Demo and Stuff

Posted on by kylar

Last night we had a big demo where we showed the alpha of our product to our sales people and SEs. It went well. Today was kind of low key, we didn’t do much, talked about the things that we’ve been doing and what we’re going to do for the next couple weeks until we do our long term planning and start breaking things out. I also think there is going to be some re-arranging of people and groups at work, but no real information or evidence yet.

I was talking and thinking about how much things have changed in the last year. Last year I worked for Juniper, lived in a different house, did different things. This year I have a new house, work in Cupertino at Packeteer, and lots of other things have changed too.

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As time goes by

Posted on by kylar

Well, I’m sitting at home, having a quiet night, watching all the episodes of house that have been tivo’d for a while. I’m also typing this on my ‘old’ laptop – my 1ghz 15″ tibook. About 1/3 of the keys are missing, because my son has a fetish for mac keyboards and peeling the keys off of them, and I hardly use this machine since I got my work laptop. I do need to get a new keyboard for it though, and I really should find someone who can use it better, like my brother or something. So here’s some updates on things that have happened:

Christmas was excellent. Very low-key, the kids had a ball. We got a table for Christian’s trains and set them up and he wouldn’t leave it. As Caitlin picked up presents and we told her to who they belonged to, he ignored us. When there were presents for HIM to open – he ignored us. We had to drag him away for breakfast.

Caitlin got an L-Max. That’s kind of like a gameboy, but it’s made by Leapfrog and has really great edutainment games that go with it. She loves it.

I’ve been really thinking too about trying to blog more consistently,making it almost a resolution, although those things never work out (except the time I resolved to eat a whole case of cadbury’s caramel eggs.. man that was good times.)

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Some Christmas Stuff

Posted on by kylar

I was thinking earlier today about some past christmas things and i thought I’d share a few memories with both of y’all. Every year we would go out and cut a fresh tree (Hippies: Shove it.) And we’d bring it back home, set it all up and decorate it together. It’s been a family thing for as long as I can remember. A couple of years I set up a model train around the base of the tree. I also remember that every year I’d take a couple of ornaments, and get down on the floor, and climb under the tree, and hang some all the way at the bottom. I always liked that, for some reason.

One year when I was in Grade 8 or so I really wanted this little musical keyboard (A Casio SK-1 for those who are interested.) and it had this amazing sampling ability (this is going on 18 or so years ago, remember), where you could hold down a button and talk or sing or something and it would record the sound. Then you could play it back. I wanted it pretty badly, and made sure that my parents knew it.. I showed them, left the Sears catalog open to the page where it was and so on.

Christmas day rolls around and we’re all sitting around, and we would take on epresent, give it out, wait to see them open it, etc… (Except the little ones, who pretty much just tore into everything.) Presents come and go, and I get a bunch of stuff, but no keyboard. Finally everything was done and some time later, I’m sitting with my mom, watching all the kids play and stuff, and I told my mom something to the effect that it was OK that I didn’t get what I asked for, and everything was still great. My mom then went over to this large chest that we had in our living room and pulled out a large parcel. Need I finish?

I have vague memories of when I was 4, getting up ultra early, tearing open some gifts (no clue which ones were mine) and then, informing my mom when she got up “I opened mine already.” I do distinctly remember that not all the gifts were mine, so i only opened a few.

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Disneyland and Puke

Posted on by kylar

So lots has been happening lately. Wednesday we left to drive to Anaheim, planning to spend Thanksgiving at disneyland. We decided to take 101 down even though it’s a longer drive in order to avoid the congestion that would be on 152. The drive was pleasant and overall only a bit longer than the I-5 route with delays.

We stayed in the Super-8 motel, Anaheim. (Rating: 0 out of 5 stars.) it was the most inexpensive place we could find, but had lousy showers, bad beds, and you could see an inch of filth and mold on the fan in the bathroom.

Disneyland was busy on Thursday, PACKED on Friday and reasonable on Saturday. I was surprised at how many of the attractions are all-ages. We took Christian on Pirates, Haunted Mansion, Bugs Life, Roger Rabbit, Buzz Lightyear, Mr Toad – and he loved them all. Caitlin didn’t like them all, but he loved them. I was really impressed at how clean everything was, and even though there was a disillusionment phase (more on that in another post.)

Anyways, last night I’m over at D&J Hobby and we’re getting the kids into the car, and Caitlin says “Daddy, I don’t feel well.” She says that a lot, when she’s tired or upset. So I reach down and rub her tummy and say “Aww, does your tummy hurt?” and she looks and pukes all over, gallons, all over herself, my arms up to the elbows, her chair, clothes, car seat, etc. We hose her off, clean up everything as much as we can, and finally we get back in the van and get going, and when we get home, into the tub she goes, then I introduce her to ‘the bucket’, her new best friend. Then the next 3 times she pukes, the bucket is right there and I don’t have to change her or the bed, or the whatever.

Lost my train of thought though. (Choo Choo.)

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Home

Posted on by kylar

Well I’m home and visiting, my sister gets married on saturday, and there’s been lots of stuff going on. We got here after a couple of not so pleasant flights with cranky, crusty old people complaining in the next seats up, and the kids not taking the flights well. Once we’re here though things started to go smoother. Sunday I went and visited the grave of my godfather, and the memorial tree that was planted for my dad, and that was nice. Waterworks ensued, of course, but it was nice to see it and see what was there. Now it’s Wednesday and we have lots going on the rest of the week. more to come.

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