Party!

Saturday was the big winter storm of the season. Saturday was also the big year-end party among a set of our friends. This year, our friends hosting the big party live about 90 mins away up north. Knowing that we would be spending the afternoon and evening, while the winter storm would be generating heavy snow, we prepared to stay overnight — extra clothes, sleeping bags, extra pillows, portable crib, etc.

Around 10pm, everyone came to the mutual conclusion that the local roads weren’t too bad, and we would all attempt to drive home.  We all started on our respective journeys. Initially, it wasn’t bad. See, in storms like this, I’ve found that while the local roads can be messy, you’re pretty much good to go once you make it to the highway.  Since the street seemed doable, it shouldn’t be a big deal.  Besides, we also have an SUV with 4×4.

This winter storm threw all of  my notions out the window. While we made it to I-280 in decent shape, the highways were a mess as the snow continued to fall heavily.  I-280 was a complete mess, and slow going.  At one point at the top of a rise, we reached a mass of a cars with hazard lights blinking, and one turned sideways.  Many cars on the road that night were on the sides of the road much like this car, completely lost traction, and unable to manuever. Seeing an older sportcar without traction wasn’t surprising. 

What was surprising is that we also lost complete traction at that point.  4×4, my butt– we couldn’t move sitting in the middle of a major highway.  We started moving diagonally, which already freaked me out as I was already nervous driving like this.  Then, other drivers started passing us on both sides, including a bus! If you saw a large SUV sliding diagonally on a highway, why would you think it was a good idea to try to pass on either side?  Lots of people did it.  As a matter of fact, as we continued on the I-280, the Garden State Pkwy, and the Turnpike, we watching many drivers speeding right through the heavy snow towards their respective destinations. It was absolutely insane.

We even missed our turn on to get on the NJ Turnpike from the GS Parkway, because huge snowdrifts separated the highway and exit lanes.  I would have tried to plow threw the snowdrift, but we had seen other cars stranded on those same snowdrifts. It just wasn’t worth the risk. We ended up driving for a long while out of our way down the Parkway, and then making the U-turn at the next exit.

We eventually made it home around 1:30am.  Can you imagine that? 3 hours to get home. Next time, I will never attempt such a foolhardy stunt again.  Next time, we just sleep over at that person’s house, or we don’t go at all.  As we drove sideways on a highway, or as we watched car after car stranded on the side of the road, or the multiple accidents, it’s all I could think about.

We’re expecting the first big snowstorm of the season this weekend. Looks pretty bad — 12 inches of snow. I can tell, because we’re in the purple portion of the map illustrating NJ below. Normally, I’d be more excited, but we’re supposed to be at a Secret Santa party among friends on Saturday.  I’m just not sure about all this. I hope everything works out okay.

First storm of the season for us. Looks like a lot of snow is coming our way.

Who here is a Star Wars fan?  Great, millions of you.  Who is also a fan of Episode 1: The Phantom Menace? Hello? Anyone there?  I just hear crickets.

Yeah, didn’t think so. The Phantom Menace came out in 1999, and I (like many other fans) had been psyched up after watching the special edition versions of the original trilogy in theaters. Man, what a letdown. Jar Jar alone ruined it for me, like he did for many people.  Still, there was more.  The corny humor, the plot, and don’t get me started on that Midichlorian crap.

A comedian named Marc (under the ID RedLetterMedia) has posted a 70-min movie review of the movie on Youtube, in seven different installments, 10 mins a piece.) It is hilarious review, with some other comedy sprinkled in, (some bits are a little lame.) However, the review makes a hundred great points, and actually makes you realize what a waste this movie really was.

Part 1 is below. Joshua hasn’t seen Episode 1 yet, because I don’t want to own it, and I think it’s not going to hold the interest of a child…… or an adult. I’m not saying that Episodes 2 or 3 are all that great either — I sped through many portions that Joshua wouldn’t want or shouldn’t see. George Lucas really screwed up on the original trilogy, didn’t, he?

Uh, hello, fellow Facebook members. Do you remember how Facebook rolled out the new privacy changes earlier this month? Do you know why?  Facebook has completed distribution deals with both Google and Microsoft to distribute your FB data (wall postings, etc.) Don’t believe me?  It’s true.  Is it interesting that FB’s new default privacy settings allow the less restrictive access (everyone) for its 350 million users?

Read more in Wall Street Journal writer Julia Angwin’s article How Facebook Is Making Friending Obsolete. You know, the common advice is that one should be careful what you post on FB and other social networking sites (and blogs.) You never know who is reading it, even among your friends.  If your data is now discoverable via search engine, it’s even more out there.

I read this on Gizmodo today [link] earlier today, reposting picture here. This man brought his iMac to Panera Bread.  And he’s playing World of Warcraft no less. And he’s older. That’s just odd.

Has he won the unconditional respect of the entire Internet, forever?

When we initially signed up for Verizon’s FiOS service, there were a number of features that had us interested.  The additional channels (including HD), the higher bandwidth, and the ability to save an extra $50 a month for two years. Of all these things, saving $50 was great.  Inside, the inner geek hungered for faster downloands and uploads. Even with their so-called PowerBoost, Comcast offered up to 1 Mbps and uploads up to 384 Kbps. Verizon’s low-end FiOS bandwidth plan offered 10 Mbps downstream, 2 Mbps upstream. Seriously, there’s no comparison.

About a month after our FiOS service was installed, Verizon upped the bandwidth for all plans, and the low-end was now 15 Mbps downstream, and 5 Mbps upstream.  I called Verizon, but they wouldn’t automatically bump me up.  If I wanted it, I would have to pay an additional $2 per month, and extend my initial contract an additional two months. My wife, who doesn’t understand the coolness (dorkiness?) of having an even bigger pipe did not see the need, and rightfully shut me down.

Tonight, I called Verizon up again to inquire, and I used my shmoozing powers on the FiOS rep. And? He upgraded me to the 15/5 plan, no additional cost.  When I got home, I power cycled the Actiontec router, and hit DSLReports for their speed test. 

Results? See below.  I haven’t tried uploading or downloading large files yet, but browsing is actually noticibly faster.

Conclusion? Awesome.

I upgraded our bandwidth on FiOS

Another year, and another look back on the year that was. Man, I’ve done one of these every year since 2002. It’s certainly a tradition that I enjoy. Unfortunately, as I look back at each set of goals and hopes for the coming year, I’ve never actually accomplished them.  Hmmm, that’s kinda depressing in a way.

Let’s look at the bright side. I initially tried to think of what was big this year, and it seemed like nothing happened. A quiet, boring year.  No vacations to faraway lands. No new Ipes born. I only led one audit. However, by digging deeper into each month, I realized how wrong I was. This year wasn’t boring.  This year was huge. You could call it a deceptively-quiet-yet-important year.

Life, Love, Family, and Friends

• Celebrated my sixth wedding anniversary.  The more I get to know my wife, the more I love her.
• I turned 33 this year. I think I’m smarter, fatter, but somehow still happier. However, I can’t believe I’ll be 34 next year. Not to sound stupid, but I sometimes can’t believe I”m actually aging. I mean, come on, I’m in my 30′s. What’s next, the 40′s?
• Joshua is really developing into his very own person, personality and everything. This year, we had five father-son trips. Sometimes I forget that being a father means more than just bathing and feeding the kids.  It also means taking them on trips, buying them spur-of-the-moment toys, and having fun with them. Something for me to remember in 2010.
• In March, Lily took her first steps, and got her first tooth. She also turned 1. She’s been an interesting character.  So cute, so charming, and yet absolutely high maintainence. I’m amazed by how frustrating and loveable a little girl can be. She can just charm you, and immediately go draw on the walls while your back is turned.
• After all these years, in March, I finally got a chance to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. It was a good experience, and I learned a lot.
• I attended exactly one game this entire year — a minor league baseball game in Lakewood, NJ.  Good food, good times, good fireworks at the end. Sure beats that Nets game we went to last December.
• Our priest Father Francis Hubbard moved on this year after 25 years of service, and our church is in the process of looking for a new one. He basically got us slowly involved in the church month after month.  Good man.
• Some friends got married this year (Kanishk & Sofi!), and a lot of our other friends are just now popping out babies. It’s about time people in our circle of friends joined the sleepless club.  Suckas.
• I have watched 38 movies so far this year, either at the movie theater, home DVD rental, or streaming. My goal this year was to enjoy my free time, and dang, the year ain’t over yet!

Career

• I led what appears to be my last audit for a long while. It went very well, and I’m pretty proud of it.  I completed it ahead of schedule, plenty of peer kudos, and the team was happy. I suppose it is always good to go out on a high note. Five successful audits in four years is not too shabby. Next year, I’m a regular guy happy to have a job, and waiting for the inevitable curveball.
• No CISSP certification yet, so let’s stop talking about it for the moment. Sigh.  Not accomplishing something year after year really burns my britches.
• This is indeed career-related news: I’ve started drinking coffee in the mornings.
• I’ve divested myself from the NY Chapter of the IIA after seven years. No time any more to update the website, and every request to attend a workshop or luncheon (and get reimbursed by my employer) has been denied.

Trips

• In January, Josh & I went to a model railroad show in PA, which I’ve always wanted to do. The train sets were so cool.
• Also in January, Josh & I spent an entire day at the Liberty Science Center. I’ve always wanted to go, and Josh loved the kids area. We also watched a 3D movie on the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.
• In March, I took the kids (with my sister and BIL) to the Please Touch museum in Philadelphia. Kids had a great time, and I’m glad they had fun with their favorite uncle and aunt.
• We had our first big extended family trip in May.  My wife organized a trip for our immediate family, her sister and family, and the maternal grandparents, and rented a large 4-bedroom house in Bethany Beach, Delaware, for an entire week. We only spent one day at the beach, but we also visited Ocean City, Maryland, spent time in the pool, BBQ’d, and did a whole lot of relaxing.
• I didn’t do a lot of business travel this year.  I was back in Canada for a few weeks on business in April & June. In May, I spent a week  in Delaware on business as well. Not the most exciting of business trips this year.
• In June, Joshua and I dropped off the girls in at a baby shower, and we visited the National Aquarium in Baltimore. Cool aquarium, but geez, it’s expensive. I’d still recommend visiting, but get your government bailout money first.
• We had a really so-so time at this year’s Quick Chek hot air balloon festival. Expensive, hot as all Hell, and heavy storms finally drove us off. I don’t think we’ll ever do it again.
• Our friends the Florida Kurians came to visit. As always, they leave us too soon!
• In September, Josh and I took the train into NYC, and had a fun day at the Museum of Natural History and the Rose Center. One of my favorite museums, and Josh’s first train ride.  I’ve promised him that I would take him to the city on a train for over a year now.  I finally kept my promise to him.
• Also in September, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary with a weekend getaway to Atlantic City.  I love my kids, but I enjoy spending my free time with my wife sans kids too. That doesn’t mean I don’t love my kids.  I just occassionally enjoy the sanity break.
• In December, we drove down to Virginia for the baptism of Barb & John’s son Jack.

Favorite Moments

• My son Joshua loves Star Wars! He has watched the original trilogy with me, and has started collecting various action figures. Side note: one of my favorite early toys that kicked off my imagination was an original Luke Skywalker action figure. I’m just so happy about Josh’s new-found love for Star Wars. HAPPY!
• Speaking of Star Wars, I am enjoying Star Wars: The Clone Wars on TV. It’s great to get a regular Star Wars fix, and share it with your son.
• This is probably a weird thing to be excited about, but after seven years, we purchased brand new cookware. You know we like to cook in our house.
• My plucky BlackBerry Curve died on me in March under mysterious circumstances. I’m still not sure what happened. However, I upgraded to the BlackBerry Bold, and I love it. Since I turned lemons into…. a new smartphone, that’s why it’s a favorite moment.
• We moved to Verizon’s FiOS service — HDTV, internet, and phone.  We’re not taking advantage of the additional HD channels yet (lack of HDTV), but we’re still saving an extra $50 a month compared to life under Comcast. The actual installation was a complete boondoggle, but it’s been smooth sailing ever since. The downstream/upstream speeds are slightly better too. If only we had an HDTV…….
• I assembled our first-ever BBQ grill, courtesy of my wonderful sister last Christmas. I don’t know what I’m doing, and massacred our most recent steaks, but I have faith that I’ll figure it out eventually.
• I rebuilt my home PC with Windows 7.  Why is this newsworthy? Duh, the pride of any geek worth his Pentiums is his/her home PC. It’s the center of your life. in my Windows 7 is pretty awesome compared to Win XP, IMHO, but I wish I had a dual core PC.

Worst Moments

• I dropped our beloved Canon S80 digital camera, one that we had scrimped and saved up $400 in 2006. After taking such good care of it for 3 years, one drop on the lense, and that was it. Sad. We’ve replaced it, but I gotta wonder the value of expensive cameras if they can break so easily.  Also, my stupidity for dropping the camera in the first place.
• Uh, I bought a $10 chicken salad sandwich? I’m not sure that’s entirely newsworthy, but I’m still pretty mad about the incident.
• Speaking of chicken salad sandwiches, I’m still upset that our local Atlanta Bread Company closed up in July. I miss them so much.
• Initial indications that our home heating and AC is dying a slow death. Time to budget a few thousand dollars to replace it in the next year or two.
• I accidentally drove over my office laptop with my car. I’ve never so much as spilled a drink on a laptop, and here I am, doing a demolition derby with it. Argh.
• Reading Rainbow went off the air. I grew up on the show, and it was truly remarkable and important programming for children.
• I have finally admitted to a having a snoring problem.  It sucks.
• I found out that my high school classmate Jason Green died 14 years ago, and I never knew. Sigh.
• I found out that one of my ex-girlfriends from college was a lying skank.  Well, more than I originally knew, anyway.  Ah well, it bothered me for a long week, because we had been slowly reconciling after all these year. However, it turns out her she’s still a liar and that makes any apologies…. less than heartfelt.  It took me a few days of thinking, talking, and relieving some bad times, but I finally got over it.  That’s life, I guess. The upside? I ended our recent “let bygones be bygones” reconciliation efforts, kicked that troll out of my life forever, and realized that my life, however imperfect, is pretty damn good. Oh, and she’s still a troll.

Other stuff

• Almost two decades since I last used our old 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES), my wife upgraded me with an early birthday present – the Playstation 3. Yes, the price dropped 6 months later, but it was still a fun six months, so I have no regrets. If I could only enjoy my games on a large HDTV, nothing could be better.
• I tried yoga for the first time. It was interesting.  Also, the kids like yoga too.
• Yes, I’m on Facebook more, but currently on a break. I’m proud to say I never did that whole 25 Random Things crap.  Why should I, when I have maintained my own Joel Trivia for years now?
• Favorite movies this year: District 9, Star Trek, Donnie Brasco, The Island,
• Worst movies this year: Bride Wars, Made of Honor, GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, Tropic Thunder, and The Wedding Date. I’m not even going to mention the partial viewings of movies like The Dukes of Hazzard and Definitely, Maybe.  If  I won’t even sit through the entire movie, that’s bad.

Looking Ahead to 2010

For once, I’m not making big predictions about what I will accomplish next year.  I have a good life, and I’m happy regardless. If I have to go out on a limb, and state one thing I am looking forward to, it’s redecorating our house.  That means painting the walls, new curtains, new carpets, and finally getting my long-sought-after HDTV.

The first Iron Man 2 movie trailer is out.  Hey, Whiplash don’t look half bad.  For a brief second, you get to see War Machine at the end. Cool.

http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/ironman/

Below is the first six minutes of 2009′s Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  I haven’t seen this movie yet, but if the intro is any indication, this looks to be a damn funny movie.  Nice cast listing too.  Man your battlestations — I’m adding this to the Netflix queue.

Well, this is interesting. Last Saturday, UNC Coach Roy Williams had a fan escorted out of the arena for cheering for the competition during a game against Presbyterian College. I’m not a fan of hecklers, nor could I hear what this particular individual in the stands was saying, but….. aren’t you allowed to not be a fan of any particular team?  I don’t think we have enough information here on the heckler, but I’m generally surprised that the guy was escorted out.