Counting Clare

The Newest Clare

2011-12-12T17:06:00.001-08:00

Jared, in the NICU, holding his own binkie.

Introducing . . . Jared Hopper Clare. He was born on Thursday, November 17th at 4:18 am. He weighed 8 lbs and 13 ozs and measured 21.4 inches long. He is also perfect and adorable.

And, in case you're skeptical about my ability to be non-partial on the subject, here are a few pictures.

After eating, "Food Comma"

Grandma Hopper holding Jared

Jonathan walking around with Jared over his shoulder (a move guaranteed to put the baby to sleep)

cuteness

sleeping cuteness

after bath cuteness

'nough said

Baby Story: After a day of pre-labor cramping I finally went into active labor just after midnight on Wednesday the 16th. At 8 that morning, when the contractions were 5 mins apart we called the doctor and went to the hospital. Unfortunately, it was at that point that my contractions stalled out. Nothing . . . Grrrrrrhhh! I was 3 cm dilated so thankfully they didn't send us home. Our Doula spent an hour walking the halls with me but the contractions just wouldn't come back. So around 2pm the doctor broke my water and put me on pitocin. Finally, those elusive contractions came back --and with a vengeance. Suddenly, it was one single contraction with no breaks. After about 20 mins I asked for an epidural. It was magic!! I was in labor for another 12 hours and I was able to doze on and off and watch TV. No pain is my gain!

Finally, after 2 hours of pushing and the aid of a vacuum, Jared was born. It was surreal. We'd been waiting and planning for 9 months and there he was . . . our baby boy. Jonathan and our Doula, Talia, were awesome the whole time. They were my support team while I was pushing and when Jared made his arrival Jonathan was drenched in sweat and looked as exhausted as I was.

Unfortunately, I'd had a slight fever during labor and so Jared was taken to the NICU as a precaution to receive antibiotics. He was only supposed to be there for 6 hours but ended up staying there for 2 days. First it was the antibiotics, then there was concern about his heart rate (an EKG showed showed he was fine) and then he wouldn't urinate. It was pretty tough. We wanted our baby and he seemed so out of place in the NICU. He was this big, healthy baby when all the other NICU babies were tiny and sick. We'd walk across to the NICU every 2-3 hours so I could breastfeed Jared. It was pretty crazy trying to hold and feed him with all the tubes and monitors. I was still rolling around my IV pole so Jared and I kept getting tangled up. We were released on Saturday afternoon and were so excited to go home.

My parents had flown out from Washington and stayed with us for a week. It was great to have all the help. My mom took turns with the baby, made dinners and gave us great advice.

Jared is now 3 1/2 weeks old. He has already outgrown several outfits and is a big healthy baby. He has an easy going temperament is and excellent eater and sleeper.

Halloween

2011-11-11T21:39:00.000-08:00

This year for Halloween I made us Angry Bird costumes (colored felt and 2 t-shirts). I wore my costume to work for our Halloween party and won $30 for Most Original Costume -- just beating out Jesus and the 7 Dwarves.

We had a great time this year. Some friends came to visit and take their kids around our neighborhood. Our neighborhood is really popular with trick-or-treaters though and we ran out of candy by 8pm. Ooops! We had a huge bowl full and I thought we had plenty. Jonathan kept telling me we needed more so I even bought an extra bag of candy that morning. Oh well, next year I'll be prepared!!

The day after Halloween I was talking to a coworker and discovered why our neighborhood is so popular. Apparently, some of the houses pass out beers to the the parents . . .

Baby Update

2011-06-23T16:02:00.000-07:00

So we had our 20 week ultrasound on Tuesday and found out we are expecting a little boy!! We are really excited and can't wait to meet him in a few months time.

I'm including some of the pictures we got from our appointment. You will notice that these are not the usually black and white ultrasound pictures. These are 3D images generated by the computer after it recorded the ultrasound. The health center's caveat is that these are "for entertainment purposes only". He he he . . . for some reason that just totally cracks me up.

Here is his face.

Here he is hiding his face.

Safe Baby Handling Tips

2011-04-29T15:44:00.000-07:00

While Jonathan and I are super excited to be having a baby there are certainly moments of fear, doubt and panic. I got to thinking today about my last babysitting experience. The event wasn't anything special but the time frame seriously shook me up. I was 22 at the time and I'm currently 33. That's right . . . I haven't been alone with small child in over a decade!!!!!!! Ahhhhh! People keep telling us that because we are older we will make better parents. Gosh, I hope that's true . . .

So, I wanted to share this little pamphlet I found online. I figure if Jonathan and I memorize these diagrams then we should be OK.

Public Announcement -- Baby on Board

2011-04-29T14:50:00.000-07:00

Although most of you already know (seeing as we started blabbing as soon as we found out) it is time for the official announcement. We are expecting a baby in November! Our little guy or gal is 12 weeks along and is due on 11/11/11. (Cool right?!)

If this is the first time you are hearing about our upcoming arrival we hope that you will not be offended that we didn't tell you earlier. The truth is that we enjoy sharing our news and hearing people's reactions but it can all be a bit overwhelming sometimes. So, if we call you in a few weeks or months (or on our kid's first birthday) please feel free to act surprised.

Snuggie Revolution

2011-02-02T17:20:00.001-08:00

Well, I must admit to a bit of a goof up this Christmas. I bought Jonathan a really nice warm blanket when we were in Disneyland. It was even his favorite color. I was so excited. I just new he would love it.

Unfortunately, it wasn't a blanket at all . . . Yeah, it was a Snuggie . . . what is up with that! What self respecting man wears a Snuggie? In my defense it was all rolled up and on a shelf with all the other blankets. There should have been a big sign! Grrrrrrr!

Well, Otis likes it.

He staked his claim. The snuggie is now his.

Merry Christmas Oats!

The Happiest Place on Earth

2011-02-02T15:53:00.001-08:00

For our birthdays this year (back at the end of Nov-beginning of Dec) we went to Disneyland! We drove up on a Monday morning, partied hard for a few days and then drove home Thursday night. It was fantastic!

As most of you know, Jonathan is a bit of a Disney fan :-) So, Jonathan planned everything and showed me the ropes. We had a wonderful time. We stayed at the Grand California Hotel and could go straight from the hotel into California Adventures. This was really convenient for mid-day naps and clothing changes after water rides.

So, here are a few pictures of our trip.

Here's the view from our hotel room. We were overlooking California Adventures and the monorail.

This is us the day we arrived just inside California Adventures.

On two consecutive nights we went to ride the Pirates of the Caribbean right before the park closed. It was definitely one of the highlights of the trip . . . twice. Both times we got a boat all to ourselves and there were no people in boats ahead or behind us. It was like our own private tour. Plus, it was a kind a romantic holding hands and drifting through the scenes.

Jonathan in front of the ghost driven carriage next to the Haunted Mansion. For Christmas they had the "Nightmare Before Christmas" overlay which was so fun.

Jonathan is looking thoughtful while we ride Mickeys Fun Wheel. The first time we opted for a basket that rolls back and forth. It was terrifying rather than fun. I highly recommend the stationary baskets.

This is Jonathan's game face while shooting on the Toy Story ride. We really enjoyed the interactive rides like Toy Story and Buzz Lightyear.

This is us sitting in the Jeep on the Indiana Jones ride before it started.

Me screaming as we went down the Splash Mountain drop. This was Jonathan's favorite ride and we went on it several times.

Me in front of the Small World ride. It was particularly cool at night with all the Christmas lights.

A Word About Food

On our first full day we went to the Blue Bayou Restaurant. This is the one that you pass by when you're on the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. They have the pretty lanterns and the piped in frog croaking noises . . . and the best thing ever -- the Monte Cristo sandwich. These are fried turkey, ham and cheese sandwiches that you dip in whipped blackberry jam. Unbelievably good!

We also had a great breakfast at the Storytellers Cafe one morning. This is a restaurant located in the hotel. It was a buffet and we stuffed ourselves silly. We also saw Chip (or possibly Dale) who stopped by to greet all the kids.

The Storyteller's Cafe serves yummy Mickey waffles.

On our first day in Disneyland I spent a few minutes staring longingly at the caramel apples at a candy store on Main Street. So . . . Jonathan bought me two!

A chocolate covered, caramel covered apple. Yum! You should have seen the mess I made eating it too!

Return of the Native

2011-01-31T16:34:00.000-08:00

My younger brother and I were born in New Orleans but our family moved to California when we were too little to remember life in the Crescent City. The oil spill response however, provided me with an opportunity to explore my geographical roots.

Originally, I was going back and forth to Mobile, AL to help with the oil spill but the operation there shut down and we all moved to an office building in New Orleans across from the Super Dome.

I took my last trip (Yeah!) in mid-November so these pictures are all a few months old. I love the balconies and the pretty iron scroll work in the French Quarter. They even had horse drawn carriages . . .

A co-worker and I went on a "Haunted History" Tour in the French Quarter. We met up with our group around 9pm in the evening at a local Voodoo Shop. We then walked around for 2 hours while our guide, an aspiring stand-up comic, told local legends and pointed out dark and creepy buildings. We were sweating buckets but it was still pretty great. Unfortunately, none of my pictures came out well so I stole the one below from google images. The French Quarter has these great gas lamps and at night they give everything an old fashioned spooky feel.

One of the "must see" places to go is Cafe Du Monde. This is "the" place for beignets in New Orleans.

These are the classic Beignets (french donuts). Imagine a humid afternoon, a couple of these babies, a tall glass of cold milk and a little jazz music wafting through the air. Oh yes!

Post Script: This picture in no way reflects my personal powdered sugar preferences. They just come that way, OK. . . OK !!

My Summer Vacation . . .

2010-08-08T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well it isn't much of a vacation but I'm just finishing up my second rotation in Mobile, AL. I've been out here making maps for the NRDA (Natural Resource Damage Assessment) response to the oil spill. It's been super interesting not only being involved in the response effort but also spending time in the South. Check out this video of the BP Command Center in Mobile.

CNN Video of Mobile Command Center

I haven't been working in the Command Center though. It was too crowded a couple months back and our group was moved to a conference room in the Marriot Hotel. It's been really nice--much quieter and lots more room. Though, the latest gossip around the proverbial water cooler is that we will be moving back to the Command Center later this month.

This is me at the Marriot. Notice the chaos! It's 7 days a week, 10 - 12 hours a day. I make maps for the field survey teams and then manage the GPS data they bring back. I'm currently on a 2 week rotation (2 weeks working in AL and 2 weeks working back home). Everyone I work with is really great but 2 weeks is a long time. Actually the truth is that 2 weeks feels like a long time when I'm away and a short time when I'm home.

So, you are probably wondering what Jonathan has been doing for his "summer vacation".

Well, that's him with his head under the sink. We had 2 leaky faucets and so he has been doing some home maintenance. Unfortunately, what could have and should have been a fairly basic process turned into a major difficulty. The gentleman that lived in the house before us apparently wasn't much of a plumber. He did several poorly executed patch up jobs. Poor Jonathan ended up replacing 5 faucets and even some piping.

However . . . we now have beautiful bathroom faucets. So here is the before shot.

And this is the after.

Aren't they pretty? What can I say . . . I married a man with skills.

And what about Otis you say? How is his summer going?

Well it's all fun in the sun to him.

Fur Kids

2010-04-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

Forgive me friends for I have sinned. It has been 4 months since my last confession (I mean blog).

Well much has happened at the Clare house but this post is devoted to our furry, four-legged, kibble-crunching children. First and foremost let me introduce Otis.

We got Otis from a shelter in December. He 's a red smooth hair dachshund just like Jonas but he's a miniature and weights about 12 lbs. As you can clearly see he is ADORABLE. He is also willful, high-energy and obsessive (doggy OCD for sure). He loves toys. If he glimpses something that might be a toy on a desk or a counter he will sit in front of it and whine until you pick him up and let him inspect. He'll pick a favorite toy and carry it around for days. He'll take it on walks. He won't eat unless that toy is next to his bowl or in his bowl. If you put it away he will look for it . . . for hours. He always remembers where he left it the day before. And his greatest joy--and surely his purpose for existence--is to play fetch.

If you get tired of throwing the ball to him he will throw it for himself. His second favorite game is to "lose" the ball under a bed, couch or ottoman and make you fish it out for him. He'll even point his nose to show you right where it is.

On New Year's day, after we had Otis for less than a month, he slipped a disk in his back. We took him to the vet and he gave him a shot and told us to keep him quiet for several days. Two days later his back legs were paralyzed. He didn't seem to be in pain but his eyes had that pleading "help me" look. We took him to our regular vet and then on to UC Davis Veterinary Hospital for emergency back surgery. They removed 4 discs in his back.

Here are some pictures of his staples and his shaved back. Poor little Odie!

The Hospital kept him for several days and then we brought him home for 4 weeks of crate rest. At first we weren't sure if he'd be paralyzed forever but after a couple days he started wagging his tail. And then gradually his back legs could support his weight. We weren't supposed to let him walk around but sometimes we would open the crate and he would dart out and run around the room legs flailing. I guess it never occurred to him that his legs might not work right. He improved day by day.

This is a picture of Otis last week. His legs are strong and he runs and moves just fine. He is back to playing fetch and whining for toys . . . just as he should.

Here's a picture of Jonathan with Dante, our other fur kid. We got Dante in October of 2008. Unfortunately, Jonathan is allergic to cats and some dogs (although he hasn't had a problem with either of our dachshunds) so Dante was an outside kitty but he slept in the garage. Well after we got Jonas we started to feel a little guilty. Did Dante feel sad or unloved because the dog lived inside and he didn't? Surely he knew that the dog got lots more attention than he did. Did it hurt his feelings watching Jonas and then Otis coming in and out for walks, or taking rides in the car?

This is Dante with his BFF Smokey.

Well a about 2 weeks ago our next door neighbor came by to make a confession. He had been feeding Dante and having him in their house. He told us that he and his wife just loved Dante. They are an older couple and they live by themselves, their kids all grown up. Jonathan and I were so excited. We went back to the neighbors and offered them the cat. They were ecstatic! We gave them Dante's bed, food, kitty litter, toys, etc. So now he is a mostly inside kitty. He sleeps in a house and gets lots of loves. He comes to see us sometimes and he is all soft and well brushed. He was meant to be their kitty.

Jonas

2009-11-29T19:27:00.000-08:00

Its been a difficult Thanksgiving Holiday for the Clare family. Jonas was diagnosed with Mitrol Valve Insufficiency on Wednesday. On Friday morning he was put to sleep. We miss him terribly.

We only had Jonas with us for 8 months but in that short time he filled our lives with joy. He added a warmth and vibrancy to our lives that we hadn't experienced before.

Jonas wasn't too fond of other dogs but he adored all people. If Jonathan or I were sitting down Jonas felt that he should be in our laps. If our faces were in striking distance he would stretch himself until he could lick our noses. If he couldn't lick a nose he would lick the air. In fact, his air licking tendencies would have made any obsessive compulsive proud.

Second only to his love for nose licking was his love for food. Peanut butter and french fries and banana bread were his particular favorites. He also enjoyed licking out our yogurt cups and would often have a yogurt ring around his muzzle. In his last few months as he felt more secure in his role he believed certain food scraps belonged to him. He would sit and huff until we gave him his due. What a character!

On Tuesday evening, he was breathing heavily and didn't want to eat his dinner. We got him to eat part of it but could tell he wasn't feeling well. We decided to call the vet first thing in the morning. We took him in on Wednesday morning and after some testing were told that he had Mitrol Valve Insufficiency. The Vet was able to show me the current x-ray compared to the one taken 8 months early. His heart was visibly larger than it had been. His enlarged heart was pressing on his trachea and making it difficult for him to breathe. As a complication he also had fluid in his lungs. The Vet gave us 3 different medications and sent Jonas home. The prognosis was decent. The Vet figured that with medication Jonas would have about 2-3 years.

Unfortunately, the medication did not help as the Vet had hoped. Jonas got progressively worse Thanksgiving Day. His breathing became more and more labored, he stopped eating and going to the bathroom. We wanted to give the medication time to kick in but we knew he wasn't improving. At midnight we took him to the emergency animal hospital. He was put into an oxygen chamber to ease his breathing and given medicine intravenously. We still hoped that he would bounce back. On Friday morning the animal ER explained that Jonas' heart was just too worn out. They said that they could keep him alive for a couple weeks but recommended euthanizing Jonas to relieve his struggling.

Jonathan couldn't bare to be there. (Jonas was his special buddy.) I went to the animal hospital to say goodbye. Even though he was so sick he stood up and wagged his tail when he saw me. I took him out of the oxygen chamber and held him for a few minutes. He licked my nose at first but then had to concentrate on breathing. He was so tired. I got to hold him as the Vet injected him and he put his head down on my leg. I held him and told him what a good dog he was and he was gone.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I want to say how grateful we are for Jonas and the time we had with him. Our house is feeling pretty empty without him.

The Cook and the Lobster

2009-11-01T20:11:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a Happy Halloween. We stayed home and passed out candy. We had a lot of kids come by and were back and forth to the door all evening. (helped us work of those extra Halloween calories) Jonas wanted to see everyone that came to the door and got tons of praise and petting. He even tried to follow a few of the kids home.

We didn't dress up to pass out candy but Jonathan and Jonas dressed up for work on Friday. They turned out super cute and I wanted to share a couple of pictures.

Chef Jonathan and the lobster.

Front view.

Side profile.

Family Visits -- Joe Graduates

2009-07-13T19:31:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago my family got together for Joe's graduation. Mom and Dad came down from WA and Alan and Kristina came up from So. Cal. We stayed all together for a couple days and it was so much fun. (The previous post is from our family BBQ in the park.)

Here are a few pictures.

With niece and nephew . . .

With his sisters . . .

With Mom . . .

With Dad . . .

After walking in . . .

Receiving diploma . . .

Walking off the stage basking in the glory of a Master's Degree!

Beaming with the joy of accomplishment . . .

Training

2009-07-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

Inspection of the weapons.

Cadet Amara.

Cadet Ethan

Desention in the ranks.

Joining forces to attack the enemy.

Fleeing from the enemy.

Dancing in the Park

2009-06-02T19:48:00.000-07:00

This Saturday I got to go to Raley's Field to watch a River Cats game and see my brother Joe get his groove on. Joe is on a dance team (http://sim.dreamhost.com/index.php) sponsored by the Spotlight Dance Club in Sacramento. Part of their team performed on Saturday in-between innings at the game. I was really impressed! Joe was great out there. They performed 2 different numbers. The first one was all smooth and elegant but the second one was more spicy.

Here is Joe with the team. Check out the hips!

Getting a little sexy!

Showcasing his partner's spin.

Close up of Joe and his partner.

In action.

I wish you all could have been there. Next time you see him ask him to show you some moves.

The Only Thing to Fear . . .

2009-05-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

As most of you know I have a slight aversion to needles--particularly those involved in blood letting of any kind.

Well, this week I had to get a blood test. As soon as my doctor mentioned it I broke out into a sweat. This was followed by an intense reprimand/pep-talk to myself.

"Anna. People get blood drawn everyday. It's not that big a deal. Don't worry about it. For heaven's sake . . . BE AN ADULT! Just suck it up! "

I called Quest Diagnostics and set up a morning appointment. I was actually feeling pretty confident when the moment arrived. (I knew I'd be in and out in five minutes.) When I got into the blue chair (why is it always a blue chair) I told the tech I was a little nervous and made a joke. A few seconds later I was out cold. Everyone was very nice about it. They were saying how common it is for people to pass out, etc. They let me rest for a while and then with one lab tech on each side I was helped/carried to a room with a cot(I started to lose consciousness again as we walked).

After resting on the cot for 10-15 mins I decided I was feeling steady and needed to use the restroom--an unfortunate choice. This is where things really went a rye. I walked to the bathroom just fine but felt like I was going to pass out again when I was in there. I called to the tech standing outside the door and she came rushing it. I laid on the floor but I kept feeling worse and worse. I had terrible stomach pain and my arms were tingling like they were asleep. The tech look really concerned and ran out momentarily to tell someone to call an ambulance.

By the time I heard the sirens I was really a mess. I was doubled over in pain and my arms were completely numb. I was waving them around and hyperventilating when the paramedics came in. The lab tech had kindly draped her lab coat over my bare behind so I wouldn't be embarrassed when they moved me onto the gurney. Oh, the indignity of it all! Actually, I was completely oblivious. I felt so awful I really wasn't paying attention to anything except the questions being asked.

They loaded me into the ambulance and I was so happy thinking that they would help me and make my pain go away. Unfortunately, no help was forthcoming. I was advised multiple times to "BREATHE" but I guaranty that was harder than it sounds. They tried to get a line into me but my blood pressure was really low and my arms were numb!--no veins!

Then things got weird. Some crazy guy on drugs started screaming and trying to climb into the ambulance. He managed to get into the cab but was pulled out. I could hear him yelling and growling and could feel the ambulance shake as he slammed into it over and over again. We had to wait for the police to come. More sirens. I have no idea what happened with that guy. As soon as the police arrived we left for the hospital. Just 2 blocks later we arrived at the emergency room (it was pretty close to the lab).

I spent the next several minutes throwing up into a pan and answering questions in between. Ten minutes later I was feeling just fine. Grrrrhhhhh! I spent the next several hours resting and being tested. I got to enjoy being stuck by 4 more needles--the cause of my being there in the first place.

In the end I was given a clean bill of health. Nothing wrong with me except for a fear of needles. On the plus side I had a great story to tell at work the next day.

Stick Figure Family

2009-05-21T03:56:00.001-07:00

Make your Stick Figure Family at FreeFlashToys.com

All For A Good Cause

2009-05-16T23:02:00.000-07:00

On June 6th, Jonathan and I will participating in the San Francisco "Take Steps for Crohn's & Colitis Walk."

Jonathan was diagnosed with Crohn's disease when he was 16 years old. It is a painful digestive disease that can cause ulcerated sores anywere throughout a person's digestive tract. Currently there is no cure but people that suffer from this disease experience alterating periods of remittance and inflamation throughout their lifes. Treatment includes medication, surgery to remove "problem" areas (colon, intestine, etc) and even radiation.

This walk is meant to raise funds for research. We are asking for donations from friends and family. No obligation--any amount would be wonderful.

We are on a 3 member team called "Clare". It will be Jonathan, me and a friend of ours from church. If you are able to make a donation just go to the link below.

http://online.ccfa.org/site/TR/Walk/Chapter-NorthernCalifornia?px=1534068&pg=personal&fr_id=1264&et=mwJqW-KNNuNGmqgZkmTFFA..&s_tafId=1892

Thanks!

Update on Jonas:

2009-03-30T11:20:00.000-07:00

Well Jonas is back to his old self. He is running and playing and wagging his tail. He's also been gobbling food like the bottomless pit he is.

His breathing is pretty much back to normal. He has been clearing the fluid in his lungs. Unfortunately, he has been clearing it on our carpet. It's easy to clean up but wow is it gross to step in -- I think I win the prize at 3 times last night. Eeeeewwwww!

But we love him. Thanks everyone for your concern and well wishes.

--Big friendly lick from Jonas to you.

Breaking Our Hearts

2009-03-25T16:40:00.000-07:00

It's been a difficult couple of days at the Clare house. Yesterday morning when we woke up Jonathan noticed that our new dog Jonas was breathing funny. I wasn't too concerned until I tried to feed him breakfast. No interest at all--and Jonas LOVES food. A Lot! We knew something was very wrong.

I called the vet and took him straight over. Poor little guy. The initial assessment was that it was heart disease. We were devastated. We thought we were going to lose our sweet Jonas. However, after an ultrasound, multiple X-rays, and blood work they ruled out heart disease ($1000 later, grrrrrrhhh). They found a lot of fluid in his lungs but otherwise a clean bill of health. They said his heart has a small defect but it's strong and should not pose a problem for him. Unfortunately they don't know why his lungs are filled with fluid. When I came to pick him up at the end of the day everyone referred to him as the "mystery dog." In other words, there was no diagnosis. The vet's theory is that he probably ingested rat poison 2-3 weeks ago (before we got him). Apparently rat poison causes internal damage but isn't noticeable until roughly 2-3 weeks after it is eaten.

The vet sent us home with some medication to clear up the fluid and an antibiotic--"to cover the bases." Although we are so happy to know that Jonas will be alright it's breaking our hearts to have him home. When I picked him up his breathing was worse than it had been when I brought him in. All last night he was struggling. He refused to eat or drink and would barely move. We tried to make him comfortable. We got him to take his pills with peanut butter (clearly not sick enough to pass up peanut butter!) I got him to drink a little water by dipping my fingers in his water dish and having him lick them. He was clearly exhausted. All his energy was spent on breathing.

It was painful to watch. Both Jonathan and I ended up in tears at different points in the evening. Jonathan was able to give Jonas some relief by holding his head between his hands. Jonas seemed to relax and breathe a little easier. That was about 1:00 am. It was a long night.

Jonas is doing a lot better today. His breathing is still labored but he is eating small amounts, walking a little bit (very slowly), and drinking water. I'm feeling a lot more confident about his recovery. We definitely had our doubts yesterday.

We have only had Jonas for a week and a half but we are so happy to have him. His sweet personality has melted our hearts and we can't imagine life without him. We are so grateful for him and are pleased to know he'll be with us for a long time to come.

New Addition!

2009-03-15T20:33:00.000-07:00

No, don't go buy us burp cloths and booties . . .

We got a dog! We have been working through the doggy adoption process for a week and we finally picked up our fuzzy pal yesterday. His name is Jonas and he is a 2 year old dachshund. Here are a couple of pictures of me and Jonas.

Jonas has red hair with some dark brown in there two. He has a white chest and white toes. He loves to give kisses and go for walks. And he adores food--the smell of food--any activity in the kitchen--the opening of any bag or container that might contain food--any remote possiblity of food. In other words he is highly motivated by "treats" which should be really helpful for training.

We are so happy to have Jonas in our family. He is a sweetheart! He hardly ever barks. He sleeps on his doggy bed while we are sleeping without whining or trying to climb into our bed. He doesn't need constant interaction (although he loves attention) but he is content to be wherever we are. He also loves to fall asleep in our laps (as you can see above.)

For those of you concerned about our cat Dante . . . rest assured. They won't be friends but they don't seem to care about each other. They can pass by each other without barking or hissing. We think this is a good sign.

Movie Game

2009-01-25T21:16:00.000-08:00

Some family member's blogs have done this fun movie quote game. (See Taylor Made and Hopper's Happenings) We haven't posted in a while so we decided to copy their idea. Actually they challenged us and we are Throwing Down The Gantlet! So here we go. If you think you know what movie a quote came from just write it in the comments section. You can use all your mental faculties, cranium size, and gray matter but please resist the urge to look these up on the internet. Have fun and do your own movie game blog if you haven't already.

1. Got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we are wearing sunglasses.

2. Push the button Max!

3. Behind that door there is a 95 lb chinese man and 50 million dollars.
Let's get him out of there.

4. Oh, I'm afraid the deflector shields will be quite operational when your friends arrive.

5. If someone asks you if you are a god . . . say yes!

6. Him? He's harmless! Back in the 60's he was part of the free speech movement at Berkley. I think he did a little too much LDS.

7. I find that smuggling is the life for me, and I would be delighted to kill your friend the maggot.

8. Do us a favor... I know it's difficult for you... but please, stay here, and try not to do anything... stupid.

9. A eugoogoolizer... one who speaks at funerals. Or did you think I was too stupid to know what a eugoogooly was?

10. You're not the man I knew 10 years ago.
It's not the years, honey, it's the mileage.

11. What I want from each and every one of you is a hard-target search of every gas station, residence, warehouse, farmhouse, henhouse, outhouse and doghouse in that area.

12. My parents don't like anything ostentatious. And they really don't like fire.

New Years Resolutions

2009-01-04T22:45:00.000-08:00

If you're bored with life -- you don't get up every morning with a burning desire to do things -- you don't have enough goals.
Lou Holtz

I found this great website called Joe's Goals that I want to share. It's a free online goal tracker. Check it out:

http://www.joesgoals.com/index.cfm

Christmas without the Beagle?

2009-01-01T03:15:00.001-08:00

I apologize for my absence... But before Christmas is over... let us remember Charlie Brown and his beloved beagle! In my opinion; The Red Barron should hop back on his dog house... Otherwise he is in for a great surprise... Ladies and Gentlemen, the beagle named the Great Casey!

Christmas with the Hoppers

2008-12-29T23:26:00.000-08:00

We spent Christmas with my parents. We flew up to Washington 2 days before Christmas and stayed for 5 days. It was wonderful. The house was decorated so beautifully. It was cold and snowy outside and warm and toasty inside.

Here are a few pictures:

Garland on the bannister.

Look at this pretty tree. (Notice the cat)
Mom decorated it in gold, white and red.

My parent's cat, Eowyn, takes an evening snooze under the Christmas tree.

Joe got Mom this game called Carcassonne for Christmas. We played it a bunch--it's great. You build cities and roads and get points by making your players (known as "meeples") thiefs, knights, farmers and monks. Very cool.

We had a great time. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Hungry?

2008-12-29T23:21:00.000-08:00

Have a chocolate.

Dummy Rescue

2008-11-25T23:10:00.000-08:00

On Saturday I attended a CPR/First Aid class through Red Cross. I needed to get certified for work.

Did you know that CPR has changed? I took a class as a teenager but it was very different.

For example, there should be 30 compressions to every 2 breaths. 10 years ago it was only 15 compressions. Do you have any idea how easy it is to get distracted while counting to 30. I kept losing track of what number I was on. How embarrassing!

Also, when you find an unconscious person (because they are just lying around sometimes) you don't check their pulse. Apparently there isn't a need to. If someone is unconscious and not breathing 90% of the time it's a cardiac issue. You just start doing CPR.

We also learned how to use an AED (Automatic External Defibrillator). That's right, I got to shock my very own dummy! Now I can't say for sure but I think he made it.

So, I'd like to make a plug for CPR certification. If you are rusty--take a class--it may be a little different than what you remember. You can also get certified online. Check it out:

http://www.redcross.org/services/hss/courses/

P.S. Here is a picture of us in our Halloween costumes. A ward member took it at Trunk or Treating. (We got a picture of my Lucille Ball costume after all.)

Halloween fun

2008-11-04T20:56:00.000-08:00

Look at my pretty pumpkin colored flowers!

The Halloween roses were the best! Jonathan and I went to Safeway a couple weeks ago and he surprised me with flowers. He claimed he needed to use the facilities and left for 5 mins while I continued shopping. When we got out to the car and started putting away groceries Jonathan said he wasn't feeling well and asked me to drive home. I was feeling all concerned about him until I opened the driver's-side door and found a bouquet of orange roses. Don't I have a sweet hubby?

This is our trunk for the ward Trunk or Treat party. We had a lot of fun setting it up. We had dry ice in a cauldron creating a misting/foggy effect and creepy music playing in the car.

And this is Jonathan dressed as a dead groom. That is a black rose he is holding--nice touch huh?

I was dressed as Lucille Ball with a red wig and a polka dot dress. Our costumes were not related but all the ward members thought they were. They kept asking us why Ricky was dead. Hehehe . . .

Cat vs Tree

2008-11-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

We have an exciting match today folks. It's champion Tree McTwiggerson against challenger Edmund "Dante" Cristo. Dante is a newcomer to the fighting world but has shown definite promise in the practice ring. Tree is world renown for his phenomenal strength and his signature move known as "The Branch". Let's get started!The customary hand shake . . .And that's the buzzer. Dante takes an early advantage but Tree looks fierce.Things are looking good for the newcomer. Dante has Tree completely covered at the moment.Tree has got himself in a good position but Dante seems to be holding him off.Look at this! It's over folks . . . Dante can't possibly come back after a beating like this. He's barely hanging on.This is an unbelievable match! What an amazing turn of events!
Somehow Dante stays on his feet and continues to climb. (He didn't fall--inconceivable!)Wow, it's in the bag now! Dante, achieves a position of dominance and takes a moment to revel it his almost assured victory.But wait . . . he's stopped climbing. Did the judges just signal him?I'm sorry folks but it appears the judges are delaying a ruling on the official winner. Yes, I definitely heard Tree call out a "Best 2 out of 3" before the final buzzer.

Dante and Tree acknowledge the skills of the other. The opponents embrace in a gesture of goodwill and true sportsmanship.

Halloween or whatever you call it

2008-10-28T13:46:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite holidays, which is not really a holiday at all, is Halloween. There are so many perceptions of this holiday that range from satanic to a celebration of those who have passed on. It is unfortunate that Halloween, much like any other commercially marketable holiday has lost it's meaning to capitalism and the retail industry. It has surprised me how popular it has become over the years. This might be due to its non religious affiliation, it is now taboo to celebrate anything that affiliates it's self with Christianity. However, it can be said that this holiday directly affiliates itself directly with Christianity even if it is unsponsored by the different sects of religion.

All Hollow's Eve, Halloween, Day of the Dead, Samhain... By whatever name it has been called, this special night preceding All Hallows day (November 1st) has been considered for centuries as one of the most magical nights of the year. A night of power, when the veil that separates our world from the "Otherworld" is at its thinnest.As ubiquitous as Halloween celebrations are throughout the world and in the U.S. as well, few know that the true origin of Halloween is a ceremony of honoring our ancestors and the day of the dead. A time when the veils between Heaven and Earth are thinner, and so it is believed that many could "see" the other side of life. The night is one very special night and time in the year when the spiritual and material worlds touch for a moment, and a greater potential exists for magical creation. In the Celtic calendar, it was one of the most important days of the year, representing a mid point in the year, Samhain, or "summer's end". And while celebrated by the Celts, the origin of this day has connections to other cultures as well, such as Egypt, and in Mexico as Dia de la Muerta, or the day of the dead. This should come as no surprise considering how advanced the Mayan cultures were when it came to the calendar, season changes, times of harvest, astronomy and mathematics. Anna and I really enjoyed Chichen-itza can you tell?The Celts believed that the normal laws of space and time were held in abeyance during this time, allowing a special window where the spirit world could intermingle with the living. It was a night when the dead could cross the veils and return to the land of the living to celebrate with their families.

Though the beliefs are different the end result is the same, belief in an afterlife, the existence of some form of Heaven, and the importance of families. That seems pretty parallel to a certain religion that I am sure most of you are aware of. :-) As Christianity began to take hold in Europe the ancient Pagan rituals were co-opted into festivals of the Church. While the Church could not support a general feast for all the dead, it created a festival for the blessed dead, all those hallowed so, All Hallow's, was transformed into All Saints and All Souls day.That is not to say that all religions believe in this, there are sects of Christianity that believe this day to be satanic and do not celebrate it. I say phooey, I love the magic of this night. Sinse my childhood; I have always felt a sense of magic and wonder during this time. The smell of fall in the air, pumpkins, leaves blowing on the ground. I don't necessary feel the veil is thinner, but like Christmas, there is defiantly an indiscernible magic that can be felt during this time.

Today, as mentioned above, we have lost the significance of this time of year which has turned into a candy fest with kids dressing up. Don't get me wrong, I love this practice as well, I feel that a balance can be reached, especially sense it is so much fun for the kids. Anna and I got to participate in a truck or treat at the church and had a wonderful time decorating our truck and getting dressed up. Anna has also been busy making themed cakes for friends and co-workers... I have yet to see one for husbands. :-)The house has been overly decorated and from our understanding, our neighborhood gets a ton of trick or treaters. Much to my dismay, I just learned it is going to rain. This is another popular occurrence in the Bay Area. I know it happens more than often, and it bugs me. We are in a drought up here, and have not seen rain forever, until now... and probably wont again after the night is over. Grrrrrr

Mezo

Family togetherness

2008-10-14T13:00:00.000-07:00

Families support one another. The same can be said for ours... witness the Anderson Family Reunion. A lot of bonding took place. Witness good ol' fashioned sportsmanship and camaraderie. Today I give you "The Arm Wrestling Championship".

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

Along with sports, comes games. This particular card game I believe I have played before... it goes by many names. Judging by the look on Eric's face, you know how it ends. He calls it Nazi, but Cindy calls it, "Have a nice day". The players are ruthless I might add.

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons

Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

Can you feel the love and support from one another, supporting good communication, helping each other?

Lastly, there is nothing more conducive for family togetherness than a good hike to create an atmosphere of bonding. Being one with nature, testing faith in directions... keeping calm when you get lost. Meeting "International Hikers" who happen to love Jerry Lewis and para sailing, can have a humbling effect. It makes one appreciate their own family because hey; at least their family is not as not as weird as that guy. To find out more, click here "Hiking, an international experience". Here is, "This is going to end poorly". You can tell Momma had a lot of faith as well, based on the name of the video. :-)

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons

Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

It kind of reminded me of the Blaire Witch Project... if you saw it...

Mezo

Many Happy Returns

2008-10-12T19:48:00.000-07:00

We've spent a lot of energy this week worrying about and praying for our practice kid, Dante (our cat). After keeping him in the garage for a week we finally let him outside on Thursday night. He was as happy as a clam--chowder eater on a cold day with a little french bread on the side. He just had to smell everything and climb the trees and test out every hidey-hole. We followed him around for 30 mins but he eventually he gave us the slip. We meant him to be an outside kitty (Jonathan is allergic to animals) so we knew we had to let him go. At first we were happy for him but then we started to worry. Would he come back to us? Would he get lost? What if he comes back while we are at work and thinks we aren't coming back? What if he is hungry or scared?

We didn't see him for more than 24 hrs. We took turns calling and walking around shaking his toys. We had prayed and I had cried (Suck it up woman!). I'm pleased to report than Jonathan found Dante. Jonathan sat on our porch and called for him. Dante had been hanging out on our neighbors porch and came over. There was much rejoicing at the Clare's. We showered Dante with affection and he ate and ate and ate. I had him sitting on the couch eating out of a Nine Lives can. Jonathan kept walking by saying "Don't get used to this cat! This is a one time thing!"

PS. My last 3 picture posts were posts that I meant to write and never got around to. Alas--no words for you but peace of mind for me. I can now move forward in the blogosphere without lingering guilt. Thanks.

Catch up -- 4 months ago exactly . . .

2008-10-07T23:02:00.001-07:00

We got married!

I found my BFF at last.

Catch up -- 4 months ago . . .

2008-10-07T22:10:00.000-07:00

We visited Mayan Ruins (Chichen-Itza) on our honeymoon!

Catch up --- 2 months ago . . .

2008-10-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

We bought a house!

Bonus Picture:

Catching up

2008-10-06T20:11:00.000-07:00

Counting Clare now counts 3 Clares. We just got a Kitty Kat. We would like to introduce Dante.He is 6 months old and according to the internet he is a seal mitted ragdoll. Isn't he pretty? We got him from an ad on Craigslist. His family was moving and couldn't keep him and his brothers and sisters. Dante is a real sweety--very loving and has the loudest purr you've every heard. He is still adjusting to his new environment but he makes progress everyday.

He is named after Edmund Dantes from The Count of Monte Cristo. When we were driving him home he staged an amazing prison break. He ripped a perfect hole in the side of the box, jumped out and sat in the back of the car.Check it out.

Everyone is a comedian!

2008-10-06T14:02:00.000-07:00

It definitely can be said that the family is full of comedians, I can not remember a time when I laughed so much. So I am sure you have already figured out what today's theme is going to be on. We have some stage acts, and then we also have some unintended comedic acts. First, I give you "Daniel is a Comic".

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

Next we have one called "Out to Sea", this one requires a little more introduction. There are several things going on and it is a rather large video. Between vicious tree branches, or "Logs", and the fear of jumping off a kayak due to persistent sirens, I would there is a lot of comedy going on here. Not to mention to watch some of the rowing can also be amusing by its self.

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

Then there is the spontaneous comedy, laced subtle humor and undertones. As I recall, I ended the second to the last post with Brickman teaching us a lesson. So, not to be outdone, Daniel gives you a history lesson called "Ancient Whidbey Art".

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

And then there is comedy in which you wonder in the back of your mind... are they serious? Enter the "Moose Man", who ironically is "Going on a bear hunt". And so it is called.

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

No comedy would be complete without a little stage performance, The Hoppers demonstrate dark comedy along with a play on words... which can be very distressing if your name happens to be Peanut. Here is "P-nut and the Lion".

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

I am embarrassed to disclose that I was suppose to be in that one and the next one. But unfortunately, as fate... or luck would have it, I was using the facilities. Their next performance involves a man that has the same problem I have, the ability to spell. I give you "Help Help".

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

Well lets tie this one off with a very soft spoken Amara. Don't let her gentle voice fool you into believing that her story might not be funny, that is how she reals you in. Turn up the speakers for this last one of the post... I fear that I might be approaching the Andy "too long of a post" danger zone. Here is The very graceful Amara telling us about "A hot dog for a pet".

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

Mezo

I need a Grandpa!

2008-10-03T11:44:00.000-07:00

Today's installments will consist of more Anderson reunion mayhem. I really have enjoyed watching these, having never seen them myself, I feel anticipation every time I read a title that has some clever tie in with the movie and it's contents... again thank you Cindy. So why the title of the blog? The first movie is short, but I feel there is a great theme to it, and Momma obviously sensed it as well, hence it's title. When I first saw the title "Good throw" I wondered what it would elude to, and what is neat is that the explanation comes at the end of the movie. Watch and then I will explain my reasons for the today's blog title.

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

If you watch Ethan through out the entire clip you can see the build up process, in preparation to throw the rock into the water. What is sad is that right at the climax, he drops it. Tugging at the heart strings a booming voice comes from behind the camera yelling, "Good Throw Ethan"!, in support of his efforts. Reassuring him that he had done a good job, even if it didn't turn out the way he had hoped. Maybe I am making too much out of this; but there has to be some great similitude to this and another father figure, but I will let you connect the dots. :-)

On a similar note, of father or Grandfatherly love and assistance, I present to you "Lia calls a cab".

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

That grin and enthusiasm is priceless.

Since were on the them of fatherly bonding, I found this clip to be especially cute. "The Great Pacifier Trick"

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

I don't know who enjoys this trick more, Andy or Jennah. But it does reminds me of BanAnna. When it comes to food, she always wants what I am having because it tastes better.

Mezo

Thank you "Momma" Cindy!

2008-10-01T13:51:00.000-07:00

I believe it was a couple of blogs ago in which I expressed my sadness for not recording more events from the reunion, that and my amateur ability with my new cam corder... are they even called that anymore? Well, I am pleased to announce that someone took pity on me, and that someone is Cindy. She happened to have a stock pile of already edited video's ready for the posting. After a little battle with figuring out how to get them, I am ready to post more. Keeping in line with a technique that the Brickman has shown me, I will be crediting the work to the creator... though I am not always sure who was recording. I know Eric had the camera a lot, so I guess I will give credit to the singing Andersons. And what better way to start out than with a clip titled "Everything is Great". I want to add that Cindy did the editing and has also cleverly named each movie. A superb job I might add. So without further delay, I give you, "Everything is Great"!

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

And what post would be complete without The Brickman explaining something. This one is cleverly named, "Uncle Dick, teaches a lesson"! (It's in his blood ya know)

Movie filmed by the Singing Andersons
Edited By Cindy "Momma" Anderson

Again, I want to give thanks to Momma for putting in a lot of work to not only getting the files to me, but also for the time that went into the editing... and being gracious to share these treasures. Keep checking back for more, I feel like The Brickman when the pictures were posted.

Mezo

Hey, I think you're late for your Mensa meeting!

2008-09-29T23:05:00.000-07:00

While we are on the topic of Macs I thought I'd share my unfortunate experience at Apple's Genius Bar.

I've been having some problems with my iphone charging and so tonight I went to the Apple store for guidance. I don't think I uttered a complete sentence the whole time. The Mensa Member behind the counter kept interupting me to ask questions he apparently already knew the answer to. My side of the conversation went something like this:

It doesn't seem to be charging because when I . . .
Yes, but it doesn't . . .
Kind of--but when it . . .
Well, what happened is . . .
No, I don't think . . .

But it's OK. Clearly we where past mere words. --One heart and one mind-- He restored my phone to it's original state and reinstalled all the software. He told me to come back if I continued to have problems.

Thanks??!

I was pretty disappointed. I like Macs (and their commercials). I hope this evening wasn't reflective of Apple tech support in general. Maybe the guy was just tired and anxious to finish his shift. Maybe he was late for a meeting or something.

Open mouth, insert disk...

2008-09-24T14:32:00.000-07:00

I want to clarify a couple of points that were brought to my attention last night by BanAnna in regards to my last post about Apple. First, I knew that discussing the topic of Apple would be a sensitive one, mis-stepping or over stepping boundaries could have consequences in regards to my position with family. Knowing this, I tried early in the article to mention that I was not classifying a “normal”, proficient, Apple user, or even Apple users that like or even love their product. After the article was reviewed it was decided that some feeling might be hurt. Instead of trying to go in and edit the piece, mostly due to the fact it was unknown who had read it, I decided to add this note. Again, I want to make sure that it is understood that the people I am classifying in the first couple of paragraphs fall into a sub-culture that probably comprises a small percentage of all Apple users. I have no issue nor do I feel the need to make fun of those that just enjoy and like Apple… that is why there are 31 flavors. I myself learned to use a computer on a Macintosh, and I understand that some prefer one and some the other. My issue is in relation to the sub-culture or “click” that occasionally has rubbed me the wrong way. Having had experience with both systems, I can honestly say that I prefer using a PC over a Mac. That does not mean that I feel Mac is inferior, nor do I feel that one is better than the other. I guess what I am trying to say is, they both have their strengths and weaknesses, and honestly I find them to be comparable to one another…with the exception of Vista... Time for Crow! That said; I hope that I have not offended anyone, nor do I wish to hurt the feelings of the passionate Apple user. My dealings with close friends and family members who use Apple have never left me feeling the way I described in the post below. In no way are my statements below to be misconstrued or interpreted that I am, in anyway, relating to a particular person or persons; it is more along the lines of an indirect group of people. Can’t we all just get along? This might be more drama than what it is worth, but having the coin flipped by BanAnna I would hate to ever find out I offended someone that was unintentional… :-)
Mezo

An Apple a day, keeps Steve Jobs rich.

2008-09-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

(Warning; this is a very long, make Andy angry blog!)

For those who know me well; when I say Apple, what comes to mind? It is not that I necessarily dislike the company; in fact this post will probably contradict your feelings towards my “Mac point of view”. But before I start the good, let’s just get the bad out of the way so I can feel better about myself. The first and fore most distain for Apple does not have anything to do with its technology at all, it is its users. Now I know I am going to be rubbing some fur the wrong way with my family, but let me further explain. The average Mac user and I get along great. If you haven’t already guessed, I am a Windows man. It is the cult underground of Mac users that I can not stand.

You know the types, the people that like to sit and talk about how much better Mac is in comparison to pc. They will usually quote some statistic about the speed of a Mac’s processor in comparison; or how much more secure a Mac is, or maybe something along the lines of “My Mac never freezes” which I can honestly say is not true. BanAnna has experienced many melt downs, and do not even get me started about my iPod. I found this “stat” on one of many websites devoted to proving Mac is superior. (Note, this comparison is pretty old in comparison to the processor's of today, but ilustrates the point no less.)Of course this “performance” is almost unnoticeable unless you are doing some major photo rendering or other very demanding processor crunching. The average user browses, checks email, uses some form of word documenting software, watches movies, etc. None of these processes are demanding on computers resources now-a-days. Not to mention that the difference in speed mentioned above is in milliseconds. So why all the yelling militant Apple people, or “Genius” users? For those of you who are unfamiliar with this term; go to an Apple store for tech support, you will find the tech area is called, “The Genius Bar”… more on this latter. Experience has taught me that those who yell the loudest, not only get the squeaky wheel oiled, but they also have something to hide, or are compensating for something they feel inferior about. Ever heard of the old adage, “The lady doth protest too much, methinks.”? If this is such a superior product, wouldn’t the capitalist market we live in dictate this? Why can’t the superior product use its own accolades to defend its self, why the need to sit in your Mom’s basement blogging about how much better Mac is?... Ok that was a cheap shot. Still, I have always been surprised at how vocal these “power users” are. Maybe they are compassionate, and pc users could care less because they are disenchanted by using such a lack luster inferior product. Possible… I was IT and left because I got tired of it, maybe if I had spent more time with Mac, I would have enjoyed it more. I digress. It is this sub-culture of Mac users that makes me despise the product, and it is unfortunate that I have been influenced and tainted because of them. I find it a little ironic that it is because of their efforts to convince me, and the world that has left me turned off from Mac while leaving a bad taste in my mouth. The whole “I”mentality of the Mac “die hard” is a little pompous… ok they are just down right “I”arrogant. This is the other area of the culture I despise.

Look at the programming that is going on, all techs that work for Mac are geniuses, in accordance with the corporate design of their stores and online tech support. If you use iTunes, and yes I do too, you will notice the latest updated iTunes, version 8 point something, has a new music randomizer engine. Click a song, select genius and it creates a playlist that is catered to that particular genre. Though I am inclined to believe that it is built more around the year that particular song was released, instead of the songs sound, and type. But it is obvious why Apple has embarked down this road, Pandora has become very popular. Pandora is a music streaming website that builds playlists catered to your favorite type of music. You give it songs you like and it finds other songs that match it. There are over 128 different genres linked to each song, and it is very good at what it does. Plus you can hear music that you might never have heard before, and it is FREE. Check them out at www.Pandora.com.

So what is my point, do I hate Apple? Not at all. I admire their designs, I love my iPod; at least when it is not frozen. I have an iphone that kind of does what it is supposed to. But they keep releasing updates that fix some problems, and create others… sound familiar? Think Microsoft. I have found that as Apple has become more main stream, they are starting to feel the pains that Microsoft knows all to well. That really is the case with any large company that starts to appeal to the masses. The more people that use it, the more vulnerable it is to hackers. One thing that has helped and hurt Apple has been its proprietary hardware. Owning a pc is like owning a mutt. It is comprised of several different hardware devices designed by many different companies. Of course, these products have to be Windows ready, but it creates a problem when it comes to reliability and stability. You never know if the device is failing because its driver is not completely compatible with Windows, or if Windows software cannot manage the device properly. Hence the phrase, “plug and pray”. Apple has avoided this mess by making there own systems and contracting with hardware companies that have to go through certification to be used on a Mac. This also has hurt them at the same time. Mac hardware tends to be more expensive and you do not have the ability to shop for cheaper stuff, because the hardware is proprietary only to Apple. This particular topic has created intense debates with users and designers. By not giving the end user a choice, there is very little competition for the hardware designers to battle, or be motivated to design bigger and better hardware. This in turn means that there is no driving force behind the hardware manufactures to create new and more innovative products. Intel, whose chips are now used in Macs, comes out with a new and faster processor every couple of months, why? One theory is it creates a form of job security, when you buy a computer; it is out of date in about a month; therefore it drives the consumer to want to upgrade to the latest and greatest. The other reason is because they are competing for market share, one of their leading competitors is AMD; who also wants your business, so they are going to try and release a better chip to compete with Intel. Both of these companies’ chips, I might add, can be used in a PC.

Apple has done some great things over the years; I never believed I would ever switch from winamp to iTunes. Winamp was the software to have way back in the day for mp3 listening. It might be said that they were the direct reason iTunes is free, Winamp was free. Once I made the switch, I never looked back. I still today believe that iTunes, by far, is the best software for mp3s. Again, I love my iPod, I love the design of the PowerBooks, and for a company that was in danger of going under a very long time ago, they have created a foothold in the market that is not going anywhere… for now. Steve Jobs has lead the company to great success, and most of it has been built on the back of the iPod. I am embarrassed to admit that I have owned 8 iPods since its initial premier to Windows users. I owned the first generation, which actually was Windows specific. Would you believe there was a time when Apple only intended on making iPods for just Mac users? That would have been the end for the iPod. Over time I have sold old ones to buy the latest and greatest, one with more space, better designs, etc. Which leads me to the initial point of this article, or at least part of it? The iphone. This device has raised the bar in phone design. Their efforts obviously have paid off; I think almost one third of AT&T’s entire network is comprised of iphone users… under 2 year contracts of course. And with the popularity, comes the law suites. Supposedly there are some class action suits being filed, and as apple continues to release updates at an unprecedented rate, more problems emerge. This, in part, is due to popularity and third party applications, which expose them even more to hackers. And then the "ad on" fees, oh how I love those. It is almost enough to make one rethink owning a Blackberry. It’s these applications that bring me to my point, again. Apple released its own piece of ad on software for the iPhone that just impressed me beyond belief. Remote.

Remote is a piece of software that operates on the iphone wile connected to your home Wi-Fi. I need to back up a little. Itunes has a built in feature that allows you to share your music library over a local network. Basically it shares your music over your local home network, allowing any Mac or PC running iTunes to see your libraries, and there in play the music from the host computer. Not a bad idea for a home with multiple computers. But it gets better; they have also created a broadcast agent called Airtunes. Airtunes allows a user to broadcast what ever they are playing on their local machine to remote speakers. The idea is that you can have speakers anywhere in the house play what ever iTunes is playing on your computer. Neat idea eh? There is a catch, as there always is. You need a device to be able to receive this Wi-Fi broadcast, and then play it through your remote speakers. Enter Airport, or Airport Express. These devices are literally network hubs and routers with a couple of special features. They basically plug into the wall, and allow a computer to connect to the internet via LAN cable. But what sets them apart from any other network hub, is the capability to plug a mini jack into them for sound that can in turn plug into a stereo receiver that runs speakers. I also want to note that Airport or Airport Express also has a USB slot to plug in a remote printer.As you can see, the mini jack connection splits into a pair of RCA cables that plug into a stereo receiver. This allows Airtunes to broadcast the music that is playing on your computer to a set of remote speakers. That way you can listen to the music on your PC or Mac, and at the same time, play the same song in any room of the house. If you have more than one room with speakers, get another Express at 100 bucks a crack. You can essentially run as many of them as your router can handle. But wait, what if I am enjoying the music in my living room, while the computer that is running iTunes and broadcasting the signal is in another room of the house? What if I want to change the song, or even change the playlist? What if I am running multiple Airports and I want to turn off one room, or activate another? Enter the whole reason I decided to talk about Apple and some of their great innovations in the first place.

The iphone or an iPod touch can run a little piece of software you can download from Apple (for free) that is called Remote. It allows you to connect to your computer that is running iTunes and change the song, playlist, adjust the volume, or even turn off and on different rooms. Not to mention that this software requires no configuration, and as most avid Apple users will tell you, it just works. Carrying your phone allows you to carry a remote to your homes sound system. This little ad-on sold me when it comes to Apple and some of their very forward thinking, now if they would only just come up with a router that can run iTunes so you don’t have to leave a computer running at all times. So, to sum up a very long and somewhat unorganized post, I think Apple has a lot to offer… Am I sold on their operating platform, not really. But ultimately I feel that both companies can co-exist and both have likes and dislikes. Not to mention, I love Apples forward thinking, it defiantly keeps the market from becoming anything but stagnant. Co-existing might be understating what I am thinking, I think there is a place for both companies in such a vast techno world. I also want to add that I personally am running a couple Airports through out my own home; I have speakers in the bathroom… I have always longed to be able to listen to music in the shower. Can you find the speakers?What would I like to see, I would like to see Apple merge with Microsoft. I know what you are thinking, and you might be right. But the unforeseen giant is biding it’s time, and waiting for the moment to put both companies to shame. Google scares me, and for those of you who keep up on the news; if they have it their way, the industry will be reinvented making the Mac or PC obsolete.
Mezo

A lot of "Yee - Hawin!"

2008-09-17T10:57:00.000-07:00

Well, this is it... I really wish I had filmed more... So, until 2010.
Mezo

Richard Sweetcheeks and the Bum-etts!

2008-09-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

To follow suite with my theme, I am posting another movie today. This one, by far, was my favorite! They had not performed for years, this in part was due to failed attempts to secure contracts that each member could live with, and you know how that goes. The group disbanded and went off to start their own solo careers. It was believed that they never would play together again. The long nights, being on the road, the adoring fans, it got to be too much for them. Supposedly the proverbial straw that broke the camel was that they were served cookie bars, instead of round cookies in their dressing rooms. That was the beginning of the end.

After years of separation, by chance, they happened to end up at a party together; and then their performance was requested. What impressed me the most was how willing they were to get back together after being separated for so long. Within 20 seconds, they were up on stage, performing as if it was yesterday. I was able to secure a front row seat to this gig, and lucky for me, security was loose (Supposedly they were all tied up with some idiot who parasailed himself into the foliage), so I was able to sneak in a video camera. The story behind this act is interesting. Supposedly the group was formed to destroy another family reunion, at least that is what the tabloids are saying. So, before I start in on that story; let me end by taking the honor to introduce, "Richard Sweetcheeks, and the Bum-etts."

Mezo

There's a Skeeter!

2008-09-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last blog, I was able to secure a couple of home movies from the "Anti-Talent Show", back at the reunion in July. I enjoyed watching these, and I was sad to see that the Peanut Butter and Jelly song was not in the mix. I did find, however, the song called "There's a Skeeter in the Bathroom". Today's post will be short, I want to thank all the nice heartfelt compliments from the last couple of posts. I truly have felt the warmth and welcome into an impressive family. I never could have asked, or hoped for a more loving group of wonderful individuals. Thanks again.

Mezo

p.s. Here's a hint for the next movie to come, "Cheeks".

Meet "The Brickman"

2008-09-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

I must say that I have really enjoyed the blog scene; Anna had introduced it to me during our time of engagement. And by introducing, I mean that she brought me into the small corner that makes up the network of the family. Being IT, I had already known what blogging was, I actually had a section on my website that was devoted to blogging... I found that I never updated it, because it just wasn't any fun. But this is not what I wanted to talk about today. Today, I want to reflect back on my first encounter with the beloved Brickman. I was introduced to the Brickman back in January; it was during my initial trip out to meet Anna's parents before I proposed to her. Though my intentions at the time were not poised on getting married, I honestly just had the desire to see where her family lived and meet them. Looking at this in retrospect, I can see where I might have had subconscious ulterior motives. It was a smart move on my part none the less; we got engaged 3 weeks latter. I feel it's a good idea to meet the parents before you call and ask permission to marry their only daughter. :-) But this story can, and should be told by Anna; she has remarkable storytelling talents. Now if she could just get over the whole blog posting anxiety. And again, I am off target.

Anyway, my trip out to Washington was supposed to be a meet the parents. Little did I know it was a meet the family. By chance, and I don't know if it was chance or planned, Alan and Christina where there with the kids. So I thought, ok, this isn't too bad; a couple more strangers to meet, and then stay with for a couple of days. Not to hard. In this type of situation you hope you are liked, or else it can be a very uncomfortable couple of days, especially when you are staying at their home. These were things I hadn't thought about until I was on the plane headed for the island, no turning back now. So I start to get to know the family and then I find out, I will be meeting more. Enter Brickman and Janet stage left. Wow, at this point I was starting to develop all kinds of conspiracy theories about my supposed meet the parents trip. The introductions are not over yet, I got to meet grandma after that. So, for those of you who are counting, that makes nine people. Keep in mind that Anna and I were only dating at the time. Some people might think that this is not that big of a deal, they might take this experience in stride and enjoy meeting new people. Me, I was terrified, and without a transferable ticket... not to mention I was trapped on an island. At that point, all I could do was hope that I would be accepted, being liked would be a dream. My fears were squelched as I was warmly received and loved. Even if they did end up not liking me, I never would have known. This brings me to my point, finally.

My introduction to the Brickman is one I fondly remember. I was downstairs in the Hopper House, probably couriering with feelings of fear and nervousness, when Anna came and told me that her Uncle and Aunt had arrived. As I started the long assent up the stairs, I heard a booming voice coming from the hall. My first encounter was classic Brickman, it is one that we, ironically, have all scene before. For those of you who attended the family reunion, you might remember the anti-talent show. It was quite an experience, filled with laughter and great performances. Just last night, I downloaded the movies I had taken of the show from my Camcorder. I had totally forgotten about them. I honestly wish that the movies were of the same quality as the pictures I took; as you will soon see, it is obvious that my skills in filming are lacking in comparison to taking pictures. So, as you might have already guessed, I filmed the famous CARROT DANCE! It was this same dance that became my introduction to the Brickman back in January. Needless to say, after seeing this, all my anxieties and fears disappeared. So, it gives me great pleasure to present to you all; The Brickman, & his famous Carrot Dance, enjoy!

Now you might wonder why I posted the second movie below, what relevance does it have to the Carrot Dance? I unfortunately stopped filming at the end, before the applause was given, so I wanted everyone to see that this act was wildly accepted and loved by all who were able to witness it.

I have many more movies that I will be posting, so keep checking back.

Mezo
p.s. I find revenge is a dish best served in the foliage. ;-)

A stitch in time, will save nine.

2008-09-09T10:06:00.000-07:00

More than a few posts ago, I wrote about time, our perception of it, and the beauty of photography for being able to capture those brief moments in time. Those moments, in turn, become memories, and from there they have the power to invoke emotions that trigger all kinds of sensations. There are songs that I hear that can open the flood gates to memories from the past, certain smells can remind me off my youth; eye site is no exception. It is funny how many emotions, feelings, and memories are associated with the five senses, and can be triggered by them. I really enjoyed going through all the reunion pictures and remembering things we did, and feelings I had.
I honestly had wished that I had more time to filter through them more, but I rushed through to get them up and posted. Now, as time has allowed, I have been able to go back and look at them more closely, and in some cases I think... why did I include that? It's obvious I didn't check each picture when I was converting them from RAW format to jpegs... geek speak. The first priority, which started on the day we left Washington for home, was to weed through the ones that were out of focus. I felt a little overwhelmed, as Anna and I sat in the airport, waiting for our canceled and then re-booked flight...grrrrr. One reason for this feeling stemmed from the total size of the folders, somewhere in the realm of 7 gigs, or about 5600 pictures. I partially blame myself for this, I tend to be trigger happy, and take multiple shots, in the hopes that one will work out right. Then again I blame technology as well, size is no longer an issue when it comes to storage.
The point! As I began to finish the process, I started to really appreciate all the candid shots; I tend to prefer them over posed smiling... most likely this stems from my uncomfortable forced smile in which I look satanic, or like I am in pain. I also reflected on how grateful I was for the opportunity to attend such a wonderful gathering, and really appreciated all the time that was put into making it happen. I appreciated the warmth that was felt from all the families, and I am so grateful for the memories I have from attending. The reason I am touching on this subject again is because I just went through the folders from the reunion again, picking out my favorite landscape shots to post on my photography website. So today, I am going to post the pictures that I plan on using for Clarephotography.com. I also am very sad that no one got a shot of me being retrieved from the foliage after my attempt to go parasailing. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this, please read the comments from the last post.
Washington is a beautiful place, it seems impossible to take a bad shot. I actually had visited the state once before in January, but never had I seen it like this; in the middle of their pseudo summer. So, with out further adue here are my favorite landscape shots. I actually might spread them out over a couple of posts, to avoid making 1 gig posts... and avoid the wrath of Andy... :-)The one above was taken on the beach at sunset where we went kayaking. The one below was taken on the Ferry, on our way to Canada.These were the flowers that could be found on Reed and Cathy's deck. Sometimes you don't have to go far, the eagle at the top was also taken from their deck. The ones found below were taken on our first hike to Deception Pass. The ones below were also taken on that same hike, I was switching between Black and White and color, so the ones below were all taken in Black and White.The ones below are of Reed and Cathy's beach.
And last for this post, these were taken on our way or at Victoria Island.

Out of my league.

2008-09-04T11:42:00.001-07:00

I know that this is way out of my league, to even attempt to duplicate Uncle Dick's Reunion Blog would be an insult to his art. With that said, I do feel that posts about him are lacking. So I will make this one quick.

"Brielle can be seen pointing out the flashing lights of a tow truck, to an oblivious Grampa, while it pulls away with His fire engine red Ford Explorer." "She then proceeded to remind him that he should not park in front of a fire hydrant... despite the color and official look of his truck.

It's all about the Fall!

2008-09-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

This might be a little off topic, considering all the things that we still have not caught up on, BanAnna is still procrastinating the Chichen Itza article she wanted to write... I noticed there is a saved draft created back in July in our list of entries... She is going to BBQ me for telling. :-) Anyway, we celebrated Labor Day by doing the complete opposite; I am not even going to mention what time we woke up. This brings me to my point, finally. If you haven’t already noticed, Fall is rapidly approaching. There is something about this season that I really love. The weather gets a little cooler, depending on where you live of course. Those in Fresno will not have noticed yet, and in Washington they never noticed that it was summer. Here in the Bay Area, there is a definite sign that Fall is coming. The days are getting shorter, something I hate. But with that also comes the different shades of light that proceed the shorter days. I have never been able to articulate the true beauty that exists during Fall. The light, especially in the evening is so saturated with deep colors. I love this time of day, the brilliance of the midday sun is gone, but there is still plenty of light to see. Much like the season, everything is rich in color and things seem more brilliant.

Again, you will have to forgive me for not being able to describe the feelings that come when Fall arrives. The leaves change, and they too are saturated with deep reds and orange. The suns position casts longer and deeper shadows. The temperature is milder, and the evening brings a more relaxing cool air to it, which is good for the A/C bill, and the smells of Autumn replace the summer. Love it!

So I decided that I would try and find some pictures that would illustrate my point... After going through my stock; I was only able to find Disneyland pictures taken in mid October... back in 2003. Oh well, I will use them to further try and illustrate my point, and attempt to salvage my post.

Look at this first picture... it is the Tower of Terror at Disney's California Adventure Park. And the one below it was taken roughly around the same time of day, the difference? July midday, and the second picture is midday October.October, mid afternoon can be seen below.
Notice the deeper colors as the light hits it? No they did not need to re-paint the building, these pictures were taken the same year. The sky seems blue..er.
The picture above was taken late afternoon in October, and unfortunately I don't have one to compare it too, but I hope that this is starting to make sense. The picture below was taken in July mid morning... And this one was taken 4 months latter in OctoberMaybe I'm crazy and just want an excuse to post Disney pics...Until next time, take care >
Mezo

A shocking lack of Jonathan

2008-08-26T23:32:00.000-07:00

Faster than a clicking shutter. Stronger than steel tripod. Here is our intrepid photographer.

Thanks Jonathan -- the reunion pictures were great . . . but I did notice one flaw. A certain photographer wasn't in any of them? Hummmm.

And so for family and friends that did not attend the Anderson Family Reunion I would now like to show off my new husband -- he was there, I promise.

One can never have too many shoes . . .

2008-08-26T23:23:00.000-07:00

Got Socks?

Doesn't this just scream "Anderson Family Reunion"? There's nothing better than a house full of people you love.

Still Alive

2008-08-22T13:09:00.000-07:00

I'm not dead yet, I don't want to go in the cart... Anyone get this? Search for the Holly Grail? Anyway, I want to apologize for our long absence. Anna and I have been really busy for the last couple of weeks, we just bought a house and it has consumed most of our spare time. I am happy to announce that we are settled and should be able to resume normal activities... such as blogging. First off, I want to apologize for not getting the pictures of the reunion up sooner; I know everyone has been waiting. They are now available online and can be downloaded from the site. The resolution should be fine for any printing, but if there are any special ones that you would like the original resolution of, please let me know and I can send the originals via email. The site where they can be found is www.clarephotography.com, click the Anderson link. Once there, you right click the picture, or hold down the CTRL key and click the unno button if you have a Mac, and save the picture to your computer. I am sure Anna will be posting an update soon bringing everyone up to speed on our big doins so I will close. We had a wonderful time at the reunion, and really enjoyed getting to know everyone; it was a little overwhelming trying to remember names... I come from a very small family.

Where are those elusive Clares?

2008-07-16T20:49:00.000-07:00

"You're traveling through another dimension. A dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind. A Journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. Next stop the Twilight Zone" -Rod Serling

Jonathan and I have been watching episodes of the twilight zone the past few weeks. These are so classic and definitely get you thinking. Even "Amazing Stories" and "Outer Limits" never quite match the TZ coolness. Go Rod!

On another note **My apologies. I promised pictures and posts and have not delivered. I had such good intentions! And it isn't that I don't have time--I've got lots of time . . . but alas, no blogging incentive! Forgive me . . .**

The Honeymoon!

2008-06-17T18:36:00.000-07:00

Jonathan and I are now official! We got married on Saturday June 7th (pictures of the wedding reception to follow in about a week) Anyway, because we are now a single family unit we are merging our blogs for time and all eternity into one. As you can see we kept my title and Jonathan's cool "extras." Note the URL: blog.Jonathanclare.com

We got back from the honeymoon on Sunday night after spending a wonderful week in the Mayan Riviera. We stayed at a resort about 20 minutes south of Cancun. This place is amazing! It was very humid but overcast most of the week and breezy which made it not too hot. The ocean is amazingly blue-green and the sand is just powder. The resort also had pools and we spent all week in our swimsuits. We took a day excursion to some Mayan ruins which I will devote another blog to and I got to go swimming in an underground pool. We got massages and spa treatments one day and overate everyday! on the delicious food (another blog will be devoted to this subject as well.) Every night there where performances with dancing or circus type acts. Everyone was very nice to us. In short we had a great trip and were thoroughly pampered the whole time. Here are just a few pictures.

fountain and courtyardmain poolcheck out all the cabanas (prime "lounging by the pool" space)

Another courtyard area--the resort was particularly beautiful at night.
Here's some of the plant life. We noticed when we flew in that the entire region, besides roads and built areas, is covered in dense high vegetation. When driving it is literally a wall of green to your left and a wall of green to your right.When we arrived at our room there were rose petals on the bed and fresh flowers and fresh fruit on the table. Please note our complementary his and hers hats and polo shirts. This is the main temple at Chichen-Itza. We took a day trip to the Mayan ruins and took a ton of pictures. (I'll share those in my next blog--very cool stuff)
Us, on the 'moon.

Captain's Log... Supplemental

2008-06-02T10:40:00.000-07:00

Here we are almost at the beginning of another week. I know I talk a lot about time and the perception of it, but seriously; it creeps by so slowly when you watch it and when you are not looking it speeds right past you. It feels like it has been an eternity since Anna and I got engaged, even longer since we first met. These times are so fleeting in my memory, and time has a way of deteriorate memories to mere still images that flash through my mind. I can not blame time alone for this; my memory is not that sharp either… It has not helped that a lot of good memories have been crammed into a small space of time these last couple of months. It seems like there is always something going on. To preserve my memories and keep an accurate time line, I dedicated myself long ago with keeping a journal. Yes, I know we are supposed to do this anyway, regardless of ones own ability to rehash and reconcile the past. But seriously, how many of you out there actually are diligent about writing everyday, or month for that matter?

I found the best way to remain diligent was to keep an electronic journal, I used to keep a copy of it on my computer at work and computer at home, and then on my laptop as well. This allowed me to access it anytime I had a spare moment to record happenings, or as people from Texas would say “Big Do’ins”, in my life. This, of course, has its drawbacks. For one, it was hard to keep the most current copy up to date in all the locations I stored it. Second, it is kind of stupid putting something personal like that on a work computer. As technology improved, and the invention of the flash drive came to be, I solved the problem by keeping my journal on my flash drive, which stays on my keys, that way it was only in one location, and it would always be with me. Plus there was a smaller risk of it being viewed by unwelcome eyes. Now one might say, what happens if you loose your keys… this would be a good question. The file itself is password protected, which does not provide much security in today’s tech savvy world. There was a space of a year were I did not write, and when I went to make an entry I forgot the password… Needless to say I was able hack into the file and retrieve the entries. It does, however, detour the common snooper. You have to really want to see what is inside the file to get in it, and if someone actually does go through the process of hacking into it, I say, enjoy. Hundreds of pages of my own wandering meanderings are all you’re going to get. Rats, I got side tracked again. Anyway, I back up the file every other week so if I did lose my keys, the loss would not be that great…. Well, except for the fact that I would have lost my keys at the same time. Car keys are extremely expensive to replace now-a-days. The remote and key set costs over a hundred bucks to replace. So I guess that would be a big loss, that and if I lost my keys and I was in the middle of nowhere.

The point! The point is that keeping an electronic journal on me at all times has helped me keep track of my past, and stayed the deteriorate process of time. As I have reflected back on my entries, I am grateful to have records of what was going on, and how the events of life have played out. It is amazing how far back it seems now; kind of funny to read how I was feeling at the time. So a message to everyone, keep a journal, especially during the eventful times of your lives. Good or bad, you will appreciate going back and seeing how you felt at the time. Either you will strive to feel like that again, or you will be grateful that you are not feeling that way now.

I miss...

2008-05-29T15:33:00.000-07:00

Things I miss
I miss that everything used to taste better when I was a kid. I swear, Tricks, Capt’n Crunch, all cereal tasted better back then.
I miss the summer, and by that I mean summer break. As a child I couldn’t fathom not getting 3 months off.
I miss Saturday morning cartoons, WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO THEM?
Speaking of which, I miss good cartoons in general. Have you seen what passes for entertainment these days? Half thought out plots with no story line, mindless sloppy animation that barley can pass for cartoons. And don’t get me started on live kid shows, kid sitcoms are even worse, and the whole Mighty Morphing Power flavor of the week needs to die! Can you see what I am truly passionate about? I miss the old Looney Tunes, you had an orchestra playing in the background with smart humor both adults and children could enjoy. And I bet you are now wondering, “Hey, why don’t I see those cartoons anymore?” Because they are too violent and not ethically sterile and pc… grrrrrrrrrrrr. The world is going to pc itself to extinction. I will admit that I enjoy Sponge Bob Square Pants, but that is a whole other blog all by itself.
I miss Chocolate; this is not a deterioration of society, but a deterioration of my own body’s ability to digest chocolate. What I would give to be able to eat a symphony bar, or a Reese’s pieces peanut butter cup. A Nestles crunch bar or 3 musketeers.
I miss regular soda, though I have become accustomed to diet, I lament the days of carefree soda consumption, back when my body could fight high calories more efficiently.
I miss good TV, shows like Happy Days, I Love Lucy, The Brady Bunch, and many more.
I miss movies that were good on their own merit and story line, and did not need to be infused with cheap marketing ploys that glamorize sex and violence.
I miss being able to super size at McDonalds.
I miss the simplicity of life.
I miss Music on MTV
I miss music on the radio in the mornings
I miss going to San Diego every summer to visit my grandma
I miss Andy's Mezo "isms"
I missed mentioning that I missed Cadbury eggs for Easter under my chocolate lament.
I miss going to the movies for less than 10 bucks, I miss matinee’s for under 5
I miss Phantom of the Opera and Les Miserables performing full time in SF
I miss how good things used to taste
I miss tart n tinies… the un-sugar coated kind… the original
I miss the people mover and skyway at Disneyland
I miss Horizon’s in Epcot Center
I miss the days when I did not have to pay taxes
I miss my tree fort
I miss recess
I miss primary
I miss my building blocks
I miss being able to ride in a car without paying any attention to the road
I miss Calvin and Hobbes
I miss Santa… nough said
I miss my bike that got stolen when I was 10
I miss going to Disneyland without a care in the world
I miss my old CRX that got 43 miles to the gallon
I miss waking up at the crack of dawn for Christmas
I miss gas being just under a dollar… yes I can remember that.
I miss my pets; their lives are too short in comparison to our own. We spend years growing attached, and then they are gone. I guess this does not hold true if you own a bird, but if you do, you are already crazy and you have no perception of time.
I especially miss my ferrets… I can’t say anything else right now…
After just inducing that sad memory… I miss Anna, and wish she was here to hug me and tell me it is going to be alright.
I miss the innocence of my youth when these kinds of losses could be made better with my mom’s embrace.
I miss not having things to miss…
I miss Dexter; I miss his little pink nose. I miss coming home and seeing his head bobbing up and down in the cage, excited to be let out. I miss seeing his head pop out of the cube when he would lazily look at me. I miss his legs hanging out of the cube when he sleeps. I miss seeing him roam the yard looking for things that captured his interest. I miss his little inquisitive eyes that would peer out of the tube, looking at me. I miss the noise he would make when he would eat, I miss that I missed seeing him one last time, and I wish I could have missed seeing him cuddled up next to his brother in the cage…for the last time.
I miss Scout; I miss his little raccoon looking face. I miss seeing him get angry when Dexter would have his entire head in the food dish. I miss feeling him run around my legs, and getting so excited that he would fall sideways. I miss his little brown nose, and the barking noise he would make when he slept. I miss watching him sleep on top of his brother. I miss watching him learn day to day patience with his brother when Dexter went blind. I miss seeing him under the bush sleeping in his favorite spot. I miss trying to quickly close the door to the house before he would sneak inside. I miss those days when I did'nt have to cry, because I missed them. I wish that I could miss them and not have to cry uncontrollably.
I miss my original point to this post.
Again, right now I miss Anna
I miss you guys...

Compulsion

2008-05-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I know that it has been a while… a long while… maybe more than a while… more like a month… there is good reason though. Before I get started, I want to share what has been consuming so much of my idle time.

About a month ago, I was climbing with my friend Cris and my photography website became the topic of the conversation. He had mentioned that navigating the photos was difficult, and that the design had some flaws and was not conducive to good internet browsing. I realized that he was right; it was not originally designed to support as many photos as I had posted, and therefore was loosing its ability to work properly. I basically had too many pictures, and the site was not able to browse them efficiently… seen below.So a new redesigned site was born. I started drawing out plans of what I wanted it to look like, while at the same time maintaining the original look for nostalgia. What should have been a couple of tweaks and quick fixes ended up becoming a full blown make over. The more I redesigned it, the more stuff I wanted to add, and as I did, it kept getting larger and larger. Ultimately the project took me a month; keep in mind, I do this in my spare time, an hour here, a half hour there. I will admit, however, that I spent way too much time doing this. Unfortunately, the cost was sacrificing all other hobbies. It seems that once I get started on something I become determined, if not a little obsessed, with finishing it, while putting other things on hold. So anyway, check it out at http://www.clarephotography.com/. Here is a screen shot seen below.I should return back to normal schedule this week,

Leaving a legacy

2008-04-29T06:29:00.000-07:00

Have you ever considered your own mortality, I mean really considered what a short time we are here on the earth? The average life span of an American right now is around 75, of course a lot of factors need to be weighed in to this, but for simplicity we will say 75. So 75 years, that sounds like a long time, but looking more closely can show how short that really is. 657,000 hours... that is how long we have from day one. Still seem like a lot? OK, take out 218,976 hours for sleep, we are not conscious during that period, therefore time has no effect. That leaves a good 438,024; alright that is about 50 years. Now lets throw in the fact that most of you that are reading this are over 30, meaning 196,076 have already been lost, excluding sleep because we deducted that from the overall aggregate. That now leaves us with 241,948 hours, or 27.62 years of living consciousness left. Scary isn't it? Don't forget I am basing this number at 30. Now according to the Foundation for Infinite Survival, Inc., once I hit the age of thirty, my life expectancy raises, this do to the fact that I survived thus far, giving me greater odds of surviving further. I am now estimated to hit 76.5... Keep in mind that I have no desire to get old, I think I mentioned before that once I get old and funny, my children will be instructed to take me out into a field and shoot me like a horse. Furthermore, when I hit the age of 50, my life expectancy increases even more, 78.3. That is 3 years past the initial average I had when I was 20, ah the good 'ol' days. If I make it to 74, my life span expectancy hits almost 10 more years than the national average, 85. This equation is not exponential mind you, it peeks and then drops like a chin. Making it to 100 only guarantees me an additional 2.5 years... of life. And really there are no guarantees, depressed yet? It gets better... well I guess it doesn't. We basically peak in our 20's and it is all down hill from there. I myself have been feeling my own mortality. I am not as agile, nor do I recover from battle wounds as quickly, I have a bruise that I swear has been on my leg for at least 2 weeks... those kinds of things use to heal up overnight. Youth is wasted on the youth; one never laments these things, until they are gone. Perception of time as a child is vastly different; we are in such a hurry to grow up. There is nothing that can be done about this, no value or lesson can teach one to appreciate the time they have, until they experience the loss for themselves. There is a guy that has a website devoted to his life span, everyday he takes a picture of himself on his computer, and he has done this for the last 6 years. He stitches the day to day pictures together and has made a movie out of it, it is fascinating.

I think this might be one of the reasons I love photography; the art has a way of capturing time like no other, if only for an instant... time stands still. Photography, I believe, is more pure than any other form of art medium, remember I said it is my opinion... A painter, sculptor, illustrator, etc., creates what "they" see, the finished product is a result of their perception, mood, and agenda. Obviously art is subjective, what one considers art, the other might consider crap, and I have seen a lot of that. Photography is different, it can not change what is real, all it can do is capture and freeze time. If a painter doesn't like the background of whatever piece they create, they can change it to their liking. If a sculptor is creating a bust of someone, and doesn't want the person to have a divot in their chin... gone. I guess the point I am making is that when it comes to accurately capturing imagery, one can not trust anything except a photograph... To be fair, Photoshop has changed this rule, but you get what I mean. An Illustrator or whatever can lie about what they saw when they created it, a photographer can't. It is either good or not, there is no middle ground.

Looking at my own life, and looking back at old photos, not of myself as a youth, but mostly the last 10 years, I can see the changes, hair, eyes, face. I am jealous I didn't think of taking a picture everyday, but do you really want to see yourself age 10 years in 2 minutes, it would make my heart weep.
I thought it might be fun to go through all my photographs since I started keeping digital copies, I can date back to 2001, anything before that I either don’t have and was pre digital camera. I was able to find a picture of me from year to year, though it is never the same look, angle, situation, so it is very ineffective. But here ya go the summer of 2001 below The Fall of 2001The year would be 2002 below2002 the summer I believeThe fall of 2003The summer of 2004The winter of 2004 or 2005The summer of 2005The summer of 2006The winter of 2006The Fall of 2007The winter of 2008Time is precious, and I am beginning to see why holding onto it is so difficult. For the moment we are here, it seems like an eternity, and then we are gone. I guess that is why there is such a driving force to produce offspring, to leave a legacy, to leave something when we are gone. Maybe the best way to hold on to the past, is to take it with you in the future. There will always be pictures, in some form or another, and they will remain our ties to the past. Takecare everyone...

This and That (April 2008)

2008-04-25T06:11:00.000-07:00

Well I have hit a landmark, sort of. This is my 20th post this year; I thought that there would be more fan-fair... oh well. So I have been wondering what to post about today. There has been a lot going on, a catch up would be nice. And then I thought; maybe a review of the previous posts, capitalizing on previous works; but then I thought, leave that for sitcoms. Anyway, I think today will be a catch up on what has been going on over the last week or two. Plans for the wedding are moving along; we got the invitations and are now in the process of addressing, printing out the engagement photo insert, (this is the one we decided on... like it???) j/k and getting them in the mail. We also took a look at the event center on temple square; we both were very surprised at how big the room was. I think the on going thought between both of us was, to bad we don't have a lot of friends... "chuckle".

Speaking of temple square, I think it is so neat that we get to have the reception there, what a spectacular place to get married. I have posted some pictures of it before, but none truly do it justice. This weekend was no exception, we had stake conference on temple hill, and the weather could not have been more perfect. The view and visibility were absolutely breathtaking.I wish I had my camera on me, the one time I don't bring it... grrrrr. The rest of the weekend was spent taking care of errands that had been lingering. Anna discovered a craft store, the name fails me, near by and she is more excited than ever to be relocating. Speaking of relocating, that is another task that we have to start working on. There is so much to do, and the days keep slipping away. The last I looked, the countdown clock was on 43 days??Anna has adapted quite nicely to life in Concord, she loves the location and is very excited to make a home. She has taken to mothering my ferrets; thank goodness she has a kind heart and loves animals.Dexter and Scout are no spring chickens, and ferrets are not nearly as much fun in the latter years. Never the less; she loves them anyway, and is very excited to adopt them as her own. I took some pictures of them a couple of weeks ago, as you can see below, the days of high energy exploration are long gone. I am lucky if they make it to the litter box. Crazy little ferrets.

Scout still has some fight left in him, especially when the door to the inside of the house is open... he is still quick.The upcoming weekend will take me back to Chico, Anna has a couple more field trips to go on, and this will give me a chance to take more photos... and discover more things to complain about, regarding Chico. I honestly am looking forward to the end of the commute, gas prices are killing us. According to AAA, California has the highest gas prices in the nation, go us. Not to mention that the highest average can be found right here in the Bay Area. I don't get it, the refineries are here, you would think that the cost of transporting it would be cheap... Tourist are coming to visit and are so shocked they can be seen taking pictures of the prices, true story. I took this picture a couple of weeks ago, thinking we had peaked, I was wrong. I paid $4.05 this morning.A NYC newspaper which we will call, the "New York Rymes", was whining saying that they had the highest prices in the nation, take a seat big apple... or should I say big faker. Why do New Yuckers always have to be the most extreme in what ever the case is; if it is hot somewhere, it is hotter there. If it is cold in South Dakota, some one from NY will say it is colder in the city. A friend told me an interesting joke the other day, it was so true. What does a Vegan, a person who does not own a TV, and a person from New York have in common??? With in five minutes of meeting them, they have to announce to you that they are from NYC, that they don't own a TV, or that they are a vegan... so true. Anyway, I think that is it for now... thanks for reading.

Becoming one with nature... the hard way!

2008-04-21T10:59:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, Anna and I had our engagement photos done; please see her blog at CountingClare.Blogspot.com, for more engagement photos, and not so engagement photos. Anyway, we had them taken a nice little nature retreat in Chico called Mendocino.
It was a lovely wooded area that had a small river that ran through it, (no correlation to the movie). After we were done getting our photos taken, I decided to get out my own camera and take some nature shots. There were several foot paths, and groves of wooded trees. Some of my favorite shots can be found below.Water, even if it is moving fast, can be so pretty. There is a funny story that goes along with this picture. In the process of positioning myself so I could take a time lapse photo to smooth out the water, I slipped. Luckily I was on dry land using a telephoto lens when this happened; otherwise I would have been wet. Anyway; I was wearing flip flops, first mistake, and I slipped down the dirt embankment. What made the landing so intense was in the process of falling, I had a split second reality check... all of my camera equipment was on my back, and my camera was in my right hand... second mistake. I had a choice, either fall and try and stop myself, throwing the camera and landing on my bag or, save the camera and backpack, and use my elbow to absorb my body's weight as I impacted the ground. So not only did I sacrifice myself for the equipment, but I proceeded to take this shot after I fell, and was bleeding. What a trooper, the sacrifices I make for my hobby.Anna can be seen above ghost white after watching me fall. She carried the backpack after the fall... Believe it or not, she is not possing for this picture. The reason she is looking away is because my arm is dripping with blood and it crossed her out.Notice how peacfull it is here, the ducks are swimming peacfully, birds chirpping, happy couples walking hand in hand... then I enter the forest.See the happy couple of ducks seen above. The male is the one with a green head. Below are shots that I took as Anna and I walked further into the forest... avoiding all the people with their dogs.Overall, it was a pleasant day... minus the rude people with unleashed dogs, the mosquitoes, and my clumsy butt.

Bridging the gaps

2008-04-18T09:51:00.001-07:00

Well it has been a while, I hope everyone checked out Anna's blog at Countingclare.blogspot.com, there are more funny pictures to come... so keep checking back to see if she has posted something new. Anyway, last time I blogged it was right before the weekend. As everyone who know me is aware, I love photography. I recently purchased a new camera and since then, I have had a resurgence in my interest in it. Over the last month I have been out several times taking random pictures of unique areas here in the bay area. I am hoping to keep up with this, but only time will tell. For a formal viewing of some of my best work, please go to www.clarephotography.com, or just click the letters in red.

Last weekend Anna and I went into the city and ended up in the Marin Headlands. For those of you who are not familiar with this area, it is right at the northern tip of the entrance to the Bay, right at the foot of the Golden Gate Bridge... my favorite bridge. We arrived at night, so all the pictures I took are night time shots.Since I was a little boy, I have always had a love and fascination for this bridge. I was born in southern Marin, and until I was 4, I used to have a view of the bridge from where my parents lived. They would often take me to the bridge so that I could walk across it, keep in mind the bridge is over a 1.5 miles,and it is always windy and cold. I am assuming that I didn't walk most of that distance, but instead was carried by my dad. It is hard to say what drew me to this bridge, and why I was so fascinated by it. There are 7 bridges in the bay area, but only one is red... I don't think it was the color necessarily that drew me to it, but who knows!Honestly, I think it was the way the bridge suspended across such a long distance over treacherous water; though from my pictures, you can not tell how fast the water is moving, time lapsed photography has that effect on water, notice there are cars going across, they become blurred images of light the longer the shutter is open, and the shutter has to stay open longer because it is night and there is very little light.The bridge opened back in 1933 and offers some the most spectacular views of the city. Though it is not the longest suspension bridge anymore, when it first opened it was, it is still considered an architectural masterpiece. An interesting fact to note; it is one of the 7 most recognized landmarks in the world, more recognized than the Statue of Liberty... which remarkably did not make the list. In fact it was the only structure on the U.S. that did make the top seven.
I have a lot of fond memories when it comes to the G.G.B., I used to build replicas out of my blocks, I had several children's books about it, I never get tired of driving over it... though I do get tired of paying the 5 dollars in bridge tolls.

I was on my way to post, when suddenly...

2008-04-16T22:46:00.000-07:00

Ok, I had a new thread already to go, but instead I was trumped. I will post tomorrow; in the mean time, see who stole my thunder. Go to Anna's blog, CountingClare, to see what I am talking about.

WA HOO

2008-04-10T14:47:00.000-07:00

Today's post is going to take us back in time. Back in January, before I was engaged, I visited Anna's family in Washington, Whidbey Island to be precise.At first I had some anxieties going to visit:
The first is probably obvious to most. Going to visit your girlfriend's family can be very humbling.
Second: I didn’t know anybody, and I had never been to Washington. Those anxieties were quickly extinguished. I was welcomed with open arms by all of her wonderful family, and felt right at home. This, in and of itself, was a good thing; you always want your girlfriend's family to like you. Unbeknownst to them, and partially myself at the time, I would become their son-in-law; luckily I didn't get too comfortable and start calling them Mom and Dad right of the bat, though it felt like I could have when I first met everyone.The other thing that made this trip so wonderful was getting to see the landscape of the Seattle area, a place I did not know much about, and had never been to.It is an amazing place, there about 600 islands that encompass the area. What I found even more interesting was the way people get around the area. To get to the island, I flew into SEA, and from there, took a small plane to the island itself. This was very exciting; I never have been on a small plane before, one with an open cockpit. It was almost like a roller coaster getting tossed around by the winds. Very little stabilization exists on these types of small aircraft. The other means of public transportation are the ferries. The ferries link the islands together, not only do they transport people, but they also transport their cars as well. The picture below is of one of the ferries docking, once the boat is moored, cars drive off and on.Coincidently, Anna's brother and sister in law were visiting, so I got to meet them as well.Most of the pictures are of the kids, and it is obvious to see why, aren’t they cute?Uncle Brickman was very elusive on this trip, every time I took a picture, he would look down at his camera, pretending to be doing something... :-)Below we see Ethan discovers he can fit his fingers in between the grills of the railing.There are a lot of things to do here, lots of places to see, and lots of wildlife to be photographed.See the very ferocious Annabeast in her natural habitat, found above. I had to approach this dangerous creature with great caution. One false move and I might have woken her up; disturbing the Annabeast during her treasured nap time can mean certain doom. My trip was a wonderful experience, so good that I decided to marry Anna, that way I could come to visit more.There was beauty to be found everywhere I went...Until next time, thanks for reading...

Time for bonding.

2008-04-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

As you probably have guessed from the last couple of posts, I visited Utah a couple of weeks ago.
There were several reasons behind this trip, and depending on who asks me, the answer is always different. Before I answer that question, let me give some background.I have 2 sisters who live in Utah. One is married, has 4 kids and lives South of Salt Lake City. Below is a picture of the mountains at night that their backyard faces. More of these to come latter on in the post.The other is currently single, and lives North of Salt Lake City. Now if one of my older sister's kids were to ask why I visited Utah, I of course would answer... "To visit you guys, and play mouse trap". Notice Adam below; he takes this game very seriously.And if my younger sister were to ask, the response would be "to see you and help you fix everything that is broken". The truth actually is all of the above. I needed to get out and visit my family; it had been way to long. The other drive, however, was getting Anna introduced to my older sister and her husband/kids. Below are Ann, Adam, Adam again, Alex, and Allison with her mother, in that order.So far, we have met all the family, and my sister and her husband and kids were the last link in the chain of family that had yet to be introduced. It was a blast, Anna and I both got to see them, take them to get gifts, helped with homework, etc. It was also a good opportunity for Anna to get to know everyone before the wedding. Oops, I almost forgot to mention Midnight (kittie) depending on who you ask.I also had promised Laura that I would not let her meet the bride the day of the wedding. One unseen plus to this trip was that I got to meet Anna's grandparents, the Beals. What wonderful people! The more I get to know my in-laws, the more excited I get. Anyway, there was a lot of family bonding, the trip to Temple Square, crafts, and skiing. That was a blast. My brother in law Brick woke me up that Saturday and asked, "You coming skiing". I replied, "I don't have any of my stuff". "Oh that's ok ", he replied. "We have got plenty of spare gear". Low and behold they did, and so an unexpected ski trip came to be.(Anna and Ann in the car ride up to Snow Bird; Ann and Allison preparing to hit the slopes in the picture below. There were a lot of A-list people on this trip, A-list implying a lot of A names...)We went up to Snow Bird for a half day. I had not been skiing for 5 years. Anna "claimed" she had only skied twice see pictures below, She also proclaimed that she hadn't skied since she was 15 years old... that would be 15 years ago for those of you who are wondering. With this foreknowledge; I anticipated a beginning level skier, and purchased a lift ticket accordingly thniking she would be falling a lot.Boy was I wrong, she took to the snow like a fish to water. See Anna and Allison skiing together in the pictures below.Anna offers Allison a pole to help her up in the picture above.For most of the day, Allison, Anna, and myself skied together.Allison decided that her and Anna would ride the lift together, Allison also infomed me that I could ride by myself... I should and will mention that there was enough room on the chair for 3.(Allison lost that tooth in a previous snowboarding accident, seen in the picture above. She looks pretty attached to Anna in the picture below... that is the back side of her father Brick)Looks like I will not only be getting a wife, but I also will be getting a ski companion, Yay! Speaking of not skiing for a while, I too had been estranged from the sport and feared that I might need a refresher. Fortunately I got back into the swing of things quickly, I guess it is like riding a bike, you never forget. Oh yeah, there is one other thing I forgot to mention the new gear that Anna got. She was going to use some snow pants that didn't really work, that and she had gloves that were too big, and no jacket. Even though the day was warm, experience has taught me that being cold and trying to ski with the wrong equipment can be miserable. So we stopped by a sporting good store and picked her up some new snow pants, a new jacket and gloves. I have learned that a good skiing experience is directly related to the quality of snow gear worn; that, and how warm and dry you remain. Overall, the experience was a good one, and it felt good to ski again, especially after not doing it for so long.Above we see Alex is getting ready to ride down the hill. I guess snowboarders and Skiers can co-exist.(The picture above is Alex, heading down the hill. The picture below is Adam and his Dad Brick getting strapped in... one downside to snowboarding is that skiers wait while the boarders strap in everytime they get off the chair lift.)(Brick helps Adam strap in seen below. )
(The pictures below are Brick and Alex riding up the lift, and then heading down the slope.) "Tuff" guy Alex takes a spill and then hops up quickly proclaiming, "I ment to do that".The opportunity to go skiing was an added bonus to the trip, it also made me happy to see Anna ski so well, you always want your spouse to enjoy the same things that you do. During the visit, I was also able to use my camera a lot, hence all the pictures.I took some pictures one night from the backyard of my sister's house, seen below.Their house is in the upper photo on the right hand side.Salt Lake City is over the mountain, that is where the light is originating from, in the picture above. The one below is of the same shot, the differnece was that I left the shutter open longer and a car drove by.There is something about snow covered mountains that I just love, especially at night. Well that's it for today, as always... thanks for reading.

The Conference Center - Part 2

2008-04-04T07:46:00.000-07:00

My last posting consisted of pictures that contained the exterior, the inner hall, and roof, but I ran out of time to get in the lobby pictures, and include some pictures of the Joseph Smith Building. So today, I am going to finish the Temple Square blogs; let's start, with the art. This picture below is a stained glass piece that is of a very familiar picture to Mormons. The picture does not do it justice, it is illuminated from behind and in dim light, it's gorgeous. Through out the halls of the center, famous art can be found in every direction. There are pedestals of statues on every level.On the second floor, there is an especially neat room. This room contains the busts of all the prophets since the church was founded. They are obviously going to have to sculpt a new bust for President Monson.An adjacent room has a gallery of portraits that contains all the members that have served on the twelve. The current twelve are in a room next to the busts of the prophets; I don't have a picture of that room unfortunately.My favorite room however came at the end of the tour; it was the room that houses all of the original illustrations from "The Book of Mormon". For those who are not aware of these pieces, the church used to publish the "The Book of Mormon" with illustrations in it. These pictures were of the different characters and their struggles through out the book.The illustrator's profile is mounted here on the wall, I took a picture of the plague because there was not enough time to read and look at everything during the tour.If you look closely at the bottom of this piece found below, you will see the part that was cropped out for the book when it was published inside the BOM. I guess they didn't want the dead bodies surrounding the feet of Moroni.The picture below not only appeared in the front of the older publications of "The Book of Mormon", but it also can be found in local chapels foyers all over the world.The picture below was not cropped; I had hoped that they had cropped this one too, and that all the arms would be at his feet. :-) Sick, I know!
This is another piece that appeared in the older publications, and also can be found in local Chapels... Mine included. This illustration depicts Christ visiting the Americas after he was resurrected.
As I mentioned in a previous post, the Conference Center has live piano music playing. The music melodically echoes throughout the halls and sounds just beautiful. Turns out the players rotate every couple of hours... they come in, play and then leave. They are not compensated, and come to find out, it is like a church calling. It really does set the mood for the peace that can be felt in such a large building. The sounds of fountains also add to the serenity. The fountain can be found on the west side of the building. What is interesting about the placement of the fountain is that there is an opening that allows for the ceiling to extend all the way to the top of the roof, and one of the pyramids of glass that I mentioned earlier sits above the fountain below. There are mirrors on the side walls that extend towards the top of the roof and ceiling.
Below is a picture of one of the original bells from the Nauvoo temple that was burned down by mobs way back during the church's adolescent state.
This is a picture of one of the sets of doors that lead into the main hall. The woodwork is very well kept.Here a few misc. pictures. One is of me in the mirror, another interesting perspective looking down on the fountain, and then a picture of the windows overlooking Temple Square.
This is a shot of the Sky light pyramids that we saw on the roof. This one is the one I mentioned that sits above the fountain.
I forgot to add this picture to the Temple Square blog, it is the actual entrance to the Temple, I always thought that was kind of funny. To finish up the post today, I am going to include a couple of pictures of the lobby inside the Joseph Smith Building. It kind of reminded me of the Emerald City.The picture below was taken just outside the Joseph Smith Building, I really liked it. It is of a mother with her hands placed on her son. There is a lot of symbolism to this statue, at least in my opinion. The youth is being lead by his mother, or guided if you will. As I reflect back on my trip to the church's headquarters, I remember seeing a lot of families touring, a lot of references to the importance of family, and not just our living family, but to our lineage. The church stresses the importance of family in our lives, and I think if any one picture exemplifies this message, it would be of the statue below. Tomorrow is going to be built by our youth... guide them right... raise them well.Until next time; thanks for reading.

The Conference Center

2008-04-01T12:44:00.000-07:00

So not to recap on the previouse post, but time really does have a way of speeding by. I seriously thought the confrence cente in SLC had been open for only a couple of years... 2000 is when it was completed. To quote a very smart woman... Grrr! Anyway, the confrence center was built to house the ever increasing population of Mormons that come to SLC to see General Confrence among other events. Just as a side note, General Confrence is this weekend, check your local BYU TV schedule for times and listings. Origionaly these events were confined to the Tabernacle, (see previouse post regarding this structure), and as I am sure you are all aware, it was way to small to handel the increaseing population and demand. Thus the Confrence Center was born.

Just a couple of note worthy statistics regarding the Conference Center. It can hold up to 21,200 visitors, and it is 1.4 million square feet inside... that’s enough to house two Boeing 747 jets. Amway, this was my first time ever seeing this massive center. I was very impressed. The design of the building as, remarkable as it is, is very conservative in its design. I for one hate religious gaudy buildings, every time I see meeting houses that can hold this many people, I think televangelists. The church did a wonderful job in keeping the design of the building understated and not too flamboyant with its design... it does however take ones breath away when the size and magnitude are seen from the inside. To fully comprehend how big of an auditorium this is, one must see the inside. The picture below shows the bottom tier and the screen that is used to display the speaker, choir, or whatever the camera's are focused on. There is a screen on the adjacent wall as well. Live cameras are found through out the center. On a side note, when they give tours, they switch entry points, aisles that you walk down, and doors and escalators that you go through. All this is done to prevent premature wear on the building, so as to maintain its new image. Honestly the building still looks new. Another interesting fact is that the building has no pillars in it to support the roof, it is completely supported by a beam made of Belgium steal, that way there are no pillars to obstruct ones view... not a bad seat in the house! The seats were also very comfy as well, unlike the Tabernacle with its hard benches. Though the benches do keep you awake. :-) The picture on the side shows the aisles that are roped off this month to avoid the premature wear of foot traffic from tourists. Also note the three tiers, the building houses three levels for seating. Unfortunatelythe consesion stand was closed when we visited... would you imagine the clean up involved if they actually did serve food, think movie theater... Yuck. All seats in the audience have an unabstructed view of the pulpit because the balcony is held up by radial trusses. Under full capacity the balconies will sink 6 inches. And then there is the Organ!

The pipe Organ, though it is not the largest one, in the world or state, remember the Tabernacle has the largest one in the world, it is still impressive none the least.The flags at both sides are usually not hung there, I amnot sure why they were there on this paticular day. Look close and you can see the Organ's keyboard.Here is a view fromt he upper tier, it still looks massive, even though I am almost 2 football fields away. You can get a sense of the size and the symmetry of the building from here.Here is a close up of the auditorium; they are setting up for General Conference 4 weeks early. The rostrum behind the pulpit seats 158 seats for the general authorities, and 360 seats for the Tabernacle Choir. Also, note the pulpit found in the picture below, it is constructed from a Black Walnut tree that had been planted in President Hinckley's backyard decades earlier, which is why it is a different shade than the rest of the wood work in the Auditorium. There is also a parking Garage below that can accommodate 1800 cars. The roof holds hundreds of trees to adorn the nearby Capitol Hill. There is also a running waterfall found in the front of the building which is fed from a natural spring found beneath the center during its construction. The roof is not made of solid granite like the buildings walls, this is due to the immense weight and strain it would put on the building. So to compensate for this, a composite of Styrofoam, concrete and granite was created to lessen the roof's weight. Here is a picture of the fountain described above...

The spring that feeds this collects into a run off canal on the top of the roof, pictured below.The views from the roof are fantastic; the mountains in all directions can be seen, along with fantastic views of Temple Square. Due to zoning laws imposed on the church, the structure could not exceed more than 75 feet in accord with zoning regulations for the LDS Church-owned 10 acre block immediately north of Temple Square. This a side shot of downtown Salt Lake City, the back side of the temple can be seen on the far left. The temple, as timeless as it has remained, still stands out, even though it has been dwarfed by other buildings. One thing to note is that the temple stands directly in the middle of the city. This particular shot would be of the west side of the temple. Below are pictures from the roof, you can see the mountains to the west as well. The foliage on the west side of the roof represents native plants that are found in the west, while the foliage on the east side of the roof are native to the East. This shot to the left is of the foliage that would be found in the west... I am hoping that it looks dead because it is winter time. The foliage from the East was a lot more livlier, and green. It is definatly interesting to compare the differneces that can be seen just by walking a few steps to the other side of the roof. There was a lot of thought and symbolism that went into the design of this building, there defiantly is a lot to see.Check out the view of the Church administration building below, for the longest time this is was the largest structure in Salt Lake City.Here are some shots of the fountains that can be found all over the roof, along with a granite wall

mural and the back. I unfortunately was talking pictures while the docent was talking so I was not able to get information on this piece or why it was placed here. If you touch it, you can defiantly see that it is made from granite. Another interesting design feature of the building is that it has pyramids over the center section of the roof. These pyramids are made of glass and create a prism effect in the main hall. In the picture to the side, the pyramids are covered up. There was, however, one uncovered which I will show in a future post. I still have not covered the lobbies, the live piano that is played by live pianists through out the day. These people actually come in at their own free will, and play for a couple of hours. The melodic sound of a grand piano echo through the halls, it is wonderful. And then there is the art pieces that can be found through out the center. I also have some pictures of the Joseph Smith Building as well. So on that note I will finish up here with a some of my personal favorite shots. This picture is of a mansion that was built during the pioneer days. I am facing the North East peering through the Eastern side of the Conference Center's tree lined roof. For those of you that are paying attention, you will note that these trees are native to the East. The church originally owned this building, but had to sell it due to state requirements that it be handicap accessible. It looks like it has been well maintained, the exterior looked brand new. The church's new Art Museum, which can not be seen in this picture, is being built to the left of the mansion shown above. Some of my other favorit shots I got while in the inner hall.One is of the lighting system and the catwalks in the ceiling, the other is a pan shot of the seats with a slow shutter speed, enjoy.

Time in a bottle

2008-03-31T16:31:00.001-07:00

(One has to wonder, is she grinning at me, or laughing at me?)

Well here it is, we are at the end of another month. Can you believe how fast time flies? I recently heard a theory, well not to recently, but then again my perception of how long ago I heard this theory further proves it. I was reading a medical journal a while ago, longer than I thought. It discussed the perception of time, and why we see it moving faster and slower at different times in our lives. If I can find the article I will post it here, and do a blog on it… (Anna capturing time with photography)

As for now, I am once again getting side tracked. I read a while back that our perception of time is directly related or indirectly depending on how you look at it, related to the speed of our metabolism. Now if anybody out there has read something that contradicts this theory, or puts it to rest please let me know, I am writing about old information. Our perception of time was different when we were younger, time always seemed to move by a lot slower. As we get older, as I am sure most will agree, it sped up… Why? According to this journals research, it was due to the speed of ones metabolism.As children, we are growing fast; therefore we have a fast metabolism… this equals time perception moving slowly. As we aged, our metabolism slowed down… hence time moves by quickly the older we get. They used the spring fly (also known as the 24 hour fly) as an example, they also used hummingbirds, and small mammals that had a high heart rate, which equals a faster life span.

(Trust me, when you are waiting for soemone to look up so you

can take there picture, time can stand still)

These creatures perception of time were a lot slower than ours, now how they were able to base this conclusion I am not aware. I only remember thinking that this theory made sense. I have often reflected on my youth, and wondered why it always seemed like time crawled. Interesting no? Anyway, I was going to post more picks from Anna and my visit to Temple Square, but time is short today so I am going to just recap the weekend and share some cute picks of Anna.

(look how surprised she is that I am doing this)

(isn't she cute!)

(Anna looking at timeless antiques, ok I am through with all the time references)

This last weekend was spent by both of us in Concord. We try and rotate. As always, time goes by way to quickly and all of a sudden the weekend is over and we must part ways, tragic I know. We did, however get a lot accomplished. Anna picked out the invitations for the wedding, we also got shower invitations.

(they locked her out!)

We also got to do more introductions to friends. Anna got to meet one of my best friends and his girl friend. I will be posting pictures of Jay and Lisa soon, keep checking back guys. And I got to meet Anna’s dear friend Maria. On top of that, we accomplished tasks that had been looming, I got to study my camera more, and Anna worked on her final that was due… I will say no more. J We also got to go shopping together and play married couple at Costco, always fun. We had dinner at Chevy’s, thank you Emily. And that was it.

(Something is going on inside that head, I can sense the scheme)

(I think this was the, "you have taken enough pictures look"! see above.)

(Not quite sure what was going on here, most likely I was being mocked)

One thing that I find frustrating about being the photographer, is that I am never in any of the pictures. Here is my one appearance from the entire trip. However, the picture that I ended up in found above, I personally love. I will be posting again soon, so keep checking back... also thanks to everyone who has been leaving nice posts and questions.

Temple Square

2008-03-27T06:18:00.000-07:00

I find there is great confusion when it comes to people understanding the Mormon religion. I generally classify these types into 3 separate categories; the ones who don’t know anything about the church and when asked or given the opportunity to talk about the LDS religion, usually mention they know very little except for what they have heard or seen on TV, from a friend, newspaper, etc. Then there are the ones who think, or claim to be very knowledgeable about the Mormon religion. These are the quote; educated religion specialists who have maybe read a book, or read a magazine article encompassing more than 8 pages of information abridged to sum up the religion. So of course what ever they claim to know, (or think they know) about the religion should be held with the utmost respect and regarded as true and correct… “Snicker”. And then there are the members themselves. Whatever group you identify with, all must admit that the headquarters of the church, is gorgeous.

Have you ever visited temple square in downtown Salt Lake City?

It is a must if you are ever in the area. Utah in and of itself has a lot to offer for tourists. Zion’s national park can take weeks to see, lots of great national parks, spectacular sites, outdoor recreation, etc. I had never been there, until last week. I was blown away with the architecture, the landscape, and the beauty of its natural surroundings. So today, and maybe for a couple of posts, I am going to be posting some of my pictures, keep in mind these were taken with a DSLR camera, also something I may post about latter.

Weddings are quite common. We ran into 2

Here are some shots of the surrounding area and landscape of the Salt Lake Valley...

One of the most famous places in temple square is the Tabernacle.It also happens to be one of the most photographed places on the grounds as well, and is widely recognized for its peculiar design. The Tabernacle was built before acoustic technology existed, not to mention it was built by the settlers by hand, with almost no construction equipment, very little supplies, and money.The Tabernacle was completed in 1847, which is quite remarkable for several reasons.One example for this is Carnegie Hall, a very well known music hall in NY which was built almost 50 years latter, and even then still significantly lacked the same acoustic performance that the tabernacle possesses. One other thing to mention is that Carnegie Hall was heavily funded, and was built when better sound technology existed, along with better construction equipment. Though the famous hall in NYC is better known, it is shamed when brought before the Mormon Tabernacle when it comes to acoustics and design. It is hard to say why this acoustic gem is so underrated; however, it also proves that most things that NY has are over rated. :-0 And yes I did just happen to have a picture of Carnegie Hall in my portfolio, though it is not a very good one.

The Tabernacles simplistic design has baffled many... Every hour a church representative goes to the front of the hall, and with out any use of sound amplification, demonstrates the halls acoustic wonders. The representative drops pins, and tears paper, which can be heard very clearly on the opposite side of the hall.

One last thing to mention is the pipe organ. It is the largest Organ in the world, consisting of over 1100 pipes, that is almost 400 more than the organ that resides in the new conference center, I will do a separate post for that building.

Other treasures that can be found within the grounds of Temple Square are statues.

The temple grounds are surrounded with beautiful floral and arbor arrangement, even during the winter time a balance of nature can be found anywhere one looks.Even the trees without the leaves have a natural beauty to them,Fountains are found trough out the grounds, and make for a nice place to sit and reflect.

As you can see, there are many great places to stop and think. Anna can be seen below, reflecting on why the flowers behind her have not bloomed yet.Speaking of reflection, I forgot to mention that there are 2 visitor centers found on the grounds, unfortunately I only got one shot of these 2 structures, and I am in the shot... Well that is it for now, next will be the Church's confrence center and the JS Building.

Creatures of habit

2008-03-24T11:19:00.001-07:00

Now I am not one to initiate a conversation about wired habits… I am not even one to mock those that have more of the extreme ones. Notice I say more of the extreme; I do this only because we all have them in some way or another, but that isn’t what I am writing about. I am digging more for the weird ones, and the ones that we all do subconsciously. Again, I know better than to throw rocks, especially since my house is not just made with glass, it is made with non tempered glass… the type of glass that shatters and explodes all over the place, the kind that can impale… remember ghost and the window scene… “Shiver”, yikes. I digress, on with the post.

How many of you out can remember a time when you felt inclined to do something, only because it was something you do every time you face that particular situation. For example, a good habit or tendency would be to buckle your seat belt every time you get in a car. This unfortunately is not one of my own. This is a great habit that just about everyone that rides or drives in a car does. I have noticed people buckle up, without thinking of course, even when the car is not going anywhere. Another good habit would be switching off a light when you leave a room. Now I know I said that I was not going to talk about the common habits, but bear with me here, I am illustrating a point. We all are, to a degree, “creatures of habit”. I feel we all have the tendency to do what we feel comfortable doing regardless if it makes logical sense or not. Take online banking, I still know some people today that still get their paycheck, in the form of a check. They take the check to the bank, wait in line, waste the gas, and then get a receipt… confirming their transaction. These people like to pay bills with checks, then they go and mail the payment, and they can only mail it in a certified post office mail box… you know the ones… they are blue with the flying eagle. Now this particular example is not one of my own, my stories come latter, I do however feel the need to balance my check book twice, I have money management software, and yet I still keep a physical check log in my check book, which rarely gets used.

These habits are everywhere, I see the smokers in the office building where I work go out at the same time everyday. I think humans find comfort and security in redundancy, knowing that they will do the same thing over and over again gives one a sense of comfort and control. The real trick here is maintaining a healthy balance between habit, and compulsion. Some people just don’t want to change, some people can’t, and others choose not to. As mentioned above, smokers go out at the same time everyday, not only is going out at the same time a habit, but the smoking is another form of addiction that brings the comfort described above.That is the compulsive state that I define as not being healthy, along with the action. One compulsion that seems to always fall under the wire as being unhealthy is overeating. This has become an epidemic in the USA. What I find interesting is that smoking, drinking, and drug abuse are looked at by the general population as disgusting and wrong. Smokers are considered outcasts and are treated as such, and yet overeating has been widely excepted and looked at as a horrible debilitating disease that can not be helped, it is an industry that receives millions of dollars in research to find a cure... I seem to find it just as bad as smoking. It is addictive, it is something that costs the Health Care Industry billions of dollars each year, it causes similar forms of diseases, and much like everyone’s point of view towards smoking, overeating also is a choice, and can be stopped if the desire is there. On a side note, I am aware that this problem has received a lot more attention over the past couple of years, but it is treated with compassion, unlike the other addictions mentioned above. I also want to note that I am not referring to the average human being who could stand to loose a few pounds, I am referring to the obese and morbidly obese. (I honestly hope that I have given enough disclaimers to avoid some hateful emails...oh well) Changing the way we do things is hard; we all fight it to a certain degree. No one likes change; there is no stability in it. Breaking the cycle can be the hardest thing we face in life sometimes, but proving we can do it, also has its rewards.

As I mentioned, I want to discuss the extremes when it comes to being a creature of habit. I, myself, have some habits of my own that… well lets just say could be viewed as a little eccentric. I don’t feel the need to lock the door every time I go outside, even if it is for a minute, but I do feel the need to vacuum the floor when I have had a lot of company over… even if it is 2 in the morning. Anytime there is a spot on the kitchen floor, I wipe it up, why? By doing this I feel like it will prevent me from having to mop it. Cleanliness is next to godliness that is what I keep telling myself. I will just come out with it, I am a neat freak. (This drove me nuts one night)

Borderline compulsive. I can not stand chaos, disarray, or un-organization. I don’t know what it is, but I feel much calmer in an orderly environment instead of dwelling in a space where everything is strewn out on the floor. This is just one of my own weaknesses, and though I know it can be seen as weird, I have learned to embrace and laugh about it.

One of my other habits is to go off on tangents when I write, have ya noticed? I am not sure if this post will have much clout, or even scope, but it does feel good to get it all out into the open… that and realize that I am not the only one who is crazy. For further information about the more extreme characterized habits, mainly the Obsessive Compulsive Behavioral type, click link. OCD

Al Gore's Easter

2008-03-19T10:00:00.000-07:00

Happy Easter:
Is it just me, or Easter coming earlier and earlier… must be because of global warming. Get Good ‘ol’ Al to scissor up his construction lift and show us a graph that is the size of the hole in the ozone layer explaining why Easter is occurring earlier and earlier every year. Rise in temperature of .5 degrees has caused a shift in the global weather to make the Easter Bunny get up 5 days earlier every decade. In about 2 millenniums we are going to be celebrating Easter before Christmas. Ironically, Christ was born near Easter, so this might just figure itself out. If it was not for peeps, Easter would be spoiled, but thankfully they keep for about a decade… or two. What are peeps, certainly you have heard of them. Candy that comes in the shapes of chicks… the baby chicken kind, and are filled with marshmallow. I think peeps and Twinkies are in competition with each other to see who can last the longest. I predict after the nuclear holocaust comes, notice it is pronounced nuclear, not “nuke” clear, and yes it is coming people… don’t be naive. The only survivors will be Cockroaches that will survive on uneaten Twinkies and peeps.

Every left wing militant hippie will confirm this theory, just go ask one… I DARE YOU. Not only will you get an ear full of granola, disagree with them and they will run you over with their Subaru Wagon. I hate hippies, doggone whining full of contradictions, looking for evolutionary growth from living a life like a vagabond with their head in the biodegradable MTBE that ended up being more damaging than the previous additive to fuel… ARGGG. Why does it smell like sandal wood? Definition of a liberal, someone who is so open minded their brain fell out. Speaking of marshmallow goo, when did Al Gore eat Al gore? Seriously, you want to talk about waste, the man has gotten huge. He needs to go and do a few laps on the information supper highway… he “invented”. All the while, Easter is still coming early; I can not remember celebrating Easter and Saint Patties in the same week. Crazy eh?

Ok, I originally was going to start this post out friendly, nice and happy. And for some, maybe it has kept that tone, and for others, I might have just lost viewer ship. Anyway, Easter is a nice time to spend with family, remember the ones we love… and eat ham. Didn’t we just do this about 2 or 3 months ago? But this will be the first Easter in a long time where not only will I be able to spend it with the one I love, but I will not be alone and unhappy. Seriously, I looked back over the last 4 years, and every Easter I have been alone, or been miserable. So I am turning a new leaf. So again, happy Easter everyone and I will see ya’ll next week.

Traffic (not the movie that stunk)

2008-03-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

So I am resolved to post everyday this week or at least everyday until I leave… which is Wednesday… so really there will only be 3 posts… never mind.

I sometimes fear the future, and it is not always for the same thing. I fear for my children, I fear for myself, and then sometimes I fear for a specific reason. Today, it is traffic. I just spent the last 1.5 hours in traffic, in what normally takes me about 45 minutes to get to work. And what is more maddening, was that it was at the Richmond Bridge, the last leg of my commute... which should take 7 minutes max!

So why do I fear traffic, it is not so much that I would ever act out or suffer from road rage; though I think I might have brushed with a couple of people today who had it. No, I fear how much worse it is going to get, especially in my life time. I have never seen it get better, from the time I started driving until now, and it has never gotten any better. What has happened since I started driving…the tolls on the bridges have gone from $1 to $4. Gas has gone from $1.50 to $3.75, car insurance, ironically has also risen, and yes I have seen no improvement in the traffic. Any improvements that Cal-trans makes, are at least 10 years over due, and all it does it put a band aid on the problem. It seems when ever a plan for road and traffic congestion improvement goes into effect, it is obsolete by the time it goes through the bureaucracy that all planning and construction has to go through in California. Once the 1000's permits are acquired, all animals and species that stands to be effected by the improvements are relocated into a new habitat (note, they also have to not be in their matting season), and the environmentalists are appeased by some extreme measure that will only counter act any good effects that the project will bring in the first place; then the project can move forward. I hate hippies. (Do not even get me started on the salamander protection that delayed the Bart expansion to SFO, which cost us 500 million and delayed the project by almost a year.) So after making it over all these hurdles, lining the unions and agencies with green so that the project can move forward, hiring the required number of minority business and construction owners to meet the affirmative action requirement that supposedly doesn’t exist… you end up with a project that no longer will effectively fix the problem, it is 10 + more years too late.

This fear is for the future of traffic, it can not get any better, only worse. The population is exploding, it is too expensive to make major improvements effectively and at a justifiable cost, see comments above. But it more than just that, as I looked at what caused the problem today, which ironically was road construction, I have decided that the days of traffic are only going to get worse. It used to be that an accident or some small incursion on the highway during commute time would cause a small disruption, maybe a small back up and delay. Now, if there is someone getting a ticket, it can cause a 45 minute back up. Why is this? Simple, more cars on the road; all moving at high speed, one person hitting their brakes causes more of a disruption to the people following behind. The cars are closer together, all trying to get to the same place, meanwhile the amount of road has not improved so compacting more cars into the same amount of space that was there 20 years ago, leaves little margin for error. One small screw up can create more havoc than ever before. And then there is road rage... (Try and remain calm with this soothing picture of a leisure drive through the Bay Area at dusk.)

Just a quick note, I was the victim of road rage today. In the process of trying to merge onto the bridge I found myself getting in front of a car that believed I shouldn’t. He laid into his horn for the entire length of the traffic light, almost 2 minutes, I timed him. What makes this story great??? While he was doing this, I rolled down my window, grinned… all the while having my earphones in so it looked like I could not hear him, or barely hear him. I love pissing off already pissed of people. It is funny to see them get more enraged.

Chill'n in Chico

2008-03-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

I must admit, I am not all that geographically savvy. Too often I overhear people talk about small towns in Northern California that I have never heard of, but instead of looking it up, or expanding my knowledge of the diverse communities we have here in Cali… I just brush it off and forget about it. Chico, for instance, was one of those college towns I had heard about while I was in high school. Party school! That was the first thing that came to mind when Anna mentioned she lived there and was getting her masters. After spending some time there myself, I was hoping to discover that the rumors were overly exaggerated. To my dismay, unfortunately, the stories and rumors ended up being an understatement of the truth. It is quite an interesting town, but that is not to say it doesn’t have some good qualities as well. There are a lot of tress, and if the haze does clear out of the valley, it can be sometimes beautiful. All you have to do is look past the drunken college kid puking in the bushes.

Anna is in one of the masters programs, and she by no means could be classified as meeting the normal expectations of a grad student... in Chico or otherwise. Not only is she a good student, but she has also taken on more responsibilities outside of what the curriculum requires of her. One responsibility is to design a website for the community to go to give feed back and check the status of a community project her class is involved in. This not only required more of her time than what the curriculum accounted for, but it also required her to learn new software. She took to Dreamweaver like a fish to water… what a girl. Anyway, I am once again off topic. Anna’s curriculum consists of a wide variety of classes this year; she is in an orientation class, and is also taking a yoga class. Keep in mind that she also has a full load of required classes for her masters program. She plans on finishing up by the fall, so obviously there is no screwing around here. She also works as a T/A… maybe this article should have been about her. Anyway, she is taking a class that as part of the curriculum; it requires the students to go on multiple field trips around the campus and around the town. It was this “trip around town”, that exposed me to the wonders in the outskirts of Chico. These field trips normally reflect the dynamic geological differences between the valley and the mountains that make upon the landscape of the city. (See above)

First off, this was no small jaunt around the town; the requirements for these field trips are quite lengthy, almost intolerable.

(This is Anna's Teacher... this shot was not intentional...

However it came out kind of cool. You are actually looking

at him directly on, not his shadow, neat lighting eh?)

I honestly wondered how a teacher expected an entire class to fulfill the obligations, 4 field trips are mandatory to pass the class. Most of the kids where still waking up and it was almost noon. The shot below is one of the stops in the mountains... hence the snow. So far I have only been on one of these. This particular trip that I went on ended up being almost 160 miles. Keep in mind; it is a 170 miles from Chico to where I live in Concord. Also bear in mind that the trip takes me about 2.25 hours… going very fast, which you could not do on this particular field trip... or anytime I guess. Needless to say, the day was shot completing this requirement. The day was not wasted, by no means. There were a lot of things to see, and a lot of scenery to be viewed.What I didn’t realize was how close the mountains were to Chico, it actually is surrounded on both sides. What surprised me the most was, there be snow in “dem dar hills”.Once we got above the smog level, the scenery and view becomes very beautiful. I never would have guessed that Chico had a softer side, a side of beauty… now that I think about it; I don’t think Chico encompasses the hills, but you get my point.

(This shot is reflects the valley facing East, Chico in directly in front of you)

Chico does have its "rustic" charm as well, and I was not all that surprised to find remnants of it through out my journey. (Note, all cities have there problems with pollution, and guns.)

(This is a road sign in the remote hills of the valley,

note the bullet hole blown through the metal sign in the picture above.)

("Man is in the forest Bambie")

Overall, Chico is not so bad, it is in the middle of now where, and if you need to get to an airport, you’re driving for 2 hours to Sac. The town is growing; it has all the luxuries of home, plenty of fast food, lots of malls, and it’s very own Movie Theater. It does have an Olive Garden… Very

Nice! Though I might be exposing my pallets lack of culinary refinement, I love this place, and sadly the closet one to me is 45 minutes. Here that Olive Garden, do some demographic research and plant one back in the East Bay… preferably Concord. The town also has its unique color, and I mean this in a good way, there is defiantly something there that can not be found in the bay area. A slower, more quite way of living. The affordable housing is also a plus. Lots of nice people, Anna’s ward is full of great people, and everyone I meet seems to feel the same about Chico, they love it! All in all, I would have to say that it might not be a vacation destination, but it does have a local charm all its own.On the other hand, I might not be a non biased person to judge it anymore; it is where Anna lives so of course it holds a special place in my heart. Not to mention she threatened me if I spoke ill about it.
Cheers Chico.

Why'd ya have to go make things so complicated!

2008-03-13T13:28:00.000-07:00

I have to say, we as humans make our lives more complicated than it has to be. I have often thought about this, and today I feel the need to explore this theory, or thought process and see where it takes me. In general, life has become more complex, each generation deals with a higher level of complexity than the last. The generation gaps are increasing at an exponential rate. As technology improves, and therefore becomes more complex, so do our lives. Looking back at my own parents, they never had any concerns regarding the speed of their computer, or the speed of their wireless network, or even their phone. Back then, the only thing a male wanted that involved speed, was a car. This is still true today, except we now have tacked on additional devices and status symbols that need to be the latest and greatest if you are going to be anyone in a world full of every-ones and no ones. Which brings me to another point, in a world with an ever increasing population, it is becoming harder and harder to stand out in a crowd… to be unique. Isn’t that what we all are striving for, uniqueness. Look at the automobile industry for instance; there just simply are not enough makes and models out there to keep the adolescent searcher of uniqueness satisfied. The individual takes a perfectly good car, (one that the auto manufacture has spent millions of dollars fine tuning and researching the design to be reliable), and then he or she tears it apart so that it will be unique, one of a kind, one that shouts… “I am not like everyone else”. Unfortunately, taste and style is not uniform, and there is no law that says tacky is illegal. This type of behavior screams, “I am trying to find my own voice”. In a world full of multiple media outlets that tell us what we are to look like, how we are live, and what is “normal”; it is becoming harder and harder to understand and know what is right, and what is true. I foresee this becoming a greater problem as the population grows.

Life, in general, is more complicated. I seem to spend more time fixing life’s amenities that are suppose to make our world easier, and less time enjoying them. These luxuries of life are very temperamental, and if you know me, you probably are guessing that I am referring to my job. Not so, I am referring to my own personal equipment that always seems to break. I can spend on an average day, 30 minutes to an hour fixing something that is not working properly. For example, last night, I finished my taxes and went to submit them using turbo tax. This is supposed to simplify my life mind you. Where do I begin, first the software itself. I wasted so much time trying to figure out which forms would be provided to me if I paid online or mailed a check myself, and then I find out that I need to pay an additional 34.95 for another state tax package, plus 19.95 for each filing, not to mention 75 for the software itself… is life easier? Or even a better question would be, is it worth the added cost for the supposed peace and ease it is suppose to bring? After fighting with my printer that would not sync up correctly over my wireless network, which seems to always fail when I need it the most, I crashed my blue tooth keyboard and mouse which required a forced reboot… why you ask? Kind of an interesting scenario to face, one I never really could have foreseen until last night, especially when I needed everything to work the most. To explain this better I need to go back in time. Picture this, new computer, and with it, the desire to use the latest and greatest technological gadgets available to go with it. To simplify my life and make things easier/cleaner, I bought a blue tooth mouse and keyboard. No wire, lots of features, the doggone thing even tells me what the temperature in my room is. So… out with the old, in with the new. I dumped my archaic keyboard and mouse; which had, if you can believe it, wires!

So, back to my story, after fighting with my wireless network for an hour, I finally got the printer to work. I then proceeded to go and print out the tax forms, which I was still uncertain about. While I am doing this, I also begin to electronically submit my taxes. So when it comes to the final save and print, a function that basically requires me to click yes once and all would be saved; something happened, my mouse and keyboard stop responding. After doing a couple of diagnoses hard ware tricks, I find out that the Bluetooth mouse and keyboard are no longer connected to my pc, why…only the pc god knows why. So here I am, ready to finally proceed and finish my taxes that took more time than it would have if I’d have done my taxes by hand. And why didn’t I just give up and do so; once you are in this deep, there is no turning back, not to mention I was in the hole 150 bucks with tax software… There was no way I was going to give up now. After unplugging and re-plugging, trying to reconnect and synchronize the devices, all of which proved fruitless; I finally decide it is time for the fix all cure for everything, a reboot… But wait, there are 2 programs open windows tells me, one of which is, you guessed it, Turbo Tax! Of course it needs to be saved. “Before shutting down windows, please click ok to save progress in Turbo Tax”, windows tells me. Do you know how painful that is, to see hours of work hinge on such a simple task as clicking the mouse… ONCE, meanwhile in the back of my mind, I know that the only way to fix the problem requires a reboot, which will cause me to loose everything I had done. To be so completely helpless, and not be able to do anything about it! It was almost like not having any arms. So I think, wait, just plug in your old mouse or keyboard… oh yeah, you dumped those “useless devices”… smart!

Are you following me thus far? Needless to say, all these devices that are suppose to simplify my life, made things very complicated for me at 12:30 last night.

This is just the tip of the iceberg, why is it a natural tendency for humans to overly complicate their lives… I know I am not the only one out there that faces this. Life can not go on now if we don’t have access to our email 24/7, and email didn’t exist 14 years ago. This is something that is so new, that there are generations that don’t even know what it is, and yet it is life threatening for others of the younger generations. Email was created as a means to simplify our lives, but all it has done is create another leash and hassle that encompasses more of our time. It used to be if you didn’t answer your phone, you were not at home. Not a big deal, then came the answering machine, again you still could ignore the call, except now you are required to call the person back, why? Because they left a message. This was the proverbial foot in the door. Then came the cell phones, no longer could you ignore calls, it was expected that you would have your phone on you, so if you did ignore the call, you were not the only one who knew it.

This is the leash I refer to. Pagers’ were the slippery slope, almost like the answering machine of house lines. All they did was require a return call, when it was possible or convenient. Cell phones are probably the most handiest and intrusive technology today. They are life savers when you need them, and they create stress when you don’t. You are always reachable… always. This leaves little space for privacy. I tend to laugh at the person that always has the quick answer to this problem, “well you could always turn off your phone”. Obviously they use their phone for emergencies and the occasional discussion when they find it convenient, otherwise they never use it. In the real world, such an act would cause massive hysteria, for example. If you wanted to leave it at home for a week, people would call the police thinking you are dead. Don’t answer your phone for a couple of days, and friends and family members get livid. The only way you can get away with turning off your phone, is telling those that call you regularly that you are turning off your phone. When I have been on vacation, I have to change my voicemail, send out emails and create auto-responses, notify all family and friends… that way no one panics when I am unreachable for a week. Then again, everyone knows where you are… not that I need to hide mind you, it is the feeling one gets when they realize they have lost a certain level of privacy. I am guilty, I will admit it, I get my emails to my phone, do I truly need it, I think so. What did I do 5 years ago? Life has taken a turn towards the tech age, and if you are not onboard, you are left in the dust of the information supper highway. I still see the occasional resume come through where someone professes to be proficient with emailing… a skill they are very proud of. That right here shows a generation gap, and also illustrates a switch in the job sector. Knowing how to “email” is mandatory in the working world, not a skill that puts you above the rest of your competitors. Although it is illegal to ask someone for their DOB in an application, sometimes they show their age without ever telling it, especially when you read the skills they are proficient in. How can one truly be knowledgeable in internet browsing, I really wish I could have interviewed that one…

In conclusion, has life improved with all these new luxuries... sorta. As a final thought, I decided my remote control is the best example of this rant. As everyone who owns a tv/dvd/cable box knows, remote controls start piling on one another. You are constantly going from one to another to make all the equipment work, of course this all hinges on if you can remember which remote goes to which electronic device. So in order to, once again, "simplify" my life, I got a universal remote. Oh how simplified it was going to make my equipment...

As it turns out, getting this stupid thing to work properly was more work than switching between remotes. I just had to update the software and firmware the other night, I then had to reprogram the built in actions to fit a new configuration. After all was said and done, including the relearning curve I needed to go through due to the fact I had not used the "simple" programming software in months, it took about an hour and half... Is this really simpler? The thing constantly needs to be charged, and as often as it gets used, it hardly seems worth it. Has life gotten better than it was 20, 30, or even 40 years ago… with the exception of the 70’s era, I would say that question is subjective. I guess it all depends on how much one embraces the changes and the trends. We all need to change to a certain degree, to keep up; but that doesn’t mean we need to take our work home with us... I wait for the day when they create a switch in the back of our heads that allows us to truly “switch off”.

Gratitude

2008-03-10T14:55:00.002-07:00

I have been noticing a behavioral pattern about myself that I don’t like, and I don’t think it is an isolated tendency proprietary to my own character. We as a people all tend to do this, and the more I discuss the topics with others, the more I believe that it is a natural human tendency. But enough with the cryptic verbiage, on with the topic.

It has almost been 3 months since Anna and I started dating each other. What I didn’t notice then, but am become more aware of now, is how happy I am. That is not to say that I didn’t know or feel happiness before, it is only now that I realize how much. The reason for this extreme state of euphoria should be obvious, and not for the obvious reasons. Yes I should be happy; I am engaged to a wonderful woman, the love of my life. That reason is justification enough for the state of bliss I am in. But there is more to it than that, looking deeper inside myself; I find that I adopted a laissez-faire approach about being happy. It was not that long ago when I was feeling unhappy, suffering, in pain… Back then I would have given anything to find happiness once again. Of course, we all know the outcome of wishing for that… When ever you want or desire something that badly, you never get it. It’s like we put out this negative energy that is so strong, it sabotages our efforts and the energy that we invest in an attempt to reach the goals we so desire. Back then, I would have given anything to achieve the bliss that I have now found; ironically, I didn’t find it until I gave up wanting it… and I do mean TRULY gave up wanting it. Now looking back in retrospect, I almost feel ungrateful and undeserving of what I have received… this happiness that I have found, and the peace that it has brought me. Why you ask? To answer this, I need to mention something about myself.

I believe in a balance, you need to give to receive, and when you receive you need to give. Giving can be classified under many different types of acts; ultimately the outcome is the same, the person shows and demonstrates gratitude for their life, and the situations that are making it happy. So how does this tie into my point of topic? Over the last couple of weeks I have been feeling apathetic, I feel as though I have shown no signs of gratitude, at least in the way I feel I need to; especially if I am to truly enjoy and experience the wonderful time I am going through. Sometimes I think that life has gotten to hectic to truly enjoy the things that make me happy, but that just seems like a cop out. When I am in pain, it encompasses my whole life, I am aware of it all the time. Now that I am blissful, I seem to not be aware of it nearly as often as I was when I was the polar opposite. Which brings me back to where I started, WHY? Are we, as humans, so callused that we can not feel joy, especially to the same degree at which we can feel pain? Are we so self absorbed that when things start to go right, we immediately expect them to continue on that way, always? I guarantee that as soon as the tables turn, we will once again become very aware of how much pain we are in and humbled by it. We curse our situation like it has always been this way since the beginning of our lives. Yet there is one thing we tend to forget… the good times… once again. I guess my point is this, why can’t we be aware of joy to the degree that we are aware of pain. This isn’t just me, it has happened all throughout history. The story is timeless; country is oppressed, country then comes to power, becomes empire, and then quickly forgot how they got there… you know the rest.

So where does this leave us? Ungrateful, self absorbed, arrogant people? Maybe, but I don’t think all are this way, or that there is no hope. I don’t believe that all humans are this way. I think some of this behavior stems from age and culture. We never take the time to appreciate what we have. I do believe that the older we get, the more we tend to appreciate the past, and appreciate what we had. This in turn makes us appreciate the things we still have. So what can I do, how can I implement a change in this behavior. Just to recap, I have spoken to a lot of individuals who feel the same way I do; they don’t appreciate the good times they have, just lament the ones they had, or curse their life during it’s time of trial. For whatever reason they feel the need to do this, and for whatever means they go about expressing it, is irrelevant. There is one things that connects us all, and that is the desire to recognize the good, that way we should not feel so self absorbed or guilty when the bad comes.

The change has to come from me, switching my mental attitude. Appreciating the good times does not require much, it basically is achieved by not taking those times for granted, especially while we are experiencing them. What does that mean for me, well for one, I need to take more time to stop and smell the metaphoric roses… which would basically be my relationship with Anna. Time is passing by quickly; already we are less than 3 months away from being married. So often we only pay attention to the finish line, or the prize if you will. I seem to only be looking forward to that instance, not appreciating this time that we are in. Wanting the days to pass by quickly may not be the best thing. Time passes by fast enough, not appreciating the scenery before the finish line is tragic. There is magic to be found in all shapes and walks of life, and the engagement period is just as magical as the wedding itself. I need to appreciate Anna more, appreciate the person she is now, and the person she is becoming. Right now she is my fiancée; she only gets to be that once, and for a very short period of time. She will be my wife soon, and that lasts a lot longer… hopefully. :-) Although this might sound good on paper, implementing this plan is a whole other challenge. It is going to take some conscious effort on my part, at least for a little while. Hopefully it will eventually become routine enough where it is like an involuntary reaction. I think we all could stand to appreciate the good things more, smile every once in while, realize that life can be, and is good. I am happy, dog gone it, smile, and act the part. Life doesn’t have to be tragic or depressing to be interesting. Sometimes stories with cheesy happy endings and beginnings are also entertaining.