12/26/2019

2019, it seems we barely knew ya!

Sitting down to write this yearly update and I realized that I have not posted anything since this time LAST year! That just validates the title above, proving that time keeps marching on, regardless of how hard we try to keep up. But now it is time to slow down a bit, and once again share what brought joy to our family in 2019.

Once the student, now the master! Yes, after several years of coursework on top of a full time job, Samantha has earned her Master's Degree in Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Education from CU Denver. As the Assistant Site Director and Curriculum Specialist at Wildflower pre-school, she has been shaping the lives of little ones for several years now. Though it leaves her drained at the end of each day, it doesn't stop her from delivering another one-of-a-kind educational experience the very next day. Justin is now mostly recovered from a spinal fusion surgery that he had in September to correct a pinched nerve in his neck. Now back to work at Arryved, he says he's at about 85% and feeling much better overall. In the coming year, Sam and Justin hope to abandon apartment living and find a house where they and their cat, Winnie Cooper, can spread their arms and paws out a little bit.

Adam and Lauren are in the final phases of wedding planning, and we will all be departing to the sunny beaches of  Mexico in March 2020! The ceremony will take place at Dreams Playa Mujeres Golf and Spa Resort and we will be spending several days together with family and friends celebrating with them. Adam continues his position at Amazon as a Transportation Operations Manager, while Lauren is filling a new role in HR at Cochlear Americas and working on an MBA degree at Western Governors University. After a year in their Denver apartment, they too are toying with the idea of another move soon, perhaps even a house they can call their own.

In February, Nick finished his coursework at Johnson and Wales University and received his Bachelor's Degree at commencement in May. Watching him walk across the stage to finalize his college journey was truly a triumphant moment in his life, and it definitely was the same for his family who shared that moment with him. In true Nick Wayne style, he was the ONLY one who threw his cap in the air at the conclusion of the ceremony! Glad to see somebody willing to uphold the traditions of academia, GEEZ! Nick has been volunteering at Wildflower with Sam, teaching the kids how to make fun, healthy snacks and how to have fun in the kitchen. He has enrolled in some classes starting in January 2020 to begin exploring the possibility of  becoming a high school teacher where he can, in his words, "Instill the same passion for the culinary arts in kids, the same way it was instilled in me."

As if raising our own three amazing children wasn't enough, Maura and I are still playing a big role in raising the adorable, mischievous twins, Emmett and Michael. We even had the honor of becoming their Godparents in February! Of course, it is Maura's paid job to care for these two dynamos, but they have become very much a part of our family and are on the verge of turning 3 years old! Maura takes the first shift when they arrive each weekday morning, and I offer her relief when I get home from work around 4:00, until their mother picks them up around 6:00. We can attest that caring for twins is more than twice the work, as they often still seem to use their own language to plot against us. To them it is obviously just play and we have to treat it that way, but it will be nice when the day comes that we don't have to chase them around the kitchen just to put their coats and/or shoes on. All in all, the daily shenanigans of these rascals still bring lots of laughs and smiles to our home, and for that we are grateful.

Thanks for sharing the joys that we were graced with this year. Our hope is that your lives were equally as wonderful, if not more. Remember to slow down and enjoy each moment with your family during the holidays, because sometimes that is the only time you get to do so. God bless and we hope you have a spectacular new year ahead!

                                                                           The Stauffers



12/30/2018

Another year over...

Season's greetings everyone!

Despite not getting our annual Christmas letter sent out this year, the Stauffer family is alive and well! Thank you to all of you who sent your season's greetings to us by traditional mail, sorry we did not get a physical card sent to you in return. That said, I offer you this blog post as a way to share our year with you before 2018 comes to a close.

Maura and I continue to hold down our humble fort on 7th Ave. You may think this isn't much of an achievement, being that we are empty nesters, but since Maura is a daytime nanny for the mischievous twins, Emmett and Michael, we are LITERALLY holding down the fort! Daily, we turn our upstairs area into a virtual playpen, with plastic fences and gates cordoning off dangerous and/or delicate areas where the nearly two-year old twosome could wreak havoc or get injured. Through October and November, I was able to experience first-hand how incredibly difficult being a nanny is! Maura had torn her rotator cuff at the end of September, so I altered my work schedule (nights and weekends) in order to stay home during the day to hone my "manny" skills while she recuperated from shoulder surgery. Guys, if you've never taken the reins of the child care sleigh, let me tell you... it is not for the weak, neither physically nor mentally speaking. We owe SO much to the women in our lives who are typically the ones tasked with tirelessly raising our worlds younglings, we really do!

Samantha and Justin are doing well and celebrated their one year anniversary in July. They share their cozy Boulder apartment with a gorgeous cat named Winnie Cooper, the feisty feline model showcased on Justin's Instagram. Samantha expects to finish her Master's Degree early next year, while concurrently working full time at Wildflower Preschool. It also looks like she will begin tackling a PhD soon... damn, that gives me shivers! We are so proud of her drive, motivation, and goal to become a world class educator!

Adam and Lauren got engaged! While celebrating 5 years of dating in March, our son asked for Lauren's hand in marriage on the shores of Cancun! Our family is enormously blessed to have such a wonderful, smart, compassionate young woman commit to join our family's brand of madness for life! They are both quite excited and  looking forward to January when they move into a new apartment. They will be closer to their jobs and will be living in a vibrant Denver area known as the River North Art District or "RiNo." Making wedding plans will likely be the biggest focus for them in 2019. We can't wait for the big day in March, 2020 when they will become Husband and Wife!

In just two short months Nick will be graduating with his Bachelor's Degree in Restaurant, Food & Beverage Management. This is something we plan to celebrate BIG TIME when the graduation ceremony commences in May and he exits through the Robert E. Taylor Gates, marking the end of his academic career at Johnson & Wales University! We are in awe of the grace and fortitude shown by Nick to finish out his course work while simultaneously focusing on his health and wellness. It's been just over a year and a half since his accident and he is the one telling us that everything is going to be alright. Just a few days ago, we expressed how we wished that he could have his leg back and he emphatically said to us, "I don't! I'm a better person now because of it! I would never trade the friendships that were strengthened and the new friendships that were forged because of my injury." We're not sure where this young man gets his wisdom and strength, but it is certainly something our whole family has come to rely on and lean on.

Well, that's our year in a nutshell. I'd say we came out of 2018 unscathed for the most part. We hope you find yourselves in the same frame of mind as we all head into 2019 with hope, kindness, and lots of love!


                                               Happy New Year! 

  
                                                  The Stauffers








9/14/2017

The Old Man Goes to Seattle

Tomorrow I'll be departing to Seattle to attend my first electronic dance music (EDM) festival. WHAT??? What is a fifty year old man doing, partaking of such craziness you ask? Allow me to rewind a bit. Both of our sons, Adam and Nick, 25 and 21 respectively, were drawn into the EDM scene as teenagers. Each one of them found their identity there, among an amazing community of their own. This community has faithfully stood by Nick while he heals and the bond that these close brothers already shared was only strengthened through this brand of music.

Nick saved money for over a year to travel to Seattle and witness the glory of Above & Beyond 250, a music festival that he holds in high regard. Adam and Lauren were set to go with him too, but were ultimately unable to make it happen with their busy schedules. In the end, Nick will get to see this show with his buddies, Jake, Ryan, Mikey... and THEO...ld man!

That brings the story back to me. I don't want you to think I'm just taking one for the team. Having witnessed the healing effect that one particular A&B song had on Nick while he was in the hospital, I knew he needed to get to Seattle and my wife agreed. Tickets were bought and everybody was at ease. The song "Alright Now," the one featured at the bottom of his blog page, will forever remind me of Nick's strength and perseverance through his challenge. So sharing this experience with him is going to be a real gift, and for that I am thankful.

Wish me luck!

8/19/2017

"Yeah, but what do you DO at NIST?"

I'm often asked what I do at NIST. Most people know that the atomic clock is housed in my facility, but what they don't know is that there's hundreds of other exciting science experiments taking place daily on the sprawling Department of Commerce site, nestled up near the base of Boulder's magnificent flatirons. When the building now known as the Katharine Blodgett Gebbie Laboratory was being erected (take a moment and release inner 6th grader giggles), we had the foresight and were granted the go-ahead to include a helium recovery system in the structure (thanks Obama)! This was a major necessity for the site, not only for the many experiments that require the low temperature environment that liquid helium provides, but also because helium is a non-renewable resource on our planet. Once that party balloon pops, people, that bit of helium escapes our atmosphere and is gone forever, forever... forever...!

Filling a Dewar with liquid helium
For the lion's share of my career, 1987-2013, I was an electronics technician in a project that characterized superconductors, the mystical wires that carry thousands of amps of DC current with no resistance. The types of superconductors that we studied were the low-temperature kind employed today in electromagnets such as what you would find in an MRI machine. Now for these superconducting wires to put on their capes and do their superconducting thing, they must be cooled down to around 9 Kelvin (-443 °F) or below. This is achieved by using liquid helium which provides a 4 Kelvin environment.

While the research of low-temperature superconductors was winding down at NIST, the new building was going up and our helium recovery system was going in. When the Gebbie laboratory opened in April 2012, we had the new capability of recapturing the helium gas that was exhausted from our experiments and reprocessing it into liquid to use again in other experiments. That's what brings me to my present station at one of the finest science institutions of our nation. I'm the guy running NIST-Boulder's helium recovery and liquefaction facility, herding and wrangling helium atoms, keeping them safe and happy here with us on Earth. My weekly tasks include, but are not limited to:

  • Taking roll call of where all the helium is. Which atoms are in gas form and which ones are in liquid form? When totaled, it is equivalent to ~3000 liquid liters of helium.
  • Determining and keeping a pulse the scientists' needs to keep their important research steaming ahead.
  • Filling the containers (called Dewars) with the cold liquid and delivering to their labs.
  • Keeping some of the research magnets in my area filled with the magic cold juice.
  • Running the helium liquefier to convert all the recovered gas back into liquid.
  • Hunting down escape routes for the tricky little helium atoms with a handheld leak detector.
  • and of course, doing all of the above while keeping safety at the forefront!
So there you have it, the answer to your burning question of "what the fuck do you do there?" What about you? What's your job?

8/13/2017

In the blink of an eye...

Where, oh where did my summer go? As I sit here in the middle of August, wondering just how many times I'll have to cut the grass before Fall rolls in,  I'm realizing that this particular summer was a mere flash-in-the-pan, a carnival ride that took us from zero to 100 and back again in an instant. Simply put, the events of the summer of 2017 redirected the lives of my family forever.

It started out on the calm evening of May 20th. I was about to go to bed. I had a busy Saturday ahead of me, helping get Nick moved to a new apartment that was closer to his school. The phone rang and it was Nick's friend Tyler. Nick had fallen while attending a concert at Red Rocks and dislocated his left knee. My wife and I are no strangers to late night ER meetups with one of our three kids, not that they're particularly clumsy or anything, it's just that shit happens. Well, what we thought would amount to a couple of months of Nick wearing a leg brace quickly and unexpectedly escalated to the possibility of him losing his leg! An artery in his knee had been severed and the next week was a vigilant effort to reestablish blood flow in his leg. In the end, all efforts failed and Nick, with us at his side, made the tough decision to amputate his leg above the knee. The procedure went well and after 17 days in the hospital, we brought our 21 year old baby boy home (Nick is the youngest, so he'll always be baby to us). So there we were at a crossroads. A quote attributed to Yogi Berra rang true at that moment, "When You Come to a Fork in the Road, Take It!" What other choice does one have, right?

Through the month of June, Nick started conquering all of the new challenges that his situation presented him with. His mobility is increasing daily, as he patiently waits to be cleared to start prosthesis, but for now he has to accept living with Mom and Dad again and start improvising how he accomplishes daily tasks. A positive attitude is what is required to get around with a walker and a wheelchair. Fortunately, positivity is Nick's biggest asset and he continues to inspire us with his fortitude everyday.

July brought us to a long awaited joyous event, the wedding of our daughter, Samantha! So much planning went into that day, 7/7/17, and it went off without a hitch. Samantha was the most beautiful I had ever seen her and her groom was ever so dashing in his bow tie. The night went by far too quickly, as parties tend to do when you're the host, but fun was had by all and we went to sleep that night with a very real sense that everything was gonna be OK.

So now, here we are in the middle of August. Samantha, now Mrs. Crowe, is approaching the start of her career as a teacher, Adam and Lauren are planning a move to Denver soon to continue chasing their dreams together, Nick is preparing to get up on a new leg and get back to school to finish his Bachelor's degree, Maura began watching twin baby boys daily at our house, and I found new purpose in getting up everyday and doing the job I love and have been doing for nearly 30 years. All of our lives are very different than they were back in May... and it all happened in the blink of an eye.

11/29/2016

Joyful... Why not me, lately?

I know I'm not alone saying that there are plenty of things bringing me down right now. They're on my mind daily, just like you, and they will be on my mind tomorrow. For just a moment I need to pause and grab onto things that make me joyful, so here we go with a short list. I won't even make you click through to read each of these three things I identified over the last week or three.

1. Hands down, the best therapy recently was road trippin' with my best friend, my wife. Stupid jokes that we only get. Snacks on deck that were made to kill us. Awesome classic tunes bellowing from the speakers. No snow on the road between us and Fruita and the same on the way home after a wonderful Thanksgiving with her sister's family. SHE is my best medicine, SHE keeps me grounded!

2. Seeing the world through my adult children's eyes. Though I am getting older, and my three 20-something kids don't think I'm listening all the time, I hear every word they say. Their worries, dreams, fears, and triumphs all ride shotgun with me each and every day, an obligation that I hold dearly.

3. Reading to our five-year-old Goddaughter. She knows which book she wants to hear just as much as I know which book I want to read. Ms. Ayda has me wrapped pretty tightly. She brings patience back into my life. Not that it's a skill that I'm lacking greatly in, but I do have my moments. She somehow brings me back to a place where kind words, sympathy, love, and wonder all meet.

These are the things that will get me back up tomorrow, and the next day, and the next day...

2/25/2015

Fomo and Knowmo

A creature named "Fomo" (Fear of missing out) has been lurking in all of our lives for quite a while now. You've felt its presence. I know I've felt it. Fomo creates a very real feeling in today's highly-interconnected, digital culture that we need to always stay electronically connected. Fomo is a motherfucker who tags behind you all day, asking how much longer it's gonna be before the two of you two can sit down and find out what EVERYBODY is saying, doing, writing, watching, listening to, eating, feeling, reading, driving to, climbing, jumping off of, flying to, or camelbacking to! Don't get me wrong, it's perfectly acceptable to hang out with Fomo every now and then, for the sole purpose of introducing you to many intriguing people.

However, if you're looking for a way to escape the madness that Fomo creates, meet Fomo's wise, soft spoken sibling, "Knowmo." Knowmo reminds you that it's OK to slow down and engage for a few minutes, quarters, halves, or full hours with the people you have chosen to follow or friend in this vast space. You befriended these people for some reason. Can you pinpoint exactly what that was? Knowmo has your best interests at heart. Knowmo finds ways to spend your online hours wisely, learning something from your clan, getting to "know" them, ya know? Knowmo will introduce you to worlds that you may have never thought existed. Knowmo will remind you why you originally started partaking of the social media pie.

10/16/2013

Ten Sixteen...

I'm sitting here in the middle of a familiar feeling that hits me once in a while. It's one that I've had before on many occasions, better defined as the sensation of having an event-induced emotional setback lifted from your shoulders. You know the one. It's equivalent to that moment when you have a 36 hour fever break and you're suddenly alive again! You feel like you want to go breathe ALL the air! You are back to yourself. Yeah, that's the feeling. What was my brain toiling over, you say? This month it was a forced sixteen day departure from my livelihood, last month was FAR worse as it brought a life changing flood for some family and friends throughout Colorado. To say that it's been one hell of a fall season would be an understatement.

Today's news of ending the ridiculous government shutdown lifted me back into the saddle. The 11th hour conclusion to the sixteen days worth of MSNBC that I've just consumed, though not as riveting as the conclusion of Breaking Bad, was a good one. Damn, in hindsight, I could have watched Breaking Bad all over again! Regardless, I am instantly realizing my desperate need for a shave, my jammie pants have overstayed their welcome in my spot on the couch, I am realizing that I've consumed more than my fair share of beer in the last sixteen days, and above all, I am realizing that my body and mind still have a passionate need to wake up in the early morning and go help make something happen in the scientific community which I serve.

I'm going back to work tomorrow!

6/26/2013

Bike to Work Day 2013

It was a beautiful day to ride to work! Yes, I drove most of the way, but I rode nearly 6 miles on my planned tour of the old 'hood.

I started the day off by taking my "bike to work." Well, sorta. I parked at Foothills and Baseline and rode to NIST from there.

My first stop was Thunderbird Lake. I recall falling on the ice there trying to skate when I was about 5 or 6. Later, I spent many hours fishing with my pal Adam Cecil in our inflatable rafts.

My second stop was at my elementary school, Burke, which is now Horizons K-8.

I was glad to see this old relic was still in front of the school. Burke school was named after Admiral Arleigh Burke. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arleigh_Burke

Just a stone's throw away was my home from age 1-5. It looks alot different now with a totally different roof.

On my way to my next planned stop, I ran into this lovely lady... no, not literally. I learned early on that Mrs. O would gladly give me an after school snack if I ever happened to be locked out of my house.

Here is where I spent the majority of my adolescence, from 5-16. It's changed a lot since I lived there, but it is still my favorite place to drive by in Boulder. SO many good memories there!

Not as extravagant as our last home, this townhome kept us comfortable during the transition period while my parents built a home in Louisville.

I did finally arrive at work about 45 minutes later and got a prime parking spot right next to the door.

Every year, the Boulder Labs Employee Association puts on a "second breakfast" for all of the BTWD participants. They even have a bicycle parade starring all of the day care kids.

Lots of fruit, breads, and goodies were available for everyone who pedaled into work today.



8/02/2012

The Learning Curve

I'm not sure which one of these is the learning curve, but I'm certain that I'm at the bottom of it.

7/28/2012

Mighty powerful WiFi!

The wifi signal is quite strong at my house today!

Next event? Aerosmith!


Next event? Aerosmith!
Originally uploaded by tekee812
Next event? Aerosmith!
I must say that I am a bit disappointed with Posterous selling out to Twitter, but at the same time, I am glad to be back here on Blogger!

7/04/2012

The best kickoff to the 4th of July is the Avery 4K on the 4th!

Last year, I finished 497th, so I was encouraged by my bib number this year. What a great run Avery puts on every 4th of July! I just wanted to throw this picture up of the sweet ass tech shirt that we got year! They just keep getting better and better, and for me, it is ALL about the shirt!.. Well, in this case, the Avery beer ranks way up there too!


2/06/2012

Google +, bringing makers and hackers together to easily share ideas and interests.

A lot of people ask why I have such an affinity towards Google+. "Why do you need it when you have facebook and twitter?" Granted, I could probably make the connections I seek using those two trusty tools, among others, but for whatever reason, Google+ made it much easier to pinpoint people that encompass topics that I hold dear.
Meet Pete Prodoehl, aka @raster on twitter. Just a few months back, I sparked an interest in 3D printing. Naturally, with Google+ being the new tool in the shed, I took it for a spin to find other makers who were getting their feet wet in this exciting new medium. Within seconds, I had opened the door to the open source community that I had heard so much about. I've since named that circle on G+ "Hack the Planet" and Pete stood out among the crowd because he had just set out to build a MakerGear Prusa Mendel RepRap 3D printer. I too was in the midst of assembling a 3D printer, the RapMan 3.2 from BitsFromBytes for my prototyping and one-off parts that I require in my labs at NIST. I picked up all of the knowledge that he was dropping here and there all around his interwebz, and now I'm up and running... even dropping a bit of my own knowledge here and there.
I quickly found that Pete is a (more ambitious) clone of me. He shares many of my interests which, to this point, I only dabble in. He dabbles too, but he's like the Obi Wan dabbler to my young padawan dabbler. Arduino, 3D printing, hacking, making, laser cutting, the list goes on and on. See for yourself and dive into his RasterWeb.
All that aside, that is not what I set out to post here. Pete's latest venture into laser cutting at the ever so awesome Milwaukee Makerspace yielded a positively sick little wooden nickel that I simply had to have! I humbly asked if he'd send me one and a few days later it was in my mailbox, along with some stickers! The little squares are his logo for RasterWeb, and the Milwaukee barcamp stickers are for an open source un-conference in his area.
Thanks Pete! I hope one day our paths will cross!

12/14/2011

He was the best cat ever!



Don't get me wrong, we've loved every one of our pets with all of our hearts, but Stanley was different. From the very first day that we brought him home, he assumed the position of the alpha male, watching over his pride of three other cats. He performed that duty with so much confidence. He had the back of each and every member of this family, but there was no other duty he took more seriously than the one of 'most fierce guardian'over his "Momma," my wife. Stanley made sure she was safe at every turn, from the second her foot hit the floor. He would faithfully stand sentry on the front porch every time she was away. Every night, Stan slept right in between our pillows in the master bedroom, tickling our noses with his tail every now and then. Now, only 8 short years later, we had to let him go.
Probably around October, my wife discovered a lump in Stanley's belly. As young as he was, we both though it was something benign as Stan had no other signs of slowing down. We took a routine trip to Nelson Road Veterinary Clinic to have Melinda check him out. Cancer... we were stunned. We immediately scheduled him for surgery to have the lump excised. He recovered well from that, despite the 6" incision that it required, but the lab results of the tumor reveled that it was not likely to be the main cancer that was overrunning his body... somewhere. 3-4 months was the anticipated time left with Stanley. Now today, only one month after the surgery, we said goodbye to him. His belly was becoming distended and more importantly, he was not smiling anymore. So making the same difficult choice that we made with two other cats, Roo and Lucy around this time last year, our saint of a sister-in-law came to our house and relieved him from his discomfort. That is precisely why it had to be done now, because he absolutely did not deserve to have that discomfort turn into severe pain.

The tears we cry today are of course only for ourselves. It is a selfish feeling, yet unavoidable as humans. We know that as soon as we pull them out of the cardboard box in front of the grocery store or take them out of their cage at the shelter, that our pets will not outlive us. These loving creatures are only here temporarily to enrich our lives and mooch a little taste of our human food every now and then. As difficult as it is, we always sign up for more, because the gifts pets bring us while they are alive far outweigh the sorrow that is felt when they have to leave us.

We're gonna miss you like crazy Stanley, but we know you are comfortably at peace now, God bless you.

11/11/2010

Oh Lucy, not you too...


I really didn't think I'd be saying goodbye to another one of our cats so soon, from four to two in less than a month. Lucy had not been feeling well lately, stopped eating, and was losing weight quickly. I took her up to our vet clinic in Longmont last night so she could get checked over first thing this morning. We honestly thought it would be something like a bad tooth that made her stop eating, yet this morning we found out that she was in stages of advanced kidney failure. The remedy of giving her fluids under the skin daily was simply not an option. As anti-social as she tended to be, I can only imagine the daily nightmare of dragging her out from under a bed to do that procedure. With a heavy heart, we once again made the difficult decision to put her down.
Lucy, you will be greatly missed. Sure you were a handful most of the time, only taking affection from us on your terms, and wreaking havoc in one form or another, but none of that matters now. Just like Roo who passed before you, you were loved.

10/13/2010

We'll miss you old man...


Tonight we made the right decision. Tonight we cried. Tonight we gave dignity and grace to our oldest cat, Roo. He had been battling with intestinal issues for months now and reluctantly taking meds for it... VERY reluctantly. After 14 years it was time to say goodbye to him. Just a few nights ago, in the wee early hours, I rushed him outside so he didn't puke all over our bedroom. He did not come home until late that night and our minds went into a tailspin and I felt like the biggest heel in the world. "What ifs" consumed our minds. When he did finally come back home, the decision became much clearer. He didn't want to be touched. He walked past the food dish with disinterest. He hid on a shelf in the laundry room. Most importantly though, he was not smiling anymore. It was time.

So this evening, after he snarfed down a nice big plate of tuna with the rest of the gang at the Kit Kat Klub, our wonderful sister-in-law and veterinarian came to our house and humbly did her job. Roo went peacefully and left our home in her loving arms. I can't say enough good things about this lady. We are SO extremely blessed to have her in our lives.

I have had pets put down several times in my life, but I really never remember being there for the final moments. As hard as it was, it truly was a beautiful moment to see him at complete peace. I have long understood that the best things in life, the biggest gifts your heart receives, will NEVER come to you easy. Words from my daughter today were right on the mark. She quoted French writer Anatole France, "Until one has loved an animal, a part of one's soul remains unawakened."

You will be greatly missed old man. Thank you for being a part of our lives.

4/11/2010

Rescued an Old Friend This Week

For over 22 years, I have created a respectable collection of scientific instruments, cryogenic test probes, electromechanical test platforms, circuits, and other frankensteinesque apparatus at NIST in Boulder, Colorado. This post is dedicated to the one tool that that made it all possible, my workbench. I inherited it upon my arrival at NIST from an engineer that was soon on his way out and it moved with me through three different laboratories during my career. Now every first or second Friday in April, my group does a mandatory spring cleaning of our offices and labs. I think that making it mandatory is the only way you can get a scientist to clean up after themselves and believe me, they can amass a huge pile of crap in only one short year! During this year's cleanup, my beloved workbench was pegged as one of the items in the lab that had to go. We definitely needed the floor space so I reluctantly agreed. In 10 short minutes, the drawers were emptied the shelves were cleared off, and it was placed in the hallway to be carted off to an untimely demise. I know this because I was the property custodian for many years and things like old desks, benches, and other "government-gray metal" get pitched into the recycle bin. It sat in the hallway for a few days after and I submitted the paperwork for it to be taken away. It was almost like in The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, I could hear its heartbeat through my office door. Was I the only one who could hear it?


On about Wednesday, I decided that I couldn't stand for this and made some phone calls. "Is there any way that I can buy this and take it home?" To my surprise, a note (initialed by the boss) was added to the form that I submitted that read, "Workbench to be recycled by Ted Stauffer." Needless to say, I quickly jumped into action and loaded it into the truck and brought it to its new home in my garage. I now know that when I finally reach that golden age of retirement, I will always have my old friend with me to reminisce about my... excuse me, OUR days at NIST. THAT makes me happy!

6/29/2009

Imagine if you will

6/19/2009

Gone But Not Forgotten…



My father has been tearing up the heavens for almost 16 years now. I was a young man of 26 when he passed away that rainy July morning. As I look back during this Father’s Day weekend, I remember lots of good times and lots of bad times, both of which I continue to try and learn from in raising my own three children. Dad and I had many disagreements, as do I with my kids. By the same token though, Dad shared an abundance of good times and “stupid humor,” as I do with my daughter and two sons. But there are two things that stand out the most for me. Two things that lifted me and carried me past the fact that I was too young to lose my father. One was his eternally optimistic views on life. He was always able to cheer anyone up and help them see the brighter side of things, if not in spoken words, you could find it in his poetry and campfire songs. In fact, within hours of his passing, the rain stopped and the most fantastic triple rainbow appeared. I know that it was sent from him and it was the sign I needed to know that everything would be alright, the glass would always remain half full. The other thing that I learned from my Dad was giving 100% devotion to the woman you choose to be your wife. Dad loved my mother with all of his heart since the day they met until, I am sure, this day in his afterlife. They had many friends come and go and lots of ups and downs, but Dad was always in my mom’s corner, faithfully. If nothing else, these are the same two gifts I intend to leave behind for my children and grandchildren (someday) because I think these two simple morals have served me pretty well. Happy Father’s Day…

4/15/2009

Knock Knock!


Testing the bookmarklet feature on Posterous. This is a video I captured with my web cam and then put music to a few years ago. If this works. The video will be posted on my Posterous blog which will then automatically post it to my Wordpress and Blogger pages. Here goes nothing! Or actually, here goes SOMETHING!

Posted via web from Totally Tekee

1/10/2009

Happy Birthday Son!


Happy Birthday Son!
Originally uploaded by tekee812
I can't believe he is 13! Today we have completed the teenager trifecta!
;^)~

11/12/2008

A view from my roof


A view from my roof
Originally uploaded by tekee812
One thing about living in an older house is that you get a lot more ground to prowl on. I would go crazy in a tightly packed neighborhood.
;-)~

10/18/2008

10/13/2008

FDA Inspector


FDA Inspector
Originally uploaded by tekee812
All is clear in the pantry... and uh... where are the cat treats

9/07/2008

The Kit Kat lounge is open!


The Kit Kat lounge is open!
Originally uploaded by tekee812
I just want to have one more life as a cat.
;-)~

9/03/2008

Just another mouth that we feed

It's like I live in Dr. Doolittle's house.
;^)~

8/19/2008

Spoiled? maybe a little...


Spoiled? maybe a little...
Originally uploaded by tekee812

Rent for 1st college apt... $595/mo.
Outfitting that apt with the essentials... $550
The occassional care package from home... (on the house)
The view from afore mentioned apt... PRICELESS!
:^)~

8/17/2008

Take your yard back with CROCS!


Take your yard back with CROCS!
Originally uploaded by tekee812
I really should be in advertising.
;^)~

8/15/2008

I Tunes Viz


0815081813.jpg
Originally uploaded by tekee812
This could easily become a blog of it's own. "ITunes Masterpieces"
;-)~

7/21/2008

She had a dream


She had a dream
Originally uploaded by tekee812
Done at last! done at last! Thank God Almighty, I'm done at last! She had a dream that I would finally decide that it was time to stain & seal the cabinets. It is now a reality.
;-)~

7/13/2008

2nd????


2nd????
Originally uploaded by tekee812
NEVER underestimate the second coat!
;-)~

7/12/2008

Project #3


Project # 3
Originally uploaded by tekee812
This one was just simply WAY overdue... gotta get started on staining the basement cupboards.
sorry for the delay... ;-)~

Project #2


0712082022.jpg
Originally uploaded by tekee812

This one is keeping the bugs out and the cats in-n-out-n-in-n-out-n-in-n-out-n-in-n-out-n-in-n-back out......

n-back in again.
;-)~

Project #1


Project #1
Originally uploaded by tekee812
These new black shutters were an excellent idea that my wife had. They were easy to put up and they look fantastic.
;-)~

6/28/2008

Under the sun


Under the sun
Originally uploaded by tekee812
Kind of like he is a special delivery from God.
;^)~

The King


The King
Originally uploaded by tekee812
He really is the Alpha male of his pride.