Not a story

Exciting stuff going on at the James house last night. Four people, including a video crew, came over to interview our family. The reason was that we’re part of the e-NABLE family that has taken on the task of printing a hand for Tully ourselves. I picked up the downstairs (well, really just made one bigger pile of all the little piles), put all the dirty dishes in the dishwasher and folded the blankets that are usually strewn across the family room. Dad skipped rehearsal and he and mom brought the printer over and hung out with us. Then they each trickled in. We crowded around the kitchen table and we told our story. Turns out that we weren’t the story they were looking for.

e-NABLE is A Global Network Of Passionate Volunteers Using 3D Printing To Give The World A “Helping Hand.” We got involved with e-NABLE back when there were about 400 members in the Google+ community. Now there are over 5000 members. It is a group of amazing, inspirational, wonderful people to get to know. The reason we got involved is because my 10-yr old son Tully is missing his left arm below the elbow. A hand? Cool! Low cost 3D printed hand? Cooler! Glow in the dark hand? Coolest!!! Let me just say that our “e-NABLEr” Karyn totally understood what Tully would like. Lol!

To back up a little, Tully was born this way. The best advice we ever got was at Shriners when he was a baby - do not coddle this boy! They said we’d worry about how he’d do things with one hand and try to figure it out ourselves so that we could help him, but in the meantime, he will have already figured it out and have just done it. Truer words have never been spoken. Tully has no limits. We’ve put this kid into all kinds of sports. He is a boy. He needs to run around and play. So he happens to be missing a hand… who cares? In soccer, he usually wants to play goalie. We’re in the midst of registration for his third seasons on both our neighborhood swim team and the Cary Pop Warner football team. In a nutshell, he doesn’t NEED a hand.

Back to e-NABLE…

I asked Tully what he would do if he had two hands. We had just finished watching some snowboarding competitions. He said he really wanted to do these [crazy named don’t remember them] moves on a snowboard. Hmmm. What about tying your shoes? I can do that already. What about buttoning your pants? I can do that already. How about any other regular day to day things you can’t do? I’m good. I got the message that he doesn’t NEED a hand.

At the time we joined e-NABLE, the hand designs were only wrist actuated devices. Tully has a little bit of arm below his elbow that bends, but not a wrist. No problem. Let’s talk about it. It’s fun to be on the research side of stuff. Anything we can do to help? Turns out he couldn't care less that it be at the same distance down his arm as his hand, so let’s give this a whirl. Karyn printed out a cool glow in the dark hand, came over and we all put it together. Managing Tully’s expectations was pretty easy - I explained this is all experimental, we’re helping with design, and it may take several iterations if it even ends up working at all.

Well, it didn’t really work. Once it was all put together, it took way too much force to get the hand to close. Also, the velcro straps on his arm pinched a lot as he bent his elbow. We tried a bunch of tweaks, but figured out quickly this one wouldn’t work. That’s ok. That was still fun.

While we paused on the printing (we all have crazy awesome busy lives too), Karyn got a booth for e-NABLE at the NC Maker Faire. What an awesome event!!! Tully and I were totally in on manning the booth with her (well, me really and Tully along because he happens to be the kid without a hand). I love sharing our story and the coolness of this idea and the fabulous people of e-NABLE. Karyn really did all the hard work (setup, coordination, even making us t-shirts). We just showed up. That was mine and Tully’s first Maker Faire. Wow! Needless to say, Tully couldn’t have cared less about the hand stuff and spent almost the entire day occupying himself at the other booths around the Faire.

Then a new design came out. This time, Karyn printed out all the pieces, she and I met at Starbucks, and I took home a ziplock bag full of hand parts for T and I to put together ourselves. Independence is good! It’s how I’m raising my kids and I was all on board with that. It was fun! Basically, it was like playing with Legos. We gathered all the tools (files, string, pliers, and stuff) and set to work. This hand was looking big. Like man sized big. Hmmm. Well, we figured let’s keep going to see it finished. There are a lot of little holes to thread string through on these designs. Sometimes the printer doesn’t print them completely clear, so you have to file/break out a little of the plastic. No worries… until your tool breaks off in one of the holes. Oh. Let’s push it out from the other side. And then the tool broke off on the other side. Well darn. No worries. You didn’t need a thumb, Tully, right? Lol! He didn’t care. It was so big and clunky that strapping it on was kind of crazy too. He didn’t use it. Well, we had a fun mother/son bonding time putting it together (always looking for the good). :)

So we paused again. No worries. On with our regular programming.

Then Google donated a Makerbot printer and a huge box of filament to e-NABLE for us to start printing. What? That’s so incredibly awesome!! Tully - We’re going to print your hands ourselves and print them for others (at least that is what I thought at the time). There are so many hands in that box!!! So we pulled the printer out of the box, set it up, read a little about calibration and started printing. Turns out one of the main rods was displaced in shipping. I called Makerbot and they were totally awesome about supporting the cause too and shipped a part. I couldn’t figure out how to get this thing apart to put the new part in. I tried a bunch of things but still couldn’t figure it out.

At this point we were in the midst of swim team season, which led into football season and soccer season. If you have kids, that’s all I need to say. If not, let’s just say I had negative free time available. So it sat. And sat. And sat.

I talked to the technology teacher at school about sending it in there, but they were in the middle of losing/gaining principals, so the timing wasn’t good. Maybe in a few months.

I’m not sure why it took me so long (maybe because of all the sleep I missed during the negative time available), but I finally realized that my Dad was the PERFECT person to take this on. Doesn’t every retired, gadget loving, Life is Good shirt wearing grandpa need another project? Let me just say that within hours, Dad was printing. For the record, he really is the most awesome dad/grandpa. My parents have been in on this adventure with us from the start, so the whole idea was far from new. From the beginning, Dad has been talking about how this is cool, but not really a good design because [insert technical words here about automated and individual parts that I didn’t really understand but nodded anyway]. Well, that’s all good Dad, but this is what we have to work with today.

So Dad, would you mind downloading the new RIT arm from this site and printing it out for T? That’s as much as I can help. Cool? Awesome. Thanks so much. And then I went back to my regularly scheduled chaotic schedule. Dad on the other hand, dug in. He reached out to the designers, talked to the guy next to him at the town band practice, talked to others, printed stuff, downloaded new software, tweaked things, printed stuff, purchased some other software, printed stuff. In a nutshell, he put in the kind of time that I surely don’t have and really appreciate him doing.

So far, there are a few things I’ve learned:

• Parts take a long time to print. Like really long. There was one part that took 9 hours. Nine!
• Spools of filament are not always rolled on the spool nicely. When things are printing through the night and there is a little twist, the filament spool stops moving and therefore stops feeding the filament through. Serious pain in the rear.
• There are some technical limitations connecting your computer to the printer. Dad’s cool fancy computer in the kitchen can’t be hard wired to the printer.
• If you can’t hard wire the computer to the printer, you better hope you saved those memory cards from your old camera because the printer wants a max of 2GB. Like a really old camera.
• A 10-yr old does not have patience to watch something print that takes hours.
• A 10-yr old likes to print pumpkins and Batman batarangs. Hand smand. Whatevs.
• The open-source part of the process is the tip of the iceberg. Downloading files is easy. It’s the rest of it that has a cost in both time and money.

Apparently, all of this does not make an inspirational story worthy of an open-source company’s annual conference. They were looking for a family that downloads and 3D prints a hand together with a boy that cannot live without his open-sourced 3D hand. What they found was a family that loves open-source availability, online collaboration and development, teaching a kid about how the process works to design, test and iterate through the process again.

They met a family that thinks this whole idea of 3D printing is awesome and cannot wait to see where it leads (including the idea to make a steak knife attachment that was mentioned last night), but doesn’t think these hands or the RIT arm is the end all be all for this kid.

They met a family that loves to talk about all the things Tully can do with one hand.

They met a kid that thought he totally scored when the videographers wanted to play video games with him to see how he used the controllers with only an elbow and one hand. On a school night.

They met a kid that really doesn’t think a 3D printed hand is as big a deal as all of the adults think it is.

It was a little awkward when they realized we were not the story they were looking for. I hope I made it clear that it did not hurt our feelings at all that they decided not to film us or include us as part of their inspirational piece on open-source. This is our story.

I hope they left knowing the inspirational story of our family is that they met a boy that doesn’t NEED a hand. He is perfect how he was born.

Fruit makes it a salad, right?

Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter just aren't right without it. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, like the sweet, creamy, crunchy, green goodness. And it is perfectly beautiful in one of those crystal bowls that your Great Aunt gave you, so pull one out of the cupboard, rinse the dust out of it, and display it proudly during a holiday meal.

Watergate Salad

I'm hearing angels sing. Aren't we lucky that it goes perfectly well with both turkey and ham? And it just gets yummier the next day. Thanksgiving is all about the leftovers, right? Well, for half of my family (lucky us), we HAVE to have it or the holiday meal just isn't right.

I looked up recipes on the internet, but they all appear to have half of the ingredients we use. So... lucky you gets to see our version. Hope you enjoy it as much as we do. And if there are parts and pieces you don't like, just leave them out.

Pull a tub of Cool Whip out of the freezer so it can start thawing. Mix together a box of instant pistachio pudding with a can of undrained crushed pineapple (the ~15 oz size). Drain a can of fruit cocktail (I always get the one with extra cherries) and mix that in. Fold in the tub of Cool Whip. You can do up to here the day before and stick it in the fridge. Not too long before serving, mix in coconut, slivered almonds, and mini marshmallows. As much or as little of each as you want. Put it all in a pretty bowl. If you are feeling extra decorative, halve maraschino cherries and decorate the top.

Not only is this a yummy side dish, it makes a great breakfast with a side of pumpkin pie.

Better than blind Christine's coconut lime sorbet?

I get a real kick out of watching all the Gordon Ramsey shows. Sometimes my kids watch with me, other shows I watch without them because I don't want them to talk like Gordon. What's funny is I really don't cook. I do make meatloaf, ham and bean soup, muffins, bacon... that's about it. I'm much better at warming up things that other people make. But I do love watching other people make magic. It was a super proud parenting moment one night when my son told me that I should cook this dinner if I'm ever on that show with the guy that says bad words and the three judges. Oh, you are the sweetest son in the whole world and I love you sooo much. If you ever see me on MasterChef, I'll be making mac 'n cheese with peas and ham.

Well, one of my co-workers really should go on this show. He is a chemical engineer and a total foodie. He is the main cook in his house completely spoiling his wife and (now grown) daughters. One of his daughters used to babysit for me and I'll never forget she told me she actually lost weight when she went off to college because the food was so much worse than at home. LOST weight. Just can't relate. Whenever he hosts our group socials or offers to bring a dish, the obvious answer is always a resounding YES! I'll be there to eat your food. When you travel with him you know you will NEVER eat at Applebee's or Wendy's. In fact, you're better off just letting him order for the table wherever you go.

We typically have opposite tastes in entertainment. The one show I found we could talk about together is MasterChef. We both watched this last season, chatting about how cool it was that Christine could do her thing without seeing and how much each contestant progressed through the season. After the finale, we critiqued their menus (me in awe of the fact they actually cook, him reviewing techniques and recipes). The very last thing that Christine served to the judges was a coconut lime sorbet. Me - amazed. All he said was "mine is better."

I made his last night. A.MAZ.ING. You have to make it. Ridiculously delicious. Here is the recipe as provided:

Hecht’s Coconut Lime Sorbet
1 can (15 oz.) of coconut cream (find the richest in fat you can >20% is best)
Zest from 1 lime
~¼” inch of fresh ginger root, slice thinly then minced finely
Juice of two limes
~1/2 cup sugar
~1/2 cup coconut flakes
2-3 oz. of rum

Blend the sugar, ginger and the cream together in a blender. I generally add sugar a little at a time until it is as sweet as I want it by taste. Then I add the zest. Then add the juice and rum. Re-taste: you do want it sweet (the cold reduces sweetness) but you do not want to lose the tartness.  Lastly the coconut flakes. Freeze in an ice cream maker.

I learned a few things:

1. You have to plan ahead. The ice cream maker is supposed to be frozen BEFORE making your ice cream.
2. The ice cream maker doesn't take it all the way to ready to eat. You'll need to put it in a container, cover it with plastic wrap inside the container, and freeze it for a few hours to get it to the right consistency.
3. I want more of his sorbet recipes. He is doing something with peaches and amaretto tonight...
4. He was right. This has to be better than blind Christine's.

5, 12, 16, and 22

These aren't the winning lotto numbers, these are the ages I was when I met the 4 other adults I joined for vacation this summer. As my girl would say... for realz!

As teenagers, we used to hang out at Lake Thoreau in Reston, VA. You know, while listening to OMD, Erasure, Steve Miller, etc., wearing Croakies with our Tom Cruise looking shades, and hiding beer in the water. Well, I just bought 2 new pairs of Croakies (because I really don't want to lose my prescription shades), our kids can fetch us the beer, and I have the Best of Erasure on my iPod. Now we're even better at hanging out at the lake or the beach because we know how precious that time really is.

Our first beach trip was probably Ocean City, MD in high school. No comment. We upgraded to renting houses along the Outer Banks, including Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Nags Head, and Rodanthe, until we started having kids. This year we had a short window of time, so we rented a fantastic house at Lake Gaston. But our favorite is still our almost annual week at Ocean Isle Beach in southern NC. We always stay on the west end and really love to be oceanfront, with a pool as the kicker. You know, it is important to have that secondary rinse after spending all day on the beach.

View of Ocean Isle Beach from The Isles

Our vacations together go something like this with small variations dependent on the location:

• drink coffee on the porch in pjs until 10ish while kids do something somewhere else (a little fuzzy what they do)
• command all in the house to put on bathing suits
• step over and around cereal on the floor to find beach bags with sunblock and go through a few cans coating everyone sufficiently to spend hours and hours in the sun
• establish our base camp on the beach
• toss copious quantities of chips at the kids every so often to keep them fortified
• boogie board and play in the water 
• dig lots of holes, paths, hot tubs, dams in the sand and make drip castles
• discuss ice cream flavor selection for later in the day
• keep eyes peeled for Sunset Slush (on the beach at Ocean Isle) - must be loyal to ONLY the yellow and white striped umbrella, no others will do - and dance around while it takes another hour to make it to your part of the beach once it has been spotted
• take a late afternoon dip in the pool to rinse off the sand
• road trip to Calabash Creamery - must be loyal to the cows (drive right on by the creamery in Ocean Isle... wannabe) - waking kids upon arrival
• enjoy ice cream in the rocking chairs on the porch
• take annual pictures of kids by the cows
• discuss tomorrow's ice cream flavor 
• drive back to Ocean Isle
• feed kids something for dinner, doesn't really matter what because you are on vacation
• order takeout for adults from Causeway (the BELT is the best, unless you are in the mood for the Avo Pavo or The Blue Beast) or the Jamaican place (fall off the bone ribs, coconut shrimp, or even goat). 
• drink wine* on the porch while kids do something somewhere else (again a little fuzzy what they do)
• send kids to bed
• drink wine on the porch
• eat Brian's famous snack mix**
• drink wine on the porch
• laugh laugh laugh and appreciate that this is the kind of relaxation you only get with those you've known for most of your life

We are ridiculously predictable. And we are perfectly happy with that.

*May be substituted with margaritas, dependent on the year and the diets.
**May contain nuts. May also contain Doritos, Fritos, Cheetos, pretzels, Goldfish, and any other salty crunchy type stuff that can be found in the stash of vacation munchies.

Our crew on the front porch at Calabash Creamery

Annual pic with Scoop and Dip at Calabash Creamery

What you'll be if you have too many

The Mess. Between us that is all we have to say and we know we're talking about our favorite drink at The Point. It is one of those vodka, vodka, vodka, and a squeeze of lime kind of drinks that go down way too easily.

When the server took my order you could tell he knew I'd been there before. We shared one of those all knowing secret smiles before he said "ooohhhh good choice." And since his sister was tending bar that night, he told her to make it extra good for me. I really do love the south and the intimate relationships you make with strangers. 

So you know there are more things than just beverages at The Point, the build your own burgers are awesome and the chicken pot pie is delish. I was able to get a spinach salad as my side instead of fries. You know... 'cause I eat healthy and all. ;-) It has that cool adult local hangout feel even though there are families with kids enjoying it too. And if you are still hungry after, it is across the street from the fabulous desserts at Hayes Barton, but those deserve a post all their own.

It began with the pomegranate martini

The talk of starting a blog began with our running commentaries on the pomegranate martinis sampled at various restaurants around the Triangle. For example, the pom martini at Bonefish is awesome, while the fizzy pom martini wannabe at Tribeca Tavern really disappointed. Sometimes we branch out to other drinks, such as the one at Hayes Barton that we can never remember, but remember which server made it and just ask her each time for "that really good drink that you made last time we were here."

Now, with a lot more martinis, restaurants, and trips behind us, we know we love to eat, enjoy our beverages, have a ball traveling, and laugh all the time. Life is short. Why waste time not enjoying it to the fullest? And if we can make someone else laugh with our sense of what tickles us, why not share?

Fair warning, posts will most likely be my opinion based solely on unprofessional criteria totally dependent on my mood at the time. I tend to take a ton of photos of food, beverages, and other people (a la people of wal-mart), so that should at least keep it visually interesting around here. I get a kick out of trying local food and beer when I travel, so will include that kind of stuff too.

This is pretty much going to be a big dumping ground for food, drink, travel, and anything else interesting at the time kind of place. I hope you enjoy it.

And in case you were wondering, the header photo was taken last weekend from the balcony of our room at the Hampton Inn Oceanfront in Myrtle Beach. Totally recommend it, especially when you pay with points. :-)