Quickie update

We decided to let a watermelon plant take over our yard. We got one great-looking melon. We picked it when it was yellow on the bottom and looked like every other melon we have ever eaten.

It was unlike those melons. It was all rind. This is why people do not normally grow watermelons in their backyard--you only get one shot at guessing when the crop (of one) is ripe. Yes, ours is the one on top.

The dissertation is going well. I think it has a real clarity and readability now. I cannot wait to present it when I am done.

I went to see the glorytellers at the buzzbar in Detroit on the 13th. It is the post-Karate band of Karate's singer/guitarist and drummer. It is also not at all like Karate, though it is pretty neat stuff. He uses a lot of interesting picking and the sound is less "indie rock jazz" and more "indie folk jazz." It was a good break from the regular grind and I am really glad it fit well into the schedule.

Work is good. I am looking to do more what I really want to do, which is usability/product related in nature. Unfortunately, paperwork is getting to be more a part of the grind. I really could do without all of it, no matter how essential I know it is sometimes.

It was cool being able to see Brady while he was in town, if only a few times. We went to the demo derby on the last fair day. It was pretty fun and wacky. I also had the ol' youth group guys over for a cookout last weekend--these are the ones who I had over for weekly studies and who I got most close with. They are fantastic people who I really wish I had time to keep up with better. I really miss seeing those guys regularly, but life goes on.

I have been fighting with yellowjackets and have successfully killed one underground colony in the front yard and am battling with another that made its nest in our brick wall via a vent opening. I think they are down for the count, but they are a tricky and resilient insect.

Joel has been really active and is an awesome little person now. I love that he is using words and noticing what he is doing more and more. He has a fantastic sense of humor too. Here he is tooling around the house on his firetruck:

Joel has gotten to like climbing onto our bikes. He is fine to get up and down from there, which I consider both amazing and somewhat frightening.

JoelTube

Here is Joel at the fair with Wood county's largest stalk of corn.
Joel with some cute sheep:
At 1:50 (in the video below) Joel describes the fun we had at the Wood Cty fair. It was mainly the combine demolition derby that he describes, but he had a good time with animals too. Really.
Joel is growing up like crazy. It is fantastic.



Other news: work stuff is good. I am working on some interesting stuff (more to come with that later) and finally got a promotion. I hope things keep looking good there.

Below is a picture from Meata 2007. I went there with a few coworkers and ate a lot of meat. I guess that was kind of the point. It rocked.