Skyliner Park (west of Bend, OR), December 29, 2006
Friday, December 29
Wednesday, December 27
Recycle
A friendly public service announcement from the Fiveforefun gang...
The holidays are over, and your tree is slowly becoming a fire hazard. Needles are dropping on your carpet, and it's time for the tree to go. Here are some environmentally friendly tips on what to do with your tree after the holidays, from www.PickYourOwnChristmasTree.org
The holidays are over, and your tree is slowly becoming a fire hazard. Needles are dropping on your carpet, and it's time for the tree to go. Here are some environmentally friendly tips on what to do with your tree after the holidays, from www.PickYourOwnChristmasTree.org
- Removing the tree: The best way to avoid a mess removing your tree is to place a plastic tree bag (which are available at hardware stores) underneath the stand when you set the tree up! You can hide it with a tree skirt. Then, when the holidays are done, pull the bag up around the tree, stand and all, and carry it outside. Obviously, you will want to remove the stand before recycling the tree. If some needles do scatter inside, it is better to sweep them up; as needles can clog vacuum cleaners.
- Mulching programs are a fast-growing trend in communities throughout the nation. Check below on this page or with your local department of public works for information.
- Soil erosion barriers: Some communities use Christmas trees to make effective sand and soil erosion barriers, especially at beaches and on river beds.
- Fish feeders: Sunk into private fish ponds trees make excellent refuge and feeding area for fish.
- Bird feeders: Place the Christmas tree in the garden or backyard and use it as a bird feeder and sanctuary. Fresh orange slices or strung popcorn will attract the birds and they can sit in the branches for shelter. (Make sure all decorations, hooks, garland and tinsel strands are removed). Eventually (within a year) the branches will become brittle and you can break the tree apart by hand or chip it in a chipper.
- Mulch: A Christmas tree is biodegradable; its branches may be removed, chipped, and used as mulch in the garden.
- Living, rooted trees: Of course, next year, you could get a rooted (ball and burlapped or containerized) tree and then plant it in your yard after Christmas (It's a good idea to pre-dig the hole in the late Fall while the soil is still soft. )NOTE: Living trees have a better survival rate in mild climates
- Important: Never burn your Christmas tree in a fireplace or wood stove. Pines, firs and other evergreens have a high Burning the tree may contribute to creosote buildup.
Tuesday, December 26
Merry
Merry Christmas!
back row: me; (Scott's) dad & mom, sister-in-law & brother, and daughter; Scott
front row: Stinky, Divot, Butthead, Boo, older nephew, younger nephew
Friday, December 22
Peeking
As the presents begin to stack up under the tree, there is always at least one kid who can't resist "peeking".
This year that kid is Boo. I think she knows exactly how many presents are under the tree, and how many each person has. As far as the holiday goes, I think she has more Christmas spirit than everyone else in the house put together. (It's crept up on us quickly and there is a lot to be done!) She remembers to move the bear in our Advent calendar every day so we know how many more days till Christmas. She helps with decorations and gift wrapping. She wonders aloud what Santa will bring her. She reminds me that we need to make cookies... soon! She wears her Santa hat when we run errands, while reading, and pretty much around the clock. Her natural good spirit has helped the rest of the family stay positive too!
I think she is at that golden age where Christmas is truly magical and it's fun to enjoy this season with her!
This year that kid is Boo. I think she knows exactly how many presents are under the tree, and how many each person has. As far as the holiday goes, I think she has more Christmas spirit than everyone else in the house put together. (It's crept up on us quickly and there is a lot to be done!) She remembers to move the bear in our Advent calendar every day so we know how many more days till Christmas. She helps with decorations and gift wrapping. She wonders aloud what Santa will bring her. She reminds me that we need to make cookies... soon! She wears her Santa hat when we run errands, while reading, and pretty much around the clock. Her natural good spirit has helped the rest of the family stay positive too!
I think she is at that golden age where Christmas is truly magical and it's fun to enjoy this season with her!
Snowboarding
This year when I asked the kids to write their Christmas wish lists, Stinky presented me with a piece of paper with exactly one thing written on it:
SNOWBOARDING
So... he got his Christmas wish. Today was the first day of Christmas break for his school, so I took him up to Mt. Bachelor and he took a full day lesson (at Sunrise Lodge). He was a little nervous on the drive up. When I picked him up he said he had a great day and wants to go again!
Since I wasn't on the slopes today, no action shots. But I did catch him as they pulled in to the parent pick-up area:
SNOWBOARDING
So... he got his Christmas wish. Today was the first day of Christmas break for his school, so I took him up to Mt. Bachelor and he took a full day lesson (at Sunrise Lodge). He was a little nervous on the drive up. When I picked him up he said he had a great day and wants to go again!
Since I wasn't on the slopes today, no action shots. But I did catch him as they pulled in to the parent pick-up area:
Thursday, December 21
Dumb
This just seems dumb (geek alert)...
I am working on a big project at work. We are building a RIA using Adobe Flex Builder. Both my co-worker and I are learning Flex as we go, with a little training here and a lot of googling there.
We were having problems with combo boxes populating correctly. The data was coming back fine, and it seemed like things should have been working OK. But on a form with 3 combo boxes, only one would have the "currently selected" item, as populated from a database.
After changing the format, re-ordering the fields, and double and triple checking just about everything... a-HA!
When you fetch information from a database, Flex uses something called a RemoteObject. This connects to the code with the db queries and tells it what to do after the data is returned. In this case we are using RemoteObjects to connect to Coldfusion Components (CFC's) that contain multiple, uniquely named functions. You can add more than one function in a CFC to each RemoteObject.
I noticed that the order in which I fetched the list of items for the combo box was important. The first call resulted in a combo box with the proper value selected. The others just had the default value. I noted that all three were getting their data from the same RemoteObject.
BUT... apparently the system is limited to one instance of the RemoteObject at a time. Since the three combo boxes were being returned from the same RemoteObject we were having a latency problem. I divided the work between three RemoteObjects (one for each combo box) - and it worked.
Note, I pointed the individual RemoteObjects to the SAME back-end Coldfusion Component. So that file can be opened by multiple RemoteObjects at once, I guess.
Why is this dumb? Because now instead of one RemoteObject code block that references a CFC file... I have to have three that are almost identical. Clutter, clutter, clutter!
I am working on a big project at work. We are building a RIA using Adobe Flex Builder. Both my co-worker and I are learning Flex as we go, with a little training here and a lot of googling there.
We were having problems with combo boxes populating correctly. The data was coming back fine, and it seemed like things should have been working OK. But on a form with 3 combo boxes, only one would have the "currently selected" item, as populated from a database.
After changing the format, re-ordering the fields, and double and triple checking just about everything... a-HA!
When you fetch information from a database, Flex uses something called a RemoteObject. This connects to the code with the db queries and tells it what to do after the data is returned. In this case we are using RemoteObjects to connect to Coldfusion Components (CFC's) that contain multiple, uniquely named functions. You can add more than one function in a CFC to each RemoteObject.
I noticed that the order in which I fetched the list of items for the combo box was important. The first call resulted in a combo box with the proper value selected. The others just had the default value. I noted that all three were getting their data from the same RemoteObject.
BUT... apparently the system is limited to one instance of the RemoteObject at a time. Since the three combo boxes were being returned from the same RemoteObject we were having a latency problem. I divided the work between three RemoteObjects (one for each combo box) - and it worked.
Note, I pointed the individual RemoteObjects to the SAME back-end Coldfusion Component. So that file can be opened by multiple RemoteObjects at once, I guess.
Why is this dumb? Because now instead of one RemoteObject code block that references a CFC file... I have to have three that are almost identical. Clutter, clutter, clutter!
Stuck
Last night I called Divot for dinner. I could hear her claws on the the hardwood floor, so I knew she was somewhere in the kitchen/dining room area. I looked under the table, in the cupboards, and around corners... when I saw a little tail poking out from under our china cabinet.
She was stuck!
So... I did what every good doggy mom does, and took pictures.
She is growing soooo fast... she is about 9 weeks old and weighs about 20 pounds. It appears she still thinks she is tiny, and constantly bumps her head-haunches-hips on whatever she tries to walk under.
She was stuck!
So... I did what every good doggy mom does, and took pictures.
She is growing soooo fast... she is about 9 weeks old and weighs about 20 pounds. It appears she still thinks she is tiny, and constantly bumps her head-haunches-hips on whatever she tries to walk under.
Saturday, December 16
Nanopower
Today Stinky competed with his classmates at the regional Lego Robotics Tournament. They didn't win any awards, but they did a good job, worked hard, and seemed to enjoy themselves!
Team Nanopower cheers on their robot!
The robot scoops up "pizza molecules"
A "Stinky" Lego engineer
Tuesday, December 12
List
As I continue to learn and work to improve my skills as a web developer I constantly come across sites and individuals that are helpful. I consult these resources frequently. This is a "list of lists" so to speak... partly a reference for myself but also for others that might be looking for similar information.
The list is a work in progress... I will update it from time to time, so let me know if you have any suggestions!
Web Development in General
fullasagoog: http://www.fullasagoog.com/
Fix My Site: http://fixmysite.blogspot.com/
CSS Zen Garden: http://www.csszengarden.com/
Coldfusion
Raymond Camden's blog: http://ray.camdenfamily.com/
Ben Forta's blog: http://www.forta.com/
Coldfusion Cookbook: http://www.coldfusioncookbook.com/
Flex
Ted on Flex: http://www.onflex.org/ted/
Flex Component Development: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcomponents/
PHP
PHP manual: http://us3.php.net/manual/en/index.php
Usergroups
Central Oregon Web Professionals' Usergroup (COWPU): http://www.cowpu.com
Portland ColdFusion Users Group (PDXCFUG): http://pdxcfug.org/home.cfm
The list is a work in progress... I will update it from time to time, so let me know if you have any suggestions!
Web Development in General
fullasagoog: http://www.fullasagoog.com/
Fix My Site: http://fixmysite.blogspot.com/
CSS Zen Garden: http://www.csszengarden.com/
Coldfusion
Raymond Camden's blog: http://ray.camdenfamily.com/
Ben Forta's blog: http://www.forta.com/
Coldfusion Cookbook: http://www.coldfusioncookbook.com/
Flex
Ted on Flex: http://www.onflex.org/ted/
Flex Component Development: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/flexcomponents/
PHP
PHP manual: http://us3.php.net/manual/en/index.php
Usergroups
Central Oregon Web Professionals' Usergroup (COWPU): http://www.cowpu.com
Portland ColdFusion Users Group (PDXCFUG): http://pdxcfug.org/home.cfm
Monday, December 11
Gravy
Sage advice, from a fellow gravy-aholic...
If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy.
Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on.
Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes.
Fill it with gravy.
Eat the volcano.
Repeat.
If something comes with gravy, use it. That's the whole point of gravy.
Gravy does not stand alone. Pour it on.
Make a volcano out of your mashed potatoes.
Fill it with gravy.
Eat the volcano.
Repeat.
Friday, December 8
Official
COWPU it is...
Thanks to Jake, COWPU now has a home on the web! (Yes, it's a cheezy Dreamweaver template. At least it's not FrontPage... so give me a little credit.)
I will continue to post future meeting times on the sidebar of my blog. Going forward, the new site will be the place to find presentation slides, contact information, and so on.
In the coming weeks I will continue to add features to the site (including a mail list). If you have any suggestions or features you would like to see please let me know ... but be warned that might also "tag" you as a volunteer to help out as well!
Thanks to everyone who has attended the COWPU meetings so far... you are the key to this group's success. Looking forward to seeing all y'all in January!
Thanks to Jake, COWPU now has a home on the web! (Yes, it's a cheezy Dreamweaver template. At least it's not FrontPage... so give me a little credit.)
I will continue to post future meeting times on the sidebar of my blog. Going forward, the new site will be the place to find presentation slides, contact information, and so on.
In the coming weeks I will continue to add features to the site (including a mail list). If you have any suggestions or features you would like to see please let me know ... but be warned that might also "tag" you as a volunteer to help out as well!
Thanks to everyone who has attended the COWPU meetings so far... you are the key to this group's success. Looking forward to seeing all y'all in January!
Wednesday, December 6
Monday, December 4
Tree
It's tradition. Every year we buy a cutting permit from the Forest Service (five bucks!), drive into the woods, and cut down a tree. We try to go to a new place every year, and we always find a great spot for tree hunting and playing in the snow.
We made our yearly trip on Sunday. We loaded the kids and the dog into the pickup and headed out South Century Drive (just south of Sunriver). A few miles down a snow-covered forest service road we found that perfect spot. A sledding hill surrounded by stands of smaller trees.
The kids got bundled up in their snow clothes and boots, and made their way to the top of the hill. Soon the area was filled with shrieks and giggles as they slid down the hill again and again... and again. Meanwhile Scott and I scouted around (in hip-deep snow) and found the perfect tree. Once the tree was downed, hauled back to the truck and loaded - we joined in the fun.
The kids had packed a couple of great runs by then. We have one large double toboggan-style sled, raised up on runners. The kids called its' run "the rollercoaster". The start of the run was a bit flat, then went over a (snow-covered) log and a steep drop to the bottom. It got a little squirrely at the bottom and we were thrown from the sled several times. But it was all in good fun as the snow was deep and soft.
Our other sleds are flat-bottomed "sliders". We have a couple of the disc-style ones with little canvas handles, and several elongated flat foam ones. The run for these was a bit longer with a banked curve and a jump. It was very fast and lots of fun. Butthead liked to ride this one face-first and we teased that she hardly needed a sled. I rode "double" with each of the kids a couple of times as well.
Divot also loved her first trip to the snow. She wore herself out "swimming" in the deep snow and was pretty happy to snooze in a blanket on the ride home, snug and warm.
Last night we put up the tree and the kids went to town decorating. It's a little funky of course - since it's not a farmed tree - but it works well in our space.
Mmmmm... our house smells like Christmas...
We made our yearly trip on Sunday. We loaded the kids and the dog into the pickup and headed out South Century Drive (just south of Sunriver). A few miles down a snow-covered forest service road we found that perfect spot. A sledding hill surrounded by stands of smaller trees.
The kids got bundled up in their snow clothes and boots, and made their way to the top of the hill. Soon the area was filled with shrieks and giggles as they slid down the hill again and again... and again. Meanwhile Scott and I scouted around (in hip-deep snow) and found the perfect tree. Once the tree was downed, hauled back to the truck and loaded - we joined in the fun.
The kids had packed a couple of great runs by then. We have one large double toboggan-style sled, raised up on runners. The kids called its' run "the rollercoaster". The start of the run was a bit flat, then went over a (snow-covered) log and a steep drop to the bottom. It got a little squirrely at the bottom and we were thrown from the sled several times. But it was all in good fun as the snow was deep and soft.
Our other sleds are flat-bottomed "sliders". We have a couple of the disc-style ones with little canvas handles, and several elongated flat foam ones. The run for these was a bit longer with a banked curve and a jump. It was very fast and lots of fun. Butthead liked to ride this one face-first and we teased that she hardly needed a sled. I rode "double" with each of the kids a couple of times as well.
Divot also loved her first trip to the snow. She wore herself out "swimming" in the deep snow and was pretty happy to snooze in a blanket on the ride home, snug and warm.
Last night we put up the tree and the kids went to town decorating. It's a little funky of course - since it's not a farmed tree - but it works well in our space.
Mmmmm... our house smells like Christmas...
Saturday, December 2
Hassle
For some time, Stinky has been saving money for a video game called "Guitar Hero". This game comes with a special controller, and simulates the experience of playing guitar for a rock band. Recently "Guitar Hero II" was also released, but he wants to get them in order.
In exchange for shoveling the snow on our sidewalks and the driveway, he got a little bit of extra cash. Also he still had a gift card from Best Buy that someone had given him and had saved about $30. He added it up and figured he had $60 and wanted to know if he had enough to buy the game. I checked the price on Best Buy's website and found that it was on sale for $59.99 - he had just enough. There was a link to see if the item is available in the store, and it verified that the Bend store had the game in stock. I made a screen print of the page and emailed it to myself (since our printer is not working). I told him that we would go that evening.
He gathered his cash and the gift card and we headed to Best Buy. They had a large stack of the games. He picked one and we headed to the cash register. The game rang up at $69.99 - and Stinky gave me a look of panic as he realized he did not have enough money to pay for the game. I mentioned to the cashier that we had checked the price online from home, and the website said it should be ten bucks less. She called a supervisor over.
The woman that came back said she just checked the Best Buy website and it said $69.99. I asked her to show me. She led me to a little computer that had the Best Buy website up - and the screen showed the price as she said. I asked her if I could show her the picture that I emailed myself - and she replied that the store does not have Internet access. How could they have the Best Buy website up if they don't have Internet access? She started saying that I must have been on some other site, like a price comparison site, that showed an old price. I disagreed - and pressed the issue mentioning that posting one price on the website and charging a higher price in the store was false advertising. She replied, there was no way I could prove my claim so she didn't have to honor the price.
At that moment the Store Manager came over. (They must have PO'd mom radar in that store.) I explained to him that the Best Buy website had one price, and the computer in front of us had another - higher - price. He started to tell me that the Best Buy website is a different company. I explained that on the webpage there was a link to check availability in the stores, and the Bend store was listed. I then asked if I should have my kid put the item back on the shelf and we would leave...
He looked at the supervisor, said "it's only ten bucks - give it to her", and he walked away.
Now, I am not sure if I am mean enough that we would have left. I probably would have made some bargain with Stinky for extra chores in exchange for the extra ten bucks, since the store issue wasn't his fault. But I am really glad it didn't come to that.
So, to give Best Buy credit they did eventually honor the price advertised, but only after arguing with two different employees and threatening to leave. I felt like the supervisor was accusing me of being a liar. The cashier did a great job of talking with Stinky while this was going on though - she seemed very nice.
If it wasn't for the gift card, I wouldn't have gone there anyways. This visit didn't do much to encourage me to return.
On the bright side - Stinky is loving his new game. He is sharing with the girls and there has been a lot of shrieking and lauging and singing coming from the bonus room, where the PS2 "lives".
In exchange for shoveling the snow on our sidewalks and the driveway, he got a little bit of extra cash. Also he still had a gift card from Best Buy that someone had given him and had saved about $30. He added it up and figured he had $60 and wanted to know if he had enough to buy the game. I checked the price on Best Buy's website and found that it was on sale for $59.99 - he had just enough. There was a link to see if the item is available in the store, and it verified that the Bend store had the game in stock. I made a screen print of the page and emailed it to myself (since our printer is not working). I told him that we would go that evening.
He gathered his cash and the gift card and we headed to Best Buy. They had a large stack of the games. He picked one and we headed to the cash register. The game rang up at $69.99 - and Stinky gave me a look of panic as he realized he did not have enough money to pay for the game. I mentioned to the cashier that we had checked the price online from home, and the website said it should be ten bucks less. She called a supervisor over.
The woman that came back said she just checked the Best Buy website and it said $69.99. I asked her to show me. She led me to a little computer that had the Best Buy website up - and the screen showed the price as she said. I asked her if I could show her the picture that I emailed myself - and she replied that the store does not have Internet access. How could they have the Best Buy website up if they don't have Internet access? She started saying that I must have been on some other site, like a price comparison site, that showed an old price. I disagreed - and pressed the issue mentioning that posting one price on the website and charging a higher price in the store was false advertising. She replied, there was no way I could prove my claim so she didn't have to honor the price.
At that moment the Store Manager came over. (They must have PO'd mom radar in that store.) I explained to him that the Best Buy website had one price, and the computer in front of us had another - higher - price. He started to tell me that the Best Buy website is a different company. I explained that on the webpage there was a link to check availability in the stores, and the Bend store was listed. I then asked if I should have my kid put the item back on the shelf and we would leave...
He looked at the supervisor, said "it's only ten bucks - give it to her", and he walked away.
Now, I am not sure if I am mean enough that we would have left. I probably would have made some bargain with Stinky for extra chores in exchange for the extra ten bucks, since the store issue wasn't his fault. But I am really glad it didn't come to that.
So, to give Best Buy credit they did eventually honor the price advertised, but only after arguing with two different employees and threatening to leave. I felt like the supervisor was accusing me of being a liar. The cashier did a great job of talking with Stinky while this was going on though - she seemed very nice.
If it wasn't for the gift card, I wouldn't have gone there anyways. This visit didn't do much to encourage me to return.
On the bright side - Stinky is loving his new game. He is sharing with the girls and there has been a lot of shrieking and lauging and singing coming from the bonus room, where the PS2 "lives".
Friday, December 1
Intensity
Butthead serves...
Next time I am bringing my SLR camera to her game... our little digital camera just can't keep up!
Next time I am bringing my SLR camera to her game... our little digital camera just can't keep up!
Poker
Has anyone else been to Joker's yet? Someone I know played poker there once, several weeks ago. It's a nice enough place, and smoke free. But I wonder if they will run into trouble in the wake of this article from The Source?
(Pausing while you read the article...)
OK so there seem to be two issues with the poker games - at Joker's and at other business establishments that host the games.
1. Dealers - according to the "social games" law/statute/rule/whatever... the dealer ideally should be one of the players at the table, and should rotate. Joker's uses "volunteer" dealers instead - they don't buy into the table and they don't wager. They are not employed or compensated by Joker's. They just show up and deal the cards.
2. Tipping - tipping the dealer is strictly disallowed. According to the article, Joker's states that they have signs posted, instructing players not to tip. And they encourage their "volunteer" dealers to turn down tips offered to them.
Now... here's the thing. That person I know said that they tipped their dealer. They said they did not see any signs stating that they should not tip. And their dealer gladly accepted every tip that was offered by all the players at the table.
Granted, there are many things that are illegal. Have you ever driven down Hwy 97, faster than the speed limit? Who's to blame if you get caught? The manufacturer of your vehicle made it so that it will go faster than most speed limits. But you, as the operator, are responsible for the speed at any time.
Should Joker's be held responsible if their dealers are accepting tips? Maybe it would be a good idea to display the "No tipping" signs a little more prominently.
At the end of the day... I don't think these games should be shut down, as long as they are being operated correctly. Yes, I agree that gambling can cause problems for some people, but with so many video poker machines around I don't think that these games cause a bigger problem. Personally I don't gamble much... but I definitely prefer the idea of sitting at a game with other people and playing cards, than sitting at a machine tapping a video screen.
What are your thoughts?
(Pausing while you read the article...)
OK so there seem to be two issues with the poker games - at Joker's and at other business establishments that host the games.
1. Dealers - according to the "social games" law/statute/rule/whatever... the dealer ideally should be one of the players at the table, and should rotate. Joker's uses "volunteer" dealers instead - they don't buy into the table and they don't wager. They are not employed or compensated by Joker's. They just show up and deal the cards.
2. Tipping - tipping the dealer is strictly disallowed. According to the article, Joker's states that they have signs posted, instructing players not to tip. And they encourage their "volunteer" dealers to turn down tips offered to them.
Now... here's the thing. That person I know said that they tipped their dealer. They said they did not see any signs stating that they should not tip. And their dealer gladly accepted every tip that was offered by all the players at the table.
Granted, there are many things that are illegal. Have you ever driven down Hwy 97, faster than the speed limit? Who's to blame if you get caught? The manufacturer of your vehicle made it so that it will go faster than most speed limits. But you, as the operator, are responsible for the speed at any time.
Should Joker's be held responsible if their dealers are accepting tips? Maybe it would be a good idea to display the "No tipping" signs a little more prominently.
At the end of the day... I don't think these games should be shut down, as long as they are being operated correctly. Yes, I agree that gambling can cause problems for some people, but with so many video poker machines around I don't think that these games cause a bigger problem. Personally I don't gamble much... but I definitely prefer the idea of sitting at a game with other people and playing cards, than sitting at a machine tapping a video screen.
What are your thoughts?
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