Great finish to July 4

Dev sitting in front of the Sandy River at Erica and Jefferson's
family cabin. Awesome.

What a way to start the 4th

This was a huge book for me in my teens

Amazing how much of what Gibson described actually worked out....

Neuromancer turns 25: What it got right, what it got wrong

Nursery set up

Look at the awesome job that Dev and Erica did on the nursery. And it
only took a day!!!

Can this guy slog 6600 feet on one day?

Why yes, yes he can.

It's almost the weekend

From the club

To the Caddy

To the Holiday Inn,

From the dusk to the dawn,

We gonna do it again.

"Last Call" by Outkast

TGID

Thank God it's donuts!!!!

Happy Anniversary Dev!

Three great years.
Feels like forever. -grin-

Too funny...

No attribution, but it's awesome....

Picture links are broken

Google's Picasa service had a hiccup last week. For security reasons, Google change the web addresses for all the Picasa albums of it's users. I haven't decided if I'm gonna fix it yet.

Apologies to anyone who wants to see the pictures.

Talk about too much money

Looks who's docked outside downtown Portland.

Healthcare CEOs and Recission

Seriously!?

 

 

Sent to you by David via Google Reader:

 

 

Healthcare CEOs and Recission

via Daring Fireball by John Gruber on 6/17/09

U.S. health insurance executives are simply evil bastards:

The sister of an Illinois man who died of lymphoma said his policy was rescinded for the failure to report a possible aneurysm and gallstones that his physician noted in his chart but did not discuss with him. […] Late in the hearing, [Bart] Stupak, the committee chairman, put the executives on the spot. Stupak asked each of them whether he would at least commit his company to immediately stop rescissions except where they could show "intentional fraud".

The answer from all three executives: "No."

In other words, even if you pay your premiums for years, if you ever fall seriously ill, they will do their best to find a way to cancel your insurance.

 ★ 

 

 

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Spoiled Rotten

'Nuff said...

Kris and Todd's MC club

Dev with Duncan and Maverick

Hanging out with Kris and Todd in Ocomonowoc.

In Chicago

Just landed safe and sound at O'Hare. On our way to see Dev's mom and Jason as we head over to meet Kris and Todd. Love being on vacation.

Update: scratch the part about being at O'Hare. We landed at Midway. Little bit of a difference.

Pure Awesome in Volcano form

Climbed Mt St Helens yesterday.
The view was awesome.
The crater was spectacular.
The weather was half awesome.
Get the skinny at the link above.

Big blow coming in

Took about 30 minutes to go from clear skies to this.

Oh man, do I want to do this!

Riding the Spine in the Peruvian Andes from Jacob Thompson on Vimeo.

This is what happens...

when it's a little bit wet at camp at 9500 foot above sea level.

In Shasta City....

And on our way.

More pictures of the little girl...

I'm officially in trouble now

Guess I need to learn how to pick out dresses 'cuz Dev and I are having a little girl.

Eek.

Dev practicing

Pictures from Hunchback Mountain hike

Pictures can be seen here.

One more way that "common sense" can be wrong

From The Copenhagen Bike Culture Blog on why promoting helmet use aggressively and portraying cycling primarily as a sport may be counterproductive:

"Helmets and things like that do give this impression that cycling is inherently dangerous, and this whole urban warrior image is not very helpful," he said. "But of course, a lot of the aggression is also about having to compete for space and priority with cars."

From an article in the Guardian.

Books are lactose intolerant

Can I cry over spilt milk now?

Fun videos for the unbeliever

Via Richard Dawkin's website:

potholer54bdebunks the great flood

If I had read this in High School...

I'd have a whole different career. Excellent essay on Wired about being a scientist:

To be a scientist is to commit to a life of confusion punctuated by rare moments of clarity. When I leave the office at night, the confusion comes with me. Ruminating over these equations, seeking patterns, looking for hidden relationships, trying to make contact with measured data—it's all uncertainty and possibility engaged in an endless chaotic dance. Every so often the blur resolves, but the respite is short-lived; the next puzzle demands focus. This, really, is the joy of being a scientist. Established truths are comforting, but it is the mysteries that make the soul ache and render a life of exploration worth living.

Another nail, another flat

Got a flat this morning on the way to work. Still got here on time; I flatted in the Rose Quarter with 30 minutes to get to the office. Made it in plenty of time.

Fun last Sunday!

Ah, spring in Oregon

After a few days of nice partly sunny weather, April turned back into April here. Dev and I went to the gym last night, where they had to modify the workout due to weather. Originally the workout included two laps around the building.

The rain started in the middle of the warm up. And not your normal Oregon steady drizzle to steady rain type rain. No. Buckets of rain came down. It reminded me of Texas thunderstorms type rain. Cars floated by the gym because the water got so high so fast type rain. So we had to row 500 meters instead of the originally planned laps.

I would have preferred the run.

Tires are expensive

Crazy expensive. But then this is the first full set of four new tires I've ever had to buy for a car. So I guess, on balance, that going 36 years without having to buy a full set of tires is a definite win.

That's it.

Donut Apocalypse

This what's left after the first round finished. Sugar crash here I
come!

Why the process is important

J.J. Abrams is able to elucidate something that is central to the way I've always played video games (or read books or watched tv shows). Excellent essay in Wired here.

Great day in Austin

My niece at the Austin waterfront

I need to review my German

My niece

Truth on the Whiteboard

Happy Birthday to my Dad!

Just thought I'd say so. Though he doesn't read this. So my mom will have to tell him.

Happy Birthday!

Happy birthday to me!

To those who can't be with me on this most awesome of days, I miss you. I raise a toast to all my friends and family. I would not have the incredibly sweet life I now enjoy without each and every one of you. I have a beautiful wife who has enough patience to put up with me and to be pregnant at the same time. I have two brothers who helped shape my early years and make me appreciate my own space and sharing what I have. I have the whole cast of characters that makes up the motley crew that are my friends. Some of you improved me. Some of you corrupted me. Some of you were just there at the right (or wrong) time. I have my parents who launched me into this life and gave me the tools to fight back the forces that try to make it worse.

Thanks to you all. Without you guys, I would not be quite so awesome.
[grin]

Cheers!

That's right....

It's trivia night at Leisure Public House!

I'm gonna start with Sunday

No, this footage was not me skiing. I snowboard, remember? I just thought it was a pretty sick set of footage.

Sunday was epic. Skibowl got 13 inches of fresh snow overnight. Aaron and I headed up late in the day and got on the lift around 1 pm. By 2:30 pm we were riding black diamond runs in the upper bowl. We weren't riding them well or with style, but we were riding them. Aaron had never been on a black diamond before. And he did great. We both made it down our first no-fall black diamond run. And to top everything off, we managed to grab some untracked powder in the lower ski area along the lift line. Truly an awesome day.

And I was so tired that after we got to the run-out below the lodge, I laid down for 45 seconds and thought to myself "I could take a nap right here." My legs shook for 15 minutes while we rehydrated with a beer and talked about the day. It was, without a doubt, the best day of this season.

Just a taste...

....of the fun I had this weekend. [big grin]

Happy birthday Erica!

Proving once again why I read his stuff

Insightful post from Gruber on Daring Fireball.

Oh so true....

"Twouble with Twitter" sous-titré
by LePostfr

Wore out

I always hate when a pair of shoes dies. They always seem to have so
much life left. But they don't.

I'd consider resoling, but these are cheapo trail runners. And the interior upholstery is going too. Which means the shoes will start shredding socks. And good socks are very expensive. So it makes me sad because the shoes just *seem* to have so much life and utility left.

Shoe recycling, here I come.

First look

There he/she is, Dev and my kiddo. 12 weeks. If you look real close, you can see the resemblance to Dev. [grin]

So I ordered my Psychology text last night...

Thought I was ahead of the curve getting it ordered more than a week early.

Not so much as it turns out. The projected arrival date is the first day of class. With no expedited ship option. Keeping my fingers crossed.

Sunday breakfast

Yum!

Great video to start a Saturday morning

Ummm.....Wow.....

Are Somali Pirates really bad men?

Or are they men fed up with a bad situation?

You Are Being Lied to About Pirates
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/johann-hari/you-are-being-lied-to-abo_b_155147.html

The 13 year old kid was pretty good...

But the bus driver rocked the house!!!!

Also amazing

A-mazing

So wrong it's right

Those of you who have read the comic will love this...

New surf film coming out

Well how about that....

A happy J and Alex

Yay Skibowl!

Free lift ticket!

For buying 1 bottle of vitamin water! So fun!

Free lift ticket?!

We're about to find out!

Anticipation

Conditions at Timberline Lodge

Split decision

Went to Skibowl with John and Caitlin yesterday. It was warmish and mostly dry until our last hour. They both had new snowboards to try out for the day. I left my board at home since I planned to take a ski lesson; something that John teased me about for several minutes in the car.

Then he asked Caitlin to hand him the donuts. And the bag was open and pointed downwards.

The donuts fell into John's lap.

I didn't stop laughing for 5 minutes. Recriminations flew. Ultimately John knew that he will always be known as the dude with donut crotch syndrome. He managed to rebag the donuts and drive us safely to Skibowl.

I took a ski lesson and got some great tips and refinements from my instructor Dan. I skiied until about 3 and then called it good. This proved a wise decision because the rain that had threatened us all day and pelted us for about an hour really started coming down after we bagged it for the day.

The only bad part about liking skiing is that I have to buy new hardware. Sigh.

Current hero

Richard Dawkins.

Smile a little

People in this town riding their bicycles need to smile a little bit more. I'm not talking about the homeless guys. And I'm not talking about the athletes in their superhero outfits. I'm talking about the folks riding to work or out for chores in normal clothes. I mean a little smile when someone smiles and waves should be the natural reaction. Instead, I get scowls and frowns. And it's not even raining!

Why be on the bike if it's no fun? It's certainly more fun than driving! Or walking! Or riding the bus (though riding the bus can be pretty fun).

So smile a little Portland!

Best Music Video Ever

Goodbye Jamie!

We're gonna miss ya!

New toy pic 2

New toy

No wonder I couldn't pull it out by hand

This is the nail I picked up on my tire this morning!

Monday commute buzzkill

WTF!?

Surprises on Mt Hood

Snowboarding was good today. We got 11 runs today at Skibowl. That far exceeds our best day. And Dev and I had 2 friends with us. One of them is apparently a natural snowboarder. I'll tell more when I'm less tired and I've posted some pictures.

Snowing again in Portland

When did I move to Alaska?

Snowboarding day 4

Good day out at Skibowl. Six runs total. Three on intermediate runs. Only one fall on all the intermediate runs (three falls total). Dev got six good runs in and only two falls the whole time.

Like I said, good day.

THIS is the Obama I voted for.....

Obama signs executive order to close Guantanamo Bay

Swimming breakthrough

I dunno how I did it, but I swam five 100s last night. Out of the gate. I was swimming on my better side (breathing to my left). I got near the end of my first 50 and thought to myself "I got plenty breath and I don't feel out of gas. Let's see what happens." And boom. I made it.

5 times.

I didn't finish a 100 breathing to my right. I'm mostly okay with that for now.

To my secret audience

You know who you are. I know you're there. I can feel you ogling my text. None escape my notice. I have eyes everywhere.

But I can be gracious. Visit. Be at home. Be at peace. Say a word. Or stay wrapped in the thick cloak of anonymity.

Enjoy my tales.

Swimming report

No clever title this time. I'm about 8 blog posts behind where I should be right now. No time to be clever.

So I swam last Tuesday at Dishman pool. I swam 20 laps in an hour. I had a decent night. Not too crowded. A good night to consolidate gains.

Then I tried to swim at Dishman Friday night. I didn't check the schedule; they hosted a swim meet. So I had to rush over to Columbia pool. By the time I hit the water I only had 45 minutes to swim. I got 15 laps. Started with breathing to my right side which is the weaker side from a technique standpoint. When I switched to my left side I felt like I was flying. I also held myself to 60 seconds of rest between laps (previously I had allowed 90 to 120 seconds). Despite my limited time in the water, I felt good about the night.

Then I swam at Dishman last night for an hour. Had a lane virtually to myself. Held myself to 60 second rests between laps. Finished 20 laps. Finished 20 laps in about 46 minutes. I feel almost ready to start working toward 100s.

What a change from a year ago. I'll dig up the entry from last year this time and see how far I've progressed.

Back on the sauce

Ten days without coffee/caffeine was plenty.

Our First Time Night Skiing

John and I at Skibowl

My white elephant prize

Monday was better than Thursday

I swam 20 laps in a little less than an hour. This was the first night I've hit 20 laps in several visits. I had several laps where I felt good flow and maintained a good pace up and down the lane. I even felt like I had some air in the tank after the lap; I almost started in on some 75s. I also managed to break my recent cycle of one good session and one bad session.

Progress continues apace.

Back to school

Started Biology 112 on Saturday. Packed class. Two lecture sessions split by a lab session every Saturday for 12 weeks. I feel reasonably current right now. The teacher seems good and she knows her stuff (which not all professors do). The most fun part involved using a compound microscope to look at specimens. I haven't used a microscope in 20 years. Or longer.

I hope it stays fun.

Monday may be better than Thursday

Which was better than Tuesday.

Swimming tonight. I swam twice last week. Tuesday night I fought about 30 people for a space in the slow lane. Apparently, I am not a slow swimmer. I am a swimmer that swims at a medium pace but requires frequent rest, like at the end of a lap. This knowledge will help me calibrate my swimming lane choice in the future. So because of the pace and the crowd, I only got 15 laps before I called it a night. Bad flow. Didn't feel strong or fluid. A disappointing session.

Thursday night went considerably better. I beat out 18 laps divided evenly between left-side and right-side breathing. I had at least two pool lengths where I felt fast and smooth and in good position. This follows a pattern I seem to have with swimming. One night is reasonably good, then next night swimming not so much. Then a third night is back to reasonably good.

So lets hope Monday is not a Monday, but is better than a Thursday.

True evil exists at our gym

I have encountered true evil at Recreate Fitness. This malevolence causes men of grit to quail and women of quality to seek shelter. I speak of nothing less than "The Leg Circuit"; an exercise progression of such agony that the sane flee it.

Four exercises comprise this leg circuit:
20 squats
10 lunges with each leg, alternating
10 jumping lunges with each leg, alternating
10 jumping squat

The ache of this poison lingers in my thews and stains my ligaments with grief. I yearn for a quick recovery, as do all who encounter this well of woe. But you may mark me out of the crowd by my haggard visage and shuffling, pained gait.

At least for another 24 hours or so.

Pictures from New Years

I haven't had a chance to go through and delete the bad ones yet. Enjoy!

Snowshoeing Dec 31 and Jan 1

Snowshoeing Mt Tumalo Jan 2

Snowboarding Mt Bachelor

Ushering in a new era

We snowshoed yesterday and the day before. Some nice easy 4 mile loops. Cowboy went with us on New Year's Eve. He enjoys playing in the snow but has a hard time in soft snow. By the time we got done with the trudge back to the car, Cowboy could hardly walk. We hung out at the house the rest of the day. Ate some good food. Drank a little wine and beer. Waited for Nate and Aaron and Kate to arrive.

They walked in the door right around 9 pm. Almost as soon as they finished unloading the car, Nate shot out the back door of the house to the pedestrian path on a quest for some groceries and beer. Thirty minutes pass and no Nate. We didn't think much of it; maybe he was perusing the selection at the store. An hour passes and no Nate. At least three of us wonder aloud at his lengthening absence. We joke and keep playing cards. Almost two hours swing by with Rummy 500 passing the time. Now all of us are worried about Nate's absence. Keith and Kate hop into a car and cruise around the community. They go to the grocery store and find a local police officer. As they are speaking with the cop Nate wanders into the headlights of their car. They're back in moments.

We all watch the ball drop. I'm sad watching Dick Clark. He's so fragile and has a hard time talking. If he's doing it because he loves it, then I'm cool. If he's doing it because he was conned and cajoled then I'm angry.

Another game of Rummy and another drink and then most of us turn in. Another late start New Year's Day (yesterday). The weather conditions on Mt Bachelor sucked. Nate and Keith and Aaron loaded up for some backcountry skiing on Mt Tumalo. Dev and Sue and I wandered back to the Edison Sno Park; Sue skied cross country while Dev and I snowshoed up to the Edison shelter. We let Cowboy stay home for a recovery day. After trucking around in the snow, we all gathered back at the house. Dev and I spent a few minutes in the house hot tub. We gathered around after for enchiladas (made by Dev.) Aaron mixed up some tasty and potent margaritas. We played more cards and watched the resort network also known as the ski porn channel.

So we rose early this morning. Conditions on Bachelor still seem a little sketchy and not nearly as nice as tomorrow. At $70 for a lift ticket, we're hesitant to rush up there if the conditions aren't great. So now we're finishing breakfast and discussing our options. More snowshoeing? Cross country skiing? Town day with movie and a tour of the Deschutes brewery?

(We forgot the cable for our camera so you all will have to wait for pictures until Sunday after we get home.)