Our lives have been taken over by...

When you get something really awesome for Christmas, you are going to want to use it as much as you possibly can, right? I thought so, that's just basic human nature. So, this year for Christmas, our present that was either something we had been talking about buying for months, or worth more than $300, was none other than a 120 GB Playstation 3. Needless to say, Sam, Eric and I were thrilled to have something that was the topic of countless dinner discussions sitting right in front of us. So, now a day cannot possibly be complete with at least four hours of Burnout Paradise, Grand Taurismo 5 or both. I can honestly say since Christmas day that we have kept good to that regimen. Up to today, we have unlocked eight cars in Burnout, moved up to class A in Grand Taurismo, played about ten songs (that's it) in Rock Band 2, and less than that in Beatles Rock band. Also one vomiting incident as a result of a Burnout overdose. We did the same thing when we received a Wii about 2 years ago, so this has become a bit of a holiday routine. This has gotten to our heads enough that when asked what we received for Christmas; our three favorite gifts, the response will be in similar context to this:

"Okay, number one was obviously the PS3, number two was probably Rock Band 2 and number three.... what else did I get? I forget.

Or if you're me, you'll respond:

"One was probably my four pairs of drumsticks, two was my granite block for my drumset, and three was... oh yeah, the PS3.

Which is completely out of sarcasm, I'm thrilled to have the PS3 as well. But I just wish to point out that with this lump of black plastic casting a spell on our lives, long forgotten are the presents that someone spent their money on for us. That's gratitude for you. Oh well, this will die down in two weeks, tops. I am certain.

Wrong time to get sick

"This is not a time to get sick, with report cards around the corner"

"Saturday at 5:30, got it"

"Saturday at 12:00"

"Math test on friday"

Somebody answer me this one question, why is it I get sick when I always have a full agenda? Why is it, all the other times I could have been sick, it happens NOW??!! I guess that is just me, someone has a party, there's a math test, I plan to work on a geography project with some other people, my school's remembrance day service, and God know's how many other things, I end up home sick with "a fever, a cough and flu-like symptoms" (flu?!). Now I don't get sick very frequently, but when I do, it is always at a price.

This is now the fourth day of school I have missed and instead of getting one wheelbarrow full of homework, I'll probably end up with two. And since I'm still contagious apparently, there is the potential for more. If this wasn't 2009, I'd probably be sitting in a geography class right now. But with all the fear of H1N1 and all the precautions being taken, I now have to wait seven days before I can even consider going back to school. By this is over, there'll be a U-Haul waiting outside the school with my name on it with a wheelbarrow thrown in for good measure.

The thing I find funniest about this is that I was supposed to go to a friends party Saturday night. He had been waiting since August for a day all of us were available. On the day of the party, 2 of us couldn't make it.

2009 hasn't been a great year health wise for me, or anyone for that matter. I usually get sick about three or four times a year. I have now gotten sick three times since August. Looks as if this is how we will remember 2009. With two letters and two numbers.

MY view

So Eric Was Focusing on the "fun aspect of the trip and matt on the "not so fun" aspect, me am just giving a over view

Day 1 left home at 6:15

Went to gas station with cool sign "HIDE YOUR BEAGLE VICK'S A EAGLE"
Ended up in Williamsport Iowa with outlet mall and Arbys

Day 2

Left Williamsport Iowa Headed to Denver!
Went to strategic air and space museum in Nebraska.
Ended up in Sterling Colorado
Ate at TJ Bummers
Day three
Did Hanging Lake hike
Stopped in Colorado Junction
Had Mexican food
Day 4
Missed Obama (landed in Colorado Junction that day)
Went to Colorado Nat'l Monument
Left for Moab
Did Delicate Arch Hike.

Ate sandwiches the Arch
Day 5

Went to Campground got #16!
Did Petroglyphs, Delicate arch overlook, Windows and Park Avenue Hikes Before Lunch

Went to Moab ate Sandwiches and walked around town for 2-3 hrs.

Left for Campground for dinner tube steak and salad

Did Landscape arch on Devils Garden Hike

Day 6

Left campground heading to Sand Dune Arch

Left For Canyonlands Nat'l Park (Island in the sky)

Went to the Grand View point and trail hikes a bit.

Went for picnic in the picnic area

Left for Upheaval Dome Hike.

Left Canyonland

Headed back to Moab For the night

....... To be continued (Have to go to bed)

My View On Our Trip

If Eric focused on the fun, positive aspects, then I'm going to point out the bad, negative aspects of the trip, and some of the good ones too for old times sake.

First of all, the days where we did nothing but drive for 10-12 hours. The only things you could really do were take naps and stare out the window while listening to Eric's playlist which contains almost nothing but Bon Jovi, Van Halen and stuff of his 70's rock CD's. And trust me, it is hard to try to sleep while listening to that. When you got to watch a movie, Sam would get sick, it would be turned off and it was back to staring out the window.

That was probably my least favorite part of the trip, but after that, that's when it became the trip I hoped it would be. Filled with visits to 12 nat'l parks and monuments, all with breathtaking scenery, interesting history, most with good hikes.

The other thing I wasn't the biggest fan of were the nights we camped. I'm don't mind canned food at all, but when you're trying to sleep, you roll over a bit to your left, and you're on top of somebody, that's when it gets a bit uncomfortable. Before, I never realized how great a bed to yourself was. So, when we were in a hotel and it was my turn to sleep on the rollaway cot, I was thrilled.

That's pretty much all I have to whine about so, 3 weeks, between 5-6 thousand pictures, and about 7200 km later, I can honestly say Zion was my favorite park, Angels Landing my favorite hike and I really enjoyed this trip.

Eric's Trip Notes

Our 2009 road trip to Utah and Arizona was lots of fun.

It had its ups and downs, but mostly ups. I liked seeing Delicate Arch in Arches, hiking up Angel's Landing and down in the Narrows in Zion. I also liked receiving 13 junior ranger badges because I learned new things and earned them at the same time.

It was also cool to see a lot of deer, a bunch of lizards, a couple elk and a few coyotes.

Going down the sand dunes in the Great Sand Dune National Park was fun but going up was hard work.

During the trip we went to many national parks and monuments such as Arches, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, Bryce Canyon, Zion, Grand Canyon, Sunset Crater Volcano, Wupatki, Glen Canyon, Walnut Canyon, Mesa Verde and the Jefferson Expansion Memorial.

That covers everything so that is our trip.

by Eric

Dream Theater-Black Clouds & Silver Linings

Okay, here's the situation here. I walk into a Future Shop, with little money in my wallet. I head straight toward the CD shelves, since that's where I always go. I see this album on the shelf for $12.99. Then, the $15 question hits me. To buy or not to buy, that is the question. I think for a few minutes, then next thing I know, I've given up $15 and walking out of the store with a new CD. This scenario shows perfectly my pitiful willpower. But after listening to this seventy-five minute long album. I thought to myself, best fifteen dollars I've ever spent. Out of the six songs on the album, four are longer than ten minutes. All the ten minute or longer tracks are incredibly diverse, going from a choir style intro to a heavy metal style to slowing down quite significantly shows how the songs cover more than one style and it makes it sound all the more interesting. But on the longest track, you have a four and a half overture style introduction to a minute of seagulls at the end.

Bottom line: Worth it. 4.5/5

Van Morrison-Astral Weeks

If you look on any greatest albums of all time, you are almost guaranteed to find this masterpiece on it. And why not? This is unlike any thing I have ever heard. Odd lyrics, barely understandable vocals all accompanied by instruments that you wouldn't find on many other albums. Yet they find a way to make it all work, and the result is incredible. People like Johnny Depp admitted that they were blown away by this work of art, which just goes to show how big an impact this album had on the world of music.

Bottom Line: a masterpiece 5/5