Ellernet Blog

Spring Sleep Over

2009-04-19T17:49:00-07:00

Bailey and Margaret had a great time with a sleep over this weekend. There was minimal drama/tears and maximum fun. :)

Bailey's Lego House

2009-04-19T17:29:00-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted much lately. Been hooked into the facebook stuff. Anyway, here is a video of Bailey showing off the Lego house she built.

Christmas 2008 - Finally

2009-01-24T16:39:00-07:00

I've been remiss in adding stuff to the blog of late. Sorry about that. Anyway, here are pictures - finally - of our Christmas morning / afternoon. We had a very nice Christmas - Bailey is really learning to use her new laptop quite well already. We hope everyone had a great Christmas as well.

Patriot ReadyMixed Concrete - Website Launched

2008-12-15T17:46:00-07:00

This past week, Ellernet launched a new website for Patriot Ready Mixed Concrete - my brother Roy's company. Check it out if you have a minute. I have a number of side-projects that I am currently working on and I will post what I can here. Funny - when I was looking for a job a few months ago, i couldn't find any side projects to work on. now that I have a new job I have side work coming out of the wood work. :) Go figure.

Hail to the Redskins

2008-11-10T16:28:00-07:00

We were tailgating in the parking lot before the Pittsburgh game and the Redskins Marching band came by and I got it on video. Troy and Pete were able to join us - and we had a great time even though Pete is a Steeler's fan. Just wish the game would have been better from the Redskin's point of view.

Happy Halloween

2008-10-31T17:45:00-07:00

We had a great Halloween. We carved a jack-o-lantern (video below), then we went trick-or-treating. Bailey got a nice haul of candy that she can take with her to Nannie's house thankfully. Halloween 2007 Halloween 2006

Dinner Art

2008-10-19T08:28:00-07:00

Bubba, Bailey and I went to dinner Saturday night with our friend Rick. Bailey likes the Green Turtle because it has lots of TV's - which is the same reason I like it. She was very good and drew a portrait of us all while waiting on dinner to come.

The Bailey Boogie

2008-10-18T10:32:00-07:00

This video is from last weekend's Redskin's game. Bailey was trying her best to get on the jumbo-tron TV at the stadium.

Stormpulse

2008-10-02T10:22:00-07:00

Stormpulse is a really neat site that not only gives you a live view of any potential and active hurricanes, but it also allows you to go back in time to view the paths (with storm data) of any hurricane in the past. Just enter a search term like "Katrina" in the search box.

StormPulse does an amazing job of aggregating weather data from multiple sources. For the latest hurricane information, this application combines storm data from the National Hurricane Center and imaging from NASA and NERC. Currently if you want to view a hurricane's projected path, projected wind speed, and historical tracks, you must cycle between multiple maps. However, StormPulse presents multiple overlays that enable you to view all the information simultaneously.

Here's the path of Fran - a storm I witnessed first hand in 1996. Be careful - you can spend hours playing with a site like this. :-)

The Fair Came and Went

2008-10-01T09:06:00-07:00

I've been so busy interviewing and job hunting that I really haven't posted much lately. Hopefully, that process will be over soon - more later on that. Anyway, Bailey, Bubba and I went to the fair a couple of weeks ago when it was here. We had a great time - here are a few pictures:

Slideshow

2008-08-26T08:43:00-07:00

Here is a neat little video I made using a service called Animoto. They allow you to create short (free), unique slide shows of your pictures OR you can pay to have full length slide shows created from your pics (for fee). If you like it and want to give it a try, use this code: cjqonybx and you will get $5 off.

Wii Excitement

2008-08-08T06:05:00-07:00

Here's a video of us having fun playing Bailey's new Wii.

More Birthday Excitement

2008-08-06T07:50:00-07:00

We had a birthday cake and then went to play putt putt. Kevin even got to drive the race cars.

Happy Birthday Bailey!!

2008-08-05T11:47:00-07:00

Well Bailey is taking a nap now. She got worn out on the beach today playing with her boogie board. She is having a great seventh birthday so far. After she wakes up we are planning to go play putt-putt and ride go-carts. Then we are having hotdogs and hamburgers and cake and ice cream. And maybe after that we will go see the wild horses. All in all - a pretty fun birthday if you ask me. :)

Bailey and Bubba Swimming

2008-08-04T14:02:00-07:00

Here is a video of Bubba giving Bailey some swimming instructions.

Outer Banks Vacation - Sunday

2008-08-03T11:21:00-07:00

We are on vacation at the Outer Banks in Corolla this week. It is so nice here. The house we are staying is so nice - pool, hot tub, etc. Plus, Bailey is celebrating her seventh birthday this week so we let her open some presents last night. She got a Wii and a bunch of games and we have all been having a blast with it. Bubba and I were worn out from bowling, boxing and tennis last night (all on the Wii). Bailey and Bubba are skiing right now as I type. :) Here are a few pictures:

To Tattoo or not to Tattoo

2008-07-22T07:45:00-07:00

A colleague of mine pointed out this article to me today. We've had a couple of discussions about how lots of people these days spend their hard-earned money on tattoos rather than paying off their credit cards or - yikes - saving it.

"Tattoos are the emblems of our age. They bristle from the biceps of men in summer shirts, from the lower backs of women as they ascend stairs, from the shoulders of basketball players as they drive toward the basket, and from every inch of certain celebrities. The tattoo is the battle flag of today in its war with tomorrow. It is carried by sure losers."

What do you think?

Read the full article: Ink-Stained Wretchedness

Hershey Park

2008-06-11T06:37:00-07:00

A week ago, Bailey and I went to Hershey Park with the Brownies. We had a great time - she slightly more than me I think :) They have a really neat water park that all the girls just loved. Bailey especially loved the giant bucket of water. We also took the (hokey) tour of the chocolate factory and, of course, we had to get some chocolate treats. I'm not sure who was more worn out at the end of the day - her or me.

Wild West Day

2008-06-05T16:28:00-07:00

So Bailey was a little cowgirl at school last Friday. They had Western Day so she wore her overalls and cowboy hat. She looked cute so I snapped a couple pictures...

Memorial Day 2008 - Cont.

2008-06-04T09:49:00-07:00

Here are some more pictures from the Memorial Day Beach trip in NC.

Memorial Day, 2008

2008-05-28T10:57:00-07:00

Once again, Bailey and I made our annual trip to North Carolina to the beach for Memorial Day weekend. Bailey had a great time catching up with all of her friends and meeting little Miss Macy for the first time. We had a great time even though it rained on Saturday for most of the day. Sunday was great. For fun, here are some links to some recent Memorial Day trips: 2007, 2006 Day 3, 2006 Day 2, 2006 Day 1 I have some more pics that I will try to post tomorrow.

Ellernet Chat Room

2008-05-13T14:31:00-07:00

Well, in a moment of geek weakness, I added a chat room to Ellernet. I decided to use the Chatopica chat widget. It was exceedingly simple to setup. Took all of ten minutes, and most of that was getting the popup window sized correctly. They provide you with a free piece of JavaScript that you add to the page where you want your chat to appear. That's all there is to it. You can click the link in the sidebar to enter the Ellernet Chat or click here. Stop in and say hello.

Happy Mother's Day

2008-05-09T18:10:00-07:00

From Steve & Bailey....

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Tornado

2008-04-27T18:15:00-07:00

This is a neat video Roy (Bubba) took of a little tornado the other day at his plant in Virginia. I thought it was amazing how clear the sky was - not a cloud in sight...

Nice Winter PIcture

2008-03-26T06:58:00-07:00

Here is a very nice drawing that Bailey did recently. I thought it was cute. :)

Fun at the Sock Hop

2008-03-07T17:31:00-07:00

Bailey's Brownie troop and a few other Brownie and Daisy troops had a sock hop this evening. I could tell they were going to have a blast. They all had on cute little poodle skirts. Here are a few pictures.

Happy Early St. Patrick's Day

2008-03-04T16:56:00-07:00

Sorry for the repeat JibJab's but this one was too good to pass up.

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Who Knew We Could Break Dance

2008-02-16T09:50:00-07:00

Bailey and I were playing around on JibJab this morning. She loved this one and picked out the dancers. :-)

Don't send a lame eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

We don't Need No Stinking Ice!

2008-02-13T09:05:00-07:00

So, more ice overnight and this morning. It is pretty but it is a mess. No school again today (they were out yesterday for election day). So, Bailey is having fun this morning singing Karaoke. For me the first hour or so was cute and fun. Now, I think it is time that I find her something else to do. Anyway, here are some pictures from this morning and below is a video of Bailey singing Karaoke.

I bet you can't spell SUPEREROGATORY

2008-02-06T18:34:00-07:00

Well, you can now that I told you how. Anyway, Bailey and I want to give a big congratulations to my niece and Bailey's cousin Alex who came in second in the 2008 Davidson County Schools Spelling Bee... That left Alex Sprouse from Northwest Elementary and Callan at the start of Round 11. They went head to head spelling words like dichromatism, fulguration, neossology and ornithophilous correctly until round 14. Alex spelled supererogatory incorrectly. Callan had to spell the missed word correctly and also vicinage. ... Alex, the runner-up, received $100 from NewBridge Bank and a gift certificate to Barnes and Noble. Read Full Article... Way to go Alex!!

Ice Skating Fun

2008-02-04T19:09:00-07:00

We had a great time with the Brownies this Sunday Ice Skating at Skate Frederick. Bailey picked up on a lot faster than I did. I'm just glad I didn't fall and break my neck. Needless to say, we did not stray far from the rail. Here's a few pictures and videos:

Happy Birthday

2008-01-27T14:05:00-07:00

Happy birthday to Alex and Bubba. They are so happy, they decided to dance:

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Glubble

2008-01-27T12:31:00-07:00

If you are like me and have a young child at home who is getting more and more interested in the internet, you have worries aboutthem stumbling accross stuff that you would rather they didn't. Fortunately, if you use the Firefox browser, there is a solution that makes the web safe and fun for kids. Glubble is a free addon for firefox that you setup for your child.

From the Glubble website:

The Glubble Add-on for Firefox allows your child to freely discover the best of the web you choose with your family.
Glubbles are bubbles of web content that you trust your child to see online. Even search results are modified so your child explores a trusted Internet made of Glubbles.

Try it out - it really is a neat program.

Advice to Children

2008-01-13T20:49:00-07:00

I have found the best way to give advice to your children is to find out what they want and then advise them to do it. - Harry S. Truman

I just love this quote and it is so true. I saw it in a blog post today over at zenhabits entitled Why I Love Being a Dad. A very amusing read.

Where in the World?

2008-01-09T19:51:00-07:00

Bailey's first grade class is studying "Maps and Globes" and has requested that folks send postcards to the school. They will locate where the postcard was mailed from and locate it on the map and then display the cards on a bulletin board in the classroom. If you canhelp her with this, contact me via email and I will send you the school address, etc.

Girl Scout Cookie Update

2008-01-09T19:44:00-07:00

Thanks so much to everyone who has already bought cookies from Bailey - the response has been awesome - to say the least. A few folks have called and offered to just donate to the Girl Scouts in Bailey's name and this is great too. We will buy cookies and donate them to the fire department or homeless shelter or something like that if you'd like to support her in this way. She just loves going to Brownies - they are going ice skating in February. It will be Bailey's first time on ice skates so I will be sure to post pictures. Thanks again!!

Girl Scout Cookies

2008-01-06T17:08:00-07:00

***UPDATE - meant to mention that the cookies are $3.50 per box. Bailey's Brownie troup is selling Girl Scout Cookies. If any of you would like to buy a box or two, she would surely appreciate it. We'd be glad to ship them to you if you want to order several boxes. :-) To order, just tell us what kind you'd like and whether you will pick them up from us or want them delivered (or shipped). You can contact us by email or leave a comment in the comments section of this post. To see all of the cookies available, click here. Thanks for your support!!

Christmas Pictures

2008-01-04T12:19:00-07:00

Finally got around to pulling the pictures from Christmas off my camera. What can I say - been busy with the new job. We had a great Christmas in NC at Neenee and Pawpaw's. Santa brought Bailey what she wanted - Karaoke! She is already pretty good at some of the songs - particularly "Sweet Caroline" and "Play that Funky Music". I will get some video of her singing soon. I also have some videos from Christmas that I will try to get online over the weekend.

Snowball Fight

2007-12-23T17:27:00-07:00

See if you can tell who the participants of this snowball fight are.

Don't send a lame Holiday eCard. Try JibJab Sendables!

Henny Penny

2007-12-22T08:32:00-07:00

Bailey had the lead role in her class play. Take a look:

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-21T20:57:00-07:00

From my little reindeer to yours, Merry Christmas!!

Fun in the Snow

2007-12-05T19:26:00-07:00

So we got a couple inches of snow today and Bailey got out of school a couple hours early. So, when she got home, she really wanted to go play in the snow - so we went out in it for a little while. She got to play on her sled a little, make some snow angels, that kind of stuff. Take a look...

The Nutcracker at Glen Echo

2007-12-03T18:30:00-07:00

This past weekend, Bailey and I went with her Brownie troop to see a puppet show at the puppet co. playhouse at Glen Echo Park near Washington DC. It was a production of the Nutcracker and it was very well done - very entertaining. She - and I - thoroughly enjoyed it. Afterwards, the kids got to ask questions of the actors and puppeteers. Here is a preview of the show.

Thanksgiving 2007

2007-12-02T11:24:00-07:00

Bailey and I went to NC for Thanksgiving this year. It was great to see everyone - especially Spencer and his girlfriend Sarah. Unfortunately, Bubba had to work so he wasn't there.

Bailey's pre-Thanksgiving trip to NJ

2007-12-02T09:57:00-07:00

Bailey got to spend a weekend in New Jersey with Nannie and Grandpa. By all accounts, she had a great time. Here are a few pics (sorry it has taken so long to get them posted).

XM Satellite Radio and Accessories

2007-11-20T19:49:00-07:00

I had great luck selling my TV on Craig's List. So today in my online garage sale, I am selling my XM Satellite radio and all of the accessories I have bought for it over the years including - a boom box, a home stereo dock, a car dock and antenna. I have it listed on Craig's List in case you know anyone who is looking for this kind of stuff - I just got to the point where I never used it. I don't drive much so I don't use it in the car, and I use internet radio stations or mp3's when I am working.

Xobni

2007-11-19T15:39:00-07:00

This is a new Outlook widget that I am dying to try out. From what I can tell it analyzes your email and extracts meaningful information so you can do things faster, better, etc. They are offering a free signup for their beta program - just click the logo above to signup. Here's a video about how it works. Pretty cool!

Laura's Pictures of Bailey

2007-11-12T18:13:00-07:00

Bailey and I went over to Bob and Laura's the other night for dinner and to watch the Redskin's game. While we were there, Bailey had a great time playing in their front yard - here are a few pictures that Laura snapped of her while she was playing:

Halloween 2007

2007-11-11T18:26:00-07:00

Finally getting around to posting our Halloween pictures. I know I promised some of you a week ago that I'd put these up. Anyway, we had a great Halloween. Bailey helped carve the pumpkin and painted one up that looked really nice. We went trick-or-treating in the Spring Ridge neighborhood - it was very nice and Bailey got quite a haul of candy (of course I did not help her eat any of it). By the way, thanks to everyone who purchased a calendar from Bailey's Brownie troop. We have not received them yet, but will get them delivered to you as soon as we get them.

36" Phillips Magnavox TV

2007-11-05T18:51:00-07:00

I'm trying to sell my old 36" Phillips Magnavox TV. If you know anyone who is interested, point them to my Craigs LIst ad here. Thanks.

Brownie's Calendar Sale

2007-10-25T15:52:00-07:00

In case you haven't heard, Bailey is a Brownie Scout now. This means lots of fundraisers, of course. The first one the Girls Scout Calendar. If any of you would like to buy one from her, just post a comment below and let us know which one and how many, etc. We will contact you by email or phone and let you know where to send payment. Thanks in advance to everyone who choses to help her out with this.

Here's what she's selling:

   Wall Calendar: $5
   Planner: $7
   Pocket Calendar: $4

Bailey's Community Helper Speech

2007-10-01T19:46:00-07:00

Bailey had to write and give a speech at school this week to her class. She did great! She wrote the entire speech herself and with a little practice was giving it very well also. We practiced in front of the web cam - here is a glimpse...

One True Media

2007-09-20T16:53:00-07:00

This service is very nice. They give you the ability to make very nice slideshows that include pictures as well as video - all for free (up to 100MB uploads per month). Here is a slideshow I put together from our most recent visit to the fair. Really neat how you can apply various styles to it as well as music. Check it out here

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Clowning around at the Fair

2007-09-19T19:06:00-07:00

Bailey and I went over to the fair this evening to have dinner and ride a few rides. Bailey had a hot dog and I had a crabcake sandwich (very good choice). We also had ice cream for dessert. mmmm

Fair Week

2007-09-17T17:27:00-07:00

The Great Frederick Fair started this past Friday. This is always a fun time of year for Bailey and me. Since we live so close, we get free passes and can go over to the fair whenever we want - Bailey for the rides and cotton candy - me for the food. Here are a few pictures and videos from this past Saturday. Bailey had a great time on the rides... (I will put some more videos up on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/emanncsu)

That Stubborn Tooth

2007-09-11T19:32:00-07:00

Finally! At long last! Bailey's first tooth is out. It has been hanging on by the thinnest of threads for the past couple days and this evening she finally let me pull it. She was so excited that she made about 5 or 6 phone calls to tell everyone she could think of that it didn't hurt nearly as bad as she thought it was going to. Here is a before video and an after picture:

Saturday at the YMCA

2007-09-08T12:29:00-07:00

Bailey is taking a few classes at the YMCA this fall. She has a gymnastics class on Tuesday evening and has a swimming class and an art class on Saturday mornings. We just got back and, although she is worn out now, she had a great time. Here is her art work from today's class - an "Elephant" and "Spongebob and Friends".

Casa Fuente

2007-08-22T15:47:00-07:00

We went to Casa Fuente in Ceasar's Palace Forum Shops today. It is a swanky cigar bar - there nitch is high-end and very rare Fuente cigars including the famous Opus X. Bubba bought me an even rarer Opus X Forbidden for my birthday and we had a nice smoke there. It was very nice indeed.

Poker Finally

2007-08-21T13:47:00-07:00

We finally got down to some poker playing on Monday. Bubba ruled the table. He cleaned everyone out for at least 5 or 6 hours. It was great! I just wish I could have had a little of that luck :) We are going downtown to old Las Vegas today I think.

Vegas Vacation

2007-08-20T15:46:00-07:00

So our Vegas Vacation is continuing nicely. We spent yesterday treading water basically. Still up for the trip. We went to Toby Keith's restaurant and had a nice meal. Whi new he could sing AND cook? I think we are expecting a cold front today - down to 102 degrees. :)

Vegas after Day 1

2007-08-19T13:23:00-07:00

We had a great day on Saturday. We made it to several different casinos and played mostly blackjack. Played a little craps, but had no luck at that. We neded the night by going to see former Saturday Night Live star David Spade at the mirage. He put on a hilarious show and was a great start to our week here. I only took 3 pictures all day. :)

Hello from Vegas

2007-08-18T13:12:00-07:00

Bubba and I arrived in Las Vegas at around 1am local time last night. Now I remember why I hate flying. he plane took forever to take off and there was no AC while we were on the ground. When we finally took off the AC barely started working. Ugh! Uncomfortable. USAir is like a flying trailer park. Anyway, we are here now. Going out this morning to see if we can find a blackjack table or a poker table. I heard they have those out here - you just have to know where to look. :)

Dance Camp

2007-08-10T16:01:00-07:00

Bailey has been at a dance camp at the YMCA this week. Their recital was today. Check out the videos below - I particularly like the "Car Wash" dance. :)

Happy Birthday!!

2007-08-07T17:06:00-07:00

Bailey had a great sixth birthday. She and some of her friends celebrated at My Gym. I think they all had a great time. And, Eric made a cool SpongeBob birthday cake that was a big hit. Thanks to everyone who attended.

What I'm Reading

2007-07-25T22:26:00-07:00

If you have visited Ellernet in the past day or so, you may have noticed the "What I'm Reading" menu at the top of this page. You can click this link and get a very nice page generated from Google Reader of the recent news items, blog articles, etc. that I have shared via Google Reader. Go ahead and give it a click and you can see what I'm wasting time at work reading. :)

64% Addicted to Blogging

2007-07-25T07:44:00-07:00

So, I thought I might score around 40%, but 64%?!? Maybe I need to reexamine my priorities. :) 64%

Sketch Swap

2007-07-24T06:12:00-07:00

Got kids? If so, they will love to play around on Sketch Swap. The way it works is simple - first you draw a picture, then you click Submit Drawing, then you get to see a drawing someone else made. Simple idea, but fun nonetheless. Here's one I did:

Bailey has a Tree Climbing Buddy

2007-07-23T19:26:00-07:00

So, Troy and Susan came up from Raleigh this past weekend. Bailey really did enjoy their visit. Not that I didn't, but Bailey finally found someone who would climb her tree with her. She had a great time with Susan. We walked up to the new 5-guys restaurant Saturday for lunch. We went to a few places Saturday night, but I guess you could say we had dinner at Isabella's. I only wish I would have remembered to take more pictures.

Boat Ride on the Bay

2007-07-14T16:18:00-07:00

Last Sunday, Bubba took us on a boat ride to get some lunch at Harborside Restaurant in Ocean City. It was a nice day. Bailey and I both took a few pictures and a video:

Crabs at Bahama Mama's

2007-07-13T16:54:00-07:00

We had a great time last weekend eating crabs at Bahama Mama's. Bailey can really whack a crab as seen below. I think she likes hammering them more than eating them.

Bailey,Oh Bailey

2007-07-12T17:21:00-07:00

Ever had to deal with a kid who would not eat what you wanted them to? Check out this funny - but oh so true - entry on The Last Morsel (by Bailey's Nannie). Cute...

Swimming in OC

2007-07-08T11:39:00-07:00

Here are some pictures and a video of Bailey doing her favorite vacation activity:

Bailey Simpson?

2007-07-06T08:26:00-07:00

Bailey spent some time building her Simpson's character this morning. It turned out well I thought. What do you think? Simpson's Movie Site

Mini Golf in OC

2007-07-05T22:32:00-07:00

Bailey and I are spending a few days in Ocean City this week. So far, we've had a great time in the pool, at the beach, and at Jolly Rogers (except we got caught in a rain storm). We also played mini-golf last night - here are a few picture and a couple videos:

Are you a Simpson's Character?

2007-07-04T22:15:00-07:00

If not, you can be now. With the Simpson's movie due out this month, there are a lot of things you can do in virtual Springfield. You can create yourself as a Simpson's character - here's mine. mmmm donuts...

Outsmarting Poison Ivy and Its Cousins

2007-06-27T21:51:00-07:00

If you're anything like me, you can catch Poison Ivy if someone says Poison Ivy. In trying to deal with some in my backyard (and on my arm) recently, I came across this very informative article. Here are some tips if you come in contact with the itchy weed:

First, Epstein says, cleanse exposed skin with generous amounts of isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol. (Don't return to the woods or yard the same day. Alcohol removes your skin's protection along with the urushiol and any new contact will cause the urushiol to penetrate twice as fast.)
Second, wash skin with water. (Water temperature does not matter; if you're outside, it's likely only cold water will be available.)
Third, take a regular shower with soap and warm water. Do not use soap before this point because "soap will tend to pick up some of the urushiol from the surface of the skin and move it around," says Epstein.
Clothes, shoes, tools, and anything else that may have been in contact with the urushiol should be wiped off with alcohol and water. Be sure to wear gloves or otherwise cover your hands while doing this and then discard the hand covering.

The full article can be found here: Outsmarting Poison Ivy and Its Cousins

Wagon Ride

2007-06-23T11:54:00-07:00

Pawpaw gave the girls a ride in his new wagon last weekend. He took them on a grand tour of the horse pasture.

Father's Day in NC

2007-06-19T19:41:00-07:00

Bubba, Bailey and I went to North Carolina this past weekend for Father's Day and to drop Bailey off for a week at Neenee and Pawpaw's. It is really quiet around here now, but she is having a great time. She told me that she has been swimming with Aunt Patti and Uncle Tom, she's been playing the piano with Aunt Patti, she went to the Children's Museum with Neenee and Pawpaw, she got to ride in the wagon, and she played games all mornign with Neenee (on the floor). Sound like fun to me. Here is a nice picture of Bailey I took this weekend (Click for full-size).

Here are some more pictures from the weekend. I have a couple videos to that I'll post soon.

My Kindergarten Graduate

2007-06-15T16:23:00-07:00

Congratulations to Bailey who officially graduated kindergarten today and is now in First Grade!! (Can you believe it?)

Blog Musik

2007-06-14T17:12:00-07:00

I found this new site today that lets you create music play lists for your blog or website. They also have features similar to Musicovery and Pandora. I understand that LaLa is also getting into the internet radio space. Like Blog Musik, LaLa is supposed to be letting you play songs on demand (unlike Musicovery and Pandora). Here is a John Coltrane (jazz) playlist I made this afternoon. Hope you enjoy it:

Youtube

2007-06-14T08:34:00-07:00

I've always just used YouTube to upload my videos so I could embed them easily on my blog. However, recently, I spent a little time looking around on YouTube and the video of Bailey singing Tim McGraw is pretty popular. To date, it has been watched over 1400 times. Pretty neat. As a result, I've setup the Ellernet YouTube channel. You can find it here. You can see all the videos that are on Ellernet along with a few others that I did not post.

Digging Castles in the Sand

2007-06-13T06:58:00-07:00

Oops, I meant to say Digging a Big Hole in the Sand. Kenneth, Brandon, Tom and Troy built quite the hole, an engineering marvel - complete with its own irrigation system (until the tunnel got washed away). Take a look at the videos below and I think you will agree. (I have a ton more of these videos documenting fully the effort (and lack thereof) it took to build this. I'll post them soon)

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2007-06-09T16:57:00-07:00

I was not aware or just didn't pay attention but the email subscription feature on this blog has not been functioning since I moved servers a while back. I resolved the issue this weekend and, if you had subscribed in the past, you will start getting emails when new posts are made. There are two ways to subscribe - via email or via rss feed. Email is the easiest - just enter your email address in the form in the right margin under Subscribe via Email. If you use a Feed Reader like Google Reader (my choice), NetVibes, PageFlakes, Feed Demon, or any other - just click the orange feed subscription link in the right margin. You will then be able to add the Ellernet Feed to your reader and keep up with our goings on that way. If you are subscribed and don't want to be, just shoot me an email and I'll get you unsubscribed pronto.

Memorial Day Videos - Take Two

2007-06-07T19:10:00-07:00

Here are some more videos mainly of the kids playing in the sand and surf. These are from the first full day we were at the beach. I have another set from the second day that I'll post next week some time.

Memorial Day Videos

2007-06-06T20:32:00-07:00

Here's the first video I was able to upload. I'll try to get some more up soon.

Memorial Day Beach Trip, 2007: more pics

2007-06-06T20:09:00-07:00

Here are some more pictures I took while in NC over Memorial Day. I have some videos too, that I will post when I get a chance to get them uploaded to YouTube.

What beach do you prefer?

2007-06-03T20:20:00-07:00

I go to Emerald Isle, NC every Memorial Day, I also frequent Ocean City, MD where my brother has a place, and I have a time share in Virginia Beach. So, I'm curious, which beach do you like best and why?

The Future of Computing?

2007-06-01T13:37:00-07:00

Microsoft is developing what they are calling a Surface Computer. Watch this video and be amazed. When can I get one?

My Trip to the Beach

2007-05-31T18:16:00-07:00

By Bailey Eller

I went to the beach. At the beach I went in the water. I built a big big sand castle. It had really pretty seashells on it. I buried Ms. Jeri's feet and then she said - "Where's my feet?"

Memorial Day Beach Trip, 2007

2007-05-31T16:14:00-07:00

Once again, we had a great beach trip to Emerald Isle, NC. The weather could not have been nicer. It is so nice to see old friends and to just relax and not think about work for a few days. I'm already looking forward to next year. (More pictures and video coming soon)

Bailey's First Story

2007-05-21T16:38:00-07:00

Here is a story Bailey wrote in school last week. You have to sound the words out, but it is a pretty nice little story in my opinion.

Here's what is says:

I went on a walk. It was fun. I went to the ice cream shop. The ice cream was yummy. I like ice cream. It was in a cone. The flavor was chocolate and the other flavor was chocolate chip cookie dough.

Ron Paul?

2007-05-20T19:11:00-07:00

I'm rarely political, but I think Dr. Ron Paul - the Republican Representative from Texas - deserves some credit for speaking the truth during the recent Republican debates. If you don't know who he is yet, you should check out some of these links. He has some interesting (and long-overdue) takes on how the US should conduct its foreign policy.

But Who Was Right -- Rudy or Ron?

Thank You, Ron Paul

My Desk

2007-05-19T11:11:00-07:00

Any of you who have seen my home office know that I have dual Dell 2005FPW Flat Panel monitors. Very nice monitors but having 2 of them on my desk takes up a lot of room and doesn't leave room for much else. So, when I got my tax refund, it was burning a hole in my pocket, so I splurged and bought an LX Dual Desk Mount Arm. It was easy to setup and it gives back a lot of desktop. Plus you can easily move the monitors now up or down, or close or far. Very nice.

A Day in DC - part deux

2007-05-18T06:17:00-07:00

Here are some more videos I took of our day in DC. I especially like Bailey's strange little dance in the Air & Space museum. :)

A Day in DC

2007-05-17T11:07:00-07:00

Here are some pictures from our day in DC a few weeks ago when Troy & Susan were visiting. We had a great - but tiring - time in DC. We took the Metro down and back which was also fun for the kids. We visited the Natural History Museum and the Air & Space Museum. I have some videos that I will post when I get another minute.

Play Catch

2007-05-12T12:24:00-07:00

This is a neat little flash page that lets you play catch with yourself. Bailey and I enjoyed playing with it for 15-20 minutes.

The Last Morsel

2007-05-09T20:30:00-07:00

How many of you knew that I have a little side business of hosting websites? Actually I am a reseller for Daily Razor. So, if you have web hostin needs let me know. Here is a new site I am hosting: The Last Morsel. This site offers a new food-related literature snippet each day. Check it out when you get a chance.

Fun on Friday

2007-05-08T19:28:00-07:00

Troy and Susan and their kids Brandon and Caitlyn came up from Raleigh for a visit this past weekend. They got here Friday evening. The girls had a great time climbing my cherry tree and playing in the yard. Brandon loved playing my XBox. We ended up walking downtown to La Paz Mexican Restaurant for dinner and had some ice cream at the new Ben & Jerry's on Carroll Creek. Was a really nice evening.

Republican's and Democrat's - An Explanation

2007-05-08T15:34:00-07:00

Roy sent me this joke today. I thought it was pretty funny (and true)... A woman in a hot air balloon realized she was lost. She lowered her altitude and spotted a man in a boat below. She shouted to him, "Excuse me, can you help me? I promised a friend I would meet him an hour ago, but I don't know where I am." The man consulted his portable GPS and replied, "You're in a hot air balloon, approximately 30 feet above a ground elevation of 2346 feet above sea level. You are at 31 degrees, 14.97 minutes north latitude and 100 degrees, 49.09 minutes west longitude." She rolled her eyes and said, "You must be a Republican." "I am," replied the man. "How did you know?" "Well," answered the balloonist, "everything you told me is technically correct, but I have no idea what to do with your information, and I'm still lost. Frankly, you've not been much help to me." The man smiled and responded, "You must be a Democrat." "I am," replied the balloonist. "How did you know?" "Well," said the man, "you don't know where you are or where you're going. You've risen to where you are, due to a large quantity of hot air. You made a promise that you have no idea how to keep, and you expect me to solve your problem. You're in exactly the same position you were in before we met, but, somehow, now it's my fault!

Carline Family Genealogy BLog

2007-05-01T19:43:00-07:00

So my mom is officially a blogger now. She has been interested in genealogy for years now - now she has taken her research online. This looks to be an interesting and fun way to learn about the history of our family and to a certain degree our country as well. Check it out - she's already had an interactive poll and promises to have a lot of fun and interesting articles for us in the future.

Fun on the Dock

2007-04-30T19:39:00-07:00

Bailey, Roy and I went to Ocean City this weekend. Roy needed to get his boat in the water and we wanted to just get away for a weekend. We had a nice, quiet time. Here are a few pictures and some videos from Saturday night:

Blue Ball Machine

2007-04-01T12:04:00-07:00

An amazing waste of time. This is an incredible graphic with no real apparent purpose. Very interesting for sure. I stared at it for probably 5 minutes and Bailey enjoyed it also. :) Blue Ball Machine

Wight Bay in Winter

2007-03-29T19:21:00-07:00

Here are a couple of nice pictures I took of Wight Bay (Ocean City, MD) in early March.

Musicovery

2007-03-29T18:58:00-07:00

Musicovery is a neat online music discovery site - much like Pandora - but different in some very interesting ways. Instead of making channels like in Pandora, you specify a genre of music, a time period, and a mood. Then, the program plays the music you were looking for and gives you a graphical representation of the playlist it has built for you. If you don't like a song, you can click on another one and it plays that song and builds a new play list based on that song. I really like the jazz selections it picks for me. Best of all, its free.

Singing Cows (I think)

2007-03-28T17:36:00-07:00

Another site we stumbled upon last night had us cracking up. You can have your own cow mini-choir. Singing Cows

Man in the Dark

2007-03-28T17:29:00-07:00

Bailey and I had a great time playing with this site tonight. Very impressive graphics. Man in the Dark

The Impressionists Table

2007-03-07T21:44:00-07:00

I just launched a new website that I've been working on for a client. It is a food and art site. Check it out and let me know what you think: The Impressionists Table Some details about the technical aspects of the site: It is running on ColdFusionMX7 using the ColdBox Development framework. I'm also using a couple of the YAHOO EXT library widgets. Additionally, the site is hooked up to Google Checkout for payment processing.

Feb Snow Sorm

2007-02-25T20:38:00-07:00

Hopefully, this is the last snow storm of the year. We are ready for spring. After the ice storm of last week, we got another 6 inches or so of snow today. We hope it doesn't ice on top of it again like last time. It was pretty though:

Ballerina Update

2007-02-25T20:27:00-07:00

Bailey had her final ballet class on Friday. I know I sound like the proud parent, but she really was the best kid in the class. It is amazing how much she picked up in only 6 classes. Take a look:

VT at NCSU

2007-02-20T05:59:00-07:00

So, Bubba and I left our land of icyness and headed south this weekend to go to the Virginia Tech at NC State basketball game. Troy and his son Brandon went with us this time. We could not have asked for a better performance from the Wolfpack. Let's hope for a good showing Wednesday night against Carolina.

IMified

2007-02-15T20:36:00-07:00

This is a very cool new (free) service if you use instant message utilities alot - like me. Basically, you simply add imified to your buddy list and by chatting with it, you can setup reminders, task lists, calendar events, etc. Currently, it works with AIM, Yahoo and Gtalk - there seems to be a little trouble with MSN at the moment. IMified offers notes, todo's, and reminders by default. It also integrates with Google Calendar and other online services. If you ask it to remind you of something, it will send you an instant message if it sees that you are online. If not, it can send a text message to your phone. Seems like a great idea to me. Try it out and let me know what you think.

UNC at NC State

2007-02-07T18:56:00-07:00

So Bubba and I went down to Raleigh last weekend to see the UNC v NCSU basketball game. We went with Susan and Troy. We could not have asked for a better game. The RBC center was electric - and the final outcome? Well NC State won 83-79 - of course, I knew it all along - no doubts here. Here are a few pictures from the weekend. It was really cool watching the students take the court after the game. Pretty wild.

NCSU at Wake Forest

2007-01-25T07:10:00-07:00

The other week, Roy and I went down to Winston-Salem to see the NC State vs Wake Forest game with our Dad. It was a great game if you are an NC State fan - not so much if you like Wake Forest. State ended up winning by 14, but it wasn't even that close. Its going to be a long season for both of these very young teams. It was fun to see State play and especially win. Now, if I have a similar report next week after the UNC game that we are attending, I will be really happy. Here are a few pictures from that day:

My Little Ballerina

2007-01-25T06:58:00-07:00

So Bailey started her new ballet class last week. It was fun to watch - a bit like herding cats to get all of the girls to pay attention at the same time. :)

Bailey, Bubba, Moose and Dad

2007-01-20T11:50:00-07:00

This was a really nice picture that Bailey drew for me this week. It has me, Moose, Bailey and Uncle Bubba. Very colorful and I especially like everyone's fingers. :)

Happy Birthday Kevin

2007-01-04T18:45:00-07:00

Kevin sure did like his birthday cake. (I must admit - I liked it too).

And, here he is opening his birthday / Christmas present.

New Years Eve Celebration

2007-01-04T18:00:00-07:00

So, Bailey, Bubba, Moose and me had our own little New Years Eve party this year. We had a great time - a nice dinner, some TV and games. Bailey also got to open some great Christmas gifts from Bubba as you can see below. And to top it off - she got to stay up until midnight and watch the ball drop on TV for the first time. She was so excited!! Although she crashed in a hurry once midnight hit. :)