Year: 2011

42 Words of Wisdom: #17


    "I've come up with a set of rules that describe our reactions to technologies:

  1. Anything that is in the world when you're born is normal and ordinary and is just a natural part of the way the world works.
  2. Anything that's invented between when you're fifteen and thirty-five is new and exciting and revolutionary and you can probably get a career in it.
  3. Anything invented after you're thirty-five is against the natural order of things."

- Douglas Adams

I think I've hit stage 3. While I find a lot of new technology interesting, I don't find it quite interesting enough to actually take part in it. This is probably why I can't muster up any enthusiasm for facebook, twitter, smartphones, tablets (like the ipad), or any of that sort of stuff. Gosh dernit, you kids! Get off my lawn!

Water Slide

The kids end up doing this every year, but I still think it's cute every time I see it. Looks like fun!

Cabin – Plans

These images should give you an idea of my plans for the cabin I'm building. I used Sketch-Up to design the cabin over the winter, and have been building it from these plans. Sketch-Up was pretty cool to use for this. I could lay out all of the framing, and experimenting with where the windows and door would go - all without cutting a single piece of wood. Now, while building, I can take measurements directly from the model, and it's made estimating the amount of materials I'll need very straightforward. All the windows are ones that I salvaged last year from other peoples' remodeling projects. You can see in the third image what my plan is for the inside. There will be a lofted bed platform, and a window seat under it that will be wide enough to sleep on. There will be storage under the window seat, and I'm also going to try and put a reading chair in there, and a bookcase.

Blackmail

Carter got a little makeup set as a gift, and Sean was intrigued and wanted to try it himself. Oh yes, these pictures will be fantastic for embarrassing him someday!

Sadie

Look how gray Sadie is getting! When she was younger, we used to joke that she was consistently black that at night, until she smiled you couldn't tell which end you were looking at! She's slowing down some in her golden years, but look at that grin - she's still a happy girl!

Fancy Nancy Tea Party

A few weeks ago, Carter went to a "fancy Nancy tea party" at the library. The girls all got to dress up, drink "tea", and eat finger sandwiches. Carter was the most dressed up of the bunch, and seemed to have a really good time.

Cabin – Foundation

For those who didn't know, I've been building a cabin in the woods. I'm further behind with pictures than I am with actual progress, but I'll try to get caught up over the next couple of weeks - so these pictures are from a month or so ago. But so far I've cleared the site, and build the foundation. Once the floor sheathing was put on, the kids wanted to play up there, and it broke out into an impromtu dance party!

Tuckerman’s Ravine

About a month ago, Dad and I took a hike up to the Lunch Rocks in Tuckerman's Ravine to watch the skiers. The first guy we saw try wiped out almost immediately, and slid at high speed into the rocks twenty feet from where we were sitting. He wasn't wearing a helmet, and got hurt pretty bad. Very sobering sight. On the hike back out, we chatted with a lot of the skiers headed up and asked if they had helmets. Most did not, and didn't seem concerned. It amazes me how so many people just assume "it couldn't happen to me".

New Haircut

Sean got a new haircut recently. We always thought his head would be too lumpy for such a short cut, but now that I see it on him I think it really works.