They site is now upgraded to Community Server 2008!  There are some new features so feel free to check them out.

You may notice the most obvious change is the theme is the new default CS 2008 theme.  I will come up with something new in the next few weeks.

Let me know what you think!

Have you ever heard of Rule 240?  I hadn't until today but basically if your flight is canceled for any reason other than weather you can ask the ticket agent about rule 240 which requires them to schedule you on another flight, even on another airline if necessary, to get you where you are going.  It's an old rule and some things have changed but it still exists.

Check out this post on the Today Show Blog for more info.  The article is really long but the first half explains most of the rules around it.

I'm not big into video games but guitar hero is quite the revolution.  Now anyone can be a rockstar and have fun with facial hair too.  I "found" this pic and had to post it. ;)

Rockin' the headband!

I purchased Flow NXT AT bindings along with a Nitro Misfit towards the end of last season because the roof rack on my Jetta ripped off while driving home and I lost my snowboard (with bindings attached of course).  I rode on them for only a few days and a small piece of plastic that holds a bolt tight on the inside front strap broke off.  A few more trips up to the mountain the same plastic piece on the other binding broke off.  My first thought was I can't believe this happened but it didn't bother my riding so I didn't care too much. 

Here is how they are supposed to look.  Note the white trapezoid-ish piece attaching the binding strap to the binding.

 

Here is the piece that broke.  Note there is no longer a white trapezoid piece.  The purpose of the piece of PLASTIC!! is to lock the small gold colored bolt (metal) down so you can tighten it with a screw on the other side.  Why not just use a normal bolt and nut like other bindings?  Who knows.

Don't pay attention to the jagged edged broken strap.  More on that below.

Again, this was the end of last season.

This season after my third day on the mountain I broke a binding strap.  See photo.  I couldn't believe it.  I bet these bindings have less than 25 days on them; it's more like 15.  With 6" of fresh powder they had a bit more stress on them than running groomed runs all day but come on!

Now, Flow bindings have a terrible reputation.  I personally know 3 friends that have broken a total of 6 pairs.  Regardless I decided to give them a shot based on word that the new Flow's were a lot better.  Here is my non-expert pro/con comparison. 

Pro's

• Very comfortable
• Same tightness every time you strap in
• Easy to strap in
• Decent responsiveness
• Able to continue riding even after breaking a strap

Con's

• They broke!

As you can see it is an obvious decision.  The cons easily outweigh the pros. 

My new setup is a pair of Raiden Blackhawks.  I think these will be great!

I know a couple people that have the Nike Plus setup and have been interested in it for a while.  There are a few problems you immediately face if this is something you want.

First, you need the proper iPod.  I already have 2, a now old school 30GB one without color and a shuffle I got for running/working out last Christmas.  Now, I have a 3rd which is a the 2nd generation iPod Nano, not the new nano that plays videos.  I found a brand new 4GB one on Craigslist for $80.  Ahhh craigslist, you always treat me well.

Second, the Nike + kit which includes the transmitter and a plug for your iPod (Nano).  This is $30.

Third, a proprietary shoe from Nike.  This is a bit much and I don't like to overpay for my shoes.  I purchased my running shoes from an actual running store that evaluate your running on a treadmill and tell you which shoes are best for you.  You can't just pick the pretty blue ones.  Oddly enough they don't carry Nike.  Weird huh?  So, I decided to shove it under may laces and tape it with hockey tape.  Classy!  This is free.

I debated if spending this much money to run was really worth it.  We shall see if it is something I continue to use but there are tons of cool features at http://nikeplus.com.  You can see your runs, create goals, challenges, participate in events, and I'm sure more to come.  iTunes runs everything which is a mixed blessing but I am dependant on it already with my iPod(s).  You sync the iPod and it will post your run stats automatically.  There are even privacy settings. 

As with any new toy there is learning involved.  When you end your run you have to press menu, use the wheel to navigate, then click again.  This seems a bit much since you are usually out of breath when you stop running but I guess you can pause, then end it.  When I made it make home I just paused mine thinking I ended my workout.  When you pause and start to run/walk again it automatically starts tracking your activity (cool feature).  However, it tracked me playing frisbee with Roxy.  Obviously it dropped my average as you can see from this cool online chart.

Overall I am impressed and look forward to friendly competition with friends and random people online. 

If you have Nike + let me know!

I have been fighting with my previous hosting company to keep my site live for easily the last 6 months.  It was one problem after another.  I just switched over to Server Intellect and look forward to my site live all the time.  Don't let me down!

I am also launching a new site in the next week or so.  More to come later.  It may come as a shock but it will be based on Community Server.

Last note... Telligent just released a beta of a new product called Graffiti.  It's pretty slick! 

 I just read that Apple is introducing the iPod Touch.  Wow, it looks awesome and this guy has a good point about the iPhone.  Too soon?

The thought of it does sound really cool and my iPod is one of the old ones without video so I'm not cool anymore.  Too bad I just bought a new kayak!!  It's a Pyranna Burn.  More info on my Kayaking Blog.
 

This past weekend Emily and I took a trip to the OP (Olympic Peninsula) for a overnight backpacking trip and camping on the ocean.  It was a great trip and along with the perfect weather were really long ferry lines.

We hiked up 4.5 miles to our campsite Friday evening getting there just in time to eat dinner and catch a view of the valley we were in.  In the morning we took a day hike the top of Marmot Pass, about a .5 mile away from the camp, and around the pass.  It was really cool and had great views of the Olympics.

 

Foggy Alpine Meadow

An Amazing ValleyAnother Alpine MeadowTypical Rainforest type of sceneryEmily on the way downMe on the way up

All Big Quilcene Trail photos 

On Saturday we headed outside of Port Angeles to the Salt Creek campground.  I really hate camping right next to people, much less pay for it when there are amazing free sites to be discovered.  However, the campground was nice being so close to the ocean.  After snagging the second to last campsite (out of 95!!!) we drove out to a Hot Spring to relax and soak up the warm water.  We went to the Sol Duc Hot Spring instead of the free Olympic Hot Spring.  I was thinking there may be fewer people there since you have to pay.  I think I made an ass out of you an me (assumed) because it was PACKED full of fat vacationers.  Regardless, it was very relaxing and felt great on my sore legs and back from trekking a full pack the day before.  Next time I think we'll opt for the Olympic Hot Springs.

When we got back to the campsite we made a nice fire and cooked up some great Yakisoba.  It is amazingly easy to make and taste great while camping.  It's not good for backpacking but for car camping it was tough to beat.

On Sunday we walked around Tongue Point which is inside the Salt Creek Campground.  It was really cool and we took some nice photos and a video of some goopy sea creatures.   

 

  Tongue PointCrazy slimy green goopy sea creaturesA Thousand MusselsMussels and something else cool

All Tongue Point photos 

Here is a video of me touching one of the huge green goblins

On the way home we walked through Port Gamble which is a "real cute" old port town that has been restored.  We made a quick round around the town, bought some fresh peaches and headed home.  But first we had to wait in the ferry line for 2 hours before taking the 30 minute ferry ride and then driving home another 30 minutes.  It was worth it but also a great feeling to be back home.

We unpacked, Roxy got a bath, and got some sleep for work on Monday.

Last week Emily and I saw an Opera and Musical not only in the same week but back-to-back days!!  I felt smarter, better, and snobbier than you! Also, a little tired of sitting still for several hours at a time.

Anyways, we saw The Flying Dutchman at the Seattle Opera and it was actually pretty good.  Because Emily is a total dork and likes to learn we bought tickets to the lecture before the show.  We were 15 minutes late and it lasted another 35 minutes.  I learned that we were the youngest people in the lecture hall and out of 42 people in the 4 rows in front of us 27 of them had gray hair.  I assume the others used dye.  I completely zoned out and it was worse than any college class lecture.  I did learn a few things about the legend of the Flying Dutchman which was actually interested.  However, the difference between Wagner's intro to the Dutchman and one of Beethoven's symphonies is enough to make you fall asleep.

After the lecture we stood around for a bit, took our seats, and the opera started.  Actually, the Overture started which was nice but way too long.  By the time the first Act started I was really pissed about being at the opera.  The first act was okay and then we took an intermission.  Coffee!  I love coffee!  Wow, Act II and III were really good after being stimulated by caffeine.  All in all it was an excellent opera and I was glad I went.  It's not something I want to do every weekend but it was enjoyable.

The funniest thing about the entire opera was that the lead male character (the Flying Dutchman) was talk dark and handsome with long hair (I'm sure every girls dream) BUT the lead female character was huge.  Not my dream girl at all.  But she could sing.  The Stranger wrote about this too.  See the last paragraph.  Pretty funny.

The next day was Mel Brook's Young Frankenstein at The Paramount.  This was hilarious and a lot of fun.  The crowd was a great mix young and old, funky and dressy.  I have to say I enjoyed the movie more but watching a live musical is a great way to see it.  Also, Gene Wilder rules and I don't think he can be beat at any role he does.  Kind of like Christopher Walken.

Young Frankenstein the musical is being tested in Seattle and then possibly taken to Broadway.  I've only seen one Broadway Musical, Beauty and the Beast, but I think they will have to up their budget to pull it off in New York.  I assume The Paramount has a smaller stage than they are used to and it was a "test" show in Seattle.  I hope they take it to Broadway, people would enjoy it for sure. 

On Saturday a large group of paddlers met up to run Tumwater Canyon of the Wenatchee River.  This is a classic stretch of big water  Class IV-V whitewater that I've been wanting to paddle ever since my first trip to Leavenworth.  Driving to or from Leavenworth on Hwy 2 you pass this stretch of huge whitewater and in the back of my head I've been a little scared yet tempted to get on it.  It was flowing just under 2000 cfs which puts most of the major rapids between IV+ and V- with the exception of POW (Perfection of Whitewater) and Last Exit which are always Class V.  The large group broke up into 2, our group with 9 boaters.

We put in at The Wall which is a very long Class IV+ rapid.  With the help of Harms showing me the lines I made it down without scouting.  I got off line once which pushed me into a hole that stern squirted me up and over.  I rolled quickly only to drop into a hole nearly sideways with very little speed.  I made a small sweeping boof stroke but didn't clear the hole.  After a quick rinse cycle beat down I flushed and rolled up and into the next eddy.  Whew!  A minor error in my line but I recovered nicely.

 
Looking upstream at the end of The Wall.

After The Wall there are one or two minor rapids before you paddle through a "lake" which is formed on the river by a dam.  Lots of people run the dam and I was hoping someone would show me the line but everyone opted to portage.  Probably for the best. 

Tumwater Canyon Dam
 

The Dam Rapid below the dam was a good Class III+ big water rapid which leads to several smaller boogie water rapids ranging in the III+ to IV- range.  The next major rapid is Chaos.

With the name Chaos you would have to expect a lot from this rapid. It is a solid IV+ to V at 2000 cfs but there was a clear line.  An entrance ledge (picture below on far left of picture) looked like a straight forward boof ledge that auto-boofed a couple guys.  The rest of us opted to run just to the right of the top of the ledge to avoid the meat.  I lined up exactly where I wanted to be and was ready to boof with a left hand stroke only to see that the feature had a left right current feeding into a right to left over the ledge.  I decided to ride the tongue down and threw a right handed stroke at the top to help push me through the hole.  I shot past it and when farther river left than expected.  The eddy below the ledge spun me around and I sent backwards over a second ledge that nobody had run.  I committed to running it backwards, got a good stoke in and punched the hole with a bit of a brace.  I quickly ferried river right to the next ledge running in clean.  The next ledge needed to be run river left so I started ferrying left when hitting the eddy behind the ledge I just ran spun me backwards AGAIN which I ran the last ledge backwards. 

That was Chaotic for sure.  I turned a 3 ledge rapid into 4 and ran 2 of them backwards.  Awesome!

 
Chaos on Tumwater Canyon

Here are a few videos I took.  Sorry for the poor camera skills and lame commentary.  I need to learn to keep the camera still and my mouth shut. 

James with a near perfect line down Chaos

Harms going deep on the entrance ledge

Dave with a great line

Below Chaos are several other III+ to IV- boogie water rapids leading to POW.  I portaged POW, put in below it and ran another section of III= to IV- boogie rapids to take out above Last Exit.

2 of our group ran POW and took different lines.  It was impressive and I gladly watched from above.  Maybe next year.  Last Exit is a huge rapid with a fairly (relatively) easy IV-IV+ line but HIGH consequences.  There are sieves on both sides that would be the end of your boating career and most likely life in general.  Several guys from the other group ran it but I didn't get to see it. 

A successful run down Tumwater!!  What a treat.  I'm looking forward to some lower flows as the water levels continue to drop to explore this run again.
 

Jon Broom recently posted about www.dontclick.it and I think it's such a cool idea.  I doubt it will catch on but is something to think about.  It's a simple concept and makes you start to re-think the direction UX has gone.

However, Flash is a pain in the butt (IMO) and I can't imagine developing all of that animation.  And as with all Flash sites don't click back!!

I was doing a great job tracking all of my trips but got a little lazy lately posting each of them.  Now I've lost count of what river and when.  However, I know for a fact I took trips down the Skykomish, Cooper, Fall in the Wall, Middle Middle, and the Sauk.  There is a possibility I left something out...

The Cooper is far and away my most favorite river at the moment.  It is a classic Class IV/V creek run that has some great drops but isn't too consequential. 

Here are 2 videos I took last weekend on the Cooper:

Bryon (Otter Boy) running a typical drop on the Cooper

John running S-Turn on the Cooper.  This is a COOL rapid.

Coming Soon

Here is a video from FITW a while back.  James shows how it's done and I hit a piece of wood at the lip and jack it up.  I still got a little boof in there though.  I totally styled it two laps in a row but when the camera is rolling I was off by an inch!

I took last week off from work to hang out with my parents who came in town for the week.  Emily, my Mom, and I went rafting on the White Salmon River on Saturday which was an awesome trip.  Our rafts crew include the three of us and 3 other guys that were with a huge bachelor party.  We were a solid crew and didn't loose a single person the entire trip.

Here we are totally unaware a picture was being taken:

The trip started with some Class IV rapids then settled down to Class III only to end with a bang running Husum Falls which is a Class IV/V 10 foot waterfall!!  It was crazy in the raft.  I know I took a hit from a helmet in the shoulder and Suzy (Mom) fell back next to the guide.  Too fun!

I have run this river numerous times in a kayak but it was a lot of fun to be with my family and run the rapids in a raft... admittedly though it's way easier.

All White Salmon Rafting Photos

After the raft trip we met my Dad in Hood River, OR who made his annual drive from Texas to the Pacific Northwest in his convertible Corvette.  It has to be a great drive but will let him chime in on the details.  We spent the rest of the day and the following morning in Hood River soaking up the sun, warm weather, and watching kite boarders rip up the ... um wind?

Sunday night we stayed in Seattle and got some rest after a great dinner.  Monday through Wednesday we were in Vancouver, B.C. which is one of my favorite places.  Neither of my parents had been so Emily and I played tour guide for the parts of the city we knew.

As cheesy as it is we all decided getting tickets on the "Big Bus" (you know the red double decker tourist buses) was a great way to get around the city and learn more than we cared to read.  We did this in New York several years ago and was great in Vancouver as well.  My only complaint was that all of the information was played through the PA on previously recorded CDs.  In New York there were actual people giving the commentary which was much better.  Regardless, that's my only complaint.

I think the highlight of the trip was taking a bike ride through Stanley Park.  It was a great way to see the park and gave a chance to get some exercise.  the last time I was in Vancouver Emily and I walked the park which takes way too long and is more exhausting than exercise. 

Emily, Gary, and Suzy riding our cruisers through Stanley Park:

Vancouver Public Library (I think):

All Vancouver Pictures

We left Vancouver and headed back to Seattle with plans to ride the "Duck" before it's last tour of the day.  The Duck has always been funny to me.  It runs rain or shine and is usually PACKED full of tourists.  The coolest thing about the tour is it goes on land and sea, well a lake to be exact.  We made it just in time and had a really fun and casual ride through Seattle and a boat trip on Lake Union.

Elvis drive the Duck:

After the Duck ride we made a last stop at the Kwik-E-Mart for some Buzz Cola and a Squishee.  Seriously!

Thursday morning I actually worked for an hour while on PTO which is retarded but seemed necessary to push a project along.  I'm happy to do this for something urgent but definitely don't make a habit of it.  I'm being paid to be on vacation, not work. hahaha

After a call I met up with my parents for a quick bite to eat and a walk through of the Olympic Sculpture Park downtown.  I haven't been since it opened and it was a perfect way to end my vacation with my parents.  They continued down the Washington and Oregon coast for a couple more days and then back to Texas.

The rest of my vacation was filled with trashy TV (Court shows and Cops), a jog in the rain, and some kayaking I'll make a post about later.

PS. I used Windows Live Writer to publish this blog post.  This was my first time using it and will follow up with a report after giving it a decent trial.

I never thought about blogging the music I'm listening to until today.  I just picked up some new CDs and love them and wanted to share.  One of the great things about Seattle is being able to listen to KEXP on the radio.  They are an amazing listener supported radio station (I am a member) that toons me into all kinds of new music.  They also have an extensive website that includes streaming audio, live performances, streaming archives of the radio show, a blog (not based in CS ) and all kinds of other goods.

Here is what I picked up.  And in the world of MySpace I included MySpace links so you can listen and judge for yourself. 

The Thermals - the body the blood the machine

I love The Thermals.  They have a great sound and lots of energy.  Great background music for working.  I'm pretty sure I'll be picking up their other albums soon.

• http://www.myspace.com/thethermals
• http://www.thethermals.com/
  

 

Tegan and Sara - So Jealous

Tegan and Sara are twin sisters from Canada and have a great indie music sound.  They songs are catchy and good girly music.  I bought this one for Emily but secretly wanted it myself.  They are coming out with a new album later this month that I'll probably buy for Emily as well.  

• http://www.myspace.com/teganandsara
  
• http://www.teganandsara.com/
  

Ratatat - Classics 

I have wanted this CD since I first heard Wildcat.  This is a really cool CD and is another good background work music.

• http://www.myspace.com/ratatatmusic
  
• http://www.ratatatmusic.com/ 

Girl Talk

Lastly, I tried to buy a CD by the DJ Girl Talk but they were sold out.  It seems easy but this guy takes samples from Top 40 music and makes dance music.  A buddy of mine turned me on to this guy and I'm going to keep my eye out for it at the record shop.

• http://www.myspace.com/girltalkmusic
• http://www.girl-talk.net/ **
  

** I LOVE this websites intro page.  There is no new innovative features at all.  I just like the way the image and backgrounds changes with a scroll over.  It really pops in your face and is kind of way out there.

The temperature in Seattle has broken 90!  That may not seem hot to those in Texas but without A/C it gets old after a while.  Since my office is upstairs in a converted attic it gets hot so I moved my office downstairs and have been working from there the past few days.  When it's hot out or in the late afternoon moving my "remote" office downstairs is common.

So, when is it too hot?  Well today I was forced into the basement.  The temperature in my upstairs office was 95 and the downstairs was 89.  It's nice and cool in the basement and with a makeshift desk it's quite pleasent.  I think I'll leave it for a while.

My biggest problem now is that odd basement funk smell.  However, I'm sure it's my kayaking gear that was left at my buddies house in a closed tupperware tub WET for 6 days.  Oops.  Can you get sick from mildew?  Ah, probably not.