The life and times of "Captain America"

Surf, Sand and Stone...

2010-09-02T17:41:00.000-07:00

It is amazing how much I accomplished up to this point so far in my journey... I recall the two things I wanted to do while in Ireland; the Guinness Factory tour, and visit Mountrath. Already done and so much more. One of the ideas that struck me as unique about the Emerald Isle was the surf culture. That's right, surfing. Apparently on the Atlantic side there are some little known (except for avid surfers and folks like me who stumble on them) great spots to surf.

I took the rental down one morning and chanced the weather was great that day. Most of the time it is either overcast or even rainy, and up in Dublin downright chilly. Unusual for this time of year - figures the fluke weather hits while I'm here. It took me a bit to figure out where the rental shop was. I ended up chatting with a man living in his RV on the beach for directions. The folks at Jamie Knox's were super. I think the guys name was Greg, and he set me up with a good kit after sizing me up for a wetsuit and board, I was on the way to Brandon Bay.

I am hooked! After snowboarding for so long I figured surfing wouldn't be that difficult to pick up. Boy, Is it! Although in my first day I only manged to get up on the board and ride some whitewater in once, it was a great accomplishment. Surfing is HARD. On snow you have a constant surface to work with varying your speed and cuts. In the water it is a totally fluid environment. I truly appreciate the Zen in the art of surfing now. To ride the perfect wave has got to be such a rush... I foresee a lot of California beach time in my future.

Another great place in Kerry County (where Cork is) to go is the Blarney Castle. Yep, off to kiss the stone. The castle is a very cool tour in itself of the Manor House type of castle.

The crazy worn narrow spiral stone staircases gave me a little vertigo at one point near the top when the steps got really small. The gardens were also incredible.

Of course when I saw the 5-series parked at the Blarney House, I thought I was home. Alas it wasn't mine. Darn! Beautiful estates and a great day.

Corcaigh

2010-08-25T17:43:00.001-07:00

Cork is a great city. Although I stayed a little bit out of the city center it was very walkable. The University College Cork is amazing. There are some parts of it that look right out of a Harry Potter movie. Shane was nice enough to walk me around, and having a historian take you on a walk through anywhere is educational.

St. Finnbarre's Cathedral is amazing. The really interesting piece of it to me was some of the work that had a huge eastern influence in the architectural design near the altar. Another cathedral that really impacted me was the Franciscan cathedral in the city. It left an indelible mark.

Shane has some really nice Ogham Stones near his house. It was really cool seeing these after looking at the writing in college.

One of the really cool day-trips from Cork was to the Drombeg Circle. As with most anywhere in Ireland, the views were amazing.

Kilkenney Castle

2010-08-25T12:19:00.001-07:00

I was excited to see the insides of my first castle. The tough part is I can't show you the cool things inside because there is no photography. Very smart for the ministry of tourism.

It is a beautiful place. It would be nice to spend a day or two in the town, but we needed to get to Cork before it got dark as I was driving and it was a little scary at points on the narrow streets and folks driving quickly.

Mountrath

2010-08-25T11:55:00.001-07:00

One of the reasons.. no it wasn't just for the Guinness Factory tour.. I wanted to go to Ireland was because my mother's family is from there. Specifically a speck-on-the-map town called Mountrath. Her sister, my Aunt Mickey diligently researched the family tree and found the town. We have not mad the connection with anyone living there as related yet, but I am sure that will come.

I stopped and talked with the butcher for a while. He was a very nice man and I felt welcomed there. I was giving Shane a ride back to Cork, so we grabbed some tea there too since we were in for a long day with Kilkenney Castle on the way.

All in all it was a nice town, nothing truly notable about it. Oh, it did win the 'Tidy Town' award last year. Ireland has this cool competition in each county where all the towns compete on being the tidiest. Based on frontage landscaping, rubbish, and other factors I don't know. Very smart.

Coffee and Guinness

2010-08-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

There is an AWESOME pastry spot in Dublin called the Queen of Tarts. Cool name, I thought the sign inside was pretty cool too.

Hanging out with Shane after gettin my ink done. Thank goodness for Guinness!

Dublin

2010-08-24T14:55:00.001-07:00

Sightseeing in Dublin was a blast. So much is in walking distance. The old Dublin wall was cool, and the museums had a lot of educational pieces that got me more enthralled with the Emerald Isle. Since I was staying right across the street from Trinity University, I did see the Book of Kells. No, no pictures were allowed. It is as beautiful as the published pictures. The rest of the tour in the museum is really cool too. It ends up in the old Trinity Library.

I also got to see the new Iron Man and Robin Hood movies while I was there. Those were a real treat. Something about the mundane.. going to a movie, making dinner.. they are all so nice to do while I am on R&R because it helps me detach from the world I just came from.

Go Leinster!

2010-08-24T14:35:00.000-07:00

Apparently the Magner's Cup is a little controversial. As with all things Irish there is always some angle on it that comes up hot. After learning some of the history it seems like they - well I guess we.. being of 1/2 Irish descent... love to get into a riot and burn things down. Actually that sounds pretty accurate except I never have any matches handy.

I was fortunate enough to be in Dublin during the semi-final fixtures or the Magner's Cup. I was rooting for Leinster. I started following the IRU (Irish Rugby Union) a little while I was getting ready to head on R&R and Leinster seemed like a solid team. I was right. They won the match!

Of course I had to grab a scarf while I was there. It was a great time, the only thing that might have been better is if I had one of my new Irish drinkin' buddies there.

Castles and Ink

2010-08-24T14:12:00.001-07:00

So many cathedrals and castles. The city of Dublin has so much history it is amazing. Every where you look there is an ancient wall or cobblestone. I was savvy enough to stay near the Temple Bar area of town, so I could walk to a lot of the classic sights.

Of course I couldn't leave without a bit of Ireland and what better way than to indelibly mark it on my skin?

The Dublin Castle was pretty cool even though I never made it inside. By the time I managed to get over to that side of town it was closed the two days I tried. However the bread pudding in the cafe.. Good Grief! Soooo good. The gardens out back were really cool too. I got a little dizzy trying to follow the maze pattern with my eyes.

Áth Cliath

2010-08-24T11:46:00.000-07:00

Someone asked me about the blue jacket in all my pictures.. it was FREAKING COLD when I was there. The worst was the day it felt like almost freezing rain. I really didn't bring too may cold weather clothes because of the average mean temps are usually pretty mild in May. Not this May. I toughed the cold days out and had a blast nonetheless.

Dublin, my home for the first week of R&R. I had so many mini adventures here. Starting with the Guinness Factory. My buddy Timmy hooked me up with the Factory tour. What a great way to start off after not being allowed to drink spirits of any sort for over six months. Needless to say I was a little toasty after two of them. The fresh stuff tastes incredible. The tour was very well set up and informative. I think the coolest for me was the 600 year lease for the building and grounds.

Boats, Trains and Aeroplanes...

2010-08-23T13:01:00.000-07:00

After managing to get through customs pretty quickly and a painless Tube ride, I found myself at the train station. EVERYONE who had been diverted to England was trying to get to Dublin. The train was packed. I sat net to a cute girl from Vancouver after wrangling my seat from someone who was in it and grumbling the whole time I made him get out of it. I was thinking, "don't even start buddy.." I was getting tired now. It is about 1930 on the 5th, my third day of travel and so far, I have had intermittent sleep the entire time with only one evening of it horizontal. Boy does that make a difference. The train was jam-packed.
A serious fire hazard if you ever had one. People and bags everywhere. The train system was never engineered to handle this much luggage. On to the ferry station. Then of course yep.. at 2300 we started to take the BUS to the ferry from the terminal. The ferry was leaving at 0200 on the 6th to get into Dublin at 0600, whereupon I took the Taxi to my hotel. Whew! I crashed HARD! I made it. Look out Ireland.

Look out on the Emerald Isle!

2010-08-22T06:13:00.001-07:00

It really didn't sink in completely that I was getting a respite from the craziness of Iraq until I was on the flight the next evening. It is difficult to get any sleep the whole time you are transient. Folks come and go at all hours to catch their flights. You can't turn all the lights out in the tent, and the loudspeakers announcing personnel who need to report to a certain manifest tent go off all day/night. They are pretty loud. I went to get ticketed around 1300 on the 4th. Then I had to report at 2000 to get the customs brief at 2100. Then we get transport to the commercial airport. The flight leaves for Germany at 0030 on the 5th. So, another night with little sleep. Needless to say I racked out hard for the first hour on the plane. Lufthansa, my favorite. I got into Germany at about 0600 so I went to grab a bite as my next leg to Ireland wasn't until 1000. I grab a nice leisurely breakfast then go look for my flight to see what gate it is at.
I find it is not on the screen anywhere. I feel really confused. So I go to the courtesy desk and ask about the flight. Volcanic Ash has closed the Dublin airport. Aw, heck!!
"So what do I do now?", I ask.
The agent says, "well you can do a couple things. We do have a flight leaving at 1600 today. You will have to be on standby for that if hte airport opens up. There is also a 1500 flight to Heathrow, but if you do that all travel expenses from Heathrow to your destination are at your own expense."
I think on it for about thirty seconds.... "Heathrow." Now I have to figure out how to get from Heathrow to Dublin... Train. I look and I have 2 hours from landing in London to get to the train station - that includes customs. My handy computer and the gracious WiFi in Frankfurt inform me there is a special for 30EU I can get a Train/Ferry combo. Done!

I was lucky to be on the last leg of the flight to the staging base in Kuwait where I waited for my commercial flight. By the time I got assigned a transient tent with some other guys it was around 1700. The facilities there were decent, internet cafe and gym so I was all set for waiting to get a flight hopefully the next day. It was refreshing to wear 'real' clothes again.

The whole R&R (Rest and Recuperation) Leave trip to Ireland was an adventure in itself. First off I still had to worry about the rumblings of Eyjafjallajokul (the volcano in Iceland that has messed up so much air travel for the last month).

I left my FOB by a cushy Air force ride. Well let me back it up a little, for fixed wing flights they want you at the terminal (tent) two hours in advance. That is when I consider the travel really beginning. This is on the 3rd of May close to noon.

CHUs and Aeroplanes

2010-08-18T10:50:00.001-07:00

Home sweet home. Trailer living for a year. Containerized Housing Units or CHUs (pron: chews) are a big step up from living in a 12-man tent on a cot the last tour. I still miss my own bed though. The only saving grace is that I do get my own as a commander so I can get some rest when I don't have a Red Cross Message, IDF alert, or some other solider issue cropping up in the night.

No, I didn't crash it. This is on one of the bases where my guys fuel aircraft.

Just a little toasty....

Tito!

2010-08-17T16:18:00.001-07:00

After traveling for days across the Atlantic we arrived in Kuwait. From there we ended up getting split in many pieces to go to our various locations we were going to be operating out of in Iraq. The flight I was on with about 1/2 my company had a surprise passenger on board. The fighter, Tito Ortiz was on a USO tour of Iraq and we ended up on the C-130 he was flying on.

FOB (Forward Operating Base) DELTA was a decent place to be at. The climate was better than most places in Iraq and the only really nasty part was when the black cloud from the Chinese oil wells drifted overhead choked you out and dropped oily soot out of the sky.

The "T" wall. Around living and working areas we have concrete barrier walls made of segmented concrete slabs. These serve as protection from IDF or indirect fire attacks. They are very effective and a pretty cool engineering feat to have as modular building blocks to make instant barrier walls around an area.

Another interesting architectural piece common to a lot of camps, and FOBs are destination signposts. It reminds folks of home, and gives you a reference when you are in the numbness of deployment and forget about home.

The last few days

2010-08-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

Before we left CONUS (the Continental United States) we received some good training at Fort Sill, OK. It took us a little while to get through some equipment challenges to find some fuel trucks that worked so we could train but we were successful.

At Fort Sill my camera, the good 'ol Sony T-7 decided to start acting up. I got a few last decent pictures out of it during the convoy operations. My guys were great when it came to evacuating casualties. I definitely don't have to worry if I go down I know I can trust them to take care of me.

The last few days we spent packing up our equipment.

I was also fortunate to have one last get-together with my friends at the house. It turned out to be a great night to spend on the back deck under the full moon.

Everbody's Here

2010-08-17T15:28:00.002-07:00

Before leaving for the deployment I had the great opportunity to see Brad Paisley at the Cricket Pavilion in Phoenix. We had box seats and they were worth it. The visuals on some of the concert sets were amazing.

Plus having a few lovely ladies on your arm doesn't hurt either :) It was definitely a great way to spend the last weekend in AZ.

pups

2010-08-14T11:18:00.002-07:00

After a certain point of straightening the house up to get ready to leave the pups started getting really pissed at me, and depressed. They knew something was up when I showed up with a years worth of dog food.

2010-08-14T08:16:00.002-07:00

Going home is always the worst part. Although amongst our single serving friends we chatted up the flight attendant on our leg from LAX. He was very fond of Australia so it was good sharing and comparing stories.

The last four days were awesome. We definitely made a splash in the SYD nightlife. Eric got a tour of the Opera House, We checked out the Botanical Gardens, tried to wake up the 'flying foxes' and caught as many rugby matches on the telly as we could before leaving. If you haven't been, SYD is one of the FRIENDLIEST of all the cities I visited in the world so far. I think it is extremely easy to navigate as well. And the coffee.. ah, for an Aussie Americano right now...

We also spent some time at Bondi Beach. If I knew then how much fun surfing was I would be in a wetsuit in this picture. It reminded me a lot of Santa Monica. Cheers to Warren for taking us!

On to Camberra

2010-08-14T06:53:00.001-07:00

After a week on Magnetic Island it was time to see some more of AU. Off to the capitol, Canberra and to meet up with my buddy Warren. He got us into the Parliament with his secret scooby badge. Really we just walked in but it sounded good. The view was amazing. It was cool seeing the meeting halls where both parties sit. Then we headed off to a TV tower that has a fantastic view of the city. It was cold though. Canberra has the feel of a sleepy college town. Then it was off to Sydney and our last few days to bring down the house before we had to fly home.

2010-08-14T06:31:00.001-07:00

Fort Hike. One day Eric and I checked out the old defenses for Brisbane on the island. It was pretty cool and being the largest Koala preserve in AU we figured this was our opportunity to see some. We sure did. They were all sleeping though as it was pretty warm that day. The views were beautiful from the top of the island. At one point we heard a loud "Boom!" and were freaking out because we weren't sure what it was. Then we remembered what our boat captain said when we were snorkeling. No we hadn't been transported back in time on a Dharma Island, it was the AU Air Force practicing bombing runs on Rattlesnake Island nearby.

The one thing that did make us nervous was learning of one of the island residents: The Death Adder. Lovely name for a snake, and apparently accurate. That kept us aware of the trail as we were hiking.

2010-08-14T05:48:00.002-07:00

2010-08-14T05:12:00.002-07:00

Being on the Great Barrier Reef, of course we went snorkeling. It was very reasonable, the food was great too. Eric got so enamored with feeding the Batfish he stayed in the water way to long. Good thing I brought a sweatshirt. both of us forgot towels, but all the folks on the tour with us chipped theirs in to wrap a teeth-chattering blue Eric up in them so he could get his core temp back to normal. The coral IS amazing there on the reef, and we were only snorkeling. I cant imagine what it is like on a dive.

2010-08-14T04:15:00.001-07:00

Who would be a better traveling companion than Eric? I have no idea. From the get go his trip was nutty. He missed his connecting flight in SFO because of a medical emergency on the leg from PHX. The Plan was 3 days in Sydney for me, then we meet at the airport the day I fly up to Maggie. I ended up traveling up there myself and meeting him at the Ferry in Townsville. Yeah ah.. no comment on the ferry terminal...

2010-08-13T22:44:00.000-07:00

Magnetic Island, AU. When looking for a break between school, and heading to the sandbox I sought a retreat that was quiet and restful. 'Maggie' as the locals call her was just the tart for the job. As laid back as Jimmy Buffet, and as exotically beautiful as Salma Hayek. The masseuse we met was down from England on holiday, came over from Townsville for a day and never returned... and this is 2 years later.

2010-08-13T22:02:00.000-07:00

2010-08-13T21:52:00.001-07:00

Accidents Happen. I cant wait for it to come out on DVD one of the funniest and slightly tragic movies I have seen in a long time. I laughed so hard in parts I almost cried! http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1119123/ Geena Davis is a stellar performer.

On the waterfront

2010-08-13T21:28:00.000-07:00

Norfolk, VA. Joseph and I having a few beers and dinner before going out on the town. Definitely a great place to hang out in Southern Virginia. The Navy get all the good spots...

2010-08-13T21:14:00.000-07:00

DC train station... for some reason the phrase 'Final Five' kept running around my head when I saw these guys. Beautiful architecture in the place.

2010-08-13T21:08:00.000-07:00

Hands down one of the loveliest ladies in Scottsdale :)

Summer in the city

2010-08-13T20:59:00.000-07:00

Like I said..

Summertime...

2010-08-13T20:48:00.000-07:00

One of my favorites, lounging by the pool on a Sunday afternoon with good friends.

2010-08-13T20:28:00.000-07:00

Ah those DC nights... Jumbo Slice, Route 60 at 3am... Mario Kart afternoons, Halo.. and everywhere in-between. Good times.

2009-04-05T19:05:00.002-07:00

Weekends on the lake... spent a nice afternoon decompressing at one of the state parks here in Virginia. Bear Creek State Park. It was a beautiful day out. The trails were pretty flat but the cabins.. the CABINS here are amazing. They are what my tax bracket call homes.

2009-03-31T20:25:00.000-07:00

View Larger Map

2549 miles. 7 days, lots of friends and family to visit. Only 5 weeks to go... I can't wait!

2009-03-30T04:34:00.002-07:00

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR THE SUMMER
I am finally in the last phase of my school here in Southern Virginia. I am both anxious and bittersweet about heading home to Arizona. The end of this will mark the beginning of a heinously crazy time of my life. I return to a high-speed no-time for relaxing period... well almost.

I return for a few weeks then have a week of automation (computer systems) training. After that I am taking a real vacation. Australia!!! Woo Hooo. This will be my first time 'down under'. Then I return to continue trying to find new tenants for my rental properties. A couple weeks later I start the push for training for my troops until we deploy to Southwest Asia in the fall. Then return in the fall of 2010.

I dont know what I am doing with the pups. That is my biggest angst about the entire deployment. I came back from school for Presidents' day weekend and they were so PISSED that I left again. Plus I find myself reallly missing them.

More to follow....

2009-03-30T04:33:00.001-07:00

2009-03-02T04:24:00.002-07:00

My home for 8 hours. What was to be a 2.5 hour ride turned with the snow. 6-8". Apparently snow and trains don't fare too well. The first snag was getting stuck behind a broken train. The one that left 2 hours before ours. I'm glad I was not on that one. Next was the cargo train derailed in front of us. They backed ours up to bus us in. The engineers changed the plan after an hour and squeaked by the derailed one. Then we backed up to a station. Oh but wait some trees fell on the tracks. They got some guys out with chainsaws and cleared those. Now I am moving forward, bit they need to change tracks again. They are changing them manually, so i think that will add 1/2 hour again to this trip. Once I get to Richmond Station I still have to drive 30 min in this weather. I hope my car is not plowed in. At least they closed post tomorrow so I have no school. What a long trip this is.

2009-01-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

2009-01-11T09:45:00.003-07:00

2008-12-28T23:53:00.006-07:00

ONCE AGAIN....

Ya, boy did this suck. they tried to put my shoulder back in four (4) times. They said it was all the muscle around the shoulder. I didn't think I was that strong. In the ER onr guy had a sheet wrapped around me for leverage and pulled me away from the other guy using all his weight to pull my arm out, and re-set it!

2008-12-11T23:19:00.006-07:00

My First trek to Snowshoe, WV. UNBELIEVABLE Fresh Powder! I was a little icy under the freshies, but definitely worth it. Now it's raining and its all melting. Booo!

2008-12-11T23:14:00.002-07:00

Halloween was so much fun, thanks for the costume Jon!!

2008-12-11T22:57:00.004-07:00

My 4oth... what an awesome night. Ryan really surprised me with a huge table of friends at Four Peaks. The rest of it is kind of fuzzy. That is the first night I have ever been carried into my house. Unfortunately I did pay for it the next morning when the roofers decided to start at 06:30 "cthunk, cthunk, cthunking" right above my bedroom. I was very impressed though. My friends were so responsible about drinking and driving. I have some awesome friends!!

2008-12-11T22:48:00.000-07:00

Yep.. that's ONE house.. that's how they build 'em in Scottsdale.

2008-12-11T22:43:00.001-07:00

Seal Beach, CA

2008-12-11T22:41:00.000-07:00

One of my two favorite sections of the memorial.

2008-12-11T21:26:00.001-07:00

Gotta love the Smithsonian. We flew the $%^% outta the flight simulators that day, thanks Mike!

2008-09-02T23:38:00.007-07:00

Eveyone is focused on Louisiana, and the southern states. What a lot of people don't know is that we had our own hurricane in Phoenix last thursday. Winds were at over 100mph. The city is still cleaning up trees that were knocked over and high-rise buildings that had all their windows blown out. I lucked out with my car. 2/3 of the Palo Verde tree in my front yard fell on my car. Just the mirror.. that they are quoting me at 2k for that and the small dent in the quarter panel.. the adjuster told me BMW stands for "bring your wallet," I am inclined to believe him.

2008-09-02T23:31:00.002-07:00

Seal Beach. My first trip to Los Angeles, I like it! I did not think I would ever say that. I went there for an OSHA conference and luckily had an hour to spend at the beach before my flight back to Phoenix.

2008-07-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Summer pool party at the house.

2008-07-27T11:41:00.001-07:00

Testing out some of our new equipment.

2008-07-27T11:34:00.000-07:00

Practice makes perfect.

2008-07-27T11:31:00.001-07:00

Yup, thas how I ride. :P

2008-07-27T11:22:00.002-07:00

Tod hooked us up with the Vendor board tryouts the last weekend of the season at Sunrise. Bananna Boards rock! Thanks Tod!!!

2008-07-27T10:57:00.002-07:00

Will, Trav and Tod at Sunrise again. I finally got the mounting bolts to put the board rack back on the car. Sweet!

2008-07-27T10:49:00.001-07:00

They got a little snow in UT... Will and Patrick at one of my favorite spots, Brighton Ski resort in UT.

2008-07-27T08:45:00.001-07:00

Trav, Will and Shay at the Snowbowl, Flagstaff, AZ

2008-07-27T07:07:00.002-07:00

The Pups at Christmas.

2008-07-27T06:45:00.002-07:00

Trav and I at Snowbowl, AZ. Me at Spapu, NM.

2008-07-27T06:13:00.002-07:00

Purgatory (Mountain Resort at Durango) is one of my favorite places to board. They had a great mid-week rate and it was only a 9hr drive from PHX. Unfortunately Missy's water pump broke and I had to get her fixed there - that was a nightmare. Drew and I still got in plenty of runs though during those three days.

2008-02-27T05:41:00.000-07:00

Riding in the back of Trav's pickup from the lodge to the mountain at Sunrise, AZ Ski resort. Man was that a cold ride.

This was a great weekend to board, the powder was awesome. They had over 100" base. Drew puting his board on, and Tod taking a break. Tod did really well for his first time out on a board.

Of course when I saw they had Moose Drool Ale at he bar... you need carbs for energy to board, right? Our lunch break; Travis, Drew, Will, and Tod. At the end of the day we enjoys some butterscotch schnapps before heading back to he lodge; Drew, Jenna, Will and Tod.

2008-02-01T05:07:00.000-07:00

Lukas Prata - what a great guy. What a great musician... I still cant believe he signed my helmet :)

He put on a Great Show at Burn Nightclub in Phoenix.

2008-01-17T05:00:00.001-07:00

ARRRRR! Now them's some Pirates there... Mike's Pirate Party Big fun.. Im glad your roof didn't catch on fire with all the fire dancers on it!

2008-01-17T04:57:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Smirnoff.. well the Smirnoff girls.. ah.. both!

2008-01-17T04:53:00.001-07:00

The proverbial 'little red truck' - yup I have.. had one. Put it on Craigslist and it sold in 10 minutes! I wasn't sure how I felt about the guy buying it though... he didn't have a green card, and said it was going on his wifes insurance..

2008-01-17T04:47:00.000-07:00

Arrrrrrrrlington Virginia is how the Prates say it. Fun times in old town Alexandria.

2008-01-17T04:35:00.001-07:00

Me, Sarah, and Steve... what a night! I totally miss you guys already. This is the 4th or 5th bar we hit in DC that night... I think....

2008-01-17T04:24:00.001-07:00

Dante, Me, Scarlet and Mia. I tried going through the Siberian Husky Rescue here in Phoenix. I became frustrated with the process and found these two to keep Dante company while I am at work during the day. It turns out he actually would like no competition at dinnertime.

2008-01-17T04:09:00.001-07:00

Junior, Curt and I in DC. It was awesome seeing Curt in DC while I was there. Thanks for letting me visit and grab so many lunches/dinners with you. :)

2008-01-17T03:57:00.000-07:00

This is how I look in IR - HOT! hahaha. I really liked the Air and Space Museum. Plus they have this nifty IR camera.

2008-01-17T03:41:00.001-07:00

I really liked this in DC...
The male figure holds the helmet of Protection in one hand.
The inscription below the statue was written by Thomas Jefferson:
"Eternal Vigilance is the Price of Liberty."

1935, James Earle Fraser
Location: Federal Triangle ( Constitution Ave. & 7th )

2008-01-17T03:15:00.001-07:00

It was great to see a bunch of my buddies before I took the long 3-days of 12 hour drives to cross the country this summer.

2007-10-16T00:29:00.001-07:00

The Hayden Flour Mill - hence Mill Avenue in Tempe .... BIG fun.

2007-07-01T17:38:00.000-07:00

Marvel Comics buries Captain America

By COLLEEN LONG, Associated Press Writer Sun Jul 1, 6:31 AM ET

NEW YORK - It's a funeral fit for a superhero. In the drizzling rain at Arlington National Cemetery, thousands of grieving patriots solemnly watch as the pallbearers — Iron Man, the Black Panther, Ben Grimm and Ms. Marvel — carry a casket draped with an American flag.

Yes, folks, Captain America is dead and buried in the latest issue of Marvel Comics' "Fallen Son," due on newsstands the morning after Independence Day. After 66 years of battling villains from Adolf Hitler to the Red Skull, the red, white and blue leader of the Avengers was felled by an assassin's bullet on the steps of a New York federal courthouse.

He was headed to court after refusing to sign the government's Superhero Registration Act, a move that would have revealed his true identity. A sniper who fired from a rooftop was captured as police and Captain America's military escort were left to cope with chaos in the streets.

But the sniper didn't act alone, and didn't even fire the shot that killed the captain.

Writer Jeph Loeb has been busy working through the stages of grief in his most recent titles. A book centered on Wolverine dealt with denial; one with the Avengers covered anger; and Spider-Man battled depression.

With the story line so relevant to present-day politics, and the timing of the latest issue so precise, it's hard not to think the whole thing is one big slam on the government.

"Part of it grew out of the fact that we are a country that's at war, we are being perceived differently in the world," Loeb said. "He wears the flag and he is assassinated — it's impossible not to have it at least be a metaphor for the complications of present day."

But Loeb says he was working with more personal material: the death of his 17-year-old son from cancer.

"So many people have lost their sons and daughters over the years, for the greater good or to cancer or other horrible things," said Loeb, an executive producer for NBC's "Heroes." "I wanted this to be something people would identify with."

In the final frames of the book, the Falcon delivers a eulogy asking superheros old and young to stand up and honor Captain America. Loeb did a similar thing at his son's funeral.

"It was this moment where I realized that we were all different, but this boy, my son, made us all connected," he said. "It was powerful."

Captain America, whose secret identity was Steve Rogers, was an early member of the pantheon of comic book heroes that began with Superman in the 1930s.

He landed on newsstands in March 1941, nine months before Pearl Harbor — delivering a punch to Hitler on the cover of his first issue, a sock-in-the-jaw reminder that there was a war on and the United States was not involved.

Since then, Marvel Entertainment Inc., has sold more than 200 million copies of Captain America magazine in 75 countries.

In the most recent story line, he became involved in a superhero "civil war," taking up sides against Iron Man in the registration controversy, climaxed by his arrest and assassination.

Marvel says you never know what will happen. He may make it back from the dead after all, although Loeb says that question isn't really important right now.

"The question is, how does the world continue without this hero?" he said. "If that story of his return gets told further down the line, great. But everyone's still been dealing with his loss.

"They aren't going to wake up and it's a dream, like it's some episode of 'Dallas.'"

___

On the Net:

http://www.marvelcomics.com

2007-06-13T22:22:00.001-07:00

The new phone.

One of the things that have become irreplaceable tools in everyday life are the cell phone. They are see as accessories, functional tools for business, media players for the plane or the gym. I'm not going to get into the whole Qualcomm /Broadband suit going on right now.. that would be another opinionated commentary on American censorship.

The SE P910a

The last one I took a long time to research and decide on. I have the SONY Ericsson's P910a. I'm not too much of a fan of the new SE P990's smaller screen, but the flash 2.2MP camera, and the video phone capability sell it to me. Of course there's the Symbian Operating System which is Open Source and non-proprietary in second vendor software.

I've heard pro's and cons from folks who have used it but all in all it still holds strong for me. The SE I own now has been dropped no less than 50 times from heights even above my head. I stopped worrying about it after about the 10th drop (that may have added to the high count later). The thing takes a BEATING. I broke the keyboard after texting like a maniac for 2 years. Not too shabby. I took that off and now use a virtual keyboard like the new iPhone is going to have. I'm not a fan. I like the tactile real keys. sure its a little harder on your fingers for texting, but I like it better and find it more responsive.

The SEp990 SOOOOOOO NICE!

Anyway. I just found out the new one shipped today so it will arrive just in time for me to spend the weekend screwing around with that instead of fixing my leaky irrigation. Well I'll fix that but I'm sure There's stuff I won't get done because of it. More on the SE site... this is a truly awesome phone... if you can call it that .. I usually call the p910 my 'mini laptop' and with 3G connection and the ability to surf in any unsecure wi-fi or if I get wi-fi with T-mobile then I'll be at outrageous downloads on it :)

They just came out with the p1, but im sure it's about 2-3 times what I can get this for. I'll wait 3 years and upgrade then. the p1 is smaller and has a 3.2MP camera.

2007-06-13T22:07:00.000-07:00

The Good News

Well after all the trouble the biopsy came back negative ... no cancer for me today. Yea!! Sitting on the couch gives you a lot of thinking time even with the tele on.

I was watching the Herculoids tonight and started thinking... Now this family is sitting on this planet with some crazy friends (a dragon, a rock beast, a well kind of triceratops, and two ectoplasmic goops. They live off the land as far as I can tell and live in a hut or open ramada. Whats so crazy about that? Well they end up in all sorts of predicaments when some of the stranger residents of the planet or some off-worldly aliens try to take them for slaves or take some resource from the planet. The Herculoids have tons of opportunity to take advanced technology from all these visitors and "improve" their lives. They choose not to. It seems they are perfectly happy being the family they are and living out their lives in simplicity. Nowadays we have pop cartoons like Spongebob. Makes you think... or maybe its the Vocodin haha.

2007-06-08T20:22:00.000-07:00

Four months later they finally found out what was wrong with me. I thought originally that I had another hernia, or tore up the fiberglass mesh patch on the last one. I started taking Hydrocodone for the pain. I thought that the chills, fevers, lightheaded-ness and dizziness were all part of the effects of the painkillers. After a CT scan, results were inconclusive. Then I went for an ultrasound.

Turns out three of my lymph nodes in my groin were going nuts and were swollen. I discussed this with my primary care physician and he was very concerned. After about a pint of blood and 12 different tests on it and my pee they figured it out. I had a bacterial infection (Treponema pallidum). Not fun. Luckily it hadn't progressed far enough to destroy any of my organs.

I also opted to have the largest of these three lymph nodes removed and have a biopsy conducted on it to ensure there aren't any carcinomas involved in the reaction of my lymph nodes. My dad's side had a history of cancer, so I want to check anything out that might be related to cancer, or pre-cancerous. I am pretty confident they wont find anything, but I figure its better to be proactive than reactive on this one.

2007-04-18T20:40:00.000-07:00

In Memeoria

Life is too short as it is on this little rock we call home for someone to take so many so unreasonably. Every one of them had dreams, hopes and aspirations; now silenced. When I go to Cory's graduation in May, I am going to say a prayer for all these students who wont get the chance to.

Remember VT, Remember 9-11, Remember Oklahoma City, Remember that we are all so priviledged to have the lives we do albeit some of us dont have much, but its something.

A list of some of the victims of the shootings at Virginia Tech:

Killed:

- Ross Abdallah Alameddine, 20, of Saugus, Mass., according to his mother, Lynnette Alameddine.

- Christopher James Bishop, 35, according to Darmstadt University of Technology in Germany, where he helped run an exchange program.

- Brian Bluhm, 25, a civil engineering graduate student, according to an announcement by the Detroit Tigers and friends.

- Ryan Clark, 22, of Martinez, Ga., biology and English major, according to Columbia County Coroner Vernon Collins.

- Austin Cloyd, an international studies major from Blacksburg, Va., according to Terry Harter, senior pastor at First United Methodist Church in Champaign, Ill., where Cloyd and her family lived before moving to Blacksburg.

- Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, a French instructor, according to her husband, Jerzy Nowak, the head of the horticulture department at Virginia Tech.

- Daniel Perez Cueva, 21, killed in his French class, according to his mother, Betty Cueva, of Peru.

- Kevin Granata, age unknown, engineering science and mechanics professor, according to Ishwar K. Puri, the head of the engineering science and mechanics department.

- Matthew G. Gwaltney, 24, of Chester, Va., a graduate student in civil and environmental engineering, according to his father and stepmother, Greg and Linda Gwaltney.

- Caitlin Hammaren, 19, of Westtown, N.Y., a sophomore majoring in international studies and French, according to Minisink Valley, N.Y., school officials who spoke with Hammaren's family.

- Jeremy Herbstritt, 27, of Bellefonte, Pa., according to Penn State University, his alma mater and his father's employer.

- Rachael Hill, 18, of Glen Allen, Va., according to her father, Guy Hill.

- Emily Jane Hilscher, a 19-year-old freshman from Woodville, according to Rappahannock County Administrator John W. McCarthy, a family friend.

- Jarrett L. Lane, 22, of Narrows, Va., according to Riffe's Funeral Service Inc. in Narrows, Va.

- Matthew J. La Porte, 20, a freshman from Dumont, N.J., according to Dumont Police Chief Brian Venezio.

- Liviu Librescu, 76, engineering science and mathematics lecturer, according to Puri.

- G.V. Loganathan, 51, civil and environmental engineering professor, according to his brother G.V. Palanivel.

- Partahi Lombantoruan, 34, of Indonesia, civil engineering doctoral student, according to Kristiarto Legowo, a spokesman for the foreign ministry.

- Lauren McCain, 20, of Hampton, Va., international studies major, according to a statement from the family.

- Daniel O'Neil, 22, of Rhode Island, according to close friend Steve Craveiro and according to Eric Cardenas of Connecticut College, where O'Neil's father, Bill, is director of major gifts.

- Juan Ramon Ortiz, a 26-year-old graduate student in engineering from Bayamon, Puerto Rico, according to his wife, Liselle Vega Cortes.

- Minal Panchal, 26, a first-year building-science student from Mumbai, India, according to foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.

- Erin Peterson, 18, of Chantilly, Va., an international studies major, according to her father, Grafton Peterson.

- Michael Pohle, 23, of Flemington, N.J., according to officials at his high school, Hunterdon Central High.

- Julia Pryde, age unknown, a graduate student from Middletown, N.J., according to Virginia Tech professor Saied Mostaghimi, chairman of the biological systems and engineering department.

- Mary Karen Read, 19, of Annandale, Va. according to her aunt, Karen Kuppinger, of Rochester, N.Y.

- Reema J. Samaha, 18, a freshman from Centreville, Va., according to her family.

- Leslie Sherman, a sophomore history and international studies student from Springfield, Va., according to her grandmother Gerry Adams.

- Maxine Turner, 22, a senior majoring in chemical engineering from Vienna, Va., according to her father, Paul Turner.

2007-04-02T19:30:00.000-07:00

Ok and after a long tough weekend.... Time to unwind at the Mill Ave Cue Club. I took the truck down to Tempe so I wouldnt have to worry about leaving it there, as I planned to take a cab home and back down to get it in the morning. Things dont always work out as planned though...

MANY Long Islands and a few bars later I wake up at 0500 at Chris's house with him kicking me to get up so he can drop me off at my truck. Of course when I get there the friggin' thing won't start. So he give me a ride all the way home... which isn't that close. Then I had to run to the mechanics and get them to tow her. They didn't have any time to check her out today so hopefully I'll find out what's wrong tomorrow.

2007-04-02T18:32:00.000-07:00

AIR ASSAULT!!!

Pre-testing for Air Assault School (that's when you rappel out of helicopters) this weekend was tough. I wholeheartedly admit it kicked my butt. We got a helo ride to Ft. Huachuca and hit the Obstacle course - 8 obstacles. The hardest for me were the Tower and the Weaver. The Tower (left) you have to climb up to the top and go over and down the opposite side - 40' tall. Other people are on it at the same time so it sways and for those afraid of heights like me.... The Weaver (below) you have to go over and under the logs across the entire obstacle. For shorties like me its difficult. Then after the obstacle course, we had to run 2 miles in uniform in under 18 minutes. We lost two guys the next day on the 'ruck-march'. 12 miles in under 3 hours with 30# on our backs. THAT was really hard. I pulled my achilles on the 3 mile mark and its buggin me a little but nothing time and a little rehab cant fix.

The funny part was one of the Sergeants administering the test was arrested. Some nosy lady along the canal we were conducting the march on called the police on us. We had rubber replica rifles, with bright blue paint on the muzzles. No-one ON the canal gave us a second look carrying these things. I guess this lady didnt have anything better to do on a Sunday morning at 0700 than to call in a "group of survivalists with guns on the canal". They grabbed the seargent (who didnt have one of these rubber duplicates) and put him on the ground and cuffed him then questioned him. He stayed in good spirits and they asked why he was laughing and he replied, "because in a few minutes you guys are going to be taking these 'cuffs off of me". Crazy.

I managed to pass everything so now its off to yet ANOTHER school for me this year. I am so sick of planes and airports. I dont know how some people do it year after year. Luckily after July it will all slow down (and yep my fingers are crossed on that one).

2007-04-02T18:27:00.000-07:00

Ahh.. the last run for the season - Ski Santa Fe

Joline and I ran up to get a 1/2 day in and it was great. A little wet, a little cold on the lifts (they werent sweeping the slush off them so by the time you hit the top your butt was frozen), but there was snow falling for the first hour or so. Good times.

2007-03-27T21:19:00.000-07:00

"Our safety, our liberty, depends upon preserving the Constitution of the United States as our fathers made it inviolate.
The people of the United States are the rightful masters of both Congress and the courts, not to overthrow the Constitution, but to overthrow the men who pervert the Constitution."

-US President Abraham Lincoln

2007-03-20T05:35:00.000-07:00

T-Rav & I in Flagstaff. The one time I managed to get up to Flag this season. Great day. Im looking forward to getting my hockey gear so we can wreck the rink Trav!

2007-03-20T05:00:00.000-07:00

Old friends, New Friends and LOTS of snow!

President's day last year was warmer in Puerto Vallarta. I went to Blue Knob, PA this year to see my buddy Steve and check out his new house in MD. Great place Steve - I'm stoked for ya! After a long flight into Reagan Airport, Steve picked me up and i racked out at his place for the day while he finished up the week at work. Then we went on the road playing tag-team with Ian and Eric in their car on the way up. Rebecca was meeting us their 'cause she's stationed in PA. Steve and I kept calling her in the drive because there was some huge car wreck on the highway and they closed the interstate in PA to traffic on a Friday afternoon. What was a short ride for us took her 8 hours. We ran into her at the gas station before hitting the resort and boy was she glad to see us.

Once there we got checked into the room and she started cooking up a storm. I found a mug in the cupboard of the condo that said 'Supermom' on it and relegated it to her for the weekend. The boarding was great, unfortunately while teaching 'Becca to board we took a dive and I tore a tendon in my shoulder. I wasnt going to let that stop me though. I learned I like a lot of edging and started getting a little air on some small jumps. That night the bar had a mardigras party... oh and this drink i got in a mason jar was the end of me... the rest of the night went down - I got nothin' after I saw the bottom of it. Aparrently I started dancing with some of the local riff-raff and finished off 1/2 of someone elses drink.

Then waking up the next morning rough and tumbled we discovered someone had come into our room while we were gone and snagged Steve's car keys and our lift ticke vouchers for the next day. That meant police reports and working out getting on the mountain anyway - they were very accommodating in that respect to us and hooked us up with the lift tickets. Unfortunately Ian had to run back to MD to get his spare keys and drive back to PA to bring 'em to us. A little bittersweet end to an otherwise outstanding weekend. Thanks Steve & co.!!

2007-01-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

The New Bimmer!

After 3 months driving the beater truck around I finally found something. It isn't EXACTLY what I wanted - got the PDC (Parking Distance Control - parking assistant) instead of heated seats. But hey - what do you want for 18,500 and only 40,000 miles on it?!? A little more when you add the shipping from

West Palm Beach in Florida. Yep, Ebay again. So far Ive done ok with both my last cars being bought off Ebay sellers. I am still going to have to get the tint in, and my nave system I cut outta the old Bimmer installed. Its going to be SUH-WEET when all is said and done with it. Then I wont have to worry about the airbag in the 11 year old Dakota burning my face off anymore except when I make a run to Home Depot.

2007-01-17T01:04:00.000-07:00

Buddy Sean & I getting ready for a full day of boarding.

2007-01-16T23:58:00.000-07:00

AWESOME Boarding at Bogus Basin, ID!

2006-11-27T17:48:00.000-07:00

And some people wonder why I rant about the Illegal Alien (or UDA - Undocumented Alien) problem in the US.... When they T-Bone your car and leave theirs - or whoever's they were driving in the middle of the intersection and walk off.... boy does it piss me off. Not to mention my poor car. The guy at the Collision place told me that it's totaled. The entire passenger floor is buckled.

2006-11-22T03:49:00.000-07:00

Crystal Mountain - The second time Ive boarded in 3+ feet of new powder. And it kept fallling all day. What a way to kick-off thanksgiving week in Seattle!

2006-11-05T22:54:00.000-07:00

And then there were the Rucksacks filled with chain - tricycle relays....

My whole company thought I won until we realized the line I crossed was the 1/2-way point and we needed to get me back to the start line... they began tackling all the other trikes so I could make it. What a zoo!

The "Grog" is a military tradition at dining-ins. It is comprised of various amounts and types of things to represent the history of the Army and it's campaigns. From wine to represent Normandy, to sand (usually brown sugar) to warm beer to honey and even a sock and ground pepper to represent gunpowder... truly heinous stuff. Oh and the green stuff floating on top of the FULL 1/2 whiskey keg was to represent marajuanna for the 1960's. Three plus canteen cups of that sure did me in!!!

2006-11-02T18:20:00.000-07:00

At the Natural History Museum in San Diego.

2006-11-02T18:18:00.000-07:00

Buddy Jeremy and I after our conference well officially I guess this was DURING it... I took him and Tom to all the Museums by the Zoo. I love San Diego!!

2006-11-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

I was pleasently surprised at how many folks 'got' my halloween costume. I wasn't sure what to do so I checked out the country singers that are 5'7" like me and lo and behold - Kenney Chesney came up. Scary part is I really like the hat now.

2006-11-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

Ahh, and then back to work.... sometimes the job is fun.

2006-11-02T18:09:00.000-07:00

Ok, so there was a little more than vodka fueling us at the bonfire.... good times with ED and some of the crew from the Kilimanjaro hike.

2006-11-02T18:07:00.000-07:00

Mike and Jill doing a little shopping before the fire before dinner... hmmm you really like that stuff, huh Mike?

2006-11-02T17:31:00.000-07:00

While in NH back in my old stomping grounds the scenery was great.

2006-10-15T17:25:00.000-07:00

2006-09-30T20:32:00.000-07:00

It was sweet to meet Pride Veteran Quinton Jackson (Left), and UFC Reality Star Chris Leben at the after party at Macayos. I talked with a friend about the fights and he said he knows Noah from the UFC reality show. Noah is training with Matt Hughes now - I told him he has to set me up to meet Matt - that would be the bomb!!

Enjoying the Amberbock wi buddy Chris at the fights - thanks for the pic Perry :P

RAGE IN THE CAGE BABY!!!

2006-09-08T04:01:00.000-07:00

In Memoria, Oct 31 1975-Sep 4 2006

After a month of optimism and hopeful recovery, I got the news on Sunday. I was at a pool party when I found out. "Mike's gone from us," the text message said. Simple to the point, burned into the screen of my cellphone. The release of all the hope I was holding inside for him evaporated. The world of the pool party fogged, became insubstantial. A dark haze covered everything with one focus - to get out of the house to a solid place. Thankful for James to be there. I was toughing it out.

The monsoon was coming in - yellow-black clouds rolling over the city throwing haphazard lightning into the sky. We were driving to find a good overlook to watch. Then James busts out with "well you know I could die in a wreck on the way back to Tucson tomorrow." And then the thought of losing another friend broke through the thin skimcoat of cement I was trying to build around my emotions. It was probably the best/worst thing anyone could say to me. I pulled the car over and yelled at him for saying something like that. Then my anger transitioned into borrowing his shoulder for a few.

Very cathartic. Thanks for that, James. I felt clean, clearheaded and solid in the world again.

As a good friend of mine said about Mike, "what matters is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog..." (well said Steve)

Mike's funeral is today and I wish I could go but I have to be with my unit for a training weekend. I am still so floored that someone so young, tough and full of life is gone. All my best wishes go out to Mike's family and friends. May he rest in peace.

2006-08-31T04:39:00.000-07:00

"Science is but a perversion of itself unless it has
as its ultimate goal the betterment of humanity."

—Nikola Tesla

I have to apologize for perpetrating a rumor- it wasn't Westinghouse that canned the possibility of free wireless electricity for everyone - it was J.P. Morgan.

When the Colorado Springs Tesla Coil magnifying transmitter was energized, it created sparks 30 feet long. From the outside antenna, these sparks could be seen from a distance of ten miles. From this laboratory, Tesla generated and sent out wireless waves which mediated energy, without wires for miles.

In Colorado Springs , where he stayed from May 1899 until 1900, Tesla made what he regarded as his most important discovery-- terrestrial stationary waves. By this discovery he proved that the Earth could be used as a conductor and would be as responsive as a tuning fork to electrical vibrations of a certain frequency. He also lighted 200 lamps without wires from a distance of 25 miles( 40 kilometers) and created man-made lightning.

Financially supported by J. Pierpont Morgan, Tesla built the Wardenclyffe laboratory and its famous transmitting tower in Shoreham, Long Island between 1901 and 1905. This huge landmark was 187 feet high, capped by a 68-foot copper dome which housed the magnifying transmitter. It was planned to be the first broadcast system, transmitting both signals and power without wires to any point on the globe. The huge magnifying transmitter, discharging high frequency electricity, would turn the earth into a gigantic dynamo which would project its electricity in unlimited amounts anywhere in the world.

Tesla's concept of wireless electricity was used to power ocean liners, destroy warships, run industry and transportation and send communications instantaneously all over the globe. To stimulate the public's imagination, Tesla suggested that this wireless power could even be used for interplanetary communication. If Tesla were confident to reach Mars, how much less difficult to reach Paris . Many newspapers and periodicals interviewed Tesla and described his new system for supplying wireless power to run all of the earth's industry.

Because of a dispute between Morgan and Tesla as to the final use of the tower. Morgan withdrew his funds. The financier's classic comment was, "If anyone can draw on the power, where do we put the meter?"

My question is: What would our world be like now if we had free electricity from the onset of the 1900's? No oil wars, no smog, no fossil fuels, maybe we'd have flying cars by now. Thanks, Mr. Morgan.