This is the website of Abulsme Noibatno Itramne (also known as Sam Minter). Posts here are rare these days. For current stuff, follow me on Mastodon

Categories

Calendar

October 2024
S M T W T F S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Pics from Dec 2014

979 pictures for the month. First cut got it down to 61. Second cut down to the required 31 for December. Here we go…

IMG_9284

2014-12-01 02:47 UTC – Alex shows that he knows how to use chopsticks.

IMG_9332

2014-12-05 23:57 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Brandy installed a brand new sink!

IMG_0077_2

2014-12-07 20:32 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Roscoe is pretty sure he is much smaller than he really is. He is the right size for a lap dog, right?

IMG_0161

2014-12-07 20:38 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Of course, there was one person who noticed they were not in the picture, and they felt they needed to be. So we made room.

IMG_9384

2014-12-08 00:30 UTC (posted earlier) – Alex celebrates the picking of the Christmas tree.

IMG_0064

2014-12-08 16:51 – Alex watching Roscoe as Roscoe contemplates if he should get out while the getting is good.

IMG_9412

2014-12-09 06:39 UTC – This IS what stockings are for, aren’t they?

P1060672

2014-12-09 20:39 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara posed by some of my mom’s Christmas decorations

IMG_9425

2014-12-10 01:17 UTC – Alex kicking back in my home office.

IMG_9436

2014-12-11 04:02 UTC – And in the lobby during one of Amy’s performances for school.

IMG_9450

2014-12-12 06:09 UTC – A Lego creation by Alex.

IMG_9490

2014-12-17 04:19 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Brandy took Alex to the bookstore. He got mad at her about something. He decided to sit at his own table. Then he fell asleep with his head down on the table.

IMG_9518

2014-12-20 01:20 UTC – Alex in my office playing Minecraft… which in December was rapidly on the way to displacing Portal 2 and Trainz Driver for the “favorite computer game” crown.

P1060697

2014-12-21 01:59 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara and Alex playing at Grandma Ruth’s house.

IMG_9546

2014-12-21 03:27 UTC – Alex gets into giggle fits when Sara licks him.

IMG_9636

2014-12-24 05:49 UTC – Excitement builds! Christmas approaches!

IMG_9647

2014-12-24 13:05 UTC – Regardless of the excitement, I’m not sure I would choose to sleep with my head by this part of the dog. But it was just fine for Alex!

P1060707

2014-12-24 20:12 UTC (picture by my mom) – Sara got a new bed as an early Christmas present. She liked it!

IMG_0124

2014-12-25 05:56 UTC – For the first time this year we put lights on the outside of the house!

IMG_0127

2014-12-25 05:56 UTC – The lights were color shifting, so there were different colors and patterns every few seconds.

IMG_0135

2014-12-25 08:11 UTC – As he prepares for bed on Christmas eve, Alex surveys the presents. In our family, everybody opens one present on Christmas eve. Here Alex has picked the one for me to open… one of his gifts for me of course. (It was candy.)

IMG_0140

2014-12-25 15:55 UTC (posted earlier) – In the morning, not a creature was stirring, not even a dog…

IMG_0151

2014-12-25 16:00 UTC – The stockings were hung by the chimney with care…

IMG_0153

2014-12-25 18:49 UTC – In the hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there! (OK, some sort of photographic accident, but it could be St. Nick, right? :-) )

IMG_0154

2014-12-25 18:49 UTC – Soon the presents were flowing. Here is Grandma Ruth in the wonderful vest Alex bought for her! I’m sure she’ll be wearing it all over town!

IMG_0163

2014-12-25 19:18 UTC – Amy and Alex worked together opening some presents.

P1060715

2014-12-25 19:20 UTC (picture by my mom) – I relax and observe the activities while Alex attacks Amy in the background.

IMG_0176

2014-12-26 00:10 UTC – Christmas over, Alex was very insistent that we take a picture of this mutant potato chip.

IMG_9669

2014-12-28 01:37 UTC – Then Brandy broke her phone.

IMG_9721

2014-12-30 04:57 UTC (picture by Brandy) – We go out for the evening and Amy and Alex enjoy some pizza. Yes, Alex is wearing pants on his head. As he does.

IMG_9727

2014-12-31 06:34 UTC – As New Year’s approached, time for one last snuggle on the couch to watch TV

Pics from Nov 2014

937 pictures for the month. First cut got it down to 50. Second cut got it to the required 1 per day 30 for the month of November.

IMG_8704

2014-11-01 01:13 UTC – Remember I divide things based on Universal time, so in Seattle Trick or Treat is early on November 1st and that is how we start the month. For the second year running, Brandy made Alex a train as his costume. He also wore a conductor-like outfit.

IMG_8735

2014-11-01 02:08 UTC – The train leaves the station with Grandma Ruth right behind.

P1060649

2014-11-01 02:14 UTC (picture by Grandma Ruth) – At first, all the stops were like this. Alex insisting on hiding in the train while begging me to do the doorbell ringing to collect his candy.

IMG_1899

2014-11-01 02:34 UTC – Later, after a bit of coaxing, we got him to actually go up and ring the bell.

IMG_1901

2014-11-01 02:34 UTC – After which he would immediately turn and run. He would then hide in the train again.

P1060656

2014-11-01 02:56 UTC (Picture by Grandma Ruth) – Eventually toward the end, he finally (reluctantly) did the whole thing himself a couple of times.

IMG_1960

2014-11-01 03:57 UTC (picture by Brandy) – This was Amy’s first outfit for Freaknight.

IMG_1946

2014-11-01 04:04 UTC – Trick or Treating over, Alex wants us to inspect some food he found.

IMG_1976

2014-11-02 01:1? UTC (picture by Brandy) – Amy was going to be Chell (from Portal and Portal 2) for her second costume for Freaknight, but it was canceled for this evening. Amy was sad.

IMG_8773

2014-11-02 01:14 UTC – Amy was not the only one in the family into Portal though, and Alex wanted a turn at the Portal Device.

IMG_1992

2014-11-04 20:35 UTC – Alex was working hard in his workshop on new train layouts, but it wouldn’t do quite what he wanted, so he was getting very frustrated. Not much later, this particular layout was no more.

IMG_8849

2014-11-07 00:54 UTC – I got a pic of a nice sunset in Lynnwood, WA.

IMG_8882

2014-11-08 20:23 UTC – Roscoe wants to know why I am taking his picture.

IMG_8941

2014-11-13 21:59 UTC – Alex had a trip to the dentist that required him to be asleep via anesthesia. This was right afterwards. He had roused enough that they were OK sending him home, but he was still basically asleep.

IMG_8947

2014-11-13 22:19 UTC – Once he woke up his first request was McDonald’s. We had to tell him he wasn’t supposed to eat for another hour or so. He was very unhappy about this. He really wanted McDonald’s.

IMG_8972

2014-11-15 21:52 UTC – A few days later though it was all forgotten. He wandered the aisles of a drug store choosing things he wanted, including the hat, glasses and brush, and asked to pose with his loot. (Which he did get to have.)

IMG_0116

2014-11-17 22:42 UTC (Picture by Amy) – Um, then Amy totaled her car. Nobody was hurt except the car.

IMG_0111

2014-11-17 22:?? UTC (Picture by Amy) – Amy was very sad though. Poor car.

IMG_9012

2014-11-20 22:39 UTC (picture by Brandy) – Brandy got to go with Alex to a Thanksgiving thing at his school. Alex made faces while he ate.

IMG_9025

2014-11-22 01:56 UTC – I’ve got Alex pumping gas for me.

IMG_2037

2014-11-23 04:58 UTC – Alex decided that to be warm he needed to join me inside my sweater.

IMG_2044

2014-11-23 18:37 UTC – Alex is starting to REALLY get into Lego. Usually it is vehicles of one sort or another, but this time he made this, which he said was “a dog in his yard”.

IMG_9093

2014-11-27 03:16 UTC – And when he visits Grandma Ruth, he plays with MY old Lego from when I was a kid. You can also see the Mr. Potato Head that was modified to look like my High School Physics teacher Mr. Posa as part of a Rube Goldberg project my senior year of high school.

IMG_0006

2014-11-28 01:45 UTC – Amy is not amused as I attempt to take pictures of her as we get ready for Thanksgiving dinner.

IMG_0018

2014-11-28 01:50 UTC – A few minutes later, Alex elaborates on a story he wanted to tell before dinner.

IMG_9134

2014-11-28 05:49 UTC – Later in the evening, food cleared away, Alex starts on some crafts.

IMG_9147

2014-11-28 21:00 UTC – Pair of pants on head as a hat? Check! Second pair of pants in case you lose the first hat? Check! Blanket? Check! One of mommy’s purses? Check! Lets go on an adventure!

IMG_0048

2014-11-29 16:26 UTC – Alex and Roscoe check out the first snowfall of the season.

IMG_9211

2014-11-29 18:24 UTC – Daddy is just cold.

IMG_9234

2014-11-29 18:36 UTC – There wasn’t that much snow, and it wasn’t very good for packing, but this was our pitiful attempt at a snowman. It was about 4 to 5 inches tall.

And thus ends November.

Pics from Sep 2014

1076 pictures for the month. First pass narrowed to 70. These are the 30 that best represent September.

IMG_1752

2014-09-01 06:39 UTC (Picture by Amy) – An Amy Selfie to start the month. (Yeah, yeah, I already used this one on her birthday post.)

IMG_7041

2014-09-01 21:44 UTC – Alex chases after Amy at Bumbershoot

IMG_1759

2014-09-02 02:19 UTC – Alex and me joining the family after a quick romp through the fountain at Bumbershoot

IMG_7105

2014-09-02 04:36 UTC – Amy comforts Alex after he tripped and took a bad spill while running after her to get into the EDM venue at Bumbershoot. After this he was done for the night.

IMG_7126

2014-09-03 16:58 UTC – First day of school for Alex

IMG_7133

2014-09-05 01:19 UTC – We didn’t even know we had an apple tree, but one day we noticed this hanging off a tree in our front yard. We think it is the tree’s very first apple. Awww…

IMG_7137

2014-09-07 19:44 UTC – Brandy accidentally made a sculpture out of frosting.

IMG_7197

2014-09-11 21:53 UTC – Alex plays in a balloon room at a local mall. (Posted before as part of Alex through the Years.)

IMG_7224

2014-09-11 22:13 UTC – Alex and I built a robot! He knocked it over seconds later of course.

IMG_7259

2014-09-12 20:28 UTC – Alex’s class at school prepares for his birthday ceremony, where the birthday kid circles a candle representing the sun once for each year of their lives, while the parents show pictures of them from each year and say something brief about what the kid was like each year. Brandy and I were participating, so no pictures of the actual event.

IMG_7266

2014-09-12 22:21 UTC – Once we were home, it was time for our own birthday celebrations, and Roscoe got to wear the birthday hat from school.

IMG_7271

2014-09-12 22:22 UTC – Grandma Ruth got to wear the hat too.

IMG_2672

2014-09-12 22:48 UTC – Brandy made a train cake for Alex.

IMG_2707

2014-09-12 23:11 UTC – Alex with a present from Grandma Ruth.

IMG_2717

2014-09-12 23:14 UTC – Alex opening a present from Amy.

IMG_7325

2014-09-14 05:27 UTC – One of Alex’s presents was a lego set from Papa Bill and Grandma Cathy. Alex has been getting more into Lego lately. Here he diligently follows the instructions to assemble this set.

IMG_7335

2014-09-14 05:45 UTC – And here is the final product. Alex assembled it almost entirely himself, following the instructions in the booklet. He only asked for help on one or two of the many steps in the process. In the following days, he did several other lego sets too.

IMG_7376

2014-09-16 23:48 UTC – A few days later, it was time for my birthday. Alex wanted Brandy to make me a train cake too, but Brandy was sick at the time, so instead Amy and Alex went to the store. Alex picked this hamburger and fries cake for me instead.

IMG_7399

2014-09-17 00:19 UTC – Amy presents me with my biggest present, from her and Brandy. Can you guess what it is? (It was a much needed new chair for my home office.)

IMG_7427

2014-09-20 22:31 UTC – Grandma Ruth took Alex, Roscoe and me on an adventure in a nearby park. This was the start of our hike.

IMG_7480

2014-09-20 23:22 UTC – The destination of the hike was a little area on the shore of Lake Washington. Roscoe and Alex spent a few minutes playing in the water!

IMG_7509

2014-09-20 23:34 UTC – After the hike and playing a bit, Roscoe was ready for a bit of a rest. We had a picnic. Roscoe patiently waited to share.

IMG_7596

2014-09-21 00:02 UTC – Alex and I climb up on a large tree that had fallen over and leaned over the lake

IMG_7620

2014-09-21 00:04 UTC – Alex does not seem impressed as he dismounts from the fallen tree.

IMG_7632

2014-09-21 00:07 UTC – After the tree, there is some time for some more splashing at the edge of the lake.

IMG_7686

2014-09-21 00:18 UTC – Then it was time for the hike back to the car. Everybody was a little tired by this point. But we had to keep going.

alexfallingasleep20140921

2014-09-21 01:50 to 01:56 UTC – Once back in the car, a certain someone couldn’t quite manage to stay awake.

IMG_7824

2014-09-23 01:11 UTC – Uh, he is not supposed to climb up there.

IMG_7844

2014-09-26 00:31 UTC – My mom and Sara. A good team.

IMG_7880

2014-09-27 22:24 UTC – Alex told Brandy that he wanted some fresh paper and markers and such. Brandy got him this new art desk thing. Since then Alex has been “art-ing” every chance he gets, producing many many pages of drawings and paintings and other things. He uses that desk almost every day now!

And that wraps up September…

Less Eventful 6th (UTC)

The day began with intense lego concentration:

P1020513

Brandy played with Bananagrams:

P1020533

Amy was more educational with the letter tiles:

P1020535

Alex was still all about the Lego though:

P1020538

P1020539

P1020542

P1020555

P1020556

Before leaving my office, we needed to take a mugshot:

P1020557

Then we finally left the office and headed for the traditional trains. Alex saw the monorail:

P1020565

But first we waited for the Seattle Streecar (previously known as the South Lake Union Trolley”):

P1020572

Which was ridden with varying levels of interest:

P1020582

P1020589

We got off the train to look at a fountain:

P1020594

P1020603

P1020607

If you look carefully, you’ll notice we left Alex’s backpack on the train.

Brandy called to make sure they knew it wasn’t a bomb. Then we made sure to catch the same train to go back, and retrieved the bag from the driver.

P1020614

Then it was time to eat:

P1020625

And monorail:

P1020628

And running with sister at Seattle Center:

P1020657

And there is the Space Needle!:

P1020687

(Picture by Amy)

But eventually, kicking and screaming, it is time to start heading home:

P1020703

One more monorail ride first of course:

P1020734

P1020735

And a trip to the bookstore:

P1020754

Alex of course fell asleep on the car ride home. He almost made it. But not quite. Fell asleep and was sleep eating a rice crispy treat for awhile.

Then I put together my post about the 5th:

2013-07-06-09-19-24.27

Later, once everyone was up again, Alex watched a portal walkthrough video while I got ready for my day:

2013-07-06-18-10-13.62

A couple hours later he was still watching it. He had switched to the iPad, and hadn’t watched straight through, instead watching and re-watching parts he really liked. I’m not sure he has made it all the way through, but I know he has watched the ending a few times, and many of the parts in between. :-) He studies it very intently.

IMG_2160

Finally, we headed out to the Apple store, because Amy’s phone had recently been acting up… and as she was getting ready to go to the Apple store for her genius appointment, she dropped the phone magnificently, and smashed its front, back and sides as bad as any smashed iPhone I’ve ever seen in person. So any chance of getting it replaced under warrantee because it was just acting odd went out the window. :-)

Anyway, on the way there, Alex fell asleep in the car…

IMG_2159

And thus I spent the last couple hours of the 6th (and another hour or so of the 7th) sitting in the car with a sleeping Alex while Brandy and Amy took care of Amy’s phone and a few other things. Can’t say I was totally thrilled by this time in the car. But I did listen to a few podcasts and read a bit of my twitter and news feeds, so I guess that was OK.

Anyway, thus ended our two days of holiday fun.

Eventful 5th (UTC)

IMG_0699

(Picture by Amy)

As we usually do, we went to the Bellevue Family Fourth.

P1020378

This time my mom joined us.

P1020388

Alex was ready for fireworks.

P1020400

If only they weren’t so loud!

P1020433

Pretty though.

P1020459

Then after the fireworks, while driving home, Amy saw a loose dog running in the road. A 30 minute pursuit followed, first in the car, then on foot, first on big roads with plenty of traffic, then onto a small residential street. Toward the end we were joined by the people in a second car. After much skittishness and running, the dog finally climbed into Amy’s car. It had no collar or tags. We ended up taking it to a 24 hour vet recommended by the people at the non-emergency police line. They confirmed it had no chip identifying it either. For now they are keeping it, and it will be on all the appropriate lists of missing pets in the morning if the owners call in for it. We’ll check in on her too to make sure her people find her. (Roscoe would NOT have been pleased if we had brought her home. :-) )

2013-07-05-17-01-01.45

In the morning, I assembled the weekly podcast, sometimes with Alex’s help.

After that, we went out for some late breakfast, then headed to my office. The first stop was the cafe area, where Amy and Alex immediately found Lego…

P1020466

This was good, because the original plan to look down from the 9th and 11th floors at construction underway didn’t work out, because apparently the construction folks had the 5th off…

P1020496

The Lego building lasted a long time…

P1020504

As the 5th ended, Amy and Alex were still playing with Lego.

The usual adventure of train riding was still yet to come.

Curmudgeon’s Corner: Lego in Space

In the latest Curmudgeon’s Corner…

Sam and Ivan talk about:

  • Travel Agents
  • Debt Ceiling Deal
  • Credit Downgrade
  • Eurocrisis
  • Econ Outlook
  • Juno

Just click to listen now:

[wpaudio url=”http://www.abulsme.com/CurmudgeonsCorner/CC20110807.mp3″ text=”Recorded 7 Aug 2011″]

or

1-Click Subscribe in iTunes

View Podcast in iTunes

View XML Feed