Category Archives: Nerd Stuff

These posts relate to my nerdery (obviously). Computer stuff, games, movies, miscellaneous hobbies (nerdy, of course). Carr stuff is sort of nerdy, but I have another category for that.

Games I’m Playing… The Page

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I added a new page to the blog- Games I’m Playing. Ha, no… I don’t think that I’m so fascinating that you actually care what games I’m playing.  But I did think it might give people ideas if they are looking for something to pass the time (and maybe prevent people from making some mistakes).  Sometimes people ask me, “Are you planing anything fun on your iPhone?’ Now they don’t have to ask me, which I think is awesome since I really just want everyone to shut up. Plus this is a way to catalog yet more of my existence. When the historians look back on the great degenerates of American history they will want to know what iPhones games we played.

The Great Divide & Closing the Gap

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Update 9: Okay, I think I’m done. DoomCloud.com, Utah Corvette.com, UtahCamaro.com, CamOnCommerce.com and ZoobaBean.com have all been migrated, shuttered and redirected. I have decided not to close Hughes Family. I think it will be good to have another blog specifically about family things (and we may opt to make it private at some point  so it will be nice to have it separated). I guess that’s that. Let the blogging resume!

Update 8: Well… the last thing to do it shutter the other blogs. I’m having a really hard time with the idea of closing down HughesFamily.com. Maybe I will leave them separate. Two blogs would still be okay. Maybe. No… that’s how this whole mess started to begin with. I’ll just have to write Hughes Family posts in the first person instead of the second (or is it third?). It doesn’t help that I’m sick today and my mental capacity is impaired… even more than usual. Probably only one more update after this one. Wonder what I’ll do?

Update 7: Dark or Light colors for the website… Hmm…. decisions, decisions (this is the fun part kids- you grow up and do whatever you want… if you know you know what you want to do). I think I’ll stick w/ dark for now. I might actually like the lighter color scheme better, but since when have I done what I liked? Eh? Yeah? Can I get an Amen!?

Update 6: I have started the process of shuttering some of my older blogs. I disabled comments, hid some of the pages and redirected the root domain to the corresponding section of this blog. So far so good. I’m now in the process of rebuilding my links. It’s sort of sad to see how many people have stopped blogging. Links to blogs that haven’t been updated in the last few months will be omitted from the new blogroll. There’s only so much room, after all 🙂

Update 5: Overall, pretty happy with the results so far. I think I have the blog set up the way I want it (with a few minor exceptions). Now I need to decide if I pull the trigger and shut the other blogs down. I did a few redirect experiments but I’m not having much luck deciding how to set things up (and for some reason my wildcard redirects aren’t working properly- probably a server configuration issue). Decisions, decisions…

Update 4: I played around with some plugins that got me closer to where I wanted to be. Categories have different headers now (making the graphics took a bit of time). I’m also working on some custom menus so I can manage content better. My next step here is post category blurbs and info. I also wish there was a simple way to change the format of “pages.” As I get further into this I’m not even sure that I’m actually going to do it (shutter the other blogs). We’ll see, I guess.

Update 3: All the content is moved over. I’m having trouble figuring out how to consolidate all the info though. I wanted to separate it out by the original blogs, but it would need to be further subdivided by category. I can’t think of a way to do this (well, within the confines of the blog template I’d like to use). Also, as unreal as this sounds – I think there might simply be too many posts for one blog. A lot of the info is going to get lost if I can’t find a good way to sort this out.

Update 2: I have the website looking like I want (mostly) and configured the way it should be. I have successfully imported a second blog (no issues). At this point it’s just a matter of relocating content. Here I go!

Update 1: Making some good progress now. I have www.DoomCloud.com mostly moved over (posts, comments, pages, and images). I need to set up a redirect and shut the old website down now (that will feel really really sad…). Before I do that though I need to format this blog a bit and then make sure that merging in a second blog goes smoothly. Tally Ho!

Too many blogs. So, I think I’ll merge them all into one blog and put it under my name. I don’t care about traffic or rankings, really (my only fear is that I will somehow affect websites that I link to w/ all my blogs). To be honest, I’m just tired of managing five blogs, and I’d rather have them under one roof, so to speak. Let’s see if we can get this done…

Lab 51 Games

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One of my guilty pleasures is iPhone games. I’m not a big gamer (there are no console games I play), but every once in awhile I get smitten by something on the iPhone. But being smitten by a game pales in comparison to actually making a game. I thought I’d throw a quick shout out to Steve Middleton over at Lab 51 Games. I’ve know Steve since we were kids. He was always up to something interesting and his latest venture is an iPhone game company. So far he has a couple releases.

One of his current releases is a game called Water Logged. It’ a throwback to the water games popular in the 80’s. The nostalgia is worth a buck. Coming later this month is a new game called Flip the Bird. Be sure to check it out.

And just in case anyone is wondering what I’m playing – other than Lab 51 games – checkout Kingdom Rush and My Town 2 on the iPhone and iPad.

Posted by Cam, July 8, 2012

Other Blogs Have I Which Are Not of This Fold.

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Just a quick little update for the family and fans (ah ha ha! Haaaaah ah….). In the past few weeks I have updated most of my other blogs:

CamOnCommerce.com – Just a couple of miscellaneous posts.

UtahCorvette.com – Still messing with my car. A couple of fun posts too.

UtahCamaro.com – Starting to mess with the new car.

ZoobaBean.com  – Sometimes I post silly things I’ve written. This blog has had a couple of updates in the last few weeks.

HughesFamily.com – Last year I picked up this domain and put up a blog. I’m in the process of deciding if I want to maintain it. Thoughts?

KnifeBlog.com – This is my company’s main blog and it has cool stuff on it (I don’t do the blogging personally, but I think a blog this good deserves a plug).

Posted by Cam, May 29, 2012

 

Travel Trailer (If It Makes You Happy It Can’t Be That Bad)

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Fran loves the outdoors- you know, “nature.” She’s always trying to get me to go on camping trips with her family. Sometimes I give in and go. But when I finally make it back to civilization my question is always the same: “Why?!” And to this day I don’t quite get it. You have a nice comfy home but inexplicably decide that you need to go sleep somewhere uncomfortable, in the middle of nowhere in a pretend house. But before you go you have to pack up things that will make your trip more comfortable, you know… more like the home you just left. And then when you get back you have to unload and clean everything and you utter that timeless and possibly ironic phrase, “It’s so good to be home.” But it was all worth it because you saw nature! But like I said, Fran loves it.

She has wanted an RV for a long time. One of her favorite Disney cartoons is Mickey’s Trailer (I love it too). When I watch the cartoon I can almost see the appeal. We’ve gone to the RV shows up in Sandy (she even went by herself w/ the kids once- this is a serious woman) and I have to admit that it’s pretty fun to walk through them. She’s rented RVs and taken trips too (I think in preparation for owning one).

Well a few weeks ago Fran decided that instead of an RV it would be more practical and less expensive to get an RV trailer (remember it is Mickey’s Trailer). That bee flew so deep into her bonnet I didn’t think we’d ever get it out. Day and night Fran obsessed over trailers ceaselessly encouraged by her enthusiastic sister. After weeks of searching Fran finally found one that was perfect: The Flagstaff Microlite 23LB. And when we find something perfect we jump on it (this often causes it to break and we feel silly).

Fran found the trailer while visiting Access RV, down in Salt Lake City. They were very helpful, never pushy and they gave her an excellent deal. I would recommend them without hesitation if you’re looking for an RV or trailer RV.

The floor plan is, in my opinion, very well thought out (nothing feels cramped) and he trailer can comfortably (well you know, “comfortably”) sleep our entire family. The build quality seems good and my initial impressions of the trailer are very positive. No, it’s not a mega RV with water beds and a theater, but you could almost call it practical and I think that’s part of the appeal.

Here are a few pictures of the interior. On the left you can see the bathroom in the back, part of the kitchen, the dinette and TV. The trailer has heating, air conditioning, full plumbing, and the entertainment center even comes with surround sound. On the right you can see the bed and some of the cabinetry.

Here’s a better shot of the bathroom, the three bunk beads and the kitchen (I would feel like I was playing house if I cooked there- oh wait, I totally would be!).

After we brought the trailer home we drove it over to work  (where we could plug it in) and camped in it overnight with the kids. Boy were they excited!  We ate pizza, drank Martinelli’s and watched – wait for it – Mickey’s Trailer (and The Three Amigos). It was a lot of fun, but four kids in the trailer can be a little challenging.

And speaking of challenging:  Initially we had some trouble figuring out where to keep the trailer. Prior to our purchase we had rented a storage unit but the trailer ended up being too tall.  That was for the best though- it would have been impossible to back in.  Fran ended up finding a storage place right off Orem Center Street with covered pull through parking which has been really nice. There was a lot to learn at first too and that was a little daunting. But now I think Fran’s got everything under control now and I’m really excited for her.

I still think camping is funny and I think it’s even  funnier to go “camping” in an RV. The tent wasn’t comfortable enough but it’s so important to be in the great outdoors that you bought a little rolling house. And it has a bathroom and a kitchen and a TV to make your trip a little more bearable. And then maybe when you get home you can say, “Well, that wasn’t so bad. Maybe we’ll do that again.” But you know what, if it makes my wife happy then it makes me happy. I expect that the family will have a lot of fun in Mommy’s Trailer. And maybe, maybe, one day I’ll go trailer camping with the family and I’ll find myself enjoying it too.

Posted by Cam, May 23, 2012

 

Rapunzel

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I’m terrified of doing certain things in public: Speaking, teaching and even asking a question or making a comment. Being in a play would cause my body so much shock that I could probably power a small city. Not for me. No thank you. Luckily, my little girl didn’t inherit my paralyzing fear. Last month Claire took part in a theatrical production of Rupunzel which the family went to see.

The production was based on the Disney version of Rapunzel with a few twists. The ending is quite different – Rapunzel’s mother sees the error of her ways and they all live happily ever after. But more importantly, with a cast of close to one hundred they had to make some additional script changes so that all the character parts (with the exception of Rapunzel, Mother Gothel and Flynn) were expanded out. I’m not certain, but I think everyone got a speaking line.  In addition to the scripted story there was a fair amount of singing and choroeography. While fun, at over two hours the play was a little on the long side.

Claire had two parts.  She was cast as one of the green chameleons (I thought she was especially adorable) and also as a green fairy. Even though her roles was small she delivered her lines enthusiastically and flawlessly. She was also a very cute dancer. I’m glad Claire is braver than me (she gets it from her mom, obviously)- I think she’ll enjoy looking back at this experience when she gets older. Watch out Broadway!

Posted by Cam , May 20, 2012

Thanksgiving Point Family 5K & Fun Run

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Sometimes it’s super hard to get into the blogging groove. Something cool happens, you’re stoked to blog about it and then time gets away from you. When you finally have a moment to blog you might not be “in the zone” and it’s tricky to write when you’re not really in the mood (brings back horrible memories from college- I was never in the mood to write).

Right before the end of April Fran and I ran the Thanksgiving Point 5K. I think it was the Sabins who suggested it and Fran made sure I actually went. Going in I had one goal: cross the finish line before Fran.  I prepared myself by eating  many donuts, burgers and chocolate. Probably not a smart move since Fran is such a tough cookie (oh, and cookies- I ate a lot of those too). I did manage to get in a couple good runs before the race so I knew that I could at least run the whole time. But could I run faster than Fran?

At first we both ran at an easy pace. Fran seemed like she was holding back so I told her she could go faster if she wanted. She sped up a bit and I did my best to keep up with her. When we got close to the finish line Fran was about a block ahead and so I put my fat body into high gear and sprinted the last leg. I managed to pass her right before the finish line and ended up one second ahead of her (literally). Pretty exciting. I think if Fran had pushed she would have won- we both ran the race in about 29 mins. Pretty leisurely.

After our 5K the kids ran a one mile “fun run”. Michael and Claire took off like little rockets and I ran with Gabe. He was a trooper and jogged the whole way (even after falling down a few times). He clocked in at about 12 mins. Claire ran the mile in 10 minutes. Michael finished in 8:31.

We stuck around for the awards since Jason had won third place in his age division (his race time for the 5K was a zippy 22:40). After the 5k winners they announced the fun run winners and Claire won second place in her age division!

The event was fairly well organized. No weird surprises. And the 5K course was actually pretty nice and took us through part of the gardens. The fun run went through farm country and was also very enjoyable. If you’re looking for a good 5K I’d recommend Thanksgiving Point. We’ll be headed back next year!

Eggs and Jesus. Easter 2012.

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Easter rocks. No, Easter eggs. Some holidays I really love and Easter is somewhere near the top for me. Maybe it’s the rascally rabbit that lays multicolored eggs. Maybe it’s the Hershey milk chocolate eggs that you can only buy this time of year (which is good, because I eat so many I get sick). Or maybe it’s the mad dash to find hidden eggs and the delighted screams of my children. It probably also has something to do with the resurrection of Christ (yeah for resurrection!).

This year we used food coloring instead of a egg dying kit (those pellets suck). Water, 5-10 drops of food coloring, a tablespoon of vinegar and we were in business. I think the eggs turned out really nice this year- super bright and very consistent. Egg dying is one of those things that your kids “help” with and it makes it about one hundred times harder. But nothing makes those little munchkins smile like checking to see if the egg is actually changing color. And then when the eggs are done it’s critical to mix all the colors together to “see what happens” (Maybe it will make gold! Oh… no, no gold).

One the dying festivities were complete we headed off to church for some Easter goodness. We should think about our savior each day, but that’s really hard (especially for me). Easter is a great reminder of Christ’s sacrifice and resurrection. It’s a chance for us to focus on the real meaning of Easter and  feast on something that we won’t regret (like those dang eggs).  I believe in Christ, his sacrifice and in God’s plan for us and I publicly accept Christ as my savior. Oh, hey- sorry! Did I make you uncomfortable or offend you? You non-religious reading types who despise this kind of stuff can go to hell (that is funny on so many levels!).

After the spiritual nourishment we headed home for the hunt. I wish I could say that there was some profound meaning behind hiding eggs that related to the real meaning of Easter but I’m at a total loss. Still it’s a blast. We hid the colored eggs and about a million chocolate eggs too. Intoxicated by the hunt, the kids scrambled all over often missing what was right in front of them. Laughter, tears and a few fights later I was certain we had done Easter just about right.

Cam Hughes