Norm!

So the dust has begun to settle some after this long past few weeks and I thought I should post something up more cheery. 

#1 I mentioned I got a new computer (I think). Its a MacBook Pro and I love it

#2 Did I mention the new computer?

I have had more time to get some of the updates up on my blog and the boys blogs, but still plan to do some more. It is much easier now that my screen has a bit more "real-estate" and I have more room to work on things. Also we have an internet Cafe' at the state building that I work in and on my lunch break I can go downstairs, sit on a couch and get my "tech" on in silence. I'm still in the process of getting our pictures sorted, but got most of them back up and running online for all to see. I should be getting some more recent ones added and posted up pretty soon. I have a 3 day weekend so on top of getting the taxes done I should be getting some of that stuff up soon.

Excuses are like... You get the point

So I haven't been very active on the blogs lately. Which means most, if not no one, will read this. It is late and I'm tired. A lot has been going on but as the title says we all have excuses. I guess since this is technically my bathroom wall on the internet I can list some of mine.

- We have now moved into our own place... this takes time and energy away from blogs

- Our internet took awhile to get hooked up... Though this hasn't stopped me before

- Our kids have been sick... Who hasn't had sick kids

- I thought it would be fun to install vista on my new computer and wiped out every piece of data I had collected for the past decade... just another speed bump.

I truly did have big plans to get my blog and the boys updated and I still plan to do that (hopefully tomorrow) but our world took another spin. Some of you know the Newell family. A link to Logan Newell's blog is on the right if you haven't. Their family has been going through some tough times again.

Ben Logan's dad is in the hospital awaiting a heart transplant that is his only hope for survival. Logan had an MRI and the tumor is still growing and they plan to start Kemo in 3 weeks. This alone would cripple most families, but while all of this was going on John Newell who is Ben's dad suffered a heart attack and now rests across the hall from Ben at OHSU in a coma. 

Needless to say updating my blog has been on the bottom of my list. Life takes on a new meaning when death seems to be all around. "But they aren't your family" you may ask. Oh, they are family. We may not have the same blood in us, but we are as family as you can get. All this to say I would ask anyone reading this to lift up this family in prayer. Its one thing when we are asked to cast our cares on God with something we think we could handle on our own. But that verse takes on a whole new meaning when there is absolutely nowhere else to turn.

Hater Pants!

I stole that title from The Totally Rad Show but it fits my recent posts very well. I have been on the verge of Microsoft bashing with my last few posts when there are many things that they do well. One of my personal favorites is the Xbox 360 and Halo 3. Recently Bungie (the makers of Halo 1,2 and 3) has separated from Microsoft but this is close enough. Bungie has a podcast and to keep this short have an "NFL Minute" segment where they all argue for their teams. Recently the Seahawks beat the 49ers (click here to read more on the game at Jason's blog) and one of the Bungie guys contacted some of the players on the 49ers to have them over to the Bungie studios in Kirkland Washington to play some of the new maps they are getting ready to release. The story cracked me up and the picture of them with the players is hilarious. How much more opposite can you get than computer programers and football players?

Check out the story here

Check out the new maps here

Ask Not What Vista Can Do For You! Ask What You Can Buy For Vista!

Here are some funny videos for you. The first is a hilarious new video that touches on a topic from my last post.

This made me laugh out loud and is great timing with the new Guitar Hero III release. It is Cowbell Hero!

She Stole My Heart and My Cat...

Now I know that some of our readers here are faithful Microsoft fans, but over the recent years my loyalty to the Redmond giant has dwindled some. Don't get me wrong they get some things right, (don't forget I'm a huge Halo and Xbox 360 fan) but when it comes to operating systems I think it is only logical who is better at this point. I stood in line at the Bridgeport Village Apple store to get my copy Leopard (apple's new operating system) and have loved every minute of it since I upgraded. I won't get into all the new features here for fear of scaring you all away, but one thing I will say is that it is much faster. How many times have you upgraded your computer operating system on a 3 year old computer and had it run faster without upgrading hardware? I have never had that be the case in my short computer nerd history. 

 For all those that are Microsoft fans I do have a desktop that I upgraded to Windows Vista. I can't say I have any complaints about it at this point, but I do miss my iLife applications while using it. I installed the 64 bit version on a fairly up to date computer though and so far it seems to be running very well. I wouldn't say it runs any faster though and most of

 my friends that have it either complain about it or have downgraded back to windows XP. Over all though I'm happy with it for my windows desktop.

  All this to say I'm a happy Apple fan and user. Who would have thought that 5 years ago? For now I'm thrilled with my iPhone and Leopard!

E.T. iPhone Home

Call me a hopeless "iFanboy," but I have taken the plunge once again. Steve Job's RDF (reality distortion field) has lured me in once again. I have been living with the iPhone now for a little over a week. I hesitated to post right when I got it for fear I would find something wrong with it resulting in buyers remorse. But, as with all other Apple products I have purchased I have been more than ecstatic about this device (Haley as my witness). It has a 2 mega pixel camera, 8 gigabytes of memory, and works as an iPod to include videos which play in wide screen mode sideways on the screen (Seven now knows my phone has Cars Movie on it). It even surfs the internet with a full browser. It can play YouTube videos as well. I love the pictures for my contacts because when the phone rings it is a full screen photo of the person calling. All of the PDA-like features sync flawlessly with my contacts, calendar and email. The best part is that all of this is tied up in a nice, all "touch screen" interface. Thats right only 4 actual buttons are on this thing. The rest is all run by the touch interface. I wasn't sure how I would like the fact that there are no buttons, but after a few days of getting used to it I never want to go back. This is by far the best phone that I have ever had.

Oh and did I mention? It's also a Phone.

“Saying ‘I’m sorry’ is the same as saying ‘I apologize.’ Except at a funeral.”

You know how sometimes you catch a glimmer of a funny sign or something hilarious that you want to share with the world? I knew that funny signs and crazy cars were in the south (former residence to me), but I either have gotten really hard up for things to post or have become more perceptive to the humor living around us. I found this sign in Federal Way. Must be some fast "unloaders." But the humor doesn't stop there.

My parents have been getting ready to have new gutters installed, which means some boards had to be replaced. Well, my dad has been on the lookout for quite some time for a second tall ladder to finish one last board on the tallest end of the house. He came to me the other morning (we are currently living at my parents for the time being), and said "I have an idea." Immediately I was scared, but not nearly as much as when he told me the actual idea he planned to put into action. I can not do justice to explain in words so take a look at these pictures. I actually wasn't aware that I was afraid of heights until I trusted his contraption with my life. To his defense it did work out alright. It was just a bit "bouncy." After all, we do have an Aumsville address. We have to conform at some point.
The next will not fit in a simple blog post but has earned its own gallery of fame. It is one that I forgot I had taken pictures of while still in Louisiana, and never got around to posting them. I have put up a link on my pictures area called "Duct Tape Truck" and if that isn't enough to peek your interest I don't know what is.