Flat Lucas

Flat Stanley Now a Musical

2008-01-07T11:39:00.000-08:00

I was sent this link by a friend for the The Musical Adventures of Flat Stanley. For ages 5 and up!

Flat Lucas Visits San Francisco

2007-04-28T20:09:00.000-07:00

San Francisco is about 50 miles north of San Jose. On Saturday, Flat Lucas took a day trip with my friend Scott, his brother and his brother's wife.

Flat Lucas overlooking the San Francisco Bay and the San Francisco city skyline from Oakland.

Flat Lucas rides on the Bay Bridge.

Crossing from Oakland to San Francisco.

Flat Lucas with Alcatraz in the distance. Alcatraz is one of the most famous prisons in American history. Supposedly, no prisoner ever escaped successfully from Alcatraz (it's on an island)

The San Francisco skyline.

Flat Lucas boards a WWII boat on the San Francisco bay.

Flat Lucas in Fisherman's Wharf, one of the most popular tourist attractions in San Francisco. What kind of animal is in this picture? If you said Sea Lion, you're right!

Flat Lucas' new friends and travel companions.

Flat Lucas Flies to San Jose, California

2007-04-27T23:00:00.000-07:00

On Friday evening, my friend Scott and I flew with Flat Lucas to San Jose for a conference. This flight was a short one for Flat Lucas now that he is a seasoned traveler--only about 1.5 hours long (699 miles). Now, Flat Lucas and I have flown 6,677 miles together.

San Jose is located in California in what's known as Silicon Valley (the southern part of the Bay Area). You may be familiar with Google, Yahoo, Microsoft, Intel, Flickr, YouTube, etc. They all have office buildings in Silicon Valley. It's a great place to be if you're interested in computers like me :)

Flat Lucas Plays Golf

2007-04-20T18:20:00.000-07:00

Flat Lucas was asked to play golf with my friends Jonathan and Brendan. He told me that he had never played golf before. I told him that was OK because we could show him how to play. :)

Flat Lucas warming up at the driving range.

Flat Lucas and Brendan.

Flat Lucas and Jonathan.

Flat Lucas resting after a hard evening of golf.

Flat Lucas Visits the HCI Lab

2007-04-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

I work in a field called Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of Washington. That's quite amouthful, I know. Essentially, I study how people use computers and how we might improve technology to be more useful in the future (here's my webpage is you want to find out more). Flat Lucas visited my research lab today and I thought I'd share a few pictures.

This is typically where I sit in the HCI lab.

We have 30-inch wide screen monitors.

This is Flat Lucas vacationing in the Bahamas. Oh, wait, just kidding. This is my friend Kate's background on her computer.

This is our patio on the 6th floor of our building which overlooks the east side of campus along with Husky Stadium, Lake Washington, the Cascade Mountain Range and Mount Rainier. Flat Lucas is eating lunch with my friends Charlie and Kate.

Can you see the lake (that's Lake Washington) and football stadium (that's where the Huskies play).

Flat Lucas and the Seattle Space Needle

2007-04-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

The Seattle Space Needle is Seattle's most recognizable landmark. It was built in 1962 for the World's Fair and is 602 feet high. The top of the Space Needle hosts an observation deck and a restaurant that spins around 360 degrees.

The Seattle Space Needle is located in the Seattle Center, home to the Experience Music Project, the Seattle Monorail, KeyArena (where the SuperSonics NBA teams plays), the Pacific Science Theatre, the Children's Museum, the Science Fiction Museum, amongst other attractions.

This is a panoramic view from the Seattle Space Needle. Can you spot Mount Rainier?

Flat Lucas Plays Flag Football

2007-04-05T17:15:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of being in college is hanging out with my friends and playing sports: I've played flag football, ultimate frisbee, golf, and (my favorite) basketball. Here, my friends and I are playing flag football right outside our building (the Paul Allen Center).

We're playing flag football on the field outside of our building, which is in the backdrop.

Mount Rainier is ever present on the campus horizon.

Flat Lucas and I having a good time. Flat Lucas was very hard to tackle, his Flat Flag was hard to grab.

My friend Jon and Flat Lucas after just scoring a touchdown.

Flat Lucas Fills Up

2007-04-02T21:30:00.001-07:00

Although Flat Lucas is too young to drive, he still helped my friend Scott fill up his car with gas.

Flat Lucas Attends the Mariners Home Opener

2007-04-02T21:30:00.000-07:00

My friend Jeff sent me an email in the early afternoon asking me if I'd like to sit in the 2nd row on the 1st baseline to the Seattle Mariners' home opener. I did not hesitate to say "yes!" Flat Lucas really enjoyed sitting so close to the action. The Mariners won 4-0 against the Oakland A's.

Flat Lucas and I outside Safeco Field, where the Mariners play.

The view from our seats (2nd row along the 1st baseline).

Flat Lucas enjoying the game in his very own seat.

Flat Lucas was so excited when Sexson hit a homerun in the 6th inning, he spilled a bit of Flat Soda on his shirt. Can you spot the stain?

The Mariner Moose became the official mascot of the Mariners in 1990. In this picture, he's rollerskating along the perimeter of the baseball field.

Woooops! The Mariner Moose takes a fall right in front of our seats!

Here's a picture of me, Flat Lucas, Jeff, Scott and Dimitri at the end of the game. Seattle beat Oakland 4-0. Our pitcher, Hernandez, pitched 8 scoreless innings and struck out 12 batters.

Flat Lucas Flies Back to Seattle

2007-04-01T10:50:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures out the window as our airplane began its descent into Seattle. This mountain is called Mount Rainier, it has the tallest peak in the contiguous United States. You can also see Mount Rainier from my Computer Science and Engineering building at the University of Washington (as well as from many other parts of Seattle).

The flight from Houston to Seattle is 1,883 miles. If we add this to the 4,095 miles we've previously flown, Flat Lucas and I have now traveled 5,978 miles via airplane together.

Flat Lucas Visits a Texas Mall

2007-03-30T15:45:00.000-07:00

A trip to Houston would not be completed without visiting the Galleria, a posh mall just outside of downtown.

The Galleria has an indoor ice rink!

Flat Lucas causing trouble.

Flat Lucas loves candy.

There's no Flat Lucas in this picture but I am wearing my belt buckle on the outside of my shirt, just like a true Texan.

Flat Lucas Goes To Court

2007-03-30T10:00:00.000-07:00

I was in Houston with my friends Cassandra, Jason, Bobby and Paul. They were there to compete in a mock trial competition. A mock trial is like a "fake trial" where two teams compete to win a case--it's kind of like watching a movie or a TV show with courtroom drama.

The Harris County 334th District Courthouse was the site of the 2007 National Trial Competition.

In between trials, the team had a lot of time to fool around. In this case, we put Flat Lucas on trial for allegedly stealing a Flat Cookie from the Flat Cookie Jar. Paul is the defense lawyer and Flat Lucas is the defendant. Free Flat Lucas!

Jason was the prosecutor and I was the judge. Flat Lucas is on the stand defending himself.

Flat Lucas watching the trial (nervously).

Flat Lucas is free! He had great representation.

Can you spot Flat Lucas... look towards the judge's chair.

Flat Lucas making a mockery of Auxiliary Court 1.

Flat Lucas Becomes A Cowboy

2007-03-28T11:45:00.000-07:00

The whole NTC team made their way to Cavender's Boot City--the place to buy western wear like cowboy boots, hats and jeans. If we were going to spend time in Texas, we wanted to look the part.

Flat Lucas Enjoys His First Texan Barbeque

2007-03-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

The first thing we did after arriving in Texas was have some bonafide Texan Bar-B-Q at Pappas. We were all starved from our travels.

Pappas Bar-B-Q sign behind a Texas sized truck.

The Suffolk NTC 2007 Team: (clockwise) Paul, Jason, Bobby and Cassandra

Flat Lucas attempts to become Fat Lucas.

The leftovers.

Flat Lucas Flies to Houston

2007-03-27T11:00:00.000-07:00

The flight from Seattle to Boston was a long one: 2,489 miles and over 5 hours long. Now Flat Lucas and I were set to fly to Houston, Texas. Unlike our flight to Boston, which was nonstop, our flight to Houston stops in New York City at JFK Airport, the busiest airport in the country!

Boston is the pink tack on the map, New York City is the green tack, and Houston, Texas is the light blue tack. Our flight takes us from the East Coast to the heart of the Southland.

Our flight left at 6:30AM, so Flat Lucas and I had to get up at 4AM. Flat Lucas was not used to getting up so early so he slept most of the flight. I didn't have the heart to wake him during the flight, but I snapped some photos from the plane anyway so Flat Lucas could see what he missed.

The flight to New York City was 191 miles. The flight from New York to Houston was 1,415 miles. So the total travel distance to Houston from Boston was 1,606 miles.

So far, Flat Lucas has flown 4,095 miles with me--not including the flight he likely took in the mail from Minnesota to Seattle. To put this in perspective, a drive from Flat Lucas' house in Dodge Center to Grandma and Grandpa Walker's house in Albert Lea is approximately 55 miles. So, 4,095 miles is like driving back and forth from Flat Lucas's home to Grandma and Grandpa's home 75 times!

The drive from Flat Lucas's home to Grandpa and Grandma Walker's home is approximately 55 miles.

Flat Lucas Rides the Subway

2007-03-26T21:43:00.000-07:00

My friend Cassandra does not own a car. That's OK though, many people who live in Boston don't own cars, they ride the subway. Flat Lucas told me he had never ridden a subway before so it was fun to show him what it was all about. A subway is a train that runs underground--underneath the city. The train only stops at specific places (called subway stops). You can reach these stops by walking down flights of stairs (or escalators) that take you underground. Other big cities like Boston have subways: New York City, Paris, France, London, England.

Here's a map of the subway routes. Each color represents a different route in Boston. Look how many places you can go! Can you spot the green line? Portions of the green line were opened in 1897 (more than 100 years ago) making it the first subway in the United States!

Cassandra only lives two blocks away from her subway stop, which takes her to school, the grocery store, her friend's houses--basically anywhere she wants to go. While Flat Lucas and I were in Boston, we rode the subway often. Here are some photos!

Flat Lucas Plays With Derrida

2007-03-25T18:48:00.000-07:00

Flat Lucas and the cat, Derrida, liked to play together. I think Lucas liked playing with someone his own size once in a while.

Flat Lucas Explores Boston

2007-03-24T13:00:00.000-07:00

Flat Lucas, Cassandra and I started our walking tour of Boston from Cassandra's law school (Suffolk Law). The law school is on a famous Boston street called Tremont St. and across from the oldest city park in the United States, the Boston Common. Many important historical events happened in Boston going all the way back to when the United States was first formed.

Our first stop was the Granary Burial Ground because it was right next to the Boston Common and contains monuments of some very notable people in American history. Three of the signers of the Declaration of Independence were buried here as well as one of my favorite patriots, Paul Revere. Do you know the story of Paul Revere? Flat Lucas does now :-)

Flat Lucas and I in front of the Granary Burial Grounds and next to the Paul Revere memorial tablet. Click on the picture to read the tablet.

Our next stop was to the Old State House. Built in 1713, it is the oldest surviving public building in Boston and, even more importantly, is the original site where the Declaration of Independence was read! Flat Lucas told me that he had heard about the Declaration of Independence before but couldn't remember exactly what it was. I told him that it was a document written to say that the United States wanted to be free from British rule. A long time ago, back in the 1700s, our country was actually ruled by another country called Great Britain.

Flat Lucas and I on the west front of the Old State House. Can you spot the Golden Eagle?

Flat Lucas and I on the east side of the Old State House showing the balcony where the first reading of the Declaration of Independence took place!

Flat Lucas was so fascinated by this part of American history, he wanted to read everything on his own.

Our last stop on the Freedom Trail was the Samuel Adams statue in front of Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Samual Adams was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was responsible for the Boston Tea Party and a member of the Continental Congress (an early form of our national government). He was also a well known political writer and philosopher.

Flat Lucas and I in front of the Samuel Adams statue in Faneuil. Flat Lucas is crossing his arms just like Samuel Adams.

After all that walking, Flat Lucas, Cassandra and I decide to stop for lemonade and a late lunch.

Flat Lucas Meets Derrida

2007-03-22T11:00:00.000-07:00

Flat Lucas and I were very tired when we arrived in Boston at 6:30AM. We took the subway from the airport to Cassandra's house. Finally, we were able to take a long nap. When I woke up, I found Flat Lucas playing with Cassandra's cat, Derrida. They became good friends while we were in Boston.

Flat Lucas meets Cassandra's cat, Derrida, for the first time.

Flat Lucas moves over to Derrida's chair.

Derrida investigates.

Derrida gives Flat Lucas a kiss.

Seattle Airport, Our Adventures Begin

2007-03-21T21:30:00.000-07:00

Flat Lucas and I are about to board a plane bound for Boston, MA to visit my friend Cassandra.

Flat Lucas and I at the SeaTac International Airport in Seattle. Can you see the plane in the background? Click on the picture to see a larger copy.

Flat Lucas and I are excited to fly across the country! It's a "red eye" flight, we don't leave until 10:40PM. Hopefully we will both be able to sleep on the plane.

The pink route line on the map below represents the flight that Flat Lucas and I took from Seattle to Boston. Notice how Seattle is on the west coast of the United States (next to the Pacific Ocean) and Boston is on the east coast of the United States (next to the Atlantic Ocean). When you fly from Seattle to Boston, you fly right over Minnesota! For an interactive map of our adventures together, click here.

The airplane route from Seattle to Boston is in pink.

Introducing Flat Lucas

2007-03-20T17:26:00.000-07:00

I received an envelope from my cousin Lucas on March 20, 2007. It contained a letter that read, "Dear Jon, Thank you for takeing [sic] good care of me. Please send me back after you have taken me on some adventures. Love flat Lucas."

Accompanying this was a form letter from his first grade teacher (and Flat Lucas) describing further what I was supposed to do.

The third item in the envelope was Flat Lucas himself.

For more information on Flat Lucas like projects, visit the Flat Stanley page on Wikipedia.