Halloween Hangover

Yes, that is a pumpkin. Yes, it is real. No I did not create it. I can not even draw a decent stick figure despite being the director of a creative department. Every year at work we have a pumpkin carving contest and every year one of my co-workers puts every other jack-o-lantern to shame.

You can see my lame attempt in the top photo in on the far right, the one with all the junk still inside. It is supposed to be a snake.

Gobble Gobble in Gold Country

Instead of staying home for Thanksgiving, Michelle and I made the trek up to the Gold Country for a little serinity in the Sierra. While we did not find any gold we did find a cozy little cottage called the Dorrington Inn and these nifty A-frames. Dorrington is about three miles up the hill from Calaveras State Park and the Giant Sequoias. Michelle is already tiny but standing next to some of the largest living things in the world she is dwarfed. On the way down we stopped by Columbia and Sonora for some old time fun.

I had not been to Sonora in decades after passing through the town what seemed every weekend with my grandparents when I was growing up. While most of it had not changed much, the red church is still there, the traffic and the number of people around sure did.

Oil Spill = Envionmental Distaster

Wednesday's tanker collision with the Bay Bridge was first reported as no big deal. Well, that is not the case anymore. 58,000 gallons of fuel contaminated the bay and covering birds and marine life in slimey gunk.

At first all the officials were saying it was no big deal, a little fuel was spilled and it was all contained. All contained where? In the Bay? These yellow buoys are lining the beaches to protect the land but nothing is being done to collect the oil out in the water.

Here is the interesting part. While nearly all of those responsible were immediatly tested for drugs and alcohol, it appears the pilot of the ship got off the tanker after it hit the Bay Bridge and was not tested until 22 hours after the incident.

The Hills are Alive

The hills rise like giant bubbles surfacing from an extraterrestrial pond: natural, yet somehow alien.

I was given the chance to go on top of the new California Academy of Sciences to shoot a promotional spot for an upcoming fundraiser. The museum does not open for another year but its roof it already turning heads. It is a living roof.

The green roof, planted with four native ground covers and five local wildflowers, will be a destination in itself. And in some ways, these hills of 1.7 million plants growing in 50,000 biodegradable coconut husk trays comprise the most inspiring element of the whole museum. The seven hills are supposed to represent the seven hills of San Francisco. Undernearth the hills are the museum's planetariums and the like.

Green/living roofs are nothing new but instead of just being a square on top of a building this has design and function (too many to get into).

Friendly Battle

The Tradition. A feebile attempt for aging friends to get together to try and prove they still have some life in them. This year's list of competitions included:

Row, Sham, Bow (Rock, Paper, Scissors)

Catch Tony (George's rodent of a dog)

Air Hockey

Miniature Golf

Basketball Free Throws

Football Toss

Obsticle Course

Frisbee Golf

Fresno State Football - Guess the Score

XBox Home Run Derby

Mini-Hoop

Despite somebody winning for the third straight year it is always great to get together with friends and have a good time. George was this year's host and pulled out all the stops to make it great. Not only is a great reminder of my outstanding athletic abilities it is an even better reminder that I am lucky to have such wonderful friends.