I'm Here You're There

Hey It's June

2005-06-01T16:49:00.000-07:00

Wow time flies. Obviously the weeds have been sprouting up pretty thick here at the I'm Here You're There blog. Summer has crept up on us. I am going to be taking a full-fledged hiatus away from this blog for a while. A project that has been slowly moving along is finally coming to fruition, and I'm clearing my calendar to devote time and energy to that and other projects. Plus with the baby on the way, I have a lot to prepare for.

There are plenty of more interesting blogs out there, so I'm sure this one won't be missed. Perhaps once things shake out, I'll return to more frequent posting on this blog.

Always a Little Giant

2005-05-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Wabash College President Andy Ford announced that he would retire at the end of the 2005-2006 academic year. Ford came to Wabash my sophomore year, and impressed everyone with his quick immersion into the traditions of the College. Twelve years later, Andy Ford has left an impressive legacy of expansion and improvement. The next President will have big shoes to fill.

Best of luck to Andy and Anne in future endeavors. You'll always be a Little Giant.

Another long delay of not posting

2005-05-06T07:54:00.000-07:00

Posts to the blog have been scarce over the past month as I've been ramping up activity on another blog. I'll try to get back to posting comments here on a regular basis.

Last night my Indiana Pacers lost another opportunity to close out the rival Boston Celtics, losing at home in overtime 92-89. So many missed opportunities, too many to single out. I have to say that the Pacers should have been able to take a better shot at the end of the game than Reggie's air ball. I wanted to see him drill the 3 just as much as the fans at Conseco Fieldhouse, but he missed by a mile. Hopefully they'll regroup and knock those thugs out once and for all Saturday night. The series is currently tied 3-3. Winner gets a date with the even-more evil Detroit Pistons.

Catching Up

2005-04-21T07:05:00.000-07:00

This blog has been a little neglected lately. Last week I was traveling back in Indiana: visiting friends & family, the old college campus, the IU Natatorium, driving a loop around 465 and all points around Central Indiana. It was a good visit, but I'm glad to be back in the DC Metro area.

For my trip, I flew on Independence Air from Dulles to Indy and back. This is probably the friendliest airline I've ever flown on. No hassles, no baggage to claim, clean planes, friendly flight attendants - it was great and completely worth the drive out to Dulles. I had a great experience, much better than A.'s horrible return via Northworst and US Air.

Last night, the Indiana Pacers sent off retiring guard Reggie Miller in style, topping the Chicago Bulls 85-83. The Pacers now face off against the #3 seeded Boston Celtics Saturday in the NBA Playoffs. What better way for the Pacers to send off Reggie Miller than an extended run in the Playoffs. I hope they sweep the Celtics once again, and rematch the evil Detroit Pistons.

Why Not 40 Cents? - Friday Roundup

2005-04-08T14:01:00.000-07:00

It's Friday. Yeah.

A few things - the Postal Service has announced plans to raise the rate for a first class stamp from 37 cents to 39 cents. Why not raise it to 40 cents? This will definitely lead to more Internet payment of bills, it already is in my household.

The weekend shouldn't be a complete wash out in DC, so get out and see the Cherry Blossoms. I'm planning to get up early Sunday and take some photos, and if I get my act together I plan to post them on the site via Flickr Monday. The Cherry Blossoms are at peak, which means the tourists will be too. Go early and take Metro.

To TiVo Sunday: Pacers v. Knicks (Reggie Miller's last game against the hated Knicks in Indianapolis). Earlier this week, Reggie said goodbye to Madison Square Garden, helping the Pacers win in NY, keeping the late season playoff push alive.

I forgot to add previously that I correctly picked North Carolina as the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Champion, and correctly picked that they would beat Illinois. ESPN has already started ranking next season's top basketball teams. So far, no one thinks much of Indiana. I disagree. And the Big Ten will be STRONG next year.

Spring Weather Arrives

2005-04-05T02:21:00.000-07:00

Amazing day in DC today. Clear, sunny skies, low humidity, temperatures near 70 - makes one want to take a personal health day and enjoy the great spring weather. More of the same and better for tomorrow.

I've been a little sidetracked on other things lately, and have been neglecting to update this blog. I'll try to post more frequently in the future.

Applebee's To Buy Naming Rights For New Colts Stadium

2005-04-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

Although the stadium has yet to be built, the Indianapolis Colts announced today that Applebee's International has completed $60 million deal for the stadium naming rights. Colts fans will be "Eating Good In the Neighboorhood" at the new Applebee's Stadium. Competing restaurant Chili's lost out in the bidding process, so Colts fans will have to look elseware for baby back ribs while watching Peyton Manning throw touchdowns.

*Ok, no the Colts didn't announce this yesterday. April Fools. But Gov. Mitch Daniels did propose a 1% eatery tax to help fund the stadium. And we all know what eateries will end up supplying the highest portion of revenues for the stadium - that's right chains. Indianapolis might just be the chain restaurant capital of the US. Nothing wrong with that, but Applebee's might as well sponsor the stadium while they're sending tax payments to the State/City/Capital Improvement Board/Colts.

Where did the sun go?

2005-03-28T12:46:00.000-08:00

Rain rain rain. Blah. I can't remember the last time it was sunny here in DC. Maybe last Tuesday or Wednesday. It has been gray and overcast for several days now. I'm ready for some 70 degree temps and sunshine.

Although the weather was crappy, the weekend was good. I saw some great basketball games (Michigan State beating Duke and Kentucky was outstanding), some art and had plenty of good food. We visited the National Gallery of Art on Saturday for the wonderful Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit. I'm ready for a visit to Paris now. The exhibit runs through June 12, and the wait in line is worth it.

Before hitting the museums, we walked around the Capitol Building, through a Taiwan protest, and stopped for lunch at Teaism down by the Archives-Navy Memorial Metro stop. Nice little place, I'd go again.

Yesterday's Easter brunch was at Bilbo Baggins, an Old Town Alexandria favorite.

Spring has arrived

2005-03-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

Spring in DC is definitely here. Yesterday's sunny skies have been replaced by spring rains, the cherry blossoms are about ready to burst open, and the long bitter days of winter are being replaced by warmer temperatures.

IU has officially retained Coach Mike Davis for at least one more year, basically telling him to win, win, win. With the talent-loaded team available next season, that should not be a problem. I hope they're near the top of the Big Ten, Top 10 team next year.

NCAA Tournament games resume tomorrow.

Hey It's Friday

2005-03-18T15:35:00.000-08:00

What a week. Monday's Rusted Root show was great. Probably the best I've heard a band sound from the upper right balcony at the 9:30 Club. I like the sounds off their latest studio album, but I wish they would have played more from "Remember". Oh well, still a fun show.

Tuesday I watched Oakland play their way into a game against #1 North Carolina in the Opening Game of the NCAA Tournament.

Wednesday was my birthday, and I celebrated with fellow college alumni before returning home to watch IU mail in a horrible, uninspired performance at home to Vanderbilt in the NIT. IU finished the season 15-14. Not a good finish to the season for Mike Davis & Co. IU needs to be impressive to start the season next year.

I'm saying now - the Big Ten will be back in a big way next season. The ACC and Big East better watch out, because the Big Ten will challenge for best basketball conference in the country. That makes Mike Davis' job that much tougher, since IU must finish near the top in the conference, if not win the Big Ten and advance far in the NCAA Tournament next year. IU will have the talent and experience for a title run next year.

Yesterday, NCAA Tournament games kicked into high gear. I correctly picked 13 out of 16 games, including the Wisconsin-Milwaukee win, Nevada and Pacific.

The weekend looks to be filled with basketball and more basketball, plus the temperatures are turning spring-like in DC. Things are going really well. Enjoy the weekend.

Let the festivities begin

2005-03-14T08:57:00.000-08:00

On Friday I swore off watching basketball for about an hour, only to get sucked into March Madness all over again. Okay, so IU is playing in the NIT (Wednesday night at 8:00 pm vs Vanderbilt) and is looking on the outside while Iowa played their way into the Tournament with a win over Michigan State and near-win over Wisconsin (can a team win more buzzer-beaters in a season?).

Now that the Tournament field is set, I'll be pouring over stats and trends for the next couple of days to make my picks (which usually end of wrong, but it is fun anyway). On first glance, I have Illinois, Gonzaga, UCONN and Duke in the Final Four. Right now, I'm picking UCONN and Illinois in the Championship, with UCONN to repeat. This will probably change by Wednesday night though.

The NIT looks very interesting this year. I like how IU and Maryland are on opposite sides of the bracket. I'd love to see an IU-Maryland rematch of the 2002 NCAA Championship in the NIT Final. I might even drive to NYC to catch the final if that happened. Go Hoosiers, win one for my birthday.

Tonight the week of festivities begins with Rusted Root at the 9:30 Club. NCAA Tournament starts tomorrow with the Opening Game.

* Update - Upon further review, I'm picking North Carolina to win it all.

BAAAGH!!!!!

2005-03-11T16:40:00.000-08:00

I'm really glad I can't watch IU knock itself out of consideration for the NCAA Tournament. I've been following the live gametracker on NCAASports.com, and apparently Minnesota has just won 71-55 in the 4-5 game of the Big Ten Tournament. Since it is hard to tell from the gametracker exactly what went wrong, I don't know what IU did to get blown out. Missing free throws might be one thing wrong. They seems to start the second half pretty well, and DJ White was keeping them in the game. I definitely won't be reviewing the game on the tivo when I get home from work.

Ugh. They're probably looking at the NIT now. Mike Davis should be back next season. IU was a young team that played a killer preseason schedule and did an admirable job staying in the Big Ten race to finish 10-6. That phantom loss to Charlotte earlier in the year killed them and their chances at the NCAA Tournament (that and losing at the buzzer to Wisconsin last week). Maybe the Committee will take that into consideration, but I doubt it.

My predictions aren't the best, but watch out, IU will have a top 5 team next season.

Spring for a day, now back to Winter

2005-03-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was a wonderful early Spring day in DC. Temperatures hovered near 70, and skies were clear. I rolled up the sleves on my shirt and walked down in M Street, enjoying the great weather. Alas, winter reared back it's bitch slap, returning us to the cold, blustery, snowy weather normally reserved for late January/ early February.

The lesson for this week is survival. Just make it through a few more days. The weather is going to turn around, Spring will stop teasing us and return.

Looking ahead to big things, on Friday at 2:30, IU plays Minnesota in the Big Ten Tournament. The winner likely gets a bid to the NCAA Tournament, along with a 1:30 Saturday date with now vulnerable Illinois (unless Northwestern pulls a shocker). Don't forget, I called it here first, IU beats Illinois to make it to the Big Ten Tournament Final.

March is Busy

2005-03-03T10:10:00.000-08:00

Wow this month is shaping up to be full of exciting events. Saturday is the annual Old Town Alexandria St. Patrick's Day Parade and dog show (yes, St. Patrick's Day is two weeks later). Be sure to enjoy some pints at Pat Troy's Irish Pub, Murphy's or if it is open, the new Daniel O'Connell's pub on King Street (where the old Bullfeather's used to be). Saturday also features plenty of college basketball as Championship Week kicks off on ESPN.

The following week features basketball, basketball and more basketball! On March 14, Rusted Root is bringing their high energy spin-dance inducing show to the 9:30 Club. The NCAA Tournament begins on Tuesday, March 15 with the play-in game. My birthday follows on March 16, with St. Patrick's Day the next day and the opening round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Championship. Basketball madness continues throughout the weekend.

On Sunday, March 20, I break myself away from college basketball just long enough to tag along to the Indigo Girls show at the 9:30 Club. March 21 is a big day, and more will be posted later. My parents come to visit us later that weekend, and it is the start of the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in DC. Plus more basketball!

Whew! Big events all around this month. Hopefully the warm weather will come join us, it is pretty cold here.

More on IU Basketball

2005-03-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

Back in December and January, I was complaining about IU Coach Mike Davis and his job with the team. Over the past few weeks, Davis has changed my point of view. The team has played great basketball, with big wins at Michigan, Purdue, and at home over Michigan State. While the team lost last night, their inspired play is clearly better than during the pre-Big Ten losing streak. Davis deserves another shot next season, when he should have the talent in place to compete for a Big Ten Championship and NCAA Tournament spoils. In January I thought getting 10 wins in the Big Ten would be a tall order, but with a win Saturday on Senior Day against Northwestern, IU will reach 10 wins heading into the Big Ten Tournament. If IU wins the 4-5 game (likely against Minnesota), IU would be 16-12 heading into a potential showdown with #1 Illinois.

I'm going to call it right now, IU beats Illinois in the Big Ten Tournament, ending the Illini's hopes for a perfect season. The win sends IU to the NCAA Tournament, where it will probably get a #10 seed and have to pull a first round upset against a team from the ACC or Big East. Mark it down. I'll see how accurate I am on March 17 or 18.

Update - Today's Bracketology on ESPN has Texas Tech at a #7 seed playing #10 seed Minnesota. If IU beats Minnesota next week in the 4-5 game, put IU in that slot. Come on Tournament Committee, please pair up Texas Tech and IU! It would be a ratings blockbuster - Bob Knight facing IU for the first time as Texas Tech Coach. Just the thought of the potential match up has me giddy for March Madness.

Heartbreak for the Hoosiers

2005-03-02T06:36:00.000-08:00

Is there any team that has had more last minute, final split second losses this season than Indiana? Last night it happened again, as Indiana lost 62-60 at Wisconsin when Wisconsin's Alando Tucker put back a miss by Mike Wilkinson with .1 SECONDS LEFT on the clock. The shot fell, time expired, and IU lost the game. BAGH!

I still think that if IU wins Saturday at home against Northwestern and then wins the 4-5 game in the Big Ten Tournament they'll be in the Big Dance. We'll see.

Welcome Spring and March Madness

2005-03-01T13:40:00.000-08:00

Ahhh, March 1st. By my calendar, it is the first day of Spring. I survived another winter, mostly snow-free. Bring on the 70 degree temps!

March 1 is also the start of March Madness, the annual race to Selection Sunday and the NCAA Tournament. The madness kicks off tonight with a monster road game for IU at Wisconsin (9:00 EST tip off). I can't wait. Go Hoosiers.

The sun has done its job here in DC, melting away yesterday's snow. Temps should rise throughout the week, although we may get a clipper system over the weekend with a mix of rain and sleet.

I have been a little lazy with reading since the return from Mexico (although my Spanish lessons via the Rosetta Stone software are coming along). I just picked up The Geographer's Library by Jon Fasman. I still need to finish Ghostwritten by David Mitchell and Last Flight Out by Randy Wayne White. I plan to catch up with the reading very soon.

Monday Roundup

2005-02-28T08:13:00.000-08:00

IU's late season run continued yesterday, with a thrilling overtime victory over #9 Michigan State, 78-74. This was IU's biggest win of the season, and their best effort overall. Bracey Wright paced the Hoosiers with 32 points, and freshman center DJ White added 17 points, including the tying shot to send the game to overtime and several key buckets in the extra period.

IU is now 14-11, 9-5 in Big Ten play. Tomorrow, IU faces another tough test on the road at #20 Wisconsin. A win in Madison would surely send the Hoosiers to the NCAA Tournament, setting the stage for a final game at Assembly Hall against Northwestern on Saturday. First things first, Indiana needs to take care of business in Madison and keep winning in the Big Ten Tournament next week.

It's a Monday, and once again it is snowing in Washington DC. I hate snow, but I wouldn't mind getting a snow day today. Hopefully this is the last bit of winter, I'm ready for Spring.

Hey It's Friday

2005-02-25T17:00:00.000-08:00

Whew, what a week! It's 5:00 in DC. Most of yesterday's snow has been melting all day. The weekend looks pretty good, although another storm is looming for Monday into Tuesday.

I'm planning to catch up on a few projects over the weekend, clean the house, get some exercise in tomorrow and Sunday, watch IU beat Michigan State, and maybe watch a movie. I'm also behind on my reading, and on my Spanish lessons. I may have failed to post that one of my goals for 2005 is to learn Spanish. I have been using the Rosetta Stone software, and so far, I think it is going well. Maybe I'll post some blog entries in Spanish in the coming weeks.

Looking down the road, once I get a long delayed project out of the way, I will get back into the habit of working on the novel ideas.

Snow

2005-02-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

While we have been able to avoid the snow most of this winter, we're getting socked today. Most forecasts are calling for snow in the range of 4-8 inches, which is a lot for DC (our 04-05 winter total is 6 inches). Right now, the snow is falling lightly in big flakes, beginning to stick to the grassy areas but predominantly melting on pavement and sidewalks. That will probably change over the next hour or so, and we'll start to see accumulation throughout the day. I sure am looking forward to shovelling tonight.

As annoying as the snow is, on this beautiful morning, I don't really mind. Big changes are coming, and I am really looking forward to it.

IU Rolls Over Purdue

2005-02-23T08:47:00.000-08:00

IU continued their Big Ten turnaround last night with a complete woodshedding of Purdue, 79-62. The victory pushed the Hoosiers to a 13-11, 8-5 record, and sent Purdue tumbling to a 7-17, 3-10 record in Coach Gene Keady's final season. IU hopes to continue the late season run against Michigan State on Sunday.

Slowly recovering from the long weekend

2005-02-22T09:00:00.000-08:00

Still suffering from the lingering effects of a nasty cold. Fortunately, I had a long weekend because of the President's Day Holiday to recover. My spirits were also lifted this weekend when the Indiana Hoosiers once again outclassed the evil Michigan Wolverines, sending them to their 10th straight loss in the 70-63 victory. IU hit 14 3's in the road win, without strong performances from Bracey Wright and freshman star DJ White. IU needs to follow up the Michigan game with a big win tonight at home against in-state rivals Purdue (7-16) if they want to have a shot at an NCAA Tournament berth.

With March quickly approaching, I'm also pleased to see that winter is fading away as well. The DC area avoided a potentially frustrating President's Day snowstorm, and now temperatures look to be holding steady in the mid 40s for this week.

V Day Restaurant Review

2005-02-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

Last night A. and I had a wonderful Valentine's Day dinner at Yanyu in Cleveland Park. Yanyu is a two-level Asian restaurant, with great decor and a good location on the corner of Connecticut Avenue at the Cleveland Park Metro station. Yanyu offered a prix fixe V Day dinner, with appetizer course, second course featuring the Big Duck, choice from three entrees, and a creme brulee dessert. The crab claw wonton was delicious, as was the Big Duck (a slice of duck, plum duck sauce and vegetables on a tortilla). I had the steak for the main course, A. had the lobster. Both were great. I didn't care for the creme brulee - too floral. All together, a very nice dinner.

Halfway to March

2005-02-14T12:00:00.000-08:00

Today marks the halfway point in the month of February. Yeah, the calendar says it is Valentine's Day, but it is more important to know that we're in the home stretch for winter. I'm counting two more weeks to go.

Last week was pretty good. Unfortunately, it started with the Pacers dropping one to the rising Wiz, 108-104. However, the week picked up and we caught some hot Broadway dancing action on Thursday at the Warner Theatre for Contact. The Hoosiers beat Minnesota on Saturday, 71-56, and Peyton Manning was named ProBowl MVP for three TDs yesterday.

Keeping it low-key tonight. Looking forward to a good week and a nice long weekend coming up.

Monday Roundup

2005-02-07T08:46:00.000-08:00

Moving a little slow this morning after staying up last night to watch the evil Patriots claim their place in history as a dynasty, beating the Philadelphia Eagles 24-21 in Super Bowl XXXIX. It was a close game, but I don't think that it was completely thrilling either. Yeah, the Eagles had a chance to win at the end, but poor clock management over the last 6-7 minutes of the game didn't help.

Super Bowl commercials were pretty boring this year too. I did like the Ameriquest ad where the cat knocked over the pasta sauce and the FedEx ad with the 10 tips for a "good" Super Bowl ad.

The Indiana Hoosiers dropped an egg in Champaign over the weekend, losing 60-47 to the #1 team in the country. IU will host Minnesota Saturday before traveling to Ohio State next Tuesday.

Tonight, the Indiana Pacers come to DC. Hopefully, we'll see a Pacers win.

Wins and Losses All Around

2005-02-03T08:24:00.000-08:00

Last night, the Indiana Hoosiers (10-9, 5-3) won a hard-fought Big Ten battle over the lowly Penn State Nittany Lions, 68-63. Unfortunately, IU may have also lost star guard Bracey Wright indefinitely due to an ankle sprain. Wright rolled his ankle on a Penn State player after hitting a key basket early in the 2nd half, and looks to be doubtful for Sunday's key road game at #1 and undefeated Illinois. IU will have to look to its bench for scoring and leadership.

While the Hoosiers found a way to win, the Indiana Pacers found another way to lose, falling to the Toronto Raptors 98-97. The Pacers took the lead off of Jeff Foster's free throws with 1.9 seconds remaining, but on the inbounds play Stephen Jackson committed a stupid foul WITH .4 SECONDS REMAINING to send former Pacer Jalen Rose to the free throw line. Rose hit both shots and the Raptors won the game. .4 SECONDS REMAINING!!!! BAAAGH!

On Monday, the Pacers visit Washington DC to play the formerly crappy but now good Wizards. We'll be there with 17 other college alumni and friends, so Pacers, it's time to end the losing streak and get some wins!

Caracol at Chichen

2005-02-01T10:03:00.000-08:00

Caracol at Chichen
Originally uploaded by pljones.

This photo is of the "Caracol" or observatory at Chichen Itza. We were walking around the southern half of the park during the morning of January 16, and pretty much had the park to ourselves. Some misting rain went through as we hiked around, adding to the eerie backdrop around the Caracol.

One more month of winter

2005-02-01T09:00:00.000-08:00

A bright and sunny good morning on this first day of February. Twenty-eight days and counting to the end of winter. I don't care if the fat rodent in PA "sees" its shadow tomorrow either. Bring on Spring.

Spring is also a time of renewal and self-examination. I've been doing a lot of that lately. The vacation helped me review several things, and I am hopefully taking the steps necessary to ensure that certain life changes happen sooner rather than later. It has been a long wait, so I'm ready for Spring and all that comes with the change of seasons.

Where to go next?

2005-01-31T17:40:00.000-08:00

We've had the good fortune to travel to a number of exciting destinations for vacation over the past couple of years, including our recent Mexican adventure in the Yucatan and Quintana Roo. Once again, it is time to plot future vacation spots. So here's a list of areas I'd like to see sometime in the future, such as: Paris, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Belize, a return trip to Mexico to see ruins at Palenque, Chetumal and stay at Kailuumcito, Iceland, Eastern Europe (Czech Republic, Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia) and a return visit to Italy. That's a fairly long list, but I plan on being around for a while.

I still haven't been to NYC or California, so those are two other destinations we need to fit into our travel schedules.

Although Europe is still pretty expensive, we'd love to go back. Maybe this summer we can take in some sights in Central Europe.

Monday

2005-01-31T13:03:00.000-08:00

Moving right along through this last Monday in January. It is warming up outside and the skies are sunny (still pretty cold though). The forecast for the week looks good too - mid to upper 40s and sunny each day, no snow in the forecast. I'll take that for the first week of February.

Over the weekend, the Indiana Hoosiers stumbled at Iowa, 72-57. Bracey Wright continues to struggle from the 3 point line, and the Hoosiers are threatening to fall back under .500. Not good. Fortunately for IU, Big Ten bottom-dweller Penn State (7-12, 1-5) comes to Bloomington Wednesday. This is a must win for Mike Davis. IU also travels to #1 Illinois Sunday.

February is beginning to look like an exciting month. The Indiana Pacers travel to DC next Monday to take on the improving Washington Wizards. This is our fourth annual "splurge" game, where we get tickets in the lower bowl to watch the Pacers beat the Wiz. The Pacers have gone 2-1 in our previous splurge games (only loss was Michael Jordan's final game against the Pacers in which he dropped 41+ and lead the Wizards to an overtime victory). On Feb. 10, we're planning to see Contact at the Warner Theatre.

Kailuuminating

2005-01-26T17:30:00.000-08:00

I stumbled on this article from the Bradenton Herald this evening about Kailuum II. I second the writer's thoughts. Kailuum was a relaxing, wonderful, "Kailumminating" place. Pics from Kailuum to be posted tomorrow. Also of note, TripAdvisor.com has named Kailuum II to its Traveler's Choice Hotel List for 2004 Within Top Regions. Go before they move to Majahual (near Belize).

While I was away...

2005-01-26T12:56:00.000-08:00

Just catching up on a couple of things I missed while on vacation last week. Once again, the Indianapolis Colts failed to win the big one against their nemesis, the New England Patriots. The mighty Colts offense went up to NE on January 16 and got thumped by the Patriots, 20-3. I'm glad I wasn't around to watch such a pathetic performance. I'm pretty sure that if the Colts had played any other team besides NE, they'd be playing the Eagles in the SuperBowl instead.

My advise to Tony Dungy and the Colts - go get some D to go with that offense. It's time to promote Dominick Rhodes to starting RB and use the money earmarked for Edgerrin James on defense. I'm not sure if Tedy Bruschi or Rodney Harrison are available next season, but I'd rather see them in a Colts uniform than with the dreaded Patriots.

Good luck to the Eagles in the SuperBowl. McNabb deserves one if Peyton can't get his this year.

Unrelated to sports, I've missed posting on one of my other favorite topics, the weather. We returned to DC just in time for the first big snowstorm of the year. About 4 inches of snow tied up roads in our Metro area on Saturday. It has melted for the most part by now, and it is currently sunny and 45 degrees outside. Hopefully winter will be kind to us over the next month.

Pyramid at Chichen Itza

2005-01-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Pyramid at Chichen Itza
Originally uploaded by pljones.

Here is a shot of the great pyramid at Chichen Itza during the morning of our second visit to the park. We had the park mostly to ourselves as we checked out the Southern part of Chichen Itza, featuring the Caracol and temples with Puuc-style architecture.

Merida

2005-01-24T13:43:00.000-08:00

Merida
Originally uploaded by pljones.

Here is a view from the side of the big cathedral in Merida, Mexico. We had a perfect morning for exploring the capital of the Yucatan.

Back from Mexico

2005-01-24T09:14:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful trip in Mexico last week, I really didn't want to come back. The weather was great, the people were friendly, the food was amazing - I could go on and on. Here's a recap of our adventures:

Friday 1/14- Flew into Merida, Mexico. Upon arrival, we learned about the exchange rate between the Peso and the Dollar, paid a taxi to drive us to Casa Mexilio, and explored the various levels and terraces of our hotel. Casa Mexilio is a really cool place. Pictures to be posted tomorrow.

Sat 1/15- Watched the sunrise from the terrace on top of our room. Explored the central zocalo in Merida. Rented our car from Executive. Drove out of Merida and eventually made our way to Chichen Itza. After a number of wrong turns, eventually checked in at Hacidena Chichen Resort. Walked around the Chichen Itza ruins until they kicked us out. Amazing day.

Sun 1/16- Woke up early, walked around ruins at Chichen Itza. Checked out of hotel and drove toward Coba. Stopped for lunch in a Mayan village outside of Valladolid. Made it to Coba by 1:30, hiked around site. Another amazing place - straight out of Indiana Jones. Climbed second pyramid in two days. After buying some mariachi music for the car, we drove from Coba to our next stop north of Playa del Carmen. Arrived just in time to get cleaned up before "tank-up" time at Kailuum II.

Mon 1/17- Woke up with the sunrise, enjoyed a great breakfast at Kailuum II. Walked the beach, used the pool at Capitan Lafite next door. Had lunch at Kailuum II and then went exploring in Playa del Carmen. Returned in time for dinner.

Tues 1/18- Woke up early, ate another great breakfast and drove to Tulum. Beautiful site, but too many cruise ship tourists. Drove from Tulum down the dirt road to Boca Pilar. Had lunch at Cabanas Ana y Jose. Continued down the dirt road and stopped at the Sian Ka'an Bioreserve and rented kayaks. Eventually returned to Kailuum II (1.5 hour drive from Sian Ka'an Visitors Center) in time for dinner.

Wed 1/19- Cloudy and windy on the beach, so we decided to visit Xcaret. Swam with dolphins - very very cool. Walked around Xcaret all day. Returned to Kailuum II in time for dinner.

Thurs 1/20- Enjoyed our last morning on the beach. Said goodbye to Kailuum II and drove to final hotel, Playa Maya Hotel in Playa del Carmen. Located the hotel in time for lunch on the beach. Enjoyed a few hours of good sun and swimming. Walked the town, made some final purchases and had dinner at Di Gabi in Playa.

Fri 1/21- 5:00am wake-up call to make morning flight out of Cancun. Quick 45 minute drive to the airport. Dropped off rental car, went through security, and waited for flight. Return flight to DC arrived around 5:00pm.

Further stories and pictures to be posted soon.

A few things

2005-01-13T14:45:00.000-08:00

It's a busy day so I'll keep this quick. Leaving for the Mexican adventure tomorrow, haven't had time to post pics from Christmas. I will do it at some point, but not today.

The warm weather continues in DC. Currently 70 and sunny with sprinkles of rain at the same time. Weird, but better than winter weather.

Yesterday at Noon, 99.1 WHFS abruptly changed format to Spanish radio. I love Spanish radio and I frequently listen to 92.7. But I also enjoyed listening to the Junkies in the morning on HFS. DC seriously lacks a good rock/alternative radio station. DC 101 sucks, and while HFS wasn't much better, it did bring good bands to the area. I don't have much hope that DC 101 will pick up the slack. Maybe the void will be filled be a new rock/alternative station. If not, I'm looking forward to finding the Junkies on another station soon.

On Sunday, my Indianapolis Colts return to the scene of the crime, Foxboro, Mass, home of the evil New England Patriots, for the AFC Playoffs Divisional Game. I'm hoping Peyton Manning continues his stellar season by finally removing the Bill Belicheck monkey from his back. Unfortunately, I won't get to see the game, as we'll be bushwacking through the Yucatan, but I fully expect the Colts to pull a thrilling 31-24 victory. Go Colts!

While I'm out, IU faces Purdue in West Lafayette. Indiana needs to win one on the road. No better time to get a road win than at reeling Purdue. IU also hosts evil Michigan on Jan. 19. I'm calling an IU win right now, putting the Hoosiers over .500 at 8-7. Go Hoosiers!

More posts upon my return.

"Whoa"

2005-01-11T15:00:00.000-08:00

The keynote of the Macworld Expo has concluded in San Francisco today, meaning that Apple has just launched its latest and greatest on the Apple website. I'm an Apple user and a fan, so it's no surprise I'm excited by today's big announcements - the Apple Mac mini and the iPod Shuffle.

Apple's products are superior to Microsoft PCs, and now finally priced at a level that can take some bite out the PC sales advantage. Simply a huge announcement. The iPod Shuffle is very very cool too. So in the immortal words of Keanu Reeves, I say "Whoa."

More on blog direction

2005-01-10T18:01:00.000-08:00

I tend to blog about the things on my mind - sports, the weather, vacation, food, what I'm reading, etc. I haven't done a lot of blogging on my always-underdevelopment writing ideas. Hopefully I'll do a better job of that after the trip to Mexico.

In the meantime, I intend to post some travel photos from Christmas (shots of snowy Southern Indiana fields, snow-covered pine trees and tractors plowing snow) before we leave for the warmth of the Yucatan. I also plan to post a review our adventures upon our return.

I don't plan to be checking e-mail very often from the road, so Thursday will be my last post until we get back.

Sunny Monday

2005-01-10T08:37:00.000-08:00

The week is off to a good start, with sunny skies and temperatures headed into the 60s. Yesterday, the Indianapolis Colts corraled the Denver Broncos, 49-24. Peyton Manning and the Colts took Denver out of the game early, going up 35-3 at the half. The win sets up another rematch between the Colts and the evil New England Patriots. Game time is set for 4:30 Sunday. Jan. 16.

In addition, the Indiana Hoosiers finally put together a solid game start-to-finish in defeating Wisconsin, 74-61. Bracey Wright scored 30 points, the team played strong defense, and evened the Hoosiers' Big Ten record at 1-1 going into next week's game against arch-rival Purdue. Indiana needed this one bad. Congrats to Mike Davis and the Hoosiers. Now go follow up this win with one at Purdue.

Four days to Mexico...

es sí viernes

2005-01-07T18:00:00.000-08:00

7 days from today we'll be arriving in Merida, Yucatan for the start of our Mexican adventure. I can't wait. Between now and then, there are a few things on the schedule. Tomorrow IU hosts Wisconsin, and Sunday the Indianapolis Colts get to rematch the Denver Broncos.

Next week is also DC Restaurant Week, featuring lunch for $20.05 and dinner for $30.05 at participating restaurants. We plan to take advantage of dinner out once or twice next week. In the past, we've sampled Ten Penh, Gabriel, Jeffrey's at the Watergate (now Aquarelle), 1789, Ortanique and Sea Catch, among others. Of the places we've visted for Restaurant Week, I highly recommend Ten Penh and Gabriel. I personally think 1789 is overrated, but I know others love it.

We have also had dinner at other participating restaurants during non-RW times, such as Petits Plats, Fin, Old Ebbitt Grill, Charlie Palmer Steak, Vidalia, Harry's Tap Room, Neyla, Mie N Yu, The Melting Pot, McCormick & Schmick's, M&S Grill, La Chaumiere, Kinkead's, David Greggory, Clyde's, Ceiba, Cafe Atlantico, Bangkok Joe's and Andale. There are so many choices, it's tough to narrow it down. Enjoy the good eats.

Sports thoughts

2005-01-06T08:57:00.000-08:00

Pummelled. Shellacked. Whalloped. I can think of a few other words to describe IU's 73-52 loss at Northwestern in the Big Ten opener last night, but I think the Star put it best "IU Suffers Worst Loss To Northwestern Since 1914." Ouch, worst loss to the Wildcats in 91 years.

Let me put it this way, Northwestern played International-style basketball while IU looked like the USA National Team at last year's World Championships. Northwestern's scrappy Euro players and big man Mike Thompson outclassed IU with crisp passing, hounding defense and clutch 3s, and they did it without star point guard TJ Parker (brother of San Antonio Spurs point guard Tony Parker).

IU falls to 5-7, 0-1 in the Big Ten. And it doesn't get any easier. Saturday IU hosts 10-2 Wisconsin. After last year's blow-out loss to Wisconsin, Coach Davis said something to the effect of "help is on the way." Well, the help has arrived, the freshmen are improving, but not quickly enough. Davis is a great recruiter, and guided the Hoosiers to the NCAA Championship game against Maryland a few years ago. Unfortunately, the program can't handle two losing seasons in a row. If IU doesn't win 10 games in the Big Ten this season (and that is looking like a tall order right now), Davis will not be the coach next season.

By the way, Steve Alford's Iowa Hawkeyes are 12-2 (after losing to evil Michigan last night), and host IU on January 29 in their only meeting of the regular season. Davis' fate may be sealed by then, but if not, the IU-Iowa game will be a good one to watch.

I really hope IU turns its season around and wins from here on out. Unfortunately, I don't see any indication that they will do that.

As for another Indiana team, the Indianapolis Colts take on the Denver Broncos Sunday in the AFC Wild Card Game. Yesterday, the Broncos secondary called out Indy's receivers, saying they're "soft". Hey Broncos, have you already forgotten about last year's 41-10 blowout in Indy? You're about to remember real quick. Game time is 1:00.

Warm weather continues

2005-01-04T12:49:00.000-08:00

The spring-like weather conditions continue in the DC area today. Various weather sources state that the high for the day is supposed to be 64 degrees, but my own on "feel" test says that temperature is closer to 70. Fantastic.

Hey It's Monday and a New Year

2005-01-03T00:51:00.000-08:00

First post of 2005. It has been a long New Years Weekend, and now we're back. Our wonderfully warm weather in DC seems to have given me some kind of bug, so I feel like I'm fighting a cold today. Blugh.

We stayed close to home over the weekend, grilled fantastic steaks, watched some college basketball, a few movies, and awful football.

Eleven days until Mexico!

Thoughts on Favorite Music of '04

2004-12-30T09:28:00.000-08:00

I was going to bash the Evansville Airport, but instead I will post about something more interesting, my favorite music of 2004.

iTunes has revolutionized the way music can be purchased, and it has definitely altered the way I listen to and buy music. I love the wide selection and 30 second sampling available through iTunes. I also like the iMix feature that allows people to post their favorite mixes of music, exposing millions to new and old favorites. Apple has brought back the single, and set the standard for digital music purchasing.

Here are my favorites of 2004, in no particular order:

Green Day, American Idiot - Not only the best concept album of the year, but this should be on the Best Of list of every music critic or fan. I love Green Day, but this might be in my list of favorite albums ever, and it is definitely their best. A tragic tale of a disaffected youth named "St. Jimmy", this disc really speaks to Generation X. An instant classic, and it made for a fantastic concert on Halloween Night as well.
The Streets, A Grand Don't Come For Free - My second favorite concept album of the year, but only because Green Day's American Idiot was so great. The Streets (aka Mike Skinner) brings us the day in the life of a bloke. It's a moving disc.
Carla Bruni, Quelqu'un m'a dit - She's an Italian supermodel who sings in French, but this is one of my favorite albums of the year. Why? Beautiful voice, acoustic guitar and mellow relaxing music will take you away from where ever you are and transport you to a cafe in the Riviera.
Velvet Revolver, Contraband - It's Guns N' Roses resurrected by Scott Weiland, it's Slash's guitar and a great album.
Pearl Jam, Live at Benaroyal Hall - Fantastic live double disc. An all-acoustic, powerful performance and a must-have for any Pearl Jam fan.
The Killers, Hot Fuss - A pepier Cure, sort of 80's nostalgia sound. All These Things That I've Done is probably my favorite track on this album.
The White Stripes, Blackpool Deluxe EP - this 3 song live ep available through iTunes includes the spectacular cover of Dolly Parton's Jolene. Worth it for this song alone, but also contains a rousing version of Hotel Yorba. I'll probably have to get the whole Blackpool concert.

These are my selections, and I admit there is a lot of music that I haven't heard this year (or heard enough of to make a comment). Armed with iTunes, I'll try to sample some more music in 2005.

Don't Leave Home Without the Belkin Backup Battery

2004-12-29T13:17:00.000-08:00

Before leaving for Christmas I bought the Belkin Backup Battery for iPod. If you own an iPod, and plan to travel, don't leave without buying this product. The Belkin Backup Battery plugs into the dock connector on the bottom of the iPod and attaches to the back with suction cups and a white clip. While adding weight to the iPod, the backup battery provides 15-20 hours of extended play.

The battery came in handy as we waited and waited in Detroit for our connecting flight to Evansville. In addition, I forgot to pack my iPod charger, so the backup battery carried me through the weekend until our return last night.

I was planning to purchase the backup battery anyway for our trip to Mexico. After testing the product over the past 5 days, I think it will work wonders for our upcoming travels. I found mine at Best Buy, but the backup battery is probably available online at a cheaper price.

Life of Pi

2004-12-29T13:04:00.000-08:00

To help pass the time on our journey to Southern Indiana last weekend, I had the pleasure of reading "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. A great book, and quite timely given the tsunami and flooding that ravaged Southern India, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Indonesia this weekend.

Life of Pi is a story about Pi Patel, an Indian boy who survived the sinking of a Pacific cargo ship carrying his family and zoo animals from India to Canada. The story is told mostly through the voice of Patel, who recalls his 227-day ordeal on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Patel is Hindu, Christian and Muslim, and his recount of the voyage and ultimate rescue in Mexico is fascinating and tragic.

I couldn't put it down, and I can see why it won the 2002 Booker Prize for fiction.

A Comparison of Airports

2004-12-29T10:05:00.000-08:00

Another quick post as I get back into the flow on this post-holiday weekend. While we had delays and baggage difficulty getting to Evansville, I can't complain about the Detroit International Airport itself. DTW may be one of the nicest airports that I have traveled through. The "A" Terminal was very clean, had a great people moving system, a wide variety of restaurants, jumbo-sized tvs tuned to CNN, comfortable seating, and a smooth-running plane boarding crew.

The tunnel to the "B" and "C" Terminals is straight out of a DisneyWorld ride, complete with cheesy music and a color-changing wall of glass on either side. I laughed both times we went through the tunnel.

Although the "C" Terminal lacked seating and heat, it wasn't that bad. I wish our plane had been on time, but we eventually made it there.

At the opposite end of the spectrum is the Evansville Airport. I realize it is small regional airport, but there are a few things that EVV (or airline employees stationed there) and TSA agents could do to improve the situation for travelers. I'll post more on the topic later.

Back from Indiana

2004-12-29T09:56:00.000-08:00

We're back from our extended stay in Southern Indiana. I'll post some pictures of the cold, snowy weather tomorrow. Visiting with family was great, traveling there was not so great. While the news media focused on problems with US Airways and Delta, it missed similar problems with Northwest flights departing Detroit on Friday, Christmas Eve. In addition, one of our bags arrived in Evansville Monday.

The problems in Detroit were with staffing, or the lack thereof, and not weather. However, the weather was bitter cold on our arrival. Christmas morning we awoke to a low temperature of -11 (real temperature, not wind chill)! Plenty of snow on the ground kept us mostly inside, which was fine because there really isn't much to see in Evansville.

Although it was cold, we had a good Christmas, and we were fortunate not to have anything like the catastrophe in Southeast Asia.

Into the Blizzard We Go

2004-12-23T09:54:00.000-08:00

Evansville, Indiana was pummeled yesterday with 19.3 inches of snow, a record single-day total for the city. The high temperature in DC today is expected to be near 60 degrees, while it will be 18 degrees in Evansville with a low temperature at 3 below zero. Tomorrow's low will be 8 BELOW ZERO!!! By Tuesday, it should be a balmy 46 there.

22 days to Mexico, where the high is expected to be 88 degrees.

Stunning Defeat Continues Losing Skid For IU

2004-12-23T08:32:00.000-08:00

I didn't think it was possible to catch, dribble and shoot a basket in .7 seconds until last night's stunning defeat for Indiana University at the hands of Charlotte's Brendan Plavich, 74-73. The shot came after Patrick Ewing Jr. made a clutch tip-in to put IU ahead 73-71 with .7 seconds left in the game. The loss is IU's 6th in a row, IU's longest losing streak since '67-68.

I feel bad for the team. They played good defense, hustled, and hit the important shots when they needed to. Bracey Wright scored 19 points (16 in the second half) playing with a broken nose, Ewing had 13 points & 9 boards (including two key tip-ins in the final two minutes), and freshman DJ White had a break-out game with 18 points and 9 boards. IU scored over 70 points for the first time this year. They should have won the game. Unfortunately, Plavich, with the ugliest shot in Division I, hit two improbable 3's in the final 40 seconds for Charlotte.

IU has three games left before the start of the Big Ten season: Ball State in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Dec. 28; Oral Roberts in Bloomington on Dec. 31 and Furman in Bloomington on Jan. 2. If the Hoosiers win all three, their record heading into the Big Ten will be 5-6. I am hopeful that they can turn the season around and finish with a 17-9 record heading into the Big Ten Tournament, but we'll see if this year is going to be another long, losing season for IU.

The four-letter "s" word

2004-12-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

That's right, I'm posting about the evil four-letter "s" word, otherwise known as "snow". The extended forecast for southwestern Indiana & Evansville is calling for 6-14 inches of the white stuff, with temperatures hovering around 18 degrees for the high! Today it is sunny in DC with high temperatures forecast near 56 degrees. We have been very fortunate to live in an area that tends to dodge most of winter's worst. Hopefully the frigid, snowy weather will pass through Evansville quickly and melt upon our arrival Friday night. 23 days and counting to sunny Mexico.

Island Escapes For Sale

2004-12-21T15:33:00.000-08:00

This Wall Street Journal article (subscription required) directed me to PrivateIslandsOnline.com, where one can "explore the possibilities" of island rental and ownership. Now I have somewhere to look once I hit the Powerball.

More thoughts on The Barn

2004-12-21T09:29:00.000-08:00

The Indianapolis Star has more articles on the recently announced stadium for the Colts and NCAA Basketball games. Apparently I'm not the only one who noticed the architectural similarities with Conseco Fieldhouse and Hinkle Fieldhouse. Not surprisingly, the expected costs for the stadium are increasing. The DC Government is currently dealing with the same issue for the proposed Washington Nationals stadium. Unlike the Nats stadium plan, I think Indy should follow the plan and build the stadium, since the gains will outweigh the cost.

In other news, Sunday nights' Colts-Ravens game scored a ratings victory for ESPN, as the game's 9.2 rating was one of the highest ever for the cable sports network.

Oh my, I almost missed this: Tonight 9-1 Iowa is playing 5-2 Texas Tech. Why do I care? Well, normally I wouldn't. But, the game features former Indiana coach Bob Knight vs. former Indiana star (and possibly future head coach) Steve Alford. Knight is 3-0 in coaching games against Alford. I forgot to set the Tivo for this game, so we'll have to get home from work quick.

Monday

2004-12-20T09:53:00.000-08:00

This Monday is off to a cold, blustery start. Real temperatures hovered around 11 degrees this morning (although the forecast is calling for a sunny day with a high near 25!). The car never got warm enough on the drive into DC this morning for the power windows to work, so I had to climb out of the car to get the ticket for the parking garage. Fortunately, A. & I had the smooth sounds to Chris Isaak's new Christmas cd to carry us through the morning drive. 25 days to Mexico!

I'm also pleased to post the big news coming out of the Indianapolis - the City and the Colts reached an agreement to build a retractable-roof stadium south of the formerly named Hoosier Dome and Convention Center. I'm not sold yet on the design, published today in the Indianapolis Star. The stadium looks sort of like a giant barn. Very fitting, I guess. It will probably end up being named Eli Lilly Stadium. I vote for The Barn.

I am excited for the City and the team and I am looking forward to watching the NCAA Final Four or Super Bowl from there someday. Go Colts!

Playa webcam

2004-12-16T17:50:00.000-08:00

As we get closer to big Mexican adventure, and the weather gets colder here in DC, thoughts of warm weather are helping keep my spirits up. I can also look forward to my trip via the Playa webcam. Under 30 days to go.

More thoughts

2004-12-16T15:22:00.000-08:00

As I write Away I'm trying put myself in Josh's shoes and think about where I would go if I wanted to disappear. There are plenty of places around the world that I want to see, haven't seen or intend to see again. Obviously I would go somewhere warm, perhaps in the Caribbean, maybe on a yacht in the BVI or Mexico. I will have more to add on this point after returning from the Yucatan next month.

But Josh doesn't what I'd do. Where I would go would depend on my interests and available funds. Josh doesn't have much, so why does he choose London first?

London is a European financial center and gateway. It is easy to catch a flight from Dulles or BWI to Heathrow or Gatwick. From London, one can catch a connecting flight to Europe or take the Chunnel to France. Gambling is another reason to go to London. Specifically Internet gambling. And Internet gambling could take Josh to the Caribbean. Internet gambling would also attract the interest of the FBI. I might be on to something. More later.

Away

2004-12-16T12:41:00.000-08:00

Further information on the forthcoming novel: young DC associate, who we will call Josh, is fired from law firm after failing to pass the bar exam. Josh disappears. From here, there are a number of ways this novel could unfold. 1) Josh disappears because he is disillusioned with his life as an associate and needs time to figure out how to move on. He decides that Europe is a good place to spend some time thinking, so he hops a plane to London. Upon arrival, he opens a bank account at Barclays with his remaining funds and credit card balance. From there, he uses this account to fund his travels.

Back home, bills and loans pile up, and creditors ultimately send an investigator, Cass Shade, to locate Josh and bring him back to the US.

or 2) On his way out, Josh copies important records necessary for an upcoming trial handled by the firm. Josh disappears. The firm learns that the files have been copied, and hires Shade to locate Josh and the files and bring him back to the US.

or 3) Shade is actually an FBI agent, assigned to investigate the disappearance of Josh. The slim file on Josh shows that had been employed with the law firm, he was fired for failing to pass the bar and he promptly disappeared. Shade learns that Josh was last seen on board a transcontinental flight to London. Upon arrival in London, the trail ends. Shade sets off for London, and follows clues to Spain and the Caribbean. Questions to be answered along the way - why did Josh disappear, who else has been following Josh, and what happens when Cass catches up with Josh.

This novel is not a legal thriller. So while I still have some things to work out with this story, it is beginning to take more shape.

Other thoughts - What was Josh working on at the law firm? Who might want the information that he has (either to use it or suppress it)? Where could Josh hide?

I'll keep adding to this as time goes on.

Another reason to keep blogging

2004-12-15T09:04:00.000-08:00

This article from the NY Times offers encouragement to those who peck away at blogs, hoping for something better.

So here's my novel idea: young DC associate who fails to pass the bar exam disappears and skips the country, leaving behind a pile of loans and taking with him an important disc. Months later, an investigator hired by creditors & the associate's former law firm goes ona search for the missing associate, taking the investigator to various locations around the globe (London, Spain, BVI, Antigua). Intrigue follows as the investigator ultimately finds the missing associate.

I've had this idea in my head for a long long time. Every couple of months (or so), I'll post to this blog about how I'm going to start turning this idea into a tangible product. So far I have a tentative title, name and background info for the investigator, background info for the missing associate and some basic plot ideas. Time to get writing.

It's Cold

2004-12-15T08:20:00.000-08:00

DC is currently being affected by its coldest weather of the winter 04-05 season. This morning it felt like 17 degrees (according to ABC 7). They're forecasting a high of 38 degrees today. At least it is sunny outside.

The cold weather has reminded me that I've been to some wonderful warm destinations over the past couple of years:
1999- San Juan, PR
2000-02- Sea Pines, Hilton Head Island, SC
2003- Cruise to Cozumel, MX
2004- Cruising around BVI and San Juan, PR
Add the Yucatan for 2005. 30 days and counting....

Monday

2004-12-13T07:12:00.000-08:00

The weekend went by too quickly. Monday started early this morning at 5:10 am. It has been a while since I've gotten more accomplished that early in the morning, but hopefully I make more of a habit of early rising during the next two weeks. I might even drag myself to Sport and Health in the morning this week.

I vow to avoid the mall at all costs for the remainder of this holiday season. Saturday's visit to the Pentagon City Mall was almost too much to handle. Loud people, achingly slow moving escalators, packed stores. Buy online instead.

Christmas shopping is now done and currently shipping to points around the country. Enjoy.

I'm not going to post about the IU-Kentucky game. I just want IU to end the losing streak. Same for the poor Indiana Pacers. 7 straight games!! At least the Colts won and clinched the AFC South. Now if the Patriots and Stealers could lose 2 of their next three games, that would be great.

Hey It's Friday

2004-12-10T08:01:00.000-08:00

Another work week is about to come to a close. DC's weather continues to act more like London or Seattle, with grey skies and lots of rain. It's not bothering me too much though, because fortunately I've been able to plan our Mexican adventure and take my mind off the soggy weather.

The escape plans are moving forward. I've gone on some cool vacations, but the Yucatan should be amazing. We now have hotel reservations for every night except for one (at Chichen Itza), and still need to looking into renting a car. I also need to find a good road map for the Yucatan.

I'm working on my Spanish too. Yesterday I was able to call Mexico via the cell phone and ask for hotel info in Spanish. My accent is pure gringo, but at least I'm trying. I have 35 days to learn some conversational Spanish and add to my 30 word vocabulary.

The weekend looks pretty good and not too action-packed. We're planning on completing the Christmas shopping, making a visit or two the gym, watching the IU-Kentucky basketball game and Colts-Titans game Sunday.

It's official...Mexico here we come!

2004-12-08T09:44:00.000-08:00

A. and I booked tickets to the Yucatan for our midJanuary Mexican adventure. I'm thrilled, this is going to be one cool trip. We're flying into Merida, Mexico on January 14, spending the night at a small hotel near downtown. On the 15th, we're driving to Chichen Itza, where we'll check out the ruins and spend the night at one of the hotels there. On the 16th, we'll check out the ruins again and then drive to our resort at KaiLuum II.

Driving in Mexico should be an interesting part of this trip. In 2003, we rented a Tracker while in Cozumel for the day, and used it drive all over the island. On the upcoming trip, we're going to have to drive from Merida to Chichen Itza to KaiLuum II (via Tulum). I'm currently reading up on the roads.

Between the 16th and 20th, we'll be relaxing on the beach at KaiLuum II, on Punta Bete beach south of Playa del Carmen. We'll probably take trips during those days to Xcaret and Tulum, and possibly Xel-Ha as well. Still looking for somewhere to stay on the night of the 20th. We may end up at a small hotel in Playa, not sure yet though. Returning to the US through Cancun on the 21st.

It seems pretty logistically complex right now, but it should make for some good stories. 37 days and counting....

38 days and counting

2004-12-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

Although I have yet to purchase the plane tickets, I do have a reserved spot at a certain electricity-free locale south of Cancun for midJanuary. I'm not happy with the fares for travel during that time, but the airfares are likely to be the most expensive part of the trip.

I'm probably spending too much time researching the trip, but I can't help it, I've wanted to travel to the Yucatan for years. In February '03, A. and I took a cruise to Cozumel and had a great time. As fun as that trip was, Cozumel isn't the Yucatan. We're both looking forward to seeing the big ruins at Chichen Itza and visiting Tulum. We will probably also see Xcaret, because I really want to swim with the dolphins, and A. wants to see a nature park.

Maybe we'll hit Powerball Wednesday night and make it an extended trip in Mexico. The Powerball is currently at $171 million and climbing.

Unrelated to the trip plans, I've noticed that many of my posts lately have focused on Indiana. I am not homesick. For one, I don't consider Indiana my true "home". Two, I always follow Indiana teams - the Colts, Pacers, IU Basketball. Just because I now live in the Metro DC area, doesn't mean I'm no longer going to support the teams I grew up watching.

Today's Washington Post has a long article on Indiana musical icon John Mellencamp. Now there's something that definitely brings back memories of Indiana. Last year I flew back to Indiana to visit friends. We were in a pool hall talking old times, and after awhile this dive bar cover band starts to play. Two out of the first three songs they played were Mellencamp classics. Oh the memories. Anyway, Mellencamp's music is about as Indiana as Larry Bird, the Indy 500 and basketball. Whether you like his politics or not, he makes some good music, and I'm glad to see the Post writing about him since the radio stations out here won't play him.

Monday Roundup

2004-12-06T13:32:00.000-08:00

Gray & drizzly skies welcome all on this Monday. The weekend was spent catching up on movies, friends and football. The Indianapolis Colts hammered away at the record books once again, blowing out rivals Tennessee 51-24. I also finished Cloud Atlas over the weekend - what a great book.

As we delve further into December, I'm thinking more and more about a mid-January escape to somewhere warm and sunny. I had pondered a wintertime visit to London or Paris, but I think my vacation time would be better spent on a quiet beach south of Cancun. More info to be posted later.

More thoughts on getting away

2004-12-06T02:12:00.000-08:00

I have the travel bug. I can't help it, but I love to travel. Travelling for work is okay, but travelling is even better when it is for pleasure and relaxation. I am ready for a vacation. Some quick scanning through airline websites has set my mind racing for a few carefree days on the beach. In addition, the looming Christmas holiday and upcoming trip to the Midwest has me thinking about the Caribbean.

With visions of travel dancing in my head, I've come up with a solution to my early winter blues - a week on the beach south of Cancun in the Mayan Riviera of Mexico in mid-January. Let the countdown begin. 39 days to go...

Hey It's Friday

2004-12-03T15:55:00.000-08:00

Well it is Friday once again and it looks to be a good weekend. Tomorrow Old Town Alexandria is hosting its annual Scottish Christmas Walk. Festivities begin at 10:30 am. You'll see plenty of kilts, scotty dogs and bag pipers. Be sure to grab a pint a Pat Troy's too.

I really don't have any major plans, but I do intend to watch some IU basketball, finish reading Cloud Atlas, watch the Colts beat the Titans, and get some exercise.

I've done a good job neglecting one of the purposes of this resurrected blog, which was to provide a way for me to do some travel writing and flesh out some novel ideas. Of course, when I have managed to post to the blog, it is usually about a sporting event or what I did/intend to do for the weekend. I'm making a New Year's Resolution right now to work more on my travel writing and novel ideas.

IU Roundup

2004-12-02T09:35:00.000-08:00

Last night the Indiana Hoosiers lost to #11 North Carolina, 70-63. The Hoosiers played scrappy, hustling defense and managed to keep the game close, but unfortunately allowed NC to hit 8 3s and outshoot them from the free throw line. The schedule doesn't get any easier for IU, with upcoming games at UCONN, vs. Notre Dame and at Kentucky.

Once again, Patrick Ewing Jr. played an inspired game, grabbing 8 boards, 2 steals, a block and 4 points in 16 minutes of play, mostly in the first half. He's definitely improved over last season, and will be a bright spot for the team this year.

Although they played better, I'm still not very impressed with their style of play. Last year through three games IU attempted 94 free throws, making 63. This year IU has only attempted 53 free throws, making 35. They've also allowed their opponents to take 57 free throws (making 44). It is tough to win games when you aren't driving to the basket drawing fouls. Granted, last night NC did a great job clogging the middle, preventing IU from driving to the basket and forcing them to shoot contested outside shots. If they hadn't hit 11 3s and played tough defense, the game could have been a blow-out.

Mike Davis is a good coach, so hopefully he'll get the young players to learn from last night's game. Maybe against UCONN we'll see more driving to the basket, screens and layups. He'd better, because the margin of error is slim and the schedule is tough. IU won't tolerate a second losing season this year.

Indiana and Basketball

2004-11-24T09:58:00.000-08:00

I have been living away from the State of Indiana for over three and half years now, but one of the few things that I miss about the state is its passion for basketball. In Indiana, a basketball goal in a driveway is a common sight. Out here in Metro DC, driveways are scarce, and outdoor basketball goals not located in a public park are few and far between.

Two good examples of the state's passion for basketball were on display last night. The Indiana Pacers, lacking its star players due to suspensions and injuries, found a way to win against the Boston Celtics 106-96. The team is now 8-3 and has the best record in the Eastern Conference. The team had plenty of motivation to scrap out a short-handed victory. Team President Larry Bird HATES to lose to the Celtics, and the remaining players want to show the rest of the league that the deep team can still play with the NBA's best. This article in today's Washington Post also discusses a little of what makes Indiana a great basketball state, and it mentions Wabash College. Go Pacers.

Not to be overlooked, the Indiana Hoosiers opened their 2004-2005 college basketball season with a gritty, sloppy victory over a challenging Indiana State team, 56-52. The game may not have been very pretty to watch, but it showcased an in-state rivalry and two young, improving basketball teams.

I would have liked to have seen the team drive to the basket more, draw fouls and shoot more free throws rather than hoist 3 pointers every other time down the court. Sure a win is a win, but hopefully Mike Davis will be instructing the team to look to the post more and shoot 3's less. That said, I was pretty impressed with the improvement showed by Patrick Ewing Jr. and walk-on Errek Suhr.

IU has a lot of improvement to make before it will be ready for the Top 25 teams coming up on its daunting non-conference schedule. IU plays Western Illinois Saturday before playing North Carolina on Dec. 1 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. Tough games at UCONN, vs. Notre Dame and at Kentucky follow in the first two weeks of December. Go Hoosiers.

Another reason to drink hot chocolate

2004-11-23T17:50:00.000-08:00

After fighting a flu-like virus for the majority of November, I have now learned another reason to drink hot chocolate. Apparently British researchers have released a study on theobromine, a molecule found in chocolate. According to the study, theobromine (more available here) has properties that could be used to stop persistent coughs. I'll remember that next time. Hot chocolate definitely tastes better than Theraflu.

Monday Roundup

2004-11-22T15:06:00.000-08:00

Friday's Pacers-Pistons Brawl kicked off the weekend in stunning fashion. While the Pacers managed to win the game, they may have lost a shot at winning an NBA title after NBA Commissioner David Stern issued the harshest suspensions in NBA history. Ron Artest was suspended for the season, Stephen Jackson hit for 30 games, Jermaine O'Neal for 25 games, Anthony Johnson for 5 games and Reggie Miller for one game. Piston Ben Wallace was suspended 6 games for violently shoving Artest, while Chauncey Billups, Elden Campbell and Derrick Coleman were suspended for one game each.

Artest, Jackson and O'Neal are currently the three top players for the Defending Central Division Champions. Injuries and suspensions will leave the Pacers in a difficult position to repeat as Division Champs.

A note to the Pacers Management: If you need a back-up guard until some of the players get healthy or come off suspension, I'd be more than happy to play for the league minimum.

As for the rest of the weekend, Saturday we got out of the house to enjoy the London-like weather down on The Mall. We visited the Sackler Gallery of Asian Art, walked around some of the Smithsonian Museum buildings and walked down 7th to Chinatown. RFD is one of the only places in DC where one can find Strongbow on tap. In addition, we visited the Regal Cinemas at Gallery Place for some big-budget action to see National Treasure. I am easily amused by Jerry Bruckheimer-Nic Cage movies, so this was perfect for me. Fun movie. I look forward to the sequel.

Sunday was filled with football, some grilling and more football. My Indianapolis Colts destroyed the Chicago Bears 41-10, while the Redskins lost again, this time to the Philadelphia Eagles. Not a bad weekend.

Some notes for the upcoming week:

IU Basketball begins Tuesday at 6:00pm, as Indiana hosts Indiana State.
Chelsea plays Paris-St. Germain in the UEFA Champions League Wednesday at 2:45.
The Colts travel to Detroit for the early Thanksgiving Day game on Thursday. Payton Manning should put up another 4 touchdowns in leading the Colts to a big win over the fading Lions. I think there is another game in the afternoon on Thanksgiving between the Bears and Cowboys, but you're better off doing something, anything else, than watch those two poor teams.
Thanksgiving Dinner. Overload on turkey, assorted sides and pumpkin pie.
Enjoy the long weekend.

Long time, no posting

2004-11-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

I've neglected the blog for quite a while. What I have been up to? Well, over the past two weeks I have been fighting a flu-like virus. Fortunately, my recovery kicked into gear on Tuesday and I'm now feeling pretty good. Plus it is sunny outside today.

Over the past couple of weeks, I've:

traveled to Indianapolis to watch the FINA Short Course World Swimming Championships, visit with family and friends
saw the Beastie Boys in concert (great show)
saw Green Day in concert (great show)
voted in the Presidential Election
visited Virginia wineries and checked out fall follage
watched DC United finish off the rival Metrostars and ultimately win their 4th MLS Cup
cheered on my Indianapolis Colts to victories against Minnesota and Houston

November is racing by. I can't believe Thanksgiving is next week.

Currently reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. Currently listening to my BVI-San Juan mix and wishing I was back cruising in the islands.

If I ever decide to flee to Central America, I'll try to avoid what happened to this former executive.

Great Weather Today

2004-10-07T13:45:00.000-07:00

Get outside if you have a chance. Today's weather in DC is wonderful. Mid to upper 70's, no clouds, low humidity, perfect for a walk outside (or dinner out tonight as well). The weekend forecast looks pretty good too.

Welcome Back

2004-10-07T13:44:00.000-07:00

I see it has been almost two months since my last blog post. Where have I been & what have I been up to? Well, lots.

I've been to a few DC United games, travelled to Charlottesville, Virginia, Shenandoah National Park, the Kennedy Center to see the National Symphony Orchestra, watched the Indianapolis Colts, a few Notre Dame football games, read a couple of books (The Human Stain by Philip Roth, Bringing Down the House by Ben Mezrich, Round Ireland With A Fridge by Tony Hawks), rented some movies, grilled outside in the great early fall weather we're having here in DC, and watched Survivor Vanuatu and Lost. Whew, sounds like I've been busy. That doesn't include work.

Up on the schedule for this week:
Tuesday - VP Debates, working out
Wednesday - Lost, Columbus v. Chicago MLS game
Thursday - Survivor, CSI, Without a Trace
Friday - Beastie Boys concert at George Mason University
Saturday through Monday - a trip to Indianapolis to visit with friends and see the FINA Short Course World Championships at Conseco Fieldhouse

My schedule may change if I hit the Powerball tomorrow night.

Expect more updates this week, perhaps some more pictures too.

*Update- I didn't win Powerball Wednesday night, so I'll just have to win Saturday. Updated post to fix errors (saw Lost last night - another good episode).

Off to a Fast Start

2004-08-16T06:22:00.000-07:00

I'm a huge fan of the Olympics, and this weekend did not disappoint. Plenty of exciting performances to watch. The USA v. Brazil Womens' Soccer match was thrilling, ending with a 2-0 win for the USA. It easily could have been a 2-2 tie, had the super-fast Brazilians converted on opportunities in the first half.

The Swimming events have been great as well, and not without a little controversy. Yesterday South Africa surprised the field by shattering the World Record in the Mens' 400 Free Relay, while the US had to settle for Bronze (without sprint specialist Gary Hall Jr.). South Africa dusted the US in qualifying, so it was not a surprise to see them grab the Gold.

The Big Race of the night is the 200 Free, featuring 4 of the fastest 200 swimmers in world history. Best race ever? We'll know later today.

Oh yeah, Team USA looked pathetic against Puerto Rico too, losing 92-73 while going 3-24 from 3. Next up, the Greeks. Expect another wild one. Game of the weekend had to have been Argentina over Serbia. Look for the Argentines to play for Gold.

Hey It's Friday

2004-08-13T09:00:00.000-07:00

Another quick week has gone by here in Seattle, wait, I mean DC. Except for last weekend's stellar weather, this has been a cool, rainy summer. We've been at or below normal 27 days since July 1. It doesn't look to improve any when the remains of Hurricane Charley arrive after slamming into Tampa today.

Fortunately, there are plenty of things to do indoors this weekend:

The Opening Ceremonies of the Athens Olympic Games begins tonight, followed by three weeks of thrilling competition. More in Athens 2004 in my next post.
Go see Prince at the MCI Center, Friday-Sunday. "Per4rming his hits live 4 the last time" (until the next time)! We're going to Saturday night's show.
See some art.
Go to the movies. Alien vs. Predator comes out this weekend, along with the Princess Diaries 2. I'm not planning to see either one. Instead, go see Open Water, or the Bourne Supremacy.
The NFL returns! Yeah, it is only Preseason, but my INDIANAPOLIS Colts play Saturday night at the lowly San Diego Chargers, game time is 10:00 pm. All I ask is that the Colts make it through the Preseason injury free.
Watch more Olympics!

Black Star on Brick

2004-08-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

Black Star on Brick
Originally uploaded by pljones.

This photo is from the side of a building on Wisconsin Avenue in Georgetown (Northwest Washington DC for those that don't know) near the Waterfront. An example of a small architectural detail one can see when walking slowly around the neighborhood over lunch.

Hey It's Friday

2004-08-06T16:16:00.000-07:00

The long week is coming to a close on a positive note - clear skies, low humidity, temperatures in the upper 70s/low 80s. Get out and enjoy it!

During lunch I snapped a set of pictures in Georgetown. I'm always amazed at what I see if I walk slow and take in the surroundings. I will try to post the results over the weekend. I took some cool shots of what I call "Surfaces": metal supports on buildings, streetscapes, stone architectural details. When combined with other photos from recent travels, I think it is the start of an interesting series.

When we were in San Juan in May, we spent three days just walking around Old San Juan. I was able to take plenty of photos as we walked up and down the narrow cobblestone streets. It is a pretty photogenic place. I managed to capture a fascinating series of art-protest graffiti scattered around the plaza above the grassy entrance to El Morro. Not sure how best to describe it, other than graffiti with a message.

Last September we went to London, without a camera. Shame on us. We had perfect weather (70s and sunny). I really kick myself for not taking one along, but at the time we had not yet purchased the digital camera, and we were concerned that with the heightened security, our film would have been ruined on the return trip. We'll just have to go back.

A great place

2004-08-04T10:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo taken looking out our room at Hotel El Convento in Old San Juan during our visit over Memorial Day weekend. The hotel is spectacular, with a great location in the heart of Old San Juan.

View from El Convento
Originally uploaded by pljones.

Show a little heart

2004-08-03T17:52:00.000-07:00

SI is reporting that the US Men's Basketball Team got crushed today by Italy in "the worst loss since NBA players were allowed" on the US Men's Olympic Team, 95-78. Come on guys, show a little heart! Unheralded Italy hit 15 3's in the win. Now I know it is summertime, and it's tough when you are a multi-millionaire NBA superstar that you have to play through the off-season for your National Team. Italy played without any NBA stars, and embarrassed a team with several NBA All-Stars.

Sure makes Carmelo's "guaranteed Gold" statement look pretty dumb now.

More Photos

2004-08-03T06:54:00.000-07:00

Hey it worked. This second photo is on the approach to Sandy Cay, BVI, from Jost Van Dyke. In the background is a view of the clouds clearing up over Tortola.

We had a great day snorkeling at Sandy Cay. Watch out if you walk inland to look around the island, it is full of mosquitos hungry for tourists.

Sandy Cay BVI
Originally uploaded by pljones.

Photos

2004-08-03T06:50:00.000-07:00

This is a test to see if I can blog photos. The first photo is a shot from my table at La Hacienda, a Puerto Rican restaurant in Condado, San Juan.

View from La Hacienda
Originally uploaded by pljones.

Monday Roundup

2004-08-02T18:06:00.000-07:00

Another Monday is almost wrapped up. Time to reflect a little on the weekend that was.

Friday night saw The Bourne Supremacy & loved it. I've always been a fan of the spy genre, and I liked how the movie was actually filmed at the various locations around the world (rather than using Vancouver, Montreal or Melbourne as a stand-in for the European cities). By my count, the movie shuttled between Goa, India, Berlin, Langley, VA, Naples, Italy, Moscow, Somewhere in the Alps between Germany and Italy, Berlin, Moscow and New York. Cool. I'm looking forward to Bourne 3.

Saturday I continued building my basement home office and played Texas Hold-Em at the alumni poker night. For not knowing how to play, I did pretty well.

Sunday I continued building my basement home office, built a desk and shelves, worked out, & grilled honey teriyaki chicken.

Today's big news is the release of the '04-'05 NBA season schedule. Mark it down now. Monday, February 7, 2005 - My Indiana Pacers return to DC to stomp on the Wiz. By the way, after looking at the new Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference, I'm not sure which team will be worse: Charlotte, Orlando, Washington or Atlanta. All I know is that the Heat should have no problem getting to 55 wins against such poor competition.

ESPN is adding an NBA Rivalry Week as part of its coverage this season. Great idea, I think they should have done this a while ago. I already see one problem with the schedule- ESPN is highlighting a matchup between Cleveland and the Pacers as a rivalry game. Yeah, they are both in the Central Division, and Cleveland does have LeBron, but the Cavs have never been much of a rival for the Pacers. Pacers-Pistons, now there is a rivalry.

Fortunately, ESPN will be featuring a game between the Pacers and the Evil Knicks. Nothing brings out Reggie Miller's A-game better than a meeting with Knicks, in Madison Square Garden. I guarantee Spike Lee has already penned this game date in his schedule (February 26 at 7:30 ET).

Thoughts on San Juan

2004-07-28T13:41:00.000-07:00

Another gray day in DC led me to take a look at some of my pictures from my trip to San Juan, Puerto Rico from earlier this summer. I plan on posting some to the blog shortly.

As usual, the pictures brought back good memories of the trip. In 1999, my wife and I spent our Honeymoon in San Juan, staying in a flat along Avenida Ashford in the trendy Condado neighborhood. That trip was great.

A couple of times we ate at a little oceanside Puerto Rican restaurant called La Hacienda. The back of the restaurant has about four or five tables facing windows open to the ocean and a rough strip of "beach" (more like a tidal pool of rocks). La Hacidena is on Ashford, near Condado Beach, but closer to the hotels at the end of Condado before you get to the bridge leading back to Old San Juan. The restaurant sits next to another dive Mexican restaurant, which I forget the name of.

Anyway, in 1999 when we went I think the back portion was more of an open porch. We would sit back there, drink sangria, eat arroz y pollo and watch the crabs scurry along the rocks to avoid the pounding surf. The restaurant played Mana on repeat both times we were there, and it stuck into my head so much I had to buy a copy of the cd when we returned to the States so I would remember San Juan better. Since then, every time I have sangria I measure it against that standard, and I think back to Puerto Rican food at La Hacienda, Mana playing in the background as we watch the surf.

In May, we went back there, five years later, just to check to see if the place was as good as the memory. It was upper 90s in the shade, and we had walked from one end of Condado to the other before stopping for rest and drink. La Hacienda looked like the same dive on the outside. Mana was still playing on repeat. The back portion of the restaurant still looked out onto the surf, crabs still scurried along the rocks, trying to avoid the waves. In the five years since our last visit, I think the restaurant had added a tin roof over the back portion. We didn't eat, and we didn't drink any sangria. I had a pina colada and looked out onto the ocean, taking in the scene. The restaurant had not really changed all that much. I wish I had tried the arroz y pollo there (I ended up eating even better arroz y pollo at a great shop in Old San Juan a few hours later).

Before we left, I took a picture of the view from our table. I'll try to post it here soon.

This is theraputic. I will be posting more travel thoughts in the coming days.

Where I'm Not

2004-07-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

Today I am not in London, where it is a sunny 73 degrees. Tomorrow's forecast is for sunny skies and 78 degrees. I have not walked around Chelsea and Kensington Gardens, and I am not getting ready to have a pint at Waxy O'Connor's near Piccadilly Circus.

Blog Direction

2004-07-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

Second post here at the new blog and I am still working on the direction that it will take over the next couple of weeks/months.

I will be posting pictures, some random thoughts and travel updates. In addition, I will be using the site to work on two different projects that I have been kicking around for quite some time: 1) a collection of non-fiction travel essays based on my own adventures over the past couple of years & 2) a novel. We'll see how it works.

Return of the blog

2004-07-16T07:14:00.000-07:00

After nearly a year away from this site, I've decided resurrect the blog as I move forward toward something new in the DC area. The look and content of the blog will probably change quite a bit from the old site, a little less random thoughts, a lot more photos, a story here and there, something like that.

What has happened over the last year? Well, lots. I'll go into further detail as I re-learn who to work this blog. For starters, I'll focus on some of my trips:

London in September '03
Thanksgiving '03 in Indiana
British Virgin Islands and San Juan, PR May 21-June 1, 2004

The BVI/SJ trip will play a starring role in blog content over the next couple of weeks. Watch this space for more.