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Rick’s “Roll” in our wedding

In: Anecdotes

Since our wedding song was too sappy, we had to heel it with a lively juxtaposition. So we decided to Rickroll everyone.

For our wedding song, Travis picked out In this life by Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (get) and one night played it for me before I even knew what it was. It was so romantic and sappy, yet totally accurate, that we both burst into tears. It took listening to it a couple of times before we would ultimately be able to make it through the song without waterworks, but there would be no way to give our guests this advantage. Even if we could, many of them hearing the song for the first time would actually listen to its words and knew what it meant to us. The only way to avoid a sappy, heavy feeling would be to follow the song with something funny, upbeat, or otherwise bizarre. The father-daughter dance was not going to cut it.

Then along came this idea that we would Rickroll everyone. Ha! Perfect. Rick Astley’s Never gonna give you up (get) would not only be in tune with the theme of our gathering, but after such a sap-filled song, this eighties megahit turned rock paradigm would enliven our guests who were familiar with its success (unlike …

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The Planet Earth: Amazon’s Earth Day gift

In: Opinion, Totally Random

It appears that for Earth Day only, Amazon is offering Planet Earth: The Complete BBC Series [Blu-ray] for a mere $37.99 (down from $100) - here is why I love this series so much.

The Planet Earth BBC Series is on sale at Amazon today, Earth Day, only. Here is why I'm going to buy this:

• The footage covers surface of the earth, pole to pole, covering both the obvious and secret species.


• The narrator is a succinctly spoken British man, lending the series an aire of sophistication and drama. There's an American narrator version - this is not it.


• The coverage of the animals is at some of their most emotionally dramatic moments - migration, mating, famine, and fear.


• The program uses aerial shots and close-ups interchangeably to convey the space of movement and emotions of the scene's participants in an extraordinary perspective.


• Its on Blu-Ray, so the resolution is as close to real-life as possible. In fact, you might actually believe it IS real. You know, for a second or maybe 10.

In other news, a Roadrunner found itself in our back yard this morning, drinking the doggie water and looking for lizards. As much as we like our lizards, we were so happy to see this amazing bird at our home for the first time, ever!

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A web-based developer makeover

In: Career management, My Career, Web Development

A major shift in career for any web developer means a major shift in that developer’s website. Here are five major things I have identified I need to do with my website before it becomes my greatest online asset.

It feels oddly empty and voided: my schedule that is. I have a couple of projects to look forward to, but like any other new job or career situation, this one is taking its sweet time loading up on things to do. I have officially taken the plunge into freelance and have a little too much time on my hands. Wait, no scratch that. I have all the time on my hands that I used to want before I quit my job. Aha! As I’m looking around at my online presence, I see no shortage of tidying, organizing, and clarifying that needs to happen before I start to see a lot of work. Not that I don’t deserve it - I do, but the website focus is changing from “Here I am” to somewhere between that and “Let me work for you!”

I have a couple of major things going for me - I’m on a site platform that I love, Expressionengine. Its all a developer could ever want, and can be made into what the client needs in every situation. (I’m not only the hair club president, but I’m also a client.) I also …

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A word on moving on

In: Career management, My Career, Self Reflection

Moving on has unleashed a major flow of gratitude in my life that I would like to share with you.

I’m moved to post today not because I have any crazy news or life changing events to announce, but because for the first time ever, since moving to Albuquerque, the world is silent in all of its commotion and unyielding in its grounding, and my observation is how grateful I am to be a part of it, and for what help I’ve had to build the things that I have around me. I am grateful for so many things; from nature to my family, to the skills I have, to the skills others have, and for my incredible future that is now undeniably independent, lucrative, and everything else I could ask for it to be.

Perhaps I wasn’t clear before, but I actually DO have very important news to share. I have declared my independence as a freelance web developer and am now taking projects on a bid-by-bid basis. I have dropped my 9-5 completely in favor of taking my own projects and working more closely with my clients to help them get what they want out of their websites. There are many reasons for this change and now it is finally time. I’m ready, I’m steady, …

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