Pound for Pound Challenge

I just joined the Biggest Loser - Pound for Pound Challenge. I pledged to lose 8 pounds by event end ( I think it's in June ). Anyway, hope this helps me and some family in the community.

Pound for Pound Challenge Home

UPromise

I use a service called UPromise, which I think any parent planning for a college education should use. You can simply sign up and then register a credit card that you use with them. From that point forward, any purchases that you make with any of their affiliated sites will get you a percentage kick back, which goes into your Account and can be transfered to a 529 college account. The nice part is it costs you nothing and you would be making the purchase anyway, so why not get the extra points. Oh, and it doesn't matter if your credit card already earns you miles, points or cash back. You get the college savings anyway!

Are kids natural born physicists?

While walking to the park my daughter, walking ahead, looked down, pointed and said "Mommy, Daddy, look! My shadow!" Lori, then quizzed, "Mason, what's the difference between a shadow and your reflection". Mason, gave a barely a moment's thought, and said "There's no light."
Of course, when you think about it, it's a perfect text book answer. It may be possible that she was taught the definition at day care, and not really some miracle child, but in any case an answer like that coming from a three year old was enough to blow us away.

Kids can't do acronyms (and neither can adults)

Hello and welcome to my first blog. Given that I am a software engineer, currently working at NASA Ames Research Center, you'd think that my posts are going to be about booring old technical stuff like "A trick to make writing SPARQL easier" (SPARQL is a semantic web query language)... well, you'd be right! Unfortunately I'm not all that creative; all that often and I usually have my head wrapped in some technical problem or other even when I'm doing other things I love like dirt biking for example. However, in the hopes of giving my future booring posts a more entertaining inauguration I thought I would relate to you a story about my kids... well, actually its more about the funny things that adults do...

So we're in the car coming back from church or somewhere and my belly begins to give me early signals that it's time to put something in it. Knowing I get freaky when I'm hungry I decide to deal with it right then and there:

me: "Hey mom? (what I call my wife since she is the mother of my two children, makes sense huh? )"
wife: "Yes, dear?"
me: "What should we have to eat when we get home? ( this is sometimes a cleverly disguised way of saying: "What are you fixing for lunch?" )
wife: "I don't know what do you want?"
me: "Mmmmm, not sure what are you in the mood for?"

me: "Mmmmm, well how about sandwhiches?"
wife: "OK, how about PB&J" (note standard acronym usage: you know this one don't you? I now think this standard acronym will next lead my wife into speaking in child safe encrypted language where we either spell our intended subjects or use acronyms...)
me: "Nah, what else?"
wife: "How about TFS?" ( I was right... )
... wait a minute what's TFS? I pride myself on being able to discern the meaning of an acronym quickly just by noodling hard enough on the letters and trying out a few common words for some of them. TFS? Turkey, Sandwhich, what could be 'F'? ...
me: "TFS?"
wife: "Yeah you know: TFS."
( hmmm... being prodded I think some more. As my jaw begins to slack, and a little drool begins to appear at the corner of mouth, I realize I can't think through the sound of these blasted crickets... I give up )
me: "TFS?"
wife: "Yeah, you know: Tee Eff Ess?"
frustrated me: "What do you mean TFS?" ( Is she smiling? )
wife: "Yeah, you know: Teeeee Effffff Esssss?" ( Thank God we're speaking in lingo that the kids can't crack. )
me: "Just tell me damn it!"
wife waving hands and speaking louder: "Yeah, you know: Teeeeeeeee Efffffffffff Essssssssss?" Watching her wave hands in a circle to emphasize each syllable of what is supposed to be an acronym now has me giggling a bit. I realize she is doing something most of us do at one time or another... it's like what you do when trying to give directions to someone who barely speaks English you make sure you tell em slow and loud!
me: "Alright already I give what is it?"
wife: "You know T, T-u F-i S-i. no wait! S-a"
I get passed her original erroneous attempt at spelling and I think for a moment. As I begin to notice the sound of crickets creaping in I finally get it.
me: "Tuna Fish Sandwhich?"
wife: "Tuna Fish Salad."
Resisting the urge to discuss the semantic differerences between the two knowing it will likely be a 20 minute conversation I choose instead to interrogate her as to:
me: "Why didn't you just say so?"
Insert 10 minute dialog bordering on the ludicrous, and you'll realize, as do I, how much fun we have and why I love her.

Thanks Lori.