3D Photos without the Nerdy Glasses

If you're not familiar with stereo photography, it's basically shooting two images (ideally at the exact same time) of the same subject approximately the same distance apart as your eyes, thus giving a right eye and left eye perspective, then using any number of methods to combine them and make them 3D. I came across a website that has software to mix the photos for you and it does a good job of it. The images I shot were less than exciting but the 3D effect is definitely there. Check it out here: Wiggled
Also, here's the site where you can learn more about it: http://wiggle.sourceforge.net/

Uninterestingness

I have little or nothing of interest to say, but I feel the urge to post. I leave it to your discretion to continue reading or not.

I found out yesterday that kindergarten registration begins next Tuesday. Apparently there will be a line around the school of crazy parents who want to ensure their kid has the right time, track, teacher, etc. The neighborhood is all abuzz about it, like it's a life or death situation. I'm annoyed that I have to drag my poor little children to stand in a horrendously long line with other crazy parents and all of their poor little children. It sounds nightmarish. Can't we do this online? Isn't it 2008? And what happens if I don't go on Tuesday? Will my kid get the crappiest teacher, time and track, and will his life be ruined?

I cleaned out my pantry. Oh, 'tis a thing of beauty. The floor is visible. Things are in their proper place. Plastic spoons no longer fall from the top shelf and land on my head. After the task was complete, I kept going back to it, opening the door and staring in awe.

I've had a full-blown migraine for the last 3 days. I mention it not because it's noteworthy, but because when I have a migraine, I eat so much bad, bad food. I drink Coke, I eat biscuits, and it's almost as if I can't help myself. Full sugar, full caffeine; no Diet Coke allowed. Anders calls it my "medicine", but he knows what it really is, and he knows that Mommy is evil.

One of the women I visit teach happens to be a wonderful friend to me. I always feel bad when I visit her, because I feel like I'm the one who benefits. She always assures me that she loves it when I come over. We chatted last night for 2 hours. TWO! I love her. And I just have to ask this of everyone: Are the VT lessons lately super random, or is it just me? I know I'm a heathen, but I've had a hard time making heads or tails of the lessons this year. Please help.

I think that's all I have to say. I'm off to drink some of my medicine. Hoo-hee-ha-ha!

Holy Snow, Batman!

I'm definitely a summer kind of guy but if we're going to have to suffer through a cold and dreary winter, I'd like to have a real winter. Tons of snow, piles of it everywhere. For the first time in years, we're having a real winter. When I was five we had to dig tunnels to get to school because the snow was over our heads (Syracuse, New York). That was winter to me. Today we went out and played in the snow and parts of it were over Anders' and Addie's heads. It was fun. Here are a few pics from this afternoon.

The i-Fi Site

Today I finished up another site for the company I work for. This one was fun because I pretty much got to choose the colors, pictures, etc. without being told how it was going to be. So if you think it's ugly, I can't blame anyone else. I took all of the photos, wrote all of the text, made everything you see. It's not all the way done yet but it's functioning and most of the pages are built. This is also the first site that I have built where all of the pages are valid XHTML and all of the code is validated. I should do that more often but I had a few things to learn first. Anyway, I'm happy with how it's turning out so far and the product itself is pretty cool, too. Unfortunately it's just one of three websites I built and maintain because our owners aren't exactly focused. I'll finish up the site in the next week or two but in the mean time I've got brochures to create, SEO to work on and a myriad of other projects to take care of at work. Thanks for looking!

The Death of Me

Ahh, 'tis the end of a long week. I'll sum it up in a few words: Sleeplessness, ear infections, throw up. With those lovely visuals now in place, allow me to summarize my coping methods: IKEA and Target. Ehh, I KNOW! We went to IKEA for nightstands. Those Swedes; do they know me or what? We left with oh-so-much more. The next day I went to Target for socks. What I didn't know was that I actually needed a new bedspread and shams. I didn't even remember to buy the socks.

But LOOK! Just look!

It all started with a nightstand or two.

The lamps? Why, IKEA of course!

Becky, these next two are for you. How could I resist the striped drawer? I COULDN'T!

In my silent debate about the bedding, it was the ties on the shams that won the argument.

After nearly 8 years of marriage, we have ourselves a dresser. We can't stop staring at it.

If anyone wants to have us over for dinner, we'd love to. We can't afford to eat for the next couple of weeks. Oh, and the kids are better now, so we won't infect anyone with anything but joy and happiness.

Sympathy Needed

Sorry everyone, it's another whine session. We're trapped in this house. Poor little Aani has a terrible cough, ear infection and snotty nose so we can't go to the gym. We got kicked out a couple weeks ago because Anders broke out the pinkeye while we were there. They sat him in a corner by himself. Quarantined. I don't think I should try to pull any funny business for awhile. Thus, here we sit.

Desperate, I put in a Denise Austin workout DVD yesterday. It was on sale at Wal-Mart while I was preggo with Addie. I'd never touched it until yesterday. If I hear "Your spine is your lifeline. Keep it healthy...keep it STRONG!" one more time, I'm gonna lose it. She's so gosh-darn perky it makes me want to barf. And I'm sorry, but the workouts she purports to be the best ever? There's no way she could have that bod doing those amateur workouts. I smell scandal. I wonder who her surgeon is.

Oh, and it's snowing. AGAIN. We're moving to Texas. Josh & Farrah, Emmy & Matt, I hope you have extra room. And lots of extra money to support us.

I gained 4 pounds from Halloween through my birthday, so I've been trying to lose it by not eating treats. I think it's making me extra bitter.

Oh my shoeness

To think these shoes are only $750.00. I'd like to see them in person. I'd like to see them on a person. I'd like to see them on a walking person at church. Hee hee!
I'm actually a little nauseous now. These shoes make me dizzy.

30 Days of Churchy Music. Half way done.

On January 18th, I decided to conduct an experiment to see what effect my less than holy musical taste has on me- spiritually and emotionally. I'm half way through now and I must say, I miss it.  I think I'm happier when I can listen to whatever I want, spiked with some appropriate music here and there.  On Sundays I listen to the churchy music because I think it's the right thing to listen to.  Sometimes it can be vomit inducing because there's a lot of awesomely bad LDS music out there. Most of the time it's OK.  My main frustration is the lack of good LDS music in my own collection.  I can't really stream music at work so I'm left to the few songs I have in my iTunes- about 3o or so.  

  Maybe I'm pure evil but I miss rockin' out to Korn and Chevelle and Kanye West and 30 Seconds to Mars and all of my other favorites.  I think when I'm done with my musical fast (as we're calling it) I'll continue to listen to music that I enjoy but perhaps lace in more mellow music as well.  I love a lot of wholesome music, tenors in particular, so I can always supplement my death metal addiction with music that my kids can listen to, too.  Though Anders doesn't really dig anything but rock.  Not Korn kinda rock but he likes anything with a rockin' beat. He whines if we listen to sappy music.  That's my boy.  

  On a related note I had made a lofty goal of getting out of credit card debt in 2008.  That seemed unlikely but we're being blessed. Yesterday we paid off all of one credit card (half of the debt) and most of the other.  Now we just have a small amount left and we'll use our upcoming Tax Refund or our "George Bush is going to save the economy by forking out cash" check to pay that off and then apply the rest to paying down the ol' van.  Who knows, by this time next year we may be down to just the mortgage!  Now if I could just delay those upcoming student loans a bit longer...