Gonna Party Like It's 1999...

Hey everybody, it's me Jaimie. Here I am blogging for maybe the second time. Christmas was great, it was so much fun to see all of the family together, and it was also a lot of fun seeing Ryan's family. Anyways back to the reason I am posting, as you can see from the picture above I got Ryan 'Rock Band' for Christmas, he was very unaware of it the morning of. For a little explanation, I convinced Ryan that he wasn't getting it for Christmas and hid it at my parents house for 2 months and then hid it in my trunk for 2 days. I got up at 5 AM on Christmas to get it out of the car and under the tree. Later that morning, it took Ryan a good 10 minutes to notice it sitting there. It was very amusing. Again I am straying away from the purpose of this post, so back to it. Ryan and I are having a New Years Eve celebration at our house. There will be snacks, drinks, games and of course ROCK BAND! The party will start around 9 PM, but of course people are more than welcome to come earlier to hang out. RSVP by comments or calling either Ryan or myself by Sunday after Dox. BE THERE OR WISH YOU WERE!

An Early Gift...

'Tis officially the season, and as an early gift I offer the first and possibly last post of the month. Not only that, but probably the last post of 2007 at the rate that I've been posting. As always, my deepest apologies for my lack of updates. There's not really an excuse seeing as we've been on break for the past couple weeks. Nonetheless, I return bearing Christmas cheer and my usual mix of random and weird, or simply just weirdom.

Since Christmas is merely days away, I figure that be as good a discussion to start as any. Even before we were out of school, Jaimie saw fit to decorate a Christmas tree. In honor of all her hard work, I offer a glimpse of it in all its glory...

Lately we've been preparing by also watching Christmas films. While Jaimie and I may have different views of what are classics (her family watched 'A Christmas Story,' mine watched 'National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation') we have been able to watch some together. However, since this is Ryan writing - I'll stick to some of my favorites, in no particular order. (Note: you won't be seeing 'White Christmas' on this list, but rest assured it would be on Jaimie's.)

1. Die Hard - "Now I have a machine gun. Ho ho ho."
2. Gremlins - Who doesn't want a Mogwai for Christmas? Just don't give them water or feed them after midnight and you'll be fine...
3. National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Explains a lot about me doesn't it?
4. Home Alone - If you were born in the 80's, this better be on your list too. Keep the change ya filthy animal!
5. Batman Returns - Before Schumacher tarnished the franchise and Nolan brought it back, Burton was Batman.
6. The Nightmare Before Christmas - Also does double duty on my Halloween list.
7. Love Actually - Yeah I like it, so what!?
8. Elf - It's rated PG, stars Will Ferrel, and is very enjoyable.
9. Scrooged - Murray's so good, there's probably a film starring him on every one of my Holiday movie lists.
10. Trading Places - What can I say, I like comedies...
Honorable Mention: King Kong.

Be sure to share your favorites, or any that I missed, in the comments! Or don't, and I'll look like a weirdo who blogs to himself (similar to someone who talks to themselves, bluetooth headset or not). I won't go into detail regarding New Years Eve movies, but suffice to say Ghostbusters II would certainly be on the short list.

In addition to preparing for the holidays, Jaimie and I have also been working more as well. Oddly enough, I tend to work during the day and Jaimie at night. Tonight for instance, I'm writing this post while Jaimie closes at Togo's. While I'm saddened that Heroes (and many more shows) have ended early for the season, I've been coping so far. Unfortunately for some of you, such time has not be spent in the blogverse. I often intend to post, and have numerous ideas for articles. For example, here's some "posts that could've been" from this past week:

1. Recommendations on where to buy AV cables (MonoPrice), such as HDMI cables and why HDMI is the new composite.
2. Boys vs. Girls in board games - the challenge, the debate, and the question that's been lingering since elementary school: who would win?
3. Wyld Stallyns
4. Tech-niques - Blue Screens, Screen Sharing, Sharing and Streaming...
5. Misc. Home Entertainment opinions.

I may revisit that first and last idea and eventually turn them into real posts, that is assuming that our #1 fan 'anonymous' is feeling that idea. As for now, I think I'll start wrapping up this post. Before I go, I wish a rad Christmas to all, and to all a Gnarly night. Celebrate to the max!

Download... NOW!

If you haven't downloaded (the free) Songbird yet, do yourself a favor and stop reading this and go download it right now...
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... what are you still doing here? Go and download it!

So sick of being tired...

And oh so tired of being sick. Fear no more frightened bloggers, for thou noble and valiant knight of thee blog table hath returned more charming than ever. No more so than ye prince of thieves whom I wish a belated but very merry birthday, 25 years olde.

As I fast forward to the 21st century, I will count the reasons/excuses/etc. as to why I have not posted since the medieval ages (resulting in a dark age of blogging without me right?). Before I falsely build up my ego on further lies, the main reason of my e-absence is that I have been suffering from a cold that refuses to die. As the last of it subsides, this post may be the final thing to suffer.

Another reason is the chaos that builds up during holidays such as Thanksgiving and peaks on Black Friday, which often finds me in the red. A final reason is that I just lacked a juicy story to blog about. You know me, I don't give you the purple stuff - I reach deep inside and pull out the Sunny D.

That leads me to a new segment which I will tentatively call the 'Link of the Week.' This week, I've spent more time than I want to admit at Retro Junk. If you grew up in the 70's, 80's, and/or 90's then you owe it to yourself to check out this site and spend some quality time strolling down memory lane. It's almost as good as if Doc Brown himself threw you in his DeLorean and gunned it to 88 miles per hour. Next stop, Hill Valley - October 26th, 1985.

It's now time for the lightning round. Here I have one run-on sentence to explain what all has happened in the past week, so here it goes. I watched the third to last episode of Heroes which has only been getting better as the abbreviated season draws to an end, I enjoyed Tribes: the Thanksgiving edition, I spent Wednesday resting and progressing further in my completion of Ratchet and Clank Futures for the PS3, on Thursday I celebrated Thanksgiving with the in-laws which included intense Scene-It action that I wish I had captured on tape, (Black) Friday followed up with crazy deals and sales that are easily avoided through participating in The Advent Conspiracy, Saturday saw Woodstocks and bringing HD to the Mellens, while Sunday was spent overcoming sickness and preparing for dead week, and finally that brings us to today. Whew, what a cyber-mouthful.

For an intermission, I have a request for our readers between this post and my next one (whenever it be published, argh matey ahoy).  If you have linked to our blog on your blog yet we have not returned the favor, I ask that you tell us what's what so that we may add you.  It has come to my attention that the number of blogs created continue to grow exponentially, and as hip as I am - I'm not always in-the-know.  I thank you in advance and will now continue to post. 

Now onto some Q & A. Our question this week comes from the Hurts, as much as it pains me to say (ha get it - pains, Hurts - I crack myself up). Before we get to that however, I will add that if you've got a question you'd like to see answered, feel free to leave it in the comments. By doing so, you're not only ensuring more posts from me seeing that I will have something to actually blog about, but also gain my limited-insight into the topic. Continuing on, in the comments from my last post on November 5th, 2007 B.C., the following was raised...
Q: what EXACTLY are they [the writers] striking?
A: Good question, to which there are many answers. A good explanation can be found in this short video that is both clear and concise for those of you with limited time, while another good resource if you would like to find out more and have more time can be found here. However, if it's a blog you're looking for (and who isn't these days?) I recommend this one.

Finally, I leave you with this unique explanation of the writer's strike. It may even be fitting to say "here's your moment of zen."

Or I'll just keep on walkin'...

... in the cold November rain. Wait a second, what rain? Personally I could do without the rain and skip strait from sun to snow, but that's just my buck 'o five.

Now that we've crossed that bridge, how's everyone in the wonderful world of blogs doing? Hello? Have the courage to say something! Hello? Have it your way, I'll just talk to you all. Now where shall I begin...

It was a warm, October night, the 30th to be exact when I discovered my... my ability, my power, my curse - my gift. My eyes went white and I began carving into a pumpkin, and what resulted was the following...(hint: second one from the right, next to the hand that was Leonardo da Vinci's final masterpiece)

Following that discovery and saving the cheerleader (thereby saving the world), Jaimie and I traveled up north to Portland for Halloween *cue flash of creepy image with a scream that blares through your computer speakers at full volume* night. Then before we knew it and wouldn't you guess it, it was already November.

Due to the lack of too much excitement this early in the month, I'll offer a retelling of news that has recently drawn my attention. Starting off with the Writer's Guild of America (WGA) strike. For those of you who watch television, this could have a potentially big impact on your favorite shows. Whether it be CSI, Grey's Anatomy, 24, or even Heroes - all these shows, in addition to many more, could be greatly impacted. Heroes for example, may have its season finale as early as next month oppose to late May or early June. Other shows such as 24 that don't even premiere until January may be put on hold altogether until after the strike. Unless you love reality TV or don't watch TV, this is a bad deal all around. I'll close on the controversial note of saying that although I'm not a writer (although I play one on TV *Ba-Da-Dum... crash*), I support the strike.

Speaking of Heroes, that's what I'll be watching in a a little more than an hour. Although this season has been in a bit of a sophomore slump (similar to my other must-see show), I won't be giving up on it anytime soon. Seeing as how I've just hit a block, I'll wrap up this post. Hopefully I'll have something to write home about soon, but until then you'll be hearing from me in your comment sections as I leave you with one final 'spooky' picture.

Clergy Appreciation: Re-Re-Remix!

After months of secrecy, Dox appreciated harder than John McClane dies. In addition to the thanks from myself and the man himself, I offer one final presentation so that everyone who so kindly donated in every which way can share in the experience. As for our loyal, and sometimes anonymous fans, I assure you that I've got another (lengthier) post lined up with an ETA within the next few days (not weeks!). Between now and then, the best thing you can do is sit back and enjoy the following:

The week-end-and-beginning...

The past weekend was quite fun with the right amount of fun, relaxation, and boredom to boot. For the sake of this post and simplification, I'm going to include last Friday and this past Monday as part of the weekend. Also, for the sake of effectiveness I'm going to refrain from hyperlinking within this post like mad (ex: more than twice). By doing so, the lack of such expected effects will increase the effectiveness and uniqueness of the post itself. Not really, but it does help me to continue churning out these posts more often then they have been the past couple weeks or so.

Carrying on, after being treated to a visual feast on Friday by mixing equal parts PS3, 'Reign Over Me' on Blu-Ray, and a Philips LCD HDTV, the remaining weekend had big shoes to fill. Saturday followed with little fanfare, which included watching the episode of 'Friday Night Lights' from the night before and fighting boredom at a couple points throughout the day. However, Jaimie spent the night chaperoning while I honed my Halo 3 skills. Also, I was able to capture one such moment of boredom in all it's glory...

That is Jaimie trying to play a game with Pippin, and Pippin playing back in his own way. Unfortunately, both of them had different views on how to play with each other. I'd score it Pippin: 1, Jaimie: 0. To compound this series of unfortunate events, Bob Saget was not available to dub over the video and we were unable to win the $10,000 grand prize. Not all fun was lost however, as you can still see the Normal-Version here, the James-Version here, and the Chipette-Version here.

On Sunday, we celebrated Mom Mellen's birthday with the siblings. That was an excellent event with some 'Apples to Apples' thrown in for good measure. That is in addition to enjoying a delicious meal! All in all, a grand way to close out the weekend.

As for the beginning of this week, I only have two words: Kristen Bell. The actress I more often call Veronica Mars finally appeared on Heroes, and should continue appearing in 12 of the remaining 20-or-so episodes. Still, Mondays are my must-see-TV night of the week. Then today, Tuesday, 'Veronica Mars - Season Three' was released and arrived. I haven't cracked it open yet, but I plan to just to check out the extra features before lending it out.

I think that about sums it up, or at least if it doesn't I can always edit this post later. For now, I need to figure out if I'm staying home playing doctor for Mrs. Sicklepleck, or being Tribal. On that exciting cliffhanger of "will he, won't he," I bid farewell.

Ladies and Gentlemen...

I present the eighth wonder of the world - a Hawaiian sunset! Courtesy of our honeymoon, video camera, and a tripod.
(Note: the audio is from one of my favorite television shows on the air and the video has been sped up so that 45 minutes is now only 45 seconds.)

Unfortunately, that opening is probably as exciting as this post is going to be. The main reason for posting is just to prove that we are in fact, still alive. The short of this week includes tribing on Tuesday, working on Wednesday, and test-taking/Transformers on Thursday. Speaking of that test, first midterm of the year and not feeling too good about it. Regardless, I still have another midterm and a final to make things right.

This weekend's looking very promising as well, but if I'm tardy on my next post I'll be sure to make it worth everyone's patience by posting another flippin' sweet video.

In the meantime, let's return to that sunset from four months ago. I prefer it to what's been going on outside our window, also known as typical Oregon weather. Speaking of which, it would go well with this Gene Kelly song.

Final-ly...

As noted and likely realized, it has been far too long since you have heard from this fine young cannibal.

For the last time, there is to be NO Pete's allowed on this post. Repeat, NO Pete's allowed. That being said, wives and daughters of said person are still welcome. As for Peter Kelley, don't even think about it maverick.

Now that that's is out of the way, the rest of you know the drill...

Hi, my name is Peter Kelley

Hi, my name is (Your Name Here)

...and as always, thank you.

Post.Scriptum. I apologize for this semi-non-post, but I'll be bringing back the goods after this Thursday. That means this Friday, up until midterms later this month, I should be able to post more frequently. For those of you who want me to be more specific, I'm aiming for anywhere from one post-per-week (PPW) to one every other day. Also, I'll continue leaving little nuggets of joy in your comment sections. In the meantime, check this post out and pass it on but if you smell what the Ryan is cooking then be on the lookout this weekend...

Coming now...

As promised earlier, it's an... update!

First, let's get this out of the way - there are STILL no Pete's allowed! So if you're the plaided one in this picture then DO NOT CLICK ON ANY of the links below. As before, everyone else is welcome and encouraged to click away. Otherwise, to keep things on the hush hush, I refuse to say much else.

Now that Pete knows to stay clear, I hope everyone else remembers to keep him out of the loop as well and attemept your best soap opera amnesia while around him.

Once more with feeling, thank you!
Now, in your best Darth Vader voice:

Emma, I am your father...

Emma, I am NOT your father...

It's the final countdown...

That's right, after weeks of anticipation (month's for some) it's almost time for... college! What did you think I was going to say? The Heroes Season Two premiere? Well then, you should be correct because that is way more worthy of anticipation. As you can see in the picture above that accompanies this post, we are almost fully prepared. The final pieces to our puzzle include a super hero, I mean secret, desert and brewskis for the crewskis. Also not shown in the picture is the Togo's catering which includes Italian, Turkey Avacado, Turkey and Cheese, and Turkey/Roast Beef and Cheese sandwiches. Considering that it's enough to feed 12, and we only received about eight RSVP's, people will either eat really well or we'll be set for a few more people. Since it's less than 24 hours until the Party (with a capital 'P'), I'll just remind everyone of the basics. First, you should try to arrive around 7:00 PM although we won't start eating until 7:30 PM or begin watching anything until 8:00-ish PM-ish. Also, doors will be closed at 9:00 and not re-open until 10:00 as people depart. If you can make it before 9:00 though, then I double dare you to come. Otherwise, you'll feel like this kid.

In other news, I apologize for not blogging in a while. In addition to it being a busy week as school draws near, I also wanted my previous two posts to get plenty of traffic and viewership before bumping them down with a new post. I'm glad to see the responses to both, especially my last one. For sake of secrecy, I won't say anymore but awesome comments everyone! We'll be in touch... As for Jaimie, she's been suffering from the cold that's going around. The good news is that it appears that she is recovering just in time for her first class at 8 o'clock in the morning.

Since my mind is drawing a blank at the moment on what topic to touch on next, although I'm sure the minute I post this I'll be swarmed with things I wish I would've included (which means you can likely expect future posts sooner rather than later). For now, I'll close with a scene from tonight that Jaimie wanted me to share after Samantha blogged about a month ago. Tonight while picking up some 21+ drinks, the cashier asked for our ID's. If you just laughed, I should inform you that we haven't reached the punchline quite yet. As we handed our cards, I jokingly asked the cashier (an older women) "Do I not look like I'm 35?" Her response, "no, you look as old as my grandson and he's 13! Okay, maybe [you look] a little older because of your scruff," which at this point she pointed to my attempted-goatee. The moral of the story, next time someone doesn't believe you're 18 - just be glad they don't flat out tell you that you look 13! At this rate, I might as well be Rip Van Winklepleck and sleep for 100 years, then when I woke up I might actually look 22.

Jaimie just called so as all you husbands know, that means it's time for me to go. I'll post in a few to share how the premiere and classes went. You stay classy, Corvallis. I'm Ryan Winklepleck?

No Pete's Allowed!...

No Peter Kelley's that is. For everyone else, be sure to click on the applicable link below and spread the word. I can't say much else, but everything will be explained in the file provided. This includes a mission, should you choose to accept it. As always, should you or any of your blog force be caught, the Winkleplecks will disavow any knowledge of your actions. This post will self-destruct in five seconds. Good luck, ______ (your name here).

Note: EVEN WITH CAPS LOCK ON, I CAN'T EMPHASIZE ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT YOU, PETER KELLEY, DO NOT CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINKS OR READ THE COMMENT SECTION OF THIS POST. IN ADDITION, IT IS EQUALLY IMPORTANT THAT ANYONE WHO DOES ALSO REFRAINS FROM SHARING THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION WITH PETER KELLEY, THAT IS OF UTMOST IMPORTANCE!

Thank you for your time and understanding. One last time, are you SURE you're NOT Peter Kelley?

You caught me, I AM Peter Kelley!

For the last time, I AM NOT Peter Kelley!

Save the Cheerleader, Save the World...

Here's the post all you heroes have been waiting for! A couple times in a couple previous posts I have brought up a little info. regarding our 'Heroes: Season Two' Premiere Party. As of tomorrow, September 14th, it will be exactly 10-days until the premiere and the party. What that means is that on Monday, September 24th, 2007, we need some people who understand that with great power comes great responsibility to come.

If of course you want to be Hangin' with Mr. Winklepleck and Mrs. W, watching Heroes, then here's the rundown of the evening.
7:00 P.M. - Pre-party socializing, incase you HAVE TO arrive fashionably late... or just late.
7:30 P.M. - Dinner, likely consisting of catering from Togo's Sandwiches, cold beverages, and more socializing.
8:00 P.M. - Recap previous season by watching the final episode of 'Heroes: Season One' and getting everyone up to speed.
8:45-ish - Surprise desert?
9:00 P.M. - Grab a drink, buckle up, and hold on tight for the Heroes: Season Two Primiere!
10:00 P.M. - Party wrap-up and high-fives all around.

If that sounds as good to you as it does to me, then all I need is some sort of RSVP (which can certainly be left in the comments below). In order to guarentee yourself some eats and treats, we'll need to hear confirmation from you by Friday, September 21st. Lastly, if you have any questions, suggestions, etc. - drop them off in the comments section and I'll be sure to take real good care of them, as if they were my own.

Camping Episode III - The Return of the Winkleplecks...

Before I begin the ending of our camping adventure that was roughly a month ago, I just wanted to thank everyone who left Jaimie a supportive comment in my previous post. She is doing better, and at the moment continuing her recovery at Togo's. Also, we made it to the final episode of Friday Night Lights - Season One, and if you liked the movie by the same name or just football movie's (whether it be Rudy, Varsity Blues, or Remember the Titans, to name a few) then this show is right up your alley. Think of it as one of those movies, times ten. One last thing regarding my unintentional plug, I only say all this because as a show without cliffhanger endings to each episode, it's pretty rare for me to enjoy a show such as this. By that I mean a show that you wouldn't find being promoted at Comic-Con. As I slip into my fictional fantasy narrator voice and without further ado, I present the exciting conclusion of our camping trip...

At the close of our previous chapter, dark clouds were brewing above readying themselves to unleash a world of rain upon us campers. Although much of this downpour was slept through, the aftermath was noticible the following morning...

...And in Oregon, when it rains - it pours.

Yet Jaimie persevered with optimism, even striking a post of what appears to be a scene from Alien.

While Ryan, who often refers to himself in the third person, had his morning improve while driving down his favorite stretch of road due to the amazing line of sight and distance of it that can be seen. This road would also lead our travelers to breakfast and their final stop together on this adventure.

What better place to eat than a place that has vintage guns hanging on every open space along their walls? That was a rhetorical question with the answer being 'there is no better place to eat.' I don't know how else to describe the place but to say that it had many guns that would necessitate an entire rack, unlike Wayne.

One last image from our breakfast spot and overall journey. I like words of wisdom like I like my hash browns - on a pan. Then again, I ate what I usually eat... cereal.

*roll credits*

How was that for an ending? I personally enjoyed the final word being 'cereal,' it was either that or 'rosebud.' I hope you all enjoyed the saga as well. Then again if you didn't, the good news is that it's over and I hope to have an exciting post lined up for tomorrow. Until then, don't touch that dial.

A Quickie...

As you have no doubt noticed by now, neither Jaimie nor myself has posted for almost a week. Unfortunately this one is going to be quite brief, Hanes style.

First, Tuesday came and went as Pete and I reinacted Frankenstein with his MacBook playing ol' Franken. The good news is that his computer is probably in the best shape it has ever been after it's Extreme Makeover: Notebook Edition. On a sidenote, Pete is quickly improving on GH2 (Guitar Hero 2) so watch out this guy.

Wednesday followed up with a trip to Costco and dinner with my 'rents. I commited the cardinal sin of ordering chicken strips at a fish restaurant (The Depot). Also, the little shop next door called Sidekicks makes a mean Mint-Chocolate Cake that Jaimie and I thoroughly enjoyed. We also prepared some items for Craigslist/eBay.

As for yesterday, an update was unnecessary as most of our readers were probably busy watching the Beaver's game. As we all recover, I'll refrain from posting anymore on that topic...

That brings us to today, which at the moment I just finished taking Jaimie to her dentist appointment to get her wisdom teeth removed. She has been very brave, but feel free to leave her a message in the comment section seeing as she'll probably be homebound for the next day or two. As for myself, I'll be playing a supporting role and watching a lot of Friday Night Lights (the television series, not the movie) with her.

Labor Daybor...

Labor day may be a holiday from work, but not blogging. Then again, I thought I had work today until I showed up to campus and realized it was closed. Since I was already prepared for work this morning, Jaimie and I decided to make a day of my day off (unfortunately not a night as well since she is at work as I write this).

There were two types of days we could have enjoyed. The first being very similar to our weekend, finishing up the final episodes of Heroes: Season One. The other option being to head westside to the coast, Newport style. Knowing us, you would probably guess that we chose the former, and I wouldn't blame you. If you guessed that today and this was a gameshow however, you might hear a "buzz" for that is incorrect.

The coast, while fun by ourselves, may be more fun with others. For this reason, we decided to ring up our totally rad siblings-in-laws; Tom and Samantha. After attempting to expand our crew even further, we filled up the car with people and it's tank with gas and headed west.

The ride allowed us all to build up healthy appetites, which we responded to upon arrival. To fulfil our craving for lunch, we ate at the Chowder Bowl at Nye Beach. At this point you may be asking yourself "why not Mo's?" The answer being that Tom and Samantha raved about this house of chowder, and for good reason. Though I prefer the atmosphere of the Lincoln City or Devil's Punchbowl Mo's, the service at the Chowder Bowl was much quicker. In addition, the food was just as good if not better (garlic cheese bread springs to mind). Overall, I enjoyed my meal of cannonball chowder. In fact, it's safe to say we all enjoyed our lunch.

While at the beach, it's also a good idea to actually go to the beach. Below are some captions and images of such...

Look at those shiny happy people, having a grand time despite the fog.

This photo was taken by me using a cutting edge effect that I call "Tom's hand." The effect is light-years ahead of it's time...

Here's my attempt at being photographartsy. Honestly though, I just like the fog variance.

I felt like such a tourist taking this picture, but I had to get a shot of the boats, bridge, and especially that sky.

Given the past weekend and the remainder of tonight, I couldn't resist snapping this photo and posting it.

For the record, work and the first season of Heroes are my reasons for slowing down the postings as of late. Fortunately, Jaimie churned one out this weekend in my absence. The good news is that after averaging a disc per day, we now only have two episodes left to go. It's fair to say that I haven't been this hooked on a TV show since the second season of Veronica Mars. In addition, I have not anticipated a new season as much since Veronica Mars either. I guess it's only fitting that she (the actress at least) will be guest starring in a few episodes as well. Other than both of them being very addicting shows, they are quite different from one another. In closing, I will say that if you have not checked out the first episode of Heroes yet (available in both SD and HD on Xbox Live for free, and on iTunes for $1.99) then run, don't walk, to do so. After an episode or two, I have a feeling you won't regret it!

Here I am again...

So I have finally had some time to blog again, with many requests and a reminder by Ryan. We are currently making our way through the first season of Heroes so that we are prepared for the season premier of Heroes this Fall. So far I have to say the show is pretty amazing and entertaining.
There is not much going on besides being asked to come into work early for the past 3 days, and not enjoying it, but I suppose it is good practice for my first managing shift next Saturday, YAY! I guess this is all for now, hopefully I will become a better blogger as the year progresses and have more exciting things to talk about once school begins, which is also exciting because it is my last year, again YAY! I have much to learn about blogging, but luckily I have an expert in the house. I hope everyone enjoys our blog so far, and will be back again to read more. Bye bye!
P.S. Thank you for pushing me to work out Samantha, I never knew being so sore could feel so good! :)

Here I am, posting like a hurricane...

Whoa there, what happened to Tuesday? A day without a post from Jaimie nor I, how can it be? Time to fix that starting right now! Unless you want to hear about my days at work, I'll post something a little more intriguing. It has been a while since I've posted about news, especially in regards to Apple, so let's start there.

Rumor has it that Apple is set to reveal some new iPod(s) next Wednesday, September 5th. Apple legal has already begun making their rounds removing rumored images of the new iPod Nano. Assuming Apple doesn't also remove this one, you can see a pretty good mockup of it (in addition to an opinion regarding its appearance). More exciting, for me at least, is the rumor of a 6th-generation (6G for short) full-sized iPod. My personal hope is that it will finally go full screen - 3.5" a la iPhone - for better video viewing. If that's the case, then wives (including my own) hide your husband's wallet if their into any of the following: Apple, technology, gadgets, trends, or any mix of these. That is of course if the price isn't an arm or a leg. On the other hand, if they don't announce anything that strikes your fancy - there's always Apple's own iPhone or Nokia's take on it.

As for video games, which I still play at age 22, I've been making my way through Bioshock which is both very artful and entertaining. That is to say, Jake would love it. It's a single player game, but due to it's frightening gameplay, makes it that much more scary. I'm only on the third level but it's storyline is very engaging and I've jumped on a couple occasions already - but haven't yelled in terror yet... One last thing, it's sound design (the surround is unbelievable) is a huge achievement for gaming or film.



Now to complete my trifecta of interests (technology, video games, and...), we move onto videos. I can't say much on the movie front, yet I'm still hoping to see Superbad before too long. As for television, UPS should be dropping off Heroes: Season One on HD-DVD tomorrow. Therefore, Jaimie and I will be watching our way through it in anticipation for season two and our 'possible' premier party on for the first episode on September 24th. I say 'possible' because so far no one has voiced any interest, but I continue to hold out hope. if you've already seen, and enjoyed, season one (Tom, I'm looking at you) then this is definitely your place to be. If you haven't watched it, it's never to late to join in - Jaimie and I are just starting to but with much excitement. If you'd like to join in for some episodes then you know my number or where to comment (hint: below). I'm also keeping the event very vague as to keep it flexible, but I'll reveal further (more specific) details in another week or two. I'll try not to be too car-salesman-esque in regards to the event though, no disrespect to car salesman (just the real pushy ones who ask me if I beat my wife, but that's another story for another time).

Lastly and so you don't think that I've forgotten, I'll post about Google Analytics and the conclusion to our camping trip soon enough, just couldn't ignore my current muse's of interest.

My first post

After much anticipation I am finally going to post on our blog. I am done with my internship at Kid Spirit so I will have a lot of time on my hands. Other good news that many of you may have already heard is that I got a promotion at TOGO's, very exciting! I am now a shift manager. This will be all for today, I will try not to leave all the posting to Ryan, all though I do believe that he is much better at posting and writing than I am. Unit next time, bye bye!

Camping Episode II - The Toller Strikes Back

All seemed well for our travelers last time we saw them. Due to a series of unfortunate events however, it was not meant to last. Those events went something like this:

(To the chorus of 'Back at One' by Brian McKnight)
One, unleashed dogs except Chew.
Two, Bubba's name rang out through.
Three, comes a running Winnie,
then Chewie's leash is pulled tightly.
And four, ropeburns on Jaimie and me.
Five, it starts to sting and bleed.
And that is where the injuries begun,
and it happened after 1:00...

We now have matching cuts, see?
His...

and Hers...

Don't fret for too long, these were merely flesh wounds. For Jaimie was burned, but not broken...
...bleeding, but now bandaged.


After all this, the skies forshadowed even darker (and wetter) times ahead.

Spirits stayed strong still, or sleepy in some cases, as the final night drew to a close.

"I am The Chewinator. I'm a sophisticated pet robot sent back through time, to change the future for one lucky lady."

To be concluded...

Anonymous said...

That's right - thanks to some technical help from Mr. Bain, we have opened up the flood gates to allow non-registered comments. Now that anyone can leave a comment, and I see some anonymous folks already have, we hope that you will as well.

This post serves to inform our avid readers of that fact. To make it worth your while though, how about a little sneak peak of what you can look forward to over the next few days. I wouldn't be me though if I didn't present them in the form of theatrical trailers. All I need from you is to read the following previews with your deepest and raspiest voice.

Double Feature: Camping Episode II - The Toller Strikes Back & Camping Episode III - The Return of the Winkleplecks
'Last Weekend you entered a world unlike none other with a diverse cast of characters that banded together for an epic quest. Then last week, our heroes set forth on a hike unlike any other and against all odds. Right when you thought everything was finished, the journey continues one... last... time. This weekend, be prepared to finish the trip! In the exciting conclusion, blood will be spilt and the skies will rain down with fury. This weekend, our story - will - end!'

Google Analytics Walkthrough and Review
'One person, one blog, one hit. When statcounter isn't enough, it's time to call in reinforcements. Google Analytics will track down each viewer as the tables are turned in this summer blockbuster. This post will be so huge, this blog may not be able to contain it. Be counted, be informed, but most of all - be there!'

A Post from Jaimie?
'A post of such magnitude, it has suffered numerous delays while viewers have suffered increasing anticipation. Finally (hopefully) this week, the Jaimie doth arrive. Seeing is believing, and the only way to see is to be there opening day. This week, the blogosphere will implode and explode simultaneously in the biggest posting event of the month!'

See, now doesn't that make it sound way more exciting and fun? So pop some popcorn and snag a soda, you'll be hearing from us soon... *cue creepy, hypnotic music*

I got a BTD...

Today I found out that I was TAG Positive and apparently caught it from Ruby and Lewis' blog. However, to protect anyone else from getting this Blog Transmitted Disease, I'm not going to post the rules or tag eight other people. I only hope you too do not wake up to find that you have been tagged, and to those who have been - I look forward to reading yours.

In the meanwhile, 8 simple rules to dating my... wait, that's not right. 8 things you may-not-know about you-know-who:

1) I'm obsessed with anything done by Joss Whedon, especially if it's written by him.

2) I probably browse through 200 or so articles a day through my RSS reader, but only read about 10% of them fully.

3) Jaimie has got me hooked on a morning show called 'The Daily Buzz' every morning from 6:00-9:00 AM on the CW. I usually only watch the second half though since I'm usually asleep for the first.

4) I use to bite my nails, then quit when I became germophobic. Traded one bad habit for another.

5) I still fear change even though many of the best parts of my life have been the result of it.

6) I use to be more spontaneous. Now it's much harder whether it be because of cost, responsibilities, loss/lack of creativity or just other unrealized changes in character. It would be fun to rediscover and remploy though.

7) I actually love my job.

8) I also love my family and friends and how many people in my life are both. Such social relationships are great, even in a blog-like setting. So to everyone who has or has yet to comment, thank you!

- Raúl

(Bonus Fact: That was my name in middle school Spanish class, while in High School German it was 'R-mann.' Neat huh?)

Some News is Good News...

I'm going to interrupt the regularly scheduled post of this past weekend's camping excursion to bring you these breaking news stories that brought a grin above my chin.

First - according to Variety, my favorite TV star (or starlet) of recent years Kristen Bell (aka Veronica Mars) was added to the cast of Heroes as a guest star in a reoccuring role. You and I should be able to catch her this October when her character's story arc begins. If you don't know who she, or what Veronica Mars, is then you are officially missing out. However, if you are in-the-know, then you can understand why this news is quite exciting to me. In honor of the announcement, I'm thinking of having a 'premiere party' if anyone would be interested (?) even though it does land on the first night of school for us college folk. On a final note and for the record, Hayden Panettiere has got nothing on her.

(Heroes Season 2 Premieres Monday, Sept. 24th @ 9:00 PM PST)

Secondly, the war between Blu-Ray and HD-DVD has just intensified, and suprisingly in my favor considoring that I do not yet own a Blu-Ray player. The big news here is that Paramount and Dreamworks Animation (who's recent blockbusters include Transformers and Shrek the Third) each declared exclusive support for HD-DVD, at least for the next 18-months. The bad news of course being that this format war is still far from over and it's still too early to call a winner, but I'll continue to root for the underdog. To personalize this for fellow geeks, this also means that Heroes, Battlestar Gallactica, and Star Trek will be exclusive to HD-DVD. Meanwhile, it appears that Lost and Star Wars will be Blu-Ray exclusives.

Camping, Episode II - A New Hike...

Due to Jaimie feeling a bit under the weather today, and what Oregon-like weather we've had, I will let her rest (and continue watching Point Pleasant) as we continue our series of (super)action and (mis)adventures. Maybe I'll even get around to posting a commercial-break with some of the things that have been floating my boat (it's a battleship incase you were wondering) since returning. Before that however, let's continue our neverending story that could only be brought to you by this storyteller (with neverending posts... 'cause I get carried *way* away). Without further adieu, our tale continues with some sights for sore eyes...

...including amb...errr... green waves of grass,

Ryan "Fonzie" Fonzarelli,

ever flowing golden streams,

with skies and sounds that my pictures could not do justice to (however the movie Top Gun and a Kenny Loggins soundtrack probably could).

Speaking of Kenny Loggins, the soundtrack to this trip (for me) would be the Footloose OST, which Jaimie proudly played on our drive to the Metolius to pump us up. Specifically the tracks "Almost Paradise," "Holding Out for a Hero," and "Never."

Back to the story -

Here's the princess bride and her noble steed.
Easter Egg: If you look really close into the reflection of her glasses, you may be able to spot your truly behind a flashing camera.

- Gratuitous "Cute" Shot -

Our adventurers have made it happily ever after!... or have they? Keep your eyes peeled for the exciting ending to Episode II at the same blog time on the same blog channel!

In the meantime loyal readers - don't go chasing waterfalls, please stick to the rivers and lakes that you're used to.

P.S. I want to extend a cyber-thank-you to Samantha for taking the pictures in this post where you see me (minus the Morpheus-shot) in them. Thank you!

P.S.S. I love parenthesis (if you haven't noticed already).

Camping, Episode II - The Three Sisters...

I hope that picture of Chewbacca (Chewie) didn't scare you away. He's pretty fierce and we all know that it's not wise to upset a wookie.

Continuing on our journey, we find our protagonists beginning their trek over 4 miles of wilderness trails in a hike to save the world! Maybe "save" the world is a little over the top, let's go with "see" the world instead. Early on, such obstacles (or sights) such as 'huge boulders' were encountered!

Noah the Strong used his burliness and freakishly ginormous muscles to overcome such boulders...

...in addition to his smile with extra cheese.

Meanwhile, Jaimie Solo and Chewie used their charm and good looks...

...did I mention good looks? Also notice the extremly rare water bottle flower growing at the bottom right (almost as rare as finding a money tree).

The worst obstacle of all was faced by Ryan the Immature. This obstacle is indescribable by this author, but offer your best attempts at describing it in the comments. Unfortunately, Jaimie felt the effects of said object...

...effects that words can also not describe nor explain.

Scenic Intermission - Check out the beards on these tree's!

Camping, Episode I - The Fellowship of the Mellens...

A long, long time ago at a campground far, far away...

Okay, not so long ago and only about 3 hours away - you caught me. Caught me at both exaggerating and being a major geek. For this first part, I'll keep the commentary brief and let the pictures do some speaking for themselves with a comment thrown in here and there for good measure. For the first part in this trilogy (?) of posts, we'll start with some pictures from the first night on Friday.


The pioneers arriving and setting up shop (including but not in any particular order: Jaimie 'Wife' Winklepleck, Rick 'Dad' Mellen, Sara 'Sister' Mellen, and Noah 'Nephew' Mellen)...


Jaimie helping to prepare dinner for the first night. For all the guys wondering - yes it's camp food, they're weiners (insert innuendo here or in the comments, I know I would) and brat(wurst)s.


Tom and Samantha arrive just in time for dinner and the building of the opening fire which officially kicks off the weekend of camping that lies ahead.

Shortly after s'mores and before bed, Anna 'Mom' Mellen would arrive with the remainder of dogs (not of the 'Hot' variety though). As the first night drew to a close, the fullest of days was waiting to rise with the sun on the horizon - literally. In the next chapter of this epic saga, a day of hiking and another camp fire awaits our hero's - will they survive!?
To be continued...

Extremely Exciting Excuse...

Dear fellow Blog-o-sphere,

Sir Winks-a-lot here, posting a little diddy 'bout Jack and Dianne before I head off to the great outdoors. I can't say much about the camping trip I'm about to embark on now, because it's currently in the future. Once it's in the past though, I'll aim to post a recap. For now I will tell you that I am going with the in-laws to the Metolius River for a few days of fresh air and (most likely) fishing.

As for this past week and the obvious drought of posts, I have one excuse and one extremely exciting piece of news. Much like the saying "I've got some good news and some bad news," I'll begin with the excuse.



For the past week while at home and while Jaimie was closing at Togo's, I've been engulfed in the new Stranglehold demo for the (xbox) 360. Already being a huge fan of the film Hardboiled (I recommend adding it to your queue) and its signature John Woo action, I was pretty excited for the game. After playing the demo, it heightened my excitement even more. While having this affair with the demo behind the blogs back, I decided to return some love to the blog. However, if you have a 360 or know someone who does, I also recommend downloading the free demo on Xbox Live. If gaming's not your thing, then watching Hardboiled will suffice. If neither is your thing, then you need to get your heart checked because it should be beating hard and fast after such doses of quality Hong Kong action.

As for the news that is extremely exciting, at least to me, is that I should be able to enjoy Halloween for the first time in years this upcoming October 31st. The reason being that I ordered some tickets for Jaimie and I to see Matt Nathanson in Portland. I can't expand much further since it's quite some time from now, but my excitement is still bursting at the seams in anticipation. To find out why I'm a huge fan, or to find out if you may be as well, I will leave you with a video of a single from his new album Some Mad Hope. Also check out my favorite song from the new album "Come On Get Higher." Hope you all enjoy it and I look forward to writing to you all when I return early next week!

Blog Break!

What a day. Before getting into that, first let's quickly recap the past couple days that has resulted in a (not so) severe lack of posts. Starting Thursday evening, J.W. and I went to Regal Ninth Street Cinema's to see Hot Rod. To summarize, Rod was indeed hot and I do reccomend the movie - especially to members of the less-fair sex between the ages of 20 and 30 years. To avoid giving away anything further, I will just say that it made me want to punch-dance.

Next up, Friday night (or last night) was spent at the Sexton's CockTail Party (which consisted of all three, *Andrew Dice Clay-tone* OH!). Other than the massive battle that was waging inside of me against Pepto Bismal and Nearly Normals, there were good times to be had. Not to steal Tom's thunder as I'm sure he'll be blogging about it soon enough, in addition to posting some of the many pictures he was snapping. I'll end by saying that the only thing it lacked was Paula Abdul, right Phil?

That leaves us in the present, on a fine Saturday afternoon. This post is serving a break in applying for FAFSA, which is quite monotonous. The day thus far has been about as exciting as filling out FAFSA can be, that is to say - not too exciting. Regardless, I wanted to welcome the Kiker's (of Lew & Ru blog fame) new 5 pound 3 ounce bundle of joy to the world and its new home. As you can see from their lastest post, it looks just like its father. Welcome to the club, and if I was to recommend just one application to download, it would be HandBrake. Since it's total cost is "free," it's quite difficult to pass up and may prove quite useful later on when the little one's old enough to travel.

Now it's time for me to be on my way once more. Until next time, this is Ryan with the 5 o'clock bore, I mean blog, signing off. I swear/hope Jaimie will post one of these days!

Big day for the big Apple, and I don't mean New York...

Well dudes and dudettes,

Yesterday I was unable to post regarding this but now that it has sunk in, I'll give it a go. Apple Inc. introduced some new and unfortunately-expensive goodies. Among which included new iMacs, Mac Minis, and software. My budget limits me at iLife '08, but I'll give iWork's demo a spin. The new iMacs look gorgeous, excluding the glossy screen with no option for matte (you iCreative types will feel this pain much more I'm sure). The new keyboards are quite different, and the main inspiration for this post.

I personally prefer the old keyboards to the new ones, especially on the wireless side. The new wireless keyboard lacks a number pad and isn't a full size keyboard (see picture below). Unfortunately, the old full-size bluetooth keyboards w/numpad are being phased out. For this reason, I decided to surprise the Mrs. with a wireless keyboard since she's been wanting one for a while and who knows how much longer the full-sized ones will remain. If you also were hoping to snag a full-sized wireless or old-style apple keyboard for your new (or old) Mac, it seems now would be the time. They currently can be had at the OSU bookstore (~6 wireless ones left in stock) or online at Apple's refurb. page (stock unknown). Below, I'll post some pic's that can hopefully make sense of what I just said. If it's all just technobabble to you, then disregard this post.


(C) ABCMagazin.Ro, (C) Apple Inc.

Thanks for your patience, especially those of you who hate tech and/or Apple. I'm just posting on what I know, I felt inspired to share. Now that I have, my next inspiration is to see Hot Rod at Regal, any takers?

Allow me to introduce ourselves...

Odds are that if you're here, you know us. If you're against the odds, then my name is Ryan and my wife is Jaimie. We've been married for just over a month, but don't let that fool you - we've been together for well over 4 years. I talk a lot (too much?) and Jaimie however, not so much. By the request of one, this blog was created to be viewed by many. Now to answer some questions you might also be having in a segment called "Five W's and an H."

-----

Who?
Ryan blogging this time, maybe Jaimie later.

What?
Just a short introduction, but expect the "good stuff" in the future.

When?
When the planets align, or early August - whichever you prefer.

Where?
Consider our location as the beef patty in a WA and CA burger, and I'm the cheese.

Why?
Rumor has it that the person who blogs is the one with more time on their hands. Given Jaimie's job, internship, and being a full time babe - that leaves me with just a job at the moment and the best candidate for blogging. That being said, I'll do my best to perform a song and dance until she has free time. This entertainment is free and has been rated 'R' for "read at your own risk."

High Five?
Up high, to the side, down low - too slow ______ (your name here)
...I told you so, read at your own risk...

-----

That's that and wasn't that fun? In closing, I will try to throw in some pictures that are worth a thousand words and refrain from typing those words myself. In the meantime, check out the Three Bains blog to see how our Sunday went in what turned out to be a very eventful weekend. Maybe I'll post more on that later, but for now I got to work hard for the money.

Try not to have a bad case of the Mondays.

First post...

...that's all.