Saint Arnold Brewery Tour

Saint Arnold Brewery Tour
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Beer me!

JW Rocking The Crawfish Head

JW Rocking The Crawfish Head
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This guy means business.

Ichiban Lucky Cat

Ichiban Lucky Cat
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

As seen at The Woodlands Taste of the Town.

The Woodlands Crawfish Festival

The Woodlands Crawfish Festival
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This guy promoting the upcoming event in March.

iBooks?

iBooks?
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

This interface to the iPhone app Classics looks almost identical to the iPad's new iBooks app. And they both look almost just like the interface to Delicious Library. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery?

Commuting Tunes

Commuting Tunes
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Jamming out to Tom Middleton on my drive home from work today.

Google Voice iPhone Web App

Google Voice iPhone Web App
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Not too shabby for a non-native application. This puppy is going to get some heavy usage on my device.

Office Networking Gear

Office Networking Gear
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Atop its temporary home of a folding table & FedEx envelope.

NFC Champions

NFC Champions
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

I have never screamed so much during a televised sporting event.

Fleur De Lis Curb

Fleur De Lis Curb
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Got it painted just before kickoff today. Who Dat?!

Opera Friday Night

Opera Friday Night
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Downtown at the Wortham Center to see Tosca.

Italian Coffee Machine

Italian Coffee Machine
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Providing refreshment in the waiting area of BMW of The Woodlands.

Saints Dart Board Cabinet

Saints Dart Board Cabinet
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Maybe I'll attach a picture of Hagar the Horrible to the bullseye in honor of this weekend's NFC Championship game.

Apple TV Screensaver

Apple TV Screensaver
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Some of my recent pictures from Flickr floating up the screen as I listen to last weekend's Essential Mix.

Shrimp And Grits At The Columns Hotel

Shrimp And Grits At The Columns Hotel
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

As part of our champagne brunch on St Charles Ave before heading back to Texas.

Mageez at Pat O'Brien's

Mageez at Pat O'Brien's
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

My old Tulane roommate playing one of the dueling pianos at one of the most famous bars in the French Quarter.

GW Fins Anniversary Dinner

GW Fins Anniversary Dinner
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Complete with a personalized menu for the evening.

Sazerac Friday Night

Sazerac Friday Night
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Old New Orleans charm at the bar inside the Roosevelt Hotel on Canal St.

This Is My Kind Of Store

This Is My Kind Of Store
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Tulane, Auburn, & Fleur De Lis accessories at the Perlis clothing store on Magazine St. in New Orleans.

Naked Pizza

Naked Pizza
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Really healthy & delicious pizza behind Tulane's campus in Uptown New Orleans. Note the Twitter bird on their sign, too.

Anniversary Day

Anniversary Day
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The festive iPhone wallpaper for our 5th anniversary.

Microbrewery Root Beers

Microbrewery Root Beers
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

These beverages are crazy delicious.

Clean Car By The Mall At Sunset

Clean Car By The Mall At Sunset
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Definitely the cleanest it's been since November.

Teknoforce Mobile

Teknoforce Mobile
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

A not-so-subtle reference to the Geek Squad formula, eh?

Gummy Mario

Gummy Mario
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Strawberry flavored deliciousness in a 2 inch plumber-shaped package.

Apple TV

Apple TV
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Even better than I'd hoped. Such an elegant way to get iTunes media, YouTube, & Flickr onto the TV. Time to rediscover all of those digital gems!

Puggles In The PM

Puggles In The PM
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The little guy in his backyard habitat.

The New TV

The New TV
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

A Samsung 8000 Series 55" 240Hz LED LCD TV. It'll take a few days to get all the devices & wiring hooked up to my liking, but so far...what an amazing display.

Pillow Sandwich

Pillow Sandwich
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Lazy Saturday watching TV.

Out With 32, In With 55

Out With 32, In With 55
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The old TV served us well over the past 3 years, but we wanted to upgrade our main display in the new house prior to the start of the NFL playoffs.

The Bird Bath

The Bird Bath
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

When it's 15 degrees outside.

Icy Lawn

Icy Lawn
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

What the side of my house looked like yesterday. I thought I left this kind of thing behind when I moved from Delaware to Texas.

Couch Puggles

Couch Puggles
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

The little guy stayed like this for 4 hours while I worked from home on Friday afternoon.

Arctic Blast

Arctic Blast
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Below freezing. At Noon. In Houston.

Puggles & His Koala

Puggles & His Koala
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

His life is full of great hardship.

Adultnapper in Houston

Adultnapper in Houston
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Thinking about checking out this show on Saturday.

Saints NFC South Champions

Saints NFC South Champions
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Let's hope more grandiose t-shirts have the opportunity to be printed next month.

EAHS vs St Amant

EAHS vs St Amant
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Mascot Fatheads seen on the wall of a Walgreens just outside Baton
Rouge.

Cracker Barrel Peg Game

Cracker Barrel Peg Game
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Killing time before the pancake breakfast arrived.

Sunrise Over I-610 In Houston

Sunrise Over I-610 In Houston
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Quite beautiful on a crisp January morning.

Hot Bobby! Hot Bobby!

Hot Bobby! Hot Bobby!
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Bobby Bowden grill on the Allstate commercial...awesome.

Football & Computing

Football & Computing
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Not a bad way to spend New Years Day!

New Years Day Bowl Games

New Years Day Bowl Games
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

3 of our 4 universities playing their bowl games at the same time this morning. Thankfully Auburn & Florida State were able to pull out victories!

JW / Electronica Classics 033: All 12 Sets of Oakenfold's 1999 Essential Mix World Tour

Regrettably my weekly updates to the Electronica Classics series took a hiatus in November & December, but I'm hopeful this music-packed post can make amends.

While I showcased one of these mixes in September, Oakenfold's entire body of work from that tour a decade ago is really quite remarkable. Clocking in at nearly 22 hours of audio, you truly get a sense of where electronic music was at the time, and why Mr. Oakenfold rose to the status of most popular DJ in the world.

I encourage you to download each of these and then listen to them back-t0-back over the course of a few days. While you'll hear a few songs repeated over the course of the 12 mixes, the majority of the tracks stay surprisingly diverse. It's also interesting to see how Oakenfold tailored his track selection to each locale, especially the performances in Miami & Buenos Aires.

As we begin a new decade, enjoy these selections reminiscent of how we rang in the last.

Paul Oakenfold - Live at Home, Sydney, Australia 1999-01-17
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Jonis, Havana, Cuba 1999-02-21
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Shadow Lounge, Miami, FL 1999-03-28
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Museum, Buenos Aires, Argentina 1999-04-25
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Homelands, Winchester, UK 1999-05-30
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Gatecrasher, Leeds, UK 1999-06-20
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Home, Space, Ibiza 1999-07-25
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Creamfields, Liverpool 1999-08-29
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Rojam, Shanghai, China 1999-09-26
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Home, Leicester Square, London 1999-10-31
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Liverpool University, Liverpool, UK 1999-11-28
Paul Oakenfold - Live at Home, London 1999-12-31

JW's 2009 Retrospective

2009 was a year of extremes for the Westerns. Started great & ended great, with a few speed bumps along the way. Below are some of the notable events from our last year of the decade.

Half Marathon

I decided during the fall of 2008 that I'd run two half-marathons in 2009. Despite two injuries sustained during the training process, I was able to complete at least one this year. The Mardi Gras Half Marathon started at the Superdome, ran through the French Quarter, went up St Charles Ave, into & around Audubon Park in front of Tulane, then back down St Charles to finish in front of the Superdome. 2 hours & 20 minutes later, I felt not-so-hot physically, but was spiritually energized for having crossed the finish line.

Mardi Gras

2009 marked my first Mardi Gras back in New Orleans since graduating in 2004, and perhaps more importantly, my first since Hurricane Katrina. Ashley & I went with our friends Freddie & Kadee and found a spot on the Endymion parade route near Canal & South Carrollton. After the parade, we had dinner at Vincent's Italian Restaurant on St Charles. So much fun.

Tour De Houston

This 20 mile bike race through Houston was something I decided to do on a whim, but really gave me a sense of connectedness to the city. My friends Brian & Evan decided to tackle the race with me, which started at Discovery Green downtown, left the skyscrapers towards the greener avenues of the Heights, and then eventually ended up back at Discovery Green. Prior to the race, I hadn't been on a bicycle in over a decade, so despite a sore bottom & legs, I consider it a success!

Jazz Fest

In what has become my annual birthday celebration weekend in New Orleans, Ashley & I met up with our friends to soak in two days of music at the Fairgrounds and then frolic in the French Quarter at night. In addition to seeing some world-renowned musicians at Jazz Fest, we also wined & dined at Arnaud's & Emeril's NOLA restaurants, and found my favorite absinthe at a bar in Pirate's Alley.

House Purchase

After renting 3 different domiciles in Delaware & Texas since being married in 2005, Ashley & I purchased our first home in September. It's located in The Woodlands, and has fantastic proximity to The Woodlands Town Center and downtown Houston (about a 25 minute zip down I-45). We're still unpacking boxes and picking out furniture, but we were able to get exactly what we wanted in the house, which is awesome.

Back Surgery

The low-point of 2009 was definitely a disc injury in my back which ultimately required surgery in October. While surgery is never convenient, the injury persisted throughout our move into the new house and half of our last semester in grad school. As you might imagine, I was hesitant to go under the knife, but was thrilled once I was no longer in pain. Pro tip: never hurt your back. It's terrible.

Grad School Trip

Fall 2009 was my final semester as an Auburn MBA student, and the capstone course required a week on-campus commitment the week after Thanksgiving for client presentations and exams. Since my brother has a townhouse in Auburn, I flew in the day before Thanksgiving so I'd get to go to the Iron Bowl, too. It was great getting to meet the on-campus students, whom I'd been working with for 2 years but had never met in person. The 11 day trip was capped off in grand fashion, when it was announced my 4-person team had won our group competition in client presentations.

Graduations

Both Ashley & I finished up our masters degree programs in December, and we felt it important to actually attend each of our graduation ceremonies. So the second week in December we flew down to Tallahassee for her graduation from Florida State University. It was a beautiful campus, and despite some inclement weather we had an excellent time. The following weekend we flew to Auburn for my graduation. I did not have the opportunity to attend my undergraduate Commencement Ceremony at Tulane 4 years earlier due to Air Force commitments, so graduation at Auburn was all the more special.

Now with a move, grad school, and injuries behind me, I'm looking forward to some extra time & optimistic about new opportunities in 2010!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!
Originally uploaded by Juston Western

Here's to a great 2010.