What follows are some misc. pictures from the first month of 2006. Including an Arboreteum trip, a trip with my dad to Landers and the top of Goat Mountain (pic above), hiking in Azusa Canyon, craftiness by Adrienne (My favorite ones are the ones that include her hands). Couple of good ones in there. Enjoy.

so. to my shame. i've been less than diligent. about posting. pictures. here are the ones from the holidays.

Adrienne decided to play with makeup the other night. Wow.

I ran across this site when I was evangelizing in chat about body weight exeercises and wanted to keep the link around for later use

Some images from Joe and Flea's wedding day...

I find myself somewhat at a loss for words. Supply your own.

Jeremy was able to hook up with us yesterday from Kuwait and sent up some pictures of life in the Middle East. Be safe Jeremy.

Ok, ok...I have lots of pictures to post: First is a car show we attended on Myrtle Avenue. Second is some misc shots from september. Third is a bunch of pictures from my business trip to Washington DC. Fourth is some misc shots from October. Fifth is HALLOWEEN.

Last Saturday the Milliken/Graf clan had an impromptu reunion. When's the next one?

Okay. So I created our daily chat room with a name I thought quite clever (yes it's working for me) >>Dia de la Mujer Toes<< Then E.S. logs in: [13:47] *** es has joined the chat. [13:47] es: Ole! [13:52] entropyhed: mess with the bull young man, and... [13:52] es: you get the toes? [13:53] entropyhed: hehe [13:53] entropyhed: hey [13:53] entropyhed: i thought the name was particularly inspired this morning [13:53] es: whatsa mujer? [13:53] entropyhed: woman [13:53] entropyhed: i think [13:54] es: day of the chick toes [13:54] entropyhed: O_o [13:54] entropyhed: creepy, huh? [13:54] entropyhed: **insert scary music** [13:55] es: not if the toes come with chicks attached [13:55] entropyhed: hehe [13:55] entropyhed: you're not using your imagination enough, it can still be scary [13:55] entropyhed: in fact [13:55] entropyhed: **shiver** [13:55] entropyhed: stop [13:58] es: big, knobby, gnarled fat toes, with corns and shredded nails with dirt underneath [13:58] entropyhed: see [13:58] entropyhed: there ya go [13:58] entropyhed: ew [13:58] entropyhed: it's terrifying [13:58] es: severed from the foot, inching along the floor like a worm [13:59] es: sketching out a blood trail as it goes [13:59] entropyhed: :p [13:59] entropyhed: ok [13:59] es: then joined by another, and another, and... [13:59] entropyhed: you can stop using your imagination now [13:59] es: the floor is a writhing mass of creeping toes, like a field of bloody maggots [14:01] es: they squirm out of cracks in the floor, holes in the walls, dropping to the ground and inching toward you in your last corner of refuge [14:01] entropyhed: damn [14:02] es: in the silent pause after you inhale to scream, you can hear their nails scratching at the floor like a chorus of demented crickets searching you out [14:02] entropyhed: boy did I ask for that [14:02] entropyhed: lol

Finally got around to putting up a bunch of pictures including this one taken at Conrad's 5th birthday party.

In case you have more time than you need. Distractions

I think it's important to be an active participant in the creation of your own mythos.

I have a friend of mine in the Navy reserves who has been activated and just arrived in Kuwait. I got this e-mail from him today. I found this window into life over there very useful and thought I would share it here: -------------------------------- Well, arrived in Kuwait at 6am the other day and it was a cool 99 degrees. I've never experienced heat like this, yesterday it was 106 and 80 percent humidity at 7:30am and only got worse by the minute (don't know that actually high because I was on the water all afternoon and into the eve). The food is pretty darn good, and the portions are enormous. Did I mention its hot here? Took a shower last night at midnight and by the time I got back to my tent I was soaked in sweat again :) I've got a whole lot of respect for our marines and soldiers on the ground in Iraq, those guys are enduring the same type of weather we are and they are doing it in full battle rattle, drinking warm water and on their feet the whole time. I couldn't imagin a prolonged fight in all that body armor, we've got guys falling out with minor heat injuries and we don't wear half the gear they do. Duty is ok, not very exciting but thats how we like it. Miss all of you and hope everything is going ok back in the states, will try and email more as I get time. Take care all! ------------------------------- Come home safe Jeremy

Just to prove that there are some things you never grow out of: [15:01] entropyhed: that's one of those moments [15:01] entropyhed: like listening to joshua tree on the car stereo driving through joshua tree monument [15:02] es: Or drinking while you're peeing! [15:02] es: ok, maybe not. [15:03] entropyhed: done it..and while i did giggle slightly, it wasn't one of THOSE moments [15:03] es: right, whole 'nuther kind of moment entirely [15:03] entropyhed: (just giggled again) [15:03] es: now, have you ever eaten a mudpie while you're... [15:03] es: nm [15:04] entropyhed: (I'm ashamed to say you beat me to that one) [15:04] entropyhed: fart and inhale? no...different pathways...hmmmm [15:05] entropyhed: I'm enjoying this too much [15:05] es: we are slaves to hundreds of millions of years worth of evolution [15:05] es: I'm guilt free [15:05] entropyhed: lol [15:06] entropyhed: hundreds of millions of years of fart jokes...makes the mind boggle [15:06] entropyhed: and puts my olfactory nerves into complete retreat

Catalina, baby. Buffalo. Ocean. Sand. Ommmm.

I'm an uncle again! Baby Mackenzie is here!

The Dirksen twins are 1! I've been sitting on these pictures for a bit, but I'm ready to share.

I picked up a good quality face painting kit for Adrienne, with the expected results. :)

From chat: [10:01] entropyhed: stumbled across some homemade frijole soup [10:01] entropyhed: yummy [10:06] m: oh man. That's hard to get off the shoes. [10:07] entropyhed: HEHE [10:07] entropyhed: luckily there was enough left to get a bowl [10:07] m: Use the rubber type of spatula... helps get more outta the cracks. [10:08] entropyhed: very spicy [10:08] entropyhed: making me sweat [10:08] entropyhed: man this good [10:08] entropyhed: i love just sitting and simmering after eating something like that [10:09] m: Any food you can feel for over an hour after injestion is on the "Good" list [10:10] f: interesting barometer for food mikey [10:11] m: Jack-In-The-Box Tacos. High on the scale [10:11] entropyhed: mikey is an interesting barometer period [10:13] entropyhed: i may have to go back for another bowl [10:13] entropyhed: (forgive me adrienne) [10:13] m: mmmmm..... [10:13] f: lol [10:13] m: multiple-Frijole day! [10:14] f: Forgive us Oh Lord for the bans we are about to ingest. Their latter offenses, though natural and of your work, we hope will fly unto you and be forgiven before they bring our families to ruination. Amen. [10:15] entropyhed: lol [10:15] entropyhed: bout right [10:15] m: hang on - writing that one down

My parents went on an Alaskan cruise in May and I was able to "borrow" their camera. Check out some of these shots

Texas is a silly place. It has given us the only President I have ever actively hated and now this.

Adrienne and Conrad were standing in line at Hollywood Video picking up a couple movies and Conrad was sitting quiet in her arms. Adrienne: I love you. Conrad: I love you too, mom. Adrienne: Why do you love me? Conrad: Because Adrienne: I love you because you smell like cookies. Conrad: I love you because you smell like...life. He said it just loud enough for the young woman checking out the videos and the other customer in line to hear and they all just got real quiet.

Evolved shared this wacky link with me today.

STILL haven't read the book? www.amazon.com "Unleashing The Warrior Within" Richard Machowicz (www.bukido.com) So far, specifically due to this book and the class I've taken: 1.)Lost over 50 pounds...replaced with lean muscle. 2.)dropped about 80% of my overall stress and worry and anger. 3.)I've overcome and re-evaluated several huge fears and come out stronger and better equipped to deal with everything. (after MANY years in therapy...this book/course was what made IT happen...results finally) 4.) regained confidence and joy (and then some!) I had not known in YEARS. I took back my life. I took the red pill. 5.) I can do 100 pushups. 100 situps. 100 squats.100 really fast jumping jacks. THEN I can still focus and train with a bunch of really awesome people learning to protect myself (and others too) and "show up" in the event of threat. Sound hokey? Sound impossible? Sound great? I challenge you to read this book.

I got the companies tickets to the Dodger game last night, and went to pick up my brother and he had rented a limo so we could ride in style. Woohoo! Great game, great company, great wheels, sitting down with the beautiful people. Nice.

Adrienne spotted this comic and we decided to post it in honor of Steve and Sandy. *bow*

When those hardy european miners got tired of pushing those mine carts through tiny dusty tunnels they bred tiny horses. This one is actually full grown. Adrienne do you have anything to add? Adrienne? Hello?

On Sunday I hopped on my bike and took my caboose up through Monrovia Canyon park and into the Angeles National Forest. Ended up making it up to White Saddle. Woot!

Finally getting the spring fertility celebration pictures up. Sorry dad.

I really like this picture I grabbed from my mothers garden. The lighting wasn't great but it's still a cool abstraction.

Those of you that are familiar with the S.G.V. know the wild parrots that buzz around in a cloud of NOISE. I managed to get close enough to one grab this picture.

Ed? Is that you?

I was reading an article on CNN this morning when I ran across this paragragh: Callaway produces about 30 percent of the butterflies in-house. The rest come from butterfly farms in the tropical rain forests of Malaysia, the Philippines and Central and South America. I never really thought about butterflies as a product. Weird. I guess almost anything can be. On a slightly different note, Monrovia is inundated with butterflies. All the rain this year seems to have produced a huge amount of butterflies. Love it!

This planet is not in our solar system.

Um...thanks Reuben. I have no idea what to think about this image.

Woot! Say hello to Hoyt Gentry Duncan! Mother and son are resting and doing well. (As well as can be expected at least since they are so close to the ancestral home of our silly president.)

Bullets Easter was nice. I'll have some pictures to put up tomorrow, if I can remember to bring my camera. Conrad of course was excited with the whole Easter Basket thing. I was excited about the breakfast. Cute cards, lotsa food...you know. On Sunday we went to the Body Works exhibit at the California Science Center in LA. It was an amazing, enlightening and emotional tour through real human bodies, with the muscle and nerves exposed. Those poor folks in Indonesia got another scare today, in the form of a large earthquake. For all your earthquake information Another interesting resource is the CIA World Fact Book.

Adrienne here: For anyone who has ever felt: powerless, angry, tired, unable to motivate, scared, fearful of people places or situations....Wanting to "feel" your life, not have "it" just happen TO you: Check this out. www.bukido.com After you do that, buy this book from Amazon "Unleash the Warrior Within" By Richard Machowicz (a wonderful human being and teacher) I took the three day F.I.S.T intensive in this last Feb., and without exaggerating in any way I will say this: Completely life changing. Best I've been, EVER.

Highway 15 to Route 66 in Victorville, straight on through, Barstow, Newberry Springs, Bahgdad, Siberia, Amboy, Essex, Turn left on Essex road, Right on Black Canyon Road, Left on Wild Horse Canyon, Left on Cedar Canyon, Left on Kelso Cima Road, Left of Kelbaker road, Turn around at Kelso Dunes, Left at highway 15, Head on home

Berlynn's birthday is filled with princesses and superheroes!!

Jordan and Tyler's birthday party is at a bowling alley and Conrad gets his first experience with this American tradition

Natural History Museum

Kaili's Birthday Party!!

Luke Skywalker, Superbaby in a Barbie Jeep? The mind reels...

=)

As we strive to Support Erin and Tim here are a couple useful links. Norris USC is where the treatment is being carried out. American Brain Tumor Association BrainTumor.org

Tea of the Day

Today’s program, thanks to the generous contributions of my own personal goddess, is brought to you by Tazo – Joy. Thank you and en-joy.

 

Heard about Philip Johnson in a short peice on NPR. He died recently and they mentioned this as his favorite building. His profession was that of an architect. I've often wondered about living in a house with glass walls. All cliches about throwing stones aside, I'm finding this part of my life is about tearing down the walls. A house such as this fits my mood. No secrets. No lies. No defenses. I imagine myself in a Japanese robe laying on the bed with a cup of steaming green tea, reading Salinger's 9 stories. The Glass House.

I frequently get asked to solve little computer problems that people are having and more and more frequently lately the problems come from spyware. In the past I have always recommended www.lavasoftusa.com and their AdAware Personal Edition. I've been using this software for a while now and love it. I stumbled across a beta release of an anti spyware software from microsoft this morning. It's free for now, but it has a real time component that always runs in the background and catches spyware as it is being loaded onto your system. So I'm going to give it a go and see how it works. You can find it here.

I try to keep on the mailing lists of my senators and representatives. Will I got this e-mail from Barbara Boxer on Friday: I thought you would be interested in the following message. ============================ Dear Friend: Late December and early January brought record rain and snow to California. Sadly, 28 people lost their lives, and thousands more still suffer the consequences of the storm. I wrote to California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger pledging my assistance in gaining federal assistance should the Governor ask for an emergency declaration. Under both State and Federal law, damage assessments are necessary to tell whether the scope of damage triggers the federal damage assistance. I invite you to visit a feature on my Senate website that provides valuable links on ways to prepare for more rain, including a United States Geological Survey site that allows you to monitor streamflows while they happen. You can find this feature at http://boxer.senate.gov/flood.cfm Most of us have seen the incredible film footage of our public safety heroes and family members as they have waded into swollen streams to save victims, flown helicopters into rough terrain, and in hundreds of other ways risked their lives to save ours. I hope you will join me in saying a big thank you to these heroes. Sincerely, Barbara Boxer United States Senator So I followed the link (I got sucked in by the realtime stream information). I'll save you the political stuff and post the link directly http://waterdata.usgs.gov/ca/nwis/rt It reminds me of the earthquake map. Raw data rules. Enjoy

Flea pointed out the Wellness Community as a good place to support cancer patients and survivors.

We finished up the weekend by strolling (actually running and roleplaying) the gardens of the Huntington museum.

The next day it was off to the Los Angeles County Arboreteum where the flowers are starting to come out and play...

Mommy journeyed eastward to the Carolinas for her grandmothers 90th birthday (happy birthday!) so Conrad and I headed to the zoo looking for mischief...

Tim Banthrum, Human being Son of Janeen, Brother of Jason, Husband of Erin, Father of Josh, Friend of mine, goes into surgery in 10 minutes... and I'm scared

um...2005 is what, 10 days old? I've had my fill of tragedy and pain already. This last weekend for me was one of shock and cuteness and hope and lack of hope. The tone struck last last week was one of shock and tragedy at the illness of a dear friend and their family. Still reeling from that one friends. Mixed in with that was strolls in the rain with Conrad dressed in a slicker and galoshes, a Sunday morning in a rain suit with work gloves and a shovel, making sand bags and trying to divert runoff to save the "rest" of a friends home, reading Tintin novellas to Conrad, practicing my massages on Adrienne. Somedays I just don't know where to begin...Think good thoughts about our friends today, especially at 2:00pm when a physician determines the course of their lives.

An updated picture of young Luke Duncan, well before the age when he confronts his father's evil.

Well, it looks like we are in for another couple days of record rain. For the record, I love inclimate weather. Generally the more inclimate the better. Weather in So Cal rarely gets life threatening so it's just kinda fun and different. On another note, the ground rumbled this morning. Did you hear it?

A venture to Mt. Baldy to frolic and play the eskimo way...

Some Winter Solstice photos...

This year at work we had a "Decorate Your Door" contest. This is my entry. Click to see more.

Variable

anytime of the day...night

near sleep or deep in a task

standing in any picture my eyes make

today I stared

frozen

as I heard what could have been

your cry

except I never heard it.

I guess I meant to say

I felt it.

This year I didn't get out your things.

I passed my hand over them.

knowing it all so completely I can

create it from my own head.

never

never before has such a weight existed

one that is held and lifted to my chest

everyday.

I laid down

with the weight and rested

these last few days.

held you to myself.

Adrienne

I few pictures from winter solstice celebrations so far

My Life as a Xmas Ornament

I was finally able to get some more pictures from France up.

Day 2 Got up before the sun today, which isn?t hard since it didn?t come up until about 7:30 and even then stayed gray and threatened rain. Eventually it tired of threatening and did rain. Cold and intermittent. Before I go much further I think I must confess, I love France. At the very least I love the experience I?m having here. I can?t wait to take Adrienne down some of these streets so I can see the look on her face. So, let?s see, ah yes?an indifferent complimentary breakfast and then a cab ride to the Airbus facility in Toulouse. The streets here are something. ?Paris is the same only much much bigger?, Rob says. I can imagine living here the better part of your life and still being surprised and occasionally lost. Narrow and tall, and NONE of them are straight but instead wander this way and that, turn back on themselves, jump with surprise over ancient bridges, and corner old brick structures that have long since lost relevance and in every corner, yes, EVERY corner there is something interesting to see, something?well?foreign. . The old brick (and new brick that was made to look old) are slick and wet to my cheap dress shoes so I walk carefully on a canvas painted with neon from still closed shops. The taxi waits, so does Airbus. Big complexes, lots of efficient looking serious, but friendly people. Seminars conducted by people to whom English is obviously a second language, but even then the intelligence is evident. At the company sponsored lunch in one of the buildings on site (after a quick walk in invigorating (<-this is BS it?s COLD) rain) we are offered some cold cuts of beef, salted salmon, proscuitto, string beans, water or wine. Yeah wine. In a little bottle like a soda with a screw top. Of course I chose the wine asking myself how I could possibly do otherwise, and it?s actually not bad. Then it?s back to contracts, logistics, etc and an early getaway. We take a quick walk to the building where the Airbus A320?s are assembled and peer through the windows. Airplanes are big. They are getting ready for the roll out next month of the A380. The biggest airplane you ever need to know about. The presidents of the most of the participating nations will be there. We roll back to the rooms to do a little work then at 7:00 we make our way out to get dinner. Tip: don?t bother trying to get dinner in Toulouse until 7:00. Nobody but McDonalds is serving dinner. At 7:05 you have to wait for a seat. Plan accordingly. At first we wander around looking for an Italian place since I hace a hankering for pasta. Thank goodness we couldn?t find one. We actually wandered back into the Hotel (Crown Plaza - Toulouse) and ask the people at the front desk if there are any Italian places around. ?Ehhhh, no?, she says, ?But, if you want to try some authentic French cuisine there is a place a couple blocks from here?. So she draws us a map and we head back out into a very light, very cold rain. The restaurant is called ?The Bon Vivre? and they specialize in local French cuisine and I had some of the best food I?ve had in a long time. The place looks fairly ordinary actually, but at 7:00 we were one of the first people in there. From 7:05 to 11:00 when it closes it was packed with be-sweatered, be-scarved smoking French folks. I started with a duck pate that is probably one of the top 10 yummiest things I?ve ever eaten in my life. Seriously. It?s not something I would ordinarily order, but I find I have pretty good luck when I ask the server what their favorite is. We complemented it with a wonderfully strong bottle of wine from this area of France. Chateau tour boisee - Minervois 2003. My main course was a traditionally prepared rabbit dish, 1 leg, half breast and liver, smothered in spices and garlic. Fairly tender and delicious, it was accompanied by some garlic potatoes and and cheesy rice dish. We were in a hurry since Rob had had the idea to go see the ballet that was performing in the theater in the square across from our hotel, so we promised the owner we?d be back for dessert after the ballet and headed out into the rain. We arrived about 5 minutes late, but managed to squeeze in with some others to sit in some seats with some other late folks and catch the first part of a touring tropp from Italy. The ticket says Casse Noisette was the name of the ballet. The music was by Tchaikovsky and I did recognize the sugar plum fairy dance thingy. Not sure if this was a compilation or the source of this piece, but the performances were very good. Now I?m expert on ballet, but I did very much enjoy watching the athleticism and beauty of these performers. My favorite parts of course for those of you that know me where the ones with lots of identically dressed ballerinas doing the same thing. Lots of anything gets abstracted to me and becomes art. Second act comes and we get the usher to kick some young women out of our seats so we can sit in the center to watch the second act which included the main ballerina falling into a dream with all these characters dancing around. I enjoyed it. Afterwards we headed quickly back to the Le Bon Vivre for our desserts and a cup of tea. I had the banana baked in some kind of Cognac sauce with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I enjoyed that too, and now I?m back in my room typing this up preparing to call my family and retire to bed. A wonderful day. I apologize for the lack of pictures, there just hasn?t been time. Good night.

Well, I've done it. I'm sitting in my room inthe center of downtown Toulouse, France. I'm sitting in my room groovin' on a salad with duck and duck pate, and a whole smackerel of Prawns (heads and all) and garlic mashed potatoes. Washed down with a fairly smooth French white wine. The restaraunt we ate at is about 100' to my left in this picture and our hotel is another 100' feet in front of me. So far a couple of things: 1. I flew over the majority of the United States in the dark, which seemed strangely appropriate to me. A country in the dark... 2. Flew over Quebec in the dark to. It was fun spotting where the water was and the City wasn't based on ly on the city lights. 3. Watched the sun come up over the Atlantic this morning. Essentially a sea of very uniform white clouds. 4. I entered Europe over the Irish Island. Galloway bay to be exact (the plane, a Boeing 747-400) has a contantly updated gps system the kept us blissfully full of information, such as land speed, elevation, outside temperature, estimated arrival time, etc...) The reason why Galloway Bay is important is that is the song Adrienne lie to sing Conrad to sleep. I can confirm for those of you that were concerned that Ireland is still green. 5. The airport at Amsterdam is very nice. I didn't get to get out of it to see anything since I was a little pressed on the transfer and exhausted from no sleep. 6. Downtown Toulouse is beautiful. Narrow winding streets with shops, old stone, old wood, old brick, and filled with beautiful French folk (it is essentially a college town). I can also confirm that although they are very busy, every interaction I've had with the natives has been very friendly. I didn't get time to see much since I'm so tired and we got in late. Tomorrow it's off to work. I can't wait to get back and go shopping for my family. In the words of our English sales rep who is serving as my escort, cheers. e.