And Fall Returns...

The last week has really felt more like the middle of a bad winter here. Of course, within a week, we are back to wet and 45 degrees. Part of me is sad to see the weather change back to a boring fall pattern, but I know its better for many to have it be normal again.

This shot was taken out at the farm in Duvall. A few years back, a place like this would have driven me nuts. No cable, no high speed internet, no streetlights!? Now, its nice just to go out and enjoy the peaceful setting and let the worries disappear for a moment.

Of course there is a major drawback to spending time relaxing there. I start to feel really guilty about not being able to help with all the odd jobs that need finishing or starting. I'm not the most handy guy, but I know enough to get in a bit of trouble with some tools.

I guess that's a topic for a whole other day though. For now, enjoy the fall weather because winter is coming.

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Thanksgiving

I just wanted to take a quick moment and tell the world Happy Thanksgiving. In times like this where people are losing so many material possessions, its hard to remember to be thankful for everything we still have.

Whether a victim of the economy, a medical expense or even just an emergency bill that leaves you short, remember that people are the most important thing around.

I am so grateful for my wife, my child and my work family. Everyone that is still a part of my life adds a bit of that wonderfulness that always becomes a bit magical at the holidays, but is really there everyday.

I guess the way to sum things up is that there will always be more stuff, but there is only one best friend, family member or special someone for everyone. Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

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The First Snow

Two years ago, Seattle was pelted by a major snow storm that lasted a few weeks. Last year, we saw nothing but a few flurries. This year we were blessed with an early treat of a white Thanksgiving. This was only made more fun for me due to the fact that it is really the first time Evie has seen snow.

Unfortunately for me, it seems that Evie shares her Mama's style of love for snow more than mine. She prefers to be inside watching rather than being outside and cold. Oh well, hopefully there is still a chance and when she's old enough to toast marshmellows in the fireplace and drink hot cocoa after a day of shedding and snowball fights she will love the snow as much as I do.

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Early Mornings

So Evie decided that 5:30 was the perfect time to wake up on this beautiful Saturday morning. While getting up after 5 hours of sleep isn't fun, there's something about the mornings alone with her that makes life really special.

We did our usual and made some toaster waffles and sausage for her breakfast. Then the cartoons started and she settled in for a bit before passing out on the floor. Too bad daddy doesn't fall back to sleep so easily.

When you do look at the image above, remember what's important, what's not, and most of all, remember to treasure moments like this because you never know when it will be the last time you enjoy one like it.

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Way Too Much Information

So another great thing about the Evo is the mobile entertainment aspect of it. It's stock apps work great for on the go TV (Sprint TV), Movies (Video Gallery), and of course, the great stock image viewer for checking out all those 8MP images from your camera.

When you hit the market for some 3rd party apps is where the real fun starts though!

The Skyfire browser allows you to watch streaming online content in a compressed format that practically eliminates lag and studdering. Check out great sites like cwtv.com or Fancast.com.

Rockplayer video player plays back almost any format video you can throw at it. Even high bitrate AVI files stream beautifully from your SD card.

Slacker or Pandora radio let's you stream hours of great music for free! Choose from genres, artists or even play holiday music in seconds on your device.

Overall, these few media apps can make your Evo a complete multimedia powerhouse and will make the overall experience of owning one a sheer joy.

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Don't Have One Yet?

So, you might have figured out that almost every bit of content found on this blog is posted from the HTC Evo 4G phone on the Sprint network.

What I'd like to let everyone know is that despite the rumors, for the most part, Sprint has a very good network. The coverage seems to be just as strong as Verizon's inside most cities and only slightly less in rural areas. They are also currently blowing Verizon's pricing out of the water by a large margin.

Verizon has a base price of $39.99 for 450 minutes and free VZW to VZW calls. Adding unlimited texting is $20 and a data line is another $29.99 a month. That brings your single line total to $89.98 a month. For a standard Sprint 450 land line minute / everything else included (including calls to any US mobile phone) it is $69.99. Now you do have to add $10 to use this monster, but you save about $250 over the life of your contract this way - or almost $500 with a nice Samsung Intercept or Palm Pre.

Cell phones used to be expensive, hard to use and just downright boring. With these new "smartphones" your life can just be a bit easier, if only because you only have to carry one item with you.

So whether you are a Verizon, At&t, T-Mobile or Sprint person, checkout http://tinyurl.com/smartphonedeals for great prices and free FedEX shipping on most devices. You'll be very happy you did!

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Sometimes You Just Need to Get Away...

Ok, so here was the day that I last had 'fun' with a camera that wasn't attached to my phone. Shooting downtown, I snapped off this quick image with the ole Evo while we waited.

The day was great, but as I thought about it, photography was supposed to be FUN. When it became a requirement to pay the bills it stopped being quite as much fun. Then, when it took time away from my daughter, it became too much.

So for right now, we are going to take a little break, enjoy the kiddo while she's still young and try to recapture the meaning in what we started a few years ago.

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Our Kitty

Luna came into my life just after my wife to be agreed to marry me. She was living with Ara in Bellevue, but soon moved north to Everett with me. Ara followed shortly there after.

Luna is just about as perfect of pet as a person can hope for. Playful, but not too much. Cuddly, but wants her space. Best of all, she's not too fur-bally. I only get the barefoot squish once in a while from her.

While the dog tries my patience on a daily basis, Luna seems to be pretty even keel and keeps the irritation to a minimum. Hopefully I can catch her soon doing her new trick - peeing in the bathtub.

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Library Night...

I have to say, I haven't been to a library in 15 years until the last few weeks. We've decided to make Monday night the evening of the Monroe Library. It's more for the wife than for me, but Evie and I enjoy the run around the aisles and checking out the new board books - of course, when you have the memory of a two year-old, there are lots more new ones than there really are.

Tonight, Evie and I actually sat down at a kid computer and she used it. No joking. She actually rolled the trackball, pressed buttons and got the headphones on. Yeah for Blues Clues!

She only scribbled on the drawing program tonight, but what an amazing start. I really can't wait for next week now...

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Seattle Harvest

Well here we are waiting for the Seattle Harvest with Greg Laurie. He's been a big part of me finding my faith and I can't wait to share an evening of encouragement with him.

So everyone sit back and enjoy a great time. You can stream it online at http://seattle.harvest.org.

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