All you want for Christmas (Hanukkah, Kwanza, and so forth):

All I really want for Christmas is to have powder days off work, and no car troubles for the next 18 months. Somehow, Jaime has packaged these up and placed them under the tree (which we economically "borrowed" from the church storage), because I spy wrapped boxes with my name on them. She's always pulling off the impossible, that corker.

So don't worry about me, but if you're looking for an original stocking stuffer for somebody else, I've got a few semi-obscure gift ideas for you. Give what they didn't even know they wanted, and they won't forget you when they're rich and famous. That's a campaign promise.*

Teresamia
Unique hand-crafted bags and jewelry for the ladies. I mean "unique" in the actual definition. As in, there is really only one of each item shown on the website. It bothers me when people use the word unique in a non-unique context. Or when they say something is "very unique." There's no such thing as "very unique." It's either unique or it isn't. I digress. No templates and duplicates at Teresamia. Just one of each. Teresamia was founded and it's creations are designed by my sister-in-law, Francesca Forsyth. Warning: One let-down is that they don't actually sell children on the website as the homepage suggests:

Waiting for Monday's debut album
For anyone that likes great music from good people. Rob and Kendall are a simple, yet perfectly refreshing acoustic duo and I love their new album. I used to share shows with these guys in the rock and/or roll mecca of Rexburg, Idaho, and I can vouch for their character - proceeds from CD sales will not go to hookers and drugs. I already picked up this CD, so I'm not just plugging my friends' music. I'm plugging my headphones into it as i type this very moment. Support good independent music and your karma and soul will support you.

The Things You Think You Need by Jay Nash
Jay is a friend who's fourth or fifth album (who's counting?) was released earlier this year. It's kind of amazing. This guy is an independent music trooper that has worked hard and it's starting to pay off. But I think he still needs more ears. The Things You Think You Need is on sale at Barnes & Noble as well as iTunes. I really like the CD packaging, so get the real deal shipped to you or pick it up at your local B&N.

Trees and Other Shady Things
If you're on a real musical stocking stuffer frenzy and you haven't got it already, my album Trees and Other Shady Things also has the physical benefit of being easy to hide until 12/24: It's very flat and specially designed to only be about the size of a "compact disc." And it often ships the same day you order it. How's that for excellent product and service in one?

Oh, it's going to be a good Christmas. Can you feel it?

*not really.

SuperHeroes

Every year, CP+B throws a ridiculously extravagant and awesome holiday party. Each year there's a different theme and coming in anything but a thematic costume is frowned upon. Last year's theme was "Circus," So we were circus animals, appropriately walking around on our "hind" legs. Jaime a bear and I a zebra:
The 2006 theme was simply "Red" on account that the Agency was holding some big raffles and donating a bunch of money to The Global Fund. We decided to turn it into a toga party:

This year's party is on December 18th and the theme is SUPERHEROES. Jaime's out shopping for fabric now. In true humorously wholesome and educational fashion, Jaime's excited to be WORD GIRL ("Word up!"), who I had never heard of until she told me last week. She wanted me to be WORD GIRL'S sidekick, "Captain Huggy Face," who - get this - is a break dancing monkey.

Tempting. But I had my heart set on one caped crusader: STUPENDOUS MAN (Friend of Freedom! Opponent of Oppression! Lover of Liberty!). If you don't know who STUPENDOUS MAN is you have some reading to do. I feel sorry for you, so I'll make it easy to repent. You can do that by clicking here.

Stay tuned for heroic images after December 18th.

the terminal

My last 6 days:

Friday: Denver to Philly. I took my guitar on the plane and Southwest took my checked luggage to Portland. Played two shows and came home on Sunday afternoon.

Monday morning: On the way back to the Denver airport well before the sun came up. Off to LAX. No more guitar. No more checked luggage. TV shoot for the VW Sign Then Drive spots. Stayed in the Inn at Laguna Beach and I highly recommend it. Back to Denver very early this morning (Thursday). Drove straight to the office. Work. Back to DEN at 7:30pm.

And here I am on a plane again. 9:26pm Back to California. SFO. Molly's wedding. With a new sweet tri-fold garment bag Jaime got me for my birthday. Or anniversary. Or some Saturday. I should remember. I don't at the moment on account of the fact that my brain is randomly bouncing between "acutely sharp" and "completely fried."

We'll see if Friday and Monday end up actually being vacation days away from my computer and crackberry.

At least I'm not bored. In fact, I haven't been bored in several years. Taking off. See you in SF.

Thinking

Thinking is nice. I don’t think enough. Between work, media, other responsibilities and simply staying alert in order to not miss opportunities life throws at you, there is little time for thinking. There are opportunities, but they are always cut short by the next thing on the day’s agenda, whether it was planned or a blitz.

That’s why I tend to go to bed so late. I finally find time to think and I’m being ask to shut my brain off? I don’t think so (no pun intended).

Here’s the irony. The lack of sleep and need to get up at a normal rat-race hour can leave me pretty tired. Not refreshed. And that’s not so conducive to good thinking. But it’s not completely detrimental, just not ideal. I think that’s why I justify choosing the lesser of two evils by sleeping less. I take Emergen-C and eat an okay breakfast to try and fill in some gaps for my brain and body’s defenses.

My recent Longs Peak climb was another opportunity to think. I was sometimes annoyed at the chatty nature of my hiking companions, but that’s nothing against them. I set myself up for some good chi harnessing time and it’s annoying when it’s interrupted by talk of something I consider less important than the silence it killed.

Still, I got some good time in. The physically repetitive act of trekking in a beautiful natural setting triggers my mind to wander and think about things that the hustle and bustle sometimes fails to.

When I do get a chance to really think, it always ends up in one place. Jaime is amazing. No thoughts about future plans, dreams, music, career, politics, money, food (yes, I think deeply about food, especially on the tail end of descending Longs), have any problem quickly finding their way back to this girl and how crazy I am about her. And since she pretty much always falls asleep before me, she has to live with the fact that her sleep will always be interrupted by a kiss or six on the face before I finally crash. ‘Cause that’s when I have time to think.

Work hard, play hard.

Jaime was in California during a pretty busy work week of mine last week. It's a good thing I brought Annie in to work with me a couple times, because those were late nights burning the midnight oil and she would have gotten pretty antsy had I left her at home during my 15 hour work days... I must say, Annie was a peach all week. She was great at home. She was great at work. Just a total perfect dog and companion.

I did escape before sunset one evening and got one good walkabout around Louisville's good old Davidson Mesa.



The way work was shaping up on Friday I wasn't sure if my weekend plans were going to happen. On top of some big work that doesn't seem to want to complete itself, I've been fighting a cold for almost 3 weeks now. But Saturday was slated to be epic and I wasn't about to miss it. Longs Peak is the highest point in Rocky Mountain National Park. A 14,259 ft. summit and 5,000 ft. elevation gain to get there on your own steam. To say this is a "hike" would be like saying Jaws is a fish. Jaws is a fish. A Fish that will eat you if you treat him like a trout, and may eat you even if you treat him like the man-hungry Great White that he is.

After two hours of sleep Friday night I met Alex Kayne and Josh Mantooth for a 2:30 am drive and a 4:00 am hike. I admit, it does start as a hike at about 9,000 ft. By the time you're at 11,000 there's no more trail. By 12,000 it's die-time. But a darn good time.

[Click on the images to see them in full glory.]





The boulder field. Get a glimpse of perspective when you look for the tiny people scattered further down the field:

On the summit:


The narrows on the way back down ("trip and die"):

Here are three photos I took and Alex stitched together into one panorama, taken from the back side of the keyhole:



Longs has a 30% summit success rate. We made it to the top, We couldn't have asked for better weather, and I wasn't one of the average of one people who die on the mountain each year. That's a good day in my book.

The ivory may very well be ticklish

I like this band. I like this song. And I really like this music video.

Boo. but i don't like how they disabled embedding of their YouTube video. Some people just don't know what's good for them. You can see it HERE.

My very own Nigerian scam attempt

You get five gold points for every red flag you find.

It starts with a simple posting on Craigslist. I won a Zune at work and would like to sell it.


Wednesday morning, I got a biter:

Jennygray80@gmail.com: Hello, Is this item still up for sale???.

Me: It is indeed. Would you like to pick it up in gunbarell today?
Eric
-------------

One minute later I received a blank reply. Kind of odd.

Then, 32 minutes later, a real reply. I'll precede the rest of this correspondence with [sic], so I only have to write it once:

Jennygray80@gmail.com: Then a real reply: Thanks allot for the reply........actually i supposed to come and check the item out but im out of states right now so i wont be able to come over but i will pay $250 for the item and please note that am shipping the item to an overseas partner so i will include $150 shipping fee,i will arrange for the payment of the item via paypal,it is very secure and fast mode of making an online payment or transfer,to proceed with
the transaction asap send me your paypal email address so that i can proceed with the payment of the item.
Thank you very much hope to hear from you soon

Me: Where do you need me to ship the item exactly? I will ship the zune only when I see that you have posted sufficient funds in my PayPal account to cover the Zune and shippng.

My PayPal email address is ericsforsyth@gmail.com.
thanks,
eric

Jennygray80@gmail.com: Thanks for the mail,by the time i send $400 to your account i am sure it will be enough for you to ship the item via USPS EXPRESS MAIL INTL,here is the shipping info

Name:Adedipo Sola
Address;block 11,academy road
City:Ibadan
State:Oyo state
Country:Nigeria
23402

i will email you once i have sent payment.
---------

Within 45 minutes I received the following email from "PayPal." Click on the screen shot to read it.





Sure enough, "Jenny" was right on the ball, back in my inbox within minutes:

Jennygray80@gmail.com: Hello
I just wish to notify you that i have sent payment from my PayPal account
(mounlade@hotmail.com) into your PayPal account (ericsforsyth@gmail.com) i also included shipping cost so that you will be able to ship to the address given below ...check your email under paypal.Hope you have gotten notification from PayPal regarding the payment and i want to believe that i have done everything right for you to ship out the item ASAP because as am talking to
you now the payment has been deducted from my account ,so i will be waiting
for the USPS EXPRESS MAIL INTL shipments tracking number, Here is the
shipping information you need.

Name:Adedipo Sola
Address;block 11,academy road
City:Ibadan
State:Oyo state
Country:Nigeria
23402

PLS SEND IT VIA USPS EXPRESS MAIL ONLY

THANKS.

Me: Hi "Jenny."

I will not consider sending "the item" (as you continually refer to it) until I see the funds posted to my PayPal account. You don't need to send $400 (as you originally offered), let alone $500 (as your supposedly real PayPal email claims.) I just need $150 + shipping, in confirmed funds.

Oh, and I need it to be real. I logged into my PayPal account to see if the $500 had been posted - or if it was even there as PENDING confirmed shipment of "the item". It was not. I am very familar with how PayPal works. And it does not work that way.

This is an obvious fraud. I will still sell you the zune in exchange for ACTUAL PAYMENT. If I receive actual payment in my US PayPal account, I will not report all the details of your scheme to the FTC and the PayPal International Fraud Prevention team - as no fraud will have taken place. Only attempted fraud.

Not even a very good attempt, although I'm sure you dupe countless victims every day, which is why PayPal would be very interested in seeing the details of your scheme.

If actual payment is not posted in my PayPal account by 2pm mountain time, I will take this entire chain and the fake paypal.co.uk email to the proper authorities.

You have a choice. Good luck.
-------------

Needless to say, I didn't hear back.

Hey Mission Prez, CIO! Sweet Ringtones!

I just logged into Facebook to find that my former Mission President (from my service days in Germany) left me a comment. I was excited to see what he wrote to me, as I don't hear from him very often.

I found this comment from LeRoy S. Wirthlin, whom i usually associate with the phrase "great-grandfather":



OMG! Thanks for the tip Prez!

I'm usually annoyed at my not-so-internet-savvy friends that get duped into these links and subsequently unintentionally send them everyone else to whom they are connected. This one just made me laugh out loud, and I almost didn't want to delete it of my page, because it looked so priceless. Alas, I knew that if I left it up some sucker would click on it. Thank goodness for screen grabs and blogs. Deine Schlauheit geniest ein ewiges Leben auf meinem Blog.

Where to Start....

Well, it's been a while for me (Jaime here). I have spent this summer nannying for a family in Boulder. Very sweet girls, but it does take a lot of time and energy. So I apologize for the procrastination. I guess I will start from today and work my way back. Today we had our friends Matt and Christy over for a little Birthday celebration. I made Eric some "no such thing cake".

Go for the gold (or silver-ware)

Eric is deciding between the cake and me...guess which one he chose?

TEVA MOUNTAIN GAMES IN VAIL

One weekend in June was spent up in Vail, Colorado at the TMG. This was Eric's fourth year attending, but his first year not working there. We had a blast, we found a cute little Deutsch restaurant, (very yummy), and we got to go camping and eat some Keebler s'mores.

Camping in June, right? Yeah. We woke up in the morning to a nice layer of snow everywhere. You'll have to take my word for it. It melted quickly.

Chillin' at the Dog Competitions

Happy Doggy

RANDOM

Annie loooves camping, getting dirty, and swimming.

"Star Wars: A Pop-Up Guide to the Galaxy" Yes, the light sabers light up. (Editor's note: Photos and the written word cannot justify the shameful geekiness that this photo portrays. You'll have to see this pop-up madness first hand to understand. Suffice it to say, I wouldn't let small children play with this book unsupervised. Click on the photo to see larger - but that still won't do it justice. - Eric)

Also, Eric has been lining up and playing gigs around Denver and Boulder this summer. He is doing so well with his music and I am so proud of him (but that's a whole other post)!

Well, that about sums it up. Eric will probably make some changes to this, but all in all, I must say we are having a fantastic summer and look forward to every weekend's new adventure.

It's been too long...

I've been blog-delinquent. I'm a deadbeat blogger. I have SO many relevant and blog-worthy events to catch you up on! But alas, This is why I got bad grades in high school. I don't want to. I'd rather post this awesome 8-bit animation video my friend Eric Fowles showed me. If you are an Atari child of the 80s and you have 10 minutes...