Someone who Inspires You

Anyone can inspire you at any moment. I don't think there is just one person who inspires me more than anybody else. But I do know that NATURE always inspires me. It breathes life into my thoughts and creates an illusion of what I can become or do. There is nothing like hiking a mountain or clinging from a precipice and letting your mind concentrate on a single task of accomplishment, relinquishing all cares of the day. Once the task is complete your mind opens again but not to the mundane things of life but of the wishes and goals of life. It is methodically therapy for me and it is inspiring.

Something I Want to Do Before I die

Something I want to do before I die is RUN A BED AND BREAKFAST with my wife. She always talks about wanting to run a bed and breakfast with either an apple orchard or blackberry bushes around the estate. We could do small cooking classes and offer some recreation activities. I would love to live in a nice getaway place and enjoy offering people some peace and quiet from everyday life. It may get old after awhile but it seems like a great idea to me. I picked this picture because I love big porches and green grass with flowers outside a home.

Someone you Can't Imagine Your Life Without

This one was easy. Derek Falls is someone I can't imagine my life without. Mostly because besides my family he has been apart my life longer than anyone else. He have been friends since we were 5 or 6 years old. We grew up a block away from one another. We have had our fights, lost touch for awhile, reunited, rebuilt cars and other fun contraptions, competed in sports, picked up on girls, laughed, and most importantly leaned on for help in times of need. In fact, I think during high school I spent more time at his home than I did my own. His dad was a great influence on me and I will never forget those times spent at their home.

A Band or Artist You Love

Norah Jones is my LOVE when it comes to music. She lifts me up where I belong......(wrong artist) but truly, she can soothe my melancholy, mellow out my temper, put me in a zone of nothingness, and increase my ping-pong skills (not kidding).

Plus, she brings back nothing but good memories. Her concert was one of the first dates I went on with Kathryn. We both really like her music and I felt after that date I knew Kathryn was someone I really wanted to know better, even if she can be grumpy. So, Ms. Jones you are my nightingale, lone star, and smooth operator.

Something You LOVE

I love taking the ROAD LESS TRAVELED. It makes me feel more unique and diverse, plus, when you literally, spiritually, or figuratively take a road less traveled you may see amazing things that no one else will ever see or understand. I believe it will challenge you in ways you never imagined and will open your mind and attitude to different perspectives on life issues.

Also, I just love road trips as I previously posted in an earlier post.

Something You HATE

I find it fitting that the question "something you hate" would come before "something you love". It is always easier to think of something you hate and dislike than to think of something you love or enjoy. That is why I hate NEGATIVE PEOPLE. They don't take the time to think of the positive things of life, they immediately jump to the negative side of things. It wears you down and makes life less enjoyable. Life is too short to be negative, and there are so many things to enjoy and be happy about. Now having said this, please understand there are times to be upset and angry, let them happen and pass and then move on to happier times. :)

The Person you do the Silliest Things With

The person I do the silliest things with is Andrew Gomez or Carlen Fuller. I had fun with these two guys back in the day. Most of time it was at the expense of other people but that is what immature boys do. I can also thank Andrew personally for introducing my wife to me. He was trying to embarrass me at church by calling her over to sit with us because he knew I thought she was pretty. Kathryn offered a quick response of "Do I even know you guys?" but decided to come sit next to me and the rest was history. Andrew was a little sad, the meeting did not end in awkwardness like in times past but I think now he is happy for me.

Person Who has Gotten You Through the Most

This is kind of a No Brainer. Family really does get you through the most. They love you unconditionally even if you are the easiest person in the world to love. I have made my mistakes and they were there to help me regardless of my boneheadedness. Thanks Family! I left out my sister on purpose, they don't help. Just kidding I could not find a picture with everyone from my short list of pictures. Sad but true.

Something that Makes Me Laugh

Chinese people make me laugh. They try to sneak pictures of you with their cell phones,

ask to take pictures with you, and set up a full on photo shoot with your kid if they have BLONDE hair. Also, squatting over a toilet to go NUMBER 2! I cramp! Plus, I almost always split my pants bending down that low and no toilet paper. At least it comes out cleaner because of the full on SQUAT but I laugh. Tis' life, potty humor is almost always funny.

Most Treasured Item

I have to admit I am a man who likes to reminisce and I hold a lot of value to nostalgic items. My most treasured item is my MEMORY. What would I do without it? I would be lost and have no idea who I am or who anybody was in my life. I love this picture because it shows how our memories work. You think of one moment and then a tumble of moments or feelings go hurling through your mind. It is one reason I love road trips. I let my mind wander from memory to memory or thought to thought to pass the time. The mind is a beautiful thing. I would hate to lose it.

Trade Places with For a Day

I would love to trade places with this woman just for a day. Think of all the things I could say to clean up the mess of a world we have created for ourselves on moral standards and politics just by being Oprah for a day. Her "power" or "spoken word" is stronger than the President of US and she is wealthier than 99% of population in the world. I don't envy her childhood or the lifestyle she leads, I just want her fame to do good and watch the women and people who follow her do my bidding. WOW! I never really thought of this but she could be the coolest super villian ever!

Most Memorable Moment

My first daddy-daughter outing with Avery has to be one of the most memorable moments of my life. I have spent plenty of time with Avery but we had never really gone out on the town without mom. We went to Baiyun Mountain which is the largest mountain in Guangzhou. It is not that tall but it is expansive and has a ton of recreational activities to do and even has some authentic Chinese architecture from the old dynasty era.

I must admit I was a bit nervous taking Avery on this adventure as it was the first time I had been to the park and did not know its exact location or what to expect when we got there. But as you can see in the picture it turned out great! We shared snacks, took a ton of pictures, laughed, and enjoyed the sights. She eventually passed out on the way home, for a minute I wasn't sure who was going to last longer between the two of us. I love my daughter and I look forward to more daddy-daughter outings in the years to come.

Person you have "Liked" the Most

The smoking hot, super talented, baby mama, angrier than a badger, book worm, and my wife.....Kathryn Sauter Jackson. My like as finally grown into LOVE for her as well.

Favorite TV Show

My favorite TV show is Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe. I love reality TV! You can learn so much from it. I can watch HGTV, Discovery, sometimes Bravo all day long. Mike Rowe just seems to be the most fun to watch though. He is comedic, informative, and does some crazy things. Plus, he does a tib-bit on the surrounding area too of where he is working. I like to see new places and new jobs that I would have never dreamed of doing or thought existed.

Person I Used To Be Close With

Well, I know I am supposed to post a picture with these blogs, so, I had to select from a smaller group of people I used to be close with. I have been close with alot of people and grown apart from alot of people. Most of which I really still have things in common with but just don't seem to have the time to stay in touch. The group of people I chose for this particular blog are my friends from University of Phoenix. UofP was not a very fun job, being on the phone all the time and dealing with academic issues and complaints from students, however, these folks made it fun. I miss all of them! They could always make me laugh, go for a walk in the sun, grab a bite to eat, or just chew the fat. Thanks for the good times Scott, J.R., John, Kris, Daniella, Elizabeth, and Lauren.

15 random facts

1. I dislike taking formal pictures, especially with kids, they never cooperate.
2. I enjoy taking road trips. It gives me time to think, reminisce, and be awed by Earth's beauty.
3. I learned how to rock climb from a book and just did it.
4. I have a phobia of sharks, in fact, I think one day if I actually scuba dive it will be the day a shark gets me.
5. JAWS and bad dreams caused this phobia.
6. I claim to have many ex -girlfriends but most people say a two week relationship does not count. UMMMM, it does if it meant something to you.
7. I believe my wife to be very talented but she claims she is not.
8. I love the smell of fresh cut grass, it brings back memories of baseball season starting. Though I don't care for baseball anymore.
9. My favorite sport to play is competitive volleyball, emphasis on the competitive part.
10. I have a broken pinky that I thought was sprained, never has been fixed.
11. I like to play role playing games on computers and board games. Arkham Horror for example.
12. I feel like I have been helped out a lot in my life and now I finally feel I can return the favors.
13. A Chinese star is not actually Chinese, they are Japanese. Crazy, I know!
14. I fell out a two story window when I was two, but I did not get hurt.
15. I once was able to bench 300lbs and the most I ever weighed is 180lbs.

Resolution to BLOG!

Alright! I am going to try and do this as well. I think it is an awesome way to re-evaluate life and get to know family and friends better. I feel bad that my wife blogs consistently and I never read her thoughts. So, it is time to get participating and stop hating.

day1 - yourself with 15 random facts
day2 - you and the person you used to be close with
day3 - the cast of your favorite TV show
day4 - the person you have "liked" the longest
day5 - your favorite memory
day6 - a person you would love to trade places with for a day
day7 - your most treasured item
day8 - something that makes you laugh
day9 - person that has gotten you through the most
day10 - person you do the silliest things with
day11 - something you hate
day12 - something you love
day13 - your favorite band or artist
day14 - someone you could never imagine your life without
day15 - something you want to do before you die
day16 - someone who inspires you
day17 - something that has made a huge impact on your life recently
day18 - your biggest insecurity
day19 - you, when you were little
day20 - somewhere you would love to travel
day21 - your favorite night
day22 - something you wish you were better at
day23 - your favorite book
day24 - something you wish you could change
day25 - your favorite day
day26 - something that means a lot to you
day27 - you and a family member
day28 - something you are afraid of
day29 - something that always makes you smile
day30 - someone you miss