Life As I Know It

A Huge Thank You

2009-01-17T13:36:00.007-05:00

It took a little while to sort things out at the end (and obtain a matching grant from my company), but in the end I'm so incredibly pleased and grateful to reveal that all of the following were donated by my friends and family to Heifer International this Christmas:

Two Pigs ($240)
4 Flocks of Geese ($80)
4 Flocks of Chickens ($80)
2 Flocks of Ducks ($40)
1 Share of Rabbits ($10)
1 Share of Goats ($10)
1 Share of Pigs ($10)
1 Basket of Hope - Rabbits and Chickens ($50)
Donation - The Zambia Project ($150)

The grand total for this is an astonishing $670, and I can't thank each of you enough that donated to this. And that you would trust me enough to do so. :)

Without question, the best gift I have ever received is to be surrounding by such amazing people, and as with many gifts, this is the gift that keeps on giving. And I truly believe that many other lives will now be improved as a result.

Thank you!!

- Andy

My Christmas Wish

2008-11-15T21:15:00.005-05:00

Friends and Family,
With your help, I am hereby asking an enormous favor, and one that means a lot to me:

I am asking your help to ensure that I do not receive a single Christmas gift this year.

Have I gone mad? No. :) With the world economy spiraling us down into darker times than we would like, spending has been cut across the board in almost all categories. People are foregoing many items, food, and other commodities that they have become accustomed to, and these sacrifices are making news everywhere. But the one sacrifice that we haven't heard much about is sacrifice itself.

When times get tough, it becomes much more difficult to give money away--strictly because one's thoughts and concerns have to turn inward, to our families and loved ones. This is absolutely understandable--it's just another sad casualty of a recession like this one. I myself don't have the donations that I would like to be able to make.

But after some thought, I realized that there is one area where I can still give meaningfully: Christmas. It occurred to me that what I want more than anything this year is to help others in a way that really celebrates the true meaning of Christmas, as well as gives me the most happiness (thus being a little selfish, after all).

So, in other words, I am asking for your help in forgoing all of the Christmas presents that I might otherwise receive this year.

I am most definitely not asking for you to give in any way you are not comfortable with, and if you would like to simply abstain for any donations, then I completely understand and support that. But if you truly would like to give me a gift this Christmas season, then I ask instead that you give it to Heifer International.

This organization is simply amazing in its ability not just to provide food to those in hunger, but to provide sustainable means of nutrition in the future. Thus donations go directly to provide animals (through various means) to families in dire need, and those families use these animals to build for the immediate future. An astonishing illustration of this showed up in the New York Times in January, in which a young girl from Uganda actually built her entire education (including coming to the U.S. for college) all upon a single donation of a goat made through Heifer International. This story is linked here:

How a Goat Led a Girl Up the Path to Education - New York Times

Probably the thing I love most about this is that Heifer sets direct guidelines about how these gifts are handled, and does everything it can to ensure that the gifts continue to keep on giving (this is also noted in the article). So one chicken becomes four, then ten, and so on. This leads to a miraculous turnaround in some cases with only a small effort.

I won't go on much more here, but you may also visit Heifer International to find out more information.

My sincere and heartfelt thanks for your understanding in this, and most of all for supporting my one profound wish this holiday season.

- Andy

A Rare Request For Assistance

2008-02-14T17:27:00.001-05:00

For those of you that know me (which is practically everyone, unless you're hitting the "Show Me a Random Blog" button on Blogger, in which case you must really be bored), you know that I don't often ask for help. But in this case, I've decided to take on a cause here in Greensboro...the Feral Cat Assistance Program. To do I will be walking in The Human Race on March 15, and I am kindly asking for any donations that you may be willing to send, no matter how large or small.

So I know what you're thinking...does this mean providing walkers and/or adult diapers to wild cats? No, not exactly. The term "feral" in this sense simply means those cats (and often kittens) that are born as strays or simply cast out into the streets, with nowhere to go nor anyone to feed them. FCAP does a lot of very valuable work to help find, domesticate, and provide homes for these cats rather than seeing them euthanized.

Even at home, I watch our own cats constantly tortured and stalked by our goofy full-time-herder border collie. Sometimes I think they'd be better out in the wild until I realize what a harsh existence it is out there. Together, we can prevent such scenarios and help make the world a better place. :)

Visual Summary For Those That Like Pictures (Kevin): Before and After

There is certainly no pressure involved here, but if you would be willing to sponsor me (and thus FCAP) in the Human Race, please send a check made payable to "The Human Race" with the initials "FCAP" and my name written on the memo portion of your check. You may draw pictures of your own animals on each check at your own risk. If you are interested and do not have my address, please send me a short note and I will provide it to you. All donations have to be in to me by February 28, but if you let me know in advance I can go ahead and make your donation for you (because I love and trust you).

Again, I don't do this often, so I greatly appreciate your understanding and thank you for reading.

My Face, Online at Last

2008-01-28T18:37:00.000-05:00

Faithful readers, I'm quite pleased to announce that through an friendly solicition (thanks to Kevin Lee), I was dragged into the world of Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com

Although I'd heard quite a bit about Facebook through everyday news, I had never really paid a whole lot of attention to it...mostly because MySpace just ain't my thing. Gaudy colors, dancing animations, and tacky colors never did it for me. :)

But as it turns out, Facebook is a lot of fun. It's more structured than MySpace, for one thing, which is infinitely better...because the focus is on the content, not how crazy you can spice it up. And if I'm saying that as a web designer (and someone who loves creativity), you know that I don't say it lightly.

Probably the neatest parts of the site are: 1) it's a very easy way to keep in touch with people through brief updates, 2) there are lots of little applications created to share your favorite movies, books, music, etc., and 3) it's a neat way to find like-minded people on just about any subject in the world. Not to mention that you're almost guaranteed to find one or two people that you'd lost touch with, only to regret that you'd done so. Facebook can give you a way to look them out without knowing their e-mail address.

You have also the option to withhold your information if you don't want anyone accessing it, particularly if you haven't designated them as a friend. I think this is actually the default on Facebook, while MySpace is open to everyone by default.

Anyway, feel free to look me up there if you're interested in trying it out. It's a great way to see what I'm up to on a day-to-day basis, browse some of my favorites in multiple categories, or just post a note to say hello.

In the end, it's all about fun, and I've found Facebook to be just that. Perhaps it might prove the same for you. :)

Green Bay and Grey Goose

2007-12-13T14:23:00.000-05:00

For those that aren't aware, Kelly and I had the opportunity this past
weekend of attending a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field (Wisconsin),
thanks to my brother Kyle. Five of us made the trip, including my father
and Kyle's girlfriend, Blair. All in all, it was a lot of fun--especially
with a rowdy 38-7 beatdown handed to the Raiders by the guys in green.

Gametime was about 17 degrees, and suffice it to say that things were a
little on the chilly side. But of course we prepared well, and Kelly and I
looked like Mr. and Mrs. Penguin for a few hours (or Dr. and Mr. Penguin,
if you care for that sort of thing). We saw bratwurst, shirtless men,
countless beers, the legendary Brett Favre, a couple of off-field black
people, parking lots full of snow, restaurant workers all wearing Green Bay
uniforms, and best of all the confirmation that my Dad has finally
perfected all of his corny Dad jokes. I'm so proud of him.

My father drove to Green Bay from Wisconsin in his Chevy Silverado, so for
cost/fun purposes we all decided to meet in Chicago and ride together from
there. This seemed like a good idea until winter weather set in, but
miraculously the weather held off on both ends of the trip. We definitely
had the good fortune of having a clear path both ways.

Until the goose happened.

Forty-five minutes into our return trip from Green Bay to Chicago, with
flights that afternoon, we were cruising along in my Dad's truck when an
enormous goose came out of nowhere and violently smashed into the
windshield. One moment all is well, and the next you have a three-inch
concave dent in your windshield, thousands of small cracks spiraling out
from it, and shards of glass everywhere in the front seat of the car.
Looking behind us, I could see various feathers blowing up and down the
interstate, with more still stuck in the cracks of the windshield. Not a
good thing.

We pulled off the road, of course, and the car in front of us did as well.
The truck was perfectly drivable but nothing could be done about the vision
aspect of it. Mostly we just tried to shake it off, drowning out the
lingering echoes of Kelly's blood-curdling scream. When Kyle walked up the
car ahead (that had stopped), they asked if we needed a witness, and he
just held up some feathers. That took care of that. Then the knowledge
set in that we were out in the middle of nowhere, about six miles from the
thriving metropolis of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. And that is when the cell
phone calls started.

Using all of the collective charm in the truck and the portable GPS I
fortunately brought along, we got into town only to find that Manitowoc had
no one that could repair the damage. Meanwhile, my poor father is driving
around while sitting at a very crooked angle, trying his best to see
underneath the bottom portion of the windshield that wasn't completely
smashed. To make a long story short, the best we could find was a shop in
Sheboygan, no less than 27 miles away. And so we drove it as best we
could, knowing all the while that our flights would take off without us.

Of course, we joked about it. Kyle kept the feathers as a souvenir for
over an hour until letting them loose in a Starbucks later that afternoon.
We teased Kelly about the scream. We blamed my Dad for special-ordering
his sausage and cheese biscuit at Hardee's, delaying us just enough to put
us in the path of the goose 45 minutes later. We took pictures and waited
for the actual windshield to cave in on itself with the force of the wind
blowing against it. But it never did.

In Sheboygan, the repair would take nearly three hours, which would leave
us no chance for our flight. So I came up with the idea of renting a car.
We called several rental car companies before finding that Avis had a tiny
agency about two miles away. And thankfully, small-town hospitality
finally came into play...the guy from Avis drove over to pick us up and
rented us a car one-way for only $93 (this was over about 180 miles to
Chicago). And so we took the car and drove off toward the airport, leaving
my father with his poor, injured truck, still picking tiny shards of glass
off of his jacket.

In the end, Kelly and I made our flight by only ten minutes, thanks to Kyle
agreeing to drop off the rental for us (their flight was later). We ended
up exactly where we would have been if nothing had happened, but did we
ever take a crazy route to get there.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the goose.

Rebirth: A New Beginning

2007-12-06T17:07:00.000-05:00

Well, as you can tell, I've once again fallen victim to the combination of
a busy life and a non-updated blog. And in doing so, my thousands of blog
readers have lived in depression, anxiously awaiting a salvation that has
not come (scale: 10 actual readers = 1,000 claimed readers). In the
interest of truth, however, there are 64 people who currently exist on the
subscription list, so my apology is rather heartfelt.

Still, there is hope.

No, I am not talking about Mitt Romney. I'm talking about reclaiming the
blog for it's rightful purpose: a view on life, through the eyes of a
madman. Yes, that's right, the kind of madman who works in a cubicle all
day and comes home to a well-kept suburban house with a wife and three
pets. So what's the difference? Well, rather than focus on lengthier,
time-intensive posts like you've seen in the past, this time I'm going to
balance those with smaller posts as well. Little thoughts here and there
along the way. Some will make you think...some might make you drink. Some
will cause apathy and others will barely be readable due to my continuous
lack of sleep. But I think these little additions are truly what make the
essence of a blog.

Anyway, as we enter the Christmas season, I see stress and pure craziness
on the faces on people everywhere. There is a pure frantic energy about
December--one that makes everyone feel like they have way too much to do
and not nearly enough time. We save half of our yearly vacation to prepare
for it. We spend more money on gifts than we do in the rest of the year
combined. We pretend that candy canes are delicious, even though they
taste terrible and would impale your brain if you ever happened to fall
while eating one. Much like the elves and reindeer and Grinch that dance
around your Christmas tree, much of it is simply a grand fairy tale that
culminates in the most elaborate birthday party in the history of the
world.

Thank goodness that Santa Claus is real. Without that, I wouldn't have
much reason to go on.

Random Question of the Day

Did Jesus know about America when he was here on Earth? Or do all parents
keep secrets from their children?

See? Good food for thought. And for any such questions, feel free to send
your answers via e-mail and they may make a subsequent blog post. The goal
here is mainly humor, however, so don't send reference links to
Encyclopedia Brittanica. I'm not that much of a geek (oh, but if you have
any characters on World of Warcraft, let me know that, too).

A True Graduation

2007-08-06T21:39:00.000-04:00

My friends, I write tonight to relay that on Wednesday morning, I had the true privilege of attending the FBI Academy graduation of Josh, my best and oldest friend of over seventeen years. It was one of those things one never forgets. The same kid I used to do everything with in middle and high school is now a Special Agent of the FBI. And he completely knows my dark and sordid past.

Okay, maybe I don't have a dark and sordid past. ;) Or maybe I paid Josh off and we've agreed that bygones are bygones. But either way, I have to say that I was very proud to know him as he crossed the stage in Quantico, Virginia on Wednesday--if for nothing else than knowing that it was the culmination of a longtime dream for Josh. It was also true proof of what is possible when you really put all of your heart and soul into something.

For those interested, feel free to take a look at my photos from the event (click here). Hopefully they capture the true feel of the ceremony as well as give you a glimpse behind the scenes at the Academy.

Josh, my friend, here is a toast to you and all that you have achieved over the last few years. I know without a doubt that you'll be a damned fine agent, and I plan to closely follow your distinguished career every step of the way.

Andy

A Life of Bliss

2007-07-20T16:21:00.000-04:00

Greetings! It has been quite some time, and it only taken me a couple months and a lot of stress to remember why summer always feels like running the gauntlet. There is just an impossible number of things to do. I remember back to my younger days when I was so quiet no one really knew me, and a summer would be a blissful repetition of lazy days in the sunshine. I'd stay up until all hours of the night and sleep until the sun was well overhead in the afternoon sky. I'd make my own schedule and eat grilled cheese all day long. And my biggest stress of the day was trying to determine if I should wager all of my fictional money on Final Jeopardy.

Sometimes growing up sucks. ;) And turning 30 last month has brought with it some fun realities.

I think part of getting older requires that you finally give in to life's tightening schedules and realize that you have to start cutting things out. Most often, it is a long-held debate between life's pleasures (hanging out with friends, sending e-mails and telephone calls, watching your favorite television shows, shooting plungers at rabid rabbits with a Nintendo Wii remote, or going to Hooters) with life's responsibilities (cleaning the house, mowing the yard, work responsibilities, business trips, and rubbing the dog's belly when he looks like he really, really has to have it or he'll just explode inside). I think all of us live in this perpetual state of battle between the two.

So as you can guess, I'm trying to find my way through this life crisis. I constantly feel neglectful of something, simply because there is not enough time to get to it all. Lately the responsibilities side of the war has been winning, I think, to the detriment of things such as this blog and keeping in contact with a number of you. But alas, it is never too late to change!

Does this mean I'm going back to my life of sleeping all day and eating grilled cheese? Actually, it does! I realize this is big news to many of you, but it is time for a much-needed change back to the simple life. Wait, hold on a second...

...

Oh, great, Kelly just came in and vetoed that idea. Argh! Why does she have to be the responsible one? And what the hell am I going to do with all of this cheese now? Apparently we don't really live in a world where a family can exist on one income, at least not with DirecTV. So we're back to square one. Such utter disappointment, but I guess I'll need to make the best of it.

With that said, I will part ways with you for the moment. I'm off to enjoy a really fun weekend! But first I have to clean both my house and car, write a couple of e-mails, pay the bills, and do some grocery shopping.

Now Available: My Digital Self

2007-06-25T18:28:00.001-04:00

For whatever reason, I've recognized that many people are somewhat reluctant to use the phone these days. It's an odd reversal from when I first logged onto the internet back in '95, when I was typing all over the place and everyone else was on the phone. At any rate, I've decided to revive a little of this glorious past, and go forth once again into the realm of instant messaging.

I'm including my account info below for those that would like to contact me this way. Two important notes: 1) Do not be alarmed if I do not respond right away, as this is the nature of such things, and 2) I actually have one application that allows me to log into multiple services, so I do not actually have four different applications running at once (wouldn't that be fun?). So here they are...feel free to use any that you like:

ICQ - 214444
Yahoo! - ugadesign
MSN - ugadesign@hotmail.com
AOL - ugadesign421

Enjoy as you will. ;)

Photos - Charleston Trip

2007-06-23T21:06:00.000-04:00

Hello, everyone! Life is still very busy, as I was away from home twelve days (returning on Wednesday)--half of which was a trip to New York City and the other half a trip to Charleston, South Carolina. As part of the Charleston trip, Kelly, Lauren, and I had a chance to see the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, a plantation that was originally built around 1670 in early Charleston. This was a great chance to put my new camera to use, and overall it proved to produce a lot of great photographs (I believe so, anyway).

Feel free to take a look yourself by clicking here:

Charleston Photos

I've taken a fair amount of effort to change the format of how the photos are displayed, along with adding descriptions and trying to make them as entertaining as possible (yes, including my tainted sense of humor). I hope you enjoy them...let me know what you think.

Meanwhile, there is a lot going on at the moment, and I think over the next few months you'll see an exciting thing or two from me. Time will tell. I hope all of you are doing well, and thanks for reading!

Fall From Grace

2007-03-01T09:55:00.000-05:00

For those that aren't aware, I have not been able to walk normally for nearly ten weeks now. And no, it's not because I've done prison time. Back on December 19, I was playing basketball for our incredibly successful UG basketball team, when for only the second time in 23 years I suffered an injury bad enough to keep me out of the next game. Only this time, it kept me out of the entire rest of the season. Jumping up to block a shot, I was somehow undercut while in the air (rather violently, I've been told), flipped over backwards and smashed my head into the floor. I never lost consciousness but did suffer a concussion and don't really remember any of the play. The worst of this, however, was that somehow in the fall my right knee twisted aggressively, partially tearing my MCL and significally damaging cartilage in the knee joint.

Strangely enough, I didn't realize the extent of the damage for almost a month; after a visit to an orthopaedics doctor, the diagnosis was a sprain of the MCL (which heals on its own over time). After six weeks came and went, the knee felt considerably better but I could not bend it past 80 degrees or so (normal is 140, I believe). I couldn't go down stairs or walk without a slight limp, and there was a constant aching pain inside the knee joint. So I underwent a thorough MRI--my second in three months!--and imagine my surprise when the doctors examined the results and said it didn't show anything. I can't remember ever being so frustrated. The only solution at that point was to schedule arthroscopic surgery...basically a "Let's go in there and take a look around, hoping we find something" surgery. Because there was so much doubt about the nature of the injury, there was also doubt about going the surgical route, which is always something of a last resort. All of this uncertainty was probably the worst part of it, but I decided I had to push through and have it done.

Skipping forward, this surgery was scheduled and completed yesterday, very fortunately with great success. And by success, I mean that they definitely found the two significant injuries...which according to the doctor happens in about 1% of cases (meaning injuries that don't show up on the MRI). I actually have some rather interesting photos from inside the knee that I can add to this post when I'm up and walking around again.

Currently, I am at home and finally on my way to a full recovery--for which I am beyond thrilled. Having spent two months not knowing exactly what the injury was, nor how to resolve it, I'm just elated to finally know that there is an end in sight to this thing.

So for now, Kelly is taking great care of me (she has been incredibly kind) and things have gone well over the last 24 hours. I have my first painkiller prescription, which I'm using about half the time to avoid being even goofier than I usually am. Chase is getting company during the daytime (even if it's the non-mobile kind). I'm kicked back in the recliner, knee up in the air, with a veritable stash right next to me: Blackberry (work phone), laptop, pillow, TV remote, two books, a Snickers bar, headphones, cookies, Wii remote, house phone, glass of water, and of course the drugs for when the pain spikes up. All in all, not too bad.

So I'll wrap this up by saying a heartfelt thank you to everyone that has called with well wishes, offers to help, and requests for updates. I truly appreciate having such great family and friends in times like these, when I truly need support (even though I try not to admit it!). Thanks again and I will try to keep you posted through the recovery period.

Paris (Inspiration #20)

2006-12-31T00:31:00.000-05:00

While many songs travel the airwaves, full of catchy lyrics and stylish performances, at times it's easy to forget those few artists for whom it's all about the voice. Faith Hill is one of those artists. And on her last album, buried down in the later tracks there is an absolutely incredible song in which she deviates from her norm a little--and produces a little song about Paris.

Song #10 (Vocal): Paris
Artist: Faith Hill
Album: Fireflies

May you find many forms of inspiration in 2007.

Mi Casa

2006-12-28T23:30:00.000-05:00

At long last, only seven months after moving in, I am able to bring you exquisite photographs of our new home! This is a special password-only event, but you should have received your password via e-mail...if you did not, please let me know. I am sorry for the precautions, but my wife has so many attractive qualities that she has seventeen stalkers/restraining orders filed with the Greensboro police department. So you can see why we wouldn't let just anyone see into our home.

Enjoy the photos! You may access them by clicking on this link, and I would highly advise using the slideshow option at the top-left.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, everyone!

Peas and Carrots (Inspiration #21)

2006-11-19T21:06:00.000-05:00

One of the most beloved movies of all time, Forrest Gump has not only an incredibly popular 2-CD soundtrack but also a fantastic instrumental score as well. Everything from the famous feather-drifting theme at the beginning and end to all scenes in between. This selection is my favorite--it plays during the final credits and is a blend of all of the movie's various themes.

Song: Suite From Forrest Gump
Composer: Alan Silvestri
Motion Picture: Forrest Gump

Enjoy! Remember, you may save any selection by right-clicking, then selecting "Save As...". All copyright laws are applicable, however. ;)

Life Update, Volume I

2006-11-17T01:42:00.000-05:00

Greetings, friends and faithful readers! I've been longing to get in here for another post, and am happy to return among the land of web pages where I feel most at home. Other than at home, anyway. It has been a while since I've answered that oft-asked question: "What the hell are you doing these days?" So here we go.

First of all, I sincerely apologize to those of you that I have not e-mailed in a while. With the exception of Michele, it's far from personal. I'm not sure if you realize it or not, but now that I work on the international side of our business, most of the people I converse with are not in our office. This means...well, that I send about a hundred thousand e-mails a day (yes, I type fast) and that it completely drains me from sending e-mails at home as well. So in essence I've been forced to switch e-mail recipients from many of you to our always-friendly team in Mexico. I suppose I should have thought of that when I left my development position with the U.S., but one cannot think of everything. Especially when you're a man and constantly told you're supposed to think of sex every six seconds.

Anyway, to continue onward, the job is still going well. I'm still on track to be CEO in...well, let's see...7.2 years now. I suppose that's not so long to wait for the silver-lined toilet and capable man servants. Kevin Popoli, a great man and even better friend here in Greensboro, has just gotten promoted to a management position and is racing for CEO himself. It's a tremendous achievement and I will hereby sing his praises for the world to hear.

Random fun fact about the blog--it now has readers from quite a variety of places: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, West Virginia, Colorado, Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Kentucky, Indiana, British Columbia, Pennsylvania, California, and almost surely others that are eluding my mind at the moment. Rather fun to consider!

In other life news, our joyous company basketball team has now fired up again, resuming its "winning" ways. For the first time I am coaching the team this season, however, and I'm determined to get a record-breaking two wins under our belts. I do love a challenge, and judging by the first two practices I have a great one on my hands. Our company softball team, however, brought home our league championship trophy in October! We went 2-9 in the regular season but completely came through at clutch time, winning three consecutive games to take home first place. And now I have a little wooden plaque in my cubicle to prove it. Life has its moments. No, really, it does.

The house is coming along extremely well, now complete with border collie and basketball goal. We obtained Chase, our new best friend, back in September and he's worked out very well. Like every dog (or spouse), he has his quirks, but we're now a three-pet household. This will continue to be the case until: 1) one pet dies, or 2) three years pass and we're staring the terribly-frightening prospect of children in the face. Prayers and donations will be accepted at any time. It is not recommended that you wait until it's too late.

Since you asked what I've been up to (and I know you really care), I'm currently typing this post while half-observing a phenomenon happening in another browser window: a Woot Off. For those of you that have never seen the life-changing site Woot.com, you're in for a treat. Most of the time they simply offer one deal on one item per day--you never know what the item is until they launch it at midnight (CT). Currently, however, they're getting rid of excess stock and are selling one item after another. It's like Oprah's Favorite things, but more mysterious and far, far cheaper. And there are no screams and bouncing Oprah parts to sell the whole thing.

At any rate, I will close this by wishing all of you a fantastic Friday, in spite of the traffic snarls and office memos. And best of luck as you prepare for Thanksgiving, the holiday on which we all gorge ourselves in the name of Pilgrims, who came to this country starving of everything but hope. Now it is our turn to do just the opposite.

Mexico (Inspiration #22)

2006-10-25T01:38:00.000-04:00

Everyone always seems to have in mind their own version of the "best band most people haven't heard of." Nominations in that category come in all shapes and sizes, and more often than not such bands are geuninely talented. I'm hoping you find that to be the case with my own selection: Jump, Little Children.

An amusing name and a terrific group of musicians as well, JLC is local to the southeast but has made some incredibly addicting albums. What I present to you here is a selection from their most recent album, available on both iTunes and Amazon.com:

Song #11 (Vocal): Mexico
Artist: Jump, Little Children
Album: Between the Dim and the Dark

Hope you find a little inspiration within.

The Lost Experience

2006-09-24T12:11:00.001-04:00

For those that know me well, you're probably thinking right now that this post has been a long time coming. Too long in coming. But it's here now, and all I ask, honored guest, is that you read it with an open mind. Because it may change your life forever.

All right, so I have a flare for the dramatic.

The topic of this post is Lost, the breakthrough ABC series now in its third season. But first, the obvious question: why write at length about a TV show? What's the big deal? Why must I seem like a giggling schoolgirl when I talk about it? Well, I will give you your answers, but first, the premise of the show:

An international flight, containing nearly 300 passengers, suffers communications trouble and is lost en route from Sydney, Australia to Los Angeles, California. The plane unintentionally flies far off course...and then suffers a major catastrophe in mid-air. The tail of the plane completely tears free from the fuselage, and the fuselage crashes into the ocean next to a large deserted island (much as in Cast Away).

48 people survive the plane crash. Practically none of them know each other. A story of survival ensues, as the passengers come together and try to figure out how to return to civilization. In doing so, however, it is not long before they realize they are not alone on the island...and that their story of survival just got a lot more complicated.

An interesting premise, certainly. But the beauty of it is that ABC has taken this premise and turned Lost into what I believe is the greatest show on television. Ever. And to answer my original question above, here are the reasons why:

This story could have easily been told in a linear fashion, much like 24 or most other network dramas. It differs, however, in that each episode features a specific main character--both in the present and the past. Between island scenes, we get a very focused glimpse into the character's background through the use of flashbacks. Everyone is deeply affected by their past, and these characters are no different...and the writers do an amazing job of tying those past events into what is currently happening on the island. As the episodes go along, we gradually find out more about each character, and we know begin to know them better and better.
Even with the dramatic elements of the show, many people are drawn by its mystery. The entire show acts as one enormous puzzle: what is really going on with this island? For every question answered, another is asked, and finding the answers to these smaller mysteries is always entertaining.
Without question, there has never been a show that takes such special care with its details. Those that aren't interested can simply pass right by them, but for those that are, the producers weave many different hidden clues throughout the scenes if one looks hard enough. Some of the flashbacks, for instance, end up being woven together in ways that you would never expect. Other times, on the island, seemingly irrelevant things that were planted in Season 1 suddenly take on great meaning in Season 2. The show is incredibly well thought-out.
The cast, of course, is also extremely good. From top to bottom, everyone really makes it work, and there are very few weak links. It also adds a lot of different flavors through diversity.
Finally, the ensemble cast, being as large as it is (14 regulars after the crash), creates a sense of family that has not existed in a show to date. When something threatens the castaways, it's hard not to feel that you know all of them as one large family, and there is a prevailing sense of teamwork that just doesn't exist anywhere else.

I know you're thinking this is the world's biggest sales pitch, and perhaps it is. :) But I have enjoyed this show more than anything else I've ever watched, and I hear too many people saying, "Oh, I meant to watch that, but never did." Jump in before it's too late! You can easily catch up on Season 1 by renting (via Blackbuster or my preferred method, Netflix) or purchasing. Season 2 is already out as well, and we're only two episodes into the third season.

Lost is truly a masterpiece. As my family and friends, I feel it is my responsibility to pass this onto you...do not neglect it. At least, not for something like Deal or No Deal. ;)

Rituals (Inspiration #23)

2006-09-24T00:08:00.000-04:00

In the continued efforts of sharing music, here is the first instrumental selection--a gorgeous cut from The Village, composed by James Newton Howard. Regardless of whether you enjoyed the movie or not (and I very much did), Howard chose to create a score that mainly consists of haunting violin work. I've never really heard anything like it. The track below, Rituals, plays within the middle of the movie as the tension heightens.

Song: Rituals
Composer: James Newton Howard
Motion Picture: The Village

Enjoy! This one's really great in the quiet of night if you have the chance.

Homeownership

2006-09-22T17:17:00.000-04:00

As of Tuesday, I will have been a homeowner for exactly four months. Coming on the heels of nine years of renting, this has been quite an experience. And by my calculations, the homeownership experience of those reading this post literally goes from zero to two days to forty years. Thus, my task here will to see if I can describe the process to you--those who are long-time homeowners can tell if I'm right or wrong.

Well, actually, if I'm wrong, I would prefer to keep living in my fairy tale world, so please keep those comments to yourself.

As it turns out, homeownership is most like an Ethiopian food drive--both have needs that never end. The excitement of a new house is astonishing, but the amusing part of this is that it takes no time at all for supply to be dwarfed by demand. The to-do list becomes the size of something you'd normally see only at the Pentagon (or possibly a highway construction project). All of a sudden you find that the recent project management course you attended is more useful at home than at work!

But let's not confuse things--owning a home is fantastic. You find that you own a pair of shoes in the garage with green stains from your grass. You can sing Weird Al Yankovic songs at the top of your lungs, and you don't get death stares from anyone but your wife. You can expand your manliness index by 20% in 24 hours by purchasing and assembling an enormous grill. You have neighbors that don't seem petrified to speak when you pass by them. You even have this little attachment called a "garage" that both shelters your car and attracts junk at an unprecedented rate. The only drawback is that you begin to wish that your overweight cat and new staircase were mutually beneficial to each other, but they're just not. And never will be.

More than anything, though, you are overwhelmed by the fact that you now have your own throne. It's generally low to the ground and made of porcelain, but nonetheless...it's yours. Now it's easy to imagine what ancient kings must have felt like.

Another point, however: I think most people, myself included, greatly underestimate the educational value of owning your first home. If you live in an apartment, and something breaks, you pick up the phone and call the office. The next day a hairy man repairs whatever it is that was broken--even if you broke it! In a home, however, there is no one to call. There is no calvary waiting to come to your aid. There is only a wife, looking at you patiently while you search through the microscopic amount of repair knowledge you've picked up while watching Home Improvement.

So when the dryer stops heating? Time to start reading. When the refrigerator decides to take a day off in the middle of the summer? Time to start eating. And when you decide to buy a new dishwasher and the installation company says it will have to sit in your kitchen for three weeks before they install it? Time to exert your manliness, say that you'll install it yourself, and then pray to the gods of all worldly religions.

These are all true stories, I'm afraid.

But again, the experience is great, even if it completely wears you out at times. Even if you have to get up on Sunday mornings and go straight downstairs to put on your lawnmowing shoes--instead of lounging around for an hour first. But as you push your lawnmower up "The Hill" (i.e. the backyard), you glance out across the top of your fence into this beautiful suburbia...and you realize that your place in the world is completely unique.

Just like everyone else.

The Beauty of the Rain (Inspiration #24)

2006-09-11T01:35:00.000-04:00

As I mentioned via my post in August, I have always been someone greatly inspired by music. I have enjoyed playing it, writing it, and certainly listening to it. So whether I find myself on the worst of days or at the top of the world, I've found that music always has something to give to us. For me, it often comes in the form of inspiration.

Because of this, I have decided to share a little of this inspiration with all of you. Over the years I've amassed quite a collection of music, but experience has found that everyone listens to different things...and everyone has found hidden gems that go largely uncovered by others. So this is my very small gift to you: my own gems that I've discovered over time.

Some of these will hit home, and yet I'm certain there will be others that do nothing for you. But that is the nature of things, isn't it? Whatever the case, these are provided to you with no cost whatsoever--I only ask that if you find that you like one of these, give the artist a chance and try out either the larger album or individual songs on iTunes.

To give this a little structure, I am going to periodically post 24 songs to this blog--12 vocal and 12 instrumental (counted down in reverse order). I'll give a small background on each one and let you try it for yourself. First up:

Song #12 (Vocal): Beauty of the Rain (File removed due to space limitations)
Artist: Dar Williams
Album: The Beauty of the Rain

This song is by a fairly well known artist, Dar Williams, and was featured prominently in an episode of Alias, Season 2. I think it holds not only a terrific message but presents it in a wonderfully haunting way.

Enjoy! You can right-click on the link, then use "Save As..." to download to your computer, or most of you can likely click on the link directly to listen via your browser.

Viva México!

2006-09-08T14:51:00.000-04:00

As you can see from my writing this post, I have returned home from two separate trips: Mexico City and Charleston. Next week I am headed for Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C., with a trip to Kentucky not too far after that. 'Tis the season of travel!

(This actually reminds me of an occasion, many years ago, when I knew this kid who was the smartest guy I've ever met. I think he actually missed two questions on the entire SAT. Anyway, he was mentioning something about his recent travels, and my mom said, "You must have wheels on your shoes!" His face clouded over for a moment, and then he looked down at his shoes with a puzzled look for about ten seconds. Poor guy just didn't have sense of the common kind. But I digress.)

So...Mexico City is quite the place. I'd never been to Mexico at all, and I admit that I was very curious as to what I'd find there. In no particular order, let me present to you the things that I learned:

- First, I have asked everyone the question, "What do you think the weather in Mexico City would be like this time of year?" Every single person (including myself) surmised that it would be very hot...and every single person was wrong. Mexico City is actually up in the mountains, and even in the middle of summer it rarely gets above 75 degrees. Who knew?

- Second, don't ever drive in Mexico City. Why? Because their drivers are far more skilled than ours--not the other way around. Either you or I would get mowed down in a heartbeat. The Mexico traffic system is quite admittedly unlike anything I've ever seen, but the best way to describe it is a system much less inhibited by structure. Lanes are always optional. Everyone cuts in and out of everyone else (politely), and somehow all of the other drivers know how to communicate this. It's really like taking the American system, , shrugging your shoulders, then removing most of the rules and telling everyone, "You'll need to work it out."

- Three, never travel with a Senior Vice President that has been forced to stay in a lower class hotel. It's like putting up Oprah in a Red Roof Inn.

- Four, it is unfortunate the political turmoil that Mexico is going through right now. If you're wondering, it's really the equivalent of the 2000 Bush-Gore election...if Gore had protested, fought, and urged all of his supporters to fight alongside him. Half of the Mexico population feels that their guy was robbed of the election and a select few of these are camping out in major downtown streets to protest. The worst part of this is that they are denying travelling Senior VP's their right to stay at nearby first-class hotels (see #3).

- Five, Mexico City is not a tall city. Most buildings are 2-4 stories, and yet they still contain over 25 million people. Doing the math, this means that the city is roughly 13.2 billion square miles (and looks like it).

- Six, there are different classifications of taxis in Mexico City: those that might rob you and those that won't. I'm not kidding. A fair amount of time was spent during our stay trying to contact our hotel for a "safe" taxi. I'm not sure which is more disturbing: that this is a reality, or the way that everyone knows this and just accepts it as fact. The taxi companies could at least make their drivers repeatedly write "I will not rob anyone today" on a chalkboard before starting their shifts.

- Seven, Starbucks is taking over the world. There is no question about it.

- Eight, from what I can tell, the food in Mexico is excellent, both local and not. I had to have gained a pound or two during the trip, as well as the title of "Most Likely to Get His Money's Worth From Expensed Meals".

That's pretty much it! The business side of the trip was great, and as an added bonus I can now come back and share all of my cultural enlightment with you. And free of charge, no less!

It also looks like I'll be going back to Mexico before the end of the year, at which point I'll purchase the obligatory sombrero. I would advise you to wait until you see the pictures before deciding if you still want to be associated with me or not.

Best of luck.

Mexico City or Bust!

2006-08-24T17:36:00.000-04:00

In approximately sixty hours I will board a plane headed for Mexico City, crossing the border into our southern neighbor for the very first time. It is a business trip, of course, but I am eager to see what awaits...what should one expect from a city of 25 million people?

To help prepare for the trip, however, I've been visiting my local Wal Mart as much as possible. The language barrier is tough to overcome. But it should be interesting, with two full days (read: twelve hours each) of business meetings, IT systems discussions, and the like. I don't think I'll get to do any real extra-cirricular activities but that's okay. Should be fun!

In other news, I've done a few other things this month I've never done before: play cricket, use a leaf blower, play competitive Scrabble in person (punched my geek card on that one), go on a thirteen-mile bike ride, hit a softball about 500 feet straight up in the air, installed a dishwasher, ran cable underneath a house, set up a regular telephone that operates for free over the internet, achieved a level 55 druid in World of Warcraft (punched my geek card again), and finally got a cubicle at work that I can sit in and not feel claustrophobic. What a month! I'm currently having a lot of trouble trying to cut back on things I enjoy in life, because I'm trying to do way too much and burnout is looming on the horizon. Hopefully I'll hold it off as long as possible.

As I mentioned, the new house is still coming along very well, aside from a five-year old refrigerator that hates us. We've fully painted four rooms, bought several new pieces of furniture, and have a large outdoor grill thanks to my over-generous father. I mow the yard once a week, Kelly whacks all of the weeds into oblivion, and best of all we have a mailbox that doesn't need a key. Life's pleasures, right? Now all we need to do is hang the last few things on the wall and start throwing massive parties. The kind that always happen in the movies when Mom and Dad go away for the weekend (only to return unexpectedly early!). Hopefully we'll have many of you over at some point in the coming months--you're welcome anytime.

I hope all of you are doing well out there, soaking in the sun and 140% humidity that can only come with August. Can't wait for that crisp feel of a fall football weekend...

The Return!

2006-08-22T01:42:00.000-04:00

Okay, so I know what you're thinking...but everyone needs seven months off now and then, right? School teachers take three, football players take five, and retirees take as many as they can get before the Grim Reaper says, "All right, all right. That's enough." Be while many endeavors lose strength and never return, I do not. At least not this time.

So, my dearest friends, I will welcome you back with open arms if you will would do the same for me in return. Let us take a journey together. We will explore both light and dark, reflection and shadow, and Georgia and Georgia Tech. And I may even have a surprise or two up my sleeve.

Before we begin, however, let me offer a quick life update: things are pretty good! They're also a little frustrating because I constantly find way too many endeavors to attach myself to (which was the reason why I haven't posted since January), but I'm trying to hold onto as many as possible. Life is too short not to aspire to something, right? But work is going well and the new house has come along very nicely...Kelly and I will post pictures very soon, as we are putting the final touches on a few of the rooms. And no more painting is left to be done, praise the good Lord Jesus. But to celebrate this, not only will we provide pictures to you, but we are also planning three separate gatherings for friends and family to stop by! The first is September 10 for our family-- a Sunday brunch not unlike those we usually spend at my grandparents'. The second and third will be for Baptist and UG people, respectively. If you don't fall into those groups, you can reserve a weekend slot by calling Ticketmaster ($8 surcharge may apply). At any rate, we will be publishing the dates for the last two events shortly. We're looking forward to it! Homeownership is a lot of work (and education) but is well worth it.

Onto the future: to me, the most important requirement about this blog is that it must always be entertaining. If I find myself writing a heartfelt post to tell you what an intriguing Scrabble play I had four nights ago, well, I think we've entered a territory none of us wants to venture into. But I think such territory can be avoided easily enough, which is why I alternate from humor to life to hobbies to observations to movie reviews to conversations about the future. But this time I have a couple of additional ideas to bring to you, the best of which is a sharing of things that I have found inspiring. I think inspiration is one of the most driving forces possible, and it's one we could all use a little more of. So while different things inspire us all, I felt that somewhere along the line we might have something in common, and that in that common ground I might be able to create a little inspiration for you as well.

My first offering in this regard will come in the form of music, which I have taken particular pleasure in listening to over the years. Following that will likely come novels, movies, and other sources of material. You will always be free to do with this as you like, but I hope you will find some of it useful. Life is potentially the most complex maze we will ever see; for this reason, any tiny pieces of the map can often be appreciated. You will find a few of these pieces intertwined with the normal posts on the site as time goes along...and of course not all of these will speak to you, but I hope that some will.

With that said, I will leave this to the future, and we will see where it takes us. Thank you for reading, as always, and for the many kind comments this blog has received over the past couple of years. Fortunately its road has not ended just yet.

Here's to 2006

2006-01-04T17:43:00.000-05:00

Welcome to 2006! For all of you, the end of 2005 almost surely means two things: 1) you're now through with family gatherings until at least March, and 2) you're determined to lose just a little weight over the next few weeks. See, it's not just you...it's January. The month comes with so much guilt it should officially be renamed to The Recurring Catholic Month of January. In my case, guilt has led me to post here as well, as it's been about four weeks! So off I go.

The exercise will have to start tomorrow.

Joking aside, Christmas was certainly a good one this year. By my count, Kelly and I saw a combined three grandparents, three parents, one stepparent, one sister, eight aunts, six uncles, six cousins, twelve out-of-state friends, and one extremely friendly dog (for those wondering...yes, I actually counted). It's just a trip down Madness Lane when looked at collectively, but each part by itself was a lot of fun. The Reace family was kind enough to host us again this year--they are always far too kind to me, seeing as how I stole their daughter and chopped her hair off. Sometimes the amount of forgiveness in the world just takes you by surprise.

At any rate, things at home are good, with the Christmas season finally bringing peace between our two cats. Kelly and I prayed and prayed for it to happen with no avail...until at long last we saw the light and got Pat Robertson to step in. Only a few days and four million viewers later, our cats were best friends, smiling up at the heavens with a grace that I could only describe as true serenity. (Speaking of which, if you're even a little bit of a sci-fi fan, you absolutely must see Serenity and Firefly). So...now the cats co-exist during the day, eat from the same bowl, lightheartedly debate who the better parent is, and throw litter from the same box. Kelly and I both fear any possible day that they might get along better than she and I do, but thankfully we haven't seen it yet.

On a different note, yes, the Bulldogs were beaten by a team from the mountains. Yes, they were outcoached by a guy who cussed like a sailor every time he was on camera. Yes, the men in West Virginia are extremely fast...I mean, seriously, have you ever seen the women in West Virginia? (Sorry, Emily, you know you're beautiful). Yes, their fans looked frighteningly like ours. And finally, yes, we gave up more points in the first sixteen minutes than we had in any game this year. But what does that mean? Well, it means we didn't finish in the top ten, but it also means that our guys must have been concentrating really hard on finals instead of football. Let's hear it for UGA, finally having the courage to put forth an amazing academic effort! We always knew that they could do it.

So obviously it's the season to be thankful, and I hope each of you are thankful for those blessings you received this holiday season. Looking down the road, I'm sure 2006 will have much to offer.

The Digital Age (Part II)

2005-12-08T17:18:00.000-05:00

There hasn't been this much excitement about a "To Be Continued..." event since Ross had to choose between Rachel and Julie! Thank you for the hundreds of letters that flooded our mailbox here at home. As a result, Part II is now here, sponsored by Coors Light.

And what does Part II have to do with, exactly? Well, cell phones, of course! Not since the invention of the wife have men become so tethered to other beings. It's actually rather interesting, because while e-mail has greatly changed the landscape of communication throughout the world, cell phones have increased it. This is largely evident in three key places: the grocery store, in the office, and on the road.

On a good note, the addition of cell phones to grocery store aisles has come as a savior for men everywhere. In the age of the rotary phones (here's where you imagine spinning that big dial around and around, and without fail you'll notice a small smile creeping across your face), men would walk out the front door on a seemingly harmless errand to pick up some milk at the store. But just as his foot crosses the threshold, his wife would inevitably call out, "Honey? Could you pick up [insert product here]? We're almost out." The husband, confident in his unwavering ability to lead a household, nods absently and continues on the store.

Minutes later, with milk dangling from one hand and thoughts of Monday Night Football racing through his head, a crisis ensues on Aisle 12.

"I have the milk...what else was it that she asked me to get? I know I heard it! Oh, this is not good. This is not good at all." And thus came the moment of indecision: does he go all the way back home to ask? Does he guess? Or does he play dumb and pretend he never heard her? Ding! The latter solution has given us a winner. And so an hour later, with beer in hand and the Bears trampling the Eagles in the second quarter, even 70,000 screaming fans can't overcome the one screaming only four feet away.

But what is the beauty of this story? Well, it is that cell phones have completely eradicated this panic-stricken moment from every relationship in America (even Ozzie and Sharon). Need a reminder on what to buy? Call the wife from Aisle 12. Need to get birthday gift advice for a friend? Call another friend from the parking lot. Need to know what your day is going to be like, the moment you walk through the door at work? A quick call to The Psychic Friends Network can be completed in only three minutes and $11.85. And it's always available anytime you need it.

Which brings us to the office, of course...and what everyone with a corporate cell phone knows as the "electronic leash." If you've seen Office Space, you have to love the scene where Peter hides from his boss to avoid working that weekend (unsuccessfully, as it turns out). His hope here rested on the fact the Lumburgh (the boss) had to walk past rows and rows of cubicles to get to him. But now, in the day of the cell phone, Peter would be toast the moment he decided to keep breathing. And the worst part it: the boss doesn't even have to leave the office. Hide in your cube? The cell phone rings. Leave the building early? The cell phone rings. Sleep in a leaden coffin, dreaming of your vampiric activities after dark? Think no signal will save you? A voicemail is still waiting for you when you awake. There is no escape. And we know how harassing those little voicemail icons and annoying alert tones can be. Our ability to run away in corporate America has effectively been eradicated, and surprisingly, it's not because of our growing obesity rates.

But while these things may damage us emotionally, there is nothing as dangerous as the disastrous events that can be triggered by cell phones on the road. To look at this in the clearest light, consider the following facts:

In test after test, nearly nine in ten drivers think they're in the top 50% in driving competency (even drivers in Massachusetts).

When is the human mind most bored? Why, when it's doing something it's done a thousand times. So let's see...other than sleep, what do you do more than anything else? Drive. Down the same roads, at the same speed, actually hoping that nothing unusual happens. This definitely creates boredom.

Cell phone headsets are just not cool yet.

The survey answers to the first question assumed both hands were available for driving.

Every year, more and more people live to be over eighty.

Add these things up, and we're clearly putting our lives at risk every time we drive out of the driveway (ironically, my mother has been telling me this for years, even before cell phones were invented). But for all the dangers involved, our friends and family are always a push of a button away. Long distance is now paid for in many cases, night and weekends free, and unlimited mobile-to-mobile calling all the rage. So isn't it ironic when you walk through that front door, into the harsh accusations of forgetting to pick up bread even when you had a cell phone, that all you feel like doing is e-mailing someone.

Ironic, indeed.