I'm Never Gonna Get One

So today in World of Warcraft land instead of the fishing and cooking I've been doing the last few days, I was farming for this:  Captured Firefly.  The drop rate sucks.  I am never gonna get one.  David ran around with me to help me kill faster (which we did) but still no luck.

It has been so nice to be a waste of space the last few days.  I feel like I'm finally not so tense.  It is nice.  I actually made waffles for breakfast, and then a crockpot roast for dinner.  I'm not looking forward to having to go back, but it will only be painful the first few days. :)

Maybe my little bug will drop tomorrow...

~Emily

5:30 am Came Way Too Early...

and considering that it was really 3:30 for us that is a very true statement.  The good thing about an early flight is you get home early.  The bad thing about an early flight is you have to get up early.  We had a great few days with my family, but it was time to head home.  We have many things we want to accomplish this week (including so very much needed recharging after some really had weeks at work).

Anyway, we got up and got moving and made it to the airport just when we wanted to.  We went to the ticket calendar to check in and get our seat assignments, only to find out that we did not have seats for the second flight.  Considering this tickets were purchased at least a month ago, this was a very frustrating and stressful situation to be faced with (and don't forget that it is early and I am a grump in the morning).  We head to our gate now fearing that we might be forced to live in Utah.  Needless to say we were gloomy.  The first flight was pretty full.  We got into Salt Lake a little earlier and made our way as quick as we could to the ticket counter.  Thankfully, we got lucky and we had seats.  But still, just the fact that we had to go all that time worrying about it was really really really really irritating.  While we had been waiting for our various flights it was common to hear announcements about overbooked flights.  I mean, come on.  How is it that the airlines can't keep track of how many people have booked a flight?  I thought the Internet was supposed to make things like that even easier.  This whole concept of having purchased tickets online and then not having guaranteed seats on one of the FOUR flights we took is just absurd.  

Our flight into Salem was also almost full.  It was so nice to feel the cool Salem breeze hit our sweaty cranky skin as we walked off the plane.  We were unloaded, found our luggage and headed to Dutch Bros in no time.  Despite the stress of the possibility of having to live out the rest of our lives in Utah flying in and out of Salem was pretty nice!  Hopefully it will continue to be an option for us, for those rare times when our travel requires flight.

I think our kitty missed us.  Once she decided it was really us (I think it helped to wash all the strange smells off) she spent the rest of the day on my lap or sleeping on David's footstool.  I really enjoyed seeing the family, but it's also really nice to be home.  I'm looking forward to some good coffee tomorrow, and the good nights sleep tonight!

~Emily

Memorial Day

Today it was hard not to think about those loved ones that are no longer with me.  Even though they aren't here with me, I still feel their influence on my life.  My life is better for having known them, and I cherish the time I had with each of them.

Today was also our last full day in Nebraska.  We have an early flight out tomorrow, which I am not looking forward to.  I am looking forward to being home, and seeing out kitty (who I am sure believes we have been eaten by the huge silver beast we disappeared into).

We spent the morning at the farm.  Some family had was already departing.  My parents had moved on to see one of my Mom's friends.  One of my cousins and his family had left before we arrived.  So it was a smaller group at the farm this morning.  It was nice to sit around the kitchen table (which is always too small for the group that wants to be there-regardless of the house/kitchen) and share stories and joke about things that have come to pass.  For example, the number of fires that have occurred on the farm since my Uncle took over was a great topic this morning.  The number of fires that occurred started out at 3 and was quickly corrected to almost 10 with the help of my Aunts.  And then, as if to tempt fate, my uncle starts a bonfire so we can roast hotdogs, and walks away from it.  We had to tease him about that the rest of the day.  As far as I know the fire did as it was supposed to (although we did leave before it was completely out).  We made the farewells, which is always hard because the time goes so fast and it's hard to leave knowing it may be a year or two before I see some of my family again, and with things that have happened to family in the last few years you just never know what may happen in a year.  

This evening we had dinner at my Uncle Ralph's house.  My Aunt Verda and Uncle Ron were there; they are staying the night before they continue their journey.  So we had a lovely home cooked diner with the three of them.   This was the first time David has seen Uncle Ralph's house, so it was nice that we could visit.  It was also nice to spend time with them in a smaller, quieter setting.  It was a lovely evening, that leaves me looking forward to the next encounter.

Now, I am trying to figure out how I am going to get to sleep so I'm not a grumpy zombie pain in the butt tomorrow.  At least I can sort of sleep on the plane (I love my iphone).  

I'm sure I'll have more to say once I'm back home in my comfy chair with my cat glaring at the computer because she wants to be in my lap.  It was a good couple of days, and I know without a doubt how much my David loves me. 

~Emily

Full Story at 11

Today was a day of firsts: My first taste of Cousin Joe's favorite (and now one of mine) beer--Hopluia, a dry hopped ale done by the Cortland, NE Spilker Ales; my first hay ride on a flat pulled by a 1941 John Deer tractor (can you say adorable?) which was driven by Uncle Oran; and (cue music of doom) my first tornado warning!

After our hay ride was finished and Uncle Oran had put away the tractor, the sky grew ominously dark and it became eerily quiet. The wind started picking up, so we all headed inside. Not five minutes later and as we were getting ready to leave to head back to Omaha for the night, the wind started howling and blowing dust and rain completely horizontally. One of the farm dogs, who had never tried to run into the house before, dashed inside while Oran was looking outside. What happened next raised the hair on the back of my neck. Oran said, simply, I think we'd better head to the basement and told us our trip to Omaha would have to wait. So down we went, to the sound of the weather warning system in the kitchen. Maybe I've seen "Twister" one too many times, but I was a bit spooked by this sudden turn of events.

I don't think we were in any real danger, but the news did show a nasty storm system right over us and covering the entire SW portion of the state. Pretty surreal and freaky; a moment I shall probably never forget.

Other than the weather drama, we did have a great time catching up with my sweetie's family. They're a great bunch of folks, and I always enjoy my time with them.

More later.

~David

Postscript: We later found out that twisters, caused by the same storm that threatened us, killed seven people in Iowa, including one toddler. This is serious s**t.

Today part 2 (Emily's View)

After an okay cup of coffee and a chocolate muffin that did not deserve to have the name of chocolate muffin, we headed to the family farm.  We had about a two hour drive, which really wasn't bad.  It was nice to see some of the state without having to drive across the state (as I am used to doing with my parents).  We arrived at the farm just in time to say hello to everyone before we sat down to eat.  It was good food, and good company.  We got to visit with most of my cousins (sadly not everyone could make it).   We spent the day just catching up, talking about what we have been up to and what they have been up to.  Later in the day my uncle fired up one of the old tractors and took us all on a hay ride.  This was my first hay ride, and it was a blast!  Then, the skies darkened, the winds suddenly picked up, and we found ourselves being directed to the basement.  It was just a storm warning, but it was something we aren't used to having in Oregon.  We had a good day, we had an adventure, and we made it back safe to Omaha.  Now I'm waiting for a sandwich to arrive.  :)  More to come, my brain is tired.

~Emily

Today

So obviously I figured out the internet issue (yay!).  Today we head to the family farm for  a day of family, fun and farm.  I'm not really sure who all is going to be there, I'm pretty sure it will be all my aunts and uncles, but I'm not sure which cousins will be in attendance.  I'm dreading the navigation part of the day, we are staying 2 hours away from the farm and I am a horrible co-pilot, and a worse driver.  I know we will get there, it's just the getting there part that makes my head hurt.   David just teased me that I'm blogging too much. ;)

~Emily

We Made It!

So this post was supposed to be posted yesterday, but I was too tired/retarded/grumpy to try to figure out how to get/pay/use the wireless in our room.

The flights could have been worse.  We flew out from Salem, so we didn’t have to make the hour drive to Portland, which meant more time at home with Riley (who we call Puppy-just for those of you who don’t know).  The Salem airport is small, but cute, and the flight out was not bad.  It was a tight fight (as I am not a delicate flower but more of a  fat load), but the plane wasn’t full and that made it just seem better.  The connecting flight in Utah was full, and we and a snot nosed brat in the row behind us.  That made for a tense flight, but thank god for itunes and my iphone.  All and all, it wasn’t a horrible experience.  We’ll see how the journey home goes.  I don’t mind the smaller planes, and I really like that we are closer to home going this route.  

We found our luggage, found our POS rental car, and finally found the the hotel (thank god we saw the shuttle in front of us that said 1-800-Hilton, we followed that bad boy all the way to the hotel.  

Thankfully check in and finding the room went fast, and the hotel has a restaurant.  We had some meat and potatoes, as well as a much needed drink.  Now we are unwinding in our room getting ready to sleep and mentally prepare for what ever may happen tomorrow.

~Emily

I Am A Retard

Why do I always, ALWAYS put off packing until the last possible minute?  It stresses me out and makes me grumpy, and the last thing I need to be is stressed and grumpy the night before I get on a small airplane.

I just have to remember it will get done, and I won't go naked.  I guess I'm just unwinding from a really stressful week and gearing up for a different week to come.  I'm looking forward to seeing family, a little stressed about dealing with my parents, and very stressed about what is going to happen at work while I am away (there is this whole work drama going on and I feel like I opened a can of worms and left).  The best thing to do is focus on my really cute husband who is currently loading part of his music collection onto his new lap top-so he can cope with me this weekend.  I think he has the right idea, I love him! :)

~Emily

Gorilla In My Brain; He Thinks He Can Dance

My head is killing me.  I have had a headache for the last three days.  It feels like there is a gorilla tryting to beat his way out of my skull.   I am so incredibly glad that tomorrow is Friday.

Tonight is the first night of this season of So You Think You Can Dance.  I love this show.  It will be a few weeks of watching the sometimes painful auditions, but then we get to the goods stuff.  I have been looking forward to this since the end of last season and the crowning of Sabra as the winner.  Some guy just took his pants off for the camera.  Who knows what this season has in store.

Saturday we are leaving.  We are going to a land far far far far away called Nebraska.  I have family there and we are heading to this far away place to celebrate birthdays, anniversary's and family.  David and I have almost two full weeks off together (the last few days of the vacation I will actually be at a work retreat, and from what I have heard it will be not much fun but it's my first one so I'm excited) and that is a super rare treat.  I'm looking forward to the down down, as David has said work has been a little stressful.  

Alright, my head is throbbing and spelling is becoming even more of a challenge than normal (pardon all my typos).  

~Emily (and skull gorilla)

Yay! I made it!

I commuted for the last time for two, whole, blessed, wonderful, and very much needed weeks of heavenly bliss. A bit over the top say you? I don't think so. Work has been the giant suck for both of us and we really need this time off. It's either that or we start bringing some serious carnage to the workplace. :) I jest (or do I? ).

Tomorrow is a "work from home" day, which is another way of saying that I plan on doing as little work as possible. I'm a short-timer dammit. Don't you get it?

Tag! You're it Emily! :)

~David

Four more days and then...

... two weeks of bliss. Beginning Saturday, Emily and I are on vacation for two whole weeks. I haven't had a two-week long vacation in ... gosh, I really can't remember when. I've only had two, two-week vacations since I graduated college back in 1986. Curse my solid work ethic! It suffices to say that I'm stoked about the time off. I'll let Emily fill in the details if she's so inclined.

I'm (almost) outta here.

~David

It Was a Nice Weekend

Weekends are always nice--any time spent away from work and with ones loved ones is a wondrous thing. This weekend was especially nice. Emily and I don't get out much. The demands of our jobs (her work load and my extreme commute) leave us devoid of energy and with no desire to do much of anything that isn't necessary to maintain either ourselves our home. But this weekend, we drove up to Portland to spend some time with Emily's sister and her husband, and we had a wonderful time.

We toured parts of Portland that we'd never seen before: Historic Mississippi Street and The Pearl. Mississippi street feels like the 70s--lots of shops owned by local artisans; lots of young, hip people wandering around, etc. The Pearl is, from my initial observation, an upscale shopping district (i.e., not the kind of place you'd usually find either Emily or myself), but there are a few gems tucked in there that aren't the typical shopping grounds of the rich and selfish. Two such gems were Andina, an absolutely marvelous Peruvian Restaurant; the other was a local liquor store called Pearl Specialty Market & Spirits. The former is plainly the best restaurant I've eaten at to date in Portland. We ate a scrumptious meal that left us wanting for nothing except a food-coma-induced nap. The latter has a good selection of liquors, including a local favorite gin called Aviator (which I brought home with me, naturally).

After our adventures, we headed back to their place to play some Wii; Mario Kart in particular. It's a great game and perfect for when one's head isn't really capable of much of anything else.

Today, we slept in (a bit), relaxed, and played some WoW--something we haven't done very much of in a very long while.

But all good things come to an end, so it is with much regret that I sign off. Tomorrow is Monday (much swearing) and it's almost time to be off to my bed.

Here's to a speedy week.

~David

Yay, We Did It!

David and I survived another work week!  This week was choc-a-bloc full of the usualy snark.  I had some co-worker snarkiness, sometimes I just don't understand where people are coming from.  Of course I'm too nice to come right out and say what I want to say to this person.  I guess the little voice in the back of my mind reminding me I have to work with the person every day is a good thing, because I think what I really want to say would damage the work relationship I have with this person.  I guess life is full of tough choices, and I'm at a point where I'm going to have to make one.  Thankfully, I don't have to do that today, or even tomorrow.

Despite all that, I had a lovely breakfast with David at a place downtown we've been talking about trying.  And we had a nice evening together, even though I may have tortured him some with some PvPing in World of Warcraft.  Tomorrow we get to enjoy Portland with my Sister and her Husband.  We always have a blast with the, and I have a feeling some Mario cart racing might be in our future.

~Emily

Gosh... wouldn't it be cool...

I am a software engineer. I studied mathematics and computer science in college and then graduate school, but these days, I rarely use my hard-won, mad mathematicz and programming skillz. In fact, I haven't written a C program in probably eight years, and I really miss it. The work I do today has little (if anything) to do with engineering and is, in fact, boring as all hell. I need a change.

Now that I have a Mac(Book) and an iPhone, I thought it would be cool to learn how to write applications for the iPhone. So I registered with Apple and downloaded the SDK. (I also registered as a Mac developer just for giggles.) I wrote my first program: the obligatory "Hello, World!" program. Wow... that was fun! :)

So now I'm thinking: Gosh... wouldn't it be cool to write iPhone applications for a living? It would; and with over $100M available in capital from just one vulture capitalist, I'm sure it will be a bit of a booming industry. Not booming in the Web 2.0 sense, but I think there will be demand for knowledgeable programmers. I've already decided what to do for my first application: I'll write a virtual labyrinth game. There's already one out there, but I'll develop my own anyway, just for fun.

Peace.

~David

This Show is So Wrong...

...but it makes me laugh!  David and I have been enjoying a double dose of Family Guy every evening.  I love how witty it is.  I am all for a tv show that says what it wants to say, leaving no doubt about how they really feel about, oh just about anything!  After a snarky day at work it's nice to have a show that vents for you.  It makes me miss the early years of South Park, which in my opinion have just gone too over the top.  It's nice to have wacky tv options.

~Emily

Who Knew...

that our truck had super powers!  We were in the drive through at McDonalds this morning, we had just paid and were waiting to pull forward for our food when the car behind us hits us.  Thankfully momentum wasn't much, but the fact that he pulled forward into our truck.  He was driving some little four door piece of junk.  We were in our Dodge Ram 1500 (not this model, this is the new one, but this is the color and the make/model.).  We all got our food and pulled into parking spots.  They guy said he pulled forward because the gal was urging him to, and he didn't see our truck.  He.  Didn't.  See. Our.  Truck.  I guess the truck has the power of invisibility!  Thankfully the truck wasn't hurt, and I don't think his car was either.  I'm still amazed he hit us.  What an odd beginning to the day.

~Emily

It Just Works

Thus far, my experience with our new MacBooks has been amazingly positive. I honestly believe, now, that Apple is light years ahead of MicroSoft when it comes to design and, more importantly, implementation. Everything just works.

On Thursday, I had our Airport Extreme set up in about a minute; and about two minutes later, our MBs were connected and surfing the Internet. No fuss, no bother, it just worked.

Friday, I spent some time researching printers. I wanted a black and white laser printer (toner cartridges don't dry out) and I wanted one that would work with minimal fuss and bother. I read a ton of reviews and I finally settled on a Brother HL-2170W--a network ready, no-fuss-no-bother printer. The reviews all said plainly this: "It just works." And you know what? It really does just work. I connected it up to the Airport via USB, downloaded the driver from their website, and in mere minutes, both of our MBs were printing to the device. This stuff really is plug and play. Microsoft loves to talk about plug and play, but Apple walks the walk.

We also installed our favorite game (World of Warcraft) on our MBs, and it works swimmingly. The display is gorgeous and I don't see any limitation of playing on the MB vs. playing on the PC. Naturally, the wireless probably isn't the right way to go for raiding--it's latency characteristics are inferior to a direct Ethernet connection, but we're still getting 50fps via the Airport. Nice! It just works.

So, for now, both of our PCs are powered off and I can't really see myself using it much now. I just love my Mac.

~David

My Thoughts for the Day

Do you hear that?  That is the sound of crickets.  My brain has officially checked out for the weekend.  The week beat the crap out of it and it has gone into hiding.  I think my intelligence level for the weekend is going to be:  Fire bad.  Tree pretty.

~Emily

Silence! I'll kill you!

I'm sure I was probably that last person on this good Earth to see this, but never mind that. I have to post about my new favorite character: Achmed the Dead Terrorist. For those of you out there who might actually live more sheltered lives than my own, Achmed (the Dead Terrorist) is a puppet controlled by ventriloquist Jeff Dunham. You will find a great sketch on YouTube here. This is damned funny stuff. His other characters are a hoot as well.

My favorite parts are right in the beginning, where Achmed shouts at the audience: "Silence! I'll kill you;" rising in pitch each time. I was in tears the first time I saw it. I also liked the part where Achmed was asking if the audience were his promised virgins [for having blown himself up as a suicide bomber] and that he hoped not because there were a lot of ugly-ass guys out there. Jeff asks: "Well did they say they'd only be female virgins?" Achmed replies "Holy crap!"

Reminds me of a good joke. Knock knock! (Who's there?) Me! I'll kill you!

~David

T.G.I.F.

Two Giant Invertebrates Farting...

Oops! Wrong blog. :)

Thank God It's Friday! Seriously, thank whatever god is out there that today is officially "alarm clock off" day. It was a f**ker of a week, and I'm glad it's over.

And I swear to Christ: If I see one more helpless, precious and cute animal get hit by a car because some asshat, self-absorbed and self-important piece of shit can't be bothered to stop, I'm gonna start killing people.

Peace.

~David

Hooray for Fun Technology

Emily is sweet to thank me; but what she doesn't know is that I offered to buy her a new MacBook Pro so that I could have one. :) Okay, so I'm not giving Emily very much credit here--I'm sure she's figured out all of my secret ways of doing things by now. She knows full well I've been a closet Mac fan for a long, long time, and now I finally have one; we both do! :)

We're both sitting here, pretending to watch a movie, but our eyes are glued to our Mac screens. Puppy's eyes are fixed on Emily, as if to say "So... when do you think I'll get my lap back, you crazy, daft human?!" Life is good. :)

~David

Because Blogging is Fun...

I thought David and I should have a blog to post random tidbits of things.  Here is a random tidbit, my David is the coolest husband EVER!  Because of him, I am typing this blog entry in our living room, on my new MacBook Pro while watching tv and thinking how pretty our kitty cat is.  

~Emily