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The Offer

I suppose the proverbial cat is out of the bag now as far as my job opportunity is concerned. I guess I can stop being so cryptic when I refer to it from now on.

For those that don't follow, I've been secretly pursuing a job opportunity with a little computer company called Apple Computer, Inc., thanks to Brian. You see, Brian stumbled on to this opportunity on Monster.com one day about a month and a half ago. Being the kind person that he is, he forwarded the URL for the opportunity on to me. At first, I was confused as to why Brian would send me a Monster job opening. But then I clicked the link and found myself captivated by the contents of the job opening, aptly-named Mac Genius. Here's the text:

Do you love Macs and enjoy interacting with other Mac users? Does the thought of working for Apple make you tingle more than those three seconds right after a sneeze? If so, and you enjoy working with people as much as PC's, you might have what it takes to become a Mac Genius.

Millions of users around the world know that when done right, a computer can be much more than a bland box made for the

left side of the brain. They know the elegance and power of the Macintosh.

As a Mac Genius, you'll play host to this remarkable community of people. Whether someone wants a casual conversation about Digital Video or needs an emergency Hard Drive replacement, you'll be there. Your fundamental mission: Ensure no Mac User ever again receives inadequate service or second-class treatment.

Now we realize not just anyone has what it takes to be a Mac Genius. That's the point. You have to be the best. Still interested?

Key Features:

* Confidently manages other operating systems, but handles a Mac like Yo-Yo-Ma plays the Cello.

* Would rather be in the front row of a MacWorld Keynote than have free cable for a year.

* Can delicately identify the difference between a misguided User and an unhealthy Macintosh.

* Instinctively straightens the Mac software shelves when shopping at the local computer store.

* Genuinely enjoys helping others make the most of their Macs.

* Comfortably translates "techno-jargon" into laymen's terms.

* Skillfully restores ailing Macs back to full health.

* Has been able to find Cupertino, CA on a US Map since the age of 12.

* Would move to Timbuktu if they required all computers to be Macs.

* Always eager to discuss cutting edge technology and why Macs rule.

Job Description:

* Lead an interactive environment where people can gather with their Macs to ask questions and learn new things.

* Enrich the Apple/Customer relationship by quickly resolving and documenting technical support events.

* Provide ongoing technology coaching to a terrific service oriented sales team.

* Help snuff out any new and unusual gremlins by quickly notifiying Apple's engineering teams.

* Make Apple's Support Site the best in the business by contributing your own tips and tricks.

* Keep your store in tip-top shape and give customers what they've always wanted; a little piece of Apple in their own backyard.

* Communicate positively with store team members, customers, channel partners, and headquarters. Remember, you represent the Apple brand.

* Be responsible and take good care of Apple's assets.

* Maintain a fit and healthy Mac mind and oh yeah, have fun. This is Apple after all.

As I read down through the list of requirements, I began nodding my head. "Yep, that's me. Yeh, me. Yeh, I can do that. Yup, me again." By the end of the page, I was pretty pumped up about the job. Mac Genius? Yeh, I could do that, right?

So I contacted the recruiting lady and began down a long winding road that would lead me through a telephone interview, a tech screening (to make sure I really was a genius), and finally to a face-to-face interview only a block away from Martin at the Omni hotel. The whole time, nobody at work had any idea that I was exploring this other job...and I made sure it stayed that way until it absolutely needed to be disclosed.

We left for Hawaii on June 14th and on June 16th, on the island of Kauai, I received a telephone call from my recruiter offering me the position. As you can imagine, getting a job offer at the beginning of a 2-week vacation is hardly my idea of fun. I kindly let her know that I would not be able to give her an answer until I returned home on June 30th. Apparently, June 30th was the deadline that had been issued to her as well.

When we arrived home from vacation, I had a two packets of information from Apple waiting for me: An offical job offer packet disclosing the details of the offer, and a Cupertino, CA trip itinerary for July 26-August 9. The position includes a 2-week visit to Apple headquarters for training and certification. Yeh, they've already got me booked on American Airlines, round trip from Richmond.

So here I am. June 30th. As I said above, the cat's out of the bag. As I can disclose further information about my decision, I'll do so on here.

Hawaii: Day 11 and 12

Hawaii: Day 11 and 12

It's day 12 and thoughts of returning to the real world are already invading our relaxed minds. But we're trying to not think about that.

We woke up later than we hoped (as usual) on Tuesday morning and drove up to Diamond Head peak. Diamond Head is an old volcano crater that has a large point that overlooks the entire city of Honolulu and Waikiki Beach. From up there, you can see EVERYTHING. It was a .7 mile hike up the side of the crater, including some 300 steps near the summit. And, of course, we hiked up it during the hottest part of the day. Yay us!

Ok, now this is the time when many of you faithful readers out there can giggle, chuckle, or all-out laugh at Olivia and I. Yesterday afternoon we went and rented mopeds. Now, I know that riding a moped is pretty dorky in 99% of America. But, we just happen to be in the 1% of America where riding a moped is not quite so dorky. Ok, maybe it's a little dorky, but it's fast effective transportation that many of the locals use. In fact, as you ride down through the Waikiki Beach area, you can be sure of seeing 2 or 3 people on mopeds at any given time.

Ok, so we rented these two mopeds. They were only $35 each for about 12 hours of total time with them. We picked them up at around 4:30pm and then returned them at 9am this morning. Olivia was pretty apprehensive about riding something with only two wheels and no pedals, but I told her that if the guy from Vice City can do it, I'm sure she can. We had a great time though and by the end, we were both really enjoying riding around town. She even commented that she didn't want to return them, but rather ride them a while longer. I'd definitely ride them again if given the chance.

Today, we headed up the coast to Hanauma Bay, which is a protected wildlife area that's also a beach and huge tourist attraction. People from all over come to go snorkeling in the clear blue waters and see all kinds of coral, fish, and turtles. We had a good time swimming, snorekling, and getting baked laying out on the beach. After returning back to the hotel and cleaning the sand out of our shorts, we headed out to dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen at Ala Moana Shopping Center.

Only two more full days here in Hawaii...but I'm trying to not think about the reality of the rest of the world out there...

Hawaii: Day 9 and 10

Hawaii: Day 9 and 10

We left the condo with a few extra hours to spare in order to travel up Haleakala, which is actually an ACTIVE volcano, not inactive as I stated a couple days ago. We traveled all the way up to the very tip-top, above the clouds and found an amazing wonderland of solid lava and rocks. It looked like what you'd expect the surface of Mars to look like. It was pretty darned cold up there, too, at 10,000 feet. The lack of oxygen up there made us all pretty tired pretty fast. We took some great photos and then headed back down the twisty mountain, headed for the airport.

We departed from Maui, headed for Honolulu once again. This time we'd be staying for 6 days before making the trip back to the east coast.

We picked up our luggage and rental car and headed out into the wild blue yonder known as Honolulu. The entire experience riding from the airport to the hotel was a little shocking. This city's a bit larger and more congested than I expected. In fact, it makes Richmond look pretty small and tame. There are lots of people (mostly asian) here. And lots of people riding mopeds down the street at 90mph. In other words, it's a zoo. Couple that with misleading road signs and you've got an interesting experience.

We made it to our hotel and checked into our room. The room ended up being SLIGHTLY smaller than we had hoped for, but we're managing ok with it. It's barely two rooms, and Olivia and I get to sleep on a pull-out sofa bed about 5 feet from the foot of the bed in the bedroom. Jennifer is sleeping on the floor directly beside their bed. In other words, we're all getting to know each other alot better. :)

Today we visited Pearl Harbor and the Arizona Memorial, knocking that off my list of things I wanted to see before I die. It was just as I expected it to be: very humbling. Very informational, though.

We continued up through the middle of Oahu, through the town where Olivia's parents lived for a few years, stopping briefly to tour the city, visit her old house, and eat some lunch at Maui Tacos. Good mexican food, btw.

We continued up to the north shore, where we stopped in at a very nice beach and enjoyed some shave ice. We battled the traffic back down to Honolulu, visted the Apple Store in the Ala Moana shopping center, and then came back to the hotel to crash.

Oahu is ok so far. I'm really not liking it as well as I liked Kaui and Maui. This has a much more big-city feel to it. Quite honestly, if you took New York City and and Tokyo and meshed them together, you'd have downtown Honolulu and the Waikiki Beach area where we're staying. It's neat, bit not as quiet and relaxing as the other two islands.

Hawaii: Day 7 and 8

Hawaii: Day 7 and 8

Day 7 started with an early morning rush (as usual) to the airport. Our family actually does really well getting to the airport on time, so I can't complain. What I can complain about is trying to fit 5 suitcases, 3 duffle bags, and other random bags into the trunk of a Saturn LS200. Nice car, inadequate trunk.

Our flight to Kahului (pronounced "Kah-who-lou-y") Airport on Maui required a short layover on Oahu at Honolulu Airport. It seemed funny that we were briefly stopping at Honolulu, but would be returning for a longer 6-day visit in just 3 days. Both flights (Kuaui-to-Honolulu and Honolulu-to-Maui) were a mere 15-20 minutes each. It seemed just as we had gotten in the air, we were headed back down to land. But they still served passion fruit juice on both flights! Gotta love Aloha Airlines. :)

We arrived on Maui at around 10:30am, secured our rental car (a Chevy Venture van identical to the Atlanta "bachelor party bus"). We made our way across the beautiful island of Maui up to the north-western corner of the island to a town called Lahaina (pronounced "La-hine-a"). This town had a really cool little downtown area jam-packed with little surf shops, restaurants, and souvenir shops (AKA tourist traps). We continued on to our hotel, the luxurious Aston Ka'anapali (pronounced "ka-ah-na-polly") Resort. The second I walked into the lobby, I knew this place was just oozing with money. Every detail of the building was perfect. We got our rooms and then headed back out for dinner. We ate at a bar and grill place back in Lahaina. I'd have to say that this has been the best dining experience I've had yet on this vacation. Awesome food, friendly & entertaining waiter, and excellent drinks. He even let us steal one of the drinking glasses from our table.

We came back to the hotel, went for a walk on the beach, asked Olivia to marry me, and then went to bed. Oops. Did I just say that? Got your attention now, don't I?

She said yes, thank god. More on that later, though.

Today (day 8 for all you kids out there playing along at home) we woke up fairly early for our big snorkeling/boating trip out to Molokini (pronounced "mole-oh-kini") island. There are a large number of companies that will gladly take you around to some of the more interesting places to snorkel, and are also willing to empty your pockets in the process. Luckily, we landed 5 seats on one of the better ones on the island. Philisophically, they're environmentalists, so the trip was all about talking about endangered animals, keeping the island clean and beautiful, and so on and so forth. We (along with about 100 other people) rode in a big environmentally-friendly cooking-oil powered catamaran boat out into the middle of the Hawaiian islands, snorkeled in two different places, saw some beautiful fish swimming in the clear blue ocean, ate some grilled lunch, and almost got sea sick. I tell ya, this snorkel cruise really had their act together. The boat was custom-built and had great seating, a full (and open) bar on the lower level, grills mounted in the rear of the boat for cooking lunch, and (best of all) the Captain was using a 10 gig iPod for the sound system that played throughout the trip. Very cool stuff.

When we got back on land, we rushed back to the condo, washed up just in time to leave for our special dinner tonight- a Luau. For those that don't know, a Luau is a Hawaiian feast. We enjoyed good food and exciting entertainment, along with 500 other tourists. It was fun.

And now, we're back at the condo and tired as hell. The plan is to visit Haleakala (pronounced "ha-lee-ah-ka-la") tomorrow, which is a huge mountain formed by an inactive volcano. And then we catch our flight out of Maui at around 5pm.

As with Kauai, I'm sad to leave Maui. It's been a neat place to visit, and now Olivia and I will definitely have to return one day. Aloha!

Hawaii: Day 5 and 6

Hawaii: Day 5 and 6

Day 5 included a tour of some of the more exciting waterfalls on the island. We visited Opaeka'a (pronounced "oh-pah-eh-ka-ah") Falls and Wailua (pronounced "wy-lou-a") Falls. Afterwards, we ate lunch at a local restaurant, where I had my second not-so-good dining experience of the islands. We came back to the condo to relax for a while, and then ate a yummy dinner at a resturanunt called "Coconuts". Very very good food and even better fruity drinks. I'm not usually one to go for the fruity drinks (other than Friday's Ultimate Ass-Kicker), but I've been enjoying some good Hawaiian fruity drinks. Coconuts had some great ones.

By the way, I don't want anyone to complain about their gas prices back at home. We paid $2.20/gallon to fill up our Saturn rental car, totaling $30.

Well, I missed my daily blog time this morning. We had made reservations to go kayaking with Aloha Canoes Kayaks at 10am. The trip was to include a 2.5 mile kayak trip up a river, then a short hike to a swimming hole. Lunch was provided by the kayak company, which was cool.

The kayak adventure was a blast. There were around 10 or so other people in our group, and one (pretty entertaining) guide.

As with any good time, there is a price (besides the hit to my wallet) for our day of fun: Olivia and I both got pretty bad sunburns on the tops of our legs. Olivia actually put sunscreen on hers, but I declined because my legs don't normally sunburn. Well, they did today.

Tomorrow morning we head back to Lihue airport to hop on a plane to Maui. We'll only be on Maui for 3 days total before we hop over to Oahu for the final portion of our trip.

Hawaii: Day 4

Hawaii: Day 4

We began the morning stuffing ourselves with bagels, muffins, and whatever other breakfast items we had laying around. After everyone got showered and dressed, we headed out for Waimea (pronounced "why-may-a") Canyon. We had seen this beautiful sight from the air, but we wanted to get a closer view of it.

The made a (not-so) quick pit stop at a souvenir paradise store called Hilo Hattie to get some Hawaiian clothing, trinkets, toys, and candy. Then we were back on the road again, headed to the eastern portion of the island.

The winding road about made all of us in the car sick, but we finally made it to the top. And boy was it worth it.

I've never been to the Grand Canyon in Arizona, but supposedly this canyon is very similar, except that it's much greener. It was definitely one of the most spectacular things I've ever seen.

We managed to make it back down to sea level without hurling, stopped by a few shops, and then over to Po'iPu (pronounced "poy-poo") Beach and Spouting Horn. Spouting Horn is a spot on the beach where lava hardened a long time ago and created a platform that the ocean water travels under and then blows out of a hole in the rock like a geyser. The cool thing is that you don't have to wait ever 10 minutes for the geyser to "spout", but instead it shoots water at least 20 feet in the air every time a wave crashes into the beach. It was really cool.

We traveled back to our "home town" of Kapa'a and grabbed some grub at a family-owned buffet restaurant. It was actually the first meal since we been here that I wasn't too impressed with. Everything tasted funny.

We came back to the condo just in time to relax in the jacuzzi for a little while.

For those interested, I finally heard back from the dentist yesterday about my previous appointment. Apparently it went very well and they have now told me that they'd like for me to visit them as a regular patient, if I choose. Exciting, but it certainly gives me something to ponder while in this Hawaiian paradise.

Hawaii: Day 3

Hawaii: Day 3

We decided to use day 3 as a "down" day. Olivia had been begging to spend some time at the beach, so we took the day off from sight-seeing (is that even possible on this beautiful island?) and went to Ke'e (pronounced kay-ay) Beach.

We traveled all the way back up the eastern coast of Kauai to the very end of the road. You see, the main road that goes around the perimeter of the island doesn't quite go all the way around. There's a portion of the island (the north shore, it's called) that is so mountainous that the road doesn't go over it. So, at the very end of the road on the north shore is this beach.

We stopped on the way and rented some snorkeling gear. We arrived at the beach around 1pm and stayed until around 5pm. during that time, we swam with exotic fish, walked down the beach a ways, and sunned ourselves on the beach. The sun was incredibly hot..probably the most intense sun I think I've ever felt. That's probably due to the fact that we're much closer to the equator than in Virginia. Oh, and the sand was so hot that you could be sure you'd burn your feet as you ran (read: forget walking!) from your beach towel to the water.

We left the beach, dropped off our snorkel gear and grabbed a bite to eat at a little bar and grill place in Hanalei. After that, we came back to the hotel, took a dip in the pool and jacuzzi, and then passed out. I find that I'm the "featherweight" on this trip: I find that my eyelids get uncontrollably heavy around 10:30-11pm.

It's time to head out on today's journey. We're heading up the western coast to check out the "grand canyon" of Hawaii. It was so spectacular from the helicopter..I can't wait to check it out from the ground.

Hawaii: Day 2

Hawaii: Day 2

We woke up bright and early (and pretty refreshed) Sunday morning to begin the day's activities. We set out in the rental car (a Saturn LS200) for the eastern coast of Kauai. Our goal was to go check out the Kilauea (pronounced kill-a-way-a) lighthouse. It was only about a 20 minute drive, but it was really beautiful, driving up the coast. There's only a couple of major roads on the island; the biggest being a road that (almost) circles the entire island along the coast.

The defunct lighthouse was pretty cool, but the surrounding wildlife refuge was even cooler. There were all kinds of almost-extinct birds that have made their homes in the area. The winds were strong enough that many of them were high up in the sky with their wings extended, just effortlessly riding the breeze. And pooping. Lots of big bird poop. Or, as the park ranger called it: Endangered Species' Fecies.

The view from up on the cliff was amazing. The water here is so incredibly blue..unlike the green or murky brown-ish water that we have on the east coast.

We continued up the eastern coast of Kauai to Hanalei (pronounced han-a-lay). We stopped and ate our lunch we packed and checked out the ocean a little. The water was a little cooler than I expected, so none of us went swimming. We were only out in the sun for a little while, but we all got pretty sunburnt because we forgot the sunscreen.

The big activity of the day was a 1-hour helicopter ride around the island. Our Air Kauai pilot, Curt, provided us with a breathtaking view of the entire island, including flying through the around the mountains and waterfalls seen in the movie "Jurassic Park". I had never been up in a helicopter before, so it was especially exciting. One thing that was so amazing to me was how different the different parts of the island are. The coast is (for the most part) pretty flat and sandy, but the center of the island is extremely mountainous and rocky. There's even a portion of the island that looks exactly like the grand canyon, except it's not quite as brown. Simply amazing.

Side note: I'll be attempting to update on here every day in the morning (for me). Right now, I know it's 4:15pm on the east coast. However, our Monday is just getting started out here in the south pacific. It's currently 10:15am.) So, look for new updates in your afternoon every day.

Hawaii: Day 1

Hawaii: Day 1

Yesterday felt like the day that would never end. It started at 4:00am in Dulles, VA. We woke up at the ass-crack of dawn to catch our 7am flight to San Francisco.

We arrived at the airport on the hotel shuttle with plenty of time to spare. The security check was much more in depth than I expected. You see, this is the first time I've flown since 9/11, so I haven't ever experienced the increased security measures. The x-ray lady didn't seem too bothered by my titanium PowerBook. I'm sure they see them all the time. I, on the other hand, caused a little more commotion as I passed through the walk-through x-ray machine. They pulled me into their special wanding area where I was thoroughly wanded and scrutinized. I even had to undo my belt so they could make sure that I didn't have a little hidden bomb in my belt.

We made our way to our gate, grabbed some Starbucks (MMMMMMmm...) and waited for our plane to board. Time passed pretty quickly, amazingly, and before too long we were boarding our plane.

The flight to San Francisco seemed pretty long. They showed "How to Loose a Guy in 10 Days". It was surprisingly good, and it made the time pass by quicker than it would have.

We arrived in San Fran at around 9:15am local time (12:15pm our body's time). Our next flight wasn't scheduled to leave until 1:25pm, so we had lots of time to kill. We walked around the airport and grabbed some lunch.

We were back on a different plane at around 1:00 and headed out into the Pacific Ocean. About 5 hours later, our pilot managed to find his way into Lihue (pronounced Lee-who-ie) airport on the island of Kauai at around 4:00 local time (10pm our body's time).

Needless to say, by the time we got our rental car and got settled into our condo, it had been a VERY long day. We made a quick trip to the grocery store to get some things, and then came back and hit the hay.

2 More Days

Only two more days until we fly out for Hawaii and I'm getting more and more excited. Isn't it crazy how time creeps by so slowly when you're waiting/anticipating a day? It's really boggling my mind how slowly this week is going by.

It doesn't help that things at work are pretty slow. I think I had a total of 1 call ticket yesterday. This means that I spent a good part of yesterday sitting here twiddling my thumbs. What's strange is that I got home last night and felt like I had run a marathon. How can you do nothing all day long and then feel tired like that at night?

It could be because I washed my truck late last evening (yes, right before it downpoured). Man, what a pain. I bet it took me at least twice as long to wash it as it used to take to wash my black truck. It's not that the truck is THAT much bigger, it's that there are lots of places that are hard to reach- like the windshield and roof. Miss smarty pants suggested that I use her step stool next time. Great idea.

And now, I go back to surfing the web..and twiddling my thumbs. Waiting for 5:30 on Friday.

eBay Sucks Lately

What is it with me and eBay lately? I've been having some bad luck with eBay transactions, and it's really starting to make me doubt using it anymore. In the past 2 months, I've had 2 deadbeat bidders. Yep, two people who came on eBay, placed a bid (or more than one bid in one case) on an item that I was selling, and then never returned ANY of my communication after the auction ended. It's really not that hard to send an email and at least say "Hey, I'm really not interested in the item". Not that this would be acceptable. I think some people don't really take eBay seriously. I left a message on some person's answering machine yesterday letting them know that if they didn't contact me soon that I would be notifying the eBay authorities. That has worked in the past. That seems to have lost its effectiveness, too.

The problem is: eBay is the world's marketplace. If you want to sell something (anything!), eBay is the place to do it. Perhaps eBay needs to somehow increase their punishments when someone doesn't honor their bids.

Summer Slam Weekend

Soo..very...tired...today. This weekend was a blast (as usual), but very tiring. Olivia and I spent a good part of the weekend stressing out over getting the scoring straight for the event and I walked around taking photos. The show grouns were a rainy mess all day Saturday, but things cleared up and ended up being pretty nice Sunday.

Excitement is increasing about our big trip to Hawaii. I'm having a little trouble getting too excited, mostly because I'm not exactly sure what to expect. It's hard to anticipate something you've never experienced! I know it'll be fun, though.

That's about all I have energy for right now. Gotta get caught up on my sleep so the jet lag from traveling to Hawaii can mess it up again!

The Appointment

The dentist appointment this morning went amazingly well. I knew I had nothing to worry about. The doctor was pretty nice and had lots of questions for me to answer, although none that I don't feel like I answered with gusto. Yes, I said gusto. Don't think I've ever used that word on this site. Cool.

As I am able to provide more details about today's events, I'll do so on here. Sorry for the ambiguity, but it's necessary, just in case The Enquirer wants to know.

We had a great time over at Mike & Lauren's house last night. We got to see all of their photos from their honeymoon and hear lots of great stories. Sounds like they had a great time. We gave them their wedding photo DVD, which I think was well-received.

Tonight, we drive up to Mark & Julia's house near Front Royal to stay the night before this weekend's main event: Summer Slam in Winchester. Not sure I'm quite ready for show season to start again already, but I'm sure it'll be a good time. And I'm psyched to meet Olivia Muse, Mark's new baby girl. :)

She's Home..For Good!

I went down and rescued my truck from the deadly grasp of Haley Toyota Service for the final time yesterday. They've now completed all of the work they promised me. And after seeing the bills, I'm glad it was all under warranty. The seat fixin' bill came to just over $400, the bill for yesterday's air conditioning replacement was close to $900. The repair slip said that the bearings in the A/C clutch were just bad. They replaced everything, though, just to make sure. And it works and sounds great now. Just like a brand new truck should. :) Driving home yesterday was like finally driving the truck home for the first time, except that it now has 1200 miles on it. It was the first time that I could really sit back and really enjoy the truck, since everything is fixed now. Before, I had the constant rattling of the passenger seat and the A/C groaning to mentally battle with. I popped in an MP3 mix CD and fully enjoyed my drive home.

Tonight, we get to head over to the Sos' for dinner and to hear all about their honeymoon. Ok, maybe we won't hear ALL about it, but I hope to hear the highlights. We also get to give them an extra little wedding gift from the Richmond Geeks. Should be a good time.

And then tomorrow is Friday. Friday the 6th of June. I'm psyched. I'm nervous.

Summer Slam is also this weekend, so we'll be heading up to Winchester and staying with Mark and Julia and Olivia Muse (Mark and Julia's new baby) Should be a good time there, too. Getting up to their house in the woods will be much less of a hassle this year, since my new truck has slightly more ground clearance than last year.

3 Days and Counting

I'm starting to get more and more nervous about my appointment coming up on Friday. What if the doctor asks me questions that I don't know the answer to? I'll be glad to have it done with. Everyone tells me not to be worried about it, but it's all I can do to not think about it every waking minute..and even when I'm asleep. Friday, where are you?

Our iMovie Film Festival was last night and was a big success. We had a turnout of around 75-80 people including the students who submitted winning entries, their parents, some teachers, and the regular XMUG members. The popcorn machine we purchased for the event worked pretty well, although maybe not fast enough. We received some great feedback from everyone involved, so it looks like this will be an even bigger and better event next year! Thanks to Olivia for coming downtown and helping me pop popcorn. It was a greasy, fun mess! :)

Monday Haze

Mondays are such a drag. I get to work to find no less than 35 spam emails collected over the weekend. I have voice mail waiting from a house call client. I have open tickets waiting for my attention, and leftover work waiting from last week.

And all I can really do it sit here in a haze. Perhaps it's due to the fact that Olivia and I were here at Martin last night working on a special project for Mike and Lauren until 1am.

The weekend was a pretty productive one: The patio is finally done (Olivia should have an entertaining photo up soon). I got my new Alpine CD/MP3 head unit installed (CDA-9815). And, as mentioned above, Olivia and I spent many hours creating a special gift from the Richmond Geeks to the newlyweds.

What I learned this weekend: iMovie3 still has many bugs that need fixin', Vanilla Coke is highly addictive, a platter of fresh veggies and dip don't last long in our house, "montage" is NOT spelled "montouge", and our new Xerox color printer (at Martin) rocks. That is all.

Happy Muhn-day!