Christmas Eve

Today is December 24th, 2011, Christmas Eve. In the blink of an eye it seems, 2011 has come and gone and 2012 is nearly upon us. This will be our first Christmas in Maryland and I'm thankful for having so many good friends close by this season as well as being in much closer proximity to family. Most of all this year I'm thankful that I'm home with my family. It has been over a year since I returned from my 365 day tour in the sandbox, but I remember very clearly the pain of being separated from my family just two Christmases ago. While I know there will be other deployments in my future that will cause me to miss holidays, I'm glad that at least this year I'm home.

Our Christmas shopping has long been completed. There are a ton of presents under the tree for Katrina and I can't wait to see the smile on her face as she opens them tomorrow morning. I need no presents myself for seeing that look of joy from her is more than enough for me. I already got to see the look of surprise on Kristin's face when I presented her with a brand new Canon Rebel T3 DSLR as an early Christmas present. I figured she could use that to take pictures of Katrina unwrapping her presents. :)

I did get sort of an early Christmas present myself this week. I joined the Odenton Volunteer Fire Company back in May and through the process of handing in all of my South Carolina certifications, it was discovered that my HAZMAT Ops certificate would not carry over. My two options were to take the class or take an equivalency test. I opted for the latter, but schoolwork towards my Bachelors put that on hold. Recently though, I was able to set aside the time to take care of the testing and I just got word earlier this week that I passed all the requirements. This was the last major hurdle I had to overcome to be able to ride up here in Maryland. I stil have a couple of minor things to take care of, but after almost 8 months I'm finally close to actually running calls again. Considering that I have not been "on the job" since March, I'm ready.


While this time of year is generally a happy one, there are some somber feelings that come with it. While I'm home with my family this Christmas, many of my brothers and sisters in uniform are still out in harm's way. I ask that everyone take a moment to think about those who have, and are sacrificing so much this season. There are also my brothers and sisters wearing the uniforms of public servants. Fire, police and EMS personnel. They may not be overseas, but many of them are still putting their lives on the line and are unable to spend time with their families during the holidays.

I'll close by wishing all of my friends and family (and anyone else who happens to read this) a very Merry Christmas and a bright and prosperous 2012!


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Music playing: I Believe In Father Christmas by Emerson, Lake & Palmer

The Warshaw Family

The Warshaw Family, originally uploaded by VirginiaSouthern.

My ladies and I posing on a restored B&O caboose at Annapolis Junction, MD.

Deep Fried Goodness

Deep Fried Goodness, originally uploaded by VirginiaSouthern.

I have so many things to be thankful for this year. This is our first Thanksgiving up in Maryland. I've got my family with me and and we're all healthy. Most of all today, I'm happy that the power has come back on. Originally we thought our Thanksgiving plans might be dashed when the power went out at 830 this morning. It came back on though as I was heating the oil up for the turkey and we're back on with plans.

I hope everyone is having an awesome Thanksgiving out there. It's about time to pull my bird out of the oil. Cheers!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Duckula!

Count Duckula to be precise. This little guy decided to take a break from some light reading to pose for the camera.


The camera also managed to nab a shot of me at my command center.


As I'm posting this I'm jamming out to the song The Ikon by Todd Rundgren's Utopia. If you've never heard before and you're into prog rock, it is definitely worth checking out.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

New Sharing Options

Just a quick post to let all of you out in internet-land that there are new ways to share this blog out to your friends, twitter followers, etc. Gone are the Tweetmeme and Share This buttons at the top. They've been replaced with an Add This toolbar down at the bottom of the post. Among the features of this new toolbar is the ability to now share via Google + for those that use that site. We now return you to your regularly scheduled programming.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Archway

Archway, originally uploaded by VirginiaSouthern.

It has been a little while since I have processed my photos for High Dynamic Rage (HDR) so I thought it was time to try my hand t it again.

The photo above is of the entranceway to St. Dennis Catholic Church in Galena, MD. I had taken this shot along with a few others back in August, but somehow I had only processed half the set and this photo was forgotten. I thought that running it through my HDR software would be a fitting way to resurrect it. I hope you enjoy!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Creative Sparks

Lately it seems that the creative moments with my photography have been few and far between. Today though, I seem to be full of creative juices. The first photo up is something I've been wanting to try for some time. It did not come out quite as good as I hoped, but for a first attempt I'd say it's not bad.


For the next two photos, I pulled out my extension tube. I haven't used it in a few months, but it is my cheap way of doing pseudo-macro photography. First up is the badge I used to wear as a volunteer firefighter in South Carolina.


The opening lines of the essay Heroism by Ralph Waldo Emerson.


Here's hoping I can keep the creative sparks going throughout this coming week!

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Long Vacation Ahead

There's a few things I want to write about today. None of them are related, but they're not necessarily long enough to warrant their own postings.

First and foremost, today is Veteran's Day. It's hard to believe that I have now been a veteran for almost 13 years now. Even with all the frustration that the Air Force causes me these days, I'm still just as proud to wear my uniform now as I was back in 1999. This day causes me not only to reflect on my own service, but on the service of others. I reflect on the service of my grandfather, Thomas T. Warshaw who served in the island hopping campaigns of the Pacific Theater with the 77th Infantry Division. Then there was my grandmother's (on my mother's side) late boyfriend, Kenneth Fitzpatrick. This person, who was just like a grandfather also participated in the Pacific island hopping campaigns with the 27th Infantry Division. I think about the services of my friends as well. My good friend Jason Viglione, a 9/11 survivor who enlisted in the Air Force following the sad events of that day. I also reflect on anyone who's worn the uniform past and present, but most especially those of my brothers and sisters who have paid the ultimate sacrifice. For those who did not have to work today, I encourage you to take a little time today to reflect on your own.

In addition to being off today, I'll be on leave all this coming week. We were originally supposed to go to Virginia, but that had to be moved to next month. Since I already had leave on the books, I decided I'd take the time off and stay home. In almost 13 years, I've never once taken a significant amount of leave without traveling. I think that a week spent with my ladies at home will be awesome. Now this doesn't mean that we'll be sitting around the house the whole time. We'll be taking a day trip up to Baltimore one day and a trip down to DC on another. In between I plan on doing a lot of photography with a variety of subjects this weekend and coming week. It is going to be nice to get a long rest and recharge after events at work the past few weeks.

Next up are some photos of Layla. After yesterday's rain, it turned out to be a beautiful, albiet windy fall day. I took Layla out to toss her ball around for a little bit and decided to snap a few photos of her while we played.






Last, but not least I've been on a funk kick lately. I've always enjoyed the genre, but after hearing some Parliament playing in the shoppette earlier this week, I just can't seem to get enough. Thankfully Pandora has been great for helping me to get my fix. They've been playing some kickass tunes from Parliament, Zapp, Average White Band, The Gap Band, Cameo and others. I dunno what it is. That music just gets me moving.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

How Ya Like Dem Apples?

How Ya Like Dem Apples?, originally uploaded by VirginiaSouthern.

Apple cupcakes, with homemade marshmallow frosting. They are so tasty and absolutely scream "autumn".

My second serious foray into baking. I was particularly pleased with my frosting job since it was only the first time I've ever used a piping bag. Kristin is normally the baker in the house, while I tend to be more of the cook. Lately though, I've taken a keen interest in honing my baking skills as well.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

My Little Railfan Buddy

I got off from work fairly early today, so I decided that it was time for a much needed visit trackside with my daughter, Katrina. She loves trains and I've been wanting to take her for awhile, but life has been crazy for the past month or so. I'm glad we made it out today though. We both had a blast hanging out at the Odenton MARC station and snuggling to mitigate the effects of the wind. She was thrilled every time a train would pass and I loved watching her face as they did. She was particularly fascinated by the Acela train sets that would zip through the station at over 100 mph. When we weren't watching trains go by, we would pass the time singing silly songs and imagining where all the other people at the station might be coming from and going to. It did my soul good to spend that time with her and I'm looking forward to the next time we get a chance to.

New Domain Name

Yes, yes...I know. This makes three posts in one day now. I'm normally not one to make that many blog posts in one day, but I recently purchased a domain name and I thought it was worth spreading around the internets.

This blog can now be reached through the domain name www.jerseymutt.com. Please update your bookmarks accordingly. ;)

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Drunk Punkin

Drunk Punkin, originally uploaded by VirginiaSouthern.

As I've previously stated on this blog, there are many reasons I love October. I've added a new reason though recently, and that is pumpkin flavored beers. Here we have bottles of Flying Dog "No Fear" imperial pumpkin ale and Cape Anne "Fisherman's" pumpkin stout. Two awesome tasting beers. At 9% ABV, I think that No Fear is my favorite of the two. Make no mistake though, pumpkin and spice flavor goes quite well with stout.

Thats my story and I'm sticking to it.

Listening to "Dear Mr. Fantasy" by Traffic.

Last Saturday Recap

'Tis a slow one for news this week. I'm mainly doing things around the house this weekend while my ladies are visiting some friends in South Carolina. With that in mind I thought I'd take a little bit of time to do a photo recap of last Saturday's activities. First up is the photos from our visit to Hill High Farm near Winchester, VA...

I love this first shot because the elements in it are sure signs that fall has arrived.


A few tractor shots.








Katrina and Grandpa making their way through a maze of hay bales.


My little smiling sweetheart during the hayride.


While stopped to pick pumpkins. She's already cute enough, but holding up that little pumpkin makes her look even cuter.


One of two calves at the animal petting barn.


Later that evening we had a small campfire get together at my in-laws' church.


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Virginia: My Haven, My Home

For those who follow me on Facebook or Twitter, it is no secret that I've been having a bit of a rough time at work. It is what it is, and I'll leave it at that. That's not what I'm here to talk about this evening.

I'm here this evening to talk about my home state, the Commonwealth of Virginia. I'm a transplanted Virginian having spent the first 14 years of my life in New Jersey. My parents moved the family in September of 1994 down to the southern Virginia town of Keysville. Keysville is a small town situated about an hour southwest of Richmond. Almost a decade and a half later, Keysville still does not have a traffic light.

While it was a huge culture shock at first, after a few months I really began to enjoy my new surroundings. Sure I didn't have all the conveniences I once had, but I found that I really loved the countryside. It should be noted, that I did spend a good portion of my early childhood on horse farms (my parents had been renting the houses). From there and visits to other rural places, I think I developed an appreciation for the countryside early on.

I only lived in Keysville for four years. While I loved my new home, at 18 years old I needed more than that small town could offer. To that end, I enlisted in the Air Force and left for basic training in April 1999. While the last 12 years have taken me many places, I always enjoyed any chance I had to go home for a visit.

Another reason that Virginia is so special, is that I met my wife Kristin here. I met her the fall before I joined the Air Force. It was Halloween night to be exact. I had just turned 18 a few days before and she was a sophomore at Longwood College (now university). We kept in touch over the years and when I came back to the states in 2004, we started dating.

The first time I came up to visit Kristin at her parents house, near Winchester, VA, I fell in love with my home state all over again. The Shenandoah Valley is not only one of the most beautiful places in Virginia, it is one of the most beautiful places in the United States. I'm so happy to be stationed in Maryland now as it puts me closer to my hometown as well as Kristin's.

So some are probably asking what my opening paragraph had to do with all of this. Well, despite the bad week I had spending the weekend here in White Post has been renewing. Whether here or in Keysville, this state always allows me to find my center again.

From a hayride with my ladies yesterday afternoon...




To a campfire at my in-laws' church...







To a evening walk with Layla today...



After this weekend, the stress from the last few weeks has melted away. I can't say that it won't return, but for now I'm going to enjoy my haven here.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Lady Layla

Just a quick post this morning to share some new photos of our Pit Bull mix Layla. This dog is great very photogenic and she does a fairly good job of sitting still long enough for me to take her picture. More and more each day I count myself lucky that we found her. She is such a sweetheart and couldn't imagine this household without her.











That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

For The Love Of October

Finally after many months, October is here again. Of all the months out of the year, October is my favorite month of the year. Sure it is the month of my birth, but there are so many more reasons I love this month.

First, there is the weather. September often holds onto heat from August, and November generally marks the change to winter temperatures, at least in this region. October on the other hand seems to strike that perfect balance. Chilly evenings and cool or mildly warm days. Indeed October is a great month for campfires, bonfires and any other fire that you choose to gather around with family and friends. Second, there is the fall foliage. Trees ablaze with many beautiful colors seem to abound in October. I'm not sure yet how Maryland will be, but growing up in New Jersey, fall color always seemed to peak in this month.

This October 1st is a rainy one, but I'm enjoying it just as much as I would a sunny one. I love rainy, fall days. Perhaps it has to do with the weather at the time of my birth. My mom often relates how it was a cold and rainy October 25th when I entered the world at the Jersey Shore Medical Center in Neptune, NJ. I hope everyone has a great October. I'm looking forward to bonfires and photographing trains with a beautiful backdrop of colored leaves. :~)

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Whip It Good

Just a short post tonight before heading off to bed. Yesterday's bonfire was a great time. There was lots of yummy chili and I discovered that pumpkin flavored beer rocks (especially with pumpkin cupcakes). I have yet to try other brands, but I will make a shameless plug here for Brooklyn Brewery's Post Road Pumpkin Ale.


Among the general awesomeness of the evening, my friend Clark brought his whip along with him and was demonstrating the techniques for cracking it. Here's a short video of him demonstrating.


That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

A Great Weekend Ahead

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Today is going to be a great day. First, my brother Brian and his family are driving down from Delaware to spend a few hours with us. It will be nice to enjoy some food and fellowship with them. It is also good for Katrina to get a chance to spend some time with her cousins. Of course when family comes to visit, I pull out all the stops when it comes to food, and today is no exception. In a little while, I'll be firing up the grill and throwing on a couple of sirloin steaks. Once they're done, they'll get sliced thin and served on toasted Italian bread with homemade garlic butter (using real Irish butter as the base).

Tonight we're headed to see some friends and enjoy a bonfire, pumpkin cupcakes and some spiced wine. I've also picked up some Post Road Pumpkin Ale from Brooklyn Brewery. I can't wait to crack open a bottle and enjoy it with a Cohiba cigar.

Now with the bonfire happening tonight, I wish the weather would turn a little cooler. Yesterday marked the first day of fall, but other than last week, the weather has not really felt like it. I'm ready for cooler temperatures and colored leaves. Fall has been and always will be my favorite time of year. I guess that comes from being an October baby. According to my mom, it was quite the cool, rainy day when I came into this world.

I hope everyone out there in intraweb land has a great weekend with whatever you decide to get into! 

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

 Listening to "Crack the Meter" by Jordan Rudess

New Family Addition

We decided last week that the time was right for us to get a dog. I've wanted one every since I left home for the Air Force, but with being single and moving around a lot it just wasn't an option. Even after getting married, it wouldn't have been fair to the dog with both Kristin and I working. To add to everything else, we didn't want to run the risk of renting a place that wouldn't allow a dog. We had resigned ourselves to the fact that we had to wait until we purchased our own home within the next couple of years. On a whim though, I had decided to e-mail my landlord last week and see what he might say about adding the dog. I offered to pay an extra pet deposit if he said yes. Not only did he say yes to us having a dog in the house, but he stated that he was not going to charge us an extra pet deposit.

With the opportunity now right, we decided to pay a visit to the Baltimore Animal Rescue & Care Shelter (BARCS) to look for a pitty mix. At this point, I should backtrack a little. I've always loved all types of dogs. Growing up, we mainly had mutts we adopted from shelters or the occasional stray who just showed up. This past year though, I fell in love with Pit Bulls and Pit Bull mixes after my mom adopted one from a rescue.

My mom's dog Shiloh.

At BARCS, we waited for almost an hour before we could even look at dogs because they were severely short-staffed on volunteers that day. Soon enough though we were back browsing through all the animals. There were many animals that we would have loved to take home with us, but we narrowed them down to three we wanted to take for a walk. Of the three, one in particular stood out. This dog was Juicy. Not only was Juicy nice and calm when we first walked up to her kennel, but when we allowed Katrina to give her a treat, she sat there and gently took it. No snapping, no lunging forward. After getting lots of gentle doggy kisses from her and seeing how she just wanted to be close to a person, we decided that she was the dog for us. In short time she was ours and going by her new name, Layla. Now for those wondering, yes, I named her after the Derek and the Dominoes song. All I can say is that Layla is a sweetheart. She still has a little puppy left in her (the cats are having a hard time adjusting because of that), but when she's not active, she's the biggest snuggler in the world. She loves to lay on the couch or in bed with Kristin and I and is generally shadowing one or the other. All I can say is that I am so grateful we found her. She is such a welcome addition to the family.

Here are a few photos I took of Layla the other day.








That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

For The Honor Of 343 Brothers

I'm now back home after completing the 9/11 memorial stair climb at the Firehouse Expo in Baltimore. After 5 climbs up 20 flight of stairs I'm exhausted, yet energized by the experience. This event qualifies as the most awesome, yet humbling that I've ever attended. There were was one brief moment towards the beginning of the fifth, and final climb that I contemplated stopping. I was soaked with sweat and picking up my feet felt like I was picking up lead weights. I quickly dismissed the thought from my mind though. While there is no doubt that what we did today was tough, it cannot hold a candle to the hellish conditions that my brothers from NYC ascended into on September 11, 2001. There was also the pledge I made to my best friend Jay, that I would do this in memory of his Uncle Tommy. Tommy did not waver on September 11th and I was not going to waver in honoring his memory.

Besides climbing in Tommy Sabella's memory, another thing that made this event particularly special in my mind was the attendance by families of a few of the fallen FDNY firefighters. There were a couple of times I got chills and even a bit misty eyed as these families clapped for us while we made our rounds through the lobby to begin our next ascent. Here are these families who have lost so much and deserving of my applause, yet they cheered us on. I was proud to serve them in the small way I could. As worn out as I am, I can honestly say that I would do this again in a heartbeat.

Then there was the awesome team I was a part of during the climb. We looked out for each other and we stuck together through the entire event. If someone needed a break, we all stuck with them even if it meant being passed by teams behind us. I had never met these folks before in my life, yet they were all my brothers. It was also great to climb with other servicemembers including a Marine Reservist and a Navy Hospital Corpsman. Like myself, these guys have chosen to serve on two fronts.

Last but not least, I was thrilled to finally meet Captain Willie Wines and Lieutenant Rhett Fleitz of the Roanoke Fire Department. I've known these fellas for a little while through their respective blogs and Rhett's fire news website. Not only was it an honor to participate in this event with them, but it was a pleasure to share some food, fellowship and a few beers afterwards.

Everything else aside, I can say that while I've never forgotten for a moment, this event has caused me to renew my vow that I will never, ever forget September 11, 2001 and the sacrifices made by so many on that day.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Up The Stairs

On Thursday I'll be participating in a September 11th memorial stair climb at the Firehouse Expo in Baltimore. Those of us participating will be climbing up 5 flights of stairs repeatedly until we reach the equivalent of 101 flights of stairs, the number of flights in the World Trade Center buildings. This is done to honor the memory of 343 fallen brothers from the New York City Fire Department who perished on that day while showing concern not for themselves, but for others.

Since we had the option at registration of choosing who we'd like to climb for, I've chosen to climb in honor of Thomas Sabella from Ladder 13. Why choose this individual out of the 343? All of them are heros. All of them are deserving of honor. So why this firefighter? As with the other 342, I never had the pleasure of meeting Firefighter Sabella. I guess I feel a personal connection with this person, small though it may be, in that he was the uncle of my best friend Jay. Through many stories from Jay over the years about "Uncle Tommy's" deeds and his personality, I've gotten to know this man quite well. His character and his way of doing things not only serve as a constant inspiration to me as a firefighter, but make me strive to be a better person in all I do.

Some might ask why climb the stairs? Particularly in heavy bunker gear. The answer is that it is a small way of paying my respects to those fallen brothers. The slow, steady climb up the stairs allows those of us participating time to reflect on their sacrifice. I think Captain Willie Wines of the Roanoke (VA) Fire Department captured the essence when he stated that in some small way we're helping those 343 brothers to complete their ascent up the stairs since the towers collapsed before they had a chance to finish their climb.

I never knew any of them. I wasn't even in country when the events of September 11th unfolded. I was half a world away with the Air Force watching the events unfold on Japanese TV. As a firefighter myself and more so as an American though, I feel it my duty to ensure those 343 brothers are not forgotten. I'll do my small part by making sure that Jay's Uncle Tommy never is.

"Greater love hath no man than this, that one lay down his life for his brother."

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

My Relaxation Zone

My Relaxation Zone, originally uploaded by VirginiaSouthern.

I know it has been a long, long time since I have updated this blog, but I felt that it was time to shake the dust off. I can't spend a lot of time writing at the moment, but I just wanted to share a photo of my little place for escaping. As I type this I'm enjoying listening to the various prog rock offerings on Pandora and enjoying a bottle of wine made by my best friend's father. It's these small pleasures that I revel in.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

Happy Birthday Katrina

It is hard to believe that it was three years ago today when my little sweetheart entered the world. I still remember quite clearly getting the call at work on the 21st from Kristin telling me her water broke and my shock since Katrina was not due until the end of March. I remember my frantic (read: way too fast) driving from base to our house, and then the calm and controlled drive to the hospital once I had secured Kristin. Considering how rough labor can be on a first time mother, Kristin had it relatively easy. At a couple of minutes past midnight on the 22nd, Katrina Grace Warshaw came into the world and changed our lives forever. I fell in love with her the minute I saw her and knew there was nothing that I wouldn’t do for that little girl. I also remember how scared Kristin and I were when we were told that her iron was low and that she was going to have to be transported to the NICU in Columbia. 12 of the longest days you can imagine were spent commuting back and forth from Sumter to Columbia to see her and hopefully get word that we would soon be able to bring her home.

Each day I enjoy watching her grow a little more and learn something new. I love the curiosity I see in her eyes as she continues to explore the world around her. I just love being around her. Whether running around and kicking a ball outside or snuggling on the couch watching TV. It hurt my heart to be away from her for a year and I’ll do my damndest to ensure that never happens again. Now that I’m back, you better believe I’ll maximize every moment that I have with her.

Happy Birthday Katrina Grace Warshaw! Daddy loves you now and forever.