Landon playing in the sprinkler enjoying the warm weather.
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A few months ago a did a short phone interview with the National Conference of State Legislatures magazine.
This is what that interview turned into:
Hopefully I dont sound totally dumb.
My autumn blazing maple tree’s leaves have been looking a little brown and wilty this spring. I am not sure if it is because of the wet spring we are having or if there is something else wrong with the tree.
If you have any ideas please let me know.
Facebook has finally introduced two factor authentication. When you (or anyone else) tries to access your account, Facebook sends a one-time password to your cell phone for an extra layer of security. This will only happen the first time you log on to a computer so you don’t have to worry about getting a ton of texts.
This is how you enable that option:
Click the account button at top right corner of the page and select Account Settings from the menu.
Click Settings tab
Click Account Security
If you don’t find this option available right now don’t worry. It’s a new feature it has not been rolled out to everyone yet. You should see it within the next couple of days. If this option is available, than mark the box of require a Code sent to my phone and click Save button.
This will send a one-time use password to your phone via text message every time you log on to Facebook on a new computer.
While you are on this page make sure that the Secure Browsing (https) option is also enabled.
Philip Greenspun divided the U.S. 2011 federal budget by 100,000,000 and wrote a little parable:
We have a family that is spending $38,200 per year. The family’s income is $21,700 per year. The family adds $16,500 in credit card debt every year in order to pay its bills. After a long and difficult debate among family members, keeping in mind that it was not going to be possible to borrow $16,500 every year forever, the parents and children agreed that a $380/year premium cable subscription could be terminated. So now the family will have to borrow only $16,120 per year.
Understanding Congress’s solution to the federal deficit problem
I have an almost two year old dare devil that specializes in death defying acts.
I am sure this is just pay back for breaking ever blade off my grandmas fan trying to ride it like it was an inverted mary-go-round when I was three but my son is fast becoming a half ninja, half navy seal, half praetorian stunt man.
A great example of this was last night while I was washing the caked on mud off him from a day of helping grandpa in the flower beds at great grandmas. I went to change the pandora station and he starts spidermaning up the side of the bathtub and before I can say anything he has cannon balled on to a pile of waiting rubber ducks and floating hippos.
He doesnt cry. He doesnt laugh. He gives me the look.
You know the look, the “THAT WAS THE COOLEST THING I HAVE EVER DONE, HOW IN THE WORLD DID I GET AWAY WITH THAT” look.
I try not to show him I approve, but my eyes cant lie. They give him that look right back. He takes that as approval and tries to climb right back up the side of the tub and try again before I grab him. As I grab him, he starts laughing like he knows he got away with something he shouldnt have done.
At two this is cute, at eight when he is jumping off the roof I may need some help or some cheap sun glasses.
“Good Morning, son!”
“2 Waffles, Chicken, Chocolate Milk!”
“What did you say buddy?”
“2 Waffles, Chicken, Chocolate Milk!”
That is how my Wednesday morning started this week. Before my son even stood up in his crib to start his day he was telling me his breakfast demands like an over the road trucker who just pulled into a truck stop after an all-night run.
I got him up and dressed and ready for day care and by that time he forgot his order and settled for a cup of yogurt and a fruit bar.
My wife and I try hard to make sure we feed Landon a “Good Diet”. No its not vegan, or organic, or to be fair even truly balanced. He doesn’t get a lot of fast food, no juice, no candy (except for his potty candy of Chocolate M&Ms) and he only gets chocolate milk when he is with his Grandpa.
Landon isn’t a picky eat per say we just have a pretty standard list of food we eat around our house.
If you come to our house on a week night something on this list has an 80% or better chance to be on our table:
ZITI
Chicken Parmesan
Hamburger Helper
Pot Roast
Roasted Chicken
Chicken Nuggets
Tacos
Its not that we shun new food, the fact is I cook most night and that is the easiest stuff to get ready in the 45 minutes I normally have to get dinner ready.
I need to find a way to open up our food choices so that my son doesn’t start thinking that those are the only thing normal people eat for dinner.
I changed my Facebook password during lunch today and I just got an email that said I was invited to an event and I wanted to look at.
I typed in my old password out of habit and instead of telling me my password was incorrect it was nice enough to tell me that I had actually entered my OLD password and where and what time I had changed it.
I am sure in some bazziro world keeping track of users old passwords and telling them when they typed those in is useful but for the life of me I cant understand why facebook is doing it.
Anyone have any ideas?
We have been wanting to get to the zoo for the last couple of months. I didn’t think today was going to be that day. Landon was feeling a little puny last night and was cranky this morning.
This morning when we woke up we knew the weather was going to be perfect today and work really picks up for me starting now until the middle of May so we took a calculated risk and loaded up and drove the 130 miles to Forest Park.
The Zoo is a little expensive for a “Free” activity. We spent $50 at the zoo ($12 Parking, $20 safari passes and $28 on food and stuff) and dropped another $30 on souviners for Landon (Shirt, book and stuffed elephant).
Other than that we had a blast as a family. Here are some of my favorite pictures.
We will be looking forward to a return trip this fall.
My son turned 21 months old earlier this week and in the past 21 months I have really enjoyed growing into a Dad.
Some of the things I have learned:
I can make song lyrics kid appropriate in mid sing along (Leroy Brown is the baddest man in the whole damn darn dang dog town) even if they dont make sense.
I know that CHICKEN in always his suggestion for meals, even breakfast.
I can out HOT DOG dance anyone in my house at the end of Mickey Mouse club house.
DONE means give me something else.
A 21 month old can wing a softball like Rick Ankiel in the playoffs so when you hear “throw” you better get your hands up.
Some times he just needs a back rub to help him fall asleep.
You cant respond to emails with a 20 month old on your lap, so dont try, just enjoy the time watching the same DVR’ed version of Curious George you have seen ten times.
Pajamas with a monkey holding a banana will make him hungry.
Bath time is 75% play time, 20% cleaning, 5% body discovery.
Cooking dinner for your family is just as rewarding as any project you can get done at work.
Hearing your son pray is an amazing feeling.
Its.Ok.To.Cry.
Tiger Basketball games are less important than playing cars or reading about Marvin escaping from the Central Park Zoo for the thousandth time.