So I bought an iPhone 3G S

I'm not one to usually go out and buy the latest gadget on the market. I'm usually one of the last; hell, I don't even have TV at home. So, why did I go out and spend $200+ on the newest iPhone 3G S (16 gig) the first day it was available? And, what do I think of it?

First of all, I didn't really have to waste all day standing in line. The entire process wasn't much longer than it usually takes when I go into an AT&T store for any other transaction. I was there for a total of about 45 minutes. I did get the last available 16 gig black iPhone in the store though.

Back to what I am here to talk about....

I have been looking to upgrade to another phone for a while now. My contract has been up for about 3 weeks and have been seriously looking for a 3G device that is also capable of connecting to a wireless network. My then current phone was a Blackberry Curve (which incidentally I have had mixed feelings about since I have had it -- I may get to those later). Because my Blackberry didn't have either of my above requirements, it was time to trade up.

The showdown was between the newer Blackberry Bold (at the bottom of the list due to my feelings on the problems I had over the past 2 years with the Curve) and the iPhone. Actually, the iPhone had two slots... the 3G version and the 3G S.

The Bold was eliminated quickly. I really wanted a "real" browser. The only pluses I saw were a tactile keyboard and the fact that I was already familiar with the Blackberry interface.

My next dilemma was whether to purchase the new 3G S or the old 3G model. I settled on the 3G S (3rd Gen) after doing more research and determining that the new 3G S would indeed be worth the extra $100 for the speed increase... and that settled it.

So, why rush out... why not wait a while and see if all the hoopla turns out true; would it be as fast as they say?....why should I be the guinea pig?

One reason I wanted to jump in now was because I am already spending a small fortune on the Blackberry data plan which I felt wasn't getting the use it could. Downsizing the current plan was always an option, but having the ability (as slow and tedious as it was) was sometimes still more convenient than not having anything at all (not to mention, I'm an e-mail junkie). I have always felt that if you are going to use e-mail (as it was designed), a prompt answer is expected and I hate sitting around a computer all day.


My thoughts on the iPhone 3G S:


Out of the box, this thing is simple to use. One of my worries was the usability of the touch screen keyboard. It takes some getting used to, but is not a show stopper by any means. I am still having a hard time placing the cursor after typing a word to make a correction. I find it faster to just delete it and type again. The applications that come on the iPhone by default are a great start and some people may not even need to add too much more to get their moneys worth.

The built in mapping application coupled with the compass and traffic reporting (both also built in) makes it more useful than my Garmin Nuvi 350. The only plus of the Garmin is it speaks the directions. I am sure there is (or will be an application that will take advantage of this this). To make this even more convenient, installing "Say Where!" (for free), will allow you to speak your location. I have found that this has been very accurate.

Another appliation that I found to be slick is the "GPS Tracker". But the only reason I'd use this is if I were on a trip I wanted my route tracked or give a map to someone that couldn't be mapped out in the normal manner.

Comparing the 3G S side by side with the 3G... I have a bunch of friends and co-workers that have the 2nd gen iPhone, so we put them to the test. By far, every time, the 3G S was faster at bringing up a web page than the 2nd gen. There was also a noticeable difference in the delay (or lack there of) moving from screen to screen through the menus.

Once you purchase an iPhone you have to make sure you keep it protected. A case of some sort is a must in my opinion. There is no way I'd handle a iPhone without some sort of case to protect it. The iPhone looks and feel extremely fragile (whether it is or not). I purchased an Otter Box for total protection. The Otter Box is a hard case that covers the entire phone including the touch screen with a silicone cover encasing the hard shell. It also comes with a belt clip. This thing is stout.

The fact that none of my USB cables will work with the iPhone is a little annoying, I knew this long ago, but it doesn't make it any easier to get over.

I still hate iTunes with a passion. I think I may be the only one in the civilized world with this opinion, but I guess I am going to get used to it one way or another. The interface to sync to the phone isn't the most intuitive (like everything else Apple). If you sync your contacts from Google and you set iTunes to sync with the phone, you will get duplicate contacts (in a seperate group or two) which is a pain in the ass to correct. I ended up resetting the iPhone to factory to clear up the empty groups after unsuccessfully being able to remove them completely (I was only able to clear the duplicate entries and leave the groups).

Yes, I purchased AppleCare. I haven't opened it yet and still haven't decided if I am going to keep it. If you have any opinions on the matter, I'd love to hear them.

As of now (only playing with it for 10 minutes) I haven't been able to get my Jawbone Prime bluetooth to initiate a voice dial on the iPhone. I am pretty sure I can speak via the Jawbone after initiating the voice dial application from the phone, but everything I am reading is telling me that I won't be able to initiate from the bluetooth.... this kinda sucks, but not too big of a deal for me.

The latest issue I have been having is configuring the iPhone on my home WIFI. I was able to connect to my works WIFI very easily. I use WEP 128bit encryption and the only way I was able to connect was to disable the security altogether. If anyone has any tips or ants more information, I can provide complete details of the issue. It boils down to after connecting, the iPhone gets a bogus IP address (even if I set a static one).

(Update: 6/25/2009 -- I have been able to get the WIFI to work, but I ended up changing the security from WEP to WPA2. Once this change was made, the WIFI worked like a charm.)


Overall, I'm really liking my new phone so far. We'll see how it goes after a few weeks.

Chest Freezer Kegerator Project

I've always said it's dangerous when I get bored.


A little background:

A few years back, I built a kegerator out of a small fridge. That project was a total let down; it only took me 15 minutes and it being Sunday, (all the liquor stores were closed) I was unable to purchase a keg to try it out. Since then, I had expanded my interests and had decided to add a second tap (on the then current kegerator) for home made soda or seltzer. The problem with this setup was I could only have either a beer, a soda, or a seltzer on tap at a time. This was a major issue for me. I drink seltzer like it is going out of style and it takes me months to finish a pony keg of beer. So, I get the idea to build a bigger kegerator to host one of each (beer, soda, and seltzer).

The Project:

After doing some research, I found that turning a chest freezer into a refrigerator and using it as the platform for the kegerator was the way to go.

I needed to find a chest freezer...if it weren't for the wonders of Craig's List. After some searching for a few weeks, I was able to find a chest freezer that I thought would be big enough to fit a 15.5 gal keg and two 5 gal Cornelius (Corney) kegs. Of course, as soon as I got it home my plans changed....

Once unloading the FREE chest freezer from my truck and into the garage (its new home), I realized that it was actually big enough to hold even more than what I had anticipated...yippee (or so I thought). I'll get to that later.

There are basically two options for converting a freezer into a fridge. Option 1) Mess with the thermostat. Option 2) Purchase an external thermostat control module to override the main thermostat. I chose the second because I didn't feel like trying to find another freezer after ruining the first one when I screwed it up. Ok, so I couldn't find a good writeup for modifying the thermostat either.

The next decision I had to make was weather or not I wanted a tower setup on top of the freezer (like at a bar) or stick with shanks that would stick out of the side of the freezer. I liked the idea of the tower, but nice multi-head towers are very spendy and I'd have to deal with all the guts of the kegerator hanging down on top of everything inside along with issues when opening it. The problem with the shank idea is drilling into the side of the freezer and not hitting a freon line. This is fixed by building a collar.

By removing the freezer top and building a wooden collar around the rim (where you reattach and secure the top), you can effectively drill through the side without damaging the freezer. I used 2x6 and 1x12 to build the collar. The 2x6 becomes an inside collar while the 1x12 is the exposed outer collar which is used to "lock" down the inner collar to keep it secure around the freezer.



Once the collar is locked down and secure, you can screw down the hinges. A little silicon caulk around all the inner edges finishes it all off and keeps all the cold air in. Next, drill a 7/8th hole for each shank wherever you want to put the taps.

I keep all my air bottles outside of the kegerator (this will save on air and allow more room for refreshments). So, I needed to drill 2 more holes in the side of the collar to for the CO2 and Nitrogen air lines and one more for the thermostat probe. I decided, since I have the room, I'd set up the kegerator so I could have a "nitrogen beer" or two like Guinness, Boddingtons, Caffrey's, etc. on tap as well. All these beers should be dispensed through a stout faucet with a nitrogen/co2 mix (usually 75%/25% - called beer mix - sometimes also available as 70%/30%) hence need for the second set of lines for the beer mix.

Now that I have multiple tanks, I realized I'd need to have another regulator.... so, once again, I over thought this and decided to use "secondary" regulators on both the nitrogen bottle and CO2 bottle so I could independently control the gas pressure to each keg instead of using 'Y' connectors and not being able to vary the pressure in each keg. On the CO2 bottle I have a primary regulator and a line going into the kegerator where I have 2 secondary regulators. The primary would be used to force carbonate my soda and seltzer, the two secondaries can be used independently for beers that may require slightly different carbonation. On the nitrogen bottle, I am using a primary regulator with a line going to a single secondary regulator inside the kegerator. I did this so I can dispense multiple "nitrogen" beers without having issues as well; I have heard that the pressure of many of these can be drastically different from one another.

Now, since I have decided to dispense Guinness, I know I needed the coupler (Type U) that is specific to Guinness, Harp, Smithwicks, and a few others. I also like Boddingtons, so I needed the coupler for that type of keg too (Type G). To make a long story short, I decided it would be easier if I had at least one coupler of each one of the major types so I didn't have to worry about it when I was ready to tap a keg - I have 2 of Type S, U, and D and one each of Type G & A (talk about overkill).

So, as you can see, I have built a kegerator that will hold at a minimum of 2 Cornelius Kegs (one for soda, one for seltzer), 2 half barrels, and a squat 1/4 barrel (pony). After further fenegaling, it looks like I'll be able to stack 2 squat ponys' to fit an extra one (and maybe even another Cornelius) if I want a bunch of variety.

The test run:

So I had to go get a little more CO2 line from 104th Discount Liquor (they have the red line and it is cheaper there)....while I was there I schmoozed with the guys working there and traded an extra tap handle or two I had on hand for some much needed used parts. I also picked up a pony of Ayinger.

Good thing my test beer (for the CO2 portion) was German and used the slider type A coupler. I tapped it and my new kegerator was now a big mess. One of the o-rings on the coupler was old and leaked quite badly. All was well after another trip to 104th Liquor where the guys took good care of me and found me another o-ring. Always good to work out the bugs before a party.

Also on tap is a Corney of seltzer and ginger ale.

Next up, test out a nitrogen beers and get a keg of Guinness dialed in.

And to think.... I used to hate beer ;-)



This project wasn't exactly "done on the cheap", but every effort was made to keep costs down. Here is a link to my parts list with prices (all prices include shipping, taxes, etc. where applicable).

An eBay experience......

So, I am working on a new project (surprise surprise) and decided to finally check out eBay to source some parts (I'll get into the details of the project in my next posting).

I have to say, it wasn't exactly my idea to go the eBay route. A friend and co-worker told me that it was the way to go for what I was looking for. And to that end...he was very right.

For some background, you might want to know that I have been an eBay member since Jan of 2002, but just have never bought or sold anything there before (just a lurker). Also, if you know me, you'd know that I love auctions. I like them live and in-person, but I am no stranger to purchasing via auction. So I guess you could call me an eBay virgin (this is no longer the case - wink wink).

My first experience I do have to say was kinda a cop-out. I bought the first item via eBay's "Buy it Now" option on some listings. This was more of an online purchase than an auction in my opinion, but it did get my feel wet and get me primed for the real thing.

I was (am still am) on a mission to collect all the parts I can for my latest project as cheap as I can in my allotted time frame. I really want to get this project started...and finished. This one is not like some of my previous projects that tend to be ongoing; this should be completed and completely done with very soon. So, back to the eBay saga....

Shortly after my first "Buy it Now" purchase, I won two more actual auctions for parts needed before getting a little off track and buying some posters that I thought would go well with the project theme (absolutely not needed, but will hopefully add some character to my decor). Everybody always has told me that eBay can be dangerous. I wouldn't go that far...yet.

After my little distraction, I got to experience another eBay option; the "Buy it Now or Best Offer". Now this is how I like to do business! I just love to negotiate, so this was right up my alley. To be honest, the "Buy it Now" price wasn't a bad one (including the shipping of course), but I had to make an offer since it was available. I gave what I thought was a fair price (but obviously a good deal for me) and not too long later, I was countered (I like this guy... he knows how to negotiate too... this was getting fun). I very happily accepted the counter and "won" the auction (also a very decent price -- only .50 above my offer). I'm pretty sure the seller just countered to the hell of it, but who knows... he did have 2 other offers that he had rejected.

Now that I was having fun, I ventured into more auctions (losing a bunch since I am unfamiliar with the online way of doing this -- I still like 'em in-person much better). After my losing streak, getting beat in the last seconds before the close, I changed my strategy and won two more of my much need parts.

I've still got a few more parts I need to source, but if all goes well, I should have everything I need to complete the project.

All in all, my experience has been better than I had expected. In my hut or inexpensive parts, eBay seems to be the best venue for finding what I need. I have always figured if it can be found on eBay, you can get the same thing for at least as good a price somewhere else...this has not proven to be entirely true. Wonder if it is just I am getting worse at finding stuff (on the internet or brick 'n mortar) or if this is the way to go.

Pondering.....

A Chat with Rollerblade -- 104mm Hyper (Stripe and HyOctane) Wheels

Below is my conversation with Rollerblade regarding the their inability (along with Hyper's) to make available the Hyper Stripe (or HyOctane) 104mm/84A wheels that come with the new Speedmachine 10.0 in-line skates.
Note the time stamps of the corespondents.


Submitted via website:
08/30/2008 08:48 PM
info@rollerblade.com
Subject: Rollerblade - contacts

ROLLERBLADE - CONTACTS

name: Micah
surname: Fonoroff
address: 12666 Patton St
city: Broomfield
country: Colorado
zip code: 80020
phone:
fax:
e-mail: micahfonoroff@gmail.com
location: U.S.A.

msg: I bought a pair of Speedmachine 10.0 Skates about a month ago which I am very pleased with. I am, however, very displeased with the fact that the Hyper 104mm/84A wheels are not sold anywhere that sells the skates (online or in stores). I have been able to find select online stores that carry the 104mm wheel, but only in 89A and higher. I find these to be to hard for street skating. I have talked to a number of other people who are also having this problem. Is there anything you can do to assist.

Thank you

Micah Fonoroff



-------- REPLY --------

From: rollerbladeinfo@rollerblade.com
To: micahfonoroff@gmail.com
Date: Sun, Sep 14, 2008 at 2:16 PM
Subject: Re: Rollerblade - contacts
Dear Mr. Fonoroff, Thank you for your support of Rollerblade. Unfortunately, we do not carry the 104 mm wheels, we were only able to purchase them for production, not to be sold separately. This wheel size was made by Hyper under the names, Stripe and HyOctane as well. Here is one website that sells them: http://www.skates4u.net/hyhyspwh.html Please know that we provide you this information as a courtesy, they are in no way affiliated with Rollerblade. Sincerely, Rollerblade Technical Team


----- My Response -----

From: rollerbladeinfo@rollerblade.com
To: micahfonoroff@gmail.com
Date: Sun, Sep 14, 2008 at 2:38PM
Subject: Re: Rollerblade - contacts Thank you for the information, but I had already found the site mentioned. And as stated in my original e-mail, they are too hard (91A & 93A). The wheels sold on the Speedmachine 10.0 are 84A. I am very disappointed that Rollerblade does not make these wheels available. If I would have known that these wheels would be this difficult to find, I would have thought otherwise about purchasing this skate. Is there anywhere that sells these wheels in 84A - 86A?

--
Micah
303.550.1166


----- Rollerblade's Reply Once again -----

From: rollerbladeinfo@rollerblade.com To: Micah Fonoroff
Date: Sun, Sep 14, 2008 at 5:15 PM
Re: Rollerblade - contacts

Dear Micah,
I certainly understand your disappointment, unfortunately the matter is not in our control. Hyper, the wheel manufacturer does not choose to make the wheels alone available to us for resale. You may have luck with them directly. I suspect with it being a newly available wheel they wish to protect their exclusivity.

Sincerely,
Rollerblade Technical Services

----------------------------------------------------------

I was both impressed to see their response time greatly improved from my original inquiry to their first reply, but this leads me to wonder why it took them so long in the first place. On another note, we see that they progressively provide less information and assistance (presumably to get me off their case).

I do see part of their argument... but completely disagree with them. What genius decided to package and sell a wheel that can't be replaced. These skates were more expensive than others that were comparable (except for the larger wheel capacity - 104 mm vs 100mm). If I (or anyone interested in these skates) knew that it would be virtually impossible to find wheels of the same size and derometer (the 'A' number rating of hardness), I may have spent the $100 less and gotten last years model (or even another brand).

I am not faulting Rollerblade for not carrying the wheel necessarily; I am faulting the fact that they sell the skate knowing that Hyper isn't making these wheels available to the public.

Now off to see what Hyper has to say....

Denver Roller Dolls - Doin' it Again

Last night I went to my second Roller Derby; The Denver Roller Dolls - Mile High Club vs. The Minnesota Roller Girls - All Stars. The Mile High Club swept the All Stars quite nicely.

Eric and I hit the Cheeky Monk Belgian Beer Cafe for a few prior to the festivities (and I do mean festivities when it comes to the Roller Dolls). When I arrived at the Cafe to meet Eric, I found him sitting at the bar with no less than three of some of the finest beers in town in front of him. I sat down and he gracelessly handed me one of his beers for a taste.... All I have to say is "Ommegang was that a sour beer". Definitely a beer worth a taste or two. While Eric was finishing up another beer, I struck up a conversation with what seemed like a regular at the Cheeky Monk.

After our tasting frenzy, we left for the Fillmore Auditorium to secure our spot for the event. Once again we got the right hand corner; just behind the starting place for the Jammers. Just before the match Kon joined us again and a few minutes later my friend Bobby and his wife Courtney made an appearance. Interestingly enough, I also saw Brian (another friend of mine who I had also last seen there the previous match) with another friend Caroline (who I hadn't see n in quite some time). We were all a big happy family.

Vinyl Trax being in the pre-match exhibition and not play with the Mile High Club, stopped by to say hello and thank us for showing up just before the match began.

As the Dolls were whippn' some Minnesota skirt, I tended to make some noise (a loud whistle is appropriate in situations like these). Trish Forget (aka Lisa Remember) looked at me after a particular long and loud one and said "You sound like my mom". Now what was that supposed to mean?

Another oddity of the night was when Allyn (another girl having a good time out at the match with her friends) decided that "talking" to me was just as fun. What are you supposed to do when someone asks you to see their "augmented" breasts? Is there a polite way to answer? Needless to say they were very nice. Now, things progressed from there... Yeah, so..... she asked...... what was I supposed to do, say "No thank you Mam, I don't want to feel your augmented breasts". Bull shit! If anyone still thinks I'm gay, they can print out this post, roll it up, and stick it up their ass, thank you very much.

After the Derby, Eric and I decided to go to Benders Tavern for the After Party (not before hitting up Cheeky Monk again for a quick "good" beer).

The After Party was just about getting into the swing of things when we arrived. This time Eric and I went straight for the dance room where the fun was commencing. The Denver Roller Dolls along side the Minnesota Roller Girls cut it up like old friends (I just love how these girls can get along with ans socialize with the competition so easily -- makes it that much more fun to see this). After dancing out all of the beer, we departed before closing out the bar.

This was an unusual night for me. DRD events are always a blast and you never know what will happen.

32nd Annual Labor Day Party

If you can read this, your invited...

I am having my 32nd annual Labor Day Party (yes, it is my birthday party) Saturday, Sept. 6th. @ 8:00pm or there abouts.

I'll have a variety of snacks, hors d'oeuvres', Keg O' Sunshine Wheat, liqueur, and other drinks.
Bring what you want, if you want.

Directions provided upon request.

----------------------------------------------------

Well, the party was a success. There were about 40 people over all that made an appearance. Unfortunately, I have no incriminating evidence (read: pictures) of the few who had "too much fun", but I'm sure I'll be seeing them again at another function where I can remind them.


I would like to thank everyone who came to celebrate with me. I had a fantastic time and hope to see y'all again before next year.

What d'ya know, I'm famous

Ok, so maybe I'm not famous, but it is interesting what you find when you "Google" yourself.

The First Annual Row the Rockies Regatta, hosted by The Rockie Mountain Rowing Club was just over a year ago now and I just found the pdf that mentions me (twice no less).

Check out the my awesome apron

photo by: Christa Rabenold

The event was a lot of fun... it was my first. Unfortunately, Katie Thurstin is no longer in Colorado, so it is doubtful that I will be involved in the event again. A quick search shows that I was forgotten already... hope the burgers were as tasty from whomever grilled them this year ;-)

Big Apple Roll 2008 NY - Empire Skate

So, I had the opportunity to go to New York City to skate in the Big Apple Roll hosted by the Empire Skate Club. The Big Apple Roll is an annual skate event where people from all over meet to skate the streets of NY (yes, in traffic...with the taxis', pot holes, and all). The event was scheduled from Friday, Aug. 15 - Sunday, Aug 17th, but the two Friday skates (afternoon and the night skate) were canceled due to rain. There were 3 of us from Denver, Kim, Eric, and I (the farthest from the event^[1][2] -- the 2 from San Juan, Puerto Rico missed out by under 30 miles).

I arrived at the hotel a little after 3:00am ET after missing the last train from Newark Airport due to a delayed flight. There being no other method of getting to the hotel at that hour, I was forced to take a taxi (that cost me $75 out of the gate). When people said that I better have a lot of money when I went to NY, they weren't kidding.

Friday morning Eric and I head out to the streets of NY on foot (with skates in tow) to check out the city and get some breakfast. After researching some places to eat the morning before, Eric was in the mood for a classy breakfast, so we headed out to Nroma's (in Le Parker Meridien) where I had a $20 Belgian Waffle topped with strawberry's, blueberry's, blackberry's, raspberry's, and Devonshire Cream along with a tall glass of orange juice squeezed that morning. The waffle was really good and the Devonshire Cream really made the dish. This was the first time I have ever been to a restaurant where the orange juice included free refills. The wait staff would just come by and fill it up like it was ice water... very cool (at $8, I wonder what kind of mileage per glass I got out of it).

After breakfast, Eric and I hit the roads on our skates to tour some of the city before the all event skates that evening. One of the places we went was to Central Park. The full loop around the park is in the neighborhood of 6.2 miles of fantastic pavement with some great hills. After our skate, we headed back to the hotel to get ready for the afternoon group skate. Just as we were finishing getting ready, it began to rain...hard. So, we left for the Skyline Hotel (the starting location for all events for the weekend) to see what the new plan was going to be. While we waited around to see if the weather was going to turn, we schmoozed with the locals and other out of towner's' there for the skate. Among them were Brooklyn Steve and Mihai the Romanian (both locals - who provided plenty of beer throughout the weekend keeping a few of us dehydrated each evening). The weather never did turn, so we all ended up at the Chelsea Brewery where the evening skate was scheduled to end.



Saturday morning we got up early and headed to the Skyline Hotel to meet up for the first skate. On the way we stopped for a quick bagel and donut before inevitably burning it all off and then some in the first hour of the skate. While waiting for everyone to group up and get ready, there was more schmoozing in anticipation of the event. The morning skate took us to Park Ave where the roads were blocked from the Brooklyn Bridge in Lower Manhattan to the East 72nd Street entrance of Central Park for some bike event that I have been unable to figure out exactly what it was.
(Edit: I have gotten word from Brooklyn Steve that the street closure was an experiment called "Summer Streets" that ran for 3 weekends, the weekend of the BAR was the last.)




Saturday afternoon..... we gathered again. There were some new faces this time. More people were coming out of the wood work (mostly locals that weren't exactly morning people). We skated through Broadway (which had some fantastic new pavement), to the Hudson River, through Harlem and City College and Fifth Ave. At some point we stopped and watched a "street performer" - the Hula Hoop Guy, play the bongos and sing while explaining how one hula hoops. So I got the bug, what do you want. I stepped up and showed my stuff on skates and all. I was surprised to be interrupted by money being stuffed in my back pocket...woo-hoo.

Saturday after the official skates of the day were...well, officially over, Kim and I had made sure there was going to be a night skate. Saturday night was originally scheduled for dinner at The Frying Pan. It was announced earlier that the Denver Crew was going night skating. We had no plan, but were determined to host the skate since the official Friday night skate was rained out. Brooklyn Steve volunteered to lead for us and show us a good time. Thirteen people showed up for the impromptu event (which actually made things feel more like home). Because of the small turnout (everyone else was out drinking -- we, the ones from Denver, figured we were already professional drinkers and can drink just fine at home and came all this way to skate... so we did); the pace was faster than the usual Denver skates and we covered a lot of ground. This was great, but remember we had already skated in excess of 35 miles that day. We zipped through Time Square (stopping to take a few photos and stare into the lights), headed out to the Hudson River and skate down the paths this time, and unfortunately only skirted Ground Zero. From there we went to get some food and decided on a typical New York diner. After dinner, the plan was to go to the Frying Pan to meet up with the others who didn't partake..but that never happened our skate ended after midnight and another 10+ miles.

Sunday morning we met once again at the Skyline Hotel for the morning skate that would take us through Harlem and then to Central Park for the event ending picnic (this skate was actually split up into to skates - one longer one then back to the hotel so people could check out, then another to the park). At the part, after a few slices of pizza, it was off to loop do the loop once again. I then said good by and left to my hotel to head to the airport for my trip back to Denver.

While I was in NY, I saw in action no less than 4 jackhammers at street corners (and this doesn't even count the big yellow Cat machines). I am not one for stereotypes, but I felt this was kinda funny. Looked to me like the city was in a constant state of construction - here's a picture for your viewing pleasure.

I was also reminded of Boulder, CO when I swear I (along with a few others) could smell the strong odor of "wacky tabaccy" multiple times during our Saturday skate through the various parts of the city (I don't think anyone in our group would of had enough time nor energy to pull this off in mid stride).

Through my original tour of Central Park with Eric on Friday morning, I noticed the site of a scene of "The Brave One". Not that this is anything special, hundreds of movies are filmed in Central Park, but I found this to be cool just having seen the movie.

The Big Apple Roll was a fantastic event where I met a bunch of great people. I hope to be able to participate again.

3rd Annual Patton St Block Party - Aug.9th '08

The 3rd Annual Block party organized by Jon Massongil and myself was once again a hit. There was a good showing of neighbors and their friends for the festivities. Don't have much to say about it...typical block party. The police only showed up once...

I did get a request to juggle fire when it got late. Here are the videos:



Yeah, yeah... this isn't much of a block party post; more like a shameless plug for me juggling. What can I say, the block party was a few weeks ago and this is all I got. It was a block party, people ate, drank heavily, and sang really bad karaoke.

Ode to the Denver Rollor Dolls... or something like that

Today I went to my first Roller Derby match. The Denver Roller Dolls played against each other - Bad Apples vs. Green Barrettes at the Filmore Auditorium in Denver. I got my ticket directly from Vinyl Trax of the Green Barrettes the week before.

It being my first outing to the Roller Derby (and really haven't actually seen it on TV since sometime before 1983), I was excited but really didn't know what to expect. Knowing that this venue would be general admission seating, I wanted to get there early to make sure I got a good seat. Well, I did...and I did. I arrived with Eric, and Kon found us at our spot shortly after. "seats", or patch of floor, was directly behind the Jammers on the curve of the track -- TalkOur about optimal seating! Note: This picture sucks, but it should give you a good idea of where we were sitting.

Between the plethora of refs and "Dump Truck" - the man in the diaper, there was commentary throughout the match explaining the rules and nuances of all the activity. Eric and I were rooting for the Green Barrettes, Kon I think was indifferent. Next to us was a couple who were obviously veterans of the sport (who were sporting Bad Apples ware). The rivalry was fun and they helped explain the details of the rules that were lost in translation.

The score was... well, we won't mention what the score was, but it was a great match and the girls all seemed to get along very well (considering these two teams make up the Mile High Club - the Denver traveling team - this comes as no surprise).

After the match, there was time to schmooze with the teams and even get autographs. Later everyone met at Benders Tavern for the After Party. Kon was the first to depart (knowing he was going to have to dump out his helmet and ride home in the rain). that time, Eric and I decided take a walk to find my friend and neighbor At about (Jared Emery) who had a gig with his band 19ADD down town at the Hi-Dive; yes, that was a trek. We met the band, chatted some, then left to get some food. Yes, we walked all the way back to the Filmore when we left - kind of.

On our way back to the Filmore, we ran into a group of 2 guys and a girl on bikes coming up from the Cherry Creek trail off of Spear. This usually wouldn't be unusual, but the Cherry Creek had flooded the trail and everything was underwater. The taller (and wettest) of the bunch stopped me and proceeded to ask me if I wanted his bike. Thinking this was strange, not to mention the notion of weather or not it was stolen, I gave him a look of: "Uh? What are you talking about? How much have you been smoking? Just about the time I realized there were only three of them and 4 bikes, he said he had just fished it out of the creek. At that time it also became obvious that this was no fabrication.... The bike was covered in leaves and other usual random creek debris. As I'm getting my senses of the situation and turning to Eric to see his reaction, he reaches out and says: "Yeah, I'll take it!".
So off Eric and I go, me sitting on the seat while he stands and pedals, we make it back to grab some grub (come on... it was a long walk and we had a lot of beer in us).

Pete's Kitchen is where we ended up. This was my first time eating at Pete's Kitchen (and as you will soon see, Eric's as well). It was also my last time eating at Pete's Kitchen. I had gotten recommendations from friends as we passed coming or going somewhere in the vicinity many a time in the past. They were open, we were hungry, so why not? Things started well enough. We got seated right away, the waitress (the first one mind you) showed up in a some what reasonable amount of time, etc.... The first thing out of this womans mouth as she stared at Eric was: "You look familiar. Were you here yesterday?" Now, without waiting for an answer to this question, she began describing what "Eric" left on the table impersonating as a $20 bill. Yeah, she had just accused him of skipping out on a bill and leaving what can only be described as a poor attempt at a counterfeit 20. Please tell me who in their right mind would do this and then return the next night?? Eric of course counters with a response of never having been to this establishment before. The waitress accepts this with a "you just look very familiar". And that was the end of it... or so we thought. A few minutes later, the manager comes up to us, looking at Eric and asking him if he had ever been there before. Eric again states that he hadn't and the manager gives us both an evil eye and heads to the moonlighting Cop by the door (who had been watching this entire encounter). Knowing this was going nowhere (or more accurately, somewhere bad) Eric pulls out his wallet and produces multiple receipts that make it very clear that he was in Boston all last week (up until today). This settled it enough to get our second waitress and shitty service, but never did either of us get anything close to an apology from anyone. I would have left if I didn't feel as though I was going to pass out from low blood sugar (that and the previously mentioned large quantity of beer probably didn't help either).

"Skate or Die"

"Skate or Die"... wasn't that an old skateboard video game? Whatever.

Well, last nights DISC Street Skate was again participated by only a few (I bet you knew that was coming...). Even though the participants were few, but we all had a great time like usual. We started off the skate a little differently this time. We headed out to the Capital Building and then over to skate by the "I see what you mean" big blue bear at the Denver Convention Center. Today, he was sporting a new set of shoes.

On the way over, we got accosted by an RTD bus. Usually, they leave us alone. Yesterday was an exception. The driver of the bus started honking (and I mean laying on the horn quite excessively) probably 50 yards before he even got close to us (speeding up the entire time).... then he well, got close to us (VERY close). There was absolutely no reason for this 'cause he had to come to almost a complete stop anyway to make a right hand turn. This was rude, dangerous, and totally uncalled for. Evidently, I wasn't the only one who thought this.... Berta decided to call RTD and file an official complaint (that's a story for another day).

We then decided to head out once again to find some food and libations. My Brother's Bar was the location of choice. Jeff of course got confused and thought my brother had a bar in Denver. The conversation went something like this:

Jeff: Where we going to eat?
Me: We're going to My Brother's Bar.
Jeff: Your brother has a bar???
What's the name of the place?
Me: No, the place is My Brother's Bar!
Jeff: Yeah, what is the name of his bar???
Me: No, my brother is a fuckin' lawyer!
The restaurants' name is My Brother's Bar.

When this place was mentioned, I though "oh yeah, that's place is good", but forgot that they didn't allow skaters in what-so-ever, until of course we got outside the establishment and I remembered. We tried anyway to no avail (these guys don't even have a website....what can I say...).

Berta noticed a pizza place just up the street so we headed over to Proto's Pizzeria Napoletana. This turned out to be a good stop, but kinda strange. The wait staff was extraordinary nice to us. Not that we don't deserve this kindness, but we had no less than 5 people at one time or another serve us in some form or fashion. The icing on the cake was "The Flair Guy" from Office Space who happened to be our "main" waiter. No, he wasn't donning the 37 pieces of flair, but tell me this guy isn't a spitting image of him.

We left to go back to the Park to go home via the Cherry Creek Trail. Total mileage, about 20 miles.

Denver Cruisers...take two

Last nights DISC skate wasn't as large as it usually is (well, we never really have too many people, but tonight was really small). Five of us headed downtown for the evening with plans to eat at Cafe Berlin, a place we hadn't hit up yet (at least not in my 5 years of skating with DISC). Our plans were also to see if we could find the Denver Cruisers again this week (since Eric and I had such a good time last Wednesday).

Well, it didn't exactly go like that. We lost Karen before getting to Cafe Berlin (when I say lost, I mean she decided to head back early), and Josiah headed home after we finished drinking (ah...I mean eating, yeah that's what were doing, eating). This left us with three (interesting how last week only three of us made it the entire night).

We did end up finding the Denver Cruisers. You'd think that it would be easier to find a group of 240+ people on bikes cruising the streets, but it isn't. Berta, Eric, and I found the group just as the firsts were arriving at The Wynkoop Brewing Co.. It wasn't difficult to identify them this week as the theme was "Blue Coats & Commies". The Wynkoop wasn't too keen on letting us skaters in, but there was fun to be had playing in the street with some of the bikers.

Then... it was to the "Circle of Death". This time, it was held in some sort of parking garage. Berta took a digger, but looks like she'll live to try it again. I have to say the Civic Center Amphitheater last week was a tad better. Between the Circle of Death and the Wynkoop, we met some good people (including the Blue Coat Sisters and Erica the Hummus girl). Lucas (Mr. Nipples) was also there to welcome back both me and Eric. Roller Doll Vinyl Trax also graced us with her presence in full uniform (minus the quads). Also there in the thick of the carnage was John (one of my neighbors near my High St. property)...what'd ya know.

From 'The Circle', we headed over to Alibi Dance Lounge where the bouncers had absolutely no qualms about letting us party inside with the rest of the bunch. The music was cool. Dancing with skates on is kinda tricky, but was fun. Everyone seemed to be interested in us skaters (ok, at least a few). This hot chick in black started talking to me about why I was skating in a bar...(so what if her friend pulled her away before I could really get an intelligent conversation going). Also, I am pretty sure I got propositioned. Seems as though 'gay' is a re-occurring theme with me lately... oh well.

Once again, had "more fun than a barrel of monkeys".

The Maden Voyage... and then some

First off, my day didn't start out so good.

I began the morning with a bad feeling that things weren't going to go too well. At 8:00am the ass hat "carpet guy" (ass hat is probably not a strong enough word... fuck stick^[4] is more appropriate) was supposed to finish his job at High St. and couldn't get the job done. That wasn't too surprising actually. He was then supposed to meet me at 4:00pm (a no show this time - again I wasn't surprised). It gets worse... I was rushing to meet him and got pulled over by the Denver Police (this isn't a norm for me by the way). Fortunately, the officer was a good guy and only gave me a citation (yes, that means a ticket) for "obstructed windows" (I have tinting). This is a much better deal than what I would have gotten.... I'll leave it at that.

So, I head to Wash Park to skate like I always so on Wednesday... this time with my new skates. Even after the run in with the Police, I was excited and wanted to give them a whirl. Just after 7:00pm (after making 5 laps around the park), 7 of us hit the streets of Denver. We had previously made plans to hit up Lime on Larimer Square and meet with Linda (aka Mrs. Tahoe) and Kon (the master motorcyclist). For the record, the 21 oz Margaretta's at Lime are NOT the same size at the ones at the Rio (bigger/stronger is an understatement).

Well, we left Lime to head home and ran into the Denver Cruisers (who's theme of the night was Pink Slips & Office Misfits). These people are beyond crazy. So of course, Eric (aka Small Wheels), Randy, and I follow them into some unknown bar next to Lime (or maybe we were all following the "Roller Doll" - Vinyl Trax). After some time at this unknown bar, everyone heads out to the streets again. This is quite impressive when easily well over 200 people on all sorts of bikes take over the streets of Denver (makes me wish DISC had a following like this). Enough of the nostalgia...we of course hit another bar with this crowd of Cruisers, but before we do, we go to the "Ring of Death". Now, I mentioned earlier that these people are a tad crazy.... that was an understatement of the century. These weirdo's (I mean this in the most endearing way possible) go to the Civic Center Park amphitheater and randomly ride around in a circle (BOTH directions at once mind you). I'd say they try not to collide into one another, but I'd be lying. For the record, this is utterly stupid, but a thrill that you can not believe until you try (ok, so I am demented... so sue me).

The gang then rides off to the next and last bar (of how many I have no idea) "The Corner Office Restaurant & Martini Bar". After schmoozing with the bouncer, I am "kicked-in" the bar (with my skates on) to party with the rest of the crowd. At this time Randy heads off and Eric and I start chatting up some of the regulars in the Cruisers. One of these regulars, Mr. Nipple (at least for the night) , probably more commonly known as Lucas, was handing out "Hello my name is" stickers since the beginning of the evening.

These Cruisers are a messed up bunch...but my kind of crowd. I hope to meet up and roll with them again soon (and maybe even join in the "Ring of Death" again).

I think I need to rotate my wheels already :-/

Maybe the day wasn't so bad after all....

And for the record Berta - "No... I'm not gay" :-)

Orange Juice, Milk, and Gasoline

I know, your thinking "What do these things have to do with the price of tea in China?" (I think I got that adage right - my father will correct me if I'm wrong, he always did like that one). Well, nothing really except they are all commodities - or at least OJ and Oil are. Milk must be one as well - even pork bellies are - why wouldn't milk be? I'll look into that later... on to the point (what little point there is).

OJ and Milk are both renewal resources and Oil as we all know... isn't. I don't hear people complaining about the price of a gallon of OJ (now pomegranate juice, that stuff is spendy). Granted, you don't fill up your tank with OJ or milk, but if you did, both would be even more expensive (look at what is happening with the price of corn around the world -- see I do have a point now and then). If it weren't for the government subsidies on E85....

I guess what I'm saying is, quit your griping, it is only going to get worse. Drive a motorcycle that gets 30+ miles to the gallon, take the bus, get a used Geo, or do the unthinkable... car-pool. I have no sympathy for those that complain and do nothing about it and continue to drive the expensive guzzling vehicles with no purpose. Drive what you want, but quit complaining. Or even better, do something about it.

It is kinda amusing that I couldn't give away biodiesel 2 years ago when I started making it... and now I have to beat people away with a stick. Ironic....

And if you are thinking I am a tree hugging, granola crunching, long haired hippie... you are severely mistaken (I did have long hair for a short while, but not any more (read: male pattern baldness -- thanks for the genes Mom). I just don't contribute to the watering hole complaining sessions at work about how bad life is and how I am not going to be able to feed myself, etc... now that gasoline is 'X' dollars a gallon.

Vehicles are like socks.... or maybe not?!

Vehicles are like socks. They start out crisp and new, and you toss them when they get uncomfortable and ratty... at least I do - I also have a strange thing with socks, but that is another story entirely.

I've gotten rid of another vehicle (like that is any surprise). This time it was Boris' time to go. Boris was my 1993 Dodge W250 POS (yes, there was a POS model, and I had it). Boris came fully equipped with two burgundy mini-van seats, one locking door, a roof with my weight in rust, a leak in the windshield seal, a leaking steering box and pump, a leak in the front main seal large enough to crawl into, a dead spot in the steering wheel that'll make sure you get "white knuckles" from the wind when even a Geo tries to pass you, a shimmy that'll make you think your on the "Egg Scrambler" in Disney World, a transmission that had a mind of its own and would decide to shift into over drive when IT felt like it, and... I can't forget the exhaust... this thing sounded like a semi on steroids.

All-in-all... this was a great truck :-) It never left me stranded (well only once, but that was more my fault - and no I didn't run out of fuel). The good thing about Boris that I will miss... Boris was incorrectly titled as a Gas truck. Because of this he only had to get FTD tested (Fuel Transmitted Disease - ok so that wasn't funny) every 2 years (and with that funky RapidSCreen Roadside Emissions truck I drive by a few times a week it wasn't even that often). Oh well, I'll just have to get used to bending over ever year (and paying the $65+) to prove that running my biodiesel emits less harmful emissions than the truck did the day it drove off the showroom floor.

Now, I didn't just get rid of Boris without replacing him with something else... I did say that vehicles are like socks. When you retire a pair of socks you do get another pair... don't you? (I don't label my left and... never mind... so maybe they aren't like socks... but I am getting off track).

So, Boris was replaced with a 1995 Dodge 2500 (Cummins Diesel as well). I'm thinking of calling him Johnny 5 (from the theme song Who's Johnny from Short Circuit by El DeBarge) but haven't settled on it as of this writing. We'll refer to him as Johnny 5 in this posting for simplicity sake.

As I was saying, Johnny 5 is my "new" truck. Johnny 5 comes complete with 215,000 miles (yup, that's right folks '2' with '5' zeros (and some change of course), a rebuilt tranny sometime in the not so distant past, a set of tires that'll probably last a season or two, a tonneau cover in very decent shape, power seats, and a broken sun visor clasp (that hooked thingie where the visor sticks in place so it doesn't flop around and bang you in the head.... yeah, that thing... its busted).

The best thing... it is still Diesel, so I will be running on my Home Brew on the next tank.