The Chronicles of John Trammell

For those who don't know, I turned 21 yesterday.  My 21st wasn't a normal type of celebration with drinking, but that is just fine with me.  I don't like alcohol that much to get drunk.  First thing was to go to school to take the Oceanography final.  Got to love having big tests on your b-day.  Good thing was, once the test ended, winter vacation has begun.  After the test, Scotty and I went to Carls Jr, then I went home to play some Halo 3 on xbox live.  There really wasn't too much else to do since it was raining outside.  For dinner, my immediate family, grandma, and aunt's family went to the Cheesecake Factory in Riverside.  I had a Strawberry Daquri, which was awesome, and then of course, had dinner, and also the best part of the meal, cheesecake!!!!! Yum.  When we went home, we watched The Dark Knight, till like 1 am, then i went to sleep.  It was a cool birthday.  I got money!!!!! All going for my Nikon D 90 DSRL Camera.  Woot

Since January, I have been an employee for UC Riverside, and worked for Operation: Military Kids at the Dr. Karen Varco's Office, Consumer Econimics.  The Operation:Military Kids has moved on October 1 of this year to the State 4-H Office.  My boss has decided that it would be better if I was employed at Davis.  Starting on December 1st, I will be an employee of UC Davis, the Department of Agriculture and Natural resources, The California 4-H State Office.  I was at the State 4-H Office yesterday signing my employment papers and get keys for the office.  I will still be housed at the Consumer Economics office at UCR, so don't worry, im not moving.  Woot.  Good news with being employed by UC Davis is that I get a 57 cents raise, so I will now be making $17.07 an hour.  Woot Woot.  Only problem is that I lose working 16 hours a month.  But my hours will increase 20% for the summer, which is good news. 

On Tuesday of this week, Vanessa, Scotty, and I went to the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, CA.  As part of our Oceanography Class assignments, we have to do a certain amount of points for class activities, and one of them was to go to the aquarium.  We picked a day, planned things out, and went.  We had a 5 page handout with questions we had to answer, which we would find throughout the aquarium. We left for the aquarium around 9:30.  Scotty had volunteered to drive, and we kinda got alittle lost when we got down to Long Beach.  It was cool because we got to see some oil pump thingys and some docks where a big cargo ship was being unloaded.  The ship probably came from Asia. We finally got to the aquarium after a nice little drive though downtown, and we where able to park on the first floor of the parking structor.  There was no line to get the tickets, and there was not that many people at the aquarium.  It was nice because we could move at our own pase, and enjoy seeing

I am in the Press Enterprise newspaper today!   Below is the part with me in it.  For the entire article, visit this link h ttp://www.pe.com/localnews/redlands/stories/PE_News_Local_N_ntrails28.22aefbb.html Part of Article written by  MICHAEL PERRAULT of the Press Enterprise "Conservancy promotes Redlands' trails" For Highland resident John Trammell, in his third year as an East Valley 4-H Club leader, Saturday's Kids' Day event was an opportunity to introduce some kids to geo-caching. It's a sort of outdoor treasure-hunting game in which participants use a Global Positioning System (GPS) to hide and seek containers, Trammell said. "Today, they're filled with candy, trinkets and other goodies," Trammell said.

For those who don't know, within the 4-H program, I am a member of the California 4-H Computer Corps (The state technology team).  This team was started back in 1887 or 8, and it was designed so the team would be in control of itself.  What I mean by that is the team controls its own missions, projects,and chooses and reviews it's own members to be on the team.  This was until the past month, when the state 4-H office has decided to take control of the Computer Corps, change the missions, and takes the power away from the team to select new members and rview if current members should say on the team.      This, if you can imagine, has hit most of the team members very hard.  What gives the right for the state 4-H office to all of a sudden take control of the team without even consulting the team.  I do say that there are some good ideas for change, but it is very fustrating, that a team that has been in control of itself for 10 years lost it within a matter of weeks.      I h

From August 13-16, my friends, Scotty, Jane, Vanessa, and I took a road trip up to Monterey, California.  During the spring semester at school, while sitting at the cafe, we were in the mood to go to the beach, and an aquarium.  We decided to plan a trip to Monterey.  The perfect location for the beach and aquarium. On Wednesday, we took the long 7 hour drive up to Monterey.  It took longer then it should of because we decided to drive up Highway 1, starting at San Louis Obispo.  It was a very nice drive, but didn't get to enjoy the view alot since the road was fogged in.  Luckly, the fog was passing over the road, so we can drive.  During the drive, we saw 3 Astin Martins, a few farrari's, and a Lambo.  After the nice, relaxing long drive, we finally arrived at our hotel room, in Salinas, which is about 15 miles east of Monterey.  It was the cheapest hotel that we can find in the area.  On Wednsday night, I took everyone to Asilomar State Beach in Pacific Grove, and we chill

Emily Cox, a friend of mine that lives in the state of Indiana, came out to visit and live at my place for 7 days this August.  It was an awesome and mostly needed visit, since we haven't seen each other in 2 years.  The last time was at the 2006 CA 4-H State Leadership Conference at UC San Diego. Emily arrived on Monday August 4 th , just one day after I get home from this years State Leadership Conference.  We first head over to my aunt's farm in Yucaipa to help out with a computer problem.  My cuz and I then took her on a tour of the farm, and picked some fresh tomatoes for her to eat.  Afterward, we went to chill at Scotty's house and then had dinner at In-N-Out.  We finally got home, and went to sleep. The next day, we took the 2 hour drive down to San Diego.  First, we went to the World Famous San Diego Zoo in Balboa Park.  After the zoo, we headed downtown to Seaport Village, where we chilled for a while.  Then we went for a drive around Fiesta Island in Mission

For the past five days, I was in San Diego for a Speak Out For Military Kids (SOMK) Retreat.  The goal of this retreat was to help 6 navy youth film a Welcome Aboard Video for all youth moving to the San Diego area who's parents are in the Navy.  I, as all the other SOMK retreats, was a main part of planning and was the facilitator for the event.  The event was on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday. On Thursday, I arrived at the hotel, Springhills Suits Marriot, in Rancho Bernardo, and met up with my boss, Chanda, and my co-worker from Bakersfield, Berney.  We drove down in one vechile to downtown San Diego.  We held the event in a conference room on the fourth floor of building one on the San Diego Navy Reserve Base.  For those who know downtown, they are the old looking buildings across the street from the USS Midway, Old aircraft carrier that is now a museam.  The event started with a small get to know you game, then we had pizza for dinner, and created a timeline for the movie, a

While I was in Oregon after the camping trip to Yosemite National Park, my cuz amanda and I decided to head up to Washington state for a day and go to Mount St. Helens.  We first went to the Mount St. Helens visitor center, to learn about volcanoes, and the actuarial major eruption that occurred in may of 1980.   Once we where finished there, we took the 50 mile drive over to the Johnston Ridge Mount St. Helen Observatory, which is located just north of the volcano, where you can see the crater that was created from the 1980 eruption.  When we first got there, the volcano was covered my clouds, which we felt it wasn't worth traveling out there for.  We went into the Observatory to see a film, and learn about Mt. St. Helens.  After we went outside to the observation deck, the clouds where all gone.  Seeing this volcano, and the area that was effected by the eruption of 1980 was a sad scary feeling.  All the forest around the mountains was blown down.  You still got to see many of th

From June 1st to June 6th, I went camping for the second time in a row to Yosemite National Park with my 2 cuz's and their family.  On May 31st, while I was at UC Davis for a 4-H event, my one cuz Amanda drove down to meet up with me in Sacramento.  The next day we took the 3 hour drive to get to Yosemite.  We arrived into the park at 10:00 and got into Yosemite Valley at 10:24.  We camped at the exact same campsite as last year, and same spot.  We stayed at the North Pines Camp Grounds spot 134, right next to a river that flows from Mirror Lake. When my cuz Amanda and I got to the spot, the other people using the site did check out yet.  We waited for about an hour for them to clear the place before we could settle in.  Once we got the tent set up, we walked down the river alittle ways while we where waiting for the rest of the family to arrive, driving up from Yuciapia.  They arrived in the early afternoon, and we helped them get all settled in.  Yosemite Valley was as beauti

I was invited by Kristen, a friend who lives in El Centro, to her college graducation 2 days ago.  Her bf, which is my best friend, and my other awesome friend Jordan also came to the graduation. The first day, i took the 2 hour and 45 min drive to get down there.  For those who have no clue where El Centro is, it is located 100 miles east of San Diego, and 5 miles from the Mexican Border; in the Imperial Valley.  When I first got their, they took me to an awesome mexican food place, that had something called a special quiesadilla.  It is like a normal quesadilla but deep fried.  I do have to say that was some awesome stuff man.  Afterwards Matthew and Jordan showed me around as Kristen went to get her hair done.  Once Kristen was finished, we chilled in the hotel and got ready.  We then headed to Calexico, where the Imperial Valley Campus of SDSU is located.  It is located one min from mexico.  Normally the valley would be around 112-115 degrees, but it just happened to be in the

As I have grown from childhood to adulthood, i have noticed that  my family has been slowly falling apart.  When I was little, my family used to go all over the place for fun; to get away from the house.  Sometimes it would be a 1/2 day trip, a day trip, or even an entire weekend.  We did alot of things together, and life was fun. Today, life seems to be really boring.  My sister mainly focuses to her computer all day long, and never showes herself outside of her room unless we are eatting.  My parents go to work, then they come home to work some more on their computers.  Then, on the weekends, they work even more.  The only time then leave the house is to go to the store, work, or to go to an event to work some more.  I seem to be stuck at home with nothing to do.  Today is a perfect day to go out and about, maybe to the beach.  Of course, my parents just stay to their computers all day.  I have no clue how they can do it.  Life is alot more then just work. This is one reason I te

I felt it was time to give all of you an update of how life is, and what is installed for my summer break.  Life at the moment is extremely hetic.  Finals have begun, and I have two major projects due next week.  I havn't even started them yet.  The past few months, I have been extremely busy with work and school.  If I wasn't busy with work or school, I would be out doing business with 4-H.  I do have to say that im sorry for not being able to chill with many of you the past few months, as i literely didn't have time.  During the summer I will have more time to chill since I won't be taking summer school.  This summer is going to be a crazy.  After school gets out next week, I will be heading down to El Centro, an hour east of San Diego, for a friend of mine's graduation from San Diego State.  Once I return, I have a work event in San Bernardino.  After the event, I will be back at work.  Have a big meeting that will be lasting for 2 full days.  Once that meeti

For those who don't know, I am a photographer, and I am a person who loves nature.  Today was a great day for taking photos, so I went to Aurantia Park on Greenspot Road to take some photos.  I figured there would be some great nature photos close to home that I can take.    At just, I was doing great and enjoying nature.  Until I got to the back, or the north of the park.  I saw nothing but trash.  And not just any trash, but broken and unbroken paintballs, paint splaters on rocks, and many opened condom wrappers...and event one used condom!  I started taking pics of all of the trash and what not.  This is a very sick thing.  As I was finding these opened condom wrappers, 4 little kids walked by, and there was also broken beer bottles and so forth.  If i wasn't standing where the condom wrappers where, i bet the kids would have seen them.  This is a sick world we are living in at the moment, and this is just pissing me off.  At first I was just going to see if the trash can be

Yesterday, I went with my parents to a used car place in San Bernardino.  They showed me 6 different cars they wanted me to get.  After test driving 5 of the 6, I have choosen the one that runs the best, and that can fit the computer lab I drive around for work.   My new mode of transportation is a 1998 Pontiac Sunfire.  It has 78,400 miles on the car, runs extremely well compaired to my last car, and seems to handle well on the road.  There are manythings that are much better in this car.  The radio has a CD player, the power windows are so much better then the last car.  Thank god it has a cup holder.  My last car didn’t have one.  It made things differecuilt.  The engine is a V4, which is less power then my last car; that was a V6.  But the car seems to run well.  I just have to get used to less power....lol....It is supposed to get good gas milage, but we will have to see.  I have a feeling this car will last longer then my last car.  I do have to say, I will be working full time

My car has officially kicked the bucket. The repairs to fix the car would cost $1500-$2000, and that is about double the worth of the car. Have had it for 3 years, and now it will sit here till we get ride of it....most likely take it to pick a part. So now i have no way to get to school or to work. But i will be able to use my mom’s car the next two weeks since she will be on spring break....now its time to shop for a new car. I wont be able to travel places for fun or anywhere that cost money, because i have to save to get a car. I have about $600 bucks to my name and thats it. So this is going to be a hard time ahead. But I know that I will get though it.

For those of you know know my awesome friend Scott Boudreau, he has been in the Marine Boot Camp in San Diego for the past 12 weeks. He has been though some though times while in boot camp, and he was tested for asthma last weekend. He has tested positive, and due to that diagnose; he has been honorary discharged from service. He will be coming home in about 2 weeks. I have been extremely proud of him, and I am glad he is finally able to come home.

For the past 12 years, I have been taking photographs, having them displayed all over southern california, and have won awards for my work.  I learned how to take photographs with a 35mm camera.  All of my best winner photographs have been taken on film.  As time goes on, i feel that people have forgotten the legacy of how good film is.  With digital cameras making life so much easier, people seem to forget film.  It makes it hard for people like me who love to take Black & White photographs.  I feel that digital is not yet at a place where it can take really good black and white.  With a 35 mm film or with any film camera for that matter, you can get some really good quality stuff.  There is no one around anymore that developes black and white film.  Im not talking about that one film from kodak that you can process like color prints.  Im talking the true black and white films.  I cant even find those films in the local stores anymore.  I pulled out the old 35 mm over the weekend

This past weekend has been one hell of an adventure with one of my friends that I met in 4-H, but moved to Indiana. On friday afternoon, I drove down to Santa Monica to meet up with Jess.  I was an hour early, so i parked and walked down to the beach to watch the sunset.  After the sun disapeared in the horizon jess called me and said her conference was over and she will meet me at her hotel.  Instead of walking to the car and driving, i decided to walk a few blocks to her hotel. We met up, took her lugage to the car, and of course go back to the Santa Monica Pier to go geocaching.  Sadly, there where only 3 caches in the area.  After we found the caches, we decided to head off home since we thought the traffic calmed down.  It was alittle bad, but we got home under 2 hours.  We stoped in Redlands to eat dinner at denny's.  Woot! That night we begun to plan our main geocaching day on saturday.  Around 1 in the morning we noticed there were 2 geocaches that are brand new.  We de

For the past year, I have been a student worker hired out of UC Davis to work for Operation: Military Kids....Working with a pay of $11.00 a hour and my title was Computer Technical Specialist/Web Master.  As of Dec. 31st, that job ended, and as of Jan 7th, i was hired at UC Riverside, still for Operation: Military Kids.  I took over my old co-workers job.  My new title is: Computer Resource Specialist.  I run and maintain the websites still, and a 15 laptop computer mobile lab.  I also plan trainings at different military bases and even go to events on bases.  I now make $16.50 an hour....woot...the sad thing is, this only goes till September 1....so we will see what happens after that.  I work at the office in Riverside every Tuesday and Thursdays...and of course, i might have work trips on the weekends.

From December 26th till January 2nd, I was up in Beaverton, Oregon (next to Portland, Oregon) to visit my oldest cuz amanda along with her family who was visiting her as well.  I flew up on the 26th with amanda's sister Krystal's fiancee John.  Once we got up there, Amanda, my aunt maria, and krystal picked us up at the airport.  Over the next week we went to cool places around Oregon, and had some fun.  It rained for all but one day while i was up there, and the hottest it got was 42 degress and the coldest where in the low 30's.  And went to the mountain where it was in the high 20's. Since my cuz amanda is a hockey player, we went to see 2 of her practices, and Krystal learned a few hockey tricks before one of the practices.  During the practices,  I would play video games with John to warm up, since it is very cold in the ice hockey rink.  It was fun seeing my cuz try to kick the other peoples asses in her practices.  While Amanda and Krystal where working on some