Ice Opera

Less "almost"... more "finished"....

2012-01-15T10:06:00.000-05:00

On the to do list: shower door, put up shelf, add shade and curtains.

Almost finished........

2012-01-06T10:40:00.002-05:00

Still to come: shower door; back splash; heat lamp.

1. The new glass door (the plastic will stay on until I paint it).

2. First view:

3. View back:

4. Cushy micro-fiber rugs on floor:

5. Getting corgi approval:

6. View in the mirror when at the sink

7. Domestic Goddess -
W100% whole wheat biscuits with raisins and cinnamon (made with olive oil).

Daylight doesn't help....

2011-12-25T11:33:00.001-05:00

Bathroom floor in daylight. Small light square is the sample.

Paint (color chosen for the lighter floor) and tile...

Bathroom floor is in....

2011-12-24T19:40:00.000-05:00

It's a man-made 'bamboo' floor - supposed to be suitable for bathrooms. I'm not sure I like it.
The sample (real bamboo) was much lighter......

Assembling the new bathroom

2011-12-19T08:44:00.000-05:00

The bathroom with the shower installed and three coats of primer:

New mirror (much larger !):

The mosaic tile:

Stuff that still has to be installed:

More stuff to install:

Last Look at the 1950's Bathrrom

2011-12-18T21:12:00.000-05:00

The 1950's style "master bath" has been demolished and the new bathoom is in the works.
Pictures of the old "modern" bathroom (paint splotches on the wall are tests for the new paint).

Blast from the Past...

2011-05-07T16:50:00.000-04:00

Came home from the airport today through old neighborhoods....
Neighborhood #1 -

Neighborhood #2 -

BSR 2011 - Finish Line

2011-05-06T18:33:00.000-04:00

Me.... finished.

Atlantic City, Here I Come !!!

2011-05-03T18:36:00.000-04:00

Sort of......

I just registered for the Atlantic City Half Marathon 2011 in October, 2011...... i was hoping that it was ALL on the boardwalk, but maybe it's a good thing it goes to the Inlet. Wonder what's there, now that Garwood Mills has been gone for about 35 - 40 years ??????
It would be cool if we went past the Absecon light house. It's been moved inland. Here's a picture from when it was on the beach.

Broad Street Run 2011 - Again

2011-05-02T07:44:00.000-04:00

This is how I ran, according to my Nike+. Every Nike+ mile is really 1.1 'real world' miles..........
I'm thrilled that I finished.... it hasn't really sunk in yet.
And, i'm looking for the next challenge. The Philadelphia Half Marathon is a logical choice, but there's also stair running.....

Broad Street Run - 2011 - D - O - N - E !!

2011-05-01T18:45:00.000-04:00

Time: 2:13:00
Finished 24, 259 our of 33, 000+

Broad Street Run - 2011 --- in 3 days

2011-04-28T09:48:00.000-04:00

Still planning to run the Broad Street Run on Sunday (today is Thursday); unless it's tremendously HOT or pouring. I'm not even sure rain would be a deterrent. It's the one day in the year when anyone can run down Broad Street, through North Philadelphia to the Navy Yard....10 miles mostly flat.
The farthest I've run: 8.5 miles. Someone told me that the last 4 miles (after City Hall) is downhill (very very very slight slope). I estimate that it will take about an hour just for my corral (pink) to get to the START line... there are 10 groups this year.

How far is 880 miles ?

2011-04-17T10:02:00.000-04:00

According to my Nike+, i've run 880 miles. Since the Nike+ stops working when it's around 25 degrees (F) outside, and also seems to stop at other weird times, and the batter has died, i've actually run farther than 880 miles.
This is what 880 miles from home looks like - I'm in Bermuda !!! I'm above Labrador ! I'm in Florida !! How cool !

Decisions..... Decisions......

2011-04-16T18:49:00.000-04:00

Most of the cabinets have been installed; the countertop is mostly in; waiting for the backsplash; the applicances have been installed, but not tested.

WHAT COLOR TO PAINT THE WALLS ?

purple-grey ?

Red ??

Light Purple ?

New Kitchen Cabinets - installation

2011-03-19T11:03:00.000-04:00

The new cabinets arrived this week..... installation.

Who Stole the Kitchen ?

2011-03-15T18:08:00.000-04:00

Kitchen was gutted yesterday.

Turkey Vultures - Identified

2011-03-12T07:41:00.000-05:00

Turkey Vultures get up later than other birds. Started watching at 6am, but they didn't start moving until slightly after 7am.
These are DEFINITELY turkey vultures - red heads. They are so big that you can hear their wings flap when they take off from the ground.

Vulture Culture

2011-03-08T16:46:00.000-05:00

Seen at 7am today in the back yard. They appear to be young black vultures.

Wind Chimes #4

2011-03-02T10:15:00.000-05:00

Latest Wind Chimes... same basic design, but I etched the design in the sails and added two sails.

Close up of the last sail.

The copper blackening agent didn't work out as well as I expected; need to etch more deeply so I can use fine steel wool to remove it from the places I don't want it.

Copper Project #2 - B and C

2011-02-18T11:09:00.000-05:00

B. Celtic knot... with patina added.... B&W...

C. Celtic knot with patina added...in color, which causes the flash to go off.

Copper Project #2

2011-02-13T17:27:00.000-05:00

This is still a work-in-progress. I've ordered "Patina in a bottle", which should highlight the design. It's etched copper.... it was easier to show the detail in black and white than to deal with the relections in a color photo.
It's a Celtic Cross design...

Copper Etching #1

2011-02-09T11:19:00.001-05:00

A little copper, some ferric chloride, some ammonia, a few paint pens.....

More work needed: have to drill a hole in the center at the top, add some cord for hanging, and coat with polyurathane......
The uneven texture around the edge is part of the design - I didn't want it to be too smooth.

Pirate Kindle

2011-02-07T19:52:00.000-05:00

Not a "Pirated Kindle", but a home made skin, using some materials lying around and my NEW pirates hockey tape !

Stuff I Made for Christmas: Copper Wind Chimes

2011-02-07T19:36:00.000-05:00

First Set - with a woven copper sail.

Second set - with a copper cat sail.

Set #3 - Sail with "Instant" Patina

Set #4 - Sail and Clapper from Hardwood.
The clappers from all of them are slices of hardwood branches that have dried.

Next post: copper etching.......

Current "Time Wasters" aka "FUN"

2010-09-18T09:36:00.000-04:00

"What I'm working on now".... which really should be "How I'm having fun now", but somehow, when you grow up, you don't think of it as "having fun" - you think of it as 'projects' or 'work'.

1. RUNNING. I have to think of it as 'learning' to run.... My goal for the 2010 - 2011 running season (Sept to May) is to run the February race in Ambler and the Broad Street Run in May...... Outside of real work (i.e., employment), i'm trying to make running my #1 activity. Now that it's below 70 degrees (F), with almost no humidity, i don't have any excuses.

How I run in the dark - PETZL lamp.

2. Playing Bejeled Blitz. I admit it - i have a serious addiction. I am convinced that if I just play long enough, I'll have an epiphany and I'll understand the intricacies of the game, and I'll be able to rack up 300,000 points every time I play.

3. READING.... always a serious addiction. But now I have the Kindle and the iPOD (Audible.com)...... what is better than laying around reading a book or having one read to you ?

BIKING on hold...... Despite the recumbents, i seem to have them badly adjusted. All is well while I'm riding (63 miles last trip), but my hips hurt when i get off.... and hurt for weeks afterwards. Running seems to cure it, I think.

People Over 40 Can't Type with their Thumbs

2010-09-17T11:29:00.000-04:00

I am sooooo tired of the perception that people over 40 are technologically incompetent.

Somehow, a myth was started that "people over 40" don't use technology. News flash: I have used computer technology since 1981. I had an Atari hooked up to my black-and-white TV that used to learn Basic. I know why we say "boot up" a computer - because I did an IPL on an IBM 360 every morning for 2 years...

Yes, it's probably true that people in different age brackets don't USE a technology the same way, or to the same extent that others do..... But age isn't an excuse to drag out every time someone has a problem or doesn't know something.....

My latest gizmo (on which I can type with my thumbs).

Running vs. Biking

2010-08-10T09:41:00.000-04:00

No - running does absolutely NOTHING for biking capabilities. Time spent running is just time away from the bike. Lesson learned: fall, winter, and spring are for running; spring and summer are for biking.
80 degrees (F) and above are just too hot and humid for running, but they're perfect for biking......

Heat Wave

2010-07-05T10:21:00.001-04:00

It's just too hot to run in the sun, bike in the sun, do anything except lie in a hammock and listen to the birds..... Day 3 of the heat wave - 97 degrees yesterday. It's supposed to stay like this for the rest of the week....... perfect weather for my new career as a beach bum. If only I had a beach....

Digitizing Vinyl

2010-06-08T09:03:00.000-04:00

Spending vast amounts of time using the ION turntable and Audacity software to digitize my 30-year old vinyl collection. Starting to wonder how many songs I really like, and if it wouldn't be cheaper to just buy those songs from iTunes.... the really annoying part is listening to them all, so I know when a side is done.
Weather Report, Elvis Costello, Van Morrison (everything), Stones, Taj Majal.....a trip back in time. Then, it's on to the casette tapes ......

How far is 10 miles ????

2010-04-17T10:17:00.000-04:00

THIS far -

Running by the Numbers...

2010-04-14T09:25:00.000-04:00

It is now weeks until the Broad Street Run
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Actually, it's

days... I've run

miles since September. My longest runs (two of them) have been

Miles.... Am I ready ????

Car on Fire (sort of)

2010-03-20T20:20:00.000-04:00

Got off the highway today and smelled something burning. Made it home and noticed smoke coming from the right front wheel well, and up through engine. How exciting ! Have to wait until Monday to get it towed.

The Running Slug

2010-03-19T18:20:00.001-04:00

This is the famous RUNNING SLUG......mascot of runners in my class. Look fast - before he gets away !

Slowing Down ?

2010-03-19T13:29:00.001-04:00

Is it possible to get any slower ? This was a 3.4 mile "run" ("slog" ?) from yesterday.

How many days ????

2010-03-16T21:11:00.000-04:00

Actually, it's 46 days until the Philadelphia Broad Street Run.
Managed 8.6 miles today in 1:45..... at this rate, I'll be doing the Broad Street SHUFFLE... not even a walk......

Today's mileage is 8.1 or 7.1....

2010-03-09T17:36:00.000-05:00

Nike+ sensor needs recalibrating again. Nike+ Maps says I ran 7.1 miles in 1:36:18... which seems about right.....
Today's run used Running Playlist C - which contains a very strange assortment.....
David Frizell, Donna Summer, Elevators, Soul Asylum, Procol Harem, Elvis Costello, Irene Cara, Joan Armitrading, Nirvana, Peaches & Herb, Rolling Stones, Sly & the FS, Village People (yes), Parliament Funk...

Running for ...

2010-03-06T14:37:00.001-05:00

Weeks......

Back to running outside today - 43 degrees.... in shorts............

Getting Worried..........

2010-03-04T22:07:00.001-05:00

Only managed a 5 mile run tonight (8:30pm)...... The Broad Street run is in

days.

Oh No.......

2010-03-03T16:46:00.001-05:00

Was only able to run 5.25 miles yesterday before shutting down......
Only 60 days left, now !

Sixty-One Days Left

2010-03-02T14:21:00.000-05:00

61 Days from today until the Broad Street Run on May 2.
That's a minimum of 30 days to run... and increase distance from 7 miles to 10.

Missing..... 700 hours

2010-02-28T23:10:00.000-05:00

The (non-replaceable) battery in the Nike+ is supposed to be good for 1,000 hours. Mine died today after 300 hours.

7 Miles !

2010-02-28T19:01:00.000-05:00

Nike+ map showing the 7 miles I ran on the treadmill today - mapped on Broad Street. Summerville and Broad in N. Phila. to Federal Street in S. Phila..... time unknown because the sensor for my Nike+ died !!!

Training....

2010-02-28T14:44:00.000-05:00

Time is running out for the Broad Street Run training. Tuesday is March 2, which is two months from RUN DAY !!!

(Crystal Ball photo frame from ImageChef).

Race Picture - Feb. 2010

2010-02-26T10:30:00.001-05:00

I would have smiled if I'd realized they were taking my picture.
(the finish was downhill).

It's Snowing... Again.... Again

2010-02-25T09:50:00.000-05:00

This is the 4th significant snowfall this winter.... #4 not counting flurries, rain, and falling slush.

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What is cuter than 2 corgis in the snow ?

Close-up of Mr. Handsome in the snow....

# 1112 our of 1146......

2010-02-22T16:47:00.000-05:00

It looks like my time for the Frostbite 5 Miler has been found.
Time: 1:07:00
Chip time: 1:05:04
Pace: 0:13:28 per minute
Place in age group: last (14 out of 14).

Have U Seen This Runner ?

2010-02-22T09:34:00.000-05:00

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Actually, the runner isn't lost, but apparently her time is......
They can't find my chip time for Saturday's 2010 Frostbite 5 Miler run in Ambler.... So, based on the facts that I didn't have my Nike+, I'm still not 100% sure of the calibrations of the treadmill, my watch was slow, and I'm not sure when I crossed the START line, I think my time was between 61 minutes and 71 minutes. I'm waiting to see if they can find my time, but I doubt it..... it's all digiital, and I can't see how 1 runner's time could get 'lost'.....

216 Miles run.........

2010-02-16T20:25:00.000-05:00

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216 Miles..... 48 hours: 47 minutes ......
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Actually, it's more, but I've run 216 measured miles since November when I got the Nike+.

Guess What ?.... Is Snowing (again) !

2010-02-16T09:20:00.001-05:00

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Yes... more snow. No idea why everyone is suprised... it IS February.....

More Snow.......

2010-02-11T13:12:00.000-05:00

Back Yard - fence is more than 3' high.

More back yard - snow on bird-feeder is only from the second snowfall yesterday afternoon.

Front yard and street.

Perfect Day for Ice Opera

2010-02-10T11:38:00.001-05:00

Giant icicles hanging from the roof after 2'+ snow on Saturday, and at least 8 inches (and still falling) today.

Same icicles - different view.

Up close with the icicles.

February is for Running (?)

2010-01-27T09:28:00.001-05:00

The search for activities for the non-bike season (i.e., winter) is still working on running. Most of my 'running' time is spent on the treadmill.
Signed up for two runs in February. Sunday Feb 7 - 5k fun run @ 1pm. Saturday Feb 20 5 mile race at 8:30am. Seemed like good ideas at the time....... not sure 8am in February is my idea of good running weather.....

Elfstedentocht in 2010 ?

2010-01-11T18:08:00.000-05:00

No Elfstedentocht in 2010. Even though it's been a cold winter, it looks like recent snows will prevent the ice from freezing to the required thickness....... from the Dutch news this am. Another year with no race ....

It takes too long to explain that this is a skating race (125 miles) on frozen canals in the northern Netherlands (Freisland) through 11 cities. It starts and finishes in Leeuwarden, then on to Sneek, IJlst, Sloten, Stavoren, Hindeloopen, Workum, Bolsward, Harlingen, Franeker, and Dokkum. In 1999 I toured some of these places and skated through the bike paths....

YouTube has some great films of the race from what look like the 40's or 50's.
This is my favorite. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyoQ4wz6d64

New Year's resolution.......

2009-12-30T10:31:00.001-05:00

Normally a terrible idea, but a maybe a way to get through the little things that pile up and get left behind.
Mine: Clean up my corner of the Internet. Haven't updated the links on my personal web page in 2 years. Need to consolidate so that everything is under the name "Ice Opera".

The most boring activity in the world is....

2009-12-29T15:40:00.000-05:00

Running on a treadmill..........

I've run 126 miles since Nov. 7, when I got my Nike+, and every minute on the treadmill has been unbelievably boring........ This is just a memo, in case I do run the Broad Street Run - so I can remember how awful it was trying to train in cold weather.

Snow - Dec. 20

2009-12-20T19:22:00.000-05:00

23" of snow this morning. View from the sunroom window, before I shoveled a path for the dogs.

Recalibrated !

2009-12-05T11:48:00.000-05:00

Recalibrated the Nike+ on the treadmill last night and took it on the road this morning. I've lost a mile in an hour; but I've lost 10 minutes for 4 miles.

When is a Mile NOT a Mile ?

2009-12-04T09:32:00.000-05:00

When you assume that your stride is the same length as the standard calibration on the Nike+.

After running on two different treadmills this week, it looks like my stride is about 20% shorter than the pre-calibrated length on the Nike+. So, a "real" run of 2.5 miles has shown up on my Nike+ log as 3.16 or 3.2 (depending on the treadmill).
So, all my runs have been significantly shorter, and I am significantly slower than I thought I was. My 11:30 pace is really a 15-minute mile. The 6 mile run was really a 4.74 mile run.

6 miles !

2009-12-02T08:39:00.001-05:00

Ran six miles today without stopping. Six miles running vs. 33 miles biking (my 'daily distances') - what a difference !

No running today

2009-11-26T09:57:00.000-05:00

No running today - hurt my right leg below the knee on the outside - i think the technical name for the part is the "knobby thing on the outside".... hurts to run.
Totally bummed out - i managed to get up to 5 miles (slowly) without stopping. The part doesn't seem to have a name in the medical or sports medicine books, although it might be a nerve.
I will be totally bummed if I have to go back to running on alternate days so i don't put a strain on the knobby thing - it doesn't hurt if i'm not running.

Running List on Wordle

2009-11-22T10:44:00.000-05:00

My running playlist, as created by wordle http://www.wordle.net

Running Playlist #1

2009-11-20T15:31:00.000-05:00

Today I ran 5 miles without stopping. Somehow, even though I have my iPod set to shuffle songs, I keep hearing the same ones when I run. According to iTunes, I have 523 songs in my Running 1 Playlist, so I'm not sure why this happens.

Here's what's on my playlist:
Dave Matthews Band, Barenaked Ladies, Brian Wilson, Doors, Ethiopian Chilren's Choir, Black 47, The Wiggles, Jethro Tull, Bob Dylan, Soundrack from Chicago, Ella Fitgerald, Sly & the Family Stone, Everything But The Girl, Rufus Wainwright, Imani Winds, Supreme Beings of Leisure, Lefty Frizzell, Soul Asylum, Cream, Nirvana, Patsy Cline, kd lang, Indigo Girls, Afro Celt Sound System, Tina Turner, Arlo Guthrie, Pete Seeger, Bjork, Elevators, the Posies, Parliament Funkadelic, Beach Boys, Richard Thompson, Talking Heads, Billy Paul.

Running - Broad Street Run 2010

2009-11-19T09:42:00.000-05:00

I just realized that I haven't blogged yet in November, even though tons of things have been happening. I've been working on a set of copper wind chimes for the front yard, and was going to post a picture as soon as they went up, but I had a small design problem that I'm re-working.

In the meantime, for my post-biking-season-activity for the 2009 - 2010 winter, I have decided to see if I can 'train' for the Philadelphia Broad Street Run, which is held on May 2, 2010. It's 10 miles down Broad Street, which they clear of cars and traffic. Not sure how they manage it, because cars park in the middle of the street and in the bike lanes in S. Philadelphia. I think of it as "Broad Street - Naked".

So, that's my goal. I started in September, and am now up to 5 miles per run. Two miles with no stopping, a small walk (15 paces), then the last 3 miles without stopping. The best place to run is in the street, in neighborhoods with small hills.
Current time for this little shuffle is 58 minutes.... The max allowed time for the real run is 150 minutes.

Goal for November - run the whole 5 miles without stopping.
Here's a picture of my shoes - Mizumo Wave 5 with a Nike+ in the pocket.

Fungi on the Moss Farm

2009-09-12T12:38:00.001-04:00

It's been so wet this summer that we have a bumper crop of moss. Even the fungi is growing faster than every. These came up over night, after about 24 hours of rain.
Some close-ups below:

A Word About Wordle.Net

2009-09-10T09:08:00.001-04:00

This is a sample output of WORDLE.NET, using the text in this blog. Basically, you can submit free-form text or a URL, etc. to the http://www.wordle.net site and get a graphic that you can modify or tweak. This sample is untweaked.

While riding today, I saw...

2009-09-07T20:32:00.001-04:00

A man riding a horse on the West River Drive talking on the phone.
A skater on the East River Drive talking on the phone.
Drivers talking on the phone.
Bikers on the phone.

My favorite: while riding in the bike lane on Chestnut Street, an old man wanted to DRIVE in the bike lane, and HONKED at me !.

Old Bikes

2009-08-13T22:05:00.000-04:00

I love old bikes - from the early days of biking up to today. I even appreciate 'retro' stuff - as sold by Rivendell. I recently gave away my last 2 Sturmey-Archer 3-speed bikes to good homes (they'll be used for commuting to and from the train station).
Thanks to my sister, I have a photo of me on my first "two-wheeler" - riding in the living room on Christmas morning.... with training wheels. Total determination on the bike, even then !

More trenches... why the back yard floods

2009-08-13T15:43:00.000-04:00

More rain on Wednesday night, so the trenches got deeper. And they multiplied. More rain today (Thursday), and the whole yard was just a series of waterfalls. So, I traced them up the hill, and took a video. The best part is where the water goes over the sandbags.

Another Sunday... Another Trench...

2009-08-09T14:34:00.001-04:00

Another rainstorm.... another broken limb on the black cherry tree.

Another trench: this time around the new garage. Spent all day yesterday cleaning up the mud and mold, etc. from last Sunday's rain. This morning, the garage leaked again, so now it has a trench all around it. This should divert water away from the garage until a permanent solution is found.

THe black cherry tree lost some more limbs. Learned this because neighbors called the police (why ?) after the limbs hit the electric line and knocked out their power. Had to explain that the tree company is trying to work with the power company so that they can take the tree down. Wonder where this will lead ?

So, no biking today, and waiting to see if the do-it-yourself trenches can keep the garage dry !

Mountain Bike... Converted

2009-08-08T17:59:00.000-04:00

This bike started out as a Schwinn Essence.... sometime in the mid- to late-1980's, Schwinn made the "Essence" as a women-specific mountain bike. It was never very comfortable, and I never did any serious mountain-biking - just off-road and trails. So, I converted it sometime around 2003-2004. I didn't ride it much, but after the bike room was flooded slightly last weekend, and I had to clean off a lot of stuff, I decided to clean it up and ride it around to the store, post office, etc. I might use it for commuting, but I'm not sure about the wear-and-tear on my laptop

I can't find any pictures of the original bike, but here are the changes:

1. replaced the 2 1/2" knobby tires with skinny slick tires.

2. replaced the straight mountain handlebars with the "albatross" model from Rivendell Bike Works. Added cork hand grips - no more gloves !

3. replaced the seat with a leather Brooks saddle.

So, now it has mountain bike gearing, but the ride is as close to an old 3-speed as I could get it....

Another retro feature: it still has the "BIOPACE" chainring - this was a slightly oval (rather than round) chain ring that was the height of bike technology in the 80's.

Original pink paint, with some updates.

What Makes a Good Rider ?

2009-08-04T09:38:00.000-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about this as I ride the bike path, and watch other riders, runners, skaters, dog walkers, etc. on the path at night and on the weekends. I've come to the conclusion that SPEED, while highly desireable, is not the same as GOOD.

My Personal GOOD BIKER MANIFESTO:

1. Have agility on the bike. They can use their weight to make small moves, can ride in a very straight line, etc. When small children ride, their bike follows their eyes as they look around. By the time you have your first "real" bike, you should be past this stage.

2. Have awareness. They know where other riders are, they are looking at the road ahead to identify obstacles before they have to SLAM on their brakes, they anticipate the actions of others on the road/ bike path.

3. Good riders can FIX their own bikes. That means that they have a patch kit, spare tubes, etc. IF people can fix their own bike, they're more likely to pay attention to it, check it out before and after a ride, etc. And, since this might be time-consuming, they have a LIGHT in case it gets dark while they're fixing two flats in 1 ride.

4. It would be nice if everyone "out there" had basic manners and courtesy. It's not always easy. There's a lot of hostility on the path and it's hard not to let it escalate.

I was riding behind a runner on Saturday. He was running in the MIDDLE of the path - not anywhere near the right SIDE. So, since I was riding in a straight line, i started to overtake him on the right. Just as I did, he starts to veer on to the right. So, who's at fault ? Yes, he was right that I should have "Passed on the left". But what about the rule that "slow traffic on the right" ? Should I have had to move fro the far right into the left lane just to pass him, because he's in the middle ?

It's not easy out there, even if you start out with the best intentions.

The Trench ... or... How I Spend Sundays

2009-07-27T19:42:00.000-04:00

This is a picture of the trench that I'm slowly digging in an effort to rid the back yard of excess rainwater. A rain garden is in the works, but it won't be enough. The trench is running down the middle of a berm, which we had to put in as part of the garage effort. It has never worked, so I'm going to level out the berm, put the trench in and channel the water out to the street. Like all of our neighbors.
If I keep going at this rate, I MIGHT have it done by August.

We have clay soil, so rainwater doesn't sink into the soil.... it just runs off. So, during the summer we have flash floods..... I took this picture last week during a storm that lasted about 1/2 hour.

Ride Your Bike to Work - Blame ZIPCAR

2009-07-09T13:34:00.000-04:00

Entered the ZIPCAR Low Car Diet competition. Get away from your car - bikes, transit passes, etc.

Geek Award of the Day

2009-07-08T09:27:00.001-04:00

An email with this headline floated across my in-box today.
SIM President says Worst of Recession Over

Imagine my disappointment when I read the text and learned that this is NOT a new release/ community of THE SIMS - The SIMS as Economists, but is, instead, just the President of the Society for Information Management (SIM).

I had visions of creating little economists with graphs and statistics.

Once an Economics major, always an Economics major !

Sunscreen...... A Whiter Shade of Pale

2009-07-04T15:25:00.000-04:00

Best = Bull Frog SPF 36 SPRAY. Dries ammost instantly and doesn't seem to rub off. Drawbacks: you can TASTE it as it soaks into your skin, and you really can't spray it, because you'll end up breathing it.
Worst = Bull Frog SPF 50 lotion. Unless you're at a Halloween party as Bela Lugosi, skip this. It goes on white, doesn't soak in, rubs off, and just sits on your skin like some white grease. Might as well use zinc oxide, which at least comes in colors.
OK = Neutragena Sport Face SPF 70+. Not sure if an SPD 70+ is even possible, but at least it doesn't melt into your eyes or rub off.

Le Grand Bleu

2009-06-25T21:07:00.000-04:00

Le Grand Bleu was in New York today. 371' long (plus or minus a foot). Launched in 2000; owned by Roman Abramovich. Depending on the reference, it's somewhere around the 17th largest yacht in the world. According to yacht blogs it's been in New York since Tuesday (2 days ago). Quite impressive - check out the tiny boats in the 2nd picture.

Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island

2009-06-25T20:41:00.000-04:00

Took the day off and went to New Jersey/ New York to see Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Both are impressive in so many ways. High points: old photos at Ellis Island, especially the ones taken in the 1980's before any restoration work was done.

Wish we could walk around the whole island(s), even if we can't go inside the buildings.

An excellent trip back in time: hard to walk outside into the sunlight and 2009.

Rain ! Hail ! No riding !

2009-06-16T08:15:00.000-04:00

Still not riding - it has rained every day, usually right after work, for the last two weeks. Yesterday we had hail for about 20 minutes - at 5:45pm, which is exactly when I would have been on the bike trail.

On the positive side, it appears that the police have some sort of patrols (motorcycle) in Norristown, which is good. I'm just trying to find a way to keep riding and be able to deal with the security situation, without having to always ride with someone else.

Getting Coordinated !

2009-06-13T00:28:00.000-04:00

IceOpera is now my username on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/iceopera.)
Working on moving my personal web site over to http://home.earthlink.net/~iceopera.
Then, I just have to move Flickr, and I'll be completely coordinated !

Backyard Audit - Audobon Society

2009-06-11T20:14:00.000-04:00

Had a backyard audit by volunteers from the Audobon Society. Despite the weeds and the soil that doesn't drain, the back yard is not in bad shape. Only two invasive weed-type things that I need to pull up (and they're very small), and lots of options for shade-loving plants that can soak up the water. The toads made their appearance, and we can build them little toad houses to encourage them.
Lots of birds, as we knew, including owls and woodpeckers, and song birds. Many options for native plants that don't require lots of care, some ground cover options, etc. Plus, lots of places around here that specialize in truly native (i.e., local to this area) plants. So, lots of garden work, but we're going to start slowly, and examine the options.
I found two pictures of the yard: one is the day we had the house inspection in 2005 and the other is from last fall - with one of the water pools.

Tour de Brooklyn

2009-06-07T19:25:00.000-04:00

A fun 20-mile (approxinately) tour of Brooklyn. Totally fun and scenic tour ! I've always wanted to ride through Brooklyn, so this was great. I picked up a biking in NY map from Transportation Alternatives (sponsor of the ride), so I can have a personal, leisurely tour on my own in the near future. Took the new VADO digital video...... here's a shot of the riders (pre-ride) from the KeySpan stadium - on Coney Island.

Another Day... Another Conference

2009-06-06T17:37:00.000-04:00

Actually, another YEAR, another conference. Just finished the annual pilgrimage to the IBM/ Rational Software Developer's Conference in Orlando. Very good conference - some new products to look at, especially stuff moving over from Telelogic to IBM/ Rational. The IBM team is great, and the conference is well organized, well planned, and the facilities are great.
Some stuff on my wish list: black diamond sessions, especially for tools that have been around for a while; move the conference from Epcot. Maybe Las Vegas ? or Taos ? or Portalnd, OR ? Or Portland, ME ?

Dinner at Margaret Kuo's - Wayne PA

2009-05-17T20:24:00.000-04:00

I have no idea why this restaurant keeps winning awards. The food was OK, but the service is awful. Arrived on time, with reservations. Seated. Then, two people asked if we had reservations. Then, three waiters separately asked if we were ready to order. When we finished the main course, the check arrived. No offers of coffee, tea, or desert. Just the check put on the table- not even a "thank you".

So, this is 1/3 of that dinner party that will not be going back, and would not recommend it under any circumstances.

Brooklyn Tour

2009-05-03T20:56:00.001-04:00

Quick tour of Brooklyn on Saturday, May 2. Covered Williamsburg, Prospect Park, DUMBO, etc. Missed Greenwood Park and some other places that I'll have to hit on the next trip (June).

Pictures:

One Way to Love Lane

Tug Boat in the East River

Long-Distance View of Ellis Island

Missing the Netherlands

2009-04-12T19:27:00.001-04:00

I miss the Netherlands. The whole country, including Amsterdam. It's just so sane. I don't care about the taxes; life is just such a livable scale there.
Yeah, it's not perfect - but what is ?
What I like: riding bikes, honesty, public transportation, two kinds of licorice (sweet and salty); food - breakfast, lunch, and dinner, brown boats, bike paths through farms, bikes.

Spring 2009 Cancelled

2009-03-02T08:37:00.001-05:00

It appears that spring has been cancelled for 2009. Here's the view this morning - 6 inches of snow. It was 61 degrees (F) on Friday.

Justifying a New Bike

2009-01-31T18:15:00.000-05:00

How to Justify Buying a New Bike -
Use the "cost per mile" method: cost/distance. Get a new one when the cost is below your target level.

If your bike costs $2,000, and you ride it 2,000miles the cost per mile is $1.00. Once you ride it for 4,000 miles, the cost is now $0.50 per mile. At 8,000 miles, the cost is $0.25. At 10,000 miles the cost is $0.02 per mile. At 20,000 miles, the cost is $0.01.

If you average 1,500 miles per year, that's 13 years, which is long enough for a bike, if you don't have any accidents. The difference in bike technology over 13 years is enormous.

Hanging on Until Spring

2009-01-29T09:21:00.001-05:00

Things are slow in the blogshpere. Not cold enough consistently for ice-skating. Too much frozen rain for in-line skating. I went skating last Sunday (1/25) and found black ice on the bike path.

This is the view today from my home office. ---->

On the positive side, I did find EXACTLY what i've been looking for since 1993 to prevent blisters under my ankle bones - reusable round gel pads called "Clear Clouds"..... I got them from a web site called "Skating Safe" (located in Florida). Excellent response times from this company.
http://www.skatingsafe.com/

I think I'll be skating more this spring than riding my bike... makes a nice change. My goal for 2009 is to learn to do cross-overs. Tried to learn it once, but it didn't take. I'd also like to learn how to handle hazards - sticks, etc. in my path.

Holidays to get us through the winter and spring:January - Lunar New Year
February - Valentine's Day; plus, the daylight lasts longer.
March - 21st - Vernal Equinox (SUMMER STARTS HERE !)
April - Tax Day, start of good water conditions for Kayaking.
May - Every day is a good day !!!

Dyanmic Music Videos

2008-11-21T11:33:00.000-05:00

http://evanjacover.com/archives/2007/im-more-important-than-you

Check this out - it's a nice song that's a wonderful alternative to road rage, but the best part is that it uses random pictures from Flickr to create a potentially-new video every time you play the song. If you want to do the same, the site owner supplies the source code.

And the song is actually pretty good - i'd love to have it on my iPod to play in traffic - for those 'special' people on the road.

Morris Arboretum

2008-10-05T19:44:00.001-04:00

Visited the Morris Arboretum this weekend. Highly recommend it.
The special exhibit was:

Many of the buildings were local Philadelphia institutions, but these are some of my other favorites are below. The entire exhibit is made out of natural materials, and appear to be bio-degradable. There's no information available about how the buidlings were constructed, which would have been really interesting, but they appear to be thin wood with a lot of epoxy of some kind. The trestles are made of wood.

No reflecting pool in front, but still impressive, on a small scale.

Guess where you're NOT ?

Detail from Independence Hall:

Buy This Book !

2008-10-02T17:42:00.000-04:00

Who knows enough about shopping in Victorian England ? Not me !

This book is actually an easy read about the social impacts of shopping in Victorian England - how did they do it ? What kind of shops were there ? Who owned them ? Worked in them ? Who went to which kind of shop ? (or, shoppe ?). Is this a pre-cursor to the modern American habit of "shopping as entertainment" - a time when shopping occupied an important part of people's (i.e., women's) daily lives ?

Anyway, highly readable and entertaining.
Available on Amazon, B&N, etc.

Bicycle Cravings....

2008-10-02T09:10:00.000-04:00

Just because 'bicycle season' is over doesn't mean that I don't look/ think about bikes, or that I stop riding.

I have found two bikes that I truly CRAVE.

The first is a short wheelbase tandem recumbent from Barcroft. The Columbia. I saw one on the MS 150 ride. My fondest desire is to do some serious touring on a tandem recumbent.... hope i don't have to wait until i retire to do that !

Since it doesn't look like tandem riding is in my near future, I have this bike lined up as a replacement if my Haluzak ever fails.... Titanium, and less than 24 lbs. I never wanted an over seat steering recumbent before, but this one has changed my mind.

Taking a test drive is worth the trip to Virginia !

Link to the Barcroft site.

Fun with George Orwell.....

2008-10-02T08:56:00.000-04:00

Every time I read 1984, or anything else by or about George Orwell, I always think of the grammer streamlining in 1984 - double plus good !

Here's the idea for some fun: take a day and use only 1984-ish constructs in your written and oral communications - especially e-mails. I think texting would need something like 'GD++", and 'GD--'.

Better, and more fun, than 'talk like a pirate day'......

More fun with George/ Eric on the Orwell Diaries site.

MS 150 2008 City to Shore

2008-09-29T20:22:00.000-04:00

Rode the MS 150 City to Shore on Saturday. 75 miles from Cherry Hill, NJ to Ocean City.

Rode the Sun EZ-1, which weighs 41 lbs unloaded. Added 75 ounces of water (which weighs slightly more than 16 pounds). Plus, spare tubes for the front and rear tires - because they're different sizes. So, that's more than 57 pounds to pedal for 75 miles, without clipless pedals - just regular platform pedals.

Total time - 7 hours; 15 minutes. Which is 9 minutes slower than 2007, when I rode the Haluzak. I think I could have done the century in 7 hours, if I had ridden the Haluzak.

Fixing the Economy - 'Trickle UP"

2008-09-29T20:15:00.001-04:00

Everyone seems to have an opinion, so here's mine (and it costs a lot less than $700b U.S.)

Step 1: Take about $260B and invest in US bonds - something safe. We'll spend it gradually - later.

Step 2: Focus on the sub-prime loans. Let's skip the discussion about the greed, etc., that causes the loans to be made. The point is that there are people who have loans that they can't afford. The normal rule of thumb is 28% to 30% of your income should be spent on housing (including mortgage, taxes, etc.). For people with sub-prime loans, figure out what 30% of their income is. That's the amount of the loan that they're required to pay for their mortgage - set up at today's rate as a 30 year fixed rate mortgage. The difference between the % that they can pay, and the amount currently owed on the sub-prime will be paid MONTHLY for the next 30 years, out of the $260B invested in bonds.

Step 3: The holders of the currently-worthless paper can't sell it. They'll get paid, but only over 30 years. Too bad.

Step 4. This will probably solve the problem for 80% of the sub-prime loans; the rest will default anyway. That's life, but it's better than buying off greedy people who knew they wouldn't be helpd accountable.

Winter Project 2008/2009 - Carbon Fiber bike

2008-09-22T21:44:00.001-04:00

Also known as "Crazy Idea #1". If I work through all of my current in-progress projects (making a 'watercolor' picture of the house, converting all of my vinyl and casettes to digital) and digitizing all of my 35mm slides, learning a few words of Welsh, and possibly other things, I know what I want to work on during the winter of 2008/9 when it's too cold and dark to ride.

I want to build a carbon fiber recumbent bike. I know some places where I can buy parts, and I can buy some plans to help me design (or at least avoid known pitfalls), and lots of people have already done this. So, it has to be possible, if you design well, and work really well and carefully, no ? It would be so cool to ride a bike that you designed and built by yourself. The lightness of carbon fiber-coated foam core would just be an added bonus. I've stripped bikes down to the frame and re-assembled them, but this is a whole new level of bike insanity.

Off to do some research, so I can think about this while finishing my current projects.

Woodpecker in Window

2008-09-17T12:28:00.000-04:00

I was working at home today, and I looked out the window and saw a woodpecker in one of the crab apple trees.
We have heard them before, but I never saw one this close for this long. I had to shoot through the windows, without a filter, so there is a reflective glare in the picture.

He was very industriously working at a knothole. I can't tell if he was lucky and got an insect or not. He's about 4 inches long.

ICE Bikes - New Model B1

2008-09-16T09:58:00.000-04:00

ICE Bikes - Inspired Cycle Engineering - which makes recumbent trikes now makes a short wheelbase recumbent bicycle - apparently only over seat steering. Mesh or carbon seat. Best - it easily comes completely apart for transport !

The web site has a shot of the disassembled bike (shown with the mesh seat).
They also offer two handlebar styles. Not sure how the rack show in this photo attaches - unless it's an under-seat rack.

And, ICE offers short cranks as an option !

Web site is: http://www.ice.hpv.co.uk/bikes/b1.htm

Return of Pedro's Ice Wax

2008-09-15T21:14:00.000-04:00

I've tried 'dry lubes', and they just make my 8 feet of chain caked with dirt. Even the "apply sparingly and don't re-apply until your chain squeaks" kind. So, even if it might contribute to chain wear (which defeats the purpose of a chain lube), I'm going back to Pedro's Ice Wax. At least I don't have chain marks on my leg, which seems to be an inherent part of recumbent riding.

Bike Philly 2008

2008-09-15T21:01:00.001-04:00

I rode Bike Philly 2008 yesterday - the 30 mile route. The good parts: excellent route signs and volunteers.

I usually manage to get lost at least once on any ride, but even I didn't get lost. I give this ride A+ for the route itself - who knew there was a Greenland Drive in Fairmount Park ? not me !

It's probably a perfect ride for families and kids - how many kids get to ride their bikes on Delaware Avenue ? The 10 or 20 mile option would be perfect for any kid, especially since they have rest stops every 4 miles.

The bad part ? Just because there aren't cars doesn't mean you don't have to be AWARE OF OTHER RIDERS... and LOOK before you just move across the road....This ride is a lot like the Bike New York ride in May -- you spend so much time being careful and watching out for other riders that you don't get a chance to look at the scenery. But, with only 2,000 riders, it eventually thins out and you can look at the park and scenery, etc.

They could give it a better name, too. Who calls it "Philly" ? (and actually lives here ?). "Bike Fillelf-ya" or even "Yo ! Bike Fillelf-ya" would be a much better name. Next year: Sept 13, 2009. I think I'll sign up. Just hope it isn't another 90-degree, 90 % humidity day.

Next year, I will NOT have a squeaky chain (first time I've ever had one), so I won't be too embarassed to ride the 50 mile loop.

No web site for the 2009 ride yet - here's the 2008. http://ridebikephilly.org/