Let's see how far we've come...

What if Frank Miller wrote Charlie Brown?

2009-03-13T17:18:43Z

Here's what it probably would look like.

Jim Cramer on the Daily Show

2009-03-13T17:12:12Z

Ouch.

The Daily Show With Jon StewartM - Th 11p / 10c

Intro - Brawl Street: Get Ready to Buy Low! And Sell Die

Daily Show Full Episodes
Important Things w/ Demetri Martin

Political Humor
Jim Cramer

Cover from Open Game Table anthology

2009-03-12T11:44:58Z

I just saw the final version for the cover of Open Game Table which is the soon-to-be-released anthology in which one of my essays will be appearing and, wow, it looks impressive. Take a look.

The Watchmen

2009-03-11T19:55:18Z

I got to see it on Monday night and I really liked it. While it wasn't a perfect representation of the book, it was extremely close. Given the time constraints and the nature of the story, I don't think anything closer would have been better. I also thought the ending was actually better (gulp) than the book's - it just felt more satisfying to me. While there were a few pieces of the movie I thought could have been done better (e.g., I think they gave the muder's identity away in the first scene), it definitely lived up to my expectations.

A couple of pictures from our ski holiday

2009-03-11T19:51:27Z

We spent a week in the Allgau region of Germany, just over the Austrian border. Overall the weather was good, although it snowed almost every day which meant the visibility wasn't so good on a few of the days. Niklas managed to regain his technique pretty quickly (we started him on skis when he was 3) and by the end of the week even went down a couple of red slopes with us.

This is what big brothers are for.....

2009-01-16T15:45:21Z

Driving lessons!

It's report card time

2009-01-16T13:56:39Z

It's that time of the school year again and that means I'm neck deep in writing reports.

So I've been playing Bioshock....

2009-01-16T13:54:57Z

...and I love it. I'm really not much of a video game geek: The XBox 360 I bought off a colleague sat in a box for four months before I could be bothered to even set it up and other than the games of Spiderman: Friend or foe? or Lego Batman I play with Niklas a couple times a week (Tues & Thur we get 30 minutes in the evening to play), I haven't used the console as much more than a DVD player. However, a few weeks ago I picked up Bioshock in English on a lark and last week gave it a try. Holy $hit!!! The game is incredibly intense and immersive: While I really don't enjoy the first-person shooter aspect of the game all that much, the creepy, spooky side of the environment (which includes the visuals as well as the audio) is amazing: I totally feel like I'm in the game and identify with the rather fantastical situation you find yourself in (deep underwater in a submerged city that is a throwback to the 1940's). I can see how people can get addicted to these types of games (especially with the way the story is paced).

In for the deep freeze

2009-01-06T10:35:21Z

To round off an odd week of weather, it's now very cold outside (18 degrees F at the moment) which is actually unusual for our area; we usually hover around the freezing point this time of the year. What that means is that our snow isn't going anywhere fast.

Pictures of the snow from ISD

2009-01-06T10:33:15Z

One of my colleagues took a few snap shots of the snow around the school grounds.

It's snowed!

2009-01-06T09:30:37Z

For the first time in a few years, it's truly snowed here in the Ruhr valley: We got about 6" last night and everything is blanketed in a pristine white layer. Of course the morning commute was hell and it's likely to continue to be bad for the next few days because the temperature is not expected to rise about freezing until next week.

2009 Resolutions

2009-01-02T22:03:55Z

Ok, so time to start a new tradition: I'm going to post my resolutions here for all the world to see (and potentially bug me about to see if I've accomplished them). So without further ado, my resolutions for 2009 are:

Lose 10kg - Yes, I know that's the perpetual resolution and that most people give up after a couple weeks. We'll see if I can do a bit better. I've already moved the exercise bike into position and started eliminating all my after-dinner snacks starting yesterday. Less than 1 kg per month seems like a pretty reasonable goal.
Publish my Kidz RPG book - It's 75% written and I've already started contracting for art so this has to happen sometime. 2009 is my goal.
Landscape part of the backyard - Timmy needs a sandbox, the back corner of the yard is completely overgrown, and the two seem like a perfect convergence of situations.
Play more board games - I've got quite a nice collection which I don't play enough.
Get more sleep - I never seem to get more than 7 hours a night, even when I'm on vacation. I'd like to get at least 8 hours a couple times per week in 2009.

New Year's Eve in Germany

2009-01-02T21:39:48Z

We spent last night at our friends Uli & Birgit's, along with two other couples with kids. New Year's isn't really a very kid-friendly holiday and so we all gathered together to create an environment where we could celebrate and still have a bunch of children (of which Niklas was the oldest) running around. Overall it was a big success.

We started around 6pm with oysters on the half shell (which my friend Jeff opened & I cleaned up), smoked salmon, and Prosecco. We then prepared and cooked dinner which consisted of 3 courses (pasta, fish, and dessert). The kids ran around while dinner cooked and the adults drank wine. At midnight we bundled up the kids that were still awake (only a couple including Niklas) and headed outdoors to watch the fireworks, drink some Champagne, and twirl some sparklers. We stayed overnight at their apartment to avoid having to drive.

Overall it was a really nice way to spend New Year's Eve: Relaxed and fun with lots of good friends and food.

It's New Year's Eve in Germany - Time for Dinner for One

2009-01-02T10:51:47Z

It's a tradition here in to watch Dinner for One on Sylvester. I'm not sure where it started or why a British comedy skit is so popular here but it is and I happen to really like it too..... same procedure as every year!

You can see it on youtube and join the party.

The Year in Review: Events

2009-01-02T10:36:21Z

So this year was very eventful, with mostly ups but a few downs. The highlights:

In January we had a house warming (a year after moving in!) - we opened up all the bottles of Champagne (the real stuff so of which was $50+ a bottle) we had accumulated over the past 6 years; there's no point in saving it and it was a big hit. We also made gumbo and served a bunch of finger foods as well. One of neighbors even brought along a mini-keg of beer so we had quite a selection.
In March, I had my contract as grade 9 year head renewed for two more years. I really love the position although it also makes my work life a lot busier.
In April, one of our friends from graduate school came to visit; she and a friend had decided to take a one-week tour of Holland & Germany to see some friends and so we got to have a BBQ in our backyard. The weather was nice enough to oblige which is something you can't really count on here in Germany in April.
In May our basement flooded thanks to a storm-cell that stalled right over our village: We ended up with about 6" of water in the basement which wasn't bad considering some of our neighbors ended up with more than 3 feet! We were quite lucky but the water did ruin the carpet and created one hell of a mess which took weeks to clean up.
Also in May MiLK played at I.S.D.'s International Festival; we sounded great. Really.
In June school wrapped up for the year. The year ended on a very low note because the college admissions secretary, Margit Ostrowski, died very suddenly and unexpectedly. Margit was a curmudgeon with a heart of gold. She also was a critical cog in the high school's daily life. I truly will miss her. Once school was finished I set to work on tiling the basement which had been left with nothing but a concrete floor. Of course all that work ended up aggravating my CTS and that lead to the surgery in October... At the end of June we spent two weeks in the Netherlands on the island of Texel. A colleague and her family were also on the island for the first week and then some other friends came to visit us during the second, so we certainly weren't lonely. This year we ended up with really great weather which made the whole experience much better than 2007.
Niklas turned 6 in June; Sigrid turned 34.
In July we flew to the US for two weeks. During that time I went to my 15-year college reunion (I had a great time). Otherwise we spent most of the time just relaxing at my dad's camp as well as using the very high exchange rate to our advantage.
In August, Niklas and I started school again. He repeated Prep again this year and though Sigrid & I were nervous about the decision it's turned out to be a very wise one: Niklas is much more confident and also at the head of his class. He also fits in much better size-wise: He's no longer the shortest kid in the class. This year marks my 6th at the school and my 3rd as the grade 9 year head.
In September I went off to Switzerland for the G9 class trip (my 6th year in a row for that too). This year we managed to hike the highest of the peaks on the route which meant I ended up at 2576m.
In October we spent some time in Belgium. I also got to go to Spiel in Essen which was a lot of fun.
Timothy turned one in December.

And that brings us up to date.

The year in Review: Board Games

2009-01-02T09:27:40Z

I spend a lot of time on my other blog talking about my hobbies but I figured I should point out a couple of great games that are accessible to anyone:

Last Night on Earth - this is a zombie board game along the lines of Night of the Living Dead. It's a ton of fun to play, especially if you've seen a zombie movie sometime in your life.

Ticket to Ride - Easy to learn but lots of strategy once you get the hang of the game. Even Niklas can play this with a few modifications to the rules (if you decide to play this with younger kids, let me know and I'll tell you how we modified the rules so he could compete against adults).

The Year in Review: Books

2009-01-02T09:22:10Z

Nowadays I do a lot of my "reading" via audio books since I listen to them in the car when commuting (Niklas & I listen to kids' books on the way to and from school each day), as well as in the evening while I'm up to other activities. However, I also have gotten through a few novels along with a number of graphic novels in 2008.

Here are my favorites of the year:

Legacy of Ashes: The History of the CIA by Tim Weiner- this is non-fiction which is even more disturbing. It's a very interesting read.

Duma Key by Stephen King - I really enjoyed this book; King's writing has gotten more mature over the last couple decades, part of which is that he can finally write a satisfying, though depressing, ending.

Fables by Bill Willingham and Mark Buckingham - these are collections of a long-running adult comic book. All I can say is "Wow." I love the story; it's very original and yet based on very familiar characters and themes. I've finished up through vol. 6 and already have 7-9 on order from Amazon.

The Watchmen by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons - Ok, so this came out 22 years ago and I've been living under a rock. However, it's freaking awesome in a very twisted way. Time Magazine named it one of the best 100 English books a while back and it's won quite a few awards including the Hugo Award. This is another adult comic, and while about costumed heroes, it's not your typical super-hero story. The movie will probably suck so read the comic first.

Foundling by D.M. Cornish - Niklas and I listen to the audio book and really enjoyed it. It's fantasy but not in the traditional sense.

The Spiderwick Chronicles by Holly Black & Tony DiTerlizzi - Niklas loves these and I have really enjoyed them as well.

The year in Review: Music

2008-12-24T12:08:48Z

So, rather try and write some huge post about everything that went on this year I figured I'd break up my reflection on 2008 in to short bite sized pieces. Let's start with music.

I don't buy a huge amount of music anymore - I don't listen to a lot of radio and so exposure to what's new, what's cool, or even what's been released by a favorite band is hard to keep up with. I probably bought about a dozen albums in 2008 but my top three choices are:

Album #1
Chase This Light by Jimmy Eat World: I've been a big fan of Jimmy for the last 7 years or so and this is by far their best album. I also got to see them live back in the spring of 2008 and they put on a great show.

Album #2
One Cell in the Sea by A Fine Frenzy - I mentioned about seeing them back in November. This is a really good band; the lead singer has a great voice and the music is soothing without being boring. She reminds me kind of Tori Amos without quite the weirdness factor.

Album #3
Turbo Ocho by Roger Clyne and the Peacemakers - This is an album that came out of a marathon eight-day recording session in Mexico. I love almost everything that Clyne puts out and this is no exception. The DVD, which details the making of the album, is also very entertaining.

Christmas tree trimming

2008-12-22T21:22:35Z

Niklas, Joline (my niece), and I trimmed the tree yesterday morning. I really like decorating the Christmas tree although I dread the thought of taking everything off and packing it all away in a couple of weeks.

I want one of these: Can someone lend me $42 million?

2008-12-21T21:27:37Z

Buy a space shuttle.

Inspiration at a concert

2008-12-21T10:41:40Z

So last night I'm standing at the NMA show, watching some slightly odd (hmmmm, bombastic would probably be a better term) Swedish rock band that was the 2nd opening act, when inspiration struck for a one-shot, GM-less roleplaying game in which the players tell the story of a rock band in the style of the Behind the Music show from VH-1. Each player is a member of the band, but also serves as a narrator for the show, because the whole "story" is told in retrospect using flashbacks to various important events in the band's history. I'm not sure if the idea is appealing to a lot of people or not (though with the popularity of console games like Rock Band maybe it has potential), but the idea seems really cool to me. I'm going to see if I can crank out the game sometime in 2009 since I don't think it's going to be all that complex or rules heavy.

Off to see New Model Army

2008-12-21T10:35:04Z

My brother-in-law Ben is a big fan of New Model Army and took me to see them a few years ago. While I'm not a huge fan myself, they're good and they certainly put on a very high energy show. I think the "Christmas concert in Colgne" is a bit of a yearly tradition for the band.

School's out

2008-12-21T10:32:13Z

We officially started Winter Break at noon today and are off until the 4th of January. Once I get my midterm exams graded I'll be able to relax.

I can feel my thumb!

2008-12-21T10:30:34Z

Yes, that might sound weird but I just realized today that the sensation has finally returned to the thumb on my right hand. I hadn't felt it properly (it tingled and was numb constantly) in about 5 years and it was still numb after my CTS surgery, but today I realized that sometime in the past few weeks the sensation had returned to normal.

Thanksgiving in December

2008-12-21T10:25:37Z

Today we're having a combined birthday party since my birthday, my nephew Philip's, and Timothy's birthday all fall within a one week period. Since the whole family was going to be in one place I figured it was a good opportunity to make a Thanksgiving-style dinner. I brined the turkey overnight in beer and apple cider vinegar (it smells awesome at this point) and just popped it into the oven. We're also having mushroom stuffing, cranberry sauce (Mama Stanberg's recipe which I'm going to post up here since it rocks!), mashed potatoes, and carrots. Hmmm, I love roasted turkey.