Posts Under "Adventures":
March 14, 2009
Late last month, Debbie and I took a trip to New York City. As she had friends in town for Valentine's Day, we headed up the next weekend.
We spent two full days in the city, visiting Central Park, the Seinfeld Restaurant, walking around the East and West Village, having positively the best brunch ever at the Grand Tribeca Hotel, and seeing Wall Street. We saw a great Improv show (that cost no more than $20 total to boot!) and took in the sights and sounds of the city.
Here are some pictures from our trip to the Big Apple. Continue Reading...
9:09 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Adventures
January 16, 2009
For the more curious, some basic information: Debbie is a civil engineer, she's my age (some 11 days older actually), lives within 15 miles of myself, and shares many of my interests (music, art, the monuments, road trips). As I'll probably begin mentioning Debbie with increasing frequency (as we do things together), the introduction seems very appropriate.
Needless to say, I'm excited about the relationship, and I'm sure to be blogging about the exciting things that we see and do together over the coming months!
12:47 pm | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Friends
January 1, 2009
What would life look like if you took one photograph each day for a year and then reviewed them all at the end of the year? That's exactly what one guy did, and he called it Project365.
Imagine: watching your tastes, your home, your friends, your romantic interests, and your appearance change over an entire year. In photographic evidence.
I think it's a neat idea and I invite you to join in watching me do it. I've created a photo album up there under Photo Albums and I'll be uploading pictures every one to three days (but one picture per day!) Let's see where we are on December 31, 2009!
Updated at 1/6/2009 @ 1:23 pm
11:40 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Adventures
December 27, 2008
Christmas was a blast - we even got some white, in the form of a Christmas Day thunderstorm (complete with hail). Most of the items I received were flat enough to stuff into bags and carry on the plane, but a crock pot should await my return home.
The prime rib was fantastic, and the long visit with my sister - someone I hadn't seen in some seven years - was great. All in all, a wonderful holiday with friends and family.
1:51 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Holidays
December 20, 2008
Yesterday morning I flew back to California for the Christmas holiday. I took a direct flight from Dulles to San Francisco on Virgin America, where I flew on a First Class upgrade. Though the flight was slightly delayed due to being overbooked and too heavy (some bags were even left behind), flying First Class was the best experience with flight I've had. And who can complain about a dedicated security line, a dedicated check in line, and a nicer lounge chair than I have in my living room? Certainly not I. And, being direct, I missed the mess in the Midwest.
My mother picked me up along with my brother, and we headed up to San Francisco where we visited Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Crate & Barrel, Apple, and other stores downtown. We finished the day off with a great dinner at the rooftop Cheesecake Factory, which is on top of Macy's. There we had outdoor seating (something you can only do in California in December!) and a wonderful view of Union Square Park.
Tomorrow we have a Christmas party planned, followed by a week of shopping and celebrating. I've bought my train tickets for when I head back home, and I'm looking forward to a great vacation. For those I'll see tomorrow I look forward to it; the rest of you I will see soon!
6:11 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Holidays, Travel
November 30, 2008
I started the month in New York City, and ended it with a fantastic Thanksgiving meal surrounded by great friends. November is always a great month, with it's long holiday, the change in the seasons, but the absence of the December pressure cooker.
The most unique thing about New York is just the sheer size of it. The buildings are enormous, the people walk faster, and the city seems to exist independent any particular person. People have lived in this area since the 1600's; the city was there long before you and will be there long after. It's just the way it is; it's not personal. Each city has a personality, and the personality of New York seems to be indifference.
For those still traveling, have a safe return trip home, and I'll see everyone in three short weeks for Christmas. It's almost upon us!
10:13 am | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Holidays
November 22, 2008
Though DC's public transportation system is fantastic, it does have some shortcomings, especially if you want to get beyond the beltway and explore. With that in mind, I wanted to find a car that was sporty but not useless for errands, and I think I've found that in this one.
The car had 22 miles on it at the dealership, and I've expanded that to 240 miles or so. Though I won't drive much during the weeks, I'll probably add miles during the weekends (I estimated about 1,000 miles a month at most).
So expect me to color in more of the states on my travels page...starting with today's adventure to West Virginia.
5:28 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Adventures
November 1, 2008
From the headline everyone should have guessed that I'm spending the weekend in New York, New York. Indeed I am. I'm roughly halfway through my trip, so here are the details of what I've done so far...
The morning started with a 4:30 am wakeup, and a trip to Union Station for an early train into the city. It was a sold-out train, which isn't quite like a sold-out airplane, but was certainly encouraging for passenger rail. I got into the city around 9:50 am, and immediately headed to the Empire State Building (to be fair it was also the first thing I saw upon emerging from the train station).
After a trip to the top, I headed over to Madison Square Park (not to be confused with Madison Square Gardens) where I enjoyed some of the fine food at the Shake Shack located in the park. The food was *exceptional* - even better than In N Out, perhaps.
After that, I headed to Union Square Park, about a mile away and then to my hotel to check in. Grabbed a shower and laid down for a minute, which turned into two hours (apparently I was tired)! Since Chris Shiflett had recommended a place called Bar Q for dessert, I planned to head to SoHo for dinner and stop by Bar Q. But Maggie Nelson, a friend of mine from PHP Appalachia, had other ideas.
The plan was to have dinner at a restaurant in midtown (SoHo is around 15th St.) so I grabbed a cab back to midtown. But plans changed at the last minute, so I had to get back on the subway and head downtown for dinner at a different restaurant. But, I must say the food was worth it.
After dinner, we headed twenty blocks over to a movie theater where we saw Burn After Reading (which I totally ruined by pointing out all the flaws, since its set in DC). We enjoyed the time, and it was great to see friends in New York and have people to hang out with.
So, what's on tap for tomorrow? Who knows! Tomorrow is the New York Marathon, and I may find a few brunch places that were given to me as good ideas. Then, when I get back to DC I'll post a more through analysis of New York and the trip, along with photos.
For those of you observant enough, you'll see that I've removed the election information from the menu bar and added a link to my travels. I travel often, and here I'll begin putting information about where I go and when. There's also a map to see what states I've visited in any given year. Feature requests are always accepted.
So, I guess all that's left to say is, Live from New York it's Saturday Night! ;-)
Updated at 11/3/2008 @ 11:42 am Corrected spelling errors...never blog after having a drink with friends... ;)
6:01 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Travel
October 30, 2008
It's been a busy last few weeks in Washington, as I've settled into my new job and have been working on a number of smaller side projects. From PHP Appalachia, a small conference in Tennessee, to yesterday's meeting in Silicon Valley, it's been a busy time.
For those not following my professional blog, in the middle of the month I attended PHP Appalachia, a conference of PHP professionals across the east coast. We held it in a lodge in Pidgeon Forge, Tennessee (best known for Dollywood) and we had a great time.
As I've been doing lots of work with Ning (http://www.ning.com/) they invited some of us from The Bivings Group to visit and attend a roundtable for network managers in Palo Alto. It was a great event, with lots of good information, and some high profile people listening to our ideas. I wouldn't be surprised if a number of new features get baked into future releases, since the point of the meeting was to gain our input. In fact, Ning likes the work that The Bivings Group is doing so much that the network we manage has been turned into a framed screenshot on the wall of their main office.
For those of you keeping track, this will mark my 5th trip to California this year; I will make my sixth (and final) trip December 19th, where I'll be until the 29th. For those I'll see, I look forward to it; for those I won't, I hope we'll get a chance to see each other again soon.
11:45 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Adventures
September 21, 2008
I spent the last week at ZendCon in California, and now I'm heading back to Washington to start my new job tomorrow. Should be exciting.
ZendCon was a lot of fun. I had a great time staying with Thomas, and I enjoyed seeing many of you. For those I didn't see, I'll be back at Christmas, and I have the last week of the year off, so that should be enjoyable.
Thanks everyone for a great time, and I'll talk to you all from the East Coast.
12:59 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Travel, zendcon08
July 18, 2008
...and we're back! It was a nice little break and with 20 hours of extra stuff to do this week I was more than a little busy. But, I'm back and blogging again. Some highlights:
- Rebuilding the Server On Wednesday I rebuilt the server that hosts Almost Georgetown. It was in need of some help with regards to virtual hosts. So that's been taken care of.
- Comcast Comcast posted on my blog about my experience with them. Worth a read since it contains information on how to contact them if they treat you badly.
- DC Developers Group I'll be leading the Developer's Group for DC, at least temporarily, in arranging speakers and events.
- War Memorial Movement I'm working with the local preservationists on the DC War Memorial, and we finally have forward movement! Some of them met with a congressional staffer and I've been asked to work on a website. Should be fun!
3:59 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Adventures
May 23, 2008
7:29 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Wilderness
May 19, 2008
So it's Monday, and after a busy and fun weekend I thought I should share the festivities with those of you too far away to participate.
Continue Reading...
12:47 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Washington, DC
May 12, 2008
Anyone who's seen Planes, Trains and Automobiles is familiar with the storyline of the worst trip ever home for Christmas. Thankfully, I've never had an experience quite like that, but today's trip home was certainly, shall we say, "special." From a late flight to a full one, to trains not showing up and crazy cabbies, it was quite an adventure.
Continue Reading...
11:20 pm | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Adventures, California, Taxicabs, Travel
May 10, 2008
I'm home visiting for Mother's Day. I surprised my mom with a visit, along with the aid of her friends. Every time I come I remember why I miss California and also some of the reasons I left...
On Monday I head back to Baltimore, and then DC via train, and back to the grind on Tuesday. For those I have a chance to see while I'm here, I'm glad to visit with you, those I was unable to visit, I'm sorry we didn't connect, and those in DC I look forward to seeing you when I return.
8:47 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Adventures, California
May 4, 2008
If you want a formula for adventure, take 200 college-age individuals, give them blue armbands and a map, and add in 15 or so "chasers" to catch and convert them into more chasers, and send them all out into the city on a race. That was the basic premise of Journey to the End of the Night (www.survivedc.com), a fun, city-wide game of tag that I played last night.
Continue Reading...
2:13 pm | Comment (4) | Print | Categories: Adventures, JOURNEYDC08RUN1
March 20, 2008
I've been here eight months as of today. Thought it was worth mentioning.
6:47 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Washington, DC
February 24, 2008
Anyone who really knows me knows that I used to develop roleplaying games for an international stage. I'm excited because I just finished writing new rules for a new game, and the rules are in review by a couple of old players who I trust. I'm excited about it because I think it's some of the best work that I've ever done - so much so that for those of you geeky enough to enjoy reading about political games I've posted the rules as a PDF for you (after the jump).
It's worth noting that these rules are very rough and do not consider a number of scenarios that I am still thinking about. However, they do encompass the general rule of the game, where players act as leaders of their nations.
And hey, if you read them and want to participate, feel free to let me know! I'm always game for players...
Rules (PDF)
8:40 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Entertainment, Politics
February 20, 2008
Over the weekend I visited home to celebrate my brother's 21st birthday. My mother embargoed the story because it needed to be a surprise, but now that it's over I'm free to write about it.
Continue Reading...
8:06 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Adventures, California, Travel
January 24, 2008
Continue Reading...
4:48 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Washington, DC, Weather
December 23, 2007
Yesterday was spent getting ready for today's party, and Christmas shopping. I got some great gifts for my brother, grandfather, and mother. I think they'll really like them. We also made lasagna, and went grocery shopping. Today is the party, and tomorrow we head to Fremont for Christmas. Can't wait!
5:54 pm | Comment (0) | Print | Categories: Adventures, California, Travel
December 22, 2007
I used my first full day in California to take a trip to San Francisco to visit Ali, and then headed back to Yuba City with Thomas. Ali and I spent most of the day in Emeryville and then the afternoon in San Francisco, where we tried (unsuccessfully due to the line) to ice skate, and then wandered around the Embarcadero.
Since being back I've learned a few things that I wanted to share with everyone... Continue Reading...
11:21 am | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Adventures, California, Travel
November 22, 2007
I spent my first Thanksgiving ever away from home this year, and I thought I would take a moment to recap how it went. Claire and I helped Mike and Debbie's kids make butter using a really neat ice cream ball on Wednesday. Then after coming home, we I made rolls. Here are some pictures.
Continue Reading...
7:50 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Holidays, Washington, DC
November 12, 2007
A photo album of today's adventures can be found here. As you will see, the colors are splendid and I had a great time heading out with Claire to take pictures of the fall foliage. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them!
7:41 pm | Comment (1) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Holidays
November 3, 2007
Yesterday I got new contacts from my optometrist, as well as ordered a new pair of glasses (to wear when I can't/don't want to wear contacts). I'm looking forward to having contacts instead of glasses, which I've had since I was in the 5th grade. Not to mention this will take away one of Ryan's main reasons for making fun of me (not that he doesn't have plenty more...)
9:58 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Adventures, New Glasses
September 8, 2007
One of the most common questions that people asked me when I told them I was moving to Washington, DC was "why are you planning to move there?" They wanted to know why I would pick up and move so far away from my home, the people that I knew, and the places that I loved. My experience on Thursday night at a Georgetown restaurant is the clear example of exactly why I moved here.
Continue Reading...
11:05 am | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Washington, DC
August 29, 2007
This weekend, Claire and I are going up to Harper's Ferry in West Virginia, and then over to Gettysburg in Pennsylvania. It should be a fun experience!
Continue Reading...
4:23 pm | Comment (5) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Friends
August 4, 2007
Well, good news...my clearance came through!
Continue Reading...
11:08 am | Comment (3) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Friends, Jobs, Washington, DC
July 28, 2007
Continue Reading...
3:06 pm | Comment (2) | Print | Categories: Adventures, Wilderness