A Dutch Wonderful Day

On the way back from the Poconos, we made a return visit to Dutch Wonderland in Lancaster, PA. Just like last year, we had a great time. Unlike last year, we needed no stroller and no diapers. Here are some shots (more on Flickr)

Seeing The Hills in the Poconos

On Thursday we went to Pocono Pines to visit with our friends, the Mighty Hills. I call them the Mighty Hills because they are mighty good friends and because each one, including the children can bench press at least 2000 pounds.

Much fun was had by all. Some highlights include swimming and canoeing in Lake Naomi, swimming and sliding in the pool, a secret room, a hidden fort, London Broil that was perfectly cooked and microwave popcorn that wasn't. There were playgrounds and hiking trails, deer and turkeys, and pizza and wings.

Here are some pictures:

Return Of The SoapBox

Just when you thought it was safe to go onto the Internet.

I am once again writing Andy's SoapBox. You can find it here: http://duckbrown.wordpress.com/

The SoapBox dates back about 10 years or so, with new posts being added every time I had a good idea. I've seeded the new SoapBox with the best posts from the old SoapBox ("I'm a Dum-Dum", "World Improvement" to name 2) and selections from my long neglected epinions site (including "Get Out Of My Lap!"). I'm also paving the road to the new SoapBox with good intentions to update it frequently. My two latest posts are "Lucky Charms in a World Out Of Control" and "Andy Roth's Ukulele Museum".

Please check it out and leave comments (comments are a blogger's catnip). If you'd like to subscribe (it's free and worth every penny), click on the button of your choice below:

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Down The Shore

We got back yesterday from a 7-day, 6-night visit to Avalon, NJ. We visited with both my parents, half my brothers, half my sisters-in-law, all my neices, and my only nephew. Also present were many French speaking Canadians and at least one skunk who may or not speak French.

We all stayed at Avalon Campground, with the Maryland Roth's sharing a one room cabin, with a fickle air conditioner. Luckily we were able to spend much of the time in my folks' 30 ft RV trailer with surround sound.

Highlights of the week were the zoo, the pool, the Brady Bunch, and the afore mentioned skunks, who I never actually saw, but everyone else did several times.

Here are a bunch of pictures. More can be found on Flickr.

Chicken On The Can

It was a perfect storm. I had enough red-neckness in me from my years living in NC. I was inspired to cook entire animals on the grill by my recent attendance at my brother's pig pickin'. I'd somehow acquired a can of beer from the soccer game tailgate. I had a chicken.

A beer can chicken was inevitable.

Chef Google led me to this site for a recipe. I adapted the dry rub to use brown sugar, pretzel salt, Italian seasoning, garlic, paprika, and of course some Mort. I also used olive oil instead of vegetable oil.
I had to forgo using a smoker box because I hadn't soaked any woodchips, didn't actually have any woodchips, and don't have a smoker box.

Even with my modifications, the end result was delicious.

Technorati tags: beer BeerCanChicken andyroth

Would Be Hooligans

Shelley and I attened the DC United Major Leauge Soccer game last night at RFK stadium. With this, I have now seen 3 professional sports in person (4 if you count hockey) The game was a blast (DC won 3-2) and even better was the pre-game tailgate. I don't understand why this sport is so less popular in the US than anywhere else in the world.

Technorati tags: dcunited mls andyroth

Went to a little get together with some old friends.

The kids and I went to PA because Alex has been asking to go for a few weeks. Since Dave and the kids were there, and the Lamberts were having a cook-out, we decided this would a good time to go.

Our first stop on Saturday was the pool at French Creek State Park. It is a nice pool with a sloping entry, so the kids can gradually control their depth. I enjoyed it as well, at least until my back went out.

After a quick change at Oma and Opa's, the next stop was the super Wal-Mart for some cupcakes and Tylenol. We then went to the Lamberts, and were only an hour late.

Matt and Dawn represent 50% of my high school friends that I regularly keep in touch with (regularly = at least once a year). We always have a good time and enjoy the good food when we're at their house. Here are some shots of the kids on the hill:

We spent the night in the folk's driveway, which would have been uncomfortable had we not been in their RV. I slept soundly until 4:45 when I heard the Velcro sounds of Alex putting on his shoes. He'd waited as long as he could to go in and wake Oma so they could drink hot chocolate and watch the sunrise. I was able to persuade him to wait another 30 minutes before he went in. Don't feel too bad for my mom, since she was the one that told him he was an early-bird and promised him hot chocolate.

Head Shavin' Day

To celebrate the solstice and welcome summer, Alex and I decided it would be a good idea to shave our heads. Alex was first, so I set trimmer to "1" and went to work. I post no pictures of my effort because Shelley could not bear to watch, yet alone photograph the experience., She was able to fix him up a bit after I was done:

Next it was my turn. They say that someone who represents himself in court has a fool for an attorney. Luckily, the same can't be said for barbers:

Here is a shot of the finished work:

Now the days will grow shorter as our hair grows longer. We'll enjoy the season without the need for a comb or brush, and with no worries about about bed-head or hat-head. By the equinox we may even be looking normal again.



Technorati tags: solstice WhatWasIThinking

Carnival (Adamstown Style)

Last night we made our third annual trip to the Carrol Manor Fire Company's Annual Fire Company Carnival. This is the biggest event of the year in Adamstown, and we look forward to it each year. As the number of houses in the zip code grows, so too grows the carnival. It's not too hard to imagine a time in the not too distant future when this carnival could become medium sized.

The kids had a blast, even though their favorite ride was out of commission until just before we left. They made up for it by riding these other rides many times:

• the carousel
• the dinosaurs
• the bugs
• the race cars
• the rocket ships

Though this carnival in no way compares to NC State Fair that we use to enjoy, they still had some tasty food. I got a pit beef sandwich, which was surprisingly delicious. My annual hankering for PA Dutch funnel cake was not upon me, so I skipped that fried dough delicacy this time.


Technorati tags: adamstownmd Carnival

Ella's First Movie

On Saturday, we took the kids and their friend Caleigh to the cineplex to see the new Disney Pixar film Cars. This was an especially big day for Ella, because it was her first time to go the movie theater.

We were worried that her attention span might be exceeded, but thanks to an exciting and interesting movie along with a steady feed of popcorn, lemonade, and gummy bears, she made it through like a champ. The biggest problem was that she was not quite heavy enough to keep the folding seat from swallowing her from time to time, but she took it all in stride.


Technorati tags: carsmovie pixar

Bearer Of The Rings

10-Jun-2006
We attended the wedding of my brother-in-law Dave to my now sister-in-law Kim. It was a great wedding (quick!) and the reception was a blast.

At the ceremony, Alex was the ring bearer. This was the second time he's had this position, so even though he is 4, he is a grizzled veteran. He did a fine job, and really hit it off with the flower girl. He's a ladies man in the exact way his father isn't. Ella's job at the wedding was to walk me down the isle, fuss and squirm, bonk her head on the pew, then be carried off and entertained elsewhere. She handled this brilliantly.




Technorati tags: andyroth duckbrown wedding

Trophy Boy

3-June-06

Alex completed his U4 soccer season, and was awarded a trophy at the skills fest. Though every kid got one, he thinks that only the kids with skills got trophies, and the other kids got Popsicles. This is actually more accurate than what he first believed - that the trophies themselves were Popsicles.

Traveling to the Roths' First Annual Pig Pickin'

28-May-06
Today we attended a pig pickin' in Mebane, NC. Read about it here: Traveling Roths: Traveling Roths' First Annual Pig Pickin'
Nothing like eating food from an animal that is still wearing its head. That's tasty.

This was part of our visit to NC where we got to visit our old stomping grounds. Each time we go back, we wonder why we ever left. It was great seeing old friends, our old house on Guerro Ct, and of course visiting with Dave, Jennifer, Tristan, and Zoe.

Here are some pictures from the trip:

Four Alex

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On Wednesday, Alex turned four. Today was the big party and around 10 of his best friends came to our house to celebrate. I say around 10 because the constant motion of kids that age make them hard to count (Heisenberg uncertainty principle for the science nerds).

The big gift - a bike

Maddie and Alex - taking a break

Ella, Cassie, and Alex enjoying themselves

Ella tries to pin the smokestack on Thomas

Shelley takes the cake

Technorati tags: andyroth duckbrown birthday

Exploring Strange New Worlds

2-May-2006

The second and final day of the conference. At 10:45 I gave my “Can You Find Bugs in Your Pajamas?” talk. Like yesterday, this was well received by the 15 or so people that showed up. This number is disappointing, but typical for a conference at which there are only 130 people and 5 concurrent sessions. Also, since this was in Las Vegas, there were myriad distractions to compel people to play hooky.

Speaking of playing hooky, I decided to cancel the remainder of the conference, and be distracted. A short monorail ride took me to the Hilton - home of the Star Trek Experience. I went to Quark’s Bar & Restaurant and had a Hamborger with cheese (would that be a Cheeseborger?), and for reasons which I don’t understand, a Warp Core Breach.




This was the geekiest thing I did in Las Vegas. Oddly enough, it was also the most fun. Well, it was fun until about half way through the Warp Core Breach, when the matter/anti-matter ratio in my stomach got out of whack. Luckily it settled down without causing me to boldly go. I could not pass up the photo-op below:


After riding both rides, and spending too much time in the museum, it was back to the hotel because I was ready to call it a night. It was only 5:00 though, so when my friend and co-worker called me, I went to see him, and crashed the IBM conference he was attending at the Rio.

I got back from that after 8:00, so I didn’t have to feel bad about going to bed, especially since my flight out was early the next morning. I’ll be glad to leave Las Vegas, and I don’t expect that I’ll want to return anytime soon. Andy has left the building.

In The Hot Nevada Sun

1-May-06

This was the first day of the conference. Knowing that no short people would wake me up to tell what they just did in the bathroom, I could sleep as late as I wanted. I got up at 5:10 AM. At least, that’s what time I thought it was, but more on that later. Registration and breakfast were not until 7:00, so I had some time to kill. I practiced my talk (actually, figured out what I was going to say), and read the magazines in my room to plan my off-time. When I was about ready to head down to breakfast, I discovered that my hotel room was 17 minutes into the future. I reset the clock to make it right, but realizing I was up before 5:00 AM made me sleepy. Stupid clock.

I won’t say too much about the conference, because I do realize how boring it would be to describe (it was no thrill ride to live through). I will tell you about a bad idea I had. During one of the morning talks, I watched the presenter pace back and forth to his laptop every time he needed to change slides. I realized I’d be very cool if I could do this wirelessly. I figured the 45 minute break before lunch would give me time to shop, and it was my only chance before today’s talk since I spoke right after lunch. I headed out on the strip, with a goal of buying a wireless mouse. I had a goal, but no map, and no plan. Turns out Las Vegas can get pretty hot. I hustled down through the hot Nevada sun in my Dockers, nerd-shirt, and IBM laptop back-pack. I soon decided I didn’t really need a wireless mouse. I think I saw Greg Wiggle. Nah, couldn’t be.

My talk went fine, and by sneaking a peak at the evaluation forms, it seems everyone really enjoyed it, except for one idiot who thought it was just OK. I got a standing ovation, as you can clearly see below:

Note: I will not tell you how I got the standing ovation, unless you ask.

After finishing with the conference for the day, I went back to my room only to find it was being cleaned. So instead, I pushed the R button in the elevator which took me to the roof. Talk about hot Nevada sun. There was a good view though.


My plan for dinner was Hofbrauhaus Las Vegas, but it is about a mile from the strip, and halfway there I decided I did not want to walk back in the dark. While looking for somewhere else, I checked out this place that sells half-place tickets and discovered that the Wiggles are playing here starting tomorrow, so I now I think that really was Greg. Damn.

I had dinner at Nine Fine Irishmen in NY, NY. It was fine and Irish, and I enjoyed a shepherd’s pie, a black and tan, and a “Smiddicks”. When I was walking across the pedestrian bridge over the strip on the way back, thousands of marchers walked below me. Someone said they were marching for immigration rights. This trip gets more unreal all the time, though I did not spot any Wiggles in the group. Maybe Australians don’t care about immigration.

Duck Brown Goes To Vegas

30-April-06

This week I have a chance to speak at a conference for software testers. This will be only the second most geeky thing I will do in Vegas, but more on that later. Before any of that, I had to first get there. My ticket was booked weeks ago, and I was excited to be flying direct. I packed Duck Brown and my bags last night, pre-flight, and confirmed the flight before turning in.

This morning I was up by 5:00, out by 6:00, and to the airport by 7:00. That was when reality diverged from the itinerary. When checking in, I discovered that my direct flight to Vegas was cancelled. I’ll spare you the standing-by, line-waiting details, but see if you can guess where I connected though (hint: this city is not between DC and Vegas).

I finally made it to Vegas by 6:00, over 7 hours late, and was underwhelmed. I checked into the Imperial Palace, traversed the cacophony of the casino, and found my mediocre room. There is a little concrete veranda from which I can see the parking garage, and if I lean just so, I can spot Caesar’s Palace.

This was supposed to be my sight seeing day, so I went out to see some sights. It struck me that this town is designed for mindless wandering, because that is what I did. I wound up at the Venetian, which is a casino made out to be like Venice, but not really. I’ve been to the real Venice, so I did a comparison. The biggest difference is that fake-Venice lacks the aroma of real-Venice. It also lacks the pigeons.

I had shrimp enchiladas and a Canonita Margarita at Taqueira Canonita, which was right along a fake canal under a fake blue sky. I choose this margarita because 1) Last time I spoke at a PSQT conference was in Austin, and Shelley I first went to San Antonio where I had the best margaritas ever and 2) One of my heuristics for deciding what to order in a new restaurant is to get something that includes the name of the restaurant (this works especially well at diners)

Next, I went on a gelato quest. Gelato was my favorite part of real-Venice, and I had a tip that great gelato could also be found at Venetian. It took a good bit of exploration and some back-tracking (which seemed very authentic), but I finally found the place. The gelato was decent, but a bit underwhelming. I hope this wasn’t becoming a theme.

My explorations then took me to Treasure Island, where I caught an outside show called “Sirens of TI”. It would be more accurate to say the show caught me, since the sidewalk on which I was walking became un-walkable because of everyone standing around to see the show. Despite what you might think, it had nothing to do with Texas Instruments. The show consisted of a ship of Sirens wearing very short pants dancing around and taunting another ship with shirtless pirates. All of this was set to the soundtrack of every fraternity party I’ve ever attended. I still have no idea what this was all about. After that, it was time to call it a night.

Walkin' in West Virginia

After a morning of exercise, pancakes, soccer practice, and an ill-fated trip to Wal-Mart, we decided to carpe the diem and travel to historic Harper's Ferry in butt-of-many jokes West Virginia.

To continue the theme of baby things I don't miss, we made the excursion without strollers or baby-totin' backpacks for the first time. The kids kept up (mostly), and didn't break down (too often).

We also splurged on the $25 pass which is good for a year, rather then spending $6 each time we visit. So, expect us to make the 30 minute trip at least 4 more times before next April 30 (3 more times if you use Shelley math*. )

* I'm just teasing. Shelley is good at math. Not only does she have a math degree, but she was a star math-lete in high school.