KBO

So I'm in London for the holiday, visiting my sister and Matt. I'm staying in the Hyatt Andaz with my mother and step-father, Alan.

It's nice to be here... it's a bit strange rolling into a bustling city for the holiday. There is a different energy about everyone has they hurry to finish their Christmas shopping and get ready for the loads of food everyone is about to eat. What has been particularly interesting or weird is the area where we are staying is the same general area where I hung out 7 years ago when I visited London during my junior year abroad. The Hyatt is literally on top of the Liverpool Street tube station which I used in order to get anywhere I was going the first time I was here. Weird.

Anyway... I intend to put more interesting information than a small coincidence into this entry.

I went to the British War Cabinet Room which is located two blocks from Westminster. I don't think there are words that can adequately convey how great of a museum this is (and the museum website does a poor job of making it look cool). During the Battle of Britain and specifically the blitz on London, Churchill and his cabinet were forced to move into an underground bunker and manage the war from there. The bunker was reinforced with 6 feet of concrete and steal girders over the ceiling which was to protect against the German bombing raids. What makes the museum so amazing is when they vacated the premise near the end of the war... many of the rooms were untouched until the 1970s when it was decided to create the museum. Many of the original war maps are still up on the walls which chart the supply ships in the Atlantic. The detail is incredible, which includes one of the officer's sugar ration for his tea which was hidden in his desk all those long years.

The feeling of walking through the rooms and with so much of the area either untouched or restored to it's original state is gives a true feeling of what it must have been like. There were so many important decisions made down there and made under such strange physical conditions. I can't talk enough about it.

The only lame part of the museum is the introduction of wax figures... I know it brings the spaces to life for some people, but I think it's weird.

Oh yeah, while Churchill was PM all of his telephone conversations were transcribed by a personal secretary who was interviewed for the Churchill Museum. Apparently, Winston would end all his conversations by saying "KBO." Perplexed, the secretary kept on transcribing that each time, until someone told her it was best not to record that bit of info. Churchill was telling his ministers Keep Buggering On.

KBO

Bad iphone

The iphone
I don't suppose anyone really cares, but this is my list of the problems with the iphone. It is by no means complete, but it is my list of things I wish Apple would add in terms of functionality. I think the iphone rocks by the way...

• No multiple senders in SMS: It's only possible to text one number at a time. Most phones have the ability to add multiple numbers and text all of them at once. Not so with the iphone.
• Sideways keyboards: In some of the iphone applications there is a sideways keyboard, but the core applications can not rotate and make use of the wider keyboard.
  
• No pix messages: I think this is insane. There is no way to receive pix messages on the phone. In order to access a picture sent from another phone, one has to log into the Cingular website for picture messages. They give you an alphanumeric username and password that is difficult at best.
  
• No select, copy, paste nor cut for text: This is pretty standard on most other PDAs. There is no functionality to select then manipulate text. It would be huge for the iphone to be able to copy text from a text or an email and then paste it into a safari text box or contacts.
  
• No upload/download of images: You can neither upload an image from the iphone to a website (craigslist or a personal website) nor can you save an image from a website and bring it down to your iphone. Again, I think it's insane not to have this type of functionality.
  
• No video capability: I can understand the iphone is still in the first generation and perhaps they had to leave certain capabilities out, but this is pretty standard on PDAs now-a-days.
  
• Call contact from SMS: This is a nit-picky detail, but it is still kind of annoying. SMS messages for one contact all appear on the same screen in a chat-like format, which is awesome. The only issue I have is the "call contact" button is at the top of the screen and is not easily accessible if there are a lot of texts. Like I said, it is a small detail, but it would be great to see it fixed.
  
• No print capability: This is another function that would be great to have, but it isn't necessary. With all the wireless printing that is out there, it would be great to be able to print from the iphone directly to a printer.
  

The Essential Peace Corps Volunteer

***UNFINISHED***

In an attempt to collect information together, which I consistently forget, I am going to create and update this post with the things that (A) got me through Peace Corps and (B) would have made my life much easier.

You will have to keep in mind that I was a PCV in Mali, which is in West Africa, this list is a result of my experience there. Some of these items might not work for you, but I think they would work for a great number of volunteer headed to different countries. Take this list for what it is worth...

Please comment and correct my stupidity, and let me know if any of my links are bogus.

STUFF/Technology
This list is a collection of ideas and items which you should think about. Not everything will work and some of it is expensive, but you should know these options are out there. With a bit of planning, you could have a system that will work and work well. Not everything needs to be bought and brought over... believe me, you want to keep your bag as small as you possibly can.

1. Bug Tent: I had an MSR tent that I loved, which is no longer in productions, but there are a couple out there which many people use and love, which I have listed. They aren't necessary and it will depend on where you are posted. I waited until I was at my site and got one (someone was going home and they picked it up for me). It's a waste of money if you end up in a city but it might be essential if you end up in a village.
2. ipod: It's a no brainer, and I know you have already thought of it, but I might have some additions which could truly enhance your experience... First off, don't worry about power (I have posted info about that) and buy the biggest ipod you can get. There is a lot of down time and the more music/podcasts you have the better.
   
1. If I was going now, I would go to Itunes U and download as many full courses as I could. I listen to them now... with the amount of courses available and the amount of unstructured time in Peace Corps, you could get another BA. There are courses that relate directly to development work, but get all the courses you can. Some which might not seem interesting now, might save your life during the rainy season when you are stuck in your house.
   
2. I would go to All Songs Considered and download their entire concert archive. There is a ton of excellent known and unknown music there.
   
3. Buy a car charger for the ipod (check out this post)
3. Battery-operated tooth-brush: What can I say... my Dad is an orthodontist and he would say, "Your teeth are the best friends you've got." It has to use AA batteries.
4. Polarized sunglasses: The sun is harsh on the African continent, and you are about to live there for two years. They will get scuffed (look for a pair with removable lenses), but it is worth it. If you don't think so, you probably don't think sun screen is a good idea either... and that is evolution at work.
   
5. Car battery: This is the power option of the professional PCV. You will need to wait until you have been to your site and find out if anyone in town/village has a industrial-sized solar panel or generator. They will recharge the battery for almost no money (I think I paid 25 cents a charge). You will have to create a system to connect your stuff to the battery (which I go into on another post), but it is well worth it.
6. Pocket knife: There is such a wide range of knives out there, and I believe a knife has to fit the individual, which makes it tough to give a good recommendation. With that proviso, I like knives that are versatile (straight and serrated edges), fit in your pocket and can be opened with one hand (which for me is an in-line lock).
   
7. Mini Nalgene bottles: It doesn't have to be nalgene, but the small screw-top bottles can be perfect for sun screen, shampoo, spices, powders... you name it.
8. Digital or non-digital thermometer
9. Tent spray
   
10. Baseball and baseball glove
    
11. Duct tape
12. Carabeeners
    
13. Silk floss
    
14. Bar of soap
    
15. Tubes for bicycle
    
16. Mini speakers for ipod: Make sure it uses batteries and the batteries can be found in-country
    
17. Key chain pill holder
    
18. Micro lights
19. Seeds
    

Food

1. Gatorade Powder: It's awesome. Some Peace Corps Medical offices will carry it, but having it sent is pretty essential. It can be found in most supermarkets, but should be removed from its container and put in a zip-lock bag... It saves space and the zip-lock can be re-used (or at the very least, given to your host family... they will love it)
2. Kraft/Annies Mac 'n Cheese packets: Forget the macaroni, which can be found in most of the developing world, but that cheesy-powder goodness will change your life.
3. Taco Seasoning: It sounds weird, but it is a great all-around spice. I made a mean Taco Mac 'n Cheese during my time (email me if you really want to know how to use this spice).
4. Block of Velveeta Cheese: They are like roaches or twinkies... they'll survive anything
5. Pre-cooked bacon (I didn't know this existed until PC)
6. Cereal: I was partial to Lucky Charms.
7. Beef Jerky: I can't begin to talk about my feelings for beef jerky. Love just doesn't capture the feeling.
8. Toll house chocolate chips: They melted, but who gives a damn? They taste great!
9. Cake/brownie mix: The kind that you just have to add water and bake is so easy and it means the PCV in country doesn't have to go find difficult or expensive ingredients.
10. Pizza dough mix: I loved this stuff
11. Twizzlers
12. Taco bell sauce packets
13. Taco seasoning packets
14. Pancake mix
15. Parmesan cheese
16. Granola bars
17. Cliff bars
18. Pepperoni
19. Pudding mix
20. Mountain house dried meals
21. Bacos

Terrible Ideas List

1. Mini-solar chargers: Arghh... I bought one, and it never worked. Easily one of the most frustrating purchases, because it SHOULD work so well in West Africa... if there is an abundance of anything in that area of the world, it is the sun. Since I'm a scientist (and by that I mean I am not one at all), I have determined the heat from the sun warms the batteries, making them unable to hold a charge. Note: I would appreciate someone with some scientific authority to comment on this because it is true, but I have no clue why.
2. Ex-officio Gear: This is inclusive of all the poly-synthetic, quick-dry, breathable, wrinkle-free, zip-off crap... Not worth it. All your clothes will get ruined by harsh washing techniques, sand and the sun. Buy clothes when you get to country. There are a TON of options. Note: I did have a pair of zip-off pants, and they were stupid.
   
3. Nice Watches: The sand will penetrate that water-proof or water resistant seal, and you will cry. Buy a cheap watch in the states or even in country. What you will find out, in-country, is that time doesn't really matter (be careful... I feel an extestential moment coming on).
4. Toilet Paper: Your hand will touch your rear-end, and you can deal with that. If you can't, then buy toilet paper in-country. It is a waste of space to pack it in your bag.
   

Power off of a battery

The idea here is to use a battery as a power source for your ipods, mp3 players and other devices. All you need a car battery, a 12v power outlet with battery clips and your car adapter for your device (whichever that might be). It's a pretty simple system, but incredibly important not to mess up the positive and negative ends... it will fry your device. Once that happens, you are sunk.

1. Attach the battery and the power outlet (Again... be attentive to the + and - ends)
2. Attach your device's car adapter to the power outlet
3. Attach your device to the car adapter.

If you screwed up the ends... you will know very quickly. If you hear a pop and see a spark... whoops.

Diagram to follow...

I post

It was really this website that got me to post. It just made me feel good.

Well, Charley spent a very exciting weekend at Chez Todd. I don't have any cat food, so I just started cracking open tuna cans for him. He immediately fell in love with me (no surprise). He was pretty thin and was very hungry, so I assumed he was a lost cat. My neighbor told me he had seen Charley running around outside a year ago when he moved in. I felt real bad, and started trying to find his owners or a new home.

I came close a couple times, but nothing stuck. There was a really nice lady who wanted him, but couldn't because she had other pets and they would have needed to quarantine Charley for a week or so...

Anyway, his owner finally gave me a call after he saw one of the signs I put up.

I planned this whole conversation thinking the owner had mistreated him in some way... I was going to tell him the vet (who he did actually see) told me to call animal control if I ever found the owner (which he didn't say, but I think he would back me up). Anyway, I walked up to the door with the cat and instead of a broken down place with a terrible owner... I found an elderly couple who's cat has been diagnosed with a thyroid condition and periodically runs away when he has to take his medicine.

I happily returned Charley... Toby to his owners.

Does crazy stuff happen to everybody?

A cat just walked into my apartment. I'm pretty sure he's lost.



I'm calling him Charley.

DONE.

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

I got in an accident outside Nick's Mom's apt...

I was pulling out of a tight parking spot and I hit a post with the front-right end of the car as I spun the wheel. If I round the number UP, I might have been going 2 mph. That pretty much sucks.

I'm too chagrined to post a photo.

The Convincing

We (Nick Benore and I) just convinced Emily Clever to skip her flight and join us on the ride home. I think that's excellent.

The plan is to leave Iowa and head to Saline (outside of Ann Arbor), which is where Nick grew up. Then we'll head down to Philadelphia to drop Emily off... After all that, Julie and I will make the finally 2 1/2 hour trek to DC.


View Larger Map

As a scientist, I've calculated this will require my car to travel approximately 1,253 miles (give or take a 1/10 of a mile), and will take a grand total of 21 hours and 16 minutes. A full and detailed copy of the notes I produced in order to compile this information can be mailed to you upon request. Please include a self addressed envelope and $88.00 for shipping and handling (my notes are long).

Whiffle Ball rocks

Where I grew up... you could go to the barber's and get something called a Whiffle.

Anyway, we played 4 on 4 whiffle ball today, and my team won. It was awesome. Especially since I was working on a no-hitter for the first three innings. There were a couple grounders and pop flies, but I was actually striking people out. I kid you not... there were two guys I struck out 3 times each.

We also had a pegging rule, which Dan Bellrichard (owner and creator of Mali La 2007) used incredibly effectively. He was wearing a Malian booboo and would run at you with his booboo spreading in the wind. Then he hucked it at your head and you were out.

I love dogs... I want a dog

If I wasn't living in Washington, DC and I didn't live in an apartment that doesn't allow animals... I would definitely have a dog.

At Mali La 2007, there were probably 15 different dogs running around throughout the weekend. First off there was Liffy (something that looks like Liffy). Liffy was a border collie who was absolutely amazing at catching frisbees.... The dog was definitely OCD about chasing them, but it worked very well with me. I actually tired her out. I don't know what that says about me, though.

Then there was this Labra-doodle (this one does not look like him) that was nuts. He essentially ran away from everyone, but if you finally did get him to be friendly, he would shake his butt around and chomp his front teeth really loudly.

Uhhh... then there was another dog named Cia. She was a real small beagle who was definitely the most chill and friendly dog of the bunch.

I won't list them all, but if you want me to, I will.

Eye-Oh-Wah

So, I'm sitting at the 4-H camp in Decorah, Iowa and while my cell phone doesn't work, there is actually a pretty sick wireless internet. I've been here for two nights now, and I just assumed there wasn't going to be any access to internet... anyway, here goes.

Traveling from Omaha to Iowa was long... I picked up a passenger (Julie Westfall from Peace Corps Mali) and we headed East on 80 and then took 35 North. After that it was a series of smaller routes that took us through the very definition of small town America.

Easily, the best part of the drive was a gas stop in Huxley, IA. We ended up at a Dairy Queen (voted Huxley's best ice cream of 2007)), and I fell into a conversation with the people behind the counter about the ingredients for something called a Pizza Burger. None of the Dairy Queen employees could tell me what it was or what was in it (one of them told me it has flecks of white meat in it). Anyway, somehow that led me across the street to The Video Place and Tanning Salon. I don't know why someone ever decided to put those two things together but I like it... What's crazier is that they have something like 8 different stores across Iowa.

Since then, I've been hanging out at Mali La 2007 here at the 4-H Camp. It's pretty great. There are a bunch of people here from Peace Corps Mali and then a bunch of other people I've never met that are all connected to Dan Bellrichard. Dan was in Peace Corps with me and now lives here in Decorah.

We've been catching up on everything Mali.

Nick Benore and I have been dominating Badminton and I found the greatest flashlight in the world... Some guy here threw it in the fire for some reason and we pulled it out (still working), dumped it in the water (still working), put it back in the fire for a bit and then in the water one more time... Still works. I'm bringing it with me where ever I go. I can't tell who made it, because it's all melted, but whoever built that thing did a great job.

All right, that's it for now... I'm gonna come back and put some photos of it in an hour or so.









Sunday.... this is our proposed route back to DC.

Denver, CO (redux)

Well, I'm back here Denver, CO visiting Davis and Missy. I have now made the trip between Denver and Fort Collins three times and I will pass through one more time tomorrow before heading up to Omaha, Nebraska. It's high-time I visited another route out here in the US of A.

Life is good here, and there's no mistaking that it's because these two people are wonderful. Davis is starting his first-year of residency in the ED (Emergency Department for you laymen... ER is so passe!), and Missy has just finished law school.

Davis is busy as all get out... He started a 30 hour shift on Monday, only to get back today around 1pm. All I can say is that my "shifts" back at Saint Albans aren't remotely close to 30 hours long.

Missy, on the other hand, is in her semi-retirement phase between taking the bar and beginning work at a firm here in Denver (Missy: if you provide the name, I'll include it on the blog). The result is that Davis goes to work and Missy and I get to hang out.

Just before Davis had to settle in, on Sunday, for the night (before his insanely long shift) we headed out to Pints, which has the greatest scotch, whisky and bourbon collection I have ever had the joy of witnessing. I acquiesced to Davis' expert opinion and had two great scotches. I wish I were able to retrieve the names, but I've got nothing.

In the morning (yesterday), we headed out to Bergen Park for a run with their dog, Multsie (more on the dog later). Missy decided we should take separate routes... thinking we would run at different rates. WELL... I believe Missy ran, so that absolutely proves that we "ran" at different rates. optimistically, I made it out of view of Missy and then I began heaving violently. As I understand it, Denver is at a higher altitude than my lowly DC, and that might have made running a bit difficult for me. Instead, the dog and I took a leisurely walk along the trails provided at the park and then met up with Missy back at the car. We headed back to their place, had some sandwiches and then headed out to see Superbad. If anyone is interested in my expert review of the movie, send me an email and I'll give you the business.

I'm headed out to Omaha tomorrow to pick up Julie Westfall in prep for the Peace Corps reunion in Decorah, Iowa. Let's see if I can make it....

-Todd

NB: Of course, the dog... Multsie: Incredible. He's an 8 year old Chocolate Lab. He has just a bit of grey on his muzzle but is still active. I spent a lot of time (arguably a majority of my time here) playing with the dog. He'll rip apart a sheet of bubble rap like a champ and then do battle with a cardboard box like he's Muhammad Ali. Don't tell Missy or Davis, but I've kidnapped him and I'm taking him back to DC with me (is that wrong?).

Fort Collins

Ahh... Fort Collins.

I feel as though I should write a few paragraphs about this quaint little college town and describe the events and shows as Fort Collins celebrates it's birth... Then I could send it in to NPR and maybe I would hang out with Ira Glass.

I'm feeling a bit banged up from last night's activities, so I won't put you or me through that.

The reason I stopped here in FC is that Nathan Haynes, who was in Peace Corps Mali at the same time I was, uses this town as a home base of sorts. Both he and his fiance, Katie, have places they keep near to their work and school (respectively) and then meet in the middle when they have time off. Nate heads up to Grand Lake as he is working for the Forrest Service and Katie heads to some other town as she is finishing up her graduate work.

In addition to me taking up space in their house, Nate's friends from growing up, Camile and Brian were in town after spending a week at a Dude Ranch. We were a full house... so we spent the day yesterday out and and about. We decided to go tubing down the river and then grill by the water. We came up with a list of things we needed to get for the day (tubes, beverages, food, charcoal, etc.) and then split up into two groups. Katie and Camille headed to the local farmers market and Nate, Brian and I headed out for tubes, charcoal and beer. We definitely got all the items we were responsible for, but we got a bit sidetracked at Odells Brewery. They have a tasting menu, and we didn't want to waste the opportunity to sample the fine brews. THEN it seemed like a natural progession to head over to the New Belgium Brewery and see how that beer stacked up against Odells. Flash forward to the end of our Brewery tours, Katie and Camille were definitely ready to go when we finally got back to the house. Whoops.

Tubing was great fun... As if on cue, we got in the water and it started raining. As the wind picked up and the thunder crackled over the mountains, we considered turning back, but out of sheer laziness and comfort, we pressed on. We shivered our way through the first half until the sun finally broke out of the clouds and warmed us up. If anyone's time was as fun, it was Brian. He got stuck with the "slow tube" and spent the majority of the time on his own. I'm not sure if it was because of the cold or if we were hungry, but we never stopped long enough to let him catch up. Apologies Brian. Once we drifted down to the little park, we grilled up some chicken and ribs and enjoyed ourselves. There were two little dogs that can best be described as rats that entertained us for a while, then we headed back into town.

In the evening we rocked out at a local bar named the Trailhead. We saw every type of individual Fort Collins has to offer... Agro-hippies, party girls and some guy named Bigfoot. It was a good time. Brian had an unfortunate run-in with a guy in the restroom who chose not to aim properly... but he survived. We almost went to a Bruce Hornsby concert, but it was rained out... so close.

This morning, we all headed in our own directions: Nate to Nebraska, Brian and Camille to Kansas City, Katie is going to hang out in FC for a bit, and I'm headed back down to Denver today to see Chris Davis and Missy Fiebelkorn.

Mount Evans

I took my Jetta up Mount Evans this morning. Mount Evan is a 14,130 foot mountain just outside of Idaho Springs, CO. They have a road that winds and turns all the way to the top. I was expecting to be able to purchase a bumper sticker that would proclaim this morning's accomplishment (like at Mt. Washington), but I guess they haven't figured out how to exploit tourists to their fullest extent yet.

So this photo of my feet is my own photo, and what is interesting is this shot is a long time in coming. When I was in 8th grade my mom took Carolyn and I to France and we traveled from site to site checking out France. While I think the most memorable moment for me, at that age, was spending an afternoon at what turned out to be a topless beach... my second clearest memory is that I was not allowed to take what I thought would be a great photograph. Essentially, we were visiting the foundation of some old building (where it was or why it was important have long since left my brain), which overlooked a valley below... very far below. I thought it would be cool to dangle my feet over the edge of the drop and take a photo. When I started to get into position, my mom grabbed me by the scruff of my neck and that was the end of that. Mom, you may proceed to have a heart-attack now.

Well, this photo represents a 3,000 foot drop. I guess I can check that off the list.

The Turk's house (I have a camera finally!)

First of all... I would like you all to notice this first photo in this posting. This is MY photo which means I am now in possession of a digital camera. I will continue to search through the internet to add content to this blog, but I now have the ability to get the actual shot I am looking for... yippee.

I can't begin to tell you all how much fun I had here at the Turk's house. It was like heading back to 51 Salisbury Lane in the old days. The city and state might be different, but the effect is exactly the same. I arrived on the 15th, and Sally and Pete greeted me with sandwiches and ice cream cake AND the Red Sox downstairs in the den (I told you it still feels like 51 Salisbury). The Sox ended up losing to the Devil Ray, which was terrible, but fortunately, the Yanks lost too.

We went out to Lodo's which is a sports bar in the area and then came back and enjoyed those pies my mom sent out.

On the 16th, I went out to Red Rocks and then toured the Coors Brewery. Red Rocks was downright incredible. I think I had this image in my mind of some mound of rocks out in the desert where a couple hippies decided to have concerts. NOT SO... Red Rocks is one of those natural wonders, and the reason they have concerts there is the acoustics are almost perfect. While I was there, I went to the absolute back of the amphitheater while they were performing a sound check on the drums (without mics) and I could hear them perfectly. Apparently, this was realized before the turn of the century, and has been a concert venue since then. Oh yeah, and the red rocks that are all over the area are killer. The geography would attract people separate from everything else.

Next it was on to the Coors Brewery tour. Great fun, but about half-way through the tour, all I could think about was the "tasting" at the end of the tour. Effectively, the tour takes you right through the brewery which is interesting, but not much was happening when I rolled through. The tour guide kept on saying, "When these machines are active, you would see..." I was able to sample Killians, Blue Moon and Harvest Moon. Even accounting for the increase in elevation, I think I handled myself with dignity and poise.

That night, Steve came back from a work trip and we grilled for dinner, and talked about our trips... Sally and Steve are headed into the Mountains for the weekend, and I'm headed to... well, let's see... I know I am headed somewhere...

The last bit of this entry will be devoted to the Turk's dog Zoe. In the line of the Turk Family dogs, Zoe stacks up against the rest (although no dog can step to Buffy). Zoe is a great mutt... intelligent, fun and active. As the picture shows, she does not like cameras (or any other technology for that matter.

Another year gone...

Another year of Todd Winslow Miner on this earth.

I'm in Denver. I have already had ice cream cake (thank you Sally and Pete) and I have an apple pie with my name on it (thanks Mom). Wa hoo...

Trouble

Yup... the unfortunate has happened. I was pulled over at 11:02 AM in Wendover, Utah. Normally, I set the cruise control between 5 and 10 miles over the speed limit, BUT I wasn't doing that this morning. I was coming down a hill and I got a little comfortable on the gas peddle. I was clocked 19 miles over the speed limit.

I'm choosing to take the glass-half-full approach and say this is a good thing. While I'm not excited to pay the fine (which I will find out in no less than five days), this will keep me vigilant in the future.

I did enjoy the conversation I had with the cop after he pulled me over. It went something like this...

Officer Daniels: Where are you headed in such a hurry?

Todd "Flustered" Miner: Apologies, I know I was speeding. I actually have no reason to speed, I have the whole country to get across. I think I was looking at the mountains and didn't notice how fast I was going.

Officer Daniels: Uh... OK. License and registration, punk.

I can't remember exactly, but he might not have said "punk." It was actually a pretty cordial interaction. It brought back memories of senior year in high school, when I got pulled over for going 105 mph on I-95 (headed up to New Hampshire). In that instance, when the cop asked me if I had any idea how fast I was going, I tried to guess high and say 95 mph. Needless to say, the cop had a very witty response. He was worried enough that he opened up the passenger-side door to take a look inside the car. My entire CD collection fell out onto the road, so he gave me a dirty look and handed me the ticket. What was excellent about that time, was I thought the cop might just give me a warning. I was not that optimistic this time.

Anyway, Separate from getting pulled over, the day was pretty great. The salt flats of Utah were incredible. I honestly couldn't tell the difference between the salt and the lakes. That stretch of I-80 is home to the Bonneville Speedway, which is where the world land-speed record has been clocked 4 or 5 times. Since I have a ticket in my hand, you can email me if you are interested in hearing about my personal land-speed record.

There was also a very strange sculpture in the middle of nowhere that turns out to be called the Tree of Utah. I would say it was more weird than interesting, but it made me look.

After the Salt Flats, I progressed (within the speed limit) to the Great Salt Lake and then into Wyoming. Wyoming has been great so far. The skies have been enormous and beautiful. I pulled over a couple of times to take it all in. At a couple points I could see 5 or 6 different storms crossing over the area. It was a sight to see.

I'll be in Denver tomorrow with the Turk family. I'm excited to see Sally and Steve and their home in Colorado. It will be good to have a real shower and conversation (something I have been doing by myself for the past couple days).

Goodbye CA... Hello NV

I am at the end of my first real drive. I have logged about 1500 miles (total) so far on my new car and I put about 620 today. Yikes... but this was a great day.

By far the most interesting part is watching the scenery change as I drive. Starting with the California golden hills, moving into the dense trees along I-80 and then getting into the open skies of Nevada. I am mildly surprised I didn't drive off the road a couple times because I was rubber necking the entire way. I decided to drive through the night to put some miles behind me, and I was greeted with one of the most intense starry skies I have seen in a long time.

I decided to stop twice and head way off I-80 so I could really get a good look. There was a storm rolling in, and honestly thought the haze of the Milky Way was part of the storm clouds. It was a perfect evening... lightning in the distance, meteor showers and twinkling stars (not to mention a HUGE sky). I hung out on top of the Jetta with my feet dangling in the sun roof.

The first place I stopped in was called Emigrant (no joke) and there was a sign that said "No Services" underneath it. I had to sneak onto some public property to escape the light from the road, but it was well worth it.

I think that most drives, I do alone, have a centering effect on me, but this drive was wonderful. I really enjoy being overwhelmed by the geography of the place I am in, and I was constantly feeling that my eyes would not be able to find anything more interesting than the last site. whew... As the evening was drawing near, I was in a long stretch of seemingly uninhabited land. There were long fields that pushed into craggy hills and mountains. As this general fog settled over the land ahead of me, it was masking all the topography until I was right next to it. I would turn to my left and all of a sudden there was a mountain next to me and I couldn't even see the top. Wonderfully intense.

The people are getting more and more interesting and friendly... I love this part of getting into the US. I'm also amazing with some of the areas where people are living... literally, no water source, no services and almost no other people (save the three other houses in a 25 miles radius).

Anyway... I am going to cut out and hit the hay. Two quick things...

First, I think I have a preference for the right side. I had to remind myself all day there were things on my left to see as well. Anyone know how to fix that?

Second, I have seen some great town names today. Here are some of them...

Emigrant (I already gave you that one)*
Beverly Hills, NV (They will not make a show out of this town)*
Winnemucca (easily the largest town/county I have ever seen)
Eureka (It almost felt like a joke)
Lovelock (For the hopeless romantic)

*These are too small to come up in Google Maps!

When it's all said and done

I'm about to pull out of SF and begin the crossing... so this is a quick post.

San Fran turned out pretty well. I was able to see Eric Lantzman* and Ann Cain, from Colby. Peter Turk, who was visiting his friend Sep, was out here as well...

Lantzman and Maggie are doing well. I actually caught them after they saw Avenue Q, which is supposedly a funny show. We headed over to a new bar in SF called Breezers... the "bar-temptress" made a really weird concoction for Eric that brought bourbon, lime, ginger ale and (wait for it) cucumbers together. Highly odd, but it didn't taste half-bad.

On Saturday, Ann and I headed up to Russian River and sampled a bit of wine. I highly recommend Armida and Hop Kiln Wineries. I don't think either of these wineries distribute their products at all, but if you are interested in some local SF wines, I think they send them out.

Other than that, I hung around and had a generally good time. I'm a big fan of just hanging around SF. It has great weather... meaning that it's nice, but a bit cold. It's like those great fall days in New England when you want to be outside, but you have to put on something warm.

I guess that's it. I think I did everything I wanted while I was here... I hit up wine country, I crossed the Golden Gate Bridge (which I didn't do last time), I checked out the Presidio and even went up to the Palace of Fine Arts. For now, I'm headed into the mountains. I think I've secured a camera from Pete, but I will pick that up in Colorado, which means I will have missed some of the really great scenery in the United States. Such is life, I guess.

More later,
Todd

* Eric's link is actually real. The others, I just typed their name into Google and picked whatever came up. Eric actually got the Eric we all know and love.

San Fran... so far

Just to get you right into what is going on right now, there are two women (maybe 50 feet from me) who doing what I can best describe as extreme hoola-hooping. They sort of look like they're exercising or maybe like they are practicing to dance in a strip club. I can't decide whether to be attracted or laugh hysterically. I guess since I haven't turned away since they started and I've been laughing out loud a little bit, my decision is that both are true. I apologize to all of you for forgetting my camera, because I otherwise be able to take a picture or even give you all a video of whatever the hell they would call this.

In lieu of an actual video of these women... here is the closest thing I can find.

Oh yeah... Steinbeck

Before I get into SF, I should mention that I stopped in Monterey to check out John Steinbeck's old stomping ground. I was interested to better understand the author who created some of my favorite novels. I'm pretty sure just about every class I took, I related whatever literature I was studying to Steinbeck's East of Eden.

Monterey was nice. It was a much chiller city than LA or even SF. It feels like it was skipped over in the sense that there isn't as much money or development going on (of course there is still some), and there isn't as many people. It made it feel a bit like a beach community on Cape Cod.

Cannery Row was probably the most developed portion of Monterey, which is a direct result of Cannery Row. There are flags flying with caricatures of Steinbeck and some of his characters from the book. Still, there were a lot of dilapidated buildings and empty lots. I won't say that it looked the way that I imagined Cannery Row, but it still had the right feel. Nothing of global import was going to happen there in this generation or the next, but it's happening on a local scale and that means something to Monterey. I'm not sure if that translates from the language of my brain to the blog, but that's the best I have right now.

After Monterey, I headed out along the 1 and then the 101 and got to experience the golden rolling hills Steinbeck loved so much. As I was driving out and the sun was getting lower, all the color was washed out of the sides of the hills and it almost looked like they were snow white... It was pretty incredible actually.

PCH

What a boring day. I traveled up the coast from Morro Bay to San Francisco along the Pacific Coast Highway. The driving was extremely uninteresting and there was no scenery to speak of...

I am disheartened by the lack of stimulation.














On the Tiptronic Transmission on the Jetta (Carolyn: This car rocks!)

I was a huge skeptic of the Tiptronic transmission that is part of my Jetta. It seemed like a cheap version of standard transmissions that's only included to up the sale price of the car. Today, I have been at least 90% converted.

The PCH has hills and turns galore all on the edge of a fairly long cliff drop to the ocean. I felt like James Bond out there... Of course, I didn't have an ejector seat on my car, I wasn't wearing a tuxedo, I wasn't racing a super-hot model in a sports car and I wasn't on a mission for MI6... Other than that I felt like James Bond.

The POINT is the ability to force the car into the gear gave almost the same experience as driving a standard vehicle. The only shortcoming is that once you force the car to shift, it takes a half a second to kick in. I was able to correct for it by letting off the gas before the shift and then re-applying, but there was still a little difference. Well, the other problem was that I kept forgetting which gear I was in, because there is only up and down shift (there are no gear positions).

Hmm... Maybe that wasn't interesting for all of you, but all I've done today is drive my car, sing songs from the radio and think about tiptronic transmissions.

Which brings me to a confession: Earlier today, I had just gotten onto the PCH. I had the ocean on my left and beautiful rolling hills on my right. There was a quick layer of fog coming in, so it gave this hazy mystical quality to the day. It felt a bit like Ireland (of course I have never been there though). ANYWAY, my confession is this... I couldn't find anything but Enya on the radio BUT I really enjoyed it. You'll have to take my word for it, but the curvy roads, the fog, the geography and Enya work very well together.

Anyone want to back me up?

Dog Names

Bixby... Not Bad
Sepulveda... Terrible
Embarcadero... I think it could be great

Morro Bay

This is an excellent place… I don’t want to write too much about it (since I just posted, and I don’t think I could do this place justice).

I stayed in Morro Bay State Park, and then walked around the estuary area. It is an incredible area... beautiful scenery (the photo is of the Morro Rock) and it is a spot where fresh water and the sea meet… which is to say it's not just geography but an important eco-system that is amazing. For those of you who want to actually read a bit about it, this is an overly-simplistic explanation of the Eel Grass present in the estuary.

As I am leaving momentarily, I will just give you a list of things you should and shouldn’t do while in Morro Bay….

You shouldn’t arrive to late in the evening and rely on Google Maps to get you around because most of the roads in the State Park are not mapped. You should greet everyone you see with, “Morning (or the like).” You shouldn’t add anything extra to your greeting, like “How are you,” or “it’s a great day.” You will only get confused-dirty looks from the locals. You should appreciate the eel grass that is present in the estuary. You should not try to eat the eel grass. You should make use of the campgrounds showers as they are spacious, clean and the water is very hot. You should not take more than 4 minutes to complete your shower or people will get upset and ask you how much longer you will be.

The Sanfords

So, I went running this morning and as I was getting back to my car, I was next to a golf course, and there were people already playing golf. As I passed by there was an ostrich walking away from me on the golf course! I wasn't sure exactly what to do with myself, but I started turning my head to find someone so we could share the site...

My excitement was tempered about 5 seconds later when I realized it was just a golfer carrying his golf bag on his back and was also perfectly in line with a golf ball cleaner (which for my purposes was the head of the ostrich). It was still pretty exciting.

Anyway... Yesterday, I left LA and started making my way up to Morro Bay along the 101 and the Pacific Coast Highway. As I got close to Santa Barbara, I decided to go searching for the Sanford family winery (for those of you who remember, I went to school with Blakeney Sanford). Google Maps pulled up two addresses, and like everything else in life, the first one I went to was wrong (it was an empty lot with a wagon wheel hanging across two poles. The second address proved to be the right one.

The old name and company, "Sanford Wine," went through some business craziness over the past couple years, but the Sanfords (Richard and Thekla) have come out of it all with a new company and a new name... Alma Rosa Winery. I almost didn't go in because I wasn't sure if it was the same family, but there were a couple Sanford-esque flourishes (silver tinsel over the vines to keep the birds away) that told me I was at the right place.

Richard and Thekla were awesome... I met them once 10 years ago as a freshmen at Colby College, but still Thekla walked me around the winery as we sipped wine and I she told me what Blakeney is doing. There are a couple really great things about Alma Rosa Winery; First, all the wine they produce is certified organic and their ethos is to work with nature rather than against it. It's just plain nice. Second, their tasting room and winery was part of the movie Sideways," which I haven't seen, but it is still cool none-the-less.

Afterwards, they took me out to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant in Buellton. It was an excellent stopo-over. I actually just talked with Blakeney (as I was writing this) who is in New Hampshire visiting Mo Doucette, a mutual friend from Colby.

I have finished Los Angeles

Done... I have done everything I wanted to do here.

Car... done
Cafe Tropical... done
Sushi... done

I'm not saying it was a long list, but it is complete.

Kent McInnis was my host out here and was the keeper of the car after Carolyn went to jolly old England. Thank you, Kent.

For those of you who do not know, Cafe Tropical is pretty much the best coffee out there. I'm not sure how they make the coffee, but I see them messing around on the espresso machine and I also see them putting two types of coffee beans into each cup. The amount of caffeine in each cup is enough to make your eyes pop out of your head, but it is still some righteous coffee.

There's definitely a connection between the quality of the coffee and the fact that there is an AA meeting hall connected to the building... Recovering Alcoholics need good coffee.

And by the way... I'm using this terrible photo I found online because I forgot to bring my camera out here. I'm reduced to scrounging online for photos for anything I want to show on the blog until I get a camera of some sort. The plan is to have my camera sent out to Denver or something... This could be a really terrible blog if I don't get a camera soon.

In terms of Sushi, I did not make it to Hama Sushi (which is a rad place), but Kent and I did go to Azami Sushi, which was some of the best I have had. Apparently, it was a haunt of Carolyn and Matt's so the chef knew them and I think I got points for knowing some "important" clients.

Afterwards we headed to a bar called The Edison. It's an underground bar that used to be the Los Angeles power plant. It must have cost a pretty penny to convert it into a bar, but I guess La La Land is the place where these things can happen. They have a bunch of the machinery still in the bar... more accurately, the bar is set up around the machinery.

I'm about to pull out and head to San Fran, maybe stop in Morro Bay State Park... we'll see if I can start camping.

Oh yeah... I almost hit a pedestrian while driving around LA.

That's all.

Here I am

I'm not entirely sure about having a blog, but here we go...