Wed - February 11, 2009
Sun - February 8, 2009
Something's missing...
While initially I had decided not to buy any new
toys with the anticipated tax return, I had a bit of a change of heart.
Behold...
Now the only thing missing is the bike that goes with it, which is currently in the shop getting some TLC.
I've been feeling very inactive lately, and while Presto and I cover quite a bit of miles each day, just plain walking doesn't really get the heart going. I've never enjoyed going to a gym and running has never been a favorite past time (unless I'm in pursuit of an ice cream truck or something). I enjoy taking the bike out but seeing that it's winter (contrary to the 60+ degree temperature today), it's not something that I can do with much frequency.
So I bought afore-pictured indoor trainer. I had several models to choose from but ultimately decided on the CycleOps Fluid2. It was more than I wanted to spend, especially since I'm not training for any races or anything, but compared to the lesser [magnetic] models, this this is far, far more quieter. I'm anxious to try it out, but as I said before, the bike is currently in the shop. Hopefully I'll get some good use out of it before the rider-friendly season begins, as well as burn some unwanted calories at the same time.
Posted at 02:57 PM
Sat - January 24, 2009
Still Some Magic Left
It's nice to to know that after almost 15 years (of
frequent listening), this album still puts me in a good mood.
Posted at 10:27 PM
Fri - January 2, 2009
Randoms
Another collection of random posts...
The Mystery
Girl
While at my parents house, I returned to my former bedroom. While poking around looking at all the books in the bookcase, many of which were not mine but somehow found their way into the room, I came across the above photo. I had no idea who was pictured. It's a nice picture and I thought to myself that I'd remember a pretty face like that. So I assumed that it belonged to my sister and that it, along with many of her books, found its way in my old bedroom. Jane didn't recognize her either. There wasn't anything written on the back either to give clues as to who she is or when it was taken. To this day, the pretty girl's identity remains a mystery.
This is About as Close as it (or we) Get
As noted in previous posts, Presto and Pippen have a funny relationship. Despite being scared of each other, they'll occasionally pose together in a photograph, and as usual, they try to pretend the other doesn't exist. Notice Presto's staring into space...
Sending New Year wishes to Nairobi, Kenya
Catherine is in Kenya again. Laurence and I prepared a special message to send on new year's eve:
Also, proof that I can occasionally win at a game of Scrabble:
Home Improvement
Prior to my trip to Buffalo last week, I noticed that the shutoff valve to the washing machine was leaking if left in the off position. My solution? Leave it in the on position. Of course, this was just a short term and quick fix. Today, I was adventurous and initiated a repair. The new part didn't exactly fit the old part and required some finagling. The end result? Success!
^ New valve (with blue lever) installed, with a mixture of new parts and old parts.
The Force is Strong With This One
While at our favorite pet place, the Pawtisserrie, I picked up Presto's lightsaber.
Actually, it's one of those nail trimmers that sand your pet's nails rather than clip them. Presto was actually pretty tame about it and let me sand down his front paws with little resistance. It really does resemble a lightsaber though, don't you think?
While at my parents house, I returned to my former bedroom. While poking around looking at all the books in the bookcase, many of which were not mine but somehow found their way into the room, I came across the above photo. I had no idea who was pictured. It's a nice picture and I thought to myself that I'd remember a pretty face like that. So I assumed that it belonged to my sister and that it, along with many of her books, found its way in my old bedroom. Jane didn't recognize her either. There wasn't anything written on the back either to give clues as to who she is or when it was taken. To this day, the pretty girl's identity remains a mystery.
This is About as Close as it (or we) Get
As noted in previous posts, Presto and Pippen have a funny relationship. Despite being scared of each other, they'll occasionally pose together in a photograph, and as usual, they try to pretend the other doesn't exist. Notice Presto's staring into space...
Sending New Year wishes to Nairobi, Kenya
Catherine is in Kenya again. Laurence and I prepared a special message to send on new year's eve:
Also, proof that I can occasionally win at a game of Scrabble:
Home Improvement
Prior to my trip to Buffalo last week, I noticed that the shutoff valve to the washing machine was leaking if left in the off position. My solution? Leave it in the on position. Of course, this was just a short term and quick fix. Today, I was adventurous and initiated a repair. The new part didn't exactly fit the old part and required some finagling. The end result? Success!
^ New valve (with blue lever) installed, with a mixture of new parts and old parts.
The Force is Strong With This One
While at our favorite pet place, the Pawtisserrie, I picked up Presto's lightsaber.
Actually, it's one of those nail trimmers that sand your pet's nails rather than clip them. Presto was actually pretty tame about it and let me sand down his front paws with little resistance. It really does resemble a lightsaber though, don't you think?
Posted at 10:48 PM
Fri - December 26, 2008
Christmas is Buffalo
Despite my anxiety over the drive to Buffalo,
Presto and I made it safely. Surprisingly, the worst part of the drive was
getting out of NJ and PA.
It was a pretty typical Christmas here at the Yoon
household. We attended midnight mass on Christmas eve (and all nearly dozed off
during the homily), came home and crashed. Christmas morning started with a
light breakfast and then gift exchange. This year, we added a photo shoot of one
Pippen Yoon. Observe:
And of course, one jealous (and scared of cats) puppy:
Presto and I hauled in some good loot. Presto got mostly snacks, bones, and treats. I think it is because my family has yet to discover toys that are Presto-grade™. Meaning, toys they get him are usually mangled within minutes.
I'm happy to report that Christmas 2008 is the year that the Yoon family became all-Mac.
Migrating things over from the pee cee are taking longer than they should (of course), but moving along.
Now, if I can get the family to start driving VWs, I'd be all set!
* * * * * * * *
And of course, one jealous (and scared of cats) puppy:
Presto and I hauled in some good loot. Presto got mostly snacks, bones, and treats. I think it is because my family has yet to discover toys that are Presto-grade™. Meaning, toys they get him are usually mangled within minutes.
I'm happy to report that Christmas 2008 is the year that the Yoon family became all-Mac.
Migrating things over from the pee cee are taking longer than they should (of course), but moving along.
Now, if I can get the family to start driving VWs, I'd be all set!
* * * * * * * *
Posted at 07:55 PM
Tue - December 16, 2008
An overdue post
There must have been a dozen or so things that have
happened in the last couple of weeks that prompted me to think: "I should put
that on the blog." Of course, I can't remember what they were. A few things
though, since you travelled all this way.
myPhone, not
yours
The day finally came where I could rid myself of my stinky RAZR cell phone and get me an iPhone. First impressions? It's awesome. Second impression? Same as the first. I haven't had a chance to really tap (no pun intended... OK, maybe just a little) into all of its features, but I have enjoyed it so far. Aside from all of its features, it really functions well as a phone. One of my biggest beefs with the RAZR was that I used maybe only 5% of its features because the other 95% were hard to access or unintuitive.
A brief timeout
I can add another Winter Festival under my belt. That's four total. This year was more of the same, and by the second hour or so, I was ready for it to be done with. By this time, things seemed to die down quite a bit. I somehow found myself at the cookie decorating station. Future tip: don't wear a black suit if you're planning on working around icing of any kind. It's messy!
After the festival, I hung around for a little bit for a Kwanzaa celebration. It wasn't technically part of the festival, but our department was co-sponsoring so I was asked to get some photos. I finally left work around 8:30 pm.
The students have left campus for winter recess so things have gotten to be rather quiet. It's a nice quiet which will be over before I know it. Until then, however, I can enjoy this little timeout from the craziness that puts bread on the table.
The weather outside is—confused, apparently
It's almost officially winter. I think Old Man Winter and Mother Nature are having a little spat though, as the weather can't seem to make up its mind. It goes from being in the 30s to the 60s and then back to the 30s again. Today we got some snow, but just the other day it was warm enough you didn't need a jacket. Presto and I will be heading up north in just a week and I can't help but be nervous. Getting there is hardly ever the problem. It's getting out that often gets to be a little tricky.
Holiday cheer
Well it's that time of year again. It's nearly a week away from Christmas and of course my annual holiday card hasn't been sent out yet. But worry not, friends! The art is done and should be finding its way into an INBOX near you! Aren't you excited? Is it me, or did the holidays just sneak up on us?
Hopefully I'll get at least another post in before the end of 2008, but don't hold me to it.
Cheers!
The day finally came where I could rid myself of my stinky RAZR cell phone and get me an iPhone. First impressions? It's awesome. Second impression? Same as the first. I haven't had a chance to really tap (no pun intended... OK, maybe just a little) into all of its features, but I have enjoyed it so far. Aside from all of its features, it really functions well as a phone. One of my biggest beefs with the RAZR was that I used maybe only 5% of its features because the other 95% were hard to access or unintuitive.
A brief timeout
I can add another Winter Festival under my belt. That's four total. This year was more of the same, and by the second hour or so, I was ready for it to be done with. By this time, things seemed to die down quite a bit. I somehow found myself at the cookie decorating station. Future tip: don't wear a black suit if you're planning on working around icing of any kind. It's messy!
After the festival, I hung around for a little bit for a Kwanzaa celebration. It wasn't technically part of the festival, but our department was co-sponsoring so I was asked to get some photos. I finally left work around 8:30 pm.
The students have left campus for winter recess so things have gotten to be rather quiet. It's a nice quiet which will be over before I know it. Until then, however, I can enjoy this little timeout from the craziness that puts bread on the table.
The weather outside is—confused, apparently
It's almost officially winter. I think Old Man Winter and Mother Nature are having a little spat though, as the weather can't seem to make up its mind. It goes from being in the 30s to the 60s and then back to the 30s again. Today we got some snow, but just the other day it was warm enough you didn't need a jacket. Presto and I will be heading up north in just a week and I can't help but be nervous. Getting there is hardly ever the problem. It's getting out that often gets to be a little tricky.
Holiday cheer
Well it's that time of year again. It's nearly a week away from Christmas and of course my annual holiday card hasn't been sent out yet. But worry not, friends! The art is done and should be finding its way into an INBOX near you! Aren't you excited? Is it me, or did the holidays just sneak up on us?
Hopefully I'll get at least another post in before the end of 2008, but don't hold me to it.
Cheers!
Posted at 09:32 PM
Mon - December 1, 2008
Almost there...
Only eleven more days...
^ The case I ordered arrived today. And like many other iPod/iPhone accessories, it came complete with a cardboard insert of a fauxPod/Phone.
Posted at 08:10 PM
Mon - November 24, 2008
Pie Catastrophe
In all my years of baking, this was a
first.
Well it may not look pretty, but it sure tastes good. So, while it wasn't suitable for me to take it into the office, I have an obligation to put it out of its misery.
At least its sibling came out reasonably OK with only minor deformities...
Posted at 08:40 PM
Oh, what a night!
Last Friday was my annual "Night Out With the
Ladies," and oh, what a night it was. First it was dinner at Carmine's on W.
44th, and then to the August Wilson Theatre to see Jersey Boys. While I
wasn't all that interested in seeing the show, I'll be the first to admit, it
was an AWESOME show. One of the most fun shows (or as Apple would say,
"funnest") shows I've seen. Afterwards, it was to Charlie O's on 8th Ave. for
some after-show drinks.
A friend of a friend was also in the show JB, both in the pit and on stage. We tried to meet up afterwards, but were unsuccessful. Had we been able to get to the theatre ahead of the show, Dave would have been able to give us a backstage tour, but things didn't work out unfortunately. Oh well, the show was great regardless, and the company was even better!
A friend of a friend was also in the show JB, both in the pit and on stage. We tried to meet up afterwards, but were unsuccessful. Had we been able to get to the theatre ahead of the show, Dave would have been able to give us a backstage tour, but things didn't work out unfortunately. Oh well, the show was great regardless, and the company was even better!
^ From Left: Robyn, Jackie, Holly, Joanie, Pam, Roberta, Vicki (and out of the frame in a bright pinkish windbreaker, Wendy)
^ Pam and me!
^Pam cops a feel.
Posted at 08:29 PM
Tue - November 11, 2008
Mon - November 10, 2008
Photoshop Phun
Every now and then, I get to take a break from the
regular rigamoroll of work and have some fun.
Before....
After...
The differences are subtle, but I was charged with removing the trailer truck that was parked by the left side of the concrete wall. While I was in there, I added some more body to the tree and some blue to the sky. I knew the left edge would be cropped so I didn't spend too much time on that. I also toned down the contrast a bit and pulled out some of the blue overtones in the building, which looked a bit purple (more so on the large print out). The finished product, which is a 48" x 24" photo came out pretty good, despite being magnified about 300 percent.
A closer look at before...
A closer look at after...
After...
The differences are subtle, but I was charged with removing the trailer truck that was parked by the left side of the concrete wall. While I was in there, I added some more body to the tree and some blue to the sky. I knew the left edge would be cropped so I didn't spend too much time on that. I also toned down the contrast a bit and pulled out some of the blue overtones in the building, which looked a bit purple (more so on the large print out). The finished product, which is a 48" x 24" photo came out pretty good, despite being magnified about 300 percent.
A closer look at before...
A closer look at after...
Posted at 08:06 PM
Mon - October 27, 2008
(Another) Wedding (and some Home Improvement)
^Leah (aka Stumper) and her pop walking down the isle.
^ Mr. & Mrs. Stumper
^ Good cake(s)!
^ The Petros!
^ The Willisesesesesesss...
^ First dance.
^ Let them eat cake! There was some cake smashing, too.
^ Pappa and daughter
^ That's one jolly husband!
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
While crashing a my folks, I took on a little home improvement project. Two ceiling fans needed repair. The first one, which was in my old bedroom, was a simple fix (just needed to yank on the pull chain). The second one was the fan in their family room. Upon quick inspection I was able to determine that fan blades had somehow removed themselves from the motor, which was still operational. A closer look revealed that repairing the fan was out of the question, so mom and I headed to Lowes.
The installation took a little longer than expected, but all in all, not too shabby!
This was different than the first ceiling fan I had installed myself at my own house in that it was a tad bit higher off the ground.
Unfortunately, I could not get the remote apparatus (bought separately) to work, so we're stuck with the unsightly string hanging from the fan speed chain for now. I'll give it another go on my next visit.
Posted at 08:28 PM
Mon - October 13, 2008
Sleepover!
While his mom is away, Bandit is staying with us.
Fun times!
^ Bring it on!
^ King of the mountain!
^ Cheese!
^ Let's share!
^ Hello there!
^ Chew chew chew
^ This may have been the actual moment when the toy lost its structural integrity.
^ Take down!
^ Tha Bandit, he's wiry!
Posted at 08:47 PM
Sat - October 4, 2008
The advantages of being lame and pathetic
A 30-year old single guy spends his Saturday night
at Home Depot, Targé, and Wegmans? Yeah, lame and pathetic.
Still, there's something to be said about being
lame and pathetic, and that is the stores are far from being crowded like they
are during daylight hours. However, the fact that I even state that as being a
reason I think makes me even more lame and
pathetic.
Perhaps my only saving grace is that while at Wegmans, I picked up a case of beer, which I have begun consuming.
Perhaps my only saving grace is that while at Wegmans, I picked up a case of beer, which I have begun consuming.
Posted at 09:43 PM
Wed - October 1, 2008
Mapmaker, Mapmaker, make me a Map
I think we need an official cartographer at work.
I've recently done two projects that have required the use of maps.
The first was a bicycle route map. Our Transportation &
Parking Services (new website launched today!) partnered with the
Office of Sustainability to create this map as a way to increase biking on and
around the campus and reduce driving if possible. The development of said map
was kind of a PITA, but it was well worth the effort and was very well received
by the campus community.
The second, which took a good part of yesterday afternoon and this morning to complete, is a Parking Zone Assignments map. Later this month, all existing parking permits will expire and a new policy will be in effect, which will give some more flexibility to commuters. This map is to help people figure out where they can park.
Mapmaking isn't easy business and the map source file I have to work with is less than ideal. With all the changes that our campus is going through though, there really should be a University Cartographer. It would certainly make my life easier, and I'm all for that!
The second, which took a good part of yesterday afternoon and this morning to complete, is a Parking Zone Assignments map. Later this month, all existing parking permits will expire and a new policy will be in effect, which will give some more flexibility to commuters. This map is to help people figure out where they can park.
Mapmaking isn't easy business and the map source file I have to work with is less than ideal. With all the changes that our campus is going through though, there really should be a University Cartographer. It would certainly make my life easier, and I'm all for that!
Posted at 08:30 PM
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