Archive for July, 2005

Good hard ride

Kate and I just got back from an 8.2 mile bicycle ride. That is pretty good for us, especially since it is 92 degrees outside. We averaged 9.9 mph over the whole trek and there are a lot of hills out where we ride. Especially that killer hill on Vesta Lane. Normally, we go down the main road and pass the Vesta turn-off saying as we pass it "So, you up for it yet? Nah, me either!"

Well, today we took the turn on Vesta and went all the way up the first steep hill, down the backside and up another long hill which was hidden behind the first. After reaching the end of the dead-end, we u-turned and pressed all the way back out to the main road without even hesitating. We passed a yard with three intimidating (but napping) Rottweilers. Good thing it was hot and they were tired!

And that was just the first three miles of the ride. It’s nice that it is starting to feel good to ride hard again.

Danger, Will Robinson!

The National Weather Service released the following warning today since it’s extremely hot right now (the current temperature is 100 °f with a heat-index of 110 °f)

…HEAT ADVISORY EXTENDED UNTIL 6 PM CDT SUNDAY…

A COMBINATION OF HEAT AND HIGH HUMIDITY LEVELS WILL ALLOW HEAT INDICES TO REACH 105 TO 110 DEGREES SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AFTERNOON. THIS WILL OCCUR IN AN AREA MAINLY SOUTH OF THE ARKANSAS RIVER… OR IN AREAS SOUTH OF A CLARKSVILLE TO AUGUSTA LINE.

CHILDREN…THE ELDERLY AND PEOPLE WITH CHRONIC AILMENTS ARE USUALLY THE FIRST TO SUFFER FROM THE HEAT. HEAT EXHAUSTION…CRAMPS…OR IN EXTREME CASES HEAT STROKE CAN RESULT FROM PROLONGED EXPOSURE TO THESE CONDITIONS. FRIENDS…RELATIVES…OR NEIGHBORS SHOULD CHECK ON PEOPLE WHO MAY BE AT RISK.

STOP OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES…DRINK LOTS OF WATER OR OTHER NON ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES…WEAR LIGHT COLORED/LIGHT WEIGHT CLOTHES…AND IF POSSIBLE…SPEND MORE TIME IN AIR CONDITIONED OR WELL VENTILATED PLACES.

<sarcasm>

    I’ve always thought that the NOAA guys had a great way with words.

</sarcasm>

Reunion pictures

Motley Crew

Sorry Brett, Chris, Tom, Brad, Jill, Marla, Cheryl, Karen, Kelly, Stephen et. al (I know I shouldn’t) but I have posted a few pictures from the 20th year reunion for McClellan-Fair that was at Burns Park this weekend. It was great seeing ya’ll!

Flaming Spoons goes (actually, went) live!

Well, I’ve been so busy with other stuff lately, that I forgot to mention that one of my clients recently launched their new web site. The Flaming Spoon Dinner Club is a group of six slightly rowdy, early-vintage women looking to share good food and laughter. Plus, they have an excellent cookbook for sale! Check them out.

J.A. Fair graduation speech, 1985

I was the salutatorian when I graduated from J.A. Fair High School in 1985 and was honored to deliver one of the keynote addresses at our graduation ceremony. With our 20th-year reunion coming up this weekend, I thought it would be interesting to find out what I actually said so many years ago. So I dug through some of my old files and actually found a copy of my speech. After reading it again, I began to wonder if, considering today’s post-modern attitudes of relativism and religious neutrality, would someone be able to deliver the same speech to a graduating class today, uncensored. Judge for yourself:
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I love "This American Life" but …

Sometimes they are, well, too dang liberal. I know. You are thinking, "Hello! They are on public radio! They are hosted by a gay fella named Ira! C’mon, what do you expect?"

I really do love the show and, in their defense, many times they have great human interest stories about people caught in strange situations or funny circumstances. The narrators are very good at drawing you into the characters so that you feel sympathy, empathy or pity for the folks the stories are about and the situations they find themselves in.
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Musica Appreciation

Okay, Mat (ya young punk) here ya go:

1. Total volume of music files on my computer: 7.6 GB in 2,208 files (all legal, legit, square and personally purchased or ripped. or mostly. i think.)
2. Last CD I bought: CD? What’s a CD? Don’t all music come from iTunes? (Actually, I don’t even remember the last CD I bought.)
3. Song Playing Right Now: Disappear by Hoobastank (5:06).
4. Five Songs (or Albums) I listen to a lot or that move me; Yikes, that’s a tough one. Probably something like this, in no particular order:
   • The Clincher by Chevelle. Chevelle is one of my all-time favorites, especially their old stuff.
   • Mia also by Chevelle. One of the best videos I’ve seen, using all stop-motion video.
   • Mudshovel by Staind. Just a good crunchy banger with good vocals.
   • Lean Baby by Frank Sinatra. Nobody croons like The Chairman of the Board, and what a great tune, full of humor and fun.
   • Minerva by Deftones. Can’t really describe Chino Moreno’s vocal style other than guttural and emotive, but I like it.
   • Man Overboard by Flim and the BBs. The first tune I heard over a pair of Klipschorns and it just blew me away. (Hey Bob, you remember hanging out at Custom Audio?) Excellent fusion jazz.