Wednesday, September 05, 2007

Satellite in my eye, like a diamond in the sky...

...how I wonder...

Have you ever wanted to see what a satellite looks like, from the inside? Well, buckle up! Justin helped me knock that one off my list of things to do last summer when he showed me one that had apparently already been visited by one or two other people...






Power Team!!

Just when you thought you may have seen it all...you were wrong, because you never saw one of the Power Team's crusades!! If you ask them, "The Power Team is a strength based ministry specializing in growing churches through Family-Focused Evangelism." ...and by "Family-Focused Evangelism," what they really mean is "inspring and uplifting stories of how they found Jesus, followed by rock music and awesome displays of their brute strength!" Check them out. Dudes even have a Wikipedia entry. Examples of the displays of strength that we saw: Baseball bats broken in half, steel bars bent with their biceps, breaking stacks of bricks with their heads, tearing phone books in half, rolling up a frying pan like a burrito...and the list goes on. We now have a torn-in-half license plate on our mantle, signed by the whole team.

Ciudad de las Montanas

My sister, Leslie, got married to Alex Esparza in Monterrey, Mexico in August. Like a good, loving family, we all showed up to support. Along with lots of her friends. Even Justin came along to celebrate the occasion. Here's a few of the favorite photos.



















Grace finally met an adult with as much energy as she has: Justin. So the kids took full advantage.


The reception, of course, had lots of dancing. They were all impressed that our family participated - they didn't know any Americans that could dance.













And I got to dance with my grandpa!

Speaking of the Nats...

Princess, Kevin, and I went to a Nats vs. Mets game when Kevin was down visiting DC from Pitt. We went with Lauren and her dad and his friend - always an interesting experience! It was a "premium" game, which for us meant FREE bobblehead Abraham Lincolns!!

OC with SD

I got to take a trip to LA for work to visit with some companies in August. I really wish I could elaborate on that, because I got to go to some pretty rad places. Oh well. But look at this cool fountain in my hotel! (Westin in downtown LA. Nice, but I'd pick somewhere else next time.)

Hilight of the work week: after visiting companies in El Segundo one day, we first ate some quality Mexican food at La Paz (go there), and then we hit up Manhattan Beach! Isn't my job great, sometimes?

After that, I got to spend a few quality whirlwind days with Sarah-Dawn.













Over the course of a day and a half, we went to the beach, watched the US Surfing Open, saw the Simpsons movie, went dancing, ate at In-N-Out (animal style, believe it or not), and went to an Angels game. (Ironically, it was Mormon Night at the game. Complete with picketers outside.)













We sort of got TWO fireworks shows that night - if you look close in this pic, you can see the ones in the background - that's Disneyland.




After the game was another show, and it was quite possibly one of the best I've ever witnessed. Don't worry - it was set to theme songs from movies. Love it.






It just reminded me of what it's like to have a serious following with your team. Nats don't quite have it yet.

Niagra Falls and Hill Cumorah Too

I love summer road trips! This particular one took us through Pittsburgh, PA, Niagra Falls, Canada, and Palmyra/Rochester, NY.
Things to remember about Pittsburgh: Mt. Hood has fantastic views. And the strawberry pancakes at Pamela's are divine.













Things to remember about Niagra Falls: if you want a Canada stamp in your passport, ask when a guy is working the desk, like Princess did - not when a pretty girl is, like I did.













And, if you're there at night - guess what! - firework show!













Things to remember about Palmyra: Get the waffle fries and ice cream (small is plenty) at Chill N Grill. Be sure to make time to visit the Sacred Grove.













Bring a poncho to the Pageant, and - this is crucial - don't listen to the dude carrying a sign that says, "Ask me why you're going to Hell."

Justin's Big Day

My special friend, Justin Kydd, was baptized on July 21, 2007.

He did me the honor of letting me play the hymns. It was definitely an uplifting experience for all in attendance, and I'm so excited for the positive changes that will surely be taking place in his life in the years to come.

Independence Day


True to the nature of my life, normalcy was avoided on the 4th of July. Well, mostly. Daytime events included a massive water balloon fight and BBQ with friends. For the night, I took a trip out to Waldorf to see the fireworks show there, careful to avoid the masses of the National Mall (which, coincidentally, was evacuated earlier in the day because of a tornado that touched down in Manassas and was headed straight for the crowded Capitol.)

The ensuing weekend found me in Old Town Alexandria with Princess and her visiting friend, Tom. It was Alexandria's birthday, and there were going to be (aw yeah) more fireworks. We decided it would be more fun to ride our bikes, and so we did. Once we got there, we learned the show had been canceled due to "technical difficulties" (huh? Did someone forget to schedule the fireworks this year?), so instead we got a pint of Ben&Jerry's and created our own fireworks show (don't ask) before we took a midnight ride down the GW Parkway bike path, back to our home sweet home.

Luray Caverns in June

I finally took a trip to Luray Caverns in June, and it only took me three summers! Here is a visual tour for all to enjoy.


Chicago is bringing sexy back

I guess they've decided I'm responsible enough at work to send me places. In June, I got to go to Chicago for the week-long NXTComm Telecom conference. I learned a lot of things about what is to come over the next few years. But above all, I learned just how badly the telecom industry wants to be hip! Every morning, we were graced with strobe lights and music blasting over the speakers from bands like The Killers, Snow Patrol, All-American Rejects, and yes, even Justin Timberlake. This scene took place just before our 10:00AM keynote speaker. Picture an auditorium full of of white-collar 40-something males, and THIS...




I got to stroll around the streets of Chicago a bit when I wasn't in the conference, and you know what? It's a beautiful city! I stopped by the House of Blues, right on the river...












...took a walk to Navy Pier...









...went for a solo ride on the ferris wheel (Dude taking my ticket: "Just one?" Me: "Yep.")...






...and captured some beautiful sunset shots on the shores of Lake Michigan.









FYI - next time you're in Chicago, eat at Ed Debevics. And if you can help it, don't go to Chicago alone. That is all.

Flashback: Colin's Graduation!

I got to see some of my family very briefly at the beginning of June for Colin's graduation from VCOM med school - first graduating class, baby!














This was right before he and his family moved to Cleveland. I'm definitely feeling the extra couple hours distance from me. I miss seeing those kids.

Right before we parted ways, Mia asked me when I was moving, too. Ouch. It was a looooong drive home.

Flashback: Duck Beach!


I finally gave in to the LDS YSA Memorial Day ritual and took a trip to Duck Beach with some friends. We'd rented a smaller beachfront home and kept the invites to a minimum. It was definitely a relaxing and enjoyable weekend. Good times were had by all. We got to introduce the game of Poi Shoe to the world - built with golf balls, some rope, and PVC pipes.



We took a trip to the Cape Hatteras lighthouse - which they actually had to physically move due to erosion of the coastline. (Correct me if I'm wrong, anyone.) The figures sleeping on the ground are me, Marcia, and Princess.






We enjoyed some killer crab legs at a local restaurant. It's true, they give everyone star sunglasses before you leave.








And no trip to the beach would be complete without building a giant replica of Trogdor in the sand.











Thanks, Lisa, for letting us bury you.

Flashback: Air show!

A friend of mine is seriously into airplanes. Ask him anything, he can tell you. He took me to an air show at Andrews AFB, celebrating the 60th Anniversary. in May. I got to see the crazy stunt flyers, some sky divers, sky writers, and even the Thunderbirds! (Is it bad that I never before made the connection that the Blue Angels were the Naval ones and the Thunderbirds were the Air Force ones?) While we were standing there, the Thunderbirds took off, took a little jaunt up to the horse races in Baltimore to say hi to the Queen, and THEN came back to give us a show. This is the picture I'm most proud of - and it wasn't even intentional. I was just trying to catch the dude camping out for a nice view on top of the plane, at the exact moment the Thunderbirds zoomed past.





I'm also a fan of this one. It gives you wings! ...get it? (ha ha... sigh.)

Flashback: Say hello to Queen E!

Have I ever mentioned that Princess's job is awesome? She has the greatest connections there, and every so often, I get to share in the fun. Earlier this year - I think it was May? - she used her networking clout to get tickets to see the welcoming of Queen Elizabeth by President Bush, right outside the White House. (She was here to see Jamestown.) So, Marcia and I went off with Princess to visit her mummy.




This was right after Pres. Bush slipped and almost accidentally made a reference to the Queen being alive sometime in the 1800s...