Gotta Love Sales

With today being Memorial Day, that means sales. With Laura being here, that means I'm more likely to buy things. Together, those two are a dangerous combination. Case in point - today we decided to go furniture shopping. Don't get me wrong, my couch had to go. It is too small and not comfortable...not exactly endearing qualities in a couch. So, we decided to splurge. Now, instead of not having enough places to sit, we don't have enough room for everything. If you're not busy, come on over...I've got couches to break in.

Keyhole

Google recently came out with an addition to their empire called Keyhole. Much like Google Satellite, it allows you to view real satellite imagery of just about anywhere you can imagine. Simply type in an address or location, and Keyhole will zoom directly over that area with real imagery (albeit not real-time). Although this service does require an annual subscription, you can download a free one-week trial. The upside to this service over Google Maps/Satellite is that Keyhole shows roads, 3D terrain changes, altitudes, and much more. It's worth checking out even if it's just to play around.

Hectic Week

As you can probably tell from my lack of entries, it has been nothing short of hectic around here the last week or so. After graduation on Sunday, Laura and I made the long trip back so we could spend some time together before starting a summer job. Most of the week revolved around me spending all day at work and then finding as many ways as possible to goof off before I had to rush off to bed early so I could be at work the next day. However, on Thursday night, Laura did get the pleasure of meeting Jason, a buddy and former coworker, and his wife at dinner. It's always nice to introduce people from different parts of your life, even if the waiters probably hated us because we spent an hour talking in the booth after we had paid - whoops!

This weekend, we finally got some "quality" time together so we decided to venture up to the mountains for a little hiking. I ignorantly chose Mt. Falcon, forgetting that the girls were not accustomed to the thin air and that this was going to be their first time hiking with Ben and I, not to mention it is one of the toughest hiking trails I've been on. Needless to say, it was an adventure. Nevertheless, they never quit and we had a great time showing the girls a place they'd never been before, letting them see the "real" Colorado, away from the lights of the city.

The link for hiking pictures at Mt. Falcon is here.

A Long Weekend

Finally made it home this evening from the weekend trip back home. We made it through graduation, parties, and even some trips to possible wedding locations. In other words, it was entirely more than any two people should ever have to do in three short days. But, graduation was great. It was fun, proud, and everything else you can imagine to see friends and loved ones walk across the same stage I went across not too long ago. It's going to be a completely different world for them now, one like they've never been a part of. Nevertheless, I couldn't be happier to have one of those new grads here with me now as we get ready to start a new chapter in both of our lives. It was a busy weekend, but I couldn't be more excited to have been a part of it.

For those interested, graduation pics are here.

All Quiet on the Blogging Front

It's going to be quiet for the next several days as I head home for Laura's graduation. I get to play proud boyfriend for a few days! Catch you on the flip side.

Rollin Right Along

It's been a couple days now and things are going smooth at the new job. The work is interesting. I have to admit it's not what I expected, but I think it's going to be very enjoyable. To go along with that, the people are great as well. They're easy to talk to and more than willing to help out. It's not your "normal" work environment by any stretch of the imagination and it's certainly different than anything I've ever been a part of, but so far, it has vastly exceeded my expectations.

On a completely different note, am I alone when I say that I cannot believe the school year is over already? It seems like I just moved here and I'm already making plans to head home for the weekend to see Laura walk across the stage. It was amazing how fast it went while I was in school, but there is no comparison to the speed at which it flies by once you're out. Nevertheless, can't wait to be home again - it's been a while!

BlogLog

Found a cool site, basically by accident. If you look at the bottom of the right-hand pane in this blog, you'll notice a link for MyBlogLog. If you click on it, you can see what people are looking at and what links they are following from this blog. It's interesting to see what other people take a look at.

If interested, the link to get your own is here.

First Day Jitters

Tomorrow brings my first day at the new job. To say I'm nervous is probably an understatement. In fact, there are dozens of emotions rolled up into one...nervous, anxious, excited, and clueless among others. It's hard to say whether I'm hesitant more because of the new setting or because I have no idea what I am going to be doing. Either way, I am definitely leaving a good thing behind me. I just hope the road ahead is as smooth as the one I'm turning off of. Be sure to check back tomorrow. I'm just as anxious as you are to hear about the first day...

Best Yet

Went to Evergreen, CO, this weekend for a little hiking. The trail was slow at first but picked up fast as we neared the top. We even did a little bushwhacking off trail to find views like this one. It wasn't the hardest trail I've done yet, but it was the perfect day for being outside.

Click here to see the rest of the pics.

Blogging 101

Since I started doing this, I've had a ton of people ask me "What is a blog, anyways?" Although I'm relatively new to this, the concept is simple. So, I thought I'd give anybody interested the low-down on what these things are and what they are all about.

Basically, a blog is short for a weblog. In other words, it's an online journal. It's a place where people can post thoughts, news, advice, insight, opinions, or anything else they can think of. A majority of blogs have a "target audience". That is, they focus on a certain subject or area, ranging anywhere from technology to stapler maintenance. Mine, on the other hand, varies with the weather. It's anything from how my day went to something cool I read about in the news.

In order to "create" a blog, there are a number of services available. I use a free, online service called Blogger. These basically do all the work for you, meaning if you can type in your thoughts, it'll post it and make it look nice. You'll also notice a lot of people using software such as MovableType and TypeKey.

To go along with this is a photoblog. As you may have already guessed, it's a blog made up of pictures. Sometimes they tell a story, sometimes they're just good pics. It all depends on who is composing it.

You may have noticed on my homepage that there is a link for My BlogRoll. If you go to this, you'll see an ever-changing collection of feeds & links. A LOT of sites offer RSS feeds. "RSS" stands for Really Simple Syndication. In other words, if I have a link to "Evhead" under "Miscellaneous", then anytime he updates his site or adds something new, that link in My BlogRoll updates as well. It's comparable to getting an email and it then showing up in your inbox.

Finally, you may have also noticed on my site that there is the option to Syndicate this site with an XML Feed. That will essentially create the feed (RSS) that I mentioned above. For those of you using Mozilla Firefox (if you're not, you should be) for your web browser, doing this for any site is easy. If there is an orange icon in the bottom right corner of your window resembling a box with a speaker in it, you can simply click on it and subscribe to that feed. For you Internet Explorer (IE) junkies, it's still pretty easy. You just have to find an icon on that page that either 1.) is a box that says "XML" or 2.) is the orange speaker icon. Click, subscribe, and it'll update in your favorites list all the time. For an example, check out ESPN and look beside ESPN Headlines on the right side of the main picture. You should see "XML".

This may seem like a lot, but, like anything else, it's very straightforward once you get the hang of it. It's not only a great way to get your voice heard, but it's a quick and easy way to follow information posted on hundreds of sites from a single location.

Idol Fever

For you American Idol junkies like me (I'm not proud of it, but why fight it), check out this website. It's loaded with info and also has a section where you can download audio & video clips if you miss a show or if you just dig a performance that much. Last nights clips are already posted.

To go directly to the download page, click here. Note that you will have to register in order to access these.

Get Your Rhythm

As most people know, I'm way too into working out, health, etc., regardless of whether you can tell that by looking at me or not. Watching the news last night, I caught a story about the body's circadian rhythm. Basically, it's the way your brain controls your internal clock and it determines the best time of the day to do things. For instance...

...the best time of the day to exercise is between 4 & 7 pm
...the best time of the day to ask for a raise is 10 am
...the best time of the day to take a nap is between 1 & 3 pm

It's an interesting article and I encourage you to read it. Couldn't find it on the Denver CBS news site, so this one is from Chicago I believe.

Staying in Touch

Found a "new" site tonight from facebook. In a nutshell, you enter in as much or as little info as you'd like and it groups you with people you went to school with. You can also search for others by their university or high school. You'll be amazed at how many people are already on there! I easily added over 50 people tonight once I got going. Note - you have to be either a current student OR recent grad to register.

Note: if you search for me, I'm listed under Baker, not KU :: aa

Not as Expected

As promised, Sunday brought another venture to the foothills for hiking and exploration. I decided to head further west, this time past Morrison to Lair O' the Bear, an open space park in Jefferson County. While driving up, the views were incredible. The trees and hills extended for miles while jagged rocks filled in the voids. With the sun beating down, I was excited to see what this trail would bring. However, my excitement was quickly subdued when confronted with the undemanding nature of the course. The climb was minimal and the runs were shorts.

Once the disappointment passed and it set in that I was not in for a challenge, the scenery became more prominent. If you're looking for a place where you can just walk and enjoy the surroundings, this is it. With the gentle rumble of Bear Creek in the background, it really can become peaceful. Nevertheless, I realized today that these weekend excursions are about more than just "seeing things"...it's the challenge I'm coming to crave - seeing how far I can go, how high I can push. And, once you get there, the views are just icing on the cake :: aa

Another Day, Another Trail

As another Saturday came and went, I once again found myself exploring one of the many trails on my list. Today's journey brought us to the rocky terrain of Deer Creek Canyon. This was not like any of the other trails I have been on. The constant tree cover and sound of water running through the rocks was serene and, although the city could be seen through the clearings, it seemed a million miles away. As we climbed on through the winding trails, each bend brought a new sight as we galloped up the path - the valley, the city in the distance, the endless trees...I could spend days exploring and still never see it all. I knew I moved here for a reason :: aa

Mozilla Calendar

Mozilla has started developing a new calendar for its users. The link is here.

There are two different things: Calendar and Sunbird. Calendar is integrated as part of Firefox. In other words, you can only open it while Firefox is running (Tools -> Calendar). Sunbird appears to be a stand-alone app. Both appear to be very cool and easy to use. Definitely worth checking out if in search of something new, or at least until Google makes one :: aa

A Soldier and a Friend

While in the fraternity at Baker, our Chapter Advisor was a "weekend warrior", spending his free time learning to be a better soldier with few thoughts of ever having to call on this knowledge. Recently, Tony left for his third tour in the Middle East, doing his part to make the world a safer place. I got this link today and thought it deserved its own post.

Not everybody will appreciate these videos as much as I do. You hear people all the time thanking soldiers for what they do, appreciative of their efforts. I think sometimes it just takes knowing someone before that really sinks in. God bless people like Tony who leave behind a wife, three kids, and a successful business to travel thousands of miles to the most undesirable of locations for the most undesirable of professions for people like us. We could all use a few more friends like him :: aa

Draw the Line

I'm not the biggest baseball fan in the world, but I love sports. I found an interesting article today in the Denver Post about Bud Selig, the commisioner of MLB, wanting to impose a 50-game suspension for any player caught using steroids. Now I can understand the need to remove these from the game and the potential "black cloud" they can leave over the image of the game, but you can't convince me that these performance-enhancing gems are that much worse than any other drug these "athletes" are abusing. Under the current policy, a player is suspended for a total of 10 games after their first offense. Cap'n Selig, in his infinite wisdom, thinks it would be more appropriate to increase this fivefold. At what point does it become TOO much? Sure it tarnishes the image of America's pasttime, but is it better to take Selig's idea and essentially get rid of these players all together? I'm not condoning steroids, but simmer down now :: aa