I Can Learn Something New!

So, this is the very first time I've ever blogged!! Who knew that after all these years I would be a blogger!! I'm so excited! It's like when I first learned how to text on my phone! I know all of you were thrilled to see me master that skill!

Thank you Patrick for setting this up. I am looking forward to seeing what adventures our family is up to and pictures and thoughts on every day life. And we don't have to subject it to the world ~ that's awesome.

This morning I went to Federal Way to watch Lukas in his last track meet. Unfortunately it was not very successful for him mostly because of the chaos and disorganization and lack of leadership among the adults. After almost 5 hours he left feeling very disappointed and defeated. Knowing him he will bounce back and move on but it was sure hard to watch.

Well, I don't want to wear out my newly found blogging skills so I'm going to make this brief!

Enjoy your day everyone! Love the sunshine!!

Mom

This is a picture from the "famous" chicken farm adventure. After not finding many chickens at the chicken farm we moved on to Ft. Ross and explored there for awhile.

Here's a colorful quilt.

 

That's all.

-Patrick

Oregon is weird.

Here's a couple strange Oregon facts to go with your trip.

 

St. Patrick's Day isn't just for pounding back green beer. Back in 1948, Mill Ends Park in Portland was created for the leprechauns and as a place to race snails. The critters don't have far to go—the park measures only two feet across, and is considered the world's smallest official park.

 

 

The Simpsons takes place in Oregon. In 2012, creator Matt Groening finally put the debate to rest by confirming that it’s Springfield, Ore.

 

 

Portland is home to the annual World Naked Bike Ride, in which over 10,000 naked cyclists take part. That makes it the largest of its kind in the world.

 

 

Speaking of “sister” cities… Oregon also has a town named Boring—which is the sister city of the Scotland town of Dull. They even have their own state holiday “Boring and Dull Day.” Whether either city has lived up its name we’ll leave up to you.

 

It's illegal to box with a kangaroo in Oregon.  

 

 

Silver Falls Park is the largest park in Oregon, and features all sorts of forested hiking trails and 10 amazing waterfalls. 

 In 1949 Portland elected their first-ever female mayor, Dorothy McCullough Lee—who promptly killed all the fun by banning pinball machines.

 

 

The caves in the Oregon Caves National Monument were discovered in 1874 and are carved completely out of solid marble.

 

 

The nation's most photographed lighthouse is the Heceta Head Lighthouse located in Lane County.

 

 

 

Off to Portland

Just a quick note, you may be getting tired of me, that I'm off to Portland for the weekend and part of next week. Not my account, but I'm working for one of my colleagues so he can do some family things when Golden State Foods (The McDonald's Only supplier) decided to change some dates. So, Mom will be driving around in a Hertz-mobile and I'll be taking a drive to the land of no sales tax.

I'll drive down Sunday and work until about 1 AM, so boys, you're not the only ones working odd nightime schedules. Speaking of night schedules, I've worked when I was a warehousemen, the 2 AM - 10:30 AM, the 4 AM - 12:30 PM, the 4 PM - 12:30 AM, Midnight - 8:30 AM and once in a while, 8 AM - 4:30 PM. What some folks call day shift. So this 4 PM until 1 AM while out of my recent comfort zone, isn't something I haven't seen.

That was earth shattering news, wasn't it? :)

Dad

Testing Blog Tools

Ok, just testing things I can do with the Blog system. (These aren't the droids you're looking for)

Big Loud Text

Colors, I like Colors 

Picture 

Ok, that all worked. And just so Brad keeps track, This was;
Dad

Well, Look! A Title

I was able to close everything, and make my way back here. Points for Dad!

You know, way back in the day, when the personal computer revolution was just beginning, the only home computer that was available, (for a LOT of money), was a box that had about 8 registers (Octal), that you 'programmed' instructions by flipping switches up or down (0 or 1) to make a 'word'. While I was tempted, (They had flashing lights! not LED's, but Lights!) I didn't spend the $2,500 for one of those gems. Almost wish I had, they are collectors items now.

So out came the Commodore Line but that was too 'toyish' for me. So I evaluated the Atari 800, and that was what I got. Now Atari is identified with video games, there was a place for game cartridges, but you could also program the things. I had a cassette tape deck and your could type in a program, and save and reload from tape. What a deal. Later, I even got a floppy drive! Wow 128K all on one, single sided disk! How would anyone need more room that that?

So I got some magazines and typed basic instructions, one line at a time. After about a thousand lines, I had a Moon Lander. Magic. Things went on from there. I discovered that there were people that ran a new thing called a bulletin board system (BBS for short). With a blazing 300 BPS telephone modem, I could post notes, and interact with other people, (not live of course)  and some even had programs that you could transfer over the phone modem, save to your tape or diskette and run later. Pretty exciting stuff!
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So that's my first real blog of how things were back in the dino age. Let me know if this was mildly interesting, or your regretted taking the time to read. 

Hi All! I 'think' I've navigated to the right place. And for all of you, there is no doubt where the chicken farm is, at least in space, I may have been a bit off as far as the time dimension.

Fun Times. I don't have a long-ish story for you today, but rest assured, that soon, you will be treated, bored, astonished, or impressed with my wit! Until then! Happy Trails!

Welcome to the blog.

Brad and I watching the sunset from Taft Point, 7,503 feet above Yosemite Valley.