Until then, the content in the archives is all there, it just looks all messed up. The big problem is the individual pages are not formatting correctly, and the main index page is not auto-building to the new templates.

At least the front page is still fine.

Oh and a shout out to Scott who identified the mystery Doctor Who episode as "The Invasion of Time" with Tom Baker. The good news is that it gets released on DVD on September 2, so I have already put it into my Netflix queue.

I also am itching to find that one episode I watched in college where there is a chase through the many rooms of the Tardis, but I can never find what that episode was called. It is also amazing how many of the First and Second Doctor stories are just plain gone. Bad BBC! There are some great episodes in that era that I would love to see, but just don't exist except for the audio.

I also was amazed to discover that Netflix has two ridiculously bad films in there archive: Beyond the Poseidon Adventure and Raise the Titanic. Two late 70's/early80's films I fondly remember from the Saturday afternoon movie. Of course I immediately added them to my post Doctor Who queue. I might move one up just to break up the Who, but so far Daniel and I can't get enough.

Of course the news has live team coverage all over the area - looks like a broken water main in East LA as well as a bunch of store shelves getting stuff thrown off onto the floor. A couple of shots of some bricks on the ground at a building, but other than that nothing major.

Attempt 1: July 13 South Coast Plaza, I went around 7pm. Plenty of phones, but line was cut off.

Attempt 2: Brea Mall - Sorry, we are all out of iPhones

Attempt 3: July 15 - Pasadena - According to the Apple iPhone tracker, this was one of the last stores to actually have the black 16GB in stock, but upon arriving there was already a three hour line and there were only white 16GB available. Frustrated, we left empty handed.

Attempt 4: July 16 - Newport Fashion Island - Again, Apple iPhone tracker has 16GB in stock. We show up an hour before the store opened. The line concierge says sorry, we opened hours earlier and sold them all, all we have is black 8GB. Again, we leave empty handed.

At this point, I was like someone really doesn't want me to have the phone. Undeterred, I listened to all my friends go on about how wonderful it is, and eventually I was swayed back to get one. But by the weekend of the 19th, they were sold out in the whole state of California. I resigned to the fact that I was going to have to wait three weeks until Steve Jobs plusses up the inventory.

On Monday night the 21st, the iPhone tracker said South Coast Plaza was back in stock of all flavors. I was tempted to go, but having not had much sleep in the past week due to iPhone nightmares as well as getting up early with Daniel and working to 2am, I decided to pass and sleep late. Tuesday night's iPhone tracker said that South Coast was again plussed up with all flavors, and I figured it's now or never.

Attempt 5: So Wednesday July 23rd, 12 days after launch and waiting 4.5 hours with Daniel for his iPhone, I was back at the Apple Store South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa waiting in line. I was smarter this time and brought my Nintendo DS Lite loaded with Tetris. Having hindsight, I think BrainAge would have been a better companion. As I settled in, I noticed we were at the 1.5 hour mark from the previous wait. The people around me amazed about how long the line was taking, and I told them they have no idea what they are in for, and admitted to them how dumb I was for not getting one on the first day.

The Line concierge guy tells us they only have white 16GB and I am sorta pissed and thinking of a strongly worded letter to Steve about his dumb iPhone tracker, but at this point I want the phone so I just resign myself to white and figure I can get a nice black case to put around it. The concierge dude also tells us that they usually get a shipment o' iPhones just after opening, and they have no idea what they get until they open the box - so there is a slim chance that some black 16GB goodness will be inside. About an hour and half go by, and I finally make it past the Carousel and am met by line concierge #2. He lets us know that indeed a shipment has come in, and lo and behold there are some 16GB blacks in there. So now it is a waiting game as we inch closer to the stainless steel facade of the Apple store. Will they get all of the blacks before I get there? I had to keep telling myself that I would get whatever they had left.

Three hours after getting in line, I am at the threshold of the store and I can hardly stand it. This guy in front of me has been stoic the entire time, while the people behind me are chomping at the bit to get in the store just like me. We take a vote and determine that guy doesn't deserve an iPhone - he is not enthusiastic enough, and he better not take the last black one!

Finally, I am greeted by Grant, Apple Tech extraordinaire. He asks what he can get for me, and resisting the temptation to say, "Oh, I just want a cable for my iMac", I ask him for a 16GB black iPhone. He says he has one and I am thrilled. The process was fairly fast for me. I knew what plan I wanted, had my Verizon account numbers and we were authorized in about 10 minutes. Grant then asked if I wanted a tour of the phone. I told him I have a basic idea of the stuff on the phone, and he proceeded to show me the apps he has on his phone and what he recommends. He also gave me tips on how to get my emails set up and a few other things. Now I know why the lines take so long. Apple employees want each customer to have excellent customer service before they leave the store and make sure they get all the information they need. It made the wait almost worthwhile (probably if I had only waited once, it would have been all worthwhile.)

On my way out, I picked out a car charger, and looked for a case, but did not see one I liked. I finally had my iPhone and couldn't be happier. I did end up getting a black rubber-esque case from the Brea Apple store. I initially wanted the clear one that Lauran and Daniel have, but decided to get one that would help keep the iPhone in my pocket.

After a couple of days, I still am impressed with the things this little phone can do. I am happy I can set custom ringtones and access all of my mail accouts. I am also excited I can view web pages the way they are meant to be seen. Now, I loved my Motorola Q, but the iPhone has much better sound quality speakerwise, as well as listening to people on the phone. The 3G coverage is still a bit spotty, but doing some research, discovered AT&T is expanding the 3G spectrum to help get better reception inside buildings.

The previous post had a photo of my car taken from the iPhone. I do notice that the text requires some cleanup on my end, but I will try and see if I can get a Flickr app for my phone to upload directly. Also a Movable Type one would be awesome as well. Compare the photo from my Moto Q of the damaged bumper!

Complete photo wrap up with photos from My Story

Thanks Dad!
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

With some elbow grease and rubbing compound, most of the damage is gone. The remaining scratches are deep and will require some paint work down the toad. But for now, I can drive happily.

Why I can't have nice things
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

Yesterday someone misjudged the spot next to me and hit me and left a 7 in scratch. Of course there was no note which sucks Not that I'd get after them, but this happened at work where you think people would have better courtesy. Hopefully, it can be buffed out or its off to the Body Works.

Finally!
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

Five hours later we are back at home and Daniel is very happy. It actually was quite the fun day out at South Coast. There were certainly a lot of characters in the line. I thought it was a good mix of previous iPhone customers as well as new converts. I really thought it was funny that Daniel got a message from Sprint 2 hours into waiting about new discounts for him. They must have gotten wind of the mass migrations to AT&T today. I can't really blame Apple for the technical problems that made our wait last as long as it did. I am just glad Daniel was able to get it activated in the store with no problem.

I had to go to work in the evening and Daniel got to play with the iPhone. I will have to see if he is all excited and if the service is actually any good before I decide for sure if I am going to convert as well.

3G iPhone Mania Part 4
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

It took us 4 hours, but Daniel got to get the one he wanted - black 16 GB. This was also my point of weakness where I wanted to get one as well.

3G iPhone Mania Part 3
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

Three hours later and we are almost to the store. The Apple Store is the second storefront past the carrousel. There are rumors other Apple and AT&T stores are already sold out. Hopefully Daniel will get the one he wants. I have been tempted to get one myself, but still undecided.

3G iPhone Mania Part 2
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

The line wraps from the front of the Apple store around the bottom floor of South Coast Plaza. If only these people were waiting to buy something I invented!

3G iPhone Mania
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

The crowd outside the South Coast Plaza Apple store at 8am on July 11.

Alberta 2008 Photos
Originally uploaded by Club Josh.

The photos are now available for perusal at Flickr! Click on the photo above or the link to get there!

We loaded up our rental car, and I got to drive back down to Calgary. It was a fairly quick journey - faster and more pleasant than the drive from Jasper down to Edmonton. We made one stop at a Wendy's/Tom Horton for a coke and washroom break, but other than that it was smooth sailing. I do wish we had some extra time on the way. There was a few interesting sights that seemed like fun to stop at. There were several corn mazes, which probably were not operating this time of year, but a great photo op was missed at the information station just south of Edmonton that featured an oil derrick. I never knew they pumped over a million barrels of heavy crude out of this area of Alberta. There was an article in the paper that mentioned how people were investing a lot in this area to dry and get more efficient and environmentally friendly drilling established. Sounds like a good idea.

We arrived at the Discount Car Rental place after gassing it up and cleaning out the trash. I was glad Gary went for the extra insurance waiver, because after we got back on the freeway from our stop in Red Leaf, a rock hit the window and we had a nice chip in the window. Interestingly, the lady at the rental car place took us to the airport in our rental car as opposed to transferring us into a bus. "Its just much easier that way", said our rental agent. We had a pleasant conversation with her back to the airport (rather than the awkward silence with a new person in the car). Turns out, she is a recent emigre to Calgary coming here from Toronto and North Africa.

It would have been fun to see the Calgary Stampede, but I am glad to be heading home. We checked in at the US Airways counter and discovered our flight is over an hour and a half late departing. Good thing I had a two and a half hour layover in Phoenix. If the plane pushes any later that a 1700 departure, I will be late! We ate at a local Harvey's fast food. It reminds me of a combo of Fat Burger and Subway. And then we waited and waited and waited. A bit of anxiety because at 1430 they pushed our flight back from the already delayed 1600 departure to a 1630 departure.

After finally getting underway, the flight actually was way better than the flight coming to Calgary. Even though we had a compressed turnaround time, the plane was clean and we had new magazines to read. Also, as an added bonus, the seat next to me was empty. The only hiccup was a plane had some mechanical difficulties on the runway at Sky Harbor, causing us to circle an additional 15 minutes. There was also a bit of turbulence heading into the landing due to some 20mph winds at the airport. With all the delays, I only had an hour to kill at the airport before boarding my flight back to Long Beach.

When I boarded the plane to Long Beach, I thought I had stepped back in time. The entire flight crew was the same one from Calgary! I think that was the first time I had ever changed planes, but kept the flight crew. The flight back to Long Beach was packed, but blissfully short. People wanted to move around, but there was nowhere to go. The gate agent was doing a lousy job of screening the oversized carry on baggage as several people made it onto the plane with huge bags.

Before I knew it I was back in Long Beach. After a bit of waiting, Daniel finally showed up and he was a sight for sore eyes. We headed back to my apartment and it was time to call it a trip!

When we arrived at the tramway, we discovered a 30-minute queue just to buy tickets. On top of that there was an additional 15-minute wait for the Tramway. We thought about it for a bit, but ultimately decided not to do the tramway. Unlike the Columbia Icefields, this was not a wholly unique experience, and we were all itching to get on the road so we can get into Edmonton at a reasonable time. So with regret, we ditched the tramway and headed downhill to Edmonton.

People had said that the road down slope was pretty boring, and they were right. We had been spoiled by the majestic Rockies. Most of the scenery to the end of Jasper National Park was still scenic and we managed to see some mountain goats for another rubberneck stop. I actually liked the countryside we passed through at the edge of the park - lots of lakes as well as rolling hills.

Once we left the national park, it was pretty normal grassy farmlands and prairie country. We made a stop in Hinton to visit the Alberta Welcome Center where we met a few nice people who told us the ins and outs of what to do in Edmonton. The rest of the drive was just a long journey through some nice scenery. We veered off onto the Alberta 16A highway and headed to our Marriott hotel at the River Cree Resort. Mom selected this one because it was close to the West Edmonton Mall as well as she got a better deal with her Marriott Rewards. As a bonus it is on a Native American Reservation and therefore has an adjacent casino.

We got our room and relaxed a bit and then headed downstairs to enjoy the Prime Rib Buffet. It was then time to head into Edmonton proper to visit the largest mall in the world - the West Edmonton Mall. From the outside, it looks very 1970s mall, but on the inside it was indeed huge. On the overall scale of malls, it is indeed huge with an Ice Hockey Rink, Amusement Park, Water Park, and several themed dining areas. On the downside it is not as well kept up as say South Coast Plaza or the Mall of America. Gary picked up a flash drive so I could give them a copy of my photos, and I really wanted to get a Chocolate Shake, but I was still full from dinner.

Leaving the mall, we took the scenic tour of downtown. Edmonton seems to be a nice town, and reminds me a lot of Grand Forks, North Dakota, just a bit larger. We then headed back to our hotel to call it a night. We have to be up early to get to Calgary in time to catch our flight back to the US. It's going to be a long day, but it is all worth it. Before turning in, we decided to try our luck at the Casino. Sadly we did not pay for the trip with any winnings, so after a brief trip to the business center to check some emails, we turned in for the night.

After packing and loading the car, I checked out of our hotel and we headed to the breakfast buffet. We could not believe it was already 11am! We ate as much as we could and then got on the road. Our first stop of the day was Lake Moraine. Located about 12km from Lake Louise Village, it is a smaller, but equally beautiful lake. There was a landslide at the closest end of the lake that had tourists swarming all over it to take a great photo of the lake. Not wanting to miss a good photo op, I headed across the logs to the rocks. Unfortunately, I stepped on a log that I thought was stable and my right foot disappeared into some bone chilling glacial water up to my ankle. One of the things I hate more in the world is wet feet in sneakers, but you know what? When you are up in the Rockies having a great time it just didn’t seem all that bad.

I sloshed my way up some rocks to take a few photos, then scrambled back down to the lakeshore and met up with Mom and Gary. We took a few more photos and then it was time to hit the trail. When we got back to the car, I removed my wet shoe and sock. At first, I tried to dry my sock in the front windshield and my sneaker with the AC Vent on the floor. After 30 minutes or so, I moved my shoe to the back window on Mom's suggestion. A little while later, I moved my sock back there to get it dry.

We decided to forgo the Lake Louise tramway and instead we will do the one in Jasper tomorrow morning. Along the way to the Columbia Ice fields and Jasper, we stopped at several scenic overlooks. With a little bit of imagination, you can imagine just how awesome a spectacle it must be in the winter when all the lakes are frozen over. Let me tell you, it is not that bad in the summer as well. We stopped at Payto Lake to look at the Crowfoot glacier, and as we made our way towards Saskatchewan Junction we encountered a mini-traffic jam as a young black bear decided to cross the road near the Weeping Wall, much to the delight of the tourists (including us!). Another great aspect of this highway is that there were tons of hanging waterfalls due to the high temperatures (around 90F). Each time we stopped at a turnout to take photos, I would check my shoe, and it was certainly drying.

After an hour and a half, we finally made it to the Columbia Icefields and the Athabasca Glacier in Jasper National Park. We were trying to decide if we wanted to pay the combined $100+ fee to take a tour tractor out onto the glacier. When push came to shove, we went for it. I was glad that we did as well. We had to go back to the car to get our gear, and I had to put on my slightly still damp sock, but mostly dry shoe. Despite the many noisy tourists (some who even kept talking louder to the point that the tour guide had to shush them), it was an amazing adventure. We took a bus up the lateral moraine of the glacier and then transferred to an icebus thingy, which took us out onto the actual glacier. The tour guide told us to stay in the turnaround area due to the dangers of the crevasses, but I was amazed at the number of people who just took off out over the regular glacier proper. I am glad I took my sweatshirt because it got breezy up on there and a bit chilly. We decided to heed the warnings and took our 15 minutes in the immediate area and posed for some photos. All in all it took about an hour from start to finish, but well worth it if you are in the area.

It was then time to finish our trek up to Jasper. We only made one more stop this time at Sunwapta Falls. People had mentioned that it was majestic and beautiful, and while it was beautiful, it was not majestic. It was a nice smallish area to walk around and I took some good photos, but we did not want to linger too long as it was now approaching 6pm. I still can't get over the fact that it stays light up here until after 10pm. Before too long, we descended into Jasper's outskirts and made a b-line towards the Fairmont Jasper Springs Hotel.

Talk about luxury! Mom is a Presidential Club Member so they had all of our check-in details at the bell desk so we didn’t even have to go inside. We found our cabin – yes that's right we are staying in one of a series of linked cabins (usually in clusters of 5). When we got to our room it was a bit steamy since it had been so hot and they do not have air conditioning. We started airing out the room and then headed down to the main building where we enjoyed an expensive dinner, but you could not beat the view. The terrace overlooks the lake and the grass with the Rockies in the background. We stayed well past dinner just to linger and soak it all up. We didn't realize that it was after 9pm (again its still bright outside).

Back in our bungalow cabin, Mom and Gary socialized with our neighbors on our porch as I finished my Doctor Who episode (SO GOOD!). In the middle of downloading the photos on the laptop and beginning my journal, an elk just happened by our patio. It lingered for quite a bit chewing on the clovers in the grass before it continued on its way. The sun finally set on our day and it was time to call it a night. Mom really wants to spend another night here, and I don’t blame her - it really is the pinnacle of our vacation. Tomorrow it is off to the Jasper tramway and then the long trek into Edmonton.