Posterous
Brent is using Posterous to post everything online. Shouldn't you?
3646549587_ac9b36ae8c_thumb
 

BrentCollier.com

Halloween Recap

           
Click here to download:
Halloween_Recap.zip (4009 KB)

We had a really great Halloween this year.

It's amazing how much better it is when you live in a house, versus an apartment.  Tons of people were out in the neighborhood.  Everywhere you looked there were parents out walking around, trick-or-treating and having a lot of fun.  Our street in particular seemed to be a pretty happening place.  There was a haunted house, a pot-luck, and a barbeque.

Chris and Kim came over to hang out with us, and so did our friends Paul and Larisa with their baby girl.  We spent the entire evening hanging out on the porch, having a few drinks and chatting it up.  I don't think we made it inside until nearly 2am.

I think Cameron had a lot of fun.  He and his Uncle Chris were both dressed as Star Wars characters.  I think he really like seeing all his friends from school out in the streets.  The laughed and played and compared costumes.

We voted on our favorite costume that evening, and it was unanimous.  My neighbor Sheldon, who's from India, was dressed as a Native American with a big feather headdress.  When I saw him, I just laughed.  He said, "I'm an Indian, LITERALLY!!!"

To top it all off, the weather couldn't have been any better.  It was in the low 70's, and there were no bugs out that night, so it was a perfect evening to hang out outside.

I'm definitely looking forward to next year.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   cameron   dillan   friends   holiday  
Posted November 6, 2009
// 0 Comments

Hangin' out in Montgomery

       
Click here to download:
hangin-out-in-montgomery-ayIvwmDgudmykFAevGpF.zip (1605 KB)

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   friends   travel  
Posted September 1, 2009
// 0 Comments

Visiting Edel in the hospital

         
Click here to download:
Visiting_Edel_in_the_hospital.zip (622 KB)

Brendan and I were to supposed to go to Nashville last weekend to speak at the Ruby Hoedown.  Unfortunately, life had other plans.

Just as I was about to head to airport, I received a frantic call from Brendan.  He told me that Edel, his girlfriend, was at the hospital in critical condition after a bad car accident.  He was so shaken up that he didn't know what to do.  Edel was in Montgomery, AL and Brendan was in Atlanta, about three hours away.  I told Brendan to get his ass in the car and get moving.

Pradeep, one of our coworkers, and a good friend of Brendan's, was in Austin for work but quickly dropped his plans and caught a flight to Montgomery.  I knew immediately that I wanted to be there also to help out, but it took a bit of logistical planning to make it happen.  Chris and Kim agreed to watch the boys for the weekend, so I ended up driving down the next day.  The drive was about eight hours, so I didn't arrive until about 5pm.  Amy had to work that day, but she caught an evening flight and showed up a few hours later.

It wasn't until the next morning that we were both able to see Edel.  She was heavily sedated and breathing only by way of a ventilator.  It was a bit surreal, as she didn't look like herself and I had to remind myself that it was Edel that I was looking at.  She had several fractured ribs, a fractured pelvis, a ruptured spleen, and a punctured lung.  

We visited with her every chance we had over the next 24 hours.  Her sedation level varied by time of day, and if you caught her while only mildly sedated, she would wiggle her feet and squeeze your hand when you spoke to her.  Everyone was very excited, as this was an obvious sign of improvement.

Many people came to visit while we were there.  Friends and family of both Brendan and Edel crowded the intensive care unit.  In fact, on more than one occasion, the staff asked many of us to wait out in the hall and take turns visiting with her.

Amy and I had to leave early Sunday morning to get back to the boys, but Edel's condition continues to improve.  As of this post, she's off the ventilator and should be moved out of the ICU within the next day or two.

Loading mentions Retweet
Filed under  //   friends   travel  
Posted September 1, 2009
// 1 Comment