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My New Hobby

2009-07-04T19:16:00.000-07:00

This summer, I was either going to join the Charles River Sailing Club or buy a kayak. My obvious issues with kayak ownership was a lack of car and storage. But I happened to type in "kayak" at Amazon.com (where I now buy everything except groceries) and got clued in to inflatable kayaks. I was a little skeptical of their quality and durability, but the reviews on the Advanced Element models sold me. I ended up going with a smaller 10.5" model. It's only $399 and folds up into a big, yet portable storage bag.

http://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Elements-AdvancedFrame-Inflatable-Kayak/dp/B000J2Q0C6/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1246760305&sr=8-4

It takes about 15 minutes to blow up and you're ready to rock. I've taken it out twice on the Charles River thus far - once from Newton to Harvard, and the next time all the way past downtown to where I could go no further (dam). It's definitely not as fast as a "real" kayak, but I'm in no hurry!

Block Island, RI

2009-06-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

We headed out to Block Island, Rhode Island for a nice birthday weekend. After a 90-minute drive from Boston, it's a quick 30-minute ferry ride from Port Judith, RI. Our friend Amanda has a gorgeous house overlooking the harbor and ocean where about 8 of us crashed. Unlike the tourist traps of Nantucket & Martha's Vineyard just up the coast, Block Island is like taking a 50-year trip back in time with its rural and rustic settings.

I was really bummed that I didn't bring my kayak along. But we were able to dig for a bunch of clams right in the back yard before the DNR lady busted us. Next time I'll pay the $20 license.

Bar Harbor, ME - Acadia National Park

2009-05-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

Ogunquit, ME

2008-09-21T18:57:00.000-07:00

Charles River

2008-09-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Gloucester Whale Watching

2008-08-13T18:47:00.000-07:00

Ireland Vacation

2008-05-01T14:36:00.000-07:00

We flew into Shannon Airport on the west coast of Ireland at 6 am local time (1 am back in Boston). Our intention was to stay up the first day so we wouldn't waste any time in Ireland - that plan lasted about 5 minutes once we arrived at our first hotel in Ennis. We ended up sleeping about 15 hours that day with only a short 2 hour trip into Ennis for lunch. But at least we were well rested for the rest of the trip!

We rented a manual Ford Fiesta for the entire trip. Because I cannot drive stick, Kelly took over the driving duties. Driving on the left side of the road in Ireland didn't actually take that long to get used to. The difficult part was the extremely narrow roads, crazy local drivers, and free-roaming farm animals. If you rent a car in Ireland, get the full insurance package! Everytime a tour bus came within inches of our car, I remembered the rental car lady asking us, "can you afford to pay 18,000 Euro if you wreck the car?" We gambled & won, but tettered on several nervous breakdowns during the trip. It didn't help that on every highway in Ireland they have signs showing how the number of fatalities that your highway experienced the last 5 years.

Our next stop was in Doolin for the Castleview B&B. This farmhouse was right on the ocean & just a short drive to the Cliffs of Moher. The hostess said we could easily walk to the cliffs, but we took a wrong turn & ended up roaming over 10 miles through the Irish countryside. It was a nice walk except for a few stray dogs & mild dehydration. Plus we got sunburnt which is difficult to do in Ireland during April. Aloe Vera has yet to make it to Ireland, so we were red-faced the entire trip.

While we were lost, we walked past an Irish boy no older than 6 who said hello. When we said "hello" back, he screamed, "you're American!" Is it that obvious?

The Cliffs of Moher were amazing. There was a very touristy gated path that had ok views of the cliffs. But the best view & maybe the highlight of the trip was the much more dangerous ungated path that took you just a few feet from the 700-foot cliffs. At least a few people die each year when wind gusts send them sailing over the edge (what we called "natural selection").

Day 3 we drove the entire Ring of Kerry which is a famous drive through the Killarney National Park, Misty Mountains & beautiful ocean coasts of the Iveragh Peninsula. It may have been the most beautiful scenary I have even seen. Poor Kelly didn't get to enjoy the views as she was busy dodging the huge tour buses coming from the opposite direction on these extremely narrow roads. Wikipedia suggested going clockwise around the Ring to avoid traffic, but I would have rather been behind these buses versus meeting them on an obstructed corner with no guard rails on the top of the mountains. This was where the driving was by far the most dangerous, but the scenary made it worth it.

(At this point my 2nd camera battery died, so I didn't take many pictures the rest of the way except on a terrible iPhone camera.)

Day 4 we went to our 2nd B&B in Clifden, which is just west of Galway. The "Ardmore House" had huge bedrooms, a private path down to the ocean, and most importantly internet. It was situated atop the mountains overlooking the Clifden bay surrounded by sheep farms & abandoned castles. We had the place to ourselves the 1st night, while it was a full house the 2nd night including a couple from Madison.

Day 5 we went to the Connemara National Park. Again, it was gorgeous, but at this point we were getting pretty tired of all the driving (and by "we" I mean Kelly).

On the final day we drove across the entire country to Dublin. We stayed at a brand new Ritz Carlton outside the city next to the Powerscourt House & Gardens. It was by far the best hotel I've ever stayed in. I wish my apartment was that big! Dublin was cool, but I wish we had more time to spend in the city.

All-in-all the trip turned out nearly perfect. It was a great variety of B&Bs vs hotels, rural vs urban areas, etc. And considering the dollar is at an all-time low vs the Euro, the trip wasn't too expensive through the Aer Lingus package we bought. Next time I'd like to spend more time in Dublin, revisit more sites on the Ring of Kerry, and have a fully-insured car with GPS!

Mount Sunapee - New Hampshire

2008-02-01T17:11:00.000-08:00

Xmas 07

2007-12-26T17:31:00.000-08:00

Catching up on some old posts... This was the first year coming home from Boston for Christmas. I flew into Madison late Thursday night after Northwest Airlines missed my connection in Detroit while we sat on the runway for 45 mins. I see why they're still in bankruptcy... So it kind of ruined my plans to meet up with friends at the Brass Ring, but the diehards met me at Pooley's by the airport for some drinks & Rock Band later on.

The next morning it was on to my parent's house. I have to say it's quite festive returning home to small-town Wisconsin in December in the blowing snow. Since Kelly was in Peru for the holiday, I got to spend the entire vacation with the fam. As a Christmas should be, I gained 10 pounds drinking Egg Nog, watched the Packers kill the Lions, hurt my back shoveling the driveway, met up with ol' friends at Tilly's & Silvercryst, and left with great presents.

I definitely get a little homesick returning to Madison & Wautoma while having so much fun & relaxation, but it's time to go back & save for retirement. I'll be returning in June for a quick weekend in Sheboygan but will have to plan a weekend soon in Madison.

2 Nor'Easters

2007-12-16T17:17:00.000-08:00

With a short walk to work, no sidewalks to shovel & no car to dig out, I look forward to snowstorms like a 6-year-old. But the 2 storms the last 4 days were bittersweet.

On Thursday I was supposed to buy a new Canon D80 Digital SLR camera for only $300 from some friend-of-a-friend (it sells for >$1000 on Amazon, so I guess it's "hot"), but he couldn't make it into town because of the snow. It would have definitely made the pics on this blog much more interesting! I'm also babysitting Kelly's car while she's in Peru & now have a couple hernias from digging it out.

But the good news is I made it to my Fantasy finals by taking down Tom Brady who had a terrible game in the snow! (neeeeerd)

I'm adding these to my Amazon wish list for those who haven't bought me anything yet.

Night Canoeing on the Charles River

2007-09-28T19:00:00.000-07:00

Young Boston Alumni Charity Cruise

2007-09-16T18:20:00.000-07:00

Wisconsin & several other schools hosted an alumni charity cruise aboard the Provincetown II off the Commonwealth Pier (I'm embarassed to say that I cannot recall the charity). The large cruiseliner held at least 500 drunks. The cruise took us around Boston Harbor & all the way down to Cape Cod. I'm sure Cape Cod is gorgeous, but the cruise took place after sundown. What's the point?!

Manchester By The Sea

2007-09-04T17:50:00.000-07:00

It's not exactly paradise, but it's as close as you'll find in New England. Manchester By The Sea is just a 45-minute ride on the commuter rail north of Boston. It's a huge beach completely surrounded by beautiful cliffs, making it impossible to sneak in without paying the $5 entrance fee.

New Apartment

2007-08-14T20:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a few pictures of my new apartment. It is a fantastic location as I get more acquainted with the neighborhood. We're right on the subway line on the edge of Brookline & Allston. Thus, I was able to sell my car. It's just a short walk from Harvard, Coolidge Corner, BU, BC & 47 Dunkin' Donuts. The rent is tolerable as far as Boston goes.

I tried to sneak a cat into every picture for some reason.

Fenway Paaaaak

2007-08-02T19:53:00.000-07:00

Let me start off by saying that the Brewers are breaking my heart. You knew this plunge was coming, but didn't want to admit it while we were 8.5 games in first place. I guess it's a blessing in disguise that I can no longer watch the games on TV. Checking the box scores each night is painful enough (just looked - we lost again).

Kelly & I went to Fenway Park to watch the Sox take on the Orioles. I can now understand why it's so difficult to get tickets: Fenway Park is tiny! You grow up watching the Green Monster & the steep right field bleachers on TV, not realizing it's the smallest stadium in baseball. I love it! It's an old fashioned Triple A ballpark: view-obstructing poles, trough-style latrines, no parking, fans that actually pay attention to the game, etc - all creating a much more intimate setting that only Lambeau & Wrigley Field can compete with.

Kevin Garnett, who just the day before got traded to the Celtics, threw out the first pitch. We left in the 6th inning with the Orioles up 4-1. Of course the very next inning the Sox scored 4 runs to take the lead!

I still hold out hope that the Sox & Brewers will meet in the World Series. I'm not sure whether I'd get tickets for Milwaukee or Boston. Anyway, it would be a nice decision to make.

Wyalusing

2007-06-23T22:05:00.000-07:00

We took a camping trip to Wyalusing State Park last weekend. It's an amazing campground at the confluence of the Mississippi & Wisconsin rivers. This was always my favorite campground growing up, but I hadn't been back in at least dozen years & forgot how beautiful the area was. The campground is set on 500 foot bluffs that overlook the river valley below. The views are so vast that is impossible to duplicate on camera. It's so beautiful, it looks fake! Definitely check it out if you get a chance. It's a couple miles from Prairie Du Chien which is roughly 2 hours west of Madison.

On Saturday, we were supposed to get up at 6:00 am to go fishing, but we predictably overslept after a rough night. But we made it out around 11. We found a fantastic fishing spot for bass around all these sunken logs & lilly pads. The bass were taunting us, jumping all over the place & stealing our worms without getting hooked. But we ended up catching 2 (with many other "the one the got away" stories). Steven's catch was worthy-enough for a picture; mine was lucky to be 6 inches.

Yankee Foxtrot Hotel?

2007-06-20T10:59:00.000-07:00

These caught my eye in Chicago. Aren't these the same buildings as Wilco's "Yankee Foxtrot Hotel" cover? Gotta be - they're from Chicago.

Fun At 5 mph

2007-06-17T21:29:00.000-07:00

6 more weeks until I move. We rented a pontoon boat on Lake Kegonsa to celebrate my birthday. 27?! That's old - so old, in fact, that when we went swimming, I couldn't get myself back in the boat & cut up my leg on the rudder. I noticed a few seconds later that there was a ladder on the side of the boat... I blame it on the 40 of Colt45.

The rest of the day we spent grilling out at James Madison & squeezing a dozen people in my apartment to play Guitar Hero 2 (which is pretty much the same as every other weekend). By the way, check out this video of an 8-year-old playing "Psychobilly Freakout" on Expert mode. To reach that level of greatness is a Catch 22: wouldn't you go blind? My eyesight has went to sh*t since playing Guitar Hero. You fellow nerds know what I'm talking about.

Rockport, Mass

2007-05-28T13:27:00.000-07:00

I spent Memorial Day weekend moving more stuff to Boston, getting my driver's license & visiting Rockport (3 all-day adventures). Continuing my streak of travel difficulties, my Thursday night flight was cancelled due to inclimate weather in Chicago (I guess... didn't seem like much to me). I had to beg & plead just to reschedule a flight the next morning. Otherwise my original flight plans were revised to Friday afternoon.

Rockport's a cool little fishing village 35 miles northeast of Boston, which is about a 40-minute trip on the high-speed commuter rail from the city. It's a smaller version of Gloucester - in fact, it was Gloucester until it separated in the mid-1800's. The town is basically a few blocks of small gift shops & bed 'n breakfasts on the ocean. It's the place to go for a more romantic, quiet weekend.

According to Wikipedia, Rockport was a "dry town" all the way up until 2005. I guess it took 150 years to recover from the rum revolt of 1856 when a gang of 200 women "swept through the town and destroyed anything containing alcohol". Interesting read

www.peeyourpantsforthebrewers.com

2007-05-17T11:13:00.000-07:00

I've made my pledge. Have you?

"3,992 people have already stepped up to the plate and pledged to pee their pants when the Brewers make the playoffs."

www.peeyourpantsforthebrewers.com

700 Series

2007-05-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

I love bowling. What other sport does your performance actually improve as your alcohol consumption increases? I just bowled my first 700 series with games of 204 257 240. We always drink heavily during bowling league, but for the first time I even went to Happy Hour at Quivey’s Grove beforehand. I love the moral of this story!

I found out that in bowling circles "700" is a magic number. After hearing about it, all these old dudes started buying me celebratory shots like I just got married. I even made Ten Pin Alley’s Honor Roll! It’s sad that my life’s pleasures are coming to this...

I still really don't know what I'm doing. Most dudes in our league bring at least 4 balls for different oil conditions on the lane. Plus they adjust their aim down to an inch based on how their ball is reacting. Me? I just throw it & hope for the best. That's what I like about bowling over other sports like golf & tennis: it's pretty simple if you let it.

My average last year was 167. Then I bought my own ball & was pressured to learn the hook since I was the only straight-baller in our league. My average then reached 200 for one week before settling in the low 190s.

Everybody has a talent - mine happens to be drinking lots of beer & throwing a greasy ball 50 feet. I should retire since I'll never get a 700 again.

Brewers: 24-10

2007-05-10T21:22:00.000-07:00

Best record in baseball - are you kidding me??? While I don't think their.700 pace will continue, I do think the Brew Crew are for real & will win the weak NL Central. The respect has been slow to come, but they're now at the top of the ESPN Power Rankings.

While I've been an on-and-off Bucks & Packer fan, I've been a consistant Brewer supporter my whole life. And trust me, that's a tough hobby! They're the ultimate underdog unable to compete in a flawed MLB system where only the large market teams can compete. But they've done it the only way a small market team can by bringing up young studs from the farm system & signing/trading for undervalued players. Now Prince, JJ, Weeks & Sheets are all entering their prime while Suppan, Capuano, Vargas & Estrada are potential All-Stars. And it's great to see Jenkins having his best year (too bad we'll be trading him in a couple months).

But Brewer fans have been here before & remain skeptical whether we can resign these young studs once their contracts expire. But this time the empty pockets of the Selig family no longer remain. Attanasio, the new owner, has raised the payroll from just $27 million to $70 in just 3 years!

We went to the Brewer game last weekend against the Pirates. This time we actually got in the stadium before the 7th inning stretch! The Crew won 6-3 with Suppan winning his 5th straight game & JJ hitting his 10th home run. I believe it was a sellout with 41,000 fans.

Afterwards we went to the only bar in Milwaukee that was showing the De La Hoya/Mayweather fight. I was stunned that it was a split decision! Mayweather was just toying with Oscar the entire fight.

2007-04-27T06:54:00.000-07:00

2 Feet of Snow

2007-02-25T15:24:00.000-08:00

This is why I parked in the city ramp the last 2 days:

Boston Again

2007-02-11T14:41:00.000-08:00

Went to Boston again to take care of blind Kelly during her lasik eye surgery. Per usual, I ran into some traveling difficulties on the way to the airport. It was snowing & there was a 6-car accident the last turn before the airport. I was the 6th car join the mess. The bridge was covered with ice & I slid into a truck that was completely stopped. Luckily I clipped the median & it slowed me down enough to not cause any front end damage when I rear ended the dude.

I got out of the car & nearly fell from the ice on the road. It turned out some lady struck a light pole which caused the pileup. I pushed the light pole out the road & drove off. Am I a fugitive? I had to catch my flight! This was my 3rd incident in as many weeks. When I got back from Boston, I finally bought new tires (too late I'm afraid).