www.jeff-jordan.com

So I got an email today from my Dad:

"Just got your postcard from Cancún yesterday. Glad to hear you are having a good time."

The funny thing is, I left Cancún April 30th, over two months ago.

The tourist that I am, I bought four lovely postcards and postage, which ran about $1 per card. I slipped my mail into a slot at the resort on April 28th. Just out of curiosity, I asked the front desk if the mail had been picked up yet that day. They told me the mail carrier doesn't pick up the mail every day. That should have been a sign. Over a month later, none of the mail had arrived. For a fun fact consider this: during its 77 day journey, the postcard had an average speed of only 3/4 mile per hour if travelling in a straight line to my parents, or about 1.75 miles per hour if it took the shortest land route. Makes you appreciate the USPS a little more. Check out this article I found on the subject while you're still reeling: http://www.dmnews.com/USPS-to-improve-Mexican-mail/article/98233

Earlier this spring, I planted a strawberry and a raspberry plant in two pots on my deck. Yesterday, I got to harvest and taste my very first strawberry. It was delicious! I couldn't believe how good it was, and I can't wait for more. I hope I get more than one strawberry at a time in the future, because it's strange eating just one, especially when they taste so good.

Not too long after returning from Cancun (pictures are forthcoming) I switched to Sprint and got a new phone and service. It's an HTC Mogul, and I'm quickly growing accustomed to using it. I'm carrying two phones temporarily while I wait for my AT&T contract to expire and get my number ported. Having the internet and GPS functionality so close at hand at all times is pretty awesome, and I'm now starting to check out streaming video to the device, and using it as a media player. I'll let you know how this all goes.

So my long-awaited vacation starts tomorrow. I'm headed to Dreams Resort in Cancun, an all-inclusive, and I can't wait to be sleeping in, relaxing on the beach, and sipping frozen drinks in Mexico. I hope I don't eat and drink too much, and that I can find a place to sing karaoke. Overall, I'm so glad the long winter is over, and that this even longer-feeling week is almost over. Cancun, here I come!

Spring had finally rolled in, and despite my daily use of Chap Stick, the moisturizer version, I started to develop a deep dryness at the corners of my mouth where my upper and lower lips meet. Talking with my Dad and even a coworker, I'm now thoroughly convinced that I'm a Chap Stick addict. This is generally someone who doesn't think it strange to buy them in 3-packs, carry one in the pocket, and apply several times a day and before bed. That was me until this Sunday.

Okay, well I didn't walk all the way to work. That would be over 30 miles. But I did walk the last leg of my trip instead of taking my normal one-hop metro ride. According to Google Map Pedometer, my walk was about 1.2 miles. It took all of 15 minutes, and was great due especially to the mild weather. I suppose spring is finally here, and I'm ready to welcome it. Pretty soon I should start riding a bike from my house to the train station, which is the first leg of my daily commute.

So a good friend of mine came over last night and helped me update the OS and software on my home theatre PC. I upgraded to Xubuntu "Gutsy Gibbon" and MythTV release 0.21. After a few issues, we got the system running smoothly. Can't wait to try the new features like simultaneous recordings of multiple programs on the same mutiplex with a single tuner, and streaming flash video of recorded programs. Unfortunately the internal volume control is not working at the moment.

So I finished allocating my Roth IRA funds today, and ended up buying shares in Liberty Media, Imperial Oil, and the New York Stock Exchange. Again, these picks came from my uncle's advice. Thinking back, I probably should have kept it to two companies to cut down on the trading fees.

I learned a new card game at a game night last night. It's called "Nines." It's similar to a card game called "Peek," where points are bad, and you work to trade the cards in your hand with those in the pile to achieve the lowest score. Check it out here on Wikipedia.

I bought my first stocks ever today. I recently opened a Roth IRA on Scottrade and deposited my funds yesterday. Retirement riches, here I come! I bought 20 shares of Eli Lilly, a pharmaceutical company, on recommendation from my uncle, a Morgan Stanley stock broker.