good morning to you and yours!  i do hope the weekend is treating you well!

i am sitting on the couch, i have the sliding glass door open, and i am listening to the birds singing.  it is about 60 degrees out already, so you know it is going to be a good day!  my brother and i are going to be heading out to hit the links shortly, so bring on the sins (i.e. foul language, beer, and cigars). 

the week went pretty well, so let's start at the beginning.  sunday we went for a hike before the superbowl.  it was gruelling.  10 miles long, picked up over 2600' of elevation over less than a mile.  here is my favorite picture from it:

i tell ya, some of the sights you see make the hike worth every painful step.  i honestly thought i was going to die on more than one occasion.  and i used to think i was in decent shape.  now. . .not so much.  i made it through, however, and i was not in the worst condition after the march.  i think i need to get myself on a stair stepper to better prepare for this kind of activity.

on other news for this week, i got to play instructor.  i taught our software to some new clients tu/we/th.  i'm not big on teaching. . .but i think it went ok.  every day before going in i decided to make the most of it.  the topic was extremely boring (computer software. . .i mean. . .come on).  but i know everyone in that class walked out with more knowledge than when they came in.

anyway, besides playing some golf, this weekend is going to be one made up of doing a lot of cleaning up. . .as i have a guest coming to town from back home, and i am rather excited.

enjoy your weekend. . .and i will be catching up to y'all soon!!!

good evening!

i just wanted to drop in, say hello, and that i am missing my mother ocean.  it has been too long since i have seen her.  hmmmm. . .maybe saturday afternoon.  who knows.

so, i have always wanted to be a hiker.  in my humble opinion, there is only one thing more beautiful than seeing nature.  and that is the sky.  i suppose it is nature too, but it is visible regardless of where you are. . .you never have to go hunting for it.  nature, on the other hand can be tougher nut to crack. 

this past weekend i went with my bro, his chick, and her friend on a hike here in southern cal.  i. . .still. . .ache.  not where you'd expect it (where everyone else hurts - you know, heels, calves, knees) not me though.  the muscles in and around my hips are killing me.  it was uphill for over 4.5 miles (about a two thousand foot incline - yes 2000') and then back downhill the same way.  this was the second hike i have been on since i've been out here and am looking forward to doing many, many more!  here are a couple of pics for you:

(above - if you can make out the buildings in the background, that is orange county.)

according to everyone i was hiking with, it is unusually green in these hills.  well, they call them hills, i call them freaking mountains, since i am still fresh from the flat farm fields of ohio (say that 10 times fast).

anywho, i am tired, as i think i have caught a cold or something. . .so the body is fighting it off.  i'm oot.

i am, however, going to be making another hike this sunday before the superbowl.  this one has a higher, shorter incline and a longer decline (2600' feet up) so i'll be good and sore next week.

i will catch up with you shortly!!

so i have been taking a lot more pictures of late, as you may have noticed.  i am thinking about either a.)  keeping my camera in the car  or b.) getting a second one to keep in the car.  (i have had two cameras stolen from my vehicles.)

i am kicking myself because i missed another beautiful shot today.  i was driving home from a little self abuse (aka the gym), and the sun was setting.  it was casting direct light onto the hills and creating some amazing shadows.

i love the scenary here.  and i still haven't even scratched the surface of what is to be seen.

i am looking forward to seeing the season premier of grey's anatomy.

with the patriots losing this weekend to the officials. . .i mean denver, i am rooting for carolina to win it all.

i pulled another drunk e-mail last night.  forget drunk dialing man.  it is for the birds.  why not make it a permanent electronic record?

i had a decent weekend.  played poker friday and saturday night and made the gym both sat and sun.  no hangovers (big plus) but little sleep (medium minus).

i'm oot. . .but i'll catch up to y'all very soon!

so. . .i went down to see mother ocean today.  she was angry.  it was beautiful.

i took this one from the pier in huntington beach.  that is about a 5 footer.

happy new year, everyone!!  welcome to 2006, and congratulations for making it!

let's see. . .where are we.

• moved into the condo (now 5 miles from work - was 40)
• have blazing dsl (3MB/S download)
• satellite tv will be installed tomorrow (1/3)
• have been employed for four months now and doing pretty well - due for 90 day review anytime now
• had a friend from ohio visit last week
• had a good time
• celebrated new years at the orange county fair grounds
• saw joan jett, berlin, and sugar ray in concert at above
• it is the beginning of the rainy season in southern california  (high winds and rain currently)
• the buckeyes are due to play soon
• have i mentioned the fact that i am truly blessed with my family?
• still planning on going snow shoing this winter on a mountain by palm springs
• note to self:  call Mama to have her send me my winter jacket

well, the game will be starting soon, so i've gotta be running.  i'll catch up to you soon!