It’s time to upgrade and update this blog. I’m in the process of upgrading the software that makes this thing work, and at the same time I’m picking through a quick redesign.

Have a look at the latest incarnation and lemme know what you think. I know some of the text is hard to read–I’ll fix it. I’ve been working on content and layout so far…

Went the skatepark this morning with Darryl and I took Frodo along. He loved getting to run around and sniff stuff.

At one point, I was in the park just taking a breather and I saw Frodo up by the parking lot so I hollered to him. He came booking down the approach to the skatepark, just taking the straight line path towards me. What I could see, but he couldn’t, was that his path was taking him right over a 5 foot transition (basically a quarter pipe). There was nothing I could do to stop him, so I just watched as he ran up the small embankment to the edge of the transition and launched into the air. He basically jumped off a 5 foot wall at full speed. He was running at full speed, so his momentum took him out at least six feet from the edge. He made a nice four point landing, but collapsed under his own weight and slid another ten feet or so. When he came to a stop he stood up and kinda looked around, then trotted over to me. Apparently no worse for the wear! Wish I’d had a video camera…

Hopefully this year will mark the low point in our family Christmas history. Truman woke up this morning and was utterly underwhelmed by the magical glow of the Christmas tree lights on all the presents Santa left. He just wanted to lay on our bed and whimper–he felt sick. Asher wasn’t much better, but then again, one-year olds just kinda do their thing anyway.

After we’d coaxed Tru into opening all his presents, he flopped over onto the floor, head on his arm and muttered, “This was the best Christmas ever.” No emotion, no smiles, totally deadpan. Later, after unloading an intestine’s worth of yellow oil slick, he wanted to take a bath. At 9am. At least he played with his new dinosaurs. Post-bath, he put on his clothes, marched into the kitchen and puked all over the floor. I’m grateful it was in the kitchen and not on the carpet.

Once we’d gotten Tru’s puke cleaned up, Asher needed to get changed and dressed and lo and behold! He’s covered in red dots, from neck to feet! Looks like a rash, or maybe some kind of pox. Fortunately he has a regularly sheduled checkup tomorrow morning. Geez. It doesn’t help that his nose is leaking like a faucet. Every time I turn around he’s got big gobs of snot/spit hanging off his head or strung between his nose/hand/mouth. Gah.

Of course, Amy’s stumbling through all this herself because she feels under the weather too. Plus, she cut a big old chunk out of her finger last week, and had to have the wound cauterized because it wouldn’t stop bleeding, since she “nicked an atery.” So she’s operating on only nine fingers since the cut one is all wrapped up in bandages and unusable.

I’m feeling okay though. Knock on wood.

I’m done with Typepad. I had problems with their customer service in the past, which were quite frustrating and now the application has been down for many hours. And Slacker Manager is displaying content that’s two days old. I’ve had people write to me asking for the recent del.icio.us post and I’ve had to point them to Google’s cache or the AllBusiness blog. Not cool.

Once I can access the application again, I’ll be exporting all the entries and files and setting up a new WordPress blog elsewhere. Once it’s up and running and redirects are working, I’ll change the DNS entries and that’ll be that. Or maybe now is the time to just have one blog and let it be the AllBusiness.com one. I’ll have to think about that…

Had some pals over for dinner Saturday night. Predictably, the conversation devolved, as it is wont to do, into “guy talk.” Love it.

Do you know,
I would quietly slip
from the loud circle,
When first I know
the pale stars are blooming.

Ways will I elect
that seldom any tread,
In the pale ev’ning meadows.
And no dream but this:
You come too.

Rainer Maria Rilke, ‘Do You Know’

I post this every few years. Amy and I had this printed on our wedding something-or-other. The last line always gets me, and it always makes me think of Amy. The poem elicits this feeling of solitude and quiet. And one forever friend.

This evening I went out to Lewis and Clark College to listen to Yvon Chouinard give a talk. Presumably about his new book. The place was packed. I was supposed to meet my buddy Pete, but I got a call from Amy saying that Asher had a 103.5° fever and she was a little freaked. Hard to concentrate on a lecture when you think your house is burning down. So I went home. Everything is fine and I’ve got no regrets about missing the lecture. I’ll probably still read the book though.

A few days ago, driving in the car, Truman suddenly asks the following question: “Hey dad! If God is standing on the ground, can a bee fly over His head?”

Gulp. Our little philosopher. For the record, my answer, which seemed to satisfy him, was “Only if God wants it to.”

I remember when the 3.2 mile loop wasn’t quite so easy. Today it seemed to cruise right by. My time hasn’t really gotten any better, but somehow the run itself seemed easier. Sans Frodo, of course.

Ran the long route again today. Went pretty well, got real sweaty. I guess that’s good. I’m thinking of stepping up .3 mile to this route next time.