Robbie's Blog

2009-08-04T13:46:00.001-07:00

Laughlin Trip

2009-08-04T13:29:00.000-07:00

Here's some pics from our trip to Laughlin last week. It was awesome!!!! Water was perfect and it was nice to relax and enjoy a little R&R. We stay in Laughlin but spend most of the day at Lake Mohave. We got one of the best spots on the lake... this little cove hidden away with really clear water and less wind. As you see in the pics, it was pretty sweet. We had this family of rams that kept coming around every day. Good vacation :) Can't wait for the next one!!!!

4th of July = Good Times

2009-07-08T14:10:00.000-07:00

4th of July was pretty sweet!!! Saturday started around 9:00 am with Jade’s dad waking me up to help get things ready for “Ben-jammin’s Annual 4th of July Barbecue”. They were nice enough to let me stay the night on Friday, so I wouldn’t have to drive back out Saturday morning. I got up and helped set up chairs and arrange the sign in poster… this is a big event and a pretty big deal for Jade’s dad. A lot of preparation goes into the whole thing, so he had a poster with the invitation in the center that everyone could sign. I also helped make a music playlist for the party that I think was pretty good. The food was really really good as always… pulled pork sandwiches, raspberry chipotle chicken, Fish, and tons of smoked ribs!!! Plus, tons of tasty sides and desserts.

After the party we met up with our friends Austin and Natalie at Seaport Village in downtown San Diego, where we set out a blanket to watch the fireworks on the bay. We walked around Seaport Village and had some guy draw caricatures of us. The fireworks were really good as always, and of course the traffic getting out of there was crazy, but it was well worth it. Jade and I drove back out to Murrieta to chill and spend the Sabbath with my family. It was one of my favorite 4th of July weekends to date. Good times!!!

William Fitzsimmons, you are my hero!

2009-06-25T09:38:00.000-07:00

Along the same lines as my David Bazan post (Jan. 23rd), I'm just as excited to go see William Fitzsimmons play down in San Diego on July 24th. I know it's a month away, but I'm amped to go already!!! If you haven't listened to his music, I suggest you do; that's if you like folk music with some electronic beats mixed in. It should be an awesome show, especially since I get to go with Jade as well. We both share a passion for music and have found that William Fitzsimmons is one of our favorites. So I anxiously await the 24th.... it is at some coffee house, so I imagine it'll be a smaller show which is cool. Hopefully we'll get to meet him.

An Amazing Experience

2009-02-25T12:46:00.000-08:00

(On my way.... and all alone)

(Waiting for the show to begin)

Well, I went to the David Bazan concert this weekend, and it was AMAZING!!! As you can sort of tell by my nice cell phone pics, it was just him and his guitar..... no mics or anything. I was one of the first to arrive, so I was in the front row (even though there were only like 4 rows anyways). It was a unique experience and one I definitely am glad I took advantage of. He had a few Q&A breaks throughout the performance, giving everyone the opportunity to find out more about him; he went off on a few tangents about movies, podcasts, and why he was doing the house shows. All in all it was fun, I was able to shake his hand and talk with him for a minute..... he's a very down to earth guy. I'm even thinking about seeing him again on March 20th in Chino.

David Bazan Live!

2009-01-23T10:25:00.000-08:00

David Bazan is one of my favorite singer / songwriters ever!!! He was the leader singer of the band Pedro the Lion, but has gone on to pursue a solo career. I'm really excited that I'm finally going to have the chance to hear him play live. His music isn't for everyone, but for some reason it really hits me. He is very real in his lyrics and even though I might not agree with everything he writes about, I love his passion and his way of describing life and all it's complexities. Here is a little info about the show I will be attending:

David will be playing a limited number of intimate house shows in 2009.

This show in Los Angeles, CA will be limited to 40 tickets. No tickets will be sold at the door.

The address for the show, parking instructions and other details will be e-mailed to you before the show.

IMPORTANT! This show is a solo acoustic performance being hosted in a private home. It's not a party. Please be respectful of the performance, the hosts and their home.

So basically it is a really, really small show..... only 40 people. I think it's a really cool and unique experience to watch one of my favorites play in such an intimate setting. It should make for an interesting evening!!!

New Glasses!

2008-11-05T10:48:00.000-08:00

I know..... it's been forever since I've posted anything, and all I have to tell about is some new glasses. Sorry, but I'm stoked about them!!! I'm getting them for Christmas this year. They were pretty expensive, but they look pretty good on me, and I struggle with finding glasses that look good (just ask Rebecca). I'll try to have more to talk about soon!!!

American Shaolin

2008-08-18T10:05:00.001-07:00

This book is amazing!!!! I have been trying to start reading books more than just sitting in front of the T.V. all day. This book has definitely helped me fulfill my new goal.... I can't put the thing down. It's a pretty easy read.

Mathew Polly (the author) recounts his experience of his 2 year quest to China's famous Shaolin Temple. I love his purpose, and I love how he describes his experience. It reminds me of my mission to Uruguay..... only he is there to better understand Kung-Fu. He really immerses himself in the Chinese culture and you learn a lot about it.

I think it is a good book to read for anyone who enjoys reading about self discovery. You can see the evolution of Polly as he continues to sacrifice ("taste the bitter") through his journey in order to truly grow from the experience.

I'm definitely not a good journalist or nothing. Can't say this short synopsis is worthy of making it anywhere past my little blog. It's good stuff though.

A Tasty, Healthy Treat!

2008-06-26T10:52:00.001-07:00

I'm taking a nutrition class this summer at MSJC and one of our discussion board assignments was to try something that is truly "whole grain". I'm finding out how unhealthy things can be, even when they seem healthy. The whole grain bread I get from Stater Bro's is full of bad stuff..... (sorry, I'm not trying to act like a crazy health nut, because I'm not even that hard core.) Anyways, I tried the Ezekiel 4:9 bread, basically they take the Bible verse very literally and make the bread described in the text:

"Take thou also unto thee wheat, and barley,
and beans, and lentiles, and millet, and ^afitches,
and put them in one vessel, and make thee bread thereof...."

I bought a loaf of the original and a loaf of the cinnamon raisin. It is good stuff!!!! It costs about $3 a loaf, but it's pretty dang good and way healthy. I'm totally a fan and will probably purchase it regularly. Just thought I'd share my newest discovery!!!!

Softball Season!!!

2008-04-23T13:33:00.000-07:00

My new hobby these days has been playing some softball on Thursday nights with my Dad. I went for the first time 3 weeks ago to try it out, and I had a lot of fun! My Dad decided to get me a baseball glove for my birthday to kind of seal the deal on me playing for his team.

On top of that, he mentioned to my Mom that there were some cleats on sale over at Chick's Sporting Goods that would be a good addition to my softball gear as well. Well, these are the cool cleats I just picked up yesterday (even though my birthday was March 20th).... they are a little behind.

I'm pretty stoked about it actually. Softball is good fun, except, throwing the ball all night really hurts my arm. The team put me in the "hot box" or third base. I get a lot of hits coming my way!

2008-04-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Well, it has been too long since I've posted anything so, with a little inspiration from my sister, I am sharing with you my work desk. I call this picture "My Desk-Life", because the majority of my life is right here. This desk has some character. I have sat at here for the past few years.... ever since we moved offices due to a fire. It was sort of torn apart through the moving process. As cluttered as it might look, I actually have everything really organized and I clean and dust it frequently. Anyways, this blog is more of a resolve to post more on my blog, so I took initiative and started right away by taking a picture with my cell phone. My example for good blogging: Tristen and Ken! Thanks Tristen for all your entries, I love to read them!