Wednesday, August 24, 2011

It Looks So Realistic

3D without the glasses?
What do you think of the 3D capabilities of my TV? Just jumps out at you, doesn't it - and that's just the box!!!

This weekend was "reclaim the house" weekend.  Since my father-in-law left, our third bedroom has been more or less a storage space.  We moved our bulky old TV in there when we got the new flatscreen a while back, along with the box for the new one, the old audio receiver and various other bits and bobs we needed to get round to recycling.

Needless to say, there was not much room to move around in there.

So this weekend I decided I wanted the third bedroom transformed into Dylan's room, which is why Saturday afternoon found me sweating like a pig and swearing like a sailor in 108F Texas heat trying to figure out how to lift a 200lb+ projection TV into the back of my SUV.  After a lot of strategizing, straining and huffing and puffing, I finally managed to get it in there, drove it (along with a bunch of other stuff) to Goodwill, and cleared the room out.  A couple of trips to IKEA, some more purging of the back closet and we have something that looks suspiciously like a bedroom again.

A comfortable, cosy and inviting one at that.

In the meantime, my planning and scheming brain has been working overtime to figure out how to fit desks into the challenging profile of both Dylan and Gavin's rooms.  Thanks to Google Sketchup and my own cunning, I have come up with what I think is a really smart custom design that fits into a little nook at the end of the bunk bed and utilizes the space really well.  I cut out a scale model using the cardboard from the TV box and it seems to work great.  If I'm really smart, I may even extend to integrating the computer into the desk itself, so you'd press buttons on the desk to turn it on or off.

That, of course, would entail some more woodworking in the hothouse that is our garage.

In the meantime, this comfy chair appears to have become Dylan's favored "study spot".  Do you notice how the little scamp has laid claim to my netbook?  He knows exactly how to switch it on and open it up.  I only hope he hasn't figured out my password yet!!!

He wants to be just like daddy!!!
And of course, since I said in my last post that I've been catching a hint of fall in the air, the temperatures have been trending up.  I even saw some 110s in the forecast.  Sorry everyone!!!

I still stand by what I said though - there is a noticeable difference in the mornings.

Last Saturday I felt a lot more like my old self (the "winter" me), and didn't drop off the back of our running group.  In fact, it is time to implement San Antonio marathon training plan version 2.0, which calls for 14 miles this weekend.

This week has been taken up by back-to-school activities (Gavin is now a proud 1st grader), and study for OLAP certification exams for me.  Was supposed to take the test this morning at 8am, but instead sat in the test center for two hours while the staff tried to figure out how to get their servers back up and running, chain-smoked outside, and complained to me about their co-workers.  All this for a 90 minute exam.

Luckily, once they got everything working I flew through it and pulled a 96%.  Sweet - I guess I really do know what I'm doing with this multidimensional stuff.  Who knew?  I thought I was just good at BS!!!

Going to reward myself tonight by starting on Mockingjay - the final part of the Hunger Games trilogy.  In case I haven't said so before, it's a brilliant series and well worth a read.

Anyone else out there read it?

4 comments:

K said...

Such adorable boys! And I feel the autumn air as well. No use in complaining about it. Can't do anything about it, so I either embrace it or stay on the couch... Glad to hear you have your house back as well! Big sigh of relief I am sure.

John Berry said...

Mark:

John Berry of Americymru here. Which Austin training group do you run with, if any? My wife and I have been members of Austin Fit for donkey's years. Right now I think I'm the oldest person training for a marathon with them (70 in 2 months). Do you know Dave Knoll - ultramarathoner who lives catty-corner from us?

I recently got back from an 800-mile bike tour of Ireland and the National Eisteddfod at Wrecsam, and there are photos on my Facebook page (john.l.berry). My most "ultra" day started with a narrow-gauge ride from Caernarfon to Beddgelert, followed by the 12 mile bike climb up Nant Gwynant to Pen-y-Pass, followed by 2hrs15mins up the Miner's Track to the summit. My legs were so wobbly by then that I took the train down!
Good luck in San Antonio - we have been training with those people but we'll switch to the Austin marathon group this weekend, as that is the race we always run.

John

Mark said...

Hey John. I coached with Round Rock Fit for a number of years, but I don't run with a training group any more - just a good bunch of running friends. The name Dave Knoll rings a bell, but I "retired" from trail ultras earlier this year and am a little out of touch with the local crowd.

Btw, I know that Pen-y-Pass climb you referred to - it made my legs wobbly just thinking about it :-)

Good luck with your training season.

Mark said...

John - I looked at the pictures from your bike tour. Most excellent. I have great memories of spending time in Beddgelert, especially with the legend behind the name.