Vacation: Hilton Head Island

Last week Jenna and I went on vacation at Hilton Head Island, SC. We decided to take the trip as a last attempt to relax before the baby arrives in August. The trip was a success and very relaxing since the majority of our time was spent walking on the beach and lounging at the Mariott hotel. The island is obviously known for its array of golf courses but neither of us are interested in golf so this was not a big deal for us.

We decided to stay at the Mariott because it was one of the only hotels with a true ocean front room available on hotels.com. I think this was an excellent decision because we had a wonderful view and a near constant breeze coming from the ocean. The hotel also had hammocks and lounge chairs which we frequently used. Our only complaint was our rather pitiful air conditioning unit which was bothersome at night when we closed our patio door.

Overall the trip was fun but we had to be mindful of our budget. The liquor at the hotel was overpriced as expected; however, there was a liquor store a couple of miles away. I purchased a bottle of rum and some pineapple juice which kept my camelbak well supplied. There are several resturants to choose from on the Island including chains and unique family owned resturants. We opted to sample the family owned resturants and one resturant in our hotel, Blu.

I also used the trip as an excuse to play with the 50D some more. It seems that the more I use the camera the more I love it. I didn't take as many photos as I had expected but that was probably because I was afraid to take it onto the beach with the frequent wind gusts which left my mouth tasting like sand. I have posted a few photos on flickr but they are mostly sunrise and sunset scenes.

This is a great place to visit if you are looking for a beautiful beach, golfing, and a relaxed atmosphere and you are willing to deal with high prices of a very tourist driven economy.

New photo equipment

A couple of weeks ago I decided to sell my photography equipment and start fresh. I sold my 20D and a couple of lenses to one of my co-workers, David. After selling the 20D I ordered a Canon 50D and 17-55mm IS USM lens.

I did quite a bit of research before ordering the 50D and feel that it was the best choice for me. I was debating purchasing the Canon T1i upon its release; however, there were many features removed (or reduced) from the 50D that I wanted:

• 1/8000 sec shutter speed
• 6.3 fps burst
• Pentaprism view finder
• Scroll wheel for quickly changing settings
• Top controls with LCD
• Larger body which feels better in my hand

Those were the features which mattered to me (and that I can recall) but dpreview has a great side by side comparison of 50D and 500D. The HD video (1920 x 1080) almost lured me to the 500D but after reading that it is limited to 20fps I lost all interest. The fact that the 50D uses the BP 511-A battery was also a huge plus since I have an extra battery and battery grip from the 20D.

So far I absolutely love the 50D and I feel that it has rekindled my love for photography. I'm forcing myself to make time for photography; however, I also have a lot of plans such as school, the baby, and home improvements that may impact my ability to shoot as frequently as I should.

I also moved to flickr in hopes to post more photos and gain additional exposure.

HTC Dream Accessories

Every Googler received an HTC Dream as their 2008 holiday bonus. Officially called the Android Dev 1, these devices are very similar to the T-Mobile G1 but without many of the boundaries. I was excited to finally own an Android device and wanted to protect my shiny new toy.

I started researching and speaking with co-workers about protection and cases. I quickly focused on Zagg's invisibleSHIELD and Naztech's Gladiator II case.

invisibleSHIELD

Zagg's invisibleSHIELD has become one of the best known protective methods for cell phones and other electronics. I purchased a whole body shield on Christmas day and it arrived twelve days later. I would normally be upset with a nearly two week delivery; however, this was bearable considering it was the holidays. I read the installation instructions and spent approximately an hour installing it on my Dream. My installation went well but I could not perfect the corners using the palm or thumb techniques. A couple of the corners never made full contact to the device; looking back I wish I had used a blow dryer as well. If the corners begin to peel away I may contact Zagg and request a replacement under their lifetime warranty.

The invisibleSHIELD gave my Dream a completely new texture. When I first installed the shield my phone bordered on tacky but after a few days I realized that it had subsided to a clean and barely noticeable feel. I really like having the whole body protection but I recommend the screen protection at a minimum. The shield does not impare the visibility of the screen and, like the body, it has a wonderful feel now that it has broken in.

A few days after installing my shield Zagg released a how-to video for installing on the G1. I did not realize how liberally I should use the installation spray until after installing mine and reviewing the videos. Considering the amount of spray that comes with the kit you can be extremely liberal as long as you avoid the open ports.

Gladiator II
I ordered a Naztech Gladiator II case from onlyg1 on the same day that I ordered my invisibleSHIELD. It took nearly a month for it to be delivered. I would be more understanding of the delay if the company had contacted me to inform me of a shortage, when the package actually shipped, or anything. They charged my credit card almost immediately after I purchased the case which is unacceptable considering it didn't ship for an additional 20 days. Around this time I contacted the company by phone to learn where my case was which was successful after approximately 25 minutes of being on hold. After a bit of digging I learned that OnlyG1 is part of the onlyphonenetwork, is associated to EliteXtreme, and has horrible consumer reviews overall. Thankfully my encounter with OnlyG1 has absolutely no reflection on the Naztech case.

The case is absolutely wonderful and I would suggest it to anyone. One of my coworkers, tgrey, originally suggested it to me and I am glad that I listened. This case is one of the most durable phone cases I have ever owned. The belt clip connections are metal which is a great improvement since I have destroyed many cases at that location. The case comes with two different belt clips as well, one for clipping inside a pocket and another for fastening around a belt. I use the clip that fastens around my belt and enjoy how secure it feels. Many people have suggested to avoid cases with magnets because it can cause problems with the Dream's compass; however, I rarely use that functionality and have not encountered a problem so far. This case may be a little bulky for some people but I'm glad to finally get my phone out of my front pocket.

Still expecting.

A few weeks ago I announced that Jenna was pregnant. We were extremely happy and started preparing; however, New Years Eve was devastating as Jenna and I believed she miscarried. I kept this pretty quiet and only made a single tweet about it, mostly because I didn't know how to handle it.

New years eve was spent at home playing games since Jenna did not feel up to attending any parties. Will decided to ditch his parties and join us. Approximately thirty minutes after midnight Jenna rushed to our bedroom without saying anything. I assumed that she just went to the restroom and after several minutes I decided to check on her. I walked into the bedroom to discover Jenna sitting on the floor crying, I knew what had happened without asking. Jenna had started bleeding heavily and was certain she miscarried. She said that she didn't even feel pregnant anymore. All I could do was hold her, I knew nothing that I said would comfort her.

After a few minutes I contacted Kennestone Hospital to see if we she come to the Emergency Room. I spoke with their oncall staff who, after informing me they could not provide medical advice over the phone, stated that if the bleeding was not severe and there was no fever then it would probably be safe to wait and contact her OB/GYN. I did a lot of reading online from my phone and after speaking with Jenna decided this would be acceptable. Jenna asked me to call her OB/GYN to make the appointment because she was still having a hard time handling what had happened. I called to make the appointment; however, Jenna's doctor was on vacation until January 12th. The receptionist spoke with one of the partner physicians and told me that it would be safe to wait until her doctor returned. I made the appointment for 9:30AM so we could met with her as soon as possible. I continued to monitor Jenna based on the conditions that the OB/GYN, Kennestone, and the internet suggested with the expectation of rushing her to the hospital if needed.

Jenna asked me to go with her this morning because she was unsure if she would be able to handle it alone, especially if a D&C was required. We arrived at the office and waited patiently, the doctor was running approximately 2 hours late due to a surgery. Once the doctor arrived she examined Jenna and believed that she had indeed miscarried. The doctor was hopeful that Jenna was able to handle the miscarriage naturally and did not require a D&C. They decided to perform an ultrasound to confirm that everything was progressing normally.


The sonographer started the process and uttered the words "there's a baby." Jenna and I both feared that this meant she needed a D&C. In a state of disbelief I asked if there was a heart beat. Jenna burst into tears as the sonographer told us there was a strong heart beat and proceeded to let us hear it. We were both in a state of absolute shock. We had been coping with the loss over the past couple of weeks and finally started to overcome it.

We returned to the examination room and were joined by the doctor who was as surprised as we were. She informed us that there was a slight separation from the uterus which probably caused the bleeding. This means that Jenna is now at a slightly higher risk for miscarring. This should not be a problem as long as Jenna reduces back her work schedule. The doctor was also concerned that her hormone levels may have dipped which would result in her feeling different and "no longer pregnant." They took several vials of blood and will have the results by Thursday.

Looking back on it I wish I had just rushed Jenna to the Emergency Room like my instinct told me I should. We are both elated and only hope that today is the end of our recent emotional rollercoaster. Thank you for everyone who has stood by us, sent condolances, and shared personal stories. It meant more to us than you can imagine and we truly appreciate it.

Latest addition: CZ P-01

A few months ago I decided to purchase a new pistol to replace my Taurus PT-111 Pro. I encountered some problems with the PT-111 so I wanted a more reliable pistol from a company I could trust. I did a lot of research and eventually purchased a CZ P-01 in mid October.

I planned a trip to the range shortly after purchasing it. The first magazine was an absolute pleasure to fire. The recoil was light and the P-01 fit perfectly in my hand. I fired approximately three rounds from the second magazine and experienced a failure to feed (FTF). I thought it was a fluke so I cleared the chamber and continued with the magazine. A few rounds later I received another FTF. I suspected a problem with the magazine so tucked it into my range bag and fired from the original magazine. Sadly the original magazine was also experiencing FTFs at an alarming rate.

I read numerous articles which stated the P-01 handled a variety of ammunition, including the Remington rounds I was using, extremely well. I tried my best to find articles of others experiencing the same or similar problems; however, I could only find praise for this pistol. These problems were a surprise to me, my local gun store, and even CZ's gunsmith. The CZ gunsmith was extremely helpful, created a warranty repair case, and ensured me that the problem would be resolved.

I shipped my pistol and expected it to be several weeks until I saw it again. To my surprise CZ received, repaired, and returned my firearm in approximately a week and a half. I suspect this is faster than average since their website even states it can take up to six weeks for a warranty repair. The repair notes stated that they polished the ramp, re-throated the chamber, and fired four magazines without a problem. I am unclear on what exactly re-throating the chamber is; however, these techniques appear to have resolved all of the problems. I fired an additional sixty rounds without a single FTF or hint of malfunction.

I feared that my purchase was unwise; however, after CZ's prompt response I am willing to accept that I may have received one of the very few firearms with a manufacturing flaw. I plan to return to the range soon to fire additional rounds. The Defensive Carry Forums have an extremely thorough and well written range review / report on the P-01 for those seeking additional insight.

Overall I am extremely pleased with this pistol and would suggest it to others. I did notice that the default guide rod is plastic and I plan on replacing it with a stainless steel guide rod from Steve Bedair. There is also some slight wear on the slide next to the ejection port, it seems to have worn off part of the finish but is purely cosmetic.

Overwhelming life changes

My life has changed a lot in the past few days. I haven't been able to completely comprehend the extent in which things will change; however, I know it's coming a lot faster than I expect. Tuesday evening I learned that Jenna is pregnant.

Jenna and I have discussed children numerous times and have always planned on it. We were expecting to wait several months, approximately a year, after marriage and it has only been sixty days. I guess we are a bit ahead of schedule.

While the timing caught us by surprise we are both very happy. We announced this to my parents last night and they seemed to be happy for us as well. We have a doctor appointment tomorrow to see where we stand and what we need to do next.

Home from Oregon.

It feels good to return home from a trip, even when it's as brief as my visit to Oregon was. I spent the majority of my time working but I managed to do a lot of exploring as well. My experience showed me that Oregon consists of many breathtaking views, excellent food, and a profuse number of incredible local beers.

I took a couple hundred photos and posted my favorites on picasaweb, thirty eight total. I feel that I only scratched the surface of what Oregon has to offer for photography; I already want to return in the spring. I placed nearly all of the photos on the map since I visited a variety of places like the Portland Japanese Garden, Voodoo Doughnut, and several waterfalls.

I only managed to visit four waterfalls during my trip: Multnomah, Horsetail, Wakeena, and Bridal Veil Falls. Of the four Multnomah and Horsetail were easily my favorite. I also did a lot of driving along the scenic Historic Columbia Highway which is where most of my photos were taken. I stopped at a lot parks, scenic views, and random spots along the way.

The food was a surprisingly good overall; I managed to visit most of the restaurants I wanted to try and many others suggested by co-workers or locals. My favorites were spread across 80 miles covering The Dalles, Hood River, and Portland:

• Brian's Pourhouse - This was my favorite restaurant. They served one of the best steaks I have had in quite some time. The prices were a bit higher than I would normally pay but it is definitely a restaurant I would visit again and again whenever possible.
• Double Mountain Brewery - This microbrewery had a selection of wonderful beer and astonishing food. One of my co-workers, Ryan, informed me that the owner also owned a bakery which produced the pizza dough resulting in some of the best local pizza.
• Voodoo Doughnut - This tiny doughnut shop was everything I had expected and more. The number of people visiting the tiny hole in the wall was impressive; however, their doughnuts instantly showed me why. I had three doughnuts while in Portland: dirt, old dirty bastard, and maple bacon. The old dirty bastard was my favorite but is not for anyone attempting anything resembling a diet - this creation was covered in peanut butter, chocolate, and oreo cookies. I tried the maple bacon because of it's comic value, I had to try a doughnut with bacon which was good but not my favorite.
• Tijuana Mexican Restaurant - This restaurant looked like a complete dive from the outside but several co-workers suggested we eat here for lunch. The interior was welcoming and the food was the best mexican I encountered during my trip.

I wrote down the names and some brief thoughts for each restaurant in my notebook. I was shocked at how poorly represented Oregon, especially Hood River and The Dalles, is on Yelp so I plan on contributing my experiences soon. I hope that posting them to Yelp will be more helpful than writing about them here.

The plethora of local beers deserves a post by itself; however, I did not write detailed enough notes to provide any real substance on the topic. I had no knowledge of Oregon's local beers before arriving and I still feel that I know very little. Thankfully a couple of co-workers introduced me to a few of the local beers: Double Mountain and Douchettes. I'm certain I sampled others but I can't recall which. I also had the pleasure of trying some home brewed beers from Ryan.

I'm glad I got to make the trip, I really enjoyed getting to meet the people I communicate with on a near daily basis. Hopefully I can return soon to explore and enjoy more of the area.