Saturday, August 28, 2010
One Week
Bad news with my router. It crapped out on the 20th. I had a one-year hardware warranty. I bought it 8/15/09. Go figure. Oh well. Linksys sure got their timing right...
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Back to Work
Time to get back to songwriting! I haven't done any in a while! More is better, right? It's like buying lottery tickets, right? The more you write the better chance one is a winner? :)
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Long Overdue
Okay, so this is LONG overdue...every birthday I try to compile a list of a few things I've learned, as long as some firsts, over the past year. Hey, I'm only 2 months late...
**Version 25**
Firsts (not many that I can think of)
- PT for a running injury
- Double run (i.e. a two runs in a day)
- Trip to Alaska!
Things I Learned
- Don't buy magazine subscriptions in person
- Cancel your trial subscriptions early if you're done with them!
- How to file a claim with an insurance company
- What plantar fasciitis really is
- What city life is like...sort of...
- More about corrosion and types of corrosion than I thought I ever would
- Mick Jagger sang back-up on Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"
- ALT & Enter in Excel creates a new line within a cell
- A lot about crabs and crab meat
- Snoopy was sort of a mascot for NASA
- The most deadly creature is the malarial parasite
- Don't run a marathon in worn out shoes :)
- Flexibility is vital
- How to turn on a furnace for radiated heat
- Jumping isn't good for shin splints or stress fractures
- What exactly a sprain is
- Missing BQ by 4 seconds SUCKS!
- How to make eggs overeasy
- How to drive a jetski
- Totem poles are not completely round
- What Qiviut is (musk ox wool)...and how soft it is!
- My great-great-grandfather Alexander Niebrzydowski landed in America on my birthday in 1906...in Baltimore...
**Version 25**
Firsts (not many that I can think of)
- PT for a running injury
- Double run (i.e. a two runs in a day)
- Trip to Alaska!
Things I Learned
- Don't buy magazine subscriptions in person
- Cancel your trial subscriptions early if you're done with them!
- How to file a claim with an insurance company
- What plantar fasciitis really is
- What city life is like...sort of...
- More about corrosion and types of corrosion than I thought I ever would
- Mick Jagger sang back-up on Carly Simon's "You're So Vain"
- ALT & Enter in Excel creates a new line within a cell
- A lot about crabs and crab meat
- Snoopy was sort of a mascot for NASA
- The most deadly creature is the malarial parasite
- Don't run a marathon in worn out shoes :)
- Flexibility is vital
- How to turn on a furnace for radiated heat
- Jumping isn't good for shin splints or stress fractures
- What exactly a sprain is
- Missing BQ by 4 seconds SUCKS!
- How to make eggs overeasy
- How to drive a jetski
- Totem poles are not completely round
- What Qiviut is (musk ox wool)...and how soft it is!
- My great-great-grandfather Alexander Niebrzydowski landed in America on my birthday in 1906...in Baltimore...
Monday, August 23, 2010
Bored@Work
No I'm not at work right now. But it's been pretty slow at work lately. I need stuff to do! I hate feeling unproductive!
Friday, August 20, 2010
Bimbo Bakery
Sorry, that's just a funny name. To make it even better, I saw a little league team (or soccer, I can't remember which) that apparently has them as a sponsor because on the front of the uniform it said "Bimbo" - proud to wear that uni...?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Dreams, O Dreams
It's weird how if you wake up during a dream in the morning, your day starts off like the dream. I had an extremely depressing dream this morning and I was dragging through the day the first couple of hours. It wore off, but it was a little strange.
Also, you can get poo from food!
(Bonus points for the reference)
Also, you can get poo from food!
(Bonus points for the reference)
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Hot Hot Go Away
After today's crappy run in the 92-degree heat after work (at 7pm), I'm definitely ready for the heat to go away. Here are some of the numbers on Baltimore:
23 days in July over 90 degrees, including 11 straight days
3 days in July over 100 degrees
3 more that hit 99
1 more that hit 98
As of today, 6 of the 10 days in August have hit 90 degrees
Add humidity to that.
Yuck. Blah.
23 days in July over 90 degrees, including 11 straight days
3 days in July over 100 degrees
3 more that hit 99
1 more that hit 98
As of today, 6 of the 10 days in August have hit 90 degrees
Add humidity to that.
Yuck. Blah.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Vancouver, eh?
Day 10 - Vancouver (I)
We got off the ship bright and early Sunday morning in Vancouver. We stayed near a poorer part of town, so my impression of the city probably wasn't fair. I think it really is a nice city. Probably would have been good to spend a little more time there. We did see the Olympic torch and all on the trolley tour, so it was all okay.
There was a jazz festival going on in "Gastown" so that was kind of neat. Street performers and all. It's also the home of the thinnest building in the world, apparently.
Day 11 - Vancouver (II) & Amtrak
We spent the afternoon in Vancouver before boarding the Amtrak to Seattle (to catch the plane). We just toured around again and had lunch on Granville Island, which really isn't an island anymore.
View of the city from the island
Bye Bye Canada!
We got in late to Seattle and flew out in the morning (Day 12).
Awesome trip!! :)
We got off the ship bright and early Sunday morning in Vancouver. We stayed near a poorer part of town, so my impression of the city probably wasn't fair. I think it really is a nice city. Probably would have been good to spend a little more time there. We did see the Olympic torch and all on the trolley tour, so it was all okay.
There was a jazz festival going on in "Gastown" so that was kind of neat. Street performers and all. It's also the home of the thinnest building in the world, apparently.
Day 11 - Vancouver (II) & Amtrak
We spent the afternoon in Vancouver before boarding the Amtrak to Seattle (to catch the plane). We just toured around again and had lunch on Granville Island, which really isn't an island anymore.
View of the city from the island
Bye Bye Canada!
We got in late to Seattle and flew out in the morning (Day 12).
Awesome trip!! :)
Ketch-me-if-u-Kan
Day 8 - Ketchikan
The third and final port stop was a little town called Ketchikan. Its claim-to-fame, other than copious amounts of totem poles, is that it is the "first" city in Alaska if you sail up the coast. Thus, it is called Alaska's First City. It is also Salmon Capital of the World, apparently.
By the way, I forgot to mention in the last entry that the only way you can get to Juneau is by boat (or seaplane) or birth canal. A little trivia for ya.
We went off to Saxman to see a bunch of totem poles while Vicki and Alberto went kayaking. I always thought totem poles were completely round (like a tree), but I guess they aren't...
There wasn't much else to do there unless you took an excursion, so I did a lot of walking around town and visiting the gift shops. One thing that was there was the old red-light district, which is now mostly shopping and restaurants, Creek Street.
We again ended the night with some dancing and fun (and karaoke) at the Crow's Nest lounge.
Day 9 - My Birthday!
The next day was a lazy day aboard the ship, as it was a travel day. It was also my birthday! Celebrating on a cruise is not a bad way to do it! We partied all night and said goodbye to our new friends. We shall meet on another ship? :)
It was an awesome time. I highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity!!
Not quite done yet...
The third and final port stop was a little town called Ketchikan. Its claim-to-fame, other than copious amounts of totem poles, is that it is the "first" city in Alaska if you sail up the coast. Thus, it is called Alaska's First City. It is also Salmon Capital of the World, apparently.
By the way, I forgot to mention in the last entry that the only way you can get to Juneau is by boat (or seaplane) or birth canal. A little trivia for ya.
We went off to Saxman to see a bunch of totem poles while Vicki and Alberto went kayaking. I always thought totem poles were completely round (like a tree), but I guess they aren't...
There wasn't much else to do there unless you took an excursion, so I did a lot of walking around town and visiting the gift shops. One thing that was there was the old red-light district, which is now mostly shopping and restaurants, Creek Street.
We again ended the night with some dancing and fun (and karaoke) at the Crow's Nest lounge.
Day 9 - My Birthday!
The next day was a lazy day aboard the ship, as it was a travel day. It was also my birthday! Celebrating on a cruise is not a bad way to do it! We partied all night and said goodbye to our new friends. We shall meet on another ship? :)
It was an awesome time. I highly recommend it if you ever get the opportunity!!
Not quite done yet...
D'ya know?
Day 7 - Juneau
Our second port stop was the capital, Juneau. We walked around town for a short bit while Dad and Alberto went and got the rental cars so we could explore more. Juneau is a VERY hilly city (though you can't tell from the picture) and I'm glad we didn't run the marathon there!!
We drove on over to the Mendenhall Glacier. We ended up going for another long hike to see if we could get closer. Unfortunately the river had flooded over the trail and it was impassable, but it was fun and there were some nice views and nature-ness.
Afterward we also visited the Shrine of St. Therese, which was a neat little retreat out in the middle of nowhere and on the water.
That night was one of the formal dinner nights on the cruise, so we had a nice meal (not that the others weren't nice...)
----------------
Now playing: Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
via FoxyTunes
(odd...haha)
Our second port stop was the capital, Juneau. We walked around town for a short bit while Dad and Alberto went and got the rental cars so we could explore more. Juneau is a VERY hilly city (though you can't tell from the picture) and I'm glad we didn't run the marathon there!!
We drove on over to the Mendenhall Glacier. We ended up going for another long hike to see if we could get closer. Unfortunately the river had flooded over the trail and it was impassable, but it was fun and there were some nice views and nature-ness.
Afterward we also visited the Shrine of St. Therese, which was a neat little retreat out in the middle of nowhere and on the water.
That night was one of the formal dinner nights on the cruise, so we had a nice meal (not that the others weren't nice...)
----------------
Now playing: Gordon Lightfoot - The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
via FoxyTunes
(odd...haha)
Ice & Haines
No, not the underwear.
Day 5 - Glacier Bay
First day of the cruise was all on-board, but highlighted by a tour of Glacier Bay. Bet you can't guess what's in Glacier Bay! Dang, you're smart. It was cool. And cold.
Margerie Glacier
After spending most of the afternoon outside in the cold and light rain (hey, it's Alaska) we decided to hop in the hot tub. I think that was a splendid choice. Pat and I played some chess and ping-pong, and we did some trivia, and of course ate some awesome food at dinner.
Day 6 - Haines
First day in port was in Haines, which apparently is the home of Fort Seward. Why it's not in Seward...who knows. Anyway, the weather was decent again for us (i.e. minimal rain and even some sun). We rented a couple cars and did some of our own sightseeing.
Moose!
The second half of the morning was spent at Chilkoot Lake. Some nice views and more bald eagles. No bears though :(
After lunch we split up. My car (Mom, Dad, Pat, Me) went out for a little hike in the rainforest. Yes, you read that right. Alaska has rainforests. I suppose the other car did too, just in a different spot. It was a pretty difficult, and sometimes wet/muddy trail, but it was a neat hike. I love me some hiking.
Very big plants (Devil's Club?)
That tired us out nicely, and we got some good views, a nice nature hike and saw some pretty...interesting...plants.
I can't remember if that was the first night we went up to the Crow's Nest to do a little partying.
----------------
Now playing: Live - The River
via FoxyTunes
Day 5 - Glacier Bay
First day of the cruise was all on-board, but highlighted by a tour of Glacier Bay. Bet you can't guess what's in Glacier Bay! Dang, you're smart. It was cool. And cold.
Margerie Glacier
After spending most of the afternoon outside in the cold and light rain (hey, it's Alaska) we decided to hop in the hot tub. I think that was a splendid choice. Pat and I played some chess and ping-pong, and we did some trivia, and of course ate some awesome food at dinner.
Day 6 - Haines
First day in port was in Haines, which apparently is the home of Fort Seward. Why it's not in Seward...who knows. Anyway, the weather was decent again for us (i.e. minimal rain and even some sun). We rented a couple cars and did some of our own sightseeing.
Moose!
The second half of the morning was spent at Chilkoot Lake. Some nice views and more bald eagles. No bears though :(
After lunch we split up. My car (Mom, Dad, Pat, Me) went out for a little hike in the rainforest. Yes, you read that right. Alaska has rainforests. I suppose the other car did too, just in a different spot. It was a pretty difficult, and sometimes wet/muddy trail, but it was a neat hike. I love me some hiking.
Very big plants (Devil's Club?)
That tired us out nicely, and we got some good views, a nice nature hike and saw some pretty...interesting...plants.
I can't remember if that was the first night we went up to the Crow's Nest to do a little partying.
----------------
Now playing: Live - The River
via FoxyTunes
Seward & Seaward
Day 4 - Seward & Wildlife Cruise
We got up early Sunday morning and took a cab (or rather, cabs) to get to the place where we needed to board the bus (shuttle) to Seward for the cruise. It was an extraordinary drive. The fog lifted, for the most part, for some amazing views. We even saw some wildlife along the way - sheep, goats, eagles, moose...!
We stopped at a lodge to transfer buses, and it had to be one of the most beautiful parts of the trip, in my opinion (and that is saying A LOT). The scenery was absolutely incredible!
One of my favorite pictures from the trip
We got to Seward around lunch time. We walked around a little, saw a lot of bald eagles, and then boarded the "little" boat for a couple-hour wildlife cruise. All-you-can-eat Prime Rib and Salmon? Yes, please.
Seward's Harbor
We did see a good bit of wildlife, though some of it was far away (or small, like the puffins!), but all-in-all, probably worth it. We even had some playful little porpoises that decided to swim with the boat for several minutes. Absolutely beautiful day too - 60s and sunny, which I understand is pretty rare around those parts.
My pictures don't really do this tour justice, but here's a pretty decent one of our first (of many) glacier sightings in the next few days:
After the wildlife cruise we boarded the CRUISE! :) So weird to see a sunset at like...midnight!
We got up early Sunday morning and took a cab (or rather, cabs) to get to the place where we needed to board the bus (shuttle) to Seward for the cruise. It was an extraordinary drive. The fog lifted, for the most part, for some amazing views. We even saw some wildlife along the way - sheep, goats, eagles, moose...!
We stopped at a lodge to transfer buses, and it had to be one of the most beautiful parts of the trip, in my opinion (and that is saying A LOT). The scenery was absolutely incredible!One of my favorite pictures from the trip
We got to Seward around lunch time. We walked around a little, saw a lot of bald eagles, and then boarded the "little" boat for a couple-hour wildlife cruise. All-you-can-eat Prime Rib and Salmon? Yes, please.Seward's Harbor
We did see a good bit of wildlife, though some of it was far away (or small, like the puffins!), but all-in-all, probably worth it. We even had some playful little porpoises that decided to swim with the boat for several minutes. Absolutely beautiful day too - 60s and sunny, which I understand is pretty rare around those parts.
My pictures don't really do this tour justice, but here's a pretty decent one of our first (of many) glacier sightings in the next few days:
After the wildlife cruise we boarded the CRUISE! :) So weird to see a sunset at like...midnight!
Mayor's Marathon
Day 3 - Race Day!
Good morning!
We got up nice and early and headed out the door. There was some trouble with the buses that made a LOT of people worry if we'd even get to the start line in time! Luckily we did with a few minutes to spare, but not much.
We started off towards the back of the group since we were all going to run together towards the back of the pack. It was a pretty course, but I think our expectations were probably a little over the top (i.e. we didn't see much wildlife or crazy views). One of the prettiest, but definitely not over Big Sur.
Good amount of streams
There was about 9 miles of the course on a loose gravel road through a military base, which wasn't too bad at first, but after a couple miles it really started to take a toll on the legs. My foot that had been injured wasn't too happy about the uneven either. We did get a little bit of rain in there too. Add in some hills and it wasn't exactly PR material.
After we got off of the gravel, we crossed a little bridge onto a little forest trail that was kind of neat. I like running on trails like that.
Even when we got onto the streets, those didn't last long. We went through some parks and around lakes and through tunnels and on trails...
Almost done!
Now that's just cruel!
We did a lot of walking towards the end and came in around 4:55 - all four of us together. We even did a little conga line before the finish :) And we tried the Wazzu kick at the line, but the photographer apparently didn't get me in the photo :( Oh well.
Love me some watermelon!
Afterward we went to Moose's Tooth (yay) to celebrate. 11 down, 39 to go!
Another one bites the dust!
It was a late lunch, so I don't think much happened after that. We had to get up early to catch our transportation to the cruise ship. I know I went to bed early...
Good morning!
We got up nice and early and headed out the door. There was some trouble with the buses that made a LOT of people worry if we'd even get to the start line in time! Luckily we did with a few minutes to spare, but not much.We started off towards the back of the group since we were all going to run together towards the back of the pack. It was a pretty course, but I think our expectations were probably a little over the top (i.e. we didn't see much wildlife or crazy views). One of the prettiest, but definitely not over Big Sur.
Good amount of streams
There was about 9 miles of the course on a loose gravel road through a military base, which wasn't too bad at first, but after a couple miles it really started to take a toll on the legs. My foot that had been injured wasn't too happy about the uneven either. We did get a little bit of rain in there too. Add in some hills and it wasn't exactly PR material.
After we got off of the gravel, we crossed a little bridge onto a little forest trail that was kind of neat. I like running on trails like that.
Even when we got onto the streets, those didn't last long. We went through some parks and around lakes and through tunnels and on trails...
Almost done!
Now that's just cruel!
We did a lot of walking towards the end and came in around 4:55 - all four of us together. We even did a little conga line before the finish :) And we tried the Wazzu kick at the line, but the photographer apparently didn't get me in the photo :( Oh well.
Love me some watermelon!
Afterward we went to Moose's Tooth (yay) to celebrate. 11 down, 39 to go!
Another one bites the dust!
It was a late lunch, so I don't think much happened after that. We had to get up early to catch our transportation to the cruise ship. I know I went to bed early...
ALASKA!!! (Part I)
Okay, so this is long overdue, but this is my entry on our 2-week trip to Alaska at the end of June...
Day 1 - Getting There
Not much to say for Day 1, but I saved my flight until the afternoon so that I wasn't rushing around in the morning to make sure I got to the airport early enough. So what did I do? I left a half hour later than I wanted to anyway. No problems though. Being on a plane for like 10 hours wasn't all that fun, but survivable. When we were getting closer to Anchorage it seemed to be getting lighter outside, which was odd since we were landing at like 12:30 AM. Made it to Alaska!
Had some company...
Day 2 - Expo & Anchorage
When we got up Friday morning to go to the expo, I got my first real glance of Alaska.
Expo was pretty small, but not too bad. As expected, I suppose. We met a couple of girls from Michigan and got our packets and all. We then headed down to the running store to check it out. I saw some moose running socks and, well, how could I pass those up?? :)
Downtown Anchorage
There were an unsurprising amount of gift shops and touristy stores in town. Lots of random art too. One of the great things about Alaska for me is the amount of moose stuff that is in town. There was an alley with some pretty awesome murals. It's too bad there were also dumpsters and parked cars. But still pretty cool!
After some walking around Anchorage we headed over for our pre-race dinner with the LVM crew. It was a small Italian place that was halfway decent, but nothing outstanding. I had chicken fettuccine alfredo, which is not uncommon for me. After dinner we headed back, watched Spirit of the Marathon and got some sleeps!
Day 1 - Getting There
Not much to say for Day 1, but I saved my flight until the afternoon so that I wasn't rushing around in the morning to make sure I got to the airport early enough. So what did I do? I left a half hour later than I wanted to anyway. No problems though. Being on a plane for like 10 hours wasn't all that fun, but survivable. When we were getting closer to Anchorage it seemed to be getting lighter outside, which was odd since we were landing at like 12:30 AM. Made it to Alaska!
Had some company...
Day 2 - Expo & Anchorage
When we got up Friday morning to go to the expo, I got my first real glance of Alaska.
Expo was pretty small, but not too bad. As expected, I suppose. We met a couple of girls from Michigan and got our packets and all. We then headed down to the running store to check it out. I saw some moose running socks and, well, how could I pass those up?? :)
Downtown Anchorage
There were an unsurprising amount of gift shops and touristy stores in town. Lots of random art too. One of the great things about Alaska for me is the amount of moose stuff that is in town. There was an alley with some pretty awesome murals. It's too bad there were also dumpsters and parked cars. But still pretty cool!
After some walking around Anchorage we headed over for our pre-race dinner with the LVM crew. It was a small Italian place that was halfway decent, but nothing outstanding. I had chicken fettuccine alfredo, which is not uncommon for me. After dinner we headed back, watched Spirit of the Marathon and got some sleeps!
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