Saturday, December 19, 2009
gots the alonelies
"Now papa, why aint you with us?"
Christy took Alexi to New Zealand on Monday. They, and the grandparents (Judy and Bill), are to spending two weeks vacation touring around the island.
Back in SLC, it has been a lonely 5 days so far. In five more days I get to jump on a plane and join them. A few days overlap with the grandparents, then it is unstructured vacation time. Fishing pole, family, and a set of backpacks. Only requirement: a plane to catch in two weeks. It is gonna be nice to relax.
Been kind of stressful last few months here for me. I have found myself working hard for deadline after deadline. November 4 was a contract SBIR to write up. It was an opportunity not to be missed, but required many late nights reading literature and creating a product development strategy. Then an even bigger SBIR grant was chased for Dec 5. This one was for similar technology but specific for the detection of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment. Staying up to 3 AM was becoming the norm.
Why should I have worked so hard? Exploring these new ideas and technology gave me a new passion in my research. The potential impact of this product development is immediate. I have the chance to help create a toxicology tool for environmental health researchers. A panel of trangenic nematodes is a biosensor for rapid identification and characterization of toxic compounds in our everyday environment. The public health benefit of this tool is quite exciting. I feel moraly compelled to provide it.
Coming home for dinner with the family was a much needed break from the intensity of research. But now, with Christy and Alexi gone, it is quite lonely around the house. I have the puggies, and we go for long walks, but I need the smile, laughter, and hugs of my little boy. I look forward to seeing them soon.
Christy took Alexi to New Zealand on Monday. They, and the grandparents (Judy and Bill), are to spending two weeks vacation touring around the island.
Back in SLC, it has been a lonely 5 days so far. In five more days I get to jump on a plane and join them. A few days overlap with the grandparents, then it is unstructured vacation time. Fishing pole, family, and a set of backpacks. Only requirement: a plane to catch in two weeks. It is gonna be nice to relax.
Been kind of stressful last few months here for me. I have found myself working hard for deadline after deadline. November 4 was a contract SBIR to write up. It was an opportunity not to be missed, but required many late nights reading literature and creating a product development strategy. Then an even bigger SBIR grant was chased for Dec 5. This one was for similar technology but specific for the detection of endocrine-disrupting chemicals in the environment. Staying up to 3 AM was becoming the norm.
Why should I have worked so hard? Exploring these new ideas and technology gave me a new passion in my research. The potential impact of this product development is immediate. I have the chance to help create a toxicology tool for environmental health researchers. A panel of trangenic nematodes is a biosensor for rapid identification and characterization of toxic compounds in our everyday environment. The public health benefit of this tool is quite exciting. I feel moraly compelled to provide it.
Coming home for dinner with the family was a much needed break from the intensity of research. But now, with Christy and Alexi gone, it is quite lonely around the house. I have the puggies, and we go for long walks, but I need the smile, laughter, and hugs of my little boy. I look forward to seeing them soon.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Where else?
urban area? I sure will miss this place if I have to leave.
Monday, October 12, 2009
Proof is in da pudding.
OMG. He just went about 300+ feet on a long down hill. I ran next to him, encouraging him. Alexi was giggling with delight. As the walk way leveled he started trying to put his feet down and nearly crashed. OK, helmut time now. No more riding the scoot without a helmut, he is too fast.
This may be the last days for the scoot. He even mimes pedling when I am holding the handle bars. Two years and 3 months and he may be riding a bike soon????? Man, that might be some kind of a genus book of records entry there.
Columbus day riding
feet without touching. Soon it will be "look ma, no hands"
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Saturday, September 19, 2009
smack'n sticks with the dummer dudes
Thursday, September 10, 2009
the main salmon to Kamiah
A few weeks back we took the long family vacation. One week floating down the main salmon, then the next week hanging with Christy's sister's family, and then a few days at the Targee bluegrass festival.
The float was a beauty.
At times the temps were down right chilly.
But there were plenty of warm times.
Here we have Alexi on one of the warmer days working on perfecting his westerner stance.
And generally looking cute in what ever hat he was in.
"Attention lieutenant Louie! Now I want you to tell that sailor momma she needs to keep her eyes sharp out there on point. Because these here nautical charts indicate there are big SCARRY sea monsters in this vicinity."
" Now common private pappa, you can tell me where you hid my magic juicebox. We wont have to tell anyone, well just keep it between you and me. Just tell me where it is and everything will be just fine, and I wont have to pull this here rip cord and release your life vest."
Life vest were important to have, because the water did get a little exciting from time to time.
"Now listen here pardner, this is my mining claim. I build the sand castles around here. Go build yours over there."
"Hey, well, ....you gonna build them for me? So I can smash them down? Now I think we have a budding partner ship here. ....Make me a sand castle!"
"Yea, weez gett'n da freek on now!"
"Oh yea Daddy-O, a four way arm wresting match. Who is gonna win?"
Dancing with the Stars.
Girl gone cat fishin'
Louie escaping the maw of the Alligator.
But it was not all fun and games.
Cores must be done.
Dishes to be put away.
buckets of water to fill.
After that is done, then we can relax and work on looking cute.
After the river trip, we spent some time with Chad and Santana at the river side beach near their house.
Here we found one way to keep those kids from mischief.
buried to their necks in the sand!
It was a blast to enjoying an air blast from the raft pump air blaster.
Well it got just down right tiring.
It became time for a well deserved nappy in the back seat of "daddy's white truck."
The float was a beauty.
At times the temps were down right chilly.But there were plenty of warm times.
Here we have Alexi on one of the warmer days working on perfecting his westerner stance.And generally looking cute in what ever hat he was in.
"Attention lieutenant Louie! Now I want you to tell that sailor momma she needs to keep her eyes sharp out there on point. Because these here nautical charts indicate there are big SCARRY sea monsters in this vicinity."
" Now common private pappa, you can tell me where you hid my magic juicebox. We wont have to tell anyone, well just keep it between you and me. Just tell me where it is and everything will be just fine, and I wont have to pull this here rip cord and release your life vest."
Life vest were important to have, because the water did get a little exciting from time to time.
"Now listen here pardner, this is my mining claim. I build the sand castles around here. Go build yours over there."
"Hey, well, ....you gonna build them for me? So I can smash them down? Now I think we have a budding partner ship here. ....Make me a sand castle!"
"Yea, weez gett'n da freek on now!"
"Oh yea Daddy-O, a four way arm wresting match. Who is gonna win?"
Dancing with the Stars.
Girl gone cat fishin'
Louie escaping the maw of the Alligator.But it was not all fun and games.
Cores must be done.
Dishes to be put away.
buckets of water to fill.
After that is done, then we can relax and work on looking cute.After the river trip, we spent some time with Chad and Santana at the river side beach near their house.
Here we found one way to keep those kids from mischief.
buried to their necks in the sand!
It was a blast to enjoying an air blast from the raft pump air blaster.Well it got just down right tiring.
It became time for a well deserved nappy in the back seat of "daddy's white truck."
Christy's hair project
maybe it is like growing the hair out. Just has a goofy looking stage
to it.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Monday, August 31, 2009
The FT collins super
Got me a beaut off the trash heaps piling up in the street. Found her not all in one place mind you, but rather, she begot from a conglomeration (or is that abomination?) of various parts from various heaps.
You see, once a year, the SLC sanitation does "neighborhood clean up day." So everyone cleans out the clutter (or should I say valuable jewels!) and puts them on the street to be hauled off to the dump by the city.
Seeing a perfectly good chair on one pile (sans legs and a wee rip down the middle). Then a nice pre-teen girls bike (sans rear wheel) on another... I got inspired. Some crooked conduit in one pile (easily straitened), perfectly good batch of wood 2 x 4's on another (chair base improvement).....well, the creative juices just started flowing. The result is my own white, trash mobile (she got a little extra white by painting the conduit and welds white).
She rides like a champ.
We are taking her to Ft Collins this weekend for the Tour de Fat. This tours major activity is dressing up like a freak and riding a bike thru the middle of beautiful down town Ft Collins (all full sanctioned by the city, and financially supported by New Belgum Brewery.) So wiffy and I are going to dress like crazy hillbillies and ride my new ride in style.
You see, once a year, the SLC sanitation does "neighborhood clean up day." So everyone cleans out the clutter (or should I say valuable jewels!) and puts them on the street to be hauled off to the dump by the city.
Seeing a perfectly good chair on one pile (sans legs and a wee rip down the middle). Then a nice pre-teen girls bike (sans rear wheel) on another... I got inspired. Some crooked conduit in one pile (easily straitened), perfectly good batch of wood 2 x 4's on another (chair base improvement).....well, the creative juices just started flowing. The result is my own white, trash mobile (she got a little extra white by painting the conduit and welds white).
She rides like a champ.
We are taking her to Ft Collins this weekend for the Tour de Fat. This tours major activity is dressing up like a freak and riding a bike thru the middle of beautiful down town Ft Collins (all full sanctioned by the city, and financially supported by New Belgum Brewery.) So wiffy and I are going to dress like crazy hillbillies and ride my new ride in style.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
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