Adventures of Out Law Mama

OMSI Fun!

2012-01-30T13:53:00.000-08:00

This weekend we went to the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. We go a couple times a year. We all get a kick out of the hands-on science stuff. I did not take a ton of pictures because I did during the trip there last summer. This time I figured I would just enjoy the action and not worry about photos, but here are a couple I did take.

(Kelton in the back in black - Vicki next to him in black - Kaylen in purple - don't know other girl in photo.)

A good time was had by all!

Party Planning

2012-01-30T13:39:00.000-08:00

Is it just me or does there seem to be a lot of work that must go into planning a child's birthday party? Kaylen is turning 7 on February 10th - and we shopped this weekend for decorations and finalized the theme, decorations, guest list...etc. It was a lot just to figure out where to have it - the kids' house with Casey, our Portland house (temporary, so our furniture for guests is sparse), a restaurant, or - the ultimate winner - the community room in the complex where my mom lives. There is the decor to figure out - which is everywhere, until you are actually shopping for the theme of choice - which is Barbie this year. It took trips to two different Walmarts and a Target to get what we have so far - which is most everything except the last minute food and balloons. Of course, we have to remember stuff from the house too, since it it going to be in a party room - so must bring the knife, an ice cream scoop, paper towels in case of spills, tape for putting up pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey and a step stool for hanging up the longed-after-and-finally-agreed-upon pinata.

We have things to make the kids happy - but what about the adults - who will be bored to tears? I figure I will supply some wine and a veggie tray, there's a pool table, and then they are on their own! If they get bored, they will end up being sent over to my mom's apartment where they will be put to work packing boxes because she will be moving to a different apartment in the same complex the next weekend! So family members - beware - and look entertained!

Grateful for Technology

2012-01-30T13:21:00.000-08:00

Isn't it amazing how technology has truly changed our lives? That seems like such an obvious and overused statement that it is practically cliche, but cliches become such for a reason. Looking around our house this weekend, you likely would have seen an adult doing work on a full-size computer, another checking email on a smartphone, and both kids with iPads propped on their lap playing games. This wasn't the entire scene, or an all day scene, but typical nonetheless. (We actually spent most of the day Saturday at OMSI - our local hands-on science museum.)

This morning a friend was telling me that his boyfriend is a composer and I asked what he composed on - expecting he would say a piano or guitar. He actually composes on a computer program that simulates many instruments. How handy to be able to grab the laptops, head to the coffee shop, park, school, or a friend's house, and have everything you need right there - no bulky instruments required!

Vicki and I have discovered that the iPads have changed the way we do so much - especially her! Her whole life is almost paperless now. She has found checkbook programs for us to share, dayplanners and timekeepers for work, notetaking programs that replace both a notepad and paper, and Word-like word processing apps. Need a receipt for tax purposes? Open the approprate app - snap a photo - and presto! - saved for tax time. In a computer smaller than some of my tablets of paper at work, I now have productivity apps, games, Facebook, Gmail, news, magazines and more - plus - being a Apple product, I don't worry about the kids downloading viruses when they are searching for games. The iPad truly is remarkable - and the netbook before that, and the laptop before that, and the desktop computer before that......

Relaxing Reunion Ahead!

2012-01-20T14:17:00.000-08:00

Vicki comes home tonight, after 2 VERY long weeks away, packing up, donating and storing her Virginia possessions, settling the house sale, and dealing with the last-minute ex drama. I suppose for such a huge life transition, drama was to be expected. Besides her ex causing drama, Vicki nearly threw out her back, so had to stay down for a few days, she caught a 12-hour bug, and just had so much stuff to deal with, she barely slept for those two weeks. It was hard not being able to be with her to help, but I suppose the transition was something she needed to do on her own, and having me there with her ex would not have worked out well at all.

I feel fortunate that we have the whole weekend ahead to catch up, both with each other, and on sleep. We have no real plans and no place we have to be. I sense a weekend of Kindle reading, iPad play, surfing the net for everything from camera lessons to youtube downloaders and naps! Maybe we'll get ambitious and go see a movie. We'd both like to see "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo." Neither of us read the book, though, and I just heard from a friend that the movie is confusing. Of course, this same friend did not like "Inception," so I am thinking we have different taste in movies.

Anyway, I am certainly looking forward to this weekend!

Future Thunder Cheerleader :)

2012-01-15T15:23:00.000-08:00

Here is a video from Kaylen's Cheer Clinic group - all first-graders. This was the parent's showcase after they'd spent 3+ hours learning and practicing. On Tuesday night, they will perform at half-time for the Mountain View Boys' Varsity Basketball Game. Go Thunder!

Here's a couple still shots, in case the video does not play:

Very Sad News and Very Happy News

2012-01-03T13:59:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year Everyone! May 2012 be more amazing than we can even dream!

Vicki, the kids and I had a fun New Year's Eve. Kaylen and I played Barbies while Vicki and Kelton built a Star Wars model he'd gotten for Christmas. We all played some Lego games collected over the past year. We baked cookies, watched TV, and finally rang in the New Year with horns, poppers, screams and party hats. The kids were begging to be allowed to stay up until 5:00.....they had both crashed by 1:15. :)

The next morning was not as much fun - at all. I got the text from Casey that something was very wrong with Jordan, our 14-year-old dalmatian. His front legs were no longer supporting him, he was falling, and was in pain. He'd had ongoing problems with his back legs, and had always relied on serious "upper body" strength to pull himself up onto beds, the couch, and the floor. He's had other health problems, but never seemed to be in much, if any, pain, so this was the sign we'd been waiting for in his very long, and good life. It was sad to see him go, but we could not let him suffer. He left this world on January 1st, 2012. He was so loved and is already missed by us all. The kids made posters to help express their grief and preserve his memory. This would be a great place to post them.....but I didn't take a picture of them. I guess I should.

Now, in a 180 degree turn, we have great news:
Vicki sold her house in Virginia - and it closes next Friday! We've been waiting since Friday to see what the house inspection would turn up, and just an hour or so ago we got the good news....enough was found to drop the price a bit more, but not enough to end the deal for anyone! This is a huge relief for both of us....one more step forward into our life together, as she ends what were still huge obligations in Virginia.

So, reminds me of the "Facts of Life" theme song...."You take the good, you take the bad, you take them both and there you have the facts of life, the facts of life...."

Happy New Year!

The Coke Experiment of 2011

2011-12-31T18:08:00.001-08:00

The tray for our toaster oven was a mess. We have no SOS pads or anything else that seemed like it might work. We agreed to try Coke. The video of the bubbling reaction that went on for at least several minutes and maybe hours, was cool. If it posts it is below, otherwise there is a before and an after 6 hours shot. Considering how hard-baked the grease and grime was, this is either impressive, or frightening!

Deals and Such

2011-12-29T14:37:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else notice a lack of coupons for the things they really needed or wanted to buy this year? Some years I have all sorts of promo codes or local store coupons that I can use, but not this year. I admit I did not go out to the websites where you can search for such things either, prefering that they magically appear when I need them. Oh, wait - I did specifically seek out Round Table Pizza coupons. It is one of my favorite pizzas, and they often have a $3.00 off a large coupon available. I also had codes for some photo books I wanted to put together for the kids, but just did not have the time. That is on my list for the New Year - I want to make Disneyland photo books for the kids. It would have been nice in time for Christmas, but I think they would like them just as much in January!

Transitioning from Christmas to New Year's

2011-12-29T14:31:00.000-08:00

I am at work this week, as is Vicki. It was a busy, but fun Christmas with the kids, then Monday was incredibly relaxing as we just lazied the day away playing with Christmas "toys" and watching movies. It has been hard to get motivated to return to work, especially given that so many people have this week off. At least it has made for a very easy-going work-week. I've spent a bit of time browsing the internet, trying to decide how to spent an Amazon gift card, reading emails, deleting ones for such things as Technical Recruiter Jobs, and returning Christmas greetings from friends. Just a bit more and I can go spend my evening with Vicki. It has been raining all afternoon, and I am sleeping, so returning home to snuggle up with the woman I love sounds most excellent!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-26T13:12:00.001-08:00

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and that a joyful New Year is yours! We had a great Christmas spent playing with the kids and being with family. I must now go test out my new Belgian waffle maker! :)

Visiting the East Coast

2011-12-10T13:06:00.001-08:00

Vicki and I are on a quick trip to pack up a few things from her old house in Virginia, visit her parents and then play tourist in DC and Baltimore. Meeting her Mom will be interesting since even after 18 years with her last partner, Vicki was only marginally out to her parents. Mom is way more comfortable with thinking of partners as "roommates," and frankly, so was her ex. Having a good time so far. This tree was in the lobby of the hotel we stayed in last night near the Baltimore airport.

I Did It!

2011-12-01T13:44:00.000-08:00

I completed a novel of 50,781 word in 30 days!

It has been quite a challenge, especially over the past week or so. I am so grateful for Vicki's support. She kept me going and told me I could do it, even when I was several thousand words behind and the task was looking nearly insurmountable. She was right by my side, doing her own work, or playing on her iPad (*grin*), the whole time. I've had to put off all Christmas planning and shopping - so NOW we can proceed with the Holiday season! I am also grateful for my writing buddy's support. She and I both took on this challenge and every morning we'd compare our progress. About half-way through, or so, we started sharing story details, and the flow of creativity for both of us just soared. What was frightening is how many similarities our stories had even though up until that point, we'd not talked about any details. It was good to be able to go through this challenge together - and share our highs and lows.

I have more to say, but I am so tired. There's only been about 5 hours of sleep for the last three nights, so the brain is not working quite as quickly as it might! Maybe there will be blogging time this weekend....or next week. Happy December!

NaNoWriMo

2011-11-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

This is Day 6 of National Novel Writing Month. I am not quite at 5000 words. That is somewhat behind where I would like to be if I were writing exactly the same amount each night. Life being what it is though, that sort of consistency is not very practical. Between being exhausted from battling a cold this week, not sleeping very well, and then being with the kids this weekend, it has been hard to write the last couple of nights. I will get a bit done tonight, strive for consistency throughout the week, and play catch-up between naps next weekend.

My novel is slowly presenting itself to me. I am hoping the story keeps flowing. For me, it is less a creative process than one of discovery and excavation. I think Stephen King once compared writing to being an archaeologist - slowly uncovering what lies below. It feels that way for me. People ask what I am writing about and when I say that I am not quite sure, I am not really being evasive. I am still in discovery mode, and since it is very early in the story, it could go anywhere. Also, I am hesitant to talk to much about things I am writing while in the process. I don't want to dilute any of the energy behind it. Writing this way is fun though, and keeps my interest since I really don't know what is going to happen.

We are having a lazy weekend around here - lots of iPad games, some movies, Kaylen is playing school with a stuffed animal populated classroom. I got a Stitch at Disneyland and she got a kitty while there, so those are the newer students, sharing learning space with Eeyore, Sponge Bob, bunny and Mr. Berries. Yesterday around 3:00, or so, the kids decided they wanted to go on a hike, so we picked a random park with hiking trails and had a nice 2-3 hours getting some fresh air.

As the cool weather starts, Christmas toy catalogs are appearing in the mailbox, and wish lists are starting. Though, interestingly, my kids sometimes jump right past Christmas and aim for their February and April birthdays. I don't think it is quite time to send a ref="http://www.invitationbox.com/birthdayinvitations.html">birthday invitations , but I appreciate their planning for the future. :) This year, I suspect there may be some Disney-themed gifts under the tree, though I am not sure if I can hold on to the planned-collages quite that long. On the other hand, since most of my free time should be being spent writing, even making time to create and order the collages is going to be challenging!

A Few More Disney Pics

2011-11-01T12:42:00.001-07:00

I was messing around with a Disney app that Kelton found and here are the results. Fun - but the sharpness is not great. I will post more - but not sure when. NaNoWriMo has started- I have 30 days to write a 50,000 word novel!

Sneak Peak - Disneyland Trip 2011

2011-10-31T12:49:00.000-07:00

Short post:
Trip was amazing! Disneyland done up for Halloween was beautiful. The kids had the time of their life! We created two roller coaster/thrill ride maniacs. We averaged walking 13 miles per day. A good time was had by all.

We came back with colds - adults hit hardest - Ugh.

So worth it.

One quick picture that I snagged from the Disney Photopass site:

There are about 700 photos on my computer I need to sort through, order, share...etc....

More to come!

Gearing Up to Go!

2011-10-21T15:30:00.001-07:00

I got a text from Casey early this morning informing me that Kelton was awake at 4:30. Think he is excited? I had a mildly productive and short work day. Vicki is still scrambling to get all her work projects done, and could be working until late, which sucks. The kids do not know yet, but we are going to let them each pick out a new DS game tonight to help keep them entertained on the flight and during other non-Disney times. Almost time to go pick them up! California here we come!

Ready and Set!

2011-10-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

Wow! When we wake up tomorrow morning, Vicki and I can check us all in for our flight! The kids are nearly all packed. Vicki and I spent time with multiple suitcases tonight trying to figure out how to best pack it all into the least amount of suitcases. We finally ended up with our two biggest suitcases, both of which are large enough to put Kaylen in, maybe even Kelton!

Last time Kaylen went to Disneyland, she was still pretty much in the stage of us using a baby monitor with display, now she is 6 1/2, going on 16, and ready to take on both parks, determined to see and do it all! Her priorities are with all things princess-related, while still being eager for the thrill rides, like Splash Mountain. Kelton is also very eager to ride everything that he was too afraid to try when he was 4. As for Vicki and I, bring it all on! We are ready!

Bags are packed-ish

2011-10-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

Kaylen is packed. Kelton, Vicki and I are not. However, the three of us are unlikely to need to be sure we have tights to go with the dresses, or a variety of outfits should we decide that one, or more, do not feel right that day. Last weekened I got several small household chores done. The house is reasonably clean, though certainly does not appear that I hired durham house cleaning service to really make things sparkle. Ah, for the days when Casey and I used to have a housekeeper come in once every two weeks to make things truly clean! Don't worry, I am paying those fees back as part of my student loans every month! Ugh.

So, where was I going with all this? Ah - yes - we are almost ready for our trip. Packing is underway, tickets have arrived, house is clean, work is managed - and the timing is perfect as far as work deadlines and inspections, and we may even have time to sneak in a showing of The Little Mermaid. Vicki has never seen it, and I suspect neither kid remembers seeing it. Of course, Kelton doesn't want to, but will get into it once he stops complaining about watching a princess show....

Just two and a half more days! Yippeeee!!!

Gearing up for the Trip

2011-10-18T21:53:00.001-07:00

The kids are so excited about our upcoming Disneyland trip. They are already so wound up that I'm not sure they will have anything left by the time our flight leaves Saturday morning - at 6:40am! Yikes! It seemed like a good idea at the time. :)

Of course, the kids are not the only ones who are excited! I may not have any energy left by Saturday either!

Weekend Report

2011-10-16T22:04:00.001-07:00

It has been a really good weekend. It did not start that way. On Friday I had to have one of the cats that Casey and I had for 11 years put down. She had been sick on and off for a couple years, but in the past two weeks her health seriously declined and we knew it was close to the end. It is so hard to say goodbye to a family member like that. She was the not-so-bright but sweetest cat of the bunch. I am sure she is in a better place now, but she will be missed here.

On Saturday I got a lot of paperwork and small household tasks done. They really did not take up much time and it feels so good to have them done! I found a tv show on Netflix that I am really enjoying - Parenthood. Lauren Graham from Gilmore Girls is in it, and I really enjoy her. Between reading the second of the Twilight series books and napping, I watched 5 or 6 episodes of this very real and heart-warming show.

Today Vicki came home. It was a long two weeks apart. She arrived mid-day and it was wonderful to be able to spend the afternoon catching up. I am very happy to have her home!

It seems to be bedtime. At this time next week, we will be in Disneyland! I am so excited!

NaNoWriMo

2011-10-12T20:57:00.000-07:00

About a month ago a friend of mine informed me about her participation in nanowrimo.

"What?" Sounded like a medical trial.

Turns out it is short for National Novel Writing Month. Writers from all over the world take the month of November to pound out a 50,000 word novel. Last year there were over 200,000 participants.

This year, I will be one of them.

I have no idea how or when I will find the time, but I figure that once I put it out there, things will fall into place and it will happen. I have no real idea, no outline, no characters. So, guess I am all set! :)

Let the games begin!

The Kids are All Right - Rest of the Movie Not So Much

2011-10-10T22:04:00.000-07:00

I always hope a good movie with lesbians as the main characters is going to hit the mainstream. I guess for now, just the fact there are sometimes any movies with lesbians characters out there will have to be enough. Asking for "good" is apparently too much. I just spent too much time watching "The Kids Are All Right," a movie about a two-mom family with teen-age kids, and what happens to them all when the kids decide they want to meet their donor. I understand now where the movie got its title. After thinking about all the main characters, about all you can really say is, the kids were all right. The moms were the most annoying lesbian couple ever. The donor was sort of interesting in a clueless sort of way. I will say that there are some truths sprinkled here and there. At the end, one of the moms in a pretty badly delivered speech says that marriage is hard and after a lot of years, you stop seeing each other. Yeah, that seemed about right. I don't think it has to be that way, but know the truth of how it can happen. The movie should have been slicker, faster, more elegant, but for all the flaws, especially the annoying stereo-typically over-processing lesbians, there are some things they got right. Silly family moments, sweet couple moments, accidentally slighted feelings. If this was ever a book, it was probably very good. Some things should remain only in print.

BB Blues Haiku

2011-10-08T23:51:00.001-07:00

Blackberry working
Won't have to smash it today
Can call loved ones - yeah!

OK, brilliant it is not, but it is 11:46 at night. How about this:

Cell phone miracle
BB is working fine now
Jealous of iPad?

I should get some sleep. :)

I Hate My BlackBerry

2011-10-07T14:39:00.000-07:00

I have had my BlackBerry for a bit over a year. I used to love it. Well, I liked it a lot anyway. I LOVE my iPad - I love my iPad more than I EVER loved my BB. What was my point?

Oh, right. I hate my BlackBerry. It is currently not working. I believe I can send and receive texts and calls. That is it. I cannot get into options to remove what I believe it causing the problem - their own friggin' bb messenger software - I cannot receive mail - I cannot look at Facebook - and I certainly cannot download the one simple ringtone I wanted, which caused all this mess in the first place.

This problem happened about a month back, too. Girlfriend was around and able to fix it - over the course of an hour or two. She is out of town now....for another week. Sprint basically will wipe my system, take at least three hours to do so, and probably charge me a lot for it.

As long as it still functions as a phone, I guess I can wait until Vicki returns to see if she can resolve the problem. I have been told by a friend that my solution, which is throwing it out the window, is not a good one. Fine.

Passing along my Childhood

2011-10-06T23:03:00.001-07:00

It is late now and I should get to sleep, however, I slept much of the day away in response to Day 3 of a bad headache. It is finally almost gone and I am feeling pretty good.

Tonight the kids and I went through boxes of things I had saved from my childhood and college years. We found old puppets I had made, my old ventriloquist friends, jokes, scripts, even a log of performances, some toys, books, jewelry... Tons of memories and the kids thoroughly enjoyed hearing about when I was a kid and trying out the toys and clothes. A bit of it made it's way into the house for future enjoyment, and most went back into the closet where it had been since before Casey and I bought the house from my mom. :). Once Vicki and I buy a house, all that old that old stuff can have a new home - but I suspect in the mean time, the kids will enjoy pulling me out to the garage to check out my boxes again. It was fun to share with them, especially since some of it I had saved for the "someday" when I had kids of my own. :)