• Summer 07 has been really, really, really good for me. Summer 06 I did not care as much for as there was a lot of weird stuff going on. '06 contained New Job, Loss of roommates, buttloads of side work, engagement, no summer events, etc. Munnnndane. '07 is pretty happening and we are taking advantage of every part of it.
• Duluth was a great "Second Honeymoon". I wish we had stayed up there four days instead of three. We took it for what it was, however, and really enjoyed it. Watched enormous tugs come in under the raising bridge, Swam (more waded as it was intensely cold) in beautiful lake superior, ate a ton, shopped, watched a sunrise, laughed and enjoyed each other's company.
• Landscaping is still going on. I still need to take out some rock and we are waiting for a few loads of dirt to fill the sides of the house with.
• Wood trim and painting is also a never-ending project at our place. This year, it seems I lack the panache to get the jobs done. The weeks go by so awfully fast, it's ridiculous.
• Sidework is coming in at a perfect pace. Just enough to get me a little extra cash on the side. I don't need sidework only to survive like I did the last few years, which is a great feeling. I'll display my most recent works once they are complete.
• Jacinda is still the best person to have ever entered my life.
• I think Mafesta finally bit the bullet.
• Fav. Bands are He Is Legend, Drive-By Truckers, Black Keys, Weezer.
• I am still into Coffee, Pictures, Nintendo DS, Smash Bros, Cooking, Gardening, Internetz and Walking.

So there it be. The Summer of 2007 events list.

A few of you may know, a few may not, but I just quit my job at E-markets yesterday. Naturally, in my own life, this is a big deal. Huge, actually. First of all, I have never quit a job in my life which gave me an influx of over-played worst-case scenarios, nervousness, sweaty arm pits and a million alternate endings racing through my mind. This feeling I had, it was heightened by the thought that maybe I was making the wrong decision. I have never quit a job, let alone one I felt secure in and one I really enjoyed.

What would make a man give up something like this? One could make examples of money, security, an accident, perhaps a shorter commute, pursuing a different venture in life, people, etc. These are all justifiable in one way or another, but none pertain to me. Though, financially, I do ask for enough to cover the necessities and a little in the bank for savings (and whatever else after that is appreciated, also), my driving reason of making this decision is a couple of things. Firstly, it is because I know I will be able to expand myself and grow in ways I can't right now; as a person, artist and programmer. Secondly, where I am going, I feel that I am very needed and will be able to expand a cause that I am very interested in. If not for self-worth, it is for the sake of something I believe in.

Without further redo, I am going to work at Famous Davis and will specialize in Web Development. This is very exciting for me, as this has been a dream of mine since I was fifteen. I will be working with my father, Chris "The Duke" Davis and with my wife, Jacinda. This change has been on my heart for the past few months, but timing felt off, or the opportunity didn't feel right. It was also a scary move as I have been very comfortable with E-Markets. I have so badly wanted to write about it or talk about it more openly, but that would not have been a good move. So instead it stayed within the ol' brain.

October 16th is when I start at Famous Davis. It's going to be a ton of fun. Sounds like I have a bunch of projects lined up, waiting for me, which I cannot wait to pounce on. We are soon moving out to the MinnWest Technology Campus. I also have an awesome computer and a 22 inch display to play with. Through all of this, however, I need to remember why I am at this point in my life and what my priorities are. God has pulled me through something tough and I pray that I am not steered too far away from the main point of things. Everything still sort of feels like a blur, but is clearing up faster and faster. I need that clarity in order to know which path needs to be taken and how to please God in the actions I take. He's helped me come this far, I don't feel like giving up now.

A huge thanks to my former employer and coworkers, for the great working environment, opportunities and knowledge gained. Also a huge thanks to my parents and especially my wife for supporting me in this venture.

   As of November 2nd, it is official that Famous Davis is now located at the MinnWest Technology Campus. I probably should have blogged about this earlier, but it seems I've been keeping busy. How is the campus? It's great. I love absolutely everything about the new setup. The architecture is really cool, I now have a window, I work with people I am closest to and the actual work is great. So far, within the building we are located in, it's only us and two other businesses since it's only been open for rent not even a year. It's a huge building, to say the least. I'm unsure of the actual count of rooms, but it has to be up around a hundred. It'll be exciting to see it filled in the near future.

   So far so good, people. Be sure to check out FamousDavispro.com in the near future, as I will be updating a vast majority of it.

w00t! Zune just released their 2.0 firmware. So far it's got a lot of sweet additions that I will be dure to take advantage of. First off, they caught on to the podcast movement, which (to me) is a very fresh experience that I will have to take advantage of. They also sort of revamped their "Social" aspect, allowing the Zune user to share music from Zune-to-Zune, but also off their new social network (don't quote me, I'm still running off of excitement). it kind of appears their social network is similar to that of last.fm in regards that it displays your last play. Anyway, check out my Zune card:

http://social.zune.net/member/nickcdavis

As most of you know, I've had a disposition with Social Networks for roughly three years. In the past, I have quit Myspace twice and have accused Social Networks for the advancement of social retardation, shallow friendships and a whole heck of a lot of incriminating photos. You can honestly know everything about everyone at all times and ironically, nobody really cares about this and actually, in turn, wholeheartedly accepts it.

Well, despite these things, I have decided to run a few experiments. I am going to try and create more of business like image of myself on Facebook, and if that works, eventually MySpace (though low priority). In all reality it can't be too bad of an idea. Eventually everyone my age will be in the work force and yet, still on these networks. I'd only assume for a lot of my "era", Facebook will be a fairly tangible harbor of potential business. All the needed information is there. You can basically make your facebook page a portfolio containing information such as where you went to school, where you worked, what your skill set is, examples of your work and a list of references. Mix that in with a little interaction and you could probably find yourself with a couple new business partners and a handful of clients. Unfortunately, however, if you were a little wild in your college years, you may have to do a little cleanup in order to look presentable.

Lets think about it a little more. Microsoft paid $240 million in order to get a simple 1.6 percent stake in the $15 billion dollar company, Facebook. Don't tell me Social Networks are useless if Microsoft is dropping the top dollar for a little bite. There must be some form of money in there and doggonit, I wanna find it.

So take it as it is. I'm going to try for a more "professional" venture and see who I can meet from there.

   WOW! Where have I been for the past month?! I'd like to say that I've been busier beyond belief, but I don't know if that is the case, really. Work has been pretty eventful lately, no doubt about that. It's been really exciting. We've had quite a few sites go up in the last month (of which we are quite proud of. Check out our website for updates in our portfolio that should happen soon). I've also been busy working as a software developer. Lately, I've begin to understand exactly how awesome being a developer really is. It's like a new puzzle everyday of which I get to solve.

   Tae Kwon Do has also been a lot of fun. I've been helping teach classes lately, which is a different learning experience in itself. Adult class is a piece of cake to teach, but it's the kids classes that teach you the true meaning of patience. Coming from a large family, I'm pretty well acquainted with interacting with children. These Tae Kwon Do classes, however, really help me to fully grasp the heart of a child. They have so much energy stored up over a long day of school! What better way to release it than to kick a bit? They are all absolutely amazing people.

   Home life? Well, I built two raised garden beds and planted a few tomato plants today. That was a lot of fun and I have the sunbrun to prove it. We are current with the television show "The Office", I still have a knack for board games (recently traded gangsters for Cuba), no water is running out of places it shouldn't, the basement is in progress of becoming a game room. My wife, Jacinda, is great, happy, beautiful and amazing (feel free to visit her blog for some fun and informative reading). As I write all this, I am realising exactly how blessed I am. It's all simple things, of course, but aren't the simple things what make life beautiful? It's the lessons we learn in everyday life. It's what makes us who we are.

Sappy sappy. :-) Now that we are in a different season, I am hopefully going to be blogging more. I can't make any promises, however! Have a good one!