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.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Monday, January 21, 2008
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.
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.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
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.
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.
Friday, January 11, 2008
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.
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.
Thursday, January 10, 2008
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.
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.
Sunday, August 19, 2007
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.
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.
Friday, June 22, 2007
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.
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.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
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:
The not-so good:
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.
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.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
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.
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.
Thursday, January 04, 2007
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.
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.
Monday, December 04, 2006
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.
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.
Sunday, December 03, 2006
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
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
Monday, October 23, 2006
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!
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!
Monday, October 16, 2006
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.
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.
Monday, September 25, 2006
Welcome Back, NFL in New Orleans!!!!
I freely admit my apartment got a litte dusty during parts of the U2 / Green Day performance, and when the New Orleans Saints took the field for tonight's game. A very emotional night for many of us, including those like myself who do not have ties to the city. I still get shocked when I see all of the pictures of what Hurricane Katrina did to the Gulf Coast Region. Living in New England for nearly twenty-eight years, Colorado for four, and Northern Virginia for the last five months, I have only lived through two realatively weak (Category 2 at strongest) hurricanes, and can not even imagine the havoc a storm like Katrina could wreak. Therefore, I cannot even imagine what the people who lost their homes, posessions, loved ones, et al are still going through. Words cannot express how I feel for them, and am rooting for the entire region to come back in a big time way.
It is great to see the National Football League back in the city of New Orleans tonight. While from what I have gathered, the city and region have a very long, difficult road to recovery, and really need to build up schools, fire, police, and overall infrastructure before anything: Football serves as a rallying point like nearly nothing else can. These people need things to cheer about and get behind. Few things bring thousands upon thousands of people together with a common cause like football. Not to mention the visibility the city will get from tonight's game, and that NFL games will pump a lot of money back into local economy (think hotels, restaurants, and bars).
Speaking of visibility, I will stay off the soapbox other than to say I feel it is totally appropriate to mix the reality of the storm-caused devastation and the resulting long, hard road to recovery with the celebration of the Saints' triumphant return to their home city. The large ESPN audience (I will go ahead and predict their largest ratings ever will come tonight) will see that while the Saints' return is a start, there is still a lot of work to do to rebuild the city. The Saints and their economic and psychological boost are both awesome, but let's not pretend New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region have recovered to pre-Katrina levels yet. It's going to be a long, hard road, but the car's on the road and is ready for a ride. Send some thoughts, prayers, and money their way to help the continued recovery. I know I will.
Commentary on commentators: many have wondering why Tony Kornheiser was hired to join the Monday Night Football broadcast team. While he's known for being a sarcastic smart-ass who like to rile people up, he has been nothing but utmost, pure class tonight. From his thoughts on his tour of the city to his general game commentary, he has reminded viewers of the reality of the situation in the context of tonight's game.
On a more lighthearted note, the fans are getting into the game to the point where they're booing the Falcons kicker, and ex-Saint. Rock!
It is great to see the National Football League back in the city of New Orleans tonight. While from what I have gathered, the city and region have a very long, difficult road to recovery, and really need to build up schools, fire, police, and overall infrastructure before anything: Football serves as a rallying point like nearly nothing else can. These people need things to cheer about and get behind. Few things bring thousands upon thousands of people together with a common cause like football. Not to mention the visibility the city will get from tonight's game, and that NFL games will pump a lot of money back into local economy (think hotels, restaurants, and bars).
Speaking of visibility, I will stay off the soapbox other than to say I feel it is totally appropriate to mix the reality of the storm-caused devastation and the resulting long, hard road to recovery with the celebration of the Saints' triumphant return to their home city. The large ESPN audience (I will go ahead and predict their largest ratings ever will come tonight) will see that while the Saints' return is a start, there is still a lot of work to do to rebuild the city. The Saints and their economic and psychological boost are both awesome, but let's not pretend New Orleans and the Gulf Coast Region have recovered to pre-Katrina levels yet. It's going to be a long, hard road, but the car's on the road and is ready for a ride. Send some thoughts, prayers, and money their way to help the continued recovery. I know I will.
Commentary on commentators: many have wondering why Tony Kornheiser was hired to join the Monday Night Football broadcast team. While he's known for being a sarcastic smart-ass who like to rile people up, he has been nothing but utmost, pure class tonight. From his thoughts on his tour of the city to his general game commentary, he has reminded viewers of the reality of the situation in the context of tonight's game.
On a more lighthearted note, the fans are getting into the game to the point where they're booing the Falcons kicker, and ex-Saint. Rock!
Friday, September 22, 2006
Pikes Peak Busted! Denver is as great as ever!
Part One - Getting Ready For the Hike
Remember my entry called Pikes Peak or Bust? Well, I have returned from my annual charity Pikes Peak Challenge hike. And I busted it! Finished the 14 mile, 7400 vertical feet, trip in 8 hours hiking (breaks not counted) time! Most important is the journey to raise money for the Brain Injury Association of Colorado, but it definitely felt great when I finished in light snow.
I would like to begin from the beginning of my vacation. Thursday, Sept. 7: After scrambling to get everything done at work and at home, I made my way to the Metro to get to BWI via a MARC Train. My trip could have unraveled before I even got on the plane. First, the Yellow Line had major backups due to a train breakdown. This caused the trains to be rush-hour packed and then some. The next problem was completely my fault, as I got off the train at L’Enfant Plaza out of habit, as the last few times I took Metro I got off there. Oops, two stops early so I needed to get another Yellow Line Train to a Red Line before making it to Union Station with two minutes to spare.
The MARC Train was a pleasant, quick trip to BWI, which is a million times better than Dulles Airport. Easy to get around, short security lines that are organized (yes Dulles I am sucker punching you), and overall quite clean and inviting. Both flight segments were typically uneventful, read a magazine, try to sleep but pretty much fail at that, blah blah. I did walk right past USA Softball pitching standout Cat Osterman at DFW Airport, so that was interesting. The Colorado Springs Airport turned out to be a pleasant surprise: 2 minute walk to baggage claim, then 1 minute to rental cars and the respective lot. Small airports like Springs and Manchester, America’s Best are really cool to fly into after dealing with the Logans,O’Hare’s, and Dulles of the world.
Friday, Sept. 8: Time to do an acclimization (sp) hike and see some old Victorian Buildings that are now limited-stakes casinos in Cripple Creek. The drive through Ute Pass then south to Cripple Creek was scenic like most mountain drives in Colorado are. The 4 mile hike I did through Poverty Gulch on the Gold Camp Trail was fairly uneventful, but had some old mine remains for sights (I left my disposable camera in my rental car and am trying to get it back). I only huffed and puffed for breath once, at the very start. This was encouraging because I really needed to go on this acclimization hike, coming from sea level and all. The town of Cripple Creek rests at just over 9,500 feet above sea level, the hike took me just around 10,000 feet. Going into this trip, I felt that even though I don’t live in Colorado anymore, I was actually in better shape this year because of more focused, more intense, midweek training. This short hike helped confirm that and got me ready for the big hike the next day.
That night was the pre-hike dinner and rally. They give you tips to get ready for the hike, a brain injury survivor who is hiking tells a story of their recovery, which is the most inspiring 10-20 minutes of the weekend. Very riveting and quite emotional to hear this year’s speaker, Rick Hughes, who has done some amazing hiking and skiing stuff since his recovery. I met him briefly the next day, he is a great person as well. After hearing about what these survivors had to deal with, I will not complain about a sore hip or leg at mile 12, that’s for sure.
There was one potential trouble spot, the weather forecast. Pretty good chance of thunderstorms, so we were warned there was a chance we might get turned around before the summit. I have no problem with being told to turn around if the weather is dangerous, regardless of the hike. From experience, I have nearly learned this weather lesson the hard way via severe thunderstorms, once on Mount Washington and once in a foothills park west of Denver. Better to be safe than sorry. For this hike I try to get six good hours of sleep with a 3 AM wake up call and 5 AM start time beckoning, but I barely get it. Can’t wait to hike but am also nervous since it’s by far the longest, most challenging hike I do all year.
Remember my entry called Pikes Peak or Bust? Well, I have returned from my annual charity Pikes Peak Challenge hike. And I busted it! Finished the 14 mile, 7400 vertical feet, trip in 8 hours hiking (breaks not counted) time! Most important is the journey to raise money for the Brain Injury Association of Colorado, but it definitely felt great when I finished in light snow.
I would like to begin from the beginning of my vacation. Thursday, Sept. 7: After scrambling to get everything done at work and at home, I made my way to the Metro to get to BWI via a MARC Train. My trip could have unraveled before I even got on the plane. First, the Yellow Line had major backups due to a train breakdown. This caused the trains to be rush-hour packed and then some. The next problem was completely my fault, as I got off the train at L’Enfant Plaza out of habit, as the last few times I took Metro I got off there. Oops, two stops early so I needed to get another Yellow Line Train to a Red Line before making it to Union Station with two minutes to spare.
The MARC Train was a pleasant, quick trip to BWI, which is a million times better than Dulles Airport. Easy to get around, short security lines that are organized (yes Dulles I am sucker punching you), and overall quite clean and inviting. Both flight segments were typically uneventful, read a magazine, try to sleep but pretty much fail at that, blah blah. I did walk right past USA Softball pitching standout Cat Osterman at DFW Airport, so that was interesting. The Colorado Springs Airport turned out to be a pleasant surprise: 2 minute walk to baggage claim, then 1 minute to rental cars and the respective lot. Small airports like Springs and Manchester, America’s Best are really cool to fly into after dealing with the Logans,O’Hare’s, and Dulles of the world.
Friday, Sept. 8: Time to do an acclimization (sp) hike and see some old Victorian Buildings that are now limited-stakes casinos in Cripple Creek. The drive through Ute Pass then south to Cripple Creek was scenic like most mountain drives in Colorado are. The 4 mile hike I did through Poverty Gulch on the Gold Camp Trail was fairly uneventful, but had some old mine remains for sights (I left my disposable camera in my rental car and am trying to get it back). I only huffed and puffed for breath once, at the very start. This was encouraging because I really needed to go on this acclimization hike, coming from sea level and all. The town of Cripple Creek rests at just over 9,500 feet above sea level, the hike took me just around 10,000 feet. Going into this trip, I felt that even though I don’t live in Colorado anymore, I was actually in better shape this year because of more focused, more intense, midweek training. This short hike helped confirm that and got me ready for the big hike the next day.
That night was the pre-hike dinner and rally. They give you tips to get ready for the hike, a brain injury survivor who is hiking tells a story of their recovery, which is the most inspiring 10-20 minutes of the weekend. Very riveting and quite emotional to hear this year’s speaker, Rick Hughes, who has done some amazing hiking and skiing stuff since his recovery. I met him briefly the next day, he is a great person as well. After hearing about what these survivors had to deal with, I will not complain about a sore hip or leg at mile 12, that’s for sure.
There was one potential trouble spot, the weather forecast. Pretty good chance of thunderstorms, so we were warned there was a chance we might get turned around before the summit. I have no problem with being told to turn around if the weather is dangerous, regardless of the hike. From experience, I have nearly learned this weather lesson the hard way via severe thunderstorms, once on Mount Washington and once in a foothills park west of Denver. Better to be safe than sorry. For this hike I try to get six good hours of sleep with a 3 AM wake up call and 5 AM start time beckoning, but I barely get it. Can’t wait to hike but am also nervous since it’s by far the longest, most challenging hike I do all year.
Part Two - The Hike
Wake up call, get dressed, eat breakfast, no problems. I even get to have M&Ms as part of the breakfast since I need all the sugar and energy I can get to hike nearly 7,500 vertical feet. No morning coffee, since that can help to dehydrate you. This can turn into an issue as I am a certifiable caffeine addict, to the point where I can develop headaches if I do not have coffee or team within an hour after waking up. I would get a headache later on, but for a different reason.
I start hiking a fairly steep stretch at the start of the Barr Trail, beginning at 6,700 feet and remember why I was told last year that the start of the hike is great for getting your heart rate up and the rest of your body in gear. Mine definitely went up, but I did not have to gasp for breath at the beginning of the hike. This was huge because it made me feel like my midweek conditioning, weekend hikes/bike rides, and acclimization (sp) hike the day before really paid off. Barr Camp is halfway through the trail, and basically halfway there from a standpoint of vertical feet gain. I made it in three hours, a kick-ass clip of over two miles an hour. When I first started hiking in 1998, I could barely hike fairly flat parks near Boston at that rate. This was close to 4,000 feet climbed at the quick pace.
While last year’s Pikes hike was extremely rewarding, one thing I would have done differently is not spend 45 minutes there while refilling water bottles, eating a 9 am lunch, using the facilities, you name it. This year it was get water, user facility, stretch, eat, put on sunblock, and go! 25 minutes this year. Why is this important? I’ve found that if I take too long of a break, it takes me a lot longer to get going and feeling strong again. Being too (relatively) idle slows me down for a long while, basically. While I most definitely was not under a time schedule, hikers had until11:30 to get to Barr Camp before the cutoff (for safety) time and I was back on the trail before 9:00. I didn’t want to be on the mountain forever either.
The one fairly non-descript part of the trail is between Barr Camp and A Frame Shelter. Just a multitude of switchbacks. All I’ll say is I started getting a headache around mile ten or so. UH OH. This was a lingering concern, coming from sea level less than 48 hours earlier. But I knew how to get through it without disrupting the hike: drink more water to hydrate even more, then drink my 32 ounce Gatorade at A Frame. Bingo! Headache gone.
A Frame shelter is 3 miles from the summit, but with 2,400 or so vertical feet or so from the summit. Thankfully, it was still sunny because once you get here, you’re past treeline. Wide open, beyond gorgeous views, but very exposed views at that. There is ZERO protection and/or shelter from the elements once you wander above treeline. To top it all off, you cannot tell if there are dangerous clouds coming from the other side of the mountain from the A Frame area. But with the warming sun, onward! 3 real tough miles ahead, but this is all about the journey and the cause.
I’m getting tired at this stage but with the headache one, it was time to make the move towards the summit. I think I had more conversations with more people between 3-1 miles to go than the rest of the hike put together. Everyone’s getting so tired that they don’t hike as far without slowing down, hence they talk more. Talked to a couple who just moved to Colorado from Iowa this summer, and were hiking their first 14,000 foot peak. They were doing very, very well. Another couple was from Colorado Springs via Minnesota, others were local area hikers. I didn’t get to what I call “Five steps, stop, four steps, rest” territory until was maybe one and one half miles from the summit. This hit a bit later in the hike than it did last year, so now I really knew a lot of the spinning classes paid off!
Thirteen miles down, one to go, but here come the darker clouds!!!! About 20 minutes earlier I decided to just keep my ski cap on even if the sun peeked through the clouds. It had started to get chilly so I put the cap on to keep heat in around my head area. No headaches, but needed more water nonetheless at this altitude to keep on keepin’ on. Everyone was slowing down their pace by this point, regardless of fitness and hiking levels. I was just hiking as quickly as possible without pushing myself to the point of risking injuries or cramps. But it wasn’t very fast!
There are staff volunteers at every checkpoint of the Pikes Peak Challenge. Some checkpoint volunteers have fun gimmicks to make people laugh. At the one-mile-to-go marker, keeping in line with the summer movie scene, one of the volunteers dressed as a pirate, all the while reciting pirate lines. He was funny, my “we have a weather situation, nothing to do with me of course” Johnny Depp imitation, not so much. D-. From one mile to one half mile to go, you lookup at the Summit House and think you are so much closer than you really are. Ouch! Walk. Stop. Ouch. Drink Water. Repeat.
Speaking of one half mile to go, I get one last picture taken of me pointing to the summit (I’ll get these developed as soon as I can). I had to ask the El Paso County Search and Rescue officer if I had time because as I approached this checkpoint, I heard the infamous Emergency Broadcast System buzz alarm. The thunderstorms were for the Black Forest area, northeast of Colorado Springs, since Pikes is on the far southwest side, bingo! Onward again after the picture.
The last half mile was agonizing from a physical standpoint, but otherwise beyond awesome. Realizing I was a half mile from completing this hike, and thinking about all of the heartwarming stories about brain injury survival, adrenaline kicked in. There is one final set of steep switchbacks called 16 Golden Stairs. Some of these switchbacks look exactly like stairs, some do not, but everything is tough at this point. Finally, after eight hours of hiking time, the end of the hike appeared at the last switchback. I made it! Two years in a row!
Now for an emotional moment. Everyone gets a medal presented to them at the end of the hike. The presenter was a brain injury survivor from Oklahoma who has hiked the trail before. I met his son at one of the checkpoints, he drove all the way from Stillwater, OK to volunteer for the event. Another brain injury survivor received his medal right before I did. When him and his wife received their medals, it was very difficult for me not to start crying. This was the most heartwarming moment of the vacation for me by far. When I received my medal, I was congratulated by the presenter. I turn congratulated him and then some. Him and others are the ones that deserve praise, not me. What he went through to get to where is he today, hiking mountains like this, after his injuries, was far, far more daunting than my hiking Pikes Peak, heck anything I have ever gone through. Just seeing everyone who has survived some of these horrible injuries is what will keep me hiking Pikes Peak annually, for the Brain Injury Association of Colorado, until I either die or cannot physically hike it anymore. Should the latter hit, I will volunteer for the Pikes Peak Challengein another way.
I need to give a big shout out to all the Pikes Peak Challenge Volunteer staff, and the El Paso County Rescue. I cannot even describe how hard they work to make this event happen.
I start hiking a fairly steep stretch at the start of the Barr Trail, beginning at 6,700 feet and remember why I was told last year that the start of the hike is great for getting your heart rate up and the rest of your body in gear. Mine definitely went up, but I did not have to gasp for breath at the beginning of the hike. This was huge because it made me feel like my midweek conditioning, weekend hikes/bike rides, and acclimization (sp) hike the day before really paid off. Barr Camp is halfway through the trail, and basically halfway there from a standpoint of vertical feet gain. I made it in three hours, a kick-ass clip of over two miles an hour. When I first started hiking in 1998, I could barely hike fairly flat parks near Boston at that rate. This was close to 4,000 feet climbed at the quick pace.
While last year’s Pikes hike was extremely rewarding, one thing I would have done differently is not spend 45 minutes there while refilling water bottles, eating a 9 am lunch, using the facilities, you name it. This year it was get water, user facility, stretch, eat, put on sunblock, and go! 25 minutes this year. Why is this important? I’ve found that if I take too long of a break, it takes me a lot longer to get going and feeling strong again. Being too (relatively) idle slows me down for a long while, basically. While I most definitely was not under a time schedule, hikers had until11:30 to get to Barr Camp before the cutoff (for safety) time and I was back on the trail before 9:00. I didn’t want to be on the mountain forever either.
The one fairly non-descript part of the trail is between Barr Camp and A Frame Shelter. Just a multitude of switchbacks. All I’ll say is I started getting a headache around mile ten or so. UH OH. This was a lingering concern, coming from sea level less than 48 hours earlier. But I knew how to get through it without disrupting the hike: drink more water to hydrate even more, then drink my 32 ounce Gatorade at A Frame. Bingo! Headache gone.
A Frame shelter is 3 miles from the summit, but with 2,400 or so vertical feet or so from the summit. Thankfully, it was still sunny because once you get here, you’re past treeline. Wide open, beyond gorgeous views, but very exposed views at that. There is ZERO protection and/or shelter from the elements once you wander above treeline. To top it all off, you cannot tell if there are dangerous clouds coming from the other side of the mountain from the A Frame area. But with the warming sun, onward! 3 real tough miles ahead, but this is all about the journey and the cause.
I’m getting tired at this stage but with the headache one, it was time to make the move towards the summit. I think I had more conversations with more people between 3-1 miles to go than the rest of the hike put together. Everyone’s getting so tired that they don’t hike as far without slowing down, hence they talk more. Talked to a couple who just moved to Colorado from Iowa this summer, and were hiking their first 14,000 foot peak. They were doing very, very well. Another couple was from Colorado Springs via Minnesota, others were local area hikers. I didn’t get to what I call “Five steps, stop, four steps, rest” territory until was maybe one and one half miles from the summit. This hit a bit later in the hike than it did last year, so now I really knew a lot of the spinning classes paid off!
Thirteen miles down, one to go, but here come the darker clouds!!!! About 20 minutes earlier I decided to just keep my ski cap on even if the sun peeked through the clouds. It had started to get chilly so I put the cap on to keep heat in around my head area. No headaches, but needed more water nonetheless at this altitude to keep on keepin’ on. Everyone was slowing down their pace by this point, regardless of fitness and hiking levels. I was just hiking as quickly as possible without pushing myself to the point of risking injuries or cramps. But it wasn’t very fast!
There are staff volunteers at every checkpoint of the Pikes Peak Challenge. Some checkpoint volunteers have fun gimmicks to make people laugh. At the one-mile-to-go marker, keeping in line with the summer movie scene, one of the volunteers dressed as a pirate, all the while reciting pirate lines. He was funny, my “we have a weather situation, nothing to do with me of course” Johnny Depp imitation, not so much. D-. From one mile to one half mile to go, you lookup at the Summit House and think you are so much closer than you really are. Ouch! Walk. Stop. Ouch. Drink Water. Repeat.
Speaking of one half mile to go, I get one last picture taken of me pointing to the summit (I’ll get these developed as soon as I can). I had to ask the El Paso County Search and Rescue officer if I had time because as I approached this checkpoint, I heard the infamous Emergency Broadcast System buzz alarm. The thunderstorms were for the Black Forest area, northeast of Colorado Springs, since Pikes is on the far southwest side, bingo! Onward again after the picture.
The last half mile was agonizing from a physical standpoint, but otherwise beyond awesome. Realizing I was a half mile from completing this hike, and thinking about all of the heartwarming stories about brain injury survival, adrenaline kicked in. There is one final set of steep switchbacks called 16 Golden Stairs. Some of these switchbacks look exactly like stairs, some do not, but everything is tough at this point. Finally, after eight hours of hiking time, the end of the hike appeared at the last switchback. I made it! Two years in a row!
Now for an emotional moment. Everyone gets a medal presented to them at the end of the hike. The presenter was a brain injury survivor from Oklahoma who has hiked the trail before. I met his son at one of the checkpoints, he drove all the way from Stillwater, OK to volunteer for the event. Another brain injury survivor received his medal right before I did. When him and his wife received their medals, it was very difficult for me not to start crying. This was the most heartwarming moment of the vacation for me by far. When I received my medal, I was congratulated by the presenter. I turn congratulated him and then some. Him and others are the ones that deserve praise, not me. What he went through to get to where is he today, hiking mountains like this, after his injuries, was far, far more daunting than my hiking Pikes Peak, heck anything I have ever gone through. Just seeing everyone who has survived some of these horrible injuries is what will keep me hiking Pikes Peak annually, for the Brain Injury Association of Colorado, until I either die or cannot physically hike it anymore. Should the latter hit, I will volunteer for the Pikes Peak Challengein another way.
I need to give a big shout out to all the Pikes Peak Challenge Volunteer staff, and the El Paso County Rescue. I cannot even describe how hard they work to make this event happen.
Part Three - Denver
I spent the final two days of my vacation back in Denver. While I enjoy the D.C. area, I did not realize how much I also dearly miss Denver until I went back there. Great weather: sunny, 70s, great seeing friends. Great beers from Flying Dog at Blake Street Tavern while watching my beloved Patriots kick off the season by coming back to beat Buffalo in a typical AFC East struggle. The Scottish Porters are as tasty as ever. I saw a lot of my old friends in Denver (Al, Will, Art, Greg, Sheryl, lots of the REI crew, wish I could have seen more of you), went to Pete’s Kitchen, My Brother’s Bar, and the REI Flagship store, all three must-hits when you visit Denver, especially the last two. My Brother’s have the greatest wax paper burgers on the planet. Normally I would never pay $8 for a double cheeseburger, at My Brother’s I don’t even blink before paying it.
Check out The British Bulldog at Stout and Broadway if you’re a soccer fan. Great pub just east of downtown. Kick-ass beer specials, and not just at the Bulldog or Blake Street, should you choose to drink a few beers, which I like to do once in a while. Tons of recreation opportunities that I will really miss come February when it’s 43 degrees, gray, rainy, and four hours away from snow that sticks. Finally, it’s the total vibe and atmosphere of Denver that I miss. Should D.C. not work out after a couple years, I have a pretty good idea of where I’m going. I won’t bore you with details of my flight home. That and I don’t want to get RSI.
Check out The British Bulldog at Stout and Broadway if you’re a soccer fan. Great pub just east of downtown. Kick-ass beer specials, and not just at the Bulldog or Blake Street, should you choose to drink a few beers, which I like to do once in a while. Tons of recreation opportunities that I will really miss come February when it’s 43 degrees, gray, rainy, and four hours away from snow that sticks. Finally, it’s the total vibe and atmosphere of Denver that I miss. Should D.C. not work out after a couple years, I have a pretty good idea of where I’m going. I won’t bore you with details of my flight home. That and I don’t want to get RSI.
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