The Good Life

More New Orleans photos

2009-05-06T17:37:00.001-07:00

So you're looking at my friends Jan, Steve & Benji throughout, as well as local street musicians, Dave Mathews & the Robert Cray band.

New Orleans Jazz Festival

2009-05-06T17:27:00.000-07:00

Some friends & I took a trip down to New Orleans for their annual Heritage Jazz Festival & it was a lot of fun. Great music, good food & awesome people...you can't beat it! Just check out the photos.

2009-02-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

Here's some pics of our recent trip to the Grand Canyon via Route 66. What a view! It was a perfectly clear, sunny day...you couldn't ask for more. The bottom one is the real cool restaurant/ bar in the hotel where we stayed, and the other is a great shot of wild elk that I took in Grand Canyon National Park.

Landscaping the Back Yard

2008-06-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

Well, we finally decided to landscape the back yard. We moved my work shed & laid pavers underneath it to level it, then moved the bar from near the back door to in front of the garage. Next we cleared out the mulch that was between the house & the retaining wall, and replaced it with lava rock. Then we stained the retaining wall & brought in railroad ties to section off an area for the 3-bike trailer & the future toy hauler, and filled that in with gravel. We still have more to do & are in the process of staining the patio, and plan to bring in mulch & sod for the rest of area as well as plants & a fire ring. So check back soon for before & after pics!

The 3 Ninjas

2008-04-19T18:10:00.000-07:00

This is a photo taken at my birthday party, and these are 2 of my very best friends - Steve & Jim. We've been hanging out since grade school and before, and as you can see, we are still hanging out now. Very cool.

New Music Project Underway!

2008-04-13T11:13:00.000-07:00

The latest band audition went very well--Jed is a really talented singer/ songwriter. However, the style of playing isn't exactly what I was looking for, so I decided not to join the group. As a bass player, I am looking to play songs that are exciting, challenging & fun to play on the bass. Something along the lines of Lenny Kravitz/ G Love stuff. Anyway, my really good friend and drummer from my last band, Steve, and I are putting together an interesting music project and just got together for the first time to week to get it underway. It went great & it felt really good to be playing again.

This new project will be very interactive for the audience & will open up a lot of doors as well as the venues that we can play. It's going to be a fun as well as allow some creativity and improvisation as far as the music goes.

Hopefully we will be playing out within a couple months is everything goes well. Check back soon for more info.

Band Audition

2008-01-16T22:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I couldn't take it any longer, I just miss music being a big part of my life, so I'm auditioning for a band this coming Sunday. It's an original band, and the singer/ song writer is very talented, so it sounds promising. He's already released a CD as well, so hopefully things work out. Check back soon for more updates!

Pics of Fender

2007-04-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Mom, thought you might enjoy seeing a couple pics of your grand dog. The second one is him napping on our bed with one of my stuffed animals under his head.

Kitchen Photos

2006-11-11T22:03:00.000-08:00

Here's our killer kitchen as of tonight, minus the frig (bad customer service on Sear's part) and the table and chairs. We are very thankful for all the good fortune that came our way. Yeah!

Before pics of kitchen

2006-11-11T21:51:00.000-08:00

Here's some photos of the kitchen before and during the remodel.

Kitchen Remodel

2006-08-21T12:26:00.000-07:00

Well, Lonnie and I finally made the plunge and started the kitchen remodel we have been talking about for so long now. It's coming along pretty well so far, we pulled an all-nighter in order to get everything done that needed done before the drywall was installed on Friday. We got to bed at 6:00 am after working for 23 straight hours. Whey! It was well worth it though, we finished the electrical with the help of Zig, the plumbing with the help of Paul Sr. & Jr., along with replacing some wall studs, moving an AC vent, extra stud backing for our future cabinets, tile removal, insulation installation, plus a lot of other stuff! Check back soon for some photos!

Home Improvements

2006-07-15T10:04:00.000-07:00

Today is suppose to be 110F in El Cajon, and we need to do a lot of work on the house. So I got started first thing this morning and painted the guest bedroom door. Hopefully I can get a second coat on it this afternoon and we can hang it tomorrow. Next I picked up a half yard of wood chips for the landscaping in the front yard. Not bad, it only cost $9.00! Lon is building an enclosure on the patio for the central heater and the water heater. It will look really nice when he's finished. Hopefully we can get everything done before the heat kicks in. After that it's off to a birthday BBQ at 3:00 at our friends Paul & Vanessa's place. A pretty good Saturday so far. Last night we kicked off the weekend with the Bulls Only Rodeo in Lakeside--always a good time. Luckily no one was seriously hurt, but I think the bulls won.

Fender Takes 3rd Place

2006-07-14T10:17:00.000-07:00

Fender and I competed in a Rally Obedience match at the Wags for Wishes event this past weekend, and Fender placed 3rd out of 20 other dogs! Not bad for his first time. Also, he was able to try his paw (so to speak) in the Agility ring. He definitely shows potential and it's something we'd like to get him into in the future. Other than that, just been fighting off a bad cough that's been keeping me up nights. I finally went to the doctor and he prescribed some codeine cough syrup as well as an antibiotic. I'm feeling better already! I suspect it's from going in and out of the air conditioning after training and working out. It's not good for me, but sometimes you don't have a choice.

Tribute to Mickey Bates

2006-07-06T11:08:00.000-07:00

I was sad to get the news yesterday that an old friend of mine passed away. His name is Mickey Bates and at one time he was ranked the #2 boxer in the world. He fought in the Fly weight division and even boxed in the Olympics. Over the years Mickey battled a lot of medical problems and had to give up boxing. He was a very talented fighter with a lot of natural ability, and he will always be remembered that way. It's always said to get that kind of news, so I thought it would be nice to pay him a moment of respect. He is in a much better place now.

Fender Takes 2nd Place!

2006-06-29T22:02:00.000-07:00

Our pup, Fender, just took 2nd place in his first mini-match through the San Diego Obedience Club! Actually, he may have taken 1st if it wasn't for me giving him a command that wasn't allowed. I didn't realize you couldn't say anything other than "Fender heel" when we first start. Oh well, next time. I can't wait until his first actual obedience trial. Hopefully we'll get a chance soon.

June with Joan

2006-06-28T22:41:00.000-07:00

Lonnie and I just came back from the "June with Joan" obedience club event. It's an annual event put on by the obedience club here in San Diego, and held out at Joan Embery's ranch. Lon and I helped out by lending a hand with the party, but the cool stuff is working with the animals. This time we helped carry out a 13 foot, 150 pound python named Joyce up on stage. We also got to help with the biteron, a member of the primate family. She was on stage with Joan and her handler, Alex, climbing aroung on her branch platform. But when it was time for her to climb down, she decided she didn't want to. So Lonnie and I helped move her, along with the platform, off stage to make way for the next animal. It's always a very fun and educational evening at the annual event.

New Surf Spot

2006-06-27T11:07:00.000-07:00

Lonnie and I found a new break (new for us, anyway). There were only 6 people there on a Saturday morning! Unbelieveable! Lonnie was lucky enough to see a whale--first his blow hole, then his big tail. Unfortunately, I wasn't looking in that direction at the time. Anyway, what a great spot to surf. Can't wait to go again. Check out my new custom board!

Bass Playing

2006-06-25T11:28:00.000-07:00

I started taking bass lessons again with a very talented instructor by the name of David Hilton. He's a awesome teacher with a degree from Berkley and has recorded with Peter Sprague. I decided (after a lot of thought) that I wasn't growing as a musician and that things had been kind of stagnant musically for me. David is a very talented jazz player who plays with a lot of feeling and heavy focus on improvisation. I had my first lesson last Tuesday and it went great! I think this is exactly what I need to keep my progressing as a musician.

Backpacking was awesome!

2006-06-11T14:28:00.000-07:00

We just got back a couple days ago from packing up in the Toiyabe-Humboldt area and it was just beautiful! The weather was very diverse - the days were in the 70s and 80s in valleys and canyons, and it got down into the high 30s at night. Open areas, thick forestry, groves of trees, creeks and rivers, and snowpeaked mountains - it had it all.

Fender got swept about 30 yards downstream while attempting to cross Big Sawmill Creek. It scared the heck out of me because it happened so fast, but he was alright. We were planning to hike up to Arc Dome (almost 12,000 feet) but we had to turn around due to a change in weather on our way to the top. It was probably a good thing since more snow fell that night and we could have found ourselves in a tight spot. Weather changes quickly in the mountains!

We also blew a tire after driving two hours on gravel and dirt roads to get to the trailhead. I was planning on getting some new ones the week I came back anyway. Along with that I will get a better jack than the scissor jack that came with our 4x4 Frontier - it's rather worthless. But all ended on a good night and I'm looking forward to our next backpacking trip most likely to Sequoia National Forest. Oh yeah, I would definitely suggest visiting this area if you want to get miles away from civilization, just be sure and have 4-wheel drive, a gas can, good tires, and a good jack!

Going Backpacking!

2006-06-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

We're heading out tomorrow to backpack the Hymboldt National Forest up in Nevada. I can't wait, the country is supposed to be beautiful--great wildlife (bears, big horn sheep, deer, elk) and nice streams for easy water access, plus mountain ranges. What more could I ask for?

We're all packed and ready to go, and that includes Fender. He'll be carrying his own water, food, biscuits, collapsible bowls, hiking booties, and fleece jacket (temps get down to the 40s at night). Since every inch counts when backpacking, it will actually come in pretty handy for him to carry is own gear since our packs are full.

We'll be taking plenty of photos, so we'll see ya in about a week!

Roughin' It

2006-05-31T10:37:00.001-07:00

It feels like I am just now getting back into the swing of things after a 4 day camping trip up to the Laguna Mtns. This marked our pup's first camping trip, and man, did he have fun! We had to hold him down in the tent to keep him from running out to find a coyote that was yiping. Lot's of new sounds and wildlife for him to experience. We saw beautiful wildflowers, woodpeckers, blue jays, cardinals, rabbits, squirrels, and lizards. And we couldn't have asked for better weather--it was awesome. Nice and cool at night (about 45 degrees the first night), and warm and sunny during the days. Did some great hiking on the Pacific Crest Trail and enjoyed hanging with some good friends, Kristin and James, and their little girl MacKenzi.

It was so nice that we are planning a 4 day backpacking trip next week to one of the National Forests around the Southwest region. Check back for updates!

Enjoying a glass of red wine

2006-05-18T22:12:00.000-07:00

Today was an average but good Thursday. I just got home from obedience class down at the San Diego Zoo. My pup, Fender, is doing great and is in ring 5 (out of 6) now! He's a smart pup - our plan is to start competing in obedience trials along with agility competitions in the future.

I'm really digging this plasma screen that we recently got. I was never much for TV, but man, the picture on this thing is great! Especially watching the Discovery Channel or something in high definition. In case any of you music maniacs reading this are unware of it, there's a cool show called Love Monkey that airs on MTV. If you like music related shows or movies, this one's for you.

Tomorrow's Friday and it looks like I'll be getting off work a little earlier than usual. My plan is to fit in a little surfing and I hope to be in the water by about 2 pm. What a great start on the weekend!

My First Time

2006-05-17T22:31:00.000-07:00

This marks my first blog entry! Wow! Check back soon, there will be more to come (time to go to bed right now).