The Mayan Riviera!!

Well... I haven't looked it up on a map... but I may be the furthest south I've ever been on this earth... as I'm posting this!!!
I came down to Mexico's Mayan Riviera to shoot some video at a wedding for my buddy David Jay. The wedding was yesterday, so today we got the chance to get outside of the resort life and into something a little more... local!

It's sooo cool! The resort didn't have internet... but they have wireless here!! However, there is no electricity in the cabana we're in! So after this post... my battery will be dead... and I'll truly be out of contact until we fly back home on Tuesday!

Here's a quick little video to give you more of a feel of the place!!

Nike+ Web Widget

So after getting all set up on the Nike+ stuff... I realized that they don't really provide a way of sharing your data with anyone else. You can see people who are in the same challenges as you... but that's about it.

I also discovered that there aren't many options out there... from third party programmers who know what they're doing... for sharing your run data either. So... I made my own little Flash-based Nike+ Web Widget. I just have to visit a page on my own site after I've synced with Nike and my widget will update on my blog. Sweet!

Nike Web Widget

If you've got your own website... on a server with PHP... you can probably use what I've created as well. With only a couple small changes in user information for the Nike stuff... let me know if you're interested.

Off And Running

Well... if there is an award for the most out of shape skinny guy... I win!

Hard to imagine that someone 6'2" and only 150 lbs. could be out of shape... but that would be me! Ever since my collegiate sports career ended... let's just say... I haven't exactly stayed motivated in the cardio health department. :o)

So, about two weeks ago I started looking into the Nike + iPod products to see if they might help me out with the motivation. I figured I might splurge on myself for my birthday coming up soon... but my buddy David Jay beat me to the punch!

Thanks for the early birthday present man!! You rock!

He actually just decided to run a sprint triathlon and I think he was looking for someone to train/compete with. So we went out and picked up some of the gadgets pictured above and got ourselves all set up on the Nike+ website. We've already got a little "Challenge" set up called "The Mexico Cup"... based on our work schedule for the next 10 days or so. We'll be headed out of the country on work for about a week... so we started a small competition for while we're there.

I'm sure we'll start up another longer challenge after that one... so if you've got an account let me know and I'll make sure we all get something going together.

And on another note... when I went for a little bit of a longer run tonight... the outside back of my right knee started to hurt a little bit. Anyone with any knowledge of that kinda stuff... fill me in on what's going on there!!

I also ordered some personalized shoes that fit the iPod sensor inside... here's what I got put on them...

New York to London... The Hard Way!!!

My buddy Forest just sent me an email with something I found pretty amusing! I don't know how long this has been floating around in the email world... so you may have already seen this.

1. Go to Google Maps
2. Click on "get directions" (Third link under the search entry box... took me a second!)
3. Type "New York" in the first box (the "from" box)
4. Type "London" in the second box (the "to" box)
5. Click "Get Directions" box.
6. Scroll down to step #23

Too funny! The people at Google have a pretty good sense of humor!

CLICK ON THE IMAGE TO SEE IT BIGGER

Power Outage

Yesterday was an ironic day.

At the beginning of the day I read a short article in the most recent issue of Time about our society's addiction to the internet and data... and how many of us are actually "addicts caught in an epidemic."

Of course this spoke to me as someone who has a hard time going any significant period of time without being able to check my email... read the most recent blog posts... or simply browse for the next big thing. I mean... even now I'm blogging !!!

You can read the article online here:
The Hyperconnected

Here are some quotes that jumped out at me:

"But we need a broader term like data addiction to take in the sheer hydra-headedness of the ceaseless craving for digital stimulation that contemporary technology is creating in us."


"But I can't help wondering if we're underestimating the countervailing effect: the cost we're paying in our disconnection from our immediate surroundings, in our dependence on a continuous flow of electronic attention to prop up our egos, and above all, in a rising inability to be alone with our own thoughts--with that priceless stream of analog data that comes not from without but from within."

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The ironic part happened when the wind picked up here in Santa Barbara... quite a bit actually! Enough to kill the power in the middle of the evening... well before I would have been ready for bed. This left me in the darkness of my house... unconnected with only my own "analog data stream from within." Amazing how long it can take to actually even quiet your own head from everything that you've been feeding it throughout the day.

Eventually, I ended up playing my guitar, singing some worship songs, and praying. Great things that I most likely wouldn't have done had the power remained on. Hmmmmm... looks like I could use some more self induced "power outages"... maybe you could too?

Loralyn's First Easter

Happy Easter!
Here are those pictures that I was talking about in my last post.
***CLICK HERE OR ON THE PICTURE TO SEE THEM CLOSER***

Bath In A Sink

This week I'm a lucky, lucky man! I have four lovely ladies staying with me in my house... and they just happen to represent four generations of my family as well! My grandma, my mother, my sister, and my niece all decided to make a trip out here to SB to keep me company... and maybe spoil me a little bit as well. :o)

My sister wanted to get some pictures of the baby on the beach for Easter, so she could send them out to all of our friends and family. I'm not allowed to post any of those... because she says that will just ruin the surprise. But I borrowed a nice, expensive camera and lens from my all too generous buddy David Jay. I think his talent is all rubbed off on the camera... cause some of them are pretty darn cute!

Anywho... after the beach it was time to get all cleaned up... in the sink! Too funny!! You'd think we asked her to pose like that... nope... she's just a crazy 10 month old!