New Family Blog

The Lindgren's are here.

You'll likely see us post on this new blog, as we venture deeper into the wilderness of the midwest.

See Snow Storm...

Well, today is an "inside day." It's supposed to get as cold as -12 degrees today! To be fair, it has been pretty "nice" before all of this, and it was great to see the HUGE full moon last friday in a huge open sky with no cityscapes to block our view.

I got proofing on the brain.

Holy Crap! We're Here! Now what... ...

Well, we made it. It wasn't easy, but we did it. We already miss Oregon and all of our friends back yonder.

The move was a bit rough. Laura tweaked her back while moving, so I had to load the truck and clean the apartment by myself. Luckily Carol (Laura's mom) cleaned some stuff before she left, so the kitchen wasn't too bad.

On the road trip, Ava got sick again. She looks terrible, and it broke our hearts to see her with red swollen eyes, a nasty cough,and a runny nose, but our little stinker was really really good. It helped that we invested in a DVD player for the trip.

On a sidenote, if any of you know about these portable DVD players, you'll maybe know that there isn't really any mounting system to put it in your car. Well, luckily I had a McGyver moment and fashioned together a DVD mounting system with a piece of string from my hoodie, a piece of cardboard lying around, some tape, and some velcro I got at Target for under $2. And it worked! Go me!

Well, the road was long, but we finally rolled into Fargo last night around 8pm and while driving along 1-29 we saw the big Stamart sign flashing with the time, deals on "Fargo" sweaters and shirts, and then it told us what the temperature was outside of our warm car cabins. It flashed, "6 degrees." Ugh!

Last night, we pulled into my parents' place some time after 8:30pm. When we got here there was a little bit of snow on the ground. This morning it's a winter wonderland, snowing like crazy (and I have yet to begin unloading the truck!). I feel like I'm five again, experiencing these things anew. Yet, this time around my bones feel the cold like never before.

The good news is we never really hit hard weather on the way here. The two mountain passes were a breeze, and thanks to the Hall's, we got to stay in Stites, ID at the Idaho Sportsman Lodge. All I can say is "WOW!" The ISL is amazing, and the Chatterbox is the coolest little spot in the area, and I thoroughly enjoyed the Denver omelette wrap. It was the size of my arm!

Well, I know this post is a bit spastic and not finished, but I got stuff to do and no time to edit revise, so you get streamofconciousness Chris.

Disgusted

AP Press Release: Wal-Mart worker dies after shoppers knock him down.

Witnesses told the Daily News that before the store was closed, eager shoppers streamed past emergency crews as they worked furiously to save the worker's life.

"They were working on [the employee], but you could see he was dead," said Halcyon Alexander, 29. "People were still coming through."

I am sure I want be the only blogger to blog about this, but what am I going to do with these feelings. I am in shock. I know I am personally affected by consumerism with things like guitar gear, but I still try and find the best deals buying used, and most of the time I sell used things to get the money to purchase the gear. This year our family has made the gifts for our family for Christmas. I don't say these things because I believe I am better than the next person, but I say them because I hope someone reads it and sees there is another way to get a good deal.

This also brings up the issue of who is at fault. The companies at large for cramming this crescendo of deals into one ugly morning after a day of "Thanks," or the people who decide who choose to bite. Another example of giving the people what they "want" while it buryies the fate of another, i.e. getting something at the LEAST cost to ourselves, inherently asks MORE of someone else. It's basic science.

What are entrances on Black Friday going to look like now? Bouncers? Maybe a new restrictive state law? It's horrible that this has to happen so that we 'learn' from it.

Maybe I CAN Be Wolverine! Schickity Schnick!

A group at George Washington University "is studying the effects of using a cold plasma atmospheric jet on tissue using fibroblast cells." (PhysOrg.com)

Their findings can be applied to nano-scale surgery, obsolescing lasers, and that hackjob to the left of us. What is even cooler is the following:

"At The George Washington University, the team has shown how that certain processes can be triggered in cells, and there are potential applications if more can be learned about how cells work when reacting with this atmospheric plasma. Stepp says that studying cell movement, as illustrated by this experiment, can be of benefit in wound healing studies. 'Being able to control the rate of cell migration could enhance wound healing – or even inhibit it, if that is what’s needed.'"

I love it when comic book technology inches into real life. I will definitely be the next Wolvie. But note, not the next Deadpool. (Yes, I just realized I gave away my extremem nerd-i-ness.) At least I'm not the guy below; albeit cool claws and all.

How Infinite (universe), How Finite (me)

"In this image released by NASA, a dust ring, seen in red, surround the star Fomalhaut, that resides at the center of the image, and not visible to the human eye in this image. The Hubble Telescope discovered the fuzzy image of the planet, known as Fomalhaut b, which is no more that a white speck in the lower right portion of the dust ring that surrounds the star." (SETH BORENSTEIN, AP Science Writer)

Go see the fuzzy photos for yourself here.