Easter 2010

We had a great Easter this year. Conference was a nice touch to a perfect Easter Sunday. Here are some pictures of the kids dying eggs and in their Sunday best.

Our Little Eternity

Our Little Eternity

 

The Earth had become an inhospitable place. Not because of war, famine, or disease, but because earthquakes were literally breaking the planet into pieces. It seemed as though the Earth had finally given up. Cities were sunk into the oceans, and the masses were evacuated onto space stations to move the populous to Mars. My family was one of the lucky ones to make it onto a ship before the planet's surface had completely rolled over itself killing the billions that remained behind.

We were given living quarters to reside in while making the 7 month trip. We had two rooms to sleep in and a bathroom. Each room had a window displaying the infinite nothingness that filled the space between the scarce stars. My daughter, Scarlett, and two sons, Atticus and Haven, shared one room and my pregnant wife, Erin, and I slept in the other. She was only 2 months along and our youngest child was just over a year old. The living conditions weren't comfortable, but we were alive together which was all that mattered. Haven liked to stand against the window and smack it. I would always get angry at him and tell him to stop. Scarlett and Atticus always sneaked out of our quarters and roamed the ship. I told them that if they didn't stop, the captain wouldn't let us go to Mars.

 

The governments of earth had the foresight to send colonizing teams to Mars about a year ago when the earthquakes started. We heard news that the colony on Mars had been a success, and by the time we would arrive it would just barely be ready for us to move into a modular home. Erin was scheduled to give birth just after our arrival on the planet. Everything seemed like it would turn out alright after looking so bleak.

 

As the journey neared it's end, the ship arrival area on Mars filled up, and the remaining ships had to stay in orbit until cleared for landing. Ours was one of those ships. The surface of Mars seemed so close as we looked out our bedroom window, but we would have to wait a little longer. Disappointed, my wife and I left our children in our quarters to go ask the captain how long it would be until we could land. I told Haven to stay away from the window and Scarlett and Atticus to stay put.

 

We started toward the captain's quarters and looked out the windows in the hallway at the mess of ships trying to get organized. Less than a minute passed when suddenly an alarm sounded and a voice came over the PA system warning of a collision with another ship. There was no time to react as the two ships smashed together. The hallway we had just come though was violently ripped open and emergency systems were engaged to preserve the lives of those in areas not affected by the collision. Airlock doors closed quickly behind us, cutting us off from our children who had certainly been killed in the crash. We cried as the realization of our children's deaths came upon us.

 

Air was running out and our ship began an uncontrollable decent to the planet's surface without any way to land. We would have to evacuate immediately using escape pods which would allow us to get to another ship. We boarded a pod with 10 other survivors. My wife was the only pregnant woman. The pod quickly released it's grip from the main ship and we began floating away from our previous lives. After making it so far, our children were dead which left us both barely alive. From the small port hole we could see the dying ship amongst the multitude of other ships trying frantically to dodge each other while awaiting landing orders. Our previous home was destroyed, now only a symbol of our broken lives. It floated only a hundred feet from our reach.

 

As we awaited rescue, we drifted by the hallway we had just come down not 10 minutes earlier. Among the scattered debris we saw Scarlett and Atticus's bodies. They had left our quarters to follow after us. My wife cried inconsolably. Next, we passed the window that used to be our bedroom. It appeared intact, the light was still on. Just before floating out of view, we looked in shock as Haven innocently stood up against the window and playfully patted the glass with his hand, patiently waiting for his mommy's return. His mouth moved, and we swear we could hear his sweet, happy voice softly saying "da da".

 

We both helplessly cried out, "Haven!" We begged to go back, but the pod could not be steered, only picked up by another ship. He slipped silently and peacefully out of our view just as another craft twice the size of ours careened into the ship where Haven was, sending him to join his loving siblings. My wife screamed and slammed her fist on the window. Then she turned and buried her head in my chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. We wept deeply, and I held my sweet wife for the remainder of our trip to the surface.

 

Arriving at our new home on Mars, we tried to make due with what was left of our existence. Erin gave birth 6 days later to our new baby girl. The first baby born on Mars. We named her Eternity. A symbol to everyone, but mostly to us, that life would go on.

 

THE END

 

Saddest. Dream. Ever.

 

I woke up almost in tears.

 

-Stephen

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measles

Haven had his 12 month well visit and got his chicken pox , measles and mumps vaccine. 11 days later he woke up with spots, and a low fever. They got worse as the day went on, so I took him to the doctor. Well he has the measles. Supposedly only 5% of kids will get the measles from the live but weakened virus vaccine. Anyway he has been pretty miserable scratching and just not feeling well. Luckily the doctor said he shouldn't be contagious. I took a few pictures to show everyone and to put in his scrapbook. My poor baby!

Me Money

So I have a total of $135 that I got for my birthday and Christmas. This is the most perplexing amount of Me Money that I have ever acquired. "Me Money" is money that I get to spend on myself. If you don't already get what I mean, you must not have a mortgage, car payment, 3 children, and a budget that leaves very little to be put into a savings account. Me Money is usually very liberating. "I have $5 to spend on whatever I want," I might think as I pull up to BK to get an Angry Whopper. "$4000 will take a nice chunk out of the car loan," I say as I transfer it from one account to another. But $135 leaves me blank. My computer video card redently blew, leaving my gaming career on hiatus. "Easy," I thought, "a nice new video card to get me going again - an upgrade even." But no, my wife says no more games. Well then I might as well upgrade the RAM in my PC. But I don't want to be left with $80-$90 after buying it, because that is the level of Me Money that leads to poor investments. "Shoes?" suggests my wife. I have fine shoes, just bought some a few months ago. So, no. Food? Movies? Consumables just seem like a waste of money. Loss of investment. A watch? You haven't seen my pencil wrists. Legos would invariably be digested by one of my 3 children, if they survived - which would be a whole different level of financial setback I don't want to discuss. Car repairs? This is supposed to be for my BIRTHDAY. Car and home repairs are what the savings account is for. Having weighed all of my apparent options, I have decided to do what feels against my nature. I will hold onto it until something down the road catches my eye and I cannot resist it. How far down the road and how much interest I will have allocated to the sum by then is yet to be seen. But I have a feeling that the longer I wait, the more I will have...

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The end

As you can't see, my video card finally gave up on me. One too many rounds of CS:S GG took it to the gallows and dropped the floor out from under it. Snap. Back to the onboard card until... who am I kidding? This may very well be the end. But hey, at least my computer is 75% quieter. That overclocked 8600 put my vacuum to shame.

Tomorrow is a new day.

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Where you can find me

So I thought I would let everyone know the various places on the internet you can find me (or at least everywhere Postulous autoposts for me). Lots of redundancy, but by all means ignore everything I post if you aren't interested. I'm doing it as an excercise to keep myself well versed in the latest and greatest. I have to keep up my nerd status somehow...

Facebook.com/boxpowell
Boxpowell.blogspot.com
Boxpowell.wordpress.com
Powell.postulous.com
Twitter.com/tobidashi

By the way, this is my new deam car. Aston Martin has outdone itself this time.

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