:: Intrepid Spaniel ::

Tricia Elbl has put together a new May newsletter for the Nickell family. She asked me to put it online, but I was reluctant to put everyone’s contact info out there in a searchable place where spammers and identity thieves could find it.

First, if you’re just here for the file, here is the newsletter, and to access it you will need to type “letmein” without the quotes in order to, well, let you in.

Here are some of the options I considered, I decided on #3.
1) put it in a folder and tell search engines not to index that folder. (not perfect, spammers could still ignore that and grab the info)
2) chop out the address and phone info, and put it online. (that really makes it less useful)
3) create a password protected file, and include the password online. This might make it less useful, since the file won’t be very useful without the password, but if I post the password with the file, a human could type it in, but search engines can’t index it, and automated spam tools won’t bother. It won’t stop a determined scammer, but it is pretty unlikely someone would go to that trouble with all the low hanging fruit out there. If you are a scammer, move along, nothing to see here..

Let me know what you think… a good balance, too much of a pain?

Did you knew that GMail can now fetch e-mail messages from everywhere?
It appears to be true. Google just improved their e-mail service to gather messages from up to 5 POP3-enabled accounts. The service isn’t available to everyone yet, only for a few randomly chosen users.

We are looking forward to see this happening for every user out there, as this was the missing link on the chain for Gmail to be the perfect mail/webmail application.
I hope it happens for google apps for your domain pages like nickell.org soon. And it might be nice for those providers who allow POP but not forwarding.
Read on for how to tell if you have it, how to set it up, and what it looks like.
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I set up a customizable start page for nickell.org users at http://go.nickell.org using Google Apps for Organizations. This can be pretty handy because you can have your mail, calendar, headlines from you favorite sites, weather, sports, stocks, games, and more all from your own personalized start page.

Also easier to remember access to nickell.org webmail at http://mail.nickell.org and calendar at http://cal.nickell.org

Brent and Emilie Hansen’s daughter was born around 10pm June 29, 2006. I think they want to name her Abagail. She was 8lbs. 15oz, 21 1/2″ and I’ve heard tell of a 15 inch head. Her full name is Abagail Kaye Hansen.

Update: The doctors think Abby has fluid in the lungs and possibly pneumonia, so she will likely have to stay in the NICU for a few days. Send your prayers for her health and her family.

Update 5pm, June 30th.. Abby is still in the ICU, but is out of the humidifier tent. Emilie and Brent got to hold and feed her. I didn’t get to see her, but I hear she looks much more healthy and totally different from yesterday

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Update, Sunday July 2: Test confrmed Abby has a bit of a bacterical infection, maybe a touch of pneumonia, but as soon as that clears up, she can go home. Emilie has been discharged from the hospital, but is still spending most of her time there. I got a short visit yesterday, and got to hold her.. She sure is precious, and her color looks very good.

Pic from yesterday.. she looks so different already.

Update: July 3rd: Abby came home from the hospital! Yea!

More pictures are online at http://nickell.org/gallery/abby/

Since it’s been a year since my last update.. I’ve definitely decided to phase the Mambo site out, and probably replace it with http://nickell.org/blog/ (This post was imported from Mambo, just so you are not confused, This is the “new site”)

I’ll (eventually) move the blog content to the main page.. (hasn’t happened yet)

Is there anything worth saving from this page.. I’ll miss the integrated photo gallery, I’ll have to see if I can do that with the wordpress too. Any thing else you guys want to see? Any stories you want me to move over?
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Two new babies in the family this past month. See the photo gallery for pictures.. and the blog for more info.
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Rylee Kate Bigler was born on May 17th, 2006 at 4:08pm. If my memory serves me, she was 7lbs. 14oz and 20.5 inches long.

I’m not sure about the spelling of her name, I’ll let you know when I get the official word. Maybe it will be Ryleigh or Rylee or Rieley or Riley.
Update: It’s official, her name is Rylee

She slept almost the whole time I visited, though I hear she was alert and looking around for an hour or so after being born.

Besides needing some rest, Matt, Natalie, and Rylee are doing fine and send their best.

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You can see the rest of the pictures at http://nickell.org/gallery/bigler/

If you like the pictures, and want an easy, free way to download and touch up your digital pictures, download picasa from this link…

Wow! I’ve really gotten into gmail, and like it a lot. With the addition of google calendar, it is only getting better. I signed up for a beta program to host nickell.org email via gmail and was accepted. If you want a nickell.org email with gmail’s interface and 2gb limit please email me. I hope that google will open up it’s awesome google calendar service soon to hosted users soon too. While I’m dreaming, I hope I can sync to an ipod, nokia 6255, and a palm.

Some hints for converting to gmail…
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A note from Tricia Elbl with some exciting news: Thomas was born!

In her words:
“Thomas Maximillian Elbl joined our family on March 27th at 1:06 AM. He weighed in at 9 lbs, 6 oz and was 21 inches long. He was up to 9 lbs, 9 oz at his two day appt, so he’s doing well, as am I. Gregory calls him Max, Rach says “momas” and
we’re going with Thomas for now.”

I am looking forward to seeing Thomas in July.

Photos are here..

http://nickell.org/gallery/album03?page=1
(or try http://www.nickell.org/gallery) and select Elbl -sub album Thomas
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