It took fourteen years, an extension beyond the original 10-year plan (wasn’t that required?), with more than a few transfers to differing loan holders, but FINALLY I have paid off my student loans!

With this big one down, I’m now that much closer to becoming debt free for the first time in my adult life. If all goes well, I’ll achieve that milestone before I turn 40. Then I can really start to save and enjoy life even more, all of which is comforting. Just knowing I have a plan is comforting in itself.

For now, though, I’m going to enjoy and celebrate another victory over the money monster.

- Yours in debt-free-ness motion, Eric Small

Do you like re-reading books you’ve read before? I do. Sometimes it’s just nice to lay back and re-experience a good story you’ve read a number of times before. I just finished these two favorites from my pretty large Star Trek collection. The first is about the Enterprise being whisked across the universe through an invisible “gate” … then having issues when they can’t get back. There’s war and philosophy – exactly like good science fiction should have.

The second is a follow-up to the first, but this time, the Enterprise is investigating the gates to once again save the Federation. And once again, they get stuck far, far, FAR from home. And there’s once more a mysterious enemy that threatens the mission.

Together these two kept me busy for about a week. And I’m sure I’ll read them again in times to come. They bring me back to my youth, whilst also taking me away to the future. You can’t beat that!

– Geeked out in Sci-Fi, Eric Small

The photos have been loaded! The night was fantastic and our “seats” were spectacular. Rusty and I were happy campers for sure! Little did I realize that I had bought us floor tickets in the VIP area. There were no seats but it was just a standing area near one of the “3 ring” platforms. The photo shown here illustrates just how close we got to The Queen — she’s running out at the end of the show about 6 feet away from us — and I’m amazed how this picture turned out.

My favorites parts were the opening with Perez Hilton and the deep, dark, leathery scene about mid-show where Brit is hoisted up by two arm-entwined, mostly naked guys, all three blindfolded. Fantastic!

Click the photo above to see the full album, or click here.

Here’s some of the really good ones though…

Yours in Britney Bliss, Eric Small

The ongoing series of photo archive commentary

Among the many proud jobs I’ve had the pleasure of working on, was the original (read, first) cubs.com web site. Back in 1996, when the corporate Web was just being birthed still, I was at the Tribune Media Services company within the grander Tribune Company. I had a cubical in the historical Tribune building on Michigan Avenue in Chicago, facing out over Navy Pier on Lake Michigan. It was beautiful, truly. As one of the first hires working on web sites, I was picked to work on the new Cubs.com site. It didn’t hurt that I had successfully created an automated sports scores publishing mechanism, which we ultimately integrated on the live copy of the Wrigley Field scoreboard you see above. I worked with my friend Valerie Nozick as the primary on the content side, me being on the technical side. And we did it in the matter of a couple months.

It was a proud time and set me firmly on a course of success in the Internet industry. And like it or not, I have been a Cubs fan ever since (shhhhh) ;-)

See more of the screen captures here: Cubs.com photo album

- A Proud Internet web site papa, Eric Small

As planned, my friend Brad and I made the trip to Catalina Island (Avalon). We arrived on the 8:50 express ferry and immediately set out on a walk through town, to the Casino, then up into the hills. I don’t know how many times we remarked how it felt so European, so very very far away from the rat race of Los Angeles. As we walked, and then grabbed a nice lunch on the boardwalk at Catalina Cantina, the sun worked its way out and with it the temperature moderated to a perfect ocean-side warmth.

We next proceeded to get a couple of bikes and a permit to go into the interior and started on our way up into the hills again. Brad is a daily bicyclist in the city, so he managed up (in high gear of course) without ever breaking a sweat. I think I was pushing the bike before we rounded the first hill LOL! I’m out of shape for sure. But he was patient and we both were persistent and eventually we did finally make it to the top. Two+ hours later! And yes, I am hurting today.

The clouds rolled in just as we reached the top so we turned around for the much quicker ride back down. The buffalo will have to wait for next time! We rounded out the day walking and talking and waiting for the ferry back at 6:45pm. It was an exhausting, beautiful, and memorable day. You all should go if you get the chance. It reminded me a lot of Como, Italy but a lot closer.

All the pictures can be found here.

Still exhausted but still happy, Eric Small

For anyone confused, yes indeed, I’ve worked on TWO sites that just re-launched. My own (the one you’re looking at now) and my employer’s, Citysearch.com. The image to your left is what my old site used to look like. I think it looks much better today. It’s definitely a lot easier to manage.

-Yours in fresh new website digs, Eric Small

The ongoing series of photo archive commentary

A beautiful moment in Florence. Florence was the quickest part of the 2007-2008 trip through Italy and up to the Sweden Ice Hotel, with only an afternoon and overnight before moving on again to Rome. Kim knows her stuff as far as Italy goes. I only wish I was better at remembering all the places we went. To be honest, I mostly remember bunches of cathedrals shown to me in a blur, but lots of happy discussions and moments just being with my best friend Kim again. The moments that seem to be sticking include enjoying the espressos, doing some shoe and boot shopping, lots of moments at the Ice Hotel itself, lots and lots of walking…actually…I guess there’s still lots of moments to remember. I even remember the awe I felt in this particular plaza in Florence, for the cathedral here was a gorgeous white against the silver sky.

- Taking in some memories of Italy, Eric Small

P.S. If I had to guess, I’d say Duomo ;-)

The ongoing series of photo archive commentary

Back around Labor Day of 1999 was my vacation up and down the coast of California. I was in my late 20s then. The trip involved a couple days in Los Angeles at the beginning and end of the trip. And in that short time I managed to find myself at a number of parties, some in the hills, some just around town, including this pool party at some house of a guy I’d never met, in a neighborhood I’d never been to, and with a friend I’d only met in the most casual of ways back home some years before. I remember the pool was huge and the guys were all crazy hot. And I recall thinking how wonderful LA was. So wonderful that I decided in some small way that I was going to move here.

And in time I did.

Of course, that was then. These days I don’t even know about pool parties, and I barely even go out. No one I met at that party could I even say I see out casually these days. LA has grown on me and worn on me too. But no matter what, I do think I had some good life experiences here. But I feel the call of NYC. Partially for the same false reasons I felt the call to LA, though this time I know it. Regardless, the time is nearing I think.

I’m just wondering when.

- Yours, both sleepy and nostalgic, Eric Small

The ongoing series of photo archive commentary

On my most recent world exploring trip this winter, the pinnacle of which was 3 nights at the Ice Hotel in Sweden, I made a few stops with my best friend forever Kim in Italy. Keep in mind, it was winter, so what you’ll see here is a rather dreary scene. But even so, I think Florence, of all the cities I went to on the trip, was probably the most “old Europe” of all of them. We walked and walked and walked. And walked some more. But I think I enjoyed every moment of it. It was the first time Kim and I got to spend some quality time and settle into the vacation. See, she lives and works in Milan, so it wasn’t a get-away yet for her. But in Florence, she could relax.

This picture is just a general riverfront scene. The town was quiet for the most part, except for the Christmas shopping…always the shopping in Florence I suppose, whatever the time of year.

- World Traveler extraordinaire, Eric Small

The ongoing series of photo archive commentary

This photo was taken by my good friend and former manager Drew back some time in the late 90s (I’d guess). After my experience with Adbot (see the Wikipedia article mentioned in the last few posts), I found myself working at what was at the time named Diamond Technology Partners. By the time I left I had made some great friends in the small group I worked in. You can see Drew, Kim, Tom, and myself in the picture on the computer.

In front you can see Webtiki, Web goddess. She was a hilarious gift during the White Elephant Christmas gift exchange, which Drew ended up with in the end. She ultimately became our symbol of hope during large projects. To have Webtiki at your desk was an honor.

- Former Diamond web-mate, Eric Small