Tiffany and I recently put together our annual Christmas letter (Soon to be posted on our website) and quickly realized how crazy 2008 was. It was a good year too.
After Thanksgiving, we took a trip to Las Vegas with some friends. Bluegreen recently opened a new resort called Club 36, so we wanted to make sure we visited it as soon as possible. The resort was beautiful. It is just off "The Strip." It was also just off the "Landing Strip" of the airport. Surprisingly, we were not able to really hear the jets from inside our room.
We arrived in Las Vegas the day after the big "snow storm." Unfortunately, most of the snow had melted in the Valley. On the way back to Phoenix, we stopped in the mountains for a snowball fight and built a snowman too.
The biggest highlight of the trip was going to see Cirque du Soleil Ka. The best word to describe the show is: WOW! We had awesome seats and had a fantastic time.
In other news:
- We enjoyed the last few weeks of December. Christmas and a lot of resting were a great way to end the year (As always). We received a number of cash gifts this year, so we pooled them together and purchased climbing gear! We expect to get a lot of use out of the gear in 2009 and beyond.
- We have already hit the 10,000 picture mark with the Canon Xsi! We hit the mark on the 97th day of owning the camera. That means that we take an average of 103 pictures a day. Now I just need to figure out a good workflow to sort through the pictures and post the best ones (This project is already in progress)!
- Finally, I received a bit of a promotion in December. The details are not fully ironed out yet, but it is exciting!
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Reasons to Give Thanks
For the past two weeks, I have been in Las Vegas at CCBOOTCAMP. My return to Las Vegas, along with the intense study has yielded me with a CCNP and CCDP (Cisco Certified Network Professional and Design Professional). It was a long two weeks and I am glad to be finished. I am also very glad and fortunate that my company paid for the entire training and gave me the time to work on it!
A couple days after returning to Phoenix, Tiffany and I headed to Hershey, PA for Thanksgiving. We will spend a few days in Heshey with my brother and his wife along with my nephew and mother. After which, we will be driving down to Richmond for a few days. We will also visit Shenandoah Crossing Resort to cap off the trip.
We have so much to be thankful for this year! God continues to bless in unbelievable ways. The following is a non-exhaustive list of items that I am thankful for today:
1) Salvation!
2) Tiffany - Today is the 10th Thanksgiving that I have spent with her!
3) The huge amount of training I have received this year
4) 4 shiny new certifications: CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP
5) A great job with the prospect of a new position coming soon
6) Great friends
7) Lots of places we have visited
8) A church that loves the Word of God and people
9) Family
10) So much more - God is wonderful and should be praised and thanked!!
A couple days after returning to Phoenix, Tiffany and I headed to Hershey, PA for Thanksgiving. We will spend a few days in Heshey with my brother and his wife along with my nephew and mother. After which, we will be driving down to Richmond for a few days. We will also visit Shenandoah Crossing Resort to cap off the trip.
We have so much to be thankful for this year! God continues to bless in unbelievable ways. The following is a non-exhaustive list of items that I am thankful for today:
1) Salvation!
2) Tiffany - Today is the 10th Thanksgiving that I have spent with her!
3) The huge amount of training I have received this year
4) 4 shiny new certifications: CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP
5) A great job with the prospect of a new position coming soon
6) Great friends
7) Lots of places we have visited
8) A church that loves the Word of God and people
9) Family
10) So much more - God is wonderful and should be praised and thanked!!
Wednesday, November 05, 2008
Weekend in Pine
I planned to type up a nice blog post about our past weekend in Pine, Arizona, but Cheyenne just made a marvelous post about the trip! Cheyenne's post goes beyond my meager attempt.
Suffice it to say, we had a great weekend in Pine.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Disneyland and Hollywood
Tiffany and I have lived in Phoenix for a year. Since we are new to the area, we have a growing list of adventures and destinations that we are working through. I have never lived in the West, so everything is new for me. Enter Disneyland...
On October 25, I visited Disneyland for the first time! Last year, we went to Disney World in Florida. After that trip, we knew that a Disneyland trip was in order.
Two of our friends joined us for the trip (Emily and Sarah). We entered the park when it opened and we left about 10 minutes before Main Street closed. It was a very long day, but a ton of fun.
So, what does the picture have to do with Disneyland? First of all, it is so Cheyenne will see that I do know how to post pictures on my blog. Secondly, I discovered long exposures mixed with pretty lights! Out of all the pictures that I took at Disneyland (Nearly 1200), this is my favorite!
For more pictures from our trip to Disneyland, please visit our flickr photo set.
Monday, October 06, 2008
Vacation and Thoughts: Esondido, California
On Sunday, September 28, the family piled into two cars and drove to the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido, CA. Over the past couple of months, it became obvious that a vacation was in order and this was the perfect time to take it.
This was the first long trip that we have taken with our new car. It was a very comfortable drive and we had excellent gas mileage!
About 2.41 minutes after arriving, we were in the pool. The resort has a nice waterslide and multiple pools at the different activity centers.
On Monday, I had to work. It was nice sitting outside with a cool breeze, but it was not fun. Working on vacation is a huge oxymoron.
On Tuesday, Tiffany and I went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. This was a great opporunity to give our new camera a workout. We took a ton of pictures at the Animal Park and had a great time. It was around 100 degrees, so we made sure to pace ourselves! In the evening, I attended a "Casino Night," at the resort. We were playing for prizes, but I didn't win anything. It was a lot of fun to play though.
Wednesday brought us back to the Animal Park for a return visit. This time, most of the family joined us. It was about 100 again and I took about the same number of pictures as I had the day before.
Balboa Park and Corondado were the destinations of choice on Thursday. Balboa Park was beautiful. Tiffany and I decided that we could easily spend a day or two trying to visit everything there, so we will have to plan that as a later trip. At Corondado, we relaxed on the beach for a while. The beach was practically empty which always makes a beach trip that much better. In the evening, we visited long lost family. It was nice to meet some of Tiffany's cousins and eat yummy Hawaiian food at the same time!
On Friday, Tiffany and I went to Legoland for the day. For most of the day, the place felt like a ghost town. We truly felt like we had the park to ourselves - It was fantastic. We had a great day at the park. It was a little chilly in the afternoon which was quite nice. It brought back fond memories of Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Before leaving the park, we both got to play with robots.
Originally, we were all going to travel home on Saturday. Since we were enjoying our vacation so much, Tiffany and I decided to stay another day. We had a great time lounging around the resort, swimming, playing tennis, playing pool, watching movies, eating pizza and sitting around an outdoor fireplace in the evening. We also took some pictures of old cars at a local winery. It was a great day and very relaxing.
On Sunday, we decided that it would be boring to drive home and waste the day, so we went back to Legoland and an outlet mall before driving home. The trip home was great too. I love driving on the open highways between Phoenix and California. The desert and mountains are beautiful!
On vacation, it is easy to relax. Life just seems to stop for a while. Unfortunately, our busy lives always seem to catch up when we get home. Why? I am really beginning to think that stress and all of the busy "stuff" of life is self inflicted. How is it that I can relax on vacation? It's because I choose to set aside the stress and stuff that "needs" to get done. I think it is very important to take regular time to step away from life and refresh. Unfortunately, the easiest solution is the one that I fight the most. In Psalms, David often had a lot of conflict. Many of the Psalms start out with David fighting something or someone. In the end though, his vision is corrected by reflecting on God and how wonderful He is. I need to make a committment to spend more time in the Word and spend more time talking with God. It's not a superficial feel good thing to do - It's a relationship that I do not take advantage of enough. Spending time with God is real. It produces real results.
I also need to take more time to write down my thoughts. By trade, I am paid to think and write. Unfortunately, that means that I have a lot of thoughts and information flowing in my tiny brain. It always helps to write it down and get it offline and out of my active thoughts. It was easy to relax on vacation because I didn't have to think. Riding roller coasters and playing in sand do not require as much brain power as writing a high level design for a project (Although, I do find a lot to think about with roller coasters and sand). Writing thoughts down tends to help the brain rest better (The best proof of this concept is David Allen's "Getting Things Done" and "Ready for Anything").
By writing down my thoughts and spending time alone with God, I will be able to have a "daily vacation," from life. Vacations shouldn't be the only time that we step away from the rush of life. It needs to be a daily action so the stress and stuff will not be able to build up and swallow the things that life is really to be about. As you will see in the coming months, Tiffany and I are going to be very busy between now and the end of the year. How I choose to spend my time in "mini-vacation land," will determine how I feel on January 1. Will I choose to spend time with God and have time to reflect or will I let everything consume me in the end...
This was the first long trip that we have taken with our new car. It was a very comfortable drive and we had excellent gas mileage!
About 2.41 minutes after arriving, we were in the pool. The resort has a nice waterslide and multiple pools at the different activity centers.
On Monday, I had to work. It was nice sitting outside with a cool breeze, but it was not fun. Working on vacation is a huge oxymoron.
On Tuesday, Tiffany and I went to the San Diego Wild Animal Park. This was a great opporunity to give our new camera a workout. We took a ton of pictures at the Animal Park and had a great time. It was around 100 degrees, so we made sure to pace ourselves! In the evening, I attended a "Casino Night," at the resort. We were playing for prizes, but I didn't win anything. It was a lot of fun to play though.
Wednesday brought us back to the Animal Park for a return visit. This time, most of the family joined us. It was about 100 again and I took about the same number of pictures as I had the day before.
Balboa Park and Corondado were the destinations of choice on Thursday. Balboa Park was beautiful. Tiffany and I decided that we could easily spend a day or two trying to visit everything there, so we will have to plan that as a later trip. At Corondado, we relaxed on the beach for a while. The beach was practically empty which always makes a beach trip that much better. In the evening, we visited long lost family. It was nice to meet some of Tiffany's cousins and eat yummy Hawaiian food at the same time!
On Friday, Tiffany and I went to Legoland for the day. For most of the day, the place felt like a ghost town. We truly felt like we had the park to ourselves - It was fantastic. We had a great day at the park. It was a little chilly in the afternoon which was quite nice. It brought back fond memories of Busch Gardens in Williamsburg. Before leaving the park, we both got to play with robots.
Originally, we were all going to travel home on Saturday. Since we were enjoying our vacation so much, Tiffany and I decided to stay another day. We had a great time lounging around the resort, swimming, playing tennis, playing pool, watching movies, eating pizza and sitting around an outdoor fireplace in the evening. We also took some pictures of old cars at a local winery. It was a great day and very relaxing.
On Sunday, we decided that it would be boring to drive home and waste the day, so we went back to Legoland and an outlet mall before driving home. The trip home was great too. I love driving on the open highways between Phoenix and California. The desert and mountains are beautiful!
On vacation, it is easy to relax. Life just seems to stop for a while. Unfortunately, our busy lives always seem to catch up when we get home. Why? I am really beginning to think that stress and all of the busy "stuff" of life is self inflicted. How is it that I can relax on vacation? It's because I choose to set aside the stress and stuff that "needs" to get done. I think it is very important to take regular time to step away from life and refresh. Unfortunately, the easiest solution is the one that I fight the most. In Psalms, David often had a lot of conflict. Many of the Psalms start out with David fighting something or someone. In the end though, his vision is corrected by reflecting on God and how wonderful He is. I need to make a committment to spend more time in the Word and spend more time talking with God. It's not a superficial feel good thing to do - It's a relationship that I do not take advantage of enough. Spending time with God is real. It produces real results.
I also need to take more time to write down my thoughts. By trade, I am paid to think and write. Unfortunately, that means that I have a lot of thoughts and information flowing in my tiny brain. It always helps to write it down and get it offline and out of my active thoughts. It was easy to relax on vacation because I didn't have to think. Riding roller coasters and playing in sand do not require as much brain power as writing a high level design for a project (Although, I do find a lot to think about with roller coasters and sand). Writing thoughts down tends to help the brain rest better (The best proof of this concept is David Allen's "Getting Things Done" and "Ready for Anything").
By writing down my thoughts and spending time alone with God, I will be able to have a "daily vacation," from life. Vacations shouldn't be the only time that we step away from the rush of life. It needs to be a daily action so the stress and stuff will not be able to build up and swallow the things that life is really to be about. As you will see in the coming months, Tiffany and I are going to be very busy between now and the end of the year. How I choose to spend my time in "mini-vacation land," will determine how I feel on January 1. Will I choose to spend time with God and have time to reflect or will I let everything consume me in the end...
Thursday, September 18, 2008
CCNA and Xsi!
What does a Cisco CCNA certification and a Canon Rebel Xsi have in common? Me. =)
Yesterday, after much preparation and study, I passed my Cisco Certified Network Administrator certification exam. I wish that the certification was for life because I do not want to take it again. Many tests are easy to study for. You download some test prep and your off. The problem with this exam is that they give you broken networks that you need to fix. They give you a scenario and make you think about it. It's a difficult test, but it is also easy if you prepare well (I didn't think I was going to pass on the first attempt). Another key to passing this test is to relax the evening before you take it. For me, I spent the evening at a Diamondbacks game. Tiffany and I sat in the nose-bleed section and watched the D-Backs shutout the Giants.
After passing my exam, I drove to my local Best Buy to purchase a new camera (Canon Rebel Xsi). For those of you that know me well, this is a treat that I have been saving for and hoping for. For the past 4 years, I have been shooting pictures with the Fuji S5000. At last count, we had taken over 35,000 pictures with that camera. I had a growing list of features that I desired and this camera had them all. Now, I just need to get into a better habit of updating my flickr page... =)
As always, all glory is due to God. He has blessed us in many ways over the years. Most of all, he has blessed us with salvation through His Son. We are humbled that he has chosen us to serve Him in life. We hope that this camera and certification will be used for His glory!!
Yesterday, after much preparation and study, I passed my Cisco Certified Network Administrator certification exam. I wish that the certification was for life because I do not want to take it again. Many tests are easy to study for. You download some test prep and your off. The problem with this exam is that they give you broken networks that you need to fix. They give you a scenario and make you think about it. It's a difficult test, but it is also easy if you prepare well (I didn't think I was going to pass on the first attempt). Another key to passing this test is to relax the evening before you take it. For me, I spent the evening at a Diamondbacks game. Tiffany and I sat in the nose-bleed section and watched the D-Backs shutout the Giants.
After passing my exam, I drove to my local Best Buy to purchase a new camera (Canon Rebel Xsi). For those of you that know me well, this is a treat that I have been saving for and hoping for. For the past 4 years, I have been shooting pictures with the Fuji S5000. At last count, we had taken over 35,000 pictures with that camera. I had a growing list of features that I desired and this camera had them all. Now, I just need to get into a better habit of updating my flickr page... =)
As always, all glory is due to God. He has blessed us in many ways over the years. Most of all, he has blessed us with salvation through His Son. We are humbled that he has chosen us to serve Him in life. We hope that this camera and certification will be used for His glory!!
Wednesday, September 03, 2008
CCDA!
I passed my certification exam for CCDA (Cisco Certified Design Associate) today!! This test is the easier of the two that I am presently studying for. Next week, I hope to take my CCNA exam (Cisco Certified Network Associate)!
On top of these two certifications, I recently found out that my company wants to pay for me to get me CCDP (Cisco Certified Design Professional) and MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer)! They need a certain number of people to be certified in order to sell certain equipment, so they asked me to be one of them.
These certifications will round out the video conferencing and audio visual certifications that I already have.
I am very grateful to be working for a company that is willing to invest in employees like this!
On top of these two certifications, I recently found out that my company wants to pay for me to get me CCDP (Cisco Certified Design Professional) and MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer)! They need a certain number of people to be certified in order to sell certain equipment, so they asked me to be one of them.
These certifications will round out the video conferencing and audio visual certifications that I already have.
I am very grateful to be working for a company that is willing to invest in employees like this!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
A Better Way to Make Money in Vegas!
I am sure that this title alone will attract thousands of people to my blog. For those hoping for some gambling secret, sorry, I do not have any except one, but I do not want to share it. =)
Last week, I spent 7 days sitting in a classroom in Las Vegas. I attended a CCNA and CCDA boot camp in preparation for the respective certifications. It was a VERY long week for me. What made it longer is that it added to the "month that will not end." This month has been abnormally busy with travel. From August 4 (our 7th anniversary) through August 29, I have only had 1 day off. Granted, we were able to complete a massive project for one of our clients and I was able to receive invaluable training, but I am tired.
I am definetly looking forward to a long weekend!
So, what does this title have to do with this content. Training. For a long time, I have worked on the "practical" side of IT. All of my experience and knowledge has been self-taught for the most part. After this week of training, I have to admit that the secret lies somewhere between. Practical training and experience is absolutely essential to IT, but the head knowledge and certifications demonstrate a base knowledge the employeers are looking for.
I believe that there are some exciting days ahead for me as I finish these certifications. I have also been in discussions with my company about the future and I hope that this all plays together!
Last week, I spent 7 days sitting in a classroom in Las Vegas. I attended a CCNA and CCDA boot camp in preparation for the respective certifications. It was a VERY long week for me. What made it longer is that it added to the "month that will not end." This month has been abnormally busy with travel. From August 4 (our 7th anniversary) through August 29, I have only had 1 day off. Granted, we were able to complete a massive project for one of our clients and I was able to receive invaluable training, but I am tired.
I am definetly looking forward to a long weekend!
So, what does this title have to do with this content. Training. For a long time, I have worked on the "practical" side of IT. All of my experience and knowledge has been self-taught for the most part. After this week of training, I have to admit that the secret lies somewhere between. Practical training and experience is absolutely essential to IT, but the head knowledge and certifications demonstrate a base knowledge the employeers are looking for.
I believe that there are some exciting days ahead for me as I finish these certifications. I have also been in discussions with my company about the future and I hope that this all plays together!
Friday, August 15, 2008
7 Years!!
On August 4, 2008, Tiffany and I celebrated our 7th Anniversary in style... We flew to Virginia so I could work... =(
August 4 began a 12 day work week for me that ended today. We spent a week in Virginia where I put in many many hours of work migrating two servers. It was a highly stressful experience, so I am very happy that it is over.
While in Virginia, we had the great pleasure of visiting with some friends. This was Tiffany's first trip back in 11 months, so some of the reunions were nice! To end the trip, we rented Segway's in Richmond. We had an awesome time riding around with some friends along the Canal Walk. The owner of the shop was super nice and even remembered out names (Very impressive when a person remembers names after hearing them ONE time!)!
Over the next week, we were equally busy. After 111.75 hours of work over a 12 day period, I am ready to relax for a couple days. This evening, we are going to see a drive in movie and then head up to the Grand Canyon in our brand new car.
Yup! Part of the reason this week was so busy is that I had to haggle with some Honda dealerships for our brand new 2008 Honda Civic LX! At the time of this writing, we now have 66 miles on the car. We are so excited to have this new blessing from the Lord. It is great to see how the Lord has blessed us over the past 7 years of marriage. I thank God for his provisions for us. Most of all, I thank God for my wonderful wife. Tiffany is a daily blessing to me and I love her more every day!
In the words of Kip from Napolean Dynamite, "Peace Out!"
August 4 began a 12 day work week for me that ended today. We spent a week in Virginia where I put in many many hours of work migrating two servers. It was a highly stressful experience, so I am very happy that it is over.
While in Virginia, we had the great pleasure of visiting with some friends. This was Tiffany's first trip back in 11 months, so some of the reunions were nice! To end the trip, we rented Segway's in Richmond. We had an awesome time riding around with some friends along the Canal Walk. The owner of the shop was super nice and even remembered out names (Very impressive when a person remembers names after hearing them ONE time!)!
Over the next week, we were equally busy. After 111.75 hours of work over a 12 day period, I am ready to relax for a couple days. This evening, we are going to see a drive in movie and then head up to the Grand Canyon in our brand new car.
Yup! Part of the reason this week was so busy is that I had to haggle with some Honda dealerships for our brand new 2008 Honda Civic LX! At the time of this writing, we now have 66 miles on the car. We are so excited to have this new blessing from the Lord. It is great to see how the Lord has blessed us over the past 7 years of marriage. I thank God for his provisions for us. Most of all, I thank God for my wonderful wife. Tiffany is a daily blessing to me and I love her more every day!
In the words of Kip from Napolean Dynamite, "Peace Out!"
Monday, July 28, 2008
Air Force Week
OK. So, I am mildly excited that it is Shark Week on the Discovery Channel. It's exciting because it means that Discovery Channel is entering it's new season. All sorts of new shows to waste time watching. Shark Week is not as exciting as last week though. Last week was Air Force week for Tiffany and I!
On Wednesday, we drove down to the Barry M. Goldwater Range south of Gila Bend. We went down there with a friend from Luke AFB, some cadets, our nephew and another friend. On the range, we watched some A10's and F16's bombing and strafing! Watching an A10 strafe is very exciting and loud.
After spending a few hours at the range, we traveled back to Luke to fly the 360 degree simulator. After flying around for a few minutes, they set me up to land the jet. I had a great time landing the jet- I didn't crash and I stopped before the end of the runway! The simulator is infinitely more exciting to fly than any of the Microsoft simulators... =)
As an added bonus to the day, we actually were able to walk out and sit in the base commanders F16! Wow...
On Friday, we drove back to the base to watch power plant mechanics cycle an F16 in the hush house. One of our friends from church is an instructor on jet engines. After the engines are repaired, they need to be tested. For the first run, we sat behind glass and watched the jet fire the afterburners. It was very exciting! For the second run, we actually stood in the same room as the jet and watched it again! It was incredible! The sound, rumbling and light was spectacular. I have since learned that this experience is a very rare treat. All of our pilot friends have yet to experience this! Of course, I have yet to experience flying one! =)
Having such a large base near our house is great! I am proud of our military and thankful for the many friends that we are making through our church (We have a lot of people from the Air Force that attend our church). Tiffany and I have been building relationships with many of them and are thankful for their dedication to this country!
On Wednesday, we drove down to the Barry M. Goldwater Range south of Gila Bend. We went down there with a friend from Luke AFB, some cadets, our nephew and another friend. On the range, we watched some A10's and F16's bombing and strafing! Watching an A10 strafe is very exciting and loud.
After spending a few hours at the range, we traveled back to Luke to fly the 360 degree simulator. After flying around for a few minutes, they set me up to land the jet. I had a great time landing the jet- I didn't crash and I stopped before the end of the runway! The simulator is infinitely more exciting to fly than any of the Microsoft simulators... =)
As an added bonus to the day, we actually were able to walk out and sit in the base commanders F16! Wow...
On Friday, we drove back to the base to watch power plant mechanics cycle an F16 in the hush house. One of our friends from church is an instructor on jet engines. After the engines are repaired, they need to be tested. For the first run, we sat behind glass and watched the jet fire the afterburners. It was very exciting! For the second run, we actually stood in the same room as the jet and watched it again! It was incredible! The sound, rumbling and light was spectacular. I have since learned that this experience is a very rare treat. All of our pilot friends have yet to experience this! Of course, I have yet to experience flying one! =)
Having such a large base near our house is great! I am proud of our military and thankful for the many friends that we are making through our church (We have a lot of people from the Air Force that attend our church). Tiffany and I have been building relationships with many of them and are thankful for their dedication to this country!
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
July 4th in San Diego
Today was a day of reality. The reality that fun and vacations pass too quickly and work comes back too soon!
On July 3, I got off work a little early to go to a Diamondbacks game. The Dbacks were playing the Brewers. We had great seats! Most of the game was a huge let down. The Brewers were ahead 5 to 0 when the bottom of the 9th inning began. Many of us decided to flip out hats inside out and cheer for the Dbacks. The game ended 5 to 6! The Dbacks made a great rally and overcame the Brewers. It was very exciting to be at the game and see them rally like they did. Unfortunately, it was short lived. They started off well this year and seem to be falling off mid-season. Oh well- I am still going to cheer for them!
That evening, we went to see Wall-E at the drive in theater. Our niece and nephew came with Tiff's mom. It was a lot of fun. At the end of the movie, a lightning storm moved into the valley. I call it a lightning storm because it was everywhere, but there was no thunder. We did get a little rain with it, but not much. The lightning was spectacular! Cloud to cloud and cloud to ground. With all of this open space, I am not used to seeing so many bolts so clearly!
On July 4, Tiffany and I drove to San Diego with Chris and Lauren. I had a bunch of Marriot points from work, so we stayed at a brand new Courtyard by the airport- It was nice. We drove out to Point Loma that afternoon and enjoyed a wonderful fireworks display from the back of the hotel (San Diego floats 5 barges in the bay, so the view it expanded!). Our "son" from college flew down from LA to spend the night too.
On Saturday, we took a tour of the harbor and walked around the city for a while. It was a lot of fun. In the evening, we decided to watch a movie and stay out of the sun.
Sunday was spent relaxing at the beach. The marine layer did not clear out for most of the day, so it did not get too hot. The water was chilly at first, but it was nice once we got used to it. Chris and I enjoyed rolling with the waves and trying to overcome them.
On Monday, we walked around Mission Bay Beach for a while and ate lunch. On the way back to Phoenix, we drove through a monsoon storm. It was intense! I have rarely seen rain as hard as we did on this drive.
All in all, the 4th of July weekend was very memorable and fun. I am glad that we were able to spend it with friends and take a mini-vacation. It was also fun to remember this great country in which we live. We forget how great it is all too often!!
On July 3, I got off work a little early to go to a Diamondbacks game. The Dbacks were playing the Brewers. We had great seats! Most of the game was a huge let down. The Brewers were ahead 5 to 0 when the bottom of the 9th inning began. Many of us decided to flip out hats inside out and cheer for the Dbacks. The game ended 5 to 6! The Dbacks made a great rally and overcame the Brewers. It was very exciting to be at the game and see them rally like they did. Unfortunately, it was short lived. They started off well this year and seem to be falling off mid-season. Oh well- I am still going to cheer for them!
That evening, we went to see Wall-E at the drive in theater. Our niece and nephew came with Tiff's mom. It was a lot of fun. At the end of the movie, a lightning storm moved into the valley. I call it a lightning storm because it was everywhere, but there was no thunder. We did get a little rain with it, but not much. The lightning was spectacular! Cloud to cloud and cloud to ground. With all of this open space, I am not used to seeing so many bolts so clearly!
On July 4, Tiffany and I drove to San Diego with Chris and Lauren. I had a bunch of Marriot points from work, so we stayed at a brand new Courtyard by the airport- It was nice. We drove out to Point Loma that afternoon and enjoyed a wonderful fireworks display from the back of the hotel (San Diego floats 5 barges in the bay, so the view it expanded!). Our "son" from college flew down from LA to spend the night too.
On Saturday, we took a tour of the harbor and walked around the city for a while. It was a lot of fun. In the evening, we decided to watch a movie and stay out of the sun.
Sunday was spent relaxing at the beach. The marine layer did not clear out for most of the day, so it did not get too hot. The water was chilly at first, but it was nice once we got used to it. Chris and I enjoyed rolling with the waves and trying to overcome them.
On Monday, we walked around Mission Bay Beach for a while and ate lunch. On the way back to Phoenix, we drove through a monsoon storm. It was intense! I have rarely seen rain as hard as we did on this drive.
All in all, the 4th of July weekend was very memorable and fun. I am glad that we were able to spend it with friends and take a mini-vacation. It was also fun to remember this great country in which we live. We forget how great it is all too often!!
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Avondale Brush Fire (Part 2)
The Gila River Brush Fire seemed to almost be dead earlier today (Judging by the amount of smoke we saw). Due to the heat and wind, the fire has grown. It has also moved to the East. Over 1500 acres have burned at this point!
I have uploaded more pictures and a short video on Flickr!
I have uploaded more pictures and a short video on Flickr!
Another Avondale Brush Fire
Yesterday, around 4:30pm, I was swimming with Hope and Pacey. I noticed some gathering clouds and heard some thunder. We decided to be safe and get out of the pool. After drying off, I looked out my bedroom window and saw a beautiful lightning bolt strike near the mountains. A few minutes later, I looked again and saw a plume of smoke rising!
This is the second Avondale brush fire that we have witnessed recently. This one seems to be bigger and more intense than the last one we saw.
At last report, I heard that over 1,000 acres had burned. Due to so many fires in California, we are apparently having difficulty getting air support (The fire is a little difficult to get to). It looks like the fire died down a lot last night, but the valley is filled with smoke today (Yuck!). Let's hope it stays down!
I have posted some pictures of the fire on Flickr.
This is the second Avondale brush fire that we have witnessed recently. This one seems to be bigger and more intense than the last one we saw.
At last report, I heard that over 1,000 acres had burned. Due to so many fires in California, we are apparently having difficulty getting air support (The fire is a little difficult to get to). It looks like the fire died down a lot last night, but the valley is filled with smoke today (Yuck!). Let's hope it stays down!
I have posted some pictures of the fire on Flickr.
Saturday, June 21, 2008
CA and NM and NV
This week has been the week of travel for our family.
On Saturday, Tiffany's parents and niece and nephew drove to San Diego for a week long vacation. At the same time, Tiffany and Terah drove to New Mexico with the SMI teens from our church. They spent the week in NM holding 10 Vacation Bible Schools in the Gallup area.
On Monday, I flew up to Las Vegas for InfoComm 2008. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. I had a great week networking and seeing new AV products on the market. The value of this week cannot be measured easily. Our company recently merged with another company so this was our first time meeting. It was also a great time to showcase the company and be seen. I walked around the show with my biggest client. It was great to see that everything I have been saying is in line with the industry. My position as of late has been a mixture of systems engineering, strategic planning and being a general technologist. So, it is great to see that the messages I am communicating are completely in line with what others are saying. It was a sort of validation that I needed, especially with my client being present.
I think it's time to unpack now and jump in the pool for a while- It's 110 (Las Vegas was also hot last week, but not as hot as Phoenix).
On Saturday, Tiffany's parents and niece and nephew drove to San Diego for a week long vacation. At the same time, Tiffany and Terah drove to New Mexico with the SMI teens from our church. They spent the week in NM holding 10 Vacation Bible Schools in the Gallup area.
On Monday, I flew up to Las Vegas for InfoComm 2008. We stayed at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. I had a great week networking and seeing new AV products on the market. The value of this week cannot be measured easily. Our company recently merged with another company so this was our first time meeting. It was also a great time to showcase the company and be seen. I walked around the show with my biggest client. It was great to see that everything I have been saying is in line with the industry. My position as of late has been a mixture of systems engineering, strategic planning and being a general technologist. So, it is great to see that the messages I am communicating are completely in line with what others are saying. It was a sort of validation that I needed, especially with my client being present.
I think it's time to unpack now and jump in the pool for a while- It's 110 (Las Vegas was also hot last week, but not as hot as Phoenix).
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Drive In Movies
Last night, we decided to go see a drive-in movie at the West Wind Glendale 9 Drive-In! Karl, a friend of ours, put a couch in the back of his truck for the movie. We arrived early to get a good spot and grill some dinner. Around 8:30pm, the movie began. Around 3:00am, we left.
Yeah- We had so much fun watching the first movie, we decided to stay and watch two more. The drive-in has 9 screens so we had a lot of choices!
This theater is definitely on the "What should I do Friday Night" list!!
Yeah- We had so much fun watching the first movie, we decided to stay and watch two more. The drive-in has 9 screens so we had a lot of choices!
This theater is definitely on the "What should I do Friday Night" list!!
Mogollon Rim and Fossil Springs
Since the valley is beginning to heat up during the day's, we decided to make an escape last weekend to the Mogollon Rim. Friday evening, after work, we met up with a few friends and drove up to the Mogollon Rim for some camping.
We arrived well after dark, but we found the campsite. After setting up the camp, we walked to the edge of the rim to see an amazing display of stars and beauty. I do not think I have ever been able to see so many stars at once.
After a rather chilly night, we woke up to hike the Fossil Springs trail near Strawberry, Arizona. The hike down to the springs was beautiful. When we arrived at the first pool of water, we jumped in and swam for a while. We knew that there was a dam nearby, so a few of us hiked down to the dam. The dam and area surrounding the dam was a virtual playground of fun. Rope swings, jumping off the dam, deep pools of water- Wow! I did not jump off the dam, but a couple of the guys we were with did (It was quite high actually). Tiffany and some people swam behind the waterfall. It was great. Tiffany and I had developed some blisters, so we took the easier route out of the springs while the other half of our group hiked back up to the truck. The hike out was fantastic. Most of the hike out was in the shade and ran along the river, so it was much easier than it would have been had we gone out the way we came in.
When we got back to the camp, I crashed. I could not even stay up for dinner (Which I heard was great).
After a great breakfast on Sunday, we all walked over to the rim to have a little Bible study. Studying the Bible with friends on a beautiful rim is awesome! We packed up camp and drove down to Pine for the Strawberry Festival. Unfortunately, they did not have any strawberry shortcake. Never the less, the small town festival was cute and fun.
We had a great time camping on the Mogollon Rim and hiking the Fossil Springs trail! We cannot wait to do it again soon!
We arrived well after dark, but we found the campsite. After setting up the camp, we walked to the edge of the rim to see an amazing display of stars and beauty. I do not think I have ever been able to see so many stars at once.
After a rather chilly night, we woke up to hike the Fossil Springs trail near Strawberry, Arizona. The hike down to the springs was beautiful. When we arrived at the first pool of water, we jumped in and swam for a while. We knew that there was a dam nearby, so a few of us hiked down to the dam. The dam and area surrounding the dam was a virtual playground of fun. Rope swings, jumping off the dam, deep pools of water- Wow! I did not jump off the dam, but a couple of the guys we were with did (It was quite high actually). Tiffany and some people swam behind the waterfall. It was great. Tiffany and I had developed some blisters, so we took the easier route out of the springs while the other half of our group hiked back up to the truck. The hike out was fantastic. Most of the hike out was in the shade and ran along the river, so it was much easier than it would have been had we gone out the way we came in.
When we got back to the camp, I crashed. I could not even stay up for dinner (Which I heard was great).
After a great breakfast on Sunday, we all walked over to the rim to have a little Bible study. Studying the Bible with friends on a beautiful rim is awesome! We packed up camp and drove down to Pine for the Strawberry Festival. Unfortunately, they did not have any strawberry shortcake. Never the less, the small town festival was cute and fun.
We had a great time camping on the Mogollon Rim and hiking the Fossil Springs trail! We cannot wait to do it again soon!
Friday, May 09, 2008
Thousands of Miles Later...
Quiz: Where is Jim right now... Based on a quick study of this blog, you may be able to guess that I am sitting in an airport. Yup... Right now, I am in my old favorite: Richmond, VA.
The past two weeks have been fast and furious.
On Friday, April 25, I took a day off work to drive from Phoenix, AZ to Irvine, CA. Tiffany and I took a mini trip to visit our good friend Mark. Mark was our "adopted son" during college and it has been a while since we last saw him. The drive to California was nice. It was good to drive and spend time with Tiffany. On Saturday, we went flying with Mark. Mark basically has his own airplane and loves to fly! After an hour and a half flight at about 1500 feet, we landed at Santa Barbara. The flight was awesome: We flew over Los Angeles, Hollywood, the ocean and Malibu. Once we landed in Santa Barbara, we walked to the ocean for lunch and sun. It was VERY relaxing! Our trip back to Corona was also very nice. The next day, we went to church with Mark and then drove to Las Vegas, Nevada.
From Sunday through Friday, we were in Las Vegas. This time, Tiffany got to relax while I walked many miles at Interop. The conference and expo were filled with incredibly valuable information that I hope to use very soon. On Friday, May 2, we drove home. Actually, I dropped Tiffany off in Prescott, AZ and I drove home from there. Once I made it home, our car had 1060 new miles on it. I quickly unpacked the car, changed into a suit and drove to the church.
At church, I helped with a senior honors banquet and a long evening of laser tag. To say the least, I was dead when I arrived back home (About 4:30 am on Saturday).
Two days later, I was back on an airplane to Richmond, VA. My week in Richmond was spent training a new guy and visiting some friends (Two of our Richmond friends have recently had babies, so it was nice to see the newborns). The training went fairly well, but was constantly interrupted. Consequently, I need to figure out another strategy for transfering knowledge!
So... Here I am... Getting ready to board another plane to journey home. In a few hours, I will be home with my lovely wife. I think it is time for a vacation!
The past two weeks have been fast and furious.
On Friday, April 25, I took a day off work to drive from Phoenix, AZ to Irvine, CA. Tiffany and I took a mini trip to visit our good friend Mark. Mark was our "adopted son" during college and it has been a while since we last saw him. The drive to California was nice. It was good to drive and spend time with Tiffany. On Saturday, we went flying with Mark. Mark basically has his own airplane and loves to fly! After an hour and a half flight at about 1500 feet, we landed at Santa Barbara. The flight was awesome: We flew over Los Angeles, Hollywood, the ocean and Malibu. Once we landed in Santa Barbara, we walked to the ocean for lunch and sun. It was VERY relaxing! Our trip back to Corona was also very nice. The next day, we went to church with Mark and then drove to Las Vegas, Nevada.
From Sunday through Friday, we were in Las Vegas. This time, Tiffany got to relax while I walked many miles at Interop. The conference and expo were filled with incredibly valuable information that I hope to use very soon. On Friday, May 2, we drove home. Actually, I dropped Tiffany off in Prescott, AZ and I drove home from there. Once I made it home, our car had 1060 new miles on it. I quickly unpacked the car, changed into a suit and drove to the church.
At church, I helped with a senior honors banquet and a long evening of laser tag. To say the least, I was dead when I arrived back home (About 4:30 am on Saturday).
Two days later, I was back on an airplane to Richmond, VA. My week in Richmond was spent training a new guy and visiting some friends (Two of our Richmond friends have recently had babies, so it was nice to see the newborns). The training went fairly well, but was constantly interrupted. Consequently, I need to figure out another strategy for transfering knowledge!
So... Here I am... Getting ready to board another plane to journey home. In a few hours, I will be home with my lovely wife. I think it is time for a vacation!
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Off to the Big Apple
Well, here I am again... Sitting at the airport... Waiting for my airplane. I am off to New York City today. I have an exciting opportunity with work that I hope will grow in the near future. The most exciting part of the trip is the opportunity to work with a new client. I have been working with my present client for 3 years as of this month. I have learned a lot over the past few years and hope to apply it to new opportunities and clients. I am very thankful for how the Lord has blessed over the past few years. I am in a very exciting industry and I love what I do!
To top it all off, I am bringing a nice dose of Phoenix with me. The weather looks like it is going to be perfect this weekend in NYC!
To top it all off, I am bringing a nice dose of Phoenix with me. The weather looks like it is going to be perfect this weekend in NYC!
Tuesday, April 08, 2008
Hike in Rogers Canyon
This past Saturday, Tiffany and I woke up around 5:30 am to head out for a hike in the Superstition Mountains. We met a friend around 6:00 am and began the journey to the trailead of Rogers Canyon. Due to the incredibly rough nature of the last 12 miles, the trip took 4 hours to complete. A little after 10:00 am, we joined a group on a nice long hike down Rogers Canyon to some old ruins up in the cliffs. After hiking between 4-4.5 miles and crossing the river about 30 times, we arrived at the ruins of a cliff dwelling. Some people ate lunch up in the ruins while some of us soaked our feet in the cold water. Aparently, it is rare to see water on this trail, so we were glad that we were able to enjoy it. The landscape and trail is varied. One moment, you are in wooded areas, the next moment you are in plains followed by step hills. All in all, the drop from the parking lot down to the ruins is about 1,000 feet (which means you get to go UP at the end of the day). Tiffany and I were very glad to see the trucks as we completed the hike. We had each drunk over a gallon of water and were ready for more. We returned to the trucks almost exactly 7 hours after begining the hike. According to the GPS, the ruins are about 3 miles from the parking area (Rogers Trough). The guides that I have read place the trail at a 8-9 miles round trip!
All in all, it was a beautifil April day. The vegetation was in full bloom and included cacti, flowers and trees. The temperature was almost perfect the entire day, which is always nice when hiking like this!
After the hike, we enjoyed the 12 mile drive back down the mountain. Going down was a lot faster, but it was still very rough. I bet we got a good ab workout from trying to roll with the bumps.
By the time we got home, it was time for bed. The entire day was spent enjoying God's spectacular creation! We were tired, but thankful for the strength and energy to enjoy the day. We have been working out lately and this trip was evidence that it is working. It is also evidence that we need to keep it up too!
Some adventures are about the journey as opposed to the destination. This was one of those days. The fellowship and new friendships forged, along with experiencing God's creation was worth the day.
All in all, it was a beautifil April day. The vegetation was in full bloom and included cacti, flowers and trees. The temperature was almost perfect the entire day, which is always nice when hiking like this!
After the hike, we enjoyed the 12 mile drive back down the mountain. Going down was a lot faster, but it was still very rough. I bet we got a good ab workout from trying to roll with the bumps.
By the time we got home, it was time for bed. The entire day was spent enjoying God's spectacular creation! We were tired, but thankful for the strength and energy to enjoy the day. We have been working out lately and this trip was evidence that it is working. It is also evidence that we need to keep it up too!
Some adventures are about the journey as opposed to the destination. This was one of those days. The fellowship and new friendships forged, along with experiencing God's creation was worth the day.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Latest News... Apart From the Fire
Apart from the local brush fire, the past week has been pretty busy.
I spent most of last week in Denver, Colorado (A first for me). It is a beautiful area and a reminder of why we moved West (Well, one of many reasons). One evening, I went downtown to the 16th Street Mall. As much as I can estimate, I think I walked about 3.5 miles. I ate at Hard Rock Cafe also.
On Friday, when I got home, the family went downtown to watch the Arizona Rattlers whip the New York Dragons in Arena Football. I have never been to an AFL game before. The game was fast paced and a lot of fun. We will be going to more AFL games in the future!
Finally, we got up early Sunday morning to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior! Pastor shared a very memorable sermon on the resurrection and living in light of it. The resurrection is the crux of our faith. I praise God that my Savior is not dead! My Savior is alive and provides me a with a confident expectation of what is to come!
I spent most of last week in Denver, Colorado (A first for me). It is a beautiful area and a reminder of why we moved West (Well, one of many reasons). One evening, I went downtown to the 16th Street Mall. As much as I can estimate, I think I walked about 3.5 miles. I ate at Hard Rock Cafe also.
On Friday, when I got home, the family went downtown to watch the Arizona Rattlers whip the New York Dragons in Arena Football. I have never been to an AFL game before. The game was fast paced and a lot of fun. We will be going to more AFL games in the future!
Finally, we got up early Sunday morning to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior! Pastor shared a very memorable sermon on the resurrection and living in light of it. The resurrection is the crux of our faith. I praise God that my Savior is not dead! My Savior is alive and provides me a with a confident expectation of what is to come!
Avondale Brush Fire
This past weekend was a little exciting around the West Valley! On Saturday, a small brush fire broke out near the Phoenix International Raceway just South of our home in Avondale. By early evening, it looked like the fire was out. Sunday afternoon, it was roaring again (It was much bigger on Sunday). We took our niece and nephew down to the river to play around Sunday afternoon. While we were looking for a good place to pull off, we noticed that we were pretty close to the fire. We decided to drive around and snap a few pictures while looking for a place to park. Since there was not much wind, the smoke rose straight up. We also saw airplanes and a helicopter dropping water on the fire.I have posted a link to the pictures and a news report.
Pictures on Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/inaainae/sets/72157604228017062/
News Report: http://www.kpho.com/news/15684845/detail.html
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Inbox = Zero
For some time now, I have been trying to implement the "Getting Things Done" strategy from David Allen. It has been hit and miss for the most part. Lately though, I have been making major improvements to my system and feel that I am getting a better handle on the "stuff" that I need to get done (Home... Work... Church...). At the beginning of the year, I typed up a one page document that I now have posted above my monitor. It is my daily reminder to spend time with God, exercise and get things done. I believe these are the main three areas that I want to grow in this year (They also have major implications beyond their surface value).
Today is a milestone in my GTD development. I have successfully emptied my work email inbox. With the use of reminders, folders and a project tracking log, I have been able to get everything out of the inbox and know that it will get done because I trust my system. For a long time, I have been able to keep the inbox under 25 items, but my new goal is 0.
Personal productivity is a huge topic on the web these days. Being able to balance life and work is increasingly difficult for many people (including me). Being able to gain control and set priorities is crucial to the balancing act. Being productive and not missing goals does not come naturally, it takes work, focus and energy.
In the end, I pray that my efforts are not for personal gain. I desire to grow and be successful in what I do. I believe that the reason and motivation make the difference though. I do not strive to build an empire for myself. I want to glorify God in all things.- This is my motivation!
Today is a milestone in my GTD development. I have successfully emptied my work email inbox. With the use of reminders, folders and a project tracking log, I have been able to get everything out of the inbox and know that it will get done because I trust my system. For a long time, I have been able to keep the inbox under 25 items, but my new goal is 0.
Personal productivity is a huge topic on the web these days. Being able to balance life and work is increasingly difficult for many people (including me). Being able to gain control and set priorities is crucial to the balancing act. Being productive and not missing goals does not come naturally, it takes work, focus and energy.
In the end, I pray that my efforts are not for personal gain. I desire to grow and be successful in what I do. I believe that the reason and motivation make the difference though. I do not strive to build an empire for myself. I want to glorify God in all things.- This is my motivation!
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Dare 2 Share
This past weekend was a blast! I attended the Phoenix Dare 2 Share Conference with about 50 teens from our church. Friday night, we met at the church around 4pm. From the church, we headed downtown for the conference. We got back to the church after 11pm and stayed up past 1am. Around 7:30am, on Saturday, we headed back for the rest of the conference. Saturday was also a very late evening. Needless to say, many of us were dead on our feet.
The conference was jam-packed with great music, wonderful speakers, moving drama's and more. On Saturday afternoon, we went out into Phoenix to gather canned goods for the Phoenix Rescue Mission. With almost 4,000 teens at the conference, we gathered over 14 ton of cans! For the mathematically challenged, we gathered over 28,000 pounds of canned food!
The best part about the weekend is that lives were changed. Some of the teens at our church received Christ as their personal Savior this weekend- Awesome! It was a great time to bond with many of the teens that we now work with.
I am already looking forward to next years conference!
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Weekend in Sedona!
Tiffany and I are spending the weekend with Blaine and Terah in Sedona, Arizona. When the rain clouds lifted this morning, we were greeted with beautiful red rock mountains topped with snow. After adding some puffy clouds and the sun to the equation, we were able to take some great pictures. It was spectacular.
We have posted pictures of the trip on our Flickr page. Enjoy!
Friday, February 15, 2008
A Portrait of God's Love
Before Tiffany and I moved to Arizona, we visited her family for Christmas. During the visit, we met Joel and Nancy. They were in the process of adopting. Their desire was to adopt siblings. Fast-forward to February 2008, early this morning (early our time), Joel and Nancy stood before a judge to adopt two children from Russia. The details of their story can be found here.
Throughout the process, Tiffany and I have had the privelege of being with Joel and Nancy in a Life group and at church. We are amazed to see what God has done in this process. The most wonderful thing about the entire adoption process is the portrait and picture that it depicts for us.
The adoption process is a portrait of God's love for each one of us. Because of God's love for us, He sent His only Son to die for us. Why did he need to send His Son for us? Because we are sinners. All of us are sinners. We have all broken God's laws and turned our backs on Him. As a result of that sin, we are eternally separated from God. The sacrifice for sin is blood. Unfortunately, our own blood is tainted by Sin. Enter Christ. God sent is Son to the earth to live a perfect life and die as our sacrifice. Here is where the adoption process comes into the picture. By receiving Christ as our Saviour, we are brought into the family of God. Once and for all, we become children of God. Christ, among His many other titles, becomes our brother. God the Father becomes our Father. What did we do to deserve it? NOTHING.
Joel and Nancy have chosen to sacrifice their comfort and lives to bring TWO children from Russia. They have been given new names, new clothes, fresh food, warmth and LOVE. What do the children pay for this? NOTHING. Joel and Nancy had to plead a case while the two children were playing with toys. The children are now going to be part of a new family. With time, they will hopefully become part of the larger family of God too.
Wow... Thank you Lord for choosing to send your Son for ME! Thank you for making me a part of your family!
Throughout the process, Tiffany and I have had the privelege of being with Joel and Nancy in a Life group and at church. We are amazed to see what God has done in this process. The most wonderful thing about the entire adoption process is the portrait and picture that it depicts for us.
The adoption process is a portrait of God's love for each one of us. Because of God's love for us, He sent His only Son to die for us. Why did he need to send His Son for us? Because we are sinners. All of us are sinners. We have all broken God's laws and turned our backs on Him. As a result of that sin, we are eternally separated from God. The sacrifice for sin is blood. Unfortunately, our own blood is tainted by Sin. Enter Christ. God sent is Son to the earth to live a perfect life and die as our sacrifice. Here is where the adoption process comes into the picture. By receiving Christ as our Saviour, we are brought into the family of God. Once and for all, we become children of God. Christ, among His many other titles, becomes our brother. God the Father becomes our Father. What did we do to deserve it? NOTHING.
Joel and Nancy have chosen to sacrifice their comfort and lives to bring TWO children from Russia. They have been given new names, new clothes, fresh food, warmth and LOVE. What do the children pay for this? NOTHING. Joel and Nancy had to plead a case while the two children were playing with toys. The children are now going to be part of a new family. With time, they will hopefully become part of the larger family of God too.
Wow... Thank you Lord for choosing to send your Son for ME! Thank you for making me a part of your family!
Monday, February 11, 2008
40,000 Pictures and a Renaissance
Tiffany and I went to the Arizona Renaissance Festival this past weeked. We had a great time walking around, looking in the shops, watching shows and eating good food. It was a gorgeous weekend to be outside. It was well into the 70's this weekend and we have a little more color to our skin now too!
While at the festival, I took my 40,000th picture with the Fujifilm S5000. This camera has been amazing over the past few years. Unfortunately, my flickr account does not come close to showing what this camera has seen. As I get some of my projects knocked off the list, I will be posting more photos to flickr. At the same time, Tiffany has a Sony camera that is moving up in mileage. Between the two camera's, we have close to 43,000 pictures centrally stored and regularly backed up.
While at the festival, I took my 40,000th picture with the Fujifilm S5000. This camera has been amazing over the past few years. Unfortunately, my flickr account does not come close to showing what this camera has seen. As I get some of my projects knocked off the list, I will be posting more photos to flickr. At the same time, Tiffany has a Sony camera that is moving up in mileage. Between the two camera's, we have close to 43,000 pictures centrally stored and regularly backed up.
Wednesday, February 06, 2008
Little Wonders of Surprise!
This past weekend, Tiffany and I went to Trumansburg to surprise my Dad. On February 7th, Dad will be turning 50 years old. A number of months ago, my step-mother began contacting us to see if we could come for a surprise party. I just "happened" to have two free tickets from bad experiences with US Air, so we agreed to make the trip.
On Friday, February 1st, Tiffany and I flew to Ithaca, NY. It was a long day and reminded us why we had free tickets from US Air to begin with. We barely made it into town. The reward for making it so late was a free car upgrade. So, we got to drive around, in the nasty snow, in a 2007 Ford Mustang (Not too impressed actually).
On Saturday, we all gathered at the church to surprise Dad. It was the first time that all of us boys, along with our wives and children, had ever been together all at once. Dad was truly surprised. It was great to have everybody together. We are all scattered around the country now, so it is very difficult to arrange this feat.
On Sunday, we all attened church together. Once again, it was great to see old friends and catch-up as much as possible. In the afternoon, we drove over to Grandpa Kelly's house to surprise him.
Monday morning was departure day for everybody. Except for Chad and April, we all gathered for breakfast before scattering.
Our trip home was long. It was a very long weekend with little sleep and less than desirable weather (I know why I live in Arizona now).
Another wonderful blessing of the weekend was meeting nephews and nieces for the first time. It's scary and wonderful to see how fast our lives change. Years go quickly. In the end, I am reminded of Rob Thomas' song titled "Little Wonders"
On Friday, February 1st, Tiffany and I flew to Ithaca, NY. It was a long day and reminded us why we had free tickets from US Air to begin with. We barely made it into town. The reward for making it so late was a free car upgrade. So, we got to drive around, in the nasty snow, in a 2007 Ford Mustang (Not too impressed actually).
On Saturday, we all gathered at the church to surprise Dad. It was the first time that all of us boys, along with our wives and children, had ever been together all at once. Dad was truly surprised. It was great to have everybody together. We are all scattered around the country now, so it is very difficult to arrange this feat.
On Sunday, we all attened church together. Once again, it was great to see old friends and catch-up as much as possible. In the afternoon, we drove over to Grandpa Kelly's house to surprise him.
Monday morning was departure day for everybody. Except for Chad and April, we all gathered for breakfast before scattering.
Our trip home was long. It was a very long weekend with little sleep and less than desirable weather (I know why I live in Arizona now).
Another wonderful blessing of the weekend was meeting nephews and nieces for the first time. It's scary and wonderful to see how fast our lives change. Years go quickly. In the end, I am reminded of Rob Thomas' song titled "Little Wonders"
Let it go
Let it roll right off your shoulder
Don't you know
The hardest part is over
Let it in
Let your clarity define you
In the end
You will only just remember how it feels
Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away,
But these small hours
These small hours
Still remain
Let it slide
Let your troubles fall behind you
Let it shine,
Till you feel it all around you
And I don't mind
If it's me you need to turn to
We'll get by
It's the heart that really matters in the end
Our lives are made
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours
These small hours
Still remain
All of my regret
Will wash away somehow
But I cannot forget
the way I feel right now
In these small hours
These little wonders
These twists and turns of fate
Yeah, these twisted turns of fate
Time falls away
Yeah, but these small hours,
These small hours
Still remain
Yeah, oh they still remain
These little wonders
All these twists and turns of fate
Time falls away
But these small hours
These little wonders
Still remain
Sunday, January 20, 2008
Thanks for the Snow!
I have just returned to Phoenix from a 10 day business trip to the East. I had a few training classes that I needed for work, so I decided to knock them both out in one trip.
So, here's the breakdown of my travel:
- January 16, 2008 - Today, I flew from Phoenix to Minneapolis to Dulles. My travel went well today, even with checked luggage.
- January 17, 2008 - I had training in Reston, Virginia today. It snowed during the training. I think we probably had about 6 inches of snow.
- January 18, 2008 - Today was a terrible day! I had a project that blew up in my face. At the same time, I was trying to keep an ear open for my training. As the day went on, I became very discouraged. My wonderful wife sent me a message that was very encouraging. I thank God for Tiffany and her words of encouragement today! On the way down to Richmond, I had to type a document for work. As such, I wound up buying a Spring Broadband Card because I needed to be on the internet (The card didn't work, so I had to use a co-workers card). A co-worker drove the car through the slow traffic. At 11:45pm, I finished the document and sent it off. It was a huge relief to turn off my computer and go to sleep. I was also very thankful that the class wound up going well. I was able to pass the certification exam without problem.
- January 19, 2008 - I spent today with Peter and Sara. Today was Peter's 29th birthday, so I joined him for breakfast, Wii playing, duck pin bowling and the Melting Pot. I also replaced my Sprint Card today, which will be very helpful on the rest of the trip. It snowed in Richmond this evening. It was pretty, but it was COLD!
- January 20, 2008 - It was a great day! I visited Immanuel today and had a great time seeing old friends. In the afternoon, I went to visit Matt and Julie. I installed Windows XP on Julie's MacBook Pro today (That was a new eXPerience for my resume!). The drive back to Northern Virginia was surprisingly smooth and nice.
- January 21, 2008 - I flew to Newark, NJ today in the middle of the day. Dulles and Newark are both dead airports in the middle of the day (Maybe it had something to do with the holiday, but I am not sure). From Newark, I drove a little north to Fair Lawn/Saddle Brook, NJ. I am bummed that my hotel does not have an operational pool right now!
- January 22, 2008 - Today was the first day of training for me at Radvision. The training went well today. There was a little bit of snow today, but nothing like the snow last week. In the evening, I hung out at a mall so I would not get bored at the hotel. I also had to do some work during the training today. We are working on a pretty big project right now and it seems to be going fairly well.
- January 23, 2008 - Nothing much to write about today. Training, dinner, relaxation at hotel.
- January 24, 2008 - Upon the completion of training today, I took a train to New York City! I really missed not having Tiffany with me in the city. I had a good time walking around Times Square, eating dinner at Junior's and pretending to shop at B&H Photo. Once the sun went down, it got really cold. I opted to head back to the hotel earlier than I wanted to, but that's ok.
- January 25, 2008 - Home at last! After a nice long flight today and after killing some time in Tempe (to avoid traffic), I safely arrived home this evening.
Friday, January 11, 2008
BOA Cards
BTW- The cards arrived the next day. I am very impressed with Bank of America right now... Hopefully they will continue impressing me.
I do find it strange that they are purchasing Countrywide though... Of course, maybe they have great faith in the future of the mortgage world. Maybe they know something we don't... =)
I do find it strange that they are purchasing Countrywide though... Of course, maybe they have great faith in the future of the mortgage world. Maybe they know something we don't... =)
Gmail Hiccup
Google must be up to some sort of 'evil' today. This morning, as usual, I opened up Outlook to get my work email from exchange and my Gmail email via IMAP. After coming back from lunch, I noticed that Outlook was showing me a message that it could not connect to Gmail. So, I logged into Gmail and noticed that my chat feature was gone, IMAP was gone and I had the invitation box showing up again. I suspect Google accidentally reverted my account to some earlier state, but I hadn't lost any email.
While typing this article, I hit the refresh button on Gmail... Boom... Everything is back to normal. Outlook is working as normal. Chat feature is back. Invitation box is gone.
Odd...
Edit: Looks like I am not the only one having problems with Gmail.
While typing this article, I hit the refresh button on Gmail... Boom... Everything is back to normal. Outlook is working as normal. Chat feature is back. Invitation box is gone.
Odd...
Edit: Looks like I am not the only one having problems with Gmail.
Monday, January 07, 2008
Thank You to Bank of America!
This morning, I received a telephone call from Bank of America stating they noticed possible fraudulent charges on my credit card. The call came from an automatic system, which made me a little nervous. Instead of giving my life data to the machine, I hung up and called BOA directly. After a brief wait, I was able to speak to customer service. After explaining the story, I was promptly transferred to the fraud department. After another short wait (less than 5 minutes), I was greeted by Julie C. I quickly explained the story to Julie and she let me know that they did have an automated system and that it did try to call me this morning. She looked at my account to verify that one charge appeared fradulent (It was a "test" charge for $9.22 from DIRECTPO). She then told me that they saw another charge yesterday for $890.00 coming in from a hotel/restaurant in Mexico. After verifying that I had not made either purchase, Julie informed me that she was going to close the account immediately and issue new cards. When I asked how long it would take to get the new cards, she told me that it would take 5-7 business days. I asked her if there was a faster method as I plan to travel early next week. She told me that she could ship them overnight. She then informed me that I would not be held responsible for the charges and reminded me to update my credit card information with places that might have it on file. She also let me know that all of my present charges would move to the new account and that my rewards program would also be updated.
In a day when customer service seems to be at a premium and hard to find, I would like to thank Bank of America and Julie C for the prompt attention and quick resolution to my problem.
While on the call, I was logged into my account verifying the information against Microsoft Money (I have used Money for a little over 6 years now). As soon as she told me the account was closed, I hit the refresh button and it had already been removed from my online accounts. Prompt and friendly. I then proceeded the shred my compromised credit card (BTW, I have had that credit card for more than 6 years and have not had one issue with it).
Let's see if the new cards make it by tomorrow... =)
In a day when customer service seems to be at a premium and hard to find, I would like to thank Bank of America and Julie C for the prompt attention and quick resolution to my problem.
While on the call, I was logged into my account verifying the information against Microsoft Money (I have used Money for a little over 6 years now). As soon as she told me the account was closed, I hit the refresh button and it had already been removed from my online accounts. Prompt and friendly. I then proceeded the shred my compromised credit card (BTW, I have had that credit card for more than 6 years and have not had one issue with it).
Let's see if the new cards make it by tomorrow... =)
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