Five Fingers!

Now I’ve been a Dr. Marten guy since my best friend pulled me to that British dark side 17 years ago. Almost every pair I’ve owned is still wearable, and in my closet. That’s 6 pair (two didn’t make it – made in China mistakes). So for the last 13 years, I’ve almost exclusively worn my trusty Docs. A few years ago, I saw these new “toe” shoes show up on the market. Ugliest things you ever saw, toes all separated. But I did think in the back of my mind that they’d be cool if they’d work with my feet.

My sister blessed me with a pair of Vibram Five Finger KSO shoes. Wow. It takes 15 minutes to get them on the first time. Like putting mittens on a toddler. But after they’re on, it’s armored barefoot time. You pad around, feeling every texture on every surface. They’ve been to the grocery store, restaurants, driving in the car, and a 6 hour video shoot. Absolutely amazing. No slip, no slack, just love. I’ve had them for a week, and have worn them all but one day. We have a 5 day camping trip coming up, and I plan on wearing them the entire time.

Story Time!

Story time!
So David received an email to update his info with Blackberry. He replied, supplying the requested info. But little did he know, Blackberry entered him into a contest to win a new phone. Much to his surprise, he received another email a few days latter, informing him that he was a winner! The email said to pick your phone model & carrier, and it would arrive in a few weeks. Two months go by. He reluctantly Googles the email offer, finding out it most likely was a scam. Many people shared comments to the tune of “Blackberry would never give away their product”. Sad Dave. He had been so excited to replace his refurbished non-3G Blackberry 8310. Not gonna happen. On Thursday, many months after the a fore mentioned events, Dave receives a mysterious FedEx package. Thinking it was part of a photo order, he sets it to the side, to open latter. Latter he discovers that he is the proud new owner of a NEW Blackberry Bold 9700. Dave is elated.

The End.

Black Plates

<gearhead>

Black plates say it all. You’ve seen them, black with white lettering. Mostly at the local car shows, on a ’53 Ford pickup. So when an AC Cobra comes thundering into Sonic, those plates say it all. You think “I’ve see a few driving around Kingwood, but how can you tell if it’s a kit or authentic?”.  Black plates, they clear up any wondering. Any questions. Black plates. Vintage black plates. Vintage black plates the have the years clearly stated for the auto world to gawk and pine over. The cobra is in my top 5. Up there with the Ford GT40 and any Chaparral. Purpose built cars. Speed and shenanigans. Not the daily driver. Not the inclement weather cars (although, the GT40 dominated in the rain).

So I sat there, trying not to stare, explaining to my kids what a hot rod was, and why everyone else was staring. And with that same thunderous roar, loaping cam idle, he started her back up, and they disappeared on to Lake Houston Parkway.

They don’t make cars like that any more. There’s something to be said about passion and classic design.

’66 was the year. Black vintage plates.

</gearhead>

The Best Parts

March 2nd, I started my new life. It seems I needed a little push from God to get going. That fateful Monday was the end of my career with Chuck. 10 years, 141 days. That’s the longest I’d worked anywhere. I am blessed with where I went, who I saw, and what I learned. God has orchestrated this master plan for quite some time. Through a series of events from October 1998, September of 2006, February 2008, I have been being prepped.

Now I have the best parts. I’m self employed, working with my amazing wife, walking my kids to and from school, studio owner, in a new home, the best public school for the kids, new van, parents who help above and beyond, involved in a startup church, closer to God, reading the bible, tithing and not dealing with emotional garbage, abusive language, or plain krap anymore. I AM BLESSED. God is the only reason,  and possibility for this. To Him, I give all the glory and thanks. I am excited to see and live what else He has in store for me.

Where I’ve been…

Busy, and mourning.

Busy by, playing soccer at church, buying a new van, growing StudioBennett, etc. But that’s all fodder. Filler, if I may. My grandfather passed away January 9th, at the age of 90. A peaceful death, feet from where my grandmother had passed almost 10 years earlier. I wanted to write immediately like my family did, about him, feelings, and whatnot, but I’m still not there. I was to tell of the stories of spaghetti sandwiches, winding clocks, working on little projects around his house. I couldn’t do it. Next to watching my daughter in pain, in the hospital in 2007, is the horrible, horrible ordeal of explaining the loss of a great grandparent to my children. After the funeral, I told myself I was done crying. Mourning. Yet, I will find it hard to go back to 515 E. Main, and not be saddened. We where there all the time growing up, and he’s all over that house. I think I even have a key on my keyring.

I see my father mourning still, and it’s understandably so. My relationship with my father has been the best ever, for the last several years, and I believe it was the same with my him and my grandfather. They would go on little doctor adventures, fix the computer adventures, and “bring Grandad to (insert child’s name here) birthday party adventures”.

I set up my clock tonight. It was his, then my parents, then mine. A mantle clock from 1903. I had been waiting since the move in August, to build a mantle in the new house, and unpack the clock then. I set it above the TV, and think of my grandfather working on it, as I hear it tick.

11 years

I am blessed. 11 years ago, I married my best friend. She has brought love, passion, and a better vocabulary to my life. Thank you my love.

Happy Anniversary Tara. I love you.

Bike Tips – Look

Look where you want to go. Profound, but true. Ever find that you always seem to run into that object you’re trying to avoid, like that rock? If you’re trying to avoid the rock, don’t look at it. Look next to it, where you want to go. You will miss the rock completely.

Second, try to image a riding line through said obstacles. This works well when riding through  rock gardens. The trick is to not look down, immediately in front of you, but ahead a bit, looking where you want to go (see above). With practice, you’ll cruise along.

Something to practice on your next ride.

Geeky me

Self proclaimed geek, I am. Here’s your proof:

I got a Garmin 305 GPS Bike computer for Christmas. Top 10 coolest thing ever. It came with a cadence sensor and a heart rate monitor. So, on my bi-weekly ride on Sunday morning, I had:

• Average speed of 8.6 mph
• Max speed of 18.8 mph
• Distance 9.8 miles

That’s normal for all bike computers, This also included:

• Average cadence of 55 rpm
• Average heart rate of 134 bpm
• Calories burned: 687

The software imported the ride, and mapped me in Google Earth and USGS maps.

Here’s some picts of the unit, and the cadence sensor:

Now, go wash the geek off your hands.

Bike Tips – A good jacket

I’ve decided to share my bike info with others. So, this is the beginning of bike tips. My goal is to give a tip every couple of weeks. Some will be something you already know, but some might be new.

Layering. You need a GOOD jacket. A Gore-Tex shell kinda thing. Zipper vents, ability to close it up completely, mostly waterproof (nothing but plastic is truly waterproof). Something that can go solo, or over something else. And be stuffed really small. December ’95, I got my jacket. An REI Switchback Anorak for $230.

Today there’s cheaper and better, but hey, I was young with extra money burning in my pocket. It has served me well, from topless Jeep adventures, camping, hiking, countless bike rides, two hurricanes, and even snowboarding. I had my passport photo taken while wearing it. It’s seen a few miles.

The goal here is to get a multipurpose shell that does a lot. It doesn’t have to be expensive, just quality. It needs to be handy, so that it’s not a burden to take it with you in a bag. It needs to fit you , and it needs to be comfortable. With tights (another post…), wool jersey, a wind vest, and the jacket, I’m good riding at 15ºF-20ºF. And at that point, the collar is open for ventilation. Sure my face is numb, but who need to talk.

What you want to avoid is fleece. Yes, I know it’s blanketly warm goodness, but it doesn’t breathe. You will warm up too fast, then sweat and overheat, creating a problem in colder weather. I’ve tried fleece in various layering options, but it just never works. Leave the fleece at home for that post ride Wii time.

Follow up:

To answer Jason’s question. I’m more of a innovation/function over brand loyalty kinda guy. I would look for specific features like waterproofness, vents/venting, breathability, material construction, and maybe some reflectivity. If a certain brand name made it, great. If it’s something from a little mom and pop shop in Greenland, that’s fine as well. As long as it works well, and does what it’s designed to do. Columbia Mountain Hardwear, and North Face all make killer stuff, but a certain portion of that price is for that logo. BTW, at the time when I bought my jacket, The North Face was making the same model . It was roughly twice the cost. Bottom line: Look for quality first, then narrow down from there. Try www.backcountry.com ( I like them) , or Google for “jackets, technical shell, soft shell”.

My solution to the end of Daylight Savings

Yes, it’s a bit homemade, but it works.

10wt 12v halogen spot, wire tied to the socket base, zip tied and taped to a lightstand mount. Powered by a Lumadyne standard battery. I built it at lunch on wednesday.