I've been meaning to do a post on this for a while now. To be honest this is something that I'm very excited about. My favorite book series being made into a TV series by HBO, its a dream come true. And with the likes of Sean Bean playing the main Character Ned Stark, this will be epic. I'm so bad that I"m contemplating how I will get HBO just to watch this series.
Anyways below is a couple of clips from the show. Do get excited!
Here is a short trailer:
Here is a longer documentary style:
Friday, December 17, 2010
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Patent Office in Detroit
Patent Office in Detroit?
UPDATE:
It is confirmed here is the press release.
Commerce Secretary Gary Locke and PTO Director David Kappos will be holding
a press conference later today. I expect that they will announce plans to
open the first USPTO satellite office in Detroit, Michigan.
UPDATE:
It is confirmed here is the press release.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Karate Tournament
This past Sunday Nov. 21 I attended and worked the Karate Tournament. As can be seen below, at the end of the day I took home 4 first place trophies and two 4th place trophies.
While all those first looks suitably impressive... it is really easy to get "1st" in board breaking, as a whole group of us ended up tieing. For example breaking 4 boards on Standing and Stepping palm strike. I did though manage to break 6 boards with my side kick, and there was only one other person that I tied with there. So that one at least was pretty exciting! The 4th first place trophy I am quite proud of and was for my spear weapons form which I made sure to get a video of.
The fourth place trophies were for regular forms (which I really honestly felt I should have placed higher with.. but oh well) and sparring. Overall I was very happy with my performance and on the whole I was in a very competitive divisions and feel lucky I was able to place at all.
There was a professional photographer at the event Cascades Photography. They should be posting pictures pretty soon, so if anyone is interested you can look at all the photos for the day, and then you can order pictures as well if you so desire. Once they go live, I might add some of them to this blog if possible otherwise.
*UPDATE*
All the pictures of the tournament have now been posted. I hope you all enjoy them for those of you took the time to look through them.
While all those first looks suitably impressive... it is really easy to get "1st" in board breaking, as a whole group of us ended up tieing. For example breaking 4 boards on Standing and Stepping palm strike. I did though manage to break 6 boards with my side kick, and there was only one other person that I tied with there. So that one at least was pretty exciting! The 4th first place trophy I am quite proud of and was for my spear weapons form which I made sure to get a video of.The fourth place trophies were for regular forms (which I really honestly felt I should have placed higher with.. but oh well) and sparring. Overall I was very happy with my performance and on the whole I was in a very competitive divisions and feel lucky I was able to place at all.
There was a professional photographer at the event Cascades Photography. They should be posting pictures pretty soon, so if anyone is interested you can look at all the photos for the day, and then you can order pictures as well if you so desire. Once they go live, I might add some of them to this blog if possible otherwise.
*UPDATE*
All the pictures of the tournament have now been posted. I hope you all enjoy them for those of you took the time to look through them.
Friday, November 12, 2010
Skydiving
As promised, I was looking for new and exciting ways to make Mom and Grandma worry. I think Skydiving counts!
And here is a quick video of us landing.
And here is a quick video of us landing.Monday, November 8, 2010
Dancing and Signing
This past weekend Rachel and I went to a dinner dance sponsored through my work. There was a amazing dinner buffet as well as an open bar, followed by a couple hours of dancing. It was quite nice, and I managed to snap a picture.
This picture has the benefit of us not being sweaty in it like the one from old rag lol.
Then on Saturday we managed to head over to a local Border's Bookstore to catch Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal at a book signing. In this case they were signing "Towers of Midnight" the 13 and penultimate book in the Wheel of Time Series. A series of books I have read since I was in Junior High. The original author Robert Jordan died about three years ago and his widow and editor Harriet McDougal chose Brandon Sanderson for his replacement for the last book (or as it turned out three books) of the series. At the signing both Brandon and Harriet signed my book. Harriet along with discovering and editing all of the Wheel of Time books is also known as the editor on another somewhat known book called "Ender's Game". Anyways it was great meeting them, and I got a signed book out of it!
This picture has the benefit of us not being sweaty in it like the one from old rag lol.Then on Saturday we managed to head over to a local Border's Bookstore to catch Brandon Sanderson and Harriet McDougal at a book signing. In this case they were signing "Towers of Midnight" the 13 and penultimate book in the Wheel of Time Series. A series of books I have read since I was in Junior High. The original author Robert Jordan died about three years ago and his widow and editor Harriet McDougal chose Brandon Sanderson for his replacement for the last book (or as it turned out three books) of the series. At the signing both Brandon and Harriet signed my book. Harriet along with discovering and editing all of the Wheel of Time books is also known as the editor on another somewhat known book called "Ender's Game". Anyways it was great meeting them, and I got a signed book out of it!
As an extra bonus can you find waldo?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Spears and Caves
Once again I am epic fail when it comes to pictures. If I get any I'll post them retroactively.
On Saturday I took part in a spear clinic. That is right, I am learning Shaolin Spear forms. My sensai, when he isn't failing at breaking sticks, told us that the Spear is often called the "king of shaolin weapons" which is pretty cool eh? I think so at least! The forms are very flourishy and pretty, and tons of fun to do, and to watch I think. There is a lot of twirling of the spear around your body and over your head, as well as some stabbing and a couple of impalements (of your opponent, and not yourself). As I said it was tons of fun and I managed to learn 1 of the forms (there are a total of 3). With any luck next week I'll learn the second form! Anyways this will bring my weapons skillz up to 3, as I now know forms for Bo staff, Broadsword and now Spear.
Then as I hinted at the end of my last post on Sunday I went caving with Rachel. Rachel and her mother are part of a local caving group in the greater DC area. As such from time to time they get together at nearby caves and... go caving! This last weekend was such an excursion. Rachel and I joined up with her mother and four others and explored a nearby cave in West Virginia.
As I told Rachel before we started, I wasn't sure what to expect from caving, as I have never gone caving before, or for that matter done too much climbing. What I found out caving is, is darkness, dirt/mud, close spaces, climbing, and exploration. It is also, lots of fun. After throwing on some old jeans and a long sleeve T-shirts, I got equipped with a helmet, a helmet light, and some gloves, and joined the others in going down into a hole in the ground. The cave itself is like a whole other world, it is pitch black in there, with uneven ground. Yet with the helmet light I never felt like the darkness was a problem, and it wasn't until we all turned off our lights that you really realize how dark it was.
I think the way to sum up what caving is though, for me was summed up with two words, climbing and exploration. The caves are light a maze of tunnels, crawl spaces, and ledges. The fun part and objective to caving then is to explore as much of the cave as you can. For example, there was one part when we saw a hole in the ground near our feet, kinda at a wall. We squeezed through the opening to find another tunnel area. In this next area there was four different routes possible. Down and to the right took us on a loop, that we climbed down, over and some light climbing to another area, which then turned around and connected us to where we began. Then to the left there was two options, to go down about a 20 foot incline and a drop, or a small ledge going over that crevice area, but being exposed to said drop and jumping across. What I did was I climbed/slid down the incline to the bottom. I should have climbed, but it ended up with me sliding more than anything... then I climbed up an incline to the top, where the other route connected. At the top of this part of the cave was a small opening. I was convinced this opening was too small for me, but with my hands outstretched I was able to inch and twist my way through the opening and to the other side. The other side then was another large opening room with some rock formations. We explored a bit in this area, but this one was more or less a dead end, but a neat one nonetheless. Then we went back through the whole to the previous area. This time I took the upper route back, which involved bracing my foot on the left side of the wall, and jumping across the crevice area I climbed up the last time, to a ledge back at the area where we started.
There was another part that we climbed, that I honestly did not think was climbable. There was one area that was basically an angled wall, that was too steep to climb normally. On the left and the right side there were areas that could possibly be climbed. The left was a steep climb, that would have seemed too slippery to climb up. On the right was a crack where the two walls connected, the crack extended about 15 feet high, and being as narrow as maybe 4 inches across, so far too narrow to sneak through. But past this crack it seemed climbable to the top. I went on the right side. The crack was too narrow to sneak through, so the only option then was to pull ourselves over top of it. So bracing my left foot on the left wall, and my right foot slightly behind me on the right wall, remember this was at the corner, and then putting my hand inside the crack for a handhold I managed to pull myself up into the crack and lodge myself in the crack with my back against the left wall. From here I had to inch my way up the side of the crack, for the most part using my arms to pull myself up to the top of the crack, and remember my back is against the wall, while lodged in the crack. After finally pulling myself up high enough using just my arms, I was able to sneak my legs through the rest of the crack to the other side. From there with my back still against the wall, I placed my feet against the opposite wall and "chimneyed" across the crevice, with about a 15-20 foot drop or so beneath me. What chimneying is, is going across with my back against the wall, and feet on the opposite wall, just slowly inching my way across. This is actually quite an easy maneuver and it wasn't long till I made it to the ledge on the other side and was able to finish the last gentle climb to the top.
For me then the most fun was in exploring new areas of the cave, and just climbing to reach new places. It was a lot of fun, and kinda cool to do things that I initially didn't think was possible. Like fitting through the tight crawlspace, or climbing up the crack to get to the top of the cliff area. There was also an area where Rachel and a couple of the others pulled out some rope and climbed down to explore another part of the cave. But I didn't have any rope climbing gear so I didn't get a chance to go down there. But Rachel basically belayed down the cliff, and then climbed back up, using a safety rigging on the rope to climb back up after they explored that part of the cave.
So yeah, overall I would definitely say my first experience caving was a blast. I had a lot of fun and it was nice going with an experienced group of people, that were both safety conscience but also very much into pushing what and where they could go. It was fun and challenging, and I can say today, a day later, managed to make me sore. It is definitely something I"ll end up doing again in the future, to other caves, and other explorations. And it is always fun to come up with new and interesting ways to get Mom and Grandma to worry about me.
On Saturday I took part in a spear clinic. That is right, I am learning Shaolin Spear forms. My sensai, when he isn't failing at breaking sticks, told us that the Spear is often called the "king of shaolin weapons" which is pretty cool eh? I think so at least! The forms are very flourishy and pretty, and tons of fun to do, and to watch I think. There is a lot of twirling of the spear around your body and over your head, as well as some stabbing and a couple of impalements (of your opponent, and not yourself). As I said it was tons of fun and I managed to learn 1 of the forms (there are a total of 3). With any luck next week I'll learn the second form! Anyways this will bring my weapons skillz up to 3, as I now know forms for Bo staff, Broadsword and now Spear.
Then as I hinted at the end of my last post on Sunday I went caving with Rachel. Rachel and her mother are part of a local caving group in the greater DC area. As such from time to time they get together at nearby caves and... go caving! This last weekend was such an excursion. Rachel and I joined up with her mother and four others and explored a nearby cave in West Virginia.
As I told Rachel before we started, I wasn't sure what to expect from caving, as I have never gone caving before, or for that matter done too much climbing. What I found out caving is, is darkness, dirt/mud, close spaces, climbing, and exploration. It is also, lots of fun. After throwing on some old jeans and a long sleeve T-shirts, I got equipped with a helmet, a helmet light, and some gloves, and joined the others in going down into a hole in the ground. The cave itself is like a whole other world, it is pitch black in there, with uneven ground. Yet with the helmet light I never felt like the darkness was a problem, and it wasn't until we all turned off our lights that you really realize how dark it was.
I think the way to sum up what caving is though, for me was summed up with two words, climbing and exploration. The caves are light a maze of tunnels, crawl spaces, and ledges. The fun part and objective to caving then is to explore as much of the cave as you can. For example, there was one part when we saw a hole in the ground near our feet, kinda at a wall. We squeezed through the opening to find another tunnel area. In this next area there was four different routes possible. Down and to the right took us on a loop, that we climbed down, over and some light climbing to another area, which then turned around and connected us to where we began. Then to the left there was two options, to go down about a 20 foot incline and a drop, or a small ledge going over that crevice area, but being exposed to said drop and jumping across. What I did was I climbed/slid down the incline to the bottom. I should have climbed, but it ended up with me sliding more than anything... then I climbed up an incline to the top, where the other route connected. At the top of this part of the cave was a small opening. I was convinced this opening was too small for me, but with my hands outstretched I was able to inch and twist my way through the opening and to the other side. The other side then was another large opening room with some rock formations. We explored a bit in this area, but this one was more or less a dead end, but a neat one nonetheless. Then we went back through the whole to the previous area. This time I took the upper route back, which involved bracing my foot on the left side of the wall, and jumping across the crevice area I climbed up the last time, to a ledge back at the area where we started.
There was another part that we climbed, that I honestly did not think was climbable. There was one area that was basically an angled wall, that was too steep to climb normally. On the left and the right side there were areas that could possibly be climbed. The left was a steep climb, that would have seemed too slippery to climb up. On the right was a crack where the two walls connected, the crack extended about 15 feet high, and being as narrow as maybe 4 inches across, so far too narrow to sneak through. But past this crack it seemed climbable to the top. I went on the right side. The crack was too narrow to sneak through, so the only option then was to pull ourselves over top of it. So bracing my left foot on the left wall, and my right foot slightly behind me on the right wall, remember this was at the corner, and then putting my hand inside the crack for a handhold I managed to pull myself up into the crack and lodge myself in the crack with my back against the left wall. From here I had to inch my way up the side of the crack, for the most part using my arms to pull myself up to the top of the crack, and remember my back is against the wall, while lodged in the crack. After finally pulling myself up high enough using just my arms, I was able to sneak my legs through the rest of the crack to the other side. From there with my back still against the wall, I placed my feet against the opposite wall and "chimneyed" across the crevice, with about a 15-20 foot drop or so beneath me. What chimneying is, is going across with my back against the wall, and feet on the opposite wall, just slowly inching my way across. This is actually quite an easy maneuver and it wasn't long till I made it to the ledge on the other side and was able to finish the last gentle climb to the top.
For me then the most fun was in exploring new areas of the cave, and just climbing to reach new places. It was a lot of fun, and kinda cool to do things that I initially didn't think was possible. Like fitting through the tight crawlspace, or climbing up the crack to get to the top of the cliff area. There was also an area where Rachel and a couple of the others pulled out some rope and climbed down to explore another part of the cave. But I didn't have any rope climbing gear so I didn't get a chance to go down there. But Rachel basically belayed down the cliff, and then climbed back up, using a safety rigging on the rope to climb back up after they explored that part of the cave.
So yeah, overall I would definitely say my first experience caving was a blast. I had a lot of fun and it was nice going with an experienced group of people, that were both safety conscience but also very much into pushing what and where they could go. It was fun and challenging, and I can say today, a day later, managed to make me sore. It is definitely something I"ll end up doing again in the future, to other caves, and other explorations. And it is always fun to come up with new and interesting ways to get Mom and Grandma to worry about me.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Testing and Rennfest
So last Friday I tested for my Green Belt. I've posted before on the rigors of such tests, and while this one did for sure meet such a description, it wasn't quite as bad as the previous test either. So I personally thought that was good lol. My favorite part at the end was when the main instructor says "okay in this last minute your guy's job is to convince me you aren't tired". This of course after the two hour test of constant activity and exercises. Then at the end after they handed out the belts he said "you guy's almost convinced me" then he points directly at me "but you're lips don't have any color." So yeah, I was slightly dehydrated by that point lol. Which is par for the course. The good news is I won't have to go through that again for a while, I'm anticipated spring maybe? Possibly winter. But I'm thinking 3-4 months minimum.
Then on last Sunday Rachel and I went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Again, I have to apologize for not having pictures... I've seriously been dropping the ball here. But for the most part it was like the one last year. Sadly though this year Ken and Becky weren't able to make it. But we did meet up with Tom and his gf Bashear. So that was nice, as it was last years Rennfest that I saw him last. Another "its a small world moment" it turns out that the job that Tom had before moving to DC was located in Pittsburgh and the company he worked at was a contractor for the navy. Rachel also worked up in Pittsburg for a few months with the navy, so she was familiar with the company and project that Tom was working on during his time there. So they were having fun tossing out names and projects lol. Anyways I though it was funny!
In terms of the actual fair though, I must say I was once again disappointed in the jousting. They seem to just go through the motions, which isn't nearly as much fun as it could be. In comparison the renn fair I went to a few years ago in Mass. had a lot more energy, and comedy going on between the knights and the competitions. Which is a shame because this renn fair is much larger and nicer of the two otherwise. But besides that the fair was a lot of fun. My favorite shows were the Shakespeare Skum, which did a show called "Macbeth in 20 minutes or less". This is a group that I saw last year as well (they did Hamlet last year) but they are tons of fun and are based out of London. And there was a sword swallower who was a blast to watch. He did some sword swallowing as well as some relatively simple (as in I couldn't do them!) magic tricks. But the show was a blast. And of course I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the excellent food offerings. Hmmm... smoked Turkey leg! Overall it was a great time, and we couldn't have asked for better weather.
Anyways that pretty much brings me up to date. This weekend I'll be going to a Halloween party/housewarming party for a friend from Karate. So Rachel and I need to find some costumes for that. And then on Sunday I will hopefully go caving with Rachel, well she is the "secretary" for a caving group so I get to try that out this weekend. With any luck I'll have some pictures even! But no promises.
Then on last Sunday Rachel and I went to the Maryland Renaissance Festival. Again, I have to apologize for not having pictures... I've seriously been dropping the ball here. But for the most part it was like the one last year. Sadly though this year Ken and Becky weren't able to make it. But we did meet up with Tom and his gf Bashear. So that was nice, as it was last years Rennfest that I saw him last. Another "its a small world moment" it turns out that the job that Tom had before moving to DC was located in Pittsburgh and the company he worked at was a contractor for the navy. Rachel also worked up in Pittsburg for a few months with the navy, so she was familiar with the company and project that Tom was working on during his time there. So they were having fun tossing out names and projects lol. Anyways I though it was funny!
In terms of the actual fair though, I must say I was once again disappointed in the jousting. They seem to just go through the motions, which isn't nearly as much fun as it could be. In comparison the renn fair I went to a few years ago in Mass. had a lot more energy, and comedy going on between the knights and the competitions. Which is a shame because this renn fair is much larger and nicer of the two otherwise. But besides that the fair was a lot of fun. My favorite shows were the Shakespeare Skum, which did a show called "Macbeth in 20 minutes or less". This is a group that I saw last year as well (they did Hamlet last year) but they are tons of fun and are based out of London. And there was a sword swallower who was a blast to watch. He did some sword swallowing as well as some relatively simple (as in I couldn't do them!) magic tricks. But the show was a blast. And of course I'd be remiss if I didn't talk about the excellent food offerings. Hmmm... smoked Turkey leg! Overall it was a great time, and we couldn't have asked for better weather.
Anyways that pretty much brings me up to date. This weekend I'll be going to a Halloween party/housewarming party for a friend from Karate. So Rachel and I need to find some costumes for that. And then on Sunday I will hopefully go caving with Rachel, well she is the "secretary" for a caving group so I get to try that out this weekend. With any luck I'll have some pictures even! But no promises.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Columbus day Weekend
Well it's definitely been a while since I've last posted. And I suppose a few things have happened. Sadly I didn't manage to catch any of it in picture form though... so sorry about that!
Over Columbus Day weekend I headed over to Grand Rapids with Rachel. After the long drive we still managed to get a night out on the town. It was really nice being able to meet up with Lindsey and Caleb, as they gave us a tour around GR during the artprize. I will shamelessly admit that I don't know my way around Grand Rapids, I suppose I was way too much of a suburbia kid for that. So it was great that Lindsey was willing to show us around, and we didn't get lost at all! Both Rachel and Tara, Rachel's friend, both really seemed to enjoy the tour around and all of the truly amazing art on display.
On Saturday before the wedding Rachel and I were able to head over and visit Busia, as she had just gotten out of the hospital earlier that week. I must say, after all the stories I had heard of her time in the hospital, she was looking surprisingly well. I don't know if that was because she truly was feeling better or if she was just doing a very good job of putting on a strong face for us. But either way, she is a truly strong woman. Kinda on the morbid side of things, she promised to be around till she was at least 90, but I told her that Great Grandma Westrate lasted till 100 and that I expected nothing less of her!
Later that day of course we went to the wedding. The wedding was for one of Rachel's coworkers and friends, Kevin. His bride, Danielle is of course from the Grand Rapids area. I believe they met at their college of Notre Dame. The wedding was quite nice, it was a Catholic Wedding, and as such was very beautiful. After the wedding we headed back to the hotel where they had some football games (notably the Notre Dame game) on (as well as a MSU and UofM game, but the less we talk about that the better). Afterwards we headed back over to the church where they held the reception in the Church's Gymnasium. It was a buffet style meal and notably had an open bar. There was lots of dancing, and of drinking, possibly one feeding the other. There was a live band, which I thought was quite good, but Rachel claims was only so so. Overall though it was an excellent night.
Sunday morning we headed over to the crackel barrel in Gville for breakfast, where I amused Rachel by trying to figure out what I was supposed to put the apple butter on (I tried sausage, eggs, and finally grits). After breakfast I took Lindsey's suggestion and headed over to Robinettes. Lindsey mentioned that Michigan apples were in season, and Rachel mentioned how she wanted to try some, and so we went there lol. What I found was actually quite a surprise though. This was a full functioning destination. Besides a little store area with lots of different types of apples, fudge, and cider, there was a corn maze (which we went through) hay rides (which we skipped) and even some wine tasting (which we did participate in). Overall I was rather impressed by what they had there, and would definitely recommend it to others to visit, especially if you take kids. After Robinettes we headed down to Grand Haven. This part I think is kinda funny... when I told Rachel we would be visiting the Lake, I'm not sure she realized this meant "beach". While I know I take it for granted that there is a nice sandy beach on Lake Michigan, I can understand why that might not be as obvious for people not growing up in Michigan. Even so we managed to take off our shoes and roll up our pants and walk along the water and up to the pier. It was an absolutly gorgous day that day which was wonderful. Then later that night we met up with Stephen and Shannon downtown at San Chez's. We all seemed to have fun ordering the different tapas, and Rachel and Shannon seemed to enjoy the fact that they didn't have to share any of the seafood dishes with Stephen and I. As a result though I'm pretty sure they ended up eating more than Stephen and I though lol. Sadly though Lindsey wasn't able to go out with us this night, as she ended up heading across state to pick up Caleb, she promises otherwise that she would have made sure we ordered the best meals. So next time I'll have to take her up on that!
So I realize I've rambled on a bit more than I planned. I was going to go over the past weekend as well, but I'll just have to cover that later this week in another post. Anyways, back to work I suppose for me!
Over Columbus Day weekend I headed over to Grand Rapids with Rachel. After the long drive we still managed to get a night out on the town. It was really nice being able to meet up with Lindsey and Caleb, as they gave us a tour around GR during the artprize. I will shamelessly admit that I don't know my way around Grand Rapids, I suppose I was way too much of a suburbia kid for that. So it was great that Lindsey was willing to show us around, and we didn't get lost at all! Both Rachel and Tara, Rachel's friend, both really seemed to enjoy the tour around and all of the truly amazing art on display.
On Saturday before the wedding Rachel and I were able to head over and visit Busia, as she had just gotten out of the hospital earlier that week. I must say, after all the stories I had heard of her time in the hospital, she was looking surprisingly well. I don't know if that was because she truly was feeling better or if she was just doing a very good job of putting on a strong face for us. But either way, she is a truly strong woman. Kinda on the morbid side of things, she promised to be around till she was at least 90, but I told her that Great Grandma Westrate lasted till 100 and that I expected nothing less of her!
Later that day of course we went to the wedding. The wedding was for one of Rachel's coworkers and friends, Kevin. His bride, Danielle is of course from the Grand Rapids area. I believe they met at their college of Notre Dame. The wedding was quite nice, it was a Catholic Wedding, and as such was very beautiful. After the wedding we headed back to the hotel where they had some football games (notably the Notre Dame game) on (as well as a MSU and UofM game, but the less we talk about that the better). Afterwards we headed back over to the church where they held the reception in the Church's Gymnasium. It was a buffet style meal and notably had an open bar. There was lots of dancing, and of drinking, possibly one feeding the other. There was a live band, which I thought was quite good, but Rachel claims was only so so. Overall though it was an excellent night.
Sunday morning we headed over to the crackel barrel in Gville for breakfast, where I amused Rachel by trying to figure out what I was supposed to put the apple butter on (I tried sausage, eggs, and finally grits). After breakfast I took Lindsey's suggestion and headed over to Robinettes. Lindsey mentioned that Michigan apples were in season, and Rachel mentioned how she wanted to try some, and so we went there lol. What I found was actually quite a surprise though. This was a full functioning destination. Besides a little store area with lots of different types of apples, fudge, and cider, there was a corn maze (which we went through) hay rides (which we skipped) and even some wine tasting (which we did participate in). Overall I was rather impressed by what they had there, and would definitely recommend it to others to visit, especially if you take kids. After Robinettes we headed down to Grand Haven. This part I think is kinda funny... when I told Rachel we would be visiting the Lake, I'm not sure she realized this meant "beach". While I know I take it for granted that there is a nice sandy beach on Lake Michigan, I can understand why that might not be as obvious for people not growing up in Michigan. Even so we managed to take off our shoes and roll up our pants and walk along the water and up to the pier. It was an absolutly gorgous day that day which was wonderful. Then later that night we met up with Stephen and Shannon downtown at San Chez's. We all seemed to have fun ordering the different tapas, and Rachel and Shannon seemed to enjoy the fact that they didn't have to share any of the seafood dishes with Stephen and I. As a result though I'm pretty sure they ended up eating more than Stephen and I though lol. Sadly though Lindsey wasn't able to go out with us this night, as she ended up heading across state to pick up Caleb, she promises otherwise that she would have made sure we ordered the best meals. So next time I'll have to take her up on that!
So I realize I've rambled on a bit more than I planned. I was going to go over the past weekend as well, but I'll just have to cover that later this week in another post. Anyways, back to work I suppose for me!
Saturday, September 25, 2010
Christmas/Birthday List
Computer Stuff:
Ram
Graphics Card
Slightly Cheaper Graphics Card (and Stephen argues better)
Fable III
PS3 stuff:
Playstation Move
Move Navigation Controller
Final Fantasy XIII
Fallout New Vegas
MTU Stuff:
T-Shirt
Hooded Sweatshirt
Dry Fit
A note on the shirts here, I didn't put down a specific size because it is impossible for me to know for sure. Lately I've been falling between a Large and a Medium, and I won't know which one I am until I try them on.
Fun Electronics:
Laptop
BluRays:
Avatar Extended Collector's Edition
Inception
So yeah, not much stuff right now, but I'll try to update it as ideas come to me.
Ram
Graphics Card
Slightly Cheaper Graphics Card (and Stephen argues better)
Fable III
PS3 stuff:
Playstation Move
Move Navigation Controller
Final Fantasy XIII
Fallout New Vegas
MTU Stuff:
T-Shirt
Hooded Sweatshirt
Dry Fit
A note on the shirts here, I didn't put down a specific size because it is impossible for me to know for sure. Lately I've been falling between a Large and a Medium, and I won't know which one I am until I try them on.
Fun Electronics:
Laptop
BluRays:
Avatar Extended Collector's Edition
Inception
So yeah, not much stuff right now, but I'll try to update it as ideas come to me.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Old Rag
Today Rachel and I went hiking on a hiking trail in the Shenandoah called Old Rag. This hiking trail is near Skyline drive where I went with Linds and co a few weeks ago. This particular hike was quite challenging, but ultimately rewarding.
The hike itself is about 7.5 miles and starts at the bottom of the mountain... and then hikes up to the peak. So there is a pretty steep incline at the beginning that doesn't really let up till you reach the top. But the true fun part of this trail is the rock scrambling. Similar to the billy goat trail, there is a large section where you are jumping on and climbing on rocks. Though in comparison this trail is significantly more challenging than even that. But that also means it was more fun lol.
Anyways, I posted some of the pictures from the hike below in a slide show. No one seemed to object to the slide show format last time, so hopefully you all like it again.
Monday, August 30, 2010
Lindsey/Caleb/Cassidy/ and Mother in DC
As many of you know, Lindsey, Cassidy, Caleb and Mom came down to visit me the weekend of the 21st. Everyone seemed to have a good time, and I'd like to think we managed to do some different things during the trip. I'm going to try something different here and rather than post pictures, I will try to post an album. So let me know how you guys like it compared to a regular posting of pictures.
Day 1:
One of the things that Lindsey told me straight away was that they finnaly wanted to go up the Washington monument. So on Friday morning I took the metro into DC, leaving a little before 7, and got some tickets for the monument. I got there a little before 8:00, and already there was a line. The ticket booth first open at 8:30, and by then the line had pretty much tripled. But the tickets were free, and I had my choice of pretty much any time during the day.
The Monument was pretty cool. As many know, the law in DC is for nothing to be taller than the monument so that you can always see it on the skyline. As such, it is the highest point in all of DC and no better view of DC is to be had in my opinion. It was definitely worth getting the tickets early in the morning.
We also got a chance to visit the Holocaust museum. I would definently say that this is one of the best laid out, and moving museums I've ever seen. The museum started at the beginning setting the stage for how the holocaust started, what motivated it, and then followed through the the end, as the camps were finally liberated and the allied forces freed the surviving jews. It was well laid out, and powerful. The only concern we had was how well Caleb would understand and handle it. Luckily there was a children's area we brought him through before so he got a brief overview of what it was before we went into the main proper. Once in there.... its hard to say how much he understood. I think a lot, but I"m not sure how much sank in. I would definently say it is worth going to, and plan on spending a few hours there, as there is tons of material. I felt like we barely scratched the surface.
After that museum, I managed to meet up with Ken, Becky, and Samantha while Lindsey, Cassidy and Chrsity played the local scene with a jazz thingy in the sculpture gardens. Samantha's brother recently got a job with an airline, and so as family she gets discounted tickets. So she came down to visit Ken and Becky, and they brought her up to DC to hang out with me. Which was a blast, it was very nice to meet up with old friends. We grabbed Caleb and browsed through the air and space museum, while the girls went to the jazz, and managed to find a pitcher of sangria. After we browsed around for a bit we headed back to a restaurant, had dinner, and ended a rather fun day.
Day 2:
The day started out with me going to Karate for a few hours, I had my private lesson, as well as needing to help out with Kid's class, and teaching a couple of kids their own lessons. Caleb was able to join as well, and by all accounts he seemed to have a blast. He was definently sweating at the end, and says he had a really good time. Now everyone just needs to remind Lindsey to enroll him at a local school now that she is on a more set schedule :-p.
After I got back from Karate we all jumped in the car and headed down to the Shenandoah national park, to skyline drive. Basicaly what it is is a 100+ mile long road through the mountains int he Shenandoah valley. The views were pretty amazing, and there were camping grounds, rooms to rent, and more hiking trails than you can shake your fist at. I loved this drive because there were tons of overlooks, and Mom was able to join us and experience the beautiful drive through the mountains. At one point Lindsey, Cassidy, Caleb, and I did a short hike down to a waterfall. The waterfall was quite nice, and was well worth the all up hill hike back to the car :-p.
Day 3:
On Sunday I managed to get everyone up early so we could head down to Baltimore. Once there we went to the science center. The great part about this place was that it was all hands on activities for Caleb. They really had some fun exhibits set up, and with admission came free imax tickets (we saw a movie on the grand canyon) and planetarium. The planetarium was pretty amazing, I don't remember the last time I have been to one, but I had forgotten how much fun they were. Everyone else agreed, as we went to two shows :-p.
After the science center, we headed down to the harbor there and found a restaurant. After convincing everyone that they didn't really want to go to the pretty much all sea food restaurant.... we found a nice little restaurant and had a good meal. Caleb even managed to get the waitress to give him some free ice cream! After dinner we headed home, only getting lost in Baltimore briefly...... as a side note, gps's are cool.
Day 4:
After a slightly lazier morning.... I got everyone to head out to a hiking trail. The trail was called the Billy Goat trail, and is located near the Great Falls park that I had taken Dad, Sara, and the kids earlier in the year. Once we were there Lindsey's friend Christy and her husband Perry met up with us and we did the 3 mile hike. The great thing about the Billy Goat trail is that there are lots of rocks to climb. It was a blast, and, I think a good workout. Caleb seemed to be having a particularly good time climbing over the rocks. My favorite part I think is the 30-40 foot rock climb about midway through :-p. At the end though, I just love the fact that here is this very great and fun, and scenic hiking trail.... all located within the beltway.
Later that day, Christy's husband Perry gave us a tour of the Pentagon. We started off walking through the 9/11 memorial which was very touching and well put together. Then we got a brief walk through the pentagon. To be honest, for some reason I thought it would be bigger... But that being said, it is massive. I'm pretty sure it would take me about 3 minutes to get lost in there lol. The tour more or less took us to a couple different areas where the different armed forces had hallways dedicated to them. Overall it was a pretty cool place to be able to visit, and I'm glad that Perry was willing to take us through there.
After the Pentagon visit we ended the evening at PF Changs with some great Chinese food. And hopefully, ended everyones visit quite pleasantly.
Day 1:
One of the things that Lindsey told me straight away was that they finnaly wanted to go up the Washington monument. So on Friday morning I took the metro into DC, leaving a little before 7, and got some tickets for the monument. I got there a little before 8:00, and already there was a line. The ticket booth first open at 8:30, and by then the line had pretty much tripled. But the tickets were free, and I had my choice of pretty much any time during the day.
The Monument was pretty cool. As many know, the law in DC is for nothing to be taller than the monument so that you can always see it on the skyline. As such, it is the highest point in all of DC and no better view of DC is to be had in my opinion. It was definitely worth getting the tickets early in the morning.
We also got a chance to visit the Holocaust museum. I would definently say that this is one of the best laid out, and moving museums I've ever seen. The museum started at the beginning setting the stage for how the holocaust started, what motivated it, and then followed through the the end, as the camps were finally liberated and the allied forces freed the surviving jews. It was well laid out, and powerful. The only concern we had was how well Caleb would understand and handle it. Luckily there was a children's area we brought him through before so he got a brief overview of what it was before we went into the main proper. Once in there.... its hard to say how much he understood. I think a lot, but I"m not sure how much sank in. I would definently say it is worth going to, and plan on spending a few hours there, as there is tons of material. I felt like we barely scratched the surface.
After that museum, I managed to meet up with Ken, Becky, and Samantha while Lindsey, Cassidy and Chrsity played the local scene with a jazz thingy in the sculpture gardens. Samantha's brother recently got a job with an airline, and so as family she gets discounted tickets. So she came down to visit Ken and Becky, and they brought her up to DC to hang out with me. Which was a blast, it was very nice to meet up with old friends. We grabbed Caleb and browsed through the air and space museum, while the girls went to the jazz, and managed to find a pitcher of sangria. After we browsed around for a bit we headed back to a restaurant, had dinner, and ended a rather fun day.
Day 2:
The day started out with me going to Karate for a few hours, I had my private lesson, as well as needing to help out with Kid's class, and teaching a couple of kids their own lessons. Caleb was able to join as well, and by all accounts he seemed to have a blast. He was definently sweating at the end, and says he had a really good time. Now everyone just needs to remind Lindsey to enroll him at a local school now that she is on a more set schedule :-p.
After I got back from Karate we all jumped in the car and headed down to the Shenandoah national park, to skyline drive. Basicaly what it is is a 100+ mile long road through the mountains int he Shenandoah valley. The views were pretty amazing, and there were camping grounds, rooms to rent, and more hiking trails than you can shake your fist at. I loved this drive because there were tons of overlooks, and Mom was able to join us and experience the beautiful drive through the mountains. At one point Lindsey, Cassidy, Caleb, and I did a short hike down to a waterfall. The waterfall was quite nice, and was well worth the all up hill hike back to the car :-p.
Day 3:
On Sunday I managed to get everyone up early so we could head down to Baltimore. Once there we went to the science center. The great part about this place was that it was all hands on activities for Caleb. They really had some fun exhibits set up, and with admission came free imax tickets (we saw a movie on the grand canyon) and planetarium. The planetarium was pretty amazing, I don't remember the last time I have been to one, but I had forgotten how much fun they were. Everyone else agreed, as we went to two shows :-p.
After the science center, we headed down to the harbor there and found a restaurant. After convincing everyone that they didn't really want to go to the pretty much all sea food restaurant.... we found a nice little restaurant and had a good meal. Caleb even managed to get the waitress to give him some free ice cream! After dinner we headed home, only getting lost in Baltimore briefly...... as a side note, gps's are cool.
Day 4:
After a slightly lazier morning.... I got everyone to head out to a hiking trail. The trail was called the Billy Goat trail, and is located near the Great Falls park that I had taken Dad, Sara, and the kids earlier in the year. Once we were there Lindsey's friend Christy and her husband Perry met up with us and we did the 3 mile hike. The great thing about the Billy Goat trail is that there are lots of rocks to climb. It was a blast, and, I think a good workout. Caleb seemed to be having a particularly good time climbing over the rocks. My favorite part I think is the 30-40 foot rock climb about midway through :-p. At the end though, I just love the fact that here is this very great and fun, and scenic hiking trail.... all located within the beltway.
Later that day, Christy's husband Perry gave us a tour of the Pentagon. We started off walking through the 9/11 memorial which was very touching and well put together. Then we got a brief walk through the pentagon. To be honest, for some reason I thought it would be bigger... But that being said, it is massive. I'm pretty sure it would take me about 3 minutes to get lost in there lol. The tour more or less took us to a couple different areas where the different armed forces had hallways dedicated to them. Overall it was a pretty cool place to be able to visit, and I'm glad that Perry was willing to take us through there.
After the Pentagon visit we ended the evening at PF Changs with some great Chinese food. And hopefully, ended everyones visit quite pleasantly.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Change up at Work
As I believe I have mentioned before I currently examine in the art of photolithography, or more specificaly, photomasks which are used as pattern templates to transfer images on the nanoscale level in order to produce integrated circuits and semiconductors such as are used for computers and the like. As a result, this current field is very much more closely aligned, in my own opinion, to optical physics than to chemistry for example. In other words I often have to deal with how light interacts at the nanoscale level, how it works when passing through materials and the like. Needless to say, my chemical engineering background didn't have a ton of applicability to this field. Nevertheless this is an area that I have examined in for 3 years now, and I believe, have become proficient at.
But that is all changing. Alas, seemingly my own success and that of my immediate coworkers are our own downfall. When I first started, I was working on cases that were about 3 years, to 3.5 years old, from the time they were filed. Currently though I'm at 18-20 months. While that sounds like it is a good thing, it also means that we are flat out running out of cases. It turns out my boss has way too many people working in that area, and has decided to move us junior examiners off to another "docket" or technology area.
So off to electro photography I go. As I understand it, electro photography is best known as being used in printers. For example, next to me at my desk at work is an HP laserjet printer. Electro photography, or at least the area I will be examining, will include the toner that is used, so compositions and mixtures for example of the printer toner, as well as the roller, or the area where the ink is imaged onto the paper. In the words of my boss, electro photography and photolithography are in no way related. Which means I will, most likely starting at the beginning of next quarter (1st of October), be having to learn an entirely new technology.
Pros:
As I mentioned earlier, my current technology, with photomasks is more based in optical physics than chemistry. Electro photography will be more chemistry based. While I won't be dealing with chemical reactions per say, I will have to examine compositions, such as for example organic chains and halogens of organics and the like. So this will bring me a little more back to my roots.
When I first moved over to my current office my boss dropped one of my favorite quotes from him ever when he said "I don't want you guys having a split docket so that you don't realize how much easier other art unitsare" and when he talked to me earlier this week he shared with me that he believes that photomasks, which I currently do, is possibly the most difficult area to examine in the Chemistry Technolgy Center. So that means, in his opinion electro photography is much more straight forward area to examine. Hopefully then that means that once I do get familiar with it, it will be easier than what I am currently working on.
Each different technolgy area has different expectancies. In this case, the expectancy for electro photography will be a little bit less than it is currently for me, working on photomasks. Meaning I will have to do less work each week, or to think of it another way I have more time to work on these cases.
Cons:
Simply, I have to relearn an entirely new technology. In terms of how to do my job, that should all be the same. But all the experience and familiarity with the technology that I have gained over the past three years... will no longer be of any use. I will be starting from scratch, since the two fields are unrelated. What that means is that I will have to spend a lot more time on each case searching what is out there, because to be frank, I have no clue what is out there. It will be a true challenge to learn this new technolgy fast.
Starting next quarter I will be starting my promotion period, which means an increase in total work I need to get done by about 7%. Additionally, I will have some of my cases pulled and reviewed in preparation for my promotion. Since I'm unfamiliar with the new technology.... well I shall just hope for the best there lol. But after the promotion period, which is 6 months long, I will be a GS13, which has an increase in work of 15% of where I am now. Which is a big jump. Also at that time, I will be doing the partial signiture program, which is the program you get on so I can sign my own cases. Anyways, its a tricky time to have such an upheavel.
Printer toners involve organic chemistry as I mentioned above. The last time I did organic chemistry was when I was a freshman in college, or about 9 years ago. I'm just plain rusty lol. The last three years I've been doing optical physics more than chemistry and composition. So it will be an additional challenge just getting back into the habit of switching the scientific gears.
So anyways, thats what I get to look forward to in the near future. It will be challenging, but hopefully the pros will outway the cons. If nothing else, it is at least a change of pace. And I think that much at least won't be such a bad thing.
But that is all changing. Alas, seemingly my own success and that of my immediate coworkers are our own downfall. When I first started, I was working on cases that were about 3 years, to 3.5 years old, from the time they were filed. Currently though I'm at 18-20 months. While that sounds like it is a good thing, it also means that we are flat out running out of cases. It turns out my boss has way too many people working in that area, and has decided to move us junior examiners off to another "docket" or technology area.
So off to electro photography I go. As I understand it, electro photography is best known as being used in printers. For example, next to me at my desk at work is an HP laserjet printer. Electro photography, or at least the area I will be examining, will include the toner that is used, so compositions and mixtures for example of the printer toner, as well as the roller, or the area where the ink is imaged onto the paper. In the words of my boss, electro photography and photolithography are in no way related. Which means I will, most likely starting at the beginning of next quarter (1st of October), be having to learn an entirely new technology.
Pros:
As I mentioned earlier, my current technology, with photomasks is more based in optical physics than chemistry. Electro photography will be more chemistry based. While I won't be dealing with chemical reactions per say, I will have to examine compositions, such as for example organic chains and halogens of organics and the like. So this will bring me a little more back to my roots.
When I first moved over to my current office my boss dropped one of my favorite quotes from him ever when he said "I don't want you guys having a split docket so that you don't realize how much easier other art units
Each different technolgy area has different expectancies. In this case, the expectancy for electro photography will be a little bit less than it is currently for me, working on photomasks. Meaning I will have to do less work each week, or to think of it another way I have more time to work on these cases.
Cons:
Simply, I have to relearn an entirely new technology. In terms of how to do my job, that should all be the same. But all the experience and familiarity with the technology that I have gained over the past three years... will no longer be of any use. I will be starting from scratch, since the two fields are unrelated. What that means is that I will have to spend a lot more time on each case searching what is out there, because to be frank, I have no clue what is out there. It will be a true challenge to learn this new technolgy fast.
Starting next quarter I will be starting my promotion period, which means an increase in total work I need to get done by about 7%. Additionally, I will have some of my cases pulled and reviewed in preparation for my promotion. Since I'm unfamiliar with the new technology.... well I shall just hope for the best there lol. But after the promotion period, which is 6 months long, I will be a GS13, which has an increase in work of 15% of where I am now. Which is a big jump. Also at that time, I will be doing the partial signiture program, which is the program you get on so I can sign my own cases. Anyways, its a tricky time to have such an upheavel.
Printer toners involve organic chemistry as I mentioned above. The last time I did organic chemistry was when I was a freshman in college, or about 9 years ago. I'm just plain rusty lol. The last three years I've been doing optical physics more than chemistry and composition. So it will be an additional challenge just getting back into the habit of switching the scientific gears.
So anyways, thats what I get to look forward to in the near future. It will be challenging, but hopefully the pros will outway the cons. If nothing else, it is at least a change of pace. And I think that much at least won't be such a bad thing.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Extra Photos
Turns out there is a limit to how many pictures you can put in one post. So here are some carry overs.
Camping and Pictured Rocks
Hey.... Its been a while since I've posted pictures.... So here are a bunch of them! Of course they are from camping as well as from Pictured Rocks up near Munising. Gosh I missed the UP.
Saturday, June 26, 2010
Blue/Green Belt
So last night I tested for my Blue/Green belt, or more accuratly blue belt with green stripe. So I'm definently progressing with karate.
I think I've mentioned in previous posts how exhausting these tests are. Well last nights was without a doubt the most exhausting of them all. There wasn't one thing we did too much of, but rather a constant state of moving and exercising for 2 and a half hours. We would do some moves, then sprint. Or do some things and in between do frog hops. The instructor would ask us if we are tired, we'd say yes, and he'd respond with a then run around the complex. I probably could have passed out a few times. As we got pushed to the point of exhaustion, and then past it just for the heck of it.
Needless to say at the end of the test I downed the 40 ounces of water I brought with me, then when I got home I must have drank another gallon or two. Ultimatly it was a great night lol. And all I have to say, is that I"m kinda happy that my next test is a couple months away again. I'm not sure I could do that every week lol.
I think I've mentioned in previous posts how exhausting these tests are. Well last nights was without a doubt the most exhausting of them all. There wasn't one thing we did too much of, but rather a constant state of moving and exercising for 2 and a half hours. We would do some moves, then sprint. Or do some things and in between do frog hops. The instructor would ask us if we are tired, we'd say yes, and he'd respond with a then run around the complex. I probably could have passed out a few times. As we got pushed to the point of exhaustion, and then past it just for the heck of it.
Needless to say at the end of the test I downed the 40 ounces of water I brought with me, then when I got home I must have drank another gallon or two. Ultimatly it was a great night lol. And all I have to say, is that I"m kinda happy that my next test is a couple months away again. I'm not sure I could do that every week lol.
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Update on Jim
I was able to meet up with Jim today to talk about his trip to Pakistan. Needless to say he is homesick again lol. He was able to meet up with all of his family as well as for the first time meet his niece and nephew which was a great experience for him. But now he is back, and will be for a while.
Currently he is looking to move into an apartment by himself, so he is apartment searching. Right now he is living with a friend in a condo. But much as I was, he is annoyed by the price of apartments in the area. Even so he hopes to find a place within a month or so.
Also, while he was there he married his fiance. Or... half married her I suppose. The way he put it they legally got married, but still need to do a couple other things on the formalities side. The way he explained it, the marriage ceremonies are complex and take multiple days. And he would not be able to spend this much time there next year. So they did the formal marriage parts this visit. Then next year he will return to Pakistan do the last bit and return with her back to the US. So, congratulation/condolences are in order for him the next time you see him.
He also did say that Pakistan is a dangerous place to be in right now. But I suppose that is life as usual there. It is hard for me to contemplate living in such situations, but he said for them, its just a daily thing.
Currently he is looking to move into an apartment by himself, so he is apartment searching. Right now he is living with a friend in a condo. But much as I was, he is annoyed by the price of apartments in the area. Even so he hopes to find a place within a month or so.
Also, while he was there he married his fiance. Or... half married her I suppose. The way he put it they legally got married, but still need to do a couple other things on the formalities side. The way he explained it, the marriage ceremonies are complex and take multiple days. And he would not be able to spend this much time there next year. So they did the formal marriage parts this visit. Then next year he will return to Pakistan do the last bit and return with her back to the US. So, congratulation/condolences are in order for him the next time you see him.
He also did say that Pakistan is a dangerous place to be in right now. But I suppose that is life as usual there. It is hard for me to contemplate living in such situations, but he said for them, its just a daily thing.
Monday, June 7, 2010
A magic lost
So yesterday I went to the bookstore. This was notable in the fact that on the whole it was a disapointing and frustrating experience.
As a kid some of my fondest memories where when Mom would take me to Schulers and I would browse the book racks. Here was where I met some of my favorite authors. Robin Hobb, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Tad Williams, Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman to name a few. I remeber strolling down the ailes of books, pulling out ones with interesting art work, or intriguing titles. To browse through the book flap or the back of the book to see if the story would grip me. It was exciting to find a new author this way. To fall in love with their books, and to return and buy the rest of the books writen by them. It was exciting and sometimes a gamble. But perhaps this was all part of the fun.
However, this past weekend all of that was lost. In part I blame amazon.com. It truly has changed how I shop. No longer do i just pick up any book and try it out. I find myself seeking out reviews and other peoples opinion before purchasing the book. Before I try out a new author I find myself critically examining what people say about their works. Also, all their books are right there at my fingertips. Once I decide on a new author all their works are right there, I can go all the way back to their earliest works and start at the beginning. There is no wondering if it is in stock, it almost always is in one way or another. There is no need to search endlessly through racks of books, they are all but a click away.
Compare this then to the bookstore, Borders that I went to. I was looking for "The Red Wolf Consiracy" by Robert V. S. Redick, a book that I had recently found that looked intriguing, I figured while I was there I would check it out in printed form to see if it was any good. Perhaps read the back cover, to flip through the book before deciding to purchase it. So I went to the rack but I could not find the book. I found its recently published sequal "The Ruling Sea" but not "The Red Wolf Consiracy" for some reason it wasn't in stock. So then I searched around more, but quickly got confused and frustrated with their system. I found books by the authors in two and in some cases three different spots on the rack. In many cases only the most recent works of the authors were stocked in one spot. Some had the earlier books in a second location, if you searched hard enough to find it. Most though, if you wanted the first book in their series you were out of luck finding it on the shelfs. Similarly I was interested in "Tigana" by Guy Gavriel Kay, but couldnt find it, as it is one of his earlier work, but only his most recent two or three books were stocked. It was frustrating to say the least.
Perhaps the worst though was when I went searching for a book for Caleb. Two the authors that i read, Brandon Sanderson and Tad Williams also write childerns books, such that I though would be appropriate for Caleb. So I searched in the kids section. They weren't there. I stumbled into "young adult" but they werent there. Finaly at about the time I was giving up trying to find where his books would be located, I stumbled across a section called "independent readers" where I finnaly found one of the books I was looking for. But this section wasn't in the kids section, wasn't in the young adults, it was in a third section only peripherally related to the other two.
But I digress. At the end of the day, I realized that book stores had lost their magic for me. No longer can I just go there and browse for books, I have to search and consider. Not finding the book you are looking for is too big of a let down. While I would never want to give up the conveniences of amazon.com, I still lament the loss of those childhood moments of browsing through the book racks, of taking chances on new books, and of getting Mom to pay for them all.
As a kid some of my fondest memories where when Mom would take me to Schulers and I would browse the book racks. Here was where I met some of my favorite authors. Robin Hobb, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Tad Williams, Margaret Weiss and Tracy Hickman to name a few. I remeber strolling down the ailes of books, pulling out ones with interesting art work, or intriguing titles. To browse through the book flap or the back of the book to see if the story would grip me. It was exciting to find a new author this way. To fall in love with their books, and to return and buy the rest of the books writen by them. It was exciting and sometimes a gamble. But perhaps this was all part of the fun.
However, this past weekend all of that was lost. In part I blame amazon.com. It truly has changed how I shop. No longer do i just pick up any book and try it out. I find myself seeking out reviews and other peoples opinion before purchasing the book. Before I try out a new author I find myself critically examining what people say about their works. Also, all their books are right there at my fingertips. Once I decide on a new author all their works are right there, I can go all the way back to their earliest works and start at the beginning. There is no wondering if it is in stock, it almost always is in one way or another. There is no need to search endlessly through racks of books, they are all but a click away.
Compare this then to the bookstore, Borders that I went to. I was looking for "The Red Wolf Consiracy" by Robert V. S. Redick, a book that I had recently found that looked intriguing, I figured while I was there I would check it out in printed form to see if it was any good. Perhaps read the back cover, to flip through the book before deciding to purchase it. So I went to the rack but I could not find the book. I found its recently published sequal "The Ruling Sea" but not "The Red Wolf Consiracy" for some reason it wasn't in stock. So then I searched around more, but quickly got confused and frustrated with their system. I found books by the authors in two and in some cases three different spots on the rack. In many cases only the most recent works of the authors were stocked in one spot. Some had the earlier books in a second location, if you searched hard enough to find it. Most though, if you wanted the first book in their series you were out of luck finding it on the shelfs. Similarly I was interested in "Tigana" by Guy Gavriel Kay, but couldnt find it, as it is one of his earlier work, but only his most recent two or three books were stocked. It was frustrating to say the least.
Perhaps the worst though was when I went searching for a book for Caleb. Two the authors that i read, Brandon Sanderson and Tad Williams also write childerns books, such that I though would be appropriate for Caleb. So I searched in the kids section. They weren't there. I stumbled into "young adult" but they werent there. Finaly at about the time I was giving up trying to find where his books would be located, I stumbled across a section called "independent readers" where I finnaly found one of the books I was looking for. But this section wasn't in the kids section, wasn't in the young adults, it was in a third section only peripherally related to the other two.
But I digress. At the end of the day, I realized that book stores had lost their magic for me. No longer can I just go there and browse for books, I have to search and consider. Not finding the book you are looking for is too big of a let down. While I would never want to give up the conveniences of amazon.com, I still lament the loss of those childhood moments of browsing through the book racks, of taking chances on new books, and of getting Mom to pay for them all.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Academy
So last week I joined the Academy at Karate. What this means is that I get an extra 2 hour group class on Tuesday nights by the main instructor, a third degree black belt. Also I get to help out around the dojo and will start training students as well.
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with one of the main instructors of a dojo here. And he was telling me that in order to advance at Karate it is important to teach. That basically at a certain point the only way to learn is to teach. But also, it just means I will be spending more time at studying the martial arts.
The other benefits are just that.... well Sensei Santillo (the aforementioned 3rd degree black belt) said that Academy members tend to get special treatment to some extent. So what I'm thinking is that with the extra lesson and teaching people, it will hopefully mean that I will be able to advance in rate faster as well.
Aaaannnnnyways tomorrow (wednesday) I will have my first lesson, teaching a private lesson tomorrow. So everyone wish me luck :-).
A few weeks ago I had a conversation with one of the main instructors of a dojo here. And he was telling me that in order to advance at Karate it is important to teach. That basically at a certain point the only way to learn is to teach. But also, it just means I will be spending more time at studying the martial arts.
The other benefits are just that.... well Sensei Santillo (the aforementioned 3rd degree black belt) said that Academy members tend to get special treatment to some extent. So what I'm thinking is that with the extra lesson and teaching people, it will hopefully mean that I will be able to advance in rate faster as well.
Aaaannnnnyways tomorrow (wednesday) I will have my first lesson, teaching a private lesson tomorrow. So everyone wish me luck :-).
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Rumblings
So I realized that it has been a few weeks since I have last posted. I figured I'd jot off some random stuff, so at least everyone knows I'm not dead or anything.
I just finished watching "Spartacus" a la Netflix. This is a show that has been intriguing me. Specifically I love the area and period that it is representing. And this show has been surprisingly good. The pilot was horrendous. But every episode since has been amazing. It has a lots of violence, language and nudity, but the strength of the show was how it balanced character development. As any good show about the period they focused on political maneuvering as much as the action. Though don't get me wrong, the fight scenes always managed to be fun to watch, and well choreographed. They deftly wove the story around different characters, comparing and contrasting them deftly throughout the series up till the climatic ending. The ending was quite satisfying, as well as epic. I'm really curious where they will take the second season.
I have also lost quite a bit of weight. This has the downside, I'm finding out, of needing an entire new set of clothes. Which is why I was so happy that Kevin was willing to part with some. I must say though, it is nice fitting into a size Large shirts, and size 34 waist. I don't know the last time I can say I was there. Probably junior high school sadly.... Anyways I figure I would love to still lose about another 10-15 pounds minimum. My goal I think is to have a "beach body" in time for the Long Lake vacation this year.
In Karate I have started to learn the Chinese Dao, which is a Chinese broadsword. That has been tons of fun. So far I have learned "dragon set one" and I'm hoping that next week I will learn the second sword form. The ability to learn weapons like this was one of the reasons why I decided to join the karate school that I did. And I must say it has been a blast. I have two more lessons (i purchased five extra to learn the weapon) left, which is sad. But not the end thankfully lol. After my lesson this past Thursday one of the other students told me that he thinks I smile more when I have a sword. I don't doubt this to be true lol.
Work is going well I suppose. I just got promoted right around Easter, which should mean I have to do 10% more work. Though if that is the case, it seems to be going quite well. I do for sure enjoy the extra pay. And the other benefits is just that with the promotion my boss has to review my work less strenuously. So I'm still kinda curious how that will play out in the end. So far I really havn't noticed anything different. One thing I can say though, is that I called up an attorney to suggest to them an amendment for the case. Basicaly he was unable to reach his applicant (the inventor or the like) in order to propose the amendment. The reason? A week long holiday in Japan. That's right, 1 week, public holiday. I know a government worker complaining about lack of holidays is much a pot and kettle situation. But really. 1 week! I'm very jealous.
Okay, so enough rumblings. Hopefully at some point I will even have something interesting to blog about.... sadly my life isn't that exciting lol. Until then, vaya con dios.
I just finished watching "Spartacus" a la Netflix. This is a show that has been intriguing me. Specifically I love the area and period that it is representing. And this show has been surprisingly good. The pilot was horrendous. But every episode since has been amazing. It has a lots of violence, language and nudity, but the strength of the show was how it balanced character development. As any good show about the period they focused on political maneuvering as much as the action. Though don't get me wrong, the fight scenes always managed to be fun to watch, and well choreographed. They deftly wove the story around different characters, comparing and contrasting them deftly throughout the series up till the climatic ending. The ending was quite satisfying, as well as epic. I'm really curious where they will take the second season.
I have also lost quite a bit of weight. This has the downside, I'm finding out, of needing an entire new set of clothes. Which is why I was so happy that Kevin was willing to part with some. I must say though, it is nice fitting into a size Large shirts, and size 34 waist. I don't know the last time I can say I was there. Probably junior high school sadly.... Anyways I figure I would love to still lose about another 10-15 pounds minimum. My goal I think is to have a "beach body" in time for the Long Lake vacation this year.
In Karate I have started to learn the Chinese Dao, which is a Chinese broadsword. That has been tons of fun. So far I have learned "dragon set one" and I'm hoping that next week I will learn the second sword form. The ability to learn weapons like this was one of the reasons why I decided to join the karate school that I did. And I must say it has been a blast. I have two more lessons (i purchased five extra to learn the weapon) left, which is sad. But not the end thankfully lol. After my lesson this past Thursday one of the other students told me that he thinks I smile more when I have a sword. I don't doubt this to be true lol.
Work is going well I suppose. I just got promoted right around Easter, which should mean I have to do 10% more work. Though if that is the case, it seems to be going quite well. I do for sure enjoy the extra pay. And the other benefits is just that with the promotion my boss has to review my work less strenuously. So I'm still kinda curious how that will play out in the end. So far I really havn't noticed anything different. One thing I can say though, is that I called up an attorney to suggest to them an amendment for the case. Basicaly he was unable to reach his applicant (the inventor or the like) in order to propose the amendment. The reason? A week long holiday in Japan. That's right, 1 week, public holiday. I know a government worker complaining about lack of holidays is much a pot and kettle situation. But really. 1 week! I'm very jealous.
Okay, so enough rumblings. Hopefully at some point I will even have something interesting to blog about.... sadly my life isn't that exciting lol. Until then, vaya con dios.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Blue Belt
As I mentioned in my last post, tonight I had my test for blue belt. It was only in February that I tested for my last belt, purple. So not very long. What happened was that at the twelve hour class, Sensei Santilo gave me a test invite. My main instructor hadn't even seen me do my lastest form in completion. Which was why she hadn't given me the test invite. But at the twelve hour class Sensei Santilo saw me do it, and said I was ready. Which is an amazing honor.
The thing is though, the tests are rough. The twelve hour class was long. But testing is intense. Two and a half hours long. The thing is, you dont go there unless you know your stuff. So the testing is more a test of endurance, determination, and tenacity. It was the most challenging and intense night of my life.
At one point, when we were dong our defensive maneuvers, our instructor Mr. Dires did a take down. So I'm laying on the ground with him over me. He tells me get out of it. So I roll away. So then he kneels on me. And tells me to get out now. So I manage to roll away again. Mr. Dires though, doesn't give up. We subsequently grappled on the ground for about five minutes or more. Grappling is like wresting. The idea is to lock out the opponent, using a wrist log, arm bar, choke... that sort of thing. But I refused to get locked out. By the end I was absolutely exhausted. I finnaly gave up when he pulled out a club (padded and soft, just a practice one) and started hitting me with it lol. It was exhausting but fun. The other people there were excited for the break, me I was out of it for the next twenty minutes lol.
Anyways, it was rough, it was exhausting, it was fun and exhilarating. And now I am a blue belt. Which is exciting and cool. And now I get to learn a sword form :-p. So I'm excited. Though, i hope that the next testing will be longer than two months away.....
The thing is though, the tests are rough. The twelve hour class was long. But testing is intense. Two and a half hours long. The thing is, you dont go there unless you know your stuff. So the testing is more a test of endurance, determination, and tenacity. It was the most challenging and intense night of my life.
At one point, when we were dong our defensive maneuvers, our instructor Mr. Dires did a take down. So I'm laying on the ground with him over me. He tells me get out of it. So I roll away. So then he kneels on me. And tells me to get out now. So I manage to roll away again. Mr. Dires though, doesn't give up. We subsequently grappled on the ground for about five minutes or more. Grappling is like wresting. The idea is to lock out the opponent, using a wrist log, arm bar, choke... that sort of thing. But I refused to get locked out. By the end I was absolutely exhausted. I finnaly gave up when he pulled out a club (padded and soft, just a practice one) and started hitting me with it lol. It was exhausting but fun. The other people there were excited for the break, me I was out of it for the next twenty minutes lol.
Anyways, it was rough, it was exhausting, it was fun and exhilarating. And now I am a blue belt. Which is exciting and cool. And now I get to learn a sword form :-p. So I'm excited. Though, i hope that the next testing will be longer than two months away.....
Sunday, April 11, 2010
12 hour class
Well yesterday was a 12 hour karate class. From noon to midnight. I must say by the end of the night I was exhausted. My favorite part when we had already been there for eleven hours, they choose that time to do sparring.... But I digress. The whole thing was a lot of fun, and it was also a great learning experience. But my favorite part was that at the end of the 12 hours the head sensei of the karate school here, a third degree black belt, gave me a promotion paper. So that was awesome. To have the head karate instructor himself say that you are ready for the new belt is pretty cool I think. Anyways that means that next weekend though I will be testing for my blue belt.
I appologize for no pictures from last weekend. But I figured Sara more or less covered the trip pretty well.
I appologize for no pictures from last weekend. But I figured Sara more or less covered the trip pretty well.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Recent news
Jim will be leaving the country next week Monday I believe. He will be away for at least 6 weeks, at which point he will hang out with family and have his formal engagement party. I am of course incredibly happy for him. However, on the other hand during this trip he will decide whether or not he will return to the US afterwords. So there is a chance he won't return. But I of course hope that he will. If you would like to wish him well on his trip before he leaves, let me know and I can give you his number if you so desire it.
In other news, starting next week Monday for me I will have a promotion. The way promotions work at my work, is that I get "promoted" and I do the same job, just more of it, but I get paid a bit more. But this promotion is pretty cool, its the GS12 promotion. Which is kinda like a the base level at work if that makes sense? Its the last promotion until I move towards signatory authority, where I would be able to officially send out my own cases, without my boss signing on them. Anyways, for anyone curious how much pay I will get, I will be a GS12 step 2. If you are savy enough with the internet you can figure out how much money I will be getting paid by looking it up on opm.gov website.
In other news, starting next week Monday for me I will have a promotion. The way promotions work at my work, is that I get "promoted" and I do the same job, just more of it, but I get paid a bit more. But this promotion is pretty cool, its the GS12 promotion. Which is kinda like a the base level at work if that makes sense? Its the last promotion until I move towards signatory authority, where I would be able to officially send out my own cases, without my boss signing on them. Anyways, for anyone curious how much pay I will get, I will be a GS12 step 2. If you are savy enough with the internet you can figure out how much money I will be getting paid by looking it up on opm.gov website.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
It's been too long.
I realized it had been a while since I've updated last so I thought I'd throw up a post here. Sadly not much has gone on since the snowstorm. About two weeks ago now I tested for my purple belt in Karate, that brings me up to the "intermediate" level. So that was exciting, but is probably the most exciting part of my life at least recently.
In other news my favorite author George R R Martin got the green light from HBO to produce a tv series based on my favorite books ever. So needless to say next spring I will be adding HBO to my cable lineup.
Besides that I thought I'd post an article regarding the patent office here. Basicaly there is a lot going on in the whole patent world right now. Lots of political and other pressure to get through the backlog. Some friendly name calling, and mudslinging. And even some fairly decent pending legislation. Its all good stuff. If you are curious about some of the fun things I get to keep in mind at work this is a great article in that it is long, but has most everything interesting/relevent.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Snow Day!
Today is day 3.5 of snowday goodness this year. Ah, the dreams of me as a child are still just as true now that I'm an adult. The idea of the snowday has lost none of its appeal. And in many ways I feel again like a child, the only difference is that instead of waking up early and checking the television, I'm able to check online, thankfully the night before so I don't have to wake up. Yesterday afternoon the second snowstorm in a week hit the East Coast. I do not envision this one to be quite as big as the one that hit us last week Friday/Saturday, but by the standards of DC, it will still be big. The key is that it will be another foot, to two feet of snow on top of the nearly three feet we already have. I am of course ecstatic.
So, one may wonder how do these snow storms compare to those is Michigan? I would say the one that hit last weekend would be considered a formidable storm no matter where you lived. The one today, probably more typical. Still lots of snow, but more along the lines of what you would expect should I be living in Michigan. That being said I do not believe the importance is in how fast it is falling, so much as in how fast it is disappearing. In other words, snow removal here is slooooow. On Saturday, only the main roads were really drivable. All the side roads were pretty bad I'd say. By Sunday, they were able to hit most of the main roads. Keep in mind though, there are no rules here to keep cars off the side of the roads during winter for the plows. It is actually quite amusing to see what happens when you combine the two. Its like snow channels where there were cars parked along the side of the road. But I digress. By Monday most of the roads around DC were starting to look pretty good. But the metro was still down. On Tuesday, they finally got around to clearing out the parking lot where my car was parked. Literally my car was snowed in up until yesterday. And even then I was afraid to drive it out (after I had the joy of digging it out) because of fear of losing my parking spot. I suppose I need a chair to put in it while I am gone.
I was actually surprised they still had the government closed on Tuesday. As most of the roads by that time (count them 4 days after the storm hit) were cleared. But I think the metro system was still down, and that being the lifeline of DC, the Government was closed. So now it is Wednesday, it is still snowing this morning, and is projected to do so for much of the day. There is actually quite a nice fall going outside my window at this very moment. This hints to me that tomorrow will once again be another snowday. So will I go to work on Friday? Ah yes, this is the question... will I get a full week off of work? Keeping in mind that Monday is a holiday..... Of course the downside is that I'm stuck in my apartment all week lol.
There is one thing I was not prepared for however. The running on the grocery stores. Last week Wednesday I did my normal grocery shopping. So I was more or less stocked for the weekend snow storm. The grocery store itself was closed on Saturday. But after work on Friday I stopped by to pick up some laundry detergent. And wow, people had made a run on the place lol. I've never seen anything quite like it before. The store was out of milk, eggs, and pretty much all of its frozen foods. There was a traffic jam to the grocery store, I'm told, later that day. And even when I went on Monday morning, the place still hadn't been able to restock fully. I suppose this is a good time to be a grocery store.
Anyways, I fear I have rambled on way past my normal. I must get back to my day of doing nothing, and yet getting paid. Ah yes, that has a very nice ring to it. But fear not, the patent office is fee funded, so none of your tax dollars are supporting me. However, I would like to take this time to speak for the rest of the government when I say Thank you for this paid week of vacation.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Snow and Taxes
I did my taxes yesterday. I hate taxes, I ended up paying around $1,800 and it hardly seems fair :-/. I mean didn't they manage to take enough from me during the year? Personally I think its a sort of cannibalism for the government to tax the same people it pays... but then that's just me. In the end of the day though, at least my taxes are done.....
And of course as seen above there is snow in DC! This part at least I'm happy about, I missed the last snow storm that hit on December 19, the day after I left to come home for Christmas (don't get me wrong, I'm glad I didn't have to deal with it when I was flying). But between this storm, next week it is supposed to be snowing some more, and the one in December, this has become, as people are telling me, the most snow this area has received in decades. Which is pretty cool. Go climate change/global warming. I'm having faint memories of El Nina.
Anyways, I'm told Karate class is still open, so I think I might end up trudging down there in a few hours. I wonder how the roads are?
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Broken Toe
Bleh I think I broke my big toe. It was at Karate on Saturday. Now it is swollen and blue/black in areas. /sigh
If I'm supposed to do something other than stay off it, keep it elevated and take tylenol let me know. I don't think I have to go to the hospital or anything just for a broken toe. But let me know if I'm missing anything.
If I'm supposed to do something other than stay off it, keep it elevated and take tylenol let me know. I don't think I have to go to the hospital or anything just for a broken toe. But let me know if I'm missing anything.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Christmas Pictures
I am finding out that I'm very lazy. Has it really been since Thanksgiving that I have last updated this blog? Ah well, I shall endeavor to update it more often perhaps.... No hard promises.... I will try lol.
Anyways, I figure I'd at least make sure to throw some of the Christmas Pictures I got. Not too surprising there were lots of random pictures all about. I blame the children... and Stephen. Some of my favorite ones I have posted below. If you would like a larger selection I can try to send out some more. I have pretty much everyone that was at the Christmas eve party lol "get a present get a picture".
Anyways, hope you like these :-).
Anyways, I figure I'd at least make sure to throw some of the Christmas Pictures I got. Not too surprising there were lots of random pictures all about. I blame the children... and Stephen. Some of my favorite ones I have posted below. If you would like a larger selection I can try to send out some more. I have pretty much everyone that was at the Christmas eve party lol "get a present get a picture".
Anyways, hope you like these :-).
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