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A Look Back At 2011

January 2, 2012 TechyDad Life, TechyDad.com

Now that the new year is here, it’s time to look forward to the year ahead. Of course, I never really got a chance to look back over the previous year. So I’m figured I’d do that now.

2011 began with me resolving to finish what I started. (Sadly, I wasn’t completely successful with this.) I also began my yearly pledge to lose 20 pounds in 20 weeks. Spoiler alert: I hit my goal and passed it. Follow-up: I spent the rest of the year packing those 20 pounds back on. And they brought some friends with them. Going to need another one of these series this year also.

January also saw too much snow and ice, an EdenFantasys giveaway which had a record (for me) 116 entries (pssst…. Another one might be coming up soon), NHL expressing fear of dying, and me beginning my search for ideas for a trip for our upcoming 10th anniversary.

In February, we went to see the Albany Devils and NHL caught a hockey puck. I also mentioned how I felt like I was repeating myself too often. JSL engaged in some scientific inquiry and my boys and I got drawn into a guest post over at NoodleKnobs.

By March, I was ready for winter to be over. Not only that, but I came down with a case of bloggy writer’s block. Luckily, a trip to Disney World for the Disney Social Media Moms conference was just the thing to cure both ills. We went hunting for character autographs, saw some Disney Class in the form of Belle, found a lot of hidden Mickeys, got up close and personal with some butterflies, and saw some sand art get made.

April found me wondering how people handle stress. We also took a semi-gross journey through the body and I mentioned how parenthood has shifted my concept of "gross". As spring arrived, so did the birds and the bees (the latter of which were quite "busy"). I got to review the Green Lantern Colossal Cannon (great outdoors, a bit too much for an inside toy) and we celebrated Passover. I also looked back on our Disney trip during April, including The Great Epcot Twitter Experiment, meeting Jen and John from CakeWrecks, getting jabbed in the arm by B for taking a certain photo on Small World, and riding Kilimanjaro Safari.

In May, spring flourished and we headed outdoors to review Aerobie Sprint Flying Rings and to have a Green Lantern Party. On Mother’s Day, we went to see the circus. When B went on a Mom Field Trip to see Rene Syler, I took the boys to Free Comic Day. Sadly, May was also when B & I went public with a bullying incident that happened to NHL. We wound up having to switch schools thanks to this. On a bright note, JSL received a camera for his 4th birthday party, something he had been asking for for at least a month. I also tried out a new grill only to fail before succeeding. Finally, TwitPic changed their terms of service which some people thought might give them the right to sell people’s photos. This led some folks to switch services, but I decided to go another route. I set up my blog to receive photos from my phone, allowing me to "TwitPic" right to my blog.

As June rolled around, I reviewed the George Foreman Next Grilleration™ Removable Plate Grill. We’re still using it to this day. The boys and I also went on a photo shoot where we walked 100 steps from our front door and took 10 photos each. We also made some smoothies and I donated blood. Our tenth anniversary rolled around so we had a date night. Finally, our plants were sprouting nicely, including plenty of peppermint. (I have lots in the freezer to use during the winter.)

As July rolled around, we went cherry picking (we walked away with 45.2 pounds) and visited Niagara Falls. I didn’t shy away from controversy when I pitted Nutella against Dark Chocolate peanut butter. I talked about the Netflix Apocalypse and gave Netflix some tips to improve their service. We also ended our long search for a tenth anniversary trip by making plans to go to DIsney World without the kids. Right after we made those plans, though, our bedroom television decided to break requiring us to buy a new one. Finally, I ruminated on the newly launched Google+, I mentioned why it’s requirement to use real names (as opposed to pseudonyms like "TechyDad") might keep me away as well as how Google could fix the issue. Later on, though, Google released Google+ Pages and I was able to make a TechyDad Google+ page.

August began with my birthday. (Peanut Avacado Sushi is delicious!) The month also saw my boys (and my) Phineas and Ferb obsession hit overdrive with the Phineas and Ferb movie, (I think we annoyed B a bit with the excited yelling during the Robot Riot sequence.) NHL delved into Harry Potter and the Smurfs. They also designed their own superheroes using Hero Machine. Stress relating to our upcoming vacation and piling expenses took their toll. NHL celebrated his eighth birthday and I moved our sites to a new server and host. As August came to a close, we experienced an earthquake (well, some of us did – my office appears to be earthquake-proof) and a hurricane. The latter forced us to cancel our 10th anniversary trip to Disney World.

In September, we recovered from some self-inflicted Hurricane Irene wounds. I also gave a travelogue of the trip that Irene cancelled. On the lighter side, we discussed why mommy was ‘broken’, I celebrated 3 years of blogging, avoided itch cream after some ninja mosquitos attacked, and talked like a pirate Disney-style. Netflix reloaded after shooting themselves in the foot and shot themselves in the other foot. We ate some apples and honey to celebrate Rosh Hashana. In a display of spontaneity, B made last minutes plans to attend SheStreams, leaving the boys and I to have some adventures on our own.

October began with me taking animation lessons from JC Little (aka TheAnimatedWoman) and then giving those lessons to NHL. Around Yom Kippur, a foolish PR vice-president challenged TheBloggess who demonstrated her relevancy. After picking 39 pounds of apples, NHL and I went on a photo walk. Netflix backed out of their splitting plan, but not before we ditched the DVD plans. I introduced the other woman in our bed, had some trouble with proprietary plugs and irritating interfaces, and made Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream. I also launched my super secret Twitter application Rout, Finally, in time for Halloween, we were all turned into Zombies. (Don’t worry, the zombification only lasted one day. A case of the 24 hour zombie flu, if you will.)

The highlight of November was my release of my real Twitter Application: FollowerHQ. I also had some more time with my boys when B went to a bridal shower. This one didn’t go as smoothly, though. I thought about how one should always speak up when confronted by bullying and had my parents visit. (No, those two items are not related.) Finally, I dealt with a deluge of spam.

As December arrived, and the year wound to a close, I re-introduced Rout. This time, upgraded as PlusRout. We also saw The Muppets and went to the New York State Museum. I reviewed a magic set that NHL got as an early Chanukah present and NHL painted an Angry Bird. I also decided to take some inspiration from the story of the Maccabees to stand up to someone who was (and continues to) harass bloggers and companies. On the cooking front, I made a very tasty Spaghetti Squash sauté. Finally, we did some bunk bed shopping.

This has been a very busy year and I can’t wait to see what 2012 has to bring.

How did last year go for you?

Just Call Me Type AB TechyDad

September 22, 2011 TechyDad Life, NHL

During the recent open house at NHL’s school, we spoke with his teacher. During the conversation, she urged B to relax about some things, saying it is under control. B admitted to being quite a Type A personality. That got me wondering: What type personality am I?

In most respects, I’m a Type B. I’m laid back and am willing to let things happen. I’ll take action when I need to, but I try to stay calm about it. Perhaps this is my mother’s influence (she always told me not to “rock the boat”) or perhaps this is the result of being bullied growing up (staying unemotional was a way of protecting myself). In any event, I’m willing to just accept what happens and make the best of it.

This aspect of my personality makes completing projects difficult. I find myself relaxing about deadlines and putting off important work to relax with video games. I often-times need a Type A personality pushing me to move past the deadline.

On the other hand, I can be very Type A at times. I don’t like going out without some sort of plan as to what we’re doing. Just “seeing what happens” isn’t my kind of outing. I might not plan out every second of the excursion, but I’ll want to know the basics. Furthermore, once I have a schedule of events in mind, I’m very resistant to changing it. When Irene threatened to ruin our Disney World trip, I clung to the schedule up until the last moment.

With projects, my Type A personality kicks in during the middle of a project that I love. I begin to chart out every aspect of the project, assign an estimate for completion and plan my work over the course of the next week or so. I’ll spend hours coding one little feature because it needs to be perfect.

I can see the buds of this duality in NHL. He’ll be very laid back about some topics, not particularly caring when (or if) something gets done. Suddenly, though, Type A NHL will kick in and he’ll obsess over whether something is perfect or exactly when something will be done.

Of course, at this stage of his development, it’s quite clear where the A-B line is. If you ask him to do something, it gets put into the B bucket. Clean the toys on the floor? Sure, that’ll happen. Eventually. (Maybe.) Meanwhile, if it is something that he wants, into the A bucket it goes. What TV show is on right now? Sorry, mom and dad, but right now Looney Tunes Show is on and it’s a new show and I’ve got to see it right now and I know it’s being recorded on the DVR but it’s ON RIGHT NOW DON’T CHANGE THAT CHANNEL!!!!!! (insert Stabby Face ala The Animated Woman.)

I guess, as NHL grows, I’ll be getting a taste of my own Type AB medicine.

Travelogue of the Trip That Irene Cancelled, Part 1

September 8, 2011 TechyDad Disney, Hurricane Irene, Travel, Vacation

I wrote briefly about our cancelled trip before. Normally, writing is very cathartic for me. Yet, I wasn’t feeling any better. After putting some thought into it, I realized two things.

One, I knew, intellectually, that there were roads closed and flooding and loss of life due to Irene. Still, when I looked at our house, I saw a lack of damage and thought “It wasn’t that bad, maybe we *could* have made it work.” That doubt in our decision to cancel ate away at me.

Two, I had geared myself up psychologically for this time off. I was looking forward to waking up beside B without any little guys barging in. I was looking forward to walking hand-in-hand with her without having to keep an eye on where the boys were. I was looking forward to eating beside her without worrying about getting home before bed-time. I was looking forward to going to sleep beside her without having the boys sleeping in the next bed over. No worries. No responsibilities. Just B and I enjoying each other’s company for five glorious days.

Instead, the entire trip evaporated into nothingness thanks to Irene’s meddling. I needed some time to grieve for the trip-that-never-was. I had even intended to write this last week, but it was too painful. Now that a bit more time has passed, here’s a quick overview of what could have been had Irene not intervened. (NOTE: We might not have done things exactly as described here. I’m mostly imagining how things might have gone with our dining reservations as anchors. With luck, we’ll reschedule soon and I’ll be able to make real blog posts with our real travels.)

Sunday, August 28th

With Irene not a concern, we packed the car up early and headed down to see my parents. The boys hugged Bubbe and Grandpa and we had some fun shopping, eating out, and talking.

Monday, August 29th

We began the morning with breakfast at my parents’ house and then had a leisurely day together. We ate lunch at a Greek restaurant near my parents that we love. (Their spinach pie is to die for and I’m perpetually trying to replicate their chickpea recipe.) As we tucked the boys into bed, we said goodbye to them knowing that this would be the last time we’d see them until we returned.

Tuesday, August 30th

We woke up very early and my father drove us to the airport. After checking in and getting past security, we had some breakfast in the food court (or perhaps something we took with us from my parents’ house). Then, we got on our flight and we were off to Orlando.

After landing, we boarded the Magical Express for the Pop Century hotel. We quickly checked in and left our carry-on bags at the hotel. Then, we headed over to Hollywood Studios for our lunch reservation at the Hollywood Brown Derby. I ordered the Coriander-dusted Grouper with Cauliflower Risotto, fresh English Peas, crunchy Sunchokes, and a Yellow Tomato Coulis. It was fabulous.

We spent the rest of the day in Hollywood Studios and I made good on my promise to ride the Rockin’ Rollercoaster with B. (Given my fear of falling, I typically avoid fast, winding, flipping rollercoasters.) We had some snacks to hold us and then saw Fantasmic. We returned to Pop Century tired and hungry, but very happy. A quick stop at the Pop Century food court for dinner (and Tie-Dyed Cheesecake) and then we headed to our room for the night.

Wednesday, August 31st

We woke up Wednesday morning for our first full day at Disney. After grabbing a quick breakfast, we headed back to Hollywood Studios. Getting there when it opened, we quickly headed for Toy Story Mania. After quickly procuring some fast passes, we rode the ride together. Then, once the Fast Pass time arrived, we rode it again.

As noon approached, we went to our lunch reservation at Mama Melrose’s. We went here during our honeymoon 10 years ago so this was going to be an extra-special lunch. I opted to get the Wood-grilled Tuna over a seasonal Vegetable Risotto, warm Vine-ripened Diced Red and Yellow Tomatoes, and Olive-Caper Butte. Yum!

We stayed in Hollywood Studios for a bit longer and made sure to stop by Starring Rolls Cafe for a cupcake. When we went there in March, they had, sadly, just closed for the day so I was never able to get my cupcake fix. This time, however, I got to try not just one cupcake but two. (B ordered one and I ordered a second and we split them.) Delicious! Yes, I took photos of it all.

After awhile, we left Hollywood Studios and bus hopped to Animal Kingdom (Hollywood Studios to Animal Kingdom lodge to Animal Kingdom). To be honest, this is the Disney park in which we had the least number of places we wanted to visit. We went on the safari and a few more items. With our half-day at the park ending, we caught a bus back to the Animal Kingdom lodge.

Normally, this would mean dining at Boma. We *love* Boma. But we decided to shake things up so we (*gasp*) were NOT eating there! We were eating at Jiko. It was tough deciding between the great options, but I finally decided upon the Aleecha, Shimbra Asa, Inguday Tibs with Goat Cheese, Cream Ethiopian Vegetable “Stack”, Chickpea Cake, and Spiced Mushroom-Spinach Roll.

Stuffed, we bus hopped back to our hotel for some much needed quiet time and sleep.

Coming next week, part 2 of the Travelogue of the Trip That Irene Cancelled!

Aloha Friday: Away From Kid-Time

September 2, 2011 TechyDad Aloha Friday, Anniversary, B, Disney, Marriage, Parenting, Vacation

As you read this, B and I will be enjoying time in Disney World to celebrate our 10th anniversary. (This post has been scheduled, however. Therefore, as I write this, our trip hasn’t begun yet.) Meanwhile, my boys will be (hopefully) enjoying time with my parents. Yes, we will be spending 5 days without our kids. This will be the longest that we’ll both be away from them. (The second longest was BlogHer last year.) Part of us will surely be missing them being sweet, cute, and/or excited, but this time will be spent relaxing and enjoying each other’s company.

The above words were written as we planned for a wonderful 10th anniversary trip in Disney without the kids. Instead, Hurricane Irene hit. Our original plan was to drive to my parents’ house on Sunday, stay until Tuesday and then fly out leaving my parents in charge of the kids.

Let me repeat part of that. The original plan was to drive to my parents’ house on Sunday. My parents’ house on Long Island. My parents’ house on Long Island that Irene was bearing down on. Yeah, that wasn’t going to happen.

Then, we decided to wait for Monday to see whether we should cancel or go. However, attempting to plan for two very different scenarios (stuck at home for a week or away from home for a week) was too stressful. Plus, if we lost power, we might not be *able* to cancel in time. We finally decided to cancel and focus on staying safe until Irene passed.

Thankfully, both Disney and Southwest Airlines were great about refunding our money (Disney) and giving us credit for another plane trip (Southwest). Hopefully, we’ll get a chance to take a sans kid romantic vacation sometime soon.

My Aloha Friday question was going to be: What is the longest that you’ve been away from your kids?

Considering that our vacation was cancelled, though, I’ll ask: Have you ever had to change your vacation plans due to weather?

Actually, why not answer both?

Don’t forget to enter my Hot Wheels Nitro Speeders giveaway!

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #103

Aloha Friday: Mish Mash of Feelings

July 22, 2011 TechyDad Aloha Friday, Anniversary, Disney, Marriage, Parenting, Travel, Vacation

Thanks to a bunch of last minute planning, we’ll soon be heading to Disney World. This time, without the kids. This will be our first time to Disney World sans kids since our honeymoon. (Of course, we didn’t have children then, so it was easy to go by ourselves.) In the short time that we’ve come up with the idea for this trip and planned it, I’ve had a weird mixture of emotions.

I feel happy at getting to spend a week with my wife without little guys interrupting. Don’t get me wrong. I love my boys. It’s just that sometimes I want to spend time with my wife. We get very few date nights and even fewer complete nights without kids. Our only “vacation” without the kids was when we went to BlogHer last year. That trip, while fun, was hardly a romantic getaway. We’ve been married for 10 years and we deserve this time to ourselves.

While I’m feeling happy, though, I’m also feeling guilty. After all, the kids love Disney. Since we told them what we’re doing, they’ve alternated between begging to go and accepting it sadly. If we announced tomorrow that it was all a cruel joke and they were coming with us, they’d be the happiest kids in the world.

Along with the guilt is fear. Not just my fear of flying, but fear of the unknown. We’ll be leaving the kids with my parents during the week. My parents have never watched the kids for any length of time. I’m sure they’ll do a good job, but my mind keeps conjuring up scenarios. What if NHL has a panic attack? What if JSL won’t eat anything? What if the boys don’t behave? Every less-than-perfect scenario is playing through my mind and it scares me.

Still, I know that we need this trip. We need time away from the kids. If we don’t get time off to work on us from time to time, the constant stress could negatively impact our marriage. And a negatively impacted marriage is *NOT* going to raise our kids well.

My Aloha Friday question for today is: Have you gone on trips without your kids? If so, have you ever felt this mixture of emotions?

Thanks to Kailani at An Island Life for starting this fun for Friday. Please be sure to head over to her blog to say hello and sign the linky there if you are participating.

Aloha #97

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