Hurricane Irene

...And no, I'm not going to make a "come on Irene" joke. I've heard enough of them this weekend.

Just wanted to put up here that yes, my family and I are all fine. I was at my parents' house with Aidan and Emily (and Miles, of course) this weekend, and all was fine. It rained, but the power never went out, and the only damage was a tree falling over in the neighbors' yard across the corner of my parents' fence (which he already fixed, for the most part). We were there until yesterday, but the drive home was safe, and the house in Troy is fine as well.

Thanks to all you concerned people who checked up on me. Some of you it took a long time to get back to, and I apologize for anyone I worried with a slow response; but we're good.

Car Ride Conversations

Today's topics: Video Games, Archaeology, Treasure, Star Wars, Lego, Metallurgy, Chemical Reactions, Oxidation, Ninjas Vs. Pirates, and Farm Animals. Yes, I absolutely love my son.

Well, my passport made it to the office safely, and this confirms it. I guess I can stop being paranoid about it being lost in the mail now.

It's been a while since I updated either of my blogs - several weeks. I was updating it while on vacation, and then one day I pretty much got distracted/busy, then I had connectivity issues, then I was home and insanely busy... Then even busier... And then I just looked back and didn't even know where to start. A lot has happened in the past few weeks.

That's okay. Noone complained about lack of blog entries, so I guess noone's too worried. I'll try to get back into the swing of things either way.

Okay, this is awesome!

You all have to try this!

http://thedailywh.at/2011/08/05/early-bird-special-115/

What a way to go...

http://www.ranker.com/list/the-9-strangest-deaths-of-the-renaissance-era/notable-famous-deaths

How to Survive a Breakup, by Sexy Nerd Girl

Surviving a breakup is a lot like surviving a zombie apocalypse; no matter how scary it is, it's gonna happen - at some point.

1) Get armed. It's important to have the right ammo to ward off the dead. You never want to be caught off guard by what's lurking around the corner.

2) Keep moving. Get outside, hit up the mall, go to the museum, or drive as far outside the city as you can. The more you stay locked up at home, the less likely you're going to make it.

3) Be Brave. If all hope seems lost, just keep telling yourself "You can do this!" Otherwise, you might get eaten alive.

4) Don't Forget to Eat. When we're faced with the most earth-shattering, we tend to forget the most basic survival technique of all: food equals energy, and energy equals making smart decisions.

5) Keep Your Friends Close. Your friends are there to protect you and make sure you don't get hurt, even if that means sacrificing themselves. Just know you're not alone.

(To watch the video, do a YouTube search. I don't have the link handy.)