Now where am I going? – Physical edition

Today’s Music: Stray Cats

I can get within 5 miles of my target on a 500 mile trip. It’s that last mile that kills me.
But I’ve gotten smarter. I have a GPS for the car. I have maps. And I have a compass.
Actually, I own several compasses. I have analog ones, digital ones. I have GPS, I have them bundled in other tools.
When making screened t-shirts was on my list of things to do, the front logo was a compass.

It came with the car!

I love my compi (plural). When I’m on a car trip, I take note of where I’m going, and never fail to laugh during the large east/west section of I-95 North/South. It makes me feel kind of smug that I, outdoor adventurer, have a better idea of my bearings than the guys that built a road from Florida to Maine, but couldn’t even get the orientation of the road correct.

But sometimes I’m on foot.

Fits in my pocket!

For that, I have this little gem. It came with a carabiner! It has a little Canadian flag as a souvenir of where I bought it!
It worked for two whole weeks!
But the key ring on the other end holds all my keys, so I keep it even though the compass doesn’t work anymore and is not worth the effort to recharge and recalibrate. Besides, I have an Android.

It's on my phone!

With a compass App! It’s pretty accurate. It also has other features, and with the phone’s GPS, I can keep a record of my path and (more importantly) find my way back out.

Which has been really helpful sometimes. When I remember to turn it on.

Though, there are times when electronics are just persnickety.

I could have been an arm model

So I can align my watch with the sun and adjust the bearing dial to find general direction. Doesn’t work as well at night though…

Of course, sometimes I’m not tramping about on roads or through the woods. Sometimes I’m doing it underwater.

I could have been a hand model

Sadly, I have no idea how to use this underwater. But it’s really cool. And is my second favorite compass I own, behind…

My wife (the most wonderful girl in the universe) gave me this, one of the first gifts I ever got from her. It means more to me than a lot of other things I own, because for me, it’s a perfect gift. It’s small, it is elegant and it works.
I love this little box compass.

So there’s really no reason for me to get lost in the world anymore.

Next time we’ll do the Metaphysical Edition…

Adminisilliness (a Bread Crumbs post)

(*This page is a permanent page above the title bar.
It was suggested that I post it as a regular page, because who ever really reads the fine print anyway…
As such, there is no Today’s Music here. On the other hand, I haven’t finished my ideas for the next post, so think of this as a Bread Crumbs (filler) post.)

I hate paperwork.
Even virtual paperwork.
But every so often, it has to be done.
So here it is:

1 Nov 2011
This blog is maintained/arranged/updated by El Guapo (the handsome one).
(As I keep telling myself).
He can be contacted at Guaposaur@gmail.com

Posts are made irregularly. Mostly because I want to say something worth saying (at least to me), as opposed to just adding to the general cacophony. My Reader(s?) deserve better.

Pictures are added as needed to express a point, clarify a point, or to amuse the author (again, me).

Today’s Music may be what I’m listening to at that moment, or something I feel is appropriate to the post, or an act I want to highlight. Check them out, you might like them. And any musical suggestions are always welcome.

Occasionally there will be a Today’s Adventure. That is a quick note on something I’ve done recently that I really enjoyed.
I hope there will be lots of them.

Comments are allowed instantly, but are checked regularly, since I find myself not wanting to do my job when I am there, so I poke around online instead.
With that in mind, please be respectful. You can be as passionate as you like in expressing your point of view, but please don’t descend to immature name calling.
Or I will summon the Flaming Balls of Zoltan upon thine comments. Sadly for the justice system, I am the court of last resort around here.

I do read all comments, and do my best to respond to/answer questions raised in them. If you’re shy and want to ask me something, feel free to email.

My philosophy is that we should all enjoy the bejeezus out of ourselves up to the point where we infringe upon the ability of others to enjoy themselves.

I enjoy sour and half-sour dill pickles, but not the “bread and butter” ones.

I think that covers it.

Let me know if I left something out.

*This will probably be updated as soon as I remember what I forgot.

Cut it out, Canada.

Today’s Music: Oh, Canada

I like Canada. A lot.
I’ve been there several times, most recently to see The Cars at Sound Academy in Toronto.
I’ve loved seeing the Changing of the Guard ceremony at Parliament in Ottawa.
I loved hanging out with Charles DeLint at the bar he plays at weekly. He invited me up onstage, and lent me a guitar so we could rip through a twelve bar blues riff with his band.
He took us out for lunch after we spent the day exploring the Byward market, a really nice indoor/outdoor shopping area filled with the products of local craftsmen and street musicians.
My wife (the most wonderful girl in the universe) and I spent a lovely afternoon strolling through the Ottawa government seat, and walking along the Rideau river.

Manhattan at noon, 29 October

I’ve skied at Tremblant and loved, and have nothing but nice things to say about Montreal.

More recently, I’ve enjoyed the tulip festival. They really are beautiful. The way you arrange them shows why you elevated the festival to a national event.
My wife and I loved your museums, and admired the clean orderliness of your street.

Brooklyn, 20 minutes after Manhattan

And on the same trip when we went to see The Cars, we also stopped at Niagara Falls. It’s true, the view is better from the Canadian side.
So all the times I’ve been to Canada, I’ve had nothing but fun.

Queens, 35 mjinutes after Brooklyn

But you have a dark secret.
Any architect building a freestanding home in an open area will tell you, build the hedges along the north.
During winter, the cold air comes down from the north. That’s how the jet stream works.
And what’s north of New York?
Canada.
That;s right. I said it.
Canada is sending us the snow.
I like snow. I like sledding, skiing, sitting on the porch watching it build up. I like driving in fields through it, catching it on my tongue, and making naked snow angels in it. Ok, that was once, and i was really drunk at the time. But I enjoyed it.

But now you’ve gone too far. It’s October. There are another 60 or so days of fall. Which I can’t enjoy. Because it’s snowing.
The snow Canada sent.

Look, I admit it, the U.S. can be mean to Canada. We ignore you, we run roughshod over your entertainment industry by selling you our music/tv/movies. And I know you have to pay more for those same books and dvds we insist on sending you.
But I’m begging you, please, turn off the snow.
I gave your anthem the “Today’s Music” slot.
I like real maple syrup.
I’ll even admit (under duress) that I own a Bryan Adams cd (it was a long time ago and I’ve no idea where it is anymore.)

So stop with the snow already. At least for another month or two.

The view out my window 15 minutes later.

Or we’ll send back William Shatner.