Festive

Things get going about 50 seconds in. I had to listen to it a few times to get that it was Jingle Bells, even expecting Jingle Bells.

So, MJ and I got the Christmas shopping done today. We didn't get too much for anyone this year, but we didn't get started early enough, and it seems we're a bit slow, so we're just finishing up now. We also went out to Carrabas for dinner since her mother gave us a gift card (technically for Outback, but it works at Carrabas) and we won't be getting another good chance like this for a date this week. It was a good evening.

We skipped out on what also sounds like a good evening with the Venturing Crew. They had a progressive dinner christmas party, and a couple of the girls brought presents for Jack-Jack. They really like him there, but who couldn't. Actually one guy up at crew with a stick up his ass doesn't. I don't know how he got through his own kids, but he sure isn't tolerant of noises from others. Happy noises even. Who gets pissy at a baby chattering on about whatever babies chatter on about? He even pointed out one time that if this were a movie theater we'd be asked to leave. I was quick to point out that I am very fortunate that it's not. Aside from this dill hole though, everyone seems to enjoy having the few babies around each week.

It's been a while since I've made it up there though. We've had a sick baby one week, a sick baby and a sick daddy the next, and now this party thing. I'm looking forward to seeing everyone for the New Year's event we run first aid for. I'm also looking forward to the next semester of school. I've got some good classes. I'm taking Ethical Theories, Biology, Analytical Chemistry, and Calculus, along with the associated labs for Bio and Chem, but that's a little ways out, so I should really be patient and enjoy the holidays and the break.

We've got Christmas Eve at my in-laws (sorry we won't make it over Berserk, hope you all have fun). They've been doing steak and shrimp for Christmas Eve for years now, but last year I grilled both of them. It was a massive improvement from the pan fried steak and oven baked shrimp the year before if you ask me, and I believe I'm doing that again. For Christmas Day here, we'll be doing a turkey and a ham, sadly neither with a deep fryer, but it should be some pretty good stuff. I didn't do Thanksgiving here this year, so I'm looking forward to it. I think I'd like to get some poppers made up again. If I do, I should be able to get some up to Berserk and his family this time.

The Poppers

Here it is:

4 large jalapeno peppers (or 8 habaneros)
1/4 lb cream cheese
2 eggs
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vegetable oil
2/3 cup self rising flour (I used all purpose, I don't know the difference)
1/8 teaspoon garlic
Dash Paprika
Dash onion powder
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs (I used bread crumbs)

Cut the stems off of the peppers and cut them in half. Remove the seeds and membranes. Put the peppers in boiling water for 10-15 minutes, drain them, cool them, and blot them dry. If the insides are not dry, the cheese slips out.

Make balls of 1/2 ounce of cream cheese for the jalapenos, or 1/4 ounce for habaneros, and put one in each half pepper.

Beat the two eggs in one bowl with the teaspoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon of the salt. Put the other half teaspoon of salt, the garlic powder, the paprika, and the onion powder in another bowl with the 2/3 cup of flour. Put the crumbs in another bowl.

Coat each popper with egg, then flour, then egg, then flour, then egg, then crumbs.

This all took me a couple hours, but I quadrupled the recipe, so maybe a bit less for you.

You have to freeze them for at least two hours, I'd go with overnight. If they're not frozen, the cheese will leak out when you fry them.

Put them in 350 degree oil for 3 1/2 to 4 minutes, or until they are golden brown and float. If you want to make them for future use, you can deep fry them for 1 1/2 minutes, and then refreeze them. You can fry or bake them later until they're hot (350 degree oil for 3 1/2 minutes or 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes, turning them half way through).

I find they go quite well with cranberry jelly, which only took a few minutes to make after I finished the prep work on the poppers.

Thanksgiving

Too late for a Thanksgiving post? Not if you have finals coming up. I'm between a couple of classes now, and have my chem lab final coming up in an hour, so here goes.

Thanksgiving was awesome. It's just a bummer that we couldn't be in more places at once, as I understand my parents had a good time at theirs, but I was already committed to deep frying a turkey. The deep fried turkey was, as everyone says, very moist. I've never had a turkey before where the white meat couldn't have used at least a little cranberry or gravy to keep it from drying out mid chew. I know my mother says she didn't notice a difference between deep fried and traditional, but she eats the dark meat, which is already pretty moist. It's nice that it's done in an hour, too. Also, it's really nice to have a big pot of hot oil on hand for making habanero poppers. They take a while to prepare before frying, and have to freeze as well, but they're worth it, at least occasionally. They go nice with the cranberry jelly too, also freshly made of course. And as long as you've got the deep fryer on hand and a ham to heat up, might as well make a cage out of a couple of wire hangers and throw that in as well. Half an hour later, you have the best ham ever.

So, I was impressed with the fryer, and intend to get one of my own a few years down. It really doesn't make the food greasy or anything as long as the oil is hot enough. Besides, it was just fun. There were plenty of people over. Mostly family, some friends as well. Most of the family was a sorry to hear that Berserk and Valkyrie couldn't make it over (they're very much the more the merrier type), but you can't be everywhere. I still have four poppers we've refrained from eating if I ever manage to get them to you Berserk. Unless you don't want week old poppers, in which case you should let me know, and I'll see to it that they don't see another day. Xkordave wanted the recipe, so I'll have to either type that out and email it to him, or more likely post it here, as soon as I'm at home and not busy with the baby.

Bad Thermite

So thermite making was a bust.  At least the thermite lighting was.  I've heard it's a bit hard to get going, but I thought the magnesium ribbon would do it.  Looks like I've got to either try when it's a bit warmer out, as the magnesium itself went out a few times, so I imagine the thermite might be a little resistant to lighting, or I've got to find some new method for lighting it.  Otherwise, maybe my thermite is the problem.  If I do get the problem worked out, I'll have to do a good post.  MJ got some good before pictures, but what good is that without some really good after pictures. 

The Vincent Black Shadow

The Vincent Black Shadow is easily one of my favorite bands. It doesn't hurt any that they put on such a good show. MJ and I went to see them tonight, and they didn't disappoint. She even went up on stage after they were done, and got a drumstick for me from the drummer. We got stuff signed by them, and they were just all around cool. Thanks to Samara, by the way, for watching Jack-Jack for us. I'm glad he wasn't too much trouble.

There were a couple of decent bands opening for them too. Nim Vind was the better of the two. The guitarist for TVBS was playing with them, and then the Nim Vind bassist played with TVBS. It was pretty cool. The other cool band was called Creature Feature. They were entertaining, but I didn't get their CD like I did the other two. Berserk, next time I'm over remind me to bring the CDs. I think you'd like hearing them. There was one more band, I think it was the Royal Dead or something. Their instrumental work was awesome. I really liked how they had an actual stand up base. The vocals however were just some of that screaming crap you get in punk and heavy metal sometimes. I'm wondering though, if they sound better recorded.

Anyway, Cassandra Ford was impressive. I loved seeing so much attitude come out of such a small woman, when the scrawny pricks next to us thought they'd be funny, and gave her some crap along the lines of, "take off all your clothes." She just snapped out a quick, "F*** you!" and she and the guitarist went on some little rhyme I don't quite remember which was clever, funny, and put the little punks back in their place.

As usual, it was great spending some time with my wife. It's been too long since we've gone out and done something like this. It was a bit different having the baby at home. This may be the longest he's ever been with a sitter, so it was great that it was one of his favorite aunts (he has two aunts who he prefers over just about anyone else in his extended family).

So, all of you who don't know them already, and are interested in good music (the kind they don't play enough of on the radio) go check out Nim Vind, and The Vincent Black Shadow. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

So I know I'm supposed to be a genius and all, but...

I can be pretty retarded sometimes. I just walked down to the bus stop last night. That takes 15 minutes. I waited about 17 minutes for the bus, rode it for 13, and got off to head across the parking lot to my car. Then I remember that I left my car downtown today, wait another 17 minutes for the bus to head up to its other stop farther north, turn around, and pick me up for another 13 minute ride downtown. I walk back to campus (another 15), and am back where I started an hour and a half after I tried to go home. Throughout all of this, it's thirty seven degrees out. A half hour drive later in a heated car, and I'm home.

At least I'm not the guy I just walked past in the bathroom who seemed to be either warming or drying his butt with the hand dryer.

Cold Weekend

The weekend before this one I went on what was maybe my third event with VERT, the group that does the first aid at all these scout events. It was, as the Wizard said, a very cold campout. I slept in a big tent on a cot (I think I've got to get one of those), and I kept warm enough. Strangely, there was not a single patient the whole time I was there. Usually we at least get a few scouts who get too cold, or too dehydrated, or something. It was a good weekend not to have any problems though, as VERT was spread between a couple of different campouts that weekend.

When I got home, and regained cell service, I found that my son had gotten sick. This was the first time he's been really sick, and it has not been fun. There hasn't been much sleep, including the night before my physics midterm when I got about an hour of sleep. Stroke of luck though, the professor didn't have nearly enough tests printed up, so rather than deprive most of the class of their test time while he ran around trying to make more copies, he made it a take home test. Seems I'll be getting a good enough score on that one after all. I was really not too optimistic.

Jack-jack seems to be better now. MJ's been pretty impressive with him too, including totally taking him one night (the one after the test) and letting me sleep on the couch in the other room without complaining that I'm not doing enough. He's still got a nasty diaper rash as a result of the diarrhea which was a result of the antibiotic, but he's got his appetite back, and he's crawling around getting into stuff we don't want him to have.

When blueberry jam is outlawed, only outlaws will eat blueberry jam!

This vacation was one of my best ever.  I'd say it was the best, but it's hard to top a honeymoon in Disney World.  The timing may not have been the best (who vacations while living in their parent's/inlaw's basement?), but it was good to see some of MJ's friends out there before they moved.  It seems that the four people she talks about most from Maine are moving. 

 

The problem with any vacation anymore, is that it's bookended by a couple of visits from the clowns at TSA.  Now, I'm not denying that there's a need for security, but these guys are not it.  I've mentioned accidentally getting a knife, or a stash of firecrackers (the fun waterproof ones) and bottle rockets on board, but don't try to take a bottle of blueberry jam on board.  Melissa thought it was considered a solid, so wouldn't be subject to the 3 oz. rule, or we would have rolled it up in one of the sleeping bags that we checked.  Turns out it's not.  I know that the power-starved jackasses who man the security stations aren't the one's who make the policies. They're just doing their jobs, and enjoying it a bit too much, but who decided that the most likely way for a terrorist to sneak weapons and explosives on board was in jars of jam and bottles of shampoo which pass through an x-ray?  Furthermore, who decided that terrorists could probably only put them in bottles larger than three oz?  If all the explosive blueberry flavor in this jam was split in two smaller jars it would have been safe to handle, and would have passed with no problem.  Well, $20 and one more checked bag later everything was okay again.  The nation is safe for another day, and I have my delicious treat. 

 

Anyway, the trip.  The first couple of days we met up with a few friends in Bar Harbor, and a few more at church the next day.  It was fun meeting up with them, but I suspect it was more fun for MJ.  I liked the time we spent just hanging out, and seeing her favorite things out there.  Like she said, I swam in the ocean for about an hour.  It was cold when I first got in, cold enough that it forced me to breathe shallow, but once I was in for a few minutes it was a hoot.  This beach had some pretty good waves which really drag you around.  It's crazy seeing (and in places really smelling) the difference between high and low tide.  In some areas it's pretty drastic, while in others there's not much of a difference.  Also, I now have a favorite restaurant in Maine.  It's only open seasonally, but Jordan Pond House has got what may be the best food anywhere. 

 

The next couple of days we spent with a couple of friends of hers who live on an island a little farther out than the one Bar Harbor is on.  They picked us up on their boat, since they were on mainland anyway, fed us while we were there, gave us a spot to pitch our tent (they would have had us in the house, but they had no furniture as they were about to move), and paid for a trip on the ferry to get back.  In return, I helped out for a day on the boat catching lobsters, and we helped them pack up some stuff onto their truck to take back to mainland (On their island, mainland just means the closer island which is connected to the real mainland by a bridge). 

 

I can now claim with reason that I don't like barnacles, and use pirate phrases referencing the dislike of barnacles.  I have a few scratches on my forearm from the barnacle buildup on the lobster traps.  I have seen things in the ocean that I didn't know about, or had heard of, but not really gotten.  Sea cucumbers, for example, are a lot squishier than I thought, and when you squeeze them, water shoots out.  We also caught a bunch of crabs which we just threw back, some sand dollars, several hermit crabs (some pretty stinkin' big), starfish, and regular fish.  Depending on what kind of fish we caught we either threw them back, or kept them (dead).  The ones we kept had some sort of gasses in them, so they swell up after they die.  We took the boat around to where there were a few bald eagles to feed them the fish, and watch them swoop, but they weren't too hungry.  Seems there was a dead whale on the east beach which had been feeding them for a while. 

 

 So, we got back to mainland this morning.  At this point I still had eaten no lobster, which we remedied.  The only lobster I had ever had was some frozen tails at grandma's house a couple years ago for the fourth of July.  Those were bad.  This was good.  MJ showed me how to break open all the good parts to get the meat out (including the legs), and which parts she doesn't like to eat (the green nasty crap from the main body, and the poo vein running down the tail).  Then we drove to Boston to head home.  All in all, a very good trip. 

Second Week

It's interesting being back in school, and back downtown again.  I have to admit, physics and chemistry are close to kicking my butt, but I think if I buckle down and get a good routine down for studying, then everything will go smoothly.  The nice thing about the science classes is that they make all my other classes look like cake by comparison.  Nutrition and philosophy may make claims to be real sciences, but they've got nothing on the harder ones. 

 

I'm at the computer lab in the school library right now, and there's a girl a few computers down wearing headphones and singing along to the music on her computer.  I don't think she realizes it, but her headphones don't seem to be plugged in all the way, because the sound is definitely coming from the computer speakers.  At least it gives her singing some background.  Speaking of singing, there's a short, stout guy with a funny haircut who I frequently see singing by the square outside of the library.  I think he has some kind of retardation, and he signs while he sings.  I wouldn't mind knowing what's going through his head.  We do have better music as well.  There's been a DJ outside of the student union playing some pretty cool music.  I got a CD from him, and it looks like it's got some good mixes on it.  I'll have to check it out when I get home. 

 

Also, I think I saw the silver man.  He wasn't all silver this time.  I tried to get a picture, but it came out all blurry.  It's like getting a picture of sasquatch or something.  I think he's got some kind of once a week class outside of my Thursday physics lecture.  This would also explain why I've seen him poking around my physics room (it's the same room it was last year).  Of course, the theory that he's stalking me may still hold.  If I see him tomorrow I may have to see if it's really him.  But, how does one approach a total stranger and ask if he ever paints his head white, dresses in neck to ankle and wrist silver, puts on his big walk-around-like-a-freak boots, and walks around downtown, like a freak.  I mean, if it is him it would be nice to know why, and I'll update you, but if it's not, it may not suffice to just tell him that he looks like someone who does.  Although, I guess I don't really need to give him any explanation.  It's not like I know him. 

 

Someone just came by and plugged in the girl's headphones the rest of the way.  She said thank you, perhaps a bit louder than she meant.  I'm going to miss that inspirational gospel crap.  Maybe she'll sing along anyway. 

 

In other news, I'll be heading out of town with my wife and son next week.  We're taking advantage of the fact that school and half the roads downtown are going to be closing for the big hoopla.  We're going to Maine.  She knows a few people there so we're camping on someone's property for a while.  I'm going lobstering, and eating a lobster.  And, we're going to visit a lot of people I don't know while MJ shows me how great a place Maine is to live.  I'm looking forward to it. 

School's in

School's starting again this Monday. Due to the DNC we've got two weeks on before fall break. Everything's shutting down for a week, and then we're back. Politics. That aside, I'm looking forward to a few things. I'm in Physics and Chemistry again, but in this chem class we have a lab. A four hour lab. I hope I get to use fire.

There are a couple of things I'm not looking forward to though. Before much longer I won't be having all this time to spend with my son. It's been good staying home with him over the summer, especially since he's so little. Next summer we'll probably be sending him off with his grandma while I work, so the next few days is the last I'll have of this. Less importantly, I won't have the time to get so much done as far as cleaning up this mess and packing things away goes. I've got almost all of that done by now, but things are going to be busier.

I may have a bit more to write about too. Nothing like getting out and seeing all the silver men and everything. We'll see if I can do better than once a month again.

Security

When packing for a trip, I have to limit deoderant and shampoo bottles to three ounces if I want to keep them as I pass through airport security. The ziplock bag full of firecrackers and bottle rockets in my pocket is cool though. No problem with the fact that I took it out as I walked through the metal detector, and tried briefly to give it to the TSA agent. I have yet to see the pocket knife my mother accidently took to Disney World returned to me. I understand that no security will catch everything, but there's something a little ridiculous about the way TSA attempts to tighten down all these potential threats, yet what do they really catch.

The trip was good though. I didn't light off any fireworks (hence the accidental return with them), but it was good to see everyone. Also, I don't remember there being so many restaraunts in such a small town, but I'm glad Wudan liked the food so much.

Update

I figure I'm a bit overdue for an updated look, so I switched things around here. I had to redo the skeleton arm to make it match, but I don't mind playing with photoshop a bit.

MJ and I are cleaning up around here today, doing laundrey, and packing for the trip to Nevada for the fourth of July. We'll be leaving one particularly stinky beagle, and one cat-on-the-end-of-being-a-cat-in-heat with my inlaws. They've been warned. Anyway, that's all for now. I've got to get back to cleaning. No one wants to come home to a messy place after vacation.

Contact Juggling

For anyone who doesn't know, I've done a little bit of juggling, including contact juggling. It's been a while since I've done any of this, but I came across this video, and thought it was pretty cool. I've never been anything like this good, or seen anyone else who was this good. Contact juggling is by far the most difficult to get a feeling for out of all the different ways I've tried. There is something very satisfying though about getting it. It's not just the contact juggling either. Throwing something up into the air and catching it without having to put any thought into it feels like you're moving it with your mind. I think I'll dig out some of my old stuff, and see what I can still do with it.

0 - Long Days

It's been a long couple of days. It's sort of hard to believe that we're only two days into MJ's work week, and if it seems long for me staying at home, it must seem longer for her. I've been getting some things done around here though. We finished moving all the necessary items in the day we went to the hospital for MJ to deliver Jack-Jack, he's five months old today, and I am just now making progress getting rooms put together. I'd like to be making more progress, but the little guy keeps waking up and wanting to play and eat. He is getting a bit more independant though. Last week I was still getting annoyed that I was home all day and couldn't get anything done, and now I've got two of our three rooms pretty much finalized, and I'm caught up on everyone's blogs and all my email. I find myself pretty wiped out by the time the day's over though, and the mornings aren't any better.

Running seems to help in the morning though. MJ and I have moved on to week two of this program. Berserk can skip this line since I know he runs much better, but I'm proud of myself for moving on to the new week where we run for 90 seconds with 120 second walks to rest between. This is up from 60 second runs with 90 second walks. I was worried about keeping up since week one was still a bit rough, but we're both doing all right. Anyway, I find I'm feeling pretty good right after a run. I feel it later in the day, and the next day, but that's a fair trade off when you push your limits.
____________________________________________________

There. I don't believe anyone was thrown under any sort of vehicle there, and I believe all material presented here was completely original. I again declare myself winner.

1 - What stinks?

So, I'm sitting here in this room wondering what stinks. I noticed it yesterday and it's not anything I can quite place. It reminds me of the stink from back when I lived in Berserk and Valkyrie's basement. That turned out to be an old can of grease that was sitting on the stove. Seems that when the oven was turned on it acted much like one of those candle warmers, only this was an old-tallow/random-meat-fat scented candle. I don't know what this one is. We had just cleaned out the room when I noticed it. I think I blame the dog, but I can't find any evidence. perhaps it's just time to clean out her crate again. Happy hunting I guess.

2 - Photoshop

Alright, so I know that this is totally cheap, but yes, I am making three posts in one day. I believe it was a race to make three posts, no timeline was mentioned.

So, the pictures Frik put up were pretty good considering what he was working with, but there's nothing like photoshop. The popcorn was easy enough to smooth out, but the bus load of celebrities took a little work. A couple were missing limbs. I love some of the toys photoshop has for fabricating things that weren't in the piture. I especially like Ice's starry sleeve.

3 - Getting delayed

About ten days ago I noticed that it had been about a month since I last posted. That's sad even by my standards. Now I'm not only getting comments on it on my blog, but on other blogs as well. I've got to sit down and work on this more.

MJ and I have decided to join Carebear and Frik in their Couch to 5k training. So far we've only got week one finished, and to be honest I think we're both in sad enough shape that we need to give it another go. So, if we can get week one down well enough on week two we'll be on track again. If anyone else is interested MJ and I would both recommend getting the mp3s from www.c25k.com to let you know when to run, and when to walk.

Also, it seems that Jack-Jack is getting into a bit more of a pattern, and is getting a little easier to deal with. It could just be that since school has ended I've spent a lot more time with him, so I'm the one being trained, but I think he's doing better as well. We found a used crib online, and have his room almost all set up at this point. He slept there for most of last night, and today MJ and I have been going through all the baby clothes we have. It seems that we'll be doing pretty well on baby clothes until just after his first birthday. Also, it seems feasable that we'll finally have this mess pretty well under control before MJ's weekend is up. I find that aside from her days off, it's still really difficult to get anything done around here with the baby.

2 more to go.

Happy Anniversary

Well, it's my anniversary today. At least it was an hour and fourteen minutes ago. Now it's just May sixth. I'll spare everyone the details about what a sweetheart my wife is. I read your comments on her blog, and I can't honestly blame you. I'd leave the same on any of yours.

It was a good time though. She came by school after class got out, we parked the car and walked downtown to the cheesecake factory. She had been before, but hadn't ever had their cheesecake. Even the idea of such a thing is heresy. We remedied that. In her defense, they do have good food, and good portions. We thought we'd be able to eat desert there, but we ended up just taking it home. All in all, a good night.

*Everyone but MJ stop reading here*

I love you honey. Happy anniversary!

*Resume normal blog*

EMT bust

Well, I passed the test for the NREMT, but things aren't all peachy. Turns out that the form they mail you after you pass the test involves getting signitures from your employer saying that you know your stuff. I don't have an employer. MJ called them up to complain about the 70 bucks we just spent to take a test that has no effect on my renewal and they now say I just need to take a practical exam. This is no small thing though, and would cost another 50 bucks. Also, no one seems to be offering one of these tests until the day after the NREMT wants it by. It's a headache, but I guess that's what you get for putting the department of transportation in charge of anything.

So, I'll be looking for a job this summer. We'd like to get a couple things paid off so MJ can either work part time or not at all as soon as possible. I've applied to be an EMT at the amusement park downtown (I am still state certified), but I haven't heard back from them. MJ heard from someone at her work that theres some job working security at concerts. I'm not sold on this. Maybe I just have it worked up to be something a bit tougher than it is. I can tell you I'm not going to be walking into some mosh pit to pull people apart, but she says if the guy who was telling her about the job can do it, it should be no problem for me. We'll see. If it turns out to be alright I may go with it. There's not a lot of choice.

NREMT

My certification with the National Registry of EMTs is almost to its expiration date. I'm sure there are good reasons to take care of this earlier. It would be easier, and I'd have other options if I don't pass, but I'm scheduled to take a test this Thursday to see if they still want me. I've been studying up for it for a couple weeks now, but wish me luck anyway, I don't imagine it's an easy one.

This option to test to renew is a new thing they're trying out. Were it not for this, I would have needed to have a fair amount of continuing education on things slightly more EMT related than I've studied lately, as well as some more experience than what I've managed to get working as an EMT. Of course, if I don't pass the test with a high enough score I have the option of doing all of that to stay in, it's just going to be hard to fit that all in before the thirty first.

Aside from that, there hasn't been too much blogworthyness going on. I've been keeping more than busy with trying to finish up moving the last of our stuff, keeping grades up in school (especially in chem and physics), and just helping my wife take care of the baby. Those guys can be a bit of work. I've also been working on a couple of home improvement projects. We have a cat who is rather inclined to climb in the ceiling, and only slightly less likely it seems to fall out through the ceiling. I've been patching up the holes she's been using to get up there, including the one Berserk patched up with a couple of box lids when he was living here. Seems those were no match for a persistent cat, much more athletic than his.

Psych Circus

In intro-psych today the teacher was talking about sociocultural psychology, and how some things are perfectly normal in some setting (i.e. dancing on the table with a lampshade at one's head at a party) yet absurd in others (doing the same in class). It brought to mind the escaped circus freak with the shiny shiny pants. I saw him again yesterday, walking around campus this time, not downtown. I suppose the direction he was going downtown was towards campus so he is possibly a student here.

No gold stretch pants yesterday though. He was silver from neck to wrist to ankle, head still white, with black around his eyes and trailing back towards his ears with wavy lines. I saw him walking around campus, and then while sitting through physics lecture he walks up to the door and looks in through the window, and it seemed, in my direction. Then, he paced past the two doors for a while. Just as I'm starting to think that I'm halucinating or that the matrix rejects are coming for me, the guys to my right commented on the oddity walking around. During break between the two hours of lecture he came into the room for a minute. I didn't see what business he had, as I just noticed him leaving again.

Anyway, back to psych. I was thinking how this man wouldn't turn any more heads than anyone else as a part of some circus, but wow, what an oddity in real life.

Belated Update

So, as my brother pointed out, I have not been very good at keeping those in the loop who should really be in the loop. Very sorry, my bad.

I now have a son. He was born on the nineteenth of this month at 11:25 pm, and was 7 pounds, 9.5 ounces, and 21 inches long. I'll put up some pictures as soon as I get them on my computer. I know I saw people with cameras, but I need to track them down. MJ is doing well, recovering from the fun times, and Aidan is learning all sorts of things, like how to eat and poo. Still no stink in the poo, but that's expected shortly. Then I intend to teach him to hold his head up and make cute noises. The only noise he's got down now is crying, but he does that well.

I'm quite proud of the two of them, and would have got this post out much sooner, but I've been hella busy getting furniture moved around, and getting stuff set for school, and adjusting to baby life myself. By the way Berserk, I'll still need some help moving, but it won't be too soon here. I've got to get a little down time, but I'll give you a call after that.

Also, I'm liking being back at school. I like being downtown. It's good to see all the, lets just say unique, people one sees downtown. Yesterday I saw a man with no hair who had his entire head painted white and was wearing metallic stretch pants. That's right, but it was even better than it sounds. It was like the circus just walked past me.

Good Cold Work

It's been a good week, with a couple of unusual projects. First, I helped a local Venturing crew (co-ed Boy Scouts) provide first aid at a New Year's skating party. It was freakishly cold. This ice skating thing is out in the mountains, and it was pretty cold here in town. I think it was like nine degrees here before you even factor in the windchill. A few of the other adult volunteers were also EMT's, although we operate on a first responder lever in the crew. I think this looks like an okay networking opportunity. We had a few injuries, but nothing too serious. The worst was a cut above someone's eye, the lightest was either one of the band-aids we had to pass out, or the lady who fell and hurt her wrist(not bad enough to even swell at all, but after she came back a second time they wrapped it up to make her happy). It was kind of fun though, being one of the adults in a scouting event which is not church run.

It's not that I have anything against church or scouts separately, it's just that they don't always mix so well. My biggest problem is that troops must be kept separate by ward, and patrols by quorum. This means that I am the scoutmaster of a troop of five boys, but only really in charge of a patrol of three of them. Two of these come regularly. One of those seems to give a crap about it. The one who doesn't come regularly is prone to some pretty immature outbursts should he decide to show, and not find everything to his liking. It's not to say that the two who are less helpful are bad or anything, just green, and it's difficult to get them interested in a program that's not really up to what it should be. And, who's idea was it to make the deacon's quorum president the senior patrol leader? How does senior go along with first year scout?

But that's not the point. The thing is, it was nice to see a group where the members are interested in being there, and participate willingly. Also, it was good that my youngest sister (a member of the crew) was able to keep warm enough out there with the help of my wife's borrowed snow gear. She's out yesterday and today on another trip with the crew. They're providing first aid services for another event. I'm glad that they were able to come by here briefly and pick up the snow gear again, there was some reluctance, so thanks Dad. He was thinking they might have to find something at home, or stop by the store or something, but I doubt they'd get anything quite as good (My wife as a good cold weather coat she used in Maine), or save any time (we really aren't that far away). By the way Mom and Dad, I'm sure she still needs to get some gear of her own if she wants to keep this up, maybe some time when you're not already running late, and maybe at a real store like REI, not Kohls.

That brings me to my other project this week. I wasn't at this winter camp because I was going to spend the day hauling Christmas trees away as a fund raiser for my troop, but that's a bust as no one seems to either have real trees in the town we put up the flyers, or want to pay five bucks to have it taken away. Instead, I helped my father-in-law empty out a huge trailer full of stored crap, sort it, and put it in a big shed. It's amazing how much stuff fits in a trailer, and more amazing that we got it all (aside from a large garbage pile, and a smallish goodwill pile) into the shed. It was nice though, that the sun was out, the wind wasn't too disruptive, and it stayed warmish almost long enough.

There's still more stuff to move around here. The trailer is done, but I've got to find somewhere to put all the crap that's in my brother-in-law's old room. Most of the stuff is his, but some is just general family crap. A pretty good amount belongs to either me or my wife, and that much can go with the rest of our stuff, it's just the family stuff and his stuff that poses a problem. I'm concerned with where all of this will go only because his old room will be my son's new room. My wife is due to pop in about three more weeks if she holds that long. By the way, congratulations to the oldest of my baby sisters who just had her first child, and my first niece. I've got a couple places in mind for the stuff. I just need the official okay from someone so I can't be blamed for anything. I think I'll see about getting that once I move the rest of our stuff out. But, that's a project for next week.