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Seraph had her baby shower today
December 31, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Seraph had her baby shower today. Quite the crew, including myself (they let in the menfolk). Jamie finally gave Seraph the jacket and hat that she'd spent hours knitting away. It was quite well received.
There were also gobs of baby shower games. I can see why only women are traditionally allowed. In "Baby Bingo", were were supposed to write down the gifts that Seraph might get. Since there were 24 squares, it was hard to come up with enough, so I started making things up. Needless to say, Baby Cortez didn't get a gun and I didn't win.
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This picture was taken by Sam, which explains...
December 30, 2000 by Adam in Adam
 This picture was taken by Sam, which explains the weird angle. He's pretty good at taking the picture (with help), removing the memory card, and putting it in the reader. Techno Kid extraordinaire.
Time for a bit of reflection on the year. Lots of cool science news, good computer games, and fun with the family. Most of my personal life revolved around Sam. His appearance made such a big difference to my family and myself that I'm still figuring things out. He's pretty amazing and I've really enjoyed spending time with him this vacation.
I really picked up with the computer case modification fun. I don't see that stopping any time soon. This year was the year of no television, as I didn't have time for anything except Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
There's lots of things to think about for the year ahead. We're tentatively thinking about a new house and eventually a new kid. I'm sure my gaming and computer hobbies will continue, especially as my interest in Neverwinter Nights grows. Lots of good movies too, such as The Lord of the Rings.
Great fun and Happy New Year to all of you!
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Well, No One Lives Forever is no more
December 30, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Well, No One Lives Forever is no more. The ending wrapped up pretty quickly, though the game was interesting all the way through. I miss it, a little, which is a sign of a good game.
Next up is a game that I started playing while up in Portland: Escape from Monkey Island. So far, it's pretty good, though not quite as funny as the last one. The 3D part of the game is a little hard to work with at first. Still, it's good ol' Guybrush and his crazy hijinks. Even Sam's been running around saying "Escape from Monkey Island!"
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Well, I'm working on another computer project
December 29, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 Well, I'm working on another computer project. For Christmas, I was going to take my dad's old computer and fix it up for Jenny and Darren. Unfortunately, I ordered the wrong type of video card. The AGP Geforce2 MX wouldn't fit in my dad's old computer (PCI only).
So, instead of letting a good video card go to waste, having the Lego computer languish in disrepair, and taking advantage of the really low computer prices, I decided to buy a new Duron 700 processor, motherboard, case, and memory for Jenny's new computer.
I'll end up with a decent computer for the new Lego case, Jenny will end up with a pretty spiffy computer, and I'm going to actually use all the miscellaneous computer hardware I have floating around.
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Well, we're lazily approaching the new year
December 29, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're lazily approaching the new year. We've had a touch of some illness, though it seems to be hitting me the most. I've had pretty bad headaches the last few days, taking lots of pain killers. It may also have something to do with the fact that I've been trying not to drink coffee for awhile. I gave in this morning, though, and feel just great. To quote Airplane, "I picked the wrong week to stop sniffing glue."
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Ah, the holidays
December 27, 2000 by Sue in Wielesek
Ah, the holidays. Emphasize a different word in that phrase and it means something different each time. It is very nice to see all the kids and their families looking so well! Christmas Eve to church with Sadie, Hunni, Seraph and Robbie, with Seraph looking particularly glowing and Robbie particularly manly and stalwart. On Christmas morning, Sadie and Seraph, Dick and I all made a Martha Stewart breakfast, then a flurry of gift unwrapping. Dez and I headed down to the playground for awhile, as it was a beautiful sunny day. We liberated a stick and a bunch of chestnuts, which we lobbed at the slide, with a satisfying ping. A good time was had by all!
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Here I am, deeply apologizing to Adam for for...
December 27, 2000 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
 Here I am, deeply apologizing to Adam for forgetting my password and not posting, yet promising my Morrissettes I would. Bad, bad Sadie.
Ahh, life is euphoric... a home of my own with the most loving family in the world, choosing headlights and malaria medication for Botswana and possibly South Africa, and chilling with none other than Luke Newton (and other wonderful Eugene friends). It puts friday afternoon teas and white privilege teach-ins to shame. My project de jour is painting a border of maps around the coming baby's nursery, and with a semester break from art, its a refreshing and relaxing adventure. But then in Eugene, how could anything not be refreshing and relaxing?
So, if anyone knows anything about sunscreen, bug repellant, or how to fit seven months of stuff into one awesome backpacking backpack, PLEASE e-mail me with recommendations.
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Another exciting post-Christmas day
December 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Another exciting post-Christmas day. We had Sadie, my mom, and Dick over for dinner and more presents to open. Jamie fixed up a great meal, with lots of atmosphere to boot. The most memorable gift was a massage chair, which Sam immediately decided was his personal rocket ship. Sam got lots of goodies too - books, Legos, story blocks, and much more. I think this is the last of the gift exchanges. We hit a new record this year at five, including a minor work one.
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Merry Christmas! We're back in town, to a cl...
December 25, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Merry Christmas! We're back in town, to a clean house and happy dog. Soon, we head off to my dad's house for more merriment and presents. Lots of unpacking to do still.
Sam and I went over to OMSI while we were in Portland. He thought it was great, even though this is his second trip. He loved the various ball games, as well as the space capsule. In this picture, he's playing with the Brio boats.
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It's Christmas Eve and we're still up in Portland
December 24, 2000 by Adam in Family
 It's Christmas Eve and we're still up in Portland. Our days have been pretty wonderful, with Jim and Judy watching Sam most of the day. Jamie's been knitting up a frenzy and I've been doing the things I never get a chance to do. I finished watching all 6 hours of the Dune special. I read 2 1/2 books. I even got pretty far into Escape from Monkey Island.
Today, we eat ourselves silly starting at 2 PM, then open presents later in the day. Should be gobs of fun - hope to see all you Eugene people Christmas day!
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We're in Portland, so everyone's sleep routin...
December 23, 2000 by Adam in Sam
We're in Portland, so everyone's sleep routine is a bit off. Last night, we were trying to get Sam to go to sleep. Jamie finally put Sam in the guest bedroom with me and went back to her bed. I tried telling stories to Sam and singing songs. Finally Sam just said, "I want to go to mom's bed. Mom's pretty cool."
Well, I couldn't resist that. I picked him up and dropped him into bed with his mom, where he slept soundly until morning.
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Tuesday was our last day of work! Mine until ...
December 23, 2000 by Seraph in Cortez
 Tuesday was our last day of work! Mine until AB (after baby), and Robbie's until Jan 3rd. Were very happy! Our house finally looks as though the holidays have arrived. We still have no outside lights up, but the inside feels nice and cozy. I'm slowly catching up on about three months of house cleaning, so I feel sain again. Life is also good because Sadie's home. I was in need of a lot of gushing! I had a doctors apt this morning, and they have declared that this is the most boring and normal pregnancy ever (just fine with me). The only pain in our house this week has been in the foot department. Robbie broke his toe, and then in sympathy(I guess) I brused mine up pretty bad. O-well. Looking forward to the holidays, and the mad rush for last minute gifts. See you all at the mall!
BTW: Our churches Christmas show is Sunday at 7pm (yes, we got suckered into it), it should be fun!
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Well, we're up in Portland
December 22, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're up in Portland. It's wonderful having Jim and Judy to dote over Sam while we relax away. I've been playing Escape from Monkey Island, which Jason gave to me today. They came over to visit. Sam probably enjoyed their presence the most, as they had him laughing hysterically at their antics. Tomorrow we might visit OMSI or just putter around. Great fun!
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Yesterday was my last day at work for awhile
December 21, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Yesterday was my last day at work for awhile. We all went over to dinner so that Sadie could see us all before Christmas. It was a bit of a mad house, taking an hour before we were seated and served. Still, it was great to see Sadie and see her in person. Sam was especially attached to her, wanting to sit on her lap and visit.
Today, I'm off to Portland with Sam and Jamie. We're going to open our Christmas presents this morning (mostly because Jamie can't wait), visit with Jason and Colin, then hop in the car. Merry Christmas to everyone!
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Sam's been getting into the Christmas spirit ...
December 20, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Sam's been getting into the Christmas spirit these days. Just like during Halloween, he could spot a pumpkin a mile away, he can now pick out Santa in a crowd.
Sam's going to have quite the haul of toys after this Christmas. I bought him practically everything that I enjoyed when I was a kid - Legos, train set parts, and even Tinker Toys. Hey, at least I'll get to play with cool toys when I watch him.
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We went over to the boys' house last night, a...
December 19, 2000 by Adam in Family
 We went over to the boys' house last night, as Ray had come down to pass out gifts and cheer. Sam was pretty excited, and even I got some good loot. I'm at work for a few more days, then we're off to Portland on Thursday. An exciting Christmas awaits!
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Another day with just Sam and I
December 17, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Another day with just Sam and I. We had a hearty breakfast of waffles and bacon, then headed off to the grocery store for vittles. This afternoon, we stopped by Grandma Sue's house to help decorate their tree. Now we're back at home, playing in Sam's giant tent (it practically fills the entire playroom). Ah, the joys of being two.
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Well, Jamie's off to Portland for the weekend...
December 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jamie's off to Portland for the weekend and Sam and I are by ourselves. Well, we haven't really been by ourselves. We had breakfast with Seraph, Robbie, mom and Dick. Seraph is looking very pregant - her last day at work is this Tuesday. Robbie broke his toe (ouch), but is doing relatively well with it. Mom and Dick finally have their house back to themselves after having Baba as a guest for several weeks.
Dave and Josh should be over shortly. The excitement never stops here at the Miller household.
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It's fun reading about my new extended family...
December 15, 2000 by Carolyn in Carolyn & Alex Cortez
It's fun reading about my new extended family that I inherited through Alex and Robbie.
Alex and I are so looking forward to our second Grandaughter. Our little Ellie is two now and so much fun. Alex likes this whole idea of being "Grandpa" now even though he was resisting the title at first.Funny how little girls learn so fast to charm the men!
We hope you all have a great holiday together and we will see you in January to meet the new wee one.
Love, Carolyn and Alex
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Well, Jenny called to let us know that there'...
December 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jenny called to let us know that there's a new baby on the way. Congratulations Jenny! ETA is sometime in August.
Sam is evidently quite into rockets. Today in the car, Sam said "let me tell you about rockets." He then proceeded to explain how they'd blast off, the parachute would come out, it would splash into the ocean and the boat would get it. All things that I've told him, but having him actually remember it all was fairly amazing.
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Well, Jenny called today to drop the ball
December 14, 2000 by Adam in Jenny
 Well, Jenny called today to drop the ball. There's a new baby on the way! We're guessing at an August kid. So, by next Christmas, we'll have four grandkids running around!
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I've been forced to see this "Zombie College"...
December 12, 2000 by Jamie in Adam
I've been forced to see this "Zombie College", and I must warn those of you that have any class, or a hint of taste, that it may not be the laugh-fest that has been alluded to. Remember that Adam does work in a cubicle, with most of the remainder of his time spent babysitting a toddler. Consider the source :-)
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OK, I have been duly chastized via e-mail tha...
December 12, 2000 by Jamie in Jamie
OK, I have been duly chastized via e-mail that I haven't been "givin' it up" enough on my web page. That being the case, I waited for Sam to fall asleep, snuck downstairs for some tea and poundcake and will now reveal my inner soul to all who care to know :-)
I've been most busy with a lingering illness that has bounced between annoying cold-like and debilitating flu-ish. I believe I am over this bout, and hope with all my heart not to relapse again. The atmosphere of a home with two sick parents and a cranky two-year-old is not pretty. Especially with all the projects I am working on this month: Getting a new church for Tiny Tots up and running by January 3, designing a flier and soliciting a donating print shop for our preschool play, and generally keeping up on the basic necessities of life. I thought I heard something about us having an election this year? I'm not sure. Anyway, I haven't even been able to read the book for my book club this month...or start a new knitting project. I wonder if I've forgotten how?
I'll be spending a much needed weekend alone at Mom's house, having a tea party and in no way thinking about the laundry that will undoubtedly be piling up at a frightening rate at my own house. I will have a shower EVERY DAY (possibly TWO...how decadent!) and actually chew my food at mealtimes. Season's Greetings to you all...and if your Christmas cards are late...c'est la vie!
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I've been sick, sick, sick
December 12, 2000 by Adam in Family
 I've been sick, sick, sick. I took so many cough drops today that I started overdosing on menthol. Still went to work, trying to keep my backlog down and my PTO up.
I'm rushing around like a maniac trying to get ready for Christmas. I'm doing my typical "make all my presents myself" routine. Probably no soap or jam this year, but expect something else hand made. Might be a little late, though. Jamie's going to be gone this weekend, so I'm watching Sam by myself for 48 hours straight. Woo hoo!
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Well, it's official
December 10, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 Well, it's official. I got my case up on a real web site. I even got a piece of fan mail. Take a look!
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Sam and Jamie took me out to lunch today
December 09, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and Jamie took me out to lunch today. Sam's smiles are becoming somewhat staged these days, as is evident by this photo. I'm sniffly today - the cold that went from Sam to Jamie finally made it to me. Not as bad as the last one, I'll probably survive.
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Last Christmas, Darrel bought Sam a bear that...
December 09, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Last Christmas, Darrel bought Sam a bear that teaches numbers. The bear asks "can you find 1?" and Sam's supposed to push the button labeled one. He actually started to pick up some of the numbers. The bad part was the the bear talks in a southern accent, so Sam was starting to say things like "where's wuun?" Perhaps it's time to put it away for now. Some knowledge isn't worth the price.
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Seraph got a new ultrasound a week ago (my sc...
December 08, 2000 by Adam in Cortez
 Seraph got a new ultrasound a week ago (my scanner died, so it took awhile to post). In case you can't tell, this is the baby's head in profile. Just check out that well-defined nose!
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Well, my dad's computer is finally together
December 07, 2000 by Adam in Lohring
Well, my dad's computer is finally together. He hasn't called begging for help in several days now, so I think it's all good to go. He wins the prize for being the first member of the family to break the 1 Ghz barrier. Even my overclocked Pentium III never made it over 825 Mhz. Kudos to dad.
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What Adam neglected to note was my cell phone...
December 07, 2000 by Jamie in Family
 What Adam neglected to note was my cell phone NUMBER. It is 541-954-2616. (Don't give this to any telemarketers!!!)
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Well, Sam seems to enjoy having his tummy zer...
December 07, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Sam seems to enjoy having his tummy zerbited. I got him laughing really hard for awhile. Jamie and Sam have both been sick, though I think Jamie was hit pretty hard today. I'm feeling okay now, and I think Sam's on the mend.
The funny story of the week involves the present I got for Jamie. There was a great deal on a Nokia cell phone. After all the coupons and rebates, they'd give us $50 back. Well, after all of 12 hours after buying it, I fessed up and she found out what I got. Silly me.
We got it today, though, and it's pretty cool. Very small. Good sound quality. Great fun.
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Dave, Josh, Sam, Jamie, and I all trekked out...
December 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Dave, Josh, Sam, Jamie, and I all trekked out to my mom's farm to pick up a Christmas tree. We had fun navigating through the horse manure and electric fences to get the perfect tree. It's a small one, but since we're still a fairly new family, our extent of ornaments is small.
Sam's really getting into Christmas this year. He helped decorate the tree and has been asking lots of questions. His skills at identifying Santas and snow men have increased dramatically.
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Well, I'm still playing No One Lives Forever
December 03, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Well, I'm still playing No One Lives Forever. It's fun, though I've found that I've been doing other things besides gaming these days. The game itself is somewhat linear, though varied and with great cut-scenes. I just finished a diving mission, complete with harpoon guns and sharks. Quite amusing.
I'm also plugging away at some modules for Neverwinter Nights. I've put a series of pages together to describe them. Not sure if I'll ever get the time to build them all once the game comes out, but it's fun to think about it.
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Sam, Jamie, and I all visited Dr
December 02, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam, Jamie, and I all visited Dr. Jimmy, Sam's pediatrician. He was amazed at Sam's verbal skills, which are up there with 4-year-olds. He's also gained a bunch of weight and is in the 50th percentile (up from 25% or so). He's also a bit tall for his age, around the 70th percentile. My guess is that he'll be tall and skinny like his dad.
This morning, we helped move all the toys from Tiny Tots, the kids play center cooperative that we belong to. It's was quite exciting, with six vehicles packed with toys moving along in a caravan. To top it off, we set off the alarm at my mom's office, where we were storing them all. Fortunately, I knew the code and they hadn't changed it in four years. Unfortunately, I didn't get to it fast enough and I got to visit with a police officer that decided to see what we were up to.
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Happy Birthday to Robbie
December 02, 2000 by Seraph in Cortez
 Happy Birthday to Robbie...well yesterday. Robbie went to work early because the elementry kids had the day off. He did get to go bowling with the kids, and I brought in a birthday cake so they could celebrate. I had my last ultra sound and baby girl ryn is a week ahead of schedule weighing in at 5.5 lbs! The doctor estimates that she'll be around 8 lbs at birth. We have some new photos for Adam to scan in, so hopefully we'll get those posted. Robbie and I went out for his birthday and relaxed and ate yummy food (what else are birthdays for?). We're trying to stay motivated and get things done, though the temptation to veg out is winning over!
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Here is a Christmas spirit picture from my ...
December 01, 2000 by Lohring in Lohring
Here is a Christmas spirit picture from my sister, Danica
(click for a bigger version)
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Sam and Jamie visited me at work today
December 01, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and Jamie visited me at work today. He had a great time visiting with my coworkers and it gave Jamie and I some breathing room. The only touch-and-go part was when he discovered the tub of peanuts in my drawer. The first few were fun, but then he started scooping them in his mouth by the fistfull. Soon he announced that he had too much in his mouth and it quickly came out. Sigh - the tee shirt says it all.
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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.
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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."
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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
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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.
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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.
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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."
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 . . .
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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)"
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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.
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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 . . .
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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.
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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!!
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
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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.
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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.
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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
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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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Well, I finished up Baldur's Gate 2 last night
October 30, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Well, I finished up Baldur's Gate 2 last night. I didn't do absolutely everything in the game, but I did quite a bit. The last bit of the story was interesting - reminded me a bit of Planescape in it's general atmosphere. It went really fast once I jumped back on the main story bandwagon. An excellent game all around.
I'm poking around for the next game. I'm thinking I'll move away from the 3rd person RPGs and back into a first person shooter. No One Lives Forever looks pretty good. The demo has nice graphics and I'm hearing good things about the game itself. I may need to pick it up and take it for a spin.
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Well, my dad and Yayoe haven't been too good ...
October 30, 2000 by Adam in Lohring
 Well, my dad and Yayoe haven't been too good about posting in this area, so I think I'll just post some things about them. I was playing the demo for No One Lives Forever (think female Austin Powers), and I ran across this spy technician.
Well, evidently my dad was separated at birth with this digital technician. Either that, or his image was secretly scanned while he slept by the guys at Monolith and he was imported into this game. Creepy.
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Sam and I went out this morning and played at...
October 29, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and I went out this morning and played at Amazon park. He's a swell kid. We played in the leaves, went to Humble Bagel for a snack, then went to Barnes & Noble for some reading fun. Tonight we're having some friends over for dinner, and hopefully relax for a little before then. It's been a busy weekend, hopefully things will slow down a bit.
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Sam was very cute in his Halloween outfit tonight
October 28, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Sam was very cute in his Halloween outfit tonight. At the party, there were zillions of screaming toddlers in bizarre outfits. It was quite the unreal experience. Sam took it all in stride, munching on an alien head made out of Rice Krispies and green food coloring.
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We're off to a Halloween party at Sam's presc...
October 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
 We're off to a Halloween party at Sam's preschool tonight. Sam's going to be a Leopard and we're the zoo keepers. It seemed like a good analogy. The next few days will be quite busy. Saturday is a dinner with my mom. Sunday is dinner with friends. Halloween will probably be a visit to various family and neighbors showing off Sam. Great fun.
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Well, I sold my secondary computer to David l...
October 26, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
Well, I sold my secondary computer to David last night. I think he was quite the happy camper, as it was quite a bit less than what he thought he was going to have to spend, and the system is fairly decent. I'm amazed at how much it costs to buy an entire system, when you can put the pieces together for quite a bit less. I suppose not everyone is comfortable doing it, plus you have to shop around for good deals to really make it worth while.
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Killed my first dragon in Baldur's Gate 2
October 26, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Killed my first dragon in Baldur's Gate 2. It was phenomenally difficult, taking quite a few tries after my entire party was killed in a few seconds. It took a combination of sneakiness, planning, and creating vulnerabilities where there were none before. The loot we picked up from the exchange was quite good, though I'll need a Paladin in my party to truly take advantage of one item.
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Well, we're gearing up for Halloween
October 26, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, we're gearing up for Halloween. Judy got Sam this in the mail today - a pumpkin bag for Halloween with his name on it. Jamie and Sam went to a pumpkin patch with his preschool. He was a little scared of the tractor at first, but it was pretty cool by the end of the trip.
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One of the fun things about Baldur's Gate 2 i...
October 25, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 One of the fun things about Baldur's Gate 2 is the inclusion of dragons. Just for perspective, here's one in the game (there are several, each unique). My main character is surrounded by the glowing protective circle - yes, he's really that small. We finally made it to the surface after seeming weeks in the Underdark. I finally forged several of the "ultimate" weapons and could probably end the game quickly if I chose to. There are still a lot of quests to be done. I'll probably do some of those before continuing down the main path again.
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Sam and I went down to Amazon park yesterday
October 25, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Sam and I went down to Amazon park yesterday. Parked on the curb was a fire truck, and Sam proceeded to quiz me repeatedly on it. "Talk about the front part again!" Evidently, the firefighters had parked their truck and gone for a run on the jogging path there. They returned, to a much excited Sam, and gave him a sticker. To sum it up in Sam's words: "Firefighter gave you a sticker. Said 'thank you!'".
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Very unclear on the concept
October 23, 2000 by Sue in Wielesek
Very unclear on the concept.
I had a rotten week last week. I finished this custody case which I was doing for free as a Legal Aid referral. The guy on the other side didn't have an attorney, but he had been in trouble with the law so many times that he had spent more time in courtrooms than I have. During one recess he threatened to hit me. My client, who knew the guy better than I, opened the court room and shouted for security. All of a sudden about a gazillion police guys descended on us.
Baba is with us for a couple of months. She was sort of subdued in the week after she got here, but is doing better. She made crullers yesterday afternoon. Expect me to get fatter!
Love, the om
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Sam had a great time at the coast this weekend
October 23, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Sam had a great time at the coast this weekend. Every time I'm away from him for just a few days, he seems like more and more like little boy. His sentences are getting complex and his imagination is rich. We went shopping today and he brought along a dinosaur finger puppet. He kept wanting to play with the dinosaur, talking with it, dancing, and generally carrying about.
 Sam also clearly worships his older cousin, Josh. Josh is in 4th grade and is quite advanced for his age. Fortunately, he doesn't look down on his younger cousin. Sam had a great time doing whatever Josh was doing. Sam had a great time with the drill and trains and he'd even play with it by himself for long stretches of time.
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Well, I made it back safe and sound from the ...
October 23, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, I made it back safe and sound from the coast. The dog was still alive. Serena had come and cleaned the house - no evidence of teenage parties. All seems quiet and good.
The coast itself was good fun. We packed a ton of people in the place. Most of our time outside the apartment was either at the beach or the outlet mall. There was quite a bit of loot that we brought back with us. Hanging out with the Mellors is always lots of subdued entertainment.
 Still, it's nice to be back home. Sleeping was a bit cramped. I remembered why we have Sam in his own bed. There was also an awful lot of crab, clams, and oysters for dinner last night. I ended up scrounging up some garden burgers. Jamie's back tomorrow. I'm hoping to clean up a bit of my bachelor mess before she arrives. We'll see how it goes . . .
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Well, Dave's going to pick me up after work t...
October 20, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Dave's going to pick me up after work today and we're heading to the coast. I'm not very prepared - I packed a little this morning, but I've still got to get some clothes together. I also need to get my keys to Serena so she can clean. Oh, the pressure! Hopefully we'll have some good movies and photos to bring back from the beach.
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While this page is really for my mom and Dick...
October 19, 2000 by Adam in Wielesek
 While this page is really for my mom and Dick to post, here's a little tidbit. My mom was back East last week, visiting Sadie and other relatives. We got this one as something to post on my site. I dutifully scanned it in and posted it here - click it for a larger version. Hello to everyone back East!
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Stupid door
October 19, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Stupid door. Well, another moment of frustration then triumph at BG2. A door stood in my way. I had figured out one way to open up, but it basically meant giving in to the dark side. Alternatively, I could get a "powerful brain". I knew where to get some of those - the Illithids could be captured using these mind-control collars. Unfortunately, there was a limited supply and I had used too many on frivilous matters (combat). While all seemed to be dispair, I decided to try a Domination spell. The good news - it worked like a charm and I got the door open.
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tinboy
October 19, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 tinboy.com lives! I installed the Personal Web Server on my main computer and moved over the main files. For some reason, I got a bunch of errors (probably Windows Millenium). I uninstalled and reinstalled and it went much better the second time around. I still want to get a web cam put together, but I'm having problems with my current one. Netmeeting locks up (sniff). I may have to actually call tech support.
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It's official, we are going to have a baby gi...
October 19, 2000 by Robbie in Cortez
 It's official, we are going to have a baby girl! I still haven't chosen a name yet, it is either Isabel or Katianna. I will probably chose the name when the baby is born. We have been very busy with work and Seraph's Anatomy class. We had a relaxing three day weekend in Sunriver, visited my mom and just veged out.
We are experiencing our first household problems. Our electricity has gone out in the front of our house and we have a leaky sink. I guess these are the things that go with buying an older house. (IT DRIVES ME NUTS!!!)
Other then that things are going well!
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Well, Jamie and Sam head to the coast tomorrow
October 19, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Jamie and Sam head to the coast tomorrow. I'll be a bachelor for at least a day. There's going to be a huge number of Mellors and assorted cohorts descending on Depot Bay. I count 10 people in a three bedroom house. Crazy.
We also visited Seraph and Robbie this evening. We installed Sam's old crib and I installed a new CD ROM drive in their computer. The power to the front of their house is out, so I think they're a big haggard.
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Well, we got an iMac at work to test out our ...
October 18, 2000 by Adam in Adam
 Well, we got an iMac at work to test out our company's Internet site. Needless to say, we got a lot of flack from our coworkers. It's pretty weird. I'd say it's simpler than a Windows PC, but the emphasis seems to be on style over substance. The mouse looks bizarre and only has one button. The OS itself has some weird organizational things. Basically, though, they do the same kind of things. It all has to do with preference, I suppose.
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Hi, everyone
October 18, 2000 by Sue in Wielesek
Hi, everyone. I'm sitting here at Adam's and Jamie's, where we have been babysitting, and Adam is striving mightily to make me digital. I think I'd better stop! Love, Om
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Hmm
October 17, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 Hmm. Took tinboy.com off the air last night. Having a second PC is a little unnecessary at the moment. What I may do is use tinboy.com's IP address on my current PC and install Personal Web Server. Then I'd probably just leave my current PC on.
The only down side with that is that my current PC sounds like a jet engine taking off, with all the cooling modifications I've made. I think my next PC will sacrifice looks and some performance for noise supression.
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I had a funny moment in Baldur's Gate 2 today
October 17, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 I had a funny moment in Baldur's Gate 2 today. I ran into these strange fish creatures, who started speaking in their own weird tongue. After we said something like "please, we just want to move through your territory", they attacked. What was odd is that one of them said this plainly English phrase during the heated battle that ensued.
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Well, poor Lisa passed away today
October 17, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, poor Lisa passed away today. We'd only had him for a week, so we weren't too attached to him. Sam and I made playdough horns and played Taps while Jamie quietly buried the fish at sea (down the toilet).
I think we might try another run at fish later this year, this time with slightly better equipment and hardier fish. For now, it's best that no one mention the "fish" word around Sam.
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Well, I'm doing quite well, of course, as ivo...
October 17, 2000 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Well, I'm doing quite well, of course, as ivory towers tend to treat everyone well... Right. Dad and Yayoe are visiting this week, and I'm thrilled. I'm in the middle of midterms, just finished a sociology of revolutions paper, a great book (Dark Child), and a set of get well juices for my sick residents- my poor babies. The college-esque realizations concerning that noblese oblege of guilt pangs. But really, I'm very interested in social justice and am much more focused about going to Africa. Its all good.
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I put up a new movie section (look to the lef...
October 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 I put up a new movie section (look to the left under Family). It's still work in progress, especially the high-bandwidth movies. I don't think this poor server can keep up with the bandwidth requirements, so I may end up taking down the quality a notch. The low-bandwidth versions should be fine and even work over the modem, so try it out and let me know!
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Well, tinboy
October 16, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
Well, tinboy.com is up and running. Now the real question is what to do with it. Sadly, I think I'm starting to realize that having a server at home isn't really all that necessary. The content I put on adamandjamie.com should be more than enough (even if I do put out some home movies). I almost never have people come over to my house to play games (about once a month or so). Rarely do Jamie and I want to use the computer at the same time.
I think I'm slowly realizing that at the moment, we only need one computer at home. What that means, I'm not sure. There are plenty of people who would like to snap up the second computer. Still, I might find some use for it. I'll probably need to think some more and talk to Jamie a bit.
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Well, Baldur's Gate 2 continues to occupy my time
October 16, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
 Well, Baldur's Gate 2 continues to occupy my time. My party rescued Imoen from the clutches of the evil wizard. Unfortunately, both our souls were removed in the process, and we're slowly dying. Actually, it's not so much dying as transforming into a hideous beast (as I'm the son of an evil god, after all). Needless to say, it's a bit of a motivator, and our brave party is heading to the Underdark to go after him.
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Well, Lisa the fish is having a hard time of it
October 16, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Well, Lisa the fish is having a hard time of it. He started getting pretty sluggish and sitting at the bottom. There also appeared to be a thin film of goop covering it. We took out the plant and got some "anti-ick" medicine. Hopefully he'll pull through.
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Sam and I went to the bookstore and got a tra...
October 15, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam and I went to the bookstore and got a tractor book (as shown in the picture) and went to Amazon park to play. Sam had a great time, and it's always a treat to go out somewhere with just the two of us. Sam's also turning into quite a mimic. This morning, I quoted Yoda "Eat it I will", and Sam's been saying it over and over. He's also started to really like music, especially "Mombo Number 5".
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Jamie hit a milestone today - she finished he...
October 14, 2000 by Adam in Jamie
 Jamie hit a milestone today - she finished her first knitting project. Countless hours were spent on it as she learned the ropes (so to speak). Jamie, Sam, and I went to the knitting shop for one last audience with the knitting master, then Jamie put the final touches on her masterpiece. Sam enjoyed showing it off.
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Jamie fixed up Sam's Halloween costume tonight
October 14, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Jamie fixed up Sam's Halloween costume tonight. She made a tail for the leopard outfit (again utilizing her fast textile skills). Sam loved it, roaring about the house and getting into the spirit of the thing.
The holidays are even better with a kid. Sam's excitement is ever present in our household, and things like Halloween bring out his vast curiousity. He's seeing pumpkins, Jack-o-Lanterns, and costumes, and he want to know what they're all for.
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Sam, Jamie, and I went out to tea today
October 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam, Jamie, and I went out to tea today. I took a break at work and we headed to the corner Starbucks. A little hot chai, some assorted goodies, and we were good to go. The only sad part was when I told Sam it was time for me to go back to work. "No goin' to work dad!" he'd say, "Go to Sam's house!" Then he'd cry. Sure makes work even tougher.
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I'm slowly transforming my second home comput...
October 12, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
 I'm slowly transforming my second home computer into an Internet server. I installed all the server software and I registered a new domain name: tinboy.com. Now, it doesn't really go anywhere at the moment, but it has a kickin' logo. I'm not really sure what I'm going to do with it yet, either. Perhaps streaming some home videos and hosting game servers. I guess it doesn't really matter if you've got a kickin' logo.
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Sam got a new Barney toothbrush today
October 12, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Sam got a new Barney toothbrush today. We picked it up when Jamie went to my dad's for her weekly bookkeeping job. Sam seemed somewhat more comfortable around the dental chairs, which originally introduced him to the concept of "scared". He even wanted me to move it a little bit (but only once or twice).
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Well, I rarely do a work rant, but here it is
October 10, 2000 by Adam in Adam
 Well, I rarely do a work rant, but here it is. I'm sick today, my customers can't settle on a design (but they want the entire application redesigned weekly), and the vendors don't have a clue. That pretty much sums up my work life today. Oh, plus the CD drives in the servers can't read burned CD's (found this out the hard way at 7 am today). Sigh . . .
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The three of us went on a little adventure to...
October 10, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 The three of us went on a little adventure to downtown Eugene today. Jamie got a new watch at 5th Street and Sam and I played with pumpkins. He especially liked one display with decorated pumpkins. I'd ask him to find "the ghost pumpkin" or "the elephant pumpkin" and he'd dutifully point it out to me.
When I was growing up, I fondly remember all the various family traditions. Once I got into adulthood a bit, the thrill waned. Now I find myself rekindling that love for sugar cookies in weird shapes and scooping the guts out of defenseless pumpkins.
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We've all been sick the last few days
October 10, 2000 by Adam in Family
 We've all been sick the last few days. Both Sam and I have copious amounts of goo coming out our noses. I made it through work today through a combination of nasal spray and caffiene. Still, it's pretty rough around here - fortunately, Jamie seems fairly unaffected, she already had it last week.
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I know this is Jamie's area, but I wanted to...
October 08, 2000 by Adam in Jamie
 I know this is Jamie's area, but I wanted to let everyone know that she did a great job feeding and caring for everyone this weekend. Her entire family was here and we managed to do both a dinner and a brunch without any serious mishaps. Kudos to Jamie!
This is a little picture of her. She thinks she looks like Martha Stewart, but I think she just looks like my lovely wife.
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Sam loves playdough
October 08, 2000 by Adam in Sam
 Sam loves playdough. It's his latest thing - he makes little snakes out of it and holds long conversations with them. He really likes pressing it against things and looking at the impressions they made. Unfortunately, it led to Sam having little playdough chunks imbedded in his entire outfit.
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The whole crew was here for dinner tonight
October 08, 2000 by Adam in Family
 The whole crew was here for dinner tonight. Darrell and Ray came down and we had a massive spaghetti dinner with Josh, Dave, Darrell, Ray, Sam, Jamie, and I. Whew!
Darell is his usual self, asking about trade tarrifs and the ethics of Napster. Always trying to drum up a philosophical conversation. We celebrated his birthday and Sam really liked singing the song.
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Sam's becoming more of a character every day
October 06, 2000 by Adam in Family
 Sam's becoming more of a character every day. We added a new member to our family - a Beta fish. Sam named him Lisa (he's still unclear on the fish gender concept). Sam is pretty fascinated with the fish, wanting us to "speak" for the fish.
Sam's putting together weird connections in his mind. Last night, he saw the reflection of our dog Guy in a window. Sam promptly started singing "how much is that doggie in the window." Too funny.
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Last night occurred what only can be describe...
October 03, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Last night occurred what only can be described as "The Hotdog Incident." Jamie had given Sam some hot dogs (vegetarian, of course). He then proceeded to impale one on his finger and talk to it.
Sam: "Hello hotdog."
Hotdog: "Hello." (in a deep voice)
Sam: "Hello."
Hotdog: "Gonna eat me?"
Sam: "Okay." (eats the hotdog)
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Sam is constantly surprising us with the use ...
October 02, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Sam is constantly surprising us with the use of language. He's extremely polite, often saying "thank you, dad". It gets funny when he wants candy - he'll say things like "please have one candy - that's all".
He's also really into playing pretend. He talks to his stuffed animals and expects me to talk back for them. The other day, he was bringing up a Lego to his mouth. I gave him a look and he quickly said "Not really eat it - just pretend."
Another interesting thing is his use of the word "scared". He often lets us know that he's "scared of the dark" or "scared of the moon". My favorite was "scared of the planet Venus" (we were looking at the night sky).
It's hard to believe that just a year ago, he was still crawling around the house. Next month, he'll turn two. It's been an incredible year.
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I think the case modification madness is fina...
September 29, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
I think the case modification madness is finally over. I wrote up a little piece on the experience. I think the moral of the story is to stick to pre-fab cases whenever possible. I just don't have the time for what it takes to customize a case and do a great job.
On the up side, DSL has been working great for me. The amount of things you can do with it is phenomenal. For those with high-bandwidth connections and an enjoyment of Matrix-like gunfights, I highly recommend The Killer Bean 2. Another good site is Ad Critic.
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Well, I completely revamped the site
September 28, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I completely revamped the site. I now have the navigation on the left and rewrote parts of the database. It's all to support more people who want to post on the site.
Initially, this was just for Sam, Jamie, and I. Later, I included my siblings. Now, it looks like I'll be "web hosting" for at least my parents, and who knows who else.
Anyone else out there who wants their own page, let me know. I'll accept chocolate as bribes . . .
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Well, Baldur's Gate II made it to my computer
September 27, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
Well, Baldur's Gate II made it to my computer. It's somewhat amazing that I'm even finding the time to type this. It is, as expected, basically the perfect game. The story is great, the engine is improved, and it looks beautiful.
My main character, Samuel, dual-classed to a Mage from a Fighter. Last night, his Fighter skills "reactivated", so he's casting spells and dual-weilding magic longswords. It just doesn't get any better than that.
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I'm sick, sick, sick
September 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
I'm sick, sick, sick. It started Saturday, a little sniffle and head ache. Unfortunately, it never went away. With a magical combination of caffiene and advil, I've made it through work on a regular basis.
Serina's over watching Sam as I type. "What's that Serina" is repeated over and over. Jamie and I are going to make dinner together just like the old days.
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Well, DSL has been working great for me
September 21, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, DSL has been working great for me. Read all about surfing the net at warp speed here.
I've also written up a little piece on my computer case modifications and the woes associated with pushing the computer style boundaries.
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Baldur's Gate II ships today
September 21, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
Baldur's Gate II ships today. I'd like to publicly apologize to my wife and child, who I won't see as much for the next couple months.
This is the one game that ever since I played the first one, I couldn't wait for a sequel. I bought the expansion pack and played through the game 2 1/2 times. I remember naming my main character Samuel, and playing the game while Sam slept in his car seat behind me. Ah, the simple days.
The only other game I'm waiting for so diligently is Neverwinter Nights. It's another game based on D&D (a familiar and fun rule set), but this time it's designed for multiplayer, has the latest 3rd edition rules, and is all 3D. All good. That won't be out until the middle of next year, though.
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Well, fast Internet access finally made it to...
September 21, 2000 by Adam in Adam
Well, fast Internet access finally made it to our house. I tried the test on QWest's site, and it worked 4 times in a row. After my fiasco earlier this year, I was doubtful, but tried once again. I quickly installed the hardware, got the ISP information, and was soon cooking with gas (so to speak).
The difference is amazing. It's noticeably faster than work, which is over a partial T1 line (though shared by all employees). I've been watching streaming video with ease and web pages pop up extremely quickly.
I've still got to figure out what to do with this thing. I could host my own server, install a web cam, or do a number of other things I couldn't even consider in the past. We'll just see what diabolical things I come up with . . .
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Well, I completed my first day as a teacher's...
September 21, 2000 by Jamie in Jamie
Well, I completed my first day as a teacher's assistant at Sam's preschool. I must have done well, as the teacher, Phyllis, asked if I could be her back-up (a paid position!) No one in my charge was seriously injured, so I feel pretty good about the effort! I am involved this year as a board member of Tiny Tots cooperative, and am managing our serach for a new location (since we are being gently booted from the Friendly Street Church of God). I am also doing some fun creative projects for a family reunion in Nebraska coming up in November. I am making the invitations and a memory album for my grandmother, who will be 90 this year. I have also almost finished my first knitting project, Sadie's scarf will be keeping her warm this winter if it kills me! I'm ready to begin a new project for "the baby" (Katiana..hint, hint)
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Yesterday was a very good day
September 19, 2000 by Adam in Family
Yesterday was a very good day. We got a bonus at work, the new D&D book arrived, and I got fast Internet access at home. The difference is pretty amazing - it's faster than what I have at work. There are still some fiddling things that I need to do. Only one of my computers is set up, and I've got some security things to tighten up. Still, it's impressively fast.
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Jamie's birthday weekend went well
September 18, 2000 by Adam in Family
Jamie's birthday weekend went well. Her official birthday is tomorrow, but we got a bunch of family together to celebrate. Brant and Jim were teaching Sam how to put the cap back on beer bottles. Seraph and Robbie were getting ready for their house warming party next weekend. Jenny, Darren, and Destin were heading out to a monster truck rally that night.
The Eugene Celebration was this weekend too. Sam and I went to see the parade, which utterly fascinated him. Anything with drums or trucks was amazing in his eyes.
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It's a baby girl! The doctor thinks we have ...
September 14, 2000 by Robbie in Cortez
It's a baby girl! The doctor thinks we have an 85 to 95 percent chance it will be a girl. I am so excited, because that is what I wanted all along. Names that we have picked so far, are Isabel (no complaints), Abigal (they hate it, or love it), and Silvia (not a fan favorite). Jamie had a dream, woke up and came up with the name Katiana. Seraph and I really like that name, and so far everyone likes it too. Seraph said that I have the final say in naming the baby, and so far I like Isabel and Katiana. If there are any other names you can think of, please tell us (only serious names will be considered).
Thank you to all who came and helped us clear "the jungle" behind our house last Sunday.
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Life is frantically moving along
September 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
Life is frantically moving along. Our water heater is dying, so we quickly went out to replace it. We gave Sam too much sugar yesterday and he was bouncing off the walls. He survived a second time at preschool. I think he really likes it - he's been talking about it to me in the evenings. The new case mod is being flaky - not enough time to dedicate to it.
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hello finial from us had a hard time gettting...
September 12, 2000 by Jenny in Jenny
hello finial from us had a hard time gettting this to work. Well news from us the wedding was great the day we had was more then we could ever think it could be. Well married life is treating us all very well. Darren is now working a side job and is working from 6:30 to 9:00 what a hard working husband but us at home miss him.Well destin is getting very grown up right before our eye's but kids have a way of doing that when you blink an eye, maybe time for a new baby destin really want's a brother, nothing yet on that news we will keep you posted.Seraph and robbie's chain saw party was great they are really going to have a nice yard with a few more party's needed.Well my body is very sore from that party and the couch is looking good. Destin and I are off to play chest before bed it's his new game he's into, he still win's (what a good mom to let him win-Ha-Ha) Well now that i have this posting thing working we will do it more.
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Sam's starting preschool today
September 11, 2000 by Adam in Family
Sam's starting preschool today. We're a little nervous, but I'm sure it will work out. It's a parent-teacher coop. Sam will be going for 2 1/2 hours twice a week and Jamie's going to be peeking in the first few times. It'll be good for him to hang out with other kids.
I'm working on another computer case mod, this time putting everything inside a computer case. After several fits and starts, I have it up and running. A friend gave me an old sound card (I hope it fits) to finish it up. Unfortunately, the Legos are too fragile and Sam has demonstrated he can easily tear it apart. I'll keep everyone posted on the results.
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Lots of excitement yesterday
September 07, 2000 by Adam in Family
Lots of excitement yesterday. Seraph called. They're 85% sure that the baby's going to be a girl. The next ultrasound might tell a bit better, which is happening in a month or so.
Also, I checked to see if DSL works for my house, and it seems to work. I tried it four times in a row successfully and spoke to a human being who said it should work. I'm checking in with my ISP, but with luck I'll be surfing the web turbo style!
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After jaunting off to an Amherst class this a...
September 06, 2000 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
After jaunting off to an Amherst class this afternoon and being terribly dissapointed, I decided to instead take 20th Century Africa at Smith. The male to female ratio will be predictably low, but the class fits my interests and current needs far more than a two hour bus trip and a lackluster proffessor. Like dad as an undergrad, I have fully adopted the habit of tasting classes before diving in. In order to apply to the Botswana program for spring semester, I must take an African studies course. In order to finish Smith with a double major in sociology and psychology, I must work my ass off and think very seriously about taking my junior year abroad in a country where all psychology and sociology credits transfer to my major. So all of this planning and worrying throws me off not one bit from my mantra of balance- really. If ANYONE can give me words of wisdom about my life path at this moment, I would humbly appriciate it.
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Sam is starting to get really funny
September 05, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Sam is starting to get really funny. Last night, he was crawling around the floor. "What are you doing Sam?" "Bein' a worm."
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Well, we are certinally making this a "Labor"...
September 03, 2000 by Seraph in Cortez
Well, we are certinally making this a "Labor" Day weekend! Jenny and Darren have promised to come over a help conquer the backyard. It's really more of a massacer, and I feel guilty about all of the birds, squirrels and raccons we might be displacing. There's a troup of three or four raccons that have been rambeling around the neighborhood, and seem to like the big Royal Paulownia tree in our back yard, as well as munching on our apples.
We went to the Duck game yesterday, and cheered are ever fearless quackers to victory (39-7)! A little of that famous Oregon liquid sunshine and we washed them out of Autzen! Thanks again Mom and Dick for the tickets! We might send you out of town for the UO/OSU game, or for the Washington game! :)
Robbie and I are also hoping to throw a little house warming party later this month (some time after Eugene Celebration). We'll let you know!
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Pretty quiet Labor Day weekend
September 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
Pretty quiet Labor Day weekend. I drank way too much coffee yesterday. Jamie made it extra strong (unknown to me) and I zipped around for a couple hours then collapsed like a wind up toy.
Sadie posted a bit about her new life. We're shopping around for preschools for Sam. Got a new dryer. I'm off to Home Depot to buy stuff to fix our leaky toilet. Ah, life.
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The dream machine is complete
September 03, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
The dream machine is complete. Both switches work now - one is hooked up to the rear fan. The other goes to the blue neon light.
I'm embarrased to say that I can't stop. I have the addiction. The next step involves taking my sister's old Packard Bell and a couple tubs of Legos to build a firewall (assuming I get cable some day).
The first few steps went poorly. I glued together some remaining sheets of Lucite (clear plastic). I decided that an entire case made out of it would provide no RF blockage as well as some poor heat dissipation/grouding. So, it's off to Home Depot to buy sheet metal, tin snips, and some brackets.
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I'm successfully moved into my Morris single,...
September 01, 2000 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
I'm successfully moved into my Morris single, and although everything is moldy from that "unexpected rain" this summer (which floded a few too many Smith basements), I'm settled and happy. I remain wary of crazy and/or neurotic people, because they throw me off balance- balance is my mantra these days. I want so much to keep the sense of wholeness of this summer that all my behavior is an intentional compensation for any bad Smith vibes. If that doesn't work, I'm applying to a Zimbabwe/Botswana abroad program for next semester, so I can just jaunt off when things get too crazed. My job is pretty' awesome, with much responsibility and time commitment, but I'm not too worried. Its just what I wanted to do last year- build house community and drag people out of the house to do cool stuff.
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Last night, Sam starting singing the "Itsy Bi...
August 24, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Last night, Sam starting singing the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" song. After some practice, he could sing the whole thing through with occasional prompting, or half the song by himself. Whoa!
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I got the light yesterday
August 24, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
I got the light yesterday. As you can see from the picture, it looks pretty cool. I still want to secure the light inside the case a bit more, and I want to hook up some fans to the other switch.
In the immortal words of Dr. Sbatso: "crazy, crazy, la la la, crazy crazy."
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I seem to have completely gone insane with co...
August 23, 2000 by Adam in Adam
I seem to have completely gone insane with computer modifications while Jamie and Sam were up in Portland.
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Busy weekend
August 21, 2000 by Adam in Family
Busy weekend. I helped move Seraph and Robbie to their new house, saw the X-Men movie, and went crazy modifying my computer case. Jamie and Sam should be back tomorrow. Tonight I've got to finish up my computer case, clean the house, and hopefully not get too sick. I think I'm finally catching what Jamie and Sam had. Sniff.
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The computer madness continues
August 21, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
The computer madness continues. While Jamie and Sam were away for the weekend, I took apart my computer and performed a large number of modifications.
I painted everything glossy black, including the CD faceplates. The buttons are all midnight blue. This part took forever, especially sanding places where I screwed up and had to repaint.
I also added a window by cutting a hole in the side and gluing in a panel of clear lucite. Soon I'll plug in a blue neon light so you can see the insides.
Finally, I added a "control panel" in the front. It has a clock and two switches. The switches will go to the light and fan. Still have to wire that up.
All in all, it was a fun little experience. My dad helped a ton, especially with cutting the case. It's a good thing Jamie was out of town. For several days, I had computer parts laying about as paint dried. I'll hopefully be able to clean up before she comes back to town tonight.
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Sadie has gone back to school
August 17, 2000 by Adam in Family
Sadie has gone back to school. Evidently she missed her flight, so she spent the night somewhere in the middle of the USA. Sam and Jamie are going to Portland this weekend, leaving me all to my lonesome. I have an immense amount of work to do, from helping move Seraph and Robbie to oodles of yardwork.
Oh, I also put up some new photos. There's also less dorky ones for Sadie and the Cortezes
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Well, Sam doesn't really see dead people
August 15, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Well, Sam doesn't really see dead people.
A few weeks ago, he started talking about someone named Dana. He talked about playing together, reading books, and other activities with Dana. Unfortunately, there's no one called Dana that we know (except for the X-Files character).
Jamie solved the mystery today. It turns out that there's a character on Barney called Dana. As soon as she came on, he started talking about her. Too cute.
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I came to the website and saw all that Adam h...
August 15, 2000 by Jamie in Jamie
I came to the website and saw all that Adam has been adding, and after wondering just where in the world he gets the time to do all this, I thought maybe I should post something of my own. After the long breaks in my news, I expect no one actually reads this stuff...Soooo, if you are reading this, e-mail me at "Jamie@adamandjamie.com" and it may encourage me to keep at it!
I have been passed the knitting bug by my honorary sister-in-law Wendy, and am taking an actual class from an actual knitting professional tomorrow. I am amazed at the number of old knitting needles and supplies that have come out of the woodwork since I announced this newest craft endeavor... that must mean everyone tries it and after knitting about 20 sweaters the family is well outfitted and you are sick to death of yarn :-) Probably also a cheap hobby to start and let go of.
This year I am on the board of directors of the family playgroup cooperative (Tiny Tots) in our community. I am looking forward to having some responsibility and data to control, even if it is all kid stuff. I am actually in charge of the committee that keeps the playgroup stocked with clean, repaired toys...so I guess I've got the fun job! I have really enjoyed the first couple of meetings this summer, and will even be working with an old friend from SelectCare, Kellie. The others on the board are very nice, and it will get me out of the house at least one evening a month for board meetings.
I am looking forward to a trip (with Sam) to my mom's place this week for an extended weekend. She's a great sitter, and I actually take the time to go out and mingle with old friends who live in the area. It is a wonderful break for me...now why don't I do this at home?
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Seraph and Robbie finally posted some news
August 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
Seraph and Robbie finally posted some news. Good for them!
Another exciting weekend for our family. Took a trip up to Portland yesterday to BBQ with Grandpaw Ray. The 1 1/2 hour drive in the car went pretty well, with Sam awake the entire time. The only down side was that my throat got a little sore from doing the voice of Sam's stuffed kangaroo.
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Well, we are finally adding a few tid-bits
August 10, 2000 by Seraph in Cortez
Well, we are finally adding a few tid-bits. Robbie and I are VERY slowly moving into our house. I'm hoping to get some house picture to Adam to scan so everyone can see. Our new address is: 485 Louis, Eugene, 97402. As everyone knows, we're having a baby in January. I'm now "showing" some and can not wear any of my old clothes! The official ultrasound photos will be out September 6th and we'll try to post them. The only other baby news is that we're thinking of posting live birth footage on the net. Right now we're sitting here discussing baby names. Send us any ideas!
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Sam would not go to bed last night
August 09, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Sam would not go to bed last night. At 9 o'clock I put him down on the bed and layed down next to him, as I was so exhausted. He kept talking too:
"Dad?", Sam would ask.
"Mmm . . ."
"Dad?"
"Mmm . . ."
"Dad sleeping."
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Well, I completely revamped the photo album
August 08, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I completely revamped the photo album. It's now database driven and has lots more search features. Let me know if there's anything you'd like to see added.
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I posted some new phrases from that lovable b...
August 04, 2000 by Adam in Family
I posted some new phrases from that lovable boy on Sam's first words page. This includes the long awaited "Soylent Green is people".
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I'm hoping that Seraph and Robbie post someth...
August 03, 2000 by Adam in Cortez
I'm hoping that Seraph and Robbie post something here soon. Since Seraph's pregnant, we'd like to hear all about the nausea, fatigue, and general discomfort. They're also moving in a couple weeks, which just adds to the fun!
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Well, I'm hoping that Jenny and Darren post s...
August 03, 2000 by Adam in Jenny
Well, I'm hoping that Jenny and Darren post something here soon. We'll forgive them, as they're off in Vegas for their Honeymoon. I'll try to put up more pictures from their wedding.
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I put together a new computer over the last c...
August 03, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
I put together a new computer over the last couple days. I spent about $450 on parts, combined the used PC I bought from work, and threw in my old Dell for good measure.
The Dell is going to Seraph and Robbie, so I put in the 2.5 GB hard drive from the used computer, got it all configured, and stripped out the CD drive and floppy for the new computer. Before they move, I plan on getting my hands on their old computer and merging it with the Dell.
The parts for the new box showed up Tuesday. Sam helped me put it together, and I tried to keep him from whacking the motherboard with the screwdriver. I threw in a 550E Pentium III processor, my Dell's old hard drive, and 64 MB Corsair memory. Unfortunately, I couldn't get it to overclock over 612 Mhz, though the memory would run at CAS 2 at 145 Mhz. It's not as fast as my old device, but it does seem to run pretty well. I had to get a new network card, as the Linksys has bad problems with the Soyo board and IRQ conflicts.
So, my home LAN is complete. I hopefully won't have another major upgrade for a year or so. I'll probably wait until the Pentium 4's are cheap and give one of my boxes to the next needy family member.
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Poor Jamie has been sick the last couple days
August 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
Poor Jamie has been sick the last couple days. I've been pulling double Sam duty and trying to let her rest some.
We got a new driveway yesterday. I came home to find our old grungy gravel driveway hauled away and new gravel layed down. It looks tons better.
I also finished putting together my new computer. I didn't have the overclocking luck this time around, but it's still a pretty good, cheap computer. Read all about it on my projects page.
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Well folks, in my deepest realization this we...
July 31, 2000 by Sadie in Sadie & Greg
Well folks, in my deepest realization this weekend (while walking down the isle and contemplating my own future demise in the holiest of matrimony, and my present attempts to avoid it- yes, I do attend a women's college) I decided that I should really go work for habitat for humanity or travel or study abroad spring semester. If anyone out there has suggestions, advice, or chocolate, feel free to send them on.
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Well, the grand wedding between Jenny and Dar...
July 31, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, the grand wedding between Jenny and Darren Banks happened today! There was a huge amount of family there. I was the official videographer, and took some quick stills:
The Banks are off to Vegas for a few days, promising to sleep in until noon each day.
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Well, I added a new area to the web site: "Th...
July 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I added a new area to the web site: "The Clan". I e-mailed the various people involved, so I'm hoping that I get responses fairly soon. Ideally, we'll get news about Jenny and Darren's wedding as well as the baby on the way for Seraph and Robbie!
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Sam's being doing well these days
July 26, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Sam's being doing well these days. His verbal skills continue to amaze all. He really enjoys expressing his opinion, from a simple "no" to "no poking mama!"
He's getting pretty good with the computer, though we only play on it from time to time. He likes his Jumpstart Toddler game where he can feed the dog, click on animals, and click on various letters.
He's also really getting into songs. It used to be that every time I'd start to sing, he'd cut me off with a "nope". Now, he'll try to sing along. I'll try to get a duet of Sam and I singing "Don't put your finger up your nose", which he enjoys immensely.
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I may be doing it again
July 26, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
I may be doing it again. I picked up a used PC from work for $20. It had a 2.5 GB hard drive and a monitor that I'll probably salvage. I should be able to spend another $400 or so, combine it with those and other parts I have lying around, and come up with two fairly good PCs. I'm going to wait until Jamie and Sam head up to Portland to actually do the deed, but my scheming can continue until then . . .
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Diablo II ate my brain
July 24, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
Diablo II ate my brain. I've been playing it daily and my paladin is up to 20th level. I also found a ring from a set item. Extraordiarily rare - someone said that every month on battle.net, you'd only expect to see a few pop up on the site. It's the old formula of get cooler stuff and build your character, but it's done well. Graphics are ordinary, but the gameplay is great.
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Looks like this web site is actually getting ...
July 24, 2000 by Adam in Family
Looks like this web site is actually getting some use. My cousin Mikayla dropped me a note after noticing my interest in computer games. Hello Mikayla!
Busy weekend. We finished the long-running gate project. We now have a nice white gate to replace the old ratty one. There was also assorted cleaning, lawn care, and family celebrations. Jamie's dad came down to visit and my mom had her birthday.
Sam is cute as ever. He's started getting into singing. He'll give the "ABC" song a periodic try, though his favorite is "Don't put your finger up your nose." With luck, I'll record a duet and put it up on the site.
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It's my birthday! The big 31
July 20, 2000 by Adam in Adam
It's my birthday! The big 31. Jamie's keeping mum, but I suspect that my family is going to descend later this evening. I counted the number of forks set out and it came out to 13. Either Jamie suspects Sam's going to go through a bunch of utensils, or we'll have visitors.
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After our exciting anniversary weekend, I'm h...
July 15, 2000 by Adam in Adam
After our exciting anniversary weekend, I'm hoping for a pretty quiet couple days. I mowed the lawn early this morning, and we'll probably do some home projects before going to Bridget's birthday party tonight.
Oh! Here comes Sam!
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Well, I finally finished Deus Ex
July 15, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
Well, I finally finished Deus Ex. Pretty fun overall. I think it's up there in my top 5 games of the year.
Picked up Diablo II a few days ago. It's much like the old one, though with some significant improvements. The gameplay will eat your brain - it's very addictive.
Still slogging away at Icewind Dale. It's still fun, though I just hit a spot that's a bit tricky. Occasionally, there's some significant jumps in difficulty.
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We went over to see Seraph and Robbie's new house
July 15, 2000 by Adam in Family
We went over to see Seraph and Robbie's new house. They took us around to the various rooms. When they got to the smaller corner bedroom, they announced "and this will be the baby's room". It surprised all of us - we'll be expecting little baby Cortez sometime in January. We wish them the very best.
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Well, we're up in Portland at Jamie's mom's house
July 11, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, we're up in Portland at Jamie's mom's house. The new web site allows me to post news items from anywhere, which is great.
We spent yesterday at OMSI, mostly in the toddler section. Sam spent hours stacking blocks, blowing balls around through tubes, and digging in the sand. Unfortunately, the robot exhibit wasn't there, so we had to explain to Sam that the robots had "gone home". Still, it was a big success and I can see it being a common event when we visit.
Today is the zoo, though Sam doesn't know what's in store for him. We've talked a little about how we're going to be seeing elephants, giraffes, and tigers. Little does he know . . .
We're probably going to be back in town late tonight. Hopefully Sadie has taken good care of the place.
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Well, we're about to head off to Portland for...
July 06, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, we're about to head off to Portland for a few days for our anniversary. We're hauling Sam along with us, and we'll probably leave him with grandmaw for a day. Actually spending an entire, uninterrupted, day with Jamie is pretty exciting. Perhaps a lazy day visiting coffee houses and browsing books at Powells. Pretty cool!
Sam's sleeping habits are starting to mellow out again. He still goes to bed around 9 pm now, but at least he's fighting it less. We're missing the lost couple hours in the evening still. The joys of parenthood . . .
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I broke out the microphone and recorded some ...
July 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
I broke out the microphone and recorded some new words from Sam. Sam also went to see Chicken Run, his first time in a big movie theater. He did really well, though we left after an hour. He kept saying things like "wow!" and "big, big movie!".
We also managed to do some serious gardening this weekend - mowing, watering, laying paths, and getting ready to regravel the driveway. Ah, the joys of home ownership.
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A happy July to all
July 02, 2000 by Jamie in Jamie
A happy July to all. I've been eajoying the break in the hot weather, and taking advantage by walking poor, neglected Guy, our fearless Sheltie.
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A couple new, great games have recently been ...
June 30, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
A couple new, great games have recently been released: Deus Ex and Icewind Dale.
Deus Ex is like System Shock, with elements of Half-Life and the X-Files thrown in. It's very much a first person thinker game, with lots of ways to accomplish goals. In one case, I had to get in to a penthouse apartment. I could blow up or lock pick the back entrance on the apartment floor below. I could hack into the hotel's computer system and open up the service elevator to the roof. From the roof, I could break the skylight and jump in shooting, or bypass the security door.
Icewind Dale is more of a dungeon crawl using the Baldur's Gate engine. I played last night with Josh, my 9 year-old nephew, and had a great time. We gathered our brave band together to investigate why the supply caravan was lost. We found a group of orcs and avenged the lost merchants. Great fun.
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We're having some troubles around sleep for Sam
June 30, 2000 by Adam in Sam
We're having some troubles around sleep for Sam. We've all been sick the last few weeks, so he ended up sleeping with us for lots of that time. Unfortunately, he's used to it now, plus his bed time shifted to 9 pm. It's pretty hard putting him to bed and hearing "Moma, up. No nap. Up please. Downstairs. No nap." between bouts of crying.
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We're finally up and running with our new dom...
June 28, 2000 by Adam in Family
We're finally up and running with our new domain name, server, and news script. This should hopefully make life easier (before we had to break out various programs and be connected from home in order to post).
The funny story of the month involves a strange smell that came from our back yard. It was vaguely dead-animal like, so we hoped it would just go away. After another week, a plumber was summoned, who took a look under our porch and announced we had a "geyser of sewage". Evidently the previous owners had constructed a clean out plug out of an orange traffic cone, a wooden board, and some gravel. We happily shelled out $450 to get it fixed (we weren't too keen on wading around in raw sewage). The good news is that we had the best cherry crop we've ever had. Just doing my little part for recycling, I suppose.
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Adam just created this very user friendly way...
June 27, 2000 by Jamie in Jamie
Adam just created this very user friendly way for me too add news to my section, so I PROMISE to be more timely with my news. For example, I have been supervising the addition of a new gate and front porch at my house this summer. So far, I've used food and beer to recruit many friends and family in this endeavor. It is going slowly, but I have a great vision for the outcome!
I have also been learning to knit, under the tutelage of Brant's girlfriend Wendy. A new thing that I have no time to do :-) (but very relaxing, I admit)
I am enjoying taking Sam to swimming lessons almost as much as he loves swimming...especially on these 100 degree days. Mostly, I am very busy keeping an 18 month old occupied all day. In fact, dinner calls...
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Well, I finally purchased a domain name for o...
June 03, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I finally purchased a domain name for our site: www.adamandjamie.com. It's not actually hooked to anything, but eventually you'll be able to just remember that instead of the long weird one I now have. I'm also looking in to having a friend host our site. Should have lots more room.
Jamie's got her whole family here it seems. Darrel and her dad are over, as well as both her brothers and nephew. Fortunately, it coincides with Jamie's great gate building project, so it's working out fairly well for her.
Sam's doing well as always. He almost always talks in sentences now. A couple weeks ago he stuck his finger in the wading pool and said "gross dead fly". Too funny.
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Absolutely nothing is happening in the wide w...
May 15, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
Absolutely nothing is happening in the wide world of gaming. I picked up a couple games - Unreal Tournament and Draken. With the two computers, the multiplayer aspects of both are pretty fun. I had a great time playing against & with my nephew Josh. He's only 10 but he can hold his on.
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As I type, I'm sitting in front of my new com...
May 14, 2000 by Adam in Family
As I type, I'm sitting in front of my new computer. It's taken awhile to get things transferred over and ready to go. If you're interested in the details, check out my projects page.
Today is mother's day. I put together a little video for Jamie of Sam's first year and a half. My camcorder came and I'm actually doing some digital editing. It's tricky and I can definately tell I'm pushing the limits of my computer, but the quality is great. I taught Sam to say "Happy Mother's Day!" His verbal skills are pretty amazing. He's putting together multiple-word sentences, as well as using things like "and", "my", and plurals. What a super genius boy.
I think Sam and I will head out to the mall to pick up a present for Jamie this afternoon. We're all getting over being sick, so I'm trying to take it easy. Work is getting exciting - big projects are in the work. Life at home is good. I think Jamie and I are getting the hang of raising a kid. Maybe in a couple more years we'll start thinking about another.
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Well, I passed another nerd milestone - assem...
May 14, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
Well, I passed another nerd milestone - assembling my computer from pieces and then overclocking it. What's overclocking, you ask? Well, it's kind of the nerd equivalent of muscle cars. Let's proceed with the story . . .
I bought a system that had a Pentium III 550E processor and got it up and running. Surprisingly, all went well. Although overclocking is pretty easy to do with my motherboard, I wanted to hold off until I got proper cooling for my CPU. I ordered a Vantec CPU cooler and finally it arrived.
Putting the CPU cooler on was the hardest part of the entire experience. I pulled the processor out of the case, then removed the wimpy Intel fan. Taking pliers and a heavy screwdriver, I tore the plastic and metal surrounding the juicy high-tech insides. The sounds of crunching were a bit unnerving, and I kept thinking how I was invalidating the warranty in a big way. With the last of the CPU case removed, I slapped on the Vantec double-fan black matte cooler. Threw it back into the case, hooked up the fan monitor, and turned it on. Checked the CPU temperature and it was running nicely around 27 degrees Celsius, a few degrees better than normal.
Next step, overclocking. Shut down and booted into the BIOS. I took a leap from the 100 Mhz frontside bus speed up to 133 Mhz. Rebooted - no problems. My 550E was running at 733 rock solid. I kept increasing the FSB speed over and over until I finally pushed it beyond what God and man had intended. The end result? My $200 550E was running at 825 Mhz - a processor which cost around $700.
All-in-all, it was a pretty exciting experience. Not only did I save a bundle in processor costs, but I had a great time doing it myself. Sure, I have a couple quirky things like the network card doesn't work in my new system, but they're pretty minor. Plus, going from my old 300 Mhz processor to this one is an amazing improvement.
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Sam's sitting on my lap as I type
May 14, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Sam's sitting on my lap as I type. He just woke up from his nap. He passed another critical milestone today - he can use the computer's mouse! We had a great time this morning feeding Elmo cupcakes and putting weird eyeballs on a face. I'm referring to Sam's Elmo game, of course.
His development goes well. He's got lots of teeth now. He's speaking sentences and bossing us around ("sit down", "daddo slide", "throw it"). He's also getting better with his physical coordination. With some help, he can assemble his train tracks. He also loves to play catch, though he's much better at throwing than catching. Sam definately loves the outside, and you practically have to drag him in if it's nice out.
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My adventures in overclocking are detailed on...
May 14, 2000 by Adam in Adam
My adventures in overclocking are detailed on my project page. Quite a fun read.
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Well, we finally did our taxes and were very ...
April 09, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, we finally did our taxes and were very excited to find that we were going to get some money back. Yea! I ordered a digital camcorder, and it should show up in a week or so. Hopefully I'll have better luck editing a movie of Sam for next Christmas.
Sam's got quite the personality these days. He's a big fan of balls, especially throwing them into his new basketball hoop. He also loves being outside and running around. I think he got a little stir crazy being inside all winter.
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Well, I think that everyone is finally over b...
March 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
Well, I think that everyone is finally over being sick. My ears are finally unplugged (I had ear infections). To top it off, the sun came out this weekend and I got to do a little gardening.
Sam's teeth continue to pop in left and right. I was holding him upside down in front of the mirror (don't ask) and noticed his upper molars are coming in. That will come in handy when he's eating. Sam turned 16 months old yesterday. He seems so big and active, I forget that he was just born a little over a year ago. Pretty amazing.
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I had a terrible experience trying to get DSL
March 27, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
I had a terrible experience trying to get DSL. It never worked right, the customer service was lousy, and their help desk was particularly unhelpful. I couldn't recommend it the way it stands right now. Perhaps they'll eventually offer cable modems in our area.
I had a great time playing The Sims while I was sick. I made a little Sim-Adam with various Sim neighbors. I kept trying to get Sim Jamie (one of the neighbors) to marry me. Finally, Sim Jamie accepted my proposal, but it took an awful long time.
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Sam's getting over being really sick
March 11, 2000 by Adam in Family
Sam's getting over being really sick. He was so miserable for a couple days there. He'd cough and cough, then look at us pitifully and say "ouch". Poor kid. He's getting better though - last night he felt good enough to take to the Home and Garden show. Sam wasn't too impressed with the displays, but he really liked the horses in the parking lot (the show was at the fairgrounds).
Jamie's leaving for her mother's on Wednesday (nothing I did, honest!). It will be strange being by myself for a few days. I suspect I'll miss them terribly. I'm going to try to garden like a maniac while everyone is gone. As the flowers pop up, that annual frezy to prune and pluck comes over me.
I ordered fast Internet access last week, at the same time cancelled our newspaper. I'm trying hard to bring us into the great electronic future. We'll see how it pans out. If this goes well, I may try to set up my own web server and domain name (how does www.adamandjamie.com sound?). Still a few months in the future, though.
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Not much going on in the world of games
March 11, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
Not much going on in the world of games. I'm hoping that the fast Internet access helps open up a few genres, especially online gaming. I've been playing Half-Life Team Fortress with Chris from time to time. Lots of fun, but difficult to schedule the time together. If you see a player called PIPBoy, that's me.
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Well, I went out and bought some stocks on E*...
March 11, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
Well, I went out and bought some stocks on E*Trade. I'm doing fairly well, having bought Lucent when it was low. I bought Microsoft a bit high, as well as AOL, which as kept going down. Overall, I'm about 8% above where I started. After commissions, however, I've probably only made a couple hundred bucks. Seems like a lot of work for so little return. Oh well, at least it's kinda fun.
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Sam is finally getting over being really sick
March 11, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Sam is finally getting over being really sick. It's been hard watching him cough and sneeze. The coughs are the worst, as he looks pained and confused. Poor kid.
He's been very active and verbal these days. These days, he likes to go outside into our backyard and tromp about. He's very interested in plants, saying words like "plant", "branch", "needle", and "tree". He's also very much into animals. Probably ten to twenty percent of his vocabulary is dedicated to animals, including bear, spider, and rabbit.
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Sam cut his third tooth on his 15 month birthday
February 27, 2000 by Adam in Family
Sam cut his third tooth on his 15 month birthday. It's the upper left front tooth. Hopefully it will help him with chewing, as he's been working with just the lower two. It should hopefully make certain sounds easier to say - like "f" and "s", which rely pretty heavily on those upper teeth.
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Not much has been going on in the Miller hous...
February 05, 2000 by Adam in Family
Not much has been going on in the Miller household over the last month. Sam continues to grow - he's probably up to 100 words that he knows now. You'll see a few additions on the Sam's First Words page. You can have simple conversations with him. He's especially good with food things, such as "What do you want, Sam?" "More bread." He's also very active, and started to get a few scrapes and bruises that come with the territory. He's also fascinated by drawing. Sam likes to draw and identify things that others draw.
It's hard finding the time for projects these days. This Summer, Jamie wants to pave the driveway and possibly put in a porch. I picked up a really cheap scanner and CD writer (more on my page). Sam's sleep schedule has been weird. He's going to bed late and I'm getting up early. Doesn't leave much time in the evening for anything.
I'm looking forward to Spring. Just a few more months and all the plants will be coming back to life again. Hopefully, Sam will be able to "help" (or at least entertain himself digging in dirt).
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I just went nuts with my favorite deals page ...
February 05, 2000 by Adam in Adam
I just went nuts with my favorite deals page on the Internet. I picked up a 600 dpi scanner for $30 (after rebates) and a CD writer that was normally $300 for only $144. Hot dog! Now all I need is a color scanner . . .
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Sam is loving swim class
January 27, 2000 by Jamie in Sam
Sam is loving swim class..wants to swim right out of my arms before he even knows how to hold his breath underwater! He definitely has not learned to fear the water yet. Last week when I handed Sam a cracker, he actually said "Thank You". I got so excited that now he says Thank You all the time. Probably won't last long :-) Sam is very active and interested in "helping" everyone (cooking, cleaning and of course getting into everything!) We are looking forward to playing outside this summer, and visiting the zoo. Sam loves his "Animals" book, and I know he will be excited to see all those pictures come to life.
Adam made a list of all the words Sam can say, and it looks like he's over 50, and only 14 months old! (I have a feeling this kid talks too much) He's begun making two word sentences, and he's getting better at imitating some of the harder words with many syllables (i.e. kangaroo) He loves swimming, so I have signed us up for swim classes beginning February. He also enjoys the freedom of walking outside, hands and face into big mud puddles, even.
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We're taking Sam swimming today
January 15, 2000 by Adam in Sam
We're taking Sam swimming today. He's gone a couple times before, though this will be the first time I go with him. Evidently he has a great time, smiling and laughing and dunking his own head into the water. It's nice that Sam's starting to do things that we enjoy too.
Sam's been growing on all fronts. He knows even more words. He's better at manipulating objects and getting around the house. He seems to understand what we ask him much better. His bedtime has even moved from 7 pm to 8 pm. It's all pretty amazing.
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New Years Day came and went
January 04, 2000 by Adam in Family
New Years Day came and went. Pretty boring altogether. Since I work in the world of computers, I was on call and everyone was on their toes. Nothing happened.
Sam's been growing by the minute. What use to be "ein" is now "I dn know". He's also developed quite a hunkering for tofu pate (which he calls "dip"). The other morning, he crawled out of bed, on to the couch at the base of the bed, down to the floor, down the stairs, and walked into the kitchen. He pointed at the refrigerator and asked "dip?" It's probably a bad sign when the first thing he wants in the morning is tofu pate.
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On the computer game front, I've hit a bit of...
January 04, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Games
On the computer game front, I've hit a bit of a lull. I finished Planescape (quite good), uninstalled Ultima 9 (too buggy), and made it through Opposing Force (short, but sweet). At the moment, I'm just waiting for the next games to come out. High on my list are Diablo II, Icewind Dale, and Baldur's Gate 2.
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I'm trying hard to get all my investments sor...
January 04, 2000 by Adam in Adam's Projects
I'm trying hard to get all my investments sorted out. I'm only 30, but it's pretty clear to me that investing for the future is where it's at. I may even start buying individual stocks.
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Sam's so active these days
January 04, 2000 by Adam in Sam
Sam's so active these days. We've lost count of the number of words he knows. He's very good at understanding what you're saying as well. You can ask him to get things, push things, put things in other things, and generally manipulate the world. Great fun.
He definately goes through phases as well. For awhile, he just wanted to play with balls. Next, it was bubbles. Now he likes to push buttons on things (e.g. the remote control, his singing Ernie doll, and the microwave). He's discovered that there are all these things that his parents do, and he wants to do them too.
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