Watercolor Bird

Here's the first attempt in a long time to watercolor. For some reason lately I've had the urge to paint, so I've started a few things and this one I actually finished last night. Hope you like it!

Back from Hawaii

and still trying to recover from jetlag. 6 hours makes a big difference!

I am super busy, but here are some of the photos of Oahu around where we stayed, and the ceremony, and lots of pictures of Lauren's family.

http://www.madflydesign.com/hawaii/

I would have had much more photography of the forests and trails I hiked with Lauren's dad, but the crime rate and theft problem on Ohau deterred me from taking a camera. I should have taken a beater for that stuff...but only packed my digital kit...and I don't think I can afford to loose that kit right now.

But there's some photos....you get the idea. Pretty place, but mostly man-made. The good stuff was back in the forests and on top of the mountains.

Here's were we were staying, too, if you want to check that out.

Writing letters to congress.

I've been getting about 3 hours less sleep every night since our lovely congressmen passed the new fireworks law that allows any toothless, mullet wearing, camero driving *dumbass* (pardon my french) to buy and discharge any fireworks they please from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm, any day of the year.

Last night I thought my house was going to catch fire from the overspray of ash and sparks from the house two doors down. This guy and his *lovely* wife drive a Camero and a Firebird, respectively, with no mufflers. They have loud music most weeks, drink beer and have parties in the front yard all the time, and now can shoot fireworks off every day of the week.

He must have spent all of his paycheck on fireworks this week, too, because it's been every single night, from about 7:30 (when it's still daylight, mind you) until 10:59. He shoots off the biggest fireworks I've ever seen...the big one's that rattle the windows and shake the dishes in the cabinet. He might as well just take a sledgehammer to my forehead every time, too, because it's about as annoying.

And I'm not the pregnant one in the house...imagine her rage, trying to fall asleep - already uncomfortable from carrying twins and having to pee every 10 minutes, and now having to listen to Billy Bob and Bobby Sue entertain their dirty, Kool-Aid mustached kids right up till the time I can call the police and get a charge filled against them.

So, along with me walking over to his house tonight, knocking on the door, and trying not to knock his one remaining tooth out of his face with a baseball bat - and asking him to please lay off the fireworks for a while...I've written my local police department, fire department, and Senate/House of Reps the following letter. I hope you enjoy...and if you agree, please feel free to do the same.

_____________
Dear _____:

The new fireworks law is absurd. Since the law has been passed that allows fireworks to be discharged any day of the week, from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm, my neighborhood has sounded like WWII. I have twin daughters on the way, and when they are born I fear that they will never be able to sleep peacefully because my neighbor lights the BIG fireworks off all night, from about 9:00 to 11:00 - the ones that sound like a shotgun blast right outside and go way up in the air and scream and make more shotgun blast noises.

This happens every single night, too. Not just last night, the 4th, when I will tolerate it...but every night since the ban has been lifted.

I don't know if you have kids, sir, but if you do, imagine laying in bed at 10:00 trying to get some sleep so you can function the next day at work, and having Vietnam going on outside of your bedroom window.

I've called the police several times, and they tell me nothing can be done unless it lasts past 11:00.

My hope is that you've had a similar incident, or perhaps you'll get enough letters from people asking that the laws be put back into place to protect the peace and quiet that used to be my neighborhood.

In my eyes, it's no different than someone shooting a shotgun or a pistol from 9:00 am to 11:00 pm in the back yard. That, however, isn't legal. Fireworks are, though. Fireworks are just as loud, and just as dangerous as firearms. Sure, not many people have been "shot" and killed by a firework, but this morning when I awoke to bottle rocket sticks and firework debris all over my roof, you can't tell me my house isn't in danger, along with everything inside, including myself and my pregnant wife.

So please, could you see about putting the laws back in place that restrict fireworks to only being shot on the 4th of July? There is no reason for someone to shoot fireworks off every day of the week, anytime of the year, other than to keep the whole neighborhood up with their noise.

Formula 1 Race

Today I went to the formula 1 race with free tickets from work. It was a great race. I've never seen anything quite like it...and I liked it!

We were sitting in turn 1, one of the trickiest turns of the whole race...so we saw plenty of action..including this wreck. Check out the image sequence I got! I just pointed my long lens at it and let it rip out a long sequence as fast as it could. It's amazing this guy walked away!

http://www.madflydesign.com/f1wreck/

More to come later...I have to take care of some things this afternoon first, though!