Monday, July 19, 2010

Haiti

I am leaving for Haiti today with an awesome team with Outside The Bowl. We will be leaving out of LAX, flying through Miami, and arriving in Haiti by tomorrow morning. We will be there till the 31st. The team consists of 7 of us - Adam, Andrew, Bonney, Brenda, Kristina, Silver and myself. We will be doing things from running sports camps to going to the jail to feed prisoners to hut-to-hut evangelism to helping wherever we can be used. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers (along with all of those that we will come in contact with).

Signing off :) I shall return in two weeks.

Sunday, July 18, 2010

Opening Day

Happy 55th Anniversary, Disneyland! Celebrate with us by watching this historical video, featuring Walt Disney explaining why he created the Park and footage from the Opening Day festivities.

Friday, July 16, 2010

Sea Creatures

Jellyfish and Stingrays and Great Whites, Oh My!

This could go down as the Summer of the Sea Creatures.

Over the past few days in Southern California, boaters have encountered rare black sea nettles, or black jellyfish, in San Diego Bay, and some two dozen people were stung by a cluster of stingrays at La Jolla Shores beach, several miles away. On the East Coast, officials have reported several sightings of great white sharks off Massachusetts in recent weeks.

While the encounters are unusual, they are part of the ebb and flow of life in the sea, experts say -- though the black jellyfish sightings are relatively rare.

"Most of their biology and bio-geography remains a mystery, but they seem to show up in Southern California during warm water episodes" such as El Nino seasons," said Michael Schaadt of the Cabrillo Marine Aquarium in Los Angeles.

He said black sea nettles were reported only four times in the 1900s. They also were spotted in small numbers in 2001 and 2007. The most reported was in 2005, between Santa Barbara, Calif., and the Mexican border, he said.


The rest of the article here.

Sub for a Reef

Submarine to be Sunk Off Mission Bay to Create a Reef

A Soviet-era submarine on display at the San Diego Maritime Museum will join the HMCS Yukon as a dive reef off Mission Bay.

"We are proud to announce this new agreement on the 10th anniversary of the sinking of the Yukon, which has proven the economic and environmental value of man-made reefs," he said.

It wasn't immediately clear when the Foxtrot, which has been in the museum's fleet since 2004, would be sunk.

The 300-foot long diesel-electric submarine served for 20 years during the 1970s and 80s to track U.S. and NATO shipping, according to the museum. It was one of the longest conventional subs ever built.

The B-39 was decommissioned in 1994 and sold to a private group a year later.


The rest of the article here.

Happy 55th BDay!

Happy 55th Birthday Disneyland!!



1955 – This was the year! It only took a year to construct Walt Disney’s grand vision of “The Happiest Place on Earth.” On July 17, 1955, the first guests descended upon Anaheim for their chance to step into the movies at the Magic Kingdom. A 90-minute live broadcast on ABC network TV introduced the park to the world. There were 15,000 invited guests (more than 28,000 showed up through a mix-up in tickets), including dozens of Hollywood movie and TV celebrities. Co-hosts during the live broadcast were actors Ronald Reagan and Bob Cummings, TV’s Art Linkletter and network anchor Hank Weaver.

Little Hurricane

Wilcox Sessions - Little Hurricane (Superblues) from Wilcox Sessions on Vimeo.



WAY TO GO ANTHONY!! I hope Ryan and I can get to one of their shows soon.

Grape Vines?

Red Vines GrapeVines Tray

The name alone inspires countless theater memories. For almost a century, Red Vines® candy has been providing entertainment and enjoyment to the young and young at heart.

Deeply rooted in the traditions of the American West, the Red Vines® brand is the premium-quality licorice. It continues its old-world licorice making practices starting with the same tried-and-true ingredients from its original recipe. Red Vines® is the only major brand still making twists with respect for tradition. The result is a distinctive, rich taste; soft and chewy texture; and desirable appearance, setting it apart from other chewy confections. In fact, Red Vines® candy is the number one non-chocolate confection in the West, where licorice means Red Vines®.


Ryan and I LOVED Red Vines! We love drinking soda through them, eating handfuls of them while watching TV, making mustaches with them, etc. And now they have them in grape?! No way :)

Thursday, July 15, 2010

Haiti Blog

Have you checked out my Haiti blog lately? I posted a 'tentative' itinerary for our trip. We can always use MORE PRAYER! It would be awesome if you could send up a quick prayer for us over the 2 weeks we will be there. The itinerary gives you some specifics of what to prayer for. You can always throw TRAVEL, HEALTH, OPPORTUNITIES, SOFT HEARTS, etc out there too :)

Steve's Espy Decision

Funny



I always enjoy these two :) Especially when they are making fun of Lebron.

The Couch

The couch was delivered last night. I mean LATE last night. They called Ryan and told him it was in (they originally told us it could be a 2-3 week backorder). They asked when we would like it delivered. He asked if we could do it yesterday and they said sure, between the hours of 8 and midnight. We were hoping it was closer to 8, but I think they ended up getting here around 10:45 and leaving around 11:30pm. The couch is LARGE, but Ryan loves it. We still don't have things on the walls, so the living room looks pretty empty still, but I wanted to post some pictures of the couch for ya.





You'll have to come take a seat on it soon!

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Haiti's Slow Recovery

Rubble removal, food spoiling, etc... Please take the 30 minutes to watch what is going on...

Billy

I'd Never Heard Of 'Billy The Exterminator,' and Then I Watched It

His name is Billy Bretherton. And his show, 'Billy the Exterminator,' has become my newest obsession on Wednesday nights.

Understanding 'Billy the Exterminator,' which saw its second season premiere to record numbers in March (2.1 million viewers), requires understanding Billy. Like 'Dog the Bounty Hunter,' Bretherton is an interesting personality. He has a spiked, blond mullet, finishes off his look with a strangely placed goatee, and has brought "gnarly" back to television. He might seem odd, but he's the man people call when they have the worst pest issues.

Billy is supported by his family, including brother Ricky, his father Bill, and his mother Donnie. Together they help Bretherton run his business, Vexcon.

And although Billy gets top billing for his show, it might be more appropriate to include him as part of the supporting cast. The real stars of 'Billy the Exterminator' are the beasts Billy battles each week.


The rest of the article here.

Ryan and I really like this show - not a guilt pleasure - we are very proud of it :)

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Ann Arbor Living

46 of 100

46. Ann Arbor, MI

WINNER
Top 100 rank: 46
Population: 116,000

Football season may be this city's most popular pastime, but residents of Ann Arbor would insist that the city is always a great place to be.

This friendly college town has all the perks of a much bigger city. The downtown area is a mecca of arts and culture, with museums, theatres, and galleries. Golf courses and biking and hiking trails are never far away.

The University of Michigan campus is the major employer in the city, but Border's Books and Domino's Pizza also both have headquarters here. --B.D.

Boo'ed at Wedding

LeBron James booed at Carmelo Anthony's wedding

Last Saturday, while you were enjoying bratwursts and s'mores, Carmelo Anthony(notes) was marrying LaLa Vasquez, an MTV VJ. Cool weekend plans, I suppose. And since Melo is a big-time NBA baller, he attracted more than a few celebrities to his New York City nuptials. In attendance were Kim Kardashian, Spike Lee, Justin Timberlake and Ludacris, who hopefully provided entertainment during the reception. Oh, and LeBron James(notes), whom you may have heard of.

That's right — LeBron James was in New York City just two days after choosing the Miami Heat in his highly rated one-hour ESPN special. You can imagine how well that went over with Knick fans. From Fox Sports:

[LeBron] James was greeted by a round of loud boos from angry New Yorkers outside the wedding in Cipriani 42nd Street when he arrived with his girlfriend Savannah Brinson, myFOXny.com reported.

Geez, LeBron. Way to almost ruin your friend's wedding by choosing to play in Miami. It's like that old saying: "You made your multi-millon dollar free-agency bed, now get booed by Knick fans in it." Or something like that. LBJ might as well hear the jeers now, since he'll be getting heckled basically everywhere but Miami-Wade County. Better to start with a few scattered New Yorkers than 20,000 rabid Clevelanders who hate his guts.


The rest of the article here.

Rugged Updates

Ryan has made a couple updates on his website. Have you checked out his site lately? If not, make sure you take a minute and visit the site.

What are your thoughts?!

Name an Elephante!

Name the Elephant Calf!

The calf born in April to Swazi has been given a name courtesy of one of our donors: eMacembe La Lu Hlata; keepers call him Macembe (ma KEM bay). Now, after naming seven elephants born at the Wild Animal Park over the past six years, we’re out of ideas! Well, maybe not, but we still want you to suggest names for our youngest African elephant. Our blog readers have been kind enough to help us find very suitable names for Yun Zi, our youngest giant panda, and Zoli, a silvered leaf langur, but now you’ve reached the big time!

We like to think that these naming opportunities have given you an occasion to learn more about species like pandas and langurs. Now it’s time to study up on pachyderm biology, because from July 13 to 25, you’ll have a chance to submit your suggestions via the Zoo’s Web site. Remember: the suggestions should relate symbolically to the calf or elephant conservation. Open up the science books, read through our Animal Bytes elephant page, visit the little guy at the San Diego Zoo’s Wild Animal Park, and get inspired.


The rest of the post here.

Monday, July 12, 2010

Michael Scott



Oh how I love The Office :)

6 Months Later

Haiti's New Normal: You Get Up, You Sit Back Down

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (July 12) -- Along the fault line that caused this disaster in Haiti, there are now more than 1,300 camps. They are filled with 700,000 tarps and 100,000 tents. They are tied up alongside 8,000 cubic yards of rubble and 190,000 destroyed houses. There are 1.5 million people, including half a million children, in the streets.

But ask folks what they've been doing lately and there is only one answer: "Nou leve chak jou, epi nou chita." We get up every day, and we sit back down.

Life is like that, they say, six months after the Jan. 12 earthquake. What can we do?

Days start early. By 5:30 a.m., the sun has risen. By 6 a.m. tents and shacks are unbearably hot. There may be breakfast. Or there may not be.


The rest of the article here.

The Closer

The Closer' Season 6 Preview

There's change -- actually, quite a few major changes -- afoot for Deputy Police Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson (Kyra Sedgwick) as 'The Closer' kicks off its sixth season on July 12 (9PM ET, TNT): a new, state-of-the-art police headquarters and a new LAPD chief.

And we know how Brenda deals with change ... let's just say that as she grows more and more frustrated with trying to navigate her way through the complicated new building, with its many high-tech, though unfamiliar and sometimes unreliable, gadgetry, the one bit of comfort she can find comes from the moving box full of assorted candies she's brought to the new office.

In fact, the sugar junkie has managed to bring only one box from her old workplace; she has to park far from the new digs and can't lug all her things from her car, or so she tells hubby Fritz (Jon Tenney) when he complains about tripping over her work boxes at home. But she also doesn't want to embrace this new and different office, either, which is the real reason the Reese's cups, Kit Kats and Rolos are the only things that initially make it into her desk drawer.


The rest of the article here.

Contest Time

Check out this contest!! Enter to win a $50 Visa Gift Card. All you need to do is link the contest to your Facebook or Blog and you are entered!! Laura just wants to get her blog out there - so make sure you visit it.

To Enter:
Leave a comment telling me if you linked to my blog, told people about it on Facebook, and/or wrote a post about it.
One entry for the link, two for the Facebook update and three for a blog post.
Prize: $50 Visa Gift Card
Ends: July 18th 11:59pm Pacific Time
Winner Announced: the morning of July 19th

Sunday, July 11, 2010

7/11

Today is July 11th - 7/11!! YAY!! That means FREE 7.11 ounce SLURPEES!! YUMMMMY!!

We have made it to 3 7-11s so far today :)

#1

#2

Slurpee blow up

Bounce around in the parking lot

Yum

Red tongues from slurpees

#3

Bakery

Ryan and I were cruising to different thrift stores yesterday. We went down to Encinitas and I thought 'We should go to the bakery that we got our wedding cupcakes from'. Ryan never turns down sweets, so off we went. They have mini-cupcakes now, so we got 4 mini ones so that we could try the different flavors - The Elvis, Coconut, Mustachio, and Strawberry Kiss. They were YUMMY! We had to snag some pictures too!!









Friday, July 9, 2010

Tiki Room

Ryan and I had been to Disneyland probably 5 or 6 times before we even noticed and were interested in going into the Enchanted Tiki Room. We figured we would give it a shot one afternoon. We were NOT disappointed. I think we have only gone in there that once, but now every time we walk by it we break into song... Tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki, tiki room.

The Enchanted Tiki Room stands out as a personal favorite for Kevin Kidney, a Disney artist who is well-known for his art and collectibles that are created for this classic attraction.

Kevin explains why The Enchanted Tiki Room is one of his favorite attractions: “The design of the Enchanted Tiki Room just thrills me, from the peaked-roofed exterior with the lanai full of Imagineer Rolly Crump’s whimsical Tiki god characters, to the dark interior crammed with all the great details. As a kid, I actually tried to build those fantastic bamboo-slat windows that “rain.” If I could live inside Disneyland, I would want my house to be the Tiki Room.”

7-11

Sunday is July 11th. I know, that probably doesn't sound like a special day to most - but it is 7/11. And with 7/11 comes FREE SLURPEES at 7-11. When we were in Florida for LT in college we went around to probably 5 or more in one day. YUM! Maybe Ryan and I will try to break the record.

Free Slurpees

There's no better sugar high than a 7-Eleven Slurpee and this Sunday, July 11, the sugar high is on the house. To celebrate its birthday, the fast snack chain is giving away free 7.11-ounce Slurpees. Small, but still free. To get the deal, walk into your local joint from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m., ask the cashier if they have free Slurpees. Then fill the container they give you with pure frozen sugary goodness. Filling above the cup line is totally legit.

Cow Appreciation

Get a totally free meal at Chick-fil-A on Friday, July 9, when you saunter into one of their fast food eateries dressed like a cow. The key is to come "fully dressed" as a cow "from head to hoof." Attaching a pink sack to your belly and calling it an udder won't cut it. The free meal includes an entrée of your choice, a side item and a beverage. If you dress in partial cow attire -- like a cow-spotted scarf, purse, hat or other accessory -- you will get a free entrée. The idea is based on the eateries long-standing marketing campaign that shows cows trying to convert beef eaters into chicken devotees in order to save themselves.

"Cow Appreciation Day continues to be one of our best indicators of the great passion our customers have for our brand," said Chick-fil-A executive Steve Robinson in a press release. "It takes a loyal fan to dress like a cow for a free meal." I couldn't have said it better. Moo ...

More of the article here.

Pub Table

Ryan and I ordered our dining room set this past weekend. It arrived at the store on Wednesday, so Ryan was able to get off a little early yesterday to pick it up before the store closed. Ryan was a master carpenter and put it all together last night. I really like the piece, but not sure about how I feel about it in our space. First, the lighting will need to be moved over slightly so that it is over the table more. Also, I am not sure if it is too overwhelming for the space. I don't want it to feel too big. Maybe we just need to get used to it a little more.






Do you have any thoughts? Does it look too big? Too tall? Just right?

Thursday, July 8, 2010

Free Things - GEO CACHING

So I was doing a little researching this morning - 'Free things to do in San Diego'. I pulled up a couple sites and look what I found:



YEP - San Diego Magazine is suggesting people go Geo Caching, HOW COOL!! Very good suggestion, but since we do that normally I think I will keep researching for something 'different' to do :).

Passport Fees

Passport fees going up next week

Get ready to open your wallet a little wider to satisfy your travel bug: It is soon going to cost more to apply for a new U.S. passport or renew an old one -- a move criticized by the public and some lawmakers.

Starting next Tuesday, adults applying for their first passport book will have to pay $135 -- a 35 percent increase from the current $100 fee.

(The cost of the wallet-size passport card, which Americans can use on certain trips closer to home, is rising from $45 to $55 for first-time applicants.)

Want to add more visa pages to your passport book? It's free now, but you will have to shell out $82 under the new fee schedule.
The renewal fee for passport books will rise to $110 -- up from the current $75.


The rest of the article here.

Mama Sox's Teeth

Crystal Bowersox Gets Her Teeth Fixed

'American Idol' runner-up Crystal Bowersox took to her Twitter account to show off her new smile. "What's NOT missing in this picture?????? Yeah. That's right," she wrote. The singer, who was known for her gap-toothed grin, took a trip to the dentist and it appears she couldn't be happier with the results. Her rep tells PEOPLE that Bowersox decided to fix her pearly whites before going on tour.

During the entire season of 'Idol,' she refused to get her teeth fixed. Perhaps she didn't want anything interfering with her singing during the competition.

On the first night of the 'Idol' finale, Bowersox's rendition of Patty Griffin's 'Up to the Mountain' earned raves from the judges. However, she ultimately fell short, and finished the competition in second place.


The rest of the article here.

Alex's Injury

A Contestant Is Injured on 'So You Think You Can Dance' -- Will He Survive?



We've got a man down on 'So You Think You Can Dance' (Wed., 8PM ET on Fox).

Top-rated dancer Alex Wong suffered a foot injury during the rehearsals for tonight's episode, and was unable to perform. He ruptured his Achilles tendon, and may not be able to continue on the show. The judges expressed regret, but instantly placed Alex in the dreaded "Bottom Three" -- meaning that he could be voted off at any time. And even if Alex isn't eliminated by the viewers, if he doesn't recover from his injury by next week, then he'll be automatically kicked off the program.

Okay, so: two questions. Is it fair to punish Alex for not being able to dance? And do you think he'll be able to recover? He was doing so well up until now.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Movies

Movies I am excited about:

The Other Guys


Despicable Me


Dinner For Schmucks


MegaMind


What are some upcoming movies that you want to see?

Free "Vacation"

Anyone out there have any ideas for a free 'vacation' for Ryan and I?? We have been doing house stuff for the past 3 weekends or so, and I would really like a day of just hanging out with my hubby in a really cool spot. I think we would be up for driving a max of 2 hours. Talk amongst yourselves :) Oh yeah, and it should be free to very cheap, seeing as we have been doing house stuff for the last 3 weekends or so :).

Earthquake

That was a big earthquake. As of right now (it happened about 5 minutes ago) it is said to be a 5.9 magnitude in East San Diego. As it was happening I was thinking to myself, I am glad we have earthquake insurance :). Nothing fell off the walls, but that might be because we don't have anything up on the walls yet. The light in the dining room was swinging. Maybe Ryan and I should go over an evacuation plan this evening when he gets home from work... Like should I just run outside? Or stand in a doorway? Or just stay still? Hopefully no more aftershocks tonight.

Hot Temps

East Coast seeks respite as temps soar

Forecasters say the day after one of the hottest in decades in the Eastern U.S. won't be any more comfortable.

More of the same is forecast today with temperatures in the 90s to 100 degrees or more.

The temperature broke records yesterday in New York, where it hit 103, and in Philadelphia, where it reached 102.

It was also over 100 in cities from Richmond, Va., to Boston.

While utilities geared up for trouble, the grid held despite a tremendous demand for electricity for air conditioning and the like.

Transportation officials cut the speed of commuter trains in several areas because extreme heat can cause welded rails to bend under pressure.

National Weather Service meteorologist Brian Korty says the hot air is "not really going to budge much for the next day or two." He says a system coming in off the Atlantic Ocean after that could cool things off.


The rest of the article here.

Pawn Stars

Why We Watch: 'Pawn Stars'

There is just so much to like about 'Pawn Stars'; here's you should start watching it:

1. It's more fun than history. Although some people can't get into history and all that surrounds it, 'Pawn Stars' is so much more than a history lesson. Yes, there are lessons taught each week, but they're done in a much different way. Unlike so many other History Channel shows, viewers aren't forced to watch reenactments or listen to an actor pretend to be someone from the past. 'Pawn Stars' has the real history in the shop, Rick talks about it a little and the haggling begins. It's more fun, and it sheds some light on what all this old stuff is really worth without getting bogged down in the historical significance of it.

2. The variety of stuff is incredible. If you're turned off by 'Pawn Stars' because you're concerned that it will be like 'Antiques Roadshow' and highlight old chairs, think again. The show has had folks try to sell everything from a medal worn around the time George Washington died to receipts signed by Andrew Jackson for his troops' guns. For those that aren't so keen on history, Rick tends to buy all kinds of goodies, like movie scripts, signed baseballs and even planes and boats. As Rick says time and again, if it's a profitable product, he'll buy it, no matter what it is. Perhaps that's why his shop sells everything from championship boxing belts to great pieces of art. No matter what you bring into the shop, Rick will consider buying it.


The rest of the article here.

Monday, July 5, 2010

Dumb Bike

Ryan has been looking at bikes and showed me this one from Urban Outfitters (I didn't even know they made bikes). They are pretty cool, huh? My dad would call this a 'dumb bike'. This color is the Vice option. You can customize it how you would like. It is a pretty penny, but pretty cool looking. Check out the site and customize your own here.

Mattress Delivery

Our mattress was delivered this evening. We put the bedding on it. We have also started putting things in the guest rooms. We took a few more pictures, check them out here if you're interested.






PS We think it is hilarious how different the photos on the TOP of the page (BEFORE shots) look from the BOTTOM of the page (MIDDLE shots).