2.19.2003 WE'RE HOME!!! Yeee-hah! Music: "Going Back to Cali" -LL Cool J, "Sweet Home Alabama" -Lynyrd Skynyrd, "Home on the Range" After 4 1/2 months of enjoying being a world citizen, Jen and Jim have returned to their homeland. Arriving at LAX after our 17 hour journey home (Bangkok to Taipai to LA) was wild. Dressed in our island clothes we shivered in the cool weather and rain (rain?) as we drove back to San Diego. Of course, we stopped along the way for Mexican food. Ah, it's good to be home. We ended our trip by spending a few days in Bangkok and enjoying the colorful, pungent and frantic city that never slows down. We continued to eat incredible Thai food and got better and better at bargaining while shopping. We also learned what a difference it made once we learned how to say a few things (greetings, thank you) in Thai. People really appreciated this and often asked if Jen spoke Thai. And as long as our conversations never required more than a greeting or 'thank you', we were fluent. We think it would be challenging to sum up all of the valuable experiences and lessons we've learned on this trip. (Although, Jim learned the value of speaking in the third person. Jim feels that it would be best for Jim to continue to speak about Jim in this manner) To put it briefly, it was truly a magical time in our lives. And, perhaps most importantly, we came back together! We made a great traveling team and felt extremely fortunate to have this time together. We also can't thank our friends and family enough for being so supportive. You all are amazing. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! Soon, we'll put up new pictures and send a link so you can view them if you'd like. Thanks for reading through our ramblings... Love, J i m & J e n

2.8.2003 FEB. 8 Life has been very good to us! We've been enjoying the Thai islands and beaches for the past two weeks. What a treat! While we're looking forward to seeing our family and friends soon, it will be tough to tear ourselves away from days of snorkeling, reading in the sun and reflecting on our trip. We are a fortunate pair. Highlights -- Recommended music: "Relax" by Frankie Goes to Hollywood and "Sun is Shining" by Bob Marley. --Thailand, while a wonderful country, is not geographically ideal for our travel plans (not to worry, we've already submitted a letterto their govt to move Bangkok to a more convenient location). As a result, after Chiang Mai we were VERY north of the islands we wanted to visit. Here was our 17 hour/6 modes of transportation journey from Chiang Mai to he Krabi beach, Hat Ton Soi. 1. Tuk-Tuk (small moped-like cab) to Bus Station, 2. Bus trip to Bangkok (9 hours), 3. taxi to Bangkok airport, 4. flight to Phuket (1.5 hours), 5. taxi to bus stop, 6. local bus to Krabi (3 hours), 7. taxi to Krabi dock, 8. Long-tail boat to West Hat Rai Leh, 9. Walk along beach and through coral to Hat Ton Soi. AND IT WAS DEFINITELY WORTH IT! --Ton Soi was a very chill and beautiful stop. All around are massive limestone cliffs that lend themselves well to the throngs of rock climbers that come here. We went on a 1/2 day climb and loved it! Jen did incredibly well and showed Jim (once again) that while she may be cute, she's still a bad-ass. We climbed with a great couple and really enjoyed the physical and mental challenge of the day. --We have had some AMAZING snorkeling experiences on this trip and have had many in the past two weeks. The coral and fish in Thailand is much different from what we enjoyed in Australia (or Cook Islands) and we were mesmerized. We took a few snorkeling day-trips and enjoyed many different areas around where we stayed. Simply magnificent. Like living in the Rubio's aquarium (FYI: Rubio's is a fish taco restaurant... hmmm, fish tacos...). --There's nothing like planning your schedule around splitting a Chang (a tasty Thai beer) at sunset. As you can imagine, our daybooks are jam-packed. --After Jim's reference to Jen as a "body buffet" for the mosquitos, the local insects struck with a vengence. After one night, Jim was covered in about 50 bites. Lesson learned: Don't mess with Jen -- she has "an understanding" with the insect world. --We spent quite a while in Ko Lanta, a long island along the west coast of southern Thailand. With it's nice loooong (and wide) beach, it was perfect for walking, jogging and frisbee. Frisbee and the beach...it doesn't get much better. --Eating out for every meal is exciting but a bit challenging (aside from trying to eat healthy once in a while). The menus here are HUGE! At the last place we stayed there was a table of contents! It listed up to 28 pages -- and there was more after that page! Now there are not *that* many items, they are simply listed in many categories. (For example, Fried Rice with Chicken makes it under "rice", "chicken", "fast food", "items that start with 'F'" and perhaps a few more.) It can be a bit exhausting. Oh woe is me... --We've been reading a ton. We were in a state of panic as we tried to not finish our books until we found new material. Thankfully, a used-book store came through for us. Even with a TV in one of the places we stayed (watching the MTV Asian music awards was an education unto itself), one can only watch so many Thai soap operas. --From Ko Lanta we went to a small island called Ko Ngai (Hai). It was wonderful and got us away from the hustle and bustle of the bigger islands. Ha! Okay, it was as relaxed as everywhere else. However, since it was on an east facing beach, we got up each morning to enjoy the sun rise over the rocks in the distance. Despite Jim's suggestions, we left the drinking beer for the sunSETS. --In front of our place in Ko Ngai was brillant snorkeling. Yesterday, we went out three times to enjoy it. What a treat to have an underwater universe in your front yard. Our underwater hand signal communication is now rock solid. Just in case the need arises... Thanks again for scrolling through our ramblings...we hope to get to see you very soon!

JAN. 25 Hello from Thailand! We arrived a little over a week ago to the last country on our itinerary. Thailand has been quite a fun adventure so far and we continue to have a great time. (Of course, any trip is filled with some discomforts, sicknesses, hassles, etc. but all in all we feel extremely fortunate how things have turned out.) Tonite we'll take a night bus then an early flight to head to the south of Thailand and enjoy some of the beautiful islands here. Life is good. The latest highlights... Music suggestion: "One Night in Bangkok (makes a hard man humble)" and any pirated techno CD you may own (there are many markets in Thailand and Malaysia selling copied CD's). --Malaysia was quite a treat! We arrived in Kuala Lumpur and met up with our friends, David and Leah. It was great to see some familiar faces. We spent a couple of days in KL enjoying the big, cosmopolitan, Asian city that it is. Malaysia has an interesting mix of Malay, Indian and Chinese cultures. This makes it a fascinating place with incredible food. KL has some truly massive structures such as the Petronas Towers (largest office building in the world) and a whole lot going on all day and all night. --The four of us headed up to Cameron Highlands, an area known for it's tea plantations and jungle hikes. It's also much cooler than KL and Jim was relieved, after 6 straight weeks of sweating, to put on a long sleeved shirt. We ate amazing Indian food, hiked in the hills and toured the tea plantations. --On Jan. 11th, we celebrated Jen's birthday! We went on a great jungle hike during the day (highlighted by monkeys swinging over our heads) then went into town for a delicious Steamboat dinner (much like fondue) with us cooking up fish, veggies, etc. in two types of heated soup. Throw in a few Tiger Beers and we had a great night. --Speaking of food, since Bali, we've been gorging on Mangosteens. We had never heard of this delicious fruit but have been eating our body weight in them since we tried them. Oh my, they are good. You peel a hard, dark maroon shell off of the tangerine sized fruit to reveal soft, pure white segments that are sweet and tart and oh-so delicate. To stop from drooling, we should also mention the Durian fruit. This fruit is banned by some hotels because the smell is so much like an open sewer. After weeks, we could finally distinguish the difference between a sewer and a Durian. Yes we tried it. Yes it's awful...I mean, and 'acquired taste'. --Our next stop in Malaysia was the island Palau Pangkor. While the ocean water was hardly refreshing on the very hot days (probably about 82 degrees), we had fun riding bikes, swimming, reading and relaxing. Despite our previous experience, we even kayaked again. Somehow we didn't end up back in Indonesia. --We said goodbye to David and Leah and flew to Bangkok, Thailand for our last month of travel. Wow -- quite a city. To best explain Bangkok one should swing their head back in forth while techno music blares out of a car driving in circles perilously close to you. Still, the energy of the place is wild and Thailand is delightfully inexpensive. --After a one-night stop in Ayutthaya to enjoy some Buddhist Temple ruins from the 14th and 15th century (very cool) we ventured to the north to Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is near where some of hill tribes continue to live that have been in the area for centuries and are from Laos, China, Burma and Thailand. It also has a massive night bazaar (manic!) and is the hub for trekking in Northern Thailand. --Do you remember saying "Good night -- don't let the bed bugs bite"? Well, Jen didn't listen very well. Despite our notions that "bed bugs" were partners with other imaginary creatures such as the 'boogie-man', Jen graciously allowed these foul bugs to make neat rows of bites on her legs. Jen's 'body buffet' has been quite a host to the mosquitoes and more. Her devotion to helping insects survive is admirable. --We went on a 3 day trek into the hills outside of Chiang Mai. Our group of 6 (with a guide from one of the tribes) spent time hiking through amazing wilderness and stayed with some of the 'primitive' tribes in the area. It was very interesting to see how some of the tribes have lived for many years. Our trip also involved an elephant ride. "Packy" (aka 'Packy the sure-footed Pachyderm') held us on his massive back for an off-roading elephant experience that was fun, but can now be checked off the list of things to do. We ended the trip with a bamboo rafting experience that was wonderful. --We also want to wish HAPPY BIRTHDAY to two folks who we will miss out on their birthday celebrations. To Susie (Jim's Mom) and Deron, we send you big, BIG hugs. Sorry to all the folks we've missed special days for -- we're always sending some love! We've been thinking about our friends and family a lot and want to say 'thanks' again to everyone who has been so supportive. We also hope the world can become a more relaxed, tolerant and peaceful place so experiencing how others live, it only gets easier. Thanks for scrolling.

JAN. 6 Happy Belated New Year! We hope everyone had a safe, fun and reflective start to 2003. We are safe and sound (and wet) in Bali and are enjoying the colorful atmosphere, vibrant people, affordable costs and the caucophony of sound that seems to be everywhere. This update should be read while listening to "It's Raining Men" and any Balinese tapes you have laying around your place. --We arrived in Bali on 12/30 and decided to stay in Ubud, located somewhat in the middle of the island. It's an amazing area with much of the artists and cultural events of Bali. Although most people think of sun and beaches when they think of Bali, our experience has been more about jungles, rain and culture. It's a beautiful place. Our room is next to a thunderous (it's been raining quite a bit) waterfall and surrounded by lush jungle. Including the delightful breakfast, it's costing us under $14 per night. Life's good. --Our new year's eve was a blast! We went to see 'Ramalayan' one of the Balinese dances based on Hindu legends and followed it up with a wonderful meal...and a few local drinks, Brem (rice wine) and Arak (the local 'firewater'). We sat on pillows at a low table while overlooking a massive lily pond. The dance was enchanting, with graceful, colorful performers and disorienting music and the dinner was delicious. We also took some time to take stock of our lives and what we're thankful for. It was a great way to end the year and begin a new one. --Walking around Bali has been an experience. The sounds, smells and sites are a bit overwhelming but majestic. There is an incredible amount of ceremony in everyday life (as evidenced by the rice and flower offerings on palm leaves that are EVERYwhere) and temples and colorful clothes (and people) line the streets. Oh, and lots of honking horns. Fortunately, the horns are more of the "yoo-hoo" variety than the "LOOKOUT!" variety. --We spent time walking in the Monkey Forest Sanctuary in Ubud and we were blown away. This lush jungle area is filled with...well, monkeys and incredible stone statues. It's from the 14th century and everything is covered in bright green moss or foliage. Quite a site to see. --Massages here are quite cheap (1 1/2 hour for under $10) so we've both endulged. They were...um...an experience. We had the 'Mandi Lulur' massage which involves a full body massage with an exfoliating sandalwood and ground nuts rub, followed by a yogurt and honey moisturizing rub (hungry yet?). This ends with a relaxing bath in a warm, scented water with flower petals floating in it and a cup of ginger tea. While parts of it were divine, Jim had some choice words about the vigorous rubbing/exfoliating/ripping of dried sandalwood from his leg hair. Had a man ever had one of these before? Oh my. He felt it was payback for any woman who had been waxed before. This combined with a truly abstract soundtrack of Western songs covered by other artists (e.g. Phil Collin's "Against All Odds" sang by ?) only added to the "unique" treat. Still, quite an experience for the price! --We've taken two tours of other parts of Bali visiting some of the many, MANY picturesque rice fields and intricate temples. At one point, while visiting the wonderful Holy Water Temple (it has a natural spring that fills baths) some teenage girls from Borneo eagerly ran up to Jen (dressed in an orange Balinese shirt and sarong) with bright eyes and asked if they could take a picture with her. After a few photos with them and some others from Borneo (and Jim), their guide explained that they don't see many tourists in Borneo and were excited to see us. While it may not seem powerful as the story is written, it was an amazing experience that left us floating. As travelers, and as Americans, we don't always feel welcome. The experience made the world seem a little brighter, more friendly and smaller. --By chance, we had the opportunity to join a Balinese cremation ceremony. The cremation ceremony is VERY important in Bali and families may take years to save up for it. Bodies are temporarily buried while the family makes preparations and saves up the necessary money and time to create. It was AMAZING. About 350 people in a village about 40 minutes from Ubud (and 5 other tourists) participated in the event. A group of around 60 men carried a huge white bull (Brahmana) along with a colorful multi-tiered tower made of bamboo, paper, string, tinsel, silk and more holding two musicians and two priests as well. They shook and turned the bull too confuse the spirit from being able to return to Earth. Then, we all walked to the cemetary where the body (which was placed in the decorated Bull), the incredible tower and some offerings were set ablaze. Artwork created to be burnt in ceremony. We found the Balinese 'Burning Man'! We both wore sarongs and sashes for the event which our guide brought us to his house to dress us. We felt incredibly priviledged to be a part of the day. Soon we leave for Malaysia before heading to Thailand. In Malaysia we're meeting up with some friends (David and Leah -- Leah used to work at CollegeClub) who have been traveling around the world for almost a year. It should be great to see them (and swap stories) and give Jen a chance to break free from Jim's underappreciated singing of "Against All Odds". Sending lots of new year love to you all! Thanks for being a part of our trip and our lives.

12.30.2002 Happy Holidays! While we missed our families and friends a ton over Christmas, we had a great time celebrating our "White Sand Christmas" among the amazing creatures of the Great Barrier Reef. We thought about our families and their traditions and sent lots of love to California and Ohio. We hope everyone is enjoying the holiday season and are 'receiving' the hugs we're sending across the globe. :) Onto the latest... Recommended music: "It's starting to look NOTHING like Christmas", "I'm dreaming of a hot and humid Christmas" and "Frosty the SANDman". --We have a bit more of our schedule cleared up. We leave from Brisbane to Bali, Indonesia on 12/30. We leave for Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 1/8 and we'll arrive in Thailand on 1/18. We're about a month "behind" our original travel plan. --It's been 3 months (13 weeks) of traveling! Somehow we're still enjoying each other's company and Jen seems to have adjusted to Jim's relaxed shower schedule. It's been a great adventure together. --Our 3 day trip to Fraser Island was quite interesting. It's the largest sand island in the world and is incredibly lush. While the surrounding ocean has intense rip currents and sharks, the fresh water lakes on the island are glorious. The water has the same pH as our skin, which leaves our skin and hair soft. We also saw many dingos (wild dogs) that were brought to the island many years ago. Tragically, last year a 10 year old boy was killed by dingos and they had to remove and kill many of the overpopulated animals. After we returned from the island, we both got fairly sick and made for a tricky few days. --We spent time at our last farm through the WWOOF program. We spent over a week in Gin Gin (Before you ask: Yes, they get together with nearby towns Vermouth Vermouth and Green Olive Green Olive for the annual 'Martini Festival') at Kookaburra Eco-Village. This is a shared community of 350 group acreage and 100 1 acre land plots. There are about 40 families currently living there and there is a variety of homes (traditional homes to permaculture geodesic domes). The area had tons of kangaroos and wallabies that would rest in shade during the day. --While we didn't do much 'farming' in Gin Gin, we really enjoyed staying with Jim & May and being a part of the community. We joined a community lunch with a surprise visit from Santa and water games in the 'swimmin' hole'. We took on a project of having a "Kids Paint Day". We cut a bunch of fallen trees up to make stump seats for the kids to paint. About 16 kids participated and created wonderfully colorful seats for themselves. Jen was quite a paint wizard/teacher and Jim used a chainsaw for the first time (now needs a few more to begin juggling). It was a fantastic event and Jen baked 'ANZAC Bikkies' (Australian Cookies) for everyone. --At our farm stays, our hosts always ask what foods we eat at home. It's always funny to tell them that the food we eat the most is Mexican food. Jen made some great meals, including another great round of burritos. We're like the Johnny Appleseed (Jenny Tortilla?) of Mexican food in Australia. --Twice, on a bus we were on they showed the movie "13 Days". While on a bus in Australia, watching a movie about a conflict between the US and Soviet Union/Cuba? Very bizarre. Ironically, we had to get off the bus at the same time, missing the last 30 minutes both times. But if we remember history class correctly, we're pretty sure that either Superman or Mighty Mouse saves the day. -We got our bill for Puggy's dent (campervan). It was $400 US. Poor, poor Puggy. --Our X-mas trip was wonderful! We had a great group (31 people) on a beautiful boat. We spent time on amazing beaches and spent a huge amount of time underwater. We both scuba dived (Jim twice) and snorkeled for hours. The marine life was indescribable. SO FUN! The intricate and varied coral reef, brightly colored fish and endless underwater world was breathtaking. Some highlights included watching a turtle cruise amongst the fish, listening to the fish crunch on the coral when eating and watching the coral sway like we were living in our own lava lamp. Spending Christmas with our families is our first choice, but snorkeling and scuba diving was a nice way to make up for it. A great trip and a great group from around the world. Sending you all love. Thanks for your support as we head to Asia. We'll do our best to be safe. -J & J

12.8.2002 to email Jim or Jen, use Jstyn AT Yahoo.com or jstacklin AT hotmail.com

[new pictures on Ofoto. Must log in to view} Happy belated Thanksgiving! We had a wonderful Thanksgiving in Australia (in a hotel in the thriving city of Lismore) complete with a roasted chicken (no turkey), potato wedges (tough to find mashed), wine and some apple pie. We ate too much, gave thanks and sent love to our friends back at home -- it was perfect. Speaking of being thankful, we feel incredibly fortunate to be able to take this trip and have the time to explore other countries while learning about ourselves. It's been a wonderful journey. We are now remaining in Australia until Dec. 30th when we will head to Bali, Indonesia. We've been keeping an eye on the news and we've decided to go ahead with the Southeast Asia portion of our trip. We'll be in Bali for about a week, Malaysia for around a week as well, then off to Thailand. We will probably be back in the US in early February...but nothing is ever certain. ;) Okay -- time for more highlights. Recommended music: "Imagine" by John Lennon and "Hot, hot, hot" by whoever sings that annoying song. --We stayed for a full week on our first farm with Fran and Till (possibly the greatest farmer name ever, Farmer Till). It was an eye-opening experience to be around such positive, open people. Eating food that we'd picked, caring for animals and focusing on how to live better proved to be a magical experience. Most of all, we'll miss the calf we bottle-fed, Patch Mary (and the other cows, White Socks and Rosebud). --We (well, Jen...although Jim did make some fine guacamole) cooked for Fran and Till one night and we made burritos. Not only did this satisfy our own intense longing for burritos, but using their fresh, organic vegetables made a delicious way to share the type of food we often eat at home (we know it's Mexican food...but what were we going to cook? Corndogs?) --Living among the creatures has been an interesting experience. Termites and ants in our food, rats getting into bags and possums seeking out treats helped us see how they're all just trying to find something to eat, too. I guess we can't blame 'em. (Although it was impossible to write under our mosquito net at night due to the noise of all the bugs - some as loud as incoming planes - who saw our lamp light as an invitation to some sort of a "flying bug keg party".) --After our day off/Thanksgiving break, we spent a week on a farm (near Tabulam, east of Lismore/Casino for those of you keeping track on the 'J&J Travels Board Game') with Kevin and Jude and their two kids Chloe (10) and Courtney (6). They have 180 avocado trees (mmmmm) and many mango trees. This farm experience was MUCH different. This was a 'meat and potatoes' family with strong family roots and less interest in discussing the meaning of life. We learned some very valuable lessons from the experience and it provided a fascinating comparison to our previous WWOOFing stay. --We stayed in a shed about 1 mile from their house in the bush (every forest area is called 'bush'). This was TRULY out there...we were given a walkie-talkie to call them in an emergency as we had no electricity (no phone, TV, etc.) but two solar lights. It was wonderful! We were near a dam and everyday TONS of kangaroos would hop on by to get a drink. We'd hear them hopping around at night and regularly see them during the day. When we'd drive the "ute" (beat-up truck) home at night we'd have to be cautious not to hit all the nocturnal critters. Remarkable. --It's HOT. So very, very hot. Summer is here and it's horribly dry. Many farms simply don't need any help since the drought has caused such problems. Bush fires are already doing tons of damage and we had a bus delay due to closed roads from bush fires. --Jude cares for two orphaned Joeys (baby 'roos) that she's hoping to get back into the wild. We helped care for these adorable babes and hugged them when they'd bury their face into our chests when a car or loud noise would go by (they feel that if they can't see the danger it can't see them. Normally, they'd put their face back in their mom's pouch). They slept in backpacks as a surrogate pouch. Oh so soft and cuddly. --Jim found a tick! Oh goodie. Where? Well, it was in a place that you'd only find when using the bathroom. Ah, the elusive Australian Crotch Tick. Jim can make friends anywhere! --We saw many snakes -- most impressive was the python that had just eaten a bow bird (the size of a small pigeon) and had a HUGE bulge in its body. Also eerily beautiful was the venomous black snake that we saw going after a mouse. Snakes are just a part of living in the bush. --Seeing kids on the farm deal with the death of animals was another good lesson. While we think it's important for kids to understand the cycle of life, we'll only have giant tortoises, redwood trees and other life that outlives humans in our house. Seriously, it was great to see how comfortable these children were with the life and death of animals. --One night we saw a big spider in the corner of the room. When we say "big", we mean tarantula big. The body was about the size of an avocado seed and it's furry body and arms were as big as a man's hand. I guess he was there first...so we learned to live together. (He mostly kept to himself). --In one day the four adults picked, sorted and packaged 750 kilos of avocados. It was wild, climbing trees picking out the "sprung" (ripe) ones and sorting by size. We'd never seen so much 'green gold' before in our lives. Yes, we came away with a few pocket fulls of complimentary avocados (they're being sold on the black/green market to fund the rest of our trip. --We're now in Byron Bay (a groovy surf town) in the north end of New South Wales and will be heading to Fraser Island (the largest sand island in the world) in a day. After that we'll be heading to another farm (or two?) and then we're planning on a sailing trip in the Whitsundays out in the Great Barrier Reef over X-mas. Wow. We are incredibly fortunate people. Thanks again for taking the time to read through these notes -- it's nice to be able to feel that we're in touch with our friends. Sending everyone a big ol' hug, J i m & J e n

11.26.2002 Good on ya! Wow -- so much more to say this time than the highlights as we have been working on a farm in Australia for almost a week now (more on that later). Going from the very damp climate of NZ to the hot and dry climate of Australia (they are in the middle of their worst drought in 100 years. It's very sad, they're killing thousands of sheep a day due to no food available for them) has been quite a change. All in all -- we're doing great! Thanks for all your support. Some highlights...NZ portion to the tune of "Rocky Mountain High" and the Oz portion to be accompanied by Men at Work's "I Come From a Land Down Under" played continuously on a loop. First...to close out NZ --We had a chance to take a much better look at the glow worms in Te Anau. Amazing -- hundreds of small green lights on the ceiling of these massive and intricate, damp caves. The worms produce the illuminescence (sp?) to lure insects towards them to eat. It truly looks like staring at the constellations in the sky. --We took a mellow cruise of Milford Sound, one of the most famous and picturesque places in NZ. While we prefer to explore things on our own, the area was remarkable with sharp peaks descending into the cool water (and, of course, waterfalls EVERYWHERE). --In Dunedin, we took a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. It would be shallow to say this was the highlight of the trip...so I won't, but chocolate samples sure do give this tour an edge. Although we saw no Oompa-Loompas, we hear that there are still many living and working in Dunedin's chocolate factory. We saw candy being produced and Jim even had to wear a hair net over his face (due to his silly beard...which has since been shaven). --The radio stations in NZ are interesting. They seem to play under the format "Music". I'd like to write ads for them: "Do you like Music? Well, we play Music!" One minute it's Destiny's Child and the next it's an old Rod Stewart tune. It's like listening to a mix tape from an eclectic friend. --In Omaru, we joined a tour to see the yellow-eyed penguins, the rarest penguin in the world (about 4000 alive). With our guide (who has spent the past 22 years with the 40+ penguins in this area and may or may not be able to speak about anything else, but sure knew a TON about these penguins) we were able to sit a few feet away and watch them care for their eggs and baby penguins. Breathtaking and beautiful. --While taking a 3 hour hike near Lake Tekapo (glorious turquoise lake) we had drizzle, sleet, rain, heavy winds, sunshine, hail and SNOW. It was like living in a documentary on 'Weather'. --Our final stop was in Christchurch (the biggest city in South Island and oh-so-subtly named. We looked but we didn't see the cities of "BuddhaTemple", "AbrahamSynagogue" or "MohammedMosque".) We cleaned up "Puggy" and prepared to turn her in. It was tough to see her go (and tougher to wait and see what the charge will be for the dent in the back). Godspeed Puggy -- thanks for taking care of us. AUSTRALIA --We arrived in Sydney which is an amazing but massive city of 4 million people (only 20 million folks in all of Australia). We enjoyed walking everywhere and exploring this beautiful port city. Although the drought has left brown grass everywhere, even the golf courses, it's a nice place with great gardens and wonderful harbors. We were particulary taken by the thousands of bats we saw. There is something about a tree filled with sleeping bats to make you want to walk quietly. Maybe it's too many Anne Rice books, but it just seems like they'll wake up hungry and go for your jugular. --We spent a couple of days in the nearby Blue Mountains. The seemingly billions of eucalyptus trees give off an oil that gets trapped in the moist air and makes the area seem blue. It's a beautiful place to hike around. (Although we're a bit more cautious now that we're in Aus. NZ has no snakes and almost no spiders, while Australia has all sorts of interesting creepy crawlies). In this area, they recently found a tree (Morelli) that they thought was extinct millions of years ago. Somehow, a patch survived and they figured out what it was by matching it to a fossil of a dinosaur stepping on this tree. Remarkable. --Back on the Farm...there is an amazing program called WWOOF (Willing Workers on Organic Farms) that allows travelers to work on organic farms in exchange for room and board. There are hundreds of farms with different specialities around Australia (and the world). So far, our experience here has been truly amazing. It has been about so much more than planting seeds and watering crops, but feeling the connectedness of it all. We've eaten delicious fresh food and learned so much about taking care of land and ourselves. Our hosts have been a delight and the experience has been powerful. In the past week, here are some things we've done (or do daily): -Plant corn, pick string beans, water plants, learn about permaculture and organic farming, feed cows and a calf from a bottle, dig up garlic, swim in a dam, go to a dairy and get fresh milk, pick onions, mulch, prepare compost heaps, watch the full moon rise and sing songs, pick tomatoes, learn the Aboriginal intstrument didjeridoo, chop down banana trees, plant banana trees, shovel manure, feed chickens, collect chicken eggs, move hay with a pitchfork, cook, paint signs for the little produce stand, clean and braid garlic strands, go to the beach, plant herbs and have fascinating talks about life, love and produce. Sorry for the long list, but it's been a real eye-opening experience. We'll probably go to a few other farms as we extend our Australian portion of our trip. ;) Life is good, even if there are roughly a dozen flies on our face at any given time and cow manure under our fingernails -- it's been a treat. Sending much love back home. -Farmer Jen and Farmer Jim

11.8.2002 new pictures from Kaya's New Zealand adventure.

11.5.2002 Nov. 5 Hello! We've enjoyed our time in NZ so much we extended our trip here for an additional week. We'll leave for Australia on Nov. 14. We're currently in Queenstown and resting from a challenging 3-day hike (more on that in the 'highlights'). Also, we'd love to hear from YOU -- so, if you have a free minute we'd love to hear how our friends/family are doing. THANKS! Time for more highlights -- recommended music "Raindrops Keep Falling on my Head", "I Saw You Walking in the Rain", "Blame it on the Rain", or "You Can't Stop the Rain". --In Greymouth we went on a caving adventure that was spectacular! We were geared up in wetsuits and helmets and went climbing through icy water to check out amazing stalagtites/mites and wild formations (which Jen likened to hiking through the "stomach of a giant beast"). We also innertubed in the dark and saw the fascinating blue light of the glow worms. A vigorous and worthwhile excursion. It was quite humbling to see rock 'sculptures' that have taken thousands of years to form. --We next headed to the Franz Josef Glacier to hike up it. Wow. The glacier is massive and in case walking over ladders above 150 foot crevasses isn't enough, hiking in ice boots (big metal spikes) and an ice axe reminds you of the seriousness of the climb. The blue ice and the remarkable ice formations were breathtaking. The glacier is always moving (either advancing if there is more snow added/compacted before it melts on the bottom end or retreating if vice versa) and can move up to 5 meters a day! A great day and now we both think it would be cool to carry an ice axe around all the time. --Jim's wrist is slowly healing and the doctor gave such a detailed description of what happened that he only remembers that it had something to do with the tendons...or ligaments. However, he still hasn't gotten out of any daily chores. --We've had some wonderful stops and short hikes among the rich scenery of NZ. The ferns that are everywhere and singing birds and waterfalls are particularly spectacular. Walking through rainforest estuaries, we are truly appreciating the interconnectedness of it all. --When driving to the picturesque city of Wanaka (everything looks like it should be in a postcard) we almost stopped every 5 minutes to admire the scenery. Truly this is an amazing place. Snow capped mountains everywhere, lakes everywhere, rivers everywhere, lush forests everywhere, waterfalls EVERYwhere...oh my. I guess lots of mountains and tons of rain will create some beautiful spots. Oh, and how it rains. We've learned that "rainproof" is a relative term. --Poor Puggy (our Swiss-Army Knife of a campervan), we got stuck in a ford while trying to reach the start of a hike. Wheels spinning, rocks shooting, Jim and Jen pushing in an ice cold stream...but we were STUCK. To make a long story short, we were pushed out by a 4x4 truck and narrowly avoided a cracked window, but Puggy did get a little reminder dent of our afternoon. She may have a refrigerator and stove, but she's not much for off-roading. --We just returned from hiking the Greenstone/Caples trail. This turned out to be an extremely challenging adventure for us. (Quick side note: The DOC (Department of Conservation) in NZ is amazing and they have a time table for all hikes. On the 10 to 15 short and long hikes we've done we learned that we took about 1/2 to 3/4 of the time they said a hike would take. HOWEVER, this is the only place (other hikers agreed) that the times were extremely accurate. As a result we WAY overestimated how fast we'd get through the trail.) --With a tent in tow we hiked through some wonderfully dense beech forests. Exposed roots acted like steps through the muddy trails. On our first night, we camped among the mossy trees and swarms of sandflies. There were so many that it sounded like rain hitting our tent as hundreds of these biting locals tapped above us. The Maori (the first inhabitants of NZ) legends say the sandflies of Fiordland are there to prevent humans from becoming complacent while admiring the beauty of the area. Done and done. ;) --Realizing that we had a tough timeline to meet our transport at 2pm of our third day, we hiked furiously for 2 days. Day two involved over 8 hours of solid hiking. We had to ring out our socks from so much water in our boots (this was BEFORE it rained). Jen misjudged a patch and went down to her waist in water (and mud) and Jim thought he was stepping on a rock and ended up knee deep in sludge. Despite some tough spots, it really was beautiful! --When we reached the end of the hike in time, we felt a huge sense of accomplishment. We were physically and mentally exhausted but we had an amazing journey. We rewarded ourselves to a campervan park with a jacuzzi and ate as many cookies as we wanted. Still, nothing beats Jen's special "Ramen and Tuna Fish Camping Delight". Hmm-hmm, good stuff. We hope that everyone is doing well and we send big hugs to you all. Thanks for taking the time to read this! (Hopefully more pictures will be up soon!)

Oct. 24 How ya goin'? We're currently in the South Island of New Zealand in Marahau near the Abel Tasman National Park. We are fairly well adjusted to living in our camper van and are cruising along in this amazing country. The people continue to be the nicest we've ever encountered. It's like being in an old movie -- we can't believe anyone is this friendly. It's wonderful. The latest highlights: (recommended music: Soundtrack to "Lord of the Rings"...if there is one) --Roturua is a fairly touristy but spectacular city. There are many thermal areas in the area and floating steam and the lovely stench of sulphur are never very far away. Our most memorable thermal experience was at "Hell's Gate". George Bernard Shaw remarked about this area, "I wished I'd never come here so I wouldn't have seen what theologians say await me." It really was eerie. Huge sulphur ponds gurgling, rank aroma in the air, bubbling mud and mist overhead. The huge pools of boiling mud were creepy and beautiful. --In Roturua we also did some downhill luge (on a cement track) and 'Zorbing'. Neither of us have laughed so hard as we did while Zorbing. Zorbing involves us going inside a huge inflated ball in our swimsuits. They tossed in some warm water and some laundry soap and pushed us down a hill. Like being in a washing machine (I guess) we splashed around and slipped and slided down the hill. It was a riot! We'd do it again in a second. We'll have to post some pics of it later... --We also went to a sheep shearing show. Although we've seen nearly all of the 30 million sheep in New Zealand while driving around, we got an interesting lesson on sheep used for wool and sheep used for meat in a demonstration that discussed the 19 varieties of sheep they have in NZ. It was...interesting...and something we can check off our list. Jen still wants to take home a baby sheep. Jim doesn't think this will happen. --We had a windy drive to Whakapapa (pronounced "Faka-papa"...say that without giggling) to get to the Tongariro National Forest. Driving a thin but very tall campervan in the wind definitely adds to the adventure of driving a stick shift on the left hand side of the road. Add in a few narrow bridges and logging trucks and who needs extreme sports? Adventures are everywhere... --We went on a big day hike called the "Tongariro Crossing", which is often considered the most beautiful day hike in NZ. However, the weather is unpredictable and our day adventure led us to buy water proof pants a few days later. We did the 7 hour hike much quicker out of necessity. The beginning of our hike was glorious: snow capped mountains, clear streams, beautiful clouds -- it felt like we were in the "Lord of the Rings" movie. Then it began to rain...and snow...and we had to lower our center of gravity as we walked past massive craters left from volcanoes and we creeped along snow covered peaks. It was an amazing day, but definitely challenging. --Jen and Jim celebrated 2 years together and splurged on a night away from "Puggy the Campervan" and stayed in a room in Wanganui (and even watched some TV!). Even after Jim bumped the overhang of their hotel with the TALL roof of the campervan, the hosts welcomed us in and couldn't have been nicer to us. The people here are amazing. --News concerning Bali has been tough to read about. Our trip is supposed to take us there in about 6 weeks so we'll keep an eye on what's going on. We are hoping the world can become a safer place and we can continue to be smiling ambassadors and world citizens. --After we took a breathtaking ferry ride from the North Island into the less populated (and considered to be more beautiful) South Island of NZ, we took a hike from Picton and saw the most amazing rainbow. We are now "Rainbow Hunters" and are always on the lookout. --We just returned from a 3 day adventure in the Abel Tasman National Park. We kayaked for 2 days and hiked for one along the lush forest and golden beaches of the park. Kayaking...hmmm...kayaking is like horseback riding for us (there are unfortunate riding tales for Jen in Costa Rica and Jim in Brazil) in that it's an activity that we've tried and don't need to spend more time doing. That sounds polite enough. ;) Unfortunately, the sea acted up a bit and in our efforts to get past a tough section of coast, we completely overshot our stopping point and on our first day and went WAY past where we were supposed to end on our SECOND day. We were exhausted and a bit frustrated. Fortunately, we had camping gear and camped at an amazing site and got to watch the full moon rise over Tonga Island (a marine reserve for a seal colony which we kayaked around the next day. Jen still wants to take home a baby seal. Jim doesn't think that will happen). It turned out to be a tiring, but gorgeous mistake. When we were back on land (ah land, good old reliable land) we had a great hike to finish off our trip. The beaches and forests truly were beautiful. Unfortunately, Jim hurt his wrist but it's unusual creaking sounds that it makes is a potentially profitable freakish talent. Sending you all big hugs.

10.16.2002 subscribe to Kaya's infrequent travel emails by emailing JJ_Travels-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

10.11.2002 Selected Kaya and Daizy Pics that they uploaded from their travels in Rarotonga. Kaya's first letter home: Whew! Finally...a message out to the group. We are alive and well! We're currently in in Auckland, New Zealand after spending 10 days in The Cook Islands (Rarotonga and Aitutaki). Our "vacation" portion of the trip is over and now we're into the "traveling" part. We live in a camper van and smell like camp fire. Good stuff. There is much to say, but in order to spend more time on this adventure than writing about it -- here are some highlights. (Feel free to imagine quick edits and flashy music like MTV or ESPN.) --Rarotonga was amazing! The island life suited us just fine. Days spent snorkeling, reading, sunning, riding bikes and enjoying sunsets on an island paradise. --Rarotonga (and all the Cook Islands) are surrounded by a huge reef so, for the most part, you're in a lagoon. The water rarely got over 4 feet deep. One day we waded about a 1/2 mile to an unpopulated island and had an amazing picnic. --We rode bikes EVERYwhere while on Rarotonga (trying to get used to riding on the left side of the road) even when it was pouring rain (our last few days left us soggy). It takes about 2-3 hours to ride completely around the island. We went on an amazing cross island hike with Pa, the dread-locked guide and herbalist. The lush hike and views were spectacular and his information on natural remedies were fascinating. (However, his 'natural mosquito repellent' that he rubbed all over Jen's arms was a native fruit that smelled distinctly of old cheese. Seriously...it was remarkably foul. It would have kept any animal away.) --We flew to a nearby island, Aitutaki, and spent a few days in an on-the-water hut (with outdoor shower) overlooking a wonderful lagoon. We could snorkel right outside our front door and watch the sunset from our little balcony. Our minimal digs were great -- as our very groovy host said, "It's everything you need, really." We snorkeled just feet from our front door around colorful coral and dozens of brightly-colored tropical fish and starfish. Had to avoid the seemingly millions of sea cucumbers (or "sea turds" as we call them) that litter the ground, but gorgeous nonetheless (Amazingly, locals eat the sea cucumber insides and throw the 'shell' back into water. The cucumber then regenerates itself within a few weeks!) At night, the area was teeming with life and made sleeping (under a mosquito net) a bit unnerving. The geckos were quite active and random noises around our screen hut were plentiful. Ah the island life. ;) Also, there are many, MANY chickens and roosters in the Cook Islands and the roosters make noise 24 hours a day. It always sounds like a party is going on...or like a band of cannibals is howling about and roasting a German tourist on a spit in the distance. But I digress... --We catamaraned with our host to a uninhabited island (Maina) off of Aitutaki. Despite rain, we trudged on and were dropped off to spend a few hours on Maina. After we warmed up and unsuccesfully tried to crack open a coconut (our hosts showed us how, we drank the delicious coconut milk -- like in 'Castaway', and also ate the cotton candy like insides of an early blooming coconut. Delicious!) we waded about 1/2 mile through a lagoon to a huge sandbar called "Honeymoon Island" (keep your pants on...it's just the name of the island). We had our best snorkeling experience here. Breathtaking scenery. --We left at 4:45 am Wed from Rarotonga and took a four hour flight to arrive at 8 am on Thursday in Auckland, NZ (The wicked international date line stole Wednesday...we'll steal it back when we return. Oh yes...we will.) Auckland is a big, beautiful cosmopolitan city. (With 1.1 million people here, 30% of NZ'ers live here) Everyone is mind-bogglingly nice and there are cool cafes, restaurants and shops everywhere. --We had two beautiful views of this harbor city. 1) We went up in the downtown Sky Tower (328 meters high -- taller than the Eiffel Tower) for a great 360 degree view. 2) Later, we ferried over to Rangitoto (the newest volcano in the area at 600 years old) and hiked to it's summit for another spectacular view. The lush volcanic landscape and great, black rocks were stunning. --We live in a camper van now. We nicknamed it 'Puggy' (I'm sure it will gain more names as time goes on) since it looks like a stubby little dog (Pug). Not only are we adjusting to driving on the left hand side of the road, but the gear shift (it's a stick) is done with the left hand (and the turn signal is on the right). It's a two person job for sure. Jen's been navigating and Jim's been working on the shifting. It's like a Three (or Two, in this case) Stooges Film. Things are cruising along. The relaxing island life is fresh in our minds, but we're ready to tackle the glorious landscape of New Zealand. We're leaving momentarily for Rotorua where there are natural geysers and hot mineral waters...not to mention "Zorbing" (where you roll down a hill in an inflated ball). Sounds good to me! Thanks again for being such great friends and family. We send big, BIG hugs to you all. As Jim's grandpa says, "Thanks for scrolling."

9.22.2002 On our flight home from Ohio, Jen and I sat near skateboarder Tony Hawk. He's so cool. I didn't bug him on the flight (something about approaching a stranger in a place that neither of us can escape from is a bit daunting) but I spoke to him while waiting for our baggage. I told him that I was glad to see him kicking ass and wished him my best. He seemed a bit surprised but shook my hand and thanked me. Since he had his skateboard with him I was thinking of asking where all his skate guards were. When I was a skater, we had rail guards, nose guard, tail guard and a guard that went over the back trucks to make it easier to go up curbs. Man, we were uncool. Whoever makes those products must be hurting. I'm just glad I invested all my money in jogging "heavy hands".

Jen and I leave in one week. Wow. I've had my head so stuck in packing and storing that I haven't spent much time thinking about why I'm doing it. I'm excited and nervous...just like any adventure should start. Reading my old travel journal from South America reminds me that traveling is different from a vacation. It's not all fun. There is a lot of time to think, wait and just be. Sometimes you get sick, lost or scared. It's all good experiences, it's just not always "fun". I'm looking forward to it. I'm not a slacker...I'm a "world citizen".

9.13.2002 Returned from Burning Man...headed to Ohio to visit Jen's family. Quite a transition, but still very fun...just less fur shoes here. We went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland and I was amazed. It was extremely well done. One of the highlights was a surround sound theater playing nothing but Jimi Hendrix live footage. The John Lennon exhibit was inspiring and the interactive experiences they've created were fantastic. I could've easily have gone back for a second day. Been doing some water skiing at Lake Erie, eating fried Perch and meeting new relatives. All the while trying not to swear like a sailor or say "Dude" after every sentence. No need to perpetuate the Southern California stereotype. It's a bit odd representing a state with over 30 million people. I barely feel like I can represent my family. Dude...I'm deep, man.

9.3.2002 Back from Burning Man. It was fantastic. Wonderful time, amazing people, creativity exploding everywhere. Now to clean off the dirt from EVERYthing... ;)

8.26.2002 Fruit stickers. They're simply too good at what they do. I would think that if you were planning on sticking something to an item that I'm going to eat, it would be removable. Instead, I find myself cutting it away with my fingernails like cancerous tissue. Well, maybe I'm being dramatic. But they are definitely frustrating. Is it really worth the effort? Are that many people paying Gala apple prices for Braeburns?

8.23.2002

Today is my last day of work! After over 2 1/2 years with CollegeClub, it's time to move on. It's been a great run, I've learned a ton and I've worked with incredibly sharp people...but I'm ready for the next adventure. Also, after writing a daily poll for about 950 days in a row...I'm out of ideas. The next adventure (after going to Burning Man and a visit to Jen's family in Ohio) is a 4 month journey through the Pacific. Jen and I are throwing our stuff in storage and and taking off. We're leaving at the end of September and spending time in the Cook Islands (10 days), New Zealand (1 month), Australia (1 month), Bali, Indonesia (7 days), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (12 days) and Thailand (1 month). It should be a valuable experience -- and I'm very excited. I'm a lucky man and extremely thankful the opportnites that I have.

8.21.2002 The Discovery Channel is amazing. I got completely enraptured by the show What Killed the Mega Beasts?" It covered theories on what may have killed them these giant animals as well as incredible computer animation of the beasts such as the Marsupial Lion, Giant Lemur and Woolly Mammoth. Pics Here. Of course, I giggled like a schoolgirl everytime they mentioned the Giant Beaver. "At 8 feet long and nearly 450 pounds, the giant beaver dominated North America..." Heh, heh. The (tee-hee) Giant Beaver

8.15.2002 We have a section on CollegeClub.com called "Rate Me!" (with a list of the Top 10 for the day) which is similar to HotorNot.com. I ran across this picture and the image behind him grabbed me. I don't remember if I posted this before, but this may be the greatest painting of all time. It really couldn't be worse. I can't stop staring at it. A clearly talented painter decided to paint this image of a Native American praying to a floating John Wayne head (or is he asking "why me?" to the Duke?). Brilliant. "Why Me?"

8.14.2002 My good, good friend, Justin just released a 5 song CD. I may be biased, but I really dig it. Who knew my college roommate was a talented musician. He must have been inspired by my melodious shower singing voice (my extensive song repertoire consists of "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" and the theme song to "Fame"). Check out (and hear) his new CD and his redesigned site. Way to go my man!

8.13.2002 I had a great visit to Portland for the past few days. Although the highlight was being around amazing family members...the cool movie theater was a close second. They show movies that aren't brand new (we saw the newest Star Wars), but they charge $2 and sell food and liquor. We bought a few pitchers of beer, some slices of pizza, and enjoyed the movie. Brilliant. It's reason enough to live in Portland.

8.6.2002 I love the vintage clothes store Buffalo Exchange. However, when trying to trade in some of my old clothes this weekend, I found it hard to accept a fashion denial from a guy with a mohawk...only on the back of his head. Still, I swallowed my pride and bought a fuzzy, light blue sleeveless shirt for Burning Man. I just can't stay mad at them...

8.2.2002 My 90 year-old grandpa...I can't stop being impressed by how groovy he is. This is how he signed off his last e-mail to me. Life is a wonderful journey. Keep your sense of wonder (and take care of your body loan). LOVE AND SHALOM, GRANDAD My "body loan". I love it. He rules.

8.1.2002 Am I the only one who likes this? When you slip on your shoes and your feet feel fine, but something's not quite right. As you try to tie your shoes, you realize that one of your shoelaces has unwisely lodged itself under your foot. As you slide the lone, hidden lace from under your feet the world sort of falls back into place. "Ahhh, that's what wasn't right, my lace was under my foot." This, and not because of fashion, is why I won't wear velcro strapped shoes.

7.29.2002 I'm so romantic. Instead of telling Jen that I keep falling more in love with her I just say, "Each day I hate you less." She's like putty in my hands...

7.26.2002 Recently I was trimming some trees in our yard. Although "trimming" isn't really the right word. "Trimming" is too pleasant. I was slicing open a living thing. Perhaps "decapitating" is better suited for what I was doing. I'm such a hippie...it actually got to me. I aggressively chopped away at a few trees to help clear the way on the sidewalk. Where I had cut was moist...like any open apendage might be. Later, we walked around to admire my yardwork/violent slashing and saw that one tree had dripped sap all over the ground. "It's bleeding!" Jen cried out. Oh man.

7.24.2002 Yesterday was my Mom's sober birthday. She's gone 17 years without a drink of alcohol. Amazing. I couldn't be more impressed. Thanks Mom, in improving yourself you improved your family. We owe you one...

7.19.2002 There are few people as groovy as my grandpa. He is a true teacher in the appreciation of life.

My most comfortable pair of shoes have developed a squeak. Actually, just the right one. Every step generates a slight squeak from the shoe -- one that says, "tee-hee, my shoes are funny. They talk to me and annoy everyone else." It's like when babies walk around and you hear their diapers make noise. Cute on a baby, annoying on a man-child like me.

7.15.2002 When I flew to South America a few years ago, I sat between two priests during the flight to Peru. No, that's not the start of a joke ("Did you hear the one about the guy on the airplane between two priests?"). Looking to my left and then to my right I thought, "This has got to be the safest seat on this airplane." Sometime I'll write about the time I was in a bar with a twelve-inch pianist.

7.12.2002 While promoting the movie 'xXx' on CollegeClub, I wrote an article listing '10 Truly Extreme Sports' that I'd like to see. Here is the article and here are a few from the list. Sky Meal Preparation Sky surfing, sky diving, parachuting...big deal. How about dicing onions and marinating chicken while freefalling from 10,000 feet? Body Art Algebra Perform five Algebraic equations (showing all work, of course) within a five-minute time limit...with a tattoo gun...on your own skin (any part of the body is acceptable). Scorpion Backgammon I think this one's pretty self-explanatory. Caffeine Art After drinking 5 cups of espresso, participants must stay within the lines while coloring a 'Sesame Street' coloring book. Each time an involuntary 'caffeine shake' causes the individual to draw outside the line, a point will be deducted. Bungee Contact Lens Removal One contact lens wearing participant must stand beneath a crane looking directly up with his eyes wide open. The partner bungees from 120 feet to casually remove the standing participant's contact lens before the bungee cord snaps the jumper back. Bungee jumper must have clean hands -- after all, we don't want anyone to get hurt.

7.11.2002 My job gets so weird sometimes. Today, while trying to make sure no horribly negative usernames snuck through onto our site while our "banned word list" was down, I searched for usernames with the most ugly words imaginable. Starting with racial slurs and then working on into foul sexual terms. Hmm-mmm, nothing like co-workers walk by while you're doing a search on the word "cunt". Good stuff.

7.10.2002 I've been so completely impressed by my grandpa Caleb lately. He is handling the "changing her residence to heaven" of my grandma in a way that amazes me. We celebrated what would have been their 65th wedding anniversary on July 4th and we sprinkled some of Carol's ashes by a rose bush dedicated in her honor. It was beautiful. Here are some pics from the 4th of July (and Jen's kick ass cake). Here is my Grandpa's latest post concerning the concept of "Love Thy Neighbor". I'm a lucky guy.

7.8.2002 In a continuation of "the strangest life I've ever known", I was on MTV this past weekend. They were filming a Sex2K documentary titled "Naked on the Web" and they focused much of their show on my brother and his sex-positive event, Globalgasm. Here is my brother's recap of the show and an edited clip (at the top) of the parts of the show that include him (and me). I'm interviewed briefly around minute 4. Now, when asked the question if I've been on MTV with my shirt off...I can say 'yes'.

7.3.2002 At work, a friend's 10 year old son picked up a record (remember music records?) and looked at it closely. He looked at his mom and asked, "Is this like a big CD?" Yep. I'm officially old. (But not that old, because I remember buying NWA's "Straight Outta Compton" on record. Awww yeah...)

6.26.2002 My fear of clowns is not unique. (Don't paint an emotion on your face. Don't paint a big smiling face over your sour one. You're not tricking me!), but I've also always been somewhat afraid of balloons. Not in the 'jump-out-of-the-closet-like-Freddy Krueger' way, but in the 'that-stupid-taut-piece-of-plastic-is-about-to-pop' way. Without fail, people make fun of me everytime I tell them I'm afraid of balloons, but I ask you this, aren't they always just about to pop? Isn't that the nature of a balloon? No wonder I never enjoyed the circus. (Recently Jen and I drove by a Big Top for Circus Vargas and I couldn't help but shout, "The animal-abusingest place on earth!"

I recently read that Shaquile O'Neal has both his nipples pierced. For some reason that freaks me out. Maybe it's because he's 7'1, 370 pounds...it just seems like I could grab a hold and swing around like a gymnast on the rings. Then again, some thoughts are better left unsaid.

6.21.2002 As the Big Lebowski says, life's full of "strikes and gutters." My office is moving from downtown San Diego to Carlsbad. My commute will jump from less than 15 minutes to almost an hour. Even the name of the city has the word "bad" in it. I couldn't be less excited about the drive. Not sure what road this takes me on... I have a big anatomy final on Saturday for my massage/bodywork class. I stayed up late studying the origin, insertion and action of many of the muscles. Go ahead quiz me...the origin of the frontalis? That's the Galea Aponeurotica of course. The body is pretty damned interesting (and complex). Then I woke up early to watch the US lose to Germany 1-0 is a great game. Who would've thought I'd alter my sleeping habits to watch soccer. Change is inevitable, I suppose...

6.18.2002 When I was taking a psychology class during college, we were to research one person to write a series of psych papers about. Essentially, we studied different approaches to psychology (Psychotherapy, Phenomenological, Client-Centered, etc.) and relate them to the person we chose. We had to chose someone that there was literature on (at least one book) and didn't have a severe personality disorder (no multiple personality folks). I was amazed at who people chose. I chose Bob Marley -- it was a great decision and extremely interesting for me. Three (yes three) people in my class of 25 chose Drew Barrymore (this was in 1993, before she married a lunatic like Tom Green) and two chose Princess Diana. With the history of humankind to chose from I was always surprised that Drew Barrymore made the list. I'm sure people said the same thing about my choice... Who would you choose?

6.14.2002 Yesterday was an emotional day, not necessarily sad, but emotional. Everyone's seems to be doing well. On a different note, I did something un-American today...I got up at 5am to watch soccer. Of course, it was to watch the US team (who were trounced by Poland 3-1) so I'm not all bad. And, shockingly, the US advances to the second round and plays Mexico on Sunday night/Monday morning. Gooooaaaaalllllll.

6.13.2002 My grandma passed away peacefully early this morning. When I saw Grandpa Caleb he said, "The best part of me has gone off to heaven." My grandma was tough as nails and knew life was a struggle...but that didn't stop her from truly loving and sharing. She was a benevolent matriarch and oozed empathy. She volunteered at Hospice and was a social worker. A defender of those who didn't always defend themselves. When she found out that her weekly shots cost $500 per shot she said, "That money can be used to give health care to child." It seemed silly to spend so much on an 86 year-old, I guess. She was full of grace but not afraid to unclog a sink. She was a strong, strong woman and fought for equality unyieldingly. Her strong will is what kept her alive during chemotherapy for the Leukemia that had made a home in her body and her strong will is what let her slip away easily and without suffering or fuss. Have a safe journey grandma. Thank you for the lessons you taught me. And I apologize that your picture has to be above this muscle-bound freak in my journal, although I don't think you'd mind much.

6.10.2002 After my friend Ollie sent me this article about a steroid freak, I can't get this guy's image out of my head. Like watching 'Natural Born Killers' or going to a freak show -- it just kind of sticks in the corner of your mind unable to find the right place to file it in your brain. Undigestable. Here he is flexing and getting arrested for...ummm...maybe steroids?

6.3.2002 Why does "cowboy" sound so cool, but "cowman" sound so lame?

5.31.2002 I was thinking to make sure I always have material for my journal, I would consistently wait about a week then write about how I meant to update it but got busy. It's a brillant concept. On a different note, I briefly helped my good friend D-Love move last weekend. A note to parents and future parents of the world: If you want your kid to learn an instrument, try the trumpet or violin...anything that can be picked up and easily moved by one person. Having your child take piano lessons may greatly affect their friendships later on in life.

5.28.2002 I want to wish a Happy, Happy, Happy Birthday to my brother. Although I enjoy the six days where only one year separates us, I'm glad you get to celebrate today. Keep on inspiring people and keep on the path. You're allowing people to join you on an amazing journey. I admire that. Enjoy your day. You deserve it.

5.22.2002 What a surprise to see my site had been redesigned! Thanks to my brother for the birthday present! It's a beautiful day, some wonderful people have sent me warm greetings and I have many reasons to smile. This new year for me is starting out just right. Thanks for the love.

5.21.2002 I turn 29 on Wednesday...it's not a big deal (I'm okay with getting older) but I will miss the buffer that screams "I'm very much still in my twenties." Happy birthday (today) to Marie and Mr. T...although I doubt they're celebrating together.

5.17.2002 After my brother posted a quick video we made while intoxicated and goofing around with our old Star Wars figures and reading Mighty Jimbo's recollection of the draw of his action figures, I've been thinking a lot about my childhood Star Wars figures. In re-watching Star Wars recently, I noticed that we owned figures for characters that were merely panned across in a scene. Their on-screen time is literally 1 to 2 seconds. We have a few characters from the bar scene in Star Wars where many of the wacky creaturs hang out. I can't believe, on a sales level, that this idea worked. "Let's create a figurine for 'Peanut-Butter head man' and...um...and the orange R2 droid that breaks down after being in the movie for 3 seconds. Kids will love 'em!" And somehow, we did... Maybe there should be a line of "extras" action figures. Just non-descript people in regular clothes that you could put in the background while playing with your "real" action figures. Instead of playing with Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi, you could have Linda and Gregory. It might work...

5.16.2002 My buddy Nate went to the midnite show of "Star Wars: Attack of the Clones" last night. I'm sure it was a blast (/geek-a-thon) but there are very few movies that could get me to go opening night, much less at midnite. It'd have to be a movie about my life...starring Brad Pitt...and Halle Berry...with several graphic sex scenes involving Ms. Berry yelling out my name in ecstacy. Even then, I'd still probably wait until a matinee. --And congratulations to Jen who on her flight to New York boarded three airplanes and was "randomly" searched right as she was boarding ALL THREE TIMES. Maybe the airlines know something I don't. I'd better keep an eye on her.

5.10.2002 I'm amazed at what laws must be in place that insist that prescription medicine ads explain the possible side-effects of their medicine while other products can keep us behind a veil of snazzy music and pretty pictures. I'm sure you've heard the soft, low voice that says, "Claritin is not for everyone. Possible side effects include nausea, dwarfism, sluggishness and searing genital pains. Pregnant women should not take Claritin as they may birth a superhuman race that could take over our planet. Ask your doctor if Clari