Photo Challenge 2010 Complete!

Well, I made it through 2010 posting a photo every single week! Brandon and I had a bet at the beginning of the year to post a photo every week for the entire year, and although I slipped a couple times and posted other people's pictures, I did a pretty good job of getting a photo up every week. I'll admit that at times it felt more like a chore than something fun, but it did get me out and continuing to do fun things to have a photo worthy of posting.

I'm not quite sure what I'll be doing this year. I don't like how the photo challenge meant that I spent very little time writing. These last few months have been really amazing months for me with a new teaching job and a great new girlfriend--but I haven't posted much of anything on this blog. A part of me fears posting things about myself online, especially now that I'm a teacher. Hopefully I'll think of something soon, and I'm open to suggestions.

Since Brandon and I are finished with the photo challenge, we've now got to pick photos from the other person to frame and gift exchange. He slacked off during the last half of the year, but was able to post a picture EVERY DAY until June, which was pretty amazing and gives me plenty of options to choose from. Fun challenge, hope to get something else started soon.

Photo Week 52: Snow Shoeing

A few friends spent the night up in the Stevens Pass parking lot, apparently it got down to -10 degrees Farenheit. I gladly stayed in bed that night and met up with the crew Friday morning. We snow shoed up to Skyline Lake, on a blue-bird day and it was a grunt, but absolutely amazing. They spent the night up at the frozen lake, and I descended for a fun NYE with the gf.

Photo Week 51: Merry Xmas!

Season's Greetings from the Methow Valley!

Photo Week 50: Motorcycling in December

I hadn't been out on my motorcycle for two months until Friday afternoon. It took 10 minutes to fire up the ninja, but I putted around town for a bit and filled up on gas. Today I was treated to another beautiful day and couldn't resist getting out on the bike. The Olympic Mountains popped into view and this photo doesn't do a great job of showing the mountains, but they were amazing.

Photo Week 49: UW Volleyball

Attended a great upset win over #2 ranked Nebraska on Friday night. Didn't take the above picture, but imagine a near sell-out and everyone on their feet. I did take a 6 minute video on my phone at the end of the game, but the quality is terrible and it cuts out often. UW ended up losing to Cal on Saturday night in the Elite Eight, and Cal looks pretty darn good.

Photo Week 47: Turkey Bowl and F the Ducks!

I'm not sure how many Turkey bowls this is now for me at Greenlake, probably around 12 now. First time I can remember snow on the ground--much preferable to rain and mud! Ended the day with a few interceptions, a few TD catches and a couple TD passes--all in all another fun T-Bowl!



Caught the UW-Oregon volleyball game Friday night, and the jumbo-tron operator had some fun every time UW made a good play against the Ducks. Nothing like some old school NES action to get the crowd pumped up!

Photo Week 46: Snow!

Had a light dusting of snow today in Seattle. Found it funny that instead of checking weather.com for snow info, I checked Facebook for more detailed and up-to-the-minute weather posts from friends in town.



Friday night went to the Built to Spill concert at the Showbox @ Market--my favorite venue in Seattle. I've had 100 Built to Spill songs on my computer for years and never listened to them until the beginning of this week. The band is awesome! Follow the link for a good song and a great video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFIBwS0GVX0

Photo Week 45: Columbia Winery

Girlfriend and I headed out to the Columbia Winery after our last ultimate frisbee game of the season. There were free tastings, free cheese, chocolate and steak to nibble on, and she also had four bottles of wine to pick up from the cellar. Not a bad start to the weekend!

Photo Week 44: Fall Colors

The Fall colors are out in force.

Photo Week 43: Hanford Howl

Repeat Champs!

Hawaii 4-2-0

Photo Week 42: UW Volleyball

Watched a 5-set match on Friday. First match I've seen this year and the team looks pretty similar to last year.

Work is getting crazy busy, as expected. Next weekend I am skipping out of town to an awesome frisbee tournament over in the Tri-Cities. Really looking forward to the tournament, but wondering how exactly I am going to plan for the following week of work! Plus side--still not a single day of teaching has felt like work.

Photo Week 41: Cabin Adventure

Spent Saturday night up at parents' cabin, got in a nice waterfall hike on the way back to Seattle today!

Photo Week 40: Happy 101010101010!

10:10:10 on 10/10/10

Binary New Years! Hooot hooooot!

Photo Week 39: Moving on Up!

Not to the East Side, but closer to my new job! I lucked out and nabbed a full time teaching position at a public school this year, and this weekend I moved about five minutes from the school. Here is a picture of my room:



First things unpacked? Ultimate frisbee jerseys!

Photo Week 38: Portland Yet Again

This time, it was personal. We stopped briefly at Ground Kontrol, a few of us had a good talk at the Annex for an hour over two pitchers of Ruby Red, and we ended the night at the kava and hooka bar. I smoked hooka and then ran the two miles back to Andrew's house at midnight to test my lungs to make sure they still worked after smoking anything for the first time in my life.

Sunday morning we rose leisurely and eventually made our way to Hollywood Bowl for some late morning rollin'. Losers had to jump the virtual rope on the Jumpin' Jackpot video game, winner got to play Deal or No Deal. Nat won the first game of bowling and played Deal or No Deal. He ended up winning 1 ticket, picking the absolute worst case possible. Way to squander our tokens, numbnuts.

Photo Week 37: More Warrior Dash, Fun Bust Out Hand

I wasn't sure what to wear, so went with as much black as I could find:




All of us were AIPF, most of us with only a few more big blinds left. We had a sweat, but no cigar!

Photo Week 36: Warrior Dash!

5k run, complete with a dozen or so obstacles along the way including a barbed wire mud pit and two beds of hot coals to jump over. I raced as a ninja-warrior. Friend took pictures of the event and I hope to get a few better ones to put up on this post at a later date.

We dined on turkey legs the size of our faces.

Photo Week 35: Seven Lakes Basin Hike

A really amazing weekend. I highly suggest the Seven Lakes Basin for anyone who wants a hike that has it all. Wildlife, wild flowers, mountain peaks and ridges, lakes, waterfalls, glacier views, etc.

Photo Week 34: Denny Creek

Hiked a little ways up the Denny Creek trail today with a few friends. We only made it about two miles in, but did get to this fun little creek which used to be a river. We climbed up the rocky ex-river a few thousand feet before realizing the trail didn't go the way we were heading. We climbed up the side of a waterfall and saw kids trying to slide down the smooth wet rock on their keesters, which looked a bit painful.

Photo Week 33: Image Lake