new favorite feature is turning a selfie into an emoji.  What a bizarre future we live in.

Graduation Ceremony

June 13, 2018 by Adam in Yvonne

Last night we pulled Benny away from their room, despite protestations that they weren't ready, and headed to Charlemagne for 5th grade graduation ceremonies.  They sang, told poems of each other, and shook the principal's hand.  Later they ate pizza and roamed the playground.  Benny and some friends jumped the fence to run around in the big field nearby, yelling at cars and getting up to minor mischief.  Benny's the last of the kids in elementary school, making it 14 years of elementary kids in the house.  At least everyone gets my slightly inappropriate jokes now.

Benny's also going to get braces, the clear ones that don't clash with the MRIs in the study they're a part of.  I was a little skeptical after Emma's brush with an aggressive and unnecessary ortho treatment plan, but dad gives his thumbs up.

As part of their graduation ceremony, Benny was putting together a collage of old photos and I started to get a little teary eyed.  All my kiddos are getting so big.

Batty Mocha Friday

June 08, 2018 by Adam in Family

We made it through another week, bat attacks and all.

Joanna and I were talking on the couch when we heard scraping noises from inside the fireplace.  I thought it might be the bat and sure enough, out it popped from the side of the fireplace.  Joanna started screaming and the bat started flying around the room.  Joanna tried to cover herself up with her half-knitted sweater, which was clearly inadequate, and yelled to be covered with a blanket.  After complying, I texted Sam to come upstairs with a blanket.  He knew exactly what was going on, having done this before.  We cornered the bat in the kitchen, who refused to go out any of the open doors, but eventually it grew tired and landed on my blanket.  I set it outside and the bat was gone in the morning.

Then there was picking up Emma from school yesterday, which was apparently the last day for seniors.  They released three goats into the school labeled 1, 2, and 4.  There was no 3, which caused the desired confusion when people went to look for the nonexistent third goat.

Benny has no school today and is going to a birthday party.  Jamie leaves on a long vacation tomorrow, with Sam house sitting.  Life's never boring.

Mid-Week Update

June 07, 2018 by Adam in Family

My cold continues to linger, more annoying than painful at this point.  Joanna has been giving me cheek kisses since her return from Bend yesterday.  All is generally okay.  Benny is launching a ballista in the living room that they built, trying to determine the optimal angle/distance amount.  Sam is off somewhere.  Emma is at Jamie's.  Duncan is glued to his computer screen.

Work has been making progress.  After a frustrating day of flailing around, I think I have something that's actually working and much speedier than before.  Hopefully I can get it wrapped up in a day or two and move on to something else.

Bob's Recovery

June 05, 2018 by Adam in Wielesek

Sadie sent along some pictures of Bob recovering from his heart surgery.  After a couple weeks of being heavily medicated and a brush with pneumonia, having him up and chatting is a relief to everyone.  He still has a few weeks of physical therapy ahead, but it's nice to see him on the road to recovery.

Sniffly Weekend

June 04, 2018 by Adam in Family

I had a cold all weekend, which fortunately is fading this Monday morning.  Painkillers and caffiene kept me upright and functional, though it did put a damper on an otherwise good weekend.

Mom didn't cancel her Blue Apron subscription, so Guillaume has been bringing them over and I've been making meals from what's inside.  Sam and Emma have been helping out, which is great.  With Joanna away at her class, there's a fair amount of work around mealtime.  After dinner the kids clean up and sometimes we'll play Jackbox games.  It turns out that Trivia Murder Party is Guillaume's favorite.

Saturday after a hearty breakfast I shoveled bark-o-mulch on the front bed, with Emma helping at the end.  I wore myself out, but we managed a trip to the library where the summer reading program started.  Benny and Duncan picked out a couple free books and we ate bagels while enjoying our loot.  The day rounded itself out with pizza and Mythbusters.  Guillaume hung out enjoying vr.  I fought giant robots playing Battletech.

Sunday we had a hearty breakfast, went to the park, and I ran Benny to the hairdresser where they got their hair colored as part of the hairdresser's project.  It turned out really well.  Duncan and I hung out in the afternoon, playing games, while Sam was away and Emma was at her mom's.  I scooped Emma up later and went on a shopping trip for essentials.  That night Emma and I made stir fry for dinner, which turned out well.  Afterward Emma and Duncan had the longest talk I remember about school and life and such.  Guillaume played I Expect You to Die in vr, which he declared his favorite game.  Sam returned, ate dinner, and we played a little Enter the Gungeon.

Now I have to start making kid breakfast and getting Benny ready for school.  The fun never stops.

Single Dad Mocha Friday

June 01, 2018 by Adam in Family

Joanna left for her class yesterday, leaving me to be the parent for the next few days.  I managed to cook steak out of mom's Blue Apron meals that Guillaume keeps bringing over, though we supplemented it with tofu for Sam, Benny, and I.  Afterwards everyone but Duncan played Jackbox games, followed by Sam and I playing some Enter the Gungeon.  Duncan and Benny managed to bathe and get themselves ready for bed with very little prompting.

I'm off to take Benny to school, stopping by Hideaway Bakery for a mocha and almond croissant on the way back.  I'm itching to work on this performance improvement pass for our application.  I got the 17+ second load times down to 2 seconds, so I'm feeling pretty good about my approach.

As for the weekend, I'm hoping to do a library trip, get outside a little, and play a lot of games with kids.  Sam says he'll be busy all weekend, so I'm not sure how much I'll see him.  We've been playing co-op games all week in the evenings, which has been a treat.  He also signed up for a driver's test in early July, so hopefully he'll get that taken care of soon.

Emma finished her presentation on Versaille yesterday and has another on the housing bubble of 2008.  Benny has a sub today.  I think we're all okay.