justin's blog

Think Fast, Steely Dan!

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 12:30:02 -0700

Cat and I went out last night to hear the great Steely Dan at the Fabulous Fox Theater in downtown St. Louis. It had been a couple of years since we got to see them, so we were excited for the show.

I was actually pretty excited for the opener, as well, the Sam Yahel Trio; a trio of four members, last night, at least. Sam Yahel is a great jazz organ player from the New York area to whom I was first exposed while tracking down various Joshua Redman recordings. When I found out that his group would be opening for the Dan, I was cautiously optimistic that I'd get to hear both Steely Dan and Joshua Redman in the same night, as Redman played on Yahel's most recent recording.

Nerd Time!

Mon, 02 Jun 2008 12:38:08 -0700

This weekend, I get to geek out on gaming while I attend the 4th annual Geekway to the West gaming convention, which happens almost literally in my back yard.

I'll start early on Friday morning (8:00), come home late Friday evening (23:00), keep the same hours on Saturday, and finish up from 12:00 to 18:00 on Sunday.

I'm excited because I don't get to do tons of really serious gaming. Cat's really wonderful about letting me host periodic game nights, but those seem to fall about once per quarter, or less. We have some friends who live nearby, and they like to play games, so we bring out games when we hang out with them, which is quite frequent. But those games are necessarily lighter ones, which, while still fun, don't really scratch the itch that I get from time to time to really play a meaty game.

Mario Kart Wii

Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:48:24 -0700

I went out Sunday afternoon while the kids were napping and picked up the latest and greatest Mario Kart game for the Wii.

I'd just like to point out that it's awesome.

Go buy it.

Instead of writing a review myself, allow me to point you to one that's far better and more thorough than I'd ever be able to do: Ars Technica Review of Mario Kart Wii.

Happy reading!

So...It's Been a Little While

Mon, 21 Apr 2008 08:21:50 -0700

We haven't been on here much lately, updating and such. I thought I'd recap what we've been up to:

The kids - Colby's set to start kindergarten in the fall. Her name was drawn from the hat at the lottery, which allows her entrance into the Remington Traditional School, which is a part of the Pattonville school district where we live. We're excited about that. Colby also started taking piano lessons at the beginning of March. So far, it seems quite easy for her. Steady practice has seen her progress nicely through her first book, and she's really enjoying it.
Peyton will have one more year of pre-school before she heads off to Remington (siblings get automatic entry into the school). She's a pistol, and as funny as ever.

The Latest on Dad

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 23:28:08 -0700

There's been a lot going on since my last Dad-related post. The most important thing, though, is that he had surgery to remove the tumor, and it was a complete success.

They found a doctor in Pittsburgh, with some relation to my grandfather. I believe he was one of Bepaw's students. (For those of you who don't know, my grandfather was a neurosurgeon, and apparently he was really good at it.)

The options available to Dad in Birmingham were Gamma knife, radiation, or opening up his cranium to get at the tumor.

The doctor in PA had a procedure that would extract the tumor through the nose, using arthroscopic techniques. I must confess that every mention of the surgery brings to my mind an image of that scene from Total Recall, where the governator removes that homing device from his head by way of his nose. It was not pleasant to watch.

Dad Update

Mon, 26 Nov 2007 09:47:53 -0700

We spent Thanksgiving in Birmingham with Dad and Carol. It was a great time, and it was good to spend more than a few minutes with them.

Things with the tumor seem to be coming to a head (pun intended; I just can't help it). While we were there, he had what both he and Carol said was his worst day to date, as far as headaches go. It was so bad that he had to cancel the Sunday School class he was slated to teach on Sunday, as he couldn't muster the energy to finish his preparations. He's got pain medicine, which helps sometimes, but it didn't seem to get it done, this time.

They did find a suitable treatment, which is a huge answer to many people's prayers. There was the option to open up his skull and remove the tumor. There was also an option to use a Gamma knife (radiation treatment). Neither of those seemed like the right thing. For one, Dad didn't want his skull sliced open and his brain tissue rearranged to get to this tumor.

Need Some Prayers for Dad

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 05:57:28 -0700

My dad called yesterday to deliver the frightening news that he has a brain tumor. For the last 3-4 weeks, he said he's been having some pretty bad headaches, along with pain across the surface of his skin.

His doctor prescribed an MRI, which revealed the tumor. It's right between his eyes, in the lining between his skull and his brain, which is a great mercy, compared to the alternative (in his brain proper). And, after the MRI, they declared definitively that it is benign. I think if you're going to get a brain tumor, this is the way to go. Keep it out of your brain, and make sure it's not out to get you.

More Pictures

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 09:07:45 -0700

I just posted a few more pics, including some of Macey. Log in to view them.

The Eagle has Landed

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 08:11:50 -0700

Macey was born at 08:36 this morning. She weighs 6 lb. 6 oz. and looks just like her sisters.

More later, including pics.

Slow Going

Wed, 08 Aug 2007 00:16:37 -0700

Cat's asleep, and I should be. They should begin to dial up the pitocin in 2 or 3 hours. I think that if we get Macey out of there by lunch time, we'll be doing really well. So, keep praying, all of you who are and have been. It's going well, and those prayers are no doubt helping to keep it smooth.

Here We Are

Tue, 07 Aug 2007 14:37:27 -0700

We're in the hospital, now. There'll be pictures, etc. for those of you who can log in. Those of you who can't login will just need to live with prose.

More updates coming...

Baby on the Way

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 17:53:24 -0700

The doctor decided that our dear little baby didn't need to spend any more time in her mother's belly. Therefore, at some point after lunch tomorrow, there'll be an induction ceremony (not really like the one in Canton, OH over the most recent weekend), followed by many hours of labor, pain, painkillers, and the bloody and very joyful miracle of childbirth.

We'll try to post any updates during the process, if we can get attached to some wireless at the hospital. If we can't, well, too bad for you.

Talk About Rich...

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 05:56:47 -0700

This is just awesome.

The Mother's Day Song

Mon, 14 May 2007 15:51:08 -0700

This year, for Mother's Day, I wrote a short song for Colby and Peyton to sing for Cat. I got Cat to leave the house for a bit, and took the girls into the basement for a recording session. The results are terribly cute, but they aren't so clear. So, here are the words to the song:

Mommy is the best!
She helps us to get dressed every day.
We love our mommy!

Mommy is so swell!
It's never hard to tell how much love
She has for us.

MOMMY!!!!!

Short and to the point. Enjoy the song.

An Old Hobby Rediscovered...

Sun, 11 Mar 2007 09:59:36 -0700

It started when I was shopping for Cat's Christmas gifts last year. I went into one of those mall game stores and saw a backgammon set on the shelf. She and I had enjoyed playing the game together at various times, but had never invested in a set of our own. So I picked it up.

While I was in the store, I started to look around at some of the other items on the shelves. Our friends had mentioned to us how much they enjoyed playing The Settlers of Catan. It was there. I picked it up and looked at the box, it looked fun, but the price seemed too high for me, so I put it back and left.