I met with Francesca and Alexandra for a nice early season base building bike ride. We road along the Burke-Gilman trail, and on the way out, we saw some people staring at a tree by the side of the trail. It turns out they were looking at some bald eagles, so we stopped to look as well.
Unfortunately, I didn't have my camera. One eagle was sitting out on a branch, looking back and forth. The other was hidden by branches a bit, and I never really got a good look at it.
Last year while running at nearby Cougar Mountain, I saw a bald eagle fly overhead. I think today's spotting was the closest I've ever been to one!
Saturday, January 29, 2005
Friday, January 28, 2005
Car
Continuing the transportation theme... today I took my car, a 1996 Toyota Camry, in for its 105,000 mile service. The car is still running well, and I take it in to the dealer for all scheduled maintenance. I bought my car used (1 year old) and have been very happy with it. However, it is getting up there in age and mileage and soon the repairs might be more expensive, at which time I will think about getting a new car. Ideally, this won't happen for another two years or so.
I've thought a little bit about what my next vehicle will be. The current top choices are:
1) Toyota Prius. I'm fascinated with fuel efficiency and this hybrid is looking really good. Other more exotic choices would be bio-diesel or electric, but those aren't entirely practical. My only concern is cargo space to fit all my stuff!
2) Toyota RAV4. Maybe this isn't the best looking vehicle, but I've been so pleased with the reliability of my Camry I'd strongly consider this. I drive up to the mountains and sometimes having a 4 wheel drive would be nice. On the other hand, my friend Francesca has a Honda CR-V and that vehicle is a little larger, and gets slightly better reviews. Both should have enough room to store my gear.
3) Subaru Outback. I like the way these look and there are a zillion on the streets in the Seattle area. Plenty of room for gear and comes in 4 wheel drive models. I don't know anybody that actually owns one though.
Well, I have some time before I need to replace my car. Plenty of time to think about it. I'm not in a hurry - I paid my car off 3 years ago and I must say, not having a monthly payment is really nice.
I've thought a little bit about what my next vehicle will be. The current top choices are:
1) Toyota Prius. I'm fascinated with fuel efficiency and this hybrid is looking really good. Other more exotic choices would be bio-diesel or electric, but those aren't entirely practical. My only concern is cargo space to fit all my stuff!
2) Toyota RAV4. Maybe this isn't the best looking vehicle, but I've been so pleased with the reliability of my Camry I'd strongly consider this. I drive up to the mountains and sometimes having a 4 wheel drive would be nice. On the other hand, my friend Francesca has a Honda CR-V and that vehicle is a little larger, and gets slightly better reviews. Both should have enough room to store my gear.
3) Subaru Outback. I like the way these look and there are a zillion on the streets in the Seattle area. Plenty of room for gear and comes in 4 wheel drive models. I don't know anybody that actually owns one though.
Well, I have some time before I need to replace my car. Plenty of time to think about it. I'm not in a hurry - I paid my car off 3 years ago and I must say, not having a monthly payment is really nice.
Wednesday, January 26, 2005
Motorcycle?
Lately two friends at work have been talking about motorcycles during lunch. It is interesting to hear various stories, because they always center around speed. As in, XYZ motorcycle can do a quarter-mile in 8 seconds! Or maybe that is accelerate from 0 to 60 in 8 seconds, I'm not really sure.
One friend has a motorcycle and enjoys riding it, except it isn't working for some reason. The other friend doesn't own a motorcycle, but is considering getting one for a complicated vehicle swap: trade in his car for a cheaper car and a motorcycle. The impetus behind this is cost of insurance - adding his teenage daughter to the family vehicle insurance will nearly double the annual insurance cost (his car is a sporty Honda S2000 and his insurance company will automatically associate his daughter with the sports car and not the family minivan). A different car would lower the insurance substantially.
Anyway, while they talk about land speed records, my mind wanders to a different class of bike... the good old bicycle. On their bikes, accelerating from 70 mph to 130 mph is possible due to engine power; on my bikes, 24 mph is blazing fast. Their bikes are $15,000 to $25,000 or more for a high end bike; mine are $3000 to $4000 or more.
They always tease about letting me ride with them, but I'm not at all interested. The thing is, I don't really want to ride a motorcycle. One reason is just fear: I've had some flying rocks put nicks into my car windshield. What would the same rock do to a person on a motorcycle? Sure, you can wear a helmet and all that stuff, but hitting a rock at 60 mph is going to sting at best and really cause an injury at worst. The second reason is also fear: I always wear my seatbelt while driving, just in case I'm in an accident. What if I were on a motorcycle when I had that accident, the one I wear my seatbelt for when I'm driving a car?
Well, as you can probably tell, maybe I'm just not cut out for riding a motorcycle!
One friend has a motorcycle and enjoys riding it, except it isn't working for some reason. The other friend doesn't own a motorcycle, but is considering getting one for a complicated vehicle swap: trade in his car for a cheaper car and a motorcycle. The impetus behind this is cost of insurance - adding his teenage daughter to the family vehicle insurance will nearly double the annual insurance cost (his car is a sporty Honda S2000 and his insurance company will automatically associate his daughter with the sports car and not the family minivan). A different car would lower the insurance substantially.
Anyway, while they talk about land speed records, my mind wanders to a different class of bike... the good old bicycle. On their bikes, accelerating from 70 mph to 130 mph is possible due to engine power; on my bikes, 24 mph is blazing fast. Their bikes are $15,000 to $25,000 or more for a high end bike; mine are $3000 to $4000 or more.
They always tease about letting me ride with them, but I'm not at all interested. The thing is, I don't really want to ride a motorcycle. One reason is just fear: I've had some flying rocks put nicks into my car windshield. What would the same rock do to a person on a motorcycle? Sure, you can wear a helmet and all that stuff, but hitting a rock at 60 mph is going to sting at best and really cause an injury at worst. The second reason is also fear: I always wear my seatbelt while driving, just in case I'm in an accident. What if I were on a motorcycle when I had that accident, the one I wear my seatbelt for when I'm driving a car?
Well, as you can probably tell, maybe I'm just not cut out for riding a motorcycle!
Hockey
Representatives of the player's union and management met, to talk about the 2004-2005 NHL season. I'm not at all optimistic, but there is still a shred of hope as the NHL hasn't officially cancelled the season.
At this point, 2/3rds of the season is over, so even if the two sides reach an agreement and salvage a skeleton schedule, there would be maybe 25 games. If half are home and half are away, that means we would be looking at 10 or 12 home games to attend, which in turn results in about 3 games I'd get tickets for. Of course, having such a short season would make the playoffs a joke, but if they played and I could attend the games, I'd go.
My friends in the season ticket pool are voting on what to do with our money, which is held by the Canucks. If the season is officially cancelled, we can opt to leave the money there for next year, or get a refund. I voted for a refund, figuring I'd want to see what happens in the event of cancellation - many players may leave for leagues in Europe, diluting talent. Plus, there are things I could spend the money on now, instead of leaving it in some account that probably doesn't bear interest. ;)
At this point, 2/3rds of the season is over, so even if the two sides reach an agreement and salvage a skeleton schedule, there would be maybe 25 games. If half are home and half are away, that means we would be looking at 10 or 12 home games to attend, which in turn results in about 3 games I'd get tickets for. Of course, having such a short season would make the playoffs a joke, but if they played and I could attend the games, I'd go.
My friends in the season ticket pool are voting on what to do with our money, which is held by the Canucks. If the season is officially cancelled, we can opt to leave the money there for next year, or get a refund. I voted for a refund, figuring I'd want to see what happens in the event of cancellation - many players may leave for leagues in Europe, diluting talent. Plus, there are things I could spend the money on now, instead of leaving it in some account that probably doesn't bear interest. ;)
Monday, January 24, 2005
Volleyball
I brought my parents along to watch my volleyball games - they haven't seen me play and thought it would be fun. My league plays at Ingraham High School, and after introducing them to the team, they wandered back and forth and watched us play from the sidelines.
Overall, we did mediocre - winning 2 games and losing 3. But it was fun and I think my parents even found it fun to watch. On the way back I wound explaining some of the rules and different varieties of volleyball games (indoor 6's, outdoor doubles, reverse 4's; side-out scoring versus rally scoring, and so forth).
Overall, we did mediocre - winning 2 games and losing 3. But it was fun and I think my parents even found it fun to watch. On the way back I wound explaining some of the rules and different varieties of volleyball games (indoor 6's, outdoor doubles, reverse 4's; side-out scoring versus rally scoring, and so forth).
Sunday, January 23, 2005
Vancouver Morning
It turns out Gail stayed up all night ripping her music to her PowerBook, in order to give me her CD's! This easily doubles my CD collection. I better hurry up and copy them over before she wants them back. ;)
While she was doing this, I found an article about a new industry: iPod Loading. Entrepeneurs have noticed people may be willing to pay for somebody else to rip their music! It was good timing as Gail was doing this very thing.
Gail's Balcony
The view of Beach Avenue and English Bay. Alas, no more free space to crash at in Vancouver!
While she was doing this, I found an article about a new industry: iPod Loading. Entrepeneurs have noticed people may be willing to pay for somebody else to rip their music! It was good timing as Gail was doing this very thing.
Gail's Balcony
The view of Beach Avenue and English Bay. Alas, no more free space to crash at in Vancouver!
Quick Vancouver Visit
Gail invited me up for the evening, and I wanted to go visit one last time before she moves to Pennsylvania. My parents are also in town, so there was a slight conflict, but they were OK with me leaving them overnight so I drove up after running a few errands with my folks.
I timed my visit well, as Vancouver is having a Dine Out event, where participating restaurants charge $25 for an appetizer, meal, and dessert. We were in the mood for Indian so I drove us over to Rubina, and we stuffed ourselves.
Later, we went to see Million Dollar Baby, starring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Hilary Swank. I like the movie, even though a few scenes made me cringe - the plot centers around female boxing. I won't spoil the ending...
I timed my visit well, as Vancouver is having a Dine Out event, where participating restaurants charge $25 for an appetizer, meal, and dessert. We were in the mood for Indian so I drove us over to Rubina, and we stuffed ourselves.
Later, we went to see Million Dollar Baby, starring Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Hilary Swank. I like the movie, even though a few scenes made me cringe - the plot centers around female boxing. I won't spoil the ending...
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