Zog's Corner

What's next?

2011-08-15T18:17:00.005-04:00

May was an extraordinary month for me. The process of building AOL's open source strategy in 2011 had been fantastically inspiring.

On Monday, 5/16, on the way to lunch, I concluded that the only way to build the five products I had imagined over the past week would be to start a company. And, in the few steps between the car and the restaurant, I concluded "I am going to start a company."

Friday of that same week, taking a break from work at Graydon Manor during AOL's 2011 Monster Help Day, I facebooked:

Favorite quote of the day: "I thought you'd given up on that." -- "I don't give up on anything."
Lessons learned: I can do my job anywhere.
Lessons learned: You don't have to plan ahead. You can help anytime, anywhere, if you ask, and you listen.
Lessons learned: It's ok to make mistakes.
Lessons learned: Use the right tool.
Lessons learned: everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Work with your strengths.
Lessons learned: Working as a team, we do great things, and help the world.
Lessons learned: When helping others, we help ourselves. Aka, what goes around, comes around.
Favorite quote: are you using Kanban or agile? Kanban. Is that better than agile? I think it depends on the team?
Quote of the day: "We start a project; we finish a project!"
Lesson learned (2004): "I joined AOL to work with a wide array of people, learn from them, and grow as a person."
Lesson learned (2009): "I joined AOL to learn about leadership."
Lesson learned (2010): "I joined AOL to learn about working with large teams."

Lesson learned (2011): "I joined AOL to learn about leading teams effectively; helping them to realize their potential."
Lesson learned: You don't have to do all the work; you don't have to finish the job yourself. Just making a problem clear (e.g., making a big pile of leaves) can be enough to encourage others to work together to solve the problem for you.
Lesson learned (2011): I joined AOL to learn how to start, and run, my own company.

By the end of May, I had documented eleven product ideas that I was excited to pursue. Today, the count stands at fourteen.

In June, I had reaffirmed my commitment to AOL and was poised to continue the effort to take our open source strategy to the next level. But, the Universe works in mysterious ways, and on 7/20, it was clear that my final observation from 5/20 would be tested sooner than I had imagined.

Stay tuned for what's next!

Update:

What's next: http://www.facebook.com/DecisionTools

Farewell to AOL

2011-07-27T17:05:00.001-04:00

For AOL co-workers, AOL Alumni, family and friends I have been unable to reach -- Monday, 8/1/2011 will be my last day with the company.

After seven great years with AOL, it is time for me to ride off into the sunset. I joined AOL in July 2004. While posting status updates to facebook during our 5/20/2011 Aol Monster Help Day, I noted: "I joined AOL to work with a wide array of people, learn from them, and grow as a person." As I continued to update my status that day, it became clear to me that that goal had been accomplished many times over, in new and more spectacular ways every year I worked with AOL.

I have had the opportunity to work with four CTOs, a range of EVPs, SVPs and VPs, and much of the Technologies leadership over the past few years. The range and depth of experiences as Chief-of-Staff, Technical Director, and Program Director have surpassed my wildest dreams.

This year, I have been very fortunate to be able to reconnect with many of my colleagues from across the Technologies organization, and to meet many new colleagues. It has been my pleasure to work with you all. And, it has been an honor to be able to share in the effort to turn AOL around.

But, the time has come for me to move on; new adventures await.

As I head out, I'll close with a few thoughts – those I offered just last week in the recent "Great Place to Work" survey – if it were left to me, AOL would be ranked #1. I have been accused of being an optimist; and for my vision of the future, I suppose that is true. But, those who have worked closely with me know me as a pragmatist. I believe that both attitudes are present in this response to the survey:

> Is there anything unique or unusual about this company that makes it a great place to work? Please give specific examples.

With Tim Armstrong's arrival in 2009, it was clear that AOL would finally change in meaningful ways; ways that would lead the company, its employees, products, and customers forward into the future.

With the mission "to connect, inform and entertain the world," a clearly defined set values, executive management accountability, a clear brand strategy and effective portfolio management, and clear business and product strategies, as a public company in 2010, AOL was finally poised to become the greatest turn-around story in the history of the Internet.

In 2011, with the refinement of those strategies, and increasingly effective execution to bring great products and services to life, AOL is more alive than ever before.

> If you could change one thing about this company to make it a better place to work, what would it be?

Show, for consecutive quarters, significant revenue and profit growth to finally prove to the world that the AOL turn-around is complete!

If we’re not already connected, you can find me at:

http://about.me/mark.poesch
http://www.facebook.com/mark.poesch
http://www.linkedin.com/in/markpoesch

I wish you, AOL, our leadership, and all our employees nothing but the best. I am proud to join the ranks of AOL Alumni. And I know that you will all continue to do great things with AOL!

Cheers!
Mark

History Repeats

2011-04-24T10:43:00.000-04:00

"FDR embraced policies that aimed to stop prices and wages from correcting and embarked on the boldest federal intrusion of the private sector in the history of the U.S.—all justified by a crisis made worse by previous attempts to stop prices and wages from correcting. And when his policies didn't cause the promised happy days to return again, the golden tongued-FDR could be counted on to shift the blame—to Hoover, the Republicans, greedy businessmen, flaws in the free enterprise system."
- http://mises.org/daily/1816

There was a better answer, once...

As President, Reagan sought to inspire renewed confidence in the nation. In his Inaugural Address, he declared, "Government is not the solution to our problem; government is the problem." Reagan also sought to inspire a belief in freedom abroad, especially among those living in Communist countries. During his second term, Reagan and his counterpart in the Soviet Union, Mikhail S. Gorbachev, negotiated reductions in nuclear arsenals and helped bring about an end to the Cold War.

Distinguished by his charisma and oratorical skills, Reagan is considered one of the most influential Presidents of the 20th century.
- U.S. Postal Service, Ronald Reagan Centenial Stamp

What do you want to be?

2011-03-24T07:18:00.000-04:00

When I was 5 years old, my mom always told
me that happiness was the key to life. When I
went to school, they asked me what I wanted
to be when I grew up. I wrote down "happy".

They told me I didn't understand the assignment.

I told them they didn't understand life.

60 Ways To Make Life Simple Again

2010-11-11T18:18:00.000-05:00

I didn't create this list. But, I'd like to think I could. Excerpted from http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/11/01/60-ways-to-make-life-simple-again/

Life is not complex. We are complex. Life is simple,
and the simple thing is the right thing.
- Oscar Wilde

Don’t try to read other people’s minds. Don’t make other people try to read yours. Communicate.
Be polite, but don’t try to be friends with everyone around you. Instead, spend time nurturing your relationships with the people who matter most to you.
Your health is your life, keep up with it. Get an annual physical check-up.
Live below your means. Don’t buy stuff you don’t need. Always sleep on big purchases. Create a budget and savings plan and stick to both of them.
Get enough sleep every night. An exhausted mind is rarely productive.
Get up 30 minutes earlier so you don’t have to rush around like a mad man. That 30 minutes will help you avoid speeding tickets, tardiness, and other unnecessary headaches.
Get off your high horse, talk it out, shake hands or hug, and move on.
Don’t waste your time on jealously. The only person you’re competing against is yourself.
Surround yourself with people who fill your gaps. Let them do the stuff they’re better at so you can do the stuff you’re better at.
Organize your living space and working space.
Get rid of stuff you don’t use.
Ask someone if you aren’t sure.
Spend a little time now learning a time-saving trick or shortcut that you can use over and over again in the future.
Don’t try to please everyone. Just do what you know is right.
Don’t drink alcohol or consume recreational drugs when you’re mad or sad. Take a jog instead.
Be sure to pay your bills on time.
Fill up your gas tank on the way home, not in the morning when you’re in a hurry.
Use technology to automate tasks.
Handle important two-minute tasks immediately.
Relocate closer to your place of employment.
Don’t steal.
Always be honest with yourself and others.
Say “I love you” to your loved ones as often as possible.
Single-task. Do one thing at a time and give it all you got.
Finish one project before you start another.
Be yourself.
When traveling, pack light. Don’t bring it unless you absolutely must.
Clean up after yourself. Don’t put it off until later.
Learn to cook, and cook.
Make a weekly (healthy) menu, and shop for only the items you need.
Consider buying and cooking food in bulk. If you make a large portion of something on Sunday, you can eat leftovers several times during the week without spending more time cooking.
Stay out of other people’s drama. And don’t needlessly create your own.
Buy things with cash.
Maintain your car, home, and other personal belongings you rely on.
Smile often, even to complete strangers.
If you hate doing it, stop it.
Treat everyone with the same level of respect you would give to your grandfather and the same level of patience you would have with your baby brother.
Apologize when you should.
Write things down.
Be curious. Don’t be scared to learn something new.
Explore new ideas and opportunities often.
Don’t be shy. Network with people. Meet new people.
Don’t worry too much about what other people think about you.
Spend time with nice people who are smart, driven, and likeminded.
Don’t text and drive. Don’t drink and drive.
Drink water when you’re thirsty.
Don’t eat when you’re bored. Eat when you’re hungry.
Exercise every day. Simply take a long, relaxing walk.
Let go of things you can’t change. Concentrate on things you can.
Find hard work you actually enjoy doing.
Realize that the harder you work, the luckier you will become.
Follow your heart. Don’t waste your life fulfilling someone else’s dreams and desires.
Set priorities for yourself and act accordingly.
Take it slow and add up all your small victories.
However good or bad a situation is now, it will change. Accept this simple fact.
Excel at what you do. Otherwise you’ll just frustrate yourself.
Mature, but don’t grow up too fast.
Realize that you’re never quite as right as you think you are.
Build something or do something that makes you proud.
Make mistakes, learn from them, laugh about them, and move along.

- http://www.marcandangel.com/2010/11/01/60-ways-to-make-life-simple-again/

TheFlip meets AOL Design

2010-11-09T15:42:00.003-05:00

Flip video camera

Flip UltraHD, MinoHD and SlideHD video cameras with Personalized Design - Available only at the Flip Video Store. Check out this unique Flip Video design. The Flip UltraHD, MinoHD and SlideHD video cameras combine remarkable video quality in a pocket-sized package. Now personalizable - create yours today. You've never had a video camera that's this much fun.

View >>

And... for flower fans:

Flip video camera

View >>

What Genius

2010-09-03T17:17:00.000-04:00

Why is it that we didn't study (and discuss!) -- deeply -- the men (and women) who made history, instead of -- or in addition to -- just the events, places, and dates!

Who could read the words of Thomas Jefferson and not want to learn more!?

"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniences attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."

Discuss. What does this mean to you?

What does this mean regarding the rights to free speech? art? business? gun ownership? motorcycle helmet laws?

"The policy of the American government is to leave their citizens free, neither restraining nor aiding them in their pursuits."

Is this true today? What has changed since Thomas Jefferson's time? What are the advantages of this principle? What are the disadvantages? What is the principle our government is formed around today?

"To take from one because it is thought that his own industry and that of his father’s has acquired too much, in order to spare to others, who, or whose fathers, have not exercised equal industry and skill, is to violate arbitrarily the first principle of association—the guarantee to every one of a free exercise of his industry and the fruits acquired by it."

Does this mean that we shouldn't help people in need? If the government does not tax the greater population to help those in need, who will help them?

"I am not a friend to a very energetic government. It is always oppressive."

Was Thomas Jefferson mistaken? Can a large centralized government benignly care for the populace?

- http://jpetrie.myweb.uga.edu/TJ.html

The future is on the way...

2009-05-19T21:44:00.006-04:00

A few of my favorite things from the future that are here today:

Segways: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_z9s92oe4M
- Require a redesign of all our cities, towns and suburbs... but they're definitely from the future. Perhaps that's why they don't fit in most places today.

iPhone: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YgW7or1TuFk
- I now take map, web, email and all other forms of computer access for granted... in my pocket.

Wing Suits: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ttz5oPpF1Js
- Mind-boggling control... these guys are definitely from the future!

LED HDTV from Samsung: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HbXzSdResM
- Debuting at Best Buy last Sunday... the TV we'll all be watching in the future.

Wolfram Alpha: http://www.wolframalpha.com/screencast/introducingwolframalpha.html
- The future Web 3.0 (Semantic Web) is here today (in Alpha form... not yet Beta): http://www.wolframalpha.com/

Computer interaction of the future:
- http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2009/02/ted-digital-six/
- http://www.branitvfx.com/worldbuilder/index.html

Update:

Artificial skin from Stanford
- These prototypes look like the early integrated circuit prototypes of the 60s and 70s. Where does this lead... burn victim recovery, or I, Robot, Surrogates, and T2?

Motorcycle Diaries Displaced?

2009-05-05T08:58:00.005-04:00

Since I started riding, I've been tracking (and blogging) about every day I've ridden, religiously. With only a very few exceptions, every mile of nearly 10,000 miles is accounted for in my daily "motorcycle diary" updates, until my March 16, 2009 update capturing updates through 3/6/09....

As noted in that post, I started writing for Examiner.com as their DC Motorcycle Travel Examiner. Now, with 85 articles since 12/31/08, I'm confronted with the question of whether I should continue to maintain my blog log.... My ODO now reads 9003, with many days of exciting riding included. The thing is, much of it is now captured here:

http://www.examiner.com/x-2294-DC-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner

Let me know what you think!

Meanwhile, since my first Examiner.com article, the number of Motorcycle Examiners has exploded from just three of us, to 20 of us today! Check them out:

Atlanta Motorcycle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-7874-Atlanta-Motorcycle-Examiner

Atlanta Motorcycle Lifestyle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-8023-Atlanta-Motorcycle-Lifestyle-Examiner

Atlanta Sport Bike Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-7271-Atlanta-Sport-Bike-Examiner

Boomer Biker Examiner (Florida)
http://www.examiner.com/x-1197-Boomer-Biker-Examiner

Chicago Motorcycle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-2313-Chicago-Motorcycle-Examiner

DC Motorcycle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-8018-DC-Motorcycle-Examiner

DC Motorcycle Travel Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-2294-DC-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner

Denver Motorcycle Examiner
http://wwww.examiner.com/x-378-Denver-Motorcycle-Examiner

Detroit Scooter Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-3223-Detroit-Scooter-Examiner

Kansas City Motorcycle Examiner
http://wwww.examiner.com/x-3640-Kansas-City-Motorcycle-Examiner

LA Motorcycle Examiner
http://wwww.examiner.com/x-7872-LA-Motorcycle-Examiner

LA Motorcycle Travel Examiner
http://wwww.examiner.com/x-7101-LA-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner

Louisville Motorcycle Travel Examiner
http://wwww.examiner.com/x-4702-Louisville-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner

Houston Motorcycle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-9191-Houston-Motorcycle-Examiner

Manchester Motorcycle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-6367-Manchester-Motorcycle-Examiner

Miami Motorcycle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-8272-Miami-Motorcycle-Examiner

Phoenix Motorcycle Travel Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-9204-Phoenix-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner

Seattle Alternative Transportation Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-3227-Seattle-Motorcycle-Examiner

Seattle Motorcycle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-5822-Seattle-Motorcycle-Examiner

Tampa Motorcycle Lifestyle Examiner
http://www.examiner.com/x-8142-Tampa-Motorcyle-Lifestyle-Examiner

Audi Q5 Driving Experience

2009-04-04T10:33:00.019-04:00

As a die-hard BMW aficionado, it might seem strange that I'm also an Audi fan. Credit that change of heart to last August's Audi Driving Experience! That said, it's fair to say that where there are a number of options, the choice I'm looking for is "All of the above!" My ideal garage contains a couple Ferraris, a Porsche or two, several BMWs (my 550i, an M5 for the track, and a 650i once a hard-top is available), a 2009 Corvette ZR1, and would still have room two or three Audis. I'd also have a bay or two for the motorcycle collection (Suzuki GSX-R1000, Ducati 1098, Yamaha R1, Honda CBR1000, BMW S1200RR).

In any case, offered the opportunity to drive someone else's car (or bike), I'm there! Especially when I don't have to worry about abusing their tires and brake pads.

If you're in the DC area and have nothing planned for tomorrow, run-don't-walk, to sign up for one of tomorrow's sessions: http://www.audidrivingexperience.com/2009/?area=Q5City&id=325! Then, read on. If you're outside the DC area, check out http://www.audidrivingexperience.com/2009/?area=Q5 for your options.

Complimentary, Audi hosts a fantastic well-run event, with a good balance between the marketing and sales pitch, technical briefing, and hands-on driving. Yesterday's all-day affair included continental breakfast, all the cappuccino and lattes you can stand, and was wrapped up with a very nice lunch. Again, all compliments of Audi. Classy.

An overcast drive on 495 turned to rain, which, shortly after our arrival in the Audi tent, turned to torrential downpour. OK. Good for testing stability control systems.

We arrived shortly before 10AM, so had ample time to enjoy the amenities in the first tent as we waited for the kick-off of our 10:30AM session.

The planetarium-like briefing introduced us to Audi and the Q5. Although there are many features of note, probably the most catchy was the full 3D navigation system with rendering powered by a custom NVIDIA 3-D chip. (I own NVIDIA stock, so I'm glad to see growing demand for their chips! ;-)) Also notable was the surprise announcement that we'd also be driving the supercharged V6 A6. Woohoo!

Following the briefing, the skies began to clear, and we moved to the hands-on briefing. These briefings were much more marketing-oriented for the Q5 than they had been for the A4 in August. And, we missed a few key features (turning parking break on/off, turning off rear windshield wipers) that might have been handy. But, who's complaining!

On to the first drive! We split up into three groups. Our group of three Q5s followed our Audi leader on a tour of the area around FedEx Field. It was all quite sedate. Aside from the ride height and elevated view out the windows, it's pretty much like driving a big A4 (which, by the way, is what the Q5 is at heart -- based on the A4, it has a 4" wider wheelbase to preserve the CG relative to the tires).

Back in the FedEx stadium parking lot, we split up into two groups. I was initially disappointed as we headed to the A6, figuring they would be the highlight of the experience; a great place to finish. As it turned out, they were a nice step up from the drive on street. The A6 supercharger launched nicely off the starting line, shifted cleanly into second just before the cones denoting the braking point, and then jumping on the brakes brought ABS into play for a stop well ahead of the turn. The power and braking were not substantially different than I'm used to in the BMW 550i, so it wasn't that impressive of an experience for me. But, to say that a 3 liter V6 is matching performance of a 360 HP 4.8 liter V8 is saying a lot. And, with the supercharger, there's absolutely no turbo-lag.

The more impressive experience was as the passenger. The G-forces that I usually expect from the initial launch were much more surprising when someone else is controlling the throttle, and the first two or three seconds were quite roller-coaster-like. Wheeeee!

Sadly, the shift into second made the relative lack of horsepower evident. With 360 HP, my 550i is just getting going when you shift into 2nd gear at 44 MPH; it continues to pull hard in 2nd until the next 70 MPH shift point. And, would continue to pull hard at 70 MPH in 3rd, if there was anywhere around here to do that. (It continues to pull hard in 6th once you get the car into the 90+ MPH zone. During our trip in Munich, I routinely forgot that I was in 6th rather than 5th at 100 MPH.) If anyone is seeing this as a play for Audi to get me in their S5 and their R8... they'd be right. One way or another, a trip to Sonoma and the Audi Sportscar Experience is in my future!

As we wrapped up the runs in the A6, we watched other group yank the Q5s through the road course blocked out by orange cones. Ah! Now, that's more like it as we watched full-throttle acceleration into S turns, followed by a hard left. One of the Q5s got the rear out in the hard left. Oh yeah!

We each got our own Q5. I took the lead car, and was first out on the track. After a intro run behind the Audi leader, we were each launched one by one onto the course, advised to take the first lap easy.

The first lap was indeed easy, and I was fortunate to sort my way through all the cones. (Others weren't so fortunate.)

My second lap, I pushed harder, and caught up with the car in front of me that had gone off the course. Oops...

My third lap, I pushed still harder, and found that I could break the wheels loose on the wet pavement (the sun was out, and the track was clearing under the cars -- but not yet dry). Hard acceleration in the Ss, right-left-right, then left, hard. Around to the left, then right hard. Accelerate briefly into a hard off-camber left (the parking lot slopped steeply to the car's right at that part of the "track"), and around the left into slalom cones left, right, left, right, left, then hard right and then into the "pit" chicane. Slow, and stop behind the line of traffic.

What a rush! Breath. Relax.

Repeat! Fourth and fifth laps, I accelerated the entire time except where necessary to stay within the cones. On my third or fourth lap, I just about ran over the cones on the off-camber turn, but was able to balance braking and throttle to use the front wheels to pull the Q5 through the remainder of the turn. Confidence inspiring! Even wildly abused, the Q5 maintains its composure.

The fifth lap was just silly, as I was now fully comfortable with the car, and the lay of the track. Tires complaining at every turn and then engine revving hard much of the time; where's the video recorder when I need it!

Heart rate returning to normal as we walked back to the tent for debriefing and a quick 15 question "test" / competition, lunch preparation was under way.

We took the post-event survey, giving Audi high marks, and then jumped in line for lunch.

Wrapping up close to 2PM, it was a very full day! A quick spin through the empty FedEx parking lot gave the 550i a chance to breath and wear off a little tire. OK! Time to head home before the FedEx security folks call the police.

Thanks again Audi! A fantastic experience that I'd recommend highly to any car fan!!

Great Quotes

2009-03-25T22:02:00.000-04:00

Here's my new favorite quote based on a variety of recent experiences (fortunately, very few of them first-hand). I'm not sure I can completely take credit for this one, but it's my wording:

"Some people just aren't happy unless they can find something to complain about."
- http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Some+people+just+aren%27t+happy+unless+they+can+find+something+to+complain+about%22

A couple (updated 3/25/09) for motorcyclists:

"Live every day as though it was your last, but ride to make sure it's not!"
- me

"Riding like there's no tomorrow is the quickest way to prove yourself right."
- me

Also, from the wisdom of the iPhone Backgrounds app:

"Take risks: If you win, you will be happy; if you lose, you will be wise."

...and another that is exactly right:

"Don't look for inspiration. Start working, and inspiration will come to you."

And, one from a friend:

"To achieve one's goals, one must be willing to give without expecting to receive anything in return. Be proud even when you think you don't have anything to be proud of, and be friends with those who wish to see you fail. Because a follower will always be a follower until he or she makes the sacrifice of a leader."

Motorcycle Diaries 2009.03.09

2009-03-16T21:21:00.003-04:00

If you aren't following religiously already, check out the (near) daily updates here:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2294-DC-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner

In particular, check out the latest series, starting with:
Motorcycling is a religious experience

3/9 GSX ODO 8269
To work and back, twice.
Notable: This was a good day to ride! Not only did the weather cooperate, but drywall finishing work on the new home theater required a lunch-hour trip home. Twice the fun, half the gas!

3/8 GSX ODO 8236
Around.
Notable: Still exhausted from the previous day's ride, didn't have a whole lot of motivation until just before sundown; just a quick ride to clear the cobwebs.

3/7 GSX ODO 8225
Georgetown.
Notable: DC rides: Algonkian Parkway to Georgetown Pike to George Washington Parkway

3/6 GSX ODO 8149
Loudoun Motorsports and back.
Notable: Perfect weather for riding. Talked with Clay Davidson for the first time in too long. In 2006, Clay got me started on the SV650-S and was there when I was ready to make the jump to the gixer.

Motorcycle Diaries 2009.02.25

2009-02-25T20:16:00.005-05:00

2/25 GSX ODO 8119
Around.
Notable: 50 really is too cold to ride. I missed my first real turn when I felt the rear breaking loose and wasn't sure the front-end was going to turn-in properly. I've skidded the rear a couple of times on the same downhill run when braking, but this is the first time I felt like I might not make the turn. I rode on straight (in spite of my turn-signal) rather than risk it, glad that no one else was at the intersection. ...but tomorrow is supposed to be 60+!!! woohoo!!

If you aren't following religiously already, check out the (near) daily updates here:
http://www.examiner.com/x-2294-DC-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner

Motorcycle Diaries 2009.02.11

2009-02-11T18:18:00.004-05:00

Happy New Year! And, yes, I have been riding around Virginia in the middle of winter!

2/11 GSX ODO 8114
To work and back.
Notable: After a visit to the eye doctor, the weather (68 and partly sunny) was just too good to pass up. So, after swapping the car for the bike, returned to work, wrapped everything up, and then headed back home. It's necessary.

2/8 GSX ODO 8099
Woohoo! Waxpool, 50, Snickersville Turnpike, 7, lunch at Nick's, and then home!
Notable: Riding the sweepers on Northern Virginia’s historic Snickersville Turnpike
Meeting up with 14 other sport-bike riders at noon, then hitting the road with the group. Heavy Metal Thunder! The pace was quick, and mostly legal, most of the time. It was well after noon, so it's unlikely that we woke any of the Snickersville residents, and passing rapidly, it's unlikely they were troubled by the roar of the bikes for too long. We may have seen 116 briefly on the way back on 7, but for the most part, kept the pace with the traffic. A fantastic ride, with a great new group of friends as a bonus! Oh, most notable of all: nearly 70 at 11:30AM and warming; still comfortable when I finally headed home at 5:30PM. This is the way winter is supposed to be!

2/7 GSX ODO 8017
Out to enjoy the weather for just a bit before heading to the Washington Auto Show.
Notable: In the high fifty's and sunny, it's good enough for a quick run around the block. (It's a big block.) Passed a couple riders going the other way, and then caught them again arriving home.

2/1, GSX ODO 8006
To pick up Joe's truck and back.
Notable: How different a Ford F150 and a Suzuki GSX-R1000 handle. And yet, the Ford's massive V8 and four giant tires their share of work to handle all that mass. But, nothing beats a bike and a rider weighing in under 600 lbs! 168 HP can handle that weight nicely.

Hauling lumber with the F150, I missed the apex of the temperature -- into the mid 60s. But, it was warm enough to enjoy the ride out and only a little chilly on the way back after 5PM.

Leadership

2009-02-01T10:47:00.006-05:00

Leadership is about "what" must be done. Managing is about "how" it will be done. The distinction between the two is less about an individual's level in an organization, and more about the nature of the direction being provided by that individual and whether constraints (e.g., resources, time, money) are informing that direction (leadership) or limiting that direction (management).

This distinction is important, because I'd argue that good managers are also effective leaders, great managers understand when and why they need to switch hats, and the best leaders and managers clearly understand the distinction between the two roles.

The basic keys to being an effective manager are succinctly enumerated in The One Minute Manager. Certainly far more vast volumes have been written. But few can claim to be so clear and concise in capturing the core elements of good people management.

Through a mentorship program I recently participated in, I had the opportunity to analyze and the discuss the nature of leadership. I've been fortunate through my career to work with a number of great leaders, and see a wide range of leadership styles. Taking the best of the attributes I've seen, I assembled this list characterizing...

A great leader...

is honest, treats all members of their organization with respect, and communicates with integrity.

treats others as he/she expects to be treated, and leads by example.

demands accountability from all members of the organization, including themselves – both taking on appropriate responsibility, and accepting responsibility.

has a clear long-term vision for what the organization will accomplish, and clear understanding of the specific goals that must be achieved to support that vision.

effectively communicates their vision to their management team and the organization as a whole.

is able to clearly articulate a mission for the organization that inspires the members.

is enthusiastic about the organization, the people, and their collective mission.

is humble, and serves the organization.

is confident, and unthreatened by disagreement or conflicting ideas.

listens.

makes it clear that although they will listen to criticism and differing ideas, they are not looking for approval – "it's not a democracy."

provides thanks, praise, and other positive feedback at all opportunities (daily) to individuals, groups, and the organization as a whole.

provides constructive criticism and/or reprimand when necessary, and is sensitive to providing this feedback in an appropriate venue.

sets clear priorities, and makes decisions rapidly.

knows when to ask for more information in order to make an informed decision.

is comfortable not always being right, and isn't discouraged by making mistakes.

recognizes that it's often better to make a decision and be wrong than it is to fail to make a decision.

encourages a culture in which it is OK to make mistakes and take responsibility for them.

reacts positively to adversity, seeking solutions rather than placing blame.

knows the limit of their expertise and when to seek expert counsel and/or specialized professional support (e.g., logo design).

is genuinely interested in the people that work for them, and makes an effort to learn and address all members of their organization by name.

is willing to spend time with members of their organization at all levels.

Thank you to the great leaders I've worked with, who, by their example, made this summary so easy to assemble.

What other aspects of great leadership have you seen?

Related:
- Why Introverts Can Make The Best Leaders

Mark's a professional writer...??

2009-01-10T20:54:00.003-05:00

It's for real -- combining my love for motorcycles with my love of traveling, I'm now writing for the DC Examiner as the DC Motorcycle Travel Examiner!

Articles posted so far include:
- Welcome and Farewell
- Motorcycle Training in the DC Area - How to Get Started
- President-Elect Obama's New Ride (Motorcycle, that is!)
- Riding with Your Sixth Sense, Part 1
- Riding with Your Sixth Sense, Part 2
- Riding with Your Sixth Sense, Part 3
- A brief summary of what you'll see at the DC Cycle World International Motorcycle Show

Check out http://www.examiner.com/x-2294-DC-Motorcycle-Travel-Examiner for all the latest!

And don't worry, I haven't quit my day job! ;-)

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.12.30

2008-12-30T14:09:00.005-05:00

AKA, 50 Degrees is Too Cold for Regular Riding Gear

Tuesday, 12/30, GSX ODO 7954
Out.
Notable: Safe to say that this is the last good riding day of 2008 in this part of town. At 50 and sunny, it was too tempting to stay in... but without cold-weather gear, it's too chilly to stay out for long. An uneventful wrapup to a good riding season.

Sunday, 12/28, GSX ODO 7947
Fosters for lunch, and Starbucks for coffee.
Notable: Overcast but "warm" (mid to high 60s), with clearing clouds and a beautiful sunset. One more "last day" of the season.

Saturday, 12/27, GSX ODO 7932
Out - gas from Shell and back.
Notable: Late afternoon, but the sun is out and it's still just above 60 degrees (my "minimum" comfortable riding temp). After nearly two months away, I'd forgotten how light the handling of the bike really is... the rumble of the inline-4 pulling down the road really is something to hear; not as loud as a Harley, but much easier for anyone to appreciate (i.e., enjoy)... like the sound of a slowly passing Ferarri... on two wheels. :-) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEe5N12L1Us perhaps? My laptop is nearly dead, so I can't hear the clip....)

Update: [New computer...] Yep! The clip above is just about right.

This clip isn't like any sound I've heard from my bike (really!) but it's pretty awesome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_t038mHs_M. Maxing out the RPMs in 1st gear will put the bike at 100 MPH, so to hear these sounds while moving, in any other gear than first, you'd have to be traveling between 120 and 180 MPH!

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.11.08

2008-12-30T13:43:00.003-05:00

OK. A bit of a backlog, here... September, October, and the last few riding days in November! But this update is even more boring than most... nothing particularly notable in my notes.

November, 11/8, GSX ODO 7921
Out - to the library and work for sunglasses.
Notable: Clearly, any excuse to ride will do.

November, 11/7, GSX ODO 7895
Work and back.
Notable: My notes are a bit thin.

November, 11/1, GSX ODO 7880
Football and back.

October, 10/31, GSX ODO 7855
Work and back... just in time for Halloween!

October, 10/25, GSX ODO 7833
Work and back? Approx date...

October, 10/17, GSX ODO 7818
Work and back.

October, 10/15, GSX ODO 7802
Work and back.

October, 10/14, GSX ODO 7787
Work and back.

October, 10/12, GSX ODO 7774
Out.

October, 10/11, GSX ODO 7747
Gym and back.

October, 10/7, GSX ODO 7698
Work and back. Approx. date.

October, 10/3, GSX ODO 7658
Work and back.

October, 10/2, GSX ODO 7642
Work and back.

September, 9/30, GSX ODO 7616
Work and back.

September, 9/27, GSX ODO 7601
Out - gas and gym.
Notable: Nice to be out after a couple of days of rain... not bad after nearly two months of good riding days.

September, 9/23, GSX ODO 7568
Work and Reston Town Center for lunch!
Notable: A bit chilly - but with bright sun and great company, a great day to be out!

September, 9/22, GSX ODO 7525
Chicken?
Notable: No idea what my notes mean....

September, 9/21, GSX ODO 7521
Loudoun Motorsports and football.
Notable: 7,500 mile checkup complete.

September, 9/19, GSX ODO 7489
Gym and back, work and Loudoun Motorsports for service.

September, 9/18, GSX ODO 7452
Work and back.
Notable: A perfect day for riding!

September, 9/17, GSX ODO 7436
Work, lunch(?) and back.
Notable: Chilly!

September, 9/16, GSX ODO 7398
Work and back.

September, 9/15, GSX ODO 7382
Work and back.

September, 9/13, GSX ODO 7362
Football and back. (The long way? 41 miles!?)

September, 9/12, GSX ODO 7321
Work and back?

September, 9/10, GSX ODO 7308
Work and back.

September, 9/7, GSX ODO 7286
Football and back.
Notable: Rain on Thursday (4th) and Saturday (6th).

September, 9/5, GSX ODO 7253
Work and back.

September, 9/3, GSX ODO 7225
Work and back?

September, 9/2, GSX ODO 7194
Work and back.

September, 9/1, GSX ODO 7178
Rt.28 South to West Ox(?)

Favorite Quotes, Part III

2008-11-15T10:34:00.004-05:00

Continuing the collection of a few of my favorite quotes, three from Warren Buffet that are appropriate to our current financial climate:

"According the name 'investors' to institutions that trade actively is like calling someone who repeatedly engages in one-night stands a romantic."
"We think the very term 'value investing' is redundant. What is 'investing' if it is not the act of seeking value at least sufficient to justify the amount paid? Consciously paying more for a stock than its calculated value -- in the hope that it can soon be sold for a still-higher price -- should be labeled speculation."

And, the quote that every investor should carefully consider in these times:

"What we do know…is that occasional outbreaks of those two super-contagious diseases, fear and greed, will forever occur in the investment community. The timing of these epidemics will be unpredictable. … We simply attempt to be fearful when others are greedy and to be greedy when others are fearful."

and many more: http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Warren_Buffett

"The adversarial approach to truth isn't necessarily always the best one." Quoting another source: '"When two opposite points of view are advocated with equal vigor, the truth does not necessarily lie mid-way between them."
- Richard Dawkins

Most Played 2008

2008-11-11T21:45:00.002-05:00

About two years ago I began blogging about my iTunes Top 25 Most Played list. Only a bit behind schedule, the annual Top 25 list is here:

Erase-Rewind - The Cardigans - Gran Turismo
Catch the Sun - Doves - Lost Souls
Par Avion - Mike + The Mechanics - Mike + The Mechanics
Claire De Lune (Philadelphia Orchestra) - The Philadelphia Orchestra - Ocean's 11
All We Need Is A Dream - Cheap Trick - Lap Of Luxury
More Than This - The Cure - The X-Files: The Album
Muzik - Knoc-Turn'al - The Transporter Soundtrack
You And Your Friend - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
It Really Doesn't Matter - Electric Light Orchestra - Zoom
Atomic - Blondie - Best Of Blondie
You Look So Fine - Garbage - Version 2.0
More Than Love - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
Let Me Be The One - Def Leppard - X
When You Kiss Me - Shania Twain - Up! (Red Disc)
How Soon Is Now? - t.A.T.u. - 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane
True Companion - Donald Fagen - Heavy Metal
Slow Ride - Foghat - The Best Of Foghat
Hella Good - No Doubt - Rock Steady
How Soon Is Now? - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
Burnin' For You - Blue Öyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper: The Best Of Blue Oyster Cult
Casualty - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
My Elastic Eye - The Chemical Brothers - Come With Us
Hysteria - Def Leppard - Hysteria
Milk - Garbage - Garbage
The Trick Is To Keep Breathing - Garbage - Version 2.0

Favorite Quotes, Part II

2008-11-10T19:21:00.005-05:00

Last month, I began a collection of a few of my favorite quotes. Here's the latest edition:

"My children and I have established a supply and demand economy for our household... they demand and I supply."

A couple of weekends ago, I encountered another fantastic example of William Gibson's quote "The future is here. It's just not evenly distributed yet."

Slamball!

Anyone who recalls the sports of the future scenes from either Starship Troopers or BSG will have a definite sense of deja vu as they watch the Slamball coverage: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ocu2OguxwQ

Clearly, the future is here.

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.08.31

2008-08-31T21:30:00.006-04:00

Sunday, 8/31, GSX ODO 7137
Target
Notable: The indignity of it all.... OK, any ride is a good ride, but carrying goods from Target stuffed into your leather jacket is a less than glorious finish to the day's ride. Still, I did spend a few moments with a Sport Bike crowd on Waxpool when their tail rider was stranded at a light. What a great month of perfect weather. No complaints!

Saturday, 8/30, GSX ODO 7116
Football and back.
Notable: It has been raining for the past two days, so it's good to be riding again -- even if it was super-humid at 8AM! We lost the first game, but the team played well and the coaching is good -- just a matter of practice. Not much notable on the bike these days (that's generally a good thing).

Wednesday, 8/27, GSX ODO 7096
Work and back.

Tuesday, 8/26, GSX ODO 7078
Work early and back.
Notable: Early traffic -- commuting next week is going to suck.

Monday, 8/25, GSX ODO 7056
Work and back.
Notable: No riding yesterday... beautiful day!? What's up with that?? (Too tired after working out on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, for the first time in several weeks.)

Saturday, 8/23, GSX ODO 7040
Gym and back.
Notable: Gotta love it -- exercise and riding!

Friday, 8/22, GSX ODO 7021
Work, and gym in the afternoon.
Notable: Enjoy the summer hours, while they last... this is just about it. Good workout.

Thursday, 8/21, GSX ODO 6990
Work and back.
Notable: Amazing, it just seems like the perfect Spring-like days are endless. Three weeks (or more!?) and counting... in August!

Wednesday, 8/20, GSX ODO 6973
Work and back -- taking the long way home north on 28, and west on 7.

Tuesday, 8/19, GSX ODO 6955
Work and back.

Monday, 8/18, GSX ODO 6939
Work and back.
Notable: Cool in the morning, but warm in the afternoon... a hint of summer. But, only for a day.

Sunday, 8/17, GSX ODO 6924
Sky Line Drive.... and back!
Notable: What a ride! 160+ miles, with great twisties for the last two miles approaching the middle entrance. Posted speed limit was dropped from 50(!) to 35 MPH, with warnings signs stating "High Motorcycle Crash Area" and rumble strips at the turn-in for the tightest of the turns. Fantastic! The reduced limit is perfect, as it hold some of the crazier drivers at bay, and set a good pace for me. 40 to 45 MPH the whole way up was just about perfect. Leaning hard into the turns, it pays to stay calm -- hit sand, and you'll low-side under adjacent traffic, but hit the breaks or ease up on the turn, and you'll ride out of your lane and go straight into the canyon wall. Fortunately the sand was all in the oncoming traffic lane -- watch out on the way down the hill!

Saturday, 8/16, GSX ODO 6758
Morning and evening rides, with crystal clear skies and crisp-low humidity temps in the morning.
Notable: Perfect day!

Friday, 8/15, GSX ODO 6715
Work / shuttle.
Notable: What shuttle?

Thursday, 8/14, GSX ODO 6686
Work and a quick round-trip for Spicy Pickle carry-out lunch.

Wednesday, 8/13, GSX ODO 6667
Work and home for lunch.
Notable: No burning Ferraris.

Tuesday, 8/12, GSX ODO 6628
Long way to work, and home for lunch.
Notable: Holy shit!! Long way to work yielded a crazy sight -- Ferrari stopped on a back road at the stop sign. Driver and passanger hop out. Pop the back hatch. Poof! Flames shoot out two feet high from the front-left side of the engine!! Riding by, not much I could do to help. But, damn! "No, I don't think I'll buy this one after all. How 'bout a test-drive in the lambo?" Seems that this isn't unheard of: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ovAbr44pqzE

Monday, 8/11, GSX ODO 6585
Work and lunch after work.
Notable: 75 and breezy... is this August!?

Sunday, 8/10, GSX ODO 6571
Summit Point (aborted).
Notable: Trying to get back to Summit Point for the WERA motorcycle races, and a few bonus laps in the Audi A5. Thwarted by rain! But, for the ride back, I had the company of two other sportsbikers.

Saturday, 8/9, GSX ODO 6482
Haircut in the morning, and bank in the afternoon.
Notable: Any excuse to ride, right!?

Friday, 8/8, GSX ODO 6454
Work and Sweetwater for lunch.
Notable: Rushed following lunch, to get home to swap for the 550i for the trip to Summit Point for the Audi Driving Experience.

Thursday, 8/7, GSX ODO 6427
Work and back.

Wednesday, 8/6, GSX ODO 6413
Work and back.

Tuesday, 8/5, GSX ODO 6399
Post office / bank on the way to work.

Monday, 8/4, GSX ODO 6377
Work and home for lunch.

Sunday, 8/3, GSX ODO 6349
Morning run out to the Dulles Town Center and around Algonkian Parkway.
Notable: Beautiful morning.

Saturday, 8/2, GSX ODO 6314
Best Buy and back.
Notable: Quick trip -- bikes and games; game with bikes: Civalization Revolutions and MotoGP '07.

Friday, 8/1, GSX ODO 6292
Work and back.

Audi Driving Experience

2008-08-11T21:19:00.006-04:00

ROCKS!

The relatively innocuous Audi marketing flyer showed up about a month ago. Opening up the tri-fold brochure, I noted the "Two-Hour Introductory Program (Complimentary)"... interesting.

Registration revealed that Summit Point Motorsports Park in nearby Summit Point, WV was hosting Audi's program from August 7-13. Nice. Times were available in the afternoon on Friday (last Friday, to be exact). Even better!

It turns out that Summit Point Raceway now has three tracks! Although their URL shows "Raceway," their website now confirms that they're a "Motorsports Park." The Audi event was held on the Shenandoah Circuit -- a track I didn't even know existed until a day before the event. Not a huge track, but large enough to be split into two separate loops; one for the A4s and one for competitor testing.

As a BMW loyalist, it was unlikely that Audi was going to sell me a new car. But, I figured I should give them the opportunity -- and, who can pass up free track time, really!?

Arriving just before 3PM, registration went smoothly, leaving time to grab a drink (also complementary) and survey the track and the prior session's sets of drivers finishing their final runs.

One set of A4s was following the instructor in his S5. Another pack, made up of Audi TT, A4, A5, A6, A8 and Q7 following another S5. And, on a separate track in the distance, the 2009 Audi A4 went head-to-head against the 2008 BMW 328xi, 2008 Lexus IS 250 and the Mercedes-Benz C300.

Shortly after 3PM, we joined an Audi instructor for the combination driving instruction / engineering briefing / marketing pitch. Among things, we learned about Audi's new "Drive Select" which enables on-the-fly tuning of speed-sensitive steering ratio, suspension stiffness, throttle response, and transmission shift points. Interesting.

Following the "training", half of us split for the head-to-head testing, the other half (including me) headed for their A4s for the high-speed run on the larger portion of the Shenandoah Circuit.

I selected the car immediately behind the instructor, and ended up as the only driver without a passenger. Bonus! (Twice as much driving time for me!)

The first lap, we took at a relatively slow pace, to learn the track and the proper racing line.

Second and third laps progressively increased the pace. Still nowhere near the limits of the car, but lots of fun. In particular, turn three (counting clockwise from the top-middle turn on the map) was tight enough that it was easy to begin to slide the car, and exiting three and accelerating for turn-four really allowed the quattro (all-wheel drive) to shine, as the front wheels yank the car forward into the next turn.

Elevation changes on this circuit are notable. Not quite up to Laguna Seca standards (i.e., Turn 8 and 8A), but still very impressive.

Possibly most notable is turn 7 (by my count) marked by the bright white concrete curve. This turn is modeled after a famous turn from the Nurburgring in Germany; this one, I think. Banked at 20 to 30 degrees, much higher speeds should be possible for the intrepid. Coming off the bank and onto the flat at 40 to 50 mph is quite a transition.

Up the hill, accelerating to 70 mph and over the crest through turn 8, then breaking hard and heading down the hill through turns 9 and 10 past the pit area. Several more turns brings up the final straight, and a top speed of roughly 90 mph (or, 145 kph, as seen by some drivers).

I, for one, was too busy watching the road (and staying off the instructor's bumper) to bother checking the speedometer. Plus, I found that the feel of the car and the view out the windshield told me all I needed to know about speed for the few laps that I ran.

We were nowhere near the limit of the A4, as I found that I could break far after the instructor (in his S5) and could accelerate far harder than space allowed (holding to one to three car-lengths all speeds from 40 to 90 mph). Impressive!

The "Drive Select" was interesting, but I found that the "performance" setting was the only thing I wanted on the track. It would be a lot of fun to play with in real-life: Great to tune between "comfort" ride for long trips, and "performance" for fun. Or, try the "auto" setting to let the car choose for itself based on driving conditions.

And, the automatic was flawless. I had no need for the paddle-shifters, as the car seemed to know the right gear at every moment, in each part of every curve. Amazing. (Years ago, I had my automatic BMW M3 on the larger track, and was continuously harassed by its late downshifts in Turns 1, 2, and especially 10! In my 1986 RX-7 I had managed a top speed of 115 MPH on the straight. In my more powerful 1995 M3, the automatic destabalized the car so much in turn 10 that I never made it past 110 MPH before getting back on the breaks for turn 1. Sad. With a 5-speed stick-shift, 115 MPH would have been easy, and 120 MPH should have been possible. Top speed for the car, as I recall, was 133 MPH.... funny... my gixer will do that in under 10 seconds.)

Wrapping up our tour in the A4s, we headed back to the pits to transition to Part 2 of the driving experience.

Three laps in each car gave each of us a chance to compare the handling, breaking, and acceleration of each car. While many of the other 16 groups had three drivers, I had only one partner, yielding an extra turn at the wheel for each of us on alternate cars.

Mercedes C300 was first up, with OK steering, soft handling with a lot of body roll, effective but soft brakes, and barely OK acceleration.

Lexus IS 250 was next, and was a lot of fun to push hard. Steering and turn-in were good, suspension was good, brakes were good (and encouraged abuse of the ABS in the brake-test portion of the track) and acceleration was good.

BMW 328xi was third, and suffered from the same automatic shift problem I'd experienced in my 1995 M3. Suspension, brakes, and acceleration were all good, but it struggled for the correct gear on a couple of turns.

Audi A4 was the last of the bunch, and was a blast to drive hard. Of the bunch, it had the best "all wheel" drive feel, had perfect throttle control, and provided excellent feedback about the limits. Suspension, brakes, and acceleration were all excellent.

So, there it is: 4th: Mercedes, 3rd: BMW, 2nd: Lexus, and 1st... Audi.

Thanks to the folks at Audi for a great afternoon!!

Favorite Quotes

2008-08-11T18:51:00.004-04:00

There are a few quotes I've run into over the years that I think are particularly notable / insightful. The first candidates for my top 10 are accumulated here:

"The future is here. It's just not evenly distributed yet."
- William Gibson

"Men want every woman to fulfill their one desire, and women want one man to fulfill their every desire."
- unknown

"Faith is suspending doubt long enough to experience the truth."

"Lots of people have lots of brilliant ideas all the time -- it's the ones that actually realize those ideas (their own and others') that make the difference."

What are your favorites?

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.07.31

2008-07-31T22:16:00.005-04:00

Well... that's nearly three months without a post. Blame GTA4... it's over now.

Lots of riding, but not too much notable... here's the raw tally:

Thursday, 7/31, GSX ODO 6261
To work and back.
Notable: Wanted to ride to The Long Way Down, but the BWE was along for the ride, and time was running short, and the return trip would have been in the dark... so decided not to push our luck.

Wednesday, 7/30, GSX ODO 6246
To work and back, then LCBD for building permits. Home Theater, here we come!

Tuesday, 7/29, GSX ODO 6205
To work, home for lunch, and back.

Monday, 7/28, GSX ODO 6169
To work and back.

Saturday, 7/26, GSX ODO 6155
To Target and back for Wolftrap supplies.

Friday, 7/25, GSX ODO 6141
To LCBD for building permits. No joy. Wait till next week....

Tuesday, 7/22, GSX ODO 6055
To work and back.
Notable: Light morning rain canceled plans for the 495/395 commute. Too bad, the afternoon was beautiful.

Monday, 7/21, GSX ODO 6040
To work and back.

Friday, 7/18, GSX ODO 6025
To gym, work, Target and home.

Thursday, 7/17, GSX ODO 5996
To work and back.

Wednesday, 7/16, GSX ODO 5982
To work and back.

Monday, 7/14, GSX ODO 5968
To gym and back.

Saturday, 7/12, GSX ODO 5938
Haircut, Sportsplex for soccer, and home.

Friday, 7/11, GSX ODO 5869
To gym, work, INOVA, Best Buy and home.

Thursday, 7/10, GSX ODO 5852
To Safeway and back.

Wednesday, 7/9, GSX ODO 5849
To work and back.

Tuesday, 7/8, GSX ODO 5834
To work and back.

Wednesday, 6/25, GSX ODO 5820
To work, CostCo, and Best Buy. Aloha!

Monday, 6/23, GSX ODO 5780
To work and back.
Notable: Home in the rain... again.

Sunday, 6/22, GSX ODO 5764
To Best Buy and back.
Notable: Best Buy fix. No particular reason.

Saturday, 6/21, GSX ODO 5737
To Eastern Mountain Sports for grand opening.
Notable: Bought lots of socks. And enjoyed a bit of rock-wall climbing.

Friday, 6/20, GSX ODO 5723
To gym and back. California Tortilla to pick up dinner.

Thursday, 6/19, GSX ODO 5691
To work and back.

Wednesday, 6/18, GSX ODO 5677
To gym and back.

Tuesday, 6/17, GSX ODO 5660
To work and back.

Sunday, 6/15, GSX ODO 5646
To Borders, the long way round.
Notable: An early morning ride to grab the latest Fast Bikes

Friday, 6/13, GSX ODO 5591
To gym, and Loudoun County Motorsports for a new tire, and back in the evening.
Notable: An auspicious day for riding. Uneventful, fortunately!

Wednesday, 6/4, GSX ODO 5547
To work and back.
Notable: Time for a new tire... why risk a blowout?

Tuesday, 6/3, GSX ODO 5533
To work and back.
Notable: Rear tire still holding... but for how long?

Monday, 6/2, GSX ODO 5519
To work and back.
Notable: Riding on a repaired rear tire... hmmm.

Friday, 5/30, GSX ODO 5504
To gym and back.
Notable: Rear tire nailed! 4" screw in my brand new MAXXIS tire.

Thursday, 5/29, GSX ODO 5485
To work and back.

Wednesday, 5/28, GSX ODO 5471
Evening ride to TLC and back.
Notable: Cat tails and slamming doors do not mix!

Monday, 5/26, GSX ODO 5447
Sears and HD in the early morning!

Sunday, 5/25, GSX ODO 5423
Best Buy and HD in the afternoon.

Saturday, 5/24, GSX ODO 5402
Gas and INOVA for times.

Friday, 5/23, GSX ODO 5377
To work, Dave's for GTA4, and home.

Thursday, 5/22, GSX ODO 5322
To work and back.
Notable: Rain: for the 15 minutes it took for me to ride home!

Wednesday, 5/21, GSX ODO 5307
To work and back, twice?

Monday, 5/19, GSX ODO 5279
To work and back.

Friday, 5/16, GSX ODO 5268
To work and back.

Thursday, 5/15, GSX ODO 5254
To work, the long way.

Tuesday, 5/13, GSX ODO 5234
To work and back.

Friday, 5/9, GSX ODO 5220
To work and back.

The Long Way Down

2008-07-31T22:07:00.004-04:00

Well that was brilliant, wasn't it!?

Fans of The Long Way Round had to get out tonight... Ewan and Charlie did it again in 2007. This time, from Scotland to South Africa. If you missed tonight's premier in the theaters, you can still catch The Long Way Down on the Fox Reality Channel at 9PM, Saturday 8/2.

Check out the site here: http://www.longwaydown.com/

A great start to my birthday marathon!

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Ken and Dixie

2008-05-07T20:09:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"In times of sadness such as now, we must believe there's help somehow -- Help to carry on each day and handle what has come our way, Help in love of friends who care and treasured memories that we share, For, in these ways, we come to find an inner peace of heart and mind."

"With the hope that each new day will bring you comfort to carry you through this difficult time."

Dear Sylvia,

So very sorry to hear of Bill's death. He put up a long, hard fought battle with cancer and now his is suffering no longer.

I thought you were so special to send a beautiful card to Ken and me for our wedding. Ken is so dear and we had a beautiful wedding. The weather perfect and we invited only the two families (32). Ken has seven Grandchildren and I have seven, so we decided to keep it just the two families.

Please let me know if I can be of any help in any way.

Hope to see you soon.

Love,
Ken and Dixie

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.05.07

2008-05-07T19:57:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, 5/7, GSX ODO 5208
To work and home for lunch, and after dinner, to Wal-Mart for Quixx Paint Scratch Remover.
Notable: Mostly good riding, with a very sloppy ride home/back for lunch... too warm!? The scratches on the 550i bumper (from the garage door) are horrible, but this Quixx stuff seems to work reasonably well.

Monday, 5/5, GSX ODO 5161
To work and back.
Notable: The weather in May rocks! (for now)

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Bob and Pat

2008-05-06T19:53:00.002-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"May the love of God give you peace, May the love of friends give you comfort, May the love of our dear one remain in your heart and give you strength through the difficult days ahead."

Sylvia + Family,

We are very sorry for your loss. Bill was a wonderful person, and is now in a better place without suffering.

We are all better for knowing him and you.

Bob and Pat

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Libby

2008-05-05T19:50:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"May the sympathy and love of others comfort you in your sorrow."

Dear Mrs. Poesch,

You and your family have been in my thoughts and prayers since I saw you at the office last week. I was so very sorry to hear about Bill, and I want you to know that he will be missed by many. Mr. Poesch has always been one of my favorite patients, and I always enjoyed our conversations about gardening. He fought a long, hard battle and he now can let the Lord take care of him.

Please let me know if I can be any help to you as you spend time in California. I'm just around the corner.

Love,
Libby

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.05.04

2008-05-04T21:03:00.002-04:00

Sunday, 5/4, GSX ODO 5148
To Best Buy and back
Notable: Chilly in the morning, but crystal clear blue skies and sun all day. Perfect motorcycle weather all day long. Yard work and projects occupied the morning, followed by soccer after noon. But after seeing a 5-star review for GTA4 on G4, we had to make the run to Best Buy -- with a pillion rider.

Saturday, 5/3, GSX ODO 5125
To Reston Town Center for brunch, Fairfax for soccer, and GWU for football.
Notable: A great day to be out! Sunny and warm.

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Stephanie

2008-05-04T20:57:00.003-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

We are deeply saddened to hear about your loss. We will miss Bill and his friendly smile.

Our sympathies are with you and your family at this time. Please don't hesitate to call us any time if there anything we can do for you.

Love,
Stephanie

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Gertrude

2008-05-03T09:15:00.002-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

My dear Sylvia,

We just returned from a trip to Florida for a month and I got the word that Bill had passed on. His was a long ordeal with cancer, but we know that now he is safe in God's eternal care.

How many thoughts and concerns are with you and the myriad of things that need to be taken care of and more importantly the difficult adjustment for you personally.

It was obvious to me that yours and Bill's was a very close and dear relationship. A lovely example to observe.

Ed and I are quite happy and content in our new home situation. It is definitely where we should be at this point in our lives. We really feel this is "home" now.

I send my love and best wishes -- Gertrude

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.05.03

2008-05-03T09:05:00.004-04:00

Friday, 5/2, GSX ODO 5071
To the gym and back, and work and back.
Notable: Perfect weather! Chilly at 8AM, but warming into the low 80s by Noon. Sunny all day!

Thursday, 5/1, GSX ODO 5049
To work and back.
Notable: Chillier than forecasted, with rain in the middle of the day. But the ride into work and back home was on dry roads. Managed to get the rear tire to skid a bit while breaking (not a goal, just the result of breaking more rapidly while the tire was still cold) -- felt "slick" but still very controllable.

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Barbara and Ed

2008-05-02T09:03:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

I wanted to express our sympathy on your loss. Bill was always so enthusiastic and positive about everything that he brought energy and happiness to all of us when we worked with him.

I can only imagine how difficult the last years were for you both, but your faith and attitude is an inspiration to all of us.

You remain in our prayers.

Barbara and Ed

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Linda

2008-05-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"Nature is not a place to visit, it is home."
- Gary Snyder

Dear Sylvia,

I was saddened to learn of your wonderful husband's passing. Many, like me, who didn't know him well, still will remember him fondly as a man who appreciated the art in life. Now he and my son can get to know each other (and watch over us). With love,

Linda

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.04.30

2008-04-30T20:29:00.004-04:00

Wednesday, 4/30, GSX ODO 5024
To work and back, twice.
Notable: Home for lunch. Chilly weather (50s) but some hope that spring really is around the corner. The new tires have been great -- no slippage at all, even when cold. 0-60 still rocks! And, it's great to feel more and more at home on the bike. Soon, I'll be desperate for Summit Point. Not desperate for the repair or medical bills though, so I may have to make due with living vicariously through the MotoGP action. The MotoGP 2007 Official Review was fantastic -- the whole season in about two hours, with a travel-log of countries around the world as a bonus.

New goal: Follow the MotoGP season around the world, visiting every country and watching every race. 2008 is Hawaii, 2009 is South America (Argentina and the Galapagos Islands), and 2010 is Japan.... maybe 2011!?

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Jacki

2008-04-30T20:25:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

What a surprise to come in on Tuesday and find your very generous gift. That was very kind and totally unexpected.

It was my pleasure to assist you and get to know you a little better. Mike spoke of you and Bill often, and as a staff we had been praying for you all.

Your relationship with Bill was a treasure and a model for many. May his legacy continue on for many generations.

Sylvia, you are a very classy lady. Please stay in touch and let us know if we can be of help.

Fondly,
Jacki

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Betsy and Duncan

2008-04-29T20:22:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"May each memory comfort... and bring you peace."

We were so saddened to hear of Bill's death after such a valiant struggle.

I know you will miss him terribly. The beautiful service and loving tributes must have been of great comfort.

It is hard to believe that such a vibrant, talented man is gone. You are lucky to have great sons and grandchildren to carry his memory on.

Love,
Betsy and Duncan

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Warren

2008-04-28T20:18:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Sylvia - I returned only recently from an extended trip to find your very sad news. Although we knew each other for only a couple of years at Samohi, Bill was a very special friend whom I admired greatly, and although we didn't see each other for many years I thought of him frequently. How wonderful it was to see him in Portland and to have the opportunity to meet you.

May God shower you with blessings the remainder of life's journey.

Warren

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Rhoda

2008-04-27T19:55:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Joanne, Mark, and family,

My thoughts are with you at this time of loss.

I so admired Bill's strength during his illness and Sylvia's devotion, always.

My love to you all.
Rhoda

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.04.26

2008-04-26T21:32:00.003-04:00

Saturday, 4/26, GSX ODO 4998
To Borders for the May issue of Fast Bikes, and a quick run to Fosters to pick up burgers.
Notable: 8:45AM the sun is out, low humidity and perfect temps. Was thinking about the gym, but opted for the bookstore instead. Had to leave the drink cups behind at Fosters -- pickup on a motorcycle, not such a good plan. Wanted to ride to the game at 4:30PM, but the downpour at 5:30PM would have left me looking like a drowned rat... worse, visibility dropped to 10-20 yards at times, standing water probably would have made me dump the bike, and every turn would have taken ten years off my life. The 550i, on the other hand, loves playing in the water. It has spent a good 1,000 to 2,000 miles of its life in the rain on highways around the world, and I can count the times when I noticed the water (momentary hydroplaning) on one hand... I've never driven a car that is so rock solid in the rain. (A good thing, since she's like an elephant on ice skates when we get over half an inch of snow!)

Friday, 4/25, GSX ODO 4965
To the gym and work.
Notable: Everyone looks at me funny as I work out in boots and jeans -- but I have more fun getting to / from my workout! Saves gas, too!

Thursday, 4/24, GSX ODO 2933
To GW and back.
Notable: Couldn't ride to work, but after getting home, it was a beautiful day for a quick ride.

Wednesday, 4/23, GSX ODO 4915
To Loudoun Motorsports and back.
Notable: New tires at 4,905 miles!

Tuesday, 4/22, GSX ODO 4890
To work and back.
Notable: Cool in the morning, and warm on the way home.

Saturday, 4/19, GSX ODO 4875
To the gym!
Notable: Incentive to work out, or an excuse to ride!? Does it matter?? A perfect cool Spring morning -- back to the gym after far too many weeks off (travel, followed by illness, followed by recovery, followed by laziness).

Friday, 4/18, GSX ODO 4857
To Loudoun Motorsports, Best Buy, and home.
Notable: Time for new tires, and $150 for a front and rear MAXXIS is a deal that's worth a close look! Not a whole lot of coverage on the web, but what is out about the Presa Sport looks good. If nothing else, they're certainly better than the thrashed rubber that's clinging to the wheels, now.

Wednesday, 4/16, GSX ODO 4833
To work and back (twice!)
Notable: A beautiful spring day, with time to zip home for lunch.

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Jack and Wilma

2008-04-26T21:21:00.003-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

We were shocked and saddened to get your letter about Bill and yet not surprised. We know where he's at and what a comfort it is to you, and us too, to know we'll see him again.

We have said several times how thankful we are to have met the two of you and spend some time with you, even though it was never long enough. Our sympathy, love and hugs go out to you and your boys and their families. I'm sending you a check in memory of Bill and you may decided where you want it to go. And we would like a copy of his memoirs whenever you have the time to send it.

From the first time we met you we felt like we had known you for years. And every time we look at the picture he painted for us, I will remember what a terrific person he was.

We are doing okay. I'm having a heart catherization[sic] in a couple of weeks.. I had one a little over a year ago, and they seemed to think I need another one. As of now we are tentatively planning on coming to Virginia some time in July.

We just became great grandparents. Our oldest daughter has a step-son and he and his wife had a baby girl April 19th. We haven't seen her yet (just pictures) but will [visiting them] the 14th, and will see her then.

We still haven't sold our house. Have had several lookers. So many people told us from the beginning "oh, you won't have any trouble selling it" and I believed them, but it hasn't happened, and I'm getting impatient. But the Good Lord knows and hopefully one of these days the right people will come along.

May God give you comfort during this sad time. And may your memories of a wonderful husband be a help during the lonely times.

We love you,
Wilma

"We're remember you in prayer and trusting you'll know the special love and comfort that only God can give.

With Deepest Concern And Sympathy"
and Love
Jack and Wilma

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
PSALM 23:6 KJV

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Frank and Marie

2008-04-25T21:06:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia:

Words alone cannot tell you how sorry we were to receive your letter informing us that Bill went to be with the Lord on April 7, 2006. We want to thank you for the Memorial Service papers. They were just beautiful and while reading we felt like we were there. They brought tears to our eyes. Thanks ever so much.

We tried to get Bill's Memoirs off the internet link, but had no luck. Would you send us a CD which we can print on our computer.

Marine and I want to say our life has been much richer just knowing you and Bill. You both certainly made us feel at home, and made us feel like life-long friends. We certainly appreciate your friendship.

God bless you, and take care of you in the future.

Love,
Frank & Marie

"They Live in Christ

Lord God Almighty,
You raised Jesus Christ from the dead,
Bring all Your servants to new life in Christ.

Through baptism we died and rose with Christ.
Make us worthy to share eternal life with Him.

Christ, Son of the living God,
Bring all our beloved deceased to the glory of new life with You.

Give comfort Lord to all who have placed their hope in You.

Eternal Rest grant to our beloved deceased, O God; and let perpetual light shine upon them."

Franciscan Friars, T.O.R.
Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus

"ENROLLMENT IN
Saint Francis Perpetual Mass Association
In loving memory

William Lee Poesch

has been enrolled for perpetual remembrance in the prayers, Masses and good works offered for the members by the Franciscan Friars of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, Loretto, PA.

This gift of prayer is from
Francis and Marie"

"Benefits of Enrollments

+ Perpetual remembrance in Daily Community Mass offered by the Franciscan Friars, T.O.R., of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

+ Daily remembrance in the Community celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours.

+ Remembrance in Daily Community Rosary.

+ Remembrance in Daily Prayers to Saint Anthony.

+ Remembrance in Weekly Benediction and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

+ Remembrance in the prayers and merits of all the good works of the Franciscan Friars, T.O.R., of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.

OUR MISSION
Franciscan Friars, T.O.R.

As friars of the Third Order Regular of Saint Francis and members of the Province of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus we vow ourselves to the challenge of living poverty, chastity and obedience in the presence of the Church. In this way, we further the work of Francis of Assisi who unreservedly followed the crucified and risen Christ and the Gospel of preaching repentance and conversion for the salvation of all.

As Franciscans in service to the Church, we listen to God's Word following Jesus Christ with the assurance of the Holy Spirit; we listen to God's teaching in the Church; and we listen to God's holy people as they speak to us.

As followers of Saint Francis of Assisi, we respond to God and our founder by living simply, unencumbered by possessions or attitudes, by dedicating ourselves to the fraternity, by responding to the mission of the Church, and by seeking to bring God and the message of conversion to all we meet.

As friars we commit ourselves, personally and corporately, to a life transformed by prayer and contemplation, to an ongoing conversion of heart, mind and soul, and to a revelation of the Lord by our words and works, enabling the bruised and broken to hear and receive the message of reconciliation and healing embodied in Christ.

To all we serve we commit ourselves to bring the grace and peace of God: the Father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit."

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Else

2008-04-24T21:02:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia!

My Cousin called me today and told me that Bill passed away. I was sorry to hear it.

Albert died in January 1999 and since then, I am living in a retirement home. I sold the house and I enjoy where I live now. I need the help of a walker to get around. Other than that, I am doing O.K.

I hope you are well.

Love
Else

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Darlene and Keith

2008-04-23T20:56:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"More lovely than a sunset
And more peaceful than the night,
More inviting than a springtime breeze,
More radiant than the light.
It's a place of true contentment,
With no worries and no cares,
It's the shelter we've been promised,
It's the answer to our prayers,
It's much more than we could dream of,
And all those who've gone before
Walk in bliss there with the Master,
Happy now and evermore."

Sylvia,

"May your heart be comforted with the confidence that your loved one is home in God's radiant, loving presence."

Not a day has gone by when we don't look at the painting [Bill painted for us]. We will cherish it forever. Bill will definitely be missed, but forever in our thoughts, and hearts. I love the picture n the front of this card as it so reminds me of something Bill would paint.

Take care and our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Darlene & Keith

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Barbara and Bob

2008-04-22T20:50:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

Know that you are in our prayers.

Can't tell you how often I have thought of you both. We had some wonderful times. Thank God for the memories.

Don't want to lose track of you. Keep us posted on your plans. We do get to Calif every now and then. My brother, and several cousins are still there in the LA area. Haven't gotten back to Virginia as much as we would like.

After the loss of our son Mark nine years ago April, I know that God's help will see you through. Can't understand people who don't have faith. My faith has seen me through many different times and I know it will see you through your sorrow.

Stay in touch.

God Bless.

Love,
Barbara and Bob

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Bob

2008-04-21T20:20:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

I was very sorry to hear of Bill's death. I know it must have been very difficult for you, even thought it wasn't unexpected.

When reading about him, he impresses me as an outstanding individual who lived life to the fullest and someone who contributed in many ways to the lives of those around him. While this is a great loss for you, I hope there is some comfort in reflecting on the wonderful years you had together.

I very much appreciated your letting me know about Bill's death. I apologize for being so late in writing to you. I have been out of town a lot and slow in catching up, but please know my thoughts have been with you, Eric, and your family.

Sincerely,
Bob

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Jack and Waynella

2008-04-20T20:14:00.003-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

We were so sad to learn from Lindy of Bill's passing. We are certain he is with our Heavenly Father, which is our comfort.

Do keep your happy memories present in your heart, they become more precious as time goes on.

Our memories are from the years on Reading Ave. We all enjoyed that time with you folks. It all seems like a dream.

If you ever get to [our state], let us know -- we would love to have you come.

"Even though nothing can fully erase the pain and sadness of parting, what a comfort it is to know that we can always rely upon the care and protection of the Good Shepherd."

In Sympathy and prayers,
Jack and Waynella

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Walt and Sara

2008-04-19T20:03:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

It has taken me awhile to write this note. Even tho you and Bill were a distance away in miles, you were ever present in our hearts.

Bill's watercolor is a constant reminder of God's work, in giving us beauty to enjoy and giving Bill the ability to capture that beauty forever. We treasure it very much.

We're glad to hear that you do not intend to make any radical changes in your lifestyle right away. Give yourself time to "reconnoiter".

It took Walter almost three years to become "at ease" living in town after having lived in the "country" for over 65 years. We live in a small town with a caring church family, gardening friends and of course our son and daughter in-law.

Our garden is at its peak bloom and more folks are stopping to take a closer look at all the different flowers. They were a little shy at first and most didn't realize that we are a display garden and enjoy having people visit.

We've had our share of doctor's visits this spring and have had to overcome some hurdles. We've been blessed to be able to maintain the garden and participate in church and related activities.

You mentioned that Bill wrote his memoirs. We are very interested in reading them. So many people have told us that we should put our memories in writing because of the many endeavors we have been involved in. I feel the Lord directed us to take the paths we have.

I know that He will sustain you in the future as He has in the past.

With all our love,
Walt and Sara

We miss all you guys.

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Kathy

2008-04-18T20:00:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Mrs. Poesch,

[A colleague] shared the Memorial Service program with me and I just wanted to express my sympathy for your loss and my admiration for a life lived fully and well. May the joy of your memories sustain you now and forever.

Kathy
Clinical RN

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Susan

2008-04-17T19:56:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

What a beautiful email you sent with all the details which you are having to deal with. I know you are swamped with calls, letters, emails, visits, etc. Just know you are in my heart and thoughts at this very difficult time of losing your precious husband.

I hope we can have some quiet time to reflect later.

I thank you for answering all the questions I had after I hung up from talking with you!

I will definitely be at the Westchester Memorial, God willing. And I would also like to read Bill's memoirs at some convenient time.

I told my folks about Bill's passing and my mom was very saddened.

Place take care and know we love you dearly,
Susan and family

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Nancy and Jim

2008-04-16T19:49:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

...We met at Sue and Bill's home during the weekend of Pam and Jay's Wedding.

I just wanted to write and tell you that both Jim and I truly enjoyed speaking with Bill. He was so interesting and spoke to us on a wide variety of subjects -- we were captivated with all that he had to share. Some people enter our lives, if only for a day, and leave such warm and everlasting memories. Bill was a wonderful human being and we're glad our paths crossed!

We pray God blesses him with the eternal joys of Heavenly peace. God bless and comfort you, always.

With Deepest Sympathy

May God comfort you in your sorrow and replace your tears with wonderful memories of times spent together with Bill.

Our Thoughts & Prayers,
Nancy & Jim

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Betty

2008-04-15T22:44:00.003-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

Words are meaningless when your heart is burdened with grief. Although you knew Bill's health was failing and there was no hope of recovery, his death came as a shock to all who loved him. There is a great void in the family and among his friends that will never be filled. It was wonderful that he could remain at home during his illness.

Sylvia, no wife in the world has been more dedicated or devoted to a husband than you. I know that Bill returned the love in equal measure. You were there for him night and day -- always putting his welfare and needs ahead of your own. You are indeed a rare and wonderful lady -- a true tower of strength. Always remember that.

Nothing can take from you and the children the wealth of memories and the experiences that you and Bill shared for many years. His life will be forever reflected in your heart. I hope that these recollections will help to make your sorrow easier to bear and they will be a comfort to you in the day and months ahead.

Know that your sisters are thinking about you and your family. We all send our love and deepest sympathy to you at this sad and difficult time. Whenever you feel comfortable returning to our group meetings and events, we will welcome you with loving arms.

My thoughts and prayers will continue to be with you.

With much love and deepest sympathy,
Betty

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Shaughnessey

2008-04-14T22:40:00.000-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dear Sylvia,

I am very sorry for your loss. I love you very much and have always admired your dedication to Christ. I'm afraid my words are not going to comfort you like I wish they could. I just wanted to express to you how much I love you and that you have been and will continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. Again, I Love You.

All My Love,
Shaughnessey

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Gussie

2008-04-13T21:37:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:
Dear Sylvia,

Indeed, there will be a major void in your life.

How fortunate for Bill and all of you, that he was so faithful, and at peace with his life and death.

Scott and I were just talking about you the other day and remembering good times with you. Our memories were so similar. How good you were to us, and how special you always made us feel.

I am truly sorry for your loss.

Make sure you take good care of you during this time.

Love to you and all of your family.

Love,
Gussie

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Bill and Vicki

2008-04-12T20:33:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:
"May you find strength in your faith, comfort in God's love, and peace in knowing your friends are praying for you."

Dear Sylvia,

We treasure our memories of Bill and wanted to let you know we are thinking of you and your family.

With deepest sympathy,

Bill and Vicki

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Gwen & Virgil

2008-04-11T16:31:00.001-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Dearest Sylvia & Family,

"No amount of time can prepare us for loss, and no one can fully understand your sorrow -- But many hearts are with you, hoping you will have the strength you need to see you through this difficult time."

Please know that our thoughts and prayers are with you. Knowing how you and Bill trusted in the Lord and depended on Him for guidance has to be a great source of help to you as you face this difficult time.

Bill was a prince of a man; you two were a match made in heaven.

We will have nothing but the fondest of memories of Bill, and he will be with us in our hearts and memories always.

Our prayer for you, Sylvia, is that your faith in God will comfort you and give you peace in your heart.

God bless you and family. With our deepest sympathy and love.

Gwen & Virgil

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Joe

2008-04-10T22:19:00.004-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Sylvia,

"He lived a full and happy life, and together you shared many years of love. Although he is gone, rich warm memories of all that he meant to you will one day be a source of comfort. Until then, may it help to know that many are thinking of you and remember him with love."

Joyce and I are sorry to hear of Bill's passing. Bill has been a treasured friend to so many of us at work. Moreover, both you and Bill have provided inspiration to all of us during these several challenging years.

In this Easter season, we hope that you find comfort in the promise of Resurrection!

Joe

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.04.10

2008-04-10T20:41:00.004-04:00

Thursday, 4/10, GSX ODO 4804
To work and back, home for lunch.
Notable: What a perfect beautiful day -- clear skies, perfect temps all day long. It doesn't get much better than this for riding. Most of the sand is washed away. Morning and lunch riding was perfect -- the ride home in rush-hour traffic was a bit twitchy, and I was tailed by a cop on Loudoun County Parkway... maybe coincidence, or maybe he was waiting for me to take off once I cleared the traffic. Can't we all just get along!?

Saturday, 4/5, GSX ODO 4774
To GW and back.
Notable: A surprise beautiful day... mouthguard delivery services, with better gas mileage.

Sometime... 4760... 52 miles lost in time...
One commute to work, and a couple brief rides on weekends when the weather was nice in late February and March.

Wonderful Dysphoria

2008-04-09T22:02:00.004-04:00

The other night, Monday, I happened to watch Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium. It turned out to be uniquely appropriate timing, since one of the principle themes of the movie is the culmination of Mr. Magorium's life. Although there are several inspired moments within the movie, by far the most poignant sequence takes place as Molly Mahoney (Natalie Portman), the toy store manager, finally confronts the reality that Mr. Magorium will die:

M.Magorium: (in a quiet sigh) oh, Mahoney…

Mahoney: Don’t go.

M.Magorium: My darling

Mahoney: I’m not ready, I’m not ready for it to end.

M.Magorium: I’m sorry.

(Mahoney sits down a step)

M.Magorium: When King Lear dies in Act Five do you know what William Shakespeare has written? He’s written, "He Dies." That's all, nothing more. No fan fare, no metaphor, no brilliant final words.

The culmination of the most influential work of the dramatic literature is, "He Dies." It takes Shakespeare’s genius to come up with, he dies.

And yet every time I read those two words I find myself overwhelmed with dysphoria. And I know its only natural to be sad, but not because of the words he dies, but because of the life we saw prior to the words.

I’ve lived all five of my acts Mahoney and I am not asking you to be happy that I must go. I’m only asking that you turn the page. Continue reading. And let the next story begin.

And if anyone ever asks what became of me, you relay my life in all its wonder, and end it with a simple, and modest, he died.

Mahoney: I love you.

M.Magorium: I love you too.

(M.Magorium takes Mahoney by the hands and gets her up to her feet)

M.Magorium: (he sighs) Your life is an occasion......rise to it.

(he kisses her forehead and walks away)

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Cynthia

2008-04-09T18:05:00.003-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

"In one of the stars
I shall be living
In one of them
I shall be laughing
And so it will be
As if all the stars
Were laughing
When you look
At the sky at night"

...and there is sweetness in the laughter of all the stars...

and in the memories of your Father, Grandfather, Friend

Love,
Cynthia

In Tribute to William Poesch, from Carol and Fred

2008-04-08T23:03:00.003-04:00

Continuing the cards and letters sent following my Dad's death, April 7th, 2006:

Mark & Joanne & Family,

"There is a quiet place somewhere beyond tomorrow where your heart will find peace and the mist of grief will begin to clear away."

Your dad was a wonderful man with an incredibly positive attitude. We will & do truly miss him.

Warm Regards,

Carol & Fred

In Tribute to William Poesch

2008-04-07T18:56:00.004-04:00

Wow. My blog updates have entered into a whole new era of lameness. Two months of nothing... not that life has been uneventful. In fact, maybe because it has been busy, I haven't had time to update my life online.

We spent a couple of weekends moving 40+ years of belongings from my Mom's VA home. Spent Spring Break in CA catching up with friends and family up and down the coast -- and of course, visiting friend-Mickey in Disneyland. Then, jet lag and too many germs brought a couple of days home sick in bed, and two weeks recovery.

Among the belongings moved from my Mom's place were a whole satchel full of sympathy cards she kept following my Dad's death two years ago.

Going through them was tough... but what the heck was I supposed to do with them, I wondered. As I read, I realized that many contained tributes that deserve to be captured. And, I've succeeded in procrastinating until this point... on the anniversary of my Dad's death, it seems fitting to begin sharing the kind words sent by friends and family.

Even after culling through the pile of notes, those with substantive thoughts and messages were still several inches high. So, I figured I could capture one a day on my blog.

Tonight's note comes from good friends of our family, and was sent to me:

Dear Mark,

Just wanted to write a short note to let you know that we are thinking of your family in the home-going of your Dad.

Keith and Bill have known each other since the fifties when both were Engineering students at U.C.L.A. Over the years he has been a very special friend who shared his life and enthusiasm and joy with both of us.

May your many memories bring joy to you as you grieve.

We send our love,
Pat and Keith

Motorcycle Diaries 2008.02.03

2008-02-03T17:47:00.000-05:00

Sunday, 2/3, GSX ODO 4706
Wendy's and back for lunch.
Notable: Chilly at speed, but great to get out with the sun and temps in the high 50s. A wrong turn onto Belmont Ridge (at the Loudoun County Parkway detour) turned a quick trip to Wendy's into a 30 mile excursion to 50 and up 28. 0 to 60 in 3 - 4 seconds still feels great.

Monday, 1/7, GSX ODO 4676
To work and back.
Notable: A beautiful day to get out -- sunny with a high of 74, according to Weather.com. Great to get out! As I recall, the weather over the next couple of days wasn't bad either, but circumstances and a certain paranoia about 1/10 kept me off the bike.

Background Music

2007-12-30T12:31:00.000-05:00

The new music is borrowed from a site built by a friend of a friend. Lifehouse's Everything from their 2000 release: No Name Face.

What do you think?

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.12.29

2007-12-30T12:26:00.000-05:00

Saturday, 12/29, GSX ODO 4661
Around.
Notable: The front tire does have a slow leak... down to 31 psi since the last ride. Looks like this was last ride of the year since the weather just gets colder from here for the next few days. Good to be out. Temps at 50 with wind chill at 50+ mph was pretty chilly, but not too much for a quick 11 mile run.

BMW Performance Delivery

2007-11-21T17:42:00.000-05:00

So, after seriously considering the 2007 BMW 550i and opting for the motorcycles instead, I finally broke down and bought the 2008 this summer. Our trip to Europe presented an opportunity that was just too good to pass up, so I gave it a shot.

Everything worked out spectacularly. European Delivery saved me a bunch, and enabled us to tour Germany and Austria in style for a few days. Details on that trip are still pending.

After dropping the car off with the shipping agency in Munich in early September, it finally made its way to the New Jersey shores in October, and was trucked to Spartanburg, SC. A circuitous route... but bare with me, and you'll understand the method to my madness.

Thursday, 10/25, I grabbed a rental car and headed for Greenville, SC (immediately adjacent to the BMW plant in Spartanburg, SC, braving 500 miles of rainy weather, traffic, and dark highways, praying that it would clear by the morning.

Cutting to the chase... The next morning, with a group of five couples, I headed to the BMW Performance Delivery center just a couple miles down the road from the hotel.

Upon arrival, what should we all behold but my car, proudly displayed in the lobby of the delivery center with placards reading "PLEASE DO NOT TOUCH -- THIS IS A CUSTOMER'S NEW VEHICLE." With the second "comfort access key" in my pocket, it was all I could do to resist gently touching the door handle to deactivate the alarm and make the lights flash. "That's my car, baby!! ;-)" (But, I resisted the temptation to show off.)

After brief introductions, and a quick performance driver training session we headed to the track, and to copies of our cars ready for abuse.

Unfortunately, 550i Sport editions were in short supply, so I was stuck with an M5... a 500 BHP, 0-60 in 4.5 seconds monster! Yeah baby!

With heads-up display, paddle shifting, and various performance tuning controls set, I was ready!

First up, pushing the cars as hard as we could on a small portion of the race track. From someone else's "hot lap" experience, here's a rough idea of what it looked like from the inside; with Donnie Isley:

Then, it was time for ABS brake testing, and practice turning while braking:

And then, over to the skid pad. First, without DSC:

Then, with DSC:

I took delivery of my car; personally shown every bell and whistle by Donnie. After wrapping up, he drove it out of the lobby, and handed over the keys, BMW coffee and other goodies.

I had just enough time to zip over to the Zentrum museum, drive on the sidewalk (whee!) and park behind the row of 650is driven over by the rest of the group.

I sorta missed the opportunity to drive one of the 650is over... but with my 550i parked behind the group, how could I complain. Really!?

After a quick tour of the museum, and lunch complements of the delivery center, we headed back on the track.

While some of us waited for lunch to settle, Donnie ran hot-laps with each couple. Here's Donnie's final hot-lap for our group, from the outside:

I then headed over to the X5 course with Jim Davis.

The course really demonstrated that the X5 is a true four-wheel drive off-road vehicle. Nice!

After wrapping up the drive in the X5, and saying farewells to Donnie, Jim, and the gang, I was back in my shiny new 550i for the 500 mile return trip home.

I'd recommend spending more time in Greenville. But, even if you have to make the whole tour in less than 36 hours, I still recommend it! The experience of a lifetime!

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.11.21

2007-11-21T17:32:00.000-05:00

Wednesday, 11/21, GSX ODO 4650
To Brambleton Plaza and back.
Notable: New 12V portable air compressor from Sears, and air in the tire: 36 PSI and holding. Weather today is 72 and sunny! Heavy Thanksgiving traffic, so I kept it short. And, kept the speed down ...just in case.

Sunday, 11/18, GSX ODO 4637
Err... nowhere.
Notable: Front tire 0.0 PSI. I noticed that turning in was particularly hard on the 11/10 return home, but figured that it was just my imagination. A flat!? ...or maybe my 11/10 trip to get air had the opposite effect! Bizarre.

Saturday, 11/10, GSX ODO 4637
To gas station for air, and back.
Notable: A chilly ride, but it was good to get out for a bit.

Math Is Cool, Part 2

2007-10-22T18:48:00.000-04:00

April last year, I blogged about math coolness I encountered while poking around the TopCoder member profiles...

Yes, I'm a math geek... who knew!?

In doubt that math is cool?! What would Halo 3 be without math... think on that one! So, maybe it's not math itself, but what can be done with math that's cool.... but then, aren't we just quibbling over semantics?

In fact, I was a fairly marginal math student all the way through school and much of the way through college; always a year behind the curve it seemed. But the August 1985 cover of BYTE magazine changed all that. [No luck finding an actual image of the cover online, but I did find this great link!] My discovery of Fractal mathematics convinced me that not only is math cool, but that I was in a unique point in history to be able to combine my love for computers with the power of math.

Anyway, I've been reading a series of books from SciAm Book Club (see note above) covering the history, math, and personalities surrounding Pi, e, i, Phi, and zero. Did you know that Pi, e, and i are all directly related to each other?! (While reading about Pi, I discovered why the Riemann Zeta function series contains primes... more coolness.)

So, I'm reading about Phi, now.

Did you know that Phi can be found in the five-pointed star? Measure the distance between two adjacent points, and divide that into the length of one of the long strokes... 1.618... Phi. [From my hand-drawn star, I get ratios between 1.42 and 1.59... maybe you can get a closer result.]

More later...

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.10.21

2007-10-21T20:35:00.000-04:00

Sunday, 10/21, GSX ODO 4632
To pickup hacksaw.
Notable: Hacksaw on a bike… not the smartest combination. But, it was a good ride. Beautiful sunny, pure blue skies with temps in the high 70s!

Saturday, 10/20, GSX ODO 4592
To Loudoun Motorsports for state inspection.
Notable: A sunny cool (low 60s) morning after a rainy night led to a hair-raising trip in, with cold wet/slick roads out of the neighborhood. Once on the dry, much better. Just impossible to get the feel for wet traction…

Beautiful weather on Thursday, but I drove in to work. Friday, I had hoped to take the bike in for its state inspection, but the weather said "no."

Linux

2007-10-18T09:33:00.000-04:00

Attending the New Paradigm Enterprise 2.0 All Member briefing last month, I was once again reminded of LAMP: Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP5. Although I have an extensive "client" programming background, in the web realm, I'm a bit of a newb.

So, a few weeks ago, I got copies of Professional LAMP and Setting Up LAMP, and ordered a "cheap" Dell server.

The server arrived last Thursday. :-)

The entire locating the correct Fedora Linux build, download, verify ISO, burn DVD, install, test-run process took only a few hours... in spite of a few hiccups along the way. (My PC has a DVD/CD-RW... not a DVD-W/CD-RW. :-P)

Before starting the Fedora install, I also took a brief detour with the setup DVD included by Dell, which included a Linux variant. Unfortunately, after getting through the setup process, the install failed for lack of a "Disc 2." (The whole install seemed to be on a single DVD, and the other disc included in the package was docs only... so, no luck.) But, it's just as well that it didn't work out, because the Fedora release rocks.

I went for the full install, which includes not only web server and development tools, but also desktop apps: Firefox Browser, email, Open Office, GIMP (Open Source PhotoShop-like), Totem DVD player, games, and a lot more. It took a lot of restraint not to sell my MSFT shares right then and there! ;-)

This morning, I see a Wired article about the latest Ubuntu Linux Release. And, just as I was dropping a DVD into the drive, read about the problems with Totem DVD codec support. Installing the codec seemed to eliminate the error, but didn't yield any further success. But, the ultimate irony is that none of it mattered anyway... I bought this machine to be a web server / dev box -- not for movies or games... so, no sound card. :-P

So, as the install progresses from L to A to M to P. My study has begun with P. So far, looks very similar to Java. More later....

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.10.17

2007-10-17T17:09:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, 10/17, GSX ODO 4568
To Loudoun Motorsports and Market Station for lunch.
Notable: Still with AOL, but our team was hit really hard. Not happy. But, today, it’s an absolutely spectacular day with sunny skies, temps in the high 70s, and a light enough workload for a long lunch.

Ordered Scott Anti-Fog Lens Cleaner, Stomp Grip Tank Pad Kit, and Vortex Frame Sliders from motosport.com. Free shipping, too! Not ready for the track, yet. But, the Tank Pad will help me hold on better when stopping and turning. Hopefully will never use the Frame Sliders....

Monday, 10/15, GSX ODO 4539
To work and back.
Notable: T minus one day, and counting to AOL's October 2007 layoffs. Not happy.

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.10.13

2007-10-13T18:17:00.000-04:00

Saturday, 10/13, GSX ODO 4524
To Target and back.
Notable: Still seems silly to ride a GSX-R into Target… but not as silly when riding out with eight shot glasses!

Friday, 10/12, GSX ODO 4506
Out for a hair cut, and back.
Notable: Sunny but chilly morning, so I drove in to work. But, after wrapping up work, returned home and rode the bike... the helmet’s not so good for the new haircut, but who cares?

Thursday, 10/11, GSX ODO 4480
Out to pick up spare contacts, and back.
Notable: Chilly and overcast, but good to get out for a quick ride. Saving gas!

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.10.10

2007-10-10T19:15:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, 10/10, GSX ODO 4468
To work and back.
Notable: The long way. Avoiding traffic, or just taking advantage of the weather. Unfortunately, I think I've peaked... not a beginning rider anymore, but not progressing much beyond "early intermediate" either. It's good to ride safe... but you don't learn as fast that way.

I took the Basic Rider Course (BRC) with the Apex folks. "Using your own motorcycle, you'll put into practice the techniques of managing traction, stopping quickly, cornering and swerving" is very similar to the BRC training, except for the "using your own motorcycle" part. I learned on a Suzuki Dual-Sport 250 and never made it above 25 mph. (Thought I was really flying, when I made it into 2nd gear!) So... with a 1000cc bike that has 168 bhp, does 0-60 in 3.0 s, and has a top speed of 186 mph, this class would be a new experience. But, Nov. 2 sounds cold. Maybe next year!

Tuesday, 10/09, GSX ODO 4433
To work and back.
Notable: Not enough to blog about. Still, the smell of the flowers along Claiborne is not something to take for granted.... I wish I could capture the scent! Has anyone invented the scent camera, yet? ...Apparently, yes:

http://www.google.com/search?num=20&hl=en&safe=off&q=scent+camera
CNN Transcript - Newsroom/World View: NEWSROOM for May 4, 2000 ...
A scent camera can grab the smell, then analyzes the elements of the smell and transmits the file to the television station. The broadcaster sends the scent ...

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.10.08

2007-10-08T20:29:00.000-04:00

Monday, 10/08, GSX ODO 4420
To work and back.
Notable: Overcast and a bit chilly on the way in to work, light traffic... not a bad ride. The flowers are out again on Claiborne Parkway. Indescribable. Left work a few minutes early to avoid rush-hour traffic... stop for gas... very uncomfortable for the remainder of the ride home. Spidey sense? Or maybe, just foreshadowing of my near-miss in the car... backing up, I nearly ran over a neighbor's small dog while they were out for a walk. Oops!

Europe - Day 2 - Rome: Arrival and Acclimation

2007-10-07T21:00:00.000-04:00

Disney Theme for the Day: All Roads Lead to Rome

The day began with breakfast at the Exedra buffet; a generous and generally edible selection by European standards. (During my last trip to Europe, I had considerable trouble finding palatable food for breakfast with each new country. It typically took a day or two to sort out a solution for breakfast. London was the exception, where the "typical english breakfast" never really matched what I was looking for each morning.)

After breakfast, we gathered in the Exedra lobby to await James' and Davide's preview of the day and direction to the bus. We also met our roman tour guide for the next two days, Marlena, and our driver Nino.

We piled into the bus with snacks in hand (provided by James) and after a quick head-count, headed for the Coliseum, with a brief driving tour on the way.

With warnings of pickpockets and overcharging vendors, we marched toward the Coliseum and breezed through the line with all logistics in the care of our guides.

With only a few minutes wait, we began our tour. Interesting facts about the Coliseum, gladiators, and the lifetimes of the roman citizenry of the era abounded:
- not just slaves, but professionals and amateurs competed in the Coliseum
- holes in the walls are due to scavenging for metal (pins connecting the huge building blocks) that took place hundreds of years later
- several inches of sand over the wooden arena floor were used to absorb the blood
- gladiator training took place in several enclaves, including one just around the corner
- there are 76 numbered entrances to the Coliseum interior, four in the cardinal directions: one for the Emperor, one for Gladiator entrances, one for the victorious, and another ...for the fallen?
- the Coliseum was built on Nero's lake... or not... Nero died at AD 76. Building of the Coliseum began AD 80 and finished AD 89. (I suppose it wasn't Nero's lake after he died.)
- An earthquake in 1349 caused much of the damage seen today, resulting in the "cut away view" (which is actually quite handy for seeing all the inner detail of the Coliseum).

We walked the entire perimeter, and then moved toward the center.

From the Coliseum, we walked up the steps to the arch adjacent to the Roman Forum. After some discussion of the inscriptions on the arch, and the meaning of SPQR, we headed into the Forum, the site of the ancient city center.

Ruins were everywhere, each with it's own story -- however, it was a bit of ancient-history overload for me. But, fascinating to be in the middle of it all.

With alternating sun and a light sprinkling of rain, we made it back to the bus. But, not before James and Davide had provided us with rain ponchos! (We didn't need them, but wow(!) these guys are prepared! ...there had been no forecast of rain until late in the trip, in Venice.)

We headed into the city for lunch at a local pizzeria... never-ending thin-crust pizzas of all sorts. I'm afraid that after salad, I ate roughly a pizza and a half myself, and then chased it with a Coke Light and dessert. Time for more walking!

The rest of the day flowed like something out of a Lizzy McGuire movie. We headed to the Spanish Steps, passing stores along the way: Versace, Salvatore Ferragamo, Bulgari, Prada, and arriving at the Barcaccia Fountain and a brief stop by Babington's Tea Rooms, a public drinking fountain, the fruit vendor, and on to the Trevi Fountain. For luck, we tossed coins over our left shoulders with our right hands. A quick run through the mall brought us to the MAGRIPPALFCOSTERTIVMFECIT (Basilica di Santa Maria).

Headed to the next stop, I couldn't resist snapping a few shots of a Yamaha YZF-M1 MotoGP replica racer patterned after Valentino Rossi's bike. Nice!

At the square, we were treated to gelato by our Disney hosts. As they say, the first one is free. For the rest of the trip, we were hooked, and made sure to have gelato for dessert at least once each day.

For dinner, we were on our own. We got directions to Target (a Roman restaurant, not the store) and headed to dinner. And, unlike dinner in the U.S., dinner in Europe, and especially in Italy, is expected to last for hours. The check is only delivered upon request, and even then, with no hurry.... it's not uncommon to wait for half an hour to forty-five minutes after requesting the check! Dinner is a social experience and, here, life is lived at a different pace!

[Ever since my early July 1,000 mile ride to Dayton and back, I had suffered from a stinger in my left shoulder/back... somewhere during our Italian journey, I forgot that my shoulder hurt.]

On the way back to the hotel, we grabbed more gelato.

Back in our room at last, it was good to drop back into our cloud-like beds.... ah!

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.10.07

2007-10-07T19:34:00.000-04:00

Sunday, 10/07, GSX ODO 4407
To Best Buy and back.
Notable: $55 to spend, and the coupons expire in November.... so, Coldplay X&Y and PGR4, it is! Now, we just need our Xbox 360 back from Microsoft. Just made it to Best Buy at 6:59 in time to beat the OPEN sign being turned out. Rode home in the dark -- gotta love the bugs; they're out in force.

Friday, 10/05, GSX ODO 4385
To gym and back.
Notable: The weather is too nice not to ride. So, I ride and workout. Nothing notable about the ride, but during rush-hour around here, that's a good thing.

Thursday, 10/04, GSX ODO 4368
To work and back.
Notable: Fog in the morning! Good temperature, but a bit humid. Crap rush-hour traffic on the way home, again! But no incident... so for this week, that's something.

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.10.03

2007-10-03T19:39:00.000-04:00

Wednesday, 10/03, GSX ODO 4355
To work and back.
Notable: Nice weather, and a quiet ride in.... Crap rush-hour traffic on the ride home: 1st gear most of the way (loud) to make sure idiot drivers didn’t swerve into my line in a desperate attempt to get home 30 seconds sooner. (Lots of swerving action 50 to 100 yards ahead of me, across two and three lanes, but nothing near me.) ...until I was finally clear of the worst of the traffic... then, a Honda Repsol replica racer pulled past me in the right lane, waved, crossed a little tight into my lane, and then pulled into a left turn lane as we passed. He cut off a turning car, and had to skid just past the bumper of the second car in line at the light. Oops… What is this!? Bad karma week for everyone around me!? I rode by like nothing happened, and didn’t hear the sound of the car he cut off running him over… but geez. Bet his adrenaline kicked up a bit. ...sigh....

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.10.01

2007-10-01T21:18:00.000-04:00

Monday, 10/01, GSX ODO 4339
To work and back.
Notable: Holy shit! (Kindof an oxymoron, isn't that??)

...so, I'm just a minute from the office, and turning into the right-turn lane onto Broderick, and this woman in an Infinity G35 has just pulled into the turn lane ahead of me. She takes off like a bat-out-of-hell. As she rounds the corner, I realize that she must have spotted me in her rear-view mirror and has decided to show me a thing or two.... uh hunh.

I enter the corner following her, and notice that I really had to break -- she really was flying through the turn! I'm thinking, "Good for you -- I'm gonna take this corner a little slow today if that's alright with you." No sooner do I finish entry to the turn and begin pulling through the apex, then I'm able to watch as all four of her tires snap loose... so much for dynamic traction control!

From there, I'm watching in slow motion as I complete the turn, slow a bit more, and from a safe distance watch as she completes a 180 spin across three lanes (one of ours, and two of the oncoming). Thank God the lanes are all clear.

I continue to watch the slow motion slide play out, recalling my 180 degree spin across two lanes in my BMW M3 back in 2001. Somehow it feels like we are karmically linked.... through both my M3 spin, and my January crash on the gixer... on Broderick.

She completes the slide, nearly coming to a stop before slamming into the curb. Nearly. She slams into the curb with both front and rear right wheels. Wham!! (Ouch!!) I ride by, staring in shock in amazement, noticing her just-above-shoulder-length light brown hair.

After checking in at my office around the corner, I headed back to the scene to make sure she was OK. Apparently she was able to drive away... all that remained were four skid marks and the marks from her wheels' impact with the curb.

Sigh... another lesson learned the hard way!

Good luck to the girl in G35. I hope she knows a good Chiropractor and has great car insurance.

Otherwise, it was a beautiful day, and a great ride to/from work.

Ride safe! Stay up! ...and, drive safe!

Motorcycle Diaries 2007.09.29

2007-09-29T11:14:00.000-04:00

Saturday, 9/29, GSX ODO 4323
To gym, Best Buy, work, and home.
Notable: 70 degrees and sunny, and light traffic. Why can't it be like this all year round!?

Blog Abuse

2007-09-29T09:32:00.000-04:00

I actually have been updating my blog regularly, but you wouldn't know it, because... well, I've been abusing my blog. I haven't seen a "rules of blogging" (probably only because I haven't looked for one), but I'm sure that one of the rules is:

* When you make posts, don't return to make changes unless those changes are corrections or substantial updates to the status of the original post. When making these changes, they should be clearly highlighted as such at the top of the page.

I, on the other hand, have been using a few pages as my diaries, e.g., http://zogscorner.blogspot.com/2006/10/motorcycle-diaries-pt-3.html. So, the updates are there, but generally aren't shown as "updates" by the RSS feed, and the like. If there is a "proper etiquette" in blogging, I'm sure this is a violation of the most heinous sort.

I could put each motorcycle entry as it's own blog entry... but... I don't know. Call me "old school"...

Does anyone care except me?

Europe - Day 1 - Arrival in Italy

2007-09-14T03:08:00.000-04:00

Disney Theme for the Day: Benvenuto!

Having suffered the horror of watching the taxi meter tick past double the local cash I was carrying during my first trip to London years before, I was determined to have plenty of Euros this time! In spite of knowing that the arrivals area of the airport was probably the worst place to make this transaction, I paid the 11% "service" fee in exchange for the peace of mind that I wouldn't be cash-poor again! Of course, traveling with Disney, my concerns about money were groundless this time.

We were met by our first Disney escort as we waited for our luggage (waiting what seemed like hours for our bags).

Once the last piece of luggage arrived, we were on our way. Almost. Another wait (~10 minutes) was in store as we arrived at the curb. I think our driver had already left without us due to our luggage delay and was returning from dropping off the first gaggle of guests as we finally made our way outside the airport. However, we were reassured by our trusty Disney guide, Davide (dav-i-day), that our transport was on the way. So, we waited patiently. Our Mercedes van arrived at last. They loaded our many bags. And, we were on our way!

Travel through Rome is an adventure all by itself! Scooters and motorcycles lane-split (or filter, as they say in the UK). Speed limits and lanes are only a suggestion. And the traffic is dense. But, we made it into the city center without incident. The Arch of Constantine greeted our arrival, and we circumnavigated a good 120 degrees of the Coliseum in awe: a glimpse nearly 2,000 years back into history! A few more turns and a narrow street or two brought us into the vast plaza, and to the front of our hotel, the Exedra. Beautiful! Five stars, and then some!

We left our luggage behind with no thought of tipping or payment for the trip (all covered as part of the Disney tour) as James (our other Disney guide) greeted us, introduced us to a couple of our fellow adventurers, handed us a room key, and directed us to the elevator while explaining the European custom of numbering the first floor as zero ("0"). We were all amused to see that there was not only a "0" but also a floor "-1". ...must be the influence of all the great Italian mathematicians of bygone centuries. ;-)

Arrival in our Exedra hotel room left everyone in awe: Two floors with hardwood stairs, electronic lighting and drapery controls, a two-story view onto the plaza fountain, and a bathroom to make even the best U.S. hotels proud: vast space, marble tile all around, separate toilet / bidet area, dual vanity, walk-in shower and a large tub. Wow! This is not your typical European hotel! Although it was a local time around noon, we had eaten enough on the plane that the first order of business was to shower and sleep. Just a siesta, as we would join our group of 29 for dinner at 5:30PM.

Waking at 4PM, the few hours had helped us all a bit -- a welcome relief for tired eyes and bodies, after being awake since 7AM the day before..... 23 hours prior to our arrival at the hotel. The bed and pillows, again, set the benchmark for the best of the best. We were all lavishly accommodated in beds we would all have been happy to have at home. Soft but full pillows, and warm duvets covering a soft, firm mattress... like sleeping in a cloud.

We arrived at the VIP lounge dressed for dinner, collar shirt, slacks and dress shoes for me, dresses for the ladies. We were, perhaps, a trifle overdressed, but our introduction to our fellow Disney adventurers and guides was an up-scale affair with red and white wines (both quiet good), fancy and tasty aperitifs, and a range of snacks and drinks for the kids, including bottled water, both sparking and "still."

James led introductions, discussing the outline for our next nine days, and highlighting some of the key events/places we could look forward to. Davide talked about Rome, and led us through the "meet & greet." We began with introductions of each family, provided -- in most cases -- by very precocious children (including our own). But, to further break the ice, James and Davide handed out treasure-hunt-like forms with questions that would soon be answered by our fellow adventurers. I found that I was better at being interviewed than at interviewing, but met a few new people and some of the kids (Junior Adventurers). I was just a bit disappointed that after the effort to gather all that information, that we didn't each share a bit of what we learned about each other with the group... but, dinner called!

With assigned seating and the restaurant to ourselves, the Disney-experience continued. Dinner and drinks were tasty and served in an "home-style" fashion that reminded me of movies of royal dinners. The girls had earlier remarked, as chocolate strawberries were delivered to our room, that they felt like princesses. A very pleasant experience for all!

After dinner, we explored the ruins visible through the glass floors on floor "-1," then strolled around the plaza, marveling at the hotel from a distance. After sitting by the fountain for a bit, we returned to our room, anticipating sinking back into our plush beds for a much-needed night's sleep.

Europe - Day 0 - Departure for Italy

2007-09-13T21:19:00.000-04:00

My first travel to Europe several years ago was a five-cities-in-twelve-days adventure that involved planes, trains and automobiles, four languages, and six currencies. This time, we arrived at the airport anticipating an adventure of a different sort.

Traveling with Adventures by Disney, the itinerary for this trip called for us to stay in three cities over nine days, with stops in two more cities along the way. [In fact, we would see a total of six cities and two countries before finishing our tour.]

Having packed only the day before, I had spent nearly zero-time on preparation for the trip. This was somewhat of a leap of faith, except that past experiences with Disney left little doubt that our Italian adventure would be meticulously choreographed and flawlessly produced. ...we would not be disappointed. [I wrote this while recovering from jet lag at 2:30AM, the night after our arrival. By the conclusion of the trip, we would find that "meticulously choreographed and flawlessly produced" were the perfect words... the trip couldn't have been better.]

We departed IAD in the afternoon, anticipating an arrival in Rome the next morning. For someone who has sworn "never again" about red-eyes, this was just crazy.

Our last-minute decision to upgrade to United "Economy Plus" was worth its weight in gold -- not only did we secure the extra legroom (which at 6'3", I really need) but we also were lucky to gain the entire center row on our 777 (5 seats) for the two of us.

I didn't bother trying to sleep. So, the evening/night/morning was a blur of movies on small screens, with brief intermissions to eat and read Fast Bikes. The food was passable, most notable because this was one of the rare non-business/first-class flights where we didn't have to pay for our choice of meals. After Perfect Stranger, The Waitress, Blades of Glory (the end only, thank god), Fracture (beginning and end) we made our descent into Rome with the Tyrrhenian Sea on our right.

European Adventure 2007

2007-09-10T20:55:00.000-04:00

Back from a two week trip to Italy, Germany, and Austria with over 1,800 pictures, and experiences in 12 different cities in as many days.

We traveled with Adventures by Disney for the first leg of the trip. The weather in Italy was nearly flawless for the whole adventure, and the overall experience was just about as good as it gets. We spent time in Rome, Orvieto, Tuscany, Florence, Vatican City, and Venice.

The weather in Germany and Austria was marginal, but the purpose of our trip made up for the less-than-perfect weather. Fortunately, the clouds parted long enough during each day to support exploration of Rothenburg, Salzburg, Vienna, Berchtesgaden, and Königsee.

I'll follow-up shortly with a blow-by-blow daily diary of the grand adventure, including selected pictures.

Vacation Diaries:
Day 0 - Departure for Italy
Day 1 - Arrival in Italy
Day 2 - Rome: Arrival and Acclimation
Day 3 - Rome: Vatican City
Day 4 - The Journey to Tuscany via Orvieto, and a Tuscan welcome!
Day 5 - Tuscany: Pasta Making, the Pool and Italian Dodge Ball
Day 6 - Tuscany: Shopping in Florence
Day 7 - The Journey to Venice, the Grand Tour, and Dinner
Day 8 - Venice: Mask Making, and the Tearful Farewell
Day 9 - The Journey to Munich and Frankfurt
Day 10 - Recovery in Munich, and the Journey to Berchtesgaden via Salzburg
Day 11 - Berchtesgaden: Day Trip to Vienna
Day 12 - Berchtesgaden: a Day in Salzburg
Day 13 - The Return to Munich, and Home!

Most Played 2007

2007-08-01T19:52:00.001-04:00

About a year ago I blogged about my iPod Top 25 Most Played list. No surprises this time, but a few on the rise, a few falling, and a couple new tracks. Overall, a great collection (I think):

Catch the Sun - Doves - Lost Souls
Par Avion - Mike + The Mechanics - Mike + The Mechanics
Erase-Rewind - The Cardigans - Gran Turismo
Muzik - Knoc-Turn'al - The Transporter Soundtrack
More Than This - The Cure - The X-Files: The Album
You Look So Fine - Garbage - Version 2.0
Claire De Lune - The Philadelphia Orchestra - Ocean's 11 Soundtrack
Atomic - Blondie - Best Of Blondie
When You Kiss Me - Shania Twain - Up! (Red Disc)
You And Your Friend - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
How Soon Is Now? - t.A.T.u. - 200 km/h in the Wrong Lane
The Trick Is To Keep Breathing - Garbage - Version 2.0
How Soon Is Now? - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
Burnin' For You - Blue Öyster Cult - Don't Fear The Reaper: The Best Of Blue Oyster Cult
All We Need Is A Dream - Cheap Trick - Lap Of Luxury
Hysteria - Def Leppard - Hysteria
Casualty - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
More Than Love - Snake River Conspiracy - Sonic Jihad
True Companion - Donald Fagen - Heavy Metal
It Really Doesn't Matter - Electric Light Orchestra - Zoom
A Day Without Rain - Enya - A Day Without Rain
Milk - Garbage - Garbage
My Elastic Eye - The Chemical Brothers - Come With Us
Let Me Be The One - Def Leppard - X
Hella Good - No Doubt - Rock Steady

What's your Top 25??

Blood Diamond

2007-07-21T09:27:00.002-04:00

I'd been avoiding this movie for weeks, knowing that the subject matter would be tough to watch -- but having seen it now, I have to rate it five stars and was inspired to write my first review on NetFlix:

"Blood Diamond is a disturbing portrayal of man's inhumanity to man, balanced by the story of a father's (Djimon Hounsou) love for his family, and the redemption of a gun smuggler (Leonardo DiCaprio) who finds his true calling. Both stories are intertwined in the chaos of 1999 Sierra Leon in a way that is both terrifying and beautiful."

Blogging Again

2007-07-18T21:15:00.000-04:00

My faithful readership has been clamouring for an update... all two, err, one of them. I've either been busy, or lazy, or both. Lots to keep up with lately:

In May, I was in Banff, Canada for the WWW2007 conference; I still owe one of my co-workers a writeup on the semantic web sessions I attended. The Fairmont hotel was spectacular: a medieval castle, with a 21st century suite for the weary traveler. I hiked four to eight miles each night, rode horseback and visited Lake Louise on Saturday for lunch at the hotel and another four mile hike. After falling twice on the ice into deep puddles in the middle of the trail, I was a bit soggy for the drive back to my hotel.

A couple weekends later, I headed to the Andrews Air Force Base Air Show. The F-18 demo was spectacular, but the F-22 demo was unbelievable -- literally, more like a dream than watching a real plane. I rode there and back; doing 80 mph I was passed by SUVs and other bikers... 495/95 is crazy!

In June, I headed to New York City for a one day conference, and then stayed through the weekend. It was great to catch up with the guys at IndustryNext on Wednesday night. Then, I was incredibly fortunate to meet some terrific people at the conference, and had a great evening out on Thursday night. Friday, my wife drove into town, arriving just before midnight. We spent the next two days touring the area, and eating way too much (Pigilla, Cafe St. Barts, Rain and more...) During my five days in town, I walked 24.7 miles! Also visited a couple art galleries, made a quick run through the Metropolitan Museum of Art on Saturday night, and then caught the American Museum of Natural History presentation of Cosmic Collisions before heading out on Sunday... truly breathtaking.

In July, we headed to Dayton, Ohio. I rode my bike for the 1,000 mile round-trip, with speeds ranging from 80 to 95 mph through the mountain highways just to keep up with the pickups and SUVs. My mantra: "ride safe - stay up!" Fortunately, nothing particularly eventful happened on the trip out. Not much on the trip back except for a stinger in my left shoulder and one sweeping left turn at 75 mph where the bike didn't want to turn in... a bad time to panic! Fortunately, my reading (and practice) paid off: passive steering (pushing into the turn) and active steering (pulling on the opposite side) brought the bike into the turn... not a good time to rely on intuition about how to turn a bike (your intuition would be wrong, and you'd run off the road at high speed). At the end, it was good to be home!

Static Friction

2007-04-16T19:29:00.000-04:00

What about Static Friction, you say? I thought you'd never ask....

Static Friction is the measure of friction of an object against a surface when the object is, well, static, not moving. The coefficient of friction for a moving object (slipping against the surface) is less than the coefficient of static friction; that's what Anti-lock Breaking Systems (ABS) are all about.

It turns out, that the point of maximum friction is at the crisis point between static friction and kinetic friction. Here's a lovely little picture: http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/frict2.html

So, decades ago, a friend, investor, co-worker and mentor who happened to really love trains, explained that locomotives were actually the first beneficiaries of early Anti-lock Breaking System technology. Control in turns is obviously not a factor. Instead, the goal with trains is to break at the point of maximum friction: the crisis point between static friction (wheels not slipping) and kinetic friction (wheels slipping). This is, of course, important to locomotives which tend to pull large numbers of incredibly heavy cars loaded with even heavier materials and goods.

Googling for "train locomotive breaking" yielded a variety of results, but no specific detail on the rail-wheel interface, or the systems responsible for adjusting breaking to optimize stopping power....

However, there's another, more novel application in widespread (relatively) use today... wait for it.

Yes! You guessed it, motorcycle racing. Specifically, MotoGP!

In MotoGP, although they do have advanced breaking systems, the novel use of static friction is in the firing sequence used to accelerate the bikes.

It turns out that under hard acceleration, the rear tire is unable to generate maximum traction, because the high speed at the interface between the tire and ground is always slipping -- it's never firmly planted. In 2006 and even more so this year, the MotoGP gurus have realized that by delaying the firing order of each piston, they can tune the application of force at the road to manage optimum traction under acceleration.

Instead of a sequence of fire-rest-fire-rest-fire-rest-fire-rest, which never gives the tire a chance to gain maximum traction, they now have tested a variety of schemes, with one of the more successful being fire-fire-fire-fire-rest-rest-rest-rest. It has got to be hard on the motor, but it helps with traction on the tire, and enables better acceleration, for some....

SpeedTV writes: "Ducati has abandoned the ‘Twin Pulse’ or ‘big bang’ firing order and gone back to their original and conventional 360 degree V4 with symmetrical firing order...’screamer’ style."

So, who says that physics can't be cool!?

Static Friction and Loop Detectors

2007-04-14T09:03:00.000-04:00

The May 2007 issue of Motorcycle Consumer News has great coverage on loop detectors. What's a loop detector you ask? Ah! Newer drivers won't have noticed, but those of us who have been driving for a decade or two will recall a time when lights became much "smarter" -- they just seem to know when you've arrived at the intersection!

So, you've probably noticed the cuts in the pavement, in large box shapes, situated near the stop line in each lane at intersections, right? The physics geeks among us know (or at least, suspect) that these lines in the pavement are where wires are buried in order to use magnetic fields to detect the presence of cars. This is the loop detector. Or actually, this is the loop, the detector is housed in a control box on the side of the road.

The basic principle is that a current runs through the wire loop under the ground, and when a car approaches, the metal in the car, and the car's alternator disrupt that magnetic field in a way that can be measured by the equipment in the box on the side of the street (the detector).

MC News has the details from the City of Irvine, "Loop detectors are three loops of 12 or 14-gauge copper wire, buried 3" under the pavement. An electrical current is sent through the loop, making it an electromagnet. Once a car or motorcycle drives over the loop, the metal on the vehicles underside causes a disturbance in the magnetic field, tripping the detector and sending a signal to the traffic light to turn green." Lovely.

Of course, those of us who ride motorcycles know differently. The detector does a fine job of detecting the mass of cars. Not so much, with motorcycles. The rule of thumb is that revving the motor of your motorcycle will generate enough of a field to have an effect -- you may have seen the guy at the light doing this before; no, it's not just so that he sounds cool. Because those of us who ride motorcycles also know... that doesn't always work. Then, we get to sit through another cycle, or wait for a car to trip the light.

A suggested solution for motorcyclists is to attach a strong magnet to the underside of the bike to disrupt the field. No more revving, no more missed lights. But another answer is to brush up on physics, or read MC News, because it turns out that proper positioning of the motorcycle is the key to successfully disrupting the field.

I had a hell of a time in my Electromagnetic Field Theory class, so it's no wonder that I'd forgotten -- instead of sitting within a few inches of the line in the ground, I have tended to place the bike in the center of the loop. For a car, that's just fine. But, the true physicists among us (and those who have read up lately) will know that the electromagnetic field is strongest immediately adjacent to the conductor, and falls of as a function of the distance from the wire. So, the middle of the loop is just about the worst possible place to sit with a motorcycle. Near the wire, better.

Now if the crazy April weather around here would just cooperate, I'd go test the theory!

Ah! And a word of warning to all, especially those in CA: "Emergency vehicles (fire trucks, ambulances and police) are equipped with a device called an Emergency Vehicle Pre-empt Emitter, which uses either infrared signals or a strobe light to turn a signal green when rushing to a call. In Irvine, as in other cities, a cylindrical receiver sits on top of the traffic signal arm to receive these signals. ... Remember that fact when you hear a siren approaching, as the traffic light that just turned green for you may immediately turn red to let an emergency vehicle pass. Be prepared."

Beauty

2007-04-05T19:59:00.000-04:00

...is in the eye of the beholder?

You Can Do Anything

2007-04-04T14:14:00.001-04:00

After eight weeks of physical therapy, ending last Wednesday, my penultimate check-up went well. According to the Dr., "You Can Do Anything." I haven't put this to the test, but it's good to know. ;-)
Speaking of being able to do anything. Have you read The Secret or tapped into the flurry of media coverage surrounding the book. What do you think?

Back in the Saddle Again!

2007-03-02T16:32:00.000-05:00

Today, it's a beautiful sunny day with temperatures in the low to mid 60s. The streets are dry and much of the salt and sand (but not all) has been washed away.

Technically, I'm still under doctor's orders: "No skiing. No riding." But, it's been a couple of weeks (yikes! three weeks!) since then, and it was a short ride. And, as they say, "better to ask forgiveness, than permission."

So, after far too many nights away, the bike, she is home again.