tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-151607082024-03-13T11:27:46.430-05:00The Cozy Kitty's WeblogRandom thoughts on life, the universe (what we understand of it), and everything (hey, at least we know the answer is 42!), disguised as a daily account of life in a Midwestern town.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.comBlogger233125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-52038730880587639032010-04-15T13:04:00.006-05:002010-04-15T15:28:12.144-05:00Minor AnnoyanceBoth Lauren and I love books. But we both realize that with a small house, having a multi-shelf whole-wall library just isn't in the cards for us. With both of us being techies and owning iPhones, we both decided to go with e-books and e-reader apps as a way to keep our reading habits fed.<br /><br />That's worked great until the last few months, when the recent dispute between Amazon and the publishers over book pricing has now been fanned by Apple's foray into e-books with the iPad. It apparently comes down to the publishers wanting more control over e-book pricing (the agency vs. wholesale model dispute mentioned in the story below):<br /><br /><a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/company-news/publishers-try-to-protect-e-book-prices-from-apple-amazon/19324040/">http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/company-news/publishers-try-to-protect-e-book-prices-from-apple-amazon/19324040/<br /></a><br />As a result, while prices and contracts are being renegotiated with suppliers, the e-bookstore I have used, Fictionwise, has suddenly found itself emptied of a lot of its mainstream titles, including a couple I've kept my eye on for a few months.<br /><br />Needless to say, the whole thing has me rethinking the convenience of e-books, especially DRM-protected e-books. Part of the reason I buy e-books is so that I don't have to travel 40 miles round-trip to the nearest chain bookstore to pick up a book which might not be in stock yet. (I don't mind being in a bookstore for a long period of time. Lauren, by the way, fails to see the appeal.)<br /><br />I also like the convenience; I can load 10+ titles on my phone and swap them out as necessary. If I find myself somewhere that I have a few minutes to kill (the doctor's office, for example), I just pull out the phone and choose from one. It also helps that the e-book app supports larger font sizes for easier reading, which really comes in handy with advancing age. Try doing that with a regular-print book.<br /><br />I also like the appeal of not having to pay higher prices for hardbound books (which take up the aforementioned house space), and not having to wait for a year to get the book in trade paperback.<br /><br />In short, it's a lot of convenience at a reduced price.<br /><br />E-books aren't perfect; to be honest, I've seen quite a few cases where the conversion had left a couple of obvious typos or formatting problems introduced by the process. But those had been the only minor annoyances, which I live with for the sake of the above conveniences.<br /><br />But there are larger questions.<br /><br />Let's say that my e-book supplier (who was one of two online e-Book suppliers bought out by Barnes and Noble before Christmas), is subsumed completely into B&N. Can I continue to use the existing e-books that I've purchased? Will B&N provide a substitute way for me to continue to purchase e-books through their website?<br /><br />On one hand, I can understand the publishers' argument. They want to maximize the earnings for the authors who publish for them at price points the publishers can live with. But by forcing the argument through the pricing dispute between Amazon first and now with the discussion of "enhanced" e-books provided through the Apple iPad, at higher prices, I think the publishers have lost sight of something: those of us who read the books they published have been mightily inconvenienced. And it's annoying.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-66483990926827007462010-03-22T15:04:00.007-05:002010-03-30T16:27:47.902-05:00KC Trip ReflectionsJust a few thoughts from our trip to KC this weekend:<br /><ol><li>Staying at the Weston Crown Center is teh awesome. The facilities are first-rate (as you would expect from a four-star hotel).</li><li>We have a pretty good idea of why <a href="http://www.unionstation.org/">Union Station</a> is struggling a little to attract tourists and crowds. We toured the KC Rail Experience and Science City, and while both attractions were okay, they didn't seem well subscribed. The KC Rail Experience had some nice displays (the train engine unit/simulator that is the centerpiece of the collection was a hoot), but the Experience overall seemed a little bit disorganized or not very visitor-friendly. For example, you can't tell exactly where the entrance is (we had to ask someone), and once inside, the display/presentation stations were numbered, but you couldn't tell where the starting display was and what the sequence was (we started at station #4 because we couldn't find stations #1-3 ... a diagram/map would have helped). Science City was also a little disappointing because there were too many cases where things weren't working/needed repair. Sadly, we love the Union Station facility, but neither attraction did a very good job of "attraction" vs. what they charge for admission. We can only hope that this will improve in the future. P.S. We did explore the Irish Culture-Heritage Museum on the lower level as well, and it was very well done. There were also some SCA presenters there that were very fun to talk with. To be fair, they've announced on the Union Station Facebook page that they are doing some upgrading to the Rail Experience, so it's possible that the managers know that there are some places it's lacking.<br /></li><li>The <a href="http://www.theworldwar.org/s/110/new/index_community.aspx">National WWI Museum</a>, on the other hand was/is very well done, but alas, it's showing some wear as well. I would have loved to go up to the top of the Liberty Memorial, but that's not going to happen during a winter snow. The designers of the WWI Museum did a great job with the displays (especially the trench simulations), and there is some very nice audio-visual integration overall. I also liked that they focused on more than the military and technical aspects of the war ... a bit of the displays focused on the cultural/social changes the war caused as well. Finally, the very large video wall and diorama that makes up the focal point of the museum is ... well, very huge and very impressive.<br /></li><li>Imo's Pizza is best served fresh in the restaurant rather than delivered.</li><li>Lauren reminded me of this one: at Union Station, we had stopped off at the Segway store there because we wanted to test drive one (just to say we had ridden one). You are supposed to be able to do a test-drive of 15 minutes for a small fee. Unfortunately, when we stopped at the store, the person at the desk was chatting on the phone and didn't even bother to look up at us or acknowledge us. We waited for a couple of minutes, realized the guy was too busy to talk to us, shrugged, and then went off to go find lunch.<br /></li></ol>voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-49032588337247479182010-01-28T16:31:00.008-06:002010-01-28T17:48:43.622-06:002010 So FarHi everyone,<br /><br />I have to admit that this blog hasn't seen much action in the last year. The reason it hasn't is for several reasons: I spent a big chunk of 2009 weathering various crises, including working 60+ hours a week before being laid off, but for the most part, it's because Lauren and myself do most of our updating/communicating on our Facebook accounts now, so the blog has mostly been idled.<br /><br />In a way, it makes sense. We originally started this blog as a way to keep in touch with our family and friends, and also document the goings-on in our lives, but we've discovered that using Facebook is a more immediate way of keeping in touch and communicating with everyone.<br /><br />To be honest, there isn't too much to update everyone on, life-wise. I've been unemployed for awhile, but I keep job searching, and I've got an interview coming up on Monday. In the meantime, I've been blessed in that I have the time to learn how to be the best house husband that I can. Toward that, I've taken over pretty much all of the household chores and a big chunk of the cooking and meal planning. All told, I'd rather be working. However, given that Lauren's teaching/advising/group sponsoring gives her the equivalent of a 60-hour workweek, at least I've been able to take up the household stuff I couldn't do while working and commuting down to KC, freeing up her time.<br /><br />Not working has also freed me up to do more living/activity work in the community. For example, I currently sing with the Nodaway Chorale, and we're gearing up to do a concert in mid-April to perform John Rutter's Requiem. Also, this last week, I got "volunteered" to become Senior Warden at our church (kind of like the head of a steering committee), due to people stepping down. It's a new leadership role, and we'll see how THAT turns out in a few months, especially after our yearly fundraiser chili supper for the local Family and Children Center.<br /><br />Also coming up in April, Lauren and I are teaching a Thai cooking class for community ed at the local technical college. This will be my first year for doing this, while Lauren has done several of these before I moved down to Maryville.<br /><br />Beyond that, we're hoping to take a trip this Spring back to St. Louis to see the Missouri Botanical Center again when it's warmer and things are in bloom. We saw it this winter when we were in St. Louis for New Years. Finally sometime, when Alex can get a weekend free without being on-call/on pager, we'll be able to entertain Robyn and Alex here in town when they come down for a weekend.<br /><br />Did I say there wasn't too much to update everyone on? Looks like there was a bit.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-21825806691711132562009-08-16T13:18:00.000-05:002009-08-16T13:19:34.708-05:00Sleepy SundayAnother sleepy Sunday here, with a few random notes:<br /><br />1. I have a job again ... sort of. I start Monday with a small husband and wife software company out of Oregon, MO. It's not a real job yet, but it's 90 day probationary with a review at the end of 3 months toward hiring me on full-time. Even though the commute is less than half of what I had before (52 minutes vs. 2 hours), the job so far doesn't have benefits. For now, I've got COBRA continuation to cover the short-term, but I'm hoping that the job will ultimately lead to full-time and lead to having some sort of health coverage down the road.<br /> <br />2. Lauren is resting and recuperating from a case of cat scratch fever caused by our resident semi-feral cat, Stinkerbelle. More antibiotics for Lauren, and we're both going to have to learn to stop petting Stinkerbelle altogether.<br /> <br />3. Internet service here is sliding toward very subpar. Our cable provider, Suddenlink, has at least one outage per day now, and Embarq DSL service apparently isn't much better. I'm worried about what will happen when school starts up and Suddenlink oversubscribes off the influx of college students. <br /><br />Even our iPhones aren't much help, because EDGE data service is getting worse on our side of town and there seems to be no effort on AT&T's part to expand 3G service north of St. Joseph ... I wonder how long it will be before we see an upgrade?<br /> <br /><br />-- Posted From iPhone<br />voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-73873754003309784252009-07-23T15:38:00.001-05:002009-07-23T15:38:49.123-05:00An Exercise in Creative Problem-SolvingI'm starting to look at the job search as an exercise in creative problem-solving, given the limits of the situation:<br /><br />1. I would like to work locally, if possible. By local, anything within an hour (unless the employer allows a telecommute or some sort of flex) is a possibility. <br /><br />2. We know what minimum salary and benefits we need in order for us to sustain our current living standard without any serious belt tightening. It's not as bad as it used to be, but it does stress looking for a job with benefits. <br /><br />3. I would like to look at venues other than corporate, if possible.<br /><br />Apart from that. I'm open to ideas, alternatives, or opportunities.<br /><br /><br />-- Posted From iPhone<br />voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-1861160520472621912009-07-21T17:23:00.001-05:002009-07-21T17:23:50.899-05:00Staying BusyIt's funny. When I was employed, I never had enough time to do anything. With the commute and the workload, I didn't have much time to help with the housework, didn't have much time for cooking, and I always felt a little tired or short of sleep, even on weekends. <br /><br />Now that I'm not working and job hunting, I'm getting plenty of sleep, the chores are being done, and the house is cleaner than it has been in months. All that's missing is finding a job I enjoy .... <br /><br /><br />-- Posted From iPhone<br />voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-41937204531967722732009-07-12T16:01:00.001-05:002009-07-12T16:01:55.735-05:00Leaving CorporateFor anyone who hasn't read my Facebook page yet, unless something comes up by August 2nd, I'll be leaving corporate again due to a layoff. Once again, a bad economy and a reorg have taken a job. <br /><br />In retrospect, even if the reorg hadn't happened, I'm not sure I would have survived more than a couple of more years doing the same thing. The work hours were climbing, the stress was increasing, and the commute (2 hours down, 2 back) was getting painful. Lauren was asking for her husband back. I was losing ground and the work-life balance was sliding toward more time at work and less time at home. I felt like a failure for not being able to keep up in both areas. <br /><br />At this point, I'm mulling what to do next, regrouping, reestablishing references, dusting off resumes and cover letters, and getting ready to file for unemployment. And I'm rediscovering life ... the simple pleasures of being able to sleep in and not be on the road at 6, of having the time to go somewhere and not cancel a trip because of a project. <br /><br />With Lauren teaching 4 extra class hours this fall through November, I'll even be home to help keep up with the household work while I look for work.<br /><br />This time, I'm not sure I want to go back to corporate again. I've seen my profession, technical writing, devalued and turned into contractual hourly work with little benefits, or the job function itself deemed unnecessary, so I'm not sure yet where I want to go. I may want to pursue alternative certification and become a teacher. I might find something closer to home. I honestly don't know yet. <br /><br />In the meantime, I do want to do some volunteer work in town at the local food pantry. I want to reconnect with my wife and strengthen our marriage. <br /><br />I want to live. <br /> <br /><br /><br />-- Post From My iPhone<br />voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-29556851397913862162009-04-19T09:04:00.001-05:002009-04-19T09:04:57.386-05:00Twitter Feed Part 2It looks like we have the Facebook to Twitter problem fixed, but in a way that wasn't as convenient as I would have liked.<br /><br />Originally, we used to use the fb2twitter Facebook app, which relied on a bot Facebook account to send a FB status update to Twitter. That broke first when Facebook switched to their new feed system, and then died permanently when FB banned the use of the Twitter Updater bot accounts under their TOS. <br /><br />For now, we're going at it from a different direction. I installed a Facebook app that will let you post selected Tweets to your Facebook status (indicated with a hash tag at the end of the Tweet). It works, but it's not as elegant an approach as I would like, because I would rather be publishing from FB. Also, I'm not sure we can get it to work with one Twitter account feeding two Facebook pages.<br /><br />So for now, you will be seeing my FB statuses and not Lauren's, but I'll continue to look for a workaround.<br /><br /><br />-- Post From My iPhone<br />voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-44060624448149696182009-03-28T18:47:00.001-05:002009-03-28T18:49:00.990-05:00Twitter FeedIf you haven't noticed any Twitter updates off the blog recently, it's because the recent Facebook upgrade broke it, so no dual-posted Twitter and Facebook updates. We're still waiting for a fix.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-50985652309258333502009-03-28T15:46:00.001-05:002009-03-28T15:46:50.993-05:00The Weekend That Might Have BeenWe had planned to stay in KC this weekend for the Spring Home and Garden Show, but the weather had other plans. With KC facing a winter storm warning of 6-12 inches in some areas, we cancelled our hotel reservation and stayed home. So much for a nice Spring day!<br /><br />So we're home today; it's a sloppy mess outside, as we've gotten a mix of rain and light snow, rather than the 2-4 inches that had been forecast. Still, staying home has given us a chance to stay-in, sleep late, make brunch, do some in-house projects, and also rest as well.<br /><br /><br /><br />-- Post From My iPhone<br />voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-90668396701731904272009-01-18T14:53:00.004-06:002009-01-18T20:08:05.159-06:00Welcome to Web 2.0Just a quick blog update:<br /><br />We've gone Web 2.0 in a big way. Besides the Twitter account (see the sidebar to keep up with us on a daily basis when we don't have time to update the blog), both Lauren and I now have Facebook pages, so you can get in touch with us there.<br /><br />So for now, we can be reached by:<br /><br /><ul><li>Following or responding to our Twitter account.</li><li>Leaving a posting on one of our Facebook pages.</li><li>E-mail.</li><li>Leaving a comment here on the blog.</li><li>Text or IM.</li></ul><br />About the only things we haven't started experimenting with are posting vids from YouTube and setting up our own wiki (and given that I routinely update a wiki at work, we're covered there).<br /><br />EDIT: Lauren mentioned that she's had students use YouTube in class projects, so we've already covered that base as well.<br />voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-78594674291995932522009-01-03T21:25:00.001-06:002009-01-18T15:09:44.228-06:00Out For a WalkSince the weather has improved since New Years, we decided to get back to regular walking. Here, Lauren pets the very friendly German Shepherd down the street.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/Y9RVC4FL02KaJZszEeJ8hA?authkey=FUpgvWfP_cg"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglhP6rw0govFvVGUpSKcOnGSPoiKENqG4-h4ymftRTiUrxcrsZBCCk4kjX0O0BJsxhYWEOzqn_3yuzUDVDiNUUyM2aCuRrJHXXOieiuUlpvUAp663yRLjn-EZct9NO0NRpL_Kz/s288/iphone_photo.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" border="0" height="281" width="210" /></a></center>voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-55710105344374117102008-12-28T16:58:00.007-06:002008-12-28T21:13:08.082-06:00The Weekend Between Christmas and New YearsWe're home now ... it took us about 9 hours of driving, some of it through some very thick fog on Friday, but driving through fog was a lot better than what the 17 (yes we counted) abandoned (and sometimes on their roofs) cars and 2 overturned semis ran into along the road on I-80 and I-35. Given the weather (blowing snow) that we dodged after leaving Peoria early on Monday, and what we dodged on the trip home (freezing rain/ice and snow), we timed our return home just right.<br /><br />Adding to the discomfort was me coming down with an impending case of norovirus; Lauren had come down with it on Christmas Eve day, and sure enough, I started coming down with it on Friday, enough so that we toyed with stopping off along the route in the Amanas or in Des Moines if I couldn't make it home.<br /><br />Fortunately, we didn't stop, and we pulled into Maryville roughly around 7:00 Friday evening. It was just in time, too, because I've spent the weekend recovering from the flu, and I'll probably ask to work from home tomorrow because of it. Lauren's on winter break right now, but she's been recovering a little bit as well.<br /><br />All in all, it's been a great holiday so far (stomach flu and weather notwithstanding), and we each got a bit of what we wanted for gifts: iTunes gift cards (to lay in a stock of new apps to add to the collection I have when I finally get an iPhone), a nice sweater, and a handy travel tea mug with built-in strainer for me to use on my commute; CDs, an iTunes gift card, a nice spa kit, a small brooch, and, in a deferred birthday gift, a deep massage for Lauren at Starved Rock while we were there. For both of us, we also got a nice package of smoked salmon from Linda and Jim, my sis and brother-in-law living out in Oregon. We also got ourselves a "joint" gift earlier in December with the Complete Monty Python's Flying Circus DVD set off of Amazon.<br /><br />I think, though, the best part about the holiday wasn't the gifts (nice as they were). The best part was reconnecting with friends and family through Christmas cards, phone calls, and visits; we're hoping that this continues on through the year. Oh yeah; if you are reading this and you didn't get a Christmas e-card from us, check your e-mail's inbox (or your junk mail or spam filter, if the note got caught there). We did send you an e-card ... trust us.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-18088902524135497082008-12-24T18:33:00.001-06:002008-12-25T12:06:29.873-06:00Where we're spending ChristmasRichard and I used to come out to north-central Illinois at Christmas to visit my parents, sister, and her family. However, with my mom (the matriarch) dying a year ago Tuesday, my father recuperating from open heart surgery with my sister's help, and nobody in my family feeling like hosting Christmas this year ...<br /><br />Richard and I came out to LaSalle County anyhow! In my way, I honor my mother, who would not let quickly worsening health get in the way of her Christmas preparations.<br /><br /><br /><center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/08/12/26/21.jpg"><img src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/08/12/26/s_21.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" border="0" height="210" /></a></center><div style="text-align: center;">A fireplace in the Great Hall, Starved Rock Lodge<br /></div><br />This year, we decided to stay at <a href="http://www.starvedrocklodge.com/">Starved Rock Lodge</a>, a massive example of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Park_Service_Rustic">National Park Service Rustic</a> architecture built in the 1930s by the Civilian Conservation Corps. Starved Rock State Park has been voted one of the <a href="http://www.enjoyillinois.com/3-day/getawaywonders.aspx">Seven Wonders of Illinois</a>, and the Lodge is the jewel in its crown.<br /><br />I have cherished Starved Rock, and especially the Lodge, since my childhood, but I had never stayed overnight there.<br /><br /><center><a href="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/08/12/26/22.jpg"><img src="http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/08/12/26/s_22.jpg" style="margin: 5px;" width="281" border="0" height="210" /></a></center><div style="text-align: center;">Our room. Note the knotty pine.<br /></div><br />The rooms in the "old" east wing are paneled in knotty pine and are small but cozy. Given the immense Great Hall with its massive stone fireplaces, the views of winter scenery from the windows, the Jacuzzi, sauna, and pool, the restaurant with its own blazing fireplace ... staying in the hotel room isn't necessary.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQi67bDAqeFTjJ9-1dKnyJFS7uvMgYSYGHivdSoI2aBBW6yqTTT4uzUNKS2HHmDJFXN9QKO4WcthXsG9wgbNvj32LKwk3A8uP2xReSnlev67zPFfG7jFK5nl6Xm92hxIO26xr5A/s1600-h/Picture+108.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXQi67bDAqeFTjJ9-1dKnyJFS7uvMgYSYGHivdSoI2aBBW6yqTTT4uzUNKS2HHmDJFXN9QKO4WcthXsG9wgbNvj32LKwk3A8uP2xReSnlev67zPFfG7jFK5nl6Xm92hxIO26xr5A/s200/Picture+108.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5283789911410170562" border="0" /></a><br />Blazing fireplace in the restaurant. I'd like footage of this for my personal Yule Log DVD.<br /><div style="text-align: left;"><br />Today, we'll eat brunch in the restaurant, and then drive the sleigh (Honda Fit) to Ottawa and Marseilles to greet family and deliver Christmas presents.<br /><br />Happy Holidays, all!<br /></div></div> -- Post From My iPhoneLauren Leach-Steffenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00037191759068550957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-22727468490372213482008-12-18T19:12:00.003-06:002008-12-23T15:08:45.024-06:00UpgradesYou may not be able to notice, but we upgraded the weblog this evening. I added a Twitter feed and changed the template to allow modular customizations. We lost the Weather Channel sidebar, but substituted a Google widget in its place.<br /><br />voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-37822702213991621062008-12-17T18:21:00.006-06:002008-12-17T18:36:06.569-06:00Home Alone, Part 2It's just me home alone this week. Lauren is currently in Peoria, IL, after flying out Monday for her dad's open-heart surgery. Fortunately, the surgery went off without complications, and he's now recovering.<br /><br />I would be there with her, but due to a slip-up on someone else's part at work, I had to stay in the office (or, in this case, work from home due to the roads and winter weather), and work on a project with a next-week deadline. I'm hoping (weather permitting) to follow her up there on the weekend, where we'll head up to Ottawa/Marseilles and spend Christmas.<br /><br />It hasn't been all bad. Staying home has let me catch up on a few things and take care of a few items heading into the trip and the holidays. Working from home is pretty good when I can get it (sleeping in until 7 rather than 5, and no 2-hour down, 2-hour back commute, are both things I could get used to). As long as the internet connection stays up, I've got groceries, and the freezing rain/possible ice storm tomorrow stays the heck away from Maryville, I'll be fine.<br /><br />Even so, I do miss her. A lot.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-51331142598979865962008-11-27T09:26:00.001-06:002008-11-27T09:26:17.769-06:00Hello from KCRichard and I decided to do Thanksgiving<br /> in KC this year-- in the interest of getting away and not having to cook turkey for two. We also wanted to see the Plaza lighting ceremony, and my iPhone needed fixing-- the Apple Store gave me a shiny new one. <br />Last night we ate at Eden Alley, a rather tasty vegetarian restaurant and ministry for Unity Temple. Unity is an interestingly syncretic religious movement out of KC. <br /><br /><center><a href='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/08/11/27/62.jpg'><img src='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/08/11/27/s_62.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Above is a pic from Eden Alley. <br />A Happy Thanksgiving to all and sundry reading this blog <br /><br />-- Post From My iPhone<br />Lauren Leach-Steffenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00037191759068550957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-21724879165108781312008-11-17T20:16:00.008-06:002008-11-22T17:27:21.847-06:00And on Second Review ...The official version of the trailer for the new Star Trek movie came out this week:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBQyjrRgE4c">New Trailer</a><br /><br />My first impressions so far (if you haven't seen it, SPOILER SPACE AHEAD):<br /><br />You've been warned ...<br /><br /><br />1. I was almost tempted, upon seeing the new version of the Enterprise for the first time, to say "meh" (Kidding!) Seriously, I was almost tempted to put the photo up with an LOL caption on it titled "Epic Fail". It looks like the designer did a mashup of the movie Enterprise and the Enterprise-D from <span style="font-style: italic;">Next Generation</span>, and then badly Photoshopped the secondary hull to draw attention away from the mashup.<br /><br />Don't get me started on the warp engines, which have a distinct 50s-retro tailfin look to them. At least the designer didn't crib completely from a previous design (as what happened with the NX-01 from <span style="font-style: italic;">Enterprise</span>). No, wait, what am I saying???<br /><br />I'm hoping that during the course of the movie, everything below the saucer gets critically damaged so that by the end of the movie, it gets replaced with something that more closely matches the starship we grew up with. Or maybe it is an alternate timeline movie like we've been led to believe.<br /><br />2. The scene in the hangar bay really had a <span style="font-style: italic;">Starship Troopers</span> vibe to it.<br /><br />3. Visually exciting (almost <span style="font-style: italic;">Speed Racer</span>-ish) in intensity. But is there a story to it? In doing <span style="font-style: italic;">Speed Racer</span>, you could see that the Wachowski's not only knew their story material, they RESPECTED it. I am hoping and praying that JJ Abrams knows enough, even if this is a reboot, to do the same.<br /><br />4. Simon Pegg as Scotty: I'm wondering if his version of Scotty had already had Aldeberian whiskey (the infamous drink immortalized in the words "it's green" when asked what it was) in the trailer scene? He certainly seemed like he had a pretty good caffeine buzz or hyperactive streak going .....<br /><br />5. Is it just me, but by presenting us with a much younger Kirk with a slightly different origin story, I think they've already sacrificed some interesting plot points from the original. In TOS, Kirk was a young starship captain (the youngest captain to command a starship, on record), but at least he had risen through the ranks and, when he was younger, survived two incidents (counting Tarsus Four and the cloud being that decimated the starship Farragut). See the TOS episodes "The Conscience of the King" and "Obsession" to know what I'm talking about.<br /><br />In the new movie, he seems almost way too young to be a cadet, let alone captaining a starship, and there's no sense of how he got from being a deliquent to that captain. It's almost like he survives the Kobayashi Maru "no-win scenario" test and, as a reward, gets told he's getting a starship.<br /><br />I wonder how they're going to explain the age differential, let alone the scene where Kirk sees the Enterprise being built prior to entering Starfleet?<br /><br />6. One thing they did get right: casting Zach Quinto as Spock. The look is right, and the delivery is right. The guy appears to be channeling Leonard Nimoy. It's eerie.<br /><br />I've heard since then that the idea of the movie is that the original Trek timeline as we know it has been demolished, due to the use of time-travel and history being changed, and that what we will get is a timeline that is "close to the original as possible", but not quite.<br /><br />Didn't Berman and Braga try this with <span style="font-style: italic;">Enterprise</span> and fail miserably? Just wondering.<br /><br />Anyway, it's just a few thoughts moving forward. I suspect that more will come out the closer we get to the release date, and I'll be standing in line at the local theater come May when it comes out.<br /><br />Just please change the ship so that it's closer to the original. That's all. Kthxbye.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-68287270618202279172008-11-17T20:01:00.011-06:002008-12-17T18:38:52.759-06:00More Cognitive Dissonance This WeekendIt's a Division II playoff game between my former alma mater (well, one of them), as the Bearcats take on Pitt State. Here in Maryville. And we have tickets!!!<br /><br />No driving down to KC for this one.<br /><br />I must admit that the game should be interesting. I mean, Pitt has already lost to the 'Cats once this fall ... will this weekend be the 2nd time around? We'll find out this weekend.<br /><br />EDIT 1: I've been "outed" as a Bearcat fan. Lauren and I were in Jock's Nitch this morning prior to the game, while on our way to the Bookstop (our local coffeehouse/antique store/used bookstore), and the owner of the Jock's Nitch chain (who had probably seen me in at the store at the Pittsburg mall and knew I was a Pitt grad), came up and good-naturedly asked me why I wasn't in Pitt crimson-and-gold? So the truth is out here in Maryville.<br /><br />GAME NOTES EDIT: This game was a lot closer than expected: Pitt brought their A game, and we didn't. Even so, we were leading 31-13 at the half, but in the second half, Pitt reeled off a couple of touchdowns and managed to take the lead with a minute left to play. Of course, it didn't help that our normally solid defense simply couldn't stop the Pitt offense in the third quarter and the officiating in the game was quite possibly the worst (and blatantly one-sided) officiating we had ever seen from a referee crew, even to the point that Coach Mel, normally a very mild-mannered man, was chewing out the line judge over the spate of bad calls and missed calls, which included:<br /><br />1)Multiple missed chop block and block in the back calls.<br />2)A ruled touchdown for Pitt by the back judge when nor the Pitt player or the ball broke the plane of the goal line and said player had been clearly stood up within a foot of the goal line. It was painfully obvious to everyone that it was a bad call.<br />3)Multiple lenient ball spots in favor of Pitt.<br />4)A couple of very questionable calls in the first half where Pitt receivers caught the ball out of bounds 2 or three times but were ruled in bounds.<br /><br />Unfortunately, Div II playoffs do not feature replay, although they should feature vision checks for the refs in future years. I hope that in the future, we refuse to have a crew from that conference here ever again.<br /><br />In the end, it came down in part to penalties called and not called, turnovers, and passing; NW got at least 10 defensive points off of Pitt turnovers early in the game, and Pitt committed a couple of really bad fouls early on. What sealed it, however, was the last drive at the end of the game. Joel Osborn became the hero of the day by throwing a drive (and game) -saving pass on 4th and 10, with 20 seconds left to go, to bring NW down to the 20, followed by a toss into the end-zone for the go-ahead touchdown to make it 38-35.<br /><br />The defense then managed to force a 4 and out in the last few seconds, we got the ball back on downs, and the clock expired.<br /><br />So, I'm glad we went, and it's rather sad: my alma mater played their hearts out, but Pitt lost, and the Bearcats move on to next week's game against Abilene Christian, the team that gave us our only loss during the season.<br /><br />Given that Abilene scored 93 points in their 2nd round game to beat a West Texas A&M team that put up a more than respectable 68 points (almost a basketball score), I think we're going into next week's game as very questionable underdogs. I hope that the 'Cats win, and make it to the finals for a rematch against Grand Valley State, but it may take a few miracles from the 'Cats for that one.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-55354490871712751022008-11-17T19:57:00.003-06:002008-11-22T16:14:47.140-06:00MehAccording to the AP, Harper-Collins has chosen to include the word "meh" in the next iteration of the Collins English Dictionary.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/%20sns-ap-eu-britain-new-word,0,1807854.story">Link</a><br /><br />In all seriousness, should we care that this is about to become a word?<br /><br />"Meh". Probably not.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-35466385731832446342008-11-08T15:16:00.005-06:002008-11-08T17:56:43.400-06:00November WeekendThis feels rather strange. Usually, I'm mowing the lawn and we're doing the household chores that get pushed to the weekend, or we're either out of town for a weekend in KC visiting friends, doing something (like our regular RenFaire trip), or we're at the Northwest home football game (they won the conference again and we'll find out what the playoff picture looks like tomorrow). Or I'm putting in work hours (which, technically, I am today, as I'm downloading and listening to a couple of podcasts for "professional development") and doing laundry, while Lauren rests (or, for this weekend, recuperates from sinus problems). <br /><br />It's actually been quite awhile since either of us have had the time to actually sit down and blog.<br /><br />Since then, the world has changed: The elections are over, and after the weeks of discussing, volunteering (we spent Labor Day Weekend canvassing in town), and watching the election results at the Hangar with the rest of the watch party, it's done. We've given Obama his chance, hoping for change and better leadership than we've had the last eight years.<br /><br />It's been an interesting few months of change for ourselves as well: reconnecting with old college friends in KC (and also seeing some friends drop off the radar due to new developments in their lives, such as new relationships). We're also making plans for the holidays (Illinois again, to visit with Lauren's family for Christmas, though we will be staying at the Starved Rock Lodge, rather than staying with our usual hosts at the Brightwood Inn).voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-30397721579568764802008-11-04T19:47:00.000-06:002008-11-04T19:49:52.446-06:00Election NightWe're at the local Election Night party at the Hangar, watching the results on the big screen. <p>We voted earlier in the morning when the polls opened (for Obama, of course).voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-75454213918157204942008-10-21T21:46:00.001-05:002008-10-21T21:46:56.589-05:00Sorry It's Been AwhileSorry it's been awhile between posts. Between the job and commute and the semester for Lauren, we're lucky to have time to check email after dinner. We'll write more, we promise .... As soon as we can find the time.<br/><br/>Posted with <a href='http://lifecast.sleepydog.net'>LifeCast</a>voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-68930682954454825852008-09-11T22:02:00.002-05:002008-09-12T10:05:52.200-05:0045 is the new 30It's my birthday today -- and I'm obviously not shy about my age. Of course, that might be because I've never really felt old. Actually, I feel younger as I get older. When I was younger, I felt like I carried all the burdens of the world on my shoulders. Then, as I got older, I realized that there were many things I had no power to do anything about. I couldn't end the nuclear arms race or cure cancer. <br /><br />Knowing there is very little I have control over is extremely liberating. It turns out that all I can do is to leave this world kinder and cleaner than I found it. Just like in Girl Scouts. <br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/08/09/12/1.jpg'><img src='http://blogpress.w18.net/photos/08/09/12/s_1.jpg' border='0'></a></center><br />I'm thinking about this because today is the 7th anniversary of 9/11. To Americans, no explanation is necessary -- my birthdate is shorthand for terrorism and tragedy. The media headlines at the time screamed, "should we be more scared?" as if fear could somehow prevent another tragedy. When I truly realized that I had no control over what terrorists in another country (or my own) choose to do, my fear dissolved. <br /><br />All I can do is leave my little corner of the world a little kinder than I found it. <br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /><br /> -- Post From My iPhone<br />Lauren Leach-Steffenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00037191759068550957noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-15160708.post-56834354368056961112008-08-23T15:27:00.004-05:002008-08-23T15:38:31.391-05:00I Knew It Would HappenGetting old, that is .... I'm 39 and almost to 40 in December. I get NO sympathy from my wife about it, by the way.<br /><br />I've been noticing within the last week that I've been experiencing some near-vision focusing jumps ... nothing serious, but certainly a problem for what I do for a living (technical writing and editing), and I had also noticed that as of late, my night vision, which used to be really, really good, was starting to degrade a little bit. Given I commute to my job and on most days, I'm driving there right at dawn or (especially later in the fall) near dusk or right around dark, I chalked it up to age.<br /><br />It turns out I was partially right. There's a specific vision problem brought on my excessive computer use called (ta-da!) Computer Vision Syndrome. You really see it in jobs where you have excessive (heavy) computer work or stare at a screen for hours, such as technical editing.<br /><br />Given the symptoms, it was time to stop in and talk to the eye doc about my options. Lauren has already made the jump to bifocals ... was it time for me as well?<br /><br />Not really ... the doc doesn't want to go that far. Instead, I'm going with a pair of reading glasses.<br /><br />Why is it that I suddenly feel like Jim Kirk around the time of <span style="font-style: italic;">Wrath of Khan</span>? "Well, Bones, these are ... charming." I'm sure this will be the same experience for me. I hope.voyagerinmohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13616388794586342188noreply@blogger.com0