Sunday, January 31, 2010
The Old Cedar Tree
Jack was exploring all around the yard on Saturday and we stopped under the old Cedar tree on the side. That tree is huge, must be 50 feet tall, most likely older than the house. Someone told me that the farmer thatused to own the land our development was built upon, used cedars to mark out different fields. There are only a few of the old cedars in the neighborhood.
Jack's Cap
Kate crocheted Jack a little cap. I got the first one and it looked so good, Kate was inspired to make another for the boy, so we have matching caps. She is getting pretty good at the crocheting.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Train Show
We went to the Chantilly Expo Center on Sunday to see the Train Show, which Grandma Fritz told us about the week before (Thanks for the tip!).
We took our neighbor Eric and his oldest son Olie along with us and the boys had a great time. It was huuuge, lots of vendors, lots of trains of different types and sizes and lots of set-ups. Some of these guys just travel around with their train set-ups and just like to run them. They are big kids in every sense of the term.
There were just as many old guys there as young kids. I was amazed at the energy level, like a concert with all the noise and confusion and people and lights. Two hours was enough though. It was overwhelming for Olie who basically shut down after all that.
Boys and trains, like magnets.
I did get some good little movies of different kinds of train set-ups:
We took our neighbor Eric and his oldest son Olie along with us and the boys had a great time. It was huuuge, lots of vendors, lots of trains of different types and sizes and lots of set-ups. Some of these guys just travel around with their train set-ups and just like to run them. They are big kids in every sense of the term.
There were just as many old guys there as young kids. I was amazed at the energy level, like a concert with all the noise and confusion and people and lights. Two hours was enough though. It was overwhelming for Olie who basically shut down after all that.
Boys and trains, like magnets.
I did get some good little movies of different kinds of train set-ups:
Weird Weather
There were thunderstorm clouds when I left work tonight and the way the light was shining off of the other building was really neat. The overhead storm clouds made everything murky, but in the distance, the light was bright. The result was a weird cast of yellow and dark, ominous clouds. The bonus was a full rainbow on the other side that ended over my building (Government Center).
My Artwork Made WaPo
Yeah for me, but it isn't exactly a big whoop-de-doo. You see, it was for some signage I made to display all the subscriptions that the Library no longer carry. The library system subscribes to a wide variety of newspapers and periodicals, so that our customers can read them at their leisure for informational and entertainment purposes. Its a great deal, but the days of subsidizing some of this reading material are over.
In its place are some signage that show we don't carry the periodicals or magazines any more.
So yeah, great for me, my signage is now prominently displayed, the bad news is that its because the ibrary has started making some deeper cuts.
In its place are some signage that show we don't carry the periodicals or magazines any more.
So yeah, great for me, my signage is now prominently displayed, the bad news is that its because the ibrary has started making some deeper cuts.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Loves the Laptop
Jack loves to sit with Mom's laptop and go on Disney and play games. He brought out his little chair and sits like he's at work, too.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Prairie Dogs and Snakes
Prairie dogs are fun, this one liked to put on a show and run up to the window.
This is the Carolina Pine Snake, and a long one. He was really active and crawling all over the place. The other snakes just liked to hang out or curl up.
This is the Carolina Pine Snake, and a long one. He was really active and crawling all over the place. The other snakes just liked to hang out or curl up.
Orangutans
These guys are great,when we came in, they were walking across the tightropes. They had an audience below, lots of people were pretty amused, as well as myself.
This one was a jokester, he/she liked to wear a blanket and play peek-a-boo.
This one was a jokester, he/she liked to wear a blanket and play peek-a-boo.
The Zoo
I thought at any moment that the anaconda was gonna grab onto this woman and I was going to get footage of some horrible tragic incident in which an anaconda tries to devour a helper at the National Zoo.
No big deal, they just hung out by the door, waiting to be let back in. It was like 50 degrees out and they were essentially naked, so I could hardly blame them. Not much of a show, but they are huge, so that counts for a lot.
These little guys were huddled in a mass next to the window. They had a 15 foot by 15 foot enclosure to run around in and they just hung onto eachother next to the window. I think they did it for warmth, not because they were scared.
This is Tai Shan, "butter stick" he was called when he was born because he wasnt much bigger than a stick of butter. Isn't mcuh to look at, he is like any teenager, sits around and sleeps a lot. This should have been a picture, because he didn't move from that spot for as long as we were there.
No big deal, they just hung out by the door, waiting to be let back in. It was like 50 degrees out and they were essentially naked, so I could hardly blame them. Not much of a show, but they are huge, so that counts for a lot.
These little guys were huddled in a mass next to the window. They had a 15 foot by 15 foot enclosure to run around in and they just hung onto eachother next to the window. I think they did it for warmth, not because they were scared.
This is Tai Shan, "butter stick" he was called when he was born because he wasnt much bigger than a stick of butter. Isn't mcuh to look at, he is like any teenager, sits around and sleeps a lot. This should have been a picture, because he didn't move from that spot for as long as we were there.
Grooving
We went to Starbucks last week and Jack starts groovin' to the music. The bad news is that it wasn't very good music. The good news is that he was having a good time with it and his invisible electric guitar.
Parking is a Zoo
We decided to go to the zoo today since the weather was nice, relatively. It was a high of 50, but the sun was out and it wasn't cloudy. For the last five or six weeks, it has been below freezing and high winds or snow, so today was a nice day to get out and enjoy doing something outside.
The parking was a mess, it didn't help when the woman two cars in front of us couldn't negotiate the ticket machine. Most people drive up, take a ticket, which is time stamped, and then drive through. No, she is looking for a place to stick her bank card. She is holding it out and looking, searching... she gestures to the machine, as if a card reader will somehow pop up. A horn honks, not mine, thankyouverymuch. She holds the card up to show what she is trying to accomplish and someone yells something. She pulls up but the arm is keeping her from moving any more forward. A guy that is "managing" the parking steps forward to help her out and clues her in. She backs up, but is now too far from the ticket machine and has to open the door and grab a ticket, finally moving through. OMG. How do some people make it out of bed without drowning somehow?
There should be stickers that you can slap on someone like that secretly that identifies them as a moron. Several stamps would help identify the offender easier as a repeat moron, so that its easier to avoid these people and work around them.
At the end of the day, the moron takes the stickers off and doesn't think twice about this minor annoyance. Just wonder why they keep popping up on the back of their jacket.
The parking was a mess, it didn't help when the woman two cars in front of us couldn't negotiate the ticket machine. Most people drive up, take a ticket, which is time stamped, and then drive through. No, she is looking for a place to stick her bank card. She is holding it out and looking, searching... she gestures to the machine, as if a card reader will somehow pop up. A horn honks, not mine, thankyouverymuch. She holds the card up to show what she is trying to accomplish and someone yells something. She pulls up but the arm is keeping her from moving any more forward. A guy that is "managing" the parking steps forward to help her out and clues her in. She backs up, but is now too far from the ticket machine and has to open the door and grab a ticket, finally moving through. OMG. How do some people make it out of bed without drowning somehow?
There should be stickers that you can slap on someone like that secretly that identifies them as a moron. Several stamps would help identify the offender easier as a repeat moron, so that its easier to avoid these people and work around them.
At the end of the day, the moron takes the stickers off and doesn't think twice about this minor annoyance. Just wonder why they keep popping up on the back of their jacket.
Pizza with the Cousins
Abbie and the kids were in town last week and we decided to meet up in Bethesda at a place called the "Plazeum", which is a fun house for kids. If you haven't been out among a bunch of kids, the names are all pretentious I think there were four Dylans or one that needed constant attention, cause that's all I heard. "Dyan, come over her, look at this, Dylan, did you see the fire truck, Dylan, do you want to see the bunnies?"
The place is basically a converted office with specific rooms for play, one was a mini zoo with bunnies and fish, another was a rompus room, complete with a set of drums, another room was set up like a mini grocery store, complete with boxes of stuff.
It was $5 a head to get in, but it was also crowded and wasn't made for parents to interact. Probably won't go back.
Afterward we went for pizza at a cute pizza place across the street. The kids had a good tome and had enough room to interact with each other without the interference from other kids. The adults could relax and spread out a little too. Did I mention the pizza was good?
The place is basically a converted office with specific rooms for play, one was a mini zoo with bunnies and fish, another was a rompus room, complete with a set of drums, another room was set up like a mini grocery store, complete with boxes of stuff.
It was $5 a head to get in, but it was also crowded and wasn't made for parents to interact. Probably won't go back.
Afterward we went for pizza at a cute pizza place across the street. The kids had a good tome and had enough room to interact with each other without the interference from other kids. The adults could relax and spread out a little too. Did I mention the pizza was good?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Read the Fine Print
So I got an email alert telling me that someone commented on my "Why My Local Subway Sucks" posting from back in February of 2008. This has been the most active post and most commented upon post for some reason. I guess I hit a nerve or something with the subject. This guys comments struck me as odd because he didn't really have a point except to comment on how dumb I am.
I love the internet, where any hipster doofus can have a voice.
Doofus commented:
"What 1950s-era bomb shelter did you crawl out of? Ever hear of "fine print"? It's that small for a reason! Also, why the hell are you eating at Subway -- it's barely a step above school lunch."
Here is a picture of said Doofus:
And here is my response:
I love the internet, where any hipster doofus can have a voice.
Doofus commented:
"What 1950s-era bomb shelter did you crawl out of? Ever hear of "fine print"? It's that small for a reason! Also, why the hell are you eating at Subway -- it's barely a step above school lunch."
Here is a picture of said Doofus:
And here is my response:
Marry Christmas
We had a great Christmas, woke up and waited for Grandma Witchey and Tino to some over and help us open up gifts. Jack got some really great stuff and loved to open all the packages and wrapping paper. We got the perfect amount if gifts, he didn't get overwhelmed and wasn't disappointed after opening everything. Wow that sounded vapid.
He still isn't really sure how the whole Santa thing works, and he is still scared of him when we ran into him at the mall. He loved everything he got and played with everything equally, so it was nice to see that he was interested in all of his toys and games.
He still isn't really sure how the whole Santa thing works, and he is still scared of him when we ran into him at the mall. He loved everything he got and played with everything equally, so it was nice to see that he was interested in all of his toys and games.
The Big Snow
Its been so crazy for the last few weeks I haven't written on the blog, so I am back to catching up. The big snow, actually the sixth biggest the east coast has seen since records have been kept, happened just before Christmas. I downloaded some great pictures of Jack and Olie out on the sled.
We found some time to do some baking, made a gingerbread house and some peppermint stick horses.
We found some time to do some baking, made a gingerbread house and some peppermint stick horses.
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