The World According to Foxdeath...

Hawaii Photos

2009-12-18T21:32:00.000-05:00

Here are the photos from our recent trip to Hawaii. You can click on any of the photos to get to the entire photo album and there is the full slideshow at the bottom. Enjoy!

Kim Entering the Water

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Nudibranch

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Moorish Idols

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Whitemouth Moray

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Mating Octopus

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Mantas

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Kim with Mantas

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Diver Silhoutte

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Diver Ascent

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Spinner Dolphin with Sunset

From Hawaii (Big Island) 2009

Photo Slideshow

2009 Little Cayman Underwater Photos

2009-08-02T13:48:00.003-04:00

Below are some of the best photos from our July trip to Little Cayman. You can click on any of the photos to get to the entire photo album.

Ellen with Octopus

From 2009 Little Cayman

Kim petting Octopus

From 2009 Little Cayman

Octopus

From 2009 Little Cayman

Bethany

From 2009 Little Cayman

Kim

From 2009 Little Cayman

Kim with Turtle Silhouette

From 2009 Little Cayman

Turtle

From 2009 Little Cayman

Matt wearing a Lobster Hat

From 2009 Little Cayman

Owen Island

From 2009 Little Cayman

Turtle Silhouette

From 2009 Little Cayman

Divers Silhouette

From 2009 Little Cayman

Grouper

From 2009 Little Cayman

Kim and Grouper

From 2009 Little Cayman

Kim

From 2009 Little Cayman

Slideshow of all the Little Cayman Underwater photos

2009 Pikesville 5K Photos

2009-07-26T22:36:00.004-04:00

The Pikesville 5K photos are now available.

I could use a sharkbreak...

2009-04-30T13:04:00.000-04:00

Neat!!!

Click here to get more mini-SharkBreak widgets - http://www.sharkbreak.com/redirect-sharkbreak.php

Bonaire Photos - Spring 2009

2009-04-05T20:40:00.003-04:00

We went on a little trip to Bonaire, March 27-April 4, 2009. Here are some photos:

Arrow Crab:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Batwing Crab:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Hawksbill Turtle:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Spotted Cleaner Shrimp:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Pedersen Shrimp:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Caribbean Reef Squid:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Orange Cup Coral:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Longsnout Seahorse:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Orange Frogfish:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Spotted Cleaner Shrimp:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Resized

Here is a slideshow of all of the underwater photos:

And now for Topside:

Tree near Jeff Davis

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Topside Resized

1000 Steps

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Topside Resized

La Dania's Leap (we jumped off of that)

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Topside Resized

Red Slave:

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Topside Resized

Willhemstoren Lighthouse

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Topside Resized

Windmill in the sunset

From 2009 Bonaire - Best of Topside Resized

A slideshow of all of the topside photos:

Funny Story...

2009-02-03T21:07:00.002-05:00

I finally have something good to post. This is by far the funniest thing I have ever read in my life.

Enjoy!

Belize Photos...

2008-12-02T18:34:00.004-05:00

I have finally put all of my photos from Belize together. I separated the underwater photography from the other pictures. You can click on either of the slideshows below to go directly to the album.

As always, your comments are appreciated!

Enjoy!

Gotta love the Airlines...

2008-12-01T15:25:00.005-05:00

I am back from Belize (it was wonderful). I am working on putting together a post along with photos from the trip but in the meantime I came across something that I had to share. Seeing as how I have been traveling a lot over the past several years, I have become very aquainted with all of the airlines and their bullshit rules and fees. There are fees for everything now... checked bags, exit row seats, snacks, beverages, etc. It has become such a joke. Recently, I used the USAirways frequent flyer miles that I had accumulated over the years for airline tickets to Grand Cayman and still had to pay over $150 in fees. Even worse, that $150 in fees doesn't even include my checked luggage. Since when does a free ticket cost over $150?? Shame on you USAirways, now you know why I have switched to Southwest! :-)

Anyway, I was doing a bit of light surfing when I came upon this article on The Onion. It is hysterical. For all of you that travel often... enjoy!

Looking forward...

2008-11-17T21:07:00.004-05:00

This week the Today Show is reporting from various places in the world that are impacted by global warming and pollution. I was shocked to see Matt Lauer is reporting from The Blue Hole in Belize. I am headed there for my next diving vacation which is very soon approaching and it is making me even more excited (although I am also sad about some of the content on the status of caribbean reefs). I believe they are even staying at the resort I will be visiting... a small island 30 miles offshore (Turneffe Island). :-)

O Captain! My Captain!

2008-11-13T17:27:00.004-05:00

O Captain! My Captain!

O Captain my Captain! our fearful trip is done;
The ship has weather’d every rack, the prize we sought is won;
The port is near, the bells I hear, the people all exulting,
While follow eyes the steady keel, the vessel grim and daring:

But O heart! heart! heart!
O the bleeding drops of red,
Where on the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

O Captain! my Captain! rise up and hear the bells;
Rise up—for you the flag is flung—for you the bugle trills;
For you bouquets and ribbon’d wreaths—for you the shores a-crowding;
For you they call, the swaying mass, their eager faces turning;

Here Captain! dear father!
This arm beneath your head;
It is some dream that on the deck,
You’ve fallen cold and dead.

My Captain does not answer, his lips are pale and still;
My father does not feel my arm, he has no pulse nor will;
The ship is anchor’d safe and sound, its voyage closed and done;
From fearful trip, the victor ship, comes in with object won;

Exult, O shores, and ring, O bells!
But I, with mournful tread,
Walk the deck my Captain lies,
Fallen cold and dead.

~ Walt Whitman

Tom, you will be missed!

Aquatica A40D...

2008-10-21T21:42:00.004-04:00

I purchased an Aquatica A40D underwater housing for my Canon 40D in July. I did not have a lot of time to test the system before heading to Bonaire but I did get to the local pool several times to test the equipment for leaks. The system tested out ok and I had no problems with the integrity of the housing. It was only in Bonaire where I noticed a simple but aggrevating problem with the housing. The control on the housing that is responsible for changing the aperature was not properly connecting with the dial on the back of the camera. I would turn the control only to have it slowly and intermittently change the aperture.

I searched the web upon returning home to realize that other owners of this housing have experienced the same problem. I contacted Aquatica and they immediately recognized the problem and told me to send them the back of the housing so they could fix the problem. If you have the same experiences, contact Aquatica and have your equipment serviced.

If Facebook happened in real life...

2008-10-21T21:09:00.003-04:00

If you are a Facebook user, you will completely appreciate this. I find it even more funny that the guys name is Todd in the video.

Enjoy!

New Blogger Look and Feel...

2008-10-19T21:39:00.002-04:00

I am happy to announce that my blog has an all new custom look!!! Using one of the underwater photos that I took in Bonaire, Kim customized my blogger template to give it a much more professional appearance. Now I just need to promise myself that I will blog more often (and of good content).

New Guiness Record, Uh...well sorta...

2008-10-18T17:58:00.004-04:00

Those crazy folks in Iran cooked up a good one for the record books. They decided they were going for the world record for the largest sandwich. Unfortunately though, some of the crowd got hungry and couldn't wait for the sandwich to be measured before they started to chow down. I'm not sure the record should really count if it wasn't properly measured. Better luck next time Iran... all I can say is next time maybe you should try adding a little pork or bacon to that sandwich.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081017/od_nm/us_guinness_sandwich

Rachel Ray Corn Porn...

2008-10-02T22:49:00.003-04:00

Ok, I had to blog this because it is one of the funniest things I have seen in quite a while.

Rachel Ray Corn Porn http://tinyurl.com/52gx4u

(This is best with sound!)

Enjoy!

A Guy's Worst NIGHTMARE!!!!

2008-09-25T10:35:00.001-04:00

Interesting article on the Consumerist... guys beware!

http://consumerist.com/5054482/man-sues-doctors-for-amputating-penis

Bonaire Photos...

2008-09-11T23:38:00.002-04:00

Ok, so it has been forever since I posted something. At least I waited until I had something good to share...

Here are the latest photos from Bonaire.

Enjoy!

Hot Water Heater...

2008-08-18T13:01:00.005-04:00

A couple of weeks ago I started to notice that occasionally the hot water that came out of the tap was not as hot as it usually was. I didn't think much of it at first but as the problem persisted and eventually got worse, I started to notice a pattern. Usually, when we do something that uses enough hot water, you will hear the hot water heater come on to create more hot water. While I was hearing the hot water heater blower start, it would only last for a short period of time and then stop (not long enough to heat enough water to replenish what was used). When I went downstairs, I noticed the green light on the water heater was blinking a series of six blinks. I read the instruction manual for the A. O. Smith FPSH 50 Series 260 and found several reasons that it might be blinking like this. The six flashes meant the system was in lockout mode - meaning that it had a problem during normal operation and shutdown to the lockout mode. Once in lockout mode, the system would wait a long period of time before attempting to light the burner again to create hot water.

Looking on the internet I found several discussions that suggested the problem was due to a corroded flame sensing wire. This wire is responsible for making sure the gas hot water heater is indeed burning gas as opposed to dangerously leaking gas into the environment. I turned off the power and gas to the hot water heater, removed the bottom access panels, and investigated the components located at the bottom of the tank. I saw the flame sensing wire had some brown rust like corrosion on it. I took a small bit of steel wool and lightly removed the corrosion, replaced the access panels, and tested the system. It has now been several weeks and the hot water heater has been operating perfectly.

A BIG 'Thank You' to the numerous people that posted their similar experiences, your advice saved me from having to purchase a new hot water heater or call a service technician. :-)

Lionfish...

2008-08-15T11:03:00.004-04:00

Before going to Turks and Caicos in June, I read the captain logs for the Turks and Caicos Aggressor. They reported seeing lionfish in multiple locations. I thought it was strange as the lionfish is known to be a Pacific fish but recently there have been reports of lionfish in the caribbean. I was excited at the chance to see them and they are magnificient to see in person but more recently I am starting to become concerned about their effect on the caribbean environment. This article is just one of the many articles that has recently spotlighted the problems that these fish can cause.

Bizarro World...

2008-08-04T22:08:00.002-04:00

Everything was perfect for our run on Saturday morning. Friday night we'd eaten big plates of pasta as usual. We had gotten up right on time at 3:45am in order to make it to the trail by 5:00. I ate two pieces of toast, Kim ate her usual PB&J, and we were all dressed and ready to go. That is when Kim noticed the rain, and then that it wasn't just raining, it was storming.

We headed down to the trail anyway (had to, we are group leaders), and as we headed down it proceeded to pour and huge streaks of lightning went across the sky. We listened to the weather report and it certainly did sound like this was going to last all day.

The trail was chaotic and disorganized. We ran around to everyone's cars in the dark and pouring rain, trying to figure out which people were members of our group and which people were not. Each group ended up making our own decision about what to do - some groups chose to wait. Kim and I ended up postponing the run due to weather for the first time in the 2 1/2 years we've been in the program.

We're fairly used to getting up that early to run, so the time was not a big deal. What we are not used to is getting up that early and then not running. We tried to sleep, and we did fall asleep for an hour or so. We ended up discovering that we need those endorphins from running to keep us sane. Saturday was a bizarro world of feeling jet-lagged, bickering with each other, and just plain feeling miserable. We were not the same Todd and Kim that people are used to.

Fast forward to Sunday. Again, we were awake at 3:45am, went down to the trail and this time ran. It was beautiful weather, cooler than it had been on Saturday, clear and beautiful. I ran an easy 20 miles. After the run, we were totally normal, feeling great, and had a wonderful day. It's amazing what a change a little endorphins will make.

Pikesville 5k Race Photos...

2008-07-13T15:57:00.005-04:00

As part of the Fleet Feet Galloway program, today was the annual Pikesville 5K. Having already completed my mileage for the week, I decided to not run the race and take photographs instead. Oddly enough, some of the runners thought I was part of a professional group that sells race photos. LOL!

All the pictures from the Pikesville 5K are now available at:

http://picasaweb.google.com/krebsTodd/2008Pikesvillle5k

All are welcome to use any of the photos from the Pikesville 5K. If you want the image in full resolution (10 megapixel), just email me and I will send them to you. If you ran the race and you like what you see, just leave a comment. :-)

A new lens to the collection...

2008-07-10T22:44:00.005-04:00

UPS didn't deliver until late this evening but here are some photos I took with my new Canon EF 100mm f/2.8 USM lens before the sun when down. I am not a professional by any measure but it is really hard not to look like one due to the quality of this camera and lens. Its amazing!

Michael Phelps, cunning linguist...

2008-07-07T22:56:00.007-04:00

I was watching television the other day and happened to catch a commercial for RosettaStone that featured Michael Phelps. While I understand that both Michael Phelps and RosettaStone would like to use his fame for financial gain, I did not understand why this would be such a great match. I mean... what does Michael Phelps have to do with learning a new language. Yeah, I know, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer - Michael is going to Beijing for the Olympics and he will need to be able to speak some Chinese. Ahh - sooo...

Then it occurred to me that this might not be a really good combination after all. RosettaStone positions its product for the common man that wants to learn a language quickly. If it appears that Michael hasn't garnered enough of the Chinese language, doesn't that make RosettaStone look bad? I mean... c'mon, think about it. He is going to a Chinese speaking country and undoubtedly will be interviewed by Chinese speaking people on television. I am certain that I would not want to be the marketing person that thought up this idea. I think it will be funny if some crazy Chinese journalist decides that since Michael has RosettaStone that he can conduct the interview in Chinese.

(BTW, no offense to Michael Phelps, he has worked very hard to get where he is and I have complete respect for his talent as a swimmer.)

Turks and Caicos Pictures Posted

2008-07-02T23:19:00.002-04:00

I have posted U/W photos from Turks and Caicos (finally). They are open (unprotected) and anyone can view them. Enjoy!

T&C Underwater Photos

2008-06-27T08:58:00.002-04:00

The latest and greatest underwater photos from Turks and Caicos have been posted but are locked down. Let me know if you are interested in viewing them and I will send you a link to the album.

Thanks to the french...

2008-06-25T10:52:00.008-04:00

It isn't too often that I thank the french for anything but I definitely owe them a bit of gratitude for something I recently discovered - a dive site named 'Le Dome'. The site is the remains of a large metal underwater dome that was created for a french television show back in the early 80's. Apparently the show was much like the modern day show Survior and contestants had to compete for rewards (food, money, etc). One of the challenges they had was to freedive to the underwater dome (which is in 40 feet of water) and search for pearls hidden inside the dome (which were turned in for rewards). During their freediving, scantily clad mermaids with scuba gear would give the contestants an occasional breath of air when needed. Unfortunately, the contestants were not scuba certified and were unaware that they need to exhale on their way up to avoid an embolism. Needless to say, the show was cancelled early when several contestants were hurt. After the show ended, the dome was left to become part of the reef. Over the years, hurricanes have knocked portions of the dome over and now it is a perfect dive site and home to numerous fish. We did three dives on the dome last week (2 daytime dives and 1 night dive) and each dive was spectacular. Thanks to the french, this dive site is now in my top 10 of caribbean dive sites.

Thankful for training...

2008-06-23T22:10:00.003-04:00

Last week in Turks and Caicos I had a minor problem while diving. It was on the third dive of the day - the 2 pm after lunch dive when I had the problem. Lunch that day was spaghetti and I had two pieces of garlic bread. Unfortunately, the garlic seemed a little harsh for my digestive system and my stomach decided it would be better to reverse gears. Normally, this would not be that big of an issue, however I was in 20 feet of water. So, what do you do when you throw up underwater? Well, I am not sure if everyone would have the same experience but I quickly had a flashback to my training 15 years ago. I vividly remember my instructor Steve Deem of Aquatic Connection telling me to keep my regulator in my mouth and that the vomit would clear. I remember thinking that it would be gross and doubting that it would clear but he was adamant that the regulator stay in your mouth or you would risk drowning. Well, I will spare the details but I can say that it DOES indeed clear. :-)

I also got a chance to take an underwater photography course while I was diving last week. Prior to last week, most of my photography was shot using the various automatic modes that the camera provided. With the help of Amanda from the T&C Aggressor, I learned to use the manual mode of my camera by specifying both shutter speed and f-stop of my camera. Doing so, I have been able to minimize the over-exposure that I was experiencing from my dual Inon external strobes and improve the quality of the photos I took. I am really happy with the results and I am thinking about taking things to the next level and buying an SLR.

I will post some photos soon. In the meantime, here are some photos of me in action...

Turks and Caicos...

2008-06-23T21:00:00.005-04:00

Turks and Caicos was wonderful last week. Here is the weekly captain's report (since I don't know how long they keep it):

Saturday, June 21st, 2008 at 12:00 AM
Entry By: Scott Arni

June 14-21, 2008 The water temperature was a lovely 80 degrees, visibility 90, and many dove in just a 3mm wetsuit.

Saturday the 14th.
It was another splendid day in paradise as people from all over the country gathered in provo for a fantastic cruise aboard the Turks and Caicos Aggressor II. Coming aboard were people from all over including New Jersey, Arizona, Oregon and many other cities from Texas to Colorado. Spirits were high in anticipation for the Sunday dives and the energy aboard ship was complimented by near perfect weather. The accommodating crew secured baggage and the guests gathered on the sun deck for a meet and greet. We had many returning guests from previous dive cruises and conversation centered around the upcoming dives.

Sunday 15
Upon arriving at eel gardens everyone promptly suited up and entered the water to kick off another fantastic week. Bill from New Jersey marveled at all the life he encountered in about 76’ of water. He glided effortlessly over the eel gardens properly named for the abundance of sand eels. Many different tropicals were observed and terry from Arizona commented of how calm and beautiful the dive was. At lunch time we moved to RGI in the West Caicos. There we dove among the flamingo tongues and huge parrot fish along the wall. Our friends the sharks showed up and joined in the dive along with Flounder, huge eels and rays. The night dive was even more spectacular when all the denizens of the reef came out to play in the moonlight.

Monday the 16th
We entered the water at white face West Caicos in an area known as the anchor. A fantastic dive with a cool swim through next to an anchor that has now become part of the reef. The frog fish were present and so were some lovely trumpet fish. All topped off again by a visit from our friends the sharks. Huge crabs were photographed by Todd and Kim as well as a variety of other marine life. We had one of Ronnie’s famous bbq’s on the sundeck and celebrated Kim’s birthday. It was a wonderful evening

Tuesday the 17th
Today was a great day for Teri from Arizona. We anchored at French Caye and she was entertained by a variety of eels. She was also amazed at the quantity of barracuda present. I couldn’t believe it she said “I was surrounded by them”. That’s the great thing about this place said Nick from Arizona. Everytime you dive it you get a different experience. The next dive on the site called driveway. Trumpet fish were observed. Photographer had a real treat as a friendly turtle made an appearance.

Wednesday 18
The afternoon dive at Brandywine was memorable. It seems that all the ocean’s denizens came to us all in one spot Georgia saw a variety of marine life. A spotted drum, a lovely hawksbill turtle, and a quite unusual looking jaw fish. It was also her first time seeing a frog fish.

Thursday 19
We dove Elephant Ear Canyon on this day. Many marveled at the many different types of coral. The formations are varied and beautiful. Later we dove The Dome. It is an old abandoned set for a French TV show. Luckily for us the dome has collapsed and we now have an awesome dive site. There we met the lion fish who frequents there quite often. We also had the usual hello from the resident nurse shark.

Friday 20
We arose early and moved to the black forest. Although it was the last dive of the trip the early risers had a great time. In the afternoon we headed back to turtle cove for a wonderful dinner party. New friendships were cemented as people traded phone numbers and e-mail addresses. Many a toast was made as we once again concluded another fantastic cruise aboard the Aggressor II. The crew this week was Capt. Scott, Amanda, Belinda, Patty, Ronnie, and Brett.

A really rough run...

2008-06-13T16:20:00.005-04:00

I remember the old US Army slogan, "We do more before 9am than most people do all day." It was a good commercial that I never really gave it much thought to. Well, this morning I awoke early, determined to get my long run in for this week - I too felt like an army of one.

It was really hot - even in the early morning and the hills didn't help much. Oh well, another ten miles down.

:-)

Poetic Justice...

2008-06-03T14:25:00.003-04:00

Considering the first post of this blog is actually a poem by Rudyard Kipling, I found this article to be very interesting. What a great way to punish and hopefully add to their enrichment. Too bad that youth is squandered on the young... This also is one of my favorite poems.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

- Robert Frost

It Happened...

2008-06-03T09:32:00.010-04:00

For a number of weeks now Kim has been getting text messages to her phone from Red Box giving her codes for free DVD rentals (assuming you return it the next day). I have jokingly told people that I think she and Red Box are having an affair. Well, yesterday seems to be the end of the affair. I have described the events that unfolded very truthfully and without drama. Please remember, this is all TRUE! Enjoy...

It was a warm Monday afternoon and Kimberly was going about her day as normal. She had completed several items at work this day and she was feeling quite satisfied with the work that she had accomplished. Continuing on her list of to-do items, she heard a muffled beep coming from her cellular phone. She thought for a second as to who would be text messaging her in the middle of the day. She opened her purse to get her phone but before she reached it she already knew who had sent her the text message. Like so many weeks before on a Monday afternoon, her lover was calling to her and making her the offer that she knew she could not resist. It was Red Box (RB).

RB text messaged her to invite her to enjoy another free DVD rental and included a secret code just for her so they could keep it just between them. Kim hated to admit it but the idea of secret code and text messages in the middle of the day excited her. Her imagination wandered and she thought of her relationship with RB as if it were a James Bond film and she needed to keep the secret code away from the prying eyes of the villains. She read the message, closed her phone, and tucked it back into her purse knowing the anticipation would grow as the day wore on.
The remaining hours of the day seemed to drag. Kim lost focus for the work that she had been so diligent at accomplishing just hours prior. It seemed that Kim was distracted and even though she had not moved from her desk, in her head she was already where she really wanted to be. Minutes seemed like hours until it was finally time to leave. Kim quickly packed her things and made for her car. As she drove, she thought about the almost limitless possibilities that awaited her. Her anticipation grew.

At what seemed to be an eternity, Kim finally arrived at her destination. It was her secret rendezvous place that she had already established with RB. She knew he would already be there. He was always dependable and never kept her waiting. Kim parked her car and hurriedly searched the contents of her purse to find her cellular phone. With phone in hand, she exited the car and walked directly to where he was standing. This time however, Kim would have to wait. RB was there as planned but someone was already talking to him. Careful not to blow his cover, Kim patiently waited as though she was just a normal customer. She took the time to look over his handsome exterior. She thought to herself that the color red had never looked so vibrant. The font used to label himself was distinguished and rugged. Even his interfacing screen was easy to see in the warm bright June sunshine. Kim's patience was tested as the individual before her seemed to take a long time to resolve their business. She hoped they did not notice that she was excited and struggled to keep the appearance of a normal customer. After what seemed an eternity, it was finally Kim's turn.

Kim smiled as she approached RB knowing that it had been several days since their last meeting. She greeted him with a loving swipe of her credit card and he immediately acknowledged that it was indeed her. Even so, RB was not to be fooled by an impostor so he asked Kim to input the secret code that he had given her just hours before. As Kim typed in the code, she felt things were strangely different. Her intuition said that something was wrong and it was immediately confirmed by the response she received. RB refused her code and asked her to try again. Was he being coy? She had thought that she had entered the code correctly but she complied with his request and entered the code again. Once again, RB denied her. Kim looked around thinking that somehow their cover had been blown and that he was purposefully denying her code to protect her from the evil villains that were observing her. However, she did not care. She longed for the satisfaction that he had been giving her for weeks and she wanted satisfaction now. She knew the risks and also knew the rewards. She entered the code a third time, this time paying more attention to the lover she had become so comfortable with. Her finger firmly touched the screen almost as to say that she was accepting of the consequences to her actions. For the final time, RB denied her.

Devastated, Kim left RB there as she had found him. She drove away taking a last look hoping that somehow he would call out to her to come back. She asked herself why the relationship had gone wrong so quickly and what could she have done to cause such a reaction. She held her phone close - waiting for another chance, another time, another opportunity.

Idiots... Pure Idiots....

2008-06-02T10:33:00.014-04:00

Ok, finally something has fired me up enough to blog... Admittedly, I have been a little lazy lately. So what interesting type of thing might I have to say especially when the title of the post implies idiots are involved? Well, I logged into Yahoo this morning to get my mail and I see this interesting article about a man sneaking an octopus onto the ice at a Red Wing hockey game. Of course, the title got my attention and I had to click on the article to see what they were talking about... I mean... why in the world would someone throw an octopus onto the ice at a Red Wings game??? Even more strange was the fact that the article didn't seem to think the octopus prank was that big of a deal but rather focused on the fact that the idiot who did it got back into the game after being ejected by buying a $300 ticket from a scapler and changing into a Red Wings jersey. I read the reader comments at the bottom of the article and much to my amazement, everyone thought it was great and it showed a lot of Red Wing pride. Hm... at this point I was realizing that I didn't understand something so I decided to dig a little deeper.

I searched a little more and found this article where it says the NHL is declaring war on "octopus twirling". Hm... a WAR on octopus twirling? A WAR? Ok, I hate it when someone says they are declaring WAR on something - but the media loves to use that expression because of the hype. However, in this case I think it works only because the subject of "octopus twirling" is such an insane idea to be declaring war against. Seriously, who would have ever thought there would be a war on octopus twirling? Then again, who would have though a bunch of idiots would get off on seeing the dead body of an octopus being twirled and flung around in the first place?

Reading further into the article, I discovered this has been something that the Red Wings have been doing since 1991. According to the New York Times, "During a home playoff game in 1991, a fan tossed an octopus onto the ice after a Red Wings goal, a tradition that dates to 1952, when it took eight postseason victories to win the Stanley Cup." Okay... eight postseason victories... eight... octopus... eight arms... Hm, I'm starting to understand there is a number relation here and frankly I'm starting to see that these Detroit idiots have at least attended third grade.

For anyone that does not follow hockey (I don't really either), the Detroit Red Wings symbol/mascot is the Winged Wheel. It has nothing to do with any type of sea creature. This entire octopus twirling tradition started merely because it took eight postseason victories to win the Stanley Cup. Finally, the NHL recently stepped in and declared "octopus twirling doesn't fit in with league image, or something to that effect" and is issuing fines to the team each time an octopus is thrown on the ice. Detroit fans argue that the tradition should continue as it has been going on for 17 years now and has become woven into the fabric of Detroit hockey. But I ask, if the only thing an octopus is guilty of is having eight legs and the relationship is lame anyway, why must this "tradition" continue? If you follow their argument that it is now "tradition," I would offer you this pearl of wisdom. This country has had an eight year "tradition" of having a complete jackass as a president, should we continue to keep him because it is "tradition"????

Think it over Detroit... and when you get your head out of your ass and decide to stop harming innocent cephalopods for fun, maybe you can get to work and design energy effiecient cars that compete with foreign models!

Death Swarms Over...

2008-05-19T14:14:00.003-04:00

I went to my doctor last week to get a physical before the running season gets fully underway. I just like to make sure that everything is in good condition before I put my body through the hell that is marathon training. Invariably, every year I end up hurting myself in some way or another. I have already been having issues with my hip (although it feels ok right now). Unfortunately, my good intentions seem to have failed as I have caught a bug and I really feel like hell right now. I know I have been fighting something for the past several weeks (some of which I chalk up to allergies) but this has taken me down for the count. Oddly enough, this weekend was the Miracle Mile run that the Galloway program does to determine speed and group like paced runners together. I ran the mile in 6:34 which is fairly decent considering it is the beginning of the season and I was under the weather. Since then however, it has been all downhill (no running pun intended).

Kim has been awesome as I know I have been a baby. I feel like hell and I know I have probably worn thin on her nerves. Which leads me to the question... when did I start to become like my father and become a baby when I get sick??? I guess it is true what they say about the apple falling from the tree. Anyway, thanks Kim for all your patience...

A long time coming...

2008-05-07T09:48:00.006-04:00

Most of you that know me well will undoubtably know that my birthday is actually not a day that I usually celebrate. (Well, that isn't exactly true, sometimes I runaway to the caribbean to forget about it, but anyway...) For some reason, I guess I have always focused on the fact that I am another year older and inevitably further down a path of getting old. Granted, I still think that way a little but I think I am coming to accept it. Besides, just because I grow older doesn't mean I have to grow up, right? :-) Hm, I guess I AM a living example of that statement.

Anyway, this last year was good for me. It was filled with some difficult moments but also a lot great memories. I guess from an outside perspective looking at the events of the last year most people wouldn't understand why it was a good year for me (besides taking some really nice vacations). For me though, I got a lot of things that I have been long searching for - forgiveness, acceptance, and peace. I have put a long chapter of my life to rest. I was forgiven by the person I most needed it from. I also have found myself looking to the future optimistically again. Finally, I feel good again about where I am and what the uncertain future holds.

So this birthday, even though I am not in the caribbean, I am still happy (at least it is warm here today - LOL!). I'm not running away for my birthday and I'm not hiding from my age (I'm 36). Instead, this year I will mark the moment when I realized that I am back on track again. I am happy for what I have and who I have to share it with. Everyone, thank you for all of the birthday wishes they really mean a lot!

BTW, thanks Kim for this... whether you agree with me or not, you always understand me and that is all I can ever ask for - and for that, I love you!

Smokers SUCK!

2008-04-30T12:28:00.003-04:00

Ok... so we have had some nice weather the past couple of weeks and I have been driving the little car again. Its nice to drive something different and I love to put the top down. :-) Anyway, I have to say that there is one thing that really gets me mad (especially when I am in that car). Why do smokers think they have the right to discard their lit cigarette butts out the window? I mean, do they not want to trash the inside of their car with a dirty cigarette butt? If so, haven't they realized that their car smells like ass already because of the nasty fumes? Isn't it littering to throw trash from your car? I just think it is terribly inconsiderate and trashy.

On three different times on the way home last week a smoker threw their butt out the window while they were driving in front of me. I realize that many of us are not schooled in aerodynamics but we have all had the same experience before... when the person in front of you throws out their butt, it inevitably is carried by the draft of the car directly into the car behind them. Now, add to that equation that the person in front of you is a big SUV high off the ground and you are in a sports car that is very low... are you getting the picture now? Predictably, there is a 50/50 chance that their butt is going over the windshield and into the car behind them.

I realize the world is an ever changing place and smokers feel more and more like they are discriminated against. New laws have restricted smoking in public places and now they are forced to smoke outside or in designated areas. Well, all I can say is that these laws exist for a reason. Smoking is a disgusting habit and those that smoke are generally inconsiderate about it. Along with the obvious health factors involved in second hand smoke, flicking your butts out of your car window is just an example of why legislation exists to restrict the habits of smokers.

Some ass kicking...

2008-04-24T20:52:00.002-04:00

Ok, I took the quiz and determined I am a 5 year old's nightmare!!! It would take 27 of the little bastards to take me down... Yeah, I would fight dirty, I might even use one as a battering ram to hurt the others with. Its all fun and games until they realize I'm serious (no, not really). LOL! It is funny though.

27

A Strange Suggestion...

2008-04-24T13:51:00.002-04:00

Ok, so I get weird emails all the time, it is nothing new. We have all be spammed here and there. I don't think anyone hasn't been offered Viagra or something that will improve your manhood so to speak. However, when I got a recent email from Amazon.com that suggested I buy this book based on my previous selections, I was kind of taken back. I looked through my purchase history with Amazon and there isn't ANYTHING like this, pretty much everything are technical books or a couple of books that I bought for my ex-wife. This leads me to believe there are a lot of depressed Java developers out there that are buying depression books along with their technical purchases. How else could they have made this suggestion to me? I mean, I do have seasonal effective disorder but it is spring now and I am coming out of my shell.

On a side note, if you are a Java developer and you have depression... look for help, it is out there waiting for you and try out this book it must be working for someone.

Back to Bonaire

2008-04-21T22:08:00.004-04:00

I know, I know... I've been there twice before and I should try somewhere new but the diving there is excellent and we enjoy the island. Besides, I really haven't had the chance to photograph there since I got my new camera rig and we are already going to two new places this year. The nice thing about repeating is you know what you like, what you want to do, and where you want to go. Besides, we are trying some new things this time... We made arrangements today with Larry's Wild Side to dive the other side of the island which is much more intense (if you don't mind getting tossed around when you are on the surface).

I did a lot of shore diving last time I was there and I want to do more of the dives from the shore. I think you see a lot more things when it is a smaller group because there are not a lot of people scaring things away. Not to mention I get to take my time to take photographs and I don't have to feel rushed.

So the plans are set for this fall. Matt & Ellen, I would really love you guys to join us. Let us know if you are available for the trip! I promise you both you will see plenty of seahorses!

Run Forrest Run

2008-04-15T09:42:00.003-04:00

Since I have been running, I have heard a lot of comments - some good, some bad. I guess it comes with the territory. Some people have been ultra supportive while others think you are crazy for running so much. A lot of people like to call me "Forrest Gump" because of all the running that he does in the movie, and again, some say it as a compliment and others as an insult. Personally, I take it as a compliment. Forrest Gump, although not being a very smart was true to himself. He was simple and did what he felt in his heart. I have learned (and still am learning) that life isn't all about material possesions, or being the best at something, or even being smart. It is about being true to yourself and learning from your experiences. I say that I am still learning because I always think there is more to garner from our experiences and so we are all on a path. Anyway, to all those that have called me "Gump", thank you... whatever your intent, it only serves to remind me to be true to myself. If I live a life like Forrest Gump, it would be a life fulfilled.

Geekware is sexy

2008-04-09T22:09:00.002-04:00

They say that sex sells... Based on this latest picture hosted on the Think Geek website, I completely agree. Who is that sexy cat?

Waste

2008-04-08T20:58:00.002-04:00

It is amazing how our government works. Why don't things like this ever get discovered before they are found in a large audit? Where is the system of checks and balances for this? I'm really happy about all the money I pay in taxes.

Inspiration

2008-04-08T15:45:00.005-04:00

Every once in a while you come along a story that moves and inspires you, this article did that for me. While running is a choice for me, for others it is just a way of life. What I do as a hobby and for my health, others do for necessity.

They say you can go through every emotion when you run a race as long as a marathon. Personally, I can relate with that statement. After reading that article I cannot help but feel overwhelmed for the amazing pride these six runners will have when they complete their goal. It is just amazing and it goes to show you with the right attitude and determination anything is possible. Here is a link to their website (which contains a blog) in case you are interested further and maybe want to help.

Read at your own risk!

2008-04-08T15:38:00.004-04:00

Apparently blogging can be hazardous to your health. Watch the attached video but don't blame me if you die while watching (and no, there will be no phone call saying you have 7 days to live).

Post Removed...

2008-04-02T20:11:00.003-04:00

Yeah... there is no reason for me to be like that.

In Loving Memory...

2008-04-02T07:59:00.003-04:00

You know you have all seen them. The cars that have a sticker on their window that says "In Loving Memory" along with a name and a date. Have you ever wondered what this is all about? Who are these people and why are they doing this?

It is true, you can't go through life without losing a loved one at some point in time, but why the sticker on the car? Did the deceased will the driver the car and this their way of saying thank you to the departed? Was the deceased cremated and their ashes hiden in the car so the sticker is like a headstone? Yeah... I really can't say I understand the behavior. While I feel sorrow for the driver that they have lost someone that was obviously precious to them, I find it difficult to bestow my condolences upon them while I drive at 55 MPH. Which leads me to other questions like... What happens when somebody new dies and you already have a sticker? Do you scratch the original sticker off the window? Do you order the newly departed the larger version for the back window and get one of the smaller ones for the previous guy to put on a side window? I think there is a point where you will run out of windows, don't you? Also, what do you do when you buy a new car? Do you get new stickers? Do you only dedicate your car to the people that die while you have it? It is all very interesting...

Anway... Yeah... not for me... I use my car to drive, not to remember dead people.

If

2008-03-19T19:33:00.003-04:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:

If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with worn-out tools:

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it all on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on!"

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings--nor lose the common touch,
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much,
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run,
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And--which is more--you'll be a Man, my son!

--Rudyard Kipling