Yamnuska Photos

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Yamnuska 2006

On May 22, Victoria Day in Canada, the Wolff's along with several other families went up Mt. Yamnuska (well, part way anyway). It took Erin some convincing, but 2 mintues before it was time to leave she decided to come along.

We arrived at the trail head a bit later than most, then Erin had to feed Hannah -- so the group (made up of about 6-8 families from Tuscany) went on without us. Graice and Matt went ahead with Wendy Shipley, and after not too long Gracie was connected with Madison Shipley, Kaytlyn Fibke and Julia Gedlaman. Grace was enjoying herself so much, that Erin and I didn't walk one step of the hike with her -- she went ahead with the kids and we met up with her at the top. I'm so pleased that she would do this by herself.

Matt on the otherhand fell and cut his knee within the first few mintues of the hike (he's not able to focus on the trail, and he triped on every other root and rock). Fortunately Wendy had a band-aide, and I put Matt on my shoulders and hiked him to the top.

As we pulled into the parking lot, Erin asked if I had packed the baby carrier -- which I had cleaned off and prepared earlier in the morning. Nope, I did not. So with that, Erin and I took turns holding Hannah in our arms, and walking her up the mountain. (Thanks to Derek Kearl and Mike Gedlaman who both took brief stints holding Hannah also.) For the most part, Hannah slept both on the way up and on the way down.

The group stoped for a rest and snack at a rocky outcropping midway between the trail head and the tree line. The outcropping overlooks the Nakoda lodge and Heart Lake, and forms a bit of a ledge that you can stand on for a great photo.



Gracie didn't like being close to the edge, so by the time we all got positioned to take a photo, she bolted back up to safer ground.



We didn't have anything to put Hannah in while we rested, so Julie Kearl let us user her jacket and we put Hannah on that.



We rested and visited for about 45 minutes, then packed up and started back for the car. The hike down is always harder than the hike up. It doesn't take as much strength, but it takes far more concentration. Erin carried Hannah most of the way down, and I had Matt on my shoulders. The steep parts were particularly tricky. Erin took a bit of a spill and cut her hand and knee -- this scared her more than hurt her. Fortunately when she fell, I was carying Hanna, and she was only holding Matt's hand.


At one point, on the steepest part of all, I took Hannah and Matt, so Erin could focus 100% on getting herself down safely. We felt a real sense of accomplishment when we got back to the parking lot -- especially after having carried both Matt and Hannah up and down.

On the ride home we stoped for a heard of big horn sheep, who were scaling down the side of a very steep, sheer rock face. There must have been thrity sheep in all, and we waited, stoped on the hiway for at least two or three minutes while these sheep came down the side of the mountain and crossed the road. The kids loved it!


After the hike, Julie and Derek Kearl invited everyone over to thier place for a bar-b-que. They've go a great place for a gathering of that size -- there must have been 75-80 people all together. We had a great time, and didn't get back to the house until the kids bedtime -- which, for many parents, is the best part of the day.

Mothers Day 2006

On Sunday past the Calgary Melchin's celebrated mother's day at Rick & Cathy's place. In traditional style, Cathy prepared her own celebration dinner for everyone. (Also in traditional style my mother was in Salt Lake with her sisters at a bit of an informal Gibb sisters reunion.) After dinner at the Melchins we surprised Cathly with the hammock she's had her eye on.




Here's a photo of Melinda and the kids, taken just before dinner. I took about 10 photos in this setting, and believe it or not, this was the best one. Too bad Grace isn't looking at the camera, and Liv's face is partly covered.

Wednesday May 17, 2006

The kids are getting over their fear of the trampoline. Check out this photo -- need I say more?

Saturday May 13, 2006

Busy day today. I helped Jeff Shipley move in the morning, then helped setup for the Tuscany BBQ. Around 4:00 PM we all got in the car and went to the BBQ. The BBQ was hosted by the community association in honor of the familes who's homes burned down a couple of weeks ago. The Calgary fire department was there with a couple of fire trucks, and Matt was completely captivated -- he was totally in his element. His focus was amzaing. Here's a couple of photos (I took about 30, but could only get him to take his eyes off the firetruck to smile for the camera).







I took this photo of Lara and Sean at the BBQ -- I really like it, so I'm posting it, inspite the fact that it doesn't have anything to do with the firetrucks.

ASCII Erin

Thursday May 11, 2006

Here's a couple of photos of the girls. Grace is doing very well with Hanna, she's helping feed Hannah cereal in the mornign, and even (with a little help from mom) changing diapers. Grace really likes to play with Hannah -- often wanting to pick her up and hold her like Erin and I do (of course she's still too young to do that safely).

We went out for dinner this evening with Kevin/Elise and my folks. We celebrated Mothers Day early, in that my mother will be out of town (in SLC) at a sisters renunion. She's done this every year at this time since Gracie was born.

After dinner we came home and I read Narnia to Grace. This one (A Boy and His Horse) isn't quite as good as the first two -- Grace is having a hard time sticking with it. I hope the next one is a bit more engaging. After reading, I went to Kevin's new place to help frame the basement. Kevin takes possession of his new house tomorrow morning.

LOST

NOTE: Don't bother reading this post if you're not a LOST fan.

I don't watch much TV -- really only the ABC program LOST. I've been a faithfull viewer since the first season. Lately I've been dissapointed with the program, it hasn't been progressing, and hasn't been living up to it's interesting plot twists and revelations. Last night however was different.

During the last sequence of commercials, there was a 5 second advertisment for the Hanso Foundation. I'm guessing most people missed it -- but they had a website address at the end of the spot. It took me a couple of tries, because the spelling was weird -- but here it is:

http://www.sublymanol.com

If you're a devout LOST fan, you're going to like this.

Scott's Girls

My dad took some photos of the girls today while we were there for dinner. They're really great -- thanks dad.

Sunday May 7, 2006

Nice day today -- no early morning meetings, so I slept in untill 7:00 or so. Nice. Came home after church and spent the afernoon with the kids on the trampoline. They're finally starting to enjoy it (which is good, beacuse I was seriously considering taking it back or selling it).

I did spend some time organizing my office. I used the GTD methodology (which I'm back into with a vengance). I love stress free productivity.

Went over to mom and dad's place for dinner -- dad made a delicouse three cheese spaghetti with chicken strips, sautéd mushrooms and red and yellow pepers. It was as nice to look at as it was to eat. After dinner we went to see Erin's folks.

We went to the Shrine Circus with the Taylor's yesterday. Man was it hot. (Mental note: bring something to drink next time). The kids enjoyed it, however they did complain about not being able to buy the $15 glow sticks. Sorry kids -- get your own darn jobs and buy the rip-off glow sticks that you will have lost by morning.

Yesterday would have been Erin's grandmother's 100^th birthday. The Melchins celebrated by going out for a banana split (something that I guess "granny" would have really loved).

Though I never met her, I had a banana split anyway.

View At Your Own Risk

My brother-in-law is a podiatrist. He's posted a photo of some of his recent handy work. Caution: this photo is very graphic -- it's not for the faint of heart.

Getting Things Done, 43Folders, Hipster PDA

About eight months ago I read Getting Things Done (frequenty abbreviated by geeks as GTD), by David Allen. It literally changed my life (at least for a month or so).

I re-read it this week, and I'm converted... again. Last time through I got so excited about Allen's method, that I just dove in -- without really thinking about it. This time through, I'm much more prepared (and I'm going to try mixing in the lo-fi, paper based version).

I've found some sweet resources to help implement the GTD methodology:

1. The Hipster PDA
   A sweet PDA that uses 3*5 cards
   
   
2. D*Y*I Planner
   A set of templates that works very well with the hipster PDA
   
   
3. I bougt a voice recorder for capturing "next actions" and ideas

Some other interesting/related websites

1. Remember The Milk
2. LifeHacker
3. 43 Folders
   

Secret of Success

I read this blog post last night -- some of the best work/personal life advice I've ever read.

Thursday May 4, 2006

Had a busy day at work today. A coleague flew out from Vernon, B.C. and we discussed the future state of our main business application all day. Despite the big lunch, and hot boardroom -- I was excited about the converstation. It's fun to work with a talented group that gets along well.

It was such a nice day today that I found myself thinking about bouncing on the trampoline with the kids several times during my meetings, and lots in the car on the way home. When I got home, I scooped the kids up and spent about 45 mintues with them on the tramp. I can't describe how pleased I am that we spent almost an hour together, on the trampoline, without any complaining or crying. We actually all had fun together. Finally.

Trumba Redux

**Attention all Melchin clan readers... please do not bother reading this post. You wont get it, and you'll likely thing less of me**

Wow! Trumba is amazing. I can't believe that I'm this excited about a silly calendar. It's really awesome. I think why I'm so consumed by this, is because I have some small understanding as to what it would take to build such a well thought out application, and I'm amazed. Hyperbole asisde, Trumba is probably the sweetest web application I've ever seen!

**Again, Melchins... don't even think of posting some mocking comment. Really. Don't.**

Online Calendar Apps

I've been interested in online calendars lately. I was really pleased to see Google's entry in this space, but I must say that I've been more impressed with Trumba. If you're looking for a decent online calendar -- one of these two should do it for you.

Sisters

Saturday April 29th, 2006

I spent most of the day with the kids, while Erin did attended the emergency preparedness fair she's been working on so hard lately. I took these photos this morning in order to keep Matt from screaming after Erin left. How can the kids be so cute and so aggravating at the same time? 

RSS - Really Simple Syndication (Part 2) or What's the Benefit of All This?

In my first installment of this article about Really Simple Syndication, I showed that your blog content is also available as a structured feed. Melinda asks, "What's the benefit of RSS?"

The Benefit of RSS

Now that blogging has caught hold of all the Melchins, I'm guessing that you all have your daily routine of clicking through to check everyones blog for new posts. Right now you may have only a few blogs that you read, but once you really get into it, you'll find more that just family blogs -- you'll find blogs about blogs about cars, blogs about computers, and news blogs. I read 28 blogs on a daily basis -- only a few of them are the personal blogs of family members. Most of them are news and technology related blogs.

What if there were a way to have all the blogs you like to read, come to you in one place -- without you having to click all around blogger (and the Internet) to get to them. Sort of like subscribing to a blog you're interested in, and receiving new posts as they're made.

RSS Feed Readers

An RSS feed reader is a program that can consume thoses structured blog feeds I referred to, and present them to you, all togehter, in one place. There are dozens, maybe hundreds of RSS reader programs. Some are free, some have a modest fee. My personal favorite is called FeedDemon -- I've been using it for years. Here's a screenshot (click on the image below to see a lager view):


Here you can see a categorized list of all the feeds I subscribe to. Go ahead, download a feed reader, and give it a shot.

In my next installment, I'll show you how to subscribe to a feed.

RSS - Really Simple Syndication (Part 1)

Now that every single person I know in the whole world is blogging, it's fitting for the Blogfather to further enlighten the minds of my humble followers on a subject of real blogging import: Really Simple Syndication!

Really Simple Syndication (RSS, or a "feed" as it's affetionately known among geeky) is a protocol (read tool) for syndicating (read distributing) structured data (read blog posts).

Translation: RSS is a tool for distributing blog posts.

Every Blogger Blog has structured feed for distributing your blog posts. The feed for my blog can be found at http://tuscan.blogspot.com/atom.xml, if you use blogger as your blogging tool, you can see your feed by pointing your browser to: http://insert-your-blog-namehere.blogger.com/atom.xml. Some will point out that blogger doesn't use RSS, rather ATOM for syndication, but we'll discuss that is later posts. For now check out your feed, and in my next post, I'll show you how to use a "feed reader" to access all the blogs you read from a single screen.

Best Blog By a Melchin, or a Melchin Relative

Ever since I won the Judy Taylor award for Best Blog by a Melchin, or Melchin Relative, I've been under such pressure to produce the consistent high quality posts that vaulted me to where I am today. I don't want to do, as many A-list Holywood actors have done, by following up an Academy Award winning performance with a dud. I promise my fans that I will not disapoint!

Detractors may claim that Judy has diminished this award with a string of posts trying to cover up her true feelings -- but I am not shaken. True genious is always criticized, then copied...

Still Other's have tried win Judy's attention by adding glitz. I am confident that Judy will not be taken by such superficial maneuvers. Real blogging takes passion, character, grit.

Alas, I am left, the Godfather of Blogging, to watch over my followers, nay -- my blogging children (my "blogchild" if you will), and continue to deliver!

April 14, 2006

Started building a gate today (or should I say, JD and Jeff Shipley started building a gate today, and I watched). We'll fininsh it off tomorrow. Erin is so pleased to have a closed area for Matt. I think this summer I'll stain the fence, and we'll start to have some semblance of a back yard. Likley no deck until next year -- maybe.

Matt had a great time outside with me today. He needs to be outside and engaged -- it's really good for him. When the digging was done, we had the Taylor's over for pizza (Shipley's were doing some Easter event). I think the kids had a nice time together.

We went to dinner and a movie with Sean and Libby Haslam this evening. It was nice to go out and have some personal time.

April 12, 2006

Erin was sick today (mom's shouldn't be allowed to be sick). Mom helped out with Grace and Matt (I ended up going in to work really late). Mom took the kids to play in the MacDonald's playland, then for a Happy Meal. After that they went for a treat a 7-11. Grace went to school, and Matt went over to mom and dad's place. They all ended up a Lara's house to complete the afternoon.

I went to Lara's house to pick the kids up, and like a dummy, I left the car runing. Dummy. Matt wandered out and got in the car, and managed to put the car in gear. He drove the car into the Freiberg's garage door. Fortunately his legs aren't long enough to get he feet on the pedals. Frieberg's door was damaged (not really badly, but enough to leave a dent). Dummy.

I took the kids out for a hike in the ravine, which always ends up with me carrying Matt home on my back because he's soaking wet. This time was no different.

I had another late night last night at the stake presidency meeting. We finished up at about 12:50 AM. I think this may be the last of the real late meetings. Nice to see Melinda and Judy are now blogging. If we could just convince Amy and Keri (and heaven forbid, Cathy) to start, then all of my extended family would be bloggers!

If you're interested...

1. Elise & Kevin Wolff
2. Marge & Robb Wolff
3. Lara & Sean Freiberg
4. Melinda & Micheal Palmer
5. Judy Taylor
   

And my dad's old car blog, Cars of My Dreams

More photos of Matt

Erin woke up early this morning feeling quite ill. I didnt' go into work until quite late (later than normal) and mom came over and took the kids for the morning.

When Grace went to school, mom took Matt over to her place, so Erin could rest. Dad shot some really great photos while he was there.

Pictures Grace, Matt and Hannah

We had dinner with my folks on Sunday (as we normally do), and dad took some really great photos of the kids.

Foxy Mama!

 

Isabella Meets Hannah

Isabella Meets Hannah
Originally uploaded by scott.wolff.

Here's a great photo taken of Great Grandma Wolff with Hannah. We visited grandma Wolff in the hospital shortly before she died. This was the first, and only time grandma Wolff saw Hannah.

Indefatigable

Sean and I at the top of Mt. Idefatigable in August, 2002. 

Matt

Had dinner with the Melchins on Sunday. This is Matt sitting on a small table out in the play area. How can he be so cute and so agravating at the same time? 

Photo Says It All

Active Kids Photo Album

SmartFTP, or "Good Stuff is Better than Bad Stuff"

I'm a big fan of good stuff. Erin says I'm obsessive in some cases. I went looking for an FTP client today to upload some work on a website I'm working on, and I ended up downloading two pieces of FTP software. The first looked promising (it was a FireFox browser extention), but when I put it through it's paces, it kept locking up. This forced me to go looking for something else.

What I found was perhaps some of the nicest free software I've ever seen. SmartFTP, a program I'd never heard of, is hands down the nicest FTP program I've ever used. I just had to tell someone. Oddly enough, Kevin is the only person who will have the first clue as to what I'm even talking about.

Anyway, that's really all I intended to post, but if you've read this far, and didn't understand what I'm talking about, then here's a little bit for you...

Good stuff (be it software, car repairs, reclining chairs, customer service) is far better than bad stuff. Getting good stuff just knocks the socks off getting bad stuff.

I've had bad experiences at the following establishments, experiences that has led me to never patronize these locations since the experience. I can proudly say I haven't eaten at Taco Bell in well over four years (though I came close onece or twice).

1. The Brick (furniture and appliance store)
2. Tirecraft (Crowfoot location)
   
3. Taco Bell (specifically the Montgomery location, but they're all the same)
4. Vonage -- don't even get me started.
5. HP Parts Store (Canadian location). This is perhaps the single worst customer service incident I've ever experienced.
   

I've told those close to me (whose activities I can monitor closley) that if I ever hear that they have frequented one of these establishments, I will not speak to them for a week.

P.S. I just got a note from Kevin saying that since reading this post, he signed up for Vonage while sitting in the waiting area of Tirecraft, eating his Double Decker Taco Supreme and perusing a Brick catalog.

What Blogs Do You Read

I spent some time this evening rebuilding my computer and cleaning up my feed reader. I've eliminated all feed subscriptions other than the two dozen that I read most often. I'm curious to know what feeds other people read. Post a comment and let me know.

BubbleShare Photo Slideshow

I saw BubbleShare a few weeks ago, but it didn't do much for me. This morning, I learned that you can embed a BubbleShare slideshow in a blog post. Sweet.