Jenni

LOVE HACKING

2011-05-09T21:06:00.000-07:00

Tim gives thumbs up to life.

2011-05-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

Tim's quadcopter: A flying robot operated by a cell phone.

My film LOVE HACKING

2011-05-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

Tim and his quadcopter!

After much delay...

2010-01-24T22:11:00.000-08:00

Paradigm shift: I am done with sitting on the floor, which I have been doing since November. Officially furnitured.

Two couches later and I am feeling the productivity levels soar.

Just because I am a grad student doesn't mean I have to get my couches out of a dumpster (which I am actually not opposed to doing, it just didn't happen that way this time). Don't worry, this brand new white love seat cost less than my school books for one class--only $109.

AND... I freakin' love this table. Found: On craigslist for 30 bucks. Can my next doc be about furniture hunting?

Lisa's Birthday.

2009-11-25T01:34:00.000-08:00

I ate this cake. Oh baby. Rachel has skillz.

Hot young thang!

2009-11-14T01:06:00.000-08:00

Posting delay due to living life in a heightened way. This is the closest thing I have to a "first day of school" picture. It was the first day I met a few of my classmates and felt a sense of relief in knowing that I had found my people.

Ryan + the bikes.

Nadal. [ryan]

Federer. [rory]

2009-11-13T00:05:00.000-08:00

Halloween 2009: Alter egos Jem and Benatar. "Welcome to Girlfriend Land" made a surprise appearance at the design loft on Stanford campus. We rocked that party.

She totally pops.

Don't under estimate the power of big hair.

2009-11-13T00:02:00.000-08:00

I don't really see why people are drawn to Santa Cruz. I mean, it is pretty average.

2009-11-12T23:55:00.000-08:00

Behind on blogging. Santa Cruz conference back before school started in September. Katherine and I prepping for our Limo ride.

A mysterious beauty.

Labor Day Part I - Yosemite

2009-09-11T12:18:00.001-07:00

An impromptu Labor Day weekend adventure took me to Yosemite for the first time. We drove to Fresno late on a Friday night, slept for minimal hours, then woke up early so we could hike Half Dome--a 16 mile trek that fortunately resulted in zero deaths.

Half Dome is a mountain up on top of the mountain. You have to hold onto cables and use wooden planks for traction, hordes of people do it, some have faced their demise, and I am surprised the park even allows it. I felt in control while climbing, but the fact that there is no backup for user error made me question the decision. Many water bottles and even a camera bounced down the face of the steep grade, and let's just say they are no longer with us.

Getting pumped for the ascent. Wearing leather gloves in the wilderness makes you totally hard core.

Katherine finishes the descent unscathed. (This is the less steep part at the bottom where we weren't terrified to take out our cameras.)

Katherine naps on top of Half Dome.

Kim lifts off on the sub dome.

Michelle, a ray of glory and delight on no dome.

Jenni, a sweaty mess zapped back to the 70's.

If you are going to wear the boots, you have to own it. Socks pulled up for emphasis. I think some prayed we would survive the hike, I was praying I wouldn't get a tan line.

Revived from lunch.

Taking in the scenery before the sun went down. Headlamps = don't leave home without one.

Yosemite Scenics

2009-09-11T12:01:00.000-07:00

I highly endorse hiking in Yosemite. The rock formations are truly compelling.

Half dome. At this point, you have been hiking for several hours only to realize that you have to go straight up that monster.

Labor Day Part II - Santa Cruz

2009-09-11T02:04:00.000-07:00

To contrast our wilderness adventure in Yosemite, we drove to the beach in Santa Cruz for Labor Day.

Ocean. You are mine.

Books, mags, brie, fresh strawberries. There is an art to relaxing in all the right ways.

Mem Chu

2009-09-02T14:29:00.000-07:00

Stanford Memorial Church.

Serenity.

Wrath of God.

Alcatraz

2009-09-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

Alcatraz and the prison filter.

A penitentiary is the worst kind of tourist trap.

Taking in the sights.

Guard tower.

Solitary confinement.

Cages on the windows make it feel nice and homey.

The loo.

Officer of the law.

Control room. Good thing there are plenty of phones.

A sunny day in the bay.

2009-08-30T14:39:00.000-07:00

In case I give the impression that it has been all work and no play, let me remedy that thought. I snuck into this pool yesterday in San Jose for an afternoon of swimming and relaxation.

Lovely accomplices.

Palo Alto Renovation: Kitchen

2009-08-29T09:30:00.000-07:00

Before: Clashy. Blue trim=bad, bad, bad, bad. I can't give it enough thumbs down. Streaky, terrible paint job and someone even used their fingers to wipe it onto the trim which left actual hand prints in some places. I couldn't eat breakfast without repainting it with my eyes.

After: New white trim from free leftover paint in the shed. 1 gallon of paint from Home Depot is the best $20 ever spent. The walls are like butter.

Before: One mystery was why foam core was screwed on both sides of this glass door. No broken windows so off it came. Also a negative was the brown panel dividing up the kitchen holding us back in the 70's. Flesh colored paint on the window and shelf is gross in every context I can think of.

After: I pulled the mocha accent color into the kitchen to tie it in with the living room and it also gives some visual interest. Look at all of that light coming in from our door that was hidden behind foam core! The cabinets also have a fresh coat of white paint.

Before: Clutter, mismatched art, and more blue trim.

After: Clean and a peak at the living room and how the new colors play off of each other. Part of the reason the kitchen is yellow is based on the fact that you see these two rooms together. Here is the progression... yellow-orange door means blue walls in living room and blue walls in living room means yellow kitchen.

Before: The stove has an awkward placement and overlaps the trim no matter what because of the placement of the gas line. There is a pipe which prevents it from being pushed up next to the wall.

After: I embraced the fact that I can't position the stove properly and decided to utilize the space since we are short on work surfaces. This cart is something I found kicking around in the dirt in our backyard. I cleaned it off, threw away the warped top and bought a new white metal top for it at Ikea in the as-is section for $4.00. I relocated the mirror from the living room because it helps me not focus too much on the fact that the stove is in the wrong place and the whites look fresh.

Before: Cord to refrigerator stretched across the wall. Tile floor unfinished. The rest is pretty self explanatory. *Sigh.*

After: New longer white cord and found extra tile pieces in the shed. (They are the stick on kind in case you think I am so brave.) Decided to use my chairs since they contrast nicely with the yellow walls. Would like a more modern dining set, but this will do for now. I am always a fan of eliminating table cloths in most situations and this is one of those.

After: A sneak preview into Brooke's bedroom which will be an upcoming post.

Palo Alto Renovation: Living Room

2009-08-29T00:14:00.000-07:00

Before: The first three photos are the ones that were emailed to me before I moved into this rental house. This room is particularly challenging due to a rather large piano, which is a permanent fixture in the house. I cannot even budge it on my own and I have a lot of determination. There is also a serious lamp issue going on. Lamp issue #1: The cowboy lamp. Since western theme doesn't do much for me, the cowboy lassoing a cactus was the first thing to go. Plus, the lamp table next to the couch took up too much space and was unnecessary.

Lamp issue #2: Are those geese? Oh boy.
Also, take note of the yellow door. It is important.

Lamp issue #3: This lamp base is completely busted and the lamp can't even stand independently. It is leaning against the wall to stay upright.

After: I spent a day painting and incorporating some of my furniture and lamps with the existing furniture and this is what I came up with. Not so bad, eh. Thinning things out is key and giving enough breathing room around each piece of furniture makes it feel more spacious. It is a dead give away that you have no space when your couch is shoved all the way up against the wall.

Let's discuss color, shall we? Our yellow door is the keystone, as it is my roommates favorite component of the house. I took the challenge to save the door and paint everything else. So I had to choose a wall color that would work with the bright yellow-orange. The walls were already blue, but I chose another shade so instead of being a sky blue or little boys room blue, there is a greenish gray undertone, which is pretty soothing. The mocha colored accent wall helps ground everything so it doesn't feel like "candyland".

I also added a mirror to give the illusion that the space is bigger than what it really is. This is my cameo. There is still one problem area, and that is the TV. I am trying to find a TV stand, but holding out for something that has a door or a drawer that will fit the pieces to my rockband drum set. So for now I am just using what was kicking around. Craigslist is my friend and this will be remedied soon.

Palo Alto Renovation: Bathroom

2009-08-19T01:19:00.000-07:00

I decided that the peace and joy I would feel living in a clean and efficient house was worth the effort and money to do a little painting in my cottage home in Palo Alto. Here is what a partial can of leftover white paint from the shed and $35 bucks can do.

Before: Flesh colored trim, dingy cream walls, pink bathmat, lots of clutter, and very little space.

...and a discolored shower curtain. (You can't see it in the photo, but the water had turned it a rusty red.)

After: Stark white fabric shower curtain, plush gray bathmat, and upgraded wall color.

Green and white are the colors of heaven. Maybe not this shade of green, but I had to kick it up a notch because I wanted something that would glow to make the room feel a little bigger as well as add visual interest.

Ikea once again solved a storage issue so that there aren't rogue hair dryers and extra bottles of contact solution floating around.

How long did all of this take you may ask? 1 day.

**Special thanks to Sarah for the drawing she gave me over a year ago in Seattle. The colors are a great fit! Glad I brought this one with me to Cali.

Nieces.

2009-08-15T22:23:00.000-07:00

Zina.

Elsie.

Avery.

Triathloners.

2009-08-15T21:51:00.000-07:00

Run.

Bike.

Swim.

My mom somehow managed to convince our family to do a triathlon so we formed three teams, and everyone did one leg of the relay. My nieces cheered on their moms, ate a lot of chapstick, and sported goggles and their pajamas.

My sister who is 7 months prego even participated. Maybe with two people kicking she had some extra power; she was good.

The taste of victory. Um, not sure why they gave us awards. It's like if you are the second person wearing a pink shirt between the ages of 48 and 49 you get a medal. Apparently, I won a pair of socks but didn't hear my name so my prize was left unclaimed.

Fam Nelson. Dynamic. Strong. Swift like a Puma... err something...

Design on a Dime

2009-08-06T23:32:00.000-07:00

I spent 2 days in Tetonia, ID at my sister's house after moving out of my Seattle apartment. She is 7 months prego and we thought it would be refreshing to give some of her furniture a makeover. I didn't do the best documentation, so I am piecing together the "after" photos with some "befores" that were emailed to me when Amie asked for some home improvement advice.

THE COFFEE TABLE PROJECT:

Before: Broken and ready for the trash. No, not worth salvaging.

After: I purchased this coffee table at a thrift store in Seattle for $1 and used it in my apartment for the last several years. I was happy it could find a new home because I love the surfboard top. I sanded and then stained the table a dark ebony color. After it dried over night, two coats of polyurethane sealed this baby like a dream.

THE KITCHEN PROJECT:

Before: The walls in Amie's house are weird; they are some type of wallboard with flowers printed on it. I felt it essential that this disappear as soon as possible so we bought a gallon of paint and with 3 coats, the flowers are gone for good.

After: The great thing about the new wall color is that it helps to neutralize the forest green countertops and tile.

THE DINING TABLE AND CHAIRS:

Before: The table had a laminate top, which I thought would be problematic since we were doing this on the cheap and I also didn't want to wait for expensive primers to cure. So I came up with an alternate option.

After: I used Krylon plastic spray paint for the top and used Krylon all purpose spray paint for the rest of the table and chairs. It worked perfectly and seems durable enough. Avery already made several spills and it wiped up without scratching or chipping. I used steel wool to add a light grain affect on the top, which also took care of any hot spots from the spray paint.

THE BATHROOM PROJECT:

Before: Again, the floral print walls are oh-so-offending-me. We used some white paint left over from another project and with three coats we sent the flowers to their grave. I also plucked the forest green trim that bordered the mirrors right out of the wall.

After: I'm looking forward to seeing a final picture of this entire room since it was being re-tiled over the weekend after I left. But already, feeling so much better.

OTHER PROJECTS:

Several other important things that we did that are not pictured are as follows...

-cleaned the kitchen from top to bottom, decluttering and purging items, scrubbing cabinets, floor, refrigerator, etc........

-painted a bookshelf/dvd shelf

-painted a vase

-painted a picture frame

-painted the gold trim on Amie's dresser and night stand black and said goodbye to the 90's.

*Note: This was all done in about a day and a half and for a total of $60.00... If I flunk out of grad school, I'll try to get a job on a home improvement TV show.

2009-08-05T23:17:00.000-07:00

Truck load #2 was a combined effort as Tom, John, and I all moved out of our apartments in Seattle the same weekend. We shared a truck with deliveries to Idaho and Utah (with final destinations of New York City, Sydney, and Palo Alto.)

Tom looking more and more like a trucker (or Jack Bauer) with added facial scruff for emphasis.

Eerie advice from Budget to frequently check the straps on the tow dolly in case the car came loose and detatched itself on the freeway seemed small to the warning to "avoid serious injury/death."

**Special thanks to Lara's raised eye of caution.

2009-07-21T23:29:00.000-07:00

Palo Alto preview: I drove 14 hours to move some essentials to my new abode and to formulate a strategy for optimal efficiency in my tiny living space. I conquered my room among other projects.

Before.

After.

**Cell block gray paint soothed my modern soul. Thank you Ikea expedit for solving some of my storage problems.

2009-07-11T02:49:00.000-07:00

Yellow 1.

Yellow 2.

2009-07-11T02:25:00.000-07:00

We celebrated Charlie's birthday yesterday. Over the years we have become more sophisticated in our sense of style.

Now we have options like this: The state of the art "rocking" shoe. But somehow this feels more 80's to me than mid-thigh shorts, although the low impact is impressive for walking, if not disorienting.

Chuck and Jenni. 2 people that know each other. Happy Birthday.

2009-07-08T23:34:00.000-07:00

Rejoice! My two Jo(h)ns are visiting simultaneously.

2009-07-08T15:42:00.000-07:00

Looking through a few photos from this spring and thought the family might like this one of Grams.

2009-07-05T23:12:00.000-07:00

Independent day. A new day meaning you get to do whatever you want, in my case lounge at the beach.

2009-07-04T00:34:00.000-07:00

I got my haircut today at a place called Ten Pachi. I was originally drawn to them because of their modern decor, fabulous online booking tool, and the highly boasted laptop bar while you wait. However, when it comes to haircuts, for some reason I always walk away feeling like they are trying to send me back to the 1980's. My last haircut had a giant poof on the side, which wasn't asked for, just a gift they bestowed upon me that took a year to grow out. So this time I went hoping to remedy the situation. After making the same mistake today, I realize that the issue is when they pull out the "texturizer" I need to say "no." Texturizer (that freaky razor tool) + my hair = giant poof. They didn't even bother to dry my hair, they just sent me out the door with a wet head and super lack of style. After getting home, I spent some time straightening it out and I think I have it under control.

Pre haircut.

Post haircut.

2009-07-04T00:01:00.000-07:00

Still catching up the blog from my travels. I stayed with Karl and Bob while visiting Palo Alto a week ago in my quest to find housing. Karl is a fine host and barbecue extraordinaire. Let me tell you, it is not everyday that you find a guy who keeps a plentiful stash of hummus and cookies on hand.

Bob is a man of many talents. When he is not in the research lab saving the world one nanoparticle at a time, he accompanies himself on the guitar while singing Irish drinking songs. AND he is really strong.

I also got to catch up with Bronwen. I would say this photo pretty much captures the idea... looking very much engaged.

In conclusion, these people are cool.

2009-07-01T20:17:00.000-07:00

My first ever pedicure and the best 15 bucks ever spent. Those ladies not only introduced me to a whole new world of color, but they massaged my feet, shins, and calves all while I sat in a massage chair set to "kneading" mode. Back feels great, legs feel great, toes look good. Pedicure = worth it, even for guys.

Seattle Scenics

2009-06-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I am moving to California at the end of the summer. I just returned from visiting Palo Alto in search of housing and after seeing a lot of overpriced and run down apartments (where a functioning washing machine in the yard counts and being modern and updated), I thought I should pay tribute to this city that has been a good home to me for many years. To be clear, I am more than excited to be moving... explosively so. But in case anyone is suffering from "the grass is always greener on the other side," I should remind you that actually the grass is literally greener in Seattle because CA is brown at this time of year.

The following scenics are from just one summer stroll in Seattle...

Exhibit A. Friends gathered at the beach for a BBQ on a sunny evening. When it is nice here, it is *nice*.

Exhibit B. Colorful boats. The kind without crazy fast motors pulling people doing aerials with guys saying, "dude, did you see that?"

Exhibit C. Lots of moody places to walk to while contemplating which Thai restaurant to eat at.

Exhibit D: Large structures. This is the marina, but the industrial district and shipping yard is unmatched in intrigue.

Exhibit E: The previously mentioned marina in Ballard.

Exhibit F: Little Coney. Nothing like a burger or fish and chips sitting near the Puget Sound.

2009-06-27T22:56:00.000-07:00

Lara visits Seattle. (Genetics at work here? Nah.)

The path to the beach is luscious.

The marina. Lara, Seattle beckons to you. Come.

2009-05-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Sisterly.

2009-05-29T00:48:00.000-07:00

Matt and Amie on their informative tour of Seattle life. They will have plenty to tell Tetonia.

2009-05-29T00:43:00.000-07:00

Matt... this one is all for you. I know you really wanted to borrow her pony bag.

2009-05-29T00:40:00.000-07:00

Uh, yup. That's what you think it is.

2009-05-29T00:35:00.000-07:00

Tofurky anyone? Could this really sell anywhere outside of Seattle? Honestly.

2009-05-29T00:33:00.000-07:00

Magical wonders to behold.

2009-05-28T23:13:00.000-07:00

She dares to ask, "are all belly dancers created equal?"

Another Seattle festival...folk life.

2009-05-26T01:13:00.000-07:00

Dueling swords.

Dueling violins.

Dueling with fashion sense.

2009-05-20T00:43:00.000-07:00

More on industrial picnicking.

Conquering the steam room... err whatever.

Stonehenginess.

2009-05-19T23:40:00.000-07:00

Canon T1i is rebel without a cause.

An assortment of lenses means that I have a lot of learning to do.

Trial run at Gasworks park. The kites came out for the break in weather.

Triumphant hilltop.

Seattle people explode in sunny weather because of vitamin D deprivation.

28th Birthday Belated Blogging

2009-05-09T13:31:00.000-07:00

In April I turned 28. A decidedly good thing for many reasons, including two surprise strawberry tarts from two amazing people. Stephanie and Becky have super power senses to read my mind.

I was shocked at all of the ways people celebrated with me... all forms of technological messaging such as phone calls, singing voicemails, facebook messages, emails, texts, plus parties, gifts, cards... even ones sent and received in my actual tangible mailbox. Whoa. Where did all of these nice people come from and why are they being so nice to me?

Last year my birthday included a hike in the Himalayas and a surprise party with Tibetan Monks, so I wasn't expecting the flood of excitement from all of my friends and family to seem so epic. But a meal at the Indian Bistro not only brought back the memories and excitement of last years adventures, but made me realize there are some pretty radical things happening at 28.

And, I have to mention the talent show, which happened to fall on my birthday where some fabulous people performed... I think just for me. Okay, they were competing for glory, but I thought it was for me.

Thanks everyone for celebrating with me in April!

**Steph, I would have posted pictures from the surprise party, but it seems I was enjoying it so much I have none!

2009-05-09T13:24:00.000-07:00

A game involving flying sticks seemed like it should be good novel material for Collin. I'm anxiously awaiting the first line of the book based on this photo if someone would like to take a stab at it.

2009-04-06T19:01:00.000-07:00

Caption contest: Say what you will...

2009-03-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

Mid surgery on my macbookpro.

I didn't get a balloon or lollipop for my bravery, but the real reward: I am now operating with 4GB of ram and a 500GB hard drive.

2009-03-11T11:47:00.000-07:00

The lone bear-dog-horse-pony-mammoth.

Cowboys that ride such bear-dog-horse-pony-mammoths.

2009-03-06T19:08:00.000-08:00

Pub trivia at the Ballroom. Our new team name The Puppy Stompers apparently lacked what it takes to spur us on to victory.

2009-03-05T13:27:00.000-08:00

New headphones are a solid addition to the studio. Why did I wait so long to get these?

2009-03-02T18:31:00.000-08:00

The documentary film on schizophrenia that I have been working on for the past several years with my friend Delaney made front page news in the Seattle PI. http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/401885_filmmaker02.html

2009-03-01T02:46:00.000-08:00

Steph is prepared for an eternity of tea time.

2009-02-26T10:19:00.001-08:00

Take me back to Mexico.

2009-02-26T00:59:00.000-08:00

Due to certain events, our wednesday night pub trivia team decided to take up bowling in West Seattle.

Kascha dominates game one.

John's new stragey: throw the ball as hard as possible at the floor.

We should get bowling shirts.

2009-02-26T00:57:00.000-08:00

A prize of glory and honor to anyone who can match our aliases (Shatter Ninja, Puppy Stomper, Butters, Icon, Fecund Beef) with our real names (Jason, John, Kascha, Nick, Jenni).

2009-02-26T00:55:00.000-08:00

Snavely, vending authority.

All your bowling needs in one easy to use vending machine. Just in case you forgot your socks, finger grips, tape, skin protector, finger nail clippers, cigarettes...

2009-02-25T14:38:00.001-08:00

Collin launches into the 30th year of his life with new snazzy glasses and an oh-so-good chocolate cake prepared by Lindsey.

Live rockband performance in his honor.

Mark must have been extra excited to celebrate because his rock moves were the embodiment of elation. No really.

What do you call this move?

2009-02-25T14:10:00.000-08:00

Our vessel.

El capitan.

A boatload of snorkelers. So glad we were not aboard that ship.

The view from our hotel restaurant.

End of great day.

2009-02-18T19:52:00.000-08:00

Jessica and I ventured out into the clear blue on a dive boat today to go snorkeling.

We explored two reefs and the best part was when a boat floated by feeding fish and made them all swim around us.

Post snorkel happiness.

me + water = love + true

Another highlight of the day was eating the best flan of my life. Oh, and exploring el supermercado to buy postres.

2009-02-17T19:56:00.000-08:00

Waking up to this view did not make me despair.

Nor did this when I sat by the pool all morning.

Cozumel, island of super.

2009-02-17T19:50:00.000-08:00

Jessica is a lovely travel companion.

So far, we have made excellent use of the hammocks, gone snorkeling, swam in the pool, and eaten glorious food.

Cacooned.

Painted fingernails and collecting seashells. Jessica always trumps with classy.

My beach findings are mutant.

I am drawn to the ledge in risky endeavors.

2009-02-17T19:45:00.000-08:00

All is fair in camera wars.

2009-02-17T19:40:00.000-08:00

On a walk into town we discovered bougenvilla -- a favorite of mine in India and a reminder of the first project Jessica and I ever worked on together in college. We spent hours stapling this onto the set for Philadelphia Story.

A boutique for princesses. "No hay ninas feas...solo mal vestidos." So the question remains are these dresses ugly or pretty?

The girl waits.

End of day.

2009-02-16T08:21:00.001-08:00

Goodbye dreary cold. Awaiting non-stop to Cancun.

2009-02-11T17:45:00.000-08:00

I taught Avery the ins and outs of my laptop over the holidays. My nieces are well versed in technology. Avery took charge of the photoshoot.

2009-02-03T02:18:00.001-08:00

There are four members of the band. David Randall and then everyone
else.

2009-02-03T02:16:00.001-08:00

Tom looks his future in the eye. Directorial debut.

2009-02-03T02:14:00.001-08:00

Stanfordland.

2009-02-03T02:12:00.000-08:00

I wish there were more of these lying around.

2009-02-03T02:07:00.001-08:00

Karl preparing for his career as an English gentleman.

2009-01-25T01:14:00.000-08:00

Karaoke shop in Palo Alto.

2009-01-25T01:12:00.001-08:00

Gelato shop in Palo Alto.

2009-01-25T01:10:00.000-08:00

Gyro shop in Palo Alto.

2009-01-23T16:16:00.000-08:00

Smashing televisions.

2009-01-23T16:13:00.001-08:00

This is where I will spend most of the winter. If you can't avoid the
cold then eat hot pho.

2009-01-23T16:10:00.000-08:00

Gramps in studio.

2009-01-23T16:05:00.001-08:00

iPhone playtime.

2009-01-23T16:03:00.001-08:00

Avery and her mom bundled for snow but safely avoiding it.

2009-01-23T15:59:00.001-08:00

Grams making her interior selections.

2009-01-23T15:57:00.001-08:00

Becky took us by surprise on Christmas by independently building the
one snowwoman of the season.

2009-01-23T14:11:00.000-08:00

Holiday season flashback. Ugly sweater party at the Sheraton.

2008-12-15T01:41:00.000-08:00

Steph is Lucia.

2008-12-09T15:36:00.000-08:00

My Christmas Tree. Happy Holidays to all of you.

The Recording Studio

2008-12-09T15:25:00.000-08:00

Tom gives some input.

David compiles.

This is where the magic happens.

2008-12-09T15:08:00.000-08:00

Friends got soul.

2008-12-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

An evening at UW campus and captionthecomic.blogpsot.com was born.

2008-12-09T15:01:00.000-08:00

My new iphone means I can camerabag everything. Collin, I am stuck on a crossword and I will never be able to sleep again.

2008-12-03T11:44:00.000-08:00

Farewell Mexico. I will miss reading in your sun.

Farewell Mexico. Steph will miss you too.

Sushi day.

2008-12-03T11:26:00.000-08:00

Jumping into the swimming pool and swimming to the sushi bar is an excellent tradition.

Spicy tuna roll and rainbow roll whilst simmering in the spa.

Steph's dad (Len) joined us in the tradition.

Nirvana.

2008-12-03T11:00:00.000-08:00

Guillermo, a friend of the Schenck family, brought his family over for dinner on our last night in Mexico. They are fabulous people and I got to practice a little bit of Spanish.

Alex "sin diente." He is very proud to have lost a tooth.

Brothers.

2008-12-01T23:08:00.001-08:00

Hermano is proud of his tat.

Matthew is not a blood brother, but he might as well be.

Kurt and Matthew are of the same intensity.

But they have their quiet side too.

Matthew fell asleep in the pool and woke up wondering how he arrived in paradise.

Mexico welcomes my family.

2008-12-01T22:57:00.000-08:00

This breakfast joint was legit.

Matthew was stunned by the awesomeness of sunshine and relaxation. I think his words were, "No way, now I have a reason to go to college, get a job, and get rich. Dudes, I love Mexico."

We stormed the streets of Mexico with pride.

*I credit Steph for the authentic nature of this photo.

Cruise ship day.

2008-12-01T22:34:00.000-08:00

Wandering down to the docks in the morning you will find a strange emergence of people from an alien planet. The come on these pod-like ships.

People in yellow shirts and safari hats await their arrival by the dozens.

Then thousands of people head down the gauntlet of ugly tourism tchotchkes.

They come equipped with cowboy hats and suspenders. Usually white socks and velcro sandals are involved.

Everyone is protected by a bright yellow sticker that lets all of the vendors know they are there for a day and easy money. I didn't have on a yellow sticker so for once I wasn't even approached about buying bracelets or drugs.

And my favorite of all favorites is the classic fanny pack and sun hat combo.

If the fanny pack is mixed with a visor, even better.

At the end of the day, people head back to their pods loaded with valuable goods. I can think of so many uses for that sun burst wall hanging. I bet they also have a ship in a bottle and a carved wooden swordfish in that bag.

More boat riff-raff.

I found these thugs fresh off the boat in Cabo. These are my relations and they are all getting fanny packs from me for Christmas.

2008-11-30T18:01:00.000-08:00

Some of the house guests left the condo yesterday so Steph and I upgraded our level of comfort.

Then we decided to downgrade it.

Victim of cholera.

2008-11-30T17:57:00.000-08:00

Riddle. What does Mexico have that Seattle doesn't?

Answer. A giant peacock.

2008-11-29T19:06:00.000-08:00

Another hard days work at the beach.

Our academics have stretched to the pool. I finished book #1 in the hot tub this afternoon and started #2, and #3 by this evening.

Happy Thanksgiving.

2008-11-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving this year included a morning walk on the beach. A swim in the ocean. Followed by a swim in the pool. Followed by a swim in the hot tub. Followed by alternating between pool and hot tub.

All made possible because of my friend in relaxation (Stephanie) and the hospitality of Club Cascadas.

We napped on the beach in the afternoon and read our books.

I ate fresh tortillas, which are like candy, and a good precursor to our thanksgiving feast.

In the late afternoon, Steph and I proceeded to make an entire Thanksgiving dinner in the condo. Turkey included. We even used the turkey drippings to make gravy and flavor the stuffing. I felt officially thankful and showed my thankfulness by a final swim in the pool and hot tub before going to bed.

2008-11-28T13:48:00.000-08:00

My favorite image from my recent trip to Utah to visit Jared's family and to do some editing on my India documentary.

Election Day

2008-11-05T17:13:00.000-08:00

Aaaw yeah!

It wasn't the suspense I thought it would be as victory seemed evident early on. But a win is a win and it feels historic.

Trolloween

2008-11-05T16:37:00.000-08:00

(Ghost skeletons. Freaky.)

Trolloween has been my Halloween tradition for 2 years running. It is very Seattle. People gather at the Freemont troll and parade through the streets in their costumes following a group of skeleton drummers. There is sporadic performance art and dancing, but I go for the drummers and costume watching.

Chris and Hope, legendary lumberjacks, joined us for the celebration. Stephanie's costume takes some explaining, but the cardboard tube is an essential part.

I thought Steph could use a whip cream mustache to complete her kid costume.

Tom received the most attention. I guess people recognized the Seattle icon and crowds of people would stop him to take his photograph.

Presenting Lloyd Dobler from Say Anything.

Dave is Monkified.

Joseph and Amy came as hip Seattle people wearing warm hats.