Christmas 2015: Day 4

Today, my sister and her boyfriend and I set out for Milwaukee and we saw another interesting personalized plate.

This says "Soda Pup"

We went to get food at some point to a Thai and Sushi place. I wanted to get the Packer Roll for the table, so I did.

We also went to the AT&T Store where I ordered a Blackberry Priv. Later, we went back to their place and I took a nap before my sister took me to the airport. I believe I sat in some hot dog diner place before going through the security line. It was raining, and there was a massive thunderstorm in St. Louis when we landed and took off. It delayed our flight by about an hour, but we finally took off. Soon enough, I was back in Houston and Bruno and I were snuggling.

Christmas 2015: Day 3

Dad wears his Packer hat to bed.

We prepared for the family, I arranged cookies, arranged things on tables, arranged food things, then people came over. I was able to give some gifts to kids, including the adorable little tyke below. This photo is a bit of a lie, however, because she was surly most of the day. At one point, my aunt and I went to a cousin's house to get my cousin's kid. Lo and behold, my cousin was there too, so I got to see her.

Later in the evening, I got to show my cousin and his wife the Key & Peele East West bowl sketch that ends with A-A-Ron Rod-Gers, which they had not seen. It is relevant because other cousins call that cousin A-A-Ron often, but that predates this sketch. The same cousin routinely makes new pronunciations for names.

Christmas 2015: Day 2

I finally went outside today.

My sister and her boyfriend arrived later in the day, and after my sister had a drink with one of the hail stones my dad collected that summer in it, I did too. This is ginger ale and rum, I think.

Then we had dinner.

Before dinner, Mom asked everyone, "Snowman or Christmas Tree," and gave no context for the question. Would we rather make one of those two, have them, which one did we like more? We had no idea. No idea, that is, until dessert was served. Mom had some ice cream things in the shape of Snowmen or Christmas Trees, and we got the shape that we had earlier selected, thought my dad traded. I also combined some cookies with my ice cream for the photo below.

I believe that we also unwrapped our presents that night, since the family would be coming over the next day.

Christmas 2015: Day 1

Today was busy and tumultuous because my upper back hurt, yet I wanted to wrap presents and decorate cookies. Eventually, however, everything was wrapped and the cookies were made.

This year's ninja turtles.

The cookie on the right was not supposed to look like that, it kind of just happened.

The pink thing in the middle is the paper mache Interstellar Pig that would decorate Mr. Dern's display case every year.

Eyeball decorations make everything fun.

Some more avant garde cookies.

Christmas 2015: Day 0

Yes, it's all coming back to me now. I flew out of Hobby, of course, to Milwaukee, and though I had a plane change in my stopping point, it turned out that I just got off and on the same plane, so I didn't lose my early bird position in line. I wore my Go Pack Go shirt for the flight and ended up talking to two other shareholders while waiting to board the plane to Milwaukee. I also noticed (again) that so many people were wearing Badger and Packer gear. When I posted this observation to facebook, a friend that had lived her whole life in Wisconsin told a story of shock that they didn't find many other people in Packer clothes on game day when they were at Disney World, in Florida. Well, she called it "like being in another country", which, if you're used to Red & White and Green & Gold everywhere, I guess it is.

I arrived in Milwaukee for the third time in 5 months and got my suitcase and found my mom - possibly not in that order, and we were off. Or maybe we stopped by my sister's place? Actually no, we didn't do that. We stopped at a Culver's, I think, to recombobulate our directions, and set out for home. We drove and drove and drove, and then were home. I believe that I showed some of the things that I brought, then went to bed.

The Art of Pokéwalking: Efficient Evolution

**Published on an earlier date to avoid showing up before vacation posts.

There are two reasons to evolve things: for xp and for battle-ready Pokémon, and those reasons will change which Pokémon you pick to evolve.

The Basics

The first rule of evolving Pokémon is to only do it while using a Lucky Egg. You get 500xp for each evolution, but with a Lucky Egg, you get 1000. This is the fastest way to level up, which gets you stronger Pokéballs, stronger potions, and stronger Pokémon.

Use the Favorites feature (tap the star at the top right, or tap the menu sign at the bottom right and tap Favorite) to tag Pokémon as ready to evolve. This means that you want to evolve that Pokémon and you have enough candy to do so. This helps in the following ways:

• It makes it easy and fast to find the Pokémon to evolve during the 30 minutes you have with your Lucky Egg. 
• It helps you count how many monsters you have ready to evolve.
• It prevents you from accidentally transferring them.

The evolution animation and time to tap around takes about 20-25 seconds per evolution - sometimes a little bit more. This means that you should bank up at least 50 evolve-ready Pokémon before you start a Lucky Egg, preferably at least 60.

While it takes 12, 25, 50, 100, or 400 candies to actually evolve a Pokémon, you will notice that you have 1 candy left over when you are done. This is because you receive a candy for evolving and it means that to evolve two Pokémon of the same type, you need one fewer candy than 2 times the number needed to evolve one. If you plan to trade the evolved one in (after removing the Favorite tag), you need 2 fewer candies than twice the number of candies needed for both of them. Just be sure to evolve the trade-in first, because you will always need that basic amount to initiate an evolution.

Evolving for XP

For this use, become best friends with Caterpie, Weedle, and Pidgey. They only need 12 candies to be evolved, and as a buddy, you get one candy per kilometer walked.

Pokémon to Evolve *12 Candies Needed 1 12 12 2 24 22 3 36 32 4 48 42 5 60 52 6 72 62 7 84 72 8 96 82 9 108 92 10 120 102 11 132 112 12 144 122 13 156 132

You should also plan to trade in each one that you evolve to get that additional candy. The chart to the left shows how accounting for your candy this way can pay off significantly. You must have at least 12 candies available to initiate the evolution, but you can tag another Pokémon for evolution once you have 10 more candies. 10+1 from evolution+1 from transfer. So, even though 12x6=72, you can evolve 7 Caterpies, Weedles, or Pidgeys with that amount of candy. And at 1000xp per, those extra evolutions really pay off. It also shows that using 50 candies to get that Pidgeot, Beedrill, or Butterfree isn't a good idea. Think about it: with 52 candies, you can get a new Pokémon, so 2000xp, or you can evolve 5 Pokémon and get 5000xp. It also helps to know that none of these are actually very good in battle, and I rarely (if ever) see them in gyms. If you see them in the wild, go ahead and catch them, it's okay. One more tip: It's a good idea to unfavorite these Pokémon before starting the Lucky Egg. This will save you the time needed to unfavorite the evolved version before you transfer it. Other Pokemon that are good for xp evolving are Rattatas, Eevees (though they are also very good in battle) and Zubats (believe me, in downtown areas, they seem to be everywhere), and, once you have a third evolved form that is good for battle, Nidorans (either kind), Poliwags, any of the starters (if you catch enough of them), Oddish, Machop, Bellsprout, Geodude, Gastly, and Dratini.

For Generation 2: Sentret, Marill, Ledyba, and any of the babies are good cash (xp) cows.

Evolving for Battle-Ready Pokemon

To get the best Pokémon for battle, you should use the Appraisal function and re-name the Pokémon with symbols to identify how they rate. I use a code at the end of the name of the Pokémon. There is a 12 character limit to the names of Pokémon, so using all four pieces of the code is not really practical. Size is not yet a factor in the game, so you can leave that one out. Additionally, if only one stat is mentioned, you do not need to use the '1'. I have also taken to noting my ## Pokémon with symbols at the front of their names, while all other values are noted at the end. This helps locate them quickly in the alphabetical view. Pokemon with stronger appraisal values are stronger in battle and get more CP when powered up. Interestingly, I have found that Pokemon with + evolve to have a higher CP than Pokemon with #, but they are always weaker in battle.

This is, pretty much, my strongest Pokémon. (though I have others with higher xp)

Below is a table to identify what symbols to use for each Appraisal.

	Code	Valor	Mystink	Instink
Initial comment (Overall)	# (pound)	...simply amazes me. It can accomplish anything!	...is a wonder! What a breathtaking Pokemon!	...looks like it can really battle with the best of them!
	* (star)	...is a strong Pokemon. You should be proud!	...has certainly caught my attention.	...is really strong!
	+ (plus)	...is a decent Pokemon	...is above average.	...is pretty decent!
	- (minus)	...may not be great in battle, but I still like it!	...is not likely to make much headway in battle.	...has room for improvement as far as battling goes.
Number of stats mentioned	3	HP, Attack, and Defense
	2	Two stats
	1 or (null)	Just one stat
Comment about stats	# (pound)	I’m blown away by its stats. WOW!	Its stats exceed my calculations. It’s incredible!	Its stats are the best I’ve ever seen! No doubt about it!
	* (star)	It’s got excellent stats! How exciting!	I am certainly impressed by its stats, I must say.	Its stats are really strong! Impressive.
	+ (plus)	Its stats indicate that in battle, it’ll get the job done.	Its stats are noticeably trending to the positive.	It’s definitely got some good stats. Definitely!
	- (minus)	Its stats don’t point to greatness in battle.	Its stats are not out of the norm, in my opinion.	Its stats are all right, but kinda basic, as far as I can see.
Size	s (extra small)	...is so tiny, I almost didn’t notice it!	...is tinier than any we have on record. Astounding.	Wh-whoa. That’s the tiniest [Pokemon Name] I’ve ever seen!
	S (Small)	Aww, what a small [Pokemon Name]! It’s rather cute, I’d say.	...is below average in size.	...is a little small for its kind, don’t you think?
	M (Medium)	(no comment)	(no comment)	(no comment)
	L (Large)	...is rather sizable, that’s for sure!	...is above average in size.	...is a BIG one!
	G (XL or Giant)	...is gigantic—the largest I’ve ever seen!	...is… colossal. This is indeed exceptional. Fascinating!	...is just HUGE!

You will want to keep and evolve your highest CP Pokemon with good ratings, and it is possible that you will transfer a higher CP Pokemon with a -- rating if you have one slightly lower with ** or ##. Nearly any combination is possible, but the first symbol is most important, meaning that, in my experience, a *+ is better than a +*. Powering up Pokemon to make them a higher CP is not recommended either, because, as you level up, you will catch higher and higher CP Pokemon. But once you have an evolved Pokemon with a high rating, feel free to power it up as you can.

The Art of Pokéwalking: Getting Started

**Published with an earlier date to avoid showing up ahead of some vacation posts

I have four Pokémon GO accounts and got better and better at starting with each one. While it took days and days to get to level 5 with my first account, I did it in 30 minutes with my 4th.

To start an account, you want to make sure that you have an hour or two of free time and can walk around in a well populated area, like the downtown of a major metropolitan area, or in a popular park. Download the app, create an account, and create your trainer.

Choosing a Starter

When you first start your account, you will see three Pokémon: a green Bulbasaur, an orange Charmander, and a blue Squirtle. If you want to get Pikachu instead on one of these, you will need to walk away from these three until they disappear from the screen three times. I found that I had to walk at least one city block before they disappeared, and the fourth time that they reappeared, Pikachu showed up a few seconds later.

Level 5 in Less than an Hour

When I started my first account, it took me days of playing (very casually, I guess) to get to Level 5, but I was learning as I played. With the second account, I got there in a few hours, and even needed even less time for account three. With the fourth account, I got there before my first incense ended. I did it in Downtown Houston on a Friday evening by walking in straight lines past plenty of Pokéstops with lures and catching Pokémon. It only takes 10,000 xp to get to Level 5, which, believe me, will seem like nothing after a while, especially once you hit Level 20. Here are some pointers for making this as productive as possible while also preparing for getting as much xp as possible later on:

• Find a location with a good number of Pokéstops, preferably with lures. Parks are good for this.
• If you are around a LOT of lures (4 or more in close proximity), do not use your incense. If you cannot find such a place, use one of the incenses that you have and walk in straight lines.
• Start incubating your first 5km egg (or 2km, if you get that first, which I did with account 4) as soon as you get it. Monitoring the progress of your egg will also help you know when you can turn a corner without losing much credit for walking.
• Do NOT catch any evolved Pokémon. Yes, you get 500 xp for new Pokémon, but if you get a new Pokémon while evolving with a lucky egg, you will get 1000 xp for the Pokémon instead. See my Efficient Evolution section for more on this.
• There is a slight opportunity cost lost when doing this. For every evolved Pokémon you do not catch, you do miss out on that 100xp (plus any throw bonuses) and 100 stardust. However, evolved Pokémon are rare, and you're typically going to get more xp by waiting to get the new monsters while evolving than by catching. This is especially true of those that take 12 or 25 candies to evolve.
• Do not evolve or power up anything during this time. Instead, bank your Stardust and candies. You can safely transfer all Pokémon of a certain kind and be assured that your candy will not disappear. 
• Get a Buddy to monitor when the game gives you credit for walking too. Pidgey, Weedle, Caterpie, and Rattata all gain one candy per kilometer. Most others require 3 kilometers, and some require 5.

Why walk in straight lines? Because Pokemon GO is not a pedometer. It uses GPS to measure your distance traveled between certain points in time, and this distance is measured "as the crow flies", irrespective of streets or buildings. This impacts your egg hatching, incense effectiveness, and Buddy progress. Here is a link to a site with more info.

And as for evolved Pokémon, this site shows full evolution charts. There are some on here that do not include the lowest possible state in Pokémon GO. These are Pikachu, Clefairy, Jigglypuff, Chansey, Hitmonchan and Hitmonlee, Magmar, and Snorlax - from what I can tell. With my fourth account, I was often tempted with Metapods, Kakunas, Golbats, and even an Arbok. I do, actually recommend catching Butterfree, Beedrill, and Pidgeot if you can find them. It isn't worth it to use 50 candies to get these while using a Lucky Egg, as I explain in Efficient Evolutions.

Wedding Weekend: Day 2

We left early for my flight from MKE back to HOU.

In the Milwaukee Airport, I went through security and the famous Recombobulation Area, something could only be created in Wisconsin.

"Everyone is so discombobulated after the security line, so they will need to recombobulate"

During my flight, I took photos out the window of various things, mainly rivers.

Then we got to DC, and since we were flying into Reagan, I got some great shots of the National Mall.

Some passengers got off, then others got on, and we were bound for Houston. Here are where most of the river pictures are.

Squiggly, mostly dry river here. 

Then I arrived back in Houston and said hello to Bruno and got ready for work on Monday.

Wedding Weekend: Day 1

The day started in Milwaukee with Kiki hanging out with me while I woke up. I got ready for the trip over to Madison while my sister and her boyfriend did things that I can't remember right now. I think they slept in longer than me.

Fluffy and Kiki (née Kitty) chilling.

We packed and things to go to Madison, but first, we were going to go to a talk on cheese making at the Urban Ecology Center. There was another presentation right before it about brewing beer, but we wouldn't make it there in time and we were more interested in cheese. Before we left, I asked about this drawing, which was not done by my sister, but I think my sister's boyfriend's mom.

My parents' barn at sunset in the winter.

We drove to the Urban Ecology Center and went inside.

My sister is in this picture on the left.

The events we were attending were upstairs, and it took us a while to find out how to get up there.

We went upstairs and found the place where we thought the lecture was, but it turned out to be in another room. There were also lots of groups out with their foods and possibly crafts - but mostly foods. We went into the lecture room where it was standing room only. After a while near the door, I snuck over to the other side to sit by a counter by the window. Then, I cleared part of the counter off and sat on the counter. We learned that the different varieties of cheese were created by the bacteria used to create them, which usually came from the soil. After the lecture, we went out and looked at the tables and sampled some of their goods. We had tasty vegan things, tempeh, chocolate, and cheese. I ended up buying some chocolate and cheese to take back to Texas. Then we went downstairs and checked out the reptile room where we tried to watch a snake eat, but it wasn't very hungry or something.

A novel way to move between floors.

The finicky snake and it's uneaten meal.

See, I was there.

We went outside and walked around a little bit before heading out.

On the way, we saw an amusing personalized plate.

I believe that says "BCH"

My camera captured this, and I kept it.

We finally arrived in Madison and found our hotel, which was by a landfill and I learned also had several long-term residents. The smell of the landfill greeted us on the road to the place, and after we checked in, we encountered a shirtless older guy while we were going to our room.

We got ready for the wedding and I played some music for my sister, including "Bag Lady" by Erykah Badu and "Get it Together" by India Arie. Maybe "Window Seat" by Erykah Badu, but I don't remember that video. Then we headed out for the VFW for the wedding reception.

We managed to find the right building and hung out in the bar for a little while. I had my third brandy old fashioned and saw a pretty cool display that used the building's vent to make it mobile.

The flag moves cuz air is blowing into the box.

We went outside too and took photos with the artifacts outside. I also danced to Beat It being played at another party.

Then we went in to the reception. See, my friend and her husband "eloped" back in May because my friend was overwhelmed by planning a wedding and a reception. They married on May 4 and had Star Wars shirts at the Madison Capitol building. I'm not terribly keen on the "May the Fourth" thing, but they are, so I know that it's a good date for them. During the reception, the guy in the middle of the photo below gave a great speech about what a marriage was - it's not the wedding, it's not the celebration, it's what they do every day and the choices they make. It was very touching.

It was a really beautiful event and I'm so happy for my friend and glad she invited me to this.

I also got to karoke Lose Yourself by Eminem, which was hard, but I managed to do it reasonably well. We left around 10 or something and prepared to leave early on Sunday.