.: blog :.

I took the plunge, swallowed the red pill, joined the cult, <insert metaphor of choice here>. I bought my first iPod, which also happens to be an iPhone. This was very much premeditated since my Treo 650 was lost back in February of 2006 and I’d been avoiding cell phone contracts and using second-hand phones ever since. In fact, on iPhone Day 2008, I got to an AT&T store early enough to be one of the first to have an iPhone 3G — probably a good idea since they’re still in short supply.

I was holding out for a smartphone that could provide some level of mobile computing, and I must say that the iPhone is holding true to its promises. And for $199 it’s not a bad deal either for a phone, iPod, PDA, internet browser, etc all in one.

I recently accepted an offer to work for Pittsburgh company Mine Safety Appliance Company (MSA). It is a great company with a very thorough hiring process, so I was very happy for the opportunity. The company makes a wide variety of safety products for recreation, construction, law enforcement, firefighting, and the military, and they are very passionate about what they do.

The main reason for the move was to allow me to work in product development rather than strictly in engineering analysis. My position meshes well with the Masters in Product Development that I continue to pursue (now on summer break), so I feel that doors are opening in the right direction. The only downside is a longer commute, but it hasn’t been bad thus far. I have to sell my truck and find a smaller car, so if anyone is considering buying an affordable pickup truck, click here!

A bit of irony lies in the fact that I was previously working as a contractor for Westinghouse Electric Co. With renewed demand for nuclear energy, their business is booming and they are constructing a gigantic $140 million building — right across the street from MSA.

This is a great photo captured at my grandpa’s farm while we were visiting recently. Ian likes to wave at people, so this captures a fun little moment!

The Salina Journal wrote a nice article about the Kelly Jackson Memorial Walk/Run. About 65 people participated in the event and it raised over $2,000. Most of all, it honored Kelly, a dear friend, daughter, sister, and mother. After the custody battle, criminal trial, etc, the event brought solace and more resolution by remembering her in a special way and at a place meaningful to us all. It was also a chance to raise awareness about domestic violence and its prevalence around us.

The day just felt right as the bright sunshine reminded us of her big grin smiling down from above.  See more photos here.

Well, I haven’t updated the pages on my site dedicated to Kelly, but wanted to at least get a post written on the Kelly Jackson Memorial 5k Walk/Run. We’re having our 10-year high school reunion over Memorial Day weekend, and this event will take place over the weekend on Saturday morning at our high school. Kelly was our class Vice President and was so excited about the reunion that she had already started the planning process before her death in late 2005. So in honor of Kelly, and to benefit her daughter, we will be holding this event for anyone and everyone to participate in. Visit the site for more details.

Special thanks to Lori Wright for designing the t-shirt graphic.

I haven’t posted recently on our progress in our kitchen remodeling because, well, there hasn’t been a lot of progress since last August! But things do look more “done” since my last kitchen post, so I’ll post some photos here. Most notably, the breakfast nook is mostly done and furnished. We also have a wonderful pantry in the main kitchen area, with much thanks to my father-in-law! See the pics below.

I took a photography class this semester (first mini), which I thoroughly enjoyed. It was the source of an earlier post about shooting in the studio. However, it wasn’t a typical class that teaches how to photograph, but rather taught about the power and nuance of photography. I’m assuming most people use a camera, but have you ever thought about how you see the world through the camera lens? Do you see things differently? Or perhaps you’d tend to think that it’s helpful but reduces the complexity and beauty of the real world to a small 2-dimensional “snapshot”.

Reflection off a kitchen drawer pull

But what makes certain photographs so powerful? Why do companies spend big dollars trying to catch your eye with their photography and other visuals? We are indeed visual people (I certainly am!), so images can be very compelling. I took photographs of reflections around my house for an assignment and thought they’re worth sharing. For me, it was interesting to look at the everyday in a whole new way. (Maybe I’ll take up poetry next semester…)

(Funny side notes… Can you tell what time it is in the bathroom? Did you notice the shark in the last photo? Did you see what was the reflection and what wasn’t being reflected in the nursery photo?)

You may have seen the memorial page I put together in honor a close high school friend, Kelly Jackson Supanchick who was killed on December 23, 2005. Kelly’s young daughter was adopted a while back by her dad and step-mom, which was the best option for her. She’s doing great by all accounts.

Now there is finally resolution in the courts. Kelly’s husband was convicted of aggravated murder last week. And just yesterday, he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Though nothing can change what happened, it helps to have closure and know that justice has prevailed. Read the article here.

I’ll keep on rolling out some blog posts here to share photos and get ya’ll up to speed on what we’re up to. We enjoyed spending Easter with my in-laws as is our tradition, now with the addition of Ian. Since it was so early this year, it was a chilly weekend. So chilly, in fact, that there was a dusting of snow on Saturday. It didn’t affect us much, except that we had to keep Ian warm in his little Easter outfit (see below). I had a friend tell me about his rough experience trying to play guitar for his church’s outdoor sunrise service — fortunately our Easter celebration was in a warm sanctuary. We got too much candy (Ian needed some help with his) but it was a nice getaway and our first chance to congratulate Erica’s sister-in-law on the news that Ian will soon have a little cousin!

Recently, we worked to turn our second floor office into a family room. This was still going to be *my* room to design, just now new and improved, and with more floor space (to play with Ian) after the removal of the giant desk and a closet. Initially, a new entertainment stand would hold all of my old electronics: My PC and monitor from college, used stereo from my dad, $10 speakers from my brother, spare DVD player from my friend Josh, etc. But eventually I’d get our first TV and surround sound system, and upgrade the computer. (If you can’t tell, TV is low priority in our house.) But besides being home to all my fun electronics, the room must also have a decidedly manly decor.

Sooo…. I put up new drywall where the closet used to be, found some great paint colors and carpet, rearranged the room, and hung some B&W photography on the walls. What a huge difference! Our dog sleeps on the couch in the room, so she enjoys it too, seen here relaxing on the new carpet.