NASA: There's no such thing as a free launch.

After several failed attempts, I finally got to see my second shuttle launch up close. I have been pining to see a night launch for a long, long time. On Monday I drove to Cape Canaveral for a 1:30AM launch only to see it canceled due to weather just ten minutes prior to the end of countdown. Just before heading over, I learned of a hash part at a friend's home as a welcome back party. So instead of battling for a parking spot and sitting around for a few hours, I hung out with the group for a while. About 30 minutes before launch we walked the two blocks to local park for a good viewing spot and direct view of the shuttle pad. After seeing previous videos (e.g. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P282wFz_Pgg) I knew this was one site I did not want to miss. Unfortunately, this is the last planned launch in total darkness before the end of the current shuttle fleet next year. The new shuttles probably will not be ready for a while, so I was not going to miss this opportunity. I loved how the entire sky light up as the multi-million dollar roman candle arced across the sky. I was only disappointed by the lack of sound or chance to really feel the vibrations as I was able to experience the first time. Apparently this mission had a light payload, thus not requiring as much thrust as is normal. There is something about space flight that really drives the imagination and sense of wonder. The pics didn't come out as well as I'd hope as I found it difficult to anticipate the intensity of the light and ended up having my aperture a little too high I think, but I was glad to have been able to simply sit back and enjoy being a witness to such an event, especially when able to do so in the company of a few friends.

The closest to perfection a person ever comes is when he fills out a job application form.

This is for a platonic, outdoor chick to accompany on various camping, kayaking, and hiking trips. Applicants are encouraged to make up their own responses. Creativity, humor, and references to criminal or sexual deviancy are encouraged and subject to a more favorable score. There are several positions available for this placement, so check the links of past excursions on the right side of the blog and see if you're interested in a similar adventure.

1.) I would describe my physical appearance as
A. I'm hot.
B. I clean up real good.
C. I can barely see through my dreadlocks and am currently eating cold refried beans out of a can with a stick. Soap weighs too many ounces.
D. My mama says I sure do look purty.

2.) I would complain vocally if
A. I had a minor sunburn.
B. The incompetent cad at Starbucks made my expresso latte the wrong temperature.
C. Both my legs showed broken protrusions.

3.) Pancakes and eggs are
A. Some kind of breakfast food.
B. One of the great pleasures in life.
C. I wouldn't know. I'm a vegan and only eat non-violently harvested soybeans.

4.) I would react to a non life-threatening injury of my friends by
A. Turning a funny color and passing out.
B. Rushing to his or her assistance with a first aid kit and the knowledge of how to apply.
C. Pointing and laughing.

5.) I am filling this out because
A. I fell off the jungle gym and wound up in here.
B. This keeps me from masturbating so much.
C. I like to endlessly tease Mike Blitch by crushing his hopes and fantasies like a kumquat.
D. I want to be the best damn token female camping chick I can be.

6.) I comfortably climb
A. The stairs at the mall
B. 5.09 or below
C. 5.10 or above

7.) I would describe my mental stability as
A. I'm fairly level headed.
B. Unfuckwithable.
C. Sometimes I watch you sleep.
D. "It puts the lotion in the basket!!!"

8.) I am fearful of
A. Heights.
B. Unusually large chipmunks.
C. Absolutely nothing, you pansy

9.) My mental acuity would best be described with the phrase
A. What does acuity mean? My favorite color is clear.
B. I'm gonna go to tech school to be a welder.
C. I's smart enough to read this here sentence.
D. I have a Masters degree or Ph.D and can school you into the ground, bitch!

10.) As far as Paris Hilton goes
A. She is my role model.
B. I want to slap her with her dead rat dog.

11.) One of my most defining characteristics is
A. My sense of humor.
B. My ability to push past minor discomfort and focus on the trail or task at hand
C. My addiction to crystal meth.

12. The craziest thing I've ever done on a scale of 1-10 would be_________. If "1" were to equal you walking around all day at the mall and not finding anything that fits, and if 10 were to equal you being in a cage fight with a wildabeast while rabid wolves are gnawing on your armpits.

13. My friends would describe my personality as:
A. Bubbly and sometimes a little air headed
B. Fun and witty
C. A tourettic homicidal maniac diagnosed with advanced delusional schizophrenia and involuntary narcissistic rage.

14. When someone mentions "The Great Outdoors" the first thing that comes to your mind is:
A. "Do they take credit cards?"
B. "I hope the showers and toilets are clean...there aren't going to be bugs are there?"
C. "Camping, and having a GREAT time with the coolest Tampa hiker around!"

15. When it comes to drinking:
A. I only have a few...just enough to get a buzz and then I'm done.
B. I don't drink
C. Sometimes I wake up with puke all over my hair and rug burns on my knees.... thats about the time I notice that I'm in bed with 3 dudes, a chick, peanut butter everywhere, and I've got absolutely no clue where I'm at, My keys and purse are gone...and ironically so are my pants....Drinking rocks!

16. When it comes to cell phones I:
A. Had it surgically attached to my head
B. Answer it when it's someone important
C. Hate that godforsaken electronic object.
D. Just turn it on vibrate and write my number on all the bathroom stalls.

17. When it comes to drama...
A. My life is like a soap opera with a shiny smile
B. I hate my parents and the world. The army of darkness is upon us all.
C. Not too much...I try to stay away from it.

198. When it comes to smoking...
A. I do sometimes when I'm drunk
B. I have a free motorcycle and bedroom set from Marlboro.
C. If I smoke it's probably only because I was recently on fire.

19. My occupation is...
A. I am a goat herder.
B. I pay someone to take pictures of me and call myself a model.
C. I don't want to talk about my job.
D. Joe Redner is my sugar daddy.
E. Hurray student loans!

20. Clothing is
A. Recommended during business hours with a professional attitude while conveying comfort, and yet vitality, at evening events.
B. Used mainly to whisk away sweat and block UV rays.
C. Completely optional.
D. Mixed in a pile on the floor with everyone else's.

21. Children are
A. The joy of our lives and best hope for the future.
B. Able to carry 15% of their body weight in gear and food and heal quickly.
C. Best when they belong to others.

22. In terms of spontaneity, I
A. Keep an extra change of clothes in my car at all times
B. Need to check my calendar, ah yes, I can pencil you in for the afternoon of the 12th.
C. Give me 20 minutes and I'll be showered, packed, and already on the road. Tell me what we're doing later.
D. Talk to me next year or around retirement age.

23. In terms of knowledge regarding nature I
A. Can mimic the mating call of the bald eagle
B. Can usually tell the difference between flora and fauna and categorize by Kingdom.
C. It either comes in a box, the frozen section, or in the produce section of Publix.
D. Hey look, an adorable little bear cub, let's go get a closer picture with him. Hmm, where's mommy?

26. My navigation abilities would best be described as
A. I get calls from Garmin and Magellan looking for insight.
B. Know for sure the direction I'm heading just by looking at the sun in the early morning or late afternoon.
C. On Star!! Help!!

27. Nature is:
A. Best kept outdoors and viewed through a picture window.
B. The sole reason I exist and mother of my soul.
C. Ahhhh, get it off me, get it off me! Ahhhhhhhh.

28. Why do you want to apply?
A. I find you very attractive
B. You seem interesting
C. You're funny, even though looks aren't everything
D. I've evaluated many possibilities and you seem to have the best genetic makeup

29. My idea of a vacation is:
A. Driving to a local beach and sitting out in the sun all day with occasional toe-dippings into the water.
B. Flying to an exotic foreign beach and sitting out in the sun all day with occasional toe-dippings into the water.
C. Working hard all year so I can go out in the woods and pretend I am homeless for two weeks.
D. Sitting at home catching up on episodes of Hell's Kitchen and Desperate Housewives.

30. I'd say my level of ability to communicate is:
A. You better know what I am thinking/feeling at all times without any hints from me.
B. I prefer txting to actually talking since I am afraid of confrontation or any level of conversation.
C. If something bothers me, I'll let you know. If it continues to bother me, I'll actually continue to be forthright and sharing of my concerns.
D. Grunts and clicks reminiscent of pre-verbal societies.

31. I see my death as ....
A. Being alone in my bed surrounded by family or at least with my thoughts of a life well lived.
B. Seeing it coming and hoping as my life flashes before my eyes it is one hell of a highlight reel.
C. Being peaceful in my deep sleep like my grandad and not screaming like his passengers.


__________________X I agree that the above information is correct and promise to not let the truth get in the way of a good story..

Now that I've muddied the waters it's time to paddle off!

In taking a break from a research project, I decided to head out and d a paddle/kayak event with the Tampa Adventure Group to Shell Key Preserve. I got out there a little late, but still was able to arrange to meet up with one of the other member that needed to borrow a boat. We were fortunate to have the wind to ours backs as we made our way to the island around 5 o'clock. Although most expected it to be hot, the temperature was quite comfortable, even if a little chilly due to the wind coming from passing thunderstorms. Stan built a nice fire and most of us sat around and chatted throughout the evening. Funny how we'd be ready to go out on the town normally, but by 9:30-10 most were ready for bed after a day of paddling and sun. I had already set up my hammock tent in the wooded area and had a comfortable sleep even when there was some brief rain. Apparently those on the beach did get a bit wind blown during the evening. We all took off relatively early in the morning since it was obvious stronger winds would develop due to an approaching tropical depression in the Gulf. The wind was even stronger heading back and we had to face it directly pretty much the entire time. Two of the groups in canoes had to make for Ft. DeSoto park instead of toughing it out and heading for the boat ramp. I guess they didn't anticipate the changing weather conditions and packed way too much stuff they weighed them down, but in the end the rest of the group was able to make it in.

After packing up I headed over to Fort DeSoto itself to take a few pictures and walk around for a bit. I hadn't returned since my last incredible trip here over a year ago for a different kayaking trip. After getting a few shots that I will eventually geotag and throw onto my Panoramio account for inclusion into Google Earth, I headed to Oldsmar to meet with someone from whom I would purchase my newest lens, a Sigma 70-200mm f2.8 lens that will be considerably better in low light than my old 70-300m f5.6. Though it'll be less of a zoom, I think the pictures will turn out more crisp that will even allow 'zoom by crop' to be just as effective. It is a little too heavy to be a general walk-around lens, but I think I'll suffer the weight just for the opportunity for some good shots in Peru in December and on my upcoming trips.

People who cough a lot never go to the doctor...just to movies, concerts, and lectures.

I enjoyed the Dave Matthews Band show tonight. Traffic was kind of tough getting in, but I was able to make it to the venue well before the opening band started. This was my first DMB concert and I really enjoyed simply relaxing under the cool evening sky and listening to the music. I'm not much for dancing at concerts, but I absolutely loved the combo rendition of 'All Along the Watchtower' (which is about my favorite ever song and easily verified when I used to drive someone nuts by playing the DMB cover of it it all the time while on the road) and 'Stairway to Heaven'. It was well mixed as they seamlessly transitioned from one song to another. I was hoping for just that one song and was not disappointed. It started with a soft opening rift of the first bit of StH, jumped into AAtW, and then mixed them up again and again.

Here is a video of a different concert, but about the same gig: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qF5WH_e8JAk

This is a good video of just AAtW: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yam6mrCCvD4

Never buy a house at a fire sale.

With the previous tenants moving out at the end of May, graduating, job moves, etc, my old home near USF was empty for the first time since I moved there in almost 12 years. I decided to take the time to remodel it a but and update things before getting new tenants for the Fall semester. Since this was before I got my full-time job in June, I had a little time. After the job, I had to come over early in the morning or on weekends. The first order of business was to get rid of all the old carpet upstairs. Putting down new carpet would be cheaper, but then I'd have to do the same thing again in another few years of constant use, so I decided to just replace it all with tile. Once I got the carpet off the stairs to replace with wood laminate flooring, I saw how bad a condition they were. So at that point the project got even more complicated when I decided to completely replace the stairs and just stain them. This was a major PITA and I had to hire a carpenter friend for some of the finer points or measuring, cutting, and placement, but I think the end result came out well. I repainted all the bedrooms, fixed holes in the wall, replaced all the old windows with new energy efficient ones, cut up and removed the old hot tub (I needed the parts for the hot tub at my current home and honestly didn't want to deal with the liability and maintenance any more), landscaped the yard, replaced the toilet with an efficient dual-flush model, and numerous other little fixes. I was finally able to get everything finished and cleaned up the morning the first new tenant came it. Though it sucked to not have the income for the summer, I think the place looks a lot better and can be a good home environment (and rental producer) for many more years.

Before Pics

After Pics

A meteor is an example of a rock star.

After working today and meeting the last of the new tenants at the USF house and dealing with a squirrel problem (apparently one snuck into the house when the doors were open during the month and made a home for himself in an old mattress), I loaded up the kayak and headed to the Ruskin area. One of my kayaking acquaintances had set up a group paddle event on the Ruskin Beach near Little Harbor to hopefully paddle out and watch the Perseid meteor shower; supposedly the largest of meteor showers for 2009. Unfortunately, Florida weather found the skies to be somewhat obscured by clouds. In combination with the light pollution of St. Petersburg just 9 miles across the water I didn't get to see a single streak across the sky. I did, however have a really nice time simply paddling around and enjoying the quiet, cool breeze of a summer's eve. The water was fairly flat and it was nicely quiet and made for an enjoyable evening that at least kept me from the house.

Chairlifts need to be in some places so that we can get to wonderful views without having to hike to them.

This morning I headed over to Hillsborough River State Park to meet with members of the Tampa Adventure Group for a morning hike along some of the trails. After hitting the River Rapids Trail we had planned on doing the 3.4 mile loop along the Florida Trail, however as we got part of the way through we got a call that portions of the trail were covered in water, thus ending the little hike. I spent part of the afternoon getting some furniture for the rental house and later decided to finally go see the Harry Potter movie at the Channelside IMAX theater. While the giant screen is nice (along with the 3D beginning portion), I don't think I want to pay $15 too often without the movie getting high reviews and the right graphics to make the extra viewing cost worthwhile. Fortunately, this was one such worth movie and I really did enjoy relaxing under the mega screen and the film itself.

Love many trust few & always paddle your own canoe!

After attending a home party last night, I got up way too early this morning when I had to do my weekend training run and then make it to Riverview Park in time to meet with some other kayakers. We loaded up all the boats in my trailer and piled in to head to the launch point at Alderman's Ford Park. I have done several different portions of the Alafia River in the past, but never in one sitting. Although not as swift as something like the Suwannee River it still makes for a good paddle. The water level was high enough that the shoals or rapids did not present any problems. We all had to get out only once in order to drag our boats around a downed tree that blocked the entire river since all the other obstacles could be ducked under to floated over. The paddle ended up being around 17.6 miles between the two points and took about 5 hours at a leisurely pace. It was a good day to do some paddling, but next time I'll probably look to get out at the Kingsway Boat Ramp since the rest of the paddle after that is pretty slow and filled with homes and boat traffic.

So why does the Vatican actually need to have lightning rods on its churchs?

Heat lightning storm over Tampa. Pictures taken near old Sulphur Springs water tower.