Halloween

To further extoll the virtues of living in a neighborhood where you know your neighbors, let me offer the case of Halloween. The kids spent about an hour going around our block, they got invited in to a couple of houses, they hooked up with a bunch of other kids they know, and they made out like bandits with about two pounds of candy each. In fact, they got so much candy that they volunteered to share their candy with me. Usually I have to wait until they’re in bed and sneak the Reese’s peanut butter cups.

It’s still October…

…and yet, the forecast for today looks like this:

The first flakes just started to fly.

FALL

FALL, originally uploaded by brockkirwan.

I bought a leaf rake the other day and tricked the kids into doing some yard work by telling them to make the biggest leaf pile they could. They both jumped at the chance. This is the result of all their hard work.

Marbles: the Brain Store

Marbles the brain store, originally uploaded by brockkirwan.

At a neuroscience conference in Chicago, I passed this store. I was late for dinner so I didn’t have time to go in, but it’s nice to know that I can pick up some more marbles when I lose mine.

Scooter!

Scooter!, originally uploaded by brockkirwan.

This is K opening his favorite present on his birthday. He was (and continues to be) pretty excited about getting a scooter.

Here comes science

K got the new They Might Be Giants album, “Here Comes Science”, for his birthday.  (Yes, I bought it for him. Yes, I’ve already added to my iTunes.  What of it?)  It’s a cool double album–a CD with the music and a DVD with the videos a la “The Friday Night Podcast“.  The kids really like the videos and the music as well.  I think that the science is even sinking in.  This evening, L was wandering around the house singing “Cells make copies of themselves.”  That’s my girl!

How to get rid of unsightly cords

unsightly cords, originally uploaded by brockkirwan.

This is my bedside table. I don’t think that I have more gadgets there than is reasonable, but I get frustrated with all the cords running around. I decided that I could probably hide most of them with a bit of effort.

The table is from Ikea and was a bit too short for our bed, so I added a couple of blocks cut from a 1×4 where the base connected with the table top.  This afforded a place for me to affix the extension cord.  First, though, I stapled a couple of plastic ties to the bottom of the table using a staple gun.  I discovered after I took this picture that you need a couple of staples if you don’t want things to fall out.

Next, I ran an extension cord up the main table leg and affixed it to the top with a couple of stapled plastic ties.  I then bound the cords from the gadgets to the plastic ties, being sure to allow enough slack that they can be placed anywhere on the table top.

And voilà.  One cord instead of 3.  It’s tied to the main leg of the table and plugs directly into the wall.

I scream

I scream, originally uploaded by brockkirwan.

Reese’s peanut butter cups ice cream: not a light food.

Exasperated

L and I were sitting in traffic the other day next to a big yellow school bus.

Me: “L, have you ever ridden a school bus?”

L: “Daddy, I rode one with you!  Goodness sakes!”

I had forgotten that she rode the shuttle to campus with me a couple of times.  Silly me.

I <3 Chuck Norris Jokes

Chuck Norris can win a game of Connect Four in only three moves.

When Chuck Norris does a pushup, he isn’t lifting himself up, he’s pushing the Earth down.

chucknorrisfacts.com