jaime reminds me once in a long while that i will know i've done something really stupid the day i come home to find my smashed-in guitar being used a litter box for her brand new cat (which i would be allergic to).
and this cartoon made me laugh.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Things We Hope Don't Happen:
click to view in full.
jaime reminds me once in a long while that i will know i've done something really stupid the day i come home to find my smashed-in guitar being used a litter box for her brand new cat (which i would be allergic to).
and this cartoon made me laugh.
jaime reminds me once in a long while that i will know i've done something really stupid the day i come home to find my smashed-in guitar being used a litter box for her brand new cat (which i would be allergic to).
and this cartoon made me laugh.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Christmas break random photo montage
Making pizza, salsa, chips, etc. from scratch, lounging at home, traveling to Philly (including a very long wait in DIA that started way too early in the morning), and good time with family. No pictures of snowboarding and my my first taste of telemark skiing, but read my Loveland Pass post below for a bit of that. Here's a small taste of everything else.
SuperHeroes, part two
Behold, I hereby resolve the cliffhanger hype from my SuperHeroes post. Stupdendous Man and WordGirl:
Monday, January 5, 2009
Professional Year in Review
Volkswagen's U.S. market share is up. Click here for the Bloomberg article.
CP+B wins Creativity Agency of the Year. Click here.
CP+B wins AdWeek Agency of the Year. Click here.
[Late breaking update, 1.19.09:] CP+B wins AdAge Agency of the Year. Hat trick. Click here.
It's no secret it was a tough year for the auto industry. Below are each manufacturer's U.S. numbers for December 2008 and the whole year vs. 2007. We're down -4.4%. American companies like Chrysler are down -30% (Chrysler's December '08 was down -53.1% over 2007's December - OUCH.) Mighty Toyota? 2008's total is down -15.4% Only Subaru was above zero at 0.3% over 2007's numbers. Gotta hand it to them.
CP+B played an important role, especially in the sales event messaging and dealer relations, but as much as I'd like to say advertising played the largest role, I can also see the argument against that. When you look at all the numbers together, you realize that product plays a major role. When you make a better product (read: better value) it tends to sell better. Especially when times are tough. That's one big reason VW was #2 in the industry (not counting ultra luxury brands like Aston Martin that inversely had an amazing 2008).
The other thing the numbers tell me is that my team at work was robbed this year. Robbed by a wheezing economy. All the signs point to 2008 possibly having been the year that VW took off and showed the states why they sell more cars than anyone else in Europe, China and Brazil. 2008 could have been our year. Instead, it was nobody's year. But we're better poised to launch out of the gate when the economy rebounds. Keep your radios tuned for that kids, then you can say Uncle Eric told you so.
CP+B wins Creativity Agency of the Year. Click here.
CP+B wins AdWeek Agency of the Year. Click here.
[Late breaking update, 1.19.09:] CP+B wins AdAge Agency of the Year. Hat trick. Click here.
It's no secret it was a tough year for the auto industry. Below are each manufacturer's U.S. numbers for December 2008 and the whole year vs. 2007. We're down -4.4%. American companies like Chrysler are down -30% (Chrysler's December '08 was down -53.1% over 2007's December - OUCH.) Mighty Toyota? 2008's total is down -15.4% Only Subaru was above zero at 0.3% over 2007's numbers. Gotta hand it to them.
CP+B played an important role, especially in the sales event messaging and dealer relations, but as much as I'd like to say advertising played the largest role, I can also see the argument against that. When you look at all the numbers together, you realize that product plays a major role. When you make a better product (read: better value) it tends to sell better. Especially when times are tough. That's one big reason VW was #2 in the industry (not counting ultra luxury brands like Aston Martin that inversely had an amazing 2008).
The other thing the numbers tell me is that my team at work was robbed this year. Robbed by a wheezing economy. All the signs point to 2008 possibly having been the year that VW took off and showed the states why they sell more cars than anyone else in Europe, China and Brazil. 2008 could have been our year. Instead, it was nobody's year. But we're better poised to launch out of the gate when the economy rebounds. Keep your radios tuned for that kids, then you can say Uncle Eric told you so.
New Years Day, Loveland Pass and Annie
Following through on my Loveland Pass post last April, I took Annie up to Loveland Pass backcountry on New Years Day.
I woke up New Year’s Day to find an email from Brig White asking if I wanted to start off the year right. We drove up to Loveland Pass with Annie and although there wasn’t a lot of new snow, it’s always nice to be out on the mountain. The best part was letting Annie loose in her element. As we hiked, she ran along, ran ahead, ran around, and always came when called. When we raced down the mountain, she raced behind us, taking turns chasing after me and Brig. When we hit the trees, she bolted through and even if I lost sight of her for a moment, I could call her name and she’d come jetting out of the forest, making first paw tracks in the snow, mouth wide open in a big lab smile.
We hitched 4 rides back up to the top of the pass. The first three were in the back of pickup trucks. I doubt this Miami born dog ever thought she be huddled with me in the exposed bed of a speeding pickup, with howling winter winds and snow ‘building character’ on our faces as we climbed to 12,000 ft pass in the Rockies. But she was. The fourth and last ride up was in a brand new Toyota Sequoia SUV. The driver pulled over to our thrown out thumbs and I had to walk around to his window and ask “I have a dog, is that okay?”
“Yeah, put her in the back with your stuff.”
She laid down in the heated car and pressed as much of her body, from chin to tail, into the relatively plush, carpeted floor. This was not the pickup experience she just had three times in a row. Without moving her head, she turned her eyes up at me and I could see her saying, Was this an option all along? She may not have been a huge fan of the more hardcore rides up the mountain, but she was nothing less then euphoric once her feet hit the ground and she could chase us back down, not a road in sight.
“Did your dog just follow you down the mountain?...That’s so cool.”
“That’s a great dog”
Etc., etc...
Talk about good times with man’s best friend. Part of me is so excited that she's only 2-years old and there are years of this to come. The other part of me tries to ignore how relatively short a dog's life is. We're squeezing it all in, enjoying the simple pleasures all the way.
She spent most of the next day recuperating at home, chin to tail, flat against the carpet, occasionally licking her slightly chapped paws. But I know she’ll gladly hop into the back of the next truck bed if it means she gets to run back down a snowy mountain with me.
I woke up New Year’s Day to find an email from Brig White asking if I wanted to start off the year right. We drove up to Loveland Pass with Annie and although there wasn’t a lot of new snow, it’s always nice to be out on the mountain. The best part was letting Annie loose in her element. As we hiked, she ran along, ran ahead, ran around, and always came when called. When we raced down the mountain, she raced behind us, taking turns chasing after me and Brig. When we hit the trees, she bolted through and even if I lost sight of her for a moment, I could call her name and she’d come jetting out of the forest, making first paw tracks in the snow, mouth wide open in a big lab smile.
We hitched 4 rides back up to the top of the pass. The first three were in the back of pickup trucks. I doubt this Miami born dog ever thought she be huddled with me in the exposed bed of a speeding pickup, with howling winter winds and snow ‘building character’ on our faces as we climbed to 12,000 ft pass in the Rockies. But she was. The fourth and last ride up was in a brand new Toyota Sequoia SUV. The driver pulled over to our thrown out thumbs and I had to walk around to his window and ask “I have a dog, is that okay?”
“Yeah, put her in the back with your stuff.”
She laid down in the heated car and pressed as much of her body, from chin to tail, into the relatively plush, carpeted floor. This was not the pickup experience she just had three times in a row. Without moving her head, she turned her eyes up at me and I could see her saying, Was this an option all along? She may not have been a huge fan of the more hardcore rides up the mountain, but she was nothing less then euphoric once her feet hit the ground and she could chase us back down, not a road in sight.
“Did your dog just follow you down the mountain?...That’s so cool.”
“That’s a great dog”
Etc., etc...
Talk about good times with man’s best friend. Part of me is so excited that she's only 2-years old and there are years of this to come. The other part of me tries to ignore how relatively short a dog's life is. We're squeezing it all in, enjoying the simple pleasures all the way.
She spent most of the next day recuperating at home, chin to tail, flat against the carpet, occasionally licking her slightly chapped paws. But I know she’ll gladly hop into the back of the next truck bed if it means she gets to run back down a snowy mountain with me.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Sam the Cooking Guy
I like my new TV. So shoot me. I sometimes sit there and watch cooking shows late at night while Jaime falls asleep on me. Stop laughing. The other night, as she dozed, I found "Sam the Cooking Guy" on Fit TV.
I've been subjected to a lot of Food Network and plenty of cooking shows (do you know my roommate?), but this one stuck out at me. I remember several months ago telling Jaime that I thought TV was lacking a good, funny, realistic, down-to-earth but delicious cooking show. All of those things in one. She thought Alton Brown fit that bill. I think Alton Brown is a geeky hoser most of the time.
Turns out Sam Zien is in his San Diego home cooking tasty stuff with his kids and dogs running around, while someone rolls a camera. And Sam may just be old enough that I could fill his shoes when I'm ready for my mid-life crisis career change. Until then, I'm waiting for my craptastic stomach flu to be fully exorcised so I can make this.
I've been subjected to a lot of Food Network and plenty of cooking shows (do you know my roommate?), but this one stuck out at me. I remember several months ago telling Jaime that I thought TV was lacking a good, funny, realistic, down-to-earth but delicious cooking show. All of those things in one. She thought Alton Brown fit that bill. I think Alton Brown is a geeky hoser most of the time.
Turns out Sam Zien is in his San Diego home cooking tasty stuff with his kids and dogs running around, while someone rolls a camera. And Sam may just be old enough that I could fill his shoes when I'm ready for my mid-life crisis career change. Until then, I'm waiting for my craptastic stomach flu to be fully exorcised so I can make this.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Westy on a whim
Jaime and I have been talking about going to Europe together, more specifically Germany and Austria, ever since we were married. I've been slowly racking up the not-so-frequent-anymore flier miles with plans of cashing in on just that. After a bit of research today I realized that although I have almost 85,000 AA miles, we couldn't both get round-trip tickets to Europe with any kind of reasonable itinerary that agreed with my employer's "time theft" policy. Not to mention the weak dollar (and our weak budget) that would be continuously tapping us on the shoulder every time we we required any sort of lodging or transportation from city to city. I always stifled these roadblocks in my reluctant subconscious until I sat and did the math today.
I know we'll get to Germany someday. I'll show Jaime stuff I'm dying to see again, and we'll both experience things anew. But not this next year. Not without a very hefty Christmas bonus and another raise. Yeah right.
So I started thinking about other ways we could escape in '09. Where would American Airlines allow me to use my limited AAdvantage miles and what mutual destination would allow us to afford transportation and lodging? Oh, and it has to be distant and awesomely awesome.
Then it clicked, and I subsequently clicked around the interweb until a few hours hours later it was in the bag.
Nine days of September 2009 will find us on Maui, putting around in our very own (rented) VW Westfalia camper van. No hotels needed. No set plans. Just a bag of local groceries, a GPS and my camera. The flights are already booked, totally covered by points, with some to spare. Surf, dive, hike, swim, chill, nap, cook, eat, drive around, whatever. See the real Hawai'i. Get a real ocean front room.
I've been dreaming of renting one of these puppies and making a week out of it. Deutschland can wait, but I'll still be able to fulfill my Wanderlust in einem VolksWagen.
I know we'll get to Germany someday. I'll show Jaime stuff I'm dying to see again, and we'll both experience things anew. But not this next year. Not without a very hefty Christmas bonus and another raise. Yeah right.
So I started thinking about other ways we could escape in '09. Where would American Airlines allow me to use my limited AAdvantage miles and what mutual destination would allow us to afford transportation and lodging? Oh, and it has to be distant and awesomely awesome.
Then it clicked, and I subsequently clicked around the interweb until a few hours hours later it was in the bag.
Nine days of September 2009 will find us on Maui, putting around in our very own (rented) VW Westfalia camper van. No hotels needed. No set plans. Just a bag of local groceries, a GPS and my camera. The flights are already booked, totally covered by points, with some to spare. Surf, dive, hike, swim, chill, nap, cook, eat, drive around, whatever. See the real Hawai'i. Get a real ocean front room.
I've been dreaming of renting one of these puppies and making a week out of it. Deutschland can wait, but I'll still be able to fulfill my Wanderlust in einem VolksWagen.
Friday, December 5, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
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.
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.
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