What The Hale

And the countdown begins...

2009-04-23T09:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was exactly 1 month until graduation. I hope I can hold out... and make it that long!!! 10 page paper on Tai Chi... here I come. (How that relates to me being a better physical therapist... you've got me!) I just have to jump through all their silly hoops.... 48 down, it seems like 380 to go!

WOW!

2009-04-13T12:26:00.000-07:00

It has been far too long since we've blogged...

please forgive us. That is, if anyone still reads this. However, it is my (Jessica) 24th birthday today! So far, so good! (Breakfast in bed is always amazing!) So just a quick blog on my lunch break, after consuming a Don Pepe's shrimp burrito, to let you know we are all still here. And lots of good things have been happening, and are currently happening. We'll update you soon, my little friend the blog!

Happy Belated 50th Birthday Mom!!!!

2009-03-25T20:57:00.000-07:00

Ok, so please don't think that I'm a terrible daughter. My mom, Dawn Denise Armstrong, turned 50 February 27th, 2009. I am posting this blog about a month late.... and for that I must apologize. Dave posted blogs on both his parent's actual birthdays.... I am slacking for my madre. Please know that this does not in any way reflect a lack of love for my mom. Extenuating circumstances, involving ridiculous school responsibilities, and planning her birthday extravaganza kept me busy. In all honesty, I was so busy that day and the days before that it didn't even cross my mind to blog. Please, please forgive me.

My mom is awesome. And don't you ever forget that. I will compile a random sampling of why she is just so awesome below:
-she was a great sport at her party... and wore the old lady boa with medicine attached to it, a flashing pin, tiara, and used the walker i had tricked out with bows, ribbons, glitter, etc! (gotta find a picture of that... because it was awesome!)
-she was a HOTTIE on her big 50 day... sporting black skinny jeans, a flowy white tunic, layered gold jewelry, and some sweet flats. uhm... can i be that cute please?
-she gives the world's greatest hugs
-she will try anything once
-she has become an awesome cook... and makes family dinners every sunday night with inventive new recipes... that are 99% really good! (beet brownies have been an exception)
-she will drop anything to help anyone
-she is selfless
-she devotes 110% of herself to anything she does (including her new CAbi business adventure)
-she helps those in need... for awhile she was buying grocery boxes from a local church twice monthly to support a family she knew who simply needed a hand
-she is super stylish! ;) (i wish we wore the same size shoes...)
-she always made the best peanut butter and syrup waffles for me when i was sick
-she just always makes you feel better when you're feeling sick
-i can text her that i am in need of "mommy time" and she will always make me feel better
-she is so fun to shop with/run errands with
-she gives stellar advice
-she walks with the Lord
-she truly has a heart of gold
-she has "Full House" moments in everyday conversations (dave and i have coined this term, meaning she brings a note of sentiment, albeit overtly sweet most times but altogether wonderful, and makes learning lessons of everyday events)
-she is constantly adopting "family"... extra sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, etc. did you all know my uncle ray and aunt dee are full blooded Hispanic and look nothing like any of us?
-she sews, quilts, bakes, scrapbooks, oh and don't worry she can change a car's oil and replace the brake pads... what can the woman not do?
-she used to tickle my back every night when i couldn't sleep
-she is a great example of how to eat healthy and exercise
-she's always a good shoulder to cry on
-she supports me and my husband no matter what
-she brought casa corona snacks to our hotel room on my bachelorette party. amazing.
-she can't wait to be a "go go grandma"... and she will be really good at it. but she knows it's not time yet.
-she loves my brother, dad, husband, and myself unconditionally and never lets us forget it!
-she is a shining example of how a wife and mother should be

ps- example #2 of how wonderful of a daughter i am... i had 0 pictures of just my mom and i in my iphoto. however, the most recent picture in my iphoto is also from new years eve 2009. i'm just a little behind. i just never take my pictures. that is all dave's job.... plus this is a skill i picked up from my mom. she is not the best at remembering to take pictures as well. so again, i'm sorry.

Daft Punk fan video = Creative

2009-03-20T17:14:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to share this crazy video because I think it is very creative and that it must have taken such a long time to make. Think of all the planning that must have gone into it. I wish I could come up with someting crazy like this. Enjoy...and make sure you watch at least half the video, because it starts out a little slow, but it does pick up.
-Dave

Monster and Rhett

2009-03-15T13:38:00.000-07:00

These two crazy/ridiculously good looking kids are getting married in May. SO SOON!!! And of course, all engaged couples must start their blog together. So I just wanted to introduce you to my friends over at something good aka Rhett and Monica soon to be Billen. Monica is one of my funniest friends. We met one day freshman year of high school.... and she's been cracking us all up since.

So go check out their blog. And give them some love. http://ya-like-that.blogspot.com/

Because we sure love them!

Happy Birthday Dad!!!

2009-03-15T09:21:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm assuming my dad saw this coming since his birthday is just a week after my moms. However, I still thought it might be a fun little surprise for him. A lot that was said about my mom rings true for my dad as well. We really appreciate him and love him a lot. He has always been there to support us with our crazy ideas or extra curricular activities. He may have even supported us a little bit more with our crazy ideas, simply because he was the one that would show us weird stuff. While Mom was supportive and protective of us, Dad was supportive and well, more like Bill Nye the science guy. My dad wasn't afraid to be a little kid and he still is to this day, which I think is awesome. He'll make goofy faces or tell "Hale jokes" which everyone else knows as groaners. But you know what? I wouldn't change that at all.

He's the type of dad that would bring us over anytime he was fixing something on the house, yard, or car. He wouldn't make us do the work, but he wanted us to be able to see how to do it, just in case. I remember my dad showing me how to graphite a key hole, thinking to myself, "When will I ever need to do this?" Sure enough, when I moved in with Jess, the keys wouldn't slide in and out of the door easily. Well they do now. Jessica always wonders how I know how to do random things in the house and I say, "I don't know...my dad must have taught me." Thanks dad! Like mom, I want to thank you for being such a positive role model as a father. It's a nice feeling knowing that you're always going to be around, that you love mom and would never hurt her, that you would protect your family at all costs, and that you're MY dad.

I love that you taught us what true camping is (No premade campsite people...just pick a spot that looks good and set up. Also, no toilets or showers; you're in mother natures house now), that we went hiking on a seven day hike to Mount Whitney, that we went boogie boarding, that you always make sure that we were prepared for anything (Got your first-aid kit, luggage tag, snow clothes, EXTRA BATTERIES, that we watched the Three Stooges, Little Rascals, and other classic black and whites, that you have a first-aid kit larger than most carry-on luggage, and many more. Thanks for being you Dad and for being the other tool that shaped us into who we are today. Oh, also olives...my dad loves olives and anything else weird/interesting to eat like rice candy, honeycomb, or ginger candy.

And though he may not like to admit, I know my Dad is the type of guy that is really in touch with his feelings and empathetic to others. He always wanted to show others, especially his parents, that he loved them. So with that in mind, I just wanted to say that I love you Dad and I think you're great! "Looking Good Dad, Feeling Good Dad" Happy Birthday! OLD GUYS RULE!

Thank You Uncle Sam!

2009-03-14T11:42:00.000-07:00

So we just got our tax refund.... which came directly deposited into our account! I love it... that is great! Is this a new thing this year? Or am I just really far behind the times? But for any reason, we got it. And i love it.

Most people aren't happy with our government/economic situation these days. Myself included. However, getting married and the poor stock market sure does wonders for tax returns! I will take it!!

Happy Birthday Mom!!!

2009-03-07T09:06:00.000-08:00

Today is my mothers 25th birthday...how many times she has celebrated it, I will not divulge. I just wanted to take the time to tell her how much we appreciate and love her. She is amazing! We can go to her for anything: From a simple spelling question or recipe advice, to marriage advice, proper etiquette rules, to life lessons. She always has some wisdom for the subject. I guess we have finally come to the age where we know that we don't know everything, and contradictory to what we thought in the past...our parents are a lot smarter than us. Thanks for always being there for us mom and for keeping us out of trouble. We may not have understood why you did some things in the past, but we are better people for it now. Thanks for also being such a devoted mother and wife. We are so blessed to have grown up in a house where parents not only got along with each other, but loved each other. What a great example. I want to also thank you for being the type of mom that wasn't afraid to go camping at Convict Lake, who will camp out overnight at Chick-Fil-A, who made us wear long pants every Sunday to church, who would make homemade strawberry jam and mac-n-cheese, a mom that supported us through sports, band, choir, or anything crazy like dodge ball that we set our hopes on. Thank you for sacrificing yourself and things that would spoil you, just so we might feel happy. Thanks Mom. I love you! Happy "25th" Birthday!

Sign of the Times: Fail

2009-03-07T09:02:00.000-08:00

This post is dedicated to my brother and his enjoyment of "funny fail photos."

Cute Kid...and funny

2009-02-18T06:25:00.000-08:00

I stole this first video from Madi, but it's pretty funny. When I went to look it up, I found couple more with the same little guy. Check out the karate one I also posted and you may want to check out one that sounds like commentary from America's Funniest Home Videos..."He kicked him in the..."

25 random things....

2009-02-11T09:31:00.000-08:00

So I've been tagged several times with this thing on facebook, but I have neglected the blog so long that I thought it would be smarter to do it here. So with no further adieu...

1. I can't whistle. at all. and trust me, this is not for lack of trying.
2. I love peanut butter. seriously- we have a love affair. My favorite brand is jiff, and it has to be creamy.
3. I love the smell of chlorine on a person. I think it goes back to my days of constant smelling like that.... oh how I want to go back.
4. I will dance anytime, anywhere, and to any music. I just love to dance!
5. This ties in to #4, my husband swears that I am part "black girl" as I love to dance, enjoy some pretty ghetto music, and can shake my thang (if you know what i mean). However... I am missing the booty. I have none!
6. I watched the movie "Remember the Titans" every night my senior year of high school... and I STILL love it. Cried 3 times watching it last night.
7. I don't like coffee. I think the smell is heavenly... but the taste is sick. however, I still really enjoy starbucks. conundrum?
8. I was on the spelling bee team in elementary school and won 2nd or 3rd place... I don't really remember.
9. Sticking with the nerd theme, I love to read. anything and everything.
10. I have a slight interest/obsession with the Amish. I don't know why- I really want to travel to Pennsylvania to visit.
11. I really enjoy organizing and I like things clean. Dave calls me "monica" as in Monica Geller from FRIENDS when I'm getting a little too organizational happy.
12. Dave and I are both huge FRIENDS fans.... we own all 10 seasons, and when we met we knew it was meant to be as our seasons matched up... He had 1,2, and 7... I had the rest. We quote it constantly to each other and our (cool) friends (who know it too).
13. It really bothers me when people use the wrong forms of your and you're and other simple spelling and grammar mistakes.
14. I can't imitate any accents at all. I always sound retarded- Dave can do any and all and never fails to make me laugh really hard.
15. I'm secretly obsessed with Taylor Swift. When she first came out with the "Tim McGraw" song, I thought she was lame. Now, I can't get enough.
16. I love to cook and bake and constantly watch Food Network, however when I get to the grocery store I never really know what to buy and always end up short a few ingredients for meals I want to make.
17. I love to work out... a lot. But I also like to eat... thus it's hard for me to lose weight.
18. I have always thought that one of my children would be special needs... I don't know why.
19. I am a big blog stalker... I have a list of blogs that I must check daily. I love all the neat home ideas, recipes, and funny tidbits. However, I am a really bad blogger to my own.
20. I need a lot of sleep. We're talking at least 8 hours a night or more.... I'd be happy with 10 each night.
21. It's not womanly at all... but I really enjoy the flavor of a good dark beer. Some of my favorite well known brands include Downtown Brown Nutty Brown Ale, and Negra Modelo.
22. I am allergic to milk. I get sinus infections about a week later after I eat too many milk products. But, I loooove cheese and all food (see #17) so I often eat foods I shouldn't.
23. I enjoy trashy tv far too much... The City, The Hills, Real Housewives (Orange County and New York are my favs), Desperate Housewives.
24. My emotions are linked to the amount of sunshine.... Bright sunny days= happy me, dark gloomy days= sad, slightly depressed me. Good thing we have more sunny than overcast days.
25. I look forward to the Clovis Rodeo every year. I'm not necessarily a "country" person. I do listen to country music year round and this one weekend I just embrace my small town, Republican, cowgirl roots. I love it!

I now tag all of my friends who don't update their blog anymore. You know who you are.... all those people linked on the side there. Do it!

Cuppy Cake Sam

2009-02-01T20:36:00.000-08:00

So Sam is a young boy that was on the Tyra Banks show evidently and has quickly gained popularity on youtube with the following adorable video. Sam has a kidney disorder and the medication he has to take to combat that disorder has had certain side effects, including his cute chubby cheeks. We wish him a speedy recovery and a healthy life.

I have to mention that my favorite parts of the video are in the middle when he makes his squishy face and at the end with his eyebrows. You're going to love it!

SO PUMPED!!!

2009-01-30T19:04:00.000-08:00

Just have to share how excited I am. One of my very best friends, Russell Weaver, got married on 07/07/07 in Virginia to his sweet wife Ann. Long story short, they decided to move to North Carolina to train Russell in pole vaulting because of his natural skills. So needless to say, I haven't been able to see him much since then.
However, two of my other good friends, Chris and Humberto, and I just booked a flight to go see Russell this summer and we are all incredibly excited about it! We're taking a red eye to get there, but it's well worth it. Can't wait to spend so much time with you buddy

2 down... 2 to go!

2009-01-30T08:50:00.001-08:00

My 2nd internship is OVER!!!! Last day was yesterday and the feeling is great. I actually really enjoyed this last one.... my CI was really laid back, easy to talk to, fun, and to top it all off I learned a lot. But WOO HOOO!!!! only 2 more to go after I graduate in May and I will be DONE.

sigh. back to school on Monday.

Food Poisoning is not fun!

2009-01-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

so sorry we've been MIA for a while now. as you can probably guess from the title.. we got food poisoning. and it knocked us on our butts!! we had a great weekend with Chris and Kalia on the central coast surfing and hanging out- so we wanted to prolong our weekend and we stopped at got take-out from Tsing Tao on Sun night. it tasted good at the time...

well needless to say about 8-12 hours later.... it came back. dave got sick first, and since i had monday off of work i planned on just taking care of him. boy was i wrong! late mon morning i joined him in puking our guts out. we found out that day kalia also was violently ill. woo hoo! so it totally knocked us for a loop and we both had to miss tues this week too! ps- have you ever been super sore from throwing up? not fun my friends. not fun

so a big thanks to both sets of our parents who brought by love packages filled with gatorade, chicken soup, popsicles, and of course lots of love. it is so great to live close by our parents, especially at times like this! (side note- dave and i have only been really sick about twice this entire year+ of marriage... both times together! which makes i really hard to take care of the other one, ya know?)

anywhoo... we will be back to blogging soon.

The Drink of The Gods

2009-01-15T10:08:00.000-08:00

I was just reading a book given to me for Christmas from the Armstrongs titled Beer, by Michael Jackson (Side note: This is not the one-gloved, baby dangling over the balcony, Jesus juice popstar, but the highly respected in the beer community beer enthusiast pictured above). I read something rather interesting and wondered if we should have been drinking that mock wine during communion. Here is the excerpt:

"The Aramaic scrolls that were the foundation for the Bible have Jesus miraculously turning water into "strong drink." The Greeks translated this as "wine," but the Saxon version of the Gospels refers instead to "beer.""

Makes you wonder a little bit doesn't it? It makes me even more excited about a possible future in the beer industry.
-Dave

"What The Hale": side post

2009-01-13T19:34:00.000-08:00

Anybody else remember this video? If not, you're welcome.
-Dave

addendum

2009-01-11T18:01:00.000-08:00

so as many of you (or 2 of you) had asked.... the little box held a pair of diamond earrings! i know right!?!? but it's not exactly what you think. for our 1st (dating anniversary) dave bought me a pair of diamond earrings. i loved them! i wore them almost every day for a couple of years... but after we got engaged.. i kind of lost one. i haven't been able to wear them for a few years now, so dave being the cool guy he is, thought 1 year wedding anniversary correlates with 1 year dating anniversary and got me the matching earring to complete my pair. yay!!!

and we just got back from our weekend in paso robles. SO MUCH FUN. we spent the weekend over there drinking amazing wine, eating great food, enjoying the gorgeous sunny weather, and simply enjoying each other's company. it was AWESOME. seriously. but more to come later. we are about to finish our glorious weekend with a redbox, pizza, and the rest of the (best bottle of wine we've ever drank) wine we drank at Cass winery at lunch today.

1 year of wedded bliss!!!

2009-01-06T18:54:00.001-08:00

So this is a day late.... woops. but yesterday we celebrated our 1 year anniversary. or as I liked to call it our "schmanniversary". (I don't know why)

wow did this year fly by. we both loved it. I can't believe how fun being married is!!

to celebrate, we went out to dinner at campagnia. OOOOH so good. and we had decided no gifts, but dave being the wonderful husband he is, bought me one! ;) what a catch I have!!! (and might I add it came in a small box with a big bow- and all girls know the best gifts come in small, beautifully wrapped boxes!) But sadly, we both had to work all day long, and early might I add. we both got up around 5:30 am. far too early in my book, so sadly, we were both exhausted and i think fell asleep by 9:00 pm. wow, we are an old married couple already!

but I love my husband, my Freddy, my best friend! thanks for an amazing first year- I can't wait for many many more together!!!

here is a side by side comparison of January 5 2008 to January 5 2009:
Thanks to all of you that sent us messages, cards, or called to congratulate us! It means a lot

Belated MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

2009-01-04T10:29:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas everyone! We hope you all had a great time, got to spend a lot of time with family and friends, were in good health, and really felt the joy of the season while remembering Him. This was our first Christmas together as a married couple and while part of me really missed running out to the family room with my parents (and brother in years past), I couldn't help falling in love with a new tradition with my wife.

I stayed up a little later than Jess the night before to see if Santa came and magically he did! When we woke up, our stocking (Which Jessica made with the help of Dawn) were full, presents had been laid out, cookies and milk had been consumed by Santa and Rudolph had even nibbled on his carrots (Santa left a thank you note too). Snow and icicles filled the window and a delightful dancing fire roared in our "fireplace" (The tv). The air was filled with the smell of our Christmas tree and of cinnamon rolls baking in the oven. We shared mimosas and soaked in our morning as little kids on Christmas day together. Overall result: I fell in love with my wife and my favorite holiday/time of year even more.

"Merry Christmas to all! And to all a good night!"

Holiday Store Sports

2008-12-08T21:13:00.000-08:00

So Jess and I were in JoAnns (quit laughing guys; if it hasn't happened to you yet, at some point it will) and we were looking for fabric to make stockings for our first Christmas together. Turns out they were having a big sale (Most things were marked off 60%) and we ended up getting a bunch of other stuff we had been wanting to get for Christmas. One thing in particular that Jessica wanted to get was some ribbon for our wreath. We, mainly she, narrowed it down to three designs. We couldn't pick one though, we liked them all. We even tried holding them up to wreaths in the store, but it didn't help; they were all good. So the man-answer came: "Let's just roll them down the aisle and which ever one goes the furthest is the winner." She went for it. I rolled them and Golden Swirl took a quick turn out of the race. It was a close call but Christmas Trees beat Ornaments in the end. "Let's do it again just to make sure." Gold Swirl was out in the beginning again, and Ornaments had the lead until the very end. We bought the Christmas Trees.
I'm drinking eggnog as I write this, enjoying it to the fullest and soaking up as much Christmas as I can (It's my FAVORITE time of the year), wondering what you look forward to or if you have any similar crazy-makeshift-pony races with ribbon stories.
-Dave

Procrastination.....

2008-12-08T15:31:00.000-08:00

is what I'm doing right now. I CAN'T STOP!!! I have a 10 page paper due the week of finals- which starts 1 week from today. It just seems too far off for my little brain to process so I simply cannot start writing my paper. This paper is based off of my big ppt presentation I had to deliver last week, so I also feel like it won't be that hard. I'm probably kidding myself.

So far I've:
-wrapped a few presents
-cleaned/picked up
-done laundry
-watched stupid TV
-read blogs
-read that Twilight sequel Dave posted about earlier
-blogged this.

Grrrr- I need to get cracking.

For vampire lovers:

2008-12-04T12:05:00.000-08:00

If you are anything like my wife, then you were sad when you finished reading the fourth installment in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. You were lost in which direction to turn towards for your next big book, knowing full well that it would leave you unfulfilled compared to what Twilight did for you. Well, if that is you, then I am happy to tell you about something terrible that happened to Stephenie Meyer. "What a mean thing to say" you might think. Well, it is a bad thing for her or is it just another publicity stunt(I mean, I don't read the books, but here I am giving her free advertising)...plus, it's good for her readers. Did you know that she had actually started writing a fifth book titled "Midnight Sun?" Midnight Sun tells the story of twilight through the eyes of Edward (All girls/women rejoice...men can groan). Somehow a copy of the unfinished book ended up on the internet and here is a little blurb from her site explaining her options:

I'd rather my fans not read this version of Midnight Sun. It was only an incomplete draft; the writing is messy and flawed and full of mistakes. But how do I comment on this violation without driving more people to look for the illegal posting? It has taken me a while to decide how and if I could respond. But to end the confusion, I've decided to make the draft available here (at the end of this post). This way, my readers don't have to feel they have to make a sacrifice to stay honest. I hope this fragment gives you further insight into Edward's head and adds a new dimension to the Twilight story. That's what inspired me to write it in the first place.

So without further adieu, I give you the partial draft of the Midnight Sun. Start reading!
-Dave

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

2008-11-26T16:27:00.000-08:00

So the husband and I both loooooove Christmas time. Seriously love. So last night we perused Target after the gym and dinner (thanks again Chick-Fil-A for those free coupons) and purchased a few things to get our yuletide cheer going. One of which was the Brushfire Holidays- a compilation of Jack Johnson and friends Christmas songs. So far, so good. But our favorite song is by a new chick, Zee Avi. Has anyone heard of her? I like her. a lot.

I'm so glad tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And that the holiday season has finally begun.

We LOVE it!!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone.

Lucky Day

2008-11-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

I can't even remember what I did for my 19th birthday...but I don't think this guy will have the same problem:

A Very Lucky Day - Watch more free videos

Slamming Christmas in your face!

2008-11-20T10:52:00.000-08:00

Last night we went to the Trans-Siberian Orchestra concert and it was amazing! Try to picture a mix between the Philharmonic, Metallica, a techno rave, and any 80's band (For the hair).For those who don't know, TSO plays Christmas music, but in a very non-traditional type of way. I enjoy their style. The concert would have even been good for anyone that is deaf or blind because you could enjoy the audio and the visual. I think we had a little stimuli overload to be honest. There were so many things going on and the brightest lights I have ever seen that I had to close my eyes at some points. They even had fake snow (bubbles), lasers, smoke, pyrotechnics(Only for part of one song...not like in the video below), and moving sound/lighting set equipment. I'm really glad we were able to see them and hope you can/have too. Have you seen them or heard their music? What's your favorite part of a concert?
-Dave
Wizards of Winter is one of my favorites:

By the way, it was a little weird driving to a Christmas concert with the air conditioner on. When will winter get here?

My Childhood Best Friend's Almost Wedding Day

2008-11-16T17:19:00.000-08:00

Katelyn Ashley Hicks, now Mrs. Jared Ashton, got married October 28, 2008 in Cancun Mexico. I was SO sad that Dave and I couldn't make it- but traveling in the middle of the week just isn't possible when we're both full time students and I'm in the middle of PT school. So, we just had to suffice going to their gorgeous reception in town yesterday. I'm just stoked Katelyn wore her amazing dress. Of course we got to see pictures, and man, that just made it worse that we weren't there.

So beautiful.

Anyway, Katelyn and I met in preschool. I know what you're thinking, how do you "meet" in preschool. But somehow, we did, and from the age of about 18 months up through junior high we were bff. And inseperable. She and I had so much fun together and I wouldn't be the super cool, amazing girl that I am today without her influence. (HA.) She has younger twin brothers, and I know it doesn't look like it in the picture, but people used to ask her mom, "How do you deal with 2 sets of twins?!?" We used to look identical- and of course we loved it so we dressed alike. We had coordinating outfits at many stages of life. (Including in 7th grade when we took BFF pictures after winning History Day. Like I said, super cool.)

But really, I love this girl with all of my heart. She couldn't have picked a better man to share her life with.

Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Jared Ashton!!!

Old Man Strength Kicking In?

2008-11-12T21:19:00.001-08:00

Well, after a loss in our last match of intramural volleyball, I was a little upset at my performance, the loss, and the end of the season. I had a great time playing with a bunch of Jessica's PT classmates, we did pretty well through the season, and I was sad to have it end. To vent my frustration (and since we were already at the gym) I decided to try something I hadn't done in...I can't remember...at least a year and a half: Bench press. "Let's see if my old man strength has started to kick in yet." Jessica spotted me, though neither of us was very confident in that assurance, so I asked a larger guy at the gym to spot me for the second to last set, my max set. I was surprised to have finished the following without help:
5 reps of 135
2 reps of 185
1 rep of 205
1 rep of 225 --my max and 10 lbs short of my highest max ever
15 reps of 135

I think I should start going to the gym again. Bring it gym...this old man is ready!
Shown in the picture below is a 225 lb bench press attempt and a man much larger than myself. I am rarely that intense

Veteran's Day

2008-11-11T11:42:00.000-08:00

Happy Veteran's Day everyone. I'm so proud to live in a country where I am free to do, think, and act however I want because others were willing to lay down their life. I'm also very proud that both of my grandfathers served in the Air Force, and one even dedicated his life for our country. Let's all try to remember those individuals today, and not focus on any of our other problems.

Things I've been meaning to blog about:

2008-11-06T12:43:00.000-08:00

There have been a lot of things happening and not a lot of time to blog about them lately, so here it is...just lots of pictures and short descriptions.

Chris and I spent a weekend at his Grammy's beach house. We spent most of our time surfing on our new boards and eating unhealthy food with lots of dark new beers.

I spent the night in a Chik-Fil-A parking lot with my parents and Brain and Jacinda for Chik-Fil-A's opening. Jessica came out to visit but couldn't stay the night with us crazy people. We did this in order to receive a free meal, once a week, for a year. It was actually pretty fun, but 5 grown adults in a 3-4 man tent was a little crammed. There was definetely some spooning. "My minds telling me no...but my body, my body's telling me yes" (<--R Kelly)

The Armstrongs took Jess and I to the Chihuly exhibit in SF. It was amazing! We had a great time just walking around and laughing.

We had a beer tasting with some friends. Don't worry, we didn't drink all of that! The winners ended up being the Golden Gate Park Porter and the Downtown Brown.

Chris turned 25 and we celebrated at PF Changs. Congrats old man. Again, lots of laughing.

E Rock turned 21. We tried to take him out to buy something at midnight but they said they couldn't sell to him because they didn't know what time of the day he was born! How lame is that?! We went to Las Vegas later though, so I guess we can't complain. Stay tuned for that post.

My dad and I staring down the biggest watermelon my garden produced. It was a weird variety that was yellow instead of red.

We went to the fair twice this year. One time Jess couldn't go, but that didn't stop Jen and I from betting on the ponies. We were so confused on our first race when the horse we bet on was a donkey! That race was a mule race...whew! FYI, in the programs, they list the jockey's weight...not the horses.

Last, but not least, Chris played in a tennis tournament (which was for all the winners of previous matches/tournaments)at Copper River and won the whole thing! That a boy

Uplift Your Heart

2008-11-06T10:59:00.000-08:00

Here are two commercials that make my heart happy. Way to go Boeing and Liberty Mutual.
-Dave

Any commercials pop in to your mind?

Rock the Vote!

2008-11-04T16:15:00.000-08:00

I just did.... and Dave did too! I'm pretty sure my kids will be asking me about this day years in the future.....

Halloween

2008-11-04T16:01:00.001-08:00

More to come...what did you do?

My new favorite show:

2008-10-30T11:51:00.000-07:00

Wednesdays at 10 on FX. Or check it out on Hulu. Have you seen it yet?
-Dave

It's A Friday The 13th Halloween For Dyslexics!

2008-10-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

Oct 31st backwards for dyslexics=Oct 13th

What are you dressing up as? What's your favorite thing to do for Halloween? Any traditions?

I Have this Theory....

2008-10-29T16:00:00.000-07:00

... that country music just makes me feel better. I don't know what it is, but wow. Music therapy anyone? I was driving home from balance lab, not in the best mood, because really that class will do that to anyone, and lo and behold, as soon as I turned on the ol' Kiss Country... I started bouncing around, singing, and just being happier. Something about Sara Evans, Josh Turner, Taylor Swift just lift my spirits. I know that because I'm a believer, I should really be saying this about praise and worship music (mainly KDUV, and it does) but you know what, for me, it's just gotta be country. I can always count on it to make me smile. So here's to you 93.7, 96.3, 102.7, and 106.7- keep rockin' those tunes for me.

How Work Celebrated My Birthday:

2008-10-22T17:24:00.001-07:00

I GOT DRAGOOED!!!

First of all, I didn't tell anyone at work that it was my birthday...to avoid any unnecessary circumstances. Also, we've been training some new guys. So we were checking hydrants as usual and we decided to show one of the new guys how to use the 2 1/2 inch hose and nozzle. I wasn't thinking anything of it as one of the older hydrant guys was showing a newer hydrant guys the basics. "First, you have to open up the nozzle to bleed off the air. And then you would open it up more and if Dave was on fire, you would go like this!" That's when he turned the nozzle on me. I was surprised and turned my back expecting a little water, but no...he drenched me for a couple of seconds. Awesome. It actually felt kind of good since it was hot out.

Here's the kicker though. Mind you I had a huge calzone (black olives, pepperoni, linguica, canadian bacon, and chicken)for lunch today...we got back to head quarters and my boss called us up stairs to the conference room. Sitting for me on the desk was a "Ghetto Burger." A ghetto burger consists of a cheeseburger with lettuce, tomatoes, onions, pickles, sauce, a fried egg, pastrami, and some sort of hot dog/sausage link...maybe even some bacon in there too. Needless to say there was a lot of grease. "Don't get up til you've finished the whole thing. No pressure, but every hydrant guy has finished one of these...only one threw up." Half-way through I thought I wasn't going to make it and I'm not sure how I did. "Here come the meat sweats," was my best line after finishing. I'd write more, but I'm feeling a little lethargic at the moment. By the way, my buddy Matt is the one that purposely spilled the beans about my birthday...just you wait Matt...just you wait.

Has anyone ever done crazy things like that to you on your birthday? Any strange traditions?

Happy 26th Birthday my Love!

2008-10-22T06:52:00.000-07:00

Just a quick shout out to my amazing husband. He is so awesome that I in fact joined him at rising at 5:30 am (eeek! so early) to fix him breakfast while he got ready for work. He does this three days a week- what a stud while I normally sleep in until at least 6:30, sometimes more like 7 am.

Reasons why Dave is the coolest husband:
-he makes me (and anyone for that matter) laugh really hard
-he's the funniest person i've ever known
-i've never met someone that doesn't like him
-he puts up with my crazy shenanigans
-he's always ready with a big hug on those not so great days
-he's almost always positive
-he tells me i'm beautiful
-he knows my little quirks, like always needing fresh water on my nightstand before i go to bed, even though i only drink like 2 sips, and even brings me a glass most nights
-he works really hard, and lets me buy stuff with his hard earned cash
-he's always down for a random dance party in our room
-he's really cute!

see what i mean?

ok, but really he's a better picture, taken just last night at Wassabi with friends. super good lookin' guy.

the list could really go on and on, but that is all i have time for right now. sooo... Happy Birthday to my boo!!!!

ps- please excuse any randomness in this post, as I said before, I woke up waay earlier than I am used to.

Birthday Week Has Begun!

2008-10-21T16:02:00.000-07:00

So this is a couple days late, but Dave's birthday week began last Sunday night. His big day is tomorrow, October 22nd, but the festivities have started. We have dinner every Sunday with my family, but this last one we celebrated a bit with cards/gifts, some alcohol (my broskie just turned 21 remember), and some Cold Stone afterward. Then, last night we had dinner with the entire Hale family at Cabo Wabo. So good.
Tonight, dinner with friends at Wassabi. Tomorrow (the big day) gifts, homemade meals, volleyball game, and a few secrets. Then, Thursday we board a plane (after a long day of school/work that will drag) to Las Vegas!!!! Woo hoo!!! We are going for a long weekend with my entire family +Darli (my brother's girlfriend). She is flying out from Georgia to meet us. I'm so excited!!!

Grandpa

2008-10-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

While at work today, I got this text from my dad:
"FYI-Grandpa is out of testing. He will need heart surgery. 90% blockage in 2 of 3 arteries."

So, needless to say, I was a little distraught and scared. I love my Grandpa! How can he be sick? Ever since I was little, I just pictured him as immortal...he'd attend my funeral some day far off in the future, because nothing can happen to Grandpa. I ~~was~~ AM nervous, scared, worried...dismayed.
I am asking for help whether you know my Grandpa, my family, me or not...PLEASE PRAY!!! I can't, and won't let myself, imagine this going any other way but good.
I Love you Grandpa
-Dave

He kept his golfing strokes on his hand instead of a score card...love it

Happy 21st Eric!

2008-10-09T18:34:00.000-07:00

My little brother rocks. And he is finally the big 2-1. More to come later, just wanted to take a quick second to give him a birthday shout out. We love you!

Don Pepe's is Legit.

2008-10-07T13:53:00.000-07:00

And that's with a capital L. If you haven't been to Don Pepe's and you live in the Fresno area and you happen to enjoy Mexican food, then you are crazy! The original location is a Blackstone and Dakota(???). Its in the parking lot of Fresno Ag- one of those tiny little walk in places. Buuuuut for you Fresno State folks they just built a new taqueria on Maple just south of Shaw (behind the old University Chicken- which is going to be a Deli Delicious!!! yay- but that's an entire other post.) That's within walking distance to campus people.
All I'm trying to say here is if you haven't been- go. Totally authentic tacos, burritos, combo plates, shrimp dinners, ceviche at super cheap prices. Think $1.85 for an asada taco! Plus, a kick-a#$ salsa bar with all different heat levels, lime, cilantro, onions, the works. Oh, and an amazing spicy shrimp beer.
You know how people say a Chinese place is good if you go in and there are tons of Chinese people eating there. Well, let's just say by the population attending Don Pepe's it is serious Mexican food. In fact, if you speak Spanish even better. I- being a white girl who took French in high school- clearly do not fit in. But I love me some shrimp tacos, so I still rock it. I did not have my camera on me today, but you know I will be eating there again very soon so next time expect pictures.

We're back!

2008-10-03T16:45:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the lack of posts, but our internet has been down for a few days now. It can get a little confusing as to what service you're supposed to be on when you keep cancelling orders and submitting others. It should be fine now though. As always, there will be more to come.

Monday Monday.

2008-09-29T18:16:00.001-07:00

So the hubbs and I both had pretty crappy days. Bleh. Why are Mondays so yucky? Today was one of those days when I really just wanted to quit PT school and be a stay at home mom. Although, we don't have kids, so I guess just a stay at home wife. I hope I can muster up a positive attitude for school tomorrow- it's a long day. 8 am to 5 pm. Ugh. So, to decompress, Dave is taking out his frustration on the overgrown vegetation that is our backyard, and I am watching my favorite couple, Stacy and Clinton make some magic on What Not to Wear.

Trying to make this more fun

2008-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

Our comments are now called "Hale Yeahs"

Dedicated to E Rock

2008-09-25T16:41:00.001-07:00

Beach Chalet: Delicious brews with incredible views!

2008-09-24T18:20:00.000-07:00

We recently had an awesome offer from the Armstrong’s to go with them to SF and see the Chihuly exhibit at the De Young museum. When we made definite plans I tried my luck with our newfound friend...aka: The owner of The Beach Chalet. We were hoping to be able to meet him and thank him in person for all of his hospitality, but he wasn't going to be in the country during our visit. However, he did let one of his managers know that we would be arriving Saturday night. That little bit of information transformed into a phone call to me, offering reservations on a Saturday night (Conversation taking place the morning of because I waited too long) and inviting us to take a tour of their brewery. We were very happy, excited, and we were starting to feel like some kind of celebrity with special treatment.
When we got there later that night, we were given, in my opinion, the best seats of the house: right next to the windows facing the ocean, so we could watch the sunset and bonfires on the beach after that. We also had a great view of most of the restaurant including the bar. The bar is significant to me, being that is where we sat the first time we visited the Beach Chalet and it was the first time we had their beer.

We had their food for the first time, which I must say was very enjoyable. Larry and I both had fish-n-chips and Dawn and Jessica split salmon and seafood pasta. Larry had the Riptide Red Ale and Jessica and I split a sampler of all of their beer, topping it off with a glass of my favorite Golden Gate Park Porter. And even though the owner wasn't there, he picked up our beer tab. How awesome is that?! After dinner, their manager, Grant, took us on a tour of the brewery and was patient enough to answer all of our questions even when their restaurant was crazy busy. We couldn't stop there though. We went downstairs to the Park Chalet (Pretty much the Beach Chalet, but more casual) and had more beer with some family that lives in SF (Uncle Scott and Judy Judy Judy). It was a great time.
If anyone has happened to stumble across this on accident or is looking for somewhere fun and great in San Fransisco, I highly recommend the Beach Chalet. Check them out whether you want food, beer, history, or just a nice time. You can't beat the awesome combination of the delicious brews and the incredible views. Best beer in San Fransisco.
Last, but certainly not least, we left with 3 "Growlers" of beer: 2 Golden Gate Park Porters and 1 California Kind Ale. I'm not sure where the word Growler came from, but it does hold a half-gallon of beer. Anyone thirsty?

apparently yellow and grey are trendy together

2008-09-23T16:43:00.000-07:00

I'm seeing it everywhere! In the j. crew catalog, all over Banana Republic and Gap, on random people, and shop fronts in San Francisco, however that is not the purpose of this post. I finally (almost) finished our bedroom! The paint is done, new curtains hung, new bed sheets, and it is cleaned. (well, it was.) The reason I say almost, is that I am still waiting for our wedding prints to be finished so that they can be hung, and a few more random accessories are needed (suggestions welcome!!!) before I can be completely satisfied. But for now, all is well, and I really enjoy our new bedroom.

the bed.

view from the door to our bathroom.

and finally, the dresser with some very pretty yellow roses. i love flowers.

"When I'm Away She Puts Her Makeup On the Shelf"

2008-09-12T10:54:00.001-07:00

Ok so Dave is in San Diego with his buddy Chris, and while I'm not exactly going to put my makeup on the shelf, I do have things planned to keep myself busy while my boo is away. So far I've already gone to the gym twice, had a slumber party with my bff, and finished painting our bedroom (which I'm SOOOO excited about.) On the agenda for later:
- work
- hanging out with my lil brother
- hanging out with Amy and her family
- spin class
- pedicure with my ma
- FSU vs. Wisconsin game, including some tailgating with the PT folks

That should be all. Busy weekend ahead- just the way I like 'em.

What's in a name?

2008-09-11T16:15:00.000-07:00

I don't know why I find different names and odd translations so funny, but this one made me laugh. I wonder which names or words in English translate into weird things in other countries/languages?
-Dave

What the peck?!

2008-09-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

Long story short: I check/fix hydrants for the fire department now (I was given a much better opportunity within the department). A fellow hydrant brigade member and I decided it would be interesting to do a set number of pushups at each hydrant we checked. Well after three hours of work, 40 hydrants, and 10 pushups per hydrant, I can honestly say that I have never done so many pushups before and I believe I am going to be VERY sore. 400 pushups...are you kidding? What were we thinking? Ah, what the Hale...we'll probably do it again next week. Wish us luck!

Cabo Wabo

2008-09-05T16:50:00.000-07:00

We checked out the new Cabo Wabo in Fresno with Jessica's PT class. The Cantina, owned by Sammy Hagar, turned out to be pretty cool. They had a live band playing covers of classics that make you want to shake it and sing along at the same time. We even got a couple of "non-dancers" to eventually let loose and dance it up and they did great! I was curious to try their top shelf Cabo Wabo tequila and luckily I asked the price first.

At $35 a shot, I turned my shoulder to Cabo Wabo Uno for the time being and directed my attention to the Cabo Wabo Blanco at $8 a shot. I sipped on that for awhile and it was pretty good (Not quite as smooth as the one I tried in SF at Colibri). We made it a short night, but we were both impressed enough to want to go back. We haven't tried the food yet, but since they don't charge a cover (A huge pet peeve of mine) like some annoying places in Clovis/Fresno, I'm sure we'll have other opportunities.

Jack Johnson

2008-09-02T07:59:00.000-07:00

It's official! I, David Hale, have a man-crush on Jack Johnson. I know that may sound weird, but look at it in less of a homosexual/stalker way and more of a admirer/huge fan way. We went to his concert in Chula Vista and had a great trip. Jack was absolutely amazing! You know when you have your favorite artists songs memorized and then you hear them in concert and they sound totally different; disappointing? Well, I wouldn't say that Jack sounded completely
different, but it was a little different than his cds...BUT IN THE BEST WAY POSSIBLE!

Seriously, he blended some of his songs that had similar chords and it sounded great. We were all blown away by his performance. Even his band was awesome. Zach Gill owned the ivory and even busted out some weird harmonica thing and an accordion. He sang a couple of times and has a surprisingly great set of vocals. Jacks bass guitarist even threw down a little old school sounding rap, which seemed a little odd to me at the time, but I guess it's cool that Jack lets everyone sound off at least once. Paula Fuga came out and sang "Country Road" with Jack and she has an amazing voice and a great whistle (Buy the song and listen for yourself). It was such a relaxing concert, while at the same time being extremely exciting because of how good it was; and lets be honest, exciting because Jack was there in person.

Sadly, we don't have any pictures because the tickets said "No cameras allowed" on them. What were we thinking?! There were so many cameras there. Plus, people were smoking pot left and right...or in our case, in front and behind us. I pretty sure that's not allowed either. But besides our lack of pictures and strange smells...amazing! We even played with a beach ball in the parking lot after while we waited for traffic to move (For an hour). Back to Jack...

For those of you that don't know, Jack Johnson is very committed to making this world a better place. If not from his songs, then you can tell from his demeanor and charities/organizations he's involved with. That makes him even more of a great artist to me. So many people use their fame and fortune to make their own life better, while Jack is trying to inspire others to join him in making our world better, community by community or even person by person. You can check out more at his website or more specifically at his community involvement section.

Sorry to be so long winded, but I just feel like credit should be given when it is deserved. Jack Johnson is the type of person that deserves support. Also, he just seems like such a rad guy; the type you would love to hang out with. He seems like the type that wouldn't have a big head and would totally welcome in a stranger as a new friend. I wish him continuing great success in his music, marriage, and impact on bettering our planet.
A huge fan,
-David

We'll be back...we're going to go see JACK!!!

2008-08-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

We're going to a Jack Johnson concert down near San Diego. Pics to follow

Thursday thoughts...

2008-08-28T16:37:00.000-07:00

So lately Dave has made fun of me, saying that I don't really go to class, that this whole PT school thing is just a ruse. (Let me clarify- 2 days a week Dave works on campus and SWEARS that every time he walks by our 2 classrooms we are always on a break, outside playing frisbee/talking, or standing around in our classroom talking.) I, of course, disagree and say, "Why would I make up this madness?!?!" However, today after some reflection, I must agree with him for several reasons:

My schedule included- watching clips on you tube with our professor, eating candy (which the same professor provided), eating leftover chips and cookies from our bbq last night, eating lunch on the grass outside, starting class 45 min late, getting out of class 40 min early, and giving Amy a massage. I gotta say, I don't mind the first week of school.

Spinning

2008-08-22T18:39:00.000-07:00

So I went to a spin class last Saturday morning at Clovis GB3 with my friend Kalia. It was awesome- I absolutely loved it. When the super fit (which is how I judge the value of my workout- by the level of fitness of the instructor) energetic instructor started out the hour of sweat with Missy Elliot I knew I was in luck. Kalia and I looked at each other, like should we dance or spin? It was great. I loved every minute of it- and looked like I had just jumped out of a swimming pool when I emerged from the room. So this week to workout, I figured I would spin again. It was so great!!
Well, 3 spin classes later, I am not satisfied. All of the classes I tried (at the Palm and Cedar locations) were taught by older people, who did not have rocking bodies (I'm so shallow I know), and the music was lame early 90's mixes with a few techno beats thrown down.
Not fun. Definitely not Missy. Today, my class was taught by a very sweaty, very gay (no judgment, just observation), man who barked orders at us over songs like "Don't You Wish Your Girlfriend Was Hot Like Me" and "In the Jungle". How do those songs even go together? Oh and don't forget, we also rocked some Eric Clapton? Are you kidding me?
So, the dillemna is that the lady who taught last Saturday's class was a sub, and I never caught her name!!! I am searching for her still- one more try tomorrow at the Clovis location, same time, and hopefully the original teacher will be as good as my mystery substitute teacher. So my plea to all 5 faithful readers we may have, if you have any information on who this blonde, fit, spinning master may be, please let me know!! I'm dying to take her class again and revive my faith in spin classes.

Breakfast for Dinner

2008-08-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

Has got to be one of our favorite things! I love it. Plus, we both thought there was nothing in the house to eat, and yet we just both thoroughly enjoyed our meal. Scrambled eggs, bacon, and a muffin from Mimi's. Delicious.

The Well

2008-08-19T09:49:00.001-07:00

I love our church. It is so awesome. (PS- this is a late post from Sunday). But this past Sunday Brad Bell (our lead pastor) spoke our State of the Church presentation and it was so exciting. We are just growing in so many directions and it's so exciting to see how the Lord's will is moving in our church. I feel so blessed to be part of such a contemporary and real church- one that I am proud to call ours. I'm excited to see how all of these plans work out and what they will mean to the body. Also, the presentation on Sunday was so impressive, Brad- was on his game and utilized powerpoint in a way that was so not cheesy. It was just so encouraging!!!

Beijing Madness

2008-08-11T11:09:00.000-07:00

So I really love the Summer Olympics! The winter ones are really not that exciting to me, sorry to all that comment might offend. I'm all about summer: swimming, water polo, gymnastics, diving, beach volleyball, pole vaulting, and the list goes on. I love it- I seriously can't get enough. And is it a little wierd that I always try to imagine myself competing. Like as I sit here and type this I just watched Katie Hoff swim the 100 meter free prelims- and I think, oh I could totally do that. (Now lets be honest, I definitely can not, but I always picture myself there.) Anyone else? Or am I just crazy? Plus, the little gymnasts, my goodness they blow my mind! I only dream of flying and flipping through the air like they do. (When I watch those little crazies compete, I'm full on thinking Physical Therapy- how will they need help when the competition is over. Wow I'm a dork.) But go Team USA!!
-Jess

ps-Dave and I are so into the Olympics we had a party on Friday night complete with a sign-up sheet for games (with prizes). Our friends weren't so much into it, slightly disappointing

pps- the little nasty Chinese buffet just down the street from our house renamed the restaurant from Easy 21 Buffet (i know right?) to Beijing Buffet. appropriate?

By Request...

2008-08-07T08:28:00.000-07:00

...wakeboarding shots from the Weaver Cabin trip. Enjoy!

My Little Book Worm

2008-08-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

This is my wife for the next couple of days whenever she gets some free time. I can't blame her. I only wish I could read as quickly as she does. She can rip through a good book faster than Joey can eat two pizzas.

11 hour days suck!

2008-08-06T12:27:00.001-07:00

For those of you that have been wondering, I did get the raise. woo hoo. However, in return I have had more responsibilities at work- which is very exciting, and also exhausting. I have worked until after 7 pm every night this week so far (I know only 2 but I'm expecting the same tonight). Last night, I literally did nothing and read in bed from about 8 pm to 10 pm. I was too exhausted to even move. I can't wait for Friday.

Ps- I can't wait for the Olympics. 8.8.08

Weekend in LA

2008-08-02T11:31:00.000-07:00

So I'm late on blogging this, but last weekend, when Dave was having fun at the Weaver cabin in Shaver, I (Jess) was having fun in LA. I drove down with Jen and we headed straight to Pasadena so I could spend Friday night with my awesome friend Amy. Amy's family has an amazing house, built in the 1920's with gorgeous hardwood floor, crown moulding, and original fixtures. It is so beautiful. I loved it. I loved meeting her family- they have huge family dinners on Friday night and it was fun to be a part of. After dinner we went to the Yard House to have drinks and dessert and basically catch up. So fun! Bonus, we had free entertainment all night long- we were seated by a group of about 30 firefighter academy graduates who were celebrating (read: drinking heavily) and they provided hours of laughs for us. On Saturday, we made breakfast together for the family, enjoyed the beautiful weather on the porch, took a driving tour of Pasadena, window shopped/walked around Old Town Pasadena, ate lunch at Il Fornio on the breezeway, and just enjoyed each other's company. It was so much fun. I can really see why so many people would love to live in Pasadena. It had such a small town feeling with beautiful old architecture. I loved it.
After lunch, we drove over to Manhattan Beach to meet up with Jen and Shira- Shira has an amazing apartment literally 1 block from the beach, and Jen spent Friday night with her. We hunted down a parking spot, played on the shore line (Amy taught me how to catch sand crabs), and chatted like all girls will. Saturday night the 4 of us girls went to sushi for dinner, which was delicious, and then grabbed a glass of wine at a small bar/grill. A live band played cover songs of old school classic rock- it was so fun. I spent Saturday night with Jen and Shira, and Amy had to head back home. Sunday morning, I woke up way earlier than the other two (surprise) and entertained myself in Shira's cool apt. Then, the 3 of us walked along the Strand (sidewalk street lined with GORGEOUS million dollar beach homes facing the beach) to get breakfast. It was probably the best eggs benedict I've ever had- vegetarian version and amazing. We walked home on the beach with our toes in the water and it was amazing. So much fun catching up with such good girlfriends. I love them all!! Only downside- I got a sunburn from all the walking in the sun in a halter top. (I forgot the SPF). Oh, and Dave had the camera so I have no pictures to post- but trust me, it was fun and much needed!

Weaver Cabin

2008-07-31T11:43:00.001-07:00

I (Dave) was very excited to be able to spend the weekend with some of my high school buddies I haven't seen in awhile. Russell and Humberto were both in town(Along with Russell's wife Ann and her cousin Julie, both from Virginia). We went up to Russell's cabin and spent the weekend laughing and catching up; it was great! I had made a pong/quarters table (Which was ridiculously heavy[Thanks for the help Matt and Chris] and I spent a lot of time spray-painting on the flames and black background) and we brought that up with us. We spent most of Saturday on their porch playing games and laughing with a little bbq in the evening. Ann almost fell through part of the deck...I fell through a step last year (Actually, I slipped on some ice and broke a 2X6 with my spine).

Sunday was spent at Shaver Lake. Most of us wakeboarded; Humberto and I got up on our first try (Yeah us) and Russell and Chris went doubles (They're better). We found a little island that nobody else was on and set up camp. Chris and I got a little bored just sitting on shore so we started playing bocce ball with some rocks. That led to hitting rocks out into the lake with an old, large tree limb. I'm sad that it had to end, but it sure was fun.

Right before we left the lake we set up a group shot. From left to right: Back row:Humberto, Chris, Me, Russell, Christina...front row:Kalia, Sarah, Ann, Julie. Thanks to all for such a great time...let's do it again
-That Guy

P.S. Jess didn't go to the cabin because she had already made plans with Jen to go down to L.A. to visit Shira and down to Pasadena to visit Amy. I was jealous.

Incredible Niece

2008-07-31T11:34:00.000-07:00

Just some funny pics of our niece from a recent visit. I love her reaction to Jessica's "scary" face.

Catching you up

2008-07-23T21:04:00.000-07:00

I feel like there have been so many things going on lately that I have wanted to post about, but haven't. This will be my Easter basket/Christmas stocking full of all my little treasures. Here we go:

Chris and I finished brewing our porter and bottled it. Now it's just a waiting game until they are ready...I'm so anxious to see how it turns out.

I bought some ladybugs for my garden (Yes, you read that right). Louie gave me the idea. My watermelons are starting to grow now. I'm anxious to see how that turns out as well.

The Beach Chalet totally came through and also inspired me to look into becoming a Brew Master. (See next post)

Dawn and Larry started their own blog. Go give them some love. Comment and encourage.

Chance and Dom got some new pets and I'm still waiting to see some pictures.

We're all wondering if Ted made it home safely or not. Honestly, I think they should start a side blog about the Terrific Traveling Ted. I'd read it...

Jessica is back to teaching swimming lessons and working at a job that pays instead of her internship. I met the people she worked with and they all seemed really nice. Her boss even quoted Friends with us (How fun is that?)

And now, probably my most exciting thing...Russell and Ann are visiting CA! They've been living in Virginia/North Carolina for over a year now and I have missed them SO much! I'm really looking forward to spending time with them and watching Russell pole vault in the street vault in Old Town Clovis. I love em

Peter and Nicole (Jessica’s cousins) each stayed with the Armstrong’s for several days and we got to spend a little time with them. Peter made some homemade caramel for caramel covered apples. I think he should go into culinary school. Nicole ate a lot of sugar and rode on the tandem bike with me. She could clean out Willy Wonka.

We saw The Dark Knight and man-oh-man was I impressed; especially with Heath Ledgers performance. I'll go see it again if you're interested. I want to see it with E Rock.

Jessica and I made homemade biscuits and bacon gravy for breakfast one morning. That's for you Weavers.

I'm sure there's more but that's enough Merry Easter for now.
-Dave

The Beach Chalet...

2008-07-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

...is amazing! If you're an avid "What The Hale Man" reader(Or if you have talked to me in the last week or so), then you may have noticed some recent posts and comments regarding The Beach Chalet and the Golden Gate Park Porter. I'll try to explain this as quickly as possible while still keeping all the important details:
Chris and I brewed some porter, which reminded me of my favorite beer. I posted a small section about Golden Gate Park Porter and I received a comment from the owner of the Beach Chalet, where the beer is brewed. We exchanged a couple of emails telling eachother about our favorite beer and how we came to drink it. The owner also told me that I would be receiving a special package in the mail. I was so freakin excited! First of all, I think it is cool that someone would take the time to send a nice word out to a complete stranger, let alone do something generous and unforgetable to make them happy. I mean, come on...how rare is it for someone to make a complete strangers day?! This all leads up to when I got home from work today. There was a package at our door and I felt like it was Christmas and my birthday all at once.
Without patting myself on the back, I have always tried to put the golden rule into practice daily. Helping someone else or doing something for a friend, family member, or stranger gives me the reward of seeing the appreciation on their face. Perhaps it will inspire them to do the same for someone else. I believe that if everyone were to do it, then people would start becoming a lot more optimistic, happy, and trusting. I just think it is the right thing to do and it continues to make me happy. (Sorry, this could have been a side post, but it will tie in later.)
Upon opening my present...I mean package, I found some really cool stuff that just made me smile. It made me so happy. I kind of wish the owner and brewer (Aron Deorsey) at the Beach Chalet could have seen me open it. Perhaps they practice the golden rule daily as well. If they happen to read this, I would just like to say Thank You! You have given me proof that the golden rule isn't merely a childhood fable told to children to keep them in line; it's a lifelong priveledge. Thanks for making a stranger feel like a friend.
Now, I encourage all of you, whether you're my friend or a complete stranger, to go to the Beach Chalet (Here's the google map) and give them plenty of business. Make them feel like a friend and show them the reward to the golden rule. Trust me, you'll not only enjoy the food and beer, but the atmosphere and the view; great service too and a historical building worth sight-seeing.

back to real life

2008-07-23T09:00:00.000-07:00

So this Monday marked the first day without an internship for the last 8 weeks. And to celebrate I worked from 7:30 am to 7 pm at Barrows. Welcome back right? But I can't complain because I finally am getting paid and that was the only shift I had to work this whole week. I'm on jury duty stand-by aka. put your life on hold for 7 days and I never know until the night before after 5 pm whether I have to go to jury duty the next day. So far so good, but I have this feeling that Thursday I will have to go complete my civic duty. So until then, I have been hitting the gym as hard as I can and teaching some swim lessons. Surprisingly, not much to report. But this weekend should be fun! I'm going to visit 2 amazing girls down in LA! Long awaited trip! Plus, road trips with jen are always fun.

Impatient

2008-07-17T08:16:00.001-07:00

I am an impatient person. I have been for as long as I can remember. It is something I don't like about myself and I'm working on it. So lately I have been going to the gym pretty hard core. I even have gone early- like wake up at 6 am and go. For me, that is early- 2 times this week and I intend to keep it up. However, because of my impatience, I now expect to see results (even though I KNOW it takes 6-8 weeks). Grr. But alas, I am impatient. Also, I baked a cake for our bible study group last night to celebrate my friend Sarah's recent marriage. I got the recipe from bakerella and it looked delicious! It was supposed to look like this....
However, it did not turn out like that. It turned out like this.... Which, in all honesty is better than I thought that it would. I forgot to cut the top off of the bottom layer of cake, and was just chatting away frosting it when I noticed that the top layer was dangerously sliding off of the bottom. I of course begin to freak out, get frustrated and annoyed because it's not perfect the first time, and throw a fit. Thankfully, Dave was there to step in and help. He geniously put 3 bamboo skewers into the cake to hold it into place. And, he didn't even make me feel bad. My husband is perfect for me!! He balances me out so well. I am super impatient. He is not. Hallelujah he can put up with me, because Lord knows I need him to!!! So alas, the cake tasted delicious and no one cared that it looked kinda funny and that it wasn't on my fancy new cake stand. (Another long story.) So, now I need to learn more patience, and the fact that losing weight/being motivated at the gym really doesn't go well with baking a peanut butter fudge cake at home!!

Clinicals

2008-07-15T17:01:00.001-07:00

I only have 2 days left. This is so surreal.... I can't wait. Here I come swim lessons and Barrows!!

Quick Post

2008-07-15T12:44:00.000-07:00

I (Dave) stayed home today from work and last night from a dodgeball game. I wish I could have gone to both but I have the weirdest headache. I feel like my head is going to explode, while at the same time feeling like I have whiplash and that someone head-butted me. I'm sure I'll be fine soon, but it just sucks.

On the other hand, what doesn't suck, and is quite cool, are some recent conversations I've had with the owner of the Beach Chalet. His restaurant brews my favovite beer (As mentioned in "Just Curious." If you ever go to San Fransisco, I recommend going there. I'll explain more later, but for now, I am going to go lie down.

Flying Squirrel?

2008-07-12T22:26:00.000-07:00

New item for my "bucket list." I want to one day own and use a flying suit.
-Dave

What's on your "to do before you die" list?

Just Curious...

2008-07-09T20:38:00.000-07:00

In regards to the Make Your Own Beer post...What is your favorite beer? Mine is the Golden Gate Park Porter from the Beach Chalet in San Francisco.

If you ever go and bring me back some, I will love you for life!

BYOB?...MAKE Your Own Beer!

2008-07-08T23:22:00.000-07:00

Beer? I'm a fan of it. After taking a wine tasting class at Fresno State with Jessica, Haley, and Tina, I feel I have come to enjoy the actual flavor, trace scents, and otherwise overlooked qualities of wine and beer. Now in no way do I consider myself a beer or wine connoisseur, but I do feel like I could recommend or discourage a beer or wine that I have tasted. With that being said, I have found that my favorite type of beer is a porter. They are almost always the darkest beer offered by a brewer and they usually have hints of chocolate and coffee in their flavor. When you decide to stop drinking beer merely to get a buzz or to party as a lot of people do, you'll find yourself actually looking for a good flavor and porter offers the flavor that I enjoy.

With this introduction finally out of the way, I can get to the point of this post. My long time best friend, Chris, came over tonight to help me in a little tradition we have started. The tradition is simple...drink some beer while you make some beer. One of the wedding presents Jess and I received was a Mr. Beer kit. It gives you the ingredients, tools, and instructions necessary to brew your own beer without a hassle and without accidentally poisoning yourself. The following pictures and instructions should pair up easily enough to show you most of our process (And yes, those are Incredible Hulk gloves shown in the last picture of the "keg" in the closet. Chris gave them to me as a birthday present and it was one of the best presents I ever received believe it or not.) Check it out:

Step 1: Sanitizing
Follow the steps outlined in the Instructions that came with your kit.

Step 2: Brewing
2.1. Fill keg with cold water to the 4-quart mark on the back.

2.2. Remove yeast packet from under lid of both beer mixes, then place unopened cans in hot water. (warm liquid pours more easily)

3. Using the sanitized measuring cup, place 4 cups of water into the clean 3-quart pot, bring to a boil and remove from heat.

2.4. Stir both beer mixes into pot. This mix is called the wort.

NOTE: Hops in the mix will appear as green leaf particles and will not dissolve.

2.5. Pour wort into keg. Bring the volume of the keg to the 8.5-quart mark by adding more cold water. Stir vigorously to mix well.

2.6. Sprinkle both yeast packs into keg and allow to sit for 5 minutes. Stir vigorously again, then screw on lid.

2.7. Ferment by placing the keg out of direct sunlight and in a location with a consistent temperature. Allow beer to ferment a MINIMUM OF SEVEN DAYS at room temperature. (Between 68°-76°F)

If You Can Dodge A Wrench...

2008-07-08T08:53:00.001-07:00

I've been getting my exercise in a rather unusual way lately; I've been playing in a dodgeball league! I know what you're thinking, "What? Do they really have those?" Yes, they do. For twenty bucks I joined a team through our church, The Well, and I got a free team shirt. It's great! We meet every Monday night at either 7 or 8 for a game that lasts about 45 minutes. I am definitely the sweaty guy on the team though, which I thought would never happen. The game is actually pretty intense with tons of crazy rules (My favorite being that any article of clothing that is hit is considered part of your body including baggy clothes and capes), everyone is really into the game, it's competitive, most people are honest (It is a church league), and everyone seems to have a great time. We won our first match 8-2, but lost last night 8-4 or something like that. However, the team that beat us has a lot of returning players from last years winning team (Including one javelin thrower) and I think they may win this year. I recommend anyone interested to either come out and support us or sign up next year. It's a lot of fun. Oh, and for some reason our team name is The Hot Pockets.
-Dave
P.S. Thank you Jen for coming out to watch a game and give your support. Fans are always welcome and I know Jess likes the company. Also, Amy...you know you totally want to do this next year!

Our 4th of July

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

was spent just the two of us. and was so much fun!!!!!! we swam, bbqed delicious burgers for lunch, suntanned, watched a few movies, watched the US olympic swimming trials, spent quality time together, treated ourselves to coldstone, and had our own little fireworks display in the front yard. it was so great to spend the whole day with only each other. after our little supply of fireworks were expired, we laid on the grass in the backyard and watched illegal (up in the sky) fireworks nearby. all in all, it was an awesome day. oh, and the next day (july 5) was our "6 month-aniversary". woo hoo!

The Next Food Network Star

2008-07-06T22:27:00.000-07:00

So, we both love this show! We're really addicted. It's amazing. If you don't already watch it, you should. I mean it combines the addicting-ness of reality tv, with awesome food, great personalities, and there's no silly/disgusting drama of who's sleeping around or nasty language or anything. It's great. Our favs to win are Aaron, Adam, and Kelsey. (And really, Kelsey is one of my favs because I feel a personal connection to her. She went to BYU and is friends with some of my dear friends Whitney, Monica, and Lindsey.)

swimming used to be my life.

2008-07-03T12:06:00.000-07:00

ok so seriously, this day has been awesome so far and its only 12:06. i was feeling better this morning and was in the process of getting ready for work when my CI called and gave me great news. JHCO is at the hospital today, which for those of you who don't know, is the state accreditation committee. basically, when they are present, i cannot be. which is fine by me!!!! not to say i don't enjoy my internship, but when you're working for free and its the day before the 4th of July, i really don't mind having a day off. so on to the title of this blog, i was able to go to the gym and swim this morning. last night, while feeling yucky still, i watched the US Olympic Trial for swimming. it got my blood pumping!! i was so motivated to get up and swim right then, but i remembered that i felt like crap, so instead i ate a reeses pb cup. (my only true weakness.) but, i digress. back in high school and college, i would swim at least 2 hours per day. wow! when i think about that now, how did i find the time? but man did i enjoy the body it gave me. and the self-control and dedication! whoo! so i got super motivated and excited watching all of these kids younger than me, gheesh i'm getting old, swimming all of my favorite strokes (fly and free) and setting world records. that katie hoff is something else. she kept winning race after race, i think she'll be swimming at least 4 events in beijing. studette. anyway, i swam 2000 yards this morning, which used to be nothing for me, but was enough today to make me feel like a swimmer again. i love that chlorine smell. seriously.

ps- after the gym i stopped by Barrow's, my workplace, to say hi to my little work family that i've been away from for the last 6 weeks. oh man do i miss all those folks. i'm so blessed to have such an amazing job with great people. can't wait to "go home" in 2 more weeks!!

sick.

2008-07-02T11:50:00.000-07:00

i feel so lame right now. i'm sick and i've felt sick for at least 24 hours now. blegh. i even stayed home from my internship. i didn't know if i was allowed to do that, so i called my CI (clinical instructor) and asked. she just laughed at me and said stay home and rest. it feels so wierd to be laying here on the couch when i should be at my non-paid job. but, the bonus is that i did finish my book. aahhh its so addicting. and the first chapter of the next, and final, book of the series was added in as a bonus. it did its job... i am counting the days until aug 2 when it, Breaking Dawn, finally comes out.

I'm Obsessed!!!!

2008-06-29T22:35:00.001-07:00

ok so sorry for my lack of posts lately... as you can see we just got our internet re-sorted out. and my internship and crazy schedule are seriously cutting into my sitting around time. but i digress. i borrowed the third book in the twilight series, Eclipse, from my brother's best friend (also my friend) Taryn on Friday night. I was able to start reading the book a little on Saturday afternoon, and now on Sunday evening i am already on page 309!!!! aaah it's so good. i love it.

Bad service, but good commercials

2008-06-29T15:11:00.000-07:00

We finally switched from Comcast to AT&T for our internet. We had horrible service with Comcast and let's just say, politely, that we strongly disliked them (Mothers should be happy the way that was worded). The only thing we actually like about Comcast is their commercials. Hope you like them too
"Sorry Roger, you tiger now."

"You come push it! You push it real good!!!"

P.S. So far so good with AT&T. They helped me set up the system and I believe the people I talked to actually spoke english as their first language---amazing concept!
-Dave

Fresno State Bulldogs Baseball

2008-06-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

For anyone that missed the 2008 College World Series of baseball...I'm sorry. You really missed an awesome series. Now, I may be a little swayed just because our FSU Dogs WON!!!, but it really was awesome to watch. Steve Detwiler was our choice for Most Valuable Player during the series for the FSU Bulldogs. He was freakin amazing! This guy was making plays in the out field and definitely putting some force behind his swing (Everytime he stepped up to the plate, we knew something awesome was going to happen)...oh and all on a jacked up thumb. The thumb on his glove hand has been injured since April 1st (He tore his tendon)and he's been playing like that ever since without surgery. Sucks that it hurt for him throught this season, but his pain was our gain. Here's hoping to a great surgery and a quick and strong recovery. Can't wait to see him in the pro's.
Another favorite of ours is Justin Wilson. He's a local guy that went to Buchanan! He pitched nearly 8 straight innings in the last game with a great attitude. When a fellow team-mate made an error, Wilson simply smiled at him and joked it off to releave some of the pressure and embarrassment the player might have felt. That's when he became an even greater player in our books.
Congrats to all of our Bulldogs! You put Fresno State sports in the news in a good way and that's a great (Yet sadly rare) thing. You've raised the stock of our city. I hope you all continue to do great things, sign on with the pro's, and make ridiculous amounts of money. Just remember to keep that great and humble attitude that you showed all of us when you won. Congrats again!
-Dave

Our Bad...

2008-06-18T19:49:00.000-07:00

Let me start out by apologizing to those of you that have been checking our blog daily for the last 10+ days without finding the reward of a new post. We have been uninspired with the recent destruction of our camera, added with a busy schedule. Sure a lot has happened: our camera broke (Canon SD400), we just ordered a new one (Canon SD950), my parents celebrated their 34th wedding anniversary (Which is so awesome! especially in this day and age and we are very proud of them and thankful for them as role models), Larry (Jessicas Dad) had knee surgery (He's starting to look a lot better), we celebrated Fathers Day and saw Iron Man (Awesome), my brother turned 29 on the 17th (How old are we all getting?), we went on a one-day surf trip to Pismo and met up with Chris and Kalia, and her parents Coco and Gary (The four "kids" surfed and we had some amazing clam chowder at Splash as usual), and Fresno State has been kicking some major butt in the College Worlds Series (Go Dogs!). I'm sure there is more but I can't think of it right now. Just wanted to give you something to keep your interest in What The Hale Man
-Dave

101

2008-06-07T12:53:00.000-07:00

that's right folks. Yesterday, I saw a man that was 101. It just keeps getting better. Oh, and I got my hair done today. I absolutely love it, but our camera is broken so I can't post any pictures. If you want to see it, you'll just have to hang out with me. And let me just tell you, it is quite different. Happy Saturday!

99

2008-06-04T19:54:00.000-07:00

So today I had the pleasure of treating a 99 year old man! Yes, I said 99. He turns the big 100 in December of this year. When I read his chart I almost couldn't believe my eyes when it said his birthdate was 12/16/08. Yea, that's 1908 not 2008. Wow! It blew my mind. And what's even more amazing is that he was completely lucid. No dementia, no Alzheimer's, no heart disease, not even diabetes. He was in all senses of the word, healthy. I don't even really remember why he was admitted, but its besides the point. And, when we worked with him he was completely independent in his bed mobility, walked 150+ ft with only contact guard assist, and completed his transfers with only verbal cues. (sorry for the PT jargon- but that is AMAZING!) Plus, as the cherry on top he was so sweet.... with no unusual smells about him (such a plus in a hospital!). I was just absolutely enamored with him... I wanted to sit and chat with him all day. To just think of all the things he lived through... The Industrial Revolution, horse drawn carriage transportation, indoor plumbing, electricity, WWI and WWII, The Depression, prohibition, The Women's Liberation Movement, Civil Rights, The Vietnam War, so many infamous moments in history, as well as watching his family multiply in size. I can't even imagine... it just blows my mind. He must have such a wealth of experiences... wow. And, it got me thinking about all the things I hope to be able to accomplish in life. Here's my (short and incomplete) list:
-have a life altering relationship with Christ
-become a mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother
-travel to- Hawaii and Europe (again with my husband), Australia, Fiji, Japan, Costa Rica, cruise in the Greek Isles and the Bahamas, Antarctica and Alaska
-see America drop its dependency on oil and learn to use some sort of crazy recycled product to run all of our cars
-learn how to cook well
-own a house on the coast
-learn how to wakeboard, knit, sew, speak Spanish well
-be an awesome PT and work with children
-swim in the Dead Sea
-see my husband pursue his true passions
-watch a total joint replacement surgery
-be involved in a rodeo somehow (i have this strange love for all things rodeo)
-learn to enjoy hiking and push myself to hike an amazing mountain with my husband (he's made it to the top of Mt. Whitney before... i have a lot of work ahead)
-be friends with someone famous
-find a creative outlet that i am good at
-swim with dolphins
-swim with giant sea turtle
-spend a night in Cinderella's castle inside Disney World/Land
-live outside CA for some period of time
This list is in no way exhaustive, I know that there are more things that I've said I'd kill to do and simply can't remember right now. However, I always want to dance my way through life, treat others the way I want to be treated, always love my husband with the dedication and passion we shared the day we were married, be kind and respectful to others, and be the best daughter, sister, aunt, and wife that I can be right now!! AAAH... i just love life!

ps- 3 things I've done so far that were on my list include going on a hot air balloon ride, watching the Friends season finale taping live, and getting married.

Twilight

2008-06-01T11:10:00.000-07:00

.... is my new obsession! I seriously can't stop. We bought the book earlier this week, maybe Monday night?, and I finished it yesterday. I immediately wanted the next book in the series, New Moon, so last night after seeing The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (which was really good, but intense) we went to Borders and bought the second book. I have only owned it for the last 12 hours or so, but I have already read 96 pages. I'm a maniac!! I can't stop. I really didn't think that I would enjoy it so much, who knew a quasi love story revolving around some vampires would be so amazing. (I know it sounds wierd, but trust me!) Anyway, if I seem MIA for the next week or so I might be devouring this book and the next. AAAAHHHH!

Thank you youtube

2008-05-31T19:19:00.000-07:00

...and thanks to those who have posted these video's that I have now stolen. Just some cool new video's. Look closely on the Weezer one...they got all of our favorites from the past to be in their video.
Kiss The Girl by Colbie Caillat

Pork And Beans by Weezer

and some other videos...
Here It Goes Again by OK GO

You're The Best by Karate Kid

and then just for laughs...
The evolution of dance:

Poor lighting = Poor advertising

2008-05-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Hair did it go?!

2008-05-29T21:18:00.000-07:00

Bought some buzzers, the guard was shorter than I thought, made a quick mohawk, and then finished with what I call the Louie Marquez.

Clinical Practicum I

2008-05-28T18:17:00.000-07:00

So begins my first internship for PT school. Technically, I am not an intern until next year, after I graduate. Right now, I am an extern and completing my clinical practicum I. (Whatever, I think the whole thing is confusing...) So day 2 is down and all I can say is that my feet hurt. There is a lot of walking that goes on in a hospital. And a lot of interesting smells....

What the Hale is up with my TV?

2008-05-27T10:30:00.000-07:00

Ok all you old TV users (Ourselves included). If you use a TV that isn't hooked up to cable or satelite, then you may notice something weird happen at midnight on February 17th, 2009. No, you're TV will not come to life like some weird Toy Story rip-off, but it will stop working. Why you ask? All full-power TV stations will stop broadcasting in analog and switch 100% to digital broadcasting. Which means to us, we have to buy a DTV converter box. It doesn't suck as bad as you think though. My boss told me about a governmental voucher you can sign up for and they'll send up to two $40 vouchers towards a converter box. Awesome! To get it, you just have to fill out a simple form at this government site.Click on section 3 and fill out a very short form (Ask for two vouchers). Ours are being sent out in about two weeks. You can read more about this change in section one of the linked website. Enjoy...your TV.

So you know you can't dance...

2008-05-24T14:56:00.000-07:00

I know I can't, but if I could do what these guys can do, then I'd be dancing all the time. I was just mesmerized by the way this guy could "dance" on So You Think You Can Dance. I would love to learn how to do it. It reminded me of the guy in the second video. The guy I'm talking about is wearing an orange shirt and comes out kind of timid, but then wins over the audience (Or at least my vote) with his slow motion style. Crazy!
-Dave

I think he Can Dance - Watch more free videos

FUN FRIDAY!!!!!!!

2008-05-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Remember when Fridays in elementary school used to be called this? I loved it... game time at recess, snack shack, cheerleaders wore our uniforms to school, such school spirit. Well, it is a lovely Friday morning and I just woke up at 9:15 am. A perfect amount of sleeping in without feeling like the day is wasted. As I sit on the couch, I am so excited because my husband and I both have the day off, so it is full of possibility. What shall we do today, we have all day to play together!? So much potential, the sun in shining, its beautiful outside!!! Hopefully this day will be as great as I am making it in my head!!! I can't wait!!!! Hope you have a happy Friday as well.

Here are some pictures of what our fun could include....
my man and i riding our tandem bike.....
fun times are always had with this dear friend, amy, who we miss so much! alas, she is in pasadena for now so we will just have to remember those good times...
this is the typical cast of characters for fun weekends.... we always have a good time
we always have a good time with my brother eric!
or maybe it will just be us, but we always have fun!

Moving Day

2008-05-21T09:53:00.000-07:00

No.... not us. But my best friend Jen is moving on Saturday into a fancy new apartment, to move on with her fancy new life as a college graduate, to become a fancy interior designer, and live with this fancy girl, Katie Elizabooyah Cosgrove. I'm excited. And apparently, I like the word fancy. (Yes, this picture is of myself and Katie, but I didn't have one of Jen and Kate.) I like Jen, obviously. I like Katie. This should be fun....

ps- this picture is from our National Water Polo Tournament last year in Massachussets. I wish i was playing polo again....

SORE!

2008-05-21T09:46:00.000-07:00

So I like to think of myself as an active person, I enjoying moving around you know working out, and keeping busy. So during my 1 week of bliss (aka no school or internship) I have been faithful to go the gym every day. Bonus, I have been super inspired by my ridiculously in shape sister in law, Jacinda, and took 2 classes at the gym with her this week. I was super excited because I have done these classes at GB3 before (cardio kickboxing and something like circuit training) back when I had a life (aka before PT school) and was looking foward to the familiar burn. However, when I woke up this morning, I had more than the familiar burn! My legs are so ridiculously sore I can barely walk. I think that my calves are trying to jump off of my body in protest from me making them work so hard the last couple of days. Alas, I am on the couch right now trying to find the motivation to get up and even walk to the kitchen to drink a glass of water. Work is going to be so hard today......

ps- this is jess

Hair today, gone tomorrow

2008-05-15T15:54:00.000-07:00

Jessica called me the other night, "Hey, I'm done with my meeting and I'm coming home. What are you doing?"
This is where she was expecting to get the typical, "Oh, watching tv."
Instead, she hears...
"I'm cutting my hair."
"You're what?"
"I'm cutting my hair." This time with a little laugh.
"With your buzzers?" She sounds nervous.
"No, just some scissors."
"Oh my goss, I'll be home as soon as I can."

When she got home, I was half-way back on my head and we both laughed hysterically. I had hair all over myself.

Just some of my hair.

The haircut was long overdue.

Not too bad for my first time...plus, it was free.

Montana De Oro

2008-05-15T15:16:00.000-07:00

I recently bought a surfboard, so one free weekend Jess and I decided to go surfing. Jen and our friend Katie were going to go hiking in Yosemite the same day. Turns out their ride to Yosemite had gotten food poisoning the day before, so we made it a trip for four to the beach. We got to Pismo (Overcast and bad surf) so we decided not to even get in the water. Instead, we ate Splash Cafe (A must and don't even try to tell me Brad's is better), saw the puppies at the pet store, ripped the girls away from the puppy heaven, and went to Montana De Oro. This is my favorite beach. There are tons of cool rocks and shells to discover on the beach, huge rocks to climb on, caves to explore, and just an awesome view. The girls stayed wrapped up in blankets while I explored my little kid heart out. I climbed up the main rock, took tons of cool pics, set up my mini tri-pod and got some funny timed shots, carved "HALE" into the packed down sand next to a little pirate guy, and went as far as I could in the caves. We also ended up with a funny one of us while I'm stickin out my stomach as far as possible and making a strange face. Gotta love it. Oh, my brother proposed to his now wife there. That's how cool the beach is. Ever been there?
-Dave

Yee Haw!

2008-05-15T13:55:00.000-07:00

Ok, so this is really old, but I'm trying to catch up on some blogging since school is out. A couple of weeks ago we went to the good ol' Clovis Rodeo. The Armstrongs have bought us tickets the last couple of years (Thank you!) and this year was the same. The rodeo is always awesome. Jessica's Uncle Scott even made a special trip down from San Francisco to watch it with us. We usually go on Sunday because that is the "finals" day and all the best are out. This year we all bought cowboy hats, had some beer, nachos, snow cones, awesome tri-tip sandwiches, and roasted in the sun. It was great! My favorite part is the mutton busters. For those of you that don't know what mutton bustering is all about, it's when they have little kids ride on the back of sheep. Hilarious!
-David

Procrastination.....

2008-05-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Okay, so can I first just say that I officially do not like finals. However, I have realized that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the food network. I think if we ever couldn't pay for cable again, this would be the channel I miss the most. I would like to thank Rachel Ray, Giada deLaurentis, Paula Deen, and Ina Garten for helping me procrastinate studying for my finals. Oooh.. I'm also currently watching this Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives show. It's glorious. Good thing Dave and I sat here talking about if the show came to Fresno, where we could take the host, Guy. Wow... we're lame......

Are you a player?

2008-05-06T12:11:00.001-07:00

Do you ever find yourself looking for a good game to play online when you get bored? Look no further my friends! I have found some great ones that will keep you addicted for hours, get you to start neglecting your normal life (By holding your bladder as long as humanly possible and then realizing you can take your laptop with you...you sicko), and will be putting you in the doghouse in no time. Ready? I'm sure there are some great ones out there, but these are some of my favorites. I'm a big fan of Bloxorz, Bloon Tower Defense 1 and 2, Magic Pen, and Kitten Cannon(<--Don't get mad all you cat lovers...it's just a game). What game keeps you so glued to the screen that you do the pee-pee dance?