Yikes!!

Fortunately I was filling up the company car. Oh, and it was only $3.67 a gallon for regular!

Sleepover for Ethan

Picking up the grandson to spend the night. These will be few and far between once they move to Sacramento. We will take full advantage of the time we have left with them being less than fifty miles away! I only wish it wasn't a work night for me. I have to sleep all afternoon and get up when it's Ethan's bed time. Still, every moment is precious.

Mobile Blogger Post

I just downloaded the official version of Blogger for Android and thought I would take it for a spin.

I'm on my luchbreak hogging the wi fi at Starbucks and pondering the increasing speed at which technology is changing the way we live our lives. That sounds like a strong statement but is certainly backed by truth.

A brief year ago I would need to be sitting at home on my computer to post to my blog. While there were ways to post by text message they were rudimentary and lacking functions. Here I am seated (albeit uncomfortable) in a Starbucks writing a blog post from my phone. Certainly not a Silicon Valley first. For me it is light years ahead of previous methods. Who knows, this may lead to posting more often than biannually. I must admit my blogging has suffered quite a bit at the hands of Facebook. The short status update was easier to do than write a tome of unkown origin or destination.

Facebook was simply a lazy way to "interact". I think I became more of a lurker than anything. I would read most friends status updates and just move on to the next. Voyeurism I suppose. Leaving a comment or a "like" would require some amount of effort with possibly a needed follow up. I guess I'm just not that interested. My own life has it's own myriad of intricacies. Why would I want to be subjected to more, let alone someone elses.

Boy does that make me sound shallow. I think there are a lot of folks who can relate to the general idea but don't nessecarily publicize it. I guess the saying is true..."give someone enough rope and they will hang themselves".

Decaf? Really?

Ethan keeping his Papa's job alive by "reading" the paper.

zzzzz

The new grandson born Thanksgiving Day. He's 16 days old in this image. His Mom has her hands full with this newborn and his twenty-month-old big brother.

The New Phone

I recently picked up a Samsung Captivate with my AT&T U-verse rebate. It's an Android phone. I had originally kicked around the idea of getting an iPhone but I had these visions of being assimilated into the Borg. I like the Android because it's produced by numerous companies which fosters competition. People and companies trying to be/do the best at something is what drives our economic engine. I have to say that the phone is amazing. The apps are also amazing. I can be without my computer for a few days and I have nearly all the capabilities of my laptop on my phone. Not to mention the HD video recording capabilities!

For Joe

bathtime

Chastised!

I have been beaten down and chastised for my severe lack of posting. I must admit that I have become almost blase' about my blog. I don't know if it is due to a change of direction in nearly every aspect of my life or simply growing tired of the whole scene.

In the last year my job has changed locations twice. The hours I work my shift are steadily creeping backwards. Twenty some odd years ago I started work at the liesurely hour of 3:00am. As of 2009 the start of the shift has become 11:00pm. It's only a few hours but a drastic change in lifestyle. In this same year I have also become a grandfather. This has probably been the single most life-altering change of my current nearly 'empty nest' life. You've probably heard someone say that they wish they could have been a Grandparent before being a parent. I must whole heartedly agree with that statement. Being a grandparent is such a joy.

To spread that joy, I urge you to view the most inspiring video ever made. It just so happens to star the very grandbaby that has altered my perception of life