The Dynamic Duo

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

UltraMom — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:37:01 +0900

Hi Ultrafans. I am sitting out on my front porch about 7 o’clockish writing this post. This is one of those moments when I can really appreciate the portability of my mac laptop. Now just a couple of days ago, I could not have envisioned being able to even step outside without hordes of mosquitoes descending on me, looking for a likely place to land on my exposed ( or even unexposed) skin and feast upon my delicious type A-Negative blood, let alone actually sit and enjoy this lovely summer eveing. I have, of course, used the obligatory insect repellent, but since I have only been bitten about 5 times in the space of ½ hour, I must conclude that the city must have made good on their promise to pest-control spray for these potential West-Nile disease carriers in my several day absence. At least I fervently hope so, for as anyone who has ever been here in the summertime can attest, there is no more mosquito-ridden place on earth than Carlin, NV.
Last weekend was a good one; our recent Law School graduate, Johnny made a quick visit, mostly, as it turned out, to provide the mosquitoes with an exotic feast and to beat me at each and every game we attempted to play. Maybe, also, to get a small break from his daily schedule of daily spending 6 hours or so studying for the Idaho Bar Exam. Anyway, whatever the reason, it was a very fun weekend, though I spent a portion of it making pizza and taco salad. I was happy Johnny could see how much I am enjoying the beautiful waterfall that he and Jimbo created for me several summers ago.

My Beautiful Waterfall

This weekend was the all-American excuse for barbecues and playing with matches: The 4th of July. Oh, and I believe we also celebrate the founding of our great nation. Last year, a bunch of us picnicked and camped out in Cherry Creek near the Lear Ranch; this year would be a repeat, minus the camping part and, come to think of it, minus the family members from Idaho. I drove to Ruby Valley on Friday afternoon to spend a little time with UltraDad and to be closer to the next day’s festivities.
On Saturday, I prepared and packed up my food contributions and we caravanned with Pat to the Lear Ranch, and eventually to the Barbecue site where we found several tables set up, a barbecue grill ready to go and some family and Lear friends and neighbors socializing. In addition to Murphy and Rowdy, there were also approximately 15-20 dogs. In the center of the shady area near the creek where we assembled was a large pile of semi-fresh cow manure, which several of the dogs, most notably Piper and Annie (the 2 Great Pyrenees) and Murphy managed to come in close contact with. Murphy had it all over his collar, neck and chest. Rowdy’s was limited to most of one front paw. Baby Wynn enjoyed pounding the huge mound with a stick.

Poopy dog. I think this one is Annie

The food was varied and delicious. In addition to grilled hot dogs and burgers, Kathy Lear’s neighbor Diane has some BBQ chicken, and there was all manner of chips, salads and desserts, notably Courtney’s berry pie. The only (literal) damper on the occasion were the frequent thunderstorms and accompanying rain, which sent several of us (the sissies like me anyway) scurrying to vehicles for shelter and jacket retrieval.
I felt sorry for Bill Lear’s young wife Courtney, who was in the middle of a horrid, cough-producing cold, but was glad she came in spite of it, as I hadn’t seen her for a while and really enjoy talking to her. Her 2 ½ year old son, Wynn was adorable and talking a blue streak, and his Grandma Kathy Lear decided to give Courtney a break and take Wynn along on rock-hunting expedition she and UltraDad were planning. I say expedition, because it kept growing and ended up including me, Diane, and her friend from CA, Vern before it was done; also, about 8 dogs. I think everyone found some sort of rock/obsidian that showed definite evidence of manipulation. Everyone, that is but Wynn and me. I presented several possibilities to Kathy as we walked along, but always got the same answer, “It’s a very nice rock, but it’s just a rock.” Wynn and I stopped to rest on a rock outcropping, and he was delighted by our pinecone throwing game, especially laughing when he hit me with a cone and I pretended it hurt. When we finally got back to the pickup, however, we were missing Diane and two dogs; Vern’s little black dog, Buck and one of Kathy Lear’s minpins: Holly. We drove back to the camp to find Diane and Buck had walked back, unable to locate the pickup, but Holly was nowhere to be found. Later UltraDad and Kathy drove back and found her after tramping the mountain. When all was said and done, it was after 11 PM when Ultradad, and I got back to his place in Ruby Valley. Murphy and Rowdy STILL had to have baths, since they sleep with me!
Anyway, all in all, a very fun time. Now, looking forward to vacationing with the Ultra’s in Portland and a wedding in Boise! No promises, but perhaps I’ll keep you posted☺

UltraMom

Hiking up the mountain; Grandma, Wynn and Piper

A Nice Variety of Dogs

Wynn, trying to get his point across

A lovely view

Different colored blooms on the same cactus?

Lincoln Park (Arrrrggghhh)

UltraBob — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 08:17:01 +0900

Young man walking

UltraGirl — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:33:01 +0900

UltraMom is Back! (with a little help)

UltraMom — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 16:57:01 +0900

Long-time-no-see UltraMom here. Sorry I’ve been away so long; its not because I haven’t been thinking of you, really it isn’t. But since we’ve been down this road many times before, lets just cut the excuses and get on with the errant posting, shall we?
Lot’s of stuff is happening in world-UltraMom, or rather will be happening soon. Here’s a brief rundown on coming events: vacationing with UltraBob, UltraGirl, UltraLinc, (along with Ultra Dad and Heather) in Portland, Oregon, including a night in Newport (on the coast!) for UltraMom’s birthday. Immediately after that is the much anticipated event of the year; the wedding of Jimbo and Jessica in Boise, Idaho. And then, in late August, UltraMom begins her new school year in the AAS Nursing Program at Great Basin College! That’s right, kids, I made it into the program and have two ‘fun-filled’, ‘action-packed’ years ahead of me as I head towards a new career, and hopefully, increased earning power.
I have been working on some scholarship applications, and when I got to the section on “Personal Statement”, I naturally asked for help from the two scholarship whizzes in the family. Jimbo sent me some samples of his, which were meaty and well-written, extolling the wonders and benefits to the workplace in specific and to society as a whole of assisting him in becoming a certified Industrial Hygienist. The essays, along with a perfect GPA and sometime required photo submission has netted him over $10,000 in scholarship monies for next year. Good job, kiddo!
Johnny’s personal statement, which helped net him a very nice partial scholarship through three years of Vanderbilt Law School, was very entertaining and, to me, utterly charming. I think it’s only fair that since Johnny is the one who encouraged/shamed me into posting again, that he help me write the dang thing. And so, for your entertainment enlightenment, and general edification I hereby present Johnny’s great work of literature, titled (by me) “Why I want to go to Law School”. (Critique and comments to follow)

“Because I said so!” was the common response to my youthful inquiries regarding the rationale behind the seemingly arbitrary mandates imposed upon me by my parents. To my credit, I both frequently and vociferously argued against this blanket justification and petitioned for my rights with all the tools at my youthful command. But my early attempts at judicial persuasion seemed doomed to failure. Attempts to introduce favorable decisions from alternate jurisdictions ("But Billy’s parents let HIM stay up until 10!") were habitually barred from consideration, with the issued reminder that such holdings lacked precedence in my home ("I don’t care what Billy’s mother and father let him do, he’s not living under my roof!"). Even plain and credible instances of jurisdictional stare decisis ("Well you let Bob watch Rambo, so why can’t I?") were summarily dismissed on supposedly key but plainly irrelevant factors such as comparative chronological advancement ("Because he is older than you!"). Having exhausted all available legal avenues of recourse in my quest for justice (there being no court of appeals), I occasionally felt compelled to practice acts of civil disobedience as extolled by John Locke. Regrettably, these demonstrations were ineffective as catalysts of social change, and notable only for their brevity. It seemed that no sooner had I commenced a daring raid on the family room, in direct defiance of the “bed time” ordinance, and I was already in custody and being sentenced to either banishment ("Go to your room!"), or worse, a humiliating public-shaming ("Go stand in the corner!"). Despite repeated failure I never ceased in my youthful struggles against injustice, and this has plainly crafted me into the ideal law school candidate.
All levity aside, I was not interested in law at an early age. In fact, I believe that the only careers I ever even considered as a child were Movie Star/Astronaut and Rockstar/Doctor, but for unknown reasons neither of these has panned out. When I began college I had only two criteria for my future vocation: 1) It had to interest and challenge me; and 2) It had to provide me with the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to society. My journey toward law school didn’t begin until the first semester of my sophomore year of college when I enrolled in Criminal Justice 101 and was introduced to the ethical dilemmas inherent in the application of law, via the assigned course-text The Brothel Boy. This fictional book was written from the perspective of a relatively inexperienced British constabulary officer in colonial India charged with the responsibility of enacting and enforcing law within his allotted province, with only extremely belated and infrequent correspondence from his superiors. Until I attempted to formulate my solutions to the suppositious dilemmas presented within that book, I had never given any serious consideration to the intrinsic difficulty in attempting to balance case-specific justice with the necessity to create the sound judicial principles necessary to inform future interpretation of law. Though difficult, I found these challenges exhilarating, and by the end of the semester I had declared Criminal Justice as my major.
In subsequent courses, both within and outside my major, I continued to learn about law and the diverse areas of its impact. In my Corrections Law class, I read Supreme Court decisions for cases concerning gross violations of human rights, such as Madrid v. Gomez, and learned the key roles that attorneys and judges played in remedying these abuses. In Constitutional Law, I learned about such cases as Brown v. Board of Education in which the courts rectified injustice when the legislative branch of the government was either unable or unwilling to do so. For my Senior Tutorial paper, I researched the in rem practice of civil asset forfeiture and found myself not only astounded at the concept of executing civil proceedings again property rather than the property owner, but also enthralled by the complex legal history of this practice. Finally, in my course on The Legal Regulations of American Democracy, I was given a glimpse of the crucial and complex law involved in such areas as campaign finance and electoral districting. I left this course with not only the absolute conviction that I never wanted to practice election law but also with a newfound respect for the role the legal profession has in protecting the integrity of the most vital process of American democracy- the vote. I don’t mean to suggest that these courses provided me with a thorough knowledge of the law, but they did instill my desire to obtain one.
I realize that reading Supreme Court decisions and actually practicing law are two very different things, and with this in mind, I decided to get some real-world legal experience before making the serious commitment of enrolling in law school. In the half-year since I secured a Project Assistant’s position at the firm of Holland & Hart LLP, I have had the opportunity to interact with practicing attorneys on a daily basis, and observe genres of legal practice that academia had not exposed me to. Through these observations, I have come to appreciate the law’s indispensability to all aspects of commercial business operations, and ways in which civil advocacy can remedy injustice when the criminal system cannot (such as medical malpractice).
I am confident that I have found a career that meets both of the goals I established for myself when entering college, and eagerly await beginning my legal career. I may, however, have to resign myself to the fact that even a superb legal education won’t enable me to win an argument against my parents.

The last statement is totally untrue; this kid can talk his way out of anything, and in lieu of sound argument and sound logic, can nearly always defeat me through repetition, circular reasoning and references to my faulty memory. I too eagerly await the beginning of his legal career, and I’m sure that by sometime in August, we will hear good news concerning his passage of the Idaho Bar. Thanks for helping me write my first post back. I’ll try to be around more, at least til I come up with a fresh batch of excuses.

初めての一歩

UltraBob — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 11:58:01 +0900

I don’t want to name any names and ~~I don’t have any photos yet to provide~~; but yesterday somebody took their first few tentative solo steps, and today did a repeat performance for me.

Linc’ first birthday and children’s day: a photo essay

UltraGirl — Thu, 14 May 2009 13:34:00 +0900

Hi folks, your friend UltraGirl here with a quick visual update on the progress of everybody’s favorite 1 year old, Lincoln Arthur McDonald the 1 year old extraordinaire who turned one and became a 1 year old on April 26th of this year, his 1st birthday.

His first birthday cake is shaped like the number one. I love this cake. We also had a different kind of cake to share with everyone. Too bad Linc couldn’t try very much.

Did you know lots of babies who turned one year old have to try to carry a mochi (rice cake) that weighs about 1.8 kg in Japan? Sounds horrible huh? Well, this is a tradition to wish his or her life be fulfilling and they have no trouble getting food. Linc doesn’t know yet in this photo how heavy the mochi will be. Actually had no clue what was going on…

This is “After”. Most babies aren’t able to carry that much on their back at the age, and actually it is even better if your baby falls down in some areas since that means your child will get so much food and wealth that he can’t carry it all.

This is the mochi he had on his little back. Wow that was heavy.

Dinner Time … and the living’s easy

We had special kind of sushi, pizza, my mother’s salad, and fruits. Linc had his own style of food.

Kampai (cheers)!

Yey! Thank you everyone. I’m a very happy boy. Oh, and he claps now. He claps a lot.

Three of us went out for dinner on Linc’s actual birthday. The party was held the day before.

On my (ultragirl) birthday, we all visited Saitama where Motoji (my dad) is from. His brother maintains his yard really neatly.

Another photo of Linc in the yard with his J-grandma.

In the same yard, but he wanted to stand up.

Family photo in front of the Kabuto (samurai helmet)

May 5th is Japanese Children’s day. Display Kabuto if you have a boy to wish for him to be strong. This is such a nice one, don’t you think?

Just a photo I took in a restaurant the other day. These guys are so cute.

Johnny conquers Law School

UltraMom — Wed, 13 May 2009 03:29:00 +0900

UltraDad and I just returned home from a whirwind 5-6 days, which included some 6 hour drives to and from Boise, some flights of varying length to and from Nashville and a very exciting graduation from the prestigious and picturesque Vanderbilt School of Law. If I wasn’t buried in homework that I didn’t complete in Nashville, despite good intentions, I would write at length, and plan to do just that in a week or so. What I will tell you now was that all travel plans and sleeping arrangements worked out, more or less. Johnny’s Law School graduation, occurred at the odd (anyway, it seemed to me an odd time to schedule a college graduation) hour of 10:30 A.M. on a Friday. Attending from (way) out of state were Aunt Debi (Panther) Ryder from Emmett, Idaho; James P. McDonald from Salt Lake City, Utah; Ultramom from Carlin, Nevada, and UltraDad from Ruby Valley, Nevada. The girls had a motel room downtown, while the guys slept on various blow-up beds and the recliner (Jim) in Johnny’s appartment. Besides the headliner graduation, events included a tour of Vanderbilt Law Building and grounds, a trip to the bookstore so UltraMom could obtain her own Vanderbilt sweatshirt and bumper sticker and replacement Vanderbilt frisbee (cause Rowdy broke her other one; just ask Jim), bowling, and 45 holes of miniature golf. We spent a good half day at the Country Music Hall of Fame, and several hours at The Hermitage, former home of former president Andrew Jackson. We took a lovely drive on the Natchez Trace and had some fantastic BBQ and some not too bad Cajun Pepperoni Pizza. Oh, and of course we saw the Parthenon.
I know I had a great time, though Jim maintained that trying to keep track of me, Panther and UltraDad was like trying to herd 300 cats. I must admit, I did try to follow the wrong group of people on the way to the graduation, but only once or twice. On the whole, I think the cat analogy a faulty one.
After the ‘herdable cats’ left, Jim and his soon-to-be-attorney brother loaded up a pull-behind-Johnny’s-Taurus trailor with the motorcycle and the rest of Johnny’s earthly belongings. Tomorrow Jim flies home and Johnny starts his long drive back to Boise where he will begin his 2-year stint of working for an Idaho Supreme Court Judge. Tomorrow UltraDad heads back to work, and UltraMom heads back to work and school.
But today, Johnny, you should take a few minutes to bask in the pride of your great accomplishment. That’s what I’m doing, anyway. I’m so proud of you, honey. Drive safely.

UltraMom

Ready to get that law school diploma. As the graduates walked by, I heard a little girl give voice to what all of us were secretly thinking: “Their hats look like mushrooms.”

Johnny with two of his friends and fellow graduates:Mark Webster, his housemate, and Chris Jaeger (sp?). Johnny had already ditched his hot, uncomfortable graduation regalia.

The family. Don’t the guys look spiffy?

Johnny with one of his very favorite aunts, and his very favorite mom.

The bombastic Moot Court team of John McDonald and Scott Goldman. Also pictured is Scott’s wife (name escapes me), who graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School on the same day her husband graduated with a law degree, and from what I hear was the star member of the group’s trivia team. The team had a cool name, but it too is no longer in memory cell retrieval range.

The proof is in the pudding....er the diploma.

Happy Birthday Linc!

UltraMom — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 06:05:01 +0900

Today in Japan tomorrow in America.
Wishing a very happy birthday to the cutest, smartest, most kissable baby in the world.
Happy Birthday, Linc.

Love you very much,
UltraGrandma and UltraGrandpa

泳ぎベラ：Hot Spring Deja Vu all over again!

UltraGirl — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 15:04:01 +0900

It has taken a while to get around to posting it, but recently Linc tried out a hot spring for the first time. My mom gave us free admission tickets for the same hot spring that UltraMom and Heather went to with us during their visit. At the shop there UltraBob bought a cartoon-print inner tube for Linc. He had a great time there, splashing water, floating in the inner tube, and flirting with all the cute girls he could find. He was like the white whale we saw in the aquarium, he got all the applause. Here are a few pictures we took during our adventures:

Gone for the summer, no Huarachi sandals

UltraBob — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 08:55:00 +0900

Arriving in Portland on the 8th of July and Departing from San Francisco on the 24th of the same month. Is it July 8th yet?

Spring Break, where art thou?

UltraMom — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 05:52:00 +0900

How can one week go by so fast? I am referring, of course, to my Spring Break, and tomorrow, it’s back to the grindstone, as I fondly refer to Nutrition, Microbiology and Anatomy and Physiology. Also, back to work after a couple of days off.
Jimbo and Jessica had their break a week earlier than mine, and I was thrilled when they decided to spend part of it here with UltraDad and me. Unfortunately, Jimbo was sick through about half of it, but he graciously let me and Jessica fetch him medicines, ice packs and delicacies, though he would not usually let us win a game of Canasta, Gin Rummy, Rummikub or Cribbage. Jessica had to leave after a few days, but Jimbo ended up staying all week. On Friday, while I was at work, he got my pond and waterfall up and running for the season, as well as patching up one of the holes in the fence where Rowdy has been escaping.I LOVE my pond and waterfall! UltraMom had several big tests and a big lab report due that week, but Jimbo spent a lot of time studying himself. Really, it was nice just to have the kid around. I really enjoyed getting to spend time with my almost new-daughter-in-law also.
I have just, today, returned from a little spring break outing, combined with a birthday celebration spent with my favorite daughter, Heather, her favorite guy, Heath and their rather idiosyncric cats Callie, Nimbus and Rocky.
I left last Thursday on the actual day of the birthday. I won’t say how many, lets just say its more than 30 and less than, oh, say 32. My Honda Accord had an appointment with her favorite mechanic for a little oil and lube job, so that got me going much earlier in the AM than is my wont. I walked around town til she was ready, and we were on the road before 11 AM. It is always a challenge to get through Twin Falls without stopping to shop at favorite, seldom seen stores, but my browsings through Shopko and TJ Maxx only set me back an hour or so. I arrived in Pocatello, accurately guided by my GPS (this was a pleasant surprise, since she does not have a great track record; trying to get to Jim’s apartment in SLC, she sent me on an endless loop of U-turns before I gave up and called Jim) to Heather and Heath’s in ample time for a little walk through the neighborhood before going out for a birthday dinner at Chili’s. I, (uncharacteristically I know), indulged in a celebratory strawberry/raspberry margarita with Heather while we waited for out chicken tacos (we each ordered a different kind); Heath had steak and a coke, our designated driver. After a while, mine and Heath’s dinners arrived, but Heather’s dinner, we were informed had suffered an accident of gravity. Far from being upset, Heather ‘made some lemonade’, so to speak, and had a free cup of the baked potato soup she had been debating about, though in the end it made her too full to eat much of her dinner. We also had to get the chocolate birthday dessert in a to-go box, but Heather and I really enjoyed it several days later. We had to save it, cause that night we were obliged to have a piece of the birthday ice cream cake from Coldstone Creamery.
I really like the way Heather and Heath have their place fixed up. I slept on a very comfortable futon, convenient to the bathroom. The cats really have it made with cat trees, scratching posts, toys, food and litter boxes readily available, as well as a slight stream left running in the tub to cater to their penchant of drinking fresh, running water. Callie, a beautiful gray tabby Main Coon Cat, (and not demonic, as Johnny will claim) actually takes a bit of a shower under the running water, and loves to curl up in the bathroom sink for a little nap.
Anyway, after the birthday dinner, we had a great Skype chat with UltraBob and, later on, with Johnny. There was a post a while back about a diary Heather used to keep when she was a kid. The greatest entry was this one: “I feel okay today. I am pretending my cabbage patch doll is real and I’m getting tired of her crying.” Anyway, we laughed a lot, and UltraMom was NOT drunk, contrary to what UltraBob and Johnny seemed to think. NO ill effects whatsoever the next day!
This was Heath’s only day off while I was there, so he missed out on the Spring Fair at the Idaho State University Holt Arena the next day. Translation? Lots of people selling and advertising lots of stuff. Heather and I took our time wandering through the exhibits and signing up for free drawings. In the end, we indulged in soup-in-a-breadbowl, and bought some hand-made pottery mugs, some award-winning Russian honey mustard (REALLY good) as well as a large bag of kettle corn. That evening, UltraMom spent over an hour working out on Wii Fitness, where she found out that she and Jessica share a common challenge: neither of us can hula hoop worth a darn, though I about threw my hip out trying. I was a little better at some of the balance games and yoga, though not great. Still, it was a lot of fun, and, contrary to Heather’s prediction, I wasn’t even sore the next day.
In the night, I had to use the facilities and was puzzled to see what looked like ground leaves or dirt in the tub, sink and floor.The mystery was solved the next morning when I followed the trail to the chewed open baggie on the kitchen table, surrounded by even more ground up leaves. It seems the cats had been having a party with the bag of catnip Heather had given me, and which I had left on the table in my bag of stuff. The funny thing was that we made sure the kettle corn bag was put up so they woudn’t get into it; we didn’t even consider they might chew open the bag of cat drugs. Anyway, the cats were all pretty mellow that morning, and had shreds of catnip clinging to their fur.
Heather and I had debated on how to spend our Saturday, my last full day there. In Heather’s bank, a poster advertising the Titanic Exhibit in the Idaho Falls Museum helped us make our decision. We would go bowling!
Just kidding! You really fell for it didn’t you? We went to the museum of course.
When we first arrived in Idaho Falls, Heather asked to see the house where UltraMom used to live. “No problem,” said UltraMom, “I know right where it is.” Twenty minutes later…UltraMom again, “Where the heck are we? Heather, just turn that GPS on and see if you can put Scorpius Drive in, won’t you?” Again, GPS lady saved the day, and for some reason, after that Heather became twitchy and nervous when UltraMom claimed to know exactly where she was. Go figure.
The Titanic exhibit was interesting, and featured many actual artifacts from the Titanic recovered from the ocean floor. After purchasing an exhibit ticket, we were given a card with the name and information about an actual Titanic passenger. At the end of the exhibit all of the passengers were listed, divided into categories of First Class, Second Class, Third Class and Crew, and each of those were further divided: those who survived, and those who didn’t. My card listed Captain John Weir, age 60, a Scottish merchant, who was traveling First Class, and was on his way to Salt Lake City on a regular business run. He did not survive.
The whole story of Titanic was told as we moved through the exhibit. In one area, a stateroom from a First Class cabin was recreated. I was astonished to learn that in today’s money, luxurious first class accommodations, complete with private bath, bedroom and parlor would have run over $70,000. We also saw a Third Class cabin, with 4 bunkbeds. Some cabins had 8 beds, and were shared only by those of the same sex, who might not even know each other or speak the same language. This was comparable, however, with 2nd Class rooms on most other ships. It was interesting to read the stories of several individual passengers: Mr. Ismay, whom I believe was the director of the White Star Line, survived by entering a lifeboat, and was pretty much scorned the rest of his life. One adventurer, who had booked passage on the Titanic to return home after traveling around the world for several years, was shanghaied the night before, so missed the voyage. He escaped his captors in Egypt a year or more later.
We really have Jimbo to thank for this very nice day; he funded our Titanic adventure as well as the following dinner at Johnny Carinos where I introduced Heather to my favorite Italian Nachos. After dinner, we indulged in a little mall shopping, including Bath and Body Works, before heading back to Pocatello.
We were just in time for a fun little skype chat with Linc, UltraBob and UltraGirl. Linc sure did want to do some programming on his daddy’s computer. He is growing so fast, and continues to get more adorable, though I did not think that was possible.
That evening, for some reason, Heather and I were in the mood to watch the movie “Titanic”, and after waxing enthusiastic about the exhibit, we convinced Heath that he wanted to watch it too. I don’t think any of us made it clear through, but the hour or so I did see was made more interesting in light of new information I had gained. The next morning, Heath wanted to know if anyone else had dreamed something about the Titanic. I think I did, though my dream remembering is usually pretty fuzzy.
After fairly nice weather over the past several days, today was snowy and windy. This, of course, was the day I had to drive back to Nevada. But I made it in fine shape, and only encountered a very few patches of really bad visibility. The trip was made more enjoyable by the snacks and delicious sandwich supplied by Heather. Thanks, Honey.
Anyway, its more than time I was in bed. See you tomorrow, Microbiology. For some of you lucky ducks Spring Break Week is only beginning. This means YOU, Pat. Hope yours is as good as mine was. .

Updates updates!

UltraGirl — Sat, 28 Feb 2009 05:43:00 +0900

It’s been a while since I posted last. I realized Linc is now 10 months old(!) and I thought I should share some updates with you all.

Last week Linc and I visited his pediatrician to get his immunizations done. He cried quite a bit, but that was kinda inevitable since he got a shot in each arm. He got his third time DPT (Diphtheria, Pertussis, and Tetanus) on his left arm and the Hib vaccine for the second time on his right arm.

I had small struggles with this Hib vaccine, and let me talk about it. This vaccine has already been in routine use in the U.S. and most developed countries except Japan. Finally after a long injustifiable waiting time, the Hib vaccine got licensed in Japan last year, and is supposed to have been in markets since the middle of last December. I didn’t know about this until one of my friends, Tomoko, who is Raku’s mother (you may rememer him from the video where Linc’s meeting a younger baby) told me about it. She read about this news somewhere in November and recommended I make a reservation for the vaccine though it might be too early. She noted this is a newly licensed free-will vaccine and doctors/hospitals can’t tell how many they can receive from their pharmacies. However it is certain there won’t be enough to give all babies in Japan. I consulted my pediatrician right away. He seemed to be a little surprised that I had asked about the vaccine before it was even released. In fact, I was the first one who came and asked for a reservation there. He told me it’s recommended that Linc get the Hib along with his DPT to improve effectiveness, but asked me to come back later as he didn’t know if he could even get any of the vaccine and also he was figuring the best way to manage the demands of this new vaccine. As I was told, I waited until the beginning of this year and called to see if I can make a reservation. A nurse told me over the phone I had to come over and talk to the doctor again but we might not make it to get the Hib along with DPT anyway. By the way, DPT vaccine is to be received three times in a row and Linc had already started his first one in December when I consulted the doctor about the Hib for the first time. I was really upset but what else can I do? I just headed down to see the doctor. To my surprise and contrary to what I was told by the nurse, the doctor was all ready to give Linc the Hib along with his second DPT!! He said he reserved the Hib vaccine for Linc without my declaration or confirmation when his pharmacist came for placement of vaccine orders. And as I said at the top, Linc finished off the second Hib vaccine and will get the final next year.

Linc crawls now and is almost ready to stand without support. He sleeps on his belly sometimes, loves bath time, and enjoys meals. He likes fruit very much and I think his favorites are bananas and strawberries. I can’t believe he is going to be one year old in a few months! We so much appreciate that Linc has been so healthy and great. UltraBob and I are now planning investment for Linc’s education, and improving our life insurance coverage. We are also working on Baby signs and thinking of giving him some musical experience starting by having him listen to my piano playing. What’s new with you?

Oh yeah, I almost forgot! Linc had his first haircut (Well almost his first, but lets not get into that) a few weeks ago. Also, Linc was in the newspaper a few months ago.

Haircut: before
Haircut: after
Fame comes early to some.

It’s the Care Bears!

UltraMom — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 07:37:00 +0900

Well, I just finished spending 2 hours or so on a Nutrition assignment, evaluating my diet. I may have slightly underestimated my nibbles, bites and tastes, but it’s not like they count, right? As a reward (to me, and hopefully to you), I’m allowing myself the luxury of writing a short post, though it is nearly midnight. I was kinda hoping for a short video chat with that rascally grandson, but his keepers don’t appear to be around.
School is going okay, but requires me to physically go there 4 evenings and 1 morning a week, which can be a little wearing. I don’t know what I’d do without sis-in-law Pat, who allows Murphy and Rowdy to come over 3-4 days a week. Anatomy and Physiology is going okay; though the instructor has changed his testing format, I still feel like I have a pretty good handle on it. Nutrition is going to be fine, I think. I got a 49/50 on my first test and the assignments are kind of interesting. The one that’s got me worried is Microbiology. Same instructor as A & P, but unfamiliar subject matter. Now this teacher knows his microbes and is great at focusing and identifying organisms and parts of organisms under a microscope, but his teaching is a little, how shall we say, frenetic? We did a lab experiment last week, about which we are required to write a lab report. By the time he finished explaining, and reexplaining what we were going to do, the whole class was thoroughly confused. First test is this Wednesday, so I guess we shall see!
It was quite a nice day (has been mostly a nice week) so Murphy, Rowdy and I took a nice long walk. We had an exciting moment when a large pitbull looking dog, (but with very long legs) ran out of a yard, exhibiting great interest in my two small poodles, but his owners finally corralled him back to where he belonged.
Last weekend was very nice, at least for me. We had Jimbo home for a few days. We went into Elko, played a lot of cribbage and walked down to the park to throw the old Vanderbilt frisbee around for an hour or so. To put it delicatley, Jimbo could us a little more frisbee throwing practice. He claimed he was trying to get me more exercise (he definitely did that!) Then he claimed the wind was interfering with his throw. Anyway, you get the idea. My throws, on the other hand, were typically beautiful arcs of perfection as they hovered in the air before settling in Jim’s outstretched hand.
This weekend, Jim is in northern Idaho with his lovely fiance. Did you all get your ‘save the date’ cards for the July 18 wedding? If not, forget I mentioned it; guess they couldn’t invite everyone.
Anyway I finally figured out how to use my scanner, so I will end this post by treating you to the promised photo of the groom to be in his younger days. That’s right, it’s the Care Bear Tea Party! Enjoy.

“From an early age, Jim (or “James” as he called in those days) showed a great affinity for nature and especially for woodland creatures. He had a special bond with bears, particularly the wild and unpredicable Care Bears. Many a summer afternoon would find him hosting a tea party for his special ursine friends.”

Linc and Elliot Rendezvous at Hakkeijima Sea Paradise

UltraBob — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 14:35:00 +0900

It was wet, it was cold, a great time was had by all!

Things change rapidly for a young man

UltraBob — Mon, 09 Feb 2009 13:55:01 +0900

Yesterday morning I was commenting to UltraMom and UltraDad over videochat that it appeared that Linc was going to skip crawling all together and go straight to walking.

Last night, Linc crawled across the floor to get a favorite toy, then tried and failed to do it again. After a while the desire to get over that toy overrode his need to think about how to crawl and he accomplished the task again.

Today Linc is crawling all over the place, and you can’t get him to stay down for a diaper change or anything. For the last two nights we’ve heard noises on the baby monitor to go upstairs and find him in a crawling position trying to get to a standing position.

It was a long time coming, but when he figured it out it was like flipping a light switch. Pictures and/or video when/if UltraGirl can capture some.

Linc’s First Christmas

UltraBob — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 22:01:00 +0900

We delayed Christmas to enjoy it with Grandma and Grandpa, so when they got here, we set down and opened our presents together ... or in some of our cases, smacked at the wrapping paper until someone unwrapped it for us.

Happy Groundhog’s Day America

UltraBob — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 09:02:01 +0900

I could have sworn there was some other memorable event on this day as well, but who knows. Jessica Allen’s (now Karamazov or something other than Allen I think) birthday was on February 4th so maybe that was it. Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!

PSSSST Hint to Mom: hit ⌘-a (cmd-a) to reveal a secret message above.

Meet the Grandparents

UltraBob — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 15:57:00 +0900

This is what happens when I have an hour or two to work on handling some of the video from UltraMom and UltraDad’s trip to Japan. Here is the video, I think it says enough in the video for me to not go on at length. Also it is my bedtime. If your computer is fast enough and your Internet connection permits, view this video full screen with scaling turned off and hd turned on. Enjoy.

Linc meets his GrandParents from UltraBob on Vimeo.

Quick Linc Notes Vol. I

UltraBob — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 05:16:00 +0900

Linc can stand unsupported for about 15 seconds when he puts his mind to it.

I’ve cropped the photo down to spare you as much as I can, but enjoy a bit of bonus sexy leg with our compliments.

Linc Speaks Out

UltraMom — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:12:00 +0900

I know you all think that UltraBob and UltraGirl are the perfect parents: the cute ‘picture of the day’, adorable videos and podcasts. But the reality I witnessed was slightly different. Linc has asked me to help tell his story.

Once in a while, Daddy lets me take a break from working on computers all day. On this particular day, I was working on a logic problem; how do the pieces of my play mat come apart?

Daddy was so upset with me for removing a piece from my playmat. I tried to tell him it could go back together, but he wouldn’t listen. Instead, he resorted to one of his and Mommy’s favorite forms of punishment: he dressed me up in an animal costume, in this case, a honeybee.

Daddy gives me a good talking to. I won’t be free until I agree to act like a good little honeybee and stop being destructive.
I
I’m thinking about stinging him.

Now Mommy is strapping me into the ‘chair’. I have to stay here until I promise to wear my bee hat ( I HATE hats!)

Okay, I’m wearing the stupid bee hat. Let me outa here!

When Mommy and Daddy aren’t looking, Grandma lets me out! I KNEW she was good for something.

Grandma seems to have a ‘thing’ about kissing my cheeks, but I’ll pretend I like it. She did rescue me......okay Grandma, that’s enough......now lets get me outa this bee costume and into some regular clothes.

Okay, Grandpa, get me outa here before Mommy and Daddy come back. Keep pushing, I’ll tell you which way to go.

Doing Stuff

UltraMom — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 07:33:00 +0900

Okay, I don’t like to brag (well maybe just a little) but I got some stuff done today that I have long been intending to get done. Perhaps it helped that I forgot to read the daily excuse on my Procrastinator’s calendar, or that I am starting back to school tomorrow, but I actually vacuumed my house and cleaned off my computer desk, including dusting, throwing stuff away and semi-organizing! I also have my backpack ready for class tomorrow night (I sound like an excited 2nd grader!) and have browsed my online Nutrition class and purchased the not-before-mentioned-but-required access code for $22.50. Grr. If I’d realized that beforehand, I probably would have just bought the thing from the bookstore, access code included, rather than ostensibly saving money by ordering, but not yet receiving, the book online.
Yesterday, the ‘boys’ and I drove out to Ruby Valley to spend a little time with UltraDad, who had to stick close to home in case the forecasted snow arrived. We had a very nice time. He didn’t end up having to work that day, so we cooked steak and baked potatoes and had a game marathon before the night was over, including Cribbage, Canasta and the dreaded dice game, which is a great favorite of UltraBob’s. While trying to decide what movie to watch, UltraMom had a brainstorm and loaded up State Fair, which she had on her laptop, thanks to UBob. It was interesting to watch with Japanese subtitles. The Little Mermaid, also from UBob, is entirely in Japanese.

UltraDad has a pretty sweet computer set up; with the Japan pictures loaded on, he enjoys the screen saver slide show of his recent fun trip

We woke up this morning to a world gone white. UDad shoveled a path, so the poodles could ‘do their business’. The wind was not yet blowing, so it seemed a good idea for the boys and I to get back on the road while the getting was good. And the getting was pretty good, just a little icy and slushy in a couple of places. UDad did have to plow snow today, starting at noon. On the way home, we picked up some KFC, which we shared with Pat once back in Carlin, while playing a few more games of Cribbage. Then, home, where the unprecedented cleaning frenzy struck.
And now a few thoughts on dogs. After watching the movie “Marley and Me’, about a large yellow lab who destroys everything in his path, I was congratulating myself on the decision to, instead, own two non-destructive toy poodles. Or so I thought until I caught Rowdy chewing up my mouth-guard the other day. I’m supposed to wear it at night to alleviate symptoms of TMJ induced teeth-grinding, and sometimes I do. When I’m not wearing it, it’s usually on my bedside dresser, which apparently, Rowdy is able to reach. All in all, it’s still probably lucky I have toy poodles. It’s only a little the worse for wear; kind of flattened out on one side, but I can still get it in my mouth.

Rowdy watches enviously as Murphy ‘guts’ the toy octopus at UDad’s house.

Okay, it’s nearly midnight, so I’d better call it a day. All of this getting-stuff-done is making me tired.

Linc goes to work

UltraMom — Thu, 22 Jan 2009 07:12:00 +0900

Okay, I know dads like it when their sons follow in their footsteps. But it seems a little extreme, in my opinion, to teach computer programming to an 8 month old. I mean, come on, let Linc have some childhood!

“I’m listening Daddy........You want me to do what to your computer? Reformat your hard drive?”

‘Okay, time to try out what I’ve learned on Daddy’s computer. What seems to be the trouble?”

“Aha! I see what’s wrong. There is a hand inside the computer........a very handsome hand, actually........”

“Interesting......it seems that my matter transporter/shifter machine is working at last. I am inside the computer.”

“Now that I’ve got the hang of it, lets just make a few system changes to Grandma’s computer as well.”

“This is hard work. I’m exhausted. Time for a little power nap.”

Hiking and Raw Fish, a Winning combo

UltraMom — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 07:38:00 +0900

I’m determined to finish my Japan posts in a timely (more or less) manner. I’m just going to jump in with events I know have not yet been covered and see how far I get, okay?
HIKE AROUND ZUSHI
This long-awaited walk would be a hike on nature trails. We loaded into the car; making sure Linc’s carrier and warm clothing were included. But when we got to the trailhead and prepared to hike, UBob discovered he himself wasn’t quite so well prepared. Instead of sturdy hiking boots, or at least tennis shoes, he wore sandals. This type of footwear has the advantage of comfort and easy on & off, but is not conducive to sure footing on slippery, steep trails. The upshot of this was that the carrier containing the precious Linc cargo was strapped onto surefooted UltraDad’s back.
The scenery was beautiful and gave you an idea of what much of this area must have looked like before it became so populated. There were clearly marked trails, but they were sometimes steep, rocky and a little precarious. We walked through densely forested areas and UDad saw many unusual trees and plants to pique his interest. We came to a breathtaking overlook of the ocean, and were even able to spot the resort where UBob and UGirl got married a couple of years ago. As we looped back towards the parking area, we viewed a small zoo, culminating in a monkey house filled with Japanese macaques (small baboons). Linc seemed to have no trouble adjusting to his new ‘horse.”

What is this red fruit?

Look at that view!

Hi Grandpa!

I think this is the only photo we have with all of us. UBob asked a fellow hiker to take it.

SUSHI
That evening we dropped Linc off at his Suzuki grandparents, and went off to enjoy our promised Sushi adventure. The restaurant was quite interesting. The ‘cooks’ were in the middle, and a conveyor belt of small plates containing culinary marvels circulated around them. Some patrons were seated at a bar, and others, like us, had access from our table. You could also order, if you wanted something you didn’t see, or wanted it fresher. Ultra Bob & Girl were in prime grabbing position, and soon our table was loaded with sushi and other delicacies. I can’t begin to name it all, (UltraGirl, please help me out!) but included halibut fin, several grades of tuna, sushi rolls with rice around the tuna wrapped in seaweed, fried mushrooms, and some very nasty raw shrimp and little fried sardines. Some of us ended the meal with sherbet or ice cream, and we washed the whole thing down with lots of green tea. The color of the plate indicated the price, and our table was soon stacked high with a colorful assortment of empties. Later UltraGirl bought me two adorable cell phone charms. One was a shrimp and one a sushi roll. “So you can remember,” she told me, “the sushi you liked and the sushi you didn’t like!” It was a great experience and I ate more raw fish than I would have thought possible. The good sushi, apparently, does not taste or smell ‘fishy.’

Some of the delicacies awaiting consumption

UltraMom and UltraGirl with a substantial pile of ‘empties’

I think UBob is trying to figure out the collateral damage

Happy Inauguration Day America!

UltraBob — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:02:00 +0900

May the sanity return with as much haste as possible.

A Weekend Plus

UltraMom — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 06:35:01 +0900

We had a nice weekend, with the extra day off for good behavior…..or maybe because of the contributions of Martin Luther King, Jr…..who can say? Yesterday was Ultra Sis in Law Pat’s birthday, so was a good excuse to eat out in town and take in a movie, not to mention eat German Chocolate birthday cake. We really enjoyed “Marley and Me’ with Owen Wilson, Jennifer Aniston and a large yellow Labrador retriever who played the part of Marley. I hardly dozed at all. We couldn’t believe it when we arrived at the movie theater. There was actually quite a line of folks waiting to buy tickets, which I hadn’t seen before at this theater. Pat had two free movie tickets, so I suggested she and UltraDad might be able to bypass the ticket line. They disappeared inside while I waited in the cold; after purchasing my own ticket, I barely had time for a restroom stop before the movie started. When we were walking out after the movie ended, Pat pulled out her coupon for two free movie tickets, which were still in her possession. While I was waiting in line, it seems UltraDad and Pat had just walked on in and gone to the show! To be fair, however, at that point she did hand them over to a befuddled theater employee.
Believe it or not, JC Penney was having a sale, so Pat and I ended up with matching soft chenille sweaters. Much of the rest of the weekend was devoted, in one way or another, do UltraDad’s ‘newish’ computer. His sister, Pat, generously gave him her PC, along with a very nice monitor, as she now exclusively uses her newer laptop. He won’t have Internet access in Ruby Valley, but can utilize many games and programs. He also has his printer, and I loaded on all our photos from Japan, so he can relive our great vacation at any time. A trip to the thrift store on Saturday yielded a computer desk and a recliner. UltraDad is excited to have his own PC and is aiming to become a little more computer savvy.
I have been relating bits of my Japan trip to my inmate clerks, and mentioned the other day that I was able to help my son celebrate his birthday, which hasn’t happened for quite some time. For our celebratory birthday dinner, I told them, we went to the Jailhouse Restaurant, where the tables are in jail cells. I suddenly realized that both Tim and Chris had become very quiet and I think Chris may have even shuddered a little. Then it hit me: as prisoners who had undoubtedly spent much time in cells, this would not sound like a fun way to spend an evening!
The weather has been nice, and I was even able to take the ‘boys’ for a bit of a walk today, which I haven’t done for a long, long time. We tried to stick to the non-icy parts of the sidewalks/streets, and made it down to the park where they were able to have a nice romp around ‘their’ football field. Unfortunately, I think another storm is predicted for later this week.
Tomorrow starts a busy week with haircut and doctor appointments, work and a weightwatcher meeting on the agenda. Also, time to start gearing up for the next round of school: Microbiology, Anatomy & Physiology II and Nutrition. I will be attending class 4 nights and 1 morning a week, though Nutrition will be entirely online.
I don’t quite know why, but I have been having a very hard time sleeping since I returned from Japan. Actually, I have a hard time FALLING asleep, and then want to sleep in every day. Come to think of it, that might not be too bad a thing with my school schedule and all the night classes, though it’s not the greatest when early rising UltraDad is around. This morning he said I could sleep in as late as I wanted, but around 7:30, I was awakened by what sounded like metal scraping across a tile. Finally my curiosity and annoyance got the best of me, and I stumbled into the living room to find UltraDad playing a game of Mahjongg Solitaire on his computer, with sound effects. He protested innocence, but I suspect a sneaky way to get me up to fix his breakfast.
UltraMom

PS I miss my baby!

Twins?