Paulblog

Killian and Colin Go To High School

2018-11-16T18:22:00.006-05:00

Time for some fall 9th grade pics...

Killian:

and Colin:

Waxing PoENTic

2018-04-16T18:07:00.001-04:00

A couple of weeks ago, I inadvertently was reminded of outstanding parental fears. In reality, I suppose it was more falling subject to current parental fears while being reminded of carry overs from early parenthood.

Several months ago (6-7 maybe?) Killian mentioned that he was having difficulty hearing out of his right ear. He said the sounds were muffled. Due to my own childhood, teen and early adult experience, I presumed that it was likely wax build up and tried using some wax softener (Debrox) and a water flushing kit from the drug store. It proved to be ineffective so within the next day or two I took him to the pediatrician to get it checked out. The pediatrician noticed a little fluid behind the eardrum and said that it was likely due to some sinus congestion type symptoms Killian was otherwise experiencing and said it would likely dissipate with that.

Fast forward a few months and Killian says that he's having similar troubles with his left ear and that it sounds like things are underwater. This time, he involuntarily demonstrates the impedance by way of not responding when I'm talking to him and he can't see me. Cue concerned dad mode. I again get him to the pediatrician to have it checked out the next day after trying another ineffective round of Debrox only to have the pediatrician repeat the same diagnosis. Killian explained that the right hear was still troublesome as well (news to me) so the pediatrician referred us to an ENT specialist.

This was the Thursday before Good Friday and, consequently, Easter weekend so the earliest available appointment was the following Tuesday. As now more concerned dad, I called all ENT specialists in the surrounding cities as I wanted to drive from that pediatrician appointment straight to the ENT now that I know there is enough concern for the referral. Cue weekend of quiet panic.

At this point, I'm internally processing all possible causes and diagnoses as well as blaming myself for any potential bad parenting which could lead to hearing loss. The pediatrician tested him to be at about a 40 decibel reduction in both ears. It was restless sleep for me for several nights even though Killian seemed otherwise unimpeded. No obvious or stated physical discomfort other than the hearing loss.

The day before the ENT appointment, Killian conjured up flu symptoms (mild fever, significant fatigue, decreased appetite, runny nose, sneezing, cough, etc.). This on the heels of both me and Emily having just wrapped up cases of flu type B only a week before. As a result, I was pretty confident he was coming down with it as well but was not going to miss the appointment on the following day regardless. So, I wrapped his face in a surgical mask and got him to the appointment the next day. Fortunately he was feeling a reasonable degree better but I wanted to diminish the risk to the ENT staff and other patients by at least covering his coughing & sneezing. Still, I was working through how I was going to place a call to the pediatrician after this appointment to have him tested so maybe we could introduce Tamiflu earlier and minimize his flu as much as possible.

After 15 minutes of relentless new patient paperwork (a topic for a whole other post - why are we still filling out physical paperwork for this?!?), we were called back to the room promptly and the ENT doc arrived shortly afterward. After a quick look in Kilian's ears he stated that there was a significant build up of wax and that he'd get it vacuumed out and figure out where we stand when he can see the inner ear. That gave me an immediate sense of relief in that at least there was an obvious and approachable obstruction versus the mystery left dangling at the pediatrician.

He took us to the room next door which had a microscope (giant magnifying glass on an arm) where he could see better for the wax removal. He stuck a small metal funnel into Killian's right ear and began vacuuming with a small tool that looks very similar to the water dispensing spray device at the dentist's office. Once he completed work on the right ear he moved over and repeated in the left. After it was done he said that things looked pretty good and normal but that they would give Killian a full hearing test to be sure. Cue *very* relieved dad.

After standing up from the table where he was having his ears vacuumed, Killian said "Dad, I think I got it back!" while snapping his fingers together on each side of his head and smiling widely. It was at this point that even deeper guilt set in that I hadn't noticed the decrease in his hearing that me must have been enduring for months. Still, I was very excited to see that there was immediate improvement. As we sat down to wait for the hearing test he exclaimed "I can hear by pants scraping against the seat!"

For the hearing test, they placed him into a sound proof room and proceeded to play a mix of sounds and spoken words asking him to respond when he heard or repeat back the words at varying volumes. When complete, he came out with all hearing in normal ranges. Whew!

A couple of interesting things came from this experience. One was a sense of justification and relief in having my initial suspicion identified as the actual cause of the hearing loss. A related other was a sense of frustration that the pediatrician couldn't recognize simple wax build up. The ENT said that he thought maybe the pediatrician was misidentifying a change in the wax color for the eardrum but it still shakes my confidence in the pediatrician. Another is a recognition that I am terrified of having my child lose his hearing or sight. That's obviously atypical for any parent but I was a little surprised at how prevalent the worry was for me before I knew the cause.

This is the outstanding fears I spoke of at the beginning. I recall worrying so much during pregnancy, birth and the first few months of Killian's life that he would be impaired by some birth defect. I realize now that I assumed I had moved past some of those fears in at least some way as he has moved through development stages but they are apparently lurking just out of consciousness ready to rear back at the smallest sign of threat.

Anyway, I am very relieved to say that he is doing great and his hearing is back to normal. It is interesting where the brain will go when given the opportunity.

Tweets May 17, 2014 through February 24, 2018

2018-04-02T09:56:00.000-04:00

Yet another attempt to grab my tweets over time. Twitter doesn't seem to have an export feature that I can find so here they are in a rudimentary copy/paste format that retains none of the pictures, links, or good indications of what is a retweet. So, to read them in earnest, you're better served to view my twitter account.

Feb 24
Decided to try somewhere new for dinner date. Chose Ajisai in Raleigh based on good ratings. Been seated for 25 mins. Still no drinks. Just placed food order. 😡

Feb 15
Magical geometry
https://account.xbox.com/gameclip/201e72fc-ff45-44c1-a37a-10907ae45436?gamertag=Proclaimer&scid=00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000000

Jan 13
http://s.ndemiccreations.com/plague/i/9600c25b6f23981f2ef8f3c75087ea9ed84479a2 …

17 Dec 2017
Plot twist: 2017 was about me all along. https://www.xbox.com/en-us/live/year-in-review/share?id=4f7607e6-0964-4198-92dc-0b7625980ea0 … #XboxYearInReview

16 Dec 2017
Check out this giveaway from @VRHeadsTweets! You can win a PlayStation VR DOOM VFR Bundle!

29 Nov 2017

RT for a chance to win a custom #Cuphead [E] #XboxOneS and LP set. NoPurchNec. Ends 12/6/17. #XboxSweepstakes rules: http://bit.ly/2AHwnyr

19 Nov 2017

Just found out about “Informed Delivery” from USPS due to some mail theft reports in our area. Pretty cool concept. Sends you pictures of mail you are due to receive on a given day. Check it out if so inspired:

http://faq.usps.com/?articleId=1449159866675 …

11 Nov 2017

Stranger Things season 2 has validated my suspicion that Three Musketeers candy bar is basically fuel for evil.

7 Nov 2017

There is nothing I could ever say in 280 characters that's better than this.

30 Oct 2017

Follow & RT For a Chance to Win a Xbox One X Project Scorpio Edition 1TB Console. Ends Nov. 7th at 9PM ET. http://ow.ly/5xzu30gaYK1

20 Oct 2017

I just entered to win King & Queendomino from @BlueOrangeGames and @etboardgames!

19 Oct 2017

Good recommendation @NewWombat & @CheapyD American Vandal (2017– )
#IMDb

31 Oct 2016

Just ordered @PapaJohns! Use promo code PAPATRACK for 25% off your next regular menu price order. US/Online Only. #PizzaMood

17 Sep 2017

Breakaway Rider https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/923/breakaway-rider … #tbgt

17 Sep 2017

Finished off last night with Times Up Title Recall https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/36553/times-title-recall … #tbgt

17 Sep 2017

Tortuga 1667 https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/218530/tortuga-1667 … #tbgt

17 Sep 2017

Captain Sonar https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/171131/captain-sonar … #tbgt

17 Sep 2017

Flick 'em Up: Giant Edition https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/232880/flick-em-giant-edition … #tbgt

16 Sep 2017

Flaschenteufel The Bottle Imp https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/619/bottle-imp … #tbgt

16 Sep 2017

At the Gates of Loyang https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/39683/gates-loyang … #tbgt

16 Sep 2017

Trivia by Gee then continuation of The 7th Continent #tbgt

15 Sep 2017

Tortuga 1667 https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/218530/tortuga-1667 … #tbgt

15 Sep 2017

Sawgrada https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/199561/sagrada … #tbgt

15 Sep 2017

Delve https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/217894/delve … #tbgt

15 Sep 2017

Roll Player https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/169426/roll-player … #tbgt

14 Sep 2017

Clank! Sunken Treasures https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgameexpansion/218103/clank-sunken-treasures … #tbgt

14 Sep 2017

Sea of Clouds https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/189052/sea-clouds … #tbgt

14 Sep 2017

Santorini https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/194655/santorini … #tbgt

14 Sep 2017

Dice Forge again. #tbgt

14 Sep 2017

Too Many Bones https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/192135/too-many-bones … #tbgt

14 Sep 2017

Dice Forge https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/194594/dice-forge … #tbgt

13 Sep 2017

Team Play https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/181329/team-play … #tbgt

13 Sep 2017

The 7th Continent https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/180263/7th-continent … #tbgt

13 Sep 2017

Kingdomino https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/204583/kingdomino … #tbgt

13 Sep 2017

.@whichwich @getStealz

13 Sep 2017

Tiny Epic Quest #tbgt

12 Sep 2017

Game 1 = Formule De #tbgt

6 Aug 2017

.@whichwich @getStealz

1 Aug 2017

When Rasheed Wallace got ejected for looking at a ref
Basketball Videos™

26 Jun 2017
Retweeted Electronic Arts
Always looking for good couch co-op. added,

Electronic Arts
Verified account

@EA
An adventure tailored for couch or online co-op.

Explore #AWayOut: http://x.ea.com/33358

1 Jun 2017

We're giving away two codes for 12-months of #XboxGamePass! Follow @XboxAmbassadors & RT this Tweet to enter to #WIN! #AmbassadorGiveaway

11 May 2017

Very proud of Killian. He crushed it at the Spring band concert tonight.

7 May 2017

I finished the S-TOWN podcast this weekend. Very much worth a listen. I highly recommend it. Thanks to @CheapyD.

6 May 2017

Just saw a sign on the side of the road for a Moving Sale with a single address on it. Sounds more like a Stationary Sale to me.

5 May 2017

Colin came back from a restaurant bathroom giggling only to tell us that "Shake It Off" was playing on the speakers in there. 😄

4 May 2017

Anybody used Amazon installation services? Buying a kitchen faucet and pondering that path.

3 May 2017

Anybody have a garage door opener brand to recommend? Preference for smart app/remote control capability.

22 Mar 2017

The world may be going to shit. But at least we have this, friends:

20 Mar 2017

Xbox One Games Sale via Xbox Live. http://ow.ly/CmXS30a63JS

19 Mar 2017

Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare (PS4) $19.17 via Amazon (Prime Eligible). http://ow.ly/Xemr30a3d3s

5 Mar 2017

Watch Dogs 2 (PS4/X1) $29.99 (GCU $23.99) via Best Buy. http://ow.ly/DPdC309AWVc

19 Feb 2017

Haircut time for Colin @SportClips @getStealz

17 Feb 2017

.@Goodberrys @getStealz

2 Jan 2017

Dinner at the Flying Burrito. @OFBRaleigh @getstealz

28 Dec 2016

I am hesitant to share this.

28 Dec 2016

Dinner with dad, aunt, kids, wife, mother-in-law & buddy. @MiltonsPizza @getstealz

27 Nov 2016

Time for an important annual safety reminder. Always be prepared. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mTWfqi3-3qU&sns=tw … via @youtube

10 Nov 2016

Follow & RT For a Chance to Win a PS4 Pro System. Ends 11/17 at 9PM ET. http://ow.ly/IDNk30632V8

4 Oct 2016

LIVE on #Periscope

3 Oct 2016

Pretty sky tonight. @ Raleigh, North Carolina https://www.instagram.com/p/BLHmMjihTRvDPXpwOeQ1-kQUcCDfOR1MLcgNTI0/ …

28 Sep 2016

.@SportClips @getstealz

26 Sep 2016

A worthwhile, in my opinion, effort kicked off by a friend of mine. Give it a look/try if you are so inclined...

17 Sep 2016

LIVE on #Periscope: TBGT 13

16 Sep 2016

LIVE on #Periscope

13 Sep 2016

TBGT 13 setup night and a game of Las Vegas #tbgt

29 Aug 2016

Lunch points @whichwich @getstealz

21 Aug 2016

.@TacoBell @getstealz

4 Aug 2016

I haven't played on iPhone yet but I'm excited for it. The iPad game is really good.

3 Aug 2016

Dinner time! @OFBRaleigh @getstealz

1 Aug 2016

Not everyone was excited for early morning photographs but we have… https://www.instagram.com/p/BIkHtbEBhfkSDezvwSn5_JiwXfGrOiHQHnaOGY0/ …

30 Jul 2016
Tim Siedell Retweeted
Clearly an emergency conference call about how to use commas. https://twitter.com/kanyewest/status/759436516389117952 …

29 Jul 2016

Triangle gaming peeps take note... https://www.facebook.com/CleverPlayCafe/

28 Jul 2016

LIVE on #Periscope https://www.pscp.tv/w/amlprDE0MzEyOTEyfDFNWXhOellOT1pweHfEkmpzI093UTdIadtl5Qm3B_46nAo4zkn1usVHlgN22g== …

27 Jul 2016

LIVE on #Periscope https://www.pscp.tv/w/amfnsDE0MzEyOTEyfDFrdktwcHFMZ2FtS0WhHdhWpYCiAWQl2gXyjQFULf1EGwd94H9P8odGxx5tuQ== …

23 Jul 2016

.@whichwich @getstealz

20 Jul 2016
Retweeted G105
Retch... added,
G105

@G105radio
Search for "Pimple Popping Cupcakes." Would you eat these? - @EricaDeLong
http://bit.ly/2atONTk

10 Jul 2016
Retweeted Xbox
My favorite console game of all time. added,

Xbox
Verified account

@Xbox
This Week on #Xbox: Red Dead Redemption [M] comes to #BackwardCompatibility, plus more at http://xbx.lv/29rExtw .

7 Jul 2016

Deserving of a re-post in the summer months. https://goo.gl/3hEkrf

7 Jul 2016

Deserving of a re-post in the summer months.

2 Jul 2016

Flying Burrito lunch @OFBRaleigh @getstealz

27 Jun 2016

I've just entered to win an HTC Vive and ASUS Desktop from @VRHeadsTweets! https://gleam.io/8beEz/enter-to-win-an-htc-vive-and-asus-gaming-desktop-from-vrheads … #win #contest #vr #htcvive #asus

16 Jun 2016

One step at a time for #SeaOfThieves Next step closed beta, follow our channels to keep up to date with when and how to get involved! Pls RT

13 Jun 2016

Just saw @Joe_Gatto from Impractical Jokers walk by at Minneapolis/St. Paul airport. How fun! The kids would have died.

9 Jun 2016

Fallout 4 is Free on Xbox Live via Xbox One System Store too. Just got the Digital Deluxe version for Free.

7 Jun 2016

So I, begrudgingly, fought my way to the end of season 4 of Arrow. It's unwatchable. With any tv justice it will… https://goo.gl/ve5hcD

7 Jun 2016

So I, begrudgingly, fought my way to the end of season 4 of Arrow. It's unwatchable. With any tv justice it will not be renewed for a fifth.

2 Jun 2016

Killian Skateboard Pic = Artsy Killian took his first intentionally artistic photo to my knowledge and it came out… https://goo.gl/TBgDf6

31 May 2016

Killian's 6th Grade Band Concert - Spring Here are the videos from Killian's Spring band concert from May, 2016. … https://goo.gl/X0vw6h

27 May 2016

.@whichwich @getstealz

24 Apr 2016

Win a Shotgun Betty t-shirt! http://bit.ly/1TrtIJs

30 Mar 2016

Next week, Rock Band 4's update will feature Setlists! Get to know the ins and outs with our latest blog post:

2 Apr 2016

.@HibernianPub @getstealz

31 Mar 2016

Wow
Witness the new World Record in Carcassonne Tile puzzle. This took place at +GothCon this weekend. I don't… https://goo.gl/EYjLRS

31 Mar 2016

https://goo.gl/KPj96t

17 Mar 2016

17 Mar 2016

Earned this card in MtG: Puzzle Quest. I'm sure that's a thumb but I'm going to have to call shenanigans on the art.

13 Mar 2016

Spent the better part of the weekend helping New York with The Division. Really enjoying the game.… https://goo.gl/Ok88C5

13 Mar 2016

Spent the better part of the weekend helping New York with The Division. Really enjoying the game. http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/tom-clancys-the-division …

10 Mar 2016

What more does Captain America need to do, exactly, before he's promoted to Major?

9 Mar 2016

If Trump names the bacon crust deep dish pizza from Little Caesars as his running mate, there will be no stopping him.

9 Mar 2016

RT to win a custom @TheDivisionGame skinned console. #DivisionSweepstakes [US Only] R&Rs: http://ubi.li/uze3v

6 Mar 2016

.@tacobell @getstealz

6 Mar 2016

News story mentions something 115 years old. Mind immediately starts calculation to figure out which 18xx year that is. 19xx? Feeling old.

5 Mar 2016

Apparently Twitter accounts can sometimes contain surprise tweets. That was a doozy.

5 Mar 2016

EA Access 12 Month Subscription $23.99 via Newegg w/ Code: EMCEHEJ43 . http://ow.ly/Z6B3M

27 Feb 2016

Sharing a beer with the in-laws. 😄 @LoneriderBeer @getstealz

15 Feb 2016

What will you do with the extra hours that #LeapDay brings?

26 Feb 2016

Some great advice in those pharmaceutical ads: "Don't take X if you are allergic to X."

23 Feb 2016

Just pre-ordered The Division for XB1 via Best Buy for $47.99 thanks to Gamers Club Unlocked. Also got a $10 rewards cert. Anyone else?

23 Feb 2016
Retweeted Twitter Data
Some fun to review stats. added,
Twitter Data

@TwitterData
How many views did your last Tweet receive? Find out with Twitter Analytics. https://cards.twitter.com/cards/qfd4kp/u2gr …

23 Feb 2016

Noticed something comical and simultaneous disheveling in a meeting today. "We've hired" sounds eerily similar to "We fired" when spoken.

20 Feb 2016

Fun discovery of re-issues at a local skate shop today. @ Vertical Urge https://www.instagram.com/p/BCBRIkosQwHXgfvP7klTXZDONU2vIdSdj7RJmQ0/ …

17 Feb 2016

LIVE on #Periscope: The Flash https://www.pscp.tv/w/aZUR2DE0MzEyOTEyfDFZcXhvUHdqenlOS3aSp2acRv5ZMeYzb7dUMr38dtr8YMSJVszdLk9VDtJJaA== …

12 Feb 2016

Just had my a$$ handed to me by my wife in 7 Wonders Duel.

31 Jan 2016

World of Yo Ho #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBN3H8EMQyGUkwFWFdC2Rn61S5b5VEcRB4tBXg0/ …

31 Jan 2016

XCOM #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBMVStMsQ5KpiEaHsVnLZ6so8xBkXqrD-1Oh1U0/ …

30 Jan 2016

Aqua Sphere #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBLtrZ5MQyNRxHC0zE_07Bgf2PAFmWb0L-uSQY0/ …

30 Jan 2016

Pandemic #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBLnPOcMQ1taFxNnXP7PL0uTBHJQ9Y4AZStBUc0/ …

30 Jan 2016

Fuse #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBLY9YUMQzPnTb44fp_DQC3-z0CoZic-Nc9vyM0/ …

30 Jan 2016

Super Motherload #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBLAR8bMQ5birqQAf6vyjJ9hJdns6advg886pQ0/ …

29 Jan 2016

Rattlebones #whoseturn https://www.instagram.com/p/BBJIeaMsQxbzPS-VW_MAjuIJNjRMwQo3yCBZ-Q0/ …

29 Jan 2016

LIVE on #Periscope: Rattlebones #whoseturn https://www.pscp.tv/w/aXv0FzE0MzEyOTEyfDF5TkdhRHFQYVJuS2prpa37IDJ2Tzzc7EwwwMZszAcnQEA_RWiIBfX21VmVjg== …

29 Jan 2016

LIVE on #Periscope https://www.pscp.tv/w/aXvz5jE0MzEyOTEyfDFSREdsQlpZQW5EeExQMk75igRYPQyrR_S5AGzm1g-fcGseZMEJI-5t-IMI3A== …

29 Jan 2016

Steam Time #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBI1VLcMQ8__ya1Q5Wdik3YZ2h3vFlLZCO08mg0/ …

29 Jan 2016

Abyss #whoseturn https://www.instagram.com/p/BBIeSF5MQwnI1_MT4jRo0BrRj8Bsi7cSaU0LJw0/ …

28 Jan 2016

7 Wonders Duel #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBG-pxUMQ9DI5yH7QKb5GzDLz-63wdDCbGNQSk0/ …

28 Jan 2016

Race for the Galaxy #whoseturn @ Hilton Garden Inn Raleigh-Cary https://www.instagram.com/p/BBG1bkbsQ953IpLgra3YduOSE5GR9FMpNZQ94g0/ …

28 Jan 2016

Between Two Cities #whoseturn https://boardgamegeek.com/geeksearch.php?action=search&objecttype=boardgame&q=between+two+cities&B1=Go …

28 Jan 2016

Whose Turn game #1 = Tumult Royale #whoseturn https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/180591/tumult-royale …

28 Jan 2016

Dinner before #whoseturn!

16 Jan 2016

Amazing how long a car buying experience can take even when you walk in the door with money in hand ready to just buy & go.

17 Dec 2015

Picked up one of these after years on the original Foreman grill. Loving the removable ceramic plates for cleaning… https://goo.gl/1kuD4y

14 Dec 2015

Arrow has been super lame for about a season. On the contrary, The Flash remains pretty entertaining. https://goo.gl/z5k2O9

14 Dec 2015

Arrow has been super lame for about a season. On the contrary, The Flash remains pretty entertaining.

12 Dec 2015

Killian & Matt Murphy Bells/Keys duet

11 Dec 2015

Played Quarriors with Emily.

11 Dec 2015

Played Splendor with Emily.

11 Dec 2015

Found this on a new article of adult sized clothing this morning. Made me smile. https://goo.gl/Ii7iBj

11 Dec 2015

Found this on a new article of adult sized clothing this morning.… https://www.instagram.com/p/_J1R-sMQ7xrzcPN30AXvxFmcHVekQywOyK0Jc0/ …

6 Dec 2015

Really enjoyed watching the Canes beat the Canadiens tonight. https://goo.gl/FF8Ohi

6 Dec 2015

Really enjoyed watching the Canes beat the Canadiens tonight. @ PNC… https://www.instagram.com/p/-8CxxnMQ9pTpp0Ejgbq-Y2N5jg2CzojCJOsWM0/ …

6 Dec 2015

Really enjoyed watching the Canes beat the Canadiens tonight. @ PNC… https://www.instagram.com/p/-8CmGYMQ9UsTxUycAqGiGQdU1FsfgN576i9M40/ …

28 Nov 2015

Emily & Killian engaged in competition at J's in Lima, OH. https://goo.gl/ZFVU42

28 Nov 2015

Emily & Killian engaged in competition at J's in Lima, OH. @ J's Shawnee https://instagram.com/p/-pWPpEsQ7LUYaBhz6-HqbIQDt0DsFREk9p-d40/ …

28 Nov 2015

Voluntarily a fan... I promise. 😉. Enjoying the game with Emily and fam in Lima (not Peru). https://goo.gl/NbMKP9

27 Nov 2015

A reminder. Be safe and vigilant this holiday season. https://goo.gl/M8LlvB

18 Nov 2015

Nice. I want them. https://goo.gl/kA66ar

24 Oct 2015

After baseball lunch. @MiltonsPizza @getstealz

23 Oct 2015

DPAC is a little too close to d-bag when you're not focused on listening. http://goo.gl/omh8je https://goo.gl/ueCldB

23 Oct 2015

DPAC is a little too close to d-bag when you're not focused on listening. http://www.dpacnc.com/

22 Oct 2015

(PCDD) Overlord $1.24 via Steam. http://ow.ly/TJs9l Translate from Dutch

21 Oct 2015

Watching Back to the Future with the kids. Don't even remember Pepsi Free. https://www.pinterest.com/pin/572942383823296445/ …

10 Oct 2015

.@whichwich @getstealz

8 Oct 2015

If you're having a crappy day... Well here ya go!

27 Sep 2015

Dinner time @SanJoseTacosTeq @getstealz

25 Sep 2015

LIVE on #Periscope https://www.pscp.tv/w/aNW2PzE0MzEyOTEyfDF5Tnhhb2psUHpRR2qu_3K0xTjwpTjSQoqfDzDUP3CI0jiuEbk3e3wU_NDkPA== …

23 Sep 2015

I triumphed over Citizen Dawn in #SentinelsGame

22 Sep 2015

Sixth Graders Our boys are middle school kids now and here are their official Fall photos. Look at that pair of… https://goo.gl/8qmwpp

20 Sep 2015

Final game of the convention: Tokaido https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/123540/tokaido … #tbgt

20 Sep 2015

Time for Sentinels of the Multiverse again. I'm buying this one. #tbgt

20 Sep 2015

LIVE on #Periscope: Rattlebones https://www.pscp.tv/w/aM7zFDE0MzEyOTEyfDFkakdYQmV2Z2JOeFq3hrXcv5hFwuvPdMW0GQ9iGWlXQ6LIhbMbwAR6TQZNbQ== …

20 Sep 2015

https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/150146/rattlebones … #tbgt

20 Sep 2015

Last day game 1 = Istanbul https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148949/istanbul … #tbgt

20 Sep 2015

Heh. Six years later it is now a five day event with nearly 250 attendees. #tbgt http://timehop.com/c/ff:10204942454821356_1253786185018:10204942454821356:9396330:87951 …

20 Sep 2015

Sentinels of the Multiverse again. Liking this one. #tbgt

19 Sep 2015

Lords of Xidit https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/156566/lords-xidit … #tbgt

19 Sep 2015

Dinner! @whichwich @getstealz

19 Sep 2015

Sentinels of the Multiverse https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/102652/sentinels-multiverse … #tbgt

19 Sep 2015

Rounded out the night with a game of Taboo where I learned that grim reaper = sad farmer. #tbgt

19 Sep 2015

Istanbul https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/148949/istanbul … #tbgt

18 Sep 2015

Group Trivia followed by Codenames. #tbgt

18 Sep 2015

Good Cop Bad Cop… https://instagram.com/p/7yPPsPMQ1ZLKNmwnOF6SSm3kXE28nwOKPLVoo0/ …

18 Sep 2015

Subdivision https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/155173/subdivision … #tbgt https://instagram.com/p/7yAiEUMQ5PwcBswLO4xkKbl6pN_TqU9V87_580/ …

18 Sep 2015

Nevermore again. I enjoy this one. #tbgt

17 Sep 2015

Nefarious https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/108044/nefarious … #tbgt https://instagram.com/p/7vtCrhMQ4olgX-Wkges5EIjBwDFYC61FMDUVo0/ …

17 Sep 2015

Spike https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/165876/spike … #tbgt https://instagram.com/p/7vdwissQ56j6sXBBmxstEwn3tBkPBO2O9vXvg0/ …

17 Sep 2015

Day 2 (officially) game 1 = Steam Rally again. Woohoo!

16 Sep 2015

Dimension #tbgt https://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/153318/dimension … @… https://instagram.com/p/7t2CNrMQ-OWLmI6GJacyFTXJ1ni1wtpPANmIg0/ …

16 Sep 2015

Steampunk Rally #tbgt @ Hampton Inn and Suites Brier Creek https://instagram.com/p/7s7UeSsQxqVkgS4vQbQ_UZM_4OZSNFfJGANjs0/ …

16 Sep 2015

Another game each of Spellcaster and Nevermore. #tbgt

16 Sep 2015

Day 2, game 1 - Spellcaster https://instagram.com/p/7sm5PxMQ7Ksfzq2t1yg8bauYBZFUwe8_yCO5k0/ …

15 Sep 2015

Kicking off TBGT one night early style. https://instagram.com/p/7rN_E4sQ2rDYbPs1oz96JIwAVPuY3KxQxagyU0/ …

14 Sep 2015

Just finished the series Weeds. Some rough seasons in the middle there but great start and decent finish. Glad we stuck it out. 3 stars.

13 Sep 2015

.@whichwich @getstealz

4 Sep 2015

Apparently wet floors make people dance here.

1 Sep 2015

It's school fundraising time for our new middle schoolers. The donations for this one go directly to technology… https://goo.gl/VsIOYM

30 Aug 2015

RT for a chance to win. #JumpAhead #XboxSweepstakes NoPurchNec.Ends8/31.Rules: http://bit.ly/1MoniJV

15 Aug 2015

.@whichwich @getstealz

15 Aug 2015

#getstealz @LoneriderBeer @getstealz

8 Aug 2015

.@LoneriderBeer @getstealz

4 Aug 2015

Woohoo! Speed and a free T! https://goo.gl/On8HAO

2 Aug 2015

.@LoneriderBeer @getstealz

1 Aug 2015

.@LoneriderBeer @getstealz

26 Jul 2015
Retweeted brandon roe
So thankful to finally get some resolution on this! Thanks to @MrBaroe. added,
brandon roe

@MrBaroe
Replying to
When I went looking for this it sent me here. #childhoodmemories http://youtu.be/SWgqgQs1VS4

23 Jul 2015

My Geocaching Finds To Date Doing some quick research, here's a map of my 327 geocache finds to date. Definitely a… https://goo.gl/bAW6w4

12 Jul 2015

Dinnertime! @OFBRaleigh @getstealz

3 Jul 2015

Closer. https://instagram.com/p/4sBvXAMQ2E/

3 Jul 2015

Beautified wall. https://instagram.com/p/4sBf4MMQ1i/

30 Jun 2015

I think one of the new lesbians in season 3 of Orange is the New Black is the kid from Two and a Half Men.

27 Jun 2015

Somebody has new living room mantle decor... https://instagram.com/p/4cqmDhsQ01/

27 Jun 2015

Ran across a collection of my old decks in the attic. Fond memories... https://instagram.com/p/4cpsoasQyu/

25 Jun 2015

Happy birthday to Emily. Section 100 Row C Seat 10! #DurhamBulls

25 Jun 2015

Still enduring rain delay at Durham Bulls game. 1.5 hours so far...

22 Jun 2015

Dinner! @OFBRaleigh @getStealz

19 Jun 2015

Rock Band 4 preorder placed. Can't wait!

15 Jun 2015

Get ready to play your #Xbox360 games on #XboxOne. #XboxE3

11 Jun 2015

Heard from other patron exiting Mad Max movie: "My favorite part was when that thing exploded." Oh yeah, mine too.

2 Jun 2015

Killian & Colin's 5th grade graduation day. Everyone says it about their own kids but amazing much time has passed. Proud dad alert.

29 May 2015

"... let it mellow." applies to none of the toilets in my life and should apply to no public toilets ever.

8 May 2015

How come you never told me about Google Feud?

1 May 2015

?

29 Apr 2015

Surfer dude: "Chewbacca, bra'"
Puerto Rican: "Chupacabra". Coincidence? Hmm...

29 Apr 2015

I think it's funny that the word "computerized" is still in use outside of satirical context.

15 Apr 2015

"If you like farts, you will love Chris Pratt Parks and Recreation Bloopers"
-@CheapyD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VSNuZEdYrH0 …

9 Apr 2015

That's a lot of cod. http://fivethirtyeight.com/datalab/dwayne-the-rock-johnson-eats-about-821-pounds-of-cod-per-year/ …

7 Apr 2015

I just can't imagine anything named King Leo choosing to align itself with something called "soft peppermint puffs".

6 Apr 2015

Finished South Park:TSOT last night. As a SP fan, I enjoyed every bit of it. Truly a well earned M rating though. Not safe for the wee ones.

6 Apr 2015

Spring Baseball Begins for Killian Killian partook in his first minor league baseball game (with kids pitching) on… http://goo.gl/4K98DY

2 Apr 2015

Killian just scored his 1st little league run!

31 Mar 2015

Captain Chuck-a-Muck's Ship Store and Grill While on a trip to VA, we discovered via Foursquare a restaurant named… http://goo.gl/G1OjAl

29 Mar 2015

"Fantastic service along with a great ambience and good food. What more c..." Foursquare Tip @ Captain Chuck-a-Mucks http://4sq.com/1Di32WE

23 Mar 2015

I find it interesting that the words "unite" and "untie" are differentiated only by the transposition of two letters.

22 Mar 2015

Equally bizarre 5 years later. http://timehop.com/c/t:10901404506:3592321:9396330:f49c8 …

17 Mar 2015

Pretty entertaining skateboarding... Gou Miyagi: https://youtu.be/pk8dy4NIzBU via @YouTube

15 Mar 2015

Thanks, Google+. That's a very confusing percentage you're showing me there. http://goo.gl/vseiVi

15 Mar 2015

Thanks, Google+. That's a very confusing percentage you're showing me there.

5 Mar 2015

One of my Christmas gifts has finally been hung. Thanks, Emily! https://instagram.com/p/z3lM-GMQzA/

4 Mar 2015

A huge thank you to Ms. Rickman for her hard work and dedication!!

4 Mar 2015

Surprising discovery today. The UPS video for a large box shows someone packing Cards Against Humanity. http://tinyurl.com/7w6d3ul

2 Mar 2015

Food for points. @whichwich @getStealz

27 Feb 2015

Funny line from Anchorman 2: "I can always guess how many jellybeans are in a jar even if I'm wrong."

26 Feb 2015

Midnight photo countdown to wedding, 9 days. Come on weather, play along.

22 Feb 2015

Killian just taught me Superfight! which came in his Loot Crate this month. Not bad. Very light and social. http://www.superfightgame.com

22 Feb 2015

Tried and failed to endure The Expendables last night. Wow, that was surprisingly bad even for a movie I expected to be bad.

8 Feb 2015

Last game of the event for me: Lord of the Rings Deck-Building Game. #whoseturn http://instagram.com/p/y3C_-AMQ6W/

8 Feb 2015

Pandemic Contagion #whoseturn http://instagram.com/p/y2z6ELsQ-Z/

8 Feb 2015

Rolling for the Galaxy again. #whoseturn http://instagram.com/p/y2saQPsQ8_/

8 Feb 2015

X-wing #whoseturn http://instagram.com/p/y2k3NzMQ9L/

7 Feb 2015

XCOM: The Board Game #whoseturn http://instagram.com/p/y08KoyMQ2f/

7 Feb 2015

King of New York #whoseturn http://instagram.com/p/y0Wea0MQ0M/

7 Feb 2015

Roll for the Galaxy #whoseturn http://instagram.com/p/y0NZygMQyr/

6 Feb 2015

Updated 2015 Visio stencils and icons set for VMware vSphere & end user computing. Please RT! http://bit.ly/1CB6I4H

5 Feb 2015

Imperial Settlers in action. #whoseturn http://instagram.com/p/yvbU2ksQz_/

5 Feb 2015

Imperial Settlers - game number 1. #whoseturn

1 Feb 2015

Pretty sure Emily putting up with me makes her a Paulbearer.

24 Jan 2015

Just posted a photo http://instagram.com/p/yPvH2RMQ0_/

19 Jan 2015

Interesting and funny info on the song Closing Time from the writer. Check it out. http://youtu.be/niz9FtJIB2Y

8 Jan 2015

I feel that I underutilize the semicolon.

3 Jan 2015

The joys of bladder stone surgery recovery. http://instagram.com/p/xZdBqVsQ10/

31 Dec 2014

NYE 2014 http://instagram.com/p/xS5qXdsQ6l/

26 Dec 2014

A little too warm for this today. http://timehop.com/c/ftp:1804909642168:10204942454821356:9396330:840eb …

24 Dec 2014

I'm going to miss this. This year is the first where I think his belief has shaken. http://timehop.com/c/fl:114710401982103:10204942454821356:9396330:7a885 …

19 Dec 2014

No less bizarre now than it was then. http://timehop.com/c/t:1067858417:3592321:9396330:e5713 …

18 Dec 2014

Just played a game of Stop Thief! with Emily & Colin. 10 year old = victorious. Credit to him. http://boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/1992/stop-thief …

17 Dec 2014

Yeah, that's pretty awful.

15 Dec 2014

And in steps Dragons Age: Inquisition to take its place. http://timehop.com/c/t:147429528212488192:3592321:9396330:b9f20 …

14 Dec 2014

😊 http://timehop.com/c/fup:1078885052599:10204942454821356:9396330:e75d8 …

29 Nov 2014

I did not know this was a thing.

27 Nov 2014

I posted this a year ago and it made me smile again today. http://timehop.com/c/fl:10202641523099501:10204942454821356:9396330:79862 …

26 Nov 2014

The grammar Nazi in me struggles with that first point.

26 Nov 2014

Feeling boxy. http://instagram.com/p/v4dHIFMQ5E/

25 Nov 2014

Still holds up. Check it out if you never have. http://timehop.com/c/t:1023427090:3592321:9396330:c816c …

23 Nov 2014

Ouch, my artery. The Hail Mary, in particular.

23 Nov 2014

I'm late seeing it but Captain America: Winter Soldier was really good.

22 Nov 2014

Heheh. Made me smile. Almost giggle even. -- How to Tell if You’re Turnt Up or Turned Down | Man Repeller http://www.manrepeller.com/2014/05/turnt-up-turned-down-a-guide.html …

21 Nov 2014

Watching Capt America Winter Soldier for the 1st time. Robert Redford's skin is a scary thing.

19 Nov 2014

New! Severed Fingers in a Can

17 Nov 2014

Completed 1st ever toilet wax ring replacement at age 44. Thankful for YouTube & Lowes employees for this successful endeavor.

15 Nov 2014

Kids are taking advantage of earlier dark days with some neighborhood hide and seek. #memories

13 Nov 2014

Just wanted to pass along a great 1st experience selling Em's iPhone 5 to Gazelle. Recommended if you have a need. https://m.gazelle.com/

13 Nov 2014

What?!? Even I don't remember this 6 years ago. http://t.imehop.com/1wWRmU5

8 Nov 2014

Umm... Eww?

5 Nov 2014

Turns out to be a rant for Leesville Rd just tires. They've earned my condemnation. Blog post with details to follow.

3 Nov 2014

Raleigh folk, a rant or praise for Just Tires on Leesville Road is building. Leaning toward rant at this point. Stay tuned.

1 Nov 2014

Heh. Forgot about this. http://timehop.com/c/t:5350252485:3592321:9396330:7e5f0 …

27 Oct 2014

A monstrous smiling pair. http://instagram.com/p/uq9W1sMQwj/

27 Oct 2014

Halloween face paint for Killian. http://instagram.com/p/uq9MFasQwT/

27 Oct 2014

Glad to see this has changed over the past 6 years... well, maybe not so much. :-/ http://timehop.com/c/t:978478192:3592321:9396330:5ee4b …

26 Oct 2014

good memories. :) http://timehop.com/c/t:5184177090:3592321:9396330:9e301 …

23 Oct 2014

Good memory. :) Thanks to TJ and Rob for those. http://timehop.com/c/t:28547814982:3592321:9396330:03cc1 …

20 Oct 2014

Had my first run in with a Rainbow Goblin in Diablo III today. Bizarre.
https://onedrive.live.com/redir?resid=F044D1177EF8F808!120&authkey=!AKbHrnu3JOM%24&ithint=folder%2c …

19 Oct 2014

Installing Yosemite. Let's see what this is like.

19 Oct 2014

Happily introduced the kids to Dumb and Dumber tonight. Lucky guys got it 14 years younger than I did. It was a fun time. :)

17 Oct 2014

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=rorUSjaMsPA …

WHAT. THE. FUCK. 😰😰

15 Oct 2014

Forza Horizon 2 for XB1. Fun times. http://www.metacritic.com/game/xbox-one/forza-horizon-2 …

15 Oct 2014

Eww! Don't know if I needed this memory from 6 years ago. 😄 http://timehop.com/c/t:961469220:3592321:9396330:56d29 …

13 Oct 2014

Killian made the character wall at his school for Respect. Proud dad here. (crocodile is school mascot)

13 Oct 2014

I will remember this time as BRCS (before rotator cuff surgery). http://timehop.com/c/t:27306407600:3592321:9396330:04fc6 …

3 Oct 2014

2014 Halloween costume selections. http://instagram.com/p/ttRAutsQ3e/

30 Sep 2014

Got the kids geared up for lacrosse tonight. Not an inexpensive sport.

27 Sep 2014

Killian fell and got hurt at Busch Gardens. Considering legal action. Just kidding. Zombie infection… http://instagram.com/p/tc6J0QsQxJ/

27 Sep 2014

I am a non-fan of cinnamon as a flavor in toothpaste or chewing gum. Bleh.

26 Sep 2014

Thumbs up to Busch Gardens Howl-o-Scream. That's a good time.

26 Sep 2014

Howl-o-scream time!...

19 Sep 2014

Waited in line for 12 hours to get these #iPhone6Plus pants. #earlyadopter

18 Sep 2014

Very unhappily said goodbye to Shamu tonight. She gave us 18 great years.

16 Sep 2014

Random observation: Just noticed that "stable" and "stale" differ by only one letter.

13 Sep 2014

Splendor again. I like it. #tbgt

13 Sep 2014

Eminent Domain #tbgt

13 Sep 2014

Giant Takenoko. #tbgt

13 Sep 2014

Trains (how thematic). #tbgt

11 Sep 2014

Quixx #tbgt

11 Sep 2014

Game 1 today = Tokenoko. #tbgt

10 Sep 2014

2nd game was also Splendor. 3rd game... Speculation. #Tbgt

10 Sep 2014

TBGT 11 underway! First game... Splendor. #Tbgt

30 Aug 2014

Was just victimized by someone paying it forward ahead of us in the McDonalds drive thru. Thank you mysterious stranger!

28 Aug 2014

This would, of course, require that all other urinals be in use at the time.

28 Aug 2014

I have the urge to line up comically close behind someone at a urinal as per a normal queue but lack the urge to be punched or peed upon.

25 Aug 2014

Wow. Really, wow. thrashermag's video http://i.instagram.com/p/sIh1AqvwQk/

19 Aug 2014

Woohoo! Nerd alert.

16 Aug 2014

Everyone who enters this place makes us happy. Some when they arrive. Some when they leave.

16 Aug 2014

A couple of pretty good signs at Ruckus Pizza...
Men: No shirts, no service
Women: No shirts, free drinks

8 Aug 2014

Just seeing this. Wow. http://qz.com/245763/netflix-now-has-more-subscription-revenue-than-hbo/ …

7 Aug 2014

The haircut that sounds so much naughtier than it is. http://instagram.com/p/rZcpxFsQ3M/

5 Aug 2014

So I saw this on my way into the grocery store today and my mind immediate read it wrong.

5 Aug 2014

Replying to @inakib
“@inakib: China: Billionaire Killed By Champagne Bottle Cork http://worldnewsdailyreport.com/china-billionaire-killed-by-champagne-bottle-cork/ …” < Crazy

27 Jul 2014

Killian is selling to pay for a class trip to DC.Orders are due 8/6 and the coupon books are $30. Let me know. http://tinyurl.com/q6q788p

26 Jul 2014

A little Wooly action at the game. And a signed ball! #durhambulls http://instagram.com/p/q7yr4KsQ8m/

26 Jul 2014

Superfan at the game. #duhambulls

22 Jul 2014

My Fungus, called GrillFace, just wiped out the world in 866 days! (Plague Inc.) http://s.ndemiccreations.com/plague/i/9f70be075d5191cec3f12c5cfc7ecb636b209d1e …

22 Jul 2014

My Virus, called FunkBack, just wiped out the world in 405 days! (Plague Inc.) http://s.ndemiccreations.com/plague/i/9f70be075d5191cec3f12c5cfc7ecb636b209d1e …

22 Jul 2014

My Bacteria, called AgonEyes, just wiped out the world in 657 days! (Plague Inc.) http://s.ndemiccreations.com/plague/i/9f70be075d5191cec3f12c5cfc7ecb636b209d1e …

20 Jul 2014

Excited to see this. I've really enjoyed the iOS version.

Plague Inc: Evolved - Ndemic Creations http://www.ndemiccreations.com/en/25-plague-inc-evolved …

19 Jul 2014

thrashermag's video http://i.instagram.com/p/qm_LccPwdu/

19 Jul 2014

thrashermag's video http://i.instagram.com/p/qkz86pPwWH/

10 Jul 2014

Just watched Mike Tyson: Undisputed Truth. Surprisingly entertaining and worth the watch.

4 Jul 2014

Ugh. Fireworks departure traffic SO ugly.

4 Jul 2014

We're live at RTX! Secure your Titanfall Burn Packs here on Twitter! RT for your chance to win! #RTX #Titanfall

29 Jun 2014

Presumably Chinese characters. Can anyone read this? http://instagram.com/p/p182zdMQ5z/

29 Jun 2014

Bought a bonsai tree from a farm alongside the road in VA. Not the best picture but a pretty neat… http://instagram.com/p/p18sgusQ5d/

27 Jun 2014

Killian's Jam - Deadly Seeking http://youtu.be/hfliy8lJ9_Y

25 Jun 2014

Killian knows no fear when ziplining. http://instagram.com/p/prtO4-sQ9q/

24 Jun 2014

The birthday boy hits the decade mark. http://instagram.com/p/ppZlYtsQxi/

10 Jun 2014

Check out what Killian did last night... http://killianandme.blogspot.com/2014/06/male-patented-baldness.html …

6 Jun 2014

Wow. Just wow. almostskate's video http://i.instagram.com/p/nmDudbxJUf/

24 May 2014

Just got back from ziplining in Asheboro, NC for Colin's 10th birthday. That was pretty frickin' fun.

23 May 2014

Just posted a photo http://instagram.com/p/oVxg0JsQ7V/

23 May 2014

That meeting was not particularly interesting. http://instagram.com/p/oVxUdrMQ7E/

17 May 2014

As a nod to previous movies in the series, Godzilla should have fought a monster called Mothrew Broderick.

Room for Balls

2018-04-01T12:09:00.001-04:00

Emily and I started ballroom dancing lessons in November of last year so we've been at it for about five months now. I have to say that it's some of the most enjoyable time we have spent together and that's saying quite a bit.

We have been taking lessons at Fred Astaire Dance Studio from a married couple of instructors fresh from the Ukraine about a year ago, Dimitri and Elena. I'm sure experiences with this kind of thing vary heavily and I'm quite certain that the instructor can play a heavy role in the enjoyment or misery of it. Ours have been fantastic. They are very encouraging, make it fun, and keep us on the track of always improving. Fortunately, Emily and I seem to be on fairly common ground as far as starting level and progression rate thus far.

We've been to a few dances. Our first was a New Year's Eve party held by a local Meetup group at a larger ballroom space, Southern Star Ballroom.

In addition to that we have been to another Meetup event at the same facility as well as a couple of practice parties at our teaching studio. I was pretty nervous at the start of the NYE event but it didn't take long before we joined the dance floor for about half of the songs. We didn't know some of the dance styles so we sat those out. We have been learning rumba, foxtrot, waltz, cha cha, tango, East coast swing, salsa and a little bit of Venetian waltz. I think rumba, foxtrot, and tango are my favorites thus far.

I originally wanted to take swing dance lessons but have really enjoyed most of them. I'm surprised at how addicting it is. I look forward to our next event opportunity. We had been doing two lessons per week but have cut it down to one lesson per week and another day spent practicing what we've already learned. I think that's going to work out quite well.

I look forward to updating as we progress and maybe share a couple of videos once we're solid enough to show off. :)

Flumonia

2018-03-23T16:42:00.000-04:00

I've spent the past week held prisoner at home by the flu. Suffice it to say "that sucked". Started feeling pretty tired and crappy at work last Friday. After work I hit the bed and was pretty much down for the night. I had a low fever just over 100 degrees. I didn't even join Emily and the kids for our traditional Friday night dinner out. Saturday morning and into afternoon I felt pretty much the same.

By Saturday night I was actually feeling pretty good as if I were exiting the Friday rundown so the family went out to dinner and we watched Spider-Man: Homecoming on DVR. Played a little bit of Rock Band 4 after that and crashed sometime after midnight. Sunday morning was pretty much the same and I enjoyed a lunch at Wild Wing Cafe with Emily & Rich while the boys were out with other relatives. Once home from lunch, I played about an hour of video games before I crashed hard. The fever was back and I felt truly wiped out. I spent the rest of the night in bed and all of Monday morning and afternoon. I felt bad enough that I called the doctor's office Monday morning and made an appointment for 3pm. I dragged myself out of bed and to the doctor's office where I was eventually diagnosed as testing positive for "flu type B".

Side note: the nurse practitioner (my primary care doctor didn't have any appointments available on Monday) had a crappy bedside manner. I'm going to officially not recommend her (private message me for name and practice if you're interested). At one point she recommended that I pick up an inhaler that she prescribed because the flu is "putting down people of all types this time around". Now, she *may* have been using "putting down" as a way of describing knocking them on their butt and putting them on bed rest for days, but I'm leaning toward her using it as a way of saying "killing". Not exactly the mindset you want from a person of healing.

Once I got home, I recommitted to bed rest along with a multi-day cocktail of Tamiflu, Flonase, cough suppressant (can't remember the name) all through the rest of that day and the following. By Wednesday, I had enough energy to work from home for about 2/3 of a work day. On Thursday, I got through a full workday but I still felt beat up both nights after. As of today, Friday, I'm finally feeling about 80-85% of myself and had enough energy to get through a full work day. I'm still going to make an easy night of it but I hate that it's managed to mess with two weekends now.

Emily took good care of me while I was down and out but she's paying for it now as she started showing symptoms on Wednesday night after work. She has been crashed out since then matching my Sunday through Tuesday experience. On top of feeling sympathy for her discomfort I feel guilty as the source of her infection. Our common goal at this point: do our best to prevent spread to the kids.

Caching In on my original geocaching hide

2018-03-04T23:42:00.002-05:00

I replaced the log in my first geocache hide. I remain enamored by the hobby and find it really neat that others have sought and discovered my tiny treasure. Here is the log that I just replaced (click for larger view). The first find on it is actually from our wedding day. Didn't even notice that until I was posting this picture. The first find ever of the cache was Feb 10, 2013. A few early pages of the log appear to be missing. The original cache hide disappeared (along with the original log) somewhere between Oct & Dec 2014. I replaced it in Jan 2015 and it has been holding strong so far since.

And jumping a grade to 8th...

2017-08-27T20:19:00.001-04:00

Killian and Colin have now moved to the top of the middle school food chain. Here is photographic evidence of their endeavor...

6th Grade Offspring

2016-05-07T18:07:00.002-04:00

One year later, Killian and Colin in their 6th grade Spring school photos...

Killian 5th Grade Spring Photo

2014-09-02T21:12:00.001-04:00

Presenting one of the seniors of his elementary school...

Floppy Chips

2014-08-14T21:10:00.001-04:00

Killian has taken to ordering his house chips at restaurants "undercooked" so that they are "chewy". I can't blame them. I treasure the occasional find of the kind in my batches.

5th Graders in da House!

2014-07-07T11:38:00.001-04:00

Day 1 o' 5th grade for these guys...

Bonsai!

2014-06-30T16:23:00.001-04:00

Had a pretty neat experience on the way from VA to NC yesterday. I've passed by a sign on the side of Route 58 many times on this trip and a sign along the roadside has caught my attention and beckoned me to stop for years. However, I've always been in a rush to get home so I've never taken the opportunity. The sign says something to the effect of "Drive In Bonsai Tree Farm" and it's next to an otherwise unnoticeable dirt road. On this particular trip I had no deadline to meet and had Emily and Colin along with me so we stopped in to check it out.

The name of the place is Park's Bonsai Nursery. When we pulled from the main road, we drove down one of the bumpiest dirt paths I've ever traversed for what seemed to be about 1/4 mile. We passed rows of seemingly newly planted crops of some indiscernible type until we finally reached the end of the path where a "No Trespassing" sign loomed and a large cow of a dog came out to greet us. The dog, Lucky, was a beast of a thing in density but he was super friendly and apparently loves male crotches. Shortly behind him was a small, Asian woman who met us in full gardening garb and led us to the bonsai greenhouse which couldn't be readily seen from the road. Once there, we toured what had to be a few hundred bonsai trees of many different varieties and ages. It was a really surprisingly large selection for what seemed like a tiny operation by all outside appearances. I told the Asian lady that the primary exposure to me for bonsai trees was based on the Karate Kid movie and she laughed. We saw several neat looking trees but ended up settling on a traditional juniper breed. Here's hoping I can keep it alive for at least a year.

Flag Football 2014

2014-06-30T07:12:00.002-04:00

Killian's photos from this year's flag football team. They came in 3rd in the league.

An Engaging Post

2014-06-06T22:39:00.002-04:00

Somebody got engaged on May 2nd!!! You get 47 guesses as to who but I'll give you a couple of hints...

Photos from the Memorial Day Weekend Ziplining Trip

2014-06-06T22:38:00.002-04:00

Killian's Mustache Shots

2014-06-06T22:36:00.003-04:00

Killian's 4th Grade Fall photo shoot

2014-06-06T22:31:00.001-04:00

Zipling Adventures

2014-05-26T13:14:00.001-04:00

We went ziplining for Colin's 10th birthday party over Memorial Day weekend. Story of said adventure to follow but here are some videos...

Tweets February 18, 2012 through May 9, 2014

2014-05-16T15:41:00.001-04:00

1. May 9

Well, that is certainly quite the wheel cover. pic.twitter.com/PM5ZAcgn5e

2. Apr 20

The best of Rodney Mullen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oJg2_dUHd84&sns=tw … via @youtube

3. Paul McRae ‏@do10hedron Apr 16

This came up on Opie & Anthony today. Made me laugh. Look At This Car!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EF8GhC-T_Mo&sns=tw … via @YouTube

4. Apr 9

Pet peeve - "excedra"

5. Apr 1

The only palindrome date this year, I believe. 4-1-14. Or does 4-11-14 count?

6. Mar 30

Freakishly similar looking: Tony Hale (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0355024/ ) and Guillaume Gallienne (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0302916/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1 …).

7. Mar 14

Personal nerdy guilty pleasure: seeing the times 10:01 and 11:11 on a digital clock.

8. Mar 12

Aaron in Revolution has the most resilient spectacles in history.

9. Mar 10

If I don't hear "it's an eye chart" in reference to a presentation document again in the near future, I'll be perfectly good with that.

10. Mar 8

Well *that* was a sucky way to find out today's school makeup day was cancelled.

11. Retweeted by Paul McRae

blinking line ‏@blinkingline Feb 28

Why Rebooting Your Computer Fixes Problems - It’s no secret that turning your computer off and on again... http://tmblr.co/ZAguay18mBZnZ

12. Feb 28

Seemingly dumb quote of the morning: "I think *most* people have common sense." Doesn't the idea of "common" require that?

13. Feb 28

I don't know if this left Twix vs right Twix advertising campaign is national but it is terrible for sure.

14. Feb 17

@SycamoreCreekES I would like to resubmit a suggestion that the bus departures be moved to a dedicated twitter account.

15. Feb 11

A fairly fun, free game for the iPhone. #LittleGalaxy http://appstore.com/littlegalaxy

Feb 9

Strange not-quite-a-Hurricanes-uniform from an O'Charley's mural in Raleigh. pic.twitter.com/msOLRNZ9jP

Feb 2

Props to Nike customer service. They replaced my 1.5 year old Fuelband after it failed without so much as a question.

16. Jan 11

Many of these are really very neat. http://asheepnomore.net/2013/12/29/40-maps-will-help-make-sense-world/ …

17. Jan 8

I respect the dental hygiene upkeep effort but still... seems kinda gross.

18. Jan 8

Is it just me or is anyone else weirded out when you encounter a tooth brusher in a "public" (aka workplace) restroom?

19. Jan 7

Heheh... http://25.media.tumblr.com/d3c1542fe3a3a24d67e7e0dc6916505f/tumblr_mz0hf9uGRR1s4mmu0o1_1280.jpg …

20. Jan 5

Diablo III seems to have some gender bias. pic.twitter.com/nPzxCb94ZD

Jan 2

Too funny and unfortunately true not to share. http://lolsnaps.com/news/82606/0/

21. Dec 25

Favorite quote of the day thus far: "Killian, you look like you have a sideburn." "K: What? It's a mustache that grew in the wrong place."

22. Dec 22

Seriously?!? 70 degrees outside at 3am on Dec 22?!? pic.twitter.com/XCmq1vkwZq

Dec 16

I need someone to take a look at my roof for a potential leak. Any Raleigh recommendations?

23. Dec 12

Not bad... http://deadspin.com/my-kids-insane-christmas-wish-list-annotated-1476311653 …

24. Dec 10

Anybody got an extra Christmas tree stand? I can't seem to find mine from the many years ago that was the last time I had a real tree.

25. Dec 7

My Bio-Weapon, called RupturedT, just wiped out the world in 798 days! (Plague Inc.) http://s.ndemiccreations.com/plague/i/9f70be075d5191cec3f12c5cfc7ecb636b209d1e …

26. Nov 28

Lyrics include something to the effect of "Kitty Katoo (sp?) went to the zoo. Kitty Katoo Katango (sp?)..." Internet hunt has left me dry.

27. Nov 28

Need help trying to identify a song from my childhood...

28. Nov 22

My Nano-Virus, called SBI, just wiped out the world in 688 days! (Plague Inc.) http://s.ndemiccreations.com/plague/i/9f70be075d5191cec3f12c5cfc7ecb636b209d1e …

29. Retweeted by Paul McRae

Rock Band ‏@RockBand Oct 25

Tomorrow is the 3rd anniversary of Rock Band 3's release, and we're celebrating by giving away 3,000 DLC codes! https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1z49pfx6IyHlghtMRZBJLGpVxRWqMubbDX9OUM2QOtfs/viewform …

30. Oct 19

Anybody got a recommendation for local interior painter(s) in Raleigh?

31. Oct 3

Don't say it: "You're the bomb dot com."

32. Sep 21

Patience also tested with a 9 year old in the back. He actually did surprisingly well.

33. Sep 21

Just sat completely still in traffic on a mountain for 90 minutes in the rain & fog miles away from an exit. Bladder = tested. Whew!

34. Sep 15

pic.twitter.com/YxuZvQElXe

Sep 15

Las Vegas #tbgt

35. Sep 15

Sat night: Time's Up, Buzz Word. Today: Hanabi #tbgt

36. Sep 14

Toc Toc Wood Man #tbgt

37. Sep 14

Trains again! #tbgt

38. Sep 14

Puzzle event time! #tbgt

39. Sep 14

Tic Toc Wood Man #tbgt pic.twitter.com/e4y97q0opA

Sep 14

Trains (again!) #tbgt

40. Sep 14

Spyrium with pic. #tbgt pic.twitter.com/OjTVaI1tM0

41. Sep 14

Spyrium #tbgt

42. Sep 13

Suburbia #tbgt

43. Sep 13

pic.twitter.com/S22KIh5aPa

Sep 13

Mage Knight. Full game. 4 hours? We shall see. #tbgt

44. Sep 13

Love Letter #tbgt pic.twitter.com/muNdP0U4ys

Sep 12

#tbgt pic.twitter.com/LZbYFirilZ

Sep 12

Pathfinder. #tbgt

45. Sep 12

Trains again. #tbgt

46. Sep 12

Las Vegas #tbgt

47. Sep 12

Trains and 2 more plays of Escape. #tbgt

48. Sep 12

Escape #tbgt

49. Sep 12

Spinball & Hanabi #tbgt

50. Sep 12

I'm at Hampton Inn (Raleigh, NC) http://4sq.com/1e65B0a

51. Sep 11

pic.twitter.com/dPyyeTPvE0

Sep 11

Game number one for TBGT the 10th = Trains! #tbgt

52. Aug 17

It's been a loooong time... (@ Yorktown Pub) http://4sq.com/1eT0mND

53. Aug 14

Just watched a blind guy navigate his way through a public restroom at an airport. No envy here. Bad enough when every surface isn't gross.

54. Jul 2

My Prion, called IEI, just wiped out the world in 902 days! (Plague Inc) http://l.k3a.me/1

55. Jun 7

Killian just "cracked my elbow knuckles". Or so I'm told.

56. Jun 3

Sometimes game achievements surprise... I earned Have Everything – CoG playing Ascension: Chronicle of the Godslayer. http://link.gc.apple.com/players/G:192662245/games/com.incineratorstudios.Ascension-iPad/achievement/com.playdekgames.ascension.HaveEverythingCoG …

57. May 28

@lepineisme Alas, our Pleasant Valley Blockbuster is no more.

58. 16 Mar 2013

My Fungus, called SBI, just got eradicated in 738 days! (Plague Inc) - grr. Fungus is so difficult! http://l.k3a.me/1

59. 11 Feb 2013

My 2012 Gaming Summary from @Raptr #RaptrRep http://raptr.com/do10hedron/summary/2012 …

60. 29 Jan 2013

In my teenage years and for the many thereafter, these guys were and have been my heroes. I just finished watching this film and was truly touched by their stories. It was so awesome to have it all pieced together in a documentary such as this. If you were a skater or a fan of the sport in the 80s or beyond, you're doing yourself an injustice if you don't take the time to watch this. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2129928/ (/goo.gl/Oj8Jq )

61. 25 Jan 2013

Garlic should, in no way, be anywhere near any breakfast item. I damn it for infiltrating my otherwise delicious cinnamon bagel.

62. 22 Dec 2012

My Bacteria, called Poosmell, just wiped out the world in 1425 days! (Plague Inc). So clever with the naming am I. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plague-inc./id525818839?mt=8 …

63. 22 Dec 2012

My Bacteria, called Stinkfist, just died out in 693 days! (Plague Inc) - not the best score but neat game. http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plague-inc./id525818839?mt=8 …

64. 30 Nov 2012

Can anyone explain to me why walkers and runners in a suburban neighborhood have the tendency to completely ignore a perfectly good sidewalk? So infuriating.

65. 27 Nov 2012

Trying to figure out if I knew the word "undead" when I was 8

66. 20 Nov 2012

The St. Jude Give Thanks. Walk. was this past Saturday. Thanks to the generosity of those who donated, I was able to raise $405 toward the cause with our team topping the $3,000 mark in total. Once again, thank you to everyone that chose to be a part of it.

67. 17 Nov 2012

Heheh... http://goo.gl/y5rSZ http://goo.gl/JFLvi

68. 16 Nov 2012

Things that have an unpleasant new meaning when heard in a restroom: "Smells like somebody is having a chili cook-off." In fairness, this particular instance came into play due to the building hallways filled with such aroma but still...

69. 12 Nov 2012

Dragon Baby! (Dragon Baby) http://goo.gl/PuI4p

70. 8 Nov 2012

Saw Wreck It Ralph last night in 3D. Really enjoyed it though the storyline wound up being a little different than what I was expecting. Still a good story but I expected more jumping between different games based on the commercials. If you're pondering going to see it, I say do.

72. 5 Nov 2012

Just finished watching Hugo with Killian. Visually very appealing and a good story to boot. We very much enjoyed it. http://goo.gl/Ody05

73. 5 Nov 2012

Hey guys, it's that time of year. This is really the only official fundraising I do each year so I don't feel bad reaching out for it. Killian and I will be doing the "St. Jude Give Thanks. Walk." in just under 2 weeks. I'm getting a really late start on the fundraising effort for it but we appreciate whatever you can give.

The connected link should point you to my donation page.

Thanks in advance and I hope that this letter finds you in happiness and good health.

Paul

http://fundraising.stjude.org/site/TR/GiveThanksWalk/GTW?px=2074257&pg=personal&fr_id=3739

74. 4 Nov 2012

Had a really great evening at Frankie's Fun Park with the boy. Our first go-kart adventure that we both enjoyed despite the chilly night air. He was thrilled to try the solo kids' track after our two seater ride.

75. 3 Nov 2012

Numbers 3, 6 & 8 had me laughing. http://goo.gl/UdFRa http://goo.gl/g1TrZ

76. 30 Oct 2012

Nike Fuelband action.

77. 30 Oct 2012

The user reviews are pretty funny: Wheelmate Laptop Steering Wheel Desk http://amzn.com/B000IZGIA8 pic.twitter.com/D8VwI6vB

78. Retweeted by Paul McRae

Tycho Brahe ‏@TychoBrahe 30 Oct 2012

I go through phases where I don't actually understand what Twitter is for, or what to do with it.

79. 30 Oct 2012

I'm watching 'Life's Too Short' via @HBOGO. If you havent checked it out, it's worth a view. http://itsh.bo/ieYYiZ #HBOGO #hbo

80. 29 Oct 2012

Very much enjoying Letterpress for the iPhone/iPad. Thanks to Rich for the suggestion. http://goo.gl/MsxeC

81. 29 Oct 2012

:) (Joss Whedon endorses Romney - Roger Ebert's Journal) http://goo.gl/YX1US

82. 25 Oct 2012

Check out #Letterpress, a sweet new word game for iPhone and iPad http://www.atebits.com/letterpress/

83. 22 Oct 2012

Que pasa, ese... http://instagr.am/p/RGK3a6sQ80/

84. 11 Oct 2012

I'm not sure if I find that the harshest sound but it's up there. http://goo.gl/8yuqn

85. 11 Oct 2012

Something tells me that Douglas Adams would not be surprised. http://goo.gl/ULYeE

86. 11 Oct 2012

It's not just me, right? Cream of Wheat is, in fact, an unappealing name for a food product? http://goo.gl/C6Kt3

87. Retweeted by Paul McRae

Tim Siedell ‏@badbanana 9 Oct 2012

It's awful that those other chipmunks force Alvin to wear an A on his sweater just because he's an adulterer.

88. 3 Oct 2012

I post this from my iPad... http://goo.gl/rxoZv http://goo.gl/PK1SA

89. 1 Oct 2012

Excited by the arrival of Fall in hopes of opportunities to ramp the geocaching back up. http://goo.gl/aveCa

90. 28 Sep 2012

What would you say you know better if you had to pick it out if a line-up, the back of your hand or your palm?

91. 25 Sep 2012

"This is the voice of experience. Life is too short. Don't waste it in anger or resentment. Enjoy your family and friends. Try to be aware of all the little things in life. You'll smile more, trust me." - Bobbie McRae (2009)

92. 23 Sep 2012

G+: Heheh... http://goo.gl/1AFCg (EMBRACE THE THEME Variant | Lords of Waterdeep | BoardGameGeek) http://goo.gl/X1tgt

93. 19 Sep 2012

Yet another TBGT in the books and here I am finally acknowledging it 3 days later. I had a great time this year. I enjoy it each year but every time seems better than the last. Thanks to all that were able to attend. Good games and good friends. What more could you ask for?

94. 16 Sep 2012

G+: McMulti! #tbgt

95. 16 Sep 2012

G+: King Me! #tbgt

96. 16 Sep 2012

G+: Kingdom Builder #tbgt

97. 16 Sep 2012

G+: Wirfel Bohnanza with Bob, Brad, Haley. #tbgt http://goo.gl/B1Jzn

98. 15 Sep 2012

G+: Ca$h n Gun$. http://goo.gl/QoyjA #tbgt

99. 15 Sep 2012

G+: Lords of Waterdeep. #tbgt http://goo.gl/9HrF8

100. 15 Sep 2012

G+: King of Tokyo. http://goo.gl/8QjNl http://goo.gl/2jZJm

101. 15 Sep 2012

G+: Wurfel Bohnanza. http://goo.gl/rsWL9 http://goo.gl/VYi2M

102. 15 Sep 2012

G+: 7 Wonders. http://goo.gl/oBn4L http://goo.gl/tbX7U

103. 15 Sep 2012

G+: Day 3 game 1... Glen More. http://goo.gl/IyuvJ http://goo.gl/w4MAs

104. 15 Sep 2012

G+: Party game time. SongBurst 70's & 80's. Woohoo! http://goo.gl/b8VsS http://goo.gl/nGQH5

105. 15 Sep 2012

G+: Edo. http://goo.gl/ddLKz http://goo.gl/qbNtD

106. 15 Sep 2012

G+: Piratenbilliards win. http://goo.gl/ddLKz . #tbgt http://goo.gl/Ljl3B

107. 14 Sep 2012

G+: Day 2 game 2 = Seasons. http://goo.gl/A2YAU http://goo.gl/lpr4F

108. 14 Sep 2012

G+: Day 2 game 1 = Felina. #tbgt http://goo.gl/or3VW

109. 14 Sep 2012

G+: Pass-ack Words. #tbgt http://goo.gl/nxcbU

110. 14 Sep 2012

G+: Time for Time's Up. :) http://goo.gl/2rL9W

111. 13 Sep 2012

G+: Scary Tales http://goo.gl/m7P5r #tbgt http://goo.gl/a4zzg

112. 13 Sep 2012

G+: Lords of Waterdeep #tbgt http://goo.gl/9vonZ

113. 13 Sep 2012

G+: Game #2 = Milestones. #tbgt http://goo.gl/GgHLB

114. 13 Sep 2012

G+: @do10hedron: Let the gaming begin... with Trajan. #tbgt http://goo.gl/8S96n

115. 11 Sep 2012

Though apparently an acceptable pronunciation, a pet peeve of mine is the pronunciation of "processes" as "prä-ˌses-ˌsēz". I just can't take the "sēz" part.

116. 7 Sep 2012

G+: The kid loves hot dogs. A fun find on Pinterest... http://goo.gl/hKX2y

117. 4 Sep 2012

G+: Go LEGO, go! (Let's Go LEGO) http://goo.gl/ZsOUG

118. 3 Sep 2012

G+: Pretty cool. Encountered this info via Pinterest. Check the link in this article for more info about the… http://goo.gl/E9i4g

119. 27 Aug 2012

Killian just asked, unprompted, "Why is everything made in China?". Kind of an interesting observation from a child after seeing something on a commercial about it - printed, not spoken.

120. 27 Aug 2012

G+: Some pretty cool stuff in there... http://goo.gl/1PS3O

121.Retweeted by Paul McRae

Jim Gaffigan ‏@JimGaffigan 26 Aug 2012

First Lance gets stripped then Neil dies. I hope nothing happens to stretch.

122. 19 Aug 2012

G+: Rain-X is amazing. http://goo.gl/2X5fA

123. 15 Aug 2012

G+: Thanks to Mike Roswick for sharing. Spot on. http://goo.gl/d9sRw

124. 15 Aug 2012

G+: Good stuff from Susan Wimmer. "Your momma has a pig ear." http://goo.gl/Vn9eO

125. 14 Aug 2012

G+: Here's hoping it's at least as good as the unofficial version. http://goo.gl/LFZRo

126. 13 Aug 2012

G+: Hehe... (08.11.2012) http://goo.gl/4EpvB

127. 11 Aug 2012

G+: Is this necessary? http://goo.gl/K9Zd7

128. 10 Aug 2012

G+: Oh lucky people of 2043... (Forget) http://goo.gl/2fBMl

129. 8 Aug 2012

G+: Though it's not a case to lower your response, a somewhat relieving follow-up article to yesterday's hacking post. http://goo.gl/Skmja

130. 7 Aug 2012

G+: Thanks to Rob for an important share... http://goo.gl/090fg

131. 5 Aug 2012

G+: A random q&a for today... http://goo.gl/Twx9a http://goo.gl/H0ZFt

132. 4 Aug 2012

G+: When did we lose Qdoba in Brier Creek?!? http://goo.gl/dwCMq

133.Retweeted by Paul McRae

Sycamore Creek ES ‏@SycamoreCreekES 1 Aug 2012

Perseid meteor shower peaks August 11-13. Check out this site for more information http://meteorshowersonline.com/perseids.html

134. Retweeted by Paul McRae

Seth MacFarlane ‏@SethMacFarlane 1 Aug 2012

“That other guy tosses appleseeds in peoples’ yards and he’s a hero, but somehow I'm the the bad guy.” --Johnny Manseed

135. 30 Jul 2012

G+: Yes, I'm 5 years old but this headline made me giggle. http://goo.gl/lECAc

136. 29 Jul 2012

G+: Killian's most recent purchase with no input from dad. Gotta love it. :) http://goo.gl/7pPcF

137. 27 Jul 2012

G+: Teehee (http://www.stustake.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Tyrannosaurus-Rex-clap.jpg …) http://goo.gl/81pNF

138. 22 Jul 2012

Successfully changed the ball rod assembly in my bathroom sink which, in my somewhat mechanically inept world, is just shy of performing open heart surgery.

139. 21 Jul 2012

G+: Pet peeve: misuse of "lightening" in place of "lightning". Look at what you're doing. :D http://goo.gl/gmirY

140. 19 Jul 2012

G+: Apparently I was considered a "fall risk" at the hospital today. http://goo.gl/kzHMU

141.Retweeted by Paul McRae

cwGabriel ‏@cwgabriel 11 Jul 2012

New comic today. Yeah it’s about poop. http://penny-arcade.com/comic

142. 11 Jul 2012

G+: Pretty good. Guessing I'd probably bail based primarily on the overly full theater regardless of the types. . … http://goo.gl/ScIfx

143. 9 Jul 2012

G+: Not happy after having this as my Chrome start page (and start page for many browsers prior)... http://goo.gl/8E6qD

144. 25 Jun 2012

G+: Yes. Yes indeed. (xkcd: Words for Small Sets) http://goo.gl/x9zkC

145. 24 Jun 2012

G+: Killian has had several great birthday party days and this was one of the best. Holycrapmykidiseightyearsold! http://goo.gl/ydTjI

146. 14 Jun 2012

G+: Testing Google+ to ManageFlitter to Twitter to Facebook - take 2 (forgot to make the last test post Public)... http://goo.gl/PzF7y

147. 28 May 2012

@blinkingline No, but I'll bet that "after" makes for slightly better TV than "in". :D

148. 28 May 2012

@blinkingline Is there really a "Poker in the Dark" or are you talking about "Poker After Dark"?

149. 24 May 2012

Let's get rid of a pesky extra "I" there. Make that Civ V.

150. 24 May 2012

If you don't already own Civ VI, now is the time to get it: Civilization V, 75% off! http://bit.ly/JAla2Y

151. 14 May 2012

Wow. That would have sucked: Backup Your File Systems by Pixar http://tinyurl.com/dyud92z

152. 6 May 2012

"Partisan" appears to be a seasonal word in my world.

153. 5 May 2012

Just saw The Avengers with Killian. Pretty good. I recommend it. Stick around after the credits.

154. 21 Apr 2012

Yeah, that would be pretty bad. http://tinyurl.com/79atnjp

155. 22 Mar 2012

Had a really great time with Killian at the Hurricanes game tonight. A big thank you to @silentp42 & Robert for the opportunities.

156. 19 Mar 2012

P90 day 1 complete. First real exercise effort after the shoulder has healed. Wow, I think I fatigued my spleen. Oof.

157. 18 Mar 2012

I think giraffes would make terrible carnivores but they'd be a whole lot scarier.

158. 18 Mar 2012

I'm a big fan of the 2GB that I have. If you need an external drive, I'd recommend that one.

159. 10 Mar 2012

A beautiful day for geocaching with @silentp42 and the kids. Got 5 this morning. Geocaches that is. Not kids.

160. 6 Mar 2012

Mass Effect 3 obtained. Now to just get through the remaining 60 hours of Skyrim so I can play it...

161. 3 Mar 2012

Wow. Just got an email that it is my 13th anniversary on eBay. Hard to believe I've had that account that long.

162. 18 Feb 2012

Wow. Radio Rebel is Disney's way of attempting to ruin Pump Up the Volume. Painful to endure. I'd advice against it if you can. Oof.

Throwback Monday

2014-05-12T14:01:00.001-04:00

I received a notification from Time Warner that homepage service is being discontinued by them so I grabbed what little I had up there and am re-posting here for historical sake. A few of the links are still good and most are now broken. I left them as links strictly for archival reference. It's fun to look back upon these.

Wednesday, May 28, 2003

Paulblog has moved completely

Paulblog is now located at http://paul.mantastoft.net/blog Until further notice, please update all of your records to go there for future postings.

Thank you

The Management

Saturday, May 10, 2003

X2: Electric Boogaloo

I went to see X-men 2 the other night, fairly excited but mostly afraid. I was afraid that they would screw it up and turn a potentially very cool thing into something really stupid and bad. I was very relieved when I left the theater feeling satisfied and having enjoyed the film For the comic book die hards, there are a few flaws of course, but they were fairly easily overlooked in light of making a good movie of it. Overall, I give it 4 stars and will be glad to give it a second watching.

It's difficult to judge The Hulk by it's previews, but I have lesser hopes for it. Sadly, the same goes for Spiderman's 2nd film. My next theater target will be The Matrix Reloaded.

Sunday, May 4, 2003

New Additions to Paul's Page o' Fun

A new section has been added to Paul's Page o' Fun. Other Links

Also, I *finally* got the Gathering of Friends 2003 session report assembled and uploaded.

Saturday, May 3, 2003

Fear the Dark Side

I will let these two links speak for themselves. The 1st one is a little longer than the 2nd, but watch them in order to enhance the experience:

Practice ...|... Makes Perfect

Here's an interesting site helping to explain why boardgames cost what they do -> Why Games Cost What they Do

And for all who work in a call center or ticketing environment, and even those that don't, I again present The Chronicles of George. Even if you've already seen this, it's worth a reread and continues to be updated. Woohoo!

Sunday, April 27, 2003

Time Warner DVR follow-up

After a few days evaluation, I can say that the DVR from Time Warner seems to be performing very well. It's definitely a good contender for TiVo, especially at TiVo's current prices. Thus far, the strongest advantage that TiVo has is it's smoother fast forwarding and rewinding. The TW DVR is much less responsive at this. Also, TiVo Favorites is a feature that I find useful that is not on the TW DVR. Still, the recording quality of the TW DVR beats out TiVo, considering that both picture and sound quality are maintained at broadcast level.

Thursday, April 24, 2003

Time Warner DVR

I picked up the new DVR offered by Time Warner to its digital cable subscribers today. We hooked it up only moments ago, so I can't really say much for its performance yet, but I couldn't pass it up at a cost of an additional $0.00 per month for our cable bill (considering the bill is ludicrous as is, this is a good thing). My plan was to actually snag 2 of them, but they would only allow 1 per household due to limited supply. The true beauty of the thing is the double tuners, which allows you to watch one show while recording another, or record two shows while playing back a 3rd.

Tuesday, April 22, 2003

Family Guy in da house!!

Family Guy is back, in syndication, on Cartoon Network! Set your TiVo or VCR (join us in the 21st century, ya bum) now! It's great stuff.

Long Time, No Blog

Look at that, I get a new job and suddenly I stop posting blog entries. Whaddup wif dat? I'll tell you whaddup wif dat, I've been busy. Between starting 2 new jobs (including the pizza delivery) and taking a week to head to Ohio for the Gathering of Friends, my time has been much occupied. So, without further ado, I make my 1st entry in 3 weeks:

The Gathering of Friends was great, as it is every year. I had the company of Gee for the entirety, which was good stuff. We also spent most of the week in the company of a great couple of guys, Mark Edwards and Erik Arneson (see boardgames.about.com). I got to play several new games as well as some old favorites. You can check out the Session Reports section of my homepage for a more detailed report.

Rich purchased Splinter Cell and Ikaruga for the GameCube whilst I was away. I got a peek at both last night and I'd have to say that Splinter Cell is the more interesting to me. Ikaruga has that old skool arcade game appeal, but it didn't really do anything for me. On the other hand, Splinter Cell looks pretty sweet, but I want to see the end of Hitman 2 on PS2 before I get engaged in the storyline. Also, Zelda must be finished. Tingle must prevail, Mr. Fairy!!

Catherine Zeta-Jones and Micheal Douglas... I still don't get it.

I bought the 3rd Harry Potter book from Barnes & Noble on CD for the 9 hour drive home from Columbus, Ohio. $55 !! How crazy is that?!? It was $35 on tape, which is about what I thought I might have to spend on an audio book. Heck, I figured the whole collection on CD might run me about $120, but at $55 per, it's looking more like $150. That's ludicrous. Granted, book 3 is 10 CDs long, but that's still way to expensive. I had no idea...

Recently acquired DVDs - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (pretty good stuff... wow, look at those kids pubertize [crazy word creation]) & White Oleander (Bobbie's choice - doesn't really interest me).

South Park continues to step over the line. Cartman giving Ben Affleck a Jennifer Lopez "taco kisses" hand job. There's just something wrong there. Hilarious, but wrong.

Monday, April 7, 2003

New URL for Paul's Page o' Fun & PaulBlog

Rich has finally secured a domain, so I now have a more versatile server for Paul's Page o' Fun & PaulBlog. You can now, and should start using http://paul.mantasoft.net to access these pages.

The Gathering of Friends 2003

Oh, I almost forgot to mention, along with the new job I also re-acquired the chance to go to The Gathering of Friends this year in Columbus, OH. For those that know me, you also know that this is something that I was hating having to miss. I'm going to be driving this time, so it will allow me to tote luggage a little more freely. Woohoo!

Killian is a 4th Grader!

2014-05-09T21:35:00.001-04:00

Well, once again it has been too long. Here's an update of the kiddo in his 4th grade fall photos...

2012 Video Games Summary

2013-02-11T22:38:00.002-05:00

Check out my 2012 video games summary from Raptr

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

2013-01-29T23:37:00.006-05:00

St. Jude Walk results

2012-11-29T18:54:00.003-05:00

We want your feedback.Please take this surveyabout your experience.

Dear Paul,

We at St. Jude have much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving because of wonderful supporters like you. What an amazing event we had on Saturday!

Thank you, Raleigh!

We're excited to announce that in Raleigh, we had more than 450 walkers participate in the St. Jude Give thanks. Walk., and we raised more than $63,000 for the kids of St. Jude!

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital expects to see 7,800 patients in the coming year and the money we raised will help ensure that no family will ever pay St. Jude for anything.

Our great success is shared with walkers in 90 cities across the country who joined us in walking on Saturday. Collectively, more than 32,000 St. Jude supporters participated in the walk, raising $3.9 million.

And congratulations to our top fundraising walker, Robert Crawford who raised $3,145 and our top fundraising team, Rally 4 Hallie which raised an amazing $14,755 for St. Jude. We are so grateful for all of you!

Thank you to our sponsors and volunteers

We also want to thank our incredible local sponsors and supporters who helped make our St. Jude Give thanks. Walk. possible. Many thanks to our sponsors: Target, Crabtree Valley Mall, Jerry Smith from The Light 103.9, Starbucks, Panera Bread, Chick-fil-A and Earth Fare, as well as our awesome volunteers from Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Brooks Brothers and Target. We are honored to have such generous partners!

Like us on Facebook!

To see photos from Saturday's event (and share yours!), like us on Facebook -- St. Jude Children's Research Hospital - North Carolina connection.

Again, thank you for all of your support. You have truly made a difference in the lives of the patients and families of St. Jude!

Sincerely,
Allison Barton
St. Jude event staff
Allison.Barton@StJude.org
704-877-1645

National platinum sponsors

Giving Thanks

2012-11-20T00:01:00.003-05:00

A big thank you to all who donated for the St. Jude Give Thanks. Walk. this past weekend. Thanks to your generosity, I was able to raise $405 personally with our team coming in at over $5,800 in total including company match.