In August, Tiffany and I took our first cruise to Mexico. As we reported earlier, we had a fantastic time on the Carnival Elation! A few days after we go home, we realized that our nice Canon camera was missing. It is a terrible feeling when you discover that you have lost something. As I thought back on the trip, I remembered setting the camera down in the shuttle van we took after the cruise, but I did not remember picking it up.
After a couple of phone calls to the San Diego Park & Go, we found out that it had been found and was being stored in the safe! Not only had the driver found our camera, but he thought it best to store the camera in a safe while they waited for us to claim the lost item. Although we had to pay for the shipping (which is completely understandable), Santo graciously packed up the bag/camera and shipped it home!
So, we would like to officially thank the San Diego Park & Go for their honesty and safekeeping of our lost camera - Thank you Santo! You all have demonstrated the kind of customer care that we miss today!
Monday, September 14, 2009
Monday, August 17, 2009
8 Years and It Keeps Getting Better!
8 years ago, on August 4, 2001, Tiffany and I were married in her Grandparents backyard outside of Richmond, Virginia. We are always amazed at how fast time flies, but even more amazed that it has been 8 years. It is also amazing to see how much two people change over time and how close we continue to grow.
Since I spent last year working on my anniversary, we decided that a proper vacation was in store this time around.
The first part of the adventure took us to Sea World in San Diego (I think this was our 3rd or 4th time being there). Our friends Emily and Sarah came along with us since we all bought season passes. We had a fantastic time watching all of the Summer Nights special shows. I also enjoyed the all-you-can-eat pass that I bought for the day (Probably not the wisest choice for the waist, but there definitely was not much waste...).
The next day was partially spent enjoying the sights, sounds and activities of Balboa Park. Our first stop was to the Museum of Man. I have to admit that we were all severely disappointed with the Museum and expected a lot more (especially for the price). We had a good time, but expected more bang for the buck.
After Museum, we bought hot dogs and nachos from a street vendor. Sometimes, the simple lunches are the best!
From lunch, we took a short stroll over the the Spreckels Organ. On Sunday afternoons, there is a free concert. That was a treat for sure. The organ and pipes are amazing and the atmosphere of an outdoor venue is fantastic!
The International Houses are also open on Sunday, so we enjoyed walking through the various countries represented while eating some good food and enjoying live music.
The weather was the most amazing part of the day!
In the evening, Tiffany and I went to Coronado Island to stay at the Marriott resort. One of the benefits of traveling so much for work is the points I have been able to build up for FREE lodging. We enjoyed our evening at the resort and on the Island.
On Monday, August 3, Tiffany and I made our way to the Carnival Elation cruise ship in San Diego. Balboa Park and Sea World were appetizers for the adventure that we enjoyed on the cruise. Not only was this our first cruise, but it was also our first time to Mexico. The cruise was 5 days and ports of call were Cabo, Mexico and Ensenada, Mexico.
In Cabo, we enjoyed some snorkeling and walking around the city (It was hot and I burned the top of my head!). In Ensenada, we did some shopping and enjoyed some street taco's. The two cities are very different from each other.
On board, we enjoyed most of the amenities offered. We ate plenty of food, visited the spa, read a book on deck, swam, watched shows, window shopped for stuff we could not afford and met some new friends. We had a fantastic time on our cruise and will plan another one for sure.
On our anniversary, we were able to get a table for two. Our waitstaff even brought us a cake and sang "Happy Anniversay" to us. It also happened to be formal night on the ship, so we were dressed up for some professional pictures.
After the cruise, we did not want to drive home. Instead, we drove up to Irvine to spend the night with a friend. We needed a good night of sleep to recover from the trip. I always find it odd that vacations require a recovery day... Go figure.
All in all, the vacation/anniversay trip was excellent. We had a great time and highly recommend San Diego and the Carnival Elation!
Since I spent last year working on my anniversary, we decided that a proper vacation was in store this time around.
The first part of the adventure took us to Sea World in San Diego (I think this was our 3rd or 4th time being there). Our friends Emily and Sarah came along with us since we all bought season passes. We had a fantastic time watching all of the Summer Nights special shows. I also enjoyed the all-you-can-eat pass that I bought for the day (Probably not the wisest choice for the waist, but there definitely was not much waste...).
The next day was partially spent enjoying the sights, sounds and activities of Balboa Park. Our first stop was to the Museum of Man. I have to admit that we were all severely disappointed with the Museum and expected a lot more (especially for the price). We had a good time, but expected more bang for the buck.
After Museum, we bought hot dogs and nachos from a street vendor. Sometimes, the simple lunches are the best!
From lunch, we took a short stroll over the the Spreckels Organ. On Sunday afternoons, there is a free concert. That was a treat for sure. The organ and pipes are amazing and the atmosphere of an outdoor venue is fantastic!
The International Houses are also open on Sunday, so we enjoyed walking through the various countries represented while eating some good food and enjoying live music.
The weather was the most amazing part of the day!
In the evening, Tiffany and I went to Coronado Island to stay at the Marriott resort. One of the benefits of traveling so much for work is the points I have been able to build up for FREE lodging. We enjoyed our evening at the resort and on the Island.
On Monday, August 3, Tiffany and I made our way to the Carnival Elation cruise ship in San Diego. Balboa Park and Sea World were appetizers for the adventure that we enjoyed on the cruise. Not only was this our first cruise, but it was also our first time to Mexico. The cruise was 5 days and ports of call were Cabo, Mexico and Ensenada, Mexico.
In Cabo, we enjoyed some snorkeling and walking around the city (It was hot and I burned the top of my head!). In Ensenada, we did some shopping and enjoyed some street taco's. The two cities are very different from each other.
On board, we enjoyed most of the amenities offered. We ate plenty of food, visited the spa, read a book on deck, swam, watched shows, window shopped for stuff we could not afford and met some new friends. We had a fantastic time on our cruise and will plan another one for sure.
On our anniversary, we were able to get a table for two. Our waitstaff even brought us a cake and sang "Happy Anniversay" to us. It also happened to be formal night on the ship, so we were dressed up for some professional pictures.
After the cruise, we did not want to drive home. Instead, we drove up to Irvine to spend the night with a friend. We needed a good night of sleep to recover from the trip. I always find it odd that vacations require a recovery day... Go figure.
All in all, the vacation/anniversay trip was excellent. We had a great time and highly recommend San Diego and the Carnival Elation!
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
4 Months Later...
So... Umm... It's been really busy over the past 4 months. As a result, I have procrastinated putting together a blog post. I keep a running list of items that I would like to blog about. In order to clean up my list, I am going to give the shot gun list of what has been going on lately. In other words, this will be a fast overview instead of an in depth analysis... Ready?
As I write this blog, I am sitting in San Jose, California. This is my 4th trip to San Jose in the past 4 months! I have also been to Albuquerque, Atlanta and Orlando on business. The Atlanta trip was for training. Tiffany and I went out a week early to see some friends and enjoy some vacation time. The Orlando trip was for InfoComm.
At InfoComm, I met a lot of great people in the industry and had a great time seeing new products. I was also honored to speak on two panels about technology. In particular, I spoke about the convergence of AV and IT. I also spoke about Unified Communications as it relates to video conferencing.
Our LIFE group also has remained very active over the past few months. We have taken a couple camping trips in Sedona and Payson, AZ. We also had a GREAT time rafting and camping on the Grand Canyon for a few days. The trip down the Grand Canyon was amazing. I haven't taken the time to get pictures up on Flickr yet, but they are amazing!
June marked my 10 year anniversary of graduating from high school. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the reunion this year. Tiffany and I are planning to take a much needed anniversary trip at the same time (We are going on a cruise!). Never-the-less, it is amazing to see how fast 10 years goes and how much can change from year to year. The one thing I know for sure is that God is always in control and grows more amazing day by day.
Climbing has also continued to go well. Although, it has been difficult to climb while traveling.... It's fun to see how much progress we have made and how much more needs to be made.
The other big news is that we are in the processes of buying a house! The market is ripe and we are ready. So far, things have gone well. We are bidding on short sales, so that can be a little un-nerving. Stay tuned for updates on the house process! It's hard to be patient, especially when you find a house that you really really like!
As I write this blog, I am sitting in San Jose, California. This is my 4th trip to San Jose in the past 4 months! I have also been to Albuquerque, Atlanta and Orlando on business. The Atlanta trip was for training. Tiffany and I went out a week early to see some friends and enjoy some vacation time. The Orlando trip was for InfoComm.
At InfoComm, I met a lot of great people in the industry and had a great time seeing new products. I was also honored to speak on two panels about technology. In particular, I spoke about the convergence of AV and IT. I also spoke about Unified Communications as it relates to video conferencing.
Our LIFE group also has remained very active over the past few months. We have taken a couple camping trips in Sedona and Payson, AZ. We also had a GREAT time rafting and camping on the Grand Canyon for a few days. The trip down the Grand Canyon was amazing. I haven't taken the time to get pictures up on Flickr yet, but they are amazing!
June marked my 10 year anniversary of graduating from high school. Unfortunately, I will not be able to attend the reunion this year. Tiffany and I are planning to take a much needed anniversary trip at the same time (We are going on a cruise!). Never-the-less, it is amazing to see how fast 10 years goes and how much can change from year to year. The one thing I know for sure is that God is always in control and grows more amazing day by day.
Climbing has also continued to go well. Although, it has been difficult to climb while traveling.... It's fun to see how much progress we have made and how much more needs to be made.
The other big news is that we are in the processes of buying a house! The market is ripe and we are ready. So far, things have gone well. We are bidding on short sales, so that can be a little un-nerving. Stay tuned for updates on the house process! It's hard to be patient, especially when you find a house that you really really like!
Monday, March 30, 2009
1Q09
Swoosh - The first quarter of 2009 is history! It's hard to believe that the past three months have passed by so fast. On top of that, I have a back log of "Blog Articles To Write." So... I have decided to do the 35,000 foot flyby and lump everything into one article. It's a cheap way to get everything on "paper."
Buckle up, this is going to be fast!
Shortly after our last blog post, we took a trip through Sedona to the Grand Canyon. There was fresh snow in Northern Arizona and I wanted to see it (Notice the lack of WE in the previous sentence). Needless to say, the snow was great and so was the trip. We even played in the snow a little.
Other big trips in the past couple of months include:
Locally, Phoenix has a lot to offer. Spring is a great time in this city and we have made the most of it this year (There are only three seasons in my mind: Spring, Summer and Fall - I know that Spring just began, but it feels like it is actually summer now):
One of the biggest blessings and changes in our lives is climbing! In the beginning of February, we joined a climbing gym and have tried to spend 2-3 nights a week climbing. We love climbing! It is a great way to workout and have fun at the same time. It is neat to look at how we have changed during this time.
Work has been up and down a bit recently. Due to the economy, we underwent a little downsizing at work. Thankfully, I am still happily employed right now. The downside is that I lost some leadership that I really respected and trusted. It will take a while to build up again. Other than that, work seems to be picking up quite a bit.
To close things out, I have decided to add a few more pictures from the past couple of months. I am really bad about sharing our pictures, so I am going to try and spruce things up a little by adding pictures more often.
Buckle up, this is going to be fast!
Shortly after our last blog post, we took a trip through Sedona to the Grand Canyon. There was fresh snow in Northern Arizona and I wanted to see it (Notice the lack of WE in the previous sentence). Needless to say, the snow was great and so was the trip. We even played in the snow a little.
Other big trips in the past couple of months include:
- San Diego, CA -- Sea World and the beach!!
- Austin, TX -- Business trip/training
- Chicago, IL -- Saw my step brother, his wife and three nieces while I was on this business trip
- Las Vegas, NV -- Really cheap way to get-a-way for a weekend! We crossed the 10,000 mile mark with our Honda Civic during this trip. A friend came in from out of town, so we decided to make the journey!
Locally, Phoenix has a lot to offer. Spring is a great time in this city and we have made the most of it this year (There are only three seasons in my mind: Spring, Summer and Fall - I know that Spring just began, but it feels like it is actually summer now):
- Dare2Share -- I went with our youth group to this event. We had a fantastic time. Singing. Witnessing. Learning. This is a great event and I look forward to it each year.
- Luke Days Air Show -- Unfortunately, this only comes every other year. Fortunately, this is one of the years. Even more fortunately, we know a lot of people in the Air Force, so we felt like we had the royal treatment this year. We had a great time at the Air Show and are very thankful for the men and women that we know that serve this country. It is a real blessing to have them as friends. How many people get to go on base and fly a simulator?! Too cool!
- Golf -- I went golfing early in March. I had a great time and did reasonably well. This is only the third time I have ever golfed.
- Baseball -- I helped work on the Goodyear Ballpark earlier this year. As a reward, I was able to see a few spring training games for free. Not only that, but we got the best seats in the house (That would be the room with all of the A/V stuff, naturally)! It was fun getting to be a part of the stadium and seeing the first couple of games.
- Zoo -- We went to the Phoenix Zoo a couple of weeks ago. In fact, it was the same day that we went to the Air Show. Yeah. We got a lot of sun that day.
- Aloha Festival -- Another great outdoor activity in Phoenix. Lots of sun. Lots of food. Tons of fun! This is a March Must!
One of the biggest blessings and changes in our lives is climbing! In the beginning of February, we joined a climbing gym and have tried to spend 2-3 nights a week climbing. We love climbing! It is a great way to workout and have fun at the same time. It is neat to look at how we have changed during this time.
Work has been up and down a bit recently. Due to the economy, we underwent a little downsizing at work. Thankfully, I am still happily employed right now. The downside is that I lost some leadership that I really respected and trusted. It will take a while to build up again. Other than that, work seems to be picking up quite a bit.
To close things out, I have decided to add a few more pictures from the past couple of months. I am really bad about sharing our pictures, so I am going to try and spruce things up a little by adding pictures more often.
Friday, February 06, 2009
State of the Kelly Address
Parents, Friends, Family, Acquaintances, People We Do Not Know,
The state of the Kelly Union is great!
2009 has started off on the right foot - Almost literally too! Every weekend of January was spent being active. From biking in the White Tanks to hiking in South Mountain and Sedona. The weekends were absolutely beautiful and begged to be be enjoyed. We praise God for His blessing of strength and health. We look forward to a full year of enjoying His creation!
At the beginning of February, we joined a local climbing gym. It is time to get serious and get in shape. Climbing is a fantastic workout and lends itself to good friends and adventure. It is an exciting way to workout too!
Tiffany has been great with devotions over the years. She is always reading and studying to Word. We recently found a devotional series that we are working through at the same time. It has been great getting spiritual exercise and regularly being in the Word. We are also very active in our LIFE group, Sunday School, Youth Group and Sunday morning services - We are trying to be immersed in the Word as much as possible!
I also have a fully implemented "Getting Things Done" system now that seems to be working for me. I have struggled with different systems for a while and let that be an excuse for not getting things done. Now, I do not have an excuse. I have a system that is always in front of me or in my pocket: Microsoft OneNote.
One of the biggest things that I have accomplished through the system is finally documenting and putting into practice a photography work flow. Since we take a ton of pictures and always have people wanting copies, I needed to figure out a way to control the distribution, but also be able to showcase the ones that I wanted. With a little more tweaking, it should be a full functional machine. After downloading pictures, I edit them in Picasa 3 (Mainly delete bad ones and flip sideways ones). After Picasa, I copy them to a central location on our home network. The pictures are backed up once a week and stored in the safe. From Picasa, I upload the pictures to Flickr and mark them as private. From Flickr, I import the pictures into our gallery where people can sign up for accounts and gain access to download pictures that they want (You can select individual ones for a "shopping cart" or you can download an entire set - All in .zip format!). Back on Flickr, I can then open up pictures for public viewing to show the better pictures that are not full of people and stuff. I look forward to getting a lot of pictures online over the coming months and finally begin using the thousands of pictures that we have taken.
Work has been great as of late too! Praise the Lord for work right now. It is very busy and does not show signs of slowing right now. I am presently working a number of roles, among which are consulting and pre-sales. I look forward to working with many clients this year. Previously, I worked on one account. Now, I am able to expand the horizon more and get some more broad experience.
Thank you to those who regularly pray for us. God is good. We thank Him for the many blessings that He bestows on us and pray that we will never forget to give Him all of the glory. At the same time, we pray that we would continue to be more like Christ each day and let Him be glorified in all we say and do.
The state of the Kelly Union is great!
2009 has started off on the right foot - Almost literally too! Every weekend of January was spent being active. From biking in the White Tanks to hiking in South Mountain and Sedona. The weekends were absolutely beautiful and begged to be be enjoyed. We praise God for His blessing of strength and health. We look forward to a full year of enjoying His creation!
At the beginning of February, we joined a local climbing gym. It is time to get serious and get in shape. Climbing is a fantastic workout and lends itself to good friends and adventure. It is an exciting way to workout too!
Tiffany has been great with devotions over the years. She is always reading and studying to Word. We recently found a devotional series that we are working through at the same time. It has been great getting spiritual exercise and regularly being in the Word. We are also very active in our LIFE group, Sunday School, Youth Group and Sunday morning services - We are trying to be immersed in the Word as much as possible!
I also have a fully implemented "Getting Things Done" system now that seems to be working for me. I have struggled with different systems for a while and let that be an excuse for not getting things done. Now, I do not have an excuse. I have a system that is always in front of me or in my pocket: Microsoft OneNote.
One of the biggest things that I have accomplished through the system is finally documenting and putting into practice a photography work flow. Since we take a ton of pictures and always have people wanting copies, I needed to figure out a way to control the distribution, but also be able to showcase the ones that I wanted. With a little more tweaking, it should be a full functional machine. After downloading pictures, I edit them in Picasa 3 (Mainly delete bad ones and flip sideways ones). After Picasa, I copy them to a central location on our home network. The pictures are backed up once a week and stored in the safe. From Picasa, I upload the pictures to Flickr and mark them as private. From Flickr, I import the pictures into our gallery where people can sign up for accounts and gain access to download pictures that they want (You can select individual ones for a "shopping cart" or you can download an entire set - All in .zip format!). Back on Flickr, I can then open up pictures for public viewing to show the better pictures that are not full of people and stuff. I look forward to getting a lot of pictures online over the coming months and finally begin using the thousands of pictures that we have taken.
Work has been great as of late too! Praise the Lord for work right now. It is very busy and does not show signs of slowing right now. I am presently working a number of roles, among which are consulting and pre-sales. I look forward to working with many clients this year. Previously, I worked on one account. Now, I am able to expand the horizon more and get some more broad experience.
Thank you to those who regularly pray for us. God is good. We thank Him for the many blessings that He bestows on us and pray that we will never forget to give Him all of the glory. At the same time, we pray that we would continue to be more like Christ each day and let Him be glorified in all we say and do.
Monday, January 05, 2009
Train Derailment in Avondale
Earlier today, a few train cars were derailed near 10900 W Buckeye Rd in Avondale, Arizona (About a 1/4 mile West of 107th Ave and MC85/Buckeye Rd). I have not found any articles about the accident yet, but I did take some pictures of my own and posted them on flickr.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wrapping Up 2008
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!
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!
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).
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