Adios Texas



My last day helping Texas was Halloween (I actually dressed up as a doctor for my final outing and unofficial roll-off party).  As a symbol to represent the end of an era full of many bad and not completely awful memories and to put closure to the experience I carved a good ole fashioned Texas jack-o-lantern.











There were definely a handful of great people that made the experience memorable.

Jolene and I will of course always remember our trips down to Austin and San Antonio during the midst of the busiest times at work.  Soaking up Texas history but in reality just down there to get some good Mexican / Tex-Mex food at any meal we could.


A special thanks to Torchy Tacos, The Austin Bats, The Alamo, and the Hyatt Regency Austin.

Dave and Mere got Married (Collegeville, PA)

My brother David and my new sister Meredith got married this Fall.

It was a beautiful wedding and it was full of fun people from both sides who have made them what they are today.

The fun was contagioius...

Holler Party 2014 (Theta, TN)

We were lucky enough to get invited back to our second Holler Party with Jolene's Nashville work friends.  It's nice to get out of the city and party in the country.

While it's suppose to be a time to visit with friends, we also stopped by to visit with all the animals, and even sneak in a horseback ride.

Let's be honest with ourselves though... we were there to see the dogs. 

Accidental Rock Collection (Part 2) ... Okay, it's not an accident anymore.

Jolene found me a shelf to put them on so I figured I should fill the empty spots.

1. Japan – From near the grounds of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
2. Peru – Found during a hike outside of Aguas Calientes in the Amazon Rain Forest.
3. Brazil – Rio de Janeiro toward the north end of Copacabana Beach.
4. Peru – Salkantay Pass in the Andes at an altitude of nearly 3 miles.
5. Dominican Republic – Edge of forest/beach line outside of Punta Cana.
6. USA - Birmingham, Alabama – Ruffner Mountain
7. USA - Atlanta, Georgia – Kennesaw Mountain
8. USA - Smoky Mountains National Park, Tennessee
9. USA - Southport, North Carolina – Oak Island Beach

Republica Dominicana - Honeymoon

As a change of pace I was asked to plan a relaxing vacation with no activities and no challenges.  My idea to take a boat trip through all the Scandinavian countries and be dropped off in Russia for a trip to the Kremlin was promptly vetoed.

It was brought to my attention that previous trips had included a semi-serious case of altitude sickness while hiking in the Andes, being escorted via an armed caravan through the Sinai Peninsula and then stranded there when our bus died, and then of course the repeated detainment at the hands of the UK Border Patrol.  It's no wonder I've lost the right to plan future excursions.

 

The Dominican Republic trip was great.  We stayed on the resort, hit the beach, drank, and ate.  Definitely the most relaxing trip I can remember.
 

Got Hitched! - May 24th, 2014

The day finally came.  We traveled back to Pittsburgh and tied the knot in front of most of our family and many of our close friends.  We had an outdoor ceremony with beautiful weather, a lovely venue aided by an arbor made by Jolene's dad, and documented by a photographer who was enchantingly spirited.

I found through the process that it was important to stay calm and remember it's your day.  Focus on what is important to the two of you and just let everything else fall as it may. 

In the end the people you who have grown up depending on will be there to support you and celebrate the event with you which is the entire point.


My little brother during a great toast informed the crowd that perhaps I haven't been hugged enough as I grew up.  Later in the evening a close friend and now also my brother in law inspired the crowd to help me catch up on hugs.

We laughed, reminisced, and danced with our favorite people until the day was over and we'll remember it forever ...


Tokyo, Japan - こんにちは

I tricked the company into letting me go to Asia... there was no way I wasn't going to take the opportunity to experience some it while I was out there.  Since Jolene and I have a beach trip coming up soon this year it didn't seem right to go to Boracay.  I ended up choosing Tokyo for a long weekend in the middle of my business trip.














While out there I went to the Tokyo Tower, attended a tea ceremony, cruised the Sumida river, toured the Asakusa Kannon Temple, and walked the Tsukiji Fish Market.  Most of this was with the help of a local tour group but I did get out on the town by myself as well.

I wandered through the Shinjuku area where I was staying, walked the outside grounds of the Imperial Palace, and even accidentally had lunch at a sushi restaurant on the 51st floor of Sumotomi Tower.

While it was fun to find a bus to take me downtown through a brief but quick snowstorm it was definitely not nearly as intense as figuring out the Tokyo subway system.  It turns out that I do not speak Japanese at all.  Taking it back and forth to tour the city really consisted of me hitting a bunch of random buttons on a ticket machine, feeding it money, and then running from train to train until I heard a stop that sounded familiar.  The good news is I always eventually found my final destination.

I definitely enjoyed Tokyo.  All the activities I did called out the fascinating history and culture of the Japanese people that I won't soon forget.

 

さようなら - Mike