Annual Physical

It's that time of year again. OK - so it's actually that time of the year and a half. But really, does anyone truly look forward to annual physicals?

I'm healthier this year than i've been in a while (only one cold last year, lost 42 lbs, eating better, working out, etc) and yet i still don't look forward to the annual exam.

i haven't seen it yet, but I hear that the video interview from the Bill Moyer show regarding Companies, campaign ads, and free speech is available on Bill Moyer . com. I'm gonna check it out and see how the Supreme Court decision is starting to play out.

Seattle - progressive or repressive - cell phone use?

Sadly; here comes another nanny law.

I don't agree with this one bit.

There are many other distractions while driving that cause as many or more accidents than just cell phones. What about people trying to entertain kids in the back seat, putting on make-up, reading the paper, reading paper maps, messing with radio controls, eating, etc?

When will these distractions become regulated?

I don't think it's the states role to regulate responsibility. It hasn't worked with drunk driving, dealing drugs or gang violence. Is this how police should be spending their time. All it I, is a revenue generating excuse to create an appearance of action.

Sometimes I wonder what the people in Olympia, WA are thinking, if they're thinking at all.

seattetimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010994660_apwaxgrdivingwhilephoning.1stldwrithethru.html

Sunday, Jan 31, 2010

Another new year. This year has been remarkable, if not always in a good way.

First, WaMu was acquired by JPMC so that really sucked. I do think there is a silver lining. I've been wanting to go back to school and finish my Business degree so now is as good as time as any. Plus i've been thinking about Law School for a few years now so I think now is as good as time as any to figure out that path too.

I finally did something about my weight. I'm down a total of 40lbs. A lot of calorie counting, and a lot of working out, but totally worth it. Still want to get in better shape so there's still work to be done, but isn't there always.

Wish me luck.

Prop 8 Rally and Protest

J attended the Prop 8 Rally and Protest yesterday. There were about 6,000 in attendance so it was quite an impressive turnout.

I probably should have attended myself but having just returned from the week long Philadelphia trip, I was too tired and needed a day of rest.

I still don't see how anyone thinks recognizing same sex marriages reduces or diminishes the significance of a male/female marriage! Don't even get me started that 'marriages' as a religious institution have no place being decided in politics. See my March 16 2008 post for my stance on that position.

Obama as President

It appears to be over.  Current results indicate Obama as the 44th President of the United States with 284 Electoral Votes, McCain at 146.

The popular vote isn't done and neither is the electoral vote, but enough polls have closed to imply success.

Congratulations to the whole country!

Election results (cont'd)

It's looking promising...Obama at 200 and McCain just took Texas to get him to 124.

I would agree that this year, this election, I didn't feel like I was having to settle for the lessor of the two evils! I truly believe that both are competent and have the right idea about change and getting the country back on track. 

I just believe stronger that Obama has the better policy, programs, and vision for success. Let's see if this holds true through the rest of the night and the pending results.

Election results

We're watching the election results. Pennsylvania has gone to Obama so that's certainly a good start. Let's hope the pendulum keeps swinging in that direction!

I have a feeling it's going to be a long night, and an even longer week for the Washington gubernatorial results.Even after the polls close they're anticipating the count of the absentee ballots to take about 4 days. Apparently they count approximately 100,000 (or was it 190,000) ballots in a day.

Either way, I'm glad that there is such a large turn out for all the elections.

Fall is upon us...

Only 30+11 and yet some days I feel like I'm falling apart. 

Just this morning, I think I strained my neck just drying my hair. Sure, I have a pre-existing neck issue, but come on now!  Drying my hair! Really?!

For Halloween we watched Alien & Aliens. My fav is still Aliens. There's just something about a butt kicking Sigourney Weaver that seems to make everything better.

Hung the Christina's World (Andrew Wyeth) print today. J got it back from the frame gallery, and it looks really nice. 

A brief update...

The campaign is running full steam ahead. As is John McCain’s age. How anyone can ignore the fact that Gov. Sarah Palin is no ready to be the President of the United States. I’m in it to the end with Obama. His tax plan is better for those of us that live in reality (ie…under $250k/year).

J had his birthday this month. 36! When we met he was 23 (I was 29).

I know I’ve not talked much about work, it just seems inappropriate (to me anyway). Anyway if you’ve seen the news in the last month, you know that the largest thrift in the US was taken over by the FDIC and sold to another company at the end of Sept.

It’s been a very stressful time. Trying to get info out of the new company about how they plan to integrate the companies, and how they are (or aren’t) going to take care of the employee population.

So far, I think they are making a concerted (and expensive) effort at doing the right thing. They will be covering key programs, that for all intent and purposes, they have no obligation to provide. They will be protecting things like vacation hours balances, 401(k) matches, pension balances, etc.

We watched “Across the Universe” last night. It was better than I anticipated. There are covers of many of the Beattle’s classics, that I think I enjoyed more in this format than I did the originals, as crazy as that sounds.

Other than work, I really haven’t had the left over brain power for anything else. Least of which would be the gym. I afraid to stand on a scale. Each time I try this I seem to find a new high point, and I never seem to be able to get back down to any kind of acceptable low point.

dirty rotten scoundrels

I just found out that my best friends have been robbed!  I can't believe it.  The nicest people I know, who'd do anything for friends and family (and have on numerous occasions) and this is how the cosmic world of karma comes back around.  That some sick sense of humor!

I've never had the unfortunate experience but I can only imagine how vulnerable and weak that must make one feel.  Ones home is ones security, refuge, place of solace and comfort.  To have that violated by someone would be unthinkable.  

Luckily no one was home, no one was hurt, and the dog and the cats weren't harmed.  

absence makes the heart grow forgetful....

I can't believe it's been a month since my last entry.  My apologies to all 8 of my viewers!  :)

Not much has been happening since the Grand Coulee trip.  I am in the process of composing an entry regarding last weeks business trip to Huntington Beach so there is that to look forward to.

In the financial news, I'm still pretty blown away by the events of that last two weeks:

• US Treasury taking over Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac
• Lehmann Bros. filing Ch. 11.
• Merrill Lynch getting acquired by BofA
• AIG in serious trouble and looking for relief

Our co's stock has been fairing no better.  Closed at $2 on 9/15.  Sept of last year it was in the mid-40's.

My 401(k) has taken a beating.  Regardless of the couple thousand I've put in (and the employer match) my overall balance is only about 1,500 more than it was as of 12/31/07.  Boy I hope Social Security holds on for me to use, because I'm certainly not going to make it on my little 401(k), as it gets smaller every day.  I think I'm going to lower my withholding election to 5%.  Just enough to keep my full employer match and still get some tax break, but anything more than that amount at this point and it seems to be useless.  Granted I probably won't put it in savings, but even if I spend it, I'll at least feel like I'm getting something for my money versus seeing the continual losses of my 401(k).

I did have the day off today.  That would have been nice, had I been productive.  I managed to get out of the house for my daily coffee.  Washed the truck.  Watched some West Wing (yeah, it's still my favorite tv show).  Then took a two hour nap.  My allergies have been weird this week and the sinus headache was bad enough to where I just needed to try and sleep it off.  But it's back to work tomorrow, even if only for a three day workweek.  I'm taking this coming Friday off.

Grand Coulee Dam

I've been wanting to check out Grand Coulee Dam for quite some time now.  We finally did.  We left Saturday morning, stopped in Ellensburg and had lunch (we ate breakfast foods, but it was noon, so technically it was lunch) at the cute Little Yellow Church Cafe.  Yes, it was a church, it has also been a residence (which is what I would do with it if I could), and an architects firm.  The food was good, and the service friendly.  Definitely worth checking out if you're going by, near, or through Ellensburg.

On to Coulee.  Google maps said the trip would be about 4 1/2 hours.  Not counting our stop for lunch, we made the trip in 4 hours.  It seemed long, but would be very short compared to the drive home, but more about that later.

First a few facts about Grand Coulee Dam...

- 6,809 Megawatt hydro electric dam, largest in the U.S. (4th largest in the world)

- 5,223 feet in length (almost a mile)

- 12 million cubic tons of concrete

- 3 time wider, and produces 3 times more electricity than Hoover dam

To say that the sight is overwhelming is an understatement.  I grew up in Mt. Morris NY, near the Letchworth State Park, which contains a dam so I thought I was prepared for this one.  I was wrong.

It's hard to appreciate the overall size and immenseness of the dam, even in the pictures, but believe me, it's pretty cool.  The dam created Lake Roosevelt, and Banks Lake.  Both are huge.  

As dorky as it may sound, the laser light show that is projected onto the main spillway of the dam was also a lot of fun.  It's about 40 mins and portrays the history of the Columbia River (which come to find out has 14 dams on it, 3 in Canada, and 11 in the U.S.) and more specifically Grand Coulee.

If nought for all the granduer and magnificence of Grand Coulee, I would have called the rest of the day a waste!

Got up (relatively) early to head back home to Seattle.  I thought it would be fun to head back via WA Route 2 versus I-90 like the way we arrived.  So off we went.  Hit Leavenworth in about an hour and a half (about what I anticipated).  Stopped for lunch at Gustav's.  The food was only OK, and the service was less than spectacular.  For what we spent, could have enjoyed McDonalds as much probably.

We got on the road, hoping for only another 2 hour trip.  Route 2 is for the most part, not much more than a two lane road (one lane in each direction) and follows the scenic Wenatchee River.  Well, there are two major, pain in the ass problems with Route 2.  The first being that you run the risk of getting stuck behind some yahoo who can't/won't do the speed limit!  Here is where the fun begins.  After about 30 - 40 mins of this, we finally get to the section where 2 opens up into two lanes each way.  Wow, you think, I'm going to make up some lost time and be home in no time, and so did we.  First made it through Douglas, and whatever the name of that other small town was, and we were looking forward to Monroe.  But alas...it wasn't to be so.  For the next hour, as we approached Goldbar, Sultan, and some other truck stop on the way to Monroe, we were stuck in stop and start traffic!  It was ridiculous.  The worst part being, was there were no accidents, to brekdowns to speak off.  It's because there is only one stupid road, and stop lights every couple of miles that forced everyone to crawl along.  Needless to say, never again am I taking Route 2, anywhere.  I don't care how many miles I have to drive out of my way to take I-90 or anything else, but to have the trip to Grand Coulee be 4 hours and the trip home almost six, no scenery along the crappy little way home was worth the extra two hours!

Anyway, a definite thumbs up for Grand Coulee.  Check it out.  If you leave early enough you could do the whole excursion in one day.   Caution, be there before 5 if you want to catch the free tour of the complex.  I'd recommend spending the night because then you get to check out the laser light show.  I'd do the trip again.  

Phelps phinale...

We were vacationing at the Grand Coulee (future entries on this topic to follow) dam on Saturday but managed to catch the closing events of what has turned out to be swimming Olympics of the century!

Phelps

8 of 8

Gold 4 x 100 Medley

The men pulled it out again.  Phelps butterfly and Lezak's freestyle closing leg were simply amazing.

Torres

Silver 50 Freestyle (dive and dash).

It wasn't the gold that most were hoping, but it's still an amazing Silver.  At 41, and after 4 (or is it 5) Olympics and 100 Relay medals she has earned and individual medal.  If any one is looking for an inspiration, here you go!

Phantastic Phelps

We're at 7 of 8

Phantastic Phelps does it again.
Gold 200 IM
Gold 100 Butterfly
OK - so my post is spanning two days, but none-the-less, he's still amazing!  My-oh-my, what a finish.  I think more time was spent reviewing the finish, the clocks, and the replays, than the race actually lasted.  In the end though, the finish was the same.  

Phelps in Phirst!

Dara Torres...need I say more.  She's 30+11 (like me) and she's awesome (also like me).  Too bad I can't swim anything near like she can.  Hell I won't even torture you (or my own self esteem) with what I look like in a bathing suit, and believe you me, it's no full body suit like they wear either.

OK, Get your mind out of the gutter...it's not a speedo either! Just a simply pair of box cut swimming trunks.

Phelps Phenomenon

5 down, 3 to go.

Gold 200 Fly
Tonight we got to see the Boston Bullet take the 200 Fly. Is there a kink in Phelps armor? He looked a little tired (dare some say dogged) after the 200 Fly. Believe you me, I know I can't do a tenth of what he is doing every day. When they showed his schedule for the day it 8000+ meters (5+ miles)! That's crazy.

Gold 4 x 200 Freestyle
Need we say more. I'm glad we spanked the French, AGAIN! All that and the first Team to ever beat the 7 min mark.

Have a good night. Stop, Listen, and Watch...and enjoy the Olympics.

Olympic update

The Opening Ceremonies were simply amazing.  My favorite portions:
2008 Drummers


2008 Tai Chi participants

My comments and updates certainly won't be as exhaustive or as fancy as NBCOlympics.com, or as the news channels, but these were what interested me...

Swimming:
Phelps 3 for 8 so far
Gold 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay (over the arrogant punks from France!)
Gold 200 Freestyle
Gold 200 IM

Piersol Gold 100 Backstroke
Coughlin Gold 100 Backstroke

Gymnastics:
China Men's Artistic Team Gold

Truly an emotional and motivating cycle for the Team event.

A little yard maintenance to make you happy...

I need to Thank B&B for the tip.  I had Mr. V come and give me an estimate today to mow my yard.  He's going to come every two weeks, for $40. He starts tomorrow.  I can't wait.  I so think it's going to be worth it.  Of course, now J is saying that for $40 he'd continue to do the yard.  Hell, if I'd only known that was an option.

The trip to Portland was fun.  We came back late Saturday.  There wasn't anything real exciting to do that would have justified the additional $100 for the next nights stay, to then return on Sunday.

We are taking another road trip in a few weeks.   We're actually going to go up to Coulee, to see the Grand Coulee Dam.   I'm really looking forward to it.  We'll leave on Sat 8/16, spend the night, and come back Sun.  As dorky as it sounds I think the laser light show they do at night, displayed on the side of the dam will also be cool.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder...

Did you miss me? I can't believe it's been almost two months since my last posting.

So much has happened, but yet nothing too exciting.

I did take a ride down to Mt. Rainier. It was definitely a much more comfortable ride on the Victory Vision than it would have been on my old Suzuki Hayabusa. The Vision amenities really paid off. The cruise control came in handy, the electric windshield was perfect for the changing wind conditions, and being able to include the iPod and have my music on hand was a pleasant addition to the ride. I wish I could find more people to have additional rides like that.

What else...oh yeah, J and I took a few days and went down to Portland, OR. I'd never been down to Portland for more than a few hours on business so it was a nice little trip to explore the city. We went out to a few bars and clubs. Ground Kontrol is a really cool retro/classic video game arcade, that is also a full service bar. It was fun. I played quite a few games of the original Space Invaders. What a flashback. There was Asteroids, Donkey Kong, Galaga, Ms. Pacman, and too many more to list hear, but needless to say it was quite fun.

We then went to a Gay Bar called Silverado. The bar scene really hasn't been my cup of tea. I've only been to a club once or twice in the last couple of years here at home in Seattle so I wasn't sure how much fun I was going to have. This was certainly different though. I would go again, maybe not next weekend, but if I were going to be visiting Portland again, I would certainly go again.

K lost her cell phone last week. We looked all over for it, we called it, we searched her last stops for that afternoon but to no avail. Maybe now she'll get an iPhone. :) I can only imagine what a pain in the butt that must be though. I mean how would I replace all the phone numbers and contact data if I lost the data source...ie the phone. That certainly continues to be an advantageous selling point to my iPhone. It's ability to stay sync'd with my computer means I've always got at least to sources for the data. My phone, or my comp.

Speaking of computers. About two weeks ago, mine died. I had a Toshiba laptop, that I purchased about 4 to 5 years ago and this is actually the 2nd catastrophic failure I've experienced with the computer. The 1st was when the LCD display crapped out on me, and this one, the diagnostic came back as a bad motherboard, which could only be ascertained from a "PCI Express Error code" that was only viewable when the laptop was attached to an external monitor. I have upgraded to a Mac Book Pro (17" display). So far, I'm quite pleased. It's been years since I've used a Mac and I'm sure it'll take me a while to figure out all the quirky little features, but so far, I'm very pleased with my selection