August 3 - Watermelon, Brady, Metallica

 After our Ontario long weekend, it's back to work.  Today I'm working in Toronto while I await my father having surgery.

I'll be celebrating his successful surgery alongside these people who hav birthdays Tom Brady (who's 44), James Hetfield (58) and someone who probably has a lot of recipes for National Watermelon Day, Martha Stewart (80).

July 26 - I thought Mick Jagger was older than that

 He's only 77?!?!  Seriously, I thought he was much older.

Don't know if that's a compliment or not to the legendary rocker.  Happy birthday, Mick.

44... I'm 44 now

Man, never really imagined I'd be getting old.

Even tho' that's a big number, bigger than 42... but there's something about the number 4 I've always liked and it's "all the fours" today, so I think it's going to be a good year.  Not that I'm a numerologist or anything, I just like it

What's special about 44?

• it's a "Happy Number"
• you take each digit, square them and then add 'em together.  Then do the same again with that number, and eventually 'happy numbers' will eventually just be reduced to 1.  So 4²+4² = 32 ... 3² + 2² = 13 ... 1² + 3² = 10 ... 1² + 0² = 1
• it's a palindrome
• it's octahedral (picture a pyramid that starts with 4 and is mirrored blow ground)
• the 44th president of the US was Barack Obama
• Mark Twain used it to refer to the devil's nephew
• Maxwell Smart (who also voiced Inspector Gadget) was Agent 44
• Julius Caesar was killed in 44BC
• in Bingo it's called "Droopy Drawers, all the fours"... that's weird

What's special about today besides my birthday?  

• Stan Laurel's birthday (b. 1890)
• Adam Smith - the 'father of economics'
• I have a few 'birthday buddies' - Stacia (my old supervisor), Ste (another android blogger in UK)
• It's national fudge day (in the US)
• It's International Day of Family Remittances

42 - Whatever you want it to be

A take on my turning of age...

I remember leaving my teens
I remember turning 30
Turning 40 wasn't as big a deal. My hair is definitely getting lighter or shocks of grey.

But 42 ... that's something special.

Somehow, when I was young I was influenced / inspired by British humour. Python, Blackadder ... I would listen to radio shows at late night and (i remember recording them and I'm sure there are a couple where my dad coming in and telling me to turn off the radio and go to bed) from that they would also play The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. So I went and got all those books.

I dove in to the world of Douglas Adams. Amazing. Loved every last humours and science geeky bits. More than just 'sci fi'. It was awesome.

A moving moment in the books was that the computer, "Deep Thought" came up with the ultimate answer. 42.

Now, Adams, being asked why 42, he has said "just needed a number ... 42 will do".

But, a deeper theory says that Adams had a background in some computers, and in that day understanding of ASCII was very important - and in the ASCII table the 42nd character is *

In programming, the * is used as a 'wildcard'. Basically representing 'whatever it is that you want it to be'.

So, in essence, Deep Thought came up with the ultimate answer is 'whatever you want it to be'.

I like that. Did Adams unknowingly (i.e. was the Earth's computer matrix working with him unconsciously to use that), coincidentally come up with that, or is he just that fantastic.

I had originally stumbled across the ASCII first.  So I was a little let down when I found Douglas' own answer in an interview.  I still like to believe the first.

Anyways,... I'm 42.

Does that mean it's time for me to 'be whatever [I] want it to be'. We'll see.

Celebrating Dean turning 11

Okay, it's been FOREVER since I've posted on here (I know, I say that a lot don't I) ... but I'm trying to change things up.

So, Groundhog's day meant Dean was turning 11 this year and we had been thinking for some time what to do.  See, by this age the friend circle constricts and they're ageing out of doing things like 'parties'.  What to do?  Well, we asked him and he wanted a sleep over party (he had one last year).

But, we knew he liked going to Duluth for that Adventure Zone (kinda like Wacky's, but kicked up a notch with mini-putt and laser tag).  And he likes going to hotels for the pools and waffle makers breakfast.  So we had the idea to maybe take a few friends with him to the States.

In the end, we did both.

A Double Header of a Sunday

holy crap!
thank you for the bday wishes

So, it's my birthday AND it's Father's Day.

Double Whammy!  Nice.

I haven't written in here for a while.  Been really preoccupied with... well everything.  Work, +Android Coliseum, band, teeball, etc...

I know I know... I keep promising to be more active on here.  I try to make an honest attempt.  But, things get in the way.  Even my 'social networks' are lacking - despite that somehow I'm nearly at 9k circlers on G+.  Wow.

Let's get caught up ... first up... today:

You missed Dean's birthday... might as well get you caught up.

How can I have not written about Dean's birthday?  Man... signs that I'm truly busy.

Work's been stressful and just jampacked, so that when I get home I have very little time these days.  That and I'm trying to make the AC blog work.  Just ... anyways.

Dean's birthday?  Awesome time.  We had a marathon session of cleaning for like 3 days to get it ready as Dean HAD to have it at home.  So... 13-14 kids or so all jampacked in our house... we needed to have it sparkling.

Don't know about you, but I had an awesome weekend [33/50]

So I had to drive this morning.  Specifically because the check engine light came on the dashboard, and I was bringing it in.  As I was doing that the 'ABS' sensor light came on as well.


Why am I not cursing?  It sounds like it's going to be a few hundred dollars EASILY.


Well, we had an awesome weekend.


Friday we had a staff get together at the boss'.  Dean got enjoy a trampoline:

And we had not only good food and company, but a bonfire!

We can't wait to go camping.

Saturday, besides being my birthday, means it was time for some Teeball with Dean and the team - where we caught up 2 games we missed and had a great bbq and play time on the equipment.  Mandy even made cupcakes!

It also meant some nice dinner with my folks and Dean.


Sunday was Father's Day, and I got a cool card from Dean and an Angry Birds shirt to match his.  I got my dad some BluRay movies for his player (he's only ever had Mama Mia!, and I was pretty sure he didn't want to watch that).  I got him some nature movie "Life" and Fox & the Hound 1 & 2, so he can watch with Dean.  I was going to get him 50/50 or Bucket List, but thought it might be a bit too morbid.


It was a great weekend.


And to top it off I got the HTC One X in!

This is cool, as Friday I got a call from the HTC contact that they had read my blog (this one?) about how antsy I was to get it.  So she called to let me know it wasn't coming in that day, but for sure Monday.  Talk about good customer service!


Here's to more like that over the summer!


Now, I've dropped below 2/3 of my biking %ge, but I'm sure I can get above that soon as the weather gets better.  Will probably have to drive the majority of this week (2 events planned)... ah well.

Waiting for my One [33/49]

My One X, that is... They said a few weeks ago it'd be that Friday... then a couple of days ago, the next day.  It's supposed to be end of day today... It's 2:18 and it's the only reason I'm still at work.


It's a gorgeous day.  I didn't bike, unfortunately, but yesterday I biked 2x (had a lunch meeting to get to), so I'm counting it, but still won't call this week a perfect streak tho'.  le sigh


Still... plans for a good weekend: staff get-together tonight, teeball make-up games, band practice, somebody's birthday, father's day...


crud... need to get dad something... and it can't be a crappy gift neither.


Did I tell you yet about Tokyo House?  Oh so good.

All you can eat sushi... can't argue with that.


The grads are out of the way, now just the parades to do... and the recording next week.  Should be a fun time.

Mandy's 35!

So, Dean turns 4, and a week later Mandy hits 35 (Grandpa Greg turned... something... the day before).

It was a good day. A long day, but a good day.

It started out with a 630am event with the Mayor and then a normal day at work.

We get home and we start deciding if we're going out to dinner.  We decided on 5 forks.  Not bad.

Then I get to show Mandy my gift.  Which prompted her to tell the story of Dean's gift to her.  I have to share this with y'all.  Because we were talking today at work about 'what did Dean get mommy?', and after we were at the open house for the school and Dean had to make a 'prize for Grandpa's birthday, and he picked out a great gift for him and Grandma.  So I felt bad that I didn't take Dean to go get Mandy something...

...but she took care of that.

They went shopping today for other things, and while at Zellers, Dean grabbed some necklace off the shelf and threw it into the car saying "DON'T LOOK MUMMY, THERE'S A 'PRIZE IN THERE!".  Apparently he wouldn't even let her near the cart to see.

When they went to the check out, she put everything but what Dean had on the till and then turned to Dean and gave him some money to purchase what he chose.

So
freakin'
adorable

Would love to have been there.  I don't know when he gave it to her, but that's just a sweet story.

What a kid.

Dean is 4

Wow... 4.  That I can barely believe.


For the past few weeks we have been trying to ready him for this birthday.  It's going to mean getting him a new bed (meaning he'll have to give up his old bed... something he's reluctant to do:  give up old things).


We also readied him for the party.  What kind of cake, who should come, etc...


It wasn't until his actual birthday morning that we woke him up and said "Happy Birthday" that we didn't realize what the prepping was doing.


His response:  "It's not my birthday... where's the girls?"


We had to think for a second... who was coming to his birthday?  "Alexis, Anna, Emily, Kaitlyn..."  heh... you remember that line of yours Dean... it'll pay off in a dozen or so years.


So we had to convince him that the party wasn't actually on his birthday.


Well, that day came and went, and then it was time for his party.


Crazy time -- called for some crazy amounts of cleaning.


It was worth it as there was lots of fun.  We had balloons, a ton of candy/snacks, played musical pillows (because, after all, it was a pyjama party), some Wii, and Dean handed out trophies (part of their loot bags) because "we all won".



[Dean wanted this "cake"]


After the kids all finished most of the games, it was pretty much 'open play' time and they did whatever, while the parents just kinda hung out.  It was fun.



[this is when the home games became inclusive -- before this shot the boys were playing video games and the girls were making food, baking and sweeping in Dean's room]


Eventually they all headed home and we had a little bit of time to recover before the family portion was upon us.


If it's one thing the family brings it's food.  Holy smokes we had food.  Dean enjoyed more presents and another cake.





Just as we thought he was starting to fall asleep he got into some of the presents again and was good for a few more hours.


Don't know how he stayed awake, I was pretty much done.


I'm glad he had a great time.  He deserves it.  Often I make fun of my 'technology' that is more than a year old... but Dean continues to bring smiles and joy int our lives... wonder if there's a software upgrade for some of his behaviour tho' (anybody know any tricks to get him to like one set of grandparents?).

Dean's birthday party

Doing some balloon work