Wordless Wednesday :: Schooldaze ~ Third Grade

Wordless Wednesday :: Nearly Ready for Liftoff

The Great Forest Park Balloon RaceSt. Louis, Missouri September 1994Copyright © 1994/.. by Rebeckah R. Wiseman

Another Sunday Drive

We had a nice, lazy weekend and except for Nathan working on taxes we didn't have any pressing matters to attend to. So once he was done with his taxes we took a Sunday drive.

When the numbers just don't add up.....

I had a few interesting conversations over the last two months on alpine, rock and ice conditions and ratings.



One comment was, "I'm not worried about the ice, how much harder thanCanadian WI5 can it be."



Another, "The Eiger! It is only 5.7 right?"



"The route...it is easy to find....watched 3 videos of it last night."



"Must have had better conditions."



All these from friends of mine. My thoughts at the time went something like this.....



WI5...is generally easy compared to 300m of rock hard 55 degree alpine ice under 2 or 3 feet of snow stuck on theend of the day ....at 12K feet.



The Difficult Crack seemed like 5.11r in boots,crampons, a big pack and a coating of verglass at first light.



This after being shattered ona trade route in -20C temps, 20cm of new snowand a stiff wind. We had no clue where the route was suppose to go. And I was hard pressed to believe it actually did/would go where we went.....



"Welcome to Chamonix, it is always, all about conditions...."



Alpinism...it is always a goodlaugh and generally gets the last laugh as well :-)





Some of that "easy" 50 degree alpine ice.

Cliff Above Jemez Creek

This cliff is above the creek where we like to go walking.

Lions, Tigers and Bears

Or maybe it is more panthers, otters and bears. I love that the Wildlife Refuge is right across the street. Even though it is quite small, it is great that I can scoot over there and visit for an hour or so and spend time watching animals. They are all so beautiful in their own way.

There were two bears, but only one would come out to let me take his picture.

I told Nathan that I was going to see if I could get the cats to talk to me here too, after my experience in Hershey's Zoo. Sure enough, the cat did the same thing here. I talked and it would talk back. I thought maybe there was something to me being a cat whisperer but then another lady walked up and the cat did the same thing to her. Guess that is not my superpower after all. I still enjoyed chatting with the cat, even if it was not exclusive.

What? You have problems with your male leaving his dirty socks on the floor too?

The otters were surprisingly lazy today.

I'm not a fan of the above animal, but they are everywhere so I have to include some shots of them. I am hoping to get over to visit this place more often this year, and hope to revisit the Lipizzaner horses too. We missed both of them last year since we weren't here.



Living the life in Florida!

Celina OH to Gaylord MI

Today we left Ohio to head to Michigan. We have been counting down the days until this travel day because it was a very special one for us. We stopped off at Jackson to pick up our oldest daughter Ashleigh and my nephew Elijah. I was able to see two of my siblings and even have pictures of them...on my phone. As soon as I figure out how to get them from the phone to where I can use them, I'll share them.

I lived half of my childhood in Michigan and Nathan and I spent the first five years of our married life there. Still, neither of us had even been to Northern Michigan. So we were very excited to be heading that way, especially with some of the kids with us.

As we drove further and further north, it became more and more remote. And it was beautiful. Then again, I seem to think every place we are at is beautiful so maybe it is more that it is summer beautiful!

That's fine with me because it's not a bad thing when the whole world seems beautiful to you.



We had an easy driving day and Elijah and Ashleigh did great! We are hoping to see some neat stuff with them and give them a glimpse into our life.



Living the life in Michigan!

Of Hills and Vintage Gear Shifters

Though I knew that the "outer Cape" (from Eastham to Provincetown) is hilly, I did not realise just how hilly until we began to explore it on bicycles. Those rolling hills with regular 100ft elevation changes really begin to take a toll - especially if you are riding the bicycle as a single speed as I have been doing with Marianne.

Marianne looks wearily at the road ahead: "Please learn to use the shifters!"

I have mentioned before that I find the vintage shifters troublesome and never use them, riding this bike instead in one very versatile gear that gets me comfortably through the Boston area terrain. Well, after one evening on the coastal road on the outer Cape, it became clear that this "versatile gear" was definitely not sufficient for these parts.

My problems with these shifters were multiple:

. The vintage shifter levers are very stiff and difficult for me to move. It takes a lot of physical effort to make them budge.

. The levers are located on the stem of the bicycle (see photo above), forcing me to take a hand off the handlebars and keep it off for the entire time I am fiddling with them - which is a long time, because of the previous issue.

. They are friction shifters, so it is not clear when one gear switches to another. I am not the best-coordinated person in the world, and frankly I find it difficult to pedal in a straight line, keep my sense of balance with only one hand on the handlebars, and play around with the levers at the same time - especially when going uphill, with cars speeding past me.

Perhaps you can understand why I have been using the bicycle as a singlespeed. Well, now that this was no longer an option, I had no choice but to learn to switch gears. I was finally able to do this by putting my left hand on the middle of the handlebars (right above the stem) for balance, and then reaching over with my thumb and forefinger to grab the right shifter, which controls the rear derailleur. I understand that it is generally bad practice to move the right shifter lever with the left hand, but trust me - there is no way I can take my right hand off the handlebars on this bicycle.

So - thanks to the hills, I have learned how to shift gears on Marianne. I still find friction shifting confusing, but my ability to "feel the gears" continues to improve with practice. One additional problem, is that there does not seem to be a mechanism in place to stop the chain from going past the lowest gear and slipping off the cog when downshifting. I will have to get this looked at when I return to Boston, since I do not know how to adjust a derailleur. For now, I just try to be careful and not downshift that far.

Honestly, I am finding it difficult to love derailleurs - so many problems compared to hubs. Still, having experienced these hills, I realise that they are a necessity. I have not yet decided whether my hypothetical future custom mixte will have indexed or friction shifters, but the shifters will definitely be placed in a way that does not require me to take my hands off the handlebars.

A different kind of dining experience: SupperClub Cruise Amsterdam

I have to say hats off to SupperClub Cruise Amsterdam for truly delivering a different kind of dining experience. Although the food here was quite good, ultimately, for this kind of restaurant you come here to be surprised and be entertained. Yes, those are the correct verbs. Be surprised and be entertained.



If you are familiar with SupperClub, they have popularised the communal dining on a bed concept. There are 2 SupperClubs in Amsterdam, the original SupperClub restaurant and the SupperClub Cruise. The difference between the two is of course easy, SupperClub Cruise is housed in a boat that sails on the Het IJ River.



I ordered a rose and then 2 more glasses of red wine while Dutchman had beer, cola and a tonic. He is my chauffeur =). So you dine on a big communal bed side by side with everyone, no big table and chairs and shoes off please (and make sure your feet do not stink!)



The philosophy of this unconventional restaurant is the feasting of our senses. Anything can happen here they say but there are 2 main surprises during the entire dinner show experience.




Let us start with the first: The FOOD



The 4-course menu is a surprise menu! You will only know what they will serve you right on the spot. Everyone on the boat gets the same thing. Of course you can always inform them ahead of time if you have food preferences, such as being a vegetarian or hating a specific food item.



Starter: Salmon with salad greens which was very refreshing. Typically Dutch soup literally served in a tin can: Pea soup (erwten) and Dutch ragout balls (bitterballen). This was a surprise and really good.



Main course: Roasted lamb with sauce and asparagus and potato on the side. Dessert in a Wok-in-a-box: Ice cream and yoghurt with strawberries, peanut butter caramel and walnut toppings. I am not the sweet tooth type but this one I did not share with the Dutchman! They served the best (the dessert) for last.



Then we move on to the next surprise: The ENTERTAINMENT



Diners are not only entertained by cool music and a live DJ, but a real act. Well, it was more like an alternative something different kind of show act. You’ll only find out about the act on site when it starts. From what I know, they do not do the same acts. It is always a different show altogether each time.






Our very 'interesting' entertainment show. He just out of the blue came in to the dining bed hall and kind of freak entertain us haha! If you are impatient, fast forward to 1:40 and watch it till the end =). I think my filming skills here have improved a bit.


After dinner some of the groups stayed for more dancing and flirting with each other. There were 2 gay diners who did a lap dance on air--hanging act! Wow, I could not get my eyes off them haha. And the bride-to-be from the orange-haired Hen group did a walk show for us.



Our waitress also told us that there are NO rules in the SupperClub Cruise. You can do whatever you want. I guess you can go crazy as well!? She herself was dressed in a see-through blouse and she has 2 black bandages plastered X on both her nipples. No bra. She was offering her services as well to interesting individuals who want their nipples X-bandaged and then photographed. Her colleague was also dressed interestingly. You see, I only see these kinds of daring outfits bordering fetish and bondage during Gay Pride Parade in Amsterdam.



Moreover, you can watch the sunset as well on the boat’s deck as it sails back and forth on the river Het IJ. Dutchman and I managed to catch the beautiful sunset.



We checked the upper deck of the boat as it sails on river Het IJ in Amsterdam.



In summary Dutchman and I enjoyed this unconventional dining experience. It’s quite different! I know for sure that this type of dining experience is not for everyone, especially if you are the traditional and conservative type, this will not go well with you. However, if you are the open, liberal, modern, creative and alternative type, this could be a great place for you to enjoy the night.



Food rating: 4.2 stars out of 5 and as for experience, it was one of a kind =). Highly recommended!



Visit Period: June

Destination: Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Big fun for me!

If you didn't know I spend some spare time designing and buildingice tool partsyou wouldn't know how excited I get seeing those tools getting used as intended.



The pictures here should giveyou anidea of where "my gear" has been.



http://coldthistletools.blogspot.com//08/ice-climbing-gear.html



But I have to say this one got me pretty jacked up this morning. Congrads to Ally and Dave on the Colton- MacIntyrevia the Alexis.





http://allyswinton.blogspot.com//09/something-that-i-am-starting-to-see.html







I hope Dave and Ally forgive me for stealing the picture!

A Most Excellent Adventure :: Humpback Whales!

Friday, August 27th - - On my way to Juneau on the Alaska Ferry on Wednesday several people offered their opinions on the best tours there. The overwhelming consensus was that the Tracy Arm Cruise to the Sawyer Glaciers with the Adventure Bound was the absolute best. So the first thing I did when I got to Juneau was to stop by their office, which was very easy to find, and make my reservation.

Our cruise was aboard the little boat on the left, which is owned by Steve and Winona Weber. Steve is also the Captain of the boat and he promised us it was going to be a great day – especially since it was his birthday!

Departure was right on time at eight o'clock. Not quite filled to capacity there were about 40 passengers onboard. As you can see, it was another cloudy-gray day and we all had our fingers crossed just hoping that it would not rain.

Because of the overcast skies, the first portion of the cruise was a little dreary. The clouds generally covered the mountain tops, or rather they hovered over them and everything was rather grayish and dull looking. Some of us would occasionally go outside for a little while but when the boat was moving at full speed it was very cold.

Not quite an hour into the cruise, Captain Steve made a sharp turn to starboard (right) and broadcast over the loudspeaker that whales had been sighted. He went on to say that he usually doesn't stop for whale sightings on the way to the glaciers but that these were too good to pass by.

Everyone was excited. We couldn't see them in front of us yet but could tell that the Captain was excited too. After what seemed like a long time, but in actuality was only about 15 minutes, the boat slowed down. Still in the distance up ahead we could see three whales spouting off. Wondering why he didn't go closer, we were directed to look to the right and there was a pod of seven Humpback whales – and they weren't very far away! We had all been so intent on looking at what was ahead of us that no one had seen the second group of whales.

They were amazing. After about ten minutes they disappeared beneath the surface of the water. When they resurfaced, Steve moved closer towards them. The first group of three that we had seen had moved south while these seven were going north. Then we saw another group of three coming towards us. Several times the whales went beneath the surface and each time Steve went after them. At one time the whales were quite close to the boat. It was so much fun watching them. It was incredible. None of the whales breached – jumped up out of the water – but they were so cool to watch. Everyone was on the outside decks, moving around, trying to get the best shot. You could feel the excitement.

Three in a row.
Going down.
They were so close together! One spouting and another going down.
They were coming right towards us! But they turned before they got closer.
Three of them together.
A few more tail flips...

Then there were at least four of them together!
Huge and amazing!
And then they were gone... Awesome!
We spent about half an hour with the whales and when they came up the last time they were way, way off in the distance. Steve turned the boat around and we resumed our journey to the glaciers. It was one of those “WOW” moments (many times over). Talking with several other passengers, one of them made the comment that nothing could top that! But he was to be proven wrong...

D2R Boogie: a Miniature Non-Folder

When I saw this bicycle at Harris Cyclery, it immediately caught my eye - in a "what onearth is that?..." kind of way. It appeared to be a miniature "swan frame" bike with extremely modern components, small wheels and fat tires. And for some reason, it was calling out for me to ride it. The bicycle is not yet for sale, but was apparently a sample the dealer left behind. I believe it will be available in April . This creation is called "Boogie" and it is made by the company Decide 2 Ride (D2R), which has hitherto been specialising in panniers and other bicycle accessories.



What I initially found appealing about the Boogie, was the overall elegance of its design. Despite the eye-catching swan-frame, it is an un-appologetically modern bike - with techie components, industrial-style accessories, a unicrown fork, and visible welding marks on the frame's joints. But?.. I have to say, they did a good job incorporating it all into the overall design, so that these elements actually look like they "belong" on this particular bike.Everything is in harmony; everything fits together just right. The bike does not try to look "faux vintage" - and that works in its favour. It comes across as being unique and intentional. The only other modern bicycle design I have seen thus far that achieves the same equilibrium is the KHS Green, which I also like very much. And to me, this just confirms that even if you give a good designer a small budget, and limit them to modern production techniques and components, they can still come up with something that looks visually pleasing - not only in carefully lit catalog photos, but in person, up close.



The Boogie is a miniature, small wheeled non-folder. The reasoning behind creating it, was the premise that the majority of those who buy folding bikes don't actually fold and unfold them. Rather, they choose the bikes for their small unfolded size and light weight - factors especially relevant for city dwellers who must maneuver their bike through cramped spaces and drag it up staircases. In my experience, this is true of most women(but not men) I know who own folding bikes, and I suspect the Boogie will be more appealing to women than to men.



The lightweight frame of the Boogie is aluminum (I had previously received conflicting information about the frame material, but this has now been confirmed by the manufacturer). The fork is cro-moly steel either way. The bicycle is adjustable for a wide range of heights, and it comes in two sizes: for those 6 ft and below, and for those over 6 ft. The bike pictured here is the smaller size. Both saddle and handlebar height can be adjusted to fit riders of different proportions.



The wheels on the Boogie are 20", fitted with 2.125" wide tires. The model I tried comes with full fenders and a large rear rack as standard features, as well as with derailleur gearing - though single-speed and 8-speed hub versions are also available.



Kickstand is also standard - and it was a very sturdy one as far as kickstands go.



Of all the features on the Boogie, there are only two I don't like and would change if it were my bike: The padded synthetic saddle would have to go, and I would replace the handlebars with an inexpensive swept-back "North Roads" style version - simply because I can't comfortably use straight handlebars. Those who are more tolerant of stright bars may not care. Either way, the handlebar change can probably be made for $20 or so, so not a big deal. I would definitely keep all the components black, as to me that is part of the bike's charm.



This is what the bicycle looks like next to my 5'7" frame. As you can see, the step-over area is very low - just above ankle-height, which make it easy to mount and dismount even if wearing a long skirt.



I was not sure how a bicycle like this would handle, but it felt comfortable from the get-go: Easy to get started, stable, intuitive, maneuverable.



I test rode the Boogie briefly on the roads in traffic (actual test ride not pictured), trying to determine how the small wheels and fat tires would feel over pot-holes, and also whether the bicycle would accelerate well. All was good in these respects. This is not an aggressive bicycle; it is a comfortable one. But it certainly provides enough power to be used as urban transportation. Switching gears was easy using the thumb-shifters mounted onto the handlebars. The brakes were powerful. One confession I have to make, is that I felt more comfortable with this bicycle than I did with the Brompton I test-rode earlier. I am not sure why, so cannot really elaborate. Perhaps I need to ride the Bromptonagain to get a better idea. And of course, the quality and the functionality of the bicycles are different: The Brompton is undoubtedly better made and it is a folder, while the Boogie is in a lower budget category and does not have the folding capacity - so in comparing how I felt on them, I am speaking solely of the test-ride experience.



The Co-Habitant tried the Boogie as well, and found it to be "fun" - though he is baffled as to why I like it so much. He thought it was a cool bike, but not that big of a deal. So - to each their own.



The version of the Boogie I tried (derailleur, fenders, rack) is supposed to retail at around $750. I believe that the single speed version will be in the $400s and the 8-speed hub version in the $900s. Given those price points, I would probably go for either the single speed or the derailleur version - though ideally I would have liked a simple 3-speed hub. Lighting is not included, so that would be an additional expense. Although the Boogie will be available in other colours (white and sage), I think that black is the only colour that really works on this bicycle: Judging by the online pictures, the welding marks look much more prominent on the lighter-coloured bikes, detracting considerably from the elegance of the design I praised here. The striking harmony between the frame colour, component colour and accessory colour is also possible only with the black version.



If you are looking for a simple city bicycle on a budget, this is one of the few in the lower-priced category I actually like. The proportions and small wheels are not for everyone, but I find the overall design and ride quality appealing.