A Rare Request For Assistance

For those of you that know me (which is practically everyone, unless you're hitting the "Show Me a Random Blog" button on Blogger, in which case you must really be bored), you know that I don't often ask for help. But in this case, I've decided to take on a cause here in Greensboro...the Feral Cat Assistance Program. To do I will be walking in The Human Race on March 15, and I am kindly asking for any donations that you may be willing to send, no matter how large or small.

So I know what you're thinking...does this mean providing walkers and/or adult diapers to wild cats? No, not exactly. The term "feral" in this sense simply means those cats (and often kittens) that are born as strays or simply cast out into the streets, with nowhere to go nor anyone to feed them. FCAP does a lot of very valuable work to help find, domesticate, and provide homes for these cats rather than seeing them euthanized.

Even at home, I watch our own cats constantly tortured and stalked by our goofy full-time-herder border collie. Sometimes I think they'd be better out in the wild until I realize what a harsh existence it is out there. Together, we can prevent such scenarios and help make the world a better place. :)

Visual Summary For Those That Like Pictures (Kevin): Before and After

There is certainly no pressure involved here, but if you would be willing to sponsor me (and thus FCAP) in the Human Race, please send a check made payable to "The Human Race" with the initials "FCAP" and my name written on the memo portion of your check. You may draw pictures of your own animals on each check at your own risk. If you are interested and do not have my address, please send me a short note and I will provide it to you. All donations have to be in to me by February 28, but if you let me know in advance I can go ahead and make your donation for you (because I love and trust you).

Again, I don't do this often, so I greatly appreciate your understanding and thank you for reading.

My Face, Online at Last

Faithful readers, I'm quite pleased to announce that through an friendly solicition (thanks to Kevin Lee), I was dragged into the world of Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com

Although I'd heard quite a bit about Facebook through everyday news, I had never really paid a whole lot of attention to it...mostly because MySpace just ain't my thing. Gaudy colors, dancing animations, and tacky colors never did it for me. :)

But as it turns out, Facebook is a lot of fun. It's more structured than MySpace, for one thing, which is infinitely better...because the focus is on the content, not how crazy you can spice it up. And if I'm saying that as a web designer (and someone who loves creativity), you know that I don't say it lightly.

Probably the neatest parts of the site are: 1) it's a very easy way to keep in touch with people through brief updates, 2) there are lots of little applications created to share your favorite movies, books, music, etc., and 3) it's a neat way to find like-minded people on just about any subject in the world. Not to mention that you're almost guaranteed to find one or two people that you'd lost touch with, only to regret that you'd done so. Facebook can give you a way to look them out without knowing their e-mail address.

You have also the option to withhold your information if you don't want anyone accessing it, particularly if you haven't designated them as a friend. I think this is actually the default on Facebook, while MySpace is open to everyone by default.

Anyway, feel free to look me up there if you're interested in trying it out. It's a great way to see what I'm up to on a day-to-day basis, browse some of my favorites in multiple categories, or just post a note to say hello.

In the end, it's all about fun, and I've found Facebook to be just that. Perhaps it might prove the same for you. :)

Green Bay and Grey Goose

For those that aren't aware, Kelly and I had the opportunity this past
weekend of attending a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau Field (Wisconsin),
thanks to my brother Kyle. Five of us made the trip, including my father
and Kyle's girlfriend, Blair. All in all, it was a lot of fun--especially
with a rowdy 38-7 beatdown handed to the Raiders by the guys in green.

Gametime was about 17 degrees, and suffice it to say that things were a
little on the chilly side. But of course we prepared well, and Kelly and I
looked like Mr. and Mrs. Penguin for a few hours (or Dr. and Mr. Penguin,
if you care for that sort of thing). We saw bratwurst, shirtless men,
countless beers, the legendary Brett Favre, a couple of off-field black
people, parking lots full of snow, restaurant workers all wearing Green Bay
uniforms, and best of all the confirmation that my Dad has finally
perfected all of his corny Dad jokes. I'm so proud of him.

My father drove to Green Bay from Wisconsin in his Chevy Silverado, so for
cost/fun purposes we all decided to meet in Chicago and ride together from
there. This seemed like a good idea until winter weather set in, but
miraculously the weather held off on both ends of the trip. We definitely
had the good fortune of having a clear path both ways.

Until the goose happened.

Forty-five minutes into our return trip from Green Bay to Chicago, with
flights that afternoon, we were cruising along in my Dad's truck when an
enormous goose came out of nowhere and violently smashed into the
windshield. One moment all is well, and the next you have a three-inch
concave dent in your windshield, thousands of small cracks spiraling out
from it, and shards of glass everywhere in the front seat of the car.
Looking behind us, I could see various feathers blowing up and down the
interstate, with more still stuck in the cracks of the windshield. Not a
good thing.

We pulled off the road, of course, and the car in front of us did as well.
The truck was perfectly drivable but nothing could be done about the vision
aspect of it. Mostly we just tried to shake it off, drowning out the
lingering echoes of Kelly's blood-curdling scream. When Kyle walked up the
car ahead (that had stopped), they asked if we needed a witness, and he
just held up some feathers. That took care of that. Then the knowledge
set in that we were out in the middle of nowhere, about six miles from the
thriving metropolis of Manitowoc, Wisconsin. And that is when the cell
phone calls started.

Using all of the collective charm in the truck and the portable GPS I
fortunately brought along, we got into town only to find that Manitowoc had
no one that could repair the damage. Meanwhile, my poor father is driving
around while sitting at a very crooked angle, trying his best to see
underneath the bottom portion of the windshield that wasn't completely
smashed. To make a long story short, the best we could find was a shop in
Sheboygan, no less than 27 miles away. And so we drove it as best we
could, knowing all the while that our flights would take off without us.

Of course, we joked about it. Kyle kept the feathers as a souvenir for
over an hour until letting them loose in a Starbucks later that afternoon.
We teased Kelly about the scream. We blamed my Dad for special-ordering
his sausage and cheese biscuit at Hardee's, delaying us just enough to put
us in the path of the goose 45 minutes later. We took pictures and waited
for the actual windshield to cave in on itself with the force of the wind
blowing against it. But it never did.

In Sheboygan, the repair would take nearly three hours, which would leave
us no chance for our flight. So I came up with the idea of renting a car.
We called several rental car companies before finding that Avis had a tiny
agency about two miles away. And thankfully, small-town hospitality
finally came into play...the guy from Avis drove over to pick us up and
rented us a car one-way for only $93 (this was over about 180 miles to
Chicago). And so we took the car and drove off toward the airport, leaving
my father with his poor, injured truck, still picking tiny shards of glass
off of his jacket.

In the end, Kelly and I made our flight by only ten minutes, thanks to Kyle
agreeing to drop off the rental for us (their flight was later). We ended
up exactly where we would have been if nothing had happened, but did we
ever take a crazy route to get there.

Unfortunately, I can't say the same for the goose.

Rebirth: A New Beginning

Well, as you can tell, I've once again fallen victim to the combination of
a busy life and a non-updated blog. And in doing so, my thousands of blog
readers have lived in depression, anxiously awaiting a salvation that has
not come (scale: 10 actual readers = 1,000 claimed readers). In the
interest of truth, however, there are 64 people who currently exist on the
subscription list, so my apology is rather heartfelt.

Still, there is hope.

No, I am not talking about Mitt Romney. I'm talking about reclaiming the
blog for it's rightful purpose: a view on life, through the eyes of a
madman. Yes, that's right, the kind of madman who works in a cubicle all
day and comes home to a well-kept suburban house with a wife and three
pets. So what's the difference? Well, rather than focus on lengthier,
time-intensive posts like you've seen in the past, this time I'm going to
balance those with smaller posts as well. Little thoughts here and there
along the way. Some will make you think...some might make you drink. Some
will cause apathy and others will barely be readable due to my continuous
lack of sleep. But I think these little additions are truly what make the
essence of a blog.

Anyway, as we enter the Christmas season, I see stress and pure craziness
on the faces on people everywhere. There is a pure frantic energy about
December--one that makes everyone feel like they have way too much to do
and not nearly enough time. We save half of our yearly vacation to prepare
for it. We spend more money on gifts than we do in the rest of the year
combined. We pretend that candy canes are delicious, even though they
taste terrible and would impale your brain if you ever happened to fall
while eating one. Much like the elves and reindeer and Grinch that dance
around your Christmas tree, much of it is simply a grand fairy tale that
culminates in the most elaborate birthday party in the history of the
world.

Thank goodness that Santa Claus is real. Without that, I wouldn't have
much reason to go on.

Random Question of the Day

Did Jesus know about America when he was here on Earth? Or do all parents
keep secrets from their children?

See? Good food for thought. And for any such questions, feel free to send
your answers via e-mail and they may make a subsequent blog post. The goal
here is mainly humor, however, so don't send reference links to
Encyclopedia Brittanica. I'm not that much of a geek (oh, but if you have
any characters on World of Warcraft, let me know that, too).

A True Graduation

My friends, I write tonight to relay that on Wednesday morning, I had the true privilege of attending the FBI Academy graduation of Josh, my best and oldest friend of over seventeen years. It was one of those things one never forgets. The same kid I used to do everything with in middle and high school is now a Special Agent of the FBI. And he completely knows my dark and sordid past.

Okay, maybe I don't have a dark and sordid past. ;) Or maybe I paid Josh off and we've agreed that bygones are bygones. But either way, I have to say that I was very proud to know him as he crossed the stage in Quantico, Virginia on Wednesday--if for nothing else than knowing that it was the culmination of a longtime dream for Josh. It was also true proof of what is possible when you really put all of your heart and soul into something.

For those interested, feel free to take a look at my photos from the event (click here). Hopefully they capture the true feel of the ceremony as well as give you a glimpse behind the scenes at the Academy.

Josh, my friend, here is a toast to you and all that you have achieved over the last few years. I know without a doubt that you'll be a damned fine agent, and I plan to closely follow your distinguished career every step of the way.

Andy

A Life of Bliss

Greetings! It has been quite some time, and it only taken me a couple months and a lot of stress to remember why summer always feels like running the gauntlet. There is just an impossible number of things to do. I remember back to my younger days when I was so quiet no one really knew me, and a summer would be a blissful repetition of lazy days in the sunshine. I'd stay up until all hours of the night and sleep until the sun was well overhead in the afternoon sky. I'd make my own schedule and eat grilled cheese all day long. And my biggest stress of the day was trying to determine if I should wager all of my fictional money on Final Jeopardy.

Sometimes growing up sucks. ;) And turning 30 last month has brought with it some fun realities.

I think part of getting older requires that you finally give in to life's tightening schedules and realize that you have to start cutting things out. Most often, it is a long-held debate between life's pleasures (hanging out with friends, sending e-mails and telephone calls, watching your favorite television shows, shooting plungers at rabid rabbits with a Nintendo Wii remote, or going to Hooters) with life's responsibilities (cleaning the house, mowing the yard, work responsibilities, business trips, and rubbing the dog's belly when he looks like he really, really has to have it or he'll just explode inside). I think all of us live in this perpetual state of battle between the two.

So as you can guess, I'm trying to find my way through this life crisis. I constantly feel neglectful of something, simply because there is not enough time to get to it all. Lately the responsibilities side of the war has been winning, I think, to the detriment of things such as this blog and keeping in contact with a number of you. But alas, it is never too late to change!

Does this mean I'm going back to my life of sleeping all day and eating grilled cheese? Actually, it does! I realize this is big news to many of you, but it is time for a much-needed change back to the simple life. Wait, hold on a second...

...

Oh, great, Kelly just came in and vetoed that idea. Argh! Why does she have to be the responsible one? And what the hell am I going to do with all of this cheese now? Apparently we don't really live in a world where a family can exist on one income, at least not with DirecTV. So we're back to square one. Such utter disappointment, but I guess I'll need to make the best of it.

With that said, I will part ways with you for the moment. I'm off to enjoy a really fun weekend! But first I have to clean both my house and car, write a couple of e-mails, pay the bills, and do some grocery shopping.

Now Available: My Digital Self

For whatever reason, I've recognized that many people are somewhat reluctant to use the phone these days. It's an odd reversal from when I first logged onto the internet back in '95, when I was typing all over the place and everyone else was on the phone. At any rate, I've decided to revive a little of this glorious past, and go forth once again into the realm of instant messaging.

I'm including my account info below for those that would like to contact me this way. Two important notes: 1) Do not be alarmed if I do not respond right away, as this is the nature of such things, and 2) I actually have one application that allows me to log into multiple services, so I do not actually have four different applications running at once (wouldn't that be fun?). So here they are...feel free to use any that you like:

ICQ - 214444
Yahoo! - ugadesign
MSN - ugadesign@hotmail.com
AOL - ugadesign421

Enjoy as you will. ;)

Photos - Charleston Trip

Hello, everyone! Life is still very busy, as I was away from home twelve days (returning on Wednesday)--half of which was a trip to New York City and the other half a trip to Charleston, South Carolina. As part of the Charleston trip, Kelly, Lauren, and I had a chance to see the Magnolia Plantation and Gardens, a plantation that was originally built around 1670 in early Charleston. This was a great chance to put my new camera to use, and overall it proved to produce a lot of great photographs (I believe so, anyway).



Feel free to take a look yourself by clicking here:



Charleston Photos



I've taken a fair amount of effort to change the format of how the photos are displayed, along with adding descriptions and trying to make them as entertaining as possible (yes, including my tainted sense of humor). I hope you enjoy them...let me know what you think.



Meanwhile, there is a lot going on at the moment, and I think over the next few months you'll see an exciting thing or two from me. Time will tell. I hope all of you are doing well, and thanks for reading!