We are enjoying the holidays with family this year. Splash closes down between Christmas and New Year's Day, so I get over a week of holiday this year. In town to visit for varying lengths of time are Tina's folks, Tom and Jan Schultz, her sister, Michelle Schultz and my mother, Berdean Ring. Thomas loves having all the attention and company and will be sad to see them all go at the end of the week.
On the Monday prior to Christmas, we got a small amount of snow that was enough to create traffic problems throughout the metro area. It melted by the next day and it seemed unlikely that we would have a White Christmas this year. However, by Wednesday they were predicting snow for Thursday and it looked like Portland might enjoy it's 5th White Christmas in the last 100 years and the first since 1983. Unfortunately, even though it came down heavy on Thursday morning, it warmed up and rained by that night and there was not a trace by Christmas morning.
I did get a chance to take Thomas out in the snow for awhile and he was fascinated by it. He kept saying he wanted to build a snowman but refused to touch the snow with his mittened little hands. He wouldn't even take a taste! Since Dad didn't have any gloves, the snowman didn't get built and we went inside to warm ourselves by the fire instead.
Does anybody know what causes inflamed taste buds or how to make them go away. I had a couple nasty ones last week that lingered for longer than usual...
On Thursday we had much for which to be thankful. Helping us celebrate was Uncle Buddy. Tina's cousin Victor Weinstein and his girlfriend, Ann, were supposed to join us, but couldn't be there for turkey because of a bad case of food poisoning from the night before. They did manage to make it later that evening and we had fun talking with them and Ann's cousin, Jeremy.
Tina continues to be sick from the pregnancy but she's almost in her second tri-mester, so we're hoping that ends soon. The Honda is still not sold, but my Diazenon 4E recently arrived and I applied it to the front lawn on Saturday. The moles should start retreating soon.
We marked our sixth wedding anniversary on Friday but celebrated on Sunday when we went to see Lorie Line at the Schnitz. Although I wouldn't recommend it to everybody, we enjoyed ourselves tremendously and may go back to see her next year
I found a very interesting story about the origin of the rocket car urban legend. I added the link to my Cool Links page. I always believed this particular legend to be true.
We decided this week that now is as good a time as any to announce that we're going to have another baby. Tina had her third ultrasound on Thursday and saw a strong heart beat. Due date is June 22, 1999. Sex has not been determined. Email Tina for further details. |
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Good news for Splash Employees this week: the Board of Directors approved a restriking of employee stock options. The old option price was around $21 but the current market price is around $10. The new option price is 7 5/8 and is on the original vesting schedule with the provision that I can't cash any in until July. Not perfect but better than a sharp stick in the eye.
Happy Birthday to Tina today. 29 years old and still kicking. Email her to say "Happy Birthday."
Caught a killer show on Saturday night when House of Large Sizes played E.J.'s here in Portland. If these guys come within 100 miles of your hometown, you must go see them. They might be the best band to ever come out of Iowa. Or stay there for that matter.
I updated the music section and added a new link on the "Cool Links" page.
The car remains unsold, the moles have renewed their tunneling efforts and it's raining all the time now. However, Buddy got a job already, Splash stock rose a bit this week and R.E.M. have a new album out.
I spent the last week remodeling Thomas' home page as well as fixing the link on the left side of this page. I also added some Halloween pictures and a cool picture of a fish that he drew on his "Newton".
Yesterday we took our annual trip to the Pumpkin Patch on Sauvie Island with our friends, Carroll and Allen. We thought Thomas could get his own pumpkin this year, but there weren't any that small this year. Here are a few pictures.
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Forgot to mention that Tina's Uncle Buddy has moved in with us temporarily. Buddy drove up from Albuquerque shortly before we left for California. He did a fine job of house-sitting while we were gone and now the cats love him. |
On Tuesday we got back from a week-long vacation to Northern California. Last Tuesday & Wednesday (October 13&14), we drove to Saratoga Springs campground in Silicon Valley for the second annual International Rust Fest. On Thursday, Marla, a friend of Tina's from Saudi Arabia brought her fiance, Mark, to the campground and joined us around the campfire for pizza pies.
While they shivered in the cold, I joined my Splash collegues to be wined and dined by Apple Computer. On Friday I rose bright and early and spent the day in briefings about the latest and future Apple technologies. I'd tell you what they told us, but I'd have to kill you afterwards.
Friday night was one of the highlights of the week as the musicians at the festival got together and jammed for many hours much to everyone's delight. That and the subsequent fireside acoustic playing inspired me to renew my commitment to learning the guitar.
Although Thomas enjoyed sleeping in the tent and getting dirty, on Saturday we packed up the campsite and Tina and Thomas headed up to San Francisco to spend a few days with her Uncle Ralph and Aunt Carol. I stayed behind to attend the 12th Annual Bridge Benefit concert. This year's gig featured Jonathan Richman, the Eels, the Wallflowers, Sarah McLachlan, Phish, Barenaked Ladies, R.E.M. and Neil Young. The whole show was incredible and had many highlights which I won't go into here.
After the show was over, I hitched a ride to the East Bay and stumbled into the Weinstein household around 1:00 am to the sound of barking dogs. We stayed with Carol and Ralph for another day before starting the long drive home on Monday. On Tuesday we stopped at the Wild Animal Safari Park in Roseburg, but did not go through due to pea-soup fog. Instead we stepped on the gas and were home before 5:00 pm that day.
While I was gone Splash announced a positive earnings report but warned of slower earnings during the fourth quarter. Consequently the stock dropped to a new low (below 7). My options are once again worthless.
I took the battle of the mole to the web. Here is the solution I came up with: carpet bomb the lawn with chemicals.
Found an interesting web page here. The University of Washington and Yale are conducting a study about people's implicit preferences. They have an online test that measures your own preferences towards black/white, young/old, male/female, etc. It's a pretty cool test and it only takes a few minutes.
We bought a new car last Wednesday:
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The old car is now for sale.
Happy Birthday to me! 32 years old today. Send me presents.
Monday afternoon Thomas had a not so pleasant surprise for Tina and I. Although he was supposed to be napping, he had been busy using mom's new (i.e. full) jar of facial cream. On himself. On the bed. On the floor. On the walls. On the computer monitor, mouse and keyboard. All over our bathroom. Everywhere in our room. He'll be napping in his own room from now on. Click here to see more pictures. |
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The battle of the mole continues. They not only occupy both sections of my front yard, but this week they moved into the backyard. I continue to stick the hose in the holes every night, but hope is fading fast. I am seriously considering seeking professional help.
Speaking of things that cost money, I think that Tina and I are going to start car shopping tomorrow. Or, more specifically, mini-van shopping. From the reading that I've been doing, the Dodge and Plymouth (the same thing really) seem to be the most reliable of the breed. We're looking to get a 92 or 93. Advice is welcome.
Thomas is continuing to master the English language. Lately, I've been working on some of his mispronounciations. He now correctly pronounces our cat, Nietzche's name (he used to say "Nacha cheese") but continues to struggle with "kitchen" (instead he says "Mommy's in the chicken!"). Here are a few recent audio clips of him.
As promised I got the song I produced (see August 28) online. Click here to get the RealAudio player (which you need in order to hear it) and here to listen to the song. The guitar solo rules! Listen for the string bend - it's my favorite part.
As with the rest of the stock market Splash Stock has taken a dive lately. I also got the bad news last week that my boss, who recruited and hired me, is resigning from the company. He'll be staying on for another month or so, but who knows what will happen after that. It's a shame because he's easily the best boss I've ever had.
Tina's Uncle Buddy visited us this last week. He had two job interviews that both went well. He's hoping to move here soon. He was unable to assist me with my ongoing mole problem, though. I've gassed, flooded, stomped, poisoned and ignored them but they won't go away. Suggestions, anyone?
Moles have taken up residence in my yard and just when I began planting new grass! I've tried chasing them out of their extensive (very extensive) tunnel city beneath my yard, but have so far been unsuccessful. This weekend I'll be hunting for some smoke bombs and possibly taking watch in the front yard for hours at a time.
I updated my music page again. Added some photos, moved some stuff around, a few new links.
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I bought a new computer last weekend! No, it's not an iMac. Although I think they look like a great computer for the average user, my needs require something a bit more powerful. So I got a 266 Mhz Power Macintosh G3 mini-tower. It came with 32 Mb of RAM but I added another 32. It's got a 6 Gb hard drive and a built-in Zip drive. It came stock with the audio/video option but no TV tuner (which I'll miss from my old computer). The 15" monitor is small but does 1024 X 768 comfortably. It's about 100 times faster than my old computer and faster than any Pentium on the market right now. It rocks! |
Also last weekend I spent a couple of man-days helping a friend of mine produce a song for his upcoming CD. It's called "Make Your Sound" and it turned out really well. He's completely open to my suggestions and has used most of them. I'll have to see about getting it set up with RealAudio here...
I recently updated the Cool Links section, so you might want to bop over there to check it out. I added a link to, on online database of global satellite images. I used it to find all the places I used to live after I left Wartburg! I even managed to find this small town.
I've been spending inordinate amounts of time at Splash HQ in Sunnyvale, CA. On August 3, Splash flew all of it's employees in for a company-wide launch party celebrating recent product introductions. Held at the Palo Alto Country Club, activities included an Olympic-like competition (for team-building), a standup comedian and rah-rah speeches from a variety of high-ranking Splash executives. Altogether a very fun time. The next three days (4-6) were spent in technical seminars with the rest of the engineers in the company. I returned last week (Aug. 11 & 12) to help do testing on some new hardware. Hopefully won't see the inside of a hotel room again for awhile!
Thomas has restarted potty training. His previous stint ended when he "fell in" accidentally. He's all past that now and is progressing slowly but surely. The environment thanks us.
Yesterday, Apple started selling a revolutionary new computer called the iMac. Attractive, fast (faster than the fastest Pentium II) and easy to setup. No floppy drive, but I can't remember the last time I even touched a floppy. This is the computer that will help Apple return to it's former glory.
If it hadn't been for a little upstart company hogging the Wall Street limelight, Splash Technology would have been the big tech story this week. After the quarterly earnings announcements crushed all estimates, Splash stock rose over 6 points in a day. It settled down at 24, but that's better than 16 where it was a few weeks ago! My options are no longer underwater. Yeah!!
I spent a couple of days in training at Splash HQ in Sunnyvale, CA. Highlights of the trip included: HBO in the hotel room, crazy taxi rides and a visit to the fabulous In -N- Out Burger.
Other minor news: Got a new pair of glasses. Went to the Scottish Highland Games. Saw Pearl Jam. Updated my music page with some new reviews.
I posted an update to the story about problems moving in and also wrote about a recent run-in with our new neighbor.
Tina's friend, Michael Hunter, from high school is visiting us for an extended period. We had fun watching his movie, Bodycount, prior to his arrival. He played the guard in the control room.
More pictures of Thomas are now available including a recent trip to the zoo and some with Thomas himself behind the camera lens!
Tina and Thomas just got back from her 10 year high school reunion last weekend. She changed her mind at the last minute and went. She had a ball but lost a lot of sleep.
More guests this week: Tina's parents, Jan and Tom Schultz. Thomas loves having people here but will be sad and bewildered once the house is empty again. Here's some pictures of him playing in the pool while we watched and laughed.
I've been busy with the house, guests and work but I recently wrote a summary of the problems we had with our sellers after we moved in.
We have guests in town this week: my mother and two nephews (Dain and Laine). We've been showing them the sites including the Japanese Gardens, Rose Garden, the Gorge, Mount Hood and the Coast. They were here for the Rose Festival so we also caught the fireworks, rode on the Sternwheeler and watched the Starlight Parade.
We're getting everything unpacked slowly but surely and I'm catching up on things that were neglected during the move. Among those are some pictures I took of Thomas at the old house. Note half-mown lawn.
Last night I broke out the camera and snapped some pictures of the house in its current state of disarray: Thomas' room, A/V room, garage and my office.
Last week we took possession of our new house and have been busy moving since. It all culminated on Saturday when friends came over and loaded up the Uhaul for us. Everything is here now and we gave up the keys to Mall today. There were complications which I will elaborate on later. Moving is tiring...
Signed papers today for the purchase of the house in Holcomb Heights.
Got more pictures of Thomas this weekend on his swingset. Look for them here soon. In the meantime, here are a few pictures of him with his computer.
Also note that I added some pictures to the Pearl Jam story.
Signed papers today for the sale of our house on Mall.
After a week of on again-off again, I finished the first mow of the year on Saturday. Hopefully the last time I mow this lawn.
Waited in line for Pearl Jam tickets starting at 3 am yesterday. Story available here.
Thomas got to go on an Easter egg hunt with some other kids today. He enjoyed it greatly and keeps insisting that I open up the plastic ones for him. Over and over and over.
Pictures from the re-inspection came out pretty well. There are four sets: backyard, deck, kitchen and a couple of inside shots.
The Holcomb Heights house re-inspection went well and we are satisfied with the repairs they have done. Appraisal was also today and we won't know the results for a few days but it was performed by the sellers' cousin (pure coincidence). I got some more pictures while I was there and expect to get them up here this weekend. We've begun packing in earnest.
Yesterday I ran out of wiper washer fluid in my truck. Bought a chain and hooked it to the telephone pole in front of our house. Hooked the other end to the bumper of my truck and now it opens fine. See below for more details of the accident that jammed the hood shut.
Thomas and I watched our first episode of Teletubbies yesterday. Trippy. Got some pictures of the event on the digital camera from work but they didn't turn out so well.
The Mall house has passed the re-inspection. On Friday I locked in our mortgage rate at 7 percent. Holcomb Heights house re-inspection scheduled for Thursday morning.
Found the original version of KidPix, a drawing program for children, on the net. Thomas digs the dynamite eraser.
After using his computer non-stop for a couple of weeks, Thomas appears to know his entire alphabet. He sat on my lap last night naming off the letters as he pointed at my keyboard. You can see recent pictures here and here.
Mall house due to be appraised tomorrow. Most of the bathroom floor was replaced due to dry rot. Looks great! Meanwhile the Holcomb Heights house is due to be appraised soon.
Splash stock rose slightly above my option price last week. Still have a year to vest. Here's a picture I took at work. I call it "Still Life on My Desk".
Note that you'll find more picture links below.
Owners of Holcomb Heights house scheduled a professional furnace consultation yesterday. Their pro concluded that the heat exchange did not have any cracks in it and it was in good condition. Consequently, they refuse to put any more money in it and return an addendum stating so. We accept and sign the addendum. For better or worse, we are now locked in!
Inspections performed on Mall and Holcomb Heights houses.
Mall inspection reveals some water problems in the bathroom. We agree to finding and fixing the leak as well as repairing any damage that has already been done.
Holcomb Heights inspection finds some problems with the bathroom as well. We submit an addendum asking for lender required repairs as well as repairing and/or replacing the furnace which has hairline cracks in the heat exchanger.
The entire family gets a brand new 27" Sharp television. Picture-in-picture. Equisound. Really big compared to the old 20" (which is on it's last legs)!
Thomas gets his first computer: a used Macintosh Classic II. 10 Mb RAM, 80 Mb hard drive and a beautiful nine inch monochrome screen. $60. He loves it.
Offer accepted with minor changes for Holcomb Heights house. Dates set for closing on both houses: Mall on April 23 and Holcomb Heights on April 24. Still to come: inspections for both houses.
All papers for our house on Mall have been signed and the deal is go pending the home inspection. Following a third viewing, we make an offer for house at 2957 NE 156th Ave in Holcomb Heights.
Ann Patterson and Ed Gaines make a reasonable offer for our house at 5603 SE Mall. We counter-offer with some minor changes and it is accepted the next day. We have four days from acceptance to secure new housing.
Mick's MessagePad 2000 is returned from Apple following upgrade. Organization returns!
Splash restrikes employee stock options at $21.75. Current price is around $16. Old option price is $39. Vesting begins anew.
Thomas' second birthday. Mick rear-ends a brand-new Cadillac on his way home. Cadillac sustains several hundred dollars damage. Mick's truck: several thousand. No collision insurance.