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We noticed after pulling the halloween stuff out that she's scared of the masks with the creepy faces. She immediately hid under the couch and growled upon seeing them. Since then, we've tried to keep them away from her since it seemed to be so upsetting.

Last night, after finishing up with our scary garage display, we threw all the stuff on to the bed in our spare bedroom (where Ruca's kennel is) since we're bringing it over to a friend's house tonight for a party. We didn't think much of it, because the only time Ruca goes into the kennel now is when we leave the house. Well... and to drag out one of her blankets to rest on when she gets tired.

So, I'm looking all around for the dog, and finally decide to check her kennel. Sure enough, she's in there, and totally petrified with fear. It seems, she went in there to drag out a blanket, and when she went to head back out, caught a glimpse of one of the scary masks that was near the edge of the bed. She wouldn't come out until I moved it out of sight, and then she required a few minutes of love before she quit making her "mean" face.

We adore the new dog, but it's apparent we're going to have to be careful with her feelings.

Things here in Denver are going quite well. We're at the tail end of the most beautiful summer I've ever experienced, and that includes my first 18 years in California. We didn't get out to explore as much as we'd hoped, mostly due to rearing a young pup, but still had quite a few adventures. We're hoping to continue to improve upon that, and get more familiar with everything around us. Jo picked up a few books on hikes that are good for dogs, so we may give that a shot with Roo once she's a little bigger. Our older dog Ty would undoubtedly love to go as well, but he's a bit hobbled these days by arthritis, so we'll have to make it up to him with frequent walks, and trips to the dog park.]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=785&rss
Gallery: Parker, CO Tornado (8-24-08)]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=784&rss "In this age of obsessive video sharing and social networking, nearly every action is designed and packaged for public consumption. Especially with young people," says co-director Joe Stevens. The immediate charm of Nick and his crew is that they're the exact opposite of all that. There is nothing calculated or self-conscious about who they are. They're just a group of friends doing some thing to challenge themselves and have some laughs."
And that pretty much sums up exactly what's been bothering me about the world, and how it's changed thanks to the Internet. I'm not sure what I miss more, the days before they got here, or the days before I did.]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=783&rss
On Saturday, we went to Cherry Creek, and gave Ruca her first off-leash experience. I was rather tense about the whole thing, since she has a tendency to run away, but it turned out to be just fine. The pup spent most of her time following our older dog around, and checking in with us at regular intervals. The only challenge is that she likes to jump on strangers to greet them. This isn't entirely unexpected at a dog park, but Ruca also likes to "smile," which looks a whole lot like a snarl, teeth and all. It makes people uncomfortable, and little kids scream. The trip was punctuated by a snake encounter. Jo spotted what we believe was a gopher snake stretched across the trail ahead of us. We're wary of snakes, 'cause Ty tries to kill them, which usually ends poorly for the snake, and the dog too, if they're poisonous. I'm a big fan of reptiles, so it upsets me when the dog tries to murder them. Luckily, we distracted the animals, and the snake slithered away without incident.

Sunday, we decided to hit Chatfield, since it's got more water, and we wanted to give the pup her first swimming experience. After a few minutes of apprehension, she jumped right in, and started swimming. The retrieving instinct is strong in her, and by the end of the day, she was swimming out farther than our adult dog to retrieve sticks. The day went pretty well, aside from a hard lesson learned about red ant hills. Ruca ate (and got bit) by a few before we could grab her. The whole thing caused her to foam at the mouth, which isn't exactly what you'd like to happen at a park full of dogs and their concerned owners.

So, I suppose we can officially declare the pup a second dog, and not just some strange domesticated animal with a partially formed brain. She's beginning to act like a canine, and that's nice, 'cause I'm totally over the puppy phase. They're cute, no doubt, but it's a lot more work than I remembered.]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=782&rss


Gallery: Mt. Evans (7-13-08)]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=781&rss 30 years. I'm sure there are more boring drives than the one between Denver and Kansas City... okay, I'm not sure.

So, yeah, we're heading back to KC for some work, and for some family & friends. I have to haul a bunch of stuff back, so we rented a giant SUV, since all the vans were unavailable. I feel like monumental douche driving this tank, which exactly why I'm letting Jo drive us. Well, that, and I'm using the nifty Sprint RevA card to browse the web nearly the entire time while she hurtles us across the tundra in 10,000 lbs. of steel. Which brings me to the point of this entry...

I got a private message on Fazed from someone asking about an issue with submission credit not being displayed in the archive. I poked around in the code on a copy of the site that runs on my laptop, and realized there was an SQL error. And, I fixed it. Then, I committed my changes via SVN, and rolled them out on the production site. All from somewhere about 50 miles east of the Colorado border along I-70. Yay technology!



The view from inside.
]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=780&rss
Video & Pictures: SimuCon 2005]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=779&rss

Veruca looks like she's about to bite when she's excited, but it's really her happy face. Strangers aren't sure what to expect.

In other news, I've slowly been exporting pictures from my "old" photography section to my Flickr account. Unfortunately, it all seems to go to the front of my photostream, so recent photos are kind of lost in the shuffle. I've also changed my Flickr page to contain sets under a small number of collections, much like I used to do with Gallery. So far, I like this better.

For now, I'm back in my basement office. We'll see how long this lasts...]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=778&rss Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=777&rss ]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=776&rss
Tonight, she also discovered the mirror.


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More...]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=771&rss


She bit the crap out of me while we were playing in this video. Sharp little puppy teefs!
]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=770&rss
Gallery: Roxborough State Park (4-13-08)

JoLynn's pictures are here.]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=769&rss
Gallery: Garden of the Gods (4-5-08)]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=768&rss
Our poor old cat "Queso" had been sick for a while, and passed away a bit unexpectedly a few weeks ago. He never really seemed sick enough to be put down, but after staying with him as he passed, I'll definitely opt for euthanasia if the time seems right. I'm thankful, though, that we got to be with him during his last few hours. He responded to our presence with purrs and affection, which made us both feel like the cat was happy to have us there. He was a good old cat, and had a happy life up until the very end.

During Queso's last few weeks, JoLynn had been taking him into the backyard so he could get some sun, and explore the outdoors a little bit. He really enjoyed walking along the top of the fence, which separates our yard from an access road. Well, a gust of wind came through and blew the poor cat off, landing him in the wide open access road area. JoLynn ran inside and interrupted my wonderful nap, yelling something about the cat escaping, and needing me to hurry and catch him before he ran off. In a single motion, I threw on my shoes, ran outside and hopped the fence, ready to chase the kitty. As it turns out, being blown into the dirt seemed like a perfect opportunity to poop, so the cat was really easy to catch.

Moving has given me the opportunity to streamline some of life's wonderful little distractions (hobbies, being social, etc.) and has given me the time and motivation to spend more time on projects, as well as keep Fazed more current and topical. I'd taken a long break from being active updating the site, and really missed it. It's a lot of work, but I find if I do it in little chunks throughout the day, it's generally pretty easy to stay ahead of everything. The reaction from the people who read the site has been very positive, which is nice to see.

We're planning to get another dog in a couple of months. Our existing dog has been lonely since the cat passed, and we've both wanted another dog for a while now. We're going to get a female golden retriever with a very light-colored coat, and a longer, more stalky body, like a show dog. We spent a lot of time with both parents, and are hopeful their offspring will be similar. The dog's name will be Veruca. :-)

For the most part, things are going really well here. We've been making friends, exploring the city (downtown is awesome, and there's a light rail station right by our house!), being more active, and enjoying the great adventure of moving to a new city. I'd be lying, though, if I said I wasn't looking forward to a reunion with all our friends in Kansas City. One thing you really can't replace is history, and not having friends around to reminisce with has been a bit of a bummer. Hopefully we'll see everybody at the end of the summer for Lake & Keri's wedding.]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=767&rss ]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=766&rss Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=765&rss

]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=764&rss
Fazer Midge McKay sings a Fazed versions of Auld Lang Syne

Lyrics:

Should richt auld Spunone be forgot,
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance pee'n her butt,
And auld lang syne!

Chorus - For auld lang syne, my dear,
For auld lang syne.
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet,
For auld lang syne.

And surely ye'll pee in her butt
And surely pee in mine!
we'll tak oor quotes from bash.org,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

Oor Christmas gifts huv reached oor friends,
And Haxormax' insane
we've posted mony a lolling cat,
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

JP hae lock'd us oot the threads,
Frae morning sun till dine;
But NB4 the Fazers roar'd
Sin' auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

And there's a Dirrty bunny my fi'r!
Now gies a new tagline!
We'll mak a happy birthday thread,
For auld lang syne.
For auld, &c.

Related: Slorum Thread...]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=763&rss ]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=762&rss Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=761&rss I guess.

We spent Thanksgiving with JoLynn's parents and had a good time as usual. This is traditionally always my favorite holiday to spend with my family. Sadly, they're spread out between Oklahoma and LA now, and not so easily accessible. That's okay, though, with the move coming up, I'm happy to give Jo's family all the holiday love. It seems likely, with moving and homes and possibly adds, people will eventually be visiting us for the holidays in the future. It makes me feel old, looking forward to it all.]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=760&rss
So, looking back, married life has been pretty great. Really, not much has changed, though I imagine introducing kids into the mix at some point in the future will make things feel adequately altered. Jo and I made a pact to do our best to retain some individuality, something which often goes missing when people are married. It's been small things, mostly, but so far it's worked pretty well. To celebrate, we decided to go low key and have an "us" weekend. Dinner, a couple of movies, and a few bottles of wine stretched out over a weekend was a fabulous way to celebrate the occasion.

In other news, things seem to be moving right along with our relocation to Denver. We don't have a specific date, yet, but I believe it'll be sometime around May when we're asked to move. The process could start a couple of months before that, but there's too many variables at this point to determine a specific date. While I love KC and all that it has to offer, I'm ready for the change. The hard part now is waiting, because it's difficult to start anything new when there's this giant unknown looming in the distance.]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=759&rss
Anyway, to complete the club feel, we were play electronic music, something which was still relatively new to us back then. We had a few mix and rave CD's we'd picked up that we would play, along with some Utah Saints, which was the only good thing Crosno ever brought us. Anyway, one night, one of the regulars, an obvious club/rave kid, much cooler than ourselves, suggested we meander across the parking lot to the christian supply store, and check out their selection of electronic music. The store only carried christian labels with christian bands, and I guess back then, throwing in a few words about god was a great way to get signed. Anyway, one of the bands he suggested was "Paradigm Shift." I took his advice and picked up the CD.

And tonight, almost 15 years later, I'm listening to it. Even though we wore the CD out in the arcade, it's truly been timeless, and still sounds rather modern. I got curious about the old band, and did some searching, which ultimately led me to believe they never released any new music. Bummer...

And then, with a little more careful searching, I found their MySpace page. Lo and behold, the old band has started making new stuff and playing shows recently, and they don't suck at all. The new stuff fits right in with the old, modernized a bit, and enjoyable as ever. I might have to fly to Texas for a show.

Listen: Paradigm Shift
Listen: UTAH SAINTS... UTAH SAINTS... UTAH SAINTS! U-U-U-UTAH SAINTS!]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=758&rss
Jo and I went to St. Louis to attend SimuCon. I had a good time and reunited with some old friends. It's apparent I've been away from that crowd for too long. It's a cliquey group, more so than any other I've ever encountered, and I'm very much on the outside, glancing in. Despite that, people were friendly, we met some new folks, and made the most of it. I was asked a few times why I was there, and I didn't have a good answer other than there's a few friends I wanted to see. I don't regret going, but it's not the same experience for me that it's been in years past. I don't know if I'll make another 'con, especially since it won't be driving distance much longer, but who knows. I've been missing GemStone for a while now, but I have too much on my plate already to think about playing a time-consuming game.

The next weekend, Jo and I flew to LA for her brother's wedding. I don't love LA, or California for that matter, and that's exacerbated by the fact that my family now lives there. I grew up in California, so it's not unfamiliar to me. Anyway, we ventured downtown to check out my parents' new loft, and it was as swanky as you'd expect for that area. But wow, the streets outside were pretty sketchy. We also made it to Hollywood Bowl to see the LA Philharmonic, Comedy Sportz, the Getty museum, and topped it off with some karaoke at a party for the family.

The karaoke that night inspired us to try some of our own. You can get karaoke software for the computer that will play just about any CD+G or karaoke file imaginable. We got it all setup on the laptop, combined it with Jason's PA in our new garage, and rocked the house. The theme for the party was August Birthdays, including my own, and it didn't disappoint. It's probably the most fun I've had at a house party in a long time. It's too bad I woke up that morning with some kind of miserable cold that lingered for nearly two weeks before jumping ship to JoLynn to continue its wrath of misery.

I guess things are winding down here in Kansas City. Jason is moving to Seattle, and we're expecting to make the jump to Denver sometime around March. The group here has felt fragmented for a while, and I wonder how much longer it will all hold together. I'm sure we'll all still be friends, but it feels like the tight social bond we've all shared the last few years is fading away. Maybe it's just time for that, people are constantly growing in new directions... and into new vices. I have no idea what the social scene will hold for us in Denver, but since we plan on starting a family in the future, doing so after we've completed our move might be the right time. I mean, I'm 32 now. God, what happened.

I've been making a little bit of progress on the new t-shirt site, though I struggle to find time between work, my duties with Fazed, racing R/C cars, and social responsibilities. Things have been kind of quiet these past couple of weeks, and I've been able to get some work done. In all honestly, it's been nice. A night of drinking or partying seems to set me back for weeks before I finally get around to doing things again. I'm not sure why, but it damages my focus. And that's not just with work, it's the same way with diet, exercise, etc. I've noticed this in the past during quiet times, but I manage to forget all about it the next time we start up the partying again. :-) Speaking of which, there's a bunch of concerts coming up this year I'm looking forward to seeing. And I can finally give Tricia the opportunity to see Of Montreal that I've owed her for, big time.]]> Adam http://www.fazed.org/blog/spunone/view/?id=757&rss
So, I'm going to keep with it, but make some adjustments. I'm going to have to avoid beef entirely, because it makes me feel like shit every time I eat it. We buy bison at the hippy grocery store, and it tastes very much the same to me, without the heavy, awful feeling I get from beef. Plus, it's much leaner, which addresses my other complaint. I know there's a fair amount of fat in the carb down portion of the diet, and it's encouraged that you eat plenty since it aids with the fat burning process, but it's too much for me. I'm going to attempt to go a little leaner this week, stick to poultry, fish and bison, and make sure I get at least one giant salad every day. I've been taking a ton of omega-3's in the form of fish oil and flax (3 times daily) along with a good multi vitamin and few others, and will continue to do so. And the working out, of course, though it was harder by the end of the week than I expected. I nearly fell over during friday's shoulder workout. I think I'm going to take their advice and have a piece or two of fruit before the final workout of the week.

Didn't I say I wouldn't talk about this again? Sorry. I'm excited, I feel like I made some progress, and weight training immediately improves my outlook. I don't want this to be a diet blog, but it kind of consumed me this week.

After a massive quest, we located all the pieces of furniture for the garage to finish out our project. I built the drawers and work bench tonight, which was awful. There's 5 drawers in each one, which was massively time consuming, and I had help building the second. Tomorrow it's on to the hutch, and then the giant storage cabinet. Once that's taken care of, I think we're pretty much done. The gym is awesome, especially since we've got mirrors out there. I'll get pictures sometime this week to show off the finished project.]]> Adam