After all that...

Long time...

2011-05-22T11:21:00.002-06:00

I almost forgot that I had this blog. It's been well over a year since I've made any posts, so maybe I'll start adding to it again. Do I have any readers left out there anymore?

Woo Hoo!

2009-09-30T17:52:00.001-06:00

No more Four Way Stop signs! No more muddy alleys to deal with all the time! We bought a house, and I finally have a garage! Woo Hoo!

You can run, but you can't hide...

2009-02-24T23:00:00.004-07:00

So I've escaped from Wyoming, but there are two things that I just can't seem to get away from.

1. Four Way Stop Intersections. Yep, I live just down the street from one that I pass through on my way to and from work. However, the people here in Great Falls are a bit more adept at negotiating them than the people in Cody.

2. Alleys. Yep, my parking spot at my new place is accessed through a muddy alley.

Time to change the blog name...

2009-01-20T22:27:00.003-07:00

Next month it will have been 4 years since I moved back to Wyoming and started over... Next month, I start a new chapter by moving to Montana...

5 years!

2008-12-20T15:33:00.015-07:00

Today marks 5 years that I've owned my 2001 BMW 325Ci. There was a Chevy dealer that I drove past every morning on my way to work which had it on their used lot. This particular Chevy dealer mainly sold SUV's and Corvette's but had a used lot that was always packed with quality european autos that they would get from the other dealers in the vast Autonation Empire. It was a rainy winter day in Los Gatos, California when I decided to stop by there to check it out, not totally intending to buy it that day, and definitely not intending to spend then ext 4 hours haggling with a low life general manager. The lease was about to come up on my previous car a Volvo S40, and I had been looking at various cars to replace it.

Volvo S60R, awesome car, and I had found one with a 6 speed manual... Smythe Volvo had a deal going on a red one with saddle leather, but at $40,000, it was quite a bit more than I wanted to spend.

Infiniti G35, awesome car, and 6 speed manuals weren't hard to find (they were usually hidden in the back lot) but it had just come out and there weren't any used ones out there, not to mention it was still more than I wanted to spend. Cool thing about a G35 are the rear seats that recline. Not to mention, Nissan is to V6's as BMW is to Inline 6's.

Mercedes Benz C230 Sport Sedan, another really nice car, but I had only found one with a manual (in red no less) a few months before I was actually ready to buy. One thing that has always bothered me about this car is that the parking brake is a pedal just like in an old Dodge pickup, and for a car with a manual transmission,having a hand brake for starting on a hill is a necessity. My best friend and his wife have the newer version with a V6 in it, which runs way smoother than the old supercharged 4 banger.

Acura TSX, these had just come out... What a great little car (in spite of being a damned front wheel drive), and that Honda 6 speed, what a great transmission... However, dealers were getting way over sticker for them at the time. Screw that.

Toyota Solara.... This is a car that really surprised me, but the fact that it was a front driver and that a manual transmission wasn't even available with the V6 killed it for me.

Subaru WRX... I've never been so bored with a car in my life. Sure, it was fast, sure it had a manual. But it was boring and the interior was crappier than my Dutch Volvo.

Dodge Neon SRT-4... Fast! But still a damned Neon.

Lexus IS300... Not bad, but nobody had any with a manual. One thing that I've always liked about the first generation car is that it had an inline 6 instead of a V6.... But then you have to look at those damned Altezza tail lights. No thanks.

Which brought me back around to BMW. Which is what I really wanted all along. As a new car, a BMW (or any luxury marque for that matter) is a terrible buy. But as a used car, they make way more sense, especially when it's not sitting on a BMW lot. Stevens Creek BMW and Allison BMW had cars like mine on their lots, but they wanted $6000 to $8000 more than what Anderson Chevrolet wanted. Plus, most of the Certified Pre Owned cars they had on their lots had automatics in them.

My Red 325Ci had only 26,940 miles on it. It had been sold new in New York State 2 years earlier, and somehow wound up in California. It was almost the way that I would have ordered it.

Sport Package (sport seats and Type 44 17" wheels, all 2001 and newer coupes have sport suspension standard)
Moon Roof
Dual Power Seats
Leather (instead of Leatherette)
No Premium package which is good because then it doesn't have that damned fake wood.

However, it doesn't have heated seats. That wasn't a deal breaker back when the coldest morning that I had to deal with was 30 degrees, but now, I would never buy another car with unheated leather.

Black leather looks great, but man it's hot in the summer. Had it been mine to order this car again, it would still be Bright Red, but it would have either saddle tan leather or gray leather.

Now, back to that day 5 years ago. The salesman was a good guy, definitely not a car guy, and definitely not a car business kind of guy. He immediately passed me off to one of those low life cheap suit wearing general managers that makes you wait around while he makes a decision on whether or not to give a deal. Typical American car dealership Bullshit, but since I was getting a such a good deal on the car, it made it to put up with their antics. Even the finance guy was sleezy, he tried selling me one of those extended warranties for something like $4000 extra, unbeknownst to me at the time, the car had already been CPO'd by BMW and had a warranty to 100,000 miles, so I was extra glad that I didn't fall for his sales pitch.

When I finally did leave the dealership that night, I had to go home and pack for a trip to Wyoming for Christmas. So, my Christmas Present had to sit for a week, which drove me nuts.

So here it is, the night that I drove it away from the stealership.

And here it is today, sitting outside of my house here in Cody... Unfortunately the garage I used rent down the street got sold out from under me (damn you Hill Real Estate!).

It now has 112,000 miles on it, and it still runs as great as it did when I got it. Sure, I've given it plenty of maintenance (way more than what the bean counters in Munich deem necessary in this age of "lifetime fluids"), I mean it's a BMW not a maintenance free appliance from Toyota or Honda.

Some may think that I'm nuts for driving around in the winter in a BMW, and I'll just let you go on thinking that your front wheel drive POS Oldsmobuick is better for the winter. The secret is to use dedicated modern non-studded snow tires... I run my snow tires on a set of BMW Type 43 16" wheels, which are the wheels that this car would have had from the factory had it not been born with the Sport Package.

So here's to 5 years of the Ultimate Driving Machine, and the next 5 years, in which it will get Bilstein shocks and struts, Turner Motorsport sway bars, and undoubtedly a new clutch!

Need some coffee?

2008-12-17T21:51:00.003-07:00

Coffee Maker, Espresso Machine, and Standby Coffee Maker

Does anyone else remember this?

2008-11-04T18:16:00.002-07:00

Back before Bill Clinton was endorsed by MTV in 1992, Randee of the Redwoods was their candidate in 1988. Does anyone else remember this?

Look what I found...

2008-10-27T20:46:00.003-06:00

On my way back from Casper on Saturday, I spotted this along the highway out in the vast expanse of nothingness between Casper and Shoshone. It's a chunk of the wall out of an old boxcar. It's sitting along a railroad siding right by where an old loadout facility used to stand, but was torn down several years ago... The date on the bottom says that it was built in 2 of 41.

I did it!

2008-10-26T22:20:00.001-06:00

I survived the PE Exam! 80 questions in 8 hours... Now I have to wait 12 weeks to see how I did, or so says the NCEES.

There and Back Again

2008-10-08T18:50:00.008-06:00

Yesterday I took a trip to Jackson for business. Luckily the Park is still open, and tourist season is over, so it was a quick trip as compared to what it could be.

It had been years since I was last in Yellowstone, so I did stop along the way at the geyser fields at West Thumb.
While I was at the Jackson Airport, I got a very rare opportunity to visit the control tower. Unfortunately, they wouldn't let me take any pictures inside due to security concerns, but, I did get to go out on the catwalk and take some pictures from there.

40 feet up!

The opposite side of the air field.

The Grand Tetons as seen from the Control Tower.

Studying Sucks

2008-09-02T20:59:00.003-06:00

In 52 days, I will be taking the Professional Engineers Exam, which is an 8 hour test that gauges one's ability to perform the duties of a Professional Engineer...

I haven't studied in years... Let's see here, the last time that I studied was when I got my Private Pilot's license 9 years ago. And before that, it was in college, which I've been out of for 10 years now...

Studying sucks!

Once again...

2008-08-28T22:41:00.002-06:00

And once again, another summer has almost passed by... I think that I'm ready for the fall.

Yield Dammit!

2008-07-14T19:35:00.005-06:00

Some of you out there have decided that you need to slow down a bit since gas prices have sailed past 4 bucks a gallon. I can appreciate that some people have vehicles that get crappy mileage and this is a great way to go further for every bit of this liquid gold.

However, if you are going to do drive this way, I have come up with some handy tips, since some of us drive cars that don't get crappy gas mileage at the speed limit plus five.

1. Don't drive down the edge of the centerline. It's annoying and dangerous for those of us who want to pass you.

2. On a four lane highway, the left lane is for passing. Stay out of it.

3. Pay attention to those behind you. If you are on a busy section of highway, and there is a half a mile of cars behind you, PULL OVER AND LET THEM PASS!

Finally, if you need to save gas that bad, ride your bike, this goes double for you granola eatin' Subaru Outback drivers.

Out for a ride...

2008-06-18T21:59:00.006-06:00

One of the things that I've always enjoyed about having a Dual Purpose motorcycle is the ability to go off on trail roads that someone in a normal SUV would think twice about. Tonight, I went for a ride down county road 2ABW which was the original trail out of town and towards Yellowstone back in the day when Buffalo Bill was bamboozlling toursists (much as they still do today in this town). This road, which is a legal public right of way, crosses private land. Many years ago, the land owner who is a greedy bastard, barricaded the road. This last fall, Park county took the gates down, and now it's once again possible to traverse the section of the road up to the Bereau of Reclamation's gate at the mouth of the canyon.

The highway runs along the South side of the canyon, and up until recently accessing the North side was, well, not easy, and not exactly legal either... Damn No Trespassing signs!

My trusty ol' 1986 Honda Reflex

The Shoshone River, just down stream of Buffalo Bill Dam.

Yeah Right! Removing those few sections of grating are going to keep people from walking across this thing!

Road Trip to the Kennedy School

2008-05-31T10:21:00.010-06:00

Kennedy School!

Last weekend my wife and I went to Portland, Oregon to meet up with my best friend and his wife at McMenamin's Kennedy School. The Kennedy School is an old elementary school in North West Portland that was built in 1915 and closed in 1975. It was converted into a resort of sorts in 1997 which includes: a hotel, a brewery, a movie theatre, a convention area, a restaurant, and 3 bars... The art work and decor is inspired by stories from the days when the school still functioned.

Our Room... The Cherry Tree branches are painted on the wall...

All of the hotel rooms are inside of the old classrooms, which have retained the chalk boards...

Everything in the place has been decorated in some sort of fashion...

The pictures have been painted directly onto the wall, and the frame placed around them...

The poem reads:
Some girls roll their cigarettes,
Some girls roll their socks,
But you will roll a baby buggy
For blocks and blocks and blocks
December 10, 1935...

The Queen...

More Presidential Trivia...

2008-04-15T22:39:00.003-06:00

What did Dwight D. Eisenhower have installed have installed on the Presidential Airplane to help keep his wife's mind off of flying?

A piano...

Not sure if this was on Columbine I, II, or III...

Woo Hoo!

2008-04-14T21:31:00.004-06:00

Snowmobiling old school style on a 1964 Ski Doo!

Presidential Trivia

2008-03-17T21:31:00.002-06:00

So when we were on the "Mini-Moon" to South Dakota, I picked up this really great book at the Mt. Rushmore Visitors' Center - Presidential Trivia...

It's full of useless knowledge and facts and BS that will in no way shape or form contribute to any day to day activities that I may perform... I LOVE IT!!!

Did you know that John Adams and Thomas Jefferson both died on the same day? No shit, July 4th, 1826.

What does the "S" in Harry S. Truman stand for? Nothing!

What was Ulysses S. Grant's actual name? Hiram Ulysses Grant

Did you know that there are actually 3 Presidents who have died on the 4th of July? No shit, James Monroe did too, however it was in 1831.

You were afraid to ask, weren't you?

Mount Up!

2008-03-13T21:21:00.003-06:00

I finally got a bracket and mount for my iPod. I got tired of it being in the seat next to me or, wondering where the hell it went all the time.

Redneck Games!

2008-03-04T17:50:00.013-07:00

All you need is a four-wheeler, a length of chain, and an old couch! Oh yeah, and a dog! (or two) Frozen pond is optional...

I should've had a beer in my hand!

Can you tell she's a figure skater?

I was just sitting here , and the couch exploded around me! I didn't fart or anything!

Couch Surfing!

Kinda reminds me of that scene from "Office Space" where they drag the left overs of the fax machine away after giving it a beat down!

OK, it's time...

2008-02-26T20:46:00.010-07:00

...to post some pictures from our "mini-moon".

My new bride getting her butt kicked by Fred Flintstone.

Where are all of the tourists???

A great picture taken next to one of those "no parking" signs...

One of the greatest flicks of all time filmed here!

Three Years Gone By

2008-02-25T20:34:00.003-07:00

I've been back in Wyoming now for three years. Several things are only getting worse with regards to Wyoming Drivers.

1. Wyoming Drivers are even more clueless on what to do at a Four Way Stop.

2. Wyoming Drivers are even less likely to use their turn signals when changing lanes.

3. Wyoming Drivers have no concept of lane discipline on a multi-lane highway (for instance US 14A between Cody and Powell) and they believe that it is fine to travel in the left lane.

4. Wyoming Drivers think that their fog lights need to be on even if there isn't any remote hint of visible precipitation in the air.

Yeah, I know, I'm ranting. It's my blog, I can do that.

Look what I caught!

2008-01-31T21:16:00.000-07:00

...on January 4th 2008

Almost there...

2008-01-02T20:42:00.000-07:00

46 Hours to go...

Three weeks from Tomorrow

2007-12-13T22:38:00.000-07:00

In 21 days I'll be getting married...

Christmas Tree

2007-12-12T19:34:00.001-07:00

This year for the first time ever, I have a Christmas Tree of my own. The last time that I helped put one up (besides at work) was at my Fraternity House back in college. The best part however is that my Fiancée was here to help me decorate it. I love the blurriness of this picture...

Wyoming Quarter

2007-11-18T17:50:00.001-07:00

Am I the only one who thinks that the new Wyoming quarter is boring, plain, and just overall really lame?

Let's take a look at it:

Just the horse/rider and the motto? Is that the best that they could do? From what is on the US Mint's website, there were four other contenders.

"The Department of the Treasury approved the design on June 22, 2006. Four other designs were considered, including "Bucking Horse and Rider with State Outline;" "Bucking Horse and Rider with Teton Range;" "Bucking Horse and Rider in typical Wyoming scene," depicting a horse and rider on a ranch; and "Yellowstone National Park — Old Faithful Geyser," featuring the famous geyser located in Yellowstone National Park."

OK, Option 1, that would have been just as lame, the horse/rider with a rectangle behind it. Option 2 would have looked good. Option 3 would have looked good as well. And option 4, it not being picked really surprises me, especially since Wyoming thinks that they own the park, and how much hub bub there was a while back when Montana State University wanted to start referring to itself in marketing propaganda as the University of the Yellowstone.

Now, don't get me wrong, I don't dislike Wyoming's trademarked logo, I'm even an alum of the state's only four year institution (the part of the institution that's worth a shit), but to me it seems like it gets taken way too serious.

Let's take a look at some of our neighboring state quarters...

Here we have Montana. "Montana's quarter features a bison skull depicted above the diverse Montana landscape with the inscription "Big Sky Country."" Charlie Russel's bison skull is to Montana as the horse/rider is to Wyoming. Montana even has it on their license plates, but it's not near as blatant and obnoxious.

Wyoming Plate:

Montana Plate:

See the difference? I digress...

Back to quarters!

Here we have South Dakota. "The South Dakota quarter features an image of the State bird, a Chinese ring-necked pheasant, in flight above a depiction of the Mount Rushmore National Monument, featuring the faces of four American Presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln. The design is bordered by heads of wheat." Looks pretty cool doesn't it? Cooler than Wyoming's quarter, that's for damned sure.

Here we have Nebraska. "Nebraska's quarter depicts an ox-drawn covered wagon carrying pioneers in the foreground and Chimney Rock, the natural wonder that rises from the valley of North Platte River, measuring 445 feet from base to tip. The sun is in full view behind the wagon." I grew up in Western Nebraska as a kid before the family moved to Wyoming, so naturally, I have a little bit of pride in the state that I was born in. This quarter makes me think of the school field trips that all kids in Western Nebraska have to take to go see Chimney Rock and the ruts in the prairie that are still there from the days of the Oregon Trail. Again, a quarter that looks much better than Wyoming's.

Here we have Colorado. "The Colorado quarter depicts a sweeping view of the state's rugged Rocky Mountains with evergreen trees and a banner carrying the inscription "Colorful Colorado."" Looking at this quarter, I can almost hear John Denver singing Rocky Mountain High! Another quarter that looks better than Wyoming's.

Here's a good one! Utah! Utah having a better quarter than Wyoming, well, that just adds insult to injury now doesn't it? "Utah's quarter features two locomotives moving toward the golden spike that joined the Central Pacific and Union Pacific railroads, linking East to West and transforming both the Utah Territory and the Nation with the inscription "Crossroads of the West."" This quarter depicts a very important event in the history of our great country, as well as the American West.

So there you have it... Wyoming's quarter is lame. That's my opinion, take it or leave it.

50 Days To Go!

2007-11-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

January 4th is still the day! We didn't get our original choice for the venue, and then the second place we chose turned out to be not nearly as nice as we thought it was the first time we saw it. So now, we are on to our third choice, which was oddly the first place that we visited back when first started all of this wedding planning stuff last summer...

Date is set!

2007-10-23T19:39:00.000-06:00

January 4, 2008... 73 days away!

WOW!

2007-10-03T21:01:00.001-06:00

I can't believe it. I just sent in the final payment on my BMW. This is the first time that I have had a paid off vehicle in over 10 years!

100 Days

2007-09-26T21:34:00.000-06:00

If all goes well and we get the venue that we want, in 100 days, I will be marrying the girl of my dreams...

wow...

2007-08-30T23:24:00.000-06:00

And another summer is nearly gone... It was a good one!

Biennial Flight Review

2007-07-09T21:29:00.000-06:00

Today, I spent 1.4 hours in a 1976 Cessna 172M riding with an instructor. We did steep turns, power on stalls, power off stalls, and spins. I had never spun an airplane before, it wasn't nearly as disturbing as I thought it would be. One interesting thing is that it was easier to recover from the spin than it was to get into the spin. Seven take-offs and landings later, we were getting out of the airplane, and I had demonstrated that I could still fly an airplane well after all of this time...

The last time that I had any time put into my log book was on November 2, 2002. That was a flight with my good buddy Sergei (who was an instructor at the time) in a new Cessna 182T.

Hey! I didn't get a harumph outta that guy!

2007-06-17T23:13:00.001-06:00

If you hadn't heard, there are 31 guys vying for the open Senate seat left vacant by the passing of Craig Thomas... Thirty-one Wyoming Republicans... Thinking of it reminds me of that scene from Blazing Saddles where there are all of those guys hanging around in the governor's office.

Harumph! Harumph! Harumph!

Hey, I didn't get a Harumph outta that guy!

Watch your ass!

Wine and Cheese

2007-06-13T22:41:00.000-06:00

Yes, I know, I should blog more... Tonight, as I sit here enjoying a glass of cabernet sauvignon and having a few pieces of extra sharp cheddar cheese, I decided that it was time to write a little...

Over this past Memorial Day Weekend, I traveled to McMinnville, Oregon to pay homage to Howard Hughes' most wonderful creation, the H-4 Hercules, better known as the Spruce Goose. The Evergreen Aviation Museum where it lives, is a world class place, all of the planes are beautiful, the facility is beautiful, the staff are friendly, and I didn't encounter any of the requisite smug old farts who think that they know even more than everything and have outlived their usefulness that usually inhabit anyplace where old airplanes live, kinda like trolls under a bridge.

IT IS EVEN BIGGER THAN YOU THINK IT IS!!!

Oops

2007-05-19T09:55:00.000-06:00

This is the water pump pulley off of my BMW. Yep, it's made out of resin. Nope, you can't get one around here...

Yes! It's true!

2007-04-28T17:13:00.000-06:00

I am engaged!

No date set yet...

Details will follow!

Idiocracy

2007-04-24T18:44:00.000-06:00

Check out a movie called "Idiocracy". It was done by Mike Judge, that guy who made that exceptional documentary called "Office Space".

Idiocracy is about a future where stupid people have continued to breed unchecked and have ruined the world. It's quite funny!

Rescue!

2007-03-31T22:34:00.000-06:00

My good friend Justin recently acquired a 1957 Jeep FC-150 Forward Control Pickup. We went to rescue it today...

Snow!

2007-03-31T22:29:00.000-06:00

As of this morning, there were almost 15 inches of snow here in Cody....

Good Kitty

2007-03-26T22:07:00.000-06:00

Here's my little buddy, doing his part to make sure that clean cars in the neighborhood don't get shit on.

Wyoming Barbie

2007-02-28T22:22:00.000-07:00

This was recently sent to me as one of those forwarded emails... I couldn't help but post it here...

Jackson Barbie : This modern day homemaker Barbie is available with a Mercedes 4WD SUV, a Prada handbag and matching Nike Yoga ensemble. She has a masters degree and double-majored, but has the luxury of being a stay-at-home mom with Ken's generous salary. Comes with Percocet prescription and Botox. Starbucks mug and traffic-jamming Blackberry internet/cell phone device sold separately. Husband Ken is into fishing, golfing, baseball and is often "working late." Available at all Seattle-area Starbucks retailers.

Teton Village Barbie: This princess Barbie is only sold at Nordstrom. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade handbags, your choice of a BMW convertible or Hummer H2 and a long-haired foreign lapdog named "Honey." Also available is her Cookie cutter development dream house. Available with or without tummy tuck, facelift, and breast augmentation. Workaholic, cheating husband, Ken, comes with a Porsche.

Rock Springs Barbie: This recently paroled Barbie comes with a 9mm handgun, switchblade, '78 El Camino with dark tinted windows, and a meth lab kit. This model is available only after dark and can only be purchased with cash--preferably small bills, unless you're a cop, then we don't know what you're talking about. Boyfriend Ken is in rehab. Available at many pawn shops.

Rawlins Barbie: This tobacco chewing, brassy-haired Barbie comes with a pair of high heeled sandals with one broken heel from the time she chased Beer Gut Ken out of Cheyenne Barbie's trailer. Her ensemble includes low-rise acid-washed jeans, fake fingernails, strawberry lip gloss and a see-through halter top. Purchase her Mustang convertible separately and get a confederate flag bumper sticker absolutely free. Boyfriend Ken is in the State Prison. Available at Army/Navy Surplus.

Cheyenne Barbie : This pale model comes dressed in her own Wrangler jeans 2 sizes too small, steel-toes cowboy boots , a Willie Nelson T-shirt and a Tweety Bird tattoo on her shoulder. She has fake fingernails, a six pack of Budweiser, and a Hank Williams, Jr. CD set. She can spit over a distance of 6 feet and kick PRCA cowboy Ken's ass when she is drunk. Also available is the gold-toned cubic zirconium ring Ken gave her after another one of his "episodes" with his boss's daughter. Comes with Barbie's Dream Double Wide Trailer. Available at Wal-Mart.

Gillette Barbie: Pregnant at purchase, this Barbie cones with a stroller and bus pass. Also included is a G.E.D. and a completely filled out food stamps form. Construction worker Ken and his '82 Caddy are optional. Available at Value Villa.

Laramie Barbie: This Barbie is made out of recycled plastic and tofu. She has long straight brown hair, archless feet, hairy armpits, no make-up, and Birkenstocks with white socks. She does not want or need a Ken doll. If you purchase the optional Subaru Wagon, you will receive a free rainbow flag sticker. Available at REI.

Lander Barbie: This versatile doll can be easily converted from Barbie to Ken by simply adding or removing snap on parts. Walks to work. Likes to "experiment," but will never commit. This model is being phased out and is only available from the manufacture.

Cody Barbie : This Barbie is a transplant from California and moved into the area to "get away from the big city." She comes with a 10 acre "ranch" on the South Fork and a 1-ton crew cab diesel truck that she drives the kids to school in. She moved here to live in the beautiful and low populated west, but now doesn't want anyone else to move here because they will ruin the area. Retired lawyer Ken comes with his own cowboy outfit so he can act like he is a local and "fit in." This model is sold at any main street art gallery in Cody, and there are several to choose from.

Green River Barbie: Comes in 2 choices, 1) See Rock Springs Barbie, 2)Comes with Ken and 10 children, minivan and Sunday best clothing. Optional LDS church and missionaries are sold separately. Available at any Deseret Bookstore. A free copy of the Book Of Mormon is also included with Choice 2.

Pinedale Barbie : Comes with oily coveralls, muddy work truck, can of Cope,and Tool-pusher Ken. Optional drilling rig also available. Sold at any roadside gas station.

Lusk Barbie: Comes with orange jumpsuit, handcuffs, shackles, and shiv. Prison guard Ken also available. Free with prison release papers.

Evanston Barbie: Comes with years of mental instability, and a straight jacket. Accessories also include a bottle of morphine, a bed pan, and an imaginary friend. Psychologist Ken is sold separately with Ken's happy-time psycho couch. Available at any hospital

Bridger Valley Barbie: Comes with 5 sheep, a llama, and her blue '82 Chevy pickup with a brown door. Boyfriend/cousin Ken sold separately. Available at any feed store.

Everyone can relax now.

2007-02-03T10:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday the bill that would have banned smoking in public places here in Wyoming died in committee. So everyone can relax now, no ones right to breath smoky air is going to be taken away. What pisses me off however (besides the fact that this bill didn't make it any further than this) is that it was an informal straw poll that was taken, and not an official recorded vote. So of course, we don't get to see who was for and against it. Better luck next year.

A winter's Sunday Afternoon...

2007-01-28T21:59:00.000-07:00

A smoking ban? Here??

2007-01-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Currently there is a bill in Wyoming State Legislature to essentially make Wyoming a little more civilized and ban smoking in public places. House Bill 141 is essentially based upon the bill that passed in Cheyenne and Colorado which made those places a little better.

Will this bill pass? I can only hope, but something tells me that the "Wyoming Attitude" will prevail and it won't. Especially since it is opposed by both the Wyoming State Liquor Association and the Wyoming Lodging and Restaurant association. Somehow those people think that this will make all bars go out of business, but anyone who has been to Colorado lately can attest that there are still people going to bars in that state. It's just that now the poor smokers have to step outside for a moment to indulge their filthy habit.

Merry Christmas!

2006-12-24T12:32:00.000-07:00

Well, I have my living room remodel 95% complete! Here are some pictures!

Christmas Party

2006-12-19T23:45:00.000-07:00

My company Christmas Party was this last weekend... It was a great time... Here's a picture of Avery and I enjoying a cocktail before dinner...

Another good line

2006-11-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

As I sit here drinking my morning coffee (Tulley's Italian Roast), I was flipping through the channels looking for something to make good background noise while I check my email and what-not. The latest Harry Potter movie is on HBO right now.

Ron Weasley was just quoted as saying "they get scary when they get older!"

The Bitch is Dead

2006-11-24T22:07:00.000-07:00

If you haven't gotten out and seen the new Bond movie, Casino Royale, you should. Contrary to what we all thought, Daniel Craig makes a damned good James Bond. I put him up there with Sean Connery. Not that Pierce Brosnan wasn't good, but this guy is better.

I titled this post for my favorite line from the movie. I can relate to it, well, sort of relate to it. I can relate to it in the aspect that when Bond said it, he was moving on. I've moved on too. The Bitch is Dead.

Dark. Darker. Darko.

2006-11-17T23:52:00.000-07:00

The other day I picked up a copy of the director's cut of Donnie Darko. I highly recommend it.

Shopping

2006-11-14T22:55:00.000-07:00

You know that you're a bachelor when the only reason that you buy milk is so that you can make White Russians...

Not AGAIN!

2006-11-14T22:36:00.000-07:00

I am still in disbelief at how Barbara Cubin got re-elected. I guess that I shouldn't be though, since this is Wyoming, and somehow people think that just because of that they should blindly vote "R" no matter what.

One thing that will be interesting to watch is that any protection afforded those who took money in any way connected to Jack Abramoff is gone now, since the Republicans are no longer in charge. This could get interesting!

Another thing is that the half of these Wyoming people who voted for her got what they deserved when they blindly pulled the "R" lever for her. She was ineffective for 12 years under a Republican ran House, now she'll be even more ineffective as the only minority party Representative for an unpopulated Western state.

Everyone knew that the Democrats were going to do well this time around... And we could have had a guy on the winning team who would have worked really hard for this state...

Demon Night

2006-10-30T23:03:00.000-07:00

The last party that was held at my Fraternity house at UW was 10 years ago this night. Demon Night. It was big. It was bad. A good time was had by by all, but better by some! A month and a half later, we were clearing things out, and turning out the lights. My house was a casualty of UW's long range plan for getting rid of all of the houses on Fraternity Row. They raised our rent by 40% in 1996, and we could not make the rent. And on that campus, a Fraternity without a house is not going to make it. We tried and tried to get the numbers up so that we could make it, but at the mid-term when rush hadn't gone as well as it needed to, the writing was on the wall, and it was like rats leaving a sinking ship.

To any of the alumni from before me who may think that I, as the last President of the Zeta Upsilon Chapter of Delta Tau Delta, just gave up, I'd like you to know that I would have pissed on a spark plug had I thought that it might help keep the house going. I had a few guys (you know who you are) who were there until the end trying to keep it alive, and there were others that I just could not motivate. But, we inherited a legacy of doing things half-assed and just doing the bare minimum to get by, and that was so hard to get past. So hard, that we didn't get past it.

There is a basketball court now where my house was. I like it that way. A lot of bad karma went away when that house was demolished.

OK it was me...

2006-10-30T12:31:00.000-07:00

Yes, I was the one who washed his car yesterday... It was so nice out that I couldn't help but not want to get the car washed and then get the motorcycle out and go for a ride. So, now you know why it's snowing and only 20 degrees out there today!

New Computer!

2006-10-29T21:39:00.000-07:00

I finally got myself a new computer! It's a MacBook laptop, and it's pretty sweet, especially after you've been using a computer that dates back to 1999 like I have been. I also bought a wireless router, so it's pretty cool to be able to sit on the couch and type this blog posting... :)

This afternoon while preparing to migrate some of my stuff from my old computer to the new one. The old one finally died. Now I have to try to get it back up and running so that I can get everything off of it!! Arrrgh!

Fire

2006-10-22T22:21:00.000-06:00

Fire is good. Fire burns away impurities. Fire gets rid of things that you don't need in your life anymore.

This past Friday night, I had a bonfire, a bonfire with the sole intention of burning away things of this past the summer. Pictures, letters, memorabilia, etc... It all went into the fire...

However, there were a few things that didn't burn from the summer. Things that will be kept as spoils of war if you will. Things that will become a testament to the fact that I am a better person than the person who gave them to me.

Two Shots of Happy, One Shot of Sad...

2006-10-14T22:46:00.000-06:00

Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
You think I'm no good, well I know I've been bad
Took you to a place, now you can't get back
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Walked together down a dead end street
We were mixing the bitter with the sweet
Don't try to figure out what we might of had
Just two shots of happy, one shot of sad

I'm just a singer, some say a sinner
Rolling the dice, not always a winner
You say I've been lucky, well hell I've made my own
Not part of the crowd, but not feeling alone

Under pressure, but not bent out of shape
Surrounded, we always found an escape
Drove me to drink, but hey that's not all bad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Guess I've been greedy, all of my life
Greedy with my children, my lovers, my wife
Greedy for the good things as well as the bad
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Maybe it's just talk, saloon singing
The chairs are all stacked, the swinging's stopped swinging
You say I hurt you, you put the finger on yourself
Then after you did it, you came crying for my help

Two shots of happy, one shot of sad
I'm not complaining, baby I'm glad
You call it a compromise, well what's that
Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

Two shots of happy, one shot of sad

(Lyrics by Matt Dusk)

What the hell?

2006-10-10T23:08:00.000-06:00

October 10! Unbelievable! Being gone from home for most of the month of September and a good chunk of October has made my fall fly by really fast...

I think that I might road trip to see some good friends out on the coast next month. I could sure go for renting a motorcycle in Watsonville and a ride down the coast to Monterey and beyond. That'd be just what I need to refresh my mind right now...

Woo Hoo!

2006-09-23T18:04:00.000-06:00

Cody now has a Japanese Restaurant! It's not bad considering how far from the ocean we are! I had a "Cody Roll", which is cucumber, unagi, tempura shrimp, philly cheese with roe on top, as well as an order each of maguro (tuna) and sake (salmon). Only thing is that they didn't have Saporo in the big bottle... Oh well, that just means that you have to order two... :)

Nekkid Cobra

2006-09-04T22:24:00.000-06:00

This is a Factory Five Cobra Replica that my brother-in-law is building. It's powered by a roller cam Ford 302 with a 342 stroker kit topped with aluminum heads and a four barrel carburetor, and then backed by a Tremac 5 speed transmission. This afternoon we set the fiberglass body on it. He's got a lot of body work to do to make it ready for paint...

T-shirt

2006-09-02T23:56:00.000-06:00

I was standing in line at a convenience store this afternoon behind a guy who was wearing a t-shirt that said:

"No Cowgirl, I didn't ask you if you wanted to dance, I said, your butt looks fat in those pants."

How did that happen?

2006-08-30T22:06:00.000-06:00

In a few hours, it will be August 31st, 2006. The last day of August. Then September begins. How did the summer get behind me? It just seems like I was sitting in Coopersmith's in Fort Collins, having a beer with my girl, my best friend and his wife on the Forth of July...

As I sit here this evening, drinking my Maker's Mark (neat thank you), the thought of summer being nearly behind us has hit me. I have a niece who just started the 8th grade and is busting her butt (good for her) at volleyball practice every day after school... The tourism scene here in Cody has slowed way down... It's getting cooler at night...

Now don't get me wrong, I love fall, in fact it's my favorite season, but the passing of these last 3 months so rapidly has left me a little, well, shaken...

It'll be a good fall, I'll get to spend a little of it in Northwestern Colorado, see some old friends, and probably make some new ones. I'll drink to that. :)

Mmmm Beer!

2006-08-16T22:27:00.000-06:00

I picked up a Growler of Trippel at New Belgium Brewing in Fort Collins, Colorado last weekend. I just finished it off. Need more!

$3.50 for the glass jug
$6.00 to fill it up

64 ounces

Not bad eh??

Pictures of summer...

2006-07-30T23:44:00.000-06:00

Looking out of the back of a gutted C-118 (DC-6) at South Big Horn County Airport

Sunset with smoke in the sky near Meeteetse Wyoming

Combines near Powder River Wyoming

Hiking at Curt Gowdy State Park

C-82 and two C-119's at South Big Horn County Airport

Working on my Car...

2006-07-30T23:40:00.000-06:00

I love it! An oil filter that is up on top of the engine right where you can get to it...

Mr. Honda would not be pleased...

2006-07-05T21:34:00.000-06:00

I was in a Honda Motorcycle dealership on Saturday that was a little different. This was a dealership that carries two lines that just should not be placed in the same showroom. It's one thing to go to a Moto-Guzzi/Aprilia/Ducati Dealer, or a Suzuki/Yamaha Dealer, or evan a Triumph/BMW Dealer, but this place was a Honda/Harley Davidson Dealer. And it wasn't pretty. All I can think is how Mr. Honda would be furious at his good products being sold along side those other things. Probably about as happy as Dr. Porsche would be at seeing his good name placed upon an SUV.

Eight-Eight-Zero-Victor

2006-06-25T11:35:00.000-06:00

Eight-Eight-Zero-Victor is a 1954 Lockheed Lodestar which has spent much of it's life on the ground in Greybull, Wyoming. The interior still looks fabulous after all of these years...

Roadtrippin'!

2006-06-23T17:11:00.000-06:00

I've already made more roadtrips this summer than I did all of last summer combined. Yes, having a girlfriend who lives at the opposite corner of the state from me has contributed to this, but so has work lately. Take the other day for instance. My boss and I went to Kemmerer to look at the airport, and then to Pinedale to attend an airport board meeting.

This was the first time in my life that I had been to Kemmerer, Wyoming. For those of you that don't know, the second "er" is silent when you say it, so it pronounces this way; "Kemmer". Which begs the question, why the hell is it there in the first place. I am sure that the people who live there get tired of people mispronouncing the name of their fair village. After the visit to Kemmerer, I found myself wanting to add an extra "er" to any word that ends with an "er". Like for instance, "trucker" would be "truckerer" or "CD Player" would be "CD Playerer". A multitude of other words also crossed my mind as well...

I was quite surprised to find that the JC Penney "Mother Store" is actually still there in downtown Kemmererer. I figured that the corporate bean counters would have closed the store in Kemmerererer a long time ago.

Through all of my roadtripping lately, one thing has just amazed me, how many retread tire carcasses off of trucks are out there on our roads. They're everywhere! I've almost hit them on several occasions, and makes me glad that I am in my car instead of on my motorcycle. If I hit one with my car, it's not that big of a deal, other than the damage that it would do the front end. Hitting one with a motorcycle on the other hand, that could ruin you whole day if not your life! Don't these truck drivers who blow tires feel compelled to walk a little ways to at least kick them off of the road after they fix the flat?

Maybe it's not so bad after all...

2006-05-22T12:40:00.000-06:00

I had a great weekend... Spent some time with the family on Saturday, worked on my motorcycle a bit more (replaced the fork seals)... Yesterday I took a road trip to Casper. I hadn't been there since 1998 and some things just don't change much it seems. However, I did spend some time with my intriguing new acquaintance yesterday, which was really cool... Ah yes, I must recommend Moody Brews in downtown Casper for coffee and a Cannoli, nice atmosphere, nice people, and good coffee...

The intriguing new acquaintance? I'll see her again next weekend... :) Maybe Wyoming isn't so bad after all...

On the Road Again!

2006-05-17T23:57:00.000-06:00

This is my 1986 Honda TLR200 Reflex. I got it when I was I 13, it was my first brand new motorcycle. It's been in storage in a corner of my Dad's hangar for many years. Recently I rescued it from it's slumber, and have been slowly awakening it to put it back into service. Four Thousand and Forty-Five miles later, it still runs like a champ. Of course it should, it's a Honda! Today I got it licensed and insured, so this evening I took it out for it's first ride since about 1996. Riding her around tonight made me feel alive... But, I've been feeling pretty alive lately anyway, thanks to keeping in good touch with some old friends, hanging out with some new friends, as well as a new acquaintance who has me intrigued... It's going to be a good summer!

View from the Second Floor

2006-05-16T12:34:00.000-06:00

A couple of weeks ago, I got to move out of my office that looked at the backside of an Albertson's to a new office on the second floor that has this beautiful view of Heart Mountain.

At first, I didn't really want to move up stairs, since I had kind of grown into my downstairs office. But after getting upstairs and all set up, I love it! What would you rather look at? The only problem with my new office is that there are several dead animals on the wall that came with the office. Two are Mule Deer, and one is a mounted Pheasant. I'd take them down, but there really isn't any place to put them since our office building is already vying for honors with Cabela's in Sidney, Nebraska for dead animals in one place! The one deer stares at me all day, as if to say, "Mike, why am I on your wall? You didn't kill me! You're a poser! You don't even hunt!"

Five-Six-Four-Four-Uniform

2006-05-09T20:05:00.000-06:00

Five-Six-Four-Four-Uniform is a 1969 Piper Cherokee 140, which is a 4 place low wing fixed gear aircraft that has 140 horse power. Well, it's not really a true 4 place airplane, especially here in Wyoming where a low airport is 3933 feet above sea level. The back seat is more or less just there to occupy space, and to be occupied by a very small person. On a good day, she'll go about 105 knots. She hasn't flown in several years...

The first 3 hours in my log book were in this airplane, put there late in the summer of 1993. With any luck, I'll be showing more pictures of her in the future... Pictures from the outside, and the best kind, the ones that are taken from the inside looking down!

That wasn't so bad...

2006-04-27T22:27:00.000-06:00

32 years old... No Problem!

Bad Kitty!

2006-04-25T12:27:00.000-06:00

Just for the record, that garter did not become Will's new toy. It's been safely put away in an undamaged condition!

Wild, Wild, Will!

2006-04-24T21:49:00.000-06:00

Last month while I was at my best friend's wedding, I was the lucky guy who caught Tatjana's Garter Belt. Yes, you know what that means... Anyway, I am not holding my breath on that one. My cat Will, however, he is quite happy that I did catch that garter that day. He found it, and has been carrying it around the house, tossing it up into the air, catching it, rolling on the floor with it, just generally going bonkers!

So much for my clean car huh?

2006-04-23T14:17:00.000-06:00

It was a beautiful day in Northern Wyoming yesterday... Temps up in the 80's, a slight breeze... Would've been a good day to go flying. However, I decided to do a little spring cleaning to ol' Red. I mixed up some Castrol Superclean and scrubbed down the engine compartment, pulled out the rubber floor mats and scrubbed them down, vacuumed the interior really good, wiped down all the surfaces, and then gave it a bath.

So then last night I went over to my sister's house, and parked in the driveway. I left the windows down, since it was such a beautiful evening. I had a glass of wine and started watching The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy with her and my brother-in-law. At about 9 or so, we hear this horrible roaring noise coming from outside, indicative of the wind coming up to blow in true Wyoming fashion. I run outside to roll up the windows on the car, but I can't open the front door, as my brother-in-law is getting his butt kicked by the French doors at the other end of the living room leading onto the patio due to the vacuum inside of the house. Seems as though it was a microburst, but my 13 year old niece says otherwise, that it could have been an F-0 tornado! Yeah right!

Anyway, the interior of my car has a fresh coating of dust in it now, and it of course sprinkled just enough before the microburst to leave little spots all over my car... That's OK, it's only about 40 degrees out today, so it will probably snow! So much for my clean car huh?

Huh?

2006-04-20T22:29:00.000-06:00

So I was at the gym tonight, and I saw a dude wearing a pair of those ugly rubber crocs shoes that I see women wearing all the time. A dude. Yes, a dude. That's just wrong.

This one's for Mike

2006-03-19T21:42:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, I went out to CA to see my best friend get married to a wonderful woman. I've known him since fall of 1994 when we both had Skaggs' surveying class together at UW. We also had geology class together that semester as well. Mike and I had many classes toegether the next few years, but our last year of college, we had nearly all of our classes together. After college, he headed to SLC, and I headed to Indiana. Several years later we both wound up in the Bay Area, working for the same company. Mike still works for them, while I have moved on (several times!)

So here's to you my friend, to you and your new bride, we both know it was a long time coming...

Chop 'em up, and move 'em out...

2006-03-05T22:22:00.000-07:00

This afternoon, I was over seeing the family in Greybull. Dad and I went out to the airport since one of his clients was coming to get his airplane, as the annual inspection upon it was complete. After that was taken care of, we drove out to the storage ramp where a salvage crew is hard at work beginning to scrap some of the aircraft in the world famous former collection of the now defunct Hawkins & Powers Aviation. At this point, the things that have been ripped to shreds have been the planes that were too far gone to ever fly again... Several gutted Fairchild C-119 Boxcars (which is what the pile of rubble in the above picture was), several gutted Lockheed P2V-7 Neptunes, and a Lockheed P-3 Orion that had it's nacelles removed many years ago for a grand and ambitious project to retrofit a Neptune with the Allison T-56 Turbines from off of it... That project was never completed... I bet the "Turbine Neptune" will soon be meeting it's demise at the end of those pinchers on that Hyundai Trackhoe...

Big Ben

2006-03-04T13:53:00.000-07:00

This a Bucyrus Erie Drag Line, which was sitting Northeast of Evansville, Indiana, as of May 1999, when I took this photo. If you enlarge the picture, you can see a Steiger articulated tractor sitting behind the bucket... This thing was huge!

CB Tract

2006-03-04T13:42:00.000-07:00

Occidental Petroleum's Cathedral Buffs Oil Shale Project in Rio Blanco County Colorado - Better known as the CB Tract. OK, well, what's left of it at this point. I took this picture in January 2000. The main tower was 315 feet tall, and beneath if was a shaft 30' in diameter that went straight down 2600 feet. From off of this main shaft, there were many horizontal tunnels. I was told by several people that when the funding for this thing was cancelled, they got everyone out, and flipped the switches to the dewatering pumps, leaving behind all kinds of equipement deep inside the Earth. When I passed through the area in December 2005, the towers were gone...

Twitterpated: Part II

2006-03-03T22:14:00.000-07:00

Remember kids... You're not an animated fawn, therefore, use the word "twitterpated" with care. Don't use it carelessly unless you really mean it.

You're in my way cat!

2006-03-01T22:06:00.000-07:00

This is my little buddy, Berries... This is his favorite place to lounge... And, you guessed it, he only does this while I am doing something on the computer... I love the "what the hell are you looking at" look on his face... It's almost as good as his "if I could eat you, I would" look that he gives me every time I wake him up in the morning.

He'd be pissed if I got a new laptop or a flat screen monitor!

Get a real job!

2006-03-01T21:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight I was at Walmart doing my dreaded weekly shopping. When I got to the checkout, I wrote a check as I always do, but tonight it wanted to see my ID. Now, in spite of the fact that I have lived back here in Wyoming for a little over a year now, I still haven't gone to the DMV here and gotten my Wyoming Driver's License, I mean, hell, would these people understand how hard it would be to part with the one that I carry? How long I had to stand in line for it even though I had an appointment? What it took to pass the rider's portion of the Class M1?

Anyway, this snot nosed kid at the checkout who was conducting the transaction gave me a really funny look,

"No, I haven't made it down to the DMV yet."

"You're one of those Californians that come here an' make things skyrocket."

"No, I was from here to begin with, and I came back to the area for a job"

"I have to live in Powell, because I can't afford to live in Cody on a Walmart Job."

"I see..."

What I really wanted to tell this little turd was that he needed to quit whining and to get his ass some sort of education so that he wouldn't have to work a dead end low paying job at Walmart. But, I didn't. Sometimes I am too damned nice.

Pahaska

2006-02-28T23:58:00.000-07:00

I took these pictures up near Pahaska Teepee about a week or so ago. The lodge was built by Buffalo Bill Cody in 1904, it's about 2 miles from the East Entrance of Yellowstone.

Strange Sounds

2006-02-23T21:41:00.000-07:00

I recently discovered that after all of this time, I have a love hate relationship with country music. Usually that means that I love to hate it. Take for instance, when ever I am forced to listen to it, like when I get put on hold and the bastards on the other end make me listen to Garth Brooks, or when I walk into the gym and they are listening to country and I have to hear Randy Travis whining about something. If I am forced to listen to it, I don’t like it. If it’s on the radio, I don’t like it However… I do like some country, and I even have some of it in my iPod. There is some that is just classic, Johnny Cash, The Highwaymen, Glen Campbell, Jerry Reid, C.W. McCall… Yeah, stuff that I remember from my childhood… I also have discovered lately that I also really like that stuff that I used to hear Mom and Dad listening to on the good ol’ AM radio when I was little too… A couple of songs of particular interest are “It Never Rains in Southern California” by Albert Lamond and another song called “Moon Light Feels Right” by a band called Starbuck… Both have that bouncy 70’s kinda sound, but I don’t care, they sound good to me…

Twitterpated

2006-02-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Twitterpated

1)to be completely enamored with someone/something. 2) the flighty exciting feling you get when you think about/see the object of your affection. 3) romantically (ahem)excited (i.e.: aroused) 4) the ever increasing acceleration of heartbeat and body temperature as a result of being engulfed amidst the exhilaration and joy of being/having a romantic entity in someone's life.

Woo Hoo!

2006-02-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

I just found this little quiz on someone else's blog...

I'm a Porsche 911!

You have a classic style, but you're up-to-date with the latest technology. You're ambitious, competitive, and you love to win. Performance, precision, and prestige - you're one of the elite,and you know it.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

What happened?

2006-02-01T20:03:00.000-07:00

How did January get away from me so damned fast? And why haven't I been blogging? Damned good question, which has a damned pathetic answer. I have been a slacker!

Let's see here... New Year's Resolutions... I'm not doing very well on either one of those...

I haven't met any new people but that's probably my own damned fault since every time that I go to work out, they are playing country music at the Rec center, so I plug into my iPod immediately so I don't go nuts. Then, that puts you into your own little world and of course, every one knows how unapproachable people are who have head phones on, so not only am I in my own little world, but others are far less likely to interact with me as well...

Flying... No, I haven't gotten going on my Biennial Flight Review either. I haven't been near Spirit Mountain Aviation to get set up to go fly with their instructor in their old beast of a 172. But at the same time, the weather that we have been having here in the greater Cody area hasn't been conducive to flying aircraft that only have a demonstrated crosswind component of 15 knots either...

So, we are only one month into 2006, eleven months to go, during which, I know that I will make good on both of these resolutions...

I find myself increasingly amused by those new Geico commercials with that gecko that speaks with an English accent. Free pie and chips anyone?

Woo Hoo! Happy New Year!

2006-01-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

No partying for me this year, as I decided to fore go the local New Year's Eve Festivities in favor of a smoke-free evening at my sister's house in Greybull with the family. My oldest niece got an Xbox for Christmas, so I spent several hours playing Forza with her, my Dad, and my brother-in-law. What a game, my favorite track is the fictitious Maple Valley Raceway, and my favorite cars are the Merc C32 AMG, the Ferrari 360 Modena, and the #15 1999 BMW V12 LMR. We ran on my favorite real world track some too, Monterey's famous Mazda Laguna Seca Raceway. That hard left at the top of the hill to come down the Cork Screw is a bitch! But it sure is fun to watch from that vantage point in real life!

New Year's Resolutions

2005-12-30T21:55:00.000-07:00

It's that time of year again people, another year has passed, and a new one is upon us. How did that happen? Let's see here One year ago, I had just returned to California after having had a very successful job interview and job offer from my new (and now current) company and was beginning to prepare for the arduous task of preparing to move some 1200 miles here to Cody. The year 2004 was no picnic for me, and it wasn't going to take much for 2005 to be a much better year, so I didn't bother making any New Year's Resolutions outside of just having a successful move. The move was of course successful, even though getting my car to Wyoming proved to be somewhat of a fiasco. The transport company couldn't get their shit together so I wound up flying out to San Jose and picking it up, which was cool because when it came to Wyoming, the trunk was full of wine.

This year, I have decided to make a couple Resolutions.

1. Meet More People - Yesterday, I got myself a membership at the local recreation center, which is quite nice for a little town like Cody. The reason to join the rec center was not for the sole intention of getting into shape, but because since I have lived in Cody for nearly a year now, I have met only a few people outside of work. When I lived in that shitty little town in Indiana, I met a lot of interesting people at the rec center there who surprisingly weren't white trash like what comprised most of the population in that town. I figure that if I was able to meet some cool people in Washington Indiana, I should be able to do the same here.

2. Biennial Flight Review - It is time. I have to do it. I was looking at my log book the other day, and the last time that I put any solo time in there was on September 23, 2000. The last time that any dual time was put in was on November 2, 2002. (interestingly, that dual time was signed off by an old friend from college who is a professional pilot now, we flew a 2001 Cessna 182 that day, San Carlos to Watsonville and back, talk about a $250 burrito at Zuniga's) The last few trips that I have made to Western Colorado for work would only take about 2 ½ hours in a Cessna 172, as opposed to 9 hours of driving, so there is a good reason too. Yes! I can do that under Part 91.

So, there you have it. Two very good, very doable New Year's Resolutions. I will keep everyone posted on how I am coming on it.

Sometimes, I even amaze myself...

2005-12-28T20:49:00.000-07:00

An old friend of mine sent me a surprise Christmas Present that showed up yesterday... It's an Oshizishi Wooden Sushi Press. Basically it's a little wooden box that is shaped like a long rectangle that you use as a die for building a California Roll. Wow! Such a simple little thing! But oh the results... I made rolls utilizing sliced cucumber, carrot, and avacado. I also made some rolls with Philly Cream Cheese, and Smoked Salmon (Lox of course). Sometimes, I even amaze myself...

What a week...

2005-12-26T18:35:00.000-07:00

Last week I took a road trip to Colorado and Utah for work to visit a few the airports that we provide engineering and planning services for. On the way I checked on Rawlins WY (RWL), Craig CO (CAG), Meeker CO (EEO), Rangely CO (4V0) and Vernal UT (VEL). When I got to Craig last Monday afternoon, it was just beginning to snow, which wasn't a good thing since my reason for being there was to inspect and measure cracks in the asphalt pavement that comprises the apron there (the apron is the area where planes park and are usually tied down). Luckily the next morning it wasn't too terribly cold, and once the snow was plowed, what little was left behind on the ramp quickly melted away.

The visibility was poor that morning, and since the Yampa Valley Airport in Hayden (HDN) is only about 15 nautical miles away CAG, CAG gets used as an alternate quite often. After I got done going for a ride around the airport with the airport manager, a Piper Navajo came roaring in and a DHL truck sped up to it to transfer some packages. I was sitting inside of the FBO at this point, and in walked the pilot of the Navajo. He told me he diverted here because the visibility was 4 miles and at the same time was 1/2 mile and wish at Hayden. Freight Dogs (pilots who risk their lives flying dangerous single pilot IFR in airplanes that are demanding to operate all the while making not more than $15,000/year) are always interesting to talk to. These guys usually have a lot of time on their hands at odd times throughout the day, so they are usually very well read and up to date on the latest news of the day. That morning in about 5 minutes I learned all about corruption in city government in Chicago, as well as about the airline that had the Grumman Goose that crashed in Florida last week.

I also go to see an old friend in Rifle Colorado the other night. This fella was my flight instructor while I lived there, and we became good friends in spite of this! It was great to see him, and he said something to me that really meant a lot.

"You look a helluva lot better than the last time that I saw you."

The last time that Mark had seen me was about a year and a half ago while I was still living in San Jose, during the time when I was going through all of the BS with my exgirlfriend, as well as all of the other crap that was going on in my life at the time with work and my personal finances. Suffice it to say, I was a MISERABLE person. So, it was great to hear him say that to me.

Then the weather changed! All of our snow is gone! No White Christmas this year... In spite of that, Christmas was great. I made Christmas Eve Dinner at my Mom and Dad's house. I made a pot of Cioppino, which turned out pretty damned good. I even amaze myself sometimes!

Seven-Five-Eight-Quebec-November

2005-12-26T18:24:00.000-07:00

Seven-Five-Eight-Quebec-November is a 1980 Cessna R172K Hawk XP... It lives at the Craig-Moffat County Airport in Craig, Colorado... Word has it that she hasn't moved or flown in many years, which is a shame. The one thing that is hardest on an airplane above all else is to leave it sit. It is one thing to see an old Bonanza, or an old Cessna 310 sitting and rotting away on a ramp somewhere. That is at least understandable since it usually costs way more to bring some of those back up to airworthyness than they are worth. But to see this thing sitting and rotting brings a tear to one's eye, a Hawk XP is a serious mountain capable airplane, since it has a constant speed propeller and a Continental 195 HP IO-360 on it in place of the 160 HP Lycoming that a regular 172 of this vintage would have had on it. From what I was told, the owner is some obstinate son-of-a-bitch who lost his medical years ago, but yet won't sell it. People like that make me sick.

You get what you pay for!

2005-12-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday evening, I made the trip back up to Billings to pick up my new suit. I could have waited until Saturday, but since I intend to wear said suit that evening at a Holiday Extravaganza, I decided that I would just get the trip overwith that night instead of rolling the dice on the weather. After I collected the suit from Dillard's, I decided to go check out the other sushi house in Billings, Na Ra Sushi. It's a simple little place in what I am sure is a remodeled gas station by it's general location, the size and layout of the parking lot and the location of the restroom within the restaraunt. I sat at the bar, which I think is wise in a sushi bar being 1200 miles from the ocean, that way you can see the fish that they are serving right in front of you. I ordered Maguro, Hamachi, and a Philadelphia roll. The peices of Nigiri were huge! Both the Maguro and Hamachi were almost a little more than a mouthful. (Mind you it is considered very very bad etiquitte in a Japanese restaraunt to not put the entire peice in your mouth). The Maguro was perfect, very fresh and it had that beautiful deep maroon color to it. The Hamachi was, well, it was edible. I have definitely on the edge, with a little bit of a fishy taste to it. Now one thing that has always amazed me about sushi grade fish is that it lacks the fishy smell and taste that normally accompanies fresh raw fish. Hamachi always has a little. This had more than usual! The Philidelphia roll, well usually when most places put out a Philidelphia roll, it's rice, seaweed paper, Philly cream cheese and good smoked salmon like lox that you would put on a bagel. Well not at this place... Rice, seaweed paper, cucumber, and smoked salmon. Smoked salmon sliced from a salmon steak... It was very disappointing... Edible however, but disappointing... It was a little cheaper than the other place downtown, but with sushi, you get what you pay for! You know where I will go next time!

Comparing Dollars TO Tin Donuts...

2005-12-15T12:22:00.000-07:00

My previous post has garnered quite the attention, and has caused me to think about it a bit more... Because at first thought, what comes to my mind when I think of differential speed limits is I-5, those long lines of cars trying to pass the trucks that are going slower. But when you start really thinking about it, as my good friend has pointed out, you can't compare the two. While the amount of traffic on I-80 is great compared to what is on US 14 between Cody and Sheridan, or on the road between Cody and Billings, it is still no where near what is going through the system there in the Golden State. I have looked over all kinds of data recently comparing traffic counts between Wyoming and California, and to be honest, it is like comparing a row boat to the luxury liner Queen Elizabeth the Second. Here are some good order of magnitude type numbers, they aren't exact, but the order of magnitude is what is important.

Population of CA: Roughly 34,000,000
Population of WY: Roughly 480,000

CA average vehicle per lane mile: Roughly 800,000
WY average vehicle per lane mile: Roughly 300

See what I mean? Can't compare it. Doesn't make sense to. I have only made myself look like an arrogant idiot by trying to relate the two. But, I am a big enough man to take a step back and look at something from the other direction.

If I had stopped to think about it a bit more before writing about it, I probably would have written that differently, or quite possibly only written about the parking structure at UW. Even if trucks are going slower, there still aren't enough of them to impede the rest of the traffic through Wyoming. It will undoubtedly make things safer, by only increasing the time to traverse the state about an hour. Small price to pay for a little bit of extra safety for everyone. I'll admit it, I drive too fast sometimes, I try to do it only when it is safe to do so, but the fact of the matter still remains, slower speeds are safer. Like it or not... (and as a driver of a BMW, I don't like it, but there isn't anything that I can do about it, but come to the harsh realization that I too should slow down)

As for the city councilman in Laramie, I think I know why he has the position he does on this subject. During the summer of 2004, there was a terrible pile up on I-80 between Laramie and Cheyenne that claimed many lives and hurt a lot of people. The pile up was so terrible that there are people that are still unaccounted for, meaning that they burned up in the fires that ensued after the accident. That section of I-80 was closed for several days while the mess was removed and the investigation was conducted. I am not sure what the actual outcome was, but the fog and limited visibility was definitely the major contributing factor. This scared a lot of people thoughout the area when it happened, and I can see why they would be for lower speed limts for trucks. So I take back what I said about the councilman being an effing idiot.

The bottom line is this everyone, I am not anti-trucker, I am not pro-trucker, I just want everyone to be able to make it home at the end of their trip.

Dollars to Tin Donuts I tell you!

2005-12-12T20:34:00.000-07:00

I read in the paper this morning that there is a City Councilman in Laramie, Wyoming who is urging state lawmakers to lower the speed limit for semi-trucks on state highways. This Effing Idiot has obviously never driven Interstate 5 in California between Sacramento and Los Angeles. California has different speed limits for trucks and cars, and not only does it increase the congestion, but in my opinion, it makes the likely hood of dangerous and deadly vehicular intercourse far, far greater. This bill has already been tried once before, but thankfully, the Wyoming Department of Transportation and the Wyoming Trucking Association were able to keep it from happening. The Federal Highway Administration says that there isn't any difference in accident rates between states that have differential speed limits and those that do not. But let's look at it this way though, we have all been out there on the roads lately, and road rage isn't going away, I only see it getting worse. It's even happening in rural Wyoming. Some of the worst road rage I have seen has been on I-5, and what contributed? Long lines of cars trying to pass trucks that's what. Of course in California, people don't understand that the number one (left) lane is for passing and not for traveling in when you leave an urban area. Lowering the speed limit for trucks will only contribute to road rage, which makes the road more unsafe for everyone, because lets face it, some people out there, well, their heads aren't on straight when it comes to such things.

While I am talking about something that is related to Laramie, I gotta bring up the new Parking Structure that MUST BE BUILT at the University of Wyoming. It's been a long time coming, and the time is now, it will only become more expensive to build it the longer they wait. Governor Freudenthal is even pushing hard for it, he knows that's it's time to put up of shut up, as they have been trying to get it done for the last 20 years. The state finally has the money to do it, and it will only enhance the University environment. They keep talking about how they want to be a big time University, it's time to act like it! Face your problems and fix them! Parking can have only gotten worse since I graduated in 1998. They keep talking about student retention at UW, and how they need to do better. Laramie is a brutal place to live, to say the weather there is terrible is being nice. To say that there isn't much to do in Laramie is an understatement. Well, the way that I see it, they get all of these kids to go there, then they have to deal with those factors, and then on top of that, the parking sucks, I mean really sucks! I'd rather try finding a parking spot in San Francisco! All of these factors together, well, it makes you think about why you are really there. For me, well, I couldn't afford to go anywhere else, and to be honest, the UW College of Engineering is a good school (I put us ahead of the diploma factories in Palo Alto, CA and Lafayette, IN, yes, I am talking about Stanford and Purdue), so that is what kept me there. But what if your Mom and Dad have the $$$$ and you are in the College of Business or, GASP, getting an A&S degree there?? It would be damned tough to stick around. I have read that the new structure will be built on the site where the old Ivinson Hospital is located. Good! Get rid of it! Historical my ass! While they're at it, let them finish demolishing what's left of Fraternity Row. No one will really miss what's left over there. I'd bet Dollars to Tin Donuts that the previously mention city councilman is probably one of the ones who is opposed to this new structure. Dollars to Tin Donuts I tell you!

Time to do the other one...

2005-12-11T20:07:00.000-07:00

Years ago (OK, it was 9 years), when my Fraternity closed it's doors, I rescued a set of speakers and a receiver from the bar room. The receiver is a really nice Sony ES series that was made in the way early 90's before the advent of surround sound. Sometimes I wonder where it came from, and if it was obtained through honest means... The speakers, I know for certain, were. We picked them up from this stereo shop in downtown Laramie, they were used, and they had been in their basement for who knows how long. We built these monstrous shelves to set these speakers on up high so that it would be tough for a some marauder to come in and swipe them (a common occurrence in the Greek system). The shelves had to be beefy, because these speakers speakers are heavy, they're Bose 501's built in 1977. Recently, the right one started making funny noises, and couldn't produce bass without reverberating horribly. So I hopped online to see if I could come up with a new driver for it. What I discovered, was something that as Johnny Carson would say "I did not know that!" You can get a kit to re-edge a speaker, as the foam edging between the cone and the frame is what wears out. I took it apart, and sure enough the edging was completely crumbled. I cleaned it all up, glued the new one in, put it back together, and it sounds great!!! Not bad for speakers that are nearly as old as I am! Now I can piss of the neighbors by playing Vivaldi's Four Seasons or some Blue Six or some Sinatra or U2 or Big Audio Dynamite or Felix Da Housecat at high volume once again! Time to do the other one...

Red Truck

2005-12-10T22:41:00.000-07:00

Red Truck - you can't go wrong with a wine that has an old International Truck on the label. Binders kick ass.

I'll be back!

2005-12-10T19:57:00.000-07:00

Today, I decided to take a road trip to Billings to finish off my Christmas shopping and to purchase myself a new suit. My old suit... I got it in 1997, the semester that I was doing my senior design project. I used to be deathly afraid of talking in front of large groups of people, and I figured at the time if I had a new suit to wear the day of the design presentation, it would make me feel better and not be as nervous. It worked! December 9, 1997 myself and the 3 other members of my design team made our presentation to some architects, engineers, and the owner of the project. Design Symposiums were also being held that same day for Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical, Architectural and of course Civil Engineering (hey that's me!), so there were of course many other engineering students there. My best friend was also in the audience that day. He's a good man.

It was all down hill from that day forward with the ending of my college career. Finals were NOTHING compared to having that presentation out of the way, even though my team didn't win the presentation. (another team was selected, who knew nothing about designing curtain walls, but put together a better presentation, their design sucked and their lead guy couldn't answer any questions about it, further more, that idiot was dumbfounded as to why it was important, that poser may have his Master's now, but I know that I am a better engineer than he will ever be). However, I did get an A on my Senior Design Project. What was it you may ask? It was a warehouse expansion for Sierra Trading Post. To this day, I have a hard time spending my money with them, since this project kept me awake at night.

I digress, back to shopping and my trip. It's funny, when I lived in the Bay Area, people driving BMW's were usually the asshole drivers. In fact, one day, my good friend, the one who was there the day of my senior design presentation, and I were test driving a used 99 323i at Stevens Creek BMW, the salesman who went with us, well, he was quite proud of the Asshole Driver BMW stereotype. However, in this part of the world, the preferred automobile of the Asshole Idiot Driver is the Pontiac Grand Prix. If someone does something stupid, or passes when they shouldn't or puts the traveling public's life in danger, chances are they are driving a Pontiac Grand Prix, with the fog lights on of course, because that's cool don't ya know. I had one such encounter this morning (and of course the car had Wyoming County 9 license plates). Don't get me wrong now, not everyone who drives a Grand Prix is an idiot, because here, as in California, or Colorado, or Indiana, or Idaho, or anywhere else I have been, there is plenty if stupidness to go around! OK, and I am not perfect either. >:-)

I got fitted up for a nice new suit at Dillard's, which is dark, dark, dark blue. I also purchased a purple shirt and a red tie to go with it. Woo Hoo! Then I of course had to go to Cost Plus to pick up a few bottles of vino. Red Truck, Ravenswood Zin, and a surprisingly, they had Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Dry Riesling. Bonny Doon is a vineyard in Santa Cruz, just over the hill from where I used to live. Oh yeah! Right next to the Rimrock mall, there is a Cadillac dealer, they had a red CTS-V on the lot. I stopped to check it out. You know, as much as I love BMW and most European cars (except Audi and Saab, they both suck IMHO), I really like the new Cadillac's, they have come back from the dead in the last few years and brought out some really sweet new cars. The CTS has really grown on me, and the new STS is REEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAALLLLLY sweet. It's good to see them getting the picture and going back to rear wheel drive. Anyway, the CTS-V is a CTS with a 400 horse power LS2 6.0 litre V8, similar to what is in a Corvette, only available with a 6 speed manual transmission, the way it should be for such a performance car. Who would have thought? Using the word Cadillac and the word "performance" in the same sentence. GM, in spite of failing miserably with cars among their other marques (except the Corvette of course), is getting it right with Cadillac. They are the only one of the US auto makers that can even hope to contend with BMW, Mercedes Benz, Lexus, Infiniti and Jaguar. Lincoln is an effing joke. There was hope in 1999 when they intorduced the LS, but they didn't improve upon it. There was hope when it was available with a 5 speed, but of course, they only put the Getrag 5 speed behind the V6 that was available in the car, as one magazine put it, the V6 that was put in the LS was like asking a boy to do a man's work. Lincoln, in typical Ford (and US automaker fashion for that matter) fashion put all of their R&D into SUV's, and let the LS get stale. I have read that it will be put out of it's misery very soon, since they have introduced, GASP, an all new car called the Zephyr, with the Detroit mandated boring doesn't handle for shit front wheel drive. It's 1988 all over again! I know, I know, they brainwashed everyone into believing that front wheel drive was better for winter conditions, but a modern rear wheel drive car that has stability control and a good set of tires on it will feed a front driver it's lunch. You know there was a time when I was a die hard Ford man. It's true, I was. I also really hated GM for a long time. I mean I reeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaaally hated GM. But now, I see the US automakers on a more level field, and I put Diamler-Chrysler and GM way above Ford. Chrysler is out there kicking ass with it's new LX cars, the 300C, the Magnum, and the Charger. But what has Ford got? A new Mustang that they decided to leave the independent rear suspension out of? Something is wrong when Ford puts independent rear suspension under the rear end of the POS Explorer, but won't do it to the Mustang. Sure, it sells like hotcakes, but they're not going to get guys like me out of their BMW's and G35's and CTS's and CLK's with a car that has a solid rear axle in 2005. Hell, the Thunderbird and Cougar got independent rear suspension back in 1989, why can't a 21st Century Mustang have it?? Bill, I hope you read this, so that you know that one more of your former faithful is not happy with the Blue Oval, and will not be back.

Food! I went to lunch at this place in downtown Billings called Sweet Ginger. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Sushi! It's quite a bit more expensive than it was out in CA, but that's to be expected since they have to fly the sushi grade fish in. I had Sake, Maguro, and a smoked salmon roll, washed down by a Saporo. Damn that was good. $30 for lunch... You can't go wrong. I'll be back!