zoo time.....

Been a while since I last posted, as we had my brother and his friend in town since last Tuesday. They left on a very early flight on Wednesday morning, while at the same time Cassie returned from her week in Florida.

On Monday night, we took them to the zoo, as both my brother Chris, and his friend Mauricio wanted to go there while staying in town. It was a nice evening (like every evening here in SD) and we had a good time. The pictures are posted on the second post of today.

On Tuesday, I took the two of them to Sea World (No camera, I was lazy. Will take when Morgan, Cassie and I go again.), and then after that Mauricio (big sports fan, while my brother does not like baseball) and I went over to Petco Park to see the Padres play the Diamondbacks. That is one of the things I like about around here, as everything is so close, you can do a couple of different things during the day, and not have to travel hundreds of miles.

Also on Tuesday, we had an earthquake. We were at Sea World at the time, and did not feel it, so I joked that it does not count. Morgan did feel it as she was downtown getting her nails done, and the chair she was sitting in moved away from the table.

Tonight, Morgan and I are going to see Long Way Down, which is the second of the Ewan McGregor documentaries about his journeys with his friend, Charley Boorman, around the globe, and only on their motorcycles. This trip takes them starting out in Scotland, and follows them on their travels all the way to South Africa. This showing is a special "one night only" event that Morgan stumbled across, and luckily it is playing nearby. It will be on the Fox Reality channel in a couple of weeks.

In 2004, their first trip was documented in Long Way Round, as they went from London, England and around the world to New York. I just received the two DVDs from Netflix, and hope to watch it some time this weekend.

I know that after watching these two that I am going to get an itch for a long ride. Maybe someday if I can get Morgan riding after Cassie gets older, or when my buddy gets his bike, and our kids are older. Don't think around the globe is in my future, but something long would be fun.

- Following in dad's footsteps.

- Because I'm cheap, so far I only have free apps.

- Lots of baseball trades, and Manny is a Dodger.

Until the next time.....

zoo pictures.....

These are the zoo pictures I mentioned from Monday night's visit.


"Hey", why you watching me eat?


Handsome eagle


Random flower

Painted by "Splash Animals"

The real thing, not a painting. :-)

Was one of two serenading us with growls.

A koi in a pond while walking around. They were huge.

Did not want to turn and face me for nothing.

Munching on bamboo, and also shy about facing people.

Until the next time.....

Comic Con Crazy.....

Ugh! How can there be this many people dressed up as so many different characters, all in one place? That was my thoughts after my second day at Comic Con on Thursday. I will say that it was fun, but I am not good with crowds, and this is just one big pile of pasty white humanity. The "pasty white" comment comes from Morgan, as it was her first observation when she was here last year. She told me, they all look like they live in mom's basement, and the sunshine in San Diego is their only exposure all year. The comment is even funnier when you realize the "white" person making the comment, but it is true they many are even more pale then her. :-)

There are a huge amount of costumes and dress up characters walking the convention center floor. A very large percentage of them some look fantastic with lots of thought and great make-up jobs. Others are in the "not so much" category, and really needed to look in the mirror before leaving the house/hotel. It is a very different crowd walking our downtown area these five days.

Above are some of the pictures from my time there. I did not take too many, and these were the best of the bunch. Really, what I did most of the time was wander around, and take it all in. The "big" boys of the show like the DC Comics, Marvel, TV Networks, Lego, and LucasFilms have the biggest and most expansive displays, and I looked at them, but mostly I wandered around the small time web comics and artists who barely make a living doing what they love. Some of the material is very adult, but there is some "family" product displayed, but generally the artists and the art catered to a more sci-fi/horror/adult crowd, and even though I would not be bringing any of it home to hang up, there were some really great and beautiful pieces on display. Overall, when you just look at the work, the talent in the convention center is amazing.

The one place I did stay the most, and where I did purchase a comic, was while I was wandering around and getting ready to leave on Thursday afternoon. Out of the corner of my eye, I see hockey sticks! So, I make my way over to a table with two young gentlemen. When they ask me how I am doing, I mention seeing the hockey sticks, and they proceed to tell me about there comic based on two "kids" and hockey, called The Rink Rat Chronicles. When they ask my favorite team, and I told them the Hurricanes, they asked me to leave as they are from Edmonton. We then proceeded to talk hockey for 30 to 40 minutes. I purchased their comic, and will be looking forward to their others when they are completed.

I thought it funny that I could find something hockey related, and talk hockey for 40 minutes while at a comic convention in San Diego.

So, in my two days there, I grabbed a few "freebies", took in pretty much everything, and now I can say I did it. As Casey said to me, it can now be scratched off my "bucket" list.

A different story is my brother, Chris, and his friend, Mauricio (they teach at the same school), as they are the "old pros" at this convention stuff. They have been there all three days so far, and will be there for the remaining two this weekend. They have also come home with more free stuff, purchased items, and autographed material then can fit in their suitcases for the flight back. I am amazed at how these two work the floor, and the conference rooms. It is like second nature to them, as they plan their strategies for the day. Well, I am glad they are having a good time, but I could not do what they are doing.

So, it looks like another successful week for San Diego hosting Comic Con. Perfect weather (what a surprise), and so far, a real good show. Now, only two more days until the costumes, and make-up leave our downtown area.

- This is another good story for Casey.
- One of my favorite meals, and not good for me.
- Prius price rising. What a surprise.

Until the next time.....

magazine girl.....

Figured I better get a quick post in while I have the chance. My brother, and his friend, who is also a teacher, have arrived for their week long visit, though I will not see much of them, as they will be at Comic Con most of the days (Wednesday through Saturday) while here. We do have plans to go to the San Diego Zoo on Monday, and Sea World on Tuesday, and have left Sunday blank for now.

I will be hitting the convention on Wednesday evening, and then for a short time on Thursday, after taking Cassie to the airport (she goes to Florida for the week). I think that will be about as much as I can handle. I will bring some camera for the different events this week.

The issue of San Diego Magazine with the article about Morgan has been published, and is out on newsstands, as well as being mailed to subscribers. I am very proud of her. Always have been, and always will be.

Morgan and I are also in the process of getting new tattoos. We have been given the name of an artist who is also a church member, and has worked with others in the church (including one of our pastors, Jeanette, who showed Morgan her artwork last week). Morgan will be getting a Phoenix, to depict her "new self" after the weight loss. I will be getting a pinup of Morgan, so it is important that the artist likes to do, and can do, portraits. The artist, Jason, said he does, but I will still be looking at his work before making a final decision. We hope to meet with him on Friday, and then set a time in the next couple of weeks while Cassie is away (either Florida, or camp in August) to get the work done.

OK, enough for now. Hope to get up some quick posts in the next few days, even if they are just some pictures of what we are doing.

- Sugarland has been all over lately.
- This is an honor Casey would want.
- Everyone talking up the Chargers.

Until the next time.....

paper party.....

Finally, yes finally, I have scanned all my office papers into each appropriate client file. In two weeks a mobile shredding company will come and shred it all in front of me, and the house will about 500 pounds (maybe more) lighter. I did not realize how much paper were in the files, until I started emptying the boxes from the office, while I was shredding, into the area of the garage where I was storing larger boxes for the shedding company to come and take away. Anyway, I'm glad it is done, and now as I stay on top of it, we can probably do all the shredding "in house", or at least Cassie will be doing it. :-)

Last night, Morgan hosted a midnight showing of The Dark Knight, and Cassie tagged along. I was going to join them, but the theater where Morgan usually hosts the shows is a little old, and the seats are not "theater seats". For me, that means sore knees and a sore back, and at a little over 2 1/2 hours, and a full theater where I could not move and loosen my legs during the movie, meant I stayed behind. I'll just go in a week or so (theater provides Morgan with free passes) to a morning showing. Boy, it stinks when your body does not cooperate at 100%.

Not too much going on this weekend. Cassie has swim practice tonight, and a "splash and dash" swim meet tomorrow. Basically, it is a series of quick (25 meter or 50 meter) races. Her coach thinks it will be good for her to "race" and go all out for these sprints.

Morgan is wrapping up some baking for the Harley club's bake sale, that is going on tomorrow. She likes to bake, and the money is for the annual charity drive, so it works out for Morgan to do a little bit for it.

Then on Saturday evening/night, Morgan will be out at her station's $5 Concert, that will be held out in Oceanside. Nothing for us to do there, so Cassie and I will be staying home. That means we will be going to the 9am church service on Sunday morning.

- Did your favorite get an Emmy nod?
- Hooray, more Lego games. Batman is next.
- 600 stores closing. Any near you?

Until the next time.....

helmet law.....

Hope you got a chance to read Josh Hamilton's Wiki page and the two ESPN articles that I mentioned yesterday.

Last Friday, I decided to pick up a "half helmet" to wear for my trips around town on the motorcycle. It is not for my times that I expect to be on the freeway, but for my trips to the supermarket, bank, and etc., that I seem to be making more and more of, so not to start the truck for just a quick errand.

On Sunday, I decided to wear it for our church ride, and I quickly discovered that regular sunglasses will not do the trick for keeping the wind off my eyes, so yesterday I picked up a pair of sunglasses/goggles to protect my eyes. So, now I am set for my rides around town, without seating my head off being in a full helmet.

It's funny, because when I started riding I promised myself I would always wear my "armour", and always a full helmet. Now, I ride around most days in a t-shirt and jeans, and now you can add a half helmet. Boy, how my thoughts have changed.

My brother is arriving on Tuesday for Comic Con, so I called him on Tuesday to see what what going on. When I asked him where he and his friend were staying, he said, "I thought with you?". Need less to say, I do not remember that conversation, and are not really sure we even had it. In any case, our home is open to him, so they will be crashing with us for a week. That is the same week that Cassie heads off to Florida, so there goes that week of quiet that Morgan and I were planning. We'll need to wait until the first week in August when Cassie goes away with church for sleep away camp.

I'm not sure how long I will be spending at Comic Con. I will have a media pass, so I will have a little different access (very little) than some, but I really just want to experience it, and see what it is like being with so many comic "geeks/nerds" (said nicely). There are a few booths I want to see, but otherwise, I just expect to wander. I do hope they allow my camera inside, although I might be better off just taking the small Sony Cybershot, as it fits in my pocket.

The NHL schedule for the 2008 - 2009 season was released today, and the Hurricanes make their trip to the west coast early in the season. They will be in Los Angeles, to face the Kings on Friday, October 17th, and then on Sunday, they will be playing against the Ducks in Anaheim. We will see at least one of the games, and maybe both if it works into the budget.

- Are we seeing a glimmer of light at tunnel's end for this economy?
- Jay likes cars and motorcycles.
- The Who cover The Who.

Until the next time.....

apology.....

So, in yesterday's post, my friend Kellie (sorry about Ashes) commented about our experience with Kimiko Soldati, and she said about me, "Look how far the Lord has brought you". It made me think, was I that "bad" before, or is it just a difference that is now seen in me in other ways, that was not there before?(Now, Kellie, stop writing the email to me apologizing for what you said. It was not hurtful in any way, and it actually made me think. So again, stop typing.) I thought about it while on my walk this morning (do lots of thinking on my walks), and I think it is a combination of both.

None of my friends or family are going to say I was "bad", but I was at a time. I had no direction, no purpose, and just forced my way through situations. Since my return to church in 2004, it was slowly changing, but it has been ramped up to full speed after we found CRB in December 2007. For that I am very thankful, and feel blessed, especially for the fact that I have been able to share this growth with my friends, but even more so that I have experienced it with Morgan by my side.

That brings me to my apology. I am sure many of you may have heard or read about Josh Hamilton and his incredible home run display during the Home Run Derby, Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Also, from that, you may know about his even more incredible story (please read his Wiki, and the ESPN the Magazine links on the bottom of it) about how he started as the #1 overall pick for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (they dropped the "Devil" part at the end of last season, and coincidentally are having their first winning season ever in their existence) in the 1999 baseball draft (out of Athens High in Raleigh), then went to the absolute lowest of the low, due to the demons of alcohol and drug addiction, was out of baseball for four years, only to return for the 2007 season, and now he is the leading candidate to be this year's American League MVP. Ask him what changed, and he will tell you it is all because of his faith and love in Jesus, and he will also tell you that if he had to do it all over again, he would not change one thing about his journey.

Well, sometime during that four years away, I remember reading a story about him in the Raleigh News & Observer, and I remember mumbling and talking to myself about what a "waste" of talent and energy he was. Seemed like each time he was getting ready to play again, he would revert back to the demons. Pathetic, I thought.

Now, he is on top of the world, and is telling the whole world his testimony about his love and faith in Jesus. Each time I have heard it over the past season and half, I have been inspired, but it has been seeing him these past 2 weeks tell his story that it hit home even more. I no longer "look up to" and admire athletes, like when I was a kid, but I have one now.

So, with that, I want to apologize for those thoughts I had about him while he was struggling. I am in no position to judge anyone, and his story shows me how anything is possible with the love and faith in Jesus Christ.

Between Josh's story, and Kimiko's story about the shovel, it has given me a great amount to think about and to inspire to with regards to my faith. Hopefully, I will get another comment in the future telling me again how much further the Lord has brought me.

- Comic Con is a week away.
- New Ben 'n Jerry's ice cream (wish it were vanilla)
- I enjoyed watching last night's All-Star Game.

Until the next time.....

Duck Soup.....

So our weekend went well, and I hope yours did too. Cassie had a great time at the beach as she used a "boogie board" and body surfed the whole evening. Her coach told me that she never wanted to leave the water. She did come home with a "rub" and little skin irritation on her abdomen. She told us they made a nice fire, and had a great time. Morgan and I are glad she enjoyed herself.

Morgan and I enjoyed the Padre game. The tickets we received from the Padres were in the 19th row and a little behind third base. Very nice seats. Of course I did not know we were going to be so close, or I would have brought my camera. I assumed we were in the same seats as the last time we visited Petco Park. Oh well.

On Sunday, the church's motorcycle ministry, The Eternal Riders, had a very nice ride on Sunday morning. We went towards the mountains, and took a nice leisurely 50 mile ride around the area. After that, it was a BBQ at the leader's house (Randy & Linda Howell). Morgan and Cassie arrived a little after we started, and we all had a very nice time.

On Saturday night, we heard the testimony of Kimiko Soldati, a former Olympic diver, as our church's special guest speaker. She told a story that in some ways matches my journey to know Jesus. She had a very hard time letting go, and allowing Jesus to do the work and lead her way. She talked about digging, and then Jesus giving her a shovel, then when that was not working, Jesus holding out his hands to take the shovel, and do the work for her, if she would "let go" and have faith. The story got a laugh from Morgan, and it did hit home for me. Many times I try to give complete control over to Jesus, but then I keep putting one hand back on that shovel, instead of just "letting go". It is more "off then on" at this point, but I need to resist the urge to keep grabbing it.

Afterwards, Cassie bought one of her posters, and she signed it for her, and then spoke with us for a while. She was extremely nice, and Cassie was also impressed by her, and that poster has been carefully rolled up and "tubed" for her new room back in NC.

Let me tell you that you will not be able to see any wall in that room once that girl gets all her posters up.

We have been having two male and one female duck fly and use the pool at this house, and our two next door neighbors' pools as their own private lakes. Well, the males have been busy, and last night a neighbor called me over to see if I could help get eleven ducklings out of their pool. I was not able to help, so after dinner, Cassie and I went to the store. When we returned, we found all the ducklings and the mother in our pool. Luckily, the neighbor had called a wildlife rescue service, and the woman, Morgan and myself were able to corral all the ducks, and she took them to a place where they would be safe, until she could let them go back into nature. We had to make a ramp for the ducklings, so that they could climb up and out of the pool.

That was our nature excitement for the day. And, no, I did not have time or thoughts to take pictures, as I was too busy corralling the mother duck, who was not too happy with us.

She told us that if she did not come when she did, and if they would have stayed in the pool overnight, many if not all of them would have died from hypothermia. I'm glad my neighbors were able to get a hold of her, and we thank her for her help.

- Last All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium
- Please give us the password?
- Do you have your Dark Knight tickets?

Until the next time.....

quiet week.....

Yes, it has been a few days since I last posted, and that was pictures from the weekend activities. As with the start of most months, it is when I am the busiest with work, and when it is a payroll tax reporting month, it is a little worse. Luckily, nothing else pressing going on during the week, so you did not miss anything. :-)

Tonight we are going to the Padres game, as they face the Atlanta Braves. The Padres are playing like garbage, but at least tonight we get to see Jake Peavy (Alabama boy, Slinger) on the mound. With his "stuff", you never know if you will see a two hit, 15 strikeout performance with him on the bump.

Cassie has a beach party with her swim team down at La Jolla Shores. One of her coaches is taking her there and back, as the coach knew Morgan and I had the game tonight. I mentioned I would stay behind and go with her, but that got a resounding "NO!" from my daughter. Seems she needs "alone" time with her friends. Ugh!

Otherwise, it has been work, and scanning. I am just wrapping up the "S" clients, so I am almost done. Good thing too, as the boxes with paper for the shredding company is taking up quite a bit of space in the garage. I will be happy (well not too happy) to pay that fee when all of the paper is gone.

Sunday is another ride with the church's motorcycle group. This will be a ride that will end up at the house of the group leaders (Randy & Linda) for a BBQ and pool party. Morgan and Cassie will be meeting me there after they have a meeting at the church going over things for Cassie's time away at camp in August.

Speaking of my motorcycle, I am going to venture out and pick up a new helmet. When I go out on these short couple mile rides to the store or bank, in stop and go traffic with lights, I burn up with a full helmet, so I am going to get a "1/2 helmet" for these quick trips. I am trying to use the bike for than the truck for errands, so this will make it more comfortable to do so.

- This will be an interesting decision for Green Bay. Release a legend?
- iPhone problems? You Apple "haters" are smiling.
- Know someone who may be eligible for the rebate?

Until the next time.....

holiday pictures.....

So here are the different pictures from all the different activities from the Fourth of July holiday weekend. Some were with my camera phone, while the BMX and Morgan and Cassie picture from Julian were with my regular camera. None of them were great. I really need to get better with the camera.

We started off Friday with Morgan and Cassie in the local parade, representing our church's Motorhead Club.

Then it was off to the local high school for the fireworks display.

Saturday morning took us to Julian for some breakfast and nice rides up and down the mountain. Please excuse my daughter's "squinty face", as for some reason she does not bring her sunglasses outside.

Then on Saturday evening it was some BMX stunt riding with Vic Murphy and his crew.

Please enjoy. We did.

- Free Bon Jovi, but not for some.
- Getting ready for Batman next week?
- Retire, unretire. Make up your mind.

Until the next time.....

holiday weekend.....

Hope you had a fun and safe holiday weekend. Morgan, Cassie and I sure did. The pictures will follow in a few days once I get the chance to see and "play" with them on the computer.

For the 4th of July on Friday, Morgan and Cassie participated in the local parade. I walked over to the area where they were and was able to see them as they started their parade route. They went there representing our church's "Motorheads' Club", as Morgan drove the Viper in the parade.

Then after grilling some burgers (regular and turkey) for dinner, we walked over to the Junior High / High School complex for the local fireworks show. After Cassie's complaining about us having to walk to the school (about a mile from the house), we found a spot and enjoyed a nice display of fireworks. This little area of San Diego did a nice job with their holiday celebrations.

On Saturday morning we left about 8am to ride up to the mountain town of Julian for breakfast. Morgan and Cassie went in the car, while I rode up on the motorcycle. It was a nice ride, and I'm getting more comfortable going around the corners and bends, even at an elevation of 3000 to 4000 feet. We had a nice "country" breakfast, and walked around the town for a while. It is a big visitors haven, and especially for those on bikes. By the time we left around 11am, probably 1/3 or more of the vehicles on the streets were motorcycles.

Unfortunately, just as we were leaving town, we came across a motorcycle/car accident where the rider hit the car and flew over it onto the other side. From the looks of it, he may have been doing a decent speed around a bend, while she was trying to make a turn from a side street just at the end of that bend. I know that picture did not sit well with Morgan and Cassie as I was riding behind them.

In the early evening at church, we had Vic Murphy (our guest speaker for the night) and his group of BMX riders put on a stunt show in the church parking lot. At first I thought they were only going to do a few tricks "here and there", but after warming up with some basics, they really showed off some great jumps and tricks. It was a really nice show, and Vic as our guest speaker had a great message for us during his sermon. A very different, but very good night at church.

Sunday has been "lazy day", as I have caught up on all my readings, and are getting ready for the week ahead.

- Did not see, but a great Wimbledon Final.
- Will Smith can do no wrong at the box office.
- I used to love watching the All-Star Game.

Until the next time.....

fourth of July.....

Yes, it has been extremely quiet this week, and I have been working all week, so there is my excuse for not posting. :-)

The start of July is a busier time for me because it is a "payroll tax" month. Meaning, that besides normal work for my clients, I must produce for them their quarterly payroll tax returns. Also, I work on all my business clients this month, as compared to about 80% of them on a "normal" month.

I am 95% caught up on the new client I have mentioned, finally getting much of the needed paperwork to get them set up. Also as their books were last prepared in March, I have to make sure the first three months look good to me, and then work on the second three months. Time consuming, but this is going pretty smoothly, so it will be worth it.

The town of Rancho Bernardo, where we live (But it does not get "named" on our mail. It is basically an "area" of San Diego. Guess like a suburb), is having a small parade and gathering down the main street. Our church's Auto Club will be participating, so Morgan and Cassie will be in the parade. The festivities are walking distance from the house, so we will stick around and see what is going on.

Tomorrow morning, we are going to head up the mountains to the town of Julian for breakfast. This will give Morgan another chance to drive the car, and I can take the motorcycle up for the ride.

Then tomorrow night, we will be at church around 3:30 or so, as Vic Murphy will be bring his BMX show to the church, then will be the guest speaker for the weekend services. I find it interesting how CRB has a different guest speaker for the sermons during the eight weeks of summer. I was a little hesitant if this was just "filler", but so far the first two men have been excellent. I can't wait to hear the next six tell their stories.

On Tuesday, the Hurricanes traded Erik Cole to the Edmonton Oilers for Joni Pitkanen. I actually like the trade, as it gives us another puck moving defensemen, along with Joe Corvo, who we traded for last year during the season. They will make our defense better, our offense better because of their skills, and it makes the team younger, especially of defense.

Then we resigned Anton Babchuk (who played on the Stanley Cup team, but played in Russia the past 2 years), to give us even more strength on the back line, and is also just getting into his prime years.

I am sure there are quite a few upset about the trade, but Cole was in the last year of his contract, and the way the Hurricanes pay players, there is no way they would have resigned him as compared to what he would have been offered by other teams. Better to get something for him, and we did, and then were able to sign Pitkanen to a three year deal, to make it even a little better.

My only problem with the Hurricanes this week, was when I listened to the General Manager, Jim Rutherford, and his interview on a local sports talk station talk about negotiations with Chad LaRose. LaRose is a popular, nose to ice kind of guy you want on your team. Always working, and always working hard. Well it seems LaRose has given the team a figure for a new contract that Rutherford admits is "fair", and is most likely market value for Chad's services. Problem is the Hurricanes "slot" their players into salary spots. So, while your request make me market value around the league, it may not fit the "Canes Value", because of where they "slot" you. Losing LaRose would be a mistake, and I hope they get this straightened out.

Otherwise, a good week for the Hurricanes. If all others come back from injuries suffered last season, this could be an exciting team. It better be, because the Tampa Bay Lightning sure have been busy getting better.

- Great US Swimmers competing for Olympic spots.
- I can't wait for Rock Band 2!!!
- Josh Holloway movie news for my wife

Until the next time.....