More about some of that

[prog]

The fruit-picking mission got an extra kick by the fact that my iPhone's GPS + Google-mappiness proved quite useful in getting us there. At one point Nate-the-driver wasn't sure where we were, so I launched the phone's Maps and asked it to draw a line between our destination and wherever the heck we were. (I was able to specify our destination by launching Safari, googling the name of the orchard, then returning to Maps and hand-poking in the revealed street address.) We followed that line, and a little blue blip representing our current position obligingly poked down its length. It was accurate enough that I'd say "OK, we'll cross 495 in a second", a second before the foliage parted to reveal the overpass.

This shit still kind of astounds me. I'd say it was ST:TNG-type technology that's found its way into the real world, except that tricorders actually seem less flexible than modern smartphones do.

---

During their visit, my parents were very good about not mentioning politics of any sort. At one point I accidentally gave my dad a really juicy opening to pounce on, and I cringed, but he gingerly stepped around it instead. I was impressed. (Not that I said so.)

I can't tell if my mom is getting wackier or if I just notice it more for not seeing her very often. Retrospective analysis suggests that she's been a total fruitcake, god love her, for my whole life, but I'd be willing to believe that old age is simply giving her natural battiness a richer flavor. Anyway, in the few hours she visited, she confirmed that her fashion sense drifts ever further into Bozo-the-clown territory, revealed that she keeps a naked steak knife in her purse now (it's useful for going out to eat, see), and showed my girlfriend baby pictures, making sure to identify the ones where I had a load in my pants. OK, I had to laugh a little at that last one, but still.

Comments

[radtea.livejournal.com]

My mother (now in her 80's) is coming out for a visit this week and I found an old university yearbook at the market last weekend that's full of pictures of her at the age of 20 or so, including some in what were for the time moderately risque' outfits, which isn't quite as good as baby photos but close enough for turn-about.

[prog.livejournal.com]

To be fair, the photo album she brought was assembled by my brother Ricky, who stuffed in all the ancient family photos he could get his hands on. Lots of baby-jmac because those are the most recent ones, but there were a couple of shots of my mom in a swimsuit lounging on a beach circa 1950, enough to make her go "Oh, tch."

[keimel.livejournal.com]

and showed my girlfriend baby pictures,

Yeah, um, I've been taking pictures of my kids with the primary intention of embarrassing them in the future. This is a very definite act on my part.

;)

"Hey hon, get me the camera, the boys are naked outside again... "