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From now on you can find me here, GreenAroundTheGlobe

Rei Training

So after a good first training swim last weekend I joined the YMCA up
by my office this week and have done two 900meter training swims, both
at about 18-20 minutes each. Not to shabby of a time Yesterday I even
did an indoor brick by jumping out of the pool, rinsing off putting on
sneakers and a shirt and jumping on the stationary bike for a good
30min spin. I am begining to think I might not just finish but
actually enjoy this Triathalon.

Fantastic

Check out this guy in Ohio, I think he deserves an innovation award, seriously a bar stool that goes 38mph. I am not sure the decision to drink 15 beers before driving it was a good idea.

Please Touch Museum

So Amy and I went to the Please Touch Museum in it's new location in Memorial Hall in the West side of Fairmount Park yesterday. We met Michelle, Brett and Hannah there, and since Hannah is 18 months we did not look like a bunch of weird adults lurking around a kids museum.

They did have some really cool exhibits, including a model of the grounds where Memorial Hall is today from when it was built for the country's Centennial Celebration in 1876. The water works with the rubber ducks and boats was pretty cool too. Below is a picture of what Amy did when she was playing with Hannah and some magnetic letters. Very cute I know, but I wounder how many inappropriate words get spelled out on this thing by an older sibling there against their will.

Start to Vacation

So I got to PHL early enough to sit and enjoy some food and a flight
of three red wines from around the world, not a bad start for the trip
to Whistler. Canadia here I come.

Best use of a cake stand ever

For a party we are having tonight Amy had the great idea to us our cake stand as a way to display the three kinds of cured meats we have. I thought that the end result was worth sharing.

Now I am Committed, $150 Committed Anyway

So I pulled the trigger today and registered for the Philly Sprint Triathaoln, which is a 0.9K swim, 25K bike and 5K run. The race is Saturday June 27th so feel free to set the date aside and come down and watch me attempt to finish without making myself look totally ridiculous and out of shape.

I had better start working on my transitions, it is the swim-to-bike I am most worried about, as I am not sure I will practice in the Schuylkill before hand to much.

New Years Resolution

So I think I have my New Years resolution for 2009. It came to me on Monday when I was biking to work and taking advantage of the warm-ish weather we were having. I figured out that if I were to bike to work just once a week all year it is a total of 1,612 miles (52 x 31 miles). That may seem like a tremendous distance, and you would be right. It is exactly the distance from my house to the Badlands National Park, White River Visitor Center, however when broken up over a year seems very doable.

My resolution is I will bike to work an average of once per week for 2009. I had better get moving once it warms up if I have any chance of making this goal. Throughout the year I will post updated pictures of my bike computers' total odometer to show progress. But my starting point of 301.5 miles is below. What is your resolution?

Best bar sign

So this sign was over the men's room door at the Monk's Cove bar in
Mt. Adams. Even though I have never ben arrested I do see the wisdom
here.

We are only going to West Philly for the movies from now on

So check this story out. Apparently this guy, enraged by a noisy family at RiverView shot the father of the noisy family in the arm. Now I hate noisy kids at the movies and have felt like shooting some of those parents also, but not having a gun on me and being a rational person I never have. Either way I am pretty sure that we will ever go back there for the movies. This was the first news story I happened to read since being back in the city, and it seemed that it made national news, good job Philly. It is good to be home.

You better believe it.

First lunch in Cincy.

Dead Stop

Just before the Blue Mountain tunnel we are at a dead stop for no
known reason. Good times on the PA turnpike.

Happy Birthday Kristin!

It is my sister Kristin's birthday today, and since she is one of 4 people that read this blog I wanted to find a special way to show her how much I care. I thought a Happy Birthday wish from a cute dog was the way to go. (See Kristin's blog for her extensive use of puppy pictures to increase her readership)

Happy Birthday Sister.

Thundersnow?

So this impending storm is predicted to include thundersnow, no that
is pretty cool.

Chiristmas "Tree"

Check out our Christmas Tree. Unfortunately the rosemary cones at Whole Foods sold out only a week or two after Thanksgiving this year, so we missed out on a fragrant "tree" but this mini cedar tree is a great option. While it does not have quite the delicious aroma as the rosemary, it might also live longer because I do not have a desire to constantly roast chickens and sacrifice branches for the cause.

Best Brunch Dish Ever

This is a great recipe for waffle french toast. Possibly the best brunch dish ever.

100K House Tours

Amy and I went to see the 100 and 120K houses today in Fishtown. And while the houses were pretty cool with great designs I am not sure that the location would work for Amy and I. It is a fair hike from downtown and while it is improving it is still a neighborhood very much for hipsters. Amy and I are not hipsters, much more yuppie than hipster. And while Postgreen is an interesting development company, since they are not taking on investors right now I think that Liberty Realty Trust stock seems to be a better investment. Huge daily volatility recently, but being a leading developer of LEED certified corporate real estate I believe that they will have a significant operational advantage in the long run.

Anyway below are some pictures from today.

Expansion at Mugshots

So our local independant coffee shop has expanded in space and hours, now open until 10pm and with more seating. Good work local customers. Good to see one local business doing well.

I Heart REI

So turns out that after a quick call to Burton the REI store did an exchange for the '09 Cartel bindings at zero cost to me. I am back in business. Anyone up for some night riding next week after work?

Snowboard Gods why must you smite me?

So 2 hours into my trip this morning my front Burton Cartel binding baseplate shattered. And on a very easy fall on a green while I was practicing switch foot riding none the less. And now REI is telling me that I have to send it back to Burton for a replacement. Which could take 4-7 days. The other option is to return the bindings at the store and get new ones. If they will not swap it out I am going to do that with the rational that I am riding tomorrow, which I had not planned but hey for the amount of business I give REI they can eat the return and fight it out with Burton.