More Ethan

Ethan Michael Wolf was born at 8:58 PM on March 14, 2008. It was his due date, exactly. Only 5% of babies arrive then, so he is already pretty special. He weighed 7 lbs, 14.7 oz, and was 20 inches long. We arrived at the hospital around 4:40 AM that friday, so it was a very long day. Here are some more photos.

I will be uploading a bunch of photos to my photobucket site at some point soon, where you could just go and browse Ethan photos and more. I'll post an update here when they are up there (there are already photos there, but no recent ones)

Ethan!!

Lunar Eclipse - Feb 20 2008

I took a bunch of pictures of the lunar eclipse, and definitely learned about "shooting the moon", because I havent really tried before. Its definitely hard to focus in the later phases of the eclipse when it gets much darker. The regular moon is actually bright enough that you can probably shoot at night without a tripod (you can get up to 1/400 of a second shutter speed, or more). If you want a sequence, you definitely want to use a tripod, though you have to keep moving the camera, because the moon moves (of course).

flashback

I ran into this photo and thought it was fun. This was in Poland circa 2005. Yes, thats a real bug/beetle. It was a dare, and I could not back down. The bug actually got stuck on my tongue (it had little barbs on its feet). My son probably has no idea what he's getting himself into, with all this manliness he'll have to live up to (although, Kevin Antlitz had a frog in his mouth at one point during the trip. I dont think I could do that).

Christmas

We enjoy nice frosty, windy December days. This was after the Navy Band Christmas concert at Constitution Hall.

Recent Happenings

I'll be updating my photo page soon. Here are some highlights:

Paul and Vashti's wedding in Birmingham, Alabama

Our Trip to Ocean City, MD in September. Friendly Seagulls (imagine that)

Here is our new house (thats me trying to get in)

Our Trip To Boston in June

Baby Blogs

Lots of people are having babies these days, and ours is coming soon. Here are some recent ones if you want to check them out. We might put a few pics up when the time comes, but I'm not sure how much we will journal about the whole thing.

Tom and Brooke Clarke:
www.theclarkefamilyspot.blogspot.com

Adam and Jessica Grievell:
http://ilovelladro.blogspot.com
http://tortfeasorg.blogspot.com

If I get motiviated, maybe I'll throw a pic or two up here of our recent adventures.

Changes

Its been eons since I've posted and stuff. Mostly because I actually do stuff at work. So, we moved to Gambrills, and my job is changing (working in DC permanently now), and now we'rehaving a baby in March. So lots of stuff goin on. Its very exciting though. I guess I could throw a few pictures up, but I dont have any on me. With the whole move I havent really done much with my cameras or my home computer for a while. I did start using facebook at lunch sometimes, thats pretty cool. Anyway. not too much interesting to report right now....but ask me for our new address if you dont already have it.

Snow!!

accident

my dad was just in an accident in his van where a large amount of lumber went through his windshield, and entered the van. It tore the passenger seat in half and kept going almost to the back of the van. He was the only person in the van. He's very fortunate, he only has a few scrapes on his hand and his shoulder is sore. I dont know if I should post a picture of the van because its kind of disturbing....but we're very thankful that God protected him!!!!

more than life size

I just read that at a recent AARP (american association of retired peoples, or something like that) convention, they had a giant, inflatable, walk-through colon. I guess when you get old you have to worry about colon cancer...so they wanted to make it very apparent what it can look like. When the aged visitors walk through, they get to see examples of healthy colon, then examples of not-so-healthy colon with polyps, which are apparently bad.....

and here when I first saw the picture, I thought it was a moon bounce....

something new

I learn something new every day....yesterday I learned that the Dead Sea in Israel is at the lowest point of dry land on earth...at 1,200 feet below sea level. Interesting.

Today I learned that the Brontosaurus wasnt really a dinosaur, Its discoverer had put the wrong head on a body that had already been discovered...with the proper head on it can be identified in the family of Diplodocus. Whoops...

Hallowweeen

Don't hug swiss cows

this is a bizarre article about a phenomenon in Switzerland...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14570685/?GT1=8404

the weekend

If somebody asked me what I did this past weekend, one of my instincts might be to respond with "well, I had my arms nearly pulled out of their sockets, I was stung by jelly fish, and I had the skin on my hands sanded off until I bled. But before that I had large objects dropped on my toes." It almost sounds like a torture chamber, but it all happened...

I was moving furniture, and of course what goes up, must come down. That's enough to explain what happened to my toes. The rest....basically I was getting used to the idea of wake-boarding behind Jeff's boat. It takes lots of practice.....and I'll get up on plane next time I try. I'm sure of it.

apparently, this blog has gone dry. perhaps I'll start a Xanga again, and point people here....

Cameras

Jenn and I both have new Cameras now...mine from my dad...and hers from me. She really loves hers!!

fear

thought of the day....

Its okay to fall, its not okay to stay down, to not rise back up. When we fail or fall, we learn how to succeed. We learn through failure, mostly about ourselves. Failures destroy illusions. Don't fear failure. Use it to your advantage.

Tuna

My thoughts recently have reverted to those of practicality (in times of great stress or struggle, we tend to dwell on methods of survival). So, for your benefit, and my own future reference, please consider the following:

Rule #1: Do not prepare tuna while wearing newly cleaned pants
Rule #2: Do not prepare tuna while wearing a tie
Rule #3: Do not prepare tuna before 6 in the morning
Rule #4: Failing to bring the proper utensil for lunch can be horribly frustrating

This last rule is not from my own experience, but I'm thinking clearly enough now to be smart about it:
Rule #5: Do not ever attempt to eat tuna with your hands

Eqyptian Discovery

sorry if the spiders overwhelmed you....I know after a while they started to bother me. Anyway, moving on. I used to love reading about Eqypt while growing up, I still do, theres just lots of other stuff going on too. I have a nice big picture book with historic places in Egypt in it...very cool. Even cooler is that they recently discovered another tomb in the Valley of the Kings, very close to where Tut was buried. Its named KV63 (Kings Valley, 63rd tomb discovered). Theyre even having a special on the Discovery channel soon. This is big stuff, like the biggest discovery over there since Howard Carter discovered Tut in 1922.

I also found a really cool mapping site that lets you see aerial shots of Egyptian ruins. It works best on faster computers, with fast internet connections.

Follow these cool links to check it out:

http://www.kv-63.com/

http://www.thebanmappingproject.com/

more spider pix

yep, he was a big one. I guess leaving a dirty sink is one way to find these guys (this is the actual spider in my sink)

Disposal of the Biggest

I dont know why, but I am repeatedly called on to clash with nature head on around 5am a lot these days. This time....a wolf spider in the sink. Seriously, this boy was 3 inches wide. No joke (about the size of the one in the pic above, see the scale). Somebody left a pot with water that perhaps it enjoyed drinking from..I dont know. It was there, next to the pot in the sink. It was dark, you see, then I turned on the light and there it is. That will really wake you up.

I took a picture and a short video clip that would probably remind you of the Blair Witch Project (I was scared), and then I approached it armed with a pitcher of water, and I flushed it. I was not sure what it would do, but I overturned the pot on it, and then added my pitcher water to the mix, and down the drain it went. Then I turned on the disposal and hopefully took care of the problem. I dont know. I repeated this about 3 times with more water and more disposal action. I think its pretty nasty, but I didnt know what else to do.

restaurants

I posted this a year ago, but after a discussion of favorite restaurants last night, I need to again. the two that I told last night arent on the list...its hard to capture them all...should I update the list with new favorites?

-Pizza Nova, Harbor Drive, San Diego CA
-Huck's Waterside Cafe, Pascagoula MS
-Busara (Thai), Tysons Corner VA
-Yama (Japanese), Chain Bridge Rd, Vienna VA
-Grace's Fortune, Bowie MD
-Rivermill, Draper St, Blacksburg VA
-The Homeplace, Catawba VA
-Steamers, Chincoteague VA
-Squatters Seafood, Indian Beach NC
-Old Town Mexican Cafe, San Diego CA
-El Guadalupe's, Blacksburg VA
-Anthony's, Harbor Drive, San Diego CA
-Pot Belly's, Harbor Center, Annapolis MD (also in Crystal City VA)
-Burrito Brothers, Rte 7, Mclean VA
-Bottoms Up Pizza, Richmond VA

Eventful weekend

We had a good weekend. Saturday Jenn and I wandered over into Virginia for a meal tasting at the place our wedding reception will be held...very good, we're happy. Now we can decide what food options there will be. We also talked to a flower person.

The interesting part was that we collided with both ends of the funeral that was held at McLean Bible Church for the cop that was killed last week in Fairfax. The story isnt online anymore, I dont think, but she was gunned down in the police station parking lot. Anyway, about 4,000 people attended the funeral, and we came across the procession as it was heading to the first part, in the morning. There was a line of cop cars all with lights on, that was miles long, and as 270 and 495 came together, they were all there, and all of us poor cars that werent told what was going on were left to figure out how to get to our proper exits and what not. It was a bit confusing. Jenn guessed it was a funeral. They all got off the first exit on the toll road.

Then, as we began to make our way back home at around 1:30 or so, route 28 was real backed up just past the toll road, and we hop on the toll road, to find that there are TONS of cars on the other side of the road pulled over, with people out just watching the road, even with cameras ready. As we continue every overpass contains a firetruck, ladders up, with firemen lined up standing in salute on top of their vehicles, and there are helicopters every mile. Seriously. We really didnt connect the mornings events to this, but then we started seeing policemen lining the side of the road as well, then we see people on our side of the road pulling over. Then we guess it must be the same thing. We turn the radio on for information. Then we came across the procession, 100's of motorcycle cops, and then cop cars, then the bulk of the funeral procession. The radio confirms what is going on, and I found out later that they were actually heading out to Warrenton, VA to lay her to rest.

It was almost like being in a scene from Independance day, or War of the Worlds, where everybody is stopping to get out of their cars to look at something, and you have no idea what it is, and you feel dumb because you dont know, but traffic is getting all weird and stuff. People were waiting for a while out there...and the procession was phenomenal.

Then, we got home and had a cook-out. I'll let Jenn tell you about that.

oh deer

yesterday was interesting, it had its ups, downs, and corkscrews, yeah, it was pretty much like a roller coaster. The highlight was my Bible study that was sort of a little party for me since I'm stepping down from being a leader. So, that was very nice, very encouraging.

Earlier in the day (very early, like 5am), I had a run in with a deer in Davidsonville. Its hard to say who won, but I'm still alive, so I guess you could say I did. Really, it wasnt a bad "accident", but the damage to the car looks to be more than the car is worth. I was driving my reliable Grand Am, so I'm glad it wasnt my Mazda.

So, a few plans were changed, and now we're dealing with what to do with the car. It may turn out to be perfect timing, since I just pulled my good radio out of the car to give to my dad (two weeks ago), and there really are a number of things wrong with the car. Well, its not that they're wrong, its just that they arent right. Heating, A/C, defrost, they just dont work. Turn signals are finicky, not always working. Exhaust is rusting out, very loud (kinda cool). Sometimes it leaks when it rains, and I have to perform emergency towel action (I had like 2 inches of water in the floor of the car once). The interior light doesnt work, the electric door locks dont work (but the auto lock which isnt supposed to engage until the car is moving, it sometimes locks me out). There's a 2.5 foot crack in the windshield. It performs very well though, and its been faithful to me for 8 years.

I'll probably take the money if the insurance company decides that its totaled. Believe me though, I will be a little emotional. I'll keep you updated....

verse of the day

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer"
-Romans 12:12

(3(5+1))+((20/5)+5)

Thanks to everybody who made my birthday special :-) I got to see most of the important people on my actual birthday: My sister, my Grandparents, my parents, and Jenn. The trip to NY was a success....I'll put some pictures up when theyre ready (might be a while).

Owl Update

Wow! I cant really fit everything in here, or it would take too much. Well, just wanted to say that I never imagined it would happen the way it did, but I actually saw the owls! Yeah, there's atleast 2 of them. Jenn and I were walking through the woods behind my house around dusk last night and noticing that lots of birds were making noise in the trees (more than usual), then we heard the owl. We stopped, and then I realized that 10 feet away just a few feet above eye level another owl was sitting in a small tree looking at us. So close!!! It wasnt making noise though, its friend up in the trees was making noise. When Jenn saw it there was only a few seconds more before the close owl decided to get some distance, but it only flew a little further away, we watched it, and saw the larger (probably male) owl up in the trees moving around. We watched them fly back and forth and make noise for a bit. They would sit up there and just yell. Not sure if its because we were there, or because of the birds, or they were hunting.....but it was so cool. Face to face with an owl. I love nature, can you tell? (and yes, it was definitely a Barred Owl)

sleep deprivation

I've had trouble sleeping recently, and in the process have been enjoying the company of one of my wild friends, a Barred Owl (strix varia) thats been prowling around the woods near my house, and even the tree outside my window. We got a glimpse of it yesterday evening before dusk actually, though Steve saw more of it than I did. I actually saw it in the darkness later on as it flew past my neighbors white house. Pretty cool, it's a big bird and made absolutely NO sound at all as it flew. Listen to the "typical call" found on the following web page (thats what I heard for about an hour and half straight last night)

http://www.owlpages.com/owls.php?genus=Strix&species=varia

I cant tell if I'm staying awake because of him, but he's certainly been noisy.

April 20

Happy Birthday Jenn!

....

ever have one of those days where you just can't get ANYTHING done? Not because of laziness...but because it seems like the whole world is conspiring against you (or they all seem like they're out to lunch).

Wake up!

It's time for a healthy breakfast!

Darkness

Matthew 27:1-2
When morning came, all the chief priests and elders of the people plotted against Jesus to put Him to death. And when they had bound Him, they led Him away and delivered Him to Pontius Pilate the governor.

22-26
Pilate said to them "What then shall I do with Jesus who is called Christ?"
They all said to him, "Let Him be crucified!"
Then the governor said, "Why what evil has He done?"
But they cried out all the more, saying, "Let Him be crucified!"
When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, "I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it"
And all the people answered and said, "His blood be on us and on our children."
Then he released Barabbas to them; and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered Him to be crucified.

Mark 15:33-34; 37; 39
Now when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus crited out with a loud voice, saying "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?" which is translated "My God, My God, why have You Forsaken Me?"
And Jesus cried out with a loud voice, and breathed His last.
So when the centurion, who stood opposite Him, saw that He cried out like this and breathed His last, he said, "Truly this Man was the Son of God!"

Prayer

Mark 14:32-36
Then they came to a place which was named Gethsemane; and He said to His disciples, "Sit here while I pray." And He took Peter, James, and John with Him, and he began to be troubled and deeply distressed. Then He said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here and watch."

He went a little farther, and fell on the ground, and prayed that if it were possible, the hour might pass from Him. And he said, "Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will."

Judas

Mark 14:10-11
Then Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Him to them. And when the heard it, they were glad, and promised to give him money. So he sought how he might conveniently betray Him.

The Greatest Commandment

Mark 12:29
Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength' This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

The Temple

Isaiah 56:7
"Even them I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer.
Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be accepted on My altar; For My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations."

Jeremiah 7:11
"Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it." says the Lord

Mark 15-17
So they came to Jerusalem. Then Jesus went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changes and the seats of those who sold doves. And He would not allow anyone to carry wares through the temple. Then he taught, saying to them, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a 'den of thieves'"

the times they are a changin

my last few weeks have been quite a ride....back and forth, up and down....let me see if I can explain.

-the weather just wont make up its mind....its cold, then hot, cold....back and forth (weather can definitely mess with your head sometimes)
-I've been to two different hospitals and two other clinics helping Jenn solve the great mystery of her appendix-like pain (shes "okay" right now). I've taken more than 5 days of sick leave in the last two weeks. It always gets worse on wednesdays, so I havent been able to connect with my smallgroup for a while.
-despite the setbacks of hospital visits we've managed to get out to Virginia over the weekends for wedding stuff. We have been over in Virginia each of the last 3 weekends for appointments in Reston, Ashburn, Herndon, Fairfax, Vienna, and Springfield. The comforting part is that we're actually getting things done.
-I have a constant list of people I need to get in touch with. As the more important things happen, I dont always call who I need to....I'm missing some of my friends that I don't see all the time. Buddies from college, or from just last year....that's just weighing on me hard right now.

What I've learned: Jenn is always there, no matter how crazy things are...she's always there to support me (its funny how she helps me support her too). We've learned we can really make a kickin breakfast together...that's always fun.

If I were a cat....

I would totally want to be treated to a nice stroll outside in one of these. You can pick one up at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I guess this is covered under the "Beyond".

Guerilla Gardening

Apparently its been around since the 70's. I had no idea:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=1751324&page=1&CMP=OTC-RSSFeeds0312

keep praying for Jenn...back to the doctor either today or tomorrow.

thanks for praying

Jenn is out of the hospital and did not have surgury. Thanks for all of you that have been praying. Continue to pray that she will not have surgury and that when she goes back for more tests in two weeks they can pinpoint what the deal was, or tell her shes 100% ok. In case you didnt know...they told her she had appendicitis....then we found out (upon further review) that they weren't sure. The last word from the doctor is that he's pretty sure its not the appendix. I'll let you know when we find out what the deal is.

the vastness

God created a world for us that is just SO HUGE, and so full of different things...its hard for me to know how to fit it all in. Its a good thing that its so big and variable, because obviously we are all different, and have different tastes. I guess you could say that he's allowed our different tastes to turn the world into what it is today..with so many resources available for us to use, or so many ways to apply our knowledge or interests. Here's a short list of what I really enjoy learning about, or doing. Its difficult to fit it all in though...(there is no order to this)

- learning about plants and gardening
- learning history (reading, watching documentaries, visiting places)
- Learning my own family heritage (part of history, for sure)
- capturing the world on film (photography)
- Learning how to Love more
- Learning about God more
- Spending time with those that I love
- Spending time with those that NEED love
- Discovering new music (new to me atleast)
- Seeing great music performed
- learning more about my job (how to build ships, what theyre made of)
- Reading for pleasure...more than just history
- Keeping in shape (in different ways)
- enjoying nature (hiking, camping...)
- Finding exciting restaurants I didnt know existed
- visiting exciting restaurants that arent too expensive
- Seeing the world I live in (traveling)
- keep in touch with important people that have been a big part of my life
- making Mix CDs for people...with my favorite music
- learn how to apply my money wisely
- learn how to be tactful in conversation (part of the love....)
- learn more about nature..(weather too)
- Learn how to cook more things, and better
- in the midst of all this...learning how to live a simple life with good balance

So......I probably missed something...but these are all desires that I have.....

awakening

Quiz: How painful is it for you to get up on an average weekday morning? (on a scale of 0-10, using the handy guide below)

0. Waking up turns me on. I have trouble falling asleep just knowing that I get to wake up the next morning
1. I don't even think about it, I just get up.
2. It's not my favorite thing to do, but its better than going to the dentist.
3. Its not so painful, but it would definitely feel better to keep sleeping
4. I'm generally unhappy that I have to get out of bed
5. Yeah, it definitely hurts
6. I'd rather go to the dentist
7. I feel like I've been hit by a Mack truck
8. The pain that courses through my veins as I try to wake up causes me to fight and often lose great moral and emotional battles in the 10 minutes that it normally takes me to decide whether to take a sick day or just get up.
9. I'm pretty sure that brain cells are dying the first hour or two that I am awake in the morning.
10. This must be what a migraine feels like. to infinity. Anything but sleep is evil
11. I feel mostly dead. That life sucking machine from the Princess Bride must have felt good compared to this.

Note that 9-11 also usually include the battles spoken of in 8. And...7-11 are all very similar in degree, I'll grant that. A mack truck just may leave you mostly dead. (yeah, and don't get me wrong, I love my dentist. I just know that I'm one of the few that do...)

re-entry

I think by tomorrow I might be used to the fact that I have to get up so early for work...it always comes as a shock after the weekend. The problem is that by Thursday the tiredness of the week starts to set in, and it becomes more difficult to get up again. I think wednesday is the easiest weekday to get out of bed. I'm pretty sure.

This past weekend was filled with nice relaxingness. John came up and we had some fun...acted like true 80's weirdos at an 80's party. We did some exploring near massive radio towers, caught a fish, and did lots of chatting and so forth...exchanging of gifts, etc. I don't see John enough.

Anyway, I want a fish. Any helpful anecdotes on owning a fish?

anti-freeze

right now my car is thirsty for anti-freeze...but apparently people like it too. I heard about this a while ago...check it out:

http://www.slate.com/id/2103821/

the truth

ok, I admit it, I have blog-envy. It seems that quite often other people have more interesting posts than I do, or they actually express my very thoughts, before I can. Oh well.

winter

I'm hearing it already...people are sick of winter. You don't often hear that before Christmas...I guess people are looking for the next big thing (as usual), and sometimes change can be fun, or maybe theyre just plain cold. I for some reason never get tired of winter, I mean, I enjoy being able to put clothes on, layering (I have more options), and bundling up under my covers. Its about this time of year that I actually consistently remember to put my coat on, or my gloves, and I actually remember to make time to scrape the ice from my car in the morning. I'm also one that for some reason or another, doesnt always take change as easily as i could. I love mixing certain things up, but others are harder for me to deal with. Its sort of odd. So, I'm used to winter now, comfortable with it.

For the record Spring and Fall are my favorite times of the year. I dont generally get down in the winter though. I love snow, I dont mind the overcast days. I stare at winter's big pointy teeth and laugh. I should show you pictures of when I went to the top of a mountain in 20 degree weather and there was ice all over the trees. I didnt warm up for about 8 hours even after getting back in the heat. But...I loved it. I loved sleeping in a tent on the side of the road in West Virginia (about 20 yards off the road, so not so sketchy), and waking up with frost on my pillow. Seriously. Just make the most with whats in front of you, thats all. Ever notice how the night sky is clearer in the winter? Its either that or the stars are just better....I dont know. Anyway...enjoy it while it lasts, spring is soon.

pix

new pix up on my site (link is to the right)...and more soon

Jenn and I

I love this picture! more pictures soon...

thoughts on PNG

Papua New Guinea is quite an interesting place...after going there two years ago I'll probably always be interested in going back. Here are some quick facts about the country:

the word "Papua" is derived from a Malay word describing the frizzy Melanesian hair, and "New Guinea" (Nueva Guinea) was the name coined by the Spanish explorer Yñigo Ortiz de Retez, who in 1545 noted the resemblance of the people to those he had earlier seen along the Guinea coast of Africa.

The Per Capita income compared to the United States:
Papua New Guinea: $556 (164th)
United states:$39,496 (3rd highest)

Wow, thats average income per year, per person. So.....they make a lot less money over there. I guess they probably spend a lot less too. They're money is called Kina, and each coin has a hole in it.

As with many South Pacific islands, the Japanese occupied portions of it during WWII, and left a number of unexploded bombs. They were buried in time, and each year many accidents occur as a result. I heard one story of somebody simply starting a fire on plain dirt, not knowing what was right under the ground there. It was bad. I've actually read a pretty good book on that sort of thing..the remnants of war. It was very good. Called Aftermath. I'll post some pictures from my experiences.

Napkin Skills

yes, yes, you all are asking, you all want to know...how do I end up with so many napkins? It's an art my friend. Let me pass on the knowledge of my ancient art. Basically, whenever you are anywhere that napkins are present, grab a bunch. You'll use a few probably, but then, ah, there are some left at the end. Fold them up, put them in your bag, in your pocket, in your purse, in your glove compartment, anywhere. The key is this: take them with you. Then, later on can have two ways to enjoy your napkins. 1. you can store them up in a depository at home where your diverse array of napkin colors and styles will impress guests to no end. 2. Napkins will be coming out of the woodwork throughout your day, because you'll keep finding where you hid them. Who has ever had too many napkins? I dont see any hands...

So, cherish your napkins, protect them. Ensure them a long life, and that will ensure you that you will never, ever actually have to buy a napkin. Now, you must keep in mind. These places are giving their napkins away. They seriously are. They actually plan for people coming in and taking them. SO...we are given full authority to take them. This is in no way a questionable moral area, because I'm not saying take like a massive stack, just a bunch. Its give and take just like any well-balanced relationship: I give them business, they give me napkins.

Also amusing...I was at a Carl's Jr. in Saltillo, Mexico back in high school...and they had a huge sign on the wall inside the place that said "Free Napkins". I guess maybe there was a shortage at one point or something. Napkin rations must have been imposed. "Sorry ma'am you're only allowed half a napkin. Nope, you're just going to have to live with that mustard right there"

Is the milk still good?

In other news...the case about the guy who was killed by the flying shrimp (as his attorney describes it) was finally determined...the shrimp was not at fault. Seriously, do you remember that? It must have been a few years ago the whole thing started because the guy wrenched his neck dodging a shrimp at a Japanese steakhouse. Not sure how long the link will work, but check it out:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11245302/

Oh, back to my first thought. I dont think I'm very good at applying the sniff test to my milk. How long is too long? Historically I would drink milk that was questionable and be okay. If it says Tuesday, is Thursday okay? I dont think I have the right senses to be able to determine if its still good. I was going to eat a bowl of cereal this morning, then I poured it out in fear, because...well, I'm not sure if I can handle it like I used to. I mean it didnt smell bad, but it did taste a little different. Not BAD though. I'm afraid because i know that if I drink lots and lots of milk (2 glasses or so), that doesnt work out too well for me. So, I'm scared that drinking what John calls "funny milk" or even slightly funny milk....may result in the same misfortune.

I mean seriously this Gouda cheese I'm munching on tastes more questionable than the milk. Cheese is like that though...with its sharpness. You know? I guess thats why its Cheese, and not milk. I do know one thing. When you have cheese in your milk jug, its time to throw it away.

By the way, the Gouda is fine. I dont eat bad cheese. I think right now Pepperjack may be my favorite though.

a glorious day

Just to let you know...Valentine's Day goes way back, before Hallmark existed. I'm a bit surprised at how many people are becoming skeptical about the day itself. It's true that some people think its over-hyped and over-important. I wonder why so many people take it so personally that lots of people actually enjoy that day. I think it should be respected as a great day to celebrate love. I remember always looking forward to it, through elementary school. I loved the little bag that we decorated, and waiting for it to be filled with little candies and notes from other classmates. My mom used to give me little bears for valentines day (really small) and I always thought they were special.

So the day itself. It became more popular in the 1700's but the history that brought it about goes further back than that. Read about it on this website:

http://www.historychannel.com/exhibits/valentine/?page=history

I'm not necessarily absolutely nuts about the day, I just think it should be given more respect. I think people are just upset that they have to wait a whole year until Christmas rolls around again.

satellite

the pressure is overwhelming to tell you about something controversial, or something shocking...but...I usually just end up with a quick snippet of what amuses me. Theres apparently a space suit floating in space as the newest satellite...they launched it from the International Space Station (ISS) on purpose....to monitor the conditions it endures around the earth...you could get to it through the spaceweather site on the right, or just use this link.

http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2006/26jan_suitsat.htm

definitely a different idea

Aloha It's You

yup...most of the Lu'au pictures are up on my website now. Some I didnt actually take, and I have yet to add the ones from the Lu'au cams that were circling around. Enjoy....

being a pilot

a pilot once told me that his job was best described as "hours of boredom followed by moments of stark terror".

Did you know that when they used to send up those U-2 planes the guys would be up there in them for like 8-12 hours at a time? Thats literally sitting in the same spot the whole time. the logistics of that can be troubling, but engineers always have a solution....

another fun fact, the U-2 aircraft doesn't have any landing gear in its wings, they're along the fuselage. It's got two wheels kind of like a bicycle. When it lands the plane actually comes to rest with one of the wings touching the ground (they're reinforced with titanium skids). Then they manually install "pogos" under each wing that have wheels to support the wings.

pictures

I'm going to put lots of pictures up on my picture website soon...probably this weekend. Some from the Lu'au, some from the smallgroup, some from whenever. So....once I finish with all the work I have to do this week, I can actually start to think about doing that.....

Music to Check out

I can't think of an original thought...so, here's a list of music I want to check out. I just know most of these groups have new discs out there and I want to see what they sound like...give em a chance, if you know what I mean. Some are just older CDs that I never got, and I'm curious about them. I dont know the name of the discs though. I'm going to use my free month of Rhapsody (online music) to see what they sound like.

Finch
Franz Ferdinand
Bethany Dillon
Coheed and Cambria
Cool Hand Luke
Mogwai
Ida
Interpol
P.O.D.
Surfjan Stevens
The Darkness

Happy Thoughts

It's a beautiful day!!

an old poem

I love poetry...I haven't posted any for a while. This one may be a bit "meloncholy", if I understand the word right, perhaps not. Its from back in my days when my life was sort of skewed and I was trying to find my footing. Probably about 2 years ago or so. I post it because poetry is beautiful, but also....because I like to see how my thoughts have changed, and I have much more of a grasp on God's solid foundation now.

I was going to change the title, but....true to art, I have to include it as originally penned:

Can I Cry now?
A roadblock, or emptiness, which can it be?
Too many or too few of these feelings within me
The weight can be heavy and hard to grasp
I often feel like a warrior strapped to the mast
What more can be done, and what more said?
I've exhausted my thoughts on my prayer worn bed.
The emotions swirl but point me nowhere
Not too long ago I thought something was there
But where is there, if not some middle domain
Where minds just wander as people sort through the pain
It might be there, but not yet chosen
Not selected, or decided if it should be unfrozen
Perhaps left to stay unchanged, unneeded, unattached
Is where some see the spark best matched


There's definitely a lot in there....a lot reflecting some thoughts I was having about life in general....some of my more imaginative, figurative thoughts

Name That Caption

This was in BWI airport, after arriving back from Papua New Guinea in 2003. I can only think to call it "oops", but I'm not sure why. What would you caption these photos with? By the way, I have no idea who that other guy is. I'm not really sure what my mom is doing with the ice in this picture below....things get strange around the holidays.

Old Times

So, in response to Johns lovely flashback picture, I've got a few to throw out there...apparently I was putting on a show of my own. I'll title the second one...the creature awakes.

Chuck Norris

Chuck Norris Facts (thought you might enjoy these. If you're a guy you'll understand)

1. Chuck Norris does not sleep. He waits.

2. Chuck Norris is currently suing NBC, claiming Law and Order are trademarked names for his left and right legs.

3. The chief export of Chuck Norris is pain.

4. If you can see Chuck Norris, he can see you. If you can’t see Chuck Norris, you may be only seconds away from death.

5. Chuck Norris has counted to infinity. Twice.

6. Chuck Norris does not hunt because the word hunting infers
the probability of failure. Chuck Norris goes killing.

7. Chuck Norris doesn’t wash his clothes, he disembowels them.

8. In fine print on the last page of the Guinness Book of World Records it notes that all world records are held by Chuck Norris, and those listed in the book are simply the closest anyone else has ever gotten.

9. There is no chin behind Chuck Norris’ beard. There is only another fist.

10. The Great Wall of China was originally created to keep Chuck Norris out. It failed misserably.

11. If you ask Chuck Norris what time it is, he always says, “Two seconds ’til.” After you ask, “Two seconds ’til what?” he roundhouse kicks you in the face.

12. Chuck Norris doesn’t churn butter. He roundhouse kicks the cows and the butter comes straight out

13. The quickest way to a man’s heart is with Chuck Norris’ fist.

14. Nagasaki never had a bomb dropped on it. Chuck Norris jumped out of a plane and punched the ground.

15. When Chuck Norris sends in his taxes, he sends blank forms and includes only a picture of himself, crouched and ready to attack. Chuck Norris has not had to pay taxes ever.

16. Time waits for no man. Unless that man is Chuck Norris

17. In an average living room there are 1,242 objects Chuck Norris could use to kill you, including the room itself.

18. Chuck Norris can touch MC Hammer.

19. Chuck Norris doesn’t read books. He stares them down until he gets the information he wants.

lost and found

music is making a big comeback in my life...because I got some for Christmas, and I'm trying to organize things on my iPod again. I started to back in the summer when I got it, but a bunch of stuff is still out of whack, like song titles, album names, and extra stuff I really dont want on there.

So here's the big story of the day...aside from the great coat I got for Christmas. I have been missing 4 CDs for about 6 months, maybe more...and I finally found ALL of them. Yes, all of them. About two weeks ago I was sitting there looking through all my CD cases again, just to make sure I didnt misplace them, and Steve (my roommate) asks me what I'm doing. Turns out...he had two of my CDs the whole time...so I got back my Neil Diamond and United Hillsong CDs. He didnt know I was looking for them...I didnt know he had them. Gotta love communication.

So, the other two....I remember having Joni Mitchell in my Grand Am...then it vanished. I've looked under the seats a million times since then...and yesterday I decided to try ONE more time. I looked under the passenger seat, and UP under, almost inside the seat was a CD case with Joni Mitchell and Juliana Theory in it. Wow....it really was in there, so I wasnt crazy. I dont know how it got jammed up there, but I'm pretty happy.

I promise..new pictures this weekend. New and old. Throwback and recent holiday photos.

I figure all my questions on here should just be rhetorical because not many people respond anyway....but what are you doing for New Years? (or if thats boring...what did you get for Christmas?)

its a competition

just to let you know, my lack of posting is directly related to my increase in productivity at work. Seriously. If I'm posting....I'm not getting my work done. Except for later today when I'll be posting some fun photos from home. I have to scan them first. I got a better digital camera for Christmas, so more of those fun photos should end up here. Its used, but good. Those 4 megapixel jobbies really take large photos. I'm gonna have to increase the compression or something....so I can actually keep the photos without having to compress them all more. That would take too long.

Music stuck in my head today: Thrice from the new album Vheissu (I dont know what that means)

I was trying to decide if I need the new Death Cab for Cutie CD. I got it for my sister for Christmas....and I like it, but I wasnt sure, because it sounds a lot like the one before. This morning one of their new songs was the first song I heard on the radio. Thats enough for me to know. Back to Best Buy with my gift cards.

Three of my cousins got better ipods than me for Christmas. They have video, and a bigger screen. When I bought mine back in like, June I guess, Mine was the biggest, and the best. Oh well. It works fine. I love it.

I love rambling. Just for the record, Ska is not dead. (it just likes to reincarnate itself :-))

Game show

congratulations...you've won the chance to access free ebooks for life, in addition to being amused by the most ridiculous, completely fake online encyclopedia. Enjoy!

Project Gutenberg:
http://www.gutenberg.org/

Uncyclopedia:
http://uncyclopedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

moving along

Ach, thats my word for the day...sort of a half surprise, half something else, definitely not so good sort of word. Almost was in a huge accident today on the beltway, this guy blew a tire and was spinning in circles right in front of our van. We missed him by about 6 inches. Ask me for details, it would take too long to type, but we're okay, and I dont think anybody else hit him either.

I fixed my link to photos...for some reason, my previous photo album simply vanished. I dont know why, but its gone. Alas, that is sad. I had that site since 2001, so a lot of time had gone into it. The new one is great, of course, but just not the same. It will take a while to build up my archive in there.

band of the day: Radiohead
you may have noticed I havent talked about music as much recently...yeah, thats because I havent been listening to it as much, or investigating it. Its a bit sad, but I expect to get more into it soon....I really need to find out whats out there, but I dont always have time.

book of the day: Treasure Island
gotta love that book. I found it on the project gutenberg website. I dont have the exact link, but I should put it up. I also have a fun link to a site like wikipedia, but its not exactly, its all made up stuff. pretty funny.

Ach! back to work

regaining unconsciousness

my office moved 20 feet up the hall, so the end of last week was Chaos here. Yes I capitalized that on purpose, because Chaos definitely deserves to be personified. (always has a bad temper too). Atleast I'm snugly down the hall now, my code is in a space 1/3 the size of the last one, and our other room looks like a disaster zone. Not my problem, or is it? Nobody really knows what we're supposed to do with all the stuff we couldnt fit in here.

Anyway, I'm munching on an amazing cookie that Jenn and I made. First time either of us has made cookies from scratch. Seriously. It was quite pleasant yesterday, Christmas music playing, Mario on the Super Nintendo (old school), a newly decorated tree looking bold in the whatever room (the main one I havent named yet). Then the fresh cookies. Cliche yes, but thats what it was all about, and we had a great time. I even did some raking yesterday before finishing up with the tree. yesterday was a full but very nice day. I need to get another cookie....

giving thanks and stuff like that

I find it harder and harder to update this. now my updates also include my latest struggles with that, apparently. I think part of it is because I hesitate posting something that I have no pictures to go with...I'm a really visual person, and I know how cool accompanying photos are. So...I wait...until I have something with a photo. But....thats not always possible....I think its also hard when I dont really know if people are reading it, you know, the people that I would want to. The ones that I dont see every day so it would be cool if they wondered what I was up to and checked it out every now and then. So...motivation is hard to gather sometimes I guess. But, I will trod on. When I began I had no followers at all, so I'm surely better than I was at that point.

So, what am I most thankful for? certainly my job, my house, my food, etc. But, I really am most thankful for the people in my life, my family who gave me everything I needed to get to this point. all the other stuff I listed above can be traced back to them in some way. And of course Jenn. The two most important things in life are God and relationships. So.....I look at all the people, and I thank God for them. of course I thank God for lots of other thigns too...like nature, colors, sound, seasons, and his salvation. So.....anything you are thankful for, that maybe you just recently figured out? Shoot me something new, something about your life RIGHT NOW that you are thankful for...that would be cool.

Did you have a good thanksgiving? We went around my family's table and all shared what we were thankful for, after eating lots of food, then we spent a lot of time with cousins, grandparents, and widescreen TVs with football on them. Here's what I love about my sister. Its about 9pm, and shes starting to get hungry. She wants more Turkey, more stuffing. So....she gets it. Stuffing is delivered to her shortly from the vast stash in the fridge. Relatives LOVE to feed you, of course. half an hour later shes moaning and rolling around in the car next to me complaining about how STUFFED she is. Stuffed........stuffing.....hmmm, I wonder if she made the connection....

Adventures

So, heres what's been happening...let's see, last weekend I went sailing with a friend from school, Greg, on his boat down at Solomons. We were in a race, had a pretty good time but didnt finish in the top 3. Oh well, it was quite a day, very relaxing. I've always loved sailing.

This past weekend I've eaten Indian food, and then a random guy from Poland, Macek, came into town, and he's stayed at my place the last two nights. I hadn't met him before, but he needed a spot to crash, so it was cool. He's a very interesting guy. You could talk to him for hours....he's got a lot on his mind, that's for sure.

Oh, forgot that on my day off on friday I went to Ellicott city with Jenn, apparently the whole place is pretty much haunted (well, some of it), there are website and all about the places that are haunted. Here's the website. Its very quaint, lots of antique shops. We went to a Tea place, called Tea on the Tiber. The Tiber is a creek that flows down underneath half of the houses there, its pretty cool how they've built the houses over top of them, and I guess they did that more than 100 years ago when they built the city. Its been flooded pretty bad in the past though.

http://www.ellicottcity.net/

update!

I have a feeling my reader numbers are dwindling since I havent been updating as much. I guess I left high expectations on myself back when I posted more often, but I dont know, I guess there hasnt been as much to tell you or something like that. nothing that you might not already know. I'll tell you in a few minutes about what I've been doing recently, but for the moment....just know that this website will always be here, dependable, and stuff like that. At the very least its got some cool links, eh?

Smell my feet

So, its thursday, almost Halloween. Tell me, what was your best costume ever....? Some of my favorites (YES, in order of preference):

Best
1. Skeleton
2. tomato
3. Cowboy
4. Vampire
5. King

Worst:
1. tennis player
2. mountain climber

The Hokie Powerhouse Flexes its Muscles

yeah, it was a bit sloppy, but it was a grinding in your face 28-9 victory right in the teeth of an improving MD team...and they went down alright. V Tech is now 7-0, still #3. The sloppy play should give us enough motivation to show BC what's up next thursday night when they come to town.

this is amusing...

adopt your own virtual pet!

These noodles are older than dirt

Well, I've had a hard time updating this thing I guess. I really don't do it unless I come across something that I absolutely must share with the world. Much of what I'm dealing with these days is pretty common knowledge to you all out there that know me. Well...except for the 4,000 year old noodles that they discovered in China! thats pretty cool. Not that I have anything to do with noodles, I just happen to probably be the first person all day to actually read that article on MSN. Everybody else is probably still asleep. Anyway, you should check it out:
NOODLES

It's a friday, and I'm awake, so that's positive. I just found out that I can't get tickets to watch my beloved Hokies play against Maryland just a mere 20 minutes from my house. That's tragic. I WILL see them play next year! You can hold me to that. I may have to drive 4.5 hrs down to Blacksburg for that, but hey, I need to put in more quality Blacksburg time anyway. I'll be heading down there in about two weeks probably. Thats gonna be so refreshing. I need some of that fresh mountain air, especially in the fall.

So, that's right, its fall now! What do you like about fall? I dont always do so well with my online surveys here, but do me a favor and help us enjoy fall by sharing what you like best about it. A lot of memories come to mind of hiking on brisk days with a blue sky and yellow leaves blowing in the stiff wind.....the smell of chimneys....and pumpkins and stuff. Last year I had a pumpkin sitting on my porch. I remembered noticing one morning that "hah, somebodys pumpkin got squashed" as I passed some orange goo in the street. Took me about two days to realize, my pumpkin was missing...hmm...and then it hit me in a funny way that it bothered me a lot less that I lost my pumpkin, than the fact that some mischievious person was on my front porch in the middle of the night. Yeah, I just got TP'd the other night....they did a really bad job too. My sister thinks they got spooked because they left a whole roll on the ground. It really is a pain to clean up though, because its all wet outside, and the stuff just totally disintegrates the second you try to pick it up. I figure.....if I pick it up a bit every day it won't be so bad.......

HokieNation wants a blocked kick...

And they got it! In case you weren't paying attengion, on Sept 24 Jeff King blocked a field goal against Georgia Tech that we ran back for a Hokie Touchdown. Thats what VT is made of. Yeah, its the real deal....Tech is now 5-0 and ranked No. 3 in the nation. Theres a lot of football left, but things are looking good. Don't miss out on the excitement...you can always ask me who theyre playing next, and when. I'll fill you in.

open water

So what's on my mind this morning?? Sailing....

creative cats

for the benefit of you all who didnt check out John's wonderfully uplifting fetish for cat photos in his recent comments, here's a bonus. this should be called, "lime cat" and "don't touch me". the 2nd one actually came with instructions next to it on how to clean a toilet: open lid, insert pet shampoo, insert cat, close lid, flush toilet, wait a minute, open lid, dodge cat as it rockets out of the toilet.

[this story was inspired by actual live cats. no people were harmed in the creation of this post]

what works for you?

I know not a whole lot of people read this, but I'll throw a question out there...what really lifts you up when you're down, blah, not centered? Hopefully by now you've figured a few things out....maybe we can encourage each other like that....with interesting ideas.....I'll share mine...but not yet.

Here's a little bonus while you're thinking about it. A picture of a cat found in Mississippi after the hurricane. Its nice to see life surviving and moving on. We need to see that.

and I'm back

it's been forever since I've updated this stuff.....in the meantime, I've been to Seattle and stuff. Jenn's cousin got married out there, so I went out to join them, and had a great time. I ate lots of Chinese food...some highlights: jellyfish, sharkfin soup. I didnt eat some of the stuff, but it was okay, I had plenty of shrimp, lobster, fish, rice, crab.....whatever else. This was at a "chinese banquet", something like 13 course meal, in Chinatown there in Seattle. After the actual wedding, which was the next day, I was just itching to see the town, so Jenn and I went up into the Space Needle, ate at the revolving restaurant up there........wow, that was an experience. Almost euphoric, watching the city revolving around, having a great conversation, good food, all that. Some pix are up here, as you can tell, so enjoy.

The next day we went to this place called Squonamie falls, pretty amazing sight, but it was less water than usual. Still, a nice walk, and very relaxing. Hmm, I forgot to mention that the wedding had to be the perfect setup, with the weather, right on the water, very calm...very peaceful. You can get a glimpse of that behind in the picture of us.

I'm going to see the Juliana Theory next tuesday, you should check out their new album. Its coming out tuesday too. I think I'll be a bit better about updating this now....I've got more pix up on my photobucket site...if you know where it is. If you don't, just ask.

IM translator

ok...so hilarious, you gotta check this out, if you hope to communicate with anybody 12 or younger...looks like thats the direction our language is heading...

http://ssshotaru.homestead.com/files/aolertranslator.html

laptop madness

check out this story I swiped from Johns blog...its quite bizarre. people really wanted these used laptops...

http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/08/16/computer.frenzy.ap/index.html

its quite bizarre, but at the same time it strikes me....Henrico county...yeah, that nice place down in Richmond...they actually get laptops as freshman in high school? They not only put P. G. County to shame, but they make us look like we havent even invented the wheel yet. When I was in high school I took a data processing class (1997), and the computers we used didnt even have a MOUSE. Bowie was a special school though...with all the riotous activity that went on...the walk-outs, threats, actual explosive devices found, pep rally riots, and excessive fire-alarm pulling (sometimes 4-5 per day, no joke). so we had our ID tags (with "breakaway" chains, specially designed so an administrator could swipe it as you fled the scene of your crime), and our pat-downs at the front door, and all that. Ask me how many things got stolen from me during the 4 years I was in high school....sorry, didnt mean to ramble. What was life like at High Point, or Laurel...? I wonder....

gift errors

if you ever go to MSN then you've probably seen these...its on the main site today. Here are some of the worst wedding presents (I picked my favorites):

"A 3-D painting of horses"
"A really ugly art piece involving a cow tooth"
"A ceramic fish statue"
"A hand-painted lucky horseshoe"
"A picture of a wine cork"
"A friend gave us a framed invitation to her own wedding, which happened about five months before"
"A cinnamon-scented stuffed dog"
"A re-gifted tray (with the original card to the re-gifter included with the present)"
"A $15 garage rack (we don't even have a garage!)"
"A bottle of vinegar vegetables"
"A mop"
"Dollar-store picture frame with price tag still attached"
"Febreze air freshener"
"Gift card that was empty"
"Mounted can opener with the UPC code removed (so the giver could get the rebate and we couldn't return it)"
"An IOU"
"Nothing"

Makes me think of listing all those presents Ive got for birthdays, christmas, whatever that share a similar spot in my heart (the recycle bin part)...but that probably wouldnt be a good idea. I do think Ive been okay with the wedding presents Ive given.....since Ive pretty much stuck to people's registries...thats usually safe.

Some words to go away with...."It's the thought that counts" (even if it seems they weren't thinking)

quote of the day

here' s my deep thought of the day...I borrowed this from Jenn, so its not really mine. This baby is worthy of a fortune cookie:

"coincidences are cool....especially when you know there's no such thing ;-)"

yeah so....in some random way this one reminds me of Mr. T and an Orioles/Red Sox baseball game I went to last year......not really a story I'll share. Just wanted you to notice that its SO EASY for my mind to get side-tracked....

The Sweetness

they say that good things come to those who wait....well I waited a while to decide if an iPod was right for me. Here she is...my beloved has been treating me very well.

new music

The Juliana Theory

God is huge

or I could say God is everything. Here are some verses that have really struck me today...starting with one that really speaks of how God is right here with us, all the time.

Jeremiah 23:23-24
"Am I a God near at hand," says the Lord
"And not a God afar off? Can anyone
hide himself in secret places, so I
shall not see him?" says the Lord;
"Do I not fill heaven and earth?" says the Lord

I was also listening to a song by David Crowder Band about stars...and some of these other verses come to mind when I sit under His stars:

Psalm 19:1-2
The heavens declare the glory of God;
The skies proclaim the work of His hands.
Day after day they pour forth speech;
Night after night they display knowledge.

Psalm 16:7-8
I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
Even at night my heart instructs me. I have
set the Lord always before me. Because He
Is at my right hand I will not be shaken.