penns cave

After a rather stressful week at the office - dealing with the transition of multiple people leaving and a host of new-found, highly technical tasks, i decided that i deserved a mid-day break... in the form of a road ride.

luna had a chunk of time free mid day and apparently a group of psu roadies were heading out at the same time. luna is looking and feeling much better these days so he's back out on the bike - just nothing too strenuous. noon -- rec hall... be there. i was increasingly nervous about the ride as the day progressed because i'm not fast, i just enjoy riding - tremendously - and i have a huge ego that does not suit knowing that people are waiting for my slow ass to catch up.

i also have not gotten out a lot lately due to schedule...so i wasn't feeling confidence about my fitness. as the kids showed up i slowly realized this was a boys ride... and that the boys were definitely not slow boys. i told greg i might drop off...

onward we went... we headed out through houserville to lemont and the pace was fine... out brush valley which is slightly uphill and i knew a spot where i could be potentially dropped. not so bad... i almost was dropped at one point but luckily someone had to stop for a minute and the pace letup. in the end, the entire ride wasn't all that bad. i was dropped on a few rollers coming home as i started to wear out some.

we averaged around 17 which ... ive held faster than that for multiple centuries this summer so it wasn't exactly blistering. but i was tired at the end as it's been a while since i've tried to keep pace.

in the end, it was a much needed break in the day - and i felt lucky to be able to sneak out of work for a ride. more riding to come this weekend - it's been long enough.

when it rains...

oh yes, it pours. literally.

this morning went something like this.

i had a bike ride planned with luna -- the last one was RAINED OUT - on a torrential scale so I was looking forward to the rain date. after the normal routine - walk the dog, etc, i went to prep my ride. front tire - air - no problem... rear tire - problem.

my pump has been sticking lately and i somehow managed to rip the tube right at the valve (i didn't know this at the time). i spent some time swearing at my bike and my pump and then decided to cave in, throw the bike in the car and drive to a shop.

easy right?

it would have been easy if the car had actually STARTED as it should when one engages the clutche and turns the throttle. it has been so long since i last drove her, that she didn't want to start.

damn.

after some TLC, she turned over and kicked in. it was a rocky first few minutes but soon she was purring. off i went to get the bike fixed. poor chaya was hiding in a corner to avoid the outbursts of profanity coming from my mouth. at the shop, i learned a few valuable lessons about bike pumps...

1. they can stick and you can put silicone on them to make this better.
2. mine was very sticky and probably had a tiny bit to do with the above-ripping.
3. i'm retarded when it comes to putting air in my tires (but we already knew this)

post bike and car repair, I finally got to work. all day contemplated a nice relaxing ride, with easy climbs, after a long, rather stressful day at work. stressful because i am now a programmer / system admin / graphics person / everything at my job since so many have left in recent months! this however is another blog... i digress.... lo and behold - it's now dark, thundering and windy.

steel frames and lightening --- not the best mix!

ride cancelled. we're gonna try again tomorrow. but i think it is safe to say that when it rains, it pours... and in this case, literally.

u just gotta love a swimmer.

If you have ever spent any time with a labrador, then you will understand, and perhaps appreciate this entry.

There are certain little things in life that bring pure pleasure. Taking my girl swimming is one of them.

She leaps, she splashes and she shakes.
She's going to wear #39 this year... if you are a steelers fan you might understand - but she's got the juke DOWN - IN THE WATER... and she's fast. no dog stands a chance off land. it also just so happens that 39 is one of my favorites - how fitting.
I guess it's the webbed toes. you've gotta save the shake for last - complete with sound effects that can be compared to the sound you might make when you create a base like hum with your voice and shake your lips, with your forefinger generating vibrato.

At the end of the day life is good - especially since I have a pooped labrador on my hands. and like my favorite swimming t-shirt of all time said on the back - in big bold blue letters...

"YOU JUST GOTTA LOVE A SWIMMER."

life's a funny thing

yesterday i had, what i think was one of the best birthday's ever. why.... you ask was it so good? well, because each and every moment of the day - aside from a random call bringing somewhat ominous news, was decided by yours truly. i decided to do whatever i wanted, when i wanted and be totally and completely selfish with my time.
here's what transpired:

1. no work
2. chaya swimming (she is part dog and part fish) while spending time hanging out with a good friend
3. a few hours of mtn biking
4. late night margaritas with some of the best peeps in town AND AND i didn't even have to pay
5. random e-card from someone past... every girl loves a good mystery. if you are reading this, thank you kind stranger who wishes to remain anonymous. i did get my ice cream but it was right at midnight - the margarita topped things off.
6. to add to things today a friend brought in the best home made cupcakes ever to my lab as a surprise along with her crazy pup. what a treat! and it wasn't even my birthday!!!
   

post-cupcake / surprise dog visit i sat down for my first eco study group. candidacy is going to kick my ass but... i have a very determined and firm ass so it should bounce back. afterall, i am a cyclist.

the good news - compared to the first study group that i sat through years ago, many of the questions are now familiar. even if i don't know the answer, i have an idea of what the answer is - or atleast where to look to find it. this is good.

the bad news - i have a LOT, in fact a BUTTLOAD to cover in a relatively short time. and yes butload IS a technical term. you'd know this if you were also an eco-grad.

onward march. my super exciting 8pt font, 700 page, duotone text book that could also serve as a fine paper weight / ship anchor calls...

reflections

a new semester begins with -- my birthday! woo hoo. and on this day i have so much to think about and be content with.

throughout the summer's course i rebuilt what had been broken down over years past. for the first time, in probably 10 years or close to it, i am completely, 100% comfortable with being alone in life. with doing everything on my own and not depending on anyone for support. the goals that i have are my own, and not focused or diverted by anyone elses needs or desires.

what's next?
* challenging goals that make living in this town meaningful
* lots of bike rides and dog-companion hikes to ward of study stress
* enjoying time spent with people who are around now and accepting that they may come or go at any time

can it be that simple?

it's a liberating feeling in many regards. we'll see how long it lasts.

here's to another year.

life

life is a funny animal.

it barks, it growls, it bites...sometimes, if you're lucky - or work hard enough - or manipulate correctly - it purrs.

sunday am, i woke up and all was well... as it could be at home.. it was well. the world was relatively calm and the only thoughts on my mind were those of future. what will i do? where will i go? school? work? pa? somewhere else... same old same old. these questions have been taxing my mind for months now - ever since my life's path hit an intersection with an infinite number of routes. i woke up one day and realized that in my single state, i could do and go anywhere that i wanted. i no longer needed to make decisions surrounding another person.

but i digress...

i woke up sunday am and the only things taxing my mind were those that had been there for many, many months. later in the day, i received a text message that made my heart sink into an empty stomache... luna was in a bike accident.

the message said he was going to be OK. the phone call said he was life flighted to a nearby hospital.

logically i knew that he was ok. his wife told me so. but emotionally the thought of my friend in such a frayed and torn state, being rushed to the hospital made me nauseous and brought tears to my eyes. to add to things, there was nothing that i could do. i thought about jumping in my car, but where would that have brought me?

on a selfish note, luna and ruk have been there for me through some extremely difficult times. they helped me through an emotional and tumultuous breakup. they helped me reclaim and rebuild my house in the after math. they've brought laughter and smiles to my life through long, early morning bike rides (climbing most of the way ofcourse - especially with luna!), garden tours, nursery explorations, dog walks and hikes, home-cooked dinners, late nights out. we also have a bond through our dogs -- who -- if you know me - and them - you realize are like children. what would i do without people like that in my life?

there are a few friends and family members in my life that i feel so strongly about, that even the thought that one day they might get seriously sick or hurt, sends icy cold shivers through my body, leaving me numb. they make the world a worthwhile place.

i sometimes wonder if the friends who i care about know how much they mean to me. and i sometimes wonder why it takes a traumatic event - even one that has an ok outcome - to remind me that there are bigger things to worry about in this world, than a job and its relative geography.

after all -- all of the growling and barking, is just noise.
the bites hurt, but flesh wounds heal.

good old state college -- from the most recent police blog

this entry was number 1 in the police log for aug 20. i kid you not - this was taken verbatim:

Visitors reported they were unsuccessful in contacting their granddaughter, a student, at Simmons Hall and had not heard from her in several weeks. Further investigation revealed the student had moved off campus on August 18th. The student was later located and determined to be safe.

all kindsa crime...what a town we live in...

to luna...

luna was in an accident today. he was life flighted to hershey but he's now home, in the caring hands of his wife and from what i hear as well as he can be considering. keep him in your thoughts.

he rode the bob roll stage race and even got pictures with and talked to bob! sounds like day two was not so smooth. someone ran into him and locked up his wheel. damn cat 5 racers can't keep a straight line.

frustrating to not be up there to visit. and it's not like you can send a guy flowers. that's just plain retarded.

i guess it's just good to know he's ok. he's way too good of a friend to not be. this one's for luna. get better soon buddy.

gimme

last week marked the glorious, annual event - otherwise known as apd.
Those who are native to Central PA, know APD well. Cows and tractors are plentiful, fried food galore, and with that comes a sparse, sparse selection of brain cells.

needless to say, it takes a certain level of patience to work a technology booth at APD.

i've worked my share of these events and what always amazes me the most, is what i like to call "gimme syndrome". people who frequent these events pace and scavenge - looking for anything and everything that they can get - for free of course. above and beyond what they need. and often times pushing the boundaries of what is theirs for the taking.

for instance, can anyone tell me why one man would need a handful of "agmap" balloons? and ps they are not blown up. how about pens? how many pens can one woman possibly use?

they came. they took. i saw two ladies filling their purses with candy from our tables. at a previous event, we had a woman steel all sorts of things from our booths including the bowls holding the candy!

they even came as we were tearing down the booth.

hello - can you not tell that we're hot, tired, sweaty and oh yea - the event is OVER?!

for some reason, the gimme syndrome sickens me. like sloth in 7 deadly sins, it seems to go hand in hand with people's or perhaps american's constant pursuit of excess - regardless of impact.

it was a long and exhausting week but somehow we all made it through in one piece without telling anyone off - and perhaps even smiling at times.

next up - the FARM SHOW. i'm gonna start mentally preparing now.

Vick -- still in the dog house

and the plot thickens. i can't see any way that he'll side step this one.

the illusive pickle plant

this weekend, a few lengthy rides brought up topics of great significance came up instilling in my mind a few, mind taxing questions; as follows:

1. i wanted to make guacamole. when discussing it with my good friend of many many years, she noted that i was lacking guacamoles to make the guacamole dip. there were no guacamoles to be found in order to make said goodness!
   
   no guacamoles? whatever will we do? and how do those puppies grow? on a guacamole tree?
   perhaps.
   
   
2. Apparently there is a family tradition to make hamburgers from ground turkey meat. How does this work i wondered? Whatever the process is, it must be biological.
   
   
3. There are some people who actually grow pickles on plants. A pickle plant! wherever does one acquire such a herbaceous species?
   
   
4. There are some people, who eat lunch for dinner - this was actually discovered in weeks past however it seemed appropriate to bring it up here.
   
   
5. Swedish fish are an appropriate course to eat for dinner. after all - fish is the healthiest of all proteins.
   

in short, if anyone knows where i can find a farm, that has a good stock of burkeys or curkeys (you know the animals that are part turkey, part cow), and has an ample supply of pickle plants and guacamole trees, AND also is on a dinner lunch switch schedule, can you hook a sister up?

thanx.

jtown & the GUG

This week i was invited to present my visualization work at the GUG. What is the GUG you might ask? Well the gug is a special group of geeks who all appreciate the power and beauty of GIS. They were particularly interested in my specialty -- 3d visualization -- and asked me to talk about some of the work that i do with the LAB. The meeting was in good old J-town - a cool 1 hour and 45 minute drive. The weather began sunny but post altoona, quickly turned into a monsoon. visibility was limited and speeds dropped quickly. Needless to say it was a long drive there.

The presentation went well. We talked about many different visualization options and even looked at Google Earth and SketchUp as it relates to GIS data! They loved it. I was scheduled to speak for 90 minutes but that quickly stretched over 2 hours! The facility - IEOC - in Johnstown - a city that obviously has Congressman Murtha in their back pocket. Picture any FBI or military movie that you have seen - with giant screens and computer displays at every table. 4 GIANT screens project individual displays including cnn news, fox, and other emergency response-related material on the screen. I projected up onto screen 2 from my laptop. The setup was IMPRESSIVE to say the least.

Post meeting, we got a tour of the building. Turns out is it DOD related - again impressive. Followed by lunch on the j-town incline. YUM. The view was phenomenal - we ate outside. I asked many questions and absorbed all I could about Johnstown's flood-prone history. Home i went after making some good contacts. And the ride home - oddly - turned out to be similar in view to the AM ride down.
MORE RAIN. The rain was so intense that i could barely see and contemplated stopping. Flashers were on. My cross ride - cancelled. Yuck.

All in all it was a LONG tiring day, but a fruitful one. Any group that is willing to listen to me babble on about visualization, is worth driving in the rain, 2 hours, to see. :)

send him to the dogs

looks who's in deep doo doo.

you mean he's actually GUILTY?
shocking.

not a fan

i'm on a mission to broadcast music throughout my house.

so snacky recommended the airport express cool right? seems like a cheap, easy solution. but here is the kicker... in grand microsoft style, the airport express only broadcasts via itunes - not obviously superior programs like j river. there are many different types of wireless media setups out there, none of which, really do what should be so easy to do -- broadcast the sounds coming out of my computer - into speakers around my house.

why is this so complicated.

yea yea yea, so there are supposed programs that bipass the itunes issue with the airport express, but i want an airport express for j river media center.

can someone find me one? macs are awesome but itunes really blows.

sickness

sometimes, family makes life taxing. they get sick, they grow old, they fight...

sometimes, you begin to see those who you love, who were always ageless, age.

then you ask why.
then you realize that's life.

and so it goes.