Sunday, November 30, 2008

Holiday recap


This year was nicer/crappier than last as far was the four-day weekend. On one hand we had Thanksgiving at our house and everyone came to us so we didn't have to travel to four-baghillon different places this year. Natali organized the evening and it went swimmingly, good food (cookies and desserts for days), minimal family annoyance, all around good time. Not to say it was not without drama, a family incident here, forgetting the cranberry sauce there, etc... The latter was a BIG deal. I cannot eat turkey without cranberry sauce on it (if you haven't tried it I don't want to hear anything).

But just as every year, the peace and fellowship of Thanksgiving gives way to... bum... bum... bummmmm... Black Friday. This year being in the middle of a recession, meaning both: people have less money to spend for the holidays and stores are needing as much business as possible, made it a deadly combination (literally). But we thought we'd give it a shot anyway since it is becomming a bit of a tradition and its nice to have all of your shopping done a month in advance (so I can procrastinate wrapping for 30 days as opposed to one).

The short version of the story is drove around from store to store finding very few good deals, went home found great deals online and realized I could have slept in. sigh.

We also had Holly of HollyJones fame come by and take family photos yesterday. It was probably a little more than she bargained for, but we really appreciate her patience and are very excited to see how they turned out!

As far as today... TBD :). Hope everyone else's weekends went well. How about you? What did you do for the infamous Black Friday?

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Ghost in the Machine



Our garage door opener recently went kaput, so we picked up another one and opted for the professional installation. Aside from a shipping hiccup, the installation went smoothly. Once we got our new opener (which is ninja quiet), things started acting up.
The new opener does a lot of cool things like the standard opens up if the beam is crossed, turns the light on if the beam is crossed, has a thermometer on the control button, has battery backup (in case the power goes out), etc... The only problem is that the signals for the opener to communicate with its various parts is on the same frequency as several other appliances at our house. Here is a list of what else has been affected by our new opener.
  • Downstairs TV - Randomly switches to the satalite input while playing Xbox (annoying!)
  • Downstairs light - turns on the light in the middle of the night
  • Standalone heaters - cranks up the heat, causing us to check on the baby's room often (went in there the other day and it was 84!!!)
  • Upstairs TV - randomly turns off
  • Xbox 360 * - Save file for Call of Duty disappeared (don't know if this was just a coincidence)
It was annoying enough that our heaters and TV were on the same frequency (when you turned the volume up or down the heater would go up a degree every time you pushed the button), now we have to deal with the other anomalies. As soon as it starts unlocking doors or vomit split pea soup we're taking it back!

Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Help Wanted: Game ideas



So last week when the new Xbox 360 UI debuted, a feature I forgot to mention also debuted: XNA Community Games. These are games created by smaller developers (from teams of 2 - 20 people) with tools available from Microsoft, and sold on the Xbox marketplace. One of my dreams has been to take my passion for video games and translate that into a game I helped create. I've been taking some time (about the past 6 months) learning C# and the XNA framework, and have a pretty good understanding of how to code (program) games now. My brother is really good at Adobe products and has also been learning 3Ds Max (a 3d modeling program) and other graphic programs to do art/assets for the game. Our only problem, and this is where you can help, is we need an idea for the game.

What would you like to see in a game? What did you really like about some of the games you played? Any ideas would be appreciated and of course credit would be given. :)

Monday, November 24, 2008

Dad Moment: 10 things I've learned


Keegan turned 18 months old last Saturday, and I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on the past year and a half. A lot has happened in the time the little guy came into the world, new house, illness, learning, etc...
Here is a quickly compiled list of ten things I've learned as a dad for in from my son.

10. Do not be deceived by newborn poo
For months before K was born (pretty much as soon as Nat got pregnant), people teased me about poopy diapers. I wasn't ever too worried about it. When K was first born he had the typical meconium (tar poo) which was completely odorless, I knew this would pass in a couple of days. When his first real number twos came they were completely tolerable. No bad smell, and easy to clean up (once you get over the fact that you are getting crap all over your hands). Here is where my warning comes in. This does not last!!! As soon as K moved on to solids the smells moved in. Sometimes I wonder how a boy so small could make a smell that could gag an ox! Potty training here we come.

9. Their brains never turn off
It amazes me how when you just sit back and watch, you can almost see the gears turning in their heads. Eyes constantly moving, hands always feeling things, switching switches, pushing buttons, dropping things just to watch what happens. I only hope this kind of curiosity continues (at least until I find my cell phone in the toilet).

8. Nap time is fleeting
Routine is a integral part of parenting, but don't get too comfortable. When K was first born he slept all day. As he grew a little older he would take two nice long naps, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. This consolidated to one 2-3 hour nap around noon. Now that nap has moved to around 2:00 and only lasts 1-2 hours. *sigh*

7. Baby Einstein is both educational and magical
I don't know what the people a Disney do to these DVDs. But no matter how upset K is, putting on a Baby Einstein DVD is enough to calm his nerves and put him in sort of a trance. My wife uses this trick to get ready in the morning in an attempt to avoid the Q-tip tornado.

6. When you are a baby talking funny is cute
The same things that get you shoved in a locker in high school are adorable when you are two and a half feet tall (NOTE: not sure if this is true of adult little people). Also, you can get away with saying curse words or crass euphemisms. For example, calling sticks "dicks".

5. No matter how many "cool" toys you buy, its the simple things
Keegan has a ton of toys that we (Nat and I) think are cool and end up purchasing because
a) its something we wanted as a kid
b) its something we think we would have wanted as a kid
c) its something we want to play with as an adult
d) K played with it the entire time at the store

D usually ends up in Keegan forgetting about it 12 seconds after he gets home. A and B work out for a little while (a few weeks usually) and C, we end up playing with the toy more.

Yesterday, I was playing with K in the playroom and out of nowhere in the middle of making a block tower he asks for his stick. So we spent the next fifteen minutes looking for his stick (Me: "Keegan where's your stick?", Keegan: "Doah Know"). The rest of the afternoon (until Nap time, err Nap attempt) I watched him hit whiffle balls around the room with his stick (which was the cardboard tube from a wire hanger).

4. Food preferences change
The quickest way to make a toddler not like something is to buy a lot of it.

3. They expect you to know what their gibberish means
My advice, if you don't understand what they're saying, fake it. I've read it teaches them how to hold a conversation (taking turns talking) and if you don't you are likely to have a frustrated little one on your hands.

2. They'll imitate anything they see you do/say
For the most part this isn't a problem and it's neat to see how quickly they learn. The first time Keegan picked up a toothbrush and started "brushing" his own teeth was hilarious. But Be Careful! One slip up and your toddler will likely recite your choice words at the most inopportune time.

1. The conundrum of growing up
On one hand you want them to get just a little bigger so you can do this or that, but they'll never be the same age again. This hit my wife and I the first time we cleaned out his dresser. We wanted him to get just a little bigger so he could tell us what was wrong, or when he was hungry, but as we took out the clothes that were too small for him we realized he'll never wear this again. Enjoy them at the age they are right now. They'll grow up eventually, so don't miss the moments you have now.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Classic battle of good and evil

Natali, who is super mom/wife/worker, baked some cookies the other night. Not just any cookies, evil demon cookies who possess your thoughts and lure you into eating them. Butterscotch Gingerbread cookies... mmmmmm...

If you can't tell they're really good. So this morning I'm getting ready to leave for work, I've been notoriously bad about eating breakfast (I know, "the most important meal of the day"), but I've tried to be better about it. Even when I don't have time to make a full "balanced breakfast", I'll still try to grab some toast with peanut butter and a banana or something similar. Well this morning I go to grab an apple and come upon this veritable fork in the road:



That's right: fruit on the left... demon cookies on the right. I felt as if tempted by the snake himself. I think we all know who won that battle (I told you they were evil).

Hold on I'm gonna run back home and grab another...

Tech tuesday: NXE (Xbox Update) a day early!!!

A few weeks back the director of programing for Xbox LIVE, Major Nelson, announced a preview program of the upcoming "New Xbox Experience" which is the new UI with added features for the Xbox 360. There was quite an interest and the application process was completely filled within a few hours. A hand selected group of people, based on their geographic location, ISP, and router make and model, were added to the preview program, which allowed them to download the update early and check it out. I was not selected.

Then about a week later the a "second wave" was announced, this time from the same pool of people, but randomly selected. I was not selected.

Last Thursday an unexpected third wave was announced. My brother, and my friend were both selected. I was not. (The thing that was most disappointing was that I told my friend about the program, and actually filled out my brother's form).
I had pretty much given up on getting it early since it is released worldwide Novemeber 19th (tomorrow).

Last night some friends were over for dinner and I wanted to show my buddy the new Call of Duty game (Call of Duty: World at War). As I signed in I was greeted with a notification of a system update. Confused, I checked my phone (I subscribe to Major Nelson's twitter), and lo and behold there was a tweet indicating that even though it was only a day and a half early everyone who successfully applied to the preview program was now getting the update. Yea!

Other than the UI being updated there are a some cool features added to the 360 now. Here's a list of my favorites:

  • Ripping games to your Xbox Hard Drive (quicker load times, and quieter play since the disc drive doesn't have to spin)
  • Streaming Netflix movies through the Xbox (all of the Netflix "instant queue" is available to view on the TV instead of the little computer screen)
  • Avatars (รก la Mii for the Wii, but better looking)
Here's the new dashboard (kinda like the Xbox homepage):



And here's my avatar (what do you think?)


Thursday, November 13, 2008

Um...this better be a misprint!

We bought a "pre-owned" home a year ago and part of the fun is fixing it up the way we want it. So in the spirit of home improvement we applied for a Home Depot card because of the special financing offers (12 months no interest, etc). This morning I got an email reminding me that our payment was due, so I jumped on to make a quick payment. Last month one of our financing offers ended and I wanted to ensure that the it was paid off so we didn't get charged all the accured interest. I opened the statement up (which I hardly ever do) and checked to make sure that everything was right. Then my eyes came across a box with the summary of the accounts APR (annual percentage rate)... this is what I saw:



If you can't see it, this is what it says:

ANNUAL PERCENTAGE RATE on this account: 251.59%

Yeah, just in case you aren't familiar with credit card interest rates 21% is considered really high. I'm assuming this is because we have differed interest due to the promotions, but it was still enough to freak me out for a second.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

Tech Tuesday: Crazy gift cards


Those of you out there who like to buy gift cards as holiday gifts to either A) take the safe route or B) are too lazy to decide, are in luck this year. Now your gift card can not only give your loved one some extra cash to spend as they please, but can also double as a gift itself. So far two of the big box stores have decided to reward their gift-card-giving-patrons by adding some cool little gadgets to them. Best Buy will be offering gift cards that double as a mini speaker (comes included with a 3.5 mm [regular headphone] jack). But Target tops that. They will be offering gift cards that have an included 1.2 MP camera (comes with a USB cord, and a certificate for 40 free prints) at no additional charge. The only catch is you have to buy the two AAA batteries and the minimum denomination for the camera card is $50. Still if you were going to give a $50 card anyway, not bad at all. Well played... well played.

Sources:
http://gizmodo.com/5083112/best-buys-gift-card-is-a-tiny-audio-speaker
http://gizmodo.com/5082383/target-gift-cards-double-as-digital-cameras

If all dogs go to heaven... its okay then right?


So I've been out of the blogosphere again lately (I'll write a post soon explaining why), mostly because my kiddo has been sick. As a result of his illness, there have been many nights that either myself, my wife, or both of us have been up tending to our feverish, oozing, child. After three and a half weeks of his ailment, we were glad that he was feeling better (and not waking up in the middle of the night covered in poo), and we excited at the prospect of a full night's rest. We were so tired both my wife and I nodded off a couple of times during Heroes last night, so you know we were tired! We went to bed at a modest time, around 11:30 and gently drifted off to slumberville. Not 20 minutes go by and we hear this subdued whining. Like trained dogs, both my wife and I pop off of our pillows and she goes to check on the kiddo to make sure he's not sick again (it kept coming and going). She comes back a few seconds later and tells me K's asleep still. Then WTF is that sound? Turns out it was our neighbor's dog. We've had problems in the past with the dog being let out in the middle of the night, presumably to do her business, and then barking to be let back in (at 4 am!), but at the time we had Zoe who was equally annoying and were hesitant to say anything for fear of looking like hypocrites. Well Zoe is gone now and this crap went on ALL NIGHT!!!!! Like clockwork every 20 minutes there was whining, loud sniffing, and what sounded like the dog trying to break down the door to get in. Needless to say neither of us got any rest last night and we now officially hate that dog. Eff the SPCA!!! That bitch is going down!

I'm off to light a bag of dog doo doo and put it on their doorstep.

Thursday, November 6, 2008

One...Two...Three...CRUNCH

I finally did it! I made it all the way to the middle of a Tootsie Roll Pop! I have a habit (much to my co-workers' dismay) of immediately biting suckers as soon as they touch my mouth and crunching away. But today through sheer determination and will... I made it. Unfortunately it was a bit anticlimatic since al I was left with was the boring faux chocolate center. :(