The week moves along

August 31, 2004 by Adam in Family

The week moves along. Yesterday the sewer pump was fixed, so all the downstairs plumbing worked again. Jamie cleaned my dirt-encrusted shower without any prompting, which I am very grateful for. Unfortunately all is not perfect yet again. One of the washing machine hoses seems to be leaking, so that's on our list to fix next.

Every night before dinner, I've got to come up with a clever way to distract the kids as Jamie wants them nowhere near the kitchen. Anything involving mud, sand, or water is a surefire hit, so we broke out the chalk and watering can. Within a minute, Emma was laying in a puddle of chalky water, splashing and laughing. Sam had decided that brown chalk makes great looking blood when mixed in the water. Needless to say it took awhile to hose everyone down and both kids ate dinner in the buff.

Jamie did her normal gym workout today, so I had both kids for awhile. Emma wanted to run around a lot and Sam got pretty tired of walking around towards the end. I can't wait for the museum of Art to open on campus, as that's sure to be a favorite destiation for our explorations.



The day seemed long, with many events going on

August 30, 2004 by Adam in Family

The day seemed long, with many events going on. We had a good breakfast and I had a chance to try out the jam I made yesterday. Quite tasty. Afterwards we helped tidy up the garage area, hanging pegboard and other organizational goodies. After that, the kids and I went to Fred Meyer while dropping Jamie off to help Victoria paint her new house. We had a quick pirate-themed lunch, then Sam and I went off to Parker's birthday party.

Upon our return, we found Jamie had done a good job rearranging the basement. I discovered I had all sorts of tools that I hadn't seen in years. The rest of the evening is a blur of kid watching. There were some memorable moments involving a treasure hunt, as well as the nude sandbox hour. We finally got them to bed and I had a brief break before I spent some frustrating moments trying to fix my mom's laptop.

At the moment, I'm exhausted and looking forward to sweet, sweet sleep.



PC Gamer is a big deal, sister Sue!! But my ...

August 29, 2004 by Betsy in Betsy

PC Gamer is a big deal, sister Sue!! But my hope is that they are more interested in that fact that Adam is a good husband, father role model and all round guy.



It was a really nice day, though I'm not quit...

August 28, 2004 by Adam in Family

It was a really nice day, though I'm not quite sure why. We had a whirlwind canning session, making two batches of Ginger Pear Marmalade. I tried a little and it tastes really good. Everyone else can expect to get some for Christmas, I'm sure.

The kids and I played a bunch, with Jamie going to help Victoria move for awhile. I picked up a bunch of good books at the library as well as some tasty Metropol bread.

My mom should be over for dinner shortly. Time for me to run off and watch the kids. Sam's been playing with Emma a bit too long, though they've actually had a really good time together.



I was welcomed home Friday afternoon by a flo...

August 28, 2004 by Adam in Family

I was welcomed home Friday afternoon by a flooded basement. Now, it's rarely boring in our little household, but periodically events seem to come about that makes things even more exciting. Sam in particular was thrilled, hoping he could don scuba gear and swim about in our basement.

It wasn't as bad as some of our previous floods. It turns out the supposedly lifetime pump died on us and won't be fixed until Monday. Fortunately the upstairs drains work just fine, so the only real hardship we have is not being able to do laundry this weekend. Shucks.



I just got to the Hell levels of Doom

August 28, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games

I just got to the Hell levels of Doom. If I wasn't creeped out before, now I'm crying like a baby. Anytime that everything you have is taken away and you're thrust into an unfamiliar environment is frightening. And if that environment happens to be, oh, HELL, then it's twice as scary.

Remember kids, eat your vegetables and pay attention in school, or else you might be thrown into a place of firey brimstone where the monsters are tough and ammo is always scarce.



Ooooh, I hate to be working at the office on ...

August 28, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

Ooooh, I hate to be working at the office on Friday night when I should be drinking beer and recounting the day to someone!
Actually, I need to begin to search for a husband, or a wife, or maybe both. The first criterion is that he or she understand electricity and plumbing. You'll always be able to figure out whether I'm the one who put the Personal Ad in Willamette Week; it'll be the one starting with, "Race, creed, color, age, and whether or not your "height and weight are proportionate" immaterial. Must be able to change a washer or a fuse."
What I'm really worried about is that I'll get married to someone perfectly nice, but he'll still get on my nerves.
I suppose it doesn't sound like a very glowing epitaph for Dick, but he didn't get on my nerves very often.
Adam, I forgot to ask, did you get interviewed by some magazine more recently than when you were elected the all time Neverwinter Nights Cool Person a couple of years ago?
It does seem like a lot of people come to this site. I suppose only your old mom would think this, but maybe you are a good role model for young smart kids who want someday to be good husbands to their smart, pretty wives, good Dads to their sweet kids, and nice to their aged Mums. Just speculating...

Adam: Yes, mom. I had a blurb in PC Gamer this month. There was also a link put in my work's online newsletter, which had a little blurb about who I am and what I do.



Mocha Friday

August 27, 2004 by Adam in Family

Mocha Friday. Mmm.

I had a pleasant surprise this morning with my DSL connection finally got upgraded to something much zippier. It also seems that mushrooms popped up in our garden overnight, probably due to all the recent rain. I don't think the two are connected, but you never can tell.

I think Sam and I are going to try to join my family for the Labor Day weekend camping trip, at least for one night. Hopefully he won't get too wonky and instead it will be a grand adventure.

Nothing too exciting is planned for this weekend. We've got a birthday party for Sam on Sunday and Jamie wants to help Victoria move. I think a library trip will happen somewhere in there too.



I was eating my cereal and surfing the web th...

August 27, 2004 by Adam in Adam

I was eating my cereal and surfing the web this morning, as I so often do. My eye came across a movie for an upcoming game. When I went to download, I thought "Ooh, 50 MB? I hope it'll finish by the time I leave for work." I watched it download for a second, realizing that the download speed read 145 Kb/s. I thought "That can't be right," then realized that I'd ordered my DSL upgraded.

So, my personal web surfing should be about three times faster. I think that means this web site should be faster too, though I'm not sure by how much. Still, it seems noticeably snappier so far.



I'm moving into the new studio on Tuesday, wi...

August 26, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

I'm moving into the new studio on Tuesday, with much help from Williams staff, friends, and Anna. It will be an ideal fit. Work is busy, and I can't imagine how anyone can do what I do all day and then go home and take care of kids. My deepest gratitude to my caretakers and my amazement that all the neices and nephews are thriving. Under my charge, I imagine that the older handful would be street urchins by now.



We've been enjoying the rain at home, even if...

August 26, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

We've been enjoying the rain at home, even if it makes Isa a little crazy that she's not allowed to run around outside in a swim suit!
Robbie finishes up his summer programs today. He finished his last week with 7 boys! Amazingly he's been having fun, including renting a race car video to watch today.
The weekend will be spent getting ahead (I hope) on homework, and several of the term end projects.
I think Isa and Robbie will be heading down for a visit next week. We'll keep you posted.



The picture is terrific!! Gives me faith in...

August 25, 2004 by Betsy in Betsy

The picture is terrific!! Gives me faith in family. I printed it and will send it on to Grandpa Bill, he'll love it!!
Days now are very busy, I'm so happy that PAtricks back. Maybe-- now that he's a teenage, he's evil!!!!! Love Betsy and the boys



I just got permission to post the picture fro...

August 25, 2004 by Adam in Family

I just got permission to post the picture from Saturday's photo shoot. Give it a click to see it in its full glory.

I broke out my rain gear for the first time in months, though the morning drizzle wasn't too bad. It's nice not to have to water the tomatoes quite so diligently.

For all the people who like gossip, I heard that Kai is expecting a child. Kai is a childhood friend of Seraph's and now lives in Portland with her husband. I remember when she was knee high to a grasshopper. Man do I feel old.



It was a fairly quiet day

August 25, 2004 by Adam in Family

It was a fairly quiet day. I felt a little sick off and on, mostly in the evening. The kids are a little fussy and Jamie reported headaches, so I guess we're not completely better yet.

I had the kids for an hour or so during work. We hiked over to the graveyard on campus, which is one of Sam's favorite spots to visit. He really wanted to find a secret entrance, to where he didn't say. Emma practiced her words, such as "statue". We also popped in to the library for a brief visit, though the kids thought the accoustics were so great that they kept shrieking. We didn't stay long.

Work was a bit tedious. I spent several hours staring at a couple pages of code, trying to figure out why it wasn't working. Come tomorrow, I'll start in on it again.



Emma's been really trying out her language sk...

August 25, 2004 by Adam in Emma

Emma's been really trying out her language skills this last week. I was holding her and walking along the sidewalk with Sam when she suddenly said "Bush!" Sure enough, there was a nearby bush that had caught her eye. The "s" sound is pretty hard for her, so I was surprised it sounded so clear. She'll also say things like "house", "nose", "mouth", and a whole slew of other words.

This latest picture is from last weekend when the adults got a little carried away with the stickers. I don't think she enjoyed the removal process all that much.



I find that more and more people are coming t...

August 23, 2004 by Adam in Family

I find that more and more people are coming to this site, though I'm not quite sure why. My little family isn't all that interesting. Perhaps it was a link on my work's intranet along with that article in PC Gamer. Ah, the life of a web celebrity. Yet another reason for Jamie to roll her eyes at me.

The rest of the weekend was pretty good, other than Jamie and I getting sick. It wasn't horrible, just some stomach bug and headache that kept us slower than normal. Jamie's family descended on our house for a couple hours of entertainment. Sam played a ton with one of the neighbor kids while Jamie and I actually had a few moments to ourselves.



Hi There

August 23, 2004 by Yayoe in Yayoe

Hi There..thanks to everyone, especially to Sadie (who made a special trip home) and the kids, the WHAT DOES FAMILY LOOK LIKE photo shoot was successful. Julie says she got a good photo and didn't have to make any adjustments! If all goes well we'll be able to post it on the family website as soon as I get the OK from CALC. Then we'll figure out how to get copies to you. I'll let you know the date in September when the exhibit opens. CALC will invite all the 24 families to attend! It should be a fun event that also makes a political statement about the need to support the diversities of the families.

Meanwhile, we are looking forward to the family weekend at the lake. So here's our upcoming schedule for September and October. We are off to Montana September 16-20 for a boat race and a tour of Glacier National Park! Then we visit Dorothy from October 7-12th. Lohring's new work schedule is Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday with some changes as needed.

I'm still working on refinishing the deck (groan) and doing my volunteer work at 3 different agencies. The Assistance League's Gently Used thrift shop has incredible buys so be sure to shop there and check out the bargains. It's located across the street from Washington Mutual Bank on 11th and Willamette! My CALC work is self explanatory! So enough for now...so good seeing all of you on Sunday!



I'm plugging away at Doom 3, trying not to pl...

August 22, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games

I'm plugging away at Doom 3, trying not to play for too long at a time. I actually had my first Doom 3 related nightmare, so I guess I'm getting my money's worth. I think it's pretty close to the scariest game I've ever played.

At this point, I'm probably 30-40% of the way through, though it's hard to tell. Hopefully I'll finish up just in time for Half-Life 2.



It was a bit of a whirlwind day yesterday

August 22, 2004 by Adam in Family

It was a bit of a whirlwind day yesterday. Dave, Kirsten, and Josh came over for lunch and Sam and Josh got lots of play time in. Josh is going to be living with his mom, so we'll be missing him. For the last couple years, he's been stopping by our house after school, so Sam's grown awfully fond of him. He'll be at Lincoln City starting in a few weeks, so we'll probably visit when we go to the beach house.

The afternoon was spent at Jenny's house, getting our picture taken for an article talking about diverse families. I suspect we had the most interesting collection of mental conditions, though I'm not sure how that's going to come across in a photo. The kids got a little wild towards the end, with making them smile a Herculian task. It turns out I knew the photographer too, as she graduated from South back in '87 like I did.

The evening was spent winding the kids down and getting them ready for bed. Emma was up a little late, running around on the patio playing with the watering can.

As I type this, the rain has stopped and the sun is peeking out. I think we'll have Jamie's family over today as Brant and her brother are in town. We might do a little more work on the garage as well, getting stuff put away.



I am waiting to hear from Patrick! Mike, Wil...

August 21, 2004 by Betsy in Betsy

I am waiting to hear from Patrick! Mike, Will and Missy went up to camp to pick him up and frankly a month was just to long for Mom.
We had a fabulous vacation together during which Will proved that he could be a great camper even with physical limitations and I came to the realization that Patrick was beginning to act like a teenager. That's a scary thought.
Patrick happily raced off when we dropped him at camp and has sent one 3 line card since!
I am already in my really busy season and have no idea how I am going to make it through it this year. I have plenty of painters and cleaners and I am the only thing in short supply. Wish me luck!



After a hearty breakfast, we got ready for th...

August 21, 2004 by Adam in Family

After a hearty breakfast, we got ready for the fairgrounds. We met up with Isabell, Sadie, and my mom then proceeded to see all the sights. The kids liked the rides, though I was partial to the OMSI exhibit and the various art shows. Looking at all the award-winning cookies and breads made me quite hungry.

The afternoon was pretty quiet. We power washed the basement, Jamie helped Victoria move for awhile, and Sam watched The Sword in the Stone.



My mom pulled a sneaky one yesterday

August 20, 2004 by Adam in Family

My mom pulled a sneaky one yesterday. She invited us over to dinner, only to find that Sadie was there to greet us. Evidently she'd flown over for a few days to hang out with everyone and get her picture taken with the rest of the family on Saturday. It was wonderful seeing her and we'll be going to the fair with her tomorrow.

Today was pretty quiet at work. Three deer stared at me noiselessly from our front yard as I bicycled away. Very surreal.

The kids were pretty funny tonight, especially Sam. He set up an elaborate experiment involving toilet paper, cups, water, and a penny. After getting very wet and lots of toilet paper strewn about, we asked him what he learned. "Not to pour water really fast."



My life has moved from mid-terms to finals

August 19, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

My life has moved from mid-terms to finals. There are only a four more classes (only three classes in two of mine) before the term ends!
I'm looking forward to seeing everyone this weekend. It's also my high school reunion, so I will be running around catching up with old SEHS folks. It should be fun.
A little note to Adam and Jamie: Isn't it funny how, no matter how gender nutral we try to be, kids have built in genetic code that tells them girls do one thing and boys do another?
Little note to Adam: Don't expect Doom 4 any time soon. I read an article in the Oregonian about the guy and his company who created it. The last part noted that he and his wife are expecting their first child this fall. As you know, I just don't think he'll have quite the time to devote to game creation as he does now!



Emma has this crazy fascination with moles

August 18, 2004 by Adam in Emma

Emma has this crazy fascination with moles. She loves to examine and prod any funny patch on people's skin all the while saying "mo mo". She'll push Jamie's head out of the way to look at a little mole on her neck.

She also really loves dolls, which she calls her "baby". Seeing that instinctive nurturing is quite the constrast to Sam and his penchant for mass destruction.



The county fair starts today

August 17, 2004 by Adam in Family

The county fair starts today. That means we'll be listening to 80's heavy metal bands for the next few nights as our house somehow catches the music from the fairgrounds with perfect fidelity. I'm hoping to take Friday off to visit with the kids. I suspect Sam will want to go on some rides, though I prefer the art and animal exhibits.

Our little family is doing well. Emma got a few bumps and scrapes just going around in the world, though she seemed fine this morning. When I left the house she was taking a bottle to feed her baby doll. Her verbal skills are improving quite a bit, with words like "water" and "baby" complete understandable.

This morning I had the kids for an hour at work. We went to visit the ducks at the mill race and feed them some old bread. Everyone had a good time and the walk around campus did us good.



I saw a new studio apartment this morning, an...

August 16, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

I saw a new studio apartment this morning, and am seriously considering a move. It saddens me to think of leaving my hall mate Taneya and her cat Mowgli, who I've been watching this week, but the new place smells much nicer. And while it looks a bit like a hotel in its off-white walls and standard size bathroom, it has a bathtub, counter space and kitchen cupboards. Additionally, a second floor flat on Spring Street is such a metropolitan move!

I visited www.findyourspot.com, and after an extensive quiz, Eugene was my number one spot. Ahh...



I kept remarking throughout the weekend how i...

August 16, 2004 by Adam in Adam

I kept remarking throughout the weekend how incredibly nice it was. We didn't do anything amazing, but everyone seemed in pretty good spirits, enjoying the sun and getting a few things done in the process. The time playing with the kids was generally entertaining and not too long. Sam wanted so much to play with me that it made our sessions reinacting computer games not so bad. Emma wanted to read, draw, and explore the outside, not to mention make lots of funny faces.

It's all good.



We all had a great time at Jordan's birthday ...

August 15, 2004 by Adam in Family

We all had a great time at Jordan's birthday party. Sam spent the entire time trying to catch a fish that was in a nearby pond, while Emma enjoyed visiting with all the people.

After we got home, we "ate and drank" according to Sam who's helping me type this. We also got both kids naked in the backyard on the slip-and-slide. They then moved to the sand box, getting very sandy, and it was baths all around after that.

This Sunday has been pretty quiet. Jamie and I had a breakfast with just Emma as Sam slept in quite a long time. The big project for the day was to clean out the garage, which went pretty well. We're about halfway there, as most of the contents of the garage are still in boxes. This afternoon I went to the library and played a lot with Sam.



I failed to mention the excitement that WAS P...

August 15, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

I failed to mention the excitement that WAS Portland on Friday. It was rather fun seeing all of the Kerry supporters craming the MAX going from Kerry rallies to Bush protests around town (yes, here were a few going in the other direction as well). It was strange trying to explain to Isabell that there were two very important people in our city, and that was why it took 1.5 hours to pick up Dad at work, instead of the usual 20 minutes. All she said was that she was bored...sigh, I suppose interest in politics takes awhile.



Good morning to all in Eugene! I missed you ...

August 15, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

Good morning to all in Eugene! I missed you all yesterday, but it sounds like everyone had fun.
I've been holed up in the house for...well many more hours then are in a day! I'm slowly getting my two projects done, though I've discovered I have serious commitment issues with my art. Noting seems harder then putting charcol to paper!
We would love to go camping. I've heard Labor Day weekend floating around. I'm still in school, but have that monday off. Let us know!



hello two all, thank you to everyone for comi...

August 15, 2004 by Jenny in Jenny

hello two all, thank you to everyone for coming to the b-day party, which i think was a great success. I think everyone had a great time. Jordan is now playing with all his toys which are all over the house.We went for a quick swim then destin threw one of the diving ring to jordan who caught it with us lower lips which is now split open that was the end of the swimming for today.well our next big thing should be camping which i am asking everyone to attent. I sure missed you today seraph, so i hope that midterms are over so we can all go camping , and adam we really want you guys to go to we can teach sam to fish even if he doesn't want to eat them. dad is going and has volentered to put the worms on the hook. so to all thanks for all the great gifts. see you all soon.



It was a great morning

August 14, 2004 by Adam in Family

It was a great morning. Jamie made up a tasty breakfast, though I forget the name of it. It involves mixing flour, eggs, and butter, then baking it for awhile. Very yummy. Sam slept in, so it was mostly a quiet breakfast.

We did some house projects so far, painting trim that we've left since Winter. We also ran out to Borders to pick up some presents. In an hour or two we'll be running over to Jordan's birthday party out at Island Park. Should be fun.



Friday the 13th and mocha Friday, both on the...

August 13, 2004 by Adam in Family

Friday the 13th and mocha Friday, both on the same day. I wonder if they cancel each other out?

I don't think there's any big plans for this weekend. I got some cardboard boxes from work in preparation for a big garage clean-up. Hopefully we can get something useful done.



I foolishly said to my friend Zach that we sh...

August 12, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

I foolishly said to my friend Zach that we should seize a particularly beautiful Tuesday afternoon, and he proceeded to take me on a six mile hike! What a way to finish off a day, though. These wilderness kids know where it's at. He has to mark all the trails for the first-year outdoor orientation program, so I imagine I'll be going on a few more before the end of the month. Today is rainy and begging for woolen socks and soup. I have much to do, but nothing pressing enough to keep me from daydreaming about a bath and a good book. hmm...



The fig tree is gone, leaving a big part of t...

August 12, 2004 by Adam in Family

The fig tree is gone, leaving a big part of the back yard now walkable. It's quite strange, making the yard look quite a bit bigger. Already Jamie and I are having discussions about fruit trees. We'll see how it comes along.

I had the kids this morning again while Jamie worked out. They were cute and funny as always, eating their bagles then exploring campus with me. I can't wait for the Natural History and Art museums to open, as we're sure to have a lot of fun in them.

I'm also hoping to upgrade my DSL connection, which should hopefully make this web site more snappy. Unfortunately it may also mean that I'm down for awhile, depending on what QWest does exactly.



Quick note from class before we take our mid-term

August 12, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

Quick note from class before we take our mid-term. Two today. Looking forward to this being over! I might send Robbie and Isa down this weekend for Jordan's birthday and stay home to finish up to major projects. One of which is an exact (down to the type of paper, media used, and scratches) reproduction of an old master drawing! Things have been a little crazy felling, but we're thinking of you all and miss you like crazy.



We all said our farewells to the fig tree in ...

August 11, 2004 by Adam in Family

We all said our farewells to the fig tree in our back yard. It's coming out today, along with pruning a couple of the other trees around our house. While figs are occasionally tasty, it's not something we regularly snack on. The tree also seems to take over most of the back yard, creating a big circle of branches and fig droppings where none dare to tread. The hope is that we put in an apple and pear tree, hopefully a hammock distance apart.

Everyone enjoyed the lake yesterday, with Sam having a good time swimming around. Other than that, life's pretty much the same as always. We pretended Sam was in superhero school, where he practiced bending steel with his bare hands, reading people's minds, and running faster than a bullet. So far, I think we're stuck with the Batman style hero, as he doesn't show any sign of superpowers. While that was going on, Emma played in the sandbox, fascinated at moving tiny grains of sand from point A to point B.



It's been so hot lately and Emma has been up ...

August 11, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games

It's been so hot lately and Emma has been up late a lot. I haven't had a chance to play Doom 3 for a couple days. That's my way of explaining why I was sitting in the basement playing Doom 3 naked in the dark last night. While I'm sure people could read various things into it, it's mostly because of the heat, not to "fully experience" the game or some such thing.

It's still really scary and creepy. I ended up getting trapped in a pit with a ton of spider-like things trying to come after me. Lots of moments like that.



The week chugs along

August 10, 2004 by Adam in Family

The week chugs along. I somehow managed to hurt my arm yesterday, probably due to lifting weights. It's completely fine until I move it into some odd position that I can't replicate. I woke myself up last night as I was dreaming that my arm was somehow hurt.

The family's doing fine. Jamie and the kids went out to Fern Ridge with a friend of hers to hang out at the lake. Emma was up a lot last night, so I had a quality 5 am visit with her. Sam had a brief tantrum involving a chocolate chip cookie and not eating his dinner. Jamie forced me to watch the redneck comedians on Comedy Central and rub her feet.



I went to the Berkshire Humane Society for a ...

August 10, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

I went to the Berkshire Humane Society for a visit today, and I'd really like a dog. Oooo, the geriatric poodles are so cute!



Another phone call from Sadie, still battling...

August 09, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

Another phone call from Sadie, still battling the squirrels. I could hear the faint edge of hysteria in her voice as I passed on Betsy's suggestion of moth balls and pans of ammonia.
I went to a birthday party over the weekend - very fun. I appreciate these young whippersnappers who include me in their celebrations. (Bad sign when I think of someone who's
47 as a young whippersnapper!) Talked to Jim Edmanson, who, with his wife, was a delegate to the Democratic Convention.



The weekend is almost to a close

August 09, 2004 by Adam in Family

The weekend is almost to a close. It's been a pretty lazy one, with lots of playing with the kids and enjoying the sun. Sam in particular managed to wrangle quite a bit of dad play time with me, though Emma got her share as well. Both the kids were really funny this weekend, with witty comments from Sam and silly faces from Emma.

Jamie and I had a few moments to ourselves when my mom came over Saturday. We had lunch on the patio and then picked up figs from our yard that the birds had eaten. Ah, l'amour!



Emma's been very cute lately

August 07, 2004 by Adam in Emma

Emma's been very cute lately. She crawled into a basket and happily sat there for a long time.

She's also been really interested in drawing. I'll draw a quick picture of a baby or animal, then Emma scribbles over it, saying "bye bye".

She's also picking up lots of new words. Some are ones that she can't say, but understands, like the word "up". She can also say the names of all our family members, though "Emma" and "mom" sound very similar.



It was nice to have the rain make itself know...

August 06, 2004 by Adam in Family

It was nice to have the rain make itself known again in our little valley. The scent of wetness was all about when I rode in this morning. Mixed with a coffee and a visit from Emma and Jamie, it was a nearly perfect work day.

I'm hoping this weekend is quiet. We've arranged for some babysitting tomorrow morning, but it's otherwise looking fairly calm. Hopefully we can work in a movie rental and a library trip, which sounds like just the thing on a rainy weekend.



Well, Doom 3 arrived finally

August 06, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games

Well, Doom 3 arrived finally. As promised, the graphics are incredible. It's amazing to see games slowly approach photorealism. I have mixed feelings about the gameplay itself, so far it seems like a pretty linear funhouse, with endless creatures jumping out at me. I stopped playing after an hour or so last night as I found myself clenching my teeth and needed to calm down.

They also have all these touchscreen monitors scattered around which you can easily go up to and interact with. It's done very nicely and looks incredible.



Anna is visiting for the weekend before she g...

August 06, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Anna is visiting for the weekend before she goes home to Detroit for two weeks. We saw an absolutely fabulous play last night called "Design for Living" by Noel Coward. Wowie! And the celebreties strutting around Spring Street are out of control. Hopefully things will calm down when the student return. ha ha. Love to all.



The week has been chugging along

August 05, 2004 by Adam in Family

The week has been chugging along. Since the release of my Neverwinter Nights game, I've been a bit on edge with the criticisms and bug reports. Jamie informed be that I was grumpy, so I'm making a conscious effort to be more mellow about things.

I had the kids this morning while Jamie worked out in the gym. We went over to the new business education building at the U of O. Emma went up and down the long spiral stairs, laughing as she went. They're both great kids and I appreciate them endlessly.



I need to retire

August 05, 2004 by Sue in Wielesek

I need to retire. And just when, after 26 years, I'm kinda getting the hang of it. Last week I was involved in a case where a little boy, son of young,separated parents, was killed in a car accident. I found myself at a meeting of attorneys and social workers holding and rocking the other client while he sobbed uncontrollably. So very sad. I once realized that I would give anything if God would guarantee that my kids would grow up healthy.
On a cheerier note, I had a nice long call from Sadie. The squirrels are running rampant, and I told her to look for another place.



Well, I'm completly bogged down with school a...

August 05, 2004 by Seraph in Cortez

Well, I'm completly bogged down with school and life right now. I'm again posting from my computer class (actually before, not during). It looks like my midterms are going to be starting next week, and will stretch for three weeks (right up until finals). So, although I will be in Eugene later this month, don't expect me to do much more then quiver and twitch with nervousness and lack of sleep.
Life for Isa and Robiie is chugging along. The days and weeks are flying past. We found a nice little church near our house. We attended last weekend, and went to their National Night Out block party on Tuesday.
We also went bludberry picking last Saterday and to the Zoo last Friday.
The only bad thing that's happened is that I lost my mother and child pendant some time on friday. Although I don't usually place much value on amterial objects, this loss feels very foreboding.



Is it already Tuesday? Today was spent emaili...

August 03, 2004 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg

Is it already Tuesday? Today was spent emailing like a fiend. The president of the student community service board (called the Lehman Council and henceforth called Lehman) and I have had non-stop email madness. Because we do similar jobs and can help each other out, but also need to respect each other's opinions and spheres of power, we must continually check in. Additionally, we're both high-energy, go-to people who want to get a hold of the next semester (by next week). It's a like trying to be two people with the same brain- a little ticklish at first, but so much more efficient in the end.



Emma managed to bump her lip on the table yes...

August 03, 2004 by Adam in Emma

Emma managed to bump her lip on the table yesterday. If only Sam had waited to heal, they'd have matched.

She was wide awake last night, up until close to ten o'clock. We couldn't figure out if she didn't feel well or just wasn't into that whole sleep thing. Jamie took the brunt of it, but I did my share of carrying her in circles and patting her back.



I just got e-mailed that Doom 3 is being ship...

August 03, 2004 by Adam in Adam's Games

I just got e-mailed that Doom 3 is being shipped to me. Hopefully the gaming madness can begin soon.

My NWN game is being fairly well received, though there's been some exciting bugs along the way.



I'm feeling exhausted today

August 02, 2004 by Adam in Adam

I'm feeling exhausted today. I'm not sure it's aftermath of the party, lack of sleep (Emma was up a lot last night), or answering e-mails about my NWN module.

I'd love to be able to go home and relax a bit, though I suspect I'll be kid wrangling until bedtime, then testing bug fixes for my game until I go to sleep. Such is the life of a father/game designer/superhero. Well, maybe just those first two.



The weekend has come and gone, and an interes...

August 02, 2004 by Adam in Family

The weekend has come and gone, and an interesting one at that. Having Jim and Judy around was very nice and relaxing. They'd play with one kid or the other, leaving Jamie to leisurely go about our day. We went out to dinner with some of Jamie's clan, along with getting ready for the great party Sunday night.

The party was a pretty big get together, with an assortment of neighbors showing up. Virtually all our neighbors are professionals of one sort or another - doctors, engineers, or scientists. A bunch of them have kids as well - some very close in age to our kids. Plus they all seem like really nice folks, if a bit busy with work and children.



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