Category: Reflections

Writings about life, and usually how beautiful it is.

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Christmas Presents, McDonalds, AntiFreeze and Split/Second

Split Second: Velocity
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Tamika drove me to work yesterday.

The kids got so many presents at the Pinkney Christmas that we needed to take a second trip. Our car had already been full from 3 weeks of travel in Canada, so there wasn’t much room at all. Miss Apit (our neighbor) let the kids stay overnight with her. After dropping me off at work, she headed north, and met her Dad in Delaware, and loaded up the Subaru with the gifts. It took her most of the day to get there and back, sadly, traffic was completely miserable, and she was late picking me up.

We caved and picked up McDonalds, too tired to figure out anything else. We stopped to get gas on the way home, and I realized the coolant was empty. The gas station attendant let us use his hose to fill it up, and I hopped a fence and borrowed a cup from a Chinese carryout next door to mix the anti-freeze. That stuff weirds me out! Whatever chemicals are in it make it practically glow under any light.

We put the kids right to bed when we got home, and then watched another couple episodes of Caprica. Still like it, though it’s got a couple vulgar scenes. Tamika and I have also been playing Split/Second (which is oddly made by Disney?) against each other. I’m still in the lead, but she’s catching up… 🙂

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Robbery, Vectors, Tilapia and Caprica

Caprica (TV series)
Image via Wikipedia

Went back to work yesterday.

Technically, I worked last week (for a day) and designed some wireframes on Monday, but yesterday was in the office. After the extended stay in Canada, if felt a little surreal.

Making it even more surreal was the fact that the office had been broken into over Christmas. The suite Brightline Interactive shares with MRB had gotten crowbarred open, and then the office doors for three of the offices that MRB owns got crowbarred too. Some of you might remember my house getting robbed last Christmas while we were upstairs, so all the fingerprint dust and entering damage was strangely familiar to me.

Regardless, I got to work on a really cool prospective project for a big theme restaurant chain and do a lot of vector drawing for it. It took the whole day to do, so it was kind of therapeutic to do.

I stayed a bit late to get it done, though, and my head hurt coming home. Tamika made the most amazing baked cheese Tilapia and Indian-style spinach for dinner. After dinner, we opened my Mom and Dad’s present to Nya (we had gotten it late, and then had gotten caught up in the chaos of packing). They had a lot of fun opening it, and I filmed it to put it up on youtube for my parents (I’ll post it later).

Afterwards, I did a bit of work and Tamika and I settled in and watched the first season of Caprica (the prequel to Battlestar Galactica). I actually kinda liked it. It is very different from Battlestar (which we just finished and really loved), but it’s got an intriguing storyline. I know Syfy cancelled it later, but we’ll see.

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The death of Mac and Cheese

Got up around 9:15 yesterday. Somehow I heard the kids Nya knocking on her door, so I got up and told her I’d come and get her after I took a shower.

It didn’t snow very much yet, only a light dusting on the roof outside our window. We had left Perkasie late Saturday night because they were predicting a bad storm, and Philly got hammered with about a foot and a half, but Baltimore only got grazed.

There was no fresh groceries yet, so I fed the kids eggs and dry cereal (their idea) and cooked bacon (on our new Foreman grill!) and eggs for us. Tamika wasn’t feeling all that hot, so I made her coffee and brought it up with breakfast in bed.

I let the kids play while I started putting things away from the trip. It’s amazing how much junk there is to take care of after being on the road for so long!

I pulled the TV away from the wall. The new Xbox has a DVD player in it, so I knew I could eliminate a lot of wiring back there, and possibly unify the sound system.
Turns out the Xbox has an HD jack on the back, and with a little finagling, I was even able to set it up to play movies streamed from my computer.

I then worked out with the fitness program (the primary reason we got it). It’s pretty cool, it analyses my body and figures out what the best workout and intensity is for me, and also corrects my form and posture.
I’m about 60 pounds (maybe more) overweight, so I really need to make some changes. I’m taking my moms advice and cutting carbs out of my diet. This is hard for a guy who once lived on Mac and Cheese, but I gotta do it.

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Home.

Finally home, for realz this time. Can’t help but marvel at Gods wonder. Everyone is safe, we had no life threatening travel troubles, our car runs great, and even though we’re low on dough and couldn’t get much for each other, our kids were blessed with two Christmases and we got each other toys from the heart.
We have a warm house, healthy, happy, and grateful kids, and we have each other. My God is good.

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Looking for places to stay during our trip to Schefferville

Tamika and the kids and I will be driving up to Kawawachikamach in 1 week. We could really use some places to crash on the way up, if you, or anyone you know, is open, let us know!

Here’s our intinerary on the way up.

  1. Dec. 2 – Driving to Philly – Staying with Tamika’s parents.
  2. Dec. 3 – Driving to Vermont, or somewhere close – We need a place to stay!
  3. Dec. 4 – Driving to Quebec City – We need a place to stay!
  4. Dec. 5 – Driving to Sept-Iles – We need a place to stay!

We’re staying at my parents house for a week in Schefferville, then driving back (here’s that itinerary).

  1. Dec. 15 – Driving to Quebec City – We need a place to stay!
  2. Dec. 16 – Driving to Norwich, Connecticut – Staying with my grandmother.
  3. Dec. 17 – Driving to Philly – Staying with Tamika’s parents.
  4. Dec. 18 – Driving to Baltimore.

Thanks so much!