Spokanarama

Walking to Epcot

2012-01-28T08:10:00.001-08:00

The first day of my union conference in Orlando, there really wasn't much going on until late afternoon/early evening, so I decided I would go to Epcot for the morning and afternoon. Never been there.

Our hotel was across the street from Downtown Disney - a conglomeration of shops, restaurants and entertainment venues. There are tons of buses (usually out front, but this week behind DD because of construction). So I walked across the street from the hotel and went through DD until I arrived where all the buses (all of them placarded that they are affiliated with the Magic Kingdom) were. I asked the bus driver if his bus went to Epcot. He said none of the DD buses went to any of the parks. I later found out that this was indeed true. He said I needed to go back to the hotel and take a bus from there. I asked him if it were possible for me to walk to Epcot. He laughed (a lot) and said that this was impossible, shaking his head. Craziest shit he had ever heard.

So I walked to Epcot. I think it was probably about 5 miles, all together. I had to walk along a road that was kind of like a freeway. There were no sidewalks, no bike lanes. There were no other walkers, bikers, just cars and buses. It was about 80 degrees with not a cloud in the sky. There was a nice breeze. I walked on a grassy shoulder, but every once in a while I had to step onto the highway to get around shrubs or get across a river by loping atop a highway overpass.

My GPS on my Iphone gave me a route that took me right to the "cast members" only parking area and employee entrance. It showed a way through to the front gate. Unfortunately, this route now had a fence topped with concertina wire. So, I walked around that entire corner looking for a breach and eventually over to the security guard at the delivery entrance to Epcot.

He was very concerned that I had crossed the street to talk to him in his security booth, waving me away. But I approached anyhow.

"Pardon me. I walked here and am looking for a route to the front gate."

"Where did you park your car?"

"I didn't drive. I walked about 3 and a half miles here from my hotel by Downtown Disney."

"You walked here? You couldn't have. Look. There is no way to get to the front gate from here. Turn around. Go back to your hotel and catch a bus."

"OK. Sure. Now as I understand it, if one were to continue around the perimeter, heading north, one should be able to hit the front gate. Is there a quicker way?

"No. And it's another 3 miles just to the front gate. Don't do it. Go back to your hotel and be careful."

"Absolutely. Thank you for your help." I shook his hand and then walked the perimeter to the north. A police car slowed down, but I think he just didn't want to deal with this bizarre walking issue and so he never stopped.

I found a breach in the palmettos, bushes and palm trees and staggered into the parking lot. Into the future - Epcot. And had a good time. I think I saw my old 77 Vega on a ride.

This area is weird. Disney owns the whole corner of the state. The land is flat. The weather is great. Why no bicycle lanes? Why no pedestrian walkways to the parks? It would be cheap for them to build and maintain. It would be fun for visitors. You could even line the trails with gardens or populate them with animatronic figures or God-knows-what. Rent bikes. Have electric scooters or trams, whatever.

Didn't see one bicycle in flat, sunny Orlando. I think the future may have passed them by.

The charmed life of walking...

2012-01-13T08:43:00.000-08:00

My favorite form of transportation is walking. Next, is the bicycle. This time of year, you can bundle up pretty good, pop in the earbuds - crank up the podcasts and get anywhere you want to go on foot. Put on some spikey galoshes or Yacktrax when it's icy. No locking up the bike. No finding a parking spot. Pretty darn convenient.

But, I knew it was going to be one of those days, when two days ago, I was walking downtown and got hit once by a car and had three near misses.

The hit - I was walking on the sidewalk/driveway in front of Huckleberry's parking lot. Car pulls up to turn onto Monroe. The driver checks to her left to clear traffic for her right-hand turn. I am walking from her right. She doesn't look to her right. I always look into the eyes of potential assassins, so I notice this, but too late. She turns into me and I bounce off her hood and fender. Not hard. I don't fall down and it doesn't hurt. She looks at me, over her shoulder, placidly as she proceeds up the hill. Sometimes when I have been hit, the ladies wave at me immediately after impact. We are a friendly town.

I've ridden the hood of a postal service vehicle while out for a jog. Some would consider this cheating.

There were a few more close calls in intersections on this obstacle-encountering mile-and-a-half trek downtown. The best was an elderly motorist's turn westbound onto Third - that is onto eastbound Third. The driver had to turn the wrong way in order to almost hit me in the crosswalk. He realized his mistake before contact was made. Which is nice.

At work, car accidents seem to increase when the weather turns pleasant, and this was a sunny day. So, maybe that was the problem. Maybe, I'm the problem.

Back in the swim...

2012-01-07T10:16:00.000-08:00

Well, I am procrastinating. I should be swimming.

In another swim contest - FOR A FREE T-SHIRT!!!! Have to swim 165 miles by July 31st. This should help me prepare for the Long Bridge Swim again this year, too.

Want to get in 10 miles this week. Furthest swam in one shot is 3 miles on Thursday. That is a mind-numbingly long time. I am using the Swimp3 music machine to help the time pass.

Yes. This picture is from last summer. And I am flexing. And that's as good as it will ever get.

As 2011 closes...

2011-12-28T09:22:00.001-08:00

Jack Greenamyer, my officer for many years, retires (after 47 years of working for SFD!) Happy fishing, Jack!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T08:21:00.001-08:00

From the Manito Greenhouse Christmas Light Display. The two above are processed a little bit differently. One you will have to cross your eyes a little more than the other. Which looks more 3D to you? Instructions on how to do this were in the last post.

Santa Mouse in 3D!!!

2011-12-15T09:11:00.000-08:00

The story of Santa Mouse is one that goes back 44 years. It is a classic tale of redemption, revenge, eggnog and electricity. I don't have time to tell it right now. However, if you cross your eyes just enough, and stare at the picture, Santa Mouse will take on 3Dness. If you click the picture, it will show up larger. That might help.

What you are trying to do is create a 3rd picture in the middle of these two, and that one will be in 3D.

Just spent some time with my Viewmaster and some 60s reels of the Badlands and Colorado skiing. Awesome!

Driving

2011-12-14T12:38:00.000-08:00

I had to drive yesterday to my union's executive board meeting. After I parked my vehicle, I took this picture.

HELP FIGHT BREAST CANCER!

2011-11-29T07:14:00.000-08:00

Don't know if this fights eye cancer. Maybe. Would make a great stalking stuffer. As seen at Rite-Aid.

Obligatory Turkey Trot Movie

2011-11-25T09:10:00.000-08:00

A very nice run yesterday. I rode my bike home from work yesterday morning. Thanks to studded tires I had no idea how slick it was until Sarah and I walked to Manito to run. By the time we started, the ice was pretty much gone though.

I really like the Turkey Trot. I can keep the competitive fires pretty much extinguished and just enjoy being a part of the parade. Then I can eat a lot later.

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. In fact, I think I am going to keep celebrating today.

Sushi Maru - $1.50 every plate on the conveyor belt - Nov 7, 8, 9

2011-11-08T08:36:00.000-08:00

It's like Disneyland's It's a Small World ride, except you eat stuff.

We would have saved a ton of money last week! Sushi Maru - Riverpark Square.

Is it just me or can you tell a lot about a candidate and his supporters by where they place their signs?

2011-11-06T17:00:00.001-08:00

Of course, Steve Salvatori really has the vacant lot campaign sign market cornered. Ever wonder what the Spokane Entrepreneurial Center is that Steve founded? It's vacant building property he's trying to rent. Sigh...

Now, the owners of this house on High Drive have a hedge around their home so the riff raff cannot gaze upon its opulence. So how do you get us to see their yard sign when you can't see their yard? Easy! Just put up a ladder upon which you can affix your Condon (nonpartisan) sign. Any guesses on who their school board choice is? How about Prop One or the Costco liquor initiative?

Dennis, Dennis, Dennis. Your followers have placed your signs on the parkland running up and down the middle of Manito Boulevard. I thought about reporting this illegal sign placement. But, you know, I think it speaks volumes. Maybe this sign is just a warning to the smart-alecky trees!

Rocks of Sharon Discovery!!!

2011-11-06T11:07:00.000-08:00

Sarah and I were hiking around the Rocks of Sharon yesterday. If you have never been there, it's worth a trip. Look at this rock:

I think this is pretty conclusive proof that the Rocks of Sharon is really some sort of ancient Mt Rushmore dedicated to the apes who you used to run our planet. This would also explain the ruins of the frozen banana stand we found there. I think the head pictured above must be that of General Ursus:

If we find Dr. Zaius's face, I am calling the Discovery Channel.

Turkeys in our front yard!

2011-11-02T16:54:00.000-07:00

Had a couple of turkeys hanging out on our street yesterday. Saw them again today. They were chasing some crows around!

Peaceable couch kingdom!

2011-11-01T19:47:00.001-07:00

Would like matching trousers

2011-10-30T16:23:00.001-07:00

Wow. I guess he or she viewed 101 Dalmatians as more of a business plan. Seen yesterday.

This and that

2011-10-24T07:07:00.000-07:00

I guess it is a good sign that I haven't posted much lately. Been busy with some fun projects and living the good life. Weekends have been particularly nice. Sarah and I have been really having fun, and we've been getting to and from the fun on foot or by bicycle, as usual. And this time of year is pretty hard to beat the sheer beauty that is Spokane.

In no particular order, some highlights:

Sekani trail run - Got off work and then Sarah and I biked past Upriver Dam for this event. And guess who took first for her age group for both men and women. That's right - Sarah won! After we biked home, we walked to Aunties for a book reading by the author of The Man Who Never Died - a book about Joe Hill, an instrumental member of the IWW. Much of the story takes place in Spokane, so the author, William Adler, was pretty happy to be here, especially with all the Occupy stuff going on. Beers downtown.

Half a turkey on sale at Rosauers. Look what the Big Green Egg can do! Had great meals all the last week (OK some of them I cooked at work). We were invited over to friends for a really fun evening on Thursday. WOW - a great meal and fantastic conviviality in their very spookified, beautiful home. Again, a long autumnal walk each way. Nice!

A couple of weeks ago, a sister firefighter put on a benefit for one of our members who was recently diagnosed with cancer - a tricycle race. If you have never been to one of these, you can watch an entire race, on this video. Very cool!

Sarah and I try to support the local wine scene by belonging to some Spokane wine clubs. Whitestone and Barrister had release parties last Friday. So again, another walk downtown.

If you get a chance, ride your bike down Manito Blvd, around Manito Park and then walk around Cannon Hill Park. Amazingly beautiful. Also, Cannon Hill Pond is beginning to see some of the less common species of ducks as they migrate south.

First Friday Last Friday

2011-10-09T09:29:00.000-07:00

Sarah and I met up with some friends Downtown for First Friday. The best part was Terrain. Something that I didn't even know existed. Thousands of feet of open spaces and cubby holes filled with paintings, sculptures, readings, films, music. It was amazing! What was really great was that it was packed. You couldn't squeeze one more person into the poetry reading. WOW!

Spokane RIver Clean Up 2011

2011-10-01T13:04:00.001-07:00

A lot of fun as usual. We spent most of our time in an abandoned homeless person's campsite. Hundreds of pounds of all kinds of garbage was hauled out. It looked like it had been abandoned for a long time.

Not to get preachy, but you can add the transient camps along our river to the outcomes of conservative causes, private market solutions and other efforts to gut the social safety net. What we do to our mentally ill haunts our streets, our economy and our national conscience. And it washes up right here on the banks of the Spokane River.

The Spokane County Jail is the largest mental health care facility on the east side of the state. And the only treatment many of the residents receive is when they are behind bars. For many, when they aren't "receiving treatment," they abide in their garbage-strewn camps along the river.

Some of the most recent controversies in Spokane are direct outcomes of those who slash funding for the mentally ill and work to destroy government. Ironic that some of these same politicians now run for office and shamefully "cash in" on their abandonment of the mentally ill. They point their fingers at sad, unnecessary events and blame the incumbents who have had to deal with the crisis these office challengers have created, championed and will continue to champion. It is very sad, and hopefully the voters in Spokane understand that they are being played by these morally ambivalent hucksters. We must work to keep them out of our city offices where they will only make things worse.

It would be nice to have seen some of these office seekers out here cleaning up the garbage, seeing what they helped create. I doubt they would have made the connection. Mayor Mary Verner was out here with us though, cleaning up the mess. Cleaning up other people's messes is something Mayor Verner does - a lot. I hope the voter knows what a great, smart, hardworking, ethical person we have as our mayor. We could do a lot worse. I just hope in November we don't.

OK. Off my soapbox. Here are some cool things other people found in the river:

I Didn't Do It!

2011-09-28T06:26:00.001-07:00

Rainbow Warrior

2011-09-27T14:26:00.001-07:00

Running today, the roads were slick but real purdy.

Off to college!

2011-09-27T09:10:00.000-07:00

About a week or so I dropped Ike off at WWU. I thought I might be kinda sad. Instead I was really happy. What a great experience this is going to be. Bellingham is beautiful and the people I met at Western were all very nice. Rain always motivated me to study. Maybe Ike will be the same way.

I stayed close to home for all my fancy book learnin'. The first I ever left home for any length of time was for USAF OTS in Texas and I was pretty homesick for a while. From the way Ike is not returning my calls, I don't think he is very homesick at all.

Spokefest 2011

2011-09-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

Another great Spokefest. So far, we are four for four for four!

It was a hot day last Sunday - 9-11-11. There was a nice tasteful 9-11 remembrance at the star. Great words by Mayor Verner. And probably one of the best renditions of the National Anthem I have ever heard. Dixieland jazz too.

Wattson, the nuclear-powered vampire dachshund.

Otto, the Spokane Indians' "What the F@#kasaurus."

Cookies and music.

And our fantastic councilman, Jon Snyder, who was still doing city business as he peddled. Always a professional.

Neighborhood Hardware Store Opens!

2011-09-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

I had been watching and waiting for the Ace Hardware to open on 9th and Lincoln for a long time. A hardware store is about the only thing missing from our neighborhood. But somehow I missed the grand opening! Better late than never. Sarah and I walked down there a few days ago to see where we will be spending many hardware dollars.

Hardware stores hold a special place in my heart. When I was a wee lad, my dad would often tell me, "Get in the car Johnny. We're going to the hardware store." And I was stoked! I didn't know what most of the stuff was or what it was used for. All I knew is this where you went to get the stuff to make the stuff. And that was enough.

When we visited our family in Minnesota, my aunt and uncle would put me to work stocking shelves occasionally, in exchange for a fishing trip or two. They owned a hardware store in a really small town.

So there is a lot of good emotional baggage I brought with me to the new Ace by Huckleberry's.

Yes, this looks like something from the drugstore that used to be in this location. Like the drugstore, it looks like they don't keep a lot in inventory. But, that's not true. One of the guys working there said that they have a lot of inventory in the basement. So, if you see just one of an item on a shelf, chances are there's more downstairs.

Everything was laid out pretty well. For a small space, they have done a good job making sure there is a good assortment of merchandise. The only thing I needed that they didn't have, something I consistently buy at the Ace on Regal, is lump charcoal for the Big Green Egg. They told me they could order it. They also wrote it down on a list they were making of possible items to stock.

Hardware stores are places to figure things out. Or, at least, partially out. I am one of those who enter into a trance in the aisle and start imagining what I need to build and what I will need to build it. It's not a very efficient process, but it's enjoyable. That's why I am glad I will be able to ride my bike back and forth to fill in my gaps in planning.

School backpack clean out day!

2011-09-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

Ike is heading for college, so he thought he should clean out his backpack. Lots of memories and a container of Yoplait yogurt. Notice the sell-by date:

We don't have air conditioning and Ike's backpack has sat in his room all summer. I had to open it.

Not only did it look fantastic. It smelled just like it was just off the shelf of your local monger of yogurty comestibles.

I didn't taste it. Nor could I trick Ike into trying it because he is college material.

Parkade Ticket has great instructions on the back

2011-08-29T10:17:00.001-07:00

Dirty Dash Team Photo

2011-08-26T08:05:00.000-07:00

Tony Yuen's BBQ Sauce and Video wins TreeTop Prize!

2011-08-25T12:20:00.000-07:00

A while back ago, I told you about this contest. Well, we won! A big function at Stn 13 yesterday. Lots of VIPs from TreeTop were there, as were the local media. Somebody said it will be featured on HGTV. I was invited because Tony had me write the script and direct the video. Dean Pearcy, the fire department's AV guy was responsible for the awesome editing and effects.

And as usual, Tony was the cook and everything tasted great!

Thanks for everyone who voted. Gleed received the most votes, so it received a $1000 check from TreeTop.

Here is the video again, if you haven't seen it:

Yellow Jacket Traps

2011-08-23T06:07:00.000-07:00

Cleaned out the traps yesterday and it didn't take long. First video is after 15 minutes, the second after an hour.

I would say there are more yellow jacket condos like the ones Sarah destroyed here.
BTW, I do believe these traps are manufactured out at the industrial park in Spokane Valley.

Dirty Dash

2011-08-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

A great time out at Riverside State Park yesterday.

For those of you who might have been wondering why it took an hour to travel from Downtown Spokane to the intersection of Ft Wright and Government Way, it was the Dirty Dash. There were thousands of people nicely spread out, with a start about every 20 minutes for the 10K course. Mudpits, balance beams, straw bale obstacles and mud-filled culverts were climbed up and through and over. There was even a quick dip in the Spokane River.

Tons of families and groups of friends were doing this together. I was lucky that my son, Kirk, let me hang out with him and his cool friends. My other two boys (Ike and Aidan) hung out at the finish line and took pictures and cheered us on. Thanks again for that! Sarah was stuck in traffic for half an hour and u-turned home. I think we are all on-board for doing it together next year.

There were plenty of cyclists and runners who made it to the start quicker than we did by car. File that one away for next year. No car. Although, it might be a miserable ride/run home covered in dried mud, or it might be kind of fun.

Any run that starts off with a beer is a good one. There was also a beer obstacle at about mile 4.5 featuring some of my favorite.

There were a lot of out-of-state license plates at this event. I would imagine it pumped a lot of revenue into Spokane's coffers. Again, Spokane shows itself off as a place where we can stage big events. The traffic stuff will have to be worked on.

Near the finish line it looked like a mass casualty incident. Lots of IVs. Apparently there were some broken bones and other afflictions. AMR had their hands full, but were doing a great job.

Here's the Dirty Dash website.

Hey New Belgium, look at us! Bring the Tour de Fat here. We've got to be more fun than Boise!

Hodge podge from a busy week!

2011-08-18T17:27:00.001-07:00

We've been members of the MAC since it first opened. Never noticed this sculpture of an owl riding a fox riding a deer on top of a platform, until today. It reminds me of my favorite cereal from the 80s - Big Mixx.

We were there to see the DaVinci displays. Very nice. The LC kids who were docents did an excellent job. Totally worth it!

Yep, he invented the bicycle chain. Why not?

These folks were having a good time.

Sarah and I celebrated our 20th wedding anniversary. Before and after photos.

I look more scared, 20 years later. When we were married, I made 20 bottles of mead. Every anniversary, we opened a bottle and these are glasses poured from the last one. I have to start brewing again.

Every year, the mead tasted a little different. Just like the bitterness of our tears. No, not really. It has been a great 20! Looking forward to more!!!

On the roof of the Ridpath Hotel. It is beautiful up there, but a very long way down.

The garden is looking good, except the tomatoes are nothing.

Sarah went on a killing spree, digging up the ground and destroying an entire generation of yellow jackets. Sad :(
Lastly, been helping a guy who wants to help the world with his gift of sage advice. I am helping him start a blog. So, I will link it up here if it gets better.

Sandpoint Long Bridge Swim Last Saturday!

2011-08-10T18:38:00.000-07:00

I wanted to write up a more extensive post on the Long Bridge Swim. This morning was the planned day to do this. But then the phone at home was answered at 9 or so this morning, while I was sipping coffee in my PJs, and off I went to go to work at the three alarm fire. And it was work, I will tell you what.

So, I will give you a very abbreviated account of the swim, as I feel pretty darn tired right now.

Here is the official route:

I think it is 1.7 miles long.

Here is the route I swam:

I don't know how long that was.

Sarah watched me and Susan, our friend, swim - plus chauffeured us all over N. Idaho. While she was watching the spectacle, she saw a kid approaching his friends. They shouted, "Dude, you're already done?" His reply - "I freaked out at the beginning," his voice cracked with emotion, "I don't know why, but I was so freaked out I had to get out of the water and call it quits." This kid looked like a triaathlete, Sarah said. His friends looked at him with curiosity, a "you've got to be shittin' me" glare. They weren't too sympathetic.

My friend, I hope you know that this was a very prevalent theme of conversation on the bus ride home to the parking lot. There were so many people talking about having the same feeling - not being able to breathe right, feeling like swimming was not natural and fighting for every stroke. Many felt the urge to quit, not because of physical reasons, but because the psychological weirdness was overwhelming.

That's how I felt too. It was weird. I was really creeped out for the first quarter mile. However, by about three quarters of a mile, I was having the time of my life. I was so into it that I wasn't watching where I was going and was way off course, repeatedly. I finally ran into a kayak. Literally. The helpful paddler apologized. She also said that the finish line is "back there." So I turned around and went back.

I want to do more open water swims. I had a very good time, after the whole freaking out thing subsided. I sure didn't expect that.

Weird clouds the other night!

2011-07-21T09:45:00.000-07:00

Annual Family Rafting trip - GLACIER!!!

2011-07-19T15:01:00.000-07:00

I think the last time I had been to Glacier was when I was 14. I don't know why it has taken so long to go back. Well, I wasn't able to drive for the first two years after that for one thing, I guess.

By car, from Spokane, it's only five hours away, and not a five-hour drive through the Columbia Basin. Not that the Columbia Basin isn't beautiful in its own way. It is just that as you head east out of Spokane, mysterious and wondrous things happen. Things that make five hours fly.

First off, if you head east, you know in your heart that you are from the BIG CITY - SPOKANE, until you start getting Minneapolish. If you head west, you will always be the hayseed. So, it's good for your self esteem, plus it puts you in the city slicker driver's seat for the feast that awaits. This ontological reframing heightens the experience of an eastward trek through roadtrip Americana - national parks, quirky museums, drive-through bear prisons, life-size fiberglass dinosaurs, pioneer sod houses, gold mine tours and always the 50,000 Silver Dollar Bar - where you must stock up on edged weapons and everclear. Head east and you are the Griswolds. Head west and you are just self-conscious and suspicious.

Plus when you travel east, you hit the no-shit Rocky Mountains, big waterfalls, and incredible roadkill.

The destination of Glacier Park/ Glacier National Park/ Glacier International Peace Park would be well worth it if the drive were twice as long. Great hikes. Unbelievable mountains and waterfalls. And the people!

Lots of people. Glacier is so beautiful, so unique, so much of a destination, that its visitors are from all over. Hiking up a trail, you witness America's verbal accents from Bronx to Southern Belle. There is Japanese, German, Spanish, Dutch, Portugese, French and Italian sprechen on the trail. Sometimes it's quiet. Young families and grandparents not speaking a word, just being there in the movement and in the splendor. They get to share with another generation what they think is important and beautiful to them. And they don't need to say much because, well, holy shit, look at that.

So we were there to do some day hikes and to do some rafting.

Our family has made a practice of going on a rafting trip every year for quite a few summers now. This year, we rafted the middle fork of the Flathead. This river separates Glacier from the Bob Marshall. The temperature of the water was 38F while the air was pushing 90. Rapids were kind of subdued because the water was so high. And it was beautiful. We have rafted enough, over the years, that we could probably get our own raft, but I really like having a guide, having someone cook for you and all that. There is something really cool about all of us rowing together really well after having done it so much. It's nice.Here is a bear "experience."
It's a place where you can pay $15 a head to drive around some black bears. I really liked their sign and its philosophic intent:

Amen. Amen.

When you go through Polson on Flathead Lake, make sure you visit the Miracle of America Museum. I heard the owner telling a German lady how much he hated President Obama because "he's not very American." She told him that she didn't like her leader very much either. The fellow has it all figured out with displays like this:

I don't agree with his politics and some of his beliefs, but my hat is off to him. Incredible stuff:

There's a new distillery with a tasting room in West Glacier, too. Wow!

New Firehouse!

2011-07-08T06:54:00.000-07:00

Well, it's new for me anyway. The last two months I was in an interim promotional position, so I had to fill in at a couple of different stations. A little over a week ago, I was officially promoted. There isn't a fire lieutenant paramedic slot at Station Three, so I had to go someplace else. Which meant moving out of my station of nine years. I had a lot of locker cleaning to do and a lot of gear to move out. And of course, on moving day, as soon as I got all my stuff packed up, my old crew was off to a fire! Figures.

I moved stuff over one bike trip at a time, after I brought it all home in my car.

My new station is Station 11 - up on Perry and 32nd. It is a nice place. The crew I am on rocks! I was on an engine but am now on a pumper-ladder. It is sort of the hybrid bike of fire apparatus - part engine, part ladder. So, there's a whole lot of stuff to reacquaint myself with.

PL-11 used to be PL-15 - my first assigned truck, so it's all coming back.

No more hill climbing coming home. Just a slight rise on the way to work. It's about a mile closer too. There aren't quite as many calls there as Station 3, but it's a fairly busy place and it's pretty close to home. All in all, I really lucked out.

Seen at Walla Walla museum today.

2011-06-27T16:59:00.001-07:00

I guess lice were pricier back then.

Spokane fire station cook has shot at winning national acclaim! Please Vote!!

2011-06-26T08:28:00.000-07:00

Tony Yuen, who is about the nicest guy you will ever know, drives Pumper Ladder 13 up on Wellesley and Jefferson. Tony is also a great cook and can throw together meals that are inexpensive, delicious and big - the trifecta of fire house cooking.

Tony entered a contest via TreeTop to come up with a BBQ recipe using TreeTop products. Out of all the recipes entered, his was in the top ten. So, Tony received a lot of stuff from Treetop, including a little camera to shoot a video that had to be 4 minutes or less. Tony called me and another SFD guy to help him make the video and we think it turned out pretty good. Right now Yakima and a town in New York are ahead of us in votes.

If you have a few minutes check out the Spokane video and vote for it!

And if you want, you can vote every day for Tony Yuen and Fire Station 13's video!

Don't Forget - Summer Parkways Tonight!

2011-06-22T16:20:00.000-07:00

6-9 PM- Comstock/Manito Neighborhood (map)

The slimy underbelly of organic gardening...

2011-06-19T10:46:00.001-07:00

Every year the vegetable garden slug infestation gets worst. These slugs are usually no more than an eighth of an inch long. Some have gotten as big as about half an inch. Yet, there are hundreds of them, and by the end of the growing season, they have trashed the garden.

I have tried beer in saucers, wet newspapers, diatomaceous earth, insecticidal soap. These methods get a few. I think the diatomaceous earth dustings might have saved the green beans this year.

So the other morning, I had my face buried in the peas. A nice couple walked by and asked if I was talking to my plants to help them grow. I replied, "No I am squishing slugs." And then popped one right then and there.

A reminder to my vegetarian friends that, even though organic veganism is certainly the most ethical way to eat, there are still plenty of animal casualties. This squishing brings me no joy, and is unpleasant for all parties including you who are now reading this blog.

Every morning I do this. Every morning the fields run green with the guts of gazillions of gastropods.

The song I can't get out of my head...

2011-06-18T09:08:00.000-07:00

I hope you don't catch this earworm.

Summer Parkways 2011!!!!!

2011-06-14T06:39:00.000-07:00

When Spokane shuts some streets down, antimayhem usually ensues. Think about Bloomsday or Hoopfest. Fun. Fun on the streets.

This year, Summer Parkways is back! Streets will be shut down for neighborhood parties that focus on fitness and fun. Last year, I had to work every single day of every single one of these. I think this year will be different. I am dusting off the ukulele, enhancing the Xtracycle sound system and scotchguarding a kilt for this event. It will be that good of a time.

I received this information today about Summer Parkways and am passing it on to you:

In 2011 we have expanded to three events. As you know the streets become a huge park and people have the chance to enjoy the car-free streets of the course, and participate in the outdoor activities at the event.

This year we have added a new feature for groups called "meet-ups". This provides the opportunity for cycling groups/clubs/friends to ride together to the event from a set location, then do the course. This makes it a fun way to arrive as a group, plus alleviates parking. The meet up can be set up on the website page www.summerparkways.com/meet-ups

Below is the event information. Feel free to edit to suit.

Let me know if you have any questions, and hope you'll be there!

With thanks,

Katherine Widing
Summer Parkways PR

Summer Parkways 2011: Fun and fitness in Spokane!

The second year of Summer Parkways is taking place in three different Spokane neighborhoods. It was inspired by an event called Ciclovia (meaning "bike path" in Spanish) in Bogota, Columbia. Streets are closed to vehicular traffic and opened up to games, walkers, cyclists, exercise groups, skateboards and other human-powered activity. Summer Parkways promotes a healthy lifestyle and provides a chance to join families, friends and neighbors for free outdoor, family-friendly and community activities in parks and on car-free streets. Walk, cycle or skate, test ride an ElliptiGO bike, swivel your hips hula hooping, unleash creativity with chalk art, try TRX, dance to the beat of Zumba or try out many other activities.

Collect a group for a "meet-up". Meet-ups give cycling groups/clubs/friends the chance to ride together or choose any human-powered transportation - unicycles, skates (or penny farthing anyone?) to the event from a set location, then participate in the course. This makes it a fun way to arrive as a group, plus alleviates parking. The meet up can be set up on the website page www.summerparkways.com/meet-ups

Kick off this year's Summer Parkways with an evening of fun in the Manito/Comstock neighborhood on June 22nd from 6.00pm-9.00pm, followed by daytime events in North Hill and Northwest neighborhoods.

The events are presented by Spokane Parks and Recreation, The City of Spokane, and the SpokeFest Association.

Make Summer Parkways a success by participating in the action, or volunteering. For more information, visit www.summerparkways.com or email summerparkways@gmail.com and www.facebook.com/summerparkways

Save the dates:
Manito/Comstock: Wednesday 22 June, 6.00pm - 9.00pm
North Hill: Sunday 24 July, 10.00am - 2.00pm
Northwest: Sunday 14 August, 10.00am - 2.00pm

I think they are still looking for volunteers, if you are interested as well.

What Cathy McMorris Rodgers would like to do to her constituents...

2011-06-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

The budget passed by House Republicans in April 2011 makes radical changes to Medicare. The Republican plan raises costs for seniors and individuals with disabilities enrolled in Medicare, reduces their benefits, and puts private insurance companies in charge of the program. For current beneficiaries, important benefits – such as closing the hole in Medicare’s drug coverage – would be immediately eliminated. For individuals age 54 and under, Medicare’s guarantee of comprehensive coverage would be replaced with a “voucher” or “premium support” to buy private health insurance. By design, this federal contribution does not keep pace with medical costs, shifting thousands of dollars in costs onto the individual.

This analysis shows the immediate and long-term impacts of these changes in the 5th Congressional District in Washington, which is represented by Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers.

The Republican proposal would have adverse impacts on seniors and disabled individuals in the district who are currently enrolled in Medicare. It would:

• Increase prescription drug costs for 7,100 Medicare beneficiaries in the district who enter the Part D donut hole, forcing them to pay an extra $70 million for drugs over the next decade.
• Eliminate new preventive care benefits for 117,000 Medicare beneficiaries in the district. The Republican proposal would have even greater impacts on individuals in the district age 54 and
younger who are not currently enrolled in Medicare. It would:

• Deny 530,000 individuals age 54 and younger in the district access to Medicare’s guaranteed benefits.
• Increase the out-of-pocket costs of health coverage by over $6,000 per year in 2022 and by almost $12,000 per year in 2032 for the 110,000 individuals in the district who are between the ages of 44 and 54.
• Require the 110,000 individuals in the district between the ages of 44 and 54 to save an additional $25.7 billion for their retirement – an average of $182,000 to $287,000 per individual – to pay for the increased cost of health coverage over their lifetimes. Younger residents of the district will have to save even higher amounts to cover their additional medical costs.
• Raise the Medicare eligibility age by at least one year to age 66 or more for 58,000 individuals in the district who are age 44 to 49 and by two years to age 67 for 418,000 individuals in the district who are age 43 or younger.

Data sources: Data on Medicare enrollment and the number of seniors in the Part D donut hole was obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Data on the age distribution of district residents was obtained from the U.S. Census. Data on increased costs for Medicare enrollees under the Republican plan was obtained from the Congressional Budget Office and the Medicare Actuary and the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Data on increased savings needed to pay for health care costs under the Republican budget was obtained from the Center for Economic and Policy Research (CEPR and are based on CEPR analysis of CBO data

From Impacts of the Republican Medicare Plan In Washington’s 5th Congressional District Committee on Energy and Commerce, Democratic Staff

Cool idea out of Portland - "The Bike Train!"

2011-06-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

At North Portland's Beach School, the Bike Train connects commuting with community

Published: Friday, June 03, 2011, 7:57 PM Updated: Saturday, June 04, 2011, 9:57 AM

By Joseph Rose, The Oregonian

A few years ago, biking to Beach Elementary in North Portland was deemed too unsafe and banned. Today, thanks to the work of volunteers, up to 20 percent of the student body participates in a weekly bike train.

After pedaling with 60 Beach K-8 students to school on a recent Monday, I'm feeling a little – I don't know – sappy.

It was an imperfect but joyous line of candy-colored helmets and pumping legs, rolling through North Portland, growing in size every few blocks.

Kids at Beach School call it "the bike train," arriving every Monday. Parents and teachers say it's the perfect lesson in how commuting and community share the road.

"It hurts my legs," said 6-year-old Graisen Russell, his little hands firmly grasping handlebars, "but it's one of my favorite things. I'm glad we get to do it."

A few years ago, safety concerns prompted Beach to ban kids from biking to school.

Did I just write that in Portland, Oregon? Yep. A school in Bike Heaven where biking was once forbidden.

Beach is boxed in by Interstate 5 and buzzing arterials such as Interstate Avenue . So, the fears about children getting hit in traffic were valid. But it became part of a troubling national trend.

In 1969, about half of America's elementary and middle school students walked or biked to school, according to the Federal Highway Administration. Today, its just 15 percent. More than 50 percent get there in cars. Meanwhile, childhood obesity has escalated.

At Beach, Kiel Johnson swooped in like a chain-cranking Superman.

In 2009, Johnson read about a parent who became frustrated by the slow-moving line of cars dropping off Beach students outside the school. The driver sped out of the line and hit two children using the crosswalk.

Johnson, who had just graduated from Lewis & Clark College, was 22 and unemployed. "I figured I could sit around checking Facebook all day," he said, "or go out and do something."

He approached Beach with a safety-in-numbers concept. He drew maps of safe routes and meet-up locations. "The first bike train," Johnson said, "was me and one family."

Contrast that to last week, when a record 150 people pedaled in the train.

There are people who waste energy keeping the tired cars-vs.-bikes debate alive in online forums, where cyclists mock motorists for being "cagers" and drivers call bike riders "spokers."

Then there are those who show the next generation that they're blessed to live in a city where there are many ways to commute.

Parents at Beach started lining up to help organize and chaperone bike trains. After just a couple months, they took over.

The city helped by re-configuring some streets as part of the North Concord Avenue bike boulevard. It also allowed a section of North Concord in front of the school to be blocked off to traffic before the first bell. With help from the city's Safe Routes to School program, the number of Beach bike racks has grown from three to 25. The PTA now fixes up donated bikes and sells them for $15 to low-income students.

This isn't Critical Mass Jr. Safety rides at the head of the pack. Bike train riders learn and obey traffic laws.

Tuesday through Friday, there are unofficial bikepools led by alternating Beach parents. "I've heard teachers say students who bike to school arrive more alert," said parent and regular "train leader" Laurie Paulsen. "I believe it."

Johnson, meanwhile, has expanded the bike train program to 12 other schools, including one in Wilsonville, through BikeTrainPDX.org. "The most amazing part," he said, "is that these bike trains always seem to lead to a renewed sense of community."

--Joseph Rose

A sad story under the railroad tracks

2011-06-03T20:23:00.001-07:00

That's a pair of pants crumpled on the edge of the sidewalk, up against the wall. There are some brochures scattered about.

Here's a close-up of one of them. It's an AA brochure.

I bet this happens more often than we think.

Neat stuff

2011-05-31T14:45:00.001-07:00

A possible Teletubby copyright infringement.

I never noticed these instructions on the back of the tickets at the Parkade. Perhaps this is why people park in the middle of the road in the Riverpark Square Parking Garage. No directions. Come on people.

I really like Wasabi Potato Chips, but am reminded of the sacrifice.

2011-05-23T11:11:00.001-07:00

These chips are great. Although, I never thought about the poor horseradish who gave his all for my snacking, until I took a closer look at the bag. Poor little guy. At least he died with a kind-of smile on his face.

Nice article on how bicycling can transform cities...

2011-05-21T13:49:00.000-07:00

After my nine mile ride home (phew) this morning, this article I just read on BoingBoing really resonated.

A snippet:

Invite a motorist for a bike ride through your city and you’ll be cycling with an urbanist by the end of the day. Even the most eloquent of lectures about livable cities and sustainable design can’t compete with the experience from atop a bicycle saddle.

“These cars are going way too fast,” they may mutter beneath their breath.

“How are we supposed to get across the highway?”

“Wow, look at that cathedral! I didn’t know that was there.”

“I didn’t realize there were so many vacant lots in this part of town.”

“Hey, let’s stop at this cafe for a drink.”

Suddenly livability isn’t an abstract concept, it’s an experience. Human scale, connectivity, land use efficiency, urban fabric, complete streets… all the codewords, catchphrases, and academic jargon can be tossed out the window because now they are one synthesized moment of appreciation. Bicycles matter because they are a catalyst of understanding - become hooked on the thrill of cycling, and everything else follows. Now a new freeway isn’t a convenience but an impediment. Mixed-use development isn’t a threat to privacy but an opportunity for community. And maybe, just maybe, car-free living will eventually be seen not as restrictive, but as a door to newfound freedom.

Of course there is this flip side as so eloquently stated by our own George McGrath:

Best Headline of the Day!

2011-05-19T18:42:00.000-07:00

My neighbors don't use the phone book.

2011-05-19T08:30:00.000-07:00

Ride of Silence and Spokane Falls Yesterday - Rapturous!

2011-05-19T07:33:00.001-07:00

Wow, after days of really cold, really wet bicycle riding, this is what it looked like yesterday at the Ride of Silence. Nice.

In the parking lot where we started was a guy driving a car multiply placarded with warnings of the End of the World. Like there isn't anyone who doesn't know that's the day after tomorrow. Duh. Wanted to get a picture, but he drove his sedan/mobile billboard through the crowd in a fashion reminiscent of the wraith-like angels which figured prominently in the resolution of Raiders of the Lost Ark. I averted my eyes.

After a great dinner, Sarah and I visited the falls before our ride up the hill. Incredible. Couldn't help but think about the prophecy in the Book of Revelation "Saying to the sixth angel which had the trumpet, Loose the four angels which are bound in the great river Euphrates."

Yes, standing on the bridge, I was a little afraidy. Prophecy fulfilled. Again.

My nephew and others have RSVPd to a Post-Rapture Looting Face Book Event, in case any of you Left Behinders are interested, you may want to do the same. You can find this here.

See you on the other side!!

Where is this?

2011-05-18T07:20:00.000-07:00

All year long, steam pumps out of this hole in the ground. Where is it? What is it?

Where the Y was...

2011-05-17T13:27:00.000-07:00

New Interim Assignment

2011-05-16T19:44:00.001-07:00

My last assignment found me at a station only a couple of blocks from home. So, biking to work was out. But that was then...

I kicked off Bike to Work Week traveling to my new interim station, which is about nine miles (I think) away from home. I am embarrassed to say this is my longest bike ride of the year, at least with the Xtracycle. Still a very nice ride.

The artwork at Station 17, off of Indian Trails, is interesting. The public entrance/exit of the station empties out into a park festooned with wacky hydrants.

Hope you get to bike to a new place this week!

Mothers Day Present for my mom...

2011-05-11T13:21:00.000-07:00

Haven't received a report on how it's working. Then again, I haven't been over to visit her since, so maybe it is working like it should.

Big story in yesterday's Spokesman-Review!

2011-05-09T17:04:00.001-07:00

We out onion The Onion again!!!

My neighbor Josh kicks ass in this video!

2011-05-09T16:59:00.000-07:00

Finally, a rug to go under your BBQ

2011-05-08T11:45:00.000-07:00

At Rosauers

Look Good For Bike To Work Week!

2011-05-05T13:33:00.000-07:00

This is probably the closest thing to an advertisement that you will ever see on this blog. Here goes!

My daughter-in-law Sarah works at Diva's next to Spoke N Sport in the Globe Building (Division and Main). She does all the hair stuff. And she's really good at what she does.

Yes, she cuts my hair, God love her. My pate is really not resume fodder material, yet she soldiers on.

I digress. During the month of May, Sarah is taking ten percent off what she usually charges if you ride your bike in. You can park it at the bike rack in back or bring it right in to the shop. Your choice. Oh, and if you mention you read about this on my blog, she's taking another five percent off - 15% all together.

Sarah has a spoke card for your bike too. Plus, you can use it as a beer coaster. I've seen it done. Here's what they look like:

I love Sarah. Not just because she is married to my son, but she is also one of the coolest, smartest, nicest people you will ever meet. More important for those of you who still have hair, Sarah does great work.

If you're interested, her number is 869-9775. If you're reading this from out of town and you are on a cross-country cycling tour, preface the aforementioned number with the much coveted 509.

Sarah has a coworker who will make the same deal with nails (finger, toe).

Bloomsday 2011

2011-05-03T10:54:00.000-07:00

Very happy and surprised with this year's time. Turns out I was the 15th fastest 50 year-old overall and the fifth fastest from Spokane. Yippeee! I owe it all to clean livin'.

Sarah did really well too, so did Ike who kinda jogged it this year. Aidan slept in like a champ.

The end of the race was a big party - a blast. For all the Bloomsday haters (you know you are out there), it's worth coming to the finish line and the park just for the party.

Sarah and I cleaned up and had brunch and beer which was quite delicious, I must say (channeling Ed Grimley).

I have to admit I am still feeling really wiped out, sore and that my brain is not firing on all cylinders yet.

The really cool thing is I can start riding my bicycle in earnest again. I haven't been on any fun rides, other than commuting, this year. And I haven't even been doing that since moving to my neighborhood station for a month. It is only about 4 blocks away and I can walk there in seven minutes.

Swimming is full-speed ahead and I hope to dip my toe in the open water scene this year.

New Hardware Store in the Old Jones Pharmacy Building.

2011-04-29T11:01:00.000-07:00

I am very excited about having a hardware store that I can walk to, or bring huge things home from on the Xtracycle. I was wondering how they were going to compete for parking lot space at Huckleberry's, but it looks like some possible parking spaces going in under the structure. Cool. As long as they have a decent bike rack.

It has been a great project to observe as it unfolds. It looks like it is going to be pretty upscale. I noticed this paint job on a metal column that has now been exposed. I wonder what the story is. It's on the east side, the one facing Monroe.

I like the design.

The gift that keeps on giving!

2011-04-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time, my thoughts were on the Windermere Marathon. The course turned out to be quite short, requiring a turn around at the finish. Months later, I tried on my shirt and it proved to be a very strangely proportioned garment. When I contacted the organizers, they said they had many complaints and would get me a new one. This promise was a nice gesture.

This morning, I noticed an email saying that there would be fairly substantial charge on my credit card to "renew" membership to "Active Advantage." WTF? Who is this? So, after some log-in attempts to ascertain what this was all about, I finally found success. Active Advantage was the website in which I had to register for, you guessed it, the Windermere Marathon. That's how they had my credit card number.

I have to say that Active Advantage took care of the problem immediately, no questions asked (we'll see what the bank statement says in a few days). And I was able to enjoy this on-hold music for a while:

I sure hope the third time is the charm for the Windermere Marathon this year. I mean this. Yet, I might start wearing my shirt (never replaced) around town to help them advertise. It certainly would spur some conversation.

If you ran the marathon last year, you may want to check your junk email for "Active Advantage" and your credit card statement.

River Run 2011!

2011-04-17T15:27:00.000-07:00

We didn't do the 50K, this year. Sarah did the 25K. I did the 10K and Ike did the 5K. We all did pretty good. I did 7:10 splits on the miles, which is faster than I expected running on the trails - way faster!

Really looking forward to Bloomsday. I am on the city's corporate cup team and was a little worried about how ready I would be for it. It's funny when you run for a team (even though I haven't met anyone on the team) how you can get a little worried about "letting the team down."

After the race I ran into a gal I recently met who was visiting from Baltimore plus neighbors, friends from work and even Hank!

On a strange note - I went for a swim afterward. I was getting dressed afterward and put on a pair of brand-new socks. I could feel something in one of them. Took the sock off and pulled out what looked to be a toenail. I thought this odd. It wasn't that long of a run. Which toenail did I lose? Upon examination, all my toenails were present.

When I returned home, I showed Sarah the toenail. She said, "I know exactly which toenail this." I said, "I know the one you're thinking of. It isn't it." Her incredulity prompted a quick sock removal. There was the suspect toenail, still intact, as I had stated. We are both flummoxed.

I wonder if these socks were returned.

They were made in the USA, so I know at least it's an American toenail.

Inspiration on a Saturday morning

2011-04-16T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here.

Another great article and picture in the Spokesman-Review this morning!

2011-04-13T18:22:00.000-07:00

A guy in Seattle wore a replica Civil War cap to work. In a twist, the work in which he was engaged was "unrelated" to any Civil War commemoration, according to the article. Now that is something!

I bet that people are going to start wearing caps to work that have nothing to do with what they are working on. Watch out!!

Xtracycle doodads

2011-04-10T15:36:00.001-07:00

I confess I am, when it comes to bicycling bloggers, kind of lame.

I only have three bikes. I couldn't tell you what components are on them, who manufactured the tires, gear ratios or what. I bicycle year-round but not very well. I don't race. The fastest bike I own has a basket in front. I am not very good at maintaining my bikes. I oil the chains maybe twice a year, change my tires when the tubes keep getting punctured and put new brake pads on when the metal is on the metal. I've never built a wheel.

I think I would like to be more of an in-the-know cyclist, and maybe someday I will be. That being said, every year, I change up the Xtracycle. This usually occurs outside of winter when my thoughts of bicycling are less survivalistic and more optimistic. Because of my lack of bicycle mechanical smarts, the enhancements are usually along the lines of entertainment spectacles. One year it was the sound system. The next year it was the light show on the front wheel. Then there was the Christmas Tree. In a break from tradition, I did this one in the winter. Why not?

Two weeks ago, I put campus pedals on the long bike. Very nice. Also, after reading about John's experiences with sandals, I gots me some of them too. The pedals and sandals are both from Nashbar. I like the look of the sandals - an obvious USSR - North Korean joint venture. I was surprised at how much smoother the spd system is than what I am used to (Crank Brothers).

Other than being in class all last week (8am- 5pm) looking at stuff like this:

, I have been running long and swimming a lot. I am really looking forward to bicycling other than for transportation. That will come in May I think.

Today's "news" story makes me nostalgic for 2008 Posting and a side dish of MLK irony...

2011-04-01T07:34:00.000-07:00

As usual, my big problem with the Spokesman-Review's push for the "Our Kids" stuff is their continual endorsement of candidates and positions responsible for hurting kids. In other words, their political ideology and money runs contra to their annual PR campaign.

But maybe I am seeing it all wrong. Perhaps, they have taken a deeper look than I:

Why is child abuse so prevalent in the United States? One reason is poverty. Why is there poverty in the USA when it is such a prosperous nation? Because there aren't enough tax breaks for wealthy individuals and corporations? Because the minimum wage is too high? Damned unions? Maybe this violence is more of a mindset. Is it because our nation overly models nonviolence and diplomacy when it deals with other nations? Maybe our justice system needs to be tougher.

Why are our drop-out rates so high? Because teachers have too small of class size? Because teachers belong to unions?

Why are our kids not getting proper medical care? The specter of socialized medicine? Sure, health insurance companies are the only "industry" exempt from anti-trust laws. But, maybe allowing them to price fix is not good enough. What more can we do for them? If we could just get union workers to give up more health care benefits, wouldn't this help the kids?

Why are our kids malnourished? Free lunch and breakfast programs at schools? You would have thought allowing commodity speculation for our basic food needs would have helped bring the cost of food down, much like how speculators are always bringing the price of gasoline down. Maybe if we could deregulate the financial markets more. I mean what could happen?

Why are our kids homeless? See above.

At least we can all thank our lucky stars that we don't have to pay a penny more on tax for a can of pop. Think about what that would have done to the kids!

I am looking forward to the parade on Sunday. It is the 43rd anniversary of Dr. King's speech supporting the striking union sanitation workers in Memphis. He was assassinated the next day.

Will the Spokesman-Review talk about MLK's support of unions, his support of the antiwar movement, his campaign against the economic system of the time (one which has tilted much more to the right)? J. Edgar Hoover's FBI labeled King a communist for his political beliefs and actions. I would imagine that had a lot to do with his assassination, as well.

Incidentally, the union workers belonged to the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO. Reading the SR's recent editorials about public sector unions, I wonder if the Spokesman-Review editorial staff will have a sense of irony when they eulogize MLK this weekend. It would be great to read some articles and editorials they printed BEFORE Dr. King's assassination. That would really be something!

Enough ranting for today about our beloved newspaper. But, if you want to read some historical ranting on the subject, please continue:

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Spokesman-Review's pinwheels are made by Chinese child laborers...

Ironically the factory uses the same slogan "Our kids: Our business."

Can I prove this? No. But, let's face it, there are probably no pinwheel factories left in the US of A. Spokane lost its pinwheel plant back in '57.

This SR campaign really bugs me. I think it is very self-serving in that they create their own "news." Even the great Cheryl-Ann Milsap has been forced to write about the pinwheels... in the sun... with the wind.

More than anything, I know, from my job, that there are many kids whose future is quite bleak. It makes you sick and sad when you meet these children who really have the deck stacked against them.

Yet, the Spokesman-Review continues to endorse political candidates and political positions that have a direct correlation to the crappy conditions that these kids find themselves in. Instead of changing their political stance to help these kids, they give us pinwheels.

It's much like the SUV drivin' folks who voted for Bush not once, but twice, and are directly responsible for sending our kids to war. They will put a made-in-china "support the troops" magnet on their SUV and call it good.

Spokane lost its yellow ribbon magnet factory back in '73, I believe.

In other countries, do you think they placate the masses with magnets, ribbons and pinwheels as an answer to real problems, or do they act with political resolve to fix the problem?

Sorry about the political rant. I know that's not why you read this cyber-rag, but I feel better now.

Wrecking Ball at the Y

2011-03-31T13:15:00.000-07:00

If you have small children, and if they were anything like me (I am sorry), take them down to Riverfront Park today because it is a kid's dream come true. The river is churning and the Y is getting repeatedly whacked by a wrecking ball. The crane now sits where the old dispatch center used to be.

I had some problems with the video, but you can still hear some good thuds over the river chorus.

Cutting Edge Prosthetics

2011-03-29T18:58:00.000-07:00

After an incident at work last week, I was sent this brochure.

It's hard to tell if this rookie cyborg was assigned to do car buffing work or industrial lighting. Maybe it's a laser bazooka. That would totally be worth it.

Signs of Spring!

2011-03-24T12:50:00.001-07:00

Spokesman-Review gives world first glimpse of suspected MLK Bomber....

2011-03-15T12:46:00.000-07:00

OK. I know this is not Breaking-News, or News-As-It-Happens, or Doppler-2000-Plus-Story-Tracker, but I've been busy!

Have you seen this man?

No, he wasn't a guest on King of the Hill or Beavis and Butthead. Here is a photo:

I usually like Molly Quinn's illustrations, but this looks like something that they forgot to task her with until 5 minutes before going to press:

If I were the judge, I think this would be my Christmas Card photo:

Maybe Molly has had enough of the S-R's crap. One can almost sense the desperation and anger in the close-up of the witness stand as it bleeds into the defendant's table. Symbolism?

Or maybe she has taken a note from Bill Keane and is on vacation, and "Little Molly" is filling in.

There is a story behind this story. Perhaps a "Konnect with Kleck" segment is in order. He's pretty sharp. The other night he talked about how he suspected something was not right when someone was calling senior citizens and asking them for their bank account numbers. Q6 keeps using the illustration of Harpham so maybe Kleck will investigate.

Funny Online Headline in this morning's SR

2011-03-06T06:10:00.000-08:00

Household/Community Repair and Retrofitting

2011-03-05T09:06:00.000-08:00

Spring, for me, if the usual time to start thinking about house repair stuff. Yesterday I met with Joel Williamson from The Spokane Alliance. Their latest project, one that has been going on for some time, is SustainableWorks. And, if you're thinking about any repair or retrofitting to your home this summer or spring, you may want to give them a call.

In a nutshell, you can get a home energy audit from them for $95 (fully refundable if they don't recommend any improvements) and includes installation of CFL light bulbs, shower heads and faucet aerators to start saving wasted energy $$$ immediately. This audit is a $650 value. If you decide to get some improvements made, they will act as the general contractor, and will put union workers to the task of doing the retrofitting you want done. The people doing the work are journey level workers who are receiving training and supervision while they make a living. SustainableWorks will even line up the financing and take care of all the paperwork for you. So what is the expected outcome of the project?

120 direct full-time jobs
25 apprentice positions and direct employment pathways
3,000 ton reduction of carbon emissions
$12 million in retrofit work.

To date, 200 journey level workers have received special energy systems training and 50 have been trained in energy auditing,

Throughout Washington, SustainableWorks has audited over 500 homes and completed over 200 retrofits. 85 of these retrofits have occurred in two neighborhoods in Spokane.

Your home must be in Lynwood-Edmonds, Shoreline or Spokane to qualify. Yes, if you own a rental, it can qualify too.

SustainableWorks is increasing good-paying union jobs, decreasing energy consumption and building up our community of Spokane from the grassroots. How cool is that?

If you want more information, you can click on the link or give them a call at 532-1688.

Labor Rally Last Friday

2011-02-27T09:56:00.000-08:00

It was cold!

Two-hundred or so union members and their supporters showed up to wave signs at the triangle where Ruby, Division and North River Drive come together. I couldn't believe how many drivers honked horns and waved back. It was great!

It's easy to forget that Spokane has the labor movement entrenched in its founding and growth. No surprise that as union membership dwindled in Spokane, so did the general prosperity of the city. Mining, timber, the railroads, and of course, aluminum built a Spokane with a thriving middle class.

You can look it up for yourself. The overall prosperity of the individual in this country reached its peak coincidentally with the peak of union participation. Although, there weren't as many billionaires, failed banks, investment scams, unemployed, and medical bankruptcies either. Hmmmm.

The Wobbly Free Speech Movement put Spokane on the map for showing how much the authorities despised unions and how willing they were to persecute them. Look at some of the old newspapers from the time. The Spokesman-Review led the pack, calling for violence and worse against union members. The governor in Wisconsin is resurrecting this spirit, in a way that I don't think even the most fascist-leaning, turn-of-the-century Spokanite would have bought into.

Let's see Governor Walker, you give tax breaks to your benefactors to put the state budget into the hole. This deficit allows you to conveniently blame union employees and their meager pensions for the problem and go after their money, their rights and their political clout. Sad that so many who have been chewed up and spit out by these same forces continue to cheer on those who destroyed them and gleefully anticipate destruction for those who have fought on their behalf. Unbelievable that there are voters in Wisconsin who look to failing (education, health, employment, finances, standard of living) states in the south as their new model because it fits their Koch-brother-sponsored talk-radio, FOX News ideology.

Here in Spokane, the first gathering of firefighters to organize a union resulted in an instantaneous firing of those members, almost a hundred years ago. In fact, Local 29 - The Spokane Fire Fighters' Union celebrates its 93 year year birthday tomorrow. It was one of the original founding locals of the International Association of Firefighters, hence the low number of "29." They are now up to Local 4780.

There was a small article in the Spokesman-Review yesterday about the rally. Thank you SR! The TV news outlets, however, were pretty silent about it. Although on KREM, yesterday, they had a five-minute story, with an in-depth interview, about a guy who was waving a sign on Division to get people to come into a furniture store for a sale. It was cold outside. I kid you not. That was the story.

The Onion has nothing on us!

We Are One - Rally Today!

2011-02-25T09:00:00.000-08:00

Corner of Ruby, Division and N. River Drive - 4:30 - 5:30 pm

We Are Wisconsin from Finn Ryan on Vimeo.

Cat and dog spooning - End Times!!

2011-02-23T10:09:00.001-08:00

One more reason Time Bomb is a favorite store!

2011-02-17T15:49:00.001-08:00

For many years I have been on a quest. I've haunted Value Village, Goodwill, Craig's List and eBay. Yet, I came up empty handed every time. Last weekend was the Spokane Firefighters Credit Union Dinner, otherwise known as "The Prom." I needed it and I needed it bad. But, I knew that, chances were, I would come up, once again, empty handed.

Value Village - nothing. I say to Sarah, "Let's just make one stop at Time Bomb. I think I am going to strike out again..." She agrees.

And there it was. One leisure suit. It looks like it was tailor-made for me. A Levis brand. It appears to be denim. No. Wait, It's double knit polyester! I can't believe it. What an incredible day.

Reactions at the dinner were mixed. From "Holy shit, where did you find that?" to "Oh. Hi, John."

It is amazing and, once again, Time Bomb ROCKS!!!!!!"

Oh yeah. Sarah looks pretty good too. Don't you think?

Decaying snowman waves goodbye to the Y as it is being dismantled

2011-02-11T13:43:00.000-08:00

I believe this is the only remaining Christmas decoration from the old popular Hangman Golf Course extravaganza. The city sold the rest of the decorations to Coeur d'Alene where they cash in on them every year.

Every year, the snowman has more and more burned out bulbs, but he still waved to me on my way to work yesterday. Be of good cheer Brave Snowman! You still brighten my ride.

That's the river you hear in the background.

Swedish Swim Goggles

2011-02-09T14:22:00.001-08:00

First read about these in Cool Tools here.

The first thing you notice about these goggles is that there is no rubber gasket between you and the plastic of the goggle. How do they maintain a seal? I don't know, but they do - better than any goggle I have ever used.

After the swim, my eyes don't look like someone has been punching them for the entire time (unless someone has). I bought a pair of nonfogs for about $3. They are super cheap and come in just about every color.

It looks like I have been shilling for SwimOutlet the last two posts. I wish. I like their service and they have a lot of stuff you aren't going to find around Spokane. I just returned something recently, so we'll see if the honeymoon is over.

Swimovate Pool-Mate Swimming Computer

2011-02-05T09:25:00.000-08:00

For a long time I have been thinking there has to be a better way to count laps. I make my turn and then I say to myself the number of the lap I am now swimming. Or is it the lap number I just finished? Shit. Round down. Don't do that again. Turn. Arrrrgggggghhhhhh.

So, I found this watch. It costs around a hundred bucks. There is an upgraded version for $200.

When I opened the box I was amazed at how chintzy it felt. It had a plastic goodness to it that you might find in a watch costing 10 times less. The LCD numbers look like they may have been scrounged from surplus Soviet gopher trap detonators.

The confusing instructions were loaded with helpful hints like "If you find that the 'computer' did not count your lap, try extending your arm for a longer time after each turn. This is also a great way to take a little rest." Huh?

It was hard to ignore repeated warnings of - WHATEVER YOU DO - DO NOT, REPEAT, DO NOT - PRESS ANY BUTTONS WHILE "COMPUTER" IS UNDER WATER!!!!

So how did it actually work? It worked fantastically, thank you.

It just clicks off every turn you make. My only complaint is that it only records 99 "sets." It takes 72 "sets" in a 25 yard pool to make a mile. Not a big deal in that all you have to do is reset the watch after every mile. Of course, you will have to keep track of your overall miles. Maybe there is an underwater abacus available for this purpose. Note to self...

As seen on my ride to work yesterday

2011-02-03T08:50:00.001-08:00

You can click the picture to make it bigger.

Great Training at the soon-to-be-demolished YMCA

2011-01-28T10:59:00.000-08:00

Had a great drill at work the other day. We crawled around the YMCA for four hours on search and rescue missions. Wax paper in our face pieces prevented us from seeing where we were going. It was a great exercise in endurance, teamwork, communication and skills. We were only "on air" for one of the drills - the longest and most involved. We all sucked our 45 minute bottles down to the low air alarm! My knees are still a little sore as is my back! There were a lot of tight spaces to crawl through.

In between sessions, I poked around the building and wound up by the swimming pool. It suddenly hit me - all the hours I had spent there while my kids took swim lessons over the years. And now it looked like any other urban exploration derelict. Kinda weird. Kinda sad.

Anyway, Thanks to the SFD and Dean Pearcy for the great pictures. You can see more on the SFD's awesome blog here.

Phoenix

2011-01-26T10:31:00.000-08:00

Was in Phoenix last week for the Affiliate Leadership Training Seminar, put on by the International Association of Firefighters. Great classes. Professional firefighters from all over the USA and Canada were there, so it was great to hear their stories.

The day was pretty full, but I was able to sneak out for a couple of runs - a short one before classes in the warm, dark morning and one after class in the warm, bright afternoon. I had been stationed at Williams AFB about 30 miles away, in the 1980s and I think this might have been my first time back. I really liked it. But you have to wonder about this giant net thing that they have erected in Phoenix:

Near as I can tell, it's some sort of crabpot/trap for bald eagles. I saw really big buffalo wings in many of the local eateries. This might explain a few things. Move over World's Deadliest Catch!

I have a soft spot for this building.

2011-01-19T21:25:00.000-08:00

Yes, as a matter of fact, there is just one bag.

2011-01-19T14:57:00.000-08:00

New addition to Dolphin and Unicorn Museum

2011-01-15T12:29:00.001-08:00

Sometimes I have to walk my bike

2011-01-10T19:14:00.001-08:00

Book Review

2011-01-07T12:52:00.000-08:00

A Guide To The Good Life: the ancient art of stoic joy
by William B. Irvine

This was a great read over the holidays. In fact, I liked this book so much that it is the defacto birthday present for each of my siblings this year (spoiler alert? Too late?).

“What is the purpose of life, your life?” This question is loaded with religious and feel-good pop psychology cheese. But for the ancient Greeks, and later the Romans, this was not a question to be pondered but one to be vigorously answered. The ancients thought the worst thing that could happen to a person was, on her deathbed, to realize she had wasted her life. So, philosophical schools took root, with differing opinions on life’s purpose and instructions on how to live accordingly. This was above and beyond any religion that students also practiced. Many of these schools believed that the purpose of life was tranquility - Stoicism was one of these schools.

Today, the word “stoic” conjures up many images that would conflict with the original school of Stoic philosophy. The Stoics had a different view of the word “tranquility” than we might have. Stoics in their day were extremely successful, athletic and professional overachievers, very engaged in the world around them as movers and shakers and exhibited genuine and appropriate emotional responses.

A Guide To The Good Life chronicles the author’s (a philosophy professor) rediscovery of Stoicism as not only a valid academic philosophy, but a valued guide to living one’s life. In this light, he also tackles modern psychiatry, current social values and the cult of victimization. It’s an entertaining read and was hard to put down.

Bonus - You may discover that you have been living a fairly Stoic life already. This book might answer why.

Whether you are a religious person or an atheist, and no matter your political leanings, I think this book would be enjoyed by anyone who cares about: the way he lives his life, how his life affects others, how to get the most joy out of life and how to live a purposeful life.

I can't find it for sale at Aunties, online. I have contacted them to see if they have it. In the meantime, here is the Amazon link.

Engine Three Meatloaf

2011-01-07T09:06:00.001-08:00

Six pounds extra lean ground beef, four eggs, one chopped onion, 2 pounds of broccoli, garlic powder, pepper and a tiny bit of salt. Place in big-ass pan. Cook long time.

Somewhat paleo-approved (I left out bread crumbs) and a bargain at only $10 per firefighter. Luckily, we had been saving up for this one.

Finished!

2011-01-06T11:43:00.001-08:00

While running home from work the other morning, I came across this. What could be a more fitting advertisement for the Windermere Marathon?

Thanks Barb Chamberlain! As always, you rock!

2011-01-03T12:38:00.000-08:00

Saw this on John's blog. And it was so good, I had to do more than link it. Especially since the cranks have been complaining about bicyclists since yesterday's SR article.

Cranks! Do other cities pay this much attention to the whiners who aren't happy with anything? How much money does the city waste trying to appease the unappeasable? Every time I get on the bike, I feel like I am cranking against cranks.

Watch this and it will make you feel good!!

Pajama Jeans!

2011-01-03T06:52:00.000-08:00

Saw this commercial the other day, and was going to share it with everyone. and then I forgot. Luckily, BoingBoing had it up this morning and it reminded me of my mission.

There is something about it that makes me nostalgic about my brief stint as an ad wizard. Can't put my finger on it though. Better watch it one more time.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-02T18:43:00.000-08:00

While walking below High Drive the other day, Sarah and I encountered this coyote frozen in the snow. There was another one above that looked in much worse shape. Much of its flesh had been stripped off by, I believe, the bald eagle pictured a couple of posts ago.

Winter is very picturesque right now.

Along these lines, we are currently experimenting with the Paleo Diet at our house. It is all part of my ten-year plan.

This month's OUTSIDE Magazine had a big article on the Paleo Workout. It was good, but I was a little miffed. Two years ago, I unsuccessfully floated my idea for, what I dubbed, The Wildman Workout. It was basically the Paleo Workout with a few key differences, mostly along the lines of merchandising opportunities:

1. The Wildman Spear. Run with it. Stretch with it. Put it in a tree and do chin ups with it. Spear an attacking pit bull and eat it for dinner... with it. Differing prices reflect the spear's composition - wood, aluminum, graphite, nanotubes.

2. The Wildman Game Bag Drag. Here's how it works. On your usual checkout at Rosauers, when asked "paper or plastic," you say neither. Then you toss on the counter what looks like an animal carcass, but it isn't. Made out of the finest cordura and enhanced with 3M light reflection, the Wildman Game Bag allows you to stuff it full of your groceries and then drag this what-looks-to-be-an-animal-carcass home. Pack the ketchup in the bottom for more realistic dragging action. Sized right for carrion luggage.

3. The Wildman Loin Cloth. Just a loin cloth... but made out of CoolMax! Comes in fun colors.

I wish I had my gear on when I came across this coyote. It would have looked good on the WW catalog. Always a day late and a dollar short.

As an aside... Please, next time when you see me doing my Wildman Workout run in Manito Park, don't call the cops. They are tired of responding and have already told me my spear is OK. Plus, they implied that they would never put me in the back of one of their cars while I am wearing just the loincloth. I told them it was CoolMax. They don't care.

Operators are standing by!

A few of my favorite 2010 things...

2010-12-31T11:48:00.000-08:00

Favorite Album (Do the kids still call them “albums”?) - Die Antwoord, $O$.

This South African sensation (Ninja, Yolandi Fisser and DJ High Tech) keeps you guessing as to their intent and their legitimacy. All the songs are real toe tappers, with lyrics that bounce between obscene and descriptively clinical. I don't think any of their videos are something you would want to watch at work or with your mom. My favorite is Enter the Ninja.

A close runner-up is Major Lazer's Guns Don't Kill People, Lazers Do.

Favorite Kilts - Utilikilts are great. They are made in Seattle and are really pieces of art in themselves. However, lately I tend to favor Sport Kilts, made in So Cal. They have more options than Utilikilts - lots of different tartans, designs and colors. Plus they weigh a lot less than a Utilikilt. Unlike Utilikilts, unless you order a Sport Kilt with pockets, you will need to get a sporran too. I think your best bet is buying The Works version - it comes complete with belt loops, leather straps and a fringed side. Think of all the money you can save not buying underwear anymore.

Favorite Restaurant - For consistently good meals with great service, it's hard to beat Picabu Bistro.

The menu has almost all bases covered, and when you factor in their daily special, it's gastronomically unstoppable - in a good way.

Favorite New Store - The Apple Store. Hey, I know it's corny, but buying an IPhone there was futuristic and smacked of fraternal lodge pledging with less hazing. It is an awesome place to people watch.

Favorite Old Stores - A tie - Boo Radley’s, Time Bomb and Harbor Freight.

Boo Radley’s always inspires. We have friends who live in fairly cosmopolitan places, but Boo’s is usually on their list to visit when they come to Spokane. They don't have anything like it where they live. If you are ever undecided on what to gift someone, go to Boo's.

Time Bomb has some of the best antique toys and furnishings around. A while back, I was waxing sentimentally about my 3rd grade bike - a Sears Super Spyder 500 from 1968. Time Bomb’s owner pulled out a 1968 Sears catalog and there it was! $5 later I was walking out with this catalog - a tome of Christmas wishes past.

Lastly, Harbor Freight is a Chinese dumping ground of cheap tools, sporting goods and all sorts of oddball crap - solar panels, combo radio/flashlight/fishhook removers and inflatable doll scarecrows. I try to buy American, but if I am faced with buying a $20 made-in-China, with an established name or a $3 no-name made-in-China, I go with the cheapo most of the time. You will walk out with some weird shit that you didn't know you needed to have until you saw it. Then you will have to figure out what you want to do with it.

Favorite Running Shoe - OK, not so much one shoe, but a company. New Balance features many shoes that are made in the USA. So I buy them. When I was a kid there was not much of a push to buy stuff made in the USA. Why? Because it was almost all made in the USA. It only made sense. Why get your tube socks shipped in from Pakistan? Thanks to other nations maintaining their tariffs and the USA abandoning ours, almost all of our manufacturing has moved to China. Here’s the good news, though. Sure we have lost a lot of good paying jobs and increased our global warming and oil dependency by having to have our Depends shipped in across the ocean. Yes, we have killed off entire US cities, and we drown in a mountain of cheap crap we don’t need (see favorite store - Harbor Freight above). The upside is that we have enabled investors and CEOs to become more wealthy and hire better attorneys and congresspeoples, so they don’t have to pay taxes. Pheeewwww. Now, you have to work really hard to find stuff made in the USA. New Balance is the last of the running shoe companies that still provide manufacturing jobs in the USA. Their shoes will have to get really bad before I quit buying them. New Balance, there is your challenge.

Favorite Firefighting Tool - the pick head axe. Sure, it’s a pretty old design but this beauty does it all. It chops walls. You can pull ceilings with it. Hold it horizontally like a battering ram and it makes short work of opening doors (both literally and metaphorically). You can pry open car doors to get a puller in there to unlock a door. It is the best. Make sure you get one with a wooden handle.

Favorite Paramedic Tool - The EZ IO.

Its a small electric drill. But, instead of a drill bit you use a big-ass needle. Whhhiiiiirrrrrrrrrrr! When you can’t get an IV because there are no good veins and the person is dying, you can instead drill into their tibia and deliver the goods into the bones vascular system. You have to use a pressure bag to keep the IV flowing, so don’t forget that. This device has saved more than a few in Spokaney-town.

Favorite Book Series - Flashman!

This series began in 1969 and continued until 2005. The author, George McDonald Fraser is now dead so there isn’t much chance that he will be writing anything new. The protagonist is a character who reminds me of Dr. Smith from Lost in Space only with skills and self awareness. He is lazy. He is a drunk. He is a cheat and scoundrel. He is a womanizer and a lousy human being on just about every level. His only redeeming grace is that Flashman knows these things about himself, and as he writes his memoirs, he is pretty honest with the reader about his motivations and shortcomings. You find yourself rooting for this scalawag, even while cringing at his utter contempt for anyone but himself.

Podcast - A tie - Marc Maron’s WTF and AM Coast to Coast. If you read this blog you already know of my affinity for Coast to Coast . Marc Maron is a comedian who you might remember from Air America’s Morning Sedition. He doesn’t talk much about politics anymore. Now, he talks about his personal life a little and talks to other comedians a lot. Funny stuff with a lot of behind-the-scenes glimpses of other standup comedians’ lives. I believe that doing a standup comedian’s job takes a lot of courage, and this podcast always makes me wonder what that life would be like, if I ever had enough guts to do it.

Favorite European Fast Food - Bicky Burgers got its start in Belgium, I think.

It isn’t much like McDonalds, in that the ones we saw were all kind of small, run down and with a lot of personal touches from whomever owned the individual store. There’s a counter at which you order. Under this counter, is a bunch of frozen items - burgers, McRibbish looking things, fish, you name it. Whatever you want, they throw in the fryer. There is no grill. Just a fryer. Maybe two fryers. The food tastes great. How could an entirely deep fried bacon burger not taste great? Plus, they're all located in the holy birthplace of the french fry! The meat tastes like it might be mostly-meat. The food and advertisements have a Lego feel to them. They’re cute. The startup costs would be minimal. A fryer, some cases of frozen food, lots of mayo, some buns and a spork or two. I don’t know how it would go over here in the USA. It might be fun to see.

Favorite New Bike Stuff - My Carradice Camper Long Flap Saddle Bag and the shop apron Sarah made me. Again, you might have already read about the shop apron here . John let me borrow his Carradice and I was hooked. This thing expand mega big. It smells like an old canvas tent, and is made by nonslaves in England. Cheerio.

My only complaint is that it really moves your center of gravity up kinda high. The effect on me, in this regard, was to fall down a lot when I got stuck inside ruts.

That’s enough. Happy New Year!

Bald Eagle Returns to High Drive!

2010-12-30T15:32:00.000-08:00

While out running today, there was a bald eagle swooping above Latah Creek. I tried to get a picture of it, but I was slow on the draw. So I photoshopped a facsimile. A magnificent creature and the symbol of America!

Slippery and fun ride this morning.

2010-12-29T13:45:00.001-08:00

We had to chain up the fire engine this morning, after our last call at around five. I knew the ride home was going to be fun, and it was. The deep snow was a kick, but the rutted areas not so much. Saw another cyclist heading down Howard. The snow was flying!

I was the driver of the engine yesterday. Not usually my favorite thing, but yesterday I had a good time. It wasn't nearly as violent as Christmas Eve. That shift, almost every call was a stabbing, beating or overdose. Maybe everybody is getting an early start on their New Year's Resolutions.

Manito Greenhouse Christmas Lights

2010-12-26T14:03:00.000-08:00

A cool moon on the walk over:

The place was packed:

OK. This is not very timely, but I will have something better in the next couple of days. Merry Christmas! Happy New Years! Happy Holidays! Seasons Greetings!

Portland and other stuff

2010-12-17T10:12:00.000-08:00

I usually come back from Portland and am in a bit of a funk. It is such a coooool place. This time I have to admit, Spokane seemed to fare better in comparison. However, Portland has this cool bike rack:

I was surprised that I didn't see as many cyclists as usual in Portland. This is the first time I have ever visited Portland during mild wintry weather and it seems to put a bit of a dent in their pedal-pushing. The same can be said for Spokane, but come on, we have ice and snow. However, there are still plenty of cyclists here to be seen falling over in the snow and sliding sideways down the hills.

On another note, when Spokane's new bicycle lanes all disappeared in the snow, did you notice that the cranks continued their anti-bike-lane tirades on the interwebs? I am continually amazed how much power the cranks hold in our city. They are probably 1/2 of one percent, yet when they chat it up on the social media sites, you would think they are legion. They're not. Odds are they don't even live in Spokane. And when they bitch about 2nd Ave getting bike lanes, they probably have never driven on 2nd Ave. I think other nations have cranks, but they usually don't say much because they have some dignity and are afraid people will make fun of them. Wow, I don't know where that came from. Sorry cranks!

OK, back to Portland. We visited the 3D museum. It cost 5 bucks and you get a personal tour. It was fantastic! Did you know ViewMaster was headquartered in Portland? Not anymore of course. They don't even make Henry Weinhard's there now. HW's is now a restaurant where patrons with Klingon face implants hang out. No lie.

I was inspired by the 3D stuff. Here is a picture I made that you can look at with 3D glasses and just go apeshit over:

Many of you recognize this as our home's most endearing piece of seasonal art. Corny, cracked and maudlin - Sad Snowman kinda sums up the season.

Still commuting to work via bike unless the snow is too deep and then I run. I have big plans for improving my running speed in the upcoming year which I have already implemented. I have to admit those gosh-darned cross country runners inspired me, and I figure at my age, I either have to work on getting faster, or continue the inevitable slide of getting slower. Snowman knows.

Nike Nationals In Portland

2010-12-10T08:14:00.000-08:00

Last Thursday evening we rented a car and drove down to Portland to cheer on Lewis and Clark's Cross Country team. Lewis and Clark's and North Central's teams had already flown out in the morning. Everything was on Nike's dime and they treated all the high school athletes from around the nation like royalty. I suppose, in the running world, they kind of are.

When Lewis and Clark's team and North Central's team were introduced, the announcer called Spokane the "Rift Valley of running in the United States." He pointed out that Spokane was the only city that had two teams to earn a spot at Nationals, and how that is usually the case. I overheard one parent telling another that they had read that if you are a promising female cross country runner, the place to live is New York State. If you are a male cross country runner, the place to live is Spokane, Washington. Pretty amazing, yet pretty unknown by most of us in Spokane, that our city is held in such high regard in the running world. This notoriety is especially amazing when you consider that, for a good deal of the year, our streets and trails are covered in ice and snow.

The day of the race was really cold and windy. The course was on the inside paddock of a horse race track, very muddy with artificial hills and a myriad of hay bales to jump over. It was a mess!

In the end, NC placed 6th and LC placed 15th - a very good showing. LC's Kenji Biering finished 10th and NC's Katie Knight finished 8th for the girls.

Watching these kids race was very inspiring. We will see some of these kids again in the Olympics someday.

Mayor Mary Verner invited the athletes to Monday's city council Meeting where they were recognized by the city council for their dedication and their success.

All Spokane area high school runners, you make us proud! Thanks for a great season!

Some inspiration this morning!

2010-12-06T07:44:00.000-08:00

From BoingBoing.

2010-11-28T14:44:00.000-08:00

First snowcthulhu of the season. Nice work Ike and Aidan!

Casualty of the budget?

2010-11-27T10:13:00.000-08:00

With a placard reading "STAIRS CLOSED," these steps at Cliff and Lincoln are always cabled off well before the snow starts. This means that people have to step over the cable on the top and the bottom to use them, oftentimes plummeting to their deaths (maybe not physical deaths).

The city usually outlaws the stairs when the leaves start turning.

When you outlaw the stairs in the snow then only outlaws will stare at the snow.

Here is a creative solution they came up with a couple of years ago for the Perry stairs:

It's a good compromise.