"There's folly and foolhardiness on one side and daring and calculation on the other."

Another "What trumps paddling post..."

2008-09-02T15:20:00.000-07:00

I spent from August 28 through September 1 in Omaha and KC. I saw my favorite band, Gaelic Storm, three nights in a row and attended the KC Irish Fest through the Labor Day Weekend. It was a blast! The best bands were by far GS, The Elders, and Scythian. I also really enjoyed the Wild Clover Band, The Barra MacNeils, and Pogey. What the heck it was all great. I may have built Enter The Haggis up too much in my head, but I still enjoyed their show. Some video clips from the weekend:

Bad Haggis

The Barra MacNeils

Damien Dempsey performing Rocky Road To Dublin

The Elders

The Elders with a dancer.

The Elders with Enter The Haggis

The Elders with pipers.

Enter The Haggis

Gaelic Storm

Gaelic Storm - The Night I Punched Russell Crowe

Gaelic Storm with dancers

Gaelic Storm's Ryan Lacey

Gaelic Storm - Lover's Wreck

Gaelic Storm - Mechanical Bull

GS - What's The Rumpus

GS - Slim Jim and the Seven Eleven Girl

Pogey - Excursion Around The Bay

Pogey - Walk With Me

Pogey - What I want

Scythian.

Wild Clover Band... I found a Moore Street Girl!

And she had a friend...

Slideshow of some pictures:

What trump's paddling?

2008-09-02T15:19:00.000-07:00

I did not get any paddling in this weekend. Though I do have some pictures on my hard drive from the past week or so that I still need to post sometime. But what trumped paddling this weekend, you ask? The Minnesota Irish Fair in Saint Paul, Minnesota! Great music, great times, great fun! Some examples of bands performing music: Flogging Molly, Wild Colonial Bhoys, Scythian, and The Elders. Also, I ran the 5k there on Saturday and posted my second sub 22 minute time this summer.

Scythian playing Devil Went Down To Georgia on Friday evening.

Scythian playing Cubicles and Tylenol on Friday evening.

Flogging Molly playing Rebels of the Sacred Heart on Friday night.

Flogging Molly playing Devil's Dance Floor on Friday night.

Wild Colonial Bhoys @ the Crossroads Stage on Friday night.

Crowd getting down to Wild Colonial Bhoys @ Crossroads Stage Friday night.

Ring of Kerry playing Rocky Road To Dublin.

Wild Colonial Bhoys @ Main Stage Saturday evening

The Elders and dizziness.

A friend of mine crowd surfing during Flogging Molly Saturday night. The security people failed to catch him, but he is fine.

How to lighten a crowd @ a Flogging Molly concert.

Flogging Molly on Saturday night. (Requiem for a dying soul)

McKinnis' Kitchen playing Lukey @ the Gateway Stage on Sunday.

The Fuschia Band and a song about playing a trick on a piper.

The Elders playing Sunday evening.

Water Drum!

The Elders playing Racing the Tide.

The Elders and the lovely Finnegan's Girls.

Scattering Set

After the festivities on Sunday, my friends and I went up to The Liffey (two of us were staying at the Holiday Inn in the same building) for supper and we enjoyed some bands playing until midnight. I even managed to ride in the elevator with the Elders.

Picture Slide Show:

PiratesoftheMissouri.com

2008-04-17T18:59:00.000-07:00

I have just setup a new blog for my future paddling posts at my domain: http://www.piratesofthemissouri.com

This blog will be dedicated to all other posts... which tends to be concerts any more ;)

La Framboise Island Circumnavigation

2008-04-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

As expected I went kayaking this afternoon. Today I circumnavigated La Framboise Island. The total cruise length was 6.0 miles.
As you can tell from my map I ventured through the inlet to get in between the island proper and the sandbar.

"Inlet"

North end of "Inlet"

A duck taking flight.

Bad River Expedition

2008-04-13T05:28:00.001-07:00

Despite winds gusting in excess of 20mph (I think the gusts were close to 30, but I am not sure), I went out kayaking yesterday. I put in at the mouth of the Bad River and paddled upstream to minimize the affect of the wind on me.
The distance totaled 5.4 miles and, as you can see from the map, nearly reached the first Ft Pierre swimming hole (sewage lagoon). The point I chose to turn around at is the lone rapid on the Bad River. Not really much of a rapid but oh well.
I could not get any closer to the rapid because the water was too shallow. Had I portaged around this point, I don't think I would have found much more water further upstream either. By July, I probably won't even be able to make it this far.

Well, I better be getting ready for church; I will be going paddling later today though I am not sure where at yet.

Pierre Kayak Club Debut

2008-04-06T04:52:00.001-07:00

The debut paddle for the Pierre Kayak Club went well. Or at least it was the first paddle I participated in. Since I am the third member, I am not sure if it can be considered a club before me ;)

I ended up paddling about 7.5 miles yesterday and it felt great!
I got some good shots of the pelicans.
And Scruff is starting to work on his kayak barnstormer routine.
Thanks to J_T_Adler, the founder of the Pierre Kayak Club, we have proof of three kayaks being out on Saturday!

Second Paddle of 2008... with pics!

2008-04-04T18:29:00.000-07:00

I went out kayaking for the second time in 2008 this evening and I even have pictures this time!

The red path is my paddle from yesterday (2.6 miles) and the yellow is from this evening (3.5 miles).

Scruffy looking around for a ship to board ;)

Scruff taking a brief nap while enjoying the sun.

Taking a break on shore.

A shot of my kayak with it's spiffy new splash deck alongside my dog and first mate, Scruffy.

First Paddle of 2008.

2008-04-03T18:06:00.000-07:00

Went out paddling today. I didn't take my camera, but I did try out my new splash deck and it worked well.

Saint Patrick's Day 2008

2008-03-18T15:24:00.000-07:00

Well, I spent St Patrick's Day in Minneapolis and it was a great time. I don't have many (any?) readers and most of you were invited along but everyone except one could not attend. So I'll try to show what you missed. Simply put, a friend and I spent the day between Kieran's, O'Donovan's, and the Guthrie Theater.

I don't recall the names of all the groups we saw, but a quick highlight of my favorites: McInnis' Kitchen, Alicia Corbett, The Wild Colonial Bhoys. The Brian Boru Pipe Band made an appearance at many locations across the city and we caught them at O'Donovan's. The top reason for choosing Minneapolis was that Gaelic Storm was playing at the Guthrie Theater that night. I have to say, the Guthrie is the single coolest theater I have ever been in. No such thing as a bad seat there!

Next up, a slide show of pictures I took yesterday.

And finally, as I am known for taking videos at concerts... or my camera is known for being decent at video clips, some videos I uploaded to youtube.

Review for Jumper

2008-03-14T21:02:00.000-07:00

Damn good movie. They rushed it a bit and it might be a little confusing without reading all three books (for the general idea(s)) but it was entertaining and enjoyable. Once again I laugh in the face of the so-called critics ;)

THE AWSOMEST SUMMER

2008-03-13T03:35:00.001-07:00

I will dare to make a prediction for this summer. Last summer was great but this summer will blast it away. The greatness can't even wait for summer! This Sunday I am heading to Minneapolis to spend St Patrick's Day listening to Gaelic Storm and The Wild Colonial Bhoys, among other local bands. I do pl;an to meet up with a college friend (though he does not blog) while I am up there. In May, I'll be traveling to Texas with my family to visit grandparents. I also will be attending a wedding in Deposit, NY and then taking in NYC while I am there. I am sure I'll find many a concert to go to, as well as, weekend paddling opportunities. FYI, I believe the Clumsy Lovers are in Minneapolis sometime this summer. My whitewater trip might get postponed due to the combination of Texas and NY. Though if I can get it done over a weekend (maybe take a half day on a Friday) I'll go through with it. There are many more things I could mention, but I'll wait until closer to time.

This summer is going to be LEGEN... wait for it... DARY!

Revenge is Damp

2008-03-09T16:54:00.000-07:00

Apparently I am trying the forward by reverse method of improving my Sea3d rank, but that is not the point of this post. Yesterday I ventured into my local library, I ended up checking out a book called A Dog's Life. So far this is a hilarious book... at least for me (a dog person). It is written from the perspective of the author's adopted dog. So far the best quote is "Revenge is damp." I recommend this book to anyone that considers themselves a dog person.

Back to Sea3d

2008-03-08T07:38:00.000-08:00

It really is too bad I was born in the 20th century. I should have been born when much of the world was unexplored... primarily the age of sail. I bring this up not just because of my skills in the outdoors but because I have returned to playing Sea3d after close to 6 mos. absence. Sea3d is an online free version of Settlers of Catan. I consider myself to be quite good (and a little lucky) at the game. My highest rank on the site was 198 in October 2006 (std 4 player) and I am now trying work back to it from 430. To give a little insight to the ranks, there are 1,960 active players.

EDITED TO ADD: At 8:34 tonight I am at rank 378.

To One Great Week!

2008-03-06T17:55:00.000-08:00

This has been a great week for me. Lately I have been getting bored and tired of my job, but this week I managed to find new energy for my job and the week went by quickly. The greatness is because I have discovered two new groups in Pierre that could provide me with much entertainment and fun in the near future.

Pierre Young Professionals had a social tonight to kickoff this new group. Apparently the founders doubted what there turnout would be, but it seemed great. We had to move to a larger building nearby for more space!

Thanks to the launch of the new SDCKA blog, I now know about the Pierre Kayak Club. Like I said it has been a good week. There was another great thing, but I will refrain from mentioning it specifically so as not to jinx it ;)

Life is Good, Life is Great, Life is Grand!

Kayaking is sexy...

2008-03-01T09:01:00.000-08:00

Kayaking is sexy, how else does this older gentleman score this entourage?

(Photo courtesy of Canoe & Kayak magazine)

Just hasn't worked for me... yet ;)

Life is good, life is great, life is grand!

2008-02-29T16:35:00.000-08:00

My Fav Youtube Videos

2008-02-26T04:07:00.000-08:00

I can't let foolhardiness die... this blog will continue strong (somehow I am re-motivated to blog). Here are the youtube videos that I have favorited:

too many wants, not enough greenbacks

2008-02-25T18:44:00.001-08:00

There are many things I am currently looking at getting, but I need to prioritize. This blog entry is more for myself than anyone else.

My pickup is missing two wheel caps and I found a better deal than the Chevrolet dealer in town.($35/ea.)
I also would like to get a cradle to attach to my rack to protect my kayak better. ($120 for either set)
Either $500 to have a spray-in liner put into my pickup bed or a $100 for a kit to do it myself (a lot of work though).
$950 for anoth er kayak

I also would like to get myself a 42" LCD TV but I have a CD that I have called my new TV fund that is going to mature in 6 months (though I have rolled it over twice already).

I don't think the government should be handing out these refunds but I am not about to send mine back either. Instead of sticking in the bank for my ever dropping interest rates maybe I'll put it towards some of these items!

Conspirators Start Your Engines!

2008-02-18T15:37:00.000-08:00

Now this could be interesting...

I have my canary...

2008-02-18T03:38:00.000-08:00

I haven't been blogging much lately because I haven't had much to share with the online community. But before I share anything today, I first need to explain yesterday's post.

My friend, Cutler, met Julia through eHarmony this last fall (I think) and they are now engaged. This is the best advertising for eHarmony; now those that know either Cutler or Julia have an proof that it can succeed. That is why I decided to join eHarmony a couple of weeks ago. I have already found a couple of young women that I am interested in and have began to send emails through eHarmony. Will I have the same luck as Cutler? Time will tell, but it is easier than trying to figure out who is single in the bars! (well assuming everyone is honest on eHarmony, but I'd imagine the cost minimizes falsehoods)

Recipe for a Great Saturday

2008-02-16T23:43:00.000-08:00

Get up at 5AM.
Coffee Up and Shower.
Head to RC.
Dunn Brothers Irish Cream Latte
Breakfast and coffee with Cutler and Julia at IHOP.
Few minor errands, Phoenix To Go, head back to Pierre (one last coffee from Dunn Brothers).
Scrumptious General Tsao's Chicken for supper.
Judd Hoos show at the Longbranch (downtown Pierre).
Back home at 1:30AM (technically Sunday).
Send email about recipe for a great Saturday ;)
Realize there are still two days left in this three day weekend! Oh wait, none of you are privileged government employees ;)

Time to "get re-psyched"

2008-02-11T04:25:00.000-08:00

I really need to get re-psyched about blogging. So a week or two ago, I did something I have not done since before college (maybe even high school). I went exploring much like my wanderings in Yakima. I chose the hill behind my apartment, the public library, and the YMCA.

As you can see the Cultural Heritage Center is built into the hillside! I've always been very impressed with this structure.

Also, I was finally took the time to change a few lyrics to the Big and Rich song Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy:

(Intro)
DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAAAAA
DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DE-DUM-DE-DE-DUM, DE-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAA-DAAAA!

Well, I walk into the room
Passing out Spanish pieces of eight
And it kills and it thrills like the masthead on my Sloop bow
And I buy the bar a double round of rum
And everybody's getting down
An' this town ain't never gonna be the same.

(Chorus:)
Cause I batten down my hatches
And I sail into the city
I make a lot of noise
Cause the girls
They are so pretty
Paddling ashore
In my old kayak Leroy
And the girls say
Save a boat, Sail a pirate.
Everybody says
Save a boat, Sail a pirate

Well I don't give a dang about nothing
I'm singing and Bling- Blanging
While the girls are drinking
Long necks down!
And I wouldn't trade ol' Leroy
Or my Sloop for your Escalade
Or your freak parade
I'm the only Blackbeard left in this town

(Chorus:)

(Spoken:)
I'm a frigate
That's what she said
In the bottom of my sloop hold
As I was gettin' buzzed on suds
Out on some empty blue sea.
We where flying high
Fine as wine, having ourselves a big and rich time
And I was going, just about as far as she'd let me go.
But her evaluation
Of my pirate reputation
Had me begging for salvation
All night long
So I took her out giggin frogs
Introduced her to my old island parrot
And sang her every Bilge Pump song I could think of

And we made love
(Chorus:)

What? What?
Save A Boat Sail A Pirate
Everybody says
Save a Boat Sail a Pirate.

A friend told me, "You sir have earned a place in the Club of Awesome Parodiers, wherever they are."

I replied, "So, Weird Al's basement?" Cletus T Judd might be a better fit ;)

A sad day for adventure seekers....

2008-01-12T05:57:00.000-08:00

Edmund Hillary died yesterday. To commemorate his passing I propose that everyone find the tallest point within your town, go to the top, and reflect upon living life to the fullest and the great outdoors ;)

No Fear

2007-12-29T12:06:00.000-08:00

and I don't mean the formerly popular line of t-shirts...

Pirate Motivational Poster

2007-12-29T09:35:00.001-08:00

It also works for criminal organizations with spiffy t-shirts ;)

An unusual gift

2007-12-25T15:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I've had a great Christmas, but before I retire to the couch to pass out watching TV I'd like to share with everyone the most unexpected gift I received this year... a ship's wheel! Most of you know I have always been fond of all things nautical (in terms of the age of sail). Well apparently my parents tried to get me one for my college graduation but the local antique store wanted a considerable amount for it. Well, apparently, the store had a few different ones this year and reduced the asking price considerably (actually, I think the first one they saw was considerably larger). But without further ramblings, here it is:
Now I just need a house so that I can hang it properly (my apt only allows me to hang stuff with finishing nails)... or a ship for it ;)

A New Fav TV Show?

2007-12-21T22:09:00.000-08:00

...time will tell, but so far so good ;)

Epic Conditions

Upcoming episodes on The Weather Channel (times in Mnt)

Cobloggeration

2007-12-21T19:34:00.000-08:00

Well, I owe someone an ode to cobloggeration ;)

New Hobby

2007-12-21T03:41:00.000-08:00

Well, I have just started on a new hobby. I am starting to get into home roasting coffee. I am very near the stage of coffee connoisseur as my friend, Cutler. A video of my roaster in action:

I could have gone the way of roasting with a hot air popcorn popper but the company I ordered this from through in 10 pounds of "green" coffee beans for free.

A couple of roasts I have already done:
I roasted some beans from Java to what I believe is a Full City Plus and some Ethiopian beans to what I believe is City.I know most of you aren't coffee drinkers but everyone is welcome to come over for a cup :)

The Past Month

2007-12-12T17:32:00.000-08:00

I have hit an all time low! It has been over a month since I last blogged :( I could easily blame a friend from discontinuing his blog, but I will take it upon myself.

What have I been up to that kept me from blogging? I am not even sure, but I am going to do my best to recall it.

I went to see American Gangster. As with every Russel Crowe movie I have seen, which is nearly all Russel Crowe movies, it was great. Afterwards I concluded that Crowe and Denzel Washington are two of the best, if not THE BEST, actors. When I watch them, I am not reminded of any of their previous characters. There are many actors that I cannot say that about. I'll give it a rating of DOMINATING.

Over Thanksgiving weekend, I tried to get a few friends to stop by Pierre to hang, but three of the four couldn't make it. So I revealed the greatness of The Big Bang Theory to my friend from Cedar Rapids, IA.

This last weekend I saw The Golden Compass. I suspect that some of the statements made by the author of the novel were for publicity purposes. As I have heard stated before, 'there is no such ting as bad publicity.' After watching the movie (and note that it is supposed to be 'toned down' from the novel), I got the impression that it is about free will. The title characters are fighting a totalitarian government. From what I understand, the novel has them fighting a false church... much like Breath of Fire 2! Either way, it topped the American and British box offices. Though, if I want to know how the story ends, MTV says I'll have to read the books. I'm catholic, but I in no way feel that I am strong in my faith. I go to church regularly and I believe in most Christian preachings, but I fail to see the problem with this story. But enough of that. You would think that I might rate this as godlike, but it wasn't quite that good. I'll have to give it a DOMINATING as well.

In music news, the alluring Andrea Lewis of The Clumsy Lovers has left the band to have her baby. I wish her a great and wonderful life... and maybe not so clumsy love ;) The fans will certainly miss her. And from the newsletter email:

PARTING IS SUCH SWEET SORROW

It's with sadness and excitement that we announce Andrea, our long-time (try
forever) fiddler, is pregnant and has stopped touring. Sadness, because we
have played with her so long, and because she is the most consistently
dynamic performer I've ever seen, and because we all have so much shared
history and so much admiration and respect, and because she's irreplaceable,
professionally and personally.

But excitement, cause we are so happy for her and excited for her coming
arrival, and cause it feels like the right thing for her. Change is scary,
but it's inevitable, and ultimately good. It is gonna be strange, tho.

MEET THE NEW KIDS

So, then, what now? We are thrilled to be joined by not one, but two,
fiddlers. Rebecca Smith and Trent Freeman are both amazing talents. In the
course of the audition process we just couldn't force ourselves to choose
between the two of them, so we decided to try both. That first moment in
the rehearsal room when we heard those twin fiddles cranking we knew we'd
hit paydirt (and that it was a brilliant decision, of course, not a happy
accident). They've been working hard to learn the repertoire (we never
realize how many songs we have until we try to teach them to somebody it's
a truly ridiculous number), and been doing a great job. But the real
excitement is in new material we're working on, and in the new sounds that
come out of the twin fiddles (Trent also plays mandolin and guitar, and
we'll undoubtedly get to utilizing that, but right now we're having too fun
much hearing them both fiddle). It's truly a very high point in band
history in terms of excitement to jam and develop new material and see where
the music heads. We are beyond optimistic.

Of course, there's still gonna be a transition period, and again looking at
the sheer amount of material to be learned we know there'll be some rough
spots. But even that can be kind of fun (even if it makes you sweat, like,
a lot). Overall, we just simply cannot wait to see where things go. Make
sure you come out to the shows, say hello to the newbies, and watch the band
grow right before your eyes.

We'll have more info about the new fiddlers in the next newsletter, when
after a month on the road we'll know a lot more about them (like, say,
whether they can survive a month on the road!)

From the Gaelic Storm newsletter I learned of great news:

Yes, it's true...Gaelic Storm has been hard at work writing new songs and will begin recording tracks for a new album this month!

A release date has not been set yet, but stay tuned and we should have more details in the new year. All we know at this point is the band is incredibly excited about the new material and can't wait to start playing some of the new songs on the road.

So, listen for new songs at shows beginning in 2008!

I do have a new CD that most of you should find enjoyable. Rootstomp Volume 1. It calls itself "a cross-section of contemporary celtic music." If future volumes contain the likes of Gaelic Storm, Great Big Sea, and Natalie MacMaster, then there is no doubt that it is a correct statement. Either way it is a great CD.

This coming weekend I plan on seeing I Am Legend... seems like a page out of The Twilight Zone ;)

I think that is enough for tonight... hopefully I can continue it more regularly.

'yakin'

2007-10-30T03:42:00.001-07:00

I have been out kayaking 6 times this October including yesterday when the temp broke 70. I even took an hour off of work to make the most of the opportunity!

Smooth as the other side of the pillow!

Ducks

Not the Deadwood that most think of ;)

It's a bird...

It's a plane...

No, it's a "Powered Parachute"!

Captain, First Mate, hat band, and a gold coin!

2007-10-28T06:00:00.001-07:00

A siamese twin pirate?! Captain and first mate! ;)

My monitor is adorned with pirate decor; only thing missing is treasure!
My straw hat that I have been wearing to paddle is falling apart (what do I expect from a $5 Wal-mart hat!), so I placed the Hawaiian-esque hat band on my tri-corner hat!

A small piece of treasure, cleverly ucked away in the hat band!

In The News

2007-10-25T17:06:00.000-07:00

Hard Hat Area

Setting An Example

EDITED TO ADD: The Office of Highway Safety director resigned. Also, remember he is part of the Dept of Public Safety not the DOT... just had to protect my dept. ;)

from an ASCE email...

2007-10-25T03:39:00.000-07:00

Curious George Takes on Civil Engineering with ASCE

With help from ASCE, Curious George is bringing civil engineering to students in grades K-1! ASCE has joined Universal Studios and Scholastic Inc. in developing educational materials that introduce engineering design concepts to students in grades K-1. Engineers and educators now have access to reproducible lesson plans that supplement a series of televised Curious George shows. Activities have been designed to reinforce objects and concepts familiar to little ones who want to “Become a Builder” just like George.

To qualify for a free copy of the Curious George Let’s Build teaching guide and poster, email outreach@asce.org with information about your upcoming outreach event. And that’s not all! ASCE has also made it possible for educators across the country to invite a civil engineer to their classroom to spread the excitement of engineering. To register a civil engineer or educator for this exciting program, visit the Scholastic Web site.

Final Destination Hat Trick

2007-10-20T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I spent the afternoon watching Final Destination 1 and 2 on the USA network. I enjoyed them so much I went out and rented Final Destination 3. All were pretty good movies, but I may have to disappear for awhile! After watching all three in a day, I think I am going to be awfully paranoid about death and freak accidents. So I am off to build a "death-proof" shelter! ;)

Country Funeral

2007-10-11T04:06:00.001-07:00

As a young minister, I was asked by a funeral director to hold a grave-side service for a homeless man, with no family or friends. The funeral was to be held at a cemetery way back in the country, and this man would be the first to be laid to rest there.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods area, I became lost; and being a typical man did not stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late.

I saw the backhoe and the crew, who was eating lunch, But the hearse was nowhere in sight. I apologized to the workers for my tardiness, and stepped to the side of the open grave, where I saw the vault lid already in place. I assured the workers I would not hold them up for long, but this was the proper thing to do. The workers gathered around, still eating their lunch. I poured out my heart and soul.

As I preached the workers began to say 'Amen,' 'Praise the Lord,' and 'Glory'! I preached, and I preached, like I'd never preached before: from Genesis all the way to Revelation.

I closed the lengthy service with a prayer and walked to my car.

As I was opening the door and taking off my coat, I overheard one of the workers saying to another, 'I ain't never seen anything like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years.'

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

2007-10-08T19:35:00.000-07:00

Well, I started myself a Canadian Thanksgiving tradition! I made meatloaf and potato cakes for supper tonight; it was all good, but I can not think of any real connection between my food choice and Canadian Thanksgiving.

Also, October 15th is Blog Action Day and the topic is the environment... READY, SET, BLOG!

Select A Candidate

2007-10-04T17:47:00.001-07:00

I found this quiz to help narrow down presidential candidates for everyone. My results are below. Remeber this is to help narrow the field down not to choose for you.


	Barack Obama Score: 53	Agree Immigration Taxes Stem-Cell Research Health Care Abortion Line-Item Veto Energy Marriage Death Penalty	Disagree Iraq Social Security
	Hillary Clinton Score: 53	Agree Immigration Taxes Stem-Cell Research Health Care Abortion Line-Item Veto Energy Marriage Death Penalty	Disagree Iraq Social Security
-- Take the Quiz! --

Bad River Pics

2007-10-03T18:26:00.001-07:00

Pictures from kayaking up the Bad River after work:

Split Rock Creek Cruise

2007-09-30T18:07:00.000-07:00

Well, this weekend was my debut at a SDCA cruise. We met at McHardy Park in Brandon, SD to embark on the cruise. Also, I had a friend join me for the trip.

upstream from the put-in

A fellow kayaker prepping for the cruise.

We were warned that the beginning of the cruise would be shallow, but we had lots of problems with having to portage. The two of us weighing nearly 400 lbs didn't help us either. We noticed that passage was possiblewith only one of us in the boat. But after about 1/3 of the trip was complete the water depth began to increase easing our paddling. Thanks to frustrations of portaging, I didn't take near the pictures I had planned on :(

Goat!

My friend, THE BOATSWAIN, at the take-out

Even with the frustrations, we had a great time on the cruise. Afterwards, we tried to hit the Sioux Falls night life, but the three downtown bars we checked were either closed or slow! But we were exhausted so we headed back to the motel.

Accent Quiz

2007-09-24T18:46:00.000-07:00

What American accent do you have? (Best version so far)

Neutral

You're not Northern, Southern, or Western, you're just plain -American-. Your national identity is more important than your local identity, because you don't really have a local identity. You might be from the region in that map, which is defined by this kind of accent, but you could easily not be. Or maybe you just moved around a lot growing up.

Click Here to Take This Quiz
Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests.

My thoughts on my results? Well, before Pierre, we (my family) lived in the KC area; Ft Peck, Montana; & somewhere in Wisconsin (I don't recall exactly where)... Plus, I lived in Washington for a year+, so I have been exposed to a lot of accents. Also, I have heard that the Midwest, in general, is considered a neutral accent.

Capital City's Annual Honker Run

2007-09-22T09:02:00.000-07:00

I just ran my third 5k (summer and total) and I also came up with my best time yet!

22:41

I averaged ~8.2 mph and a pace of 7:19/mile!

I actually finished 2nd overall and 1st in my age group. Some 16 year old kid was wa-ay ahead of everyone. I guess it might be time for me to try a 10k.

Vanessa Carlton

2007-09-21T18:23:00.000-07:00

I am excited about the release of Vanessa Carlton's third CD, Heroes and Thieves, in ~2 weeks. Some of you may not know her, so here is a youtube playlist.

These two are must sees:

Nolita Fairytale

White Houses

Also, an old interview I found:

TLAPD

2007-09-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

Arr, it be 2007 Talk Like A Pirate Day, you swabs!

I's not spent the day like many of me cutthroat brethren but it be not wasted either. I worked the day long, but I sported me PotM t-shirt!

A young mate also partook in the day's glory by sportin' ey paper eye patch and a ey sleek paper hat.

I be spendin' the evenin' sailing the internets, spying pirate vids, and just unleashing me inner pirate...

Long live the scourge of the Missouri...

A Good Weekend

2007-09-09T17:29:00.000-07:00

I didn't get out kayaking this weekend (overcast and rainy), but it was still a good weekend. I ran well this weekend thanks to the cooler temps and victories for "athletes I cheer for":

Justine Henin won the women's final at the US Open... Allez Justine!
The Carolina Panthers defeated the St Louis Rams 27-13 in St Louis.

Then I found this article:

In shadow of Vick case, two NFL players show love for dogs

Sep 7, 2007 04:20 PM

CHARLOTTE, NC (AP) - The Michael Vick dogfighting case drew headlines all summer.

At the same time, the doggy day care backed by linebackers Will Witherspoon of the St. Louis Rams and Dan Morgan of the Carolina Panthers did brisk business.

Talks have recently heated up about expanding Club K-9.

As Vick faces jail time and an indefinite suspension from the Atlanta Falcons, Morgan and Witherspoon have agreed to help sponsor a rescue program that places stray dogs in homes.

Witherspoon says he and Morgan are "on the opposite end of the scale" from Vick's situation.

On Sunday, the friends will likely chat about canines when they meet on the field before the game.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Stand Up

2007-09-08T11:48:00.000-07:00

I have managed to out wit the internet pixies and capture a streaming video from one site to upload it to you tube ;)

Now here is what I want everyone to do at work on Monday:

JUST STAND UP!

Also, I have discovered that I get Canadian Thanksgiving off of work this year! (Never mind that it lands on Native American Day/ Columbus Day/ Leif Erickson Day!)

Saturday... did NOT end this great summer... ;)

2007-09-02T05:38:00.000-07:00

Well, I tried to end what I am calling the best summer of my life with a bang of grand proportions, but I failed.

First, I thought about going to see the Clumsy Lovers on this coming Tuesday night in Lincoln, NE but I couldn't even get my friend in Lincoln to join me and I didn't want to use leave if I was going alone. My KC friend had his parents coming for the weekend so I chose not to head to the KC Irish Fest. I thought I had an opportunity to paddle with said Lincoln friend near Vermilion, but he decided not to help his sister move back to college and chose new tires for his car and working on a presentation for work. So I chose to paddle Sheridan Lake in the Black Hills, partake of the Phoenix, and catch part of the Gathering of the Clans in Rapid City.

Low-head dam at the outlet.

Outlet is clogged with debris, water is very shallow, and the dam has a gentle slope, so no worry about getting close ;)

Beautiful, isn't it?

Hopefully, these pictures make it obvious why I decided to return here this summer and not find another lake in the Hills.

I was quite disappointed with the Gathering of the Clans (and not because of it's Scottish lean). It seemed to have only three musical acts for the whole weekend! Two local groups (I didn't get a chance to see) and a duo out of Colorado. I did purchase a CD from one of the local groups though. There was one humorous detail though!

Nessie!

There she is! And no fog for her to hide in!

But heed the warning... luckily I saw this sign before I went paddling with her.
I really don't feel as lucky as this guy. Though...

A copy of the gtalk conversation between myself and my Lincoln friend:

Arnold: I will probably not be coming because my car needs new tires very badly. I will spend tomorrow doing that, will not get to Vermillion in time, so I'm canceling the trip to work on my presentation Sent at 11:31 PM on Friday

Pat: if you would have let me know sooner, I could have found some where near Lincoln to paddle. Instead I'll go to Sheridan Lake and force myself to enjoy general chicken at the phoenix ;) Sent at 6:09 AM on Saturday

Arnold: Noooooooo I didn't know you'd be willing to come out this far. But oh well. Have fun at Sheridan. Sent at 10:19 AM on Saturday

Speaking of coming out "this far," Paddling.net has three locations near Lincoln that look enjoyable.

Here is the location of the first two (the larger river is the Platte).

Zorinsky Lake map. And it is near I680!

If my Lincoln friend (and anyone else) thinks they sound like fun, let me know and we can try to plan something for this month yet. next weekend is my dad's B day so it is out but the following would be good (for Saturday). Sunday I would need to procure a chair in a sports bar to catch the Panthers game before heading back to Pierre.

5k Evidence

2007-08-19T12:19:00.000-07:00

I got a hold of a few pics my mom took of the 5k.

Just before the finish line

Just past the finish line

I have absolutely no idea what I was pointing at or why ;)

Ah, water!

Run With The Celts 5k Results

2007-08-17T10:50:00.000-07:00

I just found the official results of the Run With The Celts 5k from this last weekend.

318 Finishers
157 females
161 males
average time 00:30:23

My results
47 out of 318 (overall)
11 out of 30 (div)
39 out of 161 (gender)

time: 23:34
pace: 7:36

I found the results here.

Concerts

2007-08-16T16:23:00.000-07:00

A friend recently commented,

"I don't know how you do it, Pat - you must be burning through the vacation time!"

Well, I am sitting at 98 hours of annual leave yet thanks to being able to flex my time too ;)

But this got me thinking, how many concerts, etc have I been to?

I have attended the Minnesota Irish Fair in 2003, 2004, 2006, and 2007. I have seen Gaelic Storm in concert 5 times: Anchor Inn (Omaha), 2004 MIF, 2006 MIF, Grand Emporium (KC), 2007 MIF.

NOTE: Each Minnesota Irish Fair is many concerts/sets

While I lived in Yakima, I managed to attend many concerts including, Natalie MacMaster, Sugarland, Lee Ann Womack, Wylie and the Wild West, The Clumsy Lovers, Lee Ann Rimes, Toby Keith, George Carlin, and many smaller folk groups! Also, I just saw the clumsy lovers last June!

Other concerts I have attended in the past: Lila McCann, Kenny Chesney, Clay Walker, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Trisha Yearwood, Doug Supernaw, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, David Copperfield (the magician), and many cover bands.

4 Day Weekend Properly Spent

2007-08-13T18:40:00.000-07:00

EDITED TO ADD: I'll continue adding Youtube videos to this post as i get them uploaded, but for the time being they are all here

Well, I spent this weekend (+Friday night) at the 2007 Minnesota Irish Fair and it was a blast! I managed to get a few friends to join me and I think I can say we all had a great time despite sunburns, T storms, and lack of sleep!

I met up with my KC friend, a fellow SD state employee (DENR), and a friend from Lakeville, MN at the Comfort Inn in Lakeville, MN. Google Maps did lie to us though... the directions to the motel from I35 were incorrect! And the motel sign was hidden by another building but we did find it.

Friday night we enjoyed performances by The Mahones, The Young Dubliners, and the end of a Wild Colonial Bhoys set.

The next morning I got up early and headed up to the fair (at Harriet island) to compete in the Run With The Celts 5k. I did well, 23:40 (16sec longer than my Oahe Days time) but I did manage to finish on a sprint!

On Saturday, we wandered around catching various music and dance sets (also rugby and boxing) culminating in The Fuschia Band, Gaelic Storm, and The Young Dubs (Dubliners). The GS show was prematurely ended due to a wicked lightening show. After the main stage shows were over, we wandered over to the Ceili tent and enjoyed a set by the Wild Colonial Bhoys.

Sunday allowed us to sleep a LITTLE longer and I was able to enjoy the waffles at the motel (I don't eat before a run). We managed to get a game of Settlers of Catan in before we headed up to the fair for the day.

Sunday was cooler and, in general, nicer than Saturday. Again we watched various performances. Including Alicia Corbett, The Doon Ceili Band, more dancers, some pipers, The Fuschia Band,

If you can't do this, you can't be a janitor ;)

the Wild Colonial Bhoys, culminating in a full (and then some) Gaelic Storm set

The second sexiest instrument:

and a scattering set.

I will let my KC friend tell of the breakfast excitement on Monday morn in Rochester, MN ;)

18 Miles from a Dark Age

2007-07-30T04:28:00.000-07:00

I didn't kayak yesterday, but I did go for a bike ride. I rode up to the campgrounds below Oahe Dam; a round trip of 18 miles averaging 13 - 14 mph.

On Saturday, the CSPAN BookTV bus was in Pierre. I check it out and received a $10 gift card to Prairie Pages. I used it to pick up this book. One I've been wanting because it appears to reflect my beliefs (a heck of a lot more than Dark Age Ahead).

My posting has become few and far between and I must strive to fix it. But my bloggin' accomplice has also fallen from the blog 'verse and needs to get back into bloggin' shape. Will it happen, can we do it? Probably not until fall, but we'll see ;)

I have partaken of the phoenix...

2007-07-22T06:29:00.000-07:00

And all was good ;) I went out to Sheridan Lake in the Black Hills yesterday for a day paddling excursion.

Circumnavigating the lake was a scant 6.2 miles.

But the sites at the beach were nice ;) (sorry, no photos). While in Rapid I stopped off at a few stores that we don't have in Pierre, culminating in eating at the world class Golden Phoenix. Where my food was prepped by the master himself: Jerry! Also, I managed to fill up for $2.92/gal at Safeway, while the rest of the state sits around 3.01 to 3.03.

kayak antics... and bridges

2007-07-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Pictures from todays kayak excursion... the seadog has his sea legs!

The prettiest boat that you've ever seen...

2007-07-09T18:29:00.000-07:00

Another Great Big Sea song that applies to my new kayak: Lukey

Well oh, Lukey's boat is painted green,
Ha, me boys!
Lukey's boat is painted green,
The prettiest boat that you've ever seen,

'Cause she can punch ahead in any gale

2007-07-07T13:42:00.000-07:00

Well, I got my new kayak yesterday. I got the call (from Scheels) that it was in just before noon, so I took the afternoon off and drove down to Sioux Falls to pick it up. Everything went off without a hitch... well except those used to tie the kayak down to my pickup rack ;)

While I was down that way I stopped in Mitchell for supper with a friend... I would link to his blog, but he doesn't update it so i won't waste your time.

For anyone who doesn't already know, I got the Santee 140T (14' long, tandem) from Hurricane Kayaks. And it is a beaut! Made from trylon, a thermoformed plastic, it ways just 52 lbs. FYI, my old boat weighs in at close to 90 lbs.

I am contemplating christening it, the Gideon Brown ;)

A few pics for you to enjoy!

MUST SEE

2007-07-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

from engadget.com

kayaking pics

2007-06-30T16:04:00.000-07:00

Well, obviously, I went kayaking today. A few pics to share:

These first to are some sort of crane (bird) that I saw on a small sandbar island.

Ducks!

A mysterious splash ;)

After said splash...

The cove is no longer filled in with sand!

Beyond the bridge, I do find mosquito breeding grounds, so guardians for my treasure? ;)

SPLASH!

2007-06-24T16:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I managed to take my camera with me when i went back to Farm Island to kayak. Enjoy!

And yet I am not tired yet ;)

2007-06-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

It's already been a busy weekend for me and it's only Saturday afternoon! Obviously I went kayaking after work on Friday, then Friday night I watched Judd Hoos at Oahe Days. They were pretty good, but the lead reminded me of Mick Jagger, so he better be careful ;)

This morning I got up and participated in my first official 5k. I didn't place but I ran it in 23:24; finishing just 55 seconds behind the individual who took third in my age bracket (20-29). I was very impressed with myself. Also, it was already 75 degrees at the start of the race and very humid (down near the river) unlike what the weather site online are saying.

I am seriously considering running in the 5k for the Minnesota Irish Fair later this summer... though my time this weekend would have been 11th in the results from the MIF 5k last summer.

Earlier this afternoon I went kayaking off of Farm Island State Park instead of my normal pirating courses. I forgot to grab my camera, but I ran into some wicked waves (thank you SD wind). When the kayak crested one, the bottom (of the kayak) would be 2-3ft from the water surface! It was an awesome paddle, though the dog would disagree ;)

Tonight I am going to see one of my favorite cover bands, Rude Awakening (or apparently they are shortening to Rude Band) . Damn, this has already been an awesome summer... looking like I made the correct choice in skimming my annual salary by 8k to come back to SD!

CBS Redeems Themselves!

2007-06-10T10:00:00.000-07:00

http://jerichoboard.cbs.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?tsn=1&nav=messages&webtag=CBSMBJericho&tid=13329&redirCnt=1

June 6, 2007
To the Fans of Jericho:

Wow!

Over the past few weeks you have put forth an impressive and probably unprecedented display of passion in support of a prime time television series. You got our attention; your emails and collective voice have been heard.

As a result, CBS has ordered seven episodes of “Jericho” for mid-season next year. In success, there is the potential for more. But, for there to be more “Jericho,” we will need more viewers.

A loyal and passionate community has clearly formed around the show. But that community needs to grow. It needs to grow on the CBS Television Network, as well as on the many digital platforms where we make the show available.

We will count on you to rally around the show, to recruit new viewers with the same grass-roots energy, intensity and volume you have displayed in recent weeks.

At this time, I cannot tell you the specific date or time period that “Jericho” will return to our schedule. However, in the interim, we are working on several initiatives to help introduce the show to new audiences. This includes re-broadcasting “Jericho” on CBS this summer, streaming episodes and clips from these episodes across the CBS Audience Network (online), releasing the first season DVD on September 25 and continuing the story of Jericho in the digital world until the new episodes return. We will let you know specifics when we have them so you can pass them on.

On behalf of everyone at CBS, thank you for expressing your support of “Jericho” in such an extraordinary manner. Your protest was creative, sustained and very thoughtful and respectful in tone. You made a difference.

Sincerely,

Nina Tassler

President, CBS Entertainment

P.S. Please stop sending us nuts :)

Clumsy Lovers

2007-06-05T09:57:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! Great concert last night and you all missed it! I saw the Clumsy Lovers at Bulas Sports Bar in Norfolk, NE last night and they were great!

First of all, a local band opened up for the Clumsy Lovers, Katie Lynn and the Corkers. They did alot of country covers ranging from Patsy Cline to Gretchen Wilson and were very good.

The Clumsy Lovers put on a pretty good show, especially with a low turnout at the bar. Their banjo/mandolin player even showed off how he could play every instrument in the band except the drums!
I even managed to converse briefly with the band lead during their break. Apparently they have played some with one of GS's old fiddle players: Bob Banerjee. As well as playing with GS at the Milwaukee Irish Fest a few years ago or so. Actually, Trevor (the band lead), was impressed with my parents and I traveling 5hrs for the show. While conversing, I took the time to get the band to sign my Smart Kid album and my dad purchased his own copy for the same purpose.

Ribs and Dams

2007-06-03T17:38:00.001-07:00

Well, i might have missed Ribfest in Sioux Falls, but a friend and I had our own little Ribfest!
Turned out very good if I do say so my self. Homemade Barbecue Sauce even!

I mentioned looking for a 'dam' along LaFramboise Island, well I found it (sort of).
In this pic, you can see my route (Thank You, Garmin GPSmap 60Cx!) around the island (~6.82 miles including portaging a causeway).
It is a dam, but its purpose seems to be just keeping the channel just downstream of it from filling up with sediment. Actually, the dam appeared to be some sort of carbon fiber structure!
I suspect that it is also filled with sediment from when the channel was dredged in the mid 90s.
And Clumsy Love tomorrow night for me ;)

Eat, Sleep, Good Music, Paddle

2007-05-30T17:27:00.000-07:00

I hereby declare this summer, THE SUMMER OF AWESOMENESS!

Just last weekend I was down in KC with friends from college and enjoyed a GS concert (including The Awesome Jessie Burns). And now I am looking at leaving town again Monday already!

I first considered RibFest down in Sioux Falls this weekend, but I really want to catch up on some kayaking. A friend and fellow kayaker let me know about a small dam between Laframboise Island and a smaller sandbar. I plan on checking it out. I think I have paddled by it without paying much intention, but I might try the over top approach ;)
It is at one of those red circles above, more to come!

So, kayaking this weekend, but what is on Monday you ask? Well, I plan on flexing Monday (working 6:30AM-12, 12:30PM - 3PM) and heading to Norfolk, NE afterwards to catch a Clumsy Lovers (great name, huh?!) concert!

I first heard this band on CMT with the video for 'Stand Up'. The lyrics can be seen here. I also saw them while I was in Yakima and they are very good! Anyone in the area of Norfolk on Monday should stop by Bulas Sports Bar & Grill (see link above).

More great news, I am now able to order the kayak that I want from Scheels. I am supposed to hear from the salesman tomorrow.

I am planning on taking off the Friday before and the Monday after the Minnesota Irish Fair to maximize the weekend! I am hoping to convince many to join me in this trip.

I am also contemplating attending the Milwaukee Irish Fest. Any others wanting to join would push me definitively into the YES column ;)

If I hear anything about the 2007 Sioux Falls Irish Fest I will attend, but the president of the club changed and I (for some reason) no longer receive there emails.

Through all this folly and fun, if anyone wants to swing up to Pierre to hang... or better yet paddle, you are more than welcome to crash at my place. Also, if anyone has any other worthy events, let me know and I might find my way there!

Oh yeah, and my newest Tshirt:

Memorial Day Weekend

2007-05-27T04:30:00.001-07:00

Well, I came down to a friend's place in Olathe, KS for Memorial Day weekend to catch a GS concert. Actually we had quite a good turn out as 3 other college friends came down as well. We had MN, IA, SD, and (obviously) KS represented.

I thought the concert was great though not as much fun as the Minnesota Irish Fair, but Jessie's fiddling sounded good so all is not lost with the lovely Ellery Klein's leave of absence. Good Luck with the baby, Ellery! I think I might start referring to Jessie as either the Brilliant Jessie Burns or the Awesome Jessie Burns (both adjectives were used by Twigger and Murphy during the concert).

My friends also enjoyed the Great American Barbecue while in town, but were informed that it fell short of the expectations set after last year!

Well, I got to get on the road soon, See ya (or not)!

Another post will follow with you tube clips from the GS concert.

EDITED TO ADD YOUTUBE VIDEOS

Sandbar Antics

2007-05-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

Well, I have been out kayaking many times this spring already, but today was the first day I took my camera with me. Instead of my normal short (~1hr) paddle, I put into the main river channel and paddled upstream. It was a fairly windy day with the wind blowing with the current; providing the dog and I with some waves crashing over the bow. It was a blast!
Our "little pirate cove" seems to be silted in... a heavy rainfall should clean it out while possibly flooding the residences on either side...
This next picture is of a house I am expecting to end becoming river bottom property. Though they do have some retaining walls installed and trees planted to try to keep the slope as-is.And to end with, a video clip of my dog (well, the family dog) enjoying a sandbar.

Yes, this blog is active... sortof ;)

2007-05-17T17:14:00.000-07:00

I am cursed, pity any shows that I watch and enjoy!

This past winter I found three new shows that I really enjoyed: Knights of Prosperity, Jericho, and The Black Donnelly's to go along with How I Met Your Mother, Scrubs, and Supernatural.

KoP (ABC Network) was about a bunch of blue collar workers who are sick of not getting any where in there lives and decide to rob Mick Jagger. The series ended about halfway through the first season, but it did end on a positive not. They chose friendship over robbing and had to give up all their research, etc. (security). They were in the process of looking for a new target.

Jericho (CBS) got an entire first season and I just recently found out it got canned. It was about a small Kansas town coping in the aftermath of multiple nuclear attacks on major cities. The season ended with Jericho holding about an attack from a neighboring town.

TBDs (NBC) is about 4 brothers. Four Irish-American New York brothers. Their father formerly ran the union/Irish mob before being killed. The brothers are competing for control of the neighborhood with the current head of the Irish mob and with the Italian mafia. This show was canceled prematurely, but NBC continued to air the remaining episodes online. The show ended with some closure: the Irish mob leader appears to be dead, the Italian leader is dead; while it looks like the 4 brothers are alive.

As you can see, I have reason to be upset with the big three networks. And FOX has not done anything lately to make me happy. So c'mon CW and USA! Your the only networks that seem to like to air good programming!

Thankfully HIMYM will be back next season, I mean how can you not bring back a show that ends a season with "This is going to be legen- wait for it..." And I am actually interested in the next reality show (god forbid) entitled Pirate Master (ah, no wonder I am intrigued ;) ) Both HIMYM and Pirate Master are on CBS so I may have to give them a pass despite Jericho.

But NBC cancelled The Black Donnelly's for The Real Wedding Crashers! Should we go mafia on NBC? Probably.

Aberdeen Flooding

2007-05-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

A few pics from Kelotv.com of the Aberdeen, SD area after 10 inches of rain fell on Saturday!

VCR PC

2007-04-29T17:20:00.000-07:00

Well, I got the crazy idea to build a computer inside a VCR case. I am not done but I do have it up and running.
As I described to a friend on Gtalk:

I built a Micro ATX PC in a old VCR case to act as a viewing station for my vast TV collection. Well, it isn't done but it is functional. The cover is not on yet (I have to cut a hole and put a fan cage on it) and I need to find a way to get a DVDROM to fit but otherwise, like I said, it s functional.

The problem with the DVDROM is I put a video card in for TV out and it blocks the VCR slot. Whenever I finally buy a HDTV I'll get one with VGA input and use the onboard video so, time is the answer there... and well, I am just being lazy about the cover ;)
Interestingly, I drilled holes in the VCR case and used small nuts and bolts to attach the mobo to the VCR case. one nut underneath the case and one between the mobo and case. I also had to use a dremel tool to cut away plastic pieces that were in the way of the mobo sitting flush.

Another tidbit, the harddrive (an old 20GB) is cantilevered by just 2 screws! And the power supply is just sort of sitting there for now. I may try to find a slightly larger VCR case, but for now this works fine!

Congrats (but also a sad day)

2007-04-18T18:32:00.000-07:00

I have learned that the Lovely Ellery Klein is expecting her first child (due in July) and as of the end of this month will no longer be touring with Gaelic Storm. Though the link I provided in the title of this post is slanted towards the possibility of her returning to the band at a later date!

Congrats Ellery! And good luck! You've been a blast to listen to in concert or on CD!

I have no clue who will be replacing her in the mean time. But one more thing to add: For a band that has gone through fiddlers, (5 since the band formed in ~1995... not including Ellery's replacement) Ellery has the longest tenure (4 years).

Dreaming of Reality... Foolhardy?

2007-04-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, a friend and I were discussing optimism, pessimism, and realism. After thinking about this for nearly two weeks, I realized that none of these really fit me. I think I am more of a dreamer.

I often let my mind wander through "what-if" scenarios. These scenarios can range from international events to events in my own life. This might explain why I like alternative history novels!

In all honesty, as a dreamer, I have aspects of optimism, pessimism, and realism. There are probably three scenarios that I have thought out over and over again. These fit both optimism and pessimism.

Future Career Moves. i.e. moving up in the SD DOT, starting my own consulting firm.
A new dark age.
Starting my own pub/restuarant.

I can't do too much on my own about the first two... or at least not in the near future. But I have actually put some decent thoughts into the pub idea. Maybe in the next 10 years, I'll finally get ambitious about it! But first, I should get a house...

I should have mentioned this earlier: According to Answers.com,

A person inclined to be imaginative or idealistic but impractical: idealist, utopian, visionary. Seeability/inability, hope/despair.

I do not fit this definition to a "T". I am a dreamer away from work, but at work (and at school) I was very studious and ambitious. I have some how managed to be a practical dreamer... or at least to be practical with my education, career, and finances, while letting my 'dreamer' side take over my 'me' time.

Back to Back

2007-04-03T19:10:00.000-07:00

And I am NOT talking about the University of Florida's NCAA Championship football AND basketball teams!

I have already probed everyone about the GS concert in KC on the Friday before Memorial Day, but I see that The Clumsy Lovers will be in Norfolk, NE on June 4th. This should also be a great concert, it is at a sports bar so only cost will be cover charge (if they have one). It is a Monday, but thanks to the close proximity to Pierre I should be able to just take off Monday afternoon and Tuesday morn. (though the whole day Tues could be nice to have off).

More the merrier and remember, there is no love like clumsy love! ;)

EDITED TO ADD: 300 miles, wow a little further than I remember, but still easily do-able.

I may be crazy...

2007-04-01T14:23:00.000-07:00

No April Fool's Joke, I went kayaking today! I may be a little crazy for it though. The high today is 57 degrees, so the water temp. this early in the spring is upper 30s, lower 40s! But I really enjoyed the outing.

Below are some pictures of the kayak on my new pickup rack. In the first picture, you can see my fellow POTM in the front seat.

Not The Best Day

2007-03-28T18:07:00.000-07:00

Today was not the best day, but I did get a lateral load test on my new frame (on m pickup). I normally walk to and from work and eat lunch in my apartment. But today I drove to work so I could go to Quiznos for lunch. On my way, I stopped at a red light and before it changed some high school girl rear-ended me!

Luckily, my pickup sustained only a couple of scratches within the red circle:Also, there seemed to be no damage below or underneath the vehicle. The rack clamps held perfectly too.

Now her car on the other hand... part of her headlight lay on my bumper and her grill looked smashed up. Though she was able to drive away after the report was filed.

Myself? Obviously there is no need for me to file a claim, so I am just going to get a paint touch -up kit and after that spot I'll probably touch up a few other scratches (from normal wear and tear).

My New Toy

2007-03-26T17:37:00.000-07:00

I got my new toy today! A utility rack from US Rack! It assembled very easily; requiring only an Allen wrench to assemble. Some pics:

The clamp that holds it up:

The middle vertical bar screws into the cross bar.

And yes, that is my "Support Piracy Magnet" ;)

squirrel fur slippers?! where was the janitor from scrubs?

2007-03-22T03:59:00.000-07:00

from Katharine Kerr's Newsgroup

This reminds of an interesting bit I learned recently about Cinderella's glass slipper. Originally it was a squirrel fur slipper, and the name for squirrel fur is vair. The translator from the French saw "vair" and thought it was "verre," glass. I'd always wondered why anybody, even in a folk tale, would trust their footto a glass slipper.

Kit

A quick Google search confirms this!

Life In The Dark Ages

2007-03-21T03:30:00.000-07:00

What would it be like to be a viking in the dark ages? Life would be good!

Do you want to create a character of your own? Check out History.com/darkages to join the fun and to find out more about this world premiere event on THE HISTORY CHANNEL

Life

2007-03-19T18:59:00.000-07:00

If you want to be miserable, then get yourself around other people who are miserable. If you wish to be joyful, successful and fulfilled, put yourself around those who live with positive purpose. The more energy you put into complaining about how bad things are, the more things you'll have to complain about. The more intensely you visualize how good things can be, the better they will become.

You are naturally drawn to whatever you focus upon. You will see precisely the opportunities and possibilities that you prepare yourself to see.

Each day is filled with so many choices and directions that you cannot possibly connect to them all. The ones you do connect with are the ones that most closely resonate with your view of life.

Fortunately, you can choose to view life in whatever way you wish. Those who find the best in life are those who continually remind themselves that all the good and valuable things are most certainly there.

See your life as a grand opportunity for love and joy, achievement and fulfillment. And that's exactly what it will be.
--- Ralph Marston

More From Saint Patrick's Day 2007

2007-03-19T03:40:00.000-07:00

Song For Ireland

Fiddler's Green

Beggarman

Back Home In Derry

Danny Boy

Tell Me Ma/Encore

Saint Patrick's Day 2007

2007-03-18T05:01:00.001-07:00

Last night was a blast! I have no idea how I am awake and blogging and 7AM but I am wide awake after getting to sleep by 2AM. I had two friends join me for a night on the town down in Sioux Falls. One even a blogger!
Though I did have a "seldom" blogger bail on me too. And unsurprisingly, the least ambitious person I know failed to come join us even just for supper :(

But it didn't matter. A great time was still had by the three of us. We enjoyed ourselves at Skelly's Irish Pub and enjoyed the Irish Music Night at the Orpheum Theater. A few vid clips from the concert (maybe more later, but right now they are TOO LARGE for youtube):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjhGCnPf99w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXPxRl7yW2s

Today

2007-03-13T04:38:00.000-07:00

Not much to add today. I just ordered an aeropress coffee maker. It is similar to a frenchpress but it is supposed to be less messy.Also, there was a good Dilbert strip this morning:

Brief Blog Entry

2007-03-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

Nothing special to note this morning. I did spend part of yesterday uploading alot of the pictures I have taken in the past year+ to Picasa Web Albums. I also saw the movie 300 yesterday; I will try to get a review written tonight.

Again, everyone is welcome to join me at McNally's in Sioux Falls, SD this Saturday.

My Boring Life... Or is it?

2007-03-09T04:25:00.000-08:00

Damn, my life's boring! Which explains my lack of blog entries lately ;)

Work has been checking designs and doing check prints (checking drafting) on box culverts lately. Nothing to interesting. Except one, the outlet end of a RCBC (reinforced concrete box culvert) was too close to a railroad embankment, so we designed the wing walls to run perpendicular to the box. Like a giant headwall.

Yesterday was beautiful and the weather is supposed to holdout, with the temp in the 60s next week! I ran outside yesterday for the first time since winter began and I have to say I am in the best shape I've been in since maybe my sophomore year of college (nearly 5 years ago already)!

No big plans for myself this weekend, but next Saturday I am planning on spending the afternoon and evening in Sioux Falls, here. More info here. Anyone is welcome to join me!

I don't think I mentioned this yet, but my parents traded their station wagon in for a crew cab S10 pickup. So I am probably going to order this to help protect my pickup when I use it to haul around the kayak. Kindof spendy, but it looks nicer than anything I could build and it is universal. I can use it on my pickup, then keep it and use it whenever I finally get a crew cab pickup :) Also, it clamps on, so I won't have to drill any holes into the bed of my pickup.

Well, it's nearly time for me to walk to work, hope everyone has a good day! (As I reread what I wrote, I am thinking that my life may not be as boring as initially reported! ;) )

Yes, I am still alive... for now ;)

2007-03-04T04:51:00.000-08:00

I know, I know. I haven't been blogging much lately, but what have I been up to? Well, we just finished a rehab project at work and sent it on to bid letting on Friday. We had been frantically trying to finish the project up for the past two weeks. You see, I am in one of the new design squads, but we had been given a bridge rehabilitation project and I being the newbie wasn't the only engineer that was new to this type of project. There are alot of differences between a rehab project and a new design project. For instance, new designs are alot more straight forward; rehab projects take alot more intuitive thought. Second of all, the Bridge Office is short 6 (soon to be 7) engineers (and one secretary) so things are really hectic right now. But, like I said, we got the project done... so YIPPEE!

What have I been up to away from work? Well, this past week I have been battling a cold, but I seem to have prevailed. I haven't been playing Age of Pirates much lately though, so no updates on that. I have been pushing myself harder on my daily runs at the YMCA though. I ran 6.5 miles at 7 mph yesterday. I also had to use up some eggs in my fridge yesterday, so I baked a cake, made up a bunch of chocolate waffles for eating during he week, and fried some chicken up yesterday.

Last weekend, I competed a video for Gaelic Storm's Kiss Me I'm Irish Contest. And guess what! GS will be at the Minnesota Irish Fair again this year! So everyone mark your calendars and meet me there. since I will have leave this time, I am planning on taking off the Friday before and Monday after so that I can enjoy the whole fair! Remember August 10 - 12!

Don't Throw This Away!

2007-02-22T04:23:00.000-08:00

A couple weeks ago I bought a new book. Don't Throw This Away: The Civil Engineering Life by Brian Brenner, PE. The book is a collection of humorous essays by the author. Most have to do with a civil engineer working and living in today's world.

One chapter is called, Acronyms and the Explosion of Useless Data (AEUD) was exceptionally funny. Here is one story from it.

A female colleague developed a complex computer system; she called it, Parameter Estimation Model Updating System.

My Colleague: We are here to discuss the Parameter Estimation Model Updating System.

Professor A: Thank you for inviting us here for this discussion. We have evaluated our Parameter Estimation Model Updating System and it seems to be dong a good job.Many people are satisfied with your Parameter Estimation Model Updating System.

My Colleague: This is good to know. I am pleased that people are satisfied.

Professor B: Yes, it seems to be quite effective. is it a large system?

My Colleague: Yes, my Parameter Estimation Model Updating System is quite large.

Professor A: That's interesting, because some studies have indicated that size does, in fact matter, for a Parameter Estimation Model Updating System.

Professor B: Although there has been significant discussion in the field that the system's size is not necessarily as important as its method of application.

Professor A: Yes, I agree with professor B.

My Colleague: I would think that a system's size is not important as long as it gets the job done.

Professor A: An excellent point! Efficacy matters more than size. But even so, do you have plans for growth of your Parameter Estimation Model Updating System?

My Colleague: Yes, I plan to add several new features to the system.

Professor A: Can the Parameter Estimation Model Updating System do a good job at evaluating structural member stiffness?

My Colleague: Yes, estimation of moment of inertia is a key feature of the system.

Professor B: So, you have a robust Parameter Estimation Model Updating System?

Professor A: A system that is poised for growth and will function better in the future?

My Colleague: (perhaps a little perplexed by now at the discussion) Yes, one could say that.

The name of the computer system has now been changed.

Beat Tuesday

2007-02-15T03:44:00.000-08:00

In The News...

2007-02-14T03:48:00.000-08:00

Well, since I hate sleeping in the middle of the day, it looks like the Greeks are contesting my plan of immortality (So Far, So Good).

The UK and US are the worst (of the most industrialized nations) places for children to grow up?! I can't speak for the UK, but I see little or no problem with children in the US.

Weather

2007-02-13T17:27:00.000-08:00

Well, my KC friend just blogged about the lack of South Dakotan blood in Kansanians. Imagine their reaction to this weather in the morning:
Also, we just received at least 5'' of snow yesterday. I suspect that it was closer to 6''. Better yet, we are supposed to hit the 40s on Sunday and Monday! Ah, South Dakota, the land of infinite change! ;)

The Best Theme Song On TV

2007-02-08T04:09:00.000-08:00

Latest Rick Reilly Article

2007-02-07T03:43:00.000-08:00

A Pirating I Will Go...

2007-02-04T13:26:00.000-08:00

Another update from my Age of Pirates PC game. I have turned on all of the European powers and began to build (with the help of the pirates) a free nation in the Caribbean Sea.

I am currently prowling the sea with a Frigate (Ocean) (46 guns), a Line Ship (Insolant) (~80 guns), and a Man-O-War (Atalante) (102 guns). I really like the names of these ships (I didn't name them, I captured them. Which is much cheaper than buying a ship ;) )

I have captured the colonies of Tortuga and La Vega, the latter (in my game) is a colony on the northeastern coast of the island of Hispaniola. La Vega is booming for me, I have built a new fort, a church, silver mines, and upgraded the shipyard. Tortuga has had a harder time. it just got over an epidemic, but should begin grow as well.

To pay for the additions to La Vega, I, of course, raided European shipping, but I also attacked and razed Petit Goave, San Juan, Santa Domingo, and Saint Martin. I have become a Sea Terror to the European powers in the Caribbean, can I continue? Most likely! I am packing an amazing amount of fire power!

A couple of shots of my Frigate, The Ocean:

In the first shot, you can see that I had a ship, the Bloody Michelle, with me. I captured this ship from a pirate to prove to another pirate that I had what it takes to become the pirate "governor". (I later defeated the pirate "governor" in combat to succeed him.)

A Real Party

2007-01-27T20:14:00.000-08:00

A nostalgic trip to a REAL PARTY!

Age of Pirates

2007-01-25T17:59:00.000-08:00

As of late I have been playing a PC game entitled Age of Pirates, not so surprising huh? Much has happened to my character so far in the game. A French ship caught me dealing with smugglers and attacked me. I managed to defeat it and take the ship as my own though. It was a Corvette, much better than my previous Luggers, Brig, and Schooner. I had much fun sailing around with that corvette but the French were ticked at me. I had war galleons, ships of the line, and frigates after me. Some how though my crew and I managed to capture a ship of the line and later, a frigate.

These ships have allowed me to have some fun in the Caribbean. I attacked and razed the fort and colony on Tortuga. I would have made it my own colony, but I had no free officer to command it. So I gained a hefty sum of gold by razing it ;)

I have just received a letter of marquee from Holland, so things may get more interesting!

I'll try to take some screen shots for a future post!

The World Without Engineers

2007-01-23T04:30:00.000-08:00

I stole these pics from some website a long time ago. I no longer remember the site but who cares. A blog doesn't need to cite references ;)

Smitty

2007-01-21T05:14:00.000-08:00

When I play the 'computer' in Madden 06 football (Yes, I am too cheap to by the newer version) as the Carolina Panthers, I like to read the defense. And lately the I've noticed the computer (no matter what team) sneaking one or both safeties forward to either stop the run or blitz my QB. So I have gotten into the habit of audibling to a play-action pass. The safeties are already forward so the fake is even more efective giving me ono on one coverage on the outside. And any die-hard Panthers fan will tell you, "Go to Smitty," in single coverage, racing down the sideline!

Here are a couple of examples of what I have managed to do:

I have also managed to do well running with RB Deshaun Foster when the safeties stay back. Hopefully, a new Offensive Coordinator will help Carolina return to the Super Bowl next year!

Life Long Dream Completed

2007-01-20T13:15:00.000-08:00

I am sitting in Dunn Brothers in Rapid City, SD enjoying an Irish Cream Latte and perusing the internet.

... Just kidding! It isn't a life long dream of mine, but it is something I wanted to do sometime and now that I have a laptop I can do it!

Actually, I came to RC today to visit a few stores that I don't get to visit in Pierre. Borders, Scheels, Office Max (cheap ink for my printer), and of course to taste the joys of the Golden Phoenix and Dunn Brothers Coffee!

Also, Pierre in the News:

You may remember that late in November I told you we saw Sydney Palmer of Pierre win her 8-9-year-old girls division of Punt Pass & Kick in the Vikings regional finals at the Metrodome. I hadn't heard she had advanced in PP&K, but there she was on national television Saturday night, and Sydney is the national champion of her age group! She and the other national winners earned their titles at the Superdome in New Orleans before the Saints-Eagles playoff game, and the winners were shown briefly on TV between the third and fourth quarters. Sydney is the daughter of Pierre/Fort Pierre teachers Todd and Jenifer Palmer. Way to go, Sydney!

Walmart... Not Completely Evil...

2007-01-15T16:40:00.000-08:00

Today I was browsing my local Walmart's selection of DVDs and I cam across what is probably may favorite old scifi movie ever! I even remember the first time I saw it. Back (in the day) when TNT had MonsterVision. The movie? MYSTERIOUS ISLAND!

This great movie is based on Jules Verne's sequel to 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (also titled Mysterious Island). The movie may look like a B-movie but take into account that it was made in 1961.
I will even give away a bit of the movie... Cpt Nemo created the large animals to help solve world hunger (my theory was that the animals would kill off the surplus population, not feed it ;) ).

I believe stop motion animation was used for the critters in the film, so either go out and obtain a copy of the film or come on up to Pierre and watch it with me!

of college majors and trends...

2007-01-09T03:45:00.000-08:00

From an email I received from the SDSMT Alumni Assoc.:

More students in the South Dakota public university system appeared to be interested in careers in engineering, nursing, and history, according to the latest data on major enrollment trends from the South Dakota Board of Regents. Four bachelor degree-level majors – history, mechanical engineering, nursing, and civil engineering – experienced at least a 15 percent increase in enrollments when data is compared between 2002-03 and 2005-06 for those degree programs with more than 300 majors in the South Dakota system. Two other bachelor-degree majors had at least a 15 percent decrease in enrollments – computer science (25 percent) and elementary education (19 percent). The report also noted that 86 percent of the students in the public university system have a single major, while the remaining 14 percent were seeking two, three, or four different majors, which is consistent with data reported in the last four academic years. For more information about public higher education in South Dakota, please visit www.sdbor.edu.

More Coooking...

2007-01-09T03:20:00.000-08:00

As you might have expected, I cooked this weekend. I made pizza, baked cookies, and even made fajitas (no pics).

Pepperoni Pizza (homemade crust)

(Moist) Chocolate Chip Cookies

Some Of My Recent Meals

2007-01-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

Breakfast Pizza, this time with a biscuit crust 9much better)

Chicken Strips, mashed potatoes and gravy.

Chicken Enchiladas