Lui5.com

Pictures From Paris

2009-03-08T13:32:00.003-05:00

It's like monsoon season here in Chicago. The past few days have been extremely rainy and I thought what better time then to try and migrate some of my older pictures onto FlickR. I created a set of pictures of Brian and I walking the streets of Paris back in 2004. We were there for about 4 days and we got to see pretty much everything we wanted to. Below are some of my favorites with the rest located on this link: Click Here .

Sleepy Marvin

2009-03-07T00:41:00.000-06:00

BFFs

2009-03-01T10:47:00.001-06:00

Lucy and the Lemur

2008-11-23T17:46:00.001-06:00

Yum! She not only makes moppin sauce anymore!

Lucy's Future Pimp Mobile!

2008-11-19T21:58:00.002-06:00

Schnappschuss aus Amerika

2008-11-16T11:39:00.004-06:00

OMG, I was famous for a day in Germany a few weeks ago. A picture I took during my visit to the Bingen Garden Show was published in the Bingen-Am-Rhein zeitung!!! How cool is that?

Blue Heron Farm Resort

2008-11-12T10:32:00.003-06:00

I just want to give a shout out to Reynalda and Juliano for inviting Brian, Theresa and I to stay with them in a cabin for the weekend in Ohio. The cabin was absolutely beautiful. It sits on a lake with fantastic views of the surrounding woods. I was able to canoe for the first time in my life which was super cool! The canoe was a bit difficult to maneuver at first but after 10 minutes I was a pro! Juliano and I also hiked around the area one day and discovered some pretty nice rock formations and what appeared to be caves along the headwaters of the Cuyahoga River. During our last day at the cabin the weather turned a bit colder and we were able to experience the first snowfall of the season in Northeast Ohio. It was a perfect end to our weekend. You can see more photos of the trip by clicking here.

2008-11-10T19:24:00.000-06:00

Art is not meant to be pleasing.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-31T23:23:00.000-05:00

It's my pumpkin ya'll!

Early Voting

2008-10-30T17:43:00.002-05:00

I decided to vote early this election and apparently most of the other people in DuPage county did the same. I was in shock when I saw the long line but I did my duty and voted after standing well over an hour. I'm just glad it's over!

Happy Diwali Ya'll

2008-10-29T22:45:00.007-05:00

My friend Shalini invited me to the BAPS Hindu temple so I can witness the Indian celebration of Diwali, which is also known as the Festival of Light. The lights signify good over evil within an individual. As you can see the pictures below, the grounds were beautiful. The temple was washed with different colored lights and indoors was just amazing. People aren't allowed to take pictures indoors for some reason but everywhere you looked there were little multicolored Italian lights decorating the walls and ceilings. It was a very interesting experience. It almost felt like I was in India.

Where In The World Is Brian G?

2008-10-13T10:50:00.010-05:00

The oil pipeline might give it away but if you still don't know where Brian is, click here.

Where In The World Is Brian G?

2008-10-05T10:29:00.005-05:00

Is it me or did Brian copy the lizard's pose? :-) If you want to see where he is, click here.(Photos by Russel)

Battle of the iPhones

2008-10-01T06:46:00.001-05:00

A World Premiere Movie Event!

Tschüss Deutschland!

2008-09-21T22:21:00.002-05:00

Our last two days here in Germany was fun. We traveled to Koblenz and did a little shopping, took a ride on the last paddle steamer on the Rhein called the Goethe, and hiked up to Schloss Ehrenfels. It's been a great two weeks sharing this experience with Brian, Jeanie, Renee and Jules and hopefully we can come back again soon. Thanks to Jeanie for her hospitality! To see all the pics of this trip click here: Germany Trip 2008. Bis spater Deutschland!

Deutsches Eck
The Goethe
Schloss Ehrenfels

Die Toilette In Burg Pfalzgrafenstein

2008-09-19T23:58:00.003-05:00

First of all, I can't believe Brian, the king of all germaphobes, actually sat on the toilet. Ha ha! One can only imagine what the mess looked like below when it was actually used back in the day. Talk about durschfall! BARF!

Germany Trip - Day 17-19

2008-09-19T23:54:00.002-05:00

The weather has gotten considerably nicer over the past few days and we took advantage of this and Genie, Brian and I drove south to Weisbaden one day and visited the Greichische Kapelle. The domes of the chruch are supposedly covered in gold and they looked absolutely stunning when the sun hit it! Another day we drove up the Rhine to the Loreley. On our way we stopped and toured Burg Sooneck, Schloss Reichenstein, and Burg Pfalzgrafenstein. I can never get tired of looking at castles. Each one is unique in its own right which makes them all so interesting to explore. Tomorrow we are planning on taking the train to Koblenz to do a little shopping and sight seeing. Tschüs!

Griechische KapelleBurg SooneckSchloss ReichensteinBurg PfalzgrafensteinThe Loreley

Walk Through the Grape Vines

2008-09-16T23:37:00.002-05:00

Since everything is closed on Sundays in Germany, we decided to chill a bit and hike up the hill behind Mrs. G's house. We went past an old Jewish cemetery. It was rather eerie and seemed like it had been forgotten after many years. We made our way to the very top of the hill where grapevines greeted us. We secretly ate some of the sweet and delicious grapes used for wine. They were lecker! We also befriended a lovely horse by feeding it some apples from a nearby apple tree. The horse probably ended up having durchfall (diarrhea) after the number of apples we gave the poor thing.

Oberwesel Wine Parade

2008-09-15T21:06:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we traveled to the small town of Oberwesel and lucky for us they were having their Wine Festival. This was a special treat for us as we were able to experience the celebration along with the locals and see the wine parade!

Köln ist ein Gefühl

2008-09-14T21:58:00.006-05:00

How do you say, Cologne is a feeling, yes? Renee, Juliano, Brian and I took das Deutsches Bahn to Köln today. We went to the cathedral and afterwards had some Berliners and coffee and did a little shopping. The Berliners were delicious! I also found the Puma Euro jacket that I've always wanted! Below are pics and video of our excursion into Cologne.

Burg Rheinstein

2008-09-13T17:06:00.001-05:00

Yesterday we woke up to rain. We were thinking about staying in but decided to head on out and visit a castle with Renee and Juliano. We drove to a nearby castle called Burg Rheinstein which is just minutes outside of Bingen. The rain stopped just as we got there which allowed us to explore the outside of the castle. Althought small in size, this castle is one of my favorites because it comes complete with a chapel, gargoyles, courtyard garden and watch towers. The stained glass windows is also very interesting to look at.

Reynalda Sprecht Deutsch!

2008-09-13T04:51:00.001-05:00

Sie kann nicht Deutscht sprechen!

Exploring Trier

2008-09-11T23:34:00.002-05:00

Earlier today we visted Brian's Omi before we drove to Trier to eat, shop and see some of the Roman ruins. Ich liebe Trier! We ate ice cream and Nord See (Long John Silvers), saw the Porta Negra, Trier Cathedral, ruins of a Roman Bath and Amphitheatre. It was a very long day but worth all the sights and fun!

Scenes In And Around Rüdesheim-Assmannshausen

2008-09-10T23:45:00.007-05:00

Today we took a ferry across the Rhein and did a small hike from the town of Rüdesheim to Assmannshausen. Along the way Renee became BFFs with two German hunds (dogs) which followed her along a trail. After a long hike, we took the ferry back to Bingen and had a perfect view of the Mouse Tower (Mäuseturm).

The Fucker Bus Company

2008-09-10T20:38:00.005-05:00

On our way to Rüdesheim am Rhein we saw this bus with the word "Fucker" on it. We so looked like the typical Americans taking pictures and laughing at the bus. You got to love it! LOL!

Jumping Water Bowl

2008-09-09T23:58:00.004-05:00

One of the interesting things that we saw at the Bingen Garten Schau was this bowl of water that Brian's mom had brought us to. She had told us that we could make the water dance by rubbing the bowl with our hands. Each of us gave it a try but after 5 minutes we gave up. No dancing water! We thought Eugania was pulling our leg but we thought we'd give it another chance. I had all these Germans looking on so the pressure was on to get it to work. So I began and after a few rubs, low and behold, I got the water to jump up and down! It was amazing! Brian gave it another try after me but instead of jumping water he made the bowl create this irritating high pitched awful sound that drove everyone away! The noise coming from the bowl was AWFUL! LOL! Good times!

Bingen Landesgartenschau

2008-09-09T23:07:00.003-05:00

Yesterday afternoon we all took a trip to the Bingen Garden Show. Thanks to Eugania for buying us tickets to the show! The number of flowers in bloom was quite amazing! Below are just a few of the pics I took of some of the images I saw in and around the show. You can see more of the pics by clicking here.

Binger Winefest

2008-09-08T23:54:00.001-05:00

We have finally arrived in Germany for a long awaited vacation. Still a little jet lagged from our flight on Air India, we were able to take a quick cat nap and then head on out to catch the last part of the Binger Winzerfest in Bingen, Germany. We listened to music and had a few reislings before we headed back to Genie's Haus. Ich liebe wein!

The Weiner Bandit Strikes Again!

2008-09-08T02:51:00.001-05:00

Hummingbird

2008-08-29T08:30:00.003-05:00

A hummingbird came to dine on the flowers outside our house this morning. I was a bit excited since I've never really seen one up close, let alone in our back patio. I'm no bird expert Renata, but I believe it was a female Ruby-Throated Hummingbird.

Lightning

2008-08-07T09:18:00.001-05:00

A major storm rolled into the Chicago area last Monday. We tons of lightning, thunder, heavy rain and a couple of tornadoes. Being the wannabe tornado chaser, I grabbed my camera and ventured upstairs with sirens in full blast. I did not see a tornado but I was able to get a pic of a lightning bolt. :-(

What An International Group!

2008-08-06T06:38:00.000-05:00

We had people in from around the world this week for day long meetings. I truly didn't realize the diversity of our group until I saw this picture from one of our dinners. In the above picture we have Russia, China, Mexico, Japan and Iowa that is representin!

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth

2008-07-27T15:42:00.005-05:00

A Hummingbird Clearwing Moth (thank you Reynalda) came to dine on the flowers in my patio early this afternoon. I thought it was a hummingbird at first but after a closer look I learned that it was actually a moth! The little guy was being very cooperative and it allowed me to take a few pics of it as it dashed between the geraniums in a feeding frenzy. Talk about eat and go! You can see more pics by clicking here.

Hummingbird Clearwing Moth flying in to dine on the flowers.

Moth flying to another flower.

Moth sucking up the nectar with its long proboscis.

Close-up of my visitor.

Celebrity Sightings

2008-07-19T13:09:00.008-05:00

Captain Morgan was seen at a Costco in the west suburbs of Chicago early this morning. Lui5 snoopers say he was busy shopping but was nice enough to pose for a picture.

Baby Update

2008-07-14T20:21:00.001-05:00

I just got word that Amy and Tom have named their baby boy. And the name is (drum role)...

Quinlan Maurice Stripe O'Regan!

Below are a couple more pics of Quinlan and proud parents.

L.A.T.E. Ride 2008

2008-07-14T19:11:00.000-05:00

Here are more pics from yesterday's L.A.T.E. Ride. Rodrigo and John joined us for their very first midnight ride. The night wasn't without drama as Rodrigo happened to get a flat tire minutes before our group took off. We were delayed a bit but the good folks at Village Cycle fixed his tire for free and we were on our way! We finished the ride later than normal but this gave us a spectacular view of the sunrise over the lake as we rode to the finish along the lake shore path! Already looking forward to next year!

2008-07-13T01:40:00.001-05:00

Late Ride baby! Woot! Here we go!

It's A Boy!

2008-07-10T08:30:00.001-05:00

Congrats to Amy and Tom! My BFF had a baby boy last night. He came in at 8lbs 6oz. Name TBD.

Elroy-Sparta Trail

2008-07-06T22:49:00.002-05:00

Brian, Roy and I rented bikes and rode the Elroy-Sparta Trail yesterday. We rode 22 long miles! I would say this is one of the most scenic trails I have been on. The trail winds through hills in unglaciated areas of south-central Wisconsin. The trail also has 3 rock tunnels, one of which is just under a mile long! Inside the tunnels were cool and damp which was a relief since it was pretty warm outside. We are hoping to return in the fall again to ride and see the colors on the trees.

Lake Delton, WI

2008-07-05T12:22:00.003-05:00

Yesterday we drove up to Wisconsin to meet Paul at his summer home but we made a pit-stop at Lake Delton. The whole lake emptied into the Wisconsin River on June 9th after heavy rains caused its dam to breach. The lake supposedly emptied in 4 hours and washed away quite a few houses and boats! It was an amazing site to see. Below are some pics of things that we saw. You can see the whole set of pictures by clicking here.

Happy 4th of July!

2008-07-04T10:17:00.007-05:00

I was invited to my friend John's 4th of July party last night at his 28th floor office which overlooks Millenium Park. This proved to be the ideal spot to watch the fireworks. We got an even better view when we crawled out a window onto the rooftop of the office building! That was a bit scary since everyone was sloppy drunk but rest assured, no one fell off the building. Below are some pics of our view as well as a video of the fireworks. You can see more pics here. Happy 4th ya'll!!!

Chicks N Hens

2008-07-02T19:01:00.001-05:00

Thank you TKalsz for the Chicks N Hens. As you can see they are growing quite well in the strawberry pot and one is about to bloom!

Flood Relief Tax Dollars At Work

2008-06-21T10:33:00.005-05:00

Just kidding! The guys have been working very hard! Brian sent this picture in from Jerseyville, IL, with the troops taking a break after a long days work. Still no photos of the flooding though.

Drive To Work

2008-06-20T07:52:00.002-05:00

Brian's platoon, or whatever they call it, drove a long 2.5 hours to East Hannibal, IL. They made it just in time for lunch, sitting just a few hundred feet away from the levee in danger of collapse. So far no pics of them bagging sand so I'm not sure what they're doing.

Carpooling To Work

Peaceful Lunch Along A Levee

Brian's New Bedroom

2008-06-19T23:27:00.005-05:00

Brian shot these exclusive photos of his accommodations near the flood zone. He'll be spending the next two weeks with 500 other fellow guardsmen in cramped quarters.

Sleeping Area

Brian's Bed

Illinois Deploys National Guard Troops

2008-06-18T22:18:00.001-05:00

So as many of you have heard already, Illinois is one of the states affected by flooding caused by the rising waters of the Mississippi River. As a result, more than 500 Illinois National Guard soldiers and airmen have been deployed in the western part of the state to help buildup and reinforce levees that are threatened by the rising waters. Take a wild guess on who will be out there bagging sand? Yes, it's none other than our beloved Brian! He will be reporting into Lui5.com with exclusive pictures, news, and comments on the flooding crisis so stay tuned!

Jason and Craig's BBQ

2008-06-15T20:42:00.000-05:00

Earlier this morning I woke up with a mean hangover. I just can't hang anymore but I did have a blast last night at Jason and Craig's BBQ. Peter flew in from LA and the old gang reunited once again.

The old gang reunited.

Peter Power Tool

Where's Waldo?

2008-06-01T19:52:00.003-05:00

Can anyone spot Waldo in Joe's garage?

Happy Birthday Isabelle!

2008-05-24T23:34:00.000-05:00

Isabelle hit the big number 4 today and to celebrate we all partook in hitting the pinata and eating lots of delicious food and cake! Click here for more fotos of the birthday celebration.

2008-05-24T18:20:00.001-05:00

Are you fracken kidding me?!

BriPhone Photos

2008-05-20T20:28:00.000-05:00

Lucy

Lucy, the rest of her!

Posted on Natuba

Check out Brian's photo stream on Natuba!

2008-05-17T20:34:00.001-05:00

Roy and Roy Jr.

Flora And Fauna Of DuPage County

2008-05-02T21:09:00.000-05:00

On a series of hikes throughout DuPage County I was able to capture these unique pictures of the variety of wildlife found throughout the county.

American Bison - Fermi Lab

White-Crowned Sparrow - Glendale Heights, IL

Painted Turtle - West DuPage Woods

???

Humans - Fermilab

Spring Has Arrived On Coventry Circle

2008-04-26T10:02:00.001-05:00

Earth Hour

2008-03-30T11:13:00.005-05:00

We celebrated Earth Hour with dinner, drinks, and friends. As you can see, we turned our lights off. Did you?(Photo: AP)

(Photo: Chris Sweda/Chicago Sun-Times)

Medieval Times

2008-03-23T20:59:00.005-05:00

Last night I put on my best British accent and headed over to Medieval Times in Schaumburg. The food was absolutely splendid and the show was brilliant! I did have a bloody headache from drinking but overall me and my mates had a jolly ole times. Click here to see the whole set of pics.

Ross's Goose Spotted In Glendale Heights, IL

2008-03-16T13:59:00.002-05:00

It has been confirmed. The goose I saw from my window yesterday was indeed a Ross's Goose. It is quite rare in this part of the country as it's migratory path is normally farther west past Iowa. [Source]

What is it?

2008-03-15T11:00:00.001-05:00

Anyone have any ideas of what this white bird is? It flew into my backyard with a couple of Canadian Geese this morning.

Colors From The Chicago Flower and Garden Show

2008-03-14T23:39:00.001-05:00

Leap Day Babies

2008-03-02T19:15:00.004-06:00

My sister's cat had babies on Leap Day! Two kittens were born. Mother and babies are doing fine. The baby daddy, of course, is no where to be found! Ghetto!

Julsus Christ

2008-02-15T19:59:00.004-06:00

Praise Julsus! Can I get an Amen?

Winter Wonderland

2008-02-06T17:58:00.000-06:00

My company let us out early today due to the storm that has dumped 12+ inches of snow! Woot woot! This is yet another storm to hit the Chicago area in less than a week and the meteorologists are already saying this is going to be one of the snowiest winters on record. Having the afternoon off I decided to drive around and take some pictures of my neighborhood which was transformed into a winter wonderland.

After The Storm

2008-02-01T21:22:00.000-06:00

As you can tell from the picture of Brian above, there is a butt load of snow! The storm dropped 8 to 12 inches of snow across the Chicagoland area! Not a record but still quite impressive.

2.5 Hour Commute Home!!!

2008-01-31T22:31:00.000-06:00

Yes, my normal 25min commute turned into 2.5 hours last night thanks to the latest winter storm to hit the Chicagoland area. Stupid winter!!!

Bald Eagles Along The Illinois River

2008-01-27T20:14:00.000-06:00

Earlier today we drove to Starved Rock State Park for Bald Eagle Watch 2008. We joined hundreds of others to watch the wintering Bald Eagles along the Illinois River. We saw roughly 40 eagles. Some were perched on trees and others were flying around and diving towards the river to catch fish! This was my first time seeing a Bald Eagle in the wild so it was pretty exciting. Thanks to Brian's bright idea, I was able to take some close up shots of the birds by taking pictures via my binoculars with my point and shoot camera.

Frigid Temperatures

2008-01-19T22:19:00.000-06:00

Today was good hibernating weather as temperatures outside reached the single digits for a high. Luckily we have south facing windows which made for a balmy 79 degrees indoors. The heater did not go on once!

Amy Got A Baby

2007-12-30T22:30:00.000-06:00

Today Brian and I found out that Amy was having a baby!!! We met up with her and hubby Tom, Beth, Bob, and Val for lunch today. And thanks to today's technolgoy I can show you a pic of the baby in the Amy's tummy as well as a picture of us all at lunch. Congrats Ames!

Karaoke With The Boys

2007-12-27T17:34:00.000-06:00

So yesterday I had a lot of fun. I met up with my longtime friends (Craig, Peter, Mark and Jason) for dinner and then drinks at a bar. Well, it just so happened to be Karaoke night at the bar. Mark started off the evening by singing Elton John's "Daniel" and a beautiful rendition of Brooks and Dunn's "Neon Moon". The pressure was on for the rest of us to get up and sing so after a few drinks, Peter took to the stage and sang Kelly Clarkson's "Since U Been Gone". I followed up by singing Soul Asylum's "Runaway Train". After hell froze over Brian took to the stage and sang Bowling For Soup's "Ohio". John rounded out the evening by singing Dixie Chick's "Wide Open Spaces". A good time was had by all! Below are some pics and clips of the evening!

Baking Cookies With Joe, Sam, and Kids

2007-12-21T22:49:00.000-06:00

Last night we went to Joe and Samantha's house to bake some cookies with the kids. We made pizelles and sugar cookies. The adults had some wine and then it got really crazy when we all started singing and dancing which made for a very merry evening!

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

2007-12-18T19:52:00.000-06:00

OMG, I just bought Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town on DVD!!! Yeyyyyy!

What's Hansolo Packin'?

2007-12-16T17:59:00.000-06:00

Is it just me or does anyone else notice what Hansolo is packin' in his pants? This was on display at the Museum of Science and Industry this past week.

Star Wars Exhibit

2007-12-14T17:37:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Paul, Brian and I decided to take a day off of work go to the Museum of Science and Industry to see the Star Wars exhibit. My employee discount got us in for $5 bucks a person! Can't beat that! I was able to meet Queen Amidala of the Naboo and see many of the props that were used in making the movies. Below are some of the interesting pics that were taken.

Seperated at birth?

2007-12-12T21:01:00.000-06:00

What's funnier? The fact that Brian is picking the Duck-Billed dinosaurs nose or the fact that he looks just like it? Seperated at birth perhaps? I think so!

Christmasmarket

2007-12-01T20:41:00.000-06:00

Yesterday Brian, Shep, Chesca, and Aaron went into the city to see the maps exhibit at the Field museum. After that we headed to the Christmasmarket downtown and it was FREEZING!!!! Below are a few pics, and I mean a few since it was so damn cold out!

Wiesbaden

2007-11-15T20:18:00.000-06:00

I thought the picture below was quite funny. I decided to take a picture with the sad and happy lion statues atop the Neroberg hill in Wiesbaden. After doing a little sight seeing we all walked around town to do a little shopping. I ended up buying the most beautiful cuckoo in the whole world! Not only does it "cuckoo" but it plays "Adelweise" and "The Happy Wander" at the top of every hour while little figurines dance around. Ich liebe meine cuckoo clock!!!

Surprise!? Happy Birthday Jeanie!

2007-11-12T19:49:00.000-06:00

Brian and I made a special trip to Germany to surprise his mother for her birthday. As you can tell from the clip above, she was very "surprised". She later told us that she had a gut feeling we were coming. Her expression was priceless. :-)

When I grow up I want to be a _______________.

2007-10-31T18:48:00.001-05:00

Photo courtesy of an Lui5.com fan.

Lost In A Maiz Maze

2007-10-28T10:18:00.000-05:00

Last night Brian, Paul, Mark and I went to the Richardson Farm which has the world's largest corn maze. The conditions were just right for a late night maze under a full moon. With the light of our illuminted cell phones we were able to zigzag our way through the maze and find all 24 checkpoints in a little over 2 hours. We received our certificates of completion and became true SUPERSTARS!

Cranfest 2007

2007-09-30T22:24:00.000-05:00

This weekend we went to the world's biggest Cranberry Festival in Warrens, Wisconsin. This was our 2nd year in a row and just like last year, we had a great time! We also got to meet Anna and Kirby's new puppy, Mika. Thanks again to Anna, Kirby, Seth and Mary for hanging out with us.

Happy Birthday Chris!

2007-09-29T23:52:00.000-05:00

San Fran

2007-09-25T23:57:00.000-05:00

Yesterday afternoon was busy. We drove to San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. We visited Alcatraz Island, walked down Fisherman's Warf towards Pier 39 to see the California Sea Lions, visited Telegraph Hill to see the famous parrots, and then dinner in the Italian district. What can I say? San Fran is absolutely beautiful! This is one city I will definitely come back to visit!

Muir Woods

2007-09-25T11:04:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday we left Tahoe and drove to Sacramento to visit Dave and Penny. On Monday we drove to Muir Woods National Monument to see a grove of Redwood trees. I had to take a video of the trees since they wouldn't fit in the viewer of my camera! Amazing!

Myself, Renee, Brian, Dave and Penny in the bowels of a dead Redwood.

Virginia City

2007-09-21T23:50:00.000-05:00

Yesterday was a crappy day in Tahoe so we decided to head for the desert to escape the cold weather. We headed east over the mountains through a winter wonderland. Within half an hour we descended the snowy landscape to the dry and warm Nevada desert. We visited the old gold mining town of Virginia City where we shopped, toured an old mine, and rode a historic train through the desert.

Separated At Birth

2007-09-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

Could it be possible that Barbie the Horse and Tammy's dog Cracker were switched at birth? They both take their sweet ole time doing things, shy and beige. I mean, they do look like twins, don't they?

Horseback Riding In Tahoe

2007-09-19T23:00:00.000-05:00

Today Brian, Renee and I went horseback riding along some trails. I rode Willie, Brian rode Ace and Renee rode Barbie. Barbie was extremely slow as you can tell in one of the pics below. She kinda reminded me of Cracker. We had to stop about 5 times for Barbie to catch up with the rest of the group. Barbie kept on stopping along the way to munch on grass, take a dump and pee.

Road Trip Around Lake Tahoe

2007-09-19T09:01:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we got up early and took a 72 mile road trip around the entire perimeter of Lake Tahoe. Before our trip we stopped at the Rubicon Deli which is hidden inside the Tahoe Tree Nursery for some good ole sandwiches. I highly recommend this place if you want pheonominal food! Once we had our sandwiches we started our drive. We stopped along many viewpoints and parks along our drive. I was amazed at how blue and clear the lake was. It made for some good pictures. This roadtrip is a must if you ever find yourself in the area. The views of the lake are spectacular. Below are a few of the pics I took.

Emerald Bay

2007-09-18T10:59:00.000-05:00

Here are some pics of our recent hike around Emerald Bay. The water in the bay is crystal clear and is a brilliant emerald color when the sun shines on it. We took the mile long trail down about 500 ft to reach the bottom. The hike down was easy but was rather difficult coming back up. Below you can also find a picture of a Golden-mantled Ground Squirrel that stopped and posed for a picture.

D*** In A Box...

2007-09-17T23:24:00.000-05:00

1: Cut a hole in a box
2: Put your junk in that box
3: Make her open the box ...

Hiking In Tahoe

2007-09-17T22:47:00.000-05:00

Last Monday we took a hike up the Sierra Nevada Mountains near Squaw Valley. We saw some beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. At times we found it hard to breath since we were not used to the altitude but it was still well worth the trip up. Below are some pics of our hike.

Day 1 Of Vacation - Reno

2007-09-16T22:57:00.000-05:00

So, we flew into Reno, NV, last Saturday and we were looking forward to see some of city sites, but let me tell you, we were very disappointed. I had this vision of Reno being like a mini Vegas but boy was I wrong. The city was kinda dead. Everyone must have either been at the air show or at a big party that we didn't get invited to. We did manage to lose $50 bucks playing the slots and hung out at the local Starbucks when Jules and Renee arrived before heading out to Tahoe.

My First Movie Production

2007-09-15T22:28:00.000-05:00

As some of you already know, I arrived in Reno today to start my week long vacation visiting a few parts of the western US. Brian and I arrived early this morning and we have since been waiting for Diddymoppers and her husband to arrive. It's taken them HOURS!!! During that time I decided to make my first film and it's debuting here tonight on Lui5.com . Thanks to my friend Joe who mentioned that most computers today come with Windows Movie Maker, I decided to make a short vid of my flight from Chicago to Reno. Let me know what ya'll think. Who knows, I could be the next Steven Spielberg or something like that.

Apple Unveils New iPod with Wi-Fi

2007-09-05T19:59:00.000-05:00

CEO Steve Jobs unveiled Apple's latest iPods today at MacWorld. The new iPod Touch was the showstopper at today's event. This iPod is similar to the iPhone but without the phone. Along with the iPod Touch, Brian.... I mean Steve also showed off the new Nano which boasts a larger and brighter screen with video capabilities and upgrades to the Shuffle.

Mushrooms Galore

2007-09-03T08:21:00.000-05:00

I took a picture of these mushrooms outside of work the other day. It seems like the recent heavy rains in the area has produced a proliferation of mushrooms.

I Finally Have Electricity

2007-08-27T18:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, I finally have electricity after being in the dark since last Thursday! These past few days have been pretty crazy. It started out with a tornado warning last Thursday. Me and others at work were told to hunker down in the bathrooms until the "all clear" was given. That was not fun because someone had just used the bathroom so you can imagine the stench. Then came the high winds, lightening and biblical floods. I mean, there was standing water everywhere! We were asked to leave work because the standing water had started to creep towards my building. I gladly left, only to sit in traffic while a 2nd round of storms hit the area. It took me a good 2 hours to get home when it normally takes me just 30 mins. I finally made it home only to find the lights outs. I was living the Amish life for roughly 4 days. Most of the food in the frig and freezer had to be thrown out and worst of all I had no internet, no light, and NO TV!!! The lights finally came back on early this morning and what a relief it was! Below are some pics I took of the flooding and damage caused by last Thursday's storms.

Brian And The Fortune Teller

2007-08-22T06:44:00.000-05:00

What do you think the fortune teller told Brian? Fill in the blank below.

The fortune teller told Brian _________.

Cool Globes

2007-08-16T22:44:00.001-05:00

Last Monday I took a trip downtown to see the Cool Globes art exhibit on Chicago's lakefront. The globes are intended to inspire people to take action against global warming. Below are a few of my favorite globes. My whole set of pictures can be seen here at the following link: Click Here!

Happy Birthday Brian!

2007-08-08T21:36:00.001-05:00

Thanks to Angie Love for providing the cutest baby pic in the world to adorn Brian's birthday cake! Mucho love and Happy Birthday Brian from me and your friends from the Depot.

What Are These Two?

2007-08-03T18:58:00.000-05:00

These two guys were spotted outside of Baraboo, Wisconsin. Any guesses on who or what they are?

Trip To House On The Rock

2007-08-02T20:03:00.001-05:00

So last weekend we took a road trip to House On The Rock in Spring Green, WI. I've never been to such a weird place in my life. The house itself is rather dark throughout and one can see many weird things like serpents, dolls enjoying a ride on a carousel, half human-goat mannequins, giant octopus', doll houses, the world's largest canon and many other odd tchotchkes. Below are some pics I took inside the house. You can see my whole set at the following link. Click Here

Brian standing in the infinity room.

A black person eating watermellon. (That's just wrong.)

Stuffed frog playing the violin.

Brian smelling an elephant's butt.

I'm not sure what these creatures are.

Dolls enjoying a ride on a real carousel. FREAKY!!!

An octopus playing music.

Scary giant clown.

Papa!

2007-07-31T21:53:00.000-05:00