Getting closer

My wife and I went out looking at used Class A motor homes, we have found my idea of living in a Class A motor home to be possible. The prices of the used units are within our budget and come with everything needed to survive like a washer dryer, on board 30 gallon propane tank, 5500 watt generator that works off of the on board fuel tank. Some of the units have massive slide outs and some are more modest. We have come to the conclusion that we only really need one slide out at the living room area and that would be plenty for the two of us. We are looking to spend in the $20,000 range, I think that will last us five years. This adventure is going to be a five year tour, like Star Trek. Why five years? Our kids will be so busy establishing their lives in the five years following school they will never know we are gone, well that's my theory anyway. Between the ages of 19-20 to 20-25 they will be busy building their future and settling down. Buy the time they reach 25 they will be interested in seeing mom and dad again so buy then I hope to have seen all I want to see and be ready to settle back down myself. Along the way I want to for the first time ever to have one on one time with my wife, something we have never had. You see I graduated high school with my wife pregnant so it has never been just the two of us (we are taking our Pug). So in my travel of the eastern seaboard

I hope to reinvent my relationship with my wife in a way that till death do we part is the end we meet together.I also want to see this great country of ours that some many have died to secure, to not explore your own home is a travesty. So anyway forward I go, pretty soon Bud light in a bottle for everyone. RV Trade

Bird

Birds are coming for you!!!!!

Random from around town....

Not the NFL draft picks!

So I bought a new-used Sony A100 by mistake off of Ebay, It wasn't what I really wanted but I was goofing around and bidding where I shouldn't have been. My intention was to try and get a good deal on a more modern Sony Alpha like the A33 or A55. Well I bid on the A100 just for fun and ended up winning it. After I won it, I contacted Greg McCary a friend of mine in Georgia. Feeling sorry for me I think, he sent me a hot shoe flash and a real nice like new Minolta 50mm 1.7 lens. Greg is a landscape photographer and an avid Sony NEX and Alpha user. I will be starting a new photography only blog here soon. I might even entice my buddy M3 to join in it with me, peer pressure is a real bear. With my kids getting older and my time freeing up I will have more time to dedicate to my blog. I am also looking into buying some new equipment this summer. The Pentax K-5 is looking promising, also the Sony A580. So many people skip over these quality DSLR cameras just to stay mainstream with Cannon and Nikon. Canon and Nikon are great systems but they are not perfect either. The picture in this post was one I took yesterday with my Sony A100 and it had the Minolta 50mm 1.7 mounted on it. I was just goofing around. I'll be back

You think you figured out just how to win this game

I purchased a copy of Nude and Beauty Photography off Amazon.com, I am ready to take a stab at Nude Photography and fine art. It seems I am short of models, this could be a problem..I have thought of placing an add on Craig's list for models but my wife has a problem with that. So ends my career in nude photography.

I guess I could take up candle making.......



I'll be back..

Flap your wings now you can't stay

From MSN...Can you say FAIL!
An assistant arts professor at New York University is going under the knife for his art (photography), having surgery in three weeks to install a camera in the back of his head that will broadcast a live stream of images to the museum in Qatar that commissioned the project.

My first week out of school and I have nothing to talk about but I do feel the need to blog. I think I might get my camera out tomorrow and do some shooting. I might go visit a local land mark with my new best buddy. Who might that be you ask? My daughter, she has decided to take 35 days off of school and will be attached to my side for a long time. Yes I graduate from Paramedic school and pass a battery of tests just to come home and baby sit my 16 year old. Just another day in the life.

I'll be back!!!!

Busy very busy

North Carolina

Here are a few pics from my trip to Emerald Isle, NC. I biked the length of the island and back, about 50+ miles, one morning.

My Year In Review Get out 2008

Well, here we are, another year gone by. Somewhat of a disappointing year really. Let's take an acid-free trip into the past year and see what we can find.

Let's see.... Nope nothing good in January... February... March... Nothing. April... May... Nothing. June, ah June, yes, the trip down the C&O Towpath. The trip that defined the rest of my year.

Preparing for the trip across the C&O Towpath was a life changing event. First I strengthened a friendship with a firehouse pal, spent some time with a friend I hadn't seen in a long time, and changed the way I look at myself. For me the 184 mile trip would be the beginning of serious life changes.

I have spent many years trying to do something about my excessive weight. With some success, I needed something to give the boost to keep pushing. The bicycle did the trick. As I sit here typing this blog I remain eager to hit the trails and pedal away for better health.

Most of all this year, on July 3rd, I quite smoking. A three pack-a-day smoker, for like 17 or 18 years, I quit. On January 3rd I am going to party like it's 1999 all over again (not really but it sounds good). I found the motivation to quit from pictures, pictures of past vacations and events. It seems I always had a cancer stick in my hand or I was hiding it behind my back. I also pulled a ton and I mean a ton of motivation from a friend. One who wasn't going to let me give up the fight. Between the pictures, my pal and a strong desire to not die like so many of the people I take to the hospital (in our squad), I quit.

I rode 184 miles on a bicycle in 2.5 days, quit smoking, fought some killer fires, tried to help or helped a ton of hurting or sick people, celebrated my 16th wedding anniversary, lost my job (to layoff), lost 37 pounds (gained it all back after quitting smoking) and lived to tell about it.

Special shout out to my Brother for everything you do for me, Randy I never would have quit smoking if it weren't for you and Matt a life time of friendship (love the homebrew, make more we'll be back!)

Don't forget to comment on my Wordless Wednesday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well I have been too busy to post

I have been working my little tail off here lately, getting a few things in order here at the house and working late for the Newspaper. I'll post when I have some more time. Enjoy....

Epic tank battle

Epic tank battle in the streets Johnstown. Never before seen point blank range life and death battle to the finish.

Not epic but still worth a note

While I was out getting a new seat for Fury (my bike), I picked up a cheap external hard drive to back up my photos. I had a computer mishap a week ago, all of my photo files got locked up. It seems for some reason they changed ownership from me to the system. After reading through a few computer forums I learned how to get them back.

I had to change the properties of the files to regain ownership of them. I'll tell you what, there was over 30 gigs of family, fire dept., aerial, test and Christmas pictures lost in computer jail. Two days have passed and I am only halfway done with the recapture of my files. Did I mention there was over 4 gigs of music lost in limbo too?

I have learned my lesson, after I am finish with the recapture of all the files, I am going to send a butt load out for print the next time Walgreen's has a print sale. Every now and again Walgreen's will run a 10 cent photo print sale, all you have to do is upload and order.

So many people often say, boy I wish I would have had a good camera on that trip. It pays to take the time and money to get a good camera. Photo memories are priceless. Sometimes that is all we have to document our lives after we are dead and gone. From time to time an old photo will resurface and make history. Like the photo Helen Keller and Anne Sullivan, priceless.

A photo is worth a thousand words.

Colors

The colors of spring are finally starting to pop up here in Ohio.

Life is beautiful

Every now and again when life slows down a little, I am reminded of how beautiful life really is. As much as I love to argue politics with my fellow blog author, it is nice to hide from the ugliness of life. It is essential to look away from the anger, pain and yes the stupidity of life, from time to time. You can't take everything serious all the time. Once in a while you need to cut loose and put your priorities in line. Family, friends and community. Everyone should take the time to walk about and take in all of the surroundings.

With spring coming in full swing the colors of nature will be popping out all around us. Turn off that television, push aside all of the death and destruction brought to us by our liberal news media. Sorry, I had to add the liberal news thing in there. Get a big bottle of drinking water, good shoes and a camera and get outside.

Life is beautiful...........................

A day of reflection

April 15th 1998, in a hospital in downtown Columbus, my mother passed away. After years of battling diabetes, heart disease and kidney problems she passed away. My father followed her a few years later in 2003. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my mom and dad. Both were too young to die, mom was 57 and dad 56. Due to my irresponsibility, my mother did get to see her grandchildren and man she loved them babies so.

I was only 24 when she passed away, I wasn't ready to let go of her yet. You see mom was my buddy, my friend. I spent a whole year angry, my poor wife had to put up with a lot. It took a while before I figured out that with her gone, I didn't have anyone to talk to. Not just talk to but someone to confide in and help when life got me down.

In someways I never got to know my father until he was gone. I spent many days helping him deal with the loss of my mother. Those two were inseparable, they were like the sun and moon. Dad was never happy without her. He tried dating but found it almost impossible.

Both of my parents were straight with God, both saved and lived great lives. It is hard to believe that it has been ten years. I used to love to hear them talk about their lives and how they managed to meet each other. Their stories are gone now, buried in a small cemetery, side by side they will be together for eternity.

Wow

What do you do when you can't pay your house payment,,,,,,,,,,

Sad people, really sad. It has just begun.

Youth

Life was good, times were great, too bad we had to graduate.

Friends to the end!!!