tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-78559536062465494912024-03-05T09:42:03.292-07:00My Life RevolutionLife is what you make of it. Be happy, love a lot and have ADVENTURES!Jerry Kromerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07169679497276701746noreply@blogger.comBlogger637125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855953606246549491.post-78833507325969922422014-06-07T08:34:00.001-06:002014-06-07T08:34:58.536-06:00D-Day Anniversay - Life and Death Captured on Film<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Seventy years ago today, thousands upon thousands of men faced their fears and death and stormed the beaches of Normandy, France in the largest seaborne invasion that has ever taken place in human history. Standing in landing craft as they bounced through the waves each one of those men must have thought countless times about the possibility that their lives would end within minutes. Imagining the horror filling their minds, it is difficult to understand how those soldiers could be so dedicated, determined and focused on their jobs that they didn't hesitate and disembarked off those land craft onto beaches filled with death.<br />
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Over the years I have watched many documentaries on World War II and the Normandy invasion. Though I have no idea of the real numbers, I won't think that there would have been a lot of photographers, reporters or video cameramen who took part in the beach landings. Obviously there were some as there is film footage of the troops landing on the beach. In most of the films you see men running or seeking cover, explosions and bullets flying through the air. Death is not normally shown except at a distance when a bomb explodes, a ship sinks or an aircraft plummets to the ground. There is one piece of film that shows a number of soldiers emerging from the surf and running up the beach. The first soldiers run by and pass out of the camera's central focus. Another soldier enters the center of the screen and he is hit by a bullet or shrapnel and immediately falls to the ground motionless. <br />
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That piece of film is in many documentaries made about the Normandy invasion. Every time I see it even though I know what is going to happen, I recoil a little in horror as the soldier is hit and falls to the ground. Who was this man? Where was he from? Was he really dead as it appears on the film, or was he just injured and would go to fight another day? What was his life like and what were the thoughts going through his mind as he ran across that beach? Was his body swept back into the surf and dragged out to sea or is he buried somewhere in the cemeteries for the fallen? I can't help but wonder those questions each time I see that piece of film. I'll never know the answers to those questions as probably no one knows who he was. But I can't help but think about him every time I watch a film on Normandy.<br />
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(Original picture from D-Day taken by sailor on board this land craft. Photo is courtesy of Wikipedia Commons.)<br />
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Approximately 150,000 from the allied nations took part in the invasion and battle that took place on June 6, 1944. Though the exact number is not precisely known, an effort by a historian with the National D-Day Foundation found that approximately 4400 allied soldiers died on that day.* So for every soldier taking in the invasion roughly 3 in 100 died that day!<br />
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I won't have wanted to be one of those men who stormed the beaches of Normandy that day, but I am thankful that they did as it was the beginning of the end of one of history's biggest horror stories. Each time I think of Normandy I will always think of that nameless man who fell and most likely died before he got more than a few steps onto that beach.<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~J.<br />
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* The number of soldiers who actually died on that day is not precisely know because of many different factors. The first factor is that many bodies were never recovered. They have been washed out to sea, buried by earth thrown up by explosions or there may simple have been nothing left of soldiers killed by explosions. Those soldiers were listed as MIA and many were not recorded as having died until at least a year later. Other soldiers may have been killed and weren't found until days later at which time their death was listed as the day they were found. Other soldiers may have been so grievously wounded that they survived for a day or two but then succumbed to their wounds later. So though they were initially injured on D-Day their deaths would occur days later. Determining a precise number of exactly who died or was wounded on that day and died of their wounds later is difficult. However from the work that has been done, most experts agree on that roughly 4400 would died. The most precise figure I saw while trying to determine this was 4413,<br />
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I found the following footnote attached to an article on the website Fivethirtyeight (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com) when I was researching the number of D-Day deaths. <br />
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<span>"Many history books include disclaimers. “The exact number of
casualties suffered in the invasion of Normandy will never be known,”
Encyclopaedia Britannica says. The historian Stephen A. Ambrose wrote in
his book “D-Day,” in a footnote, “No exact figures are possible, either
for the number of men landed or for casualties, for D-Day alone.” In
their book by the same name, Randy Holderfield and Michael Varhola
wrote, “Even in modern war, the nature of battle prevents a reasonably
accurate count for a given period of time.” In “The Longest Day,”
Cornelius Ryan wrote, “by the very nature of the assault it was
impossible for anyone to arrive at an exact figure.”"</span></div>
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Traveling for work isn't something that I do very often at this time. But when I do travel it seems like the trips are to more unique places that are much further from home. This week I have traveled to the Bratislava, the capital of the Slovakia.<br />
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Never having been to Bratislava or Slovakia before I have been surprised by the beauty of the city and it's dynamic, modern character. Though the city is not large, it seems to always be busy with people moving throughout it's neighborhoods day and night.<br />
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My trip began on Sunday May 25th when Lisa dropped me off at the Denver airport for a 5:25pm flight from Denver to Frankfurt. Arriving in Frankfurt around 11:00am on Monday, May 26th I had a several hour layover there before flying on to Budapest, Hungary. From Budapest I caught a train and made the 2 3/4 hour trip to Bratislava. <br />
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Bratislava given it's size and proximity to other international airports doesn't have a large airport. Commercial flights are flown into the Bratislava but the cost of these flights are extremely high. Most travelers arrive by air in Bratislava via the international airport in Vienna, about 40 miles to the west of Bratislava. My trip went through Budapest as the flight was almost $1000 cheaper than flying through Vienna. Despite this being a business trip there was no reason to spend a much larger amount of money as taking the train trip allowed me to see a good bit of the Hungarian and Slovakian country side.<br />
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Arriving in Bratislava in darkness I had no idea that my hotel, the Sheraton Bratislava, was situation right on the banks of the Danube River! Imagine my surprise as I got up to walk to the office on Tuesday morning when I noticed that I was right on the banks of the Danube. This might not seem like a big deal to most but the Danube has conjured up images of castles and pitched medieval battles in my head and it gave me a pleasant surprise to find myself walking to work on the bank of this famous river.<br />
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Unfortunately my trip has not offered me much opportunity to explore the city. My of my time has been spent in the office or in my hotel room working away on the project that has brought me to Bratislava. Fortunately I was able to take two hours on Wednesday evening and take a walking journey through the streets of Bratislava to the castle that tops the high point of the city. Below are some of the pictures of the castle and the city that I captured during my stroll through the city. <br />
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(Michael's Tower which is the only surviving gate/tower from Bratislava's original medieval town walls.)<br />
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(There are many intricate carvings on the buildings of Bratislava's old city center.)</div>
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(Michael's Tower was originally one of the gates into the city through the town's defensive wall.)<br />
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(One of the many small streets/lanes in the old city center.)</div>
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(Bratislava castle is home to the Slovakian National Museum.)</div>
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(The Castle is an impressive large building. However this current incarnation of the castle was only started in 1957. The original castle was bombarded by Napoleon in 1809 and the remains were destroyed in a fire in 1811. The castle sat in a state of ruin for the next 140 years before restoration began in the 1950's.)<br />
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(View of the Danube from the castle.)</div>
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(Statue of Svatopluk I in front of the castle)</div>
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(Statue with the clouds and castle as a backdrop.)</div>
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(Some of the fortification walls around the castle.)</div>
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(View of the old city center from the castle fortification walls.)</div>
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(Interesting statue on the castle grounds.) </div>
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(A church with castle high on the hill in the background.)</div>
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(Clock tower in the city center.)</div>
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(A beautiful fountain lit with lights in the gathering dusk.)</div>
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My journey to Bratislava is almost over and though it has been interesting to see and experience this land I am much looking forward to arriving home and stepping back into my day-to-day life!</div>
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Thanks and peace to all! ~J.</div>
<br /></div>
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What kids do at school on a daily basis is normally a big mystery to their parents. Millions of times each day a parent somewhere asks their child, "So what did you do at school today?" Ninety-nine percent of the time the answer receive from the child is "nothing". It's a rare event when a parent gets some real feedback on what their kid does at school.<br />
<br />
The other day, I was lucky to receive some of that feedback when I looked in Zack's backpack and made him clean it out. It was a mess! There was a ton of papers in there that were obviously classwork that he had done at some point and then just stuffed into his backpack. He has chosen never to use his assigned locker at school so everything ends up in his backpack.<br />
<br />
He dumped everything out and then put the stuff he needed into the backpack. A large pile of disorganized paper was left on the counter. He sped off to to catch the bus and I sighed as I organized this pile of "garbage" so that he could go through it when he came home and pitch the stuff he really didn't need and take the rest to his room.<br />
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I came across a paper that he had written for his English class and it brought a smile to my face, so I decided that I had to post it here because it was interesting and it gave me a window into how he perceives himself. (It was some kind of poetry assignment that was to detail something special about themselves from what I have been able to gather.)<br />
<br />
Here's what Zack wrote:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Harry Potter Boy</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am Zack, Harry Potter Boy!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Due to some medical mumbo, jumbo of some sort or another,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I would have died if I was born on time.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I say it's mumbo, jumbo not because I don't care,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But they didn't didn't know what was wrong.</div>
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Medical Miracles even in 1998,</div>
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I survived by a process of induced birth!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My parents picked the day of my birth based on their favorite books by JK Rowling.</div>
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Thus I was born on July 31st</div>
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Year pass my mother dies...</div>
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But still...</div>
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I have a constant reminder of her love - my birthday.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
I am Zack, Harry Potter Boy!</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
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Warm southern winds have pushed the temperature in the Denver area well above normal in the last week. This morning was no exception as the day dawned sunny, bright and warm. Today was a day made for hiking!<br />
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Around 11:00AM I headed out for a long hike along the Douglas County East West Regional Trail. In the last year a new trail head at Ridgegate Parkway was established that has opened up access to the high bluffs above the city of Lone Tree. The trail head is in a well populated area where the new Cabelas Store opened in August of last year. Despite the business of the area, once you set out upon the trail, it is though you have journeyed from the middle of Denver suburbs to a desolate ranching area. Leaving the parking lot of the trail head behind, the trail quickly ascends to the top of the bluffs that dramatically rise up at the southern edge of the Denver metro area. The elevation change is abrupt and significant as the high point along this ridge rises to almost 6300 feet, which is 1000 feet higher than Denver.<br />
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Getting up on top of these ridges is amazing as the view of Denver is fantastic and you really do feel removed from the hustle and bustle of the city. The trail makes it's way to the west and all through out your journey there is a barbed wire fence on your left (to the south) that marks the boundary of a working ranch. It is an interesting ranch because in addition to cattle, they also raise ostriches. Today I was privileged to see two of the great birds strutting in one of the fields. It is not a normal sight to see ostriches in Colorado!<br />
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Here are some photos that I took along the way. I made use of a new Nikon Coolpix camera I received as a Christmas gift from Lisa. It takes some pretty great pictures! <br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~ J.</div>
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Another year is done and in the record books. What a year it was! My experiences with 2013 were varied but were for the most part pretty good. Even the things that happened that weren't quite so good, turned out to have some pretty good silver linings.<br />
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The biggest event that occurred this year wasn't even something that directly happened to me - it was something that happened with Zack. It's not something that I have mentioned on this blog or anywhere else for that matter. The event was that Zack was officially "diagnosed" with Asperger Syndrome. Aspergers is a mild form of autism and with the most recent version of the<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Verdana, Sans-Serif;"> </span></span><br />
"Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders" it is now considered part of the "Autism Spectrum". I guess this diagnosis really isn't a big surprise but it certainly had a large impact on both Zack and me in 2013. Knowing this information has allowed us to change the way we interact and work together to address the issues that Zack needs to overcome to be a successful young adult. Though some might think that getting this diagnosis is devastating, for us it has been extremely helpful as we now have a much better way to address the issues that have plagued Zack since Patty got sick in 2006.<br />
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Another event that occurred which was not so good and really has no silver lining has been Lex's near death experience and subsequent diagnosis with cancer. The only good thing that has come out of this event has been that Lex is still alive. When his vet informed us that the tumor on his spleen was cancerous we were told that he only had 2 - 3 months to live. The doggie oncologist gave us a longer time frame of 6 - 8 months, but we are even now approaching the end of that period of time. I am not going to be so foolish to think that Lex has this horrible disease beat. With the incredible pain tolerance that all dogs have, it is possible that Lex could be fine one day and close to death the next. He is doing well right now but that can change at a moment's notice. I am just so happy for each day that we have with him!<br />
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Losing my job as part of IBM's huge layoff this summer I first viewed as a very bad thing. However, events have shown that it was actually a very good thing! You would never think that getting laid off would turn out to be something good, but in this case it certainly was. With over 14 years experience with IBM the severance package I received was pretty darn good. On top of that, after getting to take 2 months off of work, I went back working for IBM as a contractor at the beginning of October. Working as a contractor was at first pretty weird, but I have grown used to it and I have found that many aspects of being a contractor are superior to being an employee. I don't receive any benefits, vacation days or any other kind of paid time off, but I get paid for every single hour I work. If it is a busy crazy week and I work 60 hours, I get paid for each and everyone of those 60 hours. On top of that, when my work day is done I turn off my computer and stop thinking about work. When I was a full time employee, I was never able to do that. Now I realize I am just a contractor and there is no overriding goal or reason for me to focus upon my job as anything more than an hourly, day-by-day job. As a contractor I make a much higher hourly pay rate as I don't get any benefits so I have to pay for those myself. All-in-all getting laid off was a good thing rather than a bad thing! (That seems weird I know, but it is the way it has worked out for me.)<br />
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Another good thing about this year has been the amount of progress I have made in reinventing my house. In 2012 we had the big remodeling of our kitchen and family room completed. There was no major projects like that this year. However, I accomplished many things in terms of getting the entire house in order and reducing the amount of "stuff" that I have. It has been a fabulous feeling to reduce the clutter and be able to consistently pull one of my cars into the garage. Just the feeling of having things organized and well in hand has been great.<br />
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Dating Lisa for all of 2013 has also been a really good thing. We met in the spring of 2012 and have been dating since we met. Our relationship has been drama-free, full of good times and pretty wonderful in general. After the trauma and drama that I experienced with Shelly, I was pretty down on the whole concept of dating. Instead of jumping right into the dating game after Shelly, I waited a long time and made sure that I was re-entering the dating world for the right reasons. The wait and manner in which I approached dating really paid off, as Lisa is a wonderful, loving, kind, gentle and extremely positive person. She has added a tremendous amount of positive things to Zack and my lives. Lisa is a wonderful, happy person who I enjoy being with so much and this past year really saw our relationship grow and mature. It's great to have her in my life!<br />
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There were many other events that occurred this past year and both Zack and I got to do many new and adventurous things - from Zack's Outward Bound expedition to my trip to the Philippines, each month of 2013 allowed us to grow and learn.<br />
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I know I am looking ahead to this new year with many plans for personal development, adventure and positive things. We never plan for our future to contain things that are negative but undoubtedly those things will occur. The key to handling those negative events are to try and find the positive things that you can gain from them. I can't predict what negative events will happen this year, but I am determined to try and gain something positive from even the most negative things. Hopefully there won't be a lot of negative events in 2014 - only time will tell, yet I will face it all with a smile on face and viewpoint of seeing the silver lining in everything.<br />
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Happy new year to you all! My hope each and everyone of you is that 2014 is better for you than was 2013!<br />
<br />
Thanks and peace to all! ~ J.<br />
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Below some of the pictures we took this year showing our adventures and activities.<br />
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(Yosemite Valley during Fall Break Trip) </div>
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(Deer on the trail near El Capitan in Yosemite)</div>
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(Zack and me at Glacier Point in Yosemite with Half Dome in the background) </div>
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(Zack at Mono Lake outside of Yosemite)</div>
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(Lisa and me on the Staten Island Ferry in NYC at Thanksgiving) </div>
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(Lisa and me in the Devil's Garden in Arches National Park) </div>
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(Zack climbing a shear rock face on his Outward Bound expedition)</div>
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(Sunrise from top of Mt. Olinger when Zack and I volunteered for The Hike for Hospice fund raiser.)<br />
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(Lower Manhattan skyline from the Staten Island Ferry)</div>
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(Colorado Sand Dunes National Park during spring break)</div>
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(Our little group during spring break trip to Sand Dunes)</div>
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(Moose outside of our condo in Silverthorne)</div>
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(Zack hiking with me at Colorado's newest state park - Staunton Ranch)</div>
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(Zack and I at Capulin Volcano National Monument in New Mexico in August)</div>
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(Hiking South Valley Open Space in Jefferson County early one fall morning)</div>
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(Zack at Death Valley National Park on fall break trip)</div>
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(In Death Valley National Park)</div>
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(Zack at Christmas giving me a wave)</div>
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(My and my brothers and sisters together at Christmas)</div>
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(Crossing the finish line at Canyonlands Half Marathon in March of 2013) </div>
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</script></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7855953606246549491.post-4349033956270481342013-10-16T21:09:00.000-06:002013-10-16T21:09:00.979-06:00The Uniqueness Of A Moment<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Several weekends ago Zack and I spent 2 days at our condo in the mountains. Zack didn't have school on Friday so we headed to Silverthorne on Thursday evening and stayed until Saturday. When stay at the condo each day we take the dogs out for several long walks through the forests and fields behind the condo complex. <br />
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Japanese Pine Bark beetles have killed most of the pine trees in Summit County where our condo is located. The forest behind the condo became a graveyard of dead and dying Lodge Pole pines over several months in 2008. In order to provide a defensible space against forest fires in these masses of dead trees, most of the forests around the residential areas in Summit County have been cut down. As I walked through this area late on the Friday afternoon that we were in the mountains, I came upon the most marvelous sight. The sun was setting behind Buffalo Mountain and the position of the glowing orb was illuminating a "teepee" of cut tree trunks that will be burnt once the weather turns colder.<br />
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The sight was truly awe inspiring. What was even more remarkable to me than the sight itself was that it only lasted for 20 seconds before the sun sank behind the Buffalo Mountain. This one small moment in time was unique in so many unfathomable ways! When the sun was setting the following day it won't be in the same place, or perhaps a cloud would obscure the sun - it staggered my mind to think of all the impossibly large number of variables that came together to create this one unbelievable sight! And then in 20 seconds it was gone and land was plunged into the shadow of the mountain as the sun slipped behind it.<br />
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(My cell phone was the only camera equipment I had on me at the time. I did my best to capture this beautiful sight with the iPhone's camera.) <br />
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Some day when you see a beautiful sight like this, realize all the things that came together at that exact moment to make it occur and realize how fleeting it might be!<br />
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Hope everyone is having a wonderful week. It's half over!!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~J.</div>
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Yesterday I decided to take a quick trip to Best Buy to peruse the latest in electronics. My walk through the store demonstrated the fundamental shift that is happening with today's technology. This fundamental shift is that most "content" and "data" is moving to the "cloud". The rows that used to be filled with software are growing smaller and are being replaced with little cards that are used to go the Internet and purchase a 365 day "pass" to access the software. Aisles that were once filled with music and video CDs, DVD's and Blue-Ray discs are now being removed. Instead of going to the store to buy a physical disc all content is now being access through services like Netflix, VUDU, HULU, iTunes, Pandora, etc. <br />
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The concept of what is now called the "cloud" has been around for as long as the Internet has been running. In it's simplest definition the "cloud" is data storage that is accessible from any place on the Internet. Whether a person is located in the United States, Mongolia, Antarctica, Russia, or on the International Space Station - anywhere there is an Internet connection, the same data can be accessed. The "cloud" frees data from being dependent upon a specific computer, tablet, cell phone, etc.<br />
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Though the concept of the "cloud" has been around since the early days of the Internet there have been technological advances in recent years that have enabled this concept to become the backbone of commerce today. Some of these changes have been; the ever increasing capacity of hard disc storage at lower costs, the ability to transfer greater volumes of data across transmission media and the increased efficiency of data compression algorithms. All of these factors have created a situation in which it is as effective and cost efficient to store massive amounts of data in remote locations far away from where they will eventually be used.<br />
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For software companies and content owners the use of the cloud to manage data and content is a boon. No longer will a company like Microsoft get a one-time payment for the purchase of the Office Suite of products, they will now get a yearly revenue stream from every person who uses their product. Microsoft will no longer be at the whims of whether or not a person decides to upgrade to the next version, it will simply be forced to them through the yearly usage charge. If you choose not to pay the yearly usage charge, then you won't be able to use their software at the end of the 365 days. It's a great way to assure an ongoing revenue stream. <br />
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All of this is great for the companies that produce the data and content but what about you the user? To me it seems that as the trend towards the cloud gets greater, the user will lose more and more control of the things they own. What is going to happen if you spend hundreds (or thousands) of dollars building up a video library on VUDU and then for whatever reason VUDU goes bankrupt and ceases operation? What happens to those movies that you have purchased? An example of this has not yet happened as far as I am aware, but the best guess is that you will just be out of luck and your movies will be gone.<br />
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Another issue with all of this is the simple question, where is your data and who can access it? Do the companies that host your data have adequate safe guards and audit procedures in place to tell if one of their employees is accessinf your data? Here's a horrible example of what could happen. A well meaning person takes pictures of their little kid and stores them a cloud website - it could be any of them, Dropbox, SkyDrive, Google, etc. An employee of that company who works in some far off country routine searches files stored by the company and grabs a copy of the kids photos and post them to some horrible website. The parent may never even know it. You place your files on one of those services and you are effectively giving up control of them.<br />
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Additionally with all the NSA and governmental snooping that is going on these days you can be darn sure some one or some program from big brother is looking at your data. If you put some really attractive (nude or even non-nude) pictures of your girlfriend/wife out on one of those cloud website, you can probably bet some oily faced twenty-something "NSA Analyst" is probably looking at them. <br />
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My personal preference is to avoid these cloud based services and data storage mechanisms as much as is possible. There are certain ones I can't avoid, such as Fitbit where all my data is stored in their corporate cloud somewhere. And sometimes I use cloud based data storage for ease of sharing data with friends and family, but I don't put anything important out there at all. Unfortunately no matter what you and I do, more and more of our data and information will end up on the cloud and will be vulnerable to prying eyes or plain and simple destruction if the company hosting it goes belly up.<br />
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Those are my interesting thoughts for the day! From a personal perspective, Zack is now one month into his freshman year of high school and so far so good. There are some things that he needs to improve upon but in general he is doing well. Tomorrow, Friday, September 20th is a day off of school for Zack so we are heading to the mountains tonight. Instead of our normal I-70 route we will be taking Highway 285 into South Park and then taking a dirt road the over the continental divide at Boreas Pass and down into the town of Breckenridge. It's a trip I have wanted to take for a long time and today is the day. If we don't do it today, in all likelihood the route will be closed by snow the next time we head to the mountains.<br />
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It also looks as though my time of being an unemployed wanderer is coming to an end. I'll find out for certain early next week, but the pull of making money is significant and so in early October I will go back to work as an independent consultant. Once the deal is finalized I will write a bit more about what I will be doing. It will be good work and it will take me back to my roots in the professional services industry for which I am very happy!<br />
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Sorry it's been so long between posts, but life has been busy and I have been focused on other areas of my life. My next post shouldn't be so long in coming.<br />
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Until then - thanks and peace to all! ~ J.</div>
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About 4 months ago I wrote a blog entry in which I compared the Fitbit Flex to Body Media's Bodybugg. At the time I had only recently purchased the Fitbit Flex and was uncertain as to its accuracy, durability and overall ease of usage. My knowledge of the Bodybugg on the other hand was extensive as it was an old trusted friend that I had been using for years.<br />
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There has been significant interest from my readers about the comparison I made between these two devices. The hit counter built into this blog allows for the referring URL to be determined and there have literally been hundreds if not a thousand or more hits that have come to the blog from the Google search "Fitbit vs Bodybugg. Therefore, now that I have a lot more experience with the Fitbit it makes sense to re-visit this subject.<br />
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The key discovery from the extended usage of the Fitbit is that the Fitbit does not seem to accurately reflect the amount of calories expended during a day. Though the Fitbit does an excellent job tracking the distance walked each day, it has a hard time turning non-walking activities into an accurate calorie burn. Even when the activity log function is used, the Fitbit seems to discount the amount of calories that are burned for non-walking, non-running activities. Bike riding is clearly one of those areas in which the Fitbit does a horrible job calculating the number of calories expended. I use multiple instruments to track/estimate the number of calories I burn during my bike rides and the Fitbit routinely under counts the calorie burn by 20 - 30%. This inaccurate calculation of calories burned is the most significant drawback to the Fitbit.<br />
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The Bodybugg on the other hand is extremely accurate in it's calculation of calories burned in any activity. The drawback to the Bodybugg is the awkward manner in which you must wear it. While the Fitbit is a relatively "bland" bracelet that you wear around your wrist, the Bodybugg is worn wrapped around your bicep. Not only does it look dorky, it must be worn in very close contact with the skin which makes it feel tight and uncomfortable.<br />
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The real decision point between the devices comes down to the user's need. Is accuracy the most critical feature for the wearer? If it is, then the only choice is the Bodybugg. If the accuracy of the caloric burn isn't extremely critical and the wearer is more interested in steps taken, or comfort then the Fitbit is the device of choice.<br />
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As for me - I retired my Bodybugg shortly after I purchased the Fitbit. Despite the accuracy issue I am sticking with the Fitbit and using my experience with caloric burn rates to compensate for its inaccuracy. I'll follow what new advancements Body Media comes up with and if they can package the Bodybugg in a different way so that it is more comfortable, I will definitely make the switch back.<br />
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Given it was a holiday yesterday, it is a short work week - yay! I hope every one has a great rest of the week ahead!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~ J.</div>
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A unique feature of Denver that very few people know about are its Mountain Parks. In the early 20th century, the leaders of the young city of Denver concluded that it would be in the city's best interests to preserve tracts of wilderness outside of Denver's boundaries. This decision was driven by the idea of setting aside land that might otherwise be developed so that it could be used by the people of Denver for recreation and to allow the city dwellers to escape into the wilderness. What started in 1910 has continued and grown. There are now 22 properties, holding over 14,000 acres of land that make up the Denver Mountain Parks system. Many of these properties are parks in which trails, picnic shelters and other facilities have been built. A small number of these properties have remained untouched and undeveloped.<br />
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Elephant Butte is one of the Denver Mountain Park properties that has remained untouched over all these years. According to everything I could find on the Internet, there are no trails in the Elephant Butte property. In the center of this preserved space is Elephant Butte, which is an 8,400 foot rocky point that looms over the Jefferson County mountain town of Evergreen. Located to the southwest of downtown Evergreen, Elephant Butte is "sandwiched" between Evergreen Lake and the Jefferson County Open Space - Alderfers Three Sisters Park.<br />
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(Elephant Butte as seen from Blue Bird Meadow Trail in the Alderfer Three Sisters Open Space)</div>
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Each time I have gone to Alderfer Three Sisters Open Space to hike, I have looked at Elephant Butte in the distance and told myself that someday I was going to climb to the top of it. This past Tuesday, after getting Zack off to the bus, I set out on my journey to climb Elephant Butte.<br />
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Driving to Evergreen I encountered the typical morning rush hour traffic along highway C470. It honestly wasn't that bad as Denver's rush hour traffic is no where near as congested as other cities. Thankfully most of my journey was on the winding roads of Bear Creek Canyon. Though traffic was sparse the sharp curves and steep inclines ensured that I kept my speed in check.<br />
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I arrived at the parking area of Three Sisters/Alderfer's Open Space and realized based upon the lack of cars that it was pretty likely I would have the trails to myself. Looking towards Elephant Butte to the north, I reminded myself that the looks of a mountain are usually quite deceiving, as it didn't look like it would be a hard climb. Assuming a mountain is an easy climb is a great way to get yourself into trouble!<br />
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In preparation for this climb I had done a lot of reading about Elephant Butte. There wasn't one article in which a trail to the top was mentioned. It was going to be an off trail bushwhack to reach the top of this mountain. From the parking area I would strike out on the Bluebird Meadow trail and then link up with Mountain Mulhy trail. Following this trail for about 8/10 of a mile, I would cross Buffalo Creek and then move off trail to cover the last 3/4 of a mile to the summit of Elephant Butte.<br />
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The first part of my hike was wonderful as I meandered along the trails. Moving steadily down hill towards Buffalo Creek, I entered a small valley still in the early morning shadows. The cool morning air was still and calm. It seemed as though I had entered a different world removed from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. This sense of peace and calm was further emphasized when I came across a pair of mule deer quietly grazing on the banks of Buffalo Creek. They startled me more than I startled them and I stood there for several long minutes looking at them as they assessed whether I was a danger or not.<br />
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Letting the deer to graze in peace, I continued my journey down to the bottom of the valley and Buffalo Creek. Taking a last look at the trail to ensure I could find my way back, I struck off into the bush. I was able to follow a faint path along the pine needle strewn forest floor. Eventually the heavy forest cover and the trail petered out and I found myself along the steep flanks of Elephant Butte.<br />
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To climb this mountain, I would need to carefully navigate my way up the steep slopes without putting myself into a perilous situation. The method I use to bushwhack my way up a mountain like this is to "follow the green". That is, I try and follow the areas in which trees and bush grow up the side of the mountain. If a tree or shrub can grow on it, then it usually means that the ground isn't too steep to walk upon - usually.<br />
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It seemed like it took forever but I finally arrived at a point on the mountain right below the top slab of the mountain and it was there that I came across a path. Coming across the path was both reassuring and annoying. It was reassuring in the fact that I would be able to get my way off the mountain without having to go back they way I came and it was annoying in the fact that there was obviously a path that ran the whole way up and down the mountain. I spent all the time and put myself in peril to reach this height on the mountain only to find that there was a path the whole way up it!<br />
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Following the path to the top was difficult at it was not a formal, well constructed path. There were several points in which the path seemed to fade away but it was because there was an abrupt turn that wasn't marked. Eventually I gave up on the path and got down on my hands and knees and climbed the last several hundred feet to the top.<br />
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Obtaining the summit presented a marvelous view in all directions! I could see clearly for many miles. Though the climb had been difficult, it was well worth it because of all the wonderful views.<br />
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(Some of the views from the top of Elephant Butte.)</div>
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There were several peak registers in a plastic container stuffed in the hollow of a dead pine tree near the summit. Of course I had to stop and sign the register and read what others who had come before me had written. It is fun to see the thoughts and comments of those who have scaled the mountain.<br />
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After spending about 30 minutes enjoying the view at the top, I started back down. Shortly after I left the top I ran into an older gentleman walking towards the summit. We stopped and talked for a short bit and I asked him about the trail. He was able to provide me with a couple of reference points so that I could follow the trail the whole way down. Needless to say that made my return trip down the mountain so much quicker!<br />
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To help those who scale Elephant Butte in the future I used my GPS to mark where the informal trail to the top of Elephant Butte starts. This trail branches off of the Mountain Mulhy trail in Alderfer Three Sisters Open Space at these coordinates - N 39.37.736 W 105.21.609. The branch point is not obvious at all and unless you are looking for it, you probably will not find it. If you intend to climb Elephant Butte, use these coordinates as it will make your hike so much easier!<br />
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Elephant Butt is just one of the many hikes and climbs that I have been doing in the two weeks since Zack went back to school. I have many more of these hikes planned in the coming days and weeks. As the weather and the leaves begin to change, I'll be heading further into the mountains to see the wonderful colors of autumn.<br />
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I hope everyone is enjoying there long weekend and has a great day off tomorrow!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! </div>
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Ten years ago today, a little brown puppy entered this world along with his litter mates. He didn't have a name on that day and won't take on his moniker as "Lex the crazy dog" for another 8 weeks when I picked him out of a scrum of puppies running madly around a small room. What caught my eye about him as opposed to all the other puppies was that he was the most hyper-active, crazy of them all. He ran around that room so fast, that he couldn't keep his footing and slid head first into the wall. Yes - he was truly the puppy for me!<br />
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We brought him home with us that day and he has been part of our family from that day. Even when he did extremely crazy and wild things we loved him and cherished him. Some of the things that Lex has done over the years have indeed been crazy and out of control, but they were never done with a bit of anger or malice. He did what he did just because he was and still is a pup who loves life and thinks that world is his to own. If I could tally the expense for all things that he has destroyed or damaged, I am sure it would be enough to buy a nice car. But it doesn't matter one bit as he has continually brought happiness and joy to our lives.<br />
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Even during the dark times we went through between 2006 and 2008, he was always there waiting to greet us when we came in the door. Wagging his tail so hard that if it hit you a welt would immediately appear on your skin, Lex has made us know everyday that we are the most important things in life and he loves us no matter what.<br />
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Unfortunately we don't know how much longer we will have our "crazy boy" in our lives. The cancer he was diagnosed with in June is a very bad cancer and there are no guarantees. Yet he is still a very strong dog and he has an unbelievable determination to live. He should have died that day in June when the tumor pierced the blood vessel in his spleen. But he didn't, even despite losing over 2 liters of blood. Regardless of the prognosis, Lex is alive and enjoying his 10th birthday. Even as I sit here writing this post, I can hear him in the living room chomping on his rawhide chewy that I gave him for his special day. Lex, my crazy, wonderful, happy, always hungry dog may you have many more years to spend with us! We love you puppy dog!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6_KcXen078x5WSkB2Z9AyE6Umy8fgeGj35ny3UgkIgyoVrIMhtyji9cy118r20zcDup4i8ySb1ZHFomSIdHcTYpxsbCBu8fP5qbK2zGNoh3rDlPO4i_XTrHi92KiTqJ3_HZZSLvCIVWi/s1600/Lex's+arrival+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6_KcXen078x5WSkB2Z9AyE6Umy8fgeGj35ny3UgkIgyoVrIMhtyji9cy118r20zcDup4i8ySb1ZHFomSIdHcTYpxsbCBu8fP5qbK2zGNoh3rDlPO4i_XTrHi92KiTqJ3_HZZSLvCIVWi/s640/Lex's+arrival+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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(Lex arriving at our house for the first time. Wasn't he such a cutie-pie!) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHaAlyR81uVWD_09yVbIdUiPhJFxdqwOXC5KDzNqIG7md-30QwMVdIqrIXl3op35E6MR66Wr3SB14jE4UUlwDREBCGPUrUh9TjmiyePjE-D0zmVAUA6F22PIORybcPD20WK8G6b4fgCwr/s1600/bay+hugging+sleeping+lex.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOHaAlyR81uVWD_09yVbIdUiPhJFxdqwOXC5KDzNqIG7md-30QwMVdIqrIXl3op35E6MR66Wr3SB14jE4UUlwDREBCGPUrUh9TjmiyePjE-D0zmVAUA6F22PIORybcPD20WK8G6b4fgCwr/s640/bay+hugging+sleeping+lex.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
(It's almost hard to see Lex as he is practically being smothered by our older Lab Bailey. What is so funny is that when we brought Lex home, all Bailey wanted to do was hangout with Lex and play with him. Years later after Bailey died and we got Finnegan, when we introduced the two of them - Lex and Finnegan, Lex wanted absolutely NOTHING to do with Finnegan. Of course all of that has now changed as Lex and Finn are the absolute best friends. They can't stand to be apart!)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqO5sqOKwifeuojwUTVH08Lj9D1YFBghw767yNaCzpvOBTNiXvxhaVnwiDdSC8DHejJ8jfvYuZjWuxHaSRDzRq7BlEFCXmELihWK5fxYsKEz-Y7CWmFo1zmXohlXMBGTLSHhf9_jSafn1/s1600/pups+snuggling+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqO5sqOKwifeuojwUTVH08Lj9D1YFBghw767yNaCzpvOBTNiXvxhaVnwiDdSC8DHejJ8jfvYuZjWuxHaSRDzRq7BlEFCXmELihWK5fxYsKEz-Y7CWmFo1zmXohlXMBGTLSHhf9_jSafn1/s640/pups+snuggling+2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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(Bailey watched out for Lex so much when Lex was a pup. Lex showed Bailey his "gratitude but torturing him with bites,nips and constant pestering. Actually, I think Bailey loved it because he just wanted to be with that little puppy at all times.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVtL4CPNhJcuC_aFL_yqcHjWxQBhByS8GEt1q8Yxvx7zroxfZXpBpF80BciPYGsGxNy_zjaFs3JM06h_-CZ_k1WQ_4sxPPUVf3eENI8Y-KrW9oxXOMe7fi3kpvNhQQPT0MNV3rd_X6IdP/s1600/Zack+snuggling+with+Lex+3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBVtL4CPNhJcuC_aFL_yqcHjWxQBhByS8GEt1q8Yxvx7zroxfZXpBpF80BciPYGsGxNy_zjaFs3JM06h_-CZ_k1WQ_4sxPPUVf3eENI8Y-KrW9oxXOMe7fi3kpvNhQQPT0MNV3rd_X6IdP/s640/Zack+snuggling+with+Lex+3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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(As you can imagine, a certain little boy became fast friends with Lex!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEG3eHhVVpDgMsw1qLPniAULvboKTJBbp_aMN246Q4NJ_V3d23RGh0fvoOkdVG_jRgcH3KIivQ0uaGsYI5wifimVrWoORVbvJ5Y9rKpBqAcvhBkLgAmvdRuNb1GZWFM9HCz-uVgLKMRd_/s1600/lex+asleep+on+hardwood+floor.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGEG3eHhVVpDgMsw1qLPniAULvboKTJBbp_aMN246Q4NJ_V3d23RGh0fvoOkdVG_jRgcH3KIivQ0uaGsYI5wifimVrWoORVbvJ5Y9rKpBqAcvhBkLgAmvdRuNb1GZWFM9HCz-uVgLKMRd_/s640/lex+asleep+on+hardwood+floor.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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(This is an utterly classic picture of our boy!)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AFxtBIQj2y5w_hfjDQg5evayYVBxBGRXjVc57xrSCE_UBYeRg68TDCrXgWqwPwJ7Uh0hQ76CadJeRvFqWORAeBS8Dg1AmUZr-XSiUmuj254Tr110of84WGeEAF1e36OVY09mXTNqd4Uv/s1600/IMG_0355.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3AFxtBIQj2y5w_hfjDQg5evayYVBxBGRXjVc57xrSCE_UBYeRg68TDCrXgWqwPwJ7Uh0hQ76CadJeRvFqWORAeBS8Dg1AmUZr-XSiUmuj254Tr110of84WGeEAF1e36OVY09mXTNqd4Uv/s640/IMG_0355.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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(This is one of my all time favorite pictures of Lex. I took this about 3.5 years ago when we were out for a walk at Cherry Creek State Park. It shows Lex's true spirit and his joy of life. He is an unstoppable force that embraces all that life has to offer and enjoys every single second of it.)</div>
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I tried to get a birthday picture of our crazy boy, but he is just too absorbed in his chewy to listen to anything I say. Well - I'll just have to update this post once he has devoured the whole thing and will pose for a picture!</div>
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Thanks and peace to all! ~J.</div>
</div>
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After a summer of fun and enjoyment, tomorrow is the day that the world becomes serious again and the focus returns to work. Zack will attend his first full day of classes as a freshman tomorrow and I will embark upon the new career I have chosen.<br />
<br />
Our schedule this school year is going to be an early one. At one point I was used to waking at very early hours as I was continuously working with my team in India, however over the last 8 weeks or so I have grown use to a more leisurely wake-up time. Tomorrow that needs to change as Zack will have to be out of bed at 5:40am so that he can catch his school bus at 6:20am. His bus stop this year is 4 tenths of mile away which is much further than his middle school bus stop. Therefore he is going to need to be out of the house by 6:05am. This early daily routine is now going to be our normal day-to-day life.<br />
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My work for the next two months is going to be focused on completing several projects around the house and gathering a ton of background material for my writing. For Monday my schedule is pretty well planned as I will be getting up at 5:30am to make sure Zack is awake. As he gets older I will turn the responsibility square over to him, but for his freshman and sophomore years of high school, I anticipate getting up whenever he needs to be awake.<br />
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I'll hang out with him while he has breakfast and gets ready for school. Given it is the first day of high school, I will subject him to having his picture taken quite a few times! I might take pity upon him and drive him to the bus stop. After that I am off to do a 5 - 6 mile hike through the Jefferson County South Valley Open Space. My goal is to hike as many mile of the trails in this open space as possible as I want to capture a lot of good information for writing. In addition to my normal trail supplies of food and emergency gear, I will be carrying my camera to take lots of photos, a notebook to take notes and my GoPro video camera so that I can go back and look at the film if I forget any of the details of the hike.<br />
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After my return from the hike, the entire afternoon is going to be spent working on my garage. Later in the fall I will be doing some more in-depth home renovation projects and I need the space in the garage for a work shop.<br />
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As this summer ends I look back upon all the different changes that have happened. The biggest change of course was moving on from the corporate rat race. That change was anticipated for the future as I had only planned to continue to work in the corporate arena for another 2 - 4 years. Even though this change occurred earlier than I had planned it has been a wonderful opportunity! The timing of the change was exceedingly good for a variety of reasons. Most importantly it is giving me the extra time to spend with Zack while he goes through the transition to high school. My financial position, along with the generous package I received from my employer has allowed me to voyage into this new opportunity without a care in the word and without the pressure to get back into a corporate position.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE5EJzemfU_HzXk3iPr0bkRhuafT7hDp-sQIGTtwj0hj6cz8PREKhbOpcDq4FqzVF-baVb9mm9UCG0tM7bfgSCaICXjGo88xLY97Drb23grdR64QZ0KvkExJ6y7_i9ZNMPeK-hfavEBTM/s1600/IMG_3500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYE5EJzemfU_HzXk3iPr0bkRhuafT7hDp-sQIGTtwj0hj6cz8PREKhbOpcDq4FqzVF-baVb9mm9UCG0tM7bfgSCaICXjGo88xLY97Drb23grdR64QZ0KvkExJ6y7_i9ZNMPeK-hfavEBTM/s640/IMG_3500.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
(A picture from one of our summer adventures, at the top of Capulin Volanco in New Mexico. It's a national monument located about 40 miles west of Raton, New Mexico.)<br />
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There is no life without change and there is some massive change coming our way in the next several days. It's time for us to buckle up and get ready for the ride!<br />
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Hope everyone had a great weekend!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~J.</div>
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<div class="header">
<h2 class="me">
fresh·man</h2>
<span class="pronset"> <span class="show_spellpr" style="display: inline;"><span class="prondelim">[</span><span class="pron"><span class="boldface">fresh</span>-m<span class="ital-inline">uh</span><span class="thinsp"></span><span class="thinsp"></span>n</span><span class="prondelim">]</span> <span class="pron_toggle" style="display: inline;"></span></span></span><span class="pg"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">noun,</span> </span></span><span class="pg"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">plural</span> </span></span><span class="secondary-bf"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">fresh·men,</span> </span></span><span class="pg"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">adjective</span> </span></span> </div>
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<span class="pg"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">noun</span> </span></span> <br />
<div class="luna-Ent">
<span class="dnindex"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">1.</span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"> a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">student</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">in</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">first</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">year</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">of</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">the</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">course</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">at</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">university,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword">college,</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">or</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">high</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">school.</span> </span><span class="dnindex"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword"></span></span></span></div>
<div class="luna-Ent">
<span class="dnindex"><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword">2.</span></span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword"> a</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">novice;</span> <span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">beginner.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The day that many parents dread has finally arrived at our house - Zack is officially a high school freshman. He registered for classes this morning at Cherry Creek High School and he begins his high school journey tomorrow at 6:20am when he will board the bus for freshman orientation.</span></span><span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;"> </span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">It's obvious from today's registration that high school is going to be very different than middle school. Parents are not allowed to accompany their kids through the registration process. The students must do it by themselves. Zack seemed surprised by this but was very OK with it. He was more displeased with the fact that registration was taking much longer than expected and from where he entered the line it was a 45 minute to 1 hour and 15 minute wait. He did manage to survive the wait! I didn't want to hear him whine about how boring it would be, so I left him there to find people in line with whom to talk.</span></span></div>
<div class="luna-Ent">
<br />
<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">The differences between the high school of my youth and the high school of today are amazing. From my perspective it seem as though high school is more like the experience I had attending college in the mid 1980's. Students of today's high schools are expected to come to school and really drive their own educational process. Not much is force fed to them and their path through school is really self determined.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Even the selection of courses that are available to high school students of today is significantly more diverse. Instead of the generic "gym" or physical education courses that we all took in the 1980's, there are now a plethora of choices. For Zack's first semester of physical education he will be taking a weight lifting course. Before I know it, he is going to have more physical strength than do I. That will be a very interesting change in the family dynamic!</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Without a doubt I will be penning many more stories about Zack's days in high school. There are many more "firsts" yet to come. The next four years are sure to be an interesting and exciting time for us!</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Hope everyone has a great Friday ahead.</span></span><br />
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<span id="hotword"><span id="hotword" name="hotword" style="color: #333333; cursor: default;">Thanks and peace to all! ~ J. </span> </span></div>
</div>
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It is tremendously hard to believe that Zack, the young man who I once referred to as "my little Zackie" turned 15 years old yesterday. Zack is definitely now a young man. He is only an inch or two shorter than me. He needs to shave at least once a week or he starts to look like a shaggy beast. It seems as each day his strength and muscles grow larger. Despite his size, muscles, beard and mustache in my heart he is and will always be "my little Zackie".<br />
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For Zack's birthday celebration this year Zack and I along with two of Zack's best friends - Jess and James, headed to Denver's Water World water park. Water World is one of the largest water parks in the United States. It features over 49 different water slides, pools, surfing features and even a water based roller coaster. <br />
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I had hoped to be on the road to Water World around 9:15AM but we had a couple of delays (mainly me sleeping in) that didn't see us on the road until almost 9:30AM. I felt like a school bus driver as I made stops to pick up Zack's friends. The water park is about 20 miles to the north of our home in Centennial so we didn't end up arriving until almost 10:20am. The fact that one of his friends was still sound asleep when we arrived at his home also slowed us down a bit.<br />
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Once through the gates we quickly found an excellent place next to the largest wave pool to set up shop. I made sure each of the kids covered themselves in sun screen as I didn't want any of them getting sun burnt and then we were off to have fun.<br />
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Zack and his buddies mainly spent their day in the Thunder Bay wave pool. This pool is a monstrous sized wave pool that is capable of generating massive 5 - 7 feet tall waves. I had rented each of them the large inner tubes that that are available at the park. They loved hanging out in this pool riding the waves all day. I on the other hand took off and hit just about every attraction that is available in the park. (You didn't expect me to spend the day hanging around with Zack and his two best geek buddies in the world did you?) I tried to do at least one of each type of attraction that is available in the park. I even did the "pipeline" slides that rise over 6 stories into the air and plunge you down almost vertically into a shallow basin of water. I don't know how fast you go on those slides but they are incredibly fast and you definitely experience a free fall sensation as you go off the top. As I stood at the top looking down, I did question why I was doing this crazy extreme thing. But once I was on it sliding downward, I loved it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVi4VWJl_-WNZEUx9IbBauaGKVQUlki7-pmnRVJkzuvfG7SkFHj3_9xICrB0HIELUG1FT98C62j6yHHt4SMlCl6XDUs6LfPfcNbUU1Q1s231hEkaLQoksGZvOzeD3Ne5vJVHl3s1ez8fxt/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVi4VWJl_-WNZEUx9IbBauaGKVQUlki7-pmnRVJkzuvfG7SkFHj3_9xICrB0HIELUG1FT98C62j6yHHt4SMlCl6XDUs6LfPfcNbUU1Q1s231hEkaLQoksGZvOzeD3Ne5vJVHl3s1ez8fxt/s640/photo.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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The Gang of Geeks - They call themselves geeks - it's just not me!</div>
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We spent the entire day at Water World. Leaving there at 5:00PM we immediately ran into rush hour traffic which made the ride home very long. Going home we dropped off Zack's friends and stopped to pick up Nancy. For Zack's birthday dinner he wanted pizza and a Dairy Queen ice cream cake. After we got Nancy to the house I left to get the pizza and the cake.<br />
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The evening was as enjoyable as the rest of the day. In addition to Nancy, my brother and Lisa and her youngest son all came and had dinner with us. Zack got several very nice gifts and we all enjoyed a very tasty dinner together. The pizza was from our local pizzeria located in Willow Creek - Mama Roma's. I am not sure why, but they do have some of the best pizza in this world. They also make a really tasty Italian dressing for their salads. The dressing is so good that we always get an extra 2 or 3 servings so that we can dip our pizza in it. It is so yummy!<br />
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Zack lighting up the candles on his b-day cake.</div>
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The birthday boy and me</div>
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Tomorrow (Friday) we embark upon another adventure as we are headed to New Mexico for the day. We'll be getting up very early as we intend to visit the Capulin Volcano National Monument and the Cimarron Canyon before picking up one of my nephews and his buddy from the Boy Scouts of America Philmont Scout Ranch outside of Cimarron, NM. It should be another great day with lots of new and exciting sights for us to see.<br />
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Hope everyone has had a great week so far!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~ J.</div>
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Without passion, writing is a burden to be borne like a yoke on the back of an ox. Lacking the drive and the passion makes it hard for the words to flow and the ideas to spring unbound from your mind. Right now I seem to lack that passion to write this blog. My day-to-day thoughts are instead turned to the projects on which I am working and the helping Zack continue his growth. I will eventually rediscover the passion for blogging, but for now my writing efforts are focused almost exclusive on those projects that will get me published. I believe I am close to that goal and I will of course announce it here on this blog the day that first article or book is accepted for publication. <br />
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For now instead of a long narrative of our adventures and fun that we have had I will post these pictures that capture some of the beauty we have seen this summer.<br />
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Hiking into the prairie at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge</div>
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Don't mess with the big guys at Rocky Mountain Arsenal National Wildlife Refuge (RMANWR)<br />
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Water fowl habitat at RMANWR.</div>
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Big Sky at RMANWR </div>
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Hiking in unique rock formations at Staunton Ranch State Park - Colorado's newest state park. </div>
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An interesting array of wildflowers</div>
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Gorgeous scenery at Staunton Ranch State Park</div>
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Hiking the wetlands at Flying J' Ranch Open Space</div>
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Water break!</div>
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I love trails like this through the deep forest!</div>
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Zack on the ropes course at his Outward Bound Expedition </div>
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Zack climbing high on a cliff face during Outward Bound. Never would have believed he did this until I saw the pictures! I am very proud of what he accomplished on Outward Bound! </div>
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Zack and his team ready to do some serious hiking.</div>
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Hope everyone is having a great weekend.</div>
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Thanks and peace to all! ~J.</div>
</div>
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Today marks the end of one chapter in my life and the beginning of another. After 14 years, today is my last day of employment with my current employer. I began work at my current employer on April 5, 1999 when I started a new job with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Consulting. In October of 2002, PwC Consulting was sold in it's entirety to my current employer.<br />
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In the years since 2002, I have had many different roles and responsibilities with my employer and I have endured through many reorganizations, shifts in corporate direction and layoffs. When my employer announced their financial results for the first quarter of 2013, the results did not meet Wall Streets expectations. To help meet Wall Street's expectations going forward, my employer also announced with its financial results that it would spend over $1 billion to reduce the work force and re-balance staffing between more expensive countries and less expensive countries. Little did I know that I would get caught up in this work force re-balancing. On June 12 I was offered severance package I couldn't refuse and today is now my last day with my current employer. I can feel nothing but gratitude for the people who I have worked with
and the company that has given me so much over the last 14 years. It is bittersweet to leave after so long, but it is also something that will inspire positive change in me and will allow me to grow, learn and expand my horizons!<br />
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This might seem like a bad situation but instead I feel that it is a tremendous opportunity. I am now free to pursue my passions of writing and photography without the need to spend 8 - 12 hours a day working for a corporation. Now I will be working directly for myself, doing the things for which I have a passion! <br />
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Over the last month my thoughts and efforts have been focused around the changes that come as of today and as a result I haven't very little. I have even been silent on Facebook if you can believe that! But now that all the pieces have come together the time available to write is returning - so there is much more to come. I hope you all will continue to follow this blog in the days, weeks,
months and years ahead as adventures are just starting.<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~J. </div>
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It's hard to believe that summer is upon us! Zack finished school on Monday and now has 10 weeks of summer bliss to look forward to. Unfortunately for me the work schedule will continue on the same as it does every other month. However with Zack out of school we will be doing some things like spending more time in the mountains. As a matter of fact, I am writing this blog entry from there as we left home early this evening and are now hanging out in our condo in Silverthorne.<br />
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With the summer season comes plans for summer vacations. Unlike last year we do not have any international travel planned for the summer of 2013. I considered taking a trip to Ireland for a week, but the economics of it given all that we had done to the house in 2012 just didn't make sense. So instead we are staying close to home and pursuing a different sort of vacation. In fact, Zack and I will be taking separate trips!<br />
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Zack's trip is an Outward Bound Expedition. For those of you who might not know of Outward Bound, it is an organization that is dedicated to providing young people and adults experiential trips into the wilderness. They describe their purpose in this way on their website. "Outward Bound is the premier provider of experience-based <a href="http://www.outwardbound.org/wilderness-expeditions/wilderness-courses/">outdoor leadership</a>
programs for youth and adults. Outward Bound courses change lives and
give you the tools to see further, climb higher and know your way."<br />
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Both Zack and I are hoping that he will gain some valuable life experience and internal confidence from taking part in one of their expeditions. We discussed a lot of different options as to what kind of course he would take, as there are options for backpacking, mountaineering, canoeing, etc. After our discussions we decided that he would take part in a backpacking expedition that was specifically for kids who have suffered some in-depth loss in their life. Both Zack and I felt, along with the Outward Bound counselors that this kind of course would give him the best opportunity to grow in specific areas that deal with all the trauma the he experienced with Patty's illness and death.<br />
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The expedition he will taking part in is in the middle of July and will take place in Collegiate Peaks area of Colorado. It will be a great experience for him. He has experienced a good amount of camping in his life so that won't be a shock to him. Additionally, in past summers we have done a lot of hiking in the Colorado high country, so that shouldn't be much of a challenge. What will challenge him is doing both at once and sharing the experience with a group of other kids. He won't be able to put off doing things and will be part of a team seeking to accomplish a series of goals. It really should be a great experience for him that will hopefully help him grow and come to terms with all that he has experienced in life and all that he has lost.<br />
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As for me, I have big challenge ahead of me. I will be riding in the 2013 edition of Bicycle Tour Colorado. This year the Tour will be a 483 mile loop starting in Canyon City. A total of seven days will be spent biking through the beautiful Colorado scenery. The first day takes us 86 miles from Canon City to Buena Vista. Day 2 goes from Buena Vista to Carbondale covering a distance of 91 miles. From Carbondale we will travel 58 miles to Paonia on Day 3. The next day we will have a choice of routes to reach Crest Butte. We can travel 47 miles, including 26 miles on dirt over Keebler Pass or do 111 miles and stay on paved roads. After the tough ride to Crested Butte we get a day off to enjoy that beautiful town before taking on a 99 mile ride on Day 6 of the tour to Salida. The last day takes us on a short 55 miles jaunt from Salida back to Canyon City.<br />
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(Bicycle Tour Colorado Route for this years ride.)</div>
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It should be a great ride if my body will cooperate and stop hurting! Surprisingly as I have been ramping up my biking throughout the last month my back has responded very well. For reasons unknown to me however, my right elbow and wrist have been killing me. Unfortunately, this makes some of the motions I go through while riding my bike very painful. Based upon the symptoms it seems like it is the proverbial "tennis elbow", though I don't play tennis. My doctor has me on steroids to help resolve the situation. Worst case, each morning with my breakfast of energy bars I will eating a bunch of Advil to shed the pain.<br />
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The tour takes place from June 22 - June 29, so hopefully the weather will be good and we will not yet be into the really hot days of July. My prior experience riding the BTC in 2008 was fantastic and I am looking forward to the experience this year. I will be doing the ride with my college roommate Allen. Even though we only see each other at most once a year, we still have the same easy go lucky friendship we had in college. So I am sure we will have a good time!<br />
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Zack's school came to an end on Monday, with the 8th grade class picnic at Elitch Gardens Amusement Park in Denver. I can't believe that he is on the verge of going to high school! It seems so strange to me as I still think of him as my "little Zackie". He is anything but these days as he is only about 2 inches shorter than I am and is becoming built like a brick wall. You always hear people say it but you never believe it, our kids do grow up so fast! Though I miss those days when he was a little kid, I am so proud to see my son growing up and becoming a young man!<br />
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This article was forwarded to me by the volunteer coordinator at the hospice at which I volunteer. The subject matter is relatively profound and explains something that very few people every talk about - so I thought I would share it. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/01/house-of-death/">http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/01/house-of-death/</a><br />
<br />
For those of you who don't know, I volunteer at a Hospice in my town. There were a bunch of reasons that got me to start volunteering there over 2 years ago. I don't need those reasons now, as I have come to enjoy the work that I do there and find it very fulfilling.<br />
<br />
The hospice at which I volunteer was the place in which my mom died back in 1999 and though I didn't agree with the philosophy of hospice back then, I have come to see it as so important in terms of helping people leave this life with some dignity and on their own terms. Additionally, after all that I went through when Patty was sick and dying, I really feel like I understand what the families feel and experience. So being able to just give even one family the understanding of "you aren't alone" is a great thing. I wish so much when Patty was so ill, I had someone to give me that understanding.<br />
<br />
If you would, take a read of the article and understand how important hospices are. And if you have the gumption, how about finding you local hospice and think about volunteering or helping out. Chances are, it will leave you with some pretty deep but good feelings.<br />
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Thanks for reading! ~J.</div>
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In the woods of Colorado, you can always hear a stream long before you see it. The sound of rushing water fills the air for what seems to be miles around each and every stream. As soon as that sound comes into ear shot I begin to wonder what I will find when the stream comes into view. Will it be a little stream joyfully flowing through a flower covered meadow? Or will it be a torrent rushing down the mountainside carrying the melting snow of the last 6 months of winter? And then my mind quickly jumps to the next question, how will we cross this stream. And then many times in the midst of this wilderness tract, I am surprised to come across a man-made bridge that crosses the stream.<br />
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On Saturday as Zack and I made our way through the Eagles Nest Wilderness Area, we were following the course of two very significant streams - The Middle and South Forks of Willow Creek. Though they are called "Forks" each of these watercourses is a major stream in it's own right. Our hike weaved in and out of the water sheds of both of theses streams.<br />
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We crossed and re-crossed both of these streams numerous times. Each time there was an unexpected surprise in the fact there was a bridge for us to cross these raging torrents. Coming across these bridges is just the most marvelous experience. I am not sure why they elicit such a feeling of surprise and amazement in me but they do. Here's a few of the many bridges that we crossed yesterday. By these pictures you can tell that the Gore Range is definitely one of the more wet mountain chains in Colorado.<br />
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Zack and I usually have no problem crossing the rushing streams on these bridges. The dogs however, clearly do not like it. Despite the extreme frigid temperatures of the water, the dogs will frequently plunge head first into the torrent to escape the difficulty of crossing the bridges. Maybe it isn't so much that the bridges are hard for them to cross, it could also be that they just love being in the water!<br />
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Hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~ J. </div>
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I had a totally different subject that I was going to write about this evening but instead, I am going to write about our close encounter with a moose.<br />
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This morning when Zack and I went out for a hike, we hiked into an area of the Gore Range that is known for having a population of moose. As we hiked through the dense forest we crossed and re-crossed the middle and south forks of a stream called Willow Creek. Due to the spring snow melt, these streams are full to the point of overflowing their banks. In many places the streams have spilled out and have turned meadows into marshes that are just filled with dense green vegetation. This got me to wondering if we were going to see any moose while on our hike as the conditions were exactly what moose like. But unfortunately we did happen to spy any moose. Bummer.<br />
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After our hike we went back to our condo and spent the afternoon relaxing. Both Zack and I managed to take naps. It is almost unexplainable how great it feels to take a nap at the condo. After a day of strenuous hiking it is the greatest thing. My bedroom faces towards the forest and when I take a nap, I open the blinds and the window. This allows me to get a nice breeze into the bedroom and see the tops of nearby aspen trees swaying in the wind. Sunlight floods into my bedroom in the morning, but by the afternoon it is deep in the shadows.<br />
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It was almost 5:30PM when I awoke from my nap and got about the rest of the business of the day. There wasn't really anything major to do except feed the dogs and taking them out into the forest so they can do the things that they need to do after eating. Given the amount of space around and the fact that my dogs normally listen when I call them, for the most part I leave them off leash for these walks.<br />
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As we were coming back to the condo after this evening's walk, I was focused on calling the dogs and keeping them close. For whatever reason as we get closer to the condo they tend to be less obedient, but today they were following my directions very well. Given the focus I had on the dogs, I wasn't concentrating too much on the situation around me. That lead to the big surprise. As we were getting close to the steps to go up to the condo, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a massive shape coming around the corner of the building. It was big enough that it caused me to do a double take and quickly realize that it was massive bull moose! Once all this dawned on my brain, I practically jumped out of my skin.<br />
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Thankfully the dogs were close at hand and I managed to quickly grab them by their collars to keep them from rushing him. Lex didn't seem to care at all. He stared at the moose and didn't do a thing. Finn on the other hand, decided he needed to make a fuss. He got down on his haunches and started to growl. At that point, Mr. Moose decided he wasn't too pleased with me and the dogs. He gave us a thorough stare down and started to make some snorting noises. The end result of all of this was that I kept a strong hold on the dogs and got them up the stairs to the condo!<br />
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Once I had the dogs on the steps up to the condo, I called out to Zack to let him know what was going on. He came out of the condo and stood on the deck. Of course he was utterly amazed when he saw the moose in the courtyard below. When the dogs were safely in the condo we both went down to the deck of the unit below us to look at this amazing and beautiful creature. Our neighbors, having heard me call out to Zack about the "moose in the courtyard" all came out to get a look. Everyone stood around watching this massive animal feast on the lush green grass and dandelions that fill the courtyard of our condo complex. It was amazing to watch him tear massive amounts of foliage out of the ground and devour them. If he decides to keep coming back to our condo complex, our management company isn't going to have to mow the grass this summer!<br />
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He must have stayed in the courtyard gorging on the plentiful grass and dandelions for a good 30 - 45 minutes. All of our neighbors were respectful of him and no one got too close. He seemed to feel safe, comfortable and not threatened as he kept munching away without a sideways glance towards anyone. When he was done with his meal, he causally meandered over to a small grove of aspen trees, lay down and chewed his cud. It was an amazing experience to see all of this!<br />
<br />
I managed to take a whole bunch of pictures with my camera, but unfortunately I do not have my memory card reader with me. Instead, I can only post the pictures I took with my cell phone and a bit of video footage. Regardless, I really wanted to share this story with you all!<br />
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I sincerely hope everyone is having a safe, happy and fun Memorial Day Weekend!<br />
<br />
Thanks and peace to all! ~J.<br />
<br />
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<br /></div>
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<a href="http://www.nbcnews.com/id/51805039/ns/technology_and_science-science/t/why-vultures-devoured-hikers-body-minutes/">Why Vultures Devoured Hiker's Body in Minutes</a><br />
<br />
I must really be in a verbose mood yesterday and today, as I keep wanting to put things out there. This one is gross but that isn't the real point of why I am commenting on it. I have seen this story on several websites in the last 2 - 3 days and whereas most people feel revulsion by the whole story, I think there is a wider lesson to be discussed.<br />
<br />
First off, here are the first couple of paragraphs as written on NBCNews.com. (For the entire story, click on either the main title of this post or the line at the top of the entry.)<br />
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<div class="i1">
"A flock of vultures devoured the body of a woman just minutes after she fell to her death while hiking in the Pyrenees Mountains in France. </div>
<div class="i1">
<br /></div>
The woman, 52, had been hiking with two friends when she fell about 1,000 feet (300 meters) down the side of a steep mountain. Police believed she died from injuries sustained during the fall, the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2319824/Woman-eaten-vultures-plunging-1-000ft-death-Pyrenees.html"> Daily Mail </a> reports. <br />
<br />
Vultures are known to be able to sniff out the <a href="http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/107-how-do-vultures-find-dead-stuff.html"> gaseous chemicals emanating from a dead body </a> more than a mile away. <br />
<br />
"When we first went out in the helicopter looking for the body, we saw numerous vultures, without realizing what they were doing," said Maj. Didier Pericou, of the local police, as quoted in the Daily Mail. <br />
<br />
But by the time the police reached the body, there was little left to recover. <br />
<br />
"There were only bones, clothes and shoes left on the ground," Pericou said. "They took 40 to 50 minutes to eat the body." <br />
<br />
The Griffon vultures (<i>Gyps fulvus</i>) that consumed the body have been under considerable stress, as their primary source of food — the carcasses of cattle or other livestock — are no longer available throughout much of Europe."<br />
<br />
Ok the story is gross. It's not a pleasant thought to be eaten by a vulture. Though on an interesting side note, for followers of the Zoroastrian religion that is how they traditionally depose of their dead. However the Zoroastrianism tradition of placing their dead in "towers of silence" and letting vultures come and eat them is ending because in many countries where there are Zoroastrians, vultures are dying off in unprecedented numbers. (If you are interested, here is a link to an article on the Zoroastrian "Towers of Silence". Please be aware there are a couple of graphic photos of a Zoroastrian Tower of Silence in the article. Don't read the whole way to the end if you are squeamish. <a href="http://socks-studio.com/2012/02/09/towers-of-silence-zoroastrian-architectures-for-the-ritual-of-death/" target="_blank">Zoroastrian Towers of Silence</a>) <br />
<br />
The key thing I took from reading all of this was the fact that you have an entire species of animal that are so desperate for food that they are beginning to stray from their pre-programmed genetic instincts just to survive. Think of how desperately hungry those birds must be. It's utterly horrible what happened to the woman who died. (I need to make sure everyone understands that!) But in a world that we humans are recasting as a man made creation, an even greater tragedy is occurring as an entire species is fighting for survival. What will our world be like if it loses yet another species? It is really sad to think. And as much as vultures are gross-looking, scary birds, think of what it must be like to be one of those individuals - starving and finding no food. The whole story is just a difficult one to read and process but I thought I need to share my thoughts.<br />
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The picture below is a Griffon's Vulture, which is the kind that ate the woman in France. The funny thing is, they aren't that bad looking, they are actually kind of cute. Usually you think of vultures as the kind that are always shown in movies with bald heads and totally black feathers. In reality, the kind shown in movies seem to look more like California Condors rather than vultures. <br />
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Hope everyone is having a great Friday!!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~ J.</div>
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It's late on a Thursday evening and it's been a busy day - lots going on with work today, lots going on with Zack, had dinner with a friend of mine and Lisa stopped by after an evening out with some of her friends. So I am quite surprised by myself in the fact that I am writing a blog post at 10:55PM!<br />
<br />
The post is going to be short and sweet. I was reading the headlines on NBCNews.Com and I came across this article that I thought was really amazing and I wanted to share with my readers. The article, which you can find at this link<a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7855953606246549491#editor/target=post;postID=784475443685984961" target="_blank"> <span style="color: red;">http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/05/09/18150228-time-lapse-map-chronicles-decades-of-global-change-as-seen-from-space?lite</span></a>, is about a new website launched by Google and the people who operate the Landsat satellites.<br />
<br />
A brief background on Landsat is provided by the following selection, taken from Wikipedia. "The <b>Landsat program</b> is the longest running enterprise for acquisition of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Satellite_imagery" title="Satellite imagery">satellite imagery</a> of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earth" title="Earth">Earth</a>. On July 23, 1972 the Earth Resources Technology Satellite was launched. This was eventually renamed to Landsat.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-1"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsat_program#cite_note-1">[1]</a></sup> The most recent, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsat_Data_Continuity_Mission" title="Landsat Data Continuity Mission">Landsat Data Continuity Mission</a>,
was launched on February 11, 2013. The instruments on the Landsat
satellites have acquired millions of images. The images, archived in the
United States and at Landsat receiving stations around the world, are a
unique resource for global change research and applications in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agriculture" title="Agriculture">agriculture</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cartography" title="Cartography">cartography</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geology" title="Geology">geology</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forestry" title="Forestry">forestry</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regional_planning" title="Regional planning">regional planning</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surveillance" title="Surveillance">surveillance</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education" title="Education">education</a>. Landsat 7 data has eight <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectral_bands" title="Spectral bands">spectral bands</a> with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_resolution#Spatial_resolution" title="Image resolution">spatial resolutions</a> ranging from 15 to 60 meters; the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temporal_resolution" title="Temporal resolution">temporal resolution</a> is 16 days."<br />
<br />
This website called "TimeLapse" presents time lapse imagines of major changes that have occurred on the earth's surface in the last 40 years as captured by Landsat satellite imagery. Some of these time lapse movies are amazing. One of the more interesting ones that I watched was the development of the City of Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. In the first images seen, Dubai is nothing more than a sandy desert. Over time you can see the increasing presence of buildings road, trains and other man-made structures. Much more significant change can be seen in pictures dating from the early 2000's. In those images the development of the artificial made island chains called the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jumeirah" title="Palm Jumeirah">Palm Jumeirah</a>, the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Jebel_Ali" title="Palm Jebel Ali">Palm Jebel Ali</a> and the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palm_Deira" title="Palm Deira">Palm Deira</a> can be seen. To me this one of the most remarkable changes that can be seen in entire world - the development of entire chains of islands.<br />
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Other images that were developed in time lapse imagery include; the deforestation of the Amazon River Basin, the growth of major cities like Las Vegas and Shanghai, environment and way of life destruction with the development of Alberta's oil sand and deep rock coal mining occurring in Wyoming.<br />
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Spending some time looking at this website in any way might knock you right out of your socks due the shear magnitude of the changes that are occurring in the world today. <br />
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The bottom line is that many people of a right viewpoint, will view this website as just dragging the Amercian public deeper into the hand of the left. Seeing some of these images will be certain to drive the against the idea of more development. How much development is constantly needed if we can already see and record these changes from space.<br />
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Here's the website for the Maps in TimeLaspe format.<br />
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<a href="http://world.time.com/timelapse/" target="_blank">http://world.time.com/timelapse/ </a><br />
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Well - I really better get to bed. I decided to write this on a whim after I had readed it on MSCBC.Com. My body is still trying to catch up from having only a few days this week in which I got a proper sleep! Don't want my lack of sleep to linger on into the weekend as that would be not fru at all!<br />
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Please excuse the type and spelling errors in this post, as they are occurring because I definitely lacking sleep to.<br />
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Thanks and peace tol<br />
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsat_program#cite_note-2"></a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landsat_program#cite_note-2"></a></div>
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Zack and I are some of the biggest technology wieners there are. We are constantly using technology in our everyday lives and are always researching what is taking place in the development of technology.<br />
<br />
Each of us have our various areas within technology that we like to use and research. Zack's primary technology focus is obvious, video games and video game platforms. He is able to give you an almost blow-by-blow history of the development of various video game platforms (i.e Playstation, Wii, Nintendo DS, etc.) He can tell you the years that they came out, what their main features were and how successful they were. The same holds true for various video game franchises. For example, one of his favorite video game franchises is Nintendo's Mario Bros. Zack know each of the many games in the series, who are the main characters and what platform for which it was released - Nintendo 64, Nitendo Game Cube, Wii or the WiiU.<br />
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Personally, I wish Zack had some other technology area of intense interest other than video games. But given he is a 14 year-old boy, I guess it just is what it is. I am sure as the years pass he will develop other, more worthwhile interests in technology.<br />
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As for me, my primary tech interests are GPS technology and body performance tracking. GPS technology is pretty well self explanatory. Body performance tracking is not so self-explanatory. This term is not necessarily even an industry accepted term, instead it is just a term I use to describe what I attempt to do.<br />
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Body performance tracking is how well your body is working to accomplish a goal. For me the goal that I want to track is how well I am getting to or maintain the weight I want and ensuring a high level of activity to meet fitness goals. The tool that I use in this effort is my trusty BodyBugg. Essentially, the BodyBugg is a wearable microprocessor that tracks how active a person is and then translates this into how many calories they are burning. My first notice of the Bodybugg was when I saw a clip of the show "The Biggest Loser". I noticed that each contestant on the show was wearing a band around their biceps. Not sure of what it was I asked person who I knew watched the show if they were aware of what it was. They were, and told me all about the BodyBugg. Given that I am such a numbers guy, the thought of tracking all the things that the BodyBugg tracked was an instant hit with me and I knew I had to have one. Luckily for me, the BodyBugg was sold by the health club chain I belong to, 24 Hour Fitness. So for Christmas of 2009, I got my first BodyBugg.<br />
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Immediately taken by all the data the BodyBugg provided me, I set out to track as much information as I could about myself using the device. Ever since I first slipped that band around my arm in December of 2009, I have rarely been without a BodyBugg on my person. I did stop using it for about 7 months from the time of my leg surgery in October 2011 until after my final back surgery in April of 2012. But other than that period of time, I have tracked how many calories I burn, how much I walk and when I burn the most calories through my BodyBugg. I am currently on my third device as being on my body 24 hours a day, with the exception of when I shower, tends to beat the crap out of them. Based upon this constant usage I have expected to buy a new device once a year.<br />
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Despite my love of my BodyBugg, I recently made a fateful decision that it was time to replace the BodyBugg with a different device. My decision to do this has been driven by the fact that the BodyBugg hasn't evolved much over the last 4 years. Whereas there are other types of equipment that are entering the market place that capture even more information about you, the BodyBugg hasn't really changed over the years that I have owned one.<br />
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After doing some research I made the decision to migrate to the FitBit Flex technology. I won't be able to transfer my old BodyBugg data to FitBit but so far none of the companies in this space have focused on making your data very portable. So the transfer of data hasn't really played a major part in my decision. (I mention the transfer of data, because it is something that I will discuss in another post this week about GPS's.)<br />
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The were several factors that made me decide upon the FitBit as opposed to another platform. The first is that it is a wrist worn device. The BodyBugg has to be worn around your bicep and it looks kind of goofy. The elastic band by which you wear the BodyBugg is notoriously crappy. Velcro is used to clasp the band together, but the Velcro patches are secured to the band with a sticky glue that doesn't hold too well. The end result is that after about 4 weeks of wearing the band, the Velcro patch comes lose and then you either have to get another band or jury rig something to fix it. For me, this has meant wrapping this patch in duck tape, which is not an attractive option. With the constant pressure of the band around my bicep over the years, my arm has gotten to a point that it hurts, therefore I wanted to move to a band that sat on my wrist.<br />
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Another factor is the data that the FitBit tracks. In addition to how far I walk it also tracks things like how well I sleep each night. The BodyBugg has no similar capability. There are also a variety of different reports about how well your body performs available on the FitBit website. Along with these reports, the FitBit does a much better job tracking your "Lifetime" statistics than does the BodyBugg.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPoTd8kuIuum5UqGplhz9yb-mQ63cGu7t9jvChpVNmlcs5fPjTj5uwh56vV9nutU9VZ_y4BpJYwMU7oKzfm4jan6Nms-d4oM_b52LTfNee6HlPQYfq-Lrz5PFvQCQjIYqV3g-39WFe_96/s1600/photo(5).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfPoTd8kuIuum5UqGplhz9yb-mQ63cGu7t9jvChpVNmlcs5fPjTj5uwh56vV9nutU9VZ_y4BpJYwMU7oKzfm4jan6Nms-d4oM_b52LTfNee6HlPQYfq-Lrz5PFvQCQjIYqV3g-39WFe_96/s640/photo(5).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(The old - my well worn BodyBugg. Notice the silver duck tape on the strap.)</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJpyaBzXf-PdN9dCmI_FB3a1X80CXnhMtkXJoxeSJVd7FO0Z3lDIiqDuUCW1IuEEybtZTOKCxCxcjYXcZSlHNeR6O0WJTQNZ2iZ7tx33BFbb5bA1LZQLbX67VSrSawJ4icSlIOjv-LUZ0/s1600/photo(4).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipJpyaBzXf-PdN9dCmI_FB3a1X80CXnhMtkXJoxeSJVd7FO0Z3lDIiqDuUCW1IuEEybtZTOKCxCxcjYXcZSlHNeR6O0WJTQNZ2iZ7tx33BFbb5bA1LZQLbX67VSrSawJ4icSlIOjv-LUZ0/s640/photo(4).JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(My brand new FitBit Flex, notice how much smaller it is as compared to the BodyBugg.)</div>
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It's been a long run, but the time has come for me to bid my BodyBugg adieu. I purchased my FitBit Flex on Saturday and for now I am doing a side-by-side test between it and the BodyBugg to understand the differences between the two and how they are calibrated. Neither of these tools is 100% accurate, you just need to try and understand how they are different in the nuances by which they capture the data.<br />
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This has been somewhat of a mundane narrowly focused post, but it is something in which I have a tremendous interest. If anyone ever wants to know anything about BodyBuggs or FitBits or any kind of body performance tracking - drop me a line as I might be able to help you out.<br />
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In a completely different line of thought, I haven't mentioned the H7N9 Bird Flu in over 2 weeks. That's because there has been a let up of the news coverage of what is occurring. If I were all "conspiracy theorist" I would say it was because the situation is out of control and the Chinese government is working with the UN to keep a lid on how bad it is. Thankfully I am not a conspiracy theorist! The reality is that according to all published reports the spread of this flu has slowed. Hopefully it means that my alarmist blog posts of 2 weeks ago were wrong! Though more people have died and the World Health Organization has pretty much admitted that over 40% of the known cases seem to have been caused by human-to-human transmission. I am hoping that the news article that popped up today isn't indicative or more flu activity and deaths!<br />
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Happy Tuesday to everyone!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~ J. <br />
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<br /></div>
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It's Monday evening and another weekend has flown past. It is really unbelievable to me how quickly time can go by when you are not committed to doing things for work. For most people when it comes to work, time seems to crawl. I guess that is indicative of whether or not you love your work. You can be the judge of what I think of my work.<br />
<br />
Our weekend was busy and fun. We had a bunch of things going on and we made it active. The weather was great - though a little chilly for the beginning of May. At least we did not have any snow as our May 1st snow storm has left most Coloradans wanting for the snow to end.<br />
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Saturday morning started bright and early with our first activity of the weekend - The Denver Furry Scurry. The Furry Scurry is a fundraiser for Denver's Dumb Friends League (DDFL) which is the largest animal shelter in the metro area. Basically it is a two mile dog walk around the lakes at Denver's Washington Park. It's not a race or anything like that. You just bring your dogs, give your contribution of however much, get a T-Shirt and walk around the park. Of course there are hundreds of vendors hawking anything and everything that has to do with dogs.<br />
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From the estimates on the DDFL website it was anticipated that there would in excess of 5,000 dogs and their humans at the park for the event. Have you ever walked two miles in the midst of 5,000 or more dogs? It is an adventure! All the dogs were exceedingly well behaved and every human was armed with several bags to pick up whatever the pups left behind. So it wasn't crazy from either of those viewpoints. It was crazy from the perspective of trying to keep your dog walking in a coherent manner when there are so many other interesting thing (many other dogs) around.<br />
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Both Finn and Lex did well. I had imagined that Lex was going to be a handful, but once we started walking he was calm and well behaved. Finn on the other hand gave Zack a workout. (I was handling Lex on his leash and Zack had Finn.) Finn just wanted to investigate everything! He was amazed by all the smells, sounds and sights around him and had to check each one out. In no way was he bad, he was just rambunctious. Lisa came with us, so it was a very enjoyable early Saturday morning activity for all three of us! <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbajLzKXYfz5gC9glfkpdrPYrTPshvkqC_NlNGD-K8lppNtZ_QW1jCI-NOl6Zjra_etfmhUtOgH0xVzD3YFH7YfAergBIpYSi1JBqpoXnLQwaMEyQ7Mp98sPkvgjpvEcyOhXElcV0jMhm/s1600/IMG_0844.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIbajLzKXYfz5gC9glfkpdrPYrTPshvkqC_NlNGD-K8lppNtZ_QW1jCI-NOl6Zjra_etfmhUtOgH0xVzD3YFH7YfAergBIpYSi1JBqpoXnLQwaMEyQ7Mp98sPkvgjpvEcyOhXElcV0jMhm/s640/IMG_0844.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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(The pups, the boy and me. Zack is only about 2 1/2 inches shorter than me!!) </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3IGs3VUxdFMk8k2tBLgKJ1QMjkr21Ol1mVJyLj6snUBX3Au-z9JRLsZ63cgV09BMGHYcsDiP6VsF-ts4s-BAyBcujrpqgK6FlHNIGQ7IGGarR1Q4xGA0rgB4u4i1CQnlBFMey6K-HfYq/s1600/IMG_0851.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie3IGs3VUxdFMk8k2tBLgKJ1QMjkr21Ol1mVJyLj6snUBX3Au-z9JRLsZ63cgV09BMGHYcsDiP6VsF-ts4s-BAyBcujrpqgK6FlHNIGQ7IGGarR1Q4xGA0rgB4u4i1CQnlBFMey6K-HfYq/s640/IMG_0851.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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(Zack and Lisa)</div>
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After the Furry Scurry, Zack and I spent some time at home just getting things done around the house. In a departure from the normal, Zack actually agreed with me and did his homework on Saturday as opposed to waiting until Sunday. I was truly amazed.<br />
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For Zack, Saturday evening's activity was unfortunately an over 21 affair. Chris Hardwick the comedian from Comedy Central and the host of AMC's Talking Dead, was performing at the downtown Comedy Works on Saturday night, and Lisa had gotten tickets for us and her oldest son. The three of us headed downtown around 5:00PM so that we could have dinner before the show. We ate at a restaurant to which I had never been before called Tom's Urban 24. It's located right in Larimer Square in the same building as the Comedy Works. They have an eclectic menu with a wide variety of choices. It's a good restaurant, and we will go back again I am sure.<br />
<br />
After dinner we spent some time wandering around the Rocket Fizz Soda Pop and Candy Shop. It was fun to see all the old time candy and all the very unusual kinds of soda that they have. They actually sell a Buffalo Wing flavored soda! I love Buffalo Wings, but that just sounds gross to have in a soda. Needless to say, they have just about every flavor of soda under the sun in the store - some good, some bad and some just horrible, like the Buffalo Wing flavored soda.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-2BEXT6MepOhKoo_9U8AGY4Iik_3qhoAMqKjpMQbC3qp2tfEMVSNNCsry2sHRL1ZH3bNQiWUFP-ncSUM1yPLz0tXVvDCYiqO6E9NECUANLMIJfEksSZi5Fl5ZEVTv6e7ncFniCbfYpsZ/s1600/IMG_0853.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD-2BEXT6MepOhKoo_9U8AGY4Iik_3qhoAMqKjpMQbC3qp2tfEMVSNNCsry2sHRL1ZH3bNQiWUFP-ncSUM1yPLz0tXVvDCYiqO6E9NECUANLMIJfEksSZi5Fl5ZEVTv6e7ncFniCbfYpsZ/s640/IMG_0853.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
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(Buffalo Wing Soda... Really???) </div>
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(Love the name - spaz juice)</div>
<br />
After getting some laughs looking at all the weird sodas and vintage types of candy, we headed over to the Comedy Works. The place was absolutely packed as everyone seems to think Chris Hardwick is one funny dude! The guy who was "hosting" the show really sucked if you asked me, but that could just be me. The two opening acts were good. They kept us laughing a lot! Chris was in a league unto himself however. I've seen numerous live comedy shows before, but he was unique in the fact that it seem he walked on stage with out knowing what he was going to say. Yeah - he probably had some themes or ideas flushed out, but most of his act really involved in playing off of the audience. He was amazing in terms of how quickly he could respond to something put out by an audience member with a really funny take on it. Anyway - he was great and all three of us really enjoyed the show.<br />
<br />
That was it for our Saturday. Sunday wasn't as eventful of a day. Our only major activity for this day was going to see Ironman 3. Having heard different reviews about the movie - some people liked it while others didn't, I was surprised to find that I liked it no questions asked.<br />
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After the movie, we caught a quick dinner at Noodles & Company with Lisa and her one son and then it was home to hunker down and get ready for the week. Though Zack never likes when Sunday night rolls around, he was happy to note that he only has 4 more weeks of school remaining before summer break arrives!<br />
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I hope the week has started well for everyone. And as always - thanks for reading!<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~ J.</div>
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The old saying "April Showers bring May flowers", certainly is not coming true this spring in Colorado. Rather than April showers we experienced a steady stream of April blizzards and snowstorms. Keeping this theme going from April to May, the first day of this new month brought another snow storm that has dumped at least half a foot of snow.<br />
<br />
Though the moisture is desperately needed to rectify the drought conditions that have plagued Colorado for the last 2 - 3 years, it has turned hiking trails into morasses of mud, dirty snowy slush and plain old muck. Trail conditions have dampened my enthusiasm to get out and hike in the mountains. Slogging through mile after mile of slippery, goopy mud is a miserable way to enjoy the Colorado's beautiful outdoors. In addition to the unpleasantness of the situation, the conditions frequently lead to sprain or hurt ankles and knees as it is very easy to slip, slide or fall.<br />
<br />
Since mid-April, Zack and I have only gotten out for two hikes in the wilderness. Instead we have chosen to spend much of our weekend hiking time churning out miles on the relatively good surface of Denver's Highline Canal Trail. <br />
<br />
The two hikes we have done in the wilderness have been memorable as they resulted in reaching the summit of mountains which we have never before climbed. The first of these two hikes was to the top of Evergreen Mountain in Jefferson County's Alderfer/Three Sisters Open Space Park. The weather for this hike was wonderful! After a week of cold weather and snow, Saturday April 13th dawned clear and warmer. Setting out on the trail around 10:00AM we experienced temperatures in the sixties and a slight breeze blowing from the southwest. Despite the great weather the trail was a mess, with swamp like conditions in many places. Where the trail wasn't a swamp we found deep piles of snow remained from the snowstorms of the previous days.<br />
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Though the parking lot was filled with many cars, the trails leading to the Evergreen Mountain were lonely and desolate. The relatively poor conditions of the trails explained the dearth of people in that part of the park. Instead of heading to the heights, most of the visitors to the park that day stayed in the meadows at the lower elevations. In total we only saw four other people on our hike to the summit of Evergreen Mountain.<br />
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The trail was nondescript, winding through a forest of mature lodgepole pines. One section of the forest has been systematically thinned to provide a test environment for forest management. There were many fewer trees in the area that had been thinned, but they did look a bit more robust than the forest that was overgrown.<br />
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The top of the mountain is relatively flat with one large mound of boulders and rocks that rise about 30 feet above the surrounding terrain. It is not a magnificent summit by any sort of the imagination, but it was still wonderful for us to get out and complete this hike! The views to the west were worthwhile as Mount Evans, one of Colorado's fourteeners dominated the horizon in it's snow capped beauty.<br />
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Coming down from the summit was quick and easy. The only issued we faced was the slipperiness of the wet, muddy trail. There were several times in which both Zack and I nearly ended up face down in the mud. The worst we received however was some wet and muddy shoes.<br />
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The other mountain that I "climbed" I did on my own during my lunch hour 2 Friday's ago. The weather was crappy but after a long week of difficult conference calls and heads down work, I decided I needed to get out and do something. Green Mountain on the west outskirts of Lakewood, a suburb of Denver, was calling my name.<br />
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Green Mountain isn't a mountain that stands out because of it's height and majestic visage. It's shear size and bulk is the reason that most people notice it. The mountain is really one of the first major foothills directly to the west of downtown Denver. Two of Denver's major highways, I-70 and C470, intersect in it's shadow. Though so close to civilization, Green Mountain does retain a sense of wildness and isolation.<br />
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There are numerous points from which you can attack this mountain. I choose the most direct route - a steep ascent from the western side. The parking lot for this trailhead is located on the western side of C470. To reach the trail, you must cross the highway on a pedestrian bridge that also is part of the C470 bike path.<br />
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Once I crossed the bridge, I realized that I was in for a little bit more of a difficult hike than I had anticipated. The major cause of this difficulty was the amount of slushy snow that covered the trail. Green Mountain is close to 700 feet higher than our home in Centennial. Though it is only 700 feet, it does make a tremendous amount of different when it comes to whether snow will melt or not during many of spring snow storms. Snow had fallen for much of the previous day and while it had all melted off at our house, the trails on Green Mountain were a mess!<br />
<br />
The trail leading from the western side of the mountain does not pussy foot around. Instead of taking a slow meandering approach through back and forth switchbacks, the trail leads in almost a straight line up to the summit of the mountain. It's a quick hike but it does leave you huffing and puffing for air!<br />
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With the crappy weather on hand, I did manage to have the entire mountain to myself. That is the benefit of going out and enduring the nasty weather, you can actually find some solitude. I reach the top in about 45 minutes and took the obligatory panoramic picture with my iPhone, checked myself in at the summit on Facebook and was headed back down. There was no reason to linger at the summit and I wanted to be home before Zack arrived there from school. Regardless of the crappy weather and the fast speed that I hiked this mountain, it was still a very good thing for me to do. Literally I have driven by this mountain hundreds of times and I have never climbed it. Now I can say I have!!<br />
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(The panoramic picture I took from the top of Green Mountain.)</div>
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Besides these two jaunts into the mountains, if you can call them that, Zack and I have been going out each Saturday and covering a lot of miles on the Highline Canal Trail here in the city. I have written extensively about the trail before, so I won't give another overview. We are definitely on track to hike the entire 66 mile length of the trail this calendar year. We are tackling some of the least spectacular parts of the trail first. Most of the distance we have covered so far this year has been at the eastern end of the trail in Aurora. I am certain that this section of the canal probably hasn't seen water in it for at least 4 or 5 years. Therefore, the canal has a somewhat run down appearance to it. This matches the neighborhoods that line the trail/canal as they are certainly not the best. Last Saturday when we parked, I couldn't find a park or school by which to leave the car - which is my preferred approach. Instead I ended up parking near a very rundown apartment complex. I wasn't sure if we were going to come back to find the car stolen or broken into. Thankfully that didn't happen, but these sections of Aurora through which we have hiked/walked over the last 2 weeks have certainly been sketchy. Regardless we still love getting out and exploring the trail!<br />
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(A few of the mile markers we have walked past on the Highline Canal Trail. My goal is to take a picture of each of the mile markers along the entire length of the trail.) </div>
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Another work week has come to an end and we will be getting up to some adventures for the weekend. Saturday morning will see us up early and headed to Washington Park as tomorrow is the Denver Dumb Friend's League (DDFL) annual Furry Scurry. It's a 2 mile walk in Washington Park that is used to raise money to support the DDFL's mission of providing care and shelter to lost and abandoned pets.<br />
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Well - it's getting late and I am getting tired - so off to bed for me. I hope everyone has a great weekend ahead.<br />
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Thanks and peace to all! ~J.</div>
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There is no plan to turn this blog into an H7N9 blog, though I am having some thoughts of starting a new blog specifically about this threat. <br />
<br />
Why am I being such an alarmist about this issue? There are several reasons. The first is due to the fact that this flu has sprung up in such a sudden and unexpected fashion. Many of the other bird flues that have evolved over the last decade have been seen in the bird population for months or even years before they began to spread into the human population. Though this virus was first detected in turkeys in Minnesota in 1988, it has essentially gone dormant for the last 25 years until reappearing with the vengeance this spring. Additionally, this flu doesn't seem to have an impact to birds. Therefore, it's hard if not impossible to tell they are infected. This is different than previous previous cases of bird flu in which the birds became ill or died when infected.<br />
<br />
The second reason I am concerned about this flu is that it is arriving on the world scene at the time of great economic trauma. Much of the world is still mired in recession or debt crises. Governments are more worried about economic issues and aren't necessarily paying attention to emerging threats like a pandemic. Furthermore with the economic situation impacting government spending around the world, many countries are not in a position to take the necessary steps if this flu becomes a pandemic to stop or slow the spread.<br />
<br />
Here's the latest from a variety of new sources around the world:<br />
<br />
From NBCNews.Com<br />
<br />"New Bird Flu Strain 'one of the most lethal' Influenza Viruses"<br />
http://vitals.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/24/17890906-new-bird-flu-strain-one-of-most-lethal-influenza-viruses?lite<br />
<br />
"Taiwan Confirms First H7N9 Bird Flu Case Outside of China"<br />
http://www.france24.com/en/20130424-taiwan-confirms-first-h7n9-bird-flu-case-outside-china<br />
<br />
"Bird Flu Spreads To Taiwan, As More Signs of Human-to-Human Transmission Emerge"<br />
http://qz.com/77787/bird-flu-spreads-to-taiwan-as-more-signs-of-human-to-human-transmission-emerge/<br />
<br />
"The Wikipedia Flu Scorecard"<br />
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Influenza_A_virus_subtype_H7N9<br />
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Maybe I am so interested in this story because I have spent a too much time reading and watching apocalyptic books and TV shows recently. Between TV shows like "The Walking Dead", movies like "Oblivion" and books like "World War Z". The popular media is full of stories of pandemics and world destruction.<br />
<br />
It's been almost 100 years since the last major pandemic, is this the beginning of the next one? Only time will tell.<br />
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Thanks and please to all! ~J.<br />
<br /></div>
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