Spappy Jones

Finally a new one or few

2009-01-18T21:24:00.000-08:00

<br/><a href="http://video.msn.com/video.aspx?vid=e240f2b2-3d39-4698-802a-cc1bc2821cb5" target="_new" title="Me and Lainey hanging out">Video: Me and Lainey hanging out</a>It has been a looonng time for a blog post. Here are some videos of the kids from recent weeks and months. With the house move and everything else there has been little time to focus on my blog. I am sure no one looks at it any more but just in case I will put up a post and some vids. Follow the link below to get to the place where I keep them all, this is just one of several that I recenly shot up there.

Here is the link to the video site.

The Day Billy Squier Died

2008-07-22T14:42:00.000-07:00

I am minding my own business today at work playing Billy Squier's Absolute Hits (Rock Me Tonite) on the 20 year old Nakamichi Compact1 hi-fi in my office when in walks one of my team. She yells from the door if I have seen the video for this song. I don't think I have ever seen a Squier vid. We didn't have much TV reception where I grew up and MTV was not one of the channels you could get from an attennea. She insists that I watch the video, it is a spectale, I had no idea. Here is the link to the youtube. Check out the comments, they are pretty funny. I wonder how record sales were after this was released? holla at your boy

Helvetica: A Documentary Film by ......

2008-07-21T06:34:00.000-07:00

Since I saw this documentary last week, I have been spreading the word. When you tell someone you just watched a pretty interesting film about the Helvetica font (type face) you get a lot of astonishment, or in my case they just think I am joking. Not joking and the documentary was quite good. The first 60 minutes were very gripping and I would say worth seeing given the uniqueness of the topic and the global use of the type face being discussed.

So check it out if you can. It is on iTunes, Netflix - both on-demand and on disc,
The DVD is available at the library, and will most likely be picking up a copy.

In honor of Helvetica I used Arial font for this entry, Arial is Helvetica for all intents and purposes. To be honest I am a Gill Sans MT user, and have never really embraced Helvetica\Arial.

Maria and Her Dad

2008-06-23T13:08:00.001-07:00

Maria and Dad
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

This is my new sister in-law Maria and her pops walking down the aisle to the groom. Originally I was going to be shooting this wedding but I was replaced (thank god) by a very competent photographer that is building her portfolio. She shot over a 1000 shots. Have fun weeding those out!

I did get a few shots and this was my best. Again I had the d200 set for spot metering. The metering was off the dark suit and therefore blew out the rest of the shot. Just a lucky shot again by having my camera set up in a certain way.

Ben's first backyard pool, and making some calls

2008-06-19T12:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a video from May. We had some really hot weather for one weekend before we plunged into one of the coldest springs in history. So I got Ben a pool at KMart. There is also some footage of the kids using eLaine's Crib as a trampoline.

Video: Ben's Backyard Pool

how to fillet salmon - with Dr Nate Mantua

2008-06-19T12:07:00.001-07:00

The Dr of the knife in action on a Copper River Sockeye.

Video: how to fillet salmon - with Dr Nate Mantua

Lainey's first haircut

2008-06-13T21:49:00.001-07:00

Lainey's first haircut
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

This is the before shot while the hairdresser TeTe was getting prepared. Not sure where or what Ben was getting into, he was on deck for his umpteen cut.

It was a really good experience for me, I was not and still am not the biggest fan of getting my haircut unless I am doing it myself in the basement.

Back in the day (the 80's and 90's) I can remember stepping into the barber shop and being in awe of the layer of blue smoke from the ceiling to the chairs. The floor would crack and crinkle underfoot from the curling linoleum. All the trophies, and photos of the town and its teams, artifacts from the war. Seemed like barbers were always in WWII and members of the legion, he didn't have one of his legs. Then being privy to the conversations the barber was having with some of the town salt, I might as well as not existed, there was no candy, catering to children fell outside their key marketshare. Overall it is a fond memory of bygone years and people. It was a very different time than what the experience is now. It was better, less sterile. But I think I would rather have my kids go where they do, they seem pretty happy.

This is the press release released today about my program's expansion - very good news

2008-06-11T21:02:00.000-07:00

REDMOND, Wash. – June 11, 2008 – Microsoft Corp. today announced the final approval of the expansion of The Enterprise Engineering Center, Microsoft’s premier customer facing test facility. This new expansion will:
• Double the data center capacity to accommodate growing demand from our partners to showcase their latest products and technologies, facilitate our growing charter, allow for even greater scale up / scale out scenario testing.
• Enhance data center instrumentation to support green data center testing initiatives.
• Addition of storage specific data center – “SAN Alley”, which will contain all of the EEC’s enterprise storage assets, allowing us to meet rapidly growing customer and partner demand for larger arrays.
• Create two new technology focused data centers
o Virtualization – this new Solution Lab will be a showcase facility for Microsoft and our partners, dedicated full time to virtualization and related technologies
o Unified Communications – A new technology showcase with a fully functioning, end-to-end Unified Communications installation. This will allow our customers and partners to do more extensive, real-world testing on UC as well as broaden other testing to include UC for a deeper exposure of how this new initiative can work in their environments.
• Expand existing High Performance Computing (HPC) test cluster
o The EEC, together with Hewlett Packard and Intel, is adding a second HPC cluster to meet growing demand. This 80-node, 640-core cluster will be moved into dedicated space in the expanded data center for both onsite and remote customer use.
• New conference and training center
o The EEC is doubling the size of the Conference Center enabling new events such as training, seminars, and joint or partner led activities.

Schedule – construction is scheduled to begin in September, 2008 with completion and grand re-opening events March, 2009.

For more information or questions about how you as a partner can be involved, please contact Steve Cole, EEC Partner Manager at 425-704-9291 or Steven.Cole@microsoft.com

Young Hillie Clinton

2008-06-10T09:35:00.001-07:00

Read about this video in Time\Newsweek magazine, not sure which it was in the bathroom @ work. It is a pretty funny little sketch.

Joy Division - Zune

2008-06-10T08:14:00.000-07:00

Now this is wicked awesome. Those Joy Division fans out there have must have noticed a big resurgence in the band lately. They are rather timeless but I think Hollywood has rediscovered the bands dead lead singer and Manchester. The special edition zune prices at 400 and there are only a 1000 or so to mark the release of a new Joy Division Documentary. It does look very cool and representative of the 1979 album cover (unknown pleasures). It comes preloaded with the DVD of the movie it is spiffing.

The Tango - Video - Zbig Rybczynski

2008-06-01T11:29:00.001-07:00

I was watching the Classic Arts Showcase on channel 75 - Comcast - Seattle and I saw a great video called "the piano players" I searched for it online but had no luck but did find one of the artists early works that I do remember seeing before. Keep in mind when you see this, he made it in 1982. Here it is on a Chinese site to get around copywrite issues.

Green500 | About :: List

2008-05-15T22:09:00.001-07:00

Quoted from http://www.green500.org/about/green500.php:

Green500 | About :: List

About the Green500

The list:

The genesis of this list started back in April 2005 – after a keynote talk by Dr. Wu-chun Feng at the IEEE IPDPS Workshop on High-Performance, Power-Aware Computing. The notion was then formally proposed a year later at the aforementioned workshop with a paper and associated talk entitled "Making a Case for a Green500 list." A subsequent presentation at Clusters and Computational Grids for Scientific Computing 2006, entitled "Global Climate Warming? Yes … In The Machine Room," led to more fervent interest, and ultimately, the announcement of the Green500 at SC|06. One year later at SC|07, the inaugural list was released and a new era of Green Supercomputing began.

Additional literature:

For additional literature and information on Green Supercomputing, please visit the Supercomputing in Small Spaces project – the birthplace of Green Destiny (shown on right), a 240-node supercomputer in five square feet and consuming a mere 3.2 kW of power (when booted diskless) and 5.2 kW of power (when booted with disks and running a CPU-intensive job).

Seattle Rain Drops and Flash on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

2008-05-15T22:05:00.001-07:00

It is not really a post I am just trying out a new blog editor (adobe contribute CS3)

Month of April Wrap up (Lainie gets her ears cleaned)

2008-05-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

Now that it is may I am having a hard time recalling what was on this video but I am sure it is of the same vein as some of the others. Shawn shot most of this one, I did the edit in case some of her artisitic talent was left on the cutting room floor that was my fault.

One thing I remember about April is that is when one, the other, or both of the kids starting getting up at the crack of dawn. In case you sleep though the crack of dawn - my preference - it is around 5:30 right now. The other development on the sleeping front is eLaine now flips over on her belly and doen't flip back so she signals for immeadate assistance.

Spring is about a month late here in Seattle, April was one of the 10 coldest on record. I you like flowering trees it is a good thing, they lasted for weeks.

Video: April 2008 etc.....

Easter Video Wrap-up

2008-04-08T08:01:00.000-07:00

We were watching the NCAA Men's Champ last night and the Comcast cable feed dropped in the first half and didn't return until OT started but at that point I was already on to other things than watching the comcast "your program will be available shortly". I called and complained and got two free days - Wow now they really now how to take care of a customer. This city needs to stop making monopolistic agreememts with these telcos or what ever they call themselves today. I expect my cable feed to be like my water service.

I turn the knob I have water
I pay for what I use rather than a balloon monthly charge
I can't get ban for life for "adjusting" my service from my own computer

That is enough rant, it was deserved for dropping one of the biggest games all year.

We had a wonderful Easter with the Jonzez, not to be confused with SpappyjoneS (that is your author). The GPs all sent in some nice cards and gifts for the offspring. Lainey liked the Easter Bucket the most as you will see in the video below. Keep tuned for another video release in the next few days.

Video: Easter 2008 and Stuff

Daddy Daycare

2008-03-22T10:34:00.001-07:00

DSC_0378-1
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Our childcare giver has been vacationing in Hawaii all week. This left Shawn and on point and @ home on alternating days this week. After a couple days I could see why the nanny gets paid so much that she can afford to vacation where I can't. Lainie has been pretty fussy and needy, we haven't really figured out the root cause but my theory is that she wants to walk and is sick of being stationary. In the past week her coasting skills have gone through the roof. If there is something her height and within reach she is sidestepping (coasting) down it to the next object that will support her or not in her quest to walk. It is very cool to watch the rapid progress. Otherwise Laine is happiest when out representing in the stroller rolling on wallinghood with her posse.

Ben has transitioned to a "big boy bed" aka Serta twin from Costco located on the floor for ease of access and to prevent freefalls when using it as a trampoline. The transition has been very good. The only outer bed nocturnal migration in the past week was last night. I went in at some point in the early hours of the day to find boo boo face down on the floor next to the bed sleeping. It appeared he had the where withal to pull the blanket down over him. Innate survival skills inherited from his father.

This picture was a complete mistake. Had I not looked at it and others at near full size I would have deleted it to save storage space. The camera was set to spot meter and it must have leveled off the lens of Laine's shades and over exposed her but not the image reflected in the camera lens. I was very pleasantly surprised. I will have to put up the original for those at home to compare.

Vegas on the 08 election

2008-03-21T07:52:00.000-07:00

They are still strong on Obama for the Nom but looks pretty even in the general election with McCain. Sometimes I wonder if Vegas knows some things ahead of time. The odds on Hill winning the Nom have really flattend out recently. For the General Election Hil has the worst odds (biggest pay if she wins) Every dollar you stake on that bet will pay $5 if she wins the nom. There is not much action on Obama or McCain meaning if they go head to head the race looks neck and neck, but if McCain faces Hill Vegas thinks she will be wiped out. What do you think?

Bet On: Who will be the winner of the Democratic Primaries in Pennsylvania on April 22nd, 2008?
Hillary Clinton -700
Barack Obama +400

Odds On: Who will be named as the Democratic candidate for the 2008 U.S. Presidential Election?
Hillary Clinton 12/5
Barack Obama 3/10
Field 100/1

Odds On: Who will be the next president of the United States?
Winner of the 2008 presidential election.
Hillary Clinton 5/1 (this one is 1 for 5 payout - sweet action)
John McCain 5/4
Barack Obama 11/10

Winter2008

2008-03-08T11:22:00.000-08:00

My blogging frequency has really waned, but that is what it is. So I may just switch to quarterly blogs. I can handle that. Also once the spring really hits I may have more stuff for blogging. Speaking of spring, I need to mow the lawn, I am just waiting for it to dry up enough to get the job done right. Here are some random vids of the kids hanging out in the house of course which is what you do in the winter around these Northlands. There are also a few pics of the kids on the flickr site.

This spring in May we are going to St. Kitts in the West Indies for 7 nights. We were looking for a place to take a short vacation and things just kind of escalated to the point of traveling 1/4 of the globe, for a week and via first class. It was a anniversary gift. The package was picked up at a non-profit auction banquet for the wildsteelheadcoalition.org recently. It was a bit of a surprise for both of us. One set of the Grandparents (Barb and Tom) have agreed to come out here to watch the little ones. We plan to off load them a lot by calling in favors to all our friends so we can get the Montanans out on the town and to the ballpark.

Winter 2008 Part 1

Winter 2008 Part 2

Final Holiday Video (the long one)

2008-01-05T08:45:00.000-08:00

Here we go, this is the last. It is the longest so you may want to fill up your cup or watch it in several session or be a member of the family to really enjoy it end to end.

Video: T-Day 2007

Scobey to Sidney MT

2007-12-29T14:30:00.000-08:00

Here is another video of our T-day trip out to the end of the earth. We spend a bit of time down in Sidney, that is where the oil fields and a set of Great Grands. We had a lovely but to short of a time with them. Ben was able to walk away with a couple vintage cars that he is still in love with to this day. Hopefully we will get back out there soon to visit again.

Video: Scobey and Sidney Last vid of trip

Our lives on Amtrak

2007-12-21T20:55:00.000-08:00

Here is a vid from our trials and travails upon the 24 hr trip on Amtrak's Empire Builder service to Scobey and beyond. Over all the trip was good, I found it hard to sleep on the bathroom floor, I bought the family tickets for a sleeper but I just hobo it and snuck on at the first crossing out of the station. I would recommend the experience - if you buy a ticket on a sleeper and are not bringing very young children. It is really quite relaxing and a very pretty trip. The accommodations are pretty good for 30 years old stock. It is the really only way to get to Scobey other than drive and I think it is better than driving from a safety standpoint not to met ion less cost. For all 4 of us in a sleeper it was 900 bucks and that includes food. The drive would have been about 19 hours straight and the train took 24 hours.

Video: Amtrak to Scobey MT for Thanksgiving

Pandemic hits Seattle

2007-12-20T09:46:00.000-08:00

(pandemic-wallingfo) I am the last sole standing.
Lainey=cold
Ben=cold+flu(fever+vomiting)
Shawn=kidney infection(103 fever+severe back pain) Nanny=flu(vomiting+laziness+complaining\not that unusual)

Scobey's Littlest Bus Boy

2007-12-17T22:04:00.000-08:00

This will mark the begining of a series of videos taken during our glorious trip out to West Dakota - Eastern Montana for Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time. The train trip was good better than driving. The kids were better than expected but I still can't sleep on those things. The first day we were there Ben found a serving cart as you will see in the video. It was quite amusing for about a minute.

Video: Scobey's newest busboy

Josh is getting some nice news coverage

2007-12-15T06:23:00.000-08:00

A couple weekends ago I flew over to Spokane to check out this year's light set up at Josh's dads house. I stayed in the Doubletree on the Executive floor that had great beds and view of Riverfront park. It had been snowing all day that nice snow that falls like feathers. When I got over to the event there were 3 bonfires burning and about 100+ revelers. The funny thing was they were not at Josh's Dad's house they were all across the street in the opposite neighbors yards. Therefore the kickoff event more than tripled since last year.

People really didn't understand that this was like no other light display, there were 50-60,000 lights this year and it had taken over the neighbors house. Here is one of the news pieces that does a pretty good job of the why. Seattle channels are now picking up the story as well. You can only grasp the magnitude by going to Spokane. There is talk of crossing the street with lights and to have a simulcast display going in Seattle that is connected over the internet and controlled remotely.

Boston is now Sparta not Athens

2007-12-05T11:53:00.001-08:00

Pedro and friend after ALCS 2004
Originally uploaded by Spappy.joneS

Morning Edition, December 5, 2007 · Isn't it the most amazing thing, what's happened to Boston?

In sports, the Athens of America has become Sparta.

What a transformation. We used to look at sporting Boston as sort of a quaint, fey, idiosyncratic place — not quite American. Shoot, Boston didn't even much care for football. The Redskins left town for Washington, and nobody missed them. When the Patriots arrived a quarter-century later, they were barely tolerated as something of a distraction from the autumn foliage.

The rest of the story can be seen or heard here on NPR.org

Some of the Kids

2007-12-01T15:51:00.001-08:00

I am over in Spokane this weekend to check out Josh's annual spectacular light display. There is snow here and it was snowing in Seattle @ SeaTac and in Wallingford. They had to deice the plane, that was the first experience for me @ Seatac. Spokane is pretty with all the snow. Here is the latest vid of the kids before we left on our Amtrak trip for T-day.

Video: The Kids

An Owl Moment

2007-11-28T21:08:00.001-08:00

Had a quick run in with a large Great Horned Owl sp. Bubo virginianus while bird hunting around dusk. I saw the oval blob from 300 yards away as I was walking up a large long coulee in Scobey MT. It looked like a huge wasp nest due to its shape but in the back of my mind I though it could also be a big owl. I woke it up and starting rolling with the Handicam. Unfortunately and typically the battery was shot so I didn't get much footage but here it is:

Video: Great Horned in Scobey

Another video from the vault

2007-11-14T08:47:00.001-08:00

DSC_0431
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Actually it is from the last few weeks. Now I am up to date. I anticipate a few feet of footage from our T-day holiday.

The picture to the right is from a mini-photo shoot in the front yard with Shawn and the kids.

Did a fun engagment photo shoot with Kareena and Jason over the weekend, I like these two (1, 2) the best although there were a bunch of great shots as the two subject were very photogentic.
Here is the latest installment from the HandyCam:

Video: Lainey playing with garbage

Bit at School

2007-11-12T14:03:00.001-08:00

Bit at School
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Some piece of &^%$ trash bit my Benny Boo Boo at school last week when he was trying to wash his hands. The school won't tell you who did it for fear of retaliation I suppose. I would be satisfied with just public shaming for a week or two, dunce\biter cap and a stool to sit on in front of the school would work.

Here is the latest installment of 2-3 week old video. Trying to clear out the back log prior to our Amtrak trip to Scobey Montana.

Video: Big Times in Little Land

MSFT Giving Campaign is Over

2007-11-02T09:24:00.000-07:00

Below is the internal mail we all recieved at the end of the annual campaign. Donations were up 10% this year from last. Also the company now donates $17 for every voleenteer hour we spend with 501k orgs. MSFT has always had a stong culture of corp and employee giving, it was instilled by BillG and his Mom, Mary taught him to spread it out.

Internal Message:

WOW! What an amazing finish to the giving campaign, thank you for another incredible year of giving at Microsoft! With continued passion we will meet or beat our calendar year-end goal of $75 million.
Through our year-round Matching Gifts program, our October Giving Campaign, and our Volunteer Matching program, we have raised just over $72 million dollars this year, with close to 61% of our employees participating. This represents a $9 million increase over employee giving at this time last year. THANK YOU for the time, money, and hope you give locally and around the world.

Your financial donations clearly make a difference and we also greatly appreciate the time and talent so many of you give to important causes throughout the year. Since we launched our volunteer matching benefit two years ago, our employees have reported more than 304,555 hours of community time spanning over 2,000 organizations.

We would also like to thank all of our Giving Campaign teams and company leaders who support our fundraising efforts. The hard work of these teams, along with your donations, demonstrates the depth of Microsoft’s commitment to improving our community.

Thank you for living our values through your commitment and generosity.

Debra Chrapaty & Pieter Knook

Ben Said Owl Tonight

2007-10-30T22:05:00.000-07:00

So saying a word is not that big of a deal. Ben has a few that he only says on occasion when he is prompted or bribed with something I am eating. He is not a real wordy guy.

Tonight after I put on his jamys he wanted to look at the Robin painting in his room. He usually points makes some random sound and they flashes the "bird" sign as in ASL signs.

Then he will usually want to look at the other bird collage poster we have in there of over 100 different bird heads in a neat layout. It is cool you should see it but then he will point to differentials birds and sometimes kiss them good night. Its cute.

Tonight was different when we went over the the collage, I am holding him at the level of the thing so he can see it. First thing he does is point at the Snowy Owl head and says "Owl". My jaw dropped, I am astonished, then he points to another owl, the Great Horn and says it again so I knew I wasn't hearing what I wanted to hear. It was really wonderful. A true Father Son moment. Then I call in Shawn and eLainey so he can point and say what he is pointing at. So it was very cool, he did it unprompted, I really haven't been working on it with him other than they were all birds rather than getting specie specific. The only think I can guess where he has been reinforced on owl is in a Wiggles DVD I just got from the Library. There is a Do the Owl song and it shows live action of a Barn Owl. Maybe? Dunno?

Recall of Bumbo Baby Sitter Seats

2007-10-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Ben used one of these for months.

Serious Head Injuries Prompt Recall of Bumbo Baby Sitter Seats - New Warnings and Instructions to Be Provided To Consumers:

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.
Name of Product: Bumbo “Baby Sitter” Seats
Units: About 1 million
Manufacturer: Bumbo International, of South Africa
Hazard: If the seat is placed on a table, countertop, chair, or other elevated surface, young children can arch their backs, flip out of the Bumbo seat, and fall onto the floor, posing a risk of serious head injuries.
Incidents/Injuries: CPSC has received 28 reports of young children falling out of the Bumbo Baby Sitter seat, including three skull fractures, which occurred when children fell out of chairs that had been placed on tables.
Description: The bottom of the children’s seat is round and flat with a diameter of about 15 inches. It is constructed of a single piece of molded foam and comes in yellow, blue, purple, pink, aqua, and lime green. The seat has leg holes and seat back that wraps completely around the child. On the front of the seat in raised lettering is the word “Bumbo” with the image of an elephant on top. The bottom of the seat has the following words: “Manufactured by Bumbo South Africa Material: Polyurethane World Patent No. PCT: ZA/1999/00030.” The back of the seat contains the following “WARNING” – “Never use on a raised surface. Never use as a car seat or bath seat. Designed for floor level use only. Never leave your baby unattended as the seat is not designed to be totally restrictive and may not prevent release of your baby in the event of vigorous movement.”
Sold by: Target, Wal-Mart, Sears, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, USA Babies and various other toy and children’s stores nationwide, and various online sellers, from August 2003 through October 2007 for about $40.
Manufactured in: South Africa
Remedy: Consumers should never use the infant seat on a table, countertop, chair, or other elevated surface. Consumers can contact Bumbo to obtain new warning label stickers and instructions, free of charge. The new warning label will state: “WARNING – Prevent Falls; Never use on any elevated surface.” Consumers should use the Bumbo seat at ground level, but should never leave a child unattended.
Consumer Contact: Contact Bumbo International at (877) 932-8626 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s Web site at http://www.bumbosafety.com/

ALCS Game 7 today

2007-10-21T07:44:00.000-07:00

Nice game last night. Somewhat of a blowout by the 3rd after Sabathia and Perez were shelled out of the game but a win is a win. Grandslams in the 1st inning are always fun for opposing pitchers. The Sox are 3-3 at home for game 7s in the ALCS since 1985 says the webnet, that is hard to believe they have been that close to the pennant that many times since I was in college but whoa is the Red Sox fan. I guess it is right they have been to the WS 3 times since then.

Enough about baseball, except that we will be watching from the first pitch tonight. Last night me and the kids watched from Joe Bucks jr pregame blather. I timed the pizza delivery for 5:30ish so I could get Ben strapped to his seat in front of the game. Lainey is Lainey she just likes to watch ball with her Dad so she is never an issue.

Now being at home for the game was the trick. Shawn was at a wedding for the duration of the game and before. I was supposed to be as well but, early the morning after game 5 - Friday morning I started in with the "my throat feels scratchy, by friday night it was the dizzy snot nose bit where you stagger and bump into things, I had to see game 6 with the Schill pitching so I staggered into the basement stairwell head first and took one for the team. Cuts and bruises heal but a live game 6 in HD is a once in a life time.

Anyway enough about baseball, today we are going out to breakfast and then possibly to Costco at the open. The game starts at 5 PDT so there should be a nice window for a nap in the afternoon before we need to figure out what meal will be brought in for the main event.

Enjoy the vid.

Video: Little Red Sox Nation 2007

Someone stole my gasoline

2007-10-19T22:30:00.000-07:00

There I was driving my VW bus the transit bus stop early one morning this week. It was still dark and my lights were on. When I start my bus I typically check all the lights because it is closing in on 40 years old, things break. The two lights you are looking at to turn off are the oil light and the generator light. So as most mornings they turned off being a reliable old bus of superior West German manufacture not your VWs of today that are made in Kentucky and go to the shop a lot. Back to the lights that are on the same console as the fuel gauge. I look up at the fuel needle and the thing is on the bottom of the R portion of the gauge. (means reserve, when it is at the bottom it means you are burning fuel in the fuel line as well as all the goop and slop in the bottom of the tank). So naturally being a VW mechanic and no stranger to analog devices I bang on the fuel gauge with my knuckle. The needle bounce a little so I bang on it with the bottom of my travel cup, it didn't do anything that time just stayed on R.

So I think to myself "great, I have never fixed a fuel gauge on this thing before." I knew I had a 1/2 tank the last time I drove so I figure I had a lot left and then I started to think well maybe it leaked out while it was parked on the street for a few days or maybe all the rain we are having somehow shorted a fuse. Probably the fuse, I would have smelled 8 gallons of gas on the pavement rain or no rain, gas stinks. As I wake up I seem to get smarter. There is a gas station near where I park so if I fill it a bit and the needle pops I know my fuel somehow left the tank on its own or with help. I start shooting gas in and the needle responds immediately. No leak in the tank because I gave it the match test while I was filling it. No explosion no leak.

The only way that fuel left the tank was out the filler hole with help because the bus had not been laying on its side or upside down for a long time. Some shitheel ripped it off with a 70's French technique. Using a syphon. I guess when crude hits $90 a barrel the 4 foot garden hoses come out at night. Now I have to booby trap the gas cap, I am thinking of a simple device that connects to the battery from the cap via a circuit with a transformer and a high voltage capacitor attached that can pool half a joule (= about 25,000 watts) to make you go #1 and #2 your pants and drool for 10-15 minutes in the street. Sort of like a Taser. I just can't forget to turn it off when I go to fill the tank.

Lainey Slept All Night - First Time In a Lifetime.

2007-10-18T08:38:00.000-07:00

This is from Shawn's Cousin-VERY VERY entertaining and true. I can see his time on the east coast did him well

2007-10-17T14:12:00.000-07:00

Dear all,

I would like to clarify that I am NOT, in fact, a cousin. This may be
obvious, for several reasons, but still...I just wanted to re-state so
I could voice my appreciation for being included on the email list.

I submit this story to you in the hopes that you may appreciate my
pain, and take pity on me for being the poor, overweight, unemployable
human being that I am. This story is pretty long, but what do you
expect, I have a lot of free time. I will also preface this story
with the statement that all parties involved were extremely nice and
wonderful people...even....Ferdinand. Also, I have changed the names
to protect the innocent.

Some background information:
1. For the past three months I have been looking for work in the
bustling economy of Moscow, Idaho. Despite my efforts, I have yet to
find any stable employment.
2. Because of background fact #1, I was forced to sign up on the
University of Idaho Temporary Employment List, meaning that I receive
calls about every two weeks with temporary jobs that include:
Temporary Desk-Sitter-Atter, Temporary Staple-Remover, Temporary
I-Have-No-Idea-What-I'm-Doing-Cause-I'm-A-Temp-Administrative-Assistant,
Etc.
3. I received a call about a position at the Center on Disability and
Human Development on a Thursday, and was to begin work on the
following Monday. The proceeding tale depicts the fatal events of
that what I have deemed to be my very own Black Monday...

I awoke that morning drenched in sweat, as I had just endured the
worst series of dreams ever. The one that finally caused me to give
up on sleep all together was a nightmare involving Phil Mikelson's
wife giving birth in a mud puddle then screaming about the Super 8
Motel. That's all I want to say about that, other than I doubt I can
ever watch the PGA in High Definition again.

The routine that morning was fairly typical: I dropped a vicious
growler, took a nice hot shower, played with my belly fat for a while,
then got dressed. I felt good...I felt confident. This was the day,
I had decided, that my unemployment would end. At least until they
filled the position permanently...but still...you know...small
victories... I packed a lunch, had some breakfast, and was ready to
go. Little did I know the hurricane that awaited me at the Center on
Disability and Human Development...

Melinda dropped me off, and I walked through the door. The main lobby
was fairly normal for a public place of business - if you consider
Cowboy-and-Indian wallpaper and a body collapsed on the floor normal.
Apparently everyone in the office did, because the corpse on the floor
was drawing little attention. I introduced myself to the other
Administrative Assistant, and then asked politely if I should call the
police in regards to the decaying body on the floor. She replied
calmly that no, there would be no need for that, and the corpse was
not a corpse...just Toby pretending to be dead to scare
me...HAHHAHAHAHA...what a splendid joke, Toby! Toby popped up and
said "TahDah!! Nice to meet you New Guy!" I told Toby hello. So
began the bonding of myself and Toby.

I then began my training session with a very nice young lady. This
wouldn't have been that weird, if she wasn't a cog, wasn't the
daughter of a lady who couldn't control the left side of her body (a
lady who also happened to be the VP of the Center), and if she wasn't
engaged to Ferdinand. Ferdinand, as you will learn, is not human but
rather pure evil reincarnated in Stephen Hawkin's likeness. That may
sound harsh, but you don't know Ferdinand like I do.

My tutor took me around, and I was introduced to everyone in the
office...all very nice people. Next was a full faculty meeting. I
was asked to stand up and say something about myself. I did, not
realizing that everyone was staring at me awkwardly. I dropped a
casual joke, people laughed...I laughed...it was lovely. I may as
well have been running for Mayor. Then I sat down and realized my
zipper had been down. No, not just down, down to my knees...and my
shirt tail was trying to escape like Kevin Owen trying to escape
sixteen Wazzu kids on a Saturday night. I thought I may just be able
to play it off...but oh no...FERDINAND decided to point it out to
everyone. At least that's apparently what he did...I couldn't
understand him cause when Ferdinand talks it sounds like a wooden
chair scraping on a linoleum floor. Again, I know you think harsh,
but again, you just don't understand the evil. Nonetheless, everyone
got a pleasant chuckle..."Oh, Ferdinand, his zipper WAS down! Aren't
you the funniest Funny Bear!" It was only 9:14.

After the meeting my tutoring session continued. I learned how to
remove staples. I learned where the colored paper was. I learned
that the elevator was out of order. I learned how to re-staple the
staples. Real technical stuff you all probably wouldn't understand.
Toby gave the occasional flyby. You see, Toby doesn't believe in
using his feet...so he walks around on his knees. But, he also
doesn't believe in walking on his knees, so he rolls around on his
office chair, at least when he's not on his Rascal. Yes..yes...I did
say his office chair. Toby is an employee. So is Ferdinand. So is
Reeves. And yes, they all were getting paid more than me...I know
that some of you work in Special Ed...but I dare you to work in a
Special Ed environment where the grass-eating-Cogs actually get paid
three dollars an hour MORE than you, and have the authority to tell
you what to do. I don't think I need to tell you how high my
self-confidence is at this point in my life...

Around 11:00, Reeves came in to collect the recycling and separate it
in the back of the building. This blows my mind, as Reeves has to be
carried by two Aides and constantly maintains a snot rope from each
nostril that carry all the way down to his teddy bear sweatshirt.
Still...Reeves makes $10.00 an hour...why wouldn't that be the case?
Reeves made his way to the back. Suddenly, an ambulance drove by
outside, and blared its horn as it cleared the intersection. Without
warning...Reeves screamed from the back of the building, threw the
recycling to the ground and came sprinting towards the front...snot
ropes trailing behind like racing stripes. To my dismay, I realized
he was coming right for me. I was terrified, and if I said otherwise
I would be lying. His steps pounded as he grew closer, and I came to
a crossroads on whether I should dive under the desk, or pick up my
chair and hurl it at the crazed Cog. Turns out my decision was made
for me, cause Reeves tripped on what I'm assuming was one of his snot
ropes and scorpioned his face headstrong into the wall next to my
cubicle. There was blood. There was mucus. And there was Reeves,
knocked out cold. I looked wildly from person to person, but the
Aides casually walked up, picked up Reeves and carried him out the
door. I was later informed that Reeves hates horns. Oh really?

For the next hour I printed autism pamphlets and fought evil, cynical
glares from Ferdinand. I could feel his hatred burning on the back of
my neck. Toby still made his passes by my cubicle, though most were
uninteresting until his final pass before lunch. He came by and said
"Hey new guy! Did you know there's coffee in the back?" This may not
sound like much to you, but if you saw the look in Toby's eyes, you
would know that this statement really meant "Hey, Big Dog, you and I
are soldiers of the Apocalypse, and I will ride or die with you until
the bitter end." I knew then, that Toby was my dog, and he would have
my back no matter how the afternoon ended up. I smiled back, and gave
Toby a look that said "I hear you Tobe. You're my mother effin
Soldier." Toby nodded. I took my lunch break.

The lunch break was nothing more than Melinda convincing me to finish
out the day. She reminded me that I was better than letting the Cogs
beat me, and that while I wasn't a Cog professional like Corey, I
could still hang. I said she was right, and thought of Toby. Toby
had my back...I could do this. Four more hours...

Things went fairly well until the Birthday Party. Reeves came back,
bloodied but not beaten, finished his recycling and pooped himself.
Toby rolled by occasionally, just letting me know he was still there.
One time he said, "New Guy, I have a secret stash of pens." It was
really code for "Into the fires of Hell, I will ride with you." I
nodded, and said "I know Toby, and I into the fires of Hell for you."
He just stared blankly at me for a minute or two and then rolled away.
Ferdinand gave me some data to enter...let me repeat that...FERDINAND
gave me some data to enter...and not only that, but it was hard data
to enter...it involved numbers AND letters...ooohh...that Ferdinand.
Still, I was in control of my emotions...things were going to be ok...

At 3:30 it was birthday time. I don't know who's birthday it
was...maybe Toby's, maybe Ferdinand's, maybe mine. It doesn't matter.
What matters was this: One of the secretaries brought in a birthday
cake, and Ferdinand sprung is cruel little trap. I didn't want a
piece, I want that to be clear. Why would I want a piece of
double-chocolate, raspberry and cookie dough ice cream cake with
vanilla cream cheese frosting? The thought is ridiculous, at best.
But I wasn't going to be rude and say No, so I took my three pieces
and began to eat. Then, completely unprovoked, Ferdinand piped up in
his chair-screeching talk. After he finished, everyone started to
laugh. And then everyone started to look at me and laugh. Then he
mooed something else, and people laughed harder. Then the comment:
"Turns out Ian does like to eat a lot!" Then screeching...then even
more laughter. And then it dawned on me...That son-of-a-jackal
Ferdinand was dropping fat jokes on me!

My confidence shattered, I spun in my chair and faced the
wall...trying to cover up the tears by stuffing my face with the cake.
I know I know...cake wasn't the answer...BUT IT MADE ME FEEL BETTER
SO LAY OFF ME! The laughter continued, and then it got very quiet
and very awkward, probably cause I was sobbing hysterically. Then,
like an angel from the gates of heaven came the most glorious voice I
have ever heard. It was Toby. Oh wonderful Toby! "I think the New
Guy looks good, Ferdinand" TOBY!! I almost kissed him, but I had to
play it cool. I wiped the tears from my eyes and turned around. I
saw Toby, standing over the cake. He looked at me and grinned, and I
nodded. Then he said something like "My farts smell like cheese!" and
plunged his face into the rest of the cake. The gesture may seem
small to you, but to me it said "I'll jump on this grenade for you, my
fellow brother under this sun. As long as I live and breathe, they
will not hurt you any more." I rose slowly from my chair, and pointed
at Toby. He rose slowly from the demolished cake, and pointed back.
Toby, my solder. Then I looked at Ferdinand, stuck my tongue out at
him. There may have been a "So there!" tossed out, I don't really
remember. There may have also been a "I could flip you out of your
wheel chair and then who would be laughing???" Things got sort of
gray and blurry at that point. It doesn't really matter. What
matters is Toby. And with that, I took my man-purse that I carry only
to look professional (there's nothing in it) and I went home.

This is a tale that has not been embellished or exaggerated in any
way. This was the truth, as I remember it. To this very day, Toby,
Reeves, and Ferdinand are all still gainfully employed, and being paid
more per hour than I have ever been paid per hour in my entire life.
Oh, the sways of justice...

Thank you, and I love you all,
Chongo

pissed at the Pumpkin Patch

2007-10-12T08:05:00.001-07:00

pissed at the Pumpkin Patch
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

I stayed at home last Saturday and watched Lainey but mainly I watched baseball. Shawn brought Ben out to a Pumpkin Patch and met up with a bunch of the Peps group. The idea was that the kids would all be so excited about pumpkins that there would be some great photos of them kissing and hugging the pumpkins - this was not the case.

They really were into the tractors and mechanical elements found on a farm but not really into what was grown there. Shawn took some vid, I will try to get that on soapbox tomorrow or tonight. Stay tuned.

Video: Ben @ the Pumpkin Patch 2007

Welcome everyone to my party

2007-10-03T12:53:00.001-07:00

Welcome everyone
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Finally offloaded the video from the camcoder of Ben's 2nd Birthday party. Thanks again for everyone coming over. It was really cool to see the huge turn out for Ben. Here is the video, it is not to long and I think I got everyone in it at some point.

Just a quick tip. If the video below has no Play button or picture showing up just hit your F5 key at the top of your keyboard to reload the page. I have been seeing this happen on my machines.

Video: Ben's 2nd Birthday Party

Blood Muh ha ha ha haaaaaaa

2007-09-30T19:40:00.001-07:00

Blood Muh ha ha ha haaaaaaa
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Ben had some fun eating some fresh Venison I shot over the weekend. He likes it best ala tar-tar like his Dad and his Dad and on and on. Then it was straight to a bath to wash off all the blood before it dried. We really like to teach our children that just because an animal was shot for the meal no point in not having a little fun in honor of its life. Ben and Lainey love Deers.

Lainey is now sleeping only half swaddled and can usually fall asleep in the crib rather than having to be soothed into sleep by Shawn or me before she can be snuk into the mobile crib. believe me that is HUGE.

The crib is mobile because she doesn't have her own room. When she is in the same room as Ben, Ben wakes her up. He moans, coughs, farts, and screams. All the things his mother does minus the snoring. Once in a while he gets up in his crib and feeds his stuffed puppies. It is not the feeding that is loud it is the talking to them. I think he would normally sign to them but it is dark therefore he can't get his point across to them to eat quietly.

Video: Ben Balloons and Blood

Red Sox Clinch Suppah

2007-09-23T08:48:00.001-07:00

Red Sox Clinch Suppah
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

BoSox clinched a playoff berth yesterday so Shawn decided that we should all go out and celebrate. She took us to the Wallingford Olympic house of pizza and red sauce. It was delish.

Lainey is starting some light sleep training. We are leaving her arms out of the swaddle and trying to get her more in the crib than in the swing. So far we have had mixed results. She cries for a bit when she goes down then winds down and sleeps, once Ben is in the room we start biting nails. Last night around midnight Ben coughed and woke her up. She finished the night after a 5 am feed in the swing. It is time for a portable crib to counter the fact that we only have one bedroom for both the littleuns.

The Fan - Pop Pop

2007-09-16T10:29:00.001-07:00

The Fan
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

This one I call The Fan. As you can see this fan has his official Seattle Mariners fleece on and his official beer and personal pizza as he sits up in the sub-nosebleeds.

So as you can probably guess we went to the Tampa-Bay game last night. I must say it was pathetic. The starting pitcher Ramerez didn't make it out of the first and gave up 4-5 runs before he left. He sucked and the crowd let him know that as he left the field with a huge sarcastic applause. Things never really improved after that. The Mariners bats have been quiet for at least 2 weeks and our pitching is all AA level.

I could go on and on but it is really hard to believe they are only 5.5 back from the Wildcard.

Mr Mary

2007-09-16T10:17:00.001-07:00

Mr Mary
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

We have this game with Ben that when he gets out of the tub, we wrap him up in the towel as if it was a habit. He is then greeted by myself or Mom in the living room "Its Mary! Hi Mary, oh please bless us Mary. He likes it and will keep pulling the towel around his head if it slips down.

pond fern

2007-09-14T21:43:00.001-07:00

pond fern
Originally uploaded by Spappy.joneS

Here is another shot from the wedding last weekend. It was a beautiful place that Josh's new inlaws have out there. This shot pond was just in back of there house (man made pond).

Just watched the worst game the sox had all year and it was against the Yanks. They blew a 5 one lead and allowed 6 runs to score in the 8th then lost it by a run. The lenght of the game was 2 minutes short from setting the all time MLB game length. The record was 4:45 tonights game was 4:43. The teams that played for the record was none other than the Sox and Stanks.

The latest game in the AM ever played occurred this year between the Tigers and the Stanks. There was a hour rain delay and the game started at 11 pm and went until 3:30 am. I watched until 3 am which was only 12 am here in the PST

Foze and Ben picking flower favs at Josh's "wedding"

2007-09-09T22:59:00.001-07:00

DSC_0033-1
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Josh had his ring ceremony this weekend out at his wife's parents house in Snohomish Washingtion. Sweet sweet grounds out there with big trees and real well kept gardens. I could have photographed that all day.

The booked photographer had to bail for some reason, better offer probably and I was asked to assume the job. I did my best. The experience was actually very educational. For a first timer I think I did OK but shooting a wedding is quite stressful, takes high levels of focus and a plan to get the results needed. I could completely see how crappy some of the business ends could be with the Bride if she didn't get the shots she wanted or was just not happy. My advice is get the money up front. I got no money just free food and cokes.

Watching PBS Sprout and Montana prt 2

2007-09-02T20:46:00.001-07:00

Watching PBS Sprout
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

All of the movies have been moved to the Microsoft version of YouTube for your enjoyment. I haven't updated all the links to the working movies in the blog but I did all of the latest ones so they will work.

In the process of looking for a solution to my movie streaming issue (see the blog below) I found some lost tape of our second part of the summer Montana trip we took. It is long but it features Ben around Grandma and Pop pop's house.

My favorite part is giving Ben his piano lesson. He shows a lot of natural ability if he can get over his stage fright of the large crowd this prodigy draws.

Video: 7-24-2007 Montana vacation prt 2

Lainey Laughs - the movie

2007-08-27T03:49:00.000-07:00

It was the first time last night. I was changing her and decided to tickle her belly and sure enough she chuckled just like Ben. Both Shawn and I immediately looked at each other for a "did you hear that?" verification.

We have been up off and on all night with her. The full moon is the culprit I think.

My isp (its free) as of late has not been giving me my monies worth. The ftp server where I place my little movies for streaming has not been active and all the old movie links are dead.

So I tried to figure what the heck I was going to do? My first thought was that I needed a new hosting service for my domains (inactive websites) and their email aka me@xsat.com which is where all my private email goes to including shawn's and nate's and a few other people.

To move all that it would cost me $60 a year on godaddy - a hosting company. Then is occurred to me I don't really need hosting just a place to dump my video files sort of exactly what youtube does for free. duh. Our friend Jill already does this with her blog just embeds the address to the youtube place where the files lives after you upload it to them. So that would work perfectly, I will do that and just leave my email and the domains as it on my free isp.

Then I remember that I work for Microsoft and that youtube is owned now by google as is blogger the site this blog is on. I thought that Microsoft had something like youtube but I couldn't remember what it was. I did a google search for Microsoft movie streaming and wha-Lah - SoapBox. Soapbox is where I am going to dump my movies now.

Video: The Chuckler II

Great Grands came for a visit

2007-08-25T08:25:00.001-07:00

Great Grands
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

And they brought along cousin Hadley with them. They came via Amtrak from Scobey, MT. Hadley met them on the train around Shelby I think, north of Great Falls were she lives with her family of 5. It was great seeing them, they all stayed in our basement suite.

We went out a few times to eat, on the last night Hadley took us all to the Ivar's Salmon House. That was a very good supper that included some desserts.

It was real sad to see them go, one saving grace was that we will see them again in November over the T-day break. We will also take the train, just the 4 of us. For some inane reason dogs are not allowed on the train, even if you have a bedroom which we do. So sadly Digger will be staying behind which rarley is the case.

Summer is forcasted as OVER in Seattle.

2007-08-08T10:24:00.001-07:00

Beating the heat
Originally uploaded by Spappy.joneS

But it is not over for sunny hot Montana. My Aunt-in-Law Em sent out these photos of a Moose in Lincoln, MT trying to beat the heat by hopping in a kiddie pool. The pool manufacture should now put on the pool packaging good for kids and Moose on hot summer days.

Apparently our weather in Seattle is going to remain cloudy and cool for the next few weeks.

Look for more of the same, Seattle meteorologist says
By Christina Siderius
Seattle Times staff reporter

Waking to gray clouds, rain sprinkles or both has become the norm in the Seattle area over the past few weeks, and forecasters say it isn't likely to change anytime soon.

"Let's just say the next two weeks don't look promising at all," said Carl Cerniglia, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Seattle.

Cerniglia said the next 10 to 14 days will be much like the past two weeks: gray skies, raindrops, with a decently nice day popping up here and there.

Since June 1 of this year, forecasters have recorded 2.84 inches of rainfall in the Seattle area, and only three days in July and one day in August were warmer than 85 degrees.

Last year, 1.5 inches of rain fell in the first four days of June, and less than .25 inches fell for the remainder of the summer in Seattle, said Cerniglia. There were 13 days where weather topped 85 degrees last year, and several days in the 90s.

"Overall, last summer was much warmer, much sunnier and a good deal drier," he said.

It's uncertain whether there will be another occasion to bust out the water wings and swimsuits before summer ends in Seattle, but Cerniglia offers his advice: "Just don't buy any new ones."

The month ends

2007-08-04T08:34:00.001-07:00

from the stands
Originally uploaded by Spappy.joneS

It was a good capper for having a month off. Last night I went to the game on some tickets that Shawn gave me for my Birthday back in March. They were real good seats. I went with my long time friend from work Tony (also a lover of baseball and a Cardinals fan) to see the BoSox lose again to the Mariners. It was a good game, not a real clean one, a slow one (3.5 hours +) sloppy on the BoSox part, Manny was useless as usual, the starting pitcher for the Mariners - Fernadez stunk up the place as did Mariners13 million $ 1st baseman Sexon who was booed during his three strikeouts. We left at the top of the 8th to beat the sell out crowd to beat the sheep.

This week of my paternity was consumed with voulenteer time at the childcare center painting for the opening of a remodle job they did on a big common space and kitchen. Also Ben contracted a serious stomach flu from a PEPs birthday party last Saturday. It was real bad, liquid from both ends for three days. 4 other kids from PEPs also caught it, 1/2 the daycare center had it yesterday, it is tearing through the town. Lots of poor hygine around.

Today we have another b-day party to hit at 11. First Me ben and digger are going to the eastside to the dog park then the bank then back before the bridges are closed for the Blue Angels at 10:30.

I go back to work on Monday and am looking forward to it.

Montana Plate - Liberty and Justice for All

2007-07-27T05:59:00.001-07:00

Montana Plate - Liberty and Justice for All
Originally uploaded by Spappy.joneS

I was able to work on my plate collection this week, I like the picture on the right due to the accidental reflection in the chrome of the grill.

I am at nearly 60 unique plates out of who knows. This state must have well over a 100 right now. I am thinking about making one for all the great casinos in the 7-11s, libraries, and daycare centers .

My first quick mock up is below, I think it would look great on a plate. The proceeds could all be donated to the MT small business administration to seed more tiny casinos and some to Bad Company (one of my favorite 70s bands) since I am ripping off their album cover of Straight Shooter. The mock up is below:

Happy Hour on the Deck aka Beating the Heat + Montana Movie Summer 2007

2007-07-24T13:19:00.001-07:00

Happy Hour on the Deck
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

It has been hot hot hot here since we have arrived. Today is the first day it has not broke 90. To be outside you needed to be in the shade or water or next to a bowl of water, so you can drink it with your lego blocks.

Today it has been threatening rain, which is why it is cooler. As I look outside now it is actually raining. The state needs it, there are fires all over the place. The sky is filled with smoke, the sun rises red for the first 90 minutes of the day and the moon is a deep yellow at night. It is actually pretty cool looking.

Video: 7-23-2007 Montana Summer Vacation 2007

Wallingford Children's Parade

2007-07-22T17:22:00.001-07:00

Wallingford Childrens Parade
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Just came across some footage of the Wallingford Children's Parade when I was capturing or whatever it is called when you take the footage from the camcoder to the PC. Anywazes it was a nice find, Ben was pretty good and the Grand Marshall for the back of his section of PEPS Local 968.

The footage stops when I had to run and and get him out of the way of another group that was marching. the Children's Center Loc. 295 or something, they are some bruziers that you don't want to mess with when they are on march, they all had been drinking in the parade assembly area and were getting pretty keyed up by the time it was our turn to march.

Video: 7-22-2007 Wallingford Children's Parade

forest fire sunrise + movie of museum of flight

2007-07-21T06:39:00.001-07:00

forest fire sunrise
Originally uploaded by Spappy.joneS

It has been a hot\dry week out here. When that happens in MT it starts to burn. The good news is there aren't any huge fires threatening cities but there are a lot of small scattered fires (lightning started) through out the area.

We have been laying low in the house during the day due to the heat. I have been watching the 1975 World Series - Red Sox vs. Reds. I got the dvds of the original telecasts from netflix. I know I am getting old but watching how Curt Gowdy and Joe Garagiola called the game and spoke about the players was so much more interesting and entertaining than listening to Joe Buck and the other stuffed shirt pretty boys of today. If you want to see what I mean rent one of the best games ever played of the world series. Game 6 of the '75 WS, you will not be disappointed even if you are not a big fan of the sport, this is 2 hours of historic baseball. It was like seeing Jimi Hendrix at Woodstock.

Oh yeah, here is one last movie in my backlog, this one is of the Albrechts and the Swifts going to the Museum of Flight at Boeing Field.

Video: 7-8-2007 Fam and the Grands @ the flight museum

Q400 Horizon to Montana

2007-07-19T10:27:00.001-07:00

Q400 Horizon
Originally uploaded by Spappy.joneS

As usual Horizon somehow stooped to a 2 out of 5 for an overall rating. Rather than make this a big bitch session I will just make a quick list on the pluses and minuses.

First the positive:

Great friendly service from Horizon
TSA agents were very very kind and helpfull getting our dog, two kids, double stroller and all of my electronic gear through the screen in under 15 minutes.
The Bombardier Q400 is a favorite aircraft of mine
We choose asile seats across from each other hoping the window seats would stay vacant. We got lucky. Both kids are under 2 and were "lap kids"
Aircraft landed on its wheels, stopped and was not on fire or in pieces.
Luggage made it to Helena

Now the negitive:

We sat on the tarmac for more than 30 minutes after boarding.
To save fuel they don't power cabin HVAC while sitting on the tarmac which results in a cabin with depleted oxygen, high relative humidity and an ambient temp over 90 degrees.
Sat extra long in Great Falls because they counted 2 extra people on board after the Great Falls folks got off the aircraft and we were ready to leave. This took at least 15 additional minutes at 12:15 am and yes with out the HVAC running and all children in the cabin were pretty pissed off they were not in a climate controlled bed. Adults were wishing they had some stiff drinks and some pain killers, at least some of those ear muff things the ground crew use, and a fan.

Long story short we needed to be picked up in 2 rigs last night. Thanks Barb and Tom for staying up so late, once home it took a couple hours to settle everyone down including myself, couldn't sleep. I am reading a book about baseball called The Five Seasons by Roger Angel.
The part about the 1975 season is so good I can't put it down. More on that next post.

Silver stairs and red hairs + (new movie)

2007-07-18T12:36:00.001-07:00

Silver stairs
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

My folks have been in town for the last week. I dropped them off this raining morning (yeah free water). Tonight we, all 5 of us fly out to Helena (Digger, Ben, eLaine, Shawn, big Jeff) on the 8:30 flight. We have friend staying here and watching the place. We have air conditioning which makes us a very popular place on the block.

update as requested by Jill on my paternity leave. I miss my 8 hours off spent in Redmond daily when not on paternity. People all react to how sweet it is to "have a month's vacation". I just look at them and laugh. What a vacation, I would love to be able to charge vacation seekers looking for this unique vacation experience.

Our house was painted by a crew. It looks great. I still need to bust out the gutters myself when I get back. Here is an update on my original list.

~~Nap, catch up on rest if that is possible with our current situation.~~
Tune up the '71 VW Bus - valve adjustment, suspension lube, timing, points, belt, etc

~~Visit with my folks that are coming out from NH~~
Visit Helena MT
~~Take Ben to his 8am Saturday swim lessons (ouch) already missed last weeks~~
~~Police the painting crew working on our house~~
~~Take the kids to see the sockeye running in the locks~~
~~Dev. some site items for the WSC (I am the new webmaster)~~
Finish a bio I am reading on Einstein
Find the cure for Colic
Tear off the wooden gutters and facia board on the house and garage -> replace somehow.
This one should probably be first - start exercising again and ~~start eating things other than sugar and things with sugar as the main nutritional ingredient~~
~~Get real about what can actually be done on this list.~~

I would write more and I will once we are in Montana. I have to start packing and do a bunch of other things before we leave for the airport tonight.

Still working through the back log of movies, this one is from July 4th. It is short, Ben is playing with the hose out back, it is pretty funny.

Video: 7-4-2007 Ben loves the hose

She is on my list!

2007-07-10T07:48:00.001-07:00

She is on my list!
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Ben has been going to a preschool twice a week and he seems to be adjusting very well. At first he would cry and wail when we left him in his classroom. I would usually hang out until he was deeply distracted or I just had to get going. One thing is for sure he comes home absolutely filthy. Last night Shawn stripped him outside and he went straight to the bath.

Currently it is 7:43 am. 71 F. Not a good sign this early in the morning. I have some outdoor work to do today to prep for the painters arriving on Thursday to finally paint our exterior. I had every intention of painting it myself but it would not have been done very soon or the orderly efficient fashion I demand of all my projects.

Ben goes to his 4 hour day camp today with some of his PEP friends.

Time to release my next backlogged movie to the world. Not sure which one it will be, I think I have 3 more shorts left for the public.

Video: 7-5-2007 the day after the forth of july

Heat Wave

2007-07-09T23:42:00.000-07:00

Starting Tuesday, the Seattle-area temperature is expected to soar to around 90 degrees and climb to the mid-90s on Wednesday and Thursday, the National Weather Service in Seattle says. Lower temperatures won't return until Friday.

"We live in an old craftsman with no (air conditioning) and I can barely take it now," Billings said in his shorts, echoing many Seattleites' sentiments. "It's going to be tough to be in the car, to sleep at night -- just bearing it. We're not going to be able to escape."

Temperatures are expected to be 15 to 20 degrees higher than normal, and record highs could either be matched or broken, a Weather Service spokesman said.

Children's Museum - Seattle with the whole Fam

2007-07-07T06:53:00.000-07:00

Moneyville: where you can play the stock market, pre-date options
buy and sell on insider info, learn how to margin your house, learn how to
"buy" a mortgage from WaMu, how to extend the equitiy on your house
for SUV purchases and vacations. Learn how to
obtain, manage, and lose credit through a series of fun debt to
income ratio games. Next month the museum is proud to present
Casino Daze sponsored by the Washington State Gambling
Commission and the Skagit Casino and Adult entertainment resort

Here is the next installment of the video backlog. All four of us went to the children's museum a week ago.

This morning Ben and I are going to some swim lessons over at the ProClub in Bellevue, I think I have all ready written about these in my list for the month post. We need to leave in about 15 minutes so I am out of here. Enjoy the flick if you watch it.

Children's Museum '07 (23.1 MB .wmv)

A cool summer morning in Wallingford (a movie)

2007-07-06T08:25:00.001-07:00

Food Scrub
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Yesterday we had a visit from one of the PEP's mothers (Clarissa). She brought over some herbs for Laine to see if they may help her through the cyclical bouts of colic. So far so good, little Lainey slept well last night.

The cold that ripped into every but me last week may be taking hold on my nose and throat. I am going to mega dose the airborne to try to squash it early. I need to do some siding work on the house today before the painters start next week.

Ben goes to school today and is watching curious george with this breakies.

There is some backlog of short flix that I had on the handicam that are now almost all produced and ready for public consumption. There are about 4 in all and this is the start of them. It is a little montage from June when Grandma Babs was out solo. The mornings were down in the high 40's and it was appropriate to have a fire for heat.

A Cool Summer Morning in Wallingford (4.8 MB .wmv)

4th of July backyard bingo

2007-07-05T08:31:00.001-07:00

tthe 2 most beautiful women in my life
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

We stuck around the neighborhood yesterday for the most part. Ben and I made one errand on foot to the PCC but other than that we were 100% carbon neutral to borrow the term from big Al Gore.

We live about 4 blocks from Gasworks were the main firework display is held. We are at ground zero. They estimate that 60,000 people attend the event every year, so on street parking is at a premium for the people that are not carbon neutral that day. Therefore our cars don't move all day.

Lainey was up for 17 hours straight, no sleep and it wasn't because of the bombs going off, I think it was because of Salmon.

Ben and I enjoyed some Yukon River Chinook in the afternoon after he woke up from a short nap. We think his 2 yr molars are pushing there way up. He is rubbing his nose and mouth a lot.

After the fish we all went out back and watch Ben water the plants (play with the hose).

The girls are upstairs sleeping in, they both need it. Ben and I are downstairs to keep things quiet for them. We are watching some ondemand Comcast, the line up you ask? 1. Telletubbies 2. Bob the Builder 3. Barney and friends. Bob is the best by far, Telletubbies is interesting but very odd as if there is something evil going on under the hood, barney is just lame, it is the 1st time ben has seen it.

Laine and Lavender

2007-07-03T23:11:00.001-07:00

Laine and Lavender
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Little Lainey has been doing pretty well since last Friday night - Saturday morn. I cut a bunch of Lavender while the family was out on an inspection walk of the Gasworks 4th preparations. Not sure if it really helps but it sure does smell like it would. That flower must be one of my favorite smells, so is burning alder under Chinook, or burning jet fuel, or unleaded gas, or the smell of a wet spring morning in sweet grass country aka Montana, or the smell of snowfall. With a nose the size of mine you smell a lot. Anyway go cut some lavender in the morning soon, it is in bloom and take it into your bedroom and put it on your night stand. It may bring sweet dreams.

ICL (infant care leave)

2007-07-01T23:11:00.001-07:00

Digger looking both ways before the intersection.
Originally uploaded by Spappy.joneS

My paternity leave begins tomorrow for a month. I think it is one of the coolest things that Microsoft does for its employees. Wether you adopt or roll your own kid every employee qualifies. It will be really nice to help off load Shawn with the daily requirements of our two little ones. I hope to also get a few other things down over the month:

Nap, catch up on rest if that is possible with our current situation.
Tune up the '71 VW Bus - valve adjustment, suspension lube, timing, points, belt, etc
Visit with my folks that are coming out from NH
Visit Helena MT
Take Ben to his 8am Saturday swim lessons (ouch) already missed last weeks
Police the painting crew working on our house
Take the kids to see the sockeye running in the locks
Dev. some site items for the WSC (I am the new webmaster)
Finish a bio I am reading on Einstein
Find the cure for Colic
Tear off the wooden gutters and facia board on the house and garage -> replace somehow.
This one should probably be first - start exercising again and start eating things other than sugar and things with sugar as the main nutritional ingredient
Get real about what can actually be done on this list.

That list has about a 7% chance of 100% completion. I like the nap item, I can do that one. The trip to the locks isn't that out of reach. 8 am swim lessons with little B is not bad, we both like water but neither of us are morning people, we will need caffine for sure. Not sure about the read a book one and the sugar one, well I doubt I will have any time to focus on that.

Mr. Tired and Ms. Unhappy (from Gangie's photos)

2007-06-30T23:34:00.001-07:00

Mr. Tired and Ms. Unhappy (from Gangie's photos)
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Here is a shot of me and my lady eLaine. We had a real rough night last night together. Probably the worst, both Shawn and I were right at the breaking point. Sometimes when you get your ass kicked like that it does strange things to your mind. Clears all the other petty garbage housed in there and simplifies things.

I have been complaining about the colic our little blessing has like it is the worst thing in the world. That is really how I felt unfortunately. Today I was reminded how trivial it really is. I thought about some of the friends we have and the issues they have with their little ones. They really make colic seem like a good thing to have to deal with rather than many other conditions that can strike infants. So I want to apologize to those friends if they read this. I am sorry I lost perspective on the entire picture. I have seen and heard about what you are going through.

Hey Babe

2007-06-20T06:38:00.001-07:00

DSC_0139-1
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Great comment from Em left on our flickr site....

achnacroish says:

So, Babe, it's been kind of noisy around here with the new Sis and the colic, yah know ... so was wondering if you'd like to meet me tonight for drinks - - - - some place quiet - how does the Four Seasons sound? Will have to sneak out of the crib and the bedroom window, so I'll just meet you there. May bring Digger for proctection - we'll save him a bone. Wear that backless red dress I like, okay?
Chaou - Big Ben
Posted 16 hours ago. ( permalink | delete )

2007-06-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

My last post was on June 3rd? Interesting, that was right around when Shawn's Mom left. Having 3 on two coverage helps tons. That way I can go hide in the garage or oil door hinges in the basement, critical stuff that must be taken care of. Rumor has it that Barb and Tom may be returning next week sometime. We honestly miss them, the extra hands are more than welcome and most of all "Misery loves company."

(Wallingford) June 16th, Just when you thought things couldn't get worse

One of the last things you feel like doing when you have some downtime is to update your blog, your mind is instanly on other things, generally sleep or completing work you were unable to do because your mind is impaired from interrupted sleep patterns for 5+ weeks. We keep thinking that "Today is the worse day yet" then the following day is worse.

I have some advice to give parents out there that think their infant may have colic. If you are wondering if your child has colic - it doesn't. Here is the best site I have read on the colic topic. Naturally it was given to me from the Healy's who have earned the colic combat badge.

The camera is out and I intend to snap some shots today, I keep getting messages urging me to update the flickr site with fresh photos of Elaine. I will try. Perhaps I can even get some great colic footage, maybe a time lapse of a big colic wave that lasts 9-12 hours.

grandma, ben and little lainey

2007-06-03T21:43:00.001-07:00

grandma, ben and little lainey
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS

Ben's and Elaine's Grandma Barb left a couple days ago. She came out for a week to do all the work. Grandpa Tom had to stay home and work so it was her first solo since I have been in the picture. Grandma help out a tremendous amount and both the little ones and the bigger ones were very happy to have her presence in the house. We were all sad that she had to go back to work but such is life.

The colic seems a bit better or we are just getting used to it. Shawn was up with Laine from 2 to 6 last night. She had slept all day (Laine) and didn't really seem to want to sleep last night and remained fussy fussy fussy.

Ben is still doing great with the transition. He is cracking us up all the time with his silly antics which is nice to have every now and again. He always wants to be outside doing things, driving, sweeping, hosing, etc. When he is not doing that he is inside walking the house or wanting to have a book read to him. He is a great son. Got to run my shift is about to begin upstairs.

Colic

2007-05-27T20:55:00.002-07:00

Elaine has colic. Everyone, but mainly Shawn has been dealing with it for over a week now. Usually it hits the hardest at night, typically after midnight. It is getting to the point where Shawn and I are taking shifts to help comfort the little baby girl. Watching what she is going through just rips you apart as a parent. She will be in your arms, she doesn't like to be put down, and all of the sudden her little legs will kick up into her chest then the wailing begins for about four minutes, inconsolable balling and writhing. It is terrible to watch and to try to help. Nothing seems to do anything to eliminate the symptoms. I can not understand why the medical monkeys have made absolutely no progress on treating colic. They have cured penile dysfunction for the limp, yet nothing for infants with colic. They don't know what causes it, they DON'T EVEN KNOW if it is mental or physical for the love of Pete. Pediatrics are pretty impotent when it comes to babies in extreme pain the first 6 weeks of their lives. I will stop here before I really get on a rant. But if your child has had colic I feel for you brothers and sisters, it is a god damned nightmare.

Last week at work I felt like I had just gotten back from 3 nights in Vegas without the fun nor the debt just burnt out. We had had constant night ops for a week prior to my returning to work on Wednesday. For instance, my first day back after 2 weeks out started around 4 am just as some heavy colic cycles were ending. I decided to go in around 4:30 so that I could get back early that afternoon and relieve Shawn of at least one of the two little ones. My lasting memory of that morning will be the smell as I was leaving the house to go to the Urban Assault Rig. I think the air was as clean as it can get in this city, as they say "spring was in the air" and it smelled awesome, it reminded me of growing up in the country. Give that smell one hour of commuter traffic and it is history.

The following day I arrived at work at 11am, but I had got up at 5am to take over with Elaine and let Shawn go to sleep. She had been up since 11:30 pm. I took Elaine outside in her Moses basket, my left hand held the reins and walked the yard. Elaine finally settled around 5:50am and I did some gardening chores until Ben rose at his usual 7:15am. To offload Shawn and let the two girls rest, noise free, I fed Ben then we went to the Ballard Locks.

It was one of those mornings that you read about. Crystal clear, sunny, perfect. If you haven't been to the locks I suggest you go soon. The entrance is very park -like, I suppose it is a park and very well kept. Super lush this time of year, the American Chestnut trees were in massive bloom, these had red clusters of flowers rather than the standard street faire of white. We walked around for about an hour or 90 minutes. Ben seemed to be having a good time. He found some bird shit that had just fallen from the sky and promptly began to finger paint with its warm lumpy translucence. Being a good half-assed father I knew it was prudent to find a head and wash up. This came to mind after I had wiped his hands off with a dollar bill. Washingtons are not very effective and it occurred to me US currency is probably more foul than the bird poop. So I made it to work at 11am that day. It was a pretty great morning given the circumstances.

When was the last time you were tired from lack of sleep? Was it from a night or two of travel or partying? Something that didn't last long and you could catch up fairly quickly by staying in watching some sitcoms and going to bed early. Did it go on and on every night for several weeks? A chain of 3 hour nights for 10 days? Was it completely frustrating, crushing, and exhausting? Like it was in Vietnam? Did you go to bed every night and not know if you would be up in 5 hours or 4 minutes? Was it 4:45am and there was no sleep in your future for 18 hours with the working day about to start - most of all did you have an infant in your arms that sounds like she has been helplessly dying all night? That is the meat hook in the heels. You are not up for just a 1 hour feeding and it is back to the sack. You are up because a 10 pound angel just woke up everyone and thing in the house and the neighbor's houses. There is no poor poor me running through your head if you are strong and responding by rolling out and going to the poor poor baby. If adults had colic god help you, we wouldn't make it a day without levels of narcotics that would make you babble and drool.

So yeah weeks straight like this is tiring but not as bad as having colic. Last night I went to bed around 12:30 and didn't get up until 6 and then I had a 3 hour nap while Ben was down later in the day. Today was like heaven, and it was gray and wet the perfect combo for day sleeping. There is an end in site to the suffering. It is easy to lose that perspective when your in the thick of it.

Trying to impress the management to get a summer postion on the patiobussing like his Dad

2007-05-22T23:00:00.001-07:00

Trying to impress the management to get a summer postion on the patio bussing like his Dad
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Ben and I met Nate-dog (The Godfathah) down the street at Ivar's Salmon house. The patio was open and it got really sunny just as we were leaving. But as we were leaving the house, Ben was sweeping up Our patio with his favorite green broom. Shawn was right there and I asked her to "Watch this" I grabbed the broom from Ben with one hand with the other I caught him just as he was intentionally buckling his legs due to the redline meltdown that went from 0 degrees to critical mass in less than a second. So I scooped him up as he was on his way down to the concrete to have a good wail.

He cried and moaned all the way to Ivars (only 3 minutes by car) but was in good spirits by the time we were deploying from our Urban assault vehicle (honda element).

Things went OK at lunch with Nate. The highpoint for me was when Nate handed Ben, who was in my lap, his ice water lid barely affixed and Ben then proceeded to drink it like a sippy cup but it wasn't a sippy cup, well you can guess what happened next. Lots of ice cold water right were men and boys least like cold water. Ben's beans and wienies were shielded of course by his diaper. As long as Nate was happy that is all we could ever want.

As we were finishing up, I put Ben down to walk around and check things out. It wasn't a minute until he was bee lining to a broom across the entire patio in a dark corner behind some garbage cans. When it was time to leave I turned to Nate and said "Watch this" and you know now what happens next.

Here is the latest from our motion picture studio:
Elaine going home (10.4 MB)

Ben with the River Otters

2007-05-22T00:17:00.001-07:00

Ben with the River Otters
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Ben and I had a busy day. So fun and busy he chose to skip his nap. We first went to Ikea to take care of some business then is was home for lunch - a nap attempt then on to the Woodland Park Zoo.

Shawn and Elaine stayed home and caught up on some rest and i am sure there was some milk involved with their time together. Shawn is starting to see a pattern developing with the feed sleep cycles that is making things easier. There are still the occasional long fussy sessions in the middle of the night but those are getting less and less. Elaine is an eating machine, she loves milk and formula when there is no milk available. She doesn't burp much and really doesn't puke any at all so she is just a little growing young lady.

Back to the zoo visit. Ben first yelled and screamed at the peacock, then the goats that were in the pen with the peacock. Then he thought the Cobra was hilarious as well as a couple of crocks. After a while he decided that pushing around the stroller into fences, bushes and people was much more amusing than looking at captive wildlife, I can concur. The crows that were around the trails would get him to stop and point, he doesn't know the crow word yet so he was naming them ah-maah. He learned the sign for mouse yesterday but we didn't see any around the zoo. The zoo probably holds off on dropping mice in the snake cages until the children leave, this is Seattle you know. When I was young I remember a Boston zoo trip where they fed a tank of piranhas the hind legs of a dairy cow.

Tomorrow is my last day before my return to work. Kind of sad, I have been really having a good time with Ben, we are best buds now by spending every day together for 10 days or at least 7 or so since the GPs left. Kids are a lot of work but what you get in return is so much more.

This was the stat board in the hospital

2007-05-18T06:21:00.001-07:00

Elaine's b-day 099
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Shawn may be able to provide more accuracy on the numbers but Lainey was only 2oz from her birth weight as of yesterday. That is always good news to hear with a new born. The ubber petite baby doll strapped on 6oz in 3 days. She was 9 pounds on Monday and @ yesterday noon 9.6. That explains the cluster feedings at all hours of the night. Neither of us are used to that sort of voraciousness. The phrase "How can she want more?" is often heard at all hours of the day in our 24 hour breeder facility located here on the North Shore of Lake Union. Yesterday was her first appointment with the Ped. She said Elaine is tiger and to come back in 2 months. So it was a full green light with no concerns. Just have to keep this reactor fed. Thing of the cell division going on over the past 9 months in her little body.

Going to do some early morning gardening. Picked up some plants yesterday for the parking strip and want them in prior to Big Ben's next sounding. He helped me yesterday plant a bunch of herb plants, needed a bath right after the effort but he got it done.

Last eve I grilled up some Yellow-eye Rockfish from AK that I bought up in Ballard on 20th and 80. Very fresh. It was marinaded in Olive oil and lemon, then grilled for about 9-10 minutes. Afterwhich we drizzeled some basil\garlic BUTTER (yeah!) over it. Quite tasty. The copper river was in and looking very hot and sexy but at 29 a pound a little rich for my blood. There was some troll caught king from N.CA for 20 that nearly got me. Instead I went for 2 lbs of Braughts and some Smoked Black Cod. More bang for the buck. Hey braughts for lunch? Could be shaping into a double grill day.

One Day Heat Wave

2007-05-15T23:50:00.001-07:00

My best bud Big Ben
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Great times today. Last night only went until about 3 am. Lainey slept very well from about 10 - 1 something then wanted some milk. We just missed the Barb and Tom leaving. They got up about 3:30am to make it back to Helena MT to TCB (Take care of business) - they made it with time to spare. I think we were all up by about 6 except Ben, he slept in until 7:15 . Sleep is wasted on the youth.

Today was the first day we flew solo with out external experts in since our big day on the 9th when Lainey got out. Barb and Tom were awesome to have here as always but particularly the past week.

We had a mini heat wave for May today. The thermo hit 87 in the shade out in our yard. After Big Ben's morning nap he and I headed on up to Woodland Park Zoo to the rose garden, that isn't even close to blooming but it has cool fountains and good gravel and grass for Ben to walk his stroller. We were going to go into the zoo but though it could wait until tomorrow afternoon when it is a bit cooler. The infernal heat has already broke. The temp dropped tonight 30 degrees in about 3 hours, quite dynamic for the PacNW. We usually do about 20 degrees over a 24 hour period. Must be some kind of record for a free fall on May 15 - the ides of May.

Don't give your kids milkshakes that are laced with espresso. After the zoo's garden Ben and I went to Tully's to slake our thirst and get a nap in a cup. A vente espresso shake, I was going to get a yerba mate shake but remembered my last expresso shake and thought a ditto was in order. So there I was sitting on a kiddie table in my Tom Sellic aloha shirt and ray ban aviators with 500 calories with 3 shots in my hand. Not thinking about the 3 shots I shared the shake with my best bud Ben. He loves items in my strict diet.

Now if I was smart I would have realized that giving a 20 month year old some of my nap in a cup was not recommended by Dr. Spock or Dr Ruth. Well I paid for it tonight. Ben is my responsibility for the most part minus feeding him, so when I put him down tonight after he laid his head on a broom in the living room I thought he was ready to sleep. Well how wrong could I be. It took 90 minutes and countless trips into his room to settle him down. The heat didn't help matters it was 77 degrees in his room nor did the Alaskan yard party up the street nor did Joe the dumb ass ice cream truck that blares a 30 second loop of bad carnival music at a "the Who" concert level all that on top of the biggest hit of caffeine he has ever had.

I think it is time for me to hit the hay, I think that I am finally getting tired. My nap was cut short by the sun creeping in to our curtain less bedroom this afternoon after the shake. When I woke up I felt like I passed out in a parking lot in Memphis in July. I can hear Shawn upstairs with Elaine so that is really it for the day......

Dreaming about Milk River (five days old)

2007-05-15T02:35:00.001-07:00

Dreaming about Milk River (five days old)
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Nocturnal babies can't help being awake at night. If you think about it they are rocked all day long as the mother takes care of business. In Shawn's case it was working right up to the week Laine and Ben were born. All day they are getting jostled around in their nice 98 degree hot tub and lulled into their sleep cycles. Then night falls the breeder goes to sleep all the night ebb and flow stops and wah lah they are awake, kicking and punching and wanting some stimulus. It takes a little while for them to get on the cycles us non-fish are accustom to .

My suggestion to expecting mothers if they would like to avoid the dreaded 3rd shift (night shift) is to quit work early like in the 16th week and start cleaning your house, driving around, doing the shopping, cooking for your fat ass husband all night long and then sleep all day. Then when the blessed event comes you are the one having to switch and not the newly arrived land mammal. This would really make it a lot easier on the husbands and we like our night time sleep cycle. I suppose another option is for the husband start working 3rd shift at a bakery or the dump perhaps the port of seattle and then come home and sleep while the little one is sleeping - in the daylight. Although that will only be a temporary fix because soon the little water creature will switch to the life of the upright in a mere month or two.

Lainey had her first Dr appointment on the outside today. When she left the hospital on Friday she weighted 8 lb 13 oz, today she is back to 9.05 lb. That is very good and explains our hungry little girl. That is like me going to Vienna for a week with Fosie and gaining 10 lb on drinking beer all night and sleeping all day but that is another story.

Big brother Ben has been really heart wrenching when Laine is crying . He will get tears welling up in his eyes and look like he is really sad walk over to where Laine is being held and lean his head on the chair. I kills me it is so sweet. Things should be quieting down around here in about a 1/2 hour so I should get ready for bed.

First Night Home and Flowers

2007-05-12T22:29:00.001-07:00

DSC_0131
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

We just want to thank everyone for their kind notes, thoughts and for all the flowers send to the hospital. They can really add some sunshine and color to those sterile environments. The nurses were very impressed by them and were trying to loot them. We brought them all home. Today I re-cut and changed the water to prolong their blooms.

Last night was a night that defines parents. It was a night that determines what kind of mettle you have under constant superior firepower.

The night really started rolling around 11 I think. Shawn was trying to put little Lainey in the Moses basket (See picture below). She slept or at least stayed quiet and still for 15 - 20 minutes before the hysterical crying began. The only thing that would put her back to rest was the mummahs boob. We tried everything for hours on end. Hard swattles, gripe water, some sort of herbal anti-acid, shaking, more trips to Mom's Country Dairy than we care to mention, burping, changing, bouncing, she did like be held but after a few would burst again. We are not rookies, we were getting concerned, since she was making BMs blockage was ruled out, no fever and not puking. We figured she must be hungry, is only 3 days old and we need to suck it up. I went out to the garage around 2:30am to fire up the baby swing that runs on 4 Ds the neighbors gave us. Nothing worked! Called Ballard Swedish's Baby Center - they are up all night anyway. They said give her formula, fill-er up and get some sleep, little Laine is just hungry because the milk is not running hard enough. But the important think is that it was flowing.

The details are pretty fuzzy right now but I think Shawn fed her Uhgain then I took her out to the living room to give Shawn a rest. I got a nice big burp out of the little dumplin, rocked her a bit and then carefully laid down on the couch and we both went to sleep for about 2 hours when she was hungry again. It was a miracle, 2 hours of sleep is delicious. At that point it was light out, I wanted Shawn to keep sleeping so I leaned over and grabbed the formula at the foot of the couch put it to her mouth and she went after it. Once she drank it up I burped her and within seconds we were both sleeping like babies. That is they way it is supposed to work when you are a veteran of many night-ops.

Today was a breeze, Barb and Tom got up when Ben started up, I think at that point I went to bed and slept heavy to 10 am. Not that bad over all, I haven't slept to 10 for many months. Lainey was an angel today, she would eat then sleep just like a 3 day year old. I am optimistic about tonight, night 4, Laine is 25% older than yesterday. There are not many people can say that more than once in their lives.

Lainey is home

2007-05-11T22:54:00.001-07:00

Lainey in our bedroom in the Moses baskey
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

We were able to leave Ballard Swedish this morning around 10 or 11 am or so, we have completely lost track of time or rather don't care what time it is. We were really happy to hear that we could leave after only 2 nights. The breeder center was filled to capacity and they were motivated to get us moving on our way. Last night they even made us back up out stuff and move to a smaller room with a shared bath and shower. It was like a euro socialized birthing hostel or some crap. The good thing was the bed that Shawn was in was longer and her feet were not hanging off the end of it.

I was on this pull out couch thing that was waif size. My legs were hanging off the end of it when I was laying across it. I felt like an NBA player except I know I am only avg height. Shawn suggested that I pull the rocking chair over to the end of it and let my feet and legs rest on that. It was a great idea then i fell to sleep with the sounds of TVs from other rooms and toilets flushing near my head. All in all it was a great experience and will not deter me from wanting a 3rd little one.

Shawn and baby Laine are now resting quietly in our bedroom probably for the next hour at best. Now comes the dark itchy curtain of weeks of sleep deprivation and not being able to find things or remember why you are standing in Safeways.

Baby girl Swift's Name has been released

2007-05-10T15:20:00.001-07:00

Baby girl swift
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

It is located in the movie below. I forgot what is was but I know I had it in the movie of the day of our life yesterday.

Things went quite well last night. Syssie probably slept a combine total of 5 hours I would say, we got about 4 ish. We are both a little burnt today but seeing this cute little bundle of joy washes it all away.

It was a noisy night in the hospital. It went from nearly full vacancy to needing overflow rooms on another floor with in about 6 hours, about 30 babies were born in Ballard Swedish last night. Lots of hustle and bustle, doors slamming, equipment being moved around and screaming. We slapped in a Seinfeld dvd and let it run all night to drown out the din around us.

Shawn was up and around already. i think she first was on her feet around 7 or 8 and has been walking around ever since but i might add has only changed one diaper to my 12.

We had some visitors today and have more coming in tonight. Always a great unique time to hang with friends in the hospital really the only best time to see people while living in a health facility. I am beat and can't think of anything else to say right now so here is the movie....

Little Sissies big day in Ballard (.wmv 12 MB)

rocking Jello boy

2007-05-10T14:55:00.001-07:00

rocking Jello boy
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Here is a quick vid of Basement Ben playing with a broom and digger. It was on the camera prior to his sisters arrival and I have to get it up here because i like it and the basement is finished. I will never talk about the basement project again, the next one, the next big one is painting the exterior of the house. That will be starting in earnest in July when I go on paternity leave for the month. Because with 2 kids you can get so much done.

Basement Ben (.wmv 6.25 MB)

15 mph on the dry land luge run

2007-04-29T00:01:00.001-07:00

15 mph on the dry land luge run
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

We had another lovely spring day here in the Pac NW. The whole family all four of us with the big bun in the oven went up to the park after we got some coffees then we watched Ben train for his Olymipic trials for the single men's luge. Not sure if he has the weight and size to qualify for Vancouver 2010 but his is a hopeful. I think the min. height is something like over 37 inches or taller than mickey mouse figure's raised hand that is at the top of all Olympic luge runs to keep the Jr Olymipcs seeded with contenders.

Shawn is full term as of last week. The Dr said he her it a 50% chance of entering labor prior to the due day of the 9th. So we are both carrying our cel phones and not screening eachother's calls until the blessed event is upon us. Oh yes, as you can see Ben's nose is fully healed is less than a week.

Ben's Latest Action Movie (7 minutes)

We were up at Jackie's on the corner and Ben was playing "show me yourbelly" is was super funny

2007-04-22T22:21:00.001-07:00

We were up at Jackie's on the corner and Ben was playing "show me your belly" is was super funny
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Shawn was busy much of the weekend so it was a lot of me and Ben time. As you can see he dinged up his nose yesterday under my care. But he needs to get used to having a Swift nose. I told him blood from the outside is good, blood from the inside after impact is probably a trip to the thousand dollar photobooth in the ER. He took it well and I think it looks great. It happened while he was playing with digger, Ben was swinging my garden shovel around at digger who was biting the steel blade when Ben took a mini header from his knees.

The movie linked below is of just some fun stuff. Some indoor and some out. I will try to get some footage of Ben in his dryland luge sled. He has a run out on the sidewalk in the front of the house. He certainly already digs speed. Probably time for a helmet. I think the movie is about 5 minutes long so enjoy.

Ben's late April 2007 movie (5 minutes)

The painting has begun

2007-04-15T01:02:00.000-07:00

Ran five coats of different paints in the basement today.

Primer on the wainscoating
Two flat white on the ceiling
Two antique white over the primer on the wainscoating

How could I possibly run five coats in a day you ask? Well it is all possible with my newly arrived XR7 spraying system. I bought it off the internet at a spray place down in New Mexico, it was 40 bucks cheaper than HD plus know tax and free shipping. I love seeing the smaller shops beat HD on products. The gun worked great, ceilings are still difficult only because it is hard to see what is covered and wet and what is not. Included in this post is some shots of the garden springing up nicely and a video update of the basement. Nice and short.

Today's Video (small)

Easter Footage

2007-04-10T21:16:00.001-07:00

Ben climbing on the gym
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Sorry for the long delay between posts. We have been very busy here at the homestead with nesting activities. This is a long movie, you may want to view it over a few days unless you are a grandparent, then you will be on the edge of your seat with this action packed movie.Shawn is due to give birth one month from today at Ballard Swedish Hospital. We went over there as seasoned vets to check out the place. It was a tour - most of the people as part of the tour group were first timers. Pretty funny the different perspectives. They have no idea what is ahead. I remember when I was in their shoes. Enjoy.

Easter 2007 and a few other things 19MB

Latest short flims released to the public

2007-03-23T21:20:00.000-07:00

We have a couple exciting non-stop action shortz for your viewing enjoyment. No picture posted for this post. I haven't had the Nikon out for a few weeks. Blame it on the weather and lack of good light.

The first short is of Ben and the G-parents from Clancy MT. They came out for a short visit, way to short, last weekend. You can see the that Ben is really improving his bepedal skillz.

March Visit from Montana

The second feature presentation is a short of my basement reclamation project. The goal and commitment is to increase the habital space in this shack for our ever expanding pioneer family here in the untamed Northwest Territory. You will see some of my post-graduate studies harnessed for the good of man rather than evil.

Basement Reclaimation Project - Northwest Territory/Wallingford district

Thanks for your viewership

Ben is walking

2007-03-03T23:33:00.001-08:00

bensmile
Originally uploaded by Spappy_joneS.

Ben can walk across the living room now. This is pretty new in the last week or so. He really digs it, gets very excited and likes to just go back and forth between Me and Shawn. There is a little bit of that in the movie below. There is also some from the plane and Ben just being Ben.

One scene is where I had turned my back to fill up on some tea, Came back in the room and bam!

Shawn is going though some close our friends gave us for Khandi, the little one due in mid-May. Very different colors than the stuff Ben was wearing. Lots of pinks and florals, should be pretty cute on Khandii.

Movie of Ben starting to walk 2-28-07

Tea stain designs

2007-02-23T12:36:00.000-08:00

As a daily Black tea drinker this development in tea cup and mug surface design is a stroke of brilliance. Naturally the breakthrough occured in England, a country that takes is tea drinking to a proper extreame. Artist Bethan Laura Wood created the process that reveals the stain designs overtime.

from her site:

Stain is a set of a teacups designed to improve through use. This project examines the assumption that use is damaging to a product (For example, scratches on an iPod).The interior surface of the cup is treated so as to stain more in predetermined places. The more the cups are used, the more the pattern is revealed. Over time they will build up an individual pattern dependent on the users personal way of drinking tea.

When Marine Mammals Attack

2007-02-16T07:16:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was out on the deck of the condo and had been watching some bottlenose swimming pretty close to the beach. I figured I should at least get some film of the fins swimming by but as the camera was rolling the casual finning along the beach turned to a scene of death.

Dolphin Attack movie

And here is some file footage I took in the San Juan islands, on San Juan island a couple years ago with Shawn and some friends. Had to add it here because it is of the bottlenose dolphin's big brother.

Orcas below movie

We return home tomorrow with sorry. The trip was way to quick and the weather could have been much better. There are actual freeze warnings just inland of the island we are on.

Four more weeks of light at night this year.

2007-02-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

At 2 a.m. on March 11, groggy Americans will turn their clocks forward one hour, marking the beginning of Daylight Saving Time (DST).At 2 a.m. on October 29, groggy Americans will turn their clocks back one hour, marking the end of Daylight Saving Time (DST).-->
The federal law that established "daylight time" in this country does not require any area to observe daylight saving time. But if a state chooses to observe DST, it must follow the starting and ending dates set by the law. From 1986 to 2006 this has been the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, but starting in 2007, it will be observed from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November, adding about a month to daylight saving time. (See: New Federal Law.)

Footages of Florida

2007-02-14T09:39:00.001-08:00

Tortuga nesting season
Originally uploaded by spappyjones.

As promised here are some vids of the action taking place over the course of the trip thus far:

Part 1 :Ben's 1st flight

Part 2: Swimming Lessons, Beach tour and Breakfast

Warm and humid currently 76F and 96% humidity, I like it. Ben is napping and we are about to hit the beach for a walk.

My Pops is in Logan (Bos) trying to get clearance for take-off. Looks like they are holding most or all of the flights in "delay" status. We will see if the poor guy ever gets here. Serves him right for choosing work over a planned family gig.

Not much else to report just eating plenty and taking some naps. May go swimming later. That is what it is like around here in phase 2 of Sanibel Arms West.

Sunday then Monday

2007-02-12T21:09:00.001-08:00

Sunday
Originally uploaded by spappy_jones.

Sunday we awoke to very nice skys and sun. Instead of hitting the beach we had a notion we would hit some stores and get some stuff we didn't feel like packing in our luggage, like a kid carrier\backpack and a booster seat for eating around the house\condo. We figured we could get them both at the local Walmart about 15 miles away. Well that was a mistake. Just like Seattle, everyone and their mother is out and about on a Sunday with no sports on TV.

WallyWorld had one of the main things we were looking for, also some pretty good water sports gear for kids and adults but not the kid carrier so we had to go up to Target where I proceeded to take a bag of cookies off the shelf, because I hadn't eaten yet, and walk around the store looking for the carrier, by the time I ran into Shawn the bag was pretty much gone and I didn't find the carrier thing. So we went deeper into the traffic to Burlington Coat Factory Outlet where we were blessed with a returned carrier that was in the box and about 40 bucks, but we had to return to target where we had left my sister, so back through the congestion, red light after red light to target. To make a long story longer we found her then had to go to another strip mall\plaza to look for a battery charger for her phone only to find the cingular store didn't have a charger because "the phone was too new. Ahh the south.
Also we realized we should have hit the beach and gone today while it was cloudy - duh.

Video highlights of Ben from January 2007.

I will start posting the Florida ones tomorrow.

Ben in HartsField Intl

2007-02-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

DSC_0667
Originally uploaded by spappy_jones.

Here is Ben hanging out at busy Hartsfield Intl. He doesn't seem to upset about his first day on the wings of aluminum eagles. On the leg to Atlanta from Sea-Tac he did very well. No issues except that there was no nap during the 3:53 hour flight we left the house at 6am, and were driven by Nate (the Godfather) to a pretty tame airport.

The in-air entertainment movie was " Love Story" the love story with Ryan O'Neil and Ally MacGraw. I was rather shocked that they were playing a film from 1970 rather than some crap like you usually can follow with no head set while reading Sky Mall. I suppose Delta Air Lines didn't need to pay Hollywood much for the usage of "Love Story".

We had a pretty relaxing layover in Atlanta (Hartsfiled Field). I way we meaning Me, Ben, Shawn and my Sister and Duncan. My sis and Dunc were also sitting next to us on the 767, we in the middle asile and they on the window row. My sister was popping Xanax and was sleeping with her mouth open during the majority of the flight which was cute.

After we left HartsField ontime we had some turbulence when we flew through a cold front. We had the best flight attendant ever. We were in the last two rows of the 757. I had a row to myself. When you sit in the back and have a cute flirty kid like Ben the flight attendants will perk you all the way there. I had all the milk and Quaker Chewy Granola bars I could eat. It was great. Ben had a little issue during the rapid decent into RSW (Ft Myers Intl). It took some crying and some cheese to get his ears to pop. Now we are in Florida, the movies will be short in coming.

Montana Ranches near Seeley Lake

2007-01-15T22:15:00.000-08:00

Montana Ranches near Seeley Lake
Originally uploaded by spappy_jones.

Here are the last set of movies from the new camcoder gifted to us from my kind sister and brother-in-law for xmas. We left Helena after 8 days just after a really nice snowfall across the state. It was a beautiful drive up to SR200 through Ovando and then up to Seeley Lake. Prior to departure we were a bit worried about the amount of gifts we received from family while in Helena. There was no way they were going to fit in the element so Grandpa Tom (aka Pop pop) and I drove down to Bozeman for a Yakima Skybox and Rack to haul the loot away. Once it was very simply installed in a snowstorm by yours truly we were off the follow day to Seeley for a family get together over at the Double Arrow where Shawn and I were married.

Part 1

After arriving in Seeley we had some nice times in the Hilltop Lodge @ the DoubleArrow. I highly recommend this accommodation for any sort of family gathering or snowmachine - X\C skiing weekend get away. Ben took his first sled as well as sleigh ride within the same hour.

Part 2

We extended the stay in Seeley an extra day to spend some time with the Great Grand Parents at the Hobbitiat (their cabin) up in back of the Double Arrow in the Swans. I got some good sledding in up there under the direction of Teague, Maggie and Hadley. They all took turns getting towed behind the Gator. Yours truly didn't make the weight requirement for the tow rope so I just filmed it. That night there was the kind of full moon you never forget. All in All it was a great holiday in Montana.

Oh yeah, as a super special bonus for staying the extra night on the way home we saw a herd of Bighorn Sheep right on the side of the road about 5 minutes out of Bonner MT.

Happy 2007 to everyone.

I pick 83 deg

2007-01-05T14:14:00.000-08:00

I pick 83
Originally uploaded by spappyjones.

Looks like an easy choice for the weekend. Fla is it. We are heading down there for Browny's 100 Birthday party in Feb. Down to Sanibel for some hopefully sunny warm\hot days. It will be Benny's first days on the beach. It will be interesting how Tan we can get him over the time there.
After Sanibel I would take Helena for the weekend, it is supposed to really blow and pour here starting this afternoon. So sick of this S@%T.

Ben on the Gator

2007-01-02T19:17:00.000-08:00

Ben on the John Deere "Gator"
Originally uploaded by spappy_jones.

We had a lot of fun over in Montana for Xmas and New Years. Here is another flick of stuff during Xmas eve in Helena most of the location is up at Barb's (Gangie) and Tom's (Pop-pop) house. Stay tuned there are more to follow of our times over at Seeley lake.

Headlines from Plymouth NH

2006-12-28T09:57:00.000-08:00

Requiem for a giraffe...

Plymouth, NH, Dec. 28, 2006, 10:00 AM: The IWF issued
a bench warrant this morning for the arrest of Stuart
"Chewey" Swift. He is charged with shaking the
$(*%&(*$&%$%* out of, dismembering, and gutting an
endangered (at least in this household) species.

He was abetted by A. Brodie "Rowdy" Swift, who is also
wanted for questioning in the crime.

Fuzzy giraffe was a highly regarded squeaky toy with a
honk like a goose and several enticing appendages
dangling from all angles. He arrived in the home in
December, and was presented to the accused on Dec. 25.
Following his second repair/amputation (sewed by
Cuz), the popular beast was tortured and subjected to
violent physical abuse by the two errant terriers.

The crime was discovered and reported by this
reporter, who happened on the scene catching the perp
"in the act" with a mouthful of internal organs,
stuffing strewn from one end of the kitchen/dining
area to the other, and spilling down the stairway into
the living room. By arriving on the scene while the
crime was in progress, the culprit was caught
"inflagrante delicto"; he knew he was "busted", looked
suitably abashed and most interested in what was going
to happen next.

Rowdy was caught w/his butt sticking out from under
the tapestry armchair in the LR following discovery of
the main crime scene. This type of behavior is
generally indicative of illicit activity that is being
concealed by terriorists. Upon close examination, a
missing appendage was being devoured by the
accomplice. Authorities immediately confiscated and
discarded the remaining body parts.

Since the noisemaker had been removed in the process
of eviscerating the animal, there was NO HOPE of
surgery for damage repair. The local authorities were
immediately summoned, CSI and cleanup followed
immediately, and the funeral was hastily conducted
over the kitchen garbage container.

The alleged culprits are now in custody, sleeping
peacefully following their frantic exertion, and
sentencing is quite lenient...

Jane E. Brown

Latest Hit Movie now available online

2006-12-25T14:05:00.000-08:00

Promotional shot of Swift in the Target Scene
Originally uploaded by spappyjones.

The shooting on location in Helena was simply amazing. The town the townspeople really made this feature what it is and what it will be come after the awards season is over. I just want to thank Montana and Helena for all the cooperation they show our crew during the filming. Thanks so much....

Spappy Jones

Here is where the movie can be seen.

Welcome to the West @ Xmas

2006-12-24T08:59:00.000-08:00

Western Whiteout.

News update:
Todd, Shawn's brother and his woman (Maria - from Wolfboro NH) left yesterday morning from Bozeman to make a 11 hour drive to Denver Intl. to pick up her sister that was stranded for 30 hrs. They drove through blinding snowstorms, drifts and side winds up to 55 mph. They saw 3 roll overs and passed 23 cars off the road but made it to DIA, picked up the sister then drove 100 more miles to Cheyenne for the night.

Today they are back on the road and again it is terrible visibility from blowing and falling snow, they think they will complete todays 700 mile drive by 8 pm tonight. The things people have to do for their sister are appauling to say the least.

The Film of the Uneventful Trip to Helena

2006-12-22T06:38:00.000-08:00

The road trip was pretty uneventful. We left around 6:30am PST and got into Helena about 9.5 road hours later, we took a break in Missoula to drop off some gifts and see Em, Lois, Leonard, Marrin and Ian for an hour then drove the rest of the way to H-town. We had pretty good roads although the higher elevations there was some packed powder and ice.

There is some footage of the wiper fluid working but after Missoula it was frozen, and I put in the blue stuff rated for under -15.

Ben was great on the road as usual, still kills us to strap him in for that long. If I was strapped down like that for 9 hours it would kill me. My limbs would seize. I guess my astronaut's career is out of the question now.

New Movies as of December 12 2006 with the camera my Sister and Bro-in-law gave

2006-12-18T20:05:00.000-08:00

I didn't have a still of the ultrasound image or I probably would have used that for this post. My sister and Duncan gave our family a new sony handycam for x-mas get more coverage of Ben and the girl (America?) on the way. The links below are for 3 different streaming movies from the new cam. The first two are from goofing around with Ben and the last is the from today's (18 week) Ultrasound in Ballard Swedish.

There will be many more to come, I have decided that movies are pretty fun and I promise the quality will improve as my skills and imagination expands with the millions of feet of tape I will shoot and expose on the internet super highway.

Ben from 12-18-2006 Part I
Ben from 12-18-2006 Part 2
UltraSound of the new girl (America (all 5 inches)) and some outtakes of Big Ben. You may want to turn up the volume on when the ultra part starts, you can hear the tech doing voice over, but it is faint.

Ben doing what he loves

2006-11-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

Here ben is feeding the bottomless pit and his hollow legs.

2006-11-23T08:35:00.000-08:00

Here is the latest for the fun on a swing\jump seat series of shorts I have been so tiredlessly working on for months. In this one Ben has discovered how to spin in the seat.

It's the wettest November on record — already

2006-11-16T07:46:00.000-08:00

just another rain on the window picture from seattle
Originally uploaded by spappyjones.

It has been wet here lately. As of yesterday we hit the record and have a shot at the overall-alltime wettest month in history here is the article:

You've heard the jokes about Seattle's rain: That everyone here has webbed feet, that daylight-saving time here means an extra hour of rain, that the Pillsbury Doughboy has a better tan than Seattle residents.

Welcome to the wettest November in Seattle-area history.

No joke.

Wednesday's storm pushed the rain total at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport past 11.62 inches for the month to eclipse the record set in November 1998. And we're only halfway through the month.

As of late Wednesday, 0.44 inches of rain had fallen at the National Weather Service recording station at Sea-Tac, raising the monthly total to 11.64 inches of rain.

What's more, forecasters say this could wind up as the wettest month in area history if the rain keeps up.

A storm similar in intensity to Wednesday's is forecast to roll in Sunday, bringing more wind and rain.

The end of November is historically the stormiest time of the year for the Northwest, said University of Washington meteorologist Cliff Mass.

"The jet stream is basically moving right over us," he said. "We're right in the storm track."

The wettest month in history here was December 1933, when 15.33 inches fell at the Federal Building in downtown Seattle, before the weather service set up its rain gauges at Sea-Tac. Since Sea-Tac has been the recording station, the wettest month was January 1953, with 12.92 inches.

"It's certainly an oddball year," said Mass. January 2006 already ranks as the area's fifth-wettest month on record with 11.65 inches of precipitation. "It's going to remain stormy for a long period of time."