Merry Christmas

Yes, I am still alive; just extremely busy. Went home for thanksgiving, was at work for a week, went to Kansas City for a week-long training, back at work for a week, a couple of days off, and then back at work for Christmas. Family has also come to pay a visit and I had to make the house presentable. Add in shopping for presents, some vehicular fixes, and raking leaves three separate times to make the yard somewhat presentable and there just hasn't been much time for writing on here!

This certainly has been an interesting winter so far; all the snow I had in Colorado (24-38 inches), another two to three inches while I was in Kansas City (along with 50 MPH winds and temperatures in the low single digits), and now another 3 to 6 inches here in the Hub City. This too had a bunch of snow and wind with it:

Yup, there was about 4-6 inches of snow on the Jeep thanks to the wind and drifting. I loved it; the Jeep handled it without any problem thanks to the Interco TrXuS Mud-terrains and the softer compound was able to grip the ice nicely once the snow melted and refroze overnight.

It did cause some problems for my family and I; Southwest canceled all flights from Love Field into the Hub but they didn't make the decision until late. The part of the family hoping to arrive instead had to brave the poorly sanded and cleaned highways from the Metromess out here on top of all the stress from yesterday. However, they made it in and we were able to celebrate a wonderful Christmas night...a first for our family!

I hope that the few readers of this blog have had a blessed 2009 as it comes to a close. Hopefully 2010 will be as good or better.

Merry Christmas!

Review: Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L

Updated 2009/11/12 to include a few sample images

After losing my 10-year old Canon EF 75-300 f/4-5.6 III (and my original Rebel XT 28-80) lens to a dunking in the Big Meadow Reservoir outlet, I had been on the search for a replacement zoom lens. While visiting friends in Albuquerque for the Balloon festival, I borrowed a28-135 f/3.5-5.6 IS USM to see how well it performed and to see if that might be a balance between price and features. The main comparison was how well the Image Stabilization worked to allow for low-light shooting versus the fast 2.8L-series lenses.

Well, after shooting two mornings of bright sunlight and one overcast morning, I was not impressed with the IS lens performance. The biggest issue I had was shooting at full zoom and when the object (in this case the balloons) was moving. I found that the IS would overcompensate the stabilization when moving fast as the gyroscope would continue to move resulting in an "overshoot" of the balloon. It was almost like a pendulum; I had to swing the lens back and forth with smaller movements until the gyro stabilized and I had the subject framed as I liked. This was an annoying feature as some of my photography includes fast moving animals, sporting events, and young children. This is not to say that the lens itself is bad; the pictures I did take were still of good quality but the framing was not what I had hoped as I couldn't figure out the subtleties of the Image Stabilization hardware.

Another reason I explored the IS lens was cost. Although the hardware is a bit more involved thanks to the gyro stabilization, the cost of the IS lenses are still considerably less than those of the top-of-the-line L-series glass. However, as with many things you pay for what you get and I just didn't like the image clarity and quality of the IS lens I tried. One might also say why not just buy the same lens I lost. Well, as with many other hobbies, breaks, dunks, failures, and other mishaps; it is not a time to replace but upgrade. I don't claim to be a professional photographer (although I would like to earn some extra cash on some of the photos) but the pictures I do take have significant personal meaning and are usually taken for immediate friends and family. If I can provide them with the best I have to offer, I need to invest in the equipment to do that.

SO, after that test and a couple of extra dollars from shift differential I saved up, I plinked down for this beauty:
This is the Canon EF 70-200 f/2.8L. The fast speed (indicated by the f/2.8 as opposed to a range like f/4-5.6) and the high-quality optic glass (indicated by the "L") allows for telephoto photography in fairly low light conditions. I was able to use this lens in an auditorium at full zoom and ISO 1600 setting had a shutter speed around 1/50 to 1/60 and resulted in useable (although a bit grainy) pictures from my 8-megapixel Digital Rebel XT. This weekend I was also able to use the lens in low-light conditions (almost 20 minutes after sunset) to photograph white-tailed deer again at ISO 1600 with only minor issues with blurred deer due to shooting at 1/40 and 1/50 resulting from both hand shake and subject movement.

There are two downsides to this lens. It is H E A V Y and Canon lists the weight at 1310 grams...or a few ticks under 3 pounds. The lens comes with a mount ring so that you can attach the camera/lens system to a tri/bi/monopod as opposed to the body mount which makes sense based on the lens weight. Holding the lens/body system up for minutes on end waiting for the right moment to take picture of wildlife became quite tiresome and my arm muscles are still sore two days later. Purchasing an additional tripod attachment is an option but I don't see this lens staying on the camera all the time. My second, albeit minor, issue is that although the lens itself is waterproof, the mounting ring does not have a rubber gasket like my 24-70f/2.8L lens. This is a bit disappointing as living out here in the dusty west could mean an increased likelihood of that golden grain of sand getting between the lens mount and body ring, possibly damaging something.

Here are a couple of images that I have taken recently with the new lens:

From my backyard.

© 2009 Jason Jordan, All Rights Reserved

A recent trip to the Hill Country
© 2009 Jason Jordan, All Rights Reserved

Now begins the next great debate...a new body or a new lens to round out the collection. My Digital Rebel XT is approaching 5 years old and after hard use it is starting to have some issues. The autofocus doesn't work, the flash is having some issues, and I might need a higher resolution CMOS sensor (i.e. greater megapixels) should I decide to become a part-time freelance photographer. So, do I keep with the 1.6 crop sensor as in the Canon 7D or do I save up for the middle-range Canon 5D-Mk II (and before the Canon faithful ask; the 1D-MkIII/IV is too expensive for me right now...and I'm a faithful Canon person for those Nikon fans)? OR, do I hold off since the camera is still working and save up for the low-end range lens such as the Canon 16-35 f/2.8L II to round out my collection (16-35, 24-70, 70-200 mm)?

Anyone wanna permanently loan me a 1D-MkIII AND the 16-35 f/2.8L??

Cracks Already Showing at Jerryworld?

One of my sorrows so far is that I haven't been able to attend a live U2 concert on any of their tours of the U.S. of A. as my work schedule always seems to have me on the graveyard shift. I was especially sad since the U2 360 tour was making a stop at the new Cowboys Stadium which would have been quite easy to attend, but alas...midnight shifts one again messed things up.

However, perhaps it was a good thing that I wasn't able to attend. Apparently there are quite a few people upset with the acoustic situation at the new $1,000,000,000 (yes, that is a lot of zeroes; one biiiiiiiiiiiiiiillion dollars in your best Dr. Evil impersonation) Cowboys World that Jerry Built. Those willing to spend the big bucks on first and second level seats are saying the experience is unbelievable while those relegated to the third, fourth, and Mount Everest atmospheric pressure nosebleed seats are reporting problems with the acoustics. I will have to join the chorus of people claiming that Mr. Jones skimped on the planning for the seats that "ordinary folks" are able to get and/or afford.

Back in July, two of my good friends and I were able to attend the Chelsea FC vs. Mexico Club America game of the Football/Soccer World Classic at Jerryworld. Our seats were on the 4th row of the 410 deck which is the aforementioned Mont Everest level but still several rows short of the nosebleed atmospheric pressures. The view was incredible:


Those with a fear of heights need not apply for row 1 seats. It is quite a drop and some fans can attest to that fact when some sunglasses were lost to the inevitable force of gravity. Of course, there is also the controversy of the world's largest hi-definition television screen and how it will affect the few punters wanting to deliberately go for it:


Yeah. I would like one of those for my house if it were able to fit in there...but I digress. There really was only one major issue we had; the sound system was horrible.

As others have said (and my friends and I wholeheartedly agree), it sounds like you are listening to the teacher from all the Charlie Brown cartoons on T.V. Wah wah wah wah, wah wah. Forget being able to sing along with the National Anthem or enjoying any other music up in the "Average Joe" seats. It simply was a cacophony of noise. Some may argue that this was by design; while we were there the roof was closed and the stadium was not packed to capacity so there were ample surfaces to bounce sound around. Perhaps an open roof and ends will alter the acoustics so that the upper seats are somewhat tolerable.

Our experience and those of others are a blessing in disguise; I now know that it is best to get seats for concerts on the lower levels even though it might cost quite a bit more than the cheap seats (for sporting events, the good-grief-do-we-have-air-traffic-controller-clearance seats will be fine). However, you would think that Mr. Jones would have opted to build a stadium that provides the best experience possible for EVERYONE. But I guess the average stiff that isn't willing to pay the big bucks for licenses, tickets, parking, and it is a privilege just to be in the building sections won't help Jerry pay off the mortgage on his new building. Knowing how much he meddles with his football team makes me wonder how much he meddled with the design of his new stadium...

SO, remember kiddos; go for the cheap seats for sporting events. Be willing to pay for the floor or first level seats if you want the best experience for concerts. Don't expect refunds if your experience isn't up to enjoyable standards either should you get the nosebleed seats and cannot understand a word that is being spoken. And feel free to send your complaints to Mr. Jerry Jones...

Review: USA SPEC PA11-GM

When I was looking for a newer vehicle to replace my old and worn-out Exploder, I spent most of my energy looking at price vs. value as opposed to price vs. value AND features. This lead to the purchase of my pickup which came with a factory 6-speaker AM/FM/CD/XM-ready radio. For a factory rig, the sound quality was quite impressive with a CD in the deck but I missed the ability to die directly into my iPod and XM Radio via the 3/32nd audio jack (or headphone jack as most people know it). After much research, I came across this dandy little gem:



Meet the USA SPEC PA11-GM (yes, it is all caps).

This nifty little box, no bigger than the palm of my hand ties directly into the harness of a factory GM radio with no splicing save one wire. Power is drawn directly from the wire harness so no running of a power line to the battery or fuse box. The unit allows one to simultaneously charge their iPod/Phone/Touch while playing music and controlling the Apple product via the controls in the vehicle. Yes, your steering wheel controls (if you are lucky enough to have them, I don't) and buttons on the radio will control play, pause, next, previous, fast forward, rewind, and change play lists all from the factory controls. As a bonus, this box has an additional RCA-In for non-Apple products as well, so I can tie in my non-GM XM radio player into the system.

For about $150 plus shipping, I ordered my PA11 through Crutchfield and the service was very good. Initially they did not have any in stock and I would have to wait for about a week according to the notice on the product page. However, a day later I received an e-mail notification that they were back in stock and I promptly ordered mine. I was in a bit of a hurry...I was going home to visit my parents that next weekend and wanted to get the thing installed for the 4-hour drive. The review on the Crutchfield page were quite helpful in anticipating any problems I might run into and I would encourage any potential buyers to read them to forsee any problems with your individual install. They also send a master install sheet which gives tips and tricks to getting behind the dash and other parts of the vehicle that have audio and audio accessories (such as speakers).

SO, I started to pull the trim from the dash and get behind the radio to see the wiring harness. As I mentioned earlier, my Chevy didn't come equipped with an XM radio installed but was XM-ready. This is of importance because vehicles that do come with and XM radio module require more modification than my system did. Pulling the trim off, a simple plug into the factory wiring harness to the PA11, and reconnecting to the radio took all of 20 minutes to accomplish. Reconnecting the battery and powering on the radio for a quick check showed it in working order. Connecting my 5th generation iPod showed that it did in fact connect and the sound quality was O U T S T A N D I N G. However, the hard part came next.

Upon trying to slide the radio back into the factory mount, the additional cabling from the wiring harness addition kept getting stuck behind the radio keeping it from seating properly. Eventually I had to run the cable connecting the harness to the PA11 box behind the dash and out the bottom to place tension on the harness, keeping the bundle out from behind the radio. Initially I though there was enough cable to locate the PA11 box underneath the dash next to the steering column but the lack of attachment points made this problematic. I spent two hours trying to find a good place to mount the PA11 box and then where to run the connector cables to the iPod and headphone-out/RCA-in line and eventually had to give up.

The next day, I explored options to the passenger side of the radio. Several people made mention of placing the interface box in the location where the XM radio interface goes behind the glove box. As my Chevy didn't come with this interface, I had no clue where it might go. Eventually, I did find a support pillar that ran behind the dash and there was enough clearance between it and the storage box on the dash. After another 2 hours of removing the radio, pulling the inteface wires, and messing with zip ties and velcro tape, I finally gave up and just left the box sitting free against the inside of the dash, propped up by the support pillar. There was also some issue with the iPod/aux cables and how I was going to route those and I nearly bent one of the connection pins inside the iPod 8-pin Mini-DIN cable (think Apple serial port) trying to get it around a zip-tie and into the socket. Leaving the interface box loose made it easier to connect the cables and route them through the bottom of the dash between the air plenum and dash. I was worried about rattling but on-road use shows this to be of little concern for me.

SO, after two days and probably about 6 total hours I had the system installed and was ready to road test it. Again, the sound quality from the iPod is excellent with great frequency range response. The PREV, NEXT, FWD, and REV buttons did in fact control the iPod as advertised There is also a way to set up GM-specific playlists in iTunes which will allow the DISC button on the radio to switch between the various playlists but I did not have time to set this up before hitting the road. Unfortuantely I wasn't able to connect the XM radio data link in which would send song title/artitst information to the radio display either as I didn't have the factory module (which DOES involve splicing into a wire) but this really is a non-issue. Switching between XM/CD/AM/FM works well and the iPod will automatically pause when I do this and restart where I left off when going back to XM.

One issue I did experience is electrical noise on the RCA-in when I hooked in my XM-radio, likely from the cigarette power adapter or a missing RF-choke. This was a problem with in my Exploder but not to the extent I have in my Chevy. The only other complaint I have is the iPod display is not showing "GM" when connected to indicate external control as indicated in the manual but this is not a problem. When plugged in for the first time on any trip, the iPod does appear to run through some configuration issues as the screen will blink several times but again, it is a non-issue.

If you do in fact have an older vehicle that does not come equipped with an iPod interface, I would highly recommend giving USA SPEC a visit to see if you too can get an interface for your radio. They manufacture units to interface with many vehicle brands and years so give it a try. I wasn't disappointed and hopefully neither will you.

David Crowder Band never sounded so good driving down the road at 70 MPH...

Interesting Find

I'm reading The Federalist right now. Why you ask? Well, if I am having a discussion about anything related to politics and the Constitution, I'd really like to read for myself what the founding fathers had to say as opposed to hearing some person or pundit give me their interpretation. It hasn't been an easy read so far; the beauty of the American English has sure fallen by the wayside since the 1770s...

Anyway, I came upon this interesting quote from Alexander Hamilton in Federalist No. 8:

"Safety from external danger, is the most powerful director of national conduct. Even the ardent love of liberty will, after a time, give way to its dictates. The violent destruction of life and property incident to war; the continual effort and alarm attendant on a state of continual danger, will compel nations the most attached to liberty, to resort for repose and security to institutions which have a tendency to destroy their civil and political rights. To be more safe, they, at length, become willing to run the risk of being less free."

Interesting read, especially in the world we live in today. Still have to finish No. 8 and Hamilton's thoughts but I thought I'd throw that out there before I forgot...

Chiggers are Evil

As much as I love the outdoors, there are a few nasties I have to keep my guard up for. Mosquitoes are quite the annoyance; there is nothing worse than getting bitten on a part of the body that is constantly rubbed by a backpack, sling, a seam in the pants, etc. Down in the Hill Country, the issue becomes imported fire ants. Crawling underneath a vehicle to fix something, grabbing firewood off the bottom of the pile, raking the yard, or any other task that yields the possibility of close contact with the ground and exposed skin is a risky proposition. Those bites do feel like fire! But there is a more noxious pest that results in nothing good when they come in close contact with me. It is something the world might be better off without even if it does have some minuscule part in the food chain; it is the chigger.

This nasty little critter and I just don't get along. Somehow, someway I inherited my Dad's allergic reaction to being bit by these nearly invisible mites. Granted, it isn't anything on the order of severe anaphylactic shock but it still is elevated slightly above nuisance. Most folks after being bit get a welt similar to a mosquito bite. I get this huge red welt that is about the size of a quarter. Add it several bites in close proximity to each other and my ankles now look like I took a 99 MPH Nolan Ryan fastball right at the shoe-line (minus the purple from the bruise). But that isn't the worst part.

The worst part is the itching. The incessant itching that never stop. It is a vicious cycle that the great comic strip Calvin and Hobbes illustrates perfectly from The Days are Just Packed on page 135. You refuse to scratch but then it feels as if ants are crawling all over you, as if you are walking through fire so you relent and scratch. The relief is wonderful, as if the flames are out and the ants are gone. BUT...before you take the next step, the itch comes back with a stronger vengeance. And the cycle continues. My screwed up immune system doesn't help either as the allergic reaction resulting in the red monstrosities around my ankles amplifies the need for a good scratch even more. Again, the slightest bump or brush with an object kicks the reaction into overdrive. Roll over in bed and the sheets moving over the bite sites make them scream "SCRATCH ME!" Running this morning was even worse; the rim of the running shoes were right where the bites are. Agony. Sheer agony. Hot shower afterwords...bad news. Hot water and insect bites that continue to ITCH result in a twenty-fold increase in the itch signal to the neurons in the brain.

I know what you are going to say next: "Why didn't you put on insect repellent?" That is what irks me the most; I DID spray down with Off. Apparently a 7.5% concentration by volume of DEET wasn't enough to kill those little critters or keep them off my skin. There is also a high likelihood that the ankle socks slipped a little bit and exposed the tiniest sliver of skin that they felt they could munch on without concern. Now I'm paying the price. The 7.5% DEET will be used for mosquitoes around the upper-half of the body but the next time I'm heading out to the softball fields I'm taking the big gun: Off! DeepWoods Sportsmen 1 ounce spray bottle. 98.5% DEET by volume baby. This stuff burns the skin when you put it on but it has yet to fail me in the battle against crawling/flying biting insects. I'll likely spray this down before putting on the socks and cleats hoping to prevent another round of red-lumped itching madness.

So I am off to the grocery store now. Part of the trip is to stock up on food for my upcoming work week but to also hunt down whatever ointment has the highest concentration of hydrocortizone to see if it will relieve the maddening itch. Last time it didn't help but I'll remain hopeful. Here is to hoping I can make it through the next seven days or so without tearing off my skin around the bites with my fingernails...

An Open Letter to the US National Soccer Team

Dear US National Soccer Team,

After watching yet another "typical" US National Team performance in World Cup qualification match against Mexico yesterday, I would like to share three points with you.

1) Having one of your star players, Landon Donovan, tell the press "This wasn't a live-or-die game for us. It was for them." after a game is not a good sign. Every game you play is live-or-die especially at the international level. In every organized sport I have participated in throughout my life, my coaches would have firmly planted my rear end on the wooden plank or aluminum known as the bench if I didn't give EVERY game my all, and then more. Assuming that one game is not more important over another breeds apathy. Apparently, there is plenty of apathy on the United States National Team. This apathy better disappear soon or else Team USA will be watching the 2010 World Cup here in the states as opposed to South Africa!

1a) I cannot help but wonder if this apathy comes from the head coach. At times, Bradley has looked brilliant (against Brazil in the Confederations Cup) but at other times his player selection and overall leadership seems to be lacking...which then trickles down to the players.

2) You had an opportunity to make a statement and say that the Gold Cup spanking was an isolated incident, that the 5-0 Mexico win was an off-day. Instead, everyone on that team shows that USA soccer is still relegated to a second or third-tier sport at the "Major League" and international level. You were so close to taking the "big-step" after an amazing performance against Brazil but that level of performance seems to have disappeared. Yet another opportunity to show the world that we continue to improve and will be a force to be reckoned with in international futbol competitions that has been farted away.

3) My final plea is to state that "prevent defense" has yet to work for Team USA. The saying "the best offense is a good defense" doesn't seem to apply to your team and is likely a poor posture in any competitive sport. In both the Brazil and Mexico losses, Team USA had the lead but stopped consistently attacking the opponents half of the field. Your team would fall back and hope that Howard could pick up whatever shots were not blocked by most of the team falling back into a defensive stance. Playing this style of soccer has yet to do the national team any favors and it visually appears as if the players revert back to a grade-school level of performance: lack of sharp passes, clears down-field to nobody, dangerous tackles, etc. etc. Perhaps the lack of physical endurance has something to do with that as not all of the national team players come into matches at game-level performance and the defensive stance means less running and an opportunity to regain some level of stamina. Stay in an offensive posture and take the game to the opponent; don't let them force you to play on their terms.

So men's USA national soccer team, I bid you farewell and good luck. I will still watch your matches, I will still keep my fingers crossed that somehow, someway we can eventually move away from the laughing stock of international soccer to an active, competitive, and highly skilled team feared by opponents as you run onto the pitch. Until then, I will keep my expectations low to keep from being crushed as we continue to languish in mediocrity at the international level of soccer competition.

Sincerely,
-Der Wetteransager

It's Here! It's Here! Read all about it...

Upon arrival at my unnamed employer's office a couple of weeks ago, there was a package waiting in my mailbox. One that I had eagerly awaited for 5 days.

My new iPhone 3GS had arrived.

I opened the box like a lost Christmas present that had been found, wrapped and unopened, awaiting my eagerness to unearth whatever lies beneath. A careful slice of the packing tape with my Leatherman and behold! There it was! My first reaction:

"Is this it?"

You see, the iPhone comes in the typical nifty Apple "minimized" packaging. No frills, no excessive waste on a huge box with such small, precious cargo inside. I was amazed at how small the box truly was. My retired BlackBerry didn't come in nearly such a small, neat box. After wiping the drool off my chin and getting the shift-change briefing, I finally read through the instructions to get the phone activated so I could start playing with all the features.

I was prepared to wait amongst the throngs of people flooding the AT&T support lines to activate the plethora of iPhones that seem to be flying off the shelf. Sure enough, I get on the phone, enter my customer number, and the automated voice stated "All our operators are busy serving other customers. We apologize for this and your estimated wait time is........20 minutes." Eh, not too bad so I was preparing to put the call on speakerphone so I wouldn't have to hold my neck sideways for that amount of time. HOWEVER, a series of beeps occurred and then a new voice came on the line.

"Welcome to the AT&T Premier activation system. Please choose from the following menu." Whaaaaaaaaaaa? Sure enough, the privilege of having a corporate discount came to the rescue and I was able to bypass the 20 minute wait and activate my phone all within 5 minutes. Sweeeeeet. After taking one long last look at the BlackBerry that had served my friend and I well for 3 1/2 years, I switched it off and took the leap into the iPhone era.

The 5 minutes after switching the phone off seemed to take forever. After 5 minutes and 3 seconds (had to be SURE we had passed 5 minutes), I hit the button on the iPhone and the familiar Apple logo popped up. I then synced to my laptop to register the phone with Apple, an all too easy process. The only issue that came up was trying to sync my music as it resides on an external hard drive I typically keep on my desktop. A quick cancellation of the sync and we were off and running.

As for the phone itself, the learning curve and transition from a BlackBerry to the iPhone was quite seamless. My biggest worry was changing from a positive-response keyboard like the blackberry has to the iPhone touch screen but this wasn't as big of a deal as I thought it would be. Especially nice is the landscape mode which provides some extra real estate and allows for larger "keys". The screen is nice and bright but not quite as bright as one of my co-worker's BlackBerry Bold, and the width and depth feel a bit narrow compared to the 8820. Controls took a bit of getting used to; the volume controls were in a slightly different location, the ring/vibrate switch is a change, and my hands-free headsets will no longer work (note: I'm not keen on using Bluetooth headsets both from a security point of view and high-frequency radio waves transmitting awefully close to my gray matter...regardless of how fast the power decays once it leaves the antenna).

The biggest draw to the iPhone was the plethora of applications available which blow away anything available on the BlackBerry. The first apps I downloaded were RadarScope, Bejeweled, Facebook, Lightsaber (hey, you never know when you will run into a Dark Sith), and MotionX GPS. By far, RadarScope has been the most used app as I can finally get (relatively) high-resolution radar data out and about. Whenever family calls, I can finally be able to tell them whether or not to batten down the hatches or be free to roam about without being hammered by mother nature with better accuracy than other radar sites available. MotionX GPS was handy on a recent trip to Colorado by providing elevation information while off-roading in the mountains and will come in handy with future stormchasing and damage surveys. I'm sure there are a few more gems of applications but you have to wade through hundreds, if not thousands, of rifraf applications to find them.

Unfortunately I do have a few gripes. Battery life S T I N K S. Only recently have I had the phone last for about two and a half days as opposed to needing a nightly recharge. A few days on vacation I had to charge it twice a day. Call sound quality is also highly variable with some calls barely audible while others coming in as if they were being fed through an amplifier. Using the included earbuds helped mainly while on the road but has come in handy when at the house and needing to put the phone down to type or look something up. The phone also gets a bit warmer than I thought it would when being used for a long period of time (playing Bejeweled). Preferring to see if it overheats, I did get the white iPhone as a couple of blogs indicate the plastic can turn purple if it does indeed get too hot.

However, I'm quite pleased with the iPhone over all (not to mention the $$ I'm saving on not having a tethered data plan...for now). If Beejive would hurry up and get Jabber chat rooms working, if someone would develop a programmable app to plot weather data/satellite data, and XM/Sirius would decide to allow current customers to listen to their account as opposed to paying extra, I would have almost all of the apps I'd need. The phone is also wrapped in it's Otterbox Defender case to protect it from falls (already happened once), the elements (NOTE: it's not waterPROOF, but weather RESISTANT), and has a nifty belt attachment that fits on my hip like the old BlackBerry holster preventing me from going off-balance.

If anything else changes or a new app comes along, I'll be sure to share. And yes, I'm slowly falling to the Apple dark side...

A Preview...

Busy. Here is all that has been going on, worthy of blog postings sometime soon:

Vacation - N I C E. Love Colorado! Plenty of pictures to come.

Cell Phone - went with iPhone 3GS. Writeup in work.

Springfield XDM - still like it. 300 round shot review in editing mode.

Weather - Active. Thoughts on Northwest Flow to come.

That's it. Still unpacking. Still editing pictures. Busy at work. Gotta run...

The Not So Great Debate

I am having an internal struggle that has recently been taking an inordinate amount of mental time. A few days past two years ago, I joined the Crackberry generation and purchased my first Blackberry device. It was a great leap forward; I was bound and determined to go along the lines of my 10-year old, monochrome screen Nokia 5110 as I had the car cradle with amplified antenna for excellent reception when out in the boondocks stormchasing. A good friend of mine and technophile however extolled the virtues of this newfangled device known as BlackBerry. What sold me on it was the ability to get mobile e-mail and internet which for my profession is quite handy AND this nifty feature known as tethering. What other device could I use out in the field to get warnings via e-mail or Blackberry message (which saved precious SMS messages) that were available via Cingular? None really. Then there was the tethering, which opened a whole new world for stormchasing and traveling by now allowing me to connect to the internet via the phone through dial-up networking on the laptop. That was pretty stinking cool!

Thus, two years ago my 8700C BlackBerry arrived in the mail and I was giddy with joy. What a slick device this was; I now could carry around my crazy shiftwork schedule all the time (which helped IMMENSELY in making plans with friends), I could get radar updates in the field via internet (IF I was in a service area...more on this later), AND the Blackberry Internet Service could allow me to send messages to other BlackBerry devices...handy when severe weather had overwhelmed the "standard" cellphone network. Two events stand out that made me realize that this device was invaluable

The first one was driving around Campo, Colorado with my Dad to look over cattle we had on grass and getting phone calls from my Mom and sister, in two different parts of the state, about severe weather heading their way. In the middle of a field outside of Campo, I could call up the KFWS and KSJT radar images and tell my family that they were in the clear from severe weather. Even my Dad (who is not much of a technology person) was impressed as the phone kept alerting me with warning messages as the storms rolled through Texas. The second event was driving to the Hill Country one evening with the laptop hooked up via the tether and being able to navigate my way around a series of thunderstorms between me and my parents house. This same tether also allowed me to relay real-time photographs back to my unnamed employer's office an a stormchase a couple of years ago so the warning forecaster could visually see what the storm looked like. Invaluable!

However, technology marches on as is usually the case and new, more impressive phones have been released. Cell phone networks and data speeds have improved (thanks EDGE and 3G UMTS). Thanks to my aforementioned good friend W.C., I was able to upgrade from an 8700c to an 8820 for free when he left the BlackBerry cult and joined the iPhone cult. The 8820 was an improvement in ergonomics with it's nifty "pearl" trackball, improved processor, and larger screen. It has been well used and seen quite a bit of abuse in the last year; about 10 stormchases, several drops, a couple of close calls with getting dunked, and one near miss with getting crushed by the Jeep. That same abuse has led to problems however; the SIM card occasionally slides loose shutting the phone down to all but 911 calls and the mini-USB charger gets shaken lose when I'm tethering on the road. Tethering has also had problems here recently; RIM software does NOT like vista (who and what doesn't though?) and the aforementioned loose mini-USB connection doesn't help matters. With my 2-year contract expired, now is the time to decide what way to go: BlackBerry Bold vs. iPhone 3GS.

Thanks to several excellent discussions with a co-worker who was formerly employed by the cellphone telecommunications industry, I've decided tethering is no longer as necessary as it was and will likely go with a mobile broadband data card. The cost is a wash; the price for tethering on either the BB or iPhone will likely be the same as that for a broadband card. Thus the decision to wait for AT&T to get off their butt and tether the iPhone 3.0 software/hardware is not as big of an issue as it might be. What it boils down to are phone features.

As I mentioned in this blog, I have been enamored with the iPhone as it has many more pieces of software that would come in handy for me and my line of employment (such as this one, another one, and also this item). RadarScope is probably one of the best pieces of software for viewing data on a phone. IBCNU is a nifty app that has possibilities for both stormchasing (feeding my location in to SpotterNetwork if I'm out of APRS radio coverage) and for my off-road excursions. I also like the thought of having my iTunes library on the phone as opposed to having to carry both my iPod AND cellphone when I'm running around. Being able to stream video to the phone while also being able to shoot pictures and video, geotag it, and send it back to my unnamed employer would be mighty nice during stormchases and/or damage surveys.

On the other hand, since I already have a 4th gen iPod, is it really necessary to have another music device? The iPhone also lacks certain features that the BlackBerry has. Most important to me are selective call ring-through; I can turn the phone to silent but still have calls from work come through if I know there is a chance of an emergency/overtime callback (this was an even greater feature when family has been in the hospital or when relatives were slowly passing away) when I'm sleeping. No can do with the iPhone as it is all or nothing. The BlackBerry Internet Service has also been most useful when the regular cell phone and SMS networks are overloaded during severe weather; BIS "piggybacks" on cell phone data networks and BIS messaging still works when SMS messages are delayed for minutes on end and phone calls won't connect...been there three times in the last year and have been able to get in touch with management. Quite a nice feature to have during an emergency. And a personal like/dislike...so far I haven't been impressed with the iPhone keyboard, even in landscape mode. There is something handy about being able to hit an actual button as opposed to some location on the screen. With my fat fingers, I've been able to type easier on my BlackBerry vs. the iPhones I've played around with.

So, that is where I'm at in this process. In the grand scheme of life, this is a petty debate but being the stingy frugal person I am, I've got to think this through. I was hoping to have a decision made before taking off for a week-long vacation to Colorado so I could happily blog away on the road, upload and share pictures as I take them, even show you the exact location where I caught the trout for your future reference. Yes, I'll hopefully be able to do some of that with my current phone and capabilities. But I too am a technophile and I like playing with the latest "toys". Now I've got about 4 days to make a choice if I want to have everything in place before we take off for the mountains...

Oh, and let us not forget that 4G is supposedly around the corner...

POST EDIT: The selective ring-through problem is solved...

The Heat Is ON...

...and my electric bill will probably prove that this month. I had to run out and get some much needed items for the house (air filter, fluorescent bulbs, caulk, and spray-in gap filler) and get something to satisfy my craving for a carbonated beverage. Leaving Lowe's, I was suspicious about the thermometer in the pickup as it was reading 80 degrees.

At 2:30.

In the full sun.

In the middle of West Texas in the middle of summer.

Under the center of a high pressure ridge.

Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiight.........

My suspicions were proven right; water I sprayed in the engine compartment (to clean off dust from the haboob that blew through town) had likely pooled near the thermometer and evaporation was biasing the reading quite a bit. One this water was finally gone, the thermometer started to rise to 95 by the time I pulled into the first Sonic parking lot.

Yes, I said first Sonic parking lot. The one over by my office was packed and cars were lined up four deep waiting for spots to open. Saying no thank you, I jumped the curb into the alley (sorry for the tire marks on your lawn whomever mows the grass there) and headed over to the second Sonic further west.

The thermometer was still climbing....100 degrees.

This Sonic was also packed full; I didn't even bother turning into the lot because cars were lined up all the way out onto the street. Dang it! I was now REALLY craving a cherry limeade so I decided to burn some gas and go to the one Sonic I hoped wouldn't be chocked full of cars. Off to the edge of town it was!

Third time was the charm; I hit the Sonic sorta out on the southwest side of town and there were plenty of spots open. Yes, I know; patience would have allowed me to not drive literally halfway across town and save a gallon of gas. BUT, I had just spent an hour in the heat of my garage working on the pickup and house A/C and I wanted my sweet nectar of goodness known as a Sonic Cherry Limeade to quench my thirst and get my blood sugar levels back in check.

It was well worth it in my mind; I happily sipped away on the cool bliss of that Sonic drink all the way home and even now as I type this under the cool breeze of a ceiling fan and A/C that is sorta back in working order.

Oh, the thermometer peaked out at 104 degrees on the way home. Hot I tell you. HOT!

POST EDIT: I forgot to mention that I'm going to Colorado for family vacation in 10 days. This heat makes the wait for the coolness of fishing in the mountains tantamount to torture when I know that only an 8-hour drive and one week of work is all that stands between me and getting away from this heat...

June 13th Chase Summary

What a day. I think the best way to put this is that my friends were able to see what can go right on a stormchase and dangerously wrong on a stormchase. I've used up my adrenaline for the year but we did see a long-tracked supercell. Here goes the long summary:

Started the day off by stopping by the office to look over data. There are some things I just can't get easy access to on-line and using my unnamed employer's system makes diagnosing the atmosphere that much easier. Late morning indications were to head north into the Texas Panhandle which was my initial target area. Swinging over to my friends A&N house to pick them up, we started to fiddle with my laptop and Blackberry tether connection. This stupid thing would never connect and we spent about 45 minutes in Plainview, TX trying to get the darn thing to work.

Finally, A mentioned that the local book/music/movie store had free wi-fi so we trucked down the road to get the latest data. While doing so, we could see towers starting to build off to the east. A quick call back to the office also confirmed what we were seeing; new towers were popping up out east of Lubbock while special soundings in Amarillo and by the VORTEX-2 crew showed there was a stout cap in place over the Panhandle area. Our only play now was to head east and see if we could get in a good position on the rapidly developing storms. As the laptop/Blackberry combo wasn't working, I once again had to solely rely on RadarScope on N's iPhone which is an important thing to remember later on in this post.

Heading out US 70 from Plainview, we entered into Floydada and tried to figure out the best way to get into position. Unfortunately, my map was not quite clear enough and we started heading south and west as opposed to continuing east. This was sort of fortuitous because by the time we got turned around and in position, the biggest storm in the area had started to split and we were able to look at both storms (storms split due to a somewhat straight-line hodograph). Stopping east of town at the intersection of US 62/70 & FM 651, we saw this:




Backside of the left split with RFD wrapping around, 3:23 PM CDT

We continued to sit at this intersection and watch the RFD try to spin up a meso on the left-split member but it became clear we were not going to see much. HOWEVER, it did give us one glimpse of things to come, producing a weak mid-level funnel:

Funnel is slightly above and left of center, 3:24 PM CDT


By this time, the right-mover was starting to move away from us to the southeast and we needed to reposition. Unfortunately, the RFD had cut off our best option on FM1958 to Roaring Springs, so we had to backtrack down FM 651 to FM 193 and then head east. As we headed east out of McAdoo and off the edge of the Caprock, the storm was belching large amounts of warm RFD resulting in quite a bit of dust being kicked up. We passed through a wind farm surrounded by gustnadoes of various sizes and shapes and finally made it to the intersection of FM193 and TX70, just west of Afton. A couple of other South Plains Storm Spotting Team members had finally gotten ahead of the storm and were in East Afton looking at things as well. Looking of to our east, we could see a wall cloud with broad rotation. The other spotters could see the same thing, and they were looking west. In my mind, we were seeing the same thing until they said they had possible funnel cloud developing when I couldn't see that. A few frantic messages later, A leaned over and said I had better take a look out the drivers window:



Developing funnel is O V E R us! 4:10 PM CDT

A got this series of pictures looking out the passenger rear of my pick-up:

Needless to say, we had to bail south in a hurry and made it down to Dickens on TX70 in a HURRY. The only option from there was to head east on US82 as the storm had started to move more east than southeast. We made it somewhere east of the intersection of FM2941 and US82 and sat up on top of a hill watching the storm move towards us. Although a wall cloud had wrapped up back in the notch of this HP storm, a new wall cloud tried to develop on the leading edge and started to look good.

New wall cloud developing northwest of our location, 4:29:03 PM CDT




Wall cloud continues to lower and rotation slowly increases, 4:29:39 PM CDT


Unfortunately, the RFD was still ruling the storm and the wall cloud quickly became undercut by outflow and the rotation sheared out right in front of us.



Wall cloud starts to fall apart, 4:32 PM CDT


Although the RFD had undercut this wall cloud, a new one started to form to the south of the RFD punch where a new updraft was developing. Based on spotter reports from my friends, I'm guessing that this next picture was looking north of the end of FM2941 to our west northwest by quite a few miles...




Is it a tornado or is it not? 4:38 PM CDT


Taking a closer look, zoomed in to the area of interest at native resolution:



Is it a tornado or is it not? 4:38 PM CDT


The funnel dissipated around 4:39 as another RFD surge hit the storm but we continued to watch the area of rotation rotate around back into the notch. The storm looked like this by that time:



Panoramic at 4:40 pm CDT, possible wall cloud in the notch to our northwest.


By this time, several things started to happen. The number of chasers started to increase in our area from both the west and the east. Earlier on up at Floydada, I knew of only 2 other people on the storm and all of us were spotters based out of the Hub City. Now there were probably about 20 vehicles on the storm which caused problems with finding the few places to pull off between Dickens and Guthrie. The second thing was a second storm had started to develop south of this one and we were now getting precipitation where we were located. This wasn't good because the chances for lightning and large hail were increasing. Finally, RadarScope showed the storm would move south with an RFD surge than back to the east as the meso would redevelop and strengthen. Visually we could see this as the RFD gust front rapidly approached from the west...



Here comes the gust front, with some rotation along the leading edge. 4:42 PM CDT.


We piled back into the pick-up and started heading east into King County and stopped a mile or two inside the county line. Sure enough, a new wall cloud was trying to form on the northeastern edge of the RFD surge:



New Wall cloud with weak rotation, 4:55:59 PM CDT


A funnel tried to form on the north/northeast side:



New Wall cloud with weak rotation, 4:56:27 PM CDT


But the wall cloud started to be undercut by outflow once again and the rotation totally dissipated:



It is almost gone. 4:57:36 PM CDT


As the storm continued to approach, we started to head into Guthrie. One of the spotters called in with reports of another wall cloud possibly back in the notch and we stopped across from the 6666 Ranch headquarters. By now, a southern storm had started to interact with the main storm and we had finally gotten out from under the precipitation from the anvil of the second storm.



New updraft area developing west of Guthrie, looking west. 5:09 PM CDT


Opting to continue south to try and to keep even with the area most likely to develop a wall cloud, we took the new bypass around Guthrie and stopped for a bit to look over radar data at the US82/US83 split on the south side of town. The loop on RadarScope confirmed that the storm was starting to move southeast and we had a chance to stay parallel with it on US 83. Continuing south, we headed down into the Salt Fork of the Brazos River basin and got caught at the bridge which was under construction and down to one lane. We got through the light and crested the other side of the valley to hear one of the spotters behind us reporting that something possibly had wrapped up in the notch again. Unfortunately we couldn't see anything as we had ended up quite a ways south of the area of interest:



Looking back towards Guthrie to our North. 5:42 PM CDT


The reports of a possible lowering and funnel cloud continued to come in and we could barely make something off in the distance:



All we could see was some low hanging clouds. 5:44 PM CDT


Enhancing the image reveals this (but not much better than before):



Same image as above, contrast and brightness adjusted.


I didn't know what to think. However, the area we were concerned with off to our west was starting to try to spin up a new wall cloud as well. Although it was being pushed southward by more RFD, we did see this area start to develop:



Somewhere 5-10 miles north of Aspermont, 5:47 PM CDT.


We continued to watch it with 5 sets of eyes and the area started to show some better rotation with a few small funnels trying to develop along the leading edge.



5:50 PM CDT.


This was an impressive storm! Unfortunately it had turned into a massive HP monster and you had to be in the right place at the right time to see anything. Unfortunately, the road networks in this area wouldn't allow that...



5:51 PM CDT.


Based on the way the radar looked, we decided to head down into Aspermont and figure where we should go. We knew we were in a bad spot because the storm looked like this:



Taken on the south side of Aspermont at 6:07 PM CDT.


RadarScope also showed that there was a good storm heading towards Silverton that would be our only play unless we wanted to follow this all the way to Abilene. I didn't want to do that as I had to be up early Sunday morning to play electric guitar at church. My plan was to head west on FM 2211 out of Aspermont and skirt around the west side of the storm/RFD. However, this plan was an epic failure.

Driving north through Aspermont, we hit the outflow head-on. Dust reduced visibility to zero and I missed the road sign for FM 2211. By now, the locals had taken shelter in all available spaces and those that weren't occupied were of questionable construction. My second bad choice was that it looked on RadarScope and my maps that we would be able to skirt south of the high reflectivity core on US380 since we were already at the US83 split. About this time, we started to encounter winds that I estimated to be 60-70 MPH with gusts approaching 80. We were in zero visibility, not from dust but blinding rain and occasional leaf debris falling from the sky. I couldn't raise the spotter in front of me or anyone else on the radio and we continued to go westbound. Right before Swenson, the wind was blowing so hard that I could feel the rear of the pickup occasionally slide sideways, we were pushed into the oncoming lane of traffic (with NO traffic thank goodness!), and the windshield wipers were lifted off the windshield and I couldn't see. There were also occasional periods where tree branches were breaking off and landing in the road. Calling back to the home base, I informed the office what was going on and we pushed through the storm.

Finally, about 10 miles from the county line, we broke out of the rain although the wind was still rather high. I called back to the office to report some power lines down since my ham radio wasn't working and this was when I was informed that the West Texas Mesonet station at Aspermont hit a gust of 100 MPH with a possible tornado passing over the station.

Best I can tell was that we were probably about 5 to 7 miles east of the tornadic circulation and caught in the core of the RFD. Fortunately for us there wasn't any hail involved. We finally stopped in Spur for a much needed bathroom break and opted to try for Silverton. Pulling into Dickens however, that storm had already started to weaken and we opted to grab some BBQ at the Ponderosa Cafe. After refueling our bodies with the delectable goodness of that BBQ, the drive back to Lubbock was quite somber; I nearly screwed the pooch on this chase big time.

So what went wrong?

My first mistake was using and trusting poor resolution radar data on a small iPhone screen and trying to mentally overlay the roads out of my Texas Atlas and Gazetteer. From the pure reflectivity view, we should have had no problems driving north of Aspermont and then west. What I failed to do was keep the big picture in mind and remember that the RFD would surge south. We likely drove right through one of those surges right as it hit the ground (which matches up nicely with radar data). Would I have made a different decision if I had GRLevel3 up and running with a road overlay, who knows? A good chaser wouldn't need technology when under the storm because training, knowledge, and experience would have been enough. Perhaps it is time to ditch the technology and go "old school" as I do at work every morning...

The second mistake was losing sight of the big picture north of Dickens. When we drove off the caprock, we were under a lot of towering cu; likely the flanking line of the storm. Unfortunately all the dust and winding roads kept me from looking up; I had to keep my eyes on the road the whole time and then out the drivers window to make sure nothing was coming at me in the strong crosswinds. The WHOLE sky should have been the first thing I surveyed, not RadarScope.

Thirdly, I've had two close encounters with HP storms and this makes the third. After those first two times, I thought I learned my lesson. The lesson is never to drive straight towards an HP storm if it is coming at you at 40 mph. Imagine the game of Pac Man, being a dot in his mouth as it is closing moving towards the right side of the screen, and that is what the situations were like the first two times. Somehow, after 10+ years, that lesson was forgotten and I opted to go against my better judgement and try to outmaneuver a storm. I got to close and nearly paid the price.

I was lucky. Lucky that I didn't get pounded by large hail. Lucky that I didn't have tree limbs fly through the windshield or windows. Lucky my friends weren't hurt. To A&N, my apologies for getting into those spots. N, you learned an invaluable lesson by my mistake; remember it and you will do well as you start your spotting "career".

I'll still chase, but this was a dang good reminder that without the proper respect, Mother Nature will use storms to bite you in the a$$ if you aren't careful...

Where the heck have you been?

Well, I'm glad you asked! I've been busy...what else is new? Quite a bit of time has been spent working on trying to get my Pod XT Live to produce sounds ranging from The Edge in Streets Have No Name, to the Hillsong United crew, to Eddie Van Halen in Eruption, to a whole slew of other lead/backup guitar players. Unfortunately this drives a perfectionist like myself mad because it just doesn't quite sound the same. One big reason is that I'm trying to pull off sounds produced by Gibson LPs with a modified Fender Jimmy Ray Vaughn Strat. And then there is the task of learning new riffs and chords to new worship songs for church as well as trying to define my "own" sound. Who knew that after so many false starts on various instruments growing up that I'd end up playing guitars?!

Another things that keeps me busy is trying to learn the intricacies of my new ham radio. The Kenwood TM-D710A is pretty much a ham radio wrapped around a computer that has some pretty slick features. One of the biggest reasons I purchased this radio was for APRS tracking during stormchases; this allows my colleagues to see where I am at IF I am within range of a base radio hooked up to the internet. However, amateur radio is one of the few communication methods that can work after natural disasters and is the safest way to relay information in emergencies especially if there is a widespread power outage. Being a ham radio operator can help out quite a bit in natural disasters and a mobile rig such as mine can be used to fill in gaps in coverage should the need arise. Now that I have a surplus radio (my trusty TM-V7A that I've had for 7 years); I'm also in the process of getting the Jeep set up for when I'm on the trail. You would be surprised how far you can talk at the top of a 13,000 ft. mountain in Colorado! There are also so many other cool things that you can do with ham radio; packet, PSK (yes, it does look like the picture on the top right - matrix style!) DX, and many many others. Unfortunately, this isn't a cheap hobby to be involved in!

Then there is the shift work that is constantly reminding me that I'm not as much of a spring chicken as I used to be. Typically I could bounce off of the graveyard shift or evening shift without too many problems. Now, I'm more of a zombie for a day/day-and-a-half as my body tries to regain a "normal" circadian rhythm. Those days are usually planned out to accomplish quite a bit but typically end up vegging out in front of the T.V. or computer cleaning out the DVR or working on pictures.

How can working on pictures you ask take up too much time? Well, having recently rebuilt my laptop for Photoshop, it takes a long while! I'm still very much a novice with Photoshop CS3, can accomplish the important tasks (copyright, minor fuzz/speck removal, and minor color adjustments), and have started to explore some of the neat features of album management within CS3. In other words; too much time staring at 10 Megapixel images at 200-400% zoom to get that one dust speck out of there. Here are a few oldies I had laying around from my KWAJEX experience almost 10 years ago...

Then there is the yard. My backyard is an oasis in the desert (to which I'm paying out the wazoo thanks to the Hub City's failure to properly manage the water department); canopy of trees with a nice green fescue lawn. Unfortunately the oaks in the backyard hadn't been trimmed in a while so I had to thin them out a bit to keep the limbs off the roof and to allow ample sunshine to reach the lawn to keep it green. Squirrels have taken fancy to chewing on my hammock and I've been developing ways to keep them at bay (right now an emulsion of cayenne and black pepper spread on the strings seems to be working). Another pest issue are the neighborhood cats that think they can use my yard as their personal litterbox. That one is a bit harder to remedy as these suckers are mighty elusive to "catch in the act".

And last but not least are the plethora of other things going on - stormchasing when I can, trying to formulate intelligent and thought-provoking responses to friends/colleagues blog posts, tackling new books (I'm thinking next up is The Federalist Papers in book form to better understand what our founding fathers had in mind for the constitution and our form of government), trying to get back into the workout routine, non-stop research on powder, primer, caliber, and cases for handloading, and trying to spend time with friends outside of church and work. Yeah. Adult A.D.D. for sure.

Oh, stay tuned for a stormchasing summary as well from April 29th. I've been sitting on that for too long...

Pictures as Promised

Here you go:

Canadian River Run 2009

I Survived (fill in the blank)

Sorry for the lack of posts...busy. Had my first severe weather event in my new office and it was a doozie. Arrived at the office at 8 am for my day-shift and our team issued the first warning shortly before 3 pm. Eventually we had multiple storms that were spreading the radar operator's attention then so we split our area of responsibility in half. I worked the southern sector of our area of responsibility while two of my co-workers worked the northern half. Unfortunately this also meant I had the figure out what to do with a storm munching straight towards the Hub City. Adding to the craziness; an office towercam that allowed me to actually see the rotating wall cloud on the storm as it approached. Nothing is more unnerving that knowing you have a 50/50 chance of seeing a tornado develop in the city you live in AND watch it unfold LIVE in front of you. We lucked out...no tornado. However, 1-2" hail throughout the southern part of the city did it's damage. Mother nature also decided to "ice the cake" by producing one confirmed tornado northwest of the city which one of our employees was urgently sent out to chase from his home (which I had to vector him in via ham radio and radar data). Turned out to be a stovepipe tornado that hit some power lines to light things up. Ended up leaving the office at midnight on an adrenaline rush and without a voice.

Trying to sleep was a chore since not only was coming down from an adrenaline high, but also the stress of working the event. A fitful 4 hours of sleep later, the alarm went off for me to head back up to the office for damage surveys. This is how we "rate" a tornado's intensity; by the damage that is done. When you watch the boob tube and hear the EF-scale, that is what they are talking about; the intensity of the tornado as rated by damage on the Enhanced Fujita Scale. Our survey team headed down to Justiceburg and outside of Girard. The survey out to Justiceburg resulted in multiple reports of large hail and the disturbing sight of 100-200 moble homes close to Lake Alan Henry (a disaster waiting to happen IMNSHO). Several reports of funnel clouds, or "fingers" from many of the folks we talked to (thanks Twister). As for the survey west of Girard; there was N O T H I N G for possible tornadoes to hit. Seriously. A few power lines, a few center pivots, a few mesquites, and LOTS of open fields. Again, no way to really confirm a tornado from the ground but aerial surveys are next to impossible to get nowadays thanks to guv'ment red tape. Once we returned to the home office, I rushed home to get things ready for our annual Canadian River Run.

Needing to unwind from the aforementioned severe weather event, I didn't want to make an early go Saturday morning and instead left Friday evening to have a full day of wheelin' and time with my good friends from across the U.S. It is always fun showing up when no one expects to see you...but not so fun trying to find a level spot for a tent in the dark! I did O.K. and although my feet felt as if they were frozen in blocks of ice, I collapsed after getting very little sleep over a two day period. Saturday morning, after airing down the tires and disconnecting the swaybar, the rock-climbing fun began! Wheel stands, aggressive lines, and even some interesting all 5 tires on the ground began to take place. After lunch however, I managed to have a good scare; I nearly rolled my Jeep down the trail when I was attempting to get un-stuck on a ledge. Based on the hoots and hollers, as well as my best friends eyes being as big as dinner plates, indicated that at some point I had the front two tires in the air at nearly a 90 degree angle to the ground. Expeditious use of the go-pedal safely planted all four tires on the ground but not before I nearly had a heart attack from adrenaline overload and fear combined. Needing a couple of minutes to recover, I sat there in the Jeep, said a few prayers of thanksgiving, and finally got up the obstacle...this time with a safety line attached. The rest of the day, well, lets say I decided to take the easier trails around the area.

So now it is back to the grind of shiftwork, unpacking from the off-road trip, seeing what all is broken on the Jeep (nothing so far!), and continuing to fight the battle with the home warranty company to try and finally get my drywall fixed. I'm working on the pictures from the River Run as I type this (figuratively of course...I needed a break from Photoshop) so tuned for those.

Flash Flood...In My House!

I spent most of Friday afternoon outside; I had the day off and it was a rare non-dusty day even though the breeze had kicked up. I figured it would be better to mow the lawn and choke on just the pollen and dirt that had been kicked around recently rather than add additional dust that had come in from New Mexico as was forecast to happen on Saturday. Having a three day weekend also made it a great time to get caught up and ready for our annual Canadian River Run in a couple of weeks as well as (finally) change the Z71 over to Mobil 1 synthetic to try and boost the gas mileage as much as I could. So, I had spent a full day outside, was covered in grass clippings, dust, and the noxious smell of gasoline and 2-stroke engine exhaust. The hot shower felt rather good!

Having forgotten a few items on my last grocery store trip as well as needing to get oil/filters for both the Jeep and Z71, I headed out Saturday afternoon to round up all the stuff. Realizing that I did in fact buy items needing refrigeration, I swung by the house since it was on the way to O'Reilly Auto Parts (WalMart was sold out of both 10W and 5W-30 oil!) but perhaps it was divine intervention (it turns out O'Reillys had the oil about $2 cheaper for a 4-quart container and 75 cents cheaper for 1-quart...but I digress). When I pulled into the garage, I noticed water pooled on the floor, along the wall, and in my garage closet. Several "colorful adjectives" flew out of my mouth in quick succession and I swung open the water heater closet doors only to find things dry as a bone. Running into the house, I could see where water had seeped under the wall and where the grout was wet in the laundry closet but all the hoses to the washing machine were dry. Thoughts went from leaking hot water heater to busted pipe in the slab. Next I ran into my bedroom to find that, yes, the carpet sounded like walking in the Canadian River mud...sopping wet.

Not knowing what was going on, I went and shut off the water to the whole house. Fortunately I have a homeowner's warranty from when I bought this house so the next call was to the warranty company to file an emergency repair order. Unfortunately the automated system wouldn't escalate up to an emergency so I had to spend 15 minutes or so on a second call trying to get to an actual person. Luck was on my side and I was able to get the service request upgraded to emergency after talking with a very helpful and responsive gal named Valencia (THANK YOU!). The difference you ask? Having to wait until Monday for a plumber to come out versus the next day. Once all this was done by 7 pm, I made one last trip over to Home Depot to rent a wet-vac since mine disappeared during the move (can't complain; was the most expensive of 3 items that disappeared...). The rest of the evening was spent trying to suck up as much moisture out of the carpet and pad as I could...about 2 full tanks of water.

At 11 am, the plumber came to the house and opened up the shutoff valve. Only problem was the meter wasn't spinning. I say problem; it was good because that meant it wasn't a leak in the slab. Bad news was he still had to track the problem down or I'd end up paying all the emergency fees. The next test was to run something through the washing machine and that did the trick. No sooner did he turn on the hot cycle and he could see water running underneath the water heater closet (it also holds my A/C and the return-air registers feed underneath there). Unfortunately came the part where he had to rip out some drywall.

Here is the culprit:
The leaking section was about 4 feet up from the elbow or about halfway between the hot water heater and elbow to distribute hot water through the house. Only problem was that the access to this busted pipe was through the laundry room wall:
After two hours, the leak is fixed and I now have hot water...but I lost an entire day of my weekend waiting for the plumber and continuing to try and mitigate the "flood" damage in my bedroom. I also have to wait for the home warranty company to schedule a drywall person to come in and rough-out patches to the drywall. The insurance adjuster will also be called Monday...unfortunately my attempt to vacuum up the water and then steam clean must not have been good enough even in this arid climate I live in. I'm starting to smell mold/mildew in there so it looks like I'll have to see what can be done. It never fails...just as soon as I plink down quite a bit of moolah for ham radio and stormchasing gear, something major breaks. My house now looks and smells ghetto...a cut up trash bag with painters tape covering the holes in the drywall with the smell of wet carpet in part of the house.

Hopefully it won't interrupt a trip to the Hill Country this week...I need the break!

How I Hate Parking

Sorry for the lack of posts...lots going on at work and on the home front. The weather hasn't helped; a cycle of one day warm weather and (relatively) calm winds spent outside (if not at work), then a day of strong westerly winds and blowing dust spent inside practicing on the electric guitar and enjoying my DVR (if not at work), then a day of strong northerly/northwesterly winds and colder again spent inside the garage or enjoying Fox Soccer Channel (if not at work), and then repeat on a 3 to 4 day cycle. It also seems that the nice days; warm temps and "light" winds; are usually when I'm having to work and the crappy days are when I am off. Oh well...such is the life of shiftwork.

Anyway, I had to make a grocery run the other day and I had to take the pickup out since the Jeep has some funky steering problems (likely a loose steering stabilizer or bad upper ball joint) recently. Although I've had the Z71 for three full months, I'm still trying to learn how to park it. Unfortunately the parking lot was pretty full but I saw what I thought was an open space. When I got down the aisle, well, I'll let my friends from XKCD explain my feelings and thoughts...

Not Quite Out and Down for the Count...

Sunday Morning around 4 AM. That is when this most recent hell started. Something I ate disagreed with me prompting a quick scramble to the bathroom. Dunno what triggered this round of dysentery but it was one of the worst cases of food poisoning I have had. In a LOOOOOONG time. The second and third days were not too bad but then yesterday morning I felt like I had been thrown under the bus. I'll spare the details but it wasn't bad but not pretty at the same time. With most (suspected) cases of food poisoning, I usually feel better after a day or two. This time was different. After four days of dealing with whatever I came down with, I finally decided to go see a doctor.

See, I hate doctor visits. Needles and I are not good friends nor do I enjoy being poked and prodded (especially when I feel like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow Man). When the nurse was in the exam room getting the vital stats, there was no cheery conversation; just answers of yes, no, I don't know, and other pertinent health info. Finally the doctor walked in and asked all the SAME questions over as the nurse apparently didn't enter them into the form properly. Bugs caught from camping or going out of the country were ruled out, but the Doc was concerned as I was running a 100-degree fever so there was some kind of infection I'm probably fighting. More tests and a prescription for antibiotics and hopefully I'll be on the mend. The only other issue was family genetics have finally caught up with me; when looking over my blood pressure he was concerned that it was high. This runs on my Dad's side of the family; but it also didn't help that I felt like crap AND had just come from my unnamed employer where I had just spent three hard hours trying to figure out what kind of products/advisories we should have out. Yeah, just a bit stressful at work this morning and afternoon so cut me some slack on the blood pressure levels. Try measuring again when I'm on a day off and have had a solid eight-hour sleep...

So, I came home and had a B.R.A.T.-style dinner with Gatorade and a bottle of water. I'm fixing to start the (apparently super-strong) antibiotics and go to bed. At 8:30 in the P.M. Hopefully I'll finally sleep through the night, wake up refreshed and feeling better, see no ice or snow on the ground, and can get to the e-mails that I've let pile up over the last 4 days. Sorry about that gents...amazing what a not-so-little stomach bug can mess up. I'm also tired of bland food; smelling co-worker's meals isn't fair to someone who cannot enjoy the tasty goodness of "real" food. When I finally kick this bug, it will be time for some serious TexMex to make sure it is totally gone!

Fort Worth, Then and Now

I was fortunate enough to take a couple of extra days to visit a relative who lives on the east side of the Metromess on my recent trip down there. The extra days also allowed me to spend one full day driving around Fort Worth to reminisce about all the good and bad times, the long-haul drive from the house I grew up in to the magnet schools I attended, and various locations that provided those childhood lessons that seemed unnecessary but now are viewed as important life lessons. Much has changed; I thought I was lost when driving west on I-30 and seeing the new Cowboys super-mega-damn-the-recession-Jerry-Jones-showing-off Stadium which made me think I was on Loop 12 heading towards Irving, the newest addition to the Fort Worth skyline throwing me for a loop, redevelopment of my childhood playground, and the incessant expansion of the city towards the southwest (Bryant Irving, Alta Mesa, Benbrook Drives to name a few). However, many important places still remain and still appear just as they have in my mind for so long.

Kincaid's Burgers still is in the old grocery store and serving up some of the best hamburgers in town, the elementary school still looks the same from the front (although has been expanded multiple times in the back, my childhood home still looks the same, Ridgemar Mall still has the one parking lot where Dad and I would go and sit for hours watching the various bombers and fighters take off from Carswell Air Force Base (now known as Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth Carswell/NASJRBFWC...and NOAA thinks it has the run on acronyms), and all the soccer complexes that countless Saturday mornings were spent at in my much younger years still show signs of generations of kids running across them. The local "Bureau" office still stands a bit out of place buried in an area of industrial warehouses, but with a minor addition of some horses that they can now count as neighbors.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to take a ride through Downtown to see Sundance Square and then north into the Stockyards as I am still trying to get the hang of driving the pick-up in urban traffic. There were some accidents that afternoon that would have required creative navigation among the skyscrapers and parking lots of Downtown. That in and of itself would need a sharp recall of what streets were one-way or not, and it has been WAY too long since I had done that...but I digress. I would have loved to have gone back to the old Fort Worth National/Texas American Bank building and taken a picture in the room that used to be my Dad's office to see what had become of this childhood playground (on weekends when I'd go with Dad if he had some catch-up work to do and I still remember the view from the windows). I can still remember the taste of the burgers from Billy Miner's Saloon and hear the crunch of the peanut shells on the floor, the aroma of Chicago-style deep dish pizza at Uno's Pizzaria, and the fried alligator and jambalaya from Razzoo's Cajun Cafe. However, it is satisfying to know that those locations still stand as a reminder, a beacon perhaps, of childhood days gone by and the opportunity to recall various memories with the full sensory experience they can provide.

Alas, the weekend was too short. I would have loved spending a couple of evenings at The Flying Saucer with many of the people I saw at Al's retirement dinner, again reminiscing of storm chases gone past, the prospects of the upcoming chasing, and various other hobbies or state-of-the-world discussions that inevitably come up over a stein of whatever your favorite brew in the world is. Unfortunately the real-world beckoned and the time-warp started as I drove west on I-20 that Saturday; all the drives from Fort Worth to grad school seemed to compress as the miles clicked down, all the memories of people I have met and interacted with started speeding by at a fast pace, and then I arrived in the present on the South Plains. And now it is back to the grind; a week chocked full of conference-calls, webinars, staff meetings, and shift work.

Keep the places where the West did begin for me Fort Worth; don't let the folks to your east try to change you at all...