Speaking of Health Insurance... 29 Jan 2009 5:41 PM (16 years ago)

Probably shouldn't be doing things like this, with or without it...

Jason

Austin

Ryan

we all agreed that this was possibly our most fun day ever on the slopes

the hike up was well worth it...

the view from the top

Fresh untouched powder, hiking, unbelievable views, heart-pounding adrenaline rushing cliff-jumping, and did I mention fresh untouched powder? Sum it up and it was a pretty good day!

Insurance Pays, literally 9 Oct 2008 11:19 AM (16 years ago)

Ambulance... $941.15
Emergency room visit... $445.00
Outpatient services total billed... $46,981.60

Total cost of breaking my arm = $48,367.75
or one of these....

Total I have to pay = $1,624.68

Thanks, insurance.. guess the $240/month is worth it after all.

And you thought this was going to be one of those dumb jokes that ends with.... "priceless!"

Though, the ability to have a functional arm really is quite priceless!

13 Screws and a Steel Plate... 26 Jul 2008 7:44 AM (16 years ago)

I'm going to be able to give someone a serious beat-down with a swift back-handed elbow/tricep to the upper lip... not that I'll do it. But here are the post-op x-rays with all my hardware. Enjoy...

Southern California Spokeperson? 18 Jul 2008 11:00 AM (16 years ago)

My good friend Janine Sides works for America.gov in DC, and is now making videos about American culture for the website. She recently called me up and asked if I could help her do a little spot on surfing in California, which I was more than happy to do... Taylor got some good face time too! As I expected from Janine, she asked me to get a bit cheesy with some of the lines she had me say... but I didn't mind doing it, and I think she did a great job putting it together. She's going to be making big time movies some day, and insists that I should take an acting class so she can use me. Not sure that will happen. But, anyway, here's the result...

AMERICA.GOV SURF VIDEO

And here are a few pics from the day we were filming...

Janine and I in front of ClearWater Glassing

Griffin and I checking out the glass job

freshly glassed... and so pretty

No Pain, No Gain... 16 Jul 2008 10:06 AM (16 years ago)

Here's how it went down (or, how I went down- literally)... it was last Friday night, 7-11, and our crew was stoked for our plans to go out on the yacht - thanks to Jimmy K. The boat was at maximum capacity with about 40 people or so, all looking forward to the night's festivities. We downloaded all of the latest from iTunes, and stocked up on tons of good food so that we could enjoy a long evening of dancing and fun out on the water. Dru and I were especially excited since we planned to do a little wake surfing as the sun was setting (and shark feeding time was beginning). We've done the wake surfing thing a bunch of times before, so this wasn't anything unusual. Below is an example of us wake-surfing on a Saturday back in May, just in case you don't understand the concept:

So you can see that it's pretty basic, not overly dangerous, and quite fun. Anyway, Dru went out first and had a few successful (meaning fun) runs, and then it was my turn. As I started to get going and we approached the optimum speed, I hit a wave that covered up the front of my board and sent me plunging head first into the water. This is where it gets ugly- and if you can't handle gruesome details, you may not want to continue reading...

There was some slack in the rope when I went diving forward into the water and for some reason I didn't let go of the rope right away... so when the boat took up the slack at full speed, the rope snapped up hard, along with my arm - (I must have had a wicked tight grip on that rope for me to have held on that long, or you'd think the rope would've slipped out of my hands..?) At the moment of impact I felt some crazy sensations in my arm- which I've never felt before... one was the complete lack of response from the arm to move, despite my brain sending the signal and the very top portion of my arm moving. But, from about my mid-bicep down, I had no movement and was experiencing extreme pain and lack of feeling at the same time. As I reached over to grab my my left arm with my right hand, I felt bones side by side knocking together, and immediately realized that my arm was totally broken and that I needed to re-align it right then while the pain was all there at once. So, I gritted my teeth and thought of my orthopedic surgeon buddy Christian Heywood from DC whose favorite part of his job is snapping broken bones back into place, and I jerked my arm down into place. That hurt a lot.

Meanwhile, as the boat made its way back to me, my friends started to notice that I wasn't moving. I just sat in the water waiting for the boat to get within earshot of me yelling- "I'm done- my arm is broken - I need help..." As soon as they heard that, Dru and Chris were swan-diving baywatch style off the back of the boat to come to my rescue. They swam me over to the boat where I was hoisted out of the water by Renfro, Chris, Dru and maybe a couple others.

The pain was now setting in even worse, and as I stood there for a brief moment looking down at my arm that was just hanging limp from my left shoulder like a piece of spaghetti, the mental agony began to set in. I sat down quickly and there seemed to be a bit of chaos in how to best handle the situation. Quickly though, the decision was made to race back into the harbor and get me to a hospital. The whole way in was a blur because I was going through different phases of shock... I couldn't hear very well and my vision was pretty off- everything was really fuzzy. I was having a hard time getting warm, and was shaking quite violently at times, though Mekenna and Melissa did a good job of wrapping blankets and towels around me to help fight the shivers off.

Apparently Jimmy, being the good man that he is, was trying to get me to the dock as soon as possible, and in doing so, we picked up a bogey on our way- the harbor patrol. They were not being very cool to us at all, despite having a man on board with a severely broken arm, experiencing the most excruciating pain of his life. So- they followed us all the way back and were hassling us the whole time.

We arrived back at the dock and the plan was for me to jump into Diana's car and have her race me to the hospital, but when I tried to stand up,the pain was too much to bear. So we called the ambulance, and they were there within minutes. The EMT asked me on a 10 scale about the severity of pain... now, I'm not usually one to just throw out the 10 out of 10, because I think you should always leave room for improvement, however, on this occasion I didn't even hesitate to call it a 10 on 10. With that, he stuck the IV in my arm and gave me a quick dose of morphine, "like they do in the old war movies when somebody gets shot and they give the wounded a quick shot to help curb the pain" - that's how he explained what he was doing for me. It worked to the extent that I was able to get on the stretcher with less pain, and then I was quickly transported in an ambulance over to Hoag Hospital, where I took these (despite not feeling too photogenic ha.ha. -periods indicating that I know it wasn't that funny):

The humerus bone should be one clean line from shoulder to elbow, but as you can see, it snapped into three messy pieces. And, today I go into surgery to get a couple plates and screws in there to put it all back together. Hallelujah too, cause this arm has been a real pain in so many ways just hanging as a useless appendage over the last few days.

Because I've been bedridden since Friday, it's been a good time for me to sit back and reflect on life a little, and I have to say I am so lucky and feel so blessed for everything in my life right now. From amazing family and friends to a great employer who are all sincerely concerned for my well-being. I can't thank everyone enough for helping me through a rough week.

Anyway, if you made it through this novel, then I feel your pain, cause it took me a whole lot longer to write it- pecking at the keyboard with only one hand!

In my next post I'm hoping to have the x-rays of my bionic arm with all the hardware... should be interesting...

J-M*N Surfboards 29 Jun 2008 7:31 PM (16 years ago)

The concept is to provide high-quality, customized performance surfboards, uniquely designed to fit each individual's surfing style. Here's how it works... I'll consult with you on an individual basis, and then also with my team of pro-shapers at Clear Water Glassing & Promer Surfboards, to determine the right board dimensions for you. Then, we can talk about the aesthetics of the board. You gotta have something that sets you apart from the rest out in the line-up, and then looks good when it's not in the water. Anyway, you get the picture... custom is the only way to go. Not to mention that you save $200+ off what you'd have to pay retail, because I have no overhead costs!

Here are some of my latest boards...

This baby is fast and funky - the lime stinger

Here she is all waxed up, complete with traction pad and leash, ready to rip

The lime stinger and the chexter - front

and back

retro fish - the fof, with a conceptual jm logo

the rastago

the renfro

The Evolution of a Board 4 May 2008 9:24 PM (16 years ago)

From this...

The Bennett Blank

TO THIS:

Ok, so.. after a little contemplation I decided on a checkerboard design with some cool 80s vibe, though I had no idea it was going to be as much work as it ended up being...

Started by taping it up criss-cross

Then, I cut out every other square, to give it the checkerboard effect...

then comes the paint... by air gun... orange fading into red

Starting to remove the tape...

...getting closer

Peeling off every little square was actually a lot of work...

Then, to the bottom...
I wanted to do a rising sun-type design, and this is how it came out...

After all that work, I was pretty excited to get her out in the water...

...and in case you were wondering, she rides like a dream.

P.S. Now taking custom orders!

Shape Up! 14 Apr 2008 10:59 PM (17 years ago)

Today I shaped my own surfboard for the first time, with the help of my friend Ray Promer at Clear Water Glassing in Newport. It took about 3 hours to shape, and now it's ready for glassing, though I'm trying to figure out whether or not to give it a logo or a paint job. It's in the shape of a retro fish, and I can already tell it's going to be a lot of fun- I can't wait to ride it. This may be the beginning of yet another hobby as if I don't already have enough...

At about step 23, seriously

Sanding her down from nose to tail and rail to rail

Shaving down the stringer

Documenting the specs

Now, I just need a logo.... any ideas?

Utah Powder 5 Feb 2008 9:37 PM (17 years ago)

The greatest snow on earth...

Sometimes you just get lucky. That's the only way I can make sense of the impeccable timing of a strong winter storm that dumped over two feet of fresh powder and then left sunny skies for me on a recent Saturday of Snowboarding at Snowbird. (You like the alliteration there?) It was seriously some of the best snow I've had in years.. probably since I lived in Utah. It's easy to get good powder when you live there, but not when you have to plan your trip in advance and then hope that it's good. Anyway, here is my action shot of the day:

My good buddy Brett Shields enjoying Utah's finest. I told him I am going to posterize this shot.

Here, Colton got a good taste of the powder after a nice little kicker

brothas

The Shields clan and a Maughan

Since my freshman year of college, Snowbird has been one of my favorite resorts, and it did not disappoint this day. The only thing that could have made it any better would have been to have all of the old crew there like back in the days of skipping class when we had a big storm. For any parents reading, let it be known that it was rare that we actually skipped class, but when we did, it was much more productive than being in class. In fact, I recall taking note cards with me to study on the lift during finals week. You can't just not go if the snow is good, even if it's finals..

Anyway, I look forward to the not to distant future when Baird or Shields or Hoyt or Willie or Nels (well..maybe Nels has a couple years) calls me up to say they've booked our heli-skiing trip. I can only imagine what that will be like after getting small but sweet tastes of untouched powder. But to get miles of it.. that will be unreal.

Bottom line... I've got the fever, and I can't get rid of it.

California on fire.. 12 Nov 2007 9:47 PM (17 years ago)

In October, Southern California turned into one big bonfire from Santa Barbara down to the US-Mexico border. Major contributing factors to the extreme fire conditions were the drought conditions in SoCal, really hot weather, and unusually strong Santa Ana winds with gusts reaching 85 mph. Unfortunately, about 1,500 homes were destroyed along with approx. 500,000 acres of land. There was a layer of ash on the cars for a week, and it honestly smelled like a bonfire, no matter where you were outside.

Here's a picture of the Santiago Canyon fire - I took it on the way to work at 6:30am

The sun dipping into an ash-filled sky

The guilty pleasure of this mostly bad situation was the fact that the Santa Ana winds were strong off-shore, which when combined with a good-sized swell, can create ideal surf. So, while California was burning, I headed to the beach for some of the best waves Southern California has seen in a long time.

56th - Newport

Everybody wanted a piece of this one..

There were a ton of waves, but still more guys out then waves. In Southern California the demand always outweighs the supply, especially when it's good.

After 2 hours of heavy paddling, my lungs were burning, and I was totally spent. But it was quite an experience to be out in those epic conditions. Hopefully next time we have these kind of conditions, they won't be accompanied by the fires.

The Huntington Beach Pier at sunset. This was at the end of the week as the smoke was finally clearing out.

Driving Across the Country... 10 Oct 2007 9:31 PM (17 years ago)

When I typed my starting destination (Arlington, VA) and ending destination (Fullerton, CA) into google maps, reality started to set in. 39 hours of driving did not sound like a very pleasant way to spend... well, 39 hours. And to do it alone, seemed like somewhat of a daunting and actually pretty dangerous undertaking- considering I'm prone to extreme drowsiness while driving. In any case, I had to do it, because it was the only way I was going to get a bunch of my stuff and my car to the west coast. I knew I could do it too.. I've actually I've done the cross-country driving thing out to the east coast (though I did have a little special someone at the time, to help with the drive- also, the pit stops were a lot more exciting rather than strictly taking care of business.)

So, I started the drive early Thursday morning (a day and a half later than originally planned) with the intention to be home in California by Saturday so that I could attend the BYU vs. UCLA football game at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. It's actually a really pretty drive going into the west and southern parts of Virginia and Tennessee.

Country roads, somewhere in northwest Virginia

On Thursday I made it to Nashville where I stopped to hang out with a good friend.

some little pub on music row in Nashville

Here's me thinking about the 29 hours I have left to drive...

one more pic before getting back on the road

After hanging in Nashville for a few hours, I got back on the road and made it only a couple hours before I was too tired to drive anymore.. So I stopped at some random little hotel about an hour outside of Memphis to get some sleep. It's an understatement to say the hotel was not the nicest hotel I've every stayed at... I'm talking like, my sheets were dirty! I seriously thought about finding a new hotel, but it was too late and I was too tired, so I got some clean sheets (at least I hope) and went to sleep.

Thursday around noon, I rolled into the Birthplace of Rock 'N' Roll,

Also, home of "The King"

This is Martin. He's a writer, and a pretty friendly guy. He was the first to welcome me to Memphis.

I'm not sure who the stubborn one was here.. but it had to be whoever painted their storefront second. I mean, if my neighbor's store was red, I don't think I'd go with hot pink for mine. And if I moved in next to a place painted hot pink, I think I'd try to pick a color that clashes less, though not many colors would go with hot pink very well. Probably just looking for a little attention... I don't know, but I have to say, I kind of like it.

I guess Memphis is pretty laid back. Here are a bunch of cops hanging out in the street, drinking. I thought this picture was pretty classic actually.. take a close look at the cop's cup. I didn't ask.

Back on the road...

Once I crossed the Mississippi, I had one goal in mind.. and that was to get home as fast as possible.

After stopping in Memphis, I drove for about the next 24 hours straight with stops only for gas or food, or a good photo-op. I had about 29 hours of driving left and about 26 hours till the BYU-UCLA game... so I didn't have time for sleeping or any other nonsense...

The storm is brewing

As I was driving through Oklahoma, I witnessed one of the most amazing thunder and lightning and hail storms I've ever seen. The sky would go from pitch dark, to being almost as bright as day, almost as if the whole world was lit up by a huge camera flash. And, the hail was coming down like millions of buckets of tic-tacs being poured from the sky. It was pretty cool.

This is a pretty good representation of my vision at about 4AM... still trucking. At this point, it was too early to talk with any friends on the east coast, and too late to talk with any friends on the west coast.. So instead, I stopped for a 20 oz Code Red and some sunflower seeds to help me stay awake. I may have had my video camera out as well, to film myself singing Coldplay songs, but I haven't played the video back yet, so I'm not too sure. Anything to stay awake...

My first indication that I made it through the night.. as the sun breaks the morning darkness

Here is the sunrise around 5:30am... somewhere in New Mexico, near the Arizona border

Also somewhere near the New Mexico/Arizona border... I thought these were extinct.. but they seemed alive and well to me

somewhere near Flagstaff, Arizona

Apparently, someone else was trying to pull an all-nighter as well.. luckily it looked like everyone was okay.. except for the trucks.

Approaching Death Valley

And finally, after 38 hours of driving,

home sweet home

A Friday Night.. 30 Sep 2007 9:38 PM (17 years ago)

Sometimes, after a long week on the grind, it's nice to unwind with a little surfing and smores...

Huntington Beach

Lauren was the first to arrive..

The sunset wasn't bad

Tyler started passing out marshmellows

Debbie was pretty eager to get one of those sweet little mellows in her mouth

Debbie, it helps if you keep your eyes open... though it looks like its got the right angle to go down

Hopefully that one goes right in Glade's mouth, cause-he's not moving!

Tyler dodges a bullet, while Kelsey eyes it like she might just pick it out of the air and eat it

Tyler teases Debbie with her 2nd greatest weakness (the first being Glade)

Hole in 1

Enough NYC for me 16 Sep 2007 9:42 PM (17 years ago)

During my time on the east coast, I spent a lot of time in Manhattan. Living in DC, it's only a 3 hr. 45 min. drive (with no traffic), a 3.5 hr train ride, a 45 min. flight, or of course, the 5 hour bus ride from Chinatown. I love New York City and thought I may move there on a couple of occasions, but it never seemed to work out. It probably won't ever at this point seeing as how now I'm loving life in California and probably am here to stay. Though, I do have a general policy of "never say never." I try not to use superlatives. You can't really say you'll "never" do something or try something or live somewhere because you really never know. Obviously, I don't feel this is applicable in all situations. If we are talking about someone's standards or morals, I have no problem with them using superlatives - saying you'll never do this or that.. completely fine with that. But if you were to tell me, you'd never want to live on the East Coast or raise your children in Southern California, that may just be a little close-minded. You don't know what you're missing out on. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'm in California now "to stay" but that doesn't me I'd never leave.

In any case, before leaving the east coast my longing for living in the City needed to be somehow satisfied. So, I decided to spend 7 days there before heading west. It was a solid 7 days of just taking it in. I went to a couple Yankees games, hit up Long Beach (Long Island), did some shopping from Canal St. to 5th Ave., walked the Brooklyn Bridge and saw the sites.. and had about enough of the subway to last a really long time. Especially since my MTA metrocard was semi-defective leaving me one subway behind my friends on most occasions due to the fact I had to slide it at least 10 times before it would work, if it worked at all.

I had a great time and at the end of the seven days was completely spent. The City can energize and drain you simultaneously. I was probably out and about for 15 hours a day the whole time I was there, and at night, oh man- I slept like a baby.. despite Ryan trying to cuddle up to me on a few occasions. He's such a cuddler. My wallet was also spent. Going to New York, is kind of like opening your wallet and putting a wet/dry shop vacuum up to it. It's crazy how much money you'll spend without even realizing it. I still haven't really done the math on how much I spent on this trip- I don't want to know.

Part of that had to do with me buying my new Nikon D80 camera, which I'm pretty excited about. I've always loved photography since I was a kid and took photography 101 in 7th grade. (At the time, I probably mainly took the class because Laura Knapp was taking it, and there was a good possibility that we could end up in the dark room together working on our skills.. at developing photos of course..). But anyway, my pictures that I add to my blog from this point forward should be a notch up in quality I'm hoping. Though this first round from my New York trip isn't going to be all that great since I had no idea how to use the camera yet (still trying to figure it out). Anyway, here's my last week in NYC...

The view of water towers outside of Ryan's bedroom window

The mailman

Dentists in contemplation on the steps of Columbia University

Pinnacle on 115th is money pizza

Blake was manning the kissing booth at Columbia's orientation week

Long Beach, Long Island

Notice that the kid on the left has "Bang!" written on his board, as he's about to ram into a fellow surfer..

Paul D, longboarding in Long Isnland

The Dos

Two dudes, just looking for a game of football

Or, maybe they're looking for something else...

Good luck fellas

Kathy tried to avoid this snapshot, but I got her

small, shallow, and seaweed.. but still kinda fun

This longboarder ducked his head in a mini-barrel and it turned into a pretty cool picture

Rob picturing himself in some week Long Beach surf

Rob

There he is

YANKEE STADIUM, THE BRONX

Yankee Stadium, with Chris and Rob, oh, and Blake was there too, but unfortunately we didn't realize that one of the scalped tickets wasn't anywhere near the other three

2o oz. Sprite, $4.50

Sax player in the Bronx

Times Square

On the Brooklyn Bridge...

Watch out ladies..

Here are our Brooklyn Bridge headshots..

Watch out for the Paparazzi...

Who are those two lovebirds holding hands?

Looks like Megan and Rob.. at the beginning of a "special night"

Natalie Hill.. America's Next Top Model... or just some girl in Grease (the broadway production)

Work it girl

The goal in walking across the bridge... Grimaldi's

The back of the line.. our pizza is another 20 minute wait once we reach the green awning... You'd think you better get some amazing pizza after waiting in a line like this, though I have to say the Pizza might be a bit over-rated. I was starving by the time we ate, so Domino's or Little Ceasars or anything would have tasted amazing..

Inside Grimaldi's

Please be ours!

After an hour and a half of waiting in line, the pizza arrives.

GOT IT!

And after waiting an hour and a half for pizza, we figured why not wait another half hour for an ice cream cone...?

Entertaining ourselves in line

The Menu

(Post first kiss)

I'm going to call this section... "What are we doing?"

Ryan's got it covered...

Shane and Ryan are holding hands

Shane and Ryan in perfect synchronization

and back to the city...

I was taking this picture of cars in motion on the bridge while Shelly was simultaneously taking a picture of Rob and Megan, and this was the outcome...

Subway trouble...

Don't go through the turnstile 3 at a time...

MUG SHOTS:

Underground Breakdancing...

Regulating

TIMES SQUARE

Times Square, what a chaotic yet fascinating place

Check out this photographer taking a picture of this girl.. I guess I'm just as guilty but I had to get this picture

Ryan, just taking care of some business in between games of brick-breaker

H&M, menswear 5th Ave.

aaahhhh Shake Shack!

Kristen and Chris

Baughman Brotherly Love

Shake shack shakes are good.. but what's in it?

Blake looking tipsy off his Oreo shake..

Rob sings Blakey to sleep

Facebook team captain, just doing a check-up before bedtime

Slade and Andrea looking classy at Sushi Dinner

The streets get cleaned.. the morning I took the Train from Penn Station back to Union Station in DC

God bless America. 9/11 - we will never forget.

I hope we can all take a few minutes to remember the innocent lives that were lost on this day 6 years ago.. as well as all of the brave soldiers who have and are currently defending freedom around the world. We owe them a great debt of gratitude.

Here are a few flags flying over our nation's capitol...

From Sunrise to Sunset... 5 Sep 2007 12:04 AM (17 years ago)

My favorite place in DC, WWII monument

I've spent a little over 3 years on the east coast now, and I've grown pretty attached. It's amazing how much I'm going to miss it, when I think about it. First and foremost, I'll miss all the good friends that I've made out here. I love how diverse and interesting my group of friends is. From orthopedic surgeons to professional photographers to computer engineers to government employees to graduate students to ex-speech writers turned entrepreneur/home re-habers. I can always count on being engaged in some kind of interesting conversation or hearing a great story and always laughing a lot whenever we hang out.. whether it's over dinner or a TV show. So, I'm really going to miss my friends. The dance parties, the movie nights, the Sunday dinners, the TV show parties (24, AI, OC, FOC, ETC).

I'm also going to miss the aesthetic beauty of this area. It's my understanding that Virginia and Maryland have laws preventing billboards along the freeways, and it's amazing what a difference it makes. I've always loved driving here because it's so beautiful and green everywhere you go. Of course, in the winter it's not nearly as green, but I'm not sure if I've seen a more beautiful sight than freshly fallen snow on the billions of bare trees and branches being lit up by the orange glow of the morning sunrise. Fall is another time of year that just blows my mind with the beauty of it. With the change of colors on most all of the trees, it seems that if you were to snap a photo in any direction you look, you'd have a picture that would perfectly represent the autumn season. Then, DC is famous for it's springtime beauty, thanks to the cherry blossoms.

I just realized I'm talking a little too much about flowers and nature. In any case, I'm going to miss all the nature out here. I will especially miss the river, and sailing out on the Potomac. Luckily, I'll have another body of water-- the pacific, which should keep me pretty satisfied in that department (which would be..the bodies of water department, I guess?). It's late.

I'm really going to miss the basketball out here. I've played with a couple different city-league teams, and I've enjoyed being the lone white-boy on the team. I'll definitely miss the street ball pick up games, and showing the brothas that some white boys can jump. And, I'll miss my buddy "Radar." (I'm actually not sure what his real name is.. he goes by Radar because "when he shoots, it's like the ball has a radar system in it to find the hoop every time." He is a pretty dang good shooter too, so I've never really questioned it. Radar and I met at the park and we swapped numbers. Since then, we've been playing at different street courts and gyms around the DC metro area for over a year now. He's a regular at our semi-exclusive Monday night hoops at the church, and has become a good friend as well.

Here's a little video clip with commentary from my team and I during the championship game of our Arlington city league...

Janine came to our City League "Championship" (Spring 2005) and took some shots - She's amazing in so many ways (we won it)

Get up white boy!

Finally, I'll miss the architecture of all the buildings out here. From the monuments to the row houses in Georgetown, to the classic Virginia colonial homes, I've really enjoyed seeing all the classic colonial architecture.

The house that the Jeffries brothers built (or signed a lease on over 4 years ago - 2 1/2 yrs. of which I had the pleasure and at times displeasure of living in it)

Virginia charm. I never lived in this house, but just wanted to post a good example of the cuteness and quaintness of the Crystal City neighborhoods (aka little Provo - though I feel the two are worlds apart)

Everyone always talks about how they love where they're from, and how it's the greatest place in the world and so on. I've lived in a lot of different places and I tend to find the many positive things about each place I've lived in. I have a ton of good things to say about DC and living here. It really is a great place to live. There is so much to do and see. It's super picturesque, and so close to other great places like NYC and North Carolina's outer banks. It's a great place to live, and if you don't mind having to get bundled up for a couple months in the winter, and the 3 1/2 drive to the beach, it's really close to unbeatable. Oh, don't forget having to deal with some pretty ridiculously humid days-- where all it takes is two steps outside an un-air-conditioned area and you're immediately starting to feel a layer of perspiration cover every square inch of your body. That sounds pretty dramatic, but there really are days like that. You may need to experience it to believe it.

So.. tomorrow I start my drive across the country. Approximately 2,700 which translates to 39 hours according to both google maps and mapquest. I'm planning on doing it in three days, which gives me 72 hours during which I'll be driving over half of the time. I think I can do it. I may be making a lot of phone calls.. since I will be flying solo. In any case.. I need to get to bed so I have a chance of staying awake. Next time I post, it'll be from where the sun sets.

This post is pretty wordy.. but I have a lot of photos to come.. Especially since I just bought a D80 Nikon that is capable (if the user is knowledgeable enough) of taking some really nice pictures. I bought it in New York City at B&H Photo which was an event in and of itself.. but since the purchase on Thursday, I've taken over 1,000 photos. The best of the best will be in the next post.

Summer Vacation For Everyone! 27 Aug 2007 7:02 AM (17 years ago)

If I were the king of the world, I would grant everyone a summer vacation. Of course- I'd need to plan it properly so that not everyone would take their summer vacation all at once. We'd have to do it in shifts and not everyone can go to the same place either. And, only a certain number of employees from each company can go at once, because we can't be shutting down all our businesses for summer vacation. It's a daunting task actually-- to think about scheduling everyone's summer vacation so that it won't negatively affect our economy and global commerce. But, I guess if I'm king of the world, then I just delegate the task of scheduling everyone's summer vacations to the accountants, economists and human resource people of the world, so that I wouldn't have to worry about it. Also, if someone doesn't like the time frame that they were allotted for their summer vacation, they can't get mad at me. I just granted you the month off! Get mad at the people who scheduled it!

I got to thinking about this nonsense because I'm currently on summer vacation, while between jobs and in the process of moving my life from the east coast to the west.

Last week I was in Utah. My sisters Stef and Jess moved back up there and so the whole family was there just kind of hanging out. Mom helped the girls move into there places while Taylor and I ended up going wakeboarding everyday. We have amazing friends that were all about getting us on the lake, for which we can't be grateful enough.

Here are some pictures from the week...

Proper stretching is an important part of wakeboarding if
you're going to pull sick moves like "air railies" and stuff
(or even if your going to try to jump the wake)

C-boff.. just having a good time.. stay tuned for some upcoming
video clips of C-boff going faky and getting agro on the wake

Ryan taking off back there..
and I'm just enjoying paid vacation

sequence shot

T's got me on the better looking afro

This is after all three of us almost fell over backwards in the water
while trying to pose for the following picture..

Chels, Jenn, and J

Whit and J

Our fun little crew
(chels, ryan, whitney, me, jenn)

A little CPK after a day at the pool/on the lake
(aaron, jenn, chelsea, channing, sharla, j)

Alli slices through the water like a sharp knife through butter...

look at the size of that spray... leave some water in the lake Alli!

Stace might as well fix her hair in the mirror a few feet below her

Stace demos clean lines and big sprays

Slalom is fun, but I prefer a wakeboard

The pro water skiers and I
(Alli, me and Stace)

This was Taylor's first time wakeboarding...
he went from barely getting up to jumping off the wake...
see below

Taylor launches off this one.. and pays the price...
by the end of the week he was almost clearing the wake

Meanwhile.. back at the dorms...

the BYU co-eds in Jessica's perfectly decorated dorm room..
complete with her home-made bedspread and pillow cases-- she's so domestic

I'm explaining to Jess.. "if any guy lays a hand on you..."

the maughan kids

the fellas

the end
(ha ha.. yeah it's not that funny)

but seriously, who took this?

8k Mud Run - Virginia Beach 13 Aug 2007 9:20 PM (17 years ago)

This past weekend a big group of us went down to Virginia Beach and ran the 8K Mud Run-- approx. 5 miles through deep beach sand, water, mud, forests, up and down little hills and around the military base. Probably 60% of the run was on sand and I have to say it was pretty tough. Especially provided the fact that the farthest I really ever run is up and down the basketball court. So, I'm not really in shape for this kind of long distance running. That's probably because I'm not a big fan of long distance running. Though, I have always been kind of curious of the allure these events seems to have to so many people. Since I've never participated in a running event like this, I've always had a hard time understanding why people will actually pay money so they can go run a ridiculous amount of miles, killing themselves on a Saturday, only to be sore for the next couple days. I realize you get a t-shirt and I don't want to belittle the importance of the t-shirt that memorializes the whole experience, but seriously.. I just didn't quite understand the hype. In fact, in my entrepreneurial mind I've over-simplified the whole concept and thought, why don't I call a bunch of people up and invite them over to my house where they can pay me ten bucks, I'll give 'em a t-shirt and they can run a couple miles around my neighborhood. I'll even time them.

Anyway, I really didn't get it, until this past weekend. This was the first "K" event I've ever done... surprising as it may be-- even after spending 5 years in Provo (which seems to be the capital of jogging) I never ran any of the 5Ks or 10Ks and especially not any marathons. So the "Mud Run" was my maiden voyage into the world of competitive amateur running as a hobby. And, despite the fact that I'm still sore, and I won't wear the t-shirt ever again except to do yard work or service projects (of course you have to wear it the day of the event after the race so everyone knows what you just did), I really enjoyed it. I think I'd like to do it again, or maybe even do a longer run- like a 10K or half marathon. This is crazy to hear myself talk like this.. but the competitive nature inside me makes me want to conquer another beast similar to or bigger than this one. Plus, I feel like it's really good for the mind and body to face a challenge that can seem at times like it's too great to overcome... and then when you do overcome the challenge there is a great sense of relief and accomplishment. It's an invigorating and addicting feeling. So, I guess I understand how people can get into these events and why they're willing to pay so they can run in them (even though running is quite free and you can do it almost anywhere you want).

One thing that really made a difference was the many race supporters that were standing along the whole race encouraging everyone along the way. That's something I don't mind paying for actually. Their constant encouragement throughout the race was a boost. I noticed their positive energy helped me to focus on finishing the race and forget about the pain I was feeling in my legs. So, maybe that's what the $40 really pays for. The support team out there to help you finish something you may not be able to have the will power or discipline to do solely on your own. In any case, I think I may be getting into this race craze. I'm not looking up the next one just yet, but I think I'm open to the idea of doing another event of some kind in the not to distant future. We'll see how this recovery process comes along...

Here are some pictures from the weekend and run:

When running a rigorous race like this, it's important to eat right and sleep well the night before... yeah right... I ate way too much at Olive Garden and don't let this picture fool you... we didn't get to bed till like 5AM

I was trying to get to sleep, but pillow fights, people Vin Dieseling people, food fights, dog piles, and people jumping on the beds made it a bit difficult for one to sleep, despite sleep-help devices such as these...

Can you tell we were all a bit loony and delirious? These were the most hyper of the bunch..

Preparing to run on 2 hours sleep... we were feeling pretty good

getting pumped

pre-race parking lot shot

at the starting line..
I thought we were supposed to have our game faces on..

introducing the mud pit.. where the shoes get heavier

the group jockeying for position in the mud pit..

Rob breaks free

Sarah tries to stiff-arm Rob..

Rob shows winning technique.. "high knees"

Sarah escapes Megan's wrath..

Megan was just Vin Dieseled by Blake..
by now, she's gotten used to it

looking at the sand with eyes of disdain

Upon reaching the finish line, we couldn't ditch our shoes fast enough.. Rachel and I were the "couple's team" with matching military camo-arm bands.. (they helped us run so much faster)

After we finished, we saved a load of money on our car insurance...

not really, but we took a pic with the Geico lizard anyway

Blake and I were so excited to be finished with the race we just started doing flips... though I'm not sure how we had the energy to do this...

Leap frog.. I must have been a bit delirious..

Our group minus Blake

Nice work team

LET'S DO IT AGAIN!

the next stop was the beach... it felt so good to lay on the sand that we'd be running on all morning

Treating ourselves to Dairy Queen... we totally deserved it

Knocked out.. after the mud run and a full day at the beach (where we actually got to surf too since Rob and Blake brought the boards and Croatan was going off--for Croatan)... thanks for driving Shelly!

*

A week in California... isn't long enough 1 Aug 2007 9:59 AM (17 years ago)

I love summer. The warm weather, the sun, the long days, vacations, the beach, the people out and about everywhere... Summer has to be the best time of the year. This past week I was spent the whole week at the beach with just a couple short breaks to play basketball and golf. I feel quite blessed that I have so many great opportunities in life, and also for my family and friends.

DAY 1 - SALT CREEK

Salt Creek is a gorgeous beach in southern Orange County set in a cove of Dana Point. It has great waves, fine sand, lots of babes and showers--which are convenient for those who don't love that salty feeling when heading home after a long day of being drenched in saltwater and sun.

Salt Creek may be my favorite beach in Southern California

The view from the Ritz Carlton above the beach

I hope to spend "the first night" here...

Here are a few members of our crew talking about all the fun we're about to have.
Aaron, me, Jimmy and Rachel

I'm asking Aaron if he's excited to get out there... he was

The wait...

The fun begins... trying to get inside this mini barrel

Aaron's first of the day

Rob dog... taking off... he's addicted

soo fun

rippin' Rob

cruisin

hang loose?

get down that line

duck

go get it bro
(a little push never hurts)

he got it

Aaron and I sharing a party wave
(we've shared a lot of things in our lives)

Jimmy and Rachel getting ready to paddle out... maybe

you can't blame him, he has a great view from there

meanwhile, we're just chatting about our future wives

Zachary, our photographer, also an amazing artist..
Go to www.zacharyproctor.com!!

Zach.. "ain't no thang"

the Jeffries

how was it Rob?

Taylor can't get enough, but we finally pulled him out of the water

Day 2 - Newport Beach

Everyone knows about Newport, thanks to Seth, Ryan, Summer, and Marissa...

Here's Sandy Cohen taking a break from his law practice

oh, wait.. no, that's Aaron Renfro! (also a lawyer)

uh.. Rob.. watch out for that dude..

he's got it all under control

Sometimes it's fun to pick a spot on the wave and just launch off, like this...

eying it..

the set-up

up, up and away.. just needs a little more tuck

Rob's checking out some frolicking mermaids

like these ones

I'm seriously considering becoming a lifeguard

Here's a little sequence from Day 2 at Newport...

5

I'm not that strong riding backside... but it's still a blast...

Riding "backside" means that your body is positioned such that the wave is to your back rather than your front. It's a little more difficult to maneuver and turn when riding backside.

Here's another backside sequence...

drop in

hold tight

k, think I got it..

this is fun

uh-oh

gotta pull out

and..

made it

and then we paddle back out... forever in search of the perfect wave

my face says it all.. especially the mouth part (deep thought)

Here are some family shots from the week...

Taylor and Jess... such cuties

seriously

Maughan fam shot 1 (minus 2 in michigan)

me and my girls

Maughan fam shot 2

I'm a little worried about her going to college... I may follow her there to watch out for her!

hang loose brah

and.. it's back to the beach...

the Maughan girls have such pretty eyes and great smiles

sometimes we take a break from the surf

I'm trying to figure out what Taylor is trying to do there...

he found sand in his ears and hair for days

maybe we should keep Taylor in the water

he thinks he'll be taller than me someday

here's our classic surf pose, complete with babes (even though they're our sisters)

set, go!

oh snap!

watch out...

work it girl!

Stef's pose is perfect, but we may need to work on her outfit

they're so supportive of their older bro

and they love hanging out with him

pink blanket, mom's hat and sunglasses... but I promise I like girls (a lot)

Super cute Stef... nevermind the stolen flower

my sistas

dad, my hero

SO, to summarize... California in the summertime is pretty much amazing. I think I'll be going back very soon! ;)

Peg Your Jeans in NYC 19 Jul 2007 11:09 PM (17 years ago)

I went to NYC last weekend and had an excellent time as expected. There are a few things that make New York one of the greatest places in the world, especially in the summer time. If you don't already know.. allow me to explain. First and foremost, you've got the food. Just look at this sandwich.

This is the Chicavo at Lenny's
(go big... add bacon and ask for extra chicken)

Everyone knows or has heard about the food in New York, but every time I go, I'm always kind of in awe of how many quaint, cool little places there are that have just amazingly good food. Not to mention the atmosphere of these street cafes/bistros/restaurants is unparalleled. And then the convenience of having 10 different good options along the span of a couple blocks is just unreal. Despite the quantity of food I eat on a regular basis, I'm a relatively slender guy. But, I guarantee- if I lived in New York within such close proximity to so much good food... I'd be struggling to stay a 34-36 waist. It amazes me that there are so many skinny girls there with the amount of food that constantly surrounds them. Of course if there's anything that would distract a girl from food, it's shoes. (There may be as many shoe stores as there are restaurants.)

And that leads me to my next reason why NY is awesome. The fashion. Don't get me wrong, I'm a man's man.. I prefer sports, cars and motorcycles before even thinking about fashion. But, I am a sucker for a girl with style. And the girls in New York have it. So much style. Even the girls who some would consider average looking or semi-cute anywhere else, are pretty hot in New York. It's like when you see a girl fly past you in like a red convertible.. with big sunglasses on and her hair whipping around in the wind.. you can hardly see her, but you instinctively want to catch up because you're like, oh man.. she was hot! That's the kind of the effect that New York has on girls. The city just makes them look really good. Maybe it's the tough edge they get from living in the somewhat harsh conditions (like.. dealing with taxis honking and sirens ringing all night long, sweating while waiting in the 100+ degree temps in the subway, endless foul odors that will at whim come up and slap you in the face, walking up 6 flights of stairs in the un-air-conditioned apartment building when the elevator breaks down, or the other extreme weather in the winter when it's too cold to really even go outside). But if you're a woman living in New York, you're tough, strong, independent, and downright sexy.

A perfect example of smoking hot girls showing their NYC style
(at Coney Island)

So anyway, to state the obvious, NY is all about fashion. If you want to see the latest trends or what's "hot"... just cruise down to SoHo.. or stroll down the club-filled streets of the meat-packing district on any given night of the week. In the process you'll see a million super attractive women and dudes with great style.

Now, I'd like to address one particular trend that has caught on over this past year, "skinny jeans" aka "pegged leg jeans" (a jean that is completely tapered down to the ankle). They have been in for a while now, but, just this last weekend I saw for the first time since '87, people actually pegging their jeans. I got a picture of this group below.

Pegging in NYC

Here are a few examples of the "skinny jean" at its best...

Ashley, Fergie, Rachel

Christina

Eddie

I'm starting to get off track here. Another reason I love New York is there is a lot of love that's just floating in the air. There are couples everywhere, and it's just a romantic place. I'm not the most romantic person, but I've had what I've felt were a few pretty romantic moments there. In fact, I feel like every time I go, I seem to have a romantic moment, and this past weekend was no exception. It's different than a romantic moment on the beach, or on a ferris wheel, or while watching a sunset.

Of course, there's nothing like romance on the beach either
(Ryan and Abby.. completely oblivious that anyone else is around..)

7/7/07 Good Luck 7 Jul 2007 7:43 AM (17 years ago)

I've been waiting for this day since 2007 started back in January. Originally, my plan was to get married today, since it seems like if luck ever had anything to do with having a successful marriage, what a better day to start that eternal union on then, 7/7/07. Turns out Eva Longoria and Tony Parker thought so too.. as well as thousands and thousands of others. Apparently, back in March, a member of a US wedding planning site said that more than 30,000 weddings were planned for July 7, when in ordinary years only 12,000 couples would choose a Saturday in July for their marriage. And, David's Bridal, the largest US retailer of wedding gowns, says it alone will deliver a record 20,000 gowns for brides for July 7 weddings. That figure is double the peak figure in a normal year, and the company estimates about 65,000 - 70,000 weddings across the country on July 7. I'm starting to feel left out. In Paris this week, one of the city's major department stores, Galeries Lafayette, said it had received 774 wedding lists for 7/7/07, against an average 290 for each of the 13 Saturdays from July to September. So, it's funny, but it seems like when the whole world is faced with some luck, the thing they wish for most is to be lucky in love. So, I'm not getting married today... and I'm feeling pretty good about it. It's a beautiful, hot and sunny day outside (87 degrees right now) and I'm going to go enjoy it.. play some basketball, hit the pool and then maybe go for an evening sail. Btw.. 8/8/08 is the new date.

Sometimes the boat has nice scenery too...
friends Abby, Nichole and Azy

Sick of It 6 Jul 2007 9:32 AM (17 years ago)

So.. I spent Tuesday and Wednesday of this week in my bed knocked out...and Thursday I was still recovering... I watched fireworks from the comfort of my couch. At least the high-def. was nice. New York's was amazing by the way.. it was like 30 minutes long, with what seemed like 10 different finales. But yeah, I was horizontal for like almost 48 hours straight. When I get sick, it hits me so hard, it's seriously ridiculous. Luckily my neighbor and good buddy Tim Cannon is also my doctor (local resident at GW Hospital). He was able to diagnose (strep) and prescribe (Augmentin) for me. Thank heavens for Tim, I'd probably still be in bed if it weren't for him, simply because I wouldn't have gone to the doctor.

I just hate going to the doctor for so many reasons. First of all, the whole process takes forever. I could easily drive from DC to NY, or watch a whole football game in the allotted time you are going to be in the doctor's office. Then, sitting in the little waiting room (which is freezing cold--just to ensure that you really are sick-- or if you weren't already, now you're on your way) with all these other people who are sniffling, shivering, shaking, and staring- that's the awkward part (besides the nudity that happens in the private rooms with the crunchy paper), and you have all this time to sit there and wonder what they're in for and worry if you're going to end up getting what they have. Don't read any of the magazines by the way.. they're outdated, and think of how nasty and germ-filled those things are, being handled by countless sick hands every day. Maybe I sound like a germ freak. I am.. sometimes. I tend to kick doors open when possible (especially public restroom doors).

And while on the topic of germs, I've got to make a statement about handshakes at the dinner table. I hate it when there are late-comers to dinner once you've already started eating and you're like mid-meal and the late-comers start sticking out their hands to greet you, like just saying "Hey, how are you?!" isn't going to completely say, "hello" and be the official greeting. No.. they've got to actually shake your hand-- and who knows where their hand has been? Mine was just washed and now I'm using it to eat, but their hand was probably just opening the restaurant's door picking up the marks of thousands of other hands that have been there today, and now they would all like to shake your hand before you go back to enjoying your meal! I make it a point if anyone is ever mid-meal and I'm the late-comer, I won't even try to shake hands-- in fact, a small wave, heartfelt "hello" and a big smile will do the trick quite nicely-- even though it may look a little cheesy. And if the eater insists (generally because he feels some sort of obligation because he's overly polite or socially cautious/insecure/clueless/obnoxious--could be any combination of the those) then, and this is not under all circumstances, I think the "rock" (a swift, solid, yet soft bump of the clasped fist with another typically with the fists turned so that the thumb, if called upon could rise to do an immediate "thumb's up" without the hand moving) is appropriate. I've been in situations where I've given the "rock" when the other party insisted that our hands touch despite him being mid-meal, and he was very pleased and even looked a bit relieved. So, I actually don't think I'm a germ-freak, I'm just aware of the many ways that man can become ill through the passing of germs, and after this past week, I don't want to get sick for a long time.

Anyway, I am feeling much better today, and back at work with some things to get done...

Thanks Tim.

Blogging 8 Jun 2007 7:27 AM (17 years ago)

I'm going to start blogging.

This is (my) life View RSS

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