Long Weekend, Part 2

On Saturday we started gutting the house. I went through the closet & my bedroom and started throwing stuff away with extreme prejudice. I've already chucked out three big boxes of stuff, and have a table ready to depart as well. Not surprisingly, it took a long time. After that, we played some Heroic Halo 2, and are now pretty close to the finish (huzzah!). Around 7, we left for Target/Petsmart/Walmart to do some shopping for the house. Here's what we bought:

• Target
• Dinner, I guess. We ended up grabbing pizza in the Target cafe - pretty gross, actually, but we were all a little low on blood sugar and consequently cranky.
• Walmart
• Waffle Iron (yay! I've always wanted one!)
• Pots and pans - a very nice house present, since all we've ever had was cheap dollar-store items
• A new knife block (our old one was held together with packing tape) with unserrated edges, so we can sharpen them
• New cooking utensils, like spatulas, flippers, cooking & measuring spoons, and a meat thermometer
• A new flat griddle for french toast
• Petsmart
• A flourescent tube for the light on the tank, although it looks like we need a whole new light strip, because the light won't stay on
• Fluval filter media (pre filter, carbon, and peat granular to handle mechanical, biological, and chemical filtration, respectively)
• A new bubble wall, for water aeration
• A new manual tank vacuum, to get the yucky stuff out of the gravel

Sunday morning I got an early morning call from work (I'm on call for two weeks at a time, with a two week break in between), but managed to get everything working. Yay for me. Otherwise, it was more of the same - got up, made breakfast, including waffles on the new iron, played some computer games, screwed around. We watched The Aviator on Sunday afternoon, and I recommend just turning the movie off after the first hour and 30 minutes -- the last half is depressing and slow. After the movie, I washed all the old gravel for the big tank, put together the Fluval with new media, placed the fake plants, and organized a bucket brigade to start filling. It didn't take too long, and the filter started right up as soon as it was primed. By this morning, the water was crystal clear. I still want to add a background, and maybe throw in some feeder fish to get some good bacterial growth.

A good, relaxing holiday. On Thursday, I thought the weekend would last forever. On Sunday, I wanted to know where all the time went.

Long Weekend, Part 1

It's been almost a week since I last posted. Here's what's been going on, split into two parts to help break it up.

Thanksgiving was nice. It was just the three of us, and we lounged around while the turkey was cooking. I screwed up and put the turkey breast-down, so it took a little longer than expected, but everything turned out just fine. We made a couple of menu modifications, though. Here's what was on the menu:

• Turkey
• Stuffing (that wasn't very good)
• Mashed potatoes & gravy
• Watergate salad
• Fruit salad
• Cheese ball
• Deviled eggs
• Veggie platter
• Pumpkin pie, apple pie, apple crisp, and a Skor cake
• Strawberries & a fruit dip made from marshmallow fluff & cream cheese

In standard form, I forgot a couple things: rolls, which I seem to forget every time I make a big dinner, and a green bean casserole, which I don't feel too badly about because I was only making it for traditions sake - I don't know that anyone was really craving it in the first place.

Friday (Ed's birthday!) we cruised to Petsmart to get some new fish for our 15 gallon tank in the bedroom. I added three neon tetras, a black molly, a swordtail wag, an algae eater & a frog (that already died - I think we got a sick one from the petstore). We also exchanged a couple of XBox games at EBGames, and picked up Area 51 for me, Heros of the Pacific for Ed, and two copies of Rainbow Six 3, so we can system link.

After I got home, I floated our fish in the tank (this is done to match water temperature, so it's not a shock to the fish when they're introducted to the new environment), and got to work cleaning and prepping our 55-gallon. I was very close to getting rid of the large aquarium, mainly because it's been sitting empty and unused since April of this year. However, when we were at Petsmart, I spent a lot of time admiring some of their large tanks, and it made me want to get mine going again.

I scrubbed the inside with a diluted vinegar solution, and then attacked the hood sections with straight vinegar. There was some awful hardwater build-up on the hoods, so it took a lot of elbow grease, as well as some scraping with a butter knife. It took me about an hour and a half to get the tank scrubbed down and ready, but it looked almost brand-new when I was finished. Not bad for a 5-year old tank. :-)

Harry Potter

Went to see Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire last night. It was a lot different from the other HP movies, and I think I enjoyed it more. Less childish, more dark and dangerous. I get a little irritated watching a mob of pre-pubescent students quibble over stupid things (classes, teachers, homework, sports, etc), so this movie was definitely more my speed.

WARNING: SPOILER ALERT

First, nearly the entire movie is dark. It starts with Harry having a dream about Lord Voldemort & his cronies at a house in the middle of nowhere - you can't see anything, and that adds to the creepiness.

Later in, during the Tri-Wizard Tournament, the under-water scene really gives a feeling of claustrophobia. If you've ever done a scuba dive in a murky lake, you'll quickly be reminded of how frightening it can be. The final stage of the Tournament, the maze, is dark as well. The fog and tall hedges are quite creepy. Then, in what amounts to the final good scene, Harry and Voldemort are in the graveyard outside the house that Harry has been dreaming about - this is where Wormtail finally gets blood from Harry. Again, the entire scene is dark & dreary.

All said, I think I preferred this movie to the others for its more adult element. Yes, they still have magic & Quiddich, but by and large the subject matter is more dark (except for the Yule Ball, which at times seems slightly gothic, but is more cheery and happy than other parts of the film), as is the cinematography. If you're not a Harry Potter fan, you won't like the movie either way. But even if you only slightly liked the books, I think you'll be pleased with this movie, more so than others. Just my $.02.

Music Revolution

Lately I've been plugged into Pandora all day, every day at work. You give it the music that you like, either artists or songs, and it will scan the Music Genome project for songs that it thinks match your style. It's incredible - I've already found artists that I love, that I've never heard of before. It's also tracked down some stuff that I'd completely forgotten about. Give it a try - you'll probably like it too. Only genre it doesn't handle right now is classical - too hard to categorize.

Hey! Who Turned Off the Internet??

Earlier today, two seperate parties severed the Internet backbones fiber optic cable (one in New Orleans, one in Washington D.C.), effectively shutting down Internet service to the southeastern United States. Lame. The worst part? The most affected ISP just happens to be Comcast, who can't keep Internet connectivity up even under the best of circumstances. Extra lame.

Salt Lake City, Here We Come

We finally have tickets to go see all the assorted family members in Salt Lake City. We're going to leave on January 12th, and then come home on January 15th. I'm going to ride my new bike to get as skinny as I can before I go out (with any luck, Kate Moss will look like a fatty next to me ;-).

I'm excited, and I'm kinda glad that we're not going over a holiday. It means that no one will have the burden of cooking or hosting a large Christmas/Thanksgiving/whatever get together, and we can relax together as a family. My parents, grandmother, sister, uncle, nieces, nephews, and cousins are there; Ed's brothers, nieces & nephews are there; SD's mom, brothers, and grandmother is there as well. There's plenty of reason to go, so now we are.

New Bike

Woo hoo! Check out the new bike that Ed got me for Christmas. I'm going to pick it up this Friday.

It's a beautiful teal color with big, white-wall tires. The only things it doesn't have is a banana seat & cool streamers from the handle bars. I'll take a better picture of it once I get it home. I'm going to ride it in the morning as exercise, and then when the weather is warmer I'll ride it to the Metro station. I'm so excited!!!

Legendary? No, merely heroic...

I played Halo 2 last night, but bumped up the difficulty level from "Normal" to "Heroic". There are quite a few things that I noticed right from the get go. Listed, in no particular order, here.

• I can't find ammunition anywhere. In the normal game, all you have to do is run around a room a little bit, and you'll pick up assorted goodies: ammo, different weapons, grenades, etc. Not the case with Heroic.
• The CGI Marines are relatively ineffectual. On normal & easy, the Marines tend to take out a good portion of the baddies for you. Not on Heroic. They spend most of their time talking trash and getting killed. Worthless.
• The Covenant is much more organized. On the lesser levels, they seem to just come at you with no real tactics. In a Heroic game, they plot and scheme, work together, and generally just make the alien-killing experience much more difficult.
• When I shoot aliens in a Heroic game, they don't damage as quickly, and it seems like there's more of them to begin with.
• I miss having a sword. In all of the group games I play (Oddball, King of the Hill, etc.) we have a sword as a secondary weapon. I really, really miss having it now. I feel like I'm more skilled with the sword than any of the other weapons.

So let's recap: tougher Covenant(and more of them, at that), not as much weaponry, more organized tactics from enemies, less help from CGI Marines, and weapon-of-choice MIA.

It's a good deal harder than the normal game, so it's a nice, renewed challenge, but it can also be a little frustrating. I'm not even through the first level yet. In fact, I'm just now past the hangar where you encounter a lot of Covenant storming in from ships docked with the station (it's the hangar where you hear the CGI Marine say "We won! They're retreating!", and you just keep telling yourself what a dumbass that guy is). I died probably 7 or 8 times in that room, before I developed a reasonable assault tactic. First, I run in, kill the plasma cannon gunners, then take out the Grunts and Jackals on the ground (if you can take a few swipes at the Elites, that's good too). After doing some minor clean up downstairs, I headed upstairs to the plasma cannons. This made it easier to pick off the Covenant coming in through the airlock, and gave me an edge up on the left over Elite on the ground. This was a difficult task - since they have personal shielding similar to Master Chief's, you have to take them out quickly, or they'll hide & regenerate. This was a game of patience. I eventually prevailed, only to go down into the tunnel and meet a super Elite (he's gray - those dudes are tough). I'm still thinking about a strategy for him. It may take me a little while, but I'll get him.

Scuba

I just found myself getting all tweeky about my next scuba dive. Don't know when or where, but I'm sure it will be awesome.

Following this train of thought, I wanted to post the few invaluable rules learned on the last dive in Grand Cayman (Eden Rock, for those who are interested). Here they are, for all prosperity.

1. Never dive if you have less than 4 hours. No exceptions.
2. Never dive if you haven't eaten in the last two hours. Scuba is a calorie-burning sport, at least until you get into the water!
3. Trust your instincts. For example, if you tell the dive shop operator you need 22lbs of weight, and he tells you that you only need 15, insist on the 22 (especially in salt water with a 3 mil wetsuit!)
4. Remember to set your underwater camera to the "take a picture" mode, instead of the review mode. Otherwise, you'll miss all the pretty fishies.

That said - I CAN'T WAIT! Nothing beats being in the water, hearing the sweet reassurance of your reg, and knowing that, for just a little while, you're in a completely different world. I'm hoping that we'll get back to Cayman for another dive, although I don't know what the conditions are after this year's hurricane season. I'd also like to dive the Florida Keys, although they are a slightly more beginning dive. The coast of North Carolina would be nice as well - plenty of shipwrecks - but they can get some nasty currents. If we can't make any of those places in the next year, there's always Lake Rawlings. I'm going to make a list of the gear that I have, and the gear I'm looking to get, and post it. That way, if any fellow divers happen along, they can offer advice.

Uber Lame

I just got slammed in my step-daughters blog for not finishing a shopping list & menu application I've been talking about. Totally weak. Just to clear my good name, I'm going to devote the next week to getting that damn program done (or, at the very least, started). I already have a few home projects I'm working on (one of which is a nifty backup service that will do incremental backups between two specified locations).

I have been giving this food calendar management thingy some thought, so I think I already have a good approach, but what should I call this app? I want to have a catchy name. You can't become a millionaire unless your product has a cool name. If it's going to be marketed towards women, we should call it the "Super Fast Ultra Hunk-Catching Wrinkle-Reducing Food Management and Youthening System". If the ad campaigns are directed at men, we should call it the "Super Fast Mega Penis-Enlarging Porn Download-Enhancing Food Management and Hot-Chick Attraction Tool". Aren't those cool names?

I'm gonna be rich...

Thanksgiving

I'm feeling some anxiety about Thanksgiving this year. For the past three or four, we haven't been home (either at my parent's house in Salt Lake City, or at my mother-in-law's in Missouri). The last time (and coincidently the first time) I made a whole turkey was when I still lived in Utah. Granted, it was an excellent turkey, but it's been a while. I've made some regular turkey breasts since then, but it's just not the same.

I know all the rules (20 minutes per pound, blah blah blah), but there's more finesse to good turkey than following the cooking times.

I have what I consider to be a pretty good arsenal of spices (rosemary, thyme, caraway, rosemary, dill, and if I'm feeling lazy, trusty ol' seasoning salt), so I'm hoping it turns out well. If not, McDonalds (puke) is open on Thanksgiving day.

So for those interested, here's the line up:

• Turkey (duh)
• Stuffing (Cornbread or regular? I can't decide. Probably regular.)
• Mashed Taters & Gravy
• Marshmallow Candied Yams
• Deviled Eggs
• Watergate Salad * (I love this stuff! I always had it as a kid! Yum!)
• Clam Dip
• Cheese Balls (salty chocolate balls? WARNING: LINK IS NOT WORK SAFE!)
• Veggie Platter (carrots, celery, black olives, etc.)
• Fruit & Cream Cheese Dip
• Pumpkin Pie (my favorite Thanksgiving morsel)
• Pecan Pie

*For those of you that have never had Watergate Salad, it's pistachio jello pudding, pineapple, whipped cream, and occasionally nuts & coconut. Sounds like a horrible cooking experiment gone awry, but it's pretty tasty.

If anyone has any recommendations for additional food, lemme know. Also, I'm going to be eating turkey until Summer 2006 unless I have some assistance with leftovers. If you're family (or adoptive family - you know who you are), and need/want some Thanksgiving grub, come on over!

Veteran's Day

To all of those who fought or served to protect this country: Thank you.

Impotent? Incompetent?

Last night, SD and I were hanging around playing our instruments (me: bass clarinet; SD: trumpet), and we were discussing the other trumpet players in her class. One, in particular, is really annoying. Said person will go through and write the letter(A, G, F#, etc) under every note on her sheet music. This is, obviously, bad form for a player. I asked SD if this other person was any good musically. SD's words were "No, she's completely impotent".

Wait. WHAT?

I asked her if she meant "incompetent", to which she reponded "I don't know what that means". I then proceeded to tell her that "incompetent" means that this person is inadequate, or not fit to perform the function they're in. "Impotent" means that this trumpet player (a female, at that) is unable to get and keep an erection.

The look of abject horror was priceless. She then said that she hoped she hadn't used the incorrect word too much (like, say, with her teachers).

I hope so too.

How to Work With Women

Found this especially entertaining (kudos to Snopes and Ed, some emphasis added on stuff I found funny). It's hiring advice from 1943 regarding women in the workplace.


Eleven Tips on Getting More Efficiency Out of Women Employees

There's no longer any question whether transit companies should hire women for jobs formerly held by men. The draft and manpower shortage has settled that point. The important things now are to select the most efficient women available and how to use them to the best advantage. Here are eleven helpful tips on the subject from western properties:

1. If you can get them, pick young married women. They have these advantages, according to the reports of western companies: they usually have more of a sense of responsibility than do their unmarried sisters; they're less likely to be flirtatious; as a rule, they need the work or they wouldn't be doing it — maybe a sick husband or one who's in the army; they still have the pep and interest to work hard and to deal with the public efficiently.

2. When you have to use older women, try to get ones who have worked outside the home at some time in their lives. Most transportation companies have found that older women who have never contacted the public, have a hard time adapting themselves, are inclined to be cantankerous and fussy. It's always well to impress upon older women the importance of friendliness and courtesy.

3. While there are exceptions, of course, to this rule, general experience indicates that "husky" girls — those who are just a little on the heavy side — are likely to be more even-tempered and efficient than their underweight sisters

4. Retain a physician to give each woman you hire a special physical examination — one covering female conditions (Wow - hello Dark Ages. What do they expect to find in there? An alien civilization?) This step not only protects the property against the possibilities of lawsuit but also reveals whether the employee-to-be has any female weaknesses which would make her mentally or physically unfit for the job. Transit companies that follow this practice report a surprising number of women turned down for nervous disorders (yeah, because that's where I always put the letter from my shrink detailing my neurosis).

5. In breaking (Breaking? WTF?) in women who haven't previously done outside work, stress at the outset the importance of time — the fact that a minute or two lost here and there makes serious inroads on schedules. Until this point is gotten across, service is likely to be slowed up.

6. Give the female employe in garage or office a definite day-long schedule of duties so that she'll keep busy without bothering the management for instructions every few minutes. Numerous properties say that women make excellent workers when they have their jobs cut out for them but that they lack initiative in finding work themselves.

7. Whenever possible, let the inside employe change from one job to another at some time during the day. Women are inclined to be nervous (only because we're surrounded by testosterone pumped, power hungry creeps who have nothing better to do than screen us for mental disorders by giving us pap smears) and they're happier with change.

8. Give every girl an adequate number of rest periods during the day. Companies that are already using large numbers of women stress the fact that you have to make some allowances for feminine psychology. A girl has more confidence and consequently is more efficient if she can keep her hair tidied, apply fresh lipstick and wash her hands several times a day.

9. Be tactful in issuing instructions or in making criticisms. Women are often sensitive; they can't shrug off harsh words the way that men do. Never ridicule a woman — it breaks her spirit and cuts her efficiency (and increases the risk that she'll come to work toting an AK-47, assuming that she can pull the trigger without fear of chipping a nail.).

10. Be reasonably considerate about using strong language around women. Even though a girl's husband or father may swear vociferously, she'll grow to dislike a place of business where she hears too much of this.

11. Get enough size variety in operator uniforms that each girl can have a proper fit. This point can't be stressed too strongly as a means of keeping women happy, according to western properties.

Tan M&Ms

What happened to tan M&Ms? Those were my favorite. Something about the tan ones made them better than the blue, or the yellow, or the red. Maybe it was the lack of that pesky cancer-causing red dye #40. In any event, there is a petition to bring back the tan M&M. The tan would replace the new purple one they're trying to come out with. How stupid. Purple. Bah. Tan would be so much better.

Guitar History

This is a long post. Consider yourself warned.

As mentioned before, I am currently taking guitar lessons. Also mentioned before, I play a gloss black Schecter Omen 6. Funny story how I ended up playing it. Want to hear? No? Too bad - I'm telling it anyway.

My husband, Ed has always wanted to play guitar from what I understand. At his last job, he worked with a guy that became a pretty close family friend (along with his room-mate). Said friend had been involved with guitar lessons at our local Guitar Center, and I think it gave Ed a renewed interest in learning to play.

A couple of months passed, and we started getting closer to Christmas, so I thought a guitar would be a nifty present. So I spent the next few weeks doing research on the different models, reading reviews online, talking to guitar players, and trying them out myself in the store. Ed's totally into 80's music, so I was looking for a guitar that produced that kind of sound, as opposed to an alternative rock sound à la Green Day or Blink-182 (and if you don't think there's a difference, then you've got your head in the sand).

I finally settled on the Schecter line, which got incredible reviews online - a good, thick sound for a reasonable price (in between $300 and $500 for the models I was looking at). I went to Guitar Center and snagged a floor rep. He told me that they had two Omen 6's in stock, and a handful of the Omen 7's. I didn't want a 7 string, so I looked at the Omen 6's. Of the two they had, one was a mahogany wood finish (ick), and one was a floor model in gloss black. "And," says the sales rep, "I'll give you a discount on the black since it's got a small scratch on the back.". Sold!

So fast forward to well after Christmas. Ed's been playing off and on at home, just fiddling around mostly compliments of Comcast and the OnDemand guitar lessons, but then the guitar lessons start. He's VERY excited when he leaves, and then evidently they gave him a prostate exam or something during the lesson, because he comes home looking defeated (violated?). He says that the lesson went horribly, his fingers won't do what he wants them to, and that he's frustrated. I tell him that it can't be all that bad, and so he gives me the guitar & the lesson sheet he brought home: "Here, YOU play this." So I did. And evidently I did better than he did, because he got irked.

Fast forward again to the next week. It's right before lessons, and Ed is dragging his feet. He hasn't touched the guitar all week, and has even gone so far as shooting dirty looks in passing (I've heard the guitar weeply quietly in the night: "Why doesn't he love me?!"). I keep asking him if he's going to practice even a little before he goes to lessons. Then he drops the bomb: he's not going to lessons. He's not having fun. He's looking at me like I'm going to be mad. Ha ha, here's fooling him! I didn't care - I told him that if he didn't enjoy it he could stop, and that wasn't a problem. The whole reason I bought him the guitar was so that he would have fun. It certainly wasn't meant as a crude form of torture. Only problem is the Guitar Center's cancellation policy - you have to give at least 24 hours notice, or you have to pay for the lesson anyway. So I figure what the hell - I'll give it a try. And what do you know? Love at first strum - I enjoy it alot, so it worked out alright.

Fast forward some more, about two months. We're all at Guitar Center (Ed, SD, and I had been out at dinner that night, and Ed was tagging along to lessons). While we're upstairs in the lesson he's downstairs in the drum room playing around. When SD and I come down from lessons, he says he wants to play drums & take lessons in that, in effect making lessons a family activity (which is nice). Only problem - we don't own a drum set. Wait, that's not the only problem. Well, we live in an apartment. Here's some very simple math for you. Loud Drums + Pissed Off Neighbors = Eviction Notice. Wasn't that easy? Instead of risking, ahem, domicile displacement, we started looking at the electric drum sets. Very cool. They plug into an amp, just like an electric guitar, and you can use headphones when you play. The end result is a lot less noise and happy neighbors. Only problem is there about twice as expensive as normal drums (a decent starter kit will set you back about $2000), so we were going to give it some thought.

After his first lesson, we're all standing around talking to the instructors, and Ed's drum teacher says something to the effect of "Wow! Ed is like, so good. Are you sure that he hasn't played before?". Well, yeah, I'm pretty sure. Guess he's just a natural. Now we're even for the guitar (even though when I'm practicing, he'll still tell me what a bitch I am, laugh, and then say "No, just kidding, it sounds good" - too funny).

We did cave and buy the electric drums - they're very cool, although Ed still has a problem with the crash symbol malfunctioning. Nothing major. It's just irksome. He's only gotten better though, so that's cool. In fact, his ability surpasses my guitar playing. I'm hoping that one day we'll be able to rock out "Mary Had a Little Lamb" together. Totally killer.

Christmas Present (addt'l)

I've been learning to play the guitar(badly). My step-daughter (SD) and I go to lessons every Tuesday. Recently, our teacher has been splitting us up - I've been playing the normal 6-string guitar (a gloss black Schecter Omen 6 that was originally bought for my husband - another post later, maybe, if he'll consent to it), and SD has been playing a bass guitar.

Now, SD really likes the bass - she says that it's so much easier to play, because you can mush your fingers on the strings; you don't have to worry about staying on your fingertips like you do with regular guitar. It also makes our songs sound really cool. Two guitars playing the same part is kinda lame - but one guitar playing chords & a bass rocking out - now that's awesome!

So, in the interest of continuing the musical experience, I've found an awesome deal for a bass guitar through Musician's Friend (e-commerce website associated with Guitar Center).

Metro Complaints

If you already know me (and I assume so, since you're reading this), then you already know that I take the Washington DC Metro. If you don't know me, then what the hell are you doing reading a stranger's blog? Pervert.

In a similar fashion as Ed's Don't Block The Box post, I offer these few kind words to the commuters on the Metro.

1. Don't stick your arm in the doors after you hear the chime. You had your chance to get on the train. Please don't make every person on the train wait for you, you self-important ass.

2. Don't stand in the doors unless you plan on getting off the next time those doors open. You're just blocking the way for all the other people trying to get to/from their destinations.

3. For those of you that have those roller computer bags, please pick them up when you're in the station or on the train. That damn thing you're dragging behind you is tripping other people, rolling over my toes, and generally making the traffic flow a mess. You can stand to carry your bag for 15 feet to the escalator. This is very important during rush hour, but not as vital in slower times of the day.

4. Have your fare card/SmarTrip card ready when you get to the fare gate. It's not a surprise that you have to PAY when you get to your destination; the gates aren't new - they're the same in every station in the Metro system. Do us all a favor and be proactive about moving through the turnstyles.

5. And please, Please, PLEASE, STAND ON THE RIGHT, WALK ON THE LEFT. This is common escalator courtesy for those of us who want to sprint up the escalator to catch the train already on the platform. This also means keeping your kids, bags, luggage on the right side as well.

If you already observe these rules, you get a gold star for Metro etiquette. Congrats.

If you don't observe these rules, you should be snapped in the ass with a wet towel.

Wish List

Okay - so the economically sanctioned spend-fest otherwise known as Christmas is coming up soon, so I thought I would do my part to contribute to the country's financial well-being.

Froogle Wish List

First. Post. Ever.

So I can't say that my driving force behind a blog is entirely pure. I'm basically only doing it because my husband has one, and I can't let him feel like he's superior to me. That just wouldn't be, well, just.

As you can probably gather from his blog, we're both programmers, so there's a lot of technology in our house to begin with. People are outnumbered by computers 2:1. That's sad.

We travel a lot - I'm hoping to use this as a repository for our pictures. It's also a good place to let friends & family know what's going on. I probably won't get around to a meaningful update for a couple days, though, so check back later.