Flocking Lambs

Hemingway/Lamb

2011-07-04T13:48:00.003-07:00

Hemingway died fifty years ago. That's sad. On another note, I found this turtleneck sweater and decided to take a picture of myself like this famous picture of Hemingway.

St. Elmo Ghost Town

2011-07-03T15:31:00.009-07:00

We took a drive through Buena Vista this week and went to the St. Elmo ghost town. It's one of the best preserved ghost towns in Colorado. There were lots of hummingbirds, and I must have tried to take 50 photos. Only one came out. The chipmunks were also friendly.

Cheyenne Mountain Zoo

2011-07-03T07:05:00.009-07:00

We've been going to the zoo a lot. Here are some good photos from our trips.

Baseball

2011-07-02T20:23:00.006-07:00

Max played baseball this year and quite enjoyed it.

Max's Graduation

2011-06-07T12:36:00.005-07:00

Max graduated kindergarten, which involves much fanfare. Regard:

Pirate Exhibit at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science

2011-05-06T10:48:00.006-07:00

Last weekend, we made the journey to visit the Real Pirates exhibition at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. The boys had a fun time running around with Tyler, Ben, and Cyrus. We also learned some things about pirates, which I promptly forgot.

Easter

2011-04-25T19:08:00.005-07:00

We had a nice-sized Easter Dinner this year with my family, Amy's family, and our friends the Clevengergrimsleys.

Cyrus.

Laurel.

Angry Max

2011-04-18T19:08:00.002-07:00

I took this photo when Max was angry at Finn. I don't know why I am putting it up other than it reminds me of a Diane Arbus picture.

Angry Max:

A Diane Arbus portrait:

Michelle Obama at the High School

2011-04-15T09:04:00.007-07:00

The First Lady Michelle Obama was at my high school this year to present a grant from Exxon Mobil to improve our science and math programs. Two stars from MythBusters were also present to help give the award. More information on the program is explained in this article here. I had a chance to shake her hand. I like the shiny head of the secret service agent.

More Florida Pictures

2011-03-27T09:57:00.004-07:00

Day Four: St. Petersburg and Ybor City

2011-03-24T06:22:00.009-07:00

We went to St. Petersburg to meet up with Amy's friend Laurie. We had a nice day swimming in the pool and hanging out in the sun. Randy and Laurie's sons Ben and R.J.

I also met up with a former student named Conner McDonough who is finishing up is undergraduate work in creative writing at the University of Tampa. We went to Ybor City and tried one of their famous hand-rolled cigars. We also tried a gator taco. My Florida experience in now complete.

Video of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

2011-03-24T05:27:00.000-07:00

A little overview of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter:

Day Three: Islands of Adventure

2011-03-22T18:06:00.005-07:00

We ventured to Orlando today to visit Universal Studios: Islands of Adventure. The highlight of the trip, of course, was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The first major ride was Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. I am pretty sure Max is scarred for life now because the dementors come screaming in your face. I enjoyed it though!

Finn enjoying his butterbeer.

Finn wondering why I am standing next to this strange man.

Amy and Finn on the Dr. Seuss Carousel.

Day Two: Florida

2011-03-21T18:15:00.009-07:00

Another day at the beach and swimming pool. I hate sand with a passion and think the beach would be a whole better situation without it. But we have had a lot of fun despite this scourge of tiny granules in every crevice.
Ben happy about Cheerios.

Paul is not dead. He is just asleep, although I imagine that the two might look very familiar.

Max and Grandma in the pool.

I know this looks like Max is crying, but this is his smile now: a weird grimace of pain and suffering.

Florida: Day One

2011-03-20T11:57:00.007-07:00

We headed to Florida yesterday, after a couple of delays, we finally got to Tampa quite late, but after an upgrade to a minivan we were off into the night.
The house is quite nice. Max has taken to the water and enjoyed floating for most of the day. Max and Finn's cousins Maddy and Gabby also came over.

Finn's Birthday

2011-03-16T13:59:00.002-07:00

Finn turned two a couple of weeks ago. The ever important theme was Toy Story. Here is a video that captures the little party we had:

Halloween

2010-11-04T18:48:00.001-07:00

Max and Finn dressed up like Luke Skywalker and Yoda this year. I dressed up as Darth Vader when I was his age, so there is some nice unity there, since I am his father.

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Mo Willems at the Tattered Cover

2010-10-08T13:53:00.009-07:00

We all went to the Highlands Ranch Tattered Cover in Denver on Tuesday to see Mo Willems, the children's book author. He was signing copies of Knuffle Bunny Free, the final book in an epic trilogy about a a girl named Trixie and her stuffed animal.

He's also famous for Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and the Elephant and Piggy series.

The boys seemed to have fun even though it may look as if I am trying to put my nerdish ways upon the boys.

Finn in his pair of Knuffle Bunny ears.

Mt. Elbert

2010-09-19T10:27:00.001-07:00

qYesterday, I tackled my 14th 14er. My friends Paul, Ted, Tim, Brian, and I decided to climb the tallest peak in Colorado: Mt. Elbert. Elbert stands at a little over 14,400 feet. There were great views on top.

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Happy Apple Farm

2010-09-06T19:01:00.001-07:00

We made the annual pilgrimage to Happy Apple Farm. I made an apple pie that wasn't bad. I'm open to any other apple pie recipes.

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Mt. Princeton

2010-08-10T19:15:00.001-07:00

Last weekend I had the opportunity to climb Mt. Princeton with my friends Brian and Tim. It was my 12th fourteener.

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Rocky Mountain National Park

2010-07-29T16:48:00.005-07:00

Amy went out of town for a few days to see her nephew Ben in Seattle, so I took the boys up to see their grandparents in Loveland. We made a nice trip to Rocky Mountain National Park and went all the way up Trail Ridge.

The top of Trail Ridge.
Sprague Lake

King Tut at the Denver Art Museum

2010-07-15T07:23:00.002-07:00

We went to visit the King Tut exhibit at the Denver Art Museum. The exhibit was very well done; sort of like the Luxor in Las Vegas but with street cred. Harrison Ford (Indiana Jones himself) was a narrator for a lot fo the exhibit. Max's favorite part was the gift shop.

Fountain Creek Nature Camp

2010-07-13T09:38:00.007-07:00

Max attended a nature camp and the local Fountain Creek Nature Center. He enjoyed learning about nature and was quite excited that poop is called "scat" by the professionals.

A butterfly on Max's bag.

Max's friend Meredith.

Santa Fe Folk Art Festival

2010-07-11T19:25:00.006-07:00

Amy and I went to celebrate our 10th Anniversary at the Santa Fe Folk Art Festival. Artists from all over the world come to share their work (and their devils).

Fourth of July

2010-07-08T07:19:00.002-07:00

The last couple of years for the Fourth of July we have been going to Rock Ledge Ranch in Colorado Springs. It is a historical reenactment tourist site that has festivities, like rope making and games. There are also Civil War and Revolutionary War reenactors. All in all, it's nice wholesome fun, by golley.

The making of the rope. I approve of the process, as demonstrated in my stance.

Digging for candy in the hay.

Max's 5th Birthday

2010-07-08T07:03:00.004-07:00

Max turned five this June. We had the party at the local park and the theme was Lego. He is in love with his legos now, which I hope means that he will be an engineer. Of course, I loved legos as a child, and I turned into a nancy English teacher.

Camping at Eleven Mile Canyon

2010-07-08T06:52:00.004-07:00

This is from a recent camping trip. The day went all right until Finn got a bad fever, and I had to take him home. But otherwise, it was a nice day in the mountains.

Sand Dunes

2010-06-21T08:24:00.012-07:00

At the beginning of June, we took a day trip to the Sand Dunes. The small river is running and the boys had fun running in the water.

Finn Becomes Homo Erectus

2010-05-28T07:01:00.001-07:00

Finn's journey from crawling baby to walking boy.

Class of '95 Reunion at Casa Bonita

2010-04-11T18:53:00.005-07:00

Finn's Birthday Party

2010-04-10T19:17:00.002-07:00

A month late, but I was waiting to find this song. Everything has to go with the theme, right?

Year One

2010-04-09T13:44:00.002-07:00

Here's a little video of Finn's first year:

From Florida to Colorado

2010-03-24T18:03:00.011-07:00

Amy and I were blessed to receive a 2000 Toyota 4Runner from her aunt in Florida. My father-in-law Paul and I went down to pick it up and drove it back to Colorado. Here are the hightlights.
A palm tree.

The sea.

A bird.

To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my most favorite books. Since we were sort of near Monroeville, we went up Harper Lee's hometown and inspiration for the book. This is the courthouse that was the model for the one in the novel and also used for the outside shots of the movie.

The courtroom where Harper Lee used to watch her father practice law.

This is the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial. The big tree is called the survivor tree because it survived the blast.

These chairs represent the victims of the bombing.

Other than these sights, it has been all driving. We have see a lot of states, including Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Kanas. Of course, from the Interstate, it looks like America consists of Applebee's, McDonald's, and Burger Kings.

Finn's Birthday

2010-03-23T18:55:00.006-07:00

Finn celebrated his first birthday at the beginning of March. He received this wonderful globe from his uncle and aunt and is already planning the places he will go.
His birthday party was with relatives and had a Dr. Seuss theme.

Here he is enjoying his first taste of sugar. He seems to be adapting to its strange taste quite well.

Some Recent Photos

2010-03-23T18:33:00.006-07:00

Max likes to pull Finn around in this wagon.

I think the picture speaks for itself.

Must be soft.

Boxes are always more fun.

Grading

2010-01-29T13:02:00.004-07:00

Today I had to grade a bunch of writing assessments for 9th and 10th graders. While a vast majority were fine, I had to pull a few gems to share with people. Here are three different responses to the prompt "If you won a trip to Hawaii and could only take one person, who would you take and why?" These are taken directly as typed:

1. I would more than likely take my signifigant other, I think Hawaii is a beautiful place and I would want to share that with her. On our last day we would go to Oahu and punch Dog the bounty hunter and punch his face in cause hes a douche. i just think it would be a very special time for the two of us.

2. Its very difficult to choose just one person. So I will construct a competition to where people will fight to the death for this golden ticket. The survivor will be the lucky winner. I go to Denver in a helicopter to drop the golden ticket in the middle of the city. About fifteen seconds after I drop it, i heard a tiny voice saying, "Hawaii here I come." All of a sudden, a wave of people go to the epicenter of that voice. There was screaming, fighting, and fires being started. Once I saw the fire, I told the piolet to go back to my house, pick up my mom, and drop us off at the airport. On the way to Hawaii, we saw Denver in smoke. I said to myself, "too bad they are fighting over a fake ticket, I feel guilt for even dropping it."

3. This is a tough decision. Who do I want to take with me to Hawaii? I can choose anyone on the planet, but I do not know who to choose. I think I know who to choose now that I've had time to think about it. And the winner is, William H. Bonny. You may know the story of his life if you've watched the movies Young Guns and Young Guns 2. Why did I chose Billy the Kid you ask? Well, I've always wanted to meet him and this may just be my only chance. Also, I chose him because I want to hear stories of what he's seen and done. He is my choice to go to Hawaii with me and reasons why.

4. i were to take one person on my free trip to Hawaii i would take Megan Fox. I would take Megan Fox because she is really hot, she's a celebrity, and i would like to spend time with her in Hawaii. We would sit on the beach for the day. We would go and do everything in Hawaii and have alot of fun. Clearly i think that this would be the best trip to Hawaii ever. Spending time with Megan fox in Hawaii

I also had to read some to the prompt "What is one piece of technology you couldn't live without?" Here are two gems.

1. I us it [her computer] to type my stories, which are a big hit on FanFiction, the site I post them on, I have thirteen thousand six hundred and seventy four hits at the moment. I also tend to us it to talk to friends that I've made around the world, or just massaging my best friend that lives about three miles away. At times I get really frustrated with my laptop and want to throw it out the window and into the street, but I just take a deep breath, knowing that if I do something like that I'll regret it later.

2. i could never live without a tv. if i could i would make a shrine around my flat-screen and worship it as a god; however i can't for that would be false enidolment and that would be breaking one ofthe 10 commandments and I'm Christian.

I'd like to pretend a teach because I make a difference but really I teach so I can get paragraphs like these. They make my day.

The 2010 Poetry Slam

2010-01-25T08:14:00.003-07:00

One of the highlights for the year as a teacher for me is the Poetry Slam I host for my students. I always perform the opening poem as the sacrificial poet. Here's my performance from this year. If you have time, check out some of my students at www.youtube.com/writersstudio

Sledding at Mueller State Park Video

2010-01-06T14:50:00.005-07:00

Some video of sledding at Mueller State Park. The camera lense wasn't completely open on one run; hence, the narrow view.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-04T12:26:00.011-07:00

Some photos from Christmas this year. Finn getting acquinted with a gnome.

We got to go sledding a couple of times this year. This picture was taken near our house.

Christmas Morning.

Sledding at Mueller State Park.

Thanksgiving Feast

2009-12-07T10:00:00.002-07:00

Here's a video of Max singing at the Thanksgiving Feast at his preschool.

Psycho Pumpkin

2009-12-07T09:57:00.001-07:00

This is a little out of date considering the season, but I finally got our Halloween video done.

Khan!

2009-11-24T09:06:00.006-07:00

We visited the Denver Museum of Nature and Science with Amy's parents this week. The highlight ws the Genghis Khan exhibit that is in town. A lot interesting items, including a mummified woman, a cool sword, and a scary shaman man.

The top three things I learned:

1. Khan wasn't that bad, at least compared to other conquerers. Sure, he killed with impunity and slaughtered whole cities. But he did support religious freedom, diplomatic immunity. and didn't impose the Mongol way of life unto those he conquered. Probably because they were all dead.
2. A Mongol bow and arrow took a year to make and Khan's whole army consisted of calvary.
3. Denver currently has one of the highest Mongol expatriate populations in the U.S. Not sure why that is interesting, but it is.

The family with Mongol hats.

Paul being crushed by a t-rex.

Halloween

2009-11-10T10:18:00.008-07:00

Max was very excited about Halloween this year, and Finn was, as usual, very excited about putting random objects into his mouth.

Pikes Peak

2009-08-31T09:13:00.010-07:00

My friend Darren and I climbed Pikes Peak this last Saturday. The bad thing about climbing Pikes are all the cars passing by as you go. But it doesn't count unless you do with your two feet.

Donuts are available at the top in the shop. First fourteener I've climbed with souvenirs available.

For some reason, one of my legs looks like it is missing in this picture. It is creepy and cool at the same time.

Silent Film "A Summer's Day"

2009-08-26T09:42:00.003-07:00

Max loved making a silent film together, so he planned out the plot to another one. He likes hitting me in the head. The music is from The Third Man.

Mt. Bierstadt

2009-08-12T08:52:00.007-07:00

A couple weeks ago, my friend Brian and I climbed the 14er Mt. Bierstadt. It was my tenth one and Brian's first.

Finn's First Solid Food

2009-08-03T06:51:00.005-07:00

Finn decided he wanted something a little more substantial and tried some rice cereal this week. He attacked his spoon like a rabid dog. He's already in 12 month clothes, so I expect this extra addition of nutrients will mean even more growth. He should be ready to attack Tokyo by March.

Sky Sox Game

2009-08-02T09:25:00.004-07:00

Max and I went recently to his first baseball game. The Sky Sox versus ... I guess I forgot already. Max wasn't that interested in the game as much as the giant foam finger, which is something he has wanted for years.

Camping with the Luedtkes

2009-07-01T06:40:00.003-07:00

Max and I went camping with Brian and Tyler at Mueller State Park. We had a great time as evidenced in the video below.

Max's 4th Birthday

2009-06-28T19:21:00.002-07:00

Max's 4th birthday was rainy but we did end up outside for a while. We can't believe he is four years old!

Camping with Max.

2009-06-13T20:47:00.008-07:00

Max and I went camping last week. We orginally planned on camping at the Great Sand Dunes but the campground was full. But we did decide to run around a little bit in the water.

We also decided to visit the Colorado Gator Farm, a strange roadside attractions with hundereds of alligators living in warm water supplied by a hot spring. Max got to hold a tiny turtle.

We found a campground near the Sand Dunes. We were the only ones there, so it was very quiet. Max's favorite parts camping were roasting marshmallows and hanging out in the tent.

Pictures of Finn

2009-06-02T19:57:00.006-07:00

Finn has been growing well and smiling a lot. Here are some recent photos of him.

Drifting

2009-03-28T19:44:00.002-07:00

Max and I went to see his Uncle David drift his car, which is an activity that can only be seen rather than described. Pretty cool stuff.

Finn's Announcement Picture.

2009-03-20T07:40:00.001-07:00

Fossils

2009-03-17T19:40:00.011-07:00

Dave is in town, so we decided to go up to the mountains and search for some fossils. We stopped in Florissant. We found some good one at the quarry, including a few leaves and insects. The shale is paper thin and fun to break.

We then went to the Florissant Fossil Monument and walked around the park to see the fossilized redwood trees.

We then stopped at the Dinosaur Musuem in Woodland Park. Here is a picture of Max taking a picture of me and the picture Max took.

Some Pictures of Finn

2009-03-04T20:04:00.012-07:00

Amy cleaning the toilets before going into the hospital because she is C-R-A-Z-Y.

Max meeting his brother.

Finn's Journey

2009-03-04T15:53:00.002-07:00

After a long nine months, I have created a video to show Finn's journey into this world. Do not worry. There are no gory details.

Silent Movie: "The Sucker"

2009-02-19T07:50:00.005-07:00

Max and I were watching some Charlie Chaplin movie, and we were both inspired to try our hand at creating a silent movie of our own. This one is called "The Sucker."

Poetry Slam: "I Am an English Teacher"

2009-01-23T17:56:00.004-07:00

On Thursday, January 22, I organized the 2nd Annual FFCHS Poetry Slam for my students. I always perform the "sacrificial poem" as a way to warm up the audience. This is the poem I did this year:

New 3D Pictures of the Baby

2009-01-06T20:31:00.006-07:00

We had an ultrasound that used 3D imaging yesterday. He is starting to look really big and the ultrasound technician estimated his weight at 6 pounds. Looks like we are in store for another big one with the baby due February 27.

A very short video of the baby moving.

2009-01-05T10:33:00.003-07:00

Max and I went sledding at Mueller State Park over the Christmas break. As you can see, some of the sledding action was quite intense.

Christmas

2008-12-31T16:22:00.009-07:00

We went to the Cheyenne Mountain Zoo and enjoyed some of the Christmas lights. This giraffe was eating some of the lights.
TheLuedtkes also came over for a holiday meal this year. Here's Tyler and Max actually being quiet. Max's biggest gift this year was Lighting McQueen scooter.

Max and his Aunt Heather enjoyed some of the snow out back on Christmas Day.

Family Photos

2008-12-30T19:24:00.007-07:00

We took some family pictures a while ago. I was going for late eighties U2 albums in these.

Bowling

2008-11-18T20:19:00.009-07:00

We went bowling with Max this weekend for the first time with our friends Dan and Cami and their daughters Caitlin and Madeline. The bowling lanes had a great set up for kids, with a ramp to push down the bowling balls and bumper to keep them out of the gutter. I think Max bowled better than me even though he didn't seem that interested in the results as demonstrated by the video below.

Denver Museum of Nature and Science

2008-11-03T14:29:00.007-07:00

Our dear friends the Luedtkes just recently moved from Phoenix to Denver, so we had the opportunity to hang out with them on at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. Their son, Tyler, is Max's age, while the also have a little one named Ben.

Halloween

2008-11-03T07:42:00.010-07:00

Max dressed up as a fireman this year. On Halloween, we went to a party for the little kids and then did some trick-or-treating in the area. Max's friend R.J. was with him, as well as R.J.'s little brother Ben. Ben as Batman

We also carved pumpkins. I decided to go with a vomiting pumpkin.

Pumpkin Patch

2008-10-05T19:17:00.007-07:00

Today we ventured out into southern Colorado and visited Happy Apple Farm. Unfortunately, there were no apples because of a freeze back in April that ruined the chances this year. But we did enjoy the pumpkin patch and hay ride.

We then found a corn maze near Florence and ventured into its depths. At first, it was a nice stroll. Then it became an actual puzzle and finally a frustrating fight to find the end. We made it though. And then we got to add two more pumpkins to our pile.

Didgeridoo, Part 2

2008-09-25T17:45:00.002-07:00

Max has developed quite the talent for the didge as well. Here's his playing:

I really like the big breaths he takes in between playing. One step away from going on a walkabout.

Didgeridoo

2008-09-22T17:53:00.003-07:00

My brother and sister-in-law came to visit us in Colorado from Australia where they have been living in Darwin for about nine months. As a gift, they brought back a didgeridoo, which is probably the coolest thing one could receive. I find it to be a very soothing instrument to play. I have not got the hang of circular breathing yet, but am pretty good and creating some different sounds. I will post pictures from their visit soon.

Days Eleven and Twelve: Portland to Denver

2008-08-02T19:48:00.007-07:00

We spent the day in Portland by going to Powell's City of Books and then found a splash pool. Not having swimming suits didn't stop Anna and Max from getting wet.

That night, I had the opportunity to go see Matisyahu, the orthodox Jewish reggae singer at the Oregon Zoo. Amy was feeling tired, so she and Max stayed home, but Jessi, Matt and I went and had a good time. He is a very lively singer and it was a great venue, with elephants hanging out behind us.

You can check out a sample of his music below.

In the morning, we came home. Not much to say about the return trip. It felt very hot here of course, but the ants did not carry our home away while we were gone.

Day Ten: Newport to Portland

2008-08-01T10:46:00.006-07:00

We left Newport early in the morning to go to Multnomah Falls via the Old Columbia River Gorge. Matt Schaffer later told me it's the number one tourist destination in Oregon. After being there, I can see why. We drove through dense forest up to the top of the gorge where you can see the Columbia making its way. We then dropped down next to waterfalls until we made it to Multnomah Falls, a 620 feet plunging waterfall you can see below.

We then went to my friend Matt's house in Portland, where he lives with his wife Jessi and his daughter Anna. They live a gorgeous house, and Max has enjoyed being able to hang out with someone his own age. We went to an Art Walk down the street from them full of locals selling their wares. One guy had a brilliant marketing campaign for the People's Republic of Portland (as it is called by the locals).

Also, Matt demonstrated to us, in true Matt fashion, the local habit of eating the flowers.

Day Nine: Newport

2008-07-30T18:50:00.010-07:00

We decided to stay in Newport another day because it was so nice. Max and I went down to the beach in the morning and played around in the rocks. We found a couple of starfish and also some little hermit crabs.
We then went to the Oregon Coast Aquarium, where we saw sea lions, sea otters, and sharks. Max spent a lot of time looking at the otters.

We decided to get a closer look at the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse. Max wasn't big enough to climb the lighthouse, but we took turns. It was a lot of steps.

We didn't have enough of sea lions, so we then decided to drive to the Sea Lion Caves outside of Florence. You take an elevator down into a sea caves where hundreds of sea lions hang out. It was a little stinky but very fun. Max thought they sounded like cows mooing. The picture is a little fuzzy because of the lack of light and exclusion of flash photography.

And one more lighthouse just for fun. Tomorrow, we head to Portland!

Addendum

2008-07-30T07:44:00.001-07:00

I forgot to add yesterday this picture, which let us know we weren't in Colorado anymore.

Days Seven and Eight: Seattle to Newport, Oregon

2008-07-29T18:38:00.008-07:00

We started off on Monday by taking a ferry ride to Bainbridge Island, which is about a thirty minute ride. We rented car the night before, and, funny enough, it has Colorado plates. The ferry ride gave great views of the city.

We then took off down the coast to Port Townsend and drove through beatiful scenery of the Olympics and dense rainforests. We finally broke through the trees and made it to the Pacific Ocean, which Max was very excited about.Following the coast, we drove through to Astoria. We imagined the land of Goonies, but Astoria is really a rundown town. We ended up at dive motel right across from the river. It was loud with the highway next to it. We should have driven down to Seaside, which was beautiful and only fifteen miles down the way. Oh well. It was raining but we still enjoyed the day. We first stopped at Cannon Beach, which, as you can see below, was a little cold. Max and I still managed to build a sandcastle, which he has been dreaming about forever. We then drove down to Tillamook and had lunch and ice cream (of course). Following the coast even more, we made out way to Newport. We got a hotel room with a view of the sea, which is much better than before. We also saw a couple of beautiful lighthouses, including this one below.

We checked out the Historic Bayfront Area. We ate the original Mo's,which is most famous for its chowder. The funny story about the original restaurant is that a woman was pulling out of the parking lot, put it drive instead of reverse, and crashed through the restaurant. Mo then said to the woman, "That's okay, we'll just put in a garage door so you can come again." And there is a garage door in the resaurant. We are now just enjoying the ocean and have no idea what is in store for tomorrow.

Day Six: Seattle

2008-07-27T17:29:00.006-07:00

Well, we did not ride the ferry today, but we did see something quite amazing. We visited the Locks, which is the canal between Lake Union and the Puget Sound. Boats enter the lock and then wait for it either to lower or raise depending on which direction they are going.

The other famous part of the Locks is the wild salmon ladder that allows the fish to run back to spawn. They climb up the concrete and you can go below to watch them as they swim against the current upriver.

Today was our last day in Seattle, so we sadly leave Heather and Matt for the Washington and Oregon coast.

Day Five: Seattle

2008-07-26T16:54:00.015-07:00

I've always liked science fiction, although I have never beena Trekkie or a person who collects toys of aliens in large amounts. However, when I heard that Seattle is home to the Science Fiction Hall of Fame and Museum my geek flag began to fly. We decided to split up, so Matt and I went down the hill to the museum, which is housed in a Frank Gehry mindtrip, while Amy, Max, and Heather went to the zoo.
The musuem has some interesting artifacts, including the terminator prop, clothes from Planet of the Apes, a stormtrooper, and lots of other geeky other things that probably were just hanging around Paul Allen's basement when he decided to start the musuem. The strange people hanging around the museum are the most interesting part, like the weirdo below:

The Gehry building is also home to the Experience Music Project, which has a lot of musical intruments you can play and some historical displays on music in the Seattle area. I don't really have any pictures, but I do have some footage of Matt jamming on the piano.

Meanwhile, the rest of the crew was at the Woodland Park Zoo. Amy took some video footage, which you can see below.

While Amy and Max took a nap, the rest of us decided to go to 826 Seattle. Dave Eggers, the author of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, started a series of tutor centers for teens across the nation. The original center is in San Francisco, called 826 Valencia, but they have a center here in Seattle. Part of the contribution that these centers make is creating an odd supply store for the streetfront. In San Francisco, they have pirate supplies. In New York, they sell superhero supplies. Here in Seattle, the store is the Greenwood Space Travel Supply Co. So their wares include a black hole starter kit, bottled elements, animal brains, etc. Below, Matt is testing a ray gun:

Heather decided to test out another gun against Matt.

So it was full day of nerdiness here in Seattle. We hope to being things back down to earth tomorrow and go on a ferry ride.

Day Four: Seattle

2008-07-25T13:49:00.013-07:00

Today was IKEA day. But before we made the venture to Renton, Washington, we made a quick detour to the Highway 90 bridge and went underneath it to visit a troll. He was very friendly.

Then we journeyed to IKEA, the famous Swedish furniture store,which, as I found out through some research, is actually owned by a Dutch company. Anyway, IKEA is a tourist destination, as the sign said on the highway. We had meatballs, sat on couches, and bought gadgets. They also had these amazing cabinets that prevented slamming. You can watch the demonstration below:

However, I tried to see how much pressure you could put on these cabinet doors, and they do not live up entirely to the "no slam" name.

Max saw this playground called Smaland, which is where parents drop off kids so they can go shop. We were worried, but Max just ran off into it without a second thought. When confronted with the love of parents or a ball room, apparently Max will take the ball room.

Finally, I just decided to take a picture of this sign because I think it is funny.

Day Three: Seattle

2008-07-24T20:13:00.008-07:00

We headed downtown to Pike Place and looked at the famous market. We watched the throwing of fish, ate free samples, and smelled the freshly cut flowers.

We also were fortunate to see our friends Aaron and Marci from Vancouver, Canada, who we originally became friends with in Korea.

Aaron and Marci also came bearing gifts, one of which he explains here.

And here are some more pictures of Aaron and Marci.

Max's most exciting moment was getting a sucker, which promptly made him look like Heath Ledger's Joker.

Day Two: Seattle

2008-07-23T14:37:00.008-07:00

We decided to take tour on the Seattle Duck Boats today, which use World War II landing craft to tour the city, including a thirty minute water excursion in Lake Union.

We learned such facts as Seattle is near the ocean and is cloudy. No, we did learn some other interesting things, like 15% of fish in the United States come through Seattle and Sleepless in Seattle was filmed here. The most exciting part is going into the water, and Max even got a chance to drive the boat.

Of course, being a duck boat tour, Max was also given a duck quacker, which he used relentlessly in my ear. The sound cannot be heard in the picture below, but the overall tone maybe can.

Day One: Seattle

2008-07-22T18:09:00.008-07:00

Today, we fly to Seattle to visit Amy's sister Heather and her husband Matt. It was Max's first time in an airplane, so I had to document the experience here. We'll keep you updated on how activities we do. So far: grocery shopping at Trader Joe's.

Rocky Mountain National Park

2008-07-22T17:39:00.005-07:00

On Saturday, July 19, we went up to Rocky National Park with both sets of grandparents and had a very nice picnic. Here are some pictures:

Max insists on calling his fishing pole a "fish stick."

Santa Fe

2008-07-18T07:55:00.005-07:00

Last weekend, we went to Santa Fe for the 5th Annual International Folk Art Festival. Artists from all over the world were invited to come to Santa Fe to sell their art. It was an interesting collection of pieces and countries, including Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Kenya, Nigeria, etc. I was fascinated by a woodcut artist from Brazil named Jose Borges. He creates primitive prints but carving out designs on wood, which look like so:

Amy also bought a braclet form India carved out of wood. The artist uses vegetable dye to color the work. Anyway, you can see a video of the trip below.

Max's Third Year

2008-06-30T08:44:00.005-07:00

Max's third birthday was last week. It all flies by so quickly. I was just looking at footage from when he was just weeks old and amazed by how he has grown and learned. Anyway, I created a short video that captures his third year on earth.

TIE Conference

2008-06-26T14:08:00.001-07:00

We are all at the 2008 TIE (Technology in Education) Conference this week, so we are enjoying a week up at Copper Mountain for relatively free. I have to give a presentation on using MovieMaker in the classroom, but otherwise we have been enjoying the mountains. This morning we took a trip up to 11,000 feet on a chairlift. Max enjoyed it very much, although I was nervous the whole time about how he would act. Luckily, Max recognizes the the dangers of getting off early.

We are also up here with some colleagues/friends and enjoying our time with them. I am not sure if I learned anything, but I can say we have eaten pretty well. Here are some pictures from the conference:

I also was involved in an attempt to kick the ceiling of a hotel room. That can be seen below.