End of the Weekend

November 28, 2016 by Adam in Family

The lovely four day weekend is wrapping up.  It was good and productive, with lots of visiting with family, house projects, and hanging out with kids.

I took Emma to the art store on Friday for her half-birthday present.  She loaded up on supplies and proceeded to make clay sculptures and watercolor paintings for the next few days.  Later that night Joanna and I went out for our "kissaversary" which was quite pleasant.  It's been a lovely seven years.

I set up a little lab and hacked my WiFi, just to prove that I could do it after reading about the theoretical vulnerabilities for my test.  Don't use WEP, kids - someone can crack it in a few hours.

Saturday morning I ran to Metropol before I showered and put together a birthday breakfast for Sam.  He's been slowly getting used to his new phone, which seems to work a lot better than the old cracked phone.  During the day we all went for a mall run - Sam and Isa went shopping, the little kids went to Pixel Battles and played in virtual reality, and Emma, Joanna, and I went for a walk by the river.  Eventually we made it home, Sam and Isa made cheesecake, Joanna and I made pizza, and the day wrapped up with Adam Ruins Everything.

Today had a lot of laundry and yard work.  Berry, Joanna, and I alternated power washing the front driveway.  Duncan played with Flynn.  Sam and Emma spent some time with their mom.  As the day wound down, Sam and I spent some time working on his Unity game.  My favorite part was the bug where giant pants got stuck on everyone's head.

Work starts up tomorrow.  I strangely look forward to getting back into the swing of things.

Sam's 18th Birthday

November 26, 2016 by Adam in Sam

We threw a birthday breakfast for Sam this morning.  I snuck out of the house to get various goodies for his 18th birthday and Emma's half birthday.  We sung songs and then they blew out candles.

I think Sam liked his presents.  The big one was  a new phone from Joanna and I, an Isa collage from Berry, a BBQ making kit from Emma, and a dream journal from Duncan.

It's a little weird having an adult child, hitting yet another of life's milestones.

Thanksgiving

November 25, 2016 by Adam in Family

It's the day after Thanksgiving, a whirlwind of cooking and eating that has come to an end.  Soon we'll get ready for a hopefully lazy day, hanging out with kids while we've still got them.  Tonight Joanna and I are going on a "kissaversary" date night, with Emma promising to get the littler kids through the bath and bed routine.

Thanksgiving was generally pleasant.  We had a short outing to Wayne Morris Ranch to wander the woods and drink cocoa by a roaring fire.  Joanna made pies and some other sundries, before heading over to mom's for dinner.  It was great seeing everyone, and my favorite part was when Emma asked Joanna if we could do the same "giving thanks" routine we did last year.  This time I got it on video - it was very sweet.

Dinner Menu

November 23, 2016 by Sue in Wielesek

Turkey, Stuffing - gluten and non, Cranberry sauce, cornbread, pecan pie, creamed (non-gluten) peas   Bob Wine   Yayoe Martinelli's, Kale salad, SomethingTofu (sounds like an upscale restaurant) Adam and Joanna World Famous Sweet Potato Casserole, Non-salted pumpkin pie   Jenny, Destin and Jordan Salad and mashersWhat did I forget?

Love you all, Fam. You are what I am most grateful for.

Passed the Test

November 22, 2016 by Adam in Adam

I drove up to Linn-Benton Community College this morning, listening to myself read off various security acronyms.  I got settled and reviewed everything again for an hour, stopping for coffee towards the end.  Eventually I checked into the test, getting rid of all my electronics, showing ID, signing things, and getting my picture taken.  The test itself was somewhat challenging, a mix of simple facts and applied knowledge questions.  An hour and a half later I walked out and ended up with 859 out of 950 points, with 750 needed to pass.

Hopefully it gives me a little more street cred, though it's really just the start of the endless certification cycle.

Walking the Ridgeline Trail

November 20, 2016 by Adam in Family

Sunday morning already.  I finished the dishes, made some tea, and need to start with breakfast soon.  Emma and I plan on seeing the new Doctor Strange movie this morning.

It's been a generally good weekend so far.  I signed up for a Tuesday test, which unfortunately involves driving to Albany.  The next few days I'll be cramming facts into my brain and taking practice tests.

Sam started making games in Unity again.  He's working on procedurally generated dungeons - it's been fun watching him put something together.  I like watching that rush of success each time he implements a new feature.

Emma started a new art project involving teenagers playing D&D.  Berry went to her soccer celebration last night with Joanna, leaving the rest of us to make pizza and watch Adam Ruins Everything.  Duncan continues to be a social butterfly, hanging out with Flynn and going to a birthday party this afternoon.

We all managed a hike yesterday, which mostly turned out okay.  It's hard coordinating everyone at the same time, but the weather was great and the fall trees were pretty.

Mocha Friday

November 18, 2016 by Adam in Family

It's been a pretty typical week.  Joanna and I had a nice date night, running into mom and Dez at Whirled Peas where they were apparently getting pizza.  I took Sam and Isa to a lecture on quantum computing last night.  Duncan and Emma played a little duet after some coaxing.  I've spent my week studying - I'll finish my note-taking pass this morning and be ready for the test early next week.  

As for the weekend, I've promised Emma to take her to Doctor Strange after failing to take her to X-Men earlier in the year.  I must atone for my failings.  Duncan wants to play more Jackbox Party Pack games, which have become a popular post-dinner activity.  I'd like to lure everyone to an outdoor hike.

Berry is out of school all next week.  I'm taking the last couple days off.  Hopefully we can desend on mom's house for Thanksgiving and celebrate Sam's birthday around there somewhere too.

Study, Study

November 16, 2016 by Adam in Adam

I'm spending my days at work studying for my Security+ exam. It's both interesting and occasionally tedious. My brain is full of port numbers and encryption algorithms. Progress is going pretty well - I finished the 250+ videos and am halfway through a series of PowerPoint slides that covers the material. I've been taking the end-of-chapter quizzes and getting in the 85% to 90% range.

I'm going to see how far I can get over the next couple days. If I feel pretty confident and continue to do well on the practice tests, I'll shoot for taking the actual exam on Friday otherwise I'll schedule it for next week.

Hopefully having the certification gives me an air of authority. It's been fun digging a little deeper into things I kinda knew already. The details of encryption are kinda fascinating - basically our entire information age economy is based on math.

Spencer's Butte

November 14, 2016 by Adam in Family

The weekend is wrapping up - Sam, Emma, and Isa laughing away in the living room beside me playing Superfight.  All-in-all, it's been a good weekend.  I managed two full nights of sleep, which surely is a good sign.

The morning started with a hearty breakfast and getting Joanna and the little kids off to church.  Next was running Isa to campus to turn in her math homework, then off to Supercuts to get Sam and I looking pretty again.  Everyone returned for lunch before scattering again to the winds.

Duncan hung out with Flynn all day.  Joanna and Berry went to basketball camp.  The rest of us hiked Spencer's Butte, with Emma skeptical but still making it to the top.  We returned sore but generally happy, taking it easy for the rest of the afternoon.

Jackbox Games

November 13, 2016 by Adam in Adam's Games

We continue to play the Jackbox Party Pack 3 games, often bringing in various hangers on like Isa and Flynn.  This is probably the best of the party packs, as all the games are well polished and high quality.  My favorite is still Tee KO, but Fakin' It turned out to be well loved by the kids.  I had fun playing Trivia Murder Party, though I have an unfair advantage against the kids with my wealth of pointless knowledge.

I keep working through the Witcher 3 DLC. As Sam pointed out, it's mostly an interactive story with some light combat and roleplaying, but the stories are generally compelling. I think I have a little more time with the first DLC and then it's off to the next one which is considered the best of the two.

Middle of a Three Day Weekend

November 13, 2016 by Adam in Family

I think life is doing okay after a tough few weeks.  The kids are all home and we're getting ready to sit down to pizza and Adam Ruins Everything.  I got a full night's sleep last night, the first in a long while.

Friday morning started with a hearty pancake breakfast.  Joanna was working, so I took Emma, Duncan, and Berry to pick up Jamie and head to Pisgah (I asked Joanna's permission first).  It was actually fairly nice - Jamie and Emma led us around the park and Jamie and I chatted about my work craziness and she updated me on her family.  Duncan and Berry mostly had a good time, though Duncan wasn't as excited about walking around in nature as everyone else. 

Emma went to her mom's house, Berry had a sleepover, Duncan went to a birthday party, and Sam was left to make dinner for Isa.  Joanna and I went out to dinner at Wildcraft Ciderworks and had another tasty meal.

Today started with dutch babies, followed with Joanna going off to an expo.  I took Duncan and the neighbor boy Flynn to the library. Emma returned and I offered to take her to a movie with Sam and I.  She declined, as she had a Starbound game playing date with her friend.  Sam and I saw The Arrival, which we both generally enjoyed, though it turns out we'd both read the short story first.Looking forward to my last day of the weekend.  Hopefully I can get the kids outside a little.

Happy Birthday Seraph!

November 10, 2016 by Adam in Cortez

Happy birthday sweet sister.  I still remember when Jenny and I pushed you around in your "moon buggy" all those years ago.  I suppose you've grown up since then, but that's how I still think of you.

Dad was looking at Emma with all her curly blond hair and remarking how much she looks like you when you were a kid.  She has the same kind disposition too, which I'm ever grateful for.

So That Just Happened

November 09, 2016 by Adam in Family

Joanna's been looking somewhat dispondent this morning, glad she became an American citizen a few years ago.  

Dad came over for dinner last night - the first time I'd seen him since summer.  We chatted about my work woes, which was nice.  I tend to think out loud and bounce ideas off of people.  I think that in general I'm making good decisions and laying plans for whatever future should befall me.

I worked from home yesterday, feeling a little down about work.  My manager called to check in - it was a mix of commiserating and half-hearted pep talk.  I think the craziness extends up the food chain pretty far.

In the meantime, I have Joanna and the kids who have been great emotional supports for me.  I appreciate them more than words can say.

Family Dinner

November 07, 2016 by Adam in Family

The weekend is wrapping up, the horde of family now headed home.  It felt really good to talk to everyone about my work woe's (in vague terms).  I really appreciate people who absolutely have my back.

The weekend started pretty rough - I had bad headaches on Friday and Saturday, though I managed to be somewhat functional.  I talked to Sam about his plans - he's going to work on applying to the U of O.  I got the new web site setup.  Emma and I watched X-Men Apocalypse.  Berry's team got second place at her tournament.  The ceiling started leaking again - I bet we need to get our roof looked at.

Sunday was better - my headache improved and I managed to get out and do a fair bit of yardwork.  It felt good to be outside.  I added more polish to the site, though there's always more to go.  Lots of laundry got folded.

Best was seeing everyone again for dinner.  It was nice to have my people around me.  Things will be okay.

Emma's Artwork

November 07, 2016 by Adam in Emma

Emma's amazing artwork continues to be amazing. This is one of Isa that she whipped up after dinner tonight.

More Tee KO

November 06, 2016 by Adam in Adam's Games

We played more Tee KO tonight after dinner with the kids.  My shirt won - the art was Duncan's and the phrase was Joanna's.

Fully Deployed

November 06, 2016 by Adam in Adam's Projects

The new web site has been generally cleaned up, moved to new hardware, and ready to go.  There are likely some hidden bugs I need to sort through still, but all-in-all, it seems to be working.

It's a culmination of a big skill refresh - there are lots of fancy new technologies humming under the hood.  It feels good to get it finally ready to go after all these months.

Bad Week

November 03, 2016 by Adam in Family

It's been high on my list of lousy weeks at work. Not quite sure if I want to continue doing what I've been doing. I'm starting to miss Karl's ability to isolate us from the madness above.

My long term co-worker and friend finally started he was retiring, with February as the final month. There's hardly anyone left from the good old days. We had lunch with Glen, which was really good from a mental health perspective. It's always nice to be certain someone has your back.

Joanna wore herself out this week with classes and events. Berry's hip has been bothering her.  The kids are generally doing okay otherwise. I'm taking Sam and Isa out to dinner tomorrow to try and figure out Sam's plan. It's been hard getting him to articulate it.

After dinner tonight we all played Tee KO. This was the timely winner.

Happy Halloween

November 01, 2016 by Adam in Family

The weekend wound itself down, generally getting calmer.  Berry won her soccer game and is going to the championships.  Our costumes were put together.  I managed to wrangle Windows 10 Pro on the new server.  Emma and I went for a lovely walk at Hendrick's park in the rain.  It was quite nice.

The kids all got their costumes ready this morning, I in my Mister Robot outfit.  Emma was pretty stoked about her 80's outfit - it was totally wicked to the max.

I was one of four people who dressed up in our department at work today.  I think the insanity of the last few days is finally getting resolved.  At this point it's out of my hands, though I may need to do some follow-up.  Soon I'll be off with kids, roaming about in search of candy.