After surveying a few other blogs and realizing that few, if any, insult their readership as this one generally does, I decided to split my blogging between 2 sites. Family- related material will be posted at :
http://stpmasons.blogspot.com/
this will allow Jenny to take part in posting as well, hopefully.
I will continue to post random thhoughts at random times herre... wiith random spellings. What is happening to my keyboaard??
that is all
7/6/08
6/26/08
So much Clearer
I finally checked out my blog on my laptop and was surprised at how clear it was; apparently it is actually readable from a computer monitor that is not flickering on the brink of darkness. So here's a random favourite picture to celebrate that.
5/28/08
Malfunctions
Among other things, I haven't posted to this blog for awhile due to a strange series of malfunctions in my electronics that have resulted in my dumping my laptop's memory, losing all my bookmarks, getting a new digital camera, and... other stuff.
I hate it when technology doesn't do enough to help us out.
I hate it when technology doesn't do enough to help us out.
4/10/08
Flickr!
Arriving at the realization that not all people are required by law to hold a facebook account (yet), I have also posted pictures on Flickr! and sent just about everyone an e-mail to join Flickr! so I'm not sure why I'm even mentioning this here.
thanks for reading
thanks for reading
4/3/08
Arken Pics
Idris enjoys a small meal after his overnight w/ Mema and Papa
Idris w/ mommy
Arken himself
Arken w/ Mema & Papa
Our whole family of 4
Arken Arrives
It has been just a few days now since we brought Arken home from the hospital. We brought him home amid the flurries which gathered to 7" the other day, which was rather nice.
The essential information is:
His name is Arken Theodore Mason
at birth, he was 9lb, 2 3/4 oz; 22+" long, almost 2 pounds and 2 inches more than Idris
He has very light, longish but sparse hair
Is fairly mild-mannered, but can certainly make noise
Is, overall, rather healthy and quickly re-approaching birth weight
Arken is a Scandinavian name we came across through our exhaustive research process, selected after weighing together and eliminating about two dozen other finalists for the boys' name.
The name's definition, as given to us by the book, is "Son of Eternal Kind" which I assume to be descended from Scandinavian legend. You could also say that it is a Christian name referencing eternal life; or as my brother pointed out, a statement that Jenny and I are immortal.
Neither of us has heard the name used before as a first name, but we were simpatico with knowing it as the last name of the actor Alan Arken.
If you Google it, you will find:
*A modern art museum by the name just outside Copenhagen, Denmark
*Arken Designs, which seems to manufacture technical designs
*A gentleman named Mort Arken, collector of WW2 planes and a pilot
*Another technological co
*A Swedish music group by that name (electronica, it's okay)
*A Norwegian shopping mall
*A Best Western hotel in Sweden
*A black and white Swedish movie from 1965
*from a web dictionary:
So, most of the top hits used Arken as a form of Ark or as a last name, it seems. Its usage is favorably linked with architectural, artistic, and technological accomplishments.
It seemed to Jenny and myself to be a good pairing with the name Idris, suitable for a second son.
Theodore was Jenny's grandfather's name. She was never able to meet him, as he passed away when Jenny's mom was a teenager. He was, to judge him by his offspring and the accounts I've heard, a gregarious, kind, and wonderful person who enjoyed theater among other things (I'm sure I could add a lot more).
Mason is our last name. We passed it on.
Although it would be nice (or will be) to have a daughter, we are extremely pleased to be be blessed with two boys. Idris is especially pleased to have a brother (rather than a sister), but I think he was looking forward to being a big brother either way. Incidentally, boys seem in short supply these days, and we now have more sons than any of our siblings or close friends. There have just been so many girls recently!
Anyway, we've added some pictures to Facebook and have tried e-mailing some out, but that hasn't worked well so far. I'll have to check out Flicker or something soon...
The essential information is:
His name is Arken Theodore Mason
at birth, he was 9lb, 2 3/4 oz; 22+" long, almost 2 pounds and 2 inches more than Idris
He has very light, longish but sparse hair
Is fairly mild-mannered, but can certainly make noise
Is, overall, rather healthy and quickly re-approaching birth weight
Arken is a Scandinavian name we came across through our exhaustive research process, selected after weighing together and eliminating about two dozen other finalists for the boys' name.
The name's definition, as given to us by the book, is "Son of Eternal Kind" which I assume to be descended from Scandinavian legend. You could also say that it is a Christian name referencing eternal life; or as my brother pointed out, a statement that Jenny and I are immortal.
Neither of us has heard the name used before as a first name, but we were simpatico with knowing it as the last name of the actor Alan Arken.
If you Google it, you will find:
*A modern art museum by the name just outside Copenhagen, Denmark
*Arken Designs, which seems to manufacture technical designs
*A gentleman named Mort Arken, collector of WW2 planes and a pilot
*Another technological co
*A Swedish music group by that name (electronica, it's okay)
*A Norwegian shopping mall
*A Best Western hotel in Sweden
*A black and white Swedish movie from 1965
*from a web dictionary:
arken
- Definite singular form of ark. Swedish
So, most of the top hits used Arken as a form of Ark or as a last name, it seems. Its usage is favorably linked with architectural, artistic, and technological accomplishments.
It seemed to Jenny and myself to be a good pairing with the name Idris, suitable for a second son.
Theodore was Jenny's grandfather's name. She was never able to meet him, as he passed away when Jenny's mom was a teenager. He was, to judge him by his offspring and the accounts I've heard, a gregarious, kind, and wonderful person who enjoyed theater among other things (I'm sure I could add a lot more).
Mason is our last name. We passed it on.
Although it would be nice (or will be) to have a daughter, we are extremely pleased to be be blessed with two boys. Idris is especially pleased to have a brother (rather than a sister), but I think he was looking forward to being a big brother either way. Incidentally, boys seem in short supply these days, and we now have more sons than any of our siblings or close friends. There have just been so many girls recently!
Anyway, we've added some pictures to Facebook and have tried e-mailing some out, but that hasn't worked well so far. I'll have to check out Flicker or something soon...
3/1/08
Super Friends
Sooo long since I last posted.
Anyway, I just wanted to mention the wonderfull new trend Idris and I have developed recently. I have not been particularly fond of most of his tv shows (at least of watching them with him), so I have begun renting dvd's of tv shows I watched as a kid. "The all-new super friends hour" has been the first foray into my nostalgia and Idris has loved it. The producers have put out episode samples from 1977-1985; from before my time until I was precisely Idris' current age. I especially look forward to watching the '85 shows which I undoubtedly viewed when they were brand new and beamed into my parents' basement on Saturday mornings for my brother and occasionally my elder sisters' enjoyment.
Super Friends, though a shadow of the accomplishments of recent cartoon adaptions, feature some surprising moments of solid writing. The theme music, long forgotten, was superb.
Now, I look forward as much as Idris to rediscovering the later episodes featuring Darkseid, the Bizarro world, and the anti-justice league villains.
Needless to say, I am thrilled with the phenomenon of releasing tv on dvd and that netflix carries just about everything.
Anyway, I just wanted to mention the wonderfull new trend Idris and I have developed recently. I have not been particularly fond of most of his tv shows (at least of watching them with him), so I have begun renting dvd's of tv shows I watched as a kid. "The all-new super friends hour" has been the first foray into my nostalgia and Idris has loved it. The producers have put out episode samples from 1977-1985; from before my time until I was precisely Idris' current age. I especially look forward to watching the '85 shows which I undoubtedly viewed when they were brand new and beamed into my parents' basement on Saturday mornings for my brother and occasionally my elder sisters' enjoyment.
Super Friends, though a shadow of the accomplishments of recent cartoon adaptions, feature some surprising moments of solid writing. The theme music, long forgotten, was superb.
Now, I look forward as much as Idris to rediscovering the later episodes featuring Darkseid, the Bizarro world, and the anti-justice league villains.
Needless to say, I am thrilled with the phenomenon of releasing tv on dvd and that netflix carries just about everything.
2/1/08
Charlie Wilson's War
I must recommend Charlie Wilson's War as a superb, fun biopic "period piece" from very very early in my lifetime. It's a classic story about the good philandering (sp?) politician and an insightful (and for all I know, accurate) look at the U.S. involvement in Afganistan during the last decade of the cold war. I figured it would involve some lazy, popular indictment of our incidentally arming today's terrorists (it does address this issue), but it took a very refreshing Hollywood approach. Mike Nichols did a much better job crafting this film than "Primary Colors", which was fun but not as insightful or enjoyable.
1/16/08
Shadows of Holidays
Although I experienced an entirely enjoyable holiday season filled with family and friends and celebration, I always feel I lose hold of the season in the end. Especially when, as usual, I forget/am late/otherwise neglect to produce a Christmas letter- or at least a card- to send out to friends and family, and further neglect the less common but more practical post-holiday card, I guess I feel like I've unwrapped each gifted day and am unable to tie up the loose ends. I feel like I've forgotten to say "thank you" to someone and have only to grab the discarded wrapping paper from the floor and throw it out.
I'm not the least bit depressed or saddened the holidays are passed. I really had a great time and I actually enjoy the beginning of a new year quite a bit. I guess I just regret that I'm a bit sloppy about recounting the days and visits properly and achieving the little bit of closure which people probably experience most conveniently by keeping in touch a little more closely with those they are close to and saying "See you next year" to those who merely crash my New Years' party on an annual basis.
Either way, if you're reading this and I saw you this holiday season, be assured that I enjoyed your company immensely, wished it could have lasted hours or days longer, and look forward to keeping in touch with you. You also may ignore the "About you" section which is a permanent component of this blog.
Happy New Year!
I'm not the least bit depressed or saddened the holidays are passed. I really had a great time and I actually enjoy the beginning of a new year quite a bit. I guess I just regret that I'm a bit sloppy about recounting the days and visits properly and achieving the little bit of closure which people probably experience most conveniently by keeping in touch a little more closely with those they are close to and saying "See you next year" to those who merely crash my New Years' party on an annual basis.
Either way, if you're reading this and I saw you this holiday season, be assured that I enjoyed your company immensely, wished it could have lasted hours or days longer, and look forward to keeping in touch with you. You also may ignore the "About you" section which is a permanent component of this blog.
Happy New Year!
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