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Camera Fun
I have had about five digital cameras. I didn’t enjoy the Sony Cybershot DSC-T1 as much as I had hoped. Daytime results were good, but anything indoors or at night was very problematic. I bought it before a trip to Hawaii. This is when I learned to never buy a camera right before a trip, as you may not be happy with the results. I was happy with about 60% of the photos I took.
One of the features I liked was the ability to take these consecutive shots and have them as one image. I like this photo I took of Ernie when we met up for dinner one night.
Changes
I forgot to acknowledge several accomplishments on the blog. Kayla graduated middle school this year, and Jonathan graduated high school. Congratulations to you both!
I also forgot to mention (probably because I haven’t blogged in some time) that I have changed jobs. It’s been about a month now since I left my previous company and started working at the new one. It was a tough choice moving on, but change is good, right?
In my new job, I’m exercising a few different skill set then my last position. It is both scary and exciting. Needless to say, I am up for the challenge.
Leaving
I don’t blog about work much, but it’s difficult to read that many talented people are leaving Yahoo! lately (here, here, and here). When I was luckily enough to join Yahoo! in 2002, I was met with a work environment very similar to my first Silicon Valley job. The company seemed full of energy, wanting to make a big impact on the Internet, more so then it had so far. It was exciting to be a part of Yahoo! and you could feel that throughout the company. The campus always seemed to be alive with energy.
Around early to mid-2004, if I recall correctly, the feeling within my specific group changed. What once was an exciting energetic team, became a stiff corporate group. I can’t say whether this was felt throughout the company, but I’m sure it could have become infectious. The change in work culture may have been needed for the company, but the company’s focus, and soul, were lost with the change.
Missing Green
For the last couple of months, I’ve had the urge to start running. I was never much of a runner. My lack of endurance only allowed for short sprints. But I think all the walking Farrah and I did in England, France, and New York has made me realize you can get far on your feet. This fact, plus the cost of gas, is making self-powered transportation a good alternative to driving. Maybe I need to invest in a couple of bikes? At the least, I think we’re going to try to hike more, possibly on Sundays.
Dreaming of Vacation
Farrah and I are planning on going to Hawaii in September. Luckily we purchased our plane tickets before the whole crazy mess with the gas prices. Otherwise the price of a ticket would be insanely high. I haven’t been back since our wedding in 2005, so it will be a real treat for me. I can’t wait until September.
I Know A Little Bit
OK, I have an idea of what I can write in the future on Janella.com. I have always said of myself, “I know a little bit about a lot of things.” I’m a classic example of being a “Jack of all trades, master of none”. Unfortunately, I’m not really an expert in any area, but this fact hasn’t stopped friends and family asking my advice on a few things.
I’m planning on writing a few entries on subjects I am asked about often. I am going to breakdown the what, where, why and how of the subject. I’ll try to make each entry short enough to read within five minutes, so posts won’t be too long.
Most of what I learn on a subject is through everyday application, reading, and listening to podcasts. I claim to be no expert, so please don’t take what I write as the final answer. I hope you find what I write helpful.
Morcheeba @ The Fillmore 4.11.2008
I’m a bit late with my review of the Morcheeba concert Farrah and I went to last week. The taxman could not wait, taking up all my spare time until today.
I knew of Morcheeba, owning a couple of albums, but to be honest I hadn’t really been into them. I prefer Massive Attack’s music. Morcheeba has always taken a backseat on my playlists. They are touring to support their latest album, Dive Deep. I downloaded the album via Amazon and enjoyed its laid-back groove. It’s no Big Calm, but it’s worth a spin. So when I heard they were touring, I asked Farrah if she wanted to go. We haven’t been to a concert for a while, so why not?
It was difficult to get into the opening act, whose name escapes me now. It just wasn’t my cup of tea. It probably didn’t help that we were a bit tired and they sang in Spanish(?). About a half hour after the end of their set, Morcheeba took the stage.
Photo by Julien Genestoux
I wasn’t sure what to expect. All I knew was that they’ve had revolving lead singers since Skye Edwards was asked to leave. The lead singer that night was Manda from Nemesea, who flew in from France. Cool, huh?
Manda sang the new songs and the hits. Songs I remember from that night that I enjoyed: Part of the Process, The Sea, Over and Over, Trigger Hippie, Rome Wasn’t Built In a Day, and the new single Enjoy the Ride. I clearly enjoyed a lot of songs for not being a big Morcheeba fan. This just goes to show you how good the performance was.
Friday night concerts are difficult at times. You come home from work, you really want to enjoy the weekend starting that night, but an hour drive up to the City, plus waiting time for the band you want to hear—well, it’s just plain tough on the body. I chalk it up to not being as young as I used to be. But I must say, Morcheeba lived up to what I thought the concert would be. They put on a very solid performance at the always enjoyable Fillmore in San Francisco.
New York City Recap
Grand Central Terminal
It has been a week since we came back from our trip to New York City. I thought about writing a day-by-day account of our adventures in The Big Apple, but I think the Twitter postings during our trip suffice.
What I will do is point out some highs, and a few lows, on the trip.
Getting Around
Best Experience: Virgin America and walking.
As expected, Virgin America provided an enjoyable airline experience. The plane is new and comfortable, and you have slight legroom. You get as many free drinks as you want, but no free food.
You are going to walk if you are in New York City. You’d be surprised how far your feet can carry you in the city. So bring a good pair of shoes, and prepare for a few blisters.
Fine Experience: The Subway.
Not as clean and easy to navigate as The Tube, but once we figured out where we wanted to go, the Subway was the best method to get there.
OK Experience: Taxicabs.
The only time we took a cab was from JFK to Manhattan and back. It was a $60 investment each way (including toll and tip). Nice to know the cost upfront, but it seems a bit steep. I’m not sure how much it would be if it were not a flat rate (of $45).
Eating
Best: Gray’s Papaya.
An amazing birthday dinner experience to have two dogs with onions and drink, only for $3.50!
Also, Katz’s Delicatessen provided an amazing dining experience.
If you want a corned beef or pastrami sandwich, you better stop by Katz’s in the Lower East Side.
Fine: The Red Flame.
A decent place to grab a quick breakfast. It was convenient, located just down the street from our hotel. They get you in and out as fast as possible.
Cafe Habana is a very crowded place in Little Italy. Try the Cuban sandwich and the corn. Yum.
Bad: Maxie’s Delicatessen.
Overpriced awful food. Also, how can you not make a good cup of coffee?
The Sights
Best:
There are so many things to see in New York City.
What still stands out in my mind are the Brooklyn Bridge, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Grand Central Terminal.
I love Grand Central Terminal. The first time seeing it, and having breakfast downstairs on a subsequent morning, will not leave my memory any time soon.
Times Square is amazing, the first time you experience it, both day and night.
Walking down the spiral staircase at the Apple Store.
Fine:
Top of the Rock, the NBC Studio tour, the Apple Store on 5th Avenue, and SoHo in general.
Bad:
The third time going through Times Square. All the people just started getting on my nerves.
Other Things to Note
We also saw Young Frankenstein, our first Broadway play. The play was funny and entertaining even though Megan Mullally wasn’t performing that evening.
The Sofitel was the hotel we stayed at in Manhattan.
Very nice hotel, with a pleasant room and splendid staff.
If we were to go back to New York City and wanted to stay in Midtown again, I would want to stay here again.
Overall, the New York City experience was a great experience.
A big thank you to my beautiful wife for giving me a fantastic birthday present, and memories we can share the rest of our lives.
Note: For photos of our trip to NYC, please see the Photographs section.
The Kids
Photo no longer available
My sister sent me this mobile photo of the kids, who I have not seen in a very long time. I was surprised to receive the photo by phone.
Unfortunately, AT&T does this very funky thing with multimedia messages received for an iPhone. Instead of just sending you the image or item, they send you a text message saying you received a message. They require you to go to a web site, viewmymessage.com, and input a username and password that you receive by text. The site is pretty lame as it only stores the photo for a short time.
So sis, next time you send a photo just email it to me from your phone. I can then view it in my email.
Celebrating March Birthdays
Yesterday, we celebrated Rex and my birthday with a small dinner at Nana’s house. The other birthday boy this month, Big Gordon, is in Nebraska. Of course, he couldn’t make the celebration.
We had an early dinner. I tried to BBQ some steaks, but they didn’t turn out their usual juicy selves. I decided to rely on a meat thermometer while BBQ-ing instead of my instinct. Next time I’m going to rely on my gut feeling.
Cake on Fire
Rex received a few gifts, the big surprise being the Wii! Me? I got some water pistol underwear and a lovely shirt. Since my bday is later in the month, I think the other presents will be given closer to that time. At least I hope they will.
Of course the big gift this year is a trip to New York City. The reason I bring this up (again) is that I purchased a new camera for the journey, a Canon G9. I’ll write more about my experiences with the G9 later. In the meantime, head on over to photo gallery to check out pictures of last nights celebration, and a video, taken with the G9.
A Fantastic (Big Apple) Birthday Gift
Farrah let me in on my birthday gift early. It is quite a gift: a trip to New York City!
Hesitantly, she revealed my present to me a couple of weeks ago. My mindset regarding flying, and traveling in general, made her feel that it was best to let me in on the gig sooner rather than later. Also, she wanted me to be part of the planning.
I readily admit I didn’t jump on the planning bandwagon right away. It definitely needed to sink in that we were going to New York City. Farrah was good at trying to fool me on my present.
Farrah knows how much I love my tech toys. She is always hesitant on buying me such gifts for fear that (1) I will have bought it already, or (2) that the tech toy would not be up to snuff. She had me work on giving her specs on electronic presents I wanted for my milestone birthday. I gave her the specs on a 17" MacBook Pro, a Sony LCD television, and a Nikon D300. All of those gifts are very pricey. I felt very guilty giving her that as my wish list items.
But this trip to New York City is something special, something that can live way beyond the lifetime of a tech gadget. The memories of our trip to England and France are still very fresh in my mind. I think NYC will be a blast. I’ve already spent time on several sites trying to figure out what to do. Let me tell you, there is no shortage of things to do in NYC.
More to come as we plan our trip out for five days, four nights in NYC.
[Photo by Flickr user 708718 used with permission per Creative Commons.]
Skitch Invite
Anyone one a invite to Skitch? I just got invited, and have been playing around with it. I think the only requirement is Mac 10.4.6 or later.
Leave an email address in the comments if it’s not visible in your profile.
What the...?
People are crazy interesting, aren’t they? For example, take a look at the below photo.
Yes, what you see is a wedding cake made in the bride’s image. Very disturbing, isn’t it? You can find more photos on CNN through this link.
It has to make you wonder, “How the heck did the groom get talked into this?”
A Review of Juno
The first movie to be reviewed on the “reloaded” website is Juno. Farrah and I watched Juno about a week ago at the AMC Cupertino Square 16. This theater is becoming our number-one place to watch movies. I suppose because it is new, clean, and doesn’t smell like feet yet.
We had only heard good things about the movie, so expectations were slightly high. The only aspect I wasn’t looking forward to was Jennifer Garner’s acting. We bought our Milk Duds and headed into the theater. We were early enough to have our choice of seats. But the place quickly filled up with eager moviegoers. It had been some time since we watched a movie in a crowded theater.
Here is the brief synopsis provided by Netflix:
Facing an unplanned pregnancy, worldly teen Juno (Ellen Page) devises a plan to locate the proverbial perfect parents to adopt her baby. But the seemingly ideal couple Juno chooses appears to still have some growing up to do. Now, everyone in Juno’s world must do a little soul-searching. Michael Cera (Superbad) co-stars while Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner play the pair of affluent yuppies anxious for a child in this offbeat coming-of-age comedy.
What I Liked
The film is funny and smartly written. Sharing laughter with a large crowd sure makes the movie experience more enjoyable. Juno is one of those movies that has very quotable dialog. You can find yourself quoting lines often throughout the following weeks. The acting is sharp all around, especially from Ellen Page who plays the lead. Yes, I even liked Jennifer Garner.
The film moves at a brisk pace, clocking in at a fast 92 minutes. The seemingly predictable plot points turned out to be refreshingly unpredictable, at least from my standpoint.
What I Did Not Enjoy
I can’t think of anything I didn’t enjoy about Juno. I could say it was short, but it didn’t feel too short. I was awaiting an unsatisfying ending; you know the endings where each viewer needs to determine for themselves if the characters found happiness or not? Luckily this did not come to pass.
Some may think the dialog is trying too hard to be memorable, trying hard to be cute and hip. But it works in this movie for both the characters in high school and the adults.
Final Thoughts
Strong movie. Smart script. Strong acting by likable actors. A good way to spend a few hours in a warm theater.
Rating: ***** out of 5 stars