Setting the Mood

This is how we set the mood for Beatles Rock Band:



Very effective.

Multitasking

Yes. I was in fact just listening to the Pandora app on my iPhone whilst checking the Facebook app at the same time.

Yes. I was iPhone multitasking.

Clean... Ish

Bathroom and kitchen are clean... ish.

Sort of.

First iPhone 4 Sunset

Nerds

Now we both have iPhone 4s to play with.

Have I mentioned how much I love her??

Yeah... iPhone 4 self portrait.

Hell yeah!

Curious Coincedences?

So I just went through my Flickr account and changed the name of my iPhone set to iPhone 3G. I also tag all of my iPhone pictures with the very original and unexpected word, iPhone. Today I added a second tag to all of those pictures (699 of them), iPhone 3G.

My wife's iPhone 3G died yesterday. The battery just gave up the fight. She went to the Apple store in Salem and bought an iPhone 4. The very same iPhone 4 that I have been totally drooling over.

Today after work I am meeting my wife at the Apple store in Burlington (closer to both of our offices).

I wonder if all of this is related some how? I wonder if it means something? I'm wondering if I might have an iPhone 4 set on Flickr by the end of the night?

I am such a nerd.

Puppy Dog Eyes

I gave my wife, my angel, my sweetie the sad puppy dog eyes last night. I gave her the jealous gadget geek. I gave her lots of, "wow, that is cool"'s and now she has agreed to meet me at the Apple store tonight so I can get a new iPhone 4 too!

Hooray for sad puppy dog eyes!

Hehe

iPhone Nerdiness

Yes my beautiful wife got herself an iPhone 4 so you know I was going to wave my nerd flag and play around with it...

Forward facing camera? Oh yeah.


Video? Oh yeah.


Okay, so I didn't do that much of a test. I did, however, reproduce the death grip cell signal loss thingie. It was pretty fascinating.

I want one I want one I want one I want one!!!!!

Overwhelmed with Jealous Rage!

Why am I overwhelmed with jealous rage?

Because my wife just sent me a text and emailed me a video...

From her new iPhone 4!

My skin has literally turned green. I mean it. If I had an iPhone 4 I'd use the second camera to take a self portrait of my green-with-jealousy look.

I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want I want.

Rush @ Manchester 7-11-08 027

Rush @ Manchester 7-11-08 027
Originally uploaded by robj_1971

I just looked at the date on this picture. I haven't seen Rush in OVER TWO YEARS! Withdrawal is a bitch, man!

Rush

Rush @ Manchester 7-11-08 184
Originally uploaded by robj_1971

Is it September yet? Is Rush in Boston yet? Can we go today? Please?

Best Kids Ever!

The kids went upstairs to their rooms about an hour before we did. One of them, I don't care which, and I will eternally assume it was both of them working together, decided to turn our air conditioner on without us asking.

Yes, they are the bestest kids ever.

IBooks

The kids mentioned tonight that they have the iBooks app on their iPods. It inspired me. Now I have it on my iPhone too.

Thank you Steve Jobs for the free book section. Now installing it was officially NOT a waste of my time!

WOOHOO!

ADDENDUM: have you noticed how the number of typos on my posts increase drastically when I type on my phone?

I gotta start doing that proof reading crap.

On an unrelated note, I still can't fathom just how friggin horrible the show Family Matters was. Just unconscionably awful. Inexcusably terrible.

Get Out of My Head!

I've had a song stuck in my head since dinner last night. "Born in the 50's" by The Police. It's not exactly a favorite of mine. In fact it's probably one of my least favorite Police songs.

Still, there is a verse that keeps popping up on me...

My mother cried
When president kennedy died
She said it was the communists
But I knew better

I keep trying to imagine what some one my age would have written in it's place. Like, imagine if the song was called "Born in the 70's" instead. It might look like this...

My mother didn't cry
When President Nixon resigned
She said it was the communists
But he was just an asshole

Then it goes down hill from there. (ie Disco)

Oh well.

Woooops

I just dropped my iPhone. It's fine, no problems. It slipped out of my hand and hit the soft carpet.

I swear on the souls of all whom I love and care about that I did not do it as a ploy to snag myself an iPhone 4.

Honestly.

Train

I love getting stuck behind trains during the morning commute.

The End of the Fun

We had a great weekend. Saturday at the beach with my brother's family and lots of adorable toddler time. Sunday flake day, at my very super smart step daughter's request, hanging out at home watching movies and just having fun being together.

And now it is over. Stupid Monday.

Wonks

We just watched Willy Wonka and the Chocolate factory, or what ever the 1971 movie was called, and I think that everyone involved in the movie was on crack... Lots of it.

I liked it though.

Wells

CIMG3098
Originally uploaded by robj_1971

We went to Wells Beach yesterday. It was great.

Here is a photo of my step son's sand castle masterpiece!

Wells Beach

Beach

We're going to a beach today. Uncle John and Aunt Mary have invited us up to Maine to visit them. We're going to the beach and we're going out for sushi. I'll pass on the raw fish, but otherwise this is going to be great!

Darth Vader Robs Bank (Photos, Oh Yes, Photos) - Gothamist

Darth Vader Robs Bank (Photos, Oh Yes, Photos) - Gothamist: "- Sent using Google Toolbar"

Using this page to guinea pig a new Google Toolbar function.

Random Thought

Do you want to know what the simplest pleasure of Fridays is?

In slightly less than eight hours and 30 minutes from now I will be free to take off my shoes and put on sneakers. At that point I will be clear to only wear sneakers until 9:00am on Monday.

Sneakers are symbolic of the freedom of the weekend.

Give it up for sneakers!

It is Comic Con Time Again

It is a Klingon take over.

Klingons rule.

 

I Hate Carbon Monoxide

Last night our carbon monoxide detector went off. Again. This time we weren't using the stove or anything. We had no way of rationalizing it or explaining it. The detector went off and kept going off. There was nothing for it but to call 9-1-1.

We went outside to wait for the emergency folks to show up. First a policeman, then a fire engine full of firemen. The fire department brought along a CO detector and did a walk through the house. They found elevated levels in the basement that were high enough to require them to kick us out of the house and call the gas company.

The gas company showed up with a much swankier CO detector and found that the levels were not as high as the fire department unit saw. After waiting about 10 minutes he walked through again and found them much lower still. After another 10 minutes he walked through once again and the readings were zero.

So the in-house environment was once again safe. The problem, as pointed out by the Methuen Fire Department, was that a rental unit like ours requires a carbon monoxide detector on all habitable levels. Our apartment has three levels. The other apartment in our duplex has four. There were apparently only two CO detectors. It looks as though our landlord got calls from the gas company and the fire department last night. I don't want them to be pissed off, but if the law says one per floor, we need two more. Sorry guys.

CO

May you live in interesting times... Again.

Lazy

I want to know what the deal is.

What the deal with the trash pick up in Methuen is.

(yes I know it's incorrect grammar to end a sentence on the word is. I have now done it three times and really do not care. I'm irritated and that is what is.)

Why is it that when I put the trash out the barrels are full of various refuse, and after the trash pick up on Tuesday I come home from work to find the barrels no longer full, but still 20% or so filled with various refuse.

Why don't the Methuen sanitation workers actually empty our trash?

Could some one please tell me why that is?

Contest

Sunset
Originally uploaded by robj_1971

Nerd boy entered this into a photo contest on Flickr. The topic is nature and the two rules are that it has to be taken with a Nikon D90 and it has to be taken during the month of July.

Bet you a fiver I don't win! HA!

Here Comes My Lovey

Someone's Got a Case of the Mondays

It's Monday already. Three weekends ago was 4th of July weekend, a three day weekend. The weekend before last was our mini-vacation to New York, a four day weekend. This past weekend was a normal two day weekend, and damn was it ever short.

We finally, finally pulled off another game night on Saturday. It wasn't the full group in attendance, but it was a lot of us. Most importantly (from my self centered point of view) it included us! Jen and I have missed the last few and we were really happy to be able to get to this one.

We spent the day on a rocky beach in Nahant. I ruined a pair of shoes. Jen went in the kayak with Michael. Larry and Nawal's baby had the coolest inflatable frog pool and all of the grown ups agreed that they wanted one for themselves. Later Michael cooked on the grill and then we went inside and played an interesting scategories type game that was much more adult orientated. A great time was had by all, as usual.

Sunday was dedicated to my nephew's second birthday party. He got a bunch of trucks and trains and awesome stuff that all the grown ups were wicked jealous of. I will post a few pictures on the private page later. Until then, you'll have to settle for these...

Girl of my dreams/birthday videographer.


Wild Turkeys in the back yard!


Now... is it the weekend yet?

Birthday

Today is my nephew's 2nd birthday party. He turned two yesterday.

It is hot as blazes out and the sun is mighty powerful, but the kids are beyond adorable.

This is a great party.

Game Night

Beach Day/Game Night in Nahant.

Moon Over Nahant

Memories

Ahhh, memories of bingo clean-ups past...

Explorers

Look at this:



Are we in some exotic locale? Like a casino in Monaco or something?

Naaw, we're at the Cheesecake Factory in the North Shore Mall for an impromptu date night.

Existential Questions

When I got to work on this lovely (if a bit muggy) Friday morning in summery July I suddenly felt myself posing an existential question...

Of all the places I could be on the planet Earth, where would I least like to actually be?

I gave it some thought (for about 2 minutes) and came up with the following list:

1. Inside a huge volcano at the moment it begins to erupt. That would suck.

2. Sinking to the very bottom of the ocean (it doesn't matter which one) while wearing no sort of breathing apparatus and being crushed by the unfathomable pressure of the water above me. If you throw in a few man-eating fish it would make it worse, but only a tiny bit worse.

3. Falling out of an airplane without the aide of a parachute. Now this might be a controversial entry as it does not actually involve me being on the planet Earth. Still, let's all agree that it's close enough.

4. Stranded all alone at the North (or South) pole with no chance of ever being found and rescued, while wearing nothing more than shorts and flip flops. Some how its the flip flops that push this into the top five.

5. Sitting in this chair, at this desk, in this office on a lovely (if a bit muggy) Friday morning in summery July when I could be off having fun with my beautiful wife doing something leisurely and summery.

So I can't really say that being at work today is the last place on Earth I want to be... but it's pretty close.

Happy Friday, everyone.

I'm late!!!

It's almost 9:00 and I haven't posted yet!

I only have time for short random musings as my beloved and I are out for a late dinner.




Isn't she beautiful?

Any way... Random thought...

How do you spell circuitis? Cirquetus. Whatevah

Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy quote of the day:

Insanity is a process. Don't rush it.

I hope I got that quote right.

The Texas Rangers are beating the crap out of the Boston Red Sox. Crud.

There you go! My streak of consecutive days with at least one blogger bloggie post continues!

Another Random New York Pic

DSC_0184
Originally uploaded by robj_1971

One more for the road. Another random New York picture.

Good night everyone.

Greeley Square

DSC_0424-1
Originally uploaded by robj_1971

One bonus New York picture.

I like Greeley Square.

Muggy

It's not that hot out. It's muggy though. Damn is it muggy.

The result is the four of us retiring to our air conditioned bed rooms (while absolutely covered in sweat... or is that just me) to ride out the rest of the steamy, muggy night.

Jen and I look like the very picture of nerd-love. We're both sitting up in bed playing on a lap top. His and Hers Windows 7 boxes, to be precise. Couldn't you just die from the cuteness? hehe

Not-New York - Day 3

We didn't go to New York on the third day of our trip to New York. We stayed in the general vicinity of our hotel in Stamford, CT. This included a visit to the Maritime Aquarium in Norwalk, CT and the huge mall in Stamford.

From the Aquarium... Seals!


Sting Rays!


Shark teeth!


Mini-shark!


African Penguins!!


Meerkats?


Yes, Meerkats.


Colorful frog!


Another colorful frog!


Sea Star!


Great big shark!


Jelly Fish!


Now, off to the Stamford Town Center, a huge mall. My stepson wanted this shot of Barnes and Nobel.


The mall has an amphitheater. The kids wanted a crack at the piano, but it was locked.


And we close with a random picture of the park outside of the mall, taken through a window.


The third day was a blast. The entire trip was a great time. I want to go again. RIGHT NOW!

Hydrwhat?

How do you spell hydrangea?

Grrrr

I hate traffic jams on back roads. I really hate it.

New York Day 2

You thought I forgot about you, didn't you. No, just needed to wait until lunch time to get my post in.

As a wise man (Douglas Adams) once wrote, "Time is an illusion. Lunch time doubly so."

Here are pictures from the second day in New York. The first day I had a charged battery in my Nikon! Hooray!

We thought it would be fun to take the Staten Island Ferry into the city. It was fun. Getting to the Ferry was a major challenge. Bridges and Toll Booths and Traffic, oh my!

There is a very nice 9/11 memorial along the water near the terminal.




I did not know this until we got there, but the complex is the home of the Staten Island Yankees. The New York/Penn league rivals of our local minor league heroes the Lowell Spinners. There was a game that night. I don't know if they were playing Lowell or not. I hate the Yankees.



It was a beautiful day and the view during the crossing was wonderful.


The highlight of the ferry trip was, obviously, the Statue of Liberty.


My stepson wanted skyscrapers? How's this for skyscrapers?


Obligatory blurry subway train photo.


The Flatiron building in the foreground and the Empire State building in the background.


The Empire State building. So humongous you can't even fit it into one picture.


I had never heard of Greeley Square before, but I liked it very much.


The view from the 86th floor of the Empire State Building. We went to the top of Rockefeller Center the day before and had no plans to go up to the Empire State Building observation level, but once we were there we couldn't not go. Here we look down at the Chrysler building.


Looking up at the highest point in the city.


You can see people at the Top of the Rock.


Flatiron.


The Brooklyn Bridge... I think... isn't it?


Welcome to Times Square.




The Toys 'R Us ferris wheel was the reason for our visit to Times Square. Unfortunately the tickets on sale when we got there were for over an hour away. It was too long to wait.


We did get to see another T-Rex while we were there.


Our walk through Times Square took place during the start of rush hour. Talk about your mobs of people!


Random huge building.


Another random huge building.


Back on the ferry, looking at the financial district.


And we'll close up with a couple of pictures of the sun setting behind the Statue of Liberty. Day two in the city was another great day.