I know I'm a little late to the party

But I love this album. I've listened to it 3 times today!

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN??

I have no idea. November 2008 is quite a long time to be absent. I have no excuse.
Well, I have a good feeling about my blog these days and I am ready to get back into the swing of things. You see, I got this for Christmas!
Ok so Betsy and I both got this for Christmas. I love it! This camera takes way better photos than my other one. It's been fun remembering how to take SLR photos where you have to adjust everything on your own. There is a steep learning code when your used to the point and shoot method of picture taking. Luckily I have my trusty manual at the ready. Betsy laughs at me about this.

One of the great features that I have missed with a point and shoot is adjusting for depth of field.

This was my first attempt at getting all of the rail in focus. As you can see, I am not that good at using the camera yet but I am working on it. My goal is to shoot at least one photo a day.
The camera came with a zoom lens which is nice. I love interchangeable lenses.
We bought this camera to document our lives and family but, (don't tell Betsy) I am excited to take flower photos with it. Look at that picture! Its like your a bug preparing to land on the coyote brush flower! Wow! So lifelike.
I hope this new camera will help me to start blogging with some regularity. I need to restart the Plant of the Week segment. Now, I have no excuse not to.

When nature strikes back

Today was tough in the field. This morning I had to collect some data
and as I was doing so a bee flew in my hair, panicked, and then stung
me. Lame. My head hurts but luckily I am not allergic.

Then at another site I slipped in the mud. Sort of embarrassing to walk around with a big mud stain on your butt. At least it was a nice day today!

Get out and vote!

Yes, it is finally here. Election day! I am so relieved this election season is almost over. I am also relieved that I figured out what I am going to vote for.

We will soon be able to relate to each other in terms other than yes or no.

Barock the vote!

Rain

I love the first rain
Happy Halloween!!!

What am I going to do?

I have yet to sort out all the issues in the upcoming election. The election is 7 days away and I still haven't read up on all the propositions. And there are lots of them, 22 in San Francisco, and 12.5 for the State of California. Not only that but who am I going to vote for School Board? Superior Judge? I have no idea.

Does 34 propositions seem excessive to anyone? 34. We have to decide about a wide variety of issues, gay marriage, animal rights, renewable energy, public energy, tons of bond issues, legalizing prostitution, redistricting, reinstating JROTC and my favorite, deciding whether or not to name one of S.F.'s sewage treatment plant after George W. Bush.

I almost always vote no on every proposition in every election, especially the bond issues. I feel that we don't need to tack on more and more debt every two years for projects that probably will go over budget. I know sometimes the best way to pay for infrastructure is through bonds but California is broke people. We need to pay off our debt.

Some of the issues are just confusing. Take Prop 7, the renewable energy generation initiative. Is this a good thing or just another scam by big energy? How does it differ from Prop 10 which is the renewable energy and clean alternative fuel act? I have no idea. I am not a lawyer so I cant decipher all the fine print.

All I really have to go on is the Arguments section in the voter guide where both sides voice their opinions. Is this the best way to figure out the issues by having a debate with myself as I read the arguments for and against? I do admit that sometimes I read each side in a different voice. It helps when you have to cram the week before the election like I always do!

Hey, is that the internet in your pocket?

So, it is official. I just got the letter in the mail that I have finally graduated from SFSU. What a relief. I am glad the journey is over.

One of the motivations Betsy used to get me to finish my thesis was the promise of a new iPhone which totally worked. I worked so hard to finish.
But lets be honest. I needed a new phone. My old phone was this piece of crap Nokia. It sort of worked. The front screen broke about 1 year ago and it has this weird dust under the screen...
that makes it useless in the sun. Who is calling me? I have no idea. I can't see.
but not anymore! Holy smokes I love my new phone. I have owned it for about a month now. I know, I know, everyone has one now but I love it just the same.
Look how great it looks next to my old phone. I love the fact that when I am out in the field monitoring construction I can pass the time watching You tube videos or checking my e-mail, or even surfing the net. Instead of lugging the heavy Jepson manual out in the field, I can access and key out a plant, and confirm easily. Dope!
Gosh, that last sentence makes me sound like a dork but I don't care!

It's funny how fast you get used to something (Internet and GPS in your pocket) that you don't know how you ever lived without them. Remember when you didn't have a cell phone and had to plan to meet up with friends? Remember when you got your first cell phone and couldn't imagine living without one? The iPhone kicks it up a notch. Just last week my co-worker and I were stuck in traffic trying to get through the Caldecott tunnel and we used the maps feature to go up and over so we were not late for a field meeting. 2 months ago I would have been screwed.

But there are some dangers of owning an iPhone. There is an increased chance of becoming a douche bag. You may know that person who is constantly on their phone, or constantly looking up the answer to a silly debate you may be having, or showing you some "cool" feature on the phone? I don't want to be that guy. I think for the first few weeks I was too embarrassed to tell anyone about owning an iPhone. It was silly, but becoming a douche bag is one of my biggest fears.

Since I have the Internet in my pocket, one would think I would blog more. I should try to get on that!