While I was off piloting watercraft and relaxing, my bike was in the shop getting tuned up. It had sat pretty much inactive for 6 months down in Orlando and then was taken apart, shipped here, and put back together by a novice (me). So I figured it'd be worth it to get my brakes to work and my shifting to not throw me from my seat. I took it down to the guys at Bicycle Dr. just across the street, and they did a real nice job. It was like riding a different bike this morning, with everything so smooth and quiet. It really felt nice.
And then I rode through a half foot of sediment-laden water. Good timing! Cherry Creek was raging this morning. Raging, I say! I found out later that they were doing a water release at the dam to compensate for the rain Denver got last week. Unfortunately, this meant that there was a LOT of water on the bike path this morning. Thankfully I was wearing sandals this morning to give my itchy toes a rest, because I pushed on through the water in many of the patches and it was up to my ankles, and keep in mind my ankles were up on pedals. I skipped up to the road for one particularly turbulent patch. The turbid water was not so kind to the bike, and now my brakes sound like they're made of sandpaper. Nice timing!
Monday, April 30, 2007
Sunday, April 29, 2007
F is for Furniture, Friends, and Free
Thank you, thank you, thank you to Amanda and Mark who graciously gave me their living room furniture. It looks very nice in my apartment. And thanks to Sean, Dean, Jill, and Tirzah for helping me move in the furniture. I finally have a place to relax now!
Hopefully, before the end of the week I will have a bed and a dresser thanks to Sarah and John. Yay! Now if only I didn't want to shove my arms up to the elbows in a vat of hydrocortizone ice cream.
Hopefully, before the end of the week I will have a bed and a dresser thanks to Sarah and John. Yay! Now if only I didn't want to shove my arms up to the elbows in a vat of hydrocortizone ice cream.
I Just Drove in From Page, and Boy Are My Arms Itchy!
I'm back! But not with a vengeance; mainly with a case of hives that has me ready to take a steel wool pad to my forearms and toes. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I'm talking about my Lake Powell vacation here. Let's do it right.
So, we left Denver on Saturday morning and picked David up in Grand Junction. We then camped overnight in beautiful Moab. We got up the next morning and drove to Page, AZ where we stocked up on dangerous toys and sundry articles at WalMart and stayed in a motel. The next cold, drizzly morning we went out to the Antelope Point Marina and scored a houseboat. They actually let me drive it for a while as we headed out on Lake Powell. Driving something with two engines and a steering wheel that turns around about 4 times in either direction is harder than I thought, but after weaving down a canyon for a while, I got the hang of it.
The houseboat was awesome. 59 feet long, with 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms, fore and aft decks, and an upstairs sundeck complete with an icemaker, fridge and stereo. There was also a nice galley and a living and dining area which had an entertainment center and its own stereo. Verrrry nice.
We headed out and moored in Kane Creek Canyon the first night. Since the average depth of Lake Powell is 400 feet, you can't quite just drop anchor. You have to be moored at night with four anchors that you have to bury in the sand, and bury deep. It is moored from both the front and back of each side to make it stable. You don't want it swinging around and hitting the rocks during the night.
We also rented a power boat, which I got to drive to go pick up Sean and Amanda when they got there on Monday. It was much easier to drive than the houseboat; more straightforward and responsive. Spivey, our resident knot tier, went along and helped me dock and tied up the boat. Sean and Amanda got down to the boat just at 6, so we had a nice, chilly late afternoon ride over the lake followed up with hot chocolate when we got to the boat.
The next day we set off and docked in Grotto Canyon. Since doing the anchors was a bit of a pain, we stayed there the rest of the time. It was a really nice spot with a canyon to explore and good fishing.
The lake is beautiful. The water is a tropical green where it is shallower, going quickly to a deep blue as the bottom plunges down to 400 feet. The blue lake is a stunning contrast to the red buttes and monoliths and the white of some of the lighter rocks. Because of the steep dropoff, you get some really beautiful gradients when the sun is shining on the water.
Pretty much we spent the time there eating, drinking, lounging, messing around, and reading. Oh, the reading was glorious. I haven't read for pleasure in while in such a long dose. I finished up the rather dry Japanese history book I'd been reading and moved on to Watership Down that Cassie had given me. I got through about three quarters of the book in a day. I enjoyed that. I got in a bit of light hiking and a lot of photography. I took more than 600 pictures, so you'll understand if I don't have them up quite yet. We also had a three man slingshot that we rigged up on the side of the houseboat to fire water balloons (biodegradable, don't worry) off the side of the boat. The thing has some wallop to it, which John found out when the water balloon didn't release and it came back and smacked him in the chest. Supposedly the thing could fire 300 yards, but we got it maybe around 100 if we were lucky.
Speaking of war wounds, John wasn't the only one. I got a minor burn on my hand when I picked up the wrong end of my fire poking stick. David seriously messed up his ankle on the third day doing a night hike. Spivey took a baseball to the shin that left a beauty of a welt. I also had an allergic reaction to something that is still making itself felt. The backs of my hands and arms are livid with hives. I'm not sure what caused the reaction, but I think that it was the Banana Boat sunblock I put on. I've never used that brand before. My legs and feet broke out to a lesser degree, though lately the histamines seem to be congregating in my toes. Whenever I'm out in the sun, they really act up, and today after some frisbee in the park, they're driving me nuts.
The food was awesome. John had been a chef before his time in the high tech industry, so he did almost all the cooking and it was superb. Jun and the others caught some striped bass and he mixed it in with this awesome salsa. And there was steak and pasta and burgers and lots of good eats punctuating the perpetual browsing we did on bags of chips and some addictive cake bread that Jorma made.
On Friday we packed it in and came back to the marina. The plan was originally to camp again in Moab, but with David's ankle and the general exhaustion we just drove straight back to Denver. I spent Saturday recuperating, catching up on media I'd missed (BTW, the two Lost eps were good and the Heroes one was great!), and doing laundry.
So anyway, that's Lake Powell. I'll have pictures sometime soon.
So, we left Denver on Saturday morning and picked David up in Grand Junction. We then camped overnight in beautiful Moab. We got up the next morning and drove to Page, AZ where we stocked up on dangerous toys and sundry articles at WalMart and stayed in a motel. The next cold, drizzly morning we went out to the Antelope Point Marina and scored a houseboat. They actually let me drive it for a while as we headed out on Lake Powell. Driving something with two engines and a steering wheel that turns around about 4 times in either direction is harder than I thought, but after weaving down a canyon for a while, I got the hang of it.
The houseboat was awesome. 59 feet long, with 4 bedrooms, two bathrooms, fore and aft decks, and an upstairs sundeck complete with an icemaker, fridge and stereo. There was also a nice galley and a living and dining area which had an entertainment center and its own stereo. Verrrry nice.
We headed out and moored in Kane Creek Canyon the first night. Since the average depth of Lake Powell is 400 feet, you can't quite just drop anchor. You have to be moored at night with four anchors that you have to bury in the sand, and bury deep. It is moored from both the front and back of each side to make it stable. You don't want it swinging around and hitting the rocks during the night.
We also rented a power boat, which I got to drive to go pick up Sean and Amanda when they got there on Monday. It was much easier to drive than the houseboat; more straightforward and responsive. Spivey, our resident knot tier, went along and helped me dock and tied up the boat. Sean and Amanda got down to the boat just at 6, so we had a nice, chilly late afternoon ride over the lake followed up with hot chocolate when we got to the boat.
The next day we set off and docked in Grotto Canyon. Since doing the anchors was a bit of a pain, we stayed there the rest of the time. It was a really nice spot with a canyon to explore and good fishing.
The lake is beautiful. The water is a tropical green where it is shallower, going quickly to a deep blue as the bottom plunges down to 400 feet. The blue lake is a stunning contrast to the red buttes and monoliths and the white of some of the lighter rocks. Because of the steep dropoff, you get some really beautiful gradients when the sun is shining on the water.
Pretty much we spent the time there eating, drinking, lounging, messing around, and reading. Oh, the reading was glorious. I haven't read for pleasure in while in such a long dose. I finished up the rather dry Japanese history book I'd been reading and moved on to Watership Down that Cassie had given me. I got through about three quarters of the book in a day. I enjoyed that. I got in a bit of light hiking and a lot of photography. I took more than 600 pictures, so you'll understand if I don't have them up quite yet. We also had a three man slingshot that we rigged up on the side of the houseboat to fire water balloons (biodegradable, don't worry) off the side of the boat. The thing has some wallop to it, which John found out when the water balloon didn't release and it came back and smacked him in the chest. Supposedly the thing could fire 300 yards, but we got it maybe around 100 if we were lucky.
Speaking of war wounds, John wasn't the only one. I got a minor burn on my hand when I picked up the wrong end of my fire poking stick. David seriously messed up his ankle on the third day doing a night hike. Spivey took a baseball to the shin that left a beauty of a welt. I also had an allergic reaction to something that is still making itself felt. The backs of my hands and arms are livid with hives. I'm not sure what caused the reaction, but I think that it was the Banana Boat sunblock I put on. I've never used that brand before. My legs and feet broke out to a lesser degree, though lately the histamines seem to be congregating in my toes. Whenever I'm out in the sun, they really act up, and today after some frisbee in the park, they're driving me nuts.
The food was awesome. John had been a chef before his time in the high tech industry, so he did almost all the cooking and it was superb. Jun and the others caught some striped bass and he mixed it in with this awesome salsa. And there was steak and pasta and burgers and lots of good eats punctuating the perpetual browsing we did on bags of chips and some addictive cake bread that Jorma made.
On Friday we packed it in and came back to the marina. The plan was originally to camp again in Moab, but with David's ankle and the general exhaustion we just drove straight back to Denver. I spent Saturday recuperating, catching up on media I'd missed (BTW, the two Lost eps were good and the Heroes one was great!), and doing laundry.
So anyway, that's Lake Powell. I'll have pictures sometime soon.
Friday, April 20, 2007
Will Wonders Never Cease?
I certainly hope they won't. A world without wonder isn't what I signed up for.
So, anyway, I saw a fox this morning, and not the metaphorical kind or a Michael J. or a Matthew. A real live fox. He was orange with black socks and was slinking through the parking lot behind DC-10. He slipped into the grounds of the former governor's mansion and was gone from my sight. "That was a fox!", I exclaimed. In downtown Denver, no less. That's really cool.
So, anyway, I saw a fox this morning, and not the metaphorical kind or a Michael J. or a Matthew. A real live fox. He was orange with black socks and was slinking through the parking lot behind DC-10. He slipped into the grounds of the former governor's mansion and was gone from my sight. "That was a fox!", I exclaimed. In downtown Denver, no less. That's really cool.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Fast As You Can
So, I've had a few people ask whether or not I watched Lost, and I haven't. The reason is that I'm on a media fast. For one week, I am not listening to music, watching TV, reading books, listening to the radio, watching movies, playing video games or surfing the web. The exceptions are:
The reason for this is not that I think the media are evil, but that they are very distracting. I find myself inordinantly drawn to webcomics and neglecting things I should be focusing on. That's why Christian books made the cut, because I don't think reading the Bible or The Cost of Discipleship are going to distract from focusing on God. I also find myself turning to media for entertainment rather than talking to people who matter to me. I find I also use media as an anesthetic to numb myself to things that I'd rather not think about, but should. I find I also use media to fill the interstices in my life, so that when I have a spare moment between activities I fill it with media rather than thought.
So that's why I didn't watch Lost. I figure I can download it and watch it later. Instead I hung out with some good friends last night and played Settlers. I won, by the way. Thanks to Isaac and Elsa for hosting and for the wonderful food! Really, anything I miss I can get to later. It's not going anywhere, but this moment in my life is passing by with every second.
The experiment has worked to a degree. The first few days, I was much more aware of my surroundings, especially when driving in my car. The pavement on some of Denver's roads make it sound like I've got a couple of flat tires. I've had some good time thinking about what I should be doing in my life right now, which isn't the most comfortable thing, but something that is necessary. I certainly have been more introspective lately.
Places where the experiment fails have popped up too. This week had some rough days that the salve of media would have helped soothe. I have found of regardless of whether I have music playing, I have a jukebox constantly playing in my head. Also, I've found that work has also acted as an anesthetic. I'm just too busy to really notice the lack of media, especially these past few days.
Anyway, Saturday will be the last day in my media fast. I'll be taking plenty of books and music to Lake Powell, and I'll probably have downloaded the most recent Lost and Naruto episodes before I go so I can watch them on my laptop. I will be incommunicado while on my trip. There is not even cell phone reception where I'm going, so I doubt I'll have a net connection. I'll be back on the evening of the next Saturday. I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures and stories to relate. We have a three person slingshot, a pirate flag, and plenty of alcohol. Of course there will be stories
- Media I can't avoid, such as the TV in the gym or my coworkers' music
- Informational sources. Sure, everything can be informational, but by this I mean, things I need to look up, such as phone numbers or directions
- Christian media, though I'm limiting this to books for now
- Media that encourages me to directly communicate with friends and family. This means I'll email people, talk with them on the phone, and blog.
- Instructional media for my job
The reason for this is not that I think the media are evil, but that they are very distracting. I find myself inordinantly drawn to webcomics and neglecting things I should be focusing on. That's why Christian books made the cut, because I don't think reading the Bible or The Cost of Discipleship are going to distract from focusing on God. I also find myself turning to media for entertainment rather than talking to people who matter to me. I find I also use media as an anesthetic to numb myself to things that I'd rather not think about, but should. I find I also use media to fill the interstices in my life, so that when I have a spare moment between activities I fill it with media rather than thought.
So that's why I didn't watch Lost. I figure I can download it and watch it later. Instead I hung out with some good friends last night and played Settlers. I won, by the way. Thanks to Isaac and Elsa for hosting and for the wonderful food! Really, anything I miss I can get to later. It's not going anywhere, but this moment in my life is passing by with every second.
The experiment has worked to a degree. The first few days, I was much more aware of my surroundings, especially when driving in my car. The pavement on some of Denver's roads make it sound like I've got a couple of flat tires. I've had some good time thinking about what I should be doing in my life right now, which isn't the most comfortable thing, but something that is necessary. I certainly have been more introspective lately.
Places where the experiment fails have popped up too. This week had some rough days that the salve of media would have helped soothe. I have found of regardless of whether I have music playing, I have a jukebox constantly playing in my head. Also, I've found that work has also acted as an anesthetic. I'm just too busy to really notice the lack of media, especially these past few days.
Anyway, Saturday will be the last day in my media fast. I'll be taking plenty of books and music to Lake Powell, and I'll probably have downloaded the most recent Lost and Naruto episodes before I go so I can watch them on my laptop. I will be incommunicado while on my trip. There is not even cell phone reception where I'm going, so I doubt I'll have a net connection. I'll be back on the evening of the next Saturday. I'm sure I'll have plenty of pictures and stories to relate. We have a three person slingshot, a pirate flag, and plenty of alcohol. Of course there will be stories
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
What a Difference Prayer and a Day Makes
Wow. Thank you to everyone who was praying for me. Today was a thousand times better than yesterday. Today I was on track and was able to get a lot done. The frustration, for the most part, was gone, and I actually felt competent again. And I got free Chinese food and a box of Dots. Candy makes everything better. Except diabetes. And then even in small doses it can help. Okay. Dieting might not be a good place for candy to be. Anyway, I did just get home at about 10, but man, my attitude is a polar opposite of yesterday's. Thanks God and those who prayed!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Well that was fun. Let's NEVER do that again.
I just got home from work. (note the timestamp and add an hour.) How was your day? Did it involve:
- inept floundering?
- technical mishaps that consumed hours of time?
- miscommunication that doomed you to suffering?
- humiliating helplessness?
- mentally going in circles?
- hours of futile struggling?
- frustration to the point you wished an asteroid would strike you and obliterate everything in the vicinity?
Sunday, April 15, 2007
Breaking In Boots
So yesterday I did a bunch of chores and errands, but by the time the afternoon rolled around, I felt the need to do something else, so I walked down to Riverfront Park, giving me a chance to break in the new pair of boots I bought. Also, I think I need a bit of the promenade; to see and be seen. I walked up Lincoln to 17th and took in the wonderful architecture Denver has, then cut over to the bustling 16th Street Mall. I took that all the way down to the park and climbed the stairs by the weird mast type thing. From there, I could look across I-25 and the Platte to see my office. I then turned around at took the Mall Ride back down 16th part of the way to give my feet a rest. The new boots will prove a challenge for my smaller toes, as their knuckles were glowing red by that time. I may need to invest in some moleskin, but then again, I always seem to go through this with new boots. It's more of the boots breaking in my feet than vice versa. I walked back half the distance of the Mall and then back down to my place, prolly around 4 miles all told.
It was fun to see all the interesting fashion choices people make, from the man in the aquamarine suit to the red cap a guy was wearing that looked like a futuristic waste basket. I also enjoyed the grandma who was wearing an African print outfit topped with a hat that looked to be straight from a Laura Engles Wilder novel.
Today I went down to church at Bethany, which is where Matt goes to church. It was pretty good, though they don't have a Sunday school class specifically for folks my age. It was a good service, but a long drive. It's not exactly what I'm looking for, but it felt pretty good. I came home and walked over to the Spicy Pickle. I have fond memories of the panini there and was pleased to find them still delectable. I also tried some dill pickle potato chips, which were interesting, but probably more appealing to folks who enjoy salt & vinegar chips. The were nowhere near the excellence of the salt & pepper chips Adam brought to Gamedra.
On the way back from lunch, I was finally able to read the flag flying over the law offices in the former governor's mansion. It reads: "Reasonable Doubt for a Reasonable Fee."
It was fun to see all the interesting fashion choices people make, from the man in the aquamarine suit to the red cap a guy was wearing that looked like a futuristic waste basket. I also enjoyed the grandma who was wearing an African print outfit topped with a hat that looked to be straight from a Laura Engles Wilder novel.
Today I went down to church at Bethany, which is where Matt goes to church. It was pretty good, though they don't have a Sunday school class specifically for folks my age. It was a good service, but a long drive. It's not exactly what I'm looking for, but it felt pretty good. I came home and walked over to the Spicy Pickle. I have fond memories of the panini there and was pleased to find them still delectable. I also tried some dill pickle potato chips, which were interesting, but probably more appealing to folks who enjoy salt & vinegar chips. The were nowhere near the excellence of the salt & pepper chips Adam brought to Gamedra.
On the way back from lunch, I was finally able to read the flag flying over the law offices in the former governor's mansion. It reads: "Reasonable Doubt for a Reasonable Fee."
Friday, April 13, 2007
Dreams Really Do Come True!
Yay! I finally have a reliable and renewable source of Internet in my apartment. Yesterday I got a package slip in my mail saying that the office had a package for me. Unfortunately, the office is always closed when I'm home on the weekdays. However, I happened to go by the office at 10 last night, and someone was in there, so I asked if they could get my package, and they nicely did. So I got my package and spent the rest of the night setting it up. Unfortunately, at 11, Comcast was saying I didn't have the necessary software to use the service. Both sources they provided for me to get it from didn't work, so I figured that I would try tonight.
Lo and behold, I connected to my wireless network and I am able to connect, even without getting their software. So anyway, I gots teh Interwebs!
Next week promises to be crazy as all get out. Not only is it the week before I leave for Lake Powell, but because they've got a project for me, I've been told to expect to work late Monday night, I'm meeting with Delight on Tuesday, playing Settlers on Wednesday, grabbing dinner with Jason on Thursday, packing Friday, and leaving Saturday. Hmm. I might need to use this weekend wisely.
Oh, and the promised 6-12 inches of snow the weathermen were warning us of? Didn't happen. There were some flurries today, but nothing stuck. In fact, it was really a pleasant day other than the fact that because I listened to weathermen, I ended up feeling like a fool for not riding my bike in today (again).
Lo and behold, I connected to my wireless network and I am able to connect, even without getting their software. So anyway, I gots teh Interwebs!
Next week promises to be crazy as all get out. Not only is it the week before I leave for Lake Powell, but because they've got a project for me, I've been told to expect to work late Monday night, I'm meeting with Delight on Tuesday, playing Settlers on Wednesday, grabbing dinner with Jason on Thursday, packing Friday, and leaving Saturday. Hmm. I might need to use this weekend wisely.
Oh, and the promised 6-12 inches of snow the weathermen were warning us of? Didn't happen. There were some flurries today, but nothing stuck. In fact, it was really a pleasant day other than the fact that because I listened to weathermen, I ended up feeling like a fool for not riding my bike in today (again).
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Gobsmacked
How can I pass up an opportunity to comment on last night's Lost episode instead of being productive? I can't. It's that simple. Of course, that should warn you that there are SPOILERS ahead. Anyhow, Juliet is a dangerous woman. You think you're a big man, Sayid? You think you can take her, Sawyer? Juliet lays down the verbal smackdown on you! Kibosh! But despite that, I didn't see the last moment revelation that Juliet is still working for Ben coming. I watched mouth agape as we saw her tete-a-tete with evil mastermind Ben and the planned infiltration (again) of the Losties' camp. Juliet is such a good actress, she could have me eat my own hand or whatever those tricksters of folklore were rumored to be able to do. Ben still is the master of mental manipulation, but I have a feeling he'll be sorry he made Juliet cry before the end of the series, possibly by the end of the season.
So what do you think is her mission among our troubled castaways? What nefarious plan of Ben's is she hatching? And what happens in one week (island time)? And will she carry her mission through or double cross Ben?
Some other thoughts: Jack has another tattoo on his arm, but on the inside and much more colorful. I noticed it back in Locke's recent episode, but it was putting in a lot of appearances in last night's. I wonder what it is about? Also, what sort of trip to the island requires flight, submarines and sedation? Is it a flying submarine? And who's coming to bring DEVASTATION? I guess I should check the forums, because someone will prolly have already decoded the significance of Herarat Aviation and have hi-def screen caps of Jack's tattoos. Okay. Enough of this. I need to study me some Flex.
So what do you think is her mission among our troubled castaways? What nefarious plan of Ben's is she hatching? And what happens in one week (island time)? And will she carry her mission through or double cross Ben?
Some other thoughts: Jack has another tattoo on his arm, but on the inside and much more colorful. I noticed it back in Locke's recent episode, but it was putting in a lot of appearances in last night's. I wonder what it is about? Also, what sort of trip to the island requires flight, submarines and sedation? Is it a flying submarine? And who's coming to bring DEVASTATION? I guess I should check the forums, because someone will prolly have already decoded the significance of Herarat Aviation and have hi-def screen caps of Jack's tattoos. Okay. Enough of this. I need to study me some Flex.
Two More Notes
Oh yeah, my Easter was nice. I went with Gavin and Sarah to Sarah's parents' house up in Bailey. It was my first trip into the mountains since returning here. It was very pretty with all the snow and fog and snowflakes drifting between the evergreens. We had the traditional Easter meal of chicken parmesan and watched The Nativity Story. No, seriously. For Christmas we're going to watch The Passion.
The other note is that when I was leaving the RMAUG meeting, I was unlocking my bike and a car drove past making the car distress call: "Oh please, someone take me away from this person. Oh the agony! Oh the pain! Someone, please help! AAAAAGGGH! Someone slap my driver six ways from Sunday! Oh, aaaa-ggooooo-neeeeeeee!" The long white sedan in question was driving with one exceptionally flat tire, the rim making the distress call as it ground itself into hundreds of dollars of repairs on the asphalt. Honestly, people.
Oh, and note 2.5: You can leave comments using your old Blogger login if you don't want to use your Google log in.
The other note is that when I was leaving the RMAUG meeting, I was unlocking my bike and a car drove past making the car distress call: "Oh please, someone take me away from this person. Oh the agony! Oh the pain! Someone, please help! AAAAAGGGH! Someone slap my driver six ways from Sunday! Oh, aaaa-ggooooo-neeeeeeee!" The long white sedan in question was driving with one exceptionally flat tire, the rim making the distress call as it ground itself into hundreds of dollars of repairs on the asphalt. Honestly, people.
Oh, and note 2.5: You can leave comments using your old Blogger login if you don't want to use your Google log in.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Bonus Notes
And if the last two posts weren't enough, here's a bonus posting of brief notes for you!
- Comcast? Send me my gosh-danged Internet kit. I am tired of leeching off of intermittently available wireless from my neighbors. I'm not going to pay $100 to have it installed by someone else. Send it now, dangit!
- Floridians, act now! You can come up to friendly Colorado for some nice, cool refreshing snow! We're slated for another 10-12 inches starting Thursday and going through Friday. But hurry and act now! Supplies are limited. Oh wait. Never mind. They say we'll get some more on Monday.
- Corrie's coming to visit! Yay!
Night Rider
Okay, so later that day, having consumed so much ActionScript classes that if I saw one more use of the Delegate class I was going to ooze partially digested code out of every conceivable orifice (thank you, metaphors!), I had to take a break and work on learning Flex instead. It's pretty cool stuff, though I know that messing around with it will lead to riskier things, such as ActionScript 3
and that means more classes. In fact, nothing but classes and much more typing. But for now, yay for Flex!
Since I was getting my Flex fix at work, I decided to go to the Rocky Mountain Adobe Users Group (RMAUG) meeting that my co-worker Sean was presenting at. (I sooooo want to see a Users Group from say, Southern Montana, so it could be SMAUG.) It was at DU, so that was a plus too. I stayed later at work and then rode to the Convention Center to take the light rail down to DU. This was my first ride on the new rail line, so that was cool. It still took a long time to get there, so I didn't have much time to look around DU, but it looks pretty much as it did in May. After a lot of time, I found the room in an obscure corner of Sturm Hall.
The presentations were on Captivate and Connect (f.k.a. Breeze). While neither topic interested me too much, it was a break from ActionScripting and hey: free pizza. The first guy unfortunately went way over time, by 30-40 minutes, so Sean was left with a scant amount of time to cover a very large topic. And the technical gods were not smiling on him, as the projector cable was damaged and was showing everything either yellow or green and many examples weren't loading. Sean recovered like a pro, but the damage to the schedule was done. So all in all, I didn't get out of there until a quarter till 10.
I rode back up to the light rail station and took the train back up to the Convention Center. I got off and rode onto the Cherry Creek bike path with all my night time riding gear on. Once I was on the trail, I turned off my headlight since it was well lit enough. It was quite nice riding along in the dark. The path and the creek beside it were transformed and recontextualized for me by the night. Everything was made new by the change in lighting. It was cold and I had my stocking cap on under my helmet. The helmet straps pressed it close against my ears, making all the world muffled and quiet like in a snowfall. It seemed like a whole different world, which was nice transformation of the everyday commute to something slightly otherworldy. By the time I locked up the bike in the subbasement, it was a quarter to 11 and I was drop dead tired.
And then 6:45 AM came around again and it was up and at 'em again. Rinse. Repeat.
and that means more classes. In fact, nothing but classes and much more typing. But for now, yay for Flex!
Since I was getting my Flex fix at work, I decided to go to the Rocky Mountain Adobe Users Group (RMAUG) meeting that my co-worker Sean was presenting at. (I sooooo want to see a Users Group from say, Southern Montana, so it could be SMAUG.) It was at DU, so that was a plus too. I stayed later at work and then rode to the Convention Center to take the light rail down to DU. This was my first ride on the new rail line, so that was cool. It still took a long time to get there, so I didn't have much time to look around DU, but it looks pretty much as it did in May. After a lot of time, I found the room in an obscure corner of Sturm Hall.
The presentations were on Captivate and Connect (f.k.a. Breeze). While neither topic interested me too much, it was a break from ActionScripting and hey: free pizza. The first guy unfortunately went way over time, by 30-40 minutes, so Sean was left with a scant amount of time to cover a very large topic. And the technical gods were not smiling on him, as the projector cable was damaged and was showing everything either yellow or green and many examples weren't loading. Sean recovered like a pro, but the damage to the schedule was done. So all in all, I didn't get out of there until a quarter till 10.
I rode back up to the light rail station and took the train back up to the Convention Center. I got off and rode onto the Cherry Creek bike path with all my night time riding gear on. Once I was on the trail, I turned off my headlight since it was well lit enough. It was quite nice riding along in the dark. The path and the creek beside it were transformed and recontextualized for me by the night. Everything was made new by the change in lighting. It was cold and I had my stocking cap on under my helmet. The helmet straps pressed it close against my ears, making all the world muffled and quiet like in a snowfall. It seemed like a whole different world, which was nice transformation of the everyday commute to something slightly otherworldy. By the time I locked up the bike in the subbasement, it was a quarter to 11 and I was drop dead tired.
And then 6:45 AM came around again and it was up and at 'em again. Rinse. Repeat.
Windbreaking & Entering
So, on Monday I had finally made the decision to shower at work. I had been arriving at work somewhere between mildly damp and really sweaty, and figured as a service to my coworkers, I would shower at work instead of at home before I left. So, I got up early and left for work in workout clothes. This was a good choice, because it was very windy and the wind was not in my favor. Other than a short spate of drafting behind a CU student, it was me versus the wind and my throat was letting me know that it did not like this.
Can someone teach me good spitting form? All the phlegm my exertions brought to the front needed expelling, and usually if I fling my head to the side while riding, I can clear my arm and hit the side of the path with my expectoration. However, I don't get very good distance, and so one loogie found my arm. Gross. Luckily I carry a rag for just such occasions. So, can someone teach me how to spit more effectively and cleanly?
Okay, moving along, I did get to work and got in out of the cold. I unlocked the door to the office and brought my bike inside. As I did, I heard the normal door chime. And then I heard it again. And again. And again and then more rapidly. Then the klaxon alarm went off. I had set off the alarm. Panic settled in rather swiftly. I tried calling Amanda, but I only have her work number. I realized that I did not have the cell number of anyone who worked at RealEyes. When I arrived I was sweaty from the wind. Now I am sweating bullets. What do I do? Wait for the police, I guess. Finally, I think to call the number on the alarm service sticker and the nice lady there gives me David's cell phone number. I call him and he cancels the alarm and gives me the code to shut off the alarm. Thankfully he is not too irked, despite the fact that he got woken up by the whole todo. Later I seek full explanation for myself and Paula, the other newbie, so this won't be happening again.
All in all it is a very good thing that I had the shower gear with me, because after all that, I was more than a little sweaty. Bathed in a sheen of liquid panic is more like it. The shower facility was pretty nice with plenty of hot water.
40 minutes later, the building alarm went off (it wasn't me!) for no apparent reason.
Can someone teach me good spitting form? All the phlegm my exertions brought to the front needed expelling, and usually if I fling my head to the side while riding, I can clear my arm and hit the side of the path with my expectoration. However, I don't get very good distance, and so one loogie found my arm. Gross. Luckily I carry a rag for just such occasions. So, can someone teach me how to spit more effectively and cleanly?
Okay, moving along, I did get to work and got in out of the cold. I unlocked the door to the office and brought my bike inside. As I did, I heard the normal door chime. And then I heard it again. And again. And again and then more rapidly. Then the klaxon alarm went off. I had set off the alarm. Panic settled in rather swiftly. I tried calling Amanda, but I only have her work number. I realized that I did not have the cell number of anyone who worked at RealEyes. When I arrived I was sweaty from the wind. Now I am sweating bullets. What do I do? Wait for the police, I guess. Finally, I think to call the number on the alarm service sticker and the nice lady there gives me David's cell phone number. I call him and he cancels the alarm and gives me the code to shut off the alarm. Thankfully he is not too irked, despite the fact that he got woken up by the whole todo. Later I seek full explanation for myself and Paula, the other newbie, so this won't be happening again.
All in all it is a very good thing that I had the shower gear with me, because after all that, I was more than a little sweaty. Bathed in a sheen of liquid panic is more like it. The shower facility was pretty nice with plenty of hot water.
40 minutes later, the building alarm went off (it wasn't me!) for no apparent reason.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Teaser
Oh my, what a day of adventure! Unfortunately, since I have just gotten home and it is 10 till 11, I think I will let it wait until tomorrow to be related to you gentle readers. In fact, I think it will be broken into two posts entitled Windbreaking & Entering and Night Rider. And that's windbreaking not breaking wind. Keep it clean, gentle reader.
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Late Morning Delight
Well, I got cable today, and shhhhhhh, it looks like they gave me more channels than they were supposed to. Oh well. I'm only getting cable really for the lower rate I can get Internet service at. While I was ordering my Internet service, a girl asked me if I had a cell phone she could borrow since she had come to see a friend, but now her car and phone were dead and her friend wasn't here. I took the opportunity to dust off the shining armor and lent her my phone and when she couldn't raise her friend I went out and jump-started her car. Her name is Delight and she is a recruiter for a company that helps people in financial trouble plan their budgets. I told her I knew of someone who might be a good fit for that job and she asked for my number to follow up on that. Hmmm.
I later went out and got a haircut and braved the veritable madhouse that was Target today. Note to self: don't go grocery shopping the day before Easter. Also, I procured wood glue. Very important.
Over lunch, I finally stitched together the panoramic shot I took from my building's rooftop patio. It won't fit in the picture viewer, so you'll have to enjoy it using the link above. Oh, and congratulations to Sam and Eric on the little one. You're now the first of my friends to have achieved the Grown Up Trifecta: graduate degree, marriage, and child. You win! Other contestants may be eligible to take home valuable parting gifts!
I later went out and got a haircut and braved the veritable madhouse that was Target today. Note to self: don't go grocery shopping the day before Easter. Also, I procured wood glue. Very important.
Over lunch, I finally stitched together the panoramic shot I took from my building's rooftop patio. It won't fit in the picture viewer, so you'll have to enjoy it using the link above. Oh, and congratulations to Sam and Eric on the little one. You're now the first of my friends to have achieved the Grown Up Trifecta: graduate degree, marriage, and child. You win! Other contestants may be eligible to take home valuable parting gifts!
Friday, April 6, 2007
Who Can Tame the Wild Nils? Not You.
I must warn you, ladies. I am a dangerous man. There is no telling when my fickle nature will turn and I will bust out a broom and sweep the kitchen floor on a Friday night. I may erupt into laundry while meeker men cruise clubs and ride their Ninjas through darkened alleyways. I may even, without warning, whip up a mess of Nils Fried Rice after a week of little else than reading ActionScript day in and day out. Beware! You cannot tame ... that which is not wild to begin with.
So tomorrow I will wait for the cable guy, then venture into the snowy reaches of the Mile High City for haircuts, wood glue, and comestibles of a staple nature. Good Friday to you all. I just hope it is good enough.
So tomorrow I will wait for the cable guy, then venture into the snowy reaches of the Mile High City for haircuts, wood glue, and comestibles of a staple nature. Good Friday to you all. I just hope it is good enough.
Thursday, April 5, 2007
Phew.
Well, it only took three days, but I was able to analyze and comprehend (just comprehend) one of the applications built with RealEyes' ActionScript framework. It feels good and I am definitely learning a lot. I still have questions to ask tomorrow, and I need to also tackle a more substantial app as well. The next step will be to see if I can actually build something with their framework. Then see if I can add to it. Hoo boy. Oh, and don't forget Flex and ActionScript 3. And may I say, AS3, cool as some of it is, also looks like a pain in the butt. Leaner and more reusable applications, now with 50% more typing!
And don't think I forgot about Lost. I thought last night's episode was pretty good, though not as revelatory as I would like. Kate and Juliet not only had a wet t-shirt brawl but also rolled around in the mud! I was surprised they didn't fall into a random mound of whipped cream or pudding and wrestle. But we did get to see further evidence of how scary dangerous Juliet is, not only with her mad jujitsu takedown of Kate and her high pain threshold (Why has her shoulder been dislocated 4 times?), but also her scheming/acting skills are l33t. I also though that the Hurley/Sawyer sideshow wasn't a waste of time like it usually is. It actually spurred some character growth and it would have been interesting to see Sawyer take on the leadership role, except, whoops, Jack is back next episode. And so is Sayid, with questions and a vengeance! Will Juliet open up? With these writers, not likely. But maybe someone will get smart and say, "hey, there's an entire village with working plumbing and electricity over yonder, and it comes with a monster-proof fence and high-security pool hall. It's free for the taking. Maybe we should move?" Think they'll consider it? Naaaah. They're too happy pooping in holes and reading by firelight.
And don't think I forgot about Lost. I thought last night's episode was pretty good, though not as revelatory as I would like. Kate and Juliet not only had a wet t-shirt brawl but also rolled around in the mud! I was surprised they didn't fall into a random mound of whipped cream or pudding and wrestle. But we did get to see further evidence of how scary dangerous Juliet is, not only with her mad jujitsu takedown of Kate and her high pain threshold (Why has her shoulder been dislocated 4 times?), but also her scheming/acting skills are l33t. I also though that the Hurley/Sawyer sideshow wasn't a waste of time like it usually is. It actually spurred some character growth and it would have been interesting to see Sawyer take on the leadership role, except, whoops, Jack is back next episode. And so is Sayid, with questions and a vengeance! Will Juliet open up? With these writers, not likely. But maybe someone will get smart and say, "hey, there's an entire village with working plumbing and electricity over yonder, and it comes with a monster-proof fence and high-security pool hall. It's free for the taking. Maybe we should move?" Think they'll consider it? Naaaah. They're too happy pooping in holes and reading by firelight.
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Pictures! Finally! Sheesh!
I finally have some pictures up from my apartment in Denver, as well as a few things in Orlando. You can see them in my new gallery. The gallery is not complete. I will be adding in a function that will allow requesting larger versions of pictures, a better loader for the pictures, and a (hopefully) improved interface. And if you are on a slow connection, be prepared to wait. The pix are much bigger than with my old picture viewer, so they're bigger files. It's worth it, though, really!
The whole thing runs off of XML which not only stores the data for the pictures, but also governs the colors used in the viewer. This is also pretty cool because I am using two custom ActionScript class files. One controls animations and the other the functionality of the pictures themselves. Of course, having looked through RealEyes' class files, I know mine are pale imitations, but it was a good exercise to get me back in the class-based development mindset.
Oh, I also hope to have a panoramic view from the apartment's rooftop patio up soon, but I really need to get back into learning RealEyes' framework. It's some seriously complex stuff. But my task is made easier by the new mouse they got me, which has 4-way scrolling and built in magnification, which is super cool. I heart gadgets.
The whole thing runs off of XML which not only stores the data for the pictures, but also governs the colors used in the viewer. This is also pretty cool because I am using two custom ActionScript class files. One controls animations and the other the functionality of the pictures themselves. Of course, having looked through RealEyes' class files, I know mine are pale imitations, but it was a good exercise to get me back in the class-based development mindset.
Oh, I also hope to have a panoramic view from the apartment's rooftop patio up soon, but I really need to get back into learning RealEyes' framework. It's some seriously complex stuff. But my task is made easier by the new mouse they got me, which has 4-way scrolling and built in magnification, which is super cool. I heart gadgets.
Monday, April 2, 2007
Day One
Okay. That's one day down. I rode my bike to work, which took about 20 minutes. I was pretty sweaty by the time I got there, as it was much warmer than when I did my test run. I rode home this afternoon without a jacket in glorious weather. That was nice. The new gloves and cuff strap worked quite well, to boot.
Work was good, though overwhelming. There is a LOT of stuff for me to learn, and it will adjustment coming from being the most knowledgeable person to now being the least knowledgeable. It will certainly be a challenge and will be an awesome learning experience. I know what I will be doing in all my spare time for a good long while.
We also hit Rosa Linda's for lunch, which was tasty, but left me with a case of leadbelly. I think I will skip dinner tonight and instead take a bath and absorb some code. The picture viewer is coming along, so I hope to get some pictures up soon.
Work was good, though overwhelming. There is a LOT of stuff for me to learn, and it will adjustment coming from being the most knowledgeable person to now being the least knowledgeable. It will certainly be a challenge and will be an awesome learning experience. I know what I will be doing in all my spare time for a good long while.
We also hit Rosa Linda's for lunch, which was tasty, but left me with a case of leadbelly. I think I will skip dinner tonight and instead take a bath and absorb some code. The picture viewer is coming along, so I hope to get some pictures up soon.
Sunday, April 1, 2007
April Fools? Please?
I got the RadioShark set up yesterday, so now I can listen to NPR again. Unfortunately, since WMFE's news station is 1340 AM and I am in the shadow of the apartment building, it's highly staticky and will remain so until I get the Internet in my pad.
But just listening to NPR today alarmed me when they ran a story about New York City banning all ringtones except for 4 seriously awful ones. Then I thought, waaaaaaiiiiit just a minute! Today is April Fool's Day. Please let it be a joke piece. I think it was, since they followed it up with a sponsor bit from Soylent Green. (Motto: Soylent Green is People.)
And in other news, I had fun at a game night at Tirzah's last night. We played Ticket to Ride Europe (Jill won) and Balderdash (I won). I figured out that on the rare occasion that you know a word's real meaning, it is much smarter to write a fake one than to write the real definition. If you write the real one, you get 3 points and sit the round out. If you instead write a fake one, you can guess the real one and get 2 points and then get more points from people voting for your fake definition. Strategery!
But just listening to NPR today alarmed me when they ran a story about New York City banning all ringtones except for 4 seriously awful ones. Then I thought, waaaaaaiiiiit just a minute! Today is April Fool's Day. Please let it be a joke piece. I think it was, since they followed it up with a sponsor bit from Soylent Green. (Motto: Soylent Green is People.)
And in other news, I had fun at a game night at Tirzah's last night. We played Ticket to Ride Europe (Jill won) and Balderdash (I won). I figured out that on the rare occasion that you know a word's real meaning, it is much smarter to write a fake one than to write the real definition. If you write the real one, you get 3 points and sit the round out. If you instead write a fake one, you can guess the real one and get 2 points and then get more points from people voting for your fake definition. Strategery!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)