Okay, so I’ll admit seeing my puppy dig in the yard was cute at first, but now it is just a huge hassle. Not only are there multiple holes in my yard, but she tracks mud everywhere!… Including my white and black rug under the pool table.

This is pretty much the first dog I have raised, so I am learning as I go.

On another note, I just love how the dog can entertain herself in the back yard.

Right in the middle of my yard

Right near my door way

Again in the middle of the yard

As most of you know I took a 7 day Mediterranean cruise last week with my family. It was my first family vacation since 2000 and, oddly enough, I really enjoyed spending time with them. My parents are getting older, Dad is 61 and Mom is 56, so it was most likely my last trip with them. Also on the ship were my two nieces (12 and 13), my cousin, and my dad’s ex-wife and her husband (weird I know).

We sailed aboard the NCL Gem out of Barcelona. We then went to following places: Barcelona, Malta, Naples, Capri, Sorrento, Pompeii, Civitiveccia, Rome, Loverno, Pisa, Florence, Cannes, Nice, and Eze

I had been to all those places before besides a few of them, so not everything was a new experience for me.

My two favorite places were Barcelona and a little town outside of Cannes called Eze. I liked Barcelona because it was very clean, had a gorgeous beach, and a kickin nightlife. Eze is the exact opposite; quaint, small, and very upscale. While in Eze, I must have seen at least 50 $100k+ cars driving around.

Some pictures are below, but you can see the full album here:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/josephvaughn/sets/72157620135963813/

FYI, I leave for vacation tomorrow and will not return till 6/22. I am taking a Mediterranean cruise from Barcelona and go to Malta, Naples, Rome, Capri, Pisa, and Cannes, France.

Stay tuned for tons of photos upon my return.

Wish me luck!

Back in highschool, I really didn’t know what I wanted to do career wise. I was always good at history, science, and computers, but hadn’t found that one thing I absolutely loved doing. I knew that I loved computers, but wasn’t sure if that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. While still in highschool, at age 16, I actually studied on my own time to earn an A+ Certification….. which is a standard certification for those looking to be become a computer repairman.

After passing the two tests, I actually became more engaged in the computer field. I started learning more about networking, the internet, and building websites. At this time, I was certain that the IT industry was the career path for me…. until I got my first job. In 2000, I got a job at Sears selling electronics. It wasn’t until this time period did I realize how much I love working with people, overcoming objections, and learning to influence people’s decision making.

Now, I pretty much have my dream job. I work in sales for IZEA, a web based social media marketing company….. which means I get to deal with both IT and sales simultaneously.

Do you have a dream job? Have you ever considered IT Security? Right now, one of the most trendy (and lucrative) jobs in the IT landscape is ethical hacking. An ethical hacker is someone who is legally hired to break into various computer systems/networks to test their levels of security. The first step to becoming an ethical hacker is becoming certified. EC-Council offers various online classes that are both flexible and reasonably priced to help you achieve the certification in a timely manner.

Just think about how cool it would be to tell all your friends and family members that you are a real life hacker! If you are considering a career change and are interested in computers, this may be a good option for you.