Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Audible: Yep, I Love Reading Again.

Just a few thoughts on this audio book subscription service I just joined....
Back in the day, to combat my bus commute, dog walks, and downtime at my desk, I bought an iPod. Wow, what a godsend. When podcasts became mainstream, I thought that eternal happiness and contentment would forever reign. However, when my one of my regular go-to podcasts, "This Week In Tech", started blathering on about "reading" through audiobooks, I initially thought "bah! I got my podcasts. Got all I need".
But, after years of podcast listening, I guess I was ready for a change. I visited Audible's site, I was impressed by their offer: 8 bucks for three months. You get to pick a book a month. So, I set up an account, plunked down my credit card, and picked my first book. I selected Andre Agassi's book "Open".
I've been audio-reading(?) for about 3 weeks now. Here's my thoughts on being an audio-reader:
Book narcolepsy - whenever I read a book, I get painfully sleepy. No matter where I'm at: bus, bed, couch, airport; I flip through the pages and my eyelids slam shut. There must be a weird connection between my brain's sleep centre and my eyes, because when I listen to a book, I'm as alert as if I just had 3 cups of coffee. I can "read" for hours.
Page cheating - a bad habit I always had was to skip ahead. Temptation always got the better of me, no matter enthralling the plot was. I would skip whole paragraph, sometimes pages, even flirting with the idea of skipping whole chapters. You can't do that with an audiobook. The narrator holds your hand through each word, each word that you've paid for, by the way. Geez, its like I'm maximizing my Return on Investment on this book. Perfect!
Good brain workout - I don't know if there's any neuroscience behind this or not, but since I'm finding myself concentrating on something for hours at a time, isn't this like exercise for the brain?
Straight from the horse's mouth - I haven't encountered this yet, but I can imagine that audio-reading an autobiography being spoken by the actual person would almost immerse you in that person's life.
So, very positive experience so far. I am now a book worm. There's not even a worry about finding the place in the book where you left off, your iPod/iPhone remembers the place for you.
Highly recommend. My two-cents.

Thursday, October 08, 2009

Adventures in Bass

The New Addition to Our Family.


Having amassed a collection of guitars over the years as an enthusiast, I've always wondered what it would be like to slap that bass. I got my chance when my 10 year-old announced that he would like to learn electric bass guitar. As fate would have it, his birthday was around about this time, so I hatched an evil plan.

I did the typical Dad thing where I acted indifferent to his request, while in my head I was yelling "YEAH BABY! Bass-time! Woo Hoo!". So, concealing my excitement, we planned a trip to Axe Music. When we got there, he selected a full-size Fender bass. It was freaking gorgeous.

Once home, my boy took a real shine to it. But once he sat down, I started to wonder: "Should he be fingering or picking?" What's best for my budding bassist (and me)? I was wondering if I was about to enter some polarizing battleground, similar to Pro-Life vs Pro-Choice, Republican vs Democrat, or Eats with Utensils vs Software Developer.

First up, the evidence. Let's look at some iconic bass players. I need look no further than a quick scan of the tunes on my iPhone. Get a sampling, then check 'em out on google images.

I found some on the finger side ...

















Geddy Lee of "Rush"



















Robert Trujillo of "Metallica"

I found some on the picking side...



















James Lomenzo of "Megadeth"















Really? Do I need to say who this guy is?

Hmmm... no consensus.

The next thing to do is read some articles from experienced bass players. While there were some who militantly anti-pick, I got the impression that many of the more experienced players had a more forgiving opinion. StudyBass.com seems to gently encourage fingers, but has absolutely nothing against that little plastic triangle. He recommends doing what feels right. Makes sense to me.

In the end, we will try both techniques. Picking is good for speed, fingers is good for tone and slapping. Whether one technique wins out over the other is anyone's guess.

Whatever the case, we're just having way too much fun learning this thing!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

"Eat your heart out"... Bad Catch-Phrase If You're a Seal.

GG feasts on raw seal innards. Claims to enjoy.

Few news stories make the rounds whereby you read the same subject matter, but from different sources. I'm referring to the latest "controversy" surrounding Canada's Governor General Michael Jean and her recent participation in the Inuit tradition of consuming a raw seal heart.

As far as the event goes, I'm ambivalent. Apparently it is a cultural tradition, sort of like smoking a ceremonial peace-pipe. I plead ignorance, but I will accept the Inuit explanation and give the GG a "pass". She participated in an act of good will. She gets my benefit of the doubt.

The real entertainment value comes from the media coverage. Check out some of the headlines. I challenge you not to smirk as you read:

Jean's Seal Meal Sparks Feeding Frenzy (Toronto Star)
Choice quote: "To others, it was an act of rock-star audacity that awakened memories of grizzled old bat-muncher Ozzy Osbourne."

Gov Gen Eats Piece of Raw Seal Heart In Nunavut (ctv)
Choice quote: "After slashing through the flesh, the Governor General turned to the woman beside her and asked: "Could I try the heart?" "

Seal Heart Feast Both Sweet and Sour (National Post)
Choice quote: "Gawker, a U. S. media blog, wrote a column comparing Ms. Jean to Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin, notorious for hunting wolves from a helicopter, declaring the Queen's representative in Canada "clearly the more badass of the two.""

GG Chows Down on Raw Seal Heart (Winnipeg Sun)
Choice quote: "Within seconds Jean was holding a crimson chuck of seal-ticker, she tucked it into her mouth, swallowed it, and turned to her daughter to say it tasted good. "


I'll bet that many journalists out there ache for a piece like this, a chance to trot out their best puns, try to put a good-natured spin on a controversial event. This is the reason why you'd be best served to read the same story from different sources, the chuckles are non-stop.

It's also sort of fun to read about the Animal Rights agencies tip-toe around the cultural aspect of this. I mean, how do you lambaste a practice you don't like without offending an entire culture?

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

iMac Needs Love (Where's My Screwdrivers?)

"Ask not what your iMac can do for you,
ask what you can do for your iMac."
- President John F. Kennedy


iMac aluminum shutting down unexpectedly
iMac aluminum randomly shuts down
iMac aluminum power supply

Those sentences are for the benefit of someone who could be experiencing the same iMac issues as me, and is looking for answers via a Google search.

Simply put, my 20” iMac Aluminum has been randomly shutting down as of late. These shut-downs first were noticed in the summer of ’08 and occurred very infrequently, maybe one ever other week. However, lately, the frequency has ramped up to daily, twice a day in some cases. I performed every maintenance task known to mankind for the iMac, in addition to monitoring my system through the iStat Nano dashboard widget.

This led me to a regimen of Google searches. After considerable reading of similar stories, and there were many, the common theme that stands out is the power supply. This is the same issue that plagued the iMac G5 to the point of Apple pursuing a product recall. There is no such recall for the iMac aluminum.

Having identified the most likely cause of pain, now the problem is how to get it fixed? This comes down to a choice between two options:

(1) Take it to your local Apple service centre. There are a couple of issues with this option. First is the cost of labour, $95 / hour in the case of the closest place to my locale. Secondly, the cost of the part is not likely to be competitive.
(2) Fix it yourself. This approach would be cheaper both with labour cost (free) and part cost (internet). However, you’d have to be comfortable with dismantling a tightly engineered piece of technology.

Back in ’06, I took apart my PowerBook G4 to upgrade the hard drive. I’ve also spent many an hour tinkering with PC desktop components. Based on this, I’ve decided on option #2: fix it myself.

The next thing is to narrow down the part number. In my case, I referred back to the email confirmation when I first purchased my iMac to get my model number. With model number in hand, I googled “iMac parts” to see what I’d get. PRESTO! Plenty of places. I chose “Sunset Mac” based purely on cost.

No now I await my order and prepare for D-Day (the “d” standing for “disassembly"). So far, great service from Sunset Mac!

Stand by, more updates as they unfold.....




Monday, April 13, 2009

Burned By My Mac


After years of happy Mac ownership, I used to think that nothing could sour our blissful relationship. However, some recent Mac behaviour has left me scratching my chin thinking, "Hmm. Maybe that Windows 7 on a new PC ain't a bad idea."

Lately we've been using our 20" Aluminum iMac only to have it rudely shut down unexpectedly. One of us would be surfing the web, checking email, or thumbing through photos, then alluvasudden… BLACK. And we're talking a shut down here, not a sleep.

Naturally, this has me scouring the Net with questions. I'm not liking the answers. My google searches have taken me to many sites, but there appears to be one sickening theme that has emerged: a problem with the logic board and/or power supply. Now, for PC users, this is not a big deal. Off to Memory Express, grab a $100 motherboard, a $25 300W power supply, open up your case, do the ol' switcheroo, done. For Mac users, well, not so simple.

First off, a logic board will start at around $800, the power supply is around $150. Next, the whole Mac line is not exactly famous for allowing tech enthusiasts to crack open their Macs to replace this or upgrade that.

What all this has done is have me come full circle and ask myself, "why did I come to the Mac in the first place?" If I recall, the reasons were (in no particular order):
- looked damn nice.
- low Operating System maintenance, install OS once, no need for the spring OS reinstall.
- good selection of music, video, photo software to play with.
- no screwing around with anti-virus software.
- just a reliable machine.

With Windows 7 just around the corner, and with the snappy looks of inexpensive 20" LCD monitors, I'm starting to wonder if a switchback is in order. Are those previous points relevant anymore? The iMac could be relegated to another room somewhere, but our main family PC would be Windows 7 PC.

I still love my Mac, but I don't think it loves me back.

Monday, March 23, 2009

From our Friends at Fox News


On the heels of four fallen Canadian soldiers being flown home, draped in the red Maple Leaf, some in the US have seized the opportunity to send best wishes.

Here are some examples of American sympathy:

"The Canadian military wants to take a breather to do some yoga, paint landscapes, run on the beach in gorgeous white Capri pants." - Greg Gutfield, in mocking Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie who, in a heart-sick moment, mentioned that the Canadian Military could do with a year-long break from foreign duty after seeing too many losses in Afghanistan.

"Isn't this the perfect time to invade this ridiculous country? They have no army!" - Greg Gutfield

I didn't even know they were in the war. I thought that's where you go when you don't want to fight. Go chill in Canada." - Doug Benson

"Would Canada be able to get away with this if they didn't share a border with the most powerful country in the universe?" - Doug Benson

Benson and Gutfield are two late-night Fox News political pundits who host a round-table format talk show. By the way, neither has served in the military. Neither has performed comedy professionally.

Ian Welsh of the Huffington Post captures a couple good points:

- There is only one country that threatens Canada's security, and that is the US

- "Canada doesn't need the US to save it from anyone but the US. Sort of like protection money: "Such a nice country you have there. Be a shame if anything any happened to it." - Ian Welsh

- Canada joined the fighting in WWI and WWII well before the US ever decided to engage.

- In WWI and WWII Canada experienced heavier losses, on a per-capita basis.

- Canada is in Afghanistan and NOT Iraq due to Afghanistan being a PROVEN harbourer of terrorist groups.

I should also point out that google news' newsbot has recorded only 38 similar stories (at time of writing). You can safely say that this story has no legs in the US. Not much media sympathy south of the border. A quick visit to FoxNews.com reveals no mention of extending a hand of goodwill in Canada's moment of loss. However, they do offer a report on the "Sexy Women of 'Lost'".

As I write this, I also did a quick check of CNN.com and MSNBC.com, no mention of these verbal fists in the gut.

As usual, Canadian politicians, and the media, seem to be taking the high road. This is what we do. Sort of a "sticks and stones" approach.

We're only a small country of a mere 30 Million, but we please do not "mis-underestimate" us, we will fight. Take our national past time as a living diorama into how Canada ticks. You can talk, jab your stick, but once you drop those gloves, its in our DNA to drop em too. We can't help it.

Note that I have not, or will not, take a poke at Americans in general. 99.9999999999999999999 % are upstanding good-hearted people. We bought into a resort in Florida. I totally dig the US.

However, every time we lose a soldier, it always makes the front page here. It is always the lead story on the 6 o'clock news. Its just too bad it makes Fox News. Trying out a comedy routine over the bodies of fallen soldiers is unbecoming of their network.

Monday, March 09, 2009

The "Guitar Hero Effect"

Your kid in 10 years?

I was about 13 or so when my Mom decided to keep me out of mischief with an electric guitar, an amp, and music lessons. Back then, I had my own made-up version of Guitar Hero. I would put on my Kiss cassettes (don't laugh, I even have 'em in my iPod), or maybe Triumph, or perhaps Rush, and I would attempt to play the guitar parts. If I screwed up, according to my mental game, I had to start from the beginning even if I was mere seconds from the end. Sorta like "guitar solitaire".

So, where am I going with this?

Well, I'm the Dad now, I'm the proud owner of two boys. A few months ago, I brought "Rock Band 2" into the house, later "Guitar Hero III", then most recently "World Tour". But one big question plagued me. I couldn't sleep at nights: tossing and turning, cold sweats. Would exposing my boys to video game "instruments" impede their ability to discover learning real musical instruments?

I'm happy to report that the answer is: "I don't think so".

After the unnerving experience of watching my 10 year-old man-handle my guitars, I went out and got him one of his own. Surprisingly, he has spent many an hour holed up in his room, plunking away, trying to get the basics down. AC DC seems to be his favourite.

In addition to this, my 5 year old has taken to using the Guitar Hero drum set to play along with various rock concerts that I've PVR'ed. He's very impressive playing along with Megadeth. He has graduated to the "Hard" setting on drums on World Tour. He's almost due for a real drum set, digital drum set versus acoustic is a topic for another time.

To sum up, I think that Rock Band and Guitar Hero are like the first dose of crack cocaine (er... so I hear): you go through the mechanics of playing an instrument, this implants the seeds of curiosity. Your second dose of a guitar fix will have you heading to Axe Music, or Long & McQuade, and these guys ain't exactly a charity.

Let's see in 10 years where these "Guitar Hero Kids" are. We could end up being faced with a never ending sea of "Jonas Brothers" bands.

Monday, February 23, 2009

Rock Band and Guitar Hero: One More Review



Back in October, when it was our 10 year old's birthday, we wanted to give him a present: Rock Band 2 or Guitar Hero Word Tour. To find out which would be better, I scoured the Net for comparison reviews, I grilled the guy at EB Games, I even increased the amount of fibre in my diet, so that I could make a good clear-headed decision.

Fast forward till now. We have both Rock Band 2 and Guitar Hero WT. So much for fibre.
Our original RB2 drums broke. Our replacement drum kit also showed signs of starting to break, which is why we scooped up Guitar Hero World Tour and try its version of a drum kit.

So here we are, both games. As far as we see it, here's how the two compare:

Guitars
First off, I may be biased. I'm a Fender Strat guy. Played 'em since the age of 13. Love 'em. Rock Band's guitar is designed right after the Fender Stratocaster. However, beyond that, the fret buttons are flush to the fretboard, giving it more of a guitar mechanic because you are searching for a fret, not a button to push. The strum bar is also very quiet and responsive, however, the tone switch is right below the strum bar, so we're constantly knocking it down to its lowest position. This is annoying but not huge.

The Guitar Hero guitars are very toy-like. They've made an attempt at modelling them after Gibson's guitars, but its in shape only. The strum bar is very loud and clunky. I'm not a fan of that, but there are worse design sins.
Advantage: Rock Band

Drums
Rock Band's drums are very easy to learn. You hit the circles, and the kick pedal once in awhile. But they are very flimsy. Not good.

Guitar Hero's drum kit is built like a tank. Very solid. However, one of us missed the cymbals once and hit the Xbox directional navigating button which broke off. Not a big deal, but still a minor design flaw. But the addition of cymbals are a real plus, makes the drum experience more life like.
Advantage: Guitar Hero

Game story
Rock Band has you create your band then hit the road to various gigs. You can hire a roadie, tour manager, even a tattoo artist. You earn fans and money as you continue to open more cities and gigs. But there's a lot of reading, its not jazzed up very well. There's times where we're just sitting there reading a screen.

Guitar Hero has a collection of very humorous cut scenes. There's not as much going on as Rock Band, but Guitar Hero seems to be a little more entertaining. You earn clothes, money, instruments, which is good enough for us.
Advantage: Guitar Hero

Game play
I get the sense that the Rock Band designers did their homework. They must've played a lot of Guitar Hero and noted what they didn't like. The interface as you play is very well laid out. The "highways" are deliberately simplistic. There's also a big ol' meter to the left, letting you know how you're doing. Its so well designed that you can just concentrate on the highway and let your peripheral vision keep track of the rest.

Guitar Hero is very busy. There's a tiny gauge in the upper left that you can try to look at mid-song. Good luck with that. Also, you get messages like "50 note streak!" or "Star power ready", but you have to take your eye off your highway to read it. Not as clean. However, the background CGI singers are funnier in Guitar Hero.
Advantage: Rock Band

Overall Experience
I get the sense that the family prefers Guitar Hero. We like the way that we get challenged to an "encore", in addition to the animated sequences. Sometimes when the crowd really cheers, the camera shakes. Funny little touches like that often leave us wanting to play more. Guitar Hero is a harder game to put down. It seems funnier.

Rock Band is far superior with its gameplay screen lay-out. We just wish the Rock Band design team had a "class clown" in its midst.
Advantage: Guitar Hero

I have to mention that our kids are going through a Guitar Hero effect. My oldest boy is showing interest in making real music with a real guitar. We have a few guitars in the house, so I bought him one of his own and I'm giving him some basic lessons. The 5 year-old also plays the drum kit with the Xbox turned off, just playing drums.

With one playing guitar, and the other drawn to drums, I wonder if they could be the next Jonas Brothers?

Friday, January 30, 2009

Media Report: John Updike Dies. (Yay!)

Acclaimed literary "yardstick" passes away at 76


Before you all go off half-cocked and send me a bunch of hate email saying how insensitive I am with that title, let me explain. If you sit back for a moment and conjure up some images of various celebrities, I can guarantee you that there will not be a single writer among your mental list (well, apart from me, that is).

I'm encouraged that John Updike's passing is considered a lead story. So, therefore, the "yay" in the title of this posting refers to the "media report" part, not the "John Updike dies" part. I only hope that this next generation comes to have some degree of admiration for writers: journalists, novelists, satirists, poets, what have you.

It is thought that this is Updike's last bit of wordsmithing, something he wrote as he pondered his destiny while at his hospice:

It came to me the other day:
Were I to die, no one would say,
'Oh, what a shame! So young, so full
Of promise - depths unplumbable!
Instead, a shrug and tearless eyes
Will greet my overdue demise;
The wide response will be, I know,
'I thought he died a while ago.'
For life's a shabby subterfuge,
And death is real, and dark, and huge.
The shock of it will register
Nowhere but where it will occur.

- John Updike

Monday, January 19, 2009

Writing on Wall: Mac to Become Extinct


As much as I just love my Apple toys, my beloved iMac, my iPod Touch, my iPhone appendage, I cannot help but sense that these goodies are living on borrowed time. In 5 years, Apple be all but dead.

Thinking with your brain instead of your heart, the evidence is unmistakable.
In 1997, Apple was on life support. There was an operating system that sufficient. The machines that Apple offered, like the Performa, looked just like a PC, very vanilla. They had niche software that never became mainstream. And that was pretty much it. Then came Steve Jobs.

Okay, so that was 1997, lets look at Apple since then. Let's look at what Apple has done under the Steve Jobs regime.

Portable media
Launched in 2001, the Apple iPod took off like an unbelievable wild-fire. Anyone wanna disagree with me on that? Steve Jobs saw a gaping hole, the public was making due with 16 MB mp3 (remember the Nomad?) players that had all sorts of compatibility, usability, and cost issues. The iPod was Steve Jobs' baby, the iPod alone could be said to have raised Apple from the ashes.

Music industry
Along with the iPod came this nifty bit of software called iTunes. Now, I'm not going to insult anyone's intelligence by giving a history of iTunes. Can we agree that Apple's revenue agreements with the Music Industry have been revolutionary? Can we agree that Steve Jobs got that one right too?

Mobile technology
Like a Russian Chess Master, Steve Jobs saw a logical "next move" with the iPod. Turn it into a phone as well. 'Nuff said. Give him props for this too.

The iMac and OS X
Steve Jobs first love was the Personal Computer. What was a basic console and clunky monitor (the Apple Performa) is now a gorgeous iMac, which is the centre-piece of my living room. The freaking thing is gorgeous. This is all in addition to the rock-solid Mac OS X on top of an Intel CPU. We toast Steve Jobs for this.

Sadly, we know that Steve has a health issue that some say is terminal. I don't want to believe this, but I have to shake my head and realize that it very well could be very bad. This all points to Steve leaving Apple for obvious health reasons. I have read the Mac sites, and Steve Jobs has apparently been grooming a few people. Who are we kidding? You're going to groom someone to be like Steve Jobs?

No, I don't like the future. I sincerely hope that I am dead wrong, but I see Apple doing a holding pattern for a couple years, then the vision will be all but gone.

You see, Microsoft is not run by idiots. They see this, and there is a strong chance that Windows 7, which is a Ballmer OS, not a Gates OS, could supplant OS X as most intuitive, most secure, and most beautiful.

I'm too depressed to go one here. I gotta get myself a Starbucks Venti Organic Chai Tea Misto Sugar-Free vanilla.

Anyone got any evidence to contradict me here? Anyone?? For the love of God, Anyone??

Friday, January 16, 2009

Okay! I Get it! It's a Recession!



I'm going to drop a challenge. I challenge you to flick on the news, or read your favourite major news website, and not hear or read the word "recession". Make no mistake about it. You will hear this word.

The word "recession" is a scary word, no question. None of us say "it’s a recession! Yesssssss!". It’s a word that evokes fear. This is what the media is counting on. They need you to feel scared. They know that fear will instantly grab your attention, which will make you watch the news, spend more reading time on the website.

You will now watch the news, you will analyze it, determining if any of it affects you. Will I lose my job? Will my holdings plummet in value? However, what you will also do is watch the Acura commercial, also the Arby’s ad, and maybe even a commercial telling you about an exciting new program which is on later on tonight, so you can watch it and see MORE commercials. See how it works?

It’s a media fear competition.
It’s the 2009 "Fear Olympics".

First up, Britain:
Warning of Worst Recession in Decades
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/economics/article5529671.ece
Next up, Spain
Spain Faces Worst Recession in 50 Years
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aQYlaf0MK4zc&refer=europe

Now, it’s the U.S.
Fed Warns of Worsening Recession
http://money.cnn.com/2009/01/06/news/economy/fed_minutes/index.htm
Finally, here’s Canada
Canada Heading into 9 Month Recession
http://www.cbc.ca/money/story/2009/01/14/conference-board-outlook-january.html
Who wins the Gold? No one! We're in a recession, dammit!

Scared yet? Even if you are in a secure job, with a decent cashflow position, all this news might make you think twice about buying that new Fridge, or that new Honda, or buying that vacation package. This is the problem that more and more voices are beginning to identify.

It’s the whole "Psychology of Fear" thing that the media does so well. Good for selling commercials. Bad for the Economy.
The articles are starting to crop up now. But don't look for them on CNN, CBC, or the BBC. You'll have to really look.
I figure around April, people are going to tune out the whole "recession-talk" thing. Then the people will open their wallets again, they will buy the Fridge and the Honda, the economy-furnace will stoke-up again.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Swede No More! Stop the Madness!



After reading the print and online sports media for awhile, you get used to certain little cute aphorisms. For example, they use "Buds" instead of "Maple Leafs", "Great One" instead of "Wayne Gretzky", you get the picture. But there is one in particular that I have had it up to here with. "Pray tell, whatever is it" you ask?


I'm here to ask you all to join with me and put an end to the word "Swede" as a pun for "sweet". Enough is enough, media! Do you hear me TSN? Sportsnet, you got that?


The following examples are recent:

Swede option for Flames - (Calgary Sun) which refers to the Calgary Flames' Mikael Backlund being sent to the Kelowna Rockets.


Backlund ready to enjoy a Swede time in Calgary - (Calgary Herald) refers to same event.


How Swede it is - (Edmonton Sun) referring to Mats Sundin joining the Canucks.


Enough is enough guys! And by the way, this has nothing to do with my living in Sweden as a wee lad. I have no loyalties there. I cheered loud when Canada beat Sweden at the World Juniors this month.


You media types are driving me nuts with this. I'm begging you… STOP!!


Friday, January 02, 2009

My 2008

There are quite a few things to look forward to in 2009:

- My youngest boy's first year of skool. Grade 1. Hope he does gooder at scool then me.
- Also, my youngest boy's first year of hockey
- My oldest boy's first year of Pee-Wee. Big because of the following formula: [Pee-Wee = Hitting]
- We've booked our DisneyWorld trip for November 2009. Disney Yacht Club, but we're on the waiting list for Disney Beach Club.

But 2008 was no slouch either.

April - oldest boy's first year of lacrosse, my first year coaching
June - saw Las Vegas for the first time. However, I was there on business, didn't get to see much.
July - bought a new vehicle, my 2008 Honda Odyssey. Love it!!
July - also acquired new motor home. A nifty 1997 Volkswagen Eurovan. Grandfather bought it, but is not able to drive anymore. Anyone in the market for an RV?
August - got myself an iPhone. No, I don't regret the purchase or the contract.
September - new family business gets off ground. An Accounting Services firm. The wife makes VP/partner (there's some patronage for you).
November - spent two weeks in Hawaii with the family. All survived.
December - built one hell of a nice rink, after three years of learning from my other pathetic attempts.

So, good-bye 2008. Bring on 2009. Should be a good one.