Ashley's New Glasses

During Ashley's annual physical last fall, her pediatrician recommended that we have Ashley see an optometrist as Ashley's left eye seemed a bit weaker than her right one. We waited a few months since she had not complained about eye problems, headaches, or trouble seeing the board in school. We had never seen her having to squint while looking at things or frankly had any indications (other than the doctor) that there was a real problem with Ashley's eyesight.

So forward to April and the long awaited trip to the optometrist. Cathy and Ryan went mall walking while Ashley and I waited to see the doctor. Up until the we were in the exam, our prediction was that the eyes were a little different, but glasses would not be needed. Once Ashley began the exam and could not read the letters with the right eye closed, I began to get worried. When she couldn't read the second set, I knew glasses would be needed. Oddly enough, Ashley has 20/20 vision in the right eye, but 20/80 in the left. This explains why she had not complained about seeing since her dominant eye was compensating for the weaker one. 

So as we are waiting for the eye to dilate for a retina check, we call Cathy to come back to LensCrafters and begin to look at frames. As I had just had to get new glasses a year ago, the sticker shock was not so great, but the shock of a totally surprising expense was starting to sink in. Long gone are the days of getting glasses complete for $25 as I did as a kid. 

Ashely was apprehensive as to what her school friends would think and say, so we let her pick the frames she wanted and thankfully there was a 50% off kids discount. and with Flex Spend reimbursement, the damage is not as bad as originally feared. Luckily for Ashley, her classmates loved the new specs.

Ashley's New Glasses

Apple Taking Over Our Households?

USAToday (http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/story/2012-03-28/cnbc-survey-apple-products-us-homes/53827254/1) is reporting that at least half of the homes in the U.S. have one or more Apple products. This news, while being pretty impressive, made me think about my family's place in this growing Apple universe. It is no secret that I am an Apple fanboy. This love of apple products began in the late 1980s as an undergraduate at the University of Southern Mississippi who found a couple of small screen, monochrome, all-in-one Macs in a computer lab and began writing Chemistry lab reports with MacWrite and drawing data graphs on McDraw.

I admit that is was nearly 20 years later before I was able to actually own a Mac of my own, but that did not quell my growing obsession with all things Macintosh. I even remember being the only undergraduate student to attend a presentation in which Apple reps were showing off the new family of PowerMacs with the new PowerPC processors running circles around the windows machines setup next to the Macs. 

Fast forward to 2005 when the need for a faster computer at work to run a DNA sequence database prompted me to gather grant funds and convince the IT department to allow me to buy a PowerMac G5. The obsession soon became a lifestyle, but as with so many others, the lifestyle and the budget didn't quite match up. But since then, I have purchased quite a few Apple products with institutional money as well as personal funds. 

So how does the Jones family of Northern Alabama compare with other households in terms of Apple devices. With this week's migration to iPhones, the list includes a PowerMac G5 (that's right, it is still kicking 7 years later), a first generation white Macbook and a Mac Mini for actual computers. As for mobile devices, an iPod shuffle, an iPod nano, an 80gb iPod classic, a 3rd generation iPod Touch (64gb), a 4th Generation iPod touch (8gb) and 2 iPhone 4s's (32gb and 16gb). We also are using an airport extreme router. If my math is correct, that equals 11 Apple devices. while not nearly as many as some people we know, it is a little higher than the average of 1.6 devices per household reported in the USAToday.

Now I am in no way using this post to try and brag about the number of Apple devices we use or show that I have a superior attitude as an Apple fanboy. I am just impressed by how this company has continuously been successful in the marketing of its products and created such buzz. It is true that the products for the most part sell themselves with a high level of innovation and quality design, but the ecosystem Apple has created has been clearly superior to competitors in my opinion. For this reason, when we have "needed" new devices and had the money available, we have and will most likely continue to choose Apple products. I have no malice against those that choose other platforms, but as many evangelist do, I will continue to sing the praises of the products that "just work" so that I can focus on my tasks (and, of course, the Apple news and rumor sites).

How many Apple devices do you own and/or use in your life?

Content to Stay Home

As I was walking through the parking lot towards work this morning, I was noticing how much Alabama and Auburn signage was in plain view from cars, trucks and vans at the school. It made me wonder how many of those vehicles belonged to alumni from either the University of Alabama or Auburn, so I started to look at the parking tags to see if they were staff or student tags. Most were student tags and it was clear that the majority of community college students are not also alumni from four year universities.

That started me thinking about traveling and how it seems like almost everywhere I have lived, the majority of people living there where natives. Growing up in a military family has made me curious about those who have lived in one place all of their life. There are those that have always lived in one city/town, many with generations of their family living within blocks of their homes and, most shocking to me, there are many of these people that are happy about it! 

I cannot begin to imagine having lived in one place all my life or having family close enough to "chunk a rock at".  These are foreign concepts which make me wonder again about how anyone could be happy without traveling the world and seeing what else is out there.

I don't get to travel much anymore and in many ways would like my kids to have a stable foundation for a home, but frankly, I would be disappointed if I was unable to offer them the opportunity to travel and see what else is out there. Most importantly, I would be heartbroken if they lost the desire to see more of the world. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying it is bad thing, just a different way of thinking. 

I treasure the fact that I have been able to experience different places and cultures and believe that the person I am today is largely related to experiencing diverse people and places.

Parallels of Nature

When I look around me...no really look around carefully, I notice the simplistic geometry of nature. As with these trees which grow next to the kid's school line the horizon with parallel lines gracefully reaching for the sky, nature is full of symmetry which tends to induce a calming affect. Take a note of the geometry of nature and tell me which type of scene brings you more peace: the flowing concentric circles after a pebble has broken the surface of a pond or the explosion of spray as a speedboat races by? It is not always at the top of our minds, but really look around you some time as you are chilling in your favorite spot and see what the parallels of nature have to offer.

Decatur Mardi Gras Parade 2012

The city of Decatur Alabama hosted its first annual Mardi Gras parade last Saturday night and we decided to go at the last minute. It was a little on the cool side, but the kids had their jackets so why not. We were able to drive onto the parade route and park about midway before the barricades were placed. We only had to wait about 5 minutes before the parade started and the kids became quite excited when the flashing lights from the police cars came into view. The parade didn't last too long so the kids (and the adults) had a good time while collecting a plastic shopping bag full of beads, doubloons and even moon pies. All in all, it was a good time and not a bad 1st attempt at a parade.

Our Journey on the Road of Life

It was 2 decades ago today that we packed the bags, topped off the tank and headed out on this journey. We said we would stay on the road for the rest of our lives and enjoy all of the sights and sounds waiting for us. Now 20 years later, we are still moving along in wonder of the things life has shown us. We have experienced a few flat tires, some unwise shortcuts and the loss of a bag or two along the way, but we have also found many uncharted side roads which lead to adventures we can call our own. We have relished life and even searched desperately for the next gas station a few times. We have added a couple of eager new passengers and lost some long time travelers. We have traveled, toured and tired, but I hope there are more adventures ahead than behind and I look forward to experiencing them with my best friend and our new backseat guests.

Happy Anniversary Cathy, it has only been 20 years, so let's not stop the car. The new luggage is packed, there is a fresh tank of gas and the car has a few hundred thousand more miles left in her. Let's hit the road and drive and drive and drive and drive and drive and drive and drive and drive and ...

There's a Bee in Me Kilt

I discovered that it is the Scottish Bee that makes its home in the ground and wears the black and gold tartan for I have just met the William Wallace of bees.

It was a day like most others while pillaging and plundering the green country side of JonesLawn, when I came across the village which was presumably home to the rebel Wallacebee. As good English tend to do when stumbling across a Scottish hold, I leveled the village with the rotating blade of my superior war machine and proceeded to murder the villagers with a hardy dose of insecticide.

I proceeded on with my travels through the countryside and upon turning towards home was bee-seiged by a lone freedom fighter crying out for liberation from the oppression of the royalty. I felt the sting of his attack and knew the time to flee was upon me. Upon arriving in the security of the royal dwelling, I looked back to see that his fight was a lone one and with only a slight blemish on the face of the nobility, I realize that the supremacy of the kingdom was intact.

As I gazed across the blighted lanscape, I wondered if the self-sacrifice of Wallacebee would lead to a larger uprising among the Scottish Bees or would be a verification of the power of the Monarchy. We will see when next I wander out to pillage and plunder the mighty yard.

IAAAM Conference 2011 in Las Vegas

It was the first weekend in May that I jetted out to Las Vegas for the IAAAM conference and board meeting. I was only there for 3 days, but was able to get out and see a little bit of the strip. We stayed at the Mirage and believe it or not I did not lose a single dime in the casino. Of course, I didn't play either. I was surprised to see that none of the machines allowed for coins to be dropped in. You could buy a card or put bills in, but I was not prepared for that sort of big spending. I experienced enough of Vegas to want to go back on true vacation one day with the family (and a bigger wallet) to see more of the area and even a show or two. Here are some pictures I took.

These are Sigfried and Roy's Lions and Tigers

This was found in the Caesar's Palace Shopping Mall 



"There's 104 days of summer vacation and school comes along just to end it..."

It is official, summer vacation has begun as the kids have been out of school for a week. Of course, I have been in school now for a week (summer semester) as well, but things are getting off to a rocky start.

Ryan started the summer with his normal wheezing and coughing fits which prompted us to pick up the oral and inhaled steroid treatments again. We now know to expect this every summer and fall, but keep hoping he will grow out of it soon. Luckily, the treatments have been working as we have been able to push back to just the morning and night dose of Pulmicort and his coughing has diminished noticeably. He is still a happy child though, full of smiles and hugs, even when sick.

Ashley has been struck by strep throat though and is in the course of an antibiotic treatment with coughing and sore throat. Unfortunately, it coincides with the start of vacation bible school and a summer engineering camp she is attending. We believe she is passed the infectious stage so we are going to send her and see what happens.

Otherwise, it has been hot with temperatures in the mid to high 90's for the last couple of weeks. It is definitely being hailed as one of the worst weather years on record with the snow in January, the tornadoes in April and now the record high temps. Maybe the Mayans knew what they were talking about and we have a little over a year to get our affairs in order.



On a good note, Cathy and I will have been married 20 years this August and when thinking about it last night, I couldn't figure out which made me feel older: that I have been married for almost 20 years or that we are celebrating by seeing the musical Les Miserables for a 3rd time. Oh well, I guess when we get home I can perform my poorly executed John Bohnam impression. Oh dang, there goes that age thing again!

So until next time, try to stay cool.

Update - After the Storm

Hello all, as you probably know, on April 27th, 2011, a record number of tornados touched down in the mid southern United States with the most damage being done in northern and central Alabama. Luckily, we escaped direct damage from the tornados, even though an EF5 moved through several miles from our location. Like everyone else in this area, we had branches down and no power. The TVA lines feeding Decatur Utilities were damaged leading to nearly 5 days without power. We headed south to MS and spent those days with the in-laws, so we were only slightly inconvenienced. As I said before, we were lucky as over 200 people in Alabama lost their lives and thousands lost their homes. The college is out this week, but will resume operation next week with a week delay in final exams. I will still be heading out to Las Vegas for the IAAAM conference this weekend and life is returning to normal with Ashley's dance classes and Ryan's soccer games, as well as their school,  resuming. Our thoughts go out to those who lost during this day of storms.

Our Little Soccer Star

So after a few practices and not a lot of optimism as to their chances, the Decatur City U5-8 soccer team took the field for their first soccer game on Saturday, April 9th. The teams play 3-on-3 which worked out since the "Sharks" only had 3 players show up. The players played hard, ran around and were in good spirits for 4-eight minute quarters. Goals were scored and fun was had as the tired players shook hands after the match. All were winners as the score was not kept and even the rookie assistant coach was pleased  with the effort afforded the team. It was a fun outing for families, the kids enjoyed the play and are looking forward to the next game this Tuesday. Below are a few pictures from the event.

Ryan before the game.

Ryan with assistant coach Daddy.

Ryan with the goal kick.

Get the ball, Ryan!

Defense, Defense!

You tell 'um, coach!

Ryan and the Soccer Ball

Ryan is now officially part of the youth soccer movement in the US. His first practice was last week and he did better than we expected. He is not the fastest player on the team, but he keeps on trying. He remembers what the coach says and, for the most part, does what he is supposed to do. Luckily, the coach is more focused on fun and lets the kids play. He is encouraging and supportive while teaching them how to play according to the rules. 

Ryan has become frustrated a few times since he is so competitive and we have had to tell him not to growl at the other players, but he gives it his all even in the running drills when he is last most of the time, he doesn't give up. We are proud of the little bugger even though the team will probably not win much this year.

Watch out ...

This morning I took Ryan to school in the new car, and there was a seemingly new lady there to get him out. He waited a short moment for her to "get" him out frontways, but then said, Wait, I got this." and turned around to come out feet first. He quickly looked back to see the lady a little too close and he said, "Watch out ... Here comes the bootie!"

Watch out ...

This morning I took Ryan to school in the new car, and there was a seemingly new lady there to get him out. He waited a short moment for her to "get" him out frontways, but then said, Wait, I got this." and turned around to come out feet first. He quickly looked back to see the lady a little too close and he said, "Watch out ... Here comes the bootie!"

Little Green Car (1997 - 2011)

We are gathered here today to pay our respects to the car known fondly as the Little Green Car. Those of us who knew this 1997 Honda Civic DX well, thought her more of a friend than a mode of transportation. Now that her title has been transferred, we remember the many miles and many good times spent with the little lady...

Hey, who cares, WE GOT A NEW CAR!!! 

With the coming demise of the '97 Civic due to age and environmental exposure (i.e. flooding), we decided to take advantage of the special deals Honda was running to secure our driving future for a few more years. This is a 2011 Honda Civic LX and we felt a little like we were stealing it based on all of the features for the price. Of course Cathy has offered to "let" me drive the Saturn now, but I'm sure we will "share" the new ride. The kids have taken to it quickly with Ryan coining the name for the new car (he coined the term little green car as well). I would like to introduce everyone to "the little grey big black car". I have no idea where he came up with that either!

My Car has a Tapeworm?

So as we are turning into the carport after a trip to our favorite grocery store, we see a strange feathery looking thing sticking out of the tailpipe of my Honda Civic. We debate on hair, feather or other for a few minutes before taking a closer look. My first though is a peacock has crawled into the tailpipe to get away from a fox hunting it through the underbrush. Cathy thinks it looks like synthetic hair. Ok, so maybe some kids have played a prank and pushed a wig into my tailpipe. I get a pair of pliers from the toolbox (I'm not touching that thing!) and pull it out. To our surprise we pull out over six feet of what looks like synthetic hair. One end of the mess looks like it may have been in the muffler itself so if someone pushed it in there, they used a long stick. Another thought since I am not a car aficionado, is there this type of wadding in the muffler acting to mute the sound a bit which may have come out accidently?

Trying to Keep Up

Things have been pretty quiet on the homefront lately. We have been plowing through Girl Scout Cookie Sales with Ashley pretty close to reaching the goal set for the troop this year. The money raised will be used to send the girls to New York, so we have been selling like used car salesmen to reduce our out of pocket when the trip come up. Sounds like a great opportunity that we don't want her to miss.

We are still in the same house with several options in front of us. We have decided we do not want to commit to either another rental house or to buying until the tenure decision has been finalized.  We should know something in mid-May. So for now, when a storm brews, such as last night, I put on the rain gear and act as the human sieve down by the drainage pipes. Last night's storm brought winds gusting to around 40-50 MPH and a period of intense rain which did fill up the small drainage basin rapidly. Luckily the downpour lasted only about 5 minutes and I had spent much time removing pine straw and leaves a couple of days earlier. We should be out of the house before fall, so hopefully there will be no more big storms (like Thanksgiving or New Year's) before then.

Ashley's recital will be coming up in May as well and this year they are staging Tinkerbell. Ashley will be a beach fairy for one number and I' m not sure about the other two, but she should be good. The costumes have started to come in and they are the typical little girl gaudy type. Ryan is cruising along as always as the cute, funny little boy who can turn it on and off in a flash. He is quite the romeo still with as many as 3 girlfriends each day in class. Speaking of such, Ashley has starting creeping in on that age as well. We were eavesdropping on her phone call with a friend as they were talking about whether Ashley "liked" a boy. I just can't wait for the whole boy thing to get rolling. I guess I should start my collection of exotic weapons already!

Oh well, work calls, so until next time, keep the future in front of you.

Snowed In!

Who would have thought that a mere 6.5" of snow would be enough to shut the area down and strand everyone in their houses. Northern Alabama received the 3rd highest snowfall of all time Sunday and everything is shut down. Grocery stores, restaurants and schools. All roads in Decatur have been deemed "impassible" for Monday and Tuesday and we may be snowed in until Friday.