Carlos Chacon's Blog

Holy Cow

2008-10-02T19:59:00.002-05:00

I have just returned from the planet BeenSoBusy. It is an interesting place with something for everyone. I hope to get a few more posts up than I did this summer.

In case you haven't seen this . . .

Catching Up . . .

2008-06-22T05:49:00.002-05:00

I failed to write about all the different activities this week so I thought I would take a moment to hit the high points. Last Sunday was Father's Day and my family did a top notch job honoring their dad/husband. I was so pleased. It really made me feel special. That evening we had kebabs that were to die for. We used rib meat and chicken. Emily had found a great marinade and the vegetables were just right!

Monday was my birthday. I ran out of fingers and toes a long time ago and perhaps I lost count, but everyone keeps telling me that I am 31. I ended up going to work, even though I had wanted to take off. However, when I got home I had a nice surprise, my father-in-law was here and he took us out to eat. My wonderful family gave me a toolbox--I know scary--and some camping equipment I will use this upcoming week.

Tuesday both Emily and I were not feeling well--I think it was the fish from the restaurant. I ended up sleeping almost 11 hours that evening.

Yesterday we went to the river and spent some time in the civil war museum at Tredegar, which was much bigger than I previously imagined. It capped off a great week and I hope the rest of summer is this fun!!

How quickly time passes

2008-05-20T19:57:00.002-05:00

I haven't gotten a post up in a while . . .

Saturday the civic association we belong to fed the workers helping with "Community Cleanup" a day when you can throw stuff away that normally wouldn't be allowed. We were at Bob's place and we had a good time on the tree swing.

Surpise Vistor

2008-04-26T21:42:00.004-05:00

This week I was walking out to my car after work and found a little visitor in the car--I left my windows cracked about 2 inches or so. I tried to get a picture while he was in the car, but he kept flying around. I finally opened the door, walked to the other side and out he hopped. He took a second to think about finally being free and then he flew off. I'm not sure how long he was in there, but I am sure it is glad to be free.

All Mine!!

2008-04-16T20:36:00.003-05:00

Well, we like many others used our tax return to pay down some debt. We were lucky enough to have worked down our van enough that we could pay it off. No more car payments for us!!! This is an older picture, but it was one of the few I could find. I need to take another picture of our van. :)

Congratulations Emily

2008-04-12T11:24:00.002-05:00

Emily trounced everyone in the Tourney Pick Em game. She won by more than 50 points!! Anyway, congratulations and next year--I'm copying your picks. :)

1 Queen Emily Emily C
2 ADE's Picks abinadi
3 HighlandSprings * Carlosjr C
4 Ana's Genius Picks Ana
5 LaurieNana Laurie

MSN Messenger

2008-04-01T20:02:00.002-05:00

I haven't read a whole lot about it; however, it appears that MSN messenger can somehow be hijacked somehow and send random links to contacts. The appears to happen mostly when the user is set to 'away'. Do not click on random links!! You should not accept files unless you know the person is there and you are positive of the content.

New Job

2008-03-18T21:10:00.000-05:00

Well, after almost three years with the state I have decided to take another job with LandAmerica. I will be doing pretty much the same type work and was hoping to make more of shift, but I feel good about making a change.

I started working this week and while it always take some time to get adjusted, the people are great and I have enjoyed jumping in.

Weekend in Baltimore

2008-03-18T20:17:00.004-05:00

Well, before the job change I ended up taking Friday off and we headed up to Baltimore. We stopped in DC Thursday evening so we could see some of the monuments Miriam had been learning about in Kindergarten. Miriam was so impressed with the Lincoln Memorial and shocked that MLK gave his 'famous' speech from it's very steps.

We ended up staying in the inner harbor, and enjoyed it immensely. We stopped by the Duff Goldman's Ace of Cakes shop and they have that place locked down--cameras, the windows are black outed, and there is a big sign on the door saying--BY APPOINTMENT ONLY!! I guess Duff doesn't want visitors--unless they are paying over $500 a cake.

Me and Cutie . . .

2008-03-18T20:10:00.003-05:00

She is getting so big!!!

Blogs are read by everyone

2008-03-17T16:45:00.003-05:00

While I always knew my blog was accessible by everyone, I always thought that just my family was looking at it. Then I showed a co-worker--no big deal I thought, he'll never go to it again--until he sends the link to everybody in the office. I didn't mind; however, my 'audience' got a little bigger and I knew my office mates were watching. . . . Then the other day I had a recruiter call me and he told me he had been looking at my blog.

Anyway, just a reminder that world is watching . . . so don't wear all your emotions on your blog.

NCAA Tournament

2008-03-17T06:28:00.003-05:00

Ok fellow blog readers, I have created a NCAA bracket in Yahoo and I would like everyone to join. Use this link, to join. You don't need to know what is going on and I haven't followed basketball all that much this year so don't worry.

The password is my middle name, and if you can't remember it shoot me an email so you can sign up.

There is no prize for winning other than that satisfaction that you guessed better than the rest of the family. :)

Carlos

Trying to do the right thing

2008-03-01T12:56:00.003-05:00

I was driving on the interstate yesterday and I notice a car stopped on the side of the road and I have tried to be more conscious of stopping to help when I am by myself and I think it is safe--during the day--this goes back to a Sunday school lesson.

Anyway, I stop and it an older gentleman and his wife. They have a flat tire and have already call AAA, but I offer to help him. I had a blow out last year and it was not fun. It is a new Toyota and it actually takes us a while to get the tire out--they really secure that thing in there!! Anyway, I start jacking the car up and then start loosening the lug nuts; only one big problem--I can't loosen two of them. I was pulling and pushing and yanking as hard as I could. The man actually told me to take a break!! How embarrassing. Anyway I tried one more time but they would not budge. He had called AAA and I felt comfortable they were safe so I took off. They guy actually tried to pay me, which I probably wouldn't have accepted anyway, but I definitely wasn't going to take it with the flat tire still on!!

Taxes are done . . .

2008-03-01T12:55:00.002-05:00

Well our refund came in and so far no audit!! Hooray!!

annual credit report

2008-02-19T22:01:00.004-05:00

If you use any kind of electronic commerce--credit cards, atm, on-line bill pay, etc--you must be vigilant in regards to your identity. While I don't know about all states, Virginia passed a law allowing Virginians one free credit report check per 12 months. I check mine around tax time, just to pick a time and it is good just to review and keep up to date with how creditors determine your credit score.

This is what the FTC has to say . . . actually now that I read it, everyone should be able to use it.

"A recent amendment to the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act requires each of the nationwide consumer reporting companies Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion to provide you with a free copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. But there’s only one online source authorized to do so. That’s annualcreditreport.com. Beware of other sites that may look and sound similar. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) advises consumers who order their free annual credit reports online to be sure to correctly spell annualcreditreport.com, or link to it from the FTC’s website to avoid being misdirected to other websites that offer supposedly free reports, but only with the purchase of other products. While consumers may be offered additional products or services while on the authorized web site."

I actually just did mine. You have to put in all your sensitive information and then it asks you about a recent payment, so you may have to get out a recent bill if you don't know it off the top of your head. It will offer you a credit score--which is not free--but the report will tell you about the accounts you have opened and what other creditors are looking at when considering offering you a loan.

Anyway, if you haven't done it, I would encourage you to do so. :)

Tax return is in the mail . . .

2008-02-15T22:42:00.002-05:00

or going through e-file, really. TurboTax has really improved this year and I thought it was easier than ever; however, we did have a fairly basic return.

One wierd thing that happened this year and last is there is a section under the income section where I put some contracting work I did several years ago and I can't figure out how to get rid of it. It doesn't show up in any of the income options; however, when I go through the 'error check' it always comes up and I have to put in a value. It is happy with zero; but that that is my only complaint.

Anyway, taxes are always a pain, but it is nice to get some of your money back in the process. Let's hope we never owe any. :) I still remember the first year my Dad owed--he was not happy. In fact, I think he has been grumpy ever since. (Love you Dad)

Etiquette activity

2008-02-13T22:19:00.002-05:00

Our etiquette activity went well. We had fun and there was good food. Our cook canceled at the last minute so I spent quite a bit of time in the kitchen, but I had lots of ~~ordering around~~ help from the sisters. No, they were extremely helpful.

We ended up with one of the older ladies in the ward presenting the 'lesson' and I think the kids enjoyed it. They enjoyed eating and I think for the most part their etiquette improved, but there's always next year. :)

Virginia's Political Weekend

2008-02-11T21:11:00.000-05:00

Well, the candidates hit Virginia this weekend, and the democrats spent a little more time in Richmond than did the republicans. It was my intention to go see President Clinton but somehow I got the day wrong, so I got nothing. HRC and Barak were here Saturday evening, but 1) you had to pay to see them--it was the democrat's yearly fund raiser, 2) I had to go to chaperon the youth dance that evening and 3) I wasn't invited.

Huckabee came by this morning at 8AM, but I didn't find out till noon. McCain swung by the airport which is about 3 minutes from our house so I went to see and be seen. There were several former governors and other Virginia legislators. Jerry Kilgore spoke--lame, no wonder he didn't win the governor's seat--George Allen spoke--boring--Senator John Warner spoke and chastised George for speaking too long only to tell a story about Reagan, two stories about McCain, and go on about how long they had served together. McCain thanked everyone for coming and I had to split as it was family night and I promised my family I would meet them for dinner.

I was caught of guard and I missed the ~~onslaught~~ weekend of future presidents. As much time as I have committed to following from afar, I am embarrassed at how much time I spent while the candidates were in my backyard.

Heather--I read the link you sent and have some thoughts, but haven't organized them enough yet. Now you know why I have so few posts.

Mac is Back???

2008-02-07T16:06:00.000-05:00

Well, I am sure you know by know that Romney decided to drop out--hugely disappointing especially for a candidate who is willing to say this (emphasis added by me)

". . . And tolerance for pornography – even celebration of it – and sexual promiscuity, combined with the twisted incentives of government welfare programs have led to today's grim realities: 68% of African American children are born out-of-wedlock, 45% of Hispanic children, and 25% of White children. How much harder it is for these children to succeed in school and in life. A nation built on the principles of the Founding Fathers cannot long stand when its children are raised without fathers in the home.

The development of a child is enhanced by having a mother and father. Such a family is the ideal for the future of the child and for the strength of a nation. I wonder how it is that unelected judges, like some in my state of Massachusetts, are so unaware of this reality, so oblivious to the millennia of recorded history. It is time for the people of America to fortify marriage through Constitutional amendment, so that liberal judges cannot continue to attack it."

I did not like the fact that Romney was standard bearer for conservatism--a word I don't entirely find appealing, but I did enjoy that he would always bring the family into his dialog.

What I find so sad is that I could hop on the Barak rock concert if I knew he would be a bigger supporter of marriage, chasity, and personal responsibility. I think Barak would make a good president; however, like so many others he forgets about the small and important elements that make a great society--strong families--especially when his family helped him become the person he is today.

Dining Etiquette

2008-02-07T08:29:00.000-05:00

Our youth have chosen to have an Etiquette dinner next week. We plan to have a spaghetti dinner with a salad and a lite dessert. We will try to have a nice place setting; however, all the silverware will be plastic.

Does anyone have any simple etiquette rules/ideas they would like to pass along?

Is it over yet?

2008-02-07T08:14:00.000-05:00

ouch! My man Mitt, did not do so well on Super Tuesday. We vote in Virginia this next Tuesday--if he doesn't win Virginia, I think I will stop following presidential politics for a while.

Perhaps everyone should watch this and then they would see . . . even if the end is a little cheesy.

Super Tuesday

2008-02-05T13:39:00.000-05:00

Ok, people if today is your primary voting day, get out there and vote!!!

Mason Wayne Abbott

2007-12-31T19:11:00.000-05:00

My sister, Rose-Marie, went into labor yesterday--at my house--and had the baby at 12:37 AM that next morning. He was 7lbs, 2oz and was 20 and 1/2" long. Here are the first pics, courtesy of her big brother. I think he looks like Grover--with long hair. :)

For the record . . .

2007-12-24T21:31:00.001-05:00

I don't believe in Santa, but I do believe in the Spirit of Christmas. Jesus Christ is the reason for the season and I know he lives. Through him we can return to the Father and live together as eternal families.

I hope each of you have a Merry Christmas and may the light of Christ enter into your homes so you might have an increase of peace this year.

Whoa--It is getting nasty over there . .

2007-12-24T20:33:00.000-05:00

way too heated on my sisters blog--silly Santa!

Anyway . . . Here are some more pictures/vids of Laurie. I managed to get a few of her gas smiles. The girls and Emily are doing well--The girls sure like to hold the baby.

We have been extremely fortunate to have so many friends help us out with presents and dinners. My in-laws are got here the end of last week. Must be time to Celebrate Christmas!

Sisters in Action :)

2007-12-09T08:38:00.000-05:00

Little Miss Laurie has quite the sneeze! I have been trying to get in on camera and I finally did. The first one includes Miriam trying to say something. We get into a laughing tizzy because Emily's belly was shaking and Miriam noticed. It took us several minutes to finally catch our breath!

Here are three videos pieced together showing the big sisters helping. :) It is a little long, but it does eventually end!!

A few more pics--and a video!!

2007-12-07T15:47:00.000-05:00

Emily is still not quite home--hopefully in about 2 hours or so. Then the fun really begins!!!

A few more pics

2007-12-06T17:45:00.000-05:00

It is a little strange to look at the family pics and see three kids!! Miriam finally got to see the baby this afternoon. Oh, we decided to scratch the Claire from her name, we may use that next time--your welcome Ana-Christine. :)

Laurie Adeline Claire??

2007-12-06T10:26:00.001-05:00

Miriam really likes Claire and it just might make it into her name. Hope you enjoy the pictures. **Update** Emily made it fine through the night and she has started eating and it looks like we are in the clear now. Thanks for all your prayers!!**
First Pic

Just Scrubbed down

Proud Parents

With Lainy today

Welcome Laurie Adeline!!

2007-12-06T00:26:00.000-05:00

Well, it took a little longer than we thought, but Laurie Adeline Chacon was born at 9:14PM is looking good!! She was 6lbs 14oz and was 20 3/4" long. Emily started pushing about 5 after 9 and was extremely tired. She has dark hair like Miriam and is nice rosey pink color.

We had a bit of a scare afterwards; however, as I write this both Emily and the baby are fine. I will save you the gory details--you ladies can chat all about it later; however, the scary part came when the doctor said "we might need to take out your uterus". This was about 80 minutes after the birth. Both Emily and I got a little scared at that point, and I gave her a blessing, but for about 2 hours there they really had us going. We are not totally out of the clear yet, but things are looking up.

We are glad to welcome another child into the work and thank all those who helped take care of our kids in the process.

ok, it is going to happen tonight!

2007-12-05T20:48:00.000-05:00

The doctor just came in and said Emily is ready to start pushing. They aren't back yet, but hopefully by 9:30 we will have this baby!!! What a day! Emily is doing well, just really tired and frustrated it didn't come sooner.

We forgot the cord to the camera so pictures will have to come later. Sorry!

Happy Thanksgiving!!

2007-11-25T15:42:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and you are ready to spread some holiday cheer!!

It was my turn to carve the turkey this year. There were only a handful of us together and I was a little nervous, but luckily we had plenty of turkey(13lbs) for the 6 of us. Needless to say, I didn't have to cut every morsel of meat for us the get plenty of Turkey, but we could sure use my dad next year!

We still have a few leftovers, except the rolls, if anyone ran out already. :)

So you wanted to raise a boy . . . ?

2007-11-11T22:22:00.000-05:00

This has definitely been a week of surprises for me. I feel ashamed I every second guessed or tried to find fault in my leaders--I guess I still have little growing to do and apparently I haven't been pushed quite to the edge yet. This morning Emily and I met with the Bishop and I was asked to serve as the Young Men's president. Now the kicker is that I was release from my previous calling to serve in this one==how do you like that--I bet the bishop was wondering what all my complaining was about. What a whiner!

Well, the Lord is in the details of our lives. See at the beginning of the year if I had been asked to serve with the youth I may have said no. The youth are intimidating and I didn't think I would do well. Well, at the beginning of the summer I decided I was going to start camping again and wound up camping multiple times with the young men. I believe it was the Lords hand that led me to spend those handful of nights with the young men so that I might feel more comfortable around them. Now, ask me how I feel in a couple of months. :)

I'm here to release you . . .

2007-11-10T21:00:00.000-05:00

That's what President Anderson said to me Wednesday evening. After serving as the "EQP" for almost 2 and 1/2 years, I was done. I was in and out of his office in less than five minutes. Just before we met, I thought I was getting an assignment to speak in stake conference . . . How clueless I was!

Needless to say, I was shocked--and a little hurt. Here I had been on the inside all this time and the next minute it's all gone; with a nice thank you of course. I was upset I hadn't gotten some type of warning, especially since I thought my release would have come next summer. My emotions told me I was being let go a little too early, that I had somehow lost favor . . . I still had young men to advance and brethren to strengthen.

Of course, the next day and with each new day I see the wisdom with how the Lord works. Not that I liked it, but I believe it is all for the best and wisdom prevailed. The bitter taste of pride I had is gone and I am looking forward to a little R&R, no telling how long that will last. I have come to love about 90% of my quorum really well (the other 10% have a face only a mother could love. :) ) and I will miss certain aspects of my calling and HT reporting will not be one of them.

While it might have been nice to 'know' beforehand, it instead come at the right time, by the right person, in the right place. Ok, where did I put that tissue . . .

Getting close to 100!

2007-10-18T19:03:00.000-05:00

Wow, I am getting close to my 100th post!

Anyway, Congratulations! You know the newest member of the Donahoe PTA Hospitality Committee. Yes, yours truly has begun a life of public service. I just hope we have some say over what we server for refreshments--the last meeting we had stale cookies. :(

We missed Jason Chacon's wedding. In case you read this Jason, we are sorry we couldn't make it. I hope if was nice.

Oh, please recycle! Our neighbors put out about 5 garbage cans full; granted they have more people in their house, but it is not unusual for our recycling to be bigger than our garbage--even if recycling comes every other week.

Find Your Candidate

2007-10-08T21:33:00.001-05:00

Ok, so there is a web site that will help you find the presidential candidate that closest matches your interests.

I took the poll a couple of weeks ago as independently as possible without trying to pick the answers my candidate--Mitt Romney(I am starting to waiver)--would have. Interestingly I was told Mike Huckabee would be my choice; however, Mitt had the same percentage and Huck.

I also found it strange that Joe Biden was a closer match than than Giuliani, McCain, and Ron Paul. I took it a second time tonight and got 1)John Cox--who I have never heard of, 2)Huckabee, then 3)Romney this time with different percentages. I think they update the questions every so often.

Have a go--just remember to vote for real next year. :) I would be interested to see what you came up with--just put your answers in the comment section.

*Update* Just remember this calculator is suppose to help you decide what issues are important to you. It is not a 'magic bullet'. Oh, if Mike Gravel is you candidate I would dig a little deeper--he is probably a nice guy, just a little weird.

Camping over Columbus Day Weekend

2007-10-08T21:31:00.000-05:00

We went camping this weekend. The biggest highlight of the trip? Pancakes of course. :)

*Update* We went up the Natural Bridge area, about 2 1/2 hrs west, on Saturday with a quick stop at Carter's Mountain on the way. The weather ended up being a little hotter than we thought with Saturday getting up to about 91 degrees and Sunday about the same. We listened to two sessions of conference; however, as we went with another family the kids just seemed to always be active so although we felt bad about being 50%, we were glad to get in two! We managed to keep the kids off the playground on Sunday and I actually ran into an old friend during the Priesthood session and his family came for some smores Sunday evening.

Monday we went to the Natural Bridge Safari. It is kind of like the Night Zoo in Singapore only during the day. Luckily we made it there before the weather got too hot.

I made another movie. :) Oh for the record, I can't understand everything they are saying and Emily objects to the music. Enjoy.

Fishing with Dad

2007-10-05T18:58:00.000-05:00

My dad and the girls went fishing in September--over Labor day weekend in fact. We went to the about the same spot where Doug and I go. 50 fish is a light day; however, the water must not have been just right because we barely had enough for lunch. The girls, while hesitant at first, had a blast and the weather was nice so it was well worth it. I think my dad enjoyed driving the boat. :)

Employee Profile Questions for The Link

2007-10-05T18:53:00.000-05:00

We have a monthly news letter that has an employee spotlight and I was choosen for the Month of October. I thought I would pass along what they asked.

Name: Carlos Chacon
Position: Information Technology Specialist III
Years with VITA/state or NG: 2
Main job responsibilities: Provide Training and support for SharePoint/VitaWeb; Help keep the SQL and Oracle databases running

Etc. (Any miscellaneous info you wish to share, such as family, education, where you grew up, hobbies etc.):

My father is from Costa Rica, but I was born in the states. I graduated from Mills Godwin High School, but went to college out west. I also served a two year mission in Argentina. We currently live in Highland Springs and I am the only Redskins fan on my block. My wife and I are expecting our third daughter in December. I am extremely interested in politics and encourage everyone to vote in November!

What three things do you always have in your refrigerator? Butter, Lisano (Costa Rican sauce), Ranch salad dressing.

What is your dream vacation? Visiting the holy land during a peaceful time--preferably during Passover. Go to the temple on the mount, the grove of olives, the western wall, visit the garden tomb. We would have an Israeli and a Palestinian guide and talk about the history and culture of the two.

What was your favorite birthday present as a kid? Surprise birthday party where we went bowling

What is your favorite time of year and why? Fall--cool weather, football, and the holiday season is approaching.

What is the best piece of news you've heard lately? My éclair cake was the first one selected at the CVC cake walk, and Julie Rogers has agreed to a 'throwdown' at the cookie competition. ;)

Costa Rica Video

2007-09-27T06:45:00.000-05:00

This is long overdue; however, I only finished it about a week ago. There were some problem with the movie and it took me a while to getting around to fixing them. This movie is by no means perfect, but I hope you enjoy it.

There is actually one part where you are supposed to laugh; however, no one in my family got it--they don't have the sophisticated humor I hope you do.

Anyway, this is a compilation of our trip down to Costa Rica. Special thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for helping us get down there.

Blog Hiatus

2007-09-26T18:55:00.000-05:00

Ok, I think I finished my blog Hiatus. Sorry for being gone for so long--I hope I haven't lost all my devoted fans. Hopefully I will be posting a few more things in the future--oh by the way, my Costa Rica video is done and I need to upload it.

For your reward in coming back to my blog, I have included the following video. I hope you can understand the words--it is a foreign work. ;)

Romney In Richmond

2007-08-01T21:03:00.000-05:00

My Man Mitt came to town yesterday to pick up the endorsement of Bill Bolling, our Lieutenant Governor. I packed the family up and made them attend--they could only be mad for so long--they were serving heavy orderves. The stump speech was the same thing I have been reading on line for months now, but it was good to get up close and personal with the future president of the United States!!

It's a . . .

2007-07-31T12:00:00.000-05:00

Girl

Yes, we are having another girl. Everyone is excited--except Miriam. "Is she (the ultrasound technician) serious?" "I can't believe we are having another girl". It was funny, but she is quickly warming to the idea.

:)

I did it!

2007-07-30T21:33:00.000-05:00

I have finishes reading Harry Potter! Good thing too--My job moved locations and I am no longer able to take the bus to work. I got a lot of reading done on that bus!

I enjoyed the book--even the part at the end when Harry .. . just kidding :) While more Harry Potter books could definitely be written, this gave me a finality to it.

For those who haven't finished it--Enjoy!

Romney's New Video

2007-07-18T10:51:00.000-05:00

In case you missed it--The new add entitled Ocean, is causing a buzz on the blogs.

Boy Scout Camp

2007-07-12T09:53:00.000-05:00

This week I had the privilege of going to boy scout camp. I haven't done anything with Scouts since I was a young man. Camp is quite a bit different as an adult--I don't remember having to deal with crabby boys. Maybe my memory is just bad.

I forgot how much I enjoyed it. Perhaps I will have to get more involved.

Mini Mitt

2007-06-22T06:38:00.000-05:00

Ok, if you haven't checked it out lately, go to Mitt Romney's Website and be introduced to Mini Mitt.

And, while you are at it--check out his latest commercial.

Happy Fathers' Day

2007-06-22T06:22:00.000-05:00

I realize this is a late post; however, I did call my dad for Father's Day. This post is more of a report. My most of the time wonderful family gave me Rock Salt and an Ice Cream Packet to use in our Homemade Ice Cream maker. I remember growing up as a kid the rurur rurur rurur going on in the background when the family got together. Emily and I hadn't used the ice cream maker in several years and it was nice to break it out again. Other than my early Sunday meeting, I was with the family the entire day--a treat in and of itself.

30 Years old

2007-06-22T06:12:00.000-05:00

Well, I made it--to 30 that is. I know some of you had your doubts, but what can I say? I am a natural. We celebrated at Dorey park and had a wonderful time. The food was great and Emily did a nice job on my marble pound cake--even if I wanted a double decker. We were missing a few local people and of course those of you scattered about.

New Colors for my blog

2007-06-19T10:30:00.001-05:00

Everybody else was doing it . . . Man peer pressure is tough!

Easy Come, Easy Go . . .

2007-06-14T07:17:00.000-05:00

Wow! All that work only to get pummeled. Both my candidates lost on Tuesday by large margins. Now, I did not do that much, however, I feel like I have a vested interest because I really didn't want the people who one to win.

After 29 years, Senator Lambert will be moving on.
We now (because he will run unopposed in November) have a delegate that has spent time in Jail for lying and the inability to control his temper. He has also been disbarred in Virginia. I do believe in redemption and he claims he is a changed man--only time will tell now.

Go Vote in the Primary

2007-06-12T07:16:00.000-05:00

Tuesday June 12, is a primary day here in Virginia and I am encouraging everyone to vote. Now, there may not be anyone from your preferred party running; however, whoever wins the democratic nomination for state Senator will in all likely hood win the seat. Because in Virginia all voters can participate in the primary, everyone can have a say in who becomes our next Senator.

I feel very strongly that Benjamin Lambert, the incumbent, best represents what I look for in leaders of our government. He has been able to bring many resources to our community as a member of the finance committee and has become a very influential member of the senate.

Don't hesitate to call if you have any questions. The polls close at 7pm. It only takes a minute and your vote will make a difference.

Mitt is Hot

2007-06-11T16:49:00.000-05:00

So funny. Go ahead and laugh!

Elder Holland comes to visit

2007-06-10T15:52:00.000-05:00

Elder Holland, of the quorum of the twelve apostles, came to preside over our stake conference in Richmond this weekend. It was wonderful to listen to his stories and I felt uplifted and strengthened by what he said.

Both Emily and I were able to shake his hand after the adult session of conference Saturday evening. The picture is blurry; however, you can see Elder Holland on the left; however, that is President Mullen's big head covering Emily up--she is wearing a light blue top.

Henrico County School Board

2007-06-07T09:29:00.000-05:00

It is my please to endorse John Montgomery for the Henrico County School Board. He is running for the Varina seat vacated by Hugh Palmer.

John has served as a PTA president and as a lawyer helped many local organizations when the big boys try to sic the dogs on us. You can learn more about John by going to his web site.

New Cell Phone

2007-06-07T09:24:00.000-05:00

Emily and I got new cell phones and I was playing around with my phone at work--during lunch or course--and I took a video of my office and send it to gmail account. I have now posted my video for the world to see--go Carlos! I will now be able to capture all sorts of mayhem on my phone. hehe

New Foods in Costa Rica

2007-05-24T21:21:00.000-05:00

I can't say I was overly impressed with the availability of 'new foods' in Costa Rica; however, part of this may be that I grew up in a Spanish home and was used to many of the foods we ate. There were several new fruits we tried--Maracuya, GUANABANA, PAPAYA, TAMARINDO, and another small fruit with a white flesh and large seed in the middle--Mom, can you help me out? Anyway, here is the Maracuya. Pictures of other fruit can be found here. We have a good video of mom exposing us the fruit and because you can see the fruit better in hers I am showing you hers instead of mine. It tasted sweet like a fruit; however, it had a crunchy seed like a sunflower seed but it wasn't salty. But, because it looked like fish eggs and as slimy like an over ripe mango or cantalope I couldn't keep it in my mouth for long.

I don't remember if Emily tried it.

Zip Lines

2007-05-24T20:53:00.000-05:00

One of the 'adult' things we wanted to do in Costa Rica was experience the zip lines--a high adrenaline route to soaking up the rain forest--zipping along on cable hooked from tree to tree. One of Costa Rica's selling points is ecotourism so each zip line operator wants to show you some of Costa Rica's hidden gems and how then help keep the rain forest in tact. The route we took had 11 lines on it, and while pricey at $35 bucks a head, we enjoyed it and wanted to do the 26 line course some time in the future. Grandma and Grandpa were nice enough to watch the kids and take the video. Wait a second for the video--the cable is really long.

Elaine said she wanted to go and I told her I would take her next time. :)

Birthday Party

2007-05-23T12:49:00.000-05:00

I am having a birthday party on Friday evening on June 15th from 5PM until dusk in shelter 7 at Dorey Park. You are invited. Hope to see you there.

Carlos

Costa Rica

2007-05-21T18:59:00.001-05:00

ok, so I said I would get working on my Costa Rica trip and here it is. Reviews, specific details, and talking points will come later.

We left Wednesday May 2 and had to fly out of Dulles. Sarah drove us up and we got the airport around 1pm. We said our goodbyes and went through security. Like a good father(and like my wife told me), I took the girls to the bathroom before we got on the plane. We boarded the plane, began to taxi, Elaine informed me she had to go potty again, and then stopped--for about 3 hours. We missed our connection to Costa Rica so we spent the night in Atlanta.

Thursday May 3 - Left Atlanta in the AM and got to Costa Rica about 1pm. Mom and Dad picked us up and we went to the neighborhood my dad grew up in. We went to see my Great Uncle--the first member of the church on my dad's side of the family. He told us some stories about my dad growing up and growth of the church in Costa Rica. We ate dinner and went to the temple. While we wanted to do a session, it was late and the girls were antsy; however, there was a youth temple trip and we helped do some confirmations. The temple is beatiful and we enjoyed the spirit there.

Friday May 4 - We spent the night in San Miguel, where my grandpa lived years ago and had purchased a home there. We ate breakfast at my dad's cousin house--platanos, fried yucca, gallo pinto, eggs, cheese, bread, and agua dulce. it was delicious. We spent a lot of time in the car and saw lots of the moutain ranges, tried to see a waterfall, and went to a stocked pond--only we were too full to eat.

Saturday May 5 - We spent the night in Esparza, home to my parents, and enjoyed the area. Miriam and I played a game of mini golf. Emily and I went on the zip lines. We went to a small fair like event, but did not stay long. Saprissa, my dad's favorite soccer team, was playing in a tournament and we went to a sports bar to watch the game.

Sunday - Time for Church, and we enjoyed going to the branch. The rustiness in my Spanish really came out; however, everyone was glad to meet us. We laid low and spent the afternoon with grandma.

Monday - Time to get in gear. What was supposed to be a day beginning at 5AM saw us leaving about 9AM to head for the beach--playa cochal. Our travels took us over puente amistad, the largest bridge in Costa Rica. We got there in the afternoon and spent the rest of the daylight time we had on the beach. There were rocks about 15-20 feet off the shore and we snorkeled and saw some amazing ocean life. My wits were tested when schools of fish swam right in front of me--shouldn't there be a glass in between us?

Tuesday - camped out there just off the beach and went snorkeling again. I saw a sting ray in the water and later Emily and I saw the sting ray jump out of the water--again where is the glass? We left about 11AM and headed for Nicoya, our stop for the night. We did a little sightseeing around Nicoya; however, it was raining and we were all tired so we went to sleep early.

Wednesday - After another great breakfast, we went to the biological reserve where we saw lots of beautiful animals. An emu kept following us around. We took the 'carriage ride' pulled by water buffalo and went to see a river (whose name I don't recall). It could have been the nile as there was lots of life in the water. While standing on a floating dock we noticed the river would grow to about 6 feet higher at the peek of the rainy season, which had just begun. We missed our opportunity to take the ferry home and got home in time for a late dinner.

Thursday - We toured around Esparza and took a bus to Puntarenas to get some touristy things to take back with us. We had breakfast in the panaderia or bakery and enjoyed some more drinkable yogurt. We all played Putt-Putt that afternoon and left for San Miguel that evening.

Friday - Early morning as we headed for the airport to catch our 8AM flight back to the states.

Third times a charm

2007-05-16T15:02:00.000-05:00

Well, we all do things we wish we hadn't; things that we must bear a difficult consequence for and Friday night at the airport I did one of those things--I left my work laptop at the baggage claim of the Dulles Airport. I had the girls with me and Sarah had come to pick us up. I put my laptop by the carts you can rent to take your things to your car, our luggage came, the girls went crazy, I grabbed the luggage, we got several "they're so cute" comments, and we were out the door. It was not until Sunday evening that I realized my mistake. Oh the cruel reality of my mistake. I was sure I would never get it back; I started thinking of ways to explain to my boss what had happened.

After we had called airport security and they told us they did NOT have a bag matching the description I gave them, I decided it was worth at least investigating for myself. I drove up to Dulles airport at about 7:30PM. I did not have enough gas to get there so I had to fill up and who should notice that my car did not have an inspection sticker (I got rejected before we left for Costa Rica) on it but Henrico's finest, who quickly gave me a ticket and reminded me to 'take care of these things' before I leave the country next time. Yeah, got it.

My drive up to Dulles on Sunday was uneventful and to no ones' surprise I did not find my laptop. I tried calling security again to see if I could come and look at what they had; however, they had gone home for the night. I drove my dejected self home and managed to get in bed a little after 1:30 AM.

I had a personal experience that led me to believe I would see my laptop again, so I called the security desk on Monday morning before I went to work. I approached my description slightly different and the officer must have asked me to hold at least 4 times. After several attempts to find my bag, I almost hear the words "I'm sorry, we don't have a bag that matches that description"; however, my inner voice deceived me--the officer said, "Yes, we have your bag, when can you pick it up?" It was a feeling of pure exhilaration. I almost did not believe what he was saying, perhaps there was a mix up and there was some other bag they found; however, I arranged to pick it up after work--around 9pm. Emily agreed to go with me this time.

My mood was upbeat, but subdued as I made my second attempt. We arrived at the security desk and gave them the claim number given me earlier. "I'm sorry, that package was given to lost and found this morning. They are only open from 9-5, M-F". I almost slammed the glass window that separated us from the guard. Impossible!! They told me this morning they would have it. We even had her check the room just in case, but my bag was no longer there. Another 260 miles in vain.

Yesterday I called lost and found and they informed me I had to make an appointment if I wanted to 'obtain my item'. As luck--or the lack of--would have it I would up feeling poorly today. I usually work from home on Wednesdays and today was no different. Since I really wasn't feeling well, I called the lost and found and tried to see if I could get up there today and they agreed so I took a sick day and drove up there a third time to get the laptop. This time I took the girls with me, which they were really happy about, but I managed to get it. What a hassle; however, alls well that ends well.

Let me tell you I learned my lesson this time and I won't let it happen again.--next time I go somewhere, I'm flying Jet Blue. :)

Ok, now that my life is getting back to some kind of order, I will start working on my Costa Rica report.

!Pura Vida!

2007-05-04T20:15:00.000-05:00

Well after a overnight delay in Atlanta, we are finally in Costa Rica!! It has been fun--and bumpy these last two days; however, we are getting to see some cool things. The mountains are beautiful. More is sure to come--!Pura Vida!

PBS Documentary

2007-05-01T12:33:00.000-05:00

We watched the PBS documentary entitled "The Mormons" last night. I enjoyed it; for some reason I have this fascination about seeing other people's perception and thoughts on something near and dear to my heart. I agree with the the New York Times that "It’s great to hear people who believe in something and can articulate it without sounding crazy or defensive." Amen. Why can't we just explain our beliefs without feeling like we have to defend them? Every month we have testimony meeting and get to say I know; however, when talking to people not of our faith we sometimes feel the need to be apologetic. I thought Terrel Givens was excellent--I could listen to him all day.

If you missed it, you can catch it here. The second part is on tonight.

Gun Control

2007-04-25T13:11:00.000-05:00

I don't own a gun. I wasn't around guns all that much as a kid--I got my gun experience in Scouts or other organized events. My dad did own a gun--a 22 as I remember and I shot it a couple of times. I am sure if you handed me a gun today I wouldn't know how to turn the safety off.
I think there should be more gun control in this country.
When I say gun control, I don't mean repealing the 2nd amendment--something conservatives and NRA types like to immediately puff their chests about--I mean gun control, better governance about who has guns and how they use them. There is one exception--automatic assault weapons. The name alone should be obvious to why the general public should not have them.
We need a registration similar to DMV with cars, something a gun owner has to renew every so often and report the sale or destruction (if that is possible). I would also like to see a required training class for anyone who purchases a gun. This class would include handling, storage, and stress saftey. You would get a card or certificate you could then use to buy a gun. And, just like with a car if you don't report a change (sold, not working, etc) you get fined.
Similar measures have been put in place in Canada, and while it hasn't put a dent in the homicide rate yet, it is a step in the right direction; taking control of a situation rather then doing nothing.
Another gun crime we don't talk much about is Suicide. The Candian embassy reports more gun related suicides were committed than homicides in 1996. Perhaps we should also be looking at mental health requirement for permits as well.

My view point may not solve the problem; however, I do know I am sick of hearing "they're trying to take away our guns". If your gun affects my public safety, I will choose safety every time.

"Tear down that wall"

2007-04-25T10:05:00.000-05:00

Those were the words Ronald Reagan used when talking about the Berlin wall all those years ago. Now it seems conservatives can't get enough of building walls and creating the appearance of separation.
I agree immigration needs to be reformed, but let's at least try to show some dignity to the fact that most of us our ancestors of immigrants as well. When we talk about Mexican immigration, why don't we talk about helping their economy? We 'dump' tons of corn and other produce down there cheaper than local farmers can grow it--no wonder they are all coming here.
If the US is supposed to be the superpower of the world, why resort to something as primitive as a wall?

Partial Birth Abortions

2007-04-20T21:24:00.000-05:00

The supreme court upheld a ban on partial birth abortions this week. While I think this a positive move, I believe that too much time and money is spent on political wrangling and not enough on those that need help making this decision. If both sides would stop fighting and look at how to help the unwed teen, the molested daughter, and the mother of 3 who doesn't want to be a mother again real solutions would come and lives would be blessed.

While abortion would not come up in a conversation I had with my daughter, I believe that if abortions are performed they should be safe and as much information as possible should be given so a woman can make the best choice for her and the baby she is carrying.

I believe that abortion policy should change; however, I also believe that change will happen one person at a time--and we can all be part of that process by learning and understand more about adoption--one of the most selfless things you can do.

Don Imus

2007-04-20T21:16:00.000-05:00

I know this is old news; however, my two cents dictates the following:

If we are going to pressure executives to fire employees because of what they say that pressure should be placed in all media outlets--not just cranky old men.

I have been thinking about this in more detail, but as you know this is an old story.

What was he thinking

2007-04-16T20:15:00.000-05:00

Our thoughts are with the Virginia Tech families that lost love ones today. What a tragedy--what a loss.

What drives people to do this? Especially when they include themselves in the people they kill. If you are going to kill yourself, why not save your bullets and skip to the end?

Off we go . . .

2007-04-16T19:55:00.000-05:00

One of the best ways to 'get involved' is to write to the editor, write to your representative, or blog--but it revolves around communicating; expressing your ideas in logical and clear manner.

I have slacked as of late with my blog; however, as the political season heats ups (only 60 days until the primaries) I am going to try to express my opinions as quickly as possible. We'll see how it goes.

She stole my what . . . . ?

2007-04-07T13:05:00.000-05:00

Emily hid my deodorant. She didn't like the aroma of Old Spice natural scent, so she hid it. What a swiper.

Congrats Emily

2007-04-03T06:46:00.000-05:00

Emily won our NCAA tournament challange in a blowout . . . Congratulations

Rank     Bracket      Points Correct Picks Overall %
1       hmmm sports!     119    43 of 63
2       Perfect Circles     88    41 of 63
3       Sarah's Wacky Pix     86    37 of 63
4       Tom's Team     82    38 of 63
5       EQP     74    39 of 63
6       Ashley Scott     0    0 of 63

Presidential Election

2007-03-27T17:11:00.000-05:00

I know, you are sick of it already . . . cry me a river. Fill out the survey--there are some interesting results, and as you can tell you only get to pick Republicans.

Wow . . . It has been a long time.

2007-03-27T17:04:00.000-05:00

Time waits for no man and it certainly has passed me by. We have been working on Miriam's video blog, which isn't quite ready yet, and doing the political junky thing. Oh, my family, the church, and my job take up the rest of my time--and eating, I do a lot of that too. However, you will notice I lost 5 pounds.

It has begun . . .

2007-02-21T21:41:00.000-05:00

The Mitt Romney TV spots have started to hit the air waves in the primary battleground states. While I am sure things won't stay squeaky clean, I hope Mitt can stay above the belt and air positive ads. I don't want to hear about other candidates in his commercials.

On a local note I heard John Montgomery, who ran twice for the 71st Delegate seat, is running for the school board--the same seat I considered running for. It should be an interesting election cycle.

Not a new years resolution

2007-02-15T19:30:00.000-05:00

I really hate it when people see my wedding pictures--don't get me wrong, they look very nice, Emily was (and still is) a beautiful bride, and we look really happy in them. No, the reason I hate for people to see them is because the look at me and say 'you look so different', which really means 'wow you got fat'. All with a big smile on their faces.

For my thirtieth birthday, I want to be less than 200lbs. I am unsure of exactly how I will do this--perhaps go back to Singapore?--but I have tried to become more active. I take the bus and have to walk several blocks to work, I take the steps, and I try to eat somewhat less than I used to.

I am having a Birthday party this year and you are invited. If I haven't gotten down to below 200 by the time my party begins I will shave my head. At the bottom of my blog you will see how much I have to lose. Hopefully it begins to move; and not in the opposite direction. I won't worry too much, after all--bald is the new full head of hair . . .

72 Hours

2007-02-07T21:23:00.000-05:00

Saturday I went to listen to Jim Gilmore, a former Virginia Governor and Presidential hopeful, speak on his current exploration of presidential waters. As Governor, Jim served as chairman of the homeland security committee--something unheard of when he was appointed by President Clinton in 1999. He chaired that committee for 5 years; the 216 page report was delivered to President Bush on September 1, 2001. Needless to say, his major focal point is homeland security.

Asked what more we could do on the homeland security front, he responded by saying we should prepare for the first 72 hours. (I am paraphrasing here) The first 72 hours he said are the most critical; however, they will also be very lonely. His opinion was that every American should be prepared to sustain themselves for the first 72 hours after the emergency. Government would never be equipped to assist sooner and in the case of huge disaster local assistance would be little better off. Personal Preparedness must be part of the national conversation.

His response buoyed my testimony. The latter-day prophets have echo his comments for some time, and here a presidential hopeful was pushing the idea as a matter of public policy.

Now, I just need to find my 72 hour kit--I know I left it somewhere . . .

Singapore Video

2007-02-06T21:28:00.000-05:00

Ok, it has taken long enough-and this is not my best effort; however, it does give a sense of what we did. Some of the pictures are repeats. I take sole responsibility for the content of this video. Since this was supposed to be a 'Singapore' video I had a hard time finding music--hence the shortness of the video. The pictures do go fast, so you may need to watch it a couple of times.

It is sad--it already seems like so long ago. I cannot thank Bryan and Laurie enough for thier generosity and love. We said we would only come once; however, I am thinking Singapore is a MUST repeat trip!

Senate 9th District

2007-01-30T07:49:00.000-05:00

Benjamin Lambert will be challenged this year by Delegate McEachin for the 9th Senate seat. McEachin, like Benjamin, is a democrat. Senator Lambert has served since 1984 and by and large has done a good job. I remember he was responsible for helping the Mill House, an adult program for those with brain injuries, stay afloat. He has also bucked this party on a few issues when he thought is was not in the best interest of his constituents.
His latest venture away from his party may prove the end of his political career. Last year he supported George Allen, the republican candidate for Senate--only his side lost. Senator Lambert escaped being expelled from the party by 5 votes earlier this week. While his political life may be on life support, I plan to support him in the democratic primary. No republican will run against him should he win in the primary.

His rival--McEachin is interested in nothing but moving up the political ladder and suppressing those that need his help the most, but that is another blog.

Penny for your thoughts?

2007-01-30T07:26:00.000-05:00

I pick up pennies off the ground. I started in earnest when I was in college--you know the saying "a penny saved is a penny earned". Well, I have have found lots of free pennies on the ground. When I left Utah, I had accumulated about $10 worth of pennies. For some reason I stopped once I got a real job; didn't seem appropriate for a man of my stature to be picking up a mere penny. Well, sometime last year I started again. I don't remember consciously doing so, but I can remember some of the pennies I passed up during my 'dark period'. Some have had a laugh at my expense when I suddenly stop and bend over to pick up a penny. Now, the joke is on you. While I have already deposited most of my pennies, it is possible that pennies will be worth 5 cents should the price of metals continue to rise. That means my $5 or so worth of pennies will become $25. Cha ching. I have heard that New York City has $1,000,000 dollars worth of pennies on the ground. If they raise the price of a penny, that would be $5,000,000.

And you said it wasn't worth the effort.

**UPDATE** Emily, the girls, and I went walking this morning and managed to find 2 dimes, and 8 pennies. :)

Regulated Spanking?

2007-01-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

California wants spanking to be punishable under law. As a parent I have decided spanking is not for me; however, I do notice that when I loose my patience the hand is a bit more active. Typically a little 'reminder' will do; however, do I want the state telling me I can't do so? The law will "proposes to make spanking, hitting or slapping a child under 4 years old a misdemeanor." This is tough--yes we need to reduce abuse in our homes, but I don't want the police called if I smack by daughter on the rear. I would also think abuse situations would happen indoors making detection difficult.

I think I would have a few hundred dollars in fines. Sorry Dustin, if this law passes I don't think I could afford to live in California.

I expect lots of comments on this one. :)

Another hat in the ring

2007-01-16T19:28:00.000-05:00

Senator Obama created his obligatory presidential exploratory committee today. While I like what Obama has to say--he has a great persona--I have yet to hear anything really different come from him. To me, his new ideas have yet to be explained to me. Yes, he does have a unique background; however, I am interested to see if he keeps his 'rock star' status through the year.

My guess is that he cannot--his record is not quite beefy enough.

In Memory

2007-01-15T10:46:00.000-05:00

Today we celebrate the legacy of Martin Luther King. As I listen to "I have a dream" and "Mountaintop" speeches, I marvel his words. I wonder what Dr. King would think of the civil rights movement today. I wonder if I have done enough to promote equality and encourage independence.

"And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream." --Martin Luther King

Home Sweet Home

2006-12-29T07:12:00.000-05:00

Well, sort of . . . It is nice to be home; however, reality came a little too fast as we found the fridge not working, the front porch light broken, the trunk of the Mitsubishi flooded, a ton of mail, and bills that needed to be paid. In addition we didn't even notice until we got home that we missed a bag at the airport. Luckily it is still in Chicago and United will bring it out--rather than us forgetting it.

Today is my first day back to work. I think I need another vacation.

Swimming with Dolphins

2006-12-26T03:45:00.000-05:00

A wish item Emily had was to swim with dolphins. Well, I don't know that you call it swimming; however, Emily was able to get into the water with the pink dolphins found in the South China sea. Big thanks to Bryan and Laurie for making our dreams come true!

Conservation efforts in Asia

2006-12-25T23:01:00.000-05:00

One of the most popular dishes in Asia is shark fin soup. While I never felt the urge to try it, and am glad I did not, many people find it enjoyable. While visiting the zoo I found the methods for obtaining the fins for the sharks deplorable. Sharks are captured and then the fins(dorsal and tail) are cut off and kept, while the shark is dumped back in the ocean to bleed to death. I do not know how many bowls of soup is made from one fin; however, I am sure it not too many as the shark population has decreased dramatically from the practice.
Governments have taken steps to abolish the practice; however, there are so many 'local' fisherman it is virtually impossible to stop all of it. Public relations campaigns have pushed for individuals to avoid consuming the dish to help stop the killing of sharks.
Please consider your choices of food when visiting Asia.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-24T06:56:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from the Chacon family. May the spirit of the Lord enter into your homes as we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Durian--Asia's fruit gem

2006-12-24T05:13:00.000-05:00

There are a handful of fruits found in Asia that are not found in the USA. Durian is probably the most popular and as I mentioned it has such a strong smell you are not permitted to eat it inside. It is large and shelled like a pineapple, but has a much harder shell and has spikes. The fruit sellers actually wear gloves while opening it up. Once open the fruit is almost a slimy goo with a seed around each section. In a large fruit there can be as many as 12 or 14 seeds. There are several different kinds of fruit, but I can hardly taste the difference.

Miriam is eating a Mangosteen and the fruit on the bottom right is an opened Durian. You can actually eat them right at the stand where they are sold.

Henrico County School Board

2006-12-23T09:47:00.000-05:00

Because we are leaving next week, I decided to think about my 'real' life this evening and remembered a conversation I had in November with Hugh Palmer, the Varina area (my area) representative to the Henrico County school board. It has been rumored that he will not seek another term and I have considered seeking the office. After meeting with him about several pressing issues facing the school, he told me he had not made a decision regarding the election next year.
While I have not decided to run should Hugh decide to retire, I would be interested to get your feedback on public school systems--especially Henrico county.

Singapore Science Center

2006-12-22T11:52:00.000-05:00

Miriam and I had some daddy daughter time yesterday afternoon and we ended up at the science center. Everything was kid enabled and Miriam enjoyed pushing all the buttons. The science didn't interest her that much, but we did talk about a few things.
It was fun to see her decide what stations she wanted to visit and we did learn quite a bit in our short trip.

Singapore Zoo

2006-12-20T23:16:00.000-05:00

Yesterday we ventured to the Singapore ZOO. As you can tell by the pictures, the elephant was a big piece of our experience. Miriam enjoyed the penguins, the zebras and the polar bears. Elaine enjoyed the elephants--her favorite animal. She is quite the daredevil and helped feed the elephants, pet the kangaroos, wanted to pet the snakes, and even wanted to play with the monkies. My favorite animal was the white tiger.

In coming to Singapore, Emily really wanted to ride an elephant and we thought we would need to go to another country to do so; however, we were delighted to find out the zoo had a short elephant ride. Miriam did not want to ride; however, after standing in line for about 15 minutes she decided it was ok for her to ride. I had a runny nose and there was a sign asking 'me' not to ride.

Only 1 in 10,000 tiger is white. We almost did not get to see them as it had been raining and the waters were high in the morning; however, by the afternoon they were out.

Melacca Malaysia

2006-12-20T19:32:00.000-05:00

Ana Requested some pictures from Melacca, and here my attempt to fulfill that request. We took the bus there--Singapore is connected to Malaysia via a bridge. Asian has an interesting definition for continent. Because Singapore and the islands above it are connected via a bridge they are deemed part of the Asian Continent; thus Singapore is literally the southern most point of the Asian continent even though it is an island.

The highways are roads were in great condition. For some reason I had thought Malaysia would be poorer than it is. I should have guessed by the exchange rate (1USD = 3.5 Malaysian Ringgit), which is the second highest of the countries we have been too. ADVISORY: When traveling to Malaysia, make sure you have small coinage and bring lots of your own toilet paper. It costs money to use the 'toilet' as they are labeled and TP is extra. You may consider practicing using the 'toilet' without your fanny actually hitting the toilet, because there are actually not any toilets in the 'toilet'. We call the squatty potty (official term). I can't speak for the hotels--just the places we visited--tourist centric places and customs/border patrol location. You have been advised.

We only had about 5 hours to look around and 1 of those we spent eating and 1 shopping. Luckily the historical sites are are centrally located and we hit the big items--Several churches, the fort, and a Portuguese Man of War. This picture was taken in front of the oldest church in Melacca with the Man of War in the background. Miriam was very happy we were taking another picture--I just love my kids.

We did do the touristy attraction of the trishaws--cousins of the rickshaws, but with a bicycle. They were decorated very nicely and our driver thought he was king as he honked at everything in his path. I rode with Miriam and she loved it. We also bought Miriam and Emily some leather shoes for about $8USD, but I managed to step on her foot yesterday and now she claims they are 'broken'. c`est la vie

oh, more pictures of Melacca can be found here. Sorry there are no captions--all this recording takes a lot of effort and I am on VACATION!! Again I would encourage anyone traveling this far to make it a two day affair. :)

Singapore Update

2006-12-19T10:03:00.000-05:00

I did not do as much blogging as I thought I would do today; however, I did finish up some old ones, so be sure to scroll down.

I, Miriam, and Elaine tried fried baby squid today. Unlike Calamari, these were not breaded and had a sweet and sour sauce on them. Miriam liked them, Elaine did not, Bryan loves them, and while I thought they were enjoyable I did not feel the need to eat every last one of them--but that is why Bryan is there. :)

We also had Durian, an Asian fruit with an extremely strong smell. So strong in fact they do not allow you to take it inside buildings. You have to eat it outside. Elaine did not even try it, Miriam took her no thank you bite and said no thanks. I actually started to enjoy it the more I had it; however, it won't be replacing ice cream or brownies as my dessert of choice any time soon. I will have to get the pictures we took. Emily still needs to try it. Another interesting fruit was the Mangotines. They have a thick skin with a white fruit. They are wonderful and everyone liked them--even Elaine.

Yesterday we went to Malacca Malaysia. It was a 4 hour bus ride and we went there and back in one day. History buffs would really love it as they have remains from the Portuguese (1700s), the Dutch (1800s), the English and Japanese (1900s). It was nice to see, but definitely stay the night if you are going to go all that way.

Time is going so fast. Only one more week and we are going back home!!

oh, I allow comments for a reason!! I would like to hear from some of you!! (Congrats on your bathroom Ana--looks good.)

Rainy Day

2006-12-18T20:41:00.000-05:00

It started raining heavily last night and has not stopped. Today's forecast is for nothing but rain. Brian, my father-in-law, took the day off so I feel bad we won't be able to do more. Singapore is a very outdoor kind of place.

Perhaps I can catch up on some of my blog postings . . . .

Manila Temple

2006-12-15T09:21:00.000-05:00

We visited the temple on Tuesday evening and on Wednesday. They have their Christmas lights on so we wanted to see them at night. We did an endowment session on Wednesday. We met a couple being sealed that same day; they were so wonderful!

The temple grounds are quite large and there is a fence around the premises. A distribution center is across the street and a LDS craft store is a block down the road.

I just wish we had our day pictures (See LOST entry). :( Photo below courtesy of LDS Church temples.com

LOST

2006-12-15T09:18:00.000-05:00

I lost our camera--at least we think we lost it. We can't remember where or why we lost it--it was around my neck. We just know it is gone. I was so upset! We had a days worth of pictures on their--our temple pictures, sights around Manila, and our dinner on the ocean. Now we only have the memories.

So go ahead, give your camera a hug.

La Corona Hotel

2006-12-15T04:57:00.000-05:00

While in the Philippines we stayed at La Corona Hotel--affiliated with the best western network. The hotel itself was great. The staff were friendly enough and the room was clean, the bathroom was nice, and the AC unit was working. They also provided 3 bottles of water per day, which we enjoyed.

In other reviews, I saw there were issues of construction and the elevator. We heard no construction noises and the elevator worked; however, it was a bit slow. It is one of the old school ones with the metal doors and the outer door pulls open like a room door. I agree with the location complaint. It was fairly near the historical area; however, it was almost 10 blocks from the metro and the area has both housing and businesses on the same street. While Manila is almost all poor and dirty, there are a few better areas to stay in. Most of the shopping/entertainment locations are on the east side of the city.

When you get to the airport--do not use the hotel car!!! It is about 3 or 4 times what you would pay a taxi. (Just remember to ask the taxi driver to start his meter) Every time you walk out the hotel, they offer you a ride. Now, I am a Lonely Planet fan and like to do things on the cheap so take that into consideration. I did get worn out from the taxi drivers trying to get more money than the standard fare--they always wanted "meter plus 30" or 30 pesos over the meter reading. We would always tip, but were not that generous. Still it was ALWAYS cheaper to use the local taxi.

The breakfast buffet was perhaps the most bizarre array of food--at least for an American. There were things like Teriyaki chicken, rice, beef tips with some bread and butter. They did have Corn Flakes. So while most of the food was what I would be looking for in a dinner, the Filipino eats for breakfast. They did have an 'egg station' that would cook you eggs, so I stuck to that and toast. There was no juice--but there was all the Tang you could drink!

Jeepneys

2006-12-15T04:28:00.000-05:00

A different twist to your public transportation. The Jeepney first came to existence after world war two with surplus military Jeeps. While there are a few other varieties, they mostly resemble what you see. Each one is decorated by the driver/owner.

It costs 7 pesos for a short ride(in town) and 19 pesos for a long ride (between towns), so they are the cheapest ticket in town. They are loud and the drivers like to sardine as many people as they can into the back.

These things are everywhere and it was fun to use them a couple of times; however, I am unsure I would like to ride to work in them everyday . . .

The Filipino

2006-12-14T22:31:00.000-05:00

I love the Filipino people. They are as nice and as warm a people as you can find. In almost every case, someone would get up and allow Emily to have there Metro seat if none were available. More later . . . .

Off to Manila

2006-12-10T18:54:00.000-05:00

We are off to Manilla untill Thursday. We are unsure how much blogging we will do there. See you at the end of the week.

Singapore Night Safari

2006-12-09T09:17:00.000-05:00

The Singapore Night Safari was by far one of the coolest nature reserves I have ever been too. Being that it is at night, you see animals you don't see other places. The extra $8 SD for the tram was worth it; there are animals on that track you can't see on foot and some of the animals are literately no more than a foot from you. Ironically enough, my favorite animal to see has the hippo--don't ask me why.

There was a fire dance in the main entrance that was very cool--those guys must have put a gallon of gas in there mouths. They kept blowing fire out of their mouths like it was normal. They would also put out the torches with their mouths.

There several areas where you could enter with flying animals--a bat just about got me when it relieved itself and one of the flying squirrels came what felt like about 2 feet from landing on my head. It was impressive to be that close to the animals. The walking portion has paved paths, but because it is at night and you are in the jungle and can hear all the bug noises it has an eerie sort of feeling--like a wild hyena could sneak up behind you and have your for dinner. It is all very safe, but the way you can interact with the animals is different from anywhere I have been.

If you are in Singapore and have time to do nothing else, I recommend the world's first Night Safari. It is by far the most unique thing you will do in the country.