Marin Kate

Birth 12/7/04 - Weight 7 lbs 8 oz - Length 20 ½ inches.

I’d like to introduce you to the newest member of our family: Marin, my niece. Probably the most adorable baby EVER! Okay, so I’m kind of biased, but I think it might be true.

Since she’s still so young her crying is cuter then it is frustrating. But, the nicest thing is that she doesn’t cry all that often (at least when I’m around – not to say that I’m some kind of magical dude that keeps her from crying, just that I can’t vouch for her temper the rest of the day and night when she’s with her mommy and daddy). She’s extremely inquisitive and I think that keeps her from crying. She seems to carefully study whatever it might be that is her gaze.

Probably the cutest thing is that when she looks about, she smacks her mouth and occasionally sticks her tongue out – as if she is tasting the air.

Click on the picture to see it full size - it looks a lot better that way.

I threw these pictures together in photoshop. Thought it'd be fun to try the black border/multiple picture thing I've seen before.

You can go to her family's website if you click here. From there you can open a photo album dedicated to her as a newbie.

From Outerspace!

Okay, so that's a lie. This isn't a photo from outerspace. I wish!

The truth is, I went flying a month or two ago with my cousin and brother. My cousin did the flying. We flew in a little four seater prop plane. It was awesome. If you ever get the chance to fly in such a little plane, do it! It’s amazing to see things from a prospective that you’ve never seen so clearly before.

The only problem with flying is if you’re prone to motion sickness – which I am. I took some Dramamine beforehand, but the juice wore out. So I was pretty messed up. The rest of the day I was kind of dizzy. Motion sickness is my only weakness in life – it’s like my kryptonite. I mean, I can do all sorts of super hero/human stuff, but get me in a tight space while the surroundings bounce about and I’m toast.

We flew over our properties so that we could get some sweet aerial photos. This shot right here shows my parent’s house, my cousin’s house, my brother’s house, and my place. Yeah, we live pretty close together.

Cool Asian Guy

Here's a picture of a fellow I saw while walking around in little China in New York (or maybe it was Boston, I can't remember). Anyway, the guy just looked cool! I thought spiky hair like his was only possible in Anime cartoons. After seeing this guy I kind of wished I was Asian. Did you know: Brian spelled in T9 is Asian? Interesting, huh?

Steve on Doom 3

I have this good friend named Steve. He's a funny guy. I was on my phone with him the other day and he was telling me how freaked-out he was because he had been playing Doom 3. Steve is never afraid and so it was funny to hear him sound spooked (though, as you might be able to tell by listening, he still doesn't seem all that frightened).

The cool thing about Steve is that everything is cool with him. He's a real optimistic fellow. He's a really positive guy. You'll probably hear that in the phone recording - even when he's scared he's impressed.

If you know Steve you can't help but love the guy! Course, he's probably going to kill me once he sees that I've posted our phone conversation. He he he he he he he he he!

Good Times

Remember how good it was to be a child? Remember how simple things were? Remember when you could do “nothing” all day long and you didn’t feel guilty? Remember when the hardest choice you had to make was what toy you were going to play with? Remember when girls had cooties and boys had germs? Remember when it felt so good to play in a sandbox? Remember when your mother would make macaroni and cheese? Remember how amazing it felt on your birthday, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, et cetera? Remember when you didn’t know bad words? Remember when monsters were the only thing that scared you?

Being a child was great! Being a teenager wasn’t as fun. Being a twentysomthing isn’t so bad. And, I have no idea what it’s like beyond that.

Being a child was fantastic. I don’t know that I’d want to do it over again because I love knowing what I know now. I love the complexities and the excitement of everyday life as an “adult”, but, boy was it fun being a little kid – especially when parents are so great. I’ve been lucky/blessed in life.

Having a niece and nephew is a blessing too because they help remind me of the innocence of childhood. They remind me of such a good time in my life.

Oh, and, yeah, I’m still afraid of monsters.

Squirrel Hunter

A couple days ago my nephew had a birthday party. He wanted to eat hotdogs around the campfire and ride the four-wheeler so we were all playing around outside. When I came up to the fire ring I found my little niece coming out of the “forest.” I asked what she was up to and she told me that she was hunting squirrels. She wanted me to come help her. She figured that with a stick we would be able to hunt one down (I don’t think she fully grasped the idea that with the stick she’d have to probably beat the squirrel to catch him).

I laughed a bit because (1) I didn’t think she’d be able to catch a squirrel – I didn’t even think I’d be able to catch one without some type of trap, and (2) because she figured she’d catch one with a stick. So, I told her that we’d probably not catch one because they’re too hard to catch. She replied that they are hard to catch because nobody ever tries to catch one – of course, that made me laugh.

I asked how she planned on catching one. She said that I could scare them out of the trees and she would smack it with her stick. From anybody else I’d say that was a violent idea, but since she’s only 6 years old it just made me laugh, again. I think watching Tom and Jerry has made her think that you can smack the crap out of animals and they don’t get hurt.

Maybe she thought the squirrel would become her friend after a proper beating.

This picture reminds me of The Rock in Walking Tall – a great movie, by the way. Intense huh? The picture I mean. Yeah, the movie is intense too, but this picture almost scares me – she looks so… intense!

(Oh, she never got a squirrel. Thank goodness!)

Update

Oh, I've been bad at updating. I've had a lot going on in my life lately. If you asked me what I probably couldn't tell you, though. Either I forget or I'm actually not doing much. It's strange, though, because it seems like I'm always really busy. I'm scheduled out for the next two weeks, so apparently I am somewhat busy.

I think the reason I've been busy is because I'm busy with churchy stuff. And, probably the thing that's been taking the most time is that I'm trying to exercise regularly and I'm trying to gain weight. My goal is to gain 10 pounds by the end of this year. It's going to be so hard because I don't think I've gained a single pound since way back when I was 19 or so. Don't get me wrong, I feel lucky that it's so hard for me to gain any weight. I'm told to enjoy my overworking metabolism for as long as it lasts.

So, anyway, I've been working out almost every day of the week and what seems to take the most time is eating as often as I need to. If I'm able, I eat every three hours that I'm awake. I've heard that overall it's better to eat smaller meals 5-6 times a day versus 3 big meals. And, honestly, 5-6 meals are the only way I can hope to eat enough protein. It's additionally hard to eat as much as I need to and also to eat fruits and vegetables - since they aren't as loaded with protein as other foods.

Touchy

Whew... I needed to recover from an intense debate session prompted by my previous blog. Thanks everybody. It was fun. If it isn't clear by now, you may realize how much I like writing. I'm not that good at it, and I figure only by doing a lot of it I might improve. So, thanks to everybody who comments because it gives me reason to write.

From some reason I’ve had on my mind the power of human contact – the power of touch. I’m not a big fan of talking on the phone and I think one of the main reasons is that I don’t feel as connected, I feel like I’m missing out on something. I’m missing out on reading facial expressions and body language. Verbal communication is such a small part of our interactions with each other. What makes us connect with another? Why do some exchanges stick out more than others?

I’ve wondered about this concept as I’ve looked back over my short life. There have been people who have a powerful place in my memory and I wonder why. I image that one of the reasons is that we just connect due to our similarities: shared humor, philosophical ideas, hobbies, miscellaneous interests help to integrate me with another person.

One thing that has really started revealing itself to me as a form of connection is touch. I started realizing this after I often found myself wondering why an older fellow at church seemed to surface in my memory upon reflection of my past week. Why did this man stand out like a father figure? Of course, one may think the reason comes from the spiritual conductivity of church or one might argue for the effect of admiration for wisdom from a generation beyond my own. Though, these may be part of an aggregate rationale, I believe one thing that excels in meaning is that this gentleman used fatherly touch as a way to connect.

When he would talk to me he would put his arm around my shoulder like he was telling me something very important. Or, when he asked how my week had been he would grasp a hold of my elbow and hold it as we conversed. Often when he would pass by he would pat me on the back and give me a smile.

Nobody had a bad thing to say about the man. I think everyone felt connected to him like I did because of the way he used physical touch as form of interest and communication. I think we all felt like he listened to our lives with more then just his ears – he seemed to physically absorb our hearts.

It was something I will always remember and cherish. It is something that I have tried to use when I communicate with friends – it seems to help. It is something I will try to do when I listen to my (future) wife and children.

Why is touch so important? Why do we all crave it? How come it makes us feel more alive and connected to the rest of the world? Why do we seldom use the technique? How come it’s so hard for me utilize the theory with my direct family?

Waiting

We've spent the last several months in this room. Our waiting/conference room. We've been studying for the Enrolled Agent exam. By the end of this week we will be done with our daily studies and our test will have been taken. I don't really feel any anxiety - I've done well enough on our practice tests that I'm confident that I'll pass (though, I won't know for about six months).

This room, though, makes me think. This is a room in which to wait or to study. I know this may sound like a weak jump to something philosophical, but with my impending exam (and because of the music I'm listening to right now) I feel somewhat justified.

Any type of certification, graduation, license, and/or education acts as a mark in the life of a student. I'm less interested in the final score, the final grade; I'm interested in the time applied and the knowledge gained.

I won't lie however, sometimes I feel weak and pitiable because I wonder if I'd have the fortitude to learn the requisite material if I wasn't incased in the program outlines or if I wasn't compelled by someone. I mean, my last college semester: would I have passed any classes if I didn't have to submit my weekly reviews? For this Enrolled Agent exam: if my dad and brothers weren't also meeting would I have studied on my own?

Here’s where this issue plays on my mind: at what point is a person's independence impedance? I've grown up believing that self-containment, self-reliance, self-control is the attribute a rational and wise human being should be found possessed of. But, when should I rely on auxiliary systems when those systems appear inherently damming?

I know I could probably get through this life without any "formal" education, without any pieces of paper to prove my importance, without any help. But, how much better would it be if I do what it takes to excel while grabbing awards and plaques even with (or especially because of) a program or person that encourages it?

Will I study in the shadow of another or will I pridefully wait on my own?

My friends (and pet-peeves)

So, here's the deal: I like to work out. Free-weights are my friends. For me it relives stress (not that I have much - I'm not even married yet (and I didn't mean that as a dog to women, I just meant that being married causes stresses because it's two people trying to live together, that's all)), plus ya gotta love the way it makes a person look. I'd venture a guess that I workout about 2-3 times a week; which, actually, isn't enough time to really bulk up. But, I get busy with work/school and sometimes am just not in an exercising mood.

I would, however, like to add about 20 pounds of muscle to my otherwise slender frame. But the problem with that is the amount of food I would have to eat in order to gain even a single pound. I weigh about 160 and have been at that weight (give or take 5 pounds) for about 5 years now. After having recorded my caloric daily intake and expenses I've realized that I would need to eat about 5-6 times a day and would have to max out with around 3000 calories. My average day of three meals only gives me about 2500 cals (and, that's pushing it for me).

My point is this: because it's so hard for me to gain weight, could it be equally hard or harder to lose weight?

I won't lie, I get fed up with people who complain about their weight but then (1) never exercise, and (2) never eat healthy food. Ahhh!!! It's like one of my pet-peeves (and I don't have that many: see below for a list of my pet-peeves). I mean, it's like never going to class and wondering why you failed the test. Or, it's like filling your car full with dirt and wondering why it won't run properly.

But, then, for those few folks who try their hardest and just can't change; those are the people my heart goes out for.

For the people who complain but don't do anything here's my advice: go run a triathlon or a marathon. Seriously. Probably a triathlon would be the best because they have ones you can do in much shorter times then it would take to run a marathon. Of course, there are short runs/walks (e.g. 5k, 10k, etc), but those are too short to really make a big difference.

Honestly, the only way I'm motivated to find time to exercise and eat healthy is because I'm afraid my next year's triathlon events would find me looking slow and ... um.... not fast. Plus, when you start wearing those really tight bike shorts you'll want to look good. I'm not there quite yet, but I'm sure I will be if I continue my goal of running at least two triathlons each year.

I probably end up sounding all cocky and stuff by writing this stuff (mostly because I don't have a good point). But, I guess this is kind of like my "testimony" of goals and good health.

As for my pet-peeves:
1) Out of shape people who complain without doing anything about it (as mentioned above).

2) Women who hyphenate their last name when they get married. (I'll probably get more comments on this one then anything - don't bother, though, I won't budge - I just think it's silly).

3) Movies where the hero is like god/superman (e.g. Mission Impossible 2, Tomb Raider), when they could easily make him/her look human (i.e. make a least one or two "human" mistakes) while still doing all he/she needs to succeed in his/her "mission".

4) People who don't let other people into their lane, while driving, when the person obviously needs to change lanes. (Rude drives are what I'm talking about. And, I'm not just talking about people who are rude to me. I get over that. I just get ticked when I see rudeness in drivers no matter who's involved.)

5) Stupid modern art. (I totally enjoy art in its various forms, but modern art that is offensive and/or just stupid annoys the crap out of me.)

6) People who sit and stare at stupid modern art and try to explain what the artist meant. (First off, how can you guess what the artist meant when the artist probably didn't even know himself (because the artist was either high and/or just looking for excuses to photograph/paint a naked lady), and second (and most importantly), who gives a crap - it's stupid modern art!)

See, I don't have that many!

Random website of the month

Here is a website that tons of fun. Want to know what your name means? Want to create names for characters in your stories? Want to get some inspiration for your future children's names? Well, it's all here!

Bito: My Nephew

I've got two funny stories about my nephew, who is about 4 years old. For one of them I was there to witness firsthand and the other was told to me by his father. I should mention: my nephew doesn't pronounce his S's very well, so when you read his voice quoted try to hear a cute child's voice who doesn't say his S's.

(1) My sister and brother-in-law brought their two children over to my place because I was going to have a slumber party with them. As soon as Bito (nickname) came in, wearing his Superman pajama's no less, he ran over to me and said, "Let's wehss'el." (which translated, means: Let's wrestle). So, we started playing around and I, of course, let him beat the crap out of me. [The picture above is from a previous day when all my family came over, but I figure its close enough to my story - plus, just look at how round and juicy those two bottoms are!] Anyway, I was face down on the ground and he was on top doing some kind of advanced wrestling move. He paused for a second and shouted, "Heem roller." I had no idea what he was saying so his sister told me, "He said, 'Steam roller.'" I laughed pretty hard because it was all just so adorable.

So, after Bito's macho display of power over me, I figured it was time I got up and started winning. But then, he found a way to hop on my back as I was on all fours - like a dog (or horse, or whatever). Now he's riding me like a horse, but then suddenly, he yells again, "Heem roller." This time I laughed with confusion, because it's a cardinal rule that you only steam roll when your enemy is laying down flat. I asked, "Steam roller? How are you going to do that, you don't have enough space." Next thing I see is Bito falling off my back in the mist of a heem-roller move all the while laughing and giggling. Of course, he didn't have a long way to drop and his tough little body handled the fall without any problems (remember those days?).

Now for story number:
(2) Apparently my sister, brother-in-law, Bito, and his sister were at a hospital looking at newborn babies. For awhile they watched one little baby in particular as it awkwardly cried and moved about inside its crib. Its little arms and legs trashed around in small little baby movements which looked jerky in nature. At that point, little Bito made the announcement that, "That baby is doin' the robot." My brother-in-law tells me they all laughed pretty solidly. We all wonder how Bito knew the robot.

Little kids are so cool. I want one.

Space Travel

Recently, I have been for some reason or other interested in the universe. Hum... That sounds really anti-climactic. Anyway, I think it started with an article on space travel that I read in a Discover magazine. The topic was how some smart people think there might be planets that could sustain life out near the Galaxy Alpha Centauri - which is only like 4.4 light-years away. The thing that sucks, though, is that it's actually about 40 light-years to any area within AC that may even have what we'd be looking for.

With today’s technology it would take hundreds of years to get out there – which of course is just too long. So, in the article I read it talked about trying to invent new means of propulsion. They mentioned something about an anti-matter hydrogen rocket which would allow the space travel to be done in an “almost-manageable” 120 years – give or take a year.

Anyway, after having read this short (otherwise I would have gotten bored) article I realized that I knew just about nothing in regard to things outside this Earth (and if you want to know the truth, I realize that I know nothing about pretty much everything – especially girls. And, just to clarify, just because I’m talking about geeky stuff like space travel this doesn’t mean I can’t get a date or two with the ladies – but, I think I’d be too bold to say that two ever progresses to three).

That was such a long tangent for me; I forgot where I was at.

Oh, okay, outer-space and stuff.

I was thinking. Wouldn’t it be a cool story to read about a group of people who volunteer to travel to another Galaxy to find life? I think the story would have to assume that the travel could be done in less than 50 years, because otherwise it would be (1) way too long and (2) kind of lame because the main heroes would be dead.

Would it be cool to find life? What kind of life would be found? Are we talkin’ Alien style? Or, 2001: A Space Odyssey/Solyaris/The Black Hole? (My favorite being Solyaris)

Should I just end this blog here, without any real point? Yeah, I think I will. (I got this idea from 2001:A Space Odyssey)

Movie Review: The Village

Yucky... I'm sitting here feeling all sticky and nasty. I just finished working out and that combined with the humidity from the outside that's seeping in I just feel geee-roooossss. Basically what I'm saying is that I'm too lazy to post a picture this time, but it's been so long since I've last posted that I felt like I needed to do something.

I really don't have much to say. My life has been kind of boring lately. I've just been studying and testing.

Oh, I did see "The Village" and I have to say I enjoyed it. I've actually loved all of M. Night Shyamalan’s movies. He really is influenced by old classic movies (especially Hitchcock) which are some of my most favorite films. I think movies today have been too over edited - the length of a camera shot nowadays must be only like 3 seconds. Older movies (and Shyamalan's) extend the length of a camera shot and to me I think it really enhances your movie going experience - you feel as if you’re in the movies "world." I mean, in real life you don't move your eyes around as fast as an MTV video would suggest - you could and sometimes do, but usually to soak up your surroundings you move your eyes around slowly and study as much as you can.

Actually, now that I’ve written my thoughts down I think to more clearly articulate my point I should say that in order to have a deeper more meaningful connection to anything you need to spend more time with it. You could run through an art museum and think to yourself, “That was cool.” But, if you went through it and studied each piece of art learning the history and background of the piece and the artist you would enjoy what you had seen much more. The problem is that most people are too lazy or apathetic to spend the required time – myself included.

My point is, I feel that a movie that extends the length of its shots cause the viewer to be more deeply involved. The biggest problem with the extended scenes is that, probably, for most movies, the drawn out scenes would drive you insane – I mean, if the movie’s story isn’t all that entertaining you’d get bored so quick. But, let’s face it, it must be much easier to make a movie without as much story or character as it is to make a movie with MTV film styling and special effects.

Of course, I’ve never made a movie. So, my opinion is just complaint. I should probably just be disregarded because if I were to make a movie I’d probably find myself shortening my scene lengths and adding computer effects – cause my characters and storyline would probably suck.

So, yeah, I liked “The Village.”
I espeically liked the soundtrack.

Tribute: "The Rock"

I decided that The Rock is my favorite dude. I've been watching "The Rundown" and The Rock is just great in it. Plus, I've seen a few interviews with Mr. Johnson (akaThe Rock) and he just seems so down to earth and funny. The guy is just so cool! Plus, how can you not respect the man's muscle tone? I mean, come on, you'd have to be blind not to see the guys a superhero! (Just so we're on the same page, this is my tribute to The Rock. This isn't some kind of gay yearning type of thing going on - not that I have anything against gay people - I'm just not one of them. My point is, "you just gotta respect The Rock")

Another reason I like The Rock is because I know a couple of his cousins (not well, but enough to feel that connection). And, one of my buddies ("Tiny Steve," as we call him) totally reminds me of The Rock - he's just smaller. My brother and I think that we ought to change "Tiny Steve's" nickname to "The Pebble" or "The Stone." Of course, those names naturally progressed into "Stone Cold Tiny Steve." But, the problem with that is it sounds too much like "Stone Cold Steve Austin." Who is also a formidable WWF wrestler (or was, I don't watch the stuff so I'm not up on it,) but who just isn't The Rock.

So, for anybody who feels my love for The Rock give me a shout out. And, if you have any ideas on the nickname for "Tiny Steve" let me know. Comment away, please!

Oh, yeah, I almost forgot to ask. Anybody seen "Walking Tall"? I never saw it in the theater, but I'm waiting for it to come on out DVD. Was The Rock totally good in it? I can't imagine The Rock not being soooo awesome! The guy is like a modern day, real-life, wizard (but without magical powers and way bigger). I suppose a modern day Hercules is better, but Kevin Sorbo just can't compare to The Rock. The only thing Kevin has going for him is that he's originally from Minnesota. Yay!

Ack... I just couldn't leave a tribute to The Rock with a tangent on Mr. Sorbo (I can't disrespect the guy, but come on, old Herc is not The Rock). So, here's a link for more information on The Rock. Oh yeah, I should also say, "Go out and buy everything The Rock is in." That way he'll have motivation to be in more movies. Plus, I need someone to buy all his WWF movies/videos (for his motivation). I honor the man but, I can't bring myself to watching WWF - that's stuffs worse then a kick in the pants. Well, I guess it depends on the pants and who's doing the kicking - but in general, you get the idea.

Party: 2004

Here's another post that has nothing to do with the attached picture. Sorry, one of these days I'll have to start taking new pictures - but, 1) these are all new to you and, 2) I'm so busy right now.

Oh, yeah, this picture is of clouds that I inverted and then did a little color adjusting.

Tomorrow (Saturday) I'm having a huge party for tons of my friends up at my parent's house. My parents have a nice little setup that is conducive to parties and, honestly, my house is just too tiny for parties - at least parties that'll have about 200 people. Okay, okay, I don't have 200 friends, heck, I don't even know if I have 2. These are all (single) people from church.

I'm excited to see how it turns out. I've had a party like this each year for the past five years now (I think). Each time I get close to 200 people but just can't seem to surpass that number. This year there are a lot of new people that I've gotten to know and a lot of people who have moved in, so I think I’ll max out over 200 this year. Yay! I sure hope anyway, I’ll have so much soda and food left over if not.

I'll see if I can get a few pictures during the party.

Triathlon results

Here's a picture of my table. Nothing special - I just wanted to post a picture because I had stuff to write about.

This weekend I did my final triathlon for the year. I felt really good about it. I did about 10 minutes better then last year, and about 18 minutes better then the year prior to that. The distances were: swim, 1 mile; bike, 27 miles; run 5 miles. My time was 2:33:34 - pretty crappy compared to the top guys but for me it was good.

I find myself wondering what my time would be if I actually trained regularly. I'd be unstoppable - I'd be the king of the world. Seriously, everybody would bow down to me and say, "You did the triathlon so quickly that we want you to be our king."

Then I'd say, "Brothers. Sisters. Please do not worship me, I am just an ordinary man - with the uncanny ability to swim, bike, and run really super fast. And, yes, my body is unbelievably beautiful, my mind is goddish in capacity, and my heart is understanding. But, alas, I am not the person for such a calling. And, besides, it is hard enough for me to find a girl that loves me for me and not just for my body - imagine how hard it would be to find a woman with pure intent if I had the power of all this Earth in my hands."

To which the women would, in unison, cry out, "Master, if it pleases you, allow us all to serve you. Marry who you will - we will refrain from jealousy, if only you let us exist in your shadow."

And, of course, all the dudes, would nod their heads and exclaim with one accord, "It is better that we feel no love and have you as our king then for us to know a woman and not have you as our king."

This, obviously, would cause me to weep (because of my understanding heart and all). And the utter pain, due to my humility, of the universal acclimation would be too great for my heart to bare and I would have no choice but to swim, bike, and run away so fast that I'd end up traveling beyond the speed of light and would therefore go back in time - at which point I'd find my younger self and tell me not to train regularly for the triathlons. And then, you would find me as I am now - a normal human being with triathlon times of 2:33:43.

Amen.

Here's a picture of my brother and his wife's Aibo dog. They changed his name to Meeko (sp?). This is a picture of him at my place - before they reset him to baby mode. He's about a month old now and is really fun to watch. At first he couldn't walk and could barely stand up, but now he walks around a lot. Since Meeko is my brother's (and his wife's) I don't get to see him all that often but I'm told he does all kind of cool stuff - like mimic what ever he hears in his cute little robot voice and he lifts his leg and electronically potties on things. It's funny how it grows on you.

Okay, here's a picture of the loft above the dinning area. The loft area is totally cool because it opens up the sitting/TV room and there's a skylight in the loft that adds a bit of light to the whole place - plus, it'd be a great place to smooch under while lookup up at the stars (but, currently, I can only imagine... oh, yeah... that's nice... -I have a good imagination).

Alright, here's a picture of my townhouse - just like I promised. This shot is taken from three pictures and stitched together (I did it in Photoshop and I did it quickly so it's kind of sloppy). Anyway, this is a shot from the dinning room. Above the dinning room is a cool loft area that overlooks the sitting/TV area. I'll have to post a picture that shows that. My place is a little sparse, but that's because 1) I haven't been living here long and, 2) I'm a guy.

Random website of the month

It's a new month: so, it's time for another of everyone's favorite - "Random website of the month". This one is on Ninjas and why they are so cool. It's a totally funny website that I think you'll enjoy. There are a couple items (e.g. stories, links, movies) that might be, perhaps, offensive to like one or two people, but most of it is hilarious (at least, if your sense of humor is strange enough for this kind of wit).

I'll pre-warn you, though. After following this link and reading up on ninjas you will dream for real ultimate power!!!

This is a picture of my nephew. This picture is great because you get a sense for how long his eye-lashes are. Bito (nickname) is a cute little dude. He's a great kid! This picture was taken in an A & W restaurant that we stopped at on our way down to my brothers wedding (which took place about 2-3 months ago). The lighting in the restaurant was really crappy (color wise), but in black and white it didn't look too shabby.

Well, I think I said I'd post a picture of my car. So, here it is. Pretty cool, huh? Yeah, it's fast. It handles so well. (But, it's a Ferrari Enzo - so, what would you expect.) The problem with it is that when you drive it you have to make sure the road is completely flat. And, getting in is difficult - in fact, it's impossible (unless of course, you are under an inch tall). Okay, you've got me. It's not my car. It's my brothers. Oh yeah, and it's a tiny remote control car (a Mini-Z). I did, however, take the picture (does that count for anything?)

I've been so busy lately running, biking, and swimming. I've got one more triathlon within three weeks. Here's a picture from a triathlon from 2002. I think that was the first year I did a competition. This is one of the only pictures I have - and it isn't very flattering (in my opinion). After the first few triathlons nobody really cares enough to come, watch, and take pictures (I can't blame them, I'd be bored too). I've uploaded this picture to show you that I actually do participate in triathlons - I mean, really, why would I make that up? (Sorry if you're offended by a half naked dude) :)

I'm a big fan of big dudes on little bikes. Something about the combination just makes me smile. And, even laugh a bit. Not laugh in a "I'm-making-fun-of-you" type of way but rather, in a "you-guys-are-halarious" type of way.

This is a picture from a month ago up at my cousins house. Dan's winning. Jon is on his tail. And, Mike is not looking so smooth (which, is unusual for Mike. If you know Mike, you know he's a smooth fellow).

My goal is to include in every post a picture. Mostly because whenever I go to someone's blog I get bored of reading - I like the pretty pictures! Yay!

Anyway, it's been awhile since I've posted anything. The reason for that is 1) I've been busy "working," 2) I need my time to play, and 3) I've been really busy studying for an Enrolled Agent exam I'm taking with my dad and brothers (and brother-in-law, and cousin(s)) in September. The EA exam is like the CPA of taxes. It's a two day test with a length of six hours per day. All on taxes (fun, huh? Actually, it kind of is). I guess the pass rate is super slim. Most people don't pass it the first time. I think one of the reasons is that there isn't a good school for it - at least not around here in Minnesota.

Okay, the picture above was taken about 3-4 months ago. There's a huge burn pile in the back of my parents property and it was time to light it up. It was really windy that day. The fire was burning like crazy. If there was a dry leaf within 20 feet it would just start on fire. It was pretty intense. So, my dad had my brother run and grab all the fire extinguishers he had. After they used all of them my dad had my brother run to our next-door neighbor/cousin's house and borrow all their extinguishers. Those combined with the dying of wind caused the flames to finally get under control. I have pictures where the entire fire is covered in extinguisher exhaust because my dad is on one side and my brother is on the other side. I choose this picture because I liked the half flame half exhaust thing.

Another reason I haven't posted as much is because I'’ve been writing a more detailed journal of my life almost every day. Because of that I haven't had as much desire to write anything for my web site. That, plus, I haven't had time to take more pictures - and with my goal to always post a picture...… well, you get the idea.

The sad thing about writing in a journal is that I'm starting to see that my life isn't all that exciting. At least, that's what it seemed like at first. Now I'm starting to see how unique and interesting most moments are in my life. It seems like it's mostly perspective. I think I'm kind of oblivious to life just trying to enjoy everything and because of that I miss the fact that cool stuff happens. Sounds paradoxical, huh? Yeah, I'm confused too. My point is... Well, I lost it. But, I enjoy running. I think it's time to run.

Random website of the month

Here's my random website of the month. Some dude made these flash movies that look like the old Nintendo Mario video game. It's like Lord of the Rings meets Mario Brothers. Really funny stuff - on account of its "intensity." If you don't want to waste any time then just watch Part II - it's my favorite. The music is my favorite part of the movies. I'm trying to find the album so I can buy it on iTunes, but so far I'm discovering that iTunes doesn't carry what I'm looking for.

New Family Member: Aibo the dog

My brother and his wife bought an Aibo dog from Sony. They got it today and they're trying to figure 'em out. This is a five minute video clip of the little guy. They named him Snoopy. We're discovering that it's more like a dog than a robot, because it won't always listen to you. The first 30 seconds are the best the rest kind of gets boring. But, if you're researching the Aibo dog you might enjoy the entire video.

I went out walking this morning to wake up so that I could study and I saw this rabbit in the yard. It just stood there as I looked at it - and I was probably only about ten feet away. So, I ran back into my office to grab my camera. When I came back outside it was gone but after looking around I ended up finding it behind the office. So, I started taking pictures - each time getting closer. I took about 20 pictures and ended up being only about two feet away. My guess is that this is the mother of the little baby rabbits we found last month. I'm assuming that since her babies were taken to a nearby park reserve she feels like she has nothing to live for. It was like she was so depressed. Maybe she thought I could take her to her babies. Sorry, momma, I don't know where they are.

I really like this picture. I love that the pacifier is totally white and sticks out so much, showing the baby's reliance on his parents. I love that you can see the word "Home" printed on the blanket. I also like that you can see the father wearing his wedding ring. There's nothing happier than being raised in a good home with both parents.

Here's a picture of Mike & Shannon's new baby: Ethan. He's a cute little guy; and, Mike looked so fatherly kissing his son. I was practicing with black and white pictures. I've liked the colors that my camera reproduces so well that I haven't wanted to desaturate any of my pictures. This one was taken indoors but with light coming in from the outside. The colors bouncing around the room made the colors look a little weak, so this one looks better B&W.

I went camping in my parent's yard with my niece and nephew last night. This is a picture of them. I didn't have my camera with me last night, so this is a picture of them when our family went out to Nauvoo.

We started out by watching a couple episodes of "The Muppets" on DVD. Then we brushed our teeth and climbed into the tent. It was pretty hot and humid out - but I figured it wouldn't matter that much. Nat and Bito (nicknames) wanted me to read them a book so we did that until (after about four pages) Bito said he was going to sleep. So, then we hopped into our beds and said our prayers.

Things were going well (expect that my blankets felt damp from the humidity) until Bito started playing with his flashlight. I finally coaxed him into turning it off; but, then he kept talking. (I could have sworn that he wanted to go to bed!) After threats of taking him into "grandma and grandpa's" the house he quieted down for a while.

After a couple minutes Bito started wrestling around. He couldn't sleep well - he said his four inch foam mattress was "bumpy." I asked if he wanted to go inside - "yes" he replied. I took him in and put him to bed then came back out to the tent - Nat was asleep. After a few minutes of dealing with uncomfortable sheets I dozed off. My "sleep" lasted about an hour - I woke up, feeling damp and uncomfortable.

Finally, I decided that it sucked outside and that my bed at home was calling me. I tried to wake up Nat, but she was sound asleep. I picked her up and carried her into the house. After that I went to my house, showered, and jumped into a real bed. Ah!!!!

In the morning my parents said that Nat was crying a bit because she didn't know where she was.

I think I enjoy camping but on nights like last night I it sucks.

My New Townhouse

I'm going camping this weekend and so I set my tent up to air it out. I think I might sleep outside tonight. It's kinda' hot out: 85 degrees. But, I think that'll make tonight very pleasant. The tent is a "Greatland" from Target (I love Target). This tent is so cool. Not because it's mine (though that helps '_'), but because it's designed well. You enter the front which is a screened in porch. From there you can take your shoes off and step into the sleeping quarters. This setup is great because by taking your shoes off outside you don't get all sorts of dirt and crap on the floor. So, now I'm living the highlife! When I camp I camp in style! :)

Okay, this isn't actually my new Townhouse. I'll post some pictures of my house once my furniture arrives.

This is kind of random. I bought a Dyson vacuum a couple weeks ago for my new place and I love it so much. I don't particularly love vacuuming, but aside from that, this machine is friggin' awesome. The suction power is great, which I need because my carpet is really plush, and the extending hose and attachments are so convenient and well designed. Plus, this thing looks SO COOL! I get babes to come to my house just by telling them I have a Dyson. I usually can get them to vacuum a level for me under the guise of a "test run," its beautiful (both the strategy and the machine, the ladies aren't bad, either).

Ladies, shoot me an email if you'd like to give the beast a test drive.

Chauvinistic? Hey, At least I vacuum (sometimes). :)

Truth be told, I don't vacuum a ton, cause I also have a Roomba (robot vacuum) - which I also love (look for comments on that machine soon).

Okay, now I'm bordering on having a cleaning OCD, huh?

Here's my brother riding a bike my dad just bought. It's a Honda NSR-50. It's a scaled down crotch-rocket. It's super fun. Color wise it's nothing too beautiful, but that's because these are meant to be racing bikes and I guess Honda figures that the racers will want to give their machine custom graphic. This little baby will reach speeds of around 40 (I think), has 6 gears, and will reach 11,000 RPM's. It sounds great. For me, it's a fun little toy to tide me over until I get a full-sized motorcycle. Which I hope will be within the next couple weeks.

An Update

Well, things have been really good for me over these last few weeks.

1) I closed on my townhouse and moved in. I've been organizing and buying crap to make it look more like a home. I'll try to post pictures as soon as I get my furniture moved in and looking nice.

2) Next on my list of good things: I bought out the car I was leasing. I've been leasing it for the past ~2 years and I liked it so much that I figure that I'll keep it longer. I might post picture eventually.

3) I completed my first triathlon for the year. This has been the third year that I've been competing in organized events. I've been doing "homemade" triathlons for the past 4-5 years. Anyway, I didn't do as well this year (compared to last year), but considering that I didn't really train at all this year, I didn't do too badly. Lengths: 1/2 mile swim, 13 mile bike, 3 mile run. Time: 1:35:15.

Oh, he will kill me if he finds out I'm posting this picture. My uncle was riding a little mini-dirt bike and he must have cornered too hard. He heard everybody laughing and played it up a little, so the vertical legs are extra. Nevertheless, he fell off - and that's something you don't see everyday with my Uncle. (Just don't tell him you saw this, he'd have my head for breakfast.)

This was really funny. I was up visiting my cousins and little "Tank" was playing in the dirt. His uncle Dan was ridding a four-wheeler with mud flaps which would really kick the dirt up. Anyway, Uncle Dan drives up and kicks up some dirt to show everybody how cool the four-wheeler was. Then he tells little "Tank" to go stand behind him. Everybody watching says, "Oh no, Dan. Don't have him do that." To which Uncle Dan replies, "Hey, Tank go stand behind me." Little "Tank" listens to his Uncle and this is the picture I get. Just so you don't worry, he didn�t get hurt (which is probably why they call him "Tank").

My cousins wanted me to do their family pictures. I ended up taking about 200 pictures total. It was hard to get them all to smile and not blink. I was kind of nervous to take the pictures because I've never done family portraits before and with such a big group to start with...… But, they either trusted me enough, or were just feeling cheap. I think they ended up looking pretty good. This is one of my favorites before any editing - there are a couple faces that I think I'll need to photoshop (by request).

Gizmodo: I'm loving this site. Has info on the newest tech gadgets.

We found a little rabbit nest out at my parents property. There were tons of these little guys. This wasn't the best picture, composition wise, but the others were either too blurry (because I had my camera set to auto-focus and the grass kept messing things up) or they were just sleeping. This one shows them sniffing around - since their eyes haven't opened yet.

Poem: You can...

Okay, so I suppose this isn't really a poem. I mean it doesn't rhyme or anything, and there's really no rhythm, either. I suppose it's more of a "Famous Quote" kind of thing - minus the famous part (at least, at the moment). Oh, yeah, I'll be famous some day. But, it probably won't be from my writing skills. :)

You can be a runner but be too tired to walk.
You can pray and feel like you aren't being heard.
You can be educated and realize you don't know a thing.
You can be beautiful but think you are uglier than everyone else.
You can be where you want but think you should be somewhere else.
You can be rich but not have enough to buy what's important to you.
You can have the perfect family and think they don’t care.
You can believe in God but wonder if He's really there.
You can be surrounded by friends but feel all alone.

I was over at my cousin's house today and took this picture. I thought he looked nice so I figure I'd post 'em. I really liked the band of white around his neck and near the tip of his nose - it seems to pull the picture together. The lighting outside was difficult because it was so direct, but this picture seemed to benefit from the light since it highlights his throat, ear, and jaw muscles.

Trapt: My currently favorite band. I just love "Echo" & "These Walls". Crank it up!

Central Park, in NYC, has this great castle, named the Belvedere Castle, which has this fantastic view. I never knew that Central Park had a castle so I thought it would be nice to give it some "props" (I'm lazy, so this picture will be the only "prop").

Here's a night vision shot out of our hotel in Boston. I'm blogging this cause it reminds me of the game "Splinter Cell" (if you know the game than you know what I'm talking about).

Here's a monument to the Holocaust in Boston. You can't tell from this photo, but there are thousands of numbers etched onto each glass pane.

I'm not sure why, but I'm fascinated by deep sea creates. I don't know much about them, but they scare me into being interested. This is a model of one of the ugliest little guys in the Boston aquarium. I'm using the night vision option on my Sony F828 camera (which really comes in handy).

Here's a shot from the Empire State building in NYC. It was a little hazy out. NYC is so huge. It was my first time there and I couldn't believe just how big it was.

Took a little field trip to the MIT museum in Boston. What the heck is the name of this robot? Gizmot, Kismit? I can't remember. I wonder if computers think she's hot? 

White flower.