Two days in Granada, Spain

posted by Russ | February 23 | Add a Comment
View from hotel looking up to la Alhambra

View from hotel looking up to la Alhambra

Granada is a beautiful city, and there is plenty to see and do there. Of course visiting la Alhambra is necessary, but there is quite a bit of other sightseeing to do as well. I was able to see pretty much la Alhambra in its entirety in one day, but it involved a lot of walking. If you are willing to walk it is even accessible by foot from the city. From the main plaza in town you can just walk up the hill for probably 20 minutes or so and you are there. I did learn that it is easiest to buy tickets for entry online, otherwise you have to wait in line and you risk the possibility of not even getting in, since they limit the […]

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Posted in: spain, travel

Abundance, Inspiration, and a new favorite quote

posted by Russ | February 17 | Add a Comment

I am a frequent reader of Chris Guillebeau over at The Art of Non Conformity. He seems to be a good guy and have some great advice on unconventional life strategies. I read enough, actually maybe too much, about personal development and non conventional living, so sometimes I just skim a lot of these articles. I am at a point in my life where I know what I need to know to make a change, now it’s up to me to finally put into action what I have been reading for the past few years. For some reason I just can’t seem to get over the invisible hump I am facing. There are times when I am flowing with ideas, inspiration, and creativity, yet at other times I get down on myself and wonder what the heck I am doing. During these times, the […]

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Posted in: lifestyle design

Quick Green Office Tip — eliminate cubicle and desk trash

posted by Russ | February 12 | 2 Comments

At home and when I’m out I always try to avoid wasting plastic bags, and actually I try to not even use them when possible. But when I do get them, I always re-use or return them to the store for recycling. I can not ever bring myself to throw an empty plastic bag into another plastic bag, which is usually lining the trash!

In my office, each desk has a trash can, and each trash can is lined with a plastic bag. Well, recently I realized that if I put anything into the trash at my desk, even just a tiny little piece of trash, that it gets replaced at night by the cleaning crew. It just seems so wasteful to replace that bag every night, especially when I work so hard to avoid ever throwing out plastic bags.

So here is my tip for all you […]

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Posted in: sustainability

Organic Valentine’s Day Flowers

posted by Russ | February 10 | Add a Comment

Today I had the pleasant surprise of stumbling upon a flower delivery company that specializes in organic and sustainable flower bouquets. I will admit that I am not a huge fan of commercialized holidays such as Valentine’s Day, however when it comes down to it I still do these silly things that you’re supposed to do when you are in a loving relationship. So needless to say, as I was browsing Google to see what my options were for the big day, I saw this site, Organic Bouquets, which stuck out when surrounded by the others; FTD, 1800flowers, and ProFlowers.

Knowing quite a bit about the organic market, I assumed that these flowers would be pricier than the other sites, however I was proven wrong. The selection was just as good, and when it came to prices and shipping they were very competitive.

Also, it appears as they are […]

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A day in Tangier, Morocco

posted by Russ | February 2 | 1 Comment

Excerpt from my travel section about my day trip to Tangier, Morocco from Spain:

Medina stalls in Tangier, Morocco

Medina stalls in Tangier, Morocco

During my trip to Spain, one of the things that I wanted to do was a day trip to Morocco. I had really wanted to make a few days of it and head to Rabat and Marrakesh, but I didn’t have the time so I stuck with the day trip. I had also heard good things about Tarifa, Spain, so after my stay in Granada I went to Tarifa where I was able to get a fast ferry across the Strait of Gibraltar into Tangier. The other option was to go to Algeciras, Spain, and take the ferry from there, but apparently there’s not much to see there which is what made me pick […]

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Posted in: morocco, travel

“Que Calor?” Graffiti, Córdoba, Spain

posted by Russ | January 20 | Add a Comment

Here is yet another installment to my album of graffiti photos. This one was taken in Córdoba, Spain during my trip in October 2008. I found this on either Calle San Fernando or Calle San Feria, I’m not sure which, as I was walking from my room at the nearby Hostal Maestre. I’m not sure if the art is referring to global warming or what, but regardless, I thought it was interesting and the fact that it made me think was nice too.

Córdoba was a lovely city, and I would highly recommend a visit there. The Hostal Maestre is also recommended, it’s a little further from the city center, but that gives ample opportunity to get lost in the maze of streets. It’s also right around the corner from a proper hostel which has cheap internet access. Enjoy!

“Que Calor?” – Graffiti, Córdoba, Spain
Que Calor, Graffiti, Cordoba, Spain

“Que Calor?” – Graffiti, Córdoba, Spain

View more of my travel photos here

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Posted in: spain, travel

San Diego Sunrise Photo – January 2009

posted by Russ | January 19 | Add a Comment

This morning my cat was being crazy and woke me up a few times. I eventually got up to try to let her out and noticed a orange-ish red light that seemed to be glowing outside. I looked out and had to grab my camera to capture the sunrise that greeted me. Not only has it been near 80 degrees for the past week, in January, but also I get this beautiful sight. Enjoy this San Diego sunrise photo.

Sunrise, San Diego, California, January 19, 2009
San Diego Sunrise - January 19, 2009

Sunrise, San Diego, California, January 19, 2009

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Posted in: uncategorized

Amtrak Train cross country from San Diego to New York

posted by Russ | January 2 | 7 Comments
Santa Fe Depot, Amtrak, San Diego
cross country train trip, Santa Fe Depot, Amtrak Station, San Diego

Santa Fe Depot, Amtrak, San Diego

Since writing this article I’ve also taken the Amtrak from San Diego to Portland

DECEMBER – Most people I knew at work thought I was crazy to take a trip like this, but I had a good time and would still do it again, though making a few changes.

The trip was by Amtrak, and originated in San Diego (Santa Fe Depot) with the final destination being New York City. I took the Pacific Surfliner from San Diego to Los Angeles, then the Southwest Chief from LA to Chicago, and finally the Lake Shore Limited from Chicago to Penn Station in New York City. To make it even more interesting, I declined a ride to the train station from my beach apartment and instead […]

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Posted in: travel, united states

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