Teri and I would like to introduce the newest member of our family, our new dog Jake! We adopted him on the 10th, and he's been great. Quiet, low energy, and easy to love. He enjoys playing fetch, but just as much likes to just lay around and watch movies with us. We are still trying to get Jake used to the pool, though; we know he can swim but he isn't so keen to get in on his own yet.

Here is a photo album, which I will update as time goes on: Jake

And, just like that, another month has passed us by since I last posted. I don't have much to report for June, except that early on in the month I went back to Memphis, and now my good friend Mike has passed his dental board exam! After that, it just became a day-by-day sort of month, without any trips, or any special events. It's over 100 consistently during the day, for those interested, and I'm making good use of the pool in the afternoons and evenings.

May has been very busy at work, including many hours of overtime. I've had to neglect my wife, and my hobbies, but it should be winding down now. On the positive side, it has been mostly a positive learning experience, and I am paid for overtime even though I am salaried/exempt. I also have to go back to Memphis soon, for one more tooth!

Well, the month of April is almost over, and it flew as we have been so busy! We started out the month by going to Knoxville, TN to visit a dear friend and his family. He's going to become a dentist in the state of TN soon, and my mouth of cavities makes me an ideal candidate for his board exam, but first he needed to see me in person to check me out (can't go by x-rays alone).

We were back barely two weeks, when we decided to go to Las Vegas again. My high roller wife was given two complementary weeknights at Luxor hotel on the Strip, and we added on an additional night at Aria, the latest 5-star hotel in Vegas. That was a nice long weekend, and Aria is very opulent and high tech (with digital controls for everything in the room). Luxor is older, but suffices for a pleasant stay, and we couldn't beat the price!

In between the two trips was Easter, which we spent quietly and uneventfully at home. It was nice to catch a breather!

And today, April 25, is our two year anniversary! Boy time flies, and our marriage has been so full of excitement, with the move to Arizona and all. Hard to believe just two years ago we were in Munich, getting married and picking up the Bimmer.

Good news everyone. Mikepirone.com has been renewed for another two years. I'm here to stay!!

In sadder news, Villanova lost in the second round yesterday, so that ends another year of basketball. And I hate baseball, so there's no good reason for ESPN to even exist for another 8 months.

Two weekends ago, we took a long weekend to Las Vegas, and it was a blast. Vegas is always a great time, but this one was more extravagant. We stayed at the Bellagio, and we saw Cirque du Soleil "O". The show is phenomenal, left us awestruck, and we think that everyone going to Vegas should see this at one point or another. Seriously, set some of your gambling money aside, and spring for some tickets, or try to get day-of specials or something, but don't miss it. Staying at the Bellagio is very nice too, we would recommend it if you want to splurge. We didn't even have a lake-view room (which is an option when making reservations, for a fee), but we loved it. From our room, we could see the private gardens and private pools of the 8,000 square foot villas, which are hidden in the back near the pools. The staff goes out of their way to make sure your stay is top notch, and their buffet has Kobe beef and sushi!
Now, we will have a few quiet weekends at home, before going to Knoxville to visit some very good friends!

Okay, so what might be the coolest thing ever happened today at work... After helping someone from the simulation team, I asked if he had time to give me a tour over my lunchbreak. He did one better -- he let me fly the AH-64 simulator! On the third attempt, I even got it airborne on my own, and had a pretty good attempt at landing it. What an experience!

This past weekend we put the finishing touches on the home theater (ceiling fan, baseboard) and had the grand opening!! The first movie was The Godfather, which Teri Ann didn't like but I insisted she finally see. We christened it "The Stig Cinema" in honor of the "tamed racing driver" on the BBC show 'Top Gear'.

I haven't taken too many pictures yet, but the gallery is now online here. Keep checking back for more updates with detail shots. The construction photos are also linked in there. For the specs, click "Home Theater" above. It's the same equipment from my old theater, at least for now.

Well, it is very belated at this point, but happy new years to everyone, and happy birthday to me! One more to go until the big 30! I got the DROID for a birthday present, and I've been loving it. Android is a great OS, and the voice recognition for searching is sweet and really accurate - I remember when voice recognition was new and ... well, it's improved a lot.

Since the last update, the home theater has made major progress, and is nearing completion! Then I can update the website with new pictures and details. Oh, and in bowling news, I got my first ever 200 game, which was a very exciting personal achievement! The weather has been amazing here, in the upper 60s to low 70s in the daytime, and in the low 50s at night. Too bad those numbers will double by July!!

We have some visitors coming soon, and we can't wait. Andy is coming for a long weekend at the end of January, and my mom is coming in February. My mom's trip also includes the three of us heading to Vegas, where we will be seeing Cirque du Soleil's "O". Who will be next? Will it be you?

I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas (where applicable)! We had a very nice day, and Teri's father is visiting us from Oregon this week, so we were not all alone. We finally tried deep frying a turkey, too! It's totally the way to do it, as long as you don't burn the house down. It comes out golden brown, moist, and only takes about 40 minutes for a 12 pound turkey! As usual, I'm on vacation until January 4, so I'm around, relaxing, and working on a multitude of projects around the house.