Our Airman Zach

Here is Zach snapping his family a salute before we had to leave the base for the last time.  He is now in Biloxi, Mississippi getting training for his job.  We won't see him again until late September/early October.  We could not be prouder of the way he came through basic training.  Way to go Zach!

Back from San Antonio, Texas

To quote Lindsey Buckingham: Never going back again.

Will have an update on Zach later. He's doing very well and looks terrific.

Zach & Jess

I didn't know how best to get this to you guys, but here's a great photo of Zach and Jess (and Brody) from May '04 in St. Louis. It deserves to be seen.

Pete

Happy Birthday John!!!

My son turns 2 years old today.  It was quite the commotion when he was born and it has been quite the commotion ever since.  He's a rambunctious little thing but he's also a sweetheart and funny as all get-out.  We are so blessed to have him in our lives.  We love you John!!!

Surrounded by sound

I finally got a surround sound system!  I have wanted one for ages but it just was really never a good time for it.  There were always other priorities that made much better sense.  But this year Barb set aside money for one for my birthday.  After a lot of research, I settled on a moderately priced Onkyo system that included a 7.1 receiver and speakers.  It wasn't released yet, so I had to wait a couple of weeks until it became available.  Once it arrived, I enlisted the aid of my brother Doug to help me run the wiring.  My man-cave is in the basement and I have a drop ceiling, so running the wires the length of the room wasn't the problem.  It was going through the insulation in the walls to run the speaker wire vertically that was the real bear.  Luckily my brother has the patience of Job and he got that done for me.  A couple of late nights later and I was all hooked up and had the system set up to my liking.

First on my DVD list was Saving Private Ryan (my brother's suggestion).  I watched the opening half hour and was amazed by the surround sound audio with bullets whizzing by on one side and cannon shells going off on the other.  Next was Talking Heads' terrific concert film Stop Making Sense.  I watched a handful of my favorite performances, including Thank You For Sending Me An Angel, Found A Job, Slippery People, Life During Wartime and Making Flippy Floppy.  Absolutely awesome stuff.

Then, of course, I had to try out Jaws.  I watched the opening scene (the attack on Chrissie), the attack in the estuary, the scene where the shark makes his first appearance off of the stern of the Orca and the final showdown.  No matter how many times I see this (and I am guessing it is well over 200+ since 1975), it still gives me a tingle.  It's my favorite movie and also a great childhood remembrance.  Can't get better than that.

As a celebration for my new toy, Barb got me a Blu Ray copy of Avatar.  I was not ready for how awesome it looked and sounded.  Simply unreal.  Though I have had my PS3 for ages, I only have 2 Blu Ray discs.  I have always bought regular DVDs so I can share them with my friends that don't have Blu Ray.  I may have to become more selfish now.  Stunning is the only way to describe the audio and visual delights of the Avatar Blue Ray.

I played an hour or so of Just Cause 2 (still an absolute blast to play) and was stunned by the sound effects, especially explosions.  I can't wait to hear the bands and crowds in NCAA Football 11.  And last night I made time to pop in The Beatles: Rock Band.  I played a 19 song set, which was really longer than that because it included the Abbey Road side 2 medley.  What a blast.  A totally different (and markedly better) experience than playing it through the TV speakers.

So I am in heaven with the new surround sound system.  Barb helped me spruce the room up very nicely.  My brother helped make the installation look professional.  Jess handed out the tape (don't ask, but she did a fine job of it).  It was a team effort and now I am really in business when it comes to my entertainment system.  Thanks everyone!

Story of the year

Meet Electron Boy.  If this story doesn't touch you, you ain't human.

Local boy with cancer turns into a superhero for a day

Erik Martin, who is living with liver cancer, has always wanted to be a superhero. On Thursday, the regional chapter of the Make-A-Wish Foundation granted him that wish with an elaborate event that involved hundreds of volunteers in Bellevue and Seattle.

Please read the entire story by clicking on the link.  You won't believe it.  Your day will be much, much better for it.  And it may restore your faith in humanity.

God bless Electron Boy.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARB!!!

My lovely wife turns 40 today and I want to wish her the happiest of birthdays.  Barb, you make my life so much better, so much more meaningful and so much more complete.  Here's to many more birthdays together.  I love you!!!

A good night with the NFL draft

The Rams did what everyone expected and selected Oklahoma QB Sam Bradford with the first overall pick.  This is the player I wanted the Rams to pick so I am happy.  Best of all I got to spend the evening with my brother Doug, who is also a draftnik.  We had a great time predicting and analyzing the picks and trying to figure out who may be there for the Rams next selection.  Since he runs his own business we don't see a lot of each other, so it was really nice to get to spend the evening with him.  Now it's on to rounds 2 & 3 tomorrow.  The Rams may do a little dealing down with their first pick in order to stockpile some more, which is a good strategy as long as they still will be able to get one of the players they have targeted in round 2.  We'll see tomorrow.

Been a little busy...

Sorry the blogging has flagged as of late.  I have had my hands full with stuff at home both mundane and meaningful.  As I posted earlier, we got our son Zach off to basic training in the Air Force.  He has called a couple of times but just to relay that he arrived and to leave his address.  It is very strange knowing he is there and wondering what he is going through.  He is on our minds constantly.  We are really looking forward to attending his graduation when that arrives sometime in June.  In the meantime, he is in our thoughts and prayers and we hope this is a good path that he has chosen.

I would also like to thank Barb and Jess for all they have done lately.  They threw me one heck of a birthday party and they have just been terrific.  Barb has earned major kudos at work.  She is doing an exceptional job and that has been recognized.  I am tremendously proud of her for everything she does, here and at work.  You're the best, Sweetie!

I am in the midst of deciding on a home theater surround sound system.  I have been doing a lot of searching and I have settled upon what I want.  It's just that it is not available yet and may not be until mid June.  In the meantime there is almost an identical system available that I seriously tempted with.  Both support HDMI 1.4 so if that becomes the new standard with 3D TVs and such I will be all set.  The yet-to-arrive-model is a 7.1 system while the other is 5.1.  Honestly, 5.1 would be fine by me.  Even if I get the 7.1 system, I may only set it up as 5.1 given the size of my theater room.  The real reason I am holding out (so far) is that the system that is already available has only 3 HDMI inputs while the other has 4.  Currently I only need 3 (Xbox 360, PS3 and Digital HD cable TV) but I'd like to have an extra just in case the need would ever arise.  Maybe I am being silly there, I don't know.  The The yet-to-be-released set also comes with an iPod dock that works with iPhones, so that's cool as well.  We'll see how long I can hold out waiting for the other system to become available.

Gaming-wise I haven't been playing much.  When I do get time I have been playing Just Cause 2, which is too fun for words, and MLB 10: The Show.  Just Cause 2 is the ultimate sandbox game.  You can lay waste to anything and everything and then deal with the consequences.  It is by no means perfect but I am having more fun with this game than I ever had with a Grand Theft Auto title.  There is so much to do it is unreal.  In The Show meantime, little John Schmaltz is tearing it up in AA ball for the Red Sox affiliate.  He could get a call up to AAA at any time.  Once again, The Show is where it's at as far as baseball is concerned.

Lastly I have spent far too much time worrying about the St. Louis Rams.  Anyone that knows me know that I am a complete draft-aholic and I have been keeping up with all that as usual.  But just when it seemed as though the team was going to be sold to Shahid Khan, who is very keen on making things work in St. Louis, minority owner Stan Kroenke has decided to try to break NFL rules and buy the team outright.  The rules state that since Kroenke owns 2 other sports teams (the Denver Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche) in a city with an NFL team, he cannot own those 2 teams and and NFL team at the same time.  The thought is that he would be competing for the sports dollars in Denver against a fellow NFL owner.  It's a convoluted rule, but it has been in place for a while and there seemed no chance it was going to be lifted for Kroenke.  But he made the play anyway, so he must have something up his sleeve.

First of all, I feel very bad for Khan, who stepped up when this city needed him to.  Secondly, despite Kroenke owning 40% of the team since their arrival in St. Louis, there is no guarantee that he is committed to keeping the team here.  The stadium lease deal will likely be voided in 2014 (a long story) and Kroenke can do whatever he wants with the team.  When he announced he had matched the offer to buy the Rams, he made not a single mention of the city of St. Louis.  He is from Missouri, but he is a billionaire business man with homes all over the place, including Malibu, California.  Who says the city of Los Angeles doesn't get their massive stadium built and Kroenke is free to go wherever he wants after 2014, which would be right around the time the stadium is completed.  Sound crazy?  Perhaps, but even the local media is wary.

I am just sick to death of uncertain ownership issues (which couldn't have come at a worse time, right before the draft) and having to worry about whether this team will remain in St. Louis for the long haul.  There shouldn't be this sort of anxiety and uncertainty year in and year out for a team that has been welcomed here with open arms.  At the very least, Khan was hoping to be approved in May.  Now with this latest development, we won't know what's going to happen for a much longer time.  More uncertainty.  And even if Kroenke gets the team, the future may not be in St. Louis.

As someone who has been a die-hard Rams' fan since they arrived in St. Louis, I am just about fed up.  This is the most dysfunctional sports team I have ever seen, and I lived through the Blues era when they were thought to be moving to Saskatoon.  This team never gets anything right.  Other than a glorious 5 year run from 1999-2003, this has been the very worst NFL team in the league.  The last 3 years have set a new league record in futility with a 6-42 record.  Not only do we have to endure record-setting bad football, but all under the threat that the team could pick up and leave if that's what the owner wishes.

Rant off and good night!

Saying goodbye to Zach

Our oldest son Zach came by today for a belated Easter lunch.  My parents came over as well and we did the Easter egg hunt for the little kids.  Most important, it was the last time we will see Zach for quite a while.  He leaves today at 6 PM for a trip downtown where he will be sworn in as an Air Force recruit for the 2nd time.  He will spend the night in a hotel, then leave at 4:30 AM for boot camp in Texas.  Typically boot camp lasts 8 and 1/2 weeks, so we will not see him until he graduates at that time.  It was very hard saying goodbye.  Tears were shed not only for ourselves, but also for little John, who doesn't understand that his "Coco" is not going to be around anymore.

There is no doubt that Zach is doing the right thing for himself.  He is on his way to becoming a man and seeing what real life is all about.  We are very, very proud of him and will miss him very much.  I am looking so forward to his graduation and hearing stories about boot camp and his job training.

We love you with all of our hearts, Zach.  Make us proud, but more importantly, do yourself proud.

Love,
Dad, Mom, Jessica, Laurel & John

Barb Kicks Ass

Barb kicked total ass this past weekend.  There's just no other way to say it.  She took the bull by the horns and decided it was time to get the basement completed the way we wanted it.  So she (with some help from Zach) got the new theater area painted, got everything moved, arranged, hung and accounted for and now the basement is fabulous.  The kids have the run of 70% of it.  It's a huge play area where they can do what they want, have tons of toys at their disposal and a TV and DVD player as well.  It's very kid-friendly, decorated very cutely and just perfect for what we need.

And the theater area turned out way better than I ever expected.  It's perfect for movies, sports, gaming or visiting with friends. Barb got all of my movie posters up and all of my gaming stuff stored neatly.  I got everything all hooked up and working so it's a go.  We could not have done all of this without Jessica either, so a big thanks to her as well.

But Barb was the worker.  She was the (wo)MAN.  She kicks ass!

Vacation Time!!!

It's been a long haul since Jan. 4th, but today marks the start of a much needed 10 day break. It actually started yesterday at noon. I took the afternoon off and drove down to Ogdensburg NY to pick up an amp that I had shipped to the UPS Store there.

The amp is an original Tone King Meteor, a 40W 1x12 combo with reverb and tremolo. It has two footswitchable channels, one based on a Fender Deluxe Reverb and the other on tones that range from Fender Tweed Duluxe into early Marshall territory. A half power switch allows you to run the second channel at 20W. Very handy! I haven't played much at all since returning to work in July, but the itch is coming back in a big way. There's nothing like a new amp to fuel that urge, and I have a killer Slacker Radio mix set up and ready to roll for backing tracks. Yee-Haw!!!

Tonight we're off to the Sens game courtesy of tickets I won in a raffle about a month ago. Our seats are 12 rows behind the Senators net, so it might be a good night for some photo opps. Looking forward to the game and hitting our favorite arena restaurant for beer and burgers beforehand.

My main "project" for the week is to get our taxes done. Up until now it's been a very straightforward affair, but that's all changed since I became self-employed last year. Lots of receipts to compile and expenses to calculate. I'm not looking forward to it, nor am I looking forward to the trip I need to make to the licence bureau to cancel the registration on my old car sometime next week.

I'm not sure how much time I'll have for gaming, but whatever there is will probably put towards a second play through Heavy Rain. Joyce was actually asking about it last night (gotta love that!). She'd like to see how differently it might play out the second time through. So would I?

Joyce is working through Wed., then on Thurs. AM we hit the road for a few days in Ithaca NY. Why Ithaca, you ask? Well, it came highly recommended by a server at our favorite eatery in NH. It's primarily a college town (Cornell U, Ithaca College) with lots of pubs, restaurants, live music, etc. Were booked into an historic inn on the edge of Ithaca Commons - the hub of activity downtown. It's apparently a lovely town and area, and also wine country. Neither of us have ever been to a winery and, though it's no doubt out of season, we'll definitely be seeking one out. We're also planning a day trip up to Waterloo about an hour to the north. There's a huge oulet mall there that we're anxious to check out. In the meantime, I've been busy compiling tuneage for the tour (fighting iTunes every step of the way). Really looking forward to the trip and getting the Mazda on the road for it's first serious run (notwithstanding my round-tripper to Ogdensburg yesterday).

A little update

-I got my daughter Jess out for her first driving lesson today.  We went to a big parking lot and she learned the basics.  She did an excellent job with the steering, accelerating and braking.  I was really impressed with her confidence and her attitude.  Well done, Jess!!!

-Barb and I finished season 4 of Dexter last night so we are all caught up.  We are both still recovering from what was an absolute shocker of an ending.  Neither of us saw it coming and it really has stuck with us both all day.  Stunning is all I can say.  I'm still not sure if I am mad about it or not.  I guess the writers did their job well.

-God Or War III comes out next week.  I have it pre-ordered from Amazon (with free release date delivery) along with the strategy guide.  I got $10 off the game for having pre-ordered Bioshock 2 from Amazon earlier.  It's a great way to get your games and save money.  Now I am feverishly trying to finish God Of War II before GOWIII arrives.  God Of War II such an excellent game in it's own right, I am trying not to rush too much so that I can savor it's quality as well.  BTW, the reviews are coming in for GOWIII and as expected, they have been universal in their praise.

That's all for now.  Enjoying the heck out of my iPhone and playing Words With Friends.  I am down 2 games to none to Pete.  I have buzzard's luck against him, but he is an excellent player as well.  I'm not giving up, Pete!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Happy Valentine's Day to my beautiful wife Barb and my lovely daughters Jessica and Laurel.  And, of course, my Mom and sister Beth.

I love you with all of my heart!

Guys, be good to your ladies today and every day.

Our darling Jessica

Happy sweet 16, Jessica!  It's true, our lovely Jess has turned 16 as of today.  No reason to worry; she is not on the road quite yet!  I kid, I kid...

Jessica, we are so proud of the young lady you have become.  It has been a true pleasure watching your grow and mature.  Your sweet nature always shines through.  We are so blessed to have you as our daughter and of course you are such a wonderful big sister!  Many more happy, happy birthdays Sweetheart!

Congratulations to my wife!

I am both very proud and very pleased to announce that Barb passed her Boards exam (on her 1st try, natch) and is now officially a Registered Nurse!  This was the last hurdle for her and now she is ready to settle into her career as an RN.  I can't tell you how relived she is to get past this final step.  Our family is so proud of her and her accomplishments over the last year.

We love you Barb!

Weekend Round-Up

The Tarantino Film Fest continued this weekend with Jackie Brown. Probably the most underappreciated of QT’s films, it was considered a bit of a letdown following the raw intensity of Reservoir Dogs and inventive cool of Pulp Fiction. JB is the most character driven, and by far the least violent film Tarantino has made. For a director that had established his reputation (at least in part) on outbursts of graphic violence, JB represented a totally unexpected turn in direction. While still a crime drama, it’s a film that relies almost entirely on its story and characters to succeed, and it does so magnificently thanks to uniformly superb performances from all involved.

In a daring and inspired casting choice, former B-movie star Pam Grier hits all the right notes in the title role as a desperate, low income, airline stewardess transporting cash for a smarmy gun dealer. Likewise, Robert Forster turns in a finely nuanced and understated performance of compassion and intelligence as the aging bail bondsman who sympathizes with Jackie’s predicament and chooses to help her. Samuel L. Jackson once again delivers the goods as a hipster baddie, this time with more evil intent than his role in Pulp Fiction. Robert De Niro as the hapless ex-con with a stunted IQ, Michael Keaton in a reprise of the character he played in Out of Sight, and Bridget Fonda as chain-bonging surfer chick, Melanie, round out the perfectly cast ensemble.

The story is supported by a great script that’s tight and smartly written, peppered with plenty of Tarantino’s trademark repartee and sharp one-liners. For the most part, he wisely steps aside and lets the actors drive the story, so on the few occasions where he imposes a little directorial flair, it’s very effective. Jackie Brown is an extremely well crafted and enjoyable film. What it may lack in pizzazz, it more than makes up for in character development, solid acting and a terrific story. It features a strong and empowered female lead and virtually no on-screen violence, making it the perfect Tarantino primer for female viewers. My wife loved it, and so will yours.

Unfortunately, the two disc Collector’s Edition DVD, while a nice package, fails to do the film justice in terms of audio/visual quality. Maybe I’m turning into a Blu-ray elitist, but the DVD video transfer is a real disappointment. Shadow detail is severely lacking and edge enhancement is abundant, leaving dark scenes looking murky and brighter scenes over-processed. It’s a shame because JB is a good looking film that would be a great candidate for an updated BD transfer. The audio is also surprisingly mediocre, especially considering that it’s a DTS 5.1 mix. JB is hardly an audio showcase, but the dynamite, old school soul soundtrack lacks presence and clarity. A re-mastered, uncompressed audio track would no doubt do it justice. Here’s hoping for Blu-ray releases of both Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction in the not too distant future.

On the gaming front, Fallout 3 continues to monopolize my time to the exclusion of everything else. I had originally planned to take a sneak peak at Ratchet and Clank yesterday, but that fell by the wayside the moment Fallout 3 found its way into the PS3. Much as I’m enjoying it, I almost wish I’d gotten hooked on something a little less expansive. At only 20-25% complete, I still have a looong way to go.

And last, but not least, we celebrated grandson Koen’s 2nd birthday on Saturday with a little get together at Joyce’s mom’s place. Here’s a taste of The Little Goomer enjoying the festivities…

The Christmas haul

I hope everyone had a nice Christmas (or whatever holiday you choose to celebrate).  Ours was great as we got to spend time with Barb's family from out of town and my own family as well.  The kids were great and Santa was very good to them as always.

Santa was also good to me.  I got some outstanding gifts including sweaters from Barb and the kids, a really nice blanket and Beatles Trivia Pursuit (as if anyone is gonna play me in that) from Barb's parents.  Barb also got me an outdoor fire pit so we can enjoy ourselves during the cold season with a nice fire.  Awesome gift!

Of course I also scored some great movies including the new Criterion Collection release of The Human Condition (perhaps the greatest portrait of humanity on film and one of the staggering achievements in cinema history) and Downfall, which I finally got around to seeing.  That's also a wonderful film, with a tremendous performance by Bruno Ganz as Adolf Hitler during his final 10 days.  Highly recommended.

I also scored a couple of CDs (Norah Jones, including her latest) and of course I got some games.  I got Mass Effect, which I have played through once already.  I wanted to play through it again to have a saved file for when the sequel is released early in 2010.  I also got a couple of PS3 games (Pete, take note), the God Of War Collection and Ratchet And Clank Future: A Crack in Time.  I used a gift card I received for 2 more games (both PS3 games Pete!), InFamous and Motorstorm: Pacific Rift which was on sale for $20.  I got a chance to mess around with InFamous, Motorstorm and Ratchet And Clank last night.  All 3 were great fun.  InFamous is really gonna draw me in, I can see that already.  Motorstorm is more of the same, a lot like the original.  It's not the deepest racing game around but it is gorgeous, fun and a great pick-up and play game.  And I have a real soft spot for Ratchet And Clank.  I loved their last PS3 game (Tools Of Destruction) and this one picks up right where that one left off.  It's great fun and something with a much lighter tone than what I have been playing lately, so that is a welcome relief.

So that's about it.  As you can see, someone thought I was a very good boy last year.  I still have an iTunes gift card from last Christmas and I think I am gonna use that to download the latest album by Grizzly Bear.  I have heard a lot of great things about it. 

Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays!

Thanks Santa!!!

On December 25th, I always like to celebrate by saying...

Happy Birthday Pete!*

Barb, the kids and I wish you a very happy birthday and a very merry Christmas.  We hope to see you and The Lovely Joyce(tm) sometime in the new year!

*For those that aren't in the know, Pete actually was born in a manger on December 25th, unlike that Jesus character, who was apparently born sometime in May.  But in a manger.  Jesus, I mean, not Pete.  I really don't know if Pete was born in a manger or not.  I just always assumed his "condition" was caused by being kicked in the head by a donkey at birth, so the manger thing just kind of grew out of that.  But I digress.  Happy Birthday, buddy!!!  And Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone else out there!