Super-Sam!

I love playing against ball teams that don't know that I can hit *grinch smile*

It means that I can hit the ball and run really fast, and even if it isn't out of the park... sometimes I can still get a home run ;)

Running so fast!

Happy Birthday Mama!

My best friend's grandmother is turning 100 this year, or at least they think she is, record-keeping being what it was in the Philippines back in her day, well that and while visiting relatives she found out she was actually four years older than she thought she was...

They put a call out for videos and pictures of everyone "Doing something cool and wishing Mama a happy birthday" This is our submission:

To elaborate a little, we probably waited in line for over two hours, as due to the limited time left to submit we only had one shot at this!

Luckily we were placed in front, and as we waited for the final checks they ran through the plan again.  Ok, it's going to turn right, right, right, right, and then left... So basically when it changes direction, you need to lean as far forward as you can and smile because that's where it takes the picture.

Ok, I got it, I can do that.

We were whizzing through the ride, turning, turning, turning always to the right... the new things they've added for the 60th makeover are amazing and totally capture my imagination, I really do feel like I'm blasting through space!

All of a sudden there's a commotion in front of me, as the Ninja unfurls the banner.  What's this?! We haven't turned yet I think, as her cousin yells "It isn't tiiiime yeeeeet!!!"

It sounded like an angry tarp on the highway beating itself to death, as she tried to stretch it across to her cousin... *pause for blinding insight* she realized there were two things we didn't take into account: the wind factor and that in order to do this she wouldn't be hanging on to anything... *unpause* She caught air on the next right turn where it then acted as a drag chute and pulled her all the way to the left, I thought for a moment I was going to have to grab her leg on the way by!

Somehow she manged to miraculously get it back under control without ripping it in half, her cousin meanwhile was dealing with an ear malfunction, I was laughing uncontrollably... and that's about where this picture was taken ;)

Happy Birthday Mama!

California Surf #2

If someone were keeping score last weekend it would have read something like this;

Waves : 20, rocks : 2.5 and Sam: 1

But that 1 point was totally worth the 2.5 holes I have in the bottom of my left foot, and made it oh so much sweeter when I was finally able to pop up and surf towards shore with a modicum control. It was amazing and incredible and everything I remembered surfing to be from the last time I tried it *grins*  I can't wait to do it again :)

It was ridiculous how many people were out surfing and attempting to surf last weekend, and yet they were friendly and well mannered. 

Of the other times I don't count that I sort of popped up, my favorites include the first when I rode in standing way too far back on my board, awkwardly, like a penguin... and couldn't move to fix myself or do anything other than think about how ridiculous I looked.  The next I was up, and suddenly headed towards a Dad and his kid, I thought I might be able to lean around them until I saw the look of concern and fear in his eyes... I jumped ship with enough room that my board wouldn't bite them, even at the end of it's leash.  I think my favorite of the day though, was losing my balance on the way up and fighting it the whole way... and doing a cannonball butt first, if it were a cartoon my hands and feet would be getting dragged away from where they were trying desperately to maintain their surfing position.

The most pathetical moment of the day was paddling so hard to catch a wave, and then not having enough energy to pop up, and just riding it in on my stomach. *pleh* I obviously need to do more push-ups or something...

Let it rain, oh let it rain

It's been raining for four days, and I'm loving every second of it!

I've missed the sound of rain on the roof, the raging torrential downpours, and the softness of rain caressing my skin... and pictures like this.

*Announcer voice* The day before... The Roadtrip

I didn't tell anyone before we left that Faith didn't know how to drive standard... Not that it was a big secret or anything, but I didn't want everyone to think that I'm actually as crazy as I know I am. But the thing is, she already knows how to drive and she can play drums, what more do you need?!?

She was justifiably a little nervous about it as we got closer and closer to the trip, and I reassured her with utmost confidence that everything would be just fine... *whispers* never for a second letting on that if I stopped and thought about it for more than a few seconds, it made me a little nervous too. 

So after a couple loops around the disappointingly small gated-off ice arena parking lot, we took the back road out to the highway. Since driving a standard on the highway is *exactly* the same as driving an automatic... except that she's stubborn and wouldn't believe me until we did it ;)

Back in town we did a crash course on the most frustrating part of driving stick... That moment when the light turns green and there's someone behind you... That zen moment when everything has to come together in perfect harmony or you will stall. 

Needless to say I am not a Zen Master and was unable to pass on all that I have learned... So we hung out first in line for the light for two, maybe three sets of green, and I watched everyone just drive around...

Shortly after Faith confessed to being thoroughly frustrated with the car, herself and me - not necessarily in that order ;) 

"I'm really glad I didn't learn in LA people would've been yelling at me and honkin' and throwing stuff!"

Who can drive stick shift now?!? *this girl* that's right ;)

 

That warm gooey karma center

Just this morning I was bombing up to work and saw a grizzled older looking guy standing on the corner decked out in super high-vis neon yellow sweatshirt and orange reflective vest... holding a huge "Lost Dog" sign. Having just seen a lost-looking retriever yesterday leaving work, I pulled a u-turn and stopped to check... unfortunately he was looking for a husky cross.

Almost late for work, and facing the wrong direction I waffled back and forth on hitting up Timmies... My pre-caffeine indecision chose for me with the failed execution of a mid-u-turn-mind-change spanning both lanes that was definitely ticket worthy.

Just as I was grabbing my coffee I received a "Don't get a coffee text" from a wonderful co-worker of mine, and it occurred to me that coffee tastes way better when someone else has given it to you. With that thought in mind, and knowing it was only two degrees out, I stopped and gave the one I'd just bought to the guy looking for his dog.

When I got to work and told her my story of the morning she said "Aw that's so cool, I feel like I even had a part in it" which of course she totally did. *smiles* I'm not sure where all the floating karma is going to settle this morning, but of all the places it could... well, I really hope he finds his dog.

Happy Dance - I have swum with the whales!

This evening just before dusk a pod of humpback whales were feeding on a line about 300 m or so out beyound the boats.  One inflatable was out there, and I tossed into the dinghy my wetsuit jacket, fins etc. and rowed out.  The inflatable came back to the boats but the whales were still there so I rowed out but didn't get in the water - alone and what do I do with the dinghy.

Anyway, Kurt off Discovery came out with his daughter in thier inflatable to watch, and as the whales moved away I decided "what the heck, when do you get any chance at all?" so I got him to take my dinghy and I bailed overboard and started to swim. 

A km or more later, after the whales turned inland and back I was among them - like 'touching distance" (2 m or less at times).  There were 6 - a cow and calf (the latter about the size of Osprey our old 27 foot sailboat) and a couple of really BIG ones, gently rolling around like big gliders underwater.  They come up and blow and gently roll below and sound to feed I guess. 

Each one came by and gave me a very close look - I guess I was a curiosity like some clumsy dolphin sized thing - clearly no threat. Anyway, I was right with them for 15+ minutes but it was getting dark - sky is overcast so I thought it was prudent to swim back to Kurt and the dinghy.

What a wonderful experience.  I will however sleep tonight, I think I covered probably 3+ km, much of it "at speed'.  I don't think I'm as out of shape though as I thought since I'm not wiped out, just pleasantly fatigued.

So - hope the surfing is going well.  Talked to mom on the radio tonight and gather all is well.

Take care.
Dad
-----
At 02/09/2011 5:50 AM (utc) our position was 19°03.29'S 169°55.44'W

Moral support

 Moral support is being happy for someone when they're happy, it's celebrating their successes even if you have no idea what they just succeeded in doing. Like me winning the minor battle over a dynamically populated Joomla drop down box used in the administration section of a module. It's not the end of the war, but this could be the TSN turning point... you just never know.

me: I just got the stupid select box to populate in the bass-ackend with stuff from one of *our* database tables *happy dance*

her: yayayay
her: good work!

me: thanks!

her: that's all samartian language to me pretty much. but i get what your saying
her: and im stoked that you're stoked
her: ha

A good day

Programming is like an epic adventure, there are long monotonous treks... without which you'd never reach the raging battles, soul crushing defeats or times of magic when the stars align and legends are born.

Right now, as we speak lightning fire is flowing from my fingertips and pixie dust sparkles are bursting from my eyelashes. It's a good day of programming!!!!!

Look before you leap

"Just look where you want to go, and the rest will follow"... the rental shop girl said to a couple of girls who had never ridden downhill before.  She was giving them some advice about riding the berms around corners, and I spared it little thought, other than a half smile in anticipation.

To be honest I was a little nervous, and a lot excited... This would be my third time riding downhill, and I was doing it without my best sports friend. Although I swear: she will be the death of me yet, she's the best confidence booster I know.

Little did I know when I heard it that morning, that the phrase would drift and weave through my thoughts all day. Bouncing and echoing around until it ended up in some dark crevice up there, where it turned around three times, curled up and sank in. Such a deceivingly simple phrase, that can be applied in much broader strokes... to life.

Look where you want to go, and the rest will follow.

Where was I... The day of riding? Well with a little skill, my enduring disturbing lack of fear, some blind faith and a whole lot of luck... I survived ;) It was absolutely fantastic! I ripped up the trail, I totally nailed some features I never would have been able to do last year and it was SO TOTALLY AWESOME!!!!!! I flew down the mountain, *whispers* and only over the handlebars twice... and once was on account of a mud pit that tried to eat my bike, I wrestled it back of course ;)

I even did a beam that was longer-than-I-realized-when-I-started *and* three guys were watching! I only let one tentative curse escape near the end when I didn't think I was going to make it... but I totally did *smug smile*... If I had been walking away, it would have been some strut let me tell you ;)

The weather was pretty much perfect, a sprinkling of rain to keep the dust down, and enough mud puddles to make it interesting and get me and The Fury sufficiently dirty. I got to go play outside, and I loved every second of it *smiles*

Today, I have hurty bits on top of hurty bits, but I know I earned every single one of them along with the bruises in the strangest place from my handlebars. I'm not really sure when they got close enough to my legs to bruise them... but they managed.

I also listened to that little inner voice when it said "Dude... we're done, and if you try to pull that *just* one more run down, I'm going to throw you off and beat you within an inch of your life." I couldn't hear it until it yelled at me, with the pain and stiffness cutting through the cusp of the wave awesomeness I was riding down, but after that I surrendered gracefully.

Summertime awesome blues!

Can't keep up to the girl *mockingly* "who's the slowest uphill rider evar..." *ahem* I would like to formally call bullshit... I was definitely b'hiking while they were still climbing a hill steep enough to luge down.

Slowest uphill rider evar: "Hey Sam, how you doing back there?"

Me: "Me? I'm still alive ;)" I think I must have left my lungs in my other back pack though... and I'm pretty sure my bike has rocks hidden in it's pockets... Because seriously, if it doesn't we really need to get out more... that beer is going straight to its shocks, you might as well apply it directly with a syringe.

But for serious, this made it all worthwhile, may I present... the summertime backyard!

Somehow with a late start we avoided the multiple torrential downpours and got a wicked ride in. The dust was under control, the trail was well packed and there was a gentle glacier fresh breeze... It was perfect.

I found myself driving home with the hugest grin born of contentment, you know the one that covers your whole face and lights up your eyes from the inside *smiles*

It could just be the hot tub talking, but right now I feel fantastic!!!!

Can't contain awesome

Best Taekwondo evar!!!!!!

So after mixing up the class times and showing up an hour early... Leaving... and showing up again I found out it was stripe test night, and promptly swallowed a proverbial bumblebee.

See I missed all of my tkd classes last week due to the 1000+ miles I put on my car (yes really, I worked it out) so I had no idea what I was supposed to know?!?

I've been having a little trouble picking up the second half of my poomse but it ended up being totally fine, I got a little crash course and it seems to be sticking with me.

That's just the cool part though, the awesome part is that we finished our stripe tests early, everyone passing with flying colours so we got to do some kicking drills and two of us did a triple front kick!!!

Now this is the part where I can admit to you, my Internet readers that a wee tiny major bit of the reason that I did it, was cause one of the boys did it first. I can't help it, it's like an anything you can do I can do better gene that is recessive until exposed to testosterone... then it kicks into overdrive!

It was the coolest thing evar though! Like I might as well have been doing aerial flying mortal kombat kicks with flames shooting out behind me!!

Seriously, it was that cool.

So super pumped, but I'm pretty sure my legs are gonna hate me in the morning...

The look on our instructors face though, as she sat there shaking her head that *two* of us could do it, and had both picked it up relatively quickly... was priceless. She's been building it up for weeks now ;)

Part Sunday, take 2

So remember how I slid head first in to third base last weekend? Well on Sunday we were playing on a diamond reminiscent of the backyard days of yore. Using a broken hockey stick as a bat and a tennis ball... Where the base line wasn't square and the bases were more often than not pieces of clothing.

Grass infield, with an odd sandy mixture at the bases. I took one look at it and said to one of our awesome girls "I'm sooo not sliding in this..."

Famous last words.

So there I am running to third, not even really a close play... and next thing I know I'm doing a torpedo roll feet first into third base.  When asked what on Earth I was doing sliding, well all I can say is... I slipped *shrugs*. There was even a large skidding divit in the grass to prove it!

By this point everyone was laughing, as I emptied the sandbox out of my sliding shorts... and examined the addition to my collection of war wounds for the weekend.


I totally made up for it during our next game though, when all the planets and stars aligned... and I hit the 267 meter fence. *hugest grin evar* it was AWESOME!!!! The clouds opened up and the angels sang, grown men wept at the beauty of it at being burned by a girl... and I grinned all the way to third base :)

For the rest of the weekend I was still slightly in awe, and would turn to Jody...
"Hey Jody..." 
she'd say "yeah?"
...
"I hit the fence" *s*

How to make potato salad.

By Sam

Okay so first you need to find a grocery store, one that isn't too big because you're going to have to walk around it a few times... for like an hour. You will also need access to good friend you can text message repeatedly to check important things... like if Western Family Dijon mustard is okay (it is), or if you need non-pareilles capers or surfines (the non kind)... or if it matters whether you get Florida white potatoes or Tommy's Tiny Taters Yellow... (it really doesn't matter)

Next carry your purchases into the place where you will be preparing the salad. Unpack enough things to remember that you didn't get all the fresh herbs because they didn't have them at the small grocery store you shopped at.

Have a friend fry up the bacon, and cook the potatoes while you run down to the nearest grocery store. Make a complete tour of the grocery store.  Give up, ask the nice man that works there where the fresh herbs are.

Attempt to follow the recipe, while thinking about riding bikes, lasagna, the newest visiting nephew, riding bikes, Dad sailing and the fact that you forgot to pick up Dijon mustard after asking what kind you needed... interlaced with background conversation... and hoping that you don't forget anything important while reading it out of order.

Remove the potatoes from the burner that you've left the on for too long, drain and leave in sink.

Continue assembling ingredients until you are moderately organized.

Read through the recipe one last time, and condense it into easy to follow directions: Chop potatoes into bowl, pour in vinegar mixture attempting to coat all potatoes, fold in everything else... gently.

Quickly quality test it while nobody is looking to ensure it wont have any harmful side effects, like those listed after TV medications including death.

After it has been served, wait until the first few bites meet with approval before you declare "It's like a surprise in every bite!" You can consider it officially approved when your test subjects connoisseurs go back for seconds and declare it in no uncertain terms "Superly surprising and extremely bad-ass culinary triumph!"

Take... me out to the ball game

So you know how I'm not playing ball this year? Well we had our first game of the season yesterday...

My first hit of the season felt pretty good, totally burned the right fielder *grins* I was feeling a little awkward playing with borrowed equipment. Like a gangly teenage boy who looks like it's first day with his new go-go gadget arms and legs.

I know, I know... not playing ball right. Lets just say it's a compromise. I'm not playing on 4 different teams in two different leagues alternating between ladies and co-ed... and I'm not playing on weekends. I drew the line this year, I want my weekends to myself.

Maybe do some camping, some biking, you know... something other than ball tournaments and partying. Sounds so grown up eh? Hah! Don't let my mature outlook fool you, I'm sure having my weekends free this year will just open the floodgates for all those other crazy things I didn't have time for last year ;)

Lifting shadows

Good morning Tuesday!

I don't know if it's the Taekwondo improving my sense of well being or the lengthening days... but what a difference it makes walking to work in the pre-dawn as opposed to the depths of darkness.

There was a definite bounce to my step this morning, that had nothing to do with it warming up to minus 7 from minus 14... that's warmed up to ~19 for all my American friends ;)

I'm hoping this continues, I'm kind of done with feeling *mer*... and as much as I love winter sports I think I'm missing the sunshine. So please, can we keep it cold up the mountain with occasional dustings of fresh powder *and* have some sunshine down here? I didn't really think so, but I figured I'd ask.

It's not even noon yet!

In my random act of spontenaity for the weekend I'm down in Summerland visiting with my friend and her Mom.

So get this, she was up before the crack of dawn this morning to take the dog for half of her run... then she came back, dropped off the dog and collected me for the other half!

It was beautiful, we got to watch the sun slowly bathe the opposite hillside turning everything it touched a brilliant warm golden colour making the brisk air seem warmer, and then it cracked up over the horizon.

Half an hour later we were back in time for homemade scones for breakfast! And it was noted that there has been a marked improvement in my running. Translation: I didn't sound like the dog by the end of it, could still talk and hadn't turned an unhealthy shade of heart attack red. Breakfast was followed by a quick walk to the local grocery for milk and yogurt...

A few years ago we found this Yogopogo yogurt which was really really good, and of course we haven't been able to find it since, so we ended up Googling (on my iPhone 4 with *more* GeeBee's) what non-homogonized meant only to realize that it's a term we both know from science. *doh!*

Touchdown

I ran 3000 yards this morning!

3000 yards x 3 feet/yard = 9000 feet

9000 feet x 2 (there and back) = 18000 feet

18000 feet/3.2 (feet/meter) = 5625 meters

5625 meters / 1000 (meters/km) = 5.625 kms

Darn I liked Dad's first answer of 11km better, even the modified 8km was alright... but 5.625? I must be darn near the slowest runner evar... I'm not even going to tell you how long it took me. I think I'm going to start keeping track of how far it *felt* like I ran instead, that is much more gratifying.

So uh, anyone want to redo my math and come up with an answer that says I ran more than a measly 5.625 kms? Please?

Downtown rally car

Riding in the back seat of a cab that wasn't speeding, he was qualifying!

Where I'm sure many people would have been praying, I was grinning like an idiot cause it reminded me distinctly of someone else I know. (Pssst if you ever get bored of health care you should be a taxi driver! *ahem*)

I'm not sure if it just seemed fast because I haven't really been in a car for two months, or if he really was rally car racing through downtown San Diego. I had a blast! *grins*

Engine update

*glowing* Guess who wedged into the engine compartment sideways and got the faulty solenoid out?!? That's right, me!

So... the deal is, the air filter was plugged with the crud from the mis-aligned fan that was chewing itself to death. But ultimately it was a wire, on the aforementioned solenoid that had busted right off. Thus causing the engine to die.

We'll be here for at least a couple more days waiting for engine bits, and working on odds and ends on the boat... but I think this means we're almost back in business!