Hey SlideBelts,

I'm going to open up a little bit and get personal for a minute. My friends and online peers know a little factoid about me that I have never shared at work. Namely, that I have a deep seething loathing for Gnomes. I have felt this way since I was a young lad and the years have only served to validate my disdain for such silly fictional creatures. I could blame it on the fact that Garden Gnomes are just down-right creepy. Perhaps it's because Gnomes were included as a playable race on World of Warcraft but weren't even in any of the original Warcraft games. Or maybe I dislike Gnomes for the same reason I enjoy Miley Cyrus .... 'Cause it's fun and something to do with my time. In any case, it could be said that I keenly enjoy disliking Gnomes. 

The other day, I was quickly scrolling through Quora.com when my eyes scanned that terrible G word - Gnome. I also noticed another G word included in the article that I usually associate with happiness and good feelings! GOOGLE. What could these two vastly different entities possibly have to do with one another? I decided it was worth a read. The article was short and explained a specific technique that Google employs called "Buying The Gnome". I will quote the Quora author since his explanation of "Buying The Gnome" is short and to the point.

"Once upon a time a Froogle search for "running shoes" returned as a top result a statue of a garden gnome wearing running shoes. Despite great effort, none of the attempted code fixes could remove the gnome from the top results. Someone noticed that the gnome was a single item for sale on eBay. The Froogle team bought the gnome, the eBay post was removed, and the search results became correct. Henceforth fixing a bug by changing reality became known as "buying the gnome". This is a great example of solving a hard problem in an easy but unexpected way." - David Seidman.

I thought this story was pretty cool! There are plenty of examples within our work and home life where thinking AROUND the problem instead of THROUGH it is the best way forward. Instead of having a disgusting, horrifying, GNOME stuck on the top of your search results ... you could just buy that sucker and strap a firecracker to it. At least, I like to think that's what Google actually did .... =P

I’m going on a mini vacation in a couple weeks and wanted to share some packing tips I’ve discovered over the years that have really helped me out!

1 – Make a list! This is my #1 rule, I love to be as organized and prepared as possible. There’s nothing worse than going on your trip and leaving something super important behind. Plus, it’s a good idea to have this list when you’re leaving to make sure you grabbed everything you came with!

2 – Bring extra baggies in all sizes! I love bringing extra bags with me, these are great to keep your items organized. I usually bring a few grocery bags, that way I have a place to store my dirty clothes. Small sandwich bags are great for jewelry and medication! (Remember to also put liquids in bags. I’ve had hair care products explode in my suitcase before, not fun at all!)

3 – Rolling clothes. I saw someone rolling their clothes instead of folding them once and thought it was so bizarre. I just had to try this the next time I packed and when I did, I was pleasantly surprised. I noticed a little more room available in my suitcase, and my clothes were a lot less wrinkled. Give it a try next time you pack!

4 – Be conservative. This one’s a toughie for me. If I’m going on a 4 day vacation, I usually over pack and bring way more than what I need. If you have space it’s fine, but if not, try to just bring the essentials. You know those shoes that you’re probably not going to wear anyway? Just leave those bad boys at home.

5 – Be prepared for TSA. If you’re going through the airport, be cautious of what you bring. Make sure to also keep an eye out for the size of your bag, weigh and measure it to make sure that you’re good to go!

Have fun!

I moved out to California in my first van, adventured in it, camped in it, commuted to work in it, but then it finally was time to let it go. I took a break from owning a van for a bit until the stars aligned and I was able to get another! In this photo, which was taken adventuring in Mammoth a while back, is my new (but not really new) van! It’s a 2006 Dodge Sprinter with some personal modifications. Since I have owned it I have added; insulation, flooring, roofing, side panels, a bed, a roof rack, all-terrain tires, and I plan to add much more. Owning my van (who’s named Mad Max), has given me so many more opportunities to travel and see more of this country. It not only allows me the luxury of having a home on the road, but also a mode of transportation when not traveling. It’s taken me to some cool places, and I can’t wait to see where else we will be going.