NYC No. 7G

FUN WAY printout

2011-02-08T16:23:00.000-08:00

Everything in NY is bigger

2010-10-05T17:25:00.000-07:00

...errr, is the saying "smaller"

Day 2: 502 Miles

2010-09-02T08:51:00.000-07:00

On Day 2 Stef and I got up early and headed for San Francisco on Highway 101 South. Other than spectacular views along the highway, the real treat on this leg were the Rewdwood Forests of Northern California. They were amazingly huge and beautiful and absolutely towering. We drove through a tree (a must for any trip on the Avenue of the Giants) and saw wild Elk and turkey along the way.

Day 1: 434 Miles

2010-09-01T09:20:00.001-07:00

On day one of our road trip, Stef and I headed out of Seattle, through Washington state and headed west towards Astoria and the Oregon coast. We had no idea, but August 28th was the final day of the Hood To Coast relay run and it just so happens to end in Astoria. Traffic was crazy and we got stuck there for an hour or so but made our way out and had some amazing views of Canon Beach and so many other wonderful cities down the Oregon coast. Our final resting spot was at the Sunset Inn in Bandon, Oregon where we woke up to one of the most amazing views in the world. I'll be sure to post more photos as we continue on our journey to San Francisco and the Napa Valley.

Last night of volunteering at D.E.S.C.

2010-08-20T15:07:00.000-07:00

Stef came with me on Wednesday and it might be the last time I walk into the homeless shelter before leaving Seattle. They were kind enough to mention me in the newsletter this week. I'm really, really going to miss a lot of the people I met over the last couple of years. The people are always what makes it hard to say goodbye.

To Leavenworth on Two Wheels

2010-08-17T00:46:00.000-07:00

Nothing but mountains and highway in both directions.

Trail Time with Steven, til next time

2010-08-14T22:10:00.000-07:00

I think this picture sums up the last 3 years of hiking in the woods of the Cascades, Mt. Rainier and the Olympics. I can't express how wonderful my time on the trails with Steven has been. We've hike hundreds of miles and thousands of feet in elevation together. It's just been awesome. Thank you Steven.

And so the journey begins

2010-08-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

I think i'll be updating again from time to time to record my journey from Seattle to NY by way of Minneapolis. Right now I'm about 10% excited, 10% sad and about 80% just really weirded out.

Tony Zimney Portfolio

2010-07-30T11:41:00.000-07:00

Tony Zimney's online portfolio can be found at TonyZimney.com

online portfolio

2010-04-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

my work is now online and can be found at tonyzimney.com

Shanin and Kelsey

2009-09-09T12:47:00.001-07:00

Trail Time at Spray Park

2009-07-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

Another great weekend out of town with Steven. He headed out towards Mt. Rainier to Spray park and had some wonderful views of the mountain and all of the wild flowers and waterfalls sprinkled among it. Although I think this little Snow White moment may have been the most memorable.

The Responsibility of Privilege

2009-07-10T21:06:00.000-07:00

I met a man this Wednesday night at the homeless shelter. He was a rather large black man in his early thirties. He wasn't so much heavy as he was just large. Big and bulky. Probably stood about 6'3" and just thick as could be. We chatted for a while and quickly arrived to the "where you from" part of the conversation. I apologize for forgetting his name, something I have a terrible habit of doing, so I'll just refer to him as Frank.

Frank went on to tell me he had arrived in Seattle via Dallas. When I asked how he found himself in Dallas since he had no traceable accent that I could hear, he said he got a three-dollar ticket from someone in Minneapolis. "Minneapolis!" I said. "I'm from Minneapolis!" So he asked me a question I rarely get around here.

"What school did you go to?" Frank asked.

I was a little shy when I told him "Benilde-St. Margaret's" which is one of the private Catholic schools in Minneapolis and he gave me the kind of oh-of-course reaction I had debated avoiding. Frank had gone to one of the inner city schools of Minneapolis where over half of the student body qualifies for the free/discounted lunch program and although the dropout rate is only around 10%, it didn't take long for me to notice how privileged I had been based solely on what situation I was born into. Something I had no control over.

So there we were. Me and Frank. Frank and me. Across the counter from each other, roughly the same age, from very similar parts of the world—but I was serving him coffee at the homeless shelter instead of him serving me.

At a very young age I remember thinking about the how, of the millions of places I could've hatched into the world, that I somehow was chosen to pop out in the little town of Hamel, Minnesota. I always figured God chose to stick me there but I never knew how or why, but I likened it to a rolling of the dice. *Shake*Shake*Shake*Roll* OHP! There you are Tony. A 6 and a 3. That equals Hamel, Minnesota. But it could've been anywhere else: Birmingham, Alabama. São Paulo, Brazil. Khartoum, Sudan. It could've been anywhere.

I think it was Stan Lee, the writer of the Spider-Man story who said "With great power comes great responsibility." And so it is also that with great privilege also comes great responsibility. If social justice is evaluated by how the people with more power in a society treat those with lesser power than it means we have a responsibility to help those with less than us whether it's emotional, monetary, educational or human rights needs. And if we choose to do nothing we are misusing that which was given to us merely by chance; our privilege.

***It should be noted that as I write this I am sitting on my balcony overlooking a beautiful sunset across the magnificent Puget Sound bay of Seattle. A 6 and a 3. Yes, I definitely qualify as very very privileged.

The Long Way Down

2009-07-05T22:41:00.000-07:00

Over 400 miles of scooter travels in three days. Quite the experience and definitely is inspiring me to get one of them fancy BMW all purpose motorcycles and just point it south. This first picture here is me in the garage getting ready to head out. I look a little frightened, don't I.

MT. RAINIER

MOSSYROCK DAM

ELBE, WA

PATRIOTIC BUILDING

7.5 HOUR ARRIVAL

BREADMAKIN' DAN

CHEERS

SPARKLER ART

THE LONG WAY BACK

PANNING FOR GOLD

LUNCH AND LIBERTY MINT

FILL 'ER UP

CASUALTIES

About 16 hours of driving total through some amazingly beautiful areas of the Northwest and some fairly ugly parts as well. I don't know if I'll do it again but it was quite the experience. I kind of felt like the Little Engine That Could trucking my way up and down the hills or when I accidentally found myself on the I-5 on ramp and quickly crossing 5 lanes of traffic to get back off. Let's just say people look at you a little differently when your traveling across the state on a scooter.

And as with any big project, when I thought about 200 miles I had to knock down it seemed pretty discouraging. But when I was able to take the time to just look at the mile or so of tarmac in front of me it was all seemed that much more digestible. Or as Pete Wanning calls it, chasing the yellow line.

My S.T.P.

2009-07-02T15:11:00.000-07:00

Here in Seattle this is most commonly known as the Seattle To Portland (S.T.P.) bike ride that happens every year. Well for the 4th of July weekend of 2009 it stands for Scoot To Portland which is exactly what I plan to do. 180 miles of avoiding highways and potholes. Wish me safe travels, good navigational skills and a little bit of luck.

i will post part2 soon

2009-06-29T23:45:00.000-07:00

but the last 36 hours of my life have been pretty sad. 17 people were let go at work today, one of my best friends is moving to chicago and a close personal relationship has changed directionwhich i'm pretty sad about. there's always a dance to play in the blog world of too much information or not enough information or only the good information (which can sometimes feel like we're living in Leave it to Beaver world). but the last few days have been pretty sad. i think i'm going to get out of town for the 4th of July. i'm not really feeling up to watching fireworks here in seattle. nope. i think it's time to bounce down to portland. it's too sad up in these parts right now.

so the rainier trip photos will come. just not up to posting it right now.

goodnight.

The Mt. Rainier rundown

2009-06-24T11:16:00.000-07:00

It's taken me a while to get this up here, but here it is at last. A summary of the climb to the top of Mt. Rainier.

DAY 1 & 2

We arrived at Paradise Inn at the base of Mt. Raineir on Wednesday, June 10. Nine days before I turn 31. As we pulled in, first thing on the agenda was to rent all remaining gear which meant ice axes, crampons, mountaineering boots and a big down parka.

After we grabbed our gear, Andreas (our guide) walked us through what the next few days would be like and gave us an outline of the trip. We loaded up on food and settled into our quaint two bedroom hotel rooms at Paradise Inn which sits at about 5500'. The rooms were small but cozy.

We woke up around 7am and strapped on all our gear for the first day of training. Our guides Andreas and Carrie took us through the basics of mountianeering which included learning how to walk on a rope team, self arrest techniques and how to hold the ice axe—they also taught us how to pressure breathe (a technique that helps offset the effects of altitude sickness) and the rest step. The rest step was my favorite and saved my ass on the climb. It allows you to rest the majority of your weight on the skeletal structure of your body instead of your muscles and it conserves a ton of energy.

With a quick two days of training under our belt, it was time to get some rest and prepare for the big climb up to base camp at 10,000'. I took down a couple of Tylenol PMs to help me sleep and Luke and I knocked chased it all with a glass of scotch. The older fellas told us that drinking wasn't a good idea with the altitude. We told them we needed all the fuel we could get. We'd soon find out who was right.

Miller is leaving Seattle

2009-06-17T16:51:00.000-07:00

He's been a wonderful friend to me here in Seattle and I'm going to miss you a lot, Miller. Here's my gift to you. It's the least I could do.

Mt. Rainier Summit Climb Itenerary

2009-06-10T08:49:00.001-07:00

Day 1: Pre-Trip Orientation

3:00 - 6:00 p.m.: Meet at Rainier BaseCamp.

We will meet at 3:00 p.m. at our Rainier BaseCamp facilities in Ashford, WA. Please dress casually and bring your climbing equipment and clothing. We begin our Pre-Trip Preparation and Training with a welcome and introduction of team members and guides. Throughout the afternoon your guides will provide a focused introduction to a variety of topics. This includes a detailed personal equipment discussion and gear check, an introduction to safety practices including use of helmets, harnesses, and avalanche transceivers, and instruction regarding Leave No Trace practices and environmental considerations.

Please make your own arrangements to stay in the Ashford area this evening.

Day 2: The Mountaineering Day School

8:15 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.: Meet at Rainier BaseCamp.

Arrive at Rainier BaseCamp dressed for hiking, packed with your Mountaineering Day School gear, and ready to go at 8:15 a.m. Guides will offer final packing and clothing suggestions. We depart BaseCamp immediately following our initial morning preparation. Transportation is provided between BaseCamp and Paradise in a private shuttle. The entire day is spent training on the lower snow slopes of Mt. Rainier, just above Paradise between 6,000 and 6,600 feet.

Our Mountaineering Day School offers participants an overview of various techniques which help meet the challenges set forth by this magnificent mountain. It serves as a great introduction or as a refresher if you haven't been in the hills for a while. Our guides are excellent teachers relaying this information to you in an easy to understand manner. On this day you will be introduced to a number of skills, from the basic techniques of efficient mountain travel (rest-stepping and pressure breathing) through cramponing, roped travel, and ice axe arrest practices.

Our first priority is the safety of all team members. During the School you will be asked to demonstrate that your fitness will allow you to climb safely, and that you are able to perform the new climbing skills proficiently. We will continue to assess each team member throughout the course of the training and the climb.

Following the day of training, the shuttle takes our group back to Rainier BaseCamp.

Please make your own arrangements to stay in the Ashford area this evening.

Days 3 & 4: The Summit Climb

8:15 a.m.: Meet at Rainier BaseCamp.

Day 3: Check-in at Rainier BaseCamp. Team assembles in preparation for the trip to Camp Muir. After a short team meeting, the shuttle departs for Paradise, and our Summit Climb begins.

The Summit Climb takes place over the course of two days. On the first day we hike to Camp Muir, and on the second day we make the attempt on Mt. Rainier and return to Rainier BaseCamp.

The hike from Paradise (5,400') to Camp Muir (10,060') is nearly 4.5 miles, and will take us most of the day. The hike travels through the spectacular alpine zone and onto the Muir Snowfield, named after John Muir who climbed the peak in 1888. The Snowfield is climbed for some 3,000 vertical feet, opening up grand vistas of the wooded lowlands and flanking glaciers. Groups typically climb for about an hour or so and then break for 10 to 15 minutes.

Once at Camp Muir, the climb leader will address the specifics regarding the rest of the climb, including route conditions, food, equipment, clothing recommendations, and any further questions you might have. Accommodations at Muir consist of a small mountain hut with bunks and sleeping pads. After dinner we will retire to our sleeping bags to rest for the upcoming summit attempt.

Day 4: Early in the morning we don ropes, crampons, helmets, and grab our ice axes. The Muir hut is locked during the climb, so items not needed for the summit bid may be left behind. The route on the upper mountain changes continually but typically begins with a rising traverse across the Cowlitz Glacier and then ascends the pumiced switchbacks of Cathedral Gap. This allows us to gain the mighty Ingraham Glacier, from which we will then access either the Ingraham Glacier or Disappointment Cleaver routes; the actual route choice will be determined by many factors and will be left to the professional discretion of your guides. The steeper Ingraham Headwall or Disappointment Cleaver will be the physical crux of the route. The remaining slopes and hours are whittled away as we zig and zag through the crevasses of the upper mountain. It is truly a spectacular climb, and one that you will remember for a long while to come. As we make our ascent, we climb steadily for one to two hours at a stretch, and then break for 10 to 15 minutes.

The summit of Mt. Rainier is spectacular. A large crater dominates the summit, with steam rising out of the cavernous summit vents. The bare ground near the summit can be warm to the touch. At 14,410 feet, Mt. Rainier is the highest point in Washington. After spending some time on top (depending on the weather), we begin the descent to Camp Muir. This takes about half the time of the ascent, and also requires significant effort. (Be sure that your training specifically includes preparations for descending. This will help ensure that your ability to safely descend is not compromised.) Once back at Camp Muir, the group will take a break and pack for the final hike down to Paradise. Our shuttle then takes the team down to Rainier BaseCamp. Plan on arriving back in Ashford in the late afternoon or early evening. We celebrate our adventure with a presentation of certificates.

The duration of the climb depends on many variables including snow conditions, the time of year, the route conditions, the weather during our climb, the temperature, etc. Those variables often affect our arrival time to Ashford, which might vary dramatically from climb to climb. For this reason we do not recommend scheduling an airline flight before midnight on the last day of your program.

Me + Kiro

2009-05-25T09:55:00.000-07:00

I was out getting some gas on Saturday about a half mile from my apartment when I noticed a man with a big honkin' video camera running around in their parking lot. He came over and said he was shooting some footage for a story on gas prices and asked if I minded if he shot some video of me. I told him of course and then we chatted about the advertising budgets at KIRO and how they'd let some staff go and yadda yadda. I think I won him over a bit because a friend sent me this photo from their DVR last night.

Sunset drinks

2009-05-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

lamb cake

2009-05-18T14:01:00.000-07:00

Training Day

2009-05-17T22:10:00.000-07:00

In preparation for my summit of Mt. Rainier I climbed Mt. Si this weekend. It's a quicky—about 3,800 ft over the course of 4 miles, but with the weather this weekend it was pretty spectacular up top. And the view of Mt. Rainier just reminded me of how much work I have ahead of me yet.

Look what came in the mail today.

2009-05-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

It's my Bobblehead Trophy for our college buddy Fantasy Football league. This is a 3-peat for me now. That's right. 2006, 2007, 2008 Champion. And the trophy, well, it's better than money. Which is a good because the winnings have been generously donated back to the league.

Amazing read

2009-05-07T23:03:00.001-07:00

Glenn Rockowitz has cancer. Glenn Rockowitz is dying. Glenn Rockowitz works 20 feet from my desk.

In his memoir The Rodeo in Joliet, Glenn recalls the process of being diagnosed and going through treatment in the most real, authentic and over-the-top hilarious ways. Now clear of his 4th cancer, Glenn has an obious knack for giving voice to the inner dialogue we all have but are often too engulfed with our own troubles to realize. The result is a fascinating and touching view into the life of a man walking hand-in-hand with death while holding a joy buzzer in his palm.
Pick this book up. Or give me a ring and I'll pick it for you and send it to your house. I promise you you'll love it or I'll tell Glenn to send you your money back.

Everyone needs excercise.

2009-05-06T13:30:00.001-07:00

The digits.

2009-05-03T21:35:00.000-07:00

Dept of Health commercial shoot

2009-05-02T00:32:00.000-07:00

We had an amazing time this last week shooting a commercial series for the Washington State Department of Health. This has been my favorite project to date. A good concept for a wonderful cause and fabulous people with us the whole way through.

We were fortunate enough to have David Turnley join our gang as director for the shoot. David is a Pulitzer Prize winning photographer who's shot photos of everyone from Nelson Mandela to President Obama and from Afganistan to the Dalai Lama. He is truly a fascinating man who has really been a part of some wonderful work. Google or Flickr him and you'll probably recognize some of his photography. We were blessed to have some of his talent rub off on the rest of us peons.

Connie Fourré aka Mom

2009-04-19T08:24:00.000-07:00

Mom came to visit this week which was so great. She left with Dan and Laura for Portland yesterday and I miss them all so much already. Having one family member in town is one thing, but having multiples is really something special. Here are a few pics from the week's events.

Love & Money

2009-03-05T18:45:00.000-08:00

Good music to clean to. Which is what I'm doing.

2009-01-24T10:08:00.000-08:00

So Cosmic Mix - Cut Copy

Taking a break…

2009-01-22T11:41:00.001-08:00

I've got a lot of side projects going right now and I'm not going to have as much time to update for a while. I'm resettling the inner self and letting some change settle on to the bottom. I'll be back with some great updates, but it might be a month or so.

Peace.

When everything breaks, there's still something left.

2009-01-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Whew, it's hard not to get overwhelmed when everything seems to fall apart. Computer, headphones, getting stranded on the scooter in the snow, parking tickets, internet, relationships. Ugh. The first week back at work couldn't have come with more baggage.

On the flip side, I got some pretty cool news that Shepard Fairey, the lead designer behind OBEY and the guy who also designed that well known Barack Obama poster recently wore a tee shirt I designed with HOPE Artists in 2008. He's pictured here with artist Jeff Koons at a Google event. I was pretty ecstatic when I got the news.

And lastly, I met with my friend Craig from church and we're finally getting the ball rolling on the first international service trip for All Saints. It looks like we're going to try to get to El Salvador. More details to come as they unfold.

Friend. Role model. Inspiration.

2008-12-30T08:54:00.000-08:00

I met Kiff Gallagher on a trip to San Francisco a couple of years ago with Andrea. And I'll give her the credit for the introduction as she's always good at meeting new people. Kiff has done some very impressive things in his lifetime and is now starting MusicianCorps. He was recently featured on All Thing Considered to talk about his goal of bringing music to schools in need across the country. Please take a listen to his story if you have time.

All Things Considered, December 8, 2008 - President-elect Barack Obama has said he believes the arts are good for people. During his campaign, one of his ideas was to create an Artist Corps — a kind of Peace Corps for artists who would work in low-income schools and communities.

But what would this actually look like?

There's already a model being developed for musicians called MusicianCorps. Kiff Gallagher's idea would be similar to AmeriCorps — in exchange for a year or two of service teaching in schools and after-school programs, musicians would get health care and a living stipend. Gallagher has the attention of Obama's transition team.

He also has the attention of private industry — the Hewlett Foundation gave MusicianCorps a $500,000 grant for a pilot program in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Another Singing Success

2008-12-27T08:04:00.000-08:00

Christmas Karaoke at Nye's was once again superb. We're in the third year of this tradition and although it took a bit of time for everyone to get up the energy, once we got rolling it was as fun as ever. CK 3 broke new ground with the invitation being sent out to friends from all over town. Among the guests were friends from college, high school, Santa's Lil' Helpers and some guy who wore ear plugs when we were singing and went by the name "Wild Bill.

Video's will follow in the next post.

Christmas Karaoke, The Album

2008-12-24T07:59:00.000-08:00

For your listening pleasure, Some friends and myself recorded a Christmas album last week. Just in time for the holidays, this album is sure to become a classic. Standouts are "Off-key Blue Christmas" "12 Days of Untimed Christmas" and "Holly Jolly Christmas with Cell Phone Friends".

Seattle Snow

2008-12-19T11:25:00.000-08:00

Most of Seattle has shut down as the snow has turned to ice and the hills are nearly impossible to climb. I walked to work yesterday in the snow and took some photos in the market. I had to change the setting on my camera a bit to get that Minnesota-blue tone that seems to accompany the winter. It must be something in how the snow reflects the sky.

Snow in Seattle: My favorite fallout

2008-12-18T11:12:00.000-08:00

Other than it feeling like nice and cozy like Minnesota, snow in Seattle brings about a whole other side of the city. Namely, the umbrellas. Perhaps it's the only way we know how to deal with things made of water falling from the sky.

It was a cold one…

2008-12-16T00:19:00.001-08:00

We took a little snow here this past week and the scooter was no exception. These are the days where I count down til I buy some wheels with a roof over the top of them.

…by popular demand, more from Fat Smitty's

2008-12-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of videos of the Christmas craziness at Fat Smitty's. Just go check it out. It's definitely worth the trip.

Hike to The New Dungeness Spit

2008-12-10T10:30:00.001-08:00

Went on another hike this weekend with Steven on a five-mile walk through the sand to the Lighthouse at the end of the New Dungeness Spit. We were up on the northeastern corner of the Olympic Peninsula along the shore which meant I got up around 6am to catch an early ferry over to Bainbridge Island. The weather held out and the wind was light which made for a nice peaceful walk. Plenty of time to sing at the top of my lungs without having to worry about what anyone thought because no one was there to think anything.

We followed it all up with a stop at Fat Smitty's, home to one of the biggest burgers I've ever seen in person. Along with their over-the-top Christmas decorations, Fat Smitty's serves up a gluttonous Smitty Burger with two huge beef patties, tons of cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato… just imagine a Big Mac on steroids. As the waitress put it, "If it's not messy then it doesn't have enough goodies on it."

MT thoughts 03 is now available on iTunes

2008-12-08T10:59:00.001-08:00

More MT Thoughts here:

Last Day with Dad

2008-11-23T08:11:00.000-08:00

We'll be hitting church in the morning, then running around a bit this afternoon to get a few more sights in before he heads out. We tried to get the other scooter running yesterday so we could drive around and see some of the city but it wouldn't fire up so Dad jumped ("jump" might be a bit of an exaggeration) on the back of mine. Yup. The two of us running around town on a single scooter. Quite the sight. We didn't take any pictures but I'm sure you can imagine.

The Great Len Fish Fry

2008-11-22T12:38:00.000-08:00

Poppa Z is in town and we celebrated with a wonderful seafood extravaganza last night. Mel cooked up some wonderful food while Dad played sous chef.

The infamous podcast.

2008-11-18T00:32:00.000-08:00

Oh. You didn't know I was doing a podcast? Probably because it's only half-good. Maybe 14% good. I'm trying to undersell it so if you do listen to it and you laugh, you'll actually give me and Miller a little credit. But please, click. Listen. You'll love it. And I don't want us to get booted.

It's called MT thoughts (Miller and Tony) and it's available on iTunes. Yup. We're big stuff. Two episodes up right now with a few in the can. Expect around ten or so all together.

Surrounded by Animals

2008-11-09T23:35:00.000-08:00

I'm house-sitting for John and these things are out of control. They may not look like it, but I promise. They're friggin' CRASZIEY!

Climbing Mountains and Clichés

2008-11-09T17:32:00.000-08:00

Let me throw out a disclaimer before reading this entry. This is one my more personal entries. I usually save this kind of info for my personal journal but I feel like there's a bigger lesson to apply to life in general which is why I've chosen to share it in public.

There are a lot of things I want. I want a wife and kids—my own little family. I want to live next door to my brothers and sisters. I want a view of the mountains and ocean from my bedroom window. I want to stop by my Dad's place for dinner on my way home from work. I want to meet my Mom for coffee on a Saturday morning. I want to get 100 people from All Saints to volunteer. I want to live in Minneapolis. I want to live in Seattle. I want to work for a nonprofit. I want to be rich. I want to buy a car. I want to be done being sad. I want to find whatever it is that'll make me happy forever. I want to repair my relationships with the friends I've drifted from. I want to leave an unforgettable impact on the world. I want to curl up on the couch and watch a movie. I want a dog.

I've realized I'm trying to climb a bunch of mountains all at once and I'm trying to do it by staring at their peeks. I'm surrounded by mountains. Engulfed by mountains. Half of them, I don't even know if I'll ever make it to their tops. I swear, the other half, with their peaks reaching high into the clouds, I've let them freak me out so much that I'm fully convinced they're impossible to climb. Too steep. Too jagged. Too dangerous.

But for every mountain I've climbed in real life, it's always the same: one foot in front of the other. Looking up at the top is always 10x more intimidating than the actual climb itself. And you can't climb mountains by simply looking at their peaks. You have to touch your feet to their foothills.

I look at the mountain I was faced with climbing almost two years ago when my marriage came to an end. It was and still is my personal Mt. Everest. I get overwhelmed with sadness sometimes because I feel like I should be at the top already. I mean, two years of climbing? C'mon! Let's arrive at the summit and plant the flag so we can go back down already! But just because I'm not at the top does not mean that I'm standing at the bottom either. I've moved quite a ways in the last couple of years. I've found the church of my dreams, wonderful new friends and a centered life that is harder to knock off balance. I give more and I take less.

And it may sound crazy to some of you, but God has definitely been my quote-unquote Rock (you have no idea how hard it was and how cheesy I felt writing that last line, but it's so true). Many wonderful things have come into my life in the last couple of years and they've all come in some way or another through God. No joke. I know. It sounds so cliché, doesn't it? But it's so true. All things in God really are great.

Okay, time for me to get back to the mountain. I've still got a long ways to climb.

Oh dear Lord, please…

2008-11-04T10:16:00.000-08:00

Here is my ballot from this morning. Pretty crazy that the day is actually here. Until we all here more, I don't really know what to say. Took me about 20mins this morning to vote, there were ood vibes in the air, it's just so hard to feel like it's in the bag after the last couple of elections. I do know this, I will feel differently about this country if Barack Obama is elected. I think it's very possible that he could do amazing things for this country and how were viewed in the global community. We'll just have to wait and see.

Halloween: The other Angus

2008-11-03T09:48:00.000-08:00

Halloween: The real Angus Young

2008-11-02T21:20:00.001-08:00

Let's Take the Highway to Hell!

2008-10-31T10:54:00.001-07:00

— Happy Halloween —

Why I Volunteer, or "Lunch"

2008-10-27T13:23:00.000-07:00

I went to grab a sandwich for lunch today and on the way there ran into Alex and Dawn, two homeless people that sleep at the Downtown Emergency Service Center in Seattle. I sat and talked with Alex for a while and eventually asked him if he wanted some lunch. He said yes, and asked if he could come along.

Now Alex will not go hungry even if I don't buy him lunch. There are plenty of resources where Alex can get a bite to eat. I'm not saving the world by spotting him five bucks for a meal. What's bigger than all of this is that I have a relationship with Alex. We can sit down and talk. Up until today, I'd never been equipped or had any kind of relationship where I could sit down and hang out with someone who's in the kind of situation that Alex is in. I consider Alex to be a friend, which made it feel kind of strange when we walked into our sandwich shop. I didn't want anyone to think I was just doing my good act for the day and sparing some change for some homeless guy. I really like Alex. And I believe that taking time to sit down and talk with him and have a relationship is more valuable than any money or food I could give him.

I was thinking, I'd like to get to know more people like Alex. Not only get to know them, but know them on a deeper level. Maybe this whole hanging out and having lunch thing would be a good way for a lot of people—rich, poor, professional, homeless— to get together and know each other.

Why No Post? or The Story of the Missing Camera

2008-10-26T21:37:00.000-07:00

I find it really hard to post when I don't have pictures. Maybe I just don't like writing all that much—eh, that's not it. I write tons in my journal. Well, whatever the reason, when I don't have my camera that usually means I'm not posting much which has definitely been the case over the last week or so. And leads me to the story of the missing camera.

But the story of the missing camera starts off with the story of the PSP (Playstation Portable). My PSP was a gift I quite literally begged for. Andrea, if you are reading this, thank you again for giving into my incessant whining and pleading for a PSP which I received for Christmas about three years ago. Last year, I took my PSP to Mexico to use on the airplane on the way to Joe's bachelor party, and when I got back to Seattle I was so exhausted from the 12hrs of traveling that I just threw all of my dirty laundry into the washing machine and let it ran while I climbed into bed. The next morning, I went to throw the clothes in the dryer when low and behold, my PSP decided to make it's washing machine debut. I had forgotten that I wrapped the PSP in a pair of jeans and just threw the whole bunch right in the laundry.

Amazingly, after about 6mos of air-drying, the thing was up and running again. I have no idea how or why. I'm sure it's not because God wants me to be playing more video games. Regardless, the little guy had come back from the dead and all was right once again.

Fast forward to Tony's monthly hiking trip with Steven where they go climb to Camp Muir on Mt. Rainier where Tony finds a nice new pocket on his hiking pants that perfectly fits his camera. It's like this pocket was made for my camera. Fast forward to when Tony gets home and is so exhausted from climbing almost two miles in altitude that he just throws everything in the washer, hits start and climbs into bed. Fast forward to the next morning when I realize I've now washed to pieces of electronics.

And that my friends, is the reason for no pictures and no posts.

Next time, I'll tell the story about how I bought a camera 6 weeks ago and it still hasn't shown up on my doorstep. It's a doozy.

Could it really be… true?

2008-10-24T11:28:00.001-07:00

Palin as President

2008-10-15T10:50:00.001-07:00

The BBQ Stars have alligned

2008-10-14T10:04:00.000-07:00

Jennie Moore headed down to Oklahoma this last weekend and made a stop off at Mr. Sprigg's Bar-B-Q. She brought back tee shirts for the whole office. She said also said that the ribs were amazing so if any of you pass through OK, don't be scared to stop on in.

For any of you that missed it, here's the commercial that me and my office mates have been obsessed with for the last year or two.

2008-10-12T19:22:00.000-07:00

100 years to win

2008-10-08T21:33:00.000-07:00

My friend Peter Orr from church shot, edited, sang and built the puppet for this. Pretty great—thanks Andrea for the link.

Yawn.

2008-10-06T23:55:00.000-07:00

Life is very very full and yet I keep finding myself "bored". And I just learned that bored is not a very accurate way to describe an emotion. It usually means your irritated, frustrated, impatient—but you always have the opportunity to turn your boredom into meditation.

I don't know if I have that kind of patience. But it sounds quite nice.

I think in tomorrow's lesson we'll discuss worry. And glasses half full verses the half empty ones.

2008-10-06T11:27:00.000-07:00

San Diego

2008-10-01T16:15:00.001-07:00

After the HOPE event in LA, I went down to SD for a day to hang out with my friend Julia. We hit up a Padres game and ran across one of the craziest hotels I've ever seen—Hotel del Coronado. It's like this heavenly place where nothing bad happens and they give you ice cream and salt water taffy and sell bottles of water for $4.00. I felt kind of weird when we left.

This is where to start.

2008-09-29T16:30:00.000-07:00

I had a long great trip down to CA. I love it down there. So much sun and the people are so friendly. Beautiful beaches, very laid back, ahhhhhhhhh... what a great way to clear the mind.

Here are some photos from the Light of HOPE event on Thursday night in Los Angeles. All in all, there were around 25 different artists, 450 guests and $20,00 dollars was raised. Mine auctioned off for $1200 which I was pretty proud of. Here are some pictures from the event and my wonderful friend miss Julia who was kind enough to accompany me to the show.

Oh, California

2008-09-29T09:51:00.000-07:00

FIRST DAY IN L.A.

LAST DAY IN L.A.

In LA —

2008-09-25T17:29:00.000-07:00

The event will be starting in about a half. Some of the work is really amazing and the interpretations, truly unique. From what I hear, Cheech (of Cheech and Chong) is going to be doing the auction and the MC of the night. I'll be sure to get some video of that.

DONE!

2008-09-24T23:22:00.001-07:00

MY ARTIST STATEMENT:
With so much despair and sad feelings often associated with the trials facing Africa, I wanted the first impression of my piece to have the opposite affect; one of hope and beauty. Sequins have great, bright colors and I love the shimmer they take on with light—they reflect as much light as is given to them. The process of sewing on sequins also carried a conceptual aspect to it. There are no shortcuts in the sewing process. Each of the almost 10,000 sequins had to be sewn on individually which took time, patience and commitment. The hours spent sewing also gave me time to meditate, reflect and pray for the people of Africa.

The Sequin Foundation: Donations Now Accepted

2008-09-24T08:30:00.000-07:00

Okay. I just found out that this sequin project I'm working on is apparently going to be given away to the highest bidder down there in LA. Not cool. After all my hours of slaving away and not spending time with friends, they're just going to give it away to someone with a fat wallet!! So we're starting The Sequin Foundation where between now and tomorrow evening you will be able to contribute to my cause to keep the sequin art piece in Seattle. All donations will go to support the HOPE Artists and the fight against Darfur, but if I outbid the LA high-rollers, I will need to collect money next week. Bidding on each piece is going to start at $500 but we already have $1000 to keep it up in Seattle.

If you'd like to make a donation, just post a comment below with the amount you'd like to contribute and I'll contact you if we've won.

+'s & -'s

2008-09-23T16:13:00.000-07:00

Living away from the fam definitely has it's pluses and minuses. Kate, Dan, Andy and Laura all went on a camping trip to the Boundary Waters on the Minnesota-Canadian border this last weekend. So beautiful! I wish I could've been there. It sounds like they had an absolutely amazing time. Thanks Laura for taking such great pictures. I'm F-ing Uberjealous.

Oh my freaking God, here comes The End!

2008-09-21T17:30:00.001-07:00

Seqiun progress, again…

2008-09-19T00:09:00.000-07:00

Almost there.

The wall is coming down at work.

2008-09-17T21:37:00.000-07:00

So this is what I drew on it.

No sewing tonight.

2008-09-15T22:26:00.000-07:00

This has been my 360º view for the last 14.5 hours. My editing friends have become my new family! We ate breakfast, lunch and dinner together today. Now we're discussing the possibility of raising a child. We figure it's a pretty stable environment. Although I'm not sure how much kids like sitting in one spot for 16hrs a day.

10,188 feet of proof.

2008-09-15T09:25:00.000-07:00

AFTER ELEVATION CHANGE

NORMAL

Until my camera is back up and running (and I'll explain why a bit later) this is the only proof I have of hiking to Camp Muir, the base camp for Mt. Rainier summiters. And it's not because I sucked down a lot of Gatorade on the way up. On the drive home we heard a bunch of crunching and popping in the back seat of Steven's Ford Bronco. I guess this is what happens when you seal up a bottle at 10,000ft and arrive back home at sea level.

Climbed to Camp Muir on Sat—

2008-09-15T00:42:00.000-07:00

but I'll post more about that along with pictures once my camera dries out (it's a long, embarrassing story).

In the meantime, here is my sequin update. It's starting to shape up quite nicely.

The way it's suppose to be.

2008-09-12T21:22:00.000-07:00

Here is a story.

I drove my scooter in to work this morning and pulled up to the usual semi-legal place I park it—behind a column that typically fits four scooters or motorcycles parked side by side, two in front and two in back. When I pulled up, there were three bikes already parked there but one big problem. The third bike had parked unbelievably crooked and was taking up the entirety of two scooter spots. Since its the only "free" place to park in town, I stubbornly pulled in my scooter, wedged it up against the other scooter, and lined mine up perfectly behind the bike in front of me so when his owner came out, he'd know that he'd obviously done something very very wrong.

When I left my scooter and started walking towards work, I realized something. Not only was my scooter in danger of getting knocked over or scuffed up along its precious side, but I was parking my scooter based on the way it was all "suppose to be". So may times in my life I feel like I get caught up in disappointment or frustration because the way life is going doesn't match up with the way it was suppose to be. And instead of moving and adjusting and being open to change and adaptation, it's so easy for me to choose to be stubborn and hang on to the way it was suppose to be.

But the world of "suppose to be" doesn't exist. The only way that exists is the way life is. No hard fast rules, and completely unpredictable. And in my case, that meant coming out to my scooter and finding it frozen in position and blockaded between that d*mn crooked scooter and a Toyota Camry. I won't tell you what I did next. Let's just say I decided to play with life the way I found it.

The difference between the Volcano Taco™ and a taco volcano.

2008-09-11T19:12:00.000-07:00

I know which one I think is funnier.

Nearly 4 hrs of sewing…

2008-09-09T08:37:00.000-07:00

can you tell where? This is a slow-and-go process.

BEFORE

AFTER

The future.

2008-09-07T19:07:00.000-07:00

Here's the picture I'm recreating. I think all in all it's going to be nearly 10,000 sequins (sewn on one-by-one) and probably 70-80 hrs of pushing needles. Great Job!

Oh, and here's what it's all for:

Light of HOPE Art Reception - Sept 25th 2008 - Los Angeles, CA

Each participating artist will be given the same photo to create a piece representing their artistsic interpretation of HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere). The 2008 HOPE Campaign photo was taken during the HOPE for Africa Project in Kigali, Rwanda.

Sequin update.

2008-09-07T09:09:00.000-07:00

This is about the only thing progressing in my life nowadays.

…and who could forget Luke.

2008-09-03T14:14:00.001-07:00

(Thanks Laura for all the pics, thanks Andy and Sally for making the babies.)

and a Happy 60th to 'ol Pops

2008-09-03T14:11:00.000-07:00

not much time, but here's a goody

2008-09-03T11:03:00.000-07:00

Me and my God-Daughter, Maren. Back in the MN hood.

Reason No 1, 2 & 3 I haven't ben posting.

2008-08-31T13:27:00.000-07:00

Sewing sequins, 24/7.

Reading this…

2008-08-27T10:51:00.000-07:00

Book by the guy who developed microcredit and microlending. It's really fascinating. I'll write more a little later but here's the gist:

"It began with a simple $27 loan. After witnessing the cycle of poverty that kept many poor women enslaved to high-interest loan sharks in Bangladesh, Dr. Muhammad Yunus lent money to 42 women so they could purchase bamboo to make and sell stools. In a short time, the women were able to repay the loans while continuing to support themselves and their families. With that initial eye-opening success, the seeds of the Grameen Bank, and the concept of microcredit, were planted."

Find Tony

2008-08-27T10:48:00.000-07:00

I miss this place...

2008-08-25T00:42:00.000-07:00

More later, trying to breathe.

2008-08-20T23:33:00.000-07:00

We just wrapped a few spots with the NFL and one of our clients. A one day shoot in Seattle and another in D.C. makes for a very exhausting couple of days. Here's the glamor shots and I'll write up a bit more later. Right now it's time to sleep off the jet lag.

In D.C.

2008-08-18T21:26:00.001-07:00

So, I'm in D.C.. Shooting a commercial. I'll post some pics in a bit. Peace out.

Cat's out of the bag

2008-08-13T09:24:00.000-07:00

Molly finally got her birthday present from me. Molly, you said you wanted something Minnesotan—so you got it! It looks great on you —

Kanye meets the WA State Dept of Health

2008-08-08T09:33:00.000-07:00

We just whipped up another batch of No Stank You tees here at WONGDOODY. Here's my design… big pimpin'! Don't ask me what I'm doing with my hands there. It's some sort of white man's gangster sign.

WD Summer Party

2008-08-07T17:38:00.000-07:00

I wish I had enough energy to write about this but I'm dragging. In a nutshell, we headed to the M's vs Twins around 1pm, partied down with the work folk, then headed up to Clatter for a post party and boy are my legs tired. (additional pictures and video courtesy of Aimee H)

Friends in town

2008-08-05T10:17:00.000-07:00

Tommy-Blue and Ashley came through Seattle this last weekend on their way to Portland and Mt. Rainier. It was a quick visit but we had a great time running through the city and checking out some of the sights. They became passengers number 3 &4 on Old Blue (my old standby scooter). It's really a fantastic way to see the city. Especially when the weather is nice like it was this past weekend. And of course, it's always wonderful to see some familiar faces. Thanks you two for swinging on by.

Are you kidding me?

2008-08-05T10:16:00.000-07:00

Twins? Seriously. You can really give up 10 runs in the 7th? You best change your ways before tonight.

Here they come…

2008-08-04T12:21:00.000-07:00

The Twins are in town today, tomorrow and Wednesday. I'll be hitting up all three games.

WIN TWINS!

A day I'll never forget…

2008-07-31T16:45:00.000-07:00

An email with the subject line "Chimp" actually arrived in my inbox this afternoon and it is absolutely, 100% real. Zero joke. I never thought I'd see the day.

To the Hood

2008-07-27T23:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend I went out to the Hood Canal to visit my friend Julia who was in Washington for the weekend visiting her old college roommate who was celebrating her 30th birthday party by renting a place up near Belfair. I drove the scoot out there which was about 40 miles each way, making it easily my longest scooter haul. One of the most unique parts of the trip was hunting for oysters. We ran around combing the rocky beaches when the tide went out, gathered up the ripe ones and then just threw them on the grill. So tasty. Such a fun time with some really great new people and a fantastic reason to flee the city for a night.

Scoot Travelin'

2008-07-26T10:44:00.000-07:00

I got a 40-miler today. Heading out to west to the Hood Canal. It's a little overcast so I'm hoping the rainclouds hold out for me. Off to the races!

HOPE for the Planet

2008-07-24T08:24:00.000-07:00

I was asked to help out on another HOPE Artists project. This time for a tee shirt. I believe this one will be for sale mostly in California but I'm sure there will be way to buy it online. I mimicked some of the previous designs (Shepard Fairey) just to keep the feel consistent. I'll post another link once it becomes available.

I arrive home, and it is quiet.

2008-07-22T21:57:00.000-07:00

It's been like this for about a year and a half now and I've gotten used to it but I've got to be honest, I'm not a big fan. Growing up with a lot of family around, I just enjoy having people to sit next to. I've lived with people all my life. Oh, I'll admit, there are definitely times when I enjoy having complete control over my environment and the time for reflection it can bring, but if given the choice, I choose roommates. Give me an obnoxious out-of-town guest, give me a crying baby, give me rodents living in my cupboards. I'll take it all. It's not that I don't stay busy enough with the rest of life, I do. I'm just not a big fan of living alone. It's too quiet. Did you hear that? I think it was a cricket.

Happy Birthday, Molly!

2008-07-21T11:31:00.001-07:00

Love you, miss you. Keep muddin' it up in Korea.

To Portland.

2008-07-18T16:00:00.000-07:00

Gone for James B-day. Back Sunday night.