Aaron Roe(bot) Fulkerson Open source entrepreneur and digital viking.
About Me
I am a founder and the Chief Executive Officer of MindTouch, a popular open source business application and collaboration platform used by millions. Read more.
Christmas and the zoo
December 27, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonTara and I had planned to have Christmas dinner with my oldest friend, Henry Kikunaga. We’ve been good friends since kindergarten in Morgan Hill, CA. Over the years he and I have lived all over the states, but never near one another until recently when we some how managed to end up only 8 miles away. He is in Chula Vista and I am in downtown San Diego. Of course, we rarely see one another. He works as hard as I do and he recently had triplets. Yes, triplets.
Alas, our Christmas dinner plans were dashed because my kids were sick and we couldn’t expose the triplets. We did have a wonderful time nonetheless. We visited Mission Bay Park and then later, since we hadn’t planned for Christmas dinner, we ordered dinner from Celadon Thai. It was great, we had duck. It reminded me of “A Christmas Story”.
The day after Christmas we took the kids to the Zoo. I hope my kids will realize how lucky they are to have Seaworld, the San Diego Zoo and countless parks and beaches within a couple miles from our house.
I love San Diego. It is an idyllic place to raise kids.
Ashby’s Multi-sport Class
October 18, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonAshby has been participating in the Little Rascalz multi-sport class on Tuesdays at Pioneer Park in Mission Hills. This has been wonderful for her. Thus far she has played La Crosse, Baseball, Soccer, Tennis and Field Hockey.
The above photo is from her last class. Prior to this class starting her and I were participating in our own Greco-Roman wrestling session on the grass. After we had paused, Ashby stumbled into the top of my head when I was looking down. She busted her lip wide open. Blood was everywhere. The other parents didn’t know we had stopped wrestling and it was caused by her stumbling. They only saw her bloody face and tears and had been witness to our shenanigans for the previous 15 minutes. Needless to say, their looks were telling. I felt like a total ass.
Anyway, I got the blooding down to a trickle and offered her to go home. She wasn’t having it. She immediately got out on the field as soon as the coaches started and got down to some field hockey.
Today, when she saw the above photo she said: “I’m holding my lip like that because it still hurt.” She’s such a bad ass.
And yes, I do recommend Little Rascalz.They have eleven locations in San Diego county. 
Princesses On Ice
October 11, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonAshby is really into Princesses. Personally, I’m not fond of Disney or Disney Princesses. Especially older Disney, which depicts women as submissive and is often quite scary to children. If Disney being scary surprises you then you haven’t watched Disney as an adult. Nonetheless, when I saw there was Disney’s Princesses on Ice in town I was excited to take Ashby. I knew she would have a fantastic time. I was right and so too did Tara and me.
Prior to the event, Tara and I took Ashby to the new Corvette Diner at Liberty Station in Loma Portal. We had been to the old location in Hillcrest, but I wasn’t fond of it because it just felt dirty. I really like this new location though.
After dinner we drove to Sports Arena for the show. Once in the venue we loaded up Ashby with a new wand and snacks. Our seats were amazing. We were on the ice, front row. Indeed these were the best seats I have ever had at any event. I could have picked a Princess’ nose every minute were I inclined. The actors would occasionally step off the ice and interact with the audience. Ashby was too shy to engage them, but this made it even more fun and exciting.
Here are my two favorite princesses of the evening:
Cinderella wasn’t bad either, yowza….
Ashby was mesmerized by the show. I suppose we all were. The skating was amazing and the costumes were equally impressive. The best part of the show was witnessing the awe in Ashby’s face and in those of the children around us. We had a fantastic time.
Thank you Sarah for watching Roesevelt for us so we could go.
Balancing
September 13, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonAshby and Roesevelt have been awfully sick this week. So, this weekend we decided to stay in and lie low. We did manage to make it to the Hillcrest Market for lunch and this week’s flowers, fruit and produce.
There are always such well groomed men at the Hillcrest market.
Today I’m spending my day catching up on writing for work. Interspersed with the work stuff I’m giving my girls makeovers. Ashby started it by giving me a make over initially.
I think Tara’s make over is especially hot.
San Diego Coastkeeper Beach Cleanup
September 7, 2009 — Aaron Fulkerson
Warning: potentially annoying pontification to ensue.
I believe it is important to instill your kids with the importance of community obligation and compassion. As I wrote previously, it’s too soon to do most volunteer work, but a beach clean up is just right for a 3.5 year old.
We had a great time. Between playing in the sand and surf we picked up trash and talked about the importance of helping others and making the community we live in a better place. Ashby responded with: “like heroes”. Exactly.
Surfrider Organized Beach Cleanup
August 22, 2009 — Aaron Fulkerson
Ashby (my 3.5 year old daughter) is amazing. Of course, if you read my blog, you already know this. One aspiration I have for my daughter is that she grow up with compassion for her fellow *man. After some thought, I’ve determined one way to achieve this is by spending time with her engaged in community work. To this end, Ashby and I will be attending the September 5th La Jolla Shores beach cleanup that is organized by the Surfrider Foundation.
Participants should meet by the main lifeguard tower. The cleanup takes place from 9am until 11am.
All volunteers are welcome to participate and must sign a liability waiver, but volunteers under 18 MUST have a parent or guardian sign the waiver before the minor can participate. (Please note the NEW waiver as of August 2009)
Click Here for the beach cleanup Waiver Form.
Be Amazed
August 17, 2009 — Aaron Fulkerson
- Image by Roebot via Flickr
The world we live in is amazing. Life is amazing. Everything is amazing. We all should be amazed. Take the time to let yourself be amazed.
Last week I flew with my family to Florida to spend the week on the beach and visit my father and mother. We safely flew at 39,000 feet. I listened to several “How Stuff Works” podcasts on my iPod and I read a book on my Amazon Kindle 2 while holding my 6 month old son. My wife sat beside me and played with our 3.5 year old daughter Ashby. Ashby watched two movie rentals on my iPhone. We ate lunch together flying safely through the air. We flew from one coast to the other in under seven hours.
We have spent nearly every day on the beach in Daytona with my brother who drove 500 miles with his family from North Carolina. His daughters played games collaboratively on their Nintendo DS handhelds during their seven hour drive.
Every morning for the last week The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post have been delivered automatically to my Kindle 2 from outer space for me to enjoy over coffee as I sit gazing at the river and watching the occasional dolphin swim by. I’m writing this blog post using a Verizon MiFi card from my father’s couch as I upload photos to my Flickr account.
So much to be awed by. The current pace and obvious acceleration in technological innovation ensures that in only two years I’ll read this post and be marveled by how archaic some of these technologies are. Another thing is certain. I’ll also look back at this post and reminisce about how fantastic this time is and how lucky I am to have such a wonderful family.
Dancin’ Xander
August 3, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonIf ever there was a web video ripe for a mashup it’s the following video of our friend’s three year old son:
Yo gabba gabba? Please. This boy deserves his own show. Here are Xander and Ashby when they were young and his parents were our neighbors in Little Italy San Diego.
This was before Mitch and Magda took Xander away from us to Philadelphia where they work on cancer research. Cha!… like THAT’S going anywhere. Post-doc researchers are so into themselves…whatever.
We can’t wait to see you guys in Florida next week.
Camping, Mt. Laguna in Cleveland National Forest
July 12, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonI went camping with the family this weekend at in the Laguna Mountains in the Cleveland National Forest. We stayed at the El Prado Campground. This is about an hour drive from downtown San Diego just past Alpine, CA. I often use Recreation.gov for booking our campsites; however, I just figured out ReserveAmerica.com includes both federal and state parks. Both sites would benefit greatly from a Collaborative Network that would allow visitors to share information, video and images of sites. For me it is always difficult to decide on a campground because I just don’t know what to expect without speaking with someone that has been there. I once took the family to a campsite north of Morro Bay after booking it at Reserve America only to discover it was not more than a parking lot near a coal burning power plant. Granted it was near the beach and you could see Morro Rock, but the campsite was really awful.
Ashby loves camping and this was Roesevelt’s first camping trip. We had a nice shaded campsite, but it was 98 F when arrived. It really didn’t seem that hot though. In the evening the temperature dropped to a pleasant high 60s F.
The Laguna Mountains are gorgeous. I am told there is a really nice trail that runs through some mountain meadows that starts at the El Prado campground. If it were not so hot we could have gone on some hikes, but with Roesevelt being so young and the trails near our campsite having so little shade it was not feasible.
Friends Tara knows from Stroller Strides, Christy and Steve, joined us and brought their children, Wade and Olivia. Wade, who is almost two, apparently enjoys running on streets as he would frequently make a run for it down the road. The kids had a great time and so too did we adults after the kids retired for the evening.
Christy and Steve have a pop up camper that sports three beds, a sink and stove. It is fantastic. They tow it behind. Park it. Crank up the pop-up and VOILA they have a comfortable camp home for them and their kids. Tara assures me she would be willing to camp more frequently with such a contraption. I think we need to get one.
I find it amusing to reminiscent on my years of camping in Northern Minnesota with a canvas sack, sleeping bag and a tarp. How we change after children….
Flip Video, A Health Care Aid
July 6, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonRoesevelt has been ill. I don’t feel like relating the entire tale. Suffice it to say he has a milk protein allergy, GERD and/or maybe TEF (nothing contagious). We are still trying to figure it all out and it has been very troubling to the entire family. I have tried to focus on work and other things to distract myself from worrying. His symptoms include a loss of appetite, wheezing and a hacking cough. Poor boy. He’s such a happy fellow even when he feels like crap.
One of the reasons Roe was diagnosed early is because his enterprising mother (Tara, featured above) used our Flip Video to record him while he was exhibiting symptoms late at night. Today the Flip Video again improved Roe’s healthcare.
Often when Tara, or I, go to the pediatrician we have many questions or pertinent information for the other to ask or share. In the hustle to get out the door with the distraction of children it is often difficult for either of us to remember. Before I left for work, at Tara’s request, I recorded a short 20 second video on our Flip with my questions. Tara watched the video, but as I too often do, she had forgotten a couple of my questions. Yay Flip! She had it with her at Dr. Gerber’s office and shared the video with him.
By the way, Dr. Gerber is our wonderful pediatrician. I highly recommend him. He is at Scripps Medical in Hillcrest. He is very thorough, never rushed, always takes the time with us in the office and is happy to call us after hours to answer questions. Many of Tara’s mom friends take their children to Dr. Gerber as well. They all love him and think he’s a handsome fellow. So, if you’re looking for a pediatrician in San Diego….
Sophie Giraffe By Vulli And Other Baby Products
July 5, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonTara and I were discussing how few photos I take of Roe compared to Ashby. Since the boy is so young I feel like I am taking the same photos over and over again. Roe lying on his back, lying on his belly, sitting/sinking into the couch cushion, etc. You get the picture. Here is a photo of Roe with his favorite toy Sophie Giraffe.
Sophie Giraffe is made from 100% natural rubber (phthalates Free) and food paint. These are so great we bought three Sophie’s for my friend Henry’s triplets.
I read at Babygadget that Vulli is now selling a new toy in the USA, which I think is even cooler than Sophie. Chan, Pie and Gnon.
Mushrooms are awesome. Get it, Chan, Pie and Gnon. Champignon. Here is a hint, Vulli is a French company.
As long as I’m on the topic of great baby products another is the bumbo seat. Here is Roe posing in his bumbo seat wearing his Izod onsie
. Thankfully grandma buys most of my children’s clothes. 
The bumbo makes it easy for the boy to stay seated upright safely without the possibility for him to fall over. It’s useful when picnicking in the front yard.
“A Snob Free Salon”
July 4, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonAshby and I got our hair cut together at our usual salon in Hillcrest. The salon is called “Hairspray” and proclaims on its sign that it is a “high energy – snob free salon”. This is fairly accurate. We have been getting our haircut there for about a year now. Everyone there loves Ashby. And Ashby loves being coiffed. Of course, I am happy because the prices are reasonable, which is hard to come by in San Diego.
I used the built in collage tool in Picassa to create the above collage. In the event you are not familiar with Picassa it is free and is arguably the best photo management tool
Ashby’s First Baseball Game Includes Killer Bees
July 3, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonI happened to have four Padres tickets given to me on Thursday. Field level behind first base. I had, as usual, a ton of work to do, but I couldn’t resist cutting out and taking Ashby to her first baseball game. I had some phone calls that I couldn’t miss so we didn’t get to the park until the 7th inning. Damien, one of my co-workers, also paused some work he was doing for a client skin to join us.
The seats were great. However, Ashby’s charm and good looks prompted one of the ballpark’s ushers to move us to seats even closer to the field.
The ushers were amazing. In addition to moving us to really nice seats in the sun they also brought us wet paper towels and fake tattoos for Ashby. They were so sweet and accommodating.
Petco park is great for children. There is a grassy knoll for them to play, a kids’ baseball diamond, sand lots and a very nice playground. Bleacher tickets, which give you access to all the children’s amenities are only $5.
We left before the end of the game. In bottom of the 9th the game was delayed due to a massive swarm of bees in left field. We waited for about thirty minutes for it to clear up and then gave up. Check out this delay of game message on the “jumbotron”.
About five minutes after the initial message the message was updated to read: “due to a small swarm of bees in left field.” Small my ass! That swarm was massive! We could all see it. It took up an entire section, which was duly evacuated.
I read the bees delayed the game for over 50 minutes and a shock bee keeper was called in to settle the bees down and was cheered on by the audience. Padres lost to the Astros 2-7.
San Diego Fair
June 30, 2009 — Aaron FulkersonDo you remember visiting the state fair as a child? You know, back before you learned the filthy and obese carnies lost their teeth from heroin and methamphetamine use. The rides were thrilling and the experience a lasting memory. Last Friday I took the day off from work and returned to my childhood by taking the entire family to the San Diego Fair. It was Ashby, my three and a half year old that returned me to my youth. Just look at her.
She was so awed by the experience it was thrilling for me too. Tara is terrified of even the kiddy rides. While she fed Roesevelt I took Ashby on a bunch of rides. I had thought Ashby would be scared, but I was very wrong. She would have ridden every ride in the park if I let her. She even rode her first pony. It was named “Chief”.
If you’re looking for a place to park when going to the fair I’m told the free parking lot is very convenient. They run a free shuttle that is allegedly very convenient. When we arrived at the fairgrounds the free lot was already full and we parked in the paid ($10) overflow lot. It was a surprisingly short walk to the gates. We bought our tickets at Albertsons and saved several dollars than if we bought them at the gate. Costco sells a $53 state fair package that includes four adult tickets, four sodas and thirty ride tickets. Not a bad deal.
We visited the livestock areas and kiddyland. We spent a few hours and it was well worth the $80+ we spent for ride tickets, parking and treats like cotton candy.
