MJ = Fixed
By Nick | February 26, 2009
So today was the day that I took my cat, MJ, to the humane society to get spayed. I got up early because I had to be all the way near the locks on Battlefield by 7:30AM. I scooped up the cat and put her in the mesh bag cat carrier that Christy had and took off. Instantly she realized something was wrong. She howled and howled….not happy in the least. Then I heard a growl like I had never heard come out of this cat before. She was pissed and she was going to do what ever it took to get out of that bag. It wasn’t pretty. Her teeth were coming through the fabric and I quickly realized that this carrier was not going to do the job it needed to when I left her at the clinic. Luckily there was a Walmart on the way so I stopped in and bought a proper cat carrier. Things were much better after that.
Fast forward to this afternoon.
I picked her up thinking that she was going to be groggy and out of it, but by the time I got her home she was ready to get out. I opened up the carrier and out she pranced…as if nothing had happened. She went crazy…running back and forth, jumping….all the things she wasn’t supposed to do. But how do you stop a cat from doing what it wants to? You don’t.
She seems to be adjusting well. We’ll see what tomorrow brings. Hopefully she’ll waker up and all her innards will be where they are supposed to be.
Topics: MJ the Cat | 1 Comment »
Slacktastic
By Nick | February 26, 2009
A slacker…that’s what I am. At least when it comes to this blog. I really need to get back into it. Just haven’t felt driven to write anything as of late. Lots going on, but none of it seems worthy of putting in the blog.
Topics: Life | 2 Comments »
Magic What? Magic Hat!
By Nick | February 19, 2009
I have always been one who loves to try new beers….dark ones, light ones, bitter ones, sweet ones. It doesn’t matter…I pretty much love them all. A few years back I was cruising through the grocery store in search of something new and happened upon a crazy colored box from Magic Hat Brewing Company in South Burlington, Vermont. I took that box home that night and that same my love affair with this brewery began.
4 times a year (I think with every season), they offer these sampler packs. I look forward to them…every time I am in the grocery store I check to see if the newest of the new colorful boxes are available. In these sampler packs they offer an assortment of their brews. Let me tell you…I have yet to run into one that I did not like.
My only beef with Magic Hat is that I have yet to win their Mardi Gras contest. Every year they put on a contest and the winner gets flights and hotel for four people to visit the brewery and party with them at Burlington’s annual Mardi Gras parade. Even though the pictures of this event usually show people standing in feet of snow, I am determined to win this contest.
If you haven’t, get out there and pick up a box of this fantastic beer. It is sure to please!
Topics: Missions | No Comments »
A Germophobe’s Guide to Hotels
By Nick | February 15, 2009
This weekend was Valentine’s Day (commonly refered as a joke by Christy and me as ValentiMe’s day) and Christy wanted to spend a nice evening at a hotel down at the ocean front. Now I am not a complete germophobe, but when it comes to hotels and me staying in a place where countless strangers have been naked,I take my germ cleansing seriously.
There are two things that I do when I first walk into a hotel room before I can feel completely at ease. First is immediately taking the comforter or bed spread off of the beds in the room. I know for a fact that comforters and bedspreads are not cleaned or changed every time the maid comes in to clean a room. The thought of being on a bed where some possible nasty person has touched the bedspread that I am about to sleep under grosses me out more than any other thing I can think of.
A close second in nastiness for me when it comes to hotel rooms are television remote controls. The next thing I do after removing the bedspreads off of a hotel room bed is go to the bathroom, get the shower cap and promptly place the remote control in the shower cap. Think of it as a condom for the remote. I cannot risk someone not washing their hands before touching the remote control…especially the stranger that stayed in the room before me.
Call me weird, but the steps above are crucial for me to stay in a hotel room.
Topics: Life | 4 Comments »
Mystery Beer
By Nick | February 12, 2009
My buddy Justin went to a beer tasting of local home brewers several weeks ago and is friends with the people that organized it. After the tasting they had tons of beer left over. Justin was kind enough to bring me a little over a case of the leftovers. The only problem is, they are all mystery beers. In order to keep the tasting anonymous and fair, each bottle was randomly assigned a code.
I have been through about 6 of them now and I only had to pour a few out. Man do I wish I had the master list of what was what. If nothing else, this could lead to an interesting evening of tasting. Who wants to help?
Topics: Shtuff | 5 Comments »
Radiohead with USC Trojan Band
By Nick | February 9, 2009
Not sure how long this clip will remain online, but I came across this recording of Radiohead’s performance last night at the Grammys. AWESOME! How I wish I could have been there to see that live.
Topics: Music | 1 Comment »
Dear Field Notes, You Are My Hero
By Nick | February 8, 2009
About 6 months ago (maybe a little longer), I discovered Field Notes by Coudal Partners. I was looking for something cheap and lightweight to carry with me at all times to keep track of random thoughts, client meeting notes, and random doodles. These note books were definitely the answer. Rarely do I leave the house without my Field Notes….and if I do, I always keep one in the car just in case I forget. At first I was unsure if I would use them religiously like I had planned, but they have quickly become a part of my out-the-door quiver of items. And for $9.95 for a three pack, you can’t go wrong. They even send you a pen, pencil and a sticker with each order. Pick some up.
Topics: Life, Work | 2 Comments »
Andrew Bird – The National – Richmond, VA
By Nick | February 3, 2009
Last night I took my sister to see Andrew Bird in concert up in Richmond. I have been wanting to see this guy live for so many years. We got there a little early and were fortunate enough to find a spot right in the front….Callie had her elbows resting on the stage.
The show was awesome….a HUGE sound that made you actually feel the music. Not loud, just big….if that makes sense. Andrew’s use of loops, whistling, glockenspiel, violin, and guitar all in one song….BY HIMSELF…is something to behold.
Topics: Family, Music | No Comments »
Mammoth Cave, Kentucky 1940
By Nick | January 30, 2009
When I was up in Charlottesville a few weeks ago, we found a huge trunk filled with old family photos. While rummaging around I found this picture of my grandfather. On the back it says “9AM 6-25-40″. There were tons of these in there from different days and with different people. I asked him about them and he said that for a few years in the summers to help him pay for college, he worked at Mammoth Caves in Kentucky as a guide. This was a perfect match for him since he was a Geology major. He even had the opportunity to do a little exploring in the cave. How cool is that!?
Every time he took a tour with a group of people, they had a photographer that would snap a shot for all the tourists as a souvenir. One of the perks (if you can call it that) was to get a copy of each of the pictures. There must be a hundred of them in that trunk.
My grandfather is the one on the far right with the uniform on.
Topics: Family | 1 Comment »
Web Developers: Use Lightbox for Galleries!
By Nick | January 30, 2009
A few years back I was searching and searching for a javascript enabled photo gallery system for a website I was developing. I wanted it to have smooth transitions, but did not want to use flash. A friend of mine pointed my in the direction of Lightbox and boy was I grateful.
This was exactly what I was looking for. It was easy to implement, has a great looking interface and loading sequence, it allowed for a continuous slide show or viewing image by image, it allowed for captions, and there are even similar versions inspired by the original Lightbox that allow for videos! On top of that….they are free! What more could you ask for?
Long story short….if you are looking for an exceptional photo/video gallery system, try Lightbox. I’ve used it on several web design projects. You won’t be disappointed.
Topics: Web Design | 1 Comment »