So it took jury duty to slow me down and finally give me time to update this thing.

Costa Rica - Overall the trip was good. We travelled lush countrysides, stayed next to an active volcano, walked through the cloud forest, then waded on the black sand beaches. I had a great time Canyoning through waterfalls, Ziplined through the trees and rafting in the river. Much of the time was spend finishing my Malcolm X book and quiet moments just thinking...and mostly missing home. The group i was with was "ok" but just felt particularly stressed due to one person.

Yosemite - I have to contrast Costa Rica with Yosemite which was the BEST TRIP EVA!!! =p Our trip was not without its stresses, but overall it proves to me that to me its always about the people. Yosemite was equally beautiful, if not more so. We hiked 2 waterfalls, saw the dam, ate at a nice hotel, saw a bear, dear, and raccoon. I reconnected with family and built even deeper bonds.

House stuff - The plans for the house have been ok'd with some minor changes. We're looking at a timeline of being out of the house by Aug with the hopes that the complete renovation would be completed in November. Not likely we'll have Halloween party this year, but overall we'll have a great place to live when we get back. I love my roommies as even though we could go separate ways while the construction is going on, we're still looking to stay together. It truly is family at the house.

Other than that, my crisis at work seems to have stabilized. A few months ago, my company stock hit a 40% drop on its stock so things in the office rapidly changed. For a while there i seriously feared for my career. Fortunately things have gotten better even though they are still a bit stressed. In turn i find myself a lot busier at work, that plus juggling everything going on, has contributed to my absence.

Anyways, I'll post pics when i can.