Happy Halloween

 

Student of the Month

She's done it again.

For the month of October, 2006, SKGP is one of the Students of the Month at Rod Kelley School.

For your unfailing willingness to regularly go above and beyond for others, we hereby recognize SKGP as an example of citizenship worth of emulation by us all. Congratulations.

Yay for her! We are very proud and lucky.

The Honeymoon is over

We've had a good run, but it was going too well to continue forever.

Our new house isn't as new as it used to be. The toilet is running when it isn't supposed to. I now have to remember how to fix things around the house, and run to OSH to buy the thingamajob I need. Luckily, I still remember how to curse.

Alas!

Quesadilla

EJP: I'm hungry. I want some breakfast.

What do you want?

EJP: Waffle ... or cereal ... or quesadilla.

You don't want a quesadilla.

EJP: I want a quesadilla.

No one eats quesadillas for breakfast.

EJP: Except me. Dad, I want a quesadilla for breakfast.

PostScript: EJP: Dad, I don't like quesadillas. Can I have cereal?

Google Rocks

I've got a Palm Treo 650 and it's pretty handy. Being able to access my contacts and calendar is invaluable, and being able to surf the web and play backgammon is nice.

Today, the device became a lot more useful for my job. Google release Google Maps for Treo which give you real time access to maps and driving directions and traffic and aerial photos. If you have a Palm (and a good data package with your phone provider), you need this. Check it out.

Sad Day

One of SKGP's classmates, Julio, was killed walking to school yesterday. He was walking across the street with his brother, and a pickup hit him. It happened at the same time I was driving her to school -- just a block away.

We're Back

We have returned from our cruise. Among the highlights were the rock wall and skating rink on the ship, and the careening through the treetops in Jamaica. It was also great to see some of my long lost family.

The lowlights mostly center around children not making the right choices.

Pictures and videos in a bit.

Freedom of The Seas

Tomorrow the family is flying to Miami, FL to board the Freedom of the Seas (the world's largest cruise ship) to tour the Caribbean for a week. We are having a family reunion of sorts; there will be 17 people in all. Aside from the locals, we will be joined by some of my Canadian relatives, who I haven't seen in a long long time.

And with EJP being potty trained, we get to hand the kids over to the daycamp style service they have for kids, which SKGP enjoyed a bunch on our last cruise.

(Please no hurricanes; please no hurricanes)

Amazing Phone Tricks

Everyone must play with GrandCentral.com. This is the coolest bunch of phone tricks.

You sign up for a free account, and pick a new phone number in your area code. Then you configure your other phone numbers, such as cell and office and home. Then people call you at the new number and the appropriate phones ring.

The ultra cool stuff includes recording the calls, and listening to the person leave voicemail. Just like screening with an answering machine, you hear what they are saying to your vmail, and can jump in if you decide to talk to them. You can have different ring sounds based on who is calling.

Play with it. Love it.

Dad's Day

We had a corporate holiday yesterday, I believe due to Rosh Hoshanna. As usual when I have a seemingly random day off of work, RCP has to go to work that day and SKGP has school, so we don't do fun stuff; I get to be the parent in charge.

My day went something like this...

7:00 AM - Get kids ready to go. Luckily, RCP helped.
8:20 AM - Get SKGP to school
8:30 AM - Get EJP to school

Come home, make a couple work calls, get the library books, return them, go to Costco for batteries and antivirus protection (and a new TV). Bring stuff home and unload the car. TVs are heavy.

11:30 AM - Pick up EJP from school

Feed him lunch (quesadillas and milk). Put him down for a nap. Spend some time fitzing with my iPod (great invention -- you should have one). Process some work email. Watch some TV with EJP, post-nap.

2:20 PM - Pick up SKGP and Kiley from school

Bring the trio of kids home and give them a cookie or two. They play for a while, until EJP hits Kiley, which forces me to bring him down with me.

3:30 PM - Drop SKGP and Kiley off at religious education

Drive to Morgan Hill to pick up my dry cleaning and get gas. EJP falls asleep in the car for a bit.

4:45 PM - Pick up SKGP from religious education

Go home. RCP is home. We have dinner and go for a walk. We fight with SKGP about reading. They go to sleep, we watch TV until sleep.

Now, I'm up at 4:45 AM to go to a 9:00 AM meeting in Bakersfield.

All in all, it was fun but very busy.