flame and filet

Fairfield, CA

Harold cooked me steak for dinner tonight.

A Man and his horse

Antioch, CA

lily & temple

Oakland, CA

Tech call: 6:30
Time the tech director actually showed up: 8:00
Time spent wondering the Oakland Temple Hill complex taking pictures: 1.5 hours. This is one of many.

crashed

Oakley, CA

Don't you hate it when a model plane crashes into your garage.

Still looking

Vallejo, CA

I'm still looking for a place to live. Craigslist is my friend.

Attempted church

Vallejo, CA

I attempted to go to church today, but the location the LDS website sent me to had no roof. I eventually found church in Benicia.

Old train depot near Eckley Pier

Near Crockett CA

Today my dad and I were supposed to go to a Jazz event in Vallejo, but when we got there it was nothing to care about, so instead I took him on a tour. We went to the Benicia Shoreline, Bencia State Capital building, The Carquinez bridge North overlook, the city of Crocket, the village of Port Costa and the Eckley Pier. Though I took a bunch of pictures, this on keeps coming back to me. I think I like the textures the most. If I remember - I'll post the BTCs at some point.

painting the castle

Fairfield, CA

For Fairfield Girls Camp this coming week, they are doing something that requires a castle painted on cardboard. On Wednesday night my Tech Director (from Oakland Temple Hill) asked me to come up and paint him a castle that he had sketched out. Tonight I returned and John and I painted the sky. John doesn't care very much for blending so I did all of the blending when it comes to the sky. I'm not totally happy with it, but it is what it is.

organized

Antioch, CA

One nice thing about Tuesday was having Kelley and my dad there. Kelley helped organize the cars as we loaded. My dad was in charge of organizing my new 5'X5' storage unit. He created a clothes rack out of my futon bed frame. The last bonus was Tina who brought refreshments at the right time.
Despite the reason for the event, I was really grateful for having an amazing crew. I hope I have just as an amazing crew on the day I decide to tackle my 5'X10' storage unit.

Built Jeep tough

Oakley, CA

We have a new Jeep at work.

Homeless

Cal Maritime, Vallejo, CA

(There is usually a really big boat between me and the bridge, but it has left its home port and is out at sea right now.)

Last night my new roommate threatened to kill me. He did this as he threw his stuff against walls and pounded fists on his bedroom walls. Yesterday my landlord agreed to let me out of my contract (after my flatmate threatened my landlord as well). Today my father and friends moved me out (my now former roommate threatened to kill my father today. I feel it important to mention my father is former military). I am safe. My stuff is in storage, safe. I'm homeless but my friends have come through and offered me places to stay.
Everyone keeps asking and I don't know the answer. I think he has some mental issues but I'm not sure. I hope what ever is affecting him, I hope he gets better.

finding focus

Oakley, CA

My roommate was super loud last night, so my eyes were tired all day. This was the only picture I took and it was dizzying to take.

Back to Baker Beach

Baker Beach, SF, CA

I slept through church today, and didn't do much yesterday but hang out in my room and watch movies. I began to get a little stir crazy today and just had to go somewhere and take pictures. So I drove first to Richmond, but it didn't feel right. Then I decided to go to Marin Headlands, but the traffic there was stop and go. So eventually I made it to Northern SF. My dad and I had once gone to Baker beach so I thought I'd return. However, I got lost getting there initially and ended up at China Beach. I took a few shots there before a nice park ranger gave me directions to Baker Beach. I ended up walking both beaches looking for good shots, but also just enjoying the breeze on my face and the sounds of the waves. It was nice to be there.
(BTC - China Beach)
(BTC - Dogs at Baker Beach)
(BTC - Me at Baker Beach)
(BTC - Baker Beach)

gifting

Pleasant Hill, CA

There used to be a time when people sent other people actual gifts. Shocking, I know!

with a side car

Oakley, CA

Such a pretty motorcycle.

red sailboat

Benicia, CA

HKAFO

Pacheco, CA

This is a Hip-Knee-Ankle-Foot-Orthotic that I'm schlepping from Antioch to Oakley for a client.

(BTC)

I hate it when I get the banana ones

Oakley, CA

For my last drive to Oregon, I bought a Costco container of nuts and jelly bellys. I use them to keep me awake and alert when I'm driving. In an effort to get off chocolate, I put about half of the container of jelly bellys in my desk at work to eat when I get tired. I was eating them today when I had like three bananas in a row. I hate bananas. I'm thinking about picking out the yellows tomorrow.

a picture and a story

Pleasant Hill, CA

Once there was a 30 year old boy. Let's call him Sean. Sean stopped going to the gym about 8 months ago. He thought he was too busy or the gym was too much. During those 8 months, Sean ate a lot of fast food and drank a lot of unnatural soda. Sean lost a bit of his "in-shape" status. Today Sean returned to the gym. Sean was exhausted and breathing hard after only 250 meters in the pool. Sean used to swim MILES in the pool.
Sean was so tired after he left that he could barely lift his arms to take this crappy picture. On Wednesday Sean will return. Hopefully with more energy. The end...

tigger

Pacheco, CA

I have a new roommate that doesn't like getting his picture taken. This was the only pose I could get him in.

peeling tree

Martinez, CA

Park Smart

Pleasant Hill, CA

I was all set to go to Katie's house tonight to take part in a Harry Potter Marathon when suddenly I realized that today is July 10. On July 10 I told Amanda we were going to hang out. So tonight I bailed on Harry (not the first time I've bailed on Potter related stuff) and took Amanda to see UP. This sign was in the parking garage at the theater.

a day of dumb sean stuff

Tuesday at work we had some youths that decided it would be fun to skateboard across the roof of my office building. I helped discover them and then watched them flee. For the life of me – I can’t understand skateboarding on the roof of a building. However, I too have done some pretty dumb things in my life so today you get memories from being dumb.

One family I grew up in had 10 kids. Brian and Alan were close to my age and so we occasionally hung out. One day we got the bright idea that I owned a truck that had ropes attached. They owned roller blades. In what seemed like an ingenious plan, they held onto the ropes while I drove around the block going 25 or 30 MPH. This was okay, but the rope allowed for too much sway. (I could be done with the turn, but they could still be going the other way and then the rope would tighten and they would get snapped in line with the truck.) So we decided to forgo the ropes and they just held onto the back of the truck. Things were going fine until two of the wheels on Brian’s right skate started to chip. He tried yelling at us to tell us to slow down, but we were too busy laughing and playing the radio loud to hear him. Brian let go and glided into a parked car. He ended up hurting his legs (bruises and cuts). Of greater importance was we now needed to find a reason for Brian’s chipped wheels because Brian’s dad wouldn’t have liked the idea of us taking him out at 30 MPH holding onto the back of the truck.

My brother and I swam on the same swim team in high school. One time after practice, he loaded my bike into the truck and we went to his work (a donut store). The parking lot of the shopping complex had raised pedestrian parkways. “I bet you I could jump those,” Chad said. “That would be cool,” I responded. So Chad gunned the engine. The first raised walkway was exciting but nothing compared to the second one. Chad swears only two wheels left the road at one time but I swear all four were off. Either way, the truck bucked enough that the bicycle flew out the back. It was so cool. In fact it was so cool that I tried repeating it several times when Chad moved away and I got the truck.

I was a senior in high school when I was in choir (yippee for fluff classes your senior year. I was in Beginning Choir). In my choir was Josh. Josh owned a huge dually 1-ton truck. Near his home was a girl I enjoyed spending time with. I would often go pick her up to go do things. If we had some spare time, I would go by Josh’s house and flip him off. One day he thought we should have some fun and so he got in his truck and gave us chase. Scattered through Fremont are speed bumps. In theory, they are there to slow you down, unless of course you are in a truck, at which point they become ramps to adventure. As Josh “chased” us, I took him through all the neighborhoods I knew had speed bumps. We both did fairly well on them and had a good 45 minutes of fun speeding through the streets of Fremont. I lost him twice before we eventually called it off. The next day in choir he commented on how fun it was but how hard it would have been if either of us were in cars or if either of us cared about the suspensions of our trucks.

In August 2006, on the Saturday before finals, Adaptive Services sponsored one last Adaptive Cycling ride for the semester. We loaded all of the bikes into the back of my truck and headed over to Smith Park in Rexburg. This park is small but has a paved path that runs in a square around the park. On the southern end there is a slight hill. On the last run of the day, I was riding a hankcrank cycle. The way to steer this cycle was to lean left to go left and lean right to go right. This trike did not do sharp turns well. As I came down off of that southern hill, I was going rather fast and I took the right turn. As I came out of the turn, my right back wheel left the ground. Then I started to fishtail. Instead of doing the smart thing and applying the breaks, I chose to try to lean out of the fish tail. I was still going pretty fast as I did the leaning. After the third time of my tires leaving the ground, all of the tires left the ground and I flipped the trike. I landed on my wrist first, breaking it, and then I used my face to slow down. There is a lot more stupidity that goes with this story, but I’ll save that for next week or later than that.

Continental

Oakley, CA

A sibling of one of my clients left behind a plane today. After being on planes last week, I am now in a plane photography mood.

Fated Sun flower

Clyde, CA

I went on three different walks today and every where I went there were sunflower plants - so I just decided that that was the picture I was supposed to take today.

lighten up

Pacheco, CA

My new places doesn't have lights so I went and bought and installed lights tonight.

Princess Olivia

On Sunday I was at the Milwaukee Children’s museum. My niece pulled us over to the small stage and asked me to narrate a story for her. It is what follows.

--
Once there lived a beautiful princess named Olivia. Olivia’s castle was on a hill not far from a little valley. When the weather was nice, Olivia liked to go down into the valley and dance, ballet and interruptive style.

One day a big growling monster named Chad came to the valley. Monster Chad was mad and he growled at everything and everyone. He even growled at princess Olivia. Olivia was scared.

Olivia called for her mother, Queen Liz. Queen Liz arrived in the valley and immediately went to the Monster Chad. Queen Liz was able to calm Monster Chad, who turned out to be King Chad but just in a very bad mood.

Once everyone was calm and happy, Princess Olivia was free to dance in the valley again. And so she did. She danced and danced and danced and everyone lived happily ever after.

The End.

She just rolls her eyes at him while he talks

Madison, WI

The niece and I had 5 hours together today which she used to play in her toy room with me.

(BTC - more from the toy room.)

Church of Motor Cycles

Milwaukee, WI

Instead of going to church today, I went with my brother and his family to the Harley Davidson Museum. I was surprised by how well the museum was put together and organized. I walked away with a whole lot more info than I came in with. Also, I was happy to see it was kid friendly. They had a scavenger hunt for my niece (and for my brother for that matter). It was just a great trip.

(BTC - more from the Museum)
(BTC - From the Children's Museum)
(BTC - From Milwaukee in general)

From the local market

Madison, WI

Today was jam packed. We went to a farmer's market, hung out in the Capital, saw various music groups, paid tribute to our military folk, and eventually went to the zoo.

Cheeseburger in Paradise

Middleton, WI

My first time at Jimmy Buffet's restaurant. It wasn't the best but it wasn't the worse hamburger yet.

(BTC )

a dream fulfilled

Madison, WI

My whole life I've dreamed of that airport experience where I was out of the secured area and someone runs to me, grinning ear to ear. Today I had that and it was awesome.

different day different dog

Oakley, CA

I met with a new customer today. This is her dog.