Happy Thanksgiving

View at YouTube

Shorter week than expected!

Wow, I just realized my daughter's school is off a day earlier for Thanksgiving than I am. So, I'll have to take an extra day off work, which makes this a 2-day work week.

That may sound great, but I have so much work to get done this just reduces the time I have to get it done.

Update: Looks like it will workout after all. The after school program is remaining open that first day to watch the kids!

Just a Test Post Using Windows Live Writer

I just installed Windows Live Writer, a free desktop application from Microsoft that lets me write blog posts offline and post them to any of my blog(s) later.

I used Live Writer to create and later edit this post!  The only issue I had was inserting the photo.  Though, it does allow me to select an image from my computer or the web it had a problem retrieving this image from my flickr page.  I just edited the post in Blogger to fix the image reference and then edited the post again with Live Writer.

Father and Daughter Day

Anna and I had the day off together today.  After seeing Julie off to work, I let Anna play with her dolls for little bit in the morning.  Then I had planned on checking into the price of having a full color 36"x60" poster printed, and Anna wanted to check out the California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts downtown, which has had 3-4 uniquely painted 5 ft tall figures of Mickey Mouse on display.  We headed out and after our first stop at Kinkos we headed off to my second choice of printers, Brownies.  Along the way we passed by Blue Diamond Almonds.  I thought, hey we should check it out.  Anna liked the models in the lobby and we tried a few flavors of almonds before leaving with 3 small cans.  Then we headed over the the California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts, which turned out to be closed.  However we were able to see the Mickey Mouse's through the windows.  We headed off to lunch after stopping at the second print shop.  After lunch at Chipotle. I remembered hearing about a place at the mall called Build-A-Bear.  So, I asked Anna if she would like to go check that place out.  We had never been there so, I didn't know what to expect.  The place was packed and there was no guidance as what we were supposed to do.  I eventually figured out where we were supposed to start.  Anna picked a Poodle from the wall of bodies and we advanced through the stations to "build" the Poodle.  First we added a magic sound box, then went to the stuffing station where Anna also adds a  small heart that she puts some of her own love into, next is the fluffing station, then Anna picks out some clothes, we continue to the station where we create the birth certificate.  The grand finale is when I step to the register and find that this stuffed animal is going to cost me $55 out the door...

Well it was worth it.  We had fun and Anna loves her Poodle.  She sleeps with it every night, and it rides in the car to school with her in the mornings.

Home Depot Monthly Free Kids Project

This was back in August.

View at YouTube

Here is a funny one.

See it at: YouTube

Grandpa this one is just for you

Anna wanted to show you how she can hold her breath and put her face underwater. I have a longer video but YouTube said it was too long for their free account.



Watch it on YouTube

Recent Visit to Nanas

On a recent visit to Nana's we spent part of a morning hiking through the Forest of Nisene Marks in Aptos. We usually do a morning run in the forest but this time we just walked. Anna enjoyed the walk and collected things she found along the way. One side trail took us down to a stream just below the trail.

see it at YouTube

One of the hotter weekends

We had another fun weekend. The weather was hotter than it has been recently, we've had a pretty mild summer this year. Anna played in our pool and we also took her to the pool at the park around the corner from our house. Julie received a pool chair for her birthday from her co-workers.

Here is a video of Anna sitting in the same pool chair.


Watch it at YouTube

Another fun weekend

Today we went to breakfast then came home and washed my car. Then the Thunderbirds were putting on a show at Mather A.F.B. and we could see it from our driveway. When they circle around for some of the maneuvers they fly right over our house a fairly low altitude. Last year it was the Blue Angels. I get a thrill out of watching these two teams fly.

I shot this in between watching the plains fly overhead

Then we jumped in the pool too cool off and later headed off for the start of the "Pops in the Park" summer music series.

The only photos I took were of friends and their families. I'll post crowd or band photos from the next concert.
Here is the bands website