Another birthday, another birthday cake.  This one is for ~D~'s son.  I didn't have a monster truck cake pan so I used a tractor cake pan.  I know...image that...I have a tractor cake pan.  I then freehanded the truck on the top.  It's not my best work but it was chocolate.  He liked it.  That's all that counts.  :)

Have a great day Internet!

I know...I didn't blog yesterday.  I didn't have much to say.  I've been busy with work, school work and a few hours gaming in the evening. 

For those that are curious, I have a level 16 Hunter, level 15 Guardian and I rolled a Burglar last night.  The hunter and burglar are hobbits.  The Guardian is a dwarf.  I'm on the Gladden server if you're interested in playing.

Have a great day Internet!

Yesterday I met some friends in Seattle and went to lunch.  Well, one is a old friend and the other is a new friend.  The old friend I met in 1989.  The new friend is her sister-in-law.  I guess 18 years qualifies as old.  Yikes.

I had to laugh.  She was mentioning how now that she's getting older she can be an outspoken (well, I'm not allowed to use the word because well...I'm a guy).  Her sister-in-law and I laughed at her.  Since when hasn't she been an outspoken ...?  I guess she's just refining it as she gets older.  We had a good time having lunch and walking around Pike's Place Market. 

Today is the launch of Lord Of The Rings Online.  I'm playing on the Gladden server if anyone else is playing.

Have a great day Internet!

While I was out mowing the grass, I found this frog.  No I didn't slice and dice him.  I took his photo instead!  Don't you think he goes well with my green theme?

I'm hosting an event in Redmond similar to the ones I did in Shanghai and Dublin.  I'm having a terrible time getting a keynote speaker.  Everyone I've asked would love to but they are out of town.  I wonder if it's a VP getaway at Disneyland.  I even asked Bill's replacement.  I got a nice e-mail from his assistant apologizing that he'd be out of town.  Sigh.  Any of my blogger friends want to give the keynote?  I'll give you a shirt.

Have a great day Internet!

As I was wandering through Shanghai I came across a small kitten.  Now I have no idea if people from China eat cats or not.  But many of my friends like to tease me that they do.  This one had a collar.  So unless they were protecting their food source from fleas, I'm guessing it was a friend and not food.  I found it while on one of my off the beaten path trips in to Shanghai.  The further you go off the path, the less English they speak.  These two ladies thought it was pretty funny that I was taking a photo of their kitten.  I have no idea what they were saying.  Just lots of smiles and laughing.  "Look, funny tall looking white boy is taking a photo of our dinner."  Sorry Leesa, I didn't try to smuggle it out of the country...

I haven't been able to comment on blogger blogs lately.  I couldn't figure out why.  I thought I had forgotten my password.  Even when I looked up my password, it didn't work.  I figured it out this morning.  They are making you get a Google account now.  I wasn't able to use my old blogger password anymore.  I don't know if they are doing this to everyone or testing just a few.  Needless to say I thought I was losing my mind.

Short post today.  Have a great day Internet and thanks for the cake comments.

Yesterday was the anniversary Julie's 29th birthday.  ~D~ and the kids spent the night Saturday night.  Sunday morning we had pancakes.  I of course made a cake.  Needless to say I was pretty tired by the time ~D~ and the kids left.  I took a nap.  :) 

Here's my cake.  Leesa sent me a cool cake kit and there was a snowman cake pan included.  It's my first vertical standing cake.  I learned a few things.  It's supposed to be a snowman.  Julie wanted a bunny cake.  Therefore...bunny cake = snowman cake + ears +whiskers.  :)

I think he looks a bit like Justin Timberlake...

It was chocolate cake with chocolate frosting.  No matter what he looked like, he was going to be popular.

Have a great day Internet!

I took the subway to a street called Nanjing Road.  They like to advertise Nanjing Road as the Paris of China.  Many of the photos of I've posted were taken on Nanjing Road.  It's one of the largest shopping districts in Shanghai.  Because of that, there are a lot of Westerners.  A good comparison is being Asian at Disneyland.  There are enough Asians walking around Disneyland that you notice many of them, but you're still the minority.  I felt the same way on Nanjing Road.

Needless to say it also attracts a variety of Chinese people.  I was approached by everyone.  Beggars, vendors, scammers and who knows what else.  I got used to giving the jedi knight "these aren't the droids you are looking for wave" as they all talked to me.  The vendors were easy...."Rolex, Polo shirt, Deebeedee?"  I'd just no them until they'd tire of me. 

The college students were a bit harder.  Funny though.  I didn't get approached by any male college students.  I admit it though, I'm a sucker.  "Hi, I'm a local college student.  I would like to practice my English.  You are very handsome."  Funny how they all had the same line.  The only twist later in the day way "Hi, I'm a local college student.  I would like to practice my English.  I am learning Calligraphy.  Would you like to see my art?"  I think art was a codeword for "we're going to take you in a back alley where our friends will pummel you and take your wallet."

I'd just keep walking no matter who approached me.  I'd be friendly and say hi and thank you.  I mean who doesn't say thank you if they are told they are handsome even if the person saying it learned it in their 3rd week of English class?  When you're a tall white geeky 36 year old guy, hearing it a few times a day regardless if it's fake is a shot to the ego.  Well two girls were persistent and followed me around for a while.  They were nice and got a whole lunch out of me.  Yup, I was a sucker and spent $5 on them. 

I did get nervous at one point though when they offered to take my photo with the camera I borrowed from Leesa.  I fully expected to hear "back up...further...further...further" as I flip over the wall and in to the river.  But I was pleasantly surprised.  They took my photo and handed the camera back to me.

I know a few of my more gutter minded friends have scrolled down to see how my day ended.  With them, it ended as they hopped on the bus at 5:30pm to go home and I continued taking photos.  All the night shots I posted were from after they left.  I stuck around because I heard Nanjing Road was beautiful at night and I wasn't let down.

Here's my college friends:

The photo they took of me.  Do I look like I'm gonna chase them if they take off with Leesa's camera?

Have a great day Internet!

After walking for hours last Wednesday I decided to brave the subway.  I admittedly wondered if I'd end up in some far reaches of China, but I was up for an adventure.  I asked the doorman at the hotel and he sort of said "metro" and pointed in some random direction down the street.  I thought the entrance was much closer to the hotel and in the other direction but how would it look to the doorman if he pointed in one direction and I went the other?  It just happened that the direction he pointed was towards work so at least I knew may way.

I found the entrance and ventured down.  Little did I realize there's a whole market underground.  Not only are there regular stores but vendors with their wares on the ground.  Of course I was everyone's best friend.  I'm sure I would have gotten the best prices too....yeah right...big tall white tourist in white sneakers always gets "very best prices".

I eventually found the actual subway and found the ticket machine.  Yikes, it's in Chinese.  I started doing the tourist wander looking for an English sign.  I found one with in English that showed my destination.  I memorized the first character in the Chinese translation and ran over to the machine.  I guessed a few times and out comes my ticket.  Cost me a whole 50 cents.  Well I thought.  If I miss my exit and spend the whole day on the subway it won't be an expensive trip. 

I hopped on the subway and counted exits.  My exit was 4 down. Luckily the signs had both English and Chinese translations so it wasn't hard to find.  Again I get off the subway and it's full of vendors.  I wonder if all the exits are like this.

My trip back was uneventful.  I was an old subway pro now.  Funny enough but the ticket machine I found even had English translations. 

Here's a few photos from the subway.  Yes, I was taller than everyone.

Have a great day Internet!

I'm back from Shanghai and it's time to get back in to my routine.  School starts today as well.  I haven't mentioned it, but my old officemate moved out a few weeks ago.  It's been blissfully quiet in my office.  Not that we saw each other much anyway.  I was told before I left that I'd be getting a new room mate soon.  I wonder if he showed up while I was gone.  Sigh

For those that don't look at my flickr site I've included a few photos of my trip:

Have a great day Internet!