Der Wetteransager

New Year - Change

2012-01-06T23:30:00.000-06:00

Well, I sat down and logged into this account looking to post some intelligent, snarky, thought-provoking post. I was instead greeted by eight, yes - eight, drafts of posts going back to the end of September. Thoughts, results, musings of things that have long since escaped my mind. Reading through the false starts did little to spur my memory as to what I wanted to say or where I wanted to go.

I'll admit it; I'm not a good blogger. I journal more than blog because there is something soothing in feeling the pen glide over the parchment paper. Writing takes time to conjure up the words and fire the neurons to move the pen compared to being able to rapidly type words as they pop straight out of my mind (mainly due to my poor penmanship and the necessity to take time and make my writing look "purty"...i.e. readable). Being on-line to blog also doesn't help because of my knack to be distracted by...SQUIRREL! Sorry...the ease of looking up anything I need to find out or being distracted by a great song on Pandora and then spending time in iTunes checking that artist out.

Writing in my journal on the other hand forces me to take myself out of the online community, into a quiet place at home or outside, and sit there with nothing more than a blank piece of paper, my trusty Zebra pen, and some time. I'd rather use my Journal to keep track of my daily life than try and split time between that and something more suitable for on-line reading. Besides, I'm also the kind of person that still wants at least one little shred of privacy in my life as opposed to those who spill their life's story on-line. Also, if the end-of-the-world-as-we-know-it does eventually come and all electronic media are destroyed, lost, erased, etc.; there will still at least be my written account that will hopefully be preserved. Unless the nuclear holocaust, volcanic super-caldera eruption, direct asteroid impact incinerates everything...

Anyway, you probably won't see too much stuff here anymore. I've found that there is just too much to enjoy in life to constantly blog about it as in years past and a lot of "life" right now involves more personal choices, feelings, and thoughts. No, I'm not closing this blog down but I'm just giving the few readers a heads up that posts won't come as fast and furious as they potentially could. The "cool things" or profound moments that happen if I don't have my journal but do have internet access may be posted here. Who knows, things might change as the years progress...but I doubt it. I'm just a man with too many hobbies, many great friends and family, a job that covers all kinds of things, and where 24 hours just isn't enough time in the day.

September 11 - 10 years later

2011-09-11T13:19:00.001-05:00

It seems that part of my life has come full circle. Ten years ago on September 11th, I was working an overnight shift in the Florida Keys as a participant in the KAMP program for part of my graduate work. My replacement arrived and I headed home between 7 and 8 am Eastern, said a quick hello to the other grad students/friends in the rental house we had on one of the many islands in the Keys, and headed to my downstairs "cave" to catch up on sleep.

I was totally out of it when one of the grad students from A&M bust into my room and said I needed to get upstairs quick because something bad was happening. Not fully cognizant of what was going on, I managed to get some clothes on thinking that one of our vehicles was in an accident, the SMART-R truck was on fire, or some other project-related possibility and I would be worthless with one hours sleep. Instead, everyone was in the living room clustered around the TV watching smoke pouring out of one of the two World Trade Center towers. I asked what I was watching and no one could really give me a straight answer. Within minutes we all realized what was going on.

Forever etched in my memory is the scene of the second airplane ramming into the second WTC tower, live shortly after 9 am. Live. On TV. My exact thoughts at that moment were quite simple and quite blunt and I still remember them to this day...

"Oh my God. Oh Shit. This isn't good."

A couple of cell phones started to ring within a few minutes, but then the house phone rang. That number was reserved for getting in touch with the project directors only. Sure enough, one of the lead scientists was calling saying that they were stuck at Key West Naval Air Station under lockdown; anyone leaving the NASA radar site would be arrested at gunpoint. After a couple more phone calls to the house phone and some terse/short conversations, the SMART-R engineer looked as us all and said to get all the vehicles, go get gas and Diesel, get the tanks topped off on the SMART-R, refill the spares and get an emergency kit packed. Then my cell phone started to ring.

My parents were nowhere to be found. My sisters and I knew that they were on vacation in Lake City, CO but details were still sketchy about how widespread the threat was. Wild thoughts started to run through my mind, the minds of my sisters, and grandparents who were trying to check in on their kids. The one thing I think my sisters and I wanted to hear was "It will all be O.K.". As it turns out, Mom and Dad were totally (and likely fortunately) oblivious for much of the morning as they fished well out of cell phone range and also managed to drop the keys to their Suburban into one of the lakes. They were probably in one of the safest places in the States at that time; nestled up in the heart of the Rockies in the central part of the U.S.A. but it still is unnerving not being able to get in touch with your Mom or Dad in a crisis such as the one that was unfolding. It wasn't until the end of the day that we heard from my parents and they were O.K. and when we finally were able to see each other face-to-face a few months later, they told me they were confident that I would be O.K. because "I had my head on straight". On the 11th, that may have been the case IF I was in Texas but instead I was stuck well over 1000 miles away from "home".

The rest of the day has already faded away from memory. I don't remember where I was or what I was doing when the third hijacked plane hit the Pentagon or the passengers fought back on the fourth plane. I do remember seeing FBI wanted posters all over the Keys later that week as they finally started to unravel who was involved. I remember a bunch of conversations about whether we could continue the field project or not. There was a brief stand-down but then Tropical Storm (at that time) Gabrielle presented an opportunity to do a mobile deployment of the then-new SMART-R. The weekend after September 11th, the FAA and national security teams had decided to open the National Airspace System again and I didn't care what opportunities there were, I wanted to get back to Texas, to my home state, and to a much closer proximity to my firearms for "WTSHTF". In hindsight it was a poor decision because I missed out on "chasing" a tropical storm at the time but I didn't care, I wanted to get back to the Hub City and back closer to home.

That was another interesting event; since the airline flights were all messed up, my reservations were out the window. I have no doubt that my guv'ment employer issued ID helped getting through the backlog of passengers and United actually managed to get me back to Texas through some interesting routing. Key West to Miami to Philadelphia to DFW to the Hub City. And first class the whole way. After getting my seat on the aisle on the Miami to Philly flight, the stewardess and a rather burly man in a United uniform asked if I would mind taking the window seat instead. We made the swap, introduced each other and shook hands which is when he noticed my class ring and asked what academy I went to. I pointed out that it was an Aggie ring and that I had graduated a couple of years earlier. He apologized and stated that it looked a lot like his West Point class ring from the side. Sure enough, he was retired Army and I was able to put two and two together and at some point in our conversation he quickly added; "Don't ask about why we swapped seats". All I said in response was "I understand". He was put on the aisle so he could have a clear view of the cockpit door, and I still wonder if he had some form of firearm with him...

And now 10 years later, that is the norm. You never know when the person sitting next to you in an Air Marshall or not. I made it back to Texas without any problems, graduated from the ATMO program at Tech, lived/am living through the ongoing wars on Terror, in Iraq, and in Afghanistan. There have been a couple of flights in and out of Washington, D.C. on American Airlines in the last couple of years and each one of those flights began with a prayer and a mental note of who was boarding the plane or not. Yes, you can say that I was mentally profiling those who were walking on those planes and I bet there are plenty people in the U.S. that would be guilty of that. Now I am back in the same city I was in ten years ago but in a totally different stage of life, different world, and a different worldview. Then there is the hovering well above the background noise level a sense of uncertainty on where I will be when the next attack/attempted attack will be and how I will respond.

There is so much more I've thought over and continue to mull over but will hold off for now. I'm not here to write a thesis but reflect on how much my life changed on that day 10 years ago. However, I'll leave you with this thought. One of my friends recently posted this on Facebook and I totally agree with her:

"Violence begets violence. Unforgiveness begets unforgiveness. But as long as I live I will never ever forget."

Farewell, STS

2011-07-09T09:56:00.000-05:00

At 11:30 am on July 8th of 2011, I cried. On my computer screen was the live feed of the last liftoff of the Shuttle Transportation System and the last flight of OV-104 or as most people know her, Atlantis. Thirty years have passed since Columbia rode into the morning sky, a morning that my Dad woke me up on his way out to work so I could see the launch on our old RCA TV. I still remember that morning to this day, the sense of awe and amazement of this amazing machine and moment that was taking place.

I think that it was that moment that I decided that I was going to be an astronaut and to the credit of my family, they did everything they could to encourage that decision. With a set of grandparents living near Houston, several trips were made to the Johnson Space center in my younger years and I can't remember how many Christmas presents were space-related. In 1986 I remember hearing something about an incident with Challenger in school because of the first teacher going to space, kids talking about it at church choir practice that night, and then seeing it plastered over the TV when I finally got home. Reagan's eloquent speech with the "slipped the surly bonds of earth" quote, and then tears shed for a different reason; the realization that being an astronaut wasn't as safe as it seemed to be on the news. However, the encouragement that the President gave about continuing the exploration of space was reassuring and I still wanted to reach that dream of being in space. There is also a story that one night when I was still a wee young-un, while out with my grandparents and parents on the family ranch, we saw a shooting star overhead and I asked my grandmother if she saw it. At some point in our conversation, I told her that one day, I would be up there looking down on the ranch and waving to her from "space".

The desire to be an astronaut was so strong that yes, I participated in this program when I was going into 7th grade:

Now, I didn't participate in the one in Huntsville, AL. I went to the one in Florida and had the time of my life; we were able to see a shuttle stack on the launch pad, walk through the Orbiter Processing Facility, and fulfill a small part of my dream. Another highlight was the full-day simulated mission that we flew in the Space Camp simulator; I remember I was a mission specialist with callsign "Spacegeek" (yes, that is how much I knew about NASA programs, space in general, and so much about the systems), we at astronaut food, and had a successful go at it. Then there was the end-of-camp trivia contest which we won, and at "graduation" I received my astronaut "wings" and an award for being one of the most active participants in the camp. Yes, I guess you could claim that I was just as annoying as Max from the Space Camp movie (you know, the role that Joaquin Phoenix played).

My interests started to change and I became more and more convinced that I was supposed to study meteorology as I grew up but I never totally gave up on the idea of being an astronaut. Going to A&M afforded some chances to see things at JSC that few ever will; connections with the soon defunct Spaceflight Meteorology Group allowed the student AMS chapter access to Mission Control Center White FCR while it was stood down between missions, to walk amongst the consoles in the room and sit in the CAPCOM chair, and the opportunity to see the Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory in use. My desire to be a part of NASA continued through my undergraduate and post-graduate work; I participated in the TRMM mission during TEFLUN-A in 1998, KWAJEX in 1999 (where I was able to fly on the NASA DC-8 research aircraft), and then KAMP in 2001 (where as a sidenote, I was in Key West on Sept. 11, 2001...talk about an interesting time!!!). Also in 1999, I was able to watch Columbia re-enter and fly over Fort Worth, leaving a red glowing plasma trail (this was the view from Houston to give you an idea) as I watched at a park about 3 miles from my parent's house. In the time it took for me to drive home, Columbia had already touched down in Florida and was rolling to a stop when I walked in the door. Little did I know the significance of this event about three years later.

Then came the morning of 1 February 2003 when I awoke to the news of Columbia breaking up during re-entry. I knew that the re-entry track would be passing almost overhead of the Hub City but I had a cold and turned off my alarm after a coughing fit, deciding sleep would be better than getting up at 8 am to see the re-entry plasma trail . My room mate at the time was sitting on the couch when I woke up and he was glued to Fox News showing images from WFAA-TV in Dallas of several streaks of light rapidly moving over the city. Immediately my heart dropped and I felt even more sick; I knew exactly what had happened from my experience in the simulation so many years before at Space Camp. At the time I thought that somehow the shuttle had suffered a catastrophic system failure and lost all steering control taking the orbiter outside of it's normal trajectory; instead it was something that took place almost two weeks earlier during the ascent stage when foam impacted the leading edge of the wing. Again, tears were shed.

So now I watch this one last shuttle mission day-by-day, reliving my childhood dream of being up in space looking down on the earth. As the title of an IMAX movie from years ago stated, for so many years of my life, "The Dream is Alive". Perhaps someday I will be able to fly into space, just not on a NASA-sponsored mission. And this is where the deepest sadness comes from. I believe that the direction this administration is taking NASA is wrong. It is easy to cut budgets for something that isn't perceived as providing immediate benefits for the public. But what would you do without Velcro, scratch-resistant lenses, Tempur foam, freeze-dried foods, satellite radio technology, microgravity protein and metallurgical synthesis (more accurate medical imaging in proteins and nearly spherical micro ball bearings), and the list could go on. All of these items came from needs arising during manned NASA missions. Yes, the shuttle system is expensive, is inherently dangerous, and is approaching the design age limit for the orbiters. However, mismanagement within NASA and misguided directions by both former and the sitting president all have left NASA adrift without a direction. Without a way to inspire younger generations. Without something to make a kid dream.

We had to catch up to the CCCP in the late 50s into 1961 which lead to Project Mercury. Kennedy literally shot for the moon to jump us ahead of the Russians which led to Projects Gemini and Apollo. Then some thawing in the cold war came along and with leftover hardware from Project Apollo, we headed up the Apollo/Soyuz Test Project and separately Project Skylab. At the same time, dreamers decided to take the next big leap and develop the Shuttle Transportation System. Now, NASA is practically left adrift; we were dreaming big again by returning to the moon with Constellation Program but after spending lots of money and progressing towards testing the crew module, a new administration came in and cancelled the project, took the step of shooting for an asteroid and Mars, and passed those goals off to the private sector. I do hope that the private sector is up to the task and can make travel on a sub-orbital, orbital, or interplanetary flight realistic and available to the masses but I doubt this will happen.

Space travel is still inherently dangerous and I doubt that our litigation-happy society will be able to afford the insurance costs or fully comprehend the waivers that will need to be signed to keep one lawsuit from shutting down a company after an "incident" leading to loss of life. Are some industries and fields best left to governmental control is a question that I am still trying to decide my stance on. And I do acknowledge that NASA will still be involved in space operations. However, manned spaceflight in the USA will disappear for quite a while once Atlantis touches down in Florida; handed over to Russia until someone here at home comes up with a way to get our astronauts (and public) into orbit. I doubt we will be seeing as much hoopla about Soyuz launches in the eastern hemisphere than manned launches that take place in our own backyard.

And so the dream is fading, likely already extinguished for a whole generation of kids that will grow up not knowing, not seeing, not dreaming about riding a space shuttle into orbit. Once again, the government takes away something that a kid can dream about, learn from, or be inspired to pursue (and probably punishes the State of Texas by removing all the major parts of the shuttle period such as the orbiters themselves, the simulators, and the full mockups to museums everywhere BUT Texas). So farewell to the Shuttle Transportation System, to something that made this kid-at-heart dream a lifelong dream of riding a shuttle into orbit. As the line from a Van Halen song says "Dream another dream, this dream is over..."

Fair winds and following seas Atlantis, Discovery, and Endeavor...

P.S. Watch this series of videos for some amazing footage of how a shuttle launches...

Conspicio

2011-06-07T08:32:00.000-05:00

Here we are almost a full two weeks after the events of 24 May in Oklahoma. I have returned to the "normalcy" of my life; shift-work, my home with laundry to fold and dishes to put away, a Jeep that needs a new radiator. Meanwhile, many residents continue to pick up the pieces of their lives and are far from a normal life they lived on May 23rd.

My thoughts still turn back to the things I saw and wrote about last week after going out on the storm damage survey. The Weather Forecast Office in Norman has finally conferred with several folks and have given the tornado an EF-5 rating; the highest and most destructive rating for those wanting to give a firm number to a force of nature that covered a much larger range of damage than this. A debate continues because the rating was bumped up after some new radar measurements of wind speed were released from an experimental mobile radar that scanned the beginnings of my survey portion near the I-40/Calumet exit.

The continued focus on this storm keeps the images at the forefront of my mind. Colleagues at my place of employment are asking questions, want to know how they can take the lessons I learned and store them away in their mind for the unfortunate time they will be called to do a storm damage survey. My dreams are still occasionally filled with the images I saw across Oklahoma on the 25th; not nightmares but more of a reliving of the events that week. Images are occasionally triggered by smells or smells come back to mind from time to time. These events aren't debilitating or haunting, but more of a reminder of what has happened once can and will happen again.

Now that the rating has been released, I feel that it is O.K. for me to share with you some of the images to give you a poor glimpse of what was encountered. By no means is this inclusive; I took over 300 pictures and a few panoramics in there as well, but I feel these are images that have come in my dreams and to my mind the most.

First is this image of the remnants of some form of vehicle:

We found other pieces along the damage path all within about 50 feet of each other, but none of them could give us an idea of what kind of vehicle this was. As far as I know (and I truly hope), no one was in this vehicle. If this doesn't explain why you should not try to outrun a tornado of any type, I don't know what will.

In similar fashion is this picture:

You are looking at a 2009 Chevrolet Malibu, or what used to be that vehicle. It was tossed 50 yards from the garage it was parked in onto this tree. A wrecker had to come in and pull the vehicle down. No one was in the vehicle; the owners fled into the nearest town because of the reports they saw on television on how strong the tornado was. They went into a well-built steel and concrete shelter they had at their place of employment.

This next image was a way too common sight; a hardwood tree, denuded and debarked by the tornado. Images of the tree from the movie "Poltergeist" come to mind.

Again, you can see the remnants of what used to be a two story home on the right side of the image. Some cleanup had occurred but the owners were still sifting through what little was left of their home. They were polite but you could hear the resignation in their voices that there was little left of their lives to find.

Southeast of Okarche was one of the more fearsome places I have been to.

Again, a two story home that very little was left. The door to the basement was nowhere to be found as I stood on the slab and peered into the dank darkness below. My curiosity wanted to go down into the basement, my respect for whomever's property this is kept me from doing so. There was also a sense of fear; a sense that going down the stairs would result in me imagining the sheer terror of hearing your home disappear above you in an instant. I have no idea if the lone boot was left there by the tornado or placed there by someone, but that was the only intact and "clean" piece of personal property left. We had to gingerly walk around this property because of the sheer number of nails, sharp objects, and countless pieces of splintered wood that were all eagerly awaiting the chance to slice, dice, cut, or pierce the skin. And all of them were coated in mud, dirt, grass, and Lord knows what else...

I will save you some other images of vehicles thrown over 800 yards, homes obliterated, and leave you with the one that comes back the most; I guess haunting is truly the proper word:

This was all that was left of a home. Behind where I took this picture was the location where Ryan and his brother once lived, once laughed, but were tragically taken before their time. You are looking at a safe room, a specifically built structure designed to withstand the strongest of tornadoes. We were told by the Search and Rescue incident commander that a family did ride out the tornado in the shelter. The homeowners were willing to spend the extra $3-6,000 to install this room, nothing bigger than a walk in closet, and it saved their lives. Outside of this safe room, all hell was literally taking place outside of that steel door (the homeowners found their quads and put them back on the property after the tornado).

Somewhere between 5 to 10 hours after this picture was taken, search and rescue teams found the body of 3-year old Ryan floating in the lake. That fact is something I continue to dwell on; there is NOTHING I could have done to find him or any way to know that he was in the water. Yet at the same time, I was there. Perhaps that is why this continues to be so real for me and why the visions of the damage continue to come back every once in a while in my dreams.

As for what I have learned or contemplated on...that will be for another post down the road once I mentally process all that went on that week I was there...

Sleepless agony...

2011-05-30T19:00:00.000-05:00

I know I haven't blogged in a while. There are currently seven posts in the queue that are in some state of being written that I started and then promptly forgot in everyday life. Tonight however, I find myself unable to sleep and need to write. Write to free my mind and try to unload the events of the last 2 days.

I have been in Norman, Oklahoma participating in the Experimental Warning Program; you can read the details in the link but the Cliff's Notes version is that we are testing ways to better display experimental weather information to aid NWS meteorologists in issuing warnings that are used to (hopefully) protect lives and property. Our project was ongoing the evening of May 24th and several tornadoes developed across Oklahoma. One was heading towards our location and was getting close enough that evacuations to the storm shelter were ordered for non-essential personnel. After it became apparent that the storm was going to miss the testing center, I went to the roof and just missed the dissipation of the tornado coming close to us but was able to see debris falling from the sky; mainly leaves but occasional pieces of housing material as well. A haunting feeling to know that we came that close to having a tornado ram into our facility.

Many of you hear on the news the intensity of a tornado rated in the Enhanced Fujita, or EF, scale. This scale is based on 41 years of research roughly being able to tie together the wind speeds inside a tornado that can cause a certain type of damage (see the link for a more detailed look). These surveys are done in most cases by employees of the local NWS Office. However, on May 24th there were so many tornadoes over such a large area that multiple teams were needed to drive and walk through the areas of damage to determine the intensity of the storms.

Because I have prior experience in surveys and was in Norman, I was asked to survey a portion of a tornado from near Calumet, OK to northeast of Piedmont, OK. This tornado so far has resulted in 7 fatalities (10 total from the 24th in Oklahoma) and unknown numbers of injuries along it's nearly 58 mile total path length. I have surveyed damage swaths before, but nothing to this extent. I cannot release too many details at this point because the discussions are ongoing, but the only time I have ever seen damage this bad was back in the late 90s near Castell, TX. The Castell tornado was so strong that it sucked asphalt pavement off the road and left little in it's path.

I guess the best way to say this is that I am haunted right now by the scenes I came upon. Peoples lives were strewn over miles of countryside, nothing much left of their homes but kindling for a fire. Cars looking as if an angry child threw them with all their strength after beating them up with a meat hammer. Horses, cattle, and pigs disemboweled across the countryside or someones beloved dog getting ready to be dumped into a hastily dug grave which is nothing more than a pit dug by a backhoe. Tree trunks with limbs gone and all that left is a trunk missing the bark and the stubs of the tree limbs sticking out as if they were some freakishly amputated arms. Household goods intermixed with dirt, grass, and who knows what else stuck in fence or barbed wire from somewhere a few miles away. I have never been in a war zone but I believe this is as close as one can get without being shot at.

Then there are the smells that linger in my nose a full day after the survey. The mix of Diesel, gear and motor oil, and other fluids from the crumpled masses of 18-wheelers. Leaking natural gas or propane. Something of a mix of fresh cut grass, freshly plowed fields after a rain, and the unmistakable smell of rotting flesh. The occasional whiff of a house that reminds me of someones home I was a guest in many, many years ago. Strong odors of pine, cedar, and other trees across the region that are split wide open. And then the dust containing God knows what; not the smell of dust like I have in Lubbock way too often, but something else that is nasty. Unclean. Ghastly.

However, the thing that haunts me the most is the fact that I had to walk through a neighborhood where search and cadaver dogs were still seeking the faint scent of a 3-year old boy missing since he was ripped from his mother's arms in their home when the tornado hit. His 12-month old brother didn't make it through the storm and his pregnant mother is in the hospital with serious injuries (unborn baby is O.K.) while his uninjured father was frantically searching from him after driving in after the tornado hit. We had to go and look and see what was left of this home, to see how the home was constructed, and to see what was left to try and determine what hellish winds were being produced by that tornado. Meanwhile, not 75 to 100 yards away was the remnants of a "safe room", a fortified haven for a different family to survive this exact same tornado without getting a scratch on them.

After the 13-hour damage survey marathon on Wednesday, I got back to my hotel exhausted but glad that I had a hotel to come home to. As I washed the red Oklahoma dust and other particles of whatever was floating in the air that afternoon off my skin and out of my hair, I kept running over what we saw. I still had to sit down and go back through all the pictures to better locate where all the damage was and how wide the tornado track will be. Will we be able to determine how strong the tornado was by my pictures and descriptions alone? Was there something I missed. What could I have done differently. I didn't get far; the internet connections were down and I was too tired to keep my mind awake so I pretty much collapsed last night and fell into a restless sleep.

Tonight however is different. I returned to my hotel a couple of hours ago after having dinner with good friends and co-workers laughing it up, having a hot meal, good beer, and times of fellowship. With a bunch of meteorologists hanging around each other, conversations naturally turned to retelling stories of previous experiences. I didn't think much of it at the time but the emotions started to "percolate" under the surface of a strong emotional facade. Tossing and turning in bed however, there is nothing to keep them in check and they hammer away at the front of consciousness. Tears have come and gone for the hell that people are having to go through even though they are shining examples of feeling blessed that they are still alive even though that is all they have right now.

The tears flow however because this morning I found out that they found the missing boy in the lake that I walked around not just 12 hours before about 400 yards from where his room was once located. The local media outlets had Ryan's face plastered on their newscasts and webpages, likely to "connect" with their audiences. For me however, a particular face is now burned into my memory as one that was taken WAY too early in his life by a force of nature I am tasked to try and predict and warn for.

There were others that didn't survive this tornado or the other ones across Oklahoma this night, or any of the tornadoes that you have seen across your news outlet or internets from across the United States this spring. However, this feels personal. More questions arise, questions I will never have answers to until I stand before Jesus and can finally ask Him. Why this young child in particular? Why take a tornado over populated areas as opposed to open country. Why turn the tornado heading straight for us where we had a large safe harbor for many people away and let it dissipate while tearing another across part of the countryside and take the lives away from a family that didn't have a safe place to go.

I cannot show them just yet but I will have some pictures that will not do justice to the sensory experience from the 24th and 25th. They may just give you enough of a glimpse into the power that I saw out northwest of Oklahoma City...and definitely serve as a reminder for me as to things that may come in the future anywhere my loved ones, family, friends, or myself may be located. However, there are too many questions that will take a long while to fade away...at least until the next tornado occurs and this meteorologist has to go out and find a different set of answers. And these, along with the other images will once again crop up...

UPDATE 5/30: I wanted to share a link from a fellow meteorologist and good friend that experienced a similar gamut of emotions and feelings; take a look at the bottom half of his essay here. The 3 May 1999 outbreak is a very similar analog to what happened on 24 May 2011. We (being the meteorological community) will continue to learn what worked well and went wrong with this event, and I must commend the people of Oklahoma for the resiliency of their spirit and mind throughout the area I surveyed. And yes, pictures are coming as soon as the Norman NWS office completes the effort in rating the tornadoes across Oklahoma. For those impatient to see the destruction for some reason, another fellow meteorologist and good friend shares these thoughts on why it is a good thing for those involved in storm ratings and assessments to take our time.

Mysteries of the Rifle, Part III

2010-12-24T10:44:00.000-06:00

In quick review of this series, we've taken a look at the process of trying to diagnose why my Ruger Model 77 in the .243 Winchester caliber has had some issues with shooting both accurate and consistent groups when using both factory and hand-loaded ammunition. Initial thoughts were that the old scope was improperly mounted or damaged and thus it was replaced, and the shooting performance of the rifle improved some. Next, the trigger was worked on by reducing the amount of pull required to release the sear and fire the gun while also reducing creep. This too helped increase accuracy and consistency but not to the levels we know this rifle can shoot.

A bit more of a refresher to try and clarify what I am basing my tests on and why we are examining this case; my Dad has the same make and model of rifle as I do but manufactured 2 years earlier. Both are chambered for the .243 Winchester, have 1-in-9 inch rifling, and are primarily used for anything from small game to white-tailed deer (and possibly larger if needed). In order to cover such a large range of animals this rifle is being used for, various bullet weights are used to match the need of the game being pursued. A "heavier" bullet weight isn't needed for prairie dogs and a "lighter" bullet weight on a deer risks a very painful death (or worse, a non-lethal hit). Therefore, we have a variety of handloads that my grandfather, father, and I have developed over the last 60 years or so. Since the M77s that Dad and I have are fairly similar, we thought (perhaps erroneously) that they would shoot reasonably similar. That was until I had a bad hunting season using this rifle back in 2008 when several deer were missed, or required two shots to be put down which I find unacceptable. However, my Dad has his usual success with his M77 without any issues on loads or needing two rounds to put a deer down.

Again, before the one or two readers spout off with "Well, it was the shooter (i.e. YOU) that was the problem!". I cannot dissuade you from your opinion since we cannot sit down at a range and put your opinion to the test, but I will state that I've been hunting since I was 8-years old, know that bullet placement trumps any caliber of rifle/bullet, and am probably more than a "weekend warrior" but do nowhere near enough shooting to consider myself a pro. I'll also have a picture in a bit that might dissuade you from your opinion...but enough defending my "qualifications" if you want to call it that.

Onto the meat of this post. A few weeks after the prairie dog shoot, I returned to my parents place to decide if there was a good hunting round I could use in a month when I would first be able to head out for white-tailed deer season. My grandfather's notes have loads for various types of bullet design and weights; namely 70, 75, 80, 90, 95, 100, and 105-grain bullets from manufacturers Hornady, Speer, Sierra, Nosler, Winchester, and Remington (some of which have been LONG discontinued), mostly IMR or Hodgdon powders, Winchester brass, and either CCI or Winchester primers. The previously mentioned 75-grain Hornady Hollowpoint in front of 38-grains of Hodgdon Varget powder is our favored varmint/small game load with the 95-grain Nosler Partition in front of 42-grains of Hodgdon H4831 (or H4831SC) the preferred deer load. The time came to finally put my rifle to the test.

My test consisted of the following rounds (all with WLR primers and Winchester brass unless noted):
70-grain Nosler Ballistic-Tip in front of 45.5-grains H4350, loaded mid/late 90s by my grandfather
75-grain Hornady Hollowpoint in front of 38-grains Varget, loaded in 2000 by my grandfather
75-grain Hornady Hollowpoint in front of 38-grains Varget, loaded in 2009 by my Dad and I
85-grain Barnes Triple-shock, Federal factory ammunition (Federal brass and primers, powder unknown)

Three rounds at a time for each load with time in-between to allow the barrel to cool back to ambient temperatures, with another three rounds through my Dad's rifle and all hand-loads made from the same lot of powder, primers, and bullets and matched case weights. Here were the results for my rifle (scale reference, from the bullseye, the first thin white circle is 1/4 inch radius, first thick white line 1/2 inch, second white line is 1 inch radius, edge of black target and white paper 1.5 inches):

The two holes in the target at the top that is cut in half (sorry, bad iPhone pic on my part) were the 75gr Hornady HP loads from my grandfather. On target with about a 1/2 inch grouping, not bad and to be expected if I could pick off prairie dogs at 100-200 yards distance with few misses. But then came the "New load 75gr Hor"nady hollowpoints loaded by my Dad and I. Contrary to what the image may show, I was still aiming at the top target (center target on a grid of 3 x 3 targets), and ended up on line vertically but 2-3 inches LOW! Huh? Third group shot was the 85-grain Barnes Triple Shock/Federal factory load. All were fliers and are labeled "B" on the target. Again, these were anywhere from 1.5 to 4.5 inches LOW again AND about 2-4 inches RIGHT. WHAT??? At this point, we started to compare my dad's shots, all of which landed in 1 to 1.5 inch groups on target and anywhere from 0 to 1 inch high. Absolutely NO consistency between the loads and our rifles. We also decided not to shoot the 95-grain Nosler Partition through my rifle since my Dad was getting a 1/2-inch group on target 1 inch high and the start of hunting season was around the corner. We did decide however to use the last three rounds of 70-grain Nosler Ballistic-Tip bullets out of a box my grandfather loaded in the late 90s (the exact year escapes me, the box is at home) and were blown away by the results, a 1/2 inch group again but 3-4 inches low and 1/4 to 1/2 inch to the right. THAT is the kind of grouping we want, but about an inch high on target (and an excellent example of good consistency but poor accuracy)!

And this brings us up to where we are at now. My M77 is in the safe, unusable again this hunting season out of fear of missing or inhumanely bringing a deer down. Instead, I am using my grandfathers pre-64 Winchester M70 .243 Winchester with a 100-grain Sierra bullet and have successfully dropped a doe in her tracks at 70-yards over my Thanksgiving leave from work. We weren't able to do any further load testing since it is hunting season and I was putting a scope on a 7x57 Mauser rifle which will be a new series of posts when I bring it to the point of load development. In the spare time we did have, my Dad and I discussed all the various elements that we had taken into account so far and came up with two more items to check:
1) The reloading process
2) Barrel harmonics and optimal charge weight.

So, we will be exploring these two things next with additional posts until I figure out what the best loads/bullets are for my Ruger rifle.

Mysteries of the Rifle, Part Deux

2010-12-13T15:15:00.000-06:00

In the last post, we covered up to replacing the scope on my Ruger Model 77 as my Dad and I continue to seek out some issues I have been having with consistency and accuracy of various hand loads as differentiated between his Model 77 and mine (again, both in the .243 Win caliber). It took me a while but I finally found that picture I took over the summer once we had the scope on and were testing the rifle out:

Dad put in a concrete shooting bench at the same spot my grandfather had his old wooden bench. You can see the 25-yard target for a rough bore-sight shot (and for practicing with my .40S&W Springfield XDM), and then the 100 yard target downrange. The chronograph was used to ensure consistency of the loads from shot to shot (the 3060 fps was a HOT or fast load and different from all the others I shot that day; it was the last round from some loads my grandfather put together...in 1993!). Some might notice that we don't have a shooting "sled"; one of those heavy-duty holders that you place your rifle into and lock it into place to remove the "human variable". We feel that this defeats the purpose of handloading ammunition and shooting your own rifle. You WANT to know how the trigger pull feels, what kind of recoil the load has, and to gain practice with working the action and reloading the magazine if/when needed. Yes, your shoulder will hurt after a full day of shooting, but at least you will have a better understanding of how your firearm works. But I digress...

We continued to experience a lack of consistency with the new scope but the accuracy had increased somewhat. After about 40 rounds or so through my rifle (not in series, always in groups of 3 with time in between for the barrel to cool) through the morning plus another few rounds through my Dad's M77, the issues with bad consistency and accuracy continued in my rifle while I could shoot groups under one minute-of-angle (MOA) with my Dad's rifle and same ammunition I shot through my rifle. We both felt that the trigger pull may have something to do with the lack of consistency. The factory trigger pull for Ruger M77 rifles of our eras was set somewhere between 6-7 pounds and there was a bit of creep in my trigger. Think about it this way, you know you have to pull hard on the trigger to fire the gun but at the same time, you know that the "kaboom" is coming. What would your natural tendency be? Mine is to start to cringe as that trigger starts to slide thus my attention is taken off the target to preparing for the recoil of the rifle. A lighter trigger pull PLUS some work to reduce the creep and increase the crispness of the sear release will reduce the chances of the human element coming into play and throwing the rifle off target, even by only a few millimeters.

SO, this past summer we sent my M77 off to a gunsmith that has worked on various rifles for my family over the past 30 years or so. After a one month layover at the gunsmith, the rifle returned with a MUCH improved trigger. We had asked for the trigger pull to be reduced to 1.5 pounds and it came in at that point with a very crisp release with no creep.

WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT? I can already hear the gun-savvy readers response to that light of a trigger pull with their eyes probably as big as a Buick hubcap. "You can't set the trigger pull to be so light, it will go off when you bump it or drop it! That's dangerous!!!!!". Baloney. First off, basic firearm safety states that the rifle should remain unloaded until you are ready to use it. Therefore, the rifle remains unloaded when I'm driving a vehicle until it is parked and I am prepared to fire it which is usually when I'm in the place I am hunting or if I am preparing to walk to that place. In the event I am a passenger in the vehicle (as is often the case when I am out and about with my Dad on the ranch), I will load it as we never know when we will happen upon a skunk, feral hog, coyote, or some other pest. However, the safety will then be on until the rifle is pointed at the target and I am ready to fire AND it will be pointed out the window if there is some issue where the safety fails and the rifle attempts to discharge. Likewise, the safety is always on while I'm sitting in my spot for the day in case it does get bumped when I nod off or shift positions. Anyway, most rifles come with a "heavy" pull from the manufacturer because of liability concerns if something were to happen...and I bet that the gunsmithing community doesn't mind one bit because it provides a steady stream of customers!!!

Off the soapbox and back to where we were. After the return of the rifle, we sat down at the bench once again to re-sight the rifle and again had mixed results. My varmint hunting load of 75-grain Hornady Hollow-point bullets were shooting 1-groups, on-target, and consistently! I felt really good about this and we left the rifle as it was at the end of the summer because we had run out of time for shooting as the wind had increased considerably and we didn't have enough other loads prepared for a thorough testing. Another lesson learned: considerable time it takes to handload the ammunition, prepare for a shoot, conduct the shoot and comparisons, all while at the mercy of the weather (in our case at least, I'm not going to pay for an indoor range when I have one for free that is available whenever I want it!!!). I thoroughly cleaned the rifle with that fabulous Hoppes No. 9, swabbed down with sheath oil to remove fingerprints and preserve the metal and finish, and the rifle was placed into the safe until mid-October.

By this time, our annual fall-roundup was taking place at a family ranch, the one with the prairie dog problem. After taking care of our primary task with the cattle, my Dad and I headed over to the prairie dog town the last morning we were there to do our best at reducing the population a bit. After missing a coyote at well over 400 yards for my first shot of the day (it was a long shot, pun intended), Dad and I proceeded to use my Ruger M77 to dispatch quite a few prairie dogs. The numbers aren't important (don't want to offend too many PETA types out there...) but we ended up shooting another 40 rounds of the 75 grain Hornady HP loads and well over half of them landed on target at distances from 100-250 yards. I thought my problems with the rifle had been solved if I could land a round at that distance and on target as many times as I did...

However, that was not the case and will be discussed over the next couple of installments and this will bring us up to "real-time" posts as we continue to follow the mystery of my Ruger M77 .243 Winchester rifle.

Mysteries of the Rifle, Part I

2010-12-04T17:48:00.000-06:00

The particulars of the mysteries we are going to explore revolve around a Ruger Model 77, Mark I in the .243 Winchester caliber. My Dad has this model manufactured 2 years prior to my M77. However, my rifle was passed down from my maternal grandfather, to an uncle, and then to me. We don't know how many time my M77 was shot, what ammo has run through it, or what environment it was kept in. The rifle was handed down to me after my uncle lost his battle with cancer and I never really shot it because I already had a .30-06 caliber rifle I used for hunting as well as a plethora of other choices from family members.

Our family has used the .243 pretty much since the caliber became available to the general public. This, along with the .250-3000 Savage and .257 Roberts were considered excellent varmint and medium-sized game calibers when they came out and these game are what we primarily hunt. However, the bulk of my grandfather's reloading work centered around the .243 and I knew that we had ample information to develop gun loads. I also wanted to keep my Ruger at home with me to have available in case opportunities arose where I needed a medium-caliber rifle. All my other rifles are locked up in a gun safe because of their sentimental and/or monetary value in them.

About three years ago, I brought the rifle with me during white-tailed deer season to see how it performed on bigger game. Up to that time, I had only used the M77 to try and contain an prairie dog infestation on some family land (the prairie dogs have chewed up 200+ acres of grassland which is now unsuitable for livestock and has had much of the topsoil blow away). Results were good with the small game and I thought that it would also be the same for larger game. Not so...

That year when I took out my M77, I had several deer that required two shots to put down which is NOT the humane way to do things. There were also several missed shots as well. I couldn't understand what was going on and we took the rifle to our range and tested it. Unfortunately the loads were shooting with no accuracy or consistency. Accuracy meaning it was not hitting where I was aiming and consistency meaning bullets land in close proximity to each other. My dad and I would resight my scope/rifle, all with the same powder load/bullet/primer combinations in the cartridge, and I could only get groups of around 2 inches. We would then take the same loads and BOTH my dad and I would achieve 1/4 to 3/4 inch groups at 100 yards with his M77 in the exact same caliber.

Initially we though the problem was with the scope. It was an old Burris variable power model and I personally am not a big fan of variable power scopes. The sight pictures was not circular; it was more of an oval and had thick cross-hairs that I didn't like as well. We also weren't sure how well the scope was mounted to the rifle so I decided to swap out the scope mount rings and scope to a Leupold FX-2 with Leupold rings. Sure enough, pulling the old scope off indicated that whatever gunsmith installed the scope had tightened the rings beyond normal torque specifications. The finish of the scope had been crushed off exposing bare aluminum and there were slight indentations on the barrel of the scope as well. Several of the scope mount screws were also slightly stripped, indicative of over-tightening.

After reading as much as I could on how to mount scopes and the arrival of the tools, rings, and scope, my Dad and I mounted it on the M77. We boresighted the rifle/scope and started to shoot once again with the same loads used in the initial testing. Accuracy increased quite a bit but the consistency was still not as good as we wanted. There was something else going on that we had to figure out and this will be discussed in the next installment.

Mysteries of the Rifle, Prologue

2010-11-15T10:16:00.000-06:00

My family has a long history of being around firearms. More specifically, rifles. This comes from my paternal ancestors settling in the Hill Country during the German Emigration in the mid-1840s and the need to place food on the table. Although not quite as abundant back then as they are now, white-tailed deer were native to the land along with turkeys, small game, and other waterfowl. Thus, in order to provide for the family, something had to be shot. After all, cattle were worth way more for sale than for slaughter on their own table...

Well, technology evolved and it wasn't until after World War II that the surplus of powder, arms, and ammunition components made their way into the hands of the American public. My grandfather took to this new realm of handloading for the various arms that the family had and new ones that were coming onto the market. We have found records and several used targets dating back to mid 1950s with various notes about loads, rifles, and conditions. Some of these are so worn and faded that the knowledge that was on them is lost.

I remember countless times spent with my grandfather helping him go through the handloading process, take the ammo out, and shoot as I was growing up. My experience started off small of course; .22 LR (always factory ammo) and then gradually working my way up into the larger calibers with loads he had worked on for years. Memories were made to the smell of Hoppe's No. 9 cleaning solvent, smokeless powder, and the sound of grains of powder being gingerly placed into the powder scale. All this while looking around his trophy room lined with elk, caribou, a moose, bear skin, antelope, countless white-tailed deer antlers, and other game he had brought home from North American hunts. Most of all I remember the stern and firm, but loving, way he instructed me on the proper way to handle and shoot a rifle while extolling the virtues of finding the "perfect" load for a given gun. Time and care needed to be taken to figure out how to get the right combination for ammo, gun, and shooter. That and a few bruises on the shoulder from loads that were a bit to powerful for a young'un...

Unfortunately my grandfather passed away a couple of years ago and MUCH of the knowledge he had was lost as to loads and rifles. Some of this knowledge is written down in the form of odd notes in the resizer die boxes, scribbled on odd bits of paper, and always in pencil. A few we know to stay away from because of the "HOT" or "TOO HOT" comments and appropriately marked out lines in the reloading manuals. My dad was able to ask him about a few specific loads for his guns, but there are a few rifles that we have no idea what to do. Some of the powders listed are no longer made, or are different formulations in some way, shape, and form. This is where I am at now...my rifle, odd shooting characteristics, and trying to figure out what to do in order to shoot the most consistent and accurate loads possible.

So, I'm starting you on a new series or adventure as I take you on the journey to figure out how to have a rifle that is used for hunting of large game while also being able to handle smaller varmints as well. Next up, where I have been so far on this track...

I Love West Texas...

2010-11-14T20:01:00.000-06:00

Another reason why I love living out here; you can't beat the sunsets...

A LONG time coming

2010-11-03T03:58:00.000-06:00

Editor's note - I've had this in my queue for almost a month now and kept waiting to publish it because of how events unfolded. The thoughts are the same but you can see where the changes had to be made...

I grew up in Cowtown; Fort Worth, TX. My parents made the decision to stay there because of the opportunities for my siblings and I had to expand our knowledge through great magnet schools, a lot of "culture" there, and a reasonable closeness to both my parent's families (they really wanted to live in the country). There was also an opportunity for me in another way...professional sports.

My Dad was fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on how you view it) to work for Texas American Bank through the Great Texas Bank Crash of the late 80's. One of the things that the bank foreclosed on before the great crash was a box at the old Arlington Stadium where the Texas Rangers played. There were times when customers would come into town and the bank would take them to a ballgame and I was able to tag along at times. This was my introduction to Major League Baseball.

SO many fond memories were formed when my Dad and I would go to those games. He and his co-workers introduced me to the tasty goodness and fun of cleaning chilled shrimp at the pre-game buffet. I was able to sit behind the Rangers dugout and get (notice, I didn't say catch) my first MLB foul ball when one of Dad's co-workers caught it and gave it to me (hey, I was probably around 6-8 at the time). The box seats provided some relief from the oppressive summer heat and a location so that a foul ball could land in the box. At that time, it wasn't about the intricacies of the game, keeping stats, or hand scoring a game. It was spending time with my Dad and watching these men slam (Juan Gonzales anyone) a ball out of the park with the wide eyes of a young boy. Then there was the game we went to for my birthday (not in the box seats but purchased in the outfield), the Rangers had the lead going into the top of the 9th, and thunderstorms started to roll in from the west. Nolan Ryan came in to close the game on 9 straight pitches, all strkies, and all his fastballs were over 95 MPH.

After the failure of Texas American Bank and my Dad's subsequent layoff, he and I would get the cheap outfield bleachers seats, walk into the stadium for batting practice, and listen to the theme of the Greatest American Hero play over the loudspeakers. And how could I forget all the racket we would make banging our feet on those old aluminum bleachers. As I started to get older, I began to understand the intricacies of deciding what pitch needs to be presented to the batter, shading the outfield to left or right field because of how a batter hits, and what a 6-4-3 double play is. Both he and I would take our gloves to the game in hopes of catching a home run or a ball tossed into the bleachers after the inning throw-around was done. We were jubilant when the Rangers won and sighed when they lost. Which happened a lot.

Then there were the times we didn't get to go to Arlington Stadium but would listen to the games on WBAP 820 with Mark Holtz and Eric Nadel making the calls. It could be sitting on the back porch after Dad had finished mowing the lawn on a rare pleasant summer evening in the Metromess. Countless times were spent driving to grandparents in the late summer afternoon and evenings passing the time listening to the Rangers play. And how can I forget spending August 22, 1989 on vacation in Pagosa Springs, CO, driving back to where we were staying, and managing to catch the right atmospherics to hear WBAP as Nolan Ryan struck out Rickey Henderson for his 5,000 career strikeout only to have the signal fade immediately after the strikeout was made and Holtz shouted "He did it! Strikeout number 5,000!".

But the Rangers languished in mediocrity (Thanks, R.E.). Lineups changed, Bobby V. was always the coach, and there rarely was a season where the Rangers were in contention for anything other than a sub-average year. Then came the mid/late 90s. The Ballpark in Arlington (as I will always remember it) was built and the Dollar Decker Hot Dog nights continued. The All-Star Game came and went. And the Rangers started to win. Gone were Steve Buchele, Rubén Sierra, and Pete Incaviglia. A new crop of players came in; Mickey Tettleton, Pudge Rodriguez (although he had been there a while before), Will Clark, and my personal favorite of that era - Rusty Greer. New owners were in place and Johnny Oates was the new manager. And the Rangers started to win. Not only win but win the American League West in 3 out of the last 5 years of the last century. And then lose to the evil empire of the NY Yankees. And then it was back to mediocrity once again with a bad owner (whom admitted that he cut corners like he did with the Dallas Stars), a loosey-goosey with his integrity A-dud, and a couple of managers and general managers that couldn't do much.

Why did I share all of that with you? Because I am not a "fair-weather" or "jumping on the bandwagon" or "late arrival to the party" fan. I have been and always will be a Texas Rangers fan. Part of this is due to the fond memories made with my friends and especially with my Dad, but the other part is that I have some pride in stating I suffered through the lean years now that the Rangers may have turned the corner and will move up away from mediocrity. Even if they don't, I won't jump ship to the hottest team or one of the "old vanguards" like the Cubs, Yankees, or Red Sox. The Rangers this year exemplified what teamwork and heart (The Claw and antlers!) can do when the rest of MLB teams try to buy their way to the top (not that this is bad, but it hampers the weaker/smaller teams a LOT). This team has faced adversity in so many ways and in so many different years, but they manage to pull through it (just look at the history of Josh Hamilton or Ron Washington's issues in the pre-season this year). However, I will also admit that I am a skeptic when it comes to new seasons; too many promises had been made that "this will be the year we go all the way" and then the team falls apart in the last month of play. But they proved me wrong this year and I'm delighted! Not only did they win the American League West, but they did it convincingly and by a BIG margin. And now we are on our way to the ~~AL Divisional Series~~ ~~AL Championship Series~~ WORLD SERIES baby! Congrats to my Texas Rangers, and we'll see how well we can do against San Fran.

And now here I sit after the series looking back at what has been an amazing year for the Rangers. I would argue that the umpires wanted San Fran to win the series based on some of the wacky strike zones they were calling in the games at the Ballpark in Arlington, but regardless the Rangers were out-pitched and our bats went cold at the wrong time. It is easy to lose sight that we are in fact, the American League Champions for the first time in team history and that isn't anything to forget. We faced down the Rays and yankees and made it through two of the best teams in the AL. I am optimistic that the new ownership will indeed do what it has promised and try to keep the Rangers payroll in the top quarter of MLB in order to attract and keep their best players. It also helps to hear one of the owners state that they will make sure to take care of Josh Hamilton after all he did for the team this year (sorry, I can't find the article on the Star-Telegram webpage). In a short five months, we will find out where the Rangers will go from here.

Thank you to the Texas Rangers for a heckuva ride this year, from a lifelong fan.

One for my friends that are fans of t.u....

2010-09-20T20:35:00.000-05:00

This one from the good folks at XKCD.org made me chuckle once again because of the last frame...and I thought of all my t-sipper friends as well when I read that last part...

Yup, Texas technically should go all the way into Colorado, New Mexico, Kansas, and parts of Oklahoma...

Still Around

2010-09-16T20:40:00.000-05:00

Yes, I still am around but I guess you could say I have had "blogger's block". A quick perusal of my post list shows three different posts in the last 4 months that are still in the editing stage but I can't remember what prompted the thought or where I was going to go with it. Then there has been "life" - a couple of vacations to the mountains of Colorado and New Mexico, working some cattle one weekend with my family, and then some personal things I've been working through. But now I'm wrapping up a work trip to our nation's capitol and have some time to sit and put down some thoughts since there isn't anything worth watching on TV and I'm trying to figure out if I ate something I shouldn't have today.

I really like visiting Washington D.C. Being a history buff, there is something about being in the midst of what I think is living history. Not only is there all the stuff that develops and moves day-by-day, good or bad, in this town but there is also the rich history that precedes the "now". When I fly into Reagan National Airport, I look out across the city and can't help but think that our founding fathers may have walked on some of the same ground I may. How many people in benchmark/milestone/historical moments were in the various places that I was/am walking that aren't commemorated by a marker, memorial, or named street. Then there are the collections; the Smithsonian system, National Art Museum, Library of Congress, FBI, U.S. Treasury, and so on - all of which bring a wealth of educational knowledge for those who seek it out (as opposed to those who go to say they have been there or the schoolkids that view a field trip as only a day away from school). The memorials also speak to those that have come before and fought for what I more often than not and so many definitely take for granted.

The other thing I can fill up on for a bit is the "closeness" of everything. Being able to take a 10 minute walk to work (and it DEFINITELY helps that the weather is cool and relatively dry out here right now), shops, restaurants, a Whole Foods within a short walking distance, and a fairly routine scheduled mass transit system. Yes, there are cracks in this; the Metro is really showing it's age, infrastructure construction has resulted in some traffic jams which I guess slows the buses down, and you can see some areas of urban blight in the midst of the renewal that is attempting to take place in Silver Spring where I am working. I also can get my fill of a vast collection of cultures. We had lunch at an authentic Italian Ristorante two days this week and neither time was I disappointed. Then there was the outstanding Thai cuisine I had last night in Sterling with a good friend and former co-worker from the Panhandle. Basically, I need two more days to try out the Ethiopian food place that smells so good when I walk by and the Indian restaurant that from the outside looks like a dark, dingy hole in the wall but is rated 4-stars by several reviewers and locals.

If there was a way that I could manage to do it, I would come back much more often and explore all that D.C. has to offer. Matter of fact, I even made the comment to my friend that if my employer had a temporary assignment lasting a year, with close housing (basically here in Silver Spring) that allowed me to walk to work every day, and weather like we've had so far here year-round, I would have to give it SERIOUS consideration. But then after five days here, I also realize that there are so many things I miss. The trees, hills, and overall green are nice but I feel claustrophobic at times. I can't see the horizon to know what is moving in thanks to the mass of steel and concrete around me and outside of the city has trees which do the same. The cost of living is much higher here, I cannot honor our founding father's gift by practicing my rights under the Second Amendment in Maryland (or D.C. proper for that matter), and the traffic would drive me insane. Drivers here feel entitled to the road therefore normal pedestrian laws don't apply because they are running late for work, the light is still red, but they could turn right and I'm in the crosswalk and give you a dirty look, honk, or cuss you out.

I also think I'm not ready yet in other areas: how do I respond to the homeless man that follows me for a while saying I look like a rich boy and could spare some change because I walk in fancy boots? What do I do on the Metro when a stoned/drunk out of their head guy is confronting a lady because she won't take him home with her (they got off at Metro Station so I have no idea how it ended up) and I feel that it isn't a good situation? Getting in my car and driving to think or unwind; impossible with this traffic and it would be pretty hard to find a place of solitude within 15 minutes like I can back home...

Too many things to think about right now and I've got an early departure in the morning. So I bid you adieu once again Washington D.C. richer in some ways and yet empty in others. We'll see what the next couple of years bring and (Lord willing) I'll be back sometime soon.

A Retirement...

2010-07-17T22:12:00.001-05:00

New post coming but I'll leave you with this preview as a hint:

Something to do with changing cameras...

Thoughts on HDR Photography

2010-06-16T07:43:00.002-05:00

I am a slacker. I've been busy and preoccupied with various things and my blog has fallen by the wayside as a result. BUT, this has been in the queue and I've decided to get it out in hopes of jump-starting my blogging time.

Recently I have started to play with High Dynamic Range (HDR) photography. The human eye can perceive a high range of brightness with clarity; from dark corners of a building to the bright blue sky out the window in the same scene. However, cameras do not have this ability. Print film/slides can "see" about 7 stops of contrast, my Canon Digital Rebel XT can "see" about 10 stops of contrast, and the computer screen can display about 9 stops. The human eye on the other hand can see anywhere from 20 to 30 stops.

This poses problems for tying to capture in a picture with what I am seeing when there is a large difference in brightness/contrast in the scene. Before the advent of digital photography, the use of neutral-density filters, over and under exposure, ISO push, and film development techniques all tried to compensate for the limit of technology. I still have in my gear bag many of these filters and from time to time will pull them out and use them. Then I dove into Digital Photography when I purchased my Canon Digital Rebel XT in 2005. After becoming comfortable with the abilities of the camera, a friend of mine introduced me to HDR photography 3 years ago. I filed this newfangled process in the back of my mind believing I would stick to the true nature of photography and not let technology do the work for me.

Another reason I didn't dabble in HDR was an unfounded belief that anything altered or created significantly by digital means is NOT photography in true form. Don't get me wrong, I used Paint Shop Pro and now Photoshop to remove dead pixels, dust on the sensor, and a blur or two from fingerprints or water on the lens. However, I felt for the longest time that HDR images didn't look "real" mainly because HDR was still in it's infancy. For example (pulled at random from Picasa), this album just doesn't look right to me for some reason. The color balance was off and it looks as if the sky was burned into the image. Several other pictures had this similar unnatural discontinuity. I also had to deal with on occasion at work images submitted of tornadoes that were obvious fakes that soured my taste for heavy digital editing.

But as is usually the case, technology improves, methods improve, and my mind started to change. I started to see stunning images created through HDR work, and now there are videos starting to arrive that are made through HDR techniques (and probably take a LOT of work!!!). Information on various methods, techniques, and software started to grow and I finally started to realize that HDR images can bring the actual image out MUCH closer to what I was seeing through the viewfinder. Let me give you an example:

This image was taken by my XT at 5:27 AM MDT at 0 EV. The color in the sky is nice but the foreground is rather dark.

For this case, I had set my XT to bracket at +/- 1 EV for three shots (Ideally, I would have done +/- 2 EV and +/- 1 EV for a five shot bracket but my XT cannot do this). So, the -1 EV shot looked like this with a nearly invisible foreground but the deeper reds came through in the sky:

And then the +1 EV images came in with the sky almost totally washed out BUT the foreground is totally visible now!

For my HDR processing, I plinked down for Photomatix Pro after reading many a blog, review, and webpage on the various software packages out for HDR work. Taking the three images (remember, you need at least two or more images to combine into HDR, ideally several from the + and - EV sides) and letting Photomatix Pro combine them, then tonemapping the image, reloading into Adobe Photoshop Elements, then only doing a weak sharpening for this example, we end up with this image:

And THIS is what I saw that morning about as close to what it really was as I can reproduce right now. That is what I am supposed to do; capture the images as close as to how it is in nature so that others can see and enjoy. If HDR helps me to do so, then I am all for it AS LONG AS it is stated that the images is indeed HDR and not a single exposure. Not disclosing this fact in my mind is misleading to the viewer/buyer and is also dishonest at the least. I prefer integrity and honesty over being a fake or liar any day...

ANYWAY, having worked through my initial issues with the idea of HDR, I am now actively looking for scenes where this may work to help convey what was truly going on at the time I saw the scene in the picture. Matter of fact, technology has come such a long way that I now have an app on my iPhone that will take HDR images using the built in camera. I can now capture more realistic images while out and about and share them with others while still using the digital SLR for archival, print, and maybe eventually selling higher quality images. Besides, since I don't have a tripod for the iPhone, there are still some alignment issues with the images and the tonemapping isn't quite as robust as in Photomatix but it gets the job done:

I continue to warm to HDR photography as yet another tool in my camera bag (well, now camera AND laptop bags) to try and represent the best image possible. It opens a new way to give you the image that I saw with my eyes or at least something as close to it as possible. Hopefully images that make you have the same reaction when I see them in real-time: "WOW!"...

Lesson Learned.

2010-04-30T15:43:00.006-05:00

My laugh (and hopefully yours) for the day...

Spring has Arrived

2010-03-30T07:51:00.005-06:00

Spring has arrived out here on the Llano Estacado; warm days, cool nights, low relative humidities that make your skin look like it was from a lizard, and an occasional day of 1/2 mile visibility in blowing dust. Ugh...

HOWEVER, as a sure sign spring is here, these guys have bloomed in the past week (all images ©2010 Jason Jordan, all rights reserved):

It also appears that I will have at least one tulip...pics when it finally decides to wake up and open to the world.

REVIEW: Asus Eee 1005Ha Netbook

2010-02-01T21:37:00.001-06:00

Gotta get into the habit of this thanks to the new FTC disclosure regulations: no payment was received either in equipment or monetarily for the product below. In other words, I bought it, I like it, and I want to share my thoughts. So there...

ANYWAY, I have been keeping this review in the edit list for quite a while but I think I have enough experience with it now to share my thoughts. Lugging around my "supercomputer" laptop has become quite cumbersome, especially when flying on AA or SWA. This machine is a 17" widescreen Dell Dual-Core with Vista and is primarily used for photography editing and was used as my primary stormchasing machine as well. All the horsepower is nice when compared to my 8-year old desktop and the laptop is handy for quick edits while in the field. However, this machine is H E A V Y; even in a backpack carrying case, it is quite cumbersome to lug around. When stormchasing, the laptop is also quite big and takes up the entire arm rest leaving little in the way of comfort for long hauls (and no, I'm not interested in a Ram Mount just yet).

With my desktop starting to show signs of it's age, I started to look at how to handle swapping machines around. An iMac is still in my future for a desktop and eventually a MacBook Pro once my laptop gets quite a bit of age on it. Until then, I'm leaning towards leaving the 17" laptop as my replacement "desktop" until enough money is saved up for the 27" iMac. BUT, with all the pain (physically and logistically) lugging that 17" laptop around, I started to look at Netbooks.

Netbooks are technically a different class than a laptop in that the screen sizes are generally limited to under 11-inches. They are based on different processors, different graphics cards, and often times, different hard drives than their bigger notebook brethren. Most are also designed for minimal software options; they are underpowered for the graphics intensive games, for hard-core computations (i.e. photo editing, mapping/GIS processing), and for long-winded typing. However, netbooks are perfect for what I use most on the road when work-related travel takes place; e-mail, web surfing, and an occasional blog entry or quick photo upload. I have two friends with netbooks and one of them has "hackintoshed" his machine. Disappointed that Apple continues to think that a mac-based netbook is unnecessary (the iPad may try to fill this gap), this hackintoshing seemed like a pretty sweet option (especially since OSX was only$29).

ANYWAY, after evaluating my needs for a portable netbook BUT also support for the GRLevelX family of products for stormchasing, I decided to go ahead and stick with a Micro$oft-based machine. Perusing through CNET and a fairly new netbook review website helped considerably in narrowing down all the options. I also opted to cap my spending to at or under $300 as I didn't need a top-of-the-line model but also didn't want something an the bottom end that couldn't handle 3G-cellular internet and GPS/radar data processing. As is usually the case, I wanted the best bang for the buck. With all these in mind, I finally found what I was looking for: the Asus Eee 1005HA Netbook:

Granted, mine is jet black but you get the overall idea. Intel Atom Processor at 1.6 GHz, 1GB RAM, 160 GB SATA HD, 10.1" LCD display, 3 USB 2.0 ports, and built in SD card reader. Best of all, bought this puppy on sale for $279 at newegg.com. Again, it isn't the top-of-the-line but gets the job done for me. I was hoping to get this in by the time I was leaving for home around Thanksgiving but had to wait until after I returned to open it up. So, after having my Eee for a while, a trip to Kansas City under my belt, and finally getting the GPS drivers and radar maps installed for a test-drive home, here are my likes and dislikes:

Likes
LIGHT - weighs in just over 1.5 pounds. Much nicer than the heavy 17" laptop.

PORTABILITY - I LOVE the fact I can carry this in my work bag as opposed to the backpack I carry the Dell around in. It is no bigger than a large book and getting this through TSA checkpoints has allowed me to lose one of the bins I had to have JUST for the 17" laptop.

BRIGHTNESS - screen is backlit by LEDs and I could run the screen at minimum brightness without any problems in an office environment. I'm afraid I would be blinded going full brightness...

COMPUTING POWER - there is enough juice in the processor to handle the GRLevelX applications (including 3D rendering in Analyst with full GIS road support), GIMP, Spectran, iTunes, and OpenOffice without too much drag on the system.

SD CARD SLOT - quite handy for use out in the field when needing to download pictures off the SD card.

THREE USB 2.0 PORTS - more than enough for my needs (GPS, AirCard, and an open port for whatever), two on one side and one on the other. That leaves ample clearance for USB accessories as opposed to a stacked configuration (one on top of the other).

BUILT-IN WEB CAM - if for some reason I ever need to stream while chasing or get into video calls via Skype, the camera is built in.

BATTERY LIFE - I think the longest I have run on battery power alone is 8 hours but much of that was doing easy-on-the-processor web browsing. Most of the time I'll get 6 hours, still not bad on the factory battery.

UPGRADEABILITY - Although the netbook came with 1GB RAM and this seems to be enough for now, the memory port is easily accessed for upgrades. I also got the 160 GB SATA hard drive but this too can be accessed (although not quite as easily as the RAM) for an upgrade if needed. I don't see the need to upgrade storage space with all the external drives I have though...

TOUCHPAD - This is one of the few laptops/netbooks that the touchpad is integrated into the case itself. In other words, it isn't recessed into the top making cleaning SUPER easy. The pad is also set up for multi-touch; you can use two fingers to zoom in/out or scroll pages.

Dislikes
KEYBOARD - my netbook has a keyboard about 90% as big as a "normal" PC/laptop. I knew this going in and the only real complaints I have are the split up/down arrow key (they took one "standard" size key and split it into two) and lack of Home/End/Page Up/Page Down keys. The last four are there...but you have to hold a function key to get them to work.

SOUND - The stock speakers are rather "tinny" sounding. Easily solved by using the external speaker jack with a set of good quality earbuds.

FINGERPRINTS - the case has a glossy finish and being jet black shows every fingerprint and/or smudge. After a couple of weeks, the case looked like I had used it after eating a greasy cheeseburger.

HEAT/CLEARANCE - although equipped with a stout fan to keep the innards cool, the clearance under the case has a lot to be desired. I usually find a way to elevate the back of the netbook to give an extra half an inch or so of clearance to get more air underneath it. However, even at full blast, the fan is able to keep things tolerable on the heat levels. How well this will work in a hot car in the middle of the summer does remain in doubt though. It did get a bit toasty on my pickup arm-rest so I'll have to figure out something for the vehicle to help keep it cool.

DISPLAY - as much as I liked the brightness earlier, it still isn't bright enough to handle certain color combinations...most notably black background with thin blue lines (such as what I have for my GIS display in GRLevelX). There isn't any way to adjust the contrast either, only brightness.

POWER ADAPTER - Although there is a nice catch feature on the power plug going into the netbook to hold it in place, the pin is REALLY small which could pose problems if it is yanked. I already have had one close call tripping over the unusally long power cord and bending the pin a bit. Too bad Apple has the patent on magnetic power cable attachments...

Overall Opinion
I am quite impressed and happy with this purchase. The ASUS Eee 1005HA is on the low-end of the price range but doesn't have the low-end performance I was worried about. With a powerful laptop already in hand for the heavy-duty processing, all I needed was a very portable PC for e-mail and web surfing while on short-length or work-related trips. This netbook has fit that need and surprised me a bit with how much it could actually run. The ample hard drive space allows me to use the netbook as an "emergency" storage medium for photographs if I am in the field and don't have my external hard drive. This was also purchased knowing that there was no optical drive/burner and if worse comes to worse, I can purchase an external one down the road. If all you need on a trip is something to get e-mail or web access with, take a look at a netbook and see if it may fit your needs...

Where are you?

2010-01-31T07:31:00.002-06:00

I've been busy, thanks for asking. Have a major workshop I'm helping set up and get going that has taken quite a bit of my time. Then there is trying to diagnose an intermittent check engine light and "Check 4WD" icon on my dashboard status display (and no, it doesn't display fault codes). See, the four-wheel drive has gotten quite a bit of use the last couple of days thanks to yet another snowstorm. Three and a half inches of snow on top of one quarter of an inch of ice. Yeah, not fun to be driving on but 4WD (when it is working) has helped immensely. Add in pricing out parts to finally upgrade the Jeep since I managed to blow a shock on it and I've just had "life" taking up a lot of time. Did I also mention that I had family in town for Christmas (during yet ANOTHER snowstorm), and then a trip home for the last weekend of hunting season? Top everything off with a healthy helping of doing some work around the house and I just haven't made the time to sit down and blog. But there are some thing I have in the edit queue that I'll hopefully get out soon so be expecting a flurry of posts in the next several weeks...

Merry Christmas

2009-12-26T06:31:00.002-06:00

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

2009-11-10T14:32:00.004-06:00

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.

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?

2009-10-14T07:22:00.003-05:00

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

2009-09-29T15:23:00.002-05:00

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

2009-09-02T19:32:00.003-05:00

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

2009-08-31T11:08:00.002-05:00

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

2009-08-13T09:55:00.002-05:00

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...

2009-08-01T14:56:00.000-05:00

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...

2009-07-29T14:51:00.002-05:00

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

2009-07-09T10:04:00.004-05:00

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...

2009-07-08T15:49:00.003-05:00

...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

2009-06-18T14:03:00.018-05:00

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?

2009-05-24T15:06:00.005-05:00

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

2009-04-21T14:38:00.001-05:00

Here you go:

Canadian River Run 2009

I Survived (fill in the blank)

2009-04-19T21:00:00.004-05:00

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!

2009-04-05T16:03:00.005-05:00

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

2009-04-02T13:16:00.004-06:00

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...

2009-03-11T19:13:00.002-06:00

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

2009-02-23T13:43:00.002-06:00

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...

Farewell to a mentor, teacher, and good friend

2009-02-21T20:20:00.002-06:00

I return to the South Plains filled with a mix of emotions after spending the last two days in the Metroplex. The trip was an opportunity to visit my sister for an evening, to see an old family friend, but most importantly to see someone off for the start of his retirement.

In the summer of 1994, I walked into "The Bureau" as a wet-behind-the-ear junior in high school who had an insatiable desire to become a meteorologist. After the introductory tour and explanation of what I was going to be doing, I started to meet my fellow co-workers. When the next shift came in, a gentleman walked in with a red Rubbermaid box in hand and quickly started getting a briefing on what the state of the weather was. One of my fellow SCEPs leaned over and whispered "Do you know who that is?" to which I, very much a rookie in the weather world replied "Should I?". Her response: "That's Al Moller."

And so began five years of mentoring and teaching while I worked in the summers at the North Texas "Bureau" office. However, it was also the start of a friendship that went beyond meteorology...into love of baseball, photography, stormchasing, and Texas blues music. Al was the one that (patiently) taught me the intricacies of hand analysis, took me on my first stormchase, and challenged me to apply what I was learning in my college career to my job at "the Bureau". Through these activities, I was able to develop a finer appreciation of our common interests as well as meet many people in the research and stormchasing communities that I now consider my friends as well. We would usually run into each other at least once or twice each year through stormchasing, workshops, or conferences and it never failed that he would find some way to challenge my mental picture of meteorological processes or discuss whether the upcoming spring would be a banner year for wildflowers in the Hill Country. He would also continue to remind me to not give into the meteorological cancer that continues to permeate the organization I work for and would reinforce the fact that I had to be one of the people to keep "meteorology" alive. That sometimes seems impossible but if Al could do it for 34 years, so can I.

You see, Al is the kind of man who would make the impossible happen. In the summer of 1996, Al and I were working graveyard shifts shortly before the Memorial Day weekend started. We were discussing the favorable pattern for chasing coming up but I lamented that I didn't feel I had enough experience to chase on my own, but that didn't matter because I would be without a vehicle that weekend anyway. The second to last mid-shift, Al came up and said that I needed to pack enough clothes for four days and I should bring it with me to work the next day. He had taken it upon himself to contact a fellow chaser and arrange for us to meet up in Amarillo so I could go stormchasing that weekend! The morning of May 24th, Al and I headed up "The Highway to Stormchasing Heaven" as he called it (Highway 287) to Amarillo after our mid shift. As we headed up there, Al informed me that we would be meeting his chase partner and that my ride wouldn't arrive until the following morning. His advice was to keep quiet in the back seat, talk only if asked a question, and most importantly listen. I knew of this person only by name from the various papers and manuscripts Al had me study for the previous two summers. This probably wasn't the best way to be introduced to CAD III but Al took that chance and I am definitely a better forecaster and chaser because of the example of these two men. The ~~arguments~~ discussions they had that afternoon and evening while we chased storms in the Panhandle of Texas probably tought me more about scientific debate and storm morphology than the previous two years combined ever did.

Unfortunately I was not able to remind Al of this experience when I arrived at the party. When I was finally able to take my turn and give him my congratulations on his retirement and thanks for all he has done for me and taught me, I could see in his eyes that the neurons weren't connecting and that I was a stranger to him once again. All I can do is shake my head and wonder why crappy things happen to good people. As much as it hurts to think that the past 15 years might have faded into the sunset of his mind, it also increases my resolve to live the example that Al set forth for me. Zeal is what I have decided is the best one-word description; tireless passion for what I do, continuing to pull science into operational meteorology as he did, but most importantly to share those things and more with others.

To Al Moller; mentor, co-worker, teacher, and friend - thank you for all that you've done and introduced me to. For the mutual friends we have and for the knowledge that you have bestowed on me to share with the next generation of meteorologists. May your retirement be a "long journey into the sunset of life" under many a supercell on the plains.

I Hate Ice

2009-01-27T10:42:00.004-06:00

Don't get me wrong, frozen forms of precipitation are good for some things especially when this frozen precipitation falls in the form of big fluffy flakes. Snow is wonderful because without it we wouldn't be able to enjoy skiing, snowmen, snow caves (something I have YET to be able to do), snow cones, or snow angels. On the opposite end of the spectrum is the large form of frozen precipitation; hail. This is a bit more dangerous as anything larger than dimes can cause some serious problems. Yes, ask any cotton or corn farmer in the Llano Estacado or the portion of the High Plains in the Panhandles and you will hear them say dime size hail can ruin a crop through the seedling stages. Then you get the big end of hail, the softball to holy-crap-it-is-punching-holes-in-the-roof which doesn't care about whether the material under it's fall is man-made or a part of nature. Typically, the monstrous hail falls with severe thunderstorms as strong updrafts are needed to support large hailstone formation which is a whole different realm of mother nature...

However, there is tiny range of frozen precipitation that I personally cannot stand. This often arrives in forms varying from a fine mist/fog/drizzle that occurs with temperatures below freezing, or when the temperatures profiles in the atmosphere favors sleet (properly coded as ice pellets), and the worst of all: freezing rain. My personal dislike for these hellacious forms of precipitation rise from the fact that there is little a city can do to lessen the impacts from various problems that arise (slick roadways, downed power lines, etc. since this accumulates and cannot be plowed away like snow) and it turns my normally easy 5 minute drive to work into a 15 minute, stress-inducing, profanity laced ordeal. Likewise, any form of winter weather warning/advisory that goes out induces a sense of mass hysteria among the residents and thus a run on local grocery stores ensues. It is as if people believe they will run out of bread and milk (and for those of the college age in this town - beer) in the 3 days of wintry precipitation and they have to hoard as much as they can. Store shelves and coolers are picked clean of the essentials and the stress and profanity move indoors as impatient people try to rush through the line in order to get home before the arrival of the end-of-the-world, cataclysmic, biblical end times winter weather.

Sidebar - In my town, a fair amount of people have "so called" 4x4/four-wheel drive/all-wheel drive vehicles and the majority of these are in the pickup/truck form. I say "so called" because 90% of these vehicles are in reality 2-wheel drive thanks to open differentials, another 8% are "2.5" wheel drive thanks to limited slip diffs, with another 1% some combination of open/limited slip/locked differentials yielding a "3" wheel drive. Finally rounding out the group is the 1% that have "true" four-wheel drive where both the front and rear differentials are "locked". (Note: all percentages are wild a$$ guesses). My pickup right now is a 2.5 wheel drive (open front, limited slip rear) while the Jeep is a true 4x4, locked front and rear but I digress.

My point is that via personal observation, the people around here assume 4x4/four-wheel/all-wheel drive means "damn the road conditions, I can drive the speed limit because I'm in a 4x4!". This lack of understanding in their vehicle plus an apparent tendency for people to generally disregard traffic rules (and common sense) yields a portion of the population who are a greater danger to the rest of the residents. The drive in both yesterday and this morning was spent watching out for everyone else and avoiding those fishtailing down the major roads while I plugged along at what I felt was a personally safe pace (25 in a 45 isn't too bad...). However, I was mildly humored with the expressions on the faces of people who had experienced temporary loss of vehicular control...some of whom probably needed to go home and change their pants.

Unfortunately, the hardest part happens while I am at work. Forecasting wintry precipitation in this neck-of-the-woods is part skill but majority luck. A difference in 100 miles can mean the difference between the fluffy stuff or the scrape half an inch of ice off the windshield stuff. In some cases (such as Tuesday), a 25 mile distance can mean the difference between flurries and accumulating sleet. Although my gut instinct is that the majority of the population could care less about our forecasts, there is at least a small minority that does check our forecasts and it is for those people I am trying to figure out what can happen. Walking into the forecast desk Monday was nothing but utter stress and chaos; phone ringing, hand analysis to do, a quick glance at the incoming forecast models, and then a decision on what kind of product to issue 3 hours into the shift to start the aforementioned mass hysteria in the general public. When I walked out the door at 4:30 pm, I ached from the stress of trying to forecast frozen hell falling from the sky and from trying to see the microscale features in the data that could make or break the forecast.

I can handle stress; convective severe weather events are a yearly reminder of that. Yeah I might have a few more gray hairs mixed in with whatever hasn't decided to fall out, I might develop a stomach ulcer or two from drinking too much caffeine (a la 2007 severe weather season in the Top 'o Tejas) during a prolonged period of active weather, and I might pass out for 24 hours when I need to catch up on sleep. However, the stress during convective events is of a different variety than in this icy hell. Severe weather usually lasts for a brief window whereas wintry precipitation can continue for days on end. Give me 12 hours of tornadoes, hail, lightning, winds, and flooding compared to 72 hours of sub-freezing, whiteout inducing, slip and sliding crap.

Give me 3 feet of snow and not this eigth-inch of ice that coats every surface. Let me plow through powdery bliss in my Jeep and not play a game of ice capade chicken on the roads. Did I mention it is going to be 55 degrees today??? All my troubles will literally melt away...

A Disappearing Art in the Science of Meteorology

2009-01-12T05:53:00.002-06:00

I was blown away when I realized that this year marks 10 years since I graduated from college with a hard-earned degree in Meteorology. To make me feel even older; I realized that this summer will also mark 15 years with "The Bureau" (unfortunately the first 4 of which apparently don't count towards my retirement date). When I first started back in 1994, the state of The Bureau was considerably different; PCs were just entering the scene, we were still using a computer system known as AFOS that was designed by Ford Aerospace and was VERY finicky, and the NEXRAD radar had just entered the scene. The majority of the weather analysis was done with the MK I eyeball, an assortment of colored pencils, basic printouts on a facsimile printer which could result in a bit of a buzz due to the ink used, and an occasional walk to the window to see what was going on outside right now.

Meteorology is a science but within the science is something that has a bit of artistic value. Our depiction of weather conditions at the surface and at various levels in the atmosphere was and can still be created by doing hand analysis. This involves looking at a "standard plot" of surface data and contouring the important parameters; pressure, temperature, and dewpoint. Other parameters such as 3-hourly pressure change can be plotted as well. Finally frontal positions can be derived from the data and contours. Likewise, analysis of upper-air data reveals information about the structure and layout of parameters at given levels at the atmosphere.

Unfortunately, hand analysis is a dying artform within our science. It has rapidly been supplanted by computerized objective analysis as hand analysis can take considerably longer than a computer chomping through the data. Although quality checks of the data are improving and have aided in the accuracy of an computer analysis, there are still times a bad observation/data point can sneak through and blow the objective analysis out of the water. It boggles my mind to think that there are generations of meteorologists coming out of various programs in the U.S. that are no longer teaching such a basic form of weather forecasting. They are taught to trust the computer analysis and use the "extra" time for outreach, teletraining sessions, or the generic "professional development".

I didn't realize how rampant this problem was until I had an intern walk up to me while I was working on a hand analysis of surface and upper-air data. He asked why I was wasting my time drawing with colored pencils when the computer version was already done and available. My response was with my own series of questions, which I will also now pose to other "young'uns" who might be reading this. Let's say AWIPS systems are down and the only thing you have access to is the internet. I will not pose the most difficult scenario of having to download all the raw observations and make your own surface map, but say that the only sites you can access are those which have the data pre-plotted on their standard models. Would you be able to create a short-term/12 hour forecast based on that data alone? The reply I got was a rambling statement of how the scenario I posed was highly unlikely and that we could always call another office to get the forecast we needed, blah, blah, blah...all to keep from having to admit that he had no clue nor interest on how to do a basic hand analysis.

Call me "old school". Hand analysis is one of the easiest ways for a meteorologist to get a feel for the basic state of the atmosphere and what might happen in the next few hours. A detailed hand analysis can also reveal subtle features that the models might miss by getting their first guess of conditions (known as model initialization) wrong. With almost 15 years of perusing data via hand analysis, certain features start to appear which is known as pattern recognition; current maps reflect a pattern seen with previous weather systems which means the potential exists for the same kind of weather event to unfold. I would venture to say that combining a firm grasp of what is going on currently plus the various forecast models (computer simulations) of what the weather might be can result in a MUCH better forecast in the first 24 hours than looking at a computer model alone.

So, to my mentors from our collective time at the Bureau office in the northern part of the western Metromess; my sincerest thanks for establishing a firm foot in that wonderful art of hand analysis. Al Moller, your retirement is a great loss for the younger meteorologists coming into the Bureau as your guidance in my early stages of learning hand analysis were priceless. My thanks also go to the late Dr. Dusan Djuric, my METR451 instructor who required map analysis and discussion at the start of every lab day and for his textbook which covers the basics of hand analysis as well as more complex items. All those countless days with various colors rubbed onto the palm of my drawing hand and discussion of what those maps showed have helped me perform the most basic part of my job through all these years; forecasting the weather. To all you young'uns who think it is a waste of time - you are only as good of a meteorologist as you make yourself to be. Take the time to learn hand analysis; it will help you out more than you know...

Merry Christmas and working the New Year

2008-12-30T19:06:00.004-06:00

As always, the best made plans go awry as events unfold in ones daily life. I really had wanted this year to keep the blog updated much more often than I do (such as my friend Academomia who is juggling much more in life than I am! Hang in there, the dissertation will turn out well.). Perhaps this just goes to show where my priorities are; NOT in updating this blog...

ANYWAY, it has been a bit crazy schedule-wise with all that has been going on the last three weeks. The workshop in Norman went well; I learned truly how slow the government moves on certain things. However, the trip presented an opportunity to get caught up with friends I haven't seen in many years as well as making a few new ones. Unfortunately I did return with a souvenier - a weak cold that wasn't enough to knock me totally out but I was dealing with congestion and a stuffy nose for three days. Not having found a doctor yet was the largest reason I didn't seek help from antibiotics for what possibly was a sinus infection but plenty of fluids, Vitamin C, and chicken noodle soup helped to ward off the cold and I was (unfortunately???) well enough to work my round of graveyard shifts. Oh well...

During this time I was also pondering a vehicle to replace the Exploder, doing all my Christmas shopping (only having to brave the mass hordes at Best Buy and Barnes & Noble), and trying to pack for my trip home all while working my crazy schedule. Then there were the Christmas parties, a couple of going-away dinners for a good friend and co-worker, and the occasional snap of cold weather to deal with. All these things going on made the time before I left for home fly by in a hurry and before I knew it, it was time to head for the Hill Country. But I had to make a detour to Frederickburg on my way home.

What was the detour for you ask? Meet my new mode of transportation:
This is my 2006 Chevrolet K1500 Silverado 4x4 with the Z71 package. 30,130 miles when I bought it, and is in excellent condition. The only two things it is missing that I really wanted were XM radio and bucket seats in the front. However, these were small items and decided not to risk passing this vehicle up. Many thanks to Zimmermann Truck and Auto Sales for finding the vehicle closest to what I wanted in the price range I was willing to plink out. So, the Explorer has been put out to pasture after 160,579 miles, one unintended wedding present, and a trip to the Canadian River. Now for a couple of months of lean living and tight spending...

After this purchase, it was finally time to head home and enjoy my week-long Christmas vacation with the family. I can tell it was a good time as I regained the 5 lbs I had lost the previous couple of weeks, came back with the Christmas bounty, left only two tags on my hunting license (out of the 4 I had when I arrived), and all the jokes, fun, and love shared with family memebers. There was also some shooting with my XDM (results scanned in soon), some hand loading for friends and family, and a LOT of reading. My book reccomendation from this trip: The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis.

Last but not least was some photography. This is just a subset of what I have...I'm still sorting through the images and doing minimal post-editing (sharpening, contrast, image resize, and copyright). Enjoy:

Give them another couple of years. They'll be mighty nice, that is if the neighbors won't get to them first...

A porcelain tree my grandmother made before she passed away.

My 2008 Hallmark Ornament series installment.

Yeah, I was playing around on this one and managed to catch myself in the reflection.

So, now to look ahead to 2009. Unfortunately I will have to work through New Years Day so my celebrating New Years Eve will not last through Midnight. Something about having to get up for a day shift on 6 hours sleep doesn't sound like fun. As for resolutions...I'll have to think about those for a while as I probably batted around .500 this year.

Merry Christmas and may 2009 be full of blessings and joy for y'all. And now to return to watching the Cowboys playing with Ducks in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in San Diego.

Cartoon for the week

2008-12-01T08:59:00.003-06:00

I really shouldn't be on the computer; I've got to wrap up packing for a trip to Norman, OK for the Next Generation Warning Tool Workshop, head to the office to get a GSA vehicle, and then enjoy the 5 hour drive to Norman. However, I had to go through my morning routine of checking the latest news, weather conditions, Facebook (I'm addicted), and my comics for the day.

So I share this cartoon, again from XKCD, because I am one of those nerdy students who had to do the egg drop competition (and I passed thanks to the shock-absorbing benefits of crumpled up newspaper, blatantly stolen from NASA's Mars Rovers which used airbags to make it to surface safely). Enjoy!

P.S. I never thought this could be a possibility but it just could be...

Springfield XDM review

2008-11-25T14:47:00.007-06:00

Note: if you loathe weapons in any form, go ahead and pass on this post! In light of recent events at my neighbors house as well as the outcome of the presidential election, I decided it was time to purchase something for defense of my person, my home, and my friends/family as well as something that I can use while out on the ranch in case I encounter feral hogs, rattlesnakes, and other vermin. A good varmint rifle can cover these tasks with the exception of being easily portable. I though about getting a shotgun however being a southpaw when it comes to shooting makes this a bit more difficult due to the direction the spent shells will fly (towards my face). A lefty Benelli semi-auto 12-ga is also a bit out of my price range (right now!).

I had narrowed down the plethora of options to something in the .40 S&W caliber, semi-auto category. The big reason for a semi-auto was that to qualify for the concealed carry permit in the State of Texas, you cannot carry a semi-auto IF you tested on a revolver. I also envision getting a little revolver to carry as most semi-auto frames are too big to easily conceal. Another item to consider was that the semi-auto would come in quite handy working around the home place or when out rounding up cattle should we come upon varmints or snakes. After two weeks and several hours at the local gun shop, I finally had my choice. "Say hello to my little friend!"

You are looking at the Springfield Armory XDM. There were several reasons I chose this firearm over the plethora of other ones available. Those reasons include:

Fit, form and function. Out of the 8 options I had, this fit my hand the best. Being a southpaw, I needed something that could easily be used by my left hand. All the controls on this beauty meet that need.
Capacity. I never envision nor hope that I will ever be involved in a firefight. However, I can hold 16+1 rounds in this firearm. That might actually come in handy if we run across a herd of feral hogs. Also, the .40 S&W ammo was one of the more powerful rounds that was more common, with the .357 SIG being the only one more powerful.
Trigger. The XD and XDM series have a trigger safety similar to that of a Glock. Out of all those tested, this trigger felt the sharpest, had the best length of travel, and the best reset. It is nice and crisp which is good for accuracy but less important for other uses.
Match-grade barrel. Although this isn't a necessity, the barrel is designed for competition which theoretically means better accuracy. More on this in a moment.
Durability. The XDM is another polymer-based frame with steel slide. My research and reading shows that the finish should stand up for MANY rounds. Also, I saw a recent article that they ran 20,000 rounds through the XDM after being submerged in sand and water, frozen in ice, and run over with a truck. There were some minor issues with the sand (what firearm doesn't have that problem) but it never failed to fire. The only fail to fires were with sub-par ammunition.

I took my XDM with me when visiting family a couple of weeks ago and squeezed off several rounds on a target at 25 feet; the standard distance for sighting in a pistol and for competition practice. The best free hand (meaning standing/no bench rest) 5-shot group I had measured 1 inch in the horizontal and 1/2 inch in the vertical! Unfortunately it was 4 inches high due to poor sight picture on my part. This grouping was much better than any of those published (at least that I could find). All rounds fired easily would have been in the thoracic cavity of a full-body target.

The recoil is easily manageable by my standards although my arms were tired by the end of shooting. As a result, the groupings towards the end of practice were much worse than at the start. This is something I can work on with a bit of weight training and dry-fire practice. Disassembly for cleaning is a BREEZE compared to some of the other models I looked at. I also liked the consistency the firearm had with ejecting the spent cartridges which never were in any danger of impacting my face (another problem faced by some southpaw shooters).

My only very minor disappointment is that the XDM is built in Croatia and imported into the USA. I prefer to support the USA firearm companies (well, those that didn't cave to the Clinton Administrations Firearms...cough cough...Smith and Wesson). This is so minor that I wouldn't even bring this up when discussing with friends. The quality is outstanding, reliability looks good, the fit is perfect, and the fun factor is quite high. I like it!

Stay tuned as I squeeze off a few more rounds with my XDM, especially once I start hand loading some ammo to really hone the accuracy as much as possible...

As Usual; Busy

2008-11-21T10:15:00.006-06:00

Oh so much going on, so little time it seems. This is another one of those posts that basically is more of a list of all that is going on right now...

Had a great trip home for 6 days. I was originally going to stay for 5 days but decided to take an extra day off. The hunting was too good, there were plenty of things to do at home, and as the extra 5 pounds I put on this week indicates, mom's home cooking was mighty good as well.

Another item taken care of while home was discussing getting a new vehicle to replace my aging 1997 Ford ~~Exploder~~ Explorer. I bought the Ford used back in 2001 and it is starting to show the wear and tear of the 140,000 miles I have put on it since then. Most of those are road miles, but I'd estimate 5-7,000 miles of that are extreme, hard-driven miles it accumulated stormchasing. Right now it is at the point that any major repairs are probably going to cost about as much, if not more, than the vehicle is worth. Next in line: 2005-2007 Chevy/GMC 1/2 ton Crew Cab 4x4/Z71 short bed with 20-40,000 miles on it. Perhaps a Christmas present to myself if a family friend can find one for me...

The last part of the trip was spent taking pictures at sunset on my way home. I'm still proccessing the pictures in Photoshop (resize, copyright notice, sharpening, and removing CCD noise is it) and will hopefully have them on-line soon. These won't be in Picasa; I found out the license agreement for the newest version gives Google the perpetual (as in forrrrrrreeeeeeeeeevvvvvvvvvvvveeeeeeeeeerrrrr) use of ANY pictures I put on the web through their service. That stinks. I'll try and find a flash gallery soon and finally develop a personal web-space.

In news closer to the South Plains; I was informed they captured the burglar mentioned in an earlier post. The detective said he was passing the case off to the District Attorney so we'll see where things go from here.

Related to the previous bullet...I have a new weapon for home defense. Be looking for my impressions on my choice soon.

I'm prepping for a trip to Norman in December. My unnamed employer is holding a workshop to see where we want to try and take our severe weather warnings in the future. Right now, the format we use (and which you see as the scroll across the bottom of the screen during severe weather) is based on teletype technology from the 1950s. Needless to say, we are well behind the technology curve and need to catch up. Fast.

If you didn't notice, a couple of posts were removed. Things with a certain someone didn't work out. Most of y'all already knew that but I thought I'd inform the few that hadn't heard.

So, that's about all from around here. Pretty much the same old stuff. Just wishing it would rain...and lots of it over several days over all of Texas. It is starting to get dry once again.

Dyslexia? Or something else???

2008-11-13T19:30:00.004-06:00

Maybe this is why I have problems telling folks where I am when stormchasing or when I'm at work trying to get spotters on a storm (courtesy of XKCD.com):

(And another recent cartoon for your enjoyment).

The Search Continues

2008-11-07T09:29:00.001-06:00

Much to the disappointment of my friends and Dad, I am not a coffee drinker. I've tried and tried various types, blends, cappuccinos, and lattes. There was even one cold night we were on a men's retreat at Guadalupe Mountain, it was 25 degrees, and I was so cold I tried cowboy coffee with a packet of hot chocolate mix added in (you know, cowboy coffee as in grinds at the bottom of the pot, heated over an open fire, and it comes out so thick you could slice it with a knife?). It definitely warmed me up due to the caffeine content and the high likelihood I ingested some coffee grounds. How could I forget in a moment of distraction ordering a Pumpkin Spiced Latte from Starbucks (not realizing I ordered it full octane either) and taking a first sip and realizing it was coffee. Yup...I still don't like coffee.

Anyway, since I haven't been able to develop a taste for coffee I have had to find something that would meet the approval of my apparently narrow palate for the times I am out with friends at a coffee shop. Six years ago, I was introduced into the world of Chai. More specifically Masala Chai, which most Americans know as spiced chai. One chilly day at the Wesley Foundation, the director decided it was time to make Chai the old-school way; warm the milk on the stove and place the loose tea leaves and spices in the milk. I had never seen nor heard of anyone making tea with milk until that fateful afternoon, but I've been hooked ever since and have been struggling to find something that is easy for me to make at work with only a microwave.

At first there was Celesital Seasonings Indian Spiced Chai which is somewhat easy to make: steep like normal tea with water and add milk. However, there is something in their mix that I am allergic to and consumption every morning for five days leaves my throat raw and itchy. Next came a local coffee shop here in the Hub City; Sugar Browns. I don't know what they use but I absolutely LOVE their Chai. There is also Daybreak Coffee Roasters which has a good Chai (and the fact I had a roommate and good friend who worked there) but I'm not sure what the mix is they use. However, I had to leave this behind for 5 years when I was in the Top o' Texas and found the local establishment there: Roaster's. It turns out that they use Oregon Chai which is available in instant mix packets. Now, the instant mix is nowhere near as good as a fresh brewed cup but is MUCH more convenient for a work environment where a stove isn't available. This is also very convenient for camping and vacations; just throw in a couple of packets and I can warm up in the morning to my Chai while everyone else has their coffee. Two other reasons I favor Oregon Chai; they carry Vanilla Chai (my favorite) AND decaf (but not decaf vanilla, dang).

Well, now I'm back in the Hub City but live too far from Sugar Browns and Daybreak south to make the detour when I am heading into work. The closest place is Starbucks and they use Tazo Chai which is a decent balance between all the choices available. However, I hate supporting a chain when there are local shops. It also became very apparent when I first moved here and was on per-diem that purchasing chai over black coffee at various shops is relatively more expensive. With the economy in the tank right now, I also don't want to spend the $$ at Starbucks when I'm working day-shifts. SO, I'm limited to making it myself. Unfortunately, I have yet to find my instant Vanilla Oregon Chai for sale here in the Hub City. The nearest United Market Street does carry the mix where all you have to do is add milk but I hate microwaving milk. What I really need is a milk steamer.

Hence the title of this blog entry. I'm still in the search of a simple milk steamer. Yes, I could use a double boiler but that would get a bit tedious to clean every day and we don't have a cook top at my office. I've done the microwave thing the last couple of weeks but this is hit and miss; heat it too much and you start to curdle the milk, not enough heat and it comes out lukewarm and there is nothing worse than expecting a nice hot sip of your favorite tasty beverage only to get something that is barely above body temperature. For home, I'd like a simple stove top steamer; works like a tea kettle but allows you to pipe the steam into your milk to warm it. For work, something I could plug in, heat water with and then steam my milk. So far my search of the web via google has not yielded anything nor has my searches of various stores around town.

Anyone have any ideas???

Scary Moment

2008-11-04T13:19:00.002-06:00

I got home from work this morning and took care of some housekeeping items for a couple of hours. Driving up to the house, I noticed that my lawn was awash in brown leaves and decided to get them out of the way before the West Texas wind machine added another 3 inches of dead leaves tomorrow. So, I ventured out back sometime shortly after 10 am to get the rake and the trash can and went through the gate on the side of the house to head out front.

The first thing I notice is the screen on my neighbors house was lying on the ground in a twisted heap.

Second thing was the storm window was open.

Third thing was hand prints in the dust on the inner window.

Fourth thing was their gate was open.

O.K. those things aren't normal. As I walk around to the front of my house and start to rake leaves, a stranger walks across my neighbors lawn and starts heading down a cross street. Then a strange car parked across the way picks him up and then takes off down the road.

I'm scared $*@%less. After running in the house and dialing 911, two cops showed up and started to investigate matters.

Yup, my neighbors house was broken in to this morning. After the cops did their search and I gave them what little info I could give, the only thing they could figure out was either a door was left unlocked or a family member committed the crime. The scariest thing was that I apparently startled them in the middle of their attempt.

So now I am STILL scared $*@%less. Every little noise I hear, every shadow on the sunroof, every gust of wind freaks me out. The culprit or culprits probably got a good look at me but I didn't get a good look at them. No matter what I do, it feels as if the locks aren't good enough, the latches on the windows aren't strong enough, and the visibility around my house isn't good enough for my neighbors to keep watch on my house.

My neighbors were extremely grateful that I did call 911 and in talking with them they said nothing like this had happened in the 15 years they've lived in the neighborhood.

There is a first time for everything...

Random Thoughts I

2008-10-30T06:34:00.003-06:00

I am on midnight shifts right now, number 2 of 7. This is usually the worst time in the series of mids mainly because of the lack of sleep. However, it does allow quite a few random musings to float in and out of the grey matter of my brain. Some of them might even be worthy of mentioning to you...

The upcoming Texas vs Texas Tech game is being hyped up beyond all proportions in this town. So much so that a local T.V. station has had a countdown out since 144 hours to kickoff. All I can say is that it is fitting that the first part of next week (Sunday - Tuesday) will be windy in this town. If Tech loses, the windy conditions will be a result of the thousands of students who just had their National Championship dreams and school pride popped like a balloon. If they do indeed win, that is air being pulled into the ever inflating egos of the most avid Red Raider fans.

I find it amazing that Wal Mart gasoline in this town has fallen almost every day by a couple of pennies while all the Fina Stations are still charging gas 30 cents higher than Wal Mart just because of the company brand. How the HECK are the Fina stations staying in business?

Heard this on the radio driving home this morning: The young people who are the most fervent supporters of Senator Obama were not alive the last time a true liberal occupied the White House. Scary...

Could another name for a tire factory be a tread mill?

I was amazed that Mythbusters proved you could rappel down a four story wall using single-ply toilet paper (testing myths of escaping from jail using bedsheets tied together, hair clippings, and toilet paper). Maybe I should carry a nine-pack of Charmin around when rock climbing for all the "just in case" moments...

And last but not least: your pun for the day.

Jesus and his disciples were walking around one day when Jesus said, "The Kingdom of Heaven is like 3x² + 8x - 9." The disciples looked very puzzled and finally asked Peter, "What on earth does Jesus mean???" Peter said, "Don't worry. It is just another one of his parabolas."

A quick tidbit for you...

2008-10-17T08:46:00.002-05:00

I've tried to keep out of the political arena just because of my unnamed employer and out of respect for the viewpoints of friends and family. However, working in a land of agriculture and keeping up on how things are going in that arena of life has led me to this article and it got my blood pressure up. Hard to believe that the candidate in question thinks that an illegal vote should be honored. Makes you wonder what he'll do in the real election...

P.S. Don't forget to read the actual signed letter at the bottom of the article!

I caved...

2008-10-15T08:40:00.003-05:00

After almost a full year and many changes, including a new job, new home, and new climate (I've received over 10 inches of rain in the last two months alone and 8 of those inches fell in 24 hours!), I finally caved in. I weighed the costs versus the enjoyment as well as the capabilities compared to other systems and decided the time was right.

I got one of these:
Yes, I finally joined the plethora of people who have a Nintendo Wii. My sisters both got one shortly after Christmas of '07 and the C's got one shortly after they hit the market so I was no stranger to the enjoyment value these things bring. Perhaps I was also living out a childhood dream that my parents (smartly and thankfully) wouldn't let us fulfill; owning a first-generation NES (you know, the console that up-up-down-down-left-right-left-right-B-A-start would give you 30 lives in Contra?). Besides, I needed SOMETHING to do on those nights I'm staying up to prepare for my rounds of graveyard shifts...I can't play guitar for 8 hours without losing a finger or two to blisters!

The competition I had was the PS3 and the XBOX 360, both of which I gave serious consideration. I have a PS2 and purchasing the PS3 would have allowed me to have 1080p BluRay DVD capability AND still be able to play my old PS2 games. The XBOX 360 had much more consideration as I would have loved to play the Halo games against friends up in Amarillo and I fell in love with Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six: Vegas II right before I moved down here. However, in the end it was the fact that I would have to physically move to play some games on the Wii that sold me in the end. There is something about actually having to swing the controller to hit the tennis, golf, and baseballs as well as being able to play many of the original favorites that hooked me on video games in my early childhood (Super Mario Bros., Contra, Legend of Zelda, and MegaMan to name a few). After having experienced on-line play in Smash Brothers Brawl and MarioKart, I felt it was too good of a system to pass up since this would finally allow me a chance to whup up on my friends back in the Top o' Texas (and eventually my sisters if they would hurry up and get their Wii systems on the internet hint hint).

In a month or so I will hopefully have enough $$ saved up to go and purchase a Wii Fit so I can get ready for ski season (and will hopefully not have to keep dealing with sore arms from all the swinging playing tennis and boxing). Having already tasted what the Fit is capable of, it is one of those things that I think will help improve the lateral stability in my legs. In other words, I'll sacrifice some fun and games in order to get my knees and thighs ready for the hope of hitting the ski slopes this winter. Those that have played will understand. Those who haven't...welllll...as soon as I get one you will have to give it a try for yourself!

Why all the hype?

2008-09-24T22:56:00.004-05:00

Call it being cranky because of the lack of sleep I've gotten working this series of midnight shifts but I'm tired of listening to all the stuff about how bad the economic situation is and that we are going to see the biggest financial bailout in U.S. Federal Government history EVVVVVERRRRRRRR. That's an awful big word. Ever. And I beg to differ with the political and economic analysts.

Anyone remember the oil bust and real-estate crash of the 1980's? Anyone remember how many Savings & Loans and financial institutions went under then? What about the fact that the majority were Texas financial institutions that went under?

Do a search for the Resolution Trust Corporation (RTC) and see what comes up. The late 1980s saw a crash in the oil market which then bled over into the real-estate market. In summary, the RTC took assets of 747 failed thrifts (mainly in the form of BAD REAL ESTATE LOANS...sound familiar?...mainly in the commercial market however) and disposed of them at taxpayer expense. How much you ask? Three hundred ninety-four BILLION dollars between 1989 and 1995. Adjust that for inflation (using 1995 as the base year) and you get: almost $700 BILLION dollars. Yes, if you use the initial year of 1989 that the trust started to distribute funds and you will come up closer to $500 Billion. The point is that the government stepped in due to overzealous lending practices, illegal activities on some parties parts, and poor decisions by many in the financial sector. One of the root causes they discovered; people got greedy and thought they could lend money to/for risky investments and thus make a lot of money on the interest. Some people did. A few got caught and were punished. However, many were hurt and lost their life savings and livelihood.

Why am I posting about this you ask? I've lived through this once before already. My family was directly affected by the financial crisis of the late 80s and early 90s as my Dad was laid-off, a casualty of the Feds being TOO proactive in taking over a financial institution that they thought was going under and in reality was still solvent at the time (Go read The Great Texas Banking Crash: An Insider's Account by Joseph Grant). When Texas American Bank was forced into insolvency by the FDIC in that crash, one of Dad's co-workers went behind his back and convinced the oversight board to lay him off thus allowing this co-worker to be promoted and fill Dad's position. Another instance of someone in the financial sector having feelings of inadequacy and thinking about himself. But I digress...

It seems to me everyone is worked up into a lather once again thinking the end of the financial world is at hand, our economy is going to fall to pieces, and we are all going to be broke. Yup, we are going to have to face hard times. Looking back, I was shielded from all the difficulties when Dad was laid off because I was barely a teenager. Now however I am a taxpayer, investor, and wondering if I will be able to live comfortably when I retire WAAAY down the road. Am I sure that the Feds will have the right answer in stepping up? Yes and no. Sometimes trying things that worked in the past will work now. The economy did recover after the crash of the early 80s but it took awhile. However, many times it won't as people have changed, technology has changed, AND we are now truly more of a global economy. Perhaps those who are in positions to make decisions remember the government bailout in the 80's and think that it is their turn to get a piece of the government pie.

Who knows? I believe that every generation has a "blip" in their road to long-term financial stability; personally, nationally, and globally. Think about it: in my life it has been the 80's - Savings and Loan crisis, 90's - dot com bust, early 2000 - Enron, and now the subprime credit crisis. I just wish people would remember these things and not shove them under the carpet. Remember what is happening now, remember what started this, and remember it when it comes back around shrouded in some other sector of the financial market.

Folks; history has a way of coming back and biting you in the ass. Learn from it!

Normalcy slowly is returning.

2008-09-24T02:55:00.002-05:00

Well, there are six boxes left to unpack and two of those will likely be repacked and stuck into a closet since they hold old files that I've got to hold on for a tad bit longer. Most of the furniture is finally in a good position (for now) and the kitchen has finally been fully tested (meaning the ovens, dishwasher, stove, and microwave have all been used extensively). My desktop is up and running which means I now have access to the 5 CDs that my iTunes library didn't sync to the external hard drive AND I can finally keep my laptop in a Linux environment for testing and development of some work-related software.

I am also in the weekly routine of lawn maintenance although I did come to the realization that if/when fall actually arrives here in the Hub City, I will be buried under a large biomass of leaves. A LOT of leaves. So many that it may call for blowing all the glucose-rich clorophill dormant detrius into the street before a blue norther comes through allowing mother nature to relocate the leaves down the street and possibly all the way to the Big Bend. And then there is the other weekly task of laundry which I think I have nailed down to the day when I will need to get various loads of whites, colors, permanent press, or blue jeans sorted and started to ensure I'll have enough clothes for work.

Speaking of work, the "normal" rounds of shifts continue although I still have a problem wrapping my head around the fact the graveyard shift comes around roughly once every 30 days vs. once every 20 days AND we work 8 in a row vs. 4 or 5 at the old shop. I also miss having a month with weekends off. Is it worth working 8 days of graveyards every 30 days vs working 4 or 5 every 20? I can't tell yet. This is only the second set of mids I've had to work on this new rotation and I'm not quite sure my body has fully adjusted. Add in the fact that cotton harvest is coming around (meaning I'll probably return to my annual fall sinus infection here soon) and my body will likely be thrown for quite a loop with allergies and shift work combined. That and I still refuse to take anything unless I'm absolutely tuckered out...

There are only a couple of things that are keeping the old "normalcy" from up north returning. The first is that I still have to get my guitars back from a fellow musician (a HUGE thanks D) who was gracious enough to let me place my instruments under his care only for a fee of being able to use them. Once I get those back, I can start work on getting the callouses back on my fingertips (amazing how fast they disappear when one doesn't play daily) and start learning new matierial. Next is that we've got a good feeling about the church we are going to down here and although it isn't the one that I left 5 years ago, I have a couple of co-workers and a friend that goes there which has helped ease the transition into a new body of believers. Once I/we get plugged into a small group that should open the doors for new ministry opportunities down here. And last but not least; the one that I'm extremely happy is keeping my old "normalcy" from returning. The, well, significant other (see the previous post) is also getting settled into life here in the Hub City and we've been able to spend quite a bit of time together. I'll take that over spending evenings sitting around the house alone any day.

Yup, things are going well so far out here.

I am still alive

2008-08-22T04:22:00.005-05:00

Sorry for not posting recently but I've had quite a bit going on. Starting a new job, going on vacation, coming back and returning to work, buying a house, severe weather, AND moving into the aforementioned house. Add in one huge surprise here in the last few days and (needless to say) life has been crazy recently. I've shunted some of the lower priority items waaaaaaaay down the list. Such as this blog...

Anyway, the job is pretty much the same as it was when I was up north; forecasting the weather with a few additional duties involved. What are the new duties you ask? Well, I get to decide who/if we need people to stay thus I have the power of granting overtime/comp time. I also now have signature authority for our managerial staff if they are unavailable and the others who have more tenure than I are not here. And I guess the fact that I can chose how to distribute shift duties also comes in nice. This is definitely a position that as one of my friends put it: "You are the first one that gets blamed if something goes wrong and the first one that gets praise if things go well". And I am still having problems adjusting to being called "Senior" Forecaster. I'm not THAT old...

Vacation was nice; we headed up to South Fork, Colorado for some much needed fishing and relaxation time. Unfortunately I was playing around with my camera and left it on the wrong setting so quite a few of the pictures didn't turn out like I wanted them to. I did manage to see how well my camera can take pictures of the Milky Way and stars in general however. As for fishing, Dad and I ended up at Poage Lake which is located at around 11,700 ft and caught our limit of trout for the day (including my 15" lake trout!) while scaring my family and Jill to death at the same time. You see, we were only supposed to go find the lake and then go back to the house for lunch. However, the fish were teasing us and we ended up staying there for 6 hours. Mom was about ready to call the police when we came down the mountain and finally had cell phone reception...oops! Our time was well spent; the fish were mighty tasty and I've learned how to grill fresh trout.

Back here in the South Plains - I did finally close on a house and the movers came a week ago to unload and unpack all my stuff. The day before I was supposed to have ~~Suddenstink~~ Suddenlink come and establish my cable. This fiasco started when the person pulled up to the house, never got out of the car, and then drove off. When I called customer support, they said that the service tech tried calling the house (NOT!) and with no answer he left. Upon informing them that I was there and gave them the number of the truck that came by, they said it was their error and that they would fix the problem...a WEEK LATER! And then they claim that my cable modem is a rental (I bought that thing 5 years ago), it is overdue, and that they are going to send my account to a collection agency. I'm about ready to be done with them and switch over to DSL. (Rant mode off). ANYWAY, mom came into town for a couple of days to help organize things and did an outstanding job; I've actually got room to move around now. Also, a H U G E thanks to my friends the C's for keeping some of my lawn care items and bringing them down this past weekend. Besides bringing me those items, it is always good to spend time with such good friends. (Post Edit - Suddenlink came and got everything hooked upa. However, my cable modem was fried so you guessed it: I had to buy one from Suddenlink. What a racket...)

And then there has been the weather. Two weeks ago we had 6 days of rain around the region and we netted about 7 inches at the office. Fortunately, the Hub City has been doing some drainage work on my side of town and there weren't nearly the problems there used to be. Yes, drivers still were idiots but at least they didn't have to deal with whole roads underwater; just a couple of intersections had deep water. I had nearly forgotten what heavy rain was like up north; we just didn't get it very often. The only bad news was that I found out my Exploder has a couple of leaks around the doors as the weatherstripping is old and not sealing the door as tight as it used to. If I didn't need to get that 7" lift, 37" tires, new rear axle, SYE, and other goodies for my Jeep, I might consider a new...meaning used...pickup. We'll see.

To close things out on a really high note, there was a surprise that totally came out of left field. My girlfriend had been trying to find a job here in the South Plains and had resigned to keeping her job down in southeast Texas for another year. However, she received a surprise call asking if she was still interested in a teaching job in this neck-of-the-woods. After dealing with an idiot apartment complex, still dealing with the previous employer, and a quick move, she has arrived here in my town and is trying to get settled all while starting a new job. Be praying for her because she is under just a little bit of stress right now and my shift-work schedule certainly doesn't help matters either.

Awlrightythen...time to get back to getting the last of the boxes unpacked and finding all the various nooks and crannies to put stuff!

Another Quick Update

2008-07-28T10:52:00.003-05:00

So much has been going on the last couple of weeks and I have been bad at keeping y'all updated. In this brief moment before heading out for a bit of lunch with a parental unit, I give you some tidbits and nuggets of information on how things are going here in the Hub City.

I have signed a contract on a house and will (hopefully) close the first part of August. Only real problem was I missed getting low interest rates by ONE day (went from 6.125% to 6.75% in 5 hours the day I went in for my mortgage).
Work is going well; I'm slowly getting settled in on what it means to be a shift supervisor. So much to learn in so little time. The "gang" that works here is great and it seems a bit more relaxed than in my previous office.
Lubbock drivers STILL don't know how to drive, even after 5 years. Stupid college students talking on their cell phones and not watching out for other people. People forgetting that there is a nifty device called a turn signal that they can use when changing lanes. I just can't wait to see what it will be like the first heavy rain event or winter storm that blows through here...NOT!
Living out of a hotel is great the first 4 days you are in one. After that it gets old. I don't have a real kitchen to cook in and frozen dinners are getting boring. The "continental breakfast" is nothing more than day old bread for toast, some bagels or English Muffins that don't fit in the toaster, and some kind of reconstituted fruit juices that are supposed to resemble apple or orange juice. I might have to learn how to drink coffee just to get something that tastes good in the morning.
I thought the mosquitoes in the Top o' Texas were bad. Nope. This town has them worse. Getting out of your car and walking to the door at the hotel has caused me to sprint through hungry hoards of blood-sucking mosquitoes that were so thick you needed a light saber to cut through. Right now I count 7 itchy bumps from being outside for 15 minutes, one of which is on my cheek. Damn thing itches like mad!

Anyway, such is my life right now. Gotta run...time to get some local items taken care of and then start getting ready for our family vacation to southwest Colorado. Highs in the upper 70s, lows in the 40's, and chances for rain each afternoon. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh.

I am now a Vagabond

2008-07-21T20:39:00.002-05:00

Well, I've landed in the South Plains. The house closed with one minor hitch...the buyers delayed until 2 pm so I had to wait a couple of hours to get my check. It was worth it however; it gave me one last opportunity to eat lunch at Rudy's with friends and get a little bit of Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 in as well. However, in true words of the term - I am now a Vagabond.

There wasn't much fanfare when I left; just a look in the rear-view mirror at the town that I have known for the last 5 years. I had a couple of days to say farewell to my friends, my house was empty, and I didn't have to go into work. But there is a sense of sadness knowing that I won't be able to call the C's to see if there is a free evening for Super Smash Bros. on the Wii (or some Rainbow Six: Vegas 2 with Mr. C.). I won't be able to go to iForty (as often) nor have the fun evenings afterwords with "the gang" when we sit down for dinner.

This move does bring with it new opportunities however. I look forward to renewing friendships of old and getting back involved with playing guitar in a worship setting. I'm back in college town so I'm hoping (hint...hint) that friends will come on down and stay for a weekend of Raider sports. Eventually, maybe, possibly when I get settled, I'll finally be able to get that big screen and an Xbox360 (or the Wii) with Xbox live to meet my friends on the battlefield or Super Mario Kart track.

So, here I am. A vagabond back in a town I left 5 years ago. Time to unpack and get some clothes ready for the first day impression tomorrow at work. Tomorrow...laundry and the story of the hotel.

P.S. To the gang back in the Top 'o Texas: to quote Sallah from Indiana Jones I and III: "I am missing you already..."

Housing Update

2008-07-14T10:21:00.002-05:00

Here is the latest news from the housing front. The buyers of my home here in the Top o' Texas wanted to bump up the closing date by two weeks which is physically impossible as I still have to live in my house through the end of this week. SO, we struck a compromise and I close on my current house on the 21st. Whew! I'll have to make sure all my ducks are in a row for the closing but it appears all is coming together well.

I decided this morning to put an offer on a house in the Hub City so that process has now started. Currently am awaiting info on whether the house is still on the market and if the seller is even interested in my offer. Should that go through and the haggling isn't too far out of touch of what comps in the 'hood are (see, I'm learning the real estate lingo with all this moving stuff taking place), I'll hopefully have a contract by tomorrow. Why the rush? With all the mortgage mess with Freddy Mac and Fannie Mae, there is a great likelihood that rates will jump quite a bit this week. Best to try and lock in a low rate if I can!

Last but not least...movers come Thursday to pack and Friday to load. Ought to be interesting...I STILL don't have my travel orders. No travel orders = no hotel at the guv'ment rate. No hotel = sleeping on air mattress and sleeping bag over the weekend (well...not really. I'll probably crash over at the Clark's).

Dang. I've got a WHOLE LOT of stuff to take care of.

In the next three days.

While working day shifts.

Can you say small panic attack???

BREAKING NEWS...

2008-06-24T16:51:00.003-05:00

We interrupt your regularly scheduled blog reading with this breaking news story. After only 8 days on the market, I've received an offer on my house! The contracts have been signed so now it is up to the inspector to be nitpicky and figure out what all needs to be worked on or "allowanced". Hopefully it won't be too much, especially with all that I have been working on. The most impressive item in this story is that the offer was exactly what I was asking. Amazing.

Also in breaking news, the vanity top supposedly has arrived at Lowe's (according to the purchase order tracking) and I should be receiving a call from them to go and pick it up. Once that puppy is in and the back door is painted, the house will be complete.

We now return you to your regularly schedule blog reading...

Anybody want a house?

2008-06-17T13:18:00.001-05:00

Well, as if it wasn't official, my house is now on the market. Here you go...

The Master Bath Series, Part VIII

2008-06-17T13:13:00.002-05:00

A quick update while eating lunch. There has been much progress in the master bath since my last update. Paint is up, fixtures are up, lighting is installed, loo is installed, and half the grout is installed. The only three things that are left are to do the last of the grout, install the baseboards, and then install the new vanity top when it arrives. Soon...hopefully soon.

Random Updates

2008-06-03T11:02:00.002-05:00

A lot going on at the moment...too much to grasp at times. Here are the highlights:

Saw three tornadoes (well, two confirmed and one possible) two Sundays ago near Channing and Stinnett. Total miles driven - 217, total cost of gas $40. A few pics are forthcoming whenever I can find time (HA!).

The packing has started. Pictures have been pulled down, personal items you can't put a price on packed away to be sent with family, and the to do list continues to grow.

A new backyard fence is going in after the old one was falling apart. Gotta make things look good for prospective buyers.

It's hot...as in 105 degrees hot. TOO hot. I'm afraid my A/C will explode on me one of these days.

Official move date has been set for the middle of July (right before I report to the center of the South Plains). I still haven't looked at a house yet at my new location; hoping to get that taken care of in the next couple of weeks.

I'm totally addicted to Super Smash Brothers, Wii Fit, and Mario Kart on the Wii. Now all I need is to get all of those games AND the game console.

The master bath continues but progress is being made. Still patching some drywall and getting it shaped right. It stinks being a perfectionist. Will go and order paint and a loo in the next couple of days.

Back to the grind...

The Master Bath Series, Part VII

2008-05-30T10:20:00.006-05:00

A quick update on the master bath project that is picking up speed again (thanks to my impending departure). I finally was able to figure out how to shape texture along an odd angle which is the last place I needed to finish up. Once I get that sanded and primed, things should progress pretty fast. The only major thing left will be to pull the vanity top out and texture the wall where the sidesplash was attached.

SO, I headed over to Home Depot and Lowe's to pick up some items to further the project along and to order the new vanity top for the bathroom. My superb interior decorator C.W. and I picked out a beautiful Crane Two-Tone Astra Lav marble top in Sand Granite with a White Bowl, but I had one minor issue. The builder of my home decided that he couldn't make life easy and give me a standard-sized vanity top. A much used standard width is 49 inches for vanities and vanity tops. Well, after umpteen measurements and comparisons with different tape measures, I came to the realization that from wall-to-wall, my vanity top is 47 1/2 inches. What does this mean?

I had to order a custom vanity top. What does that mean?

It costs more. It takes longer to produce than a "standard" size. How long of a wait did they tell me when I ordered it to when it will be delivered in Amarillo?

A few days shy of one month.

Needless to say, a few colorful adjectives came to mind when I found that out. I can't wait that long since I need to get the house on the market. So, the new plan is to get as much stuff done as I can such as paint, fixtures, lighting, etc. and then clean up the old vanity top as best I can so I can show the house with a "finished" master bath. When the new one arrives, I'll hopefully be able to swap them out with no issues and be done with this thing.

I knew I should have never stopped working on this project....

The March of the Airmasses

2008-05-22T00:43:00.003-05:00

Many of y'all who will read this blog sometime today likely awoke to a strange feeling. The air was "heavy", your clothes feel a bit sticky, a strange smell permeates the air as you go to work, school, or Home Depot to get an estimate on a double inward-swinging non-standard size french door...oh wait. That's me. Focus...

Yes, my West Texas Friends, the annual march of the airmasses is taking place. What is this you ask? For those that went to Anti-Aggieland, think "Brown Smell". Remember how it sometimes would appear randomly at night, usually after 8pm or so? That is one symptom of this meteorological magic that we "weather weenies" look forward to each spring and summer. Sidenote: "brown smell" here in the top 'o Texas is NOT the same phenomenon, especially if you live in and around a certain town in the southwestern portions of the area.

Why is this so magical to meteorologists? It is the march of the dryline (ignore the picture, that is NOT a dryline but this example is!), a magical moisture discontinuity that manages to "slosh" (yes, we ACTUALLY use that term) back and forth across the region in the spring and even in the fall. If conditions are just right, the dryline can mean tornado producing supercells or perfectly clear skies in which one can get a good sunburn. It is a fickle feature, leading many forecasts (yes, mine included) to either come beautifully true or totally go down the toilet.

It is this feature that adds to the challenge of forecasting in the Panhandle and there are extremely few places in the world that have any kind of facsimile or equivalent. But there is something more. When I walked out this evening and saw a hazy full moon, felt the blue jeans and shirt feel a bit stickier than usual, and smelled a bit of mustiness that only comes from air blowing off the Gulf of Mexico, I was reminded how amazing this part of Texas is - from the top of the Panhandle all the way down to the Big Bend. It is the simple feature of the dryline that can mean feast or famine for farmers and ranchers (and meteorologists). A difference in 50 miles or less could mean you are sweating your butt off working outside in muggy conditions or baking under a hot sun in bone dry air. The simple act that moisture gets pulled all the way from the Gulf, goes back and forth sometimes for days at a time, and that it could result in 3+ inches of rain and tornadoes or tumbleweeds blowing in dusty westerly winds that is a constant reminder to me that there is someone behind this weather wonder. I choose to believe that my God created this place, this setting, this environment and I am a lucky person to be able to experience it in all the ways possible. To you it might mean the return of the "brown smell" or having to sweat a bit extra when working outside but there is so much more involved.

That and the fact that I'll eventually be able to ask my Jesus why he makes it so stinkin' hard trying to forecast if the dryline is going to produce thunderstorms or leave us high and dry as it did tonight...

On The Move...Again.

2008-05-20T11:36:00.003-05:00

I know that I have been lax in keeping this blog updated but I have had WAY too much stuff going on in my life that I've let some things slide by the wayside. Unfortunately, this blog is one of those things that manages to fall to the bottom of the list every time I get overwhelmed with "life".

SO, what is the latest and greatest news???? Well, on the morning of May 15th I received a phone call that I had anxiously been awaiting for well over a month and a half. I was chosen for, and accepted, a Senior Forecaster position in the Dust Bowl of Texas. Hence the "on the move" title for this blog. Yup, I will be leaving the top 'o Texas here in a couple of months and relocating about two hours south back to anti-Aggieland.

It is bittersweet; this move will be a promotion with additional responsibilities (side note...someone once told me that the only difference between the position I am in now and a Senior Forecaster is that if anything goes really wrong during a shift, the Senior Forecaster is the first one that is given the blame!), I'll be back in an area of dust storms and fall allergies when the cotton is being harvested, and I will be leaving MANY close friends that I have developed over the 5 years I have lived here in the top o' Texas. However, I'll only be two hours away from those aforementioned friends which is more tolerable than 6 hours, there are many old friends I'll be able to reconnect with, I'll hopefully be able to get back into playing guitar for our church worship service, and I hope to finally be able to host the many friends I have who have expressed interest in coming to various events held by the Technological College of Texas.

SO, now comes the fun. Getting the house ready to sell, starting to sort through the assorted "stuff" (not my first word of choice) that I have accumulated, house hunting down south, and trying to figure out what to do with the Jeep while I'm in temporary quarters. The Master Bath project will be resurrected (no, I STILL haven't finished it yet), along with the addition of a couple of other projects; replacement of the backyard fence, replacement of the back door, and other minor projects associated with getting a house ready to appeal to the next person or family wanting to transform it into their home. I will try to keep y'all informed through here as this process takes place but no promises!

Time to get moving...gotta head to Lowe's to order some items for the master bath.

The End Of...

2008-04-13T07:29:00.004-05:00

This string of midnight shifts? Texas Rangers mediocrity? The Dallas Stars losing in the playoffs and winning the Stanley Cup? Having to eat green peas? Oh so many choices to choose from!

Seriously though, I'm wrapping up this string of mid-shifts and probably have too much sugar coursing through my veins right now (note...I didn't say caffeine!) from drinking 1) a 24 oz. root beer at midnight, 2) a 12 oz. caffeine free Dr Pepper at 5 am, and 3) an Oregon Chai at 6:40 am. Just a tad bit too much energy right now which likely means I'm going to crash at church and fall asleep in the chair...

ANYWAY, my original intent on this post was to give a heads up to the (increased by at least 2) 4 readers that there is a chance I'll be leaving Amarillo sometime this year. Once again, a position has come up in Lubbock that I've submitted my application for. It will have to make it's rounds through the reviews and various folks before actually ending up on the deciding official's desk so I won't know anything for at least a month or two. But I'll keep y'all updated as to what the status is with this promotion. Yes, it is a promotion but still will be shift work. One step closer to getting OUT of full-time shift work...

And some other things that it is "The End Of...": sitting on my butt and not working on the Master Bath project. Not getting estimates for a couple of things that need to be fixed around the house. Free time as I know it getting the house ready "just in case". My hopes of getting the 7" lift, 37" times 5 tires, Dana 44 front and RockJock III or Dana 44 or Ford 8.8" rear axles, slip yoke eliminator for the next major iteration on the Jeep so I can save up the $$ for home repairs or a down-payment for a new house should I end up having to move. And last but not least (for a while); the end of my dreams for a nice, big flat-panel TV to replace the 12-year old one I currently have...

BTW, I'm trying to get better at including links to help the few that read this blog get a better understanding of what I'm talking about since some people think I'm too "technical"...

Latest Pictures

2008-04-07T23:40:00.001-05:00

I recently realized that I had a tulip appear magically in my front flower bed and decided it would provide a good opportunity to see how my new camera lens works. Well, I also forgot that I took some pictures when I went to the Hill Country for Easter and these downloaded with my latest batch. All I can say is WOW!

This red tulip was taken in the Hill Country. There were almost no wildflowers around this year so a man-made flower had to do.

Program AE, ISO 100, 1/128 sec @ f4.0, 70mm Focal Length
Digital Edit - light sharpening and crop to 1280x1024 pixels in Adobe Photoshop 10

The magic tulip that appeared in my front flower bed. I didn't plant it, I didn't fertilize it, it just magically sprung up!

Program AE, ISO 100, 1/160 sec @ f3.5, 50mm focal length
Digital Editing - light sharpening and crop/resize to 1280x1024 in Adobe Photoshop 10

A second crop of the full size image (which is over 3000 pixels wide and too big for any screen!) to show the details of the inside of the flower bud.

Digital editing - crop of full-size image to 1024x768 pixels, light sharpening
Adobe Photoshop 10

And so, my first impression of the Canon camera lens is that the clarity is incredible, the colors are well reproduced, and the detail that is resolved is excellent. Now all I need is some weather to test this new lens out in harsher conditions...

Spring has Arrived

2008-04-01T10:38:00.006-06:00

I've been busy this past month; a lot of travel, a lot of projects at work, and a lot of time spent working on odd projects around the house (the Bathroom project has been on hold as my interior designer has had quite a bit going on as well). However, spring hath arrived and there are various ways to tell.

One key sign it is spring is that I had to clean up the lawn mower, change the oil and filter, and lower the ride height a couple of notches for the first cut of the season. The mowing was an all-afternoon ordeal; make one cut, empty the bag, restart the mower, make another cut, empty the bag, and repeat the process for both the front and back lawns. I normally don't enjoy this process as it kills my allergies but it was rather nice this time as a brisk north wind helped to dissipate the dust and dry grass keeping the snot and sneezing at bay. Related is the fact that I had to break out the garden hoses and purchase sprinklers to replace the ones destroyed by the hard water we have in this neck of the woods. I should also sadly note that I had the water on for FOUR hours and there was no runoff whatsoever. Maybe I should have watered the lawn over the winter a couple of times...

Another important sign that spring has arrived is that I removed the hard top on the Jeep and have gone back to the "convertible" mode with the soft top. Many thanks to my good friend W.C. for the assistance in getting the hard top stowed and soft top on along with the great discussion that ensued over a late dinner at Rosa's. I'll have to wait for a couple of days before enjoying the soft top; the weather will be a bit and I still have to do an annual spring tune-up as well.

However, the biggest sign that spring has arrived is severe weather across northern TX through OK and into the Central Plains. That means that stormchasing is soon to be around the corner for the Top 'o Texas. I've had many a friend request to come along the next time I head out towards severe weather (whenever that might be) but I am sad to say that I probably have lost all desire to storm chase. Why? Take a look at this picture taken in Oklahoma during a late March severe weather event (and you will probably need to click on it to get the full-sized image)...

You are looking at two supercell thunderstorms in central Oklahoma. The one on the left has a Severe Thunderstorm Warning (yellow box) for it and the one on the right has a tornado warning on it (red box). These storms were moving off to the east at about 35 to 40 mph and had a history of producing tornadoes. What I want you to notice however are the green, yellow, and red boxes that are generally on the south and east portions of the storms. These are vehicle positions from a nifty thing called The Spotter Network which is a free service that allows storm spotters and chasers to use their in-vehicle internet or ham radio to relay their position and other information back to the website. The biggest utility is that we can see these positions in near real-time at my place of employment during severe weather operations. But I digress; the real reason I wanted to use the image above is to illustrate that there were 20 people relaying their positions back to the network. Add in a plethora of other people who don't use this service and you can probably guess that there were anywhere from 50 to 100 people on the storm. The yahoo season has arrived.

I started stormchasing before the movie "Twister" came out, before the learning channels started promoting the Most Extreme Tornado Chase shows, before the TIV and DOWs were on the scene. These three things, among many others, have encouraged any person with a video camera to start to head out and attempt to chase storms for an ultimate video capture. I can't tell you how many times we have received video and/or pictures at my unnamed employer of "MASIV TORNADOS" (yes someone REALLY spelled that way) when in reality they are nothing but dust devils or fair-weather cumulus clouds. Of greater concern is the lack of responsibility a small minority show towards others while stormchasing. It was this small minority that almost resulted in my severe injury or possible death while traveling a road at 40 mph (15 mph UNDER the speed limit I might add) back in 2001. A month shy of 7 years ago, someone pulled out in the middle of the road without warning, head hanging out the door with a video camera, and was almost T-boned by my Explorer. I was able to stop (thanks to massive amounts of cussing and both feet on the brake pedal...thank you for whomever invented anti-lock brakes) but the person in the other vehicle looked at me like I was at fault and flipped me a one-fingered salute before speeding off. It was at that point I swore off stormchasing on high profile days due to the idiocy of a few people; the "yahoo's", the thrill-seekers, the general public in some cases.

I am sad that I have come to this decision. There is nothing more amazing that sitting under a supercell in late spring, smelling the moisture in the inflow, hearing the "hail roar" from massive hailstones banging against each other in the 100+ mph updraft, and spending a solitary moment immersed in Mother Nature. I miss having a local pull up and ask if everything was O.K., replying "I'm fine, I'm just watching this storm.", and then hear their stories of storms they have experienced in bygone years while both watching the storm evolve and morph in front of us. Living in the top o' Texas will yield a few days that some claim are "surprises" but those are the days that I'll be out chasing. Fewer "yahoos", more roads to get away from people (I'd like to see you TRY and follow my Jeep on a muddy section road!), and a general population that somewhat has a respect for bad weather and knows when to stay close to safe shelter. The "Moderate/High Risk" days bring out so many people now that the magic of chasing is gone for me.

I'll probably be yelled at by a few people as being "elitist", "unfair", or "insert colorful adjectives here" as a few of my colleagues and friends have been so labeled. So be it. Wait and see how you feel after your life flashes in front of your eyes at 40 MPH because someone was acting like a "yahoo" in total disregard of the law and public safety. Of course, I reserve the right to reverse my decision as high gas prices might impact the number of people out on very marginal days. Besides; it is REALLY hard to give up seeing something like this as you drive towards it...

New "Toys"

2008-02-11T18:28:00.001-06:00

We temporarily leave the Master Bathroom Series once again for a bit of background and a product review. I've always enjoyed photography. Both my grandfathers were avid amateur photographers and one of them won quite a few local and regional contests. Through the years, a camera body and lenses were handed down. My Granpa's venerable Canon AE-1 was my first SLR camera and I cut my teeth in the world of apertures, focal lengths, shutter speeds, and filters. That rugged AE-1 survived my trip through the tropical environments of the Marshall Island and Hawaii as well as through my first 4 1/2 years of stormchasing trips. However, it finally started to falter as the shutter started to stick and it became cost prohibitive to fix.

In 1999, I purchased my first SLR; a Canon Rebel 2000 to supplement the AE-1 and also to start building my own cache of photographic equipment. Graduate school intervened however and I never had the money to purchase additional lenses for this body. Additionally, the Rebel 2000 had only a plastic lens mount ring and it would not withstand the heavier and more robust lenses in the EOS series. Once again, Canon proved that their products last. The body continues to function well after 7 years but the lens has been acting up for the last 2. Again, this camera has survived the rigors of stormchasing, the dust encountered off-roading in the Jeep, and crawling among the Hill Country wildflowers in the spring. My best lightning and wildflower pictures have been taken with the f2.8-4 28-80mm lens and Rebel 2000.

Then in 2006, my good friends in Colorado purchased a Digital Rebel XT. Actually, they accidentally purchased two thus having a spare one. I tested their camera in Colorado in during our '06 Jeep Trip and fell in love with the fact that you could instantly see what you had just tried to take a picture of. No more expense of purchasing Velvia slide film or Superia print film. So, I purchased their spare body and used the lens from my Rebel 2000. This has worked for the last 2 years up until this Christmas when the auto-focus ultrasonic motor finally gave out. You guessed it, it is cheaper to use it as a manual lens than to ship it off and get it fixed. This meant that I needed a new lens. Something that I can use in environments ranging from pristine to dust filled; dusk under a thunderstorm to shooting on-stage for church events.

Enter the Canon EOS 24-70 f2.8L.

All I can say is: "Dang!" Sealed and gasketed joints provide protection from dust and grit. The fixed low-end f2.8 aperture will handle low-light situations well and the 24-70 range will provide just a tad-bit wider field-of-view than the older lens (although this lens equates to a 38-112mm focal length due to the 1.6x magnification factor of the Digital Rebel XT CCD setup). Unfortunately the lens is heavy, weighing in at a hefty 2 lbs. This is due to the high-quality glass lens elements and an all-metal construction. No plastic in this puppy!

But how does it shoot? Here are some images I took this past Sunday night (click on the image to get the big version):

I'll reserve final judgment until I get some wider variety of shots (weather, flowers, outdoors, etc.) but so far I am VERY pleased. The quality is far superior to my old lens and this one is rugged enough to last quite a while with proper care. My only concern is that it is too heavy for my Digital XT mount and I'll have to "upgrade" the SLR body sometime soon :-).

The title also says "Toys". Plural. I also had to replace my 15 year old Velbon tripod. Enter in the Slik Pro 700DX.

Downside - H E A V Y. Advantage - won't trip over in those strong supercellular inflow winds. Advantage 2 - I can file down the legs some to create a powder that could start a fire in an emergency. The tripod legs are made up of a Magnesium Aluminum Titanium alloy and in powder form those will go POOF! Advantage 3 - it is tall enough to place the camera nearly at my eye-level; much easier to use than having to hunch over with the old Velbon tripod. Again, I'm really pleased with this tripod even though it provides a great workout when lifting it.

So stay tuned...more images to come as I play around with this new lens. I now return you to your regularly scheduled blog reading.

The Master Bath Series, Part VI

2008-02-02T18:57:00.000-06:00

There has been some progress in this project...finally! I slapped on a couple coats of primer on the walls that are ready as well as the ceiling and it is starting to look more and more like the end is in sight. Unfortunately, the problem is that without an actual light fixture in the room, it makes it very hard to see how everything will appear in natural light. The 250 watt halogen work light acts like a spotlight and every little imperfection and discoloration magically appears whereas natural sunlight through the window makes it look like the walls are done perfectly. Just to be on the safe side, I'll probably slap another coat of primer on the walls and the ceiling just to be sure.

The current delay is due in part to not having called a plumber to come and fix the hot water cutoff valves in house (I know, I've been lazy). I need this done in order to pull out the faucet and remove the vanity top. Things ~~will~~ should progress fairly fast once that is done. And yes, once we get some warm and not-so-windy weather, I'll get some pictures for y'all after I vacuum out the last of the drywall dust and get some minor cleaning done...that dust is NOT easy to get off of stuff!

And The Verdict is....

2008-01-25T13:25:00.000-06:00

I'm staying in the Panhandle! The MIC in Lubbock just notified me that they chose someone from within the office and he is a great choice. There sort of is a mix of emotions going on right now in me; I spent a month planning for the possibility of a move, dreaming of a nice 4 bedroom house that all my friends could come and stay in, and reconnecting with my friends in Lubbock. Yes, I am disappointed that I didn't get the position but in some ways I am relieved to know.

I really wanted (and still want) to be in the place where God wants me to be. It appears that the "top of Texas" is that place. This means I will continue to be a part of God working through our church to change this city and the world, I'll continue to be a part of iForty (our college/young adult ministry) and seeing how God unfolds His plans for that, and still be around the many close friends I have in and around town. Oh, I'll still be able work in an office that is on the cutting edge of science and technology, at least if I have anything to say about it!

Well, time to go get cleaned up, cook a celebratory lunch, and get ready for work.

In the Texas Panhandle.

In the place where God wants me to be.

The Master Bath Series, Part V (continued)

2008-01-23T23:28:00.001-06:00

My apologies for the lack of updates recently; I've been busy with a Java programming course as well as some other projects at work I'm trying to get out of the way. I have also been having to deal with the recent stretch of cold weather we have had here in the top of Texas. It seems that the walls that face the outside (which also happens to be the direction the wind has been blowing for what seems like the last 3 weeks) are not warming up enough to let me paint so I have been in a holding pattern in getting the primer coat put on.

HOWEVER, work has still been going on! The walls are now smooth and there have been a couple of minor patching details squared away. I initially thought I was going to paint the trim and wood in the bathroom but that has been changed to do some touch-up work on the stain. That means I am having to clean off my sloppy work at applying texturing and paint as well as taping off all that trim and wood. It is slow going...who knew Killz2 would be so hard to remove when it dries!

So the progress is slow. Granted, I have lost a lot of motivation to work on this project since I STILL do not know about the position in Lubbock and have been spending lunch time this week with friends getting caught up on life. Hopefully I'll hear something this week and that will put a burr under my saddle...

The Master Bath Series, Part V

2008-01-11T23:13:00.001-06:00

I know, I know...I haven't updated this in a while. Cut me some slack here folks; I was working graveyard shifts so my schedule consisted of get home in the morning and go to sleep, get up late afternoon, work for 5 to 6 hours or so on this project, clean up, eat something, head off to work, and repeat the process. For three days. On the fourth day, I worked for 6 hours, cleaned up, and then proceeded to pass out on my couch having been up for 27 hours straight and the 6 hours consisted of VERY physical labor (I consider standing on a ladder hand sanding a ceiling pretty darn physical. Just ask how sore my shoulders are!). It wasn't until I rolled off my couch sometime after midnight did I finally crawl into bed...but I digress.

There has been some pretty impressive progress in this endeavor however. I was finally able to lay down a first coat of primer on the walls and not run into any problems! When that first coat went on and dried, well, there was much singing and rejoicing (although in reality all I could muster in my tiredness was a Napoleonic Dynamitic "Yeeesssssssss"). For the most part. There are still some imperfections in the texture that need to be filled, sanded, and repainted but I can finally see the end WAAAAAAAAY on the horizon. And it doesn't look half bad either!

So what is left? Still need to finish painting the ceiling and put down second coats of primer on the aforementioned ceiling and walls, decide what to do for/about trim, get the vanity top out, new vanity top in, fixtures, loo, and lighting. The last four in this list seem pretty easy...famous last words. Oh, and those pictures I promised...I'm having to walk a fine line right here because I want to get some middle-of-the-process pics but my digital camera likely won't do well in the fine drywall joint compound dust environment state my bathroom is currently in. We'll see what I might be able to do.

With the way things have been going and my lack of sleep, I took tonight and will take Saturday off to spend with friends just to let them know that I am still alive and that my so-called "small project" hasn't totally devoured me...

The Master Bath Series, Part IV

2008-01-05T23:41:00.000-06:00

Smooth walls. All I want are smooth walls. I spent the last two days applying drywall joint compound, let it dry, sand it down, reapply compound, let it dry, sand it down, and repeat until my arms are sore and my back hurts from being hunched over. Things looked smooth, felt smooth to the touch. And yet I still don't have smooth walls.

I took a chance today and primed one wall I thought was ready. Nope. Plenty of bubbles magically appeared as the moisture from the Killz2 was pulled into the wall. I had some issues when the compound first went on the wall but thought I could sand it out. I guess not.

So what now? Looks like more drywall compound. More sanding. More soreness. Yes, I could be cheap like the previous owners and put wallpaper over the whole thing and not worry about it. Right now it just feels like I lost 3 days of work because of some cheap builder not using quality goods. Now I've got to use enough compound to keep the bubbles from forming. Can it be done? Yes, I tried it on a patch near the ceiling. It feels like this project will never end.

The Master Bath Series, Part III

2008-01-04T11:45:00.000-06:00

Well, the loo is out, the walls have been stripped of wallpaper, lighting fixtures, the mirror, and the odd nail so now it is time to start laying down the texture and getting the walls prepped for paint. It was a late night last night but then aren't they all when you are doing a home improvement project. And of course, there is one big problem that has come up.

For some unknown (cheap) reason, whomever built the house (lazy contractor) decided that in order to save a buck or two would use beaver board as opposed to drywall in my master bath. The previous owners also must have done some other work by replacing some of the original wallpaper with their hideous green floral print (picture forthcoming) because there are all kinds of rips where they must have pulled off old paper and attempted to re-seal the board using white spray paint. That is why I'm using texture...I'm hoping to get some kind of smooth surface to paint on. Where does the problem come in I hear you asking?

When applying a layer of texture to sand and make the wall smooth, the moisture in the drywall compound ends up causing the minute tears in the top fabric of the beaver board to bubble like a simmering pot of chili. So now, I've got pockets where the texture looks as if someone sneezed or threw up texture compound as it is so uneven. At least it was in a test area and I can hopefully work around it. Google here I come.

So this is what my Friday will consist of. Drywall texture compound.

And lots of it.

The Master Bath Series, Parts I & II

2008-01-02T20:41:00.000-06:00

In preparation for the possibility of getting a promotion and having to move (the application was forwarded to the selecting official in Lubbock), I decided it was a good idea to undertake renovating my master bath. Unfortunately I didn't take any pictures before I started but the select few who have seen the master bath can attest to the VERY 80's look it had (wood paneling, a primarily green floral print wallpaper, and popcorn ceiling texture). Initially the plan was to pull the paneling and wallpaper, scrape and re-texture the ceiling flat, paint, replace the vanity top, fixtures, and toilet. But alas...even the best laid plans can be thrown asunder.

Part I (Demolition) went well initially; the popcorn ceiling came off without any problems and I had help in learning how to texture the ceiling. It looks good and will need a light sanding to make it totally flat. It wasn't until the wood paneling came off that Part I fell apart. For some unknown reason, the builders put the wood paneling, vanity, baseboards, and door frames in first and then stained them. After that they installed the tile. WELLLLL, when you install baseboards first and then the tile...that means that you have got about 1/2 of an inch of baseboards nearly permanently sealed in grout. I had to get a wedge in between the baseboards and paneling to pry them out of the grout. Crap. Now that means I've got to fill in grout where the baseboards once were. Oh, and did I mention that I managed to destroy a small piece of drywall while pulling that paneling off. Grrrrrrrr.

Part II (still Demolition) came today when I had to pull the wallpaper. I decided to try some nifty new spray that I saw on one of those home make-over shows to see how well it really worked. Besides a steamer would take too long and this spray made the wallpaper come off in sheets. So, I got the necessary materials , scored the wallpaper as instructed and gave it a shot fully expecting to pull sheets of the aged wallpaper off.

Nothing happened.

Well, in the fine print ONLY available on the manufacturers webpage, certain wallpapers must have the top layer peeled off in order to allow the solution to soak into the backing and glue. Did they decide to put that on the container? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO. You had to go to their webpage (and I quote; "If you experience difficulties with this product, please refer to your local hardware store or visit our website at toocheaptoprinttheinstructionsonthebottle.com"). Upon realizing that I must have the aforementioned "special" wallpaper and spending an hour getting as much of the top layer off, I was finally able to give it a second go round. This went much better as the detritus of backing and glue littered my bathroom floor. Oh but the surprises that were in store...

As sheets of 25+ year old wallpaper fell away, a new and exciting (NOT!) discovery was revealed. The wallpaper hid all kinds of lovely scratches, dings, dents, and rips in the drywall. So much for painting the walls once the paper came off. Now I've got to texture the walls in order to have some resemblance of a flat surface as opposed to the surface of the moon I discovered. The second discovery: they decided to wallpaper first and THEN install the light fixture AND 4 foot x 4 foot mirror meaning they both have to come off before I can complete getting all the wallpaper off and start texturing.

So tomorrow will chronicle removing the mirror, light fixture, toilet, and vanity top as well as getting the last of the wallpaper off and hopefully getting the first layer of texture down. All I want is one day without any surprises....

Adventures of adult ADHD

2007-12-18T14:39:00.000-06:00

I have had WAAAAAAAAY to much going on recently. It recently started with the decision to update the ceiling fans and electrical outlets in my upstairs bedrooms in preparation for family visiting over Christmas. That progressed into "Hmmm...while I'm at it, I'll tear down the popcorn ceiling in my master bath." While staring at the ceiling and squirting it with water (a neat trick for easily removing a popcorn textured ceiling), I noticed the wallpaper was staring to peel away from the walls near the ceiling, so that turned into "Hmmmm...should I rip off the wood paneling at the same time and just paint this sucker?" And then we can't forget the bathroom vanity that is now cracked and needs replacing also. And I cannot leave out needing to fix some tiles in the master shower, repainting the wooden porch beams, and somewhere in there cleaning house for family...

Oh no, we're not done yet! I'm still waiting for a return phone call from a couple of places for estimates on replacing the drafty odd-sized french doors that open into my backyard, I forgot to call the plumber AGAIN to fix the busted valve in the upstairs bathroom, and I once again forgot half a dozen things when I went to Lowe's (such as pricing the aforementioned master bathroom vanity, paint, and who knows what else). Now I'm sitting in a house that smells like ETHYLENE GLYCOL, PHTHALATE ESTERS, N-BUTYL ACETATE, FORMALDEHYDE, CRYSTALLINE SILICA & TITANIUM DIOXIDE (hey, it's straight from the bottle) because I decided to strip and recaulk the upstairs bath and I can't light a Circle E candle out of fear of having the roof blow off the house like a scene out of Mythbusters. Oh, I also still have ~~two~~ three Christmas presents to get still.

So what is the cause of me becoming a one-man Extreme Makeover; Home Edition (minus all the important people - the designers and builders) over the past two weeks? Well, I sent in an application for a potential promotion back down to Lubbock. The job "closed" on the 13th, so it will likely be a month or two (thanks to Christmas and New Years) before I hear anything and I decided to play it safe and start getting the house ready in case I am going to need to sell it. By no means is this job a done deal; there are quite a few folks already in Lubbock who would be more than capable filling that Senior Forecaster spot.

So there it is. Potential Job Move, family coming to town (in 4 days I might add), my normal work rotation, and did I mention taking pictures of the annual Amarillo South Church Christmas play? I think that would cause anyone to come down with a temporary case of ADHD.

And crud. I've got to run to the post office to mail all my Christmas letters...

I've Been Tagged...

2007-12-01T12:54:00.000-06:00

I've been tagged by Whitlow (and apologies to those wanting an "in-depth" reply, I don't like too much of my personal info floating around on the net) . . .

1. Name: The Weatherman
2. Birthday: A somewhat long time ago...
3. Birthplace: Unfortunately not in Texas, but I got here as soon as I could!
4. Eye Color: Hazel
5. Hair Color: Brown with more and more Gray and less of it overall
6. Height: Tall Enough
7. Ethnicity: Why do people ask this question? Does it make a difference?
8. Weakness: Chocolate Chip cookies, Dublin Dr Pepper, pie
9. Most missed memory: research trip to Kwajalein and Hawaii - the white coral sand beaches, a month and a half of no school, beautiful sunsets, and good friends...
10. Thoughts first waking up: How much longer can I sleep in?
11. Last time you cried: It's been a while but I remember it was at a movie
12. Song title that currently says how you feel: Busy Child - The Crystal Method (I've got a LOT going on right now!!!)
13. What is the perfect day for you: Taking the Jeep up a trail into the mountains, making it to 12,000 feet or higher, spending the rest of the afternoon sitting by an alpine lake enjoying the crisp mountain air.
14. Ever been asked for an autograph? Yes, for some reason people automatically think I am on T.V. and want autographs!
15. How do you vent anger? I stew for a bit then either start walking or get in the car and drive.
16. Who do you talk to most on the phone? Here recently it has been my parents as we try to figure out plans for the holidays.
17. As a kid, were you a lego builder? Y E S! And I still pull them out every once in a while.
18. Do you chew on your straws? Only if I'm trying to get something out of my teeth.
19. Do you sing in the shower? Not Much.
20. Who's the last person you stayed up late talking to on the phone to? My friend Laura.
21. The last place you went to in a plane? Kansas City, MO
22. Do you cry at weddings? If it is a good friend, sometimes.
23. Are you afraid of the dark? Most of the time, no. However there are times I do hear something go bump in the night and wake up all disoriented. The curse of a light sleeper...
24. What are you addicted to? Chocolate Chip Cookies, Dr Pepper
25. Crunchy or creamy peanut butter? Creamy
26. Who do you fight with the most? Technically I don't "fight". but I do get into heated arguments at times with a couple of people at work.
27. Who can you tell anything to? My best friends (and that will leave you guessing!)
28. Do you recycle? Definitely, but the town I live in won't recycle certain things...sad.
29. Who makes you laugh the most? The Clark's always manage to have some story that cracks me up...
30. What is the worst feeling ever? Having to say goodbye to a loved one dying from Cancer...three of them.
31. How many pillows do you sleep with? Two.
32. How many rings before you answer your phone? I don't know...my phone doesn't ring anymore, it plays music so I usually pick up after the first couple of notes.
33. How many times do you press the "snooze" button? None usually...it goes straight off.
34. How do you sleep? In a bed, under some covers, with an electric blanket in winter.
35. Last time you laughed: Earlier this morning
36. Ever looked at someone ugly and said "EWWW"? No, but I do sometimes go "DANG!" in my mind...
37. What is your favorite color? Forest Green, no doubt!
38. What is your favorite state? Texas, always. Then Colorado. And I'd even have to say Wyoming is in there as well...

Now I get to tag...Emily, Leslie, and Brian! YOUR TURN!

Sometimes I think this is the way to go.

2007-11-30T20:59:00.000-06:00

Thanks to my friends, the Clarks, for showing me this webpage...I'm hooked now! Anyway, I'm tired of hearing "The statistics show..." when in reality the SCIENCE might not be so convincing. Anyway...

from xkcd.com.

The Thanksgiving Chronicles (long)

2007-11-25T21:10:00.000-06:00

Well, I had intended on a post a day while home in the Hill Country but issues with my CrackBerry internet connection to my Laptop AND the land of "No-up" (in other words, the only internet was at my parent's office which is a 5-10 minute drive) meant that was not possible. So, I'll do my best to try and put together my adventures on this past week of Thanksgiving...

Day 1 - The Trip
It never fails that one forgets something when leaving on a trip for a week. I managed to leave two important items at my house and realized this while getting gas in Canyon. SO, I had to turn around and get the aforementioned important items which put me an additional 30 minutes behind. This normally wouldn't be a big deal but it did put me in the heart of deer country after dark. If you haven't traveled through the heart of deer country in the fall, you need to drive a tank as the sheer number of deer along the side of the road grows exponentially after sunset thus increasing the risk of having tenderized venison as well as a damaged vehicle. Fortunately there weren't too many numbers on the road and I made it safely home. Oh, I also found out that all the extra weight on my Jeep results in a 13 MPG average AND that each quarter tank yields 50 miles.

Day 2 - So Much for Sleeping In
It was announced that we were going to work cattle the first morning I was home. At 8 AM. Giving me 6 hours of sleep. While I'm on vacation. Oh well, small price to pay when spending time with Dad but giving young steers vaccinations after eating fresh hay and protein supplements...well, you get the idea. The rest of the morning was spent installing Mom's XM radio and making sure it worked. After lunch, it was our first day to hunt and although there were a few cull bucks and does around (we have a wildlife management permit) nothing caught our fancy. There was the funny incident with the buck that got something up his nose and sneezed quite a few times...

Day 3 - The Fear Factor Incident
Such a benign start to the day after finally being able to sleep in. I was needed at my parent's office to install their new all-in-one HP printer/fax/scanner/copier machine as well as solve a few other computer issues. Walking out of the office, the cold front had just pushed through so it wasn't too cold but it had started to dry out a bit. It was perfect weather while I installed my XM radio adapter for the Jeep (didn't have it on the way down...had to order it to the Hill Country so I wouldn't miss it on the way back to the Top o' Texas). Dad and I hunted a blind no one had been at in a while and although there were a few deer, cattle had wandered over into our vicinity which spooked the deer. Arriving home, I was a bit chilled and wanted something hot to drink. This started the "Fear Factor Incident" which I will tell you about in person the next time we run into each other in deference to my Mom. It is an interesting story...

Day 4 - Thanksgiving
No big plans, just spending that evening at my Aunt and Uncle's house with quite a few family members around. I did spend part of the day working on projects that my grandfather used to do, all of which were heightened by the smells involved. Hoppe's No. 9 oil, brass casings, a bit of cedar, and scent masks in my grandfather's room at his house all brought back so many things I used to do with him. After a very light lunch and an afternoon siesta, it was time to partake in the family thanksgiving dinner. This was the first Thanksgiving without my grandparents and it was hard not having them there. However, I am very thankful for the knowledge and memories I have from them. And for many of y'all who read this blog, my friends; I am thankful for the time we spend together, laugh together, cry together, and live life. Thankful for Jesus, for him finding me and walking along side with me. And no, I didn't gorge myself...I only had half helpings of the pecan and pumpkin pies. It was the first time I didn't leave feeling overly full!

Day 5 - Lazy Day of Cold and Football
No big plans...watched football all morning (which started at 10 am thanks to sleeping in), had a BIG lunch that mom cooked, and then got ready to head out and wrap up a project from the previous day. The cold weather had set in but it wasn't raining yet so Dad and I headed out for another afternoon of hunting. Picture this - sitting in a small blind wrapped up in two layers of clothes, a blanket, and a heavy coat, cold and damp wind blowing, supposedly waiting for the deer to arrive. Sort of a "classic" view of hunting for those who choose to participate, right? Well, I also had my CrackBerry working somewhat and was looking through the binoculars for deer, updated the score on the game, blow my nose, look through the binoculars for deer, etc. With overcast skies, things turned dark early and Dad was anxious to get in the warmth of the pickup. Nothing like riding back to the house and being able to listen to the Aggies pull of a win/upset in classic fashion. Made for a Great day!

Day 6 - Friends and Family
The rain came in the middle of the night and apparently something knocked the power out. Fortunately I had set a different alarm and was still able to get up and make the trip to Fredericksburg. I had gotten back in touch, thanks to Facebook, with some long out-of-touch friends who live down south and we decided to get together and reconnect over lunch. There were also a few friends who needed be to ~~bootleg~~, ~~import~~, bring back some Circle E Candles for them. If you are ever in Fredericksburg and want to get the best candles in the world (IMNSHO), head over to Circle E. I walked in and once again was knocked back thanks to the overpowering wall of 30+ odd fragrances wafting through the air. So I perused the usual selection when something caught my eye. Something I never thought I'd come to find. They now make a candle that smells EXACTLY like:

L E A T H E R !

Ahhhhhhhh...my house now smells like the tack and saddle shops of old. I LOVE IT!

After obtaining the goods from Circle E, I met up with my friends from the Wesley Foundation at Texas Tech and we spent 4 hours getting caught up, reminiscing, and making plans to get our group of friends from the Wesley together soon. To my South Texas Friends; thank you for driving in the rain and cold to reconnect after over 4 years. I had a blast. A quick change of clothes after getting back home, the family gathered once again to celebrate my uncle's 60th birthday with steak and shrimp.

Day 7 - The Trip, Part Deux
After seeing my sisters off for their trip home, I headed into town to double check the weather and road conditions. There was snow between the Hill Country and Lubbock but all roads were reported to be open. I loaded up the Jeep, gassed 'er up in town, and hit the road. All was well up until Eden when the snow really started to fall and the road conditions went south. It wouldn't have been too bad except that all the Texas Tech students were heading home and by golly, they were going to drive 70 regardless of what road conditions were like. There was one young punk in his poorly lifted GMC pickup that decided to ride my tail. Well, I know what my Jeep can do and let's see if you know what your pickup can do. Slowly reach down to the 4WD lever, select 4-Hi, and "drift" out of the ruts into the accumulated snow, gravel, and slush. A wave of that stuff then flings up in the air promptly coating the Tech student's pickup. And then the young punk backed off, headlights swerved to avoid him, and he decided to back off. Once the roads cleared near Snyder, he passed me and gave me the one-fingered salute. Then there was the one that swerved off the road into the ditch because he was going too fast. These students (yes, they were students because 75% of the vehicles had TTU greek organizations, TTU emblems or Tech stickers of some sort, and were relatively young) need to learn to take the time to slow down, enjoy the view, and relax! I say that only because I was one of them a while ago...

So here I am, back in the Top o' the Panhandle. Doing Laundry. Checking E-mail. Writing a Blog. Reminds me of something else I said at home. There were a couple of cows sitting under a tree when it was cold and drizzly. You remember the Budweiser commercials with the guys sitting in their living room? The "Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaazzzzuuuuuuuuuuuuupppppppp" guys? After the "Whazzzup" craze ended, they went into the "True" series. One guy calls up another and says "What you doin'?" to which the reply was "Nothin. Watching the game. Drinkin' a Bud." which the answer was "True" and then the question is repeated again. Anyway, back to the cows -Dad mentioned they looked pretty content even though it was cold. So I cracked the joke "Yeah. They are sittin' the the cold. Chewin' their Cud." to which Dad (oblivious to the commercial) said "True." Priceless...

Fall is here...unfortunatley

2007-11-18T14:58:00.000-06:00

It is a sad day when I come to the realization that summer has finally gone and winter is on it's way. Granted, we have had an "Indian Summer" here in the top o' the Panhandle the last couple of weeks but it finally looks as if the cold of fall and winter is just around the corner. How do I know this you ask?

I had to put the hard top on the Jeep.

Yup, that is your scientific answer. My long-term forecasts are based on whether I can ride in the Jeep with the top down or buttoned up with the hard top on. NO, NOT REALLY! The meteorology does show that we will probably be experiencing a cold snap this upcoming week of Thanksgiving and although the Jeep warms up quite nicely with the soft top, it doesn't allow one to scrape the windows off nor can you use the rear defroster and wiper. As I will be traveling quite a bit for the holidays, I decided to put the hard top on for a much quieter ride as well as for that extra added warmth I can get.

So it is with a bit of sadness that I tightened the last Torx bolt down on the hard top realizing it will likely not be removed until sometime in the spring of 2008. Yes, I could easily pop that thing off and drive around town on the warm winter days we tend to have up here but it is actually quite a bit more of a hassle than people realize. I truly enjoy driving around with the wind blowing through my hair and my body being warmed by the sun as well as sitting at a stoplight at night and being able to look up at the stars. That and the lines of the soft top look more fitting for a Jeep than the rounded and "stiff" lines of the hard top. Sigh...the soft top is truly convenient for converting to an open-air ride but it doesn't have the additional quietness and protection of the fiberglass hard top.

Oh well, it's not like we won't ever be warm for an extended period again. I'll just have to make due until the spring of next year :-) !

Frustration

2007-11-11T14:35:00.000-06:00

I am frustrated. Frustrated with myself mainly. It seems that I cannot focus on the things I really need to. Perhaps someone infected me with a form of adult ADD that makes my mind race from one subject to another. Mainly the frustration is with my walk with Jesus right now. Quiet times have been anything but as I'll be sitting there reading the Word and off my mind goes into a problem that I am working on or an event that happened within the last couple of days. I even hate to admit that I've been dozing off when praying or have my mind once again wander off into some distant place which frustrates me even more. A couple of times it has been so bad that I consciously give up and roll over and give up by going to sleep.

The biggest reason I think I'm frustrated is that I don't know why I am in this place and the lack of being able to put my finger on it and fixing whatever "it" is started a continuous feedback loop that I need to be kicked out of. In other words - the more I focus on the problem, the more I feel despair that I cannot see the problem so I focus more intently and so the "feedback loop" continues to increase. Is it work-related? Is it relationship (or lack thereof) related? Is it the lack of feeling close to Jesus related? Is it all those things added together???

I'm writing this mainly because this afternoon was one of those days where I just want to give up. Church was REALLY good and my heart jumped a couple of times during the lesson because I know it was what I needed to hear. I walked out of church with the feeling that I can't leave Amarillo anytime soon because amazing things are going to be happening through the body of believers at Amarillo South. Then I get home. A strange odor was in the kitchen and then I wondered why there was water splashing up on my arms from the faucet. I realized it wasn't splashing UP from the sink, it was dripping DOWN from the cabinets. A hose was leaking in my upstairs bathroom which I didn't realize and was draining through the floor into the kitchen. Crap. The same one that did this two years ago that was supposedly "fixed". Trying to shut the water off, I break the valve under the sink. Double Crap. THEN I find out I don't have a normal water main and will have to figure out how to turn the water off to the house. That means I'm going to have to call a plumber to come out and take a look at all this. OH, did I mention my parents are coming into town for a couple of days starting TOMORROW and this is the sink to their bathroom??? AUGGHHHHHH!

I want to give up so badly. I want to go find some cabin in the mountains, get snowed in, and not have to worry about all this stuff with my house and my life. I want to know that all my dreams, plans, and ongoing things are what Jesus wants for me but how the HECK am I going to do that with all this "stuff" going on?

I need a retreat...at least once I can be sure my house won't be flooded when I get back.

Pun for the Day

2007-11-02T06:37:00.000-06:00

I was cleaning out my e-mail and came across this...

A MECHANIC AND HIS DOG

A mechanic who worked out of his home had a dog named Mace. Mace had a bad habit of eating all the grass in the mechanic's lawn, so the mechanic had to keep Mace inside. The grass eventually became overgrown.

One day the mechanic was working on a car in his backyard and dropped his wrench losing it in the tall grass. He couldn't find it for the life of him so he decided to call it a day.

That night, Mace escaped from the house and ate all the grass in the backyard. The next morning, the mechanic went outside and saw his wrench glinting in the sunlight. Realizing what had happened, he looked up to the heavens and sang out loudly, proclaiming...

"A grazing Mace, how sweet the hound that saved a wrench for me!"

We Survived

2007-10-29T22:20:00.000-06:00

Well, another year and another Canadian River Run behind us. No damage to my Jeep; drove it to Dumas and back without any problems. It was a great time of getting caught up with two of my best friends, little sleep since my feet were freezing cold every night, and angles of approach and departure that would get any heart beating faster. There was no video this trip, just pictures as you can see for yourself...

Canadian River Run 2007

Off to the river...

2007-10-26T16:31:00.000-05:00

I made it back from K.C., unpacked, repacked, double checked things on the Jeep, loaded 'er up, cleaned up, and am back on the road. Canadian River Run '07...here I come!

Mmmmmmmmmm....

2007-10-24T20:43:00.000-05:00

I have found a little slice of heaven in Kansas City.

Bravo! Cucina Italiana is a small chain of restaurants across the central and eastern parts of the U.S. of A. My friend/coworker had been talking this place up as one of the best places to eat that is close to our place of residence. We decided to partake in this culinary event this evening so that should anything go wrong, I would have a day to recover before having to board my flights back to the top o' the panhandle.

Two things to say: oh my goodness, it was meant to be.

First a disclaimer; I didn't have Italian food when I was there. The special for the evening was grilled trout over pan-fried red potatoes with fresh green beans. I was tired of "heavy foods" (such as all you can eat pork ribs and fried foods) and when the waitress said "trout", I was sold. By FAR, that had to be the best trout I have EVER had from a restaurant (in other words, 3c trout is still the best...you know - trout I caught, cleaned, and cooked or the 3c). Perfect flavor, perfect consistency (not too dry, not undercooked), perfect color. It was so perfect, the butter-lemon sauce did the trout injustice. The veggies were impeccable, the taters reminded me of the german-style taters my Oma would cook and the green beans were like those we would pick out of our garden and cook. I could have...no, should have stopped there...but I didn't

The waitress came out and asked if we wanted any desert and once again when she said "chocolate cake", I was sold. 5 minutes later, the Torta Di Cioccolata arrived. As the menu states: "Rich chocolate cake with warm center topped with vanilla bean gelato". Oh no. That is NOT what this thing is. Try a chocolate torte with a warm, gooey dark chocolate center topped with what most Americans would call ice-cream but in fact actually is more of a custard made with raw eggs and flavored with aged/authentic vanilla beans. All I can say: heaven.

So here I am sitting on the couch watching the latest "storm chaser" show on Discovery. All I can think of is a line Homer Simpson said: "belly button going from innie...to...outie...". Even though I'm a bit stuffed, it was well worth it.

Food coma...here I come.

More thoughts on KC

2007-10-22T20:25:00.001-05:00

KC is definitely a different place. Different climate, different scenery, different people. Not in a bad way mind you, just different. I like the fact that it has rained twice in the last seven days as opposed to twice in the last three months. There is actually a change of seasons that results in the color of leaves changing to yellows, oranges, and reds as opposed from green straight to brown. There is terrain here, a gentle rolling of hills that makes for a pleasant drive around the outskirts of the metropolitan area. The people I have interacted with from KS/MO are friendly but not overly so; they won't stop and visit like folks back in the panhandle do. I'll definitely come back for classes and I might even try to visit a couple more times on my own. However, I don't think I could live out here.

I've grown accustom to the plains of the panhandle; where the land meets the sky. There was a beautiful "West Texas" sunset this evening but I couldn't truly enjoy it; there were buildings in the way and going outside of town still didn't allow that full-sky view of the colors. When I headed to the Kansas-side of town on Saturday to see where I briefly lived, the neighborhood was claustrophobic as the trees had formed a total canopy of the street, house, and yard. I couldn't handle not being able to look out the window and see the horizon or not being able to see what kind of weather would be moving towards me. Plus, that would be a LOT of leaves to clean up!

Then there is the traffic. Driving is once again an adventure as the sheer increase in the number of people on the road results in more idiots (you know, those who are driving 100 MPH talking on their cell phone while swerving in and out of traffic...) and random slowdowns as too many people try to merge into traffic. It is "too" busy here for me, people seem to be in a rush even outside of traffic. Stops at Cabela's, Chipotle, and Mimi's Restaurant had random people all in a hurry. People walking out because the wait was 10 minutes, people complaining their order of 16 soft or crispy tacos was taking too long (4 minutes !), people bumping into me as they pulled their kids behind them trying to cover the immense grounds of the Cabela's store. It just seems too fast-paced for me. I guess that's from having been in the top o' Texas for as long as I have.

When it is all said and done, I'll definitely look forward to coming back here. I've still got to get back to I.H.O.P. (poor scheduling on my part this trip), find the secret, hole-in-the-wall BBQ joint every good BBQ city has, and take in some of the more "nerdy" sites around town (a couple of science museums and historical sites). The rest of my evenings this week until I leave are booked so most of this will have to wait. As MacArthur said: "I shall Return."

A recommended form of transportation

2007-10-19T20:11:00.000-05:00

As I mentioned in my previous post, I could have driven to K.C. which would have given me a vehicle to drive around in and enjoy the sights. However, my primary vehicle has seen it's better days and has a tad under 150k miles and my go-anywhere vehicle definitely ISN'T fun to drive on a 10-hour road trip. Because the place where I'm staying is within walking distance of the training location, the guv'ment doesn't authorize a rental vehicle meaning it comes out of my pocket. I wanted to have transportation to enjoy some of the good food and to get me back to IHOP on Sunday, so I decided to rent a car.

Also mentioned in my previous post was the fact that I arrived LATE Monday night (or was it EARLY Tuesday morning) thanks to flight delays. Once all the paperwork was filled out, I had to walk out in the middle of the night being very tired and select my car. Walking up to the first one I found, I looked it over, loaded up my luggage, and was off. It was a nice ride but I was ready to get to my room and hit the sack.

So, what did I end up getting you ask? Here it is:

In the gleaming sunlight the next morning on the way to training was a 2007 Pontiac Grand Prix GT. Leather interior, Supercharged V-6 with traction control, XM radio, Sunroof, and digital information center. Did I mention supercharged V-6? Having driven SUVs of various sizes for the last 10 some-odd years, I had forgotten how much fun it is to be behind the wheel of a vehicle that has some actual getup-and-go when it is pedal-to-the-metal. Granted, the supercharged V-6 isn't as powerful as the V-8 Mustang Cobra I drove at the drag races (once) but it did bring back some fun memories. However, I also forgot how low to the ground these sporty cars are and I had to re-learn how to get out of a sports car...you can't just slide out of the Grand Prix like you can an SUV.

Unfortunately I will have to return the car in 4 more days so I won't be giving the rental car my arm and a leg. With that in mind, I'll definitely be taking the GP out for a leisurely drive tomorrow afternoon with the windows down and the sunroof open as I explore K.C. and it's suburbs. It will be nice knowing that I'll be able to get on the interstate with all the crazy drivers in KS/MO thanks to the getup and go the Grand Prix GT has.

If you are traveling and need a fun yet reasonable rental car, you can't go wrong with the Grand Prix! Just be sure to get the GT model...or better yet, the GXP!

At the mercy of Mother Nature

2007-10-16T21:56:00.000-05:00

Yes, believe it or not, once again I am writing to the two people who read this blog that I am back in Kansas City. It seems my unnamed employer once again decided to send me back to K.C. although this trip is not for testing software. This time I'm back in school taking a course on software support. Before your eyes start to glaze over as I try to explain what I'm learning, let's say that I'm learning how to work on the "engine" of our weather display software as opposed to testing how the "car" drives. However, I almost didn't make it.

Most people I visited with said that I should drive from the Panhandle to K.C. so I could have a vehicle to visit the sites and get around town. However, I've got our annual Canadian River Run that starts the day after my class ends. SO...I decided to fly. Normally this wouldn't be a big deal but my unnamed employer switched travel companies on October 1st and I was to be the guinea pig to see how this new agency works. Well, the folks are friendly but I had to fly the unfriendly skies...American Airlines.

In the past, I have had good luck with American but my luck ran out this trip. The plan was simple: leave at 9:30 in the AM and get to K.C. by 3 in the afternoon. A leisurely schedule in my eyes. Things fell apart before I even set foot on the grounds of the airport. My flight out was canceled as mother nature conspired to shut down DFW airport for two hours which pushed the EARLIEST time I could fly out to 4 pm. The travel agency said that EVERY flight out before then on EVERY carrier (except for Southwest as it turns out) was booked and I needed to take whatever flights American could get me on. Well, after some wrangling of schedules, I was going to be making it to K.C. at 8:30 as opposed to 3 pm which isn't bad. Or so I thought.

The flight out left an hour late as American was still trying to get caught up on flights but I made it to DFW with what was supposed to be a 1.5 hour layover. That's when things fell apart. The flight out to K.C. was delayed an hour. Then two hours. And then the plane arrives to take us to K.C. only to be grounded due to mechanical problems. Never once did American give us a straight answer; it was always "Your plane is still at the maintenance hangar and will be here in 15 minutes." Well, to make a long story short: after TWELVE "15 more minutes" (in other words...THREE HOURS), American found a plane, got it to the gate, prepped it for the flight and boarded us, and then took off. When it was all said and done, I didn't arrive to K.C. until 12:45 AM and wasn't asleep until 1:30. Oh, I had to get up for my class at 7 am also.

SO, what lessons have I learned? I'm driving to K.C. in the future even if it means 10 hours on the road. American needs to learn how to use multiple airports as hubs (such as Southwest) as opposed to one BIG hub at one airport. That way if your one BIG airport has weather and is shut down for two hours, you just reroute people around the weather (which Southwest can do to some extent...but they still have problems as well).

But I made it back to K.C. I'm here for a while and will be able to go back to some favorite places and spend an extended time back at I.H.O.P. on Sunday. That is after I get done with homework and a couple of take-home exams for this class I'm attending...

I.H.O.P., K.C.-Style

2007-09-20T22:42:00.000-05:00

Some folks might say that I was a bit harsh on something associated with Kansas City in my previous post...that was the B.B.Q. issue. Well, I decided to try something else that some folks associate with Kansas City, and that is I.H.O.P.

No, I'm talking about the International House of Prayer.

To save you from reading a dissertation, check this link out to get a better understanding of what IHOP is about and I'll leave you with this long post. IHOP houses a 24/7 prayer service that is come-and-go as you like, and several other things that support ministry that IHOP performs not only in K.C. but across the globe in some cases. I initially heard about IHOP while working at the Wesley Foundation after we had a mission trip group come back from K.C. Other folks had mentioned it in passing about paying a visit through the years. Then a co-worker of mine mentioned he visited IHOP while there for his daughter's gymnastics competition and a couple of friends from church mentioned they had heard amazing things about it, but had never been either. Well, since I was already in K.C., I decided Thursday would be my night to do what I want and set out to find this place called I.H.O.P.

After running an hour behind thanks to some work-related software testing that ran long, I set out for IHOP and arrived around 7 pm. It was a bit of a drive on unknown roads and an uneasy feeling of not knowing what to expect didn't help. However, I arrived only a few minutes after I wanted to and headed into the 24/7 Prayer Room. It wasn't an earth-shattering event. There wasn't a feeling of "Yeah, this is the place". It at first was like walking into any church service after worship had started. I wandered to the back of the room and found a place to stand and watch for a bit while and not be in the way.

I wish I could give you times but I deliberately decided not to look at a watch so I didn't feel rushed. The room was set up like a worship center. Chairs, a stage, T.V.'s for words, cameras, and smaller, enclosed prayer rooms for specific purposes around the periphery of the room. The worship song initially wasn't something I knew and I felt distracted. IHOP allows "free" prayer and worship; you can sit, kneel, walk, or stand and the layout is conducive for that. I wasn't accustomed to having random people walk by me whispering prayers under their breath almost continuously. After a while though, you could start to feel that the Prayer Room was something different.

Some amount of time passed by and then I started to feel amazed that there were people in that room 24/7 all praying for various things, people, causes, or whatever was on their mind and heart. I didn't want to pray for things on my mind, I wanted to pray for them - these people who are taking time out of their day to go to a specific place with a specific purpose and meet with God. There were people of every age, color, creed, and nationality. From the guy close to my age there with his 3-5 year-old son, to the middle-aged Asian lady, to the grandfather walking slowly through the aisles hunched over but still praying to Jesus, to the countless high-school or college-aged kids; these people were lifting up their minds and hearts to the Lord. They didn't mind me standing at the back watching, soaking in all that was going on around me.

The worship team had been playing songs that I didn't know and were doing a bit of intercessory prayer via the words they were singing which was a distraction to me. Somewhere at some time, the person leading worship somehow indicated that they were going to start a new song and it was quiet for a bit. You could hear the soft voices of at least 50 people praying. Then they started a worship song that I know and love and it was like a switch. I was able to start worshiping and somewhere in that song I was able to feel at peace in the room, standing in the back and leaning against the wall. For many months, I have had a really hard time being able to worship at my home church and this was the first time I could actually worship. By this I mean I could feel my heart in the worship; I wasn't just going through the motions or trying to ignore the fact that the song didn't need to be sung with harmony or exactly like it is on a C.D. The words or name to the song escape me right now but it was the perfect thing at the perfect moment for me. Unfortunately, the worship team progressed into songs I didn't know and I went back to observing, but with my eyes more open than before.

After another while longer, I felt it was time to go and I slowly headed towards the door. When I got back in my rental car, almost an hour had passed yet it didn't feel that long. This wasn't a "mountain top" experience; one of those times where I feel like I could conquer the world for Jesus when I left IHOP. There is still much processing I need to do to develop how I feel. Initially, I will say that I ended up praying more for the people in that room; for Jesus to bless them for taking time out of their day to spend it in prayer and worship. However, I'm not sure why I am not completely comfortable with telling folks IHOP is a place to go.

Having developed my relationship with Jesus within a small group structure throughout my walk might have constrained my comfort zone considerably and this is perhaps part of the problem. I would much rather spend a full 24 hour day in fellowship, worship, and prayer with my close friends as I feel that they can experience Jesus with me and relate to what/where/how I've been as opposed to experiencing Jesus with a complete group of strangers with no relationship that allows me to share my experience with them. How would you feel if a complete stranger came up and said "I've had an awesome time with Jesus at this place called IHOP. Let me share this with you" (and no, that didn't happen). I came to IHOP after hearing close friends relate or relay experiences to me that opened my heart to the possibility of going and wish that they could have been there to help me with "processing". A person who didn't have the small-group background might walk into the Prayer Room and feel overwhelmed by the presence of the Holy Spirit and instantly know that Jesus' hands are over that place.

There likely are great things taking place there, but an hour is nowhere near the amount of time I need. My heart and mind probably need to spend a full 12-hour day there to get the full experience and even more time to process it. Heck, I probably need more than one day because Jesus has his own schedule and I can't constrain that. There will be other opportunities for me to head back to IHOP as the training center for my employer is located here in K.C. I'll just need to come better prepared spiritually next time and continue to let Jesus show me what he wants me to see when I'm there.

However, I will be telling all my friends now to go and check out the International House Of Prayer so that they can determine for themselves if that is someplace Jesus is waiting to meet them.

-Weatherman

P.S. It was definitely God who pulled me out of IHOP when he did. I headed back to the Zara Rosa open-air mall to find a place for dinner. Earlier today, I ran into a former co-worker, stormchasing partner, and good friend at the training center. Well, when I was walking into the restaurant for dinner, guess who pulled right in front of me! I'm not sure if he loves Jesus or not so I didn't share my IHOP experience with him, but we did spend a good two hours enjoying getting caught up on life, sharing a good local-brew Bock, all while I enjoyed one of the best Cuban sandwiches I have had since being in Key West's Little Havana.