its everywhere

beauty. its in everything. we've all just got different takes on it. some like art, some like photography, some like music, some like fashion, some like animals, etc. its what makes us move. when i pulled up to our apt today after a quick subway run,  i shot this quick pic on my phone of a tree that lost all its leaves, thought once i uploaded it, it turned out pretty neat:

been listening to some new(ish) music lately. if you like pop rock like the starting line, check out the dangerous summer. might be some of the catchiest yet musically interesting music i've heard in a while. this is all for now, thought i'd share.

hello again

so its been a good quarter of a year since i last posted in this bad boy. i'm not really sure what chemical formula went off upstairs to make me want back in, but...here i am.

i last said that i had ordered the harry potter books. i read them all, page by page. it only took about 5 weeks (an amazing feat considering i work pretty much all the time). it was one of the most addictive and intriguing series i've ever read. to anyone who feels like it might interest them, do yourself a favor and read them. 

for those of you who read my wife's blog, you'll see that we had a pretty stellar holiday season. our most recent serious purchase was a new bed from BoConcept. words can't describe how excited i am to finally a) own a king size bed and b) start sleeping well. in my opinion, a full grown man, woman and dog just can't fit comfortably in a queen. Jan 31st is the projected arrival date for this new masterpiece.

i did find out i was approved for a home loan. this is excellent, and terrifying all at the same time. it seems like that could have been the biggest hurdle, and it was no trouble at all. now its just a matter of finding the most comfortable shell to call home. we're like hermit crabs. 

i took some time to clean our apartment today. i always take for granted when chant does it. its not that i dont notice and appreciate it, i just dont return the favor as often. it does feel good to be trash and clutter free once more. not to mention the new bed will look even better in a clean room :)

during my cleaning process this morning, i took some time to think of the past year, and how much my life has changed. making more money has definitely helped everyday life, there's really no stress at the moment. its nice to be able to want/need something, and just go get it. finally a little pay-off for the hours and hours it took to get here. i was also thinking that its nearly been a whole year since i got married. it really seems like it was just a few months ago. i'm sure by the time its our 10 year anniversary it'll feel like 5. time is a fickle friend. the talk of children and homes are of topic more days than not. definitely home is the first step, being a father is just such a huge task. i know when the time comes i'll love it, i'm just not ready to focus all my attention on parenting quite yet. 

we leave for NY in less than 2 weeks. its going to be an amazing getaway. this time, there's no agenda, no real plans, just going into the unknown for a few days and experiencing whatever comes across our paths. i'm sure i'll post several pictures after we get back from the trip. 

explore.

keeping up

it seems i've been so busy lately. i've lost the grasp of how valuable time can be. i see a month in pay periods, days off as a relief, and work has become my 1st home; our apt the 2nd. i know that i'm lucky to have what i have and to have such a great job, but it sure is taxing sometimes. 

on the bright side, i finally got my new phone. i went with the g1. white. it's so much better than any other phone i've ever had...still figuring out all the bells and whistles :)

i ordered the harry potter book series on half.com the other day. after seeing film 6 the second time...i realized there's just way too much stuff going on that they can't possibly put into the movies. still, i love sci-fi. it just makes my imagination run.

all in all, i have everything i want. wife, job, dog, good friends, great family...everything is going so good. our next big venture is going to be house shopping. such a giant step, but i think we are growing into the right mind-sets on what we want/need. i'm sure there will be much more talk of this at a later date. i'd kill for something that is super mid century, but very modern as well. i can't wait.

the good day

so, after 24 years of being a child, it finally sinks in. the most cliche saying of all time becomes true: everything happens for a reason. all the heartache, struggle, testing, headaches...its all for a bigger reason. 

life has treated me well, and i think this past year i've leaped miles in maturity. i've still got more than my fair share to learn, but so far everything is making sense. 

this is the happiest i've been really ever, and i can't see how it could change. 

until next time...

the busy life

so, dear journal of mine...its been quite some time since ive written in you. it could be that i just don't want to send the last post of our vacation further away. reality sucks sometimes. i've also been the busiest ive ever been. it seems that even though i'm working earlier for the most part, i'm working harder and with less days off. i went 6 days with no day off, and then i'll go another 7 before i'm off again. dont get me wrong, it's what i wanted. just harder. 

i did sneak some time in to finally see harry potter this morning.

that's right, the 10am showing i went to at 8:30. i know how demanding those little kiddies are, and sure enough...i was first in line. the movie was amazing. i didn't like the ending at first, until i realized what it was. its just like in LOTR, the two towers. some people dont like it because its not as action motivated or there's no epic battle ending it. the bad guys look to be winning. but this is how great stories are told. this is the calm before the storm. it left me begging to see the next one, and i surely wouldn't mind waiting before mall opening hours again. 

also, my car has really been a bummer lately. this was exactly what i wanted, down to the t, and it's just proven to be more hassle than its worth. i think i might try and trade the golf in for this. this exact one. i love these cars, have for a while. and with a name like honda, i feel pretty secure owning one. 

other than my car crapping out and working more than ever, life is still good. i love what i have, what i work for, and who i share with. 

paradise

we landed back in the US yesterday completely disappointed our trip came and went so quickly. it was a perfect vacation. spending so much time with my love day and night was the only way this scenery could have been any better. you can check chant's facebook for many more pictures. 

for most days, we woke up fairly early. the sun rises there so quickly and early you don't want to miss out on any daylight. so we'd wake up and head to the breakfast buffet. this was no ordinary buffet...they had it all. any kind of fruit, pastry, bacon, eggs, waffles, pancakes, milk, cereal, omelet-maker, i mean everything. bottomless mimosas, or whatever else you wanted. straight from breakfast we would head out to the beach. we'd spend most time under a cabana or sunbathing until we were too hot to continue. 

i'm in love with this pic i took of G + C  i carved in the cabana post. 

 then it was off to one of the 4 major pools. they had a swim up bar so you don't even have to leave the water to get a drink. it was amazing. 

after lunch, we'd usually swim more and play water volleyball/drink more mixed drinks. i preferred the banana daquiri most days. we'd head back to the room to get ready for dinner next, which you could choose from about 6 different resteraunts. we tried them all. after dinner we would relax at different lounge areas across the resort. i've never seen such a well designed hotel. after long conversations and lots of laughs, we'd retire back to our room. here's a peek of what we got to sleep in each night:

all in all it was the best vacation i've ever been on. its so refreshing to put yourself in a place you've never been before, where your language you speak and are so comfortable with isn't the norm. to anyone who is thinking of planning a vacation anywhere, i'd definitely recommend doing an all-inclusive package. not worrying about any finances while you are on vacation makes it so much more of just that...a vacation. 

each day we were there i was reminded of my relationship with chant. i know that i found something rare. i'm so so lucky to have been given this opportunity, and to share it with her. 

friends, trips, and phones

well, since last post, luis and bethany got married. the wedding was amazing, exactly how they wanted it i'm sure. through this wedding i've met some really great people. it's funny how circumstances that can seem indifferent can turn out to be more than what you could have hoped for. 

we leave for mexico on saturday! this is the very first trip i have ever taken (out of texas) without any friends or family. funny, because the one person going with me is now both a friend, and family :) it is going to be a wonderful experience and i cannot wait to wake up and be feet away from the beach, frozen beverage in hand. it will be a great getaway.

once i return, i've been thinking of a new purchase. my sidekick is about to just stop working, i can feel it. he likes to turn off in my pocket without restarting. or lose service mid text message. or rip a hole in the pocket of my jeans. all in all, its time for an upgrade. i can't decide on what to get...there's the white G1:

or the cell phone tyrant, the iphone:

i know that both can handle my mindless internet endeavors, as well as the standard texting and phone calls. i just don't know which will suit me best. either way, its a 100% improvement over what i'm dealing with now.