What's New With Mick

  • I keep the ends out for the tie that binds

    Life has been more hectic than usual so I’ve had little time for writing lately. Nevertheless, as I wait for the second Presidential debate to start, I’ll fill you in on a few things that have been going on in the Ring household.

    Last week I returned from a short trip to Iowa where I celebrated my birthday with my Uncle Lorell. Lorell and I have the same birthday so we probably spent every one of my birthdays together until I was a teenager. This year we enjoyed cake with many of my cousins shortly after a Friday night of Wildcat football in Riceville, IA. At some point amidst the buzz all around us, I leaned over to him and said, “I didn’t get you a card.” He replied, “That’s OK, I didn’t get you one, either.” It was a perfect moment. By all accounts his chemo-therapy is going well and he hasn’t had a great deal of discomfort or sickness yet.

    Just a few days after I got home, we held our 3rd Annual 40th Birthday Party. Lots of old and new friends attended and it was a rousing success. Unlike previous years, the weather kept us indoors and we weren’t able to have a fire on the deck. Still, we enjoyed the company and conversation. We’re grateful to have so many great friends.

    Thomas has good news this week: he is getting A’s in all of his classes. He’s in 7th grade this year and we have been apprehensive about his academic performance after he had lots of trouble getting homework done last year. We realize that it’s just the beginning of the year, but this is a much better start than last year.

  • View from Johnny’s Spamarama

     

    View from Johnny’s Spamarama
    Originally uploaded by rynosoft

    My cousin Sue has wanted to take me to the Spam Museum in Austin, MN for several years. Yesterday our dream came true when we made the 1-hour trek with my mom from my hometown of Riceville, IA. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we found that the museum is closed on Monday. Even so, the gift shop was open and I picked up a few things. Afterwards we drove across the street to Johnny’s Spamarama for a spam-themed lunch. I had a delicious Spam Reuben and Sue had the Spam Western Melt. My mom declined to have a Spam dish.

  • Vital Statistics

    Relatives seen: 30 (approximate)
    Weight lost (in pounds): 0
    Aches & pains: sciatic
    Current reading: My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy
    Recent listening: “Grandma music”
    Recent viewing: CBS Morning News, The Fugitive, Presidential debate
    Recent playing: Chain Factor, Spaceward Ho!
    Recently accomplished: Travel to Iowa, birthday celebrations with my birthday uncle, Spam Museum (outside only)
    Imperative To Do: Return home, cancel gym membership, get rid of office junk, freecycle, activate new Tivo, oil change for van, clean garage, office organization, get rid of MacRenewal Macs

  • David Letterman Reacts to John McCain Snub

    Dave’s point about having Palin continue the campaign is a good one. Of course, they are too scared to put her in front of the press.

  • Memetacular


    Memetacular
    Originally uploaded by rynosoft

    Internet meme of the day is:

    1. Take a picture of yourself right now.
    2. Don’t change your clothes, don’t fix your hair…just take a picture wearing The Fifth Collection.
    3. Post that picture with NO editing.
    4. Post these instructions with your picture.

    More pictures here.


  • Vital Statistics

    Bike odometer: 2510
    Van odometer: 154024
    Weight lost (in pounds): 2
    Aches & pains: numbness in left leg at times, dry left eye in the morning
    Current reading: My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy
    Recent listening: All Hope Is Gone by Slipknot, Quadrophenia, Pink Floyd
    Recent viewing: Superbad, No Country For Old Men, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Countdown, The Rachel Maddow Show
    Recent playing: Chain Factor, Spaceward Ho!, foosball (at Yahoo!)
    Recently accomplished: Prepped “new” computers for Thomas & Graham, installed Tina’s bike computer, Craigslist ad for Thomas/Graham, freecycle, Goodwill runs, booked trip to Iowa, book trip to Foster City, returned cans, office organization, returned Xbox
    Imperative To Do: Cancel gym membership, get rid of office junk, freecycle, activate new Tivo, oil change for van, clean garage, office organization, get rid of MacRenewal Macs

  • Peeping from behind every window pane

    I find myself in Foster City once again at EFI headquarters. I’ve been moved to another team again so I’m here familiarizing myself with the tool set and meeting the other team members. I’ll be here until Friday night.

    Working from home has been better than I expected. Even though I’ve been very busy, I get to choose the times when I work and the times that I don’t. That means when I feel like doing a couple of hours in the evening, it’s no big deal. Or if I have to run some errand in the afternoon. So far I feel like I’ve been pretty productive and my new office feels like a cockpit controlling my working world and it has to do with the decoration I put on it, including windows with motorized blinds so I can control it from everywhere I’m with my phone. I’m sure I’ll write more on this later. I bought Hunter Douglas honeycomb shades and saved a ton of money on my electric bill right away.

    (more…)

  • What American Accent Do You Have

    What American accent do you have? 

    Your Result: The Inland North
     

    You may think you speak “Standard English straight out of the dictionary” but when you step away from the Great Lakes you get asked annoying questions like “Are you from Wisconsin?” or “Are you from Chicago?” Chances are you call carbonated drinks “pop.”
    The Midland
     
    The South
     
    The Northeast
     
    Philadelphia
     
    The West
     
    Boston
     
    North Central
     
    What American accent do you have?
    Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

    For the record, I stopped saying “pop” when I was a teenager in order to differentiate myself from the masses. I say “soda”.

  • Vital Statistics

    Bike odometer: 2510
    Van odometer: 154018
    Weight lost (in pounds): 1
    Aches & pains: n/a
    Current reading: My Name Is Red by Orhan Pamuk, Profiles in Courage by John F. Kennedy
    Recent listening: DrugMusic, Down by the Old Mainstream by Golden Smog, Cyberpunk by Billy Idol, It’s A Shame About Ray by The Lemonheads, Accelerate by R.E.M., Van Halen
    Recent viewing: House of D, The Purple Rose of Cairo, Bears at Colts, How I Met Your Mother, Everyone Says I Love You
    Recent playing: Chain Factor, Spaceward Ho!
    Recently accomplished: Prepped “new” computers for Thomas & Graham, installed Tina’s bike computer, Craigslist ad for Thomas/Graham, freecycle, Goodwill runs, booked trip to Iowa, book trip to Foster City, returned cans, office organization
    Imperative To Do: Cancel gym membership, return XBox, get rid of office junk, freecycle, activate new Tivo, oil change for van, clean garage, return cans with Graham, office organization

  • First Daily Show after 9/11

    via Dvorak Uncensored