We hiked down about 2200 feet of a steep and rocky trail. The legs were a bit wobbly at the end but we made it.

At the top of Table Mountain, Cape Town, South Africa

The official explanation on why ICE wears masks from the DHS website is the following: ICE law enforcement officers wear masks to prevent doxing, which can (and has) placed them and their families at risk. All ICE law enforcement officers carry badges and credentials and will identify themselves when required for public safety or legal necessity.” In the wake of the 2020 George Floyd protests, the Minneapolis Police Department was as despised about as much as any American law enforcement agency has ever been despised.

With all the back and forth between those saying that Alex Pretti shouldn’t have brought a gun to a protest, and those pointing out that the 1st and 2nd amendments aren’t mutually exclusive, there is an important point being missed: He DID NOT bring a gun to a protest. The protest didn’t happen until AFTER he was murdered. Alex Pretti carried his legal firearm to a popular Minneapolis destination for those seeking diverse treats and beverages.

I am not a rebel. I am a rule follower, a law and order kind of guy. It’s how I was raised. My father was a US Marine Corps drill sergeant and following rules was important in our family. When I was a kid, my siblings and I were not allowed to watch “The Dukes of Hazzard” because my dad didn’t like that it made a fool of the law. We were THAT kind of family.

I just spent time talking with an immigrant woman who I’ve known for a year or two now. She is legally in this country and as a green card holder she is permitted to work here. She had been here for more than 10 years, working and paying taxes. She has not committed any crimes and has a spotless record. She has spent the last several years cleaning houses for a living.

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the concept of “consent of the governed.” English political philosopher John Locke was the first to articulate the concept, describing it as a foundation for legitimate government. Locke’s writings on the subject profoundly influenced early Americans like Thomas Jefferson, leading to these immortal words in the Declaration of Independence: Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

While visiting the Church of St Peter ad Vincula in the Tower of London, we made friends with the Yeoman Porter on duty. In addition to inviting us to that night’s Ceremony of the Keys, he took us back into the closed section housing the resting place of Saint Thomas More.

For the record, Jimmy Kimmel didn’t say anything negative about Charlie Kirk. He criticized the MAGA folks use of the Charlie Kirk murder for political purposes.

On August 30, the Minnesota Star Tribune published a commentary from a leader of the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus. His solution to the gun problem that killed one of my neighbors and seriously injured another? Pretty much anything BUT gun control. I wrote a response. Today the Star Tribune published my response. I am sharing that letter here so that it can be viewed without paying for a Star Tribune subscription.

Trump’s policies have led to a significant decrease in international tourism. That decrease is projected to cost us more than $20 billion dollars. Now he’s turning our capital into a police state. How much economic damage will this latest move cause? I suspect it will be in the billions of dollars.

Not sure how this could be comfortable but Juju likes to nap in some weird positions.

Hill training - Each stone placed represents 1 complete lap on the Hyland Hills training hill

A little quality time at the cabin - T and taking a spin on the pontoon

Given what RFK Jr. is doing to healthcare in the US, it is time for the industry to - providers and private payers - to take a stand. They need to announce that they will ignore recommendations from ACIP and its junk scientists, and instead follow the guidance of real scientists.

A beautiful night for softball at Jane Sage Cowles field on the University of Minnesota campus. E has aged out of playing but gets to coach the 14u team on this beautiful field.

I’m not sure if/how this is possible, but it seems like the US Healthcare industry needs to put together a system of care delivery that at a minimum doesn’t depend on government support. Beyond that, it should actively circumvent the MAHA-supported anti-health system by providing a better alternative.

Off to Vegas for a work-related conference. I would be excited to go and have fun at the casinos, but then I remembered how cheap I am and how much I hate losing money.

After 4 years of classes in high school, my youngest has received her official seal for being bilingual in ASL. She’s hoping to continue her ASL education in college.

Day 3 and I’m absolutely loving my new BMW i4 - I keep looking for new excuses to go drive somewhere.

Today I am purchasing a new fully electric BMW i4! I was planning to hold onto my plug-in Chevy Volt for a while longer, but it’s been needing more shop visits of late and I don’t want to be stuck buying after tariffs and other economic uncertainties cause prices to skyrocket.

In case anyone was wondering: If representing your side in politics requires you to defend the Dark Lord of the Sith, then you are likely to be on the wrong side of history. Just sayin’

Date night at the Orpheum. I love living in a city that has so many theater productions.

After years of parenting a theater kid, this is the final high school program for kid #2. Maybe it will continue as she starts college, maybe it won’t. It’s strange to think that this could be coming to an end.

We have learned that nobody in our family is very good at laser tag. But we all had fun (and a good workout) at Tactical Urban Combat - Mall of America

Unofficial training hike #2 for my fall Ultimate Hike. I’m just starting the annual process of getting fit and I am feeling all the soreness.

Amy and I had a nice night in Saint Paul. Dinner at Kincaid’s, then to the Ordway for the final performance of “Come From Away”, stayed overnight at The Intercontinental Riverfront, and then breakfast at Keys.

I think this is the biggest snow we’ve had in a couple years. Juju the frenchie stepped out to pee this morning and he was completely under the snow.

This is my friend’s daughter Zoe. She is 8 years old, and in January of 2024 she was diagnosed with Spindle Cell Rhabdomyosarcoma. a spontaneous childhood cancer that usually starts in tissue or ligaments. Zoe’s cancer appeared to have started in her jaw muscle. After a round of chemotherapy failed to stop the tumor growth, Zoe had a facial surgery to remove her compromised jaw bone and muscle and then she had more chemotherapy.

DOGE Dudes - If you really believe that Social Security checks are fraudulently going to 150-year-olds, then you can easily track who is cashing those checks. You should bring fraud charges under 42 U.S.C. 1383a. Short of that, I will assume that you are full of shit.

Sunset over Playa Negra, Vieques Puerto Rico

Spotted a large green iguana in the treetops by our VRBO on Vieques, Puerto Rico

View from a turret built in the 16th century to defend Castillo San Filipe del Morro from invaders

It’s family vacation time. E chose the destination (Hawaii) 2 years ago when she was a high school senior. This year it was T’s turn - she chose Puerto Rico!

One of my goals at work is Microsoft’s “Azure Solutions Architect Expert” certification. Unfortunately that certification has a prerequisite of the “Azure Administrator Associate” certification. After months of prep work, studying, and memorizing I am nowhere near able to pass that exam. Sigh…

Dementia really sucks. And TIL that it goes from bad to worse when mixed with a urinary tract infection. Extreme delirium and agitation leading to a heavily medicated hospital stay for my father-in-law. So difficult to watch.

I broke down and paid for an HBO Max subscription. I just had to get access to this season of “Hard Knocks - In Season with the AFC North.” This whole NFL fandom thing is starting to get expensive. 🏈

A nice family night at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis. Good music and good times.

In the stands for Steelers vs. Browns on Thursday night as the heavy snow came down.🏈

4 AM wakeup for a 7AM flight to Cleveland. All so I can sit outside in sleet and snow for tonight’s NFL Thursday Night Football game. I must be crazy. 🏈

Getting into the proper mindset before tomorrow’s Steelers/Ravend game. 🏈

Donald Trump says that “whether they like it or not, I’m going to protect” women. This comment is unfortunately emblematic of Trump and his supporters. If women were the only voters, Donald Trump would lose in a landslide. If women stayed at home and left the voting to men, Donald Trump would win by a similarly large margin. There are good reasons for this gender gap, and this week’s “whether they like it or not” comment makes those reasons abundantly clear.

I’m now several weeks into my effort to create a working CI/CD pipeline for Azure resources using Azure DevOps. And I’m nowhere near done. This shouldn’t be so difficult.

Bitsy and I took a lovely sunset walk along these banks of the Mississippi, at Crosby Farms Regional Park

Boats are out of the lake for the season. Let’s hope for some autumn weather now.

Stopped by the raptor release at Carpenter Nature Center today, and visited with a couple of the Raptor Center’s education birds

It was a great day to hike at Willow River State Park in western Wisconsin. The falls are just beautiful.

It’s new iPhone day!

Doing what I can to keep the flu and COVID at bay

The raspberries behind my house are popping like crazy - snack time!

Got to spend my birthday with 75% of the family, and with more than 100 other Steelers fans, watching a Steelers victory. Love my “Steelers Fans of Minnesota” people.

Seeing my brother-in-law’s band (the Maeflies) at the Aster Cafe in Minneapolis. It’s my first time out for live music in a while.

I finally went to the doctor for the knee pain I’ve been dealing with for weeks. Likely cause - torn meniscus. Strangely enough it didn’t hurt at all - and even felt better - while hiking my 26+ mile Ultimate Hike. I guess it’s back into PT for me. Hopefully it won’t need anything more to than that.

So now Trump wants to mandate insurance coverage for IVF treatment. This is something that will be unpopular with his party, although I expect the MAGA cult will ignore it. For what it’s worth, the state of Minnesota has been trying to do the same thing.

My 2024 Ultimate Hike is in the books. We had good weather the whole way. This hike has raised more than $40,000 (and counting) for pediatric cancer research. Proud to hike with such phenomenal people, and for such a phenomenal organization.

My favorite place in Minnesota - Along the Temperance River near where it empties into Lake Superior.

Joe Biden looks pissed. Not at other Democrats who nudged him out, but Trump and his supporters. Go, Joe. Give ‘em hell.

My final training hike of the season - a shorter “taper hike” to keep the muscles active without straining them too much. Now I spend the week taking it easy, getting lots of rest, and avoiding too much crappy food. Next Saturday is the big day. Ultimate Hike on the Superior Hiking Trail.

I got my new Logitech MX Vertical mouse, and so far I like it. I switched to a vertical mouse about a year ago, after it was suggested during PT for an elbow issue. I was skeptical that it would help so I went cheap on the last one. Now that I know it helps, I spent a little more this time around.

Trump and his supporters continue to harp on Kamala Harris for avoiding the media. And while I agree in part - the Harris campaign wants to control their message for as long as possibles possible - I find myself wondering if anyone really cares about taking questions from the media. When was the last time that media questions actually provided useful information to voters? Liberal and conservative media alike love to throw out “gotcha” questions to make the other side look bad and to get attention for themselves in the process.

This weekend we did our final long-distance training hike of the season - 18 miles at Minnesota’s Afton State Park. In less than 2 weeks we’ll be doing 26 miles on the Superior Hiking Trail, overlooking Lake Superior.

Our governor Tim Walz will be moving into the national spotlight. I wonder who will be depicting him on SNL skits. Will there be someone who captures Walz’ accent and mannerisms the way that Tina Fey nailed Sarah Palin?

Signed up for Quantum fiber internet for my home to (finally) replace Comcast/XFinity. I’m a little skeptical about Quantum’s customer service but it can’t be any worse than Comcast. I’ve been wanting to upgrade to fiber for years. When Minneapolis contracted with USI for city-wide fiber many years ago, I was excited. Unfortunately there were a small number of city residences that were excluded, and mine was one of those.

16 mile training hike is in the books. 3 weeks until a 26 mile Ultimate Hike on the North Shore

3 weeks makes a big difference in my cardio conditioning. Hill training this week was at a slightly slower pace due to a slight change in route, but my average heart rate has dropped by 15 BPM. 3 more weeks until Ultimate Hike day!

My family really gets me 🏈

The final tournament of E’s softball career is over. The end of a 13 year journey. Happy for all the time I will reclaim without so many softball games to watch, but sad for this era to come to an end.

T celebrated her 17th birthday by hosting a fondue dinner party

Another week of hill training at Hyland Hills Ski Area. Walking up and down a ski hill - even a small one - is really no fun. But it’s an important part of my Ultimate Hike training. I’m at 9 laps now, hoping to get up to 12 or more before hike day in late August.

It’s way too early to know how the November elections will go. The shift from Biden to (presumably) Harris and its impact on voting is hard to predict. What I can say with confidence is this: Young voter participation will go up significantly, particularly among young women. My daughters are seeing MANY friends who were unlikely to vote before but likely to vote now. My daughter - who will be a first-time voter this year - just now came to me asking for help figuring out how to register.

Thank you, Joe Biden, for restoring my faith in our system of government. Even if for just a little while. Wrapping yourself in red, white and blue doesn’t make you a patriot. Leading chants of U-S-A, U-S-A doesn’t make you a patriot. Repeating words like “Make America Great Again” or “America First” doesn’t make you a patriot. You know what does make you a patriot? Loving your country enough to set aside your ego in service of the greater good.

Phase 2 of floor refinishing is done: Dining room, kitchen, and stairs were done while we vacationed up at the lake cabin. Now we just have to put all the stuff backk into this rooms.

Captain Amy drives to pontoon with first mate Juju

Juju the Frenchie says Happy Pride

The Minnesota River has risen so high - This is at the Old Cedar Avenue bridge in Bloomington.

Phase 1 of wood floor refinishing is done. Now we wait for 1 more day before we can move furniture back. Then it’s time to move more furniture in preparation for phase 2 next week.

I don’t normally work outside on the balcony, but when the house stinks of polyurethane…

I can’t speak to the specifics of the DMA, but the very nature of regulation that leaves anything open to interpretation is risky for a regulated entity. As a developer of regulated software, I would be flummoxed with a request (a) make sure I comply with the law, (b) account for the fact that the law leaves sone things open to interpretation, © I am expected to use my understanding of the law’s intent when interpreting the law, and (d) if I fail to correctly account for the intent of the law, then I will be heavily fined.

This weekend included a 9 mile training hike with a relative humidity near 95%. Definitely a sticky one.

Farewell Paxlovid, my Covid-fighting companion. While I hope we never meet again, I am comforted by knowing I can call on you again if needed.

Today I attended an interesting panel discussion about AI in healthcare settings, with a particular focus on the patient perspective. Clinicians have grown used to patients who have self-diagnosed after a few Google searches. A large percentage of those diagnoses can be safely dismissed. After all, even the best search engine results are rarely a match for the training and experience of a good medical professional. But what happens as AI increases the quality of patient research and self diagnosis?

McNamara Alumni Center at the University of Minnesota is such a great venue for small conferences. But I forget how sunny it gets in here. Should have brought my sunglasses.

The 2024 HL7 FHIR Dev Days conference starts tomorrow. It’s a really valuable event for those working in Healthcare tech. It alternates between the US and Amsterdam, and when in the US it moves around to different cities. Thankful that they chose Minneapolis for 2024 - No need to travel anywhere!

Made a quick visit to Minneopa falls during a break in the softball tournament action. Beautiful.

It was a happy ending to a tough week for my wife and the non-profit she founded. Great customer service is alive and well and companies like Nocs Provisions. If you are in the market for quality binoculars or monoculars, give Nocs a look. They are good people.

This past weekend’s training hike was a muddy mess at Richardson Nature Center, but we got through it.

Feeling a little nostalgic after watching “The Warriors” on Amazon Prime. “Warriors, cone out and play-ay” 🍿

Inaugural game of E’s final season playing softball was a bust due to rain-soaked fields. Sigh… Hopefully tomorrow’s weather will cooperate a bit more.

Congratulations to the PWHL Minnesota hockey team for claiming the inaugural Walter Cup last night. Women’s sports are thriving in Minnesota, and it makes me love my adopted home state a little bit more.

Yesterday was a beautiful day in Minneapolis - Got out for a 5 mile training hike with a few other Ultimate Hikers. Lebanon Hills is such a gem for Twin Cities folks to get out in nature.

I’ve spent the better part of the last 2 work weeks experimenting with Azure’s OpenAI services. Trying to figure out how well GenAI can understand clinical notes from a doctor and extract structured data. So far the results are … meh. So close and yet so far away.

My first hill training of the season is in the books: Walking up and down one of the hills at Hyland Hills ski area. It’s relatively small as ski hills go, but it really works the climbing muscles and challenges the cardio. Started today with 2 laps - need to get to at least 10 by August.

Attending “MJ the Musical” in Minneapolis this week has rekindled my interest in Michael Jackson’s music. What a musical and entertainment genius he was.

Date night in downtown Minneapolis

My first group training hike of the season, preparing for my 5th consecutive Ultimate Hike on the Superior Hiking Trail. At Whitetail Woods Regional Park in Farmington, MN

I’ve lived in Minnesota for nearly 30 years, and despite many attempts to see the Aurora Borealis I had never seen them. Until tonight. I drove up to our cabin to improve my odds. Turns out they were visible from home in Minneapolis, but the view over the lake was spectacular.

If you are an NFL Draft fan, this time of year is very exciting. I like to keep track of the players who I hope get picked. That’s tough this year: I’m hoping for one of the top OTs and 3 of the top five this year are Fuaga, Fautanu, and Fashanu. Those names are way too similar for me! 🏈

I completed my first training hike of the season last weekend. I’ll be hiking 26 miles in one day in August to raise money for CureSearch. If you are into hiking and you are willing to raise money for pediatric cancer research, you should check out the Ultimate Hike program. You won’t regret it.

My new (to me) desk sure looks spiffy. It’s been in my father-in-law’s office for decades and there was no room for it when we moved them into assisted living. I feel a little guilty for taking it but they are just happy it’s staying in the family.

I finally watched the full second season of Foundation on Apple TV+ - I had been underwhelmed by season 1 and season 2 was no better. As a big fan of Asimov’s original trilogy, I remain disappointed. I don’t mind that they changed the story, but this feels like a completely different story. 📺

We took a road trip to go see Book of Mormon at the Paramount Theater in Cedar Rapids Iowa. Beautiful Theater.

Found this box while cleaning out Amy’s parents house - They’ve been using it to store cleaning supplies, likely since the 80s.

Back side of the yew - Where the house eaves rain down and the freeze, and where thw sunlight doesn’t reach in to melt.

Nothing like awaking to an awful smell coming from our basement laundry room, and eventually coming to the realization that a chipmunk had crawled into the exterior dryer vent, fallen down the shaft, and died in the back of our dryer. Ick.

It’s been a crazy week for Steelers fans. Bringing in not 1 but 2 high profile QB’s? Trading away last year’s QB and #1 receiver? This is not the way we are used to things working.

I had an interesting conversation with my 16-year-old kid about the potential banning of TikTok. She pointed out that her generation isn’t naive about the propaganda and manipulation that could come from Chinese influence over the platform. The problem for her and those she knows is that the propaganda and manipulation from American companies seems \just as bad, if not worse.

Tired puppy

Our house got egged last night - ick… Any recommendations for how to get egg stains off of stucco would be greatly appreciated.

Going through my in-laws old tech gear now that they’ve moved into an assisted living facility. I’ve now got a functional but slow iMac from 2012. Any ideas what it might be useful for?

The US Supreme Court has agreed to hear Donald Trump’s claims of immunity, despite the fact that most legal experts seem to agree that his claims are dubious at best. The Roberts court will go down in history as the point where the Supreme Court lost all credibility. Today’s news accelerates our legal system’s descent into madness.

I am really struggling to understand how pro-choice absolutists can turn around and say they support IVF treatment. It seems that the Alabama Supreme Court’s comments about IVF are perfectly consistent with the belief that life begins at conception, and that all human life has God-given rights that need to be protected. Is there any reasonable explanation for the apparent inconsistency between pro-choice and pro-IVF positions, other than the obvious desire for pro-choice politicians to avoid the unpopular position of being against IVF?

No matter how low my expectations are for dealing with Comcast Xfinity customer support, they never fail to fall short. They seem to find new ways to treat customers with hostility every year. I guess that is how they choose to innovate.

COVID has once again made its appearance in our house. No fun. On the plus side, we’ve gotten really good at isolating one or another of us within the house.

Kid #2 passed her driving test today, so the wife and I are officially out of the chauffeuring business. As much as I have enjoyed the dad life for these past years and as much as I will continue to enjoy it for years to come, I will not miss the job of driving kids and their friends everywhere.

I wonder if all of these dudes who complain about seeing Taylor Swift at NFL games are equally offended every time the TV shows Jack Nicholson or other celebs at a Laker game. TV broadcasts like to show celebrities in the audience. Always have, always will. Get over it.

Love the way the frost looks on the white pines at our cabin near Brainerd, MN

Very proud of my wife, who now officially runs a nonprofit organization called MYBirdClub. She’s always had a passion for bird-watching, and when our kids were younger she started a bird club at their school. She’s been taking kids out ever since, and now she can grow the organization bigger

The Netflix series “Queer Eye” is one of my guilty pleasures. I’m not a fan of some aspects, and it can sometimes be downright problematic. But its focus on the importance of self-care hits home for me. I need that reminder to take better care of myself from time to time.

I just went into an Xfinity store to return cable equipment for my elderly in-laws, who recently canceled their cable after moving. I don’t like to stereotype, but I will: That place was filled with “tech bro” employees and it reeked of strong colognes. Very testosterone-ey. Kind of gross.

I just watched the movie CODA on Apple TV+, probably for the 5th or 6th time. It never fails to make me tear up - in a good way. All the feels, every time. 🍿

Watching the Chiefs vs. Bills game right now, and I’m reminded how much I prefer games that actually exhibit some defense. This back and forth scoring with neither team able to stop the other is so boring to me. 🏈

I’m glad to see Ron DeSantis end his campaign for the presidency. I’ve always seen DeSantis as being a more competent version of Donald Trump. They both are cruel and dishonest bullies. But DeSantis actually knows how to use the machinery of government to effectively implement his vision.

I’ve spent the last couple of years not making significant progress on a software application hobby project. The main reason for delays has been my lack of skills/experience on front-end development. I wonder if it is time to use AI tools that will generate a UI that I can modify as needed.

It’s that time of time of the year where my interest in NFL football is over. Still a few weeks left for some fans, but the teams I pay attention to have all been eliminated. Now entering the “what will I do with all the time suddenly freed up” phase. That will only last a couple of weeks, but it’s always a strange feeling while it lasts.

We didn’t get the result we wanted, but we got more than 110 to join the Steelers Fans of Minnesota in Saint Paul for today’s playoff game. Time to start thinking about next season. 🏈

Glad we finally got a competitive game last night between Detroit and LA. It’s so much more interesting to watch when the result hasn’t been essentially decided by half time🏈

View through the ice crystals on my window

So far the NFL can’t be happy with the product on the field for “Super Wildcard Weekend”. Two games that weren’t particularly competitive, and one postponement so far. Hopefully tomorrow’s games will be a little more compelling to watch. 🏈

After postponing the Steelers/Bills game until Monday due to weather, there is talk of possible further delays. If it comes down to it, the NFL should move the game beforee delaying again: You can’t ask the team who eventually wins to play next week’s game on such short turnaround. 🏈

NFL playoffs are here today. Time to get all my other chores done do I can sit and watch multiple games this weekend. 🏈

Struggling with a Vizio TV that has a missing remote. It can be controlled via iPhone app, but I need to get it on the WiFi first. Unfortunately the 4 physical buttons provide no way to get to setup menu, and hooking up a USB keyboard didn’t work.

The look I get for interrupting Juju’s nap time

What better way to watch a Steelers win than with my kiddo - and gnomes! 🏈

Today we move my wife’s parents out of their home for more than 50 years, into assisted living. The new apartment is lovely, and I’m sure they will be happy there once they settle in. But today will be hard for them and the family.

Happy new year to all. Wishing everyone peace and prosperity in 2024

A little pre-New Year’s Eve fun with Steelers Fans of Minnesota at Patrick McGovern’s. Got the wife, both kiddos, and 2 nieces to join me. 🏈

Juju is curled up and ready for a nap.

View from the rooftop, made possible by our new third-floor deck. I love being surrounded by the century-old oak trees.

Someone needs to invent smoke/CO alarms that only make non-emergency chirps during daytime. If my living room CO detector needed to inform me that it was at end off life, surely that could have waited until morning?

It’s not often that I root for the Jets - Growing up around a lot of Jets obnoxious fans in NJ gave me a bad taste for the team. But I’ll root for them tonight to beat up on the Browns! J-E-T-S Jets! Jets! Jets! 🏈

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night

Me and more than 50 of my friends from Steelers Fans of Minnesota invaded Tailgate Sports Cafe for today’s game.

One of my daughter’s college friends had to swing by our house to pick something up. This friend has lived her entire life in rural Minnesota, and was raised to believe that the city is scary and dangerous. We live in the city. This girl was so afraid that she brought a friend and made her walk from the car up to our front door, even in broad daylight. She was too scared to leave her car.

A little masking can’t ruin date night: Dinner at Murray’s followed by a night at the theater.

My wife’s 90-year-old father just tested positive for COVID. Let’s hope his updated boosters help keep this to a mild case.

Interested to see what happens when Trump’s Colorado ballot access goes to the Supreme Court. My understanding is that Supremes are unlikely to override the basic finding of fact - that Trump is guilty of participating in an insurrection. But it’s less clear if that disqualifies him from the ballot.

6 AM is way too early for a PT appointment. I will never understand “morning people”

It’s really tough to be a Steelers fan right now.

Out to dinner at Red Cow with whole fam now that E is back home from her first semester of college.

Am I the only one who has to look up their own contact information on a regular basis? Online forms that require a work phone and/or work address - information that I rarely use - are such a pet peeve of mine.

I woke up this morning with unexplained knee pain that wasn’t there when I went to bed. I’ve heard of sleep walking, but is it possible I’ve begun done kind of sleep dancing to trigger this new pain?

Getting ready to sign up for my 5th Ultimate Hike and I’m torn on which one. I could stick with my usual August event on the Superior Hiking Trail, or I could try the September event near Jackson Hole. Decisions, decisions…

Eagles vs. Cowboys on SNF? Not sure who I want to lose more.

It’s hard to get up and be productive when this guy parks himself on your lap.

Not a fun way to start off the new year

We had 2 pileated woodpeckers visit us at the cabin today

At my happy place for a little post-Christmas winter getaway.

The calm before the storm called Christmas Eve dinner

Even 20+ years after I discovered them, I continue to be amazed by Steger mukluks. Hours out in snow and subzero weather, and my feet still feel like I’m walking around in cozy warm slippers.

There is something immensely satisfying about working up a sweat while the temps are below 5 degrees F (-25 with windchill) outside.

Sad news for NFL fans, and for Steeler fans in particular. Franco was known for making the most iconic play in NFL history, but he was so much more than “The Immaculate Reception” RIP Franco Harris

Sleepy pup

Headed to a family Christmas gathering that had been going on for over 100 years annually until COVID shut it down for 2 years. A lot of people are still being cautious and staying away, and we might be the only ones attending that aren’t part of the anti-vax wing of the family.

My first thought this morning was “Oh my, how beautiful.” My next thought was “Oh my, how heavy this is going to be to clean up.”

Amy and I watched “Bullet Train” last night and it was delightful. Lots of grotesque comic book violence, so avoid if that’s not your thing. But it was incredibly funny, and the story was very well written.

I think the woman in front of me in line at the BK just ordered like 6 whoppers, each with different combinations of options. This could take a while.

Just finished watching The Peripheral - I liked it but think I need to rewatch to really understand all the bits I didn’t catch the first time through.

Our youngest Steeler fan at today’s Steeler Fans of Minnesota gathering in Saint Paul

I used to love “Free to Be… You and Me” as a kid. Hard to believe it was released 50 years ago.

As much as I dislike Ted Cruz as a senator, my heart goes out to him and his family as they care for their teenage daughter through difficult times. We can all put politics aside when the health of innocent loved ones are at risk.

Glad that Warnock won in Georgia, but terrified that there were enough Walker supporters to make it close. The number of people willing to vote for such a grossly unqualified candidate astounds me.

Went into the office today for what has become a monthly in-person team meeting. And while I value the face-to-face connection, I am so glad to work for a group that remains primarily remote. Personal connection is important, and sometimes business-critical. But not always.

Tree is up and lights are on. Decorations will have to wait until tonight or tomorrow.

The traditional meet-up with Santa as we pick out our Christmas tree. It was delayed by a week due to flu in the house, but better late than never.

With the Republican Party splintering on who to support as Speaker of the House, I would love to see Liz Cheney floated as a candidate. She’d probably get votes from a lot of Republicans and most of the Democrats.

Just registered for my 4th consecutive CureSearch Ultimate Hike, raising money for pediatric cancer research. Hopefully my knees will hold up better than the last time.

The holiday yard decorations look so much nicer with a fresh blanket of snow.

E is ready for a Steeler win tonight

The US healthcare insurance system is a joke. Getting a COVID booster at a clinic associated with my primary care doctor is considered in-network preventative care. But add a flu shot during the same visit, and that makes it an out of network office visit. Makes sense, right?

Day 8 and I appear to be finally free of influenza. As much as I enjoy laying around watching TV all day, I’m glad to be done with this one.

One benefit of being down with the flu is catching up on TV shows I had fallen behind on. Just binged House of the Dragon

When my youngest child was 11, they had a pretty bad case of pneumonia. We gave them a stuffed unicorn to cheer them up. Years later, it has been named “the magical unicorn of healing.” It is handed off to any family member who is sick. Traditions.

Grrr. My cold has lingered for weeks, slowly getting better. Now that we’ve got a holiday week upon us, it has gotten worse. Fever, aces, and possibly flu. Bad timing sucks. Happy Thanksgiving to all who are celebrating it.

The face I see when I am sitting on the couch where JuJu wants to be, followed by his satisfaction when I give him that spot.

The wild turkeys are out, wandering the streets of South Minneapolis and showing no fear of the cars wanting to drive past.

I’ve seen more than a few Elon Musk apologists pointing out that Twitter seems to be working just fine, so obviously the firings were justified. These people have no idea what it takes to maintain a reliable service at scale. Wait a few months before passing judgement.

Best place on a day when it’s 17 F outside? How about a dog bed right by the radiator?

JuJu has no interest in a dog walk when it’s below freezing outside. Curling up in the sun is much more enjoyable on days like today.

Last week: One child and one dog diagnosed with ear infections. This week: Other child diagnosed with Influenza A and other dog diagnosed with anaplasma. I have no more children and no more dogs, so let’s hope next week has no more diagnoses

A lot of people in shitty jobs are now thinking “It could be worse… I could work for Elon Musk”

Sad that my daughter’s college search process now needs to assess whether each college is in a state that will protect her rights to bodily autonomy. Those rights used to be guaranteed but are no longer.

Spotify announced that they will post content warning labels for any podcast episode discussing COVID-19. What they don’t say is that they would distinguish between content that lies about COVID vs those that are factual. Not good enough, Spotify.

I’ve accepted a new job working at Gillette Children’s Specialty Hospital. So happy to be going someplace whose values are better aligned with mine.

Lonely pontoon, after it’s dock was put away for the winter

Chilly mornings are perfect for warm blankets and puppy cuddles

JuJu says “It’s time to play”

Just went through my first job interviews in about 10 years. I used to be so much better at interviewing but I am definitely out of practice.

Minnesota friends: Interested in taking a long walk for a good cause? Consider joining the 11th Annual Ultimate Hike in 2021. Hike 25.5 miles in 1 day. Raise money for CureSearch to end childhood cancer. Register for info session at tinyurl.com/gtmdshtin…

Our newest family member: An 8-week-old French Bulldog. Name has not yet been settled.

Republicans Will Get What They Deserve At some point in the future — perhaps as soon as next January — the Democrats will control the presidency and both houses of Congress. When that time comes, it seems likely that the Democrats will use their power to remake government in a way that is structurally advantageous to the Democratic Party. Whether by ending the filibuster, granting statehood to Washington DC and Puerto Rico, or stacking the Supreme Court, the Democrats will do things that Republicans feel are unfair.

People who booed last night during a moment of silent unity, and the people nationwide who support those who were booing, need to look in the mirror at what they have become. Your complaints have never been about respecting the flag. Your complaints have never been about the national anthem or supporting the troops. Your complaints have never been about anything worth defending. Your complaints have been because you don’t like the fact that these young men are raising uncomfortable truths.

I completed my first Ultimate Hike event for CureSearch this weekend. It was such a fabulous experience, raising money for a good cause (pediatric cancer research). I strongly recommend joining a future event if you can.

T takes in the Cascade River trail, near Lake Superior in MN

Gooseberry Falls - Always a family favorite when we’re up on the North Shore

Heading up to the North Shore of Lake Superior tomorrow. It’s a magical place.

In 5 days I will be departing at 4:15 AM on a 25.5 mile hike along Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail. I hope my knees survive through the day.

Kellyanne Conway - coiner of the “alternative facts” white house defense - is leaving the administration. Hard to tell if that is a sign of continued implosion of this administration, or if it is something less consequential.

Sad to learn that the cute little chipmunk that had fallen into our clothes dryer vent got stranded there and died. We had dropped a rope down, hoping it would be able to climb out and escape, but our olfactory systems informed us this morning that it hadn’t.

This girl got her driving permit today: It was a little nerve-wracking being in the car with her, especially as she navigated her first roundabout. But she made it through without hitting anything, and I guess you’ve got to start somewhere.

Hiked 18 miles (29 km) yesterday, working my way up to 25.5 miles (41 km) at the CureSearch Ultimate Hike on the Superior Hiking Trail August 29. Looking forward to the big day, but dang my feet and knees are not happy with all of this work.

Struggling a bit here on mb to find the kinds of posts/discussion I am really looking for in social media. Facebook and Twitter have their flaws, to be sure. But at least I know how to find discussions of relevant topics - mostly those topics categorized as “political”

Glad that Biden picked Kamala Harris. As much as I would love to see a more progressive choice, I do believe that this ticket provides the best chances of defeating Trump. And that is what really matters the most.

If Ilhan Omar loses the Democratic primary in Minnesota’s 5th tomorrow, be prepared for months or more of Trump gloating and taking credit for her loss. I like much of what Melton-Meaux (Omar’s opponent) has to say, but not sure I can handle the Trump revelry if Omar goes down.

My penultimate long-distance training hike in preparation for the “Ultimate Hike” weekend later this month. Next week is an 18 mile training hike, then a couple down weeks to recuperate before doing 25.5 miles on Minnesota’s Superior Hiking Trail.

If Trump wants to ban TikTok in the US unless it can be sold to an American company, does that it means it is OK for other governments to demand the same for US companies trying to do business abroad?

I have to say that I am getting a little tired of the critiques of Ilhan Omar here in Minnesota’s fifth district that focus on her “celebrity” as a bad thing that should be held against her. I disagree with Omar on many things. And I agree that she has made some mistakes that she needs to learn from. She needs to improve at her job, as most of us do.

Voted by mail for the first time today. I don’t typically vote in primaries, but this year has been anything but typical.

🏈 If the NFL does have games this year then there is going to be a huge increase in demand for live streaming. I wonder if DirectTV will remain the exclusive provider or if they will make more options available due to COVID-19.

Back to Micro.blog after more than a year away. Hopefully I’m back to stay this time…

I only got up for a few minutes, but it was plenty of time for this little devil to steal my spot on the couch.

We’re all excited for this show!

Taking in a show at The Orpheum in Minneapolis. This was great family fun for any Twin Cities folks looking for a good laugh.

Just happened to throw on a Star Wars t-shirt today, without realizing it was May the 4th…

Nothing like an unexpected $2000 bill for my wife’s allergy treatments to remind me of how screwed up the US healthcare system is.

This red-winged blackbird has been looking at his own reflection all day. I think I will name him Narcissus.

No matter how many times I “thumbs down” his songs, Pandora seems to never learn that I don’t like ANY Neil Young.

Offspring #1 on her first day of braces.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the Musical

Baby it’s cold outside…

Today I had a co-worker tell me “I think in PowerPoint”. I don’t think I’d be telling people if I was burdened with such an affliction.

Record cold snap is hitting much of the US. I wonder how long it will take before Trump cites it as proof that climate change is a hoax.

Finally got to try out the battery-powered snowblower I got for Christmas. So nice to come in after clearing the driveway not stinking of oil and gas.

25 people sitting in a room for 2 days of product planning meetings. At least 10 of those people really like to hear themselves talk. I strongly suspect that we will be officially behind schedule within the hour.

A great ad

I’d be more sympathetic to critiques of Democrats in the government funding debate if Senate leadership would allow votes on the bills presented by House leadership. McConnell is too afraid of his base to be a real leader.

Ugh… So sick of the Patriots making it to (at least) the AFC championship game every flippin’ year.

This girl is making over her room, and doing the IKEA furniture assembly herself. The Vittsjö shelves are coming along nicely.

Looks like Bitsy has been snacking on puzzle pieces. Apparently the red ones are the tastiest.

I’ve been watching Pine Gap on Netflix, and finding it a bit weird because I spent some time working in that facility back in the 90s. Brings back a lot of memories from my time lurking around in Alice Springs.

I grew up in an area of New Jersey where you could find a Dunkin Donuts at almost any corner. I was very excited when they opened one near me in Minneapolis. Unfortunately, this is not the DD I was looking for. Nostalgia denied…

As I try to reduce my use of Facebook, I am struck by how addicted I’ve become to the notifications I get when something I post is liked. I like that m.b. doesn’t feed my addiction, but I feel a bit like a smoker having a nicotine craving.

Our next-door neighbor passed away sometime in the past few days. He lived alone and wasn’t found until a police check-in after a relative reported their concern. We didn’t know him too well, but I am always saddened when someone is alone through their final hours.

I’m thinking that 2019 is the year to kick my Facebook habit. Not sure how successful I will be, but it’s worth a try.

Beautiful autumn day on Lake Superior

If you are more concerned about the (roughly) 5% of sexual assault accusations that turn out to be false, than about the (roughly) 65% of sexual assault victims who never report, then you are part of the problem.

I think it is time to seriously consider putting term limits and/or age limits on US Supreme Court judges.

New rule: Americans who supported the Republican refusal to give Merrick Garland a hearing until after the 2016 election are not allowed to criticize Democratic efforts to delay a vote on Brett Kavanuagh until after the 2018 election.

Just found out that our boiler needs to be replaced if we expect heat this winter. That is going to cost a pretty penny ☹️

Ready for that elusive first victory of the season: Go Steelers! 🏈

The fly in my house tormenting me for the last couple of days is finally dead. Maybe now I can relax a bit.

The amount of rainfall in Minneapolis today has been impressive. Lots of localized flooding, so I’m glad that I live at the top of a hill.

Can’t believe my Steelers only managed to tie the lowly Cleveland Browns. Not a good start to my NFL season. 🏈

Getting goofy at Fort Snelling State Park

I’ve lived in Minnesota for 20+ years and somehow never made it to Fort Snelling State Park. Today was the perfect day for a hike there.

Foggy morning at the lake (near Brainerd, Minnesota)

Unfortunately, this cute little bat might have bitten my daughter. Glad we caught him so he can be tested for rabies, but sad for the sacrifice he’ll have to make for that testing.

Hamilton has arrived in Minneapolis. The big night has finally arrived! The smallest child is particularly excited.

Nothing like visiting a customer site for a software installation because they insist you be there rather than doing it remotely, only to sit around while they try to figure out their own VM infrastructure.

Very proud of my wife Amy: One of her bird watching programs for kids just got covered in Birder’s Guide Magazine. Her program starts at the bottom of page 7 for anyone who is interested.

With all the high-tech gadgetry my kids are accustomed to, it was entertaining to watch Ellery being flummoxed by the magic of copy paper. Filling out a form on paper, and then getting the yellow copy to keep for herself blew her mind.

The giant bacon on a stick was quite tasty

Ready to ride the spider, MN State Fair midway

My fair favorite- Peterson’s pork chop on a stick.

1000+ pounds of pork…

The mass of humanity know as the Minnesota State Fair

I am delighted that former Trump associates are being held accountable for their illegal actions. But I am saddened by my suspicions that these convictions will have zero impact on the voters who support the despicable human being they elected.

I’ve been playing around with GraphQL for an API design. It seems to have a lot of nice advantages over traditional REST, but I’m really frustrated by some of its limitations. Mutating APIs are particularly frustrating.

So with breaking news that Paul Manafort is guilty on 8 counts, and Michael Cohen is turning himself in as part of a criminal plea deal, Fox News finds it more newsworthy that the suspect in the Molly Tibbetts murder is an illegal alien.

Just discovered a major security flaw in our software, right as we’re trying to get a release out. Not fun.

It’s just pre-season but I’m ready to watch some football. Go Steelers!

Re-watched Avengers: Infinity War with the family last night. We had to pause every 15 minutes or so to discuss/debate the back story for each infinity stone. It is all so confusing!

After a short walk in the Minneapolis heat, Boomer chooses a resting spot where his face is right on the air conditioning vent. I think I need to do the same!

Tonight is the first Steelers pre-season game. In other words, this marks the beginning of a 20+ week period where I become an obsessed fan with a one-track mind.

Ready for our 17 hour drive to upstate NY. Wish us luck!

For the last year I’ve been driving a car that starts without removing the key from my pocket. I just ran errands with my wife’s car and actually had to find the keys to unlock, and wow was that annoying! How did I live that way for so long?

Watched “The Bleeding Edge” on Netflix last night. It was very critical of the medical device industry, which I happen to work for. It is unfortunately biased and doesn’t tell the whole story. However, it does raise some valid concerns. It’s worth a watch.

Just watched “The Bleeding Edge” on Netflix. It’s a pretty harsh takedown of the medical device industry that I work in. There’s definitely an unfair negative bias in their perspective but there is a lot of truth as well. It’s worth a watch.

Just completed my first escape room with my daughter and 4 of her friends. The 13-year-olds solved a lot more of it than I did, but I did make at least one contribution to our success.

Getting whipped at Pinochle, sitting at the Mall of America while the birthday girl and her friends ride the rides.

Thea turns 11 today!

When I was younger I always loved The Kinks song “Art Lover”. Just listened to it for the first tine in many years, and holy crap is it creepy.

Yesterday my car’s dashboard messaging system told me that it needed to run the gas engine for a few minutes for maintenance, all due to lack of use. It’s a nice reminder of all the gas I haven’t been using since getting my Volt.

Just upgraded my daughter from an iPhone SE to an iPhone 8 for her 13th birthday. I may come to regret this.

This is how Boomer likes to spend his Saturday afternoons

Freshly picked from the bush behind our garage

Feeling very angry right now: One of our company’s VPs is circulating a “how dumb were you to use Nginx in our product” email. His only reason for concern seems to be that it was originally created by Russians, and therefore it is a security risk.

The product I am currently working on uses Nginx as its web server and reverse proxy. I’m hearing vague rumblings that one of our large customers is raising security concerns about that. Has anyone heard of serious security concerns with Nginx that I have somehow missed?

To any of you in the Twin Cities who appreciate good authentic Mexican food: My friend Lorenzo has just opened his third Catrina‘s Mexican Restaurant in the area, this one in St. Paul. Stop in and give it a try!

Last night I watched the extended cut version of “Stripes” on Amazon Prime. I can say with confidence that all the extra scenes were best left on the cutting room floor.

I think Thea wants to be a lumberjack when she grows up

Minnesota Chain Saw Massacre?

Just before the first skyrockets launched

Ready for fireworks on the fourth: Brainerd, MN

Big storm overnight took down 2 trees, plus our power lines

Best way to cool down? Boomer finds the lake.

Vacation time!

I’m ready for winter’s return

Heading out of town for a week of vacation. A perfect time to achieve Inbox Zero at work.

My recent despair over the future of the United States, paired with the strong urge to try living somewhere else, has me wondering: What is keeping me where I am, other than the discomfort that comes from change. Having my kids live near their grandparents while they are still alive is one factor, but I’m not sure how important that is in the grand scheme of things.

Ready for the 2018 Pride Parade in Minneapolis

My 2017 Chevy Volt - aka “Lord Volt-e-mort” - reached 10,000 miles today. I hope the next 10k will be as enjoyable as the first 10k have been.

I am considering a new hobby development project. It is likely to be primarily server-side code - an API with some kind of persistent storage, a web app that interacts with the API to get data, etc. I’d like to do the server-side code in Swift if possible, probably using a web framework like Vapor or something similar if anything similar exists. Any advice or experiences you’d care to share about my options?

I went to my daughter’s dance recital a couple of days ago. There were dozens of girls ranging in age from about 4 through 17. There were also 4 or 5 boys performing. I found the difference in costumes between boys and girls to be telling: In general, the girls wore heavy makeup and tight form-fitting costumes. The boys wore little to no makeup and loose-fitting long pants and shirts.

My 10-year-old daughter made me a mother board cake for father’s day. I’m a lucky dad.

Just binge watched “The Staircase” : It really shows how flawed the US justice system can be sometimes. Powerful stuff.

Sisters

Installing OmniFocus 3 has inspired me to get all my “to do“ things in order again. I was well organized until about a year ago, but somehow I lapsed into chaos. Here’s hoping I can get organized and stay that way this tine.

Just walked the 2.5 mikes from my hotel to the office I’m visiting on Waterloo, Ontario. Such a lovely walkable town, and so much better than sitting in the car on a beautiful sunny day.

Am I the only one who can’t fly into YYZ without breaking into a little air guitar riff?

Long lines at MSP airport security checkpoints this morning. Fun!

And just like that, 5 months of beard growth is gone.

My youngest never liked the beard, so she jumped at the chance to shave it off for me.

A mustache-trimming mishap today means the end of my beard growing experiment.

Just finished my second weekend of softball tournament parenting in 3 weeks. All told I’ve watched my daughter play in 9 games, all losses. Tough to see them go through the constant losing, but glad to see them getting better all the time.

Time for an adventure on the lake

At my happy place

Forgot my AirPods at home today so I’m using my backup Apple ear buds. I’ve gotten the wire caught up 4 times in the past 2 hours. How did I manage to live with this annoyance for so long before AirPods came along?

I think all puppies are cute, but bullmastiff puppies are probably the cutest.

Last night I used an iPhone app called SpotHero to find parking in St. Paul. It’s one of those apps that I rarely need, but when I do I am so thankful it exists. This app does one thing extremely well, and is a pleasure to use. I highly recommend it.

After watching Cantare at the Ordway tonight, I am reminded that America is at its best when it honors and embraces other cultures rather than vilifying those cultures and trying to keep them away. Tonight I saw hundreds of kids with different ethnicities, ages, and backgrounds on stage together. Those kids were all enjoying their part in a show that celebrates the music and culture of Mexico. I suspect that not one of those kids was worried that honoring Mexican culture would diminish the value of their own culture in some way.

At The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts in St. Paul, Minnesota for the VocalEssence ¡Cantare! 10th Anniversary Community Concert. My 5th-grader’s class will be making their Ordway debut during this show.

Freddy the Guinea Pig meets Sergeant Pepper the Foster Bunny

This little fella was sitting in the pond by our office parking lot. Muskrats are so adorable.

It’s been over 30 years since I graduated high school. In those 30 years I’ve sometimes regretted choosing the school that I did. Not that it was a bad school, but I feel like I would have been more social and made lasting friendships had I chosen the alternate school I was considering at the time. This regret has now gotten more serious: The school I could (should) have gone to was Delbarton in Morristown, NJ.

So a remote co-worker who I only interact with occasionally is in the office this week. Before this office visit began, we were informed that this co-worker has begun the process of gender transition (male to female). And while I’ve always been 100% supportive of trans rights from afar, this is the first in-person encounter for me that I am aware of. Since I only work with her occasionally, there is very little chance that I would happen to run into her this week unless I make an effort to find her.

I was awakened 30 minutes before my alarm this morning by a ruckus somewhere in the house. Turns out that Sergeant Pepper, the bunny we are fostering, decided it was time to rearrange his furniture. Bad bunny!

And so the annual process begins anew: School administrators send out reminders about dress codes now that warmer weather is here. Large numbers of parents get upset at the gender inequality of those dress codes and take to PTA meetings (and to Facebook) to complain. People who express any form of disagreement with those parents are accused of gender shaming, and are forced to crawl back under the rocks from whence they came.

So Trump is complaining about the White House correspondents dinner being an embarrassment to the country, and referring to Michelle Wolf as a “filthy” comedian? This is coming from the guy who said “Grab ‘em by the pussy”, right?

Just watched the new Netflix documentary “Bobby Kennedy for President” and found it fascinating. I’ve always had an interest in American history but I know so little about this particular chapter. I have a lot to learn.

A lovely (but chilly) evening at Target Field. Go Twins!

I’ve been catching up on my podcasts and just listened to Core Intuition Episode 321. @danielpunkass and @manton had interesting points about Apple’s place in education, but I find myself wondering: Does Google’s dominance in that market really matter to Apple? I’m not sure that it does (or that it should).

I am thinking about finally publishing an occasional long-form post hosted on Micro.blog. I don’t have a WordPress blog or anything like it. What tool(s) do people recommend for creating long-form posts? Do I need to invest in MarsEdit or something else?

The B.O.S.S. team is ready for the 2018 Destination Imagination Minnesota state tournament.

Destination Imagination, Minnesota state tournament day

NFL schedule is out: I guess it’s tine to start making plans to see my Steelers play somewhere.

Why is it that policy disconnects between Trump and his administration members are routinely clarified or walked back, yet when it happens with Nikki Haley the explanation is “she got confused” ? Sexism is alive and well in this administration.

I just came back from 2 weeks in Hawaii, hoping that I had missed the last of the Minneapolis snow. I guess I should have stayed a few more days: The 2 days of blizzard conditions have started!

The Haleakalā Silversword

Black-crowned night heron, Kealia Coastal Boardwalk, Maui

Maui sunset, from our hotel balcony

A fabulous day swimming with dolphins and snorkeling around a coral reef. Our last day on the Big Island with these wonderful friends. Next, we move on to Maui.

Normally I advise my children to avoid strange men in back alleys wielding machetes. But this guy in Kona was using said machete to carve up this supply of fresh coconut milk.

For those of you who always wondered how many children can fit in the back of a Jeep Patriot: Four. The answer is four.

Enjoying a sunset stroll with good friends who are also vacationing in Hawaii.

My diminutive 10-year-old got sick while hiking the Kīlauea Iki crater trail today. I am split between the sadness of seeing my daughter puking every 20 minutes, and the amusement at the irony that Kīlauea Iki translates to “little spewer”

Overlooking the Kīlauea Iki trail at Volcanos National Park.

Had a fabulous time touring the Kanaloa octopus farm today. These animals are so fascinating. If you happen to visit the Kona, HI area I highly recommend it!

Big Island, Hawaii

2+ weeks of vacation starts now. I wish I had gotten more done at work before leaving, but won’t lose any sleep over that.

Ellery, Avery, and Elly are all smiles as they prepare for their History Day competition performance. They didn’t make it to the state finals but we are so proud of how hard these girls worked to get this far.

My daughter got a prescription from the doctor that turned out to cost $200. After asking about alternatives, we were told that a $9 generic would be just as good. What a screwed up country we Americans live in.

Yesterday morning I woke up my daughter my having Alexa (loudly) play “Baba O’Riley” by The Who. Last night I heard her telling a friend about it, saying “He played some really old song from the 90s”.

I bought a new Chevy Volt plug-in hybrid vehicle last May. Part of the justification for buying new instead of used was the $7500 tax credit for new electric vehicles. Our new accountant managed to miss that detail when preparing our return. I’m really glad I caught his mistake!

For those of you working on large-scale server software development projects that manage data workflows, take a look at the Apache NiFi project. I’ve been really impressed with its power, flexibility, and extensibility.

At this time next week I will be on a plane headed for Hawaii. I’m very excited, but holy crap do I have a lot to do before I leave.

Just 1 last work week before my 2-week vacation: I have a sneaking suspicion that my co-workers will suddenly need help from me before I leave. It is going to be a busy week.

Bitsy and Boomer sure do love to lounge in front of the fireplace

Are there any other developers out there who are eager to do more iOS development, but who absolutely hate using XCode? I hear lots of seasoned Mac/iOS developers sing the praises of XCode, but personally I find it to be so much worse than other IDEs I have used.

Regional champions: Onwards to state

Destination Imagination, 2018 Regional Competition

Getting ready for a math coaching session with 4 10-year-old girls. Love seeing young girls get excited about math.

Bitsy and her “You can’t have my toy” face

Guess who is top dog in our house?

I’m fed up with adults who criticize students that choose to march in support of gun policy changes. We “adults” in America have failed to lead on this issue. We need to get the hell out of the way, and allow our children to do what we have failed to do.

I am constantly hearing from critics of too much “screen time” for children. I’m all for limiting my kids’ time spent on YouTube and other forms of media consumption, but want to encourage use of screen time for creative endeavors. Am I wrong for making this distinction?

Bold prediction: No matter what happens in today’s special election for Pennsylvania’s 18th Congressional District, Trump will tout the results as proof of how popular he is.

As a new micro blogger (of any kind), I could use a primer covering the do’s and don’ts. I’d appreciate links to any recommended resources.

I have no preference between daylight savings time and standard time. I just wish we would pick one and stick with it. So tired of this “spring forward, fall back” crap.

It’s a Minnesota thing