"Happy Holidays!"

Well folks, I'm on vacation for the next 12 days. I'll be traveling, visiting Kelli in Brillion (near Appleton, WI), then traveling west to Tomah to spend Christmas with her family. She and I will be in Minneapolis for a while as well, then back to Tomah for New Years. And then, after returning to Brillion, I'll be taking the bus back home to Milwaukee on January 3. So... lots of traveling, lots of adventure. But oh, so worth it!

I probably won't be able to blog here while I'm gone (limited internet access), but do feel free to check in on my Facebook page. I'll hopefully be able to micro-blog there instead. Short musings, status updates, that sort of thing. Hopefully. We'll see.

So, that said, I hope all of you get to spend time with family this Holiday as well. Enjoy the season, laugh often, and I'll see you in the new year!

Merry Christmas, and Happy New Year!

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:05 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"Many a small thing has been made large by the right kind of advertising."
-- Mark Twain

-Jon
posted by Jon at 1:04 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Brittany Murphy: 1977-2009"

Actress Brittany Murphy earlier died this morning after going into cardiac arrest. She is best known for her roles in the films "Clueless", "Drop Dead Gorgeous", "Girl, Interrupted," and my personal favorite, "Uptown Girls.". She was 32.

"Actress Brittany Murphy dies aged 32"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:44 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Wisdom of the Day"

"But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

Paul, The Bible: I Corinthians 12:9-10

posted by Jon at 1:18 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Thursday in Review"

Cold day. Painted some areas of an interior carpeted staircase. Moved next door to an occupied apartment; painted the bathroom while a young mother held her newborn son (in the adjoining room) and watched "Top Gun". Theme music from "Top Gun" still going through my head. Enjoyed a tasty Italian beef sandwich for dinner (followed by a few slices of pizza once I returned home -- offered to me by my roommate). Watched some of the movie, "The God's Must Be Crazy". Great film! Talked to Kelli on the phone. She was having a down evening. Worked on the computer a bit. Took a nice warm shower. Heading to bed in the early morning.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:52 PM  I   I  0 comments

Jon Baas is an unconventional thinker.
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posted by Jon at 11:18 PM  I   I  0 comments

"My Uncle Bruce: 1945-2009"

My uncle, Bruce (mom's oldest brother), died today after a long 25+ year battle with Parkinson's Disease. He is remembered as a Lutheran Elementary School teacher, a coach, an avid model railroader, and first and foremost, a strong Christian. He was 64.

UPDATE: - (Friday, Dec. 18 - 1:08 AM)
He was also an avid runner (before his battle with Parkinsons's).

-Jon
posted by Jon at 5:38 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Back in Milwaukee... Gift Adventure a Success!"

I'm back in Milwaukee, after a wonderful weekend spent with my fiance (Kelli) up north. We spent all day Saturday doing our Christmas shopping in Appleton, WI. And, believe it or not, I even introduced Kelli to Half Priced Books. She'd never been there before. That just boggles my mind! Great store. Thousands of books, movies, and music. Half price on everything. It's one of my all-time favorite stores!

But, book store musings aside, I enjoyed the weekend. It was a little cold traveling, but I was greeted by the warmth of Arby's (where I set for a few hours until her teaching day was over and she could come pick me up from Manitowoc), and the radiant warmth of a beautiful woman's heart. Yep. The latter made the whole trip worthwhile. ... [wink]

My next adventure northward will be next week. Wednesday. Only this time, it's for the Holidays. I'll take the bus back up to Manitowoc, stick around for the Brillion Christmas Eve services on Thursday, and then we'll both drive west to Tomah (and later Minneapolis) to spend Christmas and New Years with family. And, of course, I'll take my camera; pics will be posted on my Facebook fan page when I return.

So... I'm back in Milwaukee. Time to get back to work. :)

Have a wonderful week all, and until next time,

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:26 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Brillion Bound"

Well folks, I'm heading out for the weekend. I'll be up north visiting Kelli (my fiancee) until Sunday. So, as is the case when I travel, my next post(s) will be when I return. Have a wonderful weekend all, stay warm, enjoy the snow, and until then...

Your happily blogging friend,
-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:47 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Wedding: T Minus 7 Months"

Today is December 10th. In exactly seven months, I will be getting married to my dream girl -- a beautiful Kindergarten teacher near Appleton, WI. Wedding date: July 10, 2010. Seven more months of Milwaukee living. Then I'll be moving north. Stay tuned!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:54 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Morning Chill"

Current temperature: -2F. Wind chill: -1F. Today's predicted HIGH temperature in Milwaukee: only 10F. Yeah, it's a cold one out there. If you're in the Upper Midwest, bundle up. Stay warm.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:33 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Wednesday in Review"

Spent the afternoon shoveling snow. Mostly clean-up; the sidewalks had already been taken care of. Nonetheless, still a cold task. Worked at three different apartment properties. Went downtown Milwaukee to check on a fourth property... 5-8 inches of snow in my neighborhood; nothing but a thin dusting by the lake (seven miles east). Stopped at a chili restaurant for dinner. Warmed me up inside quite nicely. Returned home, ran some errands. Talked to Kelli for an hour (on the phone). Heading to bed in the early A.M.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 11:39 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Jon Baas on Facebook"

Come join me on Facebook! Link: facebook.com/jonbaasfans. I "blog" there too. Daily posts, personal musings, photo galleries, and more! Stop by sometime! Become a fan!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:06 AM  I   I  0 comments

"And Then There Was Snow"

It's begun. Our first significant snowfall of winter has arrived. At the Milwaukee lakefront (7 miles east of me), 2.2 inches of snow has fallen. Here in my neighborhood (West Allis), we've gotten about 4-8 inches. And 75 miles west, in Madison, they clocked in at 17 inches! So, the snow totals are are starting to pile up, especially inland.

Here in Milwaukee, the temperatures are still warmer (since we're closer to Lake Michigan), so our snow is falling as slush. As one reporter put it, drivers are "driving through soup." That's a pretty apt description too. More snow is expected today. And with temperatures starting to fall, this slush will easily turn into snow within a couple of hours.

Wisconsin's government has been shut down too. Governor Jim Doyle has ordered that state employees not to report to work, unless their job duties include emergency response, public health or public safety. He also closed all University of Wisconsin campuses. And if that's not enough, ten National Guard facilities with vehicles have been mobilized, and one air crew has been placed on standby beginning earlier this morning.

We're getting hit with snow in Wisconsin. And it's only going to get deeper. Even last night, around 9pm, I was going to blog for the day, but our power started flickering, and it kept restarting my computer. Finally, after three restarts, I gave up, shut things down, found something to eat, and went to bed. This morning, 7,800 people are still without power, and more outages are likely.

It's going to be an interesting Wednesday.

"8 A.M. Update: MPS Open, State Government Shut Down"

-Jon
posted by Jon at 8:42 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Google Dictionary"

Whether this has been around for some time or not, I don't know, but it's pretty certain very few people know about it. Google has a dictionary. The app provides definitions and synonyms in almost thirty languages, and each word is pulled from a scope of different sources.

Words can be 'starred' so you can come back to it for whatever reason, you can view your recent searches, and you easily switch to other languages if necessary.

Check it out: Google Dictionary.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:35 PM  I   I  0 comments

"FlockDraw"

We're all familiar with social networking. It's everywhere. There's Facebook, and Myspace, and Linkedin, and who knows how many more. But have you tried social drawing?

Give it a shot and see what happens.

-Jon
posted by Jon at 10:45 PM  I   I  0 comments

"Hamlet's Soliloquy... in Klingon!"

I found something that tickles both the actor AND the Star Trek geek within me, all at the same time. It's a YouTube performance of the greatest, and best-known Shakespearean monologue of all-time... presented in Klingon. The famous "To Be, or Not to Be" soliloquy from Hamlet. Also known as: Klingon Hamlet: taH Pagh taHbe'. Monologue performed by Brian Rivera. ... [video]

The video quality is a bit dark, but it's still worth a watch. Enjoy!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 1:14 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Quote of the Day"

"How did it get so late so soon? Its night before its afternoon. December is here before its June. My goodness how the time has flewn. How did it get so late so soon?"
-- Dr. Seuss

-Jon
posted by Jon at 9:23 PM  I   I  0 comments

"The Car Part Sculptures of James Corbett"

Australian artist James Corbett began sculpting old car parts in 1999 while managing a car recycling business in Brisbane. Eighteen months later, he closed up shop and turned pro. Corbett never bends the parts, but uses the existing shapes to create his forms. Take a peek!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 2:04 AM  I   I  0 comments

"The Rings of the Earth"

What would the Earth look like if it had a ring system like Saturn? Here's a 3D Studio Max animation that answers that question. And can you imagine the cultural impact this would have had? The cultural myths. The legends. Our fascination with air and space travel. It's a very different perspective to a planet we know so well. Take a peek, and enjoy! ... [video]

-Jon
posted by Jon at 1:17 AM  I   I  0 comments

"Upside Down Letters & Backwards Text"

I came across this website today, and thought I'd share. It allows you to type words and have them converted into upside down letters and backwards text. It's nothing earth-shattering, but is has proven to be a fun little diversion. Feel free to take a moment and check it out. Enjoy!

And, for the record, I did try to post this entry written upside down -- just for the fun of it. But alas, it would appear that my blogging software cannot read the altered font. So, let it be known.... I did try to be witty. Given the circumstances, it'll have to be the thought that counts.

Works great on Facebook, though!

-Jon
posted by Jon at 3:12 PM  I   I  0 comments