Examples of the use of the decision graph:
Snowboard: this one is easy. I haven't used it in two years, and I intend to switch to skiing. The board is hardly used, is still current in model and features. Clearly then, we go with "get rid of" and it is "worth $" "to me" and "will sell locally" as this is Minnesota. So, I listed it on craigslist.com and got multiple offers within a couple hours. The first guy was a no show repeatedly, but the next in line was happy to come over from Wisconsin and pay my asking price in cash.

Jogging Stroller: Emy wasn't happy about it, thanks to fond memories, but it never gets used. It took a bit longer on craigslist, but still sold easily.

AD&D books: yes, I did play this game up until about 6 years ago. They sat and sat on craigslist, and so, my initial suspicion that they would "sell locally" was in fact in correct. So, I should modify the decision graph to point both directions between eBay and craigslist. The lot of books sold easily on eBay.

Box of wood scraps acquired by Bree: we used some of them, but had way more than we needed. Using the graph, we follow "get rid of" - apply own judgment and determine "worth $" to "somebody else" so Bree listed it on freecycle. It hasn't budged, even those there's been some interest. I think this one will soon follow the path of "nobody wants it" - "trash it".

in other news:
I got in my first cross country skiing of the season on the Como golf course. It was wonderful. I've often thought that we lived close enough to ski to/from the loop, but this time I tried it (for the return trip). It wasn't too bad, so hopefully this can be my new winter exercise program, in addition to the indoor climbing and outdoor ice climbing.

Emy is a sledding machine! Last year she got cold pretty quickly, and also she didn't like going too fast. Well, she is now the no fear kid. She even attempted to go down a hill standing up ala snowboard style. She only made it about ten feet, but then she just sat down and rode it out. We took her to some bigger, steeper hills on the Como golf course and she loved it. She had two major wipe outs, one of which she laughed off and the other was a bit too much of a face plant to be funny. But all in all I'd say she inherited her father's braveness (or lack of good sense to be scared)

Out with the old - part one

Well, one thing about moving is that it helps you prioritize what you need, and what you don't. And then, among the things you don't need, you have another division - trash and stuff that might be worth something, to somebody. I have created a little decision graph to help you go through this process yourself.

Yes, of course you could update your own personal judgement when you learn that nobody wants the bucket of rusty nails so that perhaps for the next decision you might save yourself some work.

When you get down to it, it is pretty hard to go through all the work. But, if the stuff goes in the trash you are being unenvironmental, and depriving someone the opportunity to make use of it.

In part two we'll look at some examples of using the decision graph.

Long time no post
I apologize to the three or four of you out there who have been anxiously awaiting a new post. But, the good news is, I have something significant to report! I had a job interview with Microsoft in Redmond, WA, my former team, and accepted a nice offer yesterday. So, after wrapping up the PhD in early summer, we will be back in Washington and start the next (restart the previous?) chapter of our life. Emy has gone from being a little sad to a little interested, so hopefully we will be doing this move at a "good" time before she gets too settled in. I hope that the separation from her friends is less traumatic than it could be. All we can hope is that Washington is an exciting enough place that her good friends and their families might be interested in visiting us! And, we can hope that Bree's brother Dustin and wife Billie might continue the talk of moving to Seattle as well. Then, if we can find jobs for the grandparents, maybe our extended family will surround us once again? You hear me?

On my trip out there for the job interview, I had a great time with our friend Jeff. Highlights included chipping a giant brushpile with a Fargo-esqe chipper for like 5 hours, and going to an authentic tavern of the redneck kind. While there, I unseated the dude who had been running the pool table and took over for a short while until I was beat by a guy I can only call viva Las Vegas. In addition to fun with Jeff, I managed to see Tower of Power at Jazz Alley in Seattle with my old manager and friend, Peter. I'm not much of a jazz aficionado, but these guys were really great. It capped off the interview day in a fantastic way.

I'll try to get back to more regular posting. Really I will :-)

Broken Flowers and Outdoor Learning
It's been longer than I wanted since my last post. Therefore I will give more bang for the buck. Two posts in one!

Outdoor learning
We had a parents night at Emy's pre-school - Dodge Nature Preschool which has to be one of the most remarkable environments for a preschool ever conceived. OK, there is a classroom environment, but it is open with ample floorspace, an indoor treehouse, lots of windows, and animals - Miss Chick (a chicken), Moe Pumpkin (a guinea pig), and Rocky (painted turtle?). There is a kitchen for cooking snacks, two sinks, a bathroom, dress up clothes, a couch for reading. She will have three teachers for 16 kids. One male, two female. When they aren't inside, the play outside (~50% of the 2.75 hours for each of the two days a week) in an expansive playground, hiking the trails through the nature center, visiting the working farm (hunting for eggs in the hay, learning how to milk cows and goats, collecting maple tree syrup), walking the boardwalk across the wetlands and ponds, gardening, and learning from both their teachers and two full-time naturalists about the animals, plants and bugs all around them. The goal of the school is to teach the kids to be environmental stewards from an early age. I sure would have loved this kids of school at Emy's age. If you're curious, check out the link above.

I should add that despite all the fun in and out, when asked, so far Emy's favorite thing she discovered when she had a "meet your teachers" event was the plastic, single strap, purple and pink high heeled shoes that were two sizes two big. However, she did really want to wear them outside for a hike :-)

Special thanks to Bree's parents, who generously pay for Emy's preschool costs, without which Emy would be stuck at home!

Broken Flowers and Bill Murray in general
After Rushmore, The Royal Tenenbaums, Lost in Translation, Coffee & Cigarettes (short skit, but very funny - RZA & GZA from Wu Tang Clan are served at a table by Bill Murray, who is "incognito") and now Broken Flowers, I have come to the conclusion that while he may be in danger of becoming typecast, he really, really rocks at the midlife-crisis, worn out, has-been swinger guy. Gone is the total smart-ass smirk and slurred speech from Carl in caddyshack, and well, every character he's played from the beginning up until Ed Wood, in which his transformation apparently began (I haven't seen it, despite also being a big Depp fan).

So, on to Broken Flowers - this movie perhaps takes the cake for his now bread-and-butter character. I laughed and giggled through most of the film, which means I am either nearing my own midlife crisis, or that it is just plain good. The film is directed by Jim Jarmusch, which generally means it might have some slow points, and feel more like a succession of short skits, but will ultimately be quite good. Dead Man is an important exception, and now also Broken Flowers - there is a linear plot with at least two constant characters.

In this film, Bill plays Don Johnston, an "over the hill don Juan". He gets tired of the Don Juan reference, and also the plays on his name. His Nigerian neighbor buddy, Winston, played by Jeffrey Wright (of Basquiat), who lives the opposite lifestyle with a family of five kids and "the perfect wife", helps Don in a quest to find out if an anonymous letter from an old flame contains the truth - that he fathered a son 19 years earlier. The story unfolds as Don travels the country visiting old flames in search of pink paper and a typewriter, often wanting to give up the search and telling Winston he's coming home, but ultimately seeking the truth. I won't reveal the whole story, but you owe it to yourself to find out.

I'll leave you with my favorite line "Couldn't you have rented me something I might actually drive? I'm a stalker in a Taurus!"

Mr. Mom

No, I haven't seen the movie, but then, Teri Garr bothers me. I am instead referring to the last three days and nights, where Bree was in NYC visiting brother Dustin - her first "big" trip away from home since Emy was born. Emy and I had a great time on Saturday. After dropping Bree off, we went grocery shopping and had lunch at Mississippi Market. We went home and patiently waited for Jeremy and jack to be available to join us for a day at the beach. But, the plans fell through at the last minute leaving Emy and I to go it alone. She got a good nap on the drive there, and we really had a wonderful time swimming and making eleven sand castles. The highlight was hunting for sticks to make flag towers, since as Emy says, "Castles always have flags." We then drove in to Stillwater for dinner and ice cream, and watched the boats float by on the St Croix. However, the main theme of our trip was about the change on the drive back. Emy said she felt really tired (which didn't seem surprising) and her throat was sore. So too was mine, but I figured it was from being outside in the wind all afternoon. But, later a bad cold plugged her nose and made for a generally rough night. Those who know Emy well will understand when I say she does not tolerate stuffed noses well. She is such a sensitive kid that the slightest bother really sets her off.

In the morning, she seemed a bit better, even though she was running 100.5 F, and so when Grandma Jane came over for the traditional Sunday morning Emy time, both Emy and I were happy. I hung out at Coffee News and read some T'ai Chi philosophy (Cheng Tzu's Thirteen Treatises on T'ai Chi Ch'uanby Cheng Man Ch'ing) and poured five cups of strong black coffee into my system to prepare me for the day. When I got home Emy ran toward me whimpering a bit and saying "I really missed you, Daddy." Surprisingly, she did not say "I miss Mama." I knew I should not drop her off with Grandma & Grandpa Norlander that afternoon. We took a decent nap for two hours and then after lunch (she woke up hungry) we went to Norlanders' to hang out. Emy napped on my chest for somewhere around 30 minutes while Grandpa and I talked and Grandma cooked. Emy gave in to a popsicle offered by Grandma, and that was perhaps a turning point in the evening. She perked up a bit from then on and ate a full dinner, so I figured she was on the road to recovery. We watched some Dora downstairs with Grandpa, who confirmed for me that the show is weird. Emy seems to like it despite the fact the show attempts to be "interactive" with the audience, repeats itself over and over "Pond...Farm...Grandma's House!", and uses a mouse click pointer to find things on screen (as though the whole world is a big computer program - and No, even though I have seen the whole Matrix trilogy, I don't believe this to be the case). It kinda freaks me out. She told me she wanted to go home, so we left within a few minutes. When we got home her temp was 99.3 F and she was breathing thru the nose without difficulty. After a little snack and the shareware games JrVet and JrDoctor from CurioSoft she was ready to go to sleep. I'll blog more about her ability with computer games on another day.

That night was fabulous, which allowed both of us to catch up on sleep. In the morning she asked me if I was "so impressed" that she could go without Mama Milk in the morning and I told her I was. She said maybe she's done with Mama Milk, and I said, "Well, I think that is a good idea, but it really is your decision to make with Mama - maybe you'll still want a little when she gets back, but I think you now know you don't need Mama Milk to wake up in the morning or to fall asleep for your nap during the day." [Note: This morning she was very happy to have some Mama milk, but at least the seed has been planted that she can do it if she wants] We took the bus to get our favorite sprinkle donuts for breakfast and after bussing home we went to the Science Museum to see Bears, which it turns out was a bit scary for her. We went home to take a nap, but once we got back she just wanted to play school. In this game, Emy fills her backpack with random things and then we "learn about them" in the classroom from me, the teacher. Later, she helped me change the air filter on the car and then we harvested beets, carrots, watermelon and tomatoes from the garden to fix dinner. Emy washed carrots while I cooked up the beets and some pasta, and after dinner she helped me clean the dishes. She was pretty much obsessed with helping me with housework the whole time Bree was away, and really takes great pride in her ability to vacuum and help cook. It gives me great pleasure to see her proud of her own accomplishments - I am so glad she isn't one of those kids who looks for external approval of every little "good thing" they do. After dinner it took some prodding to get her out to a playground, but I knew it was essential to wear her out before bedtime, or she would focus on the fact that Bree was coming back sometime late in the night. It worked well, but she woke up twice from "bad dreams" before I finally gave up on Bree coming back before 11 PM and went to sleep. I think Bree got in about 11:15 or so, and now life is back to normal for the Scolanders.
Here is the list of things I learned while being the sole parent:

• Emy is very good at playing by herself, if she thinks that what you are doing is important
• I cannot leave her alone with my laptop or she will start sending IM and changing my desktop picture
• Emy loves me very much and thinks I am the best (oh wait, I already knew this, but it felt great to hear it a number of times)
• Emy is growing up fast - she gets her own snacks, cleans up after herself, uses the bathroom, brushes her teeth, dresses herself, runs all kids of electronic devices with great skill, and can focus on a single task for an hour or more if I help her see the "next challenge" or expand the task
  
• I can be a stay at home parent and love it - you know, if Bree someday hits her head rock climbing and decides she wants to be the bread winner
• It is possible to keep a clean house, wash dishes, vacuum, get us both showered and out the door, and not turn the TV on for much or any of the day, if I run around like a chicken with my head cut off. My sympathy for Bree's day-to-day job was high before, but now I am amazed at what she manages to get done each day while I am at work
• Emy really likes herself and her talents. She deliberately challenges herself with tasks and relishes the accomplishment on completion
  

OK, I could write more about the experience, but most of what I feel about our weekend is internal and not really something I can express without more thought. Thanks for reading. We are so glad Mama is back! Bree promises to blog on the New York experience, and first hand witnessing of Air Rage on NWA 107! That will be fun to read.

To beard or not to beard - that is the question. I put it to you, the audience. I like how I looked, and I feel "old enough" to sport some facial hair. So, if you have an opinion, please vote. Yes - means grow a beard again, and No means please don't grow a beard again. No abstaining, please. And no "I'll love you no matter what you do" votes either :-)

Washington Bound part 1
The word is on the street. I am negotiating with my former Redmond, WA employer for a grand return. Some of you already know this, and others might be surprised. Didn't I say I wanted to be a professor? I do love teaching, yes, but the life in the ivory tower is a bit more demanding...

The short explanation is this - professors work long hours, and have busy summers attempting to catch up on research projects. If I could change the world so that professors work ~40 hours a week, have relaxed summers that allow for ample free time and weekend getaways, rarely have to write a research grant, and almost never have to author a research paper, then I would sign up immediately. Alas, reality does not match my ideal.

Hence, I will return to a job that was interesting enough, paid well enough, and provided sufficient moolah to enjoy life. While we have been getting by on a paltry sum for the past two years, I think we realize that we need a little more to allow for travel, education for Emy, and a house we can mold or build to fit our goals of green living. And, we miss the mountains. Just look at that picture of Mount Rainier - doesn't it call to you?

For our friends out in Washington - we can't wait to see you again for climbing, hiking, camping, snow sports, Thai food, and Canadian getaways. For our friends in Minnesota - we'll visit often, or maybe you'd like to move to one of the best places in the country? We will do our best to set you up, or at least serve as a guide to the area.

Oh yeah, I forgot. I owe you some rants.

So, clearly Karl Rove needs to go. You've heard enough of the headlines to get the message - he leaked sufficient classified information to screw a couple over. He covered it up. The cover up relates to nuclear weapons in Iraq, and that there were none. We all know Bush lied, on purpose, or by "accident" in the now infamous Iraq war justification SOTU speech. There's plenty of duplicity to go around. But, just as it looks like Rove might take some serious front line heat, Bush nominates his supreme court candidate. Intially Roberts looks bad, but perhaps palatable, but it would appear that his Federalist membership, and his significant role in the 2000 Florida election scandal (or, "recount" as the other side refers to it) as a top republican team player make him look considerably more frightening. I watched Sen. Chuck Shumer discuss nominee Robert's evasivenesss to direct questions on C-SPAN the other day (go here and scroll down to use RealPlayer). It looks like we are in for a long, drawn out fight, and hence the "cover up Rove with a giant smokescreen" appears to be working.

One good source for some of this rant is from another great blog: Daily Kos

First, let me say that I wholeheartedly join my wife in her skepticism of the fluoridation of drinking water. I found the information at this link to be particularly striking. So, while I suspect that topical fluoride can be useful to prevent dental caries, it would appear that a dramatic decline in tooth decay does not correlate directly with fluoridation of drinking water, but rather people brushing their teeth, or at least a decline in sugary food consumption.

Anyway, my primary reason for this post is to complain to you the reader. Are you terrified your ideas and comments will sound stupid, inane, boring, ill-posed, poorly written, or perhaps fear them coming back to haunt you? Let me assure you that my blog is only visited by people who can not get you into trouble, and will not judge you on your grammar. Oh wait, actually, a lot of my friends and family have pet peeves with poor grammar and crummy sentence structure. But then, if those friends are reading my stuff, and then not commenting on it, how am I supposed to get better? And, I have friends and family who work for the governement (MN Dept of Health, US Department of Homeland Security, for example), but I am sure they won't turn you in without first consulting me.

Which means, if you want to stay on my good side. You should comment. Even if the comment is "this post sucks". I can handle the criticism, although I prefer it be constructive.

So, by all means, if reading my blog makes you think of something...comment on it! You only need to click the 0 comments link to make me happy. You can comment anonymously, which means no one will know who you are! I've gotten email from a couple of people who should really post a comment so that others may benefit from their wisdom.

While you are at it, comment on jitterbug's blog as well.

Thanks.
Love,
Fishdaddyo.

My new steed has arrived. I have not had a bicycle for nearly a year, which is surprising given how much of my life has been devoted to bicycle riding, maintenance, leg shaving, admiring, and TV watching. Way back in my teen years I worked at a bicycle shop. I always thought the dorks who came in with single speed bikes had a screw loose. I mean, why limit yourself to one gear? Don't the hills suck? Are you wearing underwear beneath those bike shorts?

OK, fast forward to today. The bike pictured above has only one gear. It does have brakes, so I am not a purist, but I dig the single gear. It is simpler to "just pedal". But, the hills do suck.

Two notes for anyone thinking of taking the single speed plunge.

• 48 x 16 gearing is a bit to high of a gear ratio. I suffer on the hills, and the first couple miles of any ride are tough
• Running shoes are not the best - I swear I can feel every corner and divot of the pedal cages

Today I also owe you a correction. My linguistic skills are poor when it comes to Italian/Spanish/Latin. You mean they aren't the same? The mother-in-law rightly pointed out that The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars, and A Few Dollars More were in Italian, and not Spanish. If you also noticed this, then go treat yourself to a full fat latte with extra foam.

As my wife, jitterbug, has done, I too have a movie oriented post, albeit with different themes.

Movies I should have walked out of, with the benefit of hindsight:

1. Pulp Fiction - violence and gore cloaked in humor
2. Natural Born Killers - violence and gore cloaked in artistic colors
3. Forest Gump - just plain dumb
4. Basic Instinct - ditto, with a crotch shot
5. Saving Private Ryan - I can never see another war movie, but maybe I should be grateful?
6. Thin Red Line (1998) - if I had seen ...Ryan first, I could have spared myself
7. Fortress - for some reason, I am a sucker for Lambert, probably thanks to Highlander (1986)
8. Highlander II, the Quickening - see above. I see there's Highlander: The Journey Continues in the works. Sheesh? Can there be only none?
9. Pet Sematary - at least I read the book first. The only redeeming scene is the sliced achilles, which will haunt me forever.
10. Indecent Proposal - Robert Redford's only bad movie?

Movies I wish I could have seen on the big screen:

1. The Shining - I think I would have enjoyed an eight foot tall Jack face
2. Buono, il brutto, il cattivo, Il, Per qualche dollaro in più, Per un pugno di dollari - do I have to explain? did I test your Spanish?
3. Blade Runner - the best sci-fi movie ever, and a great book adaptation
4. Shichinin no samurai, aka The Seven Samurai - Mifune's character is pure genius
5. The Thing (1982) - so creepy, I can only imagine it gets better with size
6. The Exorcist - same as above
7. Apocalypse Now - alas, my only big screen image of Brando is Island of Dr. Moreau, and I need to be cleansed
8. Close Encounters of the Third Kind - those aliens would look much taller and brighter on a big screen
9. Monty Python and the Holy Grail - most people don't know how much of a ...Grail lover I am

I goaded Bree into starting a blog, and so, I suppose I should follow suit. Today feels like the right time to reflect upon the recent Tour de Lance...

Predictable and boring should not be the words that best describe the "world's greatest sporting event", but these are the words that come to mind when reflecting on the last three weeks. Yes, it is a great feat for LA to break his own record and achieve what will likely not ever be seen again, a least in my lifetime - seven consecutive wins. But, we already knew he would stand on top of the final podium the moment he passed Jan in the opening time trial. I'm glad he's retired. My viewership of the Tour has been a constant event, since I was 15 years old in my best friend Allen's basement (Greg Lemond won that year, and like Lance almost did this year, Greg didn't win a single stage). As a lifelong cycling fan, and an occasional participant, I can only say I am relieved that next year's Tour will be without Lance. The battle between Jan and Ivan, and who knows else, will provide for much greater entertainment, and better filler between OLN's terrible commercials (for which the mute button was designed).

I promise my blogs won't all be rants. And, I promise to say something about Karl Rove, so I look like I know about current events :-)

- fishdaddyo