Well, I keep thinking about it... but I've yet to do it. Update my website that is... Here's hoping for time next weekend...

Well, not too much going on. Happy New Year!

Happy / Merry Christmas - A Fine Festivus - A Wonderful Winterval & A Happy New Year

So you ask, how have I been spending some of my time lately. What? You didn't ask? Oh well, this post is about that. Lately, apart from working a lot, I've been playing some new PC games.

What I've been playing:

• Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2
• Left 4 Dead 2

What have you been doing with your time? Games? If so, which ones and why? Feel free to drop me an email or a message via Twitter to let me know.

Chris

Side note - You can find anything on the Internet, but some of it finds you:

Well, that was actually rather a lot of fun. LugRadio Live and Unleashed 2009 (Twitter: #lrl2009). Had fun, went to several sessions, super tired as I'll have spent a total of more than 7 hours on a train today by the time that I get home... which won't be until very late... Well, I'm supposed to write up something about it for work. While I want to do that, tonight is most definately not the night. I'm far to tired. And, on that note, I'm signing off...

Chris

P.S. Did I mention that O2 suck when more than 5 people (lets be honest, geeks) are in the same location, their data services go to SH, err.... crap. Virtually non-existent. Thanks O2! (Yup, I'm using my Three MiFi to post this while waiting for the train to leave the station to London.)

Side note - Be prepared:

Tags: #lrl2009

Hello again,

At the moment, I'm sitting on the 7:23 am Virgin Train service to Wolverhampton to attend this years LugRadio Live. I've got on and off (mostly off) wi-fi via my Three MiFi device. The reason I'm going? Well, mostly for work (h-online.com) and to chat with a bunch of geeks. I really think that I'll enjoy it too. So far the weather is less than desirable. It's foggy and rainy. I'm hoping that it clears up by the time I arrive.

Again, as you can see, I nearly never post or write anything to my blog. Want more information? Follow me on Twitter.

Chris

P.S. Pondering shrinking my site again. Less pages, perhaps minus a blog... Thoughts?

Well, in just over one week (next Tuesday), I'll be headed back to Texas to visit for almost 10 days. I can honestly say that I'm looking forward to it and catching up with some friends.

Chris

P.S. To everyone that asks me for tech support, please check out http://xkcd.com/627/.

I'm now 25 years old...!

Well, it's that time of year again. August in the Uk.

In less than a week I get to go to Germany to see my dad, who I miss a lot, and to visit some friends with any luck. But just before that, I'll turn 25. It's crazy. I do not feel 25 years old. I really don't feel that old. I know lots of other people, family and friends included, are older, but feeling young, I suppose, is a good thing. On the first of September I'll be be headed to Texas to spend some time with family, friends and just catch up. I'm really looking forward to it.

Chris

Hello,

Well, as with my last post, it looks like that I'll be giving up my blog for the most part. I'm hoping to shrink my site in the future to get it more concise and to the point. From blogging to micro-blogging on Twitter I think...

Chris

Well, I'm pondering giving up my blog in favor of only using Twitter as I'm much more likely to actually update it. Any thoughts?

Chris

It appears I’ve not updated the site... or... blogged... or ... anything. I think I may have finally (this time) decided to just re-build my site, simplify it, etc. Mostly I’m using Twitter and in the last months have been very busy with a new job and moving to a new flat. Let me see what time says and what will happen to my site and my (dusty) blog...

Chris

Updates coming soon!!! (pictures too with any luck!)

Well, it’s been a while since I posted to my blog. My main problem is that I update my website from my laptop. My laptop is mostly in it’s bag when I’m at home or working so that combined with my laziness means that I’m not updating my blog. I’m hoping that I can use Twitter to be a bit more up to date on here even if they’re short bursts. I’ve added a quick flash version of my Twitter posts to my About Me page, my Blog page, and my Home page on the right side. My updates will also be online via http://www.twitter.com/digitaldownfall. I would love to know if anyone is looking at my Twitter page by dropping me an e-mail to say what’s going on.

Regards,

Chris

Hello there again.

I’m on my way home now with Eurostar from Paris (of course) to London (of course). It’s dusk right now and I think that it’s the last one as well. I’m sitting in a cabin that’s mostly full but not completely full in the last car. It’s nice and we’re going fast again. I can’t wait to get back to London and relax tomorrow after unpacking, doing laundry, changing currency, cleaning, and buying groceries... We’ll see how well that goes, the relaxing that is. Wish me luck. I’m hoping that all goes quickly.

I’m already thinking about where I can go for my next holiday and when I can take another holiday instead of going to work. It’s more fun to go to Paris than it is to go to work. Who would of thought?

I’m off to watch some video of some sort (probably Diggnation).

Chris

Well, I’m in Paris again at the same Cafe’ using their free wifi. I started off today at 6am in Hannover and have since taken 2 trains and am now waiting on my third. It’s been a long day / morning.



My first train was pretty full, and I got to ride backwards to Koln in an isle seat. My ride from Koln to Paris was at least facing the right direction but I had the luxury of sitting in the isle seat again... next to a mother with her young and restless child on her lap. Yeah, he didn’t have a ticket and got to sit on mommy’s lap next to me for 4 hours.



I’m going to rant a little here and say that I hate isle seats. I was constantly hit with baby carrages / prams, peoples bags, and people that are to wide to circum-navigate a straight line between two seats with out wanting to make a turn in either direction. I know you’re probably thinking that hey, the train moves right? Yes, it does but it also happened a lot while we were stopped. So between getting hit with people’s bags, or baby carrages, while getting kicked or hit by the baby to my right (who’s mother spoke no English or German), I’m glad to be off of the train. Two down, one more to go. Wish me luck.



I want to be home in my bed.

Chris

Well, I’ve safely made it to Hannover and I spent yesterday with my Grandfather for the first time in well over a decade. We had a great time and caught up over lunch and later, dinner. We have a lot in common and my German is slowly getting better and faster than it was a few days ago. As I’ve said before it has been way too long since I was last here to see him. I’ve just realized how close I was when I went to CeBit this year and two years ago. Basically, the place where CeBit is held every year is a mater of blocks away from where he now lives. It’s sad that I could not see him the last time I came as I didn’t know but it’s great that I get to see him now.



Today is also my Birthday. I’m 24. It’s been a great day. I spent the morning having breakfast with my Grandfather, lunch with my Grandfather and his girlfriend. After lunch my Grandfather and I went for a walk in a nice nearby park (Park der Sinne). Once back at the ‘hotel’ where I am staying, my cousin Rebecca and others came to take me out for the rest of the day. We went to an aquarium for about an hour and then we all drove to the downtown area (and got a little lost). We walked around, ate, went to the lake, walked around some more and generally had a lot of fun.



Thursday I’m going to visit them and have a nice lunch and meet the rest of my ‘long lost family.’ I’m really looking forward to it. Tomorrow I’m going into town to check out the main city center and visit Saturn, an electronics shop. Go figure huh? I want to see if they have something that I can’t get in London. Well, it’s about 9:40 here so I’m going to go to get ready for a bit of sleep. I’m going to try to relax and tomorrow before I go into the city, my Grandfather and I are going to have some breakfast.

Well, right now I’m in Germany on an ICE (Inter-city Express) Train to Hannover to see my Grandfather for the first time in to long. I’m due to arrive in Hannover sometime after 10 this morning. I’m slowly getting used to the constant German again but it really can take some getting used to. Yesterday I watched Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country in German on my laptop and recorded an episode of Futurama in German. It’s pretty fun. I’ve been trying to keep up with the Olympics and world news (I.E. the whole Russia Georgia thing). The U.S. is doing decently in the Olympics but Germany seems to be off to a slow start with only one medal at the time of this writing.



I’m hoping that I’ll be able to take some more pictures in coming days but I’m unsure of how well that will work out. Wish me luck.

Chris

P.S. Hello Linda! (Linda, my aunt, always reads my blog to see what I’ve been up to)

Well, I made it to Paris on time this morning. I arrived at 9:50am local time (+1 from London). I paid €7.00 for a locker for my big bag and then wandered the streats outside of the train station for about 30 minutes before going to a Subway. Yes, my first meal of the day was Subway in France. My French was as good as the associates English but we managed to exchage food for Euro’s with out problem. After wandering out of Subway I found myself waiting to see which tour bus company arrived first.



They would get my business. It was the L’Open Tour company. I paid my €29.00 for the daily ticket so that I could see Paris. They had 4 different routs including one Main route (I.E. Eiffel Tower, NotreDame, Etc.). I wasn’t on the main one. I found that out about halfway through. I found a stop that I could transfer on and at last I was on my grand ‘one-day adventure’ in Paris. I saw a lot of things and realized exactly how much I hate (HATE!!!) using my phone as a camera. Sure the picture quality is up to 5 megapixels but the lag on the shutter is up to 10 full seconds (lame) and the refresh from a picture can nearly be that. I’ve just proven that if I want to see Europe (and I do) I need to get at least another decent point and shoot camera.



I’m drueling over the recently announced Nikon P6000 which is 13.x megapixels, supports RAW, and even does Geotagging which would be nice especially while traveling. For those of you who don’t know what Geotagging is, it basically assigns a lattitude and longitude using GPS to each picture you take. I.E. it knows where you took the picture and your pictures can be organized by location or even assigned to a map. Google Maps is using some of this technology already. I saw a ton of places and learned a lot really. I hope that some of my pictures turned out alright as I want to try to show them off on here sometime later.



Right now I’m at a place I’ve seen all over Paris. No it’s not Starbucks but it’s really close, McDonalds. I know, I know, I’m in Paris and I’ve gone to a McDonalds. I didn’t come here (where I am now actually) for the food. I came praying for a Wifi Hotspot and a place to ‘plug-in’ to a power connection for my laptop and my misc. gadgets to follow. Well, I found the power after a lot of akward looking and waiting for a guy to get up but the Wifi here shows up but will not for the life of me connect. I’m hoping I’ll just find a place later to upload this to. I’m not a great tourist.



I’ve seen the main sights (in one day mind you) and I’m unsure of what to do now. I know you’re probably thinking that I should go to the Lourve which I would love to but It would be about another 2-4 hours bus driving and I don’t want to miss my train along with the fact that I would love to spend at least half of a day there and it’s a great reason to come back. Now if only I can find one of my friends who speaks French to come with me to make me look less stupid. . . well. . . at least a little.

I’m singning off for now.

Chris

Well, I’m sitting at St Pancras International train station in London and it’s 5:30 in the morning. I arrived about 30 minutes ago as my cab/taxi driver was... well lets just say after arriving I was glad to be alive. I made it safe and sound and my train for Paris leaves at 6:30 so I have about 40 minutes before I can board the Eurostar train.



I’m off to Paris for the day and later in the evening I’m taking a night train to Hamburg to see some family followed by another train journey to Hannover to see my grandfater whom I’ve not seen in 13 years. It has beeen far to long. I hope that all of you reading this are well and having a great day. With any luck a day in Paris should be fun and I’ll have some pictures for you all to see provided I take them and then upload them. Hrm, that may be a lot to ask for. lol. We shall see...


Note: Griswold (if you don’t already know)

Well, I’ve almost let my blog get away from me again. it’s now the third of August and it’s been about two weeks since I updated my blog. Yesterday I spent some time down by the Thames river watching the Red Bull Air Race (from something of a distance, however a free distance...).

Next week I’m only working on Monday and Tuesday thankfully followed by the start to my holiday. I’m going to take one day to clean up, organize, and sort things out and then go to Paris by train followed by Germany to visit family. It should be a fun and exciting week. Here’s to my next post...

Well, It’s been a semi-sunny Saturday in London so I decided take a trip to Totenham Court Road in London (which is quickly becoming my usual destination in London to see what was new and wander around a few of the electronics shops). I honestly didn’t do to much or see to much but hey, it was a nice outing anyhow. If you’re reading this I wish you well and hope that you had a great weekend.


Until next time...

Well, as most of you would have guessed I really want an iPhone being the Apple Fanboy that I am. On Friday I went to Carphone Warehouse only to get approved for a phone with a £150.00 deposit for me to find out they don’t have any. It sucks but I moved on. Later that day I went to the Apple Store at Bluewater Mall only to find out hey, we have them in stock but we can’t activate them. Come back tomorrow (Saturday) and we’ll have plenty.



Well, I show up 45 minutes after they open to get in line for an hour only to find out that they sold out of the 16gb Black which is the one I wanted only minutes before. Plenty in stock indeed. Ok. I’m not happy but I’m human and it’s just a phone. I call the Regent Street flag ship Apple Store to find out that hey, they do have them but they have closed the que for the day on Saturday. Fair enough. I go to the Apple store 45 minutes before they open (number 52 in line) and wait 3 hours (when I was told ‘no more than an hour wait.&rsquo only to find out that O2 now declines me service when just two days ago they said it would be no problem. So there it was on the desk in front of me... The 16gb iPhone I couldn’t have.



I”m about to say screw Apple and O2 and just get a Nokia E71 on Vodafone as I know it can easily be done. Apple, why did it have to be this hard to get a phone? I mean really. Why? Apple, if you want to contact me, please do. I would love to hear what you have to say for yourself and O2.

Chris

Hello again,

It’s Monday now and it was a long day. I’ve had a very busy and dreary day at work. There were a lot of things to keep up with and work on today at work.



I went to ASDA just after work to pick up some groceries. I finally broke down and bought a Freeview box for the TV in the living room. It wasn’t to much but it’s great to go from 2-3 channels with static to about 30 or so that come in clear now.



It’s been pouring rain on and off and it’s continuing to do so outside right now. I only hope that the sun comes out tomorrow.

Chris

*Pictures compliments of Google Image Search

Well, it’s a soggy Sunday in London.

I decided to force myself to go out today to see what I could find to do. With it being a bit wet outside I decided not too wander to far from home if the weather got worse or I simply got tired of it and didn’t want to spend an hour getting back home. I decided to hop onto the 486 bus towards North Greenwich (The O2) and see what I could find. About half way there I decided to grab lunch. I wandered into Pizza Hut and decided that it wasn’t for me so I left and went to Nando’s just down the way. I had a nice chicken burger, chips (fries, whatever...), and some garlic bread with a Diet Coke (Go Figure...). It was nice.



After that I got onto the 472 heading towards The O2 again and wandered inside to check out the concept O2 phone store and enquire about next Friday (The UK iPhone Launch) and a few other things. After that I went and found the King Tut exibition at The O2 which I believe I am going to have to check out this week sometime before it leaves the UK next month. Of note is that at The O2 they had some BMW’s outside (as an exibit / display) which I decided to check out. This included two F1 cars and several other BMW’s as pictured below.

Well, it’s been a fun day. I had a nice late start and decided to go into London to SOHO to check out all of the electronic’s shops. I wandered around, had a sandwich, had a drink, and walked around a lot. I was going to go back to Charring Cross and I got lost looking for a bus stop that wasn’t closed. I finally figured out where I was and went to Forbidden Universe for a while.



After walking around I realized that there were a lot more gay looking people (I’m not homophobic but it is something you tend to notice). I found myself at Trafalgar Square durring the Gay Pride Day event. There were a TON of people there. I would have to say 100K plus people. If anything it was a blast to accidentally run into the event. I hung out for a little bit, took a few pictures, and listened to the music before coming home to watch the new episode of Dr. Who.



I’m actually watching it now which is why I’m going to go and see what happens.

Well, I just got off of the phone with my Grandfather in Germany. I can’t even begin to recall the last time I spoke to him. It’s been too long and it was great to hear his voice. We went back and forth between English and German in our conversation which was great. I’m really glad to hear that he is doing well and is happy. With any luck I’ll get to go and see him next month if all works out.

I’m going to try to tinker some more with the site and add a few more things. Wish me luck.

Chris

Well, It’s been a while and I’ve still not updated my site. I know... Shame on me. I’ve got family in town and am working, etc. I’ve basically been spending a littlle less time in front of the computer but soon I think there will be more content coming your way... provided Vodafone fix my phone and I get it back to take pictures / video...


Chris

Well, as usual it's been a while since I last wrote something. A lot has happened in the last few weeks. I've moved and started a new job. I am not allowed to list the company I work for on my personal blog as I signed a non-disclosure form but let's just say that it's an online only fashion company based in London and New York. I also moved closer to work so that I don't need to commute as much and I have more time for myself instead of 4 hours a day on the bus. I now live in Charlton (South East London) and it's nice.

Hopefully I'll write more in the future but now I'm with out a full internet experience so I'm hoping that I get that fixed soon.

Chris

Well, I know it's been a little while since I posted. I've finally gotten settled in London and I have a lot more to write. I just wanted to say that right now I'm at CeBIT 2008 in Hanover Germany and I'm loving it. I hope that everyone else is having a great day too.

Until next time,

Chris

I just wanted to let everyone know that I've switched to another server and updated the MX records that are needed for the e-mail. It appears to be working at 100% but I will do some more testing when I have some time to make sure that it actually is working correctly.

Chris

Well, I'm still having problems with the e-mail on the site. I've got a support ticket in with GoDaddy and I'm hoping that someone who knows what they are talking about will answer it and help me fix it. I just wanted to update everyone (if anyone)... Right now I'm sitting at a McDonalds because I just interviewed for a job at net-a-porter.com and it went pretty well. Well, I'm signing off for now.

Chris

I'm currently having issues with the e-mail on this site (I.E. user@digitaldownfall.com). The accounts are able to send as well as see old e-mails but not receive any. I've changed some settings to try to fix this but they can take up to 48 hours to take effect. I will try to keep checking to see if this gets fixed and update once it has.

As you may have noticed (see below), I've not updated the site in some time. Well, to be honest I've been busy working a lot, etc. I've just moved servers so right now I'm trying to fix any issues that may come with doing this and moving all of the files, etc over to the new one. Wish me luck and stay tuned to see if I (hopefully soon) add a lot of content.

Chris

Well, I've completed my first week at Harrods and my second Monday. I just got done updating and tweaking my website. Feel free to let me know what you think. I switched from taking the train and tube (subway) to taking a bus to work. It's a longer trip but it's easier and much cheaper. Well, it's late here so I'm off to bed.

Chris

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Well, it's Saturday at 4:39 pm local time and I'm watching The 13th Warrior on FX in my room via the Sling Box that I have in the U.S. I slept in today but then went to the bank to withdraw about fourty pounds so that I had money for food at Tesco to shop. I bought about eleven pounds worth of food and replenished my bread, coke, etc. supply. I don't have any plans for tonight really. I was invited to go to someone's party at a flat somewhere in London which is nice and sweet. I'm tempted to go but I'm not in the mood to go out and it will save me almost six pounds or about twelve dollars. There will be other times to do things.

Yesterday I went to a job interview with Creation Marketing and then I went to the Apple Store to inquire about a position again. I would still love to go and work there. I'm keeping my hopes up. I stayed for the Leopard release at 6 pm (they closed from 4-6) and waited in line. I was about number twenty in line out of at least 1,000 people standing around the block. The line went to hell no thanks to security as by the time they opened there must have been 100 more people that forced their way in front of us. I think they needed to practice a bit more. I got a free t-shirt out of it and met some cool people that knew what I was talking about when it came to technology. With as little clothes that I have, a t-shirt can go a long way.

I'm still shopping for a good price on a desk and chair for my computer. I think my first major purchase here (eventually) will be a projector for movies, etc. so that we can all sit around and enjoy a nice evening in.

Well, I think that's enough for now. I just wanted to update my blog a bit. Sadly I've not taken any pictures really. Sorry about that. I'll try to take some soon.

Chris

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Well, it's not better than all of my friends but man was it in a great game. If you've not seen it or don't know what it is check out Portal which is part of Valve's The Orange Box. The best set of games I've ever seen.

Tags: Portal (Valve - The Orange Box)

Well, I just received an e-mail from Harrods for a job interview tomorrow. I am actually really excited as Harrods is an amazing place. Take a look at their website.

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Well, I'm in London right now. I slept on a bed last night but it seriously needs a pad. I'm a bit nervous and worried about this whole culture shock that's taking me over now but I'm working on handling it.



I'm looking for a job currently in London. I applied at about 7 places online with my CV / Resume'. So far I've not heard anything but it takes time. I am currently at the Apple Store which is no shock to anyone who knows me. After asking for a manager 2 times to inquire about a job I am stuck having to re-apply online and still no manager.

I hope it works out. I would love to work for Apple and be less worried about where my money is going to come from.

Well, that's it for now.

Chris

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Well, I'm writing this on the eve of my flight to London. Oddly I will probably post this once I have arrived but I'm typing it at 8:20 pm local time in Hamburg, Germany. I'm a bit nervous as I actually don't have a set place to live yet. My goal is to get to the Apple Store (hey, they have free internet) to check e-mail, make calls, etc. I finished a final copy of the DVD for my Aunt, Uncle, and my father. It's good and funny. It took about an hour to encode the final version but well worth it. I'm learning about iDVD and IMovie 08 more and more. OSX 10.5 Leopard coms out on the 26th so I'm looking forward to playing around with that.



I plan on going over to London in my suite to help me find a job while I look for a place to live. Out of all of the stuff that I brought I can only bring one carry on bag and one checked bag at a max of about 40 pounds. Keep in mind that I came with 4 bags total (2 checked at about 50 pounds each, a backpack, and a roll-on). Well, I'm off to go to bed now because I need to be up at 4 am tomorrow. Wish me luck!

Chris

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Right now I'm encoding video and a DVD for my Aunt Linda and her husband. I've been tinkering with it for a few hours now getting the menu and settings right while keeping it (I hope) from looking bad. I'm on my 3rd test burn to see if it will work. The first time I encoded everything at 16:9 but that all got cut off on the TV / DVD Player even with the TV set to 16:9. I've changed it all to 4:3 (standard ratio for TV's) and I'm hoping that it will work. Right now my father is helping me modify my resume to look a little better and sound more formal for when I arrive in London.

I have yet to establish a place to live in London. I leave on the 17th at 6:50 am local time and arrive at 7:25 am (local time). I'm flying into London Gatwick Airport where I am going to try to catch a train into town to establish myself somewhere with an internet connetion. From there I'll be able to make phone calls, do some research, and hopefully find a place to live. Who knows, perhaps I'll even find myself a job in the process.

I've not really heard from anyone at home with the exception of a few people. I've not heard a peep from anyone I used to work with, etc. I'm sure that they're all busy with the re-model but still. It's a little sad but I'm over it. Mostly I'm honestly a little scared about this move. I can't take everything I brought to Germany so I get to consolidate all of the stuff that I brought into a backpack and a suitcase. I've finished a new copy of my CV/Resume' to bring along as well. I'm hoping to get to Saturn in downtown Hamburg tomorrow to get online and upload this, check my e-mail, and make a few phone calls.

I'm off for now. Have a good day.

Chris

[What I've been playing]
Half-Life 2 Episode 2 (Beaten) - I can't wait to see what happens in Episode 3.
Portal (Beaten) - It was pretty good. I only wish it was longer.
Unreal Tournament 3 Beta Demo (Not online sadly) - I've been waiting so long for this one...
Call of Duty 4 Demo (PC-Beaten as it's short) - Great game

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Well, I'm still in Germany at the moment. I leave on the 17th at 6:50 in the morning to London Gatwick. It should be an interesting flight knowing that I'm going there to stay. I have yet to find a place to live although I have a few prospects. Some of them worry me though as they're insisting on a deposit via Western Union, etc. If I were to do something like that and it was a fraud, my money is gone. About 800 USD if that were the case. So needless to say, I'm trying to play it safe. Wish me luck!

Chris

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Well, I think I've pretty much decided that I will switch over the time zone on my computer (therefore affecting the blog time stamps as well) to London's when I get there. Keep in mind right now I'm in Hamburg which is Central Time + 7 hours and London is Central Time + 6 hours. I have to change the settings all over my laptop including paper type (U.S. Letter vs. A4).



Right now for me it is 4:30 pm (16:30) but in the U.S. (the time stamp on this blog right now) it is 9:30 am. So it's fun to keep up with. I have yet to switch my watch. Perhaps it's because I'm being lazy. I'm not to sure though. That's it for now.

Chris

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Hello Everyone! (Or at least the 3 of you that read this)

I'm still in Hamburg Germany right now staying with my Dad. I've made some progress getting the ball rolling for paperwork that I will need later on in order to work in the E.U. All of the fee's have been paid, etc. and now I just have to wait. It may be a while so I'll probably have my dad pick it up at the government office when it's in and ship it to me. I'm not sure how all of this is going to work but I'm confident that it will.



Today is a holiday in Germany for the wall between East and West Germany coming down in 1990. If you recall East Germany was Communist as was Russia at the time. Yesterday I was able to go to Saturn (Best Buy meets Fry's) and get online for 2 hours with my laptop for about 5 bucks an hour. I know it's not cheap but it is nice to be able to get online. I will try to write more and more when I have a decent thought to type out. For today, this is going to be it. I'm already rambling so what's the point of continuing.



To my friends and family, I miss you all!

Chris

[What I've been playing]
Battlefield 2 (Single Player because of no Internet.)

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Well, I made it to Hamburg Germany yesterday finally after 3 days of travel and almost no sleep. It was a hell-ish trip involving missed flights (thank you so much United /sarcasm) and 3 different airlines. The flight was a total disaster up until the end of the trip. I would go into details but no one wants to hear me complain and I don't feel like writing a book about it which is what it would take. Let's just say I will never fly United again. With the help from Lufthansa and it's associates I finally made it in one piece and with all of my luggage as well. Keep in mind that I booked my flight with SAS (Scandinavian Air Service) and ended up on United. Oddly I never actually flew with SAS actually. Well, that's enough about the rough trip.



I am at my dad's apartment in Hamburg and in one piece. I slept for about 4 hours yesterday and then last night for almost 10. I'm glad to have a soft bed to sleep on and the time to sleep again. I'm trying to get over the 7 hour time difference from Central Time in Texas. I already miss my friends and it is very strange not to have a job. Right now my dad's on the phone trying to see about getting DSL here for internet which is much needed for my job / house hunt in London. I'm sitting in the living room thinking about all of the things I have to get used to not having now and all of the differences. I think I'll make it but it's going to take some time.



I finished the PC game BioShock before I left the states and I loved it. It isn't a perfect game but it gets amazingly close. If you haven't played it I highly recommend it and if you hadn't heard of it go to Game Spot and search for it.

I'm off for now. To my friends and family in the states. I miss you all.

Chris von Eitzen

P.S. Keep in mind I'm 7 hours ahead here but the time on the blog will continue to be Central Standard Time in the U.S. if I can help it.

(The first picture is me just now and the back of my dad's head while he's on the phone calling about internet now. The second picture is of my Dad and my Aunt Linda. The third is of the 747-400 in Chicago before I left.)

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

It's the big day. Today is the day that I leave for Europe for good. I'm sitting at DFW right now in a Samsung Mobile sponsored room with power for my laptop. No free wireless though. All that's here is T-Mobile which is 9.99 per day and I'd only get to use an hour. It's not worth it and I need to pinch my pennies or pounds or whatever. The day started at 6 am today with a wake up call from Buddy and Sam (Nikki was still passed out). If you didn't know those are my parents dogs at their house which is where I've been staying the last week until I leave. It's really an exciting notion to be going to do something so not 'normal.'

We all drove to Dallas (if you've ever been to Dallas with me, it was the usual run of the Apple Store at Willow Bend because I had to return a game). In the process I bought a new iPod Touch 16 gb and returned the one I had to Best Buy. That's right. We stopped by Best Buy. My last day in the states and I 'had' to go to Best Buy. I'm pathetic I know. We had Cinnabon at the mall where the Apple store is at and then after Best Buy we had Fudruckers (amazing burgers). Needless to say we are all STUFFED to the brim. Food is not a good subject right now.

I'm excited to see my Dad again and my aunt Linda as well. I'm excited to fly. I'm excited to be in Germany again as well but I'm terrified at the same time. Knowing that on this trip I'm going one-way and not planning on returning anytime soon is scary and exciting. I don't want to ramble so I'll try to keep the rest of this short. I tend to write when I don't have internet access and then upload away when I do. I miss my friends already and everyone already. Wish me luck!

Lots of love,

Chris

(The picture is of my Mom and I at DFW before I went through security)

Tags: Moving, Europe, Trip

Well, if you didn't know it I'm moving to Europe from the U.S. I'm going to Germany at first to spend some time with my family there and see my dad. I fly out on Tuesday September 25th. I'm canceling my cell phone so if you have it you'll have to e-mail me and I can get you the contact info for where I'll be. Eventually I'll have a job in London and be making it there. Once I do that I'll be sure to post and let you all know how best to get in contact with me.

Tags: Europe, Moving, Trip

Hello Linda!!!

It's been literally months since last I wrote on my website or updated it at all. Mostly I've been busy working but lately I've been with out internet for over a week and with out a laptop for almost two. I finally got Apple to replace my MacBook Pro after they had replaced almost every part inside of it. Right now I'm typing on my new 17-inch MacBook Pro Core 2 Duo. I love it. It's got pretty much everything I would want in a laptop and then some. I've installed the program that I use to work on my website but I still need to install some more themes and tweak some settings though.

My room mate is moving out sadly as he's a really cool guy and a great friend. I'm going to miss being able to chill with Ray. Every room mate situation that I've had has ALWAYS sucked and turned out badly except for this one. I couldn't be happier. Well, I'm off to make a few phone calls. I HOPE to be blogging more and posting more about what's going on in my life for those who like to read this, all two of you...

-Chris

Tags: Chris von Eitzen

Right now I'm working 2 jobs for a total of about 80 hours a week. It's been happening since before my post on 3-24-07 so I've been very busy with work and sleep when I can. I just fixed a few things and tweaked a few things with the site so I will be posting more often. Please check back soon for some more updates, etc.

Good night and God bless,

Chris

I just installed the software for my website again. I'll be trying to update this again soon.

Well, it's been a while. There are plenty of reasons for that. I've been working a lot and I just moved into a new place. It's day 3 in the new place and most everything is here and unpacked. We just got back from the store for food, etc. Not a lot to write really. Sorry for my lack of enthusiasm for conveying my thoughts by posting them.

Prize for the runner up though:

This is the first movie that I've walked out of in a long time. If you want to see insults to everyone from the Jewish community (no, I'm not Jewish) to the black community, to the white community, etc. then this movie may be for you. If you want to see two hary naked men (one of which is very fat) on a huge screen doing discusting things (in full view) then this movie may be for you. If you want to see the 'Borat' character next to a young mans penis...If you want to see someone shit in a bag, etc... well you get the point. I though this would just be politically incorrect but it's vial. I'm sad to see movies like this and I hope I never have to again.

Rating: Give me back my damn money...

This week I've been keeping pretty busy with work and school as usual. I've been hanging out with some friends and trying to keep things clean at the apartment. My car's been in the shop since last Friday and I've been borrowing a friends car the last few days which has been a life saver (thanks Bryan!!!). I can't wait to get it back soon but the $300.00 price tag hurts my wallet / debt. I just hope that all is well and that it runs alright. I passed my Managment Decision Making class (which I was terrified over) so there is still hope of me graduating in December of this year. I can't wait to be done with this stress from school, etc. Well, I'm off to 'try' to pay attention in class now (which is where I'm at). Wish me luck on my other studies.

Chris

Today I was featured on the Buzz Out Loud podcast from cnet.com.

Basically it's this:
"Buzz Out Loud is CNET's "podcast of indeterminate length," featuring Tom, Molly, and producer Veronica's entertaining, sometimes caustic, and always skeptical take on technology news. This daily podcast features commentary, guests, and phone calls and e-mail from our listeners."

Notes on the Episode:
10/12/06 - I see brandy
We never said our titles had to make sense. It seems that China is taking steps to open up the Internet to their citizens. It's unblocked most of Wikipedia, with the exception of a few vital bits of information. Also today, Sony is bringing back the MiniDisc. Nah, I'm just foolin' ya! It's the Walkman.

Click here to download the mp3.
Click here to see the show notes.

When you're up to no good doing some sort of print work, fonts can change the entire look of your outcome. Check out this site for some wicked free fonts. Now if only I could learn to spell...

Right now I'm in class typing on my blog instead of paying attention to what's going on. I tend to get lost easily in this class. It's basically a re-hash of a class that I've already had (and didn't understand fully then). Today I had class this morning and right now. This afternoon I spent most of my time cleaning up a little bit as well as relaxing. I love that I have Wed. / Thurs. off of work but school can still take a lot out of you. I have Saturdays off because everyone needs one day a week where there's no work / school / obligations. It was my father's birthday on Oct. 1. I tried calling him with no luck at all. I'll probably try again tomorrow morning. With any luck I can chat with him and catch up. I've also got this package that I've been meaning to ship to him. It's full of lots of goodies. I hope he likes them. I'm at a loss for what to say right now besides rambling on about religious beliefs, etc. but I don't have the resources to pull from that I would need right now. Well, I hope that you all have a great evening.

Later,

Chris

Well I'm still sick and today started off with my 9am class. Classes have gone alright today and I've gotten some errands done as well. I finally got a copy of my taxes from last year (which were lost in the move) from H&R Block so that I can re-do my FAFSA stuff for school to try to get a loan to cover my six classes this fall. I started some laundry which I'll be picking up after class today. Right now I'm sitting in my class (Management Decision Making) without internet so I figured I'd write this so that I can upload it later. Hey, me rambling on is better than nothing right? Well, I think that should sum it up for now. Have a great day!

-Chris

Well, I'm finally back in Tyler and my apartment is getting cleaned up and squared away. I got to do my laundry, see some friends, do some last minute registration for class. Now all that I have to worry about is my financial aid stuff. Pray for me!

Chris

Today started off slowly. I woke up at about 9-am and opened up my curtains on the 23rd floor of the Stratosphere hotel at the northern tip of the Strip to view my last glance south at the casinos that I had visited on the strip. After taking a bit of a shower, I packed up all of my belongings and went to the front desk to check out. After checking out we left our baggage at the front counter so that we could go to the buffet and have some breakfast / lunch. It was really pretty good and it definitely filled me up. After that we wandered through the casino over to the star-bucks where I used someone's free WIFI there to surf the internet while sitting on the sofa to wait for our shuttle to arrive at 1:45. Another hour or so passed and we went to the front of the hotel, acquired our checked baggage, and sat on the bench waiting for our shuttle to arrive. Once on the shuttle we went straight to the airport which was great. The driver took the highway so that sped things up a bit.
Arriving at the airport we did the self check-in and checked our bags (with the exception of my laptop). After having checked our bags we headed to our gate at terminal D. Security had a bit of a line and I set off the metal detector twice so I was the lucky winner of 'who gets searched' in Vegas. As expected they didn't find any contraband (such as that coke I had earlier). We got on the tram to the Terminal, had a Pretzel, and checked out some of the shops. Right now I'm sitting at my terminal, using power from the airport, on my laptop waiting until 5:55 local time (here it is 3:55). For now I think that I'll just be surfing the net and listening to some audio stuff before we go.
I really miss a lot of my friends and I'm dying to see the condition of my new apartment. I'm curious to see what my room-mates have been up to.

Until later,

Chris

Here's a little re-cap of an amazing day:

The day started out with some healthy (insert sarcasm here...) breakfast from McDonalds. After eating breakfast we hopped a taxi over to the Hilton to watch Leonard Nimoy, then William Shatter, and then both of them on stage at the same time. Later that afternoon after grabbing some pizza from a Pizza Hut Express we went back to watch James Darren speak. After that we picked up a few monorail tickets to save some walking and cab fare and went to the Southern part of the strip to the MGM Grand and walked up the strip to Paris, Balleys, The Venetian, The Wynn, and others. From the Wynn we caught a ride on the bus to the Las Vegas Convention Center where we got back on the Monorail and went back up to the Hilton to stand in line (after eating at Quarks Bar of course) to see Robert Pacardo and James Darren sing. While on our way there we ran into George Takei (Sulu from the original Star Trek) in the casino and chatted with him. He even let me get a picture with him. It was really cool to see how nice he really is in person and how open he is with fans. The show was amazing. Robert sang about 3 songs, one of which made fun of several things which gave everyone a laugh. After Robert was finished he handed it over to James Darren who sang songs from Frank Sinatra and others. It was a great show, with lots of humor and even an encore.
On the way back to the hotel and once we got back to the hotel I called my dad in Germany and talked with him for a while about what I had seen on this trip and chatted as well. For him it's about 9 hours ahead so he had just woken up. It was nice to talk with him and chat although it's also sad that he could not join me here in Vegas. The trip is almost at a close and it's been a blast. I saw a lot of things and did a lot of things but there will always be something for me to come back for in Vegas. I don't think there's any way you can do it all in one trip unless you move here.

Love,

Chris

From Friday Night:
Tonight we had tickets for a late night "desert party" with Connor Krinner and Dominique Keating from Enterprise. We had different types of deserts from cookies to chocolate fondue. There were to many rich chocolate things to sample that I had my fill in no time. We all had drinks and talked in groups to the two which were very open and real. They didn't filter themselves at all which I respect. Being able to carry an actual conversation is a great thing and in turn we heard a ton of fun and laughs.

Chris

I woke up at about 9am this morning after a good night sleep. After eating some 'health' food (interpret as you will... lol) we hopped a taxi over to the Hilton. At the Hilton we had tickets for the Italian Buffet with Robert Picardo and Ethan Philips. It was a lot of fun and the food was alright although they did not show up until about thirty minutes after it started. After everyone got to meet them at their tables and after the food we headed out into the main convention room where they presented a fan written play /skit which made the audience laugh to no end. It was well performed and quite comical. After that i wet up to the cafe that i was at earlier to get some power for my laptop, edit some pictures, and just surf the net. I got a call from Josh to go do dinner at a 50's style diner where the people that worked there even sing. The food was good and we talked about a few things. Right now I'm sitting on my bed in my hotel room listening to some music and relaxing before my 9:00 event at the Hilton again. It's about 8 bucks each way by taxi but I'm getting tired of walking and it's getting dark in Vegas. The taxi is probably the best option for me right now. I'm about to go down and catch one so that I can make it on time (keep in mind it's 2 hours earlier in Las Vegas than is noted in my blog as I'm central time at home and in Vegas it's Pacific).

I'm off to see what this all night party will entail...

Chris

This morning we went over to the Star Trek Hilton again. We went up there to see what was going on with the convention, see who else showed up, and what new booths there are. Autographs pretty much START at 20.00 so to my friends who wanted autographs, sorry, I'm far from being made out of money. We got to see 'Data' and 'Riker' from the Next Generation as well as 'Quark' from Deep Space Nine. They were all great public speakers. They all have great senses of humor. We got some lunch at Pizza Hut (much cheaper than the other places...).

We then came back to the hotel to relax a bit and see what's going on with Josh and his friends. At the hotel Josh and I grabbed a quick bite and he went out with his friends and I went and started walking the strip. Today, I got to see the entire strip on foot from the Stratosphere to the new Mandalay Bay just south of the Luxor. While walking we got to see the show's at the hotels along the way from Treasure Island to the Belagio (which is amazing). We made it to Mandalay Bay at about 12:30 and took a taxi from the Luxor back to the hotel for about 20 bucks. It was totally worth not walking home.

Once back in the hotel and after putting a good 20oz of caffeine in me, I was so sore I could barely move. I figured, I'm paying an extra 15 bucks for a bigger room with a jacuzzi so I filled it up and used it. It's great. I feel great. Right now I'm relaxing on the bed tinkering on my laptop. I hope this post wasn't to boring. There's no way it can capture what all I saw today. Vegas is a cool and amazing place with interesting architecture and very interesting people. The city is probably the most diverse in the world.

Good night & good luck!

Chris

I arrived in Las Vegas at 10:30 local (Pacific) time on Wednesday. We made it back to our hotel (Stratosphere) in once piece to meet my friend Josh Hughey whom I had not seen in over a year. We met up with him and his girl friend along with her friends. The room wasn't ready yet (we upgraded to get a Jacuzzi) so we put our things in his suite on the 24th floor (top) and chatted for a bit before we all went to the outdoor pool / cabana on the 8th floor of the adjacent building. We had some drinks, talked, tanned, relaxed, and swam.

Later in the evening I wandered over to the Star Trek Hilton to go on the rides (Borg 4d / Klingon Encounter) and check the place out again as it's been so many years since I've been here. It's an amazing place and brings back memories from past trips and conventions that I had been to. I geeked out when I ran into "Jaws" from the James Bond movies. I got an autograph and a couple of pictures of him with me. I'll be posting those soon to the pictures section of my site. It was so cool. I also Bob May (the guy who was in the robot on 'Lost in Space.') "Danger Will Robinson, DANGER!" lol. It's been a blast. We went and ate at Quarks bar where the service was weak but the food was alright. I was invited to go out and go clubbing but it was late (for me anyway) so I decided to go back to the room, relax, and get some sleep.

Over all it was a cool day. I still can't believe that I'm in Vegas right now. This is a much needed get-away from my responsibilities, etc.

More to come!

Love,

Chris

Life lately has been on my side for the most part. I've become exempt on my final for my Managerial Strategies and Policies class (thank GOD!). I'm looking forward to moving into my new place on my birthday (Aug. 12) and having a bigger room and some space to spread out. A change of scenery would be great too along with out noisy neighbors. I've made a few great new friends too. Work's been going pretty well also. I have a vacation to Vegas coming up on the 16th too.

My parents are moving around the same time that I am so that keeps things very interesting in our lives. I received a raise at work which will help aid in the expenses for moving, and life in general. I can say it's been a long time since I've been this happy. I really need to get off of my butt in regards to several things like getting all of my financial aid for school and making sure that I'm registered for all of my classes for the fall. I'm still looking into moving to London in the spring to live, work, and study. Things are going well for me over all.

One of my best friends will soon be going into the Air Force in September and I'm really going to miss her. She and I have become close friends but I know that she's doing what's right for her and that she will be happy. If you care about someone you just want them to be happy too even if it means missing them (although I know she's going to write a lot...). As I said I've been making new friends which is really great. It's given me things to look forward to, etc.

I'll try to update my blog a bit more and add some more details as they happen. Right now I'm sitting on my parents sofa listening to some music and just relaxing. It's my day off and so far it's going well. I hope that all of you have a great weekend as well.

-Chris

Right now I'm still in summer school and it sucks for the most part. I just had a mid-term from hell and tomorrow I have another exam in my second Summer II class. I can't wait until all of this is over. Today I'm off of work but I have a few things that I have to go and do though. I can't wait until Saturday when I can relax a little bit.

Wish me luck

Chris

Well, after getting back from a run to pickup some 'drinks' I ran across a really cool 'random dot stereo-gram.' A seterogram is one of those images that you can sort of see in 3D by not focusing on it (Magic-Eye Picture)

Can you see what it is? Click here for a larger version.

If you like this you can find it by clicking the link above or click here for another site with some fun ones.

Well, I'm off of work today but I still have class from 9am until 3pm. I've already done some shopping to pick up a few things. After class I'll probably go and pick up some Smirnoff, etc. It's about a 25 minute drive each way as I live in a 'dry county.' It kind of sucks but I really don't drink much at all so it's not as big of a deal. I've got projects to get started and a few other things that I need to look into. Wish me luck!

Chris

Well, It's been a while since I posted anything on here. I finished last semister with a "B" across all five of my classes. I'm happy with that. I'm taking summer school as well. It's not the greatest. I'm also working about 30-32 hours per week now at the Geek Squad. My co-workers are cool. We're losing one guy but have someone to replace him already. Today's my first day off of work in 8 days. I'm relaxing and lounging around a lot. I got to go to lunch with Lee and saw Elizabeth for a while. It was cool. It's a nice day outside. I can't help but feel that I'm lucky at times for what I have. Well, I know my thoughts are scattered and my brain is going everywhere. To my friends, I hope you're all having an amazing week and don't forget to write. lol

Lata,

Chris

Mario Live:

Well, it's Tuesday which is one of my busy days. It's an all day event of school and then work from 8am to 8pm. It's not as bad as it sounds really. Class isn't to horrible most of the time and time does go by quickly. It's raining ourside a bit now but it's nice. I've been stressing out over an exam that I had last night (British Literature). I've never been one for English classes of any sort. I think I did alright though. I only hope that I passed although I would welcome an A (Dreaming here) or a B (Something hard must have landed on my head). I hope that all of you are doing well and that everything is going great. To my friends that I haven't seen in a while (you know who you are) I hope to see you soon. It many cases it's been to long. Well, that's probably enough rambling for one day by now right?

Chris

Well, Today I just got done with my exam in Operations Management 3315 but I'm not to sure how I did. I'm in between classes right now. I'm about to go to my next class which is International Business and Business Ethics. I've yet to go and buy groceries and run a few more errands. I have to do taxes too still. Wish me luck.

Chris

UPDATE: I got a 71%... Hey, It's passing right?

Well, I've been back for a few days now but the jet lag is still killing me. I keep on getting tired around 10:30 now if I'm at home. Its kind of annoying but I'm sure that with a few more days that it will go away. I've gone back to work and started to catch up on my responsibilities there too. School's back in full force with two exams coming up in the next week or so. I just hope that I can pass all of my classes, get registered for summer classes, and maybe graduate this year. I'm dying for it all to be over with. I have a few errands that I still need to run such as going and getting some more food for my fridge as well. I saw the movies Ultra Violet and V for Vendetta. I highly recommend them both. Well, I'm class right now so I should probably try to pay attention or at least look in the general direction of my professor.

Later,

Chris

Right now I'm onboard an American Airlines 767 headed back to Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas. After that it's about a 90 minute drive home to my own bed which I have been missing, along with all of my friends. Today started at 4 am local time for me. I received a ride from my Aunt Linda to the airport which put us there at 5:45 am to check in my bag and get my boarding ticket. My flight didn't take off until about 6:15 am so we had some time to grab something to drink and chat about when it is I can come back again to visit my father and the rest of my family. At about 6:12 I went to the security check point and gave all of them a hug good bye and proceeded through the line where, surprisingly, they don't ask for a urine sample. After being asked the same questions by three different people I proceeded through the metal detector along side my bag, coat, and misc. pocket change and contents which passed through the x-ray machine to my left. I made it to my flight with plenty of time to spare and boarded the German Wings (Yeah, I know, tacky name...) to London Gatwick airport.

We arrived on time where I had to go and pickup my checked bag (not by choice but it weighted to much) which meant I had to leave the "Secure Area" of the airport. As thoughts of more lines and questions like "Did you pack it yourself? Have you been with your bag the entire time? and Do you floss regularly?" went through my head I realized that I had about a six or seven hour lay over in London due to the time change from Germany. Germany is one hour ahead of London. So I went to the American Airlines Check-In counter but before I could even get into line there was a man at a podium on wheels that said security. He stopped me and proceeded to ask me more questions about my bags, nationality, and if I could walk on my hands while juggling balls with my feet. After that I re-checked in my bag so that I would not have to carry it for so long and proceeded to the 14 lane, 2 mile long line that is a security checkpoint at Gatwick Airport. That took a few minutes and again I had to strip off my belt, jacket, etc while saying the alphabet backwards. I then found myself in what I can basically describe as a shopping mall, and not an Air Port that is the North Terminal. If you can think of a store, they had it. I looked at a few things out of boredom and desperation for about half an hour and then proceeded to look for a place to eat. After digging around for about an hour I came across a place that had a manageable line (Star-bucks was out to the tarmac...). I ordered a Cheeseburger and Fries along with a Coke. Keep in mind that it is about 9:30 in the morning now too but I had failed to realize that until after my cheeseburger had been devoured. While sitting their I pulled out my laptop and proceeded to see what was there for internet access to keep me entertained, informed, and awake. As almost always there was T-Mobile's internet service which you could pay for by the hour. After about 8 seconds of debating if I needed internet, I paid the 15 pounds (28 USD or so) and got online for a total of three hours downloading things like video from the iTunes store and catching up on my news. Time flew by as I sent off a few e-mails and surfed to my hearts content until 5...4...3...2...1... off... I had run out of time online. Sad for me but oh well.

I went to my gate and waited outside yet another, yes another, security checkpoint. (Each international gate at Gatwick has another security checkpoint.) There were no employees at my gate, it was roped off so I found a spot in a what seemed to relic of a chair next to three others that were presumably going to wait for the same flight as myself. You actually have to go down one level at Gatwick to get to these gates so there are no shops, no vending machines, nothing... After sitting there for a while some employee's showed up at the gate with rolling podiums in tow that boldly stated that they were with airport security. A few minutes passed and they began letting people into the separate waiting are designated only for our gate after we had answered their laundry list of questions once more. I boarded the 767 with out fail as part of the last group.

Now after reading this, you probably think that I'm bitter or something. I'm not. I'm just having a little fun writing about my adventure which I would gladly do all over again if given the option. The experience to travel for two weeks, see London with my Mom and my step dad Lee, see my father after over six years, visit family, and go to CeBit are priceless memories for me which I captured in about 800 pictures; no kidding. Some are better than others but it's better to have to many pictures than not enough in my mind. I've gotten to see things and do things that others have only dreamed of and may only ever dream of. I cannot thank those in my family enough that supported this trip both financially and just by being there for me. I miss my friends and family right now as I'm on this flight somewhere over the Atlantic. I love you all and I will see you all again soon.

Now if only my bag that I checked in arrives in the same airport that I do...

Love,
Chris
(a little more broke but much better off for it...)

My jaw simply dropped at the vast scale and magnitude that is CeBit. Simply put, there is absolutely no way to describe it to anyone. You simply have to go and see it. It is on the scale of about 30 large football stadiums filled with the newest in latest in electronics weather it's communications like cellular phones or the state of the art in banking equipment. It is amazing. I saw everything from the newest digital cameras and camcorders from ever brand under the sun to the largest Plasma TV in the world from Panasonic. I took a lot of photo's but that just can't show you the scale of it all. It's a geek / gadget paradise. If it runs on power, it was there. Everything from light shows to beautiful women everywhere to grab your attention and pull you into their booths. Keep in mind that this show is full of new products and prototypes and not some place to go and buy them. The only people doing the buying here are major corporations like T-Mobile buying the newest cell phones from Nokia and signing millions of dollars in contracts. Being a buyer gets you into all of the exclusive places at the show. They will wine and dine you until you can't take it anymore just to get your order for their new products. It's the biggest in the world and that by no means is not an exaggeration. I'd love t ramble on more about these fun and shiney things but I'm afraid I'd be better off uploading some pictures later for you to see. If you want to check out their website go to http://www.cebit.de and do some digging.

Later,

Chris

Right now I'm on the train at 7am leaving Hamburg Germany headed towards Hannover for the day. I'm taking the ICE (Inter City Express) to go to CeBit (http://www.cebit.de). It's the worlds largest electoics show. It's huge. I'm afraid that I wont get to see everything that I want to see in one day but I am going to try. I've not had internet most of this trip which has made it interesting considering my addiction to a few web sites and my e-mail. It's been great spending time with my dad here in Hamburg. Six years away from him is to long because after all, he's my father and my family. I hope that I have the opportunity to write some more while at CeBit or after CeBit. Where I am in Germany is quite cold. It's well below freezing here. From what I hear, Hannover had a record low in the night that hasn't happened since 1890. So, you get the idea, it's cold. When I get back to Texas after my 22 hour day back on Thursday, it's supposed to be about 80-90 degree's. It's going to be an interesting shift not only in time but in temperature as well. I look forward to going home and spending time with my friends again. Well, I think that's it for now.

Later,

Chris

"Remember, You're always naked... under your clothes..."

Well, It's early morning and I'm listening to audio on my iTunes player. In a matter of one hour I'll be leaving for London but first I'm stopping by the grand opening of the third Apple store in Dallas. Think about it this way, I get to go to an Apple grand opening, fly to London, go to Germany, see my dad after six years, go to CeBit, etc... I'm so excited! I hope that everyone out there has just as much fun as I think I'm going to have.

Chris

Well, I just got done paying my bills and I'm running close to broke. I'm not letting that stop me. I'm leaving Saturday for London and then off to Germany to see my Dad. It's been around six years since I've seen him. I can't believe it's so close to when I get to leave and visit. I've been having fun and been relaxing a little bit. School is going alright but I could definitely be doing better. But then again, who can't? I have an exam tomorrow and I'm not looking forward to it. I don't have the books so it appears that I will be winging it (and I'll be praying too). I hope that all of you are doing well. I hope to see you all later and I'll do my best to keep in contact via e-mail.

Later,

Chris

Here are my classes that I am taking.

Monday:
6:00pm English Lit.

Tuesday / Thursdays:
8:00am MGMT & Organization
11am International Business
12:30 Business & Professional Ethics

Wednesday:
2:00pm Management Information Systems

I have not been to the English Lit one yet. That worries me...

Classes started today. My first class is a 2pm Wednesday only class. The class is Management Information Systems. Basically the use of software and technology in Business. We are to build three websites in it. I'm glad (and thinking) that this should be simple for me allowing me to help others if needed. It's one less stressfull thing for me to worry about. I'll try to post my class schedule sometime soon just in case someone actually wants to know. Have a great day!

-Chris

Well, I've been working like crazy lately. Loving the apartment and paying the bills. I'm getting ready for my spring semester at school. All 'looks to be well.' Wish me luck.!!!!

It's my day off. I've been cleaning mostly. I also went to buy some groceries. It's been an 'ok' day. Life could be better. Well, TTYL and have a great day.

Chris

I submitted the whole "Google Earth" thing for OSX to them and I made their front page. Check it out. I'm famous...lol... Well, not really but I'm sure that there are a lot of Mac fans that like me now.

Chris

http://macdailynews.com/index.php/weblog/comments/7844/

I'm working on the site some more. It's taking shape but very slowly. Any ideas for pages / content? Send me an e-mail.

Chris

Right now I'm working on adding pages to the site. Content is next but takes time. I'm probably going to transfer a lot of the images from my previous site but the rest should be from scratch. I hope you like what's going on here. Wish me luck.

Chris

Well, If you can't tell by the title, then you're not actually reading this. I'm just tinkering with the new site and this blog. I hope that you like what you see. I hope that it will evolve into something better over time with better content. For now, Enjoy...

Chris