Anna and the Big Redwoods

Last year, I got to take Katie Jo to Manhattan with me when I spoke at the SQL Saturday there. This spring, I got to take Anna Lynn to another of America's great cities, San Francisco. One of the highlights of our trip, and there were many, was a day trip up to Muir Forest for a walk among the redwoods. These beauties are between 200-300 feet tall and so majestic that it steals your breath away and leaves you speachless.Some of the other highlights of our trip included lots of time spent on the piers, Chinatown, Japantown (also known as J-Town), a tour of the city, the Goldengate Bridge, and … [Read more...]

Bucket List: USPTO

I get a lot of ideas. Some of them are even good ideas.  And some of those are even good enough to turn into a product. Consequently, I've spent a little bit of mental energy over the years learning about how you'd go about filing for a patent.So while this trip to the USPTO wasn't about one of my ideas, it was still a dream come true for me to be involved in a patent filing. The buildings and grounds for the USPTO in Washington, D.C. are very new and, to be honest, gorgeous. They're fully worthy of the world's greatest technological power. And my experiences with the USPTO staff were … [Read more...]

Halloween Hobos and Highnesses

No one would be surprised if your little daughters wanted to dress up as princesses for Halloween.  Here are our two little "Her Royal Highnesses":Honestly, I think Katie (above upper) and Ava (above lower) just wanted an excuse to put on tons of make-up and to do their hair.  Savannah kindly photo-bombed Ava in all of her glamours glory.  The older girls decided to go in the exact opposite direction of the glamour of pageant princess and settled on HOBOS.Savannah (above top) is channeling more of the "unwashed hippy" vibe.  Kaylee and Rebecca (above middle) are making … [Read more...]

Rachel Rocks Amsterday

Here we are about to cross into the Leidseplein, the "Lights Square", of Amsterdam - one of the first parts of town to get electrified in the 19th century. We're on our way to see the Rijksmuseum, where all the great art of the Dutch Golden Age is housed. … [Read more...]

Anna Sings With The Honor Choir

My lovely Anna is singing on the front row on the far righthand side. … [Read more...]

Togetherness Is Always Special

I always enjoy getting to spend time with Ray. It's really rather ironic that although I work from home, it still sort'a feels like a job. We get to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner together. We have coffee in the morning together. But once the work starts, it feels like separation.I wonder if the old farmers in the field with the farm wives in the kitchen felt that way about their work? When the ol' farm wives looked up from their sink of dishes, which they had to wash by hand, out to the north forty and see their husbands behind a horse drawn plow, did they smile? Did they feel … [Read more...]

Yummy Carbs, Evil Carbs

 I've felt rather blessed in terms of not struggling too much with my weight. On the other hand, I want to hit a new level of physical fitness and so, as a consequence, I've decided to cut back on the carbs.It's been two weeks now and, with a few minor lapses, I'm getting used to eating low carb. What's really amazing about low carb is how quickly the weight melts away. I'll allow myself the equivalent of four slices of bread (40g), in case I want a couple sandwiches for lunch, in a single day. But most days I actually consume a lot less carbs than that. The only hard part has been … [Read more...]

Cheese! Really Fine Cheese!

 Rachel and I both love certain kinds of fine quality, artisanal cheeses. One of our most favorite is 2-3 yr aged gouda. It's bizarre and probably not for everyone. But neither is crack and look how some people love that stuff. Anyway, I was at a hoity-toity party given by a huge corporation with very deep pockets. So imagine my surprise when I saw them serving up all-you-can-eat fine cheeses that run $10-14/lb. Wow! I ate all I could stand and then, for good measure, had to send Rachel a picture. Tee hee. The aged gouda is on the top tier of the serving tray. … [Read more...]

Pikey Does His Thing

 I never suspected that I could be a cat person. But this little guy, who was dragged in from the wild by Katie as a infant kitten, has changed my mind. It's no secret that cats are not simply small dogs. They're behavior is completely different. But he won me over. Maybe it's because he mostly just lays around and naps? … [Read more...]

2011-01-26 – End of 2010

I put up a bunch of family photos from the holiday season through the end of 2010. If you haven't seen the kids in a while, check it out. … [Read more...]