A Creepy Kind of Love

What would you do if you came across a very realistic looking rubber cockroach? Cheryl and I were confronted with this dilemma recently when she bought the decorations for Isaac's "Bug" themed birthday party. Of course, we did what any other normal loving couple would do and showed to the other laughing about how funny it would be to mistake that for the real thing.

Really?

No. Not Really.

From the moment we realized the mayhem potential of this little guy, all bets were off on what lengths we would go to in order to scare the other. The first attempts were innocuous enough but this would turn out to be a battle of escalation! ... in love of course!

• Gabe gets the game going by taping Roach to the back of a Milk Jug in the fridge.
• Cheryl retaliates by putting Roach on my hairbrush in the medicine cabinet.
• Gabe escalates by taping a string to the roach from the bottom of the bathroom door. When the door opens it pulls Roach out for a 'in motion' effect. This bombs, though, when Roach tumbles and looks more like one of Ollies' dookies! (Rats - foiled!)
• Cheryl hides Roach behind my shave cream in the shower.
• Gabe hides Roach on the spoons in the silverware draw.
• The most recent attempt was the most brazen though. I'm eating dinner, going through the salad when Roach tumbles out of the lettuce! ooo ... she's good.

I'll get you, yet, Cheryl-y Anne!

Wow - Great Eats in Austin!

Did I say Great Eats? What I meant was GREAT EATS! I'm in Austin for a couple of days for and Ed Tech conference. We had a lunch break yesterday and I wound up at this South American food restaurant that I've walked past dozens of times before when up here for conference - Dona Emilias. I ordered the stuffed chicken breast and didn't think any more about it. I fully expected to get the same thing you normally get at this type of place.What I got instead for my unbelievably reasonable $8 (considering the quality of the food) was a delicious and even beautiful meal!

Let me explain something at this point - my relationship with food is VERY utiliarian. I really don't dare much about eating. My style of eating could best be described as the "rushed disposal" technique. I'd take a pill instead if I could and enjoy the time I recovered. Consequently, I don't differentiate much between food quality. Chili's, Applebee's, TGI Friay's, et al mark the high end of my dining and McDonalds, etc. mark the low end and I have pretty much the same reaction to both ends - ambivalence.

For me to rave about cuisine, is not just rare, but completely out of character. I normally don't care about food, but this meal managed to break through my indifference and leave me wide-eyed. I'd love to give you a thorough break down of the flavors and textures that made it so great, but because of paragraph #2, I'm ill-equipped to discuss the topic intelligently. Let me just leave it at WOW! I mean it ... WOW!

A High Time at Lowe's

Our little town is growing up! Somewhere in the last 10 years Dairy Queen lost its place as the status symbol of a real town. Now, you now it's a 'real' town if you've got a Lowe's or Home Depot. We just got a Lowe's and I love it.

Cheryl and I had opportunity to be in the Lowe's the other day when they were doing a craft project for kids and decided to jump right in. Isaac loved it. They handed out aprons, goggles, hammers and a kit for a small project. Isaac and I could find room at one of the tables so we just set up shop on the floor! The kit had pieces precut and drilled to mat a little tool box and we got started. There were almost too many nails for the patience of a 4 year old, but I fought the urge to take over and helped him hammer each one in. Cheryl took a turn at it too and Julia enjoy playing with the parts that hadn't been used yet. In the end, we had a pretty good looking toolbox and some great family time on a Saturday morning.

Caution: Nerd with Power Tools

So I'll have to be honest, I do have quite the proclivity for all things techy (and big words like proclivity!). So naturally I carry a high-tech, shiney, black, does-everything-but-make-the-bed blackberry cell phone - the "Pearl", in case you wanted to know. But my gadget orientation has always included power tools as well. I really dig wood-working and most projects in general that involve tools that could remove one of your limbs if not handled properly. Blackberrys don't tend to do that.

I finally have found a project that properly unites these two domains - behold, the hand-crafted wooden cell phone cradle! This beauty is a one of a kind featuring hardwood construction using red oak and rosewood and a high gloss black lacquer finish. It is a thing of beauty that true nerds don't get ... and true woodworkers can't see the need for. Sadly, this is a one of a kind. I'll not be taking orders for more of these. You'll have to find some other techy-wood head!

Hey, That's Not Wi-fi! That's a Thermostat!

Just a random bit of humor ... I ran across this picture I took while in an airport a couple of years ago. I was walking along when I saw th Wi-Fi sign. I tend to notice techy things. I'm going to assume that they were intending to mark what might be the center of this particular 'hotspot,' but the sign was placed directly above a thermostat. I was pretty amused imagining the rip-off that might have been perpetraited against the airport there. Some shady contractor talking to the airport's non-technical purchasing manager:

Shady Guy: "Aaaa, Oh Kaaaa, Vinnie and I got 'cha Wi-ah-less Network set up, boss. 'dat'll be 100 grand - cash pref'rably."
Dopey Manager: "Well OK, but I didn't see you do anything but screw that thing to the wall and slap on the sticker.
SG: You gonna tell us how to do ahhr job, or pay up? (Vinnie cracks knuckles menacingly)
DM: Yeah, here's the money, but ... that sure looks like a thermostat to me!