Looking Back...Year in Review

I must say that 2007 was considerably better than the year before. However, I see a lot of room for improvement for 2008. The good thing about blogging as often as i do, is that it is easy to go back and look at the year, the good, the bad, and the boring...and with that, i'll recap the year by selecting one or two posts per month. Without further ado:

1. January -- iFell for iPod and The Brotha from anotha Motha.

iPod...what an invention! The iPod almost never leaves my pocket.

I always enjoy hanging out with my best bud from EB. Soon, i hope to find some time to visit them in Nevada.

2. February -- Rockstar? Finding Reason Debuts.

No surprise here that this was my selection for February. When are we gonna do that again?

3. March -- Party Like a Rockstar, The Birthday Pictures... The Call Came From Outer Space, and Chattin' with Astronauts in Space.

Hey, it's my birthday month, i'm allowed a few additional posts. Actually all the posts are tied to one day during the month, March 16th...my birthday. It was a great birthday! Probably my best yet.

4. April -- Increment 14's Success.

One of my proud work related accomplishments. It was a long ride, but a fun one. And it kept me busy...which was something i needed.

5. May -- The End.

The close of a 12 year chapter...

6. June -- Biggio's 3000th

I wasn't at this game, but i've been a long time Astros (and Biggio) fan. So that's why this got the pick. This was also the month that the ISS almost died.

7. July -- Definition of Cute

Not a whole lot of interesting stuff going on in July, but here's a my Godson being cute.

8. August -- And So It Begins...

This was the month of my mission as lead ADCO. There are actually 12 or so other posts for this month, but i'm too lazy to link them all. So, i'll leave you with the fist post of the mission.

Another proud moment in my work career.

9. September -- Sneak Peek.

I started painting the studio...and gave you the sneak peek here. The studio is not 100% complete, but it is closer. I need to acquire one or two more components and it'll be complete. I use it nearly daily...so it is operations. Just a few more touches and it'll be all complete...like i see it in my head.

10. October -- Current FR Logo and Busted Knuckles.

The FR logo change. We updated the logo in preparation for next year.

And, i was proud of my $3 fix that i had to put it here in the year in review.

11. November -- Debs Visit.

I was glad to get to visit with Debbie and finally meet her husband, Al. It was a good few short hours.

12. December -- 12 Christmas Facts and Time-Lapse Entertainment.

Christmas and Family...what could be better...

And that concludes my look back at the year 2007. If some of your favorite posts didn't make the list...that's okay...the posts are still there for your viewing pleasure.

2007 was a good year for me. A lot of other things happened over the year that didn't make the blog and that's okay. Those moments are for me. How did your 2007 treat you? Were you satisfied? Would you do anything differently? There is still some time left in 2007...maybe you could make that happen? Is there anything you'd like to accomplish in 2008 (you can wait to answer that question in tomorrow's post)

Farewell 2007!

I've Seen It Before...

Aggies blow a football game. Well, i'll give credit where credit is due, Penn State did play a tough game. The Aggies were a little too cocky...and then came that horrible call on 4th and inches...A quarterback sneak would've worked...Fullback up the middle would've worked ... but the option was shut down cold! Penn State was ready for that and executed the defense well. Anyway...typical Aggie fashion. Cory and Erin got their money's worth out of that game. Congrats Cory and Erin...

Other football news...New England Patriots have gone undefeated in the regular season by beating the NY Giants tonight. Although it wasn't a pretty game...but they pulled it off to become the fourth team in NFL history to achieve that mark.

Did a little more studio work today. Focused mainly on getting rid of some fret buzz on my silver strat. I think it's always been there, but has only become more annoying to me as my ear starts to become attuned and aware of my sound. I haven't been able to eliminate that noise yet. I have a few tricks i'll try, but if that doesn't work, maybe i'll take it in to the professionals. And while my strat is in the shop, i'll just buy a new guitar to supplement that one... hehe.

So, where are all the parties at?

Early Start

Motivation strikes. I never know when or where or what kind...but i try to seize it when it does strike. I felt fairly productive today...Normally at work, i get inspired or motivated to work on music somewhere around 10am. I thought i'd try to go into the studio and work up some motivation...but before i got there a different kind of motivation came over me.

One of my goals for 2008 is to do some major cleaning around the house. I got an early start on my goals today by doing some cleaning...getting rid of, or filing away my mail. It's unbelievable how quickly that can get away from you. But i'm all caught up now on that. I also started finding homes for other things were just lying around. I'm such a pack-rat. I don't know why i save things that i know with high confidence that i'll never look at or need again. So, i hope to get rid of a bunch of junk in 2008. I need to clean out my closets. Once the studio is totally complete, i'll start on the closets and the other spare bedroom.

I did get some studio work in today. I continued working on a new sound. I think i have a pretty good sound set up for the cover song. But the real test will to hear the sound through the PA system (ultimately, this is what we'll be playing through...)

I also had a mission to go find me some new sunglasses. I came home empty handed. The two different retailers i went to didn't have the Spys that i wanted to try on. However, if i decide i want to replace my old Spys, both retailers had those in stock.

I know this is a bit early, but what would you like to accomplish in 2008?

Horelica House of Music -- Edition 21: Legends

It's been a long time, i know. I was in the jazzy/bluesy mood tonight, so after my stint in the studio, i pulled up these two legends to give them a close listen. Just amazing. I could listen to this stuff for hours. So i'll start with the living legend.

1) B.B. King



The definitive, a man and his guitar, Lucille. Here's some more info on the living legend.
Now on to the legend that has since passed...but is not forgotten.

2) Louis Armstrong



Great stuff here folks. "What a wonderful World" blows me away everytime. And i'm fond of "A Kiss to Build a Dream On" and "Dream a Little Dream of Me." For more on Satch, go here.

Good stuff, no...Great stuff.

Quality Studio Time

With the holiday break, i'm actually getting in some good studio time. I've been working through the finished songs, just to keep me fresh on those. I have been tweaking the sounds just a bit. I felt that my guitar sound was a little thin in some respects, so i'm trying to tweak the effects board. I'm going to break for lunch here, but i will start working on the new stuff and the cover song. It's amazing what you can accomplish if you don't have work to get in your way...

I'm sure by this evening, my fingers will hurt so, i'll just probably sit back and watch some movies...
Care to join me?

Time-Lapse Entertainment

Ok, here are the videos that i promised. I've been wanting to use one of the new features of my new camera, and what a better way to test it out by using during some of our Christmas festivities. The new feature on the camera is a time-lapse video. The camera will take one picture per second and then compile those frames into a movie. It's quite comical. There is no sound to these video clips, but you get the idea. I'm quite pleased with that new feature.

1) This first video is of us unwrapping our Christmas gifts.

2) This second video is me and my brother doing a little bowling on the Wii!

3) This third video is of the whole family getting in on the bowling fun. Yep, i made my parents give this thing a try. It was quite comical. But i think they enjoyed it.

Update:
A brief comment on the Wii...the Wii, is just this side of awesome. For an "interactive" game system, it definitely provides lots of fun. We only played the little sports game that came with the Wii, but that could keep me entertained for hours. I've also noticed something...i don't do well with game controllers consisting of more than, say 4 buttons...I did pretty well on the Wii. It's hard to say which game (tennis, bowling, baseball, golf, or boxing(didn't play boxing)) was the most fun, but tennis really keeps you on your toes. I can definitely see how people have socked their opponents in the face or some of these other issues. If you get into the game you lose your sense of surroundings...It's all in good fun.

Merry Christmas from San Antonio

As promised, here is the blog from a new location.
I want to wish each and everyone a very Merry Christmas.

I hope that you all had a wonderful day.
I've got some videos that i hope to upload tonight when i get back to EB.
So, stay tuned...they should be entertaining...

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Night Before...

Good Evening all. This post comes to you from
East Bernard my hometown. I hope you are getting excited about the big day tomorrow. I hope you are anxiously awaiting that moment when you get to tear into those gifts that were so lovingly picked out for you. Will you get what you want? Will you be totally surprised? Just a few more hours and you'll know. I hope you got your underwear today (you know who i'm talking to ...)

Tomorrow's post will be from a different location...

Good night to all, and to all, a good night!

Merry Christmas from Finding Reason

Just in time for your new music fix! Finding Reason has uploaded a brand new song for your enjoyment. Consider this our present to you! Ben has been working tirelessly on mastering the mix for this demo, "Ghost of a Man". This song has a lot of texture and a lot of changes. I thought "Blue Devils" was hard to learn...i'm in trouble on this one. A special thanks goes out to our good friend, Ron, of Death Carpet Trio, who laid down the sweet drum track for this song. Ron, if you recall, was our drummer for the first performance of Finding Reason back in February. Are there any performances lined up in the near future? Well, let's just say that we hope that 2008 will be a good year for us. Along with the 4 completed original works, we are working on a cover song and then there are,of course, our umpteen different songs in various stages of work...some with music completed but no lyrics, some with lyrics completed but no finished music structure, and then there are those with no lyrics and no music structure...just riffs here and there.

Merry Christmas from Finding Reason!
Rock on...

Let It Begin...

I'm done with my two 13 hour shifts for the weekend. Now the holidays can begin. I'm looking forward to some time off. I'm also looking forward to seeing the family again, especially Brandon and Jessica. I will probably get to play the Wii. I hear it's a hoot! I also hope to catch up on some sleep, but that probably won't happen until later in the week.

Following work tonight i met Erin at the favorite watering hole, Boondoggles, for some food and good conversation. I had an enjoyable time.

Hope everyone is having a splendid holiday season so far!

The Unthinkable...

I've lost my sunglasses! I'm usually pretty good at keeping track of my sunglasses. I guess i'm losing my mind...or maybe i've been preoccupied...whatever the case, my spys are gone. The good news is that i've been thinking about a new pair for some time now. Recall this post.

I'm sure just as soon as i buy a new pair, the old pair will turn up.

I'm slightly concerned about this...i rarely lose things...i misplace things all the time, but i eventually recall where i put them...

12 Christmas Facts

I've been tagged with a random fact task. Erin wants to know my Christmas facts. This will actually be fairly tough for me...for i'm either boring or i have suppressed some of my Christmas memories. But here's what i came up with...

1. My favorite "older" Christmas show is without a doubt "A Christmas Story!" I triple dog dare you to not get a kick out of this one.




2. My favorite "newer" Christmas show is "Home Alone." Yes, i admit it. And i'm not ashamed either.

3. I'm beginning to see a trend here. Does everyone get underwear for Christmas? I can't remember the last time i actually bought underwear.

4. In my recollection, we have never had a real Christmas tree. All of our Christmas trees came out of boxes.

5. One of my favorite Christmas desserts are cookies that my mom makes. She calls them cherry winks. They are made with crushed corn flakes, dates, and of course a cherry.

6. When i was a little tyke, my parents would drive me and my brother through the "rich" neighborhoods to see all the fantastic Christmas lights and decorations of the well-to-do.

7. On my dad's side of the family, we have a very non-traditional Christmas meal. My uncle Mark usually fries up some shrimp and oysters and whips up a pot of gumbo. That started a few years ago. Sadly, i'll miss this years celebration because i'm working.

8. I'm a last minute shopper. I don't know why? Every year i tell myself that i'm not going to wait till the last moment to do my shopping. Yet, i never listen to myself.

9. I hate wrapping gifts for the sole reason that i'm just plain bad at it.

10. I'm a double, sometimes, triple boxer. Despite hating the gift wrapping part, i will sometimes wrap a smaller gift, and then put it in a bigger box, and then wrap that box. I will also add ballast to my gifts so that the receiver can't identify the gift before opening the gift. I'm sneaky like that.

11. The best thing about the Christmas season is the getting together with friends and family. Sometimes it's the only chance i get to see family members. But everyone has a good time even if it is for a brief few hours.

12. Last, but not least, my Godson, Luke, and his baby brother Joel, got a me a reindeer that poops candy. It's awesome!

I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, but if you feel like sharing 12 of your Christmas facts then please do so!

Test Drive

I hate car sales people...and i hate insurance people. So, i decided i'd face one evil today and go check out the new Infiniti EX35. Before i get to the car, i must say a little about the sales people. Infiniti is really nice (so far). When i walked in the door i wasn't surrounded as if i were the only piece of meat they have seen for days. The receptionist was nice and put me in contact with Billy...the guy i've been talking to via email.

Billy was a nice guy. He didn't pressure me, didn't push any options on me that i don't want, and even tried to help me out by taking some options off the table. If i do business with these guys and they continue to be nice and honest then perhaps my outlook on car sales people will be less harsh. I don't think i'll change my opinion of insurance people though.

So, first impressions. Their initial shipment was 4 EX35s, 3 of which were already sold. They had one available on the lot and we took it for a test drive. It provides a quiet and smooth ride. The interior is lush...and this was just a mid-level interior. I think i would spring for the upgraded interior, which adds leather upgrades and wood trim (i'm not a fan of wood trim, but it comes with the upgraded leather...and kinda looks nice). The driver's side (my side) is roomy. Billy is 6'4" and he had no problems with room in the passenger side. He looked mostly comfortable. The buttons and knobs were all within comfortable reach. I didn't play around with the nav system or the iPod interface...although i probably should have.

I didn't push the engine but it did feel responsive and quick to pull. (i'm somewhat paranoid with a vehicle that isn't mine yet...so i kept it civil). Braking was really responsive...but i guess that's the difference between brand new brakes and worn and used brakes.

Now, to the drawbacks. There isn't much backseat leg room. I crawled in the back with the driver's seat set to a comfortable length for me and there was ample room for me...but i'm not that big of a guy so bigger people would not be terribly comfortable back there...and with the front seat all the way back, there really is no leg room...i didn't even bother trying that one out. So, bottom line is this vehicle is not a people carrier. If i decided to get this, i might be able to get 4 people in there without being too cramped (but this will require the front seats to be moved up some, er...a lot).

The other disappointing thing is the space behind the back seats. It's not that big. The cruiser will swallow much more than this thing ever could. The requirement that i have is that the vehicle be able to carry my guitars, effects board, and perhaps an amp, which it will do with the rear seats folded down. I know i couldn't get the amp in there without putting the seats down. It might be tricky to get the guitars in there...but it might be possible.

The exterior dimensions are bigger than the cruiser (except in height--the EX35's roofline is about 2" shorter than the cruiser. The EX35 has nearly twice the horsepower of the cruiser and 10 times the luxury.

I think i'd be much happier with the Infiniti EX35 than the cruiser even with the shortcomings of the EX35s rear passenger and cargo volume. So, that means that I could still help you move into your new house, Erin, (whenever that comes around), but i won't be able to pack as much stuff in the EX35 as i could with the cruiser. Would that be okay?

Now...i've seen the product. I've formulated a first impression. I've given it a test drive. Should i buy it? What color should i get? Currently, i'm leaning towards a wheat interior with a black exterior. (I saw this combination on a Range Rover once and it's mighty nice). The other color i'm interested in is the platinum graphite...which happens to be the color of the vehicle that i test drove. Again, the interior would be wheat. Should i even buy this? Need your input folks! So, send me your "whatever makes you happy" comments and suggest a color...
Thanks...

Sleeping Well?

I hope that someone is getting some sleep. I'm here at work, it's 3am...and i'm not doing much. We are supposed to be in a simulation with France and Russia, but the simulators are not cooperating this morning. So that leaves me with little to do...or should i say, little desire to do anything.

It's little things like this that aggravate me the most. Basically, as soon as i got home from work yesterday, i had to go to sleep (try to go to sleep), so that i'd be bright and cheery at midnight. So, i couldn't work on music...or do anything else. Just had to get some sleep to prepare for the next work related thing.

Hopefully, i'll get some things done tonight...my list keeps growing. It's time to mark some things off.

Ok, you can go back to dreamland now...

Way Too Early

It's way too early in the morning. But i'm setting myself up for the next two days. I am filling in on console this morning and then i've got a sim early, early, early Thursday morning. This is what i do though...once i make it through the weekend, i will be enjoying Christmas vacation.

I received an email from my Infiniti contact and he tells me that the new Infiniti EX 35 has finally arrived at the dealership. I will try to schedule a test drive later this week.

Well that is all for now...just needed to do something to keep me awake. Have a good day.

Hello, Time? Where are you...??

Where does time go? I disappeared into the studio and when i came out, i somehow found it to be hours later. Time just took off. disappeared. vanished. where did you go? I called for you, but you didn't answer. I fear you are gone...

Oh well...it was an okay studio session. I think i figured out the chorus to the cover song. Piece by piece, little by little. Another thing on the list is to dial in the right sounds for this song. There is a lot of tonal texture...so i'll need 3 or 4 different sounds. I'll have to save that for another day.

I just realized, i still need to wrap Christmas gifts...i'm horrible at that. Heck, i still need to do some Christmas shopping. Hmmm...wonder where i'm going to find the time for that?

Well, i'm turning in early tonight, i have a few early mornings ahead of me...i need to get some sleep. g'night...

Same Old Story

Tonight Finding Reason got together for a jam session...our first in a very long time. Tonight was merely a brainstorming session. We tried to work on new material...didn't even play through our usual finished stuff. As mentioned in a previous post, Ron came into the studio and did some drum work for us. From what Ben told me, he really enjoys playing our stuff...which is good news for us. He is officially no longer playing with LTS. So, he'll have time to work for us if we ask nicely. And we welcome that. He won't be our official drummer (not at this time anyway), but i think we'll see more of him.

I brought to the band the material that i've been working on...but i'm not sure we got very far...especially since we figured out that it sounds very similar to a song by one of my favorite bands. It happens to be a similar chord progression, but i use a different rhythm. So, we will continue to work with it. Interestingly enough, we decided on a cover song to add to our list of music to work on...and that song is the very song by the very band that i just described. I'm both happy and disappointed that the material i came up with sounds like this band...happy because i was able to construct something that would be worthy of this band...disappointed because this band has already come up with what i developed...but most music is regurgitated these days anyway.

So, i need to figure out a way to manufacture time. If anyone has any ideas, let me know.

This morning as i was searching out my next guitar i think i stumbled across the awesomest of awesome guitars. You see, i need several guitars to express my music. Each guitar has a different sound, a different mood, and usually different tunings. I work with at least 3 different tunings in the songs we do. Which means i need to re-tune one of my guitars to play out. I could solve the problem by having another guitar, each guitar with a different tuning for a particular song. Tuning and re-tuning a guitar, while fairly easy, can be cumbersome and a pain. The guitar i found today is a robot. That is what Gibson is calling it anyway. This guitar has computer controlled tuners and a computer on board to tune your guitar for you...to several different tunings even. (how ingenious, why didn't i think of that?). Unfortunately, it way too expensive for me right now. Conceivably, i could use this guitar for all my needs...however it would produce the same sound...which isn't necessarily a good thing. Anyway...here's the pretty guitar and it's specs.

I'm disappointed that i haven't made faster progress. I'm sure the guys in the band are disappointed too...and i know you are too. I promise we are working on it. Hang in there...we'll make it, eventually...

Holed Up

Ok, i've been somewhat of a recluse lately. I've been holed up in the studio...well, at least trying to be. I've spent the last few days trying to get some quality work done. I did work through the existing songs...and i'm comfortable with those three. I do seem to struggle on the unfinished stuff...probably because it isn't finished yet. I also started working on a potential cover that we'll introduce into the mix. We've toyed with the idea of adding some covers to help fill out our set list. Tomorrow (er...today) we'll hit Groovy B studios for a practice session. We called in a favor to our favorite drummer Ron to do some studio drumming on one or two of our unfinished works.

I've come to the realization that time is running out. There just aren't enough hours in the day to get all the things done that i want to get done. Something has got to give...but what? work? nope...not yet. eating? nope...that won't work either. sleep? i could get less sleep...but that won't do me any good. Hmmm...i've run out of ideas...i guess i'll try again tomorrow.

Post Travel Routine

Everyone has a routine that they do when they get back from traveling. My routine usually starts off by catching up on sleep. I slept quite late this morning...and it was excellent.

Then came the arduous tasks of doing laundry, returning things to their resting places, and just generally cleaning up. Such a pain...but needs to be done. I think i'm at a point where i can get back on my regular routine.

I still have some things i need to get done...namely, work on Finding Reason stuff. I think i'm going to reserve some time for music in the coming days. It's been a while, and i miss my friends.

I hope all is well in your world?

21 Hours

Catch up post:

That's how long it takes to get from Moscow to my driveway. Such a long day of traveling. At least i was able to select my seat on the way from Moscow to Atlanta. I chose a seat in which no one was sitting next to me. This allow me to stretch out and not be confined to the upright fetal position. That made the 12 hour flight from Moscow to Atlanta not near as bad as it could've been.

However, i was starting to get cabin fever on the flight from Atlanta to Houston. I wanted off that airplane. Todd doesn't like being in uncomfortable seats for 21 hours. Todd doesn't like crowds. I was not a happy flier on that last leg.

But all is good with the world right now.

Winds of Change

Catch up post:

I follow the Moskva down to Gorky Park...

I've always wanted to do that...I didn't see any soldiers walking by...i got my fill of soldiers the other night. Every time i hear that song i'm reminded of it. Well, i have done that. Sunday morning, Matt and I headed out into the frigid morning air of Moscow...with Gorky park as our first stop. We planned out the trip the night before...you see, with the Metro, you often have to switch trains multiple times to get where you are going...and it's always best to not look lost...so preparation is key.

Gorky park was fairly deserted...with the exception of a group of guys trying to get in some quality hockey, and the grandfather taking his granddaughter for a little skate through the park. Ice and snow covered most of the park...with a new dusting of snow while we were there. There isn't much to see in Gorky during the winter. I suppose during the spring and summer there are beautiful flowers everywhere. I might have to make a return trip during the warmer months to enjoy it all. My last trip i was only able to see Gorky Park from the boat tour we took.

Being sunday, Matt and I went to church. The next stop on our short list was to hit Christ the Saviour Church. You've seen this in some of my other pictures. But it has a lot of picture quality there so we went. We did go inside this time though. The sign at the entrance said no cameras...so i wasn't brave enough to pull out my camera in there...but matt did. If i can find where he put his pictures i'll link them here. It's quite impressive in there.

Since Matt had to be at work later in the day (he never went in since the launch slipped) we headed back to the hotel so that we could check on the status of things. This is where we learned that the mission was going to be slipped until January. We had a discussion on when we were going to fly back and such. After much deliberation we decided that Tues, the 11th was going to be our return day...if we could only get our plane tickets updated. I had some trouble, but my secretary took care of that once she got in on Houston Monday morning.

Sunday night we decided to hit the Star Lite Diner in Moscow. It's a swinging 50s decor joint with good milkshakes and hamburgers. But to our demise, it was closed due to fire damage. I wish i would've known that before trekking out into Moscow. I was kinda bummed too. Oh well, perhaps they'll be done with the repairs for the next trip.

Here is the whole lot of pictures that i've been meaning to uplink. Enjoy.

Moscow 2007

Maybe if i find some extra time, i'll actually label each of the pictures...

Home Sweet Home

I am safely back on US soil. Since the STS122/1E mission has been delayed to at least January, i'm back home from Moscow. The flight to/from Moscow takes a lot out of you, so i'll keep this short. I do have to put together a few more posts from my journey through Moscow, but that'll have to wait for another day...

Get Yer Shop On...

Since we are in a launch slip case...we all had the day off today. Being a weekend, we headed out...way out...to Izmailova (a large outdoor market)...or souvenier central! Yes, i said outdoor. Yes, the temperature was about -2 degrees C (28 degree F) with light snow flurries. Yes, these people are hardcore. I had a few things on my list to get...mostly for Christmas gifts...so i can't disclose what i got, but i do have some loot. But i feel like i'm forgetting some things, so i may have to shop around some other places...assuming i have room for all this stuff. Guess i'll have to pack with a little more precision...since one purchase alone will nearly take up all of a suitcase. I do have some snack food that i won't be bringing back, so that will free up some room.

On the trek back from Izmailova we stopped at what i think is my favorite Restaraunt in Moscow...VaPianos. It's an italian joint...i know...not russian...but the food is so good. One of my new friends (Al -- from the FAO world) was overly happy about the food so much so that he decided to pay for us. That was nice of him.

Another small world moment. The Ops Lead (Bryan Janda) that's on my shift has relatives that live in East Bernard. I had to fly around the world to find out that someone i work with has relatives in EB. Small world!!

Moscow sure is a wonderful place. I like it here...despite the cold or the inability to breathe (pollution).

Hard Rock'n Moscow

Yesterday, Matt and I decided to do the American tourist thing and hit the Hard Rock Cafe Moscow.

But before i get to that, yes, we're in a launch slip case, which is not great news at all. I'll be here longer and possibly pushing up to Christmas...or i'll come home early, and have to do this all over again in January or February; neither of which is pleasing to me. We are attempting to launch on Sunday, but there are meetings on Saturday to discuss those plans. I think our launch window cuts out on Dec. 13th...so if we're not off the ground by then, I'll be coming home, only to turn around and come back out here 1 or 2 months later.

So, following work, I had the computer guy come in to fix my computer issues. Didn't get it fixed. Although it has been decided that i'm getting a "new" computer on Monday. I still don't think that is going to solve my problem, but the work around is giving me computer access so i'm content.

Once it was decided that there was nothing that could be done with the computer, it was time to hit Moscow. Trip two...to the unknown. Are my navigation skills good enough yet? Yep...they were. We plotted our course before heading out and then decided to give it a shot. We found it without much trouble at all. I feel much more comfortable navigating the metro system.

Hard Rock Cafe Moscow was well...Hard Rock Cafe...and supposedly the second largest restaraunt in Europe! It didn't seem all that big to me...but it was definitely crowded. We found a couple of spots at the bar and ordered some food...tastey American Food. Then we did the touristy thing and bough Hard Rock souveniers. I wanted a Hard Rock Moscow cap, but there were no caps or hats at all...so i had to settle for a t-shirt.

It's a bit chilly here when the sun goes down. Last night on our trip to and fro it was around -3 degrees C (26 Degrees F). I was well prepared and i'm weathing it well.

But i have marked another thing off the list that i wanted to accomplish on this trip. [I wanted to post some pictures, but this computer is acting up again...sorry...you'll have to wait.]

Mission Control Moscow

On the second day we went into work. Seems that the snow is sticking better up here in Korolev...well, the what used-to-be-snow-and-now-is-an-icy-slush. Didn't think about taking a picture of that (perhaps i'll get a picture of that for you melissa...that might meet your snow picture). Speaking of snow...it's still a little too warm for additional snow...but there is a 30% chance of snow everyday.

The road coming into Korolev has been updated since i've been here...they are putting in ramps and such to help ease the flow of traffic in and out of Korolev. Things are pretty much as i remember them...and it's fairly toasty inside too...no need for jackets.

I took matt around the MCC and took him to meet with some of the people that we'd be working with. Saw Alexander Shubakov and we started talking guitar stuff. But then it was time to get back to work. He said we talk guitar stuff later.

Right before leaving work, we learned that the launch was scrubbed for 24 hours. Great. And we learned the reason why...sensors in the Shuttle's tank. We've seen this issue before...so hopefully, it won't be a long slip.

It was late when we got back from work and i still needed to work out my computer issues (which still haven't been resolved completely). Laid down just to rest before going to the store and then fell asleep. Matt woke me up and we headed over to the store. I wasn't in the buying mood, so i didn't come home with anything...but i did check out the Vodka section. I think i know what i'm coming home with.

After the grocery store trip i called the tech guys to see if they could get my computer up and running...but to no avail. I finally got off the phone around 11:30pm...i was so tired....and again, i quickly fell asleep.

Hallo from Russia

Here is a catch up log on my experiences so far. My computer issues aren't completely solved, but being resourceful, i found a temporary workaround.

HorelicaNet Journal Operations have temporarily moved to Moscow, Russia. By virtue of you reading this means that i have made it here safely (as if the pictures in the previous post weren't enough proof.) We were greeted with 2 degree Celsius temperatures (36 degree Farenheit). That's kinda warm for this time of year...no complaints here. I think this is the first time that i could see the fog of exhale when going through my nose. I've seen it before when exhaling through my mouth...however, i'm sure i will experience the coldest temperatures that i have ever experienced.

The day (Dec. 4th, Central time) started very early for me...about 5am. I thought i had everything I needed/wanted for this trip. But in my haste, i still managed to forget a few things. I forgot my belt, not my dress belt, but my all-purpose-hold-up-my-pants-belt. I guess if i have to, i'll wear my dress belt for my casual needs. I suppose there are worse things to forget? Another thing i forgot to do was to leave my cell phone in the car. I'm sure my cell phone won't work in Moscow and i didn't bring my charger, so it'll be off until i get to atlanta. It is usually best not to bring cell phones. But the good news is that my cell phone isn't GPS capable, which is considered a no-no in Russia.

How did I forget to leave the cell phone? It's been my experience that when you park a facility at the airport you always have to wait on the bus to pick you up...not so in my case...the bus was waiting on me...so i was rushed.

Checking in a the airport was a little scary (at first). They didn't have me in the system. For a brief moment, i thought i wasn't going. Turns out because i was going international (requires a visa), they have to enter things in manually. The lady finally figured it out...although she should've known. Getting through security was a non-issue. The flight from Houston to Atlanta was uneventful.

Oh how i miss flying! It's not a whole lotta fun as a passenger though. Perhaps once i pay off the upcoming new vehicle and Finding Reason becomes a bit more established, i will have the time and money to stretch my wings once again. I'm jealous josh.

The flight to moscow was loooo-eee-ooooong. Uneventful, which is good, but awfully long. Tried to sleep, but i don't think i got more than 3 hours. I'm still pretty tired.

Made it through passport control without any issues and we received all of our luggage. Met the driver and headed over to the hotel. Checked in...had issues with the money machine (the darn thing wouldn't give us any roubles...at least it gave us our money back.) So we did it the old fashioned way...went to a money exchange place.

Then it was time to try my navigation skillz. Could i find my way around moscow and find my way back again? Ok...you've seen the pictures, so you know the answer to that. Yes, i was able to find my way to the metro, buy tickets, hop on the train, switch trains and navigate my way to Red Square...without getting lost. I popped out of the ground on the wrong side of the street, but that's an easy fix.

Wandered around Red Square for a while...walked down to the Moscow River and took some more pictures. By this time it was getting dark...and only 4:30pm. Worked our way back to Red Square. The one thing i wanted to accomplish this trip was to see Red Square at night. Mark that off the list. It was really beautiful there at night.

We worked our way around to the tomb of the unknown soldier and was stopped by the militia. Matt saw the militia approach me and he tried to wander off like a tourist. Thanks for stickin' by my side! But the militia asked if he was with me so i roped Matt into the mix. Turns out the militia guys were really cool...just checked our papers and let us be. had i not been freaked out at the time (we've all heard horror stories of running in to some bad militia), i would've asked to take a picture with them. Oh well...lost opportunities.

By this time, it was starting to get really cold. So we ducked into a mall and walked around a bit. saw a bunch of shoe stores...but didn't see any converse stores. Oh well. We decided to head back to the hotel to try and meet up with some of our fellow workers. But we missed them. Matt and I walked down to the Tractor...a nice pub type restaraunt. Pork shaslik and some good hotchipore.

That about concluded our very long day. I must say, i think i was asleep within 30 seconds of my head hitting the pillow. However, i woke up about 4am local time and really couldn't get back to sleep.

Time allowing I will try to blog everyday while i'm here. And i hope to post some good pictures, although there isn't much daylight here this time of year.
Thinking of you.
Hope to see you soon...

Teaser

I'm in Russia!!

Sorry this is short, but once again, i'm having computer issues. I made it safely and am extremely tired. Going to bed soon! I'll update later...i have lots to report!

todd

Here We Go...

Ben did some rework on Blue Devils and reposted to the Finding Reason myspace site. He's been wanting to rework the solo for the longest now. I guess he finally found time to remaster that. Evidently, we've got quite an "unfinished" catalog going, perhaps 6 or 7 songs with potential to be finished in the "nearer" future.
Since we have such a block on creativeness from time to time, we are thinking of picking up the cover songs to fill in our set list. I don't know what the covers will be, but we are probably going to work on 3 covers to go with our 3 ready for prime time songs.
But Finding Reason work will have to wait till the new year...as we are busy once again getting ready to fly yet another mission.
My next post will be from a different location. I'm relocating HorelicaNet Journal operations for a few days/weeks.

See ya soon...