So this is blogging?

Backpacking the Great Smoky Mountains National Park 03.2011

2011-03-26T17:45:00.001-05:00

To fight off some cabin fever I went with a few college buddies to the Smoky Mountains National Park for a quick 3 day backpacking trip.

We did about 17 miles; 6 on day 1 to site #11, 9 on day 2 to site #16 with a side trip to Abrams Falls, and 3 out on day 3.

The trails were just like I remembered them from a college Spring Break trip 12-ish years ago – nothing is flat! Nice and scenic but you spend all day hiking up and over mountains and in and out of ravines.

We didn’t see much wildlife and only a few other groups of people outside Abrams falls. The weather was perfect; mid 70’s with low 50’s at night and not a drop of rain.

After the trip we stayed at a small resort in Townsend, Valley View. We took advantage of the hot tub and took a trip over to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg for some BBQ and go karts!

Pictures on Flickr

Fall Camping – Kohler Andrae

2010-10-17T21:21:00.001-05:00

We did some late September Fall camping at Kohler Andrae State Park. It was a beautiful weekend like most of this Fall. Just took one picture which sums it up.

Camping Harrington Beach

2010-09-12T10:52:00.001-05:00

This weekend (we haven’t even left yet!) we’ve been camping at Harrington Beach State Park near Belgium, WI. Harrington Beach is an older day-use park with a new campground and it’s quickly becoming one of our favorites. The facilities are great, the campsites are grassy and private.

We got in late on Friday, setup and went to bed. Saturday was huge. Got up at 9 am, made breakfast. Napped until 2 (it was raining). Took a walk. Went to WalMart. Went to a custard place for burgers and dessert. Lounged around and were back in bed before 10 pm!

Today hasn’t been much more productive except for catching up on all these blog posts. I had planned to fish in one of the two ponds (both stocked with trout) in the park but just didn’t pull it together. Maybe next month.

I forgot my cameras but got a couple grainy shots with the iPhone.

Utah 08.2010

2010-09-12T10:35:00.001-05:00

I flew out to Utah with a co-worker last month to attend the awesome Outdoor Retailer trade show. After the show, we spent 3 days in the High Uintas Wilderness doing some backpacking and then a day of sightseeing around the Great Salt Lake.

Backpacking in the High Uintas was awesome. Lots of small alpine lakes, challenging trail, and high altitude.

We started near Mirror Lake and hiked the Highline trail to Carolyn lake and back. We originally intended to go all the way to Jean and Dean lakes but we underestimated the distance and our acclimatization to the 10,000+ ft. altitude.

Night one we spent at Carolyn Lake which is loaded with small Arctic Grayling. I think you could catch a few with anything on the end of a line.

Night two we hiked back to Wilder Lake and made the steep descent down to the lake. We had camping there all to ourselves and enjoyed some Brook Trout fishing in that small lake.

Great trip overall.

Pictures on Flickr

Milwaukee’s Irish Fest 2010

2010-09-12T10:05:00.001-05:00

My Mom and Dad came up for a visit in August during Irish Fest. We took the boy down for the afternoon.

A few pictures on Flickr (which have very little to do with Irish fest)

Old-ish Pictures: Milwaukee County Zoo October 2009

2010-09-12T10:01:00.001-05:00

Last year in October my sister and nieces came to visit. It was a nice fall day so we took a trip to the zoo. My camera battery died on picture one but the iPhone grabbed a couple decent ones.

Pictures on Flickr

Weeklong Camping at Kohler Andrae and Harrington Beach State Parks

2010-09-12T09:52:00.001-05:00

Later in July this year we took a week long camping trip starting at Kohler Andrae and finishing at Harrington Beach State Park on Lake Michigan.

Three words: Hot, wet, and bugs. In no particular order.

We had a good time as always but it rained (Milwaukee got 13 inches in July), we got destroyed by mosquitoes, and it was jungle hot. Night one included the rangers coming through the campground with lights and sirens to wake people up for the massive thunder storm heading for the campground. It ended up not being that windy but tons more rain fell.

For the first time in years we bailed a day early. The frustrating part was we had recently bought an air conditioner for the camper but apparently it was busted. We turned it on and the camper got hotter!

We spent a lot of time in Lake Michigan which was pretty comfortable with the hot weather.

Pictures on Flickr

July 4th Camping

2010-09-12T09:31:00.001-05:00

Between Memorial Day and 4th of July we only camped once at New Glarus Woods State Park; the highlight there is always the New Glarus Brewery.

For the 4th of July we took a long weekend back to Kohler Andrae State Park. I’m posting this two months later so I don’t really remember the trip that well. The pictures look like we had a good time though!

The pictures did remind me that we fed Edward solid food for the first time. That was pretty funny; he had trouble remembering to open his mouth.

Pictures on Flickr

Memorial Day Camping – Kohler Andrae

2010-06-01T21:58:00.001-05:00

We spent Memorial Day weekend camping at Kohler Andrae State Park near Sheboygan. It was a perfect weekend to camp on Lake Michigan. A little buggy but the days were sunny and 70’s. Hard to beat that.

It was Edward’s third trip. He sat outside with me and stared at the trees for an hour. Must be cool to be amazed by everything around you!

The dog’s enjoyed some good swimming and we even ran into a good college friend and his family.

Pictures on Flickr

Camping at Ottowa Lake

2010-05-16T10:50:00.001-05:00

We had a very lazy camping weekend at Ottowa Lake in South Kettle Moraine this weekend. We did next to nothing all weekend and it was everything I thought it could be.

I used the quiet to do some development for Backcountry K-9, drove to a Verizon store and got the new MIFI, took the dogs for a run next to the bike (check out the Springer!), and had a family nap time.

Didn’t even make it down to the lake or the trout pond; there’s always next time…

Pictures on Flickr

Next up, Kohler Andrae for Memorial Day!

Camping - Devil's Lake State Park

2010-05-11T18:09:00.004-05:00

We made our first camping trip an early May weekend at Devil's Lake State Park. It was also Edward's first trip - at 11 weeks old we were a little worried.

It got into the 40's at night so we had a small ceramic heater to keep an even temperature in the pop-up. We also got a Pea Pod for Edward (imagine one of the model tents you see at REI or Target). It was nice to not worry about him rolling and it also has an inflatable mat on the bottom. You can use it outside too; it gives some UV protection.

Camping with him was easy though. Pretty much the exact same routine as at home. He didn't seem to mind it at all.

I hadn't been to Devil's Lake in years. It was as nice as I remembered it though. We took a quick hike around one side of the lake and took the dogs swimming.

Being early in the season, the campground was 1/2 empty and there were no bugs. All in all, it was a good start to the season.

Pictures on Flickr

Huron and Cheyenne – June 2009

2010-02-09T23:01:00.001-06:00

Well, I’m way behind on updating my blog but here are a few pictures from the backyard or our Labs, Huron and Cheyenne. Cheyenne was just about 3 months old and had more energy than coordination.

Pictures on Flickr

Old Pictures – New Year’s Eve 1997

2009-06-15T22:09:00.001-05:00

Wow. New Year’s Eve at Marquette circa 1997.

Pictures on Flickr.

Memorial Day Camping

2009-06-15T21:52:00.001-05:00

We spent a very relaxing Memorial Day weekend at Kohler Andrae State Park. It was a little challenging though with our new puppy Cheyenne.

Pictures on Flickr.

Camping at Ottowa Lake

2009-06-15T21:30:00.001-05:00

In early May we spent the weekend at Ottowa Lake in the Kettle Moraine State Forest. We made a quick trip to the spring-fed trout pond and spotted some cranes in a corn field. Yeah, that was about it.

Pictures on Flickr.

Spring Camping at Kohler Andrae State Park

2009-06-15T21:17:00.001-05:00

We kicked off the camping season back in April with an early trip on the Lake Michigan shore at Kohler Andrae State Park. A good trip as usual. Cold, but nothing a good campfire couldn’t fix.

See some pictures on Flickr.

Old Pictures – Backpacking Glacier National Park 08.1997

2009-04-03T22:58:00.001-05:00

A backpacking trip to Glacier National Park with stops in Mt Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Badlands, and Little Bighorn National Battlefield.

Pictures on Flickr

Old Pictures – Camping and Hiking Devil’s Lake/Red Oaks with MU AOC 04.1997

2009-04-03T22:18:00.001-05:00

A typical MU AOC camping trip – booze, a little hiking, terrible gear and cold nights. Fun times.

Pictures on Flickr

Old Pictures – Skiing with MU AOC at Steamboat, CO 01.1997

2009-04-03T21:31:00.001-05:00

Cool skiing trip with Marquette’s Avalanche Outdoors Club at Steamboat, CO. Most the the pictures are from a day for snowshoeing.

Pictures on Flickr

Old Pictures - Rafting at Thortons with MU AOC 10.1996

2008-12-21T17:48:00.001-06:00

Cold weather camping and white water rafting with low quality gear and an on-site bar... sounds about right.

Pictures on Flickr

Old Pictures - Camping at Mirror Lake and Devil's Lake with MU AOC 04.1996

2008-12-21T17:39:00.001-06:00

An infamous camping trip at Mirror Lake and hiking at Devil's Lake with Marquette AOC. The pictures got double exposed but there were a few that were still worth saving...

Pictures on Flickr

Old Pictures - Rafting at Thortons with MU AOC Club 10.1995

2008-12-21T17:31:00.001-06:00

A classic rafting trip circa 1995 in Northern Wisconsin with Marquette AOC.

Pictures on Flickr

Old Pictures - Marquette Tower Hall 1995-1996

2008-12-21T17:14:00.001-06:00

wow... good times.

Pictures on Flickr

In Nashville for the Packers vs Titans Game

2008-11-05T21:36:00.001-06:00

This past weekend me, Paul, Andy, Ryan M., and Shaun loaded up and made a long drive to Nashville for the Packers Titans game and some general debauchery... mission accomplished.

Trip Highlights -

The Second Fiddle - probably the greatest bar in Nashville featuring lots of live music
Andy taking a late night cab ride to White Castle
Me intoxicated and yelling at the Packer's President, Mark Murphy, "Murph! High Five! Don't leave me hangin' Murph!"
Paul giving his phone number to a homeless (?) man, Scotty, and his dog (a pit bull), Missy.
Coyote Ugly
Jack's Barbeque on Broadway - awesome food!
The Beer Cellar - 150 flavors - 50 on tap
After waking up from 16 hours of full throttle drinking - Andy on all 4's in his underwear and black socks begging for Tums.
The game that we actually went for - Packers lost in OT but we definitely got our money's worth
Shaun throwing a few hundred cocktail napkins in the air at the Second Fiddle to "Make it Rain"

There are definitely things I am forgetting but the whole weekend was one glorious blur!

Pictures from the weekend (when my camera was working)

A Little More Kohler Andrae Camping

2008-10-24T22:33:00.001-05:00

We made one more last minute reservation to camp up at Kohler Andrae State Park. It was cold but not bad (especially with a bunch of firewood and a camper with a heater).

It was pretty quite on Friday night and Saturday morning. We took Huron swimming early Saturday afternoon and by the time we got back we were being overrun with Cub Scouts. They swarmed in, setup, did some scout activities, and went to bed. You could tell the dads that camp from those that don't. Some tents went up quick - others struggled. Rustic People watching.

On Sunday we got home and winterized the camper before the late Packers game. Now we wait until April for more camping.

A few pictures, mostly of the dog.

More Camping at Kohler

2008-10-06T00:37:00.001-05:00

Earlier this year we made plans to camp at Kohler Andrae for a second straight trip in September. We ended up roping some old college friends and their families to join us for a perfect fall weekend on Lake Michigan.

See the Pictures.

Camping at Kohler Andrae

2008-10-06T00:16:00.001-05:00

As usual I am late on the post but we had two camping trips at Kohler Andrae State Park with groups of friends in September.

The first was with Ryan, Alisha, and their dog Tenna. The weekend was something special - it rained nearly the whole time. Suzie was sick and gave her nasty cold to both Ryan and I. We still had a good time though; spent most of Saturday at a bar until it cleared up a little. After that we took the dogs to the beach and had a few more cocktails.

See the pictures

No More Web Site

2008-10-06T00:02:00.001-05:00

I dropped my regular (completely out-of-date) web site today in favor of the blog only approach. I plan to repost all of the old pictures from the web site here over the next couple months.

I'm trying out Flickr right now too instead of Picasa Web Albums - I feel like I'm slowly moving into 2002. Rad.

Backpacking the Porcupine Mountains

2008-09-01T21:14:00.001-05:00

I just returned home from a short two-night 12 mile hike in the Porcupine Mountains State Park in Michigan.

Tim left early for the trip and put some time in on the Lake Superior Trail back to where the Big Carp River Trail meets the Correction Line Trail. Ed and I hiked in two days later to meet him there. The Big Carp River trail from the Escarpment is mostly a downhill 5 mile day with good views of the Lake of the Clouds and the river valley. We camped that night near the Correction Line Trail on the river.

Day two is a short 3 miles on the Correction Line Trail over to Mirror Lake. The 3 miles is deceptive - it's mostly uphill but evens out near Mirror Lake.

We camped on the south side of Mirror Lake on the second night. The area was busy with some interesting groups including 10 or 12 kids with no tents, a solo backpacker, and two girls from Madison that got to camp later in the day. We were packed in but the lake was nice and we washed some grime off with a swim.

Day three was up and down 4 miles on the North Mirror Lake trail -a steep descent back down to the Lake of the Clouds is followed by a steep climb back to the Escarpment. Easier than I remembered from a past hike but still no fun.

It was a good trip with nothing too exciting besides Ed trying to wrangle snakes we spotted at the Mirror Lake camp. The bugs weren't terrible but it was hot - hot enough I left the dog at home. That turned out to be a good thing as it hit near 90.

Here are the pictures.

Behind the Scenes at the Zoo

2008-08-27T22:16:00.001-05:00

My wife sponsors the Polar Bear Zero at the Milwaukee County Zoo. Twice a year sponsors get to take behind the scenes tours of some of the facilities, so we went over and toured around.

We went into the elephant area and the area where all the African animals spend nights and all winter - underneath the cat house and outside African Animal area.

The Elephant area was interesting in its size. The walls are probably 10 inch thick concrete and the cage bars are massive. They showed how they safely coral the elephants, rhinos, and hippos into the building and talked about things I have never thought mattered like how to keep the elephants nails filed down.

The winter/night quarters weren't as interesting but it is a large area very reminiscent of a livestock barn. The coolest part was looking though a barred door that had the "Danger - Lion Moat" sign. Out this door was the moat that separates lions, cheetas, and hyenas from the other animals.

Pictures from the zoo

Salmon Fishing

2008-08-27T22:04:00.001-05:00

Two weeks late on this (per usual) - about 10 days to be exact. I went over to the Michigan side of Lake Michigan to salmon fish with a buddy and our dads.

It was choppy but a gorgeous day besides that. Unfortunately, we only landed one fish.

Here's my dad fighting one that didn't make it in -

Camping at Lake Kegonsa State Park

2008-08-13T22:59:00.001-05:00

We spent last weekend camping at Lake Kegonsa State Park near Madison, WI. Ryan, Molly, and retriever Murphy joined us on Saturday. Nothing much to report - weather was good, mosquitos were bad.

The flooding back in June (contributing to the mosquitos) has left a lot of lakes in the area with problems like e-coli and blue-green algae blooms. Of course, Lake Kegonsa was under an advisory for both which we conveniently found out after taking the dogs swimming. Not great, considering blue-green algae can kill a dog within a minutes. However, everyone faired fine.

The new awning on the camper went up quick and easy and the repaired fridge worked well after we got it started.

A few pictures from the trip.

Vegas!

2008-07-24T17:43:00.001-05:00

Spent last weekend (Sat. - Mon.) in Las Vegas. A big group of friends, coworkers, old co-workers, their friends... we all stayed at the Flamingo. We got in a day later than everyone and worked hard to catch up (read "got really drunk").

Nothing really of note. Just a really fun time all around. Ate well, gambled like addicts, won some money, lost a little more - but didn't come home broke.

No pictures to show; I took a point and shoot camera but left it in the room.

As always, Vegas did not disappoint. I haven't been in three years but not too much has changed that I hadn't heard about. The whole family friendly thing is pretty much done and gone. The Flamingo has pole dancers right at the entrance of the casino. One of the smaller places downtown has girls dancing in the pit between the table games - not nude in either place but scantily clad. This of course doesn't stop lousy parents from bringing their kids.

We had a lot of fun at Buffalo Bills and all over downtown where us non-high rollers can still afford to gamble. Tore up Craps but couldn't win at Black Jack or Pai Gow.

Got home on time on Monday and the rest is history.

The last two days I've been home sick. I'm covered nearly from head to toe in a mysterious rash that came out of nowhere on Tuesday. Went to the doctor on Wednesday - he called it "impressive" and sent me home with an industrial sized tube of steroid cream. He said I should be good to go in a couple days - feels pretty miserable right now though.

Camping - Kettle Moraine

2008-07-24T17:23:00.001-05:00

A little late on this post but we were out camping in Kettle Moraine State Forest - Long Lake Campground two weekends ago. Not much to say... it was busy, it stormed, the mosquitos were terrible (pretty much like every place else), and our LP fridge wasn't working in the popup.

On the positive side, we set up the screen tent and had a nice fire. I hooked up a new 12 volt outlet in the camper. That combined with the new 15 watt solar panel and an inverter is enough to watch a movie and charge the laptop, iPods, cell phones, etc. without draining the battery.

So overall, it wasn't anything exciting but it was still a relaxing weekend.

Got the fridge fixed already - fouled up burner apparently. Whatever that means; it was only $89 versus $600 for a new fridge so I'll take it.

Camping in the Hiawatha National Forest

2008-07-07T22:02:00.001-05:00

Over the 4th of July we took an extended weekend camping trip in the Hiawatha National Forest in Michigan's Upper Peninsula. We had a beach front campsite at Bay View Campground on Lake Superior. The campground is nothing special with only 24 sites, pit toilets, and and hand pump for water. (You really feel like an animal when pumping water by hand and getting torn apart by mosquitos.) The sandy beach in front of the campsites makes up for the lack of amenities - sitting all day with a couple beers is the way to go.

When we got bored with that we checked out a couple lighthouses in the area as well as Tahquamenon falls.

All the Pictures from Bay View

Fishing in Canada

2008-06-29T18:34:00.001-05:00

I spent the last week on a fishing trip in Northwestern Ontario. We spent 6 days on Lake Savant at the Wildewood Camp - about 6 hours north of International Falls.

The fishing was nothing short of spectacular. I'm guessing that the 8 of us pulled in about 1500 - 1800 fish, mostly walleye. In one day alone my buddy and I pulled in 75 walleye. The lake also supports big Northern Pike, Lake Trout, Perch, and Whitefish.

The weather was decent and allowed us to fish everyday. Sometimes we motored about an hour up the 26 mile long lake to get to some prime destinations.

Along the way we caught huge walleye - some around the 25 to 27 inch marks. Northerns were everywhere. When the walleye fishing slowed, that usually meant the Northerns were ready to be caught. We pulled in plenty between 30 and 40 inches. I caught a three between 29" and 33" on walleye jigs. I nearly had a 2-fer when a big northern tried to snatch a walleye I was landing right next to the boat. Another guy in the group actually netted one that way when it wouldn't let go of his walleye.

The camp was a true camp and one of only two on the entire lake. The log cabins have no running water - all water has to be hauled by buckets to the cabin. A shower building does sport hot water with two showers to keep things smelling better. each cabin has an outhouse which was getting pretty ripe by the end of the week! You can fly into the camp on float plane or take a 5 mile muddy and bumpy trip by ATV - we chose the ATV route to save a few bucks.

Loons cover the lake and we also saw woodland caribou swimming in the water. We saw 4 or 5 bears on the way up but none in camp. A few guys saw moose around the lake too.

More Pictures of the Trip

Brewers Tailgate

2008-06-15T18:54:00.001-05:00

We hit Miller Park hard on Saturday for the Brewers/Twins game. Ryan, Molly, Todd and Jamie joined Andy, me, Suzie, and Carolyn.

It started out nice but then a thunderstorm rolled in sending everyone into the stadium early.

A ticket mishap had us literally in the very last row of the upper deck but hey, you can see the whole field from there.

The game went into extra innings - thank God the beer didn't.

A few pictures from tailgating.

Very Wet Camping Trip in Kettle Moraine

2008-06-13T23:40:00.001-05:00

Last weekend we spent a very wet weekend camping at Ottawa Lake in South Kettle Moraine near Eagle, WI. The campground is decent with some electric sites, a beach, a fishing pier, boat launch, and a park. However, it was one of the very very few weekends where being home might have been better.

It started off with hordes of mosquitos when we first got to the campsite. I seriously haven't seen that many since the last time I went to Alaska.

Saturday morning it was hot - African hot. I tried to take a nap but could barely sleep it was so hot.

Then it stormed. Nothing clears a campground faster than severe thunderstorms and tornado sirens. After the storm, it stormed again... and again. By this point our campsite was filled with water and our screen tent had fallen (literally) victim to the rain.

The next morning we woke up and thought about making some breakfast but decided we should check the radar first... yeah, more storms on the way. We tried to pack up quick and get out but of course, it started to storm and filled everything with water.

When we got home we were greeted with the new carpet that had been installed in our previously 1970's rec room. And of course it was wet. Never had water in the basement until less than 1 day after new carpet was installed.

At any rate, everything is now dried out and looking good.

Here are couple pictures from the weekend.

Back to Kohler Andrae for Memorial Day

2008-06-03T21:23:00.001-05:00

A little late on the posting but we snagged someone's cancellation and spent the Memorial Day weekend camping at Kohler Andrae State Park again. Nothing too exciting - just a relaxing weekend.

Here are some pictures of the trip.

Kohler Andrae State Park

2008-05-19T22:10:00.001-05:00

We spent last weekend camping at Kohler Andrae State Park. We head up there quite a bit - especially in the Spring and Fall. The park tends to be less busy, less bugs, more wildlife... all the good stuff.

The weather wasn't great but Saturday wasn't terrible and it was nice to relax. As usual, Huron swam her heart out even though the water was in the 40's.

I have been weaning myself off the automatic modes of my camera - pictures from the weekend at Kohler Andrae.

Went to the Zoo

2008-04-22T20:52:00.001-05:00

Since we canceled our camping trip because the weather was supposed to suck, we thought we would hit the zoo... so did everyone else in the state. It was a decent day anyway, although a gorilla flipped me the bird.

The coolest thing were the hyenas in the cat house. If you're familiar with the Milwaukee County Zoo, in the cat house you are separated from meat eaters by glass that you can touch and so can the animals. Anyway, the room was packed with people checking out the hyenas. Suddenly the hyenas charged to the back of the room near their door - like they were waiting to be fed. They actually spotted a zoo worker in the crowd. It was pretty cool considering the room was packed and this guy was only wearing jeans and a tee shirt with a small zoo logo on the pocket.

I took way too many pictures.

Opening up the Camper

2008-04-22T20:09:00.001-05:00

The crummy 5 month Midwestern winter is finally over... This past weekend we opened up our camper, drained the antifreeze, sanitized the water system, inflated the tires, remained pissed that we had canceled a camping trip due to weather when it turned out to be 70 and sunny, and installed a water accumulator to supplement the 12 volt pump.

The accumulator is a small pressurized container with a bladder inside. It's supposed to provide more even water pressure and eliminate hammering on the pump. We've had issues in the past where the pump doesn't shut off after the water stops running, this should help. It was only about $30 and was easy to install with a few PEX compression fittings and a couple feet of pipe.

The curved tubing in the picture is a fill point for winterizing and wasn't part of the accumulator installation; only two elbows and a tee were needed. It also doesn't need to be installed in-line - just add it anywhere on the pressurized side of the pump.

Another Blog

2008-03-07T23:13:00.001-06:00

I've been terrible about maintaining this blog, so why not start another?

BackcountryK9.Blogspot.com is a new blog for my business. If you have a dog, check it out. There's a little something for everyone.

Crazy... I Pay for a Service, I Expect to get It

2008-02-27T13:14:00.001-06:00

I live in the City of Milwaukee where we have gotten our fair-share of snow this year. Not breaking records but its been a lot of snow.

The city does not plow alleys in Milwaukee. Instead, those of us with garages on an alley receive letters each fall from a private plowing company claiming we need to send them $25 to plow the alley for the winter.

Ok, I guess. I have no idea how they are chosen or if there is any oversight.

My main gripe is, they rarely do decent job. At one point, about 11 inches fell during the day. They plowed one time when about 3 were on the ground. My astute math tells me, 8 more inches fell and it was not plowed. Fast forward to today after cars have beaten it down to 6 - 8 inches of ice with two tire tracks in it and it is like going through an old carwash... with more bumps... and discarded tail pipes.

It's interesting to see how lazy a business gets in service when they have no real competition. It reminds me in my own affairs to continuously strive to provide good service/good products. Not that you can always keep everyone happy but that's different topic.

Follow up on Converting Film Negatives to Digital

2008-02-27T11:43:00.001-06:00

A few months ago I posted on converting my old 35mm and APS film to digital pictures. Since then, I've done about 50 rolls through Scan Cafe and taking film into Target stores to be put on CD.

The Good:

- I can actually see pictures now on my computer where I spend time each day versus old albums in the guest bedroom that I never pick up.

- Scan Cafe customer service was good. I got a bad DVD at first and they sent me a new copy right away.

The Bad:

- Quality isn't great. Scan Cafe did a good job creating high resolution images but when they were originally taken with a cheap point and shoot camera or even a disposable camera, what's the point of the high res?

- Scan Cafe allows you to pay for just the scans that you want to keep. However, their web site for viewing your photos is horrible at best. It's excruciatingly painfully slow and only displays a crappy small version of your photo. The photo review part of that experience seriously couldn't have been worse. I'm not sure if they are trying to prevent people from simply downloading photos instead of paying for them or if they just hate their customers but either way, it was really bad. They allow for renaming folders for organization but that does not carry over to the DVD they send. Scan Cafe allows for rotating but that also does not carry over to the DVD. They claim they do manual photo retouching, however, most of my pics that came back appeared to be untouched and benefited greatly from cheap contrast adjustments using Picasa. Scan Cafe allows you to delete photos that you do not want to pay for; great, except they send you the deleted ones too. I guess that is good if you know about it, but I deleted the poorly shot, dark, and blurry photos and was forced to wade through them again when I got the DVD.

- Target is on to me and started charging $7 per roll of APS film to be transferred to a Kodak Picture CD. This is still cheaper than sending APS to Scan Cafe.

In the end, the ability to have digital versions of my pictures out-weighs the bad and I'll continue to send 35 mm to Scan Cafe and take a few rolls of APS at a time to my local Target store.

UPDATE: I sent another round of negatives to Scan Cafe. They've greatly improved the review process - it's now 1000 times better.

Too Many Wires

2008-01-11T22:50:00.001-06:00

That's it. That's my main gripe with computers these days. Too many damn wires. On my home laptop I have 6 or 7 USB cables, speaker cable, and a half dozen power cables.

I was excited to hear a while ago that some big names including Samsung, HP, and Microsoft, had banned together to create a wireless USB standard. Finally, a solution to my woes!

Enter Sony. They are, of course, trying to screw it up by creating their own standard called TransferJet. Where have we seen this recently? Oh yeah, HD-DVD versus Blu-Ray.

Thanks to Sony, I get to sit on the sidelines watching crappy up-converted DVD's until the market can name a winner (although that does seem close now). Likewise, I'll get trapped in my USB cables and die because Sony had to create yet another proprietary standard that will slow down the adoption of one or the other.

Thanks, Sony... jerks.

MSNBC has a quick CES related article on this.

Wi-Fi SD Card

2008-01-11T22:34:00.001-06:00

CES just ended in Las Vegas. Top prize went to an SD card that a photography buff co-worker had told me about a couple months ago. The Eye-Fi is an SD memory card equipped with wi-fi. The 2 GB card costs around $100 and can wirelessly send your pictures back to your computer on your wireless network. No need to sync the camera or remove the card.

Genius!

I Think I Would Have to Shoot Myself

2008-01-11T22:26:00.001-06:00

If this wasn't posted on Reuters, I would have thought it was from The Onion.

Two twins (presumable a brother and sister) were separated at birth. OK, I'm sure that happens. These two, however, found each other and got married before finding out they are closely related.

I'm guessing they did all the things that go along with marriage. Wow. That is going to require some serious therapy.

The author raises the issue that this could happen similarly with people who were the children of sperm and/or egg donors. I guess it is feasible; probably more so than separated twins.

Time to start doing background checks on your dates kids.

No... What are YOU Doing Here?

2008-01-11T22:19:00.001-06:00

From Reuters: What are you doing here? - man asks wife at brothel

A polish guy looking for some 'paid professional action' got a shock when he visited his local friendly brothel and found his wife working there.

Shockingly, they're divorcing.

What's that Smell?

2008-01-11T22:16:00.001-06:00

In about a dozen or so towns in southern Italy that smell is uncollected rotting garbage. Apparently the garbage workers are saying the region's landfills are full and they stopped picking up trash at the beginning of this year.

Piles of trash in some spots are 5 or 6 feet high, prompting the government to name a 'Trash Czar'. It sounds like they are working on building some incinerators but those are a ways out.

Meanwhile residents have blocked entrances to some towns to keep garbage trucks from dumping in landfills they say are unsafe.

And people wonder why I have little desire to leave this country...

LA Times: Italians raise a stink over mounting trash

The Good Thing About a Flat Tire

2008-01-10T13:28:00.001-06:00

I woke up yesterday to a nearly flat tire. That turned into $1600 worth of new tires and brakes but that is a different post, which is too boring to post... [much like my other posts].

Anyway, as I sat at my local Tires Plus store, I debated walking to the office or calling my good natured co-worker to come pick my lazy but up.

Instead, I found eBuddy.com/mobile. It allows you to connect to your Google Talk, AIM, Yahoo, and MSN Messenger accounts on your mobile device by simply choosing the type of account and signing into it. No eBuddy account needed. I connected to AIM, messaged my co-worker, and I was extracted from Tires Plus without incident.

I shouldn't say without incident... he did bust his ass in the icy company parking lot on his way to get me but again, that's a different post.

eBuddy.com also has a regular web interface for non-mobile browsers. Check it out.

Stuck in the Can... for Four Days!

2007-12-17T20:30:00.001-06:00

When I see the headline:

Man freed after 100 hours trapped in a lavatory

I have to stop and read.

Found on Reuters, a retired Scottish school teacher used an outdoor toilet at lawn bowling club when the handle became jammed and the fell apart, locking him in for four days!

He reportedly kept warm by dipping his feet in warm water. Temperatures outside were freezing.

No word on what he drank. He had no food. I'm guessing there must have been something besides public restroom toilet water to drink.

He must be the only dude in the world with no cell phone.

$1,000,000 Bill

2007-12-09T22:33:00.001-06:00

I'm way behind the curve on writing about this story... I can't even remember where I first saw it, but The National Ledger is reporting some waste of flesh in Georgia tried to open a bank account with a $1,000,000 bill.

I might be wrong, but I think the largest bill in circulation right now is a $100 bill, so good luck with that.

I'll Sue Everybody!

2007-12-09T22:25:00.001-06:00

Some sack-of-crap in Florida was out buying his favorite malt liquor, Schlitz, and was hit on the head by a falling can of beer. So, being a red-blooded American, he is suing... everyone.

He has brought suit against a number of breweries not even remotely involved outside of making beer, including the local Lakefront Brewery.

His wife is piping up claiming she has suffered:

“the loss of the value of her husband’s services, society, companionship and consortium by reason of his injuries.”

Yeah, I'm sure when this guy is tore up on his malt liquor he's quite the companion.

In the end, hopefully this loser gets to pay for the wasted legal expenses of everyone involved.

Congratulations on Becoming a Worthless Hippie

2007-11-24T00:01:00.001-06:00

I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said:

More Art, Less War

Let me know how that works out.

Doomsday Cult Hold Up in Cave? Why?

2007-11-23T23:59:00.001-06:00

According to Reuters, there is Doomsday cult in Russia who have barricaded themselves in a cave while they wait for the end of the world. That day will supposedly come sometime in May, 2008.

If I think the end is near, I can guarantee I won't go sit in a cave to wait it out. I'm thinking more along the line of Vegas... and I sure as hell am not following the leader of this cult who is described as:

he was a 43-year-old who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia and that in the last few months he had been sleeping in a coffin.

Good luck with that.

Who Could have Guessed?

2007-11-15T20:44:00.001-06:00

Here's the headline I ran across on Reuters today

Pedophile allowed to work in kindergarten

So, of course I had to read something that ridiculous.

A convicted pedophile sentenced to do community service in a German kindergarten will return to court next week to face charges of abusing two children there, a regional prosecutor's office said Thursday.

Shockingly someone with prior sexual convictions, assigned to community service in a school, grabbed his junk in front of some kids.

No one could have seen that coming.

Lambeau Field Adventure

2007-11-12T21:40:00.001-06:00

Thanks to a good friend with a season ticket package, I was able to join over 79,000 other people at Lambeau Field this past weekend to see the Green Bay Packers route the Minnesota Vikings 34 - 0!

Here are a few pictures that the NFL will eventually try to sue me over...

Thanks for Keeping My Data Safe

2007-11-07T21:49:00.001-06:00

Because I am an odd mix of conservative and tree hugging hippie, I have an account with NPCA (National Parks Conservation Association).

Two days ago I received an email using a lot of fancy words and finger pointing to explain that their provider's system was compromised and email addresses and passwords were stolen. Of course, the email uses phrases like "identified a breach of one of their internet security systems by an outside party".

Its annoying that this stuff is allowed to happen, but I figured I would get over it, at least it wasn't my credit card number. Then I read this jem:

...it is unlikely that anyone will attempt to abuse your email address and password...

What an ignorant statement. Guess what? Despite glorified TV portrayals, hackers don't break into systems and steal information for fun. NPCA, here's a tip, don't try to cover up the problem by down playing the risk.

Who's Still Falling for Phishing Scams?

2007-11-07T11:45:00.001-06:00

Once I knew my mom could spot and avoid a phishing scam a year ago, I figured no one else would be falling for this. Boy was I wrong.

Found via TechDirt, Computer World is reporting that phishers "tricked" a Supervalu grocery chain employee into changing where payments to American Greetings Corp. and PepsiCo Inc.’s Frito-Lay Inc. unit were sent... to the tune of $10 million dollars.

Yeah... because when Pepsi-Co wants you to send their money to a new bank account, they send the details in an email. Oh wait... that's a lie. They don't.

Tom Brady: Super Hero

2007-10-28T20:22:00.001-05:00

Patriots quarterback Tom Brady is so f-ing cool I would like to punch him in the face. And then run like hell so he didn't kick my ass.

Seriously, I watched Brady lead the Patriots to a 52 to 7 routing over the Redskins today. He threw 3 TD passes and ran two more in on his own and I don't think he even broke a sweat.

Even though he has won multiple Super Bowls, forget football. He's a rich dude who was having sex with Bridget Moynahan and he said f*ck that. Apparently, he's so cool that she wasn't hot enough, and he decided supermodel Gisele Bundchen was more his speed. Congratulations.

If you don't have even a little envy for this guy, you probably own a purse.

Going Digital - Backups

2007-10-22T20:51:00.001-05:00

So, I've been converting my life to digital... CD's, photo albums, and saved papers anyway.

Now that I am collecting all this new data on my hard drive, I need to keep it backed up. In my opinion, most backup software is terrible these days. Absolutely terrible. Nothing seems to work without either a lot of setup or maintenance (or sometimes both). Its no wonder that most non-technical people have no reasonable backups of their data.

Backup software should be something I easily setup once, then forget about until I need it. A co-worker recommended Mozy (www.Mozy.com) to me. Mozy could not be easier. It automatically and continuously backs up changed files to a secure remote server. All files are encrypted and available to be viewed through a "drive" that shows up in Windows Explorer. Deleted files are automatically purged after 30 days and don't count toward your quota.

2 GB and smaller accounts are free. Unlimited accounts (mine is nearly 40 GB) are only $4.95 per month. I couldn't recommend it more highly.

Pros

Secure Remote Backup
Absolutely painless to use
Cheap
Continuous backups that you won't even notice

Cons

Initial backup takes a while (a product of slow upload speeds)

Next up, encrypting and securing sensitive data.

Going Digital - Paper

2007-10-19T13:11:00.001-05:00

The final step in going digital - Paper. I have a filing cabinet full of things I save for one reason or another. Business receipts, past taxes, pay stubs, bills, investment statements... the list goes on. The IRS now allows digital copies of documents, so keeping everything digital and shredding the paper makes sense.

The first thing I did was visit web sites for credit cards, cell phones, investments, etc. and sign up for paperless statements or billing. Generally, you end up with a monthly email letting you know you can logon to the site and save a PDF of the statement. Problem solved.

To help with the other items, I bought an HP 5610 All in One printer with a 25 page document feed scanner for around $100. It is easy to setup but there is no driver only installation, so you'll probably end up with some software you'll never use. With past HP All in Ones I've been happy with the software's ability to let me know my ink levels are low but can't say I have used the software for anything else.

Instead of using the HP tools for scanning, I use the Microsoft Office Document Scanning software that came with my copy of Office 2003. It's a light-weight app that connects to the scanner without issue and supports the document feeder.

I started with two years of pay stubs from both my wife and I, about 100 in all. Four cycles through the document feeder took care of them. One small jam when I tried to initially run my wife's through the wrong way. Her's pay stubs were mostly the size of a check and trying to feed them through horizontally didn't work because there wasn't enough paper for the rollers to grab. The document guides are adjustable, so I just turned them vertical.

After each scan I was left with 25 TIFF previews arranged within the software's document viewer. I printed all 25 of those to one PDF using the standard File > Print and selecting my PrimoPDF "printer". PrimoPDF is a great free PDF print driver. I use the Screen Resolution setting to minimize file size (versus Print quality).

I save the files using a date scheme like this:

20070101-20070601.pdf

to represent pay stubs from Jan 01, 2007 to June 01, 2007. Using the YYYYMMDD format allows for better sorting when viewing files.

For new papers coming in, I scan those individually and save in a similar format (i.e. 20071015.pdf).

Here's some issues I've run into:

Some things I get are printed front and back. That requires two scans and the dragging and dropping the TIFF previews into the correct order.
Printing PDF's is easy but feels like it takes too much time. For example, if I scan 10 papers that make up 2 different statements and 1 bill, I have to print to PDF three times. Pages 1 - 3 for the first statement, 4 - 6 for the second, and finally, 7 - 10 for the bill. Could there be some software out there to help automate this?
The bigger PDF's (25 pay stubs for example) are not searchable. I've heard that with the OCR component of the scanning software it is possible to save OCR'ed text behind the scanned image to allow for searching. I'll be looking into this going forward.
Like the other parts of going digital, the hard drive is filling up.

The upside to the digital documents is worth it for me. No more filing cabinet, easier organization, the documents get backed up.

Next up: Encrypting and backing up all of the digitized parts of my life.

Going Digital - Photographs

2007-10-16T23:00:00.001-05:00

The next thing on my list to go digital is photographs.

I've always been a higher than average picture taker. I've been hiking and camping in some really cool areas around the country and in Canada and have some hefty photo albums to remember the trips by. I started out in college with disposable 35 mm cameras, opted for a Kodak APS camera for a while, and then had a few 35mm point and shoots before finally opting for digital.

I have around 5,000 paper photographs collecting dust in albums. They don't rotate by on my Google Photos Screensaver and God forbid I actually pick up the albums with my hands like some kind of animal!

The solution seemed to be to get them scanned. Luckily, I meticulously kept negatives. Negative scans are cheaper to have professionally done and allow for a much higher quality scan.

I started with the professional route. ScanCafe was by far the cheapest company I could find online. $0.19 for a negative scan and you only pay for the scans you want (but you have to pay for at least half of them). They scan negatives at a super-high 3,000 dpi. ScanCafe also does slides, paper photos, and more.

I recently sent about 600 in, we'll see how they turn out in a couple months (not fast, but better than doing it myself). Part of the slowness is because I also sent a couple hundred APS pictures. Those run $0.44 each and I can also choose the ones I want. Way more pricey than 35mm so I started looking for other options.

I came up with something simple, take the APS rolls over to my local Target store to have them re-developed onto a Kodak picture CD. I took 5 rolls over the other day and got back some 11" x 19" images at 216 dpi. Not the best in the world but decent quality at only $3.99 a roll.

I use Google's Picasa software to organize and do minor editing. It simply does everything I need and is free to use.

Pros:

I can use my digital pictures instead of letting them degrade in the photo albums that are never looked at

Cons:

Can get expensive
I'll probably have to upgrade the hard drive at some point to accommodate all this "digitizing"

Up next... Papers (receipts, bills, pay stubs, taxes, etc)

Going Digital - CD's

2007-10-16T22:37:00.001-05:00

I'm in a quest to convert my life away from papers (bills, pay stubs, receipts, etc), CD's, and paper photos.

First up, CD's. I've been ripping my entire collection to iTunes. I've gotten solid friendly advice on formats and such, which I promptly ignored. I guess I'm not an audiophile so I just wanted something that was easy to do and universally accepted. I went with a 160 kbps MP3. Sounds good to me and doesn't take up too much room (around 70 MB per disc).

Pros:

No more CD towers crowding the living room.
Remembering some great old songs that have been collecting dust as CD's
Having my music easily accessible in the devices I use these days

Cons:

Painfully slow process ripping a few discs here and there
I'll probably need a hard drive and iPod upgrade before this is finished

Up next: Photos.

Gutter Cleaning Robot

2007-10-12T11:24:00.001-05:00

Today I ran across a new product from iRobot, the makers of the Roomba robotic vacuum. The $99 iRobot Looj, a gutter cleaning robot, means no more scooping crap out of your gutters like a pig.

Australians in Danger of Living like Pigs

2007-10-11T11:07:00.001-05:00

If the Australian government gets its way, the people of Australia will be living like pigs with no LCD or plasma screens. While they probably don't watch quality NFL programming, they have a God given right to watch rugby, or whatever the hell it is they do down there, on big gorgeous HD screens.

From ABC News (found on Tech Dirt), the Australian government is considering energy ratings on TV's which would essentially ban current LCD and Plasma screens by 2011 due to their higher energy consumption.

Here's a great quote from a government donkey:

"By the time the standard came into place, with the industry knowing that the these standards are coming in, they can adjust their supply chains to make sure that the products will [meet the requirements]"

What a jackass statement. Congratulations on over simplifying what it would take for the manufacturers to accomplish this not to mention the screw job the consumers would get in paying for the new technology.

I'm all for treading lightly when it comes to the environment but I'm guessing there are bigger problems that could be addressed than TV's.

F*cking Awesome!!!

2007-10-09T13:43:00.001-05:00

Here's a new way to blow a few hours playing games... Caterpillar corp. has designed simulators for multimillion-dollar heavy mining equipment. That's right, you can shoot around in 180 ton dump trucks and massive excavators.

From Caterpillars standpoint, these are expensive machines that aren't easy to operate. Simulators allow for training without taking the equipment out of service or wrecking the things.

The simulators require drivers to pass through timed obstacle courses in simulated mining pits, being careful to avoid wrecking multimillion-dollar rigs and causing the games to crash.

The driver's cabin in the dump truck bounces over the rough road of mines and some players enjoyed backing the truck up to a ravine and pulling a lever to dump the dirt load.

Read the article from PC World

Could Truck Commercials be More Ridiculous?

2007-10-07T21:29:00.001-05:00

Don't get me wrong, I am not a truck hater. I drive a truck. I haul around my camper, crap from the yard, and 2 x 4's from Home Depot.

Truck manufacturers (specifically Ford and Toyota) seem to think I do the following:

Use my truck brakes to stop a military cargo plane
Pull a cargo container up a cliff
Haul 10,000 lbs of concrete while dodging swinging I beams
Haul a trailer full of crap on some giant teeter-totter contraption
Pull trapped semis out tunnels to let ambulances through
Drive a slalom course backwards... fast.

Just show my truck with room for 4 or 5, gas mileage better than 17 gal/mi, and the ability to haul the old door off my house over to the dump. Trust me, every time I come across a semi trapped in a tunnel (which has happened exactly zero times in 16 years), I'll wait for professionals to extract it.

UPDATE: Rich Kasten has posted a counter-point article.

Kim Jong Il: International Man of Mystery

2007-10-04T19:34:00.001-05:00

Great picture from the Times Online today:

http://timesonline.typepad.com/.shared/image.html?/photos/uncategorized/2007/10/03/2071003q0194_00.jpg

I would have included the picture but the link makes it a little more suspenseful. (And news outfits love to sue people these days.)

Where does Kim get such fashionable yet sensible dictator clothing? Looks like he also downgraded the glasses a bit. Too bad.

Father of the year!

2007-10-04T19:25:00.001-05:00

Here's a Father of the Year story that I came across today...

A 10 year old girl in China, Huang Li, wants to make it into the records books by being the youngest to swim the English Channel. Good for her. When I was 10, I had ridiculous ambitions too. I wanted to be a long haul trucker, or a lawyer, or a stock broker. When you're 10 you have all kinds of bad ideas.

Being a 10 year old, with the mental capacity and lifetime experiences of a 10 year old, Huang Li thought it would be a great idea to practice swimming with her feet bound at the ankles and her hands bound at the wrists like she saw on TV. Yeah... great idea.

Here's the point where normal parents step in and let little Huang know that this may not be her best plan in her short 10 years. But not these superstars. Dad tied her up and tossed her ass in a tributary of the Yangtze River. For three hours.

Somehow she managed to not die and did indeed swim about 2 miles according to the story.

Hero-Dad's quote:

It’s not dangerous because, first, her swimming skills are really good and second, I was swimming with her, staying close to her. I had her when I was 35, so she is my heart. I would never play around with her life.

Yeah... way to go champ.

Mom had her stop swimming after three hours. Not so she could stop her daughter from certain death but so she could feed her daughter some cake.

I couldn't make this stuff up.

WTF? Who's dressing up a Roomba?

2007-10-03T11:36:00.001-05:00

As part of my typical morning routine I checked the Top Headlines and Technology & Sciences headlines at MSNBC this morning.

The link that caught my eye read "Roombas fill an emotional vacuum for owners". Being a Roomba owner, I couldn't think of any emotional void my Roomba has filled, so I clicked.

Apparently some over-paid and under-worked academic interviewed some crazzzzy Roomba owners who dress up their Roombas, name thier Roombas, travel with their Roombas, and one man who "introduced" his Roomba to his parents.

What's the over/under on girls this guy has slept with? I'm guessing 0.

Check it out for yourself: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21102202/

Update: I ran across this site that sells Roomba outfits. Holy Sh*t!

So this is blogging?

2007-10-01T13:56:00.000-05:00

I figured I would start a blog. Seems like all the kids are doing it these days and I have no shortage of things to say. Now lets see if I have enough interesting and relevant things to say.

I caught a note on TechDirt today talking about the way Radiohead is releasing a new album. You can order a copy online that comes with a CD, a vinyl copy, lyrics, photos, etc. (collectively they are calling it a "discbox"). You can also order a download of the album... the interesting part is that you can name your own price for the download. Seriously. If you want to pay $1, go for it. When you place the "download" in your shopping cart, the next screen has a field to name your price. If you click the help link it simply tells you that the price you pay is up to you.

Local talk radio did a segment on it this morning also. Many callers labeled this is a "stupid gimmick" that would be a monetary disaster for the band.

I couldn't disagree more. As TechDirt points out time and time again, the music industry is changing (regardless of whether the industry as a whole realizes it). Buying *all* of your music on CD is already a thing of the past. While I agree that naming your own price is a gimmick and is probably not financially viable in the long term, the point is the band is driving traffic to their site and offering a package of extras in the form of the "discbox".

The money maker for the music industry is becoming less about the music and more about the other things like concerts, clothing lines, or even this "discbox". Radiohead figured out that their music is a promotional vehicle for these other items.

In the end, all I can say is "bring on the cheap downloads". After all, who is really going to carry around $20K or $40K worth of downloads on their iPods?