tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73627712011-12-15T06:18:43.548-05:00Exploring the DC/Baltimore metro area.klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.comBlogger7241100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-63540133551404025282011-05-07T14:00:00.002-04:002011-07-04T14:18:06.682-04:00

My friend Winsome, fellow triathlete and Chinese student, told me about a bike ride she was signed up for: the Six Pillars Century. She is training under a coach who has all his athletes riding the full century... I can't ride that distance (and enjoy it) right now so I signed up for a shorter route, a 56 mile route which is basically the Eagleman bike course.I drove out to Cambridge, MD, picked

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-77143657834596098022011-04-03T18:00:00.001-04:002011-07-04T14:08:13.284-04:00

I had some friends of friends in visiting the DC area, and they wanted to wander around the National Mall and see various monuments. I took them along the Moonlight Monuments route, and they really seemed to enjoy it. One nice thing about their visit was excellent timing: the cherry blossoms were in full bloom and there were huge crowds all over enjoying the various festivities.

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-50275375945301078222011-03-26T15:00:00.004-04:002011-07-04T13:54:35.907-04:00

Mai and Charles spent their spring break taking a family vacation up the East Coast, stopping along the way a few times before reaching me. They brought Maddie and baby Estelle, already a traveler at only 3 or 4 months old!I took time off work and we wandered around DC for a bit, visiting museums and monuments. They were in the mood for a low key vacation so we didn't grind out an exhausting

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-33011645182196098452011-02-12T22:20:00.001-05:002011-07-04T13:31:38.370-04:00

Kevin and Heather texted me and asked if I wanted to tag along for some night skiing at the Liberty Ski Resort. Of course I was in!One thing I really liked about the Seattle area was the proximity of winter sports. I don't want to drive in or shovel snow just to get to work, but I do like to ski/snowboard or snowshoe. Even a winter hike is fun.Liberty isn't very far so it is a perfect day trip.

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-39265941671428551062011-01-31T18:00:00.000-05:002011-07-04T14:02:30.163-04:00

I've thought of taking Chinese for years, but never did much about it. However, that has changed as I recently signed up to take 1st semester Chinese at Howard Community College in nearby Columbia, MD. Class starts today and I'm looking forward to it!

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-75614242290207250402010-11-21T22:00:00.011-05:002010-12-25T18:22:06.544-05:00

The hiking meetup group holds a few other cool events throughout the year: Halloween corn maze, a summer picnic, and when the full moon is on the weekend, a Moonlight Monument Hike.My friend Alyssa is a new DC-area resident, so I invited her to attend this. I thought it would be fun and inexpensive. We met the group at 5 pm between the White House and Washington Monument, along the Mall side of

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-14029875941353420702010-10-24T22:00:00.007-04:002010-12-26T23:19:22.320-05:00

I flew back to Seattle for Dawg Dash weekend, and Waffle Fest.HikeBut first, I met up with my friend Carrie for a hike. We mailed back and forth setting it up: I definitely wanted to hike, but I wasn't sure of any good routes, since it had been quite some time since I moved away. We settled on 6-8 miles with ~2000 foot elevation gain, which sounded reasonable. She brought more friends and we

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-80397110725715838482010-10-10T22:00:00.002-04:002010-12-26T22:36:13.152-05:00

I drove up to Thumont, MD for a hiking group meetup at the Lawyers Moonlight Maze. The theme this year was... Iron Man.Ironman Corn MazeOriginally uploaded by klbarrusGiant Robot pumpkin targets.I had about an hour before sunset, so I headed straight for the maze(s). They had 3 set up, each of different length, with several checkpoints to find inside. I did the blue and green ones on the map,

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-10168958710040056252010-08-15T17:00:00.003-04:002010-12-26T22:46:34.786-05:00

Maryland is filled with blunt names for various landmarks and places: for example there is Gunpowder Falls State Park with an associated Hammerman swim area. The swim of a popular tri over in Cambridge, MD occurs in the Choptank river... for months I'd hear people mention "getting ready for Eagleman... planning on a swim in the Choptank". I thought it was a natural wave machine. But no, it

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-51661748120389645932010-07-03T14:00:00.004-04:002010-07-03T14:45:57.484-04:00

To start off the holiday weekend, I carpooled up to the Hashawha Environmental Center near Westminster, MD. The hike featured an easy loop in the surrounding forest, and a "raptor center", where injured birds of prey are kept and nursed.The raptor center was less than a mile from the hike starting point, and while we were there we saw a few of the birds. The bald eagle drew the most

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-29454722761714051232010-06-30T19:00:00.003-04:002010-07-03T14:26:48.823-04:00

I drove up to Patapsco Valley State Park, Hilton area, to meet the hiking group for a mid-week after-work hike. Since I enjoyed myself on the previous trip, I bought a state park pass and got to use it for the first time.BrookOriginally uploaded by klbarrusThe hike was a nice short 2.5 mile loop with a few decent hills. The trail went from a forested area across a utility right-of-way, back

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-44418938745740330972010-06-27T10:00:00.005-04:002010-07-04T20:23:28.103-04:00

I looked forward to this event, the Celebration Sprint Tri, my first tri in about 2 years (I missed the 2009 season in Florida for various reasons). It was a challenging, hilly bike course, and I'm happy with how I did.2:10:39, 51/104 in M40-44, 329/667 M, 548/~1400 overallSwim - 0.62 miles (1000 m) in 28:25, 67/104 M40-44Yeah I'm a slow swimmer, finishing in the 65th percentile. The swim at

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-37910561573109986742010-06-19T17:00:00.004-04:002010-06-27T15:28:25.941-04:00

One activity I always wanted to try was hang gliding. So when I saw the DC/MD/VA Adventures meetup group plan a trip out to Highland Aerosports for tandem hang gliding, I signed up!I arrived a few minutes late, but in time to meet the group and receive the flight briefing, which covered the basics of hang gliding including how to steer. 14 or 15 people signed up to hang glide so we split into

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-67334820203304860082010-06-19T10:00:00.001-04:002010-06-27T22:00:25.455-04:00

I've lost a lot of money over the years, by registering for and paying for events I've wound up missing (sick, out of town, etc.) Many events give a discount if you register early enough, to tempt you to commit (plus race directors want to fill their events). But, some events hit their registration limit and close, so it becomes a balancing act: save money vs. risk not being able to enter due

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-39654345773369356912010-06-10T21:00:00.004-04:002010-06-11T18:32:40.973-04:00

I've become a big fan of Meetup.com, which is a "network of local groups" and lets people with various interests organize activities. It is great for somebody new to an area, like myself.After a little searching, I found a local hiking group that offers several hikes a week, including short ones during the week. So rather than sit around Thursday evening, I decided to attend a hike in the

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-65623109124590365092010-05-15T18:00:00.001-04:002010-05-16T18:46:54.274-04:00

Two brothers I was friends with in Junior High School managed to find me via searching on the Internet: Jim and Steve Dean. I've moved several times, but this is a special case - we were in Frankfurt, (West) Germany attending Frankfurt American Junior High School! I hadn't seen either of them in about 25 years, so I was looking forward to meeting up again.I drove down to Stafford, VA to meet

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-72344630152031822502010-04-10T16:00:00.000-04:002010-04-10T20:22:41.235-04:00

Cherry Blossoms 1Originally uploaded by klbarrusI went into the DC looking for cherry blossoms, and this is what I found. I guess I was a week or so too late!Cherry Blossoms 2Originally uploaded by klbarrusFortunately, a few cherry blossoms were around in suburban Maryland. :)The purpose of my trip was to pick up my packet for the Cherry Blossom run tomorrow. I've always heard about this event

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-51653909084958422622010-02-11T10:45:00.000-05:002010-02-11T10:47:16.084-05:00

Here's another one:moar funny picturesAnd with that, I'm venturing out to see how much shoveling I need to do.

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-14143462235187390592010-02-11T10:15:00.001-05:002010-02-11T10:26:09.042-05:00

I'm on my fourth day off work, due to the mid-Atlantic snowstorm (thank goodness these are all paid days off!), and I fiddled around with the chart creator from Graph Jam.moar funny picturesEventually the snow will melt, spring will arrive, and training can start!

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-10829922874373787732009-12-20T16:30:00.004-05:002009-12-20T16:47:08.249-05:00

The weather forecast for this weekend included a severe storm warning which predicted 6" to 12" of snow! It started falling Friday night, and by the morning we had a nice blanket of snow, with more still falling.Snowy MorningOriginally uploaded by klbarrusBlanket of snowConditions were terrible, but I wanted to explore and see if any stores in my nearby shopping center were open. So I dug out

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-59468967997905695422009-12-13T17:00:00.002-05:002009-12-20T17:37:02.607-05:00

I found a local board games group, and attended a meeting.The group meets at a local mall, Savage Mill, a historic building. The Mall consists of several connected building, originally part of an old saw mill. The stores inside are all local-owned and unique, and several teach classes.One that caught my eye is Terrapin Adventures, because they have a zip-line obstacle course setup outside! It

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-37387207071027562802009-12-05T06:00:00.000-05:002010-06-27T16:11:02.293-04:00

I return to Orlando for the OUC half marathon, and to also visit friends. I knew the weekend would be as busy as I wanted it to be, because the Orlando Running Club would be having events for the exchange runners! So I planned ahead and flew in Thursday evening.Friday, I went to lunch with a group from the Seminole Cyclists - they were coincidentally having the monthly lunch gathering when I

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-55472314552864773112009-11-22T11:00:00.001-05:002010-06-27T16:11:02.294-04:00

Grace, a running friend from Orlando, came up with her husband to visit some relative in the DC area. We made a plan to do a race together. After searching the local race calendar, we signed up for the Wounded Warrior 5K, a fundraiser for wounded veterans at Walter Reed.It was a nice event, the course was on closed roads or in Rock Creek Park, and crossed from Maryland into Washington D.C. and

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-24807056834363133002009-11-07T17:00:00.002-05:002009-11-15T12:12:49.264-05:00

I visited central Florida this weekend, to attend the wedding of my two friends Paul and Alison. I used to work with Paul, and we also were on a bowling team together (good thing it was a handicap league because I was by far the worst person on the team!), gamed together (computer and board games), and kept up meeting for lunch over the months after I was gone. Alison likes board games too, and

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-4001654445296422112009-11-01T12:00:00.001-05:002010-06-27T16:11:02.295-04:00

I signed up for the "Run Through the Grapevine 8K", held at a local winery, after seeing several people in the tri club mention it. It was a bit of a drive, through some pretty rolling hills and windy country roads.The event itself was tough. Really tough. I thought it would be a trial run, as opposed to a road (or other paved surface run), but it was even tougher than that. Most of the

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-74548934391568357182009-10-18T11:00:00.001-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.295-04:00

This year's Dawg Dash went better than expected - I finished in 51:44 despite not running all that much since moving to the DC area. Unfortunately I couldn't map since my Garmin was dead but the course was the same as last year's. Francesca's post-race waffle fest was a hit, drawing more people than last year even though a few (Krisanne, Eric) have moved away from Seattle! Joe was in town, and

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-3774587767040269572009-10-01T18:00:00.001-04:002009-10-04T17:40:06.111-04:00

I got a "new" car... a 2008 Prius. I've been thinking about getting a hybrid for years, and decided now was a good time, since I either had to register my Camry in Maryland, or get a new car. Since my Camry was getting up there (160K miles, 13 years old), and the Maryland vehicle inspection policy tries to both recover money for the state (sales-tax-free state Delaware is next door!) and weed

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-59146256571824738162009-09-25T17:00:00.000-04:002009-10-12T11:49:01.599-04:00

One thing I've noticed about this region of the country is how huge NFL football is. In Florida, college football rules. Alumni groups for Florida State, Florida, and Miami were all over the place, and the games are a large part of the state's consciousness.Here, pro ball dominates. On Fridays, it is common to see a few coworkers wearing team jerseys. Badge lanyards proclaiming various

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-58899992286689921822009-09-17T20:10:00.003-04:002009-10-12T12:39:17.133-04:00

I decided to save a little money and not get cable TV. I like some of those extra channels, especially National Geographic, Syfy, and a handful of others. But, it isn't worth $80 more a month for that (I have cable internet for an already high ~$60 a month).Yes, 80 dollars! That doesn't include any premium channels, that is just "normal" cable and HD. I could probably live without HD, but my

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-79782280097754120172009-09-04T13:45:00.001-04:002009-11-15T11:10:23.206-05:00

I've owned a Kindle (2nd generation), for about six months now, and really like it. Not every book I want to read is available on Kindle, so I still get some from bookstores, but now I prefer getting the Kindle version.I love how many books it holds, making it a very portable library. The screen is great, nice and easy to read. The purchase discount on books varies, and I think it is great how

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-7669222689133380132009-08-16T09:00:00.000-04:002009-08-19T20:27:24.879-04:00

Since I'm moving to the Washington DC area for my new job, I decided to try out the Amtrak Auto Train. After all, I am moving from one end of the route to the other. Plus, the alternate option was to drive my car up, and that didn't sound as appealing.The trip takes 17 hours (depart 4 pm, arrive 9:30 am the next day), and it went by pretty quick. Dinner was tasty and included complimentary

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-58750318578513725642009-08-15T16:00:00.003-04:002009-08-19T20:54:22.771-04:00

It seems my fate involves moving frequently - I hope this next one is it for me, and that future moves will be in the local area. Ideally I will meet someone and settle down. ;) As far as employment opportunities, cultural attractions, entertainment and so on, the Washington DC/Baltimore metropolitan area will be hard to beat... and so I hope to stay. I'll be busy exploring the area for a long

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-17295695765735466262009-08-01T11:00:00.002-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.297-04:00

I had a great race this morning, taking 2nd place overall at a local 5K! I started out in 6th place - I could see five men in front of me immediately after the start - and over the course of the race, I reeled most of them in. My time was 21:44 which is really good for me.This victory falls into the "cherry picked event" category, for three reasons:1) New race - I know the people that put this

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-79642850077270106402009-07-26T15:00:00.001-04:002010-06-27T15:28:25.941-04:00

Another thing I've always wanted to try is a Segway tour or ride. I've seen then a few times, on TV shows such as Arrested Development, in movies such as Paul Blart: Mall Cop, even on other tours - when I was in DC for the MCM last October, I walked right by a group taking a guided tour on Segways. It looked fun so after digging around a bit, I found that Segway of Central Florida offered a

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-24564155921481123872009-07-25T17:00:00.000-04:002009-07-25T17:41:21.464-04:00

One thing I've learned about myself over the past 6 years of home ownership, is that I basically despise yardwork. There are tasks I don't mind but still don't like (trimming bushes), tasks I hire out (lawn mowing), and everything else (weeding and so on) I would just rather not do. I see myself looking for townhomes and/or condos in the future, to avoid a large lawn to take care of. :)About

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-6431798559393523632009-07-24T17:00:00.003-04:002010-06-27T15:28:55.882-04:00

Another activity I wanted to try is surfing. So today, Mai, Charles, Diana, and I drove over to Cocoa Beach, FL to take a group lesson. Our executive summary is: we had fun, but not enough so that we're going to buy a board and take it up as a hobby.The lesson started with some safety information, about rip tides, jellyfish, and sting rays, and then we practiced getting up on the board. The

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-50457781493933463112009-07-17T21:00:00.000-04:002009-07-17T21:39:54.299-04:00

One place I wanted to visit before I leave Florida is the Everglades.I searched around and found a tour company (Dragonfly Expeditions) that has a really fun sounding multi-day tour. The itinerary is packed: visit a fishing village, stargazing, hike, photography, biking, canoe adventure, etc. So I made an inquiry... and found out that they don't run the tour during the summer, due to heat and

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-54352060113188783012009-06-28T16:00:00.004-04:002010-06-27T15:28:55.883-04:00

The Central Florida Zoo recently opened a unique attraction: Zoom Air Adventures, a ropes/obstacle course, consisting of various climbs to platforms in trees, zip lines, and obstacles called "games" to cross from one platform to another.There are three courses available for adults: Upland I, Upland II, and Rainforest, in increasing difficulty. In addition, there is a course for kids, set much

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-77472905326930550062009-02-16T13:00:00.006-05:002010-06-27T15:28:55.884-04:00

My parents are visiting me for a bit, so for President's Day, Mai and Charles suggested all of us go canoeing at Wekiva Springs state park. I've been to the springs a few times, mostly for a trail 5K, but have never canoed there. The weather was great and it sounded like fun!WekivaOriginally uploaded by klbarrusThe springs were busy with several people enjoying the sunny day and cool water.

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-62580718229717124012009-01-23T14:00:00.003-05:002009-02-22T16:02:11.127-05:00

Diana's friend and coworker Katie needed some volunteers to help judge History Fair entries, as part of Milwee Middle School's participation in History Month celebrations, so I agreed. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I figured it wouldn't be too bad!Over the week, she brought me a stack of essays to read. The grading instructions boiled down to "always find something positive to say" and "

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-52048516156189255082009-01-14T23:00:00.004-05:002009-10-05T23:32:11.147-04:00

I gave into some pressure and joined Facebook, after several friends kept inviting me. Plus, the local bike club here is surprisingly active on it.While fiddling around, I decided to search for a bunch of people I went to junior high school and high school with. Junior high was a bit unusual compared to others, because I went to a DoD school for American kids in Frankfurt, (West) Germany, and

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-76970813367919134842008-11-17T14:00:00.002-05:002008-11-19T17:56:16.559-05:00

Bev called up in October, to wish me a happy birthday. We hadn't seen each other in a year or more, so she invited me out for a weekend in November. Also flying out was another friend of ours from Houston, Patti.WineryOriginally uploaded by klbarrusWe had a nice, relaxing weekend. Bev got her inlaws to watch their two boys Friday and Saturday, so the four of us (Bev and Ben, Patti, me) took

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-40882372993336109092008-10-29T23:00:00.002-04:002008-11-19T17:36:01.698-05:00

This election season has gone on for a long time, nearly 2 years (!), but it is winding down soon. My friend Diana called up and wanted to know if I would be interested in attending a rally - Barack Obama and Bill Clinton were stopping in the area late on Wednesday. Late as in 11 pm, in the Kissimmee area, which is already about an hour drive away. I agreed, so we made plans to meet and drive

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-78678541667435083322008-10-26T14:00:00.001-04:002010-06-27T16:18:39.643-04:00

After training for so many months, it was a relief to finally do the event! This was by far the largest event I've ever been to - 22000 or more participants, and thousands of volunteers. The course was nice and scenic, passing several famous monuments, the weather was perfect... I had a lot of fun.The hilly section of the course was early, and our hill runs out in Clermont really paid off. The

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-33159719681988527122008-10-25T20:00:00.002-04:002008-10-28T20:13:12.938-04:00

We took it pretty easy. Mai, Charles and I went to the International Spy Museum, right next door to the FBI building. I loved it... reading all the exhibits, seeing the various gizmos and gadgets on display, it was pretty interesting overall. On a previous trip to the DC area, I went to visit the National Cryptologic Museum at NSA headquarters in Fort Meade, MD, which was also very interesting

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-6029862439383264952008-10-24T19:00:00.004-04:002008-11-19T17:56:39.554-05:00

After training for so many months, marathon weekend is here!Earlier this year I realized that 10 years ago is when I started running. Since then I've branched out, but running was the first fitness activity I enjoyed and stuck with. In order to commemorate that, I decided to do a marathon later in the year. I searched around for a suitable one, and boiled it down to Portland or Washington DC,

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-25491425113962148542008-10-12T20:00:00.004-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.298-04:00

I returned to Seattle for the weekend, to participate in the Dawg Dash, see friends, and celebrate my birthday. It was a great weekend!I decided to give Francesca a break and stay with Kandi and family instead - it turned out to be a good weekend for that since Mark and Jacob were going to be out Saturday to Sunday on a scout camping trip. Friday was nice and quiet and shortly after dinner, I

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-86406018658824083792008-09-24T11:00:00.002-04:002008-09-29T17:59:57.579-04:00

Yesterday at lunch, part of a tooth chipped off. It wasn't painful, and I didn't even notice until my tongue felt something weird along the side of a molar. Or more accurately, felt something missing... as in the back corner of a tooth. I remember a dentist once telling me that I would probably have to have a crown eventually, since that one tooth had 2 or 3 fillings in it, making the tooth

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-78156807601068307182008-09-13T14:00:00.001-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.301-04:00

My bike club decided, at the last club meeting, that it would be good for the club to send interested people to take the "safety class" offered by the League of American Bicyclists, just for general knowledge. Any safety tips would be valuable, especially for ride leaders, or people that help marshall other rides, etc.So I signed up. The first part of the class was OK, mostly topics like

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-52215385874861587832008-08-29T18:30:00.003-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.301-04:00

I've complained to running friends that I am fairly inflexible: I can't touch my toes, or do many of those fancy stretches. My friends Mai and Charles suggested I go with them to yoga, so I agreed to check it out. There are classes offered at our Y, but they like to go to a local studio, Guruv Yoga. The class they like to attend is "Happy Hour Yoga", offered Fridays at 5:30 pm, because of the

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-47558980108538375222008-08-09T11:00:00.006-04:002010-06-27T15:28:55.884-04:00

My friend Mai's birthday is approaching, so she wanted to do something the weekend before it. It is good timing since she is a teacher and school starts on Monday (faculty is back, but the kids don't show up for another week). She arranged a group outing to take the Manatee Encounter tour from A Day Away Kayak Tours. We had a fair sized group: Mai and Charles, Travis and Diana, myself and

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-47065507143769802112008-07-20T13:00:00.001-04:002008-09-08T11:17:24.582-04:00

My friend and coworker Stephanie is a huge Batman fan, and her birthday was Friday, so I got her tickets to the IMAX showing of The Dark Knight. After getting back from the morning Clermont run, I hurried up to meet her and Jason at the lone IMAX theater in the area, near the Universal Theme parks on International Drive.It was worth it... the movie was great and looked fantastic in IMAX. Part

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-73343791585280926482008-06-22T11:00:00.002-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.303-04:00

I signed up for this event, along with several members of the YMCA tri club. Even though this year will be run-heavy for me, I still want to do a few tris!The swim was in Lake Claire on the UCF campus, and this caused a registration foul-up before the event. Apparently, UCF wanted all athletes to sign a waiver before letting us swim in the lake, in addition to the usual packet pickup and

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-89703726610392805062008-06-04T22:00:00.008-04:002008-06-06T11:42:30.729-04:00

Some friends from work talked me into joining their team in a bowling league. This was a ton of fun in Seattle, so I did it. But this league is far more serious.The first clue was the discussion of handicaps - it seems the other three on my team average 180 or higher. But they swore this was fine, I would get a handicap and apparently the "weaker" bowlers on a team (like myself) in a handicap

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-53291108111215712482008-05-18T14:00:00.000-04:002008-05-30T15:24:15.785-04:00

The recreational division of my bike club decided to go kayaking this time, in nearby New Smyrna - one of the popular beach destinations for locals (the other being Cocoa Beach. Daytona is for "tourists".)We drove out J.B.'s Fish Camp, a restaurant that also rents kayaks, and prepared for an hour or so of kayaking by lathering on sunscreen and getting the rentals taken care of. I rented a

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-68666807114966475792008-05-09T22:00:00.002-04:002008-06-23T15:42:54.059-04:00

I finished up watching this TV series via Netflix. It was fantastic, even if the subject matter is so odd.Dexter is forensics expert working for the Miami police department, and his particular expertise is in blood spatter analysis. Dexter is also a serial killer, a hobby he pursues in his spare time. He only kills people that he feels deserve it, such as the child molester he kills in the

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-26414416921312560732008-04-27T14:00:00.000-04:002008-05-19T14:42:05.783-04:00

The Sunday club ride has fractured a bit, into several groups, more or less people that want to hammer all the time, and people that really are just wanting a steady moderate ride. I'm in the steady moderate group, and every now and then we mix it up and do a fun ride or a destination ride. This week that ride was to a state park, Blue Springs.We met up and rode on back roads and side streets

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-48994408573539642372008-04-23T23:00:00.002-04:002008-05-06T10:59:09.079-04:00

A friend from the Y running club called up and asked if I were interested in seeing a Bruce Springsteen concert. I'm not the hugest fan, but I thought it would be fun so agreed and bought a ticket.I didn't realize he was still an active performer - my memories of him are from the mid 80's and the album Born in the USA. But I knew he had a large catalog of songs. On the other hand Nicole, my

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-79997051500395468872008-04-19T11:00:00.005-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.304-04:00

This event has grown over the 3 times it has been held. It is a small local race held by the Lake Mary YMCA, to raise money for some of their programs. The first year, it was about 50 people. I didn't race that year, instead I volunteered as a course monitor. Last year it went up to 150 or so. This time it was up near 350.This was a great race for me. I finished in 22:56, which isn't all

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-80993545611626732782008-04-15T12:00:00.006-04:002008-12-01T11:27:20.771-05:00

Well I've been a slacker on the blog; I'll get back in gear soon.During my little breaks at work, I've been trying to solve this puzzle. Recently, I was forwarded one of those Internet jokes:A priest offered a Nun a lift.She got in and crossed her legs, forcing her gown to reveal a leg.The priest nearly had an accident.After controlling the car, he stealthily slid his hand up her leg.The nun

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-62919691140911257002008-02-23T11:00:00.002-05:002010-07-01T21:48:39.631-04:00

OK I've been a slacker with the blog. But, I wrote three more entries about my Japan trip and am resolved to finish up the rest by next week. I've been busy with the usual... and a heavy dose of running.I returned from the trip determined to pick up and emphasize my running. It was so exciting to travel there and also meet a bunch of other people sharing an interest. Plus, I would like to do

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-89075270779898604052008-02-11T13:00:00.013-05:002010-12-27T00:00:25.646-05:00

I'm back from a fantastic trip, and still sorting pictures and thinking of what to write. So I'll be filling this in during the upcoming days. In the meantime, my trip outline:Jan 31 - ArrivalFeb 1 - Lost DayFeb 2 - URC meetingFeb 2 - Imperial PalaceFeb 3 - Race DayFeb 3 - HomestayFeb 3 - Welcome PartyFeb 4 - KamakuraFeb 5 - UrayasuFeb 5 - Bullet Train to KyotoFeb 6 - Kyoto Walking

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-31073299639122922532008-02-06T21:00:00.006-05:002010-12-27T00:21:45.577-05:00

I found a nice walking tour of Kyoto and followed it.GinkakujiOriginally uploaded by klbarrusTemple of the Silver Pavillion.Ginkakuji ViewOriginally uploaded by klbarrusKyoto view from the Ginkakuji grounds.Heian ShrineOriginally uploaded by klbarrusHeian ShrineTorii GateOriginally uploaded by klbarrusTorii Gate near the Heian Shrine, in Kyoto.Ryozen KannonOriginally uploaded by klbarrusRyozen

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-3106531941638283872008-02-05T14:00:00.001-05:002010-12-26T23:50:18.577-05:00

After touring Urayasu in the morning, I met up with the group to say bye. They were all flying back, but I took an extra 5 days off work to see more of Japan! I arranged a side trip for myself to Kyoto, and got there by taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo. Shige helped me buy the tickets and waited outside until the train left.ShinkansenOriginally uploaded by klbarrusStanding in front of the Nozomi

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-13352186850533233742008-02-05T11:00:00.007-05:002008-04-03T11:43:02.113-04:00

In the morning, Shige drove me around the old part of Urayasu. Most of the city is new, built on land reclaimed from the sea. Shige took me to the "old" town, where the streets were very narrow, and there was more evidence of the original industry of the area: fishing.Urayasu is at sea level, and has a canal and watergate system used to control flooding. The gate opens and closes during high

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-45955387547719139992008-02-04T15:00:00.010-05:002008-03-05T11:40:51.406-05:00

Several URC members took us to Kamakura, southeast of Tokyo right off a subway stop.We headed towards the Tsurugaoka Hachiman shrine, at the end of a path that began with a torii. It looks like the path vanishes in the distance, but that is partly an optical illusion as it is built that way - the path narrows as it approaches the shrine. Torii Originally uploaded by klbarrus

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-19360627637562010352008-02-03T15:00:00.003-05:002008-03-05T11:40:51.406-05:00

The usual schedule for the exchange trip is to check out of our hotel after the race, and then have a homestay with a Japanese family until departure. My homestay was with the Yanagida family: Shigeyuki and Emiko. Shige and Emiko visited Orlando in December 2007 for the OUC half marathon, so I had met them before. Homestay Originally uploaded by klbarrus Like many densely populated urban

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-59189922588391594472008-02-03T09:00:00.002-05:002008-03-05T11:40:51.406-05:00

On the morning of the race day, we got up to a few inches of snow on the ground, and more falling. All of us realized the half-marathon had just become a major adventure! Snowy Day Originally uploaded by klbarrus URC members picked us up and drove us to the sports complex where the race starts and ends. Once there, we were led to a private room where we could spread out our stuff,

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-6285857871719424202008-02-02T17:00:00.007-05:002008-03-05T11:40:51.407-05:00

After the morning club run, we went to see the Imperial Palace and walk around downtown Tokyo. Palace Grounds Originally uploaded by klbarrus The view from the original palace grounds, which burned down. What remains is a raised section of large stones. Guard Building Originally uploaded by klbarrus This is no longer used, but it was originally a garrison where Samurai would check

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-78768973439512739112008-02-02T11:00:00.002-05:002008-03-05T11:40:51.407-05:00

The Urayasu Runners Club isn't that big, strictly speaking, compared to other running clubs I've been in. It is just that the URC has about 80% attendance at their events - making their active membership enormous, compared to other running clubs I've been in!In the morning, a group met us at the hotel and walked with us to the park where they hold their club run. It was packed! We started off

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-12345356650849391462008-01-31T22:00:00.003-05:002008-03-05T11:40:51.407-05:00

The flight from Orlando to Detroit, and then to Narita, was uneventful... but very long. After landing in Japan, we were met by a few URC (Urayasu running club) members plus two men who worked for the city as event planners. We loaded up our bags and drove right to meet the mayor, Mr. Matsuzaki, at city hall. Welcome to Japan! Originally uploaded by klbarrus We had some tea and listened

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-46848359769307395032008-01-13T14:00:00.000-05:002008-01-25T11:08:47.101-05:00

I signed up to volunteer at the Disney Marathon, with my running club. We have the mile 24 water stop, the last one on the course. That is good since we can get there relatively later (6:30 am), but bad in that we are there until the last runner/walker passes us.Disney gives very nice perks for volunteering: a pretty nice windbreaker, a snack breakfast and lunch, and a free ticket to any theme

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-57001955394112584052008-01-11T18:00:00.000-05:002008-01-25T10:26:11.567-05:00

The city bought our tickets - I'll be visiting Japan from Jan 30 to Feb 10, as part of the Orlando Runners Club (ORC) exchange program with the Urayasu Runners Club (URC). My fellow ORC runners are returning on Feb 5, but I squeezed another 3 days of vacation to extend my trip until the 10th. My only real plan for the extra time is to see Kyoto and Nara for a day or two, and then return to

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-68160550464590284162007-12-31T23:00:00.000-05:002010-06-27T16:11:02.306-04:00

This wasn't an organized event, it was just my friend Diana and I out to get in one last run for the year and enjoy the good weather.Afterwards, I went home and was all ready for a lazy evening of watching TV, when Diana called and Mai called and told me due to some last minute juggling, we were going over to Mai and Charles' for New Years. :) It was a fun evening, we played some games, had the

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-48349978402907901542007-12-26T14:00:00.000-05:002008-01-15T16:21:07.054-05:00

My parents and I visited the Dallas World Aquarium today, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. The aquarium packs a lot of animals and exhibits into the space they have. What I liked was the layout - the walkway meandered from the top to the bottom, which generally gave you two or three vantage points for most of the displays. Waterfall Originally uploaded by klbarrus View from the top at the

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-52261409088012423112007-12-19T11:30:00.000-05:002010-06-27T16:11:02.307-04:00

It was another gorgeous day and we had higher than usual attendance for today's Lake Sylvan ride. Only two people were missing, Jessica and Andy, and they aren't regular attendees like the rest of us. Lake Sylvan Originally uploaded by klbarrus View from a dock inside the park Work Bike Club Originally uploaded by klbarrus Hector, Asa, Terri-Lynn, Bill, Tomasz, me, Marilyn, Francis

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-56442961828482122392007-12-08T23:30:00.000-05:002007-12-23T23:43:19.793-05:00

My friends Mai and Charles had a small party at their house, a small well-kept home with a large side/back yard. It is always interesting for me to see how other people decorate their homes, since mine is so plain. Their home is very colorful, with nearly every nook and cranny displaying pictures, art, or souvenirs from various trips. Diana and Travis also attended, along with two other

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-4358647577127698842007-12-02T20:00:00.000-05:002007-12-18T15:27:15.406-05:00

It was a busy couple of days, because the running club's Japanese guests were in town for the OUC Half Marathon. They arrived Wednesday, and we had dinner at Anthony's Pizza near Lake Eola. They looked very tired from the trip, which was understandable since they arrived just hours before. Two families brought their kids, who were nearly asleep by the end of the meal.I'm not sure what they all

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-35211004584220747862007-11-21T23:00:00.002-05:002007-12-06T11:06:24.581-05:00

My friends Stephanie and Jason invited me over for an early Thanksgiving dinner, which was a feast. Chicken, sweet potatoes, corn, stuffing... all the good stuff. :)Afterwards we watched Babel, which was a weird movie I can't really recommend. The plot followed different groups that were somehow connected to a couple on vacation in Morocco (Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett).The movie starts off

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-32896432703047127362007-11-11T15:00:00.000-05:002007-11-19T15:12:01.653-05:00

A few months ago I bought a small pressure washer, 1300 PSI, and have used it for odd jobs around the exterior of my house. Today I decided to tackle a bigger job: washing away algae from my walkway, driveway, and sidewalk, that tint the concrete dark.It was... very very slow. I think a 1300 PSI unit isn't quite up to that task, because I spent nearly two hours washing half of the driveway.

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-55658700630545769152007-11-06T22:00:00.000-05:002010-06-27T16:11:02.310-04:00

I met with some others in the Orlando Running Club, for the Winter Park short loop. Turnout was huge, by club standards: 15 people!After the run we had dinner at O-Boys, a local barbecue place, that also runs a Trivia night. We had enough for several teams, so my end of the table formed up a team. We did pretty well, but finished in 4th place and out of the prizes (top prizes were basically

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-44007565134596024512007-11-01T21:00:00.000-04:002007-11-19T14:34:06.956-05:00

A found out my coworker Matt took Japanese classes, by accident. We were having lunch and he made a remark in Japanese, which I answered, to his surprise. It turns out that Seminole Community College has a weekly course, and it is held at the Heathrow campus which is across the street from work! Now that's convenient. Matt and his wife are visiting Japan next April, so they are in the class

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-47167920280886896682007-10-26T23:00:00.000-04:002007-11-13T13:39:47.023-05:00

A few weeks ago Diana called up and said she had this great idea - a Halloween party. However, the condo she and Travis had wouldn't fit many people, while my house was bigger... thus, I was talked into hosting the event. Diana didn't abandon me though - she offered to decorate and eventually drafted a few others into assisting. My task was to clean up beforehand, and buy some food and drinks

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-15876774420183822722007-10-21T18:00:00.000-04:002007-11-07T16:12:24.787-05:00

The Apisukh's invited me to a wedding reception at their restaurant, Thai Delight, for their daughter Lanna's recent marriage. Of course I attended - it would be fun to meet the happy couple, and then there was the food which I couldn't miss under any circumstances.Lanna spent years as a gymnast, and the restaurant has pictures and newspaper articles up covering her career. For the reception,

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-14878926954781403802007-10-20T09:00:00.000-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.312-04:00

This morning I did the swim leg of the Florida Challenge, a local half ironman. A few weeks ago, some people my friend Jennifer knows formed two relay teams and needed to fill in some spots. She asked if I were interested and I agreed - after making it clear that I wasn't a fast swimmer. I can do the distance, just slowly! Earlier this week I met Chantal, the cyclist on my relay team, for

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-84389044928828910642007-10-17T21:00:00.000-04:002007-10-25T14:30:02.330-04:00

I'm a sucker for a certain genre of show, the sci-fi secret agency vs. the bad guys show. Such as Dark Angel, or Alias, or even La Femme Nikita. Naturally it doesn't hurt if the female lead is attractive. ;) Those shows are gone, and new for this season is Bionic Woman, a modern version of the 70's show that I barely remember. So far we've had the usual startup episodes, to provide background

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-73254270396671823852007-10-14T13:00:00.000-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.313-04:00

One luxury of events in the Seattle area is the late starting time: the Dawg Dash starts at 9:30 am! By then, back in Florida, it would be too hot most of the year.This annual tradition has grown to include Waffle Fest, hosted by Francesca, featuring a waffle brunch and lots of toppings. And hanging out with friends afterwards. This year's festivities also included a "predicted run"

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-58429916030145687262007-10-13T14:00:00.000-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.313-04:00

One difference between Florida and Washington is how early you leave to exercise. This morning, Francesca, Rod, Sandy, and I were able to wait until 10 a.m. before going on bike ride! Part of the reason was waiting for the day to warm up... into the low 50's (!) and let some of the fog burn off.Sandy decided to torture me with a hilly urban ride through the University District, Capitol Hill,

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-44523424649239428072007-10-11T20:00:00.000-04:002007-10-18T16:14:50.955-04:00

For my birthday, two friends from work took me to dinner at a fancy restaurant in our area: Bonefish. Yesterday, Paul (friend and coworker) took me to lunch so I got a few meals out of aging up. ;)Anyway, I could tell that Stephanie and Jason were frequent eaters at Bonefish. The hostess, several of the wait staff, and the manager all greeted them. When we gave our orders, the question to them

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-84615853058330552132007-10-07T16:00:00.000-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.314-04:00

I haven't ridden in a complete downpour since I moved from Seattle (hey, it rains everywhere, not poking fun at northwest weather!) but that changed this afternoon. The forecast called for light rain and after waiting until it looked clear, I dusted off the Trek 1000/PowerCrank bike and decided to go on an easy ride through Mandarin Club Estates, a neighborhood with a few minor hills.I noticed

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-50544096149516386482007-09-30T17:00:00.001-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.314-04:00

I signed up to ride in the MS 150 with four friends from the Seminole Cyclist bike club. Jennifer wasn't able to make it, so the rest of us met up at the horribly early hour of 4 am to drive up to St. Augustine where the event started. After parking and going through registration formalities, we were set to start with the 2000 or so others also doing the event!We opted to skip the first rest

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-36012583280084071122007-09-23T13:00:00.000-04:002010-06-27T16:11:02.315-04:00

I had a pretty good race at the Disney Olympic tri - 3:47:21. Yes, nearly four hours for an olympic... that's partly because the bike leg was 58K instead of 40K. I finished 66th out of 141 in my age group, which for me is a great result - above median!I drove down yesterday with Diana. We checked in, picked up our packets, racked our bikes, and then went to meet up with the tri group for

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-77891539733410971682007-09-10T16:00:00.000-04:002007-09-17T11:20:42.601-04:00

My friend Paul started up a Fantasy Football league and a few of us at worked joined up. I used to be a huge football fan, watching entire games and poring over stats. That was back in high school when I must have had a lot of free time. ;) These days I watch part of a game at the most, and generally don't do much other that read results and follow in the paper. Usually I get more interested

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-45754969183057096702007-08-29T16:00:00.000-04:002007-09-17T11:03:07.171-04:00

This story made the rounds here: 11 Bikes Crash with SUV. Basically, an SUV made a left turn and cut off a group of riders, and they piled into the side of the vehicle. Yikes!That ride is apparently a speed training loop through a residential neighborhood - the article did mention the cyclists were traveling around 30 mph, and I can tell you that is pretty fast.

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-75362793673176016962007-08-27T11:00:00.000-04:002007-09-11T09:54:02.530-04:00

The AC guy showed up and confirmed that it was indeed a drainage issue. He fixed it in a lot less time than I thought it would take - 30 minutes, maybe 45 minutes total! I didn't pay close attention but he just needed a hose and bucket, and what I assume was a pump he brought along since I heard a mechanical whirring in the background.However the carpet still needs to be addressed. It is

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-20359979738299653632007-08-24T14:00:00.000-04:002007-08-25T10:23:16.841-04:00

I got home from work Wednesday, dropped off some papers on my dining room table. The carpet was wet, which was a surprise. I soaked it up, looked all over trying to figure out where the water came from, but found nothing.The same thing happened Thursday. I recently did laundry so I thought perhaps the washing machine was leaking. But after a search, nothing obvious in the utility room. The

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-22349944418674661782007-08-18T10:00:00.000-04:002010-06-27T16:11:21.778-04:00

My friend Diana signed up for this event, and I thought it would be fun so I did too. The original plan for her was to compete against her brother, head to head (or as well as possible given wave starts) in the same event in order to settle a family bet about the strength/abilities of male and female athletes, or in reality who between Diana and Gary (her brother) would retain family bragging

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-32165023547286799582007-07-28T22:00:00.000-04:002010-06-27T16:11:21.780-04:00

Tonight was the Orlando Runners Club annual banquet, where we also raffle off some prizes, award a few scholarships to high school students, and conduct the club's other awards.Some exciting news for me is I'm one of the four members chosen to participate in the Urayasu half-marathon, an exchange program we have with a sister club in Japan. Time to brush up on my Japanese and train for an early

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-44922804047226937472007-07-25T17:00:00.000-04:002007-08-05T12:17:44.681-04:00

As I mentioned a few months ago, I went clothes shopping with my friend Diana. Today we finally got around to the second part, which was to pick up a few more items.We went to the Lake Mary Target, because Diana wanted to show that decent clothes didn't need to come from fancy expensive stores. We picked out a few fitted T-shirts, two long sleeve striped shirts, and some jeans. Again, we

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7362771.post-7384578999281686802007-07-16T17:00:00.000-04:002007-07-25T10:15:15.740-04:00

An email making the rounds here to an article listing the Best Place to Live, as ranked by CNNMoney. Number 4 on the list is... Lake Mary, FL! Well that is great news, and I am pleased with my fortune-telling and crystal ball skills when I moved here two years ago. The rankings are specific, of "smaller places, between 7,500 and 50,000 in population, that offered the best combination of

klbarrushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13714697431351355290noreply@blogger.com0