I drove down to La Jolla cove during lunch today to buy Michelle a gift.  I like that place, not the shopping and type of people there, but the dramatic views of the ocean. It seems to be very high up and the ocean below always looks blue and dramatic.

After getting accosted by a Green Peace solicitor (quite good at her job, but I wasn’t willing to give up $20 bucks a month) and buying Michelle’s gift, I decided to have lunch at a hole-in-the-wall Mexican food place.  When my two beef tacos came (meat was too runny for my taste, but chips and salsa were good) I unwrapped my fork and knife that was rolled up in a paper napkin and sealed with a one inch wide piece of paper.

I’ve seen hundreds of these, but today I paid particular attention to the U.S. Patent printed on the piece of paper.  Now, I word for a biotech company in Carlsbad.  Every week I either listen to a podcast or read an article where someone sequences a new genome, or figures out what a particular protein does, etc., and here I am holding a piece of paper with a bit of sticky stuff on one end used to wrap a paper napkin around a fork and knife.  Hardly what I call innovation.

There are two things in life that I have sworn to accomplish before the sun explodes. The first is to write a book. I have settled on writing a children’s book because I am not talented enough or motivated enough to write a full novel (although I have the title, the book is proving much harder to write).  The second is inventing something and filing a patent.  How cool is that. I don’t believe you can consider yourself an American if you haven’t filed a patent for an invention at least once in your life.

For those interested, the patent number for the paper napkin ring is, U.S. Patent No. 6,644,498. I did a Google search an indeed, the search results give a very detailed description of what the patent involves.

Itunes podcasts not auto updating

2008 was the year of the podcast for me. A little late in the game, but you know how the old saying goes.  Nowadays, I religously listen to about 8 weekly podcasts and another handful on a monthly basis.  I manually update my podcasts and songs so not to clutter it up with my wife’s stuff.  Every Sunday evening, I plug it in, download the latest podcasts and I’m good for the upcoming week.

Why then do I seem to randomly get the ‘!’ icon indicating I have not updated a certain podcast in a while and I then have to go through extra steps to download it. Although it is not a huge deal, I have to sometimes go back through the Itunes store and resubscribe to the podcast.  Seems something is awry. Not sure if it is Itunes or the podcaster updating/changing addresses.

Where have all the comic books gone?

Gabe loves superheroes. First it was the Power Rangers.  While still a favorite, he also loves The Hulk, Spidey, Batman, and Ironman.  Although I’ve been slacking the past couple of months, he and I got into a good rhythm in going to the library on Saturdays and picking out books for the week.  Gabe always gravitated toward the hardcover comic books and I would let him get one as long as we got some other books too.

I wasn’t much interested in comic books when I was a kid. However, I remember comic books being readily available in limitless supply at grocery stores, 7-11’s, Thrify’s, and pretty much everywhere magazines were sold.  These days, I cannot seem to find them anywhere. The only place I do find them are in bookstores. However, they’re not the same. The bookstore versions are hardcover, on glossy print and tend to be very expensive.  Missing are the softcover, $1.99 deals that can be read, colored on, and ultimately destroyed without too much fuss.  If anyone knows where they have them, please let me know.

Also, whatever happened to Mad Magazine and Cracked?  The grocery stores I shop at don’t seem to carry them.  Although too mature for Gabe, I wanted to get copies for my 4th grade nephew. He hates to read, and I thought this might help. I loved them when I was young and would read them from cover-to-cover.

Xmas 2008 cards and photos of friends and family

For those who know me, I am not one that clings to tradition.  However, one Xmas event I do look forward to every year is getting photo cards from friends and family.  As you can see, photo cards get top real estate at the top of the mantle compared to regular cards. I start from the center top and work my way outwards.  If you can spot your card in this picture, it should give you a rough idea of when I got it.  I’ve been saving the cards I get for the past couple of years now. Some day, I’d like to do something with them besides storing them in a box. Just now, I was thinking of a picture quilt.  Okay that thought is a little fancy and curiously now I am craving Soup Plantation and missing Jeopardy.  Maybe a photo album would do just fine.  Thanks to all my friends and family for the pictures and cards. Michelle just sent ours out yesterday so hopefully you get them before the New Year.

Free stickers from the Gmail Team

Free stickers from Gmail

When I was a kid in another time, I remember sending away for stuff  through the mail.  Save five box tops from Cap’n Crunch along with $5 and get a cold war era fighter jet.  Tonight, Michelle brought in the mail and handed me what I thought were more Xmas cards to tape to the mantle.  Instead, it was an envelope addressed to me in my own handwriting.  Was I applying for a library card?  Evidently this is the same process I took to secure my first library card when I was 8.  No, about a month ago I read the Gmail Team at Google were giving away free stickers. All that was needed was to send a self addressed stamped envelope. It had been so long since I did that and I am a little embarrassed to admit that I had to search ‘SASE’ in Wikipedia just to make sure I did it right.  Thank you Gmail Team at Google for the free stickers.  Now only if the blue chip stamp collecting would come back in style. I am in need of an alarm clock with a radio for Gabe’s room.

Xmas 2008

I’ve been pretty consistent in getting the lights up the day after Thanksgiving.  Haven’t changed much from last year. Actually put a bit less out. Replaced my outside garage lights with red bulbs so as not to drown out the blue icicle LEDs over the garage door.  I am search for more of the green and red ribbon (see palm trees) so that I can decorate the remaining trees in my yard. Next year, I’d like to paint a plywood Santa sleigh an maybe a reindeer or two to put on the ledge and overhang above the garage.

Gabe’s new bike

I remember my first bike. I was seven. It was an orange and black Team Murray. Ever since Gabe was born, I’ve wanted to buy him a bike. I was a little disappointed earlier this year when he showed no interest in them.  However, about a month ago, he told mommy he wanted a bike.  I went down to a bike store on my lunch break in Encinitas today. I picked up a white, 21 inch Haro complete with training wheels.