Norf by Southwest

The Beginning of the End...

2008-12-18T16:14:00.001-07:00

I've been tooling around with the idea of abadoning this blog for a while now. I don't post nearly enough, and I feel like I'm letting everyone's RSS aggregator down. Kindly enough, Mr. Spivey has offered me an author position on his little piece of the web, so I think I'll just be moving my sparse writing over there.

In an effort to go out with a bang instead of a whimper, I'm going to make a pledge right now: to post every day for the rest of 2009. This is actually going to be a bit difficult over the Xmas holiday, being out of town and without my computer, but an artist must suffer for his art, right?

Off we go...

Anybody there?!?

2008-11-20T12:20:00.002-07:00

Professional Engineering Exams, Elections, Trips to DC... Lots has happened since my last post. I would be a bit late in commenting on any of that stuff, so I'll just ignore it for now. I promise to write more tomorrow, but here's a couple things to tide you over:

- Check this website out. I'm not homophobic by any means, but I must say it disturbs me slightly that the hot M4M "missed connections" location in my state is the chain of gyms where I shower almost every morning that I bike to work. Also: If you are a lesbian in WY, MS, TN, WV or the Dakotas, you are apparently either satistfied with your situation, or extremely dissapointed.

- I just read the full account of Natalie Dee's pregnacy and labor, and I am horrified. I realize that her experience was not typical by any means. Still, I don't think I'm prepared to EVER subject my wife to that. There are plenty of kids out there waiting to be adopted.

New meme: Drew meme

2008-10-02T14:14:00.004-07:00

From the North American version of "I've Been Everywhere", where have you been?

Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota, Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota, Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma, Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma, Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo, Tocopilla, Barranquilla and Padilla.

Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana, Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana, Monterey, Ferriday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa, Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa, Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake, Grand Lake, Devils Lake and Crater Lake.

Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika, Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica, Richfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport, Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond Du Lac, Davenport, Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina, Pasadena and Catalina.

Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado, Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, El Dorado, Larimore, Atmore, Haverstraw, Chatanika, Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika, Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City, Sioux City, Cedar City and Dodge City.

Technically I've been to 'a' Dodge City, just not 'the' Dodge City. The one I've been to was a bar just down the street from a place I used to live. I don't think that counts.

My grandma is more tech savvy than yours...

2008-09-17T11:35:00.003-07:00

She's on Facebook, I kid you not.

My wife's grandmother barely understands cellular phones, and she's about 20 years younger than mine. Granted, she's also Polish. Submarine screen doors and all...

So, Facebook: No longer hip, but still cool nonetheless.

Weird moments from the weekend...

2008-08-25T13:07:00.002-07:00

Strange: Running into the owner of our favorite neighborhood bar at a house party.

Stranger: Being invited to said party by two guys we met that used to live in the house in which we now live.

Strangest: Learning that the great-aunt of one of those guys died in the bedroom we now sleep in. (Quietly in her sleep we are told, not bludgeoned to death. Thank god.)

Weekend Roundup...

2008-08-18T09:23:00.005-07:00

Well, I didn't get much accomplished this weekend, on account of Olympic Fever. There's only so many qualifiers / prelims / quarterfinals of any one Track event that I can watch before I'm sick of it, though. Why are they showing so much running anyway? Whatever happened to the Field? Let's see some of the interesting stuff already: Hammer Throw, Pole Vault, Discus, etc.

Also in Olympic News:
- Sacramone got robbed.
- If you are an older female olympian, and mother, this is your year!
- The super-hot Polish Women's Volleyball team's dreams were cut short by the super-beastly USA team.
- The official Chinese Olympic website is horrible... Less censoring, more troubleshooting please.
- Phelps is loaded! The $25,000 he gets for each medal must seem like chump change next to his endorsement paychecks.

In political news, McCain's threshold to define rich is 20 times higher than that of Obama. When asked this past week to define rich in terms of annual income, Obama's response was $250,000, while McCain's answer was $5,000,000. That's quite a difference! Don't worry Phelpsie, you're rich in either one's eyes!

Also, the NYT buried an article about McCain's "response" to 9/11. Apparently he flew off the handle, jumping on the "Invade Iraq" bandwagon before it even got out the garage. Quick to link Saddam Hussein to both Al Quaida and the anthrax "attacks", he sang praises for Rumsfeld & Co. Wrong on all counts, old man! Anyone who thinks McCain has got the chops for military "strateegery' or foreign policy needs to read this.

Of course, hidden behind all the Olympic and election hoopla is the highly provacative Russian invasion of Georgia. While the news seems to be that Georgia pushed for a fight despite NATO warnings to back off, the Russian response was mostly likely (and I hate to repeat a Bushism) "highly disproportionate". If this news doesn't concern you, know that quite a few Ukrainians think that they're next, and many Poles (my wife included) fear that Russian military commanders may make good on their belligerent promises.

I'll willing to guess there's still quite a few old assholes in Washington that welcome the idea of a return to the Cold War. Such wishful thinking will prove foolish when they realize that the US doesn't really look like the good guys to a lot of the world anymore.

I'll leave you with a gem of a quote from an article in the The Times Online:

"In the old days under Soviet rule we didn't believe a word of our own propaganda but we thought that information was free in the West and we longed for it," said Katya, a middle-aged Muscovite. "But we have learnt since that the West has its own propaganda and in some ways it is more powerful because people believe it."

Congratulations media and leadership of America! You have succeeded in fucking up anything good that the U.S. accomplished in the past 60 years. Hope you're rich because of it! And I mean like quadruple McCain rich!

Now you understand the genius of the terrorist fist-jab...

2008-08-13T13:08:00.003-07:00

Cindy: sacrificing her health for the campaign. What a hero!

If you liked "Ong-Bak"

2008-07-18T15:24:00.003-07:00

You should really go pick up "Born to Fight". Although Tony Jaa is not in this movie, it is directed/produced by the same team. It also features some of Thailand's greatest atheletes showing what their made of and doing their own stunts. There's even an "Asian champion of rugby"!

Don't take my word for it. Watch the preview:

Speaking of previews, go see "Dark Knight". Ike knows what I'm talking about.

For the curious...

2008-07-18T14:27:00.002-07:00

In an effort to boost the content of my blog, I offer you my thoughts:

- I'm going to take a stab at this, and guess that this is not going to result in achieving real, useful fusion that will ensure the energy needs of the future. If anything it's safe to assume that anything that is possible in a Keeanu Reeves movie is IMPOSSIBLE in real life. The Matrix will never happen, time travel will never happen and I'm pretty sure a bus will never wheelie an overpass.

- "Goodbye from the world's biggest polluter." I just can't believe this is true. It's like Karl Rove dared him to say it, and he waited until the very last minute of the meeting, slipped it in and went home snickering... "C'mon man, I said it, you owe me 20 bucks!" Other highlights of King Bush's last trip to the G8 include: Greeting every world leader with "Yo!" and showing off his Italian language skills to president Silvio Berlusconi (Amigo! Amigo!).

- Speaking of our fearless leader... Remember the hullabaloo that was raised over Obama's willingness to negotiate with Iran? Looks like the administration has decided to quit pouting like a 5-year old and step to the table for some talks. The preconditions look... weak. Beggars can't be choosers, I guess.

- This week's Economist has an interesting look into the future of the Mediterranean economy, specifically how the European Union should take advantage of the growth happening there right now. That seems fine with me, but I think they should keep their hands off the Baltic region for the moment. I've got a trip planned there for next summer, and I don't want them to mess it up. EU membership already ruined Prague for me... 10 cent beers, my ass!

Crap!

2008-07-15T07:46:00.002-07:00

I think my work just blocked gchat...

No Teacher Left Teaching...

2008-07-09T09:08:00.005-07:00

I've been busy these last few weeks, not only at work, but personally as well. Last Monday was my wife's 25th birthday, and this past Monday was our 1st wedding anniversary. Everything went wonderfully on both occasions, and overall I'd have to say the state of the union is strong.

One thing, however, has tried to ruin our summer: A certain school district in Arizona where my wife is employed.

Due to some paper-shuffling bullshit, my wife was in danger of losing her job last week. As a matter of fact, they chose to inform her of this on her birthday. So, last week was a scramble to assemble papers, certifications and correspondance to send to the district, which turned out to be fruitless, as everyone was off for the ENTIRE WEEK before the 4th of July.

Finally, on Monday (our anniversary) when she got a hold of her "teacher development counselor" (fancy name for HR director), he was rude, terse and unempathetic. Naturally she was upset, and I was livid. Here's an excerpt from the e-mail I helped her write to the district, sent to said "counselor" and copied to her principle, vice principle and the district superintendant:

Dr. X,
I would like to take the chance, through e-mail, to explain to you my situation regarding my provisional certification to teach in Arizona. Allow me to start at the beginning:

I was hired, by you, at a job fair in Seattle, Washington in the summer of 2007. I spoke to a few districts located in the Phoenix-area at the time, but your attitude and your positive description of the X School District won me over. I was led to believe that X School District was an organized, motivated, caring institution that would help me begin my career in teaching.

[8 paragraphs of explanation and grievances]

I was excited about beginning my second year of teaching, and I was under the impression that X School District was very interested in keeping me around for years to come. Now, I am doubting XSDs commitment to their employees, and I also am doubting that the beauracratic and unappreciative culture of the entire education system is really for me. I moved out here to teach, and I feel like I have been cut down at the knees every step of the way. I did not spend 4 years and incur tens of thousands of dollars in student loans in college to be yanked around by a second-rate school district that is so rife with patronage, infighting and apathy that the state is forced to consider a full-on takeover.

I do not know whether at this point you are interested in helping me out or not. I would be happy to continue teaching next year, but if you do not thing X School District is fit for me, I will seek employment elsewhere in a field where employees are treated with trust, respect and appreciation.

Kind Regards,
Norf's Wife

Guess who got her job back ASAP?

Guess who's still going to several interviews for alternative employment in the meantime?

I mourn the downfall of the American educational system...

Phew!

2008-07-03T18:30:00.002-07:00

Movin', wife's birthdayin', brother-in-law entertainin', doin' my part to get New Orleans hooked up with some reliable levees... It's been a busy past couple months for me.

I did go to the Sasquatch festival in May, which was awesome. Highlights include: Tegan & Sara, Okkervil River & the Presidents of the United States of America (still rocking). A good time was had by all!

I also saw the Grand Canyon for the first time since I was 9. I was much more impressed by it this time.

As I mentioned in the first bit, the wifey and I did just complete a move. We have left the confines of our cozy luxury apartment by the Biltmore for an older house in a "historic" (the term is relative here) neighborhood, closer to central Phoenix. It is my anticipation that the light rail will bring more businesses and fun to this area, but we'll have to wait and see...

Randomly, I've been tossing a few thoughts around in my head, which I would like to share with you:

- Discovering new podcasts is awesome... Especially when said podcasts are not "current events" oriented and therefore the archives are not outdated. I listened to 7 episodes of Radiolab in a row yesterday while chugging away at my desk.

- What the hell Africa? How could so many countries sit around and do nothing while Mugabe so brazenly steals yet another election in Zimbabwe. Of course, we didn't do anything either...

- I'm looking forward to my 5-day long weekend. The wifey and I will be celebrating our first wedding anniversary this weekend, with a trip to Santa Fe, NM. Finally, a chance to relax and enjoy eachother for days on end... 'bout time!

Where have I been?!?

2008-04-14T11:11:00.001-07:00

Instead of writing a lengthy post explaining my absence, let me recount it quickly, and get it over with:

The wife and I went to Ottawa to visit my dad. Fun fact: Ottawa is the capital of Canada. You'd be surprised how many people don't know that. They should have followed Mexico's lead and just named it "Canada City"

We also went to San Diego. Congrats to Mr. & Mrs. Akst. Congrats also to Miles & Melissa and James & Anna. This year was looking to be a slow one for weddings. Thanks for cramming a couple more in!

The D-back home opener (pics soon) was fun. Hot dogs, beer and cotton candy are always a good mix.

I was also sick and bedridden for a couple days. Sadly, I don't have pictures of that.

Okay, now back to the present.

NSFB (Not Safe For Brain)

2008-03-05T14:05:00.003-07:00

If you are a LOST fan, and you have a little too much time on your hand, take a look at this. It's guaranteed to make your brain hurt. It may also leave you feeling like a huge, huge nerd.

Got any plans for Memorial Day weekend this year?

2008-02-26T08:58:00.002-07:00

I know I do.

Phoenix Observation # 6: Winter ain't so bad.

2008-02-22T09:39:00.003-07:00

I have a feeling my some of my posts have been downers lately, so I'm going to switch gears for a second. It's been a while since my last one, so let's get to it:

Phoenix Observation # 6: Winter ain't so bad.

I could've written this post a while ago, since the weather has been nice here for a while, but I really feel I had to let my thoughts ripen. After a blazing hot summer, I was beginning to doubt the move. Fall was alright, but I really missed the color changes and the crunchiness of leaves under my feet. I don't think a bunch of landscapers sawing off old palm fronds counts as "shedding leaves"... But I thought that was about as good as it was going to get.

Turns out I was wrong. Autumn just rolls by a little late around here. Suddenly in January leaves turned brown and started falling off the trees in my neighborhood. Then I started hearing the familiar sound of 500 HP gas-powered leaf blowers coralling twigs and leaves into small piles. Doesn't anyone own a rake anymore?

Well, Fall turned to Winter real fast, and it got a little cold. Nothing close to what I was used to in Virginia, but it was brisk enough that biking back from the bars became a little less enjoyable (rockin' the alliteration). I started having to wear a jacket on my 2-block walk to work. I started ordering hot instead of cold drinks at Starbucks. Oh, and it started raining semi-regularly.

After two years in the Northwest, I'm used to rain. Getting soaked on the walk home for lunch because I didn't bring a jacket that day is okay. At least there's a dryer at home. Given this ambivalence towards rainy weather, I get to focus on the benefits of a little moisture in the Valley of the Sun: For once, everything starts to turn green. The jagged yellow, brown and red mountains that are spread throughout the city start to grow some foliage.

I realized something when I first started looking into moving to Phoenix. If you look at the satellite images of the Phoenix-area on Google Maps, everything looks pretty green when you are zoomed out far enough. Hell, the Salt River even looks like it's flowing. It's not until you zoom in about two thirds of the way, and it switches over to the high-res shots, that you start to appreciate how barren and brown the landscape is around here. Obviously, the two shots were taken during different parts of the year, and when I got here, things looked a lot more like the zoomed-in shots. Now, after living in Phoenix for almost a year, the valley is starting to resemble those zoomed-out images... Hmm... there's a metaphor in there somewhere.

I'll end this post with a picture from a hike this past weekend. It struck me as rather absurd that the grass that has sprouted all around makes the short, red cactuses look out of place, when in fact it is the other way around. Enjoy.

"...point it at whatever you want to die."

2008-02-15T13:51:00.004-07:00

Okay, are we going to talk gun control this time? Or are we going to wait until it happens all over again next year?

While the government tramples all over the Constitution, do you think they could scuff the 2nd Amendment up a bit?

No, I would not feel safer if everyone was carrying a gun.

No, I do not believe all these people would be getting guns anyway, even if they were illegal.

No, I do not believe the killers are monsters that could not be stopped.

No, I do not think guns are the same as cars, knives, rope, etc, or whatever else you can compare them to.

In the immortal words of Kurt Vonnegut, from Deadeye Dick:

"...killed by a machine which should never have come into the hands of any human being. It is called a firearm. It makes the blackest of all human wishes come true at once, at a distance: that something die. There is evil for you. We cannot get rid of mankind's fleetingly evil wishes. We can get rid of the machines that make them come true. I give you a holy word: DISARM. "

Dang Whippersnappers!!!

2008-02-12T09:46:00.001-07:00

I cannot explain to you how frustrating it is to have someone come and smash the largest, most expensive, window of your house. Especially when it is 1300 miles away and you are trying to rent it out!

I Cannot Stress This Enough...

2008-02-05T11:19:00.001-07:00

As a democrat living in one of 22 Super Tuesday states, I was faced today (actually, more like 3 weeks ago since I vote by mail) with a choice between two very different candidates. Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton. Who will you choose?

Do not vote for Hillary Clinton today.

The arguements for Barack Obama are many, and they have been touted on newspapers, blogs and other media incessantly for weeks, so I won't rehash them. Obama is running a positive campaign, and unfortunately this means we do not get to review the negative aspects of a Hillary Clinton candidacy enough. Let me give you a few points on which to mull.

1. She voted to authorize the use of force in Iraq.

I'm sorry, but this should be a deal breaker for any serious progressive Democrat. After 5+ years, haven't we had enough of this mess? Regarless of whether we are accomplishing anything in that country, the waste of money, goodwill, reputation, and above all life, should make one pause to think. Honestly, consider whether we want someone running for our half of the country that helped put us in the current international morass. Vote for McCain if that's what you want. Enough war...

2. We want a president, not a politician.

Yes, I'll be the first to admit that the Clinton machine is a magnificent political machine. It is backed almost entirely by large special interests that have a lot riding on this election. When the tide started to turn to the Democrats favor back in 2006, lobbyists began jumping ship from the Republican camp, with hopes of garnering favor with the future Democratic president. At the time the most "electable" candidate was Hillary Clinton, and they have been showering her with money since.

With Obama's campaign rising to prominence only recently, his backing is primarily from the bottom up, and he is less beholden to these corporate lobbyists. Sure, he has some big name backers as well, but I can guarantee you many of them are behind him purely with the intent of upsetting Hillary, and he owes them no favors. Speaking of favors, how many do you think were left un-repayed from Bill's time in office? I'll bet it's a few.

3. Let's surprise the rest of the world.

Yes, yes, America's first female president would be amazing. However, it is much less impressive when this woman has the same last name as a president from 8 years before? Do we really want to go Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton? Who's next, Jeb? The world expects us to elect Hillary. They believe we are predictable and averse to chage. Let's be honest... electing Hillary would not be change. It's a vote for politics as usual. The only thing that changes is the party identification of the person in the White House. That means nothing if that person is just like every other career politician out there.

Also, it's going to blow everyone in the Middle East's, and the rest of the world for that matter, mind if we elect Obama... I'll let another blogger state it more eloquently.

4. McCain would beat Clinton.

Okay, so pollsters have been wrong a lot this year, but I truly do believe this one... McCain has crossover appeal, Clinton does not. Something like 35% of the voting public wouldn't vote for Clinton unless she was running against Osama Bin Laden. I firmly believe Barack Obama can bring independants, and even some Republicans, over to his side.

I hardly believe my opinion matters to my few readers halfway through Super Tuesday, but this is how I feel. Flame on?

It's Superbowl Weekend

2008-02-01T15:38:00.001-07:00

It's official, Phoenix is being invaded by revelers. Not only is the big game going down in Glendale, but Scottsdale is hosting the FBR Open golf tournament this weekend as well.

The most obvious sign of the celebrity invasion is of course the absence of Cristal on the liquor store shelves... I mean, come on, how can I enjoy a football game without a bottle of $350 champagne?

P. Diddy, you've screwed me for the last time!

I'll post a recap on Monday. I can promise you, if I run into Pete Wentz this weekend, I will kick him hard in the nuts...

The long-delayed trip recap...

2008-01-28T08:28:00.001-07:00

Excuse the delay, graduate school has been less than fun this week. Let me inform you that our trip to Utah was a blast. The snow was great and the my birthday was celebrated in style. I learned, upon returning from Puerto Vallarta, that it was illegal to carry more than one liter of alcohol per person in Arizona. What kind of stupid rule is that? What say should the state have if I choose to walk around double-fisting bottles of Jaeger? Despite having a almost a full liquor cabinet locked away in our suitcase, no one was hassled upon our return to the state, so I'm suspecting they are lenient on this law.

I was told by my friend TJ that the resorts we visited on our trip were not the best Utah had to offer, but we didn't notice. Our first couple of days were spent at Powder Mountain. The trails we empty most of the time, and the lift lines were almost nonexistant. I've seen bigger crowds on Mt. Hood on a Tueday afternoon. All this made for a great time exploring.

Recent snow had left everything nice and soft, which assisted me in convincing Kochanie to hit the Black Diamonds with me. It also probably made Juli's first couple days of There's also a section of the mountain that is only accessable through a short, 200-yard hike which I managed to check out once. Juli's boyfriend risked AMS to join me, and for that I thank him.

It snowed heavily Sunday night, and we woke up to a nice layer of 18-inches of fresh snow. So, after packing up all our gear, we headed down to Park City to check out The Canyons. Located right across the street from Olympic Village, this resort is nice. We traded short lines for slow 2-seaters at Powder Mountain for clusterf**ks at the high-speed quads and gondolas. But the snow was great, and the runs were a lot more exciting.

Juli seemed to get the hang of snowboarding, and we even allowed her to join us for a ride down. Not to say we didn't have to wait 5 minutes for every minute of riding for her. At least she didn't run into a tree. Her boyfriend did though, and let's all hope all his ligaments are okay... although the prognosis is not good. At least he managed to pull it off on his last run of the trip. Although, I suppose any time you injure yourself, it's the last run of the trip.

Enjoy the pictures...

I'm going to Sundance!

2008-01-18T13:42:00.001-07:00

Well, not really. That's a bit of a stretch. I'm going snowboarding in Utah the same weekend as the Sundance Film Festival. As I mentioned in my last post, this weekend is my birthday weekend, so ostensibly that is the occasion for the trip. The whole Sundance thing is a bonus.

We're staying quite a bit outside of the SLC/Ogden/Park City area, so I doubt we'll be experiencing the true excitement of the festival. Nevertheless, I'd like to check it out, if only briefly. Since there is only really one participating theater (albeit, a very cool one) nearby, in Ogden, our film selection is limited. One possibility is this little gem, directed by Tom Hanks and starring his son, Colin, and John Malkovich. Could be worth seeing.

Since this is the "premiere" of the movie, we might even run into some celebs, right? Meeting Tom Hanks would be pretty cool, especially if he's got any good secrets to tell me. Maybe if I bring my oversized piano along, we could roll it out and do a duet!

Either way, if I don't run into any celebs at the movie, I suppose if I got booze-up enough and went off on a tirade about "One more year of Bush!", I'd say there's a good chance Sean Penn will show up to add his own incoherent rant.

Yeah, that would be sweet.

Hellooooo 2008!

2008-01-17T08:39:00.001-07:00

Let me wax politic here for a bit...

Like many people (read: democrats) I was very emotionally vested in the 2004 elections. I was tired of watching the current administration make every single effort that it could to pass laws contradictory to my opinions. I was tired of hearing about every coverup, every scandal, every violation of constitutional rights. I imagine I'm not the only one that gets the tight throat and barely-concealed scowl every time I see or hear our president on TV or radio. I could be sitting in a quiet coffee shop, listening to some soothing music in the background, but if Bush's (or Cheney's, Ashcroft's, Rumsfeld, etc. etc.) face showed up on a muted TV, I'd be ready to stand up and shout, or walk out, as offended and disgusted as if they had decided to play beastiality porn instead. Obviously, the feeling was very visceral.

Well, election day rolled around. I was excited. I walked over to my local polling place, two blocks away, to cast my vote at 7:30 in the morning. I then proceeded to go to work and stare at electoral-vote.com all day long. Arriving home that night I was starting to get worried. As Ike and I watched the results pour in on the 65-inch jumbotron, dissapointment set in. Four more years of the same crap: Torture, War, Wiretapping, Anti-scientific rhetoric, Polluting, etc. ad nauseum. It was devestating.

While I should blame it on "youthful indiscretion" and booze, I blame the
birthday debacle of 2005 on G.W. Bush instead.

Slowly, I came to terms with the state of the country. My interest in politics waned and I moved across the country, away from D.C. It was a relief. For a while I felt like I could relax and ignore the news as the country headed down whatever path it liked.

Things have changed since then. The country has gotten tired of the same old bullshit and started to move on. People are are fed up with Bush and the Rupublicans. Democrats control both houses, and it seems like it's going to stay that way, at least for the forseeable future.

I'd be pissed if I was a republican right now. Their presidential "hopefuls" are laughable. Huckabee is an ignorant fool, Romney is a fawning sycophant, Thompson is old and lazy, Giuliani is an immoral bully. McCain is the only one with a chance, and his own people are trying to tank him for stepping out of line a couple times... and being too old. Good luck with that.

This coming Sunday is a very important milestone for America. That day, January 20th, 2008, will mark the beginning of George Bush's last year in office. After those 12 months, there will be no more bungling speeches, no more stupid nicknames... Never again will we ever have to hear that dumb snickering laugh when he jokes about the "haves" and "have-nots". It makes me feel all fuzzy inside.

I don't know what your Sunday plans are this weekend, but if you've got the time for it, celebrate. Go out for a drink, toast with your like-minded friends. If you're feeling brave, hit up the closest nascar/redneck/cowboy joint, saddle on up to the bar, and order yourself a nice, liberal-pinko-hippie drink. House red? Cosmopolitan? Mojito? Then offer a toast to the worst president this country has ever seen... May he spend the next 366 (wohoo, leap year!) enjoying his lame duck-ness until he moseys on down into the sunset, never to leave Crawford, TX again.

Did I mention Sunday is also my (and Ike's) birthday(s)?!? Double fun!

Mission Accomplished

2008-01-15T14:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, okay, I know you are all worried.

Yes, I did run the half marathon, and yes, I did finish it. Despite the burning sun and bouts of stomach sickness, I avoided quitting and achieved the halfway respectable time of 2:16:29, which works out to be about a 10.5 minute mile. I was aiming for 10, but I'll take what I can get.

Kochanie pulled it off in 2:42. While that may not be as fast as my time, I think she deserves more credit than I do. She ran for almost 30 min. longer than I did, and ended up with three blisters on her right foot, each approximately the size of a small dog.

Props also to Leah, not only for being the only out-of-town friend to NOT bitch out, but also for breaking the 2 hour barrier. She barely looked winded when I met her at the finish line.

Once the race was finished, beer, chips and hot tubbing provided much needed relief. All three agreed that a good time was had by all, and getting together for some healthy fun can be just about as exciting as the unhealthy fun. Plans are already forming for the next event.

Anyone up for a trip to Nashville?

Just don't tell me to "break a leg"...

2008-01-11T09:08:00.001-07:00

Well, it's finally here: The weekend of the half marathon. Unfortunately, most of my friends have tried to sobotage the fun of the weekend by bitching out at the very last moment, but I won't let that be a setback. It's not my fault they are teh ghey.

Training for this run has been pretty rigorous when we stuck to it, but lackluster at times as well (ahem, honeymoon). I think we are ready, though. After running almost 10 miles last weekend, I don't see why I couldn't push it another 3 miles or so. God, "another 3 miles or so", that still blows my mind. When my wife and I first started running three months ago, we were heavily winded after a 1.5 mile run. The whole effort seemed hopeless then.

I'm proud of what we have accomplished, but of course I don't want to count my chickens before they hatch, so I'll leave it at that. Sunday morning will be the moment of truth. If things go well, maybe Nashville is next... I'd like to get me some nice participation medals.

On another note: The new Norfbysw flickr pro account is here. Kochanie uploaded a approximately one metric shit ton of photos last week, so go and enjoy.

More posts are forthcoming as well. This has been taking up a lot of my time recently.

My thoughts exactly...

2008-01-09T16:33:00.001-07:00

marriedtothesea.com

So this is the New Year...

2008-01-03T10:29:00.001-07:00

…and I don’t feel any different. The Mrs. and I didn’t quite know what to do for NYE, since all our friends were still out of town, so we followed Tim’s golden rule of drinking: When you don’t know where to go, go to the Irish Pub. I’ll spare you the details of NYE, mostly because I don’t remember much past 12:01, but a good time was had by all.

Before the New Year, we came back from the honeymoon. We had a great time down in Puerto Vallarta, and despite the partly cloudy weather, I managed to turn my usually pale white skin that nice shade of pink/orange I like so much. We went horseback riding through the forests to a waterfall, hiked the jungle to a secluded beach, and drank plenty of tequila related drinks, of course. All in all, it was a much more relaxing trip than our first honeymoon (two weddings means two honeymoons), and the people down there were just great. Hooray for the all-inclusive! As an added bonus, I found out upon arriving back in the U.S. that I might be making another trip down South to Guadalajara in a month or so to conduct some business... cross your fingers!

Now that I'm back to reality, it's time to face up what I've accomplished in 2007 and decide what I'd like to accomplish in the new year. This year was a particularly busy and hectic year for both me and my wife. Our travels spanned seven countries and multiple states, and included visits to both of our families as well as numerous friends. We recieved visits from siblings and friends. We had serious plumbing problems at the house we bought, which we then fixed, while at the same time continuing to remodel it as well. We then turned around and put the house back on the market, a market that has turned out to be one of the worst in years, so that we could move. Phoenix became our new home and we both got new jobs, with which we both are very satisfied. I started grad school. We began training for a 1/2 marathon. We somehow managed to fit in some hiking, biking, snowboarding and camping, as well. Most importantly, we got married... twice!

So, how do you follow a year like that? Kochanie and I both agree that we would like to calm down... just a little bit. Not the travelling or outdoor activities, but essentially we would like to simplify our day-to-day lives. That means more relaxing and less worrying about money, jobs, living - essentially staying in one place for more than a year. So, just for the hell of it, I present to you:

Norf's (hopefully not too ambitious) 2008 resolutions:

- Take the GREs and apply formally to ASU
- Continue successfully in graduate school (4.0 GPA)
- Complete the Rock'n'Roll 1/2 marathon without walking... or pooping myself
- Become a professionally licensed engineer in both Arizona and California
- Travel to Canada, Mexico, Italy and Honduras
- Maintain better correspondence with old friends
- Make new friends
- Drop a pant size

Okay, so that's the list. Talk to me in a year, and I'll let you know how I've done.

Phoenix Observation # 5: Christmas in the Desert

2007-12-21T09:34:00.001-07:00

Moving to the desert seemed dreadful to me for many reasons, but I think there's a few that are just a little more dreadful this time of year.

I knew I was going to miss snow sports. I used to ski a lot when I lived in Canada, but never made it out often (read: 2 times) while I was in high school or college. So, when I moved to the NW, I made a pledge to myself to pick up snowboarding. And I did. I loved it. The wife and I could throw our equipment and drive up to the mountain in about an hour. I even skipped out of work early a couple times to go on weekdays, when the snow was right. Now that's all gone. C'est la vie.

Winter really just sneaks up on you here. It's hot-as-balls, hot-as-balls, hot-as-balls... then BAM! It's colder-than-shit. Where did that come from?!? We recieved a little warning when it rained for 3 days straight, then that's when the cold hit. It's freakishly odd. I also expected the days to be longer in the winter, being this far south, but for some reason they seem just as short as in the NW... I guess in the winter you're always going to, and coming home, from work in the dark. No matter what. That's the way the cookie crumbles.

Alright, what about Christmas? I've never gotten used to the idea of not having a WHITE Christmas. Even in Virginia and Washington, there was a chance of a white Christmas. Not here though. Are you from NoVa? Remember the "blizzard" of '96? That was the first winter I spent in Virginia, and I didn't know what everyone was freaking out about. That was a usual winter for us in Ottawa. My brother and I made over $200 shoveling driveways that first day. Alas, gone for me are the days of the white Christmas. Que sera sera.

Really, all you get for "winter" and "Christmas" in Phoenix is a little rain and weather just cold enough for you to throw on a hoodie. Just wrap lights around your palm trees and cacti and put Santa and his reindeer on your roof... never mind that a sleigh is not an efficient mode of transport in the desert.

So it goes.

Much accomplished

2007-12-19T14:58:00.001-07:00

I started this (second) blog with the idea of actually keeping up with it, and I haven't really done that very well so far. I promise I have good reasons for my absence, along with a few bad ones:

- I took the final exam for my very first graduate school class at ASU, and apparently did great! Final grades were posted late last week, and I somehow managed to get an "A". This is good news, because I have to persuade my employer to pay me back for each class as I pass them and this ensures 100% reimbursement.

- Made a trip up to Pinetop, AZ a few weekends ago. It rained the whole ride up there, and when we arrived it was dark. We woke up the next morning to about an inch of snow, which in Arizona is significant We did some hiking while we were up there, as well as just relaxed. It was a good trip, given the stress of family Thanksgiving.

- I've been charged with redesigning the website of the Phoenix chapter of Engineers without borders. The current website is a bit... inadequate. Stay tuned for some changes. I'm also taking on some responsibility for some fundraising projects that should be pretty time consuming as well.

- Ewa and I bought bikes a while back, and we recently found a nice, chill bar a few blocks away. We've been incrementally testing our ability to bike after enjoying a few pints. Don't worry, we've equipped the cruisers (actual "cruisers", check out Ewa's ride) with lights for nighttime riding.

- I've been playing around with Shelfari, thanks Ike.

- Been runnin'. I ran 7.5 miles this past Sunday.

- Finally, I've set up a Flickr account. Check out pictures from the trip to Pinetop, if you'd like. More pictures once I upgrade to a pro account... Merry Christmas maybe?

-Watched: Futurama: Bender's Big Score - Too much Futurama in too little time. Hot Rod: Mind-numbingly retarded. Superbad - Mind-numbingly hilarious. Beowulf - 3D CGI = Sweet-Jeebus!

So, as you can see, I've been very busy. I didn't even mention holiday parties and christmas shopping! We all get busy this time of year, so I hope you all can cut me a little slack.

Happy Christmas/Hannukah/Kwanzaa, etc.

Ah, to be back in NoVa.

2007-11-30T07:39:00.001-07:00

Coming back to visit brings nostalgic feelings, as one would expect. While Vienna and the surrounding area are constantly changing (What's with all the gigantic houses on Park Street?), it's still the same old, same old as well. Amphora, Vienna Inn, Anita's... they're all still there. I'm also still glad I left.

One thing that was totally new to me this time around was the family situation. Suddenly "staying at my girlfriend's parents' place" turned into "visiting the in-laws". The logistics of the visit hasn't changed, per se, but the familial connection is now different. I'm still getting used to the idea.

All in all it was a nice visit. I didn't accomplish everything on my list, but I got to run the Turkey Trot 5k and eat some chili dogs, so I'll consider it a success. I also got to arrange a rare meeting with my friend the blanktop chronicler, who I thought was either dead or sober. Both thoughts are horrifying.

Oh yeah, did I mention UVA sucks? Go Hokies!

Attention Northern Virginians

2007-11-21T08:18:00.000-07:00

I will be in town for 4 days, and 4 days only. These are the things I'm looking forward to doing:

-Going to at least one party. Bonus if that party has flipcup, quarters or beer pong.
-Playing some cash poker.
-Watching the VT/UVA game with some Hokies.
-Eating some chili dogs at the Vienna Inn.
-Running the Turkey Trot 5k.
-NOT going to TGI Friday's in the toilet bowl building.

If you think you can help me out with any of these things, give me a ring or e-mail here.

See you soon!

"Home is where the heart is."

2007-11-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

If the above statement is true... then I am currently a transient.

Since graduating from college, I've changed my physical address five different times. I haven't lived anywhere longer than a year since my junior year of college, and if you count college dorms and apartments, then I have lived EIGHTEEN different places during my 26 year long life. Granted, eight of those residences can be attributed to college and summer transitions, but the fact still remains that that is a hell of a lot of places!

Now that the holiday season is upon us, I am once again forced to confront the fact that I don't have a place to call home. In the past six years since my mother passed away, I have spent Christmas Day in five different places. Maine, Scotland, Ottawa, Falls Church, and Warsaw. I haven't decorated a tree or strung up lights in forever.

My father has moved away from Northern Virginia, and I now have even less of a bind to the last real place I could call home. Ewa's family is there, my high school and college friends often end up there on holidays, but I can't use the term "going home" anymore.

Now that I'm married and "settling down", I'd really like to establish where my "heart" is... and maybe Phoenix is that place. I'd be lying if I said that doesn't weird me out. We're here at least until I finish getting my MS and Ewa establishes her teaching career, so we might as well start growing some roots.

That being said, where will we be on December 25th, 2007?

Purto Vallarta, Mexico.

Maybe next year then.

I just kept on runnin'...

2007-11-15T10:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, that's us up front!

Well, this past weekend marked my first attempt at an organized running event.

Sunday morning, Ewa and I headed out to Tempe for the New Times 10k event. Although not ready to run the 10k run, we were registered for the 5k event. It was a tough run, but I think we put up a good showing. Ewa managed 18th out of 36 women in her age bracket (20-24), making her exactly average. I pulled off a 14th out of 31 men in my age bracket (25-29), making me just slightly better than mediocre. Hooray for us.

We're both really satisfied with our results. I don't think an average of an 8 minute mile is too bad for a first time runner. We've been running about 3-4 times a week now, adding a half a mile each week. Right now we're at 3 mile runs. Unfortunately, this isn't going to prepare us in time for the 13.1 mile half-marathon so we've got to bump it up a notch.

So, from here on out we will continue running 3 times a week with adding the 0.5 miles each week. However, we'll also begin running an "endurance run" every Sunday adding a mile each time. This means 4 miles this weekend, 5 miles the next, etc. This should bring us up to speed by mid January, as long as we don't kill ourselves in the meantime.

Wish us luck!

"The mummy is drunk, and he likes to $%^&!"

2007-10-26T13:28:00.001-07:00

It just ocurred to me that this weekend is in fact Halloween weekend. I'm sure many of you will be going to costume parties. I know I will, once I get my outfit together. Unfortunately, the days are gone when I could just pull a ski mask over my head and call myself a terrorist. That's just not PC nowadays. I'm sure whatever I pick will be infinately better than Neil's costume.

Either way, when you are at a halloween party there is a good chance you will be subjected to the classic party tune "Monster Mash". Everyone knows this song, and almost everyone over the age of 8 is sick of it. Did you know however, that there is a whole history of Monster Party songs?

Let Dr. Retarded get you up to speed.

On another note: By now, I'm sure everyone know's that Dumbledore is gay. Does this seem relevant to anyone? I mean, for someone who doesn't really have much of a sexual presence in the book (thank God!), wouldn't his orientation be a moot point?

Now, Hagrid is a different story... He'd be quite the bear.

Things never happen just how you expect them to...

2007-10-25T08:41:00.000-07:00

How did/do you expect to meet the love of your life? As a guy, I didn't waste a lot of time on this. You know, "que sera, sera". But, I do know for a fact that women spend a lot of time thinking about this.

If you'll believe Hollywood, it could happen anywhere... Maybe at your parent's Greek restaurant. How about on a nationally syndicated radio show? Even a down-on-her-luck whore can get hired by a compassionate businessman. Maybe a 19th century duke just time travelled to the present to fall in love with you. You never know, right?

I've come to realize recently though, through a completely un-scientific survey of my engaged or married friends, that there is one single tie that binds... Alcohol. Every single couple, except for one, has met at a party or a bar, while under the influence. The one excepted couple met when they both worked at the same bar... Overachievers.

Maybe we all drink too much... but the fact that good old fashioned social lubricant is responsible for so many happy, usually sober, long-term relationships has to stand for something.

If you are part of one of these happy couples, I suggest you take some time to remember it this weekend... While you are out drinking, of course. Try to remember what exactly you were drinking at the time you both met, and order a couple up for you and your significant other.

To those who just got married, and those who just got engaged: Welcome to the club!

Take that, eHarmony!

Recap: Unexplained Absence

2007-10-24T08:03:00.000-07:00

Been missin' a while, sorry. Since we last spoke, I've been to a friend's wedding in South Carolina (highlight: plantation houses, southern food, "grrrr!", etc.), watched the Diamondbacks lose their Mojo (highlight: my wife actually being interested in a sport) and spent a little too much time working downtown in the middle of the night (highlight: riding shotgun in a speeding truck with a uniformed member of Phoenix's finest, while watching Harold & Kumar on the onboard video and debating the merits of White Castle v. Krystal Burger).

Well, I'm back and ready to get back to informing people.

Life in Phoenix has done nothing but improve since my last post. The weather has cooled down significantly, we've made some friends, and I haven't missed a single Heroes episode since I first complained about the time zone. It does seem to be getting a bit windy though, and I wonder if that portends an impending dust storm. I hope so. I think that would be kind of cool.

My sweet Kochanie ("Ko-han-yea") and I have begun training for the P.F. Chang's Rock 'n' Roll half-marathon here in Phoenix. This will be quite the daunting task, since my current running fitness puts me at a max of about 3.5 miles. That's pretty far from 13.1 miles I need to be able to run by then, but we plan to warm up by running the Run for Innocence 5k in November and the Trot for Tots 10k in December. Anyone whos' interested in running any of these events with us is welcome to come on out here, we can put a few people up at our place. I know we already have a few takers for the half-marathon.

Anyway, I have to get to work. Stay tuned this week for some new Phoenix observations, as well as a link to my new Flickr site.

Keep Your Opinons At Home

2007-10-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Take a look at this story.

I was stuck in a car with a co-worker of mine yesterday when he decided to bring it up. I was told that flying the Mexican flag over the American flag was not only illegal (true), but an act of war (untrue). Never mind that a mexican diner doesn't have an army and isn't considered an embassy of the Mexican government. I just kept my responses to a neutral minimum.

Seriously, what do you do in a situation like that? Why is it that every time I have to share a car ride with a co-worker, it's all of a sudden time for them to pipe up on their opinions? Other than the Mexican flag story, I've had to listen to opinions on the Clintons, gay marriage and the Iraq war as well. I always stay quiet in these situations. If I cared to hear someone's opinion on political issues, maybe I'd go out with them for some drinks after work. Otherwise, I'm not interested in discussing these things with them or trying to change their close-minded opinions. It would just breed hostility in the office.

Immigration is an issue that really bothers me though, because everyone seems to have an opinion on it, and it's usually based on some shallow stereotype. I don't know how many times I've had to hear that 'why do I have to press 1 for english?' remark. Until you stop buying your Faded Glory jeans from Walmart for Indonesian sweatshop prices, I don't want to hear your opinion on globalization or immigration.

If your job is at risk of being taken by an foreigner that does your job for cheaper than you do (whether in America or not), maybe you ought to look into a new line of work.

Phoenix Observation # 4: What time zone are we in?

2007-10-03T13:54:00.000-07:00

Yep, this week is a twofer... I missed an observation a couple weeks, so I'm going to make it up.

In what time zone is Phoenix?

A map of the United States puts Arizona in the Mountain Time Zone, but don't let that fool you. Apparently Arizona does not observe Daylight Saving Time, and that's really messing with me.

First of all, that means that at the moment our clocks are set to the same time as anyone in the Pacific Time Zone. Great, that means that we didn't have to change our watches when we moved down here, and we won't have to for the rest of the time that we are. That's where the fun ends though, because this has complicated my life in other ways:

-When are my shows on? Okay, so I understand that we are technically on MST, but how does that affect television schedules? We don't have cable, and as a consequence we don't have a DVR anymore. We get all the major channels through HD broadcasting (including JCTV!) which is great, but it means we have to watch shows when they are actually on (gasp!).

So, if a show is supposed to be on at 8 pm PST and 7 pm MST, what time is it on in Phoenix? My guess would be either 6 pm (if the channel is from a MST station) or 8 pm (if the channel is from a PST station). Both answers are wrong - The show will be on at 7 pm Phoenix time. This has messed with me already.

I almost missed Heroes on Monday... and I DID miss The Office yesterday. Primetime doesn't start until 8 anyway, assholes!

-Last year I bought an analog atomic clock at Target. You can ask my wife how excited I was about the thing. Mount it on the wall facing Fort Collins, CO and the thing sets itself. Just watch the hands spin around to the precise time. I love it! Unfortunately for me, the one thing I was most thrilled about, watching the the clock adjust for DST automatically, has been foiled every year since I bought it.

Remember the Comprehensive Energy Bill of 2007? One of the useless things this bloated gift to the oil companies did accomplish was to change the official beginning and end of DST, beginning this year. Apparently they didn't notify Fort Collins in time, so my clock didn't adjust 2 weeks earlier this year, like it was supposed to.

My solution was to adjust the time zone manually on the back of the clock, to trick it into thinking we lived in the Mountain Time Zone. This worked great for the two extra weeks, but when the atomic clock adjusted for real, it messed me up. Luckily it was a weekend, but I did sleep through my chance to buy fresh fruit at the farmer's market that weekend. Oh yeah, and I guess I missed Church as well. Sorry Jesus!

Now that we are here in AZ, I'll have to manually adjust the time zone again to deal with the lack of DST. Government laws are messing my chance to enjoy my geeky gadgets. Damn the man!

Apparently, Arizona gets enough sun to not merit Daylight Saving Time. While the concept of DST is rather silly anyway, shouldn't the whole country have to follow the same system? At least in the interest of preventing confusion?

Just sayin'.

Phoenix Observation # 3: Don't Drink the Water

2007-10-03T13:39:00.001-07:00

Seriously, don't drink the stuff. It tastes like shit.

Phoenix likes to move water around by canal, instead of pipes, so I'm sure that has something to do with it. I'm gonna guess it has to do with continually recycling what little water there is here as well. Either way, in the end it comes out my tap tasting like poo.

When I wash my dishes in the sink or dishwasher, they get a nasty white film on them, like even the rinse water is dirty. Glasses need to be polished before serving something in them, lest I be considered low class.

I'm anti bottled water, because it's a huge waste. Just as Robert Redford, or the Governator. Most people here have some sort of filter built on to their pipes to deal with the mess. I live in an apartment at the moment though, so I don't plan to mess with the pipes. For now the Brita pitcher will have to do. Don't try the filter that fits on the tap too, 'cuz the water comes out wayyy to slow for anyone to tolerate.

Just steer clear of the tap water. It tastes like chode and comes out warm no matter what temperature you have it set at.

Like Confusing 411 with 911

2007-09-28T07:14:00.000-07:00

I don't have many friends out there that can speak french, let alone enough to understand rap. If they could though, I'd be sending them all this video.

Apparently, the French number for directory assistance became 118 in 2005. A publicity campaign promoting the number in France crossed the national borders into Switzerland, where 118 is the emergency number for the Fire Department. This confusion caused the Swiss dispatchers to be flooded with phone calls for directory assistance. Finally, frustrated with the phone lines being tied up with ignorant callers, a group of Geneva firefighters got together to make the video.

If you know French, but can't understand these guys, get the lyrics here.

Note: Apparently if you have a problem with an animal weighing more than 10 kg in Switzerland, you should call the fire department.

Phoenix Observation # 2: Not a walking city.

2007-09-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

Forgive my absence. I spent last week in Banff, Alberta on business. More on that later when I get a chance to develop the pictures I took (yes, I had to buy a disposible since I forgot my digital). For now let me bring to you... Phoenix Observation #2.

Phoenix is not a walking city.

At the moment Phoenix is the fastest growing city in the U.S. Just last year, it overtook Philadelphia for the position of 5th largest city in the country. Nowadays we hear a lot about the city in the news, and almost everyone knows someone (ahem... me) who lives either in Phoenix, Tempe or Scottsdale. It's hard then to imagine the Phoenix of 40 years ago, when it had just began to grow, thanks to the construction of so many dams in the area. Phoenix has grown up around the idea of the car, and the booming growth of the past 10 years or so had only served to cement that into the local culture.

As someone who doesn't own a car and prefers to walk most places, this annoys me. Not only are 5-lane roads ugly, but they are dangerous and don't help the situation. Neighborhood are divided this way, and commerce is consolidated to strip malls and big-box retailers.

Luckily, my wife and I were able to find an apartment only blocks from my work, as well as within walking distance of a Trader Joe's, restaurants and bars. Other essentials are also close by: barber shops, blockbuster and even a pitifully small farmer's market. Unfortunately, these kinds of situations are few and far between.

I'll have to give it to Phoenix though, they are trying to change things. A new light rail line, the city's first, is set to be completed in December 2008, and a commuter rail line, to run on existing tracks is apparently in the works. Carsharing ( i.e. Flexcar), something I'm particularly interested in, has just been implemented at ASU in Tempe and hopefully will expand around the valley.

For now, I'll have to make due with the current situation. If the light rail picks up and people start reacting to the current state of affairs, maybe I can bring myself to start liking this place.

Note: The weather here has cooled down considerably since I wrote that first post (only one week ago). All of a sudden we've been able to turn off the A/C and start sleeping with the sliding door in our bedroom wide open. I believe this city is trying to charm me.

Phoenix Observation # 1: It's Hot.

2007-09-14T08:31:00.000-07:00

Let me get the obvious observation out of the way: The heat in Phoenix is friggin' ridiculous! Let me suggest some fun things you can do in the heat:

1. Have a credit card melt sitting in the cupholder of the car.

2. Burn yourself touching the damn metal piece of the seat belt.

3. Realize you are sweating once you step indoors, because the heat was evaporating all your sweat outdoors.

4. See someone's second degree burns from leaning on something black that had been sitting in the sun.

I've managed to avoid serious sunburn so far, using a combination of sunscreen and staying the fuck inside. It'll happen eventually, I'm sure, but I plan on putting that off as long as possible.

Something good about the weather here is waking up in the morning. I roll out of bed, look out the windows, and I already know what I'm going to see. It's sunny and hot; palm trees and cacti are all around. I'm sure that'll get monotonous after a while, like rain in the Northwest, but for the moment it feels like vacation every day.

I can live with that.

We're here!

2007-09-10T08:30:00.001-07:00

So we made it. My polish princess and I have actually been in Phoenix for about a month now, and we are finally starting to get settled in. We've already had 2 out of town visitors already! Let me get you up to speed:

This is what a wedding in Poland looks like:

This is what a wedding in Vegas looks like:

Okay, consider your self updated.

Since I'm just a Phoenix n00b, I'm still forming my opinion of the city. Phoenix is an odd city and just like any, there are pro's and cons to living here.

Look forward to my ruminations on Phoenix-life.

Turning over a new palm frond...

2007-06-27T15:03:00.000-07:00

If you had asked me 6 months ago where I planned to be by August of this year, I couldn't have answered you. By nature I am a restless person and this is a feeling I usually relish. Not this time, however.

At the time I was bitterly frustrated with my job (I would still be, had Friday not been my last day) and courting an opportunity to work in Frankfurt, Germany. Those of you who know me, you know that this would be a pretty exciting prospect for me. Alas, 'twas not to be so.

See, my impending marriage has left me rather confused of late. Not because I doubt my decision; I look forward to the day that I wed my beautiful Polish princess. Rather, the problem lay in the logistics of the situation. Switching jobs at the time was out of the question. A wedding overseas does requires a lot more vacation than any employer would have been willing to give me. The Frankfurt employer was willing to work with me on this, but my fiance does not speak German very well, and there were not many jobs for non-German speakers in her field (elementary education). Time came for us to consider other options...

Trolling the local job fairs, my fiance came across some school boards in Phoenix, most of them offering generous benefits. I was pretty hesitant from the get go. "It's hot in Phoenix, you know!" "Denver looks pretty nice, right?!?" Most of what I've heard of the city is bad, and almost everyone I spoke to about it was doubtful that I would like it. I had to give it a chance though... for her.

Well, a couple months, a short weekend trip and two job offers later, things are looking up. Soon we will be living off two incomes instead of one and half. I will be walking to work, and in August I will begin classes in pursuit of my MS. Oh yeah, and I discovered Phoenix ain't so bad after all.

Best of all, this job switch and move will afford me to be unemployed for the first time since college graduation, and for a month and a half to boot! Some of the fun we have planned:

-Up to Seattle to see my brother.
-Off to Warsaw to get married, of course!
-Krakow and Zakopane for a honeymoon of sorts.
-Dublin for some good ol' Irish fun.
-Vegas for our "official" wedding

The trip will conclude with our eventual arrival in Phoenix, where we will be able to enjoy our new life together, starting with a clean slate, both career- and lifestyle-wise. I couldn't be happier with the way things are going in my life right now.

Things are definately looking up.

P.S. Anyone want to buy a house in Vancouver, WA?