Ben and Chara on the observation deck of the Empire State building

View from atop Empire State Building.

fireworks

fireworks..

view of the city from atop of the Empire State building

Ben viewing the lights of NY

Chara trying to figure out the binocular thingys

a great head thing above a door

Ben and Chara in Greenwich Village

Marcelleria, a great little restaurant in Greenwich village we ate at last night

Some pigs outside a very expensive Soho store

...

i hailed my first cab..

We have arrived in New York....

We are here, and safe, and due to the very mean Hotel not letting us check in early because it takes them 9 hours to clean a single room to let us check in, we had some time to kill.

So wandered around, and hit Times Square, Broadway, and Central Park

Beautiful City thus far. Some pictures below.

Ben...

and remember this lesson. Always ask for a manger. They can get stuff done.


Ben and Chara sitting in the sun in Central Park on a brisk New York morning

Beautiful lakes, ponds, and bridges all throughout the park

View of one of the main walkways in Central Park

The way the new york skyline juts out of Central Park is amazing and beautiful

On our way to New York

Leaving tonight

arrive early Friday morning

so excited

We are off to New York for the weekend for the High Definition Film Festival and to take in a couple sights if we have time

We'll post some pictures when we get a chance

But first off to Phil's BBQ for dinner on the way to the airport. YUM....

Ben...

..why can't every day be just this good..

so i was going to spend all weekend studying for this big test i have next week.. that's what i was going to do..
instead of course ben and i somehow made our way up to the oc.. where we picked up our niece and nephew, and brother, and his girlfriend.. and we headed to the goldenwest swapmeet for a wonderful day of fun in the sun..
taking care of two kids.. between four adults was a little overwhelming.. but we did it.. we had a great time.. i love family day..
seriously though.. this blog entry would be longer.. but i really do have to go study..

..don't mess around with a guy in shades... oh no..

mi familia..

deborah and her super cool sunglasses..

loan and deborah taking it easy with trevor doing all the work..

isaiah and uncle ben ready for a nap

bye bye real pepsi..

we're doing a paper on nutrition for one of my nursing classes.. according to my height and activity level (which is none) i'm about 7lbs over weight... This teacher says that i should only be eating about 1500 calories a day - and if i would like to lose weight i can only eat 1000 calories a day for 7 weeks... that'll help me loose my 7lbs.. of course i could exercise.. but i kinda hate that.. so i'm trying to figure out what i can eat and not gain any weight.. it looks like i'm going to have to go on the diet pepsi/snackwell diet.. i'm not happy about it.. but you gotta do what you gotta do..

wake me up before you go go

so i'm having a hard time getting up in the mornings... in order to get to school on time i have to be out the door by 5:45... i have never ever been a morning person.. and i don't drink coffee.. so i'm having difficulty... if i got up and ran around all day it wouldn't be as bad... but instead i get up and sit in a lecture for 6 - 9 hours... making me even more sleepy.. so.. i called my very smart father.. and i asked him what i could do... and my loving father sent me some sample packets of an all natural energy stuff... so.. being an idiot i took the pack and opened it.. and took both pills.. not bothering to read the instructions which would have told me to take only one pill... 30 minutes later i started shaking like crazy.. my face, chest, and hands are bright red.. i kinda freaked out.. my pulse however was normal.. unfortunately this is the day we started injections... and i can't hold my hands still.. good times..
so.. the next day i took only one of those neat little pills and i was awake for class.. but no shaking.... i am in love with this stuff...if any one needs any energy.. and wants to do it the natural way.. just let me know.. i've got some wonderful stuff..

wtf

one of my professors uses the f word.. a lot.. i'm not sure i'm comfortable with this..

just another day off

wednesdays are a day off for me.. which is much needed.. monday and tuesdays are really long days that start at 5am.. this is not easy for me.. this week sissy dropped by with my baby deborah, and we had a great time.. we jumped on the bed, and ate soy icecream sandwhiches, went shopping in down town san diego, and we got to meet ben for lunch.. we had a blast.. what a great day off...

deborah stops by for a visit

And the wall comes down...

And thus begins the Great Wall Project of 2005.

it was in my plans to get around to doing this... but the wall decided to fall apart ahead of schedule and thus update my plans.

so it was a cool day yesterday so i thought, why not start it now?

well i got a lot down... but it was not as fun as i thought it might be.

and still more work to come...

Ben...

and the wall comes down...

and the wall comes down more... its a lot of dirt and not a lot of fun

the most fun was digging out the really deep burried big things of concrete

End of the weekend's progress

Project Backpack

I am starting a project through my work to supply backpacks filled with school supplies and stuff for the children affected by hurricane Katrina. The hope of this is to provide the children with the things they need to start school in a strange new city and to give them something to put and keep thier things in as they move around to find or rebuild thier new homes.

I'm organizing this through my work, and I got them to sponsor us as they will pay for the shipping of the backpacks out to Texas or where ever the displaced children may be.

If you would like to help we are in the gathering phase of the backpacks and stuff to put in the backpacks.

Right now the kids have nothing and could use a backpack and school supplies as they go to school and get moved around while their families are trying to rebuild or restart in a new place

Let me know if this interests any of you. And please pass along to any others who you think might want to help out. I'm shooting for 100 backpacks, but more is always better.

Ben...

Here is what we need: (and if you go to buy a lot of stuff, talk to the manager at the store and tell them what you are doing. Most times they will give you a discount)

Backpacks (lots of them)
Anti-bacterial hand sanitizer – small bottles
Toothbrushes/toothpaste
Kids books
Kids toys
Coloring books
Note books
Crayons
Pens/Pencils
Small stuffed animals
Snack type foods
any other good ideas?

Other school supplies needed:
art packet of manila paper, 12" x 18"
art packet of construction paper,
assorted colors 9" x 12" or 12" x 18"
boxes of large crayons,
8 assorted colors
containers of white glue
pair of scissors, semi-pointed, good quality
box of tissues
school box (for storing supplies)
writing pencils, No. 2 lead
yellow highlighter (no markers)
pencil tablet (for primary use)
writing tablet (not newsprint) (for primary use)
composition book (not newsprint) (for primary use)
box of water soluble markers,
8 colors grading pencil, blue only,
hard lead ruler,
plastic with English and metric
music notebook, six staffs
box of watercolors and pan,
8 colors graph paper
tablet, 1 cm x 1 cm squares only
pencil tablet 3/8" ruling, no margin line 8 1/2" x 11"
ball-point pen, blue or black, medium point
set of map pencils
folders with loose-leaf paper, 8 1/2" x 10 1/2", 3/8"
ruling
protractor
compass
erasers
dry erase markers
chalk
lunchbox

This was inspired by Project Backpack and we will hopefully be working with them to help out in the relief effort.

we're going camping now.. we're on our way

i hate camping.. a lot.. i really really hate camping..
ben loves camping.. a lot.. and he hopes that one day all of a sudden i will wake up with a new love for camping.. he was hoping that day was this last sunday.. but it was not..
so this weekend ben, holly, ryan, lisa, ryan b., trav and i went 'hiking' in the idyllwild mountains.. we packed up all our camping gear, loaded it on our backs, and started walking up a mountain.. about 15 minutes in, i was done.. and unhappy.. and i realized that 'oh yeah i hate hiking, and all things camping'..
but i wanted to be a good sport.. so we hiked a little over 4 hours, with packs on our back (mine weighing a little over 15 lbs, and ben's weighing over 20 lbs).. at that point we weren't even half.. at the pace we were on we wouldn't have made it to campsite before dark.. so ben made the executive decision to turn around.. so him and i went back, and all the others persevered.. ben and i basically ran down the mountain.. 6 blisters, and an hour and a half later, we were down the mountain.. and now we had to find a place to stay..
apparently labor day weekend is big in idyllwild, so there was no room at the inn for ben and chara.. and all i wanted was a shower.. so instead, we camped in the idyllwild campgrounds.. in our itty bitty 'weighs less five lb tent'..
and i realized a couple things about me..
i hate camping.. i hate dirt.. i hate tents, and sleeping bags, and anything that is not my bed..
so.. ben and i discussed this.. and came to the realization.. that it's ok that him and i have different interests.. and that i don't have to go camping to be a good wife..
and with that being said.. i will never go hiking with gear on my back again.. i might succumb and go on a day hike every once in a while.. and i don't think i'll never go camping again.. but it's going to be a while before i bust out my sleeping bag again..

and so it starts..

ben is so happy making it up the mountain

i am incredibly not happy

at this point i'm out and am headed down the mountain

ben's on the phone..making oatmeal.. with his groovy home-made camping stove that weighs about an ounce

aparently ben's allergic to nature

leaving on a jet plane

heath got deployed yesterday... here we all are saying goodbye after breakfest.. he'll be gone for 6+ months.. and we will miss him..

guilt..

so i have guilt.. lots and lots of guilt..
today we went to buy me a new car.. i love new cars.. and i have always wanted a new car.. and today was the day... i have wanted a new car and have been bugging ben for years now.. toyota is having a great deal.. we found a new 2006 camry for 16200.. which is a great deal.. so good that people were spending the night at the dealership to get this deal.. and we found the last one.. and it was beautiful... but it was red.. and i didn't want red.. i wanted silver. so already i wasn't sure if this was the one.. but the deal was so good... so i said 'yes'.. and the thing is, it's not a bad red.. it's a beautiful red.. but in three years will it be a beautiful red??? i know that if i buy a silver car.. in three years silver will still be popular.. but red? in three years will people still be wanting this color red car? i wasn't sure.. and then i was thinking about car payments.. and how ben and i have never had one.. and how a car payment didn't sound like fun.. and then i thought about how i would be with a new car.. i wouldn't want to drive my babies in it.. for fear of them making a mess.. i'd be that crazy person parking in the very back of the parking lot.. and then there's all the miles i'd be driving going back and forth from the OC to sdsu.. i don't want to put all thoes miles on a new car.. and why should i even buy a new car.. my car is fine.. it's not too pretty.. but that's ok.. why can't i be happy with what i've got.. so then i'm kicking myself for being a selfish person and wanting a new car.. even though i have never bought a new car.. and both of my cars are over ten years old.. so there we were.. in the middle of paper work and everything.. when i changed my mind.. oh poor ben.. i changed my mind.. and he had to tell the poor guy.. 'um... ok.. here's the thing.. nevermind..'
but fine.. no new car for me.. my car will have to explode, and be damaged beyond anything that ben can fix in order for me to buy a new car.. then maybe i'll
buy one.. but even then i'll feel bad about it..
... by the way... i know i'm a little nuts.. this is going on my list of crazy for when ben drags me into a therapist..

Help for victims of Hurricane Katrina

Here is a long list of good organizations to donate too. Please pick a good one and give if you can.

Also you can donate to KROQ and they will play a song for you this weekend

Need

ryan mentioned this anti-ipod campaign the other night. i just found a picture of it.

brilliant.

Something Real

"From now on, I'm only concerned with things that are real"
--Russell Hammond, Almost Famous

Great movie if you haven't seen it. In it Russell Hammond is a rock star who is fed up with the "industry of cool" that is rock and roll and wants to get to what is real in life.

We discussed yet another chapter at the book club tonight. The book has got me thinking of how we could be doing things different, how we could be living different, thinking different, be doing any or everything different. Its led me to start thinking of what is reality and what is the perception of reality that we operate under. Another great movie, Sneakers, had a line in it about this. "Everything operates, not on reality, but on the perception of reality."

So this is the mental exercise... What is real? Question everything. Question the big things, question the small things, question the day to day things and the things the day to day things are based on. What's on the list? To me, the list is quite small.

Is where I live real? The physical structure of my house is, but the borders of the property I claim to own is not. California is not. America is not. We create these borders, these lines in the sand and adhere to them, protect them, fight for them.

Is money real? No its a perceived value that we adhere to and operate business and market rules by.

What about love? Fear? Being a good person? Being cool? Being smart? Paying taxes? Eating at McDonalds? Going to church? Going to work?

What are the things we live our lives by that we think are real, have always thought are real, and have been taught to never questioned otherwise?

Why don't we think of a better way to do things? Why can't we think of a better way to do things? How would we live if we didn't believe some of the things we belive? Why is our imagination held captive by the belief, "because that is the way it is"

How much better could we live with a new imagination? What things could we live without in this new imagination. What new things could we invent? Where would we live? How would we live? What would happen?

Imagine

Imagine there's no heaven,
It's easy if you try,
No hell below us,
Above us only sky,
Imagine all the people
living for today...

Imagine there's no countries,
It isnt hard to do,
Nothing to kill or die for,
No religion too,
Imagine all the people
living life in peace...

Imagine no possessions,
I wonder if you can,
No need for greed or hunger,
A brotherhood of man,
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world...

You may say Im a dreamer,
but Im not the only one,
I hope some day you'll join us,
And the world will live as one.
--John Lennon

Think about those words, but don't think about living for today, but living for forever, one day at a time. What would that look like? What would that feel like?

I'm trying to imagine.

Ben...

it's party time..

our good friend heath is being deployed in 7 days.. and we are devastated..
he'll be gone for the next 6-8 months, missing all the good holidays.. so we decided to throw him a surprise halloween/thanksgiving/christmas/new years/valentines day/birthday party..
the party went great.. heath was totally surprised... which was amazing considering the fact that his wife, rhianon is not a great liar.. and for that matter neither is ben.. but we pulled it off..
we had a fantastic time.. and everyone dressed up.. and we ate very well.. and enjoyed spending one more night with the amazing heath.. goodbye heath.. we are going to miss you.. stay safe.. and we can't wait to throw you a welcome home party..

the scooby gang, and pals..

fred flinstone, cookie monster, and friends..

ben and heath deep frying the turkey

the gang

matt lost his doughnut.. while drew is winning the game

mental patient ben setting up to the doughnut game

rhianon and chara setting up for the party

What this country needs

Now I don't normally get very political on this blog (or at least havent yet), but you know what this country really needs?

More cowbell



http://walken2008.com/

thats right, Christopher Walken for President in 2008 people!

finally a candidate that everyone can get behind.

lets reunite those red and blue states people!

Ben...

Sharing photo's and video's

I still plan to get some videos up on this blog someday soon, but untill then

there is a new program out that i am helping work on. It allows you to share your photo's and videos and such with friends and family

its called Project Neon (temporary name) and its free

download it and check it out. (windows only)

search for my contact name on it and you can see some of my Thailand photo's and some of our scuba videos. My username is cote289.

let me know how you like it

Ben...

worse than being sick

so i found out whats worse than being sick

being sick and going to costco and not being able to taste all of the good samples they offer

so sad

Ben...

money for nothing...

what a very very long, unhappy day..
"what's that san diego state? you want 300 bucks for school supplies???? sure.. let me just write you a check.."
"what's that san diego state? you want 700 more dollars for books???? sure.. here's a credit card?? oh.. and if i spend more than 250 bucks i get a 25 dollar star bucks gift card.. well.. that makes the 700 dollars worth in books (books alone people) totally worth it... "
that's not even the tuition...
i could have spent more... they tried to sell me a 'fanny pack'.. all that peer pressure.. and i still said no..

being sick...

being sick is the worst...

Great visit wth Jeff and Amber

Just returned home from heading up north a bit to Thousand Oaks area to vistit Jeff and Amber. We did a bit of biking, saw thier new house and just had some good time and good food. Why don't we have a wood ranch down by us???

It was sad we had to leave, but we had a fun time. see the pictures of us biking below

Ben...

Chara helping Jeff mount the bikes

Jeff going to show us how its done...

Chara ready for a serious ride... armed with her horn

Amber and Chara

The group of us at the start of the ride

Chara riding through some water. she is so hardcore

a look from the top of the black b@#ch

Amber and Chara riding up the appropriatly named black b@#ch

This is my utopia

we'd gather around all in a room fasten our belts engage in dialogue
we'd all slow down rest without guilt not lie without fear disagree sans judgement

we would stay and respond and expand and include and allow and forgive and
enjoy and evolve and discern and inquire and accept and admit and divulge and
open and reach out and speak up

we'd open our arms we'd all jump in we'd all coast down into safety nets

we would share and listen and support and welcome be propelled by passion not
invest in outcomes we would breathe and be charmed and amused by difference
be gentle and make room for every emotion

we'd provide forums we'd all speak out we'd all be heard we'd all feel seen

we'd rise post-obstacle more defined more grateful we would heal be humbled
and be unstoppable we'd hold close and let go and know when to do which we'd
release and disarm and stand up and feel safe

--Alanis Morrisette

this weeks goal: pick any line and live it out.

Ben...