Michelle visits the heartland

Michelle and I just got back from Hastings, Nebraska. We went back for my cousin’s wedding and a subsequent family reunion. It was Michelle’s first trip to the midwest, and she survived the deluge of names of family members.

We also got a free pair of roundtrip tickets to anywhere in the lower 48 for being overbooked. We also got a free night in Denver, Colorado along with free dinner and free breakfast. It was a good deal if you ask me.

My sister took photos at the wedding – her first gig as a photographer. She’s not so hot on the idea of being an event photographer, but how do you say no to relatives?

Michelle also got to see her first “real” thunderstorm. It was great. One bolt of lightning nearly seared my retinas, and my eyes were closed!

Last weekend

This was the last weekend in our apartment. Cool.

My parents and sister just got back from a trip to the Southwest. The transmission on the Dub went out in Bliss, Idaho. The Dub, named for my great uncle (Percy Wayne > PW > PeeDub > Dub) had nearly finished it’s third trip to the desert. It’ll rejoin my parents at home when the repair shop in Bliss can find a way to rebuild or replace it. Good luck Dub.

 dub at night - Bryce Canyon

Beaverton Farmer’s Market

Today we made a trip to the Beaverton Farmer’s Market. It was very lively, and an odd break in the clouds made for some wonderful colors. I would have taken my camera, but I thought we were going downtown to the Saturday Market (yawn).

We picked up some herbs and vegetable plants that we’ll have to thin until we move in. We finally heard back from the landlord today after a week of calls. We’ll be moving in on the first for sure now. We can finally tell our overly interested landlord as well. As the pictures come down, the boxes fill up, and the papers get shredded, an odd feeling comes over you. Sadness, anxiety, laziness? Who knows. Its hard though. I can’t imagine how Alan was able to part with 1/4 ton of stuff.

It started raining again, then hailing. We’re talking dime size stones. That’s unusual for out here. Pretty normal for Wyoming, but bizarre here. It melted quickly, and turned into heavy rain. Heavy rain is somewhat unusual too. It doesn’t rain much here, just a lot. Chew on that….

Your National Parks

A Seattle Times article reports on the rapid rise in drug production on National Park lands. Its nothing new, but the scale of operations have increased quickly in the last decade. Some national parks urge to to tread lightly. It may benefit you to tread quietly as well.

iTunes 4

I broke my own requirement of finishing all the tags on my Mp3s before I upgraded to iTunes 4. Well, I had to upgrade the OS, and was going to be rebooting anyway. Plus, I’ve made significant progress. We’re talking 70% tagged maybe. Possibly.

iTunes 4 is great. Now I can easily use the tracks on my server from the living room. Better living through technology.

Moving Fees

Comcast wants to charge me $26 to move cable internet and $27-43 to move cable TV from our current location to our new place. Stupid Monopoly.

Options:

  • Shut up an pay you stupid subscriber.
  • Change to DSL, use MSN (shudder), get reduced rates for first 6 months plus no activation.
  • Change to DSL, use local ISP(DSLNW, S1, get first month free, pay for 3 months and avoid startup fees.
  • Get 56k and pay for per month web hosting – loose some freedom, gain some advantages.
  • Call White House, FTC and ask how de-regulation has improved our lives.

Any tips?

Oregon’s Fault(s)

I think a number of people were surprised by the earthquakes in the Portland area recently. I remember someone commenting on “a new fault” that was found running through Portland. I don’t think people really realize how many faults there are, and those who have even taken an introductory Geology class may only think of the biggies, like the Juan De Fuca plate.

Well, there are lots of faults. This ought to help you sleep better.

It may not be directly related, but if there is a big earthquake, you may want to know about the Tsunami Innundation Line. Do you still want that coast cabin?

The Saga Continues

Barley has developed a growth on his lip, and has been throwing up a bit. Two separate events that “conveniently” coincided so we only had to make one trip to the vet. The growth appears to be a wart, but we should keep watching it. The stomach, well, who knows. It doesn’t feel like he’s got a blockage, but no food for 24 hours.

In other news, Michelle finished her second year of law school. Barley sure knows how to celebrate.

Solar White House

I was surprised when the National Park Service announced that it had installed PV and Solar water heaters on the roof of the White House. Why was I surprised? A little something called history.

President Carter installed the first solar panel on the White House while he was in office. It was more of a symbolic gesture as it wasn’t nearly enough to contribute to the actual energy uses at 1600 Pennsylvania Drive. It was also a symbolic gesture when President Reagan promply removed the panel and killed funding for solar research when he took office. It surprised me to hear that President Bush would install such a symbol of “personal virtue.”

Well, it surprised Richard Perez of Home Power Magazine as well, and he did some research to find out about the equipment. Its still offers a trifling fraction of 1% of the daily energy consumption of the White House. But here’s the real gem: The PV and Solar Heating system was initated by the Clinton Administration, and has simply took this long to muddle through bureaucracy. I guess we shouldn’t be surprised. At least the sun is starting to shine in Portland again.