JDRF Walk, 2010

Breakfast (why the breakfast for a diabetes event is all-carb is beyond me):
A nice sand-sculpture:
Devin and Grandpa, starting the walk:
Devin and (her) Mom, continuing the walk (she outpaced G'pa and I for the first time):
There's always something oceany to take pictures of (washed up jellyfish):
A couple of pictures to kind of show the line of people:

The End:
A Self-Portrait:
Deving, playing after the walk:

Kevin is 18 now...

We made this mead today. Local wildflower from 2008. 28 Brix with Lalvin EC1118.

We'll open the first bottle 31 Jan 2013. What a nice, dark and aromatic honey it was.

Happy Independence Day!

So... the wife worked this weekend. Since we couldn't BBQ at the park and enjoy the show, we thought we'd take the party to her. There was a good chance there'd be fireworks nearby, anyway.

So we went to the top of the parking garage at the hospital.
We got there about 6:30 so that I could start the grill and we could hopefully eat before dark.
She insists that we weren't allowd to have the grill there, but we didn't get in trouble. We did have a visit from a couple cops and security guards. Apparently someone complained that we were lighting fireworks. The kids were just throwing "pop-its" at each other.

I don't think I've ever gotten a top-view of a palm tree before, so here's a picture taken over the wall.

This is our view as the sun went down.

And our view once the show started.

Parker Hale, like new. (Guns XXXI)

Remember the Parker Hale .270?
It was my dad's and it had a cracked stock. I took it to a local gunsmith. He said that he thought he'd be able to fix it.
When they called for me to pick it up, he had a new (beat up and ugly) wood stock on it and wanted to measure me for it. I explained that it was not the stock I wanted, that if I had to replace it I wanted the Hogue Overmolded stock. He was not happy because he'd already glassbedded (sic?) the rifle and I was not happy because some of the glasbedding (also sic?) was visible on the barrel.
I should have read more on the forums... I probably could have swapped stocks myself in retrospect, but I thought he'd fix the wood.
Long story short, he got the right stock and I'm glad to be done with the whole thing. He slopped on the screws and never did remove the extra glas (also also sic?). I'll not have him do any more gunsmithing for me. On the other hand, I should have guessed judging by the scratches on some of the for sale pistols (brand new) in the display cases that their attitude was more about functionality than about artistry.

Here she is:




On yet another hand, their prices are reasonable and I picked up a Heritage .22lr/mag SA revolver. I had them order it, and they never took it out of the box. It's pretty nice and shoots awfully straight for a ~$200 brand-spankin'-new pistol. I don't have pics of that one yet, but you can expect another post pretty soon: either I'll get some photos of the .22 or I'll get the Parker Hale out to the range and shoot some paper and some pictures.

state fair

So, I took off last monday (Presidents' day). The kids had all been given free passes for the last day of the Florida State Fair. I borrowed my parents' camera and we drove 108 miles round trip to the fairgrounds in Tampa. Cracker Country was right past the entrance, thankfully, so it wouldn't be missed. I think that was the most interesting part for me. Then there was the fried food and the whirly-rides.

Cracker Country photos:

In the "Dry Goods" store I was intrigued by the Tinctura of Humulus Lupulus. Better known as hops!

This chicken didn't like being cooped up:

Our girls, bird (well, chicken) watching:

Basic Brewing Radio did a show the theme of which was: you know you're a homebrewer when...


So, when I saw these huge salt vats, I thought to myself "those would make some great brewpots!".


If you click on the picture, you will be able to read the sign.

not Cracker Country photos:

Devin, sitting across from Lauren. I just wasn't able to get a picture with Lauren in it.

Devin, front seat on the roller coaster:
Kevin and Ashley (the girlfriend), front seat on a different roller coaster:
Lauren, loosing her grip:

CRASH! update

Well, I found a driver for my MP3 player. *whew* I'm back in business at work.


I still don't have the printer running, and that's where I plug in my camera's card, so no new pictures. How about some old ones?

Grammy, 2002(?):

When we moved down here, we stayed with my Mom and Don for several months while we sold our St. Louis house and bought the one we live in now. They rescued a racing greyhound a couple years prior, and then there is princess who you're familiar with (here, and here):

And a classic Devin:

These pictures were on the old / new computer when I got it. That's pretty cool to me, since I didn't have all of them in the first place.

Lunch with the girls

I took the girls to BJ's today to do some grocery/household shopping. Kevin stayed home with his new XBox 360. The girls had a hard time picking one cheese to bring home. Since they were trying really hard to get along and decide on a cheese together, I let them get both. They also went to the Fresh Market yesterday with grandma and unbeknownst to me they had brought cheese home from that trip. We got home about 1:00 and Kevin had eaten already, so I let the girls figure out lunch for the 3 of us (the Wife is working). This is what they came up with:
Clockwise from the top: Irish Cheddar (nutty), American Gouda (mild, but good), Polly-O string cheese (pretty well flavorless in comparison), Kaukauna party cake spreadable (well-liked to my surprise), Cabot's 3 year old extra sharp Cheddar (hands-down favorite), Helluvagood Cheddar (smooth),. There were sesame, wheat, and buttercrisp crackers (Keebler Toasteds) and some salami in the middle. It was quite a lunch!

Winter Vacation...

... for the kids anyway. It ended when they went back to school yesterday.


I remember winter break when I was a kid. I spent every odd winter and spring break and every summer break with my dad while I was in grade school and he lived in Idaho and later Wisconsin. COLD AND SNOWY!!!

I know I sound like a broken record, but you gotta love Florida!


From left to right: Lauren's left hand, Kevin filling Devin's bike tire with air, and Devin eagerly awaiting the return of her bicycle.




Devin:

The lot of them:

Remember how I want to make impressionist photos? I got close again. Especially on the second one.

Happy 9th of November to my Wife!

yeah, I know, I used this picture last year.

Good Ol' Princess

Circa August 1995 (almost 1 year old):

Princess; 1994-2008

Goodbye to a great dog.

May or June 2001, in black and white

Shortly after Devin came home from the hospital:

Possibly the best photo I took with our "original" Canon Elph APS camera (even though my focus is off a touch).

Very handy little camera, but it was quickly overtaken by digital technology.

.

Sunday started by looking like this: (sorry, I realize looking at the picture now that we need to wash the van)




And ended like this: (on the ride home)

With all this in between:

Some of Misty's relatives from Indiana were in town- Anna Maria Island to be more specific, so we went out to visit.

This poor umbrella just had the hardest time staying upright:

Pelican:

Self-portrait: (I'm not in the sand because I was seeking the shade after my Independence Day sunburn)

Kevin: (16 and cool)

See, the hardest time:

Lindy's pic-a-nic blanket:

Our poor sunburnt Devin, playing 'neath the umbrella:

Zack, Trey, Nick, and Kevin (left to right): (it's been a few years since they all saw each other, but they hung out on the beach and played "ladderball" like a bunch of guys hanging out at the beach)
I was not able to to get any good pictures of Lauren as she stayed out and under-water most of the afternoon.

happy father's day to me!

Dessert:
"Saisson Athene" from Saint Somewhere Brewing Co. and gooey butter cake made by Lauren to Grammy's own recipe (oh, the memories!).