UncommonCoder

Books of 2011

2012-01-07T09:16:00.000-08:00

In 2011, I set out to read one book per month, and from that small goal I launched into an average of 4 books per month completing 48 books in the year 2011. Some were great, some were mediocre, and some I wouldn't recommend, but I learned from each of them. Here is my list of books:

The Millionaire Next Door, Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
War of the Worlds, H.G. Wells
Henry Ford's Own Story, Rose Wilder Lane
How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy, Orson Scott Card
The Aspen Experiments, Corrie Garrett
Who Moved My Cheese? Spencer Johnson
The Art of War, Sun Tzu
The Twelfth Imam, Joel Rosenberg
When Helping Hurts, Corvett & Fikkert
Why E=MC^2, Brian Cox and Jeff Forshaw
Old Man's War, John Scalzi
The Dip, Seth Godin
4 Hour Work Week, Tim Ferriss
4 Hour Body, Tim Ferriss
Flatland, Edwin Abbott Abbott
Coffee: A guide to buying, brewing, and enjoying, Kenneth Davids
Simple Church, Sam Rainer, Eric Geiger and Grover Gardner
Agent to the Stars, John Scalzi
QBQ! John MIller
The Time Machine, H G Wells
The Gerson Therapy, Charlotte Gerson and Beata Bishop
Seventh Son, Orson Scott Card
Red Prophet, Orson Scott Card
Prentice Alvin, Orson Scott Card
Alvin Journeyman, Orson Scott Card
Heartfire, Orson Scott Card
The Crystal City, Orson Scott Card
Sacred Marriage, Gary Thomas
A Celebration of Sex, Douglas Rosenau
Eternity in Their Hearts, Don Richardson
Secrets of the Koran, Don Richardson
Competent to Counsel, Jay Edward Adams
What Kids Need Most in a Dad, Tim Hansel
Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell
The Magician's Nephew, CS Lewis
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, CS Lewis
The Horse's Boy, CS Lewis
Prince Caspian, CS Lewis
How to Win Friends and Influence People, Dale Carnegie
Water, Pure and Simple, Paolo Consigli
Wild at Heart, John Eldredge
Autobiography of Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Carnegie
21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, John Maxwell
The Hunger Games, Suzanne Collins
EntreLeadership, Dave Ramsey
Catching Fire, Suzanne Collins
Game of Thrones, George Martin
Mockingjay, Suzanne Collins

How to make a garden

2011-04-16T08:26:00.000-07:00

Making a garden is fairly simple and immensely rewarding.

First come up with a plan:

It's ok if the plan changes, but make it specific enough to come up with a bill of materials (sku numbers are Home Depot numbers if you want to look them up online):

Materials
HD cheap chicken fence ($24 for 3’x50’) steel   $24.00 sku274666
Post lumber   $42.00 sku257974
Box lumber   $24.00 sku167929
Quick drying concrete $15.00 sku169765
Staples   $2.00
Gate pieces (hinges and latch)   $15.00 sku863475
Tools
Fence post hole digger $0(borrow)
Staple gun $20
level    $5.00

Make sure to have the Home Depot guys do all the wood cutting for you. Measure, then measure, then dig the holes (2 ft deep for mine), then measure, then cement the posts in. Notice the measuring. If you don't take this advice, your fence will forever be a foot off (hypothetically speaking of course). Staple the chicken wire to the fence (doing this in the cold without a staple gun is a miserable experience you don't want).

Measure. If you mess up the gate, you will remember it every time you enter the garden. Measuring is important. Drill and screw the gate frame together, and attach it to the posts.

Next make the framing for the garden sections. I did 4 boxes measuring 4 feet square. Screw them together, and for now, pin them in place with stakes. Renting the rototiller did not go well for me, so either use the tool right, or skip that step, we'll bypass it in a minute anyway.

Here's the part where you can cheat. In the back you can see the stuff I'm growing inside (short little things, sadly, most probably won't make it out of the ground). All the stuff in the front, I bought as you see it on the table.

Next, prepare the ground. Since I failed with the tiller, I bought some top soil (literally dirt cheap, unlike potting soil). Put down newspaper to block weeds and grass from coming up, then cover that with 4+ inches of top soil. Water it. I have yet to see if this will really work, come summer, I'll let you know. Benjamin Franklin said it was a good idea.

Here's the only picture of me actually working on the garden. My top soil was a little clay-like, so I spent a few hours breaking it up by hand.

Next, plant the plants and water them. On the right, potatoes. On the left, mini narcissus (daffodil) , kees nelis (tulip), kikowachi (tulip), lucky strike (tulip), and grape hyacinth (cool looking something-or-other).

Here I have (listed near to far) onion, garlic, broccoli, carrots, spinach, lettuce, and strawberries. I have yet to plant the warmer weather plants: zucchini, butternut squash, yellow squash, cucumber, bell pepper, and tomatoes.

Enjoy the garden. I go sit in the swing and listen to the birds when I need some peace and quiet (provided the neighbor dogs aren't out). I'm seeing growth already, and I'm only a week or two in. In a few months I should be able to start harvesting the early fruits.

Contemplations of Food Poisoning

2011-03-16T17:43:00.000-07:00

My wife was out of town, and I usually ate dinner after an hour and a half of Aikido practice. On my way home I bought some spices, nuts, strawberries, yogurt, and milk. I spent a good bit of time in the kitchen making a mix for a test coffee to try in the morning when I realized it was well past dinner time. I planted a few of the strawberry seeds and sliced up the rest on top of yogurt: quick dinner.

I woke up just before midnight and barely made it to the toilet in time to empty my stomach. Confused and a little dazed, I cleaned up and went back to bed--only to return in a few minutes. I called my wife, and after hearing me dry heave a few times she called a friend of ours to be there (and take me to the hospital if the situation didn't improve).

Mike arrived in time for another hour and a half of puke (water and any remaining bile) and diarrhea. He encouraged me to keep drinking water, and eventually the dry heaves were more than 15 minutes apart--I was so exhausted that I slept on the bathroom floor between vomits.

I switched to Gatorade when I knew some of it would be ingested, and around 2:30, I went to sleep for the remainder of the night.

I called in sick Wednesday. The day was filled with sleeping, watching environmentalist documentaries, and trying to get food and liquid to stay down. Fortunately, I only lost my lunch once. I had a few mostly lucid thoughts throughout the whole ordeal.

Strawberries. My first thought is that strawberries shouldn't cause such long lasting pain and suffering. They're a very tasty treat that I purchase rarely due to price and availability.

Breathing. It's amazing how little control you have over anything when you're dry heaving into a toilet bowl. First I tried to stop the heaving--no luck. Second, I tried controlling my breathing (ie. actually taking breaths) with only a little success. Helplessness is a harsh teacher.

The ER. We decided that it'd be ok to go to urgent care, but they close at midnight. We decided to wait and see if I came near death before going to the ER (I was anyway). I went there last summer from a major concussion and received very sluggish and unhelpful care. I suppose their definition of emergency is a bit different than mine.

Loneliness. Human interaction is vital to recovery. Talking to Becca on the phone was helpful--I didn't feel like a sickly man dying alone in a house. I had more hope when Mike arrived. We didn't talk much, but just knowing that if I went unconscious--he would do something--was reassuring.

How to make a bed frame

2011-03-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

1. Make a list of supplies

Slats (full size 54"): 50" x 10, 1x3s

Width bar: 42" x 2, 2x6s

Length bar (full size 75"): 70" x 2, 2x6s

Legs: 24" x 4, 4x4s

Screws: 3" #10 x 8 and 2" #10 x A_lot

2. Get the supplies from Home Depot

Make sure to have the guys at Home Depot do all the cutting and measuring, it makes everything else easier. Explain what you're trying to do and ask for suggestions on improvements while keeping the cost low. Remember, you can do it, they can help--thanks John.

3. Put the pieces on the floor

4. Put together the frame

5. Measure to make sure it's square

6. Screw on the slats

7. Flip it and add legs

8. Admire your handiwork

9. Sweep, put away tools, and put the bed on the frame

10. Sleep.

Enjoy your new bed frame.

When Helping Hurts (Review)

2011-02-05T08:32:00.000-08:00

I stayed up late last night finishing up a book called When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert. I surprised myself staying up reading it because the first third of the book much like a long drawn out painful memory.

The first third defines poverty--not only material/financial poverty but poverty of the soul. Growing up in Indonesia, I saw first hand what poverty looks like. I talked with people who had a complete lack of hope. I played with their children as peers. The description of poverty in this book is good, but no description can compare with seeing it--and no amount of seeing can compare with experiencing it (which I have not).

The middle third of the book deals with general guidelines on how to help the materially impoverished without doing more harm than good. One of the main concepts that I gathered from this section was the difference between relief, rehabilitation, and development. If you provide one of those three at an inappropriate time or quantity, further damage can be done. It's also very important to empower the materially poor to organize and implement their own way out--which helps to rehabilitate their emotional poverty. There's quite a bit of discussion on that point (and the others I've mentioned), but this is meant to be a short review.

Practical actions fall into the final third. Short term missions take up a chapter, but the authors take the view that short term missions more often do more harm than good--based on the principles and nature of poverty outlined in the first 2/3 of the book. "For the first time in US history, more poor people live in suburbs than in cities." Building relationships, teaching finance, and enabling people to have the self-confidence to move forward are key in alleviating poverty in our own back yard. The authors spend a bit of time covering the various micro-loan or small-business seed loaning that now takes place around the world--enabling the materially poor to start their own businesses out from under the thumb of malicious loan sharks.

Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert did a great job explaining what poverty looks like, where it comes from, and how it can be helped. They also did a great job outlining the dangers of certain types of relief currently in use and the long term negative impact they have on society. This book is definitely on my must read list.whenhelpinghurts.org

The Millionaire Next Door (Review)

2011-01-17T04:52:00.000-08:00

I did a good bit of reading over the Christmas break, and my younger brother bought me The Millionaire Next Door, by Thomas Stanley and William Danko. I was surprised that it only took a week to read 245 pages. The book did a great job painting a picture of what the average millionaire looks like--nothing at all like the picture Hollywood paints. Here are a few quotes that I have highlighted:

"Wealth is more often the result of a lifestyle of hard work, perseverance, planning, and most of all, self-discipline."

"Multiply your age times your realized pretax annual household income from all sources except inheritances. Divide by ten. This, less any inherited wealth, is what your net worth should be."

"It's easy for Dr. South to say he wants to accumulate wealth, but his actions speak much louder than his words."

"What types of motor vehicles do millionaires drive?... 1. Ford. The most popular models include the F-150 pickup and the Explorer sports utility vehicle."

"Whatever your income, always live below your means."

"Yet many parents still think that their wealth can automatically transform their children into economically productive adults. They are wrong. Discipline and initiative can't be purchased like automobiles or clothing off a rack."

"Courage can be developed. But it cannot be nurtured in an environment that eliminates all risks, all difficulty, all dangers."

"Those who attempt to shelter their children from every conceivable germ in our society... never really inoculated them from fear, worry, and the feeling of dependency. Not at all."

"I am in control of my own destiny.

Risk is working for a ruthless employer.

I can solve any problem.

The only way to become a CEO is to own the company.

There are no limits on the amount of income I can make.

I get stronger and wiser every day by facing risk and adversity."

"Who has less fear and worry? ...Typically, it's the entrepreneur, the person who deals with risk every day, who tests his or her courage every day. In this way he learns to conquer fear."

2011 Plan

2011-01-15T14:43:00.000-08:00

23 years have passed me by, and I only ever had a vague plan for what I would do in those years. This year, I decided to set some solid goals for myself. I don't want to be the same person next year that I am right now, so here are the general categories of my goals for 2011 (I'll spare you the detailed goals and how I'm checking myself):

Reading: I heard that the average millionaire reads a book per month. It seems like a good idea, and I like reading anyway. My goal is to read 12 books from a variety of categories over th next 12 months.

Gardening: Now that I have a back yard, I have the potential to eat food that I have grown myself. In order to make that a reality, I need to plan a garden, build it, plant it, cultivate it, and harvest the fruits.

Physical: I consider myself to be in decent shape, but in order to keep it that way, I need to develop good healthy habits. I need to exercise at three times a week, stretch, and eat healthy foods.

Innovation: Crazy inventive thoughts breed more crazy inventive thoughts. In an attempt not to lose that creativeness, I plan on putting at least one crazy idea into action--building a laser, solar heater, or water engine would do the trick.

Spiritual: Relationships need to be intentional, and I need to be more intentional about my relationship with Jesus. Time is precious, but in the middle of my crazy schedules, Jesus is the only relationship I cannot lose.

Marriage: I married a wonderful woman. Unfortunately we're both human, and I need to put forth effort to build up our relationship--this takes many forms.

Finance: At the moment, I'm not a free man financially. I owe a great deal to a number of organizations who loaned me money to go to school. I need to be responsible with the money I have to provide for my wife and buy my freedom back from these organizations.

Personal growth does not happen by accident--neither does maturity. Sometimes we luck out and grow because of someone else's choices or the circumstances that we somehow find ourselves in. For me, I'll plan on growing and execute the plan too.

The Adventure

2011-01-07T19:16:00.001-08:00

So glad you stayed tuned (or for tuning back in) for the rest of the story.

My wife and I got up at 6:30 on Saturday, Dec 18 and left the house an hour later. The car was packed to the brim with a dog kennel, suitcase, bags, Christmas presents, skis, shoes, snacks, a couple dogs, and a married couple (that'd be my wife and I). We drove South to Iowa City, and then due West along I-80 stopping for bathroom breaks, gas, and snacks along the way.

The first leg of our journey was to be 1507 miles and (according to the all knowing maps) should have taken 23 hours 31 minutes. Unfortunately, we had to stop for the reasons mentioned previously and the blizzard blowing across Wyoming introduced me to one of the most terrifying few seconds of my driving life.

We passed the time by talking, listening to podcasts (Dave Ramsey, Ravi Zacharias, Dan Miller, Car Talk, Matt Chandler), and audio books (Lone Star Planet, War of the Worlds). It only took us 32 hours to get to Nampa, Idaho, where my parents live, and we were a lot more exhausted than we had planned to be. If you're the learning type, learn this: for a 23 and 31 minute drive, plan to stop in a hotel--especially when blizzards are afoot.

There's no time for tiredness at my family's house, so we got right to the business of having fun: hot springs swimming, snow angel (in swim trunks) making, mountain cabin renting, snow shoeing, skiing, snow sculpting, caroling, partying, downhill sledding, baking, board gaming, snowball fighting, coffee drinking, puzzle assembling, sister's knee surgery-ing... those 6 days were packed with years worth of memories.

Leg 2 of the adventure began, and we piled the cargo, dogs, and snacks back in the car for an estimated 1608 miles in 26 hours. We had the presence of mind at that point to get a hotel in Denver, Colorado. A few car wrecks in Utah reminded us to drive carefully, but after Wyoming, it was smooth sailing. We listened to more podcasts and audiobooks (The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and Henry Ford's Own Story), and soon we arrived in Watauga, Texas--home of my in-laws.

Becca has two sisters, each sister is married and between the two of them 5 children between the ages of 0 and 8 consumed the energy of all the adults in the household. We cooked food, watched How to Train Your Dragon, played Balderdash, told jokes, read books (The Millionaire Next Door), watched Despicable Me, took family photos, opened presents, and went on a triple date to see Tron Legacy. I'm just glad my in-laws and I get along so well, and a week with them was far too short.

The journey must go on though, so we packed up the car and drove 870 miles North-East (14 hours and 17 minutes) and arrived at our clean house late in the evening on the 3rd of January. We arrived just in time for me to get a rather nasty stomach bug (still not quite done with it). It was a wonderful Christmas, but I think I'm ready for a regular schedule again.

Adventure

2010-12-17T20:12:00.001-08:00

Tomorrow the journey begins: 4000 miles across the continent. Stay tuned for the adventure.

Creating a Podcast

2010-12-10T18:08:00.000-08:00

Contrary to popular belief, I have not been deficient in the upkeep of my online presence since August--even if that was the last time I posted here. An idea was born, and I have been carefully nurturing it to grow to it's current state. The idea's name: theWordStream.

I really like my job as a software engineer. I experience challenges, problem solving, teamwork, successes, and learning--all things that I hope to keep in any profession that I set my mind to. However, my life was somewhat lacking in one area in particular--that is, the study of God's Word.

I wanted more than simply reading the Bible every morning and wondering what certain words meant--so I'd look them up in Greek or Hebrew. I wanted to know more background about people and places in the Bible--so I picked up a commentary. I wanted to really learn it and have some measure of accountability to keep me in the Word regularly, so I began to teach it. The idea of turning it into a podcast was probably a direct result of listening to Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller, and Zig Ziglar all in one morning run.

With a little headphone mic and recording software called Audacity, I recorded the introduction to the gospel according to Luke and promptly deleted it. I started over by writing a script and then kept the resulting recording. With the support of my wife and parents, I created a name and bought the domain for a couple dollars, but I didn't publish anything online until I had feedback from some of my friends.

Now the website is up with the introduction to Luke and chapter 1. Soon, I hope to get it into the itunes directory and out into the open seas of the internet. My system is in place, and I'll be releasing a new chapter each week. If it goes as planned, I'll write up a study guide from my notes as a companion for Bible study groups.

Maybe some day, I'll read, study, and teach all day, every day.

Cheap & Free Stuff

2010-08-27T06:25:00.000-07:00

A lot of newly graduated people go out and stock their apartments or houses with all matching stuff and dig themselves in debt so they can look and/or feel successful.

Some stuff is necessary for living, but I'm not above garage sales and curbside giveaways for the rest. I'm getting a reputation at work for getting all kinds of free stuff, and Becca and I started listing all the free or really cheap stuff we bought or accepted in the last year. It's really not difficult to get a large variety of free and cheap stuff to stock a house until you can save up for the matching stuff. After all, it's just stuff:

Skis: $20
I bought them post-season. I'll be looking at boots for them today...

Mirror: $0
A coworker sold the original dresser and the buyer didn't want the mirror, so I got it for free. Thanks Soccermom.

I know the wood isn't quite the right shade, but we were going to stain the dresser darker some day anyway.

Rental House: $740/mo
It's 2 blocks from work. I heard about it when I was buying my friend;s white car.

White Car: $800
Bought from a friend with too many cars. I needed a car since Becca would be starting school (her car is the red one). Thanks Al.

Black Car: $100
Someone was moving and didn't want to deal with a deadbeat. I jumped it and drove it 20 miles home. Now I want to sell it for closer to what it's worth. Thanks Impatientpeople.

Swing: $0
A friend of mine at work gave me this swing while I was picking up a free grill from his house. Thanks David.

Dining Room Table: $0
Becca's grandfather gave it to us. Thanks Papa.

Sewing Desk & Chair: $35
Someone at work didn't want this desk at home. I happened to be in the market. Tying it to the back of my little car was fun. Thanks Guywithatinydesk.

Server: $0
A friend needed help merging to computers together and I volunteered to help him out. After merging this one and a newer one together, he gave me the old one. Thanks Al.

I have since installed Ubuntu 10.04 Server on it and use it as my home server.

Chair (left): $0
This was a curbside giveaway, and after much cleaning, it's my favorite reading chair. Thanks Oldguyattheendofthestreet.

Chair (right): $0
Becca's dorm room chair given to her by one of her sister. Thanks Cory or Lissa.

Coffee Table: $(bag of candy)
Some guys at work offered it to the first person to give them a bag of candy. I was quick.

Bed: $0
A lady at Becca's church didn't want a king size water-bed frame, towers, dimmer lights, and a mattress anymore, so she gave it to the newlyweds.

Grill: $0
Given to us by a friend who's moving to Colorado. Thanks David.

TV: $50
Coworker was upgrading everything to high definition. Thanks Overzealousman.

Entertainment Center: $20
Coworker's wife didn't like it.

Sony Stereo System: $10
Gathered dust for years in a coworker's garage.

Coffee Table: $0
A friend wanted to upgrade, claiming this one was old.

Couch: $0
My old boss got a new couch. We usually have a slip cover on it, but we paid retail for the cover. Thanks Marc.

My point? Be patient and get free stuff. Be a little impatient and get cheap stuff. We're in the most wealthy nation on earth, and people throw out all kinds of great stuff. I'm not saying you can't have nice new stuff, but until you can put down cash for it, get the nice free stuff. After all, it's just stuff.

Thoughts Continued

2010-08-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

The word curious is rather curious. Kuri-\es, curi-\es, and kiuri-\es (schwas). How do teachers explain this word? "When there's a 'c' followed by a 'urious', the 'c' make a 'kiu' sound." (curry, curtain, and curse make a 'ku' not a 'kiu'). This is similar to the sound difference between queen and queue. Apparently the 'que' in queen is like 'kui' and the 'que' in queue is like 'kiu'.

------------------------------------

Rockwell Collins
More Unity
More Diversity
More Tasty
Try our new edible ARC-210.
"Melts in your mouth, not in your joint strike fighter."

That's why I'm not in marketing.

------------------------------------

Robert,
I noticed your IM quote:
"Software is a structure--not a plant; it ought to be designed--not grown."
and was curious about a couple of things:

How is software "a structure?"
What is the difference between "designed" and "grown?"

Thanks,
Greg

RE: Your quote

This quote came from my frustration at some code I had to write tests for. It was apparent that multiple engineers had added functionality over several years--an extra switch statement here, another if and flag there. That code was grown. I had to write tests for another kind of code a few weeks before seeing the grown code. It was organized, planned, and well structured. The if statements weren't there because of last minute exceptions to the rule, they were there because of a planned flow of control. That code has a blueprint somewhere, and I happen to know that it followed the blueprint closely. That code was designed.

Some code grows to fill in the gaps and reach for the sunlight, but I'd much prefer to work within a structure that can hold itself up even when the sun isn't shining.

Observations

2010-07-17T08:13:00.000-07:00

This is the first of (hopefully) may posts consisting of my more random thoughts and observations that I would normally tell to the Co-op in the cube next to me. He will be leaving in August, so I am redirecting my random information outlet here. These are the things that make me chuckle during the week. I can only hope they do the same for you.

Manipulating the premise will never lead to successful scrutiny if in the end, your assertions fail.

"Could, would, should, but didn't." I've been reading Linchpin by Seth Godin, and he has a graph depicting this problem. The problem goes much much deeper: these words are terribly spelled. They ought to be spelled kud, wud, and shud.

Some programs have layers, one class has a function initialize() that calls another class's doInitialize() that calls another class's no_reallyDoInitiallize() that calls another class's actuallyGoingToInitialize() function. This may seem extreme at first glance--that's because it is.

I was walking down the hall when I caught some conversation as I passed between two engineers. The short woman said, "..so she literally walked down to the office, I mean literally went down there and talk to them about..." I suppose she figuratively walks down there most of the time.

"What does vested interest really mean?"
"It means it's important. A vest is decorative suit-like garment worn to important or prestegious events. You have clothed your interests with the intent of importance."
"Really?"
"No."

Soccer and Sickness

2010-06-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today is a good day to sit at home and sip chicken soup. Two days of throat irritation bloomed into full sinus congestion overnight--with more thorns than petals. We had blue skies until this evening when the rain swept by in sheets and the sound of distant thunder lulled me into an early-evening nap.

Wednesday was far more interesting. The Rockwell Collins Soccer (summer) League kicked off, and I was on a new team from the spring league. Caleb and David joined the team, so they weren't all strangers. I met all the players, and we played a hard game against team 4 (not the most original of team names). In the second half I played sweeper, and as they fell behind 3 to 0, team 4 slipped into desperation. With only two minutes left in the game, one of their main strikers ran towards me, and I turned to keep ahead of him--his footing shifted. Crack. For a second everything was black; I felt my knees hit the ground. I stood and collapsed again, everything was blurry. I heard myself yell for a substitute somewhere in the muted distance as I stumbled towards a greenish blue horizon. With help I made it to the sidelines and fell to my hands and knees, gasping for breath.

Once I regained breathing control (lost partly from pain and partly from fury), Caleb and Stephanie took Becca and I to the emergency room to have my neck/skull looked at. The doctor didn't diagnose a concussion, and my brain is as ok as it has been. It'll take more than an intentional elbow to the the base of the skull to stop me.

Some travel

2010-05-13T07:50:00.000-07:00

I'm alone in the DFW airport, traveling once again. Familiar sights and sounds surround me--a pilot scarfing down a sub sandwich, a wife talking worriedly on the phone, a business man trying to look busy on his laptop, and a bunch of bored people wandering aimlessly or hopelessly from gate to gate.

Matt and Tiana had a great wedding yesterday, the remote control helicopter ring bearer really stirred up the crowd. Everything went as planned, and they're off and married now. I witnessed (and participated) in one of the most efficient wedding cleanups ever. The church members all pitched in, and so did 15 or so college students. Becca and I were on the road for Fort Worth by 5:15.

I found a comfy lounge area in DFW with the some really awesome lounge chairs. I selected one that looks almost like a child's playground slide but leather instead of lightning-static-plastic. If I didn't like this airport so much, I'd probably take a nap. The internet here doesn't appear to be free, so I'll post this when I get back to Cedar Rapids. I miss the cold North. Texas is just so hot.

Futbol

2010-05-05T17:24:00.000-07:00

Today my team kicked off the May futbol season. I have a great team with a few excellent forwards and a light footed sweeper. Our team didn't have any subs (they had ~4) or dedicated goalie so we were pretty tired by the end of the first half. In the end, we won 2:0. I'm looking forward to the side effects of playing soccer again: team camaraderie, toned muscles, and the ability to breathe.

A few other notes:

I'm reading "Mind Performance Hacks" by Ron Hale-Evans. Excellent book on memory and thought processing.

Becca and I found a possible rental house for the same price as our apartment, closer to work, and with a fenced back yard.

Mass Effect 2 is all they said it would be (the good stuff anyway).

Some Rambling

2010-04-19T16:46:00.000-07:00

Duct tape is one of the most wonderful things invented in the last century.

Daisy has eaten (partially or entirely) at least 9 or 10 collars off of our more timid dog, Echo. One was doused in Lysol. Another was doused in Fooey ("most bitter stuff on Earth"). We would take off Echo's collar every night before they slept in the kennel, but inevitably we'd rush out the door one day and forget the collar, and the only evidence would be the metal buckle with Echo's tags sitting on the kennel floor.

I made a collar for Echo out of duct tape, and Daisy hasn't eaten it yet (this being the second day).

Daisy also gashed open her leg somehow--possibly on the heating system, possibly with her new scalpel set. She ate off a few bandages in spite of her cone of shame (which she also removed from her head and chewed up). After we ran out of medical tape, I used duct tape. She didn't eat that, so I made a whole cast out of duct tape. The next evening, it is still whole.

Duct tape, amazing.

After two and a half months out in the wild, I realized that I've slowed to a coast. Yesterday I made a list of areas that I want to see weekly growth: Biblical Studies, Literature, Exercise, Environmental, Software, Hardware, Household, Current Events, Fine Arts, and Language.

I took those ten areas and put two on each day of the work week with specific books or tasks associated with each area. Today I cleaned out the car and went on a walk with my wife (Household & Exercise). Now I have a plan, and I'm excited about it.

It's been a great semester, and the summer is shaping up to be even better.

What is my Purpose?

2010-03-04T18:52:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine wrote to me with the questions of life: What is my purpose? Why am I here?

She had been taught all her life that she was a mistake, unwanted by the universe—or rather, that the universe was apathetic to her accidental existence. This of course was a terrible lie, but repetition ingrained it in her so deeply that when she left her loving home her life fell to pieces.

Informing her of the simple facts was useless. I shouldn't have bothered—facts are of little use to belief. I also find it interesting that beliefs will often warp facts into support. The features on this little blue planet can easily be explained by a few observant scientists and an ancient text—though the book does a much better job, always has. Truth has inherent value, but she didn't need facts, figures, or debate.

She was a very good person—better than most anyway, but she couldn't fill that empty feeling at the end of the day with goodness. I tried to give her what she needed so often that she stopped listening. She knew what she wanted, and it didn't come in the packaging I offered—there were too many strings. The only strings I found was that of commitment and love, which are voluntary anyway.

She said that Jesus was a good teacher, but she missed the point entirely. He said, “I am the way” not “this is the way.” He said, “I and the Father are one.” No good teacher would claim to be God, unless he was, but she had heard all those old arguments before. Perhaps it hadn't occurred to her that arguments may get old for a reason. Jesus' main purpose on earth was to save us from ourselves because He loves us. How could I have made that point without quoting Him or the wise men who wrote about Him?

It was as if she wanted the goodness of the Savior without the Savior Himself. The only conclusion I could come to was that she didn't want to be held accountable—couldn't be held accountable—for her life. If we admit He exists and that He is who He is, we must submit to Him, and our own desire for control—dare I say fear—will do all it can to deny such a God.

After all of that, the only thing I could do was to give her that ancient book and plead with her to read it again and understand. While she read, I spoke with Him. I asked him if I had been so obstinate in the face of such pure truth. He chuckled. And nodded.

New Books

2010-02-21T14:32:00.000-08:00

We don't get out much. After 8+ hours of programming and meetings every day, I don't often go out and something exciting. I'm happy to have dinner with my wife, take the dogs out, and watch an episode of something or other. When I put it in words, it does sound rather drab.

Yesterday was the first Saturday that I've slept in since before we moved. I decided to mess with my graphics card a bit, and in the end, the easy way out was to reinstall my operating system. The up side is that I was prepared for such drastic measures. I now have Ubuntu 9.10 running on "Extra Visual Effects" mode--which means some of my windows are transparent and I can make my windows wiggle when I grab them with the mouse. It's the little things in life.

Last weekend I enjoyed reading and skimming, and I realized that I don't have any story books that I'm currently reading (and no such books that I want to read on my shelf). Saturday was also the first day in several weeks above freezing, and I hadn't been on a good long walk since Christmas. In response, we killed (or at least seriously injured) two birds with one stone--we walked to the nearest bookstore. The round trip was about 2.8 miles with some sidewalks, some snow-walks, and some roadside-walks.

After looking through a few books (Ubuntu, The Number Phi, Mind Hacks, and Nicoli Tesla), I asked one of the guys who worked there for some recommendations on science fiction or fantasy books to pick up. He was rather surprised that I hadn't read Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. He recommended a book called Red Mars about colonizing Mars, so I'll read that after Hitchhikers. I also picked up my very first Linux magazine--Linux Shell. I'm already learning about all the wonderful things I can do with Bash scripting.

Weekend of Rest

2010-02-14T16:03:00.000-08:00

My first three weeks of work have flown by. It seems like last week we were passing boxes through the window and wondering if we'd make it to pay day. Not many people have saved enough to move from one state to another and fly round trip across the country without being paid for two months. We have been blessed.

My job is right up my alley. I didn't know at first how interested I would be programming radios, but there's so much going on in a radio. After three weeks, I still don't understand it all--which is what I need. I need something to wrap my brain around for a few years. I was also concerned that programming for work would sap me of any desire to code for fun, but I think my job has stirred up in me a new excitement for coding (previously burnt out of me with schooling). I started working on a multi-threaded neural net. Just for fun.

Today I reorganized the office to better facilitate my desire to read and do relaxing hobbies. I skimmed the remainder of The Art of War (the less renown one by Machiavelli), read two chapters of Financial Peace Revisited by Dave Ramsey, and a chapter of Twelve Ordinary Men by John MacArthur. We have three bookcases to accommodate our library. The tall shelf is full of reading books, split into fiction and nonfiction. The other two shorter shelves are reference books (Becca's and mine). For a newlywed couple, we certainly have a decent library, everything from Computer Organization and Design to Wildwood Dancing to The Silmarillian to Educational Psychology.

It wouldn't be a complete blog entry on Valentines day without a brief recap of the day's festivities. Last night I read several of the tales from Arabian Nights to my wife, and this morning I made her French toast with strawberries in the shape of a heart. I have a wonderful wife--without Becca, I would not be where I am or who I am today.

Cedar Rapids Iowans...

2010-01-21T06:10:00.000-08:00

Eleven days ago I wrote down a few thoughts about moving to Iowa. Packing up a house into boxes in the back room is one thing, but actually moving it all 1000 miles is something completely different.

We got up at 4:00 A.M. on Thursday and packed the remainder of our belongings into a full uHaul and Ford Escort (with its front wheels strapped to the car dolly). We crowded the dogs into the front seat with us and drove to the gas station at 5:00 A.M. where I had my first attempt at filling up a 17 ft. truck with a car on a dolly close behind.

By ten o'clock we were five hours into our trip and crossing into Oklahoma. The trip itself was memorable--insomuch as it was my first 17 ft. truck drive and that in and of itself was stressful--but we drove through Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, and Iowa so I didn't see anything really worthy of note.

In an attempt to find our hotel in Kansas City, we took an exit that sent us directly into a residential district. I had to drive uphill in the snow on a road lined with parked cars on both sides. It was the most stressful drive of my life. At one point I had to pull in my mirrors to inch past an SUV, but we made it safe and sound.

Our apartment is half underground near the parking lot, so we moved at least two thirds of the truck contents on the first day (Friday) through the bedroom window. In the morning, we tackled the larger furniture (desk, couch, bed frame pieces, table) with the help of some upstairs neighbors who happened to see us unloading.

The kitchen is completely unpacked (to our knowledge) and most other rooms, save the office, are well on their way. We still have addresses to change, forms to fill, and furniture to purchase, but we're well on our way to being real residents of Iowa.

Musing on Moving

2010-01-10T13:40:00.000-08:00

Packing a house provides a unique prospective on life.

I practically grew up packing. Every four years we'd move from Indonesia to travel around America for a few months, and in sixth grade, I began moving countries four times a year (Christmas and summer breaks). When I graduated high school and moved to college, I moved almost all I owned to a dorm room, and each semester, I'd move it out and back again.

Each time I moved, I would think about how similar my life was to that of a nomad and how this life is only the beginning of an eternal journey. But this is the first time I've packed up a whole house. This is the first time I've moved while married.

This time is different. I now have a family to move (my wife and two dogs). I am the provider moving my tribe to more suitable lands. It's a difficult thing to describe, this feeling. I suppose I never noticed just how self-centered all my previous moves have been. I have never needed to find a place near a park or considered purchasing a vehicle based on children I won't have for years to come. I have never before been responsible for someone else in a move.

I suppose this is what it is to be a leader--to be a husband.

Windows 7, Snow Leopard, the Universe, and Everything

2009-10-14T06:05:00.000-07:00

People are crazy. I just read through the comments on someones plug for Windows 7, and as always, bitter debate ensued. There were basically two camps: Windows users and Mac users. Each group consisted of mostly common users--people who use their computers for typing up reports, sending emails, or surfing the net (side note: since the internet is a series of connected tubes, I propose we call it the "inter-tubes"). Sprinkled throughout the mud-flinging were a few IT techs and network administrators who attempted (to no avail) to even the playing field one way or the other.

Windows 7 has been hailed as the end-all be-all of operating systems by end users who just suffered through Vista. In comparison, I'm sure it's breathtaking. It hasn't been out long enough for users to find the little annoyances and fatal system bugs that will inevitably arise. Already, Windows has released numerous fixes to patch up cracks in the media and security holes. In time, W7 users will descend from their high and they'll start complaining again--this is the nature of new toys. I'm not saying they'll be as unhappy as they were with Vista; I find that extremely hard to envision. Windows users will still be Windows users because that's what they're used to.

Snow Leopard has been the hottest news in the Apple community since it came out in August 2009, but Apple seems to be slipping from their white tower. Mac users often boast that Apple computers can't get viruses and don't crash. Ever. McAfee (anti-virus software giant) recently extended support for Macs (stupid move if they can't get viruses), and Snow Leopard, even without a virus, will delete everything you ever saved if you log in as a guest. My point should be made by now. No operating system is perfect--patches and upgrades are necessary. In the end though, Mac users will be Mac users, those bumper stickers are super-glued on.

Apple advertising is shameful. Mud-flinging has always been seen for what it is, and I personally sympathize with the PC guy--if only for the fact that he's made fun of time and time again. Microsoft did a great job with the counter campaign: "I'm a PC." They're not flinging mud back; they're just making Apple look like they don't like people.

The ironic thing: PC means Personal Computers. Apple computers are PCs. The least they could do is say "Microsoft" when they mean it, but that would give them away.

Now that I've sufficiently angered both sides, allow me to stereotype Windows and Mac users. If you don't fall into my stereotypes, you don't need to be offended, just sit back and chuckle a little as you think of people you know in either boat.

Windows users are the everyday computer users. Most haven't branched out to other operating systems, and if they have, they realized that the largest support base was back where they started. They don't want the job to get their hands dirty, they just want to get the job done. Windows is everywhere: schools, businesses, internet cafes, and coffee shops.

The large majority of Mac users I've met would kill for their Mac. The article I read that inspired me to write this called them "Mac fanboys," which is a good description. These are the fanatic Mac users who will comment mean things about me when I post this message. They have a great operating system. They have white Apple stickers on their car and warn people to stay away from their precious white machines. Their paranoia is justified. Don't hate or ostracize them, they're just in the minority--and know it.

If you're a Windows user, find a Mac user who's not overly protective of his machine and give it a try. You might be surprised.

If you're a Mac user, try out Windows, it's everywhere.

Both of you, find some nerd with Ubuntu and give it a whirl. You might be surprised.

Linux people are generally nerds, but it is true that Ubuntu is becoming very user friendly. The upside is that it's free and new full versions come out twice a year. Free. Linux people don't mind searching forums for the program they need to get the job done because there are enough nerds out there to make good programs and to test one another's programs. They're the outcasts, and they don't mind.

There will always be issues to resolve no matter what operating system you use, so before you get too old, try a new one. Don't just sit down, feel uncomfortable, and leave; ask someone to introduce their world to you. They might look at you like you've lost your mind, but hey, people are crazy.

A Poem

2009-09-20T19:32:00.000-07:00

I wrote this poem to my wife while we were still dating. I think I wrote it down during some class that I found especially droll, and I gave it to her shortly thereafter. Today my wife returned home from a trip to her parent's house, and she brought this poem with her.

A Poem
by Robert Whiting (3/25/08)

Well I thought I'd write a poem
in a sentimental way
for your lasting entertainment
at the ending of the... hour.

If it rhymed, it'd be romantic
and it may just make you red,
so I'll modify these lyrics--
it won't sound nice when it's... spoken.

In a poem what's required
but an image or a rhyme?
If you liked it then most likely
I would sing it all the... day.

And I thought I'd write your kindness
into something sweet and true,
but my brain is far too scattered
to write imagery of... Becca.

I think this poem's finished
as your class comes to an end
soon I'll give you all this writing
and this poem you can... repair.

Return to the Code

2009-09-18T06:15:00.000-07:00

I always figured that my last semester in college would be packed so full of classes and last minute giant assignments that I wouldn't have time to write a blog entry, let alone have extra-curricular activities.

So far, this semester is looking rather promising. Numerical analysis has complex topics, but they're manageable and interesting. Romans is intriguing yet predictable. World literature is a good introduction into what I might read after I graduate and have time to enjoy some classics, but for the time being, it is bearable.

Software engineering will actually get me somewhere in my career. We've already covered the basics of software design and testing--something I should have learned years ago. The midterm is in a week, and then the whole class will be working together on a grand project as a single company. In networks I'm learning how to watch networks and understand the underlying protocols. Soon, I'll be helping a nonprofit organization restructure their local network with the help of some other computer science majors (an opportunity never before granted).

After four years of ACM members prodding me to join, I finally joined. They showed me how to use Pov-Ray, and today they're doing a demonstration on swarm robotics. Ever since I tried competitive programming, my professors have been asking me each semester to join, and yesterday, I joined. My newly formed team finished two of the programs and successfully submitted one before the time was out. Why did I wait so long to actually get involved?

Work. Homework. Studies. How is it that college could get in the way of my learning so quickly that I missed out on the real learning? Class work provides the tools, but clubs and student organizations provide the hands on experience that make college worth it. Ironic that I pay the college so much and the clubs so little.

I have warned myself before, and I say it again, "do not allow school to get in the way of learning."

The Written Word

2009-09-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

Throughout my life I've suffered at the hands of the English language. It may not be apparent in my final drafts, but translating the known word (ideas and concepts) into the spoken word of English (in the American dialect) and then into the written word can be a very frustrating process.

I can only assume that I am not alone in my thought process and frustrations therein. These frustrations rarely come to the surface in conversation because in this country we so frequently go through the grievous process.

I was blessed to grow up bilingual, and it is to my shame that I am no longer bilingual. In the language I grew up around, the known word still had to be translated to the spoken word, but the written word closely mirrored the spoken word. My parents sought to aid me in my frustrations by providing "The Phonics Game" to my tools of syntactic analysis, but there were so many exceptions and foreign words that had been left with their original spellings that the game only applied to an arbitrary half of the language that I needed to master.

I've known all my life that there must be some solution to this problem, and I thought, for most of my life, that it was beyond the bounds of the English language. It wasn't until I began to play with programming languages in my early years of college that I realized that the English language could be adapted to become an easily learned international language. I wasn't the only one to think of it either: Orson Scott Card referenced a language called Common in his Ender's Game series. Common, according to Card, is the "more or less phonetically spelled English language" used as a standard for international communication.

I believe it is possible to create such a standard and blend it into the school systems as the international language. With English as a phonetic language as well as the language of programming, science, and trade, other countries would more quickly accept it as the global trade language.

The English language has the most potential for such a shift (thanks to computer keyboards, no pun intended), but if the English speaking community does not make a move within the decade, Mandarin and Spanish will become the international languages. Mandarin because it is already spoken by over a billion people on the planet as a primary language, and Spanish because it is next in line behind English and quickly spreading throughout North America.

Planting and Watching

2009-08-08T06:45:00.000-07:00

Narrative and insight

The dogs rudely escorted me outside this morning as part of their early morning routine, but it was too late, the towel in the kennel was already damp. It was nice to be outside though. The sun was just over the horizon, the birds still sung in desperate attempt to drown out the sound of the lawnmower my neighbor methodically pushed across his lawn.

I walked over to the front step and sat. I marveled at my plants. A week ago, I had completely given up on growing flowers there when I had pulled the sun-crisped sprouts from the ground. In their place I planted Green Pepper, Squash, Tomato, and Green Onion. The Squash and Tomato patches were teaming with little life, but leaves and bud above the rest stood a Morning Glory stock. The Green Pepper and Onion patches had no signs of life.

At first, I felt rather helpless. Nothing I could do would bring them to life if they have life; digging in the soil would only harm them if they did have life. After my initial feelings of helplessness had passed, I realized the error of those emotions. My task is to plant, water, and pull weeds where needed. I did that. My task is complete. I am not the judge of who sprouts and overtakes the others or who will climb the lattice or who will spread and provide fruit or nourishment for the others. I may never see the sprouts come out of the ground or the fruit ripen. My task is simply to plant as many seeds as I can, water the ground where it is parched, and wait for the One who has control to do His work.

Maybe He will even let me watch.

Extended Weekend for Extended Family

2009-08-04T19:12:00.000-07:00

Narrative: Family ties and visits.

In-laws are still rather new and enjoyable to me (they also happen to be a large majority of the followers to my blog, hello in-laws). Feel free to insert your own variety of snide joke about in-laws and outlaws here. Mine visited over the weekend, and I learned a good deal from them.

My wife's sister, her husband, and two kids drove the better half of the day to spend the weekend with Becca and I. They arrived Friday after I got off work, and we all sat around our little folding card table for some wonderful soup. James (the 7 year old) quickly identified my xbox and strategically noted that he was proficient in many gaming systems, including my xbox. I hadn't realized until then how violent my games are, only the free arcade games that came with the xbox were age appropriate. I don't value games based solely on the volume of violence and bloodshed, do I? Game creators really don't make many challenging, strategic, interesting, story-based games in the 6+ category. He seemed happy to play Pinata-Land, but he did suggest that I purchase more age appropriate games by the time they return.

The two year old was interesting to watch over the weekend. I found myself constantly paranoid that he was hiding in some dark corner of my house pooping, but that really wasn't a justified fear at all. He had on a diaper. My puppy, Daisy, has no such restraint. His language was perticuarly interesting to me. How could so few words have so many meanings? In our last encounter, my name was distinguished from the other two-syllable words: "Ba-Bo." I have no idea how this was distilled from Robert unless you follow the mental thread that justifies squinting at my name and reading it while holding your nose with one hand and your tongue with the other.

James said that because he is Peter's older brother, he is the authority on Peter's language. He told me that "Ba-Bo" means "Better." I guess that makes me a good uncle by default.

We went to a free mini-carnival at a nearby park, and I threw the frisbee for Echo while the kids played on inflatable buildings and allowed clowns to paint their faces. James and I took apart a remote control car and put it back together (and I did my best to explain basic digital electronics to him in the short spans of attention he graciously lent me).

All good things must come to a close though, and they left Sunday afternoon after we built a fort in the living room with all available blankets in the house. Becca's dad called about then and asked if he could swing by and and spend the night, so my parents-in-law drove several hours to bring us a wooden table and that old TV with the vertical collapse problem.

It's been a good weekend, but I'm still exhausted. All that cleaning before hand. All that fun during. All those failed attempts to fix my TV with vertical collapse. It's time for bed. Goodnight.

How to Fix Vertical Collapse for Large Old TVs

2009-07-24T13:27:00.000-07:00

Warning: The opinions expressed in this blog are purely speculative. I will take absolutely no responsibility for anyone's injury or death should they attempt to recreate the instructions in this post. Opening a television or monitor can be fatal. Televisions carry extremely high voltage even after they have been unplugged for a decade or two. Extremely high voltage is not good for the human body in large doses (and "extremely high" greatly exceeds "large"). If you do not understand this warning stop reading this blog for your own sake!

First, let me explain what Vertical Collapse looks like. The best example is when you turn off your television set and the screen momentarily turns into a horizontal green line; Vertical Collapse is when it always looks like that green line. Most TVs will have an intermediate stage in Vertical Collapse before reaching such a severe case. That looks more like your television got lazy and only wanted to show two inches vertically and the full width horizontally. Most people view this as a problem because it makes it extremely difficult to see the channel number in the upper right corner (not to mention how difficult it is to see facial expressions on lines).

If your television set is experiencing Vertical Collapse, it is most likely time to get a new television. You may be rolling your eyes right now saying to yourself, "If there's a way to fix it, why buy a new one?" Well, you could die. Then where would you be? First, try whacking the top or side. If this works, put something heavy on top of the TV or up against the side and skip to the "Problem solved" part of the post.

Should you be unlucky enough to still be reading this how-to guide, take heart there might be a glimmer of almost hope. Take it to the garage, or somewhere else dusty, humid, and boiling hot. Roll it screen down on a square of carpet or something else that can cause equal static charge. Unscrew all visible screws, and remove the back cover. Do not touch anything in contact with the back middle part of the TV. Take a picture of yourself with the exposed television back and place your camera or cellphone four feet from the work area. This picture will be an excellent shot of you near victory, and if not, it will help the paramedics determine cause of death.

Roll the television set upright and plug it in. Set up a mirror so that you can see the front of the set from behind it. This step is important and can be learned in the Optics section of Physics 2, if you are incapable of performing this task, unplug the TV, put the case back on, and go buy a new one. Gently tap different sections of the main circuit board with a non-conductive material, your wife's cooking spoon will work nicely. With each tap, check the screen with the mirror; you are looking for "Vertical No-Collapse" also known as "Nertical Normalcy." If you cover the whole circuit board with no success, something more serious is wrong, and it will be cheaper to buy a new television.

For those of you still with me, congratulations. You have located the affected area on the circuit board. Unplug and roll forward your large backless television and gently maneuver the main board so that you can see the side with all the solder points. Carefully melt each solder point in position within a two inch radius of the affected area. Old television sets have a tendency to loosen their grip on some of the solder points, you just gave it new life. Set the TV up and power it on to confirm your success. Don't forget to secure the circuit board and put the case back on.

If the problem isn't solved but you know where the affected area is, you could always whack it whenever you experience Recurring Vertical Collapse Syndrome.

Problem solved.

Unfortunate Life of a Puppy

2009-07-13T15:31:00.000-07:00

Moving will always be a stressful time, especially if you were to move permanently and into a stranger's home. The newest member of our family has had an exceptionally difficult one.

Becca and I adopted a little white and brown puppy from the local humane society on Tuesday to grow up with my one and a half year old puppy, Echo. Daisy and Echo hit it off wonderfully. He would attempt to start a game of tug-of-war and pull her across the room, and she would get up and lick his chin in adoration.

I expected that she would get sick early on from the change of diet and location, but I didn't quite expect worms in her vomit. That night my wife and I went to Walmart for some de-wormer, and later, both dogs ate that wonderful pill. Even later, they both expelled the worms from their bodies, and in the morning, I had the privilege of cleaning, bathing, and sterilizing the kennel and the dogs. They both looked rather miserable for a few days.

The plan was to take Daisy to the vet for her first round of shots, but before we could make our way to our local shot clinic, a wasp decided to do it's own vaccinating. I saw the whole thing unfold like a scene from a bad cartoon: the wasp saw the puppy, the puppy saw the wasp, the owner tried to react, the puppy decided to play with the wasp, and the wasp didn't want to play. I mashed the wasp but seconds too late. Her paw swelled up like a water balloon, and she hobbled to the kennel crying at the top of her lungs. I happened to have some children's strength diphenhydramine and measuring syringe formerly used to keep Echo drowsy on a long drive (16 hours?). My wife covered her paw with a baking powder paste, and by bedtime, she was as happy as such an unfortunate puppy could be.

On Sunday, I thought that surely this was the most unfortunate of puppies. In less than a week, she went through moving, worms medication, potty training (still very incomplete), finding her place at the bottom of the pack, and a wasp sting.

At work today, I received an unrecognized call and did not answer. When my phone informed me of the voice mail, I became interested and called voice mail. My neighbor's voice was saying something about his car and a vet and how very sorry he was. I drove to the veterinary clinic in the voice mail and found my neighbor and poor Daisy. She was breathing hard but breathing. She somehow had escaped the fenced back yard and lodged herself under his car. My neighbor was so filled with remorse that I let him go to work, and I stayed to get my little puppy x-rayed. She has some internal bruising, but no major broken bones. Her diaphragm is intact, and she can walk with a limp. All we can do now is wait and hope for the best. The pain medications will help, and so will the antibiotics.

What a most unfortunate dog.

Now I need to tell my wife...

Wedding Bells and Frizbees

2009-06-29T18:40:00.001-07:00

The weekend was rather eventful, but I think I'll start off with some Good Idea / Bad Idea.

Good Idea: in your spare time, install a fire extinguisher in the kitchen to show your protection over your wife.
Bad Idea: test out the fire extinguisher in the kitchen.

Good Idea: wear shorts in the summer time because it is hot and humid in Texas.
Bad Idea: wear shorts to work, where they over-compensate for the hot weather.

Good Idea: kill the giant cockroach before your wife gets home.
Bad Idea: misplace an insect leg on the kitchen floor.

Good Idea: drink lots of water when you're sick.
Bad Idea: stand up quickly when nauseated and full of water.

Good Idea: get the leaky fuel line fixed on the car so that it doesn't catch on fire.
Bad Idea: fill the car with fuel before the mechanic cuts the fuel line.

Good Idea: put the dog in the back yard so he can stretch his legs while you're at work.
Bad Idea: put the dog in the back yard so he can get drenched with heavy summer rains.

All I can say is, it's been an exciting day. Although it's not completely chronological, the Good Idea / Bad Idea pretty much sums up my day. I'll allow your imagination to fill in the details. . . . Finished? Good. It all ended well, I'm sitting on my bed with my wife writing this blog instead of mourning the today that could have been; that's something right?

The better story took place before all the confusion that the flu trails in its wake. Friday morning, Becca and I drove four hours to Temple (no, we did not join a cult or go on pilgrimage). A friend from High School had asked Becca to be one of her bridesmaids, and we came when beckoned. After a few failed attempts to help, I made great headway on my most recent book Xenocide, by Orson Scott Card. I also had a great time with Becca's cousins, who we stayed with for the two nights we were in Temple. His dogs enjoyed chasing frisbees, and Echo (my dog) soon caught onto the concept of chasing after the flat and hovering tennis ball.

We stopped in Tyler on the way back, and I purchased a special ordered chefs apron (one of the last eight to be made) so that I can cook with style. Becca and I found a movie that never made it anywhere and tried to watch it over dinner. The movie was so poorly made and so incredibly predictable that we shut it off and went to bed early. Six o'clock comes around pretty fast.

Another Day Another App

2009-06-25T17:05:00.000-07:00

Let me explain how this whole blog thing will work itself out. I write in a variety of styles, and this is not the first blog that I've had the pleasure of writing. I'll try to give you a heads up about the category or topics covered in the entry. The categories will range from Inspirations to Instructions to Narratives to Coding Tips. This one is a narrative.

The alarm went off at 5:30 this morning; a pleasant song filled the room and quickly tore me from my dreams and placed me in Texas. I don't often get up at 5:30, and today was no exception. After a snooze my wife got up to get ready for work, and after another, I rolled out of bed to make us both breakfast. I really enjoy breakfast.

After my wife drove off to work, I read, cleaned up the kitchen, packed a lunch, and went to work. As usual, I was the first to arrive, and before anyone else had arrived, I had a cup of hot coffee in my hand and a list of completed task. I spent the rest of the day developing a new administrative panel for my dynamic webpage management system (when I say "my" I'm referring to my company, not just myself).

On the way home, I stopped at the grocery store to pick up a few of the basics: milk, eggs, bread, corn starch, and cotton rounds. I've noticed that my grocery lists have already begun the obvious shift from a bachelor list to a married man list; the recent development is quite enjoyable to observe (and participate in). I would have been out of the store within ten minutes, but by the time I had checked off all the other items on my list, I discovered that I hadn't the fainted clue what corn starch looks like. I imagined a clear liquid in a medium glass bottle with a picture of corn on it. Half an hour later, I asked someone who worked there what corn starch looked like, and she immediately walked me to the baking section next to the flower and picked up a can with big letters across the front: Corn Starch. Incidentally, the first place I looked was in the Baking/Flour department.

I arrived home to see my beautiful wife cooking dinner and my energetic dog running laps around the island. After a long day, it was good to be home.