This weekend I was pleasantly surprised to find out that one of the four pictures I had entered in the 2008 Celebrating Nature Through Photography had been chosen to receive an honorable mention. As I’ve only had my camera for about four months now, I’m pretty happy with the results, and only hope I can get some great pictures in the upcoming seasons for the 2009 contest.

The Celebrating Nature Through Photography contest is an annual event held at the National Center for Nature Photography in the Secor Metropark. The exhibit features 637 images from 95 local photographers and will be on display from noon until 5pm on Saturday and Sunday through December 21.

The four pictures that I submitted for consideration are available via my flickr page (some of the photos were slightly cropped from the photos linked below):

• An Acrobatic Mantis
• Farnsworth at Dusk
• Goldfinch in the Prarie (Local Fauna Honorable Mention Winner)
• Monarch on Blazing-Star

Hayden David James Hoffman (born September 15, 2008)

Here’s a picture of my sister’s new baby boy, Hayden. He’s still in the “sleep, eat, poop” stage and doesn’t really do much else, but he does seem fascinated by the lights in my parent’s dining room. I took some more pictures during the baby shower that I haven’t gotten around to looking through and posting... hopefully I’ll do that soon.

The next month should be an interesting one -- Mad River Mountain is hosting a small rail jam in Columbus on the 8th. While I won’t be participating, I’m hoping to get down and photograph some of the riders as they get a little pre-season action on. With the way the temperatures have been falling, I’m thinking we may have an early start to the season this year (they are calling for a chance of snow here in Maumee tonight and tomorrow night).

The following weekend, my mom, dad, and Cheryl are packing our bags and driving down to Gatlinburg, Tennessee for my brother’s wedding. There’s talk of going to the Dixie Stampede dinner show Friday night, with the wedding the following afternoon. I’m planning on heading over to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park early on Saturday and again after the wedding to hopefully get some wildlife shots for my portfolio. I’ve also found the Smokey Mountain Brewery that I hope to stop by on Saturday to get a growler before we head back to Ohio.

Finally, I think I’ve secured photographer credentials to a couple upcoming MAC football games and will be on the sidelines for the Buffalo @ Bowling Green game on the 21st, and the Central Michigan @ Eastern Michigan game on the 28th. The BG game will be the first time on the sidelines for me, but I hope I’ll be able to get some decent shots and learn the ropes as I go. If anyone wants to help me along, consider purchasing this for me. =)

Since the deposit is paid, I think it is safe to finally post that Cheryl and I will be vacationing in the Outer Banks for a week next July! We’re heading down with the Large, Taylor, and Zimmerly families in what should be a fun vacation with friends from college. The house we have reserved, named Good Day Sunshine, features a private hot tub, pool, game room (with pool table and conveniently located fridge), a large common area, and enough bedrooms that I won’t have to sleep in a bunk bed. It’s also located close to the beach . Oh yeah, and I’ve already found a brewery to visit while I’m there!

We’ll be down there July 4th through the 11th. More info as the date gets closer... only ten more months!

It has been a little while since my last non-photo related blog post, so I thought I’d fill everyone in on just how busy this upcoming weekend is going to be. On Friday, Cheryl and I are heading downtown to Fifth Third Field for the last Mud Hens home game of the season. Unfortunately, the Hens will not make the playoffs this year, but they can hopefully pull off a win against the Columbus Clippers.

Saturday morning, we’re off to Akron for the night as Cheryl is going to a Leisa’s baby shower and I’m going to hang out with some of the guys and hopefully catch the first OSU game of the season as they play Youngstown State in Columbus. We’re staying at Brian & Trisha’s house that night, but leaving in the morning to head down to Bellefontaine for a picnic with my family at Indian Lake. After spending the night, we’re back in the car and driving up to Toledo where I can hopefully enjoy whatever is left of the weekend before going back to work on Tuesday.

I’m hoping that I’ll be able to find at least a little bit of time to sneak out and head to the new Ohio Brewing Company which recently opened in downtown Akron. I haven’t been to a new brewery in a little while now...

Earlier tonight, I finished watching the Discovery Channel’s six-part documentary When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions. While I have watched and read much about the history of NASA and its journey into space, I was surprised at the amount of new footage the space agency had provided for this series, letting viewers see images that previously had only been seen by a select few. From the Mercury missions to the continued building of the International Space Station today, you hear about the accomplishments and tragedies of space exploration by the people who experienced it firsthand.

When We Left Earth: The NASA Missions is currently available in the iTunes Store for the bargain price of $10.99.

I received an email from the Managing Editor of Schmap Guides letting me know that one of my photos was selected to be part of their updated Philadelphia Guide! Sure it is just a picture of a cheese steak, but it was from the famous Rick’s Steaks in the Reading Terminal Market in downtown Philadelphia, and mighty tasty!

Schmap Philadelphia Guide

Well, I survived a trip home to visit the parents with it, so I figure it’s safe to post here. After much deliberation (OK, really not that much by normal standards), I decided to take advantage of Canon’s $200 instant rebate program and purchased my very first DSLR: the Canon EOS 40D.

Considered by most to be Canon’s flagship “prosumer” model, the 40D features a 10.1MP sensor, DIGIC III processor, Live View, and a fast 6.5fps continuous burst mode. To compliment the body, I purchased a Tamron 17-50mm f/2.8 lens after reading some glowing reviews on various online forums. While it does not feature Image Stabalization like the Canon 17-55mm f/2.8 lens, it cost significantly less without sacrificing optics quality. I also purchased a Tamrac Express 7 bag (smaller bag with room for another lens), and a fast Sandisk Extreme III 4GB CompactFlash card to ensure the card can keep up with the photo buffer.

I’m putting the finishing touches on the pictures I took at Mid-Ohio this weekend with this camera and will post a link, as well as some more thoughts on this camera, as soon as they are all online.

It may not be officially released yet, but I have already downloaded and installed the iPhone 2.0 firmware. This enables a bunch of new features, most notably support for the iTunes App Store. They have also included the ability to take screenshots of the iPhone display (hold Home button and press Sleep button on the top of the phone). I’ve already installed a couple programs including the AIM client, Exposure (Flickr client), Super Monkey Ball, Remote (remote control iTunes + AppleTV), and WeatherBug. So far, I’m liking the upgrade! =)

Earlier today while at work, I stumbled upon the fact that Google Maps had recently added street view to Toledo and its surrounding suburbs. Entering my address, I found my car sitting out in front of my apartment -- sheer luck since I typically park in my carport in the back. Nonetheless, pretty interesting to see!

Also, the Kalamabrew blog posted a video tour of the Bell’s Brewery earlier today, hosted by Larry Bell himself. It’s a great way to see the brewery for yourself and listen to the stories behind the various pieces of equipment and their ongoing expansion plans.

2008 Michigan Inspired Brewery Tour (June 21, 2008)

This past Saturday, I got up early and started driving into Michigan, heading west towards Kalamazoo. While I knew that it would be a day I wouldn’t soon forget, I had no idea I would learn so much and get to meet some very interesting people who enjoy the great brews the state of Michigan has to offer. The fun started with a tour of the Bell’s Brewery in Comstock, Michigan where we were able to get up close and personal with the equipment and see exactly how the #1 microbrewery in Michigan operates. While I knew the brewery would be large, I guess I wasn’t ready for the sheer size of the facility -- it definitely isn’t your typical brewpub operation.

After the tour, we headed a couple miles west into downtown Kalamazoo to the Bell’s Eccentric Cafe -- on the site of the original brewery -- to sample our favorite Bell’s concoctions while trying a few pub exclusives like Überon and a Double Brown Ale. While similar to Oberon, Überon is conditioned in bourbon barrels and packs quite a punch at 10% ABV. I would have loved to have taken a growler of this stuff home with me, but they do not offer them at the cafe. We were also treated to a quick lecture by Rex Halfpenny, publisher of the Michigan Beer Guide, who discussed the history of beer and how it has evolved over the centuries. He also stressed the importance of supporting your local breweries as much as you can, something I definitely agree with. Afterwards, Larry Bell -- the founder of Bell’s Brewery -- spoke for a couple minutes before mingling with the crowd. I was able to talk to him for 10-15 minutes about various topics including baseball and getting into the brewing industry. In all honesty, he was a very easy-going person and I felt very privileged to have the opportunity to talk with him.

Our last stop on the tour took us back east to Marshall, where we visited the Dark Horse Brewing Company. After a tour of the facilities, owner/head brewer Aaron Morse answered a couple questions I had about opening a brewery at such a young age (he started right after graduating college). His response was to keep it small and simple, and not to try and split your focus between a brewery and a restaurant; both excellent pieces of advice that I’ll be sure to remember for the future...

Sometime in the morning of June 21st, I’m leaving on a journey that will quite possibly change me for the rest of my life. Some say it will be a religious experience, others a hop-induced overload that will leave me curled in a ball on the floor by the end of the night. Whatever happens, I feel like I’m one of the children who found a golden ticket and is about to enter the Wonka fantasyland -- I’m visiting the Bell’s Brewery in Galesburg, Michigan.

Sponsored by Slow Food Detroit, the Bell’s Brewery is opening its doors for a tour of their off-limits facility, followed by a lunch and sampling of small batch brews available only at the Bell’s Eccentric Cafe. While sampling the various brews that makes Bell’s so very special and eating lunch, I’ll also hear a lecture starring Rex Halfenny, publisher the the Michigan Beer Guide. As a bonus, they’ve even organzied a stop by the Dark Horse Brewing Company in Marshall where owner Aaron Mose will lead a tour of their brewery.

I’m really looking forward to this trip and think that it will be well worth the time and money to drive up to Kalamazoo. I’ve wanted to visit the Eccentric Cafe for awhile now, and a tour of the brewery makes the deal even sweeter. While I’m not exactly sure they’ll let me take pictures while on the tour, I’ll be sure to snap as many as possible at both locations. Who knows, maybe they’ll hire me on and I can become a part of the magic that is Bell’s.

Just a quick note, earlier this evening I took and passed the exam for the BlueCoat Certified Proxy Administrator (BCCPA) certification. Next up is the BlueCoat Certified Proxy Professional (BCCPP) exam, which I’m hoping to take next week. I must say that I am pretty impressed with how they handle these exams; two attempts at passing each test (I only needed one for the BCCPA) were included as part of the authorized training classes I attended last week.

Hopefully by this time next week I’ll have even more letters to put after my name. =)

After spending nearly a week in Indianapolis for BlueCoat proxy training (I took a few pictures, available via flickr), I made my way back to Maumee on Friday. While I was hoping to visit the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Carboration Day festivities on Friday, I awoke to a constant rain that didn’t seem to want to let up. While I may not have made it to the track, I did take the opportunity to stop by the Mad Anthony Brewing Company in Fort Wayne for food and drinks before taking US-24 back home. All in all, this has been a pretty good week in terms of brewpub visits with four new additions to the growler collection.

The week after returning from a trip is always a hard one, but thankfully it is only a four-day work week, and Cheryl and I are heading to Detroit on Saturday to watch the Red Bull Air Race qualifying from the banks of the Detroit River. I’ve seen these events on TV before, and I’ve been quite impressed with the pilots’ ability to maneuver through the course. I’m not exactly sure how close I’ll be to the action, but I am hopeful that I will be able to snag a couple good pictures with my Canon PowerShot SD850 IS camera. Speaking of cameras, I’ve been giving serious consideration to picking up a digital-SLR camera, but am hesitant as it would be impractical to take with me on snowboard excursions. I’ve heard a lot of talk about the Canon PowerShot G9, which offers professional features and various lens adaptors (wide-angle, telephoto, etc.) while maintaining a point-and-shoot body (albeit a slightly larger one). While I’d like to pickup something new now, I think I’ll wait until at least the Fall before buying yet another digital camera.

I’ve also been contemplating buying a new bike for a little while now to go riding on the various trails in the area. If anyone who actually takes the time to read this site has any suggestions on a good entry-level mountain bike, please leave a comment. I’m looking at picking up something that isn’t outrageously expensive (I’d still rather spend more for a snowboard than a bike), but comes with a good, solid, lightweight frame that I can build off of if I ever desire to.

Finally, as you’ve likely noticed, I’ve changed the color scheme of the website to celebrate the warmer months, reorganized some of the pages on the site, and done away with the redirect I was using before (via Godaddy.com). I hope you enjoy! =)

Even though gas prices have risen to $3.95 since this morning, I've got a lot of driving coming in the next week, with trips to Columbus and Indianapolis already scheduled. Saturday morning, Cheryl and I are meeting at Starbucks in Bowling Green and driving to my parent's house in Bellefontaine before heading to Columbus for the day. We have dinner reservations at the Columbus Brewing Company, a brewery near downtown that I just recently found out about. After that, we've got tickets behind home plate at Cooper Stadium where the Clippers take on the Mud Hens. As I've said before, this is the last year the minor league team will play at the old stadium before moving to Huntington Park in the arena district.

Sunday, I'm heading to Indianapolis for a week of certification training on the BlueCoat proxy appliances we are in the middle of deploying at work. By the end of the week, I should have earned my Certified Administrator and Certified Professional credentials. The entire trip won't be all work, however, as I'm already planning on visiting the Rock Bottom Brewery on the north side of the city, as well as the Broad Ripple Brewpub -- billed as the first in the state. If I'm feeling adventurous, I may even stop by the Mad Anthony Brewing Company in Fort Wayne on my way back to Toledo Friday evening.

Oh yeah, and as long as Amazon ships my order on time, I should have a copy of Wii Fit waiting for me when I get back... can't wait to go snowboarding in my living room. =)

After a one week delay, Sofa Mart finally delivered my new sofa this past Thursday. The movers had little trouble navigating the couch up the stairs, around the corner, and through my front door, but they did have trouble installing two of the back legs. After a visit by a "couch tech" (and another trip home from work), the legs were properly installed and I finally had a comfortable place to sit.

Click on picture for interactive view of the living room.

While I was waiting for the couch to arrive, I took the opportunity to do a little reorganization of my living room and moved my desk and iMac back out into the sunroom. This left quite a bit of room behind the couch, so I've moved the couch back as far as I could. I also decided to move the two framed Jon Baker snowboarding prints (titled Lanch and Last Run) from the dining area to the back wall behind the couch. I also put the snowboarding prints I made via the photo services available in iPhoto in a couple frames I purchased as IKEA and hung them up around the living room as well.

Finally, Cheryl went down to the Kentucky Horse Park last weekend and attended the 2008 Rolex Horse Show. She took a ton of pictures (245 at last count) and posted them to her flickr account. She also picked me up a limited edition (#219/2500) ceramic bottle of Kentucky Bourbon Barrel Ale -- which was just what I wanted! =)

The snow may be gone (around here at least, there are still resorts open out west), but I've always got snowboarding on my mind. I'm currently planning on picking up a new board for the upcoming season, and figured that I might as well buy a new pair of bindings while I'm at it. Enter the Flow M11s, which arrived at my apartment Friday afternoon.

Next season can't come soon enough... and from what I'm hearing now may start a little earlier than anticipated. =)

This past weekend, I finally did what I've been talking about for over a year now and bought a new couch. My old blue couch has served me well, but I've wanted to get rid of it since moving into my current apartment. After looking at what IKEA had to offer, and buying some frames and miscellaneous items in the process, I decided to stop by Sofa Mart here in Toledo and found one that I liked. Unfortunately it is not being delivered until Thursday, and my parents came up and took my old couch home for my sister, so I'm left to lay on the floor and watch my TV. Anyways, I'll be sure to post some pictures to my flickr account as soon as they deliver the new one.

Next month is shaping up to be a fun, but busy, one. Cheryl and I are driving down to Columbus on May 17th to watch the Toledo Mud Hens play against the Columbus Clippers at Cooper Stadium. I really wanted to make it down for a game this year as it will be the Clippers' last in their current stadium and I have not seen a game there since I was in grade school. Work is well underway for a new ballpark in the arena district, scheduled to open next year. I'm also hoping to take the opportunity to visit Mullholland Brewing Company in Reynoldsburg and walk around the Easton Town Centre while we are there. The following week, I'm scheduled for Bluecoat Certified Proxy Administrator/Professional classes in Indianapolis for work. It's going to add up to a lot of miles in one week on the Civic, but it should be informative, and at least I'll get to visit some Indiana breweries along the way. =)

Speaking of breweries, Cheryl and I took a little detour on our way back from IKEA and drove by the new Original Gravity Brewing Company, opening hopefully early next month in Milan, MI. While there wasn't much to see yet, they do have an interesting sign on the building. From some of the news reports I've seen online, it sounds like it will be a great place to visit here in the near future.

Finally, the Mojo TV show Three Sheets has finally made its way into the iTunes Store, with all three seasons now available. Each episode delves into the drinking "culture" of a different country and manages to be both entertaining and informative at the same time. They've also made the first episode from each season a free download (likely a limited time offer), so be sure to grab them if you think you'd be interested in the show. I know I plan on buying all three seasons here very soon.

Walk w/ Phoebe Around the Lake - This weekend, while at my parent's to see America in concert, Cheryl and I decided to take Phoebe out for a walk at Camp Willson. We ended up making our way around Lake Mac-O-Chee. The walk was pretty enjoyable, but Phoebe required a bath by the time we made it home as she was covered in mud. While on our hike, we took a few pictures, which I've posted to my account.


This Saturday, Kelly, Jared, Cheryl, and I are heading downtown to see the Toledo Mud Hens take on the Durham Bulls as their season begins. It is an evening game so it'll be cold outside, but hopefully the rain stays out of the area. I've also somehow been convinced to participate in a 5k run that morning on the UT campus. I'm not quite sure what to expect... all I'm hoping is that I make it to the finish line in one piece so that I can enjoy some ballpark food and a beer or two.

I've said it before, but one thing I really look forward to when snowboarding ends is the arrival of Bell's Brewery (out of Kalamazoo, MI) Oberon Ale on the store shelves. This year, I didn't have to wait too long as it was officially released this past Monday. I found a very large display at the local Anderson's and proceeded to buy a box of four six-packs. Since they were warm, I had to wait until after work today to open one up, but they're just as tasty as I remember. If you ever get a chance to try a pint, I'd highly recommend picking some up for yourself!

Easter Weekend at Mad River Mountain - It's hard to believe, but the 2007-2008 snowboard season is finally wrapping up here in Ohio. After extending their season an extra two weeks, Mad River Mountain officially closed their slopes earlier tonight. This season saw an above-average amount of snow and the reappearance of a halfpipe, now located where the tubing runs were before the 2006 expansion. While the pipe was a welcome addition, I'm really hoping they make it a little wider next season as it felt a little cramped compared to some of the others I was in this year.

Heading down the flat rail in the Zero G terrain park; a great way to end the season!

Before heading down to Bellefontaine Saturday morning, I spent Thursday night and Friday over at Brian & Trisha's house to catch the first round of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. By the end of Friday night, we had quite a group gathered and enjoyed various snack foods prepared by Trisha (the jalapeño popper dip was my personal favorite). The next couple weeks will be busy as well: back home next weekend to see America in concert with my parents (and hopefully stopping at the new Sonic in Urbana along the way), and then I'm heading to a Mud Hens game opening weekend against the Durham Bulls with Cheryl, Jared, and Kelly.

Also, I just found out that Bell's Oberon Ale is heading back to store shelves starting tomorrow (March 24)! I can't wait to pick up a six-pack as soon as I can; while I hate to see winter come to an end, it always feels good to crack open one of these at the end of a long day.

As much as I hate to say it, this weekend at Boyne will almost certainly bring the 2007-2008 snowboarding season to a close. Tomorrow, I'm going into work a little early (after grabbing a Beaner's -- I will never refer to it as Biggby -- coffee of course) so that we can get on the road around noon and get to Petoskey in plenty of time for some night boarding at Boyne Highlands. We'll be spending most (if not all) of Saturday at Nub's Nob, a place we've only experienced at night with limited access to the terrain.

In an event that brings back memories of my college days, Brian invited me over to watch the first round of the NCAA basketball tournament. I'll get there Thursday evening and plan on watching games pretty much all of Friday, hopefully getting to Winking Lizard at some point for food and beers. If everything works out (and I'm not too hungover), there might be another fun stop on my way home, but I'll leave that surprise for later.

If you haven't had a chance to check out Nine Inch Nails newest CD, Ghosts I-IV, I highly recommend doing so. It is a completely instrumental piece with 36 tracks and has become a regular on my headphones at work whenever I run out of podcasts to listen to. It's available exclusively online for the moment, either directly from the artist, or via the Amazon store.

2008 Glass City Beer Fest - Friday night, Cheryl and I made our way downtown to the Erie Street Market for the 2nd Annual Glass City Beer Fest. This was a charitable event supporting the Hemophilia Foundation and The Arc of Lucas County. Beers from 25 different breweries were available, and each ticket bought 12 3-4oz tastings. The best of the night had to be the Breakfast Stout (Imperial Stout) from Founder's Brewery out of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Below is my official tasting order for the night, with my top three italicized:

#1 - Hoppin Frog - Hoppin to Heaven IPA
#2 - New Holland Brewery - Dragon's Milk (Oak Aged Stout)
#3 - Bell's Brewery - Third Coast Beer (Light Pale)
#4 - Magic Hat - #9 (Apricot Pale Ale)
#5 - Goose Island Brewery - Matilda (Belgian Style Ale)
#6 - Founder's Brewery - Breakfast Stout (Imperial Stout)
#7 - Jolly Pumpkin Brewery - Oro D Calaboza (Golden Ale)
#8 - Bear Republic - Red Rocket (Amber)
#9 - Barrelhouse Brewery - Cumberland Pale Ale
#10 - Ommegang - Hennepin (Saison)
#11 - Avery Brewing - Kaiser (Marzen)
#12 - Stone - Pale Ale
#13 - Maumee Bay Brewing Company - Steam (California Common) <-- AWFUL taste!

On an totally separate note, I just wanted to send my congratulations to Ryan and Renee who had a baby boy, Braden, this week. I hope to stop down there soon and see the newest addition to their family.

February is going to be a busy month as I've got a number of trips on my calendar. This weekend, Cheryl and I are heading up to Detroit to see Matchbox Twenty in concert at the Palace of Auburn Hills. This concert should be a good one and I'm glad to finally be able to see them live. I was able to get floor seats, so hopefully we'll have a decent view of the stage. I think the opening act is Alanis Morissette; I won't be disappointed if we miss her. We're planning on stopping at IKEA in Canton, The Somerset Collection in Troy, and the Rochester Mills Beer Company for dinner (hopefully I won't end up 0 for 3 in my quest for new growlers).

The following weekend, dad and I are planning on visiting a ski resort located about 30 minutes west of Cincinnati in Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Perfect North Slopes looks to be comparable to Mad River Mountain in terms of size, but I'm always up for something new (and hopefully we'll pick up another shot glass). We'll see how it turns out, but in reality it'll just be a warm up for our last big trip of the season to Snowshoe in West Virginia. Some of you out there may remember that this is where I broke my wrist a couple years ago, but I'm very eager to get back there and enjoy the slopes and fresh snow (it always snows a ton when we are there). I think they've even expanded, so there will be new terrain to explore.

The Granite City Food & Brewery is scheduled to open its Fallen Timbers location on February 12th. I hope to make it out there opening night, or very shortly thereafter. According to Josh, who has been to one in Chicago a few times, the food and brews are excellent and well worth the visit. As always, I hope to have pictures from all of these trips/events posted to my Flickr account as quickly as I can. Finally, I picked up a copy of John Grisham's latest, The Appeal, from Amazon earlier this week. I'm only two chapters into it, but I have high hopes that it'll be yet another good one.

It has been a long time coming, but the wait is quickly coming to an end. On Sunday, I'll be heading over to Columbus early in the morning to catch a flight to Salt Lake City, UT. We'll be spending the week enjoying the slopes and views (and beers) in Park City, just southwest of Salt Lake City. This was the site of the 2002 Olympic Winter Games, and features a number of different resorts that feature some of the most highly regarded terrain in the United States. This will be my first trip to the area, and I'm looking forward to seeing just what it has to offer. We'll primarily be at the Park City Mountain resort, but will probably take a day to visit The Canyons as well.

While I'm gone, I plan on posting pictures and updates here as possible, mostly through a service called Twitter. It allows me to quickly post a message about where I'm at, what trail I just survived, or the room number I'm in at the hospital. You can keep track of these updates using the What Am I Doing... widget on the right side of the page. I think I'll be much more inclined to post something quickly than having to draft a formal posting such as this. If I can get the pictures downloaded and processed, I'll post them on my Flickr account.

As for breweries in the area, I was quite surprised to learn that there are three that I'll possibly be able to visit. Two are in Salt Lake City (Red Rock Brewing Company & Squatters Pub Brewery) and one in Park City (Wasatch Brew Pub). Hopefully I'll come home with three new growlers to add to the collection, although exactly how I'll get them back is still up in the air... I might have to make a trip to Kinkos to send them to myself.

Hopefully I'll come home in one piece! =)

On Friday, Mad River Mountain opened for the 2007-2008 season with a decent covering of snow. While I wasn't able to make it down to Bellefontaine in time to hit the slopes on Friday, my dad and I got up early on Saturday and made our way out to the hill to beat the mid-day crowds. The snow was good and after some quick adjustments to my bindings we made quite a number runs in before it started to get busy. Overall, I was pretty happy with the way my new boots worked out; I think my bindings need adjusted to allow for more lean, but everything should be good to go for Utah.

Speaking of Utah, Park City received approximately 33" in the past 72 hours, allowing the resort to open a significant number of more trails. As of this posting, they have 25 trails open now, and are planning on adding more to the number by the end of the week. I have a feeling that they'll be ready to have the majority of the resort open by the time we arrive on the 30th. We're also planning on stopping by The Canyons and Deer Valley resorts while we're out there.

As you may be aware, this past week I celebrated my 27th birthday, and Cheryl was kind enough to buy tickets to see Monty Pyhton's Spamalot at the Stranahan Theater here in Toledo. After my favorite fish dinner and a pint of Hoegaarden at Claddaugh's Irish Pub, we made our way over to the theater and found our seats (which were just about in the perfect spot center stage). I'd heard really good things about this musical on Broadway, and they did not disappoint as the entire crowd laughed throughout the performance. I enjoyed the show so much I even grossly-overpaid for a small stuffed (but still vicious) rabbit. If you have the opportunity to see this show, by all means make sure that you do.

They started making snow at Mad River Mountain this week, and while the warm temperatures and rain will likely melt some of what they were able to produce, it is supposed to get cold enough again tomorrow to turn the snow machines back on. I am hoping that they are able to open by the 14th; if that happens I'll be on the slopes that Friday breaking in my new boots and making sure everything is ready for Utah. Park City just got a foot or two of snow (and probably more higher up on the mountain), and things are looking good for some great powder out there in January.

Tomorrow, I'm leaving for Royal Oak, Michigan, where I will be attending a Check Point firewall certification class for work. While I'm sure my brain will be hurting by the second or third day, I am excited to visit the downtown area and three breweries (Bastone, Lily's Seafood Grill & Brewery, and The Royal Oak Brewery). I've heard good things about each of these establishments, but haven't been in the area yet to check any of them out. Hopefully I'll have three more growlers to add to the collection by the end of the weekend.

Very exciting news... while out at lunch earlier today at the Taco Bell on Conant Street (in Maumee), I happened to notice a sign advertising a new tenant moving into the new shopping plaza soon. As soon as I read the name, I knew that my prayers had finally been answered. Donatos, the amazing thin-pizza chain founded in Columbus in 1963, is finally entering the Toledo market. Even better, this location is approximately 5 minutes from both my apartment and office. I have a feeling it will be a weekly stop for me as soon as it opens. No word on when opening day is scheduled for...

Tomorrow is not only the big Ohio State vs. Michigan game, but also Landin's birthday with most of the gang heading to the Conley's house for what should be a fun time. Next week is a short work week due to Thanksgiving. I'll be heading home for a day or so before coming back up for the UT vs. BG game on Friday afternoon. I'm not expecting much from either team, but it would be a good way to end the season for UT. They really need to get their act together; they'll be playing some pretty tough teams in the upcoming seasons. My birthday is also quickly approaching, and Cheryl and I will be seeing Spamalot at the Stranahan Theater on November 28th. As a fan of the movie, I'm interested to see how it translates to the show format. The firewall training that I need to attend for work was rescheduled for the first week of December up in Grand Rapids, MI. I've already found four breweries to visit while in the area, and will probably try and stop at the outlet malls to get some Christmas shopping out of the way.

At the request of my mother, I have compiled a list of gift ideas for Christmas. Go check it out if you need some ideas; I'll probably add to it in the next week or two. Everyone have a good Thanksgiving!

As some of you may know, the Writers Guild has gone on strike, putting many of my favorite television shows (The Office, Heroes, etc.) on a hiatus as soon as they finish airing all of the shows they have already filmed. In the case of The Office, there may only be one more episode this season after tonight's episode (which was hilarious by the way). I'm already upset with NBC and their handling of the iTunes sales, but this has really put the entire issue over the edge. The YouTube video below features a number of The Office writers and actors who are currently picketing their own show, forcing production to stop until the strike is resolved. Take some time to watch it; I'm not a fan of unions, but if this is true, it truly is unbelievable what the studios think they can get away with.



I promise I'll put a longer post up here in the near future; I've just been too busy with other things!

With a trip coming on Monday and just finishing Playing for Pizza (a decent book by the way) earlier this week, I wanted to pick up something to read while I was in Philadelphia (and maybe on the plane, if the flight attendants feel my iPhone isn't an allowed device for some crazy reason). Thankfully, Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs was released this week and I was able to find a copy at the new Barnes & Noble at Fallen Timbers. This book, written by the blogger known for quite awhile simply as Fake Steve Jobs (recently outed as Daniel Lyons from Forbes) is billed as a parody on the life of Steve Jobs. I'm a big fan of his "fake" blog posts, and I'm hoping this book is a winner as well.

Yesterday, I heard an advertisement for The Mountain Man and their 25% rebate sale they were having this weekend and decided to stop by and take a look at goggles. After much deliberation, I settled on a pair of black Oakley A-Frame goggles with an Iridium lens. This lens is supposed to be the best all-around one for varying conditions, and I'm hoping they hold up well at the various resorts. I guess I'll find out here in a couple months...

Not even twenty-four hours after my previous post, Apple officially announced that OSX 10.5 Leopard will be available in stores starting at 6:00pm on Friday, October 26th. As luck would have it, I had already planned to take the day off to relax after traveling to Philadelphia, so it looks like I'll be heading up to the Ann Arbor Apple Store in order to stand with the Apple faithful and pickup my own copy. I'm hoping that they give out free t-shirts, but I think the experience of attending a release event at an actual Apple Store will be worth the trip. I might also take the opportunity to visit the Corner Brewery in Ypsilanti...

For more information on Leopard itself, you can visit Apple's website; they have compiled a list of 300 new features available in the new OS. I'll be sure to post pictures from the event when I return home (after I upgrade my Macs of course).

It's been a little while since my last update, but I guess not a whole lot has been happening lately. Cheryl and I went to check out the new Shops at Fallen Timbers complex on opening weekend. While they need to finish filling the buildings, I think the center has the potential to be a great alternative to driving to Franklin Park (however, rumor is they will be adding a BD's Mongolian Barbeque once they break ground on yet another building on the Franklin Park campus). They just need to get some more restaurants (an Irish pub and a brewery are already signed on) and some more stores. We were fortunate to get there a little earlier than the crowds and had a wonderful (yet expensive) lunch at P.F. Chang's. If you haven't been to one yet, I wholeheartedly recommend it as it's some of the best chinese food I've had.

My family finalized our Utah ski vacation plans. We'll be leaving on the 30th of December and will be returning late on January 4th. The plan is to visit 2-3 of the resorts in and around Park City. I've already mapped out where the local breweries are, and I'd really like to visit the Winter Olympic sites in the area as well. Speaking of snowboarding, the season is quickly approaching and I need to get my Mad River Mountain season pass squared away pretty soon. I could also use a new pair of goggles; anyone want to donate a pair of Oakleys to me?

I've also got a couple of business trips coming up. Next week I'm heading to Philadelphia for a couple days to go through a disaster recovery rehearsal to prove that I can build a DNS, proxy server, and a couple firewalls. It really shouldn't be too hard, but I have very little experience with the firewall software we run. I've also decided to take next Friday off since I have to blow 5 vacation days before the end of the year. While it will be nice to not have to go back into work after traveling, my hope is that Apple announces that OSX 10.5 Leopard will be released that day so that I can drive up to Ann Arbor for the launch party. After the iPhone launch a couple months ago, I can only imagine how much fun this will be at an actual Apple store. I'll also be spending a week of November up in Royal Oak, MI, for Checkpoint firewall training; a set of courses that I've heard completely overload your brain. Oh well, thankfully I need to visit the Royal Oak Brewery anyways! =)

I haven't brewed anything in awhile... I think I need to do something about that soon...

From Temple of VTEC:

Early this morning, not far from Honda’s U.S. facilities, we were lucky enough to get a quick glance at the next generation Acura TSX.

The new TSX will take on a more aggressive look, taking design cues from the SPORTS 4 concept car shown at the 2005 Tokyo Motor Show.

An improved 2.4L i-VTEC 4 cylinder motor will go into the base model with an expected 20-30 horsepower bump. The entry level model will sport either a 6 speed manual, or 5 speed auto, and will be front wheel drive.

A hotter Type-S model should also appear with around 260hp, coming from an up-tuned version of the 2.3L (240-hp) turbocharged motor currently found in the Acura RDX. The sportier model will feature a 6 speed auto/manual DSG gearbox, and is expected to feature Honda's Super Handling All Wheel Drive system.

While this vehicle will be sold as the Acura TSX in the United States, this same car, with just a few minor styling adjustments, will also sell in European markets as the new Honda Accord.

With the 2008 Honda Accord getting a diesel motor, it is possible that we could see a diesel TSX as well.

Look for the TSX to start production towards the end of 2008.

There are a couple more (and larger) pictures available here. Personally, the Type-S sounds very interesting; guess I should start rolling up the pennies now...