So this is the New Year...

…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

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

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.

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

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."

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'...

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!