Updates

I apologize now for the uninspired title.

Boy, I can't believe it's been 3 months since I last posted here. Just a sign of the fact that summer has been going by so fast and there just aren't enough hours in the day. While quite a bit has happened in the last 3 months, I figure I'd only keep the updates to things more recent and upcoming.

Cindy's birthday was earlier this week, and we went out with some of her family to dinner at Kona Grill in Lincolnshire. Besides from an uneducated waiter pronouncing the name Hana like it was some pop singer named Montana and not the real way to say it, it was a lovely evening. We followed it up the following day by going out to Six Flags for the first time in about 3 years. With the economy the way it is now, the park was relatively empty for a weekday and we were getting on rides with only about a 5 minute wait. We topped it off with a walk around Gurnee Mills just to make sure our feet weren't completely tired after a full day of walking.

Our 5 year wedding anniversary is coming up next month, and we're planning to head out to Door County for an extended weekend. You think the summer has gone by so fast, where did the last 5 years go? We can still remember all the fun that was had by all on our wedding day, and those little flower girls Kaitie and Kasey are already starting their freshman year of high school this week. Jeez.

On the Maui front, we picked a time for our next trip in February. We're targeting the last two weeks of February to see the whales during the peak season this time. We're waiting on when the Pacific Whale Foundation will be hosting their annual Whale Day, which is something we definitely want to check out.

Budgets are still a little tight right now, but we're hoping to be ready to book our trip by mid-November. Any side work I'm able to pick up between now and then is going to be a big help, too.

Also in Maui-related news, I just launched a new photo store, Maui Wall Candy. It features my favorite photos from our visits to Maui over the years and with it I hope to Share the Aloha of Maui with fans of the Valley Isle. I'm not looking to quit my day job and become a professional photographer, but if it does end up bringing in a few extra dollars over the years, all the better. You can read more about it at the official announcement.

Last time, I think I mentioned a little bit about how I was trying to lose weight and setting goals for myself. Well, I'm about 2 weeks ahead of my most recent goal, and down below 200 lbs for the first time in at least six years. It's starting to take a little bit more work than it was when I was starting out, but I'm sticking to it and still making good progress. Heck, I might even go back to playing hockey this winter, too. :)


That's about it for now. We're planning out the details and activities for our Door County trip, and I plan on bringing my cameras with to get some good shots from out there. Cindy will be bringing her journal, too, so at some point I'll be posting all the details from that sometime in October.

Bye.

Happy Memorial Day

Well, whether the weather is consistently in agreement or not, summer is officially underway. Sitting next the freshly cleaned pool at my cousins house, all the younger kids are off at the park leaving for some peace and quiet for the rest of us, finally.

The weather today isn't that bad, although there is a threat of storms later in the evening. Probably the nicest day and the most sun we've been able to enjoy since coming back from Maui last month. The weather for the rest of the week isn't supposed to be as nice, but the weekend (still far a way) is going to be better.

Its not going to matter as much for me this next few weeks since I'll be traveling for business. This week it's down to Austin for a few days to visit our company's headquarters, and the following week is for Microsoft's TechEd convention in Orlando. Both are first times each for me, and I haven't traveled on business for about two years now.

Aside from that, still working on updates from our trip to Maui in April. We had dinner with Cindy's aunt and uncle last week, so we relived our trip with them as well. By now, it seems like it's been more than just a month since we've been back, but it's always like that. :)

Too soon to be counting down to our next trip in February. We certainly don't want to rush through these summer months, assuming we get the sunshine and warmth we're looking for.

Aloha for now.

Overdue for an Update

Not surprising, a lot can happen in a month when you're not keeping your blog updated (not this one, anyway). Since my last post here, we've already gone back to Maui for our third trip, and as it feels now, it's like we never left. If you're interested, you can read all of our vacation blog posts here.

Mother's day was last Sunday, as sure sign that summer is coming. My brothers and I got her an iPod after she had borrowed one from my cousins for our vacation. One of them helped put her list of music on it for her, and she's starting to get the hang of it pretty quick.

Speaking of signs of summer, Cindy and I just got back from our first Schaumburg Flyers game of the season. It was a good game, but I forgot how many obnoxious kids there are at those things. Sheesh. Did a few shots with my camera early on in the game and near then end when it was darker and the lights were on. Also tried taking a few shots of the fireworks show afterwards. I'll see how they came out, but it could just be practice for the 4th.

A few other notable items. I'm munching on grapes as I type this, and over the last few months I've been trying to cut back on most of the garbage I've been eating for the last few years and work off some of the extra pounds. It started actually on March 1st after the dentist. I had three cavities filled all at once, and after that miserable hour in the dentist chair, I swore of soda for good, cold turkey. Considering the amount of Mountain Dew I consumed at the time, it was no small feat.

But actually, it wasn't that bad after about the first week. By the second week, I was giving up things like french fries and crap like that. Now, more than two months later, I'm off of things like chips, deserts, chocolate, cookies, you name it. I'm probably down to about 1,400 calories a day, which has been helping me shed a few pounds. This morning, I was at 240 lbs, which is impressive since I can't remember the last time I was below 240. Shooting for 220 lbs would be pretty nice, 200 lbs would be absolutely amazing, considering my "fighting weight" back in my senior year was 180 lbs. That was when I was playing hockey 5 times a week.

The easiest part is probably not having a timeline to accomplish it by. Just taking it a day at the time, trying to stay energized and on the right path. It's been a good test of will power and self control.

I'm also going to try and get in the habit of contributing more often to this blog, even if it's just a few notes each day. It could happen. :)

One week left

This time next week, we'll be soaring high in the sky, somewhere between the west coast and the Hawaiian islands. Needless to say, we're excited.

Getting the last finishing touches and shopping in so we can start packing. As you'd expect, after a long, cold winter here in Chicago and a wet and damp start to spring, its finally starting to warm up just as we're about to leave. I'm actually sitting outside on our balcony on my laptop, and to my joy, the Dell XPS laptop I bought two months ago have a brighten screen to be used outside in bright sunlight. Sweet!

Part of me thinks this upcoming week is going to drag on, but I do think it's going to fly by and the days are just going to fly off the calendar until that long, exhausting (although well worth it) direct flight to Kahului. We should know by about Wednesday what our budget is going to look like for our trip, which will be a good indication of how many additional things we'll be able to do outside of what we've booked and paid for already. I don't see us spending too much extra as we've done in the past, but you never know.

Most of my energy (from a blogging perspective) will be focused on our Ka'anapali Dreamin' blog, as I keep track of our day-to-day activities like I did last year. In fact, I'll probably go back through last year's posts just to get a feel for what I'd like to keep the same or do differently. Either way, its going to be a blast.

Astronomy Log: 2008-04-02

Date: 4/2/08
Time: 10:30pm - 11:30pm
Location: N 42' 0' 42, W 87' 48' 36'

Notes:
10:30pm - Watched Orion's belt set WSW just above the horizon (roughly 15 deg). Also found Betelgeuse and Almeisan (from Gemini).
SW - Viewed Procyon in Canis Minor without optics, and saw faint few of Gomeisa nearby.

11:00pm - Viewing S, saw Alphard (from Hydra) threw the tops of the trees. Without binoculars, spotted Regulus (from Leo) and Saturn nearby. Also observed with binos to find nearby stars from Leo.

11:13pm - Starting shooting Leo and Saturn (Photo ~5794). Switched to 300mm lens.

11:20pm - Switched back to W. Viewed Pollux and Castor (from Gemini) without aid. Mars was also visible without binos, but it was just up against the top of the balcony and the side of the building. Could not get a good view with binos.

Vacation, Here We Come

To say that work has been wearing me down would be an understatement. With our vacation less than two weeks away, we can almost smell the ocean water. Yay.

Energy levels have been kind of low for the passed month or two, so things outside of banging code at the office have been mostly on hold. I am starting a new digital photography class next week, so that should help bring back a little variety and interest in after work activity.

In addition to that, I've been preparing for an even more educated round of astrophotography, to follow up on my unplanned attempts last year. I've been doing a fair amount of reading and research, as well as getting a few new toys. All the reading I've been doing has sparked a new interest in astronomy, and with the warmer summer months approaching, there's going to be many long nights ahead.

As I mentioned, things have been kind of draining, so I won't add too much more. I think once we return back from vacation, the rest and relaxation will make things feel like new again.

Lunar Eclipse Photos

Small, minor update. I was out in the freezing Chicago winter night on Wednesday taking photos of the lunar eclipse. Besides the fact that it was about 5 degrees outside, the sky was completely clear and visibility was perfect. Here are the better photos I took (although I haven't picked a favorite yet).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/webnelly/sets/72157603959933629/