We had a really nice visit with Nonny and Buopa, and loved every minute of it!

TSOP

The band Rob plays in, The Sound of Progress, just recorded some songs. At least one is already up on their website:

http://www.myspace.com/thesoundofprogressmusic

Electric Tub

This instrument is made entirely by me (Rob), right down to the pickup.
I taped the handles down so they don't rattle.
The top of the handle. The hole is drilled at more or less 45 degrees to relieve tension at the point the string exits. Helps prevent breakage there.
Close up of eyelet
The pickup from the outside, and the 1/4" output jack mounted right next to it.
Eyelet from the inside
Notch at the bottom, flared out a bit at the ends. This rests on the lip of the tub.
Pickup from the inside. The piezo buzzer element (radioshack, $2.50) is stuck on one of the stir sticks with silicone and then both stir sticks are sandwiched together with silicone in between. Then the whole thing is fixed to the side of the tub with 6/32 machine screws and nuts.
Close-up of the pickup. You can barely make out the piezo disc in between there.
Play on!!

Artists

Thumby

Rob's B-day Weekend

2 months old

Our sweet little baby is not so little anymore! She weighs 11 pounds, 7 ounces (68th percentile) and is 23 inches long (76th percentile). The doctor said she is perfectly healthy, which is so wonderful to hear. We are settling in to being a family of four pretty well. I have finally figured out not to feel guilty about the girls sharing my attention all day, and to find ways to make it work. When Niamh naps, Kathryn and I have our special time. Since Kathryn doesn't nap (fun!!), my special time with just Niamh is after Kathryn goes to bed. She is crazy about her big sister. Even when Kathryn tries to bug her, she just smiles and laughs. She is so cute. But don't take my word for it. See for yourself...