Mino

The Flip Mino Video is an ultralight, portable, high quality video camera that is about the size of a cell phone. Mino is simple to use and can take good quality videos that I can upload right here. So thanks to my parents, I have Mino and you can see some kick ass videos. iPhone has taken this picture of Mino. iPhone is also jealous of Mino.

Las Vegas

Hot and I ventured out west to Sin City for Thanksgiving. Most people's responses to our telling them our Thanksgiving plans was a dash of shock, sprinkled wth awe. Las Vegas isn't exactly your traditional Thanksgiving getaway. But those same people would swing towards approval once we informed them that Vegas becomes my annual familial round-up locale. I guess it's not as a sinful if you're there with the fam.

There is plenty to do in Las Vegas. Especially if your girlfriend is an olympic medalist speed walker. One day we walked over 11 miles. I complained and she just kept on walking. But thanks to her we did get to experience classic Vegas.

Casinos: With stops at Ceasars Palace, Wynn, Venetian, Mirage, Bellagio, Paris, the glitz can be a bit overwhelming. It's all so ornate and over the top. From the gondolas on the canals at the Venetian to the moving statues in the Forum at Caesars, it's all very intense.

Stratosphere: This is one of the highlights of the trip. Go through one of the lamest casinos on the strip to get to one of the coolest spots on the strip, the top of the Stratosphere. We strapped ourselves into a seat and this thing shot us straight up in the air a couple of times. You go weightless for a couple of seconds and the ride is well worth the $15 we spent on it. The view from the top is incredible.

Cirque: Now when my parents got me tickets to see Cirque de Soleil's Love, I was less than thrilled. However, those Cirque people are incredible. It was a blast, dare I even say balst? I was thoroughly entertained the entire show. If you have never seen Cirque, click on this link to buy tickets now. http://www.cirquedusoleil.com/

Gambling: There are 7 million different ways to lose money in Las Vegas. I think next time I'll just go up to my hotel room, pull out my cash and light it on fire a split second before I drop it in the toilet and flush it.

Family: Not usually a part of the Vegas experience but it was wonderful getting to see some family I don't see very often and spend a few days with Hot.

Greg's Temporary Desk

So I know you're wondering, who is this Greg character? The more important question, however, is why does Greg have a temporary desk? In no less than 250 words, I will tell you.

When the mantle of Middle Earth was formed nearly 700,000 years ago and he who shall not be named rose from its molten depths in search of forlorn lovers Edward and Bella, there was foretold a prophesy. This prophesy spoke of one desk. One desk to rule them all. Enter Greg. As the son of two wise Elderin Elves, Greg was happy with his permanent desk. It was elbaborately decorated, ornate, and magnificent to view. Townspeople spoke of its opulent furnishings and travelers ventured form far and wide to gaze upon its splendor. It was even rumored that the desk contained, deep within it's mahogany framing, magical healing powers that could restore health to the sickest, or cure even the meanest case of carpal tunnel. And so Greg was happy. Happy until the day the Morlocks rose from the underworld and removed Greg's desk, piece by piece. Greg was powerless to stop them of course and found little solace in a cruel and hostile, desk-stealing world. Greg slipped into a deep depression, wallowing in the mire of his own defeat, mourning the loss of his 'precious'. But all was not lost, for the townspeople built Greg a new desk, a temporary stand-in that would, at the very least, provide for Greg a safe harbor, a respite in the storm that was his search for redemption, for retribution.

Oops

I just realized that the '24' season premier was tonight. My apologies, iPhone will be punished.

3 planes, 2 Italians and 1 psychopath

That pretty much sums up my weekend. And if you weren't there for it, I'm sorry you missed it. But if you want to get a feel for what it was like, watch the season premier of '24' next week.

Also, my iPhone has figured out how to take a picture of itself. One step closer to becoming self-aware. iPhone will be contacting you soon with further instructions.

40 Seconds

Life is funny. I flew about 800 miles, over 4 states, sunup to sundown and was late getting home by 40 seconds. 40 seconds meant that I had to fly to another airport and find a ride home (thanks Hot) because my home airport is under construction and the airport turns into a pumpkin at sunset. Well, maybe not a pumpkin but the place shuts down at official sunset. Really, no exceptions. I was just under 2 miles from touchdown when it shut down. Now you may think that I was a little upset about the whole thing, a day like that coming down to 40 seconds. Not even a little bit. It wasn't too long ago that I wasn't even getting paid to fly. In fact, I was paying other people a lot of money so that I could fly. A year ago, I could only dream to have this kind of "40 second problem". So I hope that I never lose sight of the fact that the problems I have today are problems of progress and luxury. Life is real good.

Those helicopters in the photo are Blackhawks. One followed me into Gainesville this afternoon. Pretty cool.

The t is silent

That's what I learned about mortgage when I purchased my first home 9 days ago.

But what a home! It really is amazing and I recommend that everyone go out and buy a home if you don't already own one. Hot and I found a great little condo in the woods and the price was awesome. So thanks to some really great people (Dave the Realtor and Dennis the Magic Mortgage Man), we are home owners. Here is a picture of Hot in our new place.

Nik and Gina

Congratulations to newly married Nik and Gina. Two of the best people I know and I was honored to be a part of their special day. You guys are awesome!

My Absence

Oh, by the way, you may have noticed that I had not published any new posts in over 6 weeks. I apologize for the interruption in posting, but please accept the following list of scenarios that explain my absence. You may choose any scenario from the following list or feel free to send me one that better explains my sabbatical.

1) I have been spending 23.7 hours a day glued to election coverage which includes but is not limited to political blogs, cable news and my left-wing friend Ralph who really believes that America needs change. Hot has supplied me with microwave egg rolls and Red Bull.

2) I was tapped by Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson to manage the multi-billion dollar bailout package approved by congress. However, I was quickly disgraced and sent on my way after telling the Senate to "put it on my credit card."

3) I won the lottery and hired someone to teach me how not to read and write.

4) I have been busy campaigning for Barack Obama at local area Starbucks using buzz phrases like "rock the vote" and "hope for America". I'm not sure I generated much support for Obama but I did receive 6 and a half free lattes and met 3 perky baristas who work part time and still get great benefits.

Fall

As a part of my job, I get to do all sorts of fun things. I usually end up going to southern Florida at least once a week as well as other exotic locales in the Southeast. Places like Lafayette, Georgia (and yes, here in Georgia it's pronounced 'La-fayit), Center, Alabama (which is actually not in the center of Alabama) and Chattanooga, Tennessee (which is a lot of n's, t's and s's to type). This time of year also affords me with an opportunity to see the magic of a season change. I've spent the past 6 autumns in the desert of Arizona (which has exactly 2 trees for every Starbucks) and every day I am amazed at the vibrant colors of fall. I know it's a simple thing but it is absolutely incredible to me. As I get to fly over it daily, I am filled with a sense of wonderment, amazement and gratitude. I love Georgia.

The sky is falling...

Or so we would think. Now it is true that Washington lobbyists spent a lot of time deregulating the interactions between commercial and Wall Street financial institutions which caused lenders to unload billions in bad debt during the housing boom ultimately causing the near collapse of major mortgage holders and other institutions. But the government is stepping in with a proposed 700 billion dollar relief plan. Wow. It just sounds like bad parenting. I've been riveted by the whole thing and glued to the news during my free time. Here are a few tidbits I've learned over the weekend concerning the economy, congress and some family and good friends of mine.

1) Invest in gold. It went up $70 an ounce in one day last week.
2) Congress has a lower approval rating than the Unabomber.
3) Andrew is in Kuwait City, ready to head into a remote Iraqi province. 11 months to go for him. Stay safe brother...
4) Nik and Gina bought their first home which I have not visited yet but I hear is quite awesome. You guys are great. Congrats!

So really, the sky is not falling and the only reason it's getting darker earlier is because fall is here. So stop for a moment today to enjoy how good life really is...

What is a balst?

One of my loyal readers has posted this question in the comments section of one of my posts. According to a very reputable dictionary source, a balst is a "rip-roaring grand time, an entertaining and lively soiree filled with delightful musical score and enchanting company." noun As in 'I had so much fun at the balst last night'.

Be safe Andrew

My brother deployed to the Middle East on Monday. He arrived in Kuwait and will be heading to Iraq within the next month. I am proud and grateful that we have soldiers like him to defend our country.

I love the TSA

I remember the days when you could stroll through a metal detector at your leisure, smile politely at the screener who seemed to miss every 3rd or 4th bag as it rolled through the x-ray machine, and mosey on down to the gate, even if the only thing you wanted to catch was an overpriced BK Bigfish. So today, in our "post 9/11 world", getting on an airline flight is much different. You must practically undress, endure untold amounts of complaining from the screeners themselves (yeah, they seem to have a problem doing their job, at least in Atlanta), and then there's the occasional run-in with a security agent wearing rubber gloves. And everyone's got their own anecdotal stories. My nephew was patted down on his last trip through an airport with his mother. He's 3. But what if you purchase an airline ticket, one way, on the day you're departing? Well then, it's basically assumed that you're a terrorist. Maybe not a terrorist mastermind but definitely a terrorist. I'm not sure what qualifications your average terorist needs to become an actual mastermind but I'll bet it's a lot. Anyway, so here I am, walking up to the security checkpoint and after a thorough, stern-faced looking-over by the TSA screener, I am escorted to a sectioned off area where I'm told to stand on the rubber mat and surrender my belongings. My bag is taken from me and I am then led to a small room in the center of the screening area. The problem is, this small room has walls made of glass and I feel like a fish in an aquarium and people are looking at me. Some even start to tap on the glass but are shooed away by the over-protective aquarium guides. I stand there for a few minutes, looking out of this glass cell, like TSA's prize trophy when finally, another man enters my cell. CAUTION: If you started reading this post from the last sentence, it's not going where you think it's going. I am then patted down thoroughly and led through the metal detector. My bag is subjected to a once-over with a padded, scrub like instrument and then sampled for explosives residue. I am then escorted to another metal-detector looking device that shoots puffs of air all around me, sampling my clothing for explosives residue. By now, I'm convinced that maybe I am some sort of mastermind until the TSA tells me I can collect my belongings and have a good flight. Are you kidding me? I've had pilot flight physicals that are less invasive. So I know you're looking for a moral to this saga and here it is: When reading blog posts, make sure to start from the beginning.

Cross Country

To all of my loyal readers (which I think has topped out at 2), I apologize for the lack of posting as of late. The westerly winds of fate sent me on some interesting adventures these past couple of weeks. Included were stops in Clearwater Florida, Metropolis Illinois, Grand Island Nebraska, Douglas Wyoming, Cheyenne Wyoming, Denver Colorado, and St Josephs Missouri. I also encountered 45 mile per hour winds in Nebraska and endured 11 bags of stale airline peanuts, 3 flight delays and one surly, unapologetic, bordering on instigative supervisor for Frontier Airlines. But it was a balst and I got to traverse the country back and forth a couple of times, flying with a student. We encountered some low-level clouds and weather on our return trip which made the whole thing a bit more interesting but here's a great shot above the clouds at about 9000 feet somewhere over Kansas.

One phone to rule them all

Yes, the prophesy has come true. Melded deep within the earth's inner mantle, the iPhone has surfaced to rule over all phones in middle earth. And I have gotten my grubby little hands on one. Now I will tell you a fable.

Many moons ago, I took Hot to the mall to get her an iPhone. Turns out, this was the first day iPhones (3G version) were on sale. Four cups of coffee, 2 chicken sandwiches, 6.5 trips to the bathroom (combined) and 7.25 hours later, we walked out of the Apple Store with a shiny new 16GB iPhone. Now when I tell people the story, I typically get the same patronizing smirk, complete with some smart-ass comment that they assumed was very original, clever and witty. It was not. But really, it wasn't so bad. We met some pretty neat people and honestly, some real weirdos too, relatively speaking. Anyway, getting to use Hot's iPhone has given me the iPhone bug and today is the day my contract with Verizon expired. They tried to keep me over there at VZW, really pushing me on the Dare, their iPhone knockoff. But it's not even close. The iPhone really is that cool and I only had to wait 10 minutes to get this one.

The only thing I'm a little upset about right now is that the iPhone cannot take a picture of itself.

It also refuses to become self-aware.

Friends

One of the great things about my life is that I have so many cool friends. If I had a myspace page, I would have many photos of them with links to their pages and they would all be a part of my extended network. But I'm just not that cool so you're going to have to take my word for it. So what's my point with all of this? Well, I get to be a part of my friends' lives and laugh a lot with them and watch them grow and go through things and try to be a good friend to them. To put a cap on this heartfelt moment, just wanted to say 'you rock Marb'.

UPDATE:
Tropical Fay is no longer the catastrophic weather event that it was originally forecast to be.

Cheap Pilot Stuff

As some of you are aware, I fly airplanes. Albeit small ones, but they are fun and a few can actually go pretty fast. So to all you pilots out there who are looking for a good place to get a spiffy new pair of David Clarks or want to price Garmin's full color 396, check out a great discount online pilot shop.

www.cheappilotstuff.com

Tell em I sent you

Weather

I love weather. I think it's very interesting which I realize may make me about as cool as William from Beauty and the Geek. But over the weekend, Tropical Storm Fay burst onto the thus far hurricane-less meteorological scene with great fanfare. The Weather Channel, in all their dramatic excitement, unveiled their newest hurricane season musical score complete with fade-in severe weather graphics and concerned commentators. It would not be complete however, without the poncho laden, over-enthusiastic field reporter taking a barrage of wind-swept rain to the face, pointing emphatically at the sea wall and describing in detail how high the storm swell will get. So here comes Fay, sauntering up the Florida coastline. Here is Fay's predicted path, in case you were interested.

Also, as I know you've all been wondering, I am having fun with my new blogging experience. I am feeling very cutting-edge right now. Blogging is so late 2000s. When VH1 does their "I love the 2000s" special in a few years, blogging will be right up there with Hogwarts and Britney.

Welcome

So, this is a little weird, maybe uncomfortable or vulnerable. Somewhat like when you're at the grocery store about to check out and you want to put your groceries on the conveyor belt so that they're ready to go when the clerk finishes with the person in front of you. But alas, there aren't any of those little grocery dividers sitting in their tray underneath the US magazine with Meg Ryan in some risque pose. So what do you do? Who knows the ramifications of putting your groceries on the conveyor belt with no divider. The consequences could be disastrous. I believe that in this instance, you have two options; one is to wait and allow precious minutes to tick by while the clerk waits for you to put your groceries on the belt after the other person is done, or two, build a food based fortification (I suggest perishables only) that clearly signals where your groceries begin. In future posts, I will be discussing available options in dealing with a grocery-dividerless customer who is line behind you. Stay tuned!

Well, now that the introductions are over, welcome to my new and improved blog. New because, well, it's new and improved because this is an improvement over my last blog which actually didn't even exist. I hope you like what you read because if it's here I certainly enjoyed writing it.

I will address any topic I feel needs addressing. However, I feel I should set some ground rules. The following is a list of things we will not be discussing on this blog:
-Outlet Malls
-the Motorola Razr
-Abortion
-Arkansas
-Lifetime Movies
(I reserve the right to modify this list in any way I see fit).

So feel free to leave comments and I'm glad you stopped by!

Oh, just a shout out to my smokin hot girlfriend. She is the coolest and hottest and yes, I love her. Sweet dreams hot.