After a so-so snow year and a long warm weather cycle, we had all but given up on skiing for the year. We were in full on bike mode, planning trips to Moab and getting into spinning shape. Then a spring storm cycle rolled in. At first, I dismissed it as if Winter were trying to beg my forgiveness like a lover who had cheated, offering a cheap bouquet of after-thought snow. But the storms started coming back to back until before we knew it, we had received 150 inches (12.5 FEET) of fresh Utah powder in under two weeks. With action like that, Spring had been officially postponed and we were able to get a few tremendous days in at The Canyons, Brighton, and Snowbird. While we may have gotten it out of our systems this past weekend, we have but one more weekend to enjoy skiing in Park City before the resorts close. And with a brand new storm cycle engulfing Utah and already dropping 6-12 inches, Winter is back on, sucka.
More Pictures »
Sarah and I recently attended The Big LePowSki, a 1-day skills clinic at Brighton sponsored by Black Diamond, Backcountry.com, Brighton, Winter Wildlands Alliance, The North Face, Discrete Headwear, and Smith Optics. Proceeds from the event went toward the Billy Poole Memorial Foundation, which carries on Billy's generous spirit by introducing kids to skiing and outdoor programs. As someone who didn't grow up skiing, I care very deeply that Billy's legacy will resonate with a new generation of skiers. I won't pretend that I knew Billy well, but I had limited email contact with him. My immediate perception of Billy's character was one of sincerity and genuine appreciation for the world around him. These seem to be qualities that first come to mind for all his friends.
...ANYWAY, The Big LePowSki clinic was a huge success. Two-dozen top pro athletes converged on a field of 45 or so lucky amateurs, who paid a mere $55 apiece (included 2 clinics, lift ticket, lunch and after party) to mingle and ski with heros of skiing, telemarking and snowboarding. Names like Chris Davenport, Andrew McLean, Sage Cattabriga Alosa, Jen Berg (to name a few) were on hand to enthusiastically share their passion and experience with those of us who dream of being them for a day — those of us who are direct and indirect benefactors of Billy's legacy. Clinics included basic skills like "air-awareness" and "freeskiing 101" to more advanced clinics like "steeps" and "sliding rails". Sarah took "Women's Specific Air Awareness" with Kim Havell and "Women's Specific Skiing Steep Terrain" with Jen Berg. I opted to take "cliff-hucking" with Julian Carr and "360's" with Cody Barnhill. As if it weren't enough to watch these behemoths rock their own lines, I got to ride and joke with them, pick their brains, and have them cheer me on like some baseball fantasy camp. I'm proud to report I safely dropped a 20-foot cliff and pulled off a clean 360 with their help. Of course I was completely stoked all day long, but I feel like the athletes were as stoked as I was. And THAT's where Billy's spirit was felt the most. At the after-party, Julian and Cody talked ME up to their friends, which is just absurd.
My limited ski career (10 years) has been full of awakenings and personal milestones. Having moved from Boston to Utah 4 years ago, I've been fortunate to have many epic moments on skis. This one was one of the sickest yet. Thank you Billy, and thank you to all those who honor him in such an appropriate way.
Our good friend Mike Spalluto was recently asked if he'd be willing to attend a conference in Salt Lake City...during ski season. After wiping the drool from his mouth he enthusiastically agreed and booked a few extra days to ski with us. He also brought Dave Walsh, a family friend who helped teach Mike to ski. They arrived late last Thursday with huge smiles on their faces and ski boots in their carry-ons. Unfortunately, they happened upon Utah during one of the longest winter high-pressure systems in recent memory. But they were up for warm bluebird skiing too.
Day 1: We hit The Canyons. Having performed some design work for lift tickets, their warm-up day was free. In awe of the shear magnitude before them, they let me take the reigns and I guided them straight to the high traverse on 9990. They looked out over the spine with wonder and anticipation, before dropping into the pines. We trekked all the way out to Dreamcatcher and back to Super Condor before ending the day at Silverado Bowl. We knew we were done when Mike literally wrapped himself around a tree and had to be manually ejected from his ski binding.
Day 2: Deer Valley. Taking the executive route, we introduced the boys to America's #1 resort by taking a tour of the 5-star property where Sarah works. We also met up with Matt Albrecht, his wife Leigh and her parents Laird and Freia. Skiing with the groups was not terribly chaotic as they were all great skiers. Again, we covered the entire resort and left exhausted. That night we didn't even bother going out after skiing. We simply rested up to do it again.
Day 3: Snowbasin in Ogden, Utah. North of Salt Lake are two formidable hidden gems. Powder Mountain and Snowbasin represent a very rare contingent of under-skied and under-publicized powder paradises. Our first venture to Snowbasin was a huge eye-opener. About an hour-drive from our house in Heber, this mountain was quiet, lavish, and absolutely epic in terms of terrain. With dramatic, rocky peaks and open bowl skiing everywhere, Snowbasin truly represents western skiing. But what's more is that even though it hadn't snowed in a week, we still found unracked lines and soft steeps begging to be carved. We ended the day with a triumphant run down the 2002 Olympic Men's Downhill course starting area. I can honestly say I had no idea how steep those race courses get, but having taken a separate gondola to the top of this pitch, listening to the operator read us our last rights and then dropping in over a blind lip, I'd say I have a new respect for the guys who shove out from the gates and straightline gnarly lines like that.
Day 4: Alta. I saved Alta for the last day because I knew Mike had been dreaming of skiing there for years. Mike and Dave even rented fat skis for that one day just to get the full experience. We met up with Patty and Gary at Goldminer's Daughter Lodge and before we knew it, we had a crew of people Dave's age willing to show us around. After a warm up through Ballroom we made runs in Fred's Trees, Westward Ho, and Eagle's Nest before hitting the backside and Chartreuse. Finally, in the afternoon Dave said simply "Dude, I'm done." Mike agreed and as we took a hero run down through Ballroom I knew I had done a pretty good job getting them to all the best spots.
Mike eventually went to his conference and will be leaving SLC on the redeye tonight. Hopefully this will become and annual tradition and hopefully next year they'll be able to plan their trip around fresh snow. But for now, they at least have a taste.
You can view more pictures here:
http://flickr.com/photos/7527772@N05/sets/72157613221714765/
Yesterday was a bit of a powder day. Nothing huge but one of the better days so far this year. Everything was going great. Max and I were getting some good runs in Dreamcatcher (one of my favorite spots) at The Canyons. But sometimes you get so caught up chasing that floating feeling that you feel invincible. (Note: you’re not.)
Max and I scoped out a long, steep, straight shot of fresh pow between pine trees. We were below it at that point but we made a plan to come back to it. Sure enough on the next run I found myself staring down the chute. Without hesitation I charged down the middle. Turn after turn, I was rewarded by the splash of light Utah powder in my face. As I split through the pines, my vision obscured by snow and flat light I suddenly realized the ground beneath me had given way and I was in a brief, but un-planned free-fall. I had skied off a 10-12 foot ledge, landing square and abrubtly on a flat cat-track. For the un-initiated, that’s kinda like being hit by a truck. My body compressed into the ground, my face smacked against my knees and I heard a series of cracks. As it turns out, most of those were benign helmet clicks but I’m sure at least some of them were from my spine.
I stood up, unsure what had just happened. I turned around to check out my track and piece together the sequence of events. I then stuck my fingers in my mouth to make sure all my teeth were in tact. My head felt dizzy, but not nauseous as I ran through a check list before deciding I did not have a concussion. I knew I had at least torn some muscles in the back of my neck. My back, still sore from a miniature version of a similar event last week is surely due for a follow-up visit to Healing Hands Chiropractic in Park City. But overall, I got pretty lucky.
The bottom line is that a few inches of powder will make people do stupid things. This is certainly not the first time I’ve gotten caught up in the moment and allowed feet to do the thinking. But it’s a healthy reminder not to get too carried away. Good luck folks. Stay safe out there.
Our holiday was very laid back and low-key this year. Joe and I went to my parents house for Christmas Eve and sat by their new fireplace, ate appetizers, drank champagne and opened presents. One thing that was different this year was Joe bought me a surprise gift, Nordic skis (boots & poles too). Anyone reading this will know how much work he had to go through to surprise me. He did a great job of throwing me off the scent by only wrapping the boots and hiding the skis outside. I have been wanting a pair for sometime since I live in a place with abundant amounts of snow and groomed Nordic trails. To make things even better my grandmother generously sent Joe and I Christmas money which we promptly converted to a set of Nordic skis for Joe. We went out last weekend with the girls to Round Valley and then again last night to Willow Creek before taking in the fireworks at the Canyons. If anyone is on the fence about getting into Nordic skiing, I highly recommend it.
These are some of my favorite things on the web. What are yours?
Top Fun Blogs that Make My Day
FailBlog - Pics & Video of stupid people messing things up. What could be funnier than laughing at other people's misfortune and/or moronic behavior? (Quick tutorial: "Fail" = poor execution; "Win" = good execution or unintentional fortune; "Owned" or "Pwned" = completely dominated)
BoingBoing - News from the outer margins of popular culture and tech sub-cultures. Admittedly, this blog flies over my head half the time, but it's always good for at least one laugh and/or WTF moment.
XKCD - Hilariously ironic webcomic of romance, sarcasm, math, and language. TIP: Don't forget to hover over the comic graphic for additional insight from the artist (avail: Mon/Wed/Fri)
PhotoShop Disasters - Instances of poorly executed PhotoShop manipulation that have somehow made it past the art director's desk and into public consumption. This blog does often nitpick too much but it's still entertaining to see what's wrong with each image.
You Suck At PhotoShop - A hysterical web video series by Donnie, a fictional, elitist PhotoShop expert who attempts to alleviate his failed marriage by giving PhotoShop tutorials and insulting his audience. While this is intended as a comedic saga, there actually is a lot of valid PhotoShop advice in here. So it's a double win.
Top Shopping/Commerce Sites
Woot - One tech deal a day with BRILLIANT copy-writing.
TramDock - One ski deal at a time, by Backcountry.com
SteepAndCheap - One outdoor deal at a time, by Backcountry.com
UnCrate - An insightful product blog form men. Great design too.
The Goat - An entertaining outdoor gear blog, by Backcountry.com
Top Time-Sucking Social Media Platforms
Facebook - After stomping my feet in extreme distaste for social networking sites, I was asked to use Facebook for work-related research and somehow became addicted to this stupid thing.
Twitter - Ditto. I started out just trying to understand WHY anyone would want to "tweet" to friends and strangers, but now I'm up to 10 tweets a day.
Delicious - I thought I had no use for social bookmarking. But it's actually kinda cool to be able to share links. There's always something new to look at when you're bored or need a study break.
Flickr - Simply the best and most beautiful photo storage/sharing site out there. Plus the API makes it more accessible every day.
CraigsList - Combination online yard-sale, therapist, career counselor and nightclub. Plus with the new firefox plugin "Craigslist Image Preview" you can quickly browse all the images posted to listings without clicking the ad, which is even more addictive.
Top Media/Entertainment Sites
The Big Picture - An unbelievably powerful photo-blog that compiles the top professional imagery on a given topic, while displaying them at a dramatic 990 pixels wide!
Hulu - The new standard in online video. If you're sick of watching people's cats fall off things on YouTube, you can catch up on news and entertainment from TV here.
New York Times - Simply the best news site around. In an age of increasing anti-intellectualism, the Times maintains THE professional standard for journalism and sophisticated delivery. It has also re-set the bar for content-rich interface with its no-frills, text-as-text approach.
B-Net - A gorgeous site for business types. I don't always have a use for it's content but It's a case where design enhances the experience.
TED - Wanna know what the next big thing is? Watch some presentations from big-brained, industry-leading, techno-weenies and prepare to have your mind blown.
Top Design-Nerd Sites
A List Apart - Happy Cog's design and web standards blog offers insight into all aspects of interactive design. I think I have a little design crush on them.
Authentic Boredom - Salt Lake-based designer and lecturer, Cameron Moll expounds on design, type, and the industry. Perhaps a little ego-centric, but still interesting.
Jon Tangerine - A brilliant designer and student of typography, Jon Tan's blog is full of great insights and obsessive detail.
CSS Beauty - Some good inspiration for aspiring CSS designers like myself. Great sites to look at and a vast resource. I just wish it was updated more often.
Smashing Magazine - A great combination of eye-candy and how-to. Lots of great tips on here for designers but also just plain fun to look at.
Despite a lack of natural snow and fickle temperatures making it hard to make snow, The Canyons and Deer Valley Resort were both able to open this weekend. On Friday, I took a few hours off from work to enjoy some early runs at The Canyons. I rode up the gondola, over the brown landscape and exited at Red Pine Lodge into a wonderland of man-made snow. I have to admit that I was surprised. I was impressed at the coverage, but also the quality of snow The Canyons was able to produce despite the less than ideal conditions.
Saturday and Sunday we were treated to VIP passes at Deer Valley's Annual Celebrity Skifest to benefit the US Ski Team and Bobby Kennedy's Water Keeper Alliance. We had a nice dinner friday night at the Silver Lake Lodge and tent access throughout the weekend at the finish line of the Celebrity race course. The food was excellent and yes, there was free beer thanks to the primary sponsors, CBS. The race will air on CBS, Sunday 12.21.08 at 5pm eastern before the Rose Bowl. If you watch closely you'll see us in the background of the finish-line interviews. I have a beard and red goggles. Sarah's in black sunglasses.
Celebrity sightings from the weekend include: Gwen Stefani, Gavin Rossdale, Picaboo Street, Joe Pantaliono, Larry David, Julia Louis Dreyfus, Matthew Modine, Tommy Moe, The Maher Brothers, and a bunch more. We opted not to take very many pictures of them because we didn't want to lose our free beer priveledges. But a good time was had by all.
Wow. So it turns out I'm a babbler. Just got done talking to a class taught by my friend Mark Wooding at my alma mater, Northeastern University. The “lecture” was conducted live via iChat and the built-in iSight camera on my Mac. After straightening out a few minor glitches at the outset, I spoke longer than I had intended and answered a few questions at the end. The Motion Graphics class was gracious and even stayed awake as I delivered a stiff presentation about being a freelance designer (by choice or necessity) and how it can allow you to maintain the flexibility to prioritize your life in a favorable way.
If you’d like to see the cheat sheet, click here for the lecture notes. Thanks to Mark and his Motion Graphics class for their patience and humor.
Our movie rental vehicle of choice these days is the Red Box, a ubiquitous, $1/night DVD vending machine available at any grocery store or McDonald's in Utah. The system's most obvious flaw is also it's greatest asset: limited choice. The machines contain mostly family and horror titles, appealing to the impulses of the broadest of instantly-gratified audiences. But there are often some sleeper movies mixed amongst the Kung-Fu Panda's and Saw III's. Last night we settled on Smart People and hoped for the best. Overall the movie was unremarkable, except for the painful awkwardness of each of its main characters. I would classify the movie as delightfully dysfunctional along the lines of Dan in Real Life or Little Miss Sunshine.
As a brief synopsis, Lawrence, Dennis Quaid's character is a bitter, pompous widower who half-heartedly and numbly teaches literature at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh (perfect location). His two children carry excessive baggage, hiding in intellectual pursuits while Lawrence's underachieving adopted brother moves in to help out after Lawrence has a trauma-induced seizure and cannot drive himself to work for six months.
What stuck with me was how each character hides in his or her routine to cope with the pain of life. Rather than feeling anything, each character shuts out the world and focuses on areas in which they excel. Each experiences hollow successes they can't bare to share with the family for fear of becoming vulnerable. I find that to be a powerful social commentary. I won't call this a major revelation but rather a "huh." moment. Especially with winter on the horizon, I think we could all stand to step back and figure out how to avoid setting life on auto-pilot, make life memorable, and feel something real every day. Each of us have ways of coping with the world, the economy, the strains of family, the responsibilities of work, and the potential lamentation of a life under-lived. And while I do not profess to be a life-coach or motivational speaker, I think I can offer a few ideas how you can stay human.
At Work
I assume you do what you do because you love it. No? Then WTF are you doing there? But if you still fundamentally love what you do, then here are some ways you can preserve that naive passion.
Appreciate Greatness – Make time every day to find something inspiring somewhere in your industry, that forces you to rise above mediocrity. In my case it's easy to visit various design award sites each day to see something amazing. It also influences me to do work worthy of such recognition, and submit it for approval...the trick is not to become obsessed with recognition.
Learn New Tricks – Keep an eye out for career advancing opportunities such as conferences, seminars, courses, online tutorials, or even blog posts. We're never too old or too advanced to learn new tools to help us deliver a better product. I recently attended An Event Apart in Chicago and left with ideas spewing from each of my 3 remaining brain cells. Learning new skills improves your marketability and renews your commitment to your craft.
Improve Your Environment – Buy a lamp. Paint the walls. Add a plant. Clear your desk. Change your desktop wallpaper. DO ANYTHING you think will give you ownership of your immediate environment. Employee mental health is a leading factor of morale in a workplace and it's something we all can control to some extent. If your environment doesn't please you, it's YOUR fault. Take control.
Teach Someone – You presumably have had the benefit of someone with greater experience than yours, handing down knowledge, voluntarily or accidentally. Reaching out to help a younger colleague not only gives your youthful counterpart a leg up, but it gives you a self-esteem boost. Also, it adds to your managerial capacity while giving you a new, youthful advocate. Plus it reaffirms what you know, giving you a renewed sense of confidence. What's the downside?
Take a Mental Health Day – Unless you're an ER doctor, there's no reason to place so much emphasis on your job that it takes priority over your lifestyle. EVERYONE should be afforded the opportunity to live on their own behalf. Plan ahead. Get your work done early, log in remotely, call in to a conference call from a "difference office", or just play dead. But once in a while, it's OK to sneak off and enjoy life. Tell them Joe said so.
Go on an interview РEven if you're perfectly happy with your current job, there's nothing wrong with seeing what's out there. Take the time to consider other opportunities. It'll keep your interview skills sharp, your r̩sum̩ polished and it'll renew your perspective on your current situation.
Find a new job – If all else fails, there are other jobs out there. Everyone has bad days but there is absolutely no excuse to be unhappy at work constantly. If you can't find some nugget of virtue in your job, it has ceased to be an asset in your life and it should be sacrificed as soon as you can make a safe transition.
At Home
We all have passions outside of work. The trick is to make sure those passions remain a priority. Can you put life before work? Maybe not always. Can you do it more than you do now? Probably.
Plan Your Weekends – Sarah and I generally try to plan our weekends by Monday at the latest. It gives us something to look forward to, but it also gives us something to reflect upon. Big weekends mean big memories; big bragging rights; and big precedents. No one drives around with an "I'd rather be bowling" sticker. Life is defined by nuance, not routine. Mix it up.
Mix It Up – So you like to ski...rock-climb...bike...kayak...camp...go clubbing....etc. REFUSE be defined by what you know. I know that as the snow falls, I'll probably ski all winter. People expect to see pictures of me skiing and THAT's OK. I love it. But it's the unexpected that makes my free-time memorable. Try something new. Doesn't matter if you hate it. You'll remember it, right?
Make Impromptu Plans – Every Thursday, Sarah and I rush home for The Office and/or Grey's Anatomy. We don't have a DVR (yet) so we take turns watching one show live and one via HULU.com or something. However, DVR or not, if a friend offers to have us over that night, we're not saying no. Life happens. TV can re-occur at any time.
Pick Up a Hobby – I'm sure your good at stuff. But how'bout trying something you suck at? I started skiing only because my girlfriend (at the time) told me I could either learn to ski or be lonely all winter. As it turns out, my life has re-arranged itself nicely.
Leave the Dishes in the Sink – Once in a while, it's ok to just enjoy a nice dinner/dessert/case of beer and leave the repercussions till tomorrow. Procrastinating has value when used as a method of preserving the extraordinary, vs. prolonging the inevitable. So make today extraordinary and you never have to worry.
Get Up Early – Assuming last night wasn't epic, make a habit of getting up early to add extra flexibility to your day while you have the capacity and flexibility to enjoy it. I'm not a morning person. No one is. But getting up early allows me to perform the "3 S's" (Sh**, Shower & Shave — guess which takes the longest) and still have time for the rest of my morning routine, pleasantly set to music via our kitchen iPod speakers. Subnote: sing along like the world will never know...because they probably won't.
With Your Spouse/Sig. Other/Dog
You may very well have a commitment, for better or worse to enhance someone's life. You have the opportunity to make someone else a better person. You have the ability to be a better person. But how?
Show Appreciation – Sometimes, saying "thank you" or "I love you" isn't enough. We all have well-rehearsed gender roles. And although I don't believe in those as a tradition, more often than not, Sarah ends up cooking because she doesn't suck at it. However, it helps to switch things up once in a while. I'm culinarily challenged but I've learned to grill (a little bit) and have discovered a few (emphasis on few) other recipes I can execute as readily as honey-nut cheerios. At the very least I try to help in small ways (I'm allowed to grate cheese and open wine). But sometimes I insist on stepping in, and Sarah's appreciation always preempts her distaste for my inept effort.
Go For a Walk –Whether you live with a person or beast, it is certain that you all would benefit from a brisk walk. Be it around the block or up a mountain, the pure endorphin release alone is worth the time and effort. But surely the caloric processing, the adventurous spirit, and the uncommon nature of the event is sure to spark new life into your weekly doldrums.
Get in a Fight – Sarah has nightmares that I've somehow become indifferent. I assure her, that that's the last thing she needs to worry about. Our intense personalities often clash, testing our trust and unconditional love. Yet fights are often the cumulative result of communication failures and while they're a last resort, they can be the pathway to real communication. Many useful revelations come from fights. Boundaries are set and improvements are implemented. All you have to do is make up. PS: Never underestimate the intimate power of making up.
Have a Dance Party –Don't turn on the TV. Pop a bottle of wine and share your latest MP3 acquisitions, turning your kitchen/living room into a private dance club. Pull the curtains, and dance like no one's watching. Forsake all inhibitions and general inclinations toward dignity and just freakin' go for it. Few things can release as many pheromones as a single dance session. What's more, chicks dig it. So consider this the elusive foreplay session you've been googling.
Go Out on a Date –Plan a special night. It can be 5-star or it can be take out. Just make sure that its intention begins and ends with quality time. If a friend calls with last minute concert tickets, too bad. Tonight is about eye contact, flirting, and hoping to hook up, like a first date.
Shock Them with Affection –It's Monday morning. You're both exhausted; fumbling for a clean travel mug; trying not to trip over each other in the phone booth you call a kitchen. Maybe you commute together, or maybe your syncopation ends in the driveway. Regardless: make it a point each day to kiss with intention before parting ways. I'm not talking about a quick peck. I'm not talking about a "don't mess up my lip balm" lip-check. I'm talking about sentence-stopping, lip-sucking, tooth-paste-tasting, Mary Chapin Carpenter "passionate kisses" every god damn day. It's not always possible, but if you have access to a pair of willing lips, there's NEVER a reason not to start a day this way.
But what do I know? I invite your suggestions on how to fight the melodrama of dark seasons and the numbness of day-to-day life in the comments to this post. Any ideas?
Just a quick announcement: I officially no longer work for FetchDog. About a month ago I was informed that due to recent the economic cluster-f***, FD would be making drastic cutbacks. I was given a relatively generous warning, considering most people were told to clean out their desks the same day. Many other employees were asked to swallow pay-cuts in order to keep their jobs. So I won't feel sorry for myself.
I am optimistic (as usual) that this will be a positive turn of events for me. There were some good things about working there but overall, I was never particularly cut out to work from home. At one point about 6 months ago, I even considered taking another job until Fetch talked me out of it. There's a certain irony there, for sure.
Anyway, I've been considering other opportunities. I was very touched that FlashPoint (a Park City-based interactive agency from whom I've been renting office space) has made room for me on their team. I'll be working part-time with the great folks at FlashPoint while I pursue independent projects on the side and try to ski as much as possible this winter. As I said, this could be a VERY positive turn of events.
The morning temperatures are in the teens now and we're ready to start getting our schralp on. The golf and mountain-biking seasons are dwindling, the sun sets early, and we've had a few dustings on top of the hills. So dear Winter, bring it on. Let's do this!
Just a small announcement: I launched a new portfolio site last week. I do that every so often when I want to re-invent my virtual look. There's some new content but for the most part the difference represents a shift professional in my self-image. Over the last few years, I've become less enamored with Flash, both in the user experience and as a professional design platform. I've never liked being lumped in with blatant Flash advocates. And especially since the advent of ActionScript 3.0 (Flash programming language) I've been less inclined to re-learn the language and have watched it fall out of favor with the design community.
The new site (although it's still being developed) is a more accessible and more accurately trackable, CSS-based site with larger, bolder graphics and ultimately more flexibility for me. Hope you like:
www.joe-art.com
Last week I was in Chicago for a web design conference called "An Event Apart." The conference is kind of a big nerd-fest but it was very interesting for me and stimulating for my career. The topics ranged from the high-level creative process analogies (design as chess, websites as comic books, etc.) to the nitty gritty of CSS best practices, web standards, design critiques, and the future of the internet.
The main attraction were the distinguished speakers from all walks of the web design industry; names that would mean nothing to most people I know, but people of influence and unparalleled talent who's work, books and blogs are all a daily influence on my career. Long story short: it was cool.
I also got to visit Chicago for the first time. The first night, I walked from my hotel on the Chicago River, up to Wrigley field (approx. 5 miles) just to see it. The second night, I tried to take in a Chicago Blackhawks game but got there too late to get a ticket, after passing up the conference's happy hour. Oh well. Still a good trip, especially since it was paid for by FetchDog.
Sarah bought us Yankee tickets for our anniversary. She knew I had never been to Yankee Stadium and that it was a big deal since they're tearing it down at the end of the season. We had a great time. We flew in to JFK Friday night, where our friend Meredith picked us up. She drove us to her beautiful new house in Long Island.
Saturday we hung out in the morning with Meredith and Brian's 10-month-old baby Madeline. She's gorgeous and very expressive. We took her to Grandma Ronnie and Grandpa Marty's place down the street for an afternoon of free babysitting. It was good to see Meredith's parents on whom I apparently made a memorable impression despite my marginal behavior.
We left for the game with Meredith's sister, Karen and drove into the city. We parked the car at 86th and Lex (don't I sound like a new yorker?) and hopped the train to the Stadium. The train was crowded but manageable. We hopped off and stood in the shadow of the massive cathedral protruding from the Bronx bedrock only a relay throw away from the new stadium. I was excited the entire day but when the stadium walls came into view I became unintelligible. I began taking pictures but in the hustle and bustle, I only snapped off a few.
We entered the stadium and started climbing the ramps to our seating area. We had received an amazing upgrade because the ticket holders who own the seats next to Meredith's family's season tickets were not able to make it. As we made our way to our section down the hallway, past all the vendors, I caught glimpses of the field. I choked back a lump in my throat and tried to ignore tears of joy upon thinking of not just the stadium but the momentous gesture from my wife that got me there. As we found out section, we descended the stairs and I was just beside myself in awe of the moment. I find myself resisting the urge to overstate the beauty of it (compared to say Fenway, The Sistine Chapel, or the birth of my nephew) but let's just say it lived up to all expectations. I spent the first few innings in relative silence staring at the pristine pinstripes and enjoying the atmosphere. I cheered for the Yankees, but purely to play spoiler against the visiting Rays. And it seemed over in an instant.
Afterwards, we hopped back on the train with surprising ease and headed back out to Long Island. When Officer Brian got off his 12-hour shift at a street fair in Floral Park he came home and the four of us went out for a tremendous Italian dinner followed by a relatively calm, yet somehow debocherous night of drinks and a few games of Uecker (card game which Meredith taught us to play but not to win). At this point Madeline was still under the loving, albeit indentured care of her grandparents.
Sunday morning happened eventually. We slept in. We caught up with the happy family upstairs and were treated to genuine New York Bagels. We headed back to Ronnie and Marty's place for some air-conditioning and football on a 60+ inch, 1080p high def screen that was to die for. And to top it all off, we ordered 2 pizzas for lunch, one New York style and one Cicilian...both of which I had in front or me now.
Thanks again to the Naughtons and Finns for hosting a great weekend. And thanks again, most of all to the love of my life for helping me check off a major bucket list item.
Wednesday was our third anniversary. We can't believe it's already been this long but so be it. Sarah's new boss suggested she reserve a table in the formal dining room of the super swanky hotel where she works now. (Oh yeah, did she tell you about her awesome new job? You should ask her about it.) We were treated to the complete 5-star experience for dinner; an amazing meal with such exquisite flavors and tremendous service. All the while we sat comfortably in the gorgeous mountain-lodge setting amidst the evening alpenglow, overlooking the lush green slopes of Deer Valley Resort.
But the real shock was before dinner. In the weeks leading up to our anniversary, Sarah had asked for carte blanch in buying us a mutual anniversary gift, no questions asked. I said "Sure, I'm off the hook. Run with it." I thought it might involve the flat screen TV we've been discussing, or the carpet we've been wanting. But I had no idea.
Prologue: A few weeks ago we were out for drinks with friends, watching the Red Sox on TV. Someone mentioned what a shame it was that Yankee Stadium was being closed after this year and a friend from Massachusetts asked me if I had ever been to the Stadium. I simply said no, but Sarah picked up on a sadness or disappointment in my voice or expression of which even I not aware.
Anyway before dinner, in the privacy of her office (she knows I can get a bit emotional) she told me that she had gone to the trouble of buying tickets to the Yankees/Rays game on September 13th at Yankee Stadium. She had booked plane tickets using her free Delta companion fare and arranged to stay in Long Island with our friends Meredith and Brian (Meredith may very well be our only RSS subscriber so I know she'll be the first to read this post.) I can't even express how blown away I was when Sarah told me. I couldn't speak. I could only stutter and babble about how much I love her. What's more is that as circumstance would have it, the Tampa Bay Rays are actually in first place in the AL East so not only were these tickets nearly impossible to obtain, but I'll actually be in Yankee Stadium with the rare opportunity to root for the Yankees to play the spoiler and beat the Rays, thereby helping my beloved Red Sox in the standings. All I can say is HOLY CRAP!!!
Attention Ladies: If you’d like to ask Sarah how to be the best wife or girlfriend ever, please form an orderly line and please, no pushing or shoving.
OK, so I guess Sarah wants me to write about the rest of the trip. (Please read her post below.) Firstly, I'd like to apologize to all the folks we didn't get to see this time around. We miss you all.
In a stroke of convenience, I was able to arrange a trip to Portland, ME to make a quarterly appearance at the FetchDog Mothership and coordinate the timing to allow us to attend Tera and Jeff's wedding in Auburn. I also used the opportunity, to see my family in Epping, NH. I flew into Manchester on Friday night, where my Brother, Jay picked me up. In the morning he kindly took me scuba diving (his new hobby) for the first time ever, using some of his spare gear. My parents, my sister Jules, and my sister-in-law Jeannine were there to root me on. Apparently, conventional wisdom dictates one should have several days worth of training in shallow pools learning to breathe underwater and operate the equipment. However, I don't think there's any room in the big-brother/little-brother paradigm for conventionalism. After all, I've also taken to 11,000 feet and simply told him to point his skis down the hill. So maybe this was payback I thought as I submerged myself in the Atlantic, tightly bound in an ill-fitting, 7-mm wetsuit with 60 pounds of Ghostbusters Proton Pack on my back. The initial discomfort and aimless flailing gave way to novelty as I scoured the shallow shoreline inside the breakers. We then decided to head out a little further. That's when it got really interesting. As I headed out to the deeper areas, I found myself lost in a dark world of kelp, which basically freaked me out. So I fought through it thinking it would lighten up any second. Before I knew it, I had made my way out well, past any comfort zone I might have known and started freaking out. My brother was right behind me and helped me take a break to get my heart rate under control. We made our way over to a set of rocks, away from the kelp jungle, where I was able to regroup and eventually explore down as far as 10 feet or so, and see crabs, lobsters, snails, and of course golf balls.
Later in the day, we met up with my other brother, Jim and his wife Abby and my 6-year-old nephew Jimmy. We attended a dedication ceremony of a large wind-mill at a farm in Greenland, NH and then headed out for ice cream. The next day, we headed out on Jay's new motor-boat. I don't know what kind it is, but I think it's a really nice one because people stared at it a lot. We cruised from Dover Point out the Piscatiqua River to Portsmouth/Kittery and down to Newburyport, MA for lunch. It was one of the first nice weather days in a while so there were a lot of boats out. But we had a great lunch and headed back up. On the way back, we stopped by our old grade school, Lady Isle School in Portsmouth's Little Harbor. The little Catholic school on an island had been boarded up around 1992, a year after I left and had been mostly unoccupied. Apparently it is now owned by a single family who seems to have no interest in restoring or developing the gorgeous property and has instead let the old school buildings decay in the harsh New England climate.
That night I met up with Pete Clarke and his fiancee (!) Jenn. It was great to catch up with them but I took great satisfaction in meeting them at the church up the street from my parents' house which has been converted into a fantastic bar. I grew up attending mass in this old building when it was hot and sticky, staring at the ceiling and counting the links of chain holding up the chandeliers. The new decor, and the new purpose I found refreshing and very well done.
In the morning, my mother and I drove up to Portland, where I worked for the week at the FetchDog office on Fore Street. The week went smoothly and it was great to catch up with co-workers I usually only converse with over email or instant message.
Sarah arrived on Saturday and we began our whirlwind tour of Maine as she described, concluding with Tera and Jeff's wedding. Afterwards, we returned to the hotel in Portland around 2am. Our flight out was at 6am. Why would we do that to ourselves you ask? It's complicated. But we set the alarm for 4:30am thinking we'd get up, shower, get dressed, throw everything together, check out, drive the 20 minutes to the airport, return the rental car, check in and make it through security — NO PROBLEM. As you can imagine, that was at best, wishful thinking on our part; a poor judgment call made out of sheer exhaustion. Our lack of common sense was exacerbated when the alarm actually sounded and we hit the snooze button twice and proceeded to each take a shower. By the time we frantically got in the rental car and more or less got lost en route to the airport, our hopes of making our flight were nil. Luckily, a nice US Airways employee named Shannon did some fancy footwork and was able to get us on the next flight at 7:15 which made stops in Philadelphia, Charlotte, Phoenix and eventually Salt Lake. What's more, she did it for free, and she even got us seats next to each other on each flight. WOW. 17 hours later, we were back in Utah being serenaded by our tone-deaf dogs, safely cradled in the comforting expanse of the Wasatch Mountains.
View more photos from the trip here:
http://flickr.com/photos/7527772@N05/sets/72157607011419051/
Joe and I attended Tera and Jeff's wedding this weekend in Auburn Maine. It was a quick trip for me since Joe had been back east for the week visiting his family, which I am sure he will write about next. I flew out Friday evening at 11:15p from SLC on Jet Blue and apparently they were running a 5 for 1 deal, bring 4 kids under the age of 2 with you and you fly for the price of 1. It was madness and I had to take cleansing breaths as a toddler climbed on my carry-on with chocolate covered hands.
Here's a list of Bands/musicians I would not mind seeing involved in a plane/bus crash. There's plenty more obvious artists that everyone hates, but these overrated acts can instantly make me want to crank the steering wheel off a cliff.
-No Doubt / Gwen Stephani
The Ska scene was almost still relevant when No Doubt applied their SoCal twist to it. Sure, I bet if you're a huge No Doubt fan they were great before the rest of the country caught on etc. But I have news for you, if it ceases to stay real when it's popular, it was never real in the first place. And Gwen Stephani's little pouty expressions, her look-at-me-i'm-funky style, and her candy lyrics are not cute. I know there are plenty of guys who disagree but I'm not buying it. I could honestly go the rest of my life without hearing from them again.
(*Addendum - I met Gwen Stefani the other day. She was actually very nice. But I stand by my distaste for her music.)
-Jimmy (F***ing) Buffet
I never really felt one way or another until a recent trip to Florida where the hotel played Jimmy Buffet's satelite station from every speaker indoors and out. I discovered I find his music insultingly, and mind-numbingly awful. I'm all for drunkin' good-time music but Jimmy Buffet is a hack.
-U2
Yeah, I said it. U2 has been getting the universal awesomeness award for WAY too long. I'm here to say that their music is garbage and Bono is NOT GOD. I appreciate the good work they claim to do, but let's stop treating Bono like he's a political figure. He's just another aging rocker mistaking fame for importance.
-Smashmouth
Oh Please. Enough Already. The commercial mileage accumulated from their few bubble-gum marketing hits is nausiating. Everything from Shrek to Pizza Hut has been the John to their musical prostitution. And does anyone actually like them? NO! It just so happens their crap is catchy and in-offensive, and it makes old white guys feel cool in the same way that Chumbawumba did.
-Counting Crows
Sure, there was a time I thought Adam Duritz was a genius. Their narcoleptic ramblings were great when I was a depressed teenager, but now it's just obnoxious. I even thought I still liked them until I kept skipping them on my Slacker.com streaming radio channel. Have you ever heard them live? Adam Duritz can't even carry his own tunes! "OOooohh...he's so experimental!" I hereby declare The Counting Crows over.
-The Greatful Dead
I've never had a use for the Dead. I didn't even have the energy to pretend to like them in high school. I respect the jam-band genre and their influence is much appreciated. But it's not for me.
-Elvis Costello
Please shoot me. I used to work at an office where Elvis Costello was on heavy rotation. And although I never paid him much mind before, I discovered that he's an absolutely wretched musician, with a horrible voice and lyrics that are no where near as brilliant as he thinks they are. To this day, I can't hear Elvis Costello without feeling the need to strangle someone.
-Aerosmith
Wow. Yes, a legendary rock band...who should have stopped recording in the 80's. At a certain point you become a characture of yourself. At this point their rock-balad formula is as tired as the bags under Steven Tyler's lips.
Other notable acts I find completely tedius include The Beatles and Elvis. Both are consistently ranked the #1 and 2 of all time, yet I find that their sound is completely intolerable. I respect them as historical figures in music, and often like their music when redone by another artist. But I can't stand listening to either artist's original recordings. But I do make a distinction between them and the previous artists mentioned because they more-or-less stopped making music before my skull fully hardened. Also in or near this category: The Beach Boys, The Who, The Stones (Yes I know they're still touring), The Eagles (Although I like hearing my father in law play their tunes), and Pink Floyd. Again, all have made a valid contribution to music but I can't stand listening to them.
The list really does go on and on.
*Disclaimer: I fully expect at least some of you to object to the preceding statements. I just don't care. These are just my opinions and you're entitled to your own.
Sarah and I went golfing yesterday at an undisclosed location with 3 other nefarious couples. The infamous eightsome was split by gender and generously lubricated with various cases of beer, home-made margaritas and a magnum of red wine. Light competition amongst the groups added a hint of legitimate effort that was both aided and nullified by the aforementioned open bar.
Aside from a few shining moments, our round was full of standard and inevitable tape-measure slices into the woods etc. usually associated with amateur play. What was extraordinary was that there were very few other golfers on the course at this hour and our behavior quickly deteriorated along the final stretch.
Group hijinks included but were not limited to:
• Heckling each other from tee box to green or vice versa
• Playing extra holes while only paying for 9
• Following up poor tee shots by hitting from the ladies' tees with your pants down (photo)
• Cursing, drinking, rough-housing and generally sophomoric behavior
But the true highlight of the evening came when the driver of my cart (who shall remain nameless since he's someone's grandfather) decided to break a land speed record upon returning to the clubhouse. He has a nifty trick to counteract the cart's speed governer, a built-in safety mechanism. On the many downhills of this mountainous course, he popped the cart into neutral, grinding some gears in the process but allowing the cart to reach ungodly speeds. At a certain point I think I suggested to watch out for the tee boxes, which at this speed resembled launch ramps Evil Knievil would envy. Of course he immediately pegged a tee box and drove diagonally off the side of it. At the base of the awkward incline was a railroad tie used as a curb for the cart path below. As the cart jumped the curb, the right wheels slammed to the ground sending me flailing out of the cart sliding across the paved path and into the grass bank. As I fell, I remember the cart teetering menacingly above me and threatening to roll on top of me. I rolled out of my slide for life, and watched the cart right itself but not without rocking back onto the left wheels for a split second. As the driver tried to regain control he veered sharply to avoid a log fence and almost ran straight into a tree. After regaining his composure, the driver circled back, utterly mortified and simply said "maybe you should drive."
(click image to view larger)
As we sheepishly approached the parking lot, the driver held his hand to his face in shame and embarassment while I laughed hysterically and bled from the wrist, forearm, knee and ankle. He appologized profusely to me and Sarah. I assured him that I could have just as easily procured the injuries biking, but this was a much better story.
