Christmas at the Emerson's has been lots of fun. little Lincoln has been loving the toy holly got him for me, though it took us three times before we finally got one that worked. The first one was DOA, and the second one only partially worked. while Lincoln played with it for a little while, he kept giving us these puzzled looks. he knew it wasn't working the way he remembered. now we finally got it right, and Lincoln is a happy kid.

His grandma + grandpa got him a motorized vehicle for outside. lincoln loves to push it around the cul-de-sac instead of driving it. at least it's good exercise.

other than playing with lincoln, i've just been eating, sleeping, and breaking in my mac.

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope santa brought you everything you deserved, wanted, or needed. i know that's quite a range of options, but you should know by now that Christmas is not about gifts. It's about celebrating Jesus Christ coming to our little messed up world to be our light and life.

And Christmas is about celebrating with your family. I got to meet my newest nephew on Christmas Eve! What a fun kid! I'm told that on their way back from Russia, as he was reviewing pictures of his new family, he saw my pictures and said that i was just a friend of the family. ha, ha! But his mom and dad set him straight, and he now calls me uncle--in Russian, for now--and gives me big hugs.

it's been a great christmas.

and if you didn't get what you wanted for Christmas, then take a tip from the Homer family. You'll never be disappointed Christmas morning if you buy yourself the gift you want the most!

i really want a mac laptop.

i've been deliberating on the decision for a while now. i was going back and forth between buy ing now or waiting for christmas, or bonus time, or the new year, or after the mac expo when they might announce new models, thereby driving down prices on the current models. my first plan was to buy the basic version macbook pro new from amazon, which had quite a discount plus a rebate. but i agonized over spending the money. then amazon's price went up a few times. oh well, it wasn't meant to be. then i remembered my brother had mentioned buying refurbished apple products from the apple website. so i looked there and saw that i could buy a refurbished model at a discount. then an ichat with my brother brought up the idea of getting the more powerful version. and since it's refurb, the upgraded model is within reach.

last night i put the macbook pro in my online shopping cart, filled out payment and shipping info, and then hovered over the 'purchase' button for a few minutes. should i really buy this? what am i doing? but i want it now. why wait? common sense prevailed. i hit the purchase button.

so santa came early this year! okay, actually i just went and splurged on myself. whatever. i'm getting a mac in the mail next week! merry christmas!

my parents put me to work while i was in wisconsin last week. just what everyone likes to do on vacation, right? well, i never mind it much.

My dad needed me to figure out why some of the landscaping lights weren't working. after searching in vain for my original wiring diagram, digging up the yard, and testing wiring combinations, i figured out that he had the wrong kind of bulb. the solution? he needed low voltage halogen bulbs, not line voltage (12V versus 120V). so then i had to put the yard back together.

The bigger task was for my mom; i had to sort through my childhood. See, at our house, you never through anything away. instead, you just put it up in the attic. we had virtually unlimited storage up there, and you never know when you might need another shoe box. and it seems i saved everything growing up. but it was fun to dig up photos and mementos that trigger happy times growing up.

all that to say that i found this slide in my desk, which i tried to scan but did horribly. i'll have to find a better way. This is my architecture school picture that we tried to take one year at Washington University. being architects, they asked us to wear all black for the picture. We heard later that the art student taking the pictures messed up the film or something, but one of my friends snapped this picture and i ended up with it.

if you're looking for me, i'm sitting in the top window just over the last "L" in GIVENS HALL looking to the side.

good bye twenties. you were lots of fun. we rocked out in a praise band and went on fun spring break trips to florida. we finished out college at a fancy university in the cushy part of St. Louis. to accomplish that, we worked summers at a factory and even delivered mattresses for extra cash. that helped since we got into a real ivy-league graduate school. As a result, we traded in the midwest for the east coast and lasted through all three years of architecture school, with a masters degree to show for it. This included great summers exploring New York City, plus a few trips to places like Los Angeles, Upstate New York+ Connecticut+Pennsylvania, London, and all over the Netherlands. we struck out into the work force and learned a ton from two design firms while working on houses, apartments, showrooms, and offices. we started and finished the minimum 3-years of internship hours and passed the first few exams on the way to becoming an honest-to-goodness professional; we're 2/9th of the way there! we found a great church in times square, joined the choir, and sang on Broadway three times a week (in church services, of course). This took us to South America, the heart of Times Square, and twice to parts of Africa. thanks for the adventures.

thirties, top that!

just saw a great-looking film. i never heard of it before, never saw the trailer, nothing. it's from 2006. the rental store didn't have anything else that interested me in the new release section until i saw this on the shelf. it promoted itself as a sci-fi thriller, and it has what i thought was some sort of combination of animation and live action. but perhaps it's all animation? the black and white is a really great look. and i'm not talking gray scale. it's pretty much black of white. i'm glad i gave it a shot. hey, why don't you try it?

site of the day, via keith:

http://www.whatjeffkilled.com/

Jeff is a cat who kills stuff. the site shows you all the gorey pics! gross and funny.

i've been craving some good ol' Sheboygan bratwurst for a while now. In case you didn't know, Sheboygan in the official "home of the bratwurst." it's been so long since i've been in wisconsin during the summer, those few short months when sane people still "grill out." visting over the christmas holiday means i have to get my fix at Charcoal Inn, a local restaurant with an indoor charcoal grill. it's just not the same.

then by chance i saw these "sheboygan bratwust" at my local wholefoods market! they actually tasted pretty similar to real brats, but they were white and almost hot-dog small. nice try, but it looks like you still have to travel to sheboygan to get the real thing.

you've heard of pigs-in--a-blanket right? how about cat-in-a-drawing? marcel breuer was lounging on my drawing set and i needed to flip to another page... so i folded the drawing on top of him. does he care? nope. instead he takes a little nap in there, only giving me the evil eye once he gets bored with it. or maybe it was when alex starting tapping on the paper.

how do i bill this time?

I'm a sucker for cars. Anything new, sporty, rare, expensive, or whatever catches my eye. And in New York City you see a lot of nice automobiles.

The other day I'm walking in the UES on my way back to the office from a construction site meeting when i walk past this giant mercedes-benz. It's really not all that rare, but it's bright and shiny and one of the newest models, i think. So i'm checking it out. these benzes still proudly display a big hood ornament just in case you didn't notice that it's an expensive mercedes-benz.

Then i noticed that this car has another hood ornament farther up the hood. I think it looks like a Scotty welded to the car! anyone know the breed? I laughed when i saw it, but then went back and snapped a few pics. i figured my dad would get a kick out of seeing that.

Prayer in the Square update:

the church has posted the video of the event from Times Square. Click on the prerecorded video option.

It's an hour-long event held in the heart of Times Square that alternates between various New York metro area pastors praying on select topics and songs from the Times Square Church Adult Praise Choir + band. At least listen to the first song, "We Proclaim Him." and turn up the volume!

Back in mid-september i traveled to a foreign country for a wedding. they call it canada. click this link to see some of the pictures from our sightseeing walks around toronto: HERE

the wedding pictures are in a separate album: HERE

good bye, beautiful. you were always good to me.

even neglected for months at a time, left sitting in the bitter chill of winter under piles of snow, you still perked up every time i came to see you. whether for a distant vacation getaway or just a weekend fling, you were always eager to hit the road.

your shine may have faded, but my love for you never dulled. i'll fondly think of the fun times we had. i'll always remember your name. you were the ultimate (ALTIM8).

we had church in Times Square this past sunday! they blocked most of the streets for an hour to pray and sing.

click HERE to see some pictures that i found at flickr. i noticed in one that i'm on one of the jumbotrons in Times Square.

here's one of the church's TV ads:

ok, i'm off to Africa! see you in about a week, God willing.

i think my travel time is the same as my actual time in Burundi, but that's okay. my job there is to sing at all the pastor's conferences and crusade meetings that happen the last three or four days of the two-week outreach. i've learned some Kurundi songs + some French versions of songs we sing at church, plus a couple Swahili songs. they are pretty rad tunes.

you can keep tabs on the happenings by reading the daily field reports on the church webpage. God is good. Pray for me while i'm gone!

This is Marcel Breuer. He loves to pose, and keith and i like to take breaks from drawing and take pictures of him and his wrestling partner, Mies Van Der Rohe (not pictured). While marcel can't hear anything, he loves to cry when he's lonely or hungry or bored. I won't say he has a gas problem, but... whoa! Think twice before letting him crawl onto your lap for a nap. This picture was taken on our display counter. what a poser!

would YOU eat this strawberry? it came in a quart of tasty strawberries from the Green Market in Union Square. I couldn't make myself eat this one.

it's beach season. whoo-hoo! so what a great time to grow a beard. what? i know, what am i thinking? well, i'm thinking that it's summer and i don't feel like shaving, okay? and the bosses were out of town for a week, so why not? my coworker thinks i should get a tan during my upcoming vacation in florida and then shave it off, thereby leaving a white or ghost beard. that would be great.

anyway, here i am after exactly two weeks of not shaving. a special thanks to my imac at work for taking my picture.

Controversial ABCs:

Animal testing: For or against? For, within reason.
Bush, President George W.: Like him or dislike? Both.
Corporeal Punishment: Yes or no? No.
Death Penalty: Yes or no? No.
Euthanasia: Yes or no? No.
Flag burning: Okay or not? Not good, but allowed.
Global Warming: Exists or not? Not as bad as they make it out to be.
Harry Potter: Read it or not? Read it.
Iraq: Stay or get out? Finish it, then get out.
Jam: Strawberry or Grape? Raspberry.
Kids (do you want them if you don't already have them): Yes or no? Yes.
Legalization of Marijuana: Yes or no? No?
Minimum wage: Raised or not? Don't know.
Nuclear weapons: Should they be banned or not? Is that even possible?
Operating System: Windows or Mac or Linux? Both, that's what i have.
Politics: Which party? GOP, but don't feel any obligation.
Quebec: should be own country or not? Don't know.
Routine Infant Circumcision: For or against? Don't know.
Stem cell research: For or against? Against using fetal stem cells.
Tobacco: Illegal or not? Not. but it's disgusting.
UN: good or bad? Good idea, bad execution.
Vaccinations: All, some, or none? All.
Wal-mart: Great store or Evil Empire? Both.
Extra-terrestrials: Yes or no? No.
Year round school: yes or no? Sure.
Zero Tolerance: Good idea or not? Not.

post on your own blog. If you don't have one, start one! And let me know about it.

Someone asked me the other day if i'd seen any movies over the weekend. No, I hadn't, and I realized it's been quite a while since I had. the only movie i've seen this year was "300" while i was away in Pennsylvania for my grandpa's funeral. Perhaps not exactly appropriate, but it was a great time.

Nothing good seems to be in the theaters right now or anytime lately, but i seem to remember a lot of advertising lately that has caught my attention. so when is this stuff coming out? I just found a web site with movie releases and here is what i am looking forward to. there might be other great movies coming out that i don't know about or recognize, but these are the big titles for 2007:

Mar 09: 300 (saw it!)
Mar 23: Shooter
Apr 06: Grindhouse (?)
May 04: Spiderman 3
Jun 08: Ocean's Thirteen
Jun 15: Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (?)
Jun 27: Live Free or Die Hard
Jul 04: Transformers
Jul 13: Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Aug 03: The Bourne Ultimatum
Nov 16: Beowulf (?)
Dec 07: The Golden Compass
Dec 25: Alien vs. Predator: Survival of the Fittest

spring/summer started today. and since my work trip scheduled for today was canceled, i rode my bike to Prospect Park and relaxed at the big lawn there, whatever it's called. i am so out of shape. my legs were hurting after that ride. but the park was hopping as this was everyone's first chance to get outside and enjoy some sun. and you could tell it was the first chance because all the white people were really white. ha, ha.

i saw this high rise apartment building in midtown on the way to take a friend out for a birthday dinner. red light came down the side street from the setting sun. the juxtaposition of this to the Hearst building next door was nice, but i didn't get a good pic of that. i guess i like the repetition of the balconies. black and white would be nice too.

I found out last week that i get to travel to Burundi this July with church. Africa, here i come again!

Burundi is one of the smallest (maybe?), poorest, and most conflict-ridden nations in the world. You may not have heard of it before, but you probably know its neighbor, Rwanda, which shares similar problems between the Hutu and Tutsi people. Our group also plans to help the Twa people who are native to the area but have been forced into the mountains.

Anyway, i still have a lot to learn about Burundi, but i think it will be a great trip. probably grueling and amazing.

whoo-hoo! i passed ARE #2, construction documents & services. probably barely passed.

i still haven't scheduled the next exam, or even started studying for it. this is mostly because i can't decided which test to take next. i wanted to switch over to the graphic exams, but i have to figure out how to study for them; we don't have study books for them.

but i don't have time to think about it right now. soon...

We were swinging an arc around the top of Brooklyn just then. We had flown over Staten Island, had gotten a long look at the skyscrapers of lower Manhattan through a haze, and had just seen the neighborhood where i live due to a plane dipped into a course change. Our constant descent meant you could see the people on the sidewalks and read the signs on buildings. We were moments from touching down at Laguardia. Ten seconds out i snapped this pic. We have good sunsets in New York.

WHOO-HOO !!! I passed my first ARE! (Architect Registration Examination) and so did my study partner. Such a relief. And the champagne is on the way. Now, only eight more tests to go.

February has really gotten to me. i was already crabby today when i got to work today. and then we didn't have heat again until after lunch... around two, i think. my toes are still thawing. times like these i just want to go home. and then move some place warmer. why put up with this?

i guess i like to think that i enjoy winter. it's great to have changing seasons and see everything die and then regenerate in the spring. and snow can be really beautiful, especially since it covers all the dirt of the city.

but snow is really only fun when you get a "snow day," and that doesn't happen in new york city because the subway doesn't shut down. okay, it shut down twice since i've been using it, and those were momentous occasions: it took a multistate power grid meltdown to stop the trains, and everything else, and then there was the transit strike, which didn't stop me from having to go to work; it just involved lots of walking and bike riding in the freezing cold for a few days.

Perhaps if NYC got 6 feet of snow like upstate. maybe then i'd get a snow day. or that one town that had 12 feet! that would be awesome! excpet new yorkers as a rule don't eat at home, so everyone would probably starve.

i don't know where this complaining was headed, so i'll end it. i guess it's almost March. i think i can make it through the winter. i'm feeling better already. aren't you glad you read this?

Okay, the Puerto Rico pictures are online. (link below) I only uploaded a selection of the images from the picture pool, but these are still a lot. photography credits go to ryan, christina, omar, connie, and me.

here's the itinerary so you can understand what you're seeing:

day1: arrive at rented apartments, walk around Old San Juan
day2: drive to El Yunque rainforest, rehearsal dinner in San Juan
day3: Ocean Park beach, wedding at old fort, reception dinner
day4: drive/boat ride to Culebra island, Flamenco beach, dinner Old San Juan
day5: walk + shop Old San Juan, fly home

picture link: H E R E

two weeks ago i was swimming in a rainforest waterfall, napping on an island beach, and sipping pina coladas. The temp didn't go below 70 or above the low 80's. perfect.

it was 8 degrees going to the gym this morning, and has warmed up now to 16. we didn't have heat in the office this morning until about 11. the gallon jug of water in our fridge was frozen solid, and i was cadding in scarf and a hat. Paul made me some tea to sip and thaw my hands until the heat came back up. but my toes are still frozen.

i miss you, Peurto Rico!

(note: inappropriate contents have been replaced)

i think the picture says it all.

we spent our last few hours in puerto rico [over]eating an amazing meal at Pamela's on Ocean Park Beach. sooooo good.

this dog seems to be a regular at Pamela's. He had the puppy-dog eyes and why-won't-you-give-me-a-table-scrap look down pat. I think his thickness proves his begging abilities; he was pretty much rectangularly shaped with four little legs splayed out from his body. The waiters spoke to him (i didn't understand the spanish) and gave him a water bowl at one point. And when they cleared our plates, he hedged his bets and waddled closer to another table that still had their food.

okay... i'm signed up to take my first architect's exam. a friend convinced me to schedule the same test so we could study together. i hadn't even started to prepare for it, but i guess a looming test date is the best incentive to start. so now i'm taking spare moments to read through a study guide. this stuff is pretty dry, so i sometimes end up falling asleep.

i was just thinking that i should probably just announce when i have successfully passed each exam, thereby avoiding any embarrassment should i fail them. oh, well. i can take it.

wish me luck!

once again, santa brought me almost everything on my christmas list. i guess the flat screen HDTV i asked for was too big for the chimney because i couldn't find it anywhere. i know it was a tough year, but i don't think high fuel costs should affect someone with flying reindeer.

But thanks everyone for your gifts. B+T, the meat tenderizer you gave me made it through airport security in my checked bag. Holly+Chris, the headphones kick, and i can't wait to peruse itunes to spend the GC. Mom, thanks for finding that gift you forgot to wrap. sorry dad i didn't love the shirt, but now YOU get to wear it! Anna, the pretzels rule. Marshalls, i can't wait to wear my homemade FruitbytheFoot stickers.

Thanks for a great stay in She-Vegas/Sure-Boredom/Sheboygan. It was above freezing probably the entire time, and that single hour of sunshine was a real treat. Thanks too for the extra five, six pounds from the constant eating and loads of christmas goodies around the house. i thought of you this morning at the gym.