Crash and Burn Fragments

Our hard drive crashed back in January just one month after buying an external hard drive and backing up what we had.

Whew.

Felt like a boss.

So, our PC was down for the count while I figured out what to do (called wife's friend husband who graciously helped us out and gave us a new drive (and case). People are cool sometimes.

Writing the book up and up to over 8,000 words, I am shooting for 70,000 - 90,000. Slow and steady but I feel good about what's there. Aiming to finish next December.

Life is good, starting work on another study abroad this time to Ecuador in 2016. We have a former colleague that lives there and is helping us out. Should be coolio.

Planning an interfaith panel on campus in March, got all my speakers lined up, just a few kinks to work out.

Also bring Paul Chappell to campus in October. Keeping busy at work.

I feel like I have so much to write about Confucius, Spurs Memories, Peru Trip stuff, but little time (work, life, the book, etc)! If only I didn't need sleep!

Update on the CHILLIN:

H is obsessed with "Engine" Turtles. Oops, I mean "Ninja Turtles". It's funny because it's basically the only word he mispronounces and he's almost 3!  He's 100% boy and yet during the Super Bowl at a friend's house he put on an Elsa dress and wore that for an hour. The other day after pretending to be lions and tigers that fought, he pretended to be Jasmine and I was Ariel (Disney princesses).

C is turning 9 in a few weeks. When asked what she wanted for her birthday a few weeks back she said (wait for it)....a jump rope!  I am going to miss this innocence!! She's such a mature girl and yet she's also an actual 9 year-old. I am happy to say she still loves playing with dolls and don't tell anyone, but she'll sneak watch the kids shows when E and H are watching them (Sesame Street, Chuggington (sp??), etc.).

E (age 6) is basically in love with her Kindergarten teacher. It's adorable and sweet. She hugs her at every chance she gets. She has her meltdowns but it's almost always when hungry and/or tired. Whoo! That girl has passion!  She gave me a sheet with hearts and peace signs that said I was the best dad ever. Look, I'm pretty good but not that good.

K and I had a silly Vday date. On the way there we talked about how we could basically remember two Valentine's Days dates, well, this one we won't soon forget. After being told it would be an hour wait, it turned into two hours, sat next to a booming loud annoying guy, they dropped my pizza, so they had to cook a new one, K's salad had a rotten tomato and her food was cold. It was peeved to say the least but it worked out, we had each other!

Finally on the last season of DS9 - I decided to give myself a break. Because I deserve it, gosh darn it. I felt like why watch every episode if some episodes happen to be terrible? I skip almost all Quark centered episodes and some of the other Worf centered ones as well, because, ya know Klingons (blah).

Quick nod to Jammer's website, it has helped guide me past all the horrible episodes and I usually agree with him with some notable exceptions.  All said, DS9 iss probably the most compelling Star Trek series made to date. It is also the most consistent quality wise as well (at least 2-4 stinkers per season but that's nothing compared to Voyager and TNG.  I hope the next series (whenever that might be) will be more serialized like DS9.

That's your update, my people.

In the meantime, stay warm, keep your socks clean and don't forget to turn out all the lights when you leave a room.