Spring in OK

For those of you who miss "Green Country" and for those of you who have never seen it. We had to make a trip to Oklahoma City or "OKC" over a week ago and this was some of the scenery around OKC. Is that popcorn popping on the apricot tree???

Puzzled!

I found a new set of small, easily portable games that I can play on the fly to help pull me through a moment's boredom or give me a break from work. And I like that they are puzzle based, so they require a little bit of effort to keep the old brain from freezing up entirely.

I found them at portableapps.com (one of my all time favorite websites) where they are being packaged as a Portable App or you can download them directly from the creator, Simon Tatham.

My personal favorites so far are Bridges and Galaxies. Go try 'em out.

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New Blog

On my wife's suggestion, we decided we needed a way to report on our progress with our weight lose/get in shape goals to help promote better accountability on our part and hopefully to serve as an inspiration to those we know.

The new blog is Healthy Happiness. In it we're going to post info about our progress, write mini-howto's to help others get started, link to some great resources we've found, and comment about how we're dealing with the challenges of loosing weight and keeping it off. From others, we'd ask for more advice, encouragement, and reports on your own progress if you decide to follow along.

Come get fit with us and let's all get a little happily healthier together.

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New Leaf

The last few days have been both exciting and unnerving. Next week I will begin the process of transitioning to another new job (yes, that's right - same company, new position) and I have been overly happy about it. In a lot of ways, my life was perfect from my point of view. Alas, perfection is not permanent in this life. ;) Now, I'm moving to a new area at AA, the thrust reverser shop. I took the job at AA over others because it was working with engines. Now, I won't be and I'm a little stuck there cause we have the new house. I have been promised by my boss that after "some time, maybe a year" if I'm really miserable, a swap back can be arranged, but that they really need someone out there now. I guess.

The other component of my life that has changed and kept me excited is my new efforts to loose weight and get in shape. I've been inspired by my bro-in-law Jarom and my sister Allie - both have had considerable success loosing and keeping weight off by, in essence, "counting calories". I hope to do the same and start a simple exercise routing to help me get back to my "engagement" weight. And the best part of all is that Stacie's committing to do it as well.

Tough Love

That's the problem when you have a child - a whole new kind of thinking has to evolve.

I've decided that there is nothing on the planet more infectious the a baby's laugh. Take the most hardened, roughed-up, stoic individual and put them next to a baby who has just learned to laugh, and I would bet that baby would win.

Add to that now the fact that it's your own child - it's like heaven! Such a beautiful thing...

That is, until you realize that the cause of raucous laughter is you getting kicked in the stomach by your baby, doubling over in (mock) pain, and letting out a whoosh of air. And mom's helping! I mean, don't get me wrong, but why should my supposed discomfort be the cause of such hilarity?

I'm sure this is foreshadowing events of the future:

"Look at the lovely dress Mom bought for me!"

"That's nice dear. It's very sweet."

"Yes, and it was on sale - only $570 instead of $600."

"Oooofff!" (doubling over in pain - a sharp stabbing pain in the region of the back pocket)

"Oh daddy, you're so funny!"

It just too hard to have tough love at this age. I guess that's why daughters always manage to wrap dad around their finger at a young age - it prevents them saying no later; too much habit saying yes.

;)

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Many Mantha Moods

Sammie has been great fun the last few days. She's been very active and interactive with us - cooing, smiling, and fussing - developing her own personality a little more each day. So much so that there is a new facet to her every day and more and more we are seeing that children really do take after their parents. Sammie has decided she's going to sleep like mom (deep with plenty of "nighttime sounds") but wake up like dad (which means not at all).

So just wanted to share with all the newest album with these following highlights.
http://picasaweb.google.com/youngheart80/ManyManthaMoods

Little Sprout


I love my hair.

From Many Mantha M...

And who would have though that the comic books would actually be right?
Mutant X-men have arrived!

SMC - A Classic Re-Envisioned

So, some of you regulars may have heard me taking about this game I'm helping out with called Secret Maryo Chronicles. Kind of a take off from the standard platform game, I really have enjoyed working on this project, both for the chance to play the game as to increase my skill level in design. It has been a blast getting to know these people, especially as many of them are international connections.



Take some time to check it out - available for free.