We just got back in town from a tremendous trip "South of the Border" to Mexico. Our resort was stunning and the prices were great thanks to the economy and the whole "Swine Flu Scare". For the record, we saw no traces of Swine Flu besides the serious downturn in the tourist industry as a result of people's fears of dying from a sickness no worse than the common cold. GO TO MEXICO, folks! There is nothing to be afraid of!
In 4 nights/5 days, we struck a balance between one crazy "excursion" day (which consisted of visiting the ruins of Coba, climbing the 2nd tallest pyramid in Mexico, rapelling and zip-lining into and across a sunken Cenote (underground freshwater lakes), as well as actually going inside a Cenote and taking a dip in the crystal clear water.
Outside of the crazy day, there was a lot of relaxing (I read a book!), sitting by the ocean, sitting by the pool, getting in the pool, repeating the cycle... Plus we ventured into the Spa and had massages. It was my first massage and it was really pretty nice.
The best part of the trip? Getting away from everything and spending 5 days with my gorgeous wife of 5 years. No interruptions, no stress, just fun. Happy (late) Anniversary dear!
Here are the pictures (below). You know the routine... click on the slideshow to bring up the full screen pictures.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
The ChalkBarn is in Progress!
All,
It took a little while to finally get around to posting, but here are the latest photos of the "Garden Shed" in our back yard.
Thanks to the hard work of my Dad, brother, myself, and the help and patience of my Mom and beautiful wife, the storage shed sprang to life over the 4th of July weekend and the succeeding week.
In 8 days, working from 7am to sundown, we worked in the (relatively pleasant) outdoor sun, and if it wasn't for the pesky county, we would have likely gotten very close to finishing the project.
Instead, someone decided to call the county and tip them off to our project. They came out to have a look and decided that we should probably stop work until we filed all of the valid paperwork. Now, I'm not a big fan of breaking laws, but the reality of the situation is that my fine help (and myself) only have a limited number of days in a given year that we can work on projects like this. Time is money, and in my mind, time can be better spent being productive and producing a quality product without having someone looking over your shoulder. Plus, it helps having a fantastic building expert at your disposal (Hi Dad!) who has built a few buildings and decks in his years and knows what he's doing.
I also knew I'd have a bit of a fight on my hands as well, as I knew that the county had a few incorrect drawings on file regarding my septic. Shame on my builder, because they filed plans for a septic system in one part of my yard and then decided to put it somewhere else. We knew where the septic was, so we built the building where it wasn't... but I knew if the county came calling, there would be some explaining.
Fast forward 3 weeks of submitting plans, hiring a SURVEYOR! ($$$!!!), and inspections later and we're completely legal on both the DECK and the BARN. I need to add a few small braces to the deck (they had to find something), and then add a few extra braces to the rafter and a couple of other places on the barn, and we're good to go.
We received the permits for everything on Friday, and on Sunday were treated to a great rainbow over the building. The inspectors came out on Monday and now we're back in business. We'll wrap up construction on the weekend of August 14th, 15th and 16th and should be good to go.
What did we do the rest of the week after the county shooed us off of our barn project? Why we went to Washington, DC of course! A few pictures of that are in the massive barn project picture page below as well.
Now without further ado... the pictures you have all been waiting for... the shed in progress.
It took a little while to finally get around to posting, but here are the latest photos of the "Garden Shed" in our back yard.
Thanks to the hard work of my Dad, brother, myself, and the help and patience of my Mom and beautiful wife, the storage shed sprang to life over the 4th of July weekend and the succeeding week.
In 8 days, working from 7am to sundown, we worked in the (relatively pleasant) outdoor sun, and if it wasn't for the pesky county, we would have likely gotten very close to finishing the project.
Instead, someone decided to call the county and tip them off to our project. They came out to have a look and decided that we should probably stop work until we filed all of the valid paperwork. Now, I'm not a big fan of breaking laws, but the reality of the situation is that my fine help (and myself) only have a limited number of days in a given year that we can work on projects like this. Time is money, and in my mind, time can be better spent being productive and producing a quality product without having someone looking over your shoulder. Plus, it helps having a fantastic building expert at your disposal (Hi Dad!) who has built a few buildings and decks in his years and knows what he's doing.
I also knew I'd have a bit of a fight on my hands as well, as I knew that the county had a few incorrect drawings on file regarding my septic. Shame on my builder, because they filed plans for a septic system in one part of my yard and then decided to put it somewhere else. We knew where the septic was, so we built the building where it wasn't... but I knew if the county came calling, there would be some explaining.
Fast forward 3 weeks of submitting plans, hiring a SURVEYOR! ($$$!!!), and inspections later and we're completely legal on both the DECK and the BARN. I need to add a few small braces to the deck (they had to find something), and then add a few extra braces to the rafter and a couple of other places on the barn, and we're good to go.
We received the permits for everything on Friday, and on Sunday were treated to a great rainbow over the building. The inspectors came out on Monday and now we're back in business. We'll wrap up construction on the weekend of August 14th, 15th and 16th and should be good to go.
What did we do the rest of the week after the county shooed us off of our barn project? Why we went to Washington, DC of course! A few pictures of that are in the massive barn project picture page below as well.
Now without further ado... the pictures you have all been waiting for... the shed in progress.
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Congratulations Mr. Assistant Vice President!
Congratulations to Jason, who was named an Assistant Vice President at T. Rowe Price. While this title change doesn't come with a promotion or any more money, it does give Jason something fancy to say when I pull out the "Assistant Prof" title. It also means that he is respected and valued at his work, because he is great! Congratulations sweetie!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
1/10th Scale Saturn V Launches in Maryland Yesterday
I was considering attending the launch of this, but it happened during the Ohio State Spring Game and was also on the Eastern shore (about a 3 hour drive). Football won out, but this is really cool.
It's an enormous 1/10th scale Saturn V, and had a beautiful launch.
As a father-son project, my Dad and I created a scale Saturn V (can't recall the exact scale, but it was about 4.5 inches in diameter and about 4 feet tall). In comparison, the rocket that lunched yesterday is 36 feet tall! (Ok, I guess I can do the math... mine was 1/90th scale.)
It had a beautiful launch, as you can see in this article and the youtube video below.
It's an enormous 1/10th scale Saturn V, and had a beautiful launch.
As a father-son project, my Dad and I created a scale Saturn V (can't recall the exact scale, but it was about 4.5 inches in diameter and about 4 feet tall). In comparison, the rocket that lunched yesterday is 36 feet tall! (Ok, I guess I can do the math... mine was 1/90th scale.)
It had a beautiful launch, as you can see in this article and the youtube video below.
Saturday, March 07, 2009
I tweeted the tweeting Twitter!
I have no idea how to use "Twitter" as a verb, adjective, or noun (or as I like to call them-- "Action Words", "Describing Words", and "Naming Words" -- First Grade Grammar, which is all I really ever received in my stunning education, ROCKS!).
Back to Tweeting Twitter... I joined up. I figure if my congressman can Twitter while the President is speaking, then it can't be that hard.
I think I've figured out why everyone likes it. You can post to Twitter and then it gets updated all over the Internet, including Twitter itself, my Facebook (known to some as FacePage), as well as The ChalkBoard.
You can see what I'm doing by looking to your right ------->
I will try Twittering out, but if I ever need to make a large, cool post, I'll still use the Chalkboard. However Twitter can be done with my cell phone very easily, so I may be updating that more often.
Back to Tweeting Twitter... I joined up. I figure if my congressman can Twitter while the President is speaking, then it can't be that hard.
I think I've figured out why everyone likes it. You can post to Twitter and then it gets updated all over the Internet, including Twitter itself, my Facebook (known to some as FacePage), as well as The ChalkBoard.
You can see what I'm doing by looking to your right ------->
I will try Twittering out, but if I ever need to make a large, cool post, I'll still use the Chalkboard. However Twitter can be done with my cell phone very easily, so I may be updating that more often.
Monday, March 02, 2009
Professor Basketball: Too Funny Not to Share
I may be biased, but I think that my husband's little quirks are HILARIOUS! For those of you who also enjoy Jason's ridiculous antics, I have a good one for you.
Since the day we moved to Westminster, Jason tried to gather a group of guys to play basketball each Saturday. For a while, it was sad. Sometimes, I even went so they had 2 on 2. By now, this group has grown, and they have a decent showing each week. So, what's hilarious, you ask? Below, I offer you one of Jason's weekly inspirational e-mails to his group, which he refers to as "Professor Basketball." Enjoy!
"We had another great 5-on-5 series with some students again. This time on the main court. While we did drop our first game against students, we did win the series 2-1... meaning that we've built a 2-0 series lead between ourselves and "random students in the rec center". If this were the NBA, we'd be finding ourselves on the brink of our first "Conference Championship".
Either that means that all of the half-court basketball we've been playing has started to pay off as we continue to cream kids in the physical prime of their lives, or the students don't yet understand the true meaning of "The Weekend Warrior" (where winning on Saturdays is *ALL* that matters!). Either way, I'll take our W's :-).
Let me know who is in for this week, and let's keep the games rolling.
--Jason"
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Snowmobile Trip in Pennsylvania
I had to wait a few days to "respect" Holly's Tim Duncan autograph, but I now have clearance to make a post of my own.
Dad and I went snowmobiling while Holly was enjoying her San Antonio Spurs game. We met up in the Allegheny mountains on a Saturday night, then hit the trails on Sunday morning. It was incredibly scenic, and the snow was fresh (it snowed about 4 inches the night before, and we were on the trails early). It was nice to get on a snowmobile again--it had been 2 years since I was last on a trip. We went 120.5 miles which was quite a bit for one day of riding.
It was a great time and I'm already looking forward to potentially doing another trip next year!
Oh, and on a geeky note. I took these pictures on my new cell phone. I was able to finagle with Sprint to get free internet and text messages on my phone (and Holly got free text messages). Since we got new features and our phone contract was up, we went out and got new phones. I splurged a bit on my phone, and ended up getting an HTC Touch Diamond (review here). It takes beautiful pictures, and can do just about anything. I even used the GPS to navigate to and from the snowmobile trip. Yes, Holly got a very nice phone as well... but since she is a self-described cell-phone dropper, she got one that suits her needs but is not quite as hard to replace ;-).
Dad and I went snowmobiling while Holly was enjoying her San Antonio Spurs game. We met up in the Allegheny mountains on a Saturday night, then hit the trails on Sunday morning. It was incredibly scenic, and the snow was fresh (it snowed about 4 inches the night before, and we were on the trails early). It was nice to get on a snowmobile again--it had been 2 years since I was last on a trip. We went 120.5 miles which was quite a bit for one day of riding.
It was a great time and I'm already looking forward to potentially doing another trip next year!
Oh, and on a geeky note. I took these pictures on my new cell phone. I was able to finagle with Sprint to get free internet and text messages on my phone (and Holly got free text messages). Since we got new features and our phone contract was up, we went out and got new phones. I splurged a bit on my phone, and ended up getting an HTC Touch Diamond (review here). It takes beautiful pictures, and can do just about anything. I even used the GPS to navigate to and from the snowmobile trip. Yes, Holly got a very nice phone as well... but since she is a self-described cell-phone dropper, she got one that suits her needs but is not quite as hard to replace ;-).
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The ONLY Autographed Copy of Tim Duncan's Honors Thesis!
That's right. I've been talking about it for years, and I finally got it! An autographed copy of Wake Forest Alumni, Tim Duncan's, senior honors thesis (which was published as part of a book chapter)!
On January 19th, Brian Casto and I went to a Wake Forest Alumni event in Charlotte to watch the Bobcats take on Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. Tim stopped by to sign some autographs for Deacon fans. (You can follow this story along with the photos below).
I opened the book to the beginning of his thesis and held it out for him to sign. When the blue book caught his eye, Tim took it and said "What is this?"
I told him that it was his honors thesis from WF which was published by his adviser, Dr. Leary. Clearly surprised, Tim SMILED a huge smile and checked out the front cover.
When Tim opened the book back to his chapter, I pointed out his name listed as an author, and he said "That's cool" with another big smile.
Tim signed his thesis with his name and #21 (his jersey number at Wake and on the Spurs)
After he signed the book, Brian asked Tim if anyone had ever asked him to sign his thesis before. Tim said, "This is a first."
That's right folks. This means that I have the ONLY autographed copy of Tim Duncan's Wake Forest honors thesis. Thanks to Brian Casto (awesome photographer and best friend ever!), I have pictures to prove the whole thing. Thank you Brian! After we got Tim's autograph, Tim Duncan and the Spurs went on to beat the Charlotte Bobcats! GO DEACS!
On January 19th, Brian Casto and I went to a Wake Forest Alumni event in Charlotte to watch the Bobcats take on Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs. Tim stopped by to sign some autographs for Deacon fans. (You can follow this story along with the photos below).
I opened the book to the beginning of his thesis and held it out for him to sign. When the blue book caught his eye, Tim took it and said "What is this?"
 |
| From Spurs Game |
I told him that it was his honors thesis from WF which was published by his adviser, Dr. Leary. Clearly surprised, Tim SMILED a huge smile and checked out the front cover.
 |
| From Spurs Game |
When Tim opened the book back to his chapter, I pointed out his name listed as an author, and he said "That's cool" with another big smile.
 |
| From Spurs Game |
 |
| From Spurs Game |
 |
| From Spurs Game |
After he signed the book, Brian asked Tim if anyone had ever asked him to sign his thesis before. Tim said, "This is a first."
 |
| From Spurs Game |
That's right folks. This means that I have the ONLY autographed copy of Tim Duncan's Wake Forest honors thesis. Thanks to Brian Casto (awesome photographer and best friend ever!), I have pictures to prove the whole thing. Thank you Brian! After we got Tim's autograph, Tim Duncan and the Spurs went on to beat the Charlotte Bobcats! GO DEACS!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Goodbye 2008, Hello 2009
I know, fellow Chalkboard readers... regular updates, pictures, and such all ground to a halt after Thanksgiving and the Obama election.
What happened?
Did funding for the Chalkboard dry up? (Blame the economy)
Were these authors abducted by aliens? (No, that's Uncle Mark)
Were we tapped to help guide the Obama transition team? (Nope... although that would've been cool)
Too busy traveling the world? (Wrong again!)
No, we've just been busy doing boring things that nobody cares about. Working (a lot), hanging around the house, etc. etc.
All-in-all not much to report.
If 2007 was a year of world-traveling, life changing, pick-up-and-move-across-the-country-awesomeness, then 2008 was the exact opposite. Not a whole lot exciting to do... built a deck and patio (which was cool and our attempt to stimulate the economy), but that was the one bit of excitement on an otherwise so-so year.
So it seems fitting that I closed out 2008 on the Chalkboard with a bang--literally-- when I backed Holly's prize possession (her car) into an old, rusty jeep at about 0.5 miles per hour while visiting her family. No damage was done to the jeep, and the Malibu drove away unscathed... with the exception of a nice 2-inch hole that was punctured into Holly's bumper by a winch bracket...
Anyways, I didn't want to post pictures until the problem was solved. Add bodywork to the list of things I've learned how to do (instruction and analysis of course provided by Dad!)... and I think the results really turned out well (or else I wouldn't have posted them).
Before and After:
What happened?
Did funding for the Chalkboard dry up? (Blame the economy)
Were these authors abducted by aliens? (No, that's Uncle Mark)
Were we tapped to help guide the Obama transition team? (Nope... although that would've been cool)
Too busy traveling the world? (Wrong again!)
No, we've just been busy doing boring things that nobody cares about. Working (a lot), hanging around the house, etc. etc.
All-in-all not much to report.
If 2007 was a year of world-traveling, life changing, pick-up-and-move-across-the-country-awesomeness, then 2008 was the exact opposite. Not a whole lot exciting to do... built a deck and patio (which was cool and our attempt to stimulate the economy), but that was the one bit of excitement on an otherwise so-so year.
So it seems fitting that I closed out 2008 on the Chalkboard with a bang--literally-- when I backed Holly's prize possession (her car) into an old, rusty jeep at about 0.5 miles per hour while visiting her family. No damage was done to the jeep, and the Malibu drove away unscathed... with the exception of a nice 2-inch hole that was punctured into Holly's bumper by a winch bracket...
Anyways, I didn't want to post pictures until the problem was solved. Add bodywork to the list of things I've learned how to do (instruction and analysis of course provided by Dad!)... and I think the results really turned out well (or else I wouldn't have posted them).
Before and After:
Saturday, December 06, 2008
Thanksgiving 2008
It was so great to see everyone last week over Thanksgiving. We really enjoyed our week back in the Midwest--watching College Football with friends, visiting the little brother's new place, staying with my parents (including yet another tour of Kingwood Center and Glen's Surplus) and catching up with Jenn, Buttons, Grandma, Grandpa and all of my Aunts, Uncles, and Cousins.
We also started what might become a new Thanksgiving tradition... why sleep on the couch and watch football when you can go outside and play it? Cousin Drew beat me deep on several pass receptions (seemingly all for touchdowns), and while my Option Offense scored us a couple of touchdowns I couldn't help but throw just as many interceptions... proving exactly why I never was a football player.
My Uncle Mike was taking pictures with his camera, and he forwarded the pictures of our Thanksgiving celebration so that I might share them on the blog.
I think everyone can agree that after a much more subdued Thanksgiving celebration last year, the turkey and dressing never tasted so good!
We also started what might become a new Thanksgiving tradition... why sleep on the couch and watch football when you can go outside and play it? Cousin Drew beat me deep on several pass receptions (seemingly all for touchdowns), and while my Option Offense scored us a couple of touchdowns I couldn't help but throw just as many interceptions... proving exactly why I never was a football player.
My Uncle Mike was taking pictures with his camera, and he forwarded the pictures of our Thanksgiving celebration so that I might share them on the blog.
I think everyone can agree that after a much more subdued Thanksgiving celebration last year, the turkey and dressing never tasted so good!
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