Opening Day

HOPPY EASTER:  We made a fast, rather last minute trip down to Vancouver for Easter. The weather was lovely, which helped make the drive faster and easier. 

Fun was had by all. Here are the kids striking out into the green, green grass, in search of eggs and treasures.

JOKE'S ON YOU:  This morning a friend tipped me off to an amazing new tool Google debuted today - Google Nose (BETA). 

Per Google, it "leverages new and existing technologies to offer the sharpest olfactory experience available," You can even use Android Ambient Odor Detection to collect smells "via the world's most sensible mobile operating system." Their SMELLCD™ has 1.8+ high-resolution compatible for precise and controlled odors. 

The kids watched this video to learn more: 

Naturally, they were eager to try it. They could hardly wait to smell the waffles!

Annabelle went first, but reported not being able to smell anything, so CJ gave it a shot.

Sadly, he didn't smell the waffles, either. So, we clicked on the "need help?" link. There, they suggested

If you are experiencing problems with Google Nose^BETA, please note the following:

• "418: Scent transfer protocol error" indicates system congestion; please try again later.

• Due to technological constraints, not all smells are compatible with all devices.

• Refrain from licking or biting your screen.

• Try upgrading to a modern browser, such as Google Chrome.

• It is April Fools' Day.

The kids laughed, but then they were disappointed it wasn't. real.

Later in the day, as I was checking Facebook, I came across a couple of eye raising posts from Cmdr. Chris Hadfield of the CSA, aboard the ISS. First, he shared a photo of 'space debris' they spotted near the mammoth space laboratory.

         Photo from Chris Hadfield, CSA

And then a bit later, Hadfield discovered a visitor aboard the ISS.

        Photo courtesy some astro and space agency associated with the ISS
He said the creature kept saying, "Sloof Lirpa." 

When I showed the kids, CJ thought for a moment and said, 'You might want to reverse that."

And so when we did, imagine our surprise when it spelled April Fools. :)

ROAD TRIP: We made a whirlwind trip southbound this weekend. Left home about 11 on Saturday and got home about 4 p.m. on Sunday. The pups were very happy they got to go.

MY OH MY:  Though the 'Stros and the Rangers played a game last night, today was the official nationwide Opening Day for Major League Baseball. 

Welcome back, baseball ...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clRZOM4K8ws

Baseball season makes us think of Dave Niehaus, the voice of the Mariners, until he had his final "season over" in November of 2010.

Today, we went out to his burial site in Bellevue. It's a pretty cemetery  on a hill, and the sun was shining. We left a baseball and set back upright a pot of flowers which had been left by another visitor.

And this afternoon we watched some of his speech when he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame - something he was so very proud of. You can see it here: 

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=3209053&topic_id=&c_id=mlb&tcid=vpp_copy_3209053&v=3
And tonight, we went to an open house at Safeco Field. The Ms were playing down in Oakland, but the game was on Safeco's brand new, ginormous, high def LED screen. It's 1,201.5 feet wide - that's wider than an Olympic-size swimming pool is long. And it's more than 5 stories tall, with a surface area of a quarter of an acre and bigger than 2,100 42-inch flat screens placed side by side. Yowza.

Photos and recap of tonight's festivities will be posted tomorrow.

Go Mariners!