Snow!

November 27, 2019 by Adam in Family

It snowed a little, this day before Thanksgiving.  It was a good weekend and I've enjoyed my last couple days off work.  The weekend was pretty low-key, though there are always a few bumps in the road.  Ben required some motivation and assistance with catching up with math.  Emma had finals to study for.  Joanna's still not quite back to normal, though she's slowly getting there.

Monday was a hang out day with Joanna, our ten year kissaversary.  We went for a hike, had lunch together, and did a little shopping.  I managed some yardwork time in the afternoon, cutting back the butterfly bush that overshadowed our patio.  Yesterday I took a break from my cowboy video game to hack back the rest of it.  I also called Sam and wished him a happy birthday.  He's doing well, still getting used to working so much and standing on his feet all day.  I made the mistake of requiring a signature on his package and it still hasn't quite made it into his hands.

I've got a fair bit of running around today.  It's Emma's half birthday, the last day of the trimester for Duncan and Emma, and Duncan had his last vision therapy session this week.  I guess it's time to take down all the weird letters and things off our basement walls that made it look like a conspiracy theorist lived there.

Friday Before Vacation

November 22, 2019 by Adam in Family

Work is feeling like it's winding down already.  No one wants to schedule a Friday afternoon meeting on the day before a week off.  I want to get started on some things so I don't forget how they work, but I find myself wanting to wind down as well.

Life's generally moving along.  I need to start getting ready for Christmas, adding things to my wish list and buying things for people.  Less than a month until Sam returns home for a visit.  I'm getting excited.

I Am the Only One Here

November 20, 2019 by Adam in Adam

Work is moving along.  Lots of meetings while I try to get work done.  This morning I jumped on to one of our many work communication tools and got the message "You Are The Only One Here."  It was a little too philosophical for eight in the morning.  Apparently we're adding in even more conferencing tools - I think we use Slack, Teams, Skype, WebEx, GoToMeeting, and soon we'll add Zoom.  At least we have a variety of things to try if one fails.

I still am really enjoying my job.  There's always a tension of quality versus new features, but hopefully I'm walking that tightrope.  It's cool making features that people get excited about.  I also occasionaly talk with clients and sort through problems, though I find I get the most satisfaction making stuff.

It's strange having these forced vacations a few times a year, this one being the week of Thanksgiving.  I've already got a fair amount of house and yard projects queued up, though I'm hoping I can make some good progress on Red Dead Redemption 2.  My cowboy game continues to be entertaining, though I can see how I'll eventually want to wrap things up.

What Did We Do This Weekend?

November 18, 2019 by Adam in Family

Not all that much happened this weekend. 

Emma had brunch with Yayoe.  Ben had a friend over and they made a pillow fort to sleep in downstairs.  Duncan had a sleepover at a friend's birthday party and they stayed up too late watching vaguely inappropriate movies. Joanna went to a writer's conference both afternoons.  I played my cowboy game and kept everyone fed and in clean dishes.  Emma and I did sneak away to play board games at 16 Tons before going food shopping, which was nice.

I chatted with Sam for a long while.  He was playing a game that involved hiring people and exploring a sci-fi world, so we chatted while he played.  

And now it's back to a week of work and school again.  I'll probably continue listening to the impeachment hearings while writing code, though I have a fair bit of meetings this morning.

Mocha Friday

November 15, 2019 by Adam in Family

The kids are getting ready for school and I've got my mocha ready to be made.  It's been another typical week.  Joanna and I went out for sushi on Wednesday, strolling around downtown in the cool night weather.  I've been working on a somewhat tricky work project that I'm hoping to wrap up today, probably while listening to the impeachment hearings.  Hopefully this weekend we can have some good hangout time, though Emma has warned me of some homework help she'll need.

Minecraft at Mopop

November 12, 2019 by Adam in Duncan

Duncan's video editing continues to impress.  He threw together a little video of his Minecraft exhibit visit in Seattle while coming back on the train.

Three Day Weekend

November 12, 2019 by Adam in Family

I haven't updated for awhile, mostly as the the days have been generally uneventful.

Joanna took Duncan up to Seattle on the train Friday afternoon to see the Minecraft exhibit at the Museum of Pop Culture.  He reported he had a good time.  Joanna generally took it pretty easy and it was relatively quiet the last few days.

Friday night was just Ben and I and we ate cereal for dinner as we threatened to do.  It was actually pretty fun for the two of us to hang out - we played Lovers in a Dangerous Spacetime and lots of Human Fall Flat.  Emma joined us Saturday afternoon and we watched YouTube videos about moon rocks and underwater lasers while eating pizza, as is the way of our people.

I chatted with Sam, who had his first week at work.  I think he's doing relatively well.  He said he was trained by one person who didn't speak english very well, then Sam had to train someone his third day in.  Still, I think he's happy to be finally working after a long search.

I managed to do a little yard work, putting leaves in our compost, on the garden beds, and the rest out in the street.  Sweeping the patio was satisfying as I slowly work through my scifi audiobook.

I haven't seen mom in a little while as she reported having a lung infection and was steering clear of everyone, though I'm hoping to see her today.  

The only other event of note is that Emma went with Jordan and Nick to Swan Lake, getting all prettied up for the occasion.  I think she liked it quite a bit.

Moving Along

November 07, 2019 by Adam in Family

It's Wednesday.  Not much has really happened.  Joanna was feeling tired and sore yesterday after running around, so she's taking it easier than normal today.  In theory it's date night, but I suspect it'll really involve picking up takeout and having a quiet dinner at home.

I continue to play my cowboy game.  My favorite part is hanging around the campfire with my gang, singing along to the songs or drinking coffee in the morning and watching the sun rise.

Toilets, Television, and Video Games

November 04, 2019 by Adam in Family

It was another low-key weekend.  Emma fixed a couple toilets, with me providing parts and instructions.   Joanna took Duncan and Ben to see a musical - Newsies, which had our neighbor Flynn in.  More of my cowboy game was played.  Emma and I watched Disenchanted.  I took Joanna for a little walk around the neighborhood.  Emma was proud that she read a couple books, so we went to the library to get more.  Sam's done with his training and starts his job today.  

I've got a little running around this morning, first to Oregon Research Institute to answer questions about mom.  She's apparently in a research study.  Then it's work meetings all morning.  Presumably dad is coming for dinner tonight.  Busy, busy.

Post-Halloween Mocha

November 01, 2019 by Adam in Family

I'm working on my Friday mocha, recovering from the Halloween festivities from the night before.  The kids managed to carve pumpkins and throw together costumes at the last minute, heading out with friends.  Ben got a little overwhelmed at one point and came home with patient friends and a costume change, then headed out again much more cheerful.  Joanna and I stayed near the door, handing out huge globs of candy to whomever came by, though we still ended up with leftovers.  Both kids finally returned with big loot hauls.

Emma called and kept me entertained as she worked on homework and I handed out candy.  It'll be nice to see her tonight.  Sam reports that his first day of training involved watching videos.  Joanna had her surgery checkup and all seems normal.  I'm wading through a somewhat tricky import/export feature today, redoing a fair amount of someone else's work.