Mental Junk

Last friday I picked up a gum ball machine for Michelle.  It needed (still needs actually) locks for each of the three units.  They don't hold together unless they are locked down.

To make them work, I manufactured a double-sided long nut to screw into the mounting pole and screw the lids into.

Short story long… we now have working gum ball machines!!  

uhhhh…… what do we do with them?

It's not something we're happy about, but it was bound to happen with two boys.  I'm surprised it's taken this long to happen since I keep finding pens around and I am continuously taking pens from the kids.  The offending child?  NATHAN!  The younger one.

It's a dry erase marker, but doesn't want to come off the wall.  The photo is after a washing attempt, so that gives you an idea how long this may stay around for.

Using the time off I've had over the past two weeks, I delved into a project that was needed for the boys.

There has been a (back?  side?) door that goes nowhere for years (the old stairs rotted away over a decade ago).  After we had the kids, Michelle and I have kicked the idea of wrapping the front porch around the side of the house to catch this lonely door.  However, this will require funds that we should spend elsewhere for the time being.

So, I have made a 'temporary' stand alone back porch that just exists from the unused door right into the backyard. I say temporary in quotes 'cause that usually means 'decade' or longer around here.

The rationalization I've been using to do this is the safety and convenience for the kids.  I don't want them to get into the backyard on their own through the workshop – nor do I want to make the shop kid-friendly.  That limits their backyard access to when Michelle and I are around.  I know this isn't an issue right now, but in a year or two, Cam should be able to head in and out on his own – as long as we know where he is.  Since it may take me that year or two to complete…. I'm right on track

Over the past few days we have seen the steady decay of his life, and this morning, he lost the battle.

We bought a Ghost Knife sometime in late 2004.  After some research, Michelle found that he was more likely to be an Albino Clown Knife because of his markings.

We bought him as a return from the store, so we don't really know his true age.  However, we do know that he had his share of fights, becuase he only had one eye when we got him.

Can I get a puppy now? 

My parents headed out to my sister's over the weekend and saw my niece and nephew for the first time since Christmas.  It was the first time we were able to exchange Christmas gifts.  It sucks being so far away sometimes, but it has been an eventful (and amazingly blessed) start to the year.

The boys received great new hats that they loved so much they wanted them at bedtime – Nate looked great in his Jester hat and Cam buzzed around his room as an airplane.

Thanks guys!!! 

As I am writing this, my 2 1/2 year old is bouncing around the house like a hopped up junkie.  Great way to start the day!

I
got up this morning and realized that both boys were still quiet and
still asleep, Michelle hasn't been sleeping well, so I decided to get
up and get ready quietly.  After my shower, I quietly got dressed and
opened our bedroom door.

As soon as I did – my stomach dropped.  Cameron's room was wide open and no one was there.  Dead silence.  Not good.

I
woke and told Mic then started to head towards Nate's room listening
for a boy about to get into trouble.  Nothing.  Nate is quiet.  So, I
started heading downstairs.

This is when thoughts of kidnapping, children wandering the streets at three in the morning, and —- OH MY!!! MY LAPTOP!!!
I passed the livingroom – the most inoccuous room he could be left
alone in – empty.   Drat.   Looking into the dining room, I see he has
set up his little chair and table like a tea party.  Awwww.  That's
cute….. still may have to kill him.  He's been here, though – and he
is quiet now.

Quick look into my office saved his life – no damage.  Laptop fine, all things good.  Now – to find him.

Heading into the kitchen I didn't see him at first.  The lower
cupboard was open (which opens right to the floor) and is half-hidden
by the kitchen island.  I was beginning to think he may be in the
basement – a place not in the least bit kid-proofed.  As I rounded the
island, however, I discovered the quivering, vibrating body of a child
on a major sugar rush.

"What are you doing?" I asked in my most stern of parent's voice.

"White pepper and peanut butter."

Oh, boy.  Don't laugh – he's in crap.  I brought him upstairs,
stripped the glazed clothes off his back and changed him.  All the
while, attempting to admonish his actions.  Now Michelle and I are
trying to figure out how to attach a bell to his door so we can hear
him leaving.

I still like my chain idea….

EDIT: My wife pointed out I never explained it properly – "white pepper" is sugar to Cameron.

That is the message that greeted me when I tried to log into my VPS (webserver).

I had no way of accessing my box at the console – so I couldn't do much of anything.  All the posts I could find that solved the issue (or presented solutions, anyway) required you to log into the box.  Uhhh…. this is a VIRTUAL SYSTEM.  There is NO console.  How do you log in to fix it, guys?

Continuing my search, I stumbled upon Yak Shaving's blog regarding the same issue.  The magic command? 

ssh user@host "/bin/bash -i"

Ah!  Pure magic!!  Back into the system as root.  Just the way it should be.

Please check out his entire entry for the full solution. 

 Thanks again Yak.

Edit: tldr;

rm -rf /dev/ptmx
mknod /dev/ptmx c 5 2
chmod 666 /dev/ptmx
umount /dev/pts
rm -rf /dev/pts
mkdir /dev/pts
mount /dev/pts

Just got back from the police station to drop off a rusting hunting knife.

I found it on our lawn – didn't know what it was, until I picked it up.  I thought it was a gardening saw – the kind of serated blade for cutting down small trees and scrub brush.  Kris was out there last fall playing with his new brush cutter/weed eater, so I though he may have forgotten it out.

I unsheathed it – and saw it was a hunting knife.  The best part?  There seems to have been dried blood on the blade.  Great.

I thought about calling the station to have an officer come down to pickit up, but I already touched it – and don't really want it in the house until they come by.  So, I just drove up and dropped it off.

With the car break in and now this, maybe we should move?  Na.  Still love the house.  It was probably someone driving by and threw it out the window.  I can still live in my happy little world.