When people find out that we are pregnant the first thing they usually excitedly ask is “Are you going to find out if it’s a girl or a boy?” I hear this at least four times as much as the expected “When are you due?” Dan and I are enjoying the mystery of it all, so I don’t think that we are going to find out. Some people are mortified at the idea that we can wait to find out while others cheer us on for not “cheating.” So, I thought that I would start a poll to see what you guys are predicting!

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Not to toot my own horn, but I think that this most recent scrapbook is awesome. Definitely my best work. I attribute this to the fact that I took notes to journal during the trip and also completed the book within a year of the vacation. In addition, I tried to go outside of my normal chronological sequencing. I wanted to group photos in certain ways that described the Disney experience. So, I came up with a list of adjectives (and some nouns) and sequenced my photos that way. This also allowed me to use several photos of the same subject but in different places in the book. I really tried to focus on journaling as well.

I decided to complete a 12 x 12 album this time. The one that I used is the retired size Creative Memories Disney album, and I have it stuffed tight! I used the gold-sparkled pages also from Creative Memories. Most of the stickers and embellishments are made by EK Success and Jolee’s (I believe- I bought so much stuff again before I worked on the book because my local scrapbooking store was going out of business and I had a good-sized credit on my account).

Because I did buy a lot of stuff before the trip, I had an idea of the categories I wanted to use in my scrapbook as well as the photos that I wanted. I wasn’t going to persue character autographs as aggressively as I did on our first trip, but I decided to bring a variety of CM Storybook Mats to use for autographs, as well as CM broad metallic, brown, and black pens. It worked out well, and the characters liked having the plastic box to use as they signed.

Each section has its own title page. I used my Sizzix Sidekick’s Fruit Smoothie and Wet Paint alphabets. I also bought a Mickey head punch, which I also believe was made by EK Success.

This scrapbook is huge, so I will show pictures of my pages in several posts. I took the pictures at an angle because I was trying to avoid the glare of the overhead light, the window, and the camera flash. So, here it is! (At least the first few sections!)

Disney is family.

Disney is thrilling.

And Disney is animation coming to life.

We adopted Goober from Petco in March 2007 with aspirations of entering her into the Hamster Ball Races the following weekend. Though she received extensive training, Goober didn’t even really make it off the starting line. She just stood there and looked at me. I didn’t make a big deal of it because I was one of the only two adults that had entered the competition. Oh well. She received a certificate of participation which is in my scrapbook.

Over the years, Goober became part of our family. One of her favorite pasttimes was chasing Pinball while in her ball. Goober would roll right up into Pinball’s behind and push her around the house.

Goober also mastered the fine art of prison escape. She managed to break out of her Smartpet cage several times. (#1, #2, #3) Finally with a pad lock on the door and duct tape on the thing, she could be contained.

We will miss you Goober. You provided us with some good stories!

We’ve been working to ensure that our passion remains strong, and that we’ll have a tool that will continue to meet our demands and our clients demands. Today, we’re announcing a new project called Melody.

Melody is a content management system, just like Movable Type. Melody can be used to run a web site, just like Movable Type. Melody will use existing plugins, addons, and themes for Movable Type. Those things won’t change.

So what’s Melody about, then? Community. Anybody can have a very direct impact and effect on the future of Melody by participating in planning, coding, documenting, and so many other aspects. As Mark Stosberg wrote, we can work to take better advantage of the efforts other people have already made through CGI::App and CPAN. As Mark Carey wrote, we can have a more dynamic process with more developer collaboration. As Serdar Yegulalp wrote, this is “a new way for the same framework to be improved.” And as I wrote over on Eat Drink Sleep Movable Type, “Melody is […] being infused with the kind of excitement and transparency that will help ensure the platform we’ve all come to love will continue to be a strong force and great option in the future.”

I know, none of that sounds like particularly exciting stuff, especially for the non-techy audience of danandsherree.com. Those aren’t new features that we can tout, nor is it a fixed bug that somebody may have run into. But it is exciting: it’s the feature we are touting on the home page: community! Given the direction Movable Type has been headed (the core was open-sourced a little over a year ago), I see this as natural progression, and a move that will ensure that the software (whatever you want to call it) will continue to thrive and expand it’s market share. In short, it’s the best thing for the software.

And lets be honest: whether you use Movable Type as an author, dive in as a hobbyist, or count on it for your livelihood, doing “the best thing for the software” is rewarding and comforting. That’s what Melody will bring.

At the end of the process the baby was even squirming all around, presumably annoyed that its space was being invaded!

It’s too early to tell the gender at this point, so don’t strain to study the pictures. That said, we’ve decided we don’t want to know what the sex is, either. According to what we’ve read you can hear the heartbeat now, but we’ll have to wait until next month’s doctor visit to be able to hear that.

Well, this year, Brady, Johnny, and I won this award for our recent canoeing experience. Want to know what happened? I wrote about it in Swamping the Canoe, over on Scouting Stories!

The Kayak Companion

The Kayak Companion covers the topics you’d expect: different kayak designs, terminology, technique, safety, navigation. Lots of anecdotal experience throughout the book make it much easier to grasp the importance of understanding how to read a map and recognize your limitations.

The part of this book that really grabbed me was all of the information on technique. The Power Paddling Explained chapter describes a few different strokes (and how to execute them well) with few pictures and an amazing amount of vivid, written clarity. Usually writing about how to do something physical results in a somewhat muddled description that leaves something out — but not this book!

Cheap ($10) and good, what more could I want? Highly recommended.

I remember doing a COPE course when I was a Scout, but it wasn’t near as involved or as developed as the course we were on, so it was still new to me. At most Scout events, I take most of the photos and other Scouts take a few; but at this one, the Scouts took most of the photos, and I only took a few!

It’s hard to find fault with Tom Hanks’ actiing abilities, but what surprised me is how well the rest of the cast stood beside him — the acting was all very solid. Similarly the sets looked great — especially when you know that none of it was actually shot in the Vatican.

The whole idea of an old, secret organization deciding to rise again is exciting. There’s lots of history thrown out to make the story more interesting. Details like the scientists using the newest tech to destroy the church show how much thought went into the writing.

The suspense and urgency focuses of the movie keep things moving (most of it takes place over only about five hours). It’s mildly surprising, however, how difficult it is to keep things tense when so much of the movie can happen real-time. That is, the movie doesn’t cut from hurried scene to hurried scene — we see much of the process the characters go through to do the exciting and mundane.

But here’s where the movie fell apart: it was all a scam. At the end we learn the Camerlengo (McGregor) organized everything so that he’d look like a martyr, and a loop-hole would let him be elected as the Pope. The Illuminati didn’t return, it was just an elaborate scheme to help him rise to power. Disappointing.

Most of the “event” photography I do is centered around Scouts — most typically campouts and Eagle Scout Courts of Honor. I think I’m pretty successful at capturing those well. That may be because I have so much background and experience with them, but I’d like to think I’ve also got some skill that shines through.

I’m pretty happy with the results of this shoot. I think I managed to capture some good and unique photos, along with some of the “standard” shots Chris and Debbie wanted. On the downside, I didn’t get a single good formal shot of the bride and groom. I also didn’t get any shots of just my parents together (such as during the reception).

Finding a Kayak

Last year I was able to try a few different kayaks and see the differences in them, as well as consider what I wanted to do with a kayak. This led me to the conclusion that a light touring kayak was probably the right choice.

A few weeks back I was at the North Cove Outfitters kayak demo day where I got to try many kayaks (I believe I tried nine different ones). One clearly stood out as my favorite: the Elite Series Strait 140. I also tried the XE model with the rudder, which was very much the same, though the whole rudder aspect threw me off.

The fact that the rudder gave me trouble highlights why this is a long process for me: I need to get some skills. I want to try more kayaks this year, become at least mildly proficient and comfortable, and perhaps even take a lesson or two. I don’t have a strong feeling for what makes a kayak right for me, just what I like right now. And so, next year I want to try the same kayak and see how I feel about it. What kind of shortcomings stand out after I have some experience under my belt? Is it still my favorite kayak? Can my skills grow with it? If the answer is “yes” then it’s a good kayak for me to purchase.

A few things I’ve been able to decide based on my experience so far:

• A small recreational kayak isn’t for me. The lack of a clear keel and short length means they can’t track straight. That means trying to get anywhere will be more challenging because I have less control, and activities like river, big lake, or sea kayaking are completely impossible.
• The rec/touring “crossover” like the Pungo 120 and 140 are interesting options: the more obvious keel helps the kayak track straighter and the 12-14 foot length gets into a good range to help the kayak track better. These are wide kayaks, good for photography. But not as good for covering any distance.
• Slightly narrower touring kayaks track a little easier still, and playing in these convinces me that the 14-foot length is the size I want. 12-foot doesn’t displace enough water for me to feel stable, and 16-foot is too much of a compromise on maneuverability. The narrower design has less initial stability so isn’t as good for photography — however I hope to work past that concern with increased skill.
• The relatively hard chine design of the Strait kayak offered a lot of secondary stability, which I really liked.

Don’t Forget the Paddle

Something I was surprised to find at the demo weekend was how different paddles can be. Yes, there are a huge variety of paddles for different styles of paddling, but even within the low-angle style (what I want) there is a lot of variation.

Starting at the bottom, the basic polycarbonate/aluminum paddles from lesser-quality brands that weigh several pounds drain my strength and energy so quickly that I would never want to attempt a full day of kayaking, let alone anything longer.

It’s really amazing what a reduction of just a few ounces does to make the paddle more enjoyable to use. I don’t have enough knowledge to say for sure, but I suspect the weight of the blades is where the weight is really felt (and this would jive with the “swing weight” manufacturers talk about). Stepping up to an entry-level paddle from a known brand (I played with the Werner Paddles Skagit) is a substantially more enjoyable paddle. I suspect a large part of this is that the blade design is scooped slightly, making it more effective at moving water. That said, the Camano felt significantly better still, and seems like a fair compromise between price and weight. The Camano is what I used for most of the demo day and I feel like it fit me very well.

So, now I just need to get out more to rent and try some kayaks! I have been out canoeing the past few weekends to build up my strength and endurance for my upcoming trip on the Allagash Wilderness Waterway in Maine with my Scout Troop. I’ll certainly be able to get out in a kayak after that!

I never read Marvel comics nor do I know any of the origin stories, but it was neat to see Wolverine’s character start so young and advance through so many wars and years. I was a little surprised to see that he spent so much time with Victor Creed, but it makes sense and fits in with the other movies. Stryker’s team was interesting to see come together, as was the Weapon X program. Individually, there were a lot of great scenes to the movie.

But put together, I’m left unenthusiastic. In some ways I expected to see more rage and ferocity from Wolverine, and while the fight sequences were all exciting and intense I think they could have been even more exciting and intense. Perhaps all that is needed is better camerawork? Director Gavin Hood certainly hasn’t directed much action, and definitely none of the caliber that I’d expect of this movie. On the other hand cinematographer David McAlpine has a lot of good work under his belt, so I’m not sure who is responsible.

Where did Deadpool’s swords come from? Can he not bend his arms when they’re retracted? Do they have hinges to fold up at the elbow? I rarely question the physics of an action/adventure movie especially when it’s about superhuman characters, but c’mon!

X-Men Origins: Wolverine is worth a rental, and will certainly be worth watching when it’s on TV in a few years, but there’s no reason to see it on the big screen.

And so, we rely on a microfiber cloth or lens cleaning tissues and expensive sensor swabs to keep our gear clean. Those items have their place, for sure, and I’d be lost without them — but a powerful air blower is a better choice simply because it doesn’t touch the optic, sensor or shutter curtain. The chance of causing damage with an air blower is just so much lower.

Comparing a tiny cleaning-kit blower to the Giottos Rocket Blaster Air Blower shows the monstrous size difference. If my math is correct, the small blower is able to move about 2 cubic inches of air per puff, while the Rocket Blaster can move roughly 10 cubic inches of air per puff! That means it’s actually useful, because it can easily take that statically-charged spot of dust off of the sensor or get that belligerent cat hair off the front lens element.

The Giottos Rocket Blaster is made of a soft rubber, so it’s easy to squeeze quickly, to really blast the dust out of the way. The “feet” of the rocket shape let it stand up easily, which is nice to keep it from rolling away when cleaning several things. It even comes in a variety of sizes, though the smaller ones will obviously blow less air and therefore be less useful, in my opinion.

It can be used for cleaning other things, too — I find it works well to clean the dirt out of my keyboard. Highly recommended!

This trip took place early in my scrapbooking days, and now that I look at the pages, I’m amazed how far I have come. There is some technique and creativity in this book, such as using color and patterns to bring the page together. However, I think that the 7x7 format and the fact that I accumulated so much embellishment “stuff” hindered me a bit. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t take a peek and maybe steal an idea or two though!

The approach I took of this book is quite rigid and sectioned. Everything is categorized and grouped, so I will break up the scans of my pages as not to be overwhelming. I had a very journalistic approach to journaling and photographing this trip. In addition, I did not keep notes of funny things that happened and I scrapbooked the photos well after the trip. Always bring a little notebook! You’ll see the difference it makes with my next Disney scrapbook (the 2008 trip).

If you have any comments or questions on layouts or photos, place them in the comments section below and I’ll get back to you. For certain things, I’ll put a description in the photo caption.

I always have a title page for my scrapbooks (or section of the scrapbook) probably because I’m neurotic like that. I also did a spread of where we stayed. You will see these little metal charms throughout the book. The big thing at Disney that year was charm bracelets and I bought a bunch of charms. Until I reached the cashier, I didn’t realize that they were $4 a piece! Also on the negative side, they put indents and damage on the page opposite them. Next time I will reconsider such a thing.

The first main section of the book was our time in the Magic Kingdom. We rode a lot of the rides and “experienced the magic.”

Ah…. the days when Disney Hollywood Studios was MGM Studios.

The next section of the scrapbook was devoted to Animal Kingdom. This was the first time that I got to visit.

Oh… it’s our favorite- EPCOT!!! Here’s another example of my extremely anal approach to scrapbooking (at the time). All of the countries in EPCOT are listed in order as they are placed around the World Lagoon from left to right. How does Dan put up with me?!

Now for a little fun outside of the box… Dan went down to Disney with the hope of meeting all of the princesses, so I called it his quest. We never did see Ariel.

Lastly, there are a few pages for each of the places off Disney property. The last page is something that I started with this book- a reflections page. It’s a space where both Dan and I can write about our feelings of the trip. I’m still awaiting for Dan to do his reflection on the Wyoming book. When his does, I’ll post the pages of that scrapbook as well.

Dan had visited the site many years ago as a kid, and we've talked about going to the prison for a while. When we arrived we were "assigned" prisoner numbers (to prove that we paid our admission). We walked around the prison grounds, read the plaques, and watched a little video with tales from the mine. Then we descended into the mine, a cold and very wet experience. The loop brought us to solitary confinement (which was too cramped for me to explore- I'm a little claustrophobic) and the lodging area. Yes, the prisoners used to sleep in the mine before the above-ground cells were constructed.

After leaving the prison, we had lunch at Bittersweet Bakery. It was really good! Dan and I had sandwiches and we split some chips. Unfortunately we were too full to try a selection of pastries, including the Monster Eclair. We'll have to go back there sometime just for that.

It sort of doesn’t seem that long: I’ve been focused working only for uiNNOVATIONS full-time for about seven months (starting back in September). On the other hand, much of the previous 1-1/2 years was spent working a day job and long nights for uiNNOVATIONS.

I’m happy to say that the business has remained successful at supporting us over the past several months. The company has been stable in that there’s been a constant flow of work and new challenges. The company has grown in that there’s been more opportunity for me to do things I wanted, like write new Movable Type plugins (Share, More Custom Fields, Automaton, and Top Authors).

On the other hand, a goal I’ve failed pretty miserably with is increasing danandsherree.com traffic. I wrote about my goal and limited success previously (pushing traffic from 300 to 600 unique visitors each day). Over the past two months I haven’t posted much new here, and traffic has again suffered for it. In December and January we had more than 600 unique visitors on some days, but now we’re struggling to find 400 uniques. It’s something to work at.

I’ll also point out that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, only about two-thirds of all new businesses are around for two years. So far, we’ve made the cut! (According to the article Business Employment Dynamics data: survival and longevity, II; have a look at the PDF.)

When I was in ninth grade, I completed in National History Day. The theme that year was Geography in History, and I did a very thorough research project on the area of Mystic Seaport. (For those interested, my partner and I placed third at the local level and did not place at the state level… a long story that I blame on my boy-crazed partner at the time.) Anyway…I was pleasently surprised that as much as I remembered of the museum, I still fully enjoyed the trip and found new things that interested me.

While at Mystic Seaport, we explored almost every single cranny of the place. I was disappointed to see the Charles W. Morgan out of the water, but it looked so much bigger out of the river! It really helped put into perspective the enormous amount of space that was needed to process the whales as well as house the crew. I was sad that there were no masts, but I assume they are being replaced as well as the majority of the wood on the bottom of the ship.

There were several other ships at the museum, including the Amistad. Though there were tourists aboard, when we made our way down to it, there was a guy trying to get everyone off because the boat wasn’t an attraction of the museum. Near this ship was a pile of huge anchors that became a childrens’ jungle gym. I finally got a shot of them in between of tired parents letting their little ones get some ants out of their pants.

After exploring the ships and few of the buildings, we got hungry and had lunch in the pub side of Seamen’s Inne Restaurant. Not bad… and don’t be surprised when I tell you I was the only one at the table not to order seafood.

Back in the Seaport, we visited the exhibit galleries, which included one called Frozen In. It was about a Connecticut whaling captain and the Hudson Bay Inuit. The model, exhibits, and children’s area were very well done. After the temporary exhibits, we explored the 19th century village that includes the specialty trade shops and two period houses. These are usually staffed by museum workers, and some get more into the part than others. However, it was all very interesting to see. The best part of the day had to be when we were in the drug store and Larry said that he saw something in the display case that is currently at his mom’s house!

Update: A few of Dan’s photos: