S k i z z i

New Website!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Tue, 11 Aug 2009 02:43:00 +0000

I have a new website to promote myself and my side business. As many of you know, I've been working in IT for quite some time now. I am a systems engineer for a large corporate company that handles the outsourcing for many for many fortune 500 companies. I manage Enterprise Data Center servers during the day and in my spare time have been progressing with my knowledge in Web Development. Building websites used to be a hobby and now it has become more of a passion. I enjoy creating a space that is usable and functional for my clients and users to the sites. I have many people to bounce ideas off of and enjoy (or should I say challenge) friends and family to help me improve upon the design.
Too many businesses in today's world do not have a web presence. I'm sure the main reason is money, but for some it is a lack of knowledge about what the internet has to offer. Most people today use the internet like the yellow pages was used 20 - 30 years ago. If you need information you go to the internet, if you need a service you go to the internet, why wouldn't you want to be in the face of those that are searching for such info or services?

Check out my new website and let me teach you how easy and inexpensively you can get the recognition you deserve.

Visit...My site to gain a web presence! http://www.paulskowronski.com

Lizzy's Sweet 16 Birthday!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Fri, 22 May 2009 20:46:00 +0000

During Dead Show!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Tue, 05 May 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Can't Wait for the Show!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 02:17:00 +0000

Wow it's been a long time...

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 22:47:00 +0000

I've been spending too much time on Facebook and Twitter and not enough time on my blog...

I will hopefully revamp this site soon to spark some web design ideas for another site I need to build...can't get rusty!

Happy Birthday DJ!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:30:00 +0000

Hope you have a great day bud. Look at yourself a little more than a year ago. So much has changed. Maybe not your video addiction or your awesome creative ability, but you sure are growing into a little man. Who knows what life has in store for you but I hope you never lose that little boy that we all know and love. We are so proud of everything you've accomplished or tried in your life so far and look forward to you surprising us in the future.
Enjoy some ice cream, play with your friends and have a great day.
Happy Birthday! Love Mom and Me...

Because that's the way it's always been done...

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Fri, 11 Jul 2008 19:03:00 +0000

Friday humor…

Scientists put 5 monkeys in a cage. In the center of the cage they

suspended bananas out of reach of the monkeys. They also put a stool

in the cage. One of the monkeys figured out that if he moved the stool

to under the bananas and climbed up on it he'd be able to reach them.

However, once he moved the stool and climbed on top of it the scientists

hosed down all the monkeys until he got off the stool. Periodically

another monkey would try to climb up and the scientists would hose them

down. Finally all the monkeys quit trying.

The scientists then removed one of the monkeys and replaced him with a

new one. The new one headed for the stool on realizing the bananas

were there. The 4 original monkeys intercepted him and beat the crap

out of him because they didn't want to get hosed down.

The scientists repeated this process over time replacing each monkey

until finally none of the original monkeys were left that had been hosed

down. They then brought in yet another monkey and the 5 replacement

monkeys also beat the crap out of him when he tried to reach the bananas

even though none of them had ever been hosed down. Why did they do

this? BECAUSE THAT'S THE WAY IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN AROUND HERE PAL!

Lizzy turns 15 today!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Thu, 22 May 2008 04:45:00 +0000

Lizzy-
Wow, I can't believe you are turning 15! I've only known you for 5 years and everyday you amaze me by how mature you've become. Finishing up your freshman year with a high grade point, choir and FEA...you should be really proud.
15 years ago I was probably here. Your mom was here. How life has changed so much in only 15 years. I am so happy to be a part of your life and I cherish every birthday that I get to spend with you. You would make any parent proud. You have great ambition and drive.
I wish for you a relaxing yet motivating summer.

Happy Birthday Lizzy!

I couldn't resist what was going on 2 years ago...

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Sat, 17 May 2008 05:54:00 +0000

May 14, 2006 Cheer Competition

5th Grade Outdoor Ed @ Camp TimberLee

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Fri, 16 May 2008 16:49:00 +0000

303 people and 3 beautiful days in Wisconsin.
TimberLee is a youth camp where Outdoor Ed took place for the 28th year for WildRose elementary school. It was packed with activities that kept the kids and parents busy in between each meal. I haven't eaten 3 meals a day in I don't know how long? We also ate dinner earlier than we have in years. By bedtime I was already hungry again...
Camp was a blast...we had sing-a-longs one night, skits, hikes, horseback riding, blacksmith talks, leather shop training, cemetery tour and the boys most of all seemed to love the snakes and turtles in the nature center. They were able to hold the snakes and other animals. DJ loved the cuddly Chinchilla from Chile. The boa constrictor and Cornelius the Corn snake were definitely the favorites.
Check out the pics...

DJ's 5th Grade Musical

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Mon, 05 May 2008 03:52:00 +0000

What a great night! The musical 'Rock the Jukebox' was performed the other night at WildRose Elementary. Our very own DJ narrated the event as the 5th graders performed to a packed house. It was standing room only and filled with paparazzi (or at least it felt that way with all the cameras).
DJ was incredible. He impressed us all with his confidence. He was also pretty cool looking in his Blues Brother get up. Just check out that picture--->

Check out the Photo Gallery for more pics of DJ's debut as a star...

The 5th graders did a great job entertaining us and the audience was genuinely enjoying the performance. They sang many of rock and rolls finest songs and reminded us of many of the cool television shows we had when we were kids. The commercials they did were funny.

The video below is the last song of the night. It was Elton John's 'Your Song' and it leads into a little slide show which eventually cuts off because I couldn't hold my hand straight out any longer.
Enjoy, I know I did!

In memory of..

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 15:09:00 +0000

Pantanal and Porto Alegre

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 03:21:00 +0000

Our South American travelers are sure taking in the sites. They spent a few days in the world's largest area of wetlands called the Pantanal. From the email communication it sounded like the travel to and from the Pantanal was a test of patience. According to Dad it was a 2 hr bus ride, then a 2 hr plane ride, then a 4 hr van ride and the last 40km was on dirt roads into the jungle. Sounds like fun. If you're a shock absorber!

I'm really proud that they participated in some outdoor adventure while in the wetlands. They went horseback riding, canoing, hiking and birdwatching. Not all in one day but for a couple of old farts that's some pretty good activity. This is where I need an Aleve or Advil advertisement...

There is no rest for the travelers as they move to their next adventure in Porto Alegre. This is the last big adventure on their month and half long trip. They are in Porto Alegre for 10 days and then it's back to real life in the states. Before that reality though, they get to enjoy one of the largest cities in Brazil. It's a port town that has important political and cultural implications for southern Brazil. Unless they find a hotel with an internet cafe, I don't think we'll be hearing from our travelers anytime soon. I wish them a safe journey and happy endings.

Bye Bye Rio, Hello Campinas!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:22:00 +0000

The folks spent their last day in Rio today. I think they wish they had a little more time in the overcrowded city bubbling with kindness. Rio, like any other big city has had it's problems with crime, but my folks were fortunate enough to see the good side of Rio. Mom said that the traffic was incredible. With 18 million people occupying a small section of land you can only imagine what the traffic must be like. Not many stop signs and many pedestrians can sometimes lead to chaos, but they said that everyone is so kind and vehicles seem to move at a friendly pace without the yelling and screaming that jams might cause in Chicago. She did mention that pedestrians don't really have the right away and need to be cautious of the signs to make sure they aren't run over.
An interesting fact I learned today from them was that there are 350 islands outside of Rio. It would take one calendar year to tour all of the islands. Of course, only those retired have the time for an adventure like that. And of course being situated on the Atlantic there are many, many beaches. Dad obviously enjoyed that part of the trip as I'm sure there were many beautiful women who couldn't afford the entire bathing suit. Unlike Americans, south Americans aren't afraid of showing their bodies no matter what size and shape.

The last stop of the day was at the Estadio do Maracana. A place I would have been completely in awe of. It is the largest futbol stadium in the world. It was built for the 1950 World Cup and had a seating capacity of almost 200,000 people. Today, the seating has been modified to seat only a mere 95,000. The reduction in seating came after the upper deck collapsed in 1992 during a futbol match in which several died and many more were injured. Hopefully, they have some good pictures. They got to see the footprints of many of my favorite futbol players and were privy to many other historical plaques, quotes and memorabilia of futbol history. I'm jealous. Since the stadiums inception it has been host to many worldly events and concerts. The likes of the Rolling Stones, Police, Rush, Madonna, Kiss and Paul McCartney. I used to have the album Rush in Rio and never thought twice about where it was performed, but now it puts it all into perspective.

They are safe and having a blast...until next time...

Christ the Redeemer!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 01:38:00 +0000

Today our intrepid travelers visited another monumental location in Rio called Christ the Redeemer. I have a hard time understanding how a statue of this size is constructed let alone set atop a peak at 2,296 ft. According to Wikipedia it stands at 130 feet tall and weighs 700 tons. Construction started in 1922 and was completed nine years later in 1931 when it opened. It was designed by a local and sculpted by a Pole named Paul Landowski. The total cost was ~$250,000 which by today's standards is quite inexpensive. I'm sure there are some homes in Beverly Hills with gnomes in their front yard that cost that much.
16 days ago Christ the Redeemer was struck by lightning during a violent electrical storm that reeked havoc in Rio. The statue was amazingly unharmed.

Stay tuned for more updates...

Where are they Today?

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 05:21:00 +0000

Grandma and Grandpa are are heading to the picturesque Sugarloaf Mountain today.
Sticking out into the Atlantic Ocean it rises to an elevation of almost 1300 ft. Sugarloaf seems to be one of those places most caught on camera when you see pictures of Brazil. It has been featured in many movies and is quite the tourist attraction. There is an amazing cable car that goes to the top. I hope Mom overcomes her fear of heights to make the trip like she did many of years ago in Palm Springs. I guess we'll have to wait and see when they update us next. Situated in Guanabara Bay it's granite is well polished by the weather of the Atlantic Ocean making it the perfect playground for local rock climbers.

Can't wait to see the pictures...

Where in the world are Grandma and Grandpa?

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 23:59:00 +0000

I'll give you a hint...
The water in the toilet bowl goes counter clockwise! That's what Grandpa told us all upon his arrival.

Another hint...
There is a big Carnival in this part of the country every year and it doesn't include clowns. Well, maybe it does but not in a big tent kind of way.

One more hint...
They speak Portuguese.

Give up?

That's right..it's been close to 50 years since MY Grandparents hosted a foreign exchange student named Ester to whom my mother befriended right away. Since then my mother has remained friends with Ester. Ester and her family have been to the states several times to visit, but my folks have never had the chance to go to Brazil. Until now that is...

My dad was able to see a few places outside of the US when he was in the Navy, but I don't believe mom has ever ventured beyond our boundaries. My memory could be failing me, but I believe that is a correct statement. Canada and Mexico don't count.
I'm so excited for them! Not only are they going on vacation to an incredible locale, but they are going for a month and a half. Yes, you heard me right! I believe this trip is going to be somewhat of a life changing event for them. Well, maybe not so much life changing as well deserved. My folks have spent much of their life making sure that everyone else is taken care of. If it wasn't their kids or their parents, it was a church community, neighbors and friends. They are a pretty selfless couple. That's what makes this trip so much more exciting for me. I finally get to see my folks doing something they have always talked about but never had the time or money. Though they still have neither at least they are understanding the importance of just saying 'what the heck' what's time and money. Hopefully they will relax and enjoy themselves without the worries of anything back home.
They spent weeks prior to the trip getting everything in order so that they didn't have to worry while they were gone. The church stuff is in order, the bills are set up to be paid, Brad's collecting the mail and watching the house, Grandma is being well taken care of by Dad's sisters and lastly they took care of all the administrative stuff for their trip (ie. passports, shots, Dramamine and notifying the bank). A couple of days before the trip I could tell the preparation had paid off because they already seemed relaxed yet anxious to be traveling to another country. They were giddy with excitement. It was great to hear it in their voices. Everyone needs a break every now and again and theirs has been long overdue.

They are in Rio now with their neighbors the Napoleons and then it's back to Campinas for the remainder of the trip. Once they are back in Campinas they will have internet connection again and I'm sure we'll hear from them. I'll keep you updated...until then wish them a joyful, relaxing and safe trip.

Happy Valentine's Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Thu, 14 Feb 2008 14:00:00 +0000

I hope love finds all of you this Valentine's Day like it has me. I have a great family and a wonderful wife who I adore. I know that I am blessed (at least that's what my Mom tells me) and fortunate to have found someone to love and whom loves me.

Take your time and enjoy the day...don't panic if you haven't found it yet because one day it could be your turn.

Squaw Boys out Playing!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 20:47:00 +0000

This video was shot during March of the 94/95 season when I was living in Tahoe. We had just received record snowfalls as you can see from the numerous face shots in the powder and avalanches and roof collapses were common.

My buddy Jason brought his video camera any time we were up on the hill. The title of this VHS video was appropriately named 'Poor Boy Ski Video'. We scrounged for food and beer, but we always had our season ski pass around our necks. Most of this was filmed in Squaw Valley but there are a couple of glimpses of Yosemite and Tahoe backcountry.

PS --> There is a short clip of Sadie Girl jumping in the snow. We miss you Sadie!

Too Funny!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 02:19:00 +0000

How do I edit my photos?

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 04:41:00 +0000

I often get asked this question. If you're a professional you would use something similar to Photoshop, but rarely is a professional asking me this question. Photoshop is not only expensive but it is a little difficult to navigate for your average user. However, if you are looking to do some serious photo editing you should use Photoshop.

For the rest of us who would just prefer to fix some red eye, crop, resize images and maybe add some flare to your photos I have some great sites for you.

My favorite so far is Foto Flexer. It allows you to upload a photo and use all the basic online tools without signing up for the site. Of course if you sign up for the site you will get some added benefits and tools. Once you edit your photos you can download the edited photo back to your computer or you can send it directly to your picasaweb, flickr, photobucket, facebook or myspace account. There are many cool things you can do with your photos and I would suggest exploring all the tabs to see your options. Try a bunch of different options to see what you can do.

Another great editor is pikifx. It allows you to do most of the same things as foto flexer but it is still in Beta and doesn't have as many features yet. I see good things for the site and can't wait for more updates.

If you join social networks, use IM or need a small picture for a profile on a website then you need to check out mypictr to create a profile photo. This free site will allow you to upload a photo and create a small face shot for your profile without registering. Check it out.

Have you ever wanted to see yourself on the front cover of a magazine? MagMyPic allows you to do just that. There is a limited number of magazines that you can use, but they are all top magazines. Rolling Stone, People, US, etc... It's easy and fun to use. You don't have a lot of control over what is on the cover other than the picture and it needs to be a fairly high resolution picture in order for it to display properly.

Ever see the famous multicolored picture of Marilyn Monroe done by Andy Warhol? Well, this site allows you to do the same thing without all the work. It's the Warholizer, and it's easy to use. It will take you awhile to find the right picture but once you do you can look just like Marilyn Monroe.

Last but not least is WallHogs. I'm sure you've seen FatHead commercials promoting life size cutouts of your favorite NFL player that you can put on your walls right? Well, this is the same idea except you are using your own photos. I know, this isn't really an editor but it deserves special mention because..well, its just cool. Have a good photo of your kid hitting a baseball, or shooting a jump shot? Blow it up and put it on their wall.

New photo editors are coming out all the time and there isn't really a need to buy software for your computer when you can do it all online for free. I'll try to keep you updated to new editors coming out in the future.

It's been too long...

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 19:18:00 +0000

Lizzy said to me today, 'Paul, do you remember the last time you put something on the blog'.

I know right...good thing I'm not getting paid to post!

Or better yet, does anybody even read or look at this site.
I could find out the real statistics if I wanted to pay a little money.
I kinda like not knowing.

Besides, this is more like my journal and archive than anything else. Just think of the photos and history that will be forever saved within the confines of the Google data vaults. Years down the road the kids will be able do a search on Google for Skizzi and we will still be the number one search to come up. Now, that's a photo album.

Happy Birthday Mom!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 16:08:00 +0000

It's a chilly one out there so bundle up before you go partying!
Have a great day mom! From your number one son...

Happy Thanksgiving!

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 03:58:00 +0000

I know it's been awhile...I can give you all kinds of excuses of me being too busy to write, but really it's just laziness. We have been busy but mainly it's my lack of enthusiasm to jump on the computer when I'm not at work. Winter is coming upon us and I'm sure I'll find time to write. No really, I said winter is upon us...just kidding...the weather people (trying to stay pc) said a wintry mix. That means rain and slush...the kind of weather that is only good for ruining carpets on Thanksgiving when the kids forget (I mean don't care) to take their shoes off when entering the house after hours in the wintry mix.
So today is the 1 year anniversary of my accident! I'll call it an accident yet others might call it a childish act...either way I'm celebrating the fact that I am walking and running without too much difficulty. My weekly soccer games cause me some pain, but I can't always tell if that's from my 'accident' or if it's just because i'm out of shape after not doing much for a year. I know it's all good..the pain that is. I have brand new ligaments and they are going to need some breaking in. After all, the ones they replaced had thousands of days skiing and equally as many days playing soccer, doing gymnastics and diving. I'm sure they were stretched and well broken in like an old shoe. It has been easy getting used to the new ligaments and hardware but it beats sitting around and complaining about it.

Okay, enough of my remenicing about my shot at becoming Tony Hawk and on to Thanksgiving. We have much to be thankful for this year. We are in a new house that we all love very much, Patty and I were married this year, Patty turned 21 and last but not least, the kids are doing great in school. I'd say that I couldn't be happier. And that just encompasses our little world. Outside of that, we are thankful that we have a great extended family. The Johnsons and the Skowronski's are our extended family of fun. We are looking forward to the coming months to spend good time with our family's during the holiday's and catching up on everyone's busy lives. The world is still a mess, yet we all still feel relatively safe. No thanks to George Bush. We are fortunate enough to live where we live and to have the opportunities that we are given. We are all thankful for that.

To our families and friends close and far, Happy Thanksgiving!
We are thankful to have all of you in our lives.

Our Party

noreply@blogger.com (Skizzi) — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 00:48:00 +0000

Thanks to all those that came! We had a great time and beautiful weather. Things must be going right if we can plan two parties in October and have awesome weather for both. We had many neighbors, friends and family at our event and it made for a great party. Some of us were up until 3am to make sure we killed the last of the 2 kegs. And to make sure that the fire pit didn't melt after John succeeded in dwindling our wood pile down to nothing..thanks for tending to that all night John!

Check out the pictures...if you have some of your own let me know, cause I would like to add them to the site.