EngelFish.Net

Well, Taryn is back in South Africa for a month and I’m on my own again.  I am not a fan of this, but I can’t help but be happy for her to be with her Dad and Gran.  I know how much it means to her, and that makes me happy.  Then again, she’s not here to share things with, or joke with, or just sleep next to her.  Missing her makes me sad, but I’ll live.  Lucky for me, there is a ton of work on deck, so I’m going to keep super busy.  Lots of consulting, photography, and house work will get done during this month.  At least that’s the plan.

IMAGE:  This is the parking deck courtyard at the RDU airport.  I had just dropped Taryn off for her flight, and the image of a big empty space seemed appropriate.

Lots has been going on in the past few weeks, including my departure from a full-time position with my last employer. I’m now doing some pharma consulting on the side as I continue to build my photography client base. We’re also preparing for Taryn’s trip back to South Africa for a few weeks, which leaves me home alone for a while. I don’t like it, but I’m treating it as a working vacation. Lots of projects to work on, so I’m hoping to impress her with my productivity when she returns. And it’s birthday season too: Dad turned 69 yesterday, Taryn’s Gran turns 80 next month, and I’ll be 40 in May. That wheel keeps on turnin’.
IMAGE: Hide Terada, at our most recent Raleigh Flickr Group Meetup. We hadn’t seen him in quite a while, so it was great to catch up.

I was going to write a longish post on appreciating your life and the good things in it.  But I’ve decided to simply say that I cannot tell the people in my life how much they mean to me.  I am surrounded and supported by the greatest group of friends a man could ask for.  Folks I’ve known since childhood, and folks I met only a few short months ago.  You guys are the best people on earth, and you have made my life more interesting, richer, and better than I could have asked for.  My family, Mom, Dad, Ricky, & Robin.  We pick at each other, get in arguments, make jokes, and get along like most families do.  But you guys are *my* family, and you each have helped make me the person I am, and I love you for it.  And last, but most importantly, my wife Taryn.  There is no way to say how much you mean to me and how much I love you.  You have taken a man who was simply content in his life and transformed him into man who is happy, thankful, and optimistic about his life and our future.  What I’m trying to say is “Thank You”.  To all of you.

Two weeks ago I was interviewed by the local newspaper about the new health savings account insurance plan we switched to this year.  Apparently HSAs are becoming more common, and it was a slow news day.  Their photographer, Ray, joined us on a hike in Umstead with the dogs.  It was a good time, and Ray turned out ot be a pretty cool guy.  He bounced around getting his shots while we trotted along and chatted with him about photography, school, and our mutual menagerie (he has lots of animals himself, including chickens).  The story ran this past Sunday, and I didn’t expect it to be the front page of a section, or for the picture to run quite so large.  Needless to say, our phones have been ringing with chiding calls from friends ever since.

The trip to the west coast went well.  That being said, I wouldn’t recommend anyone go out and rent a 26 foot truck for a 3,200 mile trip.  Taryn and I both agreed that it was gruelling, and that we’d love to do it again in a motor home.  Sleep and time are valueable, and we passed by many things we’d have like to seen while racing to meet the delivery deadline.  We pulled out of Raleigh around 2:30 pm (EDT) on Saturday, June 30th, and arrived at around 2:00 am (PDT) on Wednesday July 4th.  That clocks us in at just over 3.5 days (86.5 hours to be exact).  The only significant delays were a couple of hours spent at a truck stop while I worked on some office work, and a half day spent visiting with Wayne Casey in North Dakota.  Not a bad time for a cross country trip. 

It was great to visit with my sister and her kids.  It’s amazing how much they’ve grown up since the last time we saw them.  It was also my first chance to meet Lilyth, my niece Cristina’s daughter.  She is a super sweet child, and an expert at wheedling candy from her grand-uncle. :)  I’m hoping we get to take many trips out there to visit with all of them.

IMAGE: There is a herd of Elk that live in the woods around my sister’s home.  They’re radio-chipped so that alarms go off when they’re close to the highway.  Because of the alarms, we knew they were in the area, so we piled into their family van and went in search of the herd.  We found them wandering in a nearby neighborhood that’s under construction.  I climbed out and crept up toward them, taking cover behind a pile of sheetrock that I also used to stabilize my camera.  After few minutes of giving me the evil eye, this guy decided I was not safe and started moving toward me.  I decided that I didn’t need anymore pictures, and walked back to the van… checking over my shoulder periodically to make sure he wasn’t following me.