tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32012772010-04-27T00:06:16.560-07:00Go NuttyCelebrating the strange, and rambling about the absurd.Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comBlogger452125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-45961097759995522822010-04-26T23:51:00.000-07:002010-04-27T00:06:16.567-07:00EIR Comment on CAHSR, from the desk of Keith PelczarskiI have a request for California High Speed Rail: Please do a good job on the new train.<br /><br />My house is adjacent to the track in Palo Alto close to Peers Park and I'm concerned about how California High Speed Rail (CAHSR) will change things here in my backyard.<br /><br />One big concern is the sense of the unknown about the whole thing. How will the neighborhood change? How much construction noise will there be? How much noise will the trains really make? What about privacy? Will these changes hurt my property value? What about eminent domain, would that come into play on my property? If so, would I get fair value for property lost? I don't know the answers to these questions, but I can certainly imagine some worrisome possibilities.<br /><br />Please do a good job on the new train.<br /><br />I would like to ask that whoever is designing/approving the solution consider how they would want it to be if they were the ones living right next to it. As one of those folks living right next to it, I have a few thoughts on the concept video that shows the alternatives (<a href="http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/gallery.asp?s=alma-street">http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov/gallery.asp?s=alma-street</a>):<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Tunneling</span><br />The most appealing option, especially if the right of way above it were developed into a nice bike/pedestrian path, with art and landscaping and whatnot. If the trains could be out-of-sight/out-of-mind, that would be excellent. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Open trench</span><br />Seems better than having something looming over my house, but not quite as appealing as the tunnel. Some concern about sound, but imagine that it could be mitigated with trees or a wall or something. I'm not clear on exactly how wide the trench would be, but if it were too wide I'd have the question about eminent domain and what would happen to my property line/garage/etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Structure</span><br />This is worrisome, with the train going by at the height of my bedroom. Feels like a huge blow to privacy. I'd wonder about what might become of the space underneath. Will it be haven for troublemakers/transients/etc.? If this option did come to pass, would there really be the bike path, art, landscaping, and whatnot that are shown on the concept video. Would they really have as many lights as the video shows? Still hard for me to get over having the train run at the height of my bedroom window. That's a HUGE potential impact that I don't think could be fixed with a screen of trees (not enough space), and a wall in the space at that height would be a towering monolith no better than the undesirable retained fill option. On this one I also have the question about eminent domain and what would happen to my property line/garage/etc.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Retained fill</span><br />As I understand it, this is no longer under consideration in Palo Alto, which makes me relieved. Didn't like the thought of a big wall going through the middle of the city, especially not when it brings the train up to my bedroom window. My concerns expressed in my comment on structure would also apply here, except for the one about what would go on underneath it, obviously.<br /><br />I am supportive of the work that CARRD (<a href="http://www.calhsr.com/">http://www.calhsr.com/</a>) has been doing to engage and educate people. Please work with them to make sure that concerned citizens continue to have a voice in the development of this project and that things are done in an intelligent, respectful way.<br /><br />Please do a good job on the new train. <br /><br />Thank you.<br /><br />Sincerely,<br /><br />Keith Pelczarski<br />Palo Alto, CA<br /><br />cc: CAHSR<br /> City of Palo Alto Planning Division<br /> CARRD<br /> Joe Simitian<br /> Anna Eshoo<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-4596109775999552282?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-91480843219572136432009-12-17T00:26:00.000-08:002009-12-17T00:40:56.345-08:00"I suck at blogging"<a href="http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2009/12/14/i-suck-at-blogging/">That's what he said.</a><br /><br />I don't suck at blogging. I'm just too lazy to do it. <br /><br />Wait, I guess that means that I do suck at blogging.... Dammit!<br /><br />Well, at least we still have <a href="http://friendfeed.com/czarski">FriendFeed</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/czarski">Twitter</a>, and <a href="http://www.facebook.com/keithp">the Facebooks</a>.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-9148084321957213643?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-6152930351185767272009-08-25T22:54:00.000-07:002009-08-26T00:09:09.549-07:00Please consider supporting Solarthon 2009As many folks out there may know, this year I've been swinging a hammer as a regular volunteer for <a href="http://habitatgsf.org/">Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco</a>. It's been a fun and rewarding experience and I'm looking forward to continuing to help build homes for people in need. Toward that end, I recently volunteered with <a href="http://www.gridalternatives.org/">GRID Alternatives</a>, a local nonprofit that installs solar panels for low-income families, empowering communities in need with renewable energy and energy efficiency services, equipment and training.<br /><br />On September 12th I will be participating in a GRID Alternatives event called Solarthon 2009, where teams of folks from around the Bay Area will be installing 16 solar electric systems in Habitat GSF homes in Oakland. This one-day event will help raise money and awareness for community solar power, help fight global warming, and bring energy savings to low-income families who need it the most. <br /><br />I’ll be working directly alongside members of these families as they put their own sweat equity into helping secure energy independence and protect themselves from future spikes in the cost of power. I’m asking that you join me in this project and consider sponsoring my efforts by making a tax-deductible donation to GRID Alternatives using this link:<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><a href="http://www.firstgiving.com/keithpelczarski">Donate to Solarthon 2009</a></span><br /><br />My fundraising goal is $250. Please consider helping with a donation of $5 or $10. Of course, donations of any amount are appreciated very much. Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions. (If you don't have my contact info, my email address is my first name at my last name dot com.) You can get more information about GRID Alternatives and their programs at <a href="http://www.gridalternatives.org/">gridalternatives.org</a>. This video offers a good overview of what GRID Alternatives does:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SJ7URRNaXXc&hl=en&fs=1&"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SJ7URRNaXXc&hl=en&fs=1&" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Thanks for reading, and thank you for your support,<br />Keith Pelczarski<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-615293035118576727?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-72265811133209143612009-07-28T16:32:00.000-07:002009-07-29T00:42:25.929-07:00A is for AardvarkAardvark (<a href="http://vark.com">http://vark.com</a>) is a relatively new question-answering service that taps your extended online social network to get answers that can't be easily found with Google or other search engines. The question answering works both ways: not only do people answer questions for you, but you can help other people with their questions.<br /><br />When you sign up, you're asked to offer up a few categories in which you have special knowledge. These might be things like your hometown, your job, or a hobby. They also give you the option to link to your Facebook account not only for building your network of people who can answer your questions, but they also use your Facebook profile to determine what some of your areas of expertise are. <br /><br />When questions are asked, Aardvark labels it with a particular topic, which is then matched to see who in your network knows about that topic. Those people are politely asked over IM if they would be willing to answer a question about that topic, and given the chance to answer, skip it, or refer it to someone else (who may not even be registered with Aardvark yet). Interaction with the IM commands feels a little bit like playing Zork, which shouldn't be a problem for nerds like me who actually played Zork, but for people who don't know what I'm talking about it might take a little while to get used to. There is a web interface for asking your question, but it punts over to IM straightaway. I can understand wanting to stay focused on that channel, but some pretty cool things could be done with the extra flexibility you can get on the web.<br /><br />Depending on the nature of the question, you usually receive an answer within five minutes, often multiple answers. Aardvark tells you who answered your question, and you can follow up with them by replying to Aardvark. It's a pretty neat system, which will grow in utility as the network of answerers expands and the system gets a chance to see who really answers questions about which topics.<br /><br />I would encourage you to sign up and try it out the next time you're looking for recommendations or obscure knowledge that would be to hard to query from Google. I would also encourage you to answer questions from other people. It only takes a moment, and it's a satisfying feeling.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Aardvark: <a href="http://vark.com">http://vark.com</a></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-7226581113320914361?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-65326985674265353612009-07-23T01:34:00.001-07:002009-07-23T01:34:25.166-07:00Wrapping up the bike tourGot myself packed up and made a reservation at Hertz. When I arrived with my rig at the airport the Hertz agent helpfully suggested that I might be able to get by with a smaller, cheaper SUV. He even took me out to check it out. Turns out that everything fit great in the Nissan Murano:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361571092800985986'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmgggIhn24I/AAAAAAAABUg/iiSlkjr4ynA/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Went over to check out Cape Arago, which was indeed a fair distance out of town. It was beautiful in a windy, foggy way:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361571106201806338'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Smggg6coJgI/AAAAAAAABUk/-smkJpB7MDA/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />As it turns out, the road out of Cape Arago that shows on the map is a private, gated road. I would've had to double back quite a bit.<br /><br />Once back on 101, I was struck by several things: very few signs of civilization, almost no phone coverage, and jaw-dropping scenery:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361571113052774258'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmgghT-Bn3I/AAAAAAAABUo/DzNRDlA7r74/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361571128846192866'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmggiOzeEOI/AAAAAAAABUs/w927Ymr1VZY/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />I pulled into Josh & Jodi's house in Eureka just in time to catch Ben before bedtime. He was sporting a sweet cape:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361571132894032146'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Smggid4jMRI/AAAAAAAABUw/xrJW6XhrxqI/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />We had a nice evening playing cribbage and catching up. In the morning the three boys took a bike ride around Eureka. Ben has a great seat:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361571140974640530'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Smggi7_HfZI/AAAAAAAABU0/7JsLedmG_Ac/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Ben fell asleep by the end of the ride:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361571153574467506'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Smggjq7Jl7I/AAAAAAAABU4/pzTX7rpH3Jo/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />So that's it. I'm headed home to Palo Alto. A few closing thoughts on the trip:<br /><br />• Huge thanks to Kerah and her mom Brenda for taking care of the kids while I was away.<br /><br />• I'm also quite grateful to all the friends and family who supported me from near and far. Particularly helpful on the journey were Mark, Eric, Kurt, and Jeff. Y'all were very gracious and I really appreciate all you did for me along the way.<br /><br />• Thanks also to all the kind strangers along the way. There were so many super nice people along the way. The folks at Morning Glory Farm on Rte 126 were particularly great, and I'm very thankful to Ray and Cathy for reuniting me with my iPhone.<br /><br />• Bike touring is a very fun way to explore. You have time to see the world around you as you move down the road, but you can also cover some decent distance.<br /><br />• The road can get very lonely. I'd recommend having a buddy if you go for a tour longer than two weeks.<br /><br />• Rest is important. Allow for downtime to give your body a chance to recover.<br /><br />• Before attempting a long tour, take a couple short trips. I had never taken so much as an overnight tour before embarking on this trip, and there was a lot of learning on the fly.<br /><br />• 500 miles is a long way to pedal. I feel good about what I was able to accomplish on my first time out. I learned a lot about touring, and really enjoyed my time in Washington and Oregon.<br /><br />• Finally, thanks to everyone who has followed this adventure online. Your comments on FriendFeed and Facebook were very much appreciated.<br /><br />Alright, time to get some more rest. Tomorrow I'm back home with the family! <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-6532698567426535361?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-5955689101632803552009-07-23T00:26:00.000-07:002009-07-23T00:27:04.573-07:00Day 14: North Bend, ORLegs were sore waking up. Definitely need to take a rest day. Luckily, North Bend and Coos Bay are nice towns to kick around in. I got on the bike to get some breakfast at the Humboldt. I pored over my maps and Pacific Coast bike touring book, and considered my options. I also checked into alternate options like car rental or flight. My next friendly stop is in Eureka, CA, well over 200 miles away. I thought it would be a good idea to rent a car to get down there, but neither Enterprise nor Hertz would do a one-way rental for less than three days. Oh, and Enterprise didn't have any cars.<br /><br />Scott, the guy from New Zealand I met at Honeyman had said that California was worse than Oregon as far as hills and traffic. He also said that the sketch factor increased, too.<br /><br />Given my tiring legs and growing homesickness, I was rapidly coming to the conclusion that while I've had a fun adventure, maybe it's time to head home.<br /><br />In the lost item department, I realized that my bike computer was gone. I had taken it off when I parked my bike for dinner. It was in a loose front pocket, and I think it fell out on my ride home. I looked by the roadside a bit, but no dice. The road gods apparently weren't happy that I had snatched back the phone sacrifice. Unfortunately, that means that I lose the exact mileage count, but I know I was over 500 miles by a fair bit. <br /><br />I tooled around Coos Bay for the afternoon, then had some sushi for dinner. After dinner, I caught a free showing of "For All Mankind" at the Egyptian Theater. It was showing to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the Apollo moon landing. The images and recollections of the desolate nature of space travel reinforced my own feelings of isolation. Watching the film I decided that I would go to Hertz the next day and rent a car to carry me, Silver, Tonto, and Wilson back home.<br /><br />I rode back over the hills to North Bend, and found some amazingly blue hydrangeas:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361553802250457010'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmgQxsNIj7I/AAAAAAAABUc/L34uQWYJT5I/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />I headed back to the Humboldt for some pool and music, and then turned in for the night. Tomorrow, a car!<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-595568910163280355?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-22030445449434620062009-07-22T23:22:00.001-07:002009-07-22T23:22:47.436-07:00Day 13: Honeyman State Park to North BendHoneyman State Park was really nice and pleasant. I awoke at 8 and had some breakfast. The legs were still pretty tired, though, so I took a little snooze. Here's what my campsite looked like:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361537194657181234'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmgBrAGV7jI/AAAAAAAABUQ/brsWoEivOW4/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />The wind was blowing hard over the tops of the trees, which sounded really soothing. After a bit of rest I packed up and hit the road. Today the legs were sore from the start. Started thinking that maybe I would need a rest day in North Bend/Coos Bay.<br /><br />The road from Florence to North Bend was pretty busy, with a fair amount of traffic and more than a fair amount of wind. The route ran through the Oregon Dunes park, so some of the scenery was spectacular:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361537215249490514'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmgBsMz7olI/AAAAAAAABUU/_jYWclpy9y4/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5361537234242607314'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmgBtTkPmNI/AAAAAAAABUY/42kFX42kZeQ/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Stopped for lunch in Reedsport. Called to try and talk to the kids since phone coverage was getting pretty spotty. No dice. The homesickness is getting really tough. If I had someone riding with me, it would probably be easier to take, but at this point it's been over two weeks, the longest I've ever been away from them.<br /><br />Back on the bike, I hit North Bend as it was starting to get a little dark. There's a big steel bridge on the way into town with a really narrow shoulder and powerful crosswinds. The ride over that was pretty harrowing as cars and trucks squeezed by me. <br /><br />Once in North Bend proper I pulled into Safeway where I asked about the campground at Cape Arago. I was told that it was still a good several miles down the road. With the wind howling and legs burning I decided that it would be better to lay up at a motel and rest. I had posted another 54 miles on the day.<br /><br />I rode into downtown North Bend for dinner at the Humboldt Club Restaurant, where people were super friendly, the pool was free, and the jukebox had Frank Zappa, Johnny Cash, and the Blues Brothers. I chatted with folks about the road south, and learned that it's every bit as uninhabited as it looks on the map, with minimal phone coverage, and lots of wind and fog.<br /><br />Hurm. I started really thinking about whether to press on or not. North Bend is the last place for hundreds of miles that has any kind of transportation options like airport or car rental, so this was the last chance for a graceful exit. I told myself to sleep on it, so that's what I did.<br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-2203044544943462006?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-25839183146479820952009-07-20T23:32:00.001-07:002009-07-22T22:27:18.711-07:00Day 12: Eugene to FlorenceIn a bit of a "Groundhog Day" moment, I set out from Eugene again, with a different route out of the city and a very similar route after that. <br /><br />Up the NW Expressway, out on Clear Lake Rd, I went back out near Kirk Park, where I picked up Tonto's case from Ray. He lives at the top of a crazy steep hill, which I hiked up to find that he had called me offering to meet ne at the bottom. The view was worth the hike, but in my tired state I neglected to get a picture. Let's just say that Ray and Cathy have a beautiful house with a commanding view of the lake.<br /><br />Ray's account of where Cathy and the dog found the phone left more questions than answers, but I'm just happy that Tonto is back by my side, happily esconced on his case.<br /><br />The pedals cranked for another 20 miles where I stopped to return Sandy's cell phone. I told the story to Sandy and Gerry, thanked them for their help, and snapped a picture with their bees:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5360981066713231826'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmYH4GEJcdI/AAAAAAAABUM/Xx0tHsrpWzY/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br />Headed down 126, which was nicer than people had said. Passed through a tunnel that had a warning light for cyclists:<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5360797363120170482'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmVgzI2g5fI/AAAAAAAABUA/YSHUEZLRvzs/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br />It was downhill through the tunnel, so I flew through at 30+ mph. It was pretty good rolling from there, and I got to Mapleton pretty quickly. It was jaw-droppingly beautiful, but I don't think the camera did it justice:<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5360797521490909634'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SmVg8W1CmcI/AAAAAAAABUI/RiaKJgueClg/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><br />Kept on cranking, and made the next 20 miles or so into Florence. I got some supplies at Safeway, then set out for Honeyman State Park. It was a nice campground, with good accommodations for hiker/bikers. I met a Kiwi named Scott who was headed east on 126 the next day. I gave him some tips on the ride that way and he shared some knowledge about the route south.<br /><br />I got a hot shower and bought some wood from the rangers, but when I got back to camp all the bikers had gone to sleep. I made a fire and sent some tweets with the tenuous connection I had. The wind was howling over the tops of the trees, but the campground was pretty still.<br /><br />71 miles covered today. The road has started to get to me a bit. I named my bike Silver and my phone Tonto. I also started talking to Wilson while I sat around the fire. More on the loneliness of the road tomorrow.<br /><br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-2583918314647982095?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-14270873661642453462009-07-18T12:08:00.001-07:002009-07-27T00:46:09.019-07:00Day 11: Eugene to, um, EugeneToday started with good intentions. Up early, had breakfast at the Keystone Cafe. Went back to the hotel, got packed up and actually hit the road at noon.<br /><br />The ride out of town was rough. 11th St was super-busy with no shoulder, so I spent a lot of time bouncing around the sidewalk. Ugh.<br /><br />I pulled into a Shell station, where they told me how crazy I was to ride out on 126 ("crazy" is something I get a lot these days).<br /><br />Pulling out of the station, I made a wrong turn and ended up out by the Eugene airport. The trusty iPhone helped me create a detour around the reservoir, so I kept pedalling. Kirk Park looked like a good place for a break, which was nice at the time.<br /><br />The pedals kept turning for another twenty miles, up over Cougar Pass (alt. 769 ft.), and then down the hill where there was a farm selling berries and espresso. I stopped for an iced mocha. When I reached for my wallet, I noticed that my phone was missing,<br /><br />[Pause for many expletives.]<br /><br />Luckily, the family that runs the farm was super-cool. Billie Sue in particular was very helpful. She let me use the phone to call AT&T, who enabled the "FamilyMaps" feature on my phone, with which Kerah was able to locate my phone -- back at Kirk Park. Ugh.<br /><br />As I was on the phone, a passing couple overheard my plight and offered to take me back down the road to Kirk Park. It was a very generous offer, which I was happy to take. We made small talk as the car rolled down the road, but then things got a little weird.<br /><br />"If you died tonight, do you know what would happen to your soul?" <br /><br />"Um, no."<br /><br />"Do you believe in Eternal Life?"<br /><br />"I'm not really comfortable with this conversation. Could we talk about something else for a while?"<br /><br />Awkwardly, the conversation continued while we headed back to Kirk Park. Actually, conversation isn't quite accurate. This was a bit more like an inquisition: a friendly, ham-fisted inquisition.<br /><br />We searched the park for a while with them calling my phone to try to hear the ring. No dice. We then searched the roadside with me hanging my head out the window like a dog. We actually did find a cordless telephone handset that someone had discarded by the side of the road, but didn't spot mine.<br /><br />"God knows where your phone is. Let's make a deal that if we find your phone that you'll spend your life serving Christ."<br /><br />Now I'm starting to get paranoid that maybe they found the phone and are just messing with me. This feeling deepened when we got back to the farm and the guy tries calling my number again just to see if it was somehow at the farm. Billie Sue had tried calling the number before but this time my brain almost heard my ringtone playing. <br /><br />Finally, the good Samaritan inquisitors bade us farewell, and I thanked them profusely for their help and didn't mention how incredibly creeped out the whole thing made me. <br /><br />Billie Sue let me use her laptop and aircard to check the AT&T FamilyMap again, which still showed my phone near Kirk Park. The service only gives an approximate location, but I figured it was worth another look. Billie Sue's mom Sandy very nicely let me borrow her cell phone since she rarely uses it and she thought it would really help me. So nice.<br /><br />I made it the 20 miles or so back to the park after 8. It was getting dark, but I looked all over, calling my number with Sandy's phone. No luck. I called Kerah one more time to check the family map This time she said that the circle was located in a different place. It seemed that my phone was on the move. Bummer.<br /><br />Discouraged, I started down the road again, hoping to make it to the airport where I could catchable taxi before it got totally dark. As I rolled along, I heard a strange chirping sound. After a few moments I realized that it was Sandy's phone. It was Kerah calling me: someone had found the phone while walking their dog! She gave me the contact info, which I called, and Ray offered to drive the phone up the road to me. Yay!<br /><br />As an extra cherry on top of the kindness of strangers sundae, a logger named Scott stopped by and offered me and my bike a lift in his truck!<br /><br />I checked in to my hotel after 10, got cleaned up and then had pasta at McMenamins North Bank, where everyone was real nice. When I returned to the hotel, there was karaoke going on in the hotel bar. I've never done karaoke in a hotel bar before, so it seemed like something that I just had to do. I waited my turn for a few songs, then belted out "Should I Stay Or Should I Go" by the Clash. Even moshed around with the wireless mic. <br /><br />It's been fun Eugene, but now I think I should go.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-1427087366164245346?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-49135262462107644262009-07-16T21:01:00.001-07:002009-07-16T21:01:02.246-07:00Day 10: Corvallis to EugeneToday I arose a bit earlier and had the free breakfast at the Holiday Inn Express. After lounging around and getting packed up, I left a bit after noon. <br /><br />I decided to take Peoria Rd to follow the Willamette River, and was quite happy with it. The traffic was light, the road was smooth and flat, and the weather was bright and sunny.<br /><br />There was a farmer selling blueberries along the way, so I stopped and ate a pint of them while chatting with the farmer and a local customer. Apparently, it's a tough year for berry farmers. Though the supply is good, wholesale prices are down and costs are relatively fixed. That's why this farmer was selling berries direct from his farm. Bummer for him, but lucky for me.<br /><br />We also talked about his elaborate anti-bird strategies. He had shiny ribbons, fake owls, and some cool balloons with eyes on them. The best, though was a recording of songbird distress calls. The cries scare away the birds who would eat berries and also attract raptors, who in turn scare away birds. Pretty ingenious system.<br /><br />Back on the road, there were more miles and miles of bucolic beauty. I stopped to snap a few shots:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5359274130945171362'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl_3bWztX6I/AAAAAAAABT0/EHt1pRrZ3bQ/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5359274175574783378'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl_3d9EPNZI/AAAAAAAABT4/bIFZzlLBxQk/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5359274194272455218'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl_3fCuHCjI/AAAAAAAABT8/U2_Wg1bmbDI/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />Before too long, I rolled into Eugene, where my first stop was Paul's Bicycle Way of Life. It was a great local shop, and they checked over the bike for free, though I did put ten bucks in their coffee fund for being so nice. While they were working on the bike, I had some avocado pasta at the 6th St Grill, then checked out the local Hilton. The rooms were a bit steep ($159), but the helpful clerk gave me a card key for the business center with the suggestion to check out priceline.com. I fired up "The Negotiator" and made an offer for $100 on a three-star hotel. Came back to me with a room in that very hotel. Thanks, Bill Shatner!<br /><br />Once I was checked in and cleaned up, I went to check out bike polo at a nearby park, but there were people playing basketball where they normally play. Instead of waiting around, I took my laundry to a laundromat, where I sit writing this. After the laundry I'm going to take a little spin around town before heading back to the room.<br /><br />Tomorrow I set off for Florence, on the coast, where I will be resuming the camping portion of the program. Sweet. <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-4913526246210764426?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-86585167325921681692009-07-15T23:06:00.001-07:002009-07-15T23:06:34.116-07:00Day 9: Wheatland to CorvallisThis morning started with some good coffee and an egg sandwich made from fresh eggs that Jeff gathered (thanks to Jeff and the chickens). I got myself ready for another afternoon start, then said goodbye to Jeff. He offered again to let me stay another night, which was really tempting, but I jumped on the bike and headed off. <br /><br />I started riding on Rte 221, but it was a little too busy and there wasn't a good shoulder. I fired up the iPhone and figured out a less-busy path. Unfortunately, the iPhone map didn't warn me about the gravel road with the crazy steep grade. I might've been able to handle the gravel by itself or the grade by itself, but together they were more than a match for me. Instead of doubling back 5 miles to the busy road, I (literally) pushed onward. It was a challenge, but I made it through only stopping once to rest.<br /><br />The gravel and grade behind me, I found some sweet downhill action on the other side. The miles started flying by, and I even passed a procession of combine harvesters rolling along the road. Here's a shot I snapped of one as they passed:<br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358935452351822866'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl7DZqutfBI/AAAAAAAABTw/ask9hebDh5U/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br />There were lots of beautiful fields in the Willamette River Valley, and soon I found myself in Independence, OR. I stopped at the Ragin' River Steakhouse, where I enjoyed the 8 oz prime rib special with a baked potato. After dinner I checked in with the home team on the phone. I miss them terribly, but it's good to talk on the phone.<br /><br />More pedalling followed dinner, along with more spectacular farmland. And bugs. I didn't any of them today but did get one in my eye. I pulled into Corvallis around 8:30 and checked into the Holiday Inn Express, since there's no good camping nearby. I think tomorrow will be another hotel night in Eugene, but after that I'll be on the coast where the number and quality of campsites picks up again.<br /><br />I did 45 miles today, and averaged about 14 mph while rolling, even with the uphill pushing factored in. I hope to extend the legs again as I get further along, but for now I'm happy with my progress and feel like I've made good choices given the lay of the land. Tomorrow I'll head down to Eugene, another 45-50 miles, and Friday I'll do the 60 miles from Eugene to the coast. Yeehaw! <br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-8658516732592168169?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-22770334704637121842009-07-15T22:27:00.001-07:002009-07-15T23:10:45.539-07:00Day 8: Beaverton to Wheatland WineryHaving taken care of the busted wheel on Monday, it was time to get rolling again on Tuesday. I got off to my customary late start after getting repacked and mailing >10 pounds of stuff back home.<br /><br />The route out of Beaverton was really busy, with tons of stoplights. There was a bike lane or at least a shoulder for most of it, so it wasn't terrible, just not pretty and stop-and-go. At one point I think I hit seven reds in a row.<br /><br />Once I hit Tigard, I picked up 99W, which was busy and fast, but it was the most direct road. The shoulder was littered with debris, but nothing like the mess of sticks and bark on the Lewis and Clark bridge.<br /><br />There were a few neat things along the way, like these life-sized sculptures of Jake and Elwood Blues:<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358925248047079234'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl66Hsu330I/AAAAAAAABTc/SO9GFBO2e84/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br />In Dayton there was this cool little fort in a park:<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358925298155679138'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl66KnZsbaI/AAAAAAAABTg/euTagGBDpRk/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br />I made pretty good time, and before long I arrived in Wheatland, where there's a neat little ferry:<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358925338668448466'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl66M-UsOtI/AAAAAAAABTk/PGTTFfB3QEQ/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br />Next door to the ferry is the Wheatland Winery, which is owned and operated by my friends Jake and Sonja along with Jake's parents Jeff and Sharon. Everyone was out of town except Jeff, but he made me feel very welcome. He showed me around the winery then we went to the Golden Valley brewpub in McMinnville for dinner. Chicken-fried steak sounded like a good idea, but too much gravy made it a bit of a mushy feast.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358925356611456306'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl66OBKozTI/AAAAAAAABTo/i0kzJzxCoYg/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br />When we returned to the winery, we hung out on the back porch, tasted some wine and enjoyed an evening of conversation under the stars. We even listened to Paul's Boutique with my iPod speakers. All in all, a very fun night.<br /><br /><br /><br /><center><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358925380599928098'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/Sl66Pah71SI/AAAAAAAABTs/TKMQ8qdtCJE/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a></center><br /><br /><br />Jeff was nice enough to let me sleep in the spare bedroom, and even offered to let me stay longer if I wanted. Everyone in Oregon has been super nice, which has made it a little difficult to get down the road. The bike won't pedal itself, though, and tomorrow I'm off to Corvallis, home of the Oregon State University Beavers. Today I did 40 miles, and tomorrow I'll do a bit more. <br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-2277033470463712184?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-56761769636015977872009-07-14T14:13:00.000-07:002009-07-14T02:20:21.004-07:00Days 5-7: Long Weekend in Portland<a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358234850109656690'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlxGNP_njnI/AAAAAAAABTM/MBgwAUO1mak/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' align='right' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>Saturday morning I slept in a bit after my long ride on Friday and late-night arrival. I was actually sore after riding almost 90 miles, something to keep in mind for future rides. Here's where the bike and I spent the night:<br /><br />I got a call from Eric Burnette, a Portland pal who let me crash on his couch for the rest of the weekend. He came and picked me up and we threw all my gear into his little Toyota pickup (which has 231,000 miles on it!). We had brunch at Bijou, then drove over to River City Bicycles for some fenders (got some nice SKS Chromoplastics). I asked the guy at River City about getting a triple crankset with a granny gear, and since I have a road-style setup, I'd only go down 4 teeth by making the switch. (My current compact crankset is a 50/34, and the triple that they had that fit my bike was 50/39/30.) Basically he talked me out of buying stuff, which is always a good sign in a bike shop. Following River City Bicycles, we hit REI for a few more supplies. I napped for a bit then had dinner with Eric's girlfriend Jill and her friend Deb. It was a nice, mellow evening with great conversation.<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358234883198139634'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlxGPLQhvPI/AAAAAAAABTQ/NIbBLe99K0M/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' align='right' style='margin:5px'></a>On Sunday, I slept in again, and still had some residual soreness, but nothing too bad. I put the fenders on the bike, during which process one of the rear spokes revealed itself to be broken. It snapped right in the middle of the threads, and I think it stayed seated in there just enough to avoid detection. If I had to guess when it broke I'd say it was the bone-jarring railroad track just as I got into Portland. In any case, it was broken, but by the time I was done fussing with the fenders and such, it was time for us to get going. We had to stop by Jill's so I could bring my maps and get some advice on my route to the coast. At Jill's we pored over the maps and found a few good candidates for rides, mostly centered on going through Eugene and then cutting over to the coast. Luckily I was able to talk on the phone with one of their friends who had done the Portland to Eugene ride a bunch of times. He had some good advice on how to avoid both traffic and hills while maximizing scenery, so that was a really helpful conversation.<br /><br />With the next leg of the route planned out, it was time to meet our old friend Kurt Morris at Deschutes Brewery. I had an elk burger, which was tasty, and we talked for hours. Kurt grew up around Eugene and the Oregon central coast, so he was supportive of my newly-decided route through the Willamette River Valley before hitting the coast.<br /><br />After we bid adieu to Kurt, we headed back to Eric's place, where he and his 17-year-old son Kevin helped me cull gear from my bags. They were really helpful for making the decisions on what to keep and what to mail home. Basically, what I learned is that I had packed for backpacking, which isn't quite the same as bike touring. With the bike, you're always on the road, and there's usually some kind of food at pretty regular intervals. After much hemming and hawing, I decided that the stove and accompanying mess kit were not only slowing me down weight-wise, their actual use and cleaning in camp were taking up a lot of time there, too. Plus, the weather isn't that cold even on the coast, so there's never any real need for a hot meal in camp.<br /><br />Also cut from the bag were some extra clothes, one of the three spare tubes I was carrying, the Camelbak reservoir that I didn't really use, the crappy spray guard that I thought would make a decent replacement for fenders, and a whole bunch of extra bungee cords and carabiners and stuff that I brought in case of any MacGyver moments. We'll see how much it all weighs when we mail it off, but I'd say that we cut over 10 pounds, maybe 15. <br /><br />Today I brought my bike in to River City, where after talking with them it was decided that it would be best for me to replace the rear wheel. Unfortunately, they didn't have any road hubs on heavy-duty rims pre-built. They were nice enough to shift around their maintenance schedule and hand-build a new rear wheel for me. As it turns out, the hand-built wheel (heavy-duty Mavic rim, Shimano Ultegra hub, heavy-duty spokes) took until after closing time to be finished, but Evan at River City was a champ and worked late to finish it. <br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358234913778987634'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlxGQ9LkcnI/AAAAAAAABTU/BPNODf4qRbU/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>While waiting, I was able to grab lunch with Kurt Morris, and spent a little time with his wife Amanda, their daughter Isabella, and new dog Kipper. It was great to see them, and they provided a lot of encouragement.<br /><br />Since the wheel-building took so long, I was lucky that I was also able to get in touch with my friend Rachel who had just returned from a trip to Chicago. She and her husband Jason met me for dinner and we had a great time catching up while I waited for the wheel to be done. No picture, unfortunately, but they look great, too.<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/SeattleToSanFranciscoBikeTour#5358234932798840642'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlxGSECQX0I/AAAAAAAABTY/5eFqM6YO3gc/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>After dinner I picked up the bike and toted it away with Eric's pickup, then rejoined Rachel and Jason to enjoy a sour beer at Puckerfest. The truck, bike, and I then headed back to Beaverton for a little more quality time with Eric, and then I spent a while cleaning up the past blog entries on Eric's MacBook since the iPhone is a bit limited on the publishing front.<br /><br />Tomorrow I'll mount up and ride down the Willamette Valley. Yeehaw!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-5676176963601597787?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-9161384467558221912009-07-14T02:14:00.000-07:002009-07-14T02:20:53.805-07:00SEA-SFO by bike: Learning as I goSome observations from the first week:<ul><li>If you don't have fenders, you and your gear will get filthy.<br /><li>The camp stove wasn't really necessary.<br /><li>I can go for really long times/distances if necessary.<br /><li>Seattle and Portland are super bike-friendly towns, and <a href="http://www.recycledcycles.com/">Recycled Cycles</a> in Seattle and <a href="http://rivercitybicycles.com/">River City Bicycles</a> in Portland are great shops.<br /><li>Rest is important, and it's fun to hang out with friends.<br /><li>People are really supportive when they learn that you're doing a long tour, even if they think you're loco. I've been surprised at the number of people who have actually done all of part of the trip that I'm taking. There are more bike tourers out there than I suspected.<br /><li>Dogs don't care for my bike bell.<br /><li>Wet clothes packed in a compression sack get stinky fast.<br /><li>Climbing is hard, but you get better at it over time as you get used to the weight.<br /><li>The iPhone is good for blogging from the road, but isn't quite a substitute for a real computer.</ul>Finally, for people who are really interested in where I've been riding, <a href="http://www.mapmyride.com/user/868124669662554463/czarski">I mapped my rides</a> over at <a href="http://mapmyride.com">http://mapmyride.com</a>. I won't be able to add rides from my phone, but will try to catch up the next time I have access to a real computer. They have an app for the iPhone, but you have to leave it running the whole time, and I don't think that my batteries are up to the task.<br /><br />Thanks again for all the support from people near and far. I really appreciate it. Cheers!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-916138446755822191?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-72849722998332019152009-07-11T01:53:00.001-07:002009-07-14T01:28:41.769-07:00Day 4: Lewis & Clark State Park to Portland<a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5357122936205540562'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlhS7V6g_NI/AAAAAAAABR0/6TNfdIU4DPw/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>Slept fitfully last night. Actually, sleep has been fitful every night since I left Seattle. I don't know if it's from being in new places or from exercising until late or general anxiety or maybe just discomfort from sleeping on the ground (though that doesn't account for the Microtel). Despite turning in a little earlier last night, I didn't really get to sleep until almost 5 a.m. Some people riding horses past my campsite woke me up At 9 a.m., but I went back to sleep until 11 a.m. Here's the scene at my campsite when I awoke:<br /><br />You'll never guess what time I hit the road: 2:15 p.m. Funny thing is, I was trying really hard to get out quickly. I need to shed some gear to speed up the packing process.<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5357122951554356226'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlhS8PF9VAI/AAAAAAAABR4/J-TxkEKGXvc/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>Once I finally did hit the road, I hit it with a purpose -- Portland -- almost 90 miles away. But first I had to take a picture of Mt. St. Helens:<br /><br />After 22 miles I stopped in Castle Rock for a pizza, then got back on the road at 5 p.m. The day was getting away from me, but I remained undeterred.<br /><br />There were a number of surprises along the way: the deep sewer grate I hit at 30 mph that literally rang my bell, the mega-sprinkler trained on the road that I tried to wait out before realizing that it never left the roadway, the teenage girls who freaked me out by screaming out of their car windows about how cool my bike was when they were right next to me, the staggering amount of bark and sticks littered on the shoulder of the Lewis & Clark bridge, and a railroad crossing in Portland that rattled my foot out of the clip.<br /><br />Even though I averaged 14 mph today while pedalling, it still took me until 11 p.m. to get to the hotel I reserved from the road (fwiw, hotels.com had much lower rates than the hotels themselves). I'm staying for tonight at the Hotel Vintage Plaza, a Kimpton joint. It's nice, in a boutique-y kind of way. I tried to stay at a McMenamin's hotel, but they were all booked up. I did manage to get a Dungeon Burger at Ringlers, though.<br /><br />Tomorrow I plan to sleep late, then hit up REI and the bike shops to retool for the trip to the Oregon coast. At some point this weekend I'm also going to cull gear out of my bags with extreme prejudice. Hopefully I'll get to where I can pack up without having to carefully stuff things in, and maybe I can break the 2 p.m. barrier.<br /><br />At least I'm making up for it on the back end. 88 miles today!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-7284972299833201915?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-31873679465400902662009-07-09T23:04:00.000-07:002009-07-14T01:24:49.782-07:00Day 3: Elma to Lewis and Clark State Park2 p.m. That seems to be the time by which my bike, bags, belly, and brain are all set to hit the road. I hope to get all that to happen before noon, but late starts beget late starts. <br /><br />Here's how things went today. Slept in at the Microtel in Elma. Well, I actually woke up fairly early, but lazed around in semi-conciousness for a couple hours before I thought to call and ask for a late checkout. Done and done, then back to actual sleep for a couple hours before packing up and grabbing another shower since you never know where the next one might be.<br /><br />I stocked up on Gatorade at Toad's Place in Elma, which made me chuckle a bit since there's a nightclub in New Haven called Toad's Place where I saw a few shows back in the day. After that I ducked into the Coffee Coop for an everything bagel with cream cheese and an iced mocha. The lady working there was super nice. A number of people up the road had tried to steer me away from Elma, saying that there was nothing there, but as it turns out it was a great stop.<br /><br /><a href=''><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlbkJWJYIrI/AAAAAAAABRw/eVyFqNxBUBM/s512/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>Finally ready to roll at 2 p.m., I started cranking with a purpose and made really good time over the mostly flat route. I didn't take many pictures today, but had to take this one just outside the Chehalis Reservation. Now that's a serious pinewood derby car, people.<br /><br />Before I knew it I had covered the 36 miles to Centralia, where I enjoyed eating at Burgerville. After letting the food settle and futzing around on the phone, I set out to cover the 23 miles or so to Lewis and Clark Park. <br /><br />As it turns out, there were a number of long grades on the way, and I was glad to have stopped for food and rest before doing this leg. Happily, I was able to keep chugging up every hill and didn't need to push or anything. I'm still thinking that I might get a granny gear, but then I'll need a new dérailleur and whatnot. Hurm.<br /><br />Finally rolled into Lewis & Clark State Park after 8 tonight and it was after 9 before tent was pitched and clothes changed. Another dinner of pasta with pesto and sausage was cooked and consumed by 10. Then cleanup and route planning brought me to 11, and by the time I'm done tapping this out on the iPhone it'll be after midnight. Then it's time to let it all hang out, or so I've heard.<br /><br />So you see, late starts beget late starts. On the upside though, I upped my mileage to almost 60 miles today and feel pretty good. Tomorrow I'm going to try to get my act together a bit earlier, so maybe the increasing mileage trend will continue.<br /><br />Thanks to everyone who has sent well-wishes over the intertubes. It's been very encouraging.<br /><br />Speaking of the intertubes, I'm going to see if the tenuous EDGE connection that I have is good enough for a little surfing. Now that's some fancy camping.<br /><br />Finally, I've seen some places in Washington that would make the Lorax very, very sad, but mostly it's been places that would make the Lorax very, very happy.<br /><br />Oregon, you are hereby warned: I speak for the trees, and tomorrow I will be all up in your business.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-3187367946540090266?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-25723444762940245912009-07-09T01:13:00.000-07:002009-07-14T01:18:22.108-07:00Day 2: Twanoh State Park to Elma in the rainLast night at Twanoh was quite pleasant. After writing yesterday's post I went off to sleep in the tent. It was pretty comfortable, and I didn't have any random soreness in the morning, neither from the bike nor from sleeping on the ground.<br /><br />Unfortunately, it was raining in the morning, so I lazed around hoping it would clear. I fired up the camp stove again and made the rest of the sausages from last night along with some eggs I picked up yesterday.<br /><br />Eventually, I got myself all packed up and it was still raining. I was a bit daunted, but set off anyway. Going was a bit slow and windy, and the detour I set for myself to avoid backtracking to the ACA path was a bit hillier than I'd like. I kept on cranking, though, and made Shelton around 4:30. It was only 19 miles, but with the hills and breaks they demanded, it took me two and a half hours.<br /><br />In Shelton I stopped for some pho, which wasn't quite the preparation I'm used to in the Bay Area, but it was warm and savory and the owner of the place was super nice. While I ate, I checked on weather and hotels down the road. After much hemming and hawing, I decided to go out in the rain again and try to make the 25+ miles to Elma before dark.<br /><br />It was raining pretty well as I hit the road again, and I immediately started second-guessing the decision. I gave it a third guess after I missed a turn on the map and ended up climbing halfway up a big, heavily trafficked road before I realized. I didn't give in, though. I got back on track and kept cranking the pedals. <br /><br />Happily, the hills mellowed out and the clouds parted a bit, and I made good time. I did 27 miles in two and a half hours. I would have made better time, but there were some big hills on the way into Elma. I'm starting to develop a theory that towns in Washington are situated in close proximity to big hills.<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5356370989897289394'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlWnCToJDrI/AAAAAAAABRs/6ezMeQXd4M4/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>Once in Elma, I checked into the Microtel, as a reward for pushing 46 miles through the rain today. The lady at the front desk gave me a whirlpool suite for $10 more than their cheapest room. The hotel is really clean and seems pretty new. They really weren't kidding about the whirlpool -- it's huge!<br /><br />I had a personal pizza and chips from Toad's next door, had some mixed nuts and turkey jerky, did laundry, took a shower, then whirlpool and stretching. Finally, I scratched out this post. Now, it's just about time for bed. Tomorrow I hope to really get near Mt. St. Helens. There probably aren't many big hills near there, right?<br /><br />The forecast is for clear skies tomorrow, so I'll definitely load up in sun screen. Today I managed to get a little burn on my face even though it was cloudy and raining for much of the day.<br /><br />It feels good that I upped the distance covered from 36 to 46 miles today. assuming that I'm not super sore tomorrow, I'll see if I can pass 56 miles tomorrow. Look out, Lewis & Clark State Park!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-2572344476294024591?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-84534718847228282782009-07-07T15:44:00.000-07:002009-07-14T01:15:00.136-07:00Day 1: Seattle to Twanoh State ParkToday I loaded up the bike and began riding for real. It was a little scary in a couple of ways. For one thing, riding with the extra weight on the front racks was a new experience. For another, hitting the road by myself on a bike felt quite daunting when it was time to really do it. <br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5356212129066681730'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlUWjY6ohYI/AAAAAAAABRY/ivl_dYXJh_k/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>The closest analog I can think of is when you're diving off the edge of a high cliff. You're pretty sure that it'll be awesome, but a little voice is wondering if it's really a good idea. <br /><br />The morning was spent doing laundry, assembling the new rack, packing up the panniers and trying to psyche myself up. Mark came by to wish me Bon voyage, then I headed over to Recycled Cycles for some air and encouragement. Here I am with the rig:<br /><br />I wasn't really prepared for the full weight of it all, so I was a bit nervous making my way the almost seven miles from Mark's to the ferry. Luckily, Seattle is very bike friendly, which helped take the edge off. I was also comforted by some courageous-looking bronze firefighters: <a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5356212202236638354'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlUWnpftdJI/AAAAAAAABRc/o4bp1WbuMl0/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a><br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5356212254090469074'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlUWqqqoHtI/AAAAAAAABRg/Z8oktQywpGU/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>Shortly thereafter I found the ferry after a detour through a little tent city near Seahawk Stadium. The ferry was a little bit of a challenge, since they told me to ride up a really steep ramp and I don't have a granny gear. (I'm riding a compact crankset -- maybe a huge mistake. More on that in a moment.) The ferry ride was pleasant, with food and scenery. Here's how my bike made the trip (lower right corner):<br /><br />And here's the scene upon reaching Bremerton: <br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5356212304942749266'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlUWtoGwVlI/AAAAAAAABRk/_1YsnW7YF3Y/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a><br /><br />Pedaling began in earnest, and I soon met with a detour. Found my way back to the route, and found myself staring up a large hill. I made my own detour, which turned out to have equally large hills. Oy. <br /><br />I found my way back to the ACA path, which had another really steep hill in store. I ended up getting off and pushing for a bit. Once again I found myself wishing for a granny gear. Hopefully I'll get used to that sort of thing with the extra weight, but part of me is thinking I should call ahead to.a bike shop in Portland to get outfitted with a triple crankset.<br /><br />After Bremerton, the road smoothed out, and I was able to make decent progress. People were really good about giving me a wide berth, which was encouraging. I picked up sausages and eggs in Belfair, and a kindly Korean shopkeeper gave me some ice to keep them cold.<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5356212369798174354'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlUWxZtflpI/AAAAAAAABRo/Tt1zEVtu3jM/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>I rolled into Twanoh State Park a little after seven, and had some confusion about where to camp. The hiker/biker site seemed to be all full, but after talking to the awesome almost-ranger Julie I was set with an outstanding site toward the back of the park. I even got some firewood from a kindly stranger. The campsite was quite nice:<br /><br />Tomorrow I'm hoping to get down near Mt St Helens, but we'll see how that goes. Goodnight, everyone!<br /><br />[NB: these posts will often appear after I actually write them. I'm tapping them out my iPhone and saving them, since many campsites are out of cellular range.]<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-8453471884722828278?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-63226413545980564082009-07-06T23:00:00.000-07:002009-07-13T18:10:36.369-07:00Day 0: Seattle sightseeingThis morning I picked up my Old Man Mountain Ultimate Lowrider front rack from the UPS Store, then headed over to Recycled Cycles to get one last tune up before I hit the road tomorrow. The guy was super nice and didn't even charge me for giving the bike the once over. Very nice.<br /><br />Next I met up with Mark over in the U district where we had Thai food followed by a tour of the UW campus. We hit two bookstores and a library, and I got two paperbacks for the trip, Salinger and Pohl. Here are some shots from the library:<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593661907498754'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkD3NUdwI/AAAAAAAABQU/nQRtShZPqwU/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a> <a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593720393849442'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkHRFjWmI/AAAAAAAABQY/C4P8ej_LMRU/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a> <a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593738803263346'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkIVqst3I/AAAAAAAABQc/q1fsG_5b1Xc/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a><br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593797239026610'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkLvW3s7I/AAAAAAAABQg/_UsNC9w8fis/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>Mark also showed me around the quad and the math department where he has his office, then we caught a bus downtown to check out the Pike Place Market. There wasn't any fish throwing going on while we were there, but it was fun and we did see some awesome pepper braids:<br /><br />From there we walked over to the Seattle Public Library, which was designed by Rem Koolhaus. It's a beautiful building, with lots of colorful accents. The coolest part is the book spiral where you can walk down the aisles which are marked with the Dewey Decimal numbers on the floor.<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593817754036178'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkM7yB59I/AAAAAAAABQk/IR-BmyQnN4U/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a> <a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593836412554930'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkOBSkTrI/AAAAAAAABQo/tG_Iw7WHNN4/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a> <a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593894346749378'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkRZHJ9cI/AAAAAAAABQs/o40ATbZeFgw/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a> <a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593917550536658'><img src='http://lh4.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkSvjXp9I/AAAAAAAABQw/2i6Gx4IgKIQ/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a> <a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593970152068178'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkVzgjVFI/AAAAAAAABQ0/W6-gUZAosj0/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a> <a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355593991381812706'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlLkXCmHheI/AAAAAAAABQ8/GmwlcqH0exs/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a><br /><br />We finished up with a delicious dinner at the Black Bottle. Then I followed Mark back to Kim's place where he hooked me up with some white gas for my stove. I took the bus back to Mark's place, stopping for groceries along the way. Tomorrow morning I'm going to get all packed up again and hit the road. Exciting!<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-6322641354598056408?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-6759898485396780742009-07-05T22:43:00.001-07:002009-07-13T18:03:09.419-07:00Day -1: SeattleSeattle is a great launching pad for a bike tour. Lots of cyclists, bike-friendly streets, and a relaxed vibe. Last night Mark had an Independence Day shindig, and we enjoyed a spectacular pyrotechnic display with the Seattle skyline as backdrop.<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355218533534131106'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlGO4hHj46I/AAAAAAAABNw/2y5H2BNdo9w/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>Today was pretty mellow. I slept in a bit, then took the bike out for a little cruise around town. Met up with Mark for some brunch and checked out the Ballard Locks, an amazing creation by the US Army Corps of Engineering. The locks work on gravity, with no pumps involved. Pretty neat to watch. You can see the difference in water levels in this photo:<br /><br />We also enjoyed watching the sockeye salmon on the fish ladder and admired a beautiful sculpture:<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355218547741000770'><img src='http://lh6.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlGO5WCvhEI/AAAAAAAABN0/b9H7MreX79U/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px'></a><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355218571246541890'><img src='http://lh5.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlGO6tm5nEI/AAAAAAAABN4/HMFxCjmtIuU/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='210' height='281' style='margin:5px'></a><br /><br />After the Ballard Locks, Mark and I headed to Kim's for a barbeque. There were lots of U Dub grad students there, including Colin who gave me a sweet orange crossing-guard vest with bright reflector stripes for better highway safety. Thanks, Colin!<br /><br /><a href='http://picasaweb.google.com/keithp/GoNuttyPhotos#5355218592146020690'><img src='http://lh3.ggpht.com/_X50SBmgXXJs/SlGO77duWVI/AAAAAAAABN8/KPqf6aVQGa4/s288/iphone_photo.jpg' border='0' width='281' height='210' style='margin:5px' align="right"></a>On my ride home, I paid a visit to the Fremont Troll under the Aurora Bridge. Some nice folks offered to take a picture of me with the Troll. Tomorrow I'm going to (hopefully) pick up my Old Man Mountain Ultimate Lowrider front rack at the UPS Store. It was supposed to be delivered to The Bicycle Outfitter in Los Altos last week, but had to be diverted up here. Fingers crossed. <br /><br />After I get the rack I'm going to swing by Recycled Cycles for a final tune-up, then Mark is going to show me around UW and downtown Seattle. If everything goes according to plan I'll be ready to roll out first thing on Tuesday morning.<br /><br />Peace.<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-675989848539678074?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-71783289502034357122009-07-04T18:06:00.000-07:002009-07-13T17:57:00.692-07:00Day -2: Pacific Coast Bicycle TourA couple weeks ago, I went for a bike ride around the Portola Loop. Halfway through the usual 18-mile ride, I turned on Old La Honda Road and climbed 1,300 feet up the hill to Skyline Blvd. The ride continued for 40 miles, and I started wondering how far I could go if given enough time. 1,000 miles? Maybe it was the endorphins talking, but a long tour seemed like a good idea. No, a GREAT idea. And thus, a plan was hatched to ride my bike from Seattle to San Francisco.<br /><br />Upon my return home, I shared my thoughts with Kerah. Happily, she was very supportive. The stars were aligned, and it seemed that the universe wanted me on the bike.<br /><br />With a green light on this madness, preparations began. Many hours were spent at REI picking out gear for the trip, since there will be lots of camping. I flirted with the idea of buying a new Surly Long Haul Trucker touring bike, but abandoned that notion after Kendra (our physical therapist neighbor) told me their advice to anyone embarking on an endurance adventure: "No new is good news." No new bikes, no new shoes, nothing that might invoke the wrath of the biomechanical gods and rain down painful blisters and woe.<br /><br />Hours of packing later, I boarded a plane this afternoon and now I'm sitting in a van carrying me, my bike, and all the gear the bike will carry. We're headed to my friend Mark Contois's place where I'll spend a couple days visiting and getting ready to start riding early next week. There's rain in the forecast, so I've got that going for me, which is nice.<br /><br />I'll be riding solo for most of the trip, but there will be other cyclists touring the same path, since the plan is to follow the Adventure Cycling Association's Pacific Coast route. Most nights will be camping, but with friends in Seattle, Portland, Arcata, and Mendocino, I'm hoping to find a few couches along the way. If you live in Seattle, Portland, Arcata, or Mendocino, please consider yourself warned. ;-)<br /><br />Well, it looks like the taxi I almost to Mark's place, so I'll sign off for now. Check back for more updates as the tour progresses.<br /><br />Happy Independence Day, everyone!<br /><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-7178328950203435712?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-35767877395736321382009-02-16T20:39:00.000-08:002009-02-16T22:42:24.101-08:00Cause for concern with California's High Speed Rail project?This one is for all the Californians in the house.<br /><br />Last November, while we were all busy voting for change and stuff, voters also approved <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php/California_Proposition_1A_(2008)">proposition 1A</a> to issue almost $10 billion in bonds to fund the initial stage of a high-speed railway that could cost upwards of $40, perhaps as much as $80 billion dollars. When the election results came in, I was bummed that voters had signed us up for more debt to be paid from the state's general fund (I voted against the measure).<br /><br />Now that more of the particulars are coming to light, I'm becoming increasingly anxious about what might actually get built. You see, the grounds of GoNutty.com Central Global World Headquarters abut the Caltrain tracks that run up the peninsula from San Jose to San Francisco. There's talk around town about what might happen with the tracks and such, and some of it sounds grim. Like <a href="http://hsr-letsdoitright.com/visualize.html">a 15 foot wall of concrete</a> to separate the tracks from the grade. I've also heard a much more enticing proposal to <a href="http://www.paloaltoonline.com/weekly/story.php?story_id=9530">run the train through a tunnel</a>. <br /><br />For its part, <a href="http://www.cahighspeedrail.ca.gov">The California High Speed Rail Authority</a> site is long on glossy concept stuff, but short of specifics of what this project might mean to those of us who neighbor the tracks. <a href="http://www.google.com/search?q=site%3Apaloaltoonline.com+high+speed+rail&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a">Palo Alto Weekly has used a lot of ink on the high speed rail project</a>, and there's a <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Palo_Alto_HSR/">Yahoo group for Palo Altans concerned about High Speed Rail</a>.<br /><br />There are a number of meetings scheduled in the next couple of weeks for Palo Alto residents who are concerned about the potential impacts of the project. The first is tomorrow, Tuesday February 17th at 7 p.m. It's a meeting with city representatives and will be held at conference room A of the PAUSD office at 25 Churchill Ave. <br /><br />There's another meeting scheduled for Thursday, February 26th at 7 p.m. to talk with city representatives AND folks from the High Speed Rail Authority. That one will be held at the Mitchell Park Community Center at 3800 Middlefield Road.<br /><br />Finally, the Palo Alto city council meeting on March 2nd at 7 p.m. at City Hall will include High Speed Rail on the agenda. There's even a march to City Hall that evening, starting at Lytton Plaza at 6 p.m.<br /><br />It sounds like the window for public comment on this project is scheduled to close pretty soon (March 6th), so if you have questions/comments/concerns about the project, now is the time.<br /><br />We now return you to your regularly scheduled nuttiness, already in progress....<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-3576787739573632138?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-79468883597064565292009-02-15T20:14:00.000-08:002009-02-15T21:02:23.667-08:00Happy John Frum Day!Every February 15th, followers of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Frum">John Frum</a> have a parade in celebration of the expected return of their <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cargo_cult">cargo cult</a> god. They're not sure what year he'll return, just that it'll be on February 15th. As one of them said to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Attenborough">David Attenborough</a> in the 50's: "If you can wait two thousand years for Jesus Christ to come an' 'e no come, then I can wait more than nineteen years for John."<br /><br />So, every year they get out their bamboo rifles and march around military style, with "USA" and "TA" (for "Tanna Army") painted on their bodies. Here's an interesting video of the proceedings one year at the village of Lamakara at Sulfa Bay on the island of Tanna in the South Pacific nation of Vanuatu.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/YfSC6RDyVA0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/YfSC6RDyVA0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Okay, time to head out to the makeshift control tower I built next to the driveway. Now where did I put my coconut shell headphones?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-7946888359706456529?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-58613061461986597692009-02-13T23:22:00.000-08:002009-02-14T00:16:36.114-08:00Going Nutty at the Sundance Film FestivalIf you've been following me on <a href="http://twitter.com/Czarski">Twitter</a> or <a href="http://friendfeed.com/czarski">Friendfeed</a> or even <a href="http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/profile.php?id=683119017">Facebook</a>, you already know that I went to Park City, Utah last month for the Sundance Film Festival. If you don't follow me on those sites, well, you know now. I was lucky enough to stay with my ol' college buddies Jake and Sonja, who were gracious hosts and who helped me learn to ski. A lot of people have asked me what I saw while I was there and what I thought, so here goes.<br /><br />First off, what I <span style="font-style:italic;">didn't</span> see was celebrities. I heard a bunch of directors talking about their films in the Q&A after screenings, and there were a bunch of actors there, but I didn't see any big big stars. That's okay with me, but it seems to be very disappointing to people when they ask about the festival. I did see a moose, which I thought was a cow at first. I also kept seeing a kid who I thought must've been <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1024677">John Krasinski</a>'s younger brother, except now that I looked on IMDb it looks like John is the youngest of three brothers. Maybe it was a cousin? Nephew?<br /><br />Okay, so now you know what I didn't see. What I <span style="font-style:italic;">did</span> see was 14 features in 7 days (and the moose, of course). The number is even higher if you count short films in addition. I'll share some thoughts on each, but won't go into too much detail lest we drift into spoiler territory.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Yes Men Fix the World</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/yes_men_fix_the_world">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1352852/">IMDb</a> | <a href="http://www.theyesmen.org/theyesmenfixtheworld">Official site</a></small><br />The Yes Men are prankster activists who create mock corporate websites in order to get themselves invited to speak at big conferences as spokespeople for big companies like Dow Chemical, Exxon Mobil, etc. I gave these guys a standing ovation, not so much because the film was technically great (although it wasn't bad) but rather because they were doing their quixotic best to make a real difference, to point out stuff that's really, really wrong about business as usual. It reminded me of Michael Moore, but felt better going down for me (Moore has started playing a bit too fast-and-loose with the facts). I especially appreciated the Yes Men's honest portrayal of their own nerves and anxiety as they prepared for their pranks. This was not only a highly amusing documentary, but it was also quite inspiring to see the impact that ordinary folks can have if they decide to give a crap. As a special bonus, they handed out a great <a href="http://twitpic.com/14yjx">issue of the NY Times from the future possible</a>.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Girlfriend Experience</span><br /><small><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1103982/">IMDb</a></small><br />This was billed as "<a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/evening_with_steven_soderbergh">An Evening with Steven Soderbergh</a>" but that was a pretty poorly kept secret. Even an industry outsider like me was able to guess what would be screened just by looking at IMDb. This film was shown as a work in progress, so I can't really come down on it too much, but it dragged a bit for me. It was an intriguing concept exploring the world around a high-priced call girl through layers of story revealed out of sequence. The thing that kind of lost me was the amount of redundancy in the clips. That might be a function of it not being finished. If not, it requires a more patient viewer than I. It would be really interesting to see the thing in the straight chronological order without all the timeshifting. I'm not even sure how long it would be. It felt like it might've been half as long without the redundancy, but again, it was a work in progress. Well, it seems as if I've caught the redundancy bug, so I'll quit while I'm behind here.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">The Immaculate Conception of Little Dizzle</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/immaculate_conception_of_little_dizzle">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1039786/">IMDb</a> | <a href="http://www.littledizzlefilm.com/">Official site</a></small><br />The title is a mouthful, but the film was a trip. No, really, there were so many hallucination sequences that it felt like I was having flashbacks. That's not to say that it wasn't fun. What's not to like about a ragtag band of janitors getting messed up on chemical-laden cookies? There was a weird, paranoid, yet funny vibe throughout that was reminiscent of "Repo Man." The film touched on a variety of topics ranging from religion to big business to consumerism and more. After the show the director said that he wasn't really trying to make a particular statement so much as just getting a bunch of stuff out of his head into the script. Depending on your own mindset, this movie could give you a lot of food for thought. Me, I just enjoyed the sensation of warm cookies.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Cold Souls</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/cold_souls">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127877/">IMDb</a> | <a href="http://coldsoulsthemovie.com/">Official site</a></small><br />One of my festival favorites, "Cold Souls" is a metaphysical cautionary tale which will certainly draw comparisons to films like "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "Being John Malkovich." Paul Giamatti played himself, and did a great job. You could really believe that he was Paul Giamatti. Beyond that, the film made you think about the nature of identity, and entertained along the way with a quirky story and good production.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Humpday</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/humpday">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1334537/">IMDb</a> | <a href="http://www.humpdayishere.com/">Official site</a></small><br />I saw Humpday on a Wednesday, but it didn't have anything to do with being over the hump of the work week. No, this Humpday was a comic story about two college friends reunited after years traveling different paths through their lives. In addition to grappling with some awkwardness between them, they both wrestle with their own feelings about their lives since college. All the grappling and wrestling results in them agreeing to do a non-gay male-on-male porn flick together for Hump!, a real-world amateur porn film festival in Seattle. Hilarity ensues, and not the kind of cheap gay porn jokes you might have come to expect from Hollywood. Sure, there are jokes, but they aren't cheap jokes. No, these are high-class dude-on-dude jokes. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sin Nombre</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/sin_nombre">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1127715/">IMDb</a> | <a href="http://www.filminfocus.com/focusfeatures/film/sin_nombre">Official site</a></small><br />Sin Nombre is a powerhouse story, chronicling the journey of illegal immigrants traveling through Mexico on their way to the United States. Paralleling and intersecting that storyline is a tale about the brutality of gang life and its impact on two young men. Desperation and hopelessness run through this film, but so do hope and perseverance. It's a poignant mix. Normally, subtitles really get in the way of me getting engaged in a film, but they weren't an obstacle here. The emotions were so raw, so real, that they spoke a language all their own. It was my favorite of the festival.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Mystery Team</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/mystery_team">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1237838/">IMDb</a> | <a href="http://mysteryteam-movie.com/">Official site</a></small><br />Three childhood friends solve crimes. No case too big, no case too tough. Will also work for fruit roll-ups. In the tradition of Encyclopedia Brown, the Hardy Boys, Nancy Drew, et al., these kids are detectives. Their early success in mystery-solving didn't translate well to their teen years, but they don't seem to have noticed the world changing around them. This film is the first feature-length production by <a href="http://www.derrickcomedy.com/">Derrick Comedy</a>, whose films are usually of the internet short variety. The transition isn't completely smooth, as it felt like the film could've been shorter, but there are lots of laughs along the way.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Big Fan</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/big_fan">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1314164/">IMDb</a></small><br />Patton Oswalt stars in this portrait of an obsessed NY Giants football fan who has his loyalty tested. Written and directed by Robert D. Siegel, former editor-in-chief of The Onion and writer of "The Wrestler", the film managed to be both depressing and uplifting in a twisted way. Fandom is an interesting thing; it's staggering the amount of emotional investment that gets put into something over which there's no real control. This picture really holds that up to the light, and holds up well.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Peter & Vandy</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/peter_and_vandy">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1144551/">IMDb</a></small><br />"Peter and Vandy" examines the rise and fall of a relationship. This one, like Soderbergh's high-priced hooker flick, tells the story in a non-linear fashion. I don't mind that technique per se, in fact I really liked how Tarantino used it in "Pulp Fiction" and "Reservoir Dogs" (a Sundance film back in the day). The thing is, shifting the timeline around doesn't make the story more interesting if the story isn't that interesting in the first place. A lot of the story dwells on the mundane, which I suppose is different than what you get from a lot of films, but personally I don't go to the theater for mundane. There's enough of that in real life. This is sounding a bit harsher than I mean it to. It wasn't a terrible film or anything, but it was a little underwhelming when held up next to all the really kick-ass films at the festival.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Adam</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/adam">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1185836/">IMDb</a></small><br />Adam is sweet on a woman who lives in his building, and she's sweet on him. Adam has Asperger's syndrome, on the autism spectrum, so there are some challenges there. It's a sweet movie, and enjoyable enough, but it was a little bit Gump-y (Forrest-y?) in spots. (They actually made a joke about this in film when Adam says something along the lines of "I'm not Forrest Gump, you know.") Again, the film isn't as bad as it might sound from my tepid description, but that's largely a function of comparison to all the kick-ass things seen so close to it. For what it's worth, "Adam" did win the Alfred P. Sloan prize “for its credible and moving portrayal of an engineer with Asperger's Syndrome whose passion for science helps him in his struggle to achieve a meaningful relationship.” So it's got that going for it, which is nice.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Død Snø (Dead Snow)</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/dead_snow">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1278340/">IMDb</a> | <a href="http://www.deadsnow.com/">Official site</a></small><br />As one of the Sundance staffers said before the midnight show at the Egyptian, "When I say Nazi, you say zombie!" Pretty much all you need to know about this film is that it's full of Nazi zombies. There can't be too many people on the fence about that sort of thing, can there? You're either for the zombies or you're against the zombies. Personally, I am a huge zombie fan, and I wasn't disappointed, even though these zombies weren't nearly slow or stupid enough for my taste. But come on, they're Nazis! Not quite as funny as "Shaun of the Dead" or "Evil Dead" it was still on the funny side of the zombie spectrum. As an added bonus, they warmed up the crowd with a very entertaining slasher short entitled "<a href="http://www.treevenge.com/">Treevenge</a>" about what happens when the Christmas trees decide that they've had enough. Ho ho ho!<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Animation Spotlight</span><br />I had high hopes for the animated shorts program, but it ended up being a mixed bag. The highlights of this program were "<a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/filmnetwork/A43425308">This Way Up</a>" (an Academy Award nominee), "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lb7aqodePxY">Dear Beautiful</a>," "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBjLW5_dGAM">Western Spaghetti</a>," and "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1282053/">I Am So Proud of You</a>." The lowlights won't be named, but my friends and I wondered how the Sundance programmers ended up with this group out of the hundreds of submissions they received.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">We Live In Public</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/we_live_in_public">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0498329/">IMDb</a> | <a href="http://www.weliveinpublicthemovie.com/">Official site</a></small><br />This was the Grand Jury Prize Winner for the documentary category. It follows the rise and fall of one Josh Harris, an internet/new media personality who has done a lot of personal and professional exploration of online surveillance and connectedness. It was an interesting, thought-provoking film, though some of the assertions that it made were annoyingly over-general. In particular, I had trouble with the line of logic that went like this: 1) Josh Harris was an internet pioneer. 2) Harris is narcissistic and engaged in some really invasive social experiments. 3) Therefore, every social site is inherently narcissistic in nature. I thought maybe I was reading too much into it, but then the director said in the Q&A that she thought that online community/networking sites are driven primarily by narcissism. That seems cynical to me, and discounts the desire to connect with other people and share something meaningful, not just "look at me, look at me, look at me." The film was technically well-made, with years and years of footage, and was an interesting biopic about Harris. The broader conclusions were a bit of a stretch, though. They looked in the mirror for data, and narcissism was staring back.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Push: Based on the Novel by Sapphire</span><br /><small><a href="http://festival.sundance.org/2009/film_events/films/push_based_on_the_novel_by_sapphire">Sundance '09 page</a> | <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0929632/">IMDb</a></small><br />Not to be confused with the superpower flick "Push" coming out in theaters now, this film won both the grand jury and audience prizes for dramatic film -- high acclaim, indeed. The premise of the film is grim, telling the story of an illiterate teenage girl in Harlem who is pregnant with her father's child (again). Doesn't sound like a feel-good sort of flick, does it? Well, I honestly wouldn't have gone to see it if it hadn't been the dramatic winner at the festival, but I'm glad that I did. There were lots of really strong performances, and a story that was really moving without being cheesy. You probably wouldn't want to have this as a first date movie or anything, but it was worthy of all the accolades.<br /><br />Overall, Sundance was a great experience and I would recommend it to anyone who loves movies and doesn't mind being challenged a bit. You might not see a bunch of stars, especially if you go toward the tail end, but seeing so many great independent films in such a short span is a real treat. With any luck, this will become an annual tradition for me. A film nerd could get used to that sort of thing....<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-5861306146198659769?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3201277.post-80288860494901459672009-01-08T00:04:00.000-08:002009-01-08T00:29:36.272-08:00Breaking and fixing the economyThe <span style="font-style:italic;">New York Times</span> recently ran a great two part op-ed by Michael Lewis and David Einhorn. The first part is entitled, "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04lewiseinhorn.html">The End of the Financial World As We Know It</a>" and it's followed by "<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04lewiseinhornb.html">How to Repair a Broken Financial World</a>." Both are excellent reading for anyone interested in why we're in the mess we're in and what we can do to correct some of the mistakes. Among the best suggestions:<span style="font-style:italic;"><blockquote><span style="font-weight:bold;">Stop making big regulatory decisions with long-term consequences based on their short-term effect on stock prices.</span> Stock prices go up and down: let them. An absurd number of the official crises have been negotiated and resolved over weekends so that they may be presented as a fait accompli “before the Asian markets open.” The hasty crisis-to-crisis policy decision-making lacks coherence for the obvious reason that it is more or less driven by a desire to please the stock market. The Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the S.E.C. all seem to view propping up stock prices as a critical part of their mission — indeed, the Federal Reserve sometimes seems more concerned than the average Wall Street trader with the market’s day-to-day movements. If the policies are sound, the stock market will eventually learn to take care of itself. </blockquote></span>Amen. The ridiculous political theater that we've seen in response to the crisis just makes me sad. It rivals the security theater that we've seen over the past seven years since 9/11 -- sound and fury, signifying nothing. I'm cautiously hopeful that with the changing of the political guard that we might make a little more progress on both. I don't think for a second that we'll see an end to political pandering, but it can't get worse, can it?<div class="blogger-post-footer"><img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/3201277-8028886049490145967?l=www.pelczarski.com%2Fgonutty%2Findex.htm' alt='' /></div>Keithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12149347620075754676noreply@blogger.com