tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-203859202011-04-21T19:04:00.286-07:00Matthewnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-91569420798492089922006-12-19T08:04:00.000-07:002006-12-19T08:11:31.089-07:00

W00H0000000!Finished, for the first time in forever, with one peg left! (Just picked up the game again after a few years.)Well, this can be one more thing added to my modest list of accomplishments this year...

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-13599933237778889262006-12-14T06:50:00.000-07:002006-12-14T06:57:19.763-07:00

So che per niente ho stato stupido stupido stupido, e forse distrugguto la nostra amicizia, ma ti vorrei chiedere un perdon e se puoi trovare nel tuo cuore a perdonarmi...(Not So) Brainy

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-6413943149870773422006-12-13T12:18:00.000-07:002006-12-14T08:04:39.995-07:00

When Wheel of Fortune goes to the bonus round, they automatically give the contestant the letters R, S, T, L, N, and E as a "gimme", and then ask the contestant for three more consonants and a vowel.So it got me thinking, are they really the most frequent letters? I remember, when I was growing up, that almost all contestants guessed RSTLNE for their letters. I also remember an episode of The

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-4478294209719291722006-12-13T07:04:00.000-07:002006-12-13T07:20:20.714-07:00

Yesterday I somewhat randomly popped over to the FARMS (Foundation for Ancient Research and Mormon Studies) website at the Neal A. Maxwell Institute to see what they had. I wasn't really sure what I would find there, but I knew I needed some reading material to keep me occupied while I was scanning a whole bunch of documents at work.What I found completely fascinated me. I printed out two

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-68281110223374528382006-12-12T09:24:00.000-07:002006-12-12T09:26:32.190-07:00

Adding new words to the Calabresi-coined lexicon today:"AIMspeak": the multitude of abbreviations and shortenings that take place within instant message windows, text message conversations, MySpace, etc."Intellectual Ice Age": what is going to result from the continual dumbing-down of our society.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-84299113670650969872006-12-11T11:25:00.000-07:002006-12-11T11:27:46.400-07:00

On a completely unrelated note to anything, I just wanted to say that Pantera's album Vulgar Display of Power is awesome to listen to when I want to:get something donedrown out co-workersdo both at the same timeIn fact, the only thing it's probably not good for is driving late at night while tired (I missed my exit way back in 1999), and cooking... I can't imagine working in the kitchen to this

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1338215547641031112006-12-06T06:08:00.000-07:002006-12-06T06:14:11.086-07:00

Dennis Miller once said something to the effect of: "You know you're never more indignant in life than when you are shopping in a store you feel to be beneath you and someone mistakes you for an employee."Well, I've never had that happen to me, but I have had an "almost"... I've decided to start dressing better, and not short-changing my reputation or first impressions on the basis of a t-shirt

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-34304726905266833312006-12-05T09:58:00.000-07:002006-12-05T10:06:38.586-07:00

It's time for Animaniacs / And we're zany to the max / So just sit back and relax / You'll laugh till you collapse / We're Animaniacs!I downloaded got the first few episodes of Animaniacs on DVD yesterday, and spent this morning reliving some of my better TV-watching moments from my younger days. It's pretty cool to watch all of this stuff; in fact, it's the hardest I've laughed at something on

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-43027902249889052372006-12-01T10:32:00.000-07:002006-12-14T08:03:48.225-07:00

Two albums really stand out for me this year -- I know technically the Imogen Heap album was released in late 2005, but I didn't get my hands on it until this year.By "Albums of the Year", I mean albums that were released relatively recently that spent the most time in my car or CD player, or in my playlist at the office.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-91236833151437351312006-11-23T21:10:00.000-07:002006-11-23T21:20:58.879-07:00

But, after getting thrown up on tonight and with both kids asleep and everyone else perched in front of the television, I have really nothing else to do. I've read up enough on Jericho, and the constant buzz of background noise, coupled with my fatigue, is enough to really block any sort of creative juices from flowing right now. While STephen is recovering very nicely from his bronchitis, I

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-54807098803854395352006-11-21T06:27:00.000-07:002006-11-21T06:29:40.916-07:00

Cripes, I hate it. I just realized that the work our team is currently doing is known as "non-value-add"... in other words, even though I am sitting here working my butt off, I'm not really contributing anything. I want out.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-48228287221367492592006-11-20T08:05:00.000-07:002006-11-20T08:16:41.899-07:00

I am slowly but surely learning how to repair an automobile. It's out of necessity, really, as I've never really considered myself the type of person to be a mechanic. Strange, because I do consider myself somewhat mechanically-inclined. But that's another story.We have one car whose trunk doesn't shut. It's been held shut by clothesline and a bungee cord for a few months now, because we

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-74525592376875987482006-11-20T07:47:00.000-07:002006-11-20T08:05:05.040-07:00

One of the blogs I frequent, I Will Teach You to be Rich, had an article this morning about MLM and similar schemes. While the author, Ramit, was vilifying MLM schemes, he mentioned that he would never destroy a friendship by introducing a sales element into it. I thought of some people that I met through a friend of mine, and later re-met through church. We got along pretty well and stuff,

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-70834633309622817492006-11-16T12:18:00.000-07:002006-11-16T12:22:17.885-07:00

The sun was shining in my office this morning... directly in my face, as a matter of fact. So, to add to the complete ghetto-ness of my office decor, I have been forced to hang the matching fitted sheet to the bedsheet I have hanging in here already. It's a nice beige color, and now, later in the day (around 12:15), it is dim enough in here that I am finding it almost like autumn in New York

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-37703324393512739622006-11-13T06:17:00.000-07:002006-11-13T06:23:19.638-07:00

Oh man... so after I get home from the Scouting trip, I turned on my computer to install XP Pro (I previously had Home). After going through the motions of installing (read: sit and wait), I finally got to the point of Setup where it says "37 minutes remaining". I got up, did something, and came back, and my computer was rebooting. Strange, I never remembered a reboot at this stage of the

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-49388275935856758482006-11-13T06:06:00.000-07:002006-11-13T06:17:38.904-07:00

On Friday we left for a 5.9-mile backpacking excursion starting at Douglas Springs Trailhead, with our destination being the campsites at Douglas Springs. The Scoutmaster, three Scouts, and myself (playing the role of the Assistant Scoutmaster / Token Second Adult Acting as Supervisor) left the meeting point at 2 PM sharp. It was a relatively uneventful hike, with the Scoutmaster being the

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-42887989368364533312006-11-06T13:51:00.000-07:002006-11-06T13:57:50.881-07:00

Hooray for BBC News... Plans for human-cow embryosWow... OK, first off, this is for stem cell research. The scientists will take cow eggs, strip the genetic information, then add human DNA to get a quasi-human embryo, from which they will harvest stem cells, then destroy the embryo. All of this would take about six days' time.My grandfather died of Parkinson's, my grandmother of Alzheimer's,

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-48405399750933521382006-11-04T21:36:00.000-07:002006-11-04T21:41:57.048-07:00

Yesterday I went up to Scottsdale to audition for season 3 of the FOX reality show "Hell's Kitchen." It was a very interesting experience. Of course, it's a game, and the game started right when I walked into the hotel. I chose to play the role of the "quiet, unassuming person who will get underestimated", and hopefully they're going to cast someone in that role this year. If they don't, then

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-64623335167218041942006-10-26T10:15:00.000-07:002006-10-26T10:17:40.059-07:00

Went to the dentist on Tuesday to get some cleaning, a filling (first ever!), and one of my wisdom teeth pulled. All I have to say is, kids, BRUSH AND FLOSS. Wow. Getting a tooth pulled -- even an "auxiliary" one -- is no fun whatsoever. And I have to get two more taken care of soon.Yeah, I'm looking forward to that one. :-(At least the anaesthesia was fun. My nose and my ear was pretty numb.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-6588478137251190252006-10-23T09:36:00.000-07:002006-10-23T09:39:21.439-07:00

NaNoWriMo.orgIt's almost November, and it's National Novel Writing Month! 50,000+ words, a finished novel by midnight local time on November 30. I'm getting set up and gearing up for this; with a huge deadline and the motivation to get it done, I have no doubt that I can succeed.One of the main themes in my life is "apply myself", and I'm working on actually "applying myself" so I can continue

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-53385750178831405952006-10-22T18:41:00.000-07:002006-10-23T09:35:48.844-07:00

I am inching closer to completion of the Boggle program. It still has some behaviors that I'm unable to pin down, but I've been able to spend the past few days squashing bugs rather than just chasing them and scratching my head. I've already got a list of things to take care of, in true Getting Things Done fashion, thus keeping myself focused on a bunch of "next steps" rather than just sitting

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-5625834782999584252006-10-22T18:32:00.000-07:002006-10-22T18:41:14.838-07:00

I didn't think "me vs. the scriptures" was an appropriate title. :-)So, I figured out my scripture-reading goals for the rest of the year, and I don't really see how there can be a way that I come up short... well, unless I fail completely to apply myself. Don't really see how that could happen.Anyway, since a goal isn't a goal until it's written down, I have to read at least one page in the

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-71566383305431733412006-10-22T09:14:00.000-07:002006-10-22T09:24:26.693-07:00

It has not all been not reaching goals, however. I have made some progress on Clean Sweep, and although the progress bars aren't updated yet, I have made a good deal of progress. So, without further ado:Physical Environment2. My home is clean and tidy. (Vacuumed, wardrobes and drawers organized, desks and tables clear, furniture in good repair; windows clean). (Well, it was before my daughter

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-70900336935735587232006-10-22T09:00:00.000-07:002006-10-22T09:14:38.576-07:00

Three weeks... ah... well, figured I'd start with the shortest post, so I can get myself back in the swing of things. Life is catching up with me as I struggle to catch up with life.Book-reading? I've spent the last... six? weeks trying to get through Lord of the Rings -- just the first book, mind you -- and I just can't do it. Granted, for the past three weeks I've been driving to work

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-12166229716419236162006-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:002006-10-01T06:50:24.564-07:00

I admit that before I actually read J.D. Salinger's Catcher in the Rye, I knew nothing about it, except that the book had something to do with the death of John Lennon*. Oh, and that it had been banned for a while, as well. But that's pretty much it; it was one of those rare pleasures for me: going into a book with a completely clean slate, not having any opinion of it, nor knowing in advance

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-15022207724884473392006-10-01T06:07:00.000-07:002006-10-01T06:35:43.918-07:00

Been a while...Not a lot of stuff has been going on... which is interesting to note since it's obviously been a long, long time since I've updated the blog with anything significant. We're in the middle of General Conference again, and aside from the Saturday afternoon session being extremely difficult to follow, it's been exceptional. President Hinckley last night gave an excellent discourse

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-25008767514493375972006-09-20T12:26:00.000-07:002006-09-20T12:27:45.054-07:00

"Whatever you do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."-Goethe

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-78286361121625100812006-09-20T11:44:00.000-07:002006-09-20T12:26:55.424-07:00

I'm getting things done. Honest. I'm just not writing about them.Once again updating first thing on Sunday morning was thwarted by something unexpected: in this case, it was spending the night in the hospital with Stephen, who had an apnea episode on Saturday afternoon. A little scary for everyone involved, but we all pulled through successfully.So: catching up on the eternal black hole that

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-47463610118977539002006-09-14T07:48:00.000-07:002006-09-14T07:49:15.529-07:00

Oh my word, am I tired.That's it; I got nothing else.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-44868020434482261282006-09-13T06:49:00.000-07:002006-09-13T07:02:16.268-07:00

Hey look at me! I'm a Zoo Tycoon! Well, at least I'm getting there, having received the game as a gift on Friday, and having spent a couple of days fiddling with it, playing through the tutorials and some scenarios. Pretty neat stuff, really entertaining. Eventually I might have time to sit and work some more on it, but I've been really busy as of late.On the second job front: still no word

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-84134180296014748342006-09-13T04:50:00.000-07:002006-09-13T05:04:41.963-07:00

While I'm not turning out to be an inveterate diarist by any means, I do wish to keep this up on a semi-regular basis. So, naturally, I aim to throw as many things on my project pile as possible, so I can have a good excuse in case my writing ever peters out.Interestingly enough, the latest project is a writing project. I know, I know... it's stunning. But after all, I do consider myself a

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-87316557419027628442006-09-08T07:42:00.000-07:002006-09-08T07:55:56.208-07:00

Now is as good a time as any to revisit some goals and create new ones for the upcoming (birth) year. Hey, I'm a goal-oriented person looking to constantly improving myself, so... why not?First off is going to be a couple of ideas from the "25/25/25" blog that I previously mentioned.I have obtained from a friend of mine who had a collection of "essential knowledge" books a reading list,

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-38307505995521339322006-09-08T07:29:00.000-07:002006-09-08T07:42:00.187-07:00

I might have talked about this before, however, I haven't really done anything about it except get a book out which I never really read. Anyway, "Cultural literacy" -- or the things that people who write expect their audience to know -- has become a big thing for me, not only because I feel that my education as a youth was stunningly lacking in the liberal arts, but also because I feel I would

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-61511415826506481542006-09-07T06:39:00.000-07:002006-10-22T09:25:00.693-07:00

I was planning on doing these weekly, but I have made some progress and wanted to update it today. I'll move the updates on Clean Sweep to the weekly goals and review posts I am going to start on Sundays again.Well-Being6. I walk or exercise at least three times per week. With the start of me working at the office again, I am now walking at least two miles a day, five days a week. This week

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-8578157793696302322006-09-03T17:06:00.000-07:002006-09-04T02:56:12.565-07:00

Clean Sweep AssessmentI had done this before, but neglected to really track it. Again, since the birthday is coming up soon, I thought it would be good to see where I stood. I know the biggest challenge are for me will be "Money", as I have none at the moment, but even in there I can still do some things.I've also noticed that some of the items in here are very general and could use some

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-82552944963180108522006-09-01T11:39:00.000-07:002006-09-01T11:53:07.492-07:00

So basically I'm fed up with the direction my life has been going recently -- granted, a lot of it has been not under my control for a while now, but... I am working to change that. Firstly, I've decided that I'm not going to be intimidated by anything anymore. That's an emotional response that I feel that I can control. I don't think I'm currently intimidated by anything in specific, but I

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-5592951959391378382006-08-25T12:48:00.000-07:002006-08-25T12:55:41.747-07:00

We are working with our bishop to get our debts paid off and our family back on a viable budget. Certain things are going to happen, such as me getting a second job (went out and pounded the pavement yesterday for that), and other expenses are going to have to be cut. Like what, I don't know... we don't have any unnecessary expenses.Anyway, today I got my annual bonus from work -- a sizeable

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-17343398374587859672006-08-25T12:30:00.000-07:002006-08-25T12:47:59.266-07:00

Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. - Matthew 5:25Two nights ago the family decides to go to Target to get some baby stuff that we didn't get at the shower, but instead received a gift card for. As we are getting the kids out of

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-31092225020222934812006-08-23T15:35:00.000-07:002006-08-23T22:16:38.422-07:00

So yeah, I'll admit it. I have obsessive-compulsive disorder. It's not big by any means, I don't do counting, and I don't have to touch things in a certain order. BUT... I do have to be clean. Like, wash my hands after I touch each ingredient in the kitchen while preparing dinner clean. I know I didn't always have this. Here's an example from today:I am feeding my son while my wife is

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-5411758369178788012006-08-21T08:05:00.000-07:002006-08-21T08:33:33.317-07:00

We realized a few weeks ago that we are, to put it mildly, in dire financial straits. And that's putting it mildly! Anyway, over the past two weeks, we've been meeting with different leaders in the ward to help us get back on our feet. Our Bishop has been especially gracious with his time, taking about 5 hours over the past week or so to meet with us, sit down with all of our bills, and help

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-63512038544568378162006-08-20T13:08:00.000-07:002006-08-20T13:17:03.958-07:00

Here are two words that I've learned recently that have helped me understand a few things. They're both German, but I don't think that's a coincidence or anything like that.bildungsroman - a novel which chronicles the story of a single individual's growth. For example, Ender's Game and its sequels are a series of bildungsroman.Schadenfreude - no direct English translation, it means "taking

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-56771933255431679372006-08-19T21:02:00.000-07:002006-08-19T21:06:54.105-07:00

Today, after a long struggle, I finally acheived something I've been working at for the previous few weeks: beat Minesweeper on expert level. It took me just over six minutes (6:04 to be exact), but I got it done without blowing myself up! I feel pretty good about it, although I know I can do better.I know I should be working on other things, as I have a lot that I need to do, but this

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-27916644980739340842006-08-17T20:24:00.000-07:002006-08-17T20:25:40.166-07:00

We're all home! And man, does it feel weird. It's definitely a lot more work...

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-12013823624661156132006-08-17T20:22:00.000-07:002006-08-17T20:23:51.076-07:00

And with it, I take another pretty picture...

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-24186202721401526202006-08-17T08:25:00.000-07:002006-08-17T08:27:01.391-07:00

I enjoy working from home, I really do... but if I have to wake up again to OMG TEH CHARMED ONES!!~!~~ one more morning, I think I'm going to scream. We had cable turned off because it was too expensive, but it was never "turned off" -- so now we get free cable, and TNT's "Primetime in the Daytime" is the devil.Someone please save me.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1155563393802027402006-08-14T06:49:00.000-07:002006-08-14T06:49:55.930-07:00

Hey, cool... completely forgot yesterday morning to update the goals. I guess that's what a few weeks out of ahabit will get you. It's strange how much time it takes to get into a hablit, but falling out of it is a lot easier and faster.I did read all the scriptures I wanted to this week, and some more!Yep.BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA... haven't had time. That's on our list though, somewhere. Maybe

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1155273173699824252006-08-10T22:11:00.000-07:002006-08-10T22:12:53.710-07:00

 Hooray for washable crayons! She also got the door and a couple of tables before we realized what had happened. Yeeks. 

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1155089468053641192006-08-08T19:09:00.000-07:002006-08-08T19:16:55.430-07:00

 Here is a picture taken from our driveway, showing the contrasting Tucson skies with a storm only seconds away. I was getting wet less than a minute after I snapped this photo. -moz-background-inline-policy: initial;' align='middle' border='0' /> This photo is taken from the same place, with me facing the other direction.Another photo, taken aiming over the roof towards the west.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1155011763687530602006-08-07T21:30:00.000-07:002006-08-07T21:36:03.703-07:00

So I am leaving the hospital after visiting the Little Man today, and I realize I failed to take chicken out of the freezer for dinner this evening. No problem, I'll just call home on the cell phone and ask my wife to do it.*ring*"We're sorry, the number you have dialed is not in service."What? I try again, this time adding the area code. Same result.Looks like the phone company shut off our

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1154879578988769692006-08-06T07:59:00.000-07:002006-08-06T08:52:59.060-07:00

I'm so out of it, I had to get a calendar and count weeks to see where exactly I was in the year. Well, it's been a crazy month, what can I say?I'm not going to try and play catch-up for all the scripture reading that I missed, at least not immediately. I'll have some time here and there to fill in the gaps, but I'm not going to kill myself reading and reading and reading, either.So, without

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1154713359948311502006-08-04T10:25:00.000-07:002006-08-04T10:42:40.023-07:00

OK, so in a couple of days I'm going to get back to goal-setting... been home a week now and everything has somewhat gone by the wayside. The routine is starting to get better, though, and I'll have more time to get things done, although it seems I'm spending a lot of time on the computer. Of course, that could be the whole "working from home" thing -- it seems like a lot of time is getting

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1154618785389070002006-08-03T08:15:00.000-07:002006-08-03T08:26:25.406-07:00

You would think that we've got it pretty easy... I get to work from home, we spend some time each day visiting the hospital, my wife's main responsibility is to express milk, and the Relief Society is helping us out with meals. That's it... that's the list.But man oh man are we beat. The Girl is cutting some more teeth and refuses to be comforted, medicated, or anything else. It's been nothing

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1154153449520946912006-07-28T22:58:00.000-07:002006-07-28T23:10:49.533-07:00

Well... it doesn't get much better than tonight. We were invited to a friend's house for games with another couple that we usually hang out with. It wasn't a friend's house, it was one they were house-sitting. And I wouldn't call this a "house", either. This house is 7500 square feet, and easily... easily over $1,000,000. The kitchen was entirely commercial grade, the TV room was obscene,

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1154057054355838672006-07-27T20:12:00.000-07:002006-07-27T20:24:14.386-07:00

...but it took a long time to get there. Oh, man.Woke up this morning to a thunderstorm outside. I figured, OK, it's early, and it never storms in the morning.It may never storm, but by the time we got on the road at 8:30, it was still raining.At about 8:40, my windshield wipers started to fail. So now I am driving, with a deadline, in rush hour, with limited visibility. So far, so good.We

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1153893042129705222006-07-25T22:33:00.000-07:002006-07-25T22:50:42.146-07:00

FINALLY after watching news reports for the past ten days about the EVIL monsoons and how they were raining watery doom upon the greater Phoenix area... FINALLY after enduring ten days of one hundred and ten degree temperatures... FINALLY tonight it is storming outside, the likes of which I haven't seen since the latest "Anderson Cooper is Here" special report on CNN. Heavy winds, heavy rain,

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1153761522335479612006-07-24T09:25:00.000-07:002006-07-24T10:18:42.996-07:00

No, this isn't another post on the miracle/mystery/beauty of life brought about by visiting my son in the hospital, but rather an interesting line of thought I've been pursuing over the past couple of days.I've always believed that with God, there are to "grey areas" in life... everything is black and white, you're either following Him, or you're not. I've had some experiences with scripture

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1153758331460226302006-07-24T09:11:00.000-07:002006-07-24T09:25:31.483-07:00

There's been a certain disconnect for me over the past week and a half or so. I usually define my days by what tasks I have to perform at work, or what baseball games are on, or what activities I have to do that evening (usually church-related). Ever since I've come up to Phoenix, I've completely lost track of the days. With Michelle being a bit under the weather yesterday, we didn't even get

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1153633104129264242006-07-22T22:25:00.000-07:002006-07-22T22:38:24.143-07:00

Hey, look at me! I've got the laptop up and running, and I also have a wireless Internet connection, so while the rest of the family is watching a boring design show on HGTV, I get to sit here and surf the web. Rock on!Went and visited Stephen again today. It's what we do every day, and I'm glad that we are getting time to do that. He got to meet his big sister yesterday, even though he was

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1153287605501084202006-07-18T22:40:00.000-07:002006-07-18T22:40:05.510-07:00

Home for the evening in Tucson, and I thought I would take some of my downtime and do what I do best... write.You know it's been a long time since you started something when the feed on the site says, "Two Months Ago, Pronoia wrote..." and then the title of the article appears: Listen to the whispers of your possessions (Exercise #15).This is something that I'm very keen on. I have long thought

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1153200438832143132006-07-17T22:08:00.000-07:002006-07-17T22:27:18.846-07:00

Michelle and I are both home from the hospital, and after having had to run to the pharmacy for supplies for Michelle, I find myself "out of a job" again. Michelle is resting comfortably on the couch, my parents are watching TV, and Elizabeth is sleeping. I, therefore, have nothing to do, and no role to fill currently. So, I'm typing on the compuer. This is going to be a lot more

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1153156554390814212006-07-17T10:10:00.000-07:002006-07-17T10:15:54.403-07:00

Turns out the hospital computer room is closed on the weekends, so I have been shut in here with Michelle for the past couple of days with no way to contact people. But, other than that (and the crushing loss the Diamondbacks suffered last night) it's been a good weekend. We visited Stephen a few times and Michelle even found the strength to walk down to the NICU. Michelle gets her staples out

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152986271585395952006-07-15T10:54:00.000-07:002006-07-15T10:57:51.613-07:00

Here he is! He was doing better yesterday, had the C-pap removed and that was replaced by a pacifier roughly the size of his face. Mom, Dad, and Grandma all got to hold him.The network at Mom's is wonko this morning. I'm going to end this quickly and not push my luck. Hopefully I'll be able to update at the hospital this weekend; I don't know the hours of the computer lab there on weekends.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152919038955583272006-07-14T16:01:00.000-07:002006-07-14T16:17:18.973-07:00

Michelle's parents and grandfather showed up, having driven all night from Texas, about twelve minutes before the decision was made to go get the baby. It was really good that they got to spend some time together before the c-section, and I know that out of everything that could have possibly happened with this pregnancy, this was the thing that pleased Michelle the most.I had prayed very, very

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152687174780126172006-07-11T23:38:00.000-07:002006-07-11T23:52:54.816-07:00

I apologize profusely to Cris, to whom I had promised something with the statement "I don't have anything else to do tonight." Because oh yes, yes I did have something to do tonight. This is what I have accomplished since 5 PM:Cooked and ate dinner while relaxing in front of the All-Star Game.Found a substitute teacher for Primary on Sunday, and dropped off the manual.Taught a darn good bass

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152678499775279482006-07-11T21:12:00.000-07:002006-07-11T21:28:19.796-07:00

This was said to me many times by an ex-girlfriend of mine. I've always hated it because she would generally use it as an excuse to be a jerk and stop whatever I was doing at the time, or planning on doing. However, six years later, it fits.Michelle's vacation? Scrapped. Instead, she is in a Phoenix hospital with contractions and all of the symptoms of preeclampsia, expecting to have a baby

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152597796918275242006-07-10T22:50:00.000-07:002006-07-10T23:03:16.966-07:00

Today's project: the computer room.BEFORE:It was looking pretty junky -- bookshelves never got used (even after I fixed them), a couple of boxes that never got unpacked sitting uner the desk segment, a pile of paper in front of the keyboard, a printer stacked on books to elevate it over the piano that was plopped on the desk. We won't even mention the cords.BEFORE PROGRESS GOT STARTED:Right

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152537955831308032006-07-10T06:06:00.000-07:002006-07-10T06:25:55.903-07:00

I've been reading in various articles recently about Phi and its occurrences in various locations throughout the universe, as well as its relationship with the Fibonacci series. I figure now is as good a time as any to try something out, and that would be what I've called "the Fibonacci Workout." It's essentially the same thing as the old Navy Seal workout that I used to do in France, except

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152508302325621612006-07-09T21:59:00.000-07:002006-07-09T22:11:42.396-07:00

16, maybe 17 days of nose-to-the-grindstone, pedal-to-the-metal productivity here. As an extension of a previous (missed) goal, I'm sitting down now and dividing my goals into two categories: inside goals, and outside goals. The "outside" goals are things that take place outside, of course, and the "inside" goals are things I can do in the house (i.e. with the cooler running). I'm making a

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152460241342265422006-07-09T07:29:00.000-07:002006-07-09T08:50:44.163-07:00

Wow, what a week.Goals? Missed. All of them. I don't even know what exactly they were, but I know there were three, two of which were scripture reading and buying a bus pass, and my scriptures sat untouched on my dresser most of the week, and the bus pass is still safely at the grocery store. Instead, I spent the week trying to run a barbecue (I would like to thank my friend for lighting the

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152308749788831082006-07-07T14:43:00.000-07:002006-07-07T14:45:49.796-07:00

 And not a moment too soon. Well, scratch that, actually this is rather early for monsoons to hit. As we batten down the hatches, we find that the backyard is already beginning to flood. Good thing I got home from work early today.And speaking of good things, I got a webcam and microphone today. Finally dragging myself kicking and screaming into the 2000's, I can now do voice and video chat

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152277264239196582006-07-07T05:58:00.000-07:002006-07-07T06:01:04.256-07:00

Apparently the major cause behind Michelle's episode yesterday was stress, so the vacation will be encouraged, which is good... she really needs one. No more work for her, though, which is also a good thing, as she has been very stressed about her job, too, and I think her body finally telling her to stop it is one of the better things that could have happened.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1152215461043335912006-07-06T12:39:00.000-07:002006-07-06T12:51:01.060-07:00

Elizabeth has once again established her domination over the household by refusing to sleep a regular schedule. Now she comes into our room about 2:30 every morning, and promptly kicks me out of bed. Consequently, I've gotten maybe 3 hours of sleep each of the last two nights, and I'm about to hit a wall.I was in my normal semi-weekly meeting with Randy this morning, when Crystal came and

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151986759187111562006-07-03T21:18:00.000-07:002006-07-03T21:19:19.203-07:00

 I forgot about this one -- nice picture of a turtle poking its nose out of the water. 

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151950459074088732006-07-03T11:12:00.000-07:002006-07-03T21:26:00.533-07:00

 Went to the Tucson Reid Park Zoo today, and took a few (more than a few, actually) photos. Pretty good stuff, if I do say so myself. Of course, when you take 50 photos, there's bound to be at least one good one in there, right?And yes, the reflection of myself is intentional.  I hate bees. Hate hate hate hate HATE them. I took this picture very gingerly, and got the heck out of there. There

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151848363817348982006-07-02T06:41:00.000-07:002006-07-02T06:52:43.836-07:00

As things work better when you write them down, here is the schedule I am planning on working from July 11-July 24.5:45 Arise, stretch, exercise, eat breakfast, and do daily summer reading project.7:20 Leave for work.8:15 Arrive at work.4:30 Leave work.5:15 Arrive home. Cook dinner. Eat. Clean up.6:00 Buckle down for a long night working on whatever project I have scheduled for that night.12:

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151847656097021732006-07-02T06:34:00.000-07:002006-07-02T06:40:56.100-07:00

Read D&C 77-87. This sounds like a minor reprieve, as I know that Section 88 is ginormous.Get caught up with the summer reading project as well, which will take me through Alma 8.This week is going to be very busy, even with a "long weekend", with friends and parents coming down for a couple days. That takes me through Tuesday night, with Wednesday night being taken by Mutual. So, Thursday and

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151847289006761772006-07-02T06:24:00.000-07:002006-07-02T06:34:49.020-07:00

I completed my reading goal.Unfortunately, the only thing I wound up doing to the list was adding to it. I need to put a "stop date" on it (like, YESTERDAY) and get everything hammered out.I didn't get a chance to go through the blog, but I was able to remember some projects that I had started earlier in the year, namely, the 500 Greatest CDs project, the physical fitness project, the novel, and

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151788737158673922006-07-01T14:17:00.000-07:002006-07-01T14:18:57.176-07:00

ALLEZ LES BLEUS

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151780274301948442006-07-01T11:54:00.000-07:002006-07-01T11:57:54.316-07:00

versusI'm stoked. This is going to be a good match. Hopefully France decides to show up and play, and the referee stays far enough out of the way to be a non-factor.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151726804818167772006-06-30T21:03:00.000-07:002006-06-30T21:06:44.830-07:00

The year, that is. I'm feeling good about a fresh start to part two of this year called "2006". I've had some fairly creative book and music ideas recently, I've got the good vibes going, and I'll have a heck of a time during my vacation. I've got it all planned out: since I work best when I'm not shipped, I'm going to do a small dose of polyphasic sleep: sleep during the day when it is at

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151635772564002002006-06-29T19:48:00.000-07:002006-06-29T19:49:32.580-07:00

And here I thought I was the master of these books. Ah well.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151618197081023552006-06-29T14:53:00.000-07:002006-06-29T14:56:37.083-07:00

Updated my template to something a bit more eye-catching and easier to manipulate from a back-end perspective. Basically, something I did - I have no idea what - caused my template to act dumb and stuff, and I couldn't get it to go back the way it was before. This new template is provided under a CC Limited Usage License and is from noipo.org.I guess changing your template is somewhat like

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151430072079804012006-06-27T10:41:00.000-07:002006-06-27T10:41:22.220-07:00

From 10 Ways to Relaxify Your Workspace, via LifehackerI'm working on increasing my productivity while decreasing my stress -- isn't everybody? -- and I came across this article from Steve Pavlina on "relaxifying" my workspace -- basically some ideas to customize your cube to make it more "yours", and adding relaxing touches so it's not a threshold into a pressure cooker.First off, I have to say

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151417957899340332006-06-27T07:19:00.000-07:002006-06-27T07:19:20.746-07:00

Just a quick update on Exercise #10 (Keep Track of Your Personal Zeitgeist) here.I'm not going to say that I'm a paranoid person, but I will freely admit to being anal-retentive and a bit OCD.  When the faith to which you subscribe counsels repeatedly to get out of debt and have a small preparedness kit ready, hopefully you listen.  When your zeitgeist kicks in and you hear from multiple sources

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151239370365860182006-06-25T05:36:00.000-07:002006-06-25T05:42:50.366-07:00

Read D&C 66-76. MAN some of these sections are long.That list I made of things I need/want to do while the girls are on vacation? Prioritize and schedule it.This week will officially put us halfway through the year. Review earlier blog entries for things I gave up on, and see how I can complete things I've missed.Relaxify my workspace. I got an old desklamp from a friend of mine, and some

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151238637247668992006-06-25T05:02:00.000-07:002006-06-25T05:30:37.260-07:00

The bank fiasco appears to be mostly fixed: just one or two things to be hammered out, and then everything should be back to a semblance of "normal". We'll see. It's been a bit stressful because of that, but aside from that it's been a pretty good week. I've been plotting my tasks for the time that Michelle is going to be in Texas, and it looks like it's going to be a full two weeks for me.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1151014467354480302006-06-22T15:13:00.000-07:002006-06-22T15:14:27.366-07:00

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1150755356479530992006-06-19T15:15:00.000-07:002006-06-19T15:15:56.490-07:00

Radical Mutual-Improvement » Work a four-day work week (Exercise #14)Hey look!  One that I can do!  Just not yet.  :-)After the baby is born, I will be lucky enough to take two weeks 'paternity leave', then move to a 4/10 schedule so I can have an extra day a week at home with the fam.  Very, very lucky that work will let me be this flexible.  I just need to get my performance up so I can afford

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1150668354618944812006-06-18T15:05:00.000-07:002006-06-18T15:05:54.636-07:00

I tried updating earlier with my goals, but the browser crashed... sigh.  Suffice it to say that I need to read my scriptures to a certain point, I need to use PocketMods more, and I'm in a holding pattern with any major paperwork until the wife and kid go on vacation.So:  I'll find out tomorrow if France has a chance on earth of advancing to the knockout round.  With Italy, it's simple:  they

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1150585117110430862006-06-17T15:56:00.000-07:002006-06-17T15:58:37.123-07:00

Yeah, so the game was a bit of a disappointment after all the hype -- especially after all the hype that ESPN/ABC were disgustingly slathering all over it. The ref plain old stink stank stunk. Should have been 2-0 Italy for a final, but whatever. It will be interesting to see how Ghana stacks up against the U.S. since the U.S. will be out two players for the last game of group play.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1150485838707239652006-06-16T12:21:00.000-07:002006-06-16T12:23:58.723-07:00

Photo from Radioburn's marathon 9 hour recording session on Wednesday. This was taken at least 8 hours into it. I didn't even have the energy to look at the camera, which is probably a good thing as I would have made some sort of face. :-)

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1150464842622867542006-06-16T06:34:00.000-07:002006-06-16T06:34:02.706-07:00

Looks like I won't get a chance to re-do exercise #12 -- been removed from the testing project at work.  Ah well... it wasn't a good fit for me, anyway.  Now, instead of waiting to get assigned an actual workspace and permanent computer to use, I'm back "home", as it were.  I can also get on with the next exercise in the list: Set up your mind’s workspace (Exercise #13).I can imagine my mind's

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1150032401845750062006-06-11T05:19:00.000-07:002006-06-11T06:26:41.910-07:00

I completed my scripture reading goals. Woohoo! I'm even doing it early and spacing it out throughout the week.Yeah, I didn't get anything else done this week. LAME. I'm just moving these goals over to next week. I'm reading D&C 45-56 this week.I had a tough time this week: I have been reading the Book of Mormon cover-to-cover for the first time in forever, and last week as leaders of the

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1149976314420800302006-06-10T14:51:00.000-07:002006-06-10T14:51:54.456-07:00

Hey look, two posts in one day!  This one's an easy one, drawn from Radical Mutual-Improvement,aka my blog's fodder.  He also linked to another post that I was planning on reviewing at Lifehacker, so perhaps karma, fate, or whatever will cause me to massively update on Monday morning.I'm fairly sure part of this is based on a section in The Millionaire Course, so that's why it looks so familiar.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1149944292237877452006-06-10T05:57:00.000-07:002006-06-10T05:58:12.256-07:00

Busy week here... I actually just clocked out from finishing all of my assigned work. Bringing work home is a double-edged sword: I really enjoy working and getting the overtime, but I don't like having to spend so much time away from the family. I guess the good news is, once September rolls around, I'll be able to go back to working eight hours at the office, with minimal working from home.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1149427389496931162006-06-04T06:16:00.000-07:002006-06-04T06:23:09.496-07:00

Read Doctrine and Covenants 36-44. Look at me, making steady progress in the scriptures!Complete scanning project #1 - scanning cookbooks.Complete finance project #1 - setting savings goals and putting them into buckets.Complete finance project #2 - increase percentage of 401(k) contribution. I have budgeted for it at 5% in the cost of living spreadsheet, so might as well stick it

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1149426963034573022006-06-04T06:06:00.000-07:002006-06-04T06:16:13.060-07:00

Finished reading through D&C 35. Good stuff.Set up the account. Also, set up one of those "how much do you need to make to sustain your lifestyle" spreadsheets. I guess it's a bad thing that I named it screwed.ods. On the lifestyle vs. personal finance fronts, we turned cable TV off, but I'm still probably going to get a second job. The wife is still in denial about that one, unfortunately.

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1149387271734751962006-06-03T19:14:00.000-07:002006-06-04T07:15:40.946-07:00

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints plays a large role in my life. I've talkted about it a couple times here, and since I was planning on writing my conversion story to a friend of mine this week, I figured I'd put it here, too.I was raised in a Christian household (growing up Italian-American in New York, one might be able to guess which denomination), albeit one that never went to

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1149386995855469822006-06-03T19:09:00.000-07:002006-06-04T09:15:54.456-07:00

(Due to a strange HTML error that puts in a whole table's worth of blank space, I am posting a link to this. Yes, a permalink to a link.)http://calabresi.schtuff.com/top_rated_itunes_music

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20385920.post-1149254451349805692006-06-02T05:48:00.000-07:002006-06-02T06:20:51.406-07:00

After two more successful days of taking the bus to work, I have decided to give my poor, aching legs a rest and drive. Well, maybe it was my legs making the decision. We are in a situation where I might only have the usage of the car for the next 4 weeks or so as it is, so I am going to take advantage of little breaks like this while I can. And still get my money's worth from the bus pass...

Matthewnoreply@blogger.com0