tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83557234750173624292024-03-05T12:13:36.916-08:00See HurstAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.comBlogger37125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-87069459219998144232012-06-24T06:53:00.001-07:002012-06-24T08:42:50.288-07:00Summer 2012 Mix - Afghanistan Heat<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Hello again. Two posts in one day? Yep.<br />
<br />
I've spun up a new mix with some of my favorite new and used tunes that I hope you enjoy. It's a lively mix designed to be played loud.<br />
<br />
NOTE: THIS MIXSET CONTAINS VERY EXPLICIT LYRICS. LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK. <br />
<br />
Enjoy!<br />
<br />
<a href="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/20493714/DJRedsamick_Summer%202012%20Mix_Afghanistan%20Heat.mp3">Dropbox Public Link</a><br />
<br />
(Right-click and select "Save Link As")<br />
<br />
Track List:<br />
<br />
1. Gotye, SHM, Sandro Silva & Quintino - Epic One I Used To Know (Garmiani Bootleg)<br />
2. Afrojack, Steve Aoki, Miss Palmer - No Beef feat. Miss Palmer - Original Mix<br />
3. R3hab & Swanky Tunes vs Hard Rock Sofa & Swanky Tunes - Sending My Love vs The Edge (R3hab Bootleg)<br />
4. Pleasurekraft - Satyr Song - Umek Remix<br />
5. Khia - My Neck (Hupe Coman Soenke Re-Bounce)<br />
6. Black Eyed Peas - Boom Boom Pow<br />
7. DJ Hero - Bounce<br />
8. Whiskey Pete, Oh Shit! - Pushin Harder - DJ Hero VIP Remix<br />
9. Afrojack - Funk With Me (Original Mix)<br />
10. Martin Solveig - Hello (Benjamin Bates Remix)<br />
11. Dada Life - Rolling Stones T-Shirt (Instrumental)<br />
12. Mord Fustang - Welcome To The Future (Original Mix)<br />
<br />
NOTE: THIS MIXSET CONTAINS VERY EXPLICIT LYRICS. LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK. </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-18294811283092960332012-06-24T06:41:00.002-07:002012-06-24T06:41:28.578-07:00Review: New Balance 110s<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Greetings and welcome to my <strike>failure</strike> blog. Today I'm writing a quick review of my new pair of <a href="http://www.newbalance.com/New-Balance-110/MT110,default,pd.html?dwvar_MT110_color=Black_with_Yellow_and_Blue&start=31&cgid=101000" target="_blank">New Balance (NB) 110s</a>.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7NVVf2k56SpaTUrOMUawZdUrHpFxQN35G_kehtGwZXosmgM16qMkOdQGn7upTW8Je4woCbtuI3d1jrjFR96HkYFMs_kfpecpPCz879t8j-efnKnpJgxWi70-EKpjBV71OjxUe7LcbLs/s1600/DSCN5909.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZ7NVVf2k56SpaTUrOMUawZdUrHpFxQN35G_kehtGwZXosmgM16qMkOdQGn7upTW8Je4woCbtuI3d1jrjFR96HkYFMs_kfpecpPCz879t8j-efnKnpJgxWi70-EKpjBV71OjxUe7LcbLs/s320/DSCN5909.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
Before purchasing them, my previous experience with NB shoes were the 991s. They were my shoe of choice from about '03 until '04. I ran in a different model (trail) of NBs for a short time before causing over-use stress fractures in my tibiae in the summer of '04. Afterwards, I experimented with Aisics, Saucony, and Brooks but never really was able to get comfortable with any mileage over 3 miles per run (and running 1-2 times per week). <br />
<br />
So, fast forward five years of college and two years of active duty army service. I have come to love minimal/barefoot running. It started with <a href="http://barefootrunning.com/" target="_blank">Barefoot Ken Bob</a> and <a href="http://barefootrunninguniversity.com/" target="_blank">Jason Robillard</a> and has grown to a collection of shoes that puts my wife's footwear selection to shame.<br />
<br />
I currently own one part each of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Trail-Glove-Barefoot-Running/dp/B004L4DACQ/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1340545001&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=merrell+trail+gloves" target="_blank">Merrell Trail Gloves (TG)</a> and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Glove-Barefoot-Running-Shoes/dp/B005SOLLFG/ref=pd_sbs_shoe_4" target="_blank">Road Gloves (RG)</a> and with <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Merrell-Sonic-Socks-Mens-white/dp/B0057X6BNK/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1340542490&sr=8-3&keywords=merrell+socks" target="_blank">Merrell Sonic socks</a>. I've been deployed to southern Afghanistan for about three months now and live in an area almost exclusively covered in gravel. We have about an 800m strip of nice pavement, but aside from that it is a mixture of small, medium, and large size gravel. <br />
<br />
The need for a new pair of shoes (I LOVE my TGs and RGs) arose from repeated stone bruises under the ball of my left foot. I couldn't do any significant distance without bruising my foot 5-6 times. And the pain is ridiculous. I've become such a pansy to foot/leg pain after the comfort of barefoot/minimal road running.<br />
<br />
Before deploying I ran with a couple of guys who trained in the NB 101s. I recalled them mentioning that their shoes had "rock plates" in them and were great for technical trails (Colorado Springs). So, I jumped on them internets and looked at what NB had to offer. I found the 110s on amazon, did a little bit of research and took the plunge. The selling points for me were the (1) rock plate and (2) the minimal 4mm drop. They did not fail to impress.<br />
<br />
Their maiden voyage was a short one. We did a crossfit workout today that consisted of a short warm up jog (about 600m) and 10x200m sprints on pavement. Also a little bit of jogging/walking lunges on medium gravel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVeVQut7qkdMghLBXmxykDJ9kyluU0ys7G-IOc5RTLudS-8hI9fG3u89hQjEAQu4-tN2zikfEOIagibFNe2itpCPKmgxEKkj78n-MiKDLbPFFDZz_DVu6Yooq12rK1_GbOfgFkMdo3P4/s1600/DSCN5908.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqVeVQut7qkdMghLBXmxykDJ9kyluU0ys7G-IOc5RTLudS-8hI9fG3u89hQjEAQu4-tN2zikfEOIagibFNe2itpCPKmgxEKkj78n-MiKDLbPFFDZz_DVu6Yooq12rK1_GbOfgFkMdo3P4/s320/DSCN5908.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
The Good:<br />
<br />
The rock plate worked like I hoped it would. I still felt the pointy rocks, but no sharp pain. The pressure was diffuse well across the plate.<br />
<br />
They are super light! Just a tad bit heavier than my TG/RGs.<br />
<br />
The 4mm drop is noticeable after running in zero drop for about a year, but I had none of the traditional knee/hip/back pain that I had when running in shoes that ranged 12-16mm drop.<br />
<br />
The Nicht-So-Gut:<br />
<br />
I had some rubbing on my left toes. My middle three toes felt slightly raw on the walk back to my room after the workout. I'm okay with this - I think it will pass as the shoes break-in a little bit.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWVkG8QVw4fQTGVlk-pZghesr-Dbve7G9rfdfG-8Ug-Bnt9c6th9yN0GzL6sIueaqr4eoI3KFe290RtHUx2fLSrYcn23cyBC05SaZ9TsJ6l7B3BA51CzKZvHIm9eV9-itbAskkLzo4D4/s1600/DSCN5910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWVkG8QVw4fQTGVlk-pZghesr-Dbve7G9rfdfG-8Ug-Bnt9c6th9yN0GzL6sIueaqr4eoI3KFe290RtHUx2fLSrYcn23cyBC05SaZ9TsJ6l7B3BA51CzKZvHIm9eV9-itbAskkLzo4D4/s320/DSCN5910.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4rAE8Uj1S-LdFSGlwCDEv3BsoBw5QyBRlI-cY4ehBUQjElm41hSFqjzaUTjhm6LYsYE-GnaKNUQz-n_tLtcEUJtAuRVfeKRV6DRefTI-larJU0A5QRMK2Nu-5aZbKeobjCEeZhowfAkk/s1600/DSCN5910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />
They feel pretty squishy. At first I liked that, but I soon felt out of control on the gravel. My ankles wanted to tilt some. Again, I'm okay with this because the cushioning will eventually degrade and get me closer to the ground.<br />
<br />
All-in-all, they do the trick and I'm happy with them. I'd like to run them on the trails at home (Red Rocks Canyon, Cheyenne Mountain, etc.) and see how they hold up.<br />
<br />
Thanks for reading and I hope this helps you in some fashion.<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
Chris </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-7942989167423090032011-12-07T19:05:00.001-08:002011-12-07T19:26:53.479-08:00Sick Baby and CPT Morgan's Tattoo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
My poor little girl is sick. Mims got up this morning to a burning hot and sobbing toddler (100.0F temp). She's had sick eyes all day and has just wanted to lay on us and watch MoMo (AJ language for Elmo from Sesame Street). On that, I absolutely love Youtube and the Sesame Street channel for creating the <a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/SesameStreet#grid/user/D6870D84DCB1D331">Elmo playlist</a>. We think it may be her first molar trying to push through because she doesn't have any other sick-like symptoms to go along with her fever. Whatever the case, we rock the baby tylenol like it's our job (isn't it?). I hope she gets some peaceful rest tonight.<br />
<br />
I also hope E gets some rest tonight. Too many nights without sleep makes wifey a sad panda.<br />
<br />
On a completely different note, have any of you tried Captain Morgan's "Tattoo" Spiced Rum? I bought a bottle of it recently looking to try something different. So far, it tastes and smells more like dimetapp and robitussin had a child (as Em tells it). I'll finish it up, but don't think I'll purchase this stuff anymore.<br />
<br />
Any of you try it?<br />
<br />
Here are some recent photos for your enjoyment!<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZt_6mKjMlrlzpHWgHEhtvqw-7-QtCVgZJxKbueDV1l2PIbMT2ah8qRf2RRRzHMG0C02vai2B819ngzAo0NAPxp2mjTINF08NlIgcLL8fv6jSKW6HmWNdcfZDb7E0JlUD2kUwTJf7Hb4/s1600/313542_10100151519201512_41100597_43293198_1384522463_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGZt_6mKjMlrlzpHWgHEhtvqw-7-QtCVgZJxKbueDV1l2PIbMT2ah8qRf2RRRzHMG0C02vai2B819ngzAo0NAPxp2mjTINF08NlIgcLL8fv6jSKW6HmWNdcfZDb7E0JlUD2kUwTJf7Hb4/s320/313542_10100151519201512_41100597_43293198_1384522463_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AJ and my dad cheesing at Rudy's BBQ</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDwgLt2VVlPHfQtdfj4_LoGiYrmYvTVPg1sCIdegqSQcnmRuzjKdMRQBHk1iz-dGWignP7PGdMPVPx6hYhrJyVRfq6li-pZj4Rgr_lZVJyxhXUGy3iwtrhGVXCLUkwp55DKsyphiYNPk/s1600/375454_10100151520054802_41100597_43293204_1990105270_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZDwgLt2VVlPHfQtdfj4_LoGiYrmYvTVPg1sCIdegqSQcnmRuzjKdMRQBHk1iz-dGWignP7PGdMPVPx6hYhrJyVRfq6li-pZj4Rgr_lZVJyxhXUGy3iwtrhGVXCLUkwp55DKsyphiYNPk/s320/375454_10100151520054802_41100597_43293204_1990105270_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AJ and Mommy smooch at Rudy's</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvDuSB8Khc_djV1kBbBXFuu1ppq0RF3RRV5iaNq-JQQUU0JiBTODDy9juGuakAZ-5rTrzkYacN4CGJ2eNtZWqktYbPufREYHopbgbqLwSeKA1bRaQeZbQf8z6Lva9SEE2kyQvXPQFkpM/s1600/388015_10100151521946012_41100597_43293220_172549753_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyvDuSB8Khc_djV1kBbBXFuu1ppq0RF3RRV5iaNq-JQQUU0JiBTODDy9juGuakAZ-5rTrzkYacN4CGJ2eNtZWqktYbPufREYHopbgbqLwSeKA1bRaQeZbQf8z6Lva9SEE2kyQvXPQFkpM/s320/388015_10100151521946012_41100597_43293220_172549753_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mims snuck a picture of Pops and I at Texas Roadhouse</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-74446884423022261422011-12-04T10:09:00.000-08:002011-12-04T10:09:32.684-08:00Rinsing Your Baby's Hair<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I haven't quite figured out the perfect technique in rinsing my 14-month old daughter's hair during bathtime. As the primary bath-giver, you'd reckon I'd have figured this out by now, but no, not yet.<div><br />
</div><div>I've tried to teach her how to close her eyes, but then she accidentally breathes in the water as I pour it over her head.</div><div><br />
</div><div>I try reclining her and rinsing that way, but she won't lay back for longer than a few seconds before freaking out.</div><div><br />
</div><div>My wife has her look up towards the cup and this seems to work best. I think I'll try this one out during her next bath.</div><div><br />
</div><div>AJ jumped in the shower with me this morning and she wasn't too sure about the shower head. I had to turn it into a game (with the assistance of my determined wife). Eventually she was ok having her back in the water, but once I went to put her head under to rinse the shampoo, she was trying to get away from it...</div><div><br />
</div><div>Any ideas? Have any of you figured out a sure method to rinse your kid's hair without simultaneous choking and screaming?</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-89442793368001652142011-10-23T09:32:00.000-07:002011-10-23T09:32:30.056-07:00A new mix!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Check out my latest mix at Soundcloud and Mixcloud (NOTE: This mix contains explicit lyrics):<br />
<br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F26209192"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F26209192" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/fall-mix-2011">Fall Mix 2011</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick">DJRedsamick</a><br />
<br />
</div><div><object height="480" width="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.mixcloud.com/media/swf/player/mixcloudLoader.swf?feed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixcloud.com%2FRedsamick%2Ffall-2011-mix%2F&embed_uuid=c576ccfb-5c0c-4315-99a4-64c67f12fbee&embed_type=widget_standard"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="wmode" value="opaque"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.mixcloud.com/media/swf/player/mixcloudLoader.swf?feed=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.mixcloud.com%2FRedsamick%2Ffall-2011-mix%2F&embed_uuid=c576ccfb-5c0c-4315-99a4-64c67f12fbee&embed_type=widget_standard" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="opaque" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="480"></embed></object><br />
<div style="clear: both; height: 3px;"></div><div style="color: #999999; display: block; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin: 0; padding: 3px 4px;"><a href="http://www.mixcloud.com/Redsamick/fall-2011-mix/#utm_source=widget&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=base_links&utm_term=resource_link" style="color: #02a0c7; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Fall 2011 Mix</a> by <a href="http://www.mixcloud.com/Redsamick/#utm_source=widget&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=base_links&utm_term=profile_link" style="color: #02a0c7; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Redsamick</a> on <a href="http://www.mixcloud.com/#utm_source=widget&utm_medium=web&utm_campaign=base_links&utm_term=homepage_link" style="color: #02a0c7; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank"> Mixcloud</a></div><div style="clear: both; height: 3px;"></div></div><br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-91079772266087390102011-06-19T15:08:00.000-07:002011-06-19T15:08:10.315-07:00Happy Father's Day!As I sit here enjoying my early afternoon Paulaner, I can't help but feel loved.<br />
<br />
I can't believe I'm a father and that this is my day. I am blessed with the sweetest, most beautiful and loving wife and daughter ever created. I am thankful beyond words.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vl-NvKfU1JPTW4lny1kmZCH_-nW8R4YEywOEw06uApnwM4ArCYFnBb1MyyeSBBIKbzimOZzJddJm1Tf9Ju4cZdlKt_RXd-CrGRq-fUElRSDNqZCBmSbLW_qF0k8cYiWMnpMKBDItst8/s1600/EmilyAndAmelia_6MonthPhotos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6vl-NvKfU1JPTW4lny1kmZCH_-nW8R4YEywOEw06uApnwM4ArCYFnBb1MyyeSBBIKbzimOZzJddJm1Tf9Ju4cZdlKt_RXd-CrGRq-fUElRSDNqZCBmSbLW_qF0k8cYiWMnpMKBDItst8/s320/EmilyAndAmelia_6MonthPhotos.jpg" /></a></div><br />
Thanks must also go out to my dad, Bill, who if it weren't for him, I wouldn't be the man I am today.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZux4a_4eDRbfM3w0xc4jM6QS8VbdxxpR9c4UQrKv3hLpuntmfIMJcsNfYQfjplDYZ8T6doRWUnBbd3rBqunvKkjwcG5Oo2kkkMdYyoMpCyVcv9YPKCxRGFOhMzjoc1mLyW4QgZp_tAE/s1600/DadAndAmelia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="320" width="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeZux4a_4eDRbfM3w0xc4jM6QS8VbdxxpR9c4UQrKv3hLpuntmfIMJcsNfYQfjplDYZ8T6doRWUnBbd3rBqunvKkjwcG5Oo2kkkMdYyoMpCyVcv9YPKCxRGFOhMzjoc1mLyW4QgZp_tAE/s320/DadAndAmelia.jpg" /></a></div><br />
All told, I've had a wonderful first Father's Day. I spent the day with my favorites, had some amazing bbq at Rudy's, nommed the world's best no-bake cookies, and received a slick new watch to wear when I dress up.<br />
<br />
How was your Father's Day?<br />
<br />
Cheers,<br />
<br />
ChrisAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-15230365516756292492011-05-21T07:48:00.000-07:002011-05-21T07:48:10.469-07:00Almost ReadyEmily, Amelia, and I are <i>just<i></i></i> about packed up for our first family trip! We are flying to San Francisco (or as I say Sansenfrisco) tomorrow afternoon and will be gone for seven days as we bask in each others' company and take in the sights of beautiful California. It will be both Amelia's and my first trip to the west coast and we are both very excited. <br />
<br />
Emily has really been the driving force behind getting us ready for the trip. Sometimes I think we are so similar, and other times (like now) I realize we can be very different. Emily is very organized and I, well, am not. If it wasn't for her meticulous pack-plan and determination to get our house in order before our trip, we'd be a mess...<i>I'd</i> be a mess. Sometimes we butt heads because our different personalities, but after the initial rough spot, we come out stronger, closer, and happier. I've heard it said that people can't change, and to some extent I agree. However, I have come to find that in a marriage, people <i>can</i> and <i>do</i> change - for the better.<br />
<br />
Before meeting, dating, and subsequently marrying Emily, I've was a completely unorganized right-brainer who procrastinated and didn't take much seriously. I'm not much different now, but I am a little, and that little bit is very important. She makes me a better person, husband, and father. She is amazing and I'm grateful for her love and patience.<br />
<br />
So, if you haven't been keeping up with us on the Facebook, we've been super busy since my redeployment. From working on our house, to spending quality time together, to getting to know our neighbors, we've been all over. Emily and I were talking about it last night. It's so weird for me to be home and leading a normal life. Up until this point, we would try to cram 5 yrs of life into 3 months before I had to leave again - be it school, training, or deployment. Now I'm here at home and quite a few of my friends are deploying and it's an odd feeling, being on this side of leaving. I dropped my friend Phil off at his assembly area last night for his Afghanistan deployment and I just got really sad. I wasn't expecting it because I have always been the one leaving, trying to focus on the task at hand. I got just a tiny morsel of what Emily has had to endure these past 5 years and I'll tell you: I do not like it AT ALL. <br />
<br />
Well, it's' about time for my ladies to wake up, so I'll close with some photos and a new mix. I hope you enjoy it all - I sure do.<br />
<br />
Love.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqX0f3dYwSdoSG6-BMe4xtLGjF-QWN0dsFiKyvLx0chF9Ep2xwjMaYcq2r0MUdyOwGCY_OE4yW9R1Vx3TucBNbf0irKtH0o5w-kqHxNHq27SO96uUBEBQgYEF4B-SnkxbL4oGEgAsmOg/s1600/226483_870925736092_41100597_41714386_383076_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="214" width="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBqX0f3dYwSdoSG6-BMe4xtLGjF-QWN0dsFiKyvLx0chF9Ep2xwjMaYcq2r0MUdyOwGCY_OE4yW9R1Vx3TucBNbf0irKtH0o5w-kqHxNHq27SO96uUBEBQgYEF4B-SnkxbL4oGEgAsmOg/s320/226483_870925736092_41100597_41714386_383076_n.jpg" /></a></div><br />
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<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F14919060"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F14919060" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/djredsamick-redeployment-mix">Redeployment Mix</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick">DJRedsamick</a></span> <br />
<br />
http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/djredsamick-redeployment-mixAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-91665030371006824462011-02-12T02:36:00.000-08:002011-02-12T02:36:29.173-08:00Unbelievable Dirty Dubstep Track - Haydn Hoffman Remix<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I'm normally not really into Dubstep, but this track blew me away. Soak yourself in the dirty goodness.<br />
<br />
</div><br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10415994"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F10415994" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/haydnhoffman/crissy-criss-kick-snare-haydn">Crissy Criss - Kick Snare (Haydn Hoffman Dubstep Remix)</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/haydnhoffman">haydnhoffman</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-28272522355821886502011-02-05T01:46:00.000-08:002011-02-05T02:08:00.723-08:00House of Rockets - Week 4<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I'm starting in on my 4th weekly installment of <a href="http://seehurst.blogspot.com/2011/01/house-of-rockets-my-first-gig.html">House of Rockets</a> and I thought I'd give a wrap-up to let everyone know how it's going.<br />
<br />
I initially set out to mix from about 8pm until midnight but it's become more like 7:30pm until about 10:15pm.<br />
<br />
Nobody showed up to dance the couple of times I played and I think these are the main reasons why:<br />
<br />
<ol style="text-align: left;"><li>I didn't really promote myself (no flyers around the COB, no asking friends to come out [<a href="http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2010/07/your-first-dj-booking/">Digital DJ Tips creator/writer explains the usefulness of bringing your friends to your gig in this article</a>]<span id="goog_1370508522"></span><span id="goog_1370508523"></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/"></a>).</li>
<li>It's on a Monday night, and even in Iraq people want to get to bed at a decent time for work the next day.</li>
<li>The venue is a bit hidden so with a bit more #1 perhaps more people will come out.</li>
</ol><div>I have since posted more flyers and gotten some people to come out. Namely, my commanding officer came (he just happened to be writing an MWR article) to talk with me about my hobby and to snap a few photos. This is the best one he shot:</div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzu_btKuPFafKe2Xc7saivJnOtyYiuD1gvEUOP6fkC71gUyiaX7J1UrEF4JVAstn_hyphenhyphen94nC0F6JU1-1xyoTJGJn_LrNC9QGEy4k5ZmXQ5bPjrgbet7hqO9RHqE4Rm1ZVPum3HFedwHiZM/s1600/DSCF0005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzu_btKuPFafKe2Xc7saivJnOtyYiuD1gvEUOP6fkC71gUyiaX7J1UrEF4JVAstn_hyphenhyphen94nC0F6JU1-1xyoTJGJn_LrNC9QGEy4k5ZmXQ5bPjrgbet7hqO9RHqE4Rm1ZVPum3HFedwHiZM/s320/DSCF0005.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wearing my favorite hat, mixing on my netbook. Bigups to <a href="http://www.coffeetimescoffee.com/">Coffee Times</a> and the Rices for the bumper sticker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div>At one point there were about 11 people dancing which totally made my night. Early on in my set, I had dropped Subway pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese on my uniform and had tripped over nearly every cable in the place (was basically having a clutz night), but seeing those people dancing made up for everything. I felt a brand new energy when people started dancing and smiling at what I was playing. It was weird. I had already worked a 13 hr shift that day, was in combat boots and was dirty from a workout I had done earlier and yet, if they had kept on dancing, I would have kept on spinning. It was neat.</div><div><br />
</div><div>A couple things of note from that night:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Some people who are on the dance floor have NO PROBLEM coming right up to you and pretty much demanding (putting on a poopy face) that you play their favorite Adam Lambert/Britney Spears song. This one lady actually busted out her iPod and looked at me as if I could run it into my net book and make it work. I wanted so bad to help her out but had no idea how to make it work. So, instead, I played the only BS song I had: Hold It Against Me. It didn't really go with what I was playing, but she went nuts over it. So, hey, cool beans.</li>
<li>As you can see from the photo, my pc was set atop a bar of sorts. One person decided to set her dixie cup of juice right next to my setup. I left it alone because I was having so much fun, but I couldn't help but imagine what kind of disaster that could turn up to be. I'm glad we can't drink alcohol here for this reason.</li>
<li>On the other side, I think if people were allowed to drink it might loosen them up and make them feel more comfortable getting on the dance-floor. That's all I'll say about that.</li>
<li>I love to dance to the music too, so I find myself jumping out from behind my pc and dancing along. I just can't HELP it.</li>
</ul><div>There's more to the night, but not much. My next House of Rockets (HOR) is coming up in a few days so I'm working on getting my set-list done. The more nights I mix the more I figure out which tracks and what style of music I like spinning the most.</div></div><div><br />
</div><div>I'm also being given a guest slot next Saturday night alongside a hip-hop DJ so I am UBER excited about that. First I will get to spin during prime-time; Second I'll get to work with someone instead of alone. So cool!</div><div><br />
</div><div>I will be posting another mix here soon. Upload speeds are snail's pace around here...</div><div><br />
</div><div><br />
</div><div>Love.</div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-29188810770752832282011-02-05T00:40:00.000-08:002011-02-05T00:40:02.014-08:00Daddy's Letters to Amelia; Number 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Well, this is actually my 6th letter to her, but this is the first one I wrote to her after she was born. Like <a href="http://mimsylou.blogspot.com/">Mimsy Lou,</a> I plan on publishing some letters that I've written to Amelia to help capture my thoughts and feelings about her as time passes. The act of writing to her was at first odd but quickly became easy and fun. Imagining her reading these letters when she is older takes my imagination to whole new level. I highly recommend this exercise as it is enriching not only to me but for Emily and Amelia as well.<br />
<br />
So, read on below for my first published letter to my daughter Amelia. I've edited some stuff out for OPSEC and personal reasons. You can't know EVERYTHING about me ;) There's only one person privileged to that information.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><i>08 October 2010<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Dear Amelia,<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Hi my little princess. I’m back in Iraq now. I’m still up at 2:10am due to jet lag. I’m going back to work on the ECP around [edited]. I’m trying to stay up all night to get myself back on Iraq time. Gary and Geri are with you and Mommy right now and Daddy is happy that Mommy has some help with you. However, I’m really jealous that they are getting to spend time with you and I’m here. But, I guess that’s life sometimes. I hope to get out of the Army in 2014 so I won’t ever have to be away from home too long. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>[edited] I just miss you so much. Kissing you goodbye in the back of the RAV was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do in my life and I hope I never have to do that again. You’re just so beautiful and great. Saying goodbye to Mommy also hurt because I just love being with her and I know raising you alone for the next 5 months is going to be hard on her. I feel so useless out here. Back home I get to help Mommy with you and that gives me such a great purpose in life. Out here, I’m just an OIC for an ECP. I don’t even have that many Soldiers anymore. So, I’m just going to try and stay busy until I get to come home. Some people around here have hinted that we may come home early, but I’m not getting my hopes up just to get them shot down. So, I’m going to continue with the assumption that I won’t get home until March. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Delilah has been very cautious about approaching you. I hope that she eases up and that you be nice to her. Please don’t pull her hair or tail. She’s a really mellow cat and loves to just be petted. She’ll play with Daddy too. She likes it when I fling her string with her. She likes to love on and sleep with Mommy. I hope one day I can teach you to play with her.<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>I also hope that one day I can help you learn how to play baseball, football, soccer, and any other sport you (or your Mommy and I) take an interest in. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Popop and Grandmolly think that you look just like me. I think you look more like Mommy than me. In any case, you are beautiful and are Mommy and my princess. Don’t let anyone ever tell you different. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Well, I’m going to get off here and putter around a bit and hope I’m awake at [edited]am to take my shower and shave. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>You are great, you are wonderful, and you are ours. <o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Love you,<o:p></o:p></i></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Daddy </i><o:p></o:p></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-14828977829500724862011-01-23T20:29:00.000-08:002011-02-05T02:07:05.478-08:00House of Rockets - My First Gig!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Greetings from the sandbox! This post is about my first "House of Rockets" night in which I played/mixed house music in a small venue here in Basrah. Even though I was the only one that danced - or showed up for that matter - I had a good time and learned a few things.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JxF8euN1Qw0iBSG3redpaoHl5b5zCF1mE9dfnMtpFr1wTykWZPL6BEl-vQ88KFsSI4RA9upQXZLG2paid3lA_beQhNl0q2lqXoiHna056OVkHtNQayEDaKT0yY8BOC6gxzel23JsBf0/s1600/House+of+Rockets_Flyer1.2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JxF8euN1Qw0iBSG3redpaoHl5b5zCF1mE9dfnMtpFr1wTykWZPL6BEl-vQ88KFsSI4RA9upQXZLG2paid3lA_beQhNl0q2lqXoiHna056OVkHtNQayEDaKT0yY8BOC6gxzel23JsBf0/s320/House+of+Rockets_Flyer1.2.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My ho-made flyer</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
I arrived at the room (I can't call it anything more than that b/c it's so small) around 7pm for my set that was supposed to start at 8pm. I plugged everything in and booted up my little netbook and was off. After about 15 minutes of warming up and goofing around with effects (wanted to get this out of my system before "everyone" started showing up) I tried shutting down background applications/processes to free up my processor. I'm running a 1.6 Ghz Atom processor, so I need every bit of juice to mix two tracks in <a href="http://www.virtualdj.com/">VDJ7Pro</a>. In my fervor to free up my processor, I shut down the main audio application on my computer. The sound went out and I was left with slightly ringing ears in a small, quiet room. Felt capital D, dumb.<br />
<br />
So, one shutdown and reboot later, I was being a little more careful about which processes I was ending. I still haven't figured out exactly which ones to stop so as to still be able to run VDJ well, but hey, I'm running a Mini, what can I expect?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Gaeh1bA_8UNkQ4iu9A4VzcTkByXHBSCHMG_HTkyOus-HgfD-03UJWBBTnP1u-6zdegIthDooU7m1_vkleX1SPJ7BZk_gMDiWfCtDrEmwyJ0XeNQnLveUen6iXvDi3Kz5l14ZU8MQ5LI/s1600/DSCN5558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Gaeh1bA_8UNkQ4iu9A4VzcTkByXHBSCHMG_HTkyOus-HgfD-03UJWBBTnP1u-6zdegIthDooU7m1_vkleX1SPJ7BZk_gMDiWfCtDrEmwyJ0XeNQnLveUen6iXvDi3Kz5l14ZU8MQ5LI/s320/DSCN5558.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the "decks"</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
After I got everything back up and running, I was feeling good and on the lookout for my first "punters." (It's just fun to say/write that word) I was feeling good about my mixing. I still need lots of practice with blending well. Turning the EQ knobs with a small mouse pad is really tedious and not condusive to my dancing while mixing, so I'm looking forward to (a) a new computer and (b) a midi-controller. What usually happens is rapid and sometimes abrupt EQ kills and crossfader jumps. But I was having a good time.<br />
<br />
I continued to mix for the next couple of hours. Over those couple of hours I noticed a few things:<br />
<br />
(1) Some songs really do go together well. Some REALLY do not.<br />
(2) Little electrical glitches WILL happen. Best to just roll with it and hope your system doesn't totally crap the bed.<br />
(3) Knowing a song inside and out is paramount to any skill in beatmatching, EQ switching, sampling, or effects cueing. Both <a href="http://www.digitaldjtips.com/">Phil Morse from Digital DJ Tips</a> and <a href="http://www.beginnerdj.com/">Murray Lunn from BeginnerDJ</a> both told me this before my gig. They were certainly correct. I feel like this is the area I need the most improvement.<br />
<br />
As for the "punters," they never really showed up. A few people stopped in to see what the noise was all about, and proceeded to leave quickly. For some reason, I don't think Monday nights are that conducive to people dancing to House for a couple of hours. Hmm... <br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYO9rJw_Il2S88o4G1KgGVRqL8QlUnM_sK6DAx8bK0Pw2bNPxgmdaS6AlSSDLCdHxX2AKUqVFsyaAdk313-ppnAWcfPJx7BnXVqghOUcIZznp27u_mpRMWhiNI_zLqj3P8gizKuA5qSH0/s1600/DSCN5559.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYO9rJw_Il2S88o4G1KgGVRqL8QlUnM_sK6DAx8bK0Pw2bNPxgmdaS6AlSSDLCdHxX2AKUqVFsyaAdk313-ppnAWcfPJx7BnXVqghOUcIZznp27u_mpRMWhiNI_zLqj3P8gizKuA5qSH0/s320/DSCN5559.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm looking a bit ghostly in this shot. Not intentional at all!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
I was only phased for a short while. Most of the time, I was really liking the music coming out of those massive speakers, so I got out from behind my computer and just danced. Doing that took me back to the Hong-Dae disctrict in S. Korea when I was a younger man dancing for 8-12 hrs in a night fueled only by a vodka&juice cocktail and some rockin' DJs. <a href="http://www.visitkorea.or.kr/enu/SI/SI_EN_3_4_4_7.jsp">Club MWG</a>, you will forever be in my heart.<br />
<br />
All in all, I feel like I had a good time and am looking forward to doing it again tonight. I've listened to my set list many times over now and feel at least a little more confident in picking a song that will mix well next on the "decks." Special Thanks go to <a href="http://mimsylou.blogspot.com/">my wife</a> for supporting my dream from 8k miles away, <a href="http://www.digitaldjtips.com/">Phil Morse</a> for his wisdom and kindness, <a href="http://www.beginnerdj.com/">Murray Lunn</a> for his tips and enthusiasm, Will Stoffer for providing me with the opportunity/time/space to do something I really enjoy doing, all of the various artists who made it into my mix, and Amelia for being so stinking cute.<br />
<br />
I've embedded a short snippet from that first gig for you to enjoy and comment on.<br />
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Cheers until next time.<br />
<br />
Love.<br />
<br />
<br />
<object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9527435"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F9527435" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/house-of-rockets-17-january-2011">House of Rockets - 17 January 2011</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick">DJRedsamick</a> </div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-61387984584645236172011-01-20T21:28:00.000-08:002011-01-20T21:28:12.964-08:00Addictive Song<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I can't get enough of this song!!!<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="youtube-player" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/wavpWRK6IX8" title="YouTube video player" type="text/html" width="480"></iframe><br />
<br />
</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-89876685986754583272011-01-10T23:51:00.001-08:002011-01-10T23:53:25.940-08:00My ladies are sick...Yep, my little munchkin is teething, congested, on the tail end of a growth spurt, and is super snotty. My wife is now coming down with something which is making the equation even more complex. I feel bad because I can't really do anything for them except show them a sad face and encourage Em that she's a great mommy - which she is.<br />
<br />
Can't wait to get home.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-56225992484538640842011-01-06T02:29:00.000-08:002011-01-06T02:45:35.200-08:00What I CarriedBack in college, I read a book by Tim O'Brien titled, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Things_They_Carried"><u>The Things They Carried</u></a>. The book is about a lot of things, but it's title could also read 'The Things the Soldiers in Vietnam Carried." <a href="http://www.rajuabju.com/literature/thingstheycarried.htm">Here is a link to an online (free) version of the book</a>. I haven't read through this version, so I can't vouch for its completeness. I recommend buying the book. <br />
<br />
It's a great book and a quick read. If you like reading war stories, you'll like this book. If you don't know anything or have any interest in Vietnam or war in general, I think you'd still like it.<br />
<br />
So why bring this book up? Well, I was emptying my pockets after work here in Iraq one day and O'Brien's book came to mind. Since I find myself in a warzone, I decided to pay a small tribute to O'Brien and his book by listing what <i>I </i>have carried during my tour.* Below I have listed all the items that I carry day to day. Below that list is a shorter list of additional things I carry if I go outside the wire.<br />
<br />
What I carry (inside the wire):<br />
<ul><li> tourniquet</li>
<li>Gerber multi-tool</li>
<li>9mm Beretta</li>
<li>15 rounds of 9mm ammunition</li>
<li>1 magazine holding 9mm rounds</li>
<li>Beretta holster w/leash</li>
<li>I.D. (dog) tags</li>
<li>QuikClot combat gauze</li>
<li>Common Access Card (CAC)</li>
<li>security badge</li>
<li>black Sharpie marker</li>
<li>yellow highlighter</li>
<li>2 pencils (mechanical, 0.7mm)</li>
<li>1 black skilcraft pen</li>
<li>wallet w/debit card, driver's license, cash, and EagleCash card</li>
<li>4 Gigabyte SD card</li>
<li>chapstick</li>
<li>pocket knife</li>
<li>eye protection soft case</li>
<li>uv protective or clear lens eye protection </li>
<li>ECP badge with clear case</li>
<li>3x5in notecard used for in and out briefs for my Soldiers</li>
<li>leather gloves</li>
<li>reflective belt</li>
<li>8x5.5" record book</li>
</ul><br />
What I carry (outside the wire):<br />
<ul><li> all the things on the above list</li>
<li>Advanced Combat Helmet (ACH)</li>
<li>rhino mount for night vision goggles</li>
<li>Improved Outer Tactical Vest (IOTV) (i.e. body armor)</li>
<ul><li>this includes front/back/side armor plates</li>
</ul><li>hard plastic holster for my Beretta</li>
<li>Camelbak water reservoir </li>
<li>M4 carbine</li>
<li>210 rounds of 5.56 ball ammunition (spread over 7 magazines)</li>
<li>45 rounds of 9mm rounds (spread over 3 magazines)</li>
<li>Improved First-Aid Kit (IFAK)</li>
<li>seatbelt cutter</li>
<li>Petzl Taktikka+ headlamp</li>
<li>lighter</li>
<li>hard candy, gum, or both </li>
</ul><br />
Well, that's what I carry. As I was writing it down I realized the list was a lot longer than I thought it was going to be. I guess I have just gotten used to carrying it so I don't really pay attention to how much there really is.<br />
<br />
What do you carry? Whether you are in the military or not, I'd be interested to see what kinds of things people carry on a daily basis. <br />
<br />
-Love<br />
<br />
<br />
* I wonder why they call it a "tour" of duty... There are no guides. There are no bright red umbrellas to serve as our beacon in case one of us gets lost in the crowd. Do you have any idea why they call it a "tour?"Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-49471199709837611802011-01-05T03:27:00.000-08:002011-01-05T03:27:10.843-08:00Welcome!Welcome to the new blog! You will find all of my old blog posts + comments from "I Hug" here in full flavor. I moved here in order to link my blog into my Google account to help everyone with commenting and also to create a more comprehensive dashboard while signed into Google. Signing into and out of Google to check mail and blog was getting annoying. Now I can do it all from one hub.<br />
<br />
Look for a few posts coming within the next few days. One will be about Army stuff and another will be about music stuff. I may also tell you about my daughter's new "toothy" achievements.<br />
<br />
-LoveAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-46452345130633672822010-12-26T08:18:00.000-08:002011-01-05T03:17:30.694-08:00I got nothin' but love for you...So says Axwell on his track "Nothing But Love (Remode)" from the Swedish House Mafia album titled <u>Until One</u>. <br /><br />Christmas was tough. I'm so tired of being away from my wife and daughter. It friggin sucks.<br /><br />The only way I got through yesterday was playing flash games and watching Emily, Amelia, and the Rices (and Molly) open gifts. For some reason, it all hit me today. The sadness and lonliness. I'm pretty good at pushing my feelings down and away so I don't have to deal with them, but today was hard. I mean, I cried while watching "Roll Bounce".... Really? <br /><br />Funny thing about that movie is it shares, albeit vaguely, some characteristics of my life. The lead character lost him mom (mine ditched when I was 9 or so). He and his little sister (I had my little brother) were raised by his dad who lost himself in the memory of his wife (she died, but mine left). The characters were also avid rollerskaters. I could cut up the rink pretty good when I was about 11-12 back in Huntington, WVa. I used to LOVE going to the rink and breaking a sweat while jumping up and down with Kriss Kross. I smile fondly as I look back.<br /><br />Anyhow, just saying I'm down today. Can't wait to get back to my best friend and wife. She knows how to level me out and I'm in desperate need. I'd also like to chat with my squawky little wiggleworm too. She loves to shriek for no reason nowadays. Not sure what all that's about.<br /><br />I put the "decks" away for a few days but I plan on working on a new mix soon. Hopefully less use of the 'cut' effect and more focus on seamless mixing. Gotta ease up on the hard cuts.<br /><br />Cheers and Love for now -Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-4651265280512911132010-12-20T01:58:00.000-08:002011-01-05T03:17:30.714-08:00DJ Redsamick December '10 Electro House Mix!Here it is!<br /><br />Some words on it:<br /><br />(1) I feel like I used the "cut" effect too much in this mix.<br />(2) The volume on the track is a bit high<br />(3) I feel like I killed the EQs a bit too much so will try to vary killing and gradually bringing them in and taking them out.<br /><br />Aside from that, I'd really love feedback. If you like, say so! I you hate it...say so - but please say why so I can get better.<br /><br />Enjoy!<br /><br /><object width="100%" height="81"><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F8240941"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F8240941" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object><span style="font-size:0;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/djredsamick-16-december-mix-house-and-electro">DJRedsamick 16 December Mix House and Electro</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick">DJRedsamick</a></span><br /><br /><br /><br />Love.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-46085722219372926292010-12-19T04:09:00.000-08:002011-01-05T03:17:30.739-08:00Another week down in IraqWhich means one more week closer to home. We now have less than three months until we depart this dusty country. Can-not-wait.<br /><br /><div>I just wanted to give some shoutouts in this post and give you a heads up on a new mix I'm going to be posting within the next week.<br /><br />First, thanks to Maria (<a href="http://riasrhetoric.blogspot.com/">http://riasrhetoric.blogspot.com/</a>) and her third grade class for all of the wonderful Christmas cards! They are awesome! I've posted them all around the office to help spread Christmas cheer to all of my Soldiers and interpreters who work on the ECP. All of your students have exceptional artistic skill. I wish to thank you and your students for their beautiful cards - especially to the kid who called me "Papa." :)</div><div><br /><br /></div><div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552371163863595074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8MiilSfMUyrSDmHVyfGV4slp57FqK-V1pDmspLzoaIrpWVdu8vtjsuxdBdGVAvOlK9hCRYfS7bBj_FOdqQM5_tnVfgd6EqU1p8aR0vlkB6ngDFYgZcHOIDM-KvSExE-6IOX1yEXUfrdw/s320/DSCN5540.JPG" /><br /><br /><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5552373182696673074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu3HztXxRoy3IC0tbBsweOl2nR1NyZkE8vHrLKj-kdB_JAuUb_3sLLi2MgVTV1-5LGpL30fMG76crpSt4fwtlMg_YRQAAlPEOtLULrDXJqbN_tE2_uN3Tjzx5F9hZRcGF9t9Suylic9kA/s320/DSCN5534.JPG" /><br /></div><br /><div>Second, thanks to the Rices, Adamses, and Donovans for all of the support through Christmas cards and care packages. I often let the Soldiers get into the packages too so we can all appreciate your lovely edibles! </div><br /><br /><div>Third, to my wonderful wife - thank YOU for your hard work with raising Amelia while I'm gone. I am eternally grateful for your love and dedication to me, our relationship, and our new daughter. You are one-of-a-kind, love. I miss you.</div><br /><div>As for Iraq, the temps are still cool in the mornings and evenings. I was talking with an Airman last night whose MOS is weather forecaster (and he's on a 6-month deployment...where can I get a job like that!?) and he said that normally by this time Basra has received over 3 inches of rain. As of right now, we're under .5 inches. Sooooo dry. But I reckon the rain will come at some point. </div><br /><div>I'm seriously considering doing the <a href="http://toughmudder.com/">"Tough Mudder"</a> event that is coming to Colorado June 25th and 26th of '11. I've got some friends who did it in New York who looked like they had a heck of a time. It looks grueling but somehow right up my alley. I've wanted to run a marathon for a while now but am not really built for running. The Tough Mudder in Colorado is about 7 miles long with about a 1,000 foot change in elevation (the elevation of Beaver Creek ranges between 8 and 11.5k feet), which means some lung conditioning once I get home. I think I can do it though. Plus, it will give me incentive to work out (other than not being overweight [according to the Army] - that's for another blog post).</div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Again, keep your ears open for my next mix. I hope it sounds better to you than my last few. i feel like I'm getting better, but without an audience how can I really know?</div><div></div><div>Cheers for now - see you all soon :)</div><div></div><div>Love.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-16374210222871590372010-12-14T19:29:00.000-08:002011-01-05T03:17:30.751-08:0015 December - a chilly morning in IraqGuten Morgen! I woke up to a very chilly morning indeed. I think the temp is in the 30s somewhere. Not below freezing, though. It's cold enough to put my t-shirt and jacket on to go do hygeine this morning and wear my <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keffiyeh">shemagh</a> to work. The weather has been weird over the past couple of days. The rainy season is hesitatingly coming on. With it comes extremely hazy conditions with sometimes 60 degree mornings falling into 38 degree evenings. So strange.<br /><br />Emily put up some wonderful new photos of Amelia yesterday in her new bear snowsuit. She is so stinking cute! I'm sure she's like wtf, mate, what's all this getting dressed up about. But she is just...well, my cute daughter. Sometimes I look at pictures of her and study her features. I remember being home with her and Emily when AJ was born, but she's just grown so much already that I hardly recognize her. The last time I was with her, she weighed around 7 lbs. Now she weighs over 15! It's wild. I'm itching so bad to get home and be with both of them.<br /><br />I also look at photos of Em and recall what it feels like to touch her face and look her in the eyes. I miss her so much. I can't WAIT to get back home and be with my best friend. We have so much to catch up on!<br /><br />Right now we (I) are (am) trying to come up with ideas of what we can do while on leave next year. We both want a couple of days alone together and we both want to make a trip home. Aside from that, I have a lot to plan for! We set some parameters yesterday on how much $ we can spend and timelines and such, so that should make my planning easier, but it isn't. Right now, thinking past just being at home with my family is difficult. All I really want at this point is to be home. But never fear, I'm sure I'll come with something. Got any ideas?<br /><br />As far as music, I've been really getting into Electro-House. Think David Guetta. You can also check out<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/XxCrazyn3ssxX"> DJ Bl3nd's Youtube channel </a>for some interesting electro-house mixes. I've been working on a new mix myself. However, from now I'll be trying to plan the mix better and make it make sense.<br /><br />On another music note, I've been researching Digital DJ controllers (Hercules, Vestax, Numark, Denon...) to try and figure out which one would benefit me the most. I've put a lot of time into it as I'm trying to avoid just blowing cash on something that I just won't use or is too much tech for what I need. I'm also trying to think through what kind of time I will be spending doing mixes when I get home. I mean, I want to spend as much time as possible with Emily and Amelia. We'll also be traveling. Eventually I'll have to go back to work. So, while it's easy for me contemplate my DJ dreams, I also know that I've got too much time to myself here and that will not be the norm once I get home. NOT that this is bad - just fact. So, I reckon in essence I'm trying to prepare myself for re-integration now vs leading myself into shock if I wait until I'm actually boots-on-ground in Colorado.<br /><br />This post is probably going to run on, so read on if you're bored, but it's mostly for me.<br /><br />Recently I've had to tell 4 of my 9 interpreters that I will be releasing them at the end of this month. At one point I was responsible for 11 local national interpreters (all from Iraq). When I say responsible, I mean I made their work schedule, filled out and turned in their "timesheets" so they could get paid, and generally helped them in any way I can. They are all really good guys and have a dangerous job. The bad guys outside the wire often threaten to harm their families if they continue to work for the US military. Regardless, they still come to work.<br /><br />Since the drawdown in Iraq is in full swing, I'm forced to cut down my interpreter (terp, for short) force considerably. Like I said, they are all good guys, but just like any employee, some of them are better workers than others. So, after analyzing the data on how many times each of them were late and/or missed work without an excuse, I came up with my 4. I'm trying to get them a job elsewhere so they can continue to get a paycheck, but they can't work for me anymore. Sad, but I'm glad I got some time with them.<br /><br />Two of my favorite DJ info sites are at <a href="http://www.beginnerdj.com/">BeginnerDJ</a> and <a href="http://www.digitaldjtips.com/">Digital DJ Tips</a>. There is a plethora of info on each and are helping to guide my DJ evoultion. BDJ is run by a really cool/nice guy out of Florida. I email with him every now and then with questions and comments and he always replies with prompt, well thought-out answers and tips. DDJT is run by an ex club DJ out of the UK. His site is quite a bit bigger and more trafficked than BDJ and garners many more sponsors. He also responds promptly to guest posts and comes off as very proffessional, never biting onto flamer comments. I recommend both sites if you are into mixing music, be-it analog, CD, or digital. BDJ has more on analog where as DDJT is almost exclusively digital music.<br /><br />Check out this <a href="http://www.mamyrock.com/home.htm">69-yr old Grandma DJ</a> out of the UK. She's wicked! DDJT did a nice article on her <a href="http://www.digitaldjtips.com/2010/11/best-of-the-web-november/">here</a>.<br /><br />So, I reckon that's all for now. I'm going to work on a promo mix right now. I'm getting into mapping out my keyboard to function as a mixer, which is blowing my mind, to try and give me that hands-on feel of mixing. So, look for a new mix coming out soon :)<br /><br />Love -Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-86436118706290509122010-12-04T02:49:00.000-08:002011-01-05T03:17:30.764-08:00new mix and current photoGreetings -<br /><br /><br />I thought I'd upload a current photo of myself and link my newest mix. It's not much, but hey, I'm having fun with it.<br /><br /><br />I've started watching the show "Eastbound and Down." Ever seen it? It's pretty raw and weird at times. The main character is pretty messed up but he's growing on me. Just finished the first season and I'm on to the next one soon. The share drive is pretty sweet out here.<br /><br /><br />I took this photo this morning as the sun was coming up. Gets pretty chilly this time of year in Iraq.<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidobZdbCCZdjqQdf6VFibAdpi7vvya_TmLh1oNP_g_i25R4JYUqUruiNzeIiaatvtaV3L5J0l56xy9t5cVe6IO1vIdcrwauRPXKPxmJAgodPzx9_lZA9irZG01POyCUvNlsvMR6-CSPPw/s1600/DSCN5531.JPG"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5546779442970017682" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidobZdbCCZdjqQdf6VFibAdpi7vvya_TmLh1oNP_g_i25R4JYUqUruiNzeIiaatvtaV3L5J0l56xy9t5cVe6IO1vIdcrwauRPXKPxmJAgodPzx9_lZA9irZG01POyCUvNlsvMR6-CSPPw/s320/DSCN5531.JPG" /></a><br /><br /><p>Here's the mix. I made it using VirtualDJ 7 Pro on my little HP mini 311. It does good to handle mixing two tracks, but the little Atom processor can't do much more than that. I am currently using a mouse, a little splitter to be able to attach my headphones and pc speakers at the same time and a host of Mp3s I've acquired since I've been here. I look forward to the day when I use an actual controller (like the Hercules MK4 or RMX - both of which I can attach my turntables to). Anyhow, I'm rambling. I hope you enjoy.</p><p><br /></p><br /><br /><object width="100%" height="81"><param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7679960&secret_url=false"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><br /> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7679960&secret_url=false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object><span style="font-size:+0;"><a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/dj-redsamick-mix-11">DJ Redsamick Mix 11</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick">DJRedsamick</a></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-25365822258306438332010-12-02T02:46:00.000-08:002011-01-05T03:17:30.777-08:00MixingI've enjoyed techno for a long time. I bought my first set of turntables and mixer when I was stationed in Korea in '03 and I largely left it behind after I started school in Jersey.<br /><br />Well, I've had a lot of time to myself on this deployment. Time to explore mixing techno using Mp3s and the like. I won't spend too much time rambling on. Just wanted to share a few mixes that I've done so far. They are primitive, but I enjoy making them. <br /><br />The first is dedicated to Mimsy.Lou. <br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7613594&secret_url=false"></param> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7613594&secret_url=false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/redsamick-mix-10-jackjohnson-mix">Redsamick Mix 10 - JackJohnson Mix</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick">DJRedsamick</a></span> <br /><br />The second is me listening to disco in a different way.<br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7615869&secret_url=false"></param> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7615869&secret_url=false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/djredsamick-9-discomix">DJRedsamick 9 DiscoMix</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick">DJRedsamick</a></span> <br /><br />The third is a mix I posted s a little while ago. Let me know what you think.<br /><br /><object height="81" width="100%"> <param name="movie" value="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7139536&secret_url=false"></param> <param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param> <embed allowscriptaccess="always" height="81" src="http://player.soundcloud.com/player.swf?url=http%3A%2F%2Fapi.soundcloud.com%2Ftracks%2F7139536&secret_url=false" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="100%"></embed> </object> <span><a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick/mix4">Mix4</a> by <a href="http://soundcloud.com/djredsamick">DJRedsamick</a></span> <br /><br /><br />Cheers and thanks for the comments.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-60944848707892101422010-11-30T10:33:00.000-08:002011-01-05T03:17:30.790-08:00So much to sayoh hi. it's been awhile and lots has happened:<br /><br />-bought house<br />-PCS<br />-Vegas<br />-got wife pregnant<br />-deployed to Iraq<br />-taken rocket fire<br />-gained 25 lbs<br />-saw baby Amelia born<br />-turned 26<br />-had terrible Turkey Day in Iraq<br /><br />There's much, much more. But I'm tired and it's late. I love you all. I miss you all. This place is for the birds.<br /><br />-HugsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-37677219836536113132009-09-27T07:24:00.000-07:002011-01-05T03:17:30.802-08:00First Hurst Fall WeekendGreetings family and friends (and you people out there that I don't know but read random blogs),<br /><br />Emily, Delilah, and I are celebrating our First Hurst Fall Weekend! While Emily is accustomed to decorating for the different season, I have never really celebrated a season. Sure, there are holidays and such, but I've never soaked up the joy that comes from Summer changing into Fall. So, I asked Emily if she would like to have a day/weekend dedicated to Fall. Of course she obliged. Here is what we have done so far to celebrate:<br /><br />(1) We started the weekend off right with Oktoberfest in Glen Allen, Va underneath the beer tent at the <a href="http://www.capitalalehouse.com/news/beerevents.php">Capital Ale House</a>. I took a couple of photos with my phone that I'll try to post later. 'Twas tons-o-fun. The scene was complete with a massive crowd of jolly beer drinkers, an Oompa Band (include the little oompa kinder), beer girls wearing little and flirting lots (Em was more than over this fact), and scrumptious eats. Em and I both enjoyed fresh bratwurst served on a baguette and with German potato salad. Emily, of course, passed her serving of brown mustard to me which I then smeared all over my plate of food. I could eat German food everyday. Other menu options were Jagerschnitzel, Knackwurst, Herb Grilled Chicken, Red Cabbage, Spaetzle (C. Larson/M. Bennett/J. Ross eat your hearts out), and other amazing side dishes. Emily enjoyed a 1/2 liter (which was poured more like a 3/4 liter) of Oktoberfest beer and I had the original Paulaner (also 1/2 [3/4] liter). When around a ton of other people drinking beer from liter steins (WHICH WERE PASSED OUT FOR FREE AT THE DOOR!!!!!!)<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386165544385872786" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikiib6A8zVxY3IqcknE8ZetB_PqdsXr40nNS4_NjZ1NVl2GYXWOzynLT-c56BaE9rPZ3j1CKs8bw-YWQUPi6v81wAKl5wlA9LpRP4wvD8oTOwST8vQrRZgTV7gVN43GRhEQeysqTyhoVk/s320/DSCN3615.JPG" /> Emily and I both felt comfortable and at home. We weren't stressed out as many might be at a place like McCarthy's. P.S. - Shamrocks, you still remain near the top of our list :) <div><div><div><div><div><div><div><br /><div>(2) After coming home from the Ale House, Emily made us some amazing ice cream sundaes. Em's was Mint Chocolate Chip I.C. with chocolate syrup. I had Butter Pecan I.C. with walnuts and chocolate syrup. Mmm. Enough said. We fell soundly asleep shortly after that and woke up at 11:30am the next day.</div><br /><div>(3) Saturday brought with it a slow wake up, good cups of coffee and tea, shopping, cooking, decorating, football, <a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.sporcle.com">sporcle</a>, and general Fall-e kinds of things.<br /><br />(3a) Emily and I have taken to having some coffee and tea together in the morning on weekends. It's either mint or green tea for her and Folger's instant for me. We bought some heavy whipping cream on Saturday and it goes epecially well with coffee:)</div><br /><div>(3b) We went to many different places to do our Fall shopping: Target (a must), Michael's (surprisingly good deals there), and Wal-Mart (mainly food - should be avoided at all costs on a Saturday). We also stopped into Pier 1, Old Navy, K-Mart, and Best Buy. I'm in the market for a new computer.</div><br /><div>(3c) After coming home with our bags of goodies, we set out to make a smorgasbord of Fall food: Punkin (as Em says it) soup,<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386166178212702722" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpHnPXhDHSqvwEMG_n6lW9vkosHCqt840S9a8FghINQYs4J90j-R747ff7M3GvsWkvPnK3-urLVfTYedwY22L-pqi2xpxWFDjv37zS42Fd9UNM0YGa7xXuWMVc6R98J1GqDmRv2D1qKY4/s320/DSCN3603.JPG" /> feta-stuffed chicken,<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386166634978666098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh70Auh2A0wSPDnklmlYLN6U8j1vvzc9KXRjKazoPYG6kKQ2bHawJxW8XdULvBj0Jm8v_3zdDSdnDt4aSqxkuFjH88CMB5eIFvPvLbyS2D2zAJIyHkwU3E1rQXYgQu8lWfHqG8rX9Hi27s/s320/DSCN3604.JPG" /> and apple-struedel pie.<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386166948588378130" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRM5Q2yWhtabRI6d8SpttkhCn0Hd3ihTKZV__IEsYH72Unl0rYTtGIbjtWKzb43mwM6-wa8oH7384IBHYDNssk25Ol_zUbrEXFLKNYQ9yqstnodwwFPMZ0DeTABAXAX-sMF1sV2GkBbzA/s320/DSCN3606.JPG" /> Here is a <a href="http://mimsylou.blogspot.com/">link</a> to her blog detailing the recipes and other fun stuff.</div><br /><div>(3d) After gobbling up our delicious creations, we snapped a picture of our dozing Delilah, watched our two teams (Army and UK) get creamed, and decorated the house. Here are a few pictures of our creations. Most of the materials came from Michael's and Wal-Mart filled in the gaps. Just looking at this stuff makes me feel good. When I walk around the apartment I feel happy...Fall-e.<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFqLgWmG9cCwM6JnYd6Bp8sOvrrXfWbH4FtxqP8N08nRSfHQJpZSbx4zewxVQuCtF7mbeowg4RwkOURYQWk03sDTD0cBo0vlN_QGwV5ITVzHBmuHpXdXT8bGGCKT8qS8R1pO3bo3AezY/s1600-h/DSCN3612.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 240px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 320px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386168143874588450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIFqLgWmG9cCwM6JnYd6Bp8sOvrrXfWbH4FtxqP8N08nRSfHQJpZSbx4zewxVQuCtF7mbeowg4RwkOURYQWk03sDTD0cBo0vlN_QGwV5ITVzHBmuHpXdXT8bGGCKT8qS8R1pO3bo3AezY/s320/DSCN3612.JPG" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93p3MCxceuPPSlPvBXZOxWHZWBb59Smg0hoj8pei03PTlmiNtKepI1txXIkV6AIH3CiqEMf_Z-ZZbQ_VKFli4WgOVfBRUw7gpJoqcjTRmebhAYjt2oEzuq0ur4ZU2i6v1DWYyNbQSUjQ/s1600-h/DSCN3609.JPG"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386167909118059474" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi93p3MCxceuPPSlPvBXZOxWHZWBb59Smg0hoj8pei03PTlmiNtKepI1txXIkV6AIH3CiqEMf_Z-ZZbQ_VKFli4WgOVfBRUw7gpJoqcjTRmebhAYjt2oEzuq0ur4ZU2i6v1DWYyNbQSUjQ/s320/DSCN3609.JPG" /></a><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386168032462222946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiULPBrbIR_XZo7wNOMJR7e8ZtOS5p4kO9h-rruXjRQyOdFd7q1wjzPEYNO4hje8g4Rbpp1kWfOpX3pzr8HZAWwivRD_EXQ6s14lY-DSZt7M_tsjNv0M43mX6FA8lfp9A0R7CLPUQkbaJQ/s320/DSCN3613.JPG" /></div><div></div><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 320px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5386168263377602370" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoO8RwqvNC98oA-2b2PlArcapvRHgraJPart1mq_LTB0XrzCXNWWS3KE7F7bsqNxduynCEZE0pLWfgRxQxAtox6ReI0TwJ8GxeQRr5OTaKAPrzmZAol1gJxzFOjyQv622omvL1HrMdjPo/s320/DSCN3610.JPG" /><br /><div>(3e) I capped the night off with a cup of <a href="http://www.drinksmixer.com/drink2694.html">Captain Morgan's Spiced Cider</a>. However, I warmed the cider first, added some cinnamon and nutmeg, then added the rum. It was good, but a little too strong. Next time, less rum (although the buzz wasn't bad at all).<br /></div><div>(4) So, here we are now, it's Sunday and we're just getting started. We plan on having brunch (as it has become our Sunday tradition), watching football while sipping (cider through a straw) pumpkin soup and eating chicken and dumplings, and finishing up some homework. Pernaps we'll head out for a bike ride!<br /><br />Cheers! Comments are welcome!</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-63551118249812701362009-09-20T10:03:00.000-07:002011-01-05T03:17:30.820-08:00Sleep-In SundayWhy Sundays at the Hurst household are awesome:<br /><br />(1) We sleep in until our backs hurt and we absolutely have to pee;<br />(2) After we stretch and get up to pee, we can go back to sleep;<br />(3) When we finally get up, we make mint tea and coffee;<br />(4) After making our choice morning beverages, we begin breakfast;<br />(5) We cook breakfast together;<br />(6) Emily lets me cook home fries and omelettes with any combination of ham/turkey/bacon/feta/cheddar;<br />(7) After breakfast we relax and get our dose of internet together;<br />(8) If we're being good Christians, we'll listen to a podcast of the most recent message or go to church;<br />(9) And then...NFL SUNDAY!!!! GO BENGALS!<br /><br />p.s. - there are lots of ways to remove burnt plastic from a stove burner :-/Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8355723475017362429.post-48304689273280094522009-09-15T16:25:00.000-07:002011-01-05T03:17:30.843-08:00In the Field AgainAlas, I find myself in the field again. However, it's not like any other time. Right now I'm serving in a quasi PL position - supervising 14 pre-AITers as we play the role of OPFOR for the next couple of days. I've been out here since Sunday morning and it's been slow going up until last night when I received my soldiers. Now I have something to do! <br />Earlier today, the BN CSM came to me with a favor. He had written an important AAR that received praise, but was in the wrong format. So, while I was sitting at the computer here in the TOC, he came to me asking if I was good with computers. I said sure. He then asked my to retype his powerpoint AAR into a formal memorandum in Word. It really wasn't that hard - just took about an hour and a half. <br />I wrote it up and shot it back to him over email and wondered if it really helped or not. He came to me a few hours later and gave me he and the BN CDR's coin. Sweet! It's been a few years since I was given a coin. Even though it's an almost worthless peice of metal, I still felt important and appreciated when I recieved it. I guess that's what matters.<br /><br />Anyhow - cheers for now.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17094645869379345094noreply@blogger.com0