Last Thursday, December 4, 2008 was a hard and sad day for me and my family:
My Grandfather, Geronimo Valdez, Jr. passed away, he was 85 years old. This is a brief recount of the things we did together:
12/10/08 Por Valdez Chico!
Hello, ladies and gentlemen . . . nod, a bit less formally, hello to my family and friends;
“Ohhh, quieres mucho, tu!” Tio always used to say that to me, or the famous phrase: “Vas patras, tu…” Either way, my Tio was the best Grandpa a boy and now the man presenting this speech to you could ever have.
He’d take me anywhere and everywhere. To San Francisco by the beach to have fun in the sand and take cool 70’s plaid pants on the Grandson pictures, me smiling with his sunglasses on atop Tia’s ‘65 Ford Mustang hood.
Being an “Only Son,” it was a privilege when spending the night with Tio & Tia; which as you all know, back in the 70’s I practically lived at Tio’s from Friday after school until Sunday night after my parents long recovery from partying; watching Led Zeppelin, Eric Clapton, The Doors, Jimmy Hendrix, and Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young up at the Fillmore in S.F. ;) It’s OK Dad, you then got to instill an amazing taste in Rock N Roll music in me and hey, I got a new Transformer toy every weekend, YEAH BABY!!! We’d often take a quick trip to the closest arcade. Tio and Tia would drop me off inside the local arcade and be waiting outside in their car, sometimes for hours while I played away and enjoyed myself. They’d have a sandwich or snack from the liquor store close by and chat the night away while I spent quarter after quarter on perfecting my Jedi Knight reaction times.
I remember Tia telling me, “Mijo, here’s another $5 dollars, but don’t tell Tio cause that’ll be $10 you’ve spent here on these games…now go play quick, and don’t say NOAUSSSING to you Tio!!!!” J Those were the days. There were the unforgettable weekends at Tia’s playing my Atari 2600 (a friend of mine’s Dad worked for Atari and every three or four months would give me two EPROM chips to stick in the special cartridge he gave me to play the new games that just came out (I got em’ for free and everyone else was buying them at Toys R Us or Kmart, Radio Shack, etc, etc).
I used to love it when I got older, at the end of Junior High or being a Junior or Senior at Cupertino High School . . . Tio would start a debate with me, and I knew I was right about a certain thing and he’d pipe back at me, “Yeah, that’s what I mean, that’s right…that’s what I was going to say!” Ahhh, My Tio. He was an amazing gentleman. Both Tio and my Dad taught me to be gentle, never to hit a woman, to treat them with respect and dignity. To say what many kids these days forget or never think about, they are simple phrases: Please, Thank you, and You're Welcome. My Dad especially taught me about chivalry and to be courteous, respectful, and thankful for everything I have.
I’m really going to miss Tio. He would cherish every time I showed up at Tia’s, whether for dinner or just to stop by with some donuts from Donut Wheel on Saratoga-Sunnyvale Rd and 280. Every time I came through the door he knew I’d make a quick right, walk over to Tia and kiss her on the lips or on the forehead and give her a hug, “Hello.” After all, Ladies first, right? I’d then wander over his direction; he was always plopped down on the couch watching TV. ;) He’d see me come around the corner from the kitchen and just beam with pride and love—being so happy and glad I had come over. He was like the NEW Puppy you get from the Pound, that puppy knew you were its new owner that would give it undivided attention and the Pup would be elated and excited as all get go to see you, his tail wagging 100 miles an hour and never stopping; that’s how happy he’d be to see us all come over, what a smile, it always made me smile to see him light up that way.
A couple funny things I’ll mention, he always thought that if he left his old cars in the driveway getting older, that, “Mijo, you better believe it that car's gonna be worth more because it’s a classic!” Well, that “Classic 396” was only worth $2,000 when he sold it; but prior to the sale he told me, “Ohh yeah, don’t worry I’m gonna get $4,500 for that Chevelle, you watch….easy!” And I think my Dad picked up what I call the “Urgency Syndrome” from Tio. If Tio wanted something done now or tomorrow at 9:00am, then by-golly it better friggin’ be done at the time he wanted it done; if you couldn’t do it, then he’d find someone else who could help him or do it himself, cause you weren’t good enough (until the next time he needed some heavy lifting done that he couldn’t do). His task had to be done now, man, NOW!!! :)
Tio always kept me laughing or smiling in one way or another, I’ll never forget that. And as we used to say in a short game on the drive home from school to his house: “OK, alright . . . . alright OK, OK, alright, OK, OK, ALRIGHT ! ! !”
I Love You, Tio. God Bless You, keep you safe, watch over us now that your with God and Jeana and when you see Grandma Cruz, tell her I said, “Ohhh Lord!” I miss Grandma Cruz’s laugh, she was an Angel. I will always remember you, Tio, and thank you for touching my life, in your special way. I’d like to repeat the last words I said to you before you passed, you were waiting for all of us to get there. I kneeled over at your side and said, “Tio, I’m here. I love you with all my heart. You’re the best Grandpa a man could ever have and I don’t want you to be scared…..there’s no need to be afraid, because whether you go now or in 5 or 10 years, you will be with God and you’ll get to see Grandma Eusevia, My Grandma Cruz, and Grandma and Grandpa Greig and all of our family that have passed before us. You tell that special lady of mine, Jeana that you want some Spaghetti and homemade meatballs and Lasagna. But most importantly tell her I said “Hello and we miss her” from Breanna and me. I love you so much, Tio, but it’s OK to go if it’s time. Don’t let us hold you back, God needs you by his side to help others in Heaven and here on Earth. Godspeed, and God Bless you . . . I will always be with you in Spirit and you’ll always be in my Heart.
So I finished talking to him, knelt over closer and gave him a hug, and with that said, approximately 5 or 10 minutes later, my Tio took his last breath and passed away on Thursday, December 4, 2008, at 7:20pm.
Thank you all for coming today, it means the world to Tia, My Dad, me and my family. Anybody got three shots of Tequila or some J.D. I might need to get blitzed and drown out my sadness for a few days. I’m just kidding, but I will have one or two for Geronimo Valdez, Jr….why, because he was THE MAN!
God bless all of you and again, thank you for coming to this service, we appreciate it more than you know. Take care, ALL . . . . .
Tuesday, December 09, 2008
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Thursday, 8-29-08, 12:36am
Holy cow, OK, as if my last post wasn't bad enough, the heat today in Houston was a whopping 104 degrees!!!!!!! With the humidity it felt like 120, GOD DANG ! ! ! ! ! ! ! :( I hate this heat. :)
OK, now on to something I rarely comment on cause most politicians suck and are thiefs and liars, much like myself. LOL!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) OK, humor aside, here's a quote from Yahoo News concerning Bill Clinton's truthful support of Barrack Obama:
-----------------------------------------
"He was not used to the 24/7 news cycle and people with cell phones recordin what he said at every stop,” a close associate of his told me. “But you can’t blame Bill Clinton for the loss. At end of the day, he was a huge plus.”
Now, both Clintons have a chance to be a plus for Obama. But one of the greatest contributions they can make is to leave the spotlight. There can be only one nominee.
Conventions are a time for unity and good feelings, however, and the crowd received Bill very, very warmly Wednesday night.
Basking in the applause, he said: “I love this.”
And who says Bill Clinton doesn’t tell the truth?"
-----------------------------------------
Amen to that reporter, Roger Simon. That was a great article, it was much longer than the cut out paragraph above, but that last bit was perfect. A nice way to defend one of the greatest Presidents this country has ever had. He was a great leader and did a lot for us, but got tarnished, severely for his extra marrital affair with Monica Lewinsky. Everyone said, "No President should ever do that and remain in office."
You know what, leave the man alone. It's his "personal business." Even though he WAS the most powerful man in America, nobody has the right to judge or delve into his personal life. How would you like reporters, paparrazi and teens with cell phones recording your every move and writing down or typing in WHATEVER YOU SAY? It would be an "invasion of privacy," right?
Your Honor, I rest my case. Three words:
Bill Clinton Rocks!
I'd elect his ass again over Obama any day, but alas, he served his two terms in Office.
"Say Goodnight, Gracie . . . . ," and with that, I exit, Stage left. ;)
-Brian
Holy cow, OK, as if my last post wasn't bad enough, the heat today in Houston was a whopping 104 degrees!!!!!!! With the humidity it felt like 120, GOD DANG ! ! ! ! ! ! ! :( I hate this heat. :)
OK, now on to something I rarely comment on cause most politicians suck and are thiefs and liars, much like myself. LOL!!!!!!! NOT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) OK, humor aside, here's a quote from Yahoo News concerning Bill Clinton's truthful support of Barrack Obama:
-----------------------------------------
"He was not used to the 24/7 news cycle and people with cell phones recordin what he said at every stop,” a close associate of his told me. “But you can’t blame Bill Clinton for the loss. At end of the day, he was a huge plus.”
Now, both Clintons have a chance to be a plus for Obama. But one of the greatest contributions they can make is to leave the spotlight. There can be only one nominee.
Conventions are a time for unity and good feelings, however, and the crowd received Bill very, very warmly Wednesday night.
Basking in the applause, he said: “I love this.”
And who says Bill Clinton doesn’t tell the truth?"
-----------------------------------------
Amen to that reporter, Roger Simon. That was a great article, it was much longer than the cut out paragraph above, but that last bit was perfect. A nice way to defend one of the greatest Presidents this country has ever had. He was a great leader and did a lot for us, but got tarnished, severely for his extra marrital affair with Monica Lewinsky. Everyone said, "No President should ever do that and remain in office."
You know what, leave the man alone. It's his "personal business." Even though he WAS the most powerful man in America, nobody has the right to judge or delve into his personal life. How would you like reporters, paparrazi and teens with cell phones recording your every move and writing down or typing in WHATEVER YOU SAY? It would be an "invasion of privacy," right?
Your Honor, I rest my case. Three words:
Bill Clinton Rocks!
I'd elect his ass again over Obama any day, but alas, he served his two terms in Office.
"Say Goodnight, Gracie . . . . ," and with that, I exit, Stage left. ;)
-Brian
Wednesday, 8-27-08, 5:10pm
OK, Houston . . . . this hot weather and humidity bullshit: YOU CAN KEEP IT ! ! ! ! I've been in this Hot Zone for three days now and Jesus H, come on, where's the give?! :)
Thank God the green 2008 Mustang they gave me has A/C otherwise I'd have to check out. I'm definitely hitting the pool tonight, no Spa, it's hotter than the proverbial "whorehouse in Texas." ;) Yesterday, I went from the front of A-4 to the "visitor parking" section, which is close, but I was drenched in a downpour of torrential rain. No biggie, it was just water.
Well, when I got to the car, I got in and pulled down the mirror and was like, holy flash floods, Batman!!!!!! I was soaked, I looked at my shirt and pants and they were drenched too.....at least half way down my pants was.....man and the thunder sounds like something out of the war movies we all watch: BOOM, crack, BOOOOOOM!!!!! One thunder burst went off right over head when I got back to my hotel and I actually ducked. It was so loud, that I thought a tree or something right behind me got struck, it was a trip! :)
I did get to hear the new Metallica, which SUCKED! I do enjoy the Schizophrenic Psycho song by Puddle of Mudd, that tune rocks. I'm waiting to hear the other two Metallica songs to see if they're any good, but for now that tune, "The Day That Never Comes," friggin' blows goats. Sorry Metallica, but I am a LONG TIME True Fan, and I don't mince words. Pick up your guitars and riff out some better sounding music; again, I'll await the other two, you'd better not disappoint.
Cable Guy, Jack of all Trades, Master of None: It's 5:00am, do you know where your Son is? :) LOL! ! ! ! ;)
This is Valdez Chico, signing off . . .
OK, Houston . . . . this hot weather and humidity bullshit: YOU CAN KEEP IT ! ! ! ! I've been in this Hot Zone for three days now and Jesus H, come on, where's the give?! :)
Thank God the green 2008 Mustang they gave me has A/C otherwise I'd have to check out. I'm definitely hitting the pool tonight, no Spa, it's hotter than the proverbial "whorehouse in Texas." ;) Yesterday, I went from the front of A-4 to the "visitor parking" section, which is close, but I was drenched in a downpour of torrential rain. No biggie, it was just water.
Well, when I got to the car, I got in and pulled down the mirror and was like, holy flash floods, Batman!!!!!! I was soaked, I looked at my shirt and pants and they were drenched too.....at least half way down my pants was.....man and the thunder sounds like something out of the war movies we all watch: BOOM, crack, BOOOOOOM!!!!! One thunder burst went off right over head when I got back to my hotel and I actually ducked. It was so loud, that I thought a tree or something right behind me got struck, it was a trip! :)
I did get to hear the new Metallica, which SUCKED! I do enjoy the Schizophrenic Psycho song by Puddle of Mudd, that tune rocks. I'm waiting to hear the other two Metallica songs to see if they're any good, but for now that tune, "The Day That Never Comes," friggin' blows goats. Sorry Metallica, but I am a LONG TIME True Fan, and I don't mince words. Pick up your guitars and riff out some better sounding music; again, I'll await the other two, you'd better not disappoint.
Cable Guy, Jack of all Trades, Master of None: It's 5:00am, do you know where your Son is? :) LOL! ! ! ! ;)
This is Valdez Chico, signing off . . .
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sunday, 8-24-08, 12:50pm
Flying out to Houston, TX, for HP. Wow, I've never been away from the kids for more than a day or so, and at that I was still close. Tressa used to leave for 2 or 3 days work with Del Valle Homes, but she was still only an hour and a half or two hours away.
This will be an adventure that's for sure. I'm going to HP's Houston campus to the Color LaserJet University training for five days (Monday through Friday).
It was a bit rough leaving the kids and Tressa at the Security Screening gate. Breanna was crying stating she'd miss me, Tress was crying and telling me she loves me so much. Logan was crying cause he toppled over a Security Screener guy by the window. LMAO! He was rough horsing with Breanna and somehow hurdled himself towards the back of the guy's knees and he went down: BOOM!!! I helped him up a little and he said, "That's OK....no problem." But we railed Logan, "You don't do that young man, you tell him you're sorry." Which he did, but he was humbled and embarrassed and knew he was in trouble, so he started crying.
I waved goodbye to Tressa and Logan (since she was holding him) until I couldn't see their faces as I walked down the terminal. Holding back a few tears of my own. I will miss them this week. IT's gonna be a lot of traveling. Flight leaves San Jose at 1:50pm, gets to Houston at approximately 5:40pm (by that time, I'll have covered a little time zone hop, so it'll be 7:40pm Houston time. :)
Then I'll fly back from Houston at 6:40pm and arrive in San Jose at 8:40pm (minus the two hour time zone hop back to Pacific Standard Time). Hey, all I can say is: God Bless Overtime. ;)
I'm gonna get some snacks now for the flight. I'm sitting at Terminal C2 awaiting boarding time for now. At least San Jose Intl has FREE Wi-Fi internet for travelers waiting around. :)
Tressa, Breanna, and Logan, Daddy loves you with all his heart. Be good, have fun, listen to Mommy, watch some good movies, and I'll see you soon. I love you guys! Kisses and BIG HUGS!!!
Love,
Brian
Flying out to Houston, TX, for HP. Wow, I've never been away from the kids for more than a day or so, and at that I was still close. Tressa used to leave for 2 or 3 days work with Del Valle Homes, but she was still only an hour and a half or two hours away.
This will be an adventure that's for sure. I'm going to HP's Houston campus to the Color LaserJet University training for five days (Monday through Friday).
It was a bit rough leaving the kids and Tressa at the Security Screening gate. Breanna was crying stating she'd miss me, Tress was crying and telling me she loves me so much. Logan was crying cause he toppled over a Security Screener guy by the window. LMAO! He was rough horsing with Breanna and somehow hurdled himself towards the back of the guy's knees and he went down: BOOM!!! I helped him up a little and he said, "That's OK....no problem." But we railed Logan, "You don't do that young man, you tell him you're sorry." Which he did, but he was humbled and embarrassed and knew he was in trouble, so he started crying.
I waved goodbye to Tressa and Logan (since she was holding him) until I couldn't see their faces as I walked down the terminal. Holding back a few tears of my own. I will miss them this week. IT's gonna be a lot of traveling. Flight leaves San Jose at 1:50pm, gets to Houston at approximately 5:40pm (by that time, I'll have covered a little time zone hop, so it'll be 7:40pm Houston time. :)
Then I'll fly back from Houston at 6:40pm and arrive in San Jose at 8:40pm (minus the two hour time zone hop back to Pacific Standard Time). Hey, all I can say is: God Bless Overtime. ;)
I'm gonna get some snacks now for the flight. I'm sitting at Terminal C2 awaiting boarding time for now. At least San Jose Intl has FREE Wi-Fi internet for travelers waiting around. :)
Tressa, Breanna, and Logan, Daddy loves you with all his heart. Be good, have fun, listen to Mommy, watch some good movies, and I'll see you soon. I love you guys! Kisses and BIG HUGS!!!
Love,
Brian
Saturday, May 24, 2008
May 24, 2008, 7:50am
Memorial Day Weekend, it's nice to have a three day weekend once in a while. I was super tired last night. Didn't really talk to any one, just text'd my buddy Rome about next week. Hopefully taking the kids to The Jungle next Tuesday or Wednesday. They'll love it!
My Dad finally got his Samsung base and remote for his new LCD TV (it's a 40", mine's still bigger)!!! ;) All kidding aside, it's a nice TV, good, sharp colors, contrast is nice and when he tweaks the color settings to where he likes it, it will look awesome in his bedroom.
Had to go down to the Police Impound garage (aka: Sunnyvale Tow) and get his 1995 Ford Escort out of lock up. What sucked is S'vale PD said it would only cost him $145, but it's that, plus a $70 gate fee, and a $45 storage fee after 4 hours (which is horseshit) . . . . . you would think they'd charge you the forty-five AFTER it was there overnight. NOPE, not the case. A-holes! The tow truck driver that met us there at approx 7:40pm last night was a real dick as well.
I stated, "Why does Sunnyvale PD only mark and then tow one vehicle on this residential street?" There are cars parked UP and DOWN this street ALL the time. They don't move, they're there ALL THE TIME, because people parallel park in front of their houses every day and every night. It's been that way since I was 10 (I'm 34 now). "Why do they pick one Mexican's car and tow his vehicle out of the hundreds of cars on the street?"
The "Tow Truck Driver" from behind the counter says, "Well, you know.....you seen one Mexican you've seen em' all." This PISSED ME OFF. I responded without hesitation, "Yeah, so that's like you've seen one White Guy you've seen them all, huh?" His face turned red, and he didn't say another damn word for about 3 or 4 minutes, he just typed in what he needed to do on the computer terminal and charged my Dad the stupid $265 to get his Ford Escort out of the Impound Lot. What an ass that dude was, I couldn't believe he said that. The whole time this moderate tension was in gear, my Dad's just lookin' at me, and I was waiting for him to say, "Look, Asshole, I want your name, your Manager's name, and get his butt on the phone right now!!!" :) But he didn't, he calmly, waited there, still pissed that he had to pay more than $145 . . . . . his mature age showing now, he passively waited and paid his bill.
If he was 10 years younger, that idiot Tow Truck Driver behind the counter probably would have been out of a job. :) But alas, he's "Mr. Cool" and you'll be the fool if you fuck with him. Don't worry, Dad, I gotch yer' back! ;)
It sucks when you get a stupid "Parking Ticket" for parallel parking your own vehicle in front of your OWN HOME. This world has gone upside down I think. But, the City gets its revenue, and the Cops get paid, and the Tow Truck Driver make stupid and maybe sometimes "costly" remarks to their customers. We just walked out of there and remembered one thing: What goes around, comes around. Amen to that.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend, it's Saturday, 8:35am. Time to start this day, Biotch!!! ;)
Regards,
Brian
Memorial Day Weekend, it's nice to have a three day weekend once in a while. I was super tired last night. Didn't really talk to any one, just text'd my buddy Rome about next week. Hopefully taking the kids to The Jungle next Tuesday or Wednesday. They'll love it!
My Dad finally got his Samsung base and remote for his new LCD TV (it's a 40", mine's still bigger)!!! ;) All kidding aside, it's a nice TV, good, sharp colors, contrast is nice and when he tweaks the color settings to where he likes it, it will look awesome in his bedroom.
Had to go down to the Police Impound garage (aka: Sunnyvale Tow) and get his 1995 Ford Escort out of lock up. What sucked is S'vale PD said it would only cost him $145, but it's that, plus a $70 gate fee, and a $45 storage fee after 4 hours (which is horseshit) . . . . . you would think they'd charge you the forty-five AFTER it was there overnight. NOPE, not the case. A-holes! The tow truck driver that met us there at approx 7:40pm last night was a real dick as well.
I stated, "Why does Sunnyvale PD only mark and then tow one vehicle on this residential street?" There are cars parked UP and DOWN this street ALL the time. They don't move, they're there ALL THE TIME, because people parallel park in front of their houses every day and every night. It's been that way since I was 10 (I'm 34 now). "Why do they pick one Mexican's car and tow his vehicle out of the hundreds of cars on the street?"
The "Tow Truck Driver" from behind the counter says, "Well, you know.....you seen one Mexican you've seen em' all." This PISSED ME OFF. I responded without hesitation, "Yeah, so that's like you've seen one White Guy you've seen them all, huh?" His face turned red, and he didn't say another damn word for about 3 or 4 minutes, he just typed in what he needed to do on the computer terminal and charged my Dad the stupid $265 to get his Ford Escort out of the Impound Lot. What an ass that dude was, I couldn't believe he said that. The whole time this moderate tension was in gear, my Dad's just lookin' at me, and I was waiting for him to say, "Look, Asshole, I want your name, your Manager's name, and get his butt on the phone right now!!!" :) But he didn't, he calmly, waited there, still pissed that he had to pay more than $145 . . . . . his mature age showing now, he passively waited and paid his bill.
If he was 10 years younger, that idiot Tow Truck Driver behind the counter probably would have been out of a job. :) But alas, he's "Mr. Cool" and you'll be the fool if you fuck with him. Don't worry, Dad, I gotch yer' back! ;)
It sucks when you get a stupid "Parking Ticket" for parallel parking your own vehicle in front of your OWN HOME. This world has gone upside down I think. But, the City gets its revenue, and the Cops get paid, and the Tow Truck Driver make stupid and maybe sometimes "costly" remarks to their customers. We just walked out of there and remembered one thing: What goes around, comes around. Amen to that.
Have a great Memorial Day Weekend, it's Saturday, 8:35am. Time to start this day, Biotch!!! ;)
Regards,
Brian
Thursday, May 08, 2008
Thursday, 5-8-08, 5:35am
OK, I finally broke down and did it. I got a great deal online from www.butterflycamera.com on a Canon SD1000 IS digital camera. It originally was $289, but since it's going to be "End of Life'd" pretty soon, they're selling them for clearance prices!!! I got mine for $159 + 5.99 shippng UPS Ground. You can't beat that with a stick! So now, this will be Tressa's camera and I'll use our still amazing camera, the Canon SD700 IS (in case you didn't know, the "IS" stands for image stabilization for those folks with shaky hands). It takes awesome pictures, some amazing fine details. If you've got a white head you don't want any one to see, show me the other side of your face, because this camera catches every detail. :)
I'm going to take Tressa and the kids to see Ironman tonight, should be sweet!!! The reviews are in, and they're all saying this version of Ironman is pretty killer. That's good, cause a lot of times comic hero movies are drawn out, too much introduction to the super hero guy, and not enough action, etc, etc. A friend of mine saw the film and stated, this movie is ALL ACTION!!! Cool, can't wait to check it out.
OK, have to get working on my Aperture move list project for the 52 servers we're moving on Friday. OH JOY!!!!!!!! :(
More to come . . .
Brian
OK, I finally broke down and did it. I got a great deal online from www.butterflycamera.com on a Canon SD1000 IS digital camera. It originally was $289, but since it's going to be "End of Life'd" pretty soon, they're selling them for clearance prices!!! I got mine for $159 + 5.99 shippng UPS Ground. You can't beat that with a stick! So now, this will be Tressa's camera and I'll use our still amazing camera, the Canon SD700 IS (in case you didn't know, the "IS" stands for image stabilization for those folks with shaky hands). It takes awesome pictures, some amazing fine details. If you've got a white head you don't want any one to see, show me the other side of your face, because this camera catches every detail. :)
I'm going to take Tressa and the kids to see Ironman tonight, should be sweet!!! The reviews are in, and they're all saying this version of Ironman is pretty killer. That's good, cause a lot of times comic hero movies are drawn out, too much introduction to the super hero guy, and not enough action, etc, etc. A friend of mine saw the film and stated, this movie is ALL ACTION!!! Cool, can't wait to check it out.
OK, have to get working on my Aperture move list project for the 52 servers we're moving on Friday. OH JOY!!!!!!!! :(
More to come . . .
Brian
Wednesday, May 07, 2008
Wednesday, 5-7-08, 2:45am
HOLY S**T ! ! ! I will never buy another Sony TV for as long as I live. :) Which is sort of unfortunate for Sony, because I've always loved their TV's. I saw a 57" Samsung yesterday at Circuit City that was simply put: Amazing.
The TV was not one of the "latest and greatest" sets, but it was about 7 or 8 months old. The nice feature that set it apart was the 120 Hz feature (which supposedly smooths out any jagged lines or blocky frames that come in on your HDTV converter or DirecTV box. The colors were crisp and sharp as can be, and it was nice, because I was comparing it to it's little brother, a "standard" Samsung LCD TV right next to it (that unit was also not the latest and greatest, but it was cool to see just what the 120 Hz feature does for you). That's my next TV if I ever upgrade.
Yeah, right. Who am I kidding, I need to pay off my loan that my Dad gave me, then I can buy a TV, so that'll be some time in 2057. ;)
I was also checking out the Canon SD 1000 IS, the "I.S." is for image stabilization for those of you with shaky hands, it auto-corrects this and takes a great still image pic.
Breanna took her awesome "School Pictures" yesterday, damn she's a cutie. Six years old going on 13 ! ! ! Logan's pics are next week, 3.75 years old and he's built like a six year old ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! :)
We're going to be putting them both in Public School soon. Not soon enough if you ask me, but soon. SCS is a great school, but it's just too expensive. :(
OK, I'm tired, I just updated a couple CCT cases (logged in to work from home) and now I'm going back to sleep. I hate being on-call ! ! ! But hey, it's nice to get a few dollars on the check from a week's worth of being on stand-by.
More to come . . .
-BV
HOLY S**T ! ! ! I will never buy another Sony TV for as long as I live. :) Which is sort of unfortunate for Sony, because I've always loved their TV's. I saw a 57" Samsung yesterday at Circuit City that was simply put: Amazing.
The TV was not one of the "latest and greatest" sets, but it was about 7 or 8 months old. The nice feature that set it apart was the 120 Hz feature (which supposedly smooths out any jagged lines or blocky frames that come in on your HDTV converter or DirecTV box. The colors were crisp and sharp as can be, and it was nice, because I was comparing it to it's little brother, a "standard" Samsung LCD TV right next to it (that unit was also not the latest and greatest, but it was cool to see just what the 120 Hz feature does for you). That's my next TV if I ever upgrade.
Yeah, right. Who am I kidding, I need to pay off my loan that my Dad gave me, then I can buy a TV, so that'll be some time in 2057. ;)
I was also checking out the Canon SD 1000 IS, the "I.S." is for image stabilization for those of you with shaky hands, it auto-corrects this and takes a great still image pic.
Breanna took her awesome "School Pictures" yesterday, damn she's a cutie. Six years old going on 13 ! ! ! Logan's pics are next week, 3.75 years old and he's built like a six year old ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! :)
We're going to be putting them both in Public School soon. Not soon enough if you ask me, but soon. SCS is a great school, but it's just too expensive. :(
OK, I'm tired, I just updated a couple CCT cases (logged in to work from home) and now I'm going back to sleep. I hate being on-call ! ! ! But hey, it's nice to get a few dollars on the check from a week's worth of being on stand-by.
More to come . . .
-BV
Tuesday, April 01, 2008
3/31/08
Monday morning, 1:30am
I awoke to the sound of Tressa crying heavily. I was alarmed and sprung out of bed when she came into the master bedroom. "What's wrong," I hurriedly asked?
"It's Theo, he's dead . . . !" Theo was our 11 year old cat. He was a good kitty. Playful, full of life, and he had the most handsome face (his face looked like a tiger). He looked proud and courageous....but he was a "softy" and a "love." He wouldn't hurt a fly, but you couldn't tell that by looking at him. :)
Tress was really upset, and I was upset too; I looked at him there on the kitchen floor. We think he had a heart attack because he was in his normal sleeping position, legs folded over, resting. Poor little guy. He's with God in Heaven now, so he's in a better place, but we'll miss him greatly.
I dug a hole at the back of our shed here at home and we wrapped him in a blanket and burried him there. Tressa put a kitty statue (a nice pose of a cat laying down) there while Breanna and her laid out some flowers. Godspeed, Theo. You're the man!
Love,
Brian
Monday morning, 1:30am
I awoke to the sound of Tressa crying heavily. I was alarmed and sprung out of bed when she came into the master bedroom. "What's wrong," I hurriedly asked?
"It's Theo, he's dead . . . !" Theo was our 11 year old cat. He was a good kitty. Playful, full of life, and he had the most handsome face (his face looked like a tiger). He looked proud and courageous....but he was a "softy" and a "love." He wouldn't hurt a fly, but you couldn't tell that by looking at him. :)
Tress was really upset, and I was upset too; I looked at him there on the kitchen floor. We think he had a heart attack because he was in his normal sleeping position, legs folded over, resting. Poor little guy. He's with God in Heaven now, so he's in a better place, but we'll miss him greatly.
I dug a hole at the back of our shed here at home and we wrapped him in a blanket and burried him there. Tressa put a kitty statue (a nice pose of a cat laying down) there while Breanna and her laid out some flowers. Godspeed, Theo. You're the man!
Love,
Brian
Monday, January 07, 2008
January 7, 2008, 12:23am.
Wow, I am totally blown away by this evening's email from Kylie Woodard, my former Helpdesk co-worker at Synopsys. At 10:22pm she sent an email to a few of us "close friends" within Synopsys, I picked up my Blackberry JUST BY CHANCE at 10:37pm; what I read was probably in the shock factor range of 9 or 9.5 (Jeana occupies the factor of 10 level).
Alisa Banuelos, whom both Kylie and all the Helpdesk Team worked with closely for Aart DeGeus (the CEO of Synopsys) passed away yesterday evening at 9:35pm. I was shocked to read every bit of Kylie's brief email. No cause, no explanation, just that she was sad to say that, "Alisa had passed and was surrouned by family and friends . . ."
I'm still a bit upset, crying, because it brought back strong memories of Jeana's death. I went to see the movie "I Am Legend," with Will Smith. Dad picked me up at around 6:10pm and we saw it at Mercado. That movie also had some dramatic scenes of this soldier (Will Smith) protecting his wife and son, but losing them BOTH in a helicopter crash. He had thought they were both safe on board a Coast Guard chopper, but about 30 seconds after take off another chopper struck into the Coast Guard helicopter (the other choppy was taken down by some zombie-mutant types who tried to commandeer the aircraft).
It was a GREAT movie, but saddening when I thought about Jeana. So powerful, that's when you know a movie is good. When it makes a 34 year old cry like a baby, it's a damn good flick. :)
I'm going to bed now, tired and have to perform the Aperture Recalculation when I get up at 7:00am. OH JOY!!!!! ;)
Good night all. God, take care of Alisa's 10 year old son, and help her family get through this tradgedy quickly. I applied to be a Big Brother for her son this evening. I hope in some small way, whether it's once a month, or once a week, that I can help this little guy through this tough time, and be there to do fun stuff that my Dad did with me.
God Bless ALL of the Banuelos in their time of need. Amen.
Sincerely,
Brian
Wow, I am totally blown away by this evening's email from Kylie Woodard, my former Helpdesk co-worker at Synopsys. At 10:22pm she sent an email to a few of us "close friends" within Synopsys, I picked up my Blackberry JUST BY CHANCE at 10:37pm; what I read was probably in the shock factor range of 9 or 9.5 (Jeana occupies the factor of 10 level).
Alisa Banuelos, whom both Kylie and all the Helpdesk Team worked with closely for Aart DeGeus (the CEO of Synopsys) passed away yesterday evening at 9:35pm. I was shocked to read every bit of Kylie's brief email. No cause, no explanation, just that she was sad to say that, "Alisa had passed and was surrouned by family and friends . . ."
I'm still a bit upset, crying, because it brought back strong memories of Jeana's death. I went to see the movie "I Am Legend," with Will Smith. Dad picked me up at around 6:10pm and we saw it at Mercado. That movie also had some dramatic scenes of this soldier (Will Smith) protecting his wife and son, but losing them BOTH in a helicopter crash. He had thought they were both safe on board a Coast Guard chopper, but about 30 seconds after take off another chopper struck into the Coast Guard helicopter (the other choppy was taken down by some zombie-mutant types who tried to commandeer the aircraft).
It was a GREAT movie, but saddening when I thought about Jeana. So powerful, that's when you know a movie is good. When it makes a 34 year old cry like a baby, it's a damn good flick. :)
I'm going to bed now, tired and have to perform the Aperture Recalculation when I get up at 7:00am. OH JOY!!!!! ;)
Good night all. God, take care of Alisa's 10 year old son, and help her family get through this tradgedy quickly. I applied to be a Big Brother for her son this evening. I hope in some small way, whether it's once a month, or once a week, that I can help this little guy through this tough time, and be there to do fun stuff that my Dad did with me.
God Bless ALL of the Banuelos in their time of need. Amen.
Sincerely,
Brian
Sunday, January 06, 2008
January 6, 2008, 8:52am
Happy New Year ! ! ! Wow, I still can't believe we're six days into 2008......it seemed like 2007 went by waaaaay too fast. :)
Christmas 2007 was awesome, and although heavily broke from J. Barnes not paying the wife's wages on-time, we had a great X-Mas filled with laughter, family, and good times. New Years Eve was un-eventful, we simply kicked back, had a nice dinner at Grandma's (Tia's house) and let the kids stay up WAAAAAAAY too late watching movies. Logan's new favorite is Polar Express with Tom Hanks. We shouted, "Happy New Year!!!!!" at midnight with the rest of the Pacific Time Zone folks, and stayed up till about 1:30am enjoying the sounds, music, and TV specials they had on covering new years.
Tressa DVR'd the Evanesence: Live Set on VH1 for me. She loves Evanesence too, so it was a nice bonus show for me. She also snagged Cathouse: The Musical, so can't wait to watch that one. ;) Who doesn't love a shaved kitty any way? LOL!!!!!!!
I bought Rome Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare at Best Buy for X-Mas, he's gonna love it. The demo of the game is incredibly realistic and I want a copy some day too! :)
I also install "Insurgency" which is an Army/Marine MOD for HL2, it's pretty cool, but so real it's hard getting used to team tactics and being blown to bits by one rifle bullet. :(
We finally got the 2 tires Tressa needed for her Toyota Sienna XLE as well. They're BFGoodrich Touring Precept tires, and they ride nicely (great price $73.00 each at America's Tire store).
I might have to snag me a Blu-Ray DVD player from Frys or Circuit City soon. They're about $239 now, so that's a great price for a device that can crank out 4 or 5 times the resolution of a normal DVD!!!
Well, that's it for now....Tressa found my Canon SD700IS camera bag, so we now have the battery charger back and can actually USE the camera! ;)
Welcome to 2008, "Pos si ! ! ! !" Quien Sabe!!!? :-)
Brian
Happy New Year ! ! ! Wow, I still can't believe we're six days into 2008......it seemed like 2007 went by waaaaay too fast. :)
Christmas 2007 was awesome, and although heavily broke from J. Barnes not paying the wife's wages on-time, we had a great X-Mas filled with laughter, family, and good times. New Years Eve was un-eventful, we simply kicked back, had a nice dinner at Grandma's (Tia's house) and let the kids stay up WAAAAAAAY too late watching movies. Logan's new favorite is Polar Express with Tom Hanks. We shouted, "Happy New Year!!!!!" at midnight with the rest of the Pacific Time Zone folks, and stayed up till about 1:30am enjoying the sounds, music, and TV specials they had on covering new years.
Tressa DVR'd the Evanesence: Live Set on VH1 for me. She loves Evanesence too, so it was a nice bonus show for me. She also snagged Cathouse: The Musical, so can't wait to watch that one. ;) Who doesn't love a shaved kitty any way? LOL!!!!!!!
I bought Rome Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare at Best Buy for X-Mas, he's gonna love it. The demo of the game is incredibly realistic and I want a copy some day too! :)
I also install "Insurgency" which is an Army/Marine MOD for HL2, it's pretty cool, but so real it's hard getting used to team tactics and being blown to bits by one rifle bullet. :(
We finally got the 2 tires Tressa needed for her Toyota Sienna XLE as well. They're BFGoodrich Touring Precept tires, and they ride nicely (great price $73.00 each at America's Tire store).
I might have to snag me a Blu-Ray DVD player from Frys or Circuit City soon. They're about $239 now, so that's a great price for a device that can crank out 4 or 5 times the resolution of a normal DVD!!!
Well, that's it for now....Tressa found my Canon SD700IS camera bag, so we now have the battery charger back and can actually USE the camera! ;)
Welcome to 2008, "Pos si ! ! ! !" Quien Sabe!!!? :-)
Brian
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