The Time Sink

When was the last time you needed to use a RF modulator to connect to a TV? The last time you played Pong? ...or hooked your Altair or C-64 or VIC 20 to a TV? Well, I found the video-in on the old garage TV (a Sony circa 1986 or so) was bad when I went to hook a low cost DVD player into it (one reason it is the old garage TV: over-the-air football games is about all it can handle). So, no go, -eh?

Nope, Radio Shack still sells them; these days they are sleek and rely on F connectors over twin-lead, but they still do the job. ...and last year's "kit", which includes cables, was on sale/clearance for less than the basic converter. Okay, I can do that...

Now I'm not saying the kid has confidence or anything like that...

Last evening ended up with everyone diving toward bed and me staring at the crossword puzzle for a clue to life. It was one of those back-to-back events this household schedules itself into about once a month where it's all about survival until the next day (or the weekend).

I think the most telling point came this afternoon as I waved at Shelley in the west-bound lane from my east-bound lane near mid-town as she was on the way to pick up Brad from volleyball and I was on my way to pick up Daniel at his return from an all day concert choir competition... She was coming from her work site and I was coming from mine.

Yeah, sure, I'm a proud parent and all that, but I have to say getting shots of Brad playing volleyball games in that gym is a real bear! This time I took the monopod and gave that a try. ...better, but I'm still shooting at ISO 800 to have even a chance at a decent shutter speed on constantly moving players. Still, Lightroom and Elements let me work that one over to where it was at least 'acceptable'...

Ah, the long lost memories of youth. ...or not, as the case may be: tonight's the local "Sadie Hawkins" dance at one of the high schools.

Short version: the volley ball tournament began at 0800 this morning. We got home before 1700. They didn't do bad at all!

...and after spending the day at the volley ball tournament, and having done lawns when I got home (and getting some blading in), today was "Homework Day", as in: five hours of putting together sugar cubes to create shapes for Geometry.

Oh, yeah, probably the pre"curser" to Rubik's Cube, and about as much fun if you'd rather be doing something else. The object was to take seven shapes and make four others (including a cube) from them. Note to parents: silicon seal/caulk works much better than, a) glue, b) glue sticks, c) Galactic Glue Gel, d) mosaic adhesive.

Click image for larger version

"Any sufficiently advanced technology is
indistinguishable from magic."
Arthur C. Clarke, "Technology and the Future"

    Thanks for visiting!  
All content Copyright 1999->2006 Daniel C. Bowman. Most rights reserved.