tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34700997574665072262024-03-12T21:17:22.698-07:00Pen Gwin's Antarctic AdventureLee's winter 2008-2009 seasons at McMurdo station, Antarctica. But it keeps going. Not flying in helicopters to exotic Antarctic mountain tops much, but I maintain the blog with stories of cats, Conan, and car races.Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283142644014321025noreply@blogger.comBlogger157125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-52656338474985545092014-09-17T06:36:00.000-07:002014-09-17T06:37:00.519-07:002003 Jetta TDI Pics<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNM-kQrz8vv_ZMl3xL8vUk3XQFcmdGjT8TLecW1pBrQ-KCxJSJum-9XhdImqLTT6TSMuIuWaHBiTgNaNNjpwAiuQBJTys1k98p-dQpuBhNNPktw0v0uwVp3wScrOV6891fbrd875I2-w/s1600/JettaLProfile.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNM-kQrz8vv_ZMl3xL8vUk3XQFcmdGjT8TLecW1pBrQ-KCxJSJum-9XhdImqLTT6TSMuIuWaHBiTgNaNNjpwAiuQBJTys1k98p-dQpuBhNNPktw0v0uwVp3wScrOV6891fbrd875I2-w/s400/JettaLProfile.jpg" /></a><a 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imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKC-muUjdDByukMOUiuqWS8VJfxB9ktiK0LfMqtCoKmUoW6zIGGvwFC7C1yuAGDa38YMXXTtNtDVq8rlywRf-8WBfEbLe92BhzC2ogKwDphz5QUkkvL53D0mUQfduvFk9-R_NcY6uxyL4/s320/DogPark009_C.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KBPPjF4hOlxik8_M5DiebsPMA2ikSFK80jmHB8APoH2e8gY3lkhXnhvBsxVYKSk8_ahcHXY5n7sMLW7MRrSNpWLexgPGwRYRizWVNIGhGhizaWRQT3p9dcTF46IjWt4_c9kQYR2jl7A/s1600/DogPark010_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_KBPPjF4hOlxik8_M5DiebsPMA2ikSFK80jmHB8APoH2e8gY3lkhXnhvBsxVYKSk8_ahcHXY5n7sMLW7MRrSNpWLexgPGwRYRizWVNIGhGhizaWRQT3p9dcTF46IjWt4_c9kQYR2jl7A/s320/DogPark010_s.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFgeqvjJHMKcPVckMklBrmEI_eUdZ053MFQFz-e_rIfWaEVUEWlNMcHadY0MyjQsinWKlG7PJBs5xcdqzt32UzmebkhrxsK6G_BE-PDG5oDB3pL7F7j9h9rovbPGB7zJKw1FthJtQ4R4/s1600/DogPark013_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnFgeqvjJHMKcPVckMklBrmEI_eUdZ053MFQFz-e_rIfWaEVUEWlNMcHadY0MyjQsinWKlG7PJBs5xcdqzt32UzmebkhrxsK6G_BE-PDG5oDB3pL7F7j9h9rovbPGB7zJKw1FthJtQ4R4/s320/DogPark013_s.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguy0CKK_MWNCIX4bT0qRY4PYwcTTD9_k7BYVZyo8Mr6-Ayce5eQcAkpyl6-mmTwSC7HECDAlC0Hi-BZqDio-D1UjpkL_k7BscZrVX8WRhsHjm7KxlB4WLrkhhHTrCrJMPsUs5RGpg58zg/s1600/DogPark018_s.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguy0CKK_MWNCIX4bT0qRY4PYwcTTD9_k7BYVZyo8Mr6-Ayce5eQcAkpyl6-mmTwSC7HECDAlC0Hi-BZqDio-D1UjpkL_k7BscZrVX8WRhsHjm7KxlB4WLrkhhHTrCrJMPsUs5RGpg58zg/s320/DogPark018_s.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Gy05h8BLhtT-hh4pkp5XvEgO-bimbIRK4tdeZKnRolrA0oJ8PY7N6d1YY02h2iJUj758QPRSnqQU1cCJ55WeXOjU5He_zbtxGCzs-93SMFV6ZxagScvRcgczhRs6PD7PzuUUMus9Um4/s1600/DogPark020_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-Gy05h8BLhtT-hh4pkp5XvEgO-bimbIRK4tdeZKnRolrA0oJ8PY7N6d1YY02h2iJUj758QPRSnqQU1cCJ55WeXOjU5He_zbtxGCzs-93SMFV6ZxagScvRcgczhRs6PD7PzuUUMus9Um4/s320/DogPark020_c.jpg" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghX0ZI5dF-05_LyP_3F4ho0mmWXTzuRktFx4KzYjnv3FlWzGbY7N5zv83GtKWIqIGsI20ybIih17h-sZ4ng1QgjkVmr0yUcrFRUQsxr4fki7KxeIh2xaXmumpulcZ2a5sDDfNsptnvRSI/s1600/DogPark022_c.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghX0ZI5dF-05_LyP_3F4ho0mmWXTzuRktFx4KzYjnv3FlWzGbY7N5zv83GtKWIqIGsI20ybIih17h-sZ4ng1QgjkVmr0yUcrFRUQsxr4fki7KxeIh2xaXmumpulcZ2a5sDDfNsptnvRSI/s320/DogPark022_c.jpg" /></a>Conan and I have been way overdue to visit our old stompin' grounds at the dog park in Livingston, Montana. When we lived there we would spend many great afternoons there-- it has to be one of the great dog parks anywhere, situated at the confluence of Fleshman Creek and the Yellowstone River. Looking north is a view of the Crazy Mountains, and the whole skyline to the south is Livingston Peak and the Absaroka Range. Wow. I had some business in Livingston over the weekend, and we wouldn't miss a few laps around Conan's favorite place on the first day of June. The weather had been unseasonably wet for a couple of weeks before our arrival, and the sun came out just for us. Montana is gorgeous during this green time of year. Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283142644014321025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-9962437590691599792013-04-03T19:54:00.001-07:002013-04-03T19:54:40.018-07:00Working In Antarctica<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPid5hRZOLBY6LwKDsAM3g61qKd5hxFRDV6jvcbgGUppbV6qeN8UV_T8g9GxFmwC3L4q0KXYq69qhs4Y6xy9w6YeqTcMTfQzkV1P0kxlzQEHe1V1nzmhmG6krCECWokKIbh_sE4uGi3E/s1600/WhatIReallyDo.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxPid5hRZOLBY6LwKDsAM3g61qKd5hxFRDV6jvcbgGUppbV6qeN8UV_T8g9GxFmwC3L4q0KXYq69qhs4Y6xy9w6YeqTcMTfQzkV1P0kxlzQEHe1V1nzmhmG6krCECWokKIbh_sE4uGi3E/s320/WhatIReallyDo.jpg" /></a>There have been several clever takes on this theme popping up around the web-- I felt inspired to make one of my own...
Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283142644014321025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-50766237850647775422013-03-27T17:47:00.000-07:002013-03-27T17:47:01.898-07:00Still Hooning Along...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqauHlaivb3H0v__eqHjh3i-Do_0AEylL0gROVedpm1HRNpJJbZXMYtzvAtmcaqdW26k_MjqzRaUPujFUr73bljPMVUN4cd908MgaDADMstYF6yujGKK7wi6RrMrQFtpgNhnPJ75z0XYk/s1600/Hooning_Cropped.jpg" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqauHlaivb3H0v__eqHjh3i-Do_0AEylL0gROVedpm1HRNpJJbZXMYtzvAtmcaqdW26k_MjqzRaUPujFUr73bljPMVUN4cd908MgaDADMstYF6yujGKK7wi6RrMrQFtpgNhnPJ75z0XYk/s320/Hooning_Cropped.jpg" /></a>Sorry that it has been a very long time since I've posted to my blog. I've been settled down in Denver, and it has been over a year since I last deployed to the ice. I'll freshen up the blog soon. For now, here are my Miata's new plates, fresh from the Colorado Penitentiary Vanity Press...
(For the uninitiated, "Hu Ning" translates roughly to "enthusiastic vehicular expression". http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=hoon)
Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283142644014321025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-29356611653657184342011-12-25T19:34:00.000-08:002011-12-25T20:15:51.400-08:00On The Ice Again...<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNok-Cx7QEav0KHoeIEedEC8F3C8ocisML3fW-z3X3Qjnuw5bD_cyyd6WlKzX8jis9psHDLl9zMIwTdJvNmf1fjp3EREzJMZaQ0ZQnAxFP4RIDinwRubPY4Bi07aLMlvXaC3eGUsKq6M/s1600/CheechMac+095_s.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690285474756468946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNok-Cx7QEav0KHoeIEedEC8F3C8ocisML3fW-z3X3Qjnuw5bD_cyyd6WlKzX8jis9psHDLl9zMIwTdJvNmf1fjp3EREzJMZaQ0ZQnAxFP4RIDinwRubPY4Bi07aLMlvXaC3eGUsKq6M/s320/CheechMac+095_s.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqBQp28WcOn7Tz12ug270xwBatSPtTzU5-kEMEXfMKwp2anwJ6M0gz2bt1yCo95buWjh0QTl8gueRXb9dVlvoZhcAZvW9OMLMPtNq070AaLDHFGgpcdcT9mefrlds5yrhETwowpTxqOc/s1600/CheechMac+094_s.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; 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WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690283009500681922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSxiZm0Fu6oOJwaQzw9KMt9YlWz6q0OCVivSIx6Oc1K88N8OVjzaNtarPVY3MCAhp4nVIekaZIRpPOBk2e5QzeWjakBC6ILBxOCSPReiSHHnw4n3cJTAqRu-6MbD1ybrg28fl1LkeIFmc/s320/ThursdayMorning.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ95Rk7eptUeXumOoHhRZhVV2mx75fDaAWjTQj-1RkyfnxFwRIPiIcidUCIBu023UrpMDztIIs6B2xzOXQsLaioJklbbRxZvtfwI_jVg56xmaNqFt6Ok8Ucv3d5Jf7-kAcIpjZ-jkP4es/s1600/Chains.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690280892987230450" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ95Rk7eptUeXumOoHhRZhVV2mx75fDaAWjTQj-1RkyfnxFwRIPiIcidUCIBu023UrpMDztIIs6B2xzOXQsLaioJklbbRxZvtfwI_jVg56xmaNqFt6Ok8Ucv3d5Jf7-kAcIpjZ-jkP4es/s320/Chains.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUh2ELprPe2F9xdfq9bH1rn1YN7dW1ZZ4Js-TlO9n6Ww-fZOZyJu7edqBPnMU3IQ34cCEDG0OAXji4ANuH5YhDECt1T7_7B81SuIPsX7-AxamN6brbvz7UkN3eXSTIqg7sTyvNGzsNe0/s1600/CheechMac+091_s.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690280887330610674" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuUh2ELprPe2F9xdfq9bH1rn1YN7dW1ZZ4Js-TlO9n6Ww-fZOZyJu7edqBPnMU3IQ34cCEDG0OAXji4ANuH5YhDECt1T7_7B81SuIPsX7-AxamN6brbvz7UkN3eXSTIqg7sTyvNGzsNe0/s320/CheechMac+091_s.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErIxjJQZ1dz1B65N7VLf64iTxcU7dzrlgVtYvIFNXq1fCzWAi87zmQzV6K_0fsiXFpScPB8bZz61NzofB4ldoPBo3speR87ELLs1ljE_vwEStA8wZmT91xFuXVhNJeCl2qn9GrBnDzOo/s1600/CheechMac+090_s.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690280882907838098" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgErIxjJQZ1dz1B65N7VLf64iTxcU7dzrlgVtYvIFNXq1fCzWAi87zmQzV6K_0fsiXFpScPB8bZz61NzofB4ldoPBo3speR87ELLs1ljE_vwEStA8wZmT91xFuXVhNJeCl2qn9GrBnDzOo/s320/CheechMac+090_s.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gQ2XxazA_chnCWA1Py5NiTPdSoQFBHUhNAC1XeGyrlS1Y6FcVtJd20zHgtY0MNNZZSJW0BQOXlbfW_Qqwq0jUJczrSd20YSfQrfKPOoMuXwhyiynmlLepmPR_7Jss7DWY4xLtyiv8qs/s1600/CheechMac+088_s.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690280881949464818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gQ2XxazA_chnCWA1Py5NiTPdSoQFBHUhNAC1XeGyrlS1Y6FcVtJd20zHgtY0MNNZZSJW0BQOXlbfW_Qqwq0jUJczrSd20YSfQrfKPOoMuXwhyiynmlLepmPR_7Jss7DWY4xLtyiv8qs/s320/CheechMac+088_s.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNcP0mM6crdck6-icH-Dxv4EY2O5B0aigxz9uiDfVor96vbuauVpn7sVuGsAjX4MtR35aCpQ0zv09EJtS-_hjHXY7xq6iuavTOIvCg73H2qp7S4PqbcfgT5d3XlIPUPBLuCwbbJSGeig/s1600/CheechMac+086_s.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690280881568586690" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbNcP0mM6crdck6-icH-Dxv4EY2O5B0aigxz9uiDfVor96vbuauVpn7sVuGsAjX4MtR35aCpQ0zv09EJtS-_hjHXY7xq6iuavTOIvCg73H2qp7S4PqbcfgT5d3XlIPUPBLuCwbbJSGeig/s320/CheechMac+086_s.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9uGECZQ8BgfAdWGfkuHJg2OG6dMNc41vSd9WtGQvp_Xcc1NqTXnFf9_kSFvy9-AEtn_dmgg6-3tTTfxB4uxX4Q4ZZJ7wpX44CIxTJ6MO5I5VB_RtezoPn7Wv9znk9QJzVs6Edo4GCj4/s1600/ConanAndLuke.jpg"><img style="WIDTH: 320px; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690277754827694034" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt9uGECZQ8BgfAdWGfkuHJg2OG6dMNc41vSd9WtGQvp_Xcc1NqTXnFf9_kSFvy9-AEtn_dmgg6-3tTTfxB4uxX4Q4ZZJ7wpX44CIxTJ6MO5I5VB_RtezoPn7Wv9znk9QJzVs6Edo4GCj4/s320/ConanAndLuke.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div>Unfortunate choice of post title-- now I have Willy Nelson playing in my head...</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>I didn't put as much effort into getting ready to deploy as I should have. Last year, I was "bumped" due to overpopulation at McMurdo. This year, the reports were that it was a similar season, so I really didn't think I'd make it down to the ice. The expected e-mail never came, and when it became clear that I was going-- I had to get ready in a hurry! Mimi is watching the house and cats, and Conan is staying with some friends in Boulder. When he saw me packing things up, he knew. He was so mopey for the last few days-- he rode all the way from my house to Boulder with his chin 0n my arm, looking up at me with those big, brown puppy eyes that dogs reserve to tear your heart out... I knew he would have a blast, but it was tough. Sure enough, when we got to my friend's house, he acted like he had been there a thousand times (though he'd never been). He couldn't wait to get inside. They have a new-to-them 5-month-old tricolor corgi, and it was a perfect arrangement. Conan would have a playmate, and the new pup would have a "big brother", at least for a month or so. Mimi says the cats are doing well-- as long as they get a certain amount of human contact, they'll be fine. Conan's keepers said that he's having a blast. (I just hope he's okay with leaving once I get back...)</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>The flight down is always brutal-- dropped off at the airport four hours before flight time, then a four-hour flight, a five hour layover, a twelve hour flight... and that's just to get to Aukland. Then we have to get our luggage, go through customs, and get on another flight to Christchurch. I didn't sleep well on the trans-pacific flight, and was completely exhausted by that point. We checked into our hotel in Christchurch, and I actually got a good night's sleep. Since the time difference is twenty hours now, the sleep cycle isn't too bad of an adjustment, provided you can sleep on planes. I did nowhere near enough of that. The shuttle picked us up at the hotel, and took us to the CDC (Clothing Distribution Center) at the airport. We picked up our cold weather gear, and had to endure another several hours of orientation videos and waiting before we could get on the US Air Force C-17 for McMurdo. We took off around 10PM. It would have been gravy, but the jump seats on the plane hit my tailbone just right, to where I never got more than 10 seconds or so of sleep before the pain would wake me up again. Sometimes there are ways to sleep on the floor, but there were just too many of us. I could get up and move around a little, but not much. The big, yellow hardware was the cargo pallet that I was staring at, strapped to my jumpseat for six hours or so. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Veteran Ice Folks will scold me for my whining-- a C-17 is like a soak in a bubblebath compared to some of the other transport to the ice. I just had a particularly hard time due to the lack of sleep. Very few things are as miserable (to me) as being completely drained, but unable to catch even a wink. A lot of folks like the jumpseats, but mine was not my tailbone's friend. It's still sore, a week later. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><div>Enough whining about the trip-- I got here, and I'm in a nice groove of sleeping and working. I have run into a ton of old friends, and it feels a bit like home. I got a great roommate assignment, an OAE (Old Antarctic Explorer) who was a SeaBee in the Navy down here in the '70s. He has a lot of great stories to tell. The weather has been great, with only one day of snowstorms. The snowy, industrial picture is the view from my office window on last Thursday. I have plenty of photos of much nicer weather, which I will post soon. </div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283142644014321025noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-16043169523682978922011-12-21T23:00:00.000-08:002011-12-22T00:51:06.311-08:00Dear Broken Christchurch<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwoU3-VWD0tNpuQ06p6ZuvNnxuk1TXeuUrIkP01c-zdkIXK8XZdOOHn_D2o65np9iWJMS7c-Nvhguc26GGioHcHhQ6Cn9PEkoA_iRfDXO_jVVjRanO8QWD3K4_m4wgBw6HUgtlQ-XMrY/s1600/CheechMac+081_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwoU3-VWD0tNpuQ06p6ZuvNnxuk1TXeuUrIkP01c-zdkIXK8XZdOOHn_D2o65np9iWJMS7c-Nvhguc26GGioHcHhQ6Cn9PEkoA_iRfDXO_jVVjRanO8QWD3K4_m4wgBw6HUgtlQ-XMrY/s320/CheechMac+081_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688870040978013778" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKu8pNz18BN430NIqxygovlrKeIM1G5zTU3IpnvClLNdnv9V8a3AOwdVoMF-EjBFEXvaSR4udsyYpSP85dIcj1HQVL_uwe7LsxUh_1unFtowZqzqu-fcItJvyAVxsRbAiUub1Z_8UGR4w/s1600/CheechMac+079_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKu8pNz18BN430NIqxygovlrKeIM1G5zTU3IpnvClLNdnv9V8a3AOwdVoMF-EjBFEXvaSR4udsyYpSP85dIcj1HQVL_uwe7LsxUh_1unFtowZqzqu-fcItJvyAVxsRbAiUub1Z_8UGR4w/s320/CheechMac+079_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688870037351637538" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh53rnrM0GOG9QINur16VW_d7yjQo8Y-Sm4JpT4emER4mDsGZtS-274jIMTWhAypFBfIWalrGZqvNNd7hcIhyphenhyphenA4izf1stnLFPfFmFfiy-tn8DIGQOTqe3nSJkYZMXn4vr1GX2fuirnIuMM/s1600/CheechMac+078_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; 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cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir-CLrQm_GZyqAVFB28nqqYJQ94hr-laXSjYV7iPhlHrbNDW3DpVSeABI663cz8KtulvgJIg2rxMFy9FlGGge_Vsu5SpUhyphenhyphenXk95hF6YtN1SGSmT2YGyTTO-iJ00aVGmiVK34vjWQFoirk/s320/CheechMac+008_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5688857091554966194" border="0" /></a><br />Sorry blog followers-- I haven't had reason to post in a long time. Life in Denver has been great-- Conan's well, I'm in month nine of a fabulous relationship, the cats are entertaining in that psychotic way that only cats can pull off, and in general life is good. I've been slated to deploy to the ice for a five-week stint, but frankly doubted that I would actually go. Population at McMurdo has been high, and only essential personnel are allowed to go. It looked so doubtful that I slacked on a lot of my pre-deployment paperwork and prep work-- I was pretty confident that I'd be bumped in favor of more essential activities. The days ticked down, and I realized that I'd better get it together! The last week in Colorado was insane, making preparations for Conan's boarding, paying bills, and all the other crazy stuff that happens when you're about to go off the map...<br /><br />Mimi is watching the house, Conan is in good hands with a friend in Boulder, and (I hope) I managed to take care of all the loose ends before leavin' on the jet plane.<br /><br />The trip down is always a grinding, laborious process, taking days of layovers and trying (often unsuccessfully) to sleep on planes. I don't need to go into the gory details, but suffice it to say that I ended up exhausted in Christchurch, New Zealand, with a day to kill before the night flight to the ice. Downtown Christchurch was devastated by last year's earthquakes, and I was more than a little reluctant to see the worst of the damage. Ice folks by definition spend a lot of time in "Cheech", and the city is near and dear to us. The people there are awesome-- Christchurch is one of my favorite cities anywhere. I knew it would be traumatic to see whole blocks of familiar buildings reduced to ruin, but I needed to see it.<br /><br />As luck would have it, the day we had available to walk around was Sunday-- the only day when the "Red Zone" in the Central Business District was open for the general public. A fenced cordon leads all the way down to the front of the cathedral-- the heart of town. The cathedral itself is pretty much completely destroyed, but the crumbling ruins haven't been razed yet. A huge metal framework holds the front wall up, preventing it from toppling into Cathedral Square.<br /><br />The damage is amazing, but it wasn't as emotionally wrenching as I expected it to be. Since the cleanup efforts have been going on for months, most of the rubble has been removed. Still, it's eerie to stand on a familiar street corner, trying to find bearings when so many of our familiar haunts are just... gone. So many buildings are gone that it is a completely different place.<br /><br />The Cashel Street Mall was recently upgraded with granite paving stones, and trolley tracks running down the middle. Evidently most of the buildings along the mall were damaged beyond repair, and were razed long ago. In their place, freight containers have been stacked up, and turned into (quite stylish) replacements for the missing stores, cafes, and shops that died in the quakes. Painted in bright colors, the containers make an odd, European-looking hodgepodge of funky urban post-apocalyptic design. I like it.<br /><br />The Kiwis are the most amazing people I've ever run across. They just keep their chin up, no matter what. I think a lesser folk would have curled up in a corner, crying. They talk about the devastation like it was a particularly rainy weekend. It's inspiring.<br /><br />There's a Maori saying, "Kia Kaha", which roughly means, "stay strong". Kia Kaha, Christchurch.Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283142644014321025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-16290910806446740312011-09-05T14:44:00.000-07:002011-09-05T15:21:51.837-07:00Homeless Camping<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNe_WrCEJP8lxZVLUvR2UmPpVjDRpKx5R2pjAU5D1nUqiPsKs4vvtIMkF0zA6ozupJGRGL3aMe_1J5g1aNyo17jHeN3M5Gqtz0dVfeR8dA0sDnem_P0P2a8seDZp2R3oqKroUm02MB9g/s1600/Camping16_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCNe_WrCEJP8lxZVLUvR2UmPpVjDRpKx5R2pjAU5D1nUqiPsKs4vvtIMkF0zA6ozupJGRGL3aMe_1J5g1aNyo17jHeN3M5Gqtz0dVfeR8dA0sDnem_P0P2a8seDZp2R3oqKroUm02MB9g/s320/Camping16_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649003952944388690" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUPPQFHxj_hR0XQOB5JbEVMavZMcp9Xn4oqTXhdPRBh572q_nyKAmwdkAwWFf0v_6uUZt687SspKiF_MuN4hDAlCwZ-WVPewR__hRYWlw3HUTxq036sSOoXkWV9cuvJG6ErHFZcNa2tSs/s1600/Camping17_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; 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cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwrMto63A2fGmUvUz175bN3BHT94MzQ6BsvFfnbBSx8-tSRVNrbKDj4AuqN8oRfP-aGdKkuwTCGALnaD2ZSlf4Zc4gfLz_cFeHfVNTrhUtWHvdMp_J0cRJqMdUcBFzNd2NkO-KII8H4kQ/s320/Camping12_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649001822751620802" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1tMwaijbkeKol5To8H5lo3kA6kd49Sqqtwin9rXeVSgrt68JTHzUJ_eFde65sV97OBrfYMtFG2oJttd_1z-N-W7huajC52SfIRjor8pVQWNk-cG0e45r4i8LZAAMYeSyPn83UIefPS0/s1600/Camping11_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv1tMwaijbkeKol5To8H5lo3kA6kd49Sqqtwin9rXeVSgrt68JTHzUJ_eFde65sV97OBrfYMtFG2oJttd_1z-N-W7huajC52SfIRjor8pVQWNk-cG0e45r4i8LZAAMYeSyPn83UIefPS0/s320/Camping11_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649001816094329570" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKl3E_v909qaroIqxvV0miDsOAz4HcYydVqPszFn88BvvkelxY4M2s9ft92e3j-YnLtBsIDX7Q9q8eppF4u6CQdnpVGAn-Nb_zSlULhe3T5nVxMy7LjXUlbW_ACfzWtIF3jW-716DtO4/s1600/Camping10_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcKl3E_v909qaroIqxvV0miDsOAz4HcYydVqPszFn88BvvkelxY4M2s9ft92e3j-YnLtBsIDX7Q9q8eppF4u6CQdnpVGAn-Nb_zSlULhe3T5nVxMy7LjXUlbW_ACfzWtIF3jW-716DtO4/s320/Camping10_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649001810058488082" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3OrWNEoU0E8WhipNRo5lVN8Zfwdk1z9SFBqsMc_-OukSdveIxqF-bfzuzafiIb4Im4dugNuK9N4Ov223kSqAstWpy3iL3P50LkAZo32aKzqwnQZjxbaNMa4lpNun4FfhsMYnESdJTn4/s1600/Camping15_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS3OrWNEoU0E8WhipNRo5lVN8Zfwdk1z9SFBqsMc_-OukSdveIxqF-bfzuzafiIb4Im4dugNuK9N4Ov223kSqAstWpy3iL3P50LkAZo32aKzqwnQZjxbaNMa4lpNun4FfhsMYnESdJTn4/s320/Camping15_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649001832079225442" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpw9gAQcsFnFl70DzaprSz3MW9e_Y8KbR1Z8tVEBwv5a8fkD7TsBE82V1mFwmTaYAI50mRkBfOyQsXIHn646FlehBmN8ZyUVqHvJ7wQ8SHiiwOCovlJOz2xz_-zfrekyKV0R4246e_kIw/s1600/Camping8_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpw9gAQcsFnFl70DzaprSz3MW9e_Y8KbR1Z8tVEBwv5a8fkD7TsBE82V1mFwmTaYAI50mRkBfOyQsXIHn646FlehBmN8ZyUVqHvJ7wQ8SHiiwOCovlJOz2xz_-zfrekyKV0R4246e_kIw/s320/Camping8_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649000946337369794" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtr4PEBchirq5UB80fmf8siROy6TkqjuN5JZCHflvuS2tsOh2SsAWJfU11WCF9WCF5wAOcJCg_Kx-l4lVQ0aJRFtCM1-GP_rsZvUZnjrjt56YX1vmkZoapiUYr4wFjfxDOmjCt3zcGiI/s1600/Camping6_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZtr4PEBchirq5UB80fmf8siROy6TkqjuN5JZCHflvuS2tsOh2SsAWJfU11WCF9WCF5wAOcJCg_Kx-l4lVQ0aJRFtCM1-GP_rsZvUZnjrjt56YX1vmkZoapiUYr4wFjfxDOmjCt3zcGiI/s320/Camping6_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649000942494447202" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDoAJhaDjWfwyIviPw2Mz2FBdzjbXTv1oE9AIQOpB1u0AtzuUaRcrS5LVQB9VwbBImaRlymR-9ypDzEP3KAH9swsgru7eF4J1y7CUoAkKRv6nJ_k1ItexNaRSHFK6gLM_oQ8eV9dhajY/s1600/Camping4_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuDoAJhaDjWfwyIviPw2Mz2FBdzjbXTv1oE9AIQOpB1u0AtzuUaRcrS5LVQB9VwbBImaRlymR-9ypDzEP3KAH9swsgru7eF4J1y7CUoAkKRv6nJ_k1ItexNaRSHFK6gLM_oQ8eV9dhajY/s320/Camping4_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649000939914643378" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8PsNYOPG_gyBonfgTC3EZ8xeC6glh_bnKKFFE_uQJxQ9oOh6lkHaIz6bb6wteKmkvT6ebHmB6AXNIW9MWttrrDqexhg9XhNG46bly-iBjrF9B4kInFGA5ZgF_r7_rNpbNharkm8PgPk/s1600/Camping9_s.jpg"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR8PsNYOPG_gyBonfgTC3EZ8xeC6glh_bnKKFFE_uQJxQ9oOh6lkHaIz6bb6wteKmkvT6ebHmB6AXNIW9MWttrrDqexhg9XhNG46bly-iBjrF9B4kInFGA5ZgF_r7_rNpbNharkm8PgPk/s320/Camping9_s.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5649000956695388978" border="0" /></a><br />I get every other Friday off of work, which made this Labor Day weekend a four-dayer. Mimi had her daughter this weekend, so I thought it would be a good time for an epic road trip up to Montana to clear out my storage. Just me and Conan. When I went to winter on the Ice in '08, I crammed everything I owned into a rented two-car garage in Livingston, Montana. When I settled down and bought a house here in Denver, I still didn't really have room for a lot of that stuff, so I've been continuing to rent the garage. I have two tiny 1972 Honda AZ600 project cars stored there, and I've been meaning to get them home so they can find new homes. They are so small that I can actually tow one behind a passenger car on a tow dolly. I moved them (one at a time) from Prescott, AZ to Livingston using a Subaru Forester, back in '05.<br /><br />We left my house in Englewood early Saturday morning, and made really good time to Billings. There was almost no traffic at all-- surprising for a Labor Day weekend. I picked up the tow dolly in the Billings Heights, and got to Livingston around 8 PM. It never even occurred to me that it would be hard to find a motel room... Livingston was 100% booked. Exhausted from driving all day, Conan and I were homeless. I suppose it was an option to go on to Bozeman and try to find a room, but we decided to camp out. Luckily, my storage garage has a lot of empty space, and tons of futons, sleeping bags, and linens. We made a cozy (if a little dusty) little nest on the garage floor, and killed the rest of the evening going through stored junk, getting ready for the trip back. Conan was in dog heaven, surrounded by the smells of his puppyhood. (I got him as a puppy when I lived in the Livinston house.) Luckily, I had thought to bring a small head light, so it was pretty easy to get around in the pitch-dark garage. The weather got down into the the 40s, but we slept quite well.<br /><br />Turns out the only one of the two cars I could get out has seized brakes, and couldn't be towed. The other car is so buried that it would have taken too much time to extract it. I decided to return the dolly unused, and just fill my car with the most useful stuff it could hold. I'll have to return for the TBC (Tiny Blue Car) with some better tools to fix the brakes at another time.<br /><br />No visit to Livingston is complete without a visit to the best dog park in the universe. The "nature" pictures are shot from the dog park. With great views of the Crazy and Absaroka mountains, the dog park is a recovered old landfill, right at the confluence of Fleshman Creek and the Yellowstone River. It's beautiful, and it's Conan's favorite spot. The weather was perfect, too. About 75F, and (freakily) not windy. For all its beauty, Livingston is almost always crazy windy.<br /><br />Back safe at home now, another epic adventure complete.Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283142644014321025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-18574416083311192142011-08-27T21:50:00.000-07:002011-08-27T22:39:04.993-07:00Wonderful Weekend<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherPY-QnRm2KmnZKEunZN2jFs3-WpJmgPY08gm9aKIYB2erl7pw_C8J50SYbAlaWJ20H8KMhzD-5sXBRMbpb3Ov6GFQRrQNvTWX0GNv78YntXGrdFJI1cj005vZofe3GgkUhLoYyzU-cA/s1600/GeorgetownMiata3.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEherPY-QnRm2KmnZKEunZN2jFs3-WpJmgPY08gm9aKIYB2erl7pw_C8J50SYbAlaWJ20H8KMhzD-5sXBRMbpb3Ov6GFQRrQNvTWX0GNv78YntXGrdFJI1cj005vZofe3GgkUhLoYyzU-cA/s320/GeorgetownMiata3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5645777163747112514" border="0" /></a>
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<br />I haven't gotten to visit the Rockies as much as I would have liked this summer. Domestic duties, along with my LGC (Little Green Car) project and some professional advancement stuff, have left me yearning to spend more time in our beloved mountains. I recently acquired a '94 Mazda Miata, which has proven to be a total hoot to drive around-- a super fun car to drive in the mountains.
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<br />I needed a break from a brutal schedule of studying for a professional certification. Saturday was blocked out as "mountain time with the girlfriend". Mimi and I picked up some tasty picnic stuff and headed out. (Garlic olives, greek yogurt, fresh strawberries, blue corn chips, and bean dip. Yum.)
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<br />Stopped in Georgetown, Minturn, Leadville, Fairplay,and Buena Vista, and got back to my place around eight.
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<br />We've had some hot, dry weather in the Denver area for the last month or so, and rain is always welcome. We got hit with some serious late summer thunderstorms in the afternoon, and got the top up just in time to keep from getting drenched in Leadville. Had a xococotl (spicy aztec cocoa) while we watched the storm move through.
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<br />It didn't rain much at all (if any) down here in the city. Bummer. Still, all in all, it was an epic day.
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<br />Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15283142644014321025noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-9647902776862414752011-08-18T07:09:00.000-07:002011-08-20T08:15:44.838-07:00Miatacross!
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<br />Well, as I've said in previous posts, I've gotten hooked on autocross racing. I got a tip from the nice racer who let me race his Honda a month or so ago, and picked up a '94 Mazda Miata. That is quite the hot ticket for racing in the "E Stock" class, and the cars are relatively inexpensive to get into. I found just the car, put on the market for a very fair price, and jumped right on it. I took it down to Pikes Peak International Raceway last weekend and drove my second race-- first in my own car.
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<br />We hit some snags on the way to the race, and ended up getting there about ten minutes after registration closed. The venue is about two hours from my house, and it's just hard to get out of the house at 6 AM... The most important thing in a race is to walk the course beforehand, and memorize it. Well, I didn't get to walk it at all. I did talk them into letting me register, but I drove it blind. DNF'ed (Did Not Finish) on the first lap-- I missed several gates. There were several slaloms, and it was just a sea of random cones at first. I studied the course map, and did better on the next three runs. I still have hard tires on the Miata, and that was a big handicap. The same guy who let me race his Honda has some half-used race tires that he doesn't need, so he's going to let me use them up. Woo Hoo!
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<br />Love my little Miata, and I can't wait to get more practice! Woo Hoo!
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<br /><span id="goog_2065427676"></span><span id="goog_2065427677"></span>Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-89038513459439426642011-07-17T20:21:00.000-07:002011-07-17T20:21:07.955-07:00Racing!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:View>Normal</w:View> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves/> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:DoNotPromoteQF/> <w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther> <w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian> <w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:SnapToGridInCell/> <w:WrapTextWithPunct/> <w:UseAsianBreakRules/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/> <w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/> <w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> <w:Word11KerningPairs/> <w:CachedColBalance/> </w:Compatibility> <w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel> <m:mathPr> <m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/> <m:brkBin m:val="before"/> <m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/> <m:smallFrac m:val="off"/> <m:dispDef/> <m:lMargin m:val="0"/> <m:rMargin m:val="0"/> <m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/> <m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/> <m:intLim m:val="subSup"/> <m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/> </m:mathPr></w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
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</style> <![endif]--> I raced my first car today! I've been toying with the idea of running my LSC (Little Silver Car) in autocross events, and I've gone to a couple of races over the last month. I decided to give it a try. I picked up some half-used racing tires from Craigslist, and picked up some old steel rims. (I didn't want to thrash the tires I drive to work on every day.) For more information on autocross racing, see <a href="http://www.scca.com/contentpage.aspx?content=55">http://www.scca.com/contentpage.aspx?content=55</a><br />
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I got up early (for Sunday), and loaded up my racing wheels. I got to the track just in time for registration. It was all a little intimidating, but the race workers made me very welcome when I told them that I was a brand new guy. This is only the third race I’ve attended, and my first race as a driver. Shortly after registration we had an ‘all hands’ meeting, and we scattered to our various cars and duties. Everybody gets a work assignment—I was a corner attendant in corner three. The idea is when a racer displaces a cone, I put it back, and communicate any penalties to the appropriate folks. I was out in the hot sun for a long time, and really got burnt. <br />
I hadn’t arrived in time to put my racing tires on, so I had to hurry and take care of that right after my work assignment. The heat was oppressive, and I had to really rush to get my car into the tech inspection area. I took shortcuts, and tried to switch tires using my VW jack, rather than using a floor jack. That turned out to be a bad corner to cut, as I ended up slipping the car off of the jack, breaking a bolt in my brakes. I didn’t have time to get it fixed before my turn in the third heat, so I put my stock wheels back on, and headed over to the grid with my helmet, hoping at least to get a ride or two. In trying to get my wheels sorted out, I had completely exhausted myself in the heat. It was over 90F out, and humid for the front range. It was pretty brutal.<br />
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I told my tale of woe to a couple of my fellow racers, and one of them offered to let me drive his car in the third heat! The car’s number was #1, and the guy’s class was “X” for Expert. It was an early-90s Honda Civic. It turns out that range of Civics is very competitive in autocross—it’s a good combination of handling and power for the slow, tight autocross course. I managed to change my registration so that I could drive his car. I had walked through the course twice in the morning, and by the time I had struggled with breaking my car, I had pretty much forgotten the course layout. It was very challenging to push a totally unfamiliar car to the limit on a course that I had never seen from a car. I think I did okay. Al (the car owner) rode along, and gave me tips. Like, “hey, the course is over THERE!”. <br />
Great folks there—I’m sure I’ll be doing more racing soon. The whole scene was great—everybody was enthusiastic and helpful. I not only had a car offered for me to drive, but a woman I met in the morning was done with her car after the second heat, and offered to let me drive it, too! Wow. This stuff is fun. <br />
I made it home okay on my damaged hubs, and will be getting that taken care of ASAP. I think I made the right decision in opting not to test my questionable brakes in competition. Lessons learned: next time, change tires early!<br />
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</div>Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-69526430005078272772011-07-08T23:03:00.000-07:002011-08-28T19:30:46.986-07:00It LIVES!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaeVhsk_TyOiNIc162iiSTlBslivpXEomBzjK6HGb0z9umLAZ6pa9nm97rP9ybZDQOigQusKtGlVHZNg_5Vl4qEd0-PXw1-XafpJ3_GfACChWfc5hJFGXVGYJHlr1Qn_eQx63O-U_Kj8/s1600/CRX4.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOaeVhsk_TyOiNIc162iiSTlBslivpXEomBzjK6HGb0z9umLAZ6pa9nm97rP9ybZDQOigQusKtGlVHZNg_5Vl4qEd0-PXw1-XafpJ3_GfACChWfc5hJFGXVGYJHlr1Qn_eQx63O-U_Kj8/s320/CRX4.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646099482405224130" border="0" /></a>
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<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvWbqISriXc-frZOJTBR0EWOjcdAJ-BmShAlANZMj7eKOBEQc9iecYP6agBkIAovYaAkDyby9Y356f4j8nkEyFmW7QZEd0zI7XFEPVjiTIPcby5JGgVFMMm4KY8gAKh62mQnYftlZkxU/s1600/CRX1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvWbqISriXc-frZOJTBR0EWOjcdAJ-BmShAlANZMj7eKOBEQc9iecYP6agBkIAovYaAkDyby9Y356f4j8nkEyFmW7QZEd0zI7XFEPVjiTIPcby5JGgVFMMm4KY8gAKh62mQnYftlZkxU/s320/CRX1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5646097150025557426" border="0" /></a>
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_scW_0ApAlcuaVdyr0dwT03QlReiSSpGzNjdcDbhXcUbkK7ihK5JIPC1oxZjQY-9Ew7dSrLvzLdl3JQLDS-vJIZUqa-yaAoonyNDF2fjRp6zldpjXM-1_pB8VJ7hXqI8-ioF3MJUWEs/s1600/JulyCars+017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_scW_0ApAlcuaVdyr0dwT03QlReiSSpGzNjdcDbhXcUbkK7ihK5JIPC1oxZjQY-9Ew7dSrLvzLdl3JQLDS-vJIZUqa-yaAoonyNDF2fjRp6zldpjXM-1_pB8VJ7hXqI8-ioF3MJUWEs/s320/JulyCars+017.JPG" height="240" border="0" width="320" /></a></div>Sorry to those followers of my blog who followed my adventures flying around Antarctica in helicopters and all... These days my life is quite different from that. A couple of months into a relationship, I'm busy, and happy. I have continued to be plagued by the habit of rescuing needy mechanical objects, with the intent of bringing them back to their intended glory. Six months or so ago, I adopted a wayward little Honda car, and have spent quite a bit of time giving it CPR over the last couple of months. Today it traveled under its own steam for the first time since 2004! I'm having a local shop square up some of the work I have been doing on it. It's so tiny, it's quite challenging to work on. They have the benefit of a lift and complete shop, so they can do in a short time those things that took me forever. I wrote to my girlfriend this morning, "I drove the Little Green Car!! I drove the Little Green Car!!". No helicopters or penguins, but life is good.
<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOvNMMBtVoe79VOkG90lMLJp3FricvAoRuSonLbHR9HB-RQI7aH2odPtoo0eUO3rtYq8CIhWY-ilPtelKYLVzSB-oGzRyfrx0hWy0Z1ltAV65czhoyWP3obec-ks-6df-frjcatUOWJk/s1600/JulyCars+019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmOvNMMBtVoe79VOkG90lMLJp3FricvAoRuSonLbHR9HB-RQI7aH2odPtoo0eUO3rtYq8CIhWY-ilPtelKYLVzSB-oGzRyfrx0hWy0Z1ltAV65czhoyWP3obec-ks-6df-frjcatUOWJk/s320/JulyCars+019.JPG" height="240" border="0" width="320" /></a></div>Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-87890297566948251222011-05-10T06:52:00.000-07:002011-05-10T06:52:27.557-07:00Furry ScurrySpringtime is definitely here. The grass is growing, the trees are blooming, and we've had some fantastic weather. Last weekend was a big event-- the Furry Scurry at Washington Park, near downtown Denver. Thousands of people get together and walk a course to raise money for the Dumb Friends League. A loosely-organized group of friends with corgis formed the Corgi Crew, and we walked the course together. The event was quite chaotic, and many of our Crew members never found us. Nevertheless, our crew had a great time walking the course, meeting other folks and their dogs. Our pod of corgis was quite popular-- not much cuter than a bunch of stubby little dogs! <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/e/a/2/9/600_23219945.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183px" j8="true" src="http://photos2.meetupstatic.com/photos/event/e/a/2/9/600_23219945.jpeg" width="320px" /></a></div>Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-65985380506267836892011-04-25T09:55:00.000-07:002011-04-25T09:55:58.630-07:00April Flowers...Great things happening lately. Conan is well, the job is still here, and my social life has really taken off. Lots of nice hikes, and times at the dog park. Life is good. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcUEc2tCbKg5VCHpR5Qb7DRHeiyTuJ_kaGrNAY253yMXaiCgoVM6qAgTF8Ud8zcR-XfOFFqlf_rulFKlVupW0Ud6UaynmS8HxUGaHxk0MKjF0WkmOmL_8Io3nC9gMWU4D8nc0yxmV10Y/s1600/CorgiMotivation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180px" i8="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTcUEc2tCbKg5VCHpR5Qb7DRHeiyTuJ_kaGrNAY253yMXaiCgoVM6qAgTF8Ud8zcR-XfOFFqlf_rulFKlVupW0Ud6UaynmS8HxUGaHxk0MKjF0WkmOmL_8Io3nC9gMWU4D8nc0yxmV10Y/s320/CorgiMotivation.jpg" width="320px" /></a></div>Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-76363662154747987582011-04-18T21:39:00.000-07:002011-04-18T21:39:30.938-07:00Corgis in the Springtime!I apologize to those of you who like to view my exotic Antarctic adventures, and are bored by my current, rather pedestrian life. I'll continue to post pictures of Conan and other friends, and continue this blog as a way to catalog my life, though it may not contain helicopter rides to exotic mountaintops at the moment.<br />
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One of the highlights of my suburban life now is the twice-monthly get-together of the Littleton Corgi Meet-Up. It's such a hoot to see dozens of corgis (32 was my highest count) frolicking around and barking at each other. Conan does seem a little reserved compared to his stubby friends-- he likes the corgi energy, but can only stand so much butt sniffing. He's a people guy, and his dad is learning to be more of a people guy himself. The dog park has started to get much more interesting...Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-27523339950186266032011-03-29T13:56:00.000-07:002011-03-29T13:56:36.327-07:00Spring Hiking!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsK0fxPaPMfWHwt3GBJru4i-VO9jOlwp-KFDLA8QCPnqaTJv_lJAqiMtAI7-QR9CcUvIJrfx11mhj05Hdt206rhU14orOrEfsDd8SzWBxbuJ92ygW-xJ1bXzY_cNrpUx1lnx6cGCAAOrE/s1600/ConanTree2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsK0fxPaPMfWHwt3GBJru4i-VO9jOlwp-KFDLA8QCPnqaTJv_lJAqiMtAI7-QR9CcUvIJrfx11mhj05Hdt206rhU14orOrEfsDd8SzWBxbuJ92ygW-xJ1bXzY_cNrpUx1lnx6cGCAAOrE/s320/ConanTree2.JPG" width="247" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JJ0xrTP88cAQ46Kcv5QH5INubf_Msg6-zCawvXp7zZMwSC6zMqSE5FkOZKeyuhf9rvWX3sLzd3JuH53Obuc_6Faa5Rm-zc-0rJVAhFtmnOMU5iiqiUwz1UDjqzgF_z-WJYXeYvogC5w/s1600/P1020376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7JJ0xrTP88cAQ46Kcv5QH5INubf_Msg6-zCawvXp7zZMwSC6zMqSE5FkOZKeyuhf9rvWX3sLzd3JuH53Obuc_6Faa5Rm-zc-0rJVAhFtmnOMU5iiqiUwz1UDjqzgF_z-WJYXeYvogC5w/s320/P1020376.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBVB8vXEoKX7xWRBHSu0li5kRrZGTcCvnFPdJ-eZcC78LBMrIRhiUWU5X5eTGlsf1I-05lrNaiaqySScNu4W5kNt7w7XS78p04nmBJedefn0zG_W8SP76K_7ocAfZkKQxspuzXaVmEzg/s1600/P1020377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" r6="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioBVB8vXEoKX7xWRBHSu0li5kRrZGTcCvnFPdJ-eZcC78LBMrIRhiUWU5X5eTGlsf1I-05lrNaiaqySScNu4W5kNt7w7XS78p04nmBJedefn0zG_W8SP76K_7ocAfZkKQxspuzXaVmEzg/s320/P1020377.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>We've had really strange weather lately. Luckily, the weekends have been nice. Went hiking last weekend with a friend from work, and a couple of her friends. We did a six-mile loop around Castlewood Canyon State Park, near Franktown (southeast of Denver). Conan was a trooper-- he would've been ready for another six. The mountains had a fresh dusting of snow, and the plants are just now starting to poke their little green heads out of the dry early-spring ground. We've gotten a light dusting of snow the last couple nights, so it's giving the undergrowth some nice moisture. Hoping for some more nice weather this coming weekend-- I'm looking forward to being more active, and getting rid of some of my winter pudgy layer.Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-38639276946463610852011-03-04T17:37:00.000-08:002011-03-04T17:37:25.754-08:00Baby's Got New Shoes!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjwBtP6pGlLxPJDg6JfL5tE93YQi3HQgJnk9cN-7O5_QWL3BDcHCf8graS0tOqgy8LUL5Z9rLjPIh0mI_bwLEWLoIdtv6ZBvIt2cE-p_uOWnzShFhpfWqd3g-SKcWQQXN529xUNuwJ7I/s1600/Wheels%2521+005_S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzjwBtP6pGlLxPJDg6JfL5tE93YQi3HQgJnk9cN-7O5_QWL3BDcHCf8graS0tOqgy8LUL5Z9rLjPIh0mI_bwLEWLoIdtv6ZBvIt2cE-p_uOWnzShFhpfWqd3g-SKcWQQXN529xUNuwJ7I/s320/Wheels%2521+005_S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOdV-Asi97koQnnm0JpLNQF4Ia_JX5CHu3N86vuviGxn8Bem4FMJ9bsGg6uSkonD3WAK0TWZJgAfTDjr-lnnMeaU-V89cC6AV5rthhf8XEC5ErwkJMi9e1XHS02xdYkZ4WM53gEhQg0w/s1600/Wheels%2521+006_S.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOdV-Asi97koQnnm0JpLNQF4Ia_JX5CHu3N86vuviGxn8Bem4FMJ9bsGg6uSkonD3WAK0TWZJgAfTDjr-lnnMeaU-V89cC6AV5rthhf8XEC5ErwkJMi9e1XHS02xdYkZ4WM53gEhQg0w/s320/Wheels%2521+006_S.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I've received my income tax refunds now, so I allowed myself a treat. New wheels and tires for the Jetta. The old ones were heavy, ugly, and didn't handle well. They do pretty well in snow, so I'll run them in the winter. The new ones are a lot wider and sexier, so I'll run them in the summer. I know, it's pretty lame to go from globetrotting adventures to getting excited about new tires, but that's just how it is. Life in Denver is going well-- I've been meeting people, and expanding my social life. I had a horrible case of the crud over the holidays, where I actually broke something loose in my ribs, which took two months to heal up. Because of that, I haven't even gotten to go skiing yet this year, and it's already March. Going hiking with a friend this weekend-- should be nice.Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-67806563161365804492011-02-09T17:57:00.000-08:002011-02-09T17:57:20.820-08:00Snowy Dog Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNtB-rOkuhbmBZp1Eoa7N-hYtro3dXg7IoBmr37ZF5Z7950hyphenhyphenv040OOX1T7sTIU564piBd9UBBqUOFqybrgz9q3JZuW7cKyzB5PnOHMAjGvM4FmzWkdXVB-dB2Otnb59IRDW1fuO_mRM/s1600/SnowyDogPark+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFNtB-rOkuhbmBZp1Eoa7N-hYtro3dXg7IoBmr37ZF5Z7950hyphenhyphenv040OOX1T7sTIU564piBd9UBBqUOFqybrgz9q3JZuW7cKyzB5PnOHMAjGvM4FmzWkdXVB-dB2Otnb59IRDW1fuO_mRM/s320/SnowyDogPark+014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8Cw_p8Ss6QHvJSO99CSai1ILn4ONRFsMbri_DkZWWmvRUaSJso20pS-xZ5N9hm8DlVmqkChk-KnLIF_w3SJf1yQ0Am0lf1fM97iXVit-IKoZO5HcKfhy1DPiTk-Ej-vYPX-vGHgEgio/s1600/SnowyDogPark+026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG8Cw_p8Ss6QHvJSO99CSai1ILn4ONRFsMbri_DkZWWmvRUaSJso20pS-xZ5N9hm8DlVmqkChk-KnLIF_w3SJf1yQ0Am0lf1fM97iXVit-IKoZO5HcKfhy1DPiTk-Ej-vYPX-vGHgEgio/s320/SnowyDogPark+026.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>The winter has been very warm and dry here in Denver, for the most part. Just when when Conan and I had gotten used to running around the local dog park in a t-shirt (me, not him...), things got nasty. Several winter storms in a row, with lots of snow and sub-zero temperatures. We never let a little weather get us down, though. One of Conan's very favorite things is to running around in fresh snow!Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-66025964943824119162011-01-31T19:27:00.000-08:002011-02-05T13:24:04.380-08:00New Toy, Cont'd<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprxetWrmr70o6PxiM9__Mvuy2mAd7gzaMe0IePB2wLdgMNEvT8JqDbQstoKyNZA8MczPmtLhb2gDyTEMEqKM12pCtZfvb1D1HWjs8W99IRfm_ypDRJ9E-Xg263WPJeo27LVogqvCRS34/s1600/CRX+012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiprxetWrmr70o6PxiM9__Mvuy2mAd7gzaMe0IePB2wLdgMNEvT8JqDbQstoKyNZA8MczPmtLhb2gDyTEMEqKM12pCtZfvb1D1HWjs8W99IRfm_ypDRJ9E-Xg263WPJeo27LVogqvCRS34/s320/CRX+012.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Had a great time working on the odd little car over the weekend, with freaky warm weather. Almost February, and I was with Conan at the dog park in jeans and a t-shirt, wishing for shorts! Spent some real zen time taking the new little car apart and moving toward getting it running. Gunther and Jimmy watched from the dining room window, and Conan was tied to the porch during the great weather. The weather took a wicked turn, and it's crazy cold and snowy now. My usual 25-minute commute was over an hour coming home on icy roads today. We've had a very summer-like winter so far, so I'm not complaining.<br />
The little car is an interesting story. The seller is involved in software testing, like me. He drives a Jetta, like me. I used AAA to tow the car over to my house (five blocks, free). The tow truck driver noted that the little green car has a 'Ceasar's Auto' decal. He said that was the first dealer where he ever worked as a mechanic. Now defunct, it was about seven blocks from my house. It also came out that he drives the same kind of daily driver as mine-- a VW turbo diesel Jetta. That's a pretty exclusive, tight-knit group of car geeks, for the most part. He gave me a couple of tips about my car, and I told him about the work I had been doing to mine.<br />
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The paint job on the little car is a bit odd. It's dark metallic green, with a white faded front end, with pretty intricate, multi-toned gold maple leaves all over it. I wouldn't have paid good money to have that put on, but it's a pro job. The interior is in almost factory-new shape. Not sure how that happened, sitting in the hot sun for seven years and all.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8acO7l8kdSVJzQSSbv0QlYevmgKnUY6vkV2TlasRTkyC6-pNnGCmmlpmCGRW_IR7fn9tGMfDfNINUYqFAaqwgmWgAeht_88S2aZDQyK-9dQVqrlX_RABtBmte1btgNvCVBMYoKp1Ss9k/s1600/CRX+Engine+002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8acO7l8kdSVJzQSSbv0QlYevmgKnUY6vkV2TlasRTkyC6-pNnGCmmlpmCGRW_IR7fn9tGMfDfNINUYqFAaqwgmWgAeht_88S2aZDQyK-9dQVqrlX_RABtBmte1btgNvCVBMYoKp1Ss9k/s320/CRX+Engine+002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mno5CTygYEui9R2mP8_Ryl-wpbpQrvhE0vGzVg9wO-esF5tnOHahHYl2y-Tw23Gqf0Pzmyc1cgKCSAt8PyogWHkNJP_HqBP-kKFK7owD6g1MX0ZXUxK7X_7ugx3biLSkDytl6x9xCPk/s1600/CRX+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6mno5CTygYEui9R2mP8_Ryl-wpbpQrvhE0vGzVg9wO-esF5tnOHahHYl2y-Tw23Gqf0Pzmyc1cgKCSAt8PyogWHkNJP_HqBP-kKFK7owD6g1MX0ZXUxK7X_7ugx3biLSkDytl6x9xCPk/s320/CRX+013.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-39144594263087267792011-01-30T20:29:00.000-08:002011-01-31T19:30:35.354-08:00New ToyI've been getting back into an old mode of appreciating and modifying cars lately. With all my travel to the Antarctic, and other places around the world, my life-long interest in cars has been offline for a while. With a really fast motorcycle, the cars went even farther into the background. With Conan constantly with me, the bike has gotten pretty much zero time.<br />
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Now that I've gotten a cubicle job, and haven't had much use for the bike, I've gotten the car bug again. I've put as much money into my VW TDI as I plan to for a while, so I've got some extra energy for projects.<br />
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There is a great dog park about four blocks from my house, that Conan and I frequent practically every day. There was this little old Honda CRX parked in a yard just outside the dog park. I spied it from our dog park outings, and wondered if it might be a fun car to fix up. This is a high school kid's dream car, so I figured that they were hanging onto it. I couldn't imagine that they were open to selling it, and it still was there. I stopped by just after dark one day, and let them know that I was possibly interested.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZk_vlKh2hxPDZ_s2O7deiCwt63WIIadTK1qs8ZMzR8Hc80Z17f9DzFhmKgRSdKJDsnqfxO9RK1YReV-0tDLizv1lNOBDbg4ZMRGzMlAuDgNxiM9pEdKP3VFg1qAB8aVF7q6taR2rSaU/s1600/CRX+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxZk_vlKh2hxPDZ_s2O7deiCwt63WIIadTK1qs8ZMzR8Hc80Z17f9DzFhmKgRSdKJDsnqfxO9RK1YReV-0tDLizv1lNOBDbg4ZMRGzMlAuDgNxiM9pEdKP3VFg1qAB8aVF7q6taR2rSaU/s320/CRX+006.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Long story short, I picked up the car for $300! It hasn't run since '04, but it looks good. I've been spending the last couple of days working on the (seized) brakes, and scraping the nasty amateur tinting from the windows. I have no idea what I'm going to do with this car, but I love it to death. I've always wanted one of these. So far, I have less than $320 invested in it, and I'm guessing I could sell it for parts for $500, or running for as much as $1500. More to come!Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-48822610184202544592011-01-17T20:47:00.000-08:002011-01-17T20:47:02.150-08:00Buddy, Betty, Jimmy, and Gunther<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKDMmC_W2H-P8ICBJ822oc22IeuBnMZTDJ-mz3vgv8B8NrMeM9QAowCTOpe49nQCQcX2iTNmARb0Dclwri9QmikXY7s5OSSvZoPAcKYafMOBDbiYePmikU9DeR3L3C0fsYSIiqIyLJGI/s1600/Kittens+Gettin%2527+Bigger+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKDMmC_W2H-P8ICBJ822oc22IeuBnMZTDJ-mz3vgv8B8NrMeM9QAowCTOpe49nQCQcX2iTNmARb0Dclwri9QmikXY7s5OSSvZoPAcKYafMOBDbiYePmikU9DeR3L3C0fsYSIiqIyLJGI/s320/Kittens+Gettin%2527+Bigger+005.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRkYLa24ai_vxePzM4_5GPf4S3OJ0VdJ9P6MUUAgly4i1pKdyT8CUZ6X8io4xFn5RrjCzXuEuIDAUL0XiuaV8DzKWW4L-5nm15NuPShrwypSRcIDanKtqq0KJP8M1MROH3Atc4eL0q7Q/s1600/Kittens+Gettin%2527+Bigger+033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBRkYLa24ai_vxePzM4_5GPf4S3OJ0VdJ9P6MUUAgly4i1pKdyT8CUZ6X8io4xFn5RrjCzXuEuIDAUL0XiuaV8DzKWW4L-5nm15NuPShrwypSRcIDanKtqq0KJP8M1MROH3Atc4eL0q7Q/s320/Kittens+Gettin%2527+Bigger+033.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>Well, since my new cats are now about 14 weeks old, it is definitely time to get them fixed. Just to have a bit of fun with the folks as the Dumb Friend's League, I let them keep the original names of records for the kittens, Buddy (black tabby), and Betty (brown tabby). It was immediately evident on taking Buddy and Betty home, that Betty is, in fact, a boy. Not sure how that got past the highly competent vet techs at the buddy center... While they were getting altered, I took my new-to-me Jetta Turbo Diesel for a highway fuel efficiency test. I drove from the Buddy Center down in Castle Rock down to Trinidad, CO, and back without stopping. 45 MPG+ for the round trip! Not bad. I love the car. I'm just trying to resist spending a bunch of money making it faster-- rather reserving it for a high-fuel-efficiency commuter car. On my test lap, I went around 360 miles at 70-80 MPH without stopping. Took a little over half a tank. These little TDIs are really amazing. Here are some pics of the kittens getting bigger-- taken a week or so before I took the little buggers in to get 'altered'. By the way, they didn't seem to be too bothered by having their manly parts removed. I had hoped that it would mellow them out for a day or two. Yeah, right. I got the four AM face pouncing just like I always do. If they aren't trying to rid the world of imaginary eyelash spiders, they fancy a bit of a drag race across my countenance each morn. Bitches. <br />
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By the way, I've decided that Buddy's real name is Jimmy, and Betty's name is Gunther. I've tried all other names, and they just don't stick. Betty was to be Brutus for a while, then Bruno. I couldn't remember the names, which told me that they were not right. Gunther, though, is right. Not sure why. If any of you have good name suggestions for the cats, bring it on. I'm flexible, and the cats don't care what I call them.Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-11012969338368288402010-12-27T19:49:00.000-08:002010-12-27T19:49:16.117-08:00Surrendered Man License<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Bg-N1p0_KB30k1Y2oAmw08_ImgHZdQ0Z-YDIpQMB5-G1UYxA2TqXeIwOW2TS7wIi7uao3-SYL5ywIqOPrVO15zpbx463gSwNVTF_q0hlh2CdvTX1OiifnGpva1N58DFNRnJJev90tV0/s1600/CorgiBowls.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7Bg-N1p0_KB30k1Y2oAmw08_ImgHZdQ0Z-YDIpQMB5-G1UYxA2TqXeIwOW2TS7wIi7uao3-SYL5ywIqOPrVO15zpbx463gSwNVTF_q0hlh2CdvTX1OiifnGpva1N58DFNRnJJev90tV0/s320/CorgiBowls.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>Well, I've had to turn my Man Card in. I am a member of a listserv of folks who have Cardigan and Pembroke Welsh Corgis. There is a "Secret Santa" list, and I signed up this year. Those of you who have followed my blog know that I'm really close with my Pembroke Welsh Corgi, Conan. I'd hoped to hook up with other like-minded corgi 'owners' in the area, since they are the best dogs in the world. I received my Secret Santa assignment, and decided to make some custom pottery doggie dishes for Forrest and Morgan, two older corgis living in the south. I actually spent a Friday night at a paint-your-own-pottery store in old town Littleton, stenciling little paw marks on semi-fired pottery bowls for my SS assignment. I knew that doing so would seriously endanger my Man License, but I didn't quit in time. After all, real men don't spend their Friday nights painting pottery, and they certainly don't paint little doggie pawprints and bunnies on some bowls for some unknown chick's dogs in North Carolina. I think I may have to watch Fight Club six times, or eat some nails or something to get my status back as a self-respecting American male. It is all just so embarrassing. Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-1270000818439435042010-11-24T21:49:00.000-08:002010-11-24T21:49:20.260-08:00Kittens!I want to apologize to any folks that follow this blog for any cool Antarctica content-- not much lately. I'll continue to document the cool new stuff that is happening in my life, and I'll weave Antarctica content into it when I can.<br />
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I've had cats for much of my life, but have adopted out my favorite recent cats to friends in order to pursue ice jobs over the last few years. Now that I'm settled down, I have been thinking a lot about expanding the Lee/Conan household to include a cat... I've decided to lay low for Thanksgiving weekend, which gave me enough leisure time to browse some cat rescues and 'pounds' today. At the Dumb Friends League Buddy Center in Castle Rock today, I found my newest roommates. A couple of mutt cats. 'Buddy' was listed as a two-month-old black domestic shorthair, but he's actually a black tabby. I've had quite a few black cats in my life, and I've noticed with several of them that their hair actually has a tabby pattern to it, if viewed in the right light. Buddy is really about three tones of black in a stripy pattern-- very cool. Betty is the same size and age, though the paperwork didn't show that they were littermates. Just dropped off at the same time.<br />
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One of the reasons I've been thinking of getting a cat again is that Conan spends all nine or ten hours a weekday here in the house, just waiting for me to get home again. That usually means a trip to the dog park, and making amends for those hours of solitude. I thought if he had a cat (or two) bopping around the house all day, that might make the waiting more tolerable. He gets nearly no mental stimulation for the whole time I'm at work, and I can really see it in his behavior when I get home.<br />
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I picked up the kittens today, and they've been bouncing around the house with Conan all evening. He grew up with cats, so he's very respectful of them. I think there are memories of claws to nose that are keeping him in line. It's interesting-- cats are such incredibly smart and adaptive predators, but their 'smarts' are so different from dogs. This transition from thirty years of being a cat guy, to a dog guy, to a dog-and-cat-guy are showing me some interesting variations in the way we all think. Conan is a very bright dog, and he surprises me every day with his facility for language and memorization. That being said, I've got to witness today that a cat a tenth of his size (probably way less...) could figure out how to get where they wanted to go in the house in seconds, where he may have never worked it out. Math, though.... dogs are much better at math.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfPhymQmm_Gl0YK8Cl3YBphWugBJoyJzlgayJ3Fd_CtnH0wz99nk9v6v7lD_pqBalTe9OIPKTGt1bkhh7tIkQIs4d0AeSZ_FUXg-pDr1vYam71-o93tP8dbdQZ6r5nAR1XtrrGmPFEHM/s1600/Kittens11242010+007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEfPhymQmm_Gl0YK8Cl3YBphWugBJoyJzlgayJ3Fd_CtnH0wz99nk9v6v7lD_pqBalTe9OIPKTGt1bkhh7tIkQIs4d0AeSZ_FUXg-pDr1vYam71-o93tP8dbdQZ6r5nAR1XtrrGmPFEHM/s320/Kittens11242010+007.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbz6bxD7X8l7aL7KtCWgPMVR8ZtKEaj7hM8gw4dXowTfX6WbcUoh4wAYRKlwWBaiUvgboQuXPEYJlx5HB47aeb9GnjiKX4ZmknN7tgAMXze4-sxrBira05aikckJTVom1kRdVcwKzqV0/s1600/Kittens11242010+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbz6bxD7X8l7aL7KtCWgPMVR8ZtKEaj7hM8gw4dXowTfX6WbcUoh4wAYRKlwWBaiUvgboQuXPEYJlx5HB47aeb9GnjiKX4ZmknN7tgAMXze4-sxrBira05aikckJTVom1kRdVcwKzqV0/s320/Kittens11242010+008.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I hope to post some more pictures of the new house and expanded family soon. I've been having some technical difficulties recently, which have prevented me from posting great pics...Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-84268551224287104442010-11-14T15:09:00.000-08:002010-11-14T15:09:59.946-08:00New Wheels!Sorry Antarcticans-- no Antarctica content in this one. I'm getting more settled into my wee Englewood bungalow, and getting more used to the sub-urban (not quite suburban) lifestyle. Englewood feels a lot more like a small town than a suburb. I'm really liking it here. I still have about a half-hour commute to the office and back every day, and I've been doing it in my trusty old 2000 Tundra. Burning up a lot of gas, just commuting, and tons more when I visit friends in Montana and Arizona, and other road trips.<br />
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I've been thinking about getting a small car that gets good mileage, to take the heat off the ol' pickup, and to save bucks on gas. I've shopped the hell out of cars for the last couple of weeks, and found my ride. It's an '03 VW Jetta TDI (turbo diesel). It has nearly 100k on it, but it just got about three grand worth of engine work (new turbo/ manifold and new oil pan). These cars get about 50MPG in the city, and around 55MPG on the highway. I've had turbocharged cars before, so I know how to keep the car in its powerband and happy, so it's actually a pretty perky ride. It's not screaming fast, but I have a motorcycle for that. I can't wait to experience my first 600 mile tank! It's the GLS model, so it has the power sunroof, heated seats, heated mirrors, etc. Of all the options I would ever want on a car, heated seats are near the top. It's great to get in a cold car on a winter morning, and have a warm butt before my tires hit the street.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNd2osWWJVskirkuwBL_1yzrnpWPXu57-_6cGvCK9N9DgMBAtMRTvxC08csPwkFdv5E8WLVWsqAjCAuzypVEfmH5uSl3MF34HSOOHNUUmnQGBZrhCKn0zdRBxKcy8I4GZzBXDxHzNTW0/s1600/November+Englewood+009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKNd2osWWJVskirkuwBL_1yzrnpWPXu57-_6cGvCK9N9DgMBAtMRTvxC08csPwkFdv5E8WLVWsqAjCAuzypVEfmH5uSl3MF34HSOOHNUUmnQGBZrhCKn0zdRBxKcy8I4GZzBXDxHzNTW0/s320/November+Englewood+009.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I've always been skeptical of VWs, having had a couple that were really crap. I'm willing to give them another chance here-- it could be that I've just driven them like a rented mule before, and broke them often. I'll try to be civilized with this one...Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-86179993311783367802010-10-29T09:13:00.000-07:002010-10-29T09:13:05.174-07:00Corgi Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PCEVRaxxxVmvoGxku7y9Mg_CSIdPjSXudOGkp5IKxDqFmPifnJ2lS_VyYiiCqVCWQpkINkFKSpy-jMRo1n9PnwRLZGicts2ADlqj6bVt1Td_3Si8pDdAjsIjMpC-Qqjzvm9R_4wtRd0/s1600/Corgis1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7PCEVRaxxxVmvoGxku7y9Mg_CSIdPjSXudOGkp5IKxDqFmPifnJ2lS_VyYiiCqVCWQpkINkFKSpy-jMRo1n9PnwRLZGicts2ADlqj6bVt1Td_3Si8pDdAjsIjMpC-Qqjzvm9R_4wtRd0/s320/Corgis1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo_jUcMnF1XbY9OdZOI7waitVkFSXXyTrVXCLX9aPe-0qL9iqOF0Cvl3dLp86_JLxMe8GC5oZ3pSYWcd6hhnxKI6Vwpdb7otL0wlkFkme7rPiW_9a2OJiUrX1cIYUl8rtF1hCXDXewHI/s1600/Corgis10.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOo_jUcMnF1XbY9OdZOI7waitVkFSXXyTrVXCLX9aPe-0qL9iqOF0Cvl3dLp86_JLxMe8GC5oZ3pSYWcd6hhnxKI6Vwpdb7otL0wlkFkme7rPiW_9a2OJiUrX1cIYUl8rtF1hCXDXewHI/s320/Corgis10.jpg" width="304" /></a></div>Well, I successfully closed the deal on the wee bungalow yesterday. The whole process has been so smooth, it's definitely like the Universe wants me to live in that house. I have the keys, and get to start moving in this evening. I can't wait. I'll get to be in my new digs for Halloween, which should be fun. I carved a special pumpkin just for the occasion (I'll post pictures of that later). I'm not planning on dressing up, and Conan certainly isn't, but here are some pictures of corgis dressed up for Halloween, sent to me from Conan's Godmother in Montana (the breeder where I got him, and where he spent over 24 months while I was on the ice and travelling.Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3470099757466507226.post-47300295223850753802010-10-27T12:34:00.000-07:002010-10-27T12:34:19.007-07:00Close!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wgP12YU60tdrOs15K_RkbLV1_Pcym0X5wiSmupjIi9qmpoMgVMjCA8OWCtFXsO94jdpfwuMolkfMBuci3GwAkqyOVa7Qo5gxTvvqRurkPkzBH7gyDxlZR23JzlJwf5nXxzP7k2jfQGM/s1600/P1020078.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" nx="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9wgP12YU60tdrOs15K_RkbLV1_Pcym0X5wiSmupjIi9qmpoMgVMjCA8OWCtFXsO94jdpfwuMolkfMBuci3GwAkqyOVa7Qo5gxTvvqRurkPkzBH7gyDxlZR23JzlJwf5nXxzP7k2jfQGM/s320/P1020078.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I close on my wee bungalow in Englewood tomorrow! Everything about the transaction has gone eerily smoothly so far, and I have no issues with the house at all. It's in almost perfect shape. There is one hitch, though-- I gave away most of my furniture when I went to the ice in '08, and was stressing about furnishing the house with no money. The sellers are self-moving to Portland, and really didn't want to schlep all their furniture out there, so I approached them (through two realtors...) about selling me some. They agreed to sell me pretty much everything except the homemade dining room butcher-block table and chairs. I'm getting the couch with two matching chairs, two leather bar stools for the breakfast bar, an end table, a side table, a 32" TV with matching stand, the really cool living room area rug, the overhead pot rack, a warehouse-grade 8'x4'x12' shelving unit in the basement, plus shelving units in the garage and shed. I asked them what they would ask for all that stuff, and they came back with a price of $540! For all of it! I doubt if I could have replaced just the bar stools for that. I am so stoked. I take possession on the Friday of my three-day weekend, so I'll have plenty of time to move in. Conan will be in heaven, too. He's been spending workdays confined to the kitchen of my temporary digs while the house has been painted. He's been wound up like a cheap watch from sheer lack of stimulation every day when I get home from work. Having a whole house to himself will make it much easier. I plan to get a cat very soon, too. My living arrangements (and global gypsy lifestyle) have kept me from having a cat for years. Conan grew up with my cats Chuck and Squishy, so he's a big cat lover, and will love the extra company. Woo Hoo!Lee "Pen" Gwinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09999106228883376884noreply@blogger.com0