Am I There Yet?

Tampa

2012-01-24T09:30:00.000-08:00

I had the privilege to work with the above people for the North American Division Adventist Ministries Convention, hosted at the Innisbrook Resort in Tampa, Florida. While the resort had it's 70s charm, it was beautiful and refreshing. The convention, however was hectic and unexpected. Not in any bad way, just surprising. One shouldn't plan to relax while organizing, performing, traveling, sleeping, working, reminiscing, walking, talking.

I had such high hopes of dripping slowly into a resort pool with some newspaper and a year-old national geographic. and it just didn't happen. I'm regretful, but I'm not unhappy. Doing music efficiently, intentionally, beautifully (well, mostly) is something to be cherished. I'm happy to say that we pulled through a lot of music in a short time, with minimal train wrecks and sweaty foreheads. It was a blessing—for me if nobody else. which, having said that makes me feel old or mature, or somehow spiritually expressive, which is not my typical style.

more pics.

California Family

2011-07-10T11:09:00.001-07:00

20110702_cali_071, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

Had a great July 4 weekend with Jason & Jami! Family and oceans are always a great combo.

almost a year.

2011-05-31T10:14:00.001-07:00

20110516_portraits_028, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

this is what we look like now. life is good, busy, and full of learning lessons. humility is such a co-requisite, not only in marriage, but in life. proverbs says it too. I've also learned that working strategically is the key for non-traditional working. I've yet to make that my full reality. after passing the third decade, I've also found myself making less dreams. or maybe I've found myself questioning current dreams, with the intention of being ultimately satisfied with my achievements, rather than disappointed in my ability to act.

at this point in the post, I hurl, thinking how sophomoric this sounds. but then, maybe, life is truly cyclical, with certain lessons always needing to be re-learned, re-assessed, relatively speaking. circle game it is.

Sistine Chapel stitch

2011-05-03T07:49:00.001-07:00

Sistine Chapel stitch, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

We were told we couldn't take pictures in the sistine chapel. and then we got there, and it was like paparazzi central. so I joined in.

Venice

2011-04-17T10:16:00.001-07:00

yep, it was time again to quench that travel bug. this time with someone. it was a whirlwind trip. family, friends, old libyan friends, rain, and abundant caribbean food in the UK. pizza, cheese, statues, paintings in Roma and Venezia. walking, talking, learning, and subways, small hotel rooms, early flights, and the like. can't wait to plan another new adventure. click the pic to hit my flickr page for more of a photolog.

Biltmore

2011-03-06T17:55:00.001-08:00

20110220_asheville_015, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

This is what we look like now. Almost 7 months of marriage, and we're doing quite good, I think.

January in Tennessee

2011-01-30T06:21:00.001-08:00

20110129_park_009, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

It's about time I post something. It's about time I take a picture. Let's get this back in gear. It's a new year, It's a new day, It's a new life.

I think that's a song. Nina?

ninja.

2010-11-05T08:45:00.001-07:00

20101030_advent_house_070, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

shout-outs to Advent House crew, where Michaela serves as chaplain and house super. I joined the bunch to play some group games, and quickly realized my age and competitive spirit.

honey and the moon.

2010-09-15T09:34:00.001-07:00

20100719_bermuda_113, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

Well, a lot has changed since I last posted. and to remedy the situation you should check out my flickr site. I am now a husband, a resident of Knoxville, Tennessee, and psuedo-freelancer (the kind of people who do their work in their underwear). It's great!

STOP motion.

2010-02-06T20:51:00.001-08:00

20100122_splash_103, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

ok, it's pretty cool. check out the flickr for more interesting stills.

mr. and mrs. jeffery

2010-02-01T16:24:00.000-08:00

yep, it's that time. things have transpired. for those that follow my blog but are not friends of mine on facebook, I have proposed to my girlfriend michaela. I love her.

culebra

2010-01-24T10:16:00.001-08:00

20091228_culebra_001, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

alright—imagine the scene.

we are in above bus. there are (don't count) like 20 air freshener trees dangling from the handrails above us. this is an old shuttle bus that cannot conceal its age and smell. we have a twenty-something driver, multiple piercings, a little upset, maybe tired of tourists. maybe was recently shamed on facebook, or just plain pissed at some chica from school.

irregardless.

we are moving towards a motorized wheelchair at a hefty speed. he is to the right. to the left is a speeding jeep. this is not a wide road. there is suspense in the air. what the frick! I lose sight of the wheelchair in my hazy plastic window due to our close proximity. finally some brakes—screeching—jerking, and really jerky, as with this aged vehicle and the typical PR driving, suspension is probably shot. so, to a halt we are. and all I can think of is: someone is dead. I am not. thankfully. but this guy in a wheelchair; I was concerned.

to my right. blonde, big wide sunglasses, thirties, obvious tourist, but no nationality that I could tell.

"Je-sus," she exclaims in that long, slow, southern accent.

I am dying. I am transported to some place with michaela and can hear her saying it, and am immediately filled with comfort, yearning, and laughter all at once.

no one died, thankfully. Liza can be my witness. it was quite funny.

when I grow up.

2010-01-24T09:56:00.001-08:00

20091226_rehearsal_0002, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

yo, yo. this is my cousin Matthew totally killing a handstand (he can do the whole sitting to handstand maneuver). jerk. I tried to show off my P90X skills, but he was obviously too far ahead. but he was kind in his acknowledge of my low strength level.

alright, matt, I hereby want to be at your fitness level one day. maybe.

Fall 2009

2009-12-17T11:21:00.001-08:00

20091024_fall_054, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

alright peoples. here's a moody shot of the fall.

photos...

2009-12-17T10:38:00.000-08:00

Pictures of the Week

I've decided to randomly post some photos that stand out to me. Here, the notion of soldiers crying in farewell to other soldiers seems odd in a number of ways, and prompts multiple questions in my brain: did they see violent combat together? are they somehow related? how long would they have known each other? are soldiers supposed to be so open with feelings? is their honor/pride involved?

must endorse.

2009-12-06T09:24:00.001-08:00

well, I didn't think so at first, but I'm gonna kill this song shortly. I'm a fan. Check it out.

elephant and dog.

2009-10-11T15:36:00.000-07:00

I guess I'm a sucker for animals and stories. this one is great!

oh michigan.

2009-09-30T20:13:00.001-07:00

20090928_tiscornia_029, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

nothing's better than a great storm that whips up the waves on lake michigan. unless, of course, you're on a boat in lake michigan. in which case, prayers, songs of redemption and peace, an iron stomach and a good hat are in order.

10$ richer.

2009-09-17T16:15:00.001-07:00

photo_water, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

if they only knew that I'm a sucker for a bet, water, jumping, in, and of course, the almighty dollar. let me feel poorly about myself for a minute. although, I was wet in my shorts all afternoon. there was a little endurance/work involved on my part.

U2 Soldier Field

2009-09-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

this was a great show. except maybe for all the weed being smoked around me.

tomatoes gone wild.

2009-09-07T11:32:00.001-07:00

20090830_vegetables_061, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

hello. this is a tomato from the garden. it is interesting. check out the series by clicking the pics.

PEI 2009

2009-08-26T05:18:00.001-07:00

20090804_pei4_039, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

this is like me on PEI. yes.

who did this?

2009-07-19T18:26:00.001-07:00

20090719_stilllife_064, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

someone left this on our fridge. I can't claim it. maybe I should. this could be a dissertation, no doubt. who defines good or bad in this situation? doesn't need a religious debate. but then it really could be a fleeting moment, wherein life is just a mix-match of performance-based assessments, some moments good, some bad, some neither, all relative, all pertinent.

there's that old debate of the phrase - "if God's your co-pilot, switch seats." I think I strongly support the alternative, "God is my co-pilot". I hugely want to make my own decisions, but would like a backup, some good advice, another set of eyes, and someone close by.

P90X + turkey bacon = ?

2009-03-28T08:09:00.001-07:00

20090314_house_0008, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

leaner, meaner, kenpo kickin, carnivorous justin.

the latest beard.

2009-03-28T08:06:00.001-07:00

20090305_beard_0008, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

what a beard! now in version 2.0, a little slimmer.

well?

2009-03-06T05:07:00.000-08:00

restaurant in Hong Kong. It's certainly a distinct theme.

att?

2009-01-19T10:29:00.001-08:00

20090102_ontario2_0024, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

this could almost be a att ad. well, maybe not. apple, you want to pick this up as a background?

florida, I miss thee.

2009-01-08T19:47:00.001-08:00

20081224_florida_0025, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

seriously. warm weather is nice.

quick snapshot.

2008-12-14T20:35:00.001-08:00

20081106_windows_0002, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

another descriptor shot. let me describe what I see, clockwise, starting at 730.

I've uncovered sponge bob and his house. just figured I could live with it. except, I've got that good bar, which seems to work really well for my ties. so, it's still a little covered. speaking of ties, I'm looking for that next big pattern. I've got a bunch of diagonal lines, paisley, and solids. What's NEXT? (shout out to the ferrers). november had interesting weather. no snow when this shot was taken. I've got got my traditional plastic up now. it rattled last night in the high wind. just below the window, a little red dot signals heat coming from my floor heater. DeLonghi makes good heaters. A little on the expensive side, but I've found it to be well worth it. up. I should find some thread to fix those drape things. yes my windowsill is yellow. spanish church. I don't think I've been there for church since I moved in here. kind of strange. moving right. toilet paper for photoshoots and emergency situations. cds. dvds. canadian hat from PEI - I really enjoy wearing it. bright lights from my imac and display. I enjoy 2 screens. I think everyone should do it. down. 2 down comforters and 3 pillows. it gets cold in my room.

thanks for reading.

happy birthday jesus.

2008-12-06T14:06:00.000-08:00

(paraphrased from local christian radio station)

announcer: this is going to be a great party...

person: yeah, we've got chips & dip, board games, and we've made two "happy birthday jesus" cakes.

announcer: I'm pretty sure I'm going to have a piece of both of them.

person: for sure. we've got chocolate and vanilla.

----
have you ever heard of a happy birthday jesus cake? my cynical side was dying. but we are supposed to praise him in everything...

what the world thinks.

2008-11-13T20:07:00.000-08:00

so, most of the world applauds the US election of Barack Obama. Not hard to believe; George W has had a notorious effect on world politics. The election of Obama, however, has been notable in terms of race relations, etc. Today, our speaker at chapel made the comment that while most of the world applauds the election of an african-american, most would not elect someone who appears to be a minority. The fact that the US has elected a "minority" goes to show how progressive we are in this country in terms of race relations.

Now, without going into this whole mess of half-white, half-black issue - which could contribute to my blog entry, but should really be saved for another day - I just want to point out that most other countries don't have the immigrant history of the americas. (or at least I'm not fully aware of similar examples, and will take comments on the topic). And most countries don't have such a visual mix of cultures.

The olympics, for example, are startling image of diversity in the americas - particularly the US and Canada. I thought it was interesting to see country after country parading through the stadium, everyone similarly dressed, but also mostly racially homogenous within their country - until the US and Canada marched in. And think of the names: white Michael Phelps, black Kobe Bryant, japanese-american Haley Ishimatsu, hazelton bc wrestler Carol Huynh (yes, hazelton - our first gold medal in Beijing!), hurdler Priscilla Lopes-Schliep (what a name), mixed decathlete Bryan Clay. Lots of examples.

The world has seen our diversity for quite some time - maybe this election is like we're making it official.

oh. by the way...

2008-11-08T07:57:00.000-08:00

I passed my citizenship interview. here's to the united states of america.
bring on the comments.

in motion.

2008-11-08T07:24:00.001-08:00

20070516_DSC_0040.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

I thought of this while I was speeding by some great fall colors. not only does my sunday church provide thoughtful moments, but the routine, extended nature of the drive allows for some daydreaming.

I've decided that I like seeing things in motion.

the blur of red, yellow, green leaves along a michigan road, the movement of water past my windsurfer, the constant blur of the ground from an airplane, the difference between reading and watching.

and I'm sure it's a couple of things. I'm used to temporary things; I like to see things from a distance (either in time or visual space) and the connected ability to have the larger picture; I like the sense of accomplishment, the sense of travel; maybe I don't like to stand still, (but maybe I don't know what that means); I don't believe I'm resistant to change, I just want to make wise changes;

hmm. (not to be confused with the poor speech crutch, "umm").

canadian election

2008-10-14T15:37:00.000-07:00

http://www.cbc.ca/news/

oh canada. only 5 weeks of election campaigning and we're done. and as of 6:39, it wasn't even the top story on the cbc news mainpage. so nice.

downtime.

2008-09-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

I guess I have some downtime before we head into people's choice concert. so, maybe I should blog. this people's choice concert is similar to all the variety benefit concerts we did back at CUC. it's a good mix of styles and performers. I just hope the audience has a good time. we've got ain't no mountain, don't worry be happy, change the world, maria (west side story), and more. it will be good to have it over.

in other news, I plugged a toilet today. I won't say where. it's a truly awkward experience.

being an uncle.

2008-09-13T16:48:00.001-07:00

20080801_pei3_DSC_0015, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

there's certainly something special about close family. it doesn't matter if they're across the continent. crawling, walking, talking, winking, gesturing - everything is something special. and selfishly more important than the child of a colleague or close friend. (maybe that's wrong.)

I guess I feel more invested. not that I send them lots of money, but my emotions are invested in them. it's like an old money relationship. I've invested my time and thoughts in the parents, and now that they've procreated, this little nephew or niece gets the extension of that attention. right?

either way- this chick's got nice eyes and I can't help but take lots of pics.

this.

2008-09-01T08:43:00.001-07:00

20080801_pei1_DSC_0316, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

ok. I really missed this. it felt so good to get up on the board and just go. harness in and fly. ah. so good. now to find somewhere around here to windsurf besides lake michigan- cause that's not great windsurfing.

costa rican food.

2008-08-27T14:02:00.001-07:00

20080825_DSC_0054, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

this was good. I thought, 9 months, we should go somewhere interesting. wasn't sure what costa rican food would be like, but was interested to try. it was great. I'm not sure if I got the prime example, but there was a home grown, earthy, simple feel to this meal. finally a chile relleno I could write about. picked beets, cilantro/cabbage salad, rice with carrots and potatoes, fresh tomato sauce. it's almost like I didn't expect to find food like this in the city; like it was reserved for a tropic location, some beach side grill dotted with banana trees.

(ok. I think I'm writing so much cause it's suppertime and I haven't eaten...and I'm hungry...I'll go eat now).

bleah-ha-ahaaa...

2008-08-20T04:47:00.001-07:00

sorry, but that's what you get for going out in an almost-hurricane. guess they need to develop a quick release for his harness.

olympics.

2008-08-10T06:08:00.001-07:00

china- you rock.

Happy Canada Day

2008-07-01T20:19:00.001-07:00

Canadian Flag - Stereogram, originally uploaded by SagX.

whatever happened to these stereograms?

I fall asleep in church

2008-06-01T19:52:00.000-07:00

no, seriously, I do. and to my sunday church, I am sorry. if any of you are reading this, I am sorry. I have done some initial research into why I fall asleep, and the results aren't good. or at least, they come with more questions on christianity, demographics, denominationalism, mic-usage, padded pews, doctrine, repetition, laziness, and simple sleep patterns that I should get into.

In other news, I've now spent time at a Gaither Homecoming Concert (and may be on their mailing list). And I'm also considering the role of passive-aggressiveness in my life. Who gives it to me? who do I give it to? And, for all those who are in a relationship (at whatever stage), I'm watching you. I'm watching you.

speaking of korean

2008-05-28T05:02:00.000-07:00

ok, no joke - whether intentional or not, the menu down at Seoul Garden (Mishawaka) had "...avairable upon request." I wouldn't make this up.

the real guatemala post

2008-05-24T17:36:00.000-07:00

April 27:
left for midway with a plate of pasta, mug of fake coffee (thanks pop), and about 4hrs of sleep. traffic at 4am is never too bad. and the drunks are just about home at that time. midway's a breeze, the flight to atlanta is light, lots of room to stretch out, embraer 190 had nice seats. Hartsfield-Jackson is such a busy airport - I think Ohare hides it's busyness. it's just blatant in atlanta. perhaps the parallel runways. found gate, ate food, tried to scoop internet, made last phone calls from cell, changed ticket for an open row. 757 down to guatemala city. always a quick liftoff, remembered how much I love flying over water, especially caribbean water. good airline food, bad walt disney movie (national treasure 2). flying over guatemala city involves a multitude of valleys, with sheered hills, man-made plateaus, smog layers, and tin roofs. At this point, I began to really consider what I knew of Guatemala - and it turned out to not be a lot. I knew there had been a war, but I didn't know how extensive. then zaak encourages me to close my window for fear of getting robbed or killed. ack. ah well, a trip to the center of guatemala city, a walk through the plaza, mile 1, and on to Tactic. smog, exhaust, heat, followed by the introduction of the luxurious licuado, a windy road into the jungled north, and we arrive. amber, acadia and blaise greet us, fresh fruit for supper and a movie on hit and run. good to chill.

April 28:
early rise, watched U2 DVD, made faces at Acadia, scrambled eggs with chicken sausage and hot sauce, exchange money at bank with guards, eat authentic corn tortillas with mango salsa and black beans. after dinner movie of Crime and Punishment, back to market to meet group from Trinity Western University, trip to the local catholic church, Chi Xim, and a curry feed with sweet potatoes and egg, and a game of settlers which I efficiently lose to Amber (I will never say anything about a number ever again).

April 29:
good morning starshine. Another early rise, but lazy. todays content included a trip to a coffee plantation with the group from TWU; crazy road, so crazy vertical, brakes have a new meaning in places like this. who knew coffee begins a little multi-colored. afternoon leisure ends with a meal at a local church members home where we watched as corn is processed at a public mill, and then we help pat it into little pupusas (filled with farmers cheese), and then deep fried. friend, I was plugged. which was alright as I was slowly getting used to not flushing toilet paper. but the eventual BM was like bullets. enough.

April 30:
early morning trip to Semuc Champey. about 100kms away but windy roads turn it into 3.5 hours. so but Champey is this set of natural limestone pools on top of a river - or better said, above a tunneled river. beautiful sun, warm water, windy, much burned skin, adrenaline raced (with some treacherous cliff jumps - who knew I was such a jock). I'm sure this place could be really beautiful at night. another windy trip back to Tactic where mango chicken and the darjeeling limited await. of course another van trip means heated discussion about whatever topic (cause we covered so much during the week - it was very refreshing) - and today's topic was Music. we hit so many hits of the 90s, covered some new artists, and chose some favorites. Alan, our resident pop guru, vilely infected us with some black eyed peas. darn that skanky hook.

May 1:
early morning devotionals at the Impact Ministries school. loud singing, hands raised, the longest medley I've never understood. it's hard not to sense a calling when you combine the surroundings of tactic, the poverty and the injustice, with the true redeeming quality of education. pictures, sounds, images later, we hit the market for some bargain action. thanks to Amber, I have returned with some tablecloths and mats. and an afternoon of leisure ends with a night at a local restaurant for meat, meat, and more meat. I think I may even like steak now. oh, and settlers - I think I lost again.

May 2:
the morning is spent packing, as we're headed to Antigua, the tourist capital of Guatemala. while europeans seem to traverse the country, most americans seem to only hit Antigua. travel discussion ensues, windy road leads to some in-car puking (it's all cool, Blaise - I was totally there on the way to Tactic). lunch stop at Pollo Campero finally lends some leafy-vegetables to my plate - remarkably, greens (lettuces, spinaches, leafy things - with the exception of cilantro - aren't easily found in tactic, and thereby aren't often eaten. the fiber revived my colon. wow, that sounds dramatic - it wasn't - but I was glad to have a salad. bargaining in the market leads to a new purse for michaela and a hammock for my parents. supper highlights my appreciation for good customer service. hotel, sleep.

May 3:
early morning pick-up by the tourist bus; hour ride to the Pacaya Volcano. it was a moving UN bus - 3 canadians, 1 norwegian, 2 french, 2 swiss, 1 greek, 1 american, 3 danish. the walk to the volcano turns out quite laborious, but the view of the spewing (well, maybe creeping) is wicked. the fresh rock feels hollow but the edges will gash you - the scar in my hand still testifies. 20 feet from fresh lava is cool, but quite hot. (lame, I know). it radiates quite well. walk down in dust and sweat finishes with a creamsicle. what a workout. we had lunch at a nice vegetarian restaurant - something I'm assuming is quite unique in guatemala. and a nap. yes. more chilling, more tourism, cathedrals that are half fallen down and my last licuado. back to the hotel where we can't help but play some more settlers and finish with a last discussion on religion and life.

May 4:
early morning rise to search for fresh bread. no such luck. back to the hotel to begin our trip back to Guatemala city. Breakfast at Pollo Campero leads to discussion on life and careers, etc, over eggs with black beans and salsa. so good. and back to the airport, and back to america.

-- there it is - short and sweet, but barely hitting all the details that made it a great trip. thanks zaak, amber, acadia, blaise and alan.

guatemala

2008-05-18T13:58:00.001-07:00

20080503_guatemala_3_024.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

how bout some pictures from guatemala. at some point, I'll itemize the days, but for right now, check out my quick gallery here.

cheesecake.

2008-05-08T04:36:00.001-07:00

DSC_0072.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

this was really good cheesecake. horray for lighting from above.

cities at night.

2008-04-06T19:33:00.000-07:00

this is wicked cool, nerdy, and makes me anxious to travel. thanks cathy.

blood-curdling.

2008-04-06T08:49:00.000-07:00

talk about blood-curdling scream. this video has got it. and from a guy too. great band though. video is tight. lyrics are wack.

thanks for...

2008-03-31T19:58:00.000-07:00

thanks for the rain,
thanks for the food,
thanks for a great day,
thanks for catching that error,
thanks for buying lunch,
thanks for understanding,

or

thanks for dying on the cross, like I heard earlier today.

this is not an ultra-religious post - language is curious, and some phrases just don't work for me. even thank-you feels better to me. I guess I totally approach religion with formality, and being casual just doesn't cut it sometimes.

Easter

2008-03-21T18:33:00.000-07:00

I just returned from a good friday service at my current sunday church. (yes, I go to church on both days - it's my ambition to be as ecumenical as possible, without rubbing the 4th commandment in anyone's face). and so I've decided that adventists really don't celebrate easter like other churches; our solemnity, drama, sorrow, pain, separation, and joy are all comparatively subdued. I'm just sayin...

things of note:

Maundy thursday had a handwashing ceremony, complete with antibacterials. it was a service theme. I prefer/dislike/reverence our footwashing service for it's outright combination of both humility and service.

the service ended with the front of the church being stripped of the palms from sunday, the drape over the cross, and everyone left in silence. it was meaningful.

my feet were terrible on the organ; simply because I don't have a great level of spatial awareness with my feet and I didn't pull my robe back out of the way; it was pretty bad.

oh, and we've got about 6-7 inches of snow right now. that didn't make for good driving. no.

and then tonight, the good friday service. an interesting combination of sorrow and joy. they slowly extinguished candles while reading verses from Luke, brought the Christ candle to the back of the church, and then blew it out while a strepitus was heard. A strepitus is supposed to be a sharp nose to signal the death of Jesus - the AV at this church gave us this unexpected sci-fi, dolby digital kind of a attack and decay. I appreciate their ministry.

but before; the pastor gave a children's story, wherein he made the statement that Jesus knew that he would rise in 3 days (I'm not disputing that fact) and that it gave him joy (I dispute the smiling face the pastor used to illustrate this point). I've typically envisioned Jesus on the cross, struggling with hope and faith, unsure of the next moment. It seems like a great connection with our own human christian walk - we can logically and theological deduce the future and the plan of salvation, but in the moment (you know...the moment) it still takes faith and trust...all those risky things. and I think an uncertainty in Jesus makes it a truer sacrifice. of course, that brings up other questions...

to you.

2008-03-16T08:17:00.001-07:00

glam.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

hey- I think you should get a pair.

tennessee.

2008-03-10T19:48:00.001-07:00

20080224_tennessee_082.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

seriously, this is tennessee.

my desk

2008-03-10T19:43:00.001-07:00

20080218_rando_013.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

hey- here's some voyeur action for you. this is pretty much my home desk- sorry a little camera shake. items of random note: speed stick deodorant, ESO 08-09 script underneath camera lens cap and travel french dictionary, grape stem in kellogg's cereal bowl, compact flash drives, hard drives (which are still named carrera, boxster, cayman & 911, even though their predecessor, Porsche, died a slow and painful death at the hands of my emac), 50mm 1.8 lens, lint remover, old amplifier I got from the electronics shop in the CUC minimall, PSB speakers I got while rooming with Travis my second year at CUC, berklee postcard, blue AC airline tag, $20 bill from trinidad and tobago, and my trusty macbook and apple cinema display (of which I am finally getting over the price tag)(...hey, cinema display, thanks for being a great big help over the last year; yeah, you and your other 23inch relatives have some banding problems, but you're still really quite good for your price; you could be in trouble, though, if I can pull the money for a mac pro).

music as education.

2008-02-13T08:10:00.000-08:00

music as education. what does that mean? am I finally appreciating my own bachelor's degree? do I finally see the vital role educated and intentional musicians have in the world? this is a big topic, and I'm processing. the big thing is - be intentional. and avoid muzak unless it is an appeal or you're in an elevator.

helium shortage. huh?

2008-02-13T08:08:00.000-08:00

don't forget about the helium.

when I discuss...

2008-02-09T14:31:00.000-08:00

things with people, I will:

1. never draw non-related topics into the conversation to help bolster my side;
2. never ask questions that the other person has little chance of knowing the answer to;
3. take time to analyze the reasons someone could say what they're saying - cause I'm not that ESP or smart, and the first thing that pops into my mind may not be correct;
4. be as clear and concise as possible;

...to be continued.

go diet. pop.

2008-01-27T20:24:00.000-08:00

i'm tired of this debate over whether diet soda is going to fry your brain, give you cancer, and all things unnatural.

check out this page from the National Cancer Institute. Here are the key points:

A study of about half a million people, published in 2006, compared people who drank aspartame-containing beverages with those who did not. Results of the study showed that increasing levels of consumption were not associated with any risk of lymphomas, leukemias, or brain cancers in men or women. (Question 2)

Researchers examined the relationship between aspartame intake and 1,888 lymphomas or leukemias and 315 malignant brain cancers among the participants of the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study from 1995 until 2000. Development of these cancers was not associated with estimated aspartame consumption, refuting a recent animal study with positive findings for lymphomas and leukemias and also contradicting claims regarding brain cancer risk. (Questions 3 and 8)

A typical can of soda pop has 1/4 cup of sugar - about 140 calories. and you're only getting sugar - nothing else beneficial. at least orange juice will give you vitamins, minerals, etc.

And for the picture...well, diet soda floats and regular sinks. has to do with the density of sugar versus aspartame.

yamaha pianos

2008-01-16T05:10:00.001-08:00

hey, I feel the same way as this guy:

Time to warm up. John (stage manager guy) has set up a Yamaha upright for me to warm up. It's a piano action. Perhaps this is not a good time to mention that the best thing I can say about Yamaha is that they make good motorcycles. But it's a piano action. Do what you can. (William Eddins, music director of the Edmonton Symphony Orchestra)

compensation.

2008-01-14T19:31:00.000-08:00

This topic blows my mind. I first heard about it on NPR.

Basically, the US military will provide compensation to Iraqi civilians who have been harmed by american forces. This includes compensation for a door that has been run over by a tank, or a cow that was killed during a fight with insurgents. OR, when a family member has been killed during fighting.

Here's a an excerpt from the site Iraq Body Count:

The US Army paid $7,500 to two children whose mother they killed inside a taxi that ran a checkpoint — both children were also in the taxi, and were shot and injured; they also paid $6,000 for killing a child looking out of the window, while a raid was on-going in the house across the street. They refused, as they do in the majority of cases, to compensate the child whose father they killed as he drove home, but agreed to make a ‘condolence payment’ of $1,500. More recently, the US military is reported to have paid $2,500 to each family of the three men they killed near Abu Lukah, as they guarded their village.

It can certainly be debated whether or not the US military should be compensating for civilian deaths. The US army will generally not compensate for deaths resulting from insurgent weaponry - something that both family members or the military would have a hard time proving/disproving. And sadly, many civilians will go to different stations to see if they can get multiple compensations.

what simply kicks me in the balls, though, is the compensatory figures and the different words attached. $2,500. $6,000. "condolence payment granted." $500.
"compensation for death denied due to combat exemption." "negligent fire." $3,500.

I know we have lawsuits in the US for deaths associated with prescription drugs or wack police officers. I guess I'm wallowing in this thought that we really can/should/need to/have put a price tag on a person's life.

password fatigue

2008-01-10T05:04:00.000-08:00

"Frustration caused by having too many passwords and failing to remember them"

other aussie expressions from this bbc article:

Globesity - the problem of rising obesity around the globe - and floordrobe - the use of the floor as a substitute wardrobe.

Salad dodger is included as a term for an overweight person, while a surfer under the age of 10 can now be called a microgrom.

merry Christmas!

2007-12-26T05:10:00.000-08:00

yes. this is weird.

2007-12-20T05:08:00.000-08:00

ayvlin

2007-12-15T04:52:00.001-08:00

20071122_alberta_080.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

babies are the only ones able to give a truly inverted frown - you know when the lines from the lips truly dip down, naturally, easily, freely. and the pouty lips. it must have something to do with the fat distribution in the face or something. you can't see it in this pic, but my little niece has the fattest legs on the planet. oh, fat distribution.

san francisco

2007-12-03T04:15:00.001-08:00

20071120_sanfrancisco1_032.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

golden gate, lombard street, fisherman's wharf, Pier 39, more crazy sealpacifica, SFO - all in one day. it was great. beautiful day. great sourdough. cheap, efficient chinese restaurant. not excessively bad traffic. I will return.

back home.

2007-11-24T14:20:00.000-08:00

after much airport (the wireless kind) confusion at my prior residences, it seems as though edmonton airport has some free internet pockets that work with my system. the www gods were teaching me a lesson this week - no doubt. and I'll see you in ontario. then michigan.

cuban jazz is loud

2007-11-20T18:36:00.001-08:00

20071119_toronto_022.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

not to forget. toronto was great as usual. sabbath morning at Kanisa fellowship just off of bayview; lunch at crystals; good discussion on music in church and quality, etc; sabbath evening in toronto at a little restaurant with a cuban jazz band (yeah, maybe only 2 songs, after being stored in the wine cellar); sweet billiard action; and some sweet west indian fair, rice and beans, etc.

next hobby: surfing

2007-11-20T18:15:00.001-08:00

20071119_santacruz2_023.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

alright. it's decided. the next sport I will attempt is surfing. this looked way too cool. it was a beautiful day - clear sky, windy, moderate waves. the water was brown from all the kelp - a little weird.

lazy seals

2007-11-20T18:09:00.001-08:00

20071119_santacruz1_018.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

santa cruz has a variety of lazy seals, all harping underneath the fisherman's wharf. they kind of get trapped on these supporting trusses from high tide. I'd go nuts if I had to work with that noise going on all the time.

harvest amish paisley

2007-11-13T20:42:00.001-08:00

DSC_0242 as Smart Object-1.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

to our founding fathers

2007-11-12T20:18:00.001-08:00

20071112_beard016.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

because I've been busy,

2007-11-05T09:02:00.000-08:00

I haven't been posting. yes. and I would post something more significant right now, but I'm working through the benadryl sinus headache high. my thoughts may be quite cloudy.

it was a slow day.

2007-10-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

CNN, you semi-disappoint me. I was intrigued by the headline, but basically became embarassed that I would waste time to watch the whole story and promptly moved to something else. If you would like to hear more about the story, here's the link.

bright red.

2007-10-09T15:28:00.001-07:00

20070922_potluck2_061.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

red seems in and in. the more saturated the better. but this bright red is so digital. I don't remember velvia giving this tone easily.

where do I live?

2007-10-09T15:18:00.000-07:00

I know where I live, but honestly, there are sirens going off every freaking day. You expect commotion living downtown - but there can't be that many hay fires in Berrien County. I'm not joking - every freaking day.

O Canada.

2007-09-20T15:07:00.001-07:00

20070916_chicago_026.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

The Canada Gathering Tent at the Chicago Celtic Festival announced it's evening concert session with bagpipes and drums. While I realize that Canada, and particularly the maritimes, have real UK/celtic roots, it's hard for me to think it's a relative music for the whole country. What is Canadian music?

habakkuk 2:7

2007-09-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

oh, how language changes. check out the KJV and NRSV.

word choice - "work"?

2007-09-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

I heard a brief snippet of the president's speech yesterday, and this one passage really struck me:

In Anbar, the enemy remains active and deadly. Earlier today, one of the brave tribal sheikhs who helped lead the revolt against al Qaeda was murdered. In response, a fellow Sunni leader declared: We are determined to strike back and continue our work. And as they do, they can count on the continued support of the United States.

I know the Bush administration is adept at using every and all words to win the PR war about Iraq, but I'm interested in this supposed word choice from the Sunni leader - "continue our work". I'd like to hear, read, "see" the exact words from the leader.

I understand the war in Iraq to be time-consuming, financial, and repetitive, but this is not a 9-5. Would struggle, fight, or even war be more pertinent? Do we lessen the stigma of war by calling it work? Are fatalities more acceptable? Can we justify/cope with a long war by calling it work? Americans love work - just look at our vacations compared to European counterparts. We are used to working a lot. And we like to finish jobs.

I'm curious with war as work. It kind of strips away all the idealism and romanticism with war, liberation, victory, etc. I'll take your response - and yours - and yours.

Does anyone else feel like maybe they've reached the end of the internet, and maybe the more interesting part of life isn't connected by 0s and 1s?

2007-09-13T19:32:00.000-07:00

news - check. blogroll - check. finances - check. apple site - check. tv-links.co.uk - check. airliners.net - check. my sense of discovery in the internet is at a standstill. I'm incredibly suspect of second life. friend networks always have a time limit. the internet just doesn't hold the same sense of importance to me anymore.

I'm getting old. officially.

DKS...2/3rds

2007-09-11T17:16:00.001-07:00

20070805_graduation_047.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

Hey - Kris, great to see you in August. See you at the 10yr?
Not a chance. Myla where are you? I heard you're on a mac. Get with the ichat program. I miss the early mornings in the yearbook/newspaper offices, the crazy 70s furniture in the enrollment office, and coffee time (pre-tim hortons - even then we all knew they didn't stand a chance).

what's this?

2007-09-02T09:51:00.000-07:00

What's this - a post? well, not really. I just got back from church, and let me tell you how church with really old people is really slow. The preacher looked like he was going to drop at any second, the liturgist was walking across the stage with a walker, and I did not get enough sleep last night. semi-torture.

fresh bread

2007-08-12T19:25:00.001-07:00

DSC_0001.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

there is nothing like it.

photographic truths

2007-08-12T05:07:00.000-07:00

photography is an amazing medium. and as I begin this post, part of me shrinks back in awe with how complicated the subject really is.

BACKGROUND:
BBC news online published a story about research teams that are developing an algorithm that uses existing online libraries (like flickr) to help recreate photos. The tool would search for similar pictures based on light source, camera position and overall composition.

Alright. so here's the deal.

I generally have no problem with retouching - dust, scratches, bad expressions in a portrait, shadows from trees, crazy wires, distinct lines in the background, nose hair, lack of hair, zits, glass reflection, and a wide assortment of other distractions in a picture. And I feel alright with it because it's not changing the real guts of the shot. I'm generally not replacing a nose or eyebrow, or cinching in some waistline, etc. Now as much as I respect the professional retouchers of the magazine industry, I do think they further perpetuate the myth of the perfect body...blah, blah, another topic. And the subject of photography in advertising/marketing is another post as well.

In this post, I am concerned (yes, strong word) that we would take vacation/family pictures and essentially replace elements from totally different surroundings. I'm not sure who's controlling what, but this idea that our memories should be "tidied up" seems like mind control to me.

Let's be honest - memory is a flaky thing. We all join fragments together, we all can be swayed by the memories of a stronger personality, and we all simply forget a lot. Photographs (and I'll bring in the moving picture at this point) are huge elements to help one remember, to feel, and appreciate that one moment. I hate this idea that we can simply alter realities like that. Yeah, sure, the light conditions, etc, in St. Johns, NFLD, may be similar to some picture from Australia, but I would doubt that they have similar dories and jellybean houses. (sorry, a rash example).

I know this technology is meant to improve the picture in a way that allows the user to emphasize the desired element - and I'm OK with that thought process. Photographers and designers have certainly been doing this for years - we alter color and light, and shape and texture. But I always assume we're doing it for the purpose of art, or to convey some intentional message. We haven't been painting historical pictures, that one would reference to help them remember.

It's tough. Could the general public be responsible users of such technology?

hey, check out the movie "Letters from Iwo Jima" - tremendous movie - not at all related to this post - except that I need to watch it's sister movie "Flags of Our Fathers", which is all about truth and photography.

simpsonized. i am.

2007-08-10T19:44:00.000-07:00

I am a fan of the simpsons. The movie was decent. But this simpsonizer machine - does it capture the real me?

endurable injuries

2007-08-08T08:03:00.000-07:00

so, I'm slightly injured from racquetball on sunday. I've got a good welt on my left calf that did the good bruise transition - originally white center, red outer, transitioning now to the dark blue/purple hair roots, probably moving to the subtle green/blue interior. I've also got a bruise on my thigh, but no color change. Sunday's game was a little brutal; Uncle Larry jabbed his arm into the window brackets in the door and blood was all over his shirt and arm; I wacked him in the jaw with a return shot; and of course I got some intentional shots to my legs.

but it was a great game. It's probably the only place that I feel intensely competitive these days, and it's interesting to see how I act. I never like losing, but I can endure it much more if the match was good and I played well.

presentation/content

2007-08-04T13:49:00.000-07:00

I've come randomly onto this topic. but it's important for me to have analyzed it at some point. it's seems I always hear "presentation is everything..." - but, wow, I really don't believe it's everything. which could be a problem, because presentation is my job.

so in pursuing this thought further, I've come up with a list of things that are often shrouded in hype/look/sound/visuals/etc and don't always deliver:

outdoor rock/pop concerts
wedding cakes
mongolian barbecues
free printers w/ purchase of laptop
all forms of rebates
university
anything that says "best in the world"
credit cards
anti-bacterials
desserts
plastic surgery
snacks
low-cost airlines
emo/indie/goth culture

and a list of things that often are poorly/moderately marketed or presented - frankly, because the content can be so good that it doesn't need any extra hype to win it's market:

fresh bread
good sound systems
national geographic
honest doctors
apple computers
herb gardens
rollercoasters
museums
fresh chips (NFLD version)
costco/sam's club
a truly good guitarist
Canada

alright, so not a complete list - and biased to say the least.

I know there are varying planes in this debate. On one level, would I try something that looks disgusting? I say yes. Does this mean I'm more optimistic and hopeful than I am doubtful? I say yes. I guess I'd rather be happily surprised than disappointed. Things that don't live up to their hype leave a sour taste in my mouth.

But another aspect - is there a level of presentation that an item has to exceed for one to even try the item? That's certainly in the lap of the beholder - what their life experience tells them, what their friends tell them, what their mood is, etc.

Marketers are notorious for telling people what they want. I recently watched this PBS documentary, and one section featured this business guru who was basically decoding human psychology to aid the marketing of luxury brands. It made great sense - tap the foundations of human desire, convert them to needs, and increase sales. Doesn't it sound sneaky?

but let's be honest, it happens everywhere. lemonade stands, cutco salespeople, car dealerships. I know I'm not impervious to marketing, but I'd like to think that I'm responsible with my purchases - analyzing need versus cost.

And in how I present myself? Well, I'd like to think that people are happily surprised and the content is good.

fisheye house

2007-08-03T19:36:00.001-07:00

20070721_fisheye_007.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

hey, check out my current place of unofficial residence (I don't receive any mail here) through the fisheye lens. This is truly one of the coolest houses I've lived in - wood floors, tall ceilings, lots of natural light, porch, gas stove.

Click the pic to follow through to my flickr.

hey, hey, you, you.

2007-07-25T20:59:00.000-07:00

we've reached a new level/low with this song. white, emo, canadian, skater, grunge, teenage, 23yr-old chick rapping about wrapping guys around her finger.

music can create the oddest couples. darn the hook.

senator mccain

2007-07-23T19:37:00.000-07:00

I attended the Economic Club of Southwestern Michigan tonight, and had my first taste of in-person politics. I've never been to a rally, or a formal debate, nor have I really seen a big-name politician in-person. And I really should've asked a question. I had a few formulated towards foreign policy, status of the US vs the United Nations, and other general US vs the world questions.

but, overall, I must say I was disappointed with Senator McCain. I had such big hopes that he was going to dissect the topics carefully, exposing the complexity and importance within each. but both his speech and his answers during the Q&A were full of the same electionspeak. And they were particularly American. I mean, yes, we're in America, but do you have to extol the virtues of only America? I don't remember one detail mentioned about how the US should contribute to world society - except how the US should lead it. hence my desire to ask a question about the UN.

I really wanted to ask, "how do you/will you restore world trust in the United States?"

The Iraq war sucks for the lives lost, the constant insurgency, the fear of terrorism, alqueda in Iraq, etc, etc, but the US has lost world confidence. I would posit that it will take a good part of the century to remedy faith in the United States and the american dream.

oh, and I support the troops.

survey says...

2007-07-21T06:04:00.000-07:00

alright, you canadians. Here's what the survey says

Anytown, Canada
The following are the top 10 cities most closely resembling the country as a whole, according to Environics Research Group.
Red Deer, Alta.
Waterloo, Ont.
Guelph, Ont.
Kingston, Ont.
Kelowna, B.C.
Maple Ridge, B.C.
Grand Prairie, Alta.
London, Ont.
Calgary, Alta.
Langley, B.C.

I can believe most of them except Grand Prairie. I've been there and I don't remember a thing about it.

europe, anyone?

2007-07-16T14:55:00.001-07:00

sanpietback.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

Anybody interested in a backpacking trip through Europe?
I was clicking through my pics this weekend, and wow, I'd really like to go back - maybe hit the germanic countries this time.

am I an elitist musician?

2007-07-15T14:20:00.000-07:00

alright, don't hate me. I'm working my way through this.

here's the scenario:

11yr-old girl sings for church this morning/
song is CCM, country-style, wide jumps, out of her range/
mostly incredibly out of tune, with little sense of step/half-step motion/
mother is obviously the pusher in the situation/
girl forgets the words, starts crying and sits back down/
one by one the congregation stands up, clapping; an ovation/
justin remains seated at the piano.

alright, hear me out.

There are so many subtleties that I'm sensitive to:

why can't an 11yr-old sing amazing grace or I love you Lord, something that is relatively easy to sing, with fewer words to remember?

why would an 11yr-old have to sing the song without words (in church) - especially if she's nervous?

why would a mother push her daughter into something that she's obviously not doing really well, even when unstressed?

would she be able to discern that the standing ovation was more for her effort and not her musical performance?

what about the school of hard knocks? is an 11yr-old exempt? (my experience with festivals, competitions, even playing in church can be brought up at this point - I've screwed up enough times to know that I've been given grace - but I think I've always been taught to analyze my mistakes and learn how to grow from them)

it was interesting - after church, I was listening to Prairie Home Companion driving up to Riverside, and the guest was Renee Fleming, a famous soprano (just google for her dossier). And she related the story of her first of three Metropolitan Opera auditions - basically she said it was horrible - she said how her parents had pained looks on their faces, how her accompanist wanted to stand up and say that she'd try again the next year, just some way of putting her out of her misery.

I like this story. Some days you just screw up (like this past saturday morning for myself), but the potential of having a great performance is there (now this point can be discussed for hours). I can just see this 11yr-old, maybe five/ten years from now, still trying to sing, and hopelessly sub-par, still being encouraged by a parent that has big dreams.

______

Dear 11yr-old girl,

I'm sorry for applying all of my 27 years of musical development, cynicism and suspect on this one performance. May you learn scales and truly develop a voice to rival Shania Twain.

______

On a side note - North American audiences love their standing ovations.

whole foods addendum

2007-07-14T21:46:00.000-07:00

And then you should ask these questions.

Justin, If that's how you really felt about "organic" foods,

1. why are you so cheap that you couldn't support their idealistic aims?
2. do you not feel worthy enough to eat healthier food?
3. why do you hate the intelligently, intellectually, hip and coolly marketed brand names, with large green posters of tomatoes and barley, and wide assortments of vegan salads and whole wheat sandwiches?

whole food agenda

2007-07-14T14:52:00.000-07:00

This current story on Whole Foods CEO, John Mackey, is hitting home the thought that just about everything can be corrupted. yes, just about everything. If you're not aware of the story, check out this link, or this link. Basically, he, the CEO of Whole Foods, poses as an anonymous user on Yahoo Chat rooms and makes negative statements about the rival company, Wild Oats, trying to influence their stock price. And all at the same time, Whole Foods is trying to buy out Wild Oats. There are other human, trivial, but funny, details.

I guess I respond to this story because it kind of hits home to that feeling of old-fashioned values, etc, etc. Alright - here are my trains of thought:

I'm trying to eat healthy, but it's been marketed to me that>>

>> regular food from big chains have been exposed to way too many pesticides, have all sorts of preservatives, and are mass-produced, harvested by immigrant children at 3am.

>> regular food contains obscene amounts of salt, fat, processed sugar, and trans fats

So I think that organic food (and by proxy organic food stores) will provide me with>>

>> food that was created on an idyllic setting, with gorgeous hillsides, azure sunrises, with cows and chickens, and berries on trees, and old farmers and their wives, leisurely climbing up ladders to pull down the ripest fruit (ok, a little extreme, but packaging can conjure a lot of images) - meaning - I'm supporting middle america and the values we admire in our grandparents (paraphrased to say the least)

>> healthy, whole grain, oats, fiber-rich substances that will clear up my atherosclerosis.

hmm...this is turning cynical.

Basically, I'm disappointed that we've finally (because I knew it was inevitable) brought organic food down to the level of business. Maybe I've always thought that "organic" food was about a healthier lifestyle, about being nicer to the environment, about honestly caring about fair trade and those who produce food for us.

I'll be honest, I've always been suspect of organic stores, and organic food in general. Granted, I'm frugal and I don't want to be paying premium for items that really don't address my health issues. Maybe the organic wave is now too much of a fad, and the marketing aspect has overshadowed the real benefits (and the lifestyle that should accompany it).

Thunderstorms and iPods

2007-07-12T04:54:00.000-07:00

I really like thunderstorms - and I really like my iPod. I guess I just can't mix them together. check this story out.

My Dad is on youTube

2007-07-09T19:12:00.001-07:00

Facebook, gnutella network, and now getting a video on youTube - I have to say that I'm impressed by my father's ability to stay on top of web technologies. Now he just needs to give up HotMetal Pro. please.

katie and todd

2007-07-01T12:50:00.001-07:00

DSC_0014.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

hey, here's to you and you, and patterns on the wall.

solon, solon...

2007-06-27T05:02:00.001-07:00

20070622_pei_DSC_0193.jpg, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

My little cousin did not want to go down the aisle. and he didn't.

funerals

2007-06-24T18:36:00.000-07:00

I've decided that funerals are good.

but in coming to that conclusion, I have to strongly emphasize that it is a plus and minus affair. There can be gigantic sadness, with tears and sorrow and regret and pain, and loads of awkward moments. But there's also healing and endings, hope for the future, and lots of calm, moving moments of depth - where every triviality is forgotten.

my grandmother died a month ago, and we just had her funeral. I'm not sure if the delay was good or bad. it meant more of the family could come, but it isolated a few people and put a semi-damper on my cousin's wedding (the same weekend).

the funeral wasn't a real sad, sad occasion. There was lots of laughing and memories passed around, and the assembling of family always takes on a familiar, comfortable atmosphere. And grammy's passing was expected - she had been mentally distant for some time. When it actually happened - the initial reaction was a solid hit to the belly, but soon replaced by the logic of the timing, how old she was, and then thinking through the steps to prepare for the funeral, etc.

So, while it wasn't a real weepy occasion, I'm still moved by the tears of my family; my oldest brother reflecting and stumbling over memories; a lawyer aunt that maintains articulate sentences with red-stained eyes; a NYC psychiatrist uncle that ends his memories with a muted denouement - "...I will miss her..."; and my father whose tears move me deeply.

I became the most tender after playing the piano. I didn't realize how much my grammy enjoyed and probably encouraged my musical development. She was a singer and a pianist, and would work her way through the hymnal on free afternoons. And so I was originally playing to just honor her - but when I made the connection between her music and my music - well, that was the toughest.

funerals bring all sorts of relationship into focus. mother, father, brother, sister, aunt, uncle, nephew, niece, cousin, friend, etc, and how much you value that human connection.

and so they are good.

sponge bob

2007-06-16T05:10:00.001-07:00

Img047.JPG, originally uploaded by justinjeffery.

Yes, I live in the jellyfish fields. It's not so bad. I usually have the majority of the mural covered. It's more likely that I'll rip down the primary color fan above my head than paint over sponge bob.

We had mediterranean potluck last week. I turned total geek and set up my camera upstairs which networked with a mac downstairs to display the shots in a slideshow format.

I worked with automator which is something I'd never worked with before - the process was basically: nikon camera control dumped the picture on to the desktop, automator was set to detect any jpgs dumped on the desktop and move them into a specific album in iPhoto, deleting the original on the desktop. It turned out pretty slick.

check out our potluck attendees.

in case you missed it,

2007-06-14T05:16:00.000-07:00

here it is.
too much.