Today I had a barbecue. It was for my unbirthday. My birthday was Jan 11th, but only 10 people could make it to my birthday party then, so I figured I would try again. I bought about $300 in food, prepped it for a few days making sauces, marinating, etc... Unfortunately only 22 people showed up. I guess I should look on the positive side that anyone showed up hehe. I invited about 250 people. I figured for at least 50 not being able to make it, maybe even 150. I have a LOT of food left that hasn't even been cooked yet.
Work lately had been HARD. We used to use a program called Vantive to log customer cases. On the 4th of July we switched to SAP. I don't know if SAP is terrible in general, or if this is just a miserable implementation, but it is impossible. You can't find anything because there is nothign named intuitively, in fact, I would call it counter intuitive; many things are named something that would lead you to believe that is where you should go, but it's actually somewhere titled with something completely irrelevant. Not only that, but everything is on a different page (whereas vantive was mostly all on one page with tabs named appropriately for different things). Even if you knew exactly where everything is, it would still take you twice as long because it takes so many more clicks to get to things.
I spent my camera money on this dud of a party, so it will be a bit longer before I get a new camera. i have some pics here that I still haven't posted, so I will get them up soon.
I seem to have lost contact with my personal trainer. She has stopped responding to my calls and texts. I might have to actually go into the gym when she is there to make an appointment.
This week I test drove a new Jetta TDI and a 2008 R32. The TDI wasn't bad. It has 140hp and gets great gas mileage. If I were to sell my R32 now I could probably buy the TDI without a loan, or darn close. But, the loan on my R32 is almost paid off... The new R32 sucks compared to mine. For one, it is an automatic. Who the heck makes a sports car that only comes in automatic. It has a lot of cool gadgets such as satnav in the dash, but seriously not worth it for how the car performed.
The title: The Wallflowers - One Headlight
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Thursday, July 3, 2008
We see that smile on your face
Since tomorrow is a holiday my pay got direct deposited a day early. Wooo Hooo! In the past two weeks I amassed 46 hours of overtime. I was pretty darn shocked when I checked my bank account. Over this weekend I will be working more overtime, so the next check will also be quite pleasant. I know a lot of people thought I had abandoned my blog, but I was just working.
I lost my camera a few weeks ago. I left it on the roof of my car when I was loading bikes in my car and drove away. When I came back 10 or 15 minutes later it was already gone. There are no cameras out there that really grab me, I want my old one back.
The IRS sent me a letter saying that I am not getting a refund, and that I owe them money. I have no idea what happened there, but I'm not happy about it.
This week some high up management from the company I work for came to our site. I made breakfast for our whole project and it was pretty excellent. They were there to hand out promotions. Four people got promoted, and although I didn't make it, I got a $100 bonus. I'll keep plugging away, and hopefully next time or the time after will be me.
It has been hot here. We have the swamp cooler running 24/7. It keeps it nice and cool in here. I did laundry on my night off and the dryer was broken. I had to run my towels through three times before they got dry! I think Greg got it fixed today.
The title: Soundgarden - Head Down
I lost my camera a few weeks ago. I left it on the roof of my car when I was loading bikes in my car and drove away. When I came back 10 or 15 minutes later it was already gone. There are no cameras out there that really grab me, I want my old one back.
The IRS sent me a letter saying that I am not getting a refund, and that I owe them money. I have no idea what happened there, but I'm not happy about it.
This week some high up management from the company I work for came to our site. I made breakfast for our whole project and it was pretty excellent. They were there to hand out promotions. Four people got promoted, and although I didn't make it, I got a $100 bonus. I'll keep plugging away, and hopefully next time or the time after will be me.
It has been hot here. We have the swamp cooler running 24/7. It keeps it nice and cool in here. I did laundry on my night off and the dryer was broken. I had to run my towels through three times before they got dry! I think Greg got it fixed today.
The title: Soundgarden - Head Down
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Sucking too hard on a lollipop or love's gonna get you down.
On Saturday afternoon I went hiking with Dawnee and she offered me a Gatorade and a sucker. I know that people call lollipops suckers, but I don't think I have ever heard anyone say it before then.
It has been an incredibly fun and busy week.
Tuesday I went mountain biking with Tom. We've been getting a little farther every time we go.
Wednesday 8 of us went to see Stone Temple Pilots. I thought it was an excellent show. The opening band was kinda terrible. before the concert we ate at the Mayan, where Trevor used to work (diving). The scenery in there was cool, and the divers were neat, but the food wasn't so good.
Friday I went camping with Dawnee and a bunch of people she invited. We ate lots of meat and s'mores haha. It was pretty awesome.
Saturday I woke up not long after the sun did and after breakfast went hiking with Dawnee. We found some cool geodes. There were these gross bugs shedding their exoskeletons all over the trees. I got sunburned. After I got home I drove to Sandy and went mountain biking with Tom (cause I'm nuts). We got way farther than we did previously and it felt good to ride so much. After the ride we went and saw The Hulk (and ate ice cream). It was waaay better than the last Hulk movie, and it looks like we're headed for a whole bunch of comic book movies tied together.
Sunday after church I was supposed to sleep. Instead, Trevor called me and told me to come over for dinner. We all ate outside on the front lawn and then went for a drive around the alpine loop after. When we got back I went home, grabbed lunch and my laptop, and then headed to work. Turns out that i didn't have to be in until 4am for training.
Today for the first time ever I got to go iceblocking. For those of you that don't know what that is, you get a block of ice, throw a towel on it, and ride it down a grassy hill. It was a really fun time, and I was glad my sleep schedule worked out so that I could do it.
I could not make it to my session with Lily on Wednesday because we left so early for STP. I have left messages and sent texts, but haven't gotten a response. Maybe she already left for Alaska. Orrr maybe she's in Moab. I think I've been making up for it a bit, but there hasn't been a day this week that I thought to myself "Dude, I'm so sore I can barely move" so I must not be trying hard enough.
The title: Mika - Lollipop
It has been an incredibly fun and busy week.
Tuesday I went mountain biking with Tom. We've been getting a little farther every time we go.
Wednesday 8 of us went to see Stone Temple Pilots. I thought it was an excellent show. The opening band was kinda terrible. before the concert we ate at the Mayan, where Trevor used to work (diving). The scenery in there was cool, and the divers were neat, but the food wasn't so good.
Friday I went camping with Dawnee and a bunch of people she invited. We ate lots of meat and s'mores haha. It was pretty awesome.
Saturday I woke up not long after the sun did and after breakfast went hiking with Dawnee. We found some cool geodes. There were these gross bugs shedding their exoskeletons all over the trees. I got sunburned. After I got home I drove to Sandy and went mountain biking with Tom (cause I'm nuts). We got way farther than we did previously and it felt good to ride so much. After the ride we went and saw The Hulk (and ate ice cream). It was waaay better than the last Hulk movie, and it looks like we're headed for a whole bunch of comic book movies tied together.
Sunday after church I was supposed to sleep. Instead, Trevor called me and told me to come over for dinner. We all ate outside on the front lawn and then went for a drive around the alpine loop after. When we got back I went home, grabbed lunch and my laptop, and then headed to work. Turns out that i didn't have to be in until 4am for training.
Today for the first time ever I got to go iceblocking. For those of you that don't know what that is, you get a block of ice, throw a towel on it, and ride it down a grassy hill. It was a really fun time, and I was glad my sleep schedule worked out so that I could do it.
I could not make it to my session with Lily on Wednesday because we left so early for STP. I have left messages and sent texts, but haven't gotten a response. Maybe she already left for Alaska. Orrr maybe she's in Moab. I think I've been making up for it a bit, but there hasn't been a day this week that I thought to myself "Dude, I'm so sore I can barely move" so I must not be trying hard enough.
The title: Mika - Lollipop
Monday, June 9, 2008
The day the music died.
Back in 2002 while I was working at Connecticut Telephone I got a 4gig Ipod mini for Christmas from the CTO - Mike Feld. The battery became mostly useless about a year or two later. Since then it has been in my car providing me music while plugged into the power outlet in my VW. Last month I checked to see how much replacement batterries were for it. Almost everywhere had them for $15, so I picked one up and replaced the battery. Well, this week my ipod died for good. What terrible timing! It won't turn on at all, no matter what I do. Looks like it is time for a new one. I hope the next one lasts 6 years too.
I am feeling like I am in high school again. Back to where "musicgreg" really came from! Last week I went to see a fantastic local band called The Iso Principle. They were absolutely fantastic! Their sound was powerful and unique. The lead singer (EJ) has an incredible voice that to me sounds like a cross between Dar Williams and Hello Saferide with a twist of Sarah McLachlan. The lead guitarist has incredible talent, belting out fantastic riffs, and also keeping the audience aurally entertained between songs. I have not seen fingers move so fast in a long time. Although from where I was sitting I could not see the bass player, he was certainly audible, and really brought it all together. Last, but certainly not least, was their drummer. I think his name was Josh, but I am not positive. He had a fantastic taste for tempo, and also changed witht he band as they requested. He has been playing with the band for only two weeks, but you wouldn't have known it. Although I have a lot of praise for their music, there were a few downsides. I bought the CD after the show and brought it home to listen. The live performance blew away the CD. There was much more energy in the music at the show, and it also sounded more full (even though the sound guy could have done us all a favor and helped out the vocals a bit with a little more volume!) The only other dissappointment to note was that one or two of the songs had such an extremely long buildup. You could feel the drums and guitar ready to explode and it ever so slowly ramped up. They could have gone with a sooner climax, slow transition, and back to an explosive finish. That way the slowness would have been more evenly distributed throughout the song, and I really think it would have worked well. It's not my music thoug, so not really my call on how they play it hehe.
Wednesday I am going to see Stone Temple Pilots. I am pretty excited about this concert. I don't think they have been together for about 7 years. I got a fantastic deal on 8 tickets for about $15 each, so there will be several of my friends coming along.
In August I will be going to see Jack Johnson. The last time I saw Jack was several years ago with Rhonda and Kirimi when he played with G Love and special sauce, and Dovovan Frankenwrighter (which I am sure I spelled wrong). That will be a hard show to measure up to.
I have been tryign to make some HDR photos lately and I am failing miserably, so if anyone has some tips on making them please let me know. I have some awesome photos in RAW format that I would like to work with.
The title: Don McLean - American Pie
I am feeling like I am in high school again. Back to where "musicgreg" really came from! Last week I went to see a fantastic local band called The Iso Principle. They were absolutely fantastic! Their sound was powerful and unique. The lead singer (EJ) has an incredible voice that to me sounds like a cross between Dar Williams and Hello Saferide with a twist of Sarah McLachlan. The lead guitarist has incredible talent, belting out fantastic riffs, and also keeping the audience aurally entertained between songs. I have not seen fingers move so fast in a long time. Although from where I was sitting I could not see the bass player, he was certainly audible, and really brought it all together. Last, but certainly not least, was their drummer. I think his name was Josh, but I am not positive. He had a fantastic taste for tempo, and also changed witht he band as they requested. He has been playing with the band for only two weeks, but you wouldn't have known it. Although I have a lot of praise for their music, there were a few downsides. I bought the CD after the show and brought it home to listen. The live performance blew away the CD. There was much more energy in the music at the show, and it also sounded more full (even though the sound guy could have done us all a favor and helped out the vocals a bit with a little more volume!) The only other dissappointment to note was that one or two of the songs had such an extremely long buildup. You could feel the drums and guitar ready to explode and it ever so slowly ramped up. They could have gone with a sooner climax, slow transition, and back to an explosive finish. That way the slowness would have been more evenly distributed throughout the song, and I really think it would have worked well. It's not my music thoug, so not really my call on how they play it hehe.
Wednesday I am going to see Stone Temple Pilots. I am pretty excited about this concert. I don't think they have been together for about 7 years. I got a fantastic deal on 8 tickets for about $15 each, so there will be several of my friends coming along.
In August I will be going to see Jack Johnson. The last time I saw Jack was several years ago with Rhonda and Kirimi when he played with G Love and special sauce, and Dovovan Frankenwrighter (which I am sure I spelled wrong). That will be a hard show to measure up to.
I have been tryign to make some HDR photos lately and I am failing miserably, so if anyone has some tips on making them please let me know. I have some awesome photos in RAW format that I would like to work with.
The title: Don McLean - American Pie
Monday, May 26, 2008
Dreaming in red, white, and blue
Today for church I wore my tie with an american flag on it in honor of Memorial Day. Someone commented to me that I was a bit early for the 4th of July. I have been thinking about that all day. I imagine there are uncountable Americans who have no idea what the meaning is behind their long weekend. If you read this, take note, it is a day to remember all the men and women who have died in service of the US military. At 3pm Eastern time much of the country will participate in a moment of silence. I suggest you take this time to think about what these people have done for you and where the US would be without people to fight for our freedom.
I was supposed to go camping this weekend, but the campground cancelled our reservation due to snow. Instead I went to a cookout at Tom and Kari's house in Sandy. There wasn't very many of us there, but we had a good time eating food and playing wiffle ball.
The title: Brooks and Dunn - Only in America
I was supposed to go camping this weekend, but the campground cancelled our reservation due to snow. Instead I went to a cookout at Tom and Kari's house in Sandy. There wasn't very many of us there, but we had a good time eating food and playing wiffle ball.
The title: Brooks and Dunn - Only in America
Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother should I trust the government?
Happy Mother's day! Today I got to talk to my mom, and my dad's mom (My grandma). I got to talk to Sister Beynon, and I sent texts to lots of other mom's telling them happy mother's day :) Moms are pretty awesome. I wouldn't be here without one, and neither would you!
This week I "got" my State tax return. It was a letter from the IRS that said they had decided to levy my return for $50 with a $25 administrative fee which left exactly $0 left.
Saturday was a pretty busy day! When I woke up I headed to the store to get some vegetables. Then I made some vegetable shishkabobs. Tom Lane came over at 5 and we ate grilled veggies and meat that I had marinated. After that we went to Carina Hatch's wedding reception. It was terrific to see Carina. She looked more fantastic than ever. I am now really super behind at getting all my pics onto my photo gallery. The food at the reception was from Kneader's and was fantastic. The best food were two desserts. One was a little chocolate bowl with mousse, whipped cream, and topped with a chocolate covered cherry. The other was a little key lime pie with e teeny slice of lime in it. Exceptionally tasty. After the wedding reception I dropped off Tom and headed to a bonfire planned by my friend Bruce. I was eating s'mores there hehe. That woulda been enough, but I went to Miranda and Trevor's after and hung out for a while.
Tonight at work we are having a barbecue around 3am. I brought a lot of meat that is marinated in my home-made barbecue sauces, one made from mango, one from pineapple.
The title: Pink Floyd - Mother
This week I "got" my State tax return. It was a letter from the IRS that said they had decided to levy my return for $50 with a $25 administrative fee which left exactly $0 left.
Saturday was a pretty busy day! When I woke up I headed to the store to get some vegetables. Then I made some vegetable shishkabobs. Tom Lane came over at 5 and we ate grilled veggies and meat that I had marinated. After that we went to Carina Hatch's wedding reception. It was terrific to see Carina. She looked more fantastic than ever. I am now really super behind at getting all my pics onto my photo gallery. The food at the reception was from Kneader's and was fantastic. The best food were two desserts. One was a little chocolate bowl with mousse, whipped cream, and topped with a chocolate covered cherry. The other was a little key lime pie with e teeny slice of lime in it. Exceptionally tasty. After the wedding reception I dropped off Tom and headed to a bonfire planned by my friend Bruce. I was eating s'mores there hehe. That woulda been enough, but I went to Miranda and Trevor's after and hung out for a while.
Tonight at work we are having a barbecue around 3am. I brought a lot of meat that is marinated in my home-made barbecue sauces, one made from mango, one from pineapple.
The title: Pink Floyd - Mother
Friday, May 9, 2008
This is a land of confusion.
Some of my friends clarified my maybe invite to a concert. This is Utah, people get married in under 3 months. Yeah, they're right.
So, I have 4 tickets to see Jack Johnson in August. Probably about 2 weeks before the concert I'll try to track down some people that want to go, and if I ask you and you already have something planned that you can't get out of, then you just don't want to go bad enough.
Over the past week I had a spectacular dinner at Tucanos, got a box of cookies from my friend Dana in MA, went climbing at Momentum till I couldn't use my arms, worked out with my trainer, went on a long bike ride up a mountain. I'm sure there was more, but I forget what happened this week.
I saw a posting on www.lifehacker.com about hacked firmware that you can run on canon cameras to add a bunch of functionality. I can now take pictures in RAW, which rocks. Lots of other features too.
The title: Genesis - Land of Confusion
So, I have 4 tickets to see Jack Johnson in August. Probably about 2 weeks before the concert I'll try to track down some people that want to go, and if I ask you and you already have something planned that you can't get out of, then you just don't want to go bad enough.
Over the past week I had a spectacular dinner at Tucanos, got a box of cookies from my friend Dana in MA, went climbing at Momentum till I couldn't use my arms, worked out with my trainer, went on a long bike ride up a mountain. I'm sure there was more, but I forget what happened this week.
I saw a posting on www.lifehacker.com about hacked firmware that you can run on canon cameras to add a bunch of functionality. I can now take pictures in RAW, which rocks. Lots of other features too.
The title: Genesis - Land of Confusion
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