Workman's Utilikilt Review

We went on an overnighter to Seattle last month. Sarah did all the planning and booked a nice hotel in Pioneer Square. On our first walkabout we noticed the Utilikilt store. Utikilts have been around for a while. I’ve been interested in getting one since I first saw them online. With a little prodding from Sarah, we, along with our two somewhat-embarrassed teenage sons, walked into the (thankfully) empty Utilikilt store.



Measurements were taken. I was shown to the dressing room (a forlorn corner of a counter in the middle of the room) and dropped trou. A kilt was briskly wrapped around my mid section and pulled down to rest upon my hips. I was directed to a fan on the floor and witnessed for myself the ventilation miracle that is Utilikilt.

I settled upon the Workman’s Utilikilt. It has cool things like a hammer loop, tape measure loop and big pockets. It’s made of duck material that’s thicker than a pair of Carhartt pants. I admit I also chose this model because I thought it would make me a little less susceptible to ridicule. I mean, “This is a WORKMAN’S Utilikilt. It’s tough, just like me. Please don’t laugh.” I was asked if I wanted to wear it out of the store. I declined.

I have worn this thing a lot in the past month - all over Spokane - in all kinds of places. I haven’t been laughed at (at least not to my face). About the only comments I have received were “Nice Utilikilt!” Most of the time, no one seems to notice. Which, in a way, was kind of a letdown. Sarah and I have received better service in some places - I think people wanted to check the Utilikilt out.

So, what do I think of the functionality? Number one - it feels great. Let’s see how do I say this without being too graphic? How about - There is no “scrunch” factor.

I was surprised by the temperature difference between it and a regular pair of shorts. Even though the material is thick, the air circulation really is incredible. I would estimate that on a 90-degree day, it is about 10 degrees cooler than a pair of shorts. These temperatures are Fahrenheit and not Celsius with windchill factored in ( I am not a broadcast meteorologist).

I expected more of a Brave Heart vibe while wearing my Utilikilt, but I wasn’t unhappy with the more enlightened Marvin-the-Martian energy that seemed to trump the channeling of the noble Scottish warrior.


As a toolbelt, all the stuff works fine. However, like other toolbelts I have worn, I never can maintain the discipline of putting the hammer in the hammer loop or the tape measure in its proper place. Instead I tend to put everything into my pockets. Pockets on the Workman’s Utilikilt were built with my A.D.D. construction techniques in mind. Screwdrivers, measuring tape, a pencil, a hammer, twist connectors, pliers, a wire stripper, screws and a knife all intermingled in these gigantic pockets, and didn’t fight me when I had to fish them out. Best of all. I always knew where they were!

I haven’t worn it while riding a bicycle yet. I don’t think that would be very functional and I could wind up with a very pleated ass by the end of the day. I think one would be great to take with me on the Xtracycle to put on over the bicycle shorts after I reached a camping spot or some other destination. You could then remove the shorts and be living the dream. Sounds like too much planning though.

The price of any Utilikilt is pretty steep. To be fair, they are made in the USA (Seattle even). There’s a lot of good workmanship involved too. They are worth the money, at least to me.

I wear the Utilikilt 3 or 4 times a week. Eventually, I am going to mix it up by getting another one or two. I think the Utilikilt Survivor might be next. Will I be wearing one after the snow flies? Maybe. I don’t want to think about that yet.

Nice Montana Backpack Trip!

Sarah put together a great little getaway for all of us. Just an overnighter but a very relaxing time:





Can you see the old miner's face in the mist?

The off-season...

BEST FACEBOOK FRIEND EVER!!!

I recently became Facebook friends with Cathy McMorris Rodgers! It is awesome. You get to see what her followers have to say, then you can comment on it. It's like being at the Town Hall meeting and asking the old lady who is decrying socialism if she is on Medicare. One more reason to love the Internet/webs/tubes.

If you are on Facebook, you need to become her friend now!

Spokefest is right around the corner!

September 13th! Maybe it's time to brush up on some bike safety (Thanks Ike):

Bittersweet...

This is always a strange sight. Usually when the engine is gone, I've gone with it. So, I don't often get to see this.

Last shift change, the oncoming crew caught a run right out of the box. I was the only one still hanging out at the station from my shift. It had been a pretty busy day, about 12 runs before 10:30 PM. The worst of it was the six runs after 10:30 PM! At 4:30 AM we finally had our last run of the shift.

So, while part of me wished I was going on the latest adventure of Engine Three at 8 AM, most of me was glad to be relieved. As I hopped on my bike to head home, I took this picture.

The engine on the left is the new Engine One, basically stored at our station until the shop is ready to get it ready.

NatureMill Coupons...

When we purchased the composter we also received two $30 off coupons for for anyone else who wants to buy a NatureMill. So, if you're interested, e-mail me and I will try to get a coupon to you. So far, this thing has been doing a great job.

NatureMill kitchen composter....

Thanks to Sarah, we're getting to the point where very little from our house is going to go into the garbage can. The green thing to the left is the NatureMill. The white receptacle is for garbage. The blue receptacle is for our new office curbside recyclable container. It looks like this:



What can go in here? This:


When we first received the NatureMill, Sarah thought she might have to send it back. It made an unexplained clicking sound and didn't seem to work right. A call to their service center gave us information that wasn't included in their instruction manual. Since then, it works great. So you take garbage that looks like this:



And throw it into the hopper:



Along with kitchen scraps, You have to throw a few standard wood pellets on top of it:


It churns and heats periodically. As long as you aren't tempted to keep peeking at the composting material, there's no smell. But, if you keep opening the door the smell gets out.

After 5 or so days of adding stuff, you have this:


Then, it dumps into the bottom:


After a couple of weeks of adding kitchen scraps you have a lot of fully composted material. This thing is pretty awesome.

Spokesman-Review bolsters John Snyder's election prospects!

For those of you like to follow such things, the Spokesman-Review, yesterday, endorsed Michael Allen for city council position two of district two. And not to outdo themselves, they had to consider that it was a close tossup between Allen and Steve Eugster. I would imagine John Snyder celebrated their almost dual endorsement of Allen and Eugster, and was relieved when he came in a distant third. It speaks volumes.

I have to admit, I think Michael Allen has done a fairly good job, but I can't help but wonder if John Snyder might do better. The S-R's editorial now made this decision easy for me and probably for the dozens of others who read the newspaper. In fact, I will soon be making a donation to the Snyder campaign. I was on the fence. Thank you Spokesman-Review, and I'm sure Snyder thanks you as well.

For you see, the Spokesman has a long history of endorsing losers. Yes, usually the people they endorse tend to lose the election. Likewise, the few that they have endorsed that actually achieved election tended to be losers for their constituents.

This morning's S-R endorsement of Kathy McLaughlin will probably also have ripple effects of satisfaction for her opponents.

I don't think Michael Allen's a bad guy. He certainly deserved better than an endorsement from the Spokesman-Review. But, I guess that's politics.

Tomato plants in the morning light...

Leaving for work yesterday morning, I couldn't help but notice how lit up these tomato plants were in the backyard. Last year I started growing all my tomatoes in pots.

The front yard garden is the most phenomenal garden I think I've had in a long time. Last season, I had a problem with zucchini. And not the kind of problem like I have too much. I think I had one squash last year. This year's an entirely different story. The only vegetables not doing well are the beets, which is a switch. I have the winter squash growing up on trellises. The bees are happy.

Have a couple of product reviews coming up. I will try to get those up in the next couple of days.

Moon - the best movie I've seen this summer.

If you're a fan of classic science fiction movies, make sure you go see Moon. It's a great story. We walked down to watch this at River Park Square last night. Then we had dinner@sushi.com. A great evening.

What happens when you turn to China to do your ad work...

Saw this at the Ace hardware on Regal. It's by the checkout stand. Duracell batteries. How many ways is this thing wrong? The headline/tagline is bizarre. the kids eyes aren't focused right. And, for Christ's sake, he's powered up a dinosaur that is going to rip his heart out.The Tyrannosaurus rex knows this. The poor kid hasn't a clue. The stars emanating from the dinosaur skin should have warned him. Hey, guess what? Your Christmas tree died six months ago.

Fill out the survey for healthcare reform!

I subscribe to receive our representative Cathy McMorris' emails. It helps boost my low blood pressure.

I don't want this blog to become too political, but if you care an iota about health care reform, you should fill out her form here to let her know what you think. Do I think if 99% of us are opposed to her position, it will make a difference? No. Not yet, anyway. Fill it out regardless, so she can know how wrong she is. Plus, you will love the awesome survey at the end. Can anyone be more childishly blatant? Is it my imagination or are they getting more ridiculous?

She has definitely been given her marching orders. I envy the easiness of her job. "Here is what you need to say. Just say it." Over and over again. Unbelievably sickening.

Spokane's Engine Three 39th Busiest in the Nation!

According to FireHouse Magazine, anyway. What's really amazing was that the Spokane Fire Department was up pretty high in the rankings for overall runs, as well. I can't remember the number, but Spokane Fire has more "emergency" calls than a lot of bigger cities.



That's right, Engine Three with 3,705 runs last year, was busier than Seattle's or Tacoma's busiest engine. E-15 (Wellesley and Crestline) was right on our heels too.

Here's something the Spokesman-Review won't tell you about the Spokane Fire Department - we respond to more emergencies, with far fewer crews, with far less funding than any comparable city's fire department. I believe compared to Tacoma, Spokane has a fourth less firefighters and a third less funding and yet we respond to more calls - good news for those of us who pay taxes for Spokane services - unless there is ever a very major catastrophe here. Then we would be wishing we had the staffing Tacoma and other cities have.

TILE REPAIR PROJECT UNDERWAY OR COMPLETED AT RIVERPARK SQUARE

The handyman's secret weapon.

Now prepared for the celebrity death(s) that will hurt the most...

I have always wanted a UFP flag. Today it arrived. I wish Shatner and Nimoy to live long and prosper, but some might say to that, "Mission accomplished." If, God forbid, they were to join all the recently celebrity departed, I've got something to fly at half-mast.

Traditional sighting at Nishinomiya Japanese Garden portends eight more weeks of summer...

Nishinomiya never fails to disappoint. I love the place. Everything Spokane intersects in and struggles with this peaceful oasis. The magic that powers the universe is strong here, but even this cosmological juice occasionally sputters, coughs and ponders, "What the f*ck?"

Like some mythical aquatic dweller it rose and floated toward us:


I'm just glad that the head this once belonged to was no longer attached or in tow.

Out of town Hoopfesters laugh at our Arena's artwork...

Did I catch them laughing at the length of this runner's arms? Or maybe it was his running style?

Maybe it was this? I think so.

I am putting out the challenge! Is there any other city's arena/coliseum artwork that can "top" ours?

Waller Wedding Went Well!

High atop Slate Peak, a right purdy place by Winthrop.

Odds and ends...

ELK DAYS BONUS:
It's kinda hard to tell in this picture, but apparently when the pastor left, his name was lovingly expunged from the marquee. Its erasure only highlighted it.


FACE UPDATE:
Neat scabs. Unfortunately, the main one has formed a brittle Hitler mustache which is now receding. My teeth have firmed up. My lip is almost back to normal.

Had to miss some work simply because of the potential of blood-borne pathogen issues (experimented with face wrapping - REVENGE OF THE INVISIBLE FIREFIGHTER). Having scabs fall off of a Hitler look-alike onto citizens would probably not be the best.

Hanging out with some of your best friends 24 hours at a time is hard to beat. So, I plan on being back next shift - maybe with a Guy Fawkes mask, if necessary.