The heat is here. Finally. But I'm thrilled about it. Not.

The 90 degree plus heat that's supposed to be here from Friday through at least Monday came a day early. Or at least it felt like it. I was miserable when walking back to my work building after lunch. Don't think I'll be walking outside every day at lunch much longer. Just too hot and humid. It wasn't quite as hot when I went for an 8 miles or so run (1/2 with my group) but I could really feel the humidity. Must. Keep. Water. Bottles. Full. Food's getting too expensive for me to buy a lot of Gatorade.

I get home, chug some water, work my abs a bit, turned on my mlb.com radio subscription , then found out all hell has broken loose at Fenway Park. In the last 24 hours, here is what has gone down.

1. Last night, bottom of 6th: Coco Crisp tries to steal second base, Tampa Bay Rays Shortstop Jason Bartlett drops his knee in front of the base to block it and jams Coco's thumb. Not only is that a no no in the baseball code, it's a good way to get your knee really damaged, dipshit.

2. Eighth inning, Coco tries to steal again, slides hard and knocks over second baseman Akinori Iwamura. Rays pissed off, manager climbs up the dugout steps and yells at Coco, who yells back at the Rays.

3. Tonight, 1st inning, Dustin Pedroia gets hurt. I didn't see it (unlike last night) so I don't know if it was intentional but given last night and Pedroia's knack for pissing off opponents, you wonder.

4. 2nd inning, Jon Lester throws behind Tampa's Aybar. Bottom of inning, James Shields plunks Coco Crisp on the first pitch. Coco charges, not so nice little brawl, Tampa's Johnny Gomes jumps into a pile and punches Coco, all three players ejected. Not really what either team needed but good on Coco for taking a bunch for the team. MLB.com had the fight tape up pretty quickly.

5. 4th inning, Jacoby Ellsbury makes a diving catch but jams his wrist in the process. Coco, appeal your suspension.

6. End of fourth inning, Youk and Manny need to be separated in the dugout. Reports so far are no one seems to know what was going on.

7. 7th inning, Jon Lester throws high and tight to Cliff Floyd. After he strikes out, Floyd startes at Lester all the way into the dugout. Lester wisely ignored him according the the Sox radio broadcast team.

In the Nationals game, a middle reliever for the Cardinals hit a three run homerun in his first major league at bat. Some guy name Mark Worrell, I wonder if he's related to Todd and Tim.

And oh yeah, the Celtics are playing their first NBA finals game in 21 years right now.

Nasty Storms Today

Stay safe all. That was some scary ass shit today. Took a late lunch so here I am sitting outside at 3 pm to get some air. The sky is a bit yellow to the east of me (near Capitol Hill) side, dark on the west side, albeit of the you've got 15 minutes to duck variety. Nope. I was under a roof, but I had about 90 seconds before I saw sideways blowing rain, rain that got pushed through the building ramps like it was on a whirlpool, lightning to top it off. Yeah, no soccer game at RFK Stadium for me.


Cirucumstance influences my rating. I was driving on BW Parkway when the storms ran through the metro area on Saturday. From what I saw, I give Saturday's the worst, i.e. nastiest grade. Heavier rain then, believe it or not. But I can only rank the parts of the storms that I saw. I understand a tornado touched down near Fredericksburg, VA and also in Huntingtown, MD. I have never seen a tornado, and hope I never see one.

I lucked out today, a report from the National Weather Service mentioned that a trained spotter saw a tornado touch down in Huntington, Fairfax County. That's exactly where I live. Shit. Luckily, I walked home from the Metro Station and didn't see more than one branch down. Whew. I saw quite a few while walking from work to the Metro.

Stay safe everyone, thoughts go out to those who sustained property damage today.

On a lighter note, send me some ideas on what I can write about.

Highs near 90 on Sat and Sun

Means 70s at 8 am most likely, maybe I should rethink going for a personal record in Saturday's Race. Sunday is up in Baltimore for the Survivor Harbor 7 mile race. Anticipate heat but fun.

Interesting Torrential Downpour Tonight

I decided to get some more mileage in running wise so I ran the 4 1/4 to 4 1/2 miles to Pacers for the Tuesday fun run. No rain, but threatening clouds that looked like they were coming our way but I couldn't tell for sure. I get to the store at 6:55, run starts around 7:05, and the skies opened up and then some. Running in the rain is a blast actually, unless there are leaves on the ground, then it becomes outright dangerous. But the trouble with the rain is it all too often comes with lightning. Luckily that stayed away until the run was over.

5.4 miles, heaviest rain at the beginning and end of the run. Close to ten miles overall. I thank my friend Pat for giving me a ride home as waiting for the bus with lightning being around is not fun. Or safe. And there really isn't a place to wait inside for the bus stop, the only place you can see it come is from the Cosi which I think closes at 8.

I'm a hurting dude, but a good kind of hurting. No problem sleeping tonight whatsoever. The extra mileage is giving me confidence that I can handle 10 milers and a half marathon later in the year. And allowing me to meet some great people. And allow me to lose 15 pounds since the beginning of the year and maybe a few more to come. And improve my overall Outlook.

Get Well Soon, Big Papi.

Manny. 500. History. I. Was. There.

Red Sox - Orioles at Camden Yards, the one weekend series of the year, of course I was going to see two games. Saturday I leave for my hotel around 1:45 pm. While I was running near the George Washington Parkway earlier on, I was warned about a nasty thunderstorm that was near Leesburg. I said, crap I got about two hours to get home (still 30-40 minutes away at least), shower, change, eat lunch, and get on the road. I made it, but only got as far as Pennsylvania Avenue before the skies opened up. And holey moely did it pour. Heavy rains, nasty lightning, almost stop and go conditions to just south of Fort Meade. I would have pulled over on two occasions had there been a place to pull over. Finally get to my hotel to find out they may not have a room for me for over an hour. Luckily, they had one.

Off to the game, met some cool Sox fans who came down from Connecticut for the games this weekend. Hung out with some other fans at the Wharf Rat on Pratt Street. Made it into the game just as it started. Going into the game, Manny Ramirez was sitting on 499 home runs. Only 23 other players in the history of Major League Baseball had even hit 500 home runs in Major League Baseball. So as soon as Manny strode to the plate, all the Sox fans in attendance rose to cheer, camera bulbs went off with each pitch. The game went back and forth for several innings.

The the seventh the Sox took the lead for good at 4-3. Baltimore brought in Chad Bradford, a right handed pitcher who throws submarine style, almost underhand. Would this be the moment we were there for? Submarine pitchers tend to dominate or get shelled. Pitch number one.......

BOOM!!!!! Deep right center field, no doubt about it, 500!!!! The crowd went nuts, truly a moment that sent chills up my spine. An unbelieveable moment that I will never forget. And I saw it in person. As soon as I figure out how to scan my ticket stub, I'll post it here. Wow. Things got a little dicey in the bottom of the ninth, but Papelbon got a lineout double play, 6-3 win.

Jumped on to a light rail train with 1000 others, got some late night Wendy's (which I only have in emergencies), and made it to my hotel in just enough time to flip channels and see Kimbo Slice fight in a Mixed Martial Arts fight. Of course, CBS is putting Gus Johnson on the broadcast to liven it a bit. Quality entertainment while I was chugging water to lessen the hangover that was coming.

Sunday's game was fun too, 9-4 cruise to a win. Bartolo Colon won his third straight game since being called up, (sign him for another year, Theo!) showing a bit more velocity than I expected this early into his comeback. Bullpen was solid, especially Craig Hansen, whose eighth inning was dynamite. 8 pitches, 2 Ks, 1-2-3, 7 of 8 for strikes. As nasty as I've seen him throw in his career. Drive home was uneventful, which was good since my plates had expired the day before and I had nothing to use to put on the new ones.

It's all good. In person I've seen a 3 Home Run Game by John Valentin, Yaz Day in 1983, Scott Hatteberg hitting a grand slam and into a triple play in the same games, John Valentin go 5 for 5, all three games of the Atlanta Braves' first visit to Fenway since leaving Boston, a walk off home run by Spike Owen of all people, the game where Orel Hershiser's 63 scoreless innings streak started in Montreal.....but this was the best in person memory by far. I still can't believe I got to go and see number 500. I want to see 600 now.

Do other states do this?

Okay, when it came time to renew my car registration after two years, I decided to pay an extra $10 for a theme plate. I chose Mountain to Sea since well, I dunno, maybe I wanted something that shows the entire state that I live in. There are mountains and an ocean. Or did I not want a plain plate anymore, especially since the 400th anniversary celebration was last year? That was probably it. But I was surprised to get my plates last week to find out I have a different license plate number. Shoot. I finally memorized the one I had so I don't have to go back outside when I get asked to fill out my plate number at hotels or wherever. Now I have another number to memorize. And my registration says something about submitting a title. Yeah, that thing I just got last week, a year after I paid off the car loan.

Old School Town Halls, Harpers Ferry, and Trail Conservation

The last few weeks have been crazy busy, and the weekends even busier. Three Saturday's ago my friend Stevan celebrated a birthday at McCathran Hall in Washington Grove, MD. This was a great day with some bluegrass music, some good Honey Brown beer, and the hall is the old town hall that is still used more than 100 years later! The town website describes itself as a town within a forest. Which it really is. Remember the small, sometimes but usually not paved, roads at summer campgrounds! This was Washington Grove. The coolest thing after seeing friends and celebrating the day was this house that had a tree going straight through the front porch. No a thunderstorm didn't knock the tree through the roof. The porch was built literally around the tree, and the tree pops through the roof.

After that was a birthday dinner for a friend from the Pacers Fun Run group - these are becoming common and fun. Old Town is always a good place to go. We ended up at Union Street Public House because Chadwick's was too crowded. Always a good time, and I could even go to the gym the next day! That's quite an accomplishment after a night on the town at my age. he he

Harpers Ferry was on the docket for the Memorial Day weekend. The MARC Train was a half hour late in leaving, the walk to the hostel was interesting since the C&O Towpath beat up the wheels on my travel case, but everything else was okay. Lots of hiking led to a sore ankle for a day or two afterwards, but that happens when you hike 35 miles or so over two days after not hiking for months. The view from Weverton Cliffs, MD was a bit of a disappointment, and the ice cream shop ran out of waffle cones on Sunday. But calling those things negatives is really grasping at straws. A fun weekend all around, and the Amtrak ride was suprisingly comfortable on the way back.

I also joined the Appalachian Trail Conservancy. I believe in doing whatever I can to clean up the environment for current and future enjoyment and health, and being a member is the least I can do. I used to be a member of the Appalachian Mountain Club back in Boston so I sort of feel like I'm back in that groove. It's a good feeling.

More on this past week and weekend when I get the time to write it up right, likely tomorrow night.

JON FREAKING LESTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Promising young pitching prospect to cancer survivor to starter in the World Series clinching game to we ain't trading him and others for Johan Santana to a no hitter! Freaking amazing, huh? Wow! I put the game on mlb.com radio as the eighth inning began and I learned about the no no in progress. I talked to nobody, turned off my cell phone, and didn't want to be around anyone since I didn't want to jinx it. Yeah, I know I have no control over something that happens 500 miles away but I'm superstitious.

Needless to say, Jon Lester's whole career has been a story that's out of this world, and this is another amazing story within the story. Beyond awesome! What else can I say other than right now, May 19, 2008, it is Jon Lester's World, we are just guests in it. Red Sox 7, Royals 0, NO HITTER, BABY!!!

4 out of the last 6 in the AL have been thrown by Red Sox pitchers (D Lowe, Bucholtz, Hideo Nomo). Who would have thunk it?

I survived the most recent apocalypse

Yeah, on May 12, I wore a ski cap on the way to work in Washington, DC. That's what a 40 degree morning with off and on torrential downpours will do to you. But I survived, flooding could have been worse, and it will keep drying out over the next couple days.

Trail Running Still Rules!

Today I went trail running for the first time since I moved here from Colorado. I had taken it up as a side hobby in my last year out there, but haven't found any trails to run on here. Well, I found some but forgot my trail running shoes, I wasn't going to wear road running shoes on an off-road trail because I need the stronger grip that trail runners offer. The group that I run with via Pacers Running Stores decided to do a trail run today, with hopes that it could be incorporated into the routine on a monthly basis. Today? Big success!

Eight of us went down to Prince William Forest Park, near the Marine Corps Musuem in Quantico. Click on View Map, and we ran from parking Spot H north on High Meadows Trail, right on Taylor Farm Road, right on South Valley Trail along the creek (we saw a creaky old wooden bridge that I my 200 lb butt wouldn't get on and the remants of an old camp swimming pool, complete with ladder steps!), right on Mawavi road, then along the road to get back to the cars. This run was awesome! Small hills which required some climbing, a couple of nice decents, and not a ridiculous amount of leaves and broken branches to dodge. There were some thorn bushes that we needed to move out of the way, but it was all good.

Since you always have to look towards the ground when trail running so you won't trip up on a tree root or loose rock, you are not going to get the same minutes/mile times that you will on road courses. But who cares! Trail running is about getting further away from it all, breaking the occasional monotony of road running, really getting outside beyond the city, and experiencing a different running challenge. Today was one of the best runs I have experienced since I took it up seriously in 12/06. I rediscovered how much fun it is to run on a true trail. I'm not even going to lament how gas prices will likely prevent me from going out to a trail run more than once a month (I live at least 15 miles from any parks with long enough trails to make it worthwhile), I'm just going to revel in a great, great run. I can't wait for the one next month.

But if he was stoned, he must have done it. Whatever.

Okay, since I really have no life, I was reducing to just browsing sports web pages to see if there was anything of not I missed about anything. Mike D'Antoni the Knicks new head coach? Not news. As long as stephon marbury is still on the team, I can laugh at them at will. Now if David Lee gets traded to Phoenix as compensation, that would be news as that would supposedly cause Knick fans to blow a couple million gaskets. Jonathan Papelbon blowing two games in the ninth inning? Concerning news, but even the best miss them once in a while, besides he had help from Julio Lugo on Wednesday. Cautions early in the NASCAR race at Darlington? Not news, I guess that happens about 25 times a race there. Tomas Holmstrom taking a diving penalty? Definitely not news. O.J. Simpson confessed to the murder while baked off his skull?..............

Remember O.J. Simpson? If I did it? Well, fourteen years after he allegedly killed his wife and her friend, if he did it, a former manager of something O.J. did, or something like that, claims in a book that O.J. confessed that not if, he did do it, after he was acquitted. Oh wonderful, if the media is like I think they are, if I turn on the radio next week, I'll hear about this. If this book actually hits shelves, we get to hear about it again. Whatever. Great, this useless piece of trash will be back in the public eye.

Do I think O.J. killed them? Yeah. Would I have voted to convict him if I was on the jury? No. That prosecution team made Rusty Hardin seem like Einstein. If I had anything better to do, I'd get ready for my trail run tomorrow.

What I really want to know is, was O.J. in the White Van when he lit up and where did he hide what he couldn't smoke. That way someone else can waste their own time waging their tiny part on the stupid war on drugs.

Nationals Park: Most Excellent!

Today my friend Bill and I went to Nationals Park in Washington, DC to see the Nationals host the Pittsburgh Pirates. Neither one of us had been to the new park yet, so the curiosity factor was definitely there. The park was built in just 22 months, a lot less than a stadium of over 40,000 seats would take. I was impressed with the stadium right from the get-go. When you get off the Metro at Navy Yard Station you exit only a couple hundred feet from the outfield facade. You can see a good amount of the field before you even go through the gates. Very well done so far!

During their first three years in DC, the Nationals, due to uncertainty as to who the ownership group would be, an incomplete TV contract in years one and two, and let's face it, having to play in RFK Stadium, were really not operating as a full-fledged Major League Baseball Franchise. Not to mention that they were league-run in the end of their days in Montreal, so the minor league farm system needed tons of re-building. Souvenirs and Apparel? Hard to find unless you went to City Sports or any other sporting good stores. Not anymore! Just as soon as you walk through the outfield gates, there's a big team store with lots of overpriced stuff. :) But it's a revenue stream that they didn't necessarily have before. Yup, I bought a red hat with the alternate DC logo on it. Ownership stable, full TV and Radio deal (great TV team, solid radio team), and they're moving stuff from teams stores faster than they can re-stock. Great for business.

The park itself is very nice, doesn't have the old brick warehouse feel of a Camden Yards or Coors Field, but it does capture quite a bit of DC flavor. On the lower concourses, there are all sorts of wall exhibits describing the city's pro baseball history. Clean, well presented, wide concourse, family bathrooms (huge if you have young children), beer stands that are separate from the normal concessions (should you choose to get one, you're facing the field while you're ordering your beer), and concession stands from local businesses: Noah's Pretzel's, Hard Times Cafe, and Ben's Chili Bowl are in the house! I had heard horror stories about how long some of the lines have been this season but they seemed to get that straightened out. I missed less of the game than I thought I would when I was in line. I don't usually buy food at sporting events, preferring to eat beforehand but time did not allow for it today. But, for a ball park the concessions are good enough.

The game itself: we were in Section 305 (view seating chart and pricing here), a "second deck" seat. Sightlines were great (huge), the sun was basically past us and beating down on the outside walls behind us with the 1:30 start (big, little sunburn risk), and the home team won 5-2. Perfect afternoon to chill out at the ballpark after running a fundraiser race for ARC of Northern Virginia, which I somehow managed to run in 40:24 clock time, 40:15 cross start line to cross finish line time. Being a die hard Red Sox fan, I even experienced a Wily Mo Pena sighting! He smoked a pinch hit RBI double in the bottom of the eighth. Right after I told Bill that he'd either walk, strike out and look real bad, or crush a home run into the tenth row, he crushes a line drive on an 1-0 pitch off the left field wall, which was reached in about 1.3 seconds. Big Papi wasn't kidding when he said Pena hits the ball harder than anyone he had ever seen. Washington improved to 14-18 today. Playing much better recently, they've won seven of their last nine as they continue to build from what was a less than ideal situation.

Today's about Nationals Park. A great experience all around, even the Metro crush 30 minutes after the game wasn't bad. The only improvements I can think of are to lower the pricing on the outfield seats a bit (the lower LF area has a fantastic view of the field though). And let Teddy win a Presidents Race! I can't wait to go back on May 21 vs the Phillies!

I symapthize with 99.999 percent of the homeless

Because heck I've probably been closer to being homeless than I care to admit. I am very sympathetic to those without a home to go to. There are a lot of people who lost jobs, their health failed, and/or were battered, et al. I empathize with them, but someone today is why I said 99.999 and not 100. I went into Au Bon Pain near the Archives / Navy Memorial / Penn Quarter Metro station in DC on my way to work. I went in there to get a coffee and a bagel, ended up with an adventure.

A presumably homeless man was wandering around and practically accosted people who were going into Au Bon Pain. I'm in line trying to get a coffee, and right in the middle of ordering, I notice they guy was within a foot of me asking me for money in an "I'm gonna mug you when get get outside" manner. Now, I'm just trying to get a coffee and I need to guard my wallet in anticipation of him trying to take it from me as I'm putting my change into it. Fortunately, the manager saw this, and walked right over towards him and in a cool, stern but not obviously threatening manner, and told "You can't do that in here, leave." After babbling at her for a minute or two, the guy finally left. When I was about to leave, I walked over and thanked her for doing that, she apologized to me for putting up with it, a very cool gesture.

Whenever I go for coffee or food before work from now on, it's to that Au Bon Pain. A potentially scary situation to great customer service to me a being a frequent customer in the future.

Souvlaki in Vienna!

I know The Tragically Hip wrote a song called "Springtime in Vienna" which was cool. But Skorpios in Vienna is much cooler, even if it doesn't come with a State Orchestra or an opera. I know, when I left my appointment with an excellent chiropractor I needed something to eat for dinner. My friend Lisa who works at the chiropractor office recommended Skorpios. It's in a strip mall on the Eastbound side of Virginia State Route 123, near a 7-11. But that only goes to show you never know where you're going to find some great eats.

Fast, but not too fast that the quality suffers due to a rush cooking job, service, and a very good size souvlaki plate. For $8.95! The pork was very well done and tasty, the cheese was just right, as was the rice. I can't say enough good things about the place. Humble from the outside, but I'd rather sit at a just a couple simple tables, a small tv, and one stack for trays with great food than somewhere fancy but with mediocre food anytime. If you're ever in Vienna and want an excellent meal, go here. Thank me later.

So I return to blogging about restaurants in Fairfax County. No opera, no orchestra, no classical music composers. But I had a good chiropractor visit and a fantastic dinner.

I stand corrected about participant numbers

I looked at previous years, and maybe the reported number of finishers is nearly accurate - for some reason I thought there were 20,000 people registered for the race today.

Tomorrow after I get some sleep I may blog about how much I like the new NFL Draft time format.

3 5K races in just over 60 hours - I'm still not on the DL

Earlier this year, I decided to run 3 5K races within just over 60 hours: One on Thursday night, one yesterday morning, and one today. Crazy, yes. But I accomplished many things, on personal, athletic, but especially charitable levels.

Thursday night was the Run for Julia, a charity run for a foundation created in memory of Julia Campbell, who was tragically killed in the Philippines while working in the Peace Corps. For me, this was strictly for charity. While I did not know her, I was touched when I learned about what she was doing with the Peace Corps, and very saddened to hear about her death. I wanted to at least be able to contribute to the foundation via a registration fee, and was able to do so via the run. We all can do a little more to help others, I hope the small amount of $$$$ I was able to give helps build the foundation. My time in this race is quite frankly irrelevant, even if I mention it later in the context of the next race.

Saturday I ran a race called the Spring 5K at Hains Point in DC. I didn't realize how big East Potomac Park actually was. I thought I was going to be late because I drove a couple miles after getting off the highway, I thought it would be about 1000 feet. The run itself, I surprised myself again. I thought I was sucking wind even more than in my first 5K back in March, but ended up running a personal best: estimated time from start line to crossing the sensor at the finish was 24:44, my second sub 8 minute a mile race. Thursday was the first as I clocked in at 24:58. What was great about Saturday was I thought I was sucking wind even more over the last mile than I thought I did in my first race.

This morning I ran in the George Washington Parkway Classic 5K, the only race that I know of that has permission to run down the parkway from the Mount Vernon Estate (great place for an afternoon visit, BTW) into Old Town Alexandria. I knew this would be my slowest run of the weekend for various reasons. I was tired from the last week or so, there's more uphill running on this course than in many I've raced, and my best times in my limited 5K and 10K career have happened in smaller races, not ones with thousands of people like this one. My good old, $10 watch bought at Burlington Coat Factory While Looking For Something else, race time starts when I cross the start line, state of the wannabe art timing system gave me a time of 26:15, which put me 154th out of 877 5K participants. Except for one thing, as of 8:45 pm I did not officially run the race since I am not on the printed, tabulated from the timing chip, results. I may find out otherwise tomorrow as I'm sure more than 877 people out of over 20,000 ran the 5K with me.

Note: The official results have under 3000 people running the 10K, so now I know neither list is complete.

I'll rest........on Wednesday or Friday. Not injured, not on any DL, just tired.

Personal Bests:
5K Time: 24:44
8K Time: 45:06
10K Time: 51:36 (approximate)

Do You Know The Way To San Jose? Lord Stanley's Cup Needs To Know

Possibly my favorite sporting event, make that is my favorite event when I don't havea dog in the hunt, starts Wednesday night. The NHL Playoffs. Nothing in North America's professional sports is as rugged, as nasty, and as grueling as the chase for the Stanley Cup. 16 teams in, one will get the 16 wins they need to drink from Lord Stanley's Cup in June. Who will it be? Well, the title of this post offered a clue.

Eastern Conference predictions (seed in brackets):

[1] Montreal over [8] Boston 4-1: I may be kind to the Bruins' chances given their 16 points to 1 loss in the season series.

[2] Pittsburgh over [7] Ottawa 4-1: Tempted to pick a sweep should Bryan Murray not be lying up his ass when he says Fisher and Alfredsson will be out for weeks, but the youthful Pens will drop one early.

[3] Washington over [6] Philadelphia 4-2: Maybe the toughest opening round series for me to pick. Both teams come in on a bit of a roll, Washington's been playing desperation playoff hockey for months now, and Huet has some post-season experience, Biron has none. I'll take the Caps and the best player in a struggle.

[4] New Jersey over [5] New York Rangers 4-2: Maybe wishful thinking given that the Devils beat them for the first time all season today. But give me New Jersey's team system and Marty Broudeur over the jury's still out on the Rangers defense now that it's postseason time.

Second round: [4] NJ over [1] Montreal 4-2, [2] Pittsburgh over [3] Washington 4-3 (Crosby shines just enough more than the Caps to win in the marquee series)

Third round: [2] Pittsburgh over [4] NJ 4-2, Brodeur can only perform so many miracles vs the more talented Penguins.


Western Conference predictions (seed in brackets):

[1] Detroit over [8] Nashville 4-2: Not convinced Detroit is well suited for the playoff grind, but they'll be able to knock off the surprising Preds.

[2] San Jose over [7] Calgary 4-1: One of these years the Sharks will actually do what everyone thinks they can do and make a very deep playoff run. It starts with an easier than expected win over the Flames.

[6] Colorado over [3] Minnesota 4-3: Wild are tougher than they have been in the past, but the Avalanche pulls off an upset in a payback for 2003.

[4] Anaheim over [5] Dallas 4-3: A repeat is too much to ask for, but the Ducks will outlast Dallas in the longest, most drawn out, first round series.

Second round: [1] Detroit over [6] Colorado 4-1 (Not good enough on defense and in goal to pull off two upsets), [2] San Jose over [4] Anaheim 4-2

Third round: [2] San Jose over [1] Detroit 4-2, Sharks are balanced, tougher, and I'll take Nabokov over Hasek or Osgood in goal this late in the playoff grind.

Stanley Cup Champion:

SAN JOSE SHARKS over PITTSBURGH PENGUINS 4 games to 2. Sharks finally live up to their promise, Crosby, Malkin, et al give it their all but are at least one year away from winning it all.

Playoff MVP: Evgeni Nabokov as the Sharks play so balanced so there's no obvious, clear cut pick from their forwards.

My first 10K, Richmond, and I missed live soccer

Yesterday the day finally arrived, my first ever 10K race. I ran Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10K in Richmond, and finished a lot better than I expected. A great, relatively flat course that went up and down historic Monument Avenue. I was very impressed with the whole organization of the race, the setup, how they started 32,000 participants in waves, you name it. Music selections were great too: at the start of the race I heard a cover of Iron Maiden's "Running Free". As I ran, bands played many songs; "Wild Flower" by The Cult and my favorite Tom Petty song "Mary Jane's Last Dance". Good times, and I finished the race with faster mile splits than I started, as I expected because of the crowds at the start.

I enjoyed my brief stay in Richmond, from my post-race beer at Capital Ale House to seeing the Virginai State Capital, to my room at the Crowne Plaza, and to the hill I walked up twice on Main Street. Nice little downtown area, the "Fan" is a great little area filled with what seems like great shops and restaurants, and plenty of hills if you want to get in a running workout. I'm going back in November for the half marathon or likely 8K. And perhaps sooner.

I didn't have a proverbial dog in the hunt in last night's game, but I went to see DC United dismantle Toronto FC, who no offense to the Canadian Fans, is not very good. Not really a competitive game, heck DC scored in minute two, aided by some disorganized defending. But I realized that I hadn't seen a live game since July and missed it. If last night is any indication, Santino Quaranta has actually decided to be a professional player. I didn't expect that. I'm going to another game Wednesday, DC United vs Pachuca of Mexico.

Another 10K next Sunday. Running is my new skiing.

Opening FUKUDOME Day!

Opening Day Commentary: Kosuke Fukudome had quite a day for himself, huh? While it's unfortunate for Cubs fans that they lost, that is one impressive debut. You hit a game tying three run jack in the ninth and rake Ben Sheets for a double on the first pitch you see in a regular season game, you're pretty good. I look forward to seeing more from him this season. Speaking of the HR, I saw it on the tv at the gym, which prompted me to bellow out, Yeah same old Gagne without the juice. Sorry Brewers fans, but he sucks ass and you're stuck with him.

Twins fans, from what I gathered from the same TV, game Torii Hunter a nice ovation when he batted for the first time, and he tipped his batting helmet in response. Good to see, The Human Web Gem has always been one of my favorite non-Red Sox players. I see ex-Red Sox Eric Hinske hit a home run for the Rays today in a win at Baltimore. Hinske will always be cool for two things, s diving catch to help save a May win vs Detroit when he smashed his face into the warning track in the process, and running over Jorge Posada last September in a close play at the plate.

Also pleased to know that at least for day games in the US, the first pitch in MLB was thrown in Cincinnati, the AL first pitch in Detroit. Just like it used to be. A bit weird with the 1-1 Red Sox not playing bit oh well.

What I do not like: if ESPN is going to show montages indicating this season is the last season on Yankee Stadium every other inning when the freaking Yankees aren't even playing I'm going to turn off the damn channel. Go Sox!!! My first projection: 2-2 heading into Toronto. That won't be bad at all seeing as they always have trouble in Oakland (while games 1-2 were in Tokyo the A's were still the home team).

The Shortest MLB Predictions article by a wanna-be pundit

Baseball fans have all read 4,256 different articles on how the baseball season will work out. I'm going to tell you in the shortest way possible:

American League East
1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Blue Jays
4. Rays (team on the rise)
5. Orioles

American League Central
1. Indians
2. Tigers (Wild Card)
3. Twins (always win more than the experts think)
4. White Sox
5. Royals

American League West
1. Angels
2. Mariners
3. Athletics (team on the decline for one re-building season)
4. Rangers

American League Playoffs
Tigers over Angels
Indians over Red Sox
AL Champs: Indians over Tigers

National League East
1. Mets
2. Braves
3. Phillies
4. Nationals (team on the rise)
5. Marlins

National League Central
1. Cubs
2. Brewers
3. Reds
4. Pirates
5. Cardinals (team on severe decline)
6. Astros (see Cardinals)

National League West
1. Diamondbacks
2. Rockies (Wild Card - this was the year I was expecting a playoff team in Denver)
3. Dodgers
4. Padres
5. Giants

National League Playoffs
Rockies over Braves in one game playoff
Mets over Rockies
Diamondbacks over Cubs
NL Champs: Mets over Diamondbacks

2008 WORLD SERIES CHAMPS

I'm a little worried that I have the exact same World Series Matchup as Erik Kuselias, but Drew Carey is going to be one happy mofo this fall. Indians over Mets in 6 games. But do not go to Vegas with this blog, I picked Tigers over Dodgers last year, neither got really close to the post-season.

Lost in DC, Found at Ben's Chili Bowl

Okay, I like to run the Exorcist Stairs in Georgetown for a workout. Metro Sports provided a description on a workout a couple years ago. You start at the top of the stairs, run tow blocks east, then one block south down 34th street, take a right at Georgetown Running Company, west to the Exxon station, then up the stairs, all 75 of them. I think they are 75, but I call what I just described a lap. Three weeks ago, 6 laps. Two weeks ago, 8 laps. Today, 6 laps on a warmer day, but I had already gone to spin class earlier on whereas the other two days I had not.

After the stair run, I decided to run a bit more through Georgetown and DC, with the idea of eating dinner at Ben's Chili Bowl. Since it was a 60 degree day and I had no definite plans, I decided to just wing it with no agenda beyond Ben's for dinner. So I ran and walked through Normanstone Park in Northwest DC (in between Rock Creek and Cleveland Park), then ended up by the National Cathedral, which is really nice to look at I must admit. Once I got north of the Cathedral, I had no idea where I was, and it was cloudy so I had no sun to guide me, so I found a street that I ran on earlier, followed that, then found my way through to Adams Morgan.

And then, I checked out the new Target in Columbia Heights. Very, very busy, but that's a good thing, since most if not all of DC itself is quite underserved from a retaill standpoint. Finally, Ben's Chili Bowl is always a great option for dinner. Chili Cheeseburger, check. Potato Salad, homemade, check. Very loud jukebox, still worked for me. All in all a good day of exploring the city.

I really like flying Southwest, so I hope this is the extent of it

And all the grounded planes get repaired, pass inspection, and are beyond safe in the skies. Everything about Southwest is great: the increased cities within the United States, the short and security lines at BWI airport, the quirky staff, and the acceptable fares. The new boarding process by groups is better than the "cattle call" too. Let's hope that this is just a bump and nothing more to be concerned about. I'm confident that Southwest will be up to the task of getting these 41 jets safe.

My Road Racing Debut

Not only have I been running at fun runs organized byPacers Running Store but I decided a few weeks ago to enter The St Patrick's Day 8K race in DC. Yup, I run road races now. I really like running for many reasons: it keeps me in some resemblance of shape, it keeps me from getting fat, I've met some great people, it gets me outside and about, and I needed a new hobby since skiing here is so so (well, okay gas prices keep me inside the Beltway area more than anything).

Today was my road racing debut, I figured I'd start with a fairly flat, easy course since those of you who know me can attest: I am no speed demon or endurance freak. Runs are often exercises in survival for me, but that's cool. I run more and they won't be, provided my back holds up. I had lots of pre-race jitters, which I guess is natural for a first race. Standing outside when it was quite cold and windy made me say, oh crap I'll be lucky to finish this five mile jaunt in under an hour! Especially if I have to run into the wind!

Well, I was pleasantly surprised. The wind was only in my face at the very end. Yeah! I was actually passing people! Yeah, that doesn't happen at Fun Run! (Truth be told many Fun Runners are training for marathons, I'm just trying to lose some pounds - smileyface) Once I started, I realized two wicking shirts underneath my green, urged to wear by group leader, fleece may have been one too many to wear while running, but I wasn't too hot overall. I wasn't even really tired until the very end, and didn't limp to the finish line.

Final Time: 47 minutes 39 seconds, a 9:36 mile clip. I'm quite encouraged by it, all my friends that told me I would be fine were right. If the Champion Chip that all racers tie to shoelaces doesn't start recording time until I cross a mat with sensors underneath, my time was probably 20-30 seconds better since I was at the back of the starting line. Add that it was cold and nasty windy but I did okay, and I'm going to run some more races. I'm already signed up for Ukrop's 10K in Richmond next month and am thinking of adding two more 10Ks in May, one in Winchester, VA and another in Arlington. I can't wait to do some more running!

Recent, Random, Cool Things I've Seen Recently

Last Friday night I went to see Steep, a movie about skiing steep, steeper, and steepest lines. This review in the Washington Post pretty much sums up the movie. I am an avid skier, even though I hardly get to go anymore, and don't want to spend $3.15/gallon gas to go to the smaller slopes right now. Then again, after seeing this movie, which traced skiing of uber-steep slopes all the way back to Grand Teton in the 1970s, I wanted to go ski the next morning but couldn't because of prior commitments. Big mountain skiing looks like the most fun thing ever, I just wish my limits weren't black diamonds in Colorado's resorts. May Doug Coombs be blessed forever.

Other random cool stuff I've seen, I walked out of the theater in DC with some friends. I saw a street musician playing a sax near the corner of 11th and E. Not only was the guy good, but he was playing.........the theme song of Sanford and Son!!!! Just for that he got a little cash. Not what I expected, nor was seeing a University of Cincinnati hoops player go to the ATM near Metro Center right after me (they were in town to pay Georgetown the next day). Both were pretty cool things.

Today, I'm getting off the shuttle bus, heading to my apartment, and a guy with a Ireland Scarf sees my Red Sox ski cap, then tells me Clemens was not on steroids. I walk a bit, gather thoughts since I wasn't expecting this impromptu conversation, then crack up and say "C'Mon Man!" His response, "and I believe in the tooth fairy." That makes me laugh now, 3 hours later. Everytime I wear a Red Sox cap or hat, I end up in conversation. That's a good thing. I don't get sworn at very often which is cool. It's even cooler when Yankees fans, or I assume they are when have their hat on, no longer smirk at you.

Remember my mid-majors post? Butler is on again!!!!! ESPNU! They're off to a great start tonight against Wright State, who beat them earlier this year. Televise every Butler home game. They play where they filmed Hoosiers. Wright State had a sub head over to the table to check in before the game was a minute old, FWIW.

I finally bought a MP3 Player - and Incomplete on the commute test

Since the music service I subscribe to, Rhapsody, is not compatible with the most popular iPod, I needed to get an MP3 player since I'm tired of carrying an old cassette walkman when I go for a run. I chose the Sansa View with 8 GB memory, which roughly translates into 2,000 songs. I'll be able to listen to mellower stuff when on the Metro, heavier stuff when I'm running, or whatever stuff Rhapsody Channels gives me when I connect the player to my in-shipment new laptop. I can't wait to finally enter the MP3 player world. Why is it that "techies" like me are often among the last to adopt to technological trends in their own personal life? Heck, my home desktop is five years old and I finally bought it's replacement since I needed one, especially one with a lot of RAM.

In my last entry, I mentioned how impressed I was with how the DC-area populace handled the commute from the latest "winter storm". Well, the area never really got the chance to pass a second commute test last Friday. I guess it was icy in spots, since the government was on unscheduled leave policy. As a contractor, I have to make every effort to get there. Granted the only time I have to get in a motorized vehicle is a 3 minute shuttle ride to the Metro from my apartment complex, but I has no issues with ice at all. Since there wasn't any dangerous conditions that I knew of, the grade is Incomplete.

Dude, where's my snowstorm? Take 307.

Every time there is even the threat of snow in the DC area, all the media outlets go into full "STORMCENTER" mode. Oh no, 2 inches of snow expected, a big storm! HELP! Clear safeway of toilet paper and milk. Canned goods too! Give me a freaking break.

People, it isn't that hard. Quite contrary to what you think you are not the most important person in this Metro area, Barack Obama is. Slow the hell down if visibility is low and/or the roads are slick. You're trying to get home, to the gym, to yoga, to the day care center, whatever, but you're not going to your NASCAR audition. Never, ever assume the respective state or district road crews got to treat the roads in time either. I don't even want to talk about the December storm that dropped a whopping 4 inches on Montgomery County, MD, or last month's ice storm that caused 6 hour, 10 mile commutes. Safety is the priority, use your brains.

Okay I'll take off my snarky hat. Everything actually went smoothly in today's weather disturbance. It wasn't a snowstorm, but snow does cover the ground at my apartment complex for the first time all winter. But everyone used their brains today, no bad wrecks that tie up traffic for four hours more than it regularly is, and I walked home down Huntington Avenue without difficulties or seeing a mile long backup. Drove to the gym and back with no issues.

That doesn't mean DC handled a snowstorm well, cause anything with less than a half foot accumulation ain't a snowstorm. I've gotten soft in my old age, the old requirement was double digit inch accumulations.

Minor League Hockey in my hometown

Okay, over the weekend I went home to Dracut, MA, seeing as it was a long weekend and two of my nephews have birthdays around this time. Before the family party, my dad, the two nephews, and me attended a Lowell Devils hockey game. One of the AHL model cities Lowell isn't, but the arena they play in seats about 6200 and has good sightlines in nearly every single seat in its single bowl. For a variety of reasons, few in the area take in games in Lowell, so I don't think they will be there after this season. They are on the endangered list on a pro hockey website for a good reason. I can't believe that the agreement with the city and arena was re-newed after last year.

Therefore, I figured this would be the last pro hockey game I ever see in my hometown; yeah I lived in neighboring Dracut but was born in Lowell. Turned out to be a great game as Lowell beat the Manchester Monarchs 5-1. A little bit of everything, a highlight reel breakaway goal, a major penalty for high sticking but not a game misconduct (I guess only the NHL tosses you for that), too-loud music, and two fights between Jean-Luc Grand Pierre and the this jackass who also got the high sticking major, all that in about 45 seconds of ice time. We all had a good time, that's what's really important. The finale for me in Lowell was a good one. Another thing to love about the minors? Red Hook Winterhook Ale for $5.75, less of a ripoff than the major sports facilities! That always helps.

One negative to report. Dallas Stars fans, and to a lesser degree New Jersey Devils fans, certainly have fond memories of Richard Matvichuk. Not a hall of famer by any means, but a good, solid defenseman who was positionally sound and did not shy away from throwing some hits. At first I thought he was in Lowell just because he got caught in a numbers game with too many blueliners. After seeing this game, maybe not. I hope for his sake he just had a bad game because he was HORRIBLE. Got beat to the puck all the time, blatantly two or three times that led to clear scoring chances. My fellow soccer friends will appreciate this: Matvichuk was quite frankly the hockey equivalent of an orange traffic cone.

FWIW, 3536 was Saturday's paid attendance, even with a discount for a heart association promotion they could barely fill half the place. At least my last hometown AHL memory was good.

Therapy and Spring Skiing in February

Yeah, I'm still in self-therapy about the Patriots loss in last week's Super Bowl. Or something like that. It hurt like hell sure, but it was a very valuable lesson as well. Don't get too emotionally wrapped up in the games, definitely don't let your teams define you and/or who you are. Enjoy the games for what they are, have a good time, but they're games, they don't put food on your plate, they don't pay your bills, they don't help you succeed at your job. Unless you're one of the few who wins betting sportsbooks.

Does the Pats loss suck, especially after pursuing perfection for so long? Definitely. Do I wish they lost in Baltimore to take a lot of that pressure off in hindsight? Yeah. Did I personally really lose anything beyond the ultimate comeback in smack talk for life (I don't initiate it)? No, not really, it's a game. I have too many other things going on to let it get me down. Besides, if fans of other teams besides the Giants pop off too much..........Fore! What did you beat the Pats in besides accumulating the Country Club equivalent of frequent flyer miles? :) 4 Super Bowls in 7 years, 3 Wins, 2 World Series Championships for the Red Sox in 4 years, the rejuvenation of the Celtics......Boston and New England sports fans still have it pretty damn good.

Therapy via skiing, Saturday my apartment complex ran a trip to Whitetail Ski Area. 90 minute bus ride, plenty of sleep on the way up, a relaxing day of skiing, worked for me. This hill was a bit more straight trail-wise, i.e right down the hill do the lifts, not winding trails like you find in most northeastern ski areas, but it's still skiing.

Spring skiing in February was a little odd to say the least. It was warm all week in the area, so coverage was limited. And slushy snow makes you work harder than you usually would have to in February. But I still had a good time, even if I was the only one on the trip on the black diamond trails. The cool conversations about skiing on the lifts are the same wherever you go, avoiding the overpriced food in the cafeterias is the same ($4 for a Gatorade, are you sick?), and while snow quality isn't the same as out west, it's still fun to get out. I just don't go as often anymore, but I'll get over it.

Sunday Night Hoops

About a month ago I posted about how much I enjoy the mid major college basketball conferences. Well, I also enjoy Sunday Night Hoops on FSN. From late November to early March, there is at least one ACC hoops game on Sunday night. Before the conference season gets going, a non-conference game involving an ACC team is shown. Once the conference season gets going, there are usually dynamite games on. Just this season alone, Sunday Night Hoops has given us: An up and down game between Boston College and Maryland with BC coming back in the second half to score the upset on the road, A dramatic game with North Carolina winning at Clemson on a 3 pointer with :00.4 left in OT, and last night......Clemson leads by double digits for most of the game, they have NEVER WON IN CHAPEL HILL IN 52 TRIES, then started feeling the pressure, Carolina started hitting shots, and won going away in the 2nd OT.

Sunday Night Hoops was first brought to TV sets in the 2002-2003 season. Definitely a great addition to my TV viewing, and a cool way to spend Sunday night while getting ready for the work week. I'm glad Comcast Sports Net shows the games. Now to get the Mid Major Game of the Week to go with it. BTW, it's 53 losses in a row now.

Comprehensive Review of G2?

Yeah, G2 is the new low calorie version of Gatorade. The normally excellent brand tried to capitalize on the new, low calorie, more healthy, trend, and failed. I've talked to several people who were wondering what the deal was with G2. Here's the deal, while it has half the calories of regular Gatorade, it has less than half the taste. In fact, it tastes like Kool Aid with too little powder in the mix. I'm all for not taking in excessive, useless calories. But, I drink Gatorade for three reasons:

1. To replenish after a workout or run
2. To help stay hydrated for whatever reason
3. If I'm hungover, a bottle just after waking up helps mitigate the effects

G2 is much ado about nothing. Keep the regular stuff and cut the calories elsewhere. The End.

The place I'm going skiing at tomorrow may not even have 500 feet vertical. Why am I jacked up to go?

As many of you know, I spent four fantastic years in Colorado, skiing at some of the greatest areas known to humankind. I'm in Alexandria, VA now, and you're probably wondering why am I so jacked up to ski tomorrow night at Liberty Mountain, PA? A rinky dink hill like that, and at NIGHT? Of all times?

Well, is it going to be Colorado even on one of their bad days where it hasn't snowed for two weeks (and yes it does happen)? No. But I don't care. It's skiing, getting outside and cruising down the hill. Breathing fresh, hill, countryside air. Making turns on the snow. Stories from strangers on the lift. Even if I'll have to use my edges more now that I'm back on the east coast, as my buddy Adam says, it ain't much but the hardpacked snow will make you a better skier. Not to mention getting out of the city is always nice.

Since moving here I've taken the following approach towards skiing and hiking, no 2000 feet of vertical a half hour away anymore, make do with what you have and be creative if you want to get a tough workout in. I can't wait to do that tomorrow night. Bon voyage.

Super Bowl Time - 320 hours away

It's just after 10:30 am on Monday morning, and I'm in complete geek Super Bowl mode, that's how I know the kickoff is 320 hours away. As you may now, I have watched the New England Patriots since I was barely old enough to speak. We all know what this season has been like, so I don't need to re-hash it here. You've seen it all 399 times already. Yesterday's game was a little odd, it reminded me of the last Patriots Super Bowl when you never thought they were in any real danger of losing, even when down early, but it was a struggle nonetheless. The difference this time was the turnovers the Pats committed. Murphys Pub was as packed as I've ever seen it for a Sunday game, but not as raucous as say, the Colts game earlier this year when half of us wanted to throw the officials out the second floor window. But the game itself dictates a lot of that, it was your January struggle with some momentum swings but no real bad calls to piss anyone off, only one scuffle between hated rivals, you name it. But it was a great time as usual, and Hi Ho Hi Ho, Off to Glendale we go!

Now I want to give some mad props to our Super Bowl opponent, The New York Football Giants. Remember all the controversy about "they're the five seed no matter what", "should they even bother playing their starters", "can they even stop the Pats from being 16-0 anyway", et al? Well, those who rested starters in Week 17, where are they now? Tampa Bay? Got steamrolled by the Giants on the wild card weekend in one of those games where the winning team wasn't in danger at any time, even when down 7-0. Colts? AH HA AH HA AH HA AH HA AH HA AH HA AH HA AH HA AH HA AH HA!!!!!!!!!! Thanks for giving me $70 in a playoff picks pool as I was the only one of 14 entries who picked San Diego in round 2!

Back to the Giants as I get back on track, mad props for what they did, only the third team to make the Super Bowl by winning three in a row on the road. Took Tampa out with ease, took the two haymakers Dallas delivered in the first half before delivering a bigger one just before halftime on their way to the second win, and won the struggle in Antartica, I mean Green Bay. Tremendous accomplishment, especially with all the questions about their secondary. Now, said secondary may get exposed in two weeks (I hope so), but now's the time to give them their due props for their planning and execution. Very impressive! Well done!

Finally, it will be at least a generation before any playoff team pulls and "El Grande Siesta" for their starters in week 17 in the copy-cat world of the NFL. The Giants run began when they gave the Pats all they could handle in a game most "experts" thought they had no business even trying to compete in, save for the one in one hundred chance to end the quest for 19-0. Awesome job, NYFG, you deserve it. Even you, Eli Manning. Your brother is still a pompous media whore though.

Battery fixed, spin class, and 36 packs of beer

After a brief but understandable delay Friday morning, my battery got replaced. A 3 year unlimited warranty, then 3 years service warranty of some sort beyond that. Car runs great now, for the limited times I need it. Works for me. I made it to my spin class this morning, which made me really happy. Why do I go to the gym to a ride a bike instead of riding outside? Well, I workout at the gym, it has all the exercise equipment I need, the only things missing are a hot tub and pool. It's a quick workout too, one hour, that keeps me in some resemblance of shape (I really need to watch my weight so other health issues don't come about as by-products). On top of that, if you've been to the Washington area you know the climate ain't ideal for outdoor exercise for a lot of the year. Not to mention that while I will and often like to run in the rain, bike ride? No. Don't feel like riding outside with wet brakes. Not safe. Not fun. Female-male ratio? Appealing, no question, even though it's not why I go to spin class. There you go.

How the heck do 36 packs of beer fit into all of this? They don't, but while I was food shopping on the way home from the gym, I thought about picking up some beer for the weekend. From time to time I wonder what happened to the good old classic 30 pack, what you buy during college and just out of college years because you and your friends want lots of beer that you can carry easily. Well, I got my answer today. The 30 pack is apparently no more. In its place is THE 36 PACK!!! We're getting closer to those lost weekend skits, people! 36 packs of beer! Party time, tailgate time. Oh wait, nevermind, Coors Light is what you drink when no other options are available, Bud and Bud Light suck ass, and they cost $21 on special anyways. For $21 I can go out and buy a couple bottles of decent wine had my wine experiment not ended last month after the worst hangover I've had in ten years. Or I can get 3 6 packs of quality beer. Or I can stay sober and use that money for something else. Not a bad alternative if I want to keep weight off, not feel like I got run over by a Mack truck the next morning, you name it. But I imagine by 2012 we'll have 48 packs.

So that's why you always re-new your AAA membership!!!

Okay, a little "snowstorm" that wasn't went through our area today. I'm all excited to get off the shuttle bus, go right to a spin class at my local Gold's Gym, with plenty of time to beat all the resolutioners to a bike. Whoops. Big problem, my car won't start. It won't even turn over. Okay, this happened to me before, right after the holidays. I'll try in 5 minutes. Nope. Worse, my car started going bananas. Still won't start. I look at my battery, it's all corroded (sp).

When I had the issue a couple weeks ago, I decided to re-new my AAA membership so I could at least get a few miles of free towing should the battery die while I'm in the gym. That would get me to a garage. In hindsight, I never should have let it expire, because it would have made getting my car looked at just a tad more difficult than a three minute phone call and reading off my membership number to someone. The truck stopped by in the first 20 minutes of the 2 hour window. From there, I got the confirmation that I need a new battery. Oh well, the Sams Club-purchased battery lasted just about three years, right up to the warranty expiration no doubt. Three years, that's in the top ten for product functionality timeframes for products purchased at Sams/WalMart but that's besides the point.

The real point is, remember to re-new your AAA membership. I just lost a spin class. I could have lost a day or more worth of time dealing with headaches from this. And there's another spin class on Saturday I can go to, getting me back on the I wanna lose 15 pounds by the end of March wagon. AAA Plus gets you 100 miles of free towing, which could come in real handy should I ever break down near Shenandoah NP. With my old car, I wouldn't be surprised if I need that AAA Plus soon.

Next time, blog about the spin classes? Sure.

Fairfax County's longest running cold

I have it. Or at least I think I do. I went to a holiday party at early December, had a great time, had some wine, and some Sam Adams too. The next morning, not so much fun. To start, the after effects of the night, even after I drank lots of water before going to bed, were almost as bad as they had ever been for me. Then I came down with a cold...which is significant because it's January 15...and I still have a cold.

The hacking, half a pack of cough drops a day cough has somewhat gone away, you can say it's calmed down a bit. But it hasn't gone completely away. It's definitely nice to not feel like I'm about to cough myself into a broken lung for ten minutes after I wake up, but I still do get coughing spells once in a while. I've tried running a huimdifier in my apartment since it's real dry here for some reason. That helps a bit. Running outside in the snow last month? Believe it or not, during the stretch where the cold was at its worst, that helped for a a day or two.

I'm good at not going right out into the chilly temps after a workout or run. But I still can't shake this cold completely. Do I need to accept that I'll always be tired and have a cold? Drink more herbal tea? Continue my pledge not to foray into wine drinking anymore? Or maybe just say it's allergies?

Next blog entry will be .... I dunno when this cold gets worse, maybe.

At least they don't have a coin toss to screw up

Who else thinks this is hilarious? Ref gets busted for involvement in a gambling ring, possibly shaving points, now they can't keep track of fouls. Yeah. Remember the oops we see the logo in the "sealed" envelope and it ain't the one we want? Yeah.

I guess the threat of Shaq Fu still holds sway. I hope nothing ever comes down to a coin toss, because they'll soon prove that NFL refs aren't the only ones capable of screwing it up.

Viva Mid Majors! And Sometimes It's Better To Fall In The Creek.

Okay, I didn't go to fun run tonight because it was raining. Well actually, I am still shaking the remnants of a cold I've had for a month so the rain would have helped bring that back. Even with the proper clothing, it's when I stop running in cold, damp temps and am travelling home from wherever the run ends that is the concern.

But enough of that. I was waiting for Keith Olbermann to show how he somehow got into a Rudy Giuliani campaign ad but he was taking too long to do so, so on my TV goes college basketball. And what did I watch, not the usual Thursday night 7th vs 9th place team from the major conferences, I found some mid-major games! Why do I want to see VCU vs Georgia State and Butler vs Wisconsin-Green Bay instead of the big time teams? Well, the mid majors usually only get on TV a couple times a year unless they make March Madness, so they always come to play. On top of that, it's cool to see games from more traditional buildings such as Butler's, that's 80 years old and an old school fieldhouse, instead of 17,000 empty seats in MSG for a St. John's game. Furthermore, seeing different teams on TV is cool. Finally, Bracket Buster Saturday in February helps me pick the teams that are going to pull upsets in March before anyone else.

So, yeah I'm going to watch some more of this Butler game before I go to bed. But not until I give you this piece of advice. If you're crossing a small stream while hiking, start slipping on a wet rock, and are putting too much pressure on one leg to try to stay up and about.... Just fall in the creek, cross your arms so you don't smash your hands and wrists, tuck your neck in so you don't hit your head on anything, and fall on your butt. You're only going to fall a foot or two, there won't be any pointed, jagged rocks to break your back on, and your clothes wick the moisture away so they'll dry quickly. Worked for me! My buddy Brian is convinced, and I am too, that I would have blown out a knee. Take the safe route and fall, it's good for a laugh too. As long as you're hiking up Cedar Run and not down it, it's too slick to hike down.

Okay, we hiked this in October but I just got around to restarting my blog tonight. Check out my Fairfax County Restaurant Reviews, as I go to more I'll post more.

Holy Adrian Fenty, Batman! We are in a drought!

This summer has been awfully dry precipitation-wise by DC-area standards. Crops harvests are projected to be down across the region. 80 percent does not sound promising at all. Thunderstorms are supposed to be an at least twice a week occurrence in the early evenings during summers here. Not this year, only once have I not gone running because of thunder and lightning in the area. While I did get rain-delayed inside a Target three Sundays ago, with walls of rain coming down and lightning bolts flashing across the street, that may have been the only really nasty storm I've seen all year.

Two events this past weekend really reinforced my feeling that we are in a drought. Yesterday, I hiked with a group of people from meetin.org to White Oak Canyon in Shenedoah National Park (we hiked from bottom towards top). I don't have pictures developed yet, but the falls and pools below them were quite small. The streambed near the parking lot was, well, not a stream at all. No rain, man.

Today, I bought some ribeye steaks from Safeway on the way home from the gym. I put the fast burn, no lighter fluid needed, charcoal in the grill, fire it up, instant cooking heat! The problem was I noticed that the ground was near tinder dry. The flames were never in danger of spilling outside the grill and burning anything. but living in very dry Colorado for four years, I became reminded of how careful I need to be when grilling in very dry areas.

Final result: A fantastic rib eye steak and some chicken for the week's lunches. All in all a great day. The one damper was no rain after it threatened all day. I say that because we could really use rain. Finally, this has nothing to do with Adrian Fenty, his was the first famous area name I happened to think of.

Light Purple Skies over Alexandria and Fairfax County Restaurants

Two unrelated topics, but I'm tired, had a long day at work, and I want to post about these things so I don't give a damn. I had a solid if unspectacular run tonight, not as fast as the same course last week but a solid, sort of pain free run. Yeah, my back bugs me from time to time. But at least I wasn't light-headed and nauseous like on Tuesday, when I barely made it to mile two before stepping on a curb the wrong way, almost breaking my ankle in the process. Yeah that five mile run ended way before mile five.

The coolest thing about last night though was what I saw when I left the Metro train to go home for the night. Looking north towards Alexandria, now keep in mind it was sunset time, I saw light purple skies. No, I wasn't on LSD or a half a bag of ganja, I actually saw a purple sky for the first time since my I really wasn't high, the Copper Mountain sky was that messed up moment. The rain was gone for about an hour or two over where the sky was purple, but I didn't want to figure it out, just enjoy it.

I promise I will write an entry about my Tuesday and Thursday Fun Runs. But for right now, I want to talk about food. Fairfax County Restaurants actually. I remember reading in the Washington Post last year a tidbit about how lots of good restaurants are opening in suburbia for 800,000 reasons. While I live in a slightly gritty, sort of urban part of Fairfax County that isn't really suburban or city, I'm going to review restaurants in the largely suburban county anyway because I feel like it.

Tippy's Taco House - 5912 N Kings Highway Alexandria, VA:This place is right across the street from the south entrance of Huntington Metro Station. I was lured there by 99 cent tacos on Wednesday, and that I was getting a haircut that night in the same strip mall. Not awful food, but not tacos I would pay more than 99 cents a taco for either. A bit bland, when I combine a haircut with dinner in the future, I'll go elsewhere. But if you're on a budget, and need something quick, you can do worse too.

ABI II - 59 something N Kings Highway Alexandria, VA: Can't find a link to this restaurant, but it's in the same strip mall as Tippy's. Another haircut and dinner Wednesday, a better but still not-great meal. Service could have been speedier, the burrito I had was pretty decent though. And it was good sized. So it works, but next time I eat at this strip mall, I'm going to Cosmopolitan because it gets excellent reviews and they show soccer on their TV set. PERFECT for a 6:30 dinner when I'm just going straight home afterwards.

Dishes of India, 1510-A Belle View Boulevard Alexandria, VA:I was hungry one night, feeling all stressed out and borderline depressed after a crappy work day (I like my job but that particular day sucked, I won't lie). So I decided to drive to a random restaurant that I had never eaten before. That and I didn't want to cook during a thunderstorm and have the power go out on me.

I almost went somewhere else when I found out the buffet they have is only at lunch. I would have been very dumb if I didn't stay. Appetizer: Samosas, better than most places I've had the pleasure of eating. Keema Naan: Minced lamb sprinkled in the traditional naan bread. YUM! Entree: the Aloo Saag might have been the best dish I have head in at least eight months, if not more. Perfect mix of potatoes, spinach, peas, and rice. I'll be very hard pressed to try something else the next time I go. The wait staff is superb as well, always checking to see if you have water, which comes in handy with the spicier dishes. Belle View Shopping Center is a bit out of the way for a lot of folks, but definitely worth the trip. While the gas station is a rip off and their air machine sucks, this restaurant, Dunkin Donuts, and an excellent bike store = yeah, some suburban strip malls are very cool with very cool stuff. Dishes of India is most certainly worth the 3 mile (if that) trip down the GW Parkway from Old Town.

As I go more places in the county, I'll start writing about them. Or maybe I'll remember details about places I've eaten at on Richmond Highway (Route 1). Something like that.

Now I didn't hike much vertical, now I did

Or something like that. I figured it's time to update my blog since I haven't done it in ages. Trying to become a MCSE while learning a new job will do that to you. I haven't gone hiking, one of my favorite things to do, since January, ironically the last time I updated this. Since I'm going to partake in the Pikes Peak Challenge again this year, I needed to get my butt to a trail somewhat near me.

I chose this trail to Mount Marshall, accessing it from a trailhead just east of Shenandoah National Park. Heck, I hiked for three minutes and I was already in the park. I needed a long distance hike in hot weather to test my current hiking ability, distance, and patience. While neither North or South Marshall were much to speak of summit-wise, this hike did all the tricks for me. 17 plus miles if you count the side trip to Devils Stairs, which I took. Distance, check. Heat, check. Enough water, check. Patience test, passed. 4 am planned wakeup, 4:40 is good enough for me.

After taking the wrong Route 622 (yeah there were two 622's on my side of US 211, and another on the otherside), to the trailhead and driving longer as a result, I finally started hiking. Looked up, yeah I'm getting a couuple thousand feet of vertical gain today! It all felt like it started at the start of the hike, but when I got near the "summits", I wasn't hiking much more vertical. The trails were nicely maintained, and empty (I saw 11 people in my 17 mile trip, not counting those I saw when crossing Skyline Drive, the main road through the park).

While the summits had nice overlooks but not the treeless, bare, summits I am used to, it was almost all good. After a tough week of work I really needed to get out there and hike for a day. I'm dead tired but will be refreshed tomorrow. Boy, am I glad I brought a gallon of water in my backpack, I used it all in temps that even at 3,000 feet were in the 80s. When I got down to the bottom of the trail, I looked up and realized that, hey I did hike some good sized vertical after all. And 9 hours after I started, my car was still the only at the trailhead!

The Good:

• Seeing someone in my fun run group on the Big Devils Staircase side trip and hiking with him for a bit until he had to take a separate trail to his car
  
• Finding a Qdoba in Gainesville, VA to eat at, thanks to a new Qdoba card I have a new post-hike dining spot
  
• Knowing I can hike that long of a distance in very warm weather is a confidence boost as Pikes Peak gets closer
  
• Getting back on the trail again, this time in my new boots, with only minimal post-hike aches and pains
  
• $2.76 gas in Gainesville. I guess last years' 1.999 promotion wasn't that much of a stretch after all, 3.019 is as cheap as I've seen it inside the Beltway area in weeks.

The not-so good:

• Merging on to I-66 from US 29 in Gainsville. Couldn't tell if the driver in the right lane was going to speed up to make sure they passed me, or slow down to let me merge easily. Then again I-66 sucks in general so what do I know.

Excellent day! I'll blog about my fun run group on Tuesdays and Thursdays next time. Awesome to be out on the trails! Time for some AC though.

What time of year is it again?

Okay, I woke up in time to do some hiking on the Billy Goat trail I posted about in my last entry. I took the long way to the west side (up river near Great Falls) start of the trail, getting some casual hiking done on the trails in Chesapeake @ Ohio National Park. A bit uneventful, other than how great it felt to be hiking again, first time since October. The Billy Goat trail is quite tricky for a 1.7 mile hike next to the Potomac River. Lots of hopping from rock to rock, and some scrambling (climbing on a less vertical pitch than used by rock climbers but still requires two hands to grip the rock). I remembered why it took over an hour to hike it. It's tough.

I decided to hike in a long sleeve wicking T shirt and nylon pants, figuring that even if high temperatures were supposed to be near 70, it would be cool and breezy in the morning. Wrong! Tow things stood out today. One was how I didn't want to do anything after hiking to my car besides stretch down, go home, and jump in the pool. The second was in hindsight, I was sitting down eating lunch near the waterfall. Chillin out on a rock, eating a sandwich, warm as all heck, tons of people in the park, a gray cloud passes by the sun, it may drop a brief May shower, what a great spring day this was.......

What? HOLY SEVENTY DEGREES OF DC AND MARION BARRY, BATMAN! IT'S JANUARY 6, NOT MAY 6!

A little wisecrack, but I was really conflicted today. Half of me appreciated this warm, springlike day more than you can imagine. The other half is terrified that 70 degree days in January here in the DC area are that start of a dangerous trend. Maybe more on global warming when I'm not so tired.

Running, Over-Hydration, Billy Goats, and NFL Playoffs

Happy New Year! The Bowl Games are almost done, three more left. I really wish I could have stayed up to watch the end of the Fiesta Bowl, i.e. the Boise State arrival game, but I could not. I'm up to a lot in 2007, not only a new job but I am continuing with a running group that I started with in December. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, fun runs leave from Pacers running store in Old Town Alexandria. On any of three courses, these runs are 5-6 miles, with many different paces from people training for long distance races to slow schmoes like me who just want to get in better shape. It's come on all and run, which is great for me. Having never been on a steady running program before, I find it much easier to get motivated to come out for runs when groups of people are also running. If I can keep up there are people to talk to. If I can't, it's motivation to keep running (and eating better) so I will be able to soon.

I've been to 5 runs now, and while I'm getting used to running 5 plus miles, I cut the run tonight by about a mile, taking a shortcut on Madison Street. To make a long story short, I needed to make a facility break at a Safeway. I over-hydrated all day long, no TMI or further description. Those things happen, live and learn, but it did force me to cut the run short so I could catch up with others. I did not want people to be waiting around for me for minutes upon minutes. I learn something new everytime I run. Maybe I'll learn something when I run on my own Saturday.

If I don't go hike the Billy Goat Trail instead. I can make the hike longer than four miles if I get up early enough, seeing as I have to be on the REI Sales Floor at 3 pm. The hike is about a 40 minute drive from me, and includes a short strech of scramling up some steep rocks. I obviously take the path that takes me up those rocks instead of down the rocks. Me no like climbing down steep, rocky things unless they are covered with snow and me have skis. It will be in the 60s on Saturday, no snow.

NFL Playoff Preview:

I like the Chargers to beat the Saints for the Super Bowl on February 4. But I'll make my picks round by round. Home teams are in capital letters.

NFC:

Dallas 27, SEATTLE 23: I don't have a feel for either one of these teams. Quite frankly, neither are very good. The Cowboys have forgotten how to play defense and lost to the freaking Lions for Jim Rome's sake. But Seattle has been about as consistent as the weather on Mount Washington (New Hampshire). I guess the terell owens tenure in Dallas lasts another week.

PHILADELPHIA 34, NY Giants 17: The Giants really, really, suck. They are the worst playoff team in NFL history. I, like ten million other NFL fans, was dead wrong when I thought they were headed for 6-10 after Donovan McNabb was lost for the season to injury. They've perservered, rediscovered their defense, and will win this game with ease.

AFC:

INDIANAPOLIS 37, Kansas City 31: I could see the Chiefs winning this, with a 220 yard rushing effort by Larry Johnson leading the way. Indy can't stop the run to save their lives, but it won't bite them in the ass this week at home. Next week, different story. I do see them scoring enough to overcome their defense in this one.

NEW ENGLAND 20, NY Jets 13: Belichick gets the better of his former pupil Mangini. I am quite concerned about this game with Rodney Harrison being out. I don't think Chad Pennington and his receivers will be able to take full advantage of his abscence. James Sanders will step it up, and a total team defensive effort will lead the way to victory. I see an unspectacular but solid, never really in serious doubt, victory.

Jeff's Take on eliminating excess Bowl Games

Florida and Michigan can go back and forth on who should play in the national championship on Janaury 8. I want to argue about which excessive bowl games cna be eliminated. Because I'm like that. Anyway, there are 32 games now, probably twice as many as there should be. Sure, a bowl game is a nice reward for a good season, a vacation for friends and families of the program, a road trip for fans to have a blast, extra weeks of practice, you get the picture. But you do not need 32 bowls, sorry. Too many mediocre teams are making postseason trips, making this a prime example that sometimes too much of a good thing may not be good. Besides, I can't watch all of these games, so it's time to stop the insanity.

So we're going to cut as many of these games as we can, we'll figure out how to get some of the schools in non-BCS conference in there instead of 6-6 teams from BCS schools at some point. It is assumed that the January 1 and BCS Bowls are not going anywhere, so I won't talk about them. Let's begin with the rest:

POINSETTIA: San Diego is a wonderful city and prime vacation destination for sure, but it does not need two bowl games. Especially when final exams are still winding down at many schools. Adios.

LAS VEGAS: Before the holiday, during the last day of exams, it doesn't matter. People will ALWAYS go to Vegas, maybe even me someday. This one's a keeper just because it's Vegas.

NEW ORLEANS: This is meant to be a fun post, but this entry is more serious. Normally a very minor bowl like this would be amongst the first to go, but the New Orleans area can use any infusion of cash that people travelling to the game and two teams can bring. Make sure the Crescent City does not need to shell out a dime and keep their second bowl game.

PAPAJOHN'S.COM: HUH? Their pizza is overrated, and they already own the naming rights to Louisville's stadium. No bowl game for you, go work on improving your decent but unexceptional pizza. Go to Santarpio's in East Boston and/or Basil Doc's in Denver if you want to learn how to make the really great pies.

NEW MEXICO: The New Mexico Lobos are 6-6, and are in the Mountain West Conference. Not to bag on the MWC, but a powerhouse league it ain't. This game shouldn't exist yet. But if someone provides me with the opportunity to cover the game in between skiing at Taos and Angel Fire, chillin' with people in Santa Fe, and eating killer chile, then the bowl comes back in style.

ARMED FORCES: Bless our armed forces forever, but they can sponsor the Liberty Bowl. Here's why: Fort Worth could not even sell out this bowl game when the very entertaining Boise State Broncos were playing Texas Christian. The latter is located in Fort Worth. Not only does this bowl break in the cutting board, but Fort Worth is banned from applying for another bowl game. Ever. Forever.

HAWAII: I thought Sheraton used to sponsor this game. It's weird to see an 8 pm ET kickoff and sunshine on the TV. I don't know why, since no one ever goes to this game unless Hawaii is bowl eligible, but I guess we'll keep it. Wait, I need something to watch on Christmas Eve night!

MOTOR CITY: Finally, a Michigan school playing in a bowl in Michigan. This one survives because I'm in a good mood and it's a short trip for one team. But it's on probation.

EMERALD: Did this used to be the Silicon Valley Classic? Or the Diamond Walnut? Or the game that ESPN2's feed kept getting lost two years ago? I'm sick of asking about this game, see you later.

INDEPENDENCE: Are the casinos in Shreveport-Bossier City cool enough to keep people around? Will a lot of the tourism dollars help hurricane-damaged areas recover? If so, keep it. If not, trash it.

HOLIDAY: San Diego keeps this gem of non-January games. Not only does it have a reputation for putting on a first-class event for everyone involved with the game, the game itself almost always goes down to the final minute. Chris Fowler or someone at ESPN calls it the best non-January 1 bowl game, all things considered. His word's good enough for me. Supreme Keeper!

TEXAS: Texas has brisket, South Padre Island, and Mark Cuban. It does not need this game, and neither do we. This one's toast, and not Texas toast, as soon as Rutgers leaves the stadium.

MUSIC CITY: I have to work that afternoon so I'm indifferent. You're one 34-3 snoozer away from being told to take a hike. And not to the Smokies.

SUN: I have been told by people who have traveled to this game that Sun Bowl (stadium) has a gorgeous backdrop against the mountains near El Paso. And the game itself produced two onside kicks that were run back for touchdowns one year. And that I'd like to visit El Paso someday. Keep it!

LIBERTY: Memphis, Elvis, Ribs, Beale Street, Graceland, and the name of the game! In the name of Patrick Henry, Benjamin Franklin, all of our armed forces personnel, and veterans, keeper! Regardless of our stances on Iraq and other political happenings, we can be proud of what they do. This game stays forever.

INSIGHT: The NFL N needs to learn to put the starting time of their games on their initial commercials before they need to broadcast this game. We don't need to watch it, either.

CHAMPS SPORTS: Are you kidding me? Even if it doesn't conflict with finals at UVA this year, this game sucks. Orlando has a January 1 bowl anyway. It's a small world without this game. A smaller one with it. Buh bye.

MEINEKE CAR CARE: Charlotte sold out this game the first time it was played. It still draws decent crowds. Navy is a bowl-worthy team too. Keeper. I don't think there are any Meineke Car Care centers near where I live, but they can still sponsor it.

ALAMO: Usually a very close game, always seems to get teams with large travelling contingents. It can stay if it wants to.

CHICK-FIL-A: Like the Falcons, this game used to draw 3,000 people in the old Fulton County Stadium. It now has a reputation for being a great show. It's in Atlanta, but not a pro sports event. Therefore, it will bring people to the game, both local and travelling. Makes the cut.

MPC COMPUTERS: BOISE! BLUE TURF RULES! For the blue turf alone, this one stays in the lineup and always will. Besides, Boise is supposed to have killer mountain biking and hiking.

INTERNATIONAL: As long as the game outdraws a Maple Leafs scrimmage, it stays two years. Just kidding. I'll let this game have a shot.

GMAC: Not that I know what GMAC is off the top of my head, but I guess Mobile as a community really supports this game. I'm confirming that with Nico, but it's a keeper.

Damn that was long. Sorry for any spelling mistakes.

An Open Letter To Fox Television

Dear Fox Television:

You are not even competent enough to be considered an embarrassment to the digital arts, or whatever TV is called. We do not watch New England Patriots football on your network because we want to, we do it because we have to twice a year when we host NFC opponents, unless a game gets shown on NBC or ESPN. At least pretend you want us to watch your network.

I'll give you some pointers on how to get us to want to watch you. First, show the damn field, not 800 shots of the sideline, people's heads, you name it. Second, if you have the need to put the cameras on a player on a bench, put some of his stats on the screen so viewers can see what he has done today, not too many advertisements for your next game or more than one for your next garbage show. We care about our game right now, thank you very much, not some stupid show that most of us would not watch even before you pissed us off with incessant over-promtion of it.

Third, stop showing the commentators in the booth every three minutes, show the game. We do not care that Vasgersian is in the broadcast booth, we care about what is happening in the game between the Patriots and their opponents. We remember Vasgersian was an XFL announcer, that is bad enough, we don't need shots of him every twenty minutes. Fourth, When a play warrants a replay, hurry up and get the replay on the screen, not a shot of the back of someone's head.

Finally, at least attempt to display competence in your camera angles and presentation of plays as they develop. We want to see what happens as each play unfolds, but missed at least a half dozen plays today because of your overall cluelesseness. We understand if someone fakes out the entire defense, and the camera crews in the process, once in a while. But today's overall presentation of the New England Patriots - Detroit Lions game was an embarrassment to television. If the Billboard Music Awards ad appeared one more time my head would have exploded.

Please do yourselves a collective favor, and watch how rival network CBS produces telecasts. They focus on the field, put meaningful statistics on the screen in between plays, and keep advertisements for non-football things to a minimum. They seem to want us to watch their network, unlike you.

Get a clue. I will give you one and only one thing over CBS: Beasley Reece has never appeared on your network. At least not that I am aware of.

Regards,
Jeff Patterson
Patriots Fan

Baltimore is very cool

I know. I checked. I've realized that I don't get to the cool city 50 miles north of me often enough. Yesterday I took part in the Tour du Port, a bicycle event through Baltimore. I took the 21 mile trip, which went through all the neighboorhoods mentioned by the link above. People say the Inner Harbor can be a little too "touristy", a sentiment which I tend to agree with, but it's still great to ride or walk through there. Canton and Fells Point were super cool to ride through, the former being a revitalized waterfront neighboorhood, the latter reminding me of the cool things about Boston, Maryland style.

The one not terribly cool part of the ride was through Dundalk, but the tour route took us through not-yet-revitalized old warehouses and boarded up taverns, then through a semi-suburban run of the mill neighboorhood. After Dundalk came the real jewels of the bike ride. I arrived at Patterson Park, and believe me after I biked up the hill, I knew why Baltimore won a ranking of America's Fittest City! Just bike, run, walk, rollerblade, whatever up that hill enough times and you'll get in shape in no time. After Patterson Park came Brewer's Hill and Little Italy, both great little sections of town with old school architecture (Little Italy) and new row homes just past Brewer's Hill.

Federal Hill and Fort McHenry were next upon us riders after a little trip back through Inner Harbor. Looked like great neighborhoods with lots of tradition, especially Fort McHenry. Plenty of places to walk to, grab a beer, or whatever, not just on this part of the route but on most of it. I ended up at ESPN Zone to watch my beloved Pats cakewalk past Buffalo. Service was good, view of the game decent considering I was the only Pats fan I saw there, but I'm glad I ate elsewhere where appetizers only cost $8. The only improvement for the day would have been more and easier to find bike racks; I found the city to be otherwise very bicycle-friendly. The Aqaurium is somewhere I will get to when I get back up to Baltimore.

In summary, Baltimore is very cool, somewhere I see myself going back to many a time for many a reason. Inner Harbor was enjoyable, but many other neighboorhoods were even better. It's called Charm City for a reason. Even though I have only been there four times, Baltimore is one of my favorite cities to go to. I recommend it to anyone who likes walkable neighboorhoods, new urbanist revitization, history, beer, less pretension than say, oh I don't know, Washington (I live here so I can rip on it at will, I like DC if you know what I mean), and waterfront vistas. Charm City, baby!

Mountain Parks, Security-induced closings, helicopters, roadside hiking, and Frederick

Yesterday, I decided I needed to go hiking somewhere. With the Patriots being off on their bye week, it was the perfect time to get in an all-too-rare hike. So off I went to Catoctin Mountain Park and adjacent Cunningham Falls (MD) State Park. After making the 75 minute drive from Alexandria to Thurmont, I learned that a big part of the park I was planning to hike, with a decent amount of climbing and vistas, was closed to "provide security for the president and secret service." Okay, I know have a pretty good idea where Camp David is, and someone was there over the weeeknd. Before the FBI or anyone else comes after me, anyone who went to the park that day and found out about the closing could figure out the rough area of where it is in the Maryland mountains just by knowing the state and looking at a map of what was closed. Sometimes I hike to get away from everything Washington, or even DC; more on the differences between the two separate cities they really are in a future blog entry. No escape yesterday, with the helicopters hovering overhead for about an hour while I was trying to hike to a vista, which I finally found.

No problem, that part's supposed to re-open at 2 pm if not earlier, I can just get it later in the day. Right? Wrong, because I hiked down to a stream, back to Catoctin's headquarters building, and across to Cunningham Falls Park. While climbing to a rock called Cat Rock, I realized something that I should have known, being an East Coast native. This thing is, it is tougher to hike really quickly in the more humid air and ground consisting of a lot more jagged rocks, tree roots, wet leaves, et al in the east than people think. With some exceptions, in Colorado most of the trails, at least at the foothills level, are a lot smoother, oftern with ground so dry it feels like dry, soft rock. In hindsight, I find I was able to get speed going a lot quicker a lot more often out there, and I can't hike as quickly as I thought I would be able to on the "tame" eastern hills. Or at least I need a reason to explain how I climbed over 3500 vertical feet over 7 miles in under 3 hours last month on Pikes Peak, but would have to cut this trip short since it was already 3 pm and I had an hour of hiking left to the top of the next little hill.

Since I didn't want to be hiking near dark, or in the dark, I hiked about a mile or so on the side of the road on the Cunningham Falls side of the park (Maryland 77 divides the big park into the two parks) to get back to my car around 5 pm. I probably had until about 6:30 pm until it got dark, but I took a look at the park map and realized I had a lot further to go to hike everywhere I wanted than I first thought. So, like Willie Nelson, I was on the road again. This part was shorter than I thought it would be. It was a good thing that I cut the trip short: When I got back to the parking lot, I ran into the Outreach Coordinator at the REI that I work at. He mentioned that the temps in the park would drop 15-20 degrees as soon as it got dark. That's all I needed to hear to know I made the right call. Normally I like the cooler weather, but I'm trying to chase a cold, not catch one. I can always hike the other half of Catoctin and see the falls another time. Thanksgiving sounds good.

Hiking on the Patriots bye week has been an unofficial tradtion I have kept, since it gets me outdoors and into some fresh air, among other things. This trip almost did not end well. I decided to take some back roads out of the park instead of US 15, which I found to be very dangerous with the take a left and cross a 55 mph semi-divided highway after just a stop sign, no lights road. I saw a sing next to my house which I think metioned that if you steal anything from our dog, you will be shot. I totally understand caring for your animals, but that ain't something I see in the burbs near the city, either.

Now comes the part that didn't go well. Frederick is a mess traffic wise. Very difficult to make a simple turn off US 40 because of the traffic patterns, I can't explain it. In a nutshell, I went to a Chinese Food Buffet restaurant because I was really hungry; I'm just feeling better 24 hours later. I had to go to four gas stations to find a working air pump for my tire (thankfully on Wednesday I will have the slow leak fixed).

Before I go, useless fact of the night, courtesy of Crack Lite, I mean Versus (formerly ONL). Tonight the last two Stanley Cup Champions are playing, Carolina and Tampa Bay. This is the first time two American-born coaches who have won a Stanley Cup have coached against each other in the same game. That is at least a lot cooler than the Johnathan Cheecho sitting on a surfboard, he's just here to remind us the hockey season has started commericals.