In the Middle

While he is not truly the middle grand child, Roo is in the middle of his two immediate cousins. Angel's mother was in California shortly after we learned that Leeroy's wife, Spock, was expecting a girl and she picked up thses cute Micky / Minnie Mouse onsies. You can clearly see who is the oldest in these pictures (based on weight). Roo is very chubby by our standards, but his older cousin has him beat in the chub department. I thought the pictures turned out pretty cute. As did the kids. It will be fun to see them grow up together. I'm afraid that Kanga will get stuck babysitting for all of them.

Masquerade Ball

This happened a couple of weeks ago, and I'm just now getting to it. Angel and I went to a Masquerade ball that one of her old high school friend put on. It was a lot of fun to dress up and go to a dance. We even got masks. I had to wear my contacts because glasses clearly wouldn't work. Angel looked great. She enjoys getting dressed up and she does a good job of it.

We dropped the kids off at my parents and went to dinner. It was our first real date in a long time. We took our time with dinner, went window shopping and still manged to show up at the ball ten minutes early. I really tried to not be early. I've been early to many dances and it often feels awkward when there is very few other people there. Luckily, I didn't have to look for a partner. That is one of the biggest benefits of being married - you always have a date and a dance partner. It's been a while since we've danced and, surprisingly, Angel wore me out and not the other way around. They had a good mix of music and they also had a live band. The band consisted of a lead and bass guitarists, drums, two trumpets and a trombone. Unfortunately for everybody there, their drummer and bassist didn't have any conception of dynamic dynamics. They only played at one volume - loud. it was impossible to hear what the singer was singing and while the rest of the band could be heard the room was not big enough for that volume of music to be comfortable. It was really starting to bug me, but fortunately they only played for an hour of so and then it went back to the sound machine. Dee saw some good friends and we enjoyed talking with folks. All in all, it was a blast.

Audible Book Review - The Whispering Skull, Lookwood and Co. book two by Jonathan Stroud

I'm finally getting caught up on book reviews. I finished the latest in the Lockwood and Co. books just after Halloween and it was a a great listen. While waiting for my credit I re-listened to The Screaming Staircase and was reminded how much I enjoyed Stoud's writing. Here is a link for Audible's page for the book. The book was narrated by Katie Lyons again and while some of the characters sounded just a little different than before, it was well done. While the first book put our characters in danger from spectral horrors this book threw them into more conventional dangers and villains. There were still specters to worry about, but we also learned about other dangers of being an Agent. The world was expanded more with additional mysteries revealed that they were not able to solve and the book has what might be considered a cliffhanger, but not in terms of the story at hand. Overall I enjoyed it and the way our heroes overcame the challenges before them.

Plot: Lockwood and Co have been doing good business since the last book. However the resources at the hands of the big agencies, Fittes and Rockwell just to name two, has been taking a toll. After a mission goes bad and they are rescued by Quill Kipps and his crew a challenge is issued - the next time they go head to head in a case the loser publicly praises the winner by taking out an ad in the Times. The opportunity comes earlier than they think when an artifact goes missing from a recent haunting. An artifact that may contain the secrets of the world beyond, but that has killed everyone that has tried to use it. DEPRAC has officially hired Lockwood and Co and brought Kipps and his team in to solve the case together. Together isn't happening because the competition is on. Lockwood, George, and Lucy must out smart, out research, and out sense the other agents before the artifact hits the public. They do have an edge though. Somehow, someway, they have a person on the inside. George's skull-in-a-jar has started talking to Lucy again and has told them some things about the artifact that are useful. However, it has also given cause to question Anthony Lockwood's trustworthiness. Who will win and what will it cost them?

My personal favorites: Lockwood, George, and Lucy remain great characters and the world they live in is opened to us. We get to see some of the other side of The Problem, not just the agents, but their antithesis. We get to see how agents fair against non-ghosts. The interactions with the skull were interesting as well - trying to figure out what it said that could be true and when it was messing with our characters. The competition between Kipps and Lockwood was fun, if somewhat detrimental to the overall case.

Considerations: Like the first book there are some tense moments that could be frightening for some. There is also a little language, but nothing inappropriate for a YA audience. Overall, there isn't anything that would cause me not to recommend this book to people who like reading old ghost stories.

As I mentioned earlier, the book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger and with questions unanswered. Stroud does a good job at getting us to look forward to the next book. If he is consistent in his writing schedule these books may become a Halloween tradition. The overall length was 11 and half hours.

Baen Free eBook Library Book Review - In the Heart of Darkness by Eric Flint and David Drake

Again, a book that I read and just didn't get to reviewing. I am enjoying the fact that the Baen free ebook library enables me to try out series and authors before using a credit on them on Audible, or purchasing them some other way. Not long ago the Baen Free Radio Hour produced an audio drama of a novella based in the Belisarius Saga world. They played it over the course of four podcast episodes. The audio drama, Islands, can be found on the ebook website and was very good. I grew up with the Riders in the Sky weekly radio series and love the medium. I enjoyed the story and found the production well done. After listening to Islands, I wanted to know more about the Belisarius Saga and happened to find In the Hear of Darkness in the free library. I was disappointed that it was the 2nd book in the series, but you know what they say about looking a gift horse in the mouth. Here is a link to the Baen ebook Free Library for the book. The story was good with excellent pacing and some great action. Written in an alternate history 6th century Roman Empire made for a fun read. I'm new to David Drake, but Eric Flint wrote the last alternate history that I read, 1632. I have no doubt that there were a lot of historical facts in the book. Even though I hadn't read the first book, There was enough background that I was able to get into the story without difficulty. I could tell there was some past to the characters, but it wasn't required to enjoy the story.

Plot: Belisarius, the brilliant general of the Roman army, has been invited to see the might of  Malwa conquered India. What's difficult is that he is a there as a guest but he knows that the Malwa and the Roman Empire will eventually become enemies. What's more, he's a guest because they want him to betray his beloved empire. At home, the Malwa are busy trying to recruit others to their side, including Belisarius' wife, Antonina. While there is no question that Belisarius and his family will remain loyal to Rome, there is still the challenge to take Malwa for everything they can get before the they learn his intentions. Malwa has a wealth of gold but also new gun powder based weapons that could alter the way war is fought. It would normally be overwhelming for any soldier, but Belisarius has his Aid. A gem containing an entity from the future, Aid can speak to Belisarius and show him what other futures have down with humble beginnings that he is learning about. While being a brilliant, perhaps the most genius, tactician the world has every known Belisarius has the wisdom and folly of the future and pass at his command. But Aid has its own mission. It's looking for something and the Malwa just might have it.

My personal favorites: I really liked Belisarius' personality and resourcefulness. He was a great commander and a fun character. It was fun to try to guess the twists and turns. The plans within plans. There were also plenty of funny moments. I particularly liked Belisarius learning about why soldiers in the future dig foxholes and vowing that the very next thing they invent would be the trenching shovel. I also liked the mix of ancient and modern (or at least medieval).

Considerations: There is language in this book, but I don't remember it being distracting, perhaps the same level as the Monster Hunter books I've read. It is very important to note as well that just because modern civilization looks back to the Romans as a bright spot in the barbarism of medieval times doesn't mean they were particularly nice. There are references to torture, prostitution/rape, gruesome executions, and other things that history often overlooks. This is not to say that the book is exceedingly graphic or visceral. There were some brief graphic moments referenced in the middle of a battle that I found unnecessary. They were quite brief and the plot moved beyond them fairly quickly. There was some sensuality, but not much but it was very minimal.

The book read like a thriller with a good pace, despite the long time period. The characters were well done and I enjoyed the intrigue between the Romans and the Malwa. I will continue to look for Belisarius books and enjoy reading them as they come my way.

Baby Blessings

This weekend my family blessed Roo. In the Church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints parents have the opportunity to bless their children, either as infants or even young children. When I mentioned that we would be blessing Roo to a coworker who is Catholic we ended up having a comparing the Catholic Sacraments against LDS ordinances. Blessing a child is not considered a vital ordinance but it is an opportunity to officially introduce the child to the church and bless it for life ahead.

We've blessed both of our other children, but we didn't actually do it in the congregation we were living in at the time. Kanga was born right after I started a new job in Price, UT. During Angel's pregnancy we lived with her parents, so when we blessed her we did it in their ward. I remember asking my father what wording I should use five minutes before the meeting started. Not long before her blessing I had read 2nd Nephi 2 which talks about man's agency and how we are free to choose and are enticed by those things that are good and those things that are bad. I remember being struck by verses 14, 15, and 16

14. And now, my sons, I speak unto you these things for your profit and learning; for there is a God, and he hath created all things, both the heavens and the earth, and all things that in them are, both things to act and things to be acted upon. 

15. And to bring about his eternal purposes in the end of man, after he had created our first parents, and the beasts of the field and the fowls of the air, an din fine, all things which are created, it must needs be that there was an opposition; even the forbidden fruit in opposition to the tree of life; the one being sweet and the other bitter.

16. Wherefore, the Lord God gave unto man that he should act for himself. Where fore, man could not act for himself save be that he was enticed by the one or the other.

 The idea of being a "thing to be acted upon" was very unappealing to me. To be something that things happened to, something not in control, something without a choice or the power to act on choice. I wanted my daughter to be someone who would be proactive, who wouldn't just "let things happen" to her. When the time came I blessed her that she would "act for herself and not be acted upon." At this point I have some mixed feelings about this decision, but only because I'm her father. She is indeed someone who acts for herself and doesn't like to be acted upon. This makes parenting rough as she is headstrong, stubborn, and doesn't like to do what she's told. As my mother said about my sister EA, "I figured if I could just point her in the right direction she would never go wrong."

Tigger we blessed in a family setting with just friends and family. It was fun as we learned that the member of the bishopric that came to preside grew up with one of Angel's great aunts. They hadn't seen each other in several years and had a fun reunion. It was through them that I learned that you can actually stuff a dead duck through the drive in teller station at a Zion's bank. It is hard to remember much of the blessing itself. It was a tender moment because he had been out of the hospital for a couple of months but he was still on oxygen and we had no idea when he would be off it. I remember having to accommodate the tube as we held him in our hands. I felt impressed that his life would be filled with service opportunities and that he would be a force for good works in the world. I've been reminded in some of the latest talks in General Conference that I need to do my part in fostering that spirit as he gets older.

Roo, in no way to disparage his siblings, is the easiest infant we've ever had. He sleeps well, he hasn't been plagued by eating problems like the others were, and he doesn't fuss much. As the time for his blessing came close I wondered what he would need in life. In the end, as I held him in my arms this last Sunday with a lot of family and some friends standing around him I felt impressed to bless him with love. Love of family, love of the God, and love of work, as well as a desire to share those loves with others. I get the feeling that when he marries he will dote on his wife and children. It's easy to imagine him maintaining his easy going, calm attitude and being a soft spoken gentle giant. We'll see how right my musings are as he grows up, but I don't think I'm far off.

All of our children are very special to us. Kanga is a ball of energy that loves learning and doing. She easily takes charge of situations and loves to play with other. Tigger is sensitive and passionate, full of emotion and a desire to please. He's quick to throw a fit, or burst into tears, but also is constantly looking to snuggle and is free in giving hugs and kisses. Roo. We'll just have to see a bit more.

Audible Book Review - Spellbound by Larry Corriea

I actually finished Spellbound a little while ago, and just didn't write the review immediately. This was probably because I've read this book at least three times already. Like with Hard Magic, my initial thought was not to use a credit on this book. However, the enjoyment I had with the first book and my genuine, eager love of the series as a whole drove me to pick up the second book with my latest credit. Yes, my next credit will go towards the third book, Warbound, which I reviewed the hard copy version here. Here's a link for the Audible page for the book. Still narrated by Bronson Pinchot, The book was well done and very enjoyable. Again, Corriea mixes history, magic, demons, zombies, and this time even adds a ronin samurai. All without leaving the continental U.S. Correia does a really good job of mixing his story in with the history  of the time period including the Bonus March, the assassination attempt on FDR, and even the Office of the Coordinator of Information (albeit a decade or so early).

Plot: It has been about a year since the Geo-tel was fired. Jake Sullivan has spent that time researching everything he can to find out more about the Power and, more importantly, the Predator that is tracking it. The other Grimnoir have been about their own affairs but everything is put on hold when an assassin wearing a Grimnoir ring tries to blow up president-elect Franklin Delano Roosevelt. In the aftermath the Grimnoir and all other actives have to come to terms with a government and people hostile to them. What's more, they learn of a new government office that has been tasked with "fixing the active problem" and their lead agent, Mr. Crow, has exactly zero morals in carrying out his duty. What's more, Sullivan receives a phone call from a dead man, confirming the presence of the Predator and it appears that the best option is to walk right into the Imperium's embassy and ask for help. Faye, meanwhile, hasn't been able to teleport anywhere as well as she used to, and those that know why are scared that she might destroy them all.

My personal favorites: Like Hard Magic, Spellbound is action packed and character driven. The story does a great job of ramping up the tension and stakes without flying off the rails. Even the final battle has a great set up that builds up to the climatic moment with ease. We also meet one of my all time favorite characters, Toru of the Iron Guard. Hammer, Whisper, and Bowlander are also awesome characters with interesting stories and great hero moments. The action continues to be excellent and the villains are despicable.

Considerations: Like the other books, there is language and violence. And just like the other ones it is not gratuitous or graphic. There are no sensuality in the book. From what I could remember, I would say that this book had less language than Hard Magic.

Now, I've reviewed versions of all three books in the Grimnoir Chronicles trilogy. It is one of my all time favorites and is one that I readily recommend to people. Check it out. The total length was just under 16 and half hours.

Halloween and Getting things done

I didn't get pictures of the kids this year for Halloween, but they looked good as a cat and firefighter. I wasn't sure what to think when Tigger wanted to be a firefighter again this year, but in the end I figured that there is nothing wrong with wanting to be a firefighter. Beats the pants of other things he could have wanted to be. Angel took the kids out while I stayed home and took care of Roo and hand out candy. Roo was all wrapped up in a blanket. Once when some friends were at the door with their kids they asked what he was dressed up as. I said he was a burrito. The kids had fun and collected a fair amount of candy. We were able to listen to the music that one of our neighbors pumps out every Halloween. They set up a DJ table and have strobes and a fog machine, turning their driveway into a open dance floor. It was a pretty good selection this year. Somehow we've managed to train our kids that when they get candy it all goes into a communal container which is shared for those moments when sweets are appropriate. It has become the norm in the house, so it doesn't matter who gets more, or who gets what because it's all shared. And as I wrote that I felt like a communist. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

Other than that, this weekend was well spent running errands, working on my van's brakes, and spending time with the family. We got caught up on laundry and dishes, as always, but I was proud that I was finally able to get the brake pads changed on my van. They've been making me nervous the last little while with the noise they've been making and I finally had a weekend to take the two tires off and see to them. I'm glad I did too. One pad was completely down to the metal break shoe. I was also pleasantly surprised that brakes pads didn't cost as much as I thought they did. The kids went with me as we picked up new pads, stopped by the library and hit the grocery store. I did end up putting the pads and wheels on in a small cloud burst, but otherwise it went really well. I'm glad that I can get some of those basic maintenance done on my vehicles. It save money and it makes me feel like I'm able to "take care"of my family.

The other fun thing I did was make a couple of lime chiffon pies on Sunday. We had the limes and were looking for something to do with them when I found that receipt in the Lion House Lite cook book. The one mistake I made was letting the filling set up in the bowl in the fridge. I was still able to scoop it into the crusts, it just looks a little lumpy. It should taste fine.

The most exciting thing that happened was that my parents got a new piano and offered their old one to us. Muscles had first dibs, but they are looking into getting a new one themselves. Dad popped up on Thursday and we got three guys to come and help move it after Kanga's school program. It's a little compact piano that needs a tune, but I've very happy to have a real piano in the home. Both of the kids like singing and Tigger has a really good ear for music. I played a few bars of the main theme of Star Wars and when I asked if they knew what it was he didn't hesitate and had it spot on. Kanga's school program was good as well. It was fall and Halloween themed and the kids sang a lot of fun songs, most in English, but a couple in Chinese. It was very crowded but it wasn't too uncomfortable. I'm just glad that we now have another reason for music in our house.

All in all, it was a very good weekend. The extra hour of sleep was appreciated as well, although it does mean that I'm up at 4:00 am with Roo. Well, that's just what being a dad is all about.