Trying out the new camera...

I've been wanting to buy one of those little HD video cameras like the Flip. The cameras on our phones don't do very good video and neither does our digital camera. So while we were doing our grocery shopping, I went over to the camera section and looked at the limited selection. There were only about four different styles of these video cameras and not a lot of information about each one. I tried to Google the different models on my Crackberry but for some reason it wouldn't connect to the internet.

I ended up going with a Samsung HMX-U10 because there was a lack of information on a JVC model, the Flip was more expensive, and a Sony Webbie just look like it was asking for trouble. I charged up the Samsung and played around with the controls a little. It's all touch control which frankly I'm not too sure I like yet. Instead of being buttons that get pressed, they are buttons that respond to touch. Well, if you aren't careful you will inadvertently touch a button and cause a function to start or stop when you don't want to.

Here's a sample picture taken with the new camera:

From Sluggo is YoYo

Next I need to learn about the video part of it.

Bingem Am Rhein, Germany

More Germany pictures.

We were in Germany for almost two weeks in September last year working at Ramstein Air Base. We had one full weekend there and on the Saturday we wanted to go somewhere and look at some castles. We were given some vague directions and we ended up in Bingem-am-Rhein. We parked and just walked along the Rhine (Rhein) River for a while then walked up to Klopp Castle.

This is part of Klopp Castle:

From Sluggo is YoYo

On the grounds of Klopp Castle:

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Tower of Klopp Castle:

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Looking at St. Martin Basilica from an archway at Klopp Castle:

From Sluggo is YoYo

Flag with the coat-of-arms on the tower of Klopp Castle:

From Sluggo is YoYo

German Taint Cheese

We ate two different times at the restaurant at Nanstein Castle. There were tables outside overlooking Landstuhl.

From Sluggo is YoYo

You can see Ramstein Air Base in the distance in this picture.

From Sluggo is YoYo

A suit of armor on display in the restaurant.

From Sluggo is YoYo

The food at the restaurant was really good with a couple of minor exceptions. One time Glen ordered the Knight's Platter which was various cured meats/sausages. Most of it was quite good but one tasted like an old leather boot (or how I suspect an old leather boot might taste). The other time, Greg (not Deb's Greg) order a cheese platter. It was quite good save one particular cheese we took to calling Taint Cheese due to its taint flavor.

More Germany Pics

More pictures from my trip to Germany in September 2009. These pictures are of Nanstein Castle in Landstuhl. We didn't get to go in to the castle because both times we went, the castle itself was already closed. However both times we did enjoy eating at a nice little restaurant on the castle grounds.

From Sluggo is YoYo

From Sluggo is YoYo

From Sluggo is YoYo

A No Crap Post

Germany, September 2009. We were all tired from work and wanted to eat something. I told the guys lets just go off base and find something to eat. We piled in to the van and went to Landstuhl. I decided to follow the signs there for the castle. The gang didn't know that's what I was doing, but it was a spur of the moment decision. We walked the grounds of Nanstein Castle and decided to eat at the restaurant there. My favorite picture was this:

From Sluggo is YoYo

More pictures to follow.

Germany 2009

Last fall I had the pleasure of going to Germany for just under two weeks to do postal duty at Ramstein Air Base, Germany. Over the next few days, I'd like to post a few of the pictures I took of some of the places we visited.

This is Ehrenfels Castle Ruins in Ruedesheim, Germany. Picture taken from Bingen-am-Rhein, Germany

From Sluggo is YoYo

Six more weeks of winter?

Punxsutawney Phil supposedly saw his shadow today and that means six more weeks of winter. I'm ready for spring.

A few days ago I posted some pics of plants and flowers from Paraguay. It was my little way of bringing a bit of warm weather to dreary winter.

So with today's groundhog day prediction of a longer winter, I bring you more pics to remind us of the nice weather that we will eventually get. I took these pictures in Germany last fall.

From Sluggo is YoYo

From Sluggo is YoYo

From Sluggo is YoYo

From Sluggo is YoYo

From Sluggo is YoYo

Pon-toof-lahs

I rarely know what I want to blog about and today I'm still rowing that boat. I saw bedroom slippers on the floor and they made me think of the Spanish word for slippers - pantuflas. Say it! Isn't it funny to say? Yes, yes it is funny to say.

Living in a semi-bilingual home is quite an experience. Sometimes I think of the Spanish word for something before the English word. I know that on more than one occasion I have thrown out Spanish words or phrases in conversation at work. My coworkers just laugh at me or look at me like I'm stupid.

Raquel and I speak Spanish to each other almost exclusively. So much so, that tonight she said something to me in English and I couldn't understand her because I'm trained to think that she's speaking Spanish to me. That poor girl must be all kinds of confused. Paraguay has two official languages - Spanish and Guarani. Languages change over time and are influenced by many things. Paraguayans have transformed their Spanish and Guarani into a sort of platonic relationship that has almost created a new language of its own called Jopara - not quite Spanish nor Guarani in their purest forms but related to both. Often its a Spanish word that gets conjugated according to Guarani rules becoming a new word.

As I said, Raquel must get all kinds of confused. She throws out Guarani words to me sometimes and English words to her parents and here in the house she'll mix English and Spanish in one sentence. The kids just roll with it all and seem to understand.

Now go ahead and say PANTUFLAS - you know you want too!

100th day of kindergarten!

I had mentioned recently that Lourdes will be celebrating her 100th day of school soon. Today we bought two bags of Hershey's Kisses and Lourdes counted out 100 of them for her to bag up and take to school for the celebration. I think she still needs a little work on her counting skills when it comes to large quantities, but I'm sure it will come along. I had her organize the candy in rows of ten and we tried working on counting the established rows by tens. She did pretty well at counting by tens and by the time we were done she understood that putting just one candy in the next row didn't increase the tens yet.

I think her favorite part was eating some of the extra candy!

From Sluggo is YoYo

DQ Blizzard

The Rivermen have a promotion with Dairy Queen that if the Rivermen score 4 goals in a home game, everyone is given a coupon for a free Blizzard at Dairy Queen. Well tonight Derek Armstrong of the Rivermen scored a "natural" hat-trick (three goals by one player in a game is a hat-trick, a "natural" is a hat-trick where the player scores three goals in succession with no other goals scored in between his goals). In fact, Armstrong went on to score a fourth goal, giving the Rivermen a 4-0 lead and giving the fans a free Blizzard.

I started thinking the Rivs were going to not only get a win, but possibly even a shutout!! Well the Houston Aeros threw a monkey wrench into the works. They scored a goal in the third period. I can live with that. Then they sored again. Okay, 4-2, let's close this out. Then again! 4-3! This can't be happening! Oh no, another goal - tie game!! So the game goes into overtime and no more goals; this one will be decided in a shootout.

First up for the Rivermen, Derek Armstrong- he shoots, he scores!! Wow!! All Rivermen goals scored by the same guy. Unfortunately that was the only shootout goal by the Rivermen and the Aeros got three so the Rivs lost 5-4.

A lady behind me said "Well at least we get free Blizzards!"

Her friend said "Yeah, but they'll taste like defeat!"

Flora from Paraguay

Let's face it, winter can be pretty blah! So I dug up these pictures of plants around my mother-in-law's house in Paraguay.

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

Spring is only a few months away!

She's a model - another picture post

From Blogger Pictures

From Blogger Pictures

Photo Post

From Blogger Pictures

Bless you

Teddy just hit 19 months old yesterday. It's really neat to see him growing and changing. He's been chattering for a while now, but most of his words seemed to be gibberish to most people including me most of the time. But now, some things are starting to be more intelligible. If you happen to sneeze around him you're likely to hear a very clear "Bless you!"

I know several posts have mentioned New Super Mario Brothers, so why change now. When Luigi loses all his lives, he is given another five lives and he proudly announces "I'm back!" Teddy has heard this so many times that he chimes in as well.

I think his favorite sentence now is "No Mommy!"

Teddy is quite helpful, or at least tries to be. He helps Raquel with some of the housework. He often will take my empty coffee cup to mommy for a refill. When I arrive home from work, he comes running to greet me and he immediately pulls a chair out and pats it motioning for me to sit. The routine is that I sit down so that he can help take my boots off. After the boots come off, he wants to help remove the Velcro blousing straps that help keep the pants tucked into the boots (tucking the pants into the boots will be mandatory later this year). He gets extremely upset if he's not allowed to help.

Hopefully he will continue to be a helpful little boy.

Colds and cold

After a reasonably warm weekend with lots of rain, it has turned cold again which brought snow. I know that cold temperatures don't cause colds, but it sure seems that colds come with cold temps. So now Teddy has a head cold, Lourdes has the slightest of colds, and I feel a little run down. Hopefully a little rest and over-the-counter medicine for all will keep things in check and let us all recover.

Teddy actually had the croup at the end of November. The good thing about that was that we now know what it is and how dangerous it really can be. Infants and small children have small windpipes and croup is an inflammation of the windpipe caused by a viral infection. This inflammation causes difficulty breathing and causes a barking sound when they cough. Usually croup will go away in a few days, but a severe case can require breathing treatments, steroids, and hospitalization. Teddy was close to being admitted. We didn't realize how distressed his breathing really was. Now we know what to look out for and what actions we need to take. For more information on croup, check out kidshealth.org.

Greg is a pusher

One time Greg and I were in his BMW and we came across a guy struggling to push his stalled vehicle to a side rode. Greg and I dutifully got out and started pushing to help the gentleman out. It just so happened that the side road had a bit of an incline to it but it was no challenge to the three of us. The man thanked us and we got back into Greg's bimmer and were on our way. I remarked about how easy it was and that I barely had to push. Greg looked at me incredulously. Turns out I barely had to push because Greg was doing all the work!

Good times, good times! Another time we were going to the mall in Greg's bimmer to buy a wedding gift for a friend. On the way back from the mall, I had an unfortunate gas attack. Something so foul that even the deepest bowels of hell itself couldn't produce the equivalent eked out of my bottom. Greg almost had to pull over due to retching. I'm sure Greg can't tell the story without throwing up in his mouth a little.

Another time I had the pleasure of driving the bimmer. I think I needed to run home to get something and Greg was gracious enough to let me borrow it. On the way to my house, a squirrel darted right out in front of me and I had no time to react. There was the sickening thud of flesh and bone against steel. Yes, that squirrel committed suicide by bimmer.

I don't know why Greg ever got rid of that car.

Productive day, lazy afternoon

I spent some time today paying bills, going through the week of mail, and filing federal and state income taxes. Once that was all done, it was time to be lazy. We played Super Mario Brothers on the Wii for a while making it into World 8 and then lounged in front of the TV. But it wasn't mindless TV, it was some Planet Earth on the Discovery Channel while playing MegaBlocks with Lourdes and Teddy. After the kids were in bed, it was time for some quality time with the wife - playing Super Mario Brothers on the Wii. We made it to the first fortress and defeated Kamek and were able to save our progress.

Now it's time for bed.

PS Rivermen defeated Chicago on Saturday night - awesome game!!

100th day of school

Lourdes is closing in on her 100th day of school and they will be celebrating this on 1 February. All the students in her class have been asked to bring in 100 of an item. The teacher has even provided a small plastic bag to take the 100 items to school. The bag has some pictures of suggested items, like buttons, paper clips, jelly beans, Cheerio's, and Hershey Kisses. I asked Lourdes what she would like to take and she replied "Butt Kisses!"

REF YOU SUCK!!

Rivermen lost 3-2 in a game where two goals scored by the Rivermen were disallowed by the referee, one with less than a minute to play. The ref got an earful from the crowd on the first one. The second blown call had the crowd beside itself and the chants of "REF YOU SUCK!!" rained down for a long time. As the ref left the ice, a paper wad and a "chuck-a-puck" foam puck also rained down on him.

Now to be fair, being a referee or umpire (or whatever your sport calls the official in charge of rule enforcement) is a tough job. And sometimes the fans see (or think they see) injustice when in fact they have a different perspective. The ref is often in a better position to make the call and has training on the rules. For example, a hockey ref has an obligation to whistle a play dead when he loses sight of the puck. The first disallowed goal fell in to that category - a pile of players blocking the refs view of the puck so he had blow the whistle. No goal for my team. I hate that it happens like that, but I'm sure my team has benefited from that type call at the other end as well.

The second disallowed goal tonight I'm going to have to go right now with the "REF YOU SUCK" crowd. I'll have to see if there are any replays and I'll have to read what the local sports writer writes. But for now, once more "REF YOU SUCK!!"

Darn you Mario, and the Wii you rode in on!!

When I got home tonight, one of the neighbor kids was over playing New Super Mario Brothers on the Wii with Lourdes. I played a little before eating, and with the boy's help we made it through the final stage of World 5. I had supper and the neighbor went home. After supper, Lourdes and I played more and we managed to make it to the end of World 6 after I managed to find a shortcut that let us bypass several stages in that world. Then Raquel took over for Lourdes and we managed to get through that final stage and in to World 7. We made it to a stage that if you win, you can save your progress. It took lots and lots of tries, but we finally made it. We basically played about 5 hours of Wii. Is it wrong to do that?