Hooray! I have a Goo

Hooray! I have a Google Wave account! Thanks for the invite Bruce. Now what do I do with it? Anybody want to Wave?

Forgive me the pun b

Forgive me the pun but ROCStock XXX was a BLAST! I have never seen so many model rockets launched. I even think that a few went up but didn't come down.

I LOVE Danish Butter

I LOVE Danish Butter Cookies. Yum, yummy, nommy, nom...

I just bought an Est

I just bought an Estes Bull Pup 12D (http://www.estesrockets.com/rockets.php?pid=007000) to build to be able to complete my NARTREK (http://www.nar.org/NARTREK/) Bronze award.

CurtJester RT @CurtJ

CurtJester RT @CurtJester @disputations:Dear God:Attached is a list of virtues I would rather develop than those U have chosen 4 me. Thank U 4 your consideration.

RT @CurtJester @disp

RT @CurtJester @disputations:Dear God:Attached is a list of virtues I would rather develop than those U have chosen 4 me. Thank U 4 your consideration.

President Barack Oba

President Barack Obama said, "To the veterans, the fallen and their families there is no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice..." This may be the first time we have agreed. To all of our Veterans, I salute you. You have my gratitude for what you sacrificed for our country.

[ROC] Rocket launch

[ROC] Rocket launch on Saturday at ROCStock XXX should be a go. Porta-Pot Shot has been ready for months and StormCaster's paint is dry - all it needs is the shock cord and it is ready for launch.

It was another manic

It was another manic Monday and it's still going...

Two things

1. Lacquer paint is really thin - having trouble getting a good code of paint on the StormCaster rocket for this weekend. 2. Thinking about creating a blog to teach C programming. Anyone interested in that?

SmartCar? I'd love t

SmartCar? I'd love to but I can't. I'm too tall. I've been drooling over SmartCars since '06 and today I finally took one for a test drive. The answer is, "No, I'm not buying one." The seat is too high or the roof is too low. I couldn't see the traffic lights when I was at a red light. I still think it's the right idea but I don't fit. :-(

ROCStock XXX is comi

ROCStock XXX is coming next weekend. See http://www.rocstock.org/rocstock_nov.html for details.

Does anyone have a s

Does anyone have a spare Google Wave invite they'd like to send me? I'd like to see what the buzz is about.

Perhaps it is time f

Perhaps it is time for glasses. The ad said, "Fast Easy Donation", but the first time I saw it I read, "Fast Baby Donation". I was really curious as to what that could possibly be for a moment.

Testing, One, Two, T

Testing, One, Two, Three. Can any Plurkers hear me?

Thursday morning gee

Thursday morning geek humor: http://htxt.it/wr2d . I've heard it said that there 10 kinds of people in this world: those that understand binary and those that don't.

Woot is not wooting

Woot is not wooting tonight. It should be 2 fer Tuesday but it's not, it's nada.

New Driod

I want a Droid from Verizon/Motorola. But Verizon says that I'm not eligible for an upgrade for 6 more months. Sniff, sniff.

At this point I've r

At this point I've restored my Twitter account, my blog, my Plurk account, and my HelloTxt account.

I think I'm going to

I think I'm going to take a break from social media...

It's a Boy Scout-y k

It's a Boy Scout-y kind of week. Monday is PLC, Tuesday is Parent's, Wednesday is Troop, and Thursday is District Round Table. Meetings.

Job Description: Prophet

Comfort the afflicted. Afflict the comfortable.

Sunday, Glorious Sunday

Let us give thanks for this day that the Lord has made.

RT @CatholicForLife

RT @CatholicForLife I'm getting so old that my friends in heaven will think I didn't make it - LOL of the day

Fishing Report

Tonight's fishing had it's up and downs. Overall, it was good. There is nothing quite like the thrill of catching a fish and I did it four times. The last was a keeper. Tim and Sarah each caught a fish, too.

Looking forward to f

Looking forward to fishing this evening...

God is Great, beer i

God is Great, beer is good, and people are crazy.

Fishing?

I decided to go fishing Friday evening. Dana Wharf Sportfishing from 5:30 PM to 9:30 PM, the twilight tour, if you want to go. Let me know if you'll be there.

We just finished ste

We just finished step one of rearranging our bedroom. Got the bed moved to a new wall. That only took 4 hours.

Ann and I get to tes

Ann and I get to test drive an "empty nest" for a week. George is off at Emerald Bay Boy Scout camp on Catalina Island.

Death of Gerald Kroiss

For those of you that remember Jerry... I regret to inform you of the death of my father, Gerald Kroiss, on 30 July 2009. Please excuse this mass mailing, I'm sending this to his entire address book. Jerry died from complications due to a previously undiagnosed blood clotting disorder. He will be greatly missed. The memorial service will take place at 10 AM Monday at St. John's Lutheran Church (8250 202nd Street) Lakeville, MN. There will be a memorial visitation one hour prior to the service. Celebration luncheon to follow, if possible let us know by email if you will be attending. The obituary can be found at http://htxt.it/sQXU Regards, Kimberly Chittum, Jerry's youngest daughter

RT @David Allen - To

RT @David Allen - To get thru corporate security - foto ID + no more than 3 1-oz containers of humanity.

Promulgation of Norms for Tabernacle Placement

http://htxt.it/MUnq : "In recent years, the place of the tabernacle in our churches has become a source of controversy. This should not be. The Eucharist, whether we are referring to its celebration or to the place of reservation, should always be a means of unity and communion, and never of division."

Jet lag ending?

Perhaps the jet lag is finally ending. Only a short nap yesterday evening. Woke up at 2:30 AM again but managed to get back to sleep until just before the alarm went off.

RT @NETMinistries "F

RT @NETMinistries "Faith isn't something to be learned, it's something to be lived." - Mark Berchem

Disney Cruise?

We're considering the idea of a Disney Cruise next summer. The prices look to be a bit over $1000/day for us. Have you been on one? What do you think / know about them?

Isn't Jet Lag Wonderful?

I get sleepy when I should be awake. I wake up when I should be sleeping. And my dreams are really weird - even by my standards.

Home Again

My bags all made it even though they got mis-checked in Singapore. I slept almost the whole way and still slept last night. It's good to be home.

On my way

My bags are packed, I'm turning of the computer, and getting a cab. Time to start the long journey home. I won't be back on-line before Sunday day stateside at the earliest. C u soon!

Heading Home!

My last night in Asia this trip. Tonight I pack. Tomorrow I start the trek home. Calendar time it will only take about 16 hours (Sat 7 am - Sat 11 pm). Actual elapsed time will be about 31 hours. I will land in LAX before I leave Taipei!

Street Crossing in Singapore

The two armies were amassed on either side of the battle field. Their uniforms were inconsistent from person to person and the two sides looked as if they were a single people. It seemed that the only thing that separated them was a short distance. I wondered what they were thinking, standing in anticipation with weapons in their hands waiting for the signal. Finally, after what felt like an eternity the signal came and both armies marched into the playing field staring at the opponents. The advancing lines were ragged - some broke forward quickly and some seemed to hesitate. Finally the two armies met at the middle and to my surprise there was no clash, no wailing of pain. The two armies managed to pass right through each other without injury. The reached the other side of the field were their opponents had been standing a moment before and suddenly they were transformed back into tourists and shoppers going about their own personal business and moving down the sidewalk in random fashion. That is, until the joined another army standing at the edge of the street waiting for the green walk signal to begin the charge again.

Arrg!

I just realized that hellotxt flipped the title and status panes.

Woke up to pork bacon at breakfast. I haven't seen pork in almost two weeks. Of course, I remembered it was Friday AFTER I ate it. The story of my life - a day late and a dollar short. Hi, ho, it's off to work I go...

We're not in Malaysia anymore Todo

The trip to Singapore was longer than expected but uneventful. I got to the hotel room just fine.

Landed in Singapore

Singapore!

The only constant is change. My travel plans got altered last night and later today I am heading to Singapore. Still coming home on the same day / same flight though.

Woot Off!

At http://www.woot.com

I think I did too mu

I think I did too much walking the last few nights. My back is feeling a bit tender today and I've got a long airplane flight coming up in 3 days. Time to rest and hopefully heal.

Souvenirs?

It’s so hard to find the family souvenirs. I’ll keep looking but I’m not really buying. Missed getting up into the KL Tower tonight by minutes. Last destination to visit? Times Square at Imbi...

It is bad luck to be

It is bad luck to be superstitious. - Andrew W. Mathis

Hard Rock Cafe - Malaysia

I wound up at the Hard Rock Cafe for dinner tonight. Interesting things happen when American cuisine meets Islamic state religions. Pork is at least rare here if not illegal leading to a pulled lamb BBQ sandwich. It was tasty.

Great tour today: Bl

Great tour today: Blue Mosque, Crab Island, Fish Farm, and a Chinese Temple. Got my personal inbox down to 11 and took care of the Boys Scout and Marriage Encounter tasks.

Back from Mass

Now to use the GTD rules and attempt to push my personal e-mail inbox to 0. I achieved 0 with my work e-mail box yesterday.

Western style lunch

It was a western style lunch I suppose. McDonald's and then a very long walk but I did find my way to the Church of the Holy Rosary. A Starbuck's coffee on the way back.

Up at the crack of noon

After a great evening out with friends and colleagues at a place called Souled Out I decided to skip the touring and sleep. Time to go forage for lunch.

I should've listened to my wife

Just before this trip I bought a new camera. My wife said to take the cables. I decided I didn't them - I can read the memory card directly and if I need the USB port I have other cables with me. Memory card problems and a non-standard USB port and I'm not able to upload pictures.

Time Zones

It still seems very strange. In the morning I tuck Ann into bed over the phone. In the evening as I'm falling asleep she and George are getting ready to start the day. Weird, very weird.

Prayer Request

This morning on the way to work I was meditating on the burdens that I, you, and everyone need to carry thanks to the "Pray As You Go" podcast and we passed a motorcyclist lying in the middle of the road. I can only imagine his possible burdens: medical expenses, loss of job, loss of health, scooter repairs, etc. I ask for your prayers on his behalf.

Driving in Malaysia

I'm glad I'm not driving in Malaysia. It seems that lane markings are gentle suggestions rather than actual guides. The traffic here makes LA a piker. The motorcycle lane splitting makes California look very rational and very reasonable.

Arrived in Malaysia

I arrived in Malaysia. I'm really tired after this long of a trip - having difficulty making coherent decisions.

Signing Off (for now)

My ride to LAX is due here in 20 minutes and then I have 28ish hours of travel to get to Malaysia.

Mission Accomplished

New passport acquired.

I'm off to see the wizard

The wonderful wizard of the LA Passport Agency. Where I plan on enough levers being pulled behind the curtain so that a shiny new passport appears in my hand before days end.

Look out Malaysia! Here I come! (I hope.)

It's about 48 hours until the limo gets me. I can't find the right passport so I have to get an emergency replacement at 7 AM in LA tomorrow.

It was a whoopin' at Angel's Stadium

But not the whoopin' I was hopin' for. Angels lost to the Rangers 8-4. We had great seats! Will post pix later.

Let's Go Angels, Let's Go!

Off to watch the Angels whoop the Rangers. Yea!

New Snack Idea

Peanut butter and banana burrito.

Yay Fr. Jay!

The iPadre and the TechnoPriest are both featured in this CNS article: http://htxt.it/Xrxw

RT @Jeff Miller (aka

RT @Jeff Miller (aka The CurtJester) - Do Satanists "Offer it down"?

Awesome Fireworks

Found a spot where we could watch fireworks from Disneyland to San Clemente. It was awesome!

Down in flames

Or rather, in splashes on the floor. I give up, I am NOT a plumber (and I don't play one on TV). Can anyone recommend one?

Happy Independence Day

Today marks the 223 birthday of a great republic, the United States of America. Our Declaration of that Independence begins, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." May God Bless America.

Toilet War Defeat

The toilet won today's round. Went back to Home Depot for another flush valve. It leaks like the last one. Tomorrow I bring the whole stinkin' tank down to Home Depot!

Toilet War

I'm fighting the toilet and the toilet is winning. Disassembled the tank and replaced the guts. All went well but the flush valve insists on leaking all over the floor. :-(

Testing, 1, 2, 3 ...

Testing to see if my blogger posts are still being imported. I think I killed the import.

This afternoon's age

This afternoon's agenda? House maintenance. Replacing smoke detectors (installing combo Smoke/CO detectors) and replacing toilet tank guts.

Hey everyone, tomorr

Hey everyone, tomorrow, July 4, is free fishing day in California - no license is needed. Now go fish! http://htxt.it/SOPt

is NOT a fan of smok

is NOT a fan of smoke detectors that complain in the middle of the night about nothing. What does a pair of "beeps" mean? Yawn, back to bed.

There is a rumor of

There is a rumor of my being in Malaysia soon. Now where is that passport? It ain't where it's sposed to be!

Truck repair cost: f

Truck repair cost: free. A hose fell off - screwdriver on the hose clamp fixed it. Thank you David Reuter at Tuttle-Click Ford.

Truck started "clunk

Truck started "clunking" last PM after I got the fam from LAX. It is still "clunking" this AM. Time for a (ridiculously expensive?) repair.

You should follow th

You should follow the @CurtJester, aka @Jeff Miller, on line. I really enjoy his writings. His website is here: http://htxt.it/OFwt but he is also on Facebook, Twitter, and other such places.

I'm scared. By Bapti

I'm scared. By Baptism I was anointed priest, prophet, and king. To whom much is given, much is expected. I believe that I'm failing.

I just finished uplo

I just finished uploading all of the vacation pix into facebook.

RT @CurtJester My th

RT @CurtJester My thoughts on is anybody pro-abortion? http://tr.im/qdXp (MK: This was good, very good reading.)

Dinner tonight: half

Dinner tonight: half a tomato, boiled carrots, steamed broccoli, potatoes au gratin, fried onions & beef cube steak. All fresh, all home made.

Dan Cajka Eulogy

I was asked to write and read a eulogy for Dan Cajka, may he rest in peace, this past weekend.  This is what I came up with.

Dan Cajka

Dan and Linda were married for over 52 years raising their family of four children, Belinda, Ann, Danny, and John in Pittsburg, PA, Poughkeepsie, here in Kingston, and in Chelmsford, MA.  Dan and Linda’s four children gave them 9 grandchildren, Benjamin, Joshua, Nathan, Rachael, Daniel, Alexa, Victoria, Spencer, and George.

I met Dan in 1982.  In the 27 years that I knew Dan he taught me a few lessons and I’d like to think that perhaps I managed to teach him a few as well.  I’d like to share some of the lessons that Dan taught me with you.

Lesson 1:  Be friendly, courteous, and hospitable – greet everyone by name.  In Dan’s world there are no strangers – only friends that haven’t been met yet.  His hospitality is legend.  I can remember going to Texas in August of 1984.  Only a fool would travel to Dallas in the August heat but somehow Dan didn’t hold that against me.  When he came out to DFW to get me he had a cold beer in the car, a broad smile, and a hearty handshake for me.  We celebrated Ann’s birthday that year in his backyard next to his pool.  There was ice cold beer in the fridge in the garage and barbecued ribs on the grill.

Lesson 2:  You can gain new ethnicity through marriage.  Both of Dan’s parents were Slovak yet he had the luck of the Irish when he was looking for a parking place.  I learned that he acquired this Irish luck by marrying Linda.  He also got some of the Irishman’s blarney but that might have been there before he was married.  I am now part O’Cajka, myself.

Lesson 3:  Papa, my son’s name for Dan, is another word for love.  All of Dan’s grandchildren loved their Papa and Nana.  There was no greater joy for Dan than playing with his grandchildren.  I don’t think that there was any sacrifice that he wouldn’t make for them either.  Dan taught all of his grandchildren to swim in his backyard pool.  Papa made the best pancakes and they were the highlight of any trip to Plano.

Lesson 4 also involved food.  Twinkies are their own food group and a hot dog was a not so secret treat on a weekend shopping trip.  Today I still make it a point to have a hot dog almost every weekend and salute him when I do.

Lesson 5:  Crossword puzzles are to be done in ink.  If you don’t know a word it is perfectly acceptable to make up your own as long as it fits.  No one ever checks to see if you got it right.  Doing your crossword puzzles this way makes it seem that you are really smart with a great vocabulary.  However, I suspect that Dan didn’t actually make up many words when he did his puzzles.

Lesson 6:  It only takes 20 to 30 minutes to peddle a stationary bike from Plano, TX to any town that had a grandchild in it.  Dan often told me after his morning workout routine on the bike with a banana, a cup of coffee, and a crossword puzzle that he’d been to Nashua, NH.  Some times he waited until the next day to peddle home even though he’d never left the house.

Lesson 7 came when Dan and Linda would come to visit.  After George went to bed it was time for a trip to Starbuck’s for a Caramel Frappuccino with extra whipped cream before we sat in the Den for an exciting action movie.  Going to the movies was something that we both enjoyed sitting on the couch with the surround sound volume up a little too high.

Dan and I had a rapport over the years that included a lot of good natured ribbing and teasing.  As George and I were saying goodbye to Dan the last time we saw him alive, I joked with Dan and gave him a friendly barb.  Ann asked him if we were giving him a hard time.  He told her no but then raised his arm, pointed a finger at me, smiled, and said, “Just the big guy.”  This was the final lesson:   I was now the “big guy”, an honor that I hope and pray that I can live up to.

We all celebrated life with Dan at one point or another.  Dan’s life on earth has ended while ours continues.  I imagine Dan in heaven, sitting next to his pool under a warm summer sun with a drink in his hand toasting the Universe waiting for the rest of us to join him.  We’ll be there soon enough but in the meantime Dan will be watching over us and helping our Guardian Angels do their jobs.

Whew! I finally made

Whew! I finally made it home. I started to Logan a little after 7 AM Boston time and just got home a little before 8 PM Los Angeles time. 16 hours of traveling!

Just finished writin

Just finished writing the Eulogy for my father-in-law's burial tomorrow. Dan passed away in January.

June 16, 2009. Make

June 16, 2009. Make a note to celebrate the anniversary of this date. George, my teen, admitted that I was right and he was wrong today.

Gas prices are up! T

Gas prices are up! The card limit at the pump, $75, won't fill my truck's tank. I enjoyed getting a full tank of gas for a little while.

Mmm, mmm. Cold left

Mmm, mmm. Cold left over pepperoni pizza for breakfast. What more could a person want? Yummy!

4 out of 3 people ha

4 out of 3 people have problems with fractions.

Nothing gets me read

Nothing gets me ready for a nap like breakfast and a cup of coffee. Yaaaawn. S t r e t c h.

Amazing! PETA thinks

Amazing! PETA thinks that dead fish need more respect: http://htxt.it/XeMp What are we coming to? The fish are dead already.

thinks that "Loading

thinks that "Loading query results" is computer-speak for "Mike, Go get a cup of coffee."

It's late, Conan is

It's late, Conan is on. I'll give him another shot but he just isn't funny.

There is a reason I

There is a reason I keep my hair cut so short. I have a teenager. I don't want to be able grab my hair well enough to pull it out.

Lord, I thank you fo

Lord, I thank you for all of the "cheerleaders" in my life that have encouraged me when life was hard. I ask you for the words and courage to be a "cheerleader" for others today. Amen.

Gotta de-louse one o

Gotta de-louse one of the home computers (George's). Going to use Norton 360 on it. Which product do you use and do you like it?

[WG] My 2006 Twenty

[WG] My 2006 Twenty dollar bill with serial number IG001---11B has just been re-entered into Where's George? Tracking report: http://htxt.it/lqCI