dinner with friends

Had dinner with some friends tonight.  A seafood night

Here's what we made

Ivy and I-dungeness crab cakes with a smoked jalepeno sauce

                   warm brownies with ice cream for desert

Ani and Corey-salmon with a mayo/spice sauce

Jadi-shrimp ceviche

Sabrina-paella(a rice and shrimp dish)

Thelma-roasted chicken(land tuna)

It was a good dinner and a full house.  Now we are watching Igor.  We definately need a bigger house and kitchen.  Had 15 people total.  As usual lots of left overs.  I'm OK with that.  I took a couple photos.  Yes I know they are a little out of focus and a few kids are missing.  \

Clara faye Shoup

She came in at 9 pounds 3 ounces 20 inches. Can't believe I did two of these!!

Young womens new beginnings

They asked me to do two heart shaped cakes for them. My choice on all the details. Wow! I had so many ideas. Can you tell where the boo boo is? Ivy.

bbq photos

playing around with some exposure times.  Actually they range from 2.5 seconds and 1/20o.  Used a tripod with a remote shutter.  I realize they aren't artistic triumphs but it's fun to mess around with.    I included an earlier attempt from a trip to Seattle that is a 5 second exposure.  

Dropbox

So I've been on the prowl lately for a safe but efficient way to back up all my photos.  Most of them are only digital so if the computer where to crash then I would be sad.  I had toyed with several ideas. 

1. DVD/CD

-looking online they don't have a super long  life span at least not the home writeable ones

2.multiple hard drives

-would work but I hadn't found any software to sync them that I really liked

3.make them into blurb books

-I've started doing that but it's only a partial solution

4.copy them back and forth between several computers to make sure both have a full copy-

-seems like an OK idea but relies on my diligence in doing that which seems unlikely

5.getting a home server with redundant hard drives

-this is one of my favorite ideas but I'm too cheap.

6. was hoping googles gdrive would be up and running sooner than later.

-looks like it might come out this year but I got tired of waiting.

So I'm now using dropbox.  It uses a folder on your computer.  Anything that goes in that folder get backed up online and on up to 3 computers that have the dropbox program installed.   Up to 2GB is free and up to 50GB is $10/month.  $10 seems like cheap insurance for all the family photos.  I have close to 50GB so I'm hoping dropbox increases it's storage capacity or gdrive get up and running.  Thought dropbox has a nice interface so I might stick with that.  Also with dropbox all of your files are available online.  So if you're somewhere else and want to access your spreadsheet or photos they are available.  I just dragged my photo folders into the dropbox folder and it synced them up.   Obviously the first sync will take awhile but then it will only transfer the changed files.  I'm not sure I would even attempt with dial up.    There are other services that do similar things but this one has worked nice for me.  

I thought I'd do this post since I enjoyed Tabs about the incredible hangars.  I found it useful.  

-rick

ps if you use this link I think we both get some free storage.  It's a referral link.  Just cut and paste in to address bar.  

https://www.getdropbox.com/referrals/NTU4MDEwODk

Got back from Grandma and Grandpa Greene's or GandGG as we like to call them.  Had a good time.  I was hoping for some more of that warm weather but we must have gone during the one month it is cold in phoenix.  I had to wear my coat most of the time.  Grandpa was doing pretty good.  Better than expected which is always nice.  He uses his walker all of the time now and his wheelchair when he goes out.  But he is getting around some.  While we were there he picked out a bbq.  Unlike gandgg usual thrifty spending habits he picked out a very nice stainless steel one.  Grandma several times suggested the less expensive ones but grandpa new what he wanted.  I'm have a little bbq envy now.  The trip itself went great.  I was nervous about traveling with Cooper.  On the flight there he fell asleep as we took off and slept most of the way and on the way back he got his own seat with his carseat and fell asleep as we were taking off.  Couldn't have gone smoother.  We did have problem with our first rental car as soon as we pulled of the lot.  We returned it and they gave us a upgrade.  Leather, navigation etc much nicer than what we had reserved.  Here's a few more pics.  Click here.

Pre flight bar b que.

This is the group we hung out with this trip. From the right is Great aunt Dean then just behind her is Dale. In front of him is Grandpa Greene then Grandma Greene. And then her brother Ray. Rick is hidden in the back mastering the grill. I think we are developing a new thing to have him included in the pictures. Ivy

Valentines at Elks club

Spent the evening at the elks. Had my favorite chicken cordon bleu. There was a dance as well. The elks love their dancing. We've been here since Thursday and have to go home tomorrow night. Copper was very well behaved and got lots of attention. He gave out high fives all night.

Getting ready to fly to phoenix

This is double first. First number one: Cooper is flying in an airplane. First number two: Rick is in a picture in the Blog. We are off to see grandma and grandpa in phoenix, Arizona. Should be nice to be in warm weather for a few days.

Mason's basketball game

Mason and Asher are playing pee wee basketball.  This is Mason's game against the other warren avenue team.  Here's Mason getting the game plan.

Click here for a few more pics  

Asher's byu shirt

Asher's byu shirt that aunt Mandy got him. Waiting for mason to find his.

New coats

Thanks to their favorite aunt Mandy and uncle Jerel the boys have new coats. Cool Columbia ones. Its raining out now so they will get good use out of them.

Huh

This was on the microwave in the breakroom. Ill be more wary at the next potluck.

Asher's basketball

Asher and Mason both had games today.  I went to Asher's so that's what we have pictures of.  We played Chico and they won 30-16.  Defense and team play wise it was pretty even.  But we barely made any shots.  We took plenty and got lots of rebounds but couldn't get them through the net.  Was fun to watch.  They really go for it and are getting the theory of it.  They know which position they should be in and pass a lot.  I heard Mason's was still sort of a mob chasing the ball.  -rick

Family home evening?

Only say that because we were short a main key player. He went in to work. Dad. My husband. We went to see Ink Heart. Its my second time seeing it. But I liked it so much and melody was here this weekend that we just had to do it again. And who can resist Brendan Fraizer? Well if your female.

blurb now supports blogger

I noticed blurb now supports blogger.  You need to download the latest version of blurb booksmart and it will slurp it over quite nicely.  They recommend the 8x10 upright book size.  It chooses a layout where the pictures are small but you can change to one you prefer.  I'm working on mine.  222 pages.  One per post.  Kind of a journal for the year.  

superbowl

Had the Brower's and Hewlens over for the superbowl.  Mostly we ate alot.  Smoked ribs, twice baked potatoes, lumpia, potato salad, chips, soda, warm brownies with ice cream.  Yum.  We are watching the 3d ads.  I never seem to be able to see them.  Good game though.