Monday, June 27, 2011
Birthday girl
Yep, it was Lauren's birthday not too long ago. She is officially working on her third decade of life. Congratulations! I made her this cake and we ate it every day until it went bad. Well, it was more of me eating it. Seems as though I will keep eating things even after they start growing bacteria. Hey, it makes me a stronger person ;-)
Interesting bits of Vegas
Here are a couple of weird things you might see while strolling around Las Vegas strip.
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| Little alien decorations in a clothing store. See, aliens aren't mean... no matter what the movies say! |
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| I found China's source of sewing machines so they can make all of our clothes |
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| A restaurant in the middle of... well... nowhere! |
Transformers! Yep, even in Vegas.
We were walking down Las Vegas Blvd (aka Vegas Strip) and stumbled upon a real life Transformer! Since we were near the Hoover Dam, I'm kind of thinking none of his buddies told him about the new movie and how there is no longer a need to protect the energon cube. Plus, I thought they would be much bigger in person. Anyway, here is Matt having a little fun with Bumblebee.
Siegfried & Roy's Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat (Mirage, Las Vegas)
Need to catch up on a few things from over the past few months. There was a quick trip to Las Vegas where Lauren was surprised by her sister, Winter, and brother-in-law, Matt. She had no idea where we were going until after checking in at the airport and later that night an even bigger surprise when Winter showed up behind her. It was a really fun three days for all of us and the weather wasn't all that bad considering it was pretty early in the year. On our last day, Lauren and I said our goodbyes to Winter and Matt, then headed over to the Secret Garden and Dolphin Habitat at the Mirage. They have some great animals on display and here is a quick video of one of my favorites... the white lion.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Ginormous: The weed that could
No one likes weeds. They are always taking over everything and such a pain to get rid of. We've all gone through the phases of embarrassment when it comes to our yards and weeds. Each day we see our yards and think... Ya, looks good enough today. I can probably go another week or so before I need to get that weed whacker and knock 'em all down. We're all willing to sacrifice some embarrassment for not having to weed so often. So I was wondering... is it possible to have such huge and lush weeds you actually become proud of them?
The last 10 weeks during spring quarter I completely lost touch with my yard. It wasn't even on the brain, period! It was only a couple of weeks ago it finally hit me. I was walking through the yard towards my front door... and... oh man!!! Is that a weed? It was... well... ginormous! I've never seen anything like it and didn't even know weeds could get so big! This particular weed is so big that I've actually grown proud of it and am afraid to take it out. So to answer my earlier question, yes, there does come a time when weeds get so out of control you can actually be proud of them. But I don't necessarily recommend it. Neighbors might not share in your delight.
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| A regular size weed next to my size 12 boot |
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| My pride and joy (notice the same boot at the bottom) |
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| The weed that all other weeds want to become when they grow up |
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| It even blooms at over 5 feet tall! |
The last 10 weeks during spring quarter I completely lost touch with my yard. It wasn't even on the brain, period! It was only a couple of weeks ago it finally hit me. I was walking through the yard towards my front door... and... oh man!!! Is that a weed? It was... well... ginormous! I've never seen anything like it and didn't even know weeds could get so big! This particular weed is so big that I've actually grown proud of it and am afraid to take it out. So to answer my earlier question, yes, there does come a time when weeds get so out of control you can actually be proud of them. But I don't necessarily recommend it. Neighbors might not share in your delight.
911, what is your emergency?
Once in a while I come home from work and feel like I actually helped the world be a better place. Well, let's not get too carried away, so maybe just Monroe. Today was one of those days. It was a crazy Friday night and I was getting case after case and call after call. After a while things can get a little overwhelming but I managed to keep it under control and actually get most of my work done before heading home at 5:30 am. Let me share a few things I've been working on lately....
So imagine you get home one day from another long day on the job. You trudge into the house, placing your keys and wallet on the kitchen counter. Before collapsing on the couch its time to grab the mail. For some reason I've always loved getting the mail. I'm not sure why, but I find it exciting opening up my mailbox and seeing what I got today. Anyway, after grabbing the stack of mail, you flip through it while walking back into the house. A bill, couple of adds, and something from the Department of Licensing. Hmmm... I wonder what that could be? Is my license expiring soon? You flop on the couch and rip open the letter. The headline reads: NOTICE OF SUSPENSION. What!!! How could this be. A quick glance through the letter says you received a traffic infraction and never paid or showed up to court, so now your license will be suspended in less than three weeks. Only problem is, you've never had a ticket and have no idea how this all happened. Now your head is spinning and trying to reason some sort of solution. You've worked so hard your whole life to avoid this type of stuff from happening and somehow it still is. How am I ever going to find time to fix this? Working full time plus any overtime shift you can get, because you wife is a stay at home mom taking care of your two year old daughter.
The following day while you're at work, she takes the baby and drives 40 minutes to the DOL hoping to figure it all out. But unfortunately it gets even worse. There are two outstanding tickets and the second one hasn't even "hit" the license yet, so even if the first one is fixed or paid for, another will be coming right behind it, sending out another suspension notice. Each time the driver was in a different car, neither of which belong to you. But alas, you do recognize the names of the registered owners. And then it dawns on you... there can only be one person responsible. So you call the police in hopes of solving the problem. You explain how this guy you met many years ago in sixth grade became a close childhood friend. He started hanging out with the wrong crowd in high school and got into drugs. You still hung out with him occasionally but you told him never to bring any of that "stuff" around you or your family. Mostly you keep in contact by phone about every month or so. He is married and from what you have heard, he has a hard time keeping a job and was kicked out of his last home a few weeks ago. Only problem is, both the cars listed on the tickets are in his wife's name. Of course, he drives them but never could get a loan because of bad credit. You can't believe this old friend would use your name to get out of a ticket and create a mess of your own life.
Well, it's not quite that cut and dry. The suspect actually has four outstanding warrants, one for a felony charge. Plus, his driving status is suspended. Both times he was stopped he told the officers that he had forgotten his driver's license at home. So he told them your name, address, date of birth, and social security number. Yep, he had all that info. Why, because bad guys go to great lengths to stay out of trouble. Since both of you have the same physical characteristics listed on a driver's license, neither officer saw a reason to not believe him, and now your life is upside down.
But don't worry, my work is not done here. After a photo montage and tracking down where the suspect works, it looks like his days of criminal impersonation and hiding from all those warrants is about to end in a screeching halt. The plan is to take him while he is working next week. Because in my rule book, when you mess with another person's life, I'm going to mess with yours. See ya soon, sleezbag.
In other news, there were two barking dogs late at night that would not quiet down. I literally listened for over 20 minutes and there was never a break in barking for more than 15 seconds. So, the owner gets to see the judge. Nothing will probably happen, but that's the least I can do for neighbors who are tortured with nightmares of barking dogs every night.
Of course, there was the super fat guy who decided to have a party at his house with a few of his buddies. They were hanging out on the back porch drinking and being loud so all the world could here. We stopped by and gave them a polite warning. About an hour later, another complaint from the same neighbor. So I stroll over there in my patrol car and listen for a while. Yep, pretty loud and again they are on the back deck, just after we had told them to take it inside for the night. Being the nice guy that I am, I knock on the door and tell the guy to keep it down and make sure they close all the windows and doors so the neighbors won't be disturbed. I also clearly explain this is his last warning for the night. Of course he is completely inebriated and his breath wreaks of alcohol. I hang out in the neighborhood for few minutes to see what happens. Not more than 10 minutes later, they open the back door and start yelling at each other. And let me tell you, it was not the kind of language you would want your children listening to. The least they could have done is shouted "earmuffs"! I listened for a while and heard them say some not so nice things about the cop who had just come by. After a few more minutes, I rang the doorbell and super fat and drunk guy answered again. I told him he was outside and being very loud after I had just warned him. Of course he started arguing and trying to tell me they never went outside. What a joke. I saw them with my very own eyes and even told him that, but somehow through all his drunkenness haze, he thought his point was still valid. The warnings were all out for the night and I told him I'd be back to give him a criminal infraction so he could explain everything to the judge. I wrote the infraction, walked back up to the house, and rang the doorbell. I peaked through the window and saw the guy duck behind the staircase and try to crawl upstairs without being seen. Of course he was way too fat and I could see the top of his back over the stairwell. He never came the door, which is fine by me because I'll send it through the mail and if he doesn't show up in court, then he'll have a warrant. Of course for the warrant I get to take him to jail and that will make my day!
Yep, got a lot done today. There is lots more to share, but this was the fun part. Now its after 7 am and I'm excited because today is Saturday. Which means Lauren has the day off! It will be our first day off together in a long time. Plus, as of this past Tuesday, my 80 hour work week (with school and all) is finally over until the fall. Now I can focus all my attention on a certain wedding coming up...
So imagine you get home one day from another long day on the job. You trudge into the house, placing your keys and wallet on the kitchen counter. Before collapsing on the couch its time to grab the mail. For some reason I've always loved getting the mail. I'm not sure why, but I find it exciting opening up my mailbox and seeing what I got today. Anyway, after grabbing the stack of mail, you flip through it while walking back into the house. A bill, couple of adds, and something from the Department of Licensing. Hmmm... I wonder what that could be? Is my license expiring soon? You flop on the couch and rip open the letter. The headline reads: NOTICE OF SUSPENSION. What!!! How could this be. A quick glance through the letter says you received a traffic infraction and never paid or showed up to court, so now your license will be suspended in less than three weeks. Only problem is, you've never had a ticket and have no idea how this all happened. Now your head is spinning and trying to reason some sort of solution. You've worked so hard your whole life to avoid this type of stuff from happening and somehow it still is. How am I ever going to find time to fix this? Working full time plus any overtime shift you can get, because you wife is a stay at home mom taking care of your two year old daughter.
The following day while you're at work, she takes the baby and drives 40 minutes to the DOL hoping to figure it all out. But unfortunately it gets even worse. There are two outstanding tickets and the second one hasn't even "hit" the license yet, so even if the first one is fixed or paid for, another will be coming right behind it, sending out another suspension notice. Each time the driver was in a different car, neither of which belong to you. But alas, you do recognize the names of the registered owners. And then it dawns on you... there can only be one person responsible. So you call the police in hopes of solving the problem. You explain how this guy you met many years ago in sixth grade became a close childhood friend. He started hanging out with the wrong crowd in high school and got into drugs. You still hung out with him occasionally but you told him never to bring any of that "stuff" around you or your family. Mostly you keep in contact by phone about every month or so. He is married and from what you have heard, he has a hard time keeping a job and was kicked out of his last home a few weeks ago. Only problem is, both the cars listed on the tickets are in his wife's name. Of course, he drives them but never could get a loan because of bad credit. You can't believe this old friend would use your name to get out of a ticket and create a mess of your own life.
Well, it's not quite that cut and dry. The suspect actually has four outstanding warrants, one for a felony charge. Plus, his driving status is suspended. Both times he was stopped he told the officers that he had forgotten his driver's license at home. So he told them your name, address, date of birth, and social security number. Yep, he had all that info. Why, because bad guys go to great lengths to stay out of trouble. Since both of you have the same physical characteristics listed on a driver's license, neither officer saw a reason to not believe him, and now your life is upside down.
But don't worry, my work is not done here. After a photo montage and tracking down where the suspect works, it looks like his days of criminal impersonation and hiding from all those warrants is about to end in a screeching halt. The plan is to take him while he is working next week. Because in my rule book, when you mess with another person's life, I'm going to mess with yours. See ya soon, sleezbag.
In other news, there were two barking dogs late at night that would not quiet down. I literally listened for over 20 minutes and there was never a break in barking for more than 15 seconds. So, the owner gets to see the judge. Nothing will probably happen, but that's the least I can do for neighbors who are tortured with nightmares of barking dogs every night.
Of course, there was the super fat guy who decided to have a party at his house with a few of his buddies. They were hanging out on the back porch drinking and being loud so all the world could here. We stopped by and gave them a polite warning. About an hour later, another complaint from the same neighbor. So I stroll over there in my patrol car and listen for a while. Yep, pretty loud and again they are on the back deck, just after we had told them to take it inside for the night. Being the nice guy that I am, I knock on the door and tell the guy to keep it down and make sure they close all the windows and doors so the neighbors won't be disturbed. I also clearly explain this is his last warning for the night. Of course he is completely inebriated and his breath wreaks of alcohol. I hang out in the neighborhood for few minutes to see what happens. Not more than 10 minutes later, they open the back door and start yelling at each other. And let me tell you, it was not the kind of language you would want your children listening to. The least they could have done is shouted "earmuffs"! I listened for a while and heard them say some not so nice things about the cop who had just come by. After a few more minutes, I rang the doorbell and super fat and drunk guy answered again. I told him he was outside and being very loud after I had just warned him. Of course he started arguing and trying to tell me they never went outside. What a joke. I saw them with my very own eyes and even told him that, but somehow through all his drunkenness haze, he thought his point was still valid. The warnings were all out for the night and I told him I'd be back to give him a criminal infraction so he could explain everything to the judge. I wrote the infraction, walked back up to the house, and rang the doorbell. I peaked through the window and saw the guy duck behind the staircase and try to crawl upstairs without being seen. Of course he was way too fat and I could see the top of his back over the stairwell. He never came the door, which is fine by me because I'll send it through the mail and if he doesn't show up in court, then he'll have a warrant. Of course for the warrant I get to take him to jail and that will make my day!
Yep, got a lot done today. There is lots more to share, but this was the fun part. Now its after 7 am and I'm excited because today is Saturday. Which means Lauren has the day off! It will be our first day off together in a long time. Plus, as of this past Tuesday, my 80 hour work week (with school and all) is finally over until the fall. Now I can focus all my attention on a certain wedding coming up...
Saturday, March 26, 2011
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
A new family member
Exciting news! Lauren and I are engaged! After dinner we took a walk to a private cabana in one of the pool areas and after sipping on some wine we walked over to the railing, which was overlooking the ocean waves crashing onto the shore. I got down on one knee and asked my wonderful sweetheart if she would marry me. She said yes! We are making phone calls now to celebrate the news and soon it will be time to start planning the wedding.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Hola from Mexico
What a difference a few hours in a plane can make. Lauren and I escaped the rain and cold of Seattle for the warmth and sun of Mexico. It was in the low 40's when we left and a balmy 82 degrees after landing. We are loving every minute of it. Since I have a little extra time on my hands (with no school or work), what better to do with it than share some photos with family and friends. By the way, just got my grades for winter quarter. A 3.9 in U.S. Economics and 3.7 in Terrorism. Next Tuesday begins another grueling session of school. I also will likely be taking classes this summer so I can graduate next summer. Anyway, enjoy the photos!
My gorgeous, wonderful loving girlfriend Lauren... and me. Don't worry, I am super happy but taking an 18 month hiatus from showing teeth during smiles because of ugly braces put on last week.
View of Sunset Plaza Resort (our home for a week) with swim up bar at lower right.
Enjoying breakfast on our balcony.
A sunset view from the other side of our balcony.
Three pools and three jacuzzis. Life is so hard!
Private cabanas in the adult pool.
Self explanatory.
Getting tan... okay, a little burnt.
The living room/kitchen area.
A few pics of a very lovely woman.
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