If money were no object, I'd want one, too.
Imagine the pilot (Yves Rossy) in a black tuxedo. Perfect, right?
Now imagine yourself strapped into that baby.
Oh yes, that'd be sweet.
Merry Christmas, 007.
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
Sunday, 27 November 2011
Some elements are essential to a good party.
Comfortable location, fun friends, something to eat and drink.
And some elements contribute to a great party.
A large wall hanging to sign, mustache tree, fake mustaches, a photo booth.
The Movember Meet-and-Greet had all these things.
Plus, we were raising awareness for prostate and testicular cancer, as well as men's health in general.
I have to give a special shout out to Camille and Lindsey, without whom the party never would have been nearly as fun as it turned out to be. No one could ask for better co-hosts and friends.
Speaking of friends, there were lots that came over and celebrated with us, many rocking either their own or a felt die-cut 'stache for the evening, having some snacks, and taking advantage of the photo booth.
Comfortable location, fun friends, something to eat and drink.
And some elements contribute to a great party.
A large wall hanging to sign, mustache tree, fake mustaches, a photo booth.
The Movember Meet-and-Greet had all these things.
Plus, we were raising awareness for prostate and testicular cancer, as well as men's health in general.
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| With my wonderful co-hosts |
Speaking of friends, there were lots that came over and celebrated with us, many rocking either their own or a felt die-cut 'stache for the evening, having some snacks, and taking advantage of the photo booth.
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| You know a party is a big deal when Mary makes an appearance. |
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| A triumphant trio of horseshoe mustaches |
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| I imagine this is what a European Union meeting looks like |
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| Sometimes things get a little weird... just how we like it |
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| Gotta represent with the real 'staches |
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| I love this pic; all around great stuff |
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| Yes, that's a Movember cake; thanks, Camille! |
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| Hide yo' kids, hide yo' wife |
Thanks for coming, friends! You love Movember and it loves you right back!
Until next year!
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Thanksgiving in Philly is becoming a tradition. Last year's excursion to the city of brotherly love was great.
I can say without a doubt that this year was even better.
My drive up was vastly superior, as Emily came and we chatted and did a little sing-along. This was Emily's first time visiting Philadelphia, so she was really excited to see the sign, meet my brother Pete and his wife Jordyn, and take in the historical sites we all hear about in school.
I was so proud of my little brother for his sweet cooking skills. Check out this banana creme pie!
The next day, we took our time resting and getting ready in the morning, and then assisted Jordyn with making these delicious stay-puft rolls. We still don't know what made them get so puffy, and maybe we'll never know. We do know that the massive rolls were quite tasty.
The rolls accompanied all of us to Jordyn's coworkers' house, where we enjoyed a delicious spread for Thanksgiving dinner. Some of the dishes had a little different flair to them, which added to the experience. For example, the stuffing had spicy sausage included. Yum!
After eating a meal like that, we were all stuffed (pun semi-intended). Since Jordyn needed sleep for her 4 AM work schedule the next day, the rest of us left the house to go see the new Muppets movie and give her some peace and quiet.
How do I express my love for the Muppets? The movie was so funny. I grew up on the Muppet Show, so seeing them back in action was terrific. Afterwards, I learned that Bret from Flight of the Conchords wrote the songs for this movie, and that totally makes sense. Clever, ridiculous tunes throughout the movie.
The next day, Emily and I did some sightseeing. Pete was kind enough to go with us, and he'd study his law stuff while we went into the locations to get our history on. We started with the Liberty Bell, followed by Liberty Hall and finagling our way into a tour 3 hours before our originally assigned time. Never hurts to ask, right? I'm glad we did, because otherwise we wouldn't have been able to see many other sites.
After touring Liberty Hall, our tummies were grumbling something fierce. Pete recommended a place nearby called Sonny's for Philly cheesesteaks. It's not Pat's or Gino's or Jim's, but it was quite tasty.
Before moving on, Emily and I did a quick stop at the Betsy Ross house tour. I had no idea she was such a businesswoman and hadn't realized how much she risked in making the American flag.
No first visit to Philly is complete without the LOVE Park right next to City Hall. Next time we'll plan for a few extra minutes to play with/on all the big game pieces, but this time we wanted to hit up the Philadelphia Museum of Art before darkness set in, so we had to move along quickly.
And why would we want to reach the Museum of Art before dark? For the Rocky steps, of course!
The boat houses and Fairmount Park are right around the corner, so we took a few mins to walk over and get pictures from the nice gazebos. Also, seeing that glassy water really made me want to waterski. But that'll have to wait for another time and another place, I suppose.
When we got back to the house, Jordyn was rested up and told us all about her crazy day at work. We socialized and ate and then the time came for Emily and I to hit the road. Our drive home took about half as long as the drive up (2.5 hrs vs 4.5 hrs), and Emily was really tired so I let her sleep while I drove.
Not sure if next year I'll have Thanksgiving in Philadelphia, but I'm excited to see what it entails if I do!
I can say without a doubt that this year was even better.
My drive up was vastly superior, as Emily came and we chatted and did a little sing-along. This was Emily's first time visiting Philadelphia, so she was really excited to see the sign, meet my brother Pete and his wife Jordyn, and take in the historical sites we all hear about in school.
The fun began right when we arrived. Pete and Jordyn hosted a pie night at their house. About 10 people came, which was nice because we could socialize with everyone easily. Plus, that meant there was no shortage of pie to chomp. And chomp we did.
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| Jordyn's stay-puft rolls |
The next day, Emily and I did some sightseeing. Pete was kind enough to go with us, and he'd study his law stuff while we went into the locations to get our history on. We started with the Liberty Bell, followed by Liberty Hall and finagling our way into a tour 3 hours before our originally assigned time. Never hurts to ask, right? I'm glad we did, because otherwise we wouldn't have been able to see many other sites.
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| Emily couldn't bear to watch the meat being sliced and grilled |
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| Delicious, but I doubt she'll have another one anytime soon |
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| Gotta energize for tour guiding and reading law materials |
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| Her southpaw cross is devastating |
Not sure if next year I'll have Thanksgiving in Philadelphia, but I'm excited to see what it entails if I do!
Thursday, 24 November 2011
Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!
I hope you're safe and happy and healthy wherever you are.
May we all remember just how blessed we all are in our lives.
That little girl is completely right. And just like Christmas isn't the only time to think about our faith and the Savior, Thanksgiving is also a one-day reminder to be grateful all year round.
I'm not going to enumerate, but my family and friends would definitely be right at the top of my list.
Love you all!
May we all remember just how blessed we all are in our lives.
I'm not going to enumerate, but my family and friends would definitely be right at the top of my list.
Love you all!
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Today the hilarious site Doghouse Diaries shared this little bit of wisdom about the human experience.
I was talking with a friend the other day and she was wondering if she could do anything to get a guy she likes to ask her out, when she's pretty sure that he's already placed her firmly in the friend zone. While clearly it's different from each gender's position (based on the standard gender roles, which aren't necessarily correct but nonetheless are generally followed), it got me thinking.
So my question to you in the blogosphere is this:
Is it possible to move from the friend zone to the dating zone?
A few years ago, I tried to subtly take the first option from the comic strip by asking out a girl that I'd been friends with for a long time. She accepted the date but then DTR'ed me even before we went out, letting me know she couldn't ever see us being more than the friends we were/are.
Things were awkward for a while, but we're still friends. However, I kind of decided at that point that I was done attempting to escape the friend zone going forward. Pain and rejection can be harsh teachers.
Any of you have stories to the contrary? Or is it just romantic comedy movies that this works in?
So my question to you in the blogosphere is this:
Is it possible to move from the friend zone to the dating zone?
A few years ago, I tried to subtly take the first option from the comic strip by asking out a girl that I'd been friends with for a long time. She accepted the date but then DTR'ed me even before we went out, letting me know she couldn't ever see us being more than the friends we were/are.
Things were awkward for a while, but we're still friends. However, I kind of decided at that point that I was done attempting to escape the friend zone going forward. Pain and rejection can be harsh teachers.
Any of you have stories to the contrary? Or is it just romantic comedy movies that this works in?
I'm working from home today and loving it. Not battling Thanksgiving traffic makes me so happy (at least until tonight), and not traveling got me started working earlier. With being so productive, I had time to find these two gems to share with you all. What do you think of them?
1) Comparison of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings (written 1995-2007 and 1937-1949, respectively).
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| You've been busted, JK Rowling! |
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| Should I paint my room Teal or Sky? Definitely need girl help on that choice. |
Off to Philly tonight for Pie Night and to see my bro and sis-in-law. Happy Thanksgiving, y'all!
Tuesday, 22 November 2011
Note: This post is meant to be humorous. Please don't take it too seriously.
The Occupy Wall Street (OWS) crowd is getting run out of cities left and right these days.
Seems major, thriving cities don't like shanty towns, no matter how noble their intentions.
There has to be a way to avoid the arrests, injuries, and pepper-sprayings.
So I had an idea.
How about shifting the movement to Occupy Detroit?
It makes sense if you think about it.
It's unlikely Detroit would kick you out. That's a major plus.
In fact, I bet OWS could get preferential treatment, including the use of abandoned homes and businesses in which to set up your society and be able to organize and run meetings in proper circumstances (instead of the lobby of the Deutche Bank building in NYC).
Just look at some of these available locations:
Also, the city of Detroit would benefit. A new influx of people would provide for opportunities to set up small business to sell necessary food and supplies. These would be passionate people who would likely vote for change and could get involved locally to improve the city.
So think about it, OWS.
Isn't it time to Occupy Detroit?
Seems major, thriving cities don't like shanty towns, no matter how noble their intentions.
There has to be a way to avoid the arrests, injuries, and pepper-sprayings.
How about shifting the movement to Occupy Detroit?
It makes sense if you think about it.
It's unlikely Detroit would kick you out. That's a major plus.
In fact, I bet OWS could get preferential treatment, including the use of abandoned homes and businesses in which to set up your society and be able to organize and run meetings in proper circumstances (instead of the lobby of the Deutche Bank building in NYC).
Just look at some of these available locations:
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| The David Whitney Building |
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| Michigan Central Station |
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| United Artists Theater |
So think about it, OWS.
Isn't it time to Occupy Detroit?
Monday, 21 November 2011
I've been feeling very crafty lately.
If you didn't see my cardboard tommy guns project for Halloween, that post is here.
My most recent handiwork was weather staining my friend Sandi's patio table and chairs.
It's a simple set from IKEA, with a metal frame and wooden slats. Our plan was to redo the slats.
Here's what we started with and then the end product:
My dad let me know the materials needed, which include:
Now it's time to use the 100-grit sandpaper. If you're sensitive to sawdust, it might be a good idea to use some sort of mask. Plus, I'd recommend doing this outdoors for easier cleanup.
After sanding, make sure you wipe off any remaining dust. Then it's time to paint.
Note: I thought I'd gotten a waterproofing wood stain that would show the natural grain. However, the paint can wasn't labeled very clearly, so I ended up with a white stain. Oh well; the white made for a fun look, and if the set were painted another color later, the white will serve as a good base coat. So just be careful which paint can you pick out.
Once everything is dry, you're ready to put the slats back onto their frames. Get that screwdriver.
If you didn't see my cardboard tommy guns project for Halloween, that post is here.
My most recent handiwork was weather staining my friend Sandi's patio table and chairs.
It's a simple set from IKEA, with a metal frame and wooden slats. Our plan was to redo the slats.
Here's what we started with and then the end product:
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| From this... |
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| ...to this. Much improved, eh? |
- screwdriver
- rags/towels
- 100-grit sandpaper
- paintbrushes
- a small can of weatherproofing wood stain
- (optional) breathing mask or bandana
- (optional) drop cloths
For the sandpaper, paintbrushes, and can of wood stain, I paid less than $10 at Home Depot.
Let's get started! The slats first need to be removed from the frames and cleaned.
Use your screwdriver, then wet the rags/towels and wipe off dust/dirt.
Note: I thought I'd gotten a waterproofing wood stain that would show the natural grain. However, the paint can wasn't labeled very clearly, so I ended up with a white stain. Oh well; the white made for a fun look, and if the set were painted another color later, the white will serve as a good base coat. So just be careful which paint can you pick out.
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| Drying after the first coat, still some wood grain showing through |
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| The second coat makes them completely opaque |
And you're done! Enjoy your new, vibrant patio set as you sip hot chocolate and discuss heady topics.
The craft bug has definitely bitten me. Hmm, what shall I do next? What are you working on?
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