I ran across this hysterical online cartoon -...

November 30, 2000 by Adam in Adam

I ran across this hysterical online cartoon - Zombie College. It's at www.icebox.com and is pretty hysterical. Highly recommended for all you undead lovers out there. There's even a catchy theme song.



A couple weeks ago, I found out that Roy Conr...

November 29, 2000 by Adam in Adam

A couple weeks ago, I found out that Roy Conrad, who played the main character's voice in Lucasart's Full Throttle, has fairly advanced cancer. I did something I'd never done before - I wrote him a get well card.

Yesterday, I got a card back from him showing his thanks. So Roy - if you're reading, I tip my glass to you.

For those of you who never heard his voice, I found something on the web right here. Seraph has my Full Throttle CD, so I wasn't able to get my favorite quote: "On the road, I'm indestructible."



Ah, Monday night after a long weekend

November 28, 2000 by Sue in Wielesek

Ah, Monday night after a long weekend. I got the wreaths all done. My annual bow to my Martha Stewart gene. Dick has gone down to the library. He is really enjoying his job doing real chemistry; they are working on a drug for glaucoma. He keeps buying new books, and I've kidded him quite a lot about being back in the la-boratory.

Thanksgiving and Sam's birthday were very fun. Dez, Sam, and Josh (Jamie's brother David's son) were very cute, and had a great time together.It makes me all sniffly and teary eyed to see what great kids and grandkids we have.

I talked to Sadie today. She and her buds went to Virginia to spend Thanksgiving with one of the old Eugene gang who is
going to school there. They left Virginia at 9 am Sunday, expecting a quick trip home - she got into NY five hours after she expected, just in time to catch the last bus to Northampton.

She was accepted into the Botswana program next year. She originally planned to go for the whole year, but now says that she is thinking about coming back second semester. She said she could then do a senior thesis and try to get departmental honors, whatever that means. She sounded very cheery, having got an A and A-on a couple of papers she had been feeling harried about.

Baba has been very quiet this evening; I think she doesn't feel very well. Probably quite a lot of weekend for her, too.

Much love to all, Sue



Sam continues to play with his birthday toys

November 28, 2000 by Adam in Family

Sam continues to play with his birthday toys. He's been having a great time with his train, though not exactly as it was designed.

Today, Sam walked up to me, pointed the train controller at me and said, "I'm making you go." I was then required to run around the play room while he pushed buttons.



Happy Birthday Sam! And thank you to everyone...

November 27, 2000 by Jamie in Sam

Happy Birthday Sam! And thank you to everyone who joined us in our celebration. We are a very lucky family.



Well, today was Sam's birthday

November 27, 2000 by Adam in Family

Well, today was Sam's birthday. With Tracie and Angie's help, I made enough french toast, pancakes, waffles, orange rolls, and other scrumptious treats to feed an army. That's about what descended on our house a few minutes later, as 20+ people helped celebrate Sam's second birthday.

It was quite the party and Sam loved all the toys. Recently, he's been playing with the train. While he liked the normal barrel-dumping action the train will do, there was alternative play methods. He'd put Big Bird on the tracks and run the train into him, then say "Oh no! I'm sorry."



Well, we had a fun filled Thanksgiving

November 26, 2000 by Seraph in Cortez

Well, we had a fun filled Thanksgiving. Squishing 14 people into our house made things quite cozey. Thank you to Mom and Dick for providing all the extra chairs, table, and table clothes at the last minute! Robbie and I did the unthinkable and went to the mall the day after Thanksgiving, and actually survived. We even did some shopping, but I don't think we'll be doing it again next year.
We've finaly grown accustom to the four days off of work (I actually slept until 7:30 this morning!). Now we're trying to forget that Monday is quickly approaching. Not much else new here. The baby room continues to be half way completed. Robbie has yet to name our child. And all the while I'm learning the new feelings of squished organs, and kicks in the ribs!



Sam woke up at 2 am this morning, got out of ...

November 24, 2000 by Adam in Sam

Sam woke up at 2 am this morning, got out of bed, opened the door, and went into our room. He told Jamie "Mom, I want to sleep in your bed" and crawled right in.

Sam had a great time at our recent Nebraska trip. The airplane ride was fun, the snow was great, and there were lots of people and toys to play with. In this picture, he's playing with a top in the basement of the Nebraska relatives' house.



While over at Seraph and Robbie's house for T...

November 24, 2000 by Adam in Cortez

While over at Seraph and Robbie's house for Thanksgiving dinner, I stole a picture of the new baby's ultrasound. It's a little old, but you can clearly see the intelligent features, shapely limbs, and grace that this little girl displays.

They still haven't settled on a name. I'm secretly hoping for "Bobo the Monkey", but I suspect they'll pick something a bit more traditional.



Well, my dad gave the go-ahead to let me buy ...

November 24, 2000 by Adam in Lohring

Well, my dad gave the go-ahead to let me buy a new system for him. He's even feeling brave enough to go for an AMD chipset, so I think we'll aim for a 1 Ghz Athalon. Should be fun putting it together. I'm getting the hang of it too - the last one went much better than the first. I still have some research to do, especially around the video capture card.



Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Quite the packe...

November 24, 2000 by Adam in Family

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! Quite the packed day. I started off by baking the bread and cinnamon rolls that I prepared yesterday. Next we went over to Brant and David's for an impromptu Thanksgiving lunch. Kudos to Wendy for throwing together much of the food, especially as she had to scarf it down before she left at 2 pm.

After a brief rest at home where Sam didn't really rest, we left for my sister's house. It was a bit cozy, but we managed to fit 14 people in her living room. The food was quite tasty. Seraph is also getting quite pregnant, with only two months to go. Little does she know how much her life is going to change.



First full day back from vacation

November 23, 2000 by Adam in Family

First full day back from vacation. I was up at 4 am, not quite adjusted to the time difference yet. It was very nice to sleep in our quiet house again. I think Jamie slept well for the first time in a week.

I took Sam to preschool today and he showed me the ropes. It was fun watching him with the other kids. He doesn't interact too well with others in his class, though he's very verbal with me. We made "flubber", played outside, and had story time. Ah, if life were that simple again for me . . .



Well, we've returned from our grand Nebraska trip

November 21, 2000 by Adam in Family

Well, we've returned from our grand Nebraska trip. The plane rides were long, the weather was cold, and the people were friendly. Our itinerary was packed and we ate and entertained our way around Broken Bow. The culmination was a birthday party for Grandma Lynn, who turned 90 while we were there. Great fun, though it's nice to be back home.

Sam absolutely loved the snow. He'd play outside as long as we let him, oblivious to the cold. He liked to move the snow about, either throwing hunks of frozen snow or plowing through loose drifts. Sam also enjoyed the plane. It became a tradition to count down and yell "blast off" when we took off. I was amazed at how good Sam was for the whole trip, only rarely getting tired and grumpy.



I've created a monster

November 16, 2000 by Adam in Family

I've created a monster. Sam and I picked up some Star Wars Legos yesterday. The last thing he wanted to do before he went to bed was to play with the Legos. The first thing this morning he wanted to play with the Legos. At breakfast, Sam wanted to feed the pilot of his Lego spaceship. I suspect at least some of them will make the trip with us.



My last day at work for some time

November 16, 2000 by Adam in Family

My last day at work for some time. Crazy day, full of interruptions. Tomorrow we're off on our exciting journey to Nebraska. Corn and cows for miles around.

Got some Legos for Sam today - a Star Wars B-wing. I didn't quite realize how much assembly was required. Evidently, the whole thing!

Oh - Sam finally got a hair cut. Jamie said he was really good.



Last night was Seraph's birthday

November 13, 2000 by Adam in Family

Last night was Seraph's birthday. It was a bit of a madhouse, with four generations and assorted in-laws at my mom's tiny house. Still, everyone had a good time, with apple perogies and mashed potatos enough for everyone. Sam loves Legos, and he spent most of the night playing with them.

Sam's new trick was to put a Lego guy on one end of a spoon while he whacks the other. The Lego guy would fly into the air and I'd try to catch it in my cup. Jamie rolled her eyes, but I think she was secretly amused.



Sam and I met Jenny and Destin at the duck pond

November 12, 2000 by Adam in Family

Sam and I met Jenny and Destin at the duck pond. We fed dozens of squacking geese, ducks, seagulls, and some Canadian geese that decided to spend the winter in Eugene. Sam was pretty quiet at first, just watching Destin on his bicycle. Later, he discovered the waterfall and watched the leaves go over. He made me repeat over and over things like "Hi. I'm a leaf on the water. La la la. Sure hope there isn't a waterfall ahead. Ahhhhhhh! (splash)"



I found my alter-ego

November 12, 2000 by Adam in Adam

I found my alter-ego. It turns out there's a named Adam in an online cartoon called Real Life. Here's the synopsis of the character from the character's page:

If you need software, this is the guy to go to. It doesn't matter how obscure it is, as long as it's on the computer, he can find it. He's probably got more CD-R's than the computer store.

Aside from that, he's an insatiable caffiene junkie. It seems his goal in life is to eliminate the need for sleep. A noble goal indeed, and he does a pretty good job of it...but not without side effects.

Don't try to play D&D with him...it will be your undoing.



Well, I picked up No One Lives Forever

November 12, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, I picked up No One Lives Forever. I'm fairly impressed. The dialog is funny and the gameplay is quite good. There's a lot of scripted sequences that are reminiscent of Half-Life. It's a new game engine, and it shows a bit. I've had a fair amount of crashes (a half-dozen or so), though it could just be that I recently upgraded my BIOS, video card drivers, and DirectX. It's a nice diversion until next year when the anticipated Neverwinter Nights comes out.

I haven't played a first-person shooter for a long time - since Deus Ex. That was a great game, and this one doesn't quite measure up. Still, it's really good overall and I'd recommend it to anyone (or you could borrow it). In the game, I just picked up the submachine gun. I'd forgotten how much fun it is to empty a clip into onrushing bad guys . . .



The Lego case lives! Sam was up late last ni...

November 12, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects

The Lego case lives! Sam was up late last night, so I was puttering around before going to bed. I decided to clean out my closets, most of which consisted of marginal computer hardware. Several months ago, I had tried to convert my brother-in-law's old Packard Bell into a custom Lego case. It worked great, until it mysteriously died. Well, I decided to give it one more chance and it came to life! It's still early in the rebuilding process, but if all goes well, the Lego case will return in all its glory.



Well this was quite the week! Robbie and I we...

November 12, 2000 by Seraph in Cortez

Well this was quite the week! Robbie and I went down to Election Headquarters (the Lane county Fair Grounds) on Tuesday night, and bit our nails off with everyone else. We were half tempted to go over and kick some Nader supporter butt (sorry Sadie). Anyway, I was sick on Wednesday, wether or not it was the flu or the election results I'm not sure! Robbie and I took Friday off of work Birthdays are great!). Unfortunatly I had to go in for extensive blood testing in the morning. The joys or pregnancy! But, Robbie took me to a nice lunch and got me an hour long massage! Ohhhhh...relaxation. Hanni's in town visiting us, and we're off to play for the day. Thanks to everyone for the birthday greetings, I love ya all!
GO DUCKS!!



Well, Sam and I went to the mall today

November 11, 2000 by Adam in Family

Well, Sam and I went to the mall today. I was trying to get something for Jamie for Christmas, but nothing came to mind. Instead, I ended up getting goodies for Sam and myself. Sam got a train expansion set (he loves the Brio and Thomas trains - hint, hint). I got myself a new computer game.

Of course, Jamie did get a couple hours of what she wants the most - time to herself. I came back and she'd come up with two ideas for her Christmas present-making project that she's coordinating at the preschool. I got the impression, though, that she might have gone a bit mad if I'd left her alone any more. She's not used to too much free time.



It is a true measure of my lack of personal t...

November 11, 2000 by Jamie in Jamie

It is a true measure of my lack of personal time that I haven't written my own message for 2 months. I have rededicated myself to carving out some time to keep mind and body healthy...such as actually going to the gym at which I am a member every MWF at 4:30 while Adam takes charge of the household (So far I have made it all this week). I am also taking Sam to preschool every MW morning, and (usually) using the time to do something enjoyable. I've spent some time with another mom at the preschool who I like...and whose daughter is (nearly) as sweet and precocious as Sam! I'm thinking of an arranged marriage. This week I am preparing mentally and organizationally for a trip back to Nebraska with the family. A long weekend before Thanksgiving to introduce Sam to a bevy of my cousins' kids (don't know what that makes them to me) Fortunately Adam is taking all week off to shoulder some of the heavy work.
I'm really enjoying the beautiful sunny Autumn we are having. This is my favorite season because the world is glowing with light, yet it isn't uncomfortably warm. You can feel cozy in your sweater, but you don't need a down coat to brace against the elements. And everything is crisp. That word just seems to sum up everything about the Fall.



Well, here is Adam, once again holding me wit...

November 11, 2000 by Adam in Wielesek

Well, here is Adam, once again holding me with my feet to the computer, so to speak, hoping that I will add something warm and wise to this web site. However, given the fact that the country looks absolutely foolish, it's hard to be really perky. My friend, Ilona Kolesar, during the Impeachment Year, pointed out that the country had never been in such good economic shape as during the year when Congress left the country alone and only thought about sex.

I actually think Adam is trying to keep me from playing with Sam at this moment. We were having a great time shouting and throwing legos and having lego car crashes. When I taught him to say "Destructive", Adam told me that I could never watch him again if I didn't shape up.
Sam talks up a storm. It's actually sort of weird. Here he is again. We're going to fix the crashed lego cars.

Love to all, Grandma and Sam



Sam's sleep schedule has been crazy the last ...

November 11, 2000 by Adam in Sam

Sam's sleep schedule has been crazy the last few days. Today, he fell asleep in the stroller as Jamie and Sam came back from the park. I held Sam on my lap as I upgraded my computer's BIOS and graphics cards drivers.

Last night, Sam wouldn't go to sleep at 9 pm like the rest of us. Instead he wanted to wear his "pirate hat" and play downstairs. Sigh.



Jim, a friend from work, made the mistake of ...

November 10, 2000 by Adam in Adam

Jim, a friend from work, made the mistake of standing too close to me when I was showing of the new digital camera. I'm liking it so far - the pictures are far superior to my old one. The only drawbacks - slow downloads to the computer and excessive power use - were offset by the low cost. I may end up buying a memory card reader, as I also have an MP3 player that has a slow connection to the computer. The old webcam is in a box ready to go to Sadie. Hopefully we'll be able to chat it up from across the country.



New digital camera! Also, Dave came by to wa...

November 09, 2000 by Adam in Family

New digital camera! Also, Dave came by to watch Sam for a few hours. Today was insane - the election being so close, issues at work, and Sam bouncing off the walls. Still, I have a lot of great things going my way. I feel grateful to all my family. Thank you everyone - to those of you in Vermont, Rhode Island, Pennsylvania, Washington, or just in the next room.



Hi, Everybody, Well, Baba gets her hearing a...

November 07, 2000 by Sue in Wielesek

Hi, Everybody,
Well, Baba gets her hearing aids today, and believe me, she is none too excited about the concept. I got her a couple of lottery tickets to ease her pain.

I had a phone call from Sadie, sounding excited about the election, and a phone call from Mare Wakefield, thanking me for sending on pix we took on her road show. She is such a sweet young woman.

Well, I get to be back in court tomorrow at 8:30 with the guy representing himself. At least, they asked me in advance if I wanted security in the court room.

Hogs and quiches to all, old mom



We were at Jamie's brothers' house the other ...

November 07, 2000 by Adam in Sam

We were at Jamie's brothers' house the other day when I said something to make fun of them. Sam immediately repeated it, and I made him say it again for the web site. Listen to it here.



Whew! Another busy day

November 07, 2000 by Adam in Family

Whew! Another busy day. As soon as I came home, we took Jamie to her aerobics class and Sam and I ran around Amazon park. Sam had a great time jumping into the leaves over and over. Afterwards, we picked up Jamie and went to her brother's house. Sam collapsed in the car and woke up halfway through dinner. Sam had a great time taunting Toshi with the stuffed Pikachu.



We tried going out to breakfast this morning ...

November 05, 2000 by Adam in Family

We tried going out to breakfast this morning at the Glenwood. We had a 45 minute wait but boy was the food good. Now the gang is over, with Sam and Josh playing with blocks and everyone else watching videos on the t.v.

Our Borkholder coffee table should be finally arriving. Jamie got it for my birthday present back in July. Those Amish sure make nice furniture, but they're not big on power tools.



Hey - I got a new webcam! This time, it real...

November 05, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects

Hey - I got a new webcam! This time, it really works (unlike the D-Link, which doesn't seem to work with my D-Link board). I also picked up a digital camera for real cheap. Hopefully, I can set it up so that we can have a virtual Sadie for Thanksgiving this year. She can eat her dorm Thanksgiving turkey and we'll move the webcam into the living room. Should be quite amusing.



Sam's been pretty disappointed in the selecti...

November 04, 2000 by Adam in Sam

Sam's been pretty disappointed in the selection of bath toys as of late. Last night, he played with all of his existing ones, but none lasted more than 30 seconds or so. We went over to Toys-R-Us and picked up some MegaBlocks boats. As soon as we got home, he went straight to the sink to play with it. Ah, to be young again.



Well, I think Sam is slowly getting better

November 04, 2000 by Adam in Family

Well, I think Sam is slowly getting better. He mostly slept in his own bed last night. Today he's been in a better mood and he's been eating normally again. Josh and Grandpaw Ray are down from Portland, so we'll probably spend some time with them this weekend. Ray got us a Costco membership, which isn't going to help my addiction to cool techno toys.



Well, it appears as if Sam may have Hand-foot...

November 03, 2000 by Adam in Family

Well, it appears as if Sam may have Hand-foot-mouth disease. Jamie saw a flier at Tiny Tots saying that it was going around, and Sam has some of the symptoms (spots in mouth and on his face). No treatment or good test for it, as it's viral. Fortunately, it supposedly only lasts a few days. Hopefully he'll be better by the end of the weekend. We probably won't see people too much this weekend as we try to minimize contact with everyone. Wish us well!



I was looking at my network folder at work an...

November 02, 2000 by Adam in Sam

I was looking at my network folder at work and ran across some scanned images of Sam's ultrasounds. This photo is one where the ultrasound technician was pretty sure that our gurgling fetus was a boy. She was so excited that she showed the photo to all the staff and they had a good laugh.

You can see the full images here, here, and here.



Sam had another rough night last night

November 02, 2000 by Adam in Family

Sam had another rough night last night. We tried all sorts of pain medication and topical anesthetic, though it was close to impossible to give him either. We gave up and just brought him to bed with us, and he was tossing and turning all night. Poor guy.



Hi, Everybody I'm here at Sam's Place to wat...

November 02, 2000 by Sue in Wielesek

Hi, Everybody
I'm here at Sam's Place to watch Mssr. Sam while Dado and Mom go out for a bite to eat. Geedu (Grandpa) and Baba (Dick's mom) will be over in a few minutes.

Wehad lots of trick or treaters last night, including Leopard Sam and Dez the Snake, who was wearing an amazing costume created by Jenny. We'll try to post pictures.

We're very much curious to know how the election turns out.
The Oregon ballot is riddled with mean-spirited ballot measures designed to take more from the poor. One sixth of Lane County's population goes to bed hungry at night. Not good.

Much love to all, OM



Well, we survived Halloween

November 01, 2000 by Adam in Family

Well, we survived Halloween. Sam wasn't feeling well, and hadn't been for a couple days. He was exceptionally quiet and would start crying easily. We went to the neighbors and parents, and Jenny dropped by with Destin in a snake outfit. Sam got to give out some candy to the kids that came by.

Sam has had a hard time sleeping the last couple nights. He'd wake up crying 4 or 5 times, which is pretty unusual these days. We think he's teething, as massive amounts of saliva is coming out of his mouth. I stayed with him most of last night and he'd soaked his pillow through. Poor lil' dude.



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